feedthedogwhoblogs

PYD Market

2009-11-06T01:43:00.000-08:00

The less said about this market the better.
Apologies for very crappy phone photos (forgot my camera).
Not sure why I'm even posting these.

Closure, perhaps?

BOWER BIRD BAZAAR

2009-10-12T14:38:00.001-07:00

The thing about me and the limelight is that I only really enjoy basking in it for a minute or two. Any longer and I'm longing to crawl back under my rock and hide.

Three days is a long long time to be switched on and exposed to the public.
I am terrible at small talk, I am appalling at selling my own product (and just selling generally).
My real skill is convincing someone to go for my cheapest product, not my most expensive. or not to buy anything at all.
Do you really need another cushion in your life? I don't think so. quick, get out of here before you spend money.

The Queen's Theatre in Adelaide didn't disappoint. It is a magnificent, unrenovated stone building - the oldest theatre on mainland australia. This was a truly awe-inspiring space, very hard to capture its essence in photos. There were two long skinny rooms that led on to a large central space.

Crumbling walls, exposed beams, concrete floor .. very cold the first couple of days.
But nobody minded too much, not with the superb catering for the venue.. sensational local vego food, coffee and organic wine. I am determined to return to Adelaide on a road trip for an eating/ drinking holiday.

Here are just some of the other talent at Bowerbird:
Melanie Hill from Melbourne is seriously prolific and makes an eclectic range of products from found and recycled woollen materials and beads and buttons and all kinds of stuff. i've got one of her cardies and scarves - always get comments when i'm wearing them. And look at those puppets! Mental. Love them.

Here's my hotel room buddy, Ursula, from flat bird. She and her partner have a ridiculous number of my cushions and are currently the world record holders for owning the most number of feedthedog products (my sister has more but i don't count her because she doesn't pay for them).

Love my neighbours? Did i ever. On one side i had the wonderful and 'real' susanna from local multi-disciplinary design company, enoki, who had the wildest rugs i've ever seen. Graphics like this pink dog are hand-stitiched (takes about 3 days) onto high quality carpet underlay. They also make other sustainable products like cardboard children's furniture and provide a broad range of design services.

On the other side was the so very sweet and very talented young Adelaide jewellery designer, Sarah Rothe. This was her first market ever and i tried not to scare her too much with my tired old carnie stories.

I wish I had a better photo of these killer purple striped shoes worn by my jewellery designer mate from syd, Kristina who has a glorious wardrobe that more than rivals her stunning jewellery collection.

My corner of the Bowerbird Bazaar. Before the crowds.
Before my very special presentation booklet, which i had made up in the US, was taken from my stand while i was off getting a coffee. I was a little upset to say the least. But then my neighbours bought me a drink and we started the party a little early and I was over it in no time.

Now I need to take a very deep breath, clean up this pigsty I live in and get ready for the next one. PYD DESIGN MARKET is on from Saturday 24th to Sunday 25th October and will be my only Sydney outing before Christmas. This year the event is sponsored by Vogue Living magazine and I hope I get the time to make my extra-large space everything I want it to be. It's less than two weeks away. Feeling very much like Sisyphus rolling that giant rock to the top of the mountain only to have the damn thing roll back down again .. and on it goes.

Bowerbird was a great success for me personally, for many stall holders, for the organisers, and for the people of adelaide who supported the event. It wasn't fab for everyone though. These kind of big big events can be tough. Until you've done one of these gigs there's just no way of conveying the complexity of the experience.
The stress, frustration, joy, irritation, physical and mental exhaustion, bitching and moaning, joy, envy, excitement, self-doubt, boredom, joy and an awful lot of laughing.

I'm not sure why or how I do it.

