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Maxine: Posted on Monday, April 09, 2012 4:44 PM
I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter. We had our son, partner and children here for dinner on Good Friday and then the Grandkids stayed over for the night and went home around 10.30 on Saturday. As Barney has worked 12 hour shifts on the wharf all weekend, (and I dont have a car at present) I have had plenty of time to myself to do "my things". The evenings and mornings have been delightful and I have had a couple of lovely walks. Got some baking done and the freezer is full of meals for those nights I just dont have the time (or inclination) to do any cooking. And most importantly - I have had time to work on some new designs. These individually handmade porcelain hearts are made in Australia by Robyn Allen Waters and I purchased them in Wollongong when we were over East last year. Silver butterflies and findings are added to one set while the other has Peridot Swarovski crystals and gold findings. Although the hearts are quite large, they are very light. I have paired this set of 3 carved linked elephants with raw copper wire and findings and Unakite gemstone chips. The stone picks up the colours of the blankets on the back of each elephant and the copper echoes the deep salmon colour within the chips. This design is finished with a magnetic clasp. 3 x faceted cubes are separated by brass spacers and highlighted with gemstone discs and rounds from which 3 strands of Moonstone and other assorted gemstone chips fall. On the other side these strands weave through shield shaped gemstones highlighted with brass beads and are caught into one strand again at a junction of 3 brass tyre shaped spacer beads. This design is claspless. These are some of my recent designs. Now I just have to write up their full descriptions, price them and list them on the website. They can be jobs for another day as I have a couple more items to finish before I tidy up the studio tonight. To see these and other great designs, visit me at the following events or contact me to arrange an alternative appointment. Canning Arts Group
72 Riley Road (Cnr High Rd), Riverton WA 6148 Opposite the Riverton Forum Shopping Centre For further information please contact the group at Both of these events are just before MOTHER'S DAY so they would be great opportunities to get that special person in your life something wonderful, unique and handcrafted in Western Australian by one of the various stall holders. If you are purchasing something from my website for Mother's Day, please allow time for postage as there will be the Anzac Day Public Holiday before then. Regards Maxine |
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Maxine: Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2011 10:12 PM
 With tonight seeing the end of 2011, it is time to reassess our desires and refocus on our dreams. It is a time of celebration, of a new beginning and it offers us much, but to achieve we need to have clear and realistic goals, achievable timeframes and know what the rewards for our effort will be.  My personal goal is to get fitter & healthier. If this also means losing weight then bring it on. I have a cross-trainer (elliptical machine) that I haven’t used consistently for a while. My aim is to use it each morning for 20 mins at least and slowly but consistently increase either the time or the distance. Once I get into the swing of things (I am thinking a couple of weeks) I will add some weight resistance to my programme, to speed up weight loss and tone up. I am not going to tell you what my current weight is, but I will let you know how things are going and what improvements to my fitness I have achieved.  My business goal is to develop a business plan and work to it. I would like to at least double my business exposure this year by participating in more Artisan Markets and competing in state,national and international competitions. I will also send items to several of the magazines I read, both as pictures for “readers galleries” and instructions on how to make some of my designs. If you are able to help with suggestions for competitions to enter, or magazines to get published in, it would be greatly appreciated.  It is wonderful to be able to wish you all a Happy New Year. I hope you and your loved ones stay safe and that the coming year will be one full of Love, Joy and Success. I also wish you good luck in the 31 Million Lotto draw!! Best Wishes Maxine |
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Maxine: Posted on Saturday, December 24, 2011 7:36 PM
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and a coming New Year full of Love, Joy & Success in all your endeavours. Hopefully you, like I, have nearly finished all the baking, tidying and wrapping for the next couple of big days of fun, family, friends and feasting. 10 of us are spending Christmas Day with friends and are each taking some items of the luncheon to share and enjoy aboard their boat whilst cruising the Swan River. Should be a relaxing and fun-filled day for us all. I have cooked the turkey (cranberry & pistachio stuffing) and will make a garden salad tomorrow morning. These will be added to the ham, prawns, potato salad, bean salad etc and finished off with pavlova and tiramisu, (and a couple of drinks....). Boxing Day will see most of my family here for the afternoon and Dinner. I have made a plum and wholegrain mustard glazed ham which looks and smells great (alright I tasted a little bit that “dropped” off and it tastes good to). We will light the BBQ up for dinner and do garlic banana prawns, satay chicken kebabs, lentil patties and falafels. I will make another garden salad with oven roasted tomatoes, avocado, buffalo cheese, our own eggs, etc and a potato au gratin. Barney will do his famous BBQ potatoes served with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. These will be served with a range of breads, buns and wraps. Dessert is a choice of steamed fruit puddings and brandy custard or a sponge fruit flan and cream. If anyone should manage to still be hungry there is an assortment of cheeses, fruits, nuts and apricot nibbles (instead of rum balls). For the kids (and kids at heart) I have made some Rudolf (or Rudette)the Reindeer cupcakes (pictured)which look cute and hopefully will last until Monday.... If my planning is correct, we shouldn’t have too many leftovers. I have done a range of things, but not too many of each so everyone can have a taste, but not overeat as is usual at this time of year. The exception will be the ham, which will please Barney as it is one of his favourite things and he will nibble on it for the next week or so and then I will freeze the leftovers and bones to make pea and ham soup in the cooler months. Ok, I’ve had a break, just have the floors to do and that’s it – finished!! Hope you are all able to relax and enjoy the festive season with loved ones. Merry Christmas! Maxine xxx |
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Maxine: Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 3:38 PM
I grew up on a farm just west of Maya, Western Australia. Later my parents bought a small farm in Latham. Both are on the Northam-Mullewa Highway, known as the Wildflower Way, about 310km north-east of Perth and 46km east of Coorow, Latham is in country on the edge of the Murchison goldfields noted for its wildflowers and gemstones, although grain growing is the main commercial enterprise.
