The Kate Hudson

I'm very excited! I did a print swap with Kate Hudson, not the Kate Hudson, actress, but the Kate Hudson, Melbourne printmaker. She decided she wanted one of my bird etchings from my exhibition and since we know each other from Australian Print Workshop she got in contact with me and asked if I would be interested in a swap. "Would I ever!!!" I replied, I've been wanting one of her prints for a very long time, and, so, last Wednesday she brought in her gorgeous portfolio and I got to choose one. I really thought I'd choose one of her lovely bird prints, but I fell in love with this one. I love the colours in it and can't wait to move house, get it framed and put it in pride of place on my new wall!

The red table cloth in the print reminds me of a beautiful throw I found in my Mum's old chest, I claimed it years ago and still have it in our bedroom here in Melbourne. When I was a student in Edinburgh my granny came over to visit and she saw the lovely red throw in my bedroom and she said, 'oh, look, it's that lovely throw my mother bought while she was in Turkey!" So, it turns out it's a bit of an antique! I've always had a taste for lovely old things.

Here are a few more featherstitch fantail brooches I finished off last night while watching a lovely, if a little strange, true film about a lion called Christian who was bought as a cub in Harrods department store in London by two Australian guys and his journey to rehabilitation and freedom in Kenya. There is a lovely scene near the end in which the two Australians are coming back to visit Christian after a year, they are told he is a semi wild animal now and probably wont remember them. It is all filmed as it happened and Christian's reaction and their reunion is one of the most beautiful things I have ever ever seen on film. I've actually found the scene on youtube, have a look!