Artist Profile: Toni Brockliss

One of my favourite blogs is My Little Suitcase with Toni Brockliss.
I am honoured to share her Artist Profile here today.  Toni always has something lovely to say, and the pics on her blog (both her own, and ones she showcases) often inspire my new creative thought.  Love that!
So, here is to happy reading... and don't forget to pop on over and say hi to Toni yourself!

What is your creative outlet?I love to do all craft. I always say I try them all and do none very well. If I had to name a favourite, it would have to be anything Lorraine and I (my beloved sewing machine) make together.

What is the one essential thing you demand for making your art?

I am very fortunate to have my nights to myself – meaning my children are asleep in bed and Ben loves his computer games, so we sit together in a room we made for two. I am at my craft table, Ben is at his computer table. We are together, but also doing things we love. You do need time to craft, but if you find it hard to find a large block of it, it can be found. Crocheting in the passenger seat of the car, filling in time with an embroidery hoop waiting for the doctor, knitting waiting for the kids to come out of school.......

What is your fave season, and why?

I am a winter girl. I love everything about it. I love the silence and the rain, the way the green in our garden stands out on the grey days. I love drives and feeling warm when everything else is cold. I think the clothes are special because I love layering and scarves are my staple outfit. Also good for covering up little grubby fingerprints. J

What is your fave colour?

My favourite colour is Tiffany Blue. Not quite blue and not quite green.
What is your fave chocolate bar and why?

I love dark chocolate, so anything dark – like Old Gold.

What is your fave time of day, and why?

My favourite time of the day is early morning. It’s so quiet and you don’t know what is ahead of you yet. It’s new.

Sweet or Savoury? Why, and what do you like to eat?

I am sweet. I love baking and I think desserts and treats are so beautiful. All those colours and the way they are put together – it’s art to me. My favourite treats are macarons from the Lindt cafe. They are the best things I have ever tasted. Ever!

Fave thing to do in the whole wide world?

Our favourite thing to do is to take a drive up the hill (we live in the Dandenong Ranges) to Olinda and walk along the little streets looking at the shops. We then stop at the Pie In The Sky Cafe and have lunch. It’s our happy place.

Fave book at the minute?

The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I just adored this book and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I have not seen the movie, because I don’t want to ruin the book!

3 things we don't know about you!

I don’t like celery. Ben used to put it in his Pea Soup and I didn’t have the heart to tell him. He caught me fishing it out, so the secret was out.

I hate dancing. I will dance in front of Ben and the kids – daggy dancing, but if I go out, there is no way you will catch me dancing. I just feel so awkward.

If I see a man degrading a woman in public, I always come to the woman’s defence. I went out once with a couple I barely knew (I was in town for a holiday and they were friends of friends) and the guy was so rude to the girl. I had a go at him and he left me stranded in the middle of nowhere. The sad part was the girl went with him.

Goals for the next 10 years....

I get scared making large goals. I always feel if I make them I will jinx myself or something silly like that. Ben and I would like to live in Paris....but that could be longer then a 10 year goal!

I like little goals. We write a list of yearly goals and then break them down. Our goals this year were to find a babysitter, drive around Tasmania and make it to Perth for Christmas to see our family. We also have a goal to help guide our son through his first year at Kindy and his program at Irabina. Elton is Autistic and he is doing so well. We are really proud of him.


Thank you for sharing with us, Toni!  I love love love your embroidery hoop art!  It is deliciously cute!

"Nature Tables" for Boys

A nature or natural display table can be used for many things, and creating a scene, somewhat like a diorama, is one useful way to inspire play and create a visual picture for children who can then use this as fodder for their play. 

Othertimes, nature tables are places for children to bring their vision of what is happening in their own world- a place for their treasures to sit and be admired (and sometimes played with, depending on the situation and adult/child goals)

At almost two years old, Ned is not quite ready to be bringing treasures to the table, and many of my Moondew friends are small too, so I take the Nature table into my own hands. 

This is somewhat fun (oh, to make something out of my own creativity for the children) and somewhat challenging (but, what about the children's ideas?? ). 

One thing it does give me is the ability to bring something a little different than what I have traditionally displayed and shared on the table.

This week is a Truck theme.  I know boys like trucks. In fact, that is about the only thing Ned is truly fascinated with.  "BIG truck" is the first thing he says upon waking, and he carries his favourite truck book everywhere!  So, trucks it is.  I am also sharing a truck story circle with Moondew friends this fortnight, so this is perfect for them all.

