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News and Views *A bit like a blog, only with a much nicer name - I hope!* March 9, 2014 Well, this little visit is short and sweet today as I am just trying to ease myself back into some semblance of normality but oh wait .... is that even possible, I ask myself? There are laces to dye, images to upload, newsletters to write, not to mention a house that is desperately crying out for some T.L.C. and a family that is all vying for my attention too .... yep, normality will just have to take a number as it looks like chaos still has priority :-) Lots of love and gratitude to you all for following my journey. Jule x
February 26, 2013 Okay, now before you go analyzing me and looking at the dates of my posts here on this page, you need to know something .... I am human! Oh how I wish I were 'Wonder Woman' at times and then I could simply spin around and fix everything in a flash but sadly, all that happens when I spin around is that I get dizzy! For instance, what happened to January 2013 I wonder? And what about 2012? Did it really ever exist, I ask? Am I the only one who never seems to have enough time to do everything or are you riding on the same merry-go-round that I am? .... so many questions, too many confusing answers and yet the problem remains ... I am now convinced that I need to find an elixir for longevity as I must certainly live until I am at least 150 years old to complete all of the things that I have on my 'bucket list' :-) For today though, I will start by wishing you a Happy New Year (if I haven't done so already) and then I must also thank those of you who have supported my business over the past year including my beautiful and loyal facebook followers. The numbers are just staggering with over 4,000 people liking my page now which is simply amazing! Next, I am going to state categorically right now that I do not make New Year's Resolutions as I have learnt that, in my case, it is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. Rather, I am just going to continue doing what I do best and that is to be 'me'. Shortcomings and all (pardon the pun and just in case you haven't met me, I never did quite get to 5ft tall), I intend to keep on having fun; to continue to try and bring joy and happiness to everyone in my life and to continue my dream of following my Whimsical Imaginings wherever that leads me for as long as I follow my heart, I am sure that my path will be an enjoyable journey. My calendar is buzzing already with many exciting adventures planned for the year including workshops, tea parties, exhibitions and shows. I am also very excited to be working on bringing Lollipop Land back again later in the year. This time it promises to be even bigger and more exciting and I can tell you that my dreams are filled with many, sweet musings right now. Well, unlike previous posts I have made on this page, this time I am not promising to come back soon as who knows when I will be back! I will however promise to think of you all often and be grateful that you choose to share my life with me. Thank-you all so kindly because without you, I would have no reason to be here! Lots of love to everyone and I shall leave you today with a little mixed-media collage that I created last week ..... enjoy :-) Until next time my friends, be safe and be happy. Jule xxx Remember to follow your heart in everything you do!
April 13, 2012 Well after a gorgeous 'cloud free' Easter with brilliant blue skies and warm sunshine, the grey skies are back and the weather has turned decidedly chilly. I must say I prefer the cooler weather to the heat but the sunny long weekend was a wonderful change from the dismal weather we have had this year. The crazy thing is that I enjoy all the changes of the seasons that Mother Nature provides for us..... all I need right now though is to have the fireplace going and a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows to warm my cold hands and my life would be complete! I cannot believe that this year marks the fifth anniversary of selling my shop in Caboolture and I cannot help but wonder where that time has gone. The plan was to have a better balance of work and time-out and yet I still feel like I am chasing my tail all the time. I know I only have myself to blame because rather than letting things go and slowing down the pace, I continue to take on more and more projects that I love. I am in fact, my own worst enemy it seems : -) The funny thing is that everyone I talk to seems to be living in the same perpetual mode of 'fast-forward' ...... perhaps we all need to push that 'pause' button more often and pat ourselves on the back for our achievements rather than rushing to see the completion of a task, a movie, a meal and even, heaven forbid our life. Oh my gosh, I feel like I have just given myself a healing session ...... I have a huge list of jobs to do today but you know what??? I am going to put the kettle on ...... see you all on the next leg of my journey...... much love to everyone and do yourself a favour.... go and put your kettle on too and we shall meet again soon. Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. Ralph Waldo Emerson December 27, 2011 Well, I must say that I am quite proud of myself ..... why, you ask .... because I am back here and this time it didn't take me six months to do so! Welcome to you if this is your first visit to my News and Views page and allow me to guide you through my whimsical imaginings for the next couple of minutes or so ..... Yes, it is indeed almost the end of another year - a tough one for many with Mother Nature providing her many challenges for some and for others, it has been a year of turmoil with the economic dooms-dayers trying to scare us all out of our wits and yet, we are still here together and for that I am eternally grateful! All in all, I have had a wonderfully creative year and feel that I have achieved so much although I do believe that 2012 will bring even more exciting adventures my way with the extended family flying the coop to live independently (my son, daughter-in-law and grandsons came to stay with us in June 2008 for two months : -)).... needless to say, I am so excited and yet at the same time, pondering how I shall cope with the empty-nest syndrome and not seeing my gorgeous grandsons on a daily basis ..... such mixed emotions to deal with! Perhaps, once I get through the initial separation anxiety I will be free to explore my more creative side without all of the 'Nanny, can you please?' interruptions, we shall see! I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the festive season. I hope that your New Year is filled with much happiness and love and I hope that the year 2012 is a year of constant joy for you. Steven and I both thank-you sincerely for your love and support for without you, there would be no Whimsical Imaginings and we look forward to bringing you the next chapter in our exciting story. Take care, be safe, be happy and above all ...remember to play! Jule x
May the stars shine upon you, October 17, 2011 When I decided to visit this page to update it just now, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry - April, I ask you??? Whatever has happened to me since then I wonder? Is my life that crazy that it takes a visit to my blog to remind me of how many hats I am trying to fit onto the one head? Totally ridiculous and yet, I want it all....... I want the blog, I want the news and views, I want the facebook page, I want the website and the workshops, I want the exhibitions and retreats with Chris Boston, I want to create and make beautiful things, I want the time with my family and friends............I want, I want...... I have, I have..... I have it all and then some, it appears : -)) As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for hey!
