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I *heart* Fridays: I *heart* eggs

29 August 2008

Image source: marthastewart.com

Eggs are pretty close to perfect. The name of the company I created over 10 years ago for my graphic design work is 'egg star'. I chose the word egg because an egg is such a great example of design perfection. Eggs are strong yet fragile, the beginning of life, a wonderful package, and the sort of shape that makes me want to cradle them in my hands. The colours are glorious and range from creams, whites and soft browns, to pale blues, and the rich dark blue/green of emu eggs. I also love the way the word 'egg' looks when written.

I have recently started to paint goose eggs and I'm going to make Christmas decorations out of them. I'm thinking about adding them to the Red Thread creations available on my website. I have dyed them with natural dyes and I'm loving the soft watery and earthy palettes I've achieved. I'm working on getting the right tone of barely-there aqua at the moment as well as painting directly on to un-dyed eggs for a very subtle effect. My designs are similar to the nature-inspired illustrations on my SushiBird Tiles, which are based on Japanese motifs, and also have some reference to Scandinavian design... a somewhat eclectic series of inspirations!

some of my decorated eggs

I am also working on more detailed designs on glorious big ostrich eggs.
They really are a joy to work on - I *heart* eggs!

And of course I love eating them too...mmmm...
nature's most perfect package contains it's most perfect food. Eggs offer endless culinary opportunities, but a simple soft boiled egg is a treat all on its own. Bill Grainger is known as the egg master - here's his recipe for scrambled eggs. Our three chickens in our little back garden give us delicious organic free range eggs.
What could be better?

Happy Friday!
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Sneak Peek

28 August 2008

I'm still working on my new website and hope to have it up and running with all the new products in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of my new range of Vintage Storybook Tiles.

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another year

26 August 2008

This is my birthday week - another year has passed in a flash. I've never had a thing about birthdays or age, but I think this year maybe I do. I feel like there is so much that I want to do, see, learn and accomplish and the days and weeks and years are just flying by. It's especially true when you have a little person in your life who grows and changes literally every day. Roxy celebrates every month that she is closer to being 5: "Am I still four and a half mum?" she asks. Today I said "No, you are four and three quarters now". I can't think of many things that would excite her more. Except perhaps if I told her she could have lollies instead of dinner tonight. In total contrast, right up until the day of my birthday I'll be thinking that I am the age I turned last year.

That's me on the right in the mauve jumper and the yellow crepe paper hat, both of which were made by my mum.
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Loving Amy Sol's work

25 August 2008


images from amysol.com

I thought I'd introduce you to an immensely talented artist whose work I've long admired (although she has a HUGE following, so you may already be aware of her art). Amy Sol creates the most divine dreamlike artworks on timber. The combination of her innocent looking subjects, beautiful technique and muted colour palette results these gorgeous etheral paintings.

This info/bio came from Amy's website:
Amy Sol spent her childhood years in Korea then moved to Las Vegas, NV where she currently lives and works. Though the style of her work is greatly influenced by a combination of manga, folk-art, vintage illustration and modern design, she remains a self taught artist. She has dedicated many years of her life mixing pigments and mediums to achieve a unique color palette of subtly muted tones. The artist works intuitively from the beginning to end of each piece, with the intent that each painting's theme or message can be interpreted subjectively. Within these delicate works, you may often find whimsical landscapes populated with exotic plants, animal and females... Amongst the expressions of each character are notions of peaceful reflection and a sense of companionship.

I was really disappointed to find out after the event that Amy spoke at Semi-Permanent in Sydney earlier this year. Oh how much would I LOVE to own an original Amy Sol! To see more of Amy's work visit her blog and website.

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before & after

23 August 2008


I think I could happily spend a lot of time finding vintage chairs and revamping them. Although I must admit that I actually get the professionals to do the revamping, but I do enjoy finding fabric and seeing the results. The shapes of '30s and '40s chairs really appeal to my design asthetic.

The chairs in the top images were a bargain buy in a second hand shop - I just love the curve of the arms. We had the timber professionally restored and bought the heavy cotton French fabrics from ici et la in Surry Hills. They have the most wonderful collection of striped fabrics in a feast of scrumptious colours. Because the fabric is very wide the stripe on each of the chairs is different, which reminds me of Camper "twins" shoes: they're the same, but not.

We bought the 1930's bedroom chair from an estate auction at a deco house in Dover Heights. It was an amazing home filled with the original art deco furniture. It was a shame to see the house contents being dispersed, although I guess it also meant that new generations would get to enjoy and love each item. I had the chair covered in pink floral barkcloth which I bought in Hawaii a number of years ago. I think it really suits the chair and gives the old girl some of her former style back.


