When in Bellingen, if you stop nowhere else, stop HERE: "The Vintage Nest". For fabulous coffee and treats and delightful vintage wares displayed with flair.  Check out Sea Soul Studio (on facebook) holiday album for more photos. Loved it!

So we stopped for a loo-break in Macksville, I wandered up the street with a sugar craving and came across this fantastic antique/vintage store, sugar craving forgotten I decided on these cute love-heart doilies, an excellent vintage rolling pin with RED handles (love!) and a beautiful japanese peacock vase. Now to pack them safely to survive the next 10 weeks in the bus.

Vintage vignette; Macksville, NSW

Wicked bickie tin

Retro kitchen bits

You never know what you're gonna find out on the road!!

We had the most perfect day in Port Stephens.  Here I am getting my glow on in the afternoon light (or is that after 2 glasses of sav blanc?) modelling one of my favourite brooches.

Got the paddle boards down off the bus for the first time on this trip and my Tassie legs got a little sun!

Just missed the pelicans flying past in this shot!  Maverick's on the waterfront, what a spot.

So we survived Sydney, bus and relationship intact; nerves slightly frayed.

We were rewarded with the most beautiful campsite at Wiseman's Ferry on the Hawkesberry River

We happened across the Mangrove Mountain monthly Market so we pulled in and set up our little table. Had a lovely day in the sunshine mingling with the locals.

South Coast NSW, oh how I love you...

Coffee at the Waterfront Cafe, Merimbula.

Cute fishing boats at Bermagui; can you see the pirate flag in the window?  I feel some nautical/pirate inspiration coming on.

Fantastic seafood.  3-Fish Cafe at Bateman's Bay does the best grilled seafood platter; chilli-coriander prawns and squid, lightly herbed crumbed fish, octopus, generous chips and salad.

Catching up with friends: this is Buster the border collie who sings when his master plays harmonica; he's getting to know Phil and our dog Gemma who eats anything and apparently can sleep anywhere.

Uncle Johnno (living Oz rock history!) and new pup "Horse", a great dane mastiff cross who is fast growing into his feet and his name.

Divine Turkish ceramics and lamps in "Turkish Magic", an amazing shop in the one-horse town of Stratford.  So many beautiful things, so little room in the bus.

So, on the way to Wilson's Promontory, there is a little spot called the Koonwarra Foodstore and Emporium. Two buildings, one, a beautiful store filled with delightful homewares, local ceramics and art, and the other a lovely cafe.  The two are joined by an overgrown, rambling garden where we had a yummy lunch and a verandah set up for wine and cheese tasting.  We got some Koorooman Blue by Berry's Creek Cheese.  Well worth the stop!

Last minute pieces before we depart.  The small bird in front is for a special order but the others will all be awaiting adoption in Quoll Gallery from Thursday.  All of these bright and beautiful pieces are suitable for outdoor use.

The countdown is on for departure of our 2011 Sunshine Road Trip; in one short week we will be getting off the Spirit in Melbourne and heading to visit my adopted uncle "Johnno" in Port Albert; he's grouse!!  Then cruising up the coast... following the sun... yum.  We will be gathering lots of Sea Soul inspiration, taking lots of photos, scouting maker's markets and brewing new ideas to put to clay when we return, note to self: pack the sketchbook now, before you forget.

Love using my father-in-laws old letter punches.

Tools of the trade!

Some of my favourite doilies for texturing clay.

Good weather for clay as it dries really slowly and one can go back and fix one's stuff ups as they appear!  Doing some more little shapes for hairslides as I reckon they'll be a goer close to Christmas and I want to make myself some little tags for the kitchen: "sugar", "flour", "tea" etc.  I've also thought that the tags could be blank, as if I leave them unglazed you can write on them in pencil and rub it off if you want to change it.  Mmm, I know clay buttons are a bit done-to-death but still could be fun and give new life to those op-shop cardis I can't seem to part with!

Brrrr! Its freezing in the studio this morning. Gluing some bright crockery pieces onto small "Funky Ducks",  in this weather the glue will take ages to dry.  The kiln is on with wall plaques getting some lustres and fused glass added, puurrrty!

New! Porcelain hairslides; I just did a few of these to see what people think.  Sitting pretty in Quoll Gallery, Salamanca.

I have just a few of these sweet little porcelain hairslides, will be putting them in Quoll Gallery tomorrow to see what the public think!

Glazing the underside of these mushrooms; this crazy orange actually becomes a translucent ivory in the kiln, magic! Don't ask me how,  I never was any good at chemistry.

A rainy day in the studio; I'm switching between glazing wishing stones and grouting new mosaics. Hospital Healing Hampers have really put me under the pump for wishing stones, particularly owls and dragonflies!

Thanks to the lovely Quoll customers who purchased my "Exotic Bird" and "Funky Duck" mosaic pieces this week!  I'll have to get cracking if I want to make more before going away.  Bring on the band-aids!

Putting together another order of "love" brooches for the delightful Jen of Hospital Healing Hampers.  I supply these to her at a very special price to put in her gorgeous and affordable hampers. Spreading the love xxx