Sick. Three months of dizzy nausea and vomiting followed by three months of bright eyed creative frenzy and now an anticipated slower more balanced heavier hotter three months to go. Yip I am pregnant. Second time around with miracle number two. Doctors have told me I can not conceive. Well here is surprise little boy number two swimming in my tummy.

So I have been up to much creativeness so lets catch up shall we.

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All natural wreath – rosemary with cut out cork like bark stars. Smells traditionally festive.

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Playing Mr Maker with a tot can lead to interesting more grown up paper fold and cut motifs.

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Before bed doodle up drawing of and for peaceful sleep

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Drawing for a toddler can bring out your brighter side. Meet this rainbow.

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Taking creativity and colour to the kitchen with rich moist red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting to Celebrate October birthdays.

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Finding sketch treasures from the past as I neatened and organised winter out of my space.

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Sewed up some cushions for the Photo and Film Expo – Photocomment stand. Just had images printed on canvas professionally and then cut and sewed them. Just for show and not daily use as I doubt they will wash well. The larger cushions are made from Sunflower Fund bandanas in support of leukemia and bone marrow testing in South Africa.

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Sadly I lost this little cat, a companion and great gentle furry comfort so spiritually in tune with my needs. Seen here resting along side my creative actions as my pillar of peace and stability.

Hope to post more.

Candice.

 

I was asked to paint a mural for a friend in her little boy’s room. She had seen a simple forest design with a deer in the plascon magazine/catalogue. We used similar soft colours but also made our deer a bokkie – a lifesize impala ! Well we do live in Africa.

I so enjoyed drawing and then painting this. It brought me such peace and added artistic confidence.

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I took contour drawing to bed with me last night. I record my life with fuzzy blackberry snapshots and love to look through the album of my life for inspiration first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I knew I had some cute one of my boy to draw – it was the way he got that hat to sit on his head.

I drew these quick controlled contour drawings (looking at the page now and then)

I took the plunge then with ink and a blind contour attitude hoping my kid would not come out looking like a monster.

Things I learnt.  I love my 9B pencil – it’s so hard for me to reach for another and I always love ink.  Both leave such distinct purposeful lines.  I liked what I saw in pic one and three and pic four really caught the expression so well!

My Mother says she found all my college work while cleaning out – can’t wait to see it again.  Coming up for my 100post need to make it good.

 

Oil on Canvas , 2000, Candice Hall.  I belongs to my Dad – he loves to fly fish – he loves me to paint too.  He is my biggest critic after me.

 

I have been busy creating, see how things work, trying new mediums- like polymer clay.

Storing all my findings and learned skills for that project I’ll scheme up one day.  I think up a lot of projects.  Trying all these creative things helps me emotionally.  I have no sense of achievement  if I have not used my talents that day.

There is no boundary between craft and art for me - probably as I rarely use a pattern.

They are not finished master pieces but works in progress.  Best advice I can give is just do it without worrying what it will turn out like.  Somethings will surprise you and others won’t be great but you’ll learn more from both results.

I love these crocheted squares but am not sure about the polymer clay designs – except for the little bird.  I love the little bird.  That was from a pattern here

I also craft everywhere.  Polymer clay at the kitchen table and crocheting on my mothers couch.

 

Yesterday I went back to Montesorri School. It has been 21 years since my Montessori days.  I am building a Blog website for Emma Park Montessori in Linden here in Johanessburg.  Looking for the perfect web background at present.  I photographed the directresses as they guided the kiddies with there work.  Out of my depth as my husband is the photoMan but I think I got some good images.  I did not want the kiddies faces to show so I had to fit in and not distract the kiddies too much.  I chose no flash which made capturing the quick fleeting moments hard.  The pictures are for the web and not print so they should be good.  Here is one…

Emma Park Montessori School is my dream school to send my little man too.  After spending a day there and hearing their “no shouting” policy in action by the directresses, I was inspired to keep my voice down when disciplining.

 

When leaving the mall yesterday I passed a mom.  She was disciplining one of her three children in Afrikaans (local language here) to not stand in the trolley as she pushed it very energetically.  She was so polite to her child and the young girl listened with the utmost respect.  Mom was tall, slender and simply dressed in long denim shorts and a white T shirt and sandals.  Her strawberry hair was loosely knotted at the back of her head.  She had no make up on and her freckles shone from above her smile.