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I *heart* Fridays: I *heart* the Once-A-Year Book

22 August 2008

I was very excited to receive my Once-A-Year Book order from Kasia at Laikonik yesterday. Kasia is a Polish born artist who draws her inspiration from the folk art traditions of her homeland. Kasia is passionate about recording things about her life and her children's lives, which led her to create the Once-A-Year Book.

It's a wonderful idea for those of us who are time-poor (isn't that all of us these days?), the concertina book has room for one photo and one page of notes for each year of your child's life until the age of 18. Surely I can manage that?! It even comes with a little inspiration/instruction booklet with ideas to get you started.

The book itself is beautifully handmade and comes in a hand-stitched felt bag. Kasia has a range of colours and cover designs to choose from, so check them out on the Laikonik website.

I love Roxy's book and intend to give it to her on her 21st birthday, until then I'll keep it a secret so it's a surprise for her. I wish I had one of my childhood - what a wonderful treasure to have!

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Living Creatively

20 August 2008

The Stitches and Craft Show is on at Rosehill Racecourse from today, so I went to check it out this morning. With the rise of cool crafting I imagined that there would be plenty of beautiful creations to drool over, new materials and techniques to discover, and a fun day to be had.

... I was pretty much surrounded by nannas having a lovely day out - not that there's anything wrong with that!
Disappointingly, but not surprisingly I guess, the products for sale and on display reflected the taste of that demographic. That is until I ventured up to the 3rd floor to be greeted by this:

Image source: livingcreatively.com.au

Living Creatively has set up the sweetest display featuring beautiful contemporary crafted pieces complete with real grass and bunnies. Yummy looking felted and knitted cupcakes, strawberries and carrots sat alongside sweet fabric flowers and birds. There were clotheslines scattered throughout the area from which more creations were hanging, and some crafty young women were selling their wares.
Living Creatively is, according to their website, "an online community dedicated to creativity". I have to admit I am yet to explore the website, but from what I saw today they are doing a good job of nurturing young crafters/designers.

Craft is very much in vogue and there is a rapidly growing groundswell of indie crafters using and reinterpreting traditional techniques and materials. How great is that? I really hope that the momentum continues.



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Give Away WINNERS

18 August 2008

Thanks to everyone who entered my give away and recommended retailers in their area. I am grateful for your efforts and level of detail you all supplied.

As you can see from the photo Roxy drew the winners out of a bowl from my beautiful Shelley dinner set which I blogged about a few days ago. Congratulations to Brenna from Newcastle who was the first name out. Brenna has won a small personalised Heart Box. The runners up and recipients of a small framed personalised art each are: Nicola R from Melbourne, Karen D from Brisbane and Marrianne from Sydney.

Brenna, Nicola, Karen and Marrianne I'll contact you all via email.


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I *heart* Fridays: I *heart* Washi Paper Tape

15 August 2008



Aren't these colours to die for! This is the most divine tape made from Japanese washi paper. Not only are the colours just so gorgeous, but the tape has the texture of washi paper and it's semi-transparent so it creates a wonderful effect when the colours are layered over each other. It's now in my collection of art materials that I might someday use... or maybe not. The dilemma is that it's too beautiful to use, but on the other hand it's too beautiful not to. Sigh.

Happy Friday!

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Sneak Peek: SushiBird Tiles

14 August 2008


I'm excited to show you a couple of my SushiBird Tiles. There are 3 designs initially and each SushiBird Tile will be a signed limited edition of 75. Of course due to their hand crafted nature each piece will be a one-off. I've had a great response from retailers and the media, so I can't wait to get them out there.

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a happy accident

13 August 2008


I love happy accidents. I was photographing the cover of a 1930's copy of Pinocchio, which i picked up recently for a song, and accidentally pressed the shutter release button. This is the resulting photo. Isn't it fab?!

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Gorgeous Design

12 August 2008


These cups are part of a beautiful Shelley dinner set which belonged to my great grandmother. The tree design is to die for... it's so 'now' that it could easily be a contemporary Scandinavian design. I just love the graphic black and white with the tiny flashes of colour. Perfection.

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GIVE AWAYS - only one week left to enter

11 August 2008

I've had a great response to my GIVE AWAY post, and there's only one week left to be entered into the draw to win one of 4 fabulous Red Thread artworks.

Here's the info again, in case you missed it:

Red Thread GIVE AWAYS!
You may know of some great shops that would be the perfect place to buy my new Vintage Heart Boxes or "Into The Woods” collection. They could be ‘bricks and mortar’ shops anywhere in Australia, or online stores, places that cater just for children’s products, gift or homeware shops, or gallery-style shops.


