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At daybreak, even before sunrise, the children’s stepmother came and woke the two children. "Get up, you lazybones!” she said, shaking them roughly. “We are going into the woods to fetch wood." Then she gave each one a little piece of bread, saying, "Here is something for midday. Don't eat it any sooner, for you'll not get any more."

Grethel put the bread under her apron, because Hänsel's pockets were full of stones. Then all together they set forth into the woods. After they had walked a little way, Hänsel began stopping again and again and looking back toward the house.

The father said, "Hänsel, why are you stopping and looking back? Pay attention now, and don't forget your legs."

"Oh, father," said Hänsel, "I am looking at my little white cat that is sitting on the roof and wants to say good-bye to me."

The stepmother said, "That isn't your cat, you stupid little fool! That is simply the morning sun shining on the chimney. Now come along, before I take a switch to you!"

However, Hänsel had not been looking at his cat but instead had been dropping the shiny pebbles from his pocket onto the path.

‘Hänsel and Grethel’ by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 15th of March is "natural stones". A stone is what you typically pick up and hold. A stone is much smaller than a rock, meaning that it is moveable, such as cobbles and pebbles. In this case, I have picked up a pebble that washed into my garden from the property next door to mine. They have a path made of natural stones that runs along the edge of where our properties join. It seemed like a pretty and interesting stone, which I thought perfect for this week’s theme. I hope that you do too, and that it makes you smile!

Although from my research there is no traditional tale like Cinderella in Indian culture, an unusual thing considering that there are so many versions of the famous story worldwide and the oldest version of the tale ever recorded is of Chinese derivation, when I looked at this beautifully brocade Indian shoe, I felt that it could be a slipper given to a beautiful dusky maiden by a God to wear to an Indian festival and win the heart of a prince.

The theme for "Smile on Saturday" for the 7th of September is "get (to) the point", where the photograph must feature the point of an object. I considered various ideas like pencils and knives, but when my eyes fell upon my pair of beautiful brocade Indian shoes (a gift from a friend to me) with their pointed toes and pointed uppers, I felt they were perfect for this week’s theme! I decided to set one slipper against a wonderful orange silk sari I also have. As I was setting this up on my sofas in the sunroom of my house, a burst of sunlight flooded the space and gave me this wonderful golden light to work with which enriched the colours of both the slipper and the sari silk. I hope you like my choice of the theme this week, and that it makes you smile!

Quite recently, I obtained some lovely pieces of vintage and antique haberdashery notions from a contact of mine who specialises in importing French pieces. Amongst the items that caught my eye were this wonderful Victorian era floral embroidered trim in cream and copper coloured silk, and this Edwardian spool of Fil Au Conscrit black linen thread (fil de lin) which has a particularly lovely graphic and typography in copper upon the label.

Fil Au Conscrit which translates as "thread for the conscript' was a very popular haberdashery brand in France. Up till 1905, conscripts were randomly selected for national service.
The downcast Frenchman on the label pulled out the number thirteen which you can see on a card affixed to his hat, and so must go to war. On postcards featuring this image you can even see tears on his cheeks as he reluctantly goes to fight for his country.

The beehive thimble is sterling silver and was made by silversmith James Fenton and Company in Birmingham in 1905. James Fenton and Company was in operation between 1854 and 1956. They were well known for their manufacture of silver and gold thimbles, and later for their silver and enamel jewellery.

When it was my birthday a few months ago, a very dear friend who enjoys photography as much as I do, and knows that I collect beautiful and vintage pieces, gave me a wonderful selection of antique ribbons, buttons, buckles, lace and other fine notions. She also gave me three follow up tins of similar delightful gifts for Christmas.

Those wonderful gifts are what has inspired me to create this series of "Embroider my World" images featuring my vintage bobbin collection. In this case, the rich vintage grosgrain ribbons come from my own collection of antique ribbons. Both are French and are wound around their original labeled spools: the one in the midground even has its original paper layered between every layer of ribbon on the spool. Both spools are Edwardian. I have accessorised them on a 1930s lace tablecloth with a Dewhurst's Sylko Beech reel of cotton which dates from between 1938 and 1954. Shades of brown are not hues I am particularly enamoured with usually, however in this case I will make an exception.

Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world. Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.

The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 1st of July is “unusual planter”, so an unusual example of a decorative container in which plants are grown. Earlier in the year, in February, in what feels like a lifetime ago, I travelled through the Western District of Victoria, including a stop at the picturesque township of Mortlake. Whilst I was wandering about taking photos of the historical buildings there, I chanced to come across a run-down and overgrown defunct nursery. It had obviously been many years since a plant had been sold from there and the place was like a wild garden. The former owners must have been a little bit quirky, because at the front of the nursery on an old rusted garden table were the remains of potted plants imbedded in some very unusual planters like electric kettles, toasters and this old pair of work boots which had some very healthy looking succulents sprouting from them! Something so unusual was simply too good to resist and I had to photograph them! How funny that five months later this photograph can surface for the first time as the perfect example of an unusual planter. I hope you like my choice for the theme and that it makes you smile!

Mortlake is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia on the Hamilton Highway, fifty kilometres north-east of Warrnambool. It has a population of just a little over one thousand people. Mortlake is situated at the foot of a dormant volcano, Mount Shadwell. An influx of settlers initially attracted to the 1850s Victorian gold rush but after their lack of success, they headed for the rich volcanic soil around Mt Shadwell. Establishment of Mortlake as a settlement occurred in the 1850s and 1860s. The town was formally surveyed in 1853. The Post Office opened 2 February 1859. Many of the original bluestone buildings include those in the Shaw Street Bluestone Precinct, such as the former Mortlake courthouse and the former shire offices. The historic Mill is located in Mill Street.

Star anise is the spice of life… well, I’m sure the saying goes a little something like that!

The theme for "Looking Close on Friday" for the 16th of June is "spices and condiments", and I have been hoping for a theme like this for a while. Why you ask? Well, a few months ago, a friend gave me some star anise and some cinnamon sticks, and whilst I do use both these spices in cooking, I was actually struck by the wonderful shape of the star anise and the warmth of the cinnamon sticks, so I decided to photograph them! One single star anise still had a long stalk on it, and it reminded me of a flower. I’ve been looking for an excuse to upload one photo in particular that I took of it. So here it is! We have a star anise flower blooming out of a miniature hand made and turned pottery two handled vessel, sitting on a shelf of cinnamon sticks. I know this is perhaps a more unusual take on this week’s theme, but I do hope you like it, and that it makes you smile.

The theme for "Looking Close on Friday" for the 12th of May is "pebbles". Now, I have a very traditional cottage garden with lovely soft edges and meandering paths, but not a pebble in it! However, I am very fortunate in that my neighbours are currently doing some renovations to their home and gardens, and as such, had quite literally laid down a pebble path on the day the theme was announced! How fortuitous is that? So, I went next door and asked them whether I could photograph some of the pebbles that they had just freshly washed and laid down as a path in their garden! I hope you like my image for this week’s theme, and that it makes you smile!

Autumn in Melbourne is always beautiful, with many wonderful deciduous trees aflame like this ornamental pear which I photographed along St George’s Road in Rucker’s Hill.

Melbourne had a beautiful and vibrant autumn display of leaves this year which were simply glorious.

This year the FFF+ Group have decided to have a monthly challenge called “Freestyle On The Fifth”. A different theme chosen by a member of the group each month, and the image is to be posted on the 5th of the month.

This month the theme, “looking up” was chosen by Di (PhotosbyDi).

As soon as she announced the theme, this was the first photograph I thought of. It was one I meant to put up in Autumn, not long after I took the photograph. Yet like so many photos, I just ran out of time and I moved on to other things in my photostream. Now I’m glad that I held it back. I hope that it brings you as much delight as standing beneath this ornamental pear looking up to the azure sky above did me! Enjoy!

This year the FFF+ Group have decided to have a weekly challenge called “Snap Happy”. A different theme chosen by a member of the group each week, and the image is to be posted on the Monday of the week.

This week the theme, “egg” was chosen by Lisa, red stilletto.