April 23, 2011 Gosh, I'm back already.......will wonders never cease? I just thought I would share some images of my latest efforts as it is not everyday that you get to give a 'cherub' a makeover! One of my beautiful customers gave me two of these cherubs and entrusted me with the task of giving them a facelift - no plastic surgery or botox in sight - just lots of gorgeous flowers and lace! It's amazing what you can do with a little time, imagination and love isn't it?
It's been a lovely creative week for me as I have been busy with customer orders making hair garlands for one bride and her daughter as well as a beautiful hairpiece for the mother of a groom (two separate weddings)! The hairpiece included hand-dyed lace and hand-crafted tubular flowers with tiffany pearl drop stamens - if only the photographs could portray how pretty everything is!
Well, my friends until next time I wish you all the best and a very Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate this holiday. April 5, 2011 Mmmm, seven weeks since I last visited this page ....... interesting ...... anybody would think I have been busy or something ..... Sound familiar?? Well, the Easter Bunny's factory is in full production with his planned visit just a few short weeks away now and if you love making Easter Gifts and accessories you might love our new trims from Miss Rose Sister Violet. They are truly delightful and would make the perfect embellishment on an Easter Card, a lovely runner for the Easter table or perhaps a little girl's dress maybe. You will find them in the on-line shop in the Miss Rose Sister Violet Trims section and I have included some images here for you today.
I have just posted lots of new dates for workshops on the web-site, so there are now plenty of dates to choose from where you can come and play, create and embellish your way through a whimsical day on the mountain complete with yummy cakes and delicious nibblies to keep your tummy happy too. Please contact me if you wish to know more. Okay, it's now time to 'hop off' to complete my next task on the list (and trust me, the list is a long one) so until next time, I shall bid you farewell and wish you all the very best. February 16, 2011 Hello and Happy New Year to everyone, although it has been anything but happy for many as we know all too well. January was certainly a month that many would rather forget with floods, fires and cyclones wreaking havoc across the nation causing immeasurable heartache for thousands of Australians. I don't know of a single person who hasn't been affected in some way or other and it has most definitely been a powerful lesson for everybody about what is important and what isn't important in our lives. No matter what problems we have to face, there is always someone who is worse off. We may have a mouldy house and a soggy yard here but our problems are miniscule compared to others. Our love and healing thoughts are with any of you who have endured the pain of losing your treasured possessions and properties and most importantly any friends or family members. There simply aren't enough words to convey how sad we are for you. On a brighter note, I wish to welcome all new customers to my site and let you know that I have many new exciting projects planned for 2011. I will keep you posted on these as the months progress and as I become more proficient with the technology that is currently holding me back. I'm never ceased to be amazed about how camera, computer and gadget companies all assume that we were all born blessed with the same gene as them for deciphering techno-speak...... If you visit the on-line shop you will see that I have added some gorgeous new trims in the beaded fringing section including the stunning crystal swag drop bead in ivory and peridot. The same bead will shortly be available in burgundy too! There is also a fabulous eggplant beaded braid and lots more specials to choose from as well some lovely new sequined lace motifs. You will see that I have also updated the workshop page with a list of upcoming dates to choose from and if you haven't visited in recent times you will discover that Steven has been loading several items into his catalogue as well. (Rainy days are good for something after all)! Well, I must be off and pretend to do something constructive....... maybe lunch will have to come first though :-) December 3, 2010 Caution: The following long story may offend those of you who are proficient at ‘sewing’. My father taught me that there is no such word as can’t, so I believe that anything is possible……almost! Today has been a wonderful day of creating; listening to the rain and working on a project that has been waiting to be completed for the past three years. I know some of you will understand what it is like to have UFO’s (unfinished objects) in your cupboard. I’m not entirely sure how many times I have stumbled upon this bag of half-made-garments over the years but I do know that it has appeared on numerous occasions and each time I tell myself ‘I must get to that outfit one day and finish making it’. Sadly, to finish the outfit in question meant that I had to use the sewing machine. Now, for some of you this would be an easy task I’m sure, but for me it’s a challenge. Mercifully, I don’t actually like straight lines because I’ve never quite mastered the art of sewing in one and after today’s effort I now have a new appreciation of everybody who ‘sews’. You are legends! You are fantastic! I am amazed at how easy you make it look and just how do you do it and stay sane? Some of you even do it for a hobby and spend whole days, weeks, months and years working on quilts. Wow, I am impressed!! To set the wheels in motion and tell you about my day I shall have to begin with my ‘brand new’ sewing machine. Actually, it is several years old and well past the warranty date but considering it has only escaped from the box on three occasions I still refer to it as a brand new machine. Anyway, my assignment was to finish making a skirt and top that had been started by a dressmaker several years prior but to my dismay I was never totally satisfied with the finished product. How hard can it be to fix someone else’s mistakes I thought? Turns out, it’s very hard. Let’s start with the little singlet top. I remember when I had put it into the ‘too hard file’ that the straps were too long for me so ‘that should be a pretty simple task’ I told myself but when I tried it on again today, it turned out that my bust has shrunk with age (actually, I think the weight has just dropped down to my bottom) and the whole top was now way too big. Taking it in on the sides didn’t seem like a good option because it involved dealing with a lace panel so I decided to add some elastic to ‘pull’ the