So what’s in it for you? Every email I receive that recommends 2 potential retail outlets will be entered into a draw. Please supply the name and address of the shop and any other info you have such as phone number, email address or website. You can enter as many times as you like and the winners will be drawn at random. The first name drawn will receive a small customised Heart Box valued at $154 including delivery. The next 3 names drawn will each receive a small framed Personalised Art valued at $59 each including delivery. Emails must be recieved before Sunday 17th August, and I will announce the winners here on Monday 18th August at 1pm.
The give away is open to everyone, so please pass on the info and the link to my blog.
click here >
Send me your email.


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fairies in my garden

08 August 2008

Nathalie from Imprintables creates wonderful and stylish invitations for children's parties and she has featured my daughter Roxy's 4th birthday party on her blog. Nathalie has great ideas for all aspects of children's parties from invitations (of course), to food, decoration and games, so I feel pretty chuffed that she's featured Roxy's party. Check out Nathalie's website to see her gorgeous range of invitations.


Fairies in my garden:



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I *heart* Fridays: I *heart* shadows

Everyone loves Fridays....
Even though my life isn't a 'Monday to Friday' existence: I have worked my own hours from my home office/studio for years; my husband's workdays aren't strictly weekdays; and our daughter isn't at school yet; Friday is still an anticipated and welcomed day.

I have decided to do a weekly "I *heart* Fridays" post featuring something that I love.
So here is the first installment.

Have you ever really taken the time to look at shadows? They can be truly amazing. I love them and wanted to share this with you. I have taken a lot of photos of flower shadows recently and I'm using the resulting shapes in some of my work. Who would have imagined that shadows can have layers? Below I've posted a few of my photos and you can see the layered shapes in the shadows (particularly in the bottom right image). These were just quick point and click shots I took. It was interesting to see the shadows fall on different objects, like the empty vases and rolls of paper.

Since becoming a mother I consciously try to find joy in the little things like children do every minute of the day. I hope this post may inspire you to do the same and look at everyday things like shadows in a new way.

Happy Friday!

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Finally a diagnosis... I have Creative ADD!

07 August 2008

I have had the symptoms for quite a while now, but until today I didn't have a specific diagnosis.

When I checked in on Decor8, one of my daily blog reads, this morning Holly had posted about Design ADD. Holly's post enabled me to finally put a label on my disorder: Creative ADD. (Of course I have Design ADD too!)

My Creative ADD stems from not having a Creative "off" button. I am continually inspired by even the littlest things and I want to create all the time. I see something and it sets off a little spark. Or, as is often the case, a raging fire. It could be a colour or combination of colours, a way of doing things or a new material that I haven't used, a book cover, a photo in a magazine, a shadow on the footpath... anything really.

My 'Into the Woods' collection is a case in point. I love the warmth and grain of timber and started to experiment with it early this year: painting, stamping, and collaging. I really got into stamping and have quite a collection going - some stamps I have bought, and a lot of others I have hand carved. I keep finding variations on the timber I am using and before the paint is dry on one thing I'm off on another tangent. I am not so patiently awaiting my order of timber veneer at the moment so I can careen off in another direction.

A few months ago I bought dozens of small timber spoons, paper coasters, and eggs of all sizes: all new blank canvases for me to work on! I started to collect vintage egg cups to put my egg creations in until I realised that the goose eggs I was using were too big for the cups, and it really wasn't worth the effort to decorate little hen's eggs. Not to worry - I now have a great collection of vintage egg cups to display, as well as some beautiful eggs. I started to make Birdsong Boxes (which may yet make an appearance for sale on my website) and for a while I was totally engrossed in making little birds out of vintage doilies. Then I came across this great product that hardens fabric and found a new use for my doilies. I launched into making little bowls from vintage doilies I had customised with fabric, paper and embroidery. Then I was inspired by the resurgence of the tea towel as a design object and I got carried away thinking about designs to screen print on beautiful pieces of linen. I even bought a couple of silk screens! I am currently obsessed with a different screen printing method called Gocco that is popular at the moment in the art and craft world and I have all sorts of ideas for cards, gift tags and limited edition prints. Against my nature I am trying to take the time to consider whether this is a direction I really intend to pursue before I invest in the equipment.

I have a love/hate relationship with my Creative ADD. I wouldn't want to become stale and uninspired - and there's really zero chance of that happening with my brain in constant overdrive. On the other hand it would be nice to be able to be still and focus without the constant distraction of "hey! I want to try that!", "those colours are gorgeous, they would look superb on...", "what if I...", "ooohhh, look at that beautiful old [insert anything here: book, fabric, box, sign, bowl, etc]... I've just had an idea!" I see the creative part of my brain as a bit like a pinball machine. The ball is released at high speed and it pings off the side. The lights flash and the bells go off. The ball hits something else. Flashing lights, bells sounding and ping! the ball has hit another target. But unlike a pinball machine the ball in my mind never goes out of play. It's relentless.

