Anna Laura Art

Happy New Year

2010-01-08T12:59:00.002+11:00

Getting back into the swing of things after a wee break is always so hard! I spent a few days down in Tassie with Hollie and Mikey and Jess at the Falls Festival. It was actually my 10 year reunion with the Festival, having gone to the big Millennium Celebration back in 1999 with the Violent Femmes. My highlights were Emiliana Torrini and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing the countdown slot with my neck straining to see what Karen O, who travelled to the show on a lightning bolt, was wearing. Some of the other highlights were Liam Finn with Eliza Jane and Chairlift, shown above piffing an already smashed guitar into the air. I've put some more photos over on Flickr, although these two above are my favourites.

I hope everyone had a lovely festive season and I am looking forward to 2010!

A little redesign

2009-12-16T21:38:00.002+11:00

I've done a bit of a redesign of the Anna Laura website. As you can probably tell I've scaled back to focus on our Able and Game cards, but I will still be doing the little lady badges. They are also featured in the current Frankie Mag which is pretty exciting (thanks Frankie!). They are also available on the lovely website Leeloo which is also the only place you can buy them.

Once Upon Artworks

2009-12-11T10:33:00.003+11:00

The Tears

The Spin

The Queen

The First Born

I've finally found the time to put my four artworks from Once Upon up on the blog. My fairy tail was Rumpelstiltskin and I have to say I had a few dilemmas with the whole thing but ended up pushing through to create something I was happy with. This was a bit of a novelty, because all to often I just procrastinate then rush something and end up a bit disappointed in what I create.

The artworks are hand stitched collages created with thread and a variety of papers. I originally planned to not have too much on them, but when I started on the the last one I got a bit carried away with all the detail causing me to go and add more detail to all of them and miss the deadline for posting them off.

Gareth and I flew up for the exhibition opening and it was (embarrassingly) my first trip to Sydney, so things like double decker trains were a total novelty. We hung with Jess from Truth Be Told and met lots of lovely people and drunk the great wine supplied by Catalina Sounds.

If you're wanting to buy some of the artworks, just go to the Once Upon website and click the Art For Sale link at the top. And lastly, a big thanks to Renee and Angela for organising the whole shebang!

Once Upon

2009-11-02T18:28:00.002+11:00

Angela from Leeloo and Renee from Art4Friends have organised an exhibition opening later this month called Once Upon. The theme is fairytails and I've been working on my artworks over the last few weeks. I had some real issues working out what I was going to do with both the style I wanted to work in and the media I wanted to use. After a rather tense day last week I'm feeling much better about the artworks and am currently in the production stage, as you can see from the mess on my desk in the image above.

I often have this love hate relationship with the work I do, and I know when I push through it I come up with something I am happy with but that uncertainly can really bring out some ugly thoughts. All part of the process I guess, but during these moments I get why artists are often drug and booze addled depressives who slice of their ears and drive too fast in the Hamptons.

Gareth and I will both be coming up to Sydney for the opening on the 19th of December at aMBUSH gallery in Waterloo. If you're in Sydney it would be great to see you at the opening, which I am looking forward to as it is a little mini break.

Yay/Nay

2009-10-21T21:01:00.004+11:00

Wow, it was a whole month ago that I posted my last Yay/Nay. For some reason it felt like two weeks. In keeping with the Loobylu tradition of Hot/Not I have a few Yay/Nay for today.

YAY

The Once Upon exhibition next month. Gareth and I are both going up to Sydney for it so I am very excited. I was going to go up alone and had my flight booked but I figured where is the fun in that? So Gareth is coming along for the ride.

Falls Festival in Marion Bay. Hollie and I sit on a Saturday and talk about how much fun it is going be. I'm spending a week down in Tassie and I am looking forward to a whole 7 days away from a computer.

Roller Derby this Saturday in Rezza.

10km run. If you told me 2 years ago I would run for 10km I would have laughed at you. Jhoanna from One Red Robin also took part and it was nice to have someone to talk with about it. The race finished with a lap of the MCG which was pretty good. It was interesting to see what it looked like from the middle after going to quite a few footy matches this year. Plus the weather that Sunday morning was perfect.

NAY

800m. Turns out our 10km was a little shorter than it should have been.

Eggs + kids + muckup day. Keep your eggs in your pockets kids. Don't throw them at people and don't throw them on the trams.

Myspace. It is a wasteland.

Yay/Nay

2009-09-18T15:28:00.003+10:00

After reading Loobylu's recent blog post I realised I am also a bit of a Hot/Not fan. I remember I had a Mode magazine from about 1992 that had a huge one in it, all full of things I did not understand, but I tried to pretend I did. I'm going to call my list Yay and Nay rather than Hot or Not, just because I'm using the word Yaysies so much I even have Gareth saying it.

YAY!

Finding my kitten necklace Hollie gave me from my birthday. It's from Corky St. Clair and I put it in a safe place, so safe I couldn't find it for 6 months. But it is back!

New brooches. The porcelain owl is from Dani M Designs and the resin horse is from Hokey. I also have a new Featherstitch Fantail brooches from Bridget, a custom design of a Magpie that I can wear to the football and look like a Collingwood supporter without having to deck myself out in black and white and gold.

The Black Apple's Brownie recipe. I made it the other night and it is one of the best recipes I've found. You don't need chocolate, just cocoa (chocolate isn't something that just sits around in the house is it?) and you can mix it all up in a saucepan. I'm pretty sure the recipe can be adapted as well, to make it vegan (use noegg and vegan spread instead of butter/eggs), glutan free or low fat (adding apple sauce instead of butter).

NAY

Friends leaving to go overseas, although it is more of a reason to get over to Europe next year and escape the winter here.

Finding someone to go to Animal Collective with in December at The Forum. I'm putting it out there, who wants to be my date?

Bride Wars. You know when you know a film is going to be bad, but you think it might turn full circle and still entertain you? This isn't one of those films, it is honestly the worst film I've seen. I don't understand who would enjoy it, it makes shallow romantic girl films seem deep and arty. If you were ever thinking of renting it I am here to save you 90 minutes of your life, plus the hours you will spend afterwards thinking of ways the money to make the film could be better spent.

Bridbird Sale

2009-08-19T11:48:00.003+10:00

My friend Bridget from Bridbird is having a sale over in her Etsy shop, everything is only $10US to help reduce stock levels before she shifts over to Ireland next month. You can get some really lovely Gocco prints like the one above. They make great gifts, my Mum has a Magpie print and Gareth's Mum has one of the Melbourne Terrace prints. I am sure they will all be snapped up pretty quick, so I'm posting this to give you all a heads up!

Magic Gloves

2009-07-29T14:03:00.003+10:00

These very sweet little gloves were a gift from Hollie, who made them up after I said the colour combo was one I would like. She gave them to Gareth a few Saturdays ago when he had been at Rose Street and I had been at DMT and they came all wrapped up like it was my birthday or something crazy like that. If you want a pair you can come along to Rose Street as Hollie is selling them at her stall in different colour combinations. According to Suzie, who has a black and white pair, they are magic. I think I can agree with that, anything that keeps my hands warm is magic. I'm off into the city, with the lovely gloveson, to get ready for First In Style with the Able and Game cards, in the mean time have a look at Hollie's newest blog, Lost Little Loves, so much pretty!

Oh and speaking of Rose Street, did you know they will be now open on Sunday as well as Saturday starting this Sunday? They will be running from 11am-5pm and are located on 60 Rose Street, Fitzroy, pretty much smack bang between Brunswick Street, Nicholson Street, Johnston Street and Alexandra Parade. So if you have not been before and one of the reasons was you had stuff on on Saturday, you can now have a lovely lazy Sunday in Fitzroy that includes Rose Street!

Second Studio Sale

2009-07-27T11:31:00.002+10:00

The last month has gone by so quickly I didn't realise it had been over a month since I had updated this blog! I also didn't realise our Studio Sale was less than two weeks away. The first one, organised by Peta Pledger, was a real success with lots of people coming by. This one will be even better with more people having stalls. I will be selling Able and Game cards as well as reduced Anna Laura stock, plus some fabric and notions. If you're the type of person who gets organised with Christmas shopping early then this sale will be perfect as you will get some bargains that are handmade in Melbourne!

Details

What: Studio Sale with Samantha Sultana, Peta Pledger, Shara Lambeth, Sew Your Own, Anna Laura, Lil' Misfit, Justina Maria and Jacqueline Benedetti Jewellery.
When: Saturday 8th August from 10am-4pm
Where: Level 2, Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston Street Melbourne (Next to Buttonmania)

If you want to post the flyer on your blog to help promote the sale please feel free to use the one above.

Melbourne Cards

2009-06-23T14:07:00.002+10:00

I've had this card idea in my head for quite a while now, the only thing putting me off was the trip I needed to take to Frankston to take the photo. I've got plans on doing an Able and Game Melbourne range, I just need to think of some ideas for more cards, I've got a few floating around, I just need to perfect them. This one is popular at Rose Street with one girl demanding her boyfriend buy it for her right that very second. If you want one for yourself you can purchase online via Etsy or you can come and visit us at Rose Street on Saturday (60 Rose Street in Fitzroy from 11am-5pm) and say hello and tell me your favourite zone two location.

A-Z

2009-06-15T11:08:00.003+10:00

I was over at Veronica Darling's blog and saw she had an ABC of websites visited via the web browser and thought I would have a go. I've put up an old old photo from photobucket. Maybe from 2006 when Gareth was my model!

Here is what you do:

"So what you have to do is type each letter of the alphabet one by one into the URL line of your browser. This will bring up your most visited site of this letter, or the letter being used within the address. Use the first site that comes up, or the second if you have privacy/security issues. It's like a little outline of your favourite web sites!"

A. Able and Game. Taking up all my time at the moment.
B. Babelfish. For converting text into other languages.
C. Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
D. Dictionary.com for checking my words.
E. Etsy. I thought it would be that.
F. Flickr. Photos!
G. Go Fug Yourself. The late night I'm bored and need a quick fix read.
H. artsHub. A great resource.
I. I can has cheezburger. I'm not ashamed to say it is my favourite.
J. Jhoanna from One Red Robin on Twitter. We are run buddies!
K. Kitty's Kaboodle. I was reading about Kitty in Mix Tape Zine on the weekend actually.
L. LeeLoo. A great online shop for Australian made.
M. Metlink Melbourne. I love public transport.
N. Guy Bourdin at NGV. This is OLD, from when I did my DipEd in 2004!
O. Officeworks. Looking for opening hours I think.
P. Prince Ballroom. Went and saw TZU with Hollie and Mikey a few months back.
Q. Not Quite Nigella. Food blogs are good and this one is a great read.
R. Rose Street Artist Market. How I spend my Saturdays.
S. Survey Monkey. I made one up for the cards a while back.
T. The Age. I used to get it delivered, this saves on messy papers everywhere.
U. Urban Dictionary. Same as Veronica Darling!
V. Vegan and Vintage. Hollie!
W. Webflicks. We get our films in the mail. It makes me happy.
X. Xe. For money stuffs.
Y. Youtube. Lately it has been Nevermind the Buzzcocks. I love that show.
Z. Zip Code Search. Helps with getting packages to the US quicker.

