Dudley Redhead

Bye bye: Sketchbook Project 2012

2012-01-26T18:02:00.000+11:00

Sorry i missed you last weekend.. I was flat out finishing off my contribution to: The Sketchbook project 2012. I guess it's a little bit journal - little bit sketchbook. The guys over at Arthouse co-op based in Brooklyn have some cool ideas. Creating a library compiled of sketchbooks from around the world is one of them.. from April 2012 the 'library' will tour the world...
There were various themes to choose from, mine is:

here are a few pages, of course the natural place to start was the inclusion of the tardis:

....Then i moved onto Ancient Japan, wondering about the idea of adding a touch from the future.
(the wheel that is).

A fan of texture that i am, a little (altered) Shakespeare seemed to fit in too.
So hooray for finishing it I say!!
I've got some ideas for what to do next...and you can pop in too.. Stay tuned..

Boys town

2012-01-26T17:18:00.000+11:00

Over the summer holidays the boys around the house had the power tools out. The boys were busy building 'the den'. This is a compact 3m by 1.5m (approx) space under our dining room. They bolted in a floor, sound proofed the ceiling, painted it.

THEN in went the toys ... including an actual rear car seat .. and THE stand, for THE wheel..

today we had a bit of mother and son time.. these were my wheels of choice..

which i had to race around the streets of London.. the boy helped me out. Isn't he sweet?

Summer reading

2012-01-15T18:07:00.000+11:00

This was my holiday reading of choice. Murakami is one of my favourite authors. BUT, at 900 pages! this was a chore. I love his creativity, his parallel worlds, his descriptions of everyday Japanese life - BUT not this much. Had it been 'tightened' somewhat to about 500 pages i think i would have enjoyed it more.
So i am glad to have made it through to the other side of that one..

Then this arrived:

I hadn't heard of Australian blogger Oliver Dupon of Dossier37.tumblr.com, but then he probably hasn't heard of me either. But thankfully he has made it his job to check out over 70 artisans from all over the world and bring them together in one place.

I don't know about you - but give me pictures of folk in their sheds/studios/workshops/homes and stuff they've made and i'm all warm and fuzzy. Tell you why i like it: 300 pages of loveliness, great quality pics, little blurb on each to read, websites to go explore more AND there's lots of new faces,. This book is your portal to talented bunch who want to share what they've been up to - but not in that braggy kind of way...

summer?

2012-01-15T17:52:00.001+11:00

As the summer holidays continue for some (ie: my kids), some of us went back to work..
which means waiting for the weekend to catch up on things..

Like the Sketchbook 2012 project. Thankfully a smaller size book than last year. I chose the theme 'time traveller'. I started off considering various 'concepts', but now i just want to travel to the other side..

These are my 70's and 80's 'inspired pages...

On one hand i'm glad to have completed another spread - on the other i keep thinking..'but i want to do something clever, something really good'.. I don't think i've got there yet.. Do you have that conflict?
just wanting to dive in and see what happens, versus: if i don't plan it - it won't be good.

Over summer i have enjoyed several things: sitting at my desk, viewing lots of overseas mags on my ipad (NOT at my desk) via zinio (this lets you have latest issues at bargain prices). THEN printing out screen grabs (2 per postcard size).. on my inkjet printer to stick up as inspiration at my desk...

Then there's been the occasional trip out...

Always time for a quick iphone snap.. these flowers were on the side of a driveway at my Mother-in-law's new retirement village.. cost a pretty penny in the shops!

App happy..new year?

2012-01-01T16:09:00.004+11:00

Have you heard of snapseed? a photographic app, that lets you do oodles more with your iphoneography.
At the moment it's free. Developed by creators of digital software it lets you enhance your shots in many ways. Snapseed gives you control over brightness, saturation + contrast etc - but also a range of vintage effects and 'drama' control. Basically you just need to have a go..
Here's my first couple of swipes at it:

straight from the 4s

after a few minutes on snapseed

And another:

with 4s, natural light, late afternoon

same shot, snapseed filter

There's heaps of flexibility within the app - so you don't have to go so heavy.. every aspect can be 'dialed' back in strength..

Yes, there's a lot of photography apps out there - but i think this might be in my new top 3..

time to stitch...

2012-01-01T14:06:00.001+11:00

Do you come across things and think to yourself: 'Yes! i want to do that.." Well that was my reaction when reading the Nov/Dec issue of cloth paper scissors magazine. A reader challenge: create a fabric postcard. Immediately i tapped this into my 'reminders' on my phone.. (where number 6 appears to be: read before i go to sleep...hmmm.. maybe i've been hacked by the 13 y.o's? or maybe i did actually need a reminder!) Anyway! I cut up some strips and wove them..

Greetings from Australia: fabric postcard.

added a wee bit of stitching... thought about type, but then decided to keep it simple..
Here's the 'unfiltered' version

When creating this i tried to visualise it a little before i began.. but with no luck. It's interesting just watching the materials take on a life of their own isn't it? Has that happened to you?

Hello January...!

2012-01-01T12:29:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year! Quite obviously the first thing we need is a calendar..
lets' look around and see what we have..

oh yes, that'll make a nice pic - test it with the iphone perhaps..

print it out on canvas paper via an inkjet printer, grab a bit of masking tape + a free printable calendar month ... and voila! the month ahead...

So that was Christmas

2012-01-01T12:04:00.003+11:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope all is well with you..

Everyone seemed to keep their cool in our house.. keeping their excitement under control..

If you follow dudleyred on instagram, you'll know i cooked our Christmas dinner for 7.. the local butcher was offering turkey 'buffet' (ie: no bones etc) stuffed with fig and pistachio - very lovely indeed.. I did cook it Christmas Eve as we had a little party..

The last few years (let's say all 13) have been more about the kids, but this year my pile of presents was looking very attractive.. (the family even threatening to hold a couple back for my birthday!)

my daughter gave me this lovely bowl that she had made in art class..
while my son had sought out some lego mini figures - that i have since had time to play with..

oh - then i had to play with them moving

so, do you do that thing where a family member says "what would you like for Christmas?"
and you agree to swap the same amount of money - then choose your own gift.. Here's what my sister 'bought' me..

you can order your very own (she let's you design your own phrase) through the lovely doe c doe here.

just bead it..

2011-12-18T21:28:00.004+11:00

someone had kindly given me a beaded necklace.. but it was a little long and not really me.. sometime ago.. i purchased some lovely squares and stitched them into a row.. ( i think i had visions of a trim for a skirt). It didn't happen. Yesterday after a fair bit of day one holiday lounging i had a vision of a project..

covering the beads with scraps of fabric (yes emma, like little puddings!) i then reused the string and alternated the beads..

stitched the fabric rows in half, turned right sides out and stitched onto the ends. VOILA!
a summer necklace.. now all we need is a few degrees to actually feel like it..

morning walk

2011-12-18T21:14:00.004+11:00

So Sunday morning. Our kids are nearly 14, (yes, twins - in case you've just popped in). I tell you that so you can appreciate that the house is fairly quiet in the mornings, particularly on a weekend. That means i have time to get up have a read, and contemplate the day - which is lovely. Sometimes i can even venture out for a walk and still make it back before they emerge. (Yes, there was lots of groaning - by us in those early years -up at those early hours). But now.. I'm out walking.. playground free...

the hour i spend each way commuting to work each day, is well worth the 10 minute drive to the beach on weekends. The iphone is such a handy item to have, don't you find? As i wandered around and took 4 'random' shots, i returned home to see they fitted perfectly side by side.

And while wandering around was pleasant enough, i find taking 'snap shots' makes me feel like i've 'done something, but also forces me to stop and pause for a moment. To appreciate something or think about it - just for a little bit. As these days it's so easy to let everything 'scroll' on by isn't it?

And the bead goes on..

2011-12-17T19:16:00.005+11:00

last weekend i had my 'beady' little eyes on some fimo.. i sat at this desk for errr.. several hours..

i rolled.. and rolled...
and baked.. all i had was some black cord..

after a few days my chain arrived... and i could do more..

human bead machine that i was... then it was back to work for those last 5 days of the year..

Now. It's holidays.. I reacquainted myself with the couch for a bit.. which was lovely..
hope you're ready to embrace the festive season with open arms..

break it down.. break it down..

2011-12-04T18:57:00.004+11:00

So this time of year is made slightly more manageable by breaking down all the tasks into little chunks..
this weekend was my decoration chunk. Last year i did 'eco' sprayed silver garden twigs. Miss R declared that was a 'fail' due to nowhere to 'put the presents under'. So this year i started again. Let's face it - tree technology has come along (much like the prams now available) in the last 13 years... I quite liked this new fashioned plastic.. sadly my 13 year old lights were also not up to scratch. "really, this is all you have left?" i asked the man at the local hardware shop. How can tree lights be all gone by Dec 3? Did i miss something? Clearly i did.
Anyway, i decided that i would have to cope with the coloured LED rather than white, positive that i couldn't live with ALL blue. (These ones have about 7 modes)
THEN i cut up some of the doilies that appear to have amassed in the shed and stitched them with the flouro thread i was (st)itching to use. Polli's Christmas garland added a nice fresh touch.
There was much talk about where the tree would be positioned.. this time it's in the kitchen - the wall behind it is a sliding wall - so we can also enjoy it from the lounge room.. versatile.

Meanwhile.. the backroom - needed a different feel - i added some paper balls to last years 'pouffy' white ones..
and added some super little felt balls to the tree (which usually sits on the sideboard)..
How cute is this melting snowman? A little bit of putty and plastic add ons and watch him melt..
So that went reasonably well... now for the weather - as today was wet and windy - not that summer light at all... how are your 'chunks' going?

weekend whims..

2011-11-27T21:18:00.006+11:00

So here was the weekend once more.. Saturday was chocca's (very full) with family engagements... my 89 year old mother in law has her house up for sale - so we needed to take her out while open day was on.. then we took my (68 year old) mother, out for her birthday... while reminiscing we watched the video of my father's 60th ( he would've been 70 next month)..how could we have known that he wouldn't make 63..? But how lovely was it to see him really enjoying surprise karoke on his 60th...
So Sunday morning i sat here - at the desk above and wondered for a while.. about the possibilities of many a thing..

