Life's a Dream

Amazingly coloured butterfly .. having a party on the hyssop flowers

Last week I wrote a short blog because Jazz had an urgent appointment with the vet when her neck was so swollen she could hardly breathe. Well, it’s a week later and she’s back to her puppy like self. Sigh of relief!!! Now it’s my turn..not to get an inflamed neck but close…(back to Oncology again next Tuesday I’m afraid..more biopsies on the menu and not ones I am looking forward to I tell ya!)

…..Also , and that is on a more happy note:…It’s almost sailing off time to the Tasmanian Bothwell spin in show and I have been working late late late hours and all hours of the day. I am almost ready just a lot of funky bunny batts and wooshes and angora bunny fibre packaging to do and ofcourse let’s not forget the badges !
Anyway, work work work work work and fun ofcourse but however way you look at it….it is more than a hobby when you find yourself standing in front of dyepots thinking up new colour combinations , blends and spinning yarns, making labels for about 20hours a day. The only difference with what I do and a "regular"job is that I get the equivalent of a glamerous 10cents an hour ...  I wish I had fiber dobbies..well, let’s not be picky..any dobbies would be helpful…lol.

The rest of life goes on as well: the veggie plots for the bunnies and us, the house, the cooking, the taking care of the animals and ofcourse the grooming. Just before big shows or any kind of event really, there’s a lot of extra energy and push to get things ready and as perfect as I can get it. There’s no way I could do this if I did not have a deep love for fibre, colours, design and animals. As with everything, whatever path you wish to take in your life, the most important thing in all of this, whether it is being an artist, singer, writer, doctor or working in an office or a factory, is… passion and love for what you do. It becomes a chore and painful if you don’t feel that way with whatever you are doing. It will become tired, you will become tired and you will keep saying to yourself..ÿeah, but its easy, I hate change..I’ll just keep doing what I do”. And then sometimes things happen and you have to change whether you like it or not and sometimes that is the best thing that could ever have happened to you.

Never be afraid to follow your dream however hard it may seem (and ..never be afraid to dream!..It's never too late).
Never think it is  going to be easy, but the easy paths are often littered with regrets and lost opportunities.
Have fun in whatever you do, live life to the fullest because you never know how long your time on this plane of reality will last. Carpe Diem .

Being up late , trying to make my self imposed deadlines , I have been lucky enough to catch up on some documentaries and the one about Andy Warhol was one of the most fascinating ones. Repetitive, commercial, deep and shallow at the same time and such an amazing time it all plays out in: Marilyn, the Kennedys, Velvet underground, was there a philosophy behind Pop Art ? Why, how?

It was  fascinating and scary to see the trainwreck of people with high hopes happening in The Factory…so much pain and self destruction…is it inherent in the art world I wonder or in the music “industry” or in artists ?
 It comes down to that one combination again: passion and believing in what you do. And isn’t THAT at the crux that most artists create pain in themselves by doubting what they do all the time, craving for success , attention and love...and depending on what others think instead of creating and believing in what you do. Alays craving for that brief recognition, like it is a drug that they have to keep injecting in the depths of their brain to be able to survive and create again.  Depending on what other people think of what they have produced and all the time opening themselves up totally, leaving  themselves vulnerable and bare. Or wait….is that called human?..... Are we the only species that always wish we could be what we are not, aspiring to something, creating something different ... new?, instead of just being what we are and living in the moment.  Looking at that butterfly and registering its beauty in awe and being grateful I am here, now..is a start. Happiness is now...

Watch the documentary and if you can’t , have a listen to Lou Reed and John Cales album “Songs for Drella”. It just adds so much more to just seeing a Campbells’ soup cans or so many colourful Marilyns. Art imitating life or…life imitating art? Just like that butterfly I saw in our garden sipping nectar from a hyssop plant: a brilliant fluo green wings with deep black and bright , very bright green legs set against the dusky purple flowers of the hyssop. You do not need to be an artist to be inspired, you just have to open your eyes and …..watch…and see the beauty and make it change you… from the inside out.