whole thing in to a smaller size – big mistake apparently, as the singlet took on a whole new shape that didn’t even resemble the curves of my body let alone anyone else’s. There were bumps and crinkles and still way too much fabric so I decided in my wisdom to admit defeat and start again……..luckily I had another green top in my cupboard to work on given that starting from scratch is way out of my league. Next job was to cut off all the laces and trimmings from singlet number one and transfer them to singlet number two………..more sewing but at least it was beginning to look like something that I would want to wear. I was reminded as I was sewing that I had wanted to complete this outfit for my son’s wedding which was back in October, needless to say because it never happened but I was up until 11pm the night before the wedding looking for something in my wardrobe to wear ……. Thank goodness I didn’t have to sew for the bridal party I mused to myself today ………maybe the reason that I hadn’t had a chance to get my outfit organized was the fact that I had been a little busy making all the bridal bouquets, wrist corsages, hair garlands for the flower girls, butterfly wands, fairy wings, button-holes for the men, candle holders for the tables, backdrop for the bridal table, decorating a gazebo for the ceremony, etc, etc, etc Now, for the skirt – what to do, what to do? It still didn’t look quite right despite the fact that a gorgeous creative friend of mine had started working on it yesterday. I felt that it still needed more tweaking so I started adding more bits of lace and trim, ruching it up to give it more shape and searching my inner self for the creativity that I was longing for, whilst all the time, wrestling with a sewing machine that is obviously more intelligent than me as it wanted to go in directions that were totally not part of my master plan. After what seemed like hours of knots, broken threads, empty bobbins, re-threading the needle, pin pricks and torture I sensed that victory was looming closer. Yes, I can do this, I can sew, I………..oh no……….I’ve run out of my green cotton………..I, I, I………… I know what to do – I’ll just plug in my glue gun………. I’ve come too far to give up now…….. ‘Winners never quit and quitters never win’ as the saying goes. And so to the staunch seamstresses of the world you may choose to stop reading now as my journey takes an unpredicted detour to the land of glue. Oh what joy, what fun this is………… this is my favourite tool of my trade………..give me a glue gun any day over a cantankerous sewing machine and an inept operator. I can even handle the odd burn or two, at least there’s no blood dripping from the pins pricking my fingers. My skirt has now taken on a whole new dimension with extra little treats and surprises glued strategically to make it look interesting but ‘why stop there I thought’?? ‘I really think I need to add some more lace to my singlet top but there’s no more green cotton………..why not glue the top too??? I had better pin the lace first to see if it sits properly, yep, that works……….take the shirt off again for the umpteenth time and start gluing away ………..happy, happy………….wait a minute that’s not going to sit down properly over my bust……..oh well, I shall just have to glue it while it’s on me’….. And that’s exactly what I did! The term ‘hot boobies’ took on a whole new meaning as I carefully applied the hot glue to the lace motif and attached it to my shirt. Voila! All done and not a burnt bosom in sight! (Please don’t try this at home will you, as it is fraught with danger and you must remember, that I was a desperate woman in search of a completed project). I now understand why my grade 8 report card said ‘F’ for sewing – it wasn’t 'F' for fail it was ‘F’ for frustration! The thing is that I can sew; I am just not very good at it that’s all. Perhaps I should have been given a ‘G’ on my report card and put into a class where they used glue guns instead of sewing machines! As for my outfit, I look forward to wearing it one day soon ………… but perhaps I had better not wear it on a really hot day just in case things start falling off!! And now to my news and views update………..the first in several months now as you may have noticed. If you are wondering where I have been and what I have been up to ……..so am I??? My sewing day today was my first day off in months as my whole life has been filled with adventures that replicate today’s proceedings and feelings of chaos. I’ve been away doing workshops and window displays and Christmas displays; our youngest son got married; we’ve had family dramas too with my Mum having a fall, her beloved dog passing away; our dog getting a paralysis tick; 15” of rain two weeks before the wedding, etc, etc and so on. I have written to you all mentally on many occasions but just haven’t had an opportunity to do so………… instead of the normal washing cycle that just agitates and keeps everything moving along I feel like I have been trapped in the ‘spin cycle’ these past few months! Anyway, it’s so good to be back and I will do my best to get back to you again soon and fill you in on all the new items that I will soon be adding to the website. I do hope you are all well and happy and until next time, I wish you all the very best for a festive season that is filled with peace, love and happiness. May your sewing machines run smoothly and your glue guns never grow cold! Lots of love to everyone for now and take care. Jule x
July 26, 2010 I wonder if one day, I shall ever write to you and have nothing to say or maybe tell you that life is boring or that I have more spare time on my hands than I know what to do with……… I wonder!! Every time I reflect on my life it seems to have the same flavor – fast, hectic, busy, too much to do with too little time, etc, etc. Fortunately, it is also seasoned with generous portions of love, friendship, family and friends too! In a perfect world we wouldn’t have to work and would just work when the mood fancied us. We wouldn’t have to cook, clean, worry about children, pay bills and take out the garbage. We wouldn’t have to wake up to the sound of an alarm clock telling us what to do and we wouldn’t have to get in the car for any reason other than to simply go somewhere for the fun of it. We all know though that there is no such world and as much as I truly believe in fairytales, the reality is that most of us have to deal with all of the above. Even with all of the latest 3D technology these days, fairytales are still pretty much one dimensional stories that only touch on reality every now and then. Our lives however are the real thing and there’s no re-writing the script if we mess it up. The good thing about it though, is that we only ever get to experience real happiness when