I wondered about doing something with this too..but alas didn't seem to have the headspace.. so i went out modern day hunting/foraging style in search of a Christmas tree - ready for next weekend..

then it was time to make this couscous salad with feta, olives + watermelon with char grilled lamb and wonder about an evening walk along the beach..

meanwhile.. remember this:
my artist book in a bag..

well now the online exhibition is up here
have a great week, what are you wondering about?

little bit of painting...

2011-11-20T19:47:00.009+11:00

So if you've visited here lately you'll know i've been out and about. Which is great - all that inspiration.
BUT, what happens after a busy week at the office ... unwinding for the weekend. You try and have a little idea of what creative project you might embark on. You try just venturing into the shed to see what you might do. You begin by painting backgrounds.. this was the third one - a small bit of wood i found painted brown.
So i covered it in blue and sandpapered it a little.

i was thinking in my head: simple collage.. perhaps abstract or simple shapes.. I painted it green..

i like a bit of light sanding and scraping with a scalpel in between. Shoes! i was thinking..clothes! (but that was because i had just seen Bill Cunningham's New York, last night which was truly inspirational)...

simple line work, i thought.

But yes! collage was the aim, so let's stick with that i thought..

add more i thought..

Well. Not what i wanted to paint at all. It was pleasant enough, but just when i could've tossed that aside - having got that out of my system it was time to do something else, ie: dinner.
Part of me wanted to do a wash over the top, or hack at it, or something. Or, just move on.
Does this happen to you?
if this was a case of the work taking over - maybe I should've interfered more?
OR, maybe it was just a warm up? Guess i won't know. Oh well, back to work in the morning..

Sun, sand + surf?

2011-11-20T19:43:00.004+11:00

well not quite..

yesterday's weather report was for a warm 30 degrees, but when Miss R and I popped down to Manly yesterday morning this is what we saw. A little eerie.

Meanwhile 15 minutes back up the hill at home it was blue skies aplenty..

yes, i was pretty pleased with the 'captured' seagull in the shot above..

Camera workout...

2011-11-13T21:09:00.013+11:00

Sydney's Bondi beach just after 7 this morning. We'd woken the teens and off we went to Sculpture by the Sea. Obviously we hoped the early bird catches the parking space .. and perhaps prime photographic spots. 1 out of 2 isn't bad.. here's what i saw..

For captions and more info go here.

out and about.. continues

2011-11-13T20:54:00.003+11:00

Well, let's face it. There's times where i'm not leaving the shed for anyone, and then there's times when there are cultural bounties galore. (probably not a sentence).
These last few weeks have been that exactly.. this weekend kicked off with an invite to the media opening of the Picasso exhibition. WOW! 150 pieces from the 5000 works. Prolific is an understatement. Altho possibly here was a man who didn't need to do the washing, shopping or commute several hours a week. Yes, clearly he was genius, but that's a lot of hours honing one's masterful skill...anyway! that's what this exhibition is:
a collection of masterpieces (from Picasso at 12 years old!). I must say i did experience a few adrenalin rushes as i wandered (reasonably quickly) in and out of the 10 rooms..
The AGNSW has re designed it's space and done an excellent job. I was completely transported. So simple, yet perfect was the framing, the space, the lighting - that just for those moments i could have been in Paris. Aaaaaah.
For the first time ever the gallery are also doing staggered ticketing. So, plan your trip now..

Out and ...outpost!

2011-11-07T21:24:00.016+11:00

yes, it's been a while.. but i have been out.. yesterday i took the family to visit Cockatoo Island (a short ferry ride from Sydney's Circular Quay) to check out Outpost. On until 11 Dec i'd recommend a trip..
The island is hosting street art.. with some of Banksy's works a bit of a drawcard..

But the photo opps start early..

Such an amazing venue to wander about..

with works around the island, artists still working..

others had left their marks behind.. (loved discovering concrete art!)

choose to wander the 'galleries' amongst the old machinery..

or take your pick (and crop) from outdoor works..

but i guess my favourite was wandering around the paste ups..

you can see a few more on instagram - look for dudleyred

pity i didn't get to hang out in the bar for a bit.. but hey - the kids (year 7 ) were keen to get back to the yard..

who was i to stand in their way..?

but if spray paint is not for your youngster.. then how about giving them a nice fat pen, photograph it on your smartphone, use fotofitti app to make your own stencil work! very nice indeed..

i was just about ready to get out the transfer paper and start custom making t-shirts.. but, alas, a gal has to sleep sometime...

Project: completed...!

2011-10-22T18:33:00.006+11:00

This week was the last, in the Penny Black Stamp project - which can be viewed here.
Sometimes i let the brief float around in my head - to see if i come up with an idea, sometimes i start sketching.
Or sometimes i just start 'doing'. This was a doing one.
I found a bit of paper with some blue + green painted on it.. I picked up a piece of card and dipped the edge into some paint and 'stamped' the vertical lines reminiscent of 'trunks'

I painted in the white lines and kept working over the top. Generally i was happy with the look. The theme for week 6 being: wood. (i started thinking of wood grain patterns - but ended up here).
Then i read that the dominant colour was: rose. A scan and a little photoshop adjustment and i decided to go with this:

Australia has some lovely scribbly barked gum trees - so thought i would add a little scribble...
So that's it. Always fun to 'force' yourself to do something a little different.. Here's the 6 projects:
They were not designed as a 'set' so i wasn't expecting them to work as a final group. Although had i spent oodles of time on it (and planning) - that would've been ideal!
I think my first one (the red stamp) is the weakest - perhaps because the number is so large? I'm quite fond of the Aboriginal styled one - as that is based on a google map of my neighbourhood.. Anyway, it was great to explore a different direction to each separate brief. On to to the next thing..

Out and about...

2011-10-09T19:28:00.002+11:00

So yes, I know there's movement afoot to 'buy nothing new' this month - so why not go and see an exhibition about shopping instead? On Sale is a gorgeously designed and curated exhibition on until the end of the month. Featuring wonderful old photos of the Queen Victoria Building (in Sydney) from the 1890s and 1920s, to graphic 1950s posters for David Jones, vintage wrapping paper and catalogues...etc
The exhibition catalogue is a bonus - yours to keep for what ever donation you want to leave..
wander in - take a friend or relative - it deserves to be seen..

from my desk..

2011-10-09T19:14:00.006+11:00

well let's face it - it was all a bit of a mess.. "do you think you could make me a couple of shelves?" I asked Mr R.. I had seen some kits at the hardware store but thought i'd pose the question and see what returned. Well, he bought some handy clips and a plank. "can i have rounded corners?" I ventured.
"it's up to you to finish them off" he said, handing them over. I found sandpaper, undercoat + antique white gloss paint kicking around .. Super!

garden nook..

2011-10-09T18:33:00.008+11:00

So while we were giving little corners of the house mini makeovers - Mr R also took on an outdoor corner.. a little bit of bamboo screen, a table made of recycled fence palings, some bolts on the end of wooden stumps a barrel pot from flower power and hey, we have a little outdoor setting..

It reminded me of walking around the streets in Japanese cities - where backyards are scarce - pots are plentiful.. we need a little more growth but it's a great starting point..

tick tock..

2011-10-09T18:17:00.005+11:00

Hark... what is that ticking sound? oh, that's right, the last few hours of 5 days off. Quick! less than an hour before dinner.. let's whip up a cover for this little shelf dude on wheels. After all we don't really need to see his insides do we?

The stash revealed this piece of fabric (bought on Etsy from a japanese seller - but is IKEA from 6 yrs ago), lets stitch that to a thrifted table cloth..

Let's bang in some drawing pins and voila!

Holiday spirit..

2011-10-04T18:23:00.007+11:00

So after dropping the teen off to meet pals, i headed for the op shop. I was feeling lucky.. I'd been reading Dottie Angel (separate post) and was visualising in my mind's eye... I saw this beaudy. I opened the drawers and sniffed.. yep - pretty good. I imagined a place for my fabric.. I emailed Mr R to come with car to pic up..
BUT once he arrived we discussed the possibility of a 'bureau' which was standing next to the drawers.. swiftly i relocated the SOLD sign... and returned home to this...

we hauled in the bureau of thriftiness, and after some rearranging we now have this..

Hooray! Elvie ( fluffy white puss - gave it the nod of approval). A weekend project might be to deck out the drinks part (behind the pull down panel) to pop in some shelves on which to stack my fabric.. Whilst hanging around in the shop i also bought this..

Kitsch bud vase + crazy doilie, currently i'm going through a 'grouping' phase of my objects and collected items.. Not to mention while on a complete 48 hour opshop frenzy i also picked up a rather nice tablecloth for $4.. super when no shipping is involved..

..holidays at home.. fun times indeed...

Holiday time..

2011-10-03T17:46:00.011+11:00

So day one of a few days off.. who needs to sleep in, when i have the chance to attend a cushion making workshop at cloth fabric, in Surry Hills..? Let's just say there was a little shriek when i saw the email.
A small class and a generous scrap bag and we were all in heaven..

Fairly easy to be inspired in such a beautiful environment..

surrounded by lovely gorgeous things..

Interesting that although we all were working from the 'same pile' our cushions were all very individual, with Kate making the astute observation that our pieces were reflections of what we were wearing.. I was drawn to the greys - but thought i would freshen it up with a touch of aqua.. and acid olive..

Clever cloth, that they are, supplied the 'open' cushion covers with zips already in position.. so we could spend our time really enjoying cutting up strips and piecing our designs together..

It's always lovely to listen to the creative chat while everyone beavers away.. four hours later and a little overwhelmed by so many possible combinations, i left to finish it off at home..
Here's how my cushion ended up..

Whilst a little on the busy side.. (hard to resist such gorgeous scraps) i channeled some of my brain power into a couple of accessories - before my cushion really went over the top!

And well sometimes, more is just definitely... more!
Thanks to Julie (Ms Cloth) for such a fabulous opportunity.. sign up to their blog if you can get to Sydney for future workshops/events..

