feedthedog

gone fishing

2011-08-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

I've turned off the lights, pulled down the blinds, locked the door.

Off to take a chill pill for a few months.

feedthedog will be closed until next year.

see you back here in 2012.

way to go

2011-08-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

Summing up my year so far : got sick. recovered. went away.

Okay, haven't quite left yet .. but soon. Scary soon. Writing a blog post is really the very last thing I should be doing but unfortunately I excel at procrastination. And I do have just a couple of things I want to off load before I head off.

First up, a recent purchase. These totally, yes I'm going to say it - AWESOME - cushions, hand-crocheted in merino wool, with a linen backing and buttons from the V&A in London, if you please. Love these to bits. Made by the super talented Kylie who is crocheting up a storm of triangles over here. If you likey, go grab one of these beauties NOW before she gets all triangled out and moves on to some other amazing creations.

Secondly, just as I decide that I don't want to wholesale anymore, [not that I do much anyway], what happens? These guys below come a' knocking. How can I possibly say no to my long time favourite Sydney design shop? How? Not possible. And so it is that KOSKELA, no less, now has a range of my cushions and fabric wall panels. Pinch!

photo from August Sydney Magazine courtesy of www.koskela.com.au

If you've never stepped inside this stunning, New York loft-style retail space in Surry Hills, do yourself a favour. You will catch your breath, I swear [and not just from climbing the stairs].

I particularly love their Yuta Badayala light pendants (like the massive spotty one in the pic above) which are a collaboration between Koskela and the Yolngu weavers from Elcho Island in Arnhem Land. Each of these stunning pieces is completely unique as the weavers are free to interpret the light shade form provided by Koskela.

photography by Anson Smart, Koskela for idea11

Another Kylie has just come back from an amazing, hands-on experience with other Arrnhem Land weavers which I've really enjoyed reading about here.

Koskela also have a gorgeous rental property, Dickebusch, in the sleepy little coastal town of Pattonga on the central coast.

all the above images from www.koskela.com.au

I am just so chuffed to be leaving many of my new pieces in the light, airy, beautiful space of Koskela, surrounded by so many charming, original, well-crafted designs.

Way to go.

POP

2011-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Come August I'll be climbing into a really big aeroplane and flying out of the country to park my butt in Berlin for a month or three. Before I go, and really just to amuse myself, I've turned my etsy shop into a virtual pop up shop called FETCH where I've listed lots of stuff, new and old, and will be adding more regularly over the thirty one days of July.

Sure I should be brushing up on my high school German but you could say I've been somewhat distracted. Making new mini cushions and fabric wall panels and revamping a bunch of old lampshades.

Sure I should be flicking through travel guides and dropping pins on my maps app but I've been too busytaking photographs of old stock and going a little mental with SALE prices. If you've always wanted something feedthedog and have found yourself thinking "she's got to be joking" when you've see my prices, well, I invite you to take a squizz at my POP UP sale prices. I assure you, you'll come away thinking "she's got to be joking".

Come the end of July, I'll be closing up shop and won't be back here until next year.

fallen

2011-04-01T02:32:00.000-07:00

A massive tree fell over during a recent storm. We called in the guy with the chain saw.

What a beautiful sight. Many glorious afternoons spent stacking this wood, dreaming, planning. The mindless, repetitive stacking of wood sure beats the mindless, repetitive sewing of seams.

Conversation with brother-in-law after he went up the back to see my piles of wood:

Me: What do you reckon?
Brother-in-law: Looks a bit aesthetic.
M: Aesthetic! What do you mean?
BIL: The way you've stacked it. Come winter it's all just going to be burnt you know.
M: No it's not. You know I've earmarked some pieces.
BIL: To do what with?
M: Dunno. Stuff.
BIL: All going up in flames.
M: No way. I need some of that wood.
BIL: Flames!
M: Nup.

And back and forth it goes like that for some time. He's a dentist, poor thing. How could he possibly understand.

down the road

2011-03-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

A ten minute walk down the cliched country road that is now the street I live in, there is a beautiful shop/ gallery called the Pear House. It's tucked away in the sprawling grounds of an outdoorsy cafe - Bamboo Buddha which is, unfortunately, everything the name suggests - decor direct from a Bali warehouse, excruiatingly slow service from spaced-out hippy waiters and an in-house psychic healer called Shaz Butterfly. The Pear House though is a gorgeous, self-contained shop that is worlds away from the Bali-esque horror that surrounds it.

Don't be put off by the brown and mustard exterior. Inside is the most delightful space full of both vintage and modern interior designs hand-picked by super-friendly, ex-Sydneysider, Lauren. I haven't been cold calling with my wares for many a year now but the day I walzted into Lauren's shop with my product booklet it was like walking into a friend's home.

Always good to see my labours of love in a beautiful, new environment.

AND, my online shop is open again. Clearing old and not so old stock with a ridiculous sale. A one off cushion that was $150 is now going for an insane $50 (and that includes the feather insert). Yes, I'm clearly still a little unwell but really I just want these cushions to be gone. Making way for new organic products, lampshades and wall panels.

Still plodding along at snail's pace though. And that suits me just fine for now.
ps. thankyou to everyone who left such sweet comments in my previous post.

recovery

2011-03-10T21:46:00.000-08:00

The positive spin on my truly horrendous start to 2011 is this - I am now surrounded by trees and family, in the most peaceful setting if you don't count the MOOs of Zoe the mournful cow across the road, with a new studio space, a new respect for my health and a returning sense of humour.

All very temporary until I fly away in August, maybe September.

Until then, slowly restocking and getting involved with new designs, new stockists, new plans.

Will be opening my online shop again soon. With a super SALE of discontinued cushions to make way for my organic cotton/ hemp range and new products. Not overdoing it though. If anybody hears me even mention the word MARKETS please, somebody, throw me down a deep, dark well where I can't escape.

In the meantime, inhaling the country air, walking the dog, swimming in the ocean, looking at trees. Endless trees.

watching grass grow

2011-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

I'm closing up shop for a while. Haven't been well :(

Planned and paid for trip abroad has been put on hold :(

Ho Hum.

Got to get my health sorted.

At least I haven't lost my home and possessions to a raging river.

I will be back.

feedthedog will be open again for business.

Just not sure when.

Take care everyone.

I heart FK Sydney

2010-12-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

glass paper weight i bought from my FK neighbour Studio Skinky

I should be ashamed really. I always underestimate this market. Always. But never once has it let me down and last weekend it surprised and delighted like nothing I've ever experienced before.

To every single person who dropped by my ramshackle stall I say thankyou - you gorgeous, generous, shiny, happy peeps.