we know what sorrow is, we only appreciate our good health when we have experienced pain; and we only fully recognise the good times if we have seen the bad. I believe that we need to appreciate all of the ‘good’ in our lives and be grateful for everything we love including our family and friends. So at the end of the day I think that being busy isn’t such a bad thing as long we retain some sort of balance between work and play; and rush-hour and quiet-time. I think that as far as story-telling goes......the rush hour probably makes for much more interesting reading than the quiet time though, don’t you?? : -)) Anyway, enough of my philosophizing (is there such a word)........what's new and what's been happening??!! Well, we had an open-house here on the weekend which was just lovely with lots of beautiful customers coming to visit and see all the pretties (if you want to be informed about the next open-house day here be sure to join the mailing list). I have also been having a fabulous time holding workshops and you can now check the list on the workshop page to see where I will be next. If you visit the online catalogue you will now discover some beautiful new sequined laces; a lovely new pearl beaded lace in mauve and a really cute rococo trim that it is on special for just $2.50 metre! You will also discover a terrific tassel trim that has been reduced to just $10 a metre making it perfectly affordable to add to lamps, cushions and curtains! Keep checking the lace motif section section of the catalogue as I have just received some beautiful flower pieces that I shall be hand-dyeing shortly too! Are you sick of the views yet? I'm not, so forgive me for sharing another image of a sunset here. This was a week or so ago and was just spectacular - how can you not be impressed and regardless of your religious beliefs, I'm sure you will agree that the telegraph pole makes an interesting statement!! Lots of love for this time and do take care. Jule x
June 9, 2010 My head is in a weird space right now with lots to think about but I thought I would share just a little of the latest Monday Madness which was totally ruled by Murphy's Law (I often say, he's the boss here and not me).............. The day started with a fright when I realised that my son was still home instead of at his new job of just two weeks. Upon further investigation I learned that his brand new phone's alarm had not gone off as anticipated........further detective work discovered that the alarm was perfectly in order however the phone had had the wrong time set on it : -)) Whoops, never mind, phone the boss and off you go..........that is of course when you manage to get the car going because today is also the day that the car doesn't want to start without any prior inkling of a problem...........fifteen minutes later and some furious tinkering and he was finally off to work..........my turn now - bye everyone, I'm going for my walk and off I went leaving the rest of the family to get ready for the Monday trek to school, etc. Home again.........and goodbye to the rest of the crew..........begin work - busy packing orders, responding to emails and answering the 27,249 phonecalls that seemed to all come in............one of which went something like this 'Mum, Mel's run out of fuel, can you please help? She's walking back up the mountain to home with all the kids (she just happened to have an extra child with her this particular morning of course, so she had a 6, a 4 and lively 2 year old to deal with).' By the time Poppy (husband Steven) went to the rescue, they had already had a picnic on the side of the road eating the contents of grandson Kiran's lunchbox to keep the peace.........it's a big hill to walk up remember. Problem sorted, car fuelled, children off to school......again. In the meantime during all this chaos, I was sitting here trying to do my work .....again.....after all the interuptions and I suddenly heard the most amazing pained screeching noise coming from outside. I went to where the noise was becoming louder and ventured closer to the clothesline where the agonising noise appeared to be emanating from, thinking all the time that some poor bird had been caught up in the washing in the 40 knot winds that were blowing. Oh the poor thing, I thought, how awful, I've never known a bird to get trapped in washing before.......closer, closer I ventured only to discover that in fact it was our socks that were being tortured as the underwear hanger was spinning madly out-of-control in the cyclonic winds. Ha, ha.........very funny........back to work.....again! I returned to my computer and managed to get through a whole half hour without a hiccup and then I heard another noise - 'now what?' I asked myself. It was a constant rythmical banging, what could possibly be making that noise.......oh dear, is the 12 year old dog all right? Is he having a bad dream or maybe even a seizure? I'm not ready to lose him yet, this is awful............until of course, I learned that it was not some crazed mental state that the dog was in but rather a crazed state of bliss as he lapped up the remains of a cup of tea that had been left on the coffee table. He was simply chasing the cup everywhere to get every last drop - I didn't even know that he liked tea until then, gosh I could have put the kettle on for him long ago had I known! Anyway, the moral of my Monday is 'discovery' as every new moment presented a new discovery to me - some funny and some not so, but I learned a long time ago that a good sense of humour is imperative to survival in this family. Discovering the humour in stressful situations is wonderful therapy and imperative to our happiness don't you agree? Until next time, I hope you have a wonderful day full of fabulous discoveries, lots of laughs, warm hugs and bucket loads of love. Jule x PS If you want to go exploring looking for new discoveries try the specials page as I have recently added lots of sale items for the month of June! :-)) May 18, 2010 Hello, hello, hel-lohhh...........anybody listening?? Do you ever feel like you are talking to nobody? Apparently women speak twice as many words as a man in a day, is that because she has to repeat everything I wonder?? Steven can hear a packet of Tim Tams being opened in the next room but ask him to repeat what you have just said and he's likely to stare at you with a blank look on his face (just kidding, after 34 years of intense training sessions he is finally showing signs of increased listening prowess). Remember - "Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive."
March 29, 2010 Greetings to everyone and welcome to my 'whimsical imaginings' a place where we never know where we will end up, as my mind races through all of my crazy thoughts!