Go.stop.go.stop

2011-09-24T16:19:00.002+10:00

What else should i/could i do?? on a cloudy afternoon.. but see how StopMotion app on my ipad works..
let's just say we've got a way to go before we have a mini feature.. but hey.. here's how it went..

Curious Robot

Curious Robot from tara axford on Vimeo.

now i need to work out how to slow it d-o-w-n AND find me some i-time...

Unleash your inner Banksy!

2011-09-24T15:47:00.003+10:00

OMG! and yes, i really do need to use that phrase.. how totally excited was i when i discovered:
Fotoffitti an app that let's you i/phone/pod/pad your image as a graffiti artwork. Exclamation marks necessary indeed!!
Here is what the photo (shot via my ipad) looked like first..

Then you shake to spray, choose your wall, contrast AND how old you want it to be.. now if that isn't app developing at it's best then i don't know what is. Stencil art without the pain!

little bit stitchy..

2011-09-11T20:21:00.004+10:00

So after crafting myself silly last weekend - the last 48 hours were a little more relaxed and concerned with other things.. however after some time had passed i got out some fabric and began stitching..

This was project 5 in the Penny Black Stamp series, for more info see here.
This month's one was mauve and was inspired by the first Swiss embroidered stamp.
Personally i've just wanted an excuse for some 'random' machine stitching! I enjoyed using the hand dyed cotton i had added to my stash from the craft show.. the subject matter came from the memory of blue butterflies from my English childhood. Just as well it hadn't been an encounter with a wildebeest...

Little project..

2011-09-04T19:52:00.003+10:00

Recently i learnt to crochet.
I wanted to make balls from yarn. But when i was at the craft show 2 months ago i bought some pre made balls.. finally i got around to attaching jump rings and chain to them to make a necklace.. sometimes cutting a few corners is ok, surely?
'til next time..

Back at it..

2011-09-04T19:41:00.006+10:00

Ok, so after admitting that the 'doing nothing' of last weekend was a bit challenging, this weekend i couldn't decide between 3 possible projects..

I had purchased a 'primitive angel' pattern from here, a few weeks ago and was itching to try it out. It involved staining your fabric with coffee...

Hmm, a few hours later here's how it went..

I don't think Mr R warmed to her instantly..

I enjoyed moving out of cute world for a bit.. i then went down this path..

While i was putting this piece together it was confirmed in my head that it is ok to accumulate supplies, (even though when purchasing you can't quite visualise just what you will be doing with it), because eventually they will show their potential.. Can't wait to get back to the stash sometime soon..

More from Brisbane..

2011-09-04T19:22:00.006+10:00

Luckily, my previously crafted red robot was well accepted by his intended owner..
The baby pictured has a talented mother who was holding a book binding workshop on a rainy Saturday afternoon..

So i sat and concentrated very hard. I scored, folded, trimmed and stitched..
in four hours i had made my 3 little books.. check out Shellbyville for more info and a chance to make your own...

It was a super little break. Gallery, family, friends, little bit of creating, little bit of doing nothing.. (ok, so that last bit was the weird bit.. but i tried my best to cope..)

Gee, is that the time?

2011-09-04T18:56:00.010+10:00

Last weekend i was away with Miss R visiting friends + family in Brisbane. Of course this was a great opportunity to visit Surrealism: Poetry of Dreams at Goma. They do put on a good exhibition up there..and they even have their own app..

The exhibition has 180 works and a genius decision to put a cafe half way through..
Since i was visiting Shelbyville and little d (her gorgeous babe) we all appreciated a pit stop..

This part of the exhibition also has a row of interactive macs that display a surrealist manifesto style newspaper created with very attractive graphics.. definitely worth a 'play'. Whilst i was enjoying my hugs with little d, as soon as we hit the childrens' area of the exhibition i had to hand him back to his mother immediately...

Once Miss R realised us grown ups were going to be here a while she took a spot at the collage bench..
Then there were the pre-printed ink blots which were desperately awaiting re-interpretation..
I couldn't go past..

While miss r also saw an animal..

And if collage, cutting & pasting, and drawing weren't enough, they also had sculpture windows! Everyday objects in co-ordinating colours were available to 'sculpt'. THEN you could use the built in camera to send your masterpiece via email or to a mobile.

Just as well a) the car parking had expired, b) it was lunch time c) school children seemed to be otherwise occupied... or there would've been tears.. and they wouldn't be coming from the young folk..

have you seen this?

2011-08-14T21:38:00.003+10:00

It's Fashionary. Yep, exactly what happens when you put fashion, diary + dictionary together.
The sketchbook is combined with heaps of fashion information (from blogs to patterns to colour descriptions). It is the perfect tool for getting down ideas, fast sketching and quick referencing. It also includes 400 templates for instant sketching. What's really cool is that the templates are barely visible .. but yet oh so handy! I purchased it online for miss R (aged 13 yrs) when she declared that she needed a hobby (a dangerous thing to say near me - as i can assign one by the day).. This is how she began hers..

Go Miss R! I wonder when she can begin pattern making?
Anyway - i think they'd make great birthday/christmas gifts for the arty young folk you may know..
( i see that Kinokuniya in Sydney now stock it too).

project central ... part 2

2011-08-14T21:27:00.004+10:00

My second project was also for the Australian Book Arts Council for their Bound and Bagged Project.
We were sent a calico bag - which could be left plain or added to.. for years i've longed for an inkjet printer so i could experiment with different surfaces. A few months ago I purchased one for under $130! wow! THEN at the craft show recently i picked up some transfer + freezer papers. (I couldn't even recall why i needed the freezer paper - just that i DID). So the above type was 'transferred' to the bag, but the freezer paper allowed me to put fabric through my printer by temporarily adhering it to the fabric.. so i could do the label above..
then..

did you know lots of cool people have created 'digital downloads' on Etsy? I found these luggage labels (above), printed them on calico using freezer paper through my printer - and VOILA! a natty little add-on for my 'artist book' which goes into the calico bag.. i'll keep you posted if it makes it into any exhibition and where you can see all the entries...

project central... part one

2011-08-14T21:12:00.004+10:00

Hello! How have you been?
I have been up to my eyeballs in projects.. Which of course is great - but perhaps a little reminiscent of racing a deadline for a collage project.. of course i had oodles of time - but stuff got in the way - then i was sick.. ANYWAY! Here's a sneak peak of what i've been up to...
my submission to the Book Arts Council of Australia for their Matchbox zine project. Entrants were sent a matchbox to alter and use to contain a zine. I was inspired to turn mine into a garden shed - which led me to do an itty-bitty zine based on how important sheds have been through 3 generations of my family... it was challenging to distill the information to more of a 'feel' and just the essence... this bit was fun..

Using japanese masking tape (but of course!) to create furniture illustrations..
why not give it a go - just find a picture of an object you like and make your own by cutting little bits of tape... you can even reposition it as you work..
fingers crossed they like it...

Penny Black

2011-07-31T17:30:00.010+10:00

Sorry - it's been a awhile.. oh what a drag! that rain, that chest infection, that head cold, that ear infection... that general feeling of well.. just yuk.. BUT i'm back so here is a behind-the-scenes look at a little project.. hope you like it..
So i mentioned this project here..
And now we are up to Project 4. The colour being sepia. The basis for this week is the One Pound Jimmy, of the Wailbri people of central Australia, who was the first named Aboriginal person to appear on an Australian stamp.
I decided it would be good to keep this theme for my design..
i began by priming a bit of wood, (a placemat from Spotlight) then painting it red. This is a nice way to give the final painting some depth.

i wanted to paint solid shapes and keep it bold. I was thinking about how the indiginous people went 'walkabout'. It made me think that when we go walkabout these days - we often consult google maps. So i did!
i traced an enlarged version of the 'block' around my house onto my white surface.

I 'blocked' in the shapes. Under painting helps avoid a flat final image.

I added my final chosen colours - sanding lightly with sandpaper in between.

the lines became my roads..

The dots gave it that Aboriginal art feel..

Here's the final painting.. which i dropped into an indesign template - that i have been using for the other 3 projects..

New fruit..

2011-07-17T20:14:00.004+10:00

Mr R, bless him.. presented me with these on returning from the shops yesterday.. purely for photographic purposes - altho i think i may also have to try them.
Anyway while i was waiting for my porridge to heat i found myself snapping away.. then on the iphone..

Which I THEN had to convert using 'Swankolab' app - it lets you add chemicals to a virtual tray.. watch it process before your eyes.. it even pegs it up to dry..

Then there was 'label box' appYES! it is masking tape for iphone (thanks Riyo!) needless to say the porridge was getting cold...
oh - so if you can name said fruit and know what to do with it.. let me know..

Get your paint on..

2011-07-17T19:37:00.004+10:00

I think i missed last week's blog post as i was up to my elbows ... in this. Week four's piece as an exercise in composition. I kind of like the idea and the feel - but it's still a little 'tight'. I used a craft wood placemat, found some reference via etsy + ebay and sketched up the work. Then it was a process of layering colours, 'blocking in' shapes, adding detail - then taking to the lot with a scalpel.

This was the final week.. the brief was fairly open.. which did make it hard to decide which direction to go in.. THEN i got some bug and spent most of my holiday week sick :( what is with leaving the office - then coming down with something?
I guess painting isn't really meant to be confined to a one day time slot (that's all i had, really).. so maybe that was why i kept hitting the pain barrier: painting, scratching, painting etc.. or maybe it was my stuffed up head?
Anyway - after said day - week 5's piece was to be worked on no more!
Back to some other projects now...

Getting my paint on..

2011-07-03T16:06:00.003+10:00

This is week 3's assignment of my online painting course mentioned here.
The subject matter was 'colour'. Otherwise the whole thing would have probably been a muted work - which is my usual path. During the inspiration of the week we were told about 'Beautiful Losers', have you seen it? It looks at a group of American artists who started out in the 1990's. Among them are Margaret Kilgallen, Shepard Fairey and Geoff Mcfetteridge.. their influences were graffiti, skateboarding and art of the street. Thankfully my local dvd store had a copy and it was a super night in.. Yesterday i put paint to board and this is what occured.. the last time i did any painting was the sketchbook experience, 6 months ago. With that i found it hard to mantain a style.. as there were so many pages to fill. However week 3 finds me slipping into somewhat of a consistent style..