This antique green cloisonné egg which features a pink magnolia seemed the perfect choice for the theme. It is actually only 2 ½ centimetres in height when standing in its original porcelain stand and is part of my 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures collection. Some pieces come from my own childhood including the little green cloisonné egg, which I bought at a flea market when I was around seven.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects. In recent centuries, vitreous enamel has been used, and inlays of cut gemstones, glass and other materials were also used during older periods. The resulting objects can also be called cloisonné. The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or affixing silver or gold wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colours. Cloisonné enamel objects are worked on with enamel powder made into a paste, which then needs to be fired in a kiln. The Japanese produced large quantities from the mid Nineteenth Century, of very high technical quality cloisonné. In Japan cloisonné enamels are known as shippō-yaki (七宝焼). Early centres of cloisonné were Nagoya during the Owari Domain. Companies of renown were the Ando Cloisonné Company. Later centres of renown were Edo and Kyoto. In Kyoto Namikawa became one of the leading companies of Japanese cloisonné.

Sea urchins, are typically spiny, globular animals, echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depth zones from the intertidal to 5,000 metres. Their tests are round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 cm across. When they die, they leave behind some of the most beautifully coloured and patterned shells which are so delicate and fragile that you have to be so careful with them when you transport them.

This year the FFF+ Group have decided to have a weekly challenge called “Snap Happy”. A different theme chosen by a member of the group each week, and the image is to be posted on the Monday of the week.

This week the theme, “patterns in nature” was chosen by Cheryl,

It seemed most appropriate to use this wonderful collection of sea urchin shells that I have, with their stripes and nobbles, to represent the theme for this week.

This beautiful, very stylised Art Nouveau floral design appears on a tile of a pine washstand.

Private collection.

This beautiful, very stylised Art Nouveau floral design appears on a tile of a pine washstand.

Private collection.

This wonderful Metroland Art Deco Villa can be found in the Ballarat suburb of Wendouree.

Well proportioned, this small stand alone villa of clinker brick features a band of red and brown bricks around the foundations of the building as well as a row of feature bricks around the top of the verandah pillar.

This style of home was one that aspirational middle-class families in the 1920s wanted. Cottage like in style, it is not too showy, yet represented the comfort and modernity that the burgeoning Australian middle-class wanted. Adding to its cottage like appearance, it features latticed leadlight windows.

This splendid bay of latticed leadlight windows features on a smart Metroland Art Deco Villa in the Ballarat suburb of Wendouree.

Well proportioned, this small stand alone villa of clinker brick features a band of red and brown bricks around the foundations of the building.

This style of home was one that aspirational middle-class families in the 1920s wanted. Cottage like in style, it is not too showy, yet represented the comfort and modernity that the burgeoning Australian middle-class wanted.

The Ballarat Town Hall with its impressive clock tower is one of the provincial centre’s most impressive and distinctive buildings. This building, built in classical Second Empire style between 1870 and 1872 is in fact the third Town Hall on the current site on the corner of Armstrong Street and Sturt Street. The first wooden Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1859, and the foundation stone for the second building was laid in August 1860. The original plans for the second Town Hall were deemed too expensive to complete, so work on the project ceased. Time passed, and the second building, as it was, was finally incorporated into the third structure.

Its interior is equally impressive, decorated in the same classical and elaborate style. It features grand council chambers with elaborate ceilings. However it is the stairwell which is the Ballarat Town Hall's most magnificent interiors. It is lit by an elaborate skylight, features a magnificent chandelier, has intricately tiled floors and has a set of palatial stairs decorated with spelter figures holding aloft lamps.

Second Empire was a Parisian style which was a revival of the style of Napoleons Second Empire. The style was often used for buildings of great cultural importance, and was often applied to town halls, theatres, grand hotels and public buildings. Often this style endows buildings with landmark qualities. Therefore it seems only appropriate that during the height of the Gold Rush boom of the 1870s the people of Ballarat had such a magnificent Town Hall bestowed upon them.

The Town Hall, designed by architects, J. J. Lorenz and H. R. Caselli (interiors), features classic trademark design features of the Second Empire style including: richly ornate Renaissance styled trimmings, including quoining and profuse ornament; towers and Palladian motifs; and a high Mansard style roof with cast iron cresting and rooftop dormer windows as part of the clock tower’s design. The Town Hall has a symmetrical facade, dominated by dome roofed clock tower, which has a peal of bells, and pedimented end towers with fan shaped windows.