Finders Keepers has always been my toughest gig because it is just so full on and relentless and the entire four hours of opening night I just want to simultaneously cry and vomit. Even with that charming, be-hatted helper who was by my side this time (no, not my husband (!!) as so many of you assumed - just a very good mate-turned-slave for the evening) it was still mayhem. I just unravel in mayhem.

Tough and sweaty it was but so so rewarding.

Hugs to you all. xxx

Will be uploading leftovers into the shop this week.

bits and pieces

2010-11-30T23:48:00.000-08:00

My version of limited edition usually means about 5 or 6. I will have four only of these bird cushions at Finders Keepers. Printed and hand stitched onto beautiful upholstery weight organic cotton/ hemp. AND comes with a corn fibre insert. Even the casing is made from 100% natural corn. Yummy.

And he has a non-matching friend in mustard tones. I have five of these. I think.

This is a special little custom-made cushion for a special customer. This started life as a fabric panel but it wasn't a regular size so we decided it might look good as a cushion. It's quite tiny which makes it even sweeter.

Hope to see you at Finders Keepers in a couple of days. I'm having a raffle. No spinning wheel and not a chook in sight. But all proceeds going to Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth which improves the health and education of indigenous children. Not sure about that title Thorpie (sounds like a cosmetic surgery company) but a great cause I reckon. Haven't completely settled on what I'll throw into the raffle basket but it will be chokka with a range of products.

Drop by Friday night or Saturday. Would love to say hi.

worms

2010-11-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Delighted to be back at the Sydney Finders Keepers Market next weekend for my last gig of the year. BRING IT ON. Already anticipating that soaring space of the Carriageworks foyer and the buzzy opening night. Happily, I won't be tucked away in a pokey back room either. Rather, I have a lovely corner stall right near the entrance.

Feeling unusually light-headed, light-hearted, in control even. Printing and sewing up a storm here, but without the usual stress.

Breaking my own rules too - DON'T make too many one offs. Well, that's all I've been doing. I just get bored doing repeats. So I suggest you arrive early for the worms, so to speak.

new kid on the block

2010-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

How beautiful is this photo? Super gorgeous Emily is a new stockist and has just opened her online FairTradeStore. Feel like a bit of an imposter amongst all those sustainable products but next year I will be SO completely green I'll be mistaken for the Incredible Hulk.

Do check her out. Beautiful things.

it's back

2010-11-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

I have to be very careful here .. don't want to get into any more trouble than I'm in already. I've managed to offend a lot of people in the last seven days with my emotional outbursts.

The box is back. Thanks to the steely persistence of Nic, the organiser of the Magnolia Square Market. She was truly amazing, particularly in the face of my less-than-gracious meltdowns, of which I am not proud.

I can't say what happened because I just don't want any more grief. And you know, now that I have the box here I'm looking at my stuff and thinking, well, was this really worth that week of hell? And all the people's noses I got up?

Such a relief to no longer be the centre of attention in my own lunch box. Now I can get back to worrying about bigger things like artillery attacks in Korea, world poverty and Bunny the cat who's been missing in my neighbourhood for over a week now. Poor Bunny. I hope you find your way home.

gone baby gone

2010-11-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

What on earth has happened to my box of interior awesomeness* ??[see previous post] It didn't make it back to me from the weekend market that I've just done. A massive box of lampshades and cushions. No-one knows nuthin' about it.

Been through all the emotions, now I'm just trying to put it behind me. And get on to replacing the missing items of awesomeness*. Still have another market to do. [Only one one-off cushion that I can't replace].

Can't imagine that this box is sitting in some forgotten corner at Randwick Racecourse (the venue) because it's just SO big. Gigantic. And if I was a thief I think I'd be looking for something I could slip under my coat. Not something the size of a suburb.

If it's just someone's aunty or nanna who will getting a truly awesome* Christmas lamp shade this year, well, I suppose that's better than it turning up on ebay.

*I never use the word 'awesome', just not quite feeling myself right now.

you gotta laugh

2010-11-14T02:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, we all bang on about the wonderful people we meet at markets but that's probably because it's true. Without these new and wonderous peeps [and the familiar faces too], be they stall holders or punters, I can't imagine how I'd survive a 3 day event like this. It was so uplifting meeting you all - and you know who you are.

My fave comments/ conversations from the last 3 days:

Woman staring at my red lampshade for a very long time finally says to me, Have you ever considered a farm yard theme? Ah .. no.

Woman with American accent asks me if I do custom orders and when I mumble something about maybe next year she says to me, So you would do me a cardinale? A what? I say. A cardinale. You don't know the cardinale? she says, with utter astonishment. No, what's a cardinale? It's the bird that represents the state of Ohio. Oh right. No ... I don't do custom orders.

At drinks on the second night, chatting with two other stall holders. One of them asks me what I do and while I'm trying to think of an amusing reply the other stall holder says, interior awesomeness. [I like. Must put that on my business card].

Woman restraining a small child says, Oh my goodness, where do you get this fabric? Um.. [what does she mean?] I make it myself. Really? You mean it's not bought fabric? No, I make it myself. [I draw pictures, I turn them into screens, I print onto various fabrics by hand, I cut out individual images and applique them onto base cloth, I print and paint onto base cloth, build up layers and finally add some hand stitched details or buttons or whatever. Then I squeeze out a few drops of blood, sweat and tears, mix it all up and hey presto]. I wish I could have said all that in the brackets, though I think maybe I lost control of my face during that exchange and it said it all for me anyway.

It was three days of the usual [for me anyway] mix of heightened reality, laughs, boredom, confidence battering, confidence boosting, laughs, teeny bit of alcohol, bartering, spending, earning and gorgeous silly conversations. Oh, and the heat this time. Full on heat.

All in all, pretty good.

new

2010-11-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Lately it's all been about the fabric panels and sadly I've been neglecting my cushions. But I've got a few new designs in very limited runs and they'll be with me in the Oaks Marquee at Randwick Racecourse come Friday 12th November. So will kitty....

'Kitty wants playthings' is 50 x 50cm and is printed onto organic cotton/hemp. Next year I would like to be completely organic. I am well aware of the evils of cotton production .. the water, the chemicals, yada, yada. I know I have to cross over to the green side. It's coming. Slowly. Like everything I do.

I've got new fabric panels and lampshades too. Hope to see you at Mag Square.

markets

2010-10-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Two more to go. Markets that is. And they're both local. Just realised I haven't done a local event in 12 months, not since the horrendously overrated pyd markets in that dark, uninspiring car park in Waterloo or whatever that suburb is.