Out and about...

2011-07-03T15:41:00.005+10:00

Last week was the Sydney Craft and quilt fair..
i decided to take a day off and pop along.. it's good to see what's available.. who's doing what .. and being up to your eyeballs in craft supplies isn't too bad either.. 2 minutes after walking into the show i had signed up for a screen printing workshop with Perth textile artist Louise Snook..

90 minutes later and that was my tea towel hanging to dry.. we were shown how to use paper stencils - then off we went! I'm so grateful to Louise for showing me the way. I love the idea of print making, but have never had any success with paper stencils before.. As i was pulling the paint across the screen, passers by were whispering "look , her hands are shaking.." Well, no pressure, folks.
I did leave the show 4 and a half hours later with various items, including my very own screen.. bring on some annual leave..
While waiting for the workshop i think i came across unique stitching, they had a terrific selection of many things i knew i needed.. amongst my purchases was a packet of dye.. before cooking Sundays' pumpkin risotto i thought i would tackle the reinvention of a dress i had..

I loved the design of this - but having bought it hurriedly in a sale last year i wasn't totally in love with the colour against my skin tone - as it was too similar.. I suspected the dye would keep the pattern.. and it did!
It was 'calmed' right down and harmoniously slotted right back into my wardrobe.. i was pleased that my first attempt did not leave any patchy work.. although am also glad i bought some beautiful hand dyed fabric that someone else had created for me.. i say it again.. bring on some annual leave (5 days to go!)

Getting my paint on..

2011-06-25T20:56:00.009+10:00

So after totally falling in admiration, for Lisa Congdon after her book arrived in my mail box..
I then became a student in her and Mati McDonough's Summer Get your paint on course..
Go here if you want to know more or see when the next one is available.
Have you done any online study? (I'm a newbie). It's great - they post inspiration, tips and projects.. while the students upload their work. Naturally we'd all love to live in the cool creative places where all the arty things happen, but well.. those nooks are spread out all over the world aren't they? And who knows which nook is where we should be nesting? BUT that's the great thing about online.. log on, upload and hello class mates!
Last week the inspiration was along the theme of quilts and grids..
this was where i began..
It's about a4 on packing cardboard, it was therapeutic and initially i enjoyed it. But by the end of this piece i felt it was dull and lacking. Then i moved to a piece of craft wood.. (sold at Spotlight as placemats?)

I liked the colours and the fact i could scratch at it like mad.. since i had been experimenting with hobby #43 and learning to crochet, i had that on my mind.. so i hand wrote some crochet jargon.. while not dull, i'm not entirely sure if i went too far?
This week we were looking at being inspired by an artist.. OH! where do i begin? I realised that i quite like grouping objects..

This was taken using instagram app, in my kitchen - while trying to inhale my porridge before running out the door, one morning last week..
Oh great - i thought! i can use Morandi's style and colour palette.. you can see how that would work, yes?

Then i remembered the dudes i bought on Etsy:

Then i painted this:
It was ok, but i still had to move to a scratchy wood panel.. where i ended up with this:

So, the other part of this week's exercise was to look at our personal style. What was mine? That is something i've been chasing the answer to for quite some time. Today, i decided part of my style is a scratchy/texture business and some words! phew. Revelations can be exhausting. Have you had one?

Uppercase...

2011-06-25T20:15:00.009+10:00

So you may have seen uppercase magazine: for the creative and curious...
put simply it is unique. I'm thinking that Janine Vangool, it's editor, designer and publisher must be superhuman. To have created an independent quality title that features gorgeous images, interesting people, quirky themes and interesting bits and pieces.. well let's just say she can't sleep much. But thank goodness she just keeps going because now she has turned her incredibly creative hand to book publishing..
I took advantage of their book bundle deal..
and the first few arrived over the last couple of weeks..

While the "Elegant Cockroach' is a wonderfully illustrated tale of a Spanish guitar playing insect visualised through clever collage.. it's the other two that i curled up on the couch with..

Work/life 2 is a handy book - packed full of 100 illustrators from around the world. You can pop over to the itunes store and download the app version free! For anyone who is interested in or inspired by illustrators this is the book for you.. (it would also be a great gift for a teenager thinking of a creative arts career). The pages feature an interview with the illustrator, shots of their studio (always a hit) images of their work and their details..

i may have to read it some more after this..
THEN there was Lisa Congdon and A collection a day.... aaahhhhh..

Packaged in a special little tin of it's own each of Lisa Congdon's 365 collections are displayed here.
Whether painted, photographed or sketched the result is awesomeness.

This is one of my favourites. Not only are there perfectly balanced grids, the pages show a variety of objects that have you reacting a bit like at a firework display.. with plenty of 'oooohs' 'aaahhhss' and 'oorrrrwwwws'.

As we embrace the age of the e-book there are still reasons to sniff some paper ones too....

Photomobile project

2011-06-18T21:44:00.012+10:00

This year (as opposed to before) i seem to have signed up for various projects.. a few months ago is it was the Photomobile project run by the Arthouse Co-op. You could choose a theme, they sent you a disposable camera. You used it. You sent the prints to them. They tour the exhibition.
The camera had its limits. 400asa, limited focus etc etc... BUT the idea and process was fantastic.. some of the shots were quirky in a grainy-sort of-out of focus way..

My theme was : 'Adventures of a super hero". Miss R (13 yrs) also signed up, her theme was "the last thing i remember' - which she interpreted as a sort of fainting still life..
These images here were taken with our own cameras as we went, to record our progress. These are not the disposable camera prints..

So what did i think of the whole thing? well my skills in shooting with a disposable camera were fairly hit and miss. Although choosing such a tiny subject matter was a little silly. On the upside i got to stitch kewpie a super hero suit and i made a zine from the photos! So my advice there is go ahead and just do a project.. don't ask why.. just see where it'll lead.. meanwhile i'll be checking out the photo mobile website later in the year to see how everyone else did..

What's been happening?

2011-06-12T22:09:00.006+10:00

.. in my neck of the woods? Winter has begun. The rain has set in. Tricky business for getting washing done.. Excellent for catching up with my mum over pancakes, checking out op shops, skimming around the internet, signing up for projects and practicing my treble and double crochet stitches..
Note: the penguins + table were picked up one Saturday morning at Vinnies for $8 after i had cleansed my wardrobe of several bags of clothes.. yes folks, karma does exist.
The gorgeous soldiers were added 'to cart' from Japan via Etsy.. i'll have to tell you more about the books, cloth + other projects next time.. what's been happening with you?

the chain gang?

2011-06-01T20:38:00.005+10:00

So last weekend i put the zines and paper goods aside and purchased a pattern from ravelry, a hook and yarn..
For a while now i've a) wanted to be wearing a flower lariat and b) be someone who can crochet.

I took said items to a friends place, after dinner i asked her to start me off on a flower. Within 3 minutes i realised that this was not going to be my first project. We agreed that she show me how to chain and treble stitch.. off i went onto the GRANNY SQUARE..

I couldn't believe it.. as it started to resemble something.. and without wanting to encourage drinking - let me just say that the whole process was easier after a wee glass of wine.. the minute my brain switched back on, self doubt kicked in.. meanwhile my dear friend continued on with the flowers..

and Voila! here they are... a gorgeous accessory indeed..

Lovely to meet you..

2011-05-22T20:12:00.006+10:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by Dudley's corner. As i might have said to some of you - it did look a bit like i spend a lot of time indoors.. But i'm glad i got out this weekend and caught a few sessions at the Writers Festival, The Finders Keeper Market and today's zine fair. There definitely was a variety of paper goods to be had.. I hope you all enjoyed the diversity too.. if you couldn't make it, or there was something you missed I'll be uploading it online in the next week or so..
meanwhile back to the day job... have a great week... thanks for stopping by.

DIY business cards...

2011-05-15T19:07:00.005+10:00

Years ago the idea of doing a business card for myself (as a graphic designer) was a little daunting. It had to say so much while not looking too this, or too that.. THEN along came moo cards - those gorgeous little mini cards that can be photographic and have many different looks..
But this year for the zine fair - i decided to take a more DIY approach.
Here's what you need:
• card stock
• stamps: hand carved, bought, or custom ordered + stamp pad.
• rotary blade cutter - try the perforated or deckle edge.
• office name/address stamper
• Japanese masking tape

So firstly after selecting my card stock - I loaded up one of those office style stampers with my details..
then i stamped my logo with my vista print stamp - perhaps you've seen this here - pretty easy to get, handy to have!

Then I perforated the edge with my rotary cutter. Stamped a bit of colour with a hand carved rubber stamp.

Added the compulsory gorgeous Japanese masking tape and VOILA! unique business cards ready to go.
Of course the possibilities and combinations here are endless!

If you happen to be coming to the zine fair at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney NEXT Sunday 22nd. 11-5 drop by, say hi and pick one up!

Save the date...

2011-05-08T21:03:00.002+10:00

Hooray! It's nearly that time of year again.. The Sydney Writer's Festival - which includes the Zine Fair..
and i'll be there.. I've been sketching, folding and stapling.. so if you can make it to the MCA in Sydney on May 22nd I'd love to see you there.. It's going to be huge!

Mum!

2011-05-08T20:54:00.002+10:00

Yes, it has become ever so commercial. But then isn't it nice to have the excuse to make everyone pause for a minute and say thanks. Yes it is. The sun was shining and i was on the oval early, for Miss R's soccer game. They won, she scored a goal. That will make my Mother's Day memorable. She then made me a gorgeous french toast brunch accompanied by a couple of lovely wrapped gifts...
hope you had a lovely weekend with some memorable family moments.

Easter craft...

