stamping love

This afternoon the lovely Holly, came up to me with two sweet little bags for my kids. I peeked inside with excitement and anticipation, and WOW! Inside the cutest, funkiest, funnest, sweetest, coolest, best little creatures I've seen. The girl who declared (yesterday in our printing class) that she can't draw! (those are her cute penguin-looking, chicken fish prints from yesterday's class).Holly hand carves these glorious little treasures. You read that right; she hand carves them. Such intricate details, such attention and love and care and dedication and talent.
And, boy did my kids LOVE love love them! They peeked at them in the car on the way home, and chatted and looked and swapped to look at each other's, and talked about the little bag they were in. And chatted some more, about Holly, who has the giant ice-cream at the craft market (you know the things kids remember!).And, as soon as we got home from the necessary supermarket shopping, they pulled them out, grabbed newspaper and paper (well, Sam set up the "keep table clean" precautions). And they started printing. And printing. And printing. And Ashey was here too. And the three of them could have spent a whole day making pictures out of 6 different stamps, and drawing little designs and stories and writing around them.
I just want to say that Holly, and her mum, are two of the loveliest and most caring and genuine and loving people I have met and been able to hang out with. We had such fun next to each other at the Melbourne show, and while we're not next to them this time around, we've been visiting each other's stalls often. These are two people who we would never have met in any other situation (even apart from the fact they live so far away in Melbourne). They have such a fantastic mother-daughter relationship; that mutual respect and total deep care for each other. That thing that perfect mother-daughters have together. That wonderful relationship I enjoy being a part of, lucky to be in their presence together.
Holly sells her hand carved stamps on Etsy, along with some other little pieces she sews and makes in her spare time. And look at her newest (and most dedicated!!!!!) venture; handstamping fabric. I love love love those acorns. What would you make with your own acorn fabric?

I'd best get onto finishing my swap things for Holly, hey!

PS - I'm eating chocolate for dinner now at 9pm, after I ate lunch at 5.30pm. That's the craziness of Craft Show. I'll take some photos of our stall tomorrow, and some other crafty loveliness.

Good night xxx

printing in all it's glory

Day two of the Stitches and Craft Show is over, and I am soooooooooooooo tired. But feeling elated and can't wait to go tomorrow.
I'm really having a lot of fun. I'm much more relaxed than at Melbourne, and I'm getting to hang out with the coolest crafters on the block - who actually also happen to be people that I feel I can now call my friends!
Yesterday Sam and I did a printing workshop. I had a lot of fun with this. It felt like sitting in art class with some super arty friends, and making beautiful pieces together. We had two of the loveliest pupils anyone could ever want in a class; two beautiful people to hang out with and chat and laugh and create together. Firstly, Holly (who we met in Melbourne, at the craft show), and has a stall again here in Brisbane; and secondly Danielle, who we discovered lives in our suburb and has a cool blog to check out. (She's doing so many of the wonderful workshops available, that she's organised them in Excel - that's crafty + science, for sure; her blogs called Craft Laboratory).
I actually remembered to take some photos during this workshop, but you can also see a wrap on each of the girl's blogs.
So, if you live in or near Brisbane, and have been considering visiting this show - you still have three more days of fantastic crafters, fabrics, parades, workshops, chatting, learning, exploring, looking, soaking it all in, watching............. Head on down to Convention Centre and support handcrafted love!
PS - we still have some spots in our workshop tomorrow, you can book directly from us at stall #150.

beautiful treasure pocket

I'm just popping in oh so quickly (in between heat setting fabric, and packing it up, and making more cushions and purses...).
I received this beautiful piece in the mail today - I won it in a little giveaway. It is soft and delicate to touch, the simply perfect, or perfectly simple way that Kristina has reused this piece of vintage, reclaimed linen. Giving it a new special use, and life and meaning, while honoring the heritage of the linen itself. Like listening to fabric.
Please visit her bowerbird stories blog, where you'll see Kristina's soft, gentle and powerful, moody photography, lighting, images, and stories. Lovely little pieces and snippets.
And to spy some of her work you could visit old yarns . reclaimed linens at Etsy. Or meet her in person as part of Incubator at the Stitches Show.
Which, in case you haven't been taking notice and counting down the days with me, opens in two days.
Which means that tomorrow is set-up day, which means that tonight is really my last night before the show. Which is why I'm saying goodnight now.