Remember - Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes! Author Unknown
January 14, 2010 Hello and Happy New Year to everyone! How exciting for all of us as we venture into the unknown and tackle another chapter in our lives. I love the fact that despite all of our plans, life throws us curved balls - constantly keeping us on our toes and testing our strengths and weaknesses. I gave up making New Year's resolutions long ago as I'm totally hopeless at keeping them. I find it's much kinder to your spirit to make promises that you intend to keep and not to punish yourself too severely when you occasionally trip up. Life is too beautiful to get hung up on the small stuff .......... and there is a lot of that isn't there? (thanks to author Richard Carlson for pointing that out to me some years ago) I've always had this feeling that something 'big' is going to happen in my life. 'Good big' that is and not 'bad big'. 'Bad big' was losing my father 19 years ago - I still miss him terribly but I now know that I am very lucky to have had him in my life at all as some people never even get to know their parents. I have learnt over the years that it is always best to trust my instincts as they have rarely let me down. In fact every time I deviate from them, I invariably end up regretting the decision so I like to just keep an open-mind and an open-heart and follow my dreams. Surely if I just keep putting out lots of positive thoughts then 'good big' things will keep happening! I'm not sure when you visited the site last but I have finally loaded all of the lace motifs into the catalogue. I'm hoping to keep expanding the product range this year and am happy to hear feedback from you as to what products you may be interested in sourcing. I've also got several workshops planned for the next couple of months and some more exciting projects in the pipeline with Chris Boston. If you would like to keep up-to-date with where and when I will be conducting workshops please don't hesitate to contact me so that I can add you to the mailing list. Until next time, I wish you well and hope that 2010 sees all of your hopes and wishes come true! 'I had a day where I did not worry about anything. That was the best day of my life'. Jule x December 1, 2009 Welcome to my Whimsical World where anything and everything can happen - it's called 'LIFE' and if you have a family you will know exactly what I am talking about. I don't know about you but the myth that I am perfect is constantly being shattered by the reality of discovering that I'm not! Despite my best intentions I don't live in a 'perfect' house with 'perfect' children and the 'perfect' husband but perfection doesn't necessarily equate to happiness does it? I do however believe that everything in my life is exactly how it's supposed to be no matter how things may seem at times. I am grateful for all the good in my life as I believe that it's only when I appreciate everything special that I do have, that more good things will come my way! 2009 has been another busy year for me doing workshops; in-store merchandising; Christmas Windows; the Bejewelled Fantasea Exhibition; trade shows; craft shows; etc, etc but I am happy to report that I have also been a busy girl adding lots of new items to the website with over 150 different 'ribbons' now on the site as well as some new trims and several brand new Miss Rose Sister Violet items that just arrived this week! We have some stunning 'diamonte buttons' which are a perfect addition to any of your craft projects; a few different varieties of 'black laces' which are just gorgeous; our ever popular rose ruffle trim that is now available in a large size in either black or beige; there is a new wide netted lace in cream which is absolutely beautiful with a very vintage appeal and some wonderful 'crown brooches' to 'top off' your craft projects perfectly too. You will also see some really pretty new velvet ribbons although the photograph really doesn't do them any justice as they are just delightful - soft and delicate to the touch. You will find all of these new items in the catalogue section of the website. In addition to everything else that I have been doing I have finally convinced my husband Steven that he needs to sell some of his collectables so I have created a new page on the website devoted just to him. As time goes on we will be loading all of his treasures on the site so if you know of anyone who collects stamps, coins, die-cast cars, military memorabilia, etc, etc let them know to check out the site in the next month or so. And........just in case you don't think I've been busy enough, I've also put a page on the site for my dear friend Chris Boston as well. You will see that there are still a few dolls available from our Bejewelled Fantasea Exhibition and that I have even created a slide-show that is now on You Tube! I would like to take this opportunity to thank-you for your support and for visiting my website. I wish you all the very best for a festive season that is filled with peace, love and happiness and I look forward to bringing you lots more in 2010. Please feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or enquiries regarding the website and until next time - bye for now and take care and I'll leave you with a few images of my Christmas Trees and Displays. Remember - 'Happiness is not the absence of problems, just the ability to deal with them!' Jule x