*Denis from MessageMark has sent through a link to all the great photos he took on the Sunday. Really worth a peek here:
BowerBird photos

adelaidesydneymelbourne

2009-09-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

in that order.
loading up the truck and stepping out into the limelight again.
i don't have a truck, starting to need one though with all these extra stall props i've been buying.

three big market events looming before xmas, so get out those pens and diaries.
yes, i'm an old-fashioned thing.

bowerbird bazaar is first off the blocks.
less than two weeks away.
some of my fave ever designers will be here.
third drawer down and cloth.
in-sync design.
and pal kristina brenke.

then, a couple of weeks later, it's the PYD market alongside the Danks St Festival in sydney. vogue living are on board this year and it should be fun, fun, fun.
even if it is in a car park.

finally, last chance to get up close and personal with feedthedog will be at magnolia square in melbourne.
have been wanting to do this one for a while now.
so i am.
end of november.

new stuff, old stuff reworked.

please come and say hi if you're in the area.

coming over all versace like

2009-09-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

a big fan of pom poms and ruffles i couldn't go past this great mustard retro trim giveaway from Loz and Dinny.
so mustard, so swishy, so versace .. at least, that's how it looks to me when i drape it around more mustard and a flock of show offy sheep.

then i tried it around a simple rose. red, yellow, blue .. nothing like the primaries. but still sooo versace. and i think i'm lovin' it. never in my wildest dreams did i think i'd be channelling gianni v. and feeling a little bit thrilled, a little bit OMG what am i doing.
too much is never enough. let's see how far i can go with you .. my lovely long piece of retro trim.

something new

2009-09-06T00:08:00.001-07:00

a new market
gorgeous venue
historic queen's theatre
a d e l a i d e
oct 9, 10 ,11.
most exciting
bower bird bazaar

my first market for the spring/ summer season
a really special one

and they are still seeking applicants
go on
have a look

berice takes it out

2009-08-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

it's almost the end of august so i'm wrapping this up.

a big thankyou to all who responded to my giveaway. quite a few of you replied privately and i thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's responses.

but i really couldn't go past the story of Berice the Sheep and the 81-year-old neighbour who is about to say farewell to his sheep. This story threw up so many questions - was the owner of Berice a sheep farmer, if so why was she singled out as pet? If not, how do you get to own a sheep? Where must you live to have a sheep as a pet? How long has Berice been part of the family? And why does Berice have to depart? (not sure that I want to know the answer to that last one).

such a lovely story AND this panel is going to be a gift. Yep, pushed all the buttons for me. Though I must say I also loved Kate's hilarious over-the-top response and fabulous punning ability with "bah-rilliant cushions", sadly I can see myself stealing this phrase and tragically over-using it at the next market I do.

so congrats to kiki.
that was fun.
must do it again.

giving it away in august

2009-07-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

if you would like any of the panels below, just let me know which one, and why.
that's all you have to do.

each fabric panel is a one off.
they feature original hand drawn graphics printed by hand.
my hands.
the little bird is a lino cut print - no panel really feels complete without one.
familiar techniques like applique, hand embroidery, machine stitching and surface marks add texture to the flat surface of the panels which are 100% cotton or cotton/linen blend fabrics.
i use non-toxic, eco-friendly inks that are intense and durable.

the panels are securely mounted onto foam core and matted.
all you need to do is buy a frame.

at the end of august i will choose an answer i like.
then your panel will be sealed in a cellophane sleeve and posted to you in a sturdy cardboard mailer.

more of my panels can be found at UDESSI, a beautiful online gallery featuring original australian art and design.

and if it's cushions you're after, i have a bunch of new ones in my shops, here and here.

thanks for stopping by to my very infrequent blog.
here are the panels.
entire size, including the matt frame, is 29 x 38cm [11 x 15ins]

PANEL 1

PANEL 2

PANEL 3

PANEL 4

PANEL 5

boutique markets

2009-07-05T01:31:00.001-07:00

just a few new matted fabric panels, ready to post up to Bris Vegas for the Portside Boutique Markets on July 12th.

these will be sold at the UDESSI stall. there's also a chocolate and coffee fair on the same day, same location. i know what i'd be doing on sunday 12th july if i lived in brisbane.

x 4

2008-12-18T03:46:00.001-08:00

four new one off cushions made specially for gallery aloft in rozelle sydney.

the usual suspects - sheep, trees, buildings - in different configurations, different colourways, different textures.

and a lot more hand stitching than i usually do.

the first, the last, the best

2008-12-08T01:05:00.000-08:00

ahhhhhhh.
coming back down to planet earth.
did the most amazing market event last weekend.
the old hope st markets, renamed finders keepers, found itself in a stunning new location at carriageworks in eveleigh, syd.