ferny and soft

I've been sewing cushions lately, amongst a heap of other stuff (and then a heap of stuff that is not yet sewn, but either in my head still or half started, half finished - whatever you may call it).
This is one that I stitched up today.
It's our beautiful fern fabric, a soft lightweight hemp/organic cotton. The ferns are multi-printed; blues and greens merging together along the fronds.I've overstitched parts of the print - which I'm really loving doing at the moment. Getting quite addictive actually.
The whole back of these purses were feature overstitched (squiggle stitched).
This ferny cushion is backed with the most beautiful and soft and strokable velvet. It's a green mossy-ferny colour. A Vinnies (or some other op-shop) find - or maybe from the Lifeline Bin. Can't remember now.But I just had to match the ferns with the velvety green. Just had to. No choice in the matter.
You know when fabric talks to you. And if you don't listen, then.. well, you often regret it.
So, this cushion, amongst some others I've been working on (and more that will be talking themselves into being in the next few days), will be at the Stitches and Craft Show.I'll show you the others tomorrow (too dark for photos now); cause I'm really loving them all. They are just morphing themselves, and each one is different, with offcuts and reclaimed fabrics. Which means that I will never be able to make a cushion like that one ever again. That's pretty cool, don't you think.

the crafting countdown...

Did you know that some of the best crafters and bloggers are going to be hitting town this coming week! If you didn't know, you'd better sit up and take notice.
The Stitches and Craft show opens in only a few more sleeps. (well, I'm saying sleeps, but I'm not sure if I'll be getting much of that!).

Apart from the fantastic stalls you can spend hours, even days browsing and chatting with (chatting itself could take the whole week); there are also a heap of great workshops going on each and every day. Check them out here.
If you do see one here that catches your fancy, you really should pre-book, some of these workshops are so popular they will sell out (don't say I didn't warn you). Book through Ticketek, or by calling the Stitches hotline on 1800 770 222, or on the day directly from each person's stand, who'll be running the workshop.

A few of the workshops that have caught my eye:



Handsewn Felt Donuts with the beautiful and talented Holly from Two Cheese Please.
:: Create the perfect guilt-free fun treat and enjoy the ideal introduction to hand-sewn softies. The yummy results makes a great pincushion, decoration, toy or gift and is a great way to kick off crafting with felt.
(my kids love theirs, that we got from the Melbourne show - super cute).

Kit $17.00 1 hour. Beginner

Craft Lab 7 -Thursday 11.00am

Craft Lab 2 -Friday 11.00am

Craft Lab 2 -Saturday 11.00am

Craft Lab 2 -Sunday 11.00am

:: :: ::

Hand Carved Rubber Stamps with Holly from Two Cheese Please.
:: Learn how to make your own personalised stamps in this class, where you will carve your own unique designs for scrapbooking, card making, craft projects and more!

Kit $35.00 1 hour. Beginner

Craft Lab 2 -Wednesday 11.00am

Craft Lab 8 -Thursday 1.30pm

Craft Lab 3 -Friday 2.00pm

Craft Lab 2 -Saturday 1.30pm

Craft Lab 7 -Sunday 2.00pm

:: :: ::

Button Bracelets with Dearfii
:: Are you infatuated by coloured buttons? Well, this is the Craft Lab for you; Fiona will supply hundreds of coloured buttons as well as her extensive craft experience and skills for you to construct a gorgeous button bracelet.

Kit $15.00. 1 hour. Beginner

Craft Lab 2 -Wednesday 12.30pm

Craft Lab 6 -Wednesday 2.30pm

Craft Lab 3 -Thursday 11.00am

Craft Lab 6 -Thursday 2.00pm

Craft Lab 5 -Friday 11.00am

Craft Lab 3 -Friday 3.15pm

Craft Lab 2 -Saturday 12.15pm

Craft Lab 6- Saturday 2.45pm

Craft Lab 6 -Sunday 11.00am

Craft Lab 8 -Sunday 1.30pm

:: :: ::

Kumihimo using Disc with Trish from Trishalan Designs.
:: Come and try this creative Japanese Braiding Technique. Using a durable and portable disc create 2 braids for your craft and jewellery projects.