The Ballarat Town Hall with its impressive clock tower is one of the provincial centre’s most impressive and distinctive buildings. This building, built in classical Second Empire style between 1870 and 1872 is in fact the third Town Hall on the current site on the corner of Armstrong Street and Sturt Street. The first wooden Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1859, and the foundation stone for the second building was laid in August 1860. The original plans for the second Town Hall were deemed too expensive to complete, so work on the project ceased. Time passed, and the second building, as it was, was finally incorporated into the third structure.

Its interior is equally impressive, decorated in the same classical and elaborate style. It features grand council chambers with elaborate ceilings. However it is the stairwell which is the Ballarat Town Hall's most magnificent interiors. It is lit by an elaborate skylight, features a magnificent chandelier, has intricately tiled floors and has a set of palatial stairs decorated with spelter figures holding aloft lamps.

Second Empire was a Parisian style which was a revival of the style of Napoleons Second Empire. The style was often used for buildings of great cultural importance, and was often applied to town halls, theatres, grand hotels and public buildings. Often this style endows buildings with landmark qualities. Therefore it seems only appropriate that during the height of the Gold Rush boom of the 1870s the people of Ballarat had such a magnificent Town Hall bestowed upon them.

The Town Hall, designed by architects, J. J. Lorenz and H. R. Caselli (interiors), features classic trademark design features of the Second Empire style including: richly ornate Renaissance styled trimmings, including quoining and profuse ornament; towers and Palladian motifs; and a high Mansard style roof with cast iron cresting and rooftop dormer windows as part of the clock tower’s design. The Town Hall has a symmetrical facade, dominated by dome roofed clock tower, which has a peal of bells, and pedimented end towers with fan shaped windows.

The Ballarat Town Hall with its impressive clock tower is one of the provincial centre’s most impressive and distinctive buildings. This building, built in classical Second Empire style between 1870 and 1872 is in fact the third Town Hall on the current site on the corner of Armstrong Street and Sturt Street. The first wooden Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1859, and the foundation stone for the second building was laid in August 1860. The original plans for the second Town Hall were deemed too expensive to complete, so work on the project ceased. Time passed, and the second building, as it was, was finally incorporated into the third structure.

Its interior is equally impressive, decorated in the same classical and elaborate style. It features grand council chambers with elaborate ceilings. However it is the stairwell which is the Ballarat Town Hall's most magnificent interiors. It is lit by an elaborate skylight, features a magnificent chandelier, has intricately tiled floors and has a set of palatial stairs decorated with spelter figures holding aloft lamps.

Second Empire was a Parisian style which was a revival of the style of Napoleons Second Empire. The style was often used for buildings of great cultural importance, and was often applied to town halls, theatres, grand hotels and public buildings. Often this style endows buildings with landmark qualities. Therefore it seems only appropriate that during the height of the Gold Rush boom of the 1870s the people of Ballarat had such a magnificent Town Hall bestowed upon them.

The Town Hall, designed by architects, J. J. Lorenz and H. R. Caselli (interiors), features classic trademark design features of the Second Empire style including: richly ornate Renaissance styled trimmings, including quoining and profuse ornament; towers and Palladian motifs; and a high Mansard style roof with cast iron cresting and rooftop dormer windows as part of the clock tower’s design. The Town Hall has a symmetrical facade, dominated by dome roofed clock tower, which has a peal of bells, and pedimented end towers with fan shaped windows.

The Ballarat Town Hall with its impressive clock tower is one of the provincial centre’s most impressive and distinctive buildings. This building, built in classical Second Empire style between 1870 and 1872 is in fact the third Town Hall on the current site on the corner of Armstrong Street and Sturt Street. The first wooden Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1859, and the foundation stone for the second building was laid in August 1860. The original plans for the second Town Hall were deemed too expensive to complete, so work on the project ceased. Time passed, and the second building, as it was, was finally incorporated into the third structure.

Its interior is equally impressive, decorated in the same classical and elaborate style. It features grand council chambers with elaborate ceilings. However it is the stairwell which is the Ballarat Town Hall's most magnificent interiors. It is lit by an elaborate skylight, features a magnificent chandelier, has intricately tiled floors and has a set of palatial stairs decorated with spelter figures holding aloft lamps.

