Starting blogs are always the hardest part. What to say at the beginning? Well, for one, I am NOT in Antarctica this winter, which is a big change. My husband Anthony IS down there on the ice at McMurdo Station, leaving me to my own devises for 6 WHOLE MONTHS.

I have decided to dedicate myself to creative pursuits for the aforementioned period of time. I am going to let myself take all those classes I've been wanting to take for a while now and just have a great time exploring the creative world. I have no idea where this will lead, but I can guarantee it will be fun.

I have already started my mission by signing up for a silversmithing course in Christchurch that my friend Harry Fishel told me about. It's a 10 week course in basic skills. I also signed up for a 6 week scrapbooking class and have picked our 2003 Antarctic wedding as the subject of my scrapbook. Next month I have a lampworking weekend in Auckland. For those who don't know what lampworking is, it is making beads from glass using a torch flame...basically melting glass in a bead form. In addition, I have just completed 2 separate courses in PMC this weekend.

PMC or "Precious Metal Clay" is an amazing art. Somehow Mitsubishi found a way to suspend tiny particles of pure silver into a natural binder, creating a clay-like substance. This clay can be molded and shaped into items of jewelery and when it gets fired in a kiln, the binder substance burns away and bonds the particles of silver together. The whole thing shrinks about 10% and what you are left with is a peice of fine silver jewelery. It is EXACTLY like using regular pottery clay...all the same rules apply for forming, joining, sanding, carving, etc but all in miniature. It's pretty trippy.

So, I had one class on Saturday and another today, on Sunday. Two separate classes with two different teachers. Both classes were excellent.

I had to leave several of the pieces I made with the teachers so they could kiln-fire them, but this tiny piece I brought home today because I fired it with a butane torch (and thus didn't have to wait for the kiln).



I'll post more photos when I get the pieces back.

Just to get you up-to-date. I knitted this baby hat and gloves for our friend's new baby due in July.


It is hard to refrain from squealing "ain't they CUUUUTE!" The mittens do not have thumbs, because I guess babies don't need them -- for a while at least. To put the size in perspective, each mitten fits nicely over one of my fingers.

I got the pattern from a great little baby knitting book I bought. Stitch n' Bitchers on the Ice: let me know if you need a pattern for anything baby-ish.

There is a praying mantis in the house tonight. I spotted it earlier, but it has crawled (or flown) off somewhere. I left a window open after sunset and now there are moths all over the ceiling...and one praying mantis. Is that good luck?

OH, and one last thing. I need help naming my blog. I have tried and tried to come up with something clever, but nothing has stuck. I could really use your help. Email your ideas to cgdownunder@hotmail.com or comment to the blog.