My Creative Space

How does your garden grow?

With MDF and power tools and paint pots all in a row.

My creative efforts today have been all about finishing my new hanging display for the markets.

There were flowers to bloom and grass to grow...

When it was all done, I couldn't resist taking it for a bit of a test run (minus table cloth and clamps). I wish I had more flowers, I like them scattered under the tree like I did here, but those blooms were already reserved for the second tree. Mind you, I had so much fun making them, I'll happily paint some more for next time.

Tonight I'm going to attempt to whip up some grassy hills and a few little ring displays. I can't wait to see it all under my red paper lanterns at the Twilight Markets tomorrow night!

For more creative spaces, head over to Kootoyoo.

Playing with Power Tools and Paint

... and having lots of fun working on a new display hanger for the markets.

Sneak Peek

... at some very little pieces that are making the debut at the BrisStyle Twilight Markets this Friday night.

Hope to see you there under the stars.

My Creative Space

My creative space went out and about today.

There was a new Moleskine to be broken in... There was tea and a brownie for energy...

There were wanderings around the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA to help me get in the zone...

There was sketching and jotting down lots of ideas in this lovely space over looking the Brisbane River...

For a while, I was lost in a sea of ideas and possibilities...

I'm slowing going through them one by one and am happy to say there is light at the end...

No actual sketches to show though sorry, they are going to remain secret squirrels for a little while longer...

For more creative spaces, jump over to Kootoyoo.

The Tour Does Continue

I have been super slack with my Bookcase Tour Tuesdays of late but a couple of fabulous bloggers have been doing a great job filling my shoes.

Momiji to Mitsukoshi has continued with her Tour Tuesdays with a twist, and this week's is a delicious one!

And Somedays shows us through an exhibition I always meant to get to see but never did, but at least now I can peek into the pages of the catalogue.

I'll having a gallery day tomorrow, off for a bit of a wander through the artwork first and then to sit and finalise some designs for a new range. I find it way too distracting at home, so am hoping being