first time for me at this market, and my last one for the year. [i've finally and happily deleted paddington market from my saturday TO DO list - just wasn't working anymore].

if you didn't make it to this event you missed something really special. [note for diary: next one in May].
if you did you'll no doubt be feeling pretty lucky.
friday was opening night. i felt like i'd been teleported to another planet. this restored 19th century industrial building is now an arts centre and on friday night it was party time. the bar was open, the live music was brilliant and the throngs of people seemed totally oblivious to the muggy heat and a looming recession.
as one of over 80 stalls from independent Sydney artists and designers i was gobsmacked.
truly not expecting this mad, full on swirl of colour and movement and sound.
and somewhat starving because i'd stupidly, accidently put my dinner into my washing basket at home (instead of the pegs). tore the place apart looking for it. couldn't find it, left home with no food. i'll just have to get something there, i thought.
yeah, right.
not a single moment in the evening did i have to skip away from my stall. well, not till the very end.
and can i even begin to describe the torture of all the glasses of wine, beer, champagne that came and perched themselves at my stall while I chatted, did business with their owners. dying for just a sip of beer, a slug of bubbly liquid.
not sure how i made it through the evening.
adrenalin i guess.
fortunately the next day was quieter, cooler but still lots of happy shiny people and a great vibe going well into the evening again.

i had an awful lot of stock. by 4 on day 2 i was getting close to selling out and wondering how i was going to make it through the remainder 6 hours. fortunately i had backup, hand stitched fabric cards and other small things to fill the holes.

what a buzz.
just the 'bestest' market i've ever done.
thankyou to all who dropped by.
i'm going to sleep for a couple of days.

how did i get this lucky?

2008-10-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

went to the markets on saturday, as usual.
came home to find my flat burgled. not usual.
they took my computer, camera, and cash i had in money jars for my nephews.

did i have backup for my hard drive? nope.
but you know what, they would have taken that external hard drive that i've been meaning to buy for months now, so what's the point?

i don't know how or when i'm going to get another computer, haven't even paid for the one they stole, that was bought on credit.

i probably won't be posting for a while.
but i will be back.

books

2008-09-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

don't know about you but when i get a good book i like to READ it.
look what these artists are doing to books!

this sublime piece by english artist su blackwell:

Hawaiin artist Jacqueline Rush Lee plays with the tactile and symbolic qualities of used books:

Mike Stilkey is based in Los Angeles:

Dark Roasted Blend is a site devoted to weird and wonderful things. Have a look at the Bitter Sweet Art of Cutting Up Books for more fantastical book sculptures and installations.

fabric printing

2008-09-24T00:47:00.000-07:00

have just seen the most awe-inspiring blog posting about lino cut printing onto fabric.
suzanne at sukurasnow is based in amsterdam.

this is her FIRST go at it!
i hang my head in shame.
i've been lino cut printing onto fabric for years.
silly little things.
never the full pattern stuff.

such beauty, such control.
and a wonderful detailed visual documentation of her process.

have a look and weep.

teacups

2008-09-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

orright.
that was a smidge uncomfortable.
note to self - never write anything morose on your blog then leave it there, suspended in time, for a week or more.

thanks to all who sent kind words .. even long after i'd pulled myself together.
and those who told me to cheer up .. well, i guess i asked for that.

madly preparing for my usual gig at paddo market this saturday.
prediction of 31 degrees and windy.
[groan]
heat and wind .. could there be anything worse when exposing yourself to the elements?
no.
sunblock and sandbags.

there is a wonderful ceramic artist at paddo, often buy from her.
do you think i can remember her name?
will make amends on that front this saturday when i go back to her stall to buy more of her lovely new porcelain teacups.

these two i bought for a friend's birthday.
now my sister wants me to get her four.
the range of colours and intricate patterns is phenomenal.
i just love these. love the wonkiness of the forms.
and just divine to drink from.

best not to look

2008-09-11T01:44:00.000-07:00

i am so over myself.
beautiful weather.
good, exciting things happening.
but i'm walking through a fog.

attempting to pull myself out of this.
look at these beautiful artworks by Marise Maas.

i found her in a Belle magazine while sucking down a flat white, hiding out in a local cafe, avoiding all my responsibilities.
She "used to be a good realistic artist, but it gave her no pleasure".
Gave her no pleasure.
Gave her no pleasure.
Can't stop focusing on that phrase.