2011-04-23T15:39:00.002+10:00

How did we get here already? I'm enjoying my few days holiday.. there's various things i need to do. Then there was this. A $5 Easter kit from Target. It had sparkles, paint + stick ons, it was for ages 3-6. But hey it had 3 faux wooden eggs! i couldn't help myself. I sat there sewing a wee felt hat telling myself that it was 'fun' for Miss R. I like her bold design with the blue hat (above). I used a bit of 'stiffy' stuff on the felt to help the ears stand up and strengthen the feet (which are brogues). I started with sketches but found it easier just to make it up as i went along.. happy holidays.. what are you up to?

saddle up..

2011-04-19T21:58:00.003+10:00

Even though we live 30 minutes from the city, in peak hour, travelling to work it is more like 1 hour. Penty of ipod/podcast/reading time, i know.
BUT that means that 30 minutes from home is the countryside... Miss R was a lucky duck to attend a holiday riding day.. I packed a mini picnic, a thermos and worked that new camera a little more before leaving her there to enjoy nature....

Kids in the kitchen..

2011-04-19T21:10:00.003+10:00

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. We've been married a very long time .. Funny how when i was at school i imagined that i would get married at 21, have children at 25. Just like my mother. THEN when i got closer to that age i did have to revise that plan.. although as things turned out.. not by that much.. So the beauty of that timing is that our teenage children could cook us an anniversary dinner!

I facilitated Miss R making a Jamie Oliver chicken, leek, cannelini bean dish (which was wrapped in a foil parcel with a cream + wine sauce).. she did a super job.. while Mr R helped the boy chef do a re-run of his caramelised bananas + brandy snaps.. (this dish he had been working on at school last term.. although apparently the school had stocked up on non-stick baking paper, and we had not.. so we didn't actually get our snaps).. very tasty though..
Tonight we went to the movies .. perhaps "Never let me go" was not the best anniversary type outing.. amazingly crafted, interesting concept.. i'm about to read the book now..

Day 3..

2011-04-18T19:20:00.006+10:00

The night before i crafted a quick camera pouch. A padded, drawstring bag. Just to keep the dust + scratches off (the new handsome camera) but not too bulky..
Then with 4 kids in the car, a picnic, 30 minutes later we arrived on Sydney Harbour..

A perfect Autumn day.. for unlimited rides! And off they went... while i explored the photographic possibilities..

So yes, a fun day trip for all...

Hooray for holidays...

2011-04-17T20:00:00.005+10:00

Day 2 of my holidays. Week 2 of their school holidays. Cue up the vase, stock the fridge, plan the events!
So after i farewelled my old broken camera .. I said heeeellllooooo handsome - to my new Sony A390. Gorgeous item that is is.. soooo much to play with.. WOW!
so here's a sneak peek at some bits i created over the last 2 weekends..

Of course it is perfectly natural to make such things in between soccer matches, groceries + cooking..
BUT you'll have to pop back another day and i will explain it all. Well, not ALL, but at least it might make more sense.. hope you've been well..

Recap...

2011-04-17T19:55:00.003+10:00

Sorry it's been a while.. few things going on. AND it's got chilly. Naturally i'm lusting after a handcrafted scarf or wrap, but in the meantime.. i layed out the fluff ready to felt my own. I was really trying for gorgeously thin... then it went into 'scarey - this may fall apart' phase.. then it ended up shorter + thicker than i intended.. so it's been put aside - as i research fringe options..
THEN my camera died! so sad. It had been sooooo good..

More Sketchbook project..

2011-03-20T20:13:00.005+11:00

Projects and more projects remember The Sketchbook Project? so here is a bit more of that.. I think you had a sneak peak of this one above, "It must be vintage" a still life painted on a thrifted pillowcase then embellished with stitching.

This one was off the rails.. then i just had fun with it.. painting over a photograph.. adding some ink.

I love the combinations of found japanese papers + masking tape with a watercolour illo that was inspired from a japanese magazine.

This was towards the end and i was getting desperate for other styles/ideas. The bus was from a foam stamp i had made earlier.. i like the graphic boldness..
So yep, from one project to another... off i go... how are yours going?

The Penny Black project

2011-03-20T14:18:00.003+11:00

It's nice to be part of something don't you think? Participate in other people's projects. Here's my first one in the lovely Jo's Penny Black project.

My concept:
I was thinking about how using what you had was a way of life in the past. That popping out to the shops for supplies was not the first option available to most. With this in mind I made a paper collage from vintage storybooks, collected papers and then altered other pages to fit my colour scheme.

I liked the idea of using stitching to reinforce the domestic/handmade – also for the way it connects the pieces together. The patchwork feel reminds me of an aerial street view..
I loved working with red – it oozes depth and feeling!
All that for 2 cents – wow.

Last weekend..

2011-03-20T12:27:00.003+11:00

Note to self.. do not have any more parties for young folk. Strongly suggest alternatives next year.
ps.. do not make the assumption that just because they are twins that parties have to be equal.

To recap:
Tent was pitched in our garden. 8 (12 y.o boys + b'day boy) spent the evening at our place.
Good idea: 4 tvs + 4 xboxes (borrowed + labelled), teams: all playing the same game. Language was ok, negotiations interesting. Bad idea: letting them sleep over. What were they doing?! And why couldn't they just GO to SLEEP!

Saturday: party food shop, making pacman decorations, trying to make 80's themed boom box cake, putting together 80's playlists. Spraying big hair, altering thrifted clothes into 80's gear. (enjoyed watching guests arrived - particularly the 2 that arrived as human rubiks cubes!
10 Girls organising "just dance" then settling in for 'Dirty Dancing, Pretty in Pink" (overhead: "WHAT are THEY WEARING??) followed by a civilised chat/camping session.
Sunday: clean up + collapse.

Thoughts and memories...

2011-03-20T12:04:00.002+11:00

Japan and your people, our thoughts are with you.
It has been a year of too many natural disasters already. Hard to go about your daily life - so many things seem so trivial by comparision. Lots of folk are raising funds.. including Ebony of Hello Sandwich.. a good time to purchase her (cute + useful!) gift wrapping zine.

Hooray for Haco!

2011-03-07T21:10:00.003+11:00

Have you seen this? It's cool. It's available at Kinokuniya (Sydney) for just under $7. It is Japanese and it has groovy combinations + cute photography. It is my ideal fix. It is a visual sweet shop of many interesting clothing combinations + accessories. But sadly i can't read it, sadly i can't purchase from it, or sadly, do they ship here... But i decided to imagine - then visualise what i might look like in their combos..
Here's how it went:

Then there's the bit about wanting what you don't have (and not just outfit wise) I would love a straight glossy bob hair-do. But currently mine could accommodate a bird rather nicely. Just so you know...

ps: I have decided that the sketchbook project helped me break through a bit of a creative quandary.. I discovered after HAVING to do ALL those pages that i was drawn to watercolour and i have to say i am loving it!
What creative process are you loving at the moment?

Phase one..

2011-03-07T21:02:00.003+11:00

So half of the weekend was all about them. Hooray indeed. Thirteen! While i chugged off down memory lane and wondered where the time had gone, we couldn't help be proud of our two and who they've grown into..
Teen birthday idea: wrap up a pass-the-parcel for one. Each layer contained a quiz question on the outside of an envelope - when answered correctly the contents were 'won'. oh well - at least it took him a few minutes to 'collect' his birthday money - which let's be honest - seemed to be the key area of interest.. oh for those days of wooden educational toys (???), tiny dolls, brand lego...aahhhhh...

Mask-er-raid!

2011-02-27T21:32:00.003+11:00

New project! It's starting to take shape.. here's a sneak peak.. the 'sketchbook project' reacquainted me with my inks + watercolours.. and i barely needed an excuse to raid my Japanese masking tape draw! Once i had broken through my 'how-can-i cut-up-vintage-books?' barrier, i was free to collage away like a mad woman!

out and about.. and in...

2011-02-27T21:06:00.008+11:00

Do you need a transition phase? Something that gets you from the working week to that 'creative' space. Sometimes it's a little bit of a tidy up, or seeking out some tasty treats OR a little 'thrifting'. These little discoveries (for less than $2 for 3) made me happy! I have to say i'll be re gifting one - but i actually thought the other 2 would make lovely little water pots for painting... i also picked up these:

and how cute is this..

At my local Vinnies the books are 50 cents each.. so for that reason and the fact that i have quite a few it made it easier to cut them up! I discovered when doing the sketchbook project that the paper and the printing style are super to work with... so cut them up i did.. sticking' to a limited colour palette. Oh, i also found that swishing a bit of transparent acrylic (in red) across a printed piece also blends nicely... this is what happened..

That is stage one, anyway, guess i'll have to go through a working week, another transition phase and find that creative place.. have you visited yours recently?

Uppercase magazine

2011-02-20T21:32:00.007+11:00

Have you seen this lovely gorgeous Canadian mag? You can pop over here to their site.. It's one of those titles that even smells good... full of creative types, both the human and font kind. Recently they asked for 'floral photos' on their participate section..
After realising that my garden had been scorched in the summer heat.. i decided to paint some florals of my own.. and make a little scene..

Then the wind got up... luckily i had lightly secured them... or i would've had another scene entirely..
a little bit of a zoom.. and..

aaaaaahhhh.. i did adjust the hue + saturation in photoshop.. but hey - in the old days they really 'worked' those dark rooms + film techniques.. i also tried one with a background..

Then, because it was seriously too hot to go out ... i decided to take Uppercase's other challenge: design a cereal box. I wrestled with this because i didn't think i would be able to achieve the look i wanted with my digital skills - but yet i didn't want it too handpainted.. anyway this is how it went..

Obviously there would be huge copyright issues.. but it is a concept. An idea. I'm not selling it - or intending it for commercial use. It's just in the spirit of "wouldn't this be cool on the breakfast table?"
It was like being at college again. Leaving something to the last minute. Not sure if it would work.. BUT definitely having better tools to use!

crafternoon for 2..

