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Hello there! So... it feels like time stood still on this blog for a while. That's probably because my creative time did, almost, quite literally stand still. Nigel and I moved from Baranduda up in North East Victoria down to Castlemaine, in central Victoria, about 1 1/2 hours north west, of Melbourne and 30 minutes south of Bendigo, Victoria, in May.  The move was prompted by a need to get a little closer to Melbourne. Nigel was commuting to Melbourne for the week, to work , and coming back up to the north east on weekends. After 2 years + , this was wearing us both down, especially Nigel. From Castlemaine the commute into Melbourne by train is 1 1/2 hours, the train station is a 5 minute walk from our house, and Nige can be home in time for dinner every day ( having him home everyday is something I am only just getting used to :)...). It's been a good move for us. Castlemaine is a great town in a region ( Mt Alexander Shire) that boasts "the highest concentration of talented artists and creatives of any other region" (http://castlemaineart.com/). People in the community are friendly and there's always something going on in the region. I miss the North East very much and always will. With my family up there I spent a lot of time in the region, it's very familiar and has always felt like home. I don't know the Central Victoria region that well. But I remember doing a lot of day trips up to the Spa country and camping and fishing trips up around lakes et al when I was a kid. I even remember camping in the Kyneton botanical gardens when it used to be a camping ground. We are slowly but surely finding our way and exploring new places , which is so much fun! After the move and all things got a bit hectic, settling in et al , negotiating new but old and familiar learning design jobs at the local higher education provider and getting used to making trips in to Melbourne and out to other regional campuses. Also spent a bit of time over Winter making the garden habitable and chook, vege growing friendly ( brrrr it was a cold Winter and there are mean frosts in Castlemaine. My gardening knowledge means nothing here!) . Spent some time settling Charli the Airedale into yet another, new environment after only having her with us in the "Duda for 9 months before we moved. So long , boring story short... I didn't settle into the studio or creative work for months. But...good news is...I've been busy beavering away in the background, spending much needed and welcomed time in the studio, getting together collections of things related to chickens , drawing, sewing and creating a range of fun characters and objects based around my new chickens- The Rock Chicks and our new hen house. I will be launching The Purple Hen House- Home of the Rock Chicks, The Radicalised Chickens and a range of new handmade and fun products soon. A new blog and website for that venture including an online shop also to come. Watch this space for launch giveaways, details and links for The Purple Hen House! 
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