Second Empire was a Parisian style which was a revival of the style of Napoleons Second Empire. The style was often used for buildings of great cultural importance, and was often applied to town halls, theatres, grand hotels and public buildings. Often this style endows buildings with landmark qualities. Therefore it seems only appropriate that during the height of the Gold Rush boom of the 1870s the people of Ballarat had such a magnificent Town Hall bestowed upon them.

The Town Hall, designed by architects, J. J. Lorenz and H. R. Caselli (interiors), features classic trademark design features of the Second Empire style including: richly ornate Renaissance styled trimmings, including quoining and profuse ornament; towers and Palladian motifs; and a high Mansard style roof with cast iron cresting and rooftop dormer windows as part of the clock tower’s design. The Town Hall has a symmetrical facade, dominated by dome roofed clock tower, which has a peal of bells, and pedimented end towers with fan shaped windows.

The Ballarat Town Hall with its impressive clock tower is one of the provincial centre’s most impressive and distinctive buildings. This building, built in classical Second Empire style between 1870 and 1872 is in fact the third Town Hall on the current site on the corner of Armstrong Street and Sturt Street. The first wooden Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1859, and the foundation stone for the second building was laid in August 1860. The original plans for the second Town Hall were deemed too expensive to complete, so work on the project ceased. Time passed, and the second building, as it was, was finally incorporated into the third structure.

Its interior is equally impressive, decorated in the same classical and elaborate style. It features grand council chambers with elaborate ceilings. However it is the stairwell which is the Ballarat Town Hall's most magnificent interiors. It is lit by an elaborate skylight, features a magnificent chandelier, has intricately tiled floors and has a set of palatial stairs decorated with spelter figures holding aloft lamps.

Second Empire was a Parisian style which was a revival of the style of Napoleons Second Empire. The style was often used for buildings of great cultural importance, and was often applied to town halls, theatres, grand hotels and public buildings. Often this style endows buildings with landmark qualities. Therefore it seems only appropriate that during the height of the Gold Rush boom of the 1870s the people of Ballarat had such a magnificent Town Hall bestowed upon them.

The Town Hall, designed by architects, J. J. Lorenz and H. R. Caselli (interiors), features classic trademark design features of the Second Empire style including: richly ornate Renaissance styled trimmings, including quoining and profuse ornament; towers and Palladian motifs; and a high Mansard style roof with cast iron cresting and rooftop dormer windows as part of the clock tower’s design. The Town Hall has a symmetrical facade, dominated by dome roofed clock tower, which has a peal of bells, and pedimented end towers with fan shaped windows.

The Ballarat Town Hall with its impressive clock tower is one of the provincial centre’s most impressive and distinctive buildings. This building, built in classical Second Empire style between 1870 and 1872 is in fact the third Town Hall on the current site on the corner of Armstrong Street and Sturt Street. The first wooden Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1859, and the foundation stone for the second building was laid in August 1860. The original plans for the second Town Hall were deemed too expensive to complete, so work on the project ceased. Time passed, and the second building, as it was, was finally incorporated into the third structure.

Its interior is equally impressive, decorated in the same classical and elaborate style. It features grand council chambers with elaborate ceilings. However it is the stairwell which is the Ballarat Town Hall's most magnificent interiors. It is lit by an elaborate skylight, features a magnificent chandelier, has intricately tiled floors and has a set of palatial stairs decorated with spelter figures holding aloft lamps.

Second Empire was a Parisian style which was a revival of the style of Napoleons Second Empire. The style was often used for buildings of great cultural importance, and was often applied to town halls, theatres, grand hotels and public buildings. Often this style endows buildings with landmark qualities. Therefore it seems only appropriate that during the height of the Gold Rush boom of the 1870s the people of Ballarat had such a magnificent Town Hall bestowed upon them.

The Town Hall, designed by architects, J. J. Lorenz and H. R. Caselli (interiors), features classic trademark design features of the Second Empire style including: richly ornate Renaissance styled trimmings, including quoining and profuse ornament; towers and Palladian motifs; and a high Mansard style roof with cast iron cresting and rooftop dormer windows as part of the clock tower’s design. The Town Hall has a symmetrical facade, dominated by dome roofed clock tower, which has a peal of bells, and pedimented end towers with fan shaped windows.