Patra's Other Place

I started out with Patra's Place, primarily dedicated to my linen collection and stitching projects. But I kept getting side-tracked, so I decided to create Patra's Other Place for anything not related to embroidery topics. So you now have a choice. If you are interested in me, read this. If you only want to see my linen and stitching, visit Patra's (original) Place! (Please note that by clicking on any of the photos, they will be enlarged to fill your computer screen.)

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Location: Melbourne, Vic., Australia

I was married to Ken for 43 years, but he died in October 2022. So I am now alone with two cats, eight hens, and a few finches and parrots in one aviary.

Sunday, April 03, 2011

A few photos taken today.

Sorry if you find my blog depressing lately. But I see my blog as an online journal or diary of my day to day life, and if I'm not on top of the world at the time of typing, that is where I'm at, and that is what I write about! But it is good to find time out with other more pleasant things.
This is Tiger's version of "Underbelly":


A few weeks ago, our gardener turned my compost bin out (it was too heavy for me to lift), and I have been using the lovely rich soil all over the garden and in pots. I put some in our old wheelbarrow, and planted some pansies and a few odd bulbs that were lying around. Well, after a week or two, one could see exactly what I'd been throwing in the compost bin - tomato bits and pumpkin seeds!! I've pulled out the baby pumpkins that were in the barrow, but left the tomato plants, just out of curiosity to see if they do grow any fruit. There is one or two pansies struggling to survive in there too.


This Hibiscus was one of a few new plants we bought a month ago, and I am delighted to see it flowering so soon!


One of my friends has been urging me to try a collage project, so last week when I was a bit out of sorts and not in the mood for needlecraft, I decided to have a go. I used a scrapbooking page for the base sheet, cut out a few pictures from the Fox Collection craft catalogue, used two Japanese stamps, and the two little paper dolls I'd made a while ago. I'm quite pleased with this, and am already thinking about what I'll do next. It's nice to have a change from sewing, as paper craft isn't as hard on my aching hands as embroidery.

3 Comments:

Blogger FredaB said...

Hi gina

You made a very nice collage piece. I too am getting more interested in the paper playing. I think I need a change from all the needlework so planning on playing around this summer with the paper. My daughter does scrapbooking so we will get together and play.

Hope Ken's blood test came back okay. Harv had to have an extra transfusion after his surgery so probably not that unusual. Wait and see.

Keep your spirits up.

Hugs

FredaB

Sunday, 03 April, 2011  
Blogger cell said...

lovely hibiscus and Japanese collage. It's good to be in the garden a bit...helps relieve stress and take your mind off your worries [since worrying doesn't improve anything anyway] hope Ken will be on the mend soon..it's good that he has you for moral support and be his personal at home nurse!

Thursday, 07 April, 2011  
Blogger Crazee4books said...

Hi Gina,

Poor Ken. Poor you. The healing
process is a long, frustrating
and exhausting process it seems.
I guess one of the most important
assets for recovering from a major
surgery is patience, with a dash
of common sense ... which you
seem to have in abundance.

It's too bad Ken doesn't like
to read (I find this concept
hard to assimilate) since it
would help to take his mind
away from his circumstances.
I don't suppose he's interested
in learning how to cross stitch
either, huh?

The picnic at Sugarloaf reservoir
sounds like it was the perfect
outing to take Ken out of himself
and introduce a bit of fresh air
and sunshine to his recovery.

Hope that things are not getting
any worse and Ken has had good
results from the blood tests.

I really like your first attempt
at collage art and think it
turned out very well indeed. I
love those little Japanese paper dolls that you made and used for
this piece.

I've been playing with paints,
paper, stamps, glitter and other
crafty goodies as well. Making a
mess as a way of learning how to
use these artful elements either
in collages or in other forms of
creativity. Picasso I am not,
but I'm having fun, as long as I
avoid being too critical of my
efforts ... which I tend to be.

Your wheel barrow full of plants
looks amazing and I can't wait
to hear if you've managed to get
a few tomatoes off of the vines.
I love that pretty yellow Hibiscus
plant!!

Tiger looks like he's been through
one of those medieval torture
devices, the way he's stretched
and twisted himself in the picture.
Phil says cats are boneless and it
looks as though Tiger is a prime
example of this.

Take care Gina! Cheers!

Friday, 08 April, 2011  

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