Kit $3.00 1 Hours. Beginner

Craft Lab 3-Wednesday 12.30pm

Craft Lab 2 -Thursday 12.30pm

Craft Lab 3 -Friday 11.00am

Craft Lab 3 -Saturday 11.00am

Craft Lab 3 -Sunday 11.00am

:: :: ::

1950s One Yard Aprons. Presented by Melissa of Thread Den.

:: Cutest aprons ever! In 2 hours you will construct a genuine 1950's apron. Imagine the baking you'll be able to do in these pretty little numbers. Basic sewing skills necessary.

Kit $33.00. 2 hours. Intermediate

Thread Den Craft Lab 10 - Sunday 2.00pm

:: :: ::

No Sew Fabric Flowers. Presented by Louise of Made by Miffy.

:: Learn how to make the sweetest fabric flowers! These flowers can be used as hair clips, t-shirt embellishments, brooches, to sass up your handbags, headbands for starters, and a great little gift for your friends all made by you! When you see how easy it is you'll surround yourself with a handmade fabric flower garden in no time at all! In this Craft Lab you will make 2 fabric flower brooches or hairclips or one of each. Your Kit will have enough supplies for you to create a further 2 flowers and a customised supply list and inspiration guide for you to keep creating!

Kit $18.00 45 mins. All Skill Levels

Craft Lab 8 -Wednesday 2.00pm

Craft Lab 3 -Thursday 2.15pm

Craft Lab 7 -Friday 1.45pm

Craft Lab 7 -Saturday 1.45pm

Craft Lab 5 -Sunday 3.15pm

:: :: ::

Stella’s Cousin- Making a Sock Monkey. Presented by Kristie of Rourke and Henry.

:: Combining machine embroidery and hand sewing, learn how to turn a pair of socks into your very own funky sock monkey. Basic sewing machine knowledge is required.

Kit $15.00 1 Hour. Intermediate

Brother Sewing Craft Lab 9 -Friday 1.00pm

:: :: ::

And lastly, these couple that Sam and I will be presenting (if we can find someone to baby sit the store and the children!).
We will be having lots of fun in the printing class - learning new techniques and talking about design ideas.
And I have some beautiful fabrics - organic and reclaimed cottons, etc - to make some unique and special bags to show off to your friends.
We'd love to see you at both or either of our workshops. (If you do the printing one first, you will print a piece of fabric that you can then use in the tote one to make your own bag!).

Hand Printing and Design with Sam and me.
:: Learn composition and style elements to create designs suitable for screen printing, stenciling and handstamping. Using your own hand cut designs (or ours if you like), hand print, learning different techniques you can easily replicate at home. You will complete three projects to take home. You may wish to bring additional items for printing such as a plain pillowcase, clothing or a plain cotton/linen tea towel.

Kit $47.00 2 hours. Beginner

Craft Lab 5 -Wednesday 1.30pm

Craft Lab 5 -Friday 12.30pm

:: :: ::

Organic Cotton Tote Bag with me.
:: Learn to make a fully lined tote bag, using beautiful hemp / organic cotton fabric. Turn your bag into a work of art using different design and crafting techniques and reclaimed materials. Perfect for taking to the market, library or everyday use, the tote bag is an ideal beginner project, or for those looking for new inspiration. All materials provided.