Lions

2009-06-10T12:14:00.002+10:00

Last year at Christmas time I was on the hunt for cute little presents to send over to Gareth's family. He has two nephews and a neice all under 5 so buying presents for them is actually loads of fun. I got a little softie like the one above from my friend Alice's stall at the Northcote Night Market and she said it was made by Myf, who I knew via email. The softies are made with recycled blankets and are so cute I almost didn't want to post it over to Scotland. You can get the one above and a few others from Myf's shop, Fontok and she also has a blog.

So you're having a baby?

2009-06-03T15:12:00.002+10:00

I thought I would put up some of the Able and Game baby cards we have available. We have a few more in the works including the bun in the oven card, but with the bun out of the oven. I've been having a lot of fun drawing the cards, although sometimes it can be hard. Anyone who does any kind of illustration will know what I am talking about, it's a love hate relationship sometimes. Gareth and I are also super excited because we have booked into Design Made Trade in July. It will be open to the trade for the first two days, on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th of July, and then open to the public on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of July.

Run Melbourne - Makers Team

2009-06-01T14:49:00.002+10:00

The Age is presenting a fun run event on June 28th called Run Melbourne. After hearing about Jhoanna from One Red Robin running in the Mother's Day Fun Run event I thought it might be nice to get a group art artists/crafters and makers together to do the run.

The event is held on Sunday 28th June at Fed Square in Melbourne and the event caters for different fitness levels starting from a 5km walk right up to a half marathon.

You can sign up on the website here, make sure you do so before June 12th to take advantage of the cheaper registration fee. Once you register you can set up your fundraising page, nominate a charity and start receiving donations. You can then email me your details and I will include them on this blog post and then all you need to do is start training!

Melbourne Makers - Run Melbourne

Jhohanna Monte Aranez from One Red Robin
Sponsor Page
Money going to: Mirabel Foundation
Website: One Red Robin
Twitter: One Red Robin

Anna Blandford from Able and Game
Sponsor Page
Money going to: Breast Cancer Australia
Website: Able and Game
Twitter: Able and Game

This made my day today

2009-05-25T20:09:00.002+10:00

One of my most favourite people in the world, Aisha, lives over in London. Living in London isn't something I've ever really had any desire to do, until she shifted there a few years ago. Lucky we can play google street view together and I can have a look around where she lives. Aisha and her busband Ben are both very talented, particularly with words, music and film and this clip above is for one of Ben's song called When I Fell Over In The City. If it sounds familiar, that is because we used it in our Able and Game Mother's Day film. They also star in the film, you need to wait till the end to see Aisha, but it is worth it, in a eek eek eek kind of way.

Roflcopter

2009-05-19T13:26:00.003+10:00

I was reading an old copy of Frankie from July 2007 and it had a funny interview with Bob Evans. He said his ideal Saturday night is staying home with his wife, cooking dinner, drinking three bottles of plonk and getting "plastered" then watching her dance and maybe dancing if he was plonked enough. It made me laugh because it was probably my ideal Saturday night, particularly if the wife got up and danced to Beck.

Oh if you have ever hung out in the Etsy forums then you might get a laugh at this post by Jodie, which made me laugh just as much as this new card Gareth came up with.

And finally, the drawing above is available as a print from Able and Game and is listed as an A5 print in the Etsy shop. We also have some new listings if you're wanting multiple cards and want to save a few bucks.

Studio

2009-05-14T16:01:00.002+10:00

I had to set up some studio shots today to use for an interview, some with me in them, but I had nobody to help me. Lucky my camera has that 10 second delay and I have a little tripod making the whole thing not too painful. Although with the blinds open people walking along the street could have seen me looking awkwardly at the camera trying to look natural. I sent some to Gareth as a proof and he said the smile looked a bit forced and suggested putting some 30 Rock on to help out.

Wildflowers

2009-05-12T21:15:00.003+10:00

I've put some more items for sale over in my Etsy shop, and there is still free shipping for Australian shoppers, so if you're wanting a bit of a bargain then this is the place. The grey and red pouch has been screenprinted with a wildflower design and features boxed edges so it can stand upright. The yellow brooch is machine stitched and features vintage fabric and hand screenprinted fabrics. It is quite large, about 7cm/2.75" at its widest point.

Oh and I forgot to write about Able and Game's feature in The Age. I was up at 7am to run to the newsagents, onto to find they didn't open till 7.30am but were unpacking all the papers. I had my market float on me that I grabbed on my way out and gave him exact change so I could get a copy. He wasn't impressed but I wasn't waiting 30 minutes in the cold. I was looking through my flickr photos the other day and found my version of the card below.

Sale!

2009-05-11T18:33:00.003+10:00

I'm putting some older stock in my Etsy shop at sale prices over the next few weeks. Today I put four small tote bags up, they all feature handcut screenprints and are big enough to fit all the essential items with a strap long enough to go over your arm and sit just underneath.

Gareth and I had a busy weekend with our Able and Game Mother's Day cards and I was lucky enough to have him helping me at Rose Street. Thanks to all the people to supported us by purchasing our cards online, at the market or via our stockists. The next big event is Father's Day next month for the US, Canada and UK on June 21st so I think tonight will be spent in front of the heater drawing.

An Able and Game Film - Mother's Day Cards

2009-04-30T10:42:00.001+10:00

Gareth and I made a short film about the making of one of our Mother's Day cards for Able and Game. The process involved drawing a design in pen and ink and filming it, then it was sped up and a few fancy graphics added. The design was then scanned and made into an Able and Game card and is available for sale on Etsy.

Now I know what you're thinking, that music in this film is pretty cool, I want to know more, who made it and how can I get to one of his gigs? Well if you live in London then you're super lucky because you have a greater chance of seeing Mr. Benjamin Shaw than we do. Gareth and I have been lucky enough to see him a few times before in Melbourne and we both agree he is as talented as he is lovely. This little blurb from his myspace page made me laugh:

After a year in Melbourne, playing gaggles of shows and being involved in some frightfully hot bondings with the hip and dandies of Melbourne, Ben returned to Engerland with a wife and a woollen sock full of new songs and recordings.

Now living in the woods of North London, Ben has recently been seen playing all the main dives you've never heard of, and continues to be making mountains of his molehill recordings.

BFF Badge Sale

2009-04-29T12:47:00.002+10:00

For one week only I am having a BFF Badge Sale on Etsy. It means if you purchase a badge from my Etsy shop you will get another badge for free, a Best Friend Forever for the little lady!

These little felt ladies don't like to travel alone, they want to take advantage of the free champagne on the flights and they flirt better when they have their BFF in tow.

Studio Sale

2009-04-24T18:37:00.002+10:00

Peta Pledger has planned a Studio Sale involving myself and some other very talented ladies. It is in two weeks time on a Saturday in the lovely Nicholas Building, near Buttonmania. I will still be doing Rose Street, however Gareth will be taking over for me on that day and be selling the Able and Game cards, as he is the Game part in Able and Game. If you want to get a Mother's Day card we will have them available at both markets, or if you're not in Melbourne you can always buy online. I will post some more about the type of things I will be selling during the next two weeks. It should be a really great market, the other ladies involved are all super talented!

Votes!

2009-04-20T12:57:00.003+10:00

My cousins, Zoe and Jemma, made a video for a Jeans West Competition called Denim Love Affairs and need some vote loving. You can go here to vote and watch the video if the one above doesn't work. Although if they win I might be a tad jealous of their trip to Paris!

Shoe Obsessed

2009-04-19T18:10:00.003+10:00

I've added three new designs to the Able and Game range of cards called Little Shoes. The designs feature a lace pattern and cute little ballet flat shoes, the type I'm looking for right at the moment. I've not had a look in any shops yet, but I know I need to get moving as I'm wearing my Buck Chucks from Art School days. They don't fair so well in wet weather but I'm still clinging onto them for as long as possible. Who knows, I might be still wearing them in 10 years time, clinging onto a vague memory of art school days.

It was Lily all along!

2009-04-17T09:27:00.003+10:00

I found a clip about making crayons on the Ok, Bye blog and realised I could try and find some of my favourite Sesame Street clips on youtube. This one below was always my favourite and they never seemed to play it very often. All I remembered about it was a little girl in a big chair, a sandwich she made and her poking her tongue out at the end. I didn't know it was Lily Tomlin and I'm surprised I didn't recognise her when I saw Big Business as a kid, up until today I thought it was a little girl telling the story.

Farmy Goodness

2009-04-15T14:36:00.002+10:00

I went back to the family farm in Gippsland for a few days over Easter. I was hoping to take advantage of the light in the house and get some shots of the new screenprinted artwork, but realised it wasn't light enough and I probably just needed to use the tripod. Although I do like the shot above with the flowers at the side. There are more nice things to style with at Mum and Dad's place. All we seem to have is second hand furniture and stuff from Ikea and in some cases second hand stuff FROM Ikea.

Let Them Eat Cake

2009-04-09T14:38:00.005+10:00

This is second clutch I've put up on Etsy, this one uses more of the burnt orange fabric and some lovely Japanese floral fabric from Amitie. I'm quite fond of this colour combination, the inside is a greyish blue fabric which looks good with the orange.

The artwork below came from a sudden Marie Antoinette inspiration. Although that only came about after I draw all the hair piled on her hair and it reminded me of her. The A5 print is available in the Able and Game Etsy shop and there is now a little collection of A5 prints available. If you like Able and Game cards you can become a fan on Facebook, or you can channel your early '90s cool and become a fan of The Fresh Prince.

Electric Blue

2009-04-07T17:25:00.002+10:00

I spent Friday making a batch of new clutches for the market and I'm putting some of them up on Etsy. This one above is made with some of Lara's lovely birch fabric and the rest is thrifted fabrics. The bright blue at the base of the clutch is on of my favourites, bright with lots of texture. I went along to Carmel's in Mentone last week. I had never been but was down that way to meet up with Stacey so decided to pop in. The shop is lovely, it has everything I wanted, helpful staff and it doesn't take 1/2 to get to the other side of the store. Although I got caught in the rain on the way home and I didn't even have a pina colada to make up for it.

New Prints

2009-04-03T22:30:00.002+11:00

These are two new prints available through the Able and Game Etsy shop. They are available in a yellow and pink colourway and started off as a line drawing was scanned into the computer and then digitally coloured. I had fun working at what colours to use, although it was hard when you know what colour you want but you have to find it amongst the millions available. Remember the days when you only had 72 Derwents to choose from (well in my case it was borrow from my sister), I miss those days!

Big Haul

2009-04-02T15:41:00.003+11:00

Kirsty and I headed down to Mornington on Monday on our Op-Shopping road trip. After a big weekend of bands, going away parties and the market I got up early Monday morning for the trek. We went Amazing Race style smsing Gareth for the addy, then realising we had no idea where that was. We managed to see the sign by chance and made it there as the doors opened and left with our arms full. We found 3 other big oppies close by, so overall it was a good morning for fabric shopping. The clutch above was made with some burnt orange fabric I found and the floral is from Amitie.

