Whale of a time

Last week we had our Lonnie Brown Owls Meet. It was a wild and woolly night but 11 die hard owls rocked on up to do a spot of lino cutting. I was racking my brain with what to carve out ... and then it came to me ...this time it stemmed in our current fave night time read, Taro Gomi's 'Everybody Poos'. It asks the question we have all pondered "What does whale poo look like?". No really - what DOES it look like, man? Edie and I are stumped - but at least it got the creative juices flowing and gave a little inspiration for not only my lino cut - but a library bag to follow on its tail. Sorry - I can't find the card I actually printed - so you will have to look at the lino block instead...Check out other owls work here and here

PS If anyone can enlighten Edie and I on the whale poo issue - we would greatly appreciate it.

A Giveaway ... Gonna Make You Sweat ...

Ok - So I passed my year blogging birthday and well, forgot it ... and so I could've recognised my 100th post - but, mmm, didn't notice in time. So well ... I thought I would just have a celebratory giveaway just for the hell of it. Reckless, non? But there is a bit of a catch ... I haven't quite decided on the total giveaway booty ... that's right friends, TOTAL - it will be a surprise package of varied and unusual goodness. But there is but a small catch. You will have to work your craft booties for it. You see - on a previous expedition to the fabric and sewing mecca of seworld - I commented that there was something I liked about a trimming - but just wasn't quite sure what or why. Before I know it - I am exiting with the entire roll - gifted - by the glorious Gabbi. Apparently noone else quite knew what to do with it either and it was upsetting her shelf Feng Shui thang. So I need some help to show the world that there is indeed a place for this poor neglected retro inspired trim.

Which brings me to the 'Giveaway Challenge'. I will send you up to 1 metre of the trim in the mail and you have to use it in some crafty project to make it have its day basking in the sunshine of handmade. (let me know how many cm or inches you think you might require) Depending on how many takers we have .... I could post you some more. SO what to do??? Well just leave a comment here to say you are in like Flynn. I will need your address - so perhaps email me that and I will pop your piece in the post. Then get crafting - there are no restrictions on what you make. I will make a little place on the sidebar with links so you can see who is crafting along. Then ... well I'll choose a winner - and you'll get stuff. What say you? Hell - you can even tell people you are doing it - make a real party of it. All welcome - come on - you know you have just been hanging out for this crafty challenge!

PS. You have until Sept 29th to get it ready. If don't have a blog - no sweat - just email me (address on sidebar) and I'll send you some!

PPS If you have your return email set to no reply you might have to include your email address for me to get in touch with you.

Barely contained ...

Yesterday we got taken on a very special outing to see the amazing Circus Oz and their touring show 'Barely Contained'. The wee girl was pretty taken by the whole performance and did very well in the concentration stakes. It was only into the second act that she insisted on getting down off our laps and 'down on the floor'. She clearly had a calling - she ripped out a couple of roly polies followed by some turns in the aisle. But little did we know the inspiration was deeper...

Image courtesy of here

On returning back home I heard Dunc choke out a feeble cry of 'you best come see' from the direction of the living room ... seems that whilst Dunc and I were busy in other rooms - Edie had hatched a plan to run away with the circus ... it was the balancing chair act that had seemed to get her creative acrobatic genes racing ... just a little more pratise to hone her act... Mmm ... mental note to self ... maybe trust instinct this week when things go very quiet in the other room ...

I heart ...

On peering into my morning coffee this morning I spied a heart. A serendipidous discovery of chance. I asked the coffee maker had he perchance made it just for me. His 'no' suggested that he should have thought of doing that or at least lied and said he did.

But its appearance reminded me that I should be thankful for the wee joys that pop up unexpectedly through the day, gentle jogs to busy minds ... that the sound a heart makes according to Edie, is ticky boom, ticky boom, that wonderful fellow bloggers pull my name out of hats and crown me the winner of beautiful give aways (thanks Fran over at lovely little sweetpeas), that the magnolias in our wee suburb are just starting to bloom, that I get to hang out with Loz today and she no longer lives a million miles away and that the smell or freshly brewed coffee brings so much joy in this house ... what are your wee joys?

Thelma and Louise with Brad take the Mummas a-thrifting

What happens when this Mama and Mrs Smith load up Small Thelma and Small Louise with Small Brad Pitt and head out on a spectacular sunshiney day to beautiful Deloraine for a day of thrifting?

You find beautiful booty like this and the smalls get to follow up a play on the old steam train with a milkshake and a scone. Don't you love a road trip?

Staying

I used to move around alot. Then I met Duncan and we moved around alot together. In the 15 years since I moved out of my folks place I have lived in 20 different houses ... not counting the transient stops in between. The houses have been in 4 different Australian States, 4 different countries, 2 different hemispheres- 9 different cities (5 capital, 4 regional), 3 country towns, countless inner city suburbs. For the three years before Edie came, Dunc and I lived with not much more than could fit into two backpacks and a couple of packing boxes. We worked to travel. We collected stories and delicious memories; insights and inspiration; we wrote a duologue that we speak in quiet moments together when we can whisper 'do you remember when..?'

Our life is now 'when we stayed' rather than 'when we went'. It is a new experience for me, for us.... but we are living the life that we once only whispered to each other in quiet moments ... 'can you imagine if we had our own wonky house and a vegie patch and a family and got to stay'.

Here is delicious. Here is beyond our expectations of what it would feel like to stay put for a wee while. We have fallen into a tiny corner of the world where we feel connected and safe. Where we feel energised and brimming with ideas. A small piece of a community. For those of you who know what it feels like to move and feel comfort in change and the transient ... you must know how surprising this realisation is ...

Our house is filled with tiny momentos of moments past and for the first time I can pass them and feel happy to be in THIS moment ... and not somewhere else ... for now.

Ace Man needs Good Birthday Booty

My man had a birthday not long ago. I wanted to get him something special. He's a bit of a catch so he deserves it, you know? So when I spied some tea towels in Mrs Smith's stash - I knew it was destiny. You see Mrs Smith makes a good cushion - so I cheekily commisioned these from her own stash ... cheeky huh? Now I should clarify that I wasn't just poking around her cupboards or underwear drawer or anything ... I passed them onto her when they were posted to me when we both won booty in a giveaway from Willy Wagtail. So the connection ... My man's Dad's family hail from Kingaroy "The Peanut Capital of Australia" and home to Joh Bjelke-Peterson for those with a penchant for Aussie politics and scandal. Dunc's Gran, Uncle and Aunt still live there. Dunc's Gran makes better pumpkin scones though, than Flo. So the cushions ... He loved them. He's so up with the handmade revolution. The fact that he got a cool vinyl thrifted from Vinnies 70s couch - straight out of a waiting room methinks - and a beautiful 1950s bevelled mirror with sailing boats and palm trees (on layby for ages with this lovely lady) ... all made it the perfect thrifted, handmade, vintage trifecta ... all will be heading down to the back room ... which we are converting to our workspace/studio/office/sewing room mejiggy. Life is so good. Thanks G - you do good cushion x

PS this Sunday we got a surprise invite to sell wares at a fundraiser at the local Steiner Playgroup - details on side bar to right - can't wait!!

Don't Bag a Hippy

Bags for pressies. Bags for the Library. Mini Man Bags for wee boys who miss out. Mini shoulder bags. I'm really into bags at the moment. In fact I have 4 laid out on my living room floor as I type. I should be sewing them up - but have come over all blog neglect remorseful. I find the bag ticks and tickles all my crafty needs at the moment. Infinite combos and possibilities. Useful purpose. Fairly quick to whip up. Recycled fabric goodness. All eco friendly like, hippy. That's it ... I'm getting in touch with my inner hippy, Neil. I'm flippy and floppy on the universal love thing. It's just dawned on me, like the Age of Aquarius ... I also had the burning desire to cook lentils whilst working on some libray bags when crafting it up at my kitchen table with the Craft Princess. Ommmmm! Bags ... who would have thought...