She was persuaded to "draw left-handed and not look at what was appearing on the page.."

yes, it's best not to look at what you're doing ....sometimes.

i love this artwork.
it fills me with hope, longing and a little sadness.

my next post is going to be very UP.
lots of new things.
just no desire to communicate with anybody right now.

so what's this i'm doing?
back soon.

ah.. the tag..

2008-08-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

prepare to be disappointed, all of you, my millions of adoring readers (ie. all 3 of you).

lisa from thelittlebirdy has tagged me to list some of my unspectacular quirks.
well here's the thing.
i don't believe i have any quirks - unspectacular or otherwise.
and it's really been bothering me.
keeping me awake at night.
everyone else in the known universe seems to have quirks, why don't i?
too normal? too sane? too boring?
or just plain 'in denial'.

i've wracked my brains till it hurt.
i mean, where do you draw the line between a quirk and obsessive behaviour or irrational fears? everything i start to think might be a quirk i end up convincing myself is really only fleeting moments of madness. a quirk suggests consistent peculiar behaviour.

friends, family, foes - they don't have answers for me either.

so sadly, i have come to the conclusion that i am truly quirkless.
hang on, could that be my quirk .. that i am quirkless?
oww! my head hurts thinking about this.

i'm dobbing in 6 others though (rules, people) who i'm sure won't disappoint as spectacularly as i have.
6 people who i don't really know at all but from reading their blogs i reckon they're brimming with quirks and will provide the fabulously entertaining reading that you were all hoping might come from me.
at least i'm trying to make amends for my quirkless state of being.

the following 6 i have the utmost faith in:

kuber
daskaninchen
hyena in petticoats
dudley redhead
sketch
meringue

no pressure guys but if you don't deliver, well .. at least it will make me look less weird ..

real estate

2008-08-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

i bought a house.
little wonky red one on a hill.
all the way from denver colorada.

the wildly energetic and super talented lisa from urbanbird made this beautiful house.
i love the vibrant, scratchy colours, the texture, that slab of red sitting all alone, serene and confident.
lisa paints and screens onto birch plywood.

alas, i can only afford a print right now but i'm slowly loading up the piggybank in hope of purchasing the real deal, a house on wood, one day.

in the meantime i have this beautiful print to gaze at.
currently lisa is buried deep in houses and numbers over at thelittlebirdy

don't even ask

2008-07-28T01:26:00.000-07:00

well.
back from a great holiday.
but you know what?
i can't bring myself to tell you where i went, what i did, all the fabulous places i saw, people i met.

it's been it's gone. it was brill.

there, done.
the elephant's out of the room.

well that wasn't too hard.

maybe i should just write my blog postings as haikus.

stopping

2008-07-07T04:12:00.000-07:00

jumping off the production line for a few weeks.
taking a holiday.
bliss.
back at the end of july.

from this, to this

2008-06-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

the sheep have invaded. can't move around my tiny flat without tripping over them. their benign, staring faces and psychedelic coats are getting to me. have been deliriously, happily housebound for days, weeks, sheltering from the bleak weather and printing like a madwoman. trees, buildings, dinosaurs, birds, spots, stripes, antlers, flowers, super rabbits, cats, dogs and ... sheep!

utter chaos.
everywhere i look - a dog's breakfast of colour, pattern, shapes, line, texture.
get me out of here!
and what? throw myself into the gothic weather? okay.
or i could just do this -

simple, serene, abstract.
heartbeat slowing.

oooh look. and another one. balance. calm.
imperfect.

may as well do three. now it can hang in a doorway like a japanese thingey, what are they called?
don't like the one on the right. too similar to the second one.
but i do like the uneven lengths.
framing my art deco bathroom. an utterly useless thing.
though it does have a certain 'come hither' appeal.

right.
off to get a life.

oh happy days

2008-06-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

sometimes life can be so surprising and unexpected.
i am not a lucky person.
but last week i got lucky. big time.
MOST of my hard drive was resurrected.
back from the dead. and looking no worse for it.
all it cost me was $100 and two good bottles of red.
i'm still in a state of shock, disbelief.
have I got an external hard drive now? well, not yet. but soon. the june sales aren't far away.

new things in planning stages. nothing to reveal yet.
i was heat setting a pink antler cushion for a friend recently and decided to double up on the ironing by placing a bunch of lino cut birds under the antler fabric. when I turned the fabric over the birds had stuck to the antler design.

reminds me of an elaborate marie antoinette hairstyle.

the boys have been drawing some lovely dinosaurs.
these from ollie...

and this from jack...

and then over to me ...