Oh I admired her.  I even looked back to take in more details about her.  She was glowing with everything I long to be.

Energetic, relaxed and loving.

 

I have had a desire of recent to read one of my favourite books again.  The Horse and his boy by C S Lewis – Book 3 in the Narnian series.  Conventionally a child’s book but I love the places it takes me too – something of an ancient Persia.

An inspiration came to me as I have been pondering how to better interact with my baby son (18months) – “Read your book to him”.  He does not sit still and needs something to keep his hands busy but he listens.  I read for 15 minutes before nap time this morning and gave loving time as I shared the gift of reading with him.  There is no way he could follow the story but my voice and company is all he wants.  In time he will learn all the loving characters of C S Lewis’ land of Narnia.

 

It’s been a struggle to be creative for the last month due to my own and family winter illnesses but I had one project on going at the dining room table – magnet making.  I have been collecting magnet sheets, that have been marketing ploys of various companies, for years all so I can stick my own graphic over them and make my own unique magnets.  I found inspiration in grocery packaging and magazine clippings.  

My Fridge is a bit more patriotic now.

 

Avo Grapefruit loveSegments of ruby grapefruit and pomplamoose (grapefruit like fruit), cubed avo and a granny smith apple, few red grapes for luck all doused in Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  That was dinner made.  It smells great and… wow tastes great too!

I read the title of a recipe “grapefruit and avocado salad” once and having been meaning to try the combination for months now.  I get an idea and then combine it with what I know goes good with the foods and my family’s taste buds.  I hope to build up a unique cooking style my family will remember.

 
Everard Reed Gallery A VIEW FROM THE SOUTH Neil Rodger (1941 - ) Seated Woman Looking at the Sea, oil on canvas, 90 x 90 cm

Everard Reed Gallery A VIEW FROM THE SOUTH Neil Rodger (1941 - ) Seated Woman Looking at the Sea, oil on canvas, 90 x 90 cm

The Everard Reed Gallery Johannesburg A VIEW FROM THE SOUTH 3-30 June 2010 – I’ve got to get there!  This Soccer World Cup is bringing the best out of my country.  This is my favourite gallery in Johannesburg – on one trip with my art tutor as a teenager I felt like I was floating across the floor from painting to painting visiting each artworks’ world.  The painting above by Neil Rodger sent my heart into an instant peaceful place and I long to enter the scene.

 

the flu has swept through my family, starting with baby. Increasing his vitamin intake through wholesome foods was reiterated as a must! Even I enjoyed his sweet potato and brocholli mix bought fresh and cooked up at home. I’m thinking of trying it as a bake or soup this winter. Flavour inspiration for kitchen creativity!

 

I did it – wore yellow out of the house.  And I got compliments and thanks for wearing my national pride.  A bright blue head scarf to bring out my eyes and a little lip stick helped play down my paleness overpowered by yellow.  I was not as nearly as noticeable as I thought I would be as shop workers and owners were dressed like me in the mall.  As I braced myself to walk into the mall a gorgeous young women walked out fully clad in a track suit plastered with the entire South African flag.  If she had just walked through the mall then I would draw little attention to myself.  One man made my day by calling me “sisi” (sister) as he walked past giving me thumbs up.  The man in the pet shop even noticed that I’d dressed my little boy just like me in *Bafana Bafana support style.

*Bafana Bafana is the name of the South African soccer team

 

I saw a sight today,
two robbins looking the other way.

Chests in full bloom
they sung their tune,
back to back in the potted garden.

-Candice Hall

 

design process

Scratch them out, put them down, record them, refine them, keep and cherish them, grow them, brood over them, tweak them, connect them, share them, give them as gifts, sell them, So keep a journal of them!

 

I lost my current journal in the scaffolding of books next to my bed and my motherhood agendas but found it this week again as I craved to scrape myself out on paper.  I can not use a gel pen – it has to be a pencil or normal ball point pen, that is my voice when I write.  I need to feel the words indenting the page.  I can breath again once I record the main theme/thoughts/impressions/ideas of my day.  I write and draw in my journal.  When I look back at my 12 year history of journaling I feel I have accomplished the extraordinary – my life. 