Craft/Mag

2009-03-30T14:38:00.002+11:00

I've not posted about this lovely new book yet, I wanted to wait till it was out. I'm really excited to be involved in Pip's Meet Me At Mikes book, it is really beautiful and full of all sorts of fun projects, including a recipe for pink lamingtons! I have a project in there, but you'll have to go and have a look at the book to find out what it is. It does involve making something that could look like a cat or my Dad.

In other exciting news, Able and Game are in May's Real Living Magazine. I just went and got a copy then and was so excited to see our hipster mixtape boy looking all moody and cool in print!

Bridget Farmer Prints

2009-03-26T12:01:00.003+11:00

Yesterday I spent the day with Bridget helping with the redesign of her new website for her lovely prints like the Red Wattlebird above. Although I know a little tiny bit about making websites I always feel like a total fool when compared to Gareth, who seems to know everything (although I discovered last night he doesn't know about php).

After spending hours on the computers side by side in my studio we had a lovely take away curry, some red wine (from the goonbox!) and watched Farmer Wants a Wife. It was nice to have someone to watch it with and discuss it in real time, although I missed the first season I'm a sucker for that show. If you watch it please feel free to email me or comment to discuss your thoughts. Do you think Riley and Tim will last? Can you tell Rachael and Stacey apart? Do you wish you could date Jenny just so you can say you live in a place called Tumbarumba?

Butterflies are up

2009-03-25T16:44:00.002+11:00

I've just put one of the butterfly artworks up in my Anna Laura Etsy shop, this is one with the green/blue and yellow fabric, the blue ink and the yellow polkadots on the side.

Anyone up for a road trip?

2009-03-25T09:35:00.002+11:00

To Mornington? Not really a road trip as such as Mornington isn't that far away so a mini road adventure of sorts. The lovely Marcus from TLC sent this along and all the details are above in the flyer.

Butterflies and Kittens

2009-03-24T20:05:00.002+11:00

Here are some more of my new screenprinted artworks. These ones have used a cut out shape to create a shape, with the rest of the fabric blocked out by the ink. The top one is stretched onto the frame, the bottom two have been stitched onto another piece of fabric and then stretched with the zigzag stitching part of the design. The fabric below is from Amitie and really very lovely, I might have to pop down and get some more, which isn't really a hassle because it is about 800 meters from my house and I walk down to Centre Road almost daily to do shopping. This is something I enjoy because I've seen up to 11 cats on the trip including fat cats, kittens and a couple of kitlers. Back to the butterflies, I designed these as artworks one might put up in a girls room. I'm hoping to do some art for a boys room as well, but with different fabric of course!

Ideas, starting out and teaching

2009-03-22T17:09:00.002+11:00

Over the last three years that I have been screenprinting I've had a lot of people ask me how I go about it. I think if people saw my set up they would be quite surprised because you don't need much room to do it and it isn't that expensive to set up.

I've started thinking about running lessons for people who are interested in learning more about screenprinting and setting themselves up to screenprint at home. The type of screenprinting would be handcut paper stencils and printing with drawing fluid and screenfiller (which creates a permanent screen). It wouldn't be creating a screenprint using the emulsion technique.

Some things I would like to do with the class is:

Have it really small, with a maximum of 6 people
Set it up so you leave the class with two screens, a permanent one using the screen filler technique and another blank screen you can reuse with paper stencils.
Have different items to print on such as fabric, calico tote bags and canvas frames for stretching screenprinted artwork onto.
Some kind of tech support after the course is finished if you're having issues with printing.
The option to purchase a kit with inks/squeegee ect to take home after the course.

I would also like to offer a similar holiday course for teenagers (13-16 year olds) with a focus on printing onto clothing and bags to create a little brand name for themselves. Having taught teenagers, I know a few would be interested in taking some ownership over the clothes they wear and having the chance to wear their own designs or give printed shirts to friends as gifts.

So what I want to know is there people in Melbourne who would be interested in doing this kind of course? Any feedback would be really helpful as I've got super excited about the idea, but realise that maybe people might not be interested.

Sweet Olive Press

2009-03-22T12:17:00.002+11:00

The lovely Helen from Pepperina Press has started a new blog, Sweet Olive Press with her beautiful letterpress stationery like the birth announcement above. I told Helen she will be doing my wedding stationery, but by the time that comes around her children will be in college, so she has plenty of time to prepare.

Can I help you?

2009-03-20T14:18:00.003+11:00

This morning I was up early to drop my Mum off at a conference and pick up some staples for my gun, which is currently running on empty. Whenever I go to this shop there never seems to be anyone around to help and when you finally corner someone they have no clue about any of the products. This time I went I found a very helpful man who offered to help, but just as he started talking to me had to leave as he was working two departments and someone called him over the loud speaker. Turns out he knew less than I did anyway, but he did look the part with a tool belt on. Apparently I also looked the part due to my shirt colour and was asked by an employee where something was. Not a customer, an employee!

I'm now loaded back up with staples for the staple gun and printed up some new birds for stretching up on frames. This bird has been kicking around for a while but I cut out the basic shape to do a white background so I could print it on some floral fabric. I wasn't going to do white and red as a colour combo, but as I was looking at the white on the floral I realised red would work really well and I'm happy I went with that colourway. Below is my inspiration board, something that took a good year of working in this studio to finally organise and put up. I think I have finally got the studio into a good layout that I am happy with and doesn't get insanly messy. Although if you look at this photo on flickr I think most people would think it is insanly messy, but for me this is pretty neat.

Beautiful Birds A5 Prints

2009-03-19T13:13:00.002+11:00

These designs were made for a range of cards for Able and Game. I liked the designs so much I thought they would work as artworks so printed them on some A5 card. I think they would look lovely mounted in a white frame and would be perfect as a gift for a newborn baby. You can purchase them via our Able and Game Etsy shop for $12US, which works out to be about $18AUD plus postage.

Pigeon Polka Dot

2009-03-17T14:29:00.002+11:00

Here is another of the new screenprinted artworks available on Etsy. Although I've been screenprinting quite a bit over the last 3 years I don't usually screenprint onto patterned fabric. Plain cotton or linen cotton blends in pretty colours is more my cup of tea. I always looked at printing onto anything other than plain fabric as something that would detract from the print. And when you're cutting those stencils out yourself you really want the print to stand out.

I think I was maybe a bit closed minded because I did some prints onto some different patterns and was rather pleased with the results, particularly with the white prints. This one above is on a lovely bright blue polka dot cotton with a pigeon from the drawings at Melbourne Museum I did with Bridget last year. I think I'm going to enjoy creating these new screenprinted artworks and seeing how much I can experiment with the medium.

Like the ocean

2009-03-16T13:51:00.002+11:00

I've just listed this clutch on Etsy and the blue in the chiffon and lining reminds me of the ocean. I managed to go on a few swims this year, the best being the first for the summer. The water was the colour of this chiffon and it was a lovely sunny Sunday with the beach packed with people. The worst swim was at the same beach but after the sun had gone down so it was dark and scary. Bits of seaweed would touch my skin and frighten me because all I had on my mind was sharks and Jaws, courtesy of Meringue and Andy. Hopefully I get a few more swims this year, but I think they might be in a heated pool and not at Sandringham beach. At least I can look at the chiffon and remember them.

Birch Bird

2009-03-13T09:24:00.003+11:00

Here is the second artwork I've listed on Etsy. It is the same size as the one from yesterday but this one is a screenprint of a bird. The stencil was handcut from paper and I added some applique detail with some of Lara's Birch Fabric and another floral fabric for the leaves. I've listed this one on Etsy as well, and have some more I finished yesterday to list online. If you're in Melbourne I will be taking them to the markets with me. On Saturday I will be at Rose Street and Sunday at the Maker's Market at Abbottsford Convent.

I found the design process with making these really a bit difficult. The 7 by 5 inch size of the frames isn't huge, so you don't have a lot to work with. I had an idea in my head of what they would look like but as I started to design them these ideas didn't seem to be appearing. I think I have a love hate relationship with my design process, something I discovered again while drawing all the Able and Game cards. I seem to only focus on what I cannot do rather than what I can and don't play to my strengths, instead trying to achieve something I find very difficult to create. I am sure everyone feels like this, I know I have long chats with my friend in London who is writing scripts and she feels the same. It is hard work and when people say how great it must be to be creative all day I usually say it is really good, but it is also hard work.

Blue Shoes

2009-03-12T15:07:00.002+11:00

I've been making some more artworks on stetched canvas. This one is my little shoes design, but this time in a blue and red colour combination. I used these cute little buttons I got from Camberwell Market with some red stitching on the blue felt. I've listed this in my Etsy shop, after spending a few days working out the best way to package them so they are safe and sound. Lots of bubble wrap and tissue paper and a sturdy box from Australia Post seemed like the best option for safe art travel.

Brett

2009-03-06T12:01:00.002+11:00

When I was in high school I had a slight obsession with Brett Whiteley. In Year 11 and 12 I had his ultramarine blue book out on loan for the whole two years during my VCE. My Mum ended up buying me a copy, I think out of embarrassment as she worked at the school and was worried the librarians might growl at her. Mum and I went down to the big exhibition he had in 1996 or 1997 at the NGV with Turner on at the same time. I spent the whole 3 hour train trip looking at the book, excited to see them for real. I pulled the book out today and did this drawing from one of his still life's from the 70s. I'm a sucker for linework and he is the king of the line. I'm wondering if I should make a little range of cards for Able and Game with some still life drawings like the one above?

Wedding Bells

2009-02-27T17:33:00.002+11:00

This is a new range of wedding cards I've made for Able and Game. I worked on them today, sending Gareth what I had done, taking his suggestions and working on them some more. The lace pattern is a brush I made in Photoshop, which is where the whole idea started. I'm going to be listing them on the Able and Game Etsy Shop tonight, although after working on the computer since 8am this morning, I think I just want to sit outside in the warm air and drink some sort of cocktail that contains mint and too much alcohol.

I will be at Rose Street this Saturday and Sunday Arts at the Abbotsford Convent on Sunday, so come by if you're in the area. We will have the cards and all the usual stuff at both the markets and it is always nice to see someone to chat to during the long days. We don't have warm weather forecast tomorrow and Sunday which is good so it should be a good couple of days. I'm a little sad summer is ending, despite the few horrid days, it was actually a nice few months. Although I have a feeling the super hot days might still come along in March.

Fake Teeth

2009-02-17T22:47:00.002+11:00

I went along to Bec and Scarlett's Valentine's exhibition Sugar and Spice at 696 in Brunswick on Saturday night. It was a lovely evening and Gareth and I sat outside sipping champagne (he had beer) with Hollie, Mikey and Liss, as well as the artists and a little boy who had about 10 chupa chups and was high on sugar. I think all the girls have lovely pics of the food, people, art and poems on their blogs, I forgot to take my camera and the only picture I have is Gareth with fake teeth in his mouth taken on his phone. Simple things thrill us, and I think those fake teeth will never cease to provide laughs.