September 26, 2009 Hello again and what a wonderful week I've had with the opening of our 'Bejewelled Fantasea' Exhibition at Dinmore Cottage. The response has been truly amazing with so many beautiful visitors coming to see the incredible hand-sculpted all original dolls of my dear friend Chris Boston. The exhibition is there for another week before it is all packed up and the dolls go to live in their new homes making it impossible to ever see this spectacular display again. It reminds me that nothing in life lasts forever and it's so important to live in the moment. As I write, my floorboards are vibrating with the 'Michael Jackson' disco that is happening downstairs. My grandsons - five and a half years old and eighteen months old, as well as my gorgeous fourteen year old niece are having the time of their lives dancing away oblivious of how noisy it is up here but I don't mind at all. I am happy to listen to the sound of children having fun. Hopefully, you will have a lovely weekend and remember to have fun too - there's so much serious 'stuff' that we have to deal with in our lives that I believe it's important to take time out now and then to do the fun things - like 'Bubbles' for instance (one of our exhibition characters), she's quite contented to just loll about looking gorgeous! Until next time, bye for now and remember - 'You live longer once you realise that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.' Ruth E Renkl
September 12, 2009 Welcome to Spring and how gorgeous is this weather if you are a Queenslander like me!! I could cheerfully have weather like this all year round with cosy nights under the doona and sunny-filled days without all the heat but of course we don't always get to choose so I have learnt to be thankful for every day regardless of the weather. This message is especially relevant after attending the funeral of a friend yesterday. With an unexpected and premature exit from this world Ric Nattrass may have left us but he will never be forgotten and his death serves as a timely reminder to appreciate all that I love in the world. I have a really busy week ahead with the opening of our 'Bejewelled Fantasea' exhibition next Saturday September 19. Creating visual displays is so rewarding and I just love the challenge of making it all come together. If you get a chance to visit Dinmore Cottage during the school holidays you will be transported to the ocean floor with our magical under-water-world display. My dear friend Chris Boston creates the most incredible hand-made all original one-of-kind dolls and you will truly believe that you are swimming with the mermaids!! (Please visit the visual display page for more information). Until next time, I wish you well and hope that all is good in your life and I shall leave you with this thought for today................ Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget. G Randolf Jule x
July 19, 2009 Wow, the time bandit has struck again! The last two months have literally slipped out of my grasp - maybe it's got something to do with the fact that since I updated this page last I've been interstate three times and away for a total of almost five weeks on and off. Even though I've been living out of a suitcase it's all been good fun and I've met lots of wonderful new customers. The workshops at Christina's Cottage in Merredin WA were a big success and the workshops here at home are proving popular too. We are also working on some fabulous 'memory frames' at Linen and Lace at Cleveland with our next class there in August. I'll be back over in WA in November for those people over that way who are interested and next weekend I will be up at Rosebud Collectables at Esk if you would like to pop in and see what I do. It will be a demonstration rather than a workshop and the town should be abuzz with excitement as the town is having a multicultural festival and a street parade too. Please check the 'workshops' page for more details. With all this time away I'm sorry to say that I'm a little behind with adding new products to the website but it's on my list of 'things-to-do' for this week in addition to the three days of workshops of course! I have though managed to get all the new rose ruffle trims up on the site. You will find some fabulous new colours including a gorgeous pink with black spot that looks very 'French'. I'd love to add a few rows to a black lamp for a spectacular effect, what do you think?
I've also been having lots of fun playing with the new 'Looped Ribbon Braid' - it's so versatile and has so many applications. Add it to bolster cushions, clothing, lamps and so on. If you undo the bottom edge (the one with two rows of stitching) you will get a fabulous 'fringe braid' effect and because it is a rayon you can even dye it with dramatic results too!