My faith is such a strong theme in my journals that  I can not deny that my faith in Christ  has brought me to every success in life despite times of despair. 

I’ve kept a gratitude journal to get through hard times, I have a design journal, a marriage journal and I journal for my son (8months old).  They make insightful reading.

Relive the good times.

 

An uncomfortable question for me.  I want to answer no – it’s easier to say no -less acknowledging of responsibility that way. BUT if I’m really honest then Yes! the world does need me.

My son needs me everyday. My husband really does seem he would be clueless without me.  My mom lives for me it seems and my Dad has always seen me as his cherished little girl.  My Dad now sees me as the Mom of his only best friend baby Clarke.

A couple of cats would not have survived in this world without my besotted fur loving nature. Two dogs found their homes again.  Come to think of it an Ibis and another little bird are somewhere on my rescue list and then I save lizards from the cats.

I strive to keep plants alive.  I recycle.  I love my extended family no matter what their skin colour.

I want to make more of a difference in this World for good each day. Do You?

PS (It was very inspiring to write out my answer. Now it’s your turn)

 

Peaceful

Peace in a home or in Family relationships is something rarely discussed – more prevalent is the lack there of. My question is how much effort do we all put in to keep our homes a loving safe and therefore peaceful environment? What do we do to combat strife, cutting words, anger, negativity? What is effective against such “bad vibes”. I would think it is forgiveness, patience, looking at the bigger picture and choosing to only make a fuss of want truly counts. Morals, virtues, being interested in helping others succeed thats what brings peace to my Home. When I’m focussed on getting my tasks done for the day only and I’m snapping at anyone getting in my way all my inner peace is zapped , by frowns, knit picking, finger drumming, criticizing and over reacting.

Peace is a bit more about team work – I’m watching your back too my love – how about I do the dishes while you finish that email that is worrying you? -

Peace comes when you supply relief for others in your family where you can. And Gratitude goes a long way when creating peaceful relationships in the home. A ‘thank you’ to me is a relief that I could help.

No body talks about these good things any more. Like they went out of fashion. Well my sense of fashion has always been non-current, picking what is truly best for me and shunning the latest trends. Morally I think I’ll stick to that too.

Jan 192010
 

After digging for inspiring ideas on the net I found a recipe for a quiche with sweet peppers and mushrooms.  I took this for a basis on which to build a quiche recipe for dinner last night.  Never before have I attempted quiche – my mom hated making them as they seemed a drawn out process.

Basically you need a crust - margarine rubbed with flour with a little salt for more flavor I decided to add mustard powder.

The main ingredients of the filling are – cream, eggs and cheese

To add variety I added PEPPADEWS, and mushrooms that I chilled for a bit with a few splashes of Balsamic vinegar,Tabasco sauce,  Italian herbs, spring onions (fresh cut) salt and black pepper

Baked it till the center was done – It was great! The peppers balanced the blandness of the eggs

Made two mini quiches for my lunch today

Made two mini quiches for my lunch today

 
Painted Supa wood box, Acryllic paint, pencil detail, sealed with Modge Podge

Painted Supa wood box, Acryllic paint, pencil detail, sealed with Modge Podge

When giving a gift to your Husband, or in my case it was my future husband, sometimes you are giving a gift to yourself too.  I made this box to keep all the letters my husband received when he served a two year mission in The Kenya, Nairobi Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.  I just thought about Africa and how I could simply yet stylishly decorate the box to remind us of that special time in life.  Snail mail was all that could reach him, so envelopes and handwriting were incorporated along with the simple use of graphite pencil, an earthy addition reminiscent of dusty roads in places of drought.   (because I live in Africa I know that there is more to the continent than animal print – there seems to be more leopard print out there symbolizing Africa than there is on leopards in Africa)

The box just closes it is so full of the letters, some of them novels.  My Husband was my best friend.  We knew each other for 5months before we realized our relationship could be more.  A month after that we decided that we should marry.  I was 19, he was 17.  Looking back it was like we were 5year olds playing pretend.   At 19 he served his mission and soon after his 22nd Birthday we married.

The box is a conversation piece and a reminder of how grateful we are to finely be together – the apart times were not that hard – we needed to grow.

© 2012 from the Hall at Home Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha