My Blog

The end of an era!

Donna — Sun, 06 May 2007 01:09:21 GMT

Friday night was my graduation from the Enmore Design Centre, it was held at the Seymour Theatre Centre along with some other graduating courses from the centre. It was good to see the end results from three years of work and to finally get my certificate but the actual graduation was crap. Told to be there at 5pm sharp to register, they weren't ready to register until closer to 6, when it was supposed to start,(gee, lucky I left work extra early to get there on time!) luckily the graduants has allocated seats because there weren't many seats to sit. My partner had to stand between my seat and the wall. When it finally started they had some guy rapping and he was also the MC. It was pretty bad. When we were presented our certificates he rapped our names and we had to walk up and along a catwalk then stand in a group at the side and have photos taken by the pushiest and crankiest photographer ever. The ceremony only went for an hour so my good buddies Karen, Tina, Nick, Jim, Craig and Alistair decided to walk into Newtown to have dinner and some drinks. I'm so glad we did because it ended turning into a really great night and left much better memories. It was great to catch up in person as we haven't been together since last year and email and sms aren't quite the same. Made promises to keep catching up every couple of months for dinner, I went home feeling happy that it'd turned out such a good night but also really sad and missing those guys :( We really have to make the effort to keep in touch.

Finished.............for now

Donna — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 07:05:44 GMT

Finally 'finished' my torso tattoo. I was going to continue the pattern I have on my hips around onto my stomach but decided I wanted something a bit more meaningful. I love birds, sparrows especially, their meaning is for family and loyalty, and had been looking for a semi traditional design when I found a picture I liked. I took it to Turtle who really liked it but said maybe a bit more depth with shading would look better. So a couple of weeks later I was at Feelgood early on a Saturday morning for my appointment! Feeling excited but also a bit "what am I doing!" because the tattoos on my hips had been so excruitiatingly painful in spots and i'd read that the stomach is really bad, I was sort of ready. Happy with the outlineTurtle had drawn up, we started. What a relief! it was hardly painful, only a couple of spots:) He did the outline twice, finely at first then thickening it up, then did all the shading and lastly a bit of white in the eyes. Took a bit under four and a half hours to do both, but time flies when you're having fun! It was a great experience, a lot better than the hips had been, I don't know if I could have sat through that again! I'm really happy with them, unfortunately they don't photograph as well as they look in real life. Ready for the next one..........

New year, new things

Donna — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 06:53:52 GMT

Can't believe it's February already. This year is a year of new things for me. I started a 2 year hand engraving course last week at Enmore Design Centre which starts at 6pm so that means leaving work early on a Monday and getting home after 10pm, which hasn't been bad but it's still summer and i'm sure i'll change my mind in winter :( I'm still really excited about it though and it's just fired my imagination up heaps. Sandra and I are starting a Hula Hooping class soon with WEA which i'm sure we'll be having huge fun doing and i'm also doing a Precious Metal Clay workshop with WEA in March, another skill to learn. Our tribal class is also feeling 'new' with a different direction being taken and a new member. A 'new' tattoo in March, but that's really finishing off the one I already have. Now new work things are afoot, can't tell yet or I'll have to kill, but it's all good. So that's it, all new, all good and it's made me feel that this year is going to be a year of exciting change and chance!! I can't wait :)

Walk on the Wildside

Donna — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:16:37 GMT

I recently did a Walk On The Wildside tour at Canberra Zoo for my __th birthday (insert age you think). It was awesome!! The day started at 8am and we were there until 4pm. I never realized zoo keepers were so busy all day. There were only 2 of us on the tour with the guide, Kim, and first up we got the frozen rats and fish out to defrost for later on, yummo, then went and got the giraffes food prepared and set off to feed them. I never knew how big a giraffe was until I was up a ladder hand feeding one. Next up were the otters, we had to put on waders and take in tongs with the food bucket as appartently they may bite us if we used our hands. They did pretty smelly poos and it wasn't real nice walking in their den. Once we got outside and fed them the fish and chicks it wasn't so bad and they were pretty clever. Out and back to the feed prep area to get some legs of deer and chicken for the next animals which turned out to be the tigers. Kim took us into the tigers outside area which was pretty scary to walk about in even though the tigers were still in their dens. We had to lay a trail and then put the meat up high in a tree, in the other tigers area we put the food up on a big pole (about 2 1/2 times our height) Back out and up to the tigers den to hand feed the tigers a chicken leg! I was a bit scared and the chicken leg seemed to have shrunk to finger size. Bakkar weighs 800kgs and is the largest Bengal tiger in Australia, he was incredible and so beautiful. Berani is a smaller, Sumatran and 'only' weighs 200kgs. After we went up on the walkway and got to watch them be let out which was awesome to see them tracking down where we had just been walking. Kim then took us over to see Cree and Cheyenne, the 2 pumas, we had morning tea around where their den is and got to watch them be fed. After doing some food prep we fed some penguins and did some counting of how many fish each had eaten, went around to feed snow leopards before they are released for the day. We also got to meet Tangiere, a very old Tigon who was just so gentle. Back to the feed prep area to make some games up for the monkeys and off again to hand feed a shark and snake on the way to the bears. By now I was ready for food myself, it was nearly 2 o'clock so we went up to the giraffes again and this is where we had our restful lunch. Not long after eating and feeding the giraffes again, Kim said it was time to see Shasa, Tanzi and Robi, the cheetahs. Into the compound we went, I was assuming we would go over to their dens to see them, when the carnivore keeper casually says 'there they are', and they really were 'there', right in front of us! Many pats and photos later, we were off to food prep for the last time for some cricket and cockroaches for the marmosets, which were the tiniest and cutest animals all day, and after a final talk with Kim and a huge Thank You it was time to go. I'll never forget my day at the zoo, it was so awesome to 'meet' these beautiful animals and see them up close. Such a special experience and the best present I have ever been given. Animals are awesome!

When did this happen??

Donna — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:36:45 GMT

Well Monday was my last day at Tafe after three years, I can't believe it's gone by already. Handed my final project in and helped Karen and Carmel finish theirs off. Should be getting all marking done this week so I hope the results will be out soon after. Next week we have our huge 'Night Under Lights', which is like a big show, our pieces get displayed and also our other drawings and projects. Family and friends get to see the end result and people from throughout the trade also come.The theme this year is Carnivale and everyone will be getting all dressed up (for a change) That will probably be the last time I will see a few of them which will be a bit sad. This pic is of us all at the local pub after Tafe, just a bit of a drink and chat, no-one cried, which was good but I suspect next Friday there will be a few tears.

U2 @ Telstra Stadium

Donna — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 01:13:07 GMT

Wow, went to see U2 on Friday night at their first Sydney concert. I've loved their music from Sunday Bloody Sunday but never really liked them, so I hadn't really been keen to see the band live before. It was only by chance about a month ago I looked on Ticktek and found two awesome seats. We drove up Fri, and used the P3 station which was great(fast in and out) then walked to the stadium. Got sucked in on the way and bought a t-shirt each and by the time we found gate M, got through and walked into the stadium, the support was just ending (thankfully:) it was Kayne West and sounded shite. Our seats were row 10 but the numbers started at 5 so we were only 5 rows back from the fence! Talk about lucking out. We waited for a bit and just checked out the people then it started drizzling and the band came on. Wow, it was awesome, i've never been to a stadium concert and this one was HUGE. They kicked off with City Of Blinding Lights and just kept going. I was stoked, they did Until The End Of The World, one of my old favourites. The sound, songs and show were fantastic, they rocked. It was a good mix of new and old and the sound was great. Bono dribbled on a bit at one stage, but not too much( at least I didn't go to sleep like I did when he was on Denton) I was really surprised at how good it all was, we were really glad that we went. Hurrah for live shows.

Yay, new ink.

Donna — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:21:31 GMT

Finally took some dodgy photos of my latest tatts. Another great freehand drawing by Turtle (Feelgood Tattoos). Took 6 hours all up to do both sides of my hips, right side on a Tuesday then back on the following Thursday to do the left side. Some of it this time was totally excruitiating, the higher up on the waist he went the more it REALLY hurt. There was another spot down low on my hip that made my leg kick out/twitch, like a reflex. Ok, all i have to get through now is around the front of my hips and a big lotus on my tummy! Must do asap before it all comes back to me......oh and the sleeve i'm contemplating.

Crikey!!

Donna — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 09:53:57 GMT

How terrible was the news today, that Steve Irwin, wonderful campaigner for all animals and many worthy causes, has died. He has done much to raise awareness for marine animals here and overseas, and also helping to protect our own flora and fauna. He was truly larger than life, and a voice for all our animal friends.

Jewellery Trade Fair

Donna — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 06:59:09 GMT

Wow. Went to the annual trade fair in Sydney today with Mel. Lots of exhibitors and lots of product. Pearls are everywhere, so Mel was happy. Got some nice silver and amber rings and a pendant, two tahitian pearls for my final project at tafe and also a Malaya garnet which is a pearshape, 2 carats and a beautiful cinnamon/peach colour. I can't wait to make something with it! It's so beautiful. Also saw Al, Karen and Lucy, who were all busy looking,looking. Really there's too much to take in, now i'm home i'm thinking I should have gotten some other things I saw, but at the time it's overwhelming. At least Mel and I had a nice day out in the city and parted with lots of promises to keep in touch. I really hope that we do.

Hurrah for pants.

Donna — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 04:09:20 GMT

Got my first pair of Melodia sash pants in black. Didn't realise they should come with a warning ...'may cause compulsive spending'...they are so nice and easy to wear I really want more! Can't believe something as simple as putting your pants on can make you feel happy. I suppose now I should start work on my tafe assignments but it's too nice outside right now. This photo is of the sunset over the coast of Australia out a plane window. It reminds me of being happy, but also glad to come home.

Tafe Excursion

Donna — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 09:57:44 GMT

Rainy day in Sydney today. Karen,Emma and I got off at Museum station (spooky, reminds me of American Werewolf in London) and met others at Aus Museum. Pearl Exhibition was beautiful. Lots of colours, beautiful lustre and unusual types of pearls. Some very,very old jewellery, some new but all chosen for their beauty. A great quote from a famous pearl wearer, Barbara Bush, who said "pearls are great for hiding wrinkles"! The picture I have put on is a piece featuring pearls with lotus design. Sad also today, last excursion together and reality is at work. Most of us won't see each other again after we graduate. Particularly Mel and I who have been best mates since day one, hopefully we can email and sms to keep up.

My first blog!

Donna — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 07:37:00 GMT

What a relaxing Sunday. Had to take the furkids to the vets for their annual checkup and vaccinations, so as usual it's a huge struggle to put them in their carrier. On the way there's an outbreak of WW3, and once we get there, lots of growling. Can't take them anywhere! Can't wait for tomorrow. Our tafe class are going to the Australian Museum to see the pearl exhibition that's on until the 8th Aug. Pearls are just about my favourite gem, they are so beautiful, even when imperfect. A good book about many gems is Buried Treasure by Victoria Finlay, it tells the story of each stone, where it comes from and personal tales too.