Kit $32.00 1.5 Hours. All Skill Levels

Brother Sewing Craft Lab 9 -Thursday 1.00pm

Brother Sewing Craft Lab 9 -Saturday 1.00pm

:: :: ::

Can't wait to see you there. Please come and introduce yourself; love to meet you.

cloth :: colour :: hands

Just a few photos of some of our newly printed fabrics.
Getting everything ready for the Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show. Won't you come along and say hello to us there.
Ari had to have his hand in the photo - he wiggled them into place, until he said they were exactly how he wanted them, and then I could take the photo. Of course, I love that one best. of course.We have been doing a lot of experimenting with the colours. Mixing them on the screen, which means that each print comes out slightly different - which I totally love. It makes me feel more like the artist (that I think I am), rather than a designer or screen printer (not that either of those things are so terribly terrible - just not how I think of myself. I do so like being an artist).We'll get some more photos before the show. Well, we'll endeavour to - but really we'll be spending a lot more time printing and heat setting and packaging and then planning our stand details and all the rest.
The glorious blue isn't showing itself off very well in these photos - it looks so crisp and bright in real. (stupid computer screens, and phototaking and all that sort of thing; tricks of the eye).Don't you just love pink and red together - I think they are fantastic, and often very much under used. We printed t-shirts for the kids, with our little birdy print in a fantastic bright red. Ari took this photo, in his little photo shoot afternoon (which included pictures of Playschool, on tv, and the ironing board, and very close-ups of some books and the wall and that sort of thing).

skating runs in the blood

We all went skateboarding this morning. Lovely to go out, all together, as a family. So early in the morning (ok - it wasn't quite as early as we wanted, but it was before 7.30am).
And most lovely of all, was stopping and laughing and watching my little ones love the same thing that my big one (Sam) has loved for more than two thirds of his life.
be prepared - many gratuitously cute photos follow.

What a glorious morning, hey! Autumn in Brisbane is good weather - cool, hot, warm, cold in one day - but beautiful skies and sunny days.

the cold is creeping in

It's starting to get colder in the mornings now. And we've even been pulling this little blanket over us while we sit on the couch during the evenings.
Winter is slowly slowly approaching.
We are still having some warm, not quite hot, days.
But definitely it is getting cooler now.
Sam swapped our rugs over in the lounge room today. Doesn't it look so warm and cosy in here now.These are some lovely seedpod things that we brought home from our walk the other day. I've loved seeing these pinkish shapes in the trees lately. With the yellow flowers, they look amazing together.
Keep warm. xx

reverse garbage silks

These are a few of the silk swatch books I found the other day.
At Reverse Garbage. Such a great place to go - for the kids and the adults. And for those of you who don't sew or craft or tinker about with things; there is a shop there that sells the wares of some amazingly crafted reversed garbage. Everything in the shop has to be made of a certain % of recycled goods; there's handbags and purses, lots of beautiful jewelery, clothing, softies, and all sorts of other treasures.
These silks are destined to be a new skirt for me - I'm reworking a pair of jeans, which will have some silk panels. Making it all up as I go along, so a bit tentative to cut into this beautiful silk.
Some pieces will be part of my Tote-Bag workshop at Stitches & Craft Show. There'll be hemp / organic cottons and reclaimed pieces for people to have some fun with bag making.
(Bookings here - for our tote workshop + the printing & design workshop. Both should be lots of fun).
Okay - kids have gone to grandparents house. I have a pile of paperwork and receipts to wrangle into some sort of order.

Enjoy your day. It's sunshiney here, after some rain last night. I'm looking forward to day of quiet working.....

lipstick skirt

This is a skirt I made a little while ago.
I used some off cuts that I had for the main feature panel. All stitched over each other in a big waterfall effect.
Some of our lipstick palm hand screen printed fabric. It's hemp /organic cotton.

Can anyone think of a good name for this skirt? I've been wracking my brain.

I'm hoping to get a few more made in the next week. Lots of plans, ideas, hopes......

In other news, the Craft Show is very fast approaching. We have lots of work to still do, but the way our ideas and products are evolving is really exciting me.
I'll try and keep you better updated here (if anyone's interested......).

A + P's home

These are some photos from around my aunt + uncle's home. In Melbourne. Where we stayed while on our recent working holiday.
Practically everything in this house is from op-shops, second hand shops, found in the street during council throw-out weeks, given by friends.
Everything sits in perfect harmony, shapes and colours and glazes and mediums.
A home of heart and warmth and entertainment.
Thank you for sharing your home with us, and chatting into the night, and playing and laughing with the children, and making bread for us.
(And putting up with our mess).

PS - I haven't edited or cropped or fixed the lighting, etc on any of these photos - sorry, too tired + late.