2011-02-20T21:21:00.004+11:00

Sorry i missed you last week. You know what it's like: things that have to be done, places you have to go.. Then last Sunday instead of meeting somewhere out for lunch - a friend and i met up, (at home) with projects. Add some olive sourdough, Persian fetta, a touch of salad + a couple of tim tams and voila!
For some reason i had downsized my entire wallet to a coin purse - it started with one card - and from there a slippery slope to a tiny purse that i could barely fit my fingers into.
So i decided to try and make one. The linen insert comfortably fits credit cards.. it was fun mixing and matching the stash.. i had attached card pockets to the inside of the outter wrap... i've road tested it for a week .. i may unpick them ... i may add one to either side of the insert purse... hmm..
Do you crafternoon with friends too?

More Sketchbook project..

2011-02-06T21:49:00.007+11:00

Back to this.. here are pages that i created using collage.. this one uses forms i picked up in a Japanese bank.
"it must be.. time to exit .. the 9 to 5 trip"

"it must be awful to lose your way.." This one uses manga pages i 'selected' from a 'magazine' i bought at a Japanese station. These images i thought had the characters looking a little lost. I then used the masking tape to create 'train lines' the white dots represent the station stops..

When some blue tissue paper landed on my desk it had to be recycled for something.. i added layers of metallic + white tissue, drew some fish and this is what happened.. changing the layout to portrait made a nice change too.

This was one of those pages where i had been so immersed in the project that it was taking over my 2 week holiday break.. this was a 'what on earth can i do now?!" moment. But i don't mind the looseness that occured..

oh, so some more masking tape.. well, who can resist such a great product? These pages were built around the dog which was part of a Dr Seuss Dictionary.. i just 'worked it' into a blended look..

Happy Chinese New Year

2011-02-06T21:29:00.005+11:00

This weekend was spent celebrating my birthday - which went very well. Thank you for the well wishes + lovely pressies. This little chap was chosen by Miss R.. I need to redo an 'area' in which to make him a home.. what a sweet surprise..
I began the celebrations with an ocean swim at 8am as it was also 41 degrees in Sydney on Saturday.. phew weee! Happy was i, to share with Chinese New Year and we took the opportunity to see the Chinese Warriors on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. (but... if there were thousands and thousands of them - how come only a handful could holiday in Sydney?)
The gallery was open until midnight with the cafe decorated with a Shanghai flavour. Totally packed - super to see a public space being used a bit more creatively. We watched a Chinese "wonderman" perform some magic.. such as swallowing a silver ball, suction 'cupping' a bowl to his stomach, and standing on 4 fresh eggs without breaking them.. hmmm, the bit involving a sharp knife and metal pole I couldn't watch...

Happy year of the rabbit to you too...

weekend away..

2011-01-30T20:49:00.007+11:00

Hello, hope you all had a lovely week.. we just had a 3 day weekend away. I'm not a big fan of driving.. after 2 hours - that's it.. i'm out of the car.. but while i watched miles + miles of our vast land pass me by, i decided to try out the hipstamatic..I couldn't really see what i was capturing, so i took a few. I like this one as it is a real 'snapshot' of everything i saw (repeatedly) for a while.
After 3.5 hours we arrived in Canberra.
Miss R and i shared an audio tour at the National Gallery where we walked around the Ballet Russes: The art of Costume. It was wonderfully curated, very evocative. 150 costumes and accessories from 34 productions from 1909 to 1939 featuring designs by Picasso, Henri Matisse, André Derain, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Georges Braque, André Masson and Giorgio de Chirico. It was wonderful to see so many great works - i think i was drawn to costumes that featured hand painted medals and details. One of my favourites is this one..

A costume for a soldier, 1921 from the Chout ballet. Click here to see more fabulous works, or try and get to Canberra before it closes in March.
Miss R must have been inspired too - as back in the hotel room she whipped up this..

Speaking of 'the hotel'.. have you ever tried the 'secret hotel' option on Last Minute.com or wotif? It was fantastic! I typed in 2 adults, 2 children and hit book now - it revealed a hotel in the CBD that had fantastic facilities for $129 a night for all of us! WOW. If you've ever tried to book family accomodation, it can soon add up.. It won't reveal the exact place until you pay - but it does give you a rating and a list of its facilities..
So.. then i got to check out the National Portrait Gallery..

Which had some great pieces. Mr R jnr (nearly 13 yrs) sat with his book in the cool foyer.. as far as i'm concerned the galleries in Canberra tick several boxes: cool, cafes + great little shops, with the National Portrait Gallery having one of the better ones - good mix of books, gifts and Australian design/craft.
There is so much to see + do in Canberra. We have been several times.. this time i wanted to check out the Botanical Gardens.. unfortunately we needed a bit more time.. BUT we did catch the very talented Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens who were performing as part of the Summer series..

I lay on the ground, inhaled the faint smell of eucalypts, watched butterflies flutter and enjoyed the whimsical sounds..

A change of scenery is always welcome. I would love to explore the inspiration i found.. I hope it stays with me through the working week.. how do you hang onto yours?

Sew sleepy..

2011-01-23T14:48:00.005+11:00

Sometime ago i squirreled away a pair of plain white IKEA cotton pillowcases. I had the intention of 'evolving' them into something a little vintage + crafty. I had been looking online + in shops, but either very expensive or not quite right..

So i got out the japanese fabric pen. It 'disappears spontaneously', but also' with water'. I sketched my designs..

I stitched over the top. Wiped the pen away..

I added strips of vintage fabric down the sides..

His, and...

Her...
orgh, cute.

Stitch + go..

2011-01-23T14:38:00.003+11:00

Finally! chance to get back on the machine.. as i said, i'm drawn to green. Don't know why. Found this in Lincraft before Christmas. 40cm cost me $3.50. I chopped it in half. Gathered up 4 strips.
When i saw it on the sale pile it just said "i could be your scarf".
And 'sew' it was!

The Sketchbook Project 2011

2011-01-23T13:58:00.007+11:00

Although i did actually get to do some sewing this weekend.. here is another update from the Sketchbook Project (it's over - should be in Brooklyn, right now).. but here are some more of my pages.. these ones all use watercolour..

Just repeating 'blobs' from the end of a paintbrush can be therapeutic and effective. The hearts were ripped pieces of tissue paper.

I think this was just a whimsical exercise in pattern ... and?

I am drawn to green. Don't know why. The paintbrush just started doing the shapes on the right.. the rest jsut happened.

It was fun playing with the blobs. The collage cat + dog i added later. Originally i imagined a whole page full of cats + dogs.. but i like the simplicity of this.

I did most of this project in my 2 week Christmas holiday.. i was listening to the radio, it was about space and how various countries had invested in it. They mentioned that the French had sent up animals into orbit. I had a blank page and this is what happened.

The Sketchbook Project 2011

2011-01-16T20:05:00.004+11:00

No time for the new projects yet - so here's a bit MORE sketchbook project..
I had a random, experimental approach - but now i look back i did use several different styles.. here is my 'inky one'...

It must be ... a midnight snack.

it must be ... unspeakable.

it must be ... time to get in touch.

More Sketchbook project..

2011-01-13T21:33:00.005+11:00

Firstly, just a note that it is of course difficult to think about anything else or look at your own supplies, books etc when people + families in Queensland have had many things washed away in the flood.. it made me think about what is it all for ? All this stuff - the things that i do .. While i can donate to an appeal and take time to think about all that has happened. For my own family's sake it's best i keep going.. because if i didn't do the 'stuff' i do, then i wouldn't be living my life with purpose... (not sure what that purpose is, only that it makes me feel connected to something, which is enough).

Here is a sequence from my Sketchbook project..

it was inspired by that hairy fella on the last spread, he actually appeared in the garden over Christmas. He moved very fast. I took his picture and collaged him into the scene. The hole was cut out and went through the 3 pages. The apple i painted was a still life i set up on the table, i couldn't quite get the folds right - so added japanese masking tape and VOILA! it was helped along nicely.. The leaves were done seperately on thicker paper - this added a nice 3D touch to the actual page.
Best of all, that was 6 pages DONE!

The Sketchbook Project 2011

2011-01-11T21:55:00.006+11:00

The arthouse coop seem to have some great ideas. Apparently 28,834 other artists from 94 countries ALSO thought the Sketchbook Project 2011 sounded like a cracker idea. This week is the deadline and I'm ready to post mine back, hooray!

This is mine. For the cover i thought i might as well reflect a bit of Aussie 'kulcha'. I used a 1970's picture book, which incidentally is great quality paper.. and a bit of Japanese binding tape..
here's the inside spread..

The sketchbooks will tour various cities around the America. You could choose a theme or be given one..
I started off with a plan. Ditched the plan. Began experimenting.

It is 100 pages!! oooh yeah! i'd say i did about 65% in the last 3 weeks.. I'll be posting the whole thing on my flickr link.. plus my favourites on the blog.
My computer has been sick for the last week and a half.. shame.. so i had to trade it in.. back on board now..

Also on my desk...

2011-01-02T16:55:00.005+11:00

It all started on the last day of work - after our Christmas lunch. I casually strolled into a newsagent and picked up the latest issue of cloth, paper, scissors magazine... lured by the work of grrl + dog - who i now realise lives in Sydney.. she has shown me the way to satisfying papier mache! You see i've always loved the idea of it.. but, every time i've tried it's been... disappointing. Denise was also inspired by Julie Arkel whose whimsical work can be seen here..
So the key? I believe IS wallpaper paste! yes indeed! it only sticks to itself. Is very quick. Is not mucky + icky like the combos i've tried in the past...
Here's what happened..

Of course it is fun to get out your scraps and dress your creation.. i did have some balance issues - the body and head are just scrunched up newspaper - but she was toppling over, so her feet needed to be air drying clay..
I also finished (almost) off one i had started a year ago - thanks to this new discovery.. the paste keeps in the fridge too.. bit tricky during this festive time...but i wasn't going to let this go..

But the dog is a little twee at the moment, a little too matchy-matchy, so i need to work on a coat + add some buttons... can't wait to get back to the bodies on my desk!

On my desk..