'fingers' and 'tail' have been selling well.
thanks boys.

ode to lost things

2008-05-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

okay, it's gone. all gone. everything.
i'll say it one more time - I'VE LOST THE LOT.
boo hoo.
poor me.
suck it in. move on.

when kylie from mizu designs did a post recently about the theft of her computer & camera & then was immediately back posting as if nothing had happened i thought ... my god, what a woman, how can she be so calm and dignified when she's lost everything like this?? i was so impressed. i would be a blubbering wreck for the rest of my life if anything like that ever happened to me.

well, i howled and wept .. though for a surprisingly short time, i couldn't help but notice.
and now ... well, what else can you do except move on? my Mac geek tried extensive resuscitation for two long weeks, kept me full of hope. but in the end .. well ... not a happy resolution.

goodbye my precious things. i miss you. i want you back. [design] life will not be the same without you.
boo bloody hoo.

i made something beautiful today that gave me great joy.
starting again.

meltdown

2008-05-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

it's been one of those grey still days in sydney. just cold enough to fool yourself that winter really is a fabulous time of year.
i've been without a computer for nearly a week. both liberating .. and seriously disturbing. my hard drive died. no backup. yup, saw it coming, didn't act fast enough. still i live in hope. i have a new computer. i still haven't been able to rescue my years and years of stuff on my old mac. but i live in hope.
i do love these grey still days, they make me feel calm.

recently i had the pleasure of "meeting' marichelle from
hearthandmade. she's a passionate design afficionado and recent escapee from corporate life in New York. her blog is beautiful. not only does she find amazing stuff but her site has a strong aesthetic appeal - very slick but with lovely personal touches like the faux handwriting, very cute. she did the most amazing number on one of my cushions in a section she calls heart lab where she attempts to dissect the art of the handmade.

it's such a clever idea. do check her out.

skyline

2008-04-07T01:24:00.000-07:00

too busy to blog.
wonder when that tired old song will ever end.

the boys have been busy too. providing me with pages and pages of mad little drawings or elaborate paintings

which i cast my evil eye over (very picky), then i photograph, chop, change, embellish, make into screens, mix some colours and turn into this...
MY CITY

and this....
YOUR CITY

endless variations on a theme...

here's the child labour compound high in a tree house where the authorities won't find them.

all bunnied out

2008-03-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

how very YUM is this wood engraving from south australian printmaker georgia thorpe ? a contest WINNER if ever there was one. for me, this work stood out from all the other divine renditions of the furry creature that i was sent, for several reasons. wood engraving is a not so familiar medium to me and i love the clean lines and strong shapes of this print. but above all i love this work because it has both beauty and humour, an irresistible combination, i find. these dream-like rabbits sleep-walking into each other's arms in the rain are so evocative. georgia sees them as "dancing ... a prelude to what rabbits do best... " her other work is truly divine and i highly recommend a visit to her website.

and, of course, a really big thankyou to the bunch of you who sent me your rabbits. that was an unexpected joy, opening all the gorgeous bunny links. mizudesigns directed me to some lovely antique illustrations from 1920's nursery rhyme books, compiled by barbara crews .

and i was completely in awe of the beautiful, spooky mixed media painting by Erin Paisley from eek designs , suggested by the keen eye of daskaninchen .

the rabbit girl is saying, "fear is worse than misfortune itself" - a Slovak proverb, apparently.

well, half of good friday has already passed and i haven't had a single bite of a hot cross bun. so i'm off to do that now on this bleak, cool sydney day.

thankyou again rabbit contributors.
wishing you all a fab easter break.