The above drawing was done today for a range of cards for Able and Game. I'm in the middle of doing all the Mother's Day cards and wanted a bit of a change. I think I will do a small range of about 6 different drawings of flowers and birds. I'm not sure when you would need to give such a card, but I'm often wanting something pretty but not attached to any occasion to give people quite often, so I am sure there is a need there somewhere.

More items from the Bushfire Shop

2009-02-16T11:07:00.002+11:00

The Victorian Bushfire Appeal shop has raised over $10000 in just under a week of opening, a fantastic effort from Felicia Fairy and Vanilla Pixie, who have been listing hundreds of items, then organising who has sold what and emailing everyone to let them know where to post the items.

If you have some beautiful handmade items you can donate you can get more information on the profile page. Even if you don't have an Etsy shop, if you make handmade things, or have anything vintage then it can be sold on Etsy to help raise money.

There is also going to be an Art Auction at Outré Gallery organised by Gemma Jones on Wednesday 25th of Febuary and the blog Handmade Help has lots of projects going on at the moment including restashing a crafter and a cookbook project.

Bushfire Appeal Etsy Shop

2009-02-12T09:05:00.002+11:00

Emma from feliciafairy.etsy.com on the Goldcoast has set up an Etsy shop to raise money to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. All the items in the shop have been donated by people from around the world and 100% of the money raised will go to the Red Cross and each item in the shop has free postage. Here is a small selection of some of the items available.

Giraffe Rattle by Ollie Rose

Lime Tree Resin Necklace by Early Bird

Bleeding Hearts Photograph by Rocky Top Studio

Silver Wristlet by Meringue Shop

Queen of Hearts Onesie by Never Ever

Lou Lou Knitted Booties by Bobishi

Bushfires

2009-02-09T20:15:00.003+11:00

I'm sure most of you know about the Bushfires in Victoria and how completely horrid the last few days have been. I've been keeping my eye on The Age website all weekend for updates, this story from The Australian really highlighted how frightening it must have been for people so close to the fires. My fear of the fires is always worsened by the fact that my Dad is a CFA volunteer and is always called up to man a strike team.

If you want to help out in any way, the Red Cross website has information on donating. They have a bank account set up, so if you are in Australian and have internet banking, making a donation is really easy.

An Etsy shop has been set up where you can purchase items in which the funds will be donated to the bush fire appeal and the items have free shipping internationally as well. If you have something you make and want to donate send a convo to Felecia.

The picture above was taken on Collins Street on Saturday. Gareth, Hollie and I were driving through the city after leaving Rose Street early due to the heat. I'm sure bins on fire are a common thing but I was quite shocked seeing this.

Hollie has also posted about how you can help the animals affected by the fire, and Pip from Meet Me At Mikes has posted about things you can make to help out.

Slackorama

2009-02-04T11:23:00.002+11:00

I've been really slack with my studio and it has taken a full year to get it into a place that I'm happy to work in. I've also just managed to get some stuff up on the walls. At the back is a messy inspiration board on a large canvas my sister gave me a few years back. The other is a painting by a guy I went to uni with. Each year we had an Arts Auction and in my final year I was in charge of writing down all the sale details. I sat with a 4 litre cask of Fruity Lexia and went a little crazy bidding on things to try and get the price up to raise more money. A few times I got caught out and ended up winning about 4 artworks. This is my favourite, although it has scared a few housemates in the past who said they "didn't want it hanging in the lounge room".

I've put a few more Able and Game cards up over on the Etsy shop, if you're an Amazing Race fan, or just creepy, then you're in luck!

Valentine's Day Cards - Available on Etsy

2009-02-03T10:46:00.002+11:00

Gareth and I have put all the Valentine's Day Cards up on Etsy. They are in US dollars and we have 20 different cards available. After V-Day will be making our own webshop, but for now it is all on Etsy.

Bucket Of Ice

2009-01-30T22:21:00.003+11:00

This is the second screenprint I did this year using the drawing fluid. I've had run out of wood to make screens but found you can get frames from Ikea, although they are a little big and hurt your wrist when you phillips head them in. This one is on a natural cotton I found tucked away in the quilting section of Spotlight. I normally bypass this section due to the ghastly print options on offer, although have sometimes found some nice surprises.

Tomorrow I'm at Rose Street, come along with a bucket of ice and I'll be your BFF, come and take over for me and I'll give you my first born. I've got two bottles of water in the freezer ready for tomorrow and a whole stack of Valentine's Day Cards ready to go. I spent today photographing the cards again, this time in a lightbox. I didn't need to use lamps, the sun outside was blaring in so the lightbox came in really handy. You can check out my handiwork at the new Etsy Shop.

Little Shoes

2009-01-29T10:06:00.002+11:00

I'm due for a new pair of flats after my last pair were ruined on that weekend in December when it wouldn't stop raining. After drinking too much wine at the Rose Street Christmas Party I walked through puddles with gay abandon and they just didn't recover. As I was staying over at my sister's house I had to buy a pair of shoes at Coles the next day after waking up to find them with pools of muddy water inside. I had originally got the shoes back in February after I went to the MixTape party and wore a pair of very lovely vintage shoes that were not designed for walking long distances, like across the road. My feet were thankful for late night shopping that Friday night.

These little red shoes would be an ideal replacement although I'm not sure I would be too keen to wear the white lace socks. I've been making little artworks, either screenprints or applique and taking them along to Rose Street and other markets I've been doing. It seems the shoes are quite popular so hopefully I can organise myself to get them up on my Etsy shop.

Speaking of Etsy shops, the new Able and Game one is up for all your Valentine's Day card needs. The Etsy shop is only going to be temporary, we will be opening a webstore on the website after Valentine's Day.

Big and Hot

2009-01-28T10:12:00.003+11:00

Thanks for all the great comments on the last tutorial post, I was worried it might not make sense and be a little confusing. If anyone has any results from printing using the drawing fluid I would love to see them.

I had a great long weekend, spending Monday at the Big Day Out. Thankgod the current heatwave came a day later, as the 28 degrees was enough for me. Standing in the sun for long periods of time is something I don't ever do, and despite drinking about 2 litres of water in 30 minutes I was still feeling a little dizzy and lightheaded. I had never been to the BDO before, so it was all a bit of a novelty, the last festival I went to was Falls in '99. Highlights was TZU, Cut Copy, Neil Young and Mike Patton in cricket whites AND pads.

This Saturday it is meant to be 40 degrees (104 F) and the tin roof at Rose Street always seems to add 10 degrees onto whatever temp it is already. Bridget and I are considering wagging, although I'm hoping the cool change comes in Friday night. Cross your fingers people, we don't want to melt.

Tutorial - Screenprinting using drawing fluid and screen filler

2009-01-15T21:20:00.006+11:00

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EDIT: I just want to note that the screen filler is designed to create a permanent screen to reuse over and over. To remove the screen filler there is a product called Greased Lighting which is not made by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. I've not used it before, that is just what the speedball pack recommends. If you want to reuse your screen I recommend a paper or plastic stencil rather than this method.
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I only just discovered this method of screenprinting recently and had no idea it was available. I felt like a bit of an idiot for not finding out about it sooner as it has the appeal of handcut stencils because it is hands on, but it provides a permanent screen. The print doesn't come out as crisp as my handcut stencils, but as long as you work this into your design then it isn't a problem.

Materials Needed:

A silk screen
Drawing Fluid
Screen Filler
Squeegee
Thin Brush
Gloves
Newspaper

I got my screen filler and drawing fluid from Melbourne Etching Supplies in Fitzroy, Melbourne and they are made by Speedball in the USA. I've not seen it in other art supply shops before and if you're not in Melbourne I think MES deliver. I'm not sure of the exact cost, but it was around $60 for the two bottles. The drawing fluid will last a lot longer than the filler judging by how much I've used already.

You need a longish squeegee to put the filler on the screen, something big enough to cover the whole design so you can get an even coat. If you only have a small one it might cause problems getting an even coat when you double up. Maybe some thick cardboard cut to the right size could also do the trick, although I've not tried this.

I recommend gloves when you put the screen filler on and newspaper for when you working with the drawing fluid to cover your surface. I used a thin brush for my design, but it depends on what you're doing, a bigger brush might suit you better.

You can buy your silkscreens from art supply shops, however they can be quite pricey. I make my own with wood that I cut to size and then nail and staple gun together. If you can't be bothered doing this you could be a canvas frame and remove the canvas, then stretch the silk onto it. I get my silk from All Australian Screenprinting Supplies, located in Bayswater, Melbourne, as they sell it by the meter. I am sure you can get it from art shops as well, I think I've seen it before. Making your own ends up being a lot cheaper when you are wanting a few screens which will be permanent. If you are doing a bit of printing, I suggest getting your inks from All Australian as well in litre tubs. I think if you order over $100 they deliver for free, however make a trip and visit the opshops in the area as they are worthwhile.

Set up your work area with newspaper, I find it is around the screen that drips occur most. If you are not sure about the drawing fluid, have a go at just drawing with it. Because it washes out with water you can do anything and wash it out, let it dry and start again.

The fluid is thicker than ink but not as thick as paint. It is a bit weird and takes some getting used to. I also find you need to use a bit of it to get a thick line. If it is too thin, the filler can cover it up and it wont wash out, so it needs to have some thickness to it.

This is a design I made by dripping the fluid. Although the line was nice and clean, I didn't like the design and ended up washing it out. You don't end up using much of the filler so you don't feel like you're wasting it which is good.

When you are ready to paint your design it helps to draw it on with pencil first. The pencil will just wash out, or come out in your first print. Take your time with the drawing fluid to make sure you have a nice solid line. Work slowly adding the ink when you create your linework to make sure it is nice and thick. It is very important that the line isn't thin, as the filler will just cover it and it wont wash out. If you make a mistake you can use a wet cloth to blot out that area and go over it again when dry. With the pattern on the socks I dotted the fluid on, I find this is a good way to create texture. Make sure your design isn't too close to the edge of the screen. I would give at least a 2 inches/5cm gap. When you start printing, if the ink is going to the egde it can seep out, if you're worried put a paper barrier up around the edges on the other side to pick up any excess.

The final design. You need to leave it to dry flat for some time. I wouldn't get the hair dryer out right away as the air blowing on the fluid could cause it to move about and screw with your design. I usually put it out in the sun for a few hours. If you don't have much sun it will take longer and if you're unsure leave it overnight. You don't want to lose all your handwork just because you're inpatient now do you? (Speaking from experience here!)

Here is a close up of the fluid, you can see it has a bit of height to it.

This is the screen filler. It is harder to work with than the fluid and so time to get the gloves on, and put some newspaper around as well. I do mine over the laundry sink so you might get a peek at the fabric softener we use, and the old school microwave which doesn't even have pride of place in our kitchen.

Oh look, we use cold power. Okay the colour of the screen filler is nice, the type of colour you dream about your bridesmaids wearing, or is that my nailpolish? Anyway this stuff needs a good stir as it is quite thick and the heavy stuff goes to the bottom. Put the filler at the top of the screen on the same side as the drawing fluid. I put about the same amount on as I would if I wanted to fill the whole screen with screenprinting ink. It is better to have more than less, however it is also messier. I put more on this time and it all dripped off the edge and onto the ground and I didn' thave newspaper down either. It can be cleaned up, but do it right away, don't let it dry then try and remove it.