2011-01-02T16:35:00.004+11:00

There's 2 weeks left to complete the Sketchbook project 2011, my last post was this..
So i have been at my desk during my holiday trying to thrash out some pages.. I say thrash, because even though i originally had intentions of planning and structuring it - the whole thing has ended up fairly experimental..
When i say experimental, i mean like, unplanned, not thought out. Not cutting edge. This piece uses a thrifted pillowcase - i drew the image with a fabric pen - the kind that disappears or washes out.. Stitched over the line then blocked in the colour with acrylic paint.. if you water it down the pattern comes through, which is nice.
I'll be posting more of my latest efforts in the next few days as i see the end in sight..

summer time...

2011-01-01T10:59:00.005+11:00

We live about 30 minutes (on a good day) from Sydney's centre. Our house was built in the 1940's while the family lived in the garage (my shed), it's fairly modest and we haven't done much to it. We don't have a water view, but, we do live 10 minutes from some gorgeous beaches.. this was Curl Curl the other morning..

This is the before pic.. I couldn't resist using the tilt shift app... you may have seen it already... you can apply it to any photo here...

Having taken the kids to see Gulliver's travels this week i enjoyed creating my own small world..
how's life in your part of the world going?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:49:00.008+11:00

I hope all your festivities, planning and presents all went well. This arrangement sat on our kitchen bench for the last week. I think it says Aussie summer Christmas very nicely. The red flowers had a very velvety pom pom feel to them.. I've had a lovely time just floating around.. the few days before Christmas eve saw a couple of gifts to be crafted.. a bit of stitching.. to add a handmade touch ..

a robot.. where no reason is ever needed.. although i had been meaning to try painting on fabric then stitching ... this is how it went....

mr r jnr made his dad this gift from polystyrene, naturally it was a big hit:

Rock on 2011!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-21T10:34:00.003+11:00

In case i don't see you before - have a wonderful Christmas ...
with much peace, love and happiness.
I've enjoyed sharing my creative comings + goings with you all...
thanks for popping in..
Happy holidays folks - my papier mache calls...

The final countdown..

2010-12-21T10:12:00.008+11:00

on mr nearly 13's bedroom door.. (clearly he didn't top the class in English..) while his holiday project with his dad .. he had the vision ...(completed in the first week) was this..

They emailed around for an old tv, the sega console was mine from my time at a computer games magazine in the early 90's.. Mr R cut the frame with the trusty jigsaw.. they sprayed + applied the flames together..it's now in his room which otherwise doubles as a console museum..

it's been 3 days since i finished work.. part of my vision was a few hours on the beach with a rug, cushion + a book.. (miss r was at a birthday party at the other end of the beach...) ahhhh perfect!

A couple of decorative touches.. these blooms titled 'Snow on the mountain' and a garland of hand crocheted flowers + snowflakes (kindly sent by a friend in New Zealand) ... gorgeous..

A coffee with a friend who is off to Paris for Christmas meant an excuse for a handmade art card ... out came the sewing machine..

now back to the shed for that other holiday project...

Thanks for the memories...

2010-12-14T21:25:00.004+11:00

Tomorrow is the last day of school. The last day of primary for our two.
Miss R's teacher asked her for a parting drawing... after dinner i grabbed a few items from the kitchen to assemble a wee still life...
without going too close to the wire... (just about to say goodnight).. she completed this:

I'd say Mr T is a lucky man .... nice work Miss R - I guess that's why the school awarded you the Creative Arts award for 2010 at speech day last week... shame i was shaking too much to take a decent photo...

More little projects..

2010-12-12T20:31:00.005+11:00

How is your planning for Christmas coming along?
Just when i think i have escaped the shops i find that someone (not me) needs to go there, for just a small something.. so my creative time becomes less... last week also saw speech day, orientation for high school AND the year 6 dance/gathering...
It's the time spent creating, that calms me during this chaotic time.. I did manage to squeeze in 3 'little projects' for Christmas gifts...
first i made these little mini keyring softies..

When i visited my nephews in Brisbane the other month we all went for sushi - which they loved.. mr 6 years old, when we picked him up from school asked if we 'could still have shu-shi' for dinner.. so i thought i'd have a go at making shu-shi dudes.. not sure what the boys will think...

my other little sewing project was a scarf.. hemming some lovely soft muslin + stitching on some circles from that gorgeous Japanese fabric found at the craft show earlier..
..soft and wafting like a puffy cloud...

Have you had chance to find any creative peace?

they call me twiggy

2010-12-05T19:24:00.002+11:00

We've had wind, we've had rain. I've been collecting twigs as they land on the lawn.
Yesterday i sprayed them silver.. My mother gave me some 'stick lights', nice.
I tied them with string. Put them in a pot. Scrunched up some crepe paper for the base, taped on gold tissue paper around the pot. Purchased a selection of wooden ornaments at 30% off.. Found silver + green ribbon in my stash for bows.. also a handy pack of felt leaves onto which i added string.. VOILA!
The boy of the house (he of 12.5 years) said on arriving home after staying at a friends place overnight: "oh, didn't we put up the tree this year? uh, is THAT it? (slight pause) FAIL!'
Then he had a shower and suggested we start again..

'tis the season...

Another... little project...

2010-12-05T18:34:00.004+11:00

This week will see the year 6 dance. We like to think of it as a dance or 'gathering', not as a formal for 11 to 12 year olds. There will be outfits, dresses, hair, skinny jeans, hats, some excitement, some worries AND some decorations. The power of the committee is an amazing thing.. all that getting together and delegating, the sharing of tasks.. it's amazing what can be achieved.
My contribution was to photograph the whole year - this has then been transferred to a cake, put together an invite (shown above) which others then rolled + named.. THEN a bag of sparkley things were delivered to our house .. the instruction was to make 3 centrepieces which didn't look like kindy projects..

this is how they look...

The committee had kindly purchased 3 moss bricks (the ones you use for flower arranging) I asked Mr R to 'whip up' the planter boxes.. he cut up the four sides from foam core + hot glue gunned them together.. he then sprayed them silver + gold glitter (not really detectable here).. we then used wire cutters to trim the sparkley things (formal title: pick onion) , so they are not too cumbersome.. then i just wove some tinsel around the base of the sticks to cover the foam block.
Tied a bow - and not too shabby i think!

Little projects...

2010-11-28T20:26:00.006+11:00

Christmas decor. I am resisting dragging down the Christmas tree from the loft. I am collecting twigs. Meanwhile i wish that i could crochet some decorations.. sigh.. i have begun planning, well, thinking, about my own handmade approach to the festive hanging thing.

i found a hoop in my stash...

i began cutting and simply tying knots..

I really didn't know whether it was leaning towards something that may work , or may just fall short. I kept tying...

Shame it's only small - but i quite like it! Very Aussie and summery in it's tones. My tip is have some very fraying fabric and some light cotton mixed in. This one used 6-8 different fabrics. Keep pushing along the hoop so there are no gaps. Pull the ends backwards and forwards so they fall into the circle and out..Experiment with slightly different lengths. Fold the fabric over so you are cutting several shapes at once. Have some good tunes on nearby!

4 weeks to Christmas -eeeek!

2010-11-28T19:54:00.004+11:00

We bought Elvie an early Christmas present (our hidden agenda was that we'd like our couches back, thank you very much mr sharp claws). But as you can see ...

He was quite content trying to squash into his thrifted $1 basket, thanks.
Meanwhile, my Christmas cards arrived back from the printer ... (i should tell you that meant $12AUD for 10 folded note cards and took 2 days !! WOW! all you do is sign up to Vistaprint and they email you daily deals..)
THEN i had to carve a stamp to create a theme..

The background to this design is me kneeling outside, trying to photograph this Kewpie doll on an upturned wooden box. The white background was some primer slapped on a piece of cardboard box. The mini bunting i made from japanese masking tape.. What you can't see, is me trying to hold onto the whole mini set every time the wind blew, or me waiting for the sun to come back out from behind the clouds..
Just in case you are under the illusion that creating is an effortless walk in the park..

Little projects...

2010-11-28T19:39:00.003+11:00

As each weekend begins i imagine at least one day of painting or sewing.. but, alas it seems to only be a few hours these days in between chores and catching up with friends + family (notice i didn't combine the 2 in that sentence).. so i take what i can.. last Sunday i made this mobile phone pouch for my mother's birthday this weekend. I enjoyed using a some of the japanese fabric i purchased from the quilt fair in Brisbane but you can also find them here.

I started off trying to construct it like a little 'box' with seamed sides.. but in the end it seemed to work out fine. I finished it off with by inking up my alphabet stamps..

More Sketchbook project..

2010-11-23T21:48:00.002+11:00

Don't remind me that i haven't done much about this lately..
after i had experimented with some stitching the other week ( i had to make 2 cottages) .. that little piece also made it's way into the sketchbook project

I was looking for a subject for a mixed media postcard to send to England. It got me thinking about when i was a child and spent time visiting my grandparents in the English countryside. They had a tiny cottage, with whitewashed walls and a 'crunchy' stone driveway. My nan had gorgeous flower beds and we often left with a posy of pansies, hollyhocks + sweet peas.. Somewhere in my head i had the song..

How many gentle flowers grow
In an English country garden?
I'll tell you now of some I know
And those I'll miss I hope you'll pardon
Daffodils, heart's ease and phlox
Meadowsweet and lilly stalks
Gentain, lupine and tall hollihocks
Roses, foxgloves, snowdrops, forget-me-nots
In an English country garden.

Funny how things go 'in' to your head and then 'come out' in an entirely different form isn't it?

Alternate project..

2010-11-23T21:33:00.004+11:00

Just about two years ago 4 of us came together to create an Altered book club (we picked up another along the way). As we altered the pages of our chosen books we met at various venues from croquet to karoke, from yum cha to yummy picnics.. we didn't really know each other before it started and it's been a great experience - forcing yourself to come up with something before the next meeting (usually very close to the day, if not the night before!).. My first book was a small children's picture book about a cow that can't sleep - i continued the sleep theme in my alteration and made a slip cover from an old pillowcase (pictured above).
We've decided to wrap it up.. here is my last entry.. in a book on Larkin the poet - the phrase that appealed to me mentioned 'sad steps ' and high windows.. this seemed fitting and something about tall ships dropping from sight.. (the dice are a carry over from the previous page alteration - part of the rules of the swap)..

yes, there are always chores to be done - but it is amazing what you can find time to do.. even in 30 minutes..
sometimes the shorter the better...