So SYDNEY I'm doing it for you twice before Christmas.

First appearance will be at Magnolia Square at Sydney Race Course from 12 - 14th November. Let's just hope the weather behaves itself. It wreaked havoc at the last event - so I'm told. It's in the Royal Oaks Marquee - really like the idea of a marquee, really like saying that word and it will certainly be a first for me in terms of venues. And a great line up of stalls I reckon, including a couple of faves from Melbourne, Rebound Books and Matt.

I have new cushions, lots of new one-off wall panels and light shades a plenty. Well, two or three designs anyway. Hope you can make it along - love chatting to customers. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't do the big sell, won't, can't, genetically incapable of doing the effective sales pitch, so don't be afraid. Saying hello doesn't mean you have to part with money.

And my second appearance will be at Finders Keepers at Carriageworks. But more on that later.

new lampshades AVAILABLE

2010-10-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Finally. These hand crafted lampshades are now available in my online shop. They feature a layering technique that combines screen printing, hand painting, applique and some hand embroidery. The 100% linen base cloth provides a beautifully textured surface that appears when the light is switched on.

Also taking orders on the little red lampshade below.

'ferns' lampshade

This shade had been hand painted on to 100% linen a with deep red fabric ink (eco-friendly of course) to create a lovely uneven texture. An original pen drawing of ferns has been over printed onto the red and rows of machine stitched lines add subtle contrast. Finally, a single, appliqued lino print bird rises from the ferns.

This is a small, slim oval lamshade that is 22 cm tall, 25 x 19 cm (oval diameters) at the top and 30 x 11 cm (oval diameters) at the bottom. The lamp base is NOT INCLUDED but I do have a few of these for sale that I've had locally made from European beech. Please email me for further enquires.

Will be printing more of the red lamp shade this weekend - orders placed before Monday 25th October should be ready in 3/4 weeks.

Have a great weekend everyone.

doing it on paper

2010-10-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Clara surveying everyone's work at the end of the day

Saturday evening, sitting in the domestic airport lounge feeling miserable with flu and dreading the flight ahead.

Sunday morning, all drugged up, doing a workshop in Melbourne. Cutting stencils, printing up wallpaper [!].
Sunday evening, home again with my roll of bespoke wallpaper under my arm. Wrecked and bemused by that surreal blip of flu-hazed activity.

Very inspiring workshop run by the UK-based Australian textile designer Clara Vuletich - her hand printed, layered, non-aligned wallpapers are just beautiful. I know the word is spreading about Harvest Textiles who ran this particular workshop and I join the many who praise the talents and professionalism of the serene Emma.

Really hope I didn't infect anyone with my germs. Would have been very sorry to miss this event.

you win some you lose some

2010-10-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

talking to my only neighbour up the back in the corner [photo by jane barwick]

Let's be honest here, this was not my finest hour at a market.

STILL, big hugs go out to Bower Bird. Like a good friend who's done you wrong I've already forgiven and forgotten. No point in trying to analyse what went wrong. At least two of my new products walked out the door. The cat with attitude cushion above on the left and my little red lamp, better viewed below and more coming soon.

100% linen has been painted by hand to achieve the uneven red texture when light is turned on

features original pen drawing that is hand screen printed, appliqued lino print bird and machine stitched lines.

I would love to do this market just ONCE without getting physically sick. I'm talking BB Belly, hits me every time. Potent combination of stress, excitement, fear and a sensitive gut.

Really enjoyed my three day anthropological research into the mind and lingo of the young, creative hetro male in touch with his feminine side, courtesy of my only neighbour Mattt. Sorry for all the questions Matt but you know I've got a PHD thesis to write. Thanks though for helping me snare that final super sale of the day while I was having a fainting spell (yes, very 19th century of me). Your heroic gesture was well and truly beyond the call of duty. Just don't hound me for a commission, orright?

Two more markets to go - just keep telling myself it will all be okay.

more triangles

2010-09-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

And some stitching and a hand drawn bird.

Triangles providing endless joy. The plan was though to make something simpler, something that would take less time. Nuh, these guys have taken more time than ever. The cushion was half a day's work, whoa to go. Very tricky aligning those triangles individually. Still a work in progress.

playing with triangles

2010-09-12T01:32:00.000-07:00

tote comp

2010-09-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Kim from Udessi is running a competition where you can decide which design you'd like to see on a tote bag. Six designers - you vote for your fave and it could be yours. Go have a look at the others. My bet is on those gorgeous birds by Herman & Ivy, followed closely by the Sweet William's stunning, swirling, red tree.

Nice one Kim.

opposites

2010-08-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

photos by feedthedog

Lucky me. Apparently they're not quite sick of me yet down Adelaide way. Though probably will be after my third appearance at BowerBird in October. Plenty of new designs though [she says optimistically and semi-truthfully]. Being distracted and seduced by weedy sea dragons and mushrooms. BUT creating the complete opposite. Geometrics, bold slabs of colour. Heart and hand fighting it out. Hope it doesn't end in tears.

all kinds of wonderful

2010-07-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Finally made it to the Southern Highlands to visit the freshly hatched gallery/ design shop/ cafe of friends Ursula and Anna. Was so good to get out of Sydney and into the country.

Their shop is in Moss Vale, facing a gorgeous little park. It's a massive, long, skinny room, full of natural light and a front and back entrance. Floors are concrete, walls white and it's chokka with wonderful products from near and afar.

Artworks and design products are all hand made and high quality, many are Australian designers/ artists including intriging local labels I've not seen before.

Yes, these two gals are good mates but honestly, this place is the loveliest, warmest, most diversely-stocked design shop I've ever been to. It's not surprising, considering their many years of experience with design markets and their passion for Australian hand made gorgeousness from emerging and lesser-known designers/ artists in particular.

And can I just add - big thumbs UP to the coffee. Really wasn't sure how a demanding caffeine lover like myself was going to handle a flat white made by a non-coffee drinker. It's Ursula who wears the barista pants here, and look she does dabble occasionally, now that she's become a barista. I believe the secret to a good coffee lies more in the making of it rather than the beans and Ms. U really has the knack. And a bunch of damn fine beans, of course. The coffee is great. And as for the hot chocolates, well the word around Moss Vegas is that it's the best in town.

You all need to drop into this special little place. Winter is particularly lovely for driving around the Southern Highlands.

And when you're done doing that you can swing by Made By Others for a hot bevvie amongst the beautifully crafted porcelain and glass vases, hand printed homewares, bunny lamps, timber cards et cetera - an enormous variety of good stuff.

And if you're after one of my cushions [which I'm not making so much of any more] then this is the place you'll find them, as well as some framed, one-off fabric panels.

Great visit.

fast, furious, frazzled & fatigued

2010-07-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Whoaaa.

photo by Sass from ASK ALICE

Freaky thing happened to me last week. Think I was sucked into a parallel universe. It looked a lot like the Atrium at Fed Square in Melbourne. Some kind of design, markety, event thingey. Mad, crazy, full of rugged-up people looking, touching, spending, talking, attempting to communicate with this seemingly sedated creature who looked and felt like death on a stick. Apologies to one and all, that wasn't really me, they weren't really my words. Some thing had inhabited my body, possessed my soul.

Yes, I guess you could say I take on a fair amount of stress every time I do a market. Months of manic preparation, fear of not having enough product, fear of having unfinished and inferior products on display to be laughed at, sleepless nights, yada yada. But did I really have to spend the day before sewing up puppies for hours at The Thread Den and tearing around the streets of north melbourne looking for lengths of wood before the sun went down? Then attempting to stuff puppies well into the night? Did I really need to? I think not.

photo by Sass from ASK ALICE

Brought my camera to take some happy snaps. Do you think I could find it? At the end of the day when I was packing up - yes - small black camera, slung over my black chair, under my black coat. Then again, not sure I would have had the time or energy to hold up a camera. So big thanks to Sass, who I don't know and have never met, but she kindly lent me her photos and I have bought some of her gorgeous stationery before so there's karma for you.

gift tag by ASK ALICE

And must also throw out a big BIG thankyou to the adorable Kylie from MizuDesigns who showed up as I was busting to go to the loo, looking so fresh and calm and casually stylish in that oh so melbourne way and held the fort while I stomped off, zombie-like, contemplating not returning at all, just falling into the foetal position in one of the cubicles.

photo by State of Green
[ps. this is not Kylie]

What more can I say? Standing there was a hellish eternity but it was over in the blink of an eye. One tres surreal experience that's for sure. And sales-wise, worth it by far. Just a shame I wasn't in my body on the day.

One of these days I will turn up at my own market stall looking and sounding human, alive, engaged and HAPPY.
I will.

out and about

2010-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

After the enormous effort and subsequent fun/ success of putting it out there in Adelaide at the Bower Bird Bazaar I came back to Sydney exhausted, telling all and sundry I wasn't doing any more markets until the end of the year. Too many new things to design, play with, perfect. Yada yada.

Well.

Let's just say I can be easily persuaded. Sometimes.

New one-off fabric panels will be making their debut at Finders Keepers in Brisbane at the end of the week.

The good news for me is that I don't have to stand on the other side of a table trying to sell these little guys. That job will be in the hands of the gorgeous Kim from Udessi who will be representing many of the artists in her online gallery. So Brisbanites, you get first pickings of new feedthedog.

All leftovers and other new and wondrous stuff will then come with me to the heart of Melbourne where I will have to stand behind a table in the beautiful Atrium at Federation Square. BECAUSE, just when you thought we couldn't possibly cope with any more new designer markets, hey presto, new designer market, called MarkIt.

What can I say? Personally, I think winter is the only time to visit Melbourne and July is full of great design events that are part of the State of Design.

But I'm feeling a little sick at how much work I have to do before the 11th July. Guess I'd better stop whinging and get on with it. Where are those elves when you need them?

mad bad & ugly

2010-05-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Oh .. the horror. One of my spectacular knitting projects from the 80s. Look mum, my own pattern! Was learning French in preparation for my escape to Paris to be a writer. Yuh. That's my french teacher modeling my woolly creation on the top of her Kings Cross flat.

Think I wore this out once. Unable to bear the stares and sniggers I reluctantly handed this masterpiece on to my more outgoing sister. One misadventure with her washing machine's hot water cycle and sadly those freaky white faces turned to pink and my multi-headed jumper shrunk to infant size.

If I was a Lady of Leisure I think I would enjoy blogging about craft follies. Maybe such blogs already exist. Do let me know if you come across any. Or, even better, if you have any your own craft horrors to share.

L is for

2010-04-26T03:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, time to start selling some lampshades. I've opened a new shop in Big Cartel where you can knock yourselves out throwing those strong Aussie dollars at me. For the time being I can only offer these shades within Australia. And here's the deal, the FIRST FIVE pendant rose lampshades - you can choose between 3 different colourways - will come with a FREE 3m flex (normally $20), black or white, you just need to let me know which you prefer.

The skyline lampshade (base not included) features some familiar screen prints appliqued onto gorgeously textured indian linen.

Sadly, I've sold out of the treescape shade - which included a line of hand stitching that I found very pleasing .. but I'm contemplating doing more.

I will be making more of these linen lampshades, the same but different. I'm not genetically programmed to keep making the same thing over and over. And there are other shade designs and colours and fabrics in the planning stages.

I only have 5 of the skyline lampshades left so if you're even half interested please have a look in the shop where you can see more photos. These shades have a split personality - they look quite different when ON or OFF.

if it fits

2010-04-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

dress by Thea and Sami

Mooching around BrisV a couple of days ago, along those winding terraces up on the hills of Paddington, attempting to catch the breeze and poke around shops. Spotted this dress on a rack on the footpath. Fell in love. Tried it on. Fitted perfectly. Organic linen. Reduced by more than a third of it's orignal heart-stopping price. Fell more in love. And I even have somewhere to swan around in it this week.

Love the bus transport system in Bristown .. hello sydney! that's how you do it.

Is it worrying or hilarious that I saw so many people walking around in woollen jumpers, boots, black stockings on a humid, 27 degree, sunny day?

made by others

2010-04-21T02:17:00.000-07:00

Friends Ursula and Anna have opened a gorgeous new art/design shop in the Southern Highlands. Called Made By Others - cute. And just look at that stunning space! They've been handpicking items from all around Australia and other parts of the world for what seems to be an eternity.

And is that a coffee machine I see? You can get mini cakes too. And I really like this statement from their blog:

By shopping with us you will not only be supporting Australian artists and designers, but we will be sharing a portion of our profits with people growing small businesses in other developing countries through Kiva microcredit loans.

So what are you waiting for? If you live in the area or just passing through make sure you stop off in MossVale and check out the great range of local and international design talent. And if you're looking to get up close and personal with my cushions they have plenty to choose from - more than you could poke at with a big stick.

Haven't been down for a real visit myself - but it's high on my list of MUST DOs.

Soon.

let loose

2010-04-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

Up at my sister's for a few days
tramping around with puppy at heels
while she (sis, not dog) and her boys are off camping
overnight with apes and rhinos at the Dubbo Zoo.

Armed with camera and some new products of the puffy kind

and the luminous kind.

Beautiful weather. Took hundreds of photos without stepping
outside the front gate. Bit like a resort up here.

Has been a very peaceful, productive few
days. This new Blogger draft mode is
stressing me out though .. haven't got a
handle on it yet.

And that puffy product above isn't at all new.
Old as. New photo though.

Hoping that cute, sad-eyed furry thing will sell
it.

Still very much in holiday mode, though back
going through the paces in my "other" work
personna.

Just loving this endless indian summer.

air

2010-04-03T15:25:00.001-07:00

I feel like the air in an empty room.
Weightless, without colour, floating free.

Adelaide was a m a z i n g.
Big thankyous to all who dropped by.

Will post soon.
Happy Easter to all. x

bower bird

2010-03-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Inviting you all to come and see how haggard-looking and awkward I can be at a public event.You might also see something you like, if not at my stall, then surely at any number of the other 70 + designer/makers who are setting up shop for this 3 day event.

If nothing else, just come for the food .. it is sensational and you won't need to raid your piggy bank to stuff yourself silly.

living things

2010-03-03T22:30:00.001-08:00

Have been loving this woodblock print by Mizudesigns for a very long time.
Bought it for my sister 2 years ago. But unable to part with it.
Until January this year.
My sister finally got Living Things for her birthday.

Float mounted and framed. Love it even more.
(very hard to take a good photo when surrounded by so many large panels of glass).

Kylie, hope you've got your printing mojo back because we LOVE what you do.
(apologies for last blurry photo).

february

2010-02-15T00:51:00.000-08:00

Holidays are long over [sigh]. Being bombarded by work on all fronts. Have some new panels over at Udessi.

Put my hand up again for the amazing, beautiful BowerBird Bazaar in Adelaide. Love this particular market. The venue and quality of stalls is very impressive. If you live in SA or just hanging around after Womadelaide or the Fringe Festival you should drop by to the Queens Theatre for this great design event.

I've been playing with a new product. Light and fabric are a lovely combination.

S A L E

2010-01-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

20% off most items in the shop.
Still adding stuff.
Including new things, coming later this week.
When I can get my face out of books and DVDs and food.

LOVE j a n u a r y.
Hope you're all having a good one.
x

ps. FREE cotton tote to the first ten sales

visual ga ga

2009-12-20T01:36:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd done my last post for the year but just had to share this.
In case you haven't seen this over at the Design Files I urge you to go gawp at David Bromely's jaw-dropping work space in Melbourne. (Posted on 18 December).

Workspace?
Seriously?

Stunning photos from Lucy Feagins. Keep scrolling down after the interview .. photos just keep getting better.

2009-12-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

request

2009-12-08T13:09:00.001-08:00

There's a new annual design market on in Melbourne this weekend at the Meat Market in North Melbourne. It sounds like a goodie but .. never can tell with markets. I came very close to getting a stall there but in the end I piked. Couldn't stomach another market before Christmas and a totally new one is always a bit of a risk.
If any of you Melbourne peeps are in the vicinity of this market on the weekend would love to know what it's like. If you could post a simple thumbs up or thumbs down that would be most appreciated.

I don't know, there are so many design markets springing up around Australia, I think they're starting to lose their 'specialness'. Would be good to see another way of offloading products. I'm a big fan of the barter system, which happens a lot when you do markets. Just love exchanging goods for goods with my fave designers. Who needs money?

Leaving you with a little work-in-progress piccy. Many months ago I got this 1940's folding theatre chair from an Op Shop on the Central Coast. It was upholstered in a deep green, rusty old leather (there are some BEFORE photos somewhere) which I was going to clean up but I accidently slashed into it when removing upholstery pins.
So, a cushion cover gets slapped onto a chair.

Not so sure .. the dark green leather looked good, more authentic.

the women who never sit

2009-12-01T15:27:00.001-08:00

Three days.
24 hours total of STANDING.
Not me, but my superhuman neighbours at Mag Square.

See.. no room for a chair in there.
Sure, there's a little bit of support from the clothes rack but come on now who could stand non-stop for 11 hours and feel okay about it? The truly amazing Georgina and Harriet from Dick and Dora, that's who.

Something in the Tassie water, perhaps? Me, I'm gobsmacked by this discovery - that anyone would even consider doing a market without one of those small pieces of furniture on which to rest your backside. Me, I want to sit down before I even stand up.

On the first day of the market I plonked myself straight onto my trusty little folding campers chair the minute I'd set up as I was so exhausted from having not slept at ALL the night before (late evening arrival, stayed with a friend I haven't seen for ages, chat chat chat, then lay awake all the remaining hours of the night in a state of anxiety). Must have had a premonition that my chair would collapse the minute I sat on it, broken, unrepairable without a staple gun.

Okay, the beginnings of distress. Wild-eyed, frantic, I wander from stall to stall. Does anyone have a staple gun? What? Nobody? Back at my stall, standing, forcing myself to think happy thoughts. Not happy. How am I going to get through 11 hours of standing? Not going to happen. Practise squatting. Hmmm. Maybe someone could lend me a box to sit on.

Then, less than 2 hours into the market, my stall collapses .. cushions fly everywhere. Did I remember to bring the two clamps that held my vertical structure in place? NO. I thought I could just wing it by propping the structure against the back wall. NO. It slipped between the gaps. Tired and internally hysterical all I want to do is run screaming from the beautiful Malvern Town Hall. Very tempting. Somehow I pull myself together.

The Scene a Few Hours Later -
I am sitting on a borrowed chair (Melanie you are a star!), eating a cupcake. My stall structure is securely gaffer tapped to the back wall (Georgina you are a star!). My lovely signage flutters to the floor for the second time.

I leave it there. Beyond caring. Cupcake is goooooood.
The divine comfort of being able to SIT is even better.
Will fix everything tomorrow when I've had a good night's sleep.

And I did.

loving ...

2009-11-19T23:35:00.001-08:00

amy earles from woolandwater

pheasant

kristina from inaluxe

Melbourne in November

2009-11-16T00:45:00.000-08:00

I love Melbourne.
Have done for years.
Tried to relocate there many years ago when I was oh so young.
Ended up being offered a job in Sydney.
And here I am still.

BUT
I'll be back in Melbourne.
November 26 - 28th.
To be precise.

At my stall in Malvern Hall.
To be even more precise.

Contrary to popular belief you do not need to own a child or a designer pram to enjoy the MAGNOLIA SQUARE MARKETS. So do swing by if you're in the mood for shopping. This is my last outing for the year with feedthedog and I have gone a bit girly. Amongst other things. Not sure where, why, how exactly the girly urge took hold. A while back I found myself sketching some roses from a luscious spread in some magazine.

Isolated a few stems and played around with colours and backgrounds in Photoshop.

Cut a few stencils.

Printed and hung up to dry.

Plumped up with goose feathers.

I've had these out at a couple of markets now but sadly no one's been buying.
Duds or ahead of my time?
Let's see if Melbourne likes the blooms.
Something tells me these will be appearing on sale in my etsy shop in December.

And some more work-in-progress. I've got a bit of tree obsession going on as well.

Okay, enough.

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.

enough is enough, show me your bunnies, giveaway time!

2008-03-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

really, really need to escape blogland for a little while.
the tiny, wee amount of time i normally spend doing blog stuff has been growing and growing of late. i just keep finding new blogs, new designers, new links, clickety, click, click .. hours of my life disappearing. the gorgeous little guy above from lookwhaticando knows what i mean. he's got that look.

and people are finding me and zapping me with lovely (surprise) blog features, so off i go to visit new places, new designers, new links..... this week, many thanks to jade scott and leah hennen and the lovely irene at bloesem who has rescued my sheep and dog from the black hole to present them so beautifully on her site.

visiting blogland is becoming kind of overwhelming. for someone who's been quietly poodling along for years now. need to pull back a bit and resist the irresistible urge to blog and blogview because it's just sucking up time and focus. so i'm crackin' that whip. got to get my new designs done and dusted. a couple of weeks should do it. I'll be back by easter.

and to celebrate .. hang on, what am i celebrating exactly?? oh, what's it matter. it's a GIVEAWAY. yes sireee. (i knew that would thrill me beyond belief, typing in the G word). quickly followed by a huge slap of insecurity .. what if no-one wants this giveaway? oh the public humiliation. oh what the heck.
my little house cushion, complete with insert, is up for grabs. but wait, there's more...
to win this little guy you need to send me a link to a really cool rabbit. that's right. RABBIT. rabbit drawing, rabbit print, rabbit product. one of your own rabbit designs even. i've already started my own stash of bunny finds (see my wish list on the right) and here's one of my all time faves to give you an idea of the kind of rabbit that really rings my bell, this luscious red fibonacci rabbit from the amazing daskaninchen . the utter beauty of this felt creature...
... where do i even begin to find the words to describe how this rabbit makes me feel?
the person who sends a link to the rabbit that most takes my fancy will receive my house cushion AND one of my own handmade cards and envelope featuring my truly inadequate rabbits.
sure, easter will be well and truly over by the time you receive the card but who says bunnies are only for easter, particularly when they're dancing about in their undies. a card for any occassion i would imagine.

comp closes on thursday 20 March and i'll reveal the winner and their rabbit on good friday.
and now for my short disappearing act.

a few good things

2008-02-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

feeling a lot like the kitten on the right.
there's a gal in chicago called gigi.
not only does she have a wonderful name and the warmth and enthusiasm to sink a ship but she also runs a great little blog called roadsidescholar.

i recently did a mini interview for her. it was such fun. and i love how she really considers the flow of words and images on a page. i'm very pleased to be part of her global "gatherings".

and i also now have a low-key presence in trunkt after initially being rejected, boo hoo, that was a hard one to swallow, but like a hyperactive terrier who just won't let go of a thing, i persisted and suddenly entry has been granted. not quite Access All Areas but hey, i'm in. and i know i should be elated or grateful or something but strangely it's an anti-climax.

in this same incredible week that i had recently, irene from bloesem asked if she could feature some of my cushions and of course i said yes please but i'm not sure what has happened there, maybe the sheep have fallen down a black hole. and even if it never happens at least i was asked and for a moment it made me feel bright and shiny. for a moment.

tara from dudley redhead should be feeling bright and shiny because i'm so in love with her Sooty the Supercat print, now in my hot little hands after a direct exchange rendezvous, in the dark of the night, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

variations on a theme

2008-02-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

can't bare the sight of that clint eastwood anymore.
just a brief posting with a couple of "new" cushions and ...
WALL PANELS. that's what i'm calling them. here are three wonky looking ones, that aren't all that wonky in real life.

these are flat panels of textured cotton/linen upholstery fabric with overlocked edges.
they can be displayed on a wall with these magnet/tape thingeys that someone told me about and i'm yet to get my hands on OR they can be framed OR they can be lined and hung as you would a wall hanging.
photos of all of the above methods will be coming soon.
also, a couple more cushions that follow previous themes.

and a really big thankyou to all the retailers who swooped on my stall yesterday and depleted nearly all my entire stock of cushions before i could even finish my bacon and egg roll.
still recovering from the shock.
more really new stuff soon.

the clint eastwood award

2008-02-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

yikes, i've been tagged!
and you know what .. it didn't hurt a bit.
actually, it tickled. and i would love to get you back, you TWO taggers, but that's not how this works. oh no.
this is how the You Make My Day Award works:

1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make your day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Tell the award winners that they've won by commenting on their blogs.

two of my fave artists, linda from yellow monday and kylie from mizu designs , zapped me with this award, because they're just the sweetest.
clint eastwood immediately came to mind.

now, linda and kylie, as you're the only two who probably read this blog regularly, my 5 blog links are really for you.
it's also not much of a secret that i don't read that many blogs, so i find this award something of a challenge.
which is why i'm going to change it a bit.
rather than you MAKE my day, i'm listing the 5 blogs that MADE my day.
subtle but important difference for the very slack and inconsistent blog reader that i am.

in the last few days i've been madly cruising blogs. these are the 5 that MADE my day...

up all night again - kirsty hall's "the diary project" is a truly gorgeous concept from a very talented UK artist. exquisite daily drawings on the back of envelops.
the paper forest - i've been obsessing about paper art of late, this gorgeous site is full of all things paper and is really big on great paper projects to make.
absolutely beautiful things - brisbane interior designer anna spiro's blog explodes with ooh la la, high-end eye candy. this is another world, other worlds.
bloesem - irene is a dutch woman living in malaysia and her blog has loads of really great designey things.
dudley redhead - okay, okay, i know she's been tagged before but i can't resist double dipping, tara's site makes me smile, i love her ideas and she has the cutest robots.

owing to a sudden production spurt after a gloriously lazy few weeks, pretty soon i'll be adding to my cushion gallery.
i really must find the time to learn how to use Flickr properly, i think that's going to be the best place for a gallery of photos.

snip, snip, fold

2008-02-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

the stunning things that artists do with paper.

zoe jay veness, a sydney gal i know through teaching exploits, has been folding paper into exquisite jewellery for years. these are some of her latest pieces done for an exhibition in adelaide.

melbourne artist emma van leest snips beautifully intricate and ornate paper scenes.

the utterly spectacular cut paper sculptures from US artist mia pearlman defy belief. really worth checking out her website.

boys cut paper too. i recently came upon a brisbane architect student who makes pop-up paper skylines of various cities around the world.

away

2008-02-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

to have lived in Brisbane for 20 years, as i did, and NOT to have travelled the short distance to the gorgeous Stradbroke Island is quite unbelievable to anyone who knows Brisbane.

