It's been a bit quiet around here lately hasn't it? I feel bad because I can see that I have had a lot of new visitors - no doubt as a result of the Notebook article. If you've just found my blog hello!, and my apologies... take a look back at the archives to get a sense of the way things usually are around here.
I've been working hard in preparation for my class at The Craft Room on Saturday, Mathilda's Market on Sunday and The Stitches and Craft Show next week. Now I'm very excited to show you a couple of things that have been taking up my time... new things! I love creating new products and I've really enjoyed these. I debated whether I should wait to share these here after S&C, but I don't think I can hold off.
Ooshka is a babushka pattern kit which contains the sewing pattern and instructions, and a printed fabric face panel (my illustration, professionally printed on to fabric). There's also a face pattern so you can make more Ooshkas - like in the bottom image. My Ooshka is no shrinking violet, she's 42 centimeters tall. Or 16 inches if that's your thing. There are 3 different faces available: black hair, auburn and blond, some with flowers in their hair.
I'll be selling some Ooshka's that I've made at Mathilda's on Sunday, and will have the pattern kits at Stitches & Craft next week. When I get back from Melbourne the pattern kits will be available online, as well as additional printed face panels.
The other thing, which I'm really happy with, is my hello birdy pillow pattern. I'll be taking this pattern with me to S&C, and it will also be available online from about 11th May... I'll let you know when. The finished pillows are approximately 44 x 35 cm (or 18 x 13.5 inches).
The birdy in the top image was made using a vintage tablecloth and linen for the wing. And the birdy in the middle was made by Marina of Wink Designs who as usual has been a fantastic help testing my patterns and offering her wisdom.
Now you can see why I was doing so much blanket stitching last week - each wing piece on the 3 birds I made has blanket stitching all the way around it. The Ooshka's faces also have blanket stitch or running stitch around them. You can easily do it all on the machine with zig zag stitch if you prefer. I must say that I find hand sewing quite enjoyable and relaxing.
So as you can see, I'm getting there. Crossing things off my list. How's your week going?
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New Things!
Brown paper packages tied up with string... Flying Star Toys
Have you received an email to participate in one of those art exchanges? It's a version of a chain email where you post one of your creations to the person who's name you're given, then you send the email on to 6 people, who then send it on to 6 more people. If everyone who agrees to take part actually does take part you'll receive 36 lovely handmade gifts in the mail.
I did one of these lately and I was the lucky recipient of three lovely packages in the mail. The drop off rate was a bit disappointing( 3 out of 36!), but it was worth it to send some handmade love to a total stranger, and to receive my own FlockA2 from Florence of Flying Star Toys. The other things I received were a gorgeous hand felted flower from Karen in Brisbane and a beautiful photo from Krissa in Port Macquarie. Neither Karen or Krissa have an online presence, so I can't point you in their direction.
Florence Forrest (love her name) is the Brisbane based creator of my FlockA2 (cockatoo) which is part of a range of limited edition decorative art objects. Florence says that Flying Star Toys are designed for display rather than play - guardians rather than playmates - to be beautiful objects for the home.
all images from Flying Star ToysI'm in love with everything Florence makes (oh, those boats!). The quirky designs, quality of the materials and the attention to detail is what makes these creations stand out from the crowd. My FlockA2 is even weighted so that it stands independently. How lucky am I to have received one! You can get your own at The Flying Star Toys shops on Etsy and in Australian dollars here. Florence is also a fellow artist who's work is available from Udessi.
I can't wait to show you another brown paper package tied up with string that I received last week (unrelated to the art exchange), but I need to photograph it first. I've been a very spoilt girl
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Enjoy your weekend!
Having children in your life is a major and constant reminder of how quickly time goes by. Last night a friend emailed me this photo
It's Roxy when she was almost 2. She looks so sweet and tiny. And cuuuute! Now she's a big 6 year old at school. I can hardly believe it. Apart from making my heart melt, seeing this photo was a big reminder to me of how fast the days and months and years pass by. And how we need to - as corny as it sounds - cherish each moment because it won't come again.
I'm often in a whirlwind of lists, and projects and thinking about the next thing, next week, next month. This weekend I'm going to try to take a breath (at least once!), and stop to clear my mind of everything except the present moment. I mean really clear it.
What are your plans?
P.S. I know that I don't normally post photos of my beautiful girl on this blog, but I just couldn't help myself today.
