Christina Lowry Designs: In the begining...

My first post on my first craft blog!

I have been inspired by so many beautiful craft blogs and so many talented people and I wanted to share some of the things I have been making here too.

I thought I would start with an idea I found on http://www.daciaray.com/ and introduce myself with -

100 things...

My name is Christina.

If I were a softie I might look like this one I made. :)

I am an identical twin.

My twin sister is my best friend.

I got married on the beach in Byron when I was 21.

I love my husband! (Also best friend)

I am 33 weeks pregnant with our first baby! Very excited and nervous now.

But can't wait.

Baby is due 5th December 2008.

Ultrasound says it is a boy.

I hope this is right, as if it is a girl she will have many blue things!

I have been getting the nesting urge and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning - light switches, tops of doors, inside the fridge....

I'm a feminist.

And I choose to be a wife, mother and domestic goddess.

I am a fine art/visual art graduate.

I majored in Intermedia and really got into handmade artist books, black and white photography and installations.

I loved uni and all the art gallery exhibitions we went to with free alcohol. (Thank you Brisbane & Valley Galleries for this... uni students can't afford too many nights out and you gave us many!)

I am working part time in an art gallery.

Only three weeks left of work now before maternity leave.

I like to make things! Softies, bags, collage, knitting, drawing etc.

I have been loving it even more while pregnant.

Being pregnant inspired me to make funky toys for our baby.

I will be making more things during my time off before baby comes.

I would like to sell my handmade things at the markets.

I love learning new things.

I want a gocco!

I love paper and stationary.

Especially Japanese and origami paper!

I have a vocation certificate in jewellery making - which is not currently being put to use.

I made my first toy in primary school - a calico bear called Alfred - I still have him.

My mum was a dress maker, so I grew up surrounded by fabric, patterns and pins.

I can blame my love of the same on her!

I really do love fabric, new and old, and all that goes with it - buttons, ribbon, ric rac etc.

I love fabric stores.

I love going op-shopping, as you never know what you will find and I love vintage, quirky and unique things.

I love books, book shops, libraries.

I have a book collection that I keep adding to.

It can't compete with my sisters book collection.

I don't eat red meat, but I eat chicken and fish.

My sister is the same.

I love foreign, art house and short films.

Especially French films.

I listen to Tripple J radio.

I love my Japanese garden, as we have built it from nothing, and it is a work in progress.

I love travelling!

Hubby and I have been to Singapore, Dubai, London, Wales, Scotland, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Greece, Croatia and Italy.

Some of the places we have been to are the Van Gough museum, the Louvre, the Vatican, Shakespear's House, Anne Franks House, the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, Pompeii, the Acropolis, the Coliseum, M.C Escher Museum and the Dali Museum.

We got to see the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's "David", among other things, which was so cool after studying them and seeing them in print, I never thought I would get to see them in real life!

We were supposed to go travelling for 12 months, but this turned into 6 months when I got really sick and had to come home and find out what was wrong with me.

Then I had to get my ovary taken out! Ouch.

So we decided to hurry up and have a baby.

The doctors gave us 40% chances.

I hate going to hospital.

We had tickets and accommodation booked to go to Japan when I fell pregnant.

We cancelled the trip. Babies are expensive.

I got really bad morning sickness first trimester... didn't want to travel and be sick again either!

One day we will go to Japan!

I love handmade books and artist books.

If I had lots of money I would collect artists books! (The QLD Library has an awesome collection of artists books and they are more than happy for you to don the white gloves and flip through them. They even have one of Brett Whiteleys.)

I love art galleries and gallery shops. They are very dangerous for my credit card...

I love the idea of art for everyone - like the Picasso and Modigliani magnets I couldn't resist at GOMA's gallery shop and Taschen books.

I am a member of the QLD Art Gallery.

I love sleeping in - exact opposite of my husband.

I love really beautiful soap- handmade soap, soap with cool packaging, yummy smells and textures.

I love coffee - hmmm flat white, even instant, so long as it is Moconna!

I love it when it rains, the sound of the rain, the way the colours and light changes and the smell of the grass and the road after the rain.

I love mail - receiving letters and parcels covered in stamps and sending things in the mail.

I love unexpected letters and beautiful postcards and parcels wrapped up waiting to be opened!

I collect boxes - I don't know why, I just have a thing for boxes, anything with lots of drawers and old suitcases, our house is full of them. Here's a few that are in the spare room...

I have a black cat named Seth (after the Egyptian God).

We have Ridgeback cross Rotti dog, Odin (Norse God), who doesn't realise just how big he is. He knocks things off the coffee table with his tail.

The cat is the boss of the dog!

I say "I" have a cat and "we" have a dog as hubby has never been keen on cats, but the cat came along before I met hubby, and the cat and I are a package deal!

We inherited a collection of small alcohol bottles from around the world. Some of them are really cool.