Well I'll say goodbye for now and I do hope you are all well. Take care and until next time remember - 'We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give' Jule x -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 5, 2009 Hello to everyone and hope all is well. I've just come back from a busy week at the Brisbane Craft Show working with Gabriella from Miss Rose Sister Violet. It has been a fun week catching up with lots of customers and meeting lots of new ones too. We have got so many gorgeous products but as always the velvet flowers were a big hit and our new trims were extremely popular too - especially the rose ruffle trim as it is so versatile. Many people took advantage of the free workshops that Gabriella held - she is so inspiring to us all and is constantly designing new items to add to our extensive range.
April 20, 2009 Well, the new little showroom has been well received with several customers coming to view all of the gorgeous new products and sample some of my homemade cooking. We had a workshop here on Saturday learning how to make a hair clip and a lamp corsage and we are doing another workshop here on Thursday May 14 where we will be learning how to cover a panel lampshade. I've also been busy loading lots of new products into the catalogue, I still have a long way to go but I am getting a little faster at the whole process now! I have recently created some beautiful new projects for workshops - a Lace Collage Lampshade and a Framed Collage that includes laces, trims, flowers and lots of sparkly bling (you will find them in the catalogue). They are both way over the top but why not, I ask? It's amazing what treasures you can put together that you have probably been hoarding in boxes for years - get them out of hiding I say and enjoy them - what are you waiting for? Well, this is just a quick message for today to let you know that all is good in life and that the sun is shining brilliantly again up here in paradise after an incredibly wet Easter. Please don't hesitate to call if you would like to know more information about upcoming workshops and you are most welcome to come and visit when you are up this way. Just contact me to arrange an appointment. The next time I speak with you I will be another year older as the big 'five O' looms ever closer - how exciting and where have those 50 years gone I wonder? Have a wonderful day filled with happiness and laughter and stay safe. Bye for now. Jule x
March 23, 2009 Wow, I can't believe it's only 20 days since I last wrote on this page - it feels like I've lived a whole lifetime in the past three weeks because I've been so busy! Anyway, I thought that I would share a few images with you of my new 'Little Room' that I have put together at home here. It is so wonderful to have all the pretties back on display instead of being hidden away in boxes - gorgeous things should never be hidden from view should they?? My room reminds me of how we should enjoy and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us everywhere and we can't possibly forget when we place it right under our noses can we??!! I will shortly be posting some workshop dates on the site so keep an eye out for them and if you would like to come and see all the new items please don't hesitate to give me a call to make an appointment. Until next time, I wish you well and have a happy day. Jule x
March 3, 2009 Welcome to March - what happened to February I wonder??!! It's so hard to believe that we are into the third month of the year already and as usual my life has been hurtling along at break-neck speed. I've spent many long hours working on the catalogue section of the website and now have more than 500 items listed with lots more to add yet (just trying to juggle everything on my 'to-do' list at the moment). You will note that there are lots of gorgeous new beads and trims which is exciting - I can't wait to make some beautiful new lamps with them! My next project is to get my showroom put back together here on the mountain. Since closing down my little shop that I had at the Eumundi Markets late last year (I loved the markets and the people but just got tired of driving the 700kms every week) all of the stock has been sitting here in boxes begging me to be brought back to life again. So over the course of the next week or two I will be recreating a special little room that is filled with all the treasures that I love. The best part about this is that if you would like to see the products in the flesh rather than purchasing on-line there will actually be something to view rather than just a room full of boring boxes. I've also got a wonderful big kitchen table that seats ten people so there's plenty of room to do some workshops so if you would like to come and experience some mountain hospitality and take a nice drive in the country please feel free to contact me and make an appointment (our house is just a little over an hour's drive north west of Brisbane). Well the paint brush is calling me so I'm back to work for now. Until next time, I wish you well and I hope you have a beautiful day. Be happy and remember to make time to play - your life will be that much richer for it - take my grandsons for example - life is just one big ball of fun!