Of course the stumbling block is time and money. In my dreams I have a gorgeous conservatory-style studio in my rambling back garden with the space to have all my projects set up. I have a lot of ideas on the go and the time to devote to each of them. I spend time on ebay and weekends at markets scouting for vintage finds and often fly off to Tokyo to buy my art supplies and be inspired by amazing young artists at Design Festa. London and New York are also on my itinerary for gallery hopping and shopping. I discover traditional arts, crafts, materials and techniques in the many different cultures I encounter around the world and I also manage to study new things. [This is sounding like a very busy life!] I don't have to worry about also being a graphic designer or earning money. I can just indulge my Creative ADD - after all I'm sure that's the best therapy for it.

I think I need a business partner, a mentor or an investor - or all 3! Failing that I'd settle for a sugar daddy.

Back to reality... Not that my reality is at all bad. I'm so fortunate in so many ways, but it's nice to daydream isn't it?

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Sneak Peek: Wood You Believe! Artwork

04 August 2008


Although these pieces use illustrations mainly from vintage children's books I think the quirky and eclectic feel will take them beyond children's spaces and into the realm of funky adults.

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New products, new website, more places to buy Red Thread art, and GIVE AWAYS... it’s all happening!

03 August 2008

Hello and welcome to new friends who have arrived here via my Red Thread emailing list.

Exciting things are happening at The Red Thread.

New products

The Red Thread is no longer strictly for funky little people.
New ranges of one-off creations will soon be available for stylish adults too.

Vintage Heart Boxes
My Vintage Heart Boxes are created with beautiful illustrations and words from retro children’s storybooks from the ‘40’s to the '70’s.
The illustration styles and colours are gorgeous, vibrant and whimsical.
Here's a sneak peek:





“Into The Woods” artworks

“Into The Woods” consists of various product ranges created on timber using vintage illustrations and ephemera, Japanese papers, hand painted and stamped elements and handwritten quotes.

Vintage Storybook Tiles
Layers of paint are applied to the timber which is then given an aged patina-like finish. I then add vintage illustrations and words and seal the artwork with varnish.

SushiBird Tiles
Vibrant graphic birds cut from Japanese papers nest on simple illustrations inspired by nature. The white linework illustrations are painted on natural timber finished in a semi-gloss varnish.

Wood You Believe! Artwork
Vintage illustrations and hand-painted and stamped graphics combine to form quirky contemporary creations. Inspiring quotes are hand-written around the sides of these timber pieces, adding to the funky eclectic feel.


New website
My new website will be online soon and all my products will be available for purchase. Some Red Thread products will also be appearing in selected shops in the coming months. And this is where you come in...

Red Thread GIVE AWAYS!

You may know of some great shops that would be the perfect place to buy my new Vintage Heart Boxes or "Into The Woods” collection. They could be ‘bricks and mortar’ shops, or online stores, places that cater just for children’s products, gift or homeware shops, or gallery-style shops.


So what’s in it for you? Every email I receive that recommends 2 potential retail outlets will be entered into a draw. Please supply the name and address of the shop and any other info you have such as phone number, email address or website. You can enter as many times as you like and the winners will be drawn at random. The first name drawn will receive a small customised Heart Box valued at $154 including delivery. The next 3 names drawn will each receive a small framed Personalised Art valued at $59 each including delivery. Emails must be recieved before Sunday 17th August, and I will announce the winners here on Monday 18th August at 1pm.
The give away is open to everyone, so please pass on the info and the link to my blog.
( click here to email your entry >)
Send me your email.


In with the new, out with the old

In order to make space for all this new creativity I will no longer be making some of my existing products. From 1st September Personalised Art and Cards will no longer be available. The good news is that until then all orders for Personalised Art on Canvas and Cards will be 10% off plus you’ll receive free delivery.


From the 1st of September I will no longer sell large customised Heart Boxes. If you would like to order one before then you’ll receive free delivery.
Small Heart Boxes will still be available on my website with the new price of $180, which will include hand painted personalisation. For all of August you’ll be able to order a small personalised Heart Box at the current price and you’ll receive free delivery.

I will still be taking commissions for children's portraits.


Stay tuned...

Stay tuned in September for the redesigned Red Thread website featuring my new product ranges. I will be posting further updates and sneak peeks of products on my blog as well as lots of my creations, inspirations and observations. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you come back. And don’t forget to enter the give away comp for your chance to win.


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