Many times, one hears that Waldorf/Steiner early childhood education suits girls but parents are not sure if it is right for the boys.  Where is the sport? Where is the rough and tumble play? It is too pretty for boys.

  Which is probably something to do with the overabundance of pretty pinks in the space, and the lack of 'boy' toys in some settings.  I can see how the misinterpretation can occur.

I think it is important to bring a balance. 

The majority of Waldorf early childhood teachers are female, (there is always one or two odd fellows at conferences of 200 women.  Brave men, those ones!) and they do a wonderful job providing boys (and girls) with real life work like hammering, sawing, sanding, building, making tool boxes and more.  They plan for real life activity- like stomping, tumbling, running, climbing trees, races, big muscle work of carrying huge logs and providing equipment so they can build houses, bridges and forts.

  Many teachers, including myself!, rely upon their own husbands and fathers, dads of the children, and friends of Kindergarten to bring in that all important 'male' role model and this works well too.

But, I have NEVER seen a nature table or toy presentation that was truly 'boy' in its nature. 

(and honestly, looking back, I never truly made one myself either)

I like to think that there are archetypes that boys aspire to- the warrior energy, the courage of a knight, the heart of a king, the speed of a tiger, the fearlessness of a man in battle, the power of working and being in control of a machine.  Of course, girls also aspire to these characteristics, just as boys care for the baby dolls and like to cook in home corner, but there is a passion and a desire in boys to truly act on these impulses and character traits.  

It is something I'd like to explore further.

How to Blanket Stitch

Blanket stitch is one of the best things I know!

Here is how you do it.

Firstly, take a length of thread about as long as your arm.

Thread it through your needle, and tie a knot at the end of the long thread.

(With children, I do a double thread and knot the two ends together as this keeps their thread alive and working.  It is too frustrating and will encourage them to give up their sewing adventures if their thread keeps slipping out.)

Take your piece of material/felt.  Start at the back and go through to the front of the material.  The loose end will hang out. 

(Later, you can thread this dangling bit onto a needle and take it back into the felt and out in some random place.  This keeps your work nice and neat.)

If you are sewing something together, start the first stitch by threading through only the top layer, and letting the loose bit hang in between the two pieces. It will be hidden once you begin sewing.

I always tell people, in blanket stitch, we must remember that the first and last stitches are two jumps on the one spot!

Come up again, in the same spot.

This stops your first stitch being on a diagonal across the front of the material.

Now for the little verse that is used in most Steiner/ Waldorf schools I know.

(I also have many of my own versions)

1. In through the bunny hole

2. Around the log

Take your thread (either the bit closest to the needle or the long bit- doesnt matter) and go 'around' the needle.

Now pull the thread up until it locks.

3. Up through the bunny hole and off jumps the frog!

(Yeah, I know.  Frog?  Where did that come from?

But children and adults remember it and this helps them to remember the actions)

Now you have your first completed stitch.

Now repeat steps 1 to 3, just taking a little jump to the right as the new place for the first step.

In through the bunny hole

Around the log

Up through the bunny hole

And off jumps the frog!

Sometimes, we forget to 'wrap' the needle.  I always tell the children to quickly 'catch' the rabbit by the tail and pull him back.  He is our house bunny and we can't have him running away.

(Where I live,  bunnies have taken over so the law says we can't keep one but over the border half an hour away, you can have one for a pet.  Bizarre!)

This is my left handed version of 'pulling him back'!

Then 'wrap' him again. 

The children learn to fix their mistakes, which makes them so much more independent and able to work on their own projects without needing an adult's assistance. 

We need to help children become independent with lots of tasks.  THIS is our role as parents.  Not to do it for them, but to help them find their way into a task until they master it.  

Creative thinking can make ANY task child-friendly.

For spacing, the biggest jump should be about 5mm wide.

This is about half a female adult's finger, or the size of one of a young (4-6 year old) child's fingers.

Using the body as a measuring approximation tool is another old school idea that really works.

When I come to points or tips on a piece of material, it is important to ensure that one stitch sits right on the tip/point.  This creates a balanced finish for your work.

When I come to a thread end, I leave it hanging and when I finish the work, I go back, re-thread it onto a needle and pass the small piece of thread into my work in a random place and out again.  I then cut off the thread from this random spot.  No untidy threads left here!

To start a new thread, I start with the same 'two jumps on one spot', right on top of the knot of the last stitch. 