Paper shoes... a bit of a non-post
Apologies for my absence over the past couple of days... I have too many things on my to do list. I'm really enjoying everything I'm making, but I'm hopping from one thing to the next feeling a bit unable to focus.
I've been procrastinating about what to post about that won't take me too long to put together and haven't come up with any genius ideas. So, being a lazy blogger today, I thought I'd show you some paper shoes I made last year. They were studies for something much bigger and quite exciting I am hoping to do. But those plans are on hold at the moment.
Peta from Mathilda's Market put together a really lovely post about my work yesterday, so if you have any interest at all in reading more about what I do (and who can blame you if you don't!) take a look here. Otherwise, check out the rest of Mathilda's blog to see the work of other crafty types and what's in store for the market in just over a week.
How's your week going? Are you managing to cross anything off your list of things to do? Do you even make lists? I can't survive without them. I love a good list.
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ban.do
I think I have a girl crush on Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy.
ban.do black label courture collection
Images: ban.do
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Inspiration :: inaluxe
One of my recent art purchases is a fab print from inaluxe. I love the linen look backgrounds and the vintage shapes and colours in these pieces.
Melbourne gal Kristina Sostarko has been creating her art under the name inaluxe for over 4 years, and has recently quit her day job to do it full time. (yay! I love hearing those stories) When I asked Kristina about her art and inspiration this is what she told me:
So many things inspire me, but I think structure and space are probably the primary things I'm drawn to. I have an unconscious thing in my brain somewhere that breaks down images into basic block shapes and if I like how they are placed, then I'm inspired. On a more tangible note, I love design from the 1950's to the 1970's.
I have three different styles of work, and they are all dependant on the media. with painting, it's more abstract and spacial. My favourite painters are Mark Rothko and Jasper Johns. With illustration it's more wacky, and that's where my animal creations and humour come through. Then there's the more design graphic side of things I like, and that's where pattern, and textile inspire me.
So many things, but ultimately, the need to change, fix, make better, expand, pull it apart, grow an idea, see something realised, are what get me out of bed, and doing what I do - and loving it.
You can find Kristina's art in her shops on Etsy and made it, and she also has a blog. Go visit - you won't be disappointed.
Edit: I just came across a great interview with Kristina on made it.
All images: inaluxeA countdown and a sneak peek
Things are a bit hectic at the red thread HQ at the moment. On Saturday week (1st May) I have the Craft Room class to teach, then the following day is Mathilda's Market at Riverview. And 2 days after that I'm heading to Melbourne for 5 days for the Stitches & Craft Show. So the next 2 weeks are going to be busy with all I need to do in preparation.
Here's a little peek at what I've been up to.
Some sewing, pom pom making and blanket stitching.
Logo design, pattern design and more sewing.
Painting timber for a new range of Vintage Storybook Tiles, and a new product.
I'm working on a couple of new things for Mathilda's and 2 - or possibly 3 if I can manage it - new kits/patterns for Stitches & Craft.
Jodie, Kristen and Claire seem to be way more organised than I am for S&C... to be honest, watching Jodie's organisation, hard work and prep for the show has made me feel a bit anxious! It looks like it is going to be a fantastic show with so much to do and see. Of course the incubator is going to be full of creative and crafty types selling their fab creations. There is a lot organised for the show, and you can check it all out in their 60 page show guide. Yes, 60 pages of good stuff! I might need to find a helper or two so I can have a few hours off to enjoy the show and do some shopping.
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a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art
These photos were taken last week at the Take Your Time exhibition of Olafur Eliasson's work. In the shots above we were in a darkened room where a fine spray of mist was falling from the ceiling. It looked incredible and was a magnet for children.
Photos taken by me at the MCA.
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Have a bright and beautiful weekend
Image Source: Sharon MontroseI am swooning over these gorgeous images by Sharon Montrose for Target (Liberty range).
There's also some lovely cushions in the range... LOL! And that bike... oh my!
I hope your weekend is a bright and sunshiney as these images.
See you Monday.
x
Lisa
Found via Cafe Cartolina. Read more...
Crafting with Kids
For us school holidays mean crafting for at least a couple of full days, plus lots of hours snatched here and there. Luckily for me Roxy loves it, as does Amara, a special friend. So yesterday this is what the girls got up to:
Cheat's papier mache donuts (the top section you can see is icing - the donut underneath is a different colour), and illustrated softies.
The girls drew onto calico with paint markers and chose fabrics for the backs before sewing and stuffing their softies.