North and east of Latham it gets pretty sparse and barren, and just to the east of town is the extraordinarily-long “Rabbit Proof” fence that runs north to south in WA in a valiant attempt to keep out vermin such as dingoes and rabbits. That fence, by the way, is longer than the Great Wall of China. Some wags suggest that it has had as much success in holding back the vermin as the Great Wall of China had in dissuading the Mongol hordes.
This is the area to head for between July and September if you want to see some of the best and most colourful wildflower displays in WA. A special favourite among the many species in this area (WA has something like 8000 different varieties) is the well known wreath flower, Leschenaultia macrantha. After primary school at Latham, I boarded in Karrinyup with relatives so that I could attend Scarborough Senior High School and later on lived in Perth city and went to Business College before returning home for a few years. I worked at the Coorow Shire Council Office, which is where I met my husband, Barney and a great mate, Peter. Just after we were married in 1980, Barney got a new position with Melville City Council and we moved back to Perth. I worked in Medical Records at Fremantle Hospital where I met my best friend, Irene. Barney had two daughters and in 1984 we had a son. We now have 6 Grandchildren and 1 Great-Grandchild. We moved to Bibra Lake in 1985 and have been here ever since. We love the lake, its reserve and its wildlife. |
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Maxine: Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2010 9:26 PM
.•°*”˜˜”*°•. ˜”*°••°*”˜ .•°*”˜˜”*°•.
.•°*”˜ .•°*”˜MERRY CHRISTMAS˜”*°•. ˜”*°•.
.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜HAPPY NEW YEAR˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.
LOVE MAXINE ♥ ♥ ♥ Wishing you and your families a wonderful and safe Christmas and a joyous and successful New Year. I have finished the Christmas shopping (except for Bud, the dog's gift) and have all but one gift wrapped. That one should arrive in the next couple of days. (Fingers crossed). While out on my usual "Girlfriend" day with Irene I bought a couple of books to add to the collection that I plan to read over the next couple of months. Have 3 going at the present (when I have a free moment). Also have the Bead Guild bead challenge to complete. I have managed to do quite a bit of this design so far and use most of the types of threads / beads that we were given, though a couple have been more challenging that others and I have had to think outside the "box". But that is exactly why I like entering competitions and participating in challenges, because you are given the opportunity to use items / methods that you wouldn't generally use. (Sometimes not as successfully as others - but then othertimes you are pleasantly surprised with the outcome.) Whatever you have planned over the Festive season, or on your holidays, I hope you have fun, and loved ones to share it with. With Love & Best Wishes Maxine xxx |
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Maxine: Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2010 5:23 PM
On Thursday, Bud, our lovely little doggy companion turned 13 years old. He must have either been feeling his age or just thought that he deserved a sleep-in as he was still snuggled up when I left to meet a girlfriend at about 10.30am. His sight and hearing are both diminishing and he is on medication for arthritis (especially in his back knees as he had both his anterior cruciate ligaments replaced when he was much younger - an old football injury??) but he is still as loving as ever.  We do have to watch him with the children now though as he does snap if he gets hurt - which is a shame - he does spend some time in the laundry or outside when visitors with younger children are here - just to be safe. His favourite pastime is sitting on my foot, either under one of the desks (computer or beading) or on the ottoman in the lounge having his back rubbed. In this picture he is checking out the renovations in the spare/grandchildrens room. Barney was putting a new floating floor down and he replaced the doors throughout the house. Always under Bud's watchful eye..... For his birthday dinner he got a couple of chicken bones which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy. Good thing he doesn’t connect them with the chickens roaming around the back yard - then we would be in trouble. He is still only a small dog (part Chihuahua and part miniature Fox Terrier), but he is much bigger than the puppy we brought home from Queensland many years ago. One of Justin's sisters gave Bud to him as a Christmas gift and we had to bring him back to WA on the plane. He was so tiny he could fit in Barney's shirt pocket, but he had to go in a cage in the cargo area. When we went to collect him, they joked that they were sorry, but he must have got wet and shrunk. Our previous dog, Tiny, a most beautiful Labrador Border Collie cross had a stroke when he was 13yo and we had to have him put to sleep. It was a very sad time – it was awful losing such a wonderful friend. I am not looking forward to when Bud goes to the “big kennel in the sky”. He was very sick about 18 months ago and I thought we may have to put him to sleep, but then he picked up, so we have been lucky to get the extra time with him.  When I told Nikkita (nearly 4yo Granddaughter) that it had been Bud’s birthday, she wanted to know if he had some dog friends over for a party. Don’t children (and pets) just have the best view on things? This is Bud and Nikkita a couple of years ago. She had put a chip in the space under the seat of her ride-on, and Bud followed her for ages waiting for the opportunity to get it. Love to you all and hope your family and friends (People or Pets) or all well. Maxine |
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