I've not got progress shots as I couldn't take photos and run the squeegee at the same time, so this is without the fluid, but imagine it is there. You really want to get it all down in one go and not have to patch anything up, so make sure you have enough filler right across the whole squeegee. If you don't get it in one go and there is quite a bit that isn't covered, it might be best to let it dry flat and then add more later, because when you try and patch it up it can often remove some of the filler already there. If you do let it dry and do it again, don't recover the areas already covered if you can help it as the drawing fluid might not come off.

Here is the screen with the filler on it. This is probably my 4th or 5th go at covering a screen and probably the best one yet, so you do get better. If you have some edges that are not covered and they are well away from the design you can patch them up with a brush to make sure ink wont get out the sides.
Now it is time to let it dry. Again, I put it out in the sun, however the hair dryer could be used at this point. If you're unsure, leave it overnight. Make sure it dries flat though, you don't want it upright and all the filler coming off.

Once dry you need to run it under COLD water. Don't use hot as the filler can come off. You might want to use a sponge to get the drawing fluid out, and it might take a bit of water to do it, so fill the sink up a bit and just rub it down. You shouldn't need to use much force, the drawing fluid will come out.

Here are my prints, I did two colours underneath the black and for those I cut the stencils out from paper, so the black part is what I did for this tutorial. I don't think I had any problems with this print with the filler not covering everything or filler covering too much. As long as you take your time and make sure everything is done okay and dry there should not be any problems.

Back

2009-01-14T09:10:00.003+11:00

Welcome back to 2009 and hello summer with another 37 degree day. I've been busy the last month doing the usual relaxing and getting my mind around Valentine's Day. Gareth and I have been working on websites and processes and hope to have everything running smoothly come February so everything else has fallen by the wayside.

Gareth and I had a lovely new years at Bridget's house. A few of the shots above are of her very lovely house overlooking the Yarra where we could see the fireworks at midnight. We spent the night playing games, drinking an assortment of drinks and eating curry and then went out to Brighton for fish and chips the next day. I also got to spend a few days down at Lakes Entrance and despite talking about sharks quite a bit before the trip my only encounter of a triangle in the water was dolphins swimming close by while taking a dip. I've not been on our boat for a holiday in about 4 years so it was nice to spend some time away from Melbourne. It is where we spent all childhood holidays and we had some close encounters with sharks and snakes however this time the wine was the only thing causing any grief, oh and the Cointreau.

I'm back in business this week with Rose Street on Saturday. Hopefully it isn't a plus 35 day, although after a month away I think I might be feeling a little rusty when it comes to setting up. I'm going to have some new screenprinted artworks available, I've finished one and hope to get another made in the next few days, hopefully I can get it all done and still go to the cricket on Friday.

Web design skillz

2008-12-12T23:05:00.003+11:00

I've been ignoring my blog for the last few weeks, I think starting a new one meant something had to give and this was what went. I'm not sure I can blame the new blog on a messy house but I will try and milk it for all it's worth. I've got the new Able and Game website up and got my business name registration in the post today, I would like to think everything is moving along but the list of things to do is rather long and daunting. The website is lacking a few important things, but usually when I design something it takes me days to come up with something I like and this was done in a night, plus I learnt a bit of CSS and my brain didn't implode.

This weekend is a big market weekend (although the weather is going to be garbage) with Rose Street on Saturday with Jodie from Meringue, who joined me last week. We did Rose Street last year so it was like the good old days, too many superdoopers and laughing at things that we probably shouldn't be laughing at. On Sunday there is the Makers' Market at Abbotsford Convent and the last Spiegeltent Bizarre Bazaar. Shonah will be doing the Spiegeltent Market and I will be at Makers Market on Sunday probably looking a little seedy after a night on the razz. Come along to any or all of them for some Christmas Presents designed by Melbourne designers and artists.

Ric Rac Won!

2008-12-03T14:48:00.003+11:00

Thanks to everyone that helped my out with the survey for the Able and Game cards, we got lots of useful information that will really help us out over the next few weeks. I did the random number selector thing and Jodie from Vintage Ric Rac won. If you still want to help out and do the survey it is open and takes a few minutes.

I have some new stockists and both of them are firsts for the label. For those of you in Brisbane, my little felt ladies are stocked at Artefact Framing and Art Studio, 15 Whitehill Road in Newtown. If you're in New Zealand my products are now stocked at Madame Fancy Pants, 217 Cuba St in Wellington.

Also, if you've not been along to the Spiegeltent's Bizarre Bazaar there are two more weeks left. So far I've seen people flipping other people up in the air and a guy do a hand-stand with a sword down his throat, so it isn't a boring place to be on a Sunday morning. The market runs from 9.30 am - 1 pm at the Spiegeltent, between the Arts Centre and National Gallery of Victoria.

Getaway

2008-11-28T15:36:00.003+11:00

Gareth and I spent a couple of days in Daylesford this week for his birthday and I don't think I've been away on a trip for so long I almost forgot what you are meant to do. It was going to be a bit of a surprise but I kind of blabbed about it and spoilt it a little. We stayed in a lovely little place called Pendower House and the woman who ran it, Renee, was fantastic. It is right in the city center, so walking distance to everything. The room was great, not too pricey and we had a lovely home cooked breakfast in the morning as well.

We went to the Lake House the night before for an ooh la la dinner, and it was pretty darn good. We have both been watching Top Chef for a few years now, and it was nice to have the type of stuff they cook on that show. My favourite dish was the dessert plate, which surprised me because dessert isn't normally favourite. It had a different selection of citrus stuff, like mousse, jelly and other things, so you got to try a bit of everything. However after three courses and a couple of bottles of French wine I was feeling a little bit over it all.

We also stopped off at Breakfast and Beer on the way to dinner for a drink on Kitty's recommendation and it was another great place. The bar lady was really friendly and we had a good chat to her about different beers. The picture above is of Trentham Falls, we stopped off on the way home for a bit of sightseeing. We also went to one of the spa mineral water spots, but the water tastes horrid. I had fond memories of grade six camp and drinking the fizzy water, but this wasn't so nice at all.

This weekend I am on the double market blitz, with Rose Street on Saturday and the Spiegeltent on Sunday. Maybe all of you who are out and about at the Design Market can pop over. I know I will be going over to say hello to Ink and Spindle!

Survey + Prizes

2008-11-17T12:41:00.001+11:00

Gareth and I need you help with our new Valentine's Day Cards. We have created a survey to find out what you think of the cards. The survey should take between 5-10 minutes to finish and will help Gareth and I develop Able and Game. To view more of the cards please visit our blog, Able and Game

If you do the survey before Thursday 20th of November you can go into the running to win:
- a felt lady badge
- An original drawing for one of the cards
- A screenprinted pouch

To go in the running you need to fill in your email at the end of the survey. The email wont be used for promotional purposes, it will just be used to find a winner then destroyed.

To start the survey click here.

Exhibitions

2008-11-14T22:25:00.002+11:00

I went and checked out the NMIT Jewellery Exhibition at Northcote Town Hall yesterday and it is well worth a look. I wasn't sure what to expect because it was a student show, but the quality and workmanship was of a very high standard. Because I have no idea how any of it is made it always seems extra special. I remember looking in Dan's jewellery studio earlier in the year and it was full of all these odd contraptions that looked like they were from a '60s sci-fi film. I'm not sure if they are standard for jewellers but it certainly added to the mistique. The show is on till the 20th of November and is open till 6pm, for more info you can check the myspace page.

I also had a look at Bridget's exhibition at Australian Print Workshop. This one is on till December, so you have plenty of time to go and it is also well worth it and I feel a bit of a connection to the work because we drew the birds together at the Museum. Bridget is having a giveaway on her blog for one of her beautiful felt bird brooches. I have one and think it is perfect and they are great for gifts for Christmas as well so one to keep in mind.

The next week is jam packed full of markets. On Saturday I will be at Rose Street and on Sunday I will be at the Spiegeltent Market and the Makers' Market at the Abbotsford Convent. Well I wont technically be at both, but my stuff will be. Next Wednesday I'm doing the Sandringham Village Twilight Craft Market and I'm looking forward to this one because it is near the water and also near my house. If you're nearby come by and say hello.

Oh and remember to check out the Able and Game blog for your daily dose of romance!

Markets, Men and Manicures

2008-11-11T19:16:00.003+11:00

I did the first Spiegeltent Bizarre Bazaar on Sunday, a new market that will be running each Sunday for the next six weeks. The market doesn't run for long, from 9.30am - 1pm so compared to Rose Street so it seemed to go very fast. It gets pretty hot inside the tent so I'm thinking this might be a good thing when it actually warms up. I shared the stall with Shonah, who is also at Rose Street. She makes really beautiful resin, wood and fabric jewellery shown below and you can purchase directly from her website if you can't come to Rose Street or the Bizarre Bazaar.

During the market they had massages and manicures from the ladies at Makeovers, Manicures and Martinis. I've never had a professional touch my nails in my life, much to the surprise of everyone around me and I always find polish chips off my nails, or I smudge it while waiting for the stuff to dry. It was nice to have someone do something with them and while they looked good for a day they have chipped a bit and I need to hunt the house for polish remover.

If you're looking for a daily dose of romance, the new Able and Game blog is looking a lot more healthy in the post departments as all I've been doing the last week is drawing men (and a few ladies) declaring their love. Thanks to everyone who has visited and left comment. I've posted the picture at the top because I think it is a current favourite.

All your romantic needs in one place

2008-11-07T23:22:00.002+11:00

It has been a while coming, something I've only spoken about with a few people, but finally I have something to show, although at the moment is isn't really much. All the Valentine's Cards are now over and my new blog, Able and Game. It is a little project Gareth and I are working on together and the name comes from our own names, I'm the able and he is the game. At the moment I'm focusing on Valentine's Day cards, which seems a long way off now but I need to get them all ready to go. I'm hoping to update the blog each day with new images for a little dose of romance that won't make you puke.

This weekend is a big one, with Rose Street tomorrow and Bizarre Bizaar at Spiegeltent, if you're in Melbourne on either days come by and say hello. I'll be the tired one wishing I was at home drawing dorky boys and girls.

Pumping It

2008-11-04T10:28:00.003+11:00

I spent yesterday drawing lots of dorky men for the new range of cards I want to have ready for Valentine's Day. I realised that the H pencil is one of my favourites, as long as you have a decent sharpener and I have currently misplaced my favourite one. I also would like a pack of skin coloured pencils. This little guy has been pumping the iron at the gym, working it hard for the ladies around town. I'm off to a Melbourne Cup BBQ and it will be nice to have a day off from working. I ended up doing two markets on the weekend which was hard work, especially with a night out on Saturday in between the two of them. I better get used to it with all the weekends up to Christmas booked with markets and a few midweek ones as well.