January 12, 2009
I’ve called this page ‘News and Views’ but essentially it will be a ‘blog’ page. Whoever thought of that word I wonder because it’s such an ugly word! Big girls like me who love to play with faeries and flowers don’t ‘blog’ – we float and dream and imagine and create and surround ourselves with beauty – there’s nothing bloggy about our lives!
Once upon a time when I owned my store in Caboolture I would write a weekly ‘feel good’ column for the local newspaper. The fact that I paid for the column had nothing to do with its popularity and after more than 200 articles it all came to an end when I sold my business in 2007. I still run into old customers today who tell me how much they miss reading my column so I thought it would be a good thing to get back into the habit of writing more regularly and sharing my life’s journey with you too!
I usually find that almost all of us go through ups and downs, we all have families that bring us immense joy and often heart-ache and so it’s kind of nice to share the fact that we are all in this together and no matter how bleak things may appear at times, there is always someone out there who is doing it tougher than us. Eventually, when I finally get the hang of this computer world I might even get a page up where everyone can share their decorating secrets, unload a bit of excess baggage and tell us about all the good things in their lives too. Until then though you are stuck with me I’m afraid so if personal stuff is not your scene you have my permission not to visit this page okay! Ha, ha.
For those of you who are uninitiated into my world of chaos I’ll just give you a brief insight into my life. I’ve been married for thirty years (to the same person even), I have two sons who are now 28 and 26 and I also have two gorgeous grandsons (aren’t they all)? My husband Steven and I have lived quietly up here on the mountain at Mt Mee for the past six years but six months ago number two son and his family came to live with us so things are not so peaceful with a five year old and nine month old living under the same roof but we still love it!
We’ve been renovating a 100 year old Queenslander for the past five and a half years which is a huge task and definitely not for the feint-hearted. We were totally naive as to the extent of time, money and energy it would take to complete the house and there have often been times when we have wondered what we have got ourselves into but we know that we have something very special here and so we are committed to seeing this project through. As it turns out what we thought would be a two year project is a long way from the truth and even though the bank account has had the life squeezed out of it, it’s all good I keep telling myself. It can all be a little daunting at times and it’s only when I get out the photo album and look at where we started that I feel better with where we are now. A word of caution for anyone considering doing the same though – do your research on everything and then double the price and triple the time that you estimate it will take you to finish!
I often run into people who upon seeing my shops or displays remark that my home must be equally as beautiful………..well, it will be one day ……… I promise! It’s a bit hard to do all the pretty stuff though when you’re wading through sawdust and avoiding wet paint. I’m itching to get to do the fun stuff trust me and every now and then I sneak a little bit of ‘pretty’ into our lives by putting up a swag or hanging some beads or I add a lace curtain to a window. I can feel the excitement brewing about doing all the pretty things as I lie in bed and dream about all that I can do to make our house into a “home beautiful”. The truth is that our lives and our homes are never perfect but when we learn to appreciate everything that we already have it changes our perception of ‘perfection’ and we realize that we already have everything that we need to be happy!
I hope you have a beautiful day filled with love, happiness and all things good and until next time I wish you well and remember……………. You don’t stop laughing when you get old; you get old when you stop laughing!
Jule The view from my front door makes all the hard work worthwhile and I often sit on the verandah and take a deep breath when life is rushing past too quickly!
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