the long drive :: part 1 :: brown and dry

brown and dry stretched out.
hills that look the same,
but each one so different.
trees that pop up out of the brown, dusty ground.
blue endless sky, puffy clouds.
making me think of Russell Drysdale
or Fred Williams.
stretches of straight long road.
and, surprisingly, lots of talking and drawing and laughing and sleeping (and minimal whinging) from the two little ones in the back.





And the devastating fire remains, when we came into the outskirts of Melbourne.

Thanks to Pip over at Meet me at Mike's for hosting a words & pictures : long drive theme. Perfect nudge for me to show you the spectacular Australian landscape we experienced while driving from Brisbane to Melbourne and back again this past month.Most of these photos were taken while the car was moving - so some of them have that moody feel about them.

mint is the new green...

and we all know that green is the new black, don't we.

So - it's officially out now. Lucky little me got an early sneak peek, straight off the press (well, close enough, straight from the printer anyway).
Isn't that cover simply beautiful - fresh and striking and arty, illustrated by Bec Winnel. Hollywood glamour.
More than just a fashion magazine, Peppermint is the start of something new. Fresh green fashion. This is Australia's first eco-fashion magazine. And while the environmental, fair trade and organic aspects are equally as important as the fashion and beauty talk, they are not the over-riding notes. This is a strong fashion magazine in it's own right.
With a nostalgic photo shoot shot gloriously, magically in Thailand, and featuring one-off pieces. And then a moody powerful skatepark shot, sho wcasing terrific menswear (oh, and .... umm.... yeah - that's my man skating and modeling!) and bamboo skateboards.
And the hand-crafted, locally made (Aust + NZ) contenders are there too. Pages of lovingly created fashion and accessories. Peppermint is a grassroots style of mag, with the blogging, etsy and madeit scenes being well represented.
When you flip these pages in your hand, you can read guilt fr ee knowing it's 100% post-consumer recycled paper, printed with soy-based inks on a waterless printer! You also know that every page in there (articles and advertising alike) represent more than just the throw-away fashion we have come to know from regular magazines.
This is the magazine I have been waiting for - fulfilling my requirements of styled pages, of drool-worthy photo shoots, of further educating me about why it's so damn important to think about where your next new skirt or even your Easter eggs are really coming from.

Peppermint is out now. Check out the website for stockist details, or go and twitter with the Mint. Only a few more days to get in on that great subscription offer; only $35 (AU, within Australia) for a yearly subscription.
Also, the first ten people to buy the magazine from Mag Nation in Elizabeth St, Melbourne get a free Zuii organic lip gloss and a hemp / organic cotton purse from Red Seed Studio (mmm, uh...yes, that's me).

Sorry, too late (early :: 1am) to take photos, remind me tomorrow!

portrait of an artist

These photos are all taken by the little artist himself. I love the composition and viewpoints in these images.He painted this one by squeezing the paint straight from the tube, and working it into shapes. He did this all on his own, while I was doing something else. He asked me to get the paints down, while the littest one was asleep, and set about doing some beautiful and textural paintings. Pieces that needed a few days drying time.
This one, the smaller one in the middle, was a collaboration between Sam and Ari. Done with those paint pen things, straight onto canvas. Many beautiful parts in this. I hadn't even got out of bed for the day, and these two artists had completed this mini masterpiece.
The red and black piece on the left is one of Sam's canvas lipstick palms, which he has hand drawn on top of. The beetle vase in the front is by Deb Cocks, I've mentioned her before (somewhere, I think).And this is, of course, a fun and childish self portrait!

yesterday was....

the memory day for my family.
I've talked about this before
(here and here),
and now don't have many words that I want to say or express.
A softness and quietness;
not peace,
but
not anger.
An accepting, understanding.

Some tiny inner stillness
that I know she still exists in. But I feel
that I know she isn't in my daily life
the way she used to be.

I do see her in my daughter,
and in my siblings.
And stop and smile
when I look at photos
- above my sewing table, or in my bedroom.

And only a few weeks ago my aunt told me
that I looked so so much
like my mother.
A wonderful thing to hear,
to be told. A wonderful thing
to look in the mirror
and
look for her in my features.

So, on this anniversary
I cannot talk
about my feelings or thoughts
about
my
mother.
I cannot say words of deepness
to my family,
or express that
deepness
they may be needing to hear from me.

But when I sit,
I look up and see the smiling face
of my mother, and the way
she looks
at my father
in the photo
I love so much.
I delve
deeper
into my mind,
my head,
my soul.

And there, somewhere, is a sort of peace.

adventures of the underwater kind

While in Melbourne the one special touristy thing we did was visit the aquarium. Ari and I had planned this way before we left for our holiday, talking and talking about all the different fish and animals we would see. I always have loved aquariums. I remember when I went to Sydney on a school trip we visited, and I have amazing memories of standing under those big arched glass tunnels seeing sting rays glide over me.

And when I worked in Cairns, I would visit the aquarium (for free) each lunch break. And stand and stare at the giant blue reef fish. And of course the jellies are one of my favourites, for the way they move about in such a rhythmical and free motion.Strangely, for some reason, I don't have the same thoughts about aquariums as I do about zoos. Though, of course, that is probably totally silly - I'm sure the fish, sharks, turtles, crabs, jellyfish, sea horses are as bored and caged as any zoo animal. (And in fact I felt deep sadness at seeing the tiny enclosure the penguins inhabit at the Melbourne Aquarium).Despite this, we had a perfectly beautiful day. A lovely family outing, in cold Melbourne. To start we discovered that parking at the Casino was only $10AU for a whole day! Like wow. In Brisbane city you simply cannot park at any of the big parking stations for less than $40 a day, especially not the Casino. (Though, I have to say that Melbourne trams are more expensive than Brisbane buses / trains. Though we did hear many reports of people who "forget to pay the fare".)And the penguins really were sweet and very happy, content looking creatures. They interacted with us, pecking at our fingers against the glass (perspex) wall. A pity that it was totally enclosed, and we couldn't hear them talking. But watching them swim was amazing, zooming with such precision through the water like flying through the sky.I think the most special thing of all was having a little long necked turtle try to climb out of her water pond (it was the sort that you look down on, like a rock pool). Sam had to pick her up and put her back in. She had such a friendly face. Really, it was a determined face. Trying to find somewhere to lay her eggs. And eventually she found the sandy spot in the middle of her pond. We were so lucky to watch her, for almost 20minutes, sitting in an almost trance laying her eggs. Surprisingly no-one else in the busy room noticed, even though we stood there taking photos and watching.There will be about 20million photos from our trip loaded onto flickr soon. A lot of them shot from the moving car, while we drive through dry dry inland Australia. I'll keep you updated, as there were actually some very beautiful landscapes that we drove through.If you love under sea creatures as much as me, check out this amazing deep sea photography.

PS - I realised yesterday that this has turned too much into a Red Seed Studio blog. And, hey, that's a bit boring. Even if it does seem to constitute more than half my life. So, I'm going to try and limit Studio posts here, and keep the other blog updated. Please do go and follow that one, to keep up on our Red Seed happenings.

Good night dear Friends. I thank each and every one of you for the kind, thoughtful, sweet, supportive comments I have been receiving.

stocked at the Den

One of the other perks of being at the show, was seeing all the crafty designery people dressed beautifully and individually. Apart from the customers, the other stall holders were pretty groovy themselves. These ladies, particularly, looked pretty sweet each day. Dressed to the nines in their glamourous vintage clothing, complete with stockings, shoes and coats, every day.

Visiting their store is a pleasure and surprise. Each room leads onto another filled with treasures and trinkets. Little pieces handcrafted by locals, combined perfectly with vintage finds. And all displayed with such distinct style. I loved the old wardrobe with feature antique wall paper details.
So, I'm really excited to announce that Red Seed Studio are now stocked at Thread Den. If you happen to visit their sewing lounge, or pop in for a spot of vintage inspiration and crafty shopping, please check out our collection.

finally a decent sleep-in...

So, with the Melbourne Show all over, I have finally managed a few sleep-ins over the past couple of days! Must catch up on sleep before we get back home, and continue the work for Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show. (and, no.. I am NOT counting down the weeks yet. Bit too stressful to think about that).

We had so much fun at the five day extravaganza that was Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show. Met so so so many fantastic, fabulous, funny, crafty, supportive, expressive people. I really had to restrain myself from purchasing something from everyone in the Incubator section, and a couple of other stalls. (So, if you're planning on coming to the Brisbane show, start saving your pocket money now. Don't spend it on mass produced; come along and support some fantastic crafters and artists).Looking back at photos of our little stall, I'm really happy with what Sam and I achieved. I love the way it looks. Bright and expressive, and a good representation of us. Bold and graphic. We had so many lovely comments from other exhibitors, customers and many potential stockists and collaborators.
I'll be back soon, with some linking love for all the fantastic people I met, and the treats we got (I am so surprised at my restraint, as I wanted to have a little *lot* of everything!). Too tired now, to link you to all those crafty, chatty, fun ladies. But look at this great photo of Sam and me (thanks Cathy).We were really lucky to spend the week between some cheeky monkeys and some felt doughnuts! Two (well four) people who we would normally have never met, but who we conversed with, laughed with, whinged with, giggled with, swapped small business tips with. Thanks for a super fun week Holly (and her mum) and Monique (and her mum).

(Most photos were actually taken by Sam. I did my silly thing of not remembering to actually go around and take photos of people. For some reason I prefer landscapes and details. Yet I didn't even manage any close ups of any of the texture of the crafty goods on display at the show, and the actual displays themselves. Next time....).

Tomorrow will be our last day in Melbourne, before we drive back home. (only 1700 or klms...). So many places we didn't make it to, Sam and I have already planned a weekend without the kids to explore the shops again.

flowers for ....

Today was Grandma's birthday (my mother-in-law), so we made her some beautiful big tissue paper flowers. Ari was looking through his 'activity' book a few days ago, and decided that he wanted to make some for his Grandma's birthday.
I originally saw this book here, and got it for Ari for his birthday. Has some lovely activities and sweet photos, with lots of inspiration for kids. It's good for girls or boys, and lots of different age groups.These flowers are quite quick to make, though in reality I did most of the making, as Ari got a bit bored with the fragile job of having to gently tease out the tissue. Though, shall I admit, that I really enjoyed making them. And then going into our yard to find some sticks (and reminiscing about stick searching in the forest as a child*) to act as flower stems.Anyway - the cute photo shoot had to happen on the front porch, with the afternoon light, and the clean-faced, party-clothed children. Before we went off to dinner at this delicious restaurant.

Good night - I'm back to the sewing. Trying to finish all the last bits before we head off to Melbourne on Saturday morning.

*We used to have to collect kindling for the fire, as kids, and would often spend more time making the wheelbarrow look full with intricate stick stacking, compared to actually collecting the teeny tiny little twigs.

using the term loosely.....

I had a little look around our house last night, and now have photo proof that we really do need the 'studio' aspect of our name; Red Seed Studio. Currently, work is in the final day(s) before we pack everything off and deliver to the freight company to take to Melbourne for the Craft Show.

On Friday a friend came to look at some of our pieces - our bedroom was the showroom (and scrap room). Lucky we bought a new doona* cover a few weeks ago (half price, replacing the eight+ year old one we had). Our front entrance room is my sewing, pinning, designing / thinking room. The little spot under my sewing desk always has copious amounts of stray threads, which drift throughout the house, requiring (though not getting!) daily vacuums.Our dining table is the fabric pile + some laundry on it's way from the line outside to the pile inside (which one day in the distant future might make it into the draws and cupboards).
And the loungeroom.... Well, my sister visited today and asked where she could maybe sit down. This is the fabric / printed pieces sorting room, the ironing room, the rearranging room. The"kids don't touch the white fabric please" room.Our backroom is the screenprinting and cutting and pinning and rolling fabric room. And the kid's play room.

And that's all the rooms, except the bathroom and the kid's bedroom - which is the 'can't bear to look in because of the mess' room!

So, I have tonight (until some crazy hour when I finally tumble into bed), and then tomorrow (where I will have to try and distract the kids with similar games to this one from last night - first photo above) to get the final sewing done. Anything that's not finished is simply not finished. We will be able to take a small amount of extra stuff with us in the car, but not a lot.

So, you get to see the mess tonight. Tomorrow (or Tuesday) I will show you the completed pieces. The collection of work that Sam and I have been pouring our hearts, souls, minds, energy, and a few pin-pricked fingers into.

*In Australia the word 'doona' is a general term for duvet or quilt covers. Really it is a brand name, which has made it's way into our vocabulary. Just like the ugg-boot story.