"What, you've never been to Straddie??!!" shock. horror.
don't ask me how many times i've heard this over the years.

well, finally, last week, i put an end to my shame.
and i'm still reeling. just can't get the wild beauty of this stunning sand island out of my head.

my friends have just bought an old backpackers hostel on the island and have turned it into flats. they live downstairs and rent out the four flats above. my timing was brilliant because i got to stay in one of the vacant flats with a balcony and private courtyard.

it was a 5 minute walk through subtropical bush to divine, secluded little beaches.
i have to confess, a real holiday for me just has to include a beach. and rock pools. and superb bushland and walking tracks. and good friends and food. sleep. books. just the right amount of alcohol. swims and more swims.
absolute heaven.

and now, on a very humid sydney afternoon i'm trying to adjust to the real world and work.

just to get me in the mood, i'd love to share the work of English textile artist Maxine Sutton whose extraordinary screenprinted and embroidered works i discovered recently.

yellow pages

2008-01-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

i was told recently that the Yellow Pages paper is a good medium for handcut screen prints because the paper doesn't buckle and you can get up to 40 prints from it.
i tried it with these new one off cushions. the fine lined background shapes were cut from the yellow pages. worked a treat.

egg on face

2008-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

oh come on now!
i can't be the only person to ASSUME that Australia Post would organise their parcels by the NAME of the receiver?
i've been back and forth to that wretched post office since xmas, collecting small parcels. is it totally insane of me to think that ALL my uncollected parcels would be handed over, beasties included?
well, apparently YES because Australia Post clearly does not operate according to my or the western world's system of order.

intrigue, anxiety, anger ... all for nought! [see previous post].
the beasties have finally made it home, looking none the worse for wear after many weeks in an uncaring enviroment.

i love how the bobcat has a tail and the dog doesn't.
thanks so much to emily [creator of beasties] who provided superb, but unnecessary grief counselling and compensation.

the great beastie scandal

2008-01-11T22:57:00.000-08:00

a good many weeks before xmas i stumbled upon the dog of my dreams.

this is a tin dog beastie from emily at kuber.
it was love at first sight. and it was deep.
emily's tin creatures just really do it for me. the simple, abstracted shapes are beautifully crafted from the painted tin roof of her chook shed. how gorgeous is that? and how gorgeous are these?

I bought two beasties a few weeks before xmas. a dog and a bobcat. a couple of days before xmas they still hadn't arrived, but that was okay because they were MINE all MINE, not gifts for anyone. so i went away for a week.
when i came back i came home to a wide open letter box, a letter box that needs a key to open it. there was a bill and flyers inside but nothing else. I felt sick. it was now 3 weeks since emily had posted the beasties and not a beastie or postal collection note in sight. my deduction? well, a letterbox beastie thief, of course! i was outraged, i was sickened, and then finally i was very depressed, particularly as the weeks went on and i was without my little creatures that i'd been so anticipating. I emailed emily with my sad tale. A pox on that beastie thief! I ranted. I was also beginning to think that maybe it was partly my fault, maybe i hadn't quite locked my post box properly and it had actually flung open in my absence. could i have made it any easier for a letterbox thief! or was the bag poking out of the slot in the most irresistible manner, taunting that lurking letterbox thief? Who knows for sure?
emily offered to send me one more for free, just unbelievably generous, but i couldn't let her do it, why should she have to be out of pocket because of a poxy beastie thief! no way.
this week a dog beastie arrived in the mail. it's little bag fitted perfectly into my LOCKED letterbox. i squealed when i opened it. I don't normally squeal. i wanted to cry. for the beauty of the small, perfect object i'd received, for the genorosity and thoughtfulness of the artist.
and then.... a day later .... friday ..
i get a postal collection note ... a FINAL NOTICE ...
what???? could it be????? i've never had a final notice collection note ever because the minute i get a collection note in the post i'm up at the post office collecting.
final notice?? surely not??
and here's another deduction.
I leave home for a xmas break without locking my post box properly.
a postal note for the beasties is left in my letterbox.
the lid flies open, a gust of wind carries the postal note away.
two beasties have been waiting to be taken home from the post office since the end of december.
could it be??? really???
i'm hardly allowing myself to believe it.
i wont' know till monday morning when i tear up to the post office, crack of dawn, hoping beyond hope.

a house, a garden

2008-01-05T22:39:00.001-08:00

i don't have a house or a garden and lust for both.
here though is my fave girl [Bah cushion] looking somewhat sheepish in
the latest Australian House and Garden.

i have a view of ornamental magnolia trees from the work bench in my art deco apartment.

this is my house and out there is my garden.
it will do for now.
have been rearranging furniture in the heat.
very little work happening here at the moment.
it's too summery to be productive.

some soft cushiony reasons why i haven't been blogging

2007-12-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

just a few of my ONE ONLYs.
some ready-to-order cushions will be available in my shop .. soon.
and my first magazine exposure coming in January's Australian House & Garden.

antlers alert

2007-11-07T02:23:00.000-08:00

new obsession.
antlers.
of the elk variety in particular.
hand cut, hand screen printed onto cotton/linen fabric.

and a little rusty red lino cut bird stitched onto the corner.
some buttons on the back of one. a tied cotton tape on the back of the other.
many mistakes doing these two cushions.
not ready for the public yet.

but soon.

inebriated

2007-10-31T16:29:00.001-07:00

not me, the light.
this light expresses Aussie pub culture - the teetering, crumpled form suggests the effects of drinking too much beer and the chaotic, multi-coloured shapes within are reference to nightlife drinking at clubs and pubs.
my foundation year students at UNSW have just had their end of year exhibition featuring graphic design, architectural models, wearables and lights.

the lights are my fave. beautiful glowing forms, very alluring in a dark room.

these are only a few. students had about seven weeks to explore the light form and give it an australian theme of their choice.
none have made lights before.

i'm so proud of them.

there's no place like home

2007-10-31T01:52:00.000-07:00

and just like dorothy i've returned with a lovely pair of red shoes.
[did she actually get to keep those ruby slippers? i'm not so sure now]

wow.
what a massive bunch of weeks it has been.
dealing with double my usual teaching load, double my marking load, preparing stock for two big festivals, AND printing and making stuff for my weekly stall at paddington market.