T to the A to the XXX

2008-10-30T22:36:00.002+11:00

I'm off to the accountant tomorrow to sort out my tax. Last year I didn't realise how much more a business would cost when doing a return and I almost decided to do it myself this year, but booked into one up the road at the last minute. I'm hoping they are better than the lady who did mine last year. She wore Kath and Kim style Christmas earrings (I did mine very late) and didn't know how to spell certain words that I thought were quite easy to spell. The earrings didn't bother me too much, the spelling worried me.

I also found out the year I worked 3 days on a potato farm required a tax return. I figured I was doing the tax department a favour by not doing the paperwork on the $11 of tax I made on the few days work. My foolish 19 year old brain didn't understand how the system worked. All I knew how to do was pick out the bad looking potatoes and try to sound convincing when the other girl working with me asked me if I wanted to listen to Alanis Morrisette.

Took me long enough...

2008-10-29T19:55:00.002+11:00

...to come up with a name. When in doubt go with something French and Rachael's suggestion of Matisse really did get the ball rolling and thank you for all the other great suggestions as well.

Now I have to get back to work getting products ready for the Balmain Art and Craft Show in Sydney. It will be held at Father John Therry School, Eaton Street, Balmain on Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th of November from 10am - 4pm. I will be sending up a range of products including items from the new range, so if you're in Sydney it sounds like a great event. I just wish I could be there!

Veronica and the Lols

2008-10-28T17:39:00.002+11:00

My badges from Brown Owls last night.

Veronica Darling has tagged me and as I've not done in ages I thought I can try and think of six things. Have a look at hers because it involves kitties and Lols, two of my favourite things and I was super impressed.

The rules:
- Link to the person who tagged you.
- Mention the rules.
- Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
- Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
- Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.

1. I went to school with Veronica Darling. She was the year above me, we were in the same house and our Mum's both taught at the school.

2. I used to write stupid comics for my uni newspaper under a fake name. Something I forgot until I went back to my parent's house on the weekend and found one. I wasn't very impressed with it and my spelling was ghastly.

3. I went to life drawing last week for the first time since about 2003.

4. I've lived with 15 men during my entire life. Their names in alphabetical order are Adam, Andres, Bartek, Gareth, James, Jim, Mark, Nicholas, Peter, Richard, Rory, Simon, Tim, Tony and Travis.

5. I cooked dinner tonight and it was a beef and bok choy stirfry. It's one of the best I've ever made and I think the trick is to keep it simple. I always try and over complicate things when I cook.

6. On the way back from Gippsland my brother told me to shut up and stop being a backseat driver. I think I told him off about 4 or 5 times for speeding or going the "wrong way" when dropping me off.

I am going to tag Danielle, Penny, Dudley, Honor, Jess and Bianca but if you're too busy or have done one recently there is no pressure!

Country Boys

2008-10-27T23:17:00.002+11:00

I know it is super early to be thinking about Valentine's Day cards, but I've been thinking about them for months now. After making them up this year I thought I might get some printed up for next year. They are kind of like the male version of my lady badges. Dorky men making big statements of love, or in this case, how they plan on romancing you. I've had roll in the hay idea in my head for a while and the trip back to the country over the weekend inspired me to get the ball rolling by putting pen and brush to paper. I just noticed the thing going on with his lip, he kind of has a snarl to him which reminds me a bit of Elvis before he ate all the cheeseburgers.

I got to go along to Brown Owls tonight and make some badges with Gemma Jones on the Tecre badge machine. It made the Hello Kitty badge maker I got off ebay in 2005 look like two busted bike wheels on the ground compared to a Porsche or some other wizz bang car. Don't be tempted by the $60 badge maker people, they are rubbish! I made four badges and I will post some pics of them tomorrow. It was great fun to have a chat to all the crafty ladies, although every time I spoke to people I had a very chewy mintie in my mouth so I probably sounded a little odd.

125

2008-10-24T21:15:00.002+11:00

Four shopping bags with the Natascha print and primary tulle details. I made the print on silk that is meant to be used for printing onto paper. I specifically got it and it felt a lot softer than the normal silk for fabric printing. However when I used it I found that it printed just fine on fabric. The silk for fabric is should be a lot looser to let the ink through, as fabric can absorb a lot of the excess, where as paper needs a tighter weave because the excess ink just goes sideways, making things look not so pretty. Anyway I am happy it works on fabric as it is perfect for the shopping bags.

This weekend I have the 125 year anniversary of my Primary School back in Gippsland. Gareth is taking over Rose Street for the last couple of hours which is very sweet and lovely of him and if you have any suggestions of thank you gifts please I am all ears. I am not sure how many people will be coming who I know from school as I only ever had 4 or 5 people in my grade because it was a tiny country school. I think at one stage we had a total of 22 pupils so it was probably smaller than most people's actual grade. My two favourite games in school were Round The Bush and Tyre Season.

Round The Bush was pretty simple, it involved a big thick bush and we ran around it playing chasey. We adapted it over time so the person looking was blindfolded and you could hide in the bush. I remember getting scratched to all get up while hiding right in the middle of the thing thinking I was so clever because nobody would ever find me, yet I probably still have the scars from it.

Tyre season involved a large number of tyres the school had, which seems normal to me, but I image sound weird to anyone else. I managed to get the 10/10 truck tyre in Grade 4 when my cousin Greg left the year before and was mighty chuffed with myself as it was really the Rolls Royce of the tyres. I'm not sure what we did to occupy our recess and lunch other than race tyres and roll over them. I remember one time trying to roll over the top of a tractor tyre down a hill only to fall off half way through. Thinking back to what I did I am surprised I didn't have a cast on my arms or legs from 1985-1991. Hopefully I will have a few pictures after the weekend, the one above is me in grade 1. My friend Aisha thinks I look like a little boy and my over sized fringe probably falls into mullet territory.

Pods

2008-10-23T10:08:00.003+11:00

This is print number three in the new range and is printed on the stone linen/cotton blend. What do you think of the yellow on stone print? Gareth isn't a fan and I really like it and I would love to know what others think of the colour combination. This print was made with the drawing fluid technique so I have the screen available permanently, rather than the paper stencils which have a shorter life.

I made up some more fabric brooches, but they are a lot different from the last ones I made. I have added a button and kept the stitching more minimal so you can see the print detail. They have denim with heavy interfacing sandwiched between them so they are quite sturdy. The linen/cotton fabric is really lovely and the best stuff to print on, the colours seems to really stand out on it.

I went along to the Spiegeltent today to check out the space for a market that will be running for 6 weeks in November and December called Bizarre Bazaar. The market will be running on a Sunday morning from 9.30am - 1pm inside the tent and entry is free. I am sharing a stall with Shonah, who makes beautiful pendants from fabric, resin and wood and also sells at Rose Street. Hokey and Starashan are also going to have a stall so come on by if you're in the city on a Sunday. It starts on November 9th and should be a fantastic market in a great location.

Tubes

2008-10-21T17:48:00.003+11:00

This is what I do when my train has been cancelled and I have to wait another 20 minutes for another one in the wind. One long tube of interfacing and a camera created about 5 minutes of fun and some odd looks from people.

A few people asked about the chiffon clutches that I've been making and if they would be available before Christmas. I have a yellow one over at Dawanda and will be putting more up over the next few months. Also, if Australian buyers are a bit put off by the US dollar making our bucks have no bang I suggest heading over to Madeit or Dawanda if you are wanting to make any purchases.

Names please

2008-10-17T17:26:00.003+11:00

I spent the last few days finishing up two wholesale orders for Little Bird in Elliot, South Australia and Betty Mim in Newcastle. I got some lovely feedback from Kate from Little Bird on Stocklist, my wholesale ordering system created by Gareth. I passed the feedback onto him and he was a little surprised that something he made is easy to use. He must usually be making big beasts of databases because mine is really easy to add and upload to. I just break it when I don't put underscores in things.

I few posts back I said I was a little clueless with naming the new range, some people gave me some great suggestions but the images I had then are different to the ones now. I'm going to put the call out again, because I'm stuck. Everything I suggested to Gareth was silly or stupid and his suggestion had summer in it, and I didn't want to specify a season, even though the colours are quite bright.

I liked the idea of having primary in it, but I'm not too bothered about that, that is just my brain trying to come up with something easy. If someone suggests something that I really like I will send you something in the mail. I don't know what, but I have lots of nice things hanging about, so it wont be an old MX and a half eaten packet of tictacs.

Rose Street is tomorrow and Bridget is back from her overseas jaunt and Hollie and Mikey are back from their 2 week break. Although I had Kitty next to me last week and she was a great next door neighbour, I do miss Hokey on the every second week. Although it is going to be really warm tomorrow so I think my brain might turn to fuzz within the first hour. Last week, and it was after 4 so pretty late in a long day, a lovely lady purchased something from me and I was eating a superdooper (courtesy of Karina). I think I just handed her the bag to put the pouch into as I couldn't figure out where to put it. Yeah, customer service is very high when you're in a room that is not unlike a sauna and your brain is functioning at 10%.

Out Out In

2008-10-16T20:36:00.003+11:00

I went to the opening of Across the Universe and Back Again last night at No Vacancy Gallery. It was a great space and really fantastic exhibition including work from My Charlie Girl, Scarlett Cat, Gala House and Kelly Smith. The exhibition is on until the 22nd of October and the gallery is in QV in the city. It was nice to go along and have people that I know from the internet land to chat with rather than standing in the corner with your boyfriend talking about how gold coin donation for a VB is very good value for money.

This weekend I have two markets, on Saturday I'm at Rose Street and then on Sunday I am at the Makers Market at the Abbotsford Convent, just near the Collingwood Children's Farm. I've got lots of new products that I've been sewing this week, including some wallets in two sizes. The smaller ones are made for phones or MP3 players and I've put the press stud inside the lining so it wont touch whatever is inside. They could also be used for other things like business card holders or a little wallet for inside bigger ones.

Hog Wild

2008-10-10T22:54:00.002+11:00

Rose Street is on tomorrow and I have lots of new products, including these coin purses to bring along. The screenprint is another one of my painted designs printed onto white canvas, which is a dream to print on. I've been busy sewing all day today, listening to music and looking forward to tomorrow when I can talk to someone other than Gareth. I think he is the only person I've really spoken to for the last week face to face other than shop keepers. I did speak to our lovely neighbour who mowed our front yard the other day. He knows we have a push mower and the grass was getting to the stage where it would have been a super workout to even get a small area done. I gave him some plonk to say thank you but really don't think it was enough.

Oh and for those of you up to date with Project Runway Season 5 you should get the hog wild reference. Sometimes I forget that they have actual contestants on that show making outfits and all I can remember is the funny things Nina Garcia, Tim Gunn and Michael Kors say and do. Although Tim Gunn is obviously everyone's favourite, including mine, I really am a big fan of Nina and Michael. This week Nina was totally rocking a top that could have been part of a new line of Spring/Summer Starfleet uniforms. I'm looking forward to the finale next week and I think I know who I am going for but I will wait till I see the final collections. I also wonder how long Anna could get away with speaking in third person before Gareth traded Anna in for a new lady. I suspect it would be hours.