Amara is only 10 - aren't her illustrations fantastic?! She loves to draw and create things and she obviously has an amazing talent for it. I think she should open an etsy shop and sell some cards and prints and things. What do you think? And of course I just love Roxy's pirate cookie complete with eye patch and peg leg. And, curiously, lots of tears.
Much more was made, as well as a lot of mess, and a great day was had by all three of us.
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The Craft Room
Part 2 of my Notebook news.
Notebook: magazine is starting a series of courses in Sydney called The Craft Room, and I'm excited to be one of the course teachers. I'll be teaching the two hand-printing techniques that appear in this month's issue of Notebook: leaf-printing and printing with hand-carved stamps.
Images of my projects: NotebookThe other courses include sewing (beginner and intermediate), cake decorating, softie making, crochet, embroidery and knitting, with more to come. I'll profile some of the lovely talented ladies who'll be teaching the classes over the next couple of weeks.
I've already signed up for the crochet class with Sarah London... if you're a regular visitor here you'll know how much I love crocheted things and how much I want to be able to master the craft. I'm very excited. I know I could probably learn from a book - and I have bought a few that sit idle on my bookshelf - but where's the fun in that? I love the idea of taking an afternoon out just for me and spending it in a lovely environment with new people, and actually walking away having mastered a new skill.
If you'd like to find out more, check out the timetable and class details. When you click on a class from the list the teacher's photo and a bit about them will come up.
I think it's a wonderful initiative on the part of Notebook. The classes are to be held in Notebook's brand new studios in Alexandria and promise to be fun and a lovely day crafting with like-minded people. Everything will be provided including refreshments, so all you have to do is turn up.
I'd like to give a big shout out to Corrie who has organised The Craft Room. She's such a lovely person and is an absolute dynamo.
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Craft tutorials in Notebook magazine
I've been waiting to tell you about this for a while now, and as the May issue of Notebook hit the stands today I don't have to wait any longer.
I was thrilled to be invited to provide a couple of projects for Notebook's create section, which was a lot of fun. The first tutorial is for leaf-printed cushions, and is a step by step guide to both the printing of the fabric and making the cushions. The second project is hand carving stamps and printing onto journals. You can see an enlargement of the first spread here.
But that's not all.... stay tuned for my next post for more news....
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One more cushion
I'm sensing a bit of a cushion series beginning to happen... but for now I want to share this gorgeous one. I just love the combination of the vintage fabric with the screen print of the illustrated clothes peg.
Image: Coucou SalutFind this one and more by Coucou Salut on Etsy.
Found via Poppytalk. Read more...
What is it about cushions?
I saw an ad for Target on TV recently and the scenario was a young couple setting up home together and furnishing it with Target homewares. A whole heap of cushions are piled onto the bed, and at the end of the commercial the woman adds one more to the collection...
When I was in Ikea browsing and purchasing their fabulous fabric with a friend I asked her what she was going to do with her new stash. She replied "Oh, I don't know. I'll probably make cushions"...
The other week we went to see some stand up comedy and one of the comics made reference to the growing number of cushions his girlfriend seems to sneak into their apartment. That made me laugh out loud, because it's a running joke around here too. I am a bit obsessed with them. Stuart is always commenting on the number of cushions on our bed and lounges, and how often I change or add to them. Are you the same?
What is it with women and cushions?!
For me it's an instant budget makeover for a room. Our bedroom is very minimal in colour - I just can't seem to go past a white doona cover - so I change it up with the cushion covers. I'm desperate to get rid of our lounges, so in the meantime I try to disguise something I hate with cushions in lots of patterns and colours that I love. (I've contemplated making covers for the lounges - a 3 seater, 2 seater and an armchair - but the amount of time and effort and the cost of the fabric makes me lose all interest.)
Today I'm loving these cushions made from vintage fabric, from Plonka Home on Etsy. I'd love to have a jumble of them, maybe mixed up with a few of these, on a big couch in my favourite colour: soft vintage aqua/turquoise. Mmmm, nice!
So what do you think about the cushion thing? Are you with me?
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Sleepers :: Olivia Martin-McGuire
Olivia Martin-McGuire's exhibition titled 'Sleepers' is on until Sunday at the Australian Centre for Photography. The almost uncomfortably intimate photos capture her subjects at their most pure and most vulnerable. Olivia has travelled the world capturing people as they sleep, although this series was shot in her studio with her Hasselblad camera strapped to the ceiling.
Olivia's portfolio also contains these lovely portraits.
All images: Olivia Martin-McGuire