Out and about..

2010-11-23T20:10:00.008+11:00

The other week i went to Magnolia Square in Sydney. This time i was actually wearing 2 hats, my day job (magazine art director's cap - currently co-ordinating the Chrsitmas gift guide) and my handmade Dudley cap..I had been sceptical as to expecting to see a whole room of nursery type items, but, i was pleasantly surprised. This fresh set up was by stylist Jason Grant.

With in minutes of arriving i was drawn into .. the drapey gorgeous, hand dyed world of .. Tickets for coco

just what you need to flounce around in this summer..
there was time to say hi to Feed the dog... who whilst creating "interior awesomeness" had produced a new range of incredibly funky lampshades..

So quirky + original - great work.. if you are Christmas shopping ... why not visit here for something to add to the wish list..
Then as i wandered down the aisles i found the perfect pet for my studio..

Hhhhm, i can't seem to find him on their website - but pop over here and i'm sure they can help.. plus there's lots of other cool items you may want to add to your Christmas cart...

what have i been doing?

2010-11-14T20:16:00.005+11:00

All well and good - now you've caught up to what's been happening round here. But, surely I've been doing?
Aah yes. Miss M has her end of year (the end of PRIMARY school) dance coming up.. She thought i would make the dress. Inwardly i tensed, knowing i hadn't completed anything like this before. Outwardly i smiled and agreed "yes, that's a great idea!". (I was touched she trusted me to do this..)
We selected the pattern..

I cut it and the fabric out. I began.
So, the question i have is: "if the pattern comes in a size 4 or 6, what happens if your subject is a size 5?"

I took my time, i pressed each seam. It was going well, except when she tried it on.. too big here.. so i adjusted, too small there.. in the end, when i got to putting the zip in i stopped. To make it wearable i need to design a 'v' panel with the zip set in.
Surprisingly i ddin't scream. Strangely i put it down to if i'd been in a sewing class it was practice.
The fabric was $24 so not a huge loss - and perhaps i will fix it later..?? I even felt ok with 'failing' my mission
then i took out my machine and stitched this..

Aaaaah, much happier with the small things in life..

Who have i seen?

2010-11-07T19:03:00.003+11:00

I ventured out to the ABCD (Artists + Bloggers + Crafters + Designers ) meetup, what a great idea! And i didn't come away empty handed either.. here's some of the delights in my goodie bag..

For more information pop over and see Steph here. or Lisa here i'm looking forward to February as it's a bit like a speed meet up .. 10 minutes to make the connection between the face, name tag and blog.. so that leaves 3/4 of the group for next time..

What have i seen?

2010-11-07T19:00:00.012+11:00

Sculpture by the sea - Bondi 2010

I have always wanted to visit Sculpture by the Sea.. this is its 14th year and there are more than 100 sculptures along the coastline.

Determined to get a park and avoid the crowds we arrived before 7am. The light was striking.. (altho most of the time sooo bright i couldn't actually see what i was shooting, but they turned out ok... here are some of my favourites..

Entering the exit, Braddon Snape

Bronzed Aussie series (life jackets), Nick Stranks.

The Adaptable Migrant, Suzie Bleach & Andy Townsend. The view from the other side...

Crossroad, Stephen Marr

Dreams of ordinary people, Peter Tilley

A French litter, Geoff Harvey

Leaf - vessel, Virginia King

At the table: are we sitting comfortably? Sally Kiddall

It was a bit like suddenly arriving at a photographers convention - it's on for another week, get there if you can.

Also in the post box...

2010-11-07T18:50:00.004+11:00

A swap!
Have you ever done one?
Applehead and i did.. I'm feeling pretty lucky..

we had decided on a 'handmade book' and a mixed media postcard.. a few surprises seem to make it into the envelope too which is always welcome.. how beautiful is Marianne's 'Trees i have known' handmade book?

a concertina book featuring 8 hand drawn trees, the one above reads: "Every once in a while, he would open one sleepy eye and check to see if i was still there". Aaaaaahhhh.
I do love sharing with creative friends, don't you?

What's been in my post box?

2010-11-07T18:36:00.004+11:00

Inspired by this book, i bought these from an Etsy seller. Entitled 'The Work Basket' these publications from 1948 and 1947 have on the cover: "Ideas for the Bazaar, the Home, Gifts and Sparetime. Money-makers - with many inexpensive, easily made Articles that find a ready sale.'
How delightful! Crochet does feature heavily, (a skill i have not yet acquired) but I just love the idea of these.
Plus the ads are great too.. like this one..

Straight from war time parachutes to home usage ... i can't think of a parallel for today, can you?

Brisbane part 2..

2010-11-07T17:28:00.014+11:00

Do you have your favourite spots you like to check on, when visiting another place?
In Brisbane mine is Bulimba. I was delighted to see the new "Jetty" which has appeared at the end of Oxford St, since i was last there. It has that sunny Queensland feel with a spoonful of relaxation mixed in. My first morning there was the perfect start to my long weekend..
At the other end of Oxford street (which is a mix of quirky shops + cafes).. is Coming up Roses (technically in Balmoral, but 5 minutes from Bulimba). I always like to pop in here...

An 'Aladdin's Cave' is an over used phrase.. but THIS place is. We could analyse the shallow consumerism of it all. OR we could just enjoy the discoveries to be had. The 'ooooh! isn't that lovely?'. Because they have a great mix of items from all over the world. You could find the perfect gift to delight someone, or treat yourself, WITHOUT the soulless experience of a mall.

Another little soulful find was 'Nook' in West End (a short walk from Southbank)...

I guess if you wanted to walk into a little piece of Etsy, it would look a bit like this..

Back to Southbank.. an er.. well the Craft Fair was on, so..

I've decided that in addition to ones' stash, it is important to 'secure' interesting and gorgeous fabric when one can.. so as opportunity knocked, i answered the call.

Funny how some colour palettes really 'speak' to you, and others just don't, isn't it?
A bus to Fortitude Valley and we found Little Jane St. (look for Winn St and a cool cafe to find this one)

only in its early stages (6 weeks) this tiny find shows promise..

It was a short visit - but rested, relaxed and recharged i headed home inspired ...

Where have I been? part 1.

2010-11-07T16:59:00.005+11:00

.. where indeed? time is surely running away with me..
a couple of weeks ago i flew north to visit my sister in Brisbane.. it was lovely catching the jet cat down the river to the city..

also a great excuse to visit..

Having watched Valentino: The Last Emperor, a documentary about Valentino's life i was excited to see his work face to face.. On at the Gallery of Modern Art for one more week.. the exhibition was amazing, if a little overwhelming. I wasn't quite sure why the garments were not displayed chronologically? A 1960's piece next to something from 2006 did seem odd to me. But it was a great opportunity to get up close to exquisite workmanship.. executed by the team that he has working for him.. Naturally i couldn't avoid wondering if i could actually wear something that seemed so fragile..
Southbank, where the gallery is located is one of my favourite places to hang out in Brisbane.. lunch at the gallery was an inexpensive way to stop, revive + survive!

Country drive part 2..

2010-10-20T21:52:00.012+11:00

The other week when we were staying here.. these french doors being our bedroom for the weekend.. i drove down the poplar-tree lined country roads to Moss Vale. It was tulip season..

the gardens were quite beautiful..

But, I have to confess the reason for my trip was:

Made By Others, and indeed it was. A whole gallery/shop/cafe of so many wonders. It was definitely worth the trip.. I had read about it here.. and did see her lovely wares there..

the whole space was a well thought out discovery.. here's a little peak..

So after lots of looking, chatting, more looking - i decided on this..

A tea house lantern by Melbourne artist Mariana Garcia-Katz. For more of her work go here.. So graphic, yet useful... I love it! but those brooches were sweet... and those soft elephants.. and i did want to try on the pinafore dress..
(The vase was a recent $7 op shop find)..

Sunday drive

2010-10-20T21:16:00.009+11:00

well, Friday actually.. BUT if you were looking for a Sunday drive about 1.5 hours from Sydney - you would arrive at Mittagong. (Which has a very comprehensive visitors centre which would have info on open gardens and wine trails in the area).. or you could visit the lovely SOHI which also has info on the area in an arty, styled kind of way. Anyway.. then steer off the main street and pop in here - Sturt Contemporary Craft Centre.. this place was a true find. An absolute oasis. Beautiful gardens, a surprising gallery and a refreshing collection of stylish objects/jewellery/textiles in the shop. AND i if that wasn't enough they do classes!
Coming up in November is the big lunch.. enjoy lunch made from local produce and take home a handcrafted dish.. sounds good to me..

this was part of the shop space..

amongst the textiles..

beautiful ceramics by Owen Rye..

then into the adjoining gallery for "Casting off" an exhibition by Terry Baker and Richard Raffan..

Phew, that was thirsty work.. we had to proceed immediately to the cafe for a table in the garden and a roasted vegetable pide..

On the table was a garden plan which notated all the plantings..

So next time you're near Mittagong take a left turn off the main road and escape to something wonderful!

More Sketchbook project..

2010-10-17T17:54:00.007+11:00

Last weekend, settled in our sandstone cottage in the country i setup my projects and began some painting.

First it was the 'altered book' ready for a swap last week.. then it was ??? well what could i do? I looked out the window and saw a bird bath so i found myself painting this..

As i was doing it i hated it. So contrived, so tight so - well er, me. I mean is THAT my natural style? if it is i don't want it. Anyway i finished it. Put it aside. Loosened up and then did this for the sketchbook project..

i felt better after that. Do you have a 'loosening up' process? What works for you?
the next day i left my imagination and went outside to grab some leaves. Different ones i decided, and study them. This is what happened (also for the sketchbook project). The leaves were originally brighter - the real ones are taped on the page..

This was still a 'tight' style, but here i enjoyed pretending i was on some botanical documentation project..
Text reads "it must be time to turn over a new leaf"...