Here is a picture of a thread end being threaded out through a random spot to hide the untidyness.

I love blanket stitching!

I hope you heart it too!

A sneak peek inside our local Waldorf Kindergarten "Fingerprints"

One of my favourite places on the Gold Coast is the lovely Fingerprints Steiner Childcare Centre.  My friends Bek and Adam (supported by their staff) have done a marvellous job in creating this centre.  There really is nothing else like it in our local region.

Children, and families, are truly welcome here and the families know it!

I would love to share some pictures of what the inside space looks like, sans children.  Time and time again, the parents comment "Oh, I wish I had been to a kindergarten like this".  The best feedback for the staff who work here is the fact that the children, and families, never want to leave!! 

These girls are my colleagues and friends- Bek (owner), Amanda (group leader), Tania (group leader) and Merridee (more-than-an-assistant!), and our old friend, Christine too! I love spending time with these girls who really value and love the journey of early childhood and who give their all to the children in their care.

And I must say I am super impressed with the efforts of Bek and her husband Adam and their children (especially Reece who, at 18, has more than done his fair share!).

They have not spared any expense, or labour, or love, in creating a space where children truly are at the centre of the equation. Not only in their setting up of the space, with quality timber furniture, handmade toys, style, gardening efforts and more, but also in the daily care of the children, their programming, their knowledge of the developmental stages of consciousness and their efforts to recognise the gifts of every individual who passes through the doors.  

Oh, to be a child immersed in song, play, craft, art, story and more.....

It is really worth a visit!

Artist Profile: Jennifer McCormack

The 2010 Artist Profile series begins with a profile on one of my best friends, Jen McCormack. She is a sage, who spends time contemplating everything before a wise answer appears. She is a talented friend to many, and all these friends love her!

Above all else, she is an artist- in the way she lives life. It appears in her work, in her mothering, in her relationships and in her home. She is a mother of 2 (soon to be 3) and I treasure her capacity for always striving to create, and to find balance. (Even though she'd probably say that she struggles to find balance, she lives it!)

Enjoy learning about this wonderful woman.

1. What is your creative outlet?

Anything that keeps my hands busy - knitting, felting, drawing, writing, blogging, sewing. I have a hard time settling on one type of creative pursuit and have many different projects on the go at once.

2. What is the one essential thing you demand for making your art? 

 I don't demand anything - my family understand that my art is a part of my day. My children are free to come and go - or join in if they wish ... but generally they don't and are good at finding their own things to do. My husband also has his projects going and I think that seeing their parents involved in making beautiful things has helped their own creativity. They are never bored. I LIKE the time alone in the morning, but I have to get up at 3am in order to be alone in this house!

3. What is your fave season, and why?

Autumn because I don't like being too hot or too cold. Autumn is a beautiful time of year in Queensland and it is so subtle! You have to look carefully to know it is autumn because not all of our trees change colours, but you will see differences in animal activity and flowering plants. But in Queensland even most flowering plants like to hang on to the idea of summer for a few extra months ...

4. What is your fave colour?

Right now it is brown shades ... which really surprises me because my gut reaction to this question is to answer 'Purple!' (Isn't that everyone's favourite colour?) But i guess I'm feeling earthy right now.

5. What is your fave chocolate bar and why?

Chocolate bars are not a big part of my life so no favourites here. I DO like chocolate though! Preferably in cake form ...

6. What is your fave time of day and why?

3am when I am alone in the silence and listening to the sounds of soft breathing from my family - and bursting with ideas that must be given form, but can CHOOSE whether I take action or take the opportunity to drink in the quiet and just sit for a while. It is a rare and cherished opportunity.

7. Sweet or Savoury? Why, and what do you like to eat?

Savoury - comfort foods! I love rich, filling food.

8. Fave thing to do in the whole wide world?

I haven't seen the whole wide world, but even still my favourite thing is to enjoy a good cup of tea. So yay for me I get to do this several times a day.

9. Fave book at the minute?

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - a book that tells stories about tellings stories. About finding one's own story of belonging and unravelling mystery. Just beautiful.

10. 3 things we don't know about you!

 If you read my blog you'll find out most of everything eventually

11. Goals for the next 10 years....

To continue as I'm going - being a mum who supports her family the best I can by not being too hard on myself, by renewing my well of creativity, by appreciating the beautiful gifts in my life (in whatever form that may be) and by accepting what comes my way as another opportunity for growth. Actually earning a living from my creativity would be nice too!