Loz and Dinny back local

Tomorrow Loz and Dinny will be at the local handmade market Civic Homespun. It is located in Pilgrim's Hall opposite the Myer Carpark in Launceston - look for the big pink market flags. Come and try out my new hair clips...

photo courtesy of the market -hobart blog

- or fondle a vintage velvet coat or two - that seemed to be the go in Hobart. But mostly just drop by for a wee chat - the market could do with a little more winter patronage ... it would warm my cockles ...plus there are these amazing bulbs for sale - not the lightbulb variety - but hyacinths .. I got some last month and they are just starting to bloom ... gorgeous.

Peacock

This hand embroidered peacock caught my eye at the Esk Market ... same day as the bowl in the previous post. It got loaded into the pram, pronto. It is hanging out in its full tailed glory in our living room - before it takes pride of place over the bed in the nearly finished 'land of Spare Oom'.

"Daughter of Eve from the far land of Spare Oom, where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of War Drobe, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?"

--C.S. Lewis, in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'

Purchase of fear

I don't go shopping all that often - thrifting, op shopping and visiting markets, yes - Shop shopping, no. I only go shop shopping when I have to get something specifically. I'm not a browser. I like to get in and get out. So anyways - Loz wanted to get Dunc a nice book for his birthday. I knew there was some lovely 'up Dunc's alley' style books at this lovely shop . It has lovely things, handmade things. It has the lovely Suz. It should be lovely. But Edie decided to be ... well...focused. Focused in that scary toddler way. Focused in a way that makes you think they are about to kick off big styley. Focused in the way of 'I will not put down this highly smashable rabbit despite the beautiful polished concrete floor because I have taken a shine to it'
focused. I was having heart palpitations. I may have been hyperventilating. I was getting down on her level. The store was packed. I could feel the tsk's. So I snatched it from her put it on the counter and said in my best I'm trying to be calm voice 'we'll take it'. Not saying I didn't love the rabbit too. Not saying that he isn't a welcome addition to our collection of ephemera. I'm just saying it was my first purchase of fear... the rabbit who has been named 'Mister Matosis'

PS The bowl is our latest score from the Esk market ... gotta love that joint!

coming down off the market good stuff

Another beautiful day at the market - hobart. Many thanks again to Bec, Holly and Shannon - you do good market. With some funky tunes playing and the sip of a bloody good market coffee heart starter - the 5.45am start for the 2 hour drive to Hobart all seemed worth it. I love markets - so many lovely people to meet and getting feedback is so so good after heads down in home based sweatshops. Vive le revolution handmade. The muriels were back in full force .. dunc made some running repairs to get them back to their fighting weights. And ... with the amount of velvet coat fondling that went on - I think they were a hit. But the best thing about this one? I got to hang out with Loz - she's back in town! Without her help, I would never have got so many things ready. She's ace that Loz!

the market - hobart

Ok Ok. So I haven't been the most consistent blogger of late. But I have excuses a plenty. Let's put the 2 year old molars to one side and just say ... I have been deep in market preparation. I'm heading to the market - hobart. I will be touting my wares from 10-3pm at the Masonic Hall, Sandy Bay Rd, Hobart. ... and I am STOKED to say I will have company. Loz arrived here last week. So not only did she help me in my race to the market finish line, she is able to hang out on the stall with me. I am so happy that I have been able to get together some of the things I have just been thinking about for ages.

This one has a little covered button with a bee on the back ... that's his flight path you see. The little tulips are also pockets.

This amazing vintage velvet (thanks Annie)inspired these fabric choices for the gorgeous little Simone dresses. With sleeves and without - I love these dresses. They look so cool with a skivvy underneath too.

Armed with some purses and hair clips, library bags, amongst my other dresses, bits and pieces, I'm feeling more prepared than I have in ages. The 2.5 hour drive to hobart will be the relaxing bit! I should be back on board next week with more exciting tales to tell xx