have just dropped of tees and kaftans and cushions for the Balmain Art and Craft Festival this weekend.
that nearly killed me.
my new kaftan range features vintage prints of sea creatures and i rather like them.

thanks JW Buel [18th Century illustrator].

today is supposed to be my first day off in months.
i find it impossible to do NOTHING.
now i have to get ready for the Avalon Fair in the northern beaches in a couple of weeks.

if only i was five people.
that would work nicely.

free

2007-10-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

finally.
able to crawl out of this whirlwind of activity that's been hurling me about the ..

oops, spoke too soon...
[there's no place like home, there's no place like home....]

a tiny scream

2007-09-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

it was fun to begin with.
when i had more time on my hands.
even though no-one is reading this (which i like) i feel such pressure to update.
just no time.

how do they all do this? AND appear to have other lives as well.

a few quick hand drawn patterns in ink, makes me calm.

i think i may have to abandon this blogging caper. just too many more important things to attend to.
right now.
so what am i still doing here?
it sucks me in.
got to go. no time.

the sheep are nervous

2007-09-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

no need to be my lovelies, i’m making you some lovely new coats and taking you out into the world. first i have to print you...

cushion v. 1

cushion v. 2

uh oh, what happened here? don’t like that sickly colour. little faces need painting in. can i be bothered with the ears? i know i should do the ears. i’ll just ignore it for now. oh dear, i think i’ve ruined it. push on. denial. that should work. give the girls their new coats. i knew i was going to have to paint in the ears.

and I’ve got the spacing all wrong. too late now.

lock me up and throw away the key

2007-08-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

i love astro turf. for ages now have been wanting to incorporate it into my market stall display. i finally bought a slab of the green stuff a couple of weeks ago. it is just so gorgeously fake. surprisingly i resisted the urge to cover my entire stall in astro turf. how i held back, i'll never know. went the other way actually, cut a tiny bean-shape of green and plonked my business cards on top. oh so predictable. restrained. dull.
then .. last week, stumbled on some tiny fake flowers while rumaging for something. threaded a few into a new patch of turf and OMG how happy did that make me?

smiled for days over that. with the addition of flowers came the idea for a tree. simple, white, stark.
am i missing my calling as a set designer for a flea circus? i wonder. just so love playing with the tiny details of my stall infrastructure.
i used to feature this imposing cloth tree on my stall, covered in signs or images or cloth birds on wires.

that was a few days in creation. handprinted indian woodblock pattern. the reverse is a different colour. of course. with hours of machine-stitched crisscrossed lines. of course. top half is stuffed with polyfibre, bottom half sits on a whiskey bottle carton. i don't have room on my stall any more for my cloth tree. would love to drag it out again, it has such presence.

ceramic garden gnomes also used to feature on my stall ... usually 4 different ones in a row. their purpose was to display different beanie sizes. and entertain.

but you have to wrap garden gnomes very carefully and remember not to throw your market bags on the ground when setting up. i smashed one a couple of weeks ago while packing up, Dopey i think it was, very traumatic for me. i use cardboard cut outs now.

customers always commented on the ceramic gnomes and there'd always be someone who wanted to buy them, who thought they were just the most amazing things they'd ever seen. making me wonder, how can there be people who don't know about two dollar shops? (where all gnomes are born).

last year i made myself some sandbags (having a 10 million dollar public liability insurance hasn't prevented my fear of impaling a market goer with my umbrella that has been lifted by a freak gust of wind). was i happy with a lump of sand sitting in plastic bags? oh dear me NO.

nothing short of hours of sewing up a lovely 50s fabric and adding a handle for securing rope and making the sandbag easy to carry. once, someone came up to me at the market, rather concerned that someone had left their handbag on the ground. no, not a handbag, but a rather spiffy-looking sandbag, i suggested.

like i said... throw away the key...

to market, to market

2007-08-04T17:21:00.001-07:00

it was freezing yesterday at paddo market, the weak sunshine was no match for icy winds. my tiny stall looks a little different every week, sometimes i think i love playing with the display more than making the products. used to have a table double this size and a big canopy but that got too expensive to keep up so i downsized and the display went vertical. it's a work in progress.

my stall is usually somewhere around the church, referred to as the platinum zone. ooh errr. i love the vibe in the platinum zone and some of the other designers and artists around me. Kristina Brenke is a jewellery maker. i couldn't begin to write words that would justify the work she does, you need to visit her stall to see her stunning jewellery for yourself.

i'm not a big wearer of jewellery but i have one of her simple, elegant silver rings that i wear always, that i just love.

wow, what a ring. looking at it so big and beautiful like this... i'm in love with it even more.

pattern in my not so natural world -part one

2007-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

and this wrapping paper featuring an image of my brother in the 70's, made by his son and wrapped around a gift for his recent birthday.

a little creepy.

no real dogs here

2007-07-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

there's someone in my family (hello scott) who thinks that all i do with my time is design and redesign my business card. soooo not true. in the nearly five years of being registered as a business i've only changed my business card design maybe 8 or 9 times. it started with the regular size and this spotty dog, which began life as one of my papier mache candle holders, back in my papier mache phase ..

then i decided to downsize vertically and dump the dog image. an acquaitance showed me photo of herself as a kid in a gigantic hat.. loved the image .. played with it in photoshop .. my new business card was born.

with the hat LOOK i loved the idea that the viewer had to imagine the dog at the end of the lead. but then i started designing and making products other than hats, as was always the intention, so the cute little girl in the hat had to go. i think the next LOOK was the square format with words only on the front and a sheep on the back. yep, still wasn't keen on the dog image idea so i thought, what about a sheep, might disturb and confuse people, that appealed for some reason. so i went with the sheep.
the sheep version was the only one i had made professionally into business cards, all the others, including my current ones, are printed out and hand cut and pasted up by me. madness. must stop that soon. the reaction to the sheep was generally very positive. but i got bored with that LOOK and decided it was time to go all out DOG ..

okay, so i lied, that white poodle is a REAL dog, it's bobby, my niece's very bouncy dog. handcutting this got a bit tedious and i thought it was too long for a business card. so bobby got shortened, chopped at the waist. and i turned him into a cartoon.

still not happy. decided to go back to the longer version and this time make it double as a bookmark.

mmmm... a little OTT. yearning for clean lines, simplicity. so back to photoshop.
and this is my current business card .. tiny, tiny little thing.. available in three colours.

i'm happy now.. for a while.