On offer on this weeks shopblog is a new batch of super awesome Cashmere Fling!!!! YUM!!!! It is a blend of angora, cashmere, tencel, bamboo and such an amazing soft and silky blend to spin: truly out of this world..Enjoy !

How To Order from this Shop blog

 until the website www.ixchel.com.au is up and running –which will be sooooon-ish!-yeah yeah start laughing will ya.....You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au or message me on facebook or ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny. I will email you right back with all your order details and payment methods. Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to ask! Always happy to enable.

Payment : direct bank deposit, card or paypal ! easy !

(((HUGS)))

Charly

Cashmere Fling TOPS

Some people are totally addicted to this blend..so beware!

100grams+    for  AU$22

take a walk on the wild side

Slip away

 

Dream

Style it Takes

Drella

Satelite of Love

Small Town

trouble with Classicists

Nobody but you

Star light

Dates to Remember:

THE FAMOUS BOTHWELL SPIN IN, Bothwell, Tasmania   

Friday March 1st, Saturday March 2nd and Sunday March 3rd.

I will be there with as much fibres and yarns and batts and tops and wooshes and badges and more as I can pack into my Tardis ! I will also have some very special spindles with me and some exquisite Fiberific! Nostepinne and ChiaGoo knitting needle sets and Fiberific! stitch markers : they are so cuuuute ! , not to mention Art Yarns , pre felts, needle felting, angelina and much much more ! There are still spots on the ferry and Im sure that you can jump on a plane as well, although I wouldn’t recommend swimming: it gets a bit cold in the Bass strait…

Kingston Spinners Tasmania Spin in!

Tuesday March 5th, Kingston Spin In.  9.30am-13pm

Uniting Church  42 Jindabyne Road, Kingston beach, Tasmania

A fun bunny get together and I am planning something special :)

It is going to be FUN!

McClelland Spinnes and Weavers Show 
Wednesday March 13th, from 10 til 3pm

with a Peter Rabbit theme this year! The McClelland Spinners and weavers are located in the most exquisite of places: in the McClelland sculpture park near Frankston (McClelland drive, Langwarrin, in the craft cottages on the grounds. The park is a great place for a wonderful lunch , walking around enjoying all the sculptures and visiting the gallery) .

I will be there supporting their wonderful group and the Peter Rabbit theme ofcourse ! and bringing heaps of fibres, yarns and goodies !

For any questions contact Betty Dyer the secretary of the McClelland Spinners and weavers or me

IxCHeL Fibre Farm Spin in  with the Lara Group Spinners
 

Saturday March 16th.  11am-16

IxCHeL fibre farm

Hand knitters guild Mini Wool Show

Date and place to be announced soon ! This is a not to miss fibre fun opportunity!

BENDIGO SHEEP AND WOOL SHOW!

Friday 19th of July, Saturday 20th of July and Sunday 21st of July

This is the Ultimate Fibre and fun mix of them all! There will be lots of new things on offer at my IxCHeL stall ofcourse, with prizes to be won and lots of fun to be had!

This is the place to support farmers, fibre producers and independant "Indie" dyers and crafters and have some great fun discovering new things and even win prizes !

In the flower Power Bunny Shed there will be some extra surprises and new things happening as well, including …this is so exciting!!!!: you can see and try out new unusual spinning wheels adn spinning related goodies like andean plyers and nore from a wonderful new fibre fanatic fiberific! vendor ! Don’t miss seeing these new beauties! And ofcourse there will be lots more demos and wheels and spindles on offer as well in the flower power Bunny shed !
There is a woolcraft schedule available at the farm or you can email Dot : Dotv5@optusnet.com.au. Entries for your fiber art closes on June 14th and there are lots of prizes to be won! Our little IxCHeL fibre farm is sponsoring sections 24 and 25 so get started on your entry to win some very yummy stuff !

Any questions or requests?
Contact me on Ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny, message me on facebook

or email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au or ixchel@rabbit.com.au

RABBIT ON !
 ((hugs))

Charly