Good Light

2008-10-08T17:08:00.003+11:00

Despite it being sunny outside I have found it really hard to get good light for photographs in the last few weeks. It seems when it is really overcast but not dark overcast I get the best pictures and today was one of those days so I tried to take advantage and get some good photographs. I took some photographs with a doily, this one above is with a little badge, a doily and some red tulle.

I did some screenprinting with a new stencil as well today. I got some Speedball screen drawing fluid and filler and have been using that the last week or so. It means I have permanent screens so the laundry is going to fill up pretty fast. This one below is a really simple brush stroke that I printed in blue on white canvas. I am thinking of printing it in a few colours on top of each other, most likely starting with red, blue and yellow. I've put some more pictures over on Flickr.

Rose Street Pictures

2008-10-06T13:22:00.004+11:00

Last time I took my camera to Rose Street I broke it so the last time I got a stall shot was probably back in Febuary. I've been in this corner spot for the last few months in the area up the ramp. The backdrop of the door frame seems to look more impressive in the photographs and they have added some skylights so it is really light inside. I'm looking forward to the next few months at Rose Street in the lead up to Christmas and if you're in Melbourne it really is a great place to shop for gifts as you get to talk directly with the people who make the items. Plus the cafe does a nice lunch!

It always goes back to primary

2008-10-03T20:14:00.002+10:00

So my post a few days ago showed part of my new range of coin purses and a week or so later and everything has changed. The yellow took over and invited blue along for the ride. I'm not sure if other people love red, yellow and blue together as much as I do, maybe I'm one of the only ones. I just looked through my Year 12 Graphic Communication sketchbook and a lot of the stuff in there was all primary colours as well, so it has been around for a decade at least.

I'm at Rose Street tomorrow and I'm hoping it doesn't rain. Although living in Melbourne you come to expect weird weather like hot mornings, washing your sheets at lunchtime, expecting them to be dry in a few hours time, then having to pull them off the line because it starts pishing down. But as that happened today, I am hoping for better luck tomorrow. Oh and thanks to Hokey for the I love your blog award and I'll see you bright and early tomorrow at Rose Street. I have so many people, including Hokey's blog, that I love reading, so I should get round to posting them all.

Chiffon

2008-10-01T22:48:00.003+10:00

I've never been much of a chiffon fabric fan. You can iron it and it seems to twist and go a little crazy when you work with it. I got some a month or so back in a print that I really liked with no intention of using it on anything except maybe some clothing for myself (which I wasn't going to make - I was going to pass that challenge onto my Mum). I ended up using some of it on a clutch and I had been playing around with thicker fabrics in sort of similar way and realised the chiffon would work much better. Now I am a bit of a convert.

This yellow clutch is part of the new range I'm making at the moment and I think I prefer the shape around the chiffon rather than it all out on its own. I'm also trying to come up with a name for the range, everything I think of sounds a little wanky or doesn't describe it very well. Over the last week it has evolved a little as it was just meant to be red, grey, olive green and brown, but yellow is creeping in becoming the main player which is good as yellow is one of my favourites for bags.

Televisuals

2008-09-30T20:32:00.002+10:00

Here is another coin purse which will be part of the new range. I'm on a Dreamweaver/Photoshop double date at the moment and wondering who is going to pay for dinner and who is going to put out. I have Gareth's old wireless mouse which means I am a bit loose with my clicks, I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.

This last week has seen all of my favourite shows come back in one massive hit. I had a big dose of The Office, Dexter, The Amazing Race and Survivor and Gossip Girl is next on the list. I love that everything all comes in one big hit, but I know it will leave me sorry when it all ends.

Project Runway USA is almost over though, so the new stuff is coming at a good time. I wont post any spoilers but in either episode 8 or 9 Nina Garcia became my hero and I spent at least 5 days in a post Nina high. The only problem was I couldn't tell anyone about it or explain it without it sounded strange. There is this look she gives someone that says you're so pathetic on every level possible that sent shivers down my spine. I'm looking forward to the finale, although it has gone so fast I've not even decided who my favourite is. Oh and there is not one, but two girls on the show who both look like Pam Beesley from The Office.

Double Diggety Dog

2008-09-29T22:24:00.004+10:00

Gareth and I have recovered from the Grand Final party on Saturday, although my sister's backyard looked like some kind of storm had blown through. I managed to not get sun burnt, drunk too much punch and paid little attention to the actual game.

In the Grand Final draw I won myself a little device you wear on your ear that beeps when you tilt your head forward. It is for drowsy drivers, but the package also recommended it for drink drivers. I also got a Chenyang Commodity World Using and I have no idea what it does, but it is handsome and has extremely sharp edges. Gareth was a little sad he didn't get to take home the Double Diggety Dog, although I was worried when he said if we had one it would take pride of place on the bench. I'm looking forward to next year's bash already.

I've put one of the Natascha screenprints up on Dawanda. This one is over paper and part of a doily which is machine stitched on. I added some fine liner detail and more stitched paper at the bottom and in the hair.

I've also put a new entry up on General Pants. You need to log in to vote now as they had some issues with people deleting cookies and voting over and over.

Puffy Woofs

2008-09-26T15:43:00.003+10:00

These little coin purses are part of a new range I'm making for wholesale orders. I spent some time coming up with a colour range and the items I wanted to include, and then which prints I would use. I've been making the items for the last week and hope to get them up onto Stocklist next week.

I'm not going to be at Rose Street tomorrow due to my sister hosting a Grand Final BBQ complete with prizes from the Sydney Road tat emporiums and an esky of mystery. It is totally klassy and Eliza always puts on a super spread, including the infamous Puffy Dogs. I'm rooting for the Hawks mainly because of the Prelim Final last year. I'm out tonight to show my cousin Jemma the high life of Melbourne, hopefully the weather stays warm for some drinks in the city.

Sweet Surprise

2008-09-25T12:11:00.003+10:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a giveaway for my 250th sale on Etsy. Lauren from Lauren Williams Handmade was the winner and I sent along the extra items with her purchase. A few weeks down the track and Gareth checked the PO box to find a parcel from Lauren. She made up a beautiful pendant/brooch and ring using some of my flame flower fabric I sent her as a lovely thank you that was very much appreciated.

I didn't recognise the fabric as mine when I first saw it and got a bit of a shock when I realised what it was. I've been wearing them both around and thought it was so sweet that Lauren sent me something in return. I suggest having a look in her Etsy shop, she has some really beautiful jewellery, perfect for upcoming Christmas gifts or to just treat yourself now.

The Bubble

2008-09-17T10:26:00.003+10:00

My lady badges are going to be stocked at Aloft Gallery in Rozelle, Sydney. The gallery also has a studio space attached and judging by the image above it looks like a beautiful space. They are on the first floor of 660 Darling Street in Rozelle so if you're in Sydney pop in for a look around.

I have put my new fine art shopping bags on the new bubble website, an initiative by General Pants for artists, designers, film makers, writers, photographers and musicians.

I found out about it via Daydream Lily, sister of My Charlie Girl. You can vote for Bec and help support Melbourne Artists or even enter yourself.

To vote for me click here, or the image below.

Key Rings

2008-09-15T17:30:00.002+10:00

I've been looking for the rings to make keyrings for a while now and finally came across some in a little shop on Centre Road and grabbed everything they had. I went home and started playing around with different ideas and after 10 attemps I decided to make some like the fabric brooches I've been making and was finally happy with the result. I used primary colours, my favourite colour combination with a mixture of fabrics including tulle, linen, cotton. They are quite sturdy from the two layers of denim and all the stitching and I think I might change my current Charles Rennie Mackintosh keyring and test them out. You can see my failures over at Flickr.

Glitter Freak

2008-09-11T16:42:00.004+10:00

I needed to print up the other six shirts I had to take along to Rose Street. I had been putting off printing them because I didn't know what to do for the prints. After reading the comments on Flickr from my print yesterday and Green Olive's suggestion that they would look good on t-shirts I cut out another stencil and printed them up.

I like the way the hair/fringe turned out and I'm still trying to work out if I like the colour combo with this image. White on red is one of my favourites, but with a face I'm not sure how well it works compared to other prints. I think it is the white lips looking strange because you don't see them very often.

Here is another of the bags from yesterday. They are in an edition of 9 (the 10th is mine due to a mishap with the scissors) and each has a different embellishment on it. This one has a blue tulle and button accessory in her hair. I'm not sure if tulle is something that some people turn their noses up at but it is one of my favourites. I love when you have a large piece of it and the colours look darker where it overlaps.

I am wondering if it is one of those things like glitter, which according to Dimitri Martin is the herpes of craft supplies. I loathe glitter, a hatred that stems from my secondary teaching experience. Kids love glitter and the seem to go insane crazy when they get the slightest whiff of it. It seems the only thing they can ever successfully do with it is empty containers of it on the table and floor, maybe with a small puddle of PVA in the middle. I remember seeing a show on the ABC (via the BBC) about people with phobias and one woman was scared of glitter. I wouldn't mind betting she was once an art teacher.

Lady Bag

2008-09-10T13:40:00.003+10:00

I printed up some more shopping bags today with a new design. I usually stay away from faces because it is hard to cut them out from paper. I usually end up cutting the wrong section away so the ink becomes the skin area and it just doesn't work out that well. I started doing some sketches and realised it might work okay if the face is a little bigger. Once I realised it would actually be quite an easy stencil to cut I got going on making it up.

Once I started printing I realise it was too big so had to cut the bottom off, but this still looked okay. I added a little detail to the hair on this bag with some button and tulle in red, yellow and blue. It was going to be some earrings, but it looked better in the hair. I made 10 bags and was going to have something different on all of them.

Below are some of my drawings I did to get an idea of the size on the bag and how it would all look. The big bun to the side was something I wanted to include, a little like the badge ladies. I've started sketching on loose card as it is perfect for putting into the scanner, my bulky sketchbooks were really annoying as it was hard to get paper flat. I need to get one of those sketchbooks that open flat I think.

The first bag shown here is for sale on Etsy.

Stamping

2008-09-09T13:33:00.002+10:00

I went along to Brown Owls last night and got to learn all about fabric stamping. I had a go at it once before but wasn't very impressed with my results. This time with some good instructions it seemed to work better. The thing I was most impressed with was Kirsty's ingenious use of a CD case as the backing for the foam because it means you don't have any problems with registration.

I ended up doing a pretty basic pattern, just lots of rectangles repeated over and over. I made part of the fabric into a little clutch today. The fabric we had was my favourite type of dual weave and I used a green colour for my ink. I made my colour up for the calico bag not for this fabric, but in the end I like the colours being quite similar.

The ladies at Brown Owls are very clever and the whole environment is great. Last time I went I had such a ball and it is nice to meet other people and make things at the same time. There is some pictures from last night over at Flickr and the designs everyone else came up with were really beautiful.

How cute are these little pins? I was looking at Hollie's resin jewellery at Rose Street and said how kittens would be a good addition. Anyway look what she has made up two days later. Very clever! Plus I also got to watch some Sarah Silverman courtesy of Hollie last night although she did give me a funny look when I said she was in an episode of Star Trek. Check out her super smart kitten Macey hiding from the rain.

Clutchie

2008-09-08T16:02:00.004+10:00

I've been making clutch purses more and more over the last few weeks. I wasn't always sure about making things at that size, but after I sold the ones I had made at Rose Street I realised I should keep making them. The thing I like about them is working out different ways of dealing with the fabric. My favourite thing is pleating the fabric to create a design and adding pretty trims and buttons to the mix. This is one I made today from three different denims and I think it is one of my favourites. I pleated the creamy beige denim and stitched peices of the faded red together then added the dark blue to the top. The lining is a floral fabric that I think was stolen from Mum's stash from the early 80s.

I had a great day at Rose Street on Saturday as it nice to have some warmer weather so you don't have to dress up in survival mode with thermals and I ended up pulling out an old pair of docs from 10 years ago as they were my only good winter shoes. I felt like it was 1993 and I had just got into Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins when I was wearing them. I was next to Mikey and Hollie from Hokey again and we had lots of fun playing cards and talking about television shows like The Office, 30 Rock and Lost. Although I think I scared Hollie with my talk of Star Trek. I also got to see Pip from Mikes and will be seeing them again tonight at Brown Owls.

Happy Father's Day

2008-09-07T15:12:00.002+10:00

Happy Father's Day Dad! I scared Gareth by telling him my Dad is the same age in this photograph as he will be in six months time. Gareth said he was looking good for a 20 year old.

250 Big Ones

2008-09-04T19:57:00.005+10:00

EDIT:
Number 250 happened just after I hit post, so the next 3 sales will also get some loving, in the form of an extra felt lady badge with their order.

I am one sale off 250 sales on Etsy so to celebrate, whoever is the 250th sale will be getting some extra items. I will be including a felt lady badge, hand drawn card, new fabric pouch and hand screenprinted fabric along with your purchase (the products might not be identical to the ones shown, but they will be pretty similar). It doesn't matter what you purchase in my shop, you can still get the extra items. You may even feel the need to spread out your arms like you just got a blue plastic table and chair and a new duplo set for Christmas.

Muted

2008-09-02T20:39:00.003+10:00

Thanks for all the lovely get well wishes after the last post. I am pleased to say I'm feeling much better, although I still have no appetite for most foods at the moment and am keeping it all pretty basic. I've been getting back to things slowly so no making the last two days, but I did spent this afternoon working on the long overdue process of finances. I the type of person who stacks all the important paperwork into a big "deal with it later" pile. Then I get annoyed with myself when it takes a whole day to deal with the deal with it later pile. Although I did find $5 folded between a receipt from Feb which was a sweet surprise. Imagine if it was a $50! That would make me want to do finances more often.

The image above was drawn on the couch yesterday and then changed around a fair bit on the computer, in both Photoshop and Illustrator. I quite liked the muted colours and thought I would put them together. The pale blue on the right is my favourite.

Extreme

2008-09-01T11:54:00.002+10:00

As weekends go I think mine went from two extremes, from very good right through to very bad. Friday was the Craft Victoria talk that Bridget and I went along to. It was a great day, although 8 hours in a dark room was quite difficult even when the talks were so good. My two favourites were Richard Nylon and Barbara and Ben from Klei. Nicola Cerina was also a big inspiration and her studio is amazing.

It also made me realise how friendly and down to earth Melbourne Designers are as all these people are approachable and willing to share their time. It was also nice to have people reaffirm things that I think, but I am not always sure about.

Bridget and I then went along to the Nicholas Building open studio to check out the lovely studios and the views out over Melbourne. Lucy from The Design Files haswritten a great post about it, along with pictures, although I am a bit biased and liked Dan's studio the best. He had a vacuum machine and although he didn't put his pear inside it, he did turn it on for us.

I should have been good and gone home after a nice meal but decided to pretend I was only 20 and go hard without any dinner and finish the night on a kebab, ticking all the boxes for a trashy night on the turps. Saturday at Rose Street was as one would imagine after too many pints although the highlight was our post market drinks in a little alcove in a pub with a fire and a bunch of 70s couches and decor.

The lowlight of the weekend of the sickness that occurred late Saturday night and I'm still feeling today. I've not spent a day in bed in a long time but I couldn't walk for more than a few meters without wanting to lie down again. It meant I missed the Melbourne Etsy/Madeit/Crafty Meetup that Box of Glory went to a lot of effort to organise and I was looking forward to. I smsed Bridget to tell her I wasn't going to make it and she suggested Ginger Tea, which Gareth dutifully made, and I think that helped quite a lot. Doctor Farmer to the rescue!

Small Blue

2008-08-28T21:12:00.003+10:00

Here are some close up shots of a little pouch I made yesterday. The screenprint isn't a new one but I've not made him up yet due to the no zipper situation. This one is available on Etsy and I will have more in different sizes coming along over the next few weeks. I'm still making up new designs and trying out different things, so I am sure my stall at Rose Street on Saturday will be a bit of a hodge podge, but it is always good to test things out and see what people think.

Tomorrow is going to be a fabo exciting day with the Craft Victoria's Craft and Design as a Career talk that Bridget and I are going to. It is held right next to where we draw our birds and should be a interesting and informative day. Then in the evening the Nicholas Building is holding its Open Studio event where I am sure I will feel envious that I don't get out of the house to work, but then remember that I can still wear my PJ's all day long if I want. Add a few drinks to the mix and I think it might be a fun day/night out.

Brooch Stitch

2008-08-27T19:14:00.003+10:00

I made up some fabric brooches to take to Rose Street a few weeks back as a way of using up small bits of fabric and to try something a little different. I wasn't sure about how I felt about them at first. I loved the different fabrics and the stitching, but wasn't sure if they were a bit too messy or big, so I only made six to begin with. They have been quite popular at Rose Street so I've made some more in different colours, including some green and yellow. Martine from Green Olive said they reminded her of the accessories from some of my artworks, and I think I've said in the past that I wish I could get something like the things I've sewed onto paper. I will be listing them on my online shops over the next few days as well as having them available at Rose Street each Saturday.

New Designs

2008-08-26T14:33:00.003+10:00

I've been coming up with some new designs for the products I make. Today was coming up with some new pouch designs, something that is similar to what I do, but three dimensional and can stand upright. I spent some time drawing a design I liked, then making up protoypes and getting the pattern (made from an old manila folder) just right.

This was the 5th one I made and I'm happy with the results. I like the denim and fabric combination with the denim on the outside and think I might make some more like that, with screenprints and other fabrics I have. Now I just have to design some screenprints that fit in with the size of pouch. Most of the prints I have will end up with upside-down bird legs on the reverse, which I am not really fond of.

Glam Days

2008-08-25T18:38:00.004+10:00

The red pigeon shopping bag is up for sale on Dawanda. I have a similar bag with a blue pigeon which I used today but I forgot I had it when the lady was packing my vegetables into a plastic bag. The strap on the plastic bag broke as I was walking home as a reminder that I should have used it in the first place.

This is a new pouch available on Etsy. I finally got a shipment of zips on Friday and was very happy to have enough to make a large army of pouches and coin purses. This one has a white screenprint on the red drill and on the back there is three different fabrics, the dark denim, red drill and a beige denim.

Over at Dawanda they always seem to have the cool people blogging about the products on sale. Glamcanyon is one of those people and my little Betsy got a mention on Day One of the month of outfits. It is fun to have a look at all the different people and the products chosen with some directly relating to the clothing and others are a little more subtle. Plus is was great to see some Melbourne talent like Bridbird and Sarah McNeil from Funiscool included in the days.

On The Shelf

2008-08-20T14:52:00.003+10:00

I've been busy making wallets for a new shop in South Australia and thought I would post some pictures. I will post some more information about them next week when they open their doors. Due to the new stockists I've been doing so much screenprinting I needed to sort out the growing pile and shifted an almost empty Billy shelf into the studio to sort out the piles with lots of room for it to grow over the coming months when it gets busy in the lead up to Christmas.

I'm not very good at sorting things out, I can't throw out the stuff I should, so the stuff I need often isn't kept in the best place. My studio space has a lot of shelves but I don't think I use the space that well, even though they are rammed with stuff. I look at people like Martine from Green Olive who had everything so well sorted out in her last house (and now has a lovely huge studio!) and wonder how people actually do it. I keep thinking I just need meters and meters of shelf space and then I will be happy and everything will be good, but I think that is just a dream.

Green VS Red

2008-08-19T17:23:00.003+10:00

I made up these little thumbnails for a showcase website for people to go to to see the products I have available. I think you can tell from this that red is a colour I use more than anything. Although I also like blue and grey quite a bit I find it is hard to get the right shade of fabric, except in red. The fabric manufacturers manage to get that one right and everything else so wrong. Bottle Green is a colour I thought was used up on all the bridesmaid dresses in the early 90s, yet it seems to often be the only green available and it is a pretty sad old shade of green if you ask me.

I met up with Stacey from Sheeps Clothing last Friday to have afternoon tea and give her the shirt I printed up. She has posted a picture on her blog which is very lovely of her, and also gave me some of the Strawberry and White Chocolate Muffins she had made that day. Gareth and I were both impressed with the extra treats that week.

I think Stacey was one of the first people I ever did a swap with back in early 2007. I got some of her Knitted Hair Ties and they are the only hair accessory I have managed to not lose but when they look that pretty it is hard to just leave them at the back of the couch. Judging by the items in Stacey's shop, wool manufacturers know how to make a decent shade of green.

Shirt Me Up

2008-08-18T10:56:00.002+10:00

I ordered some American Apparel shirts a few weeks back to screenprint onto for Rose Street. When I got the shirts I realised I had ordered the man shirts and they were massive. I sent them back and got the new ones last week and printed some of them up. I decided to go with the pigeon prints because the print is one of my favourites and I like the idea of a longer print on a shirt that goes down the side.

This is one of the grey shirts with a red print and I also have pale blue on a bright blue with the other pigeon print that I cut out. I've got a pale blue and red shirts that I will print onto this week, plus a whole lot of screenprinting I need to get done for a new stockist in South Australia.

Red and White

2008-08-15T09:49:00.002+10:00

This is some of the yardage I printed up the other day. When I say yardage it is probably just over a yard. I just wanted to see how it looked in a repeat without going marathon and doing 10 meters. I'm not sure if I like the white fabric, although the red on white is one of my favourites, but I'm one of those people who don't deal with while very well. It quickly turns to off white or grey if it is something that I need to use on a regular basis. However I am sure there are people out there who can deal with white much better than I can.

I have to send out a big thanks to Erin from Design for Mankind. Not only is she really friendly, but she featured me on her Dailies section. You can see my pretty green and pink floral couch, which Gareth loathes, with him sitting in it on his computer as well as other things I did and ate during the day, I think there is more food than anything else!

Today I'm having arvo tea with Stacey from Sheep's Clothing. I did a screenprint on a top for her (which I hope she ends up liking....) which I need to give her and it is nice to meet up with people when your social life often involves a keyboard and the lady at the post office. Plus I'm a big fan of her blog, which gets quoated in The Green Guide. Rose Street is tomorrow so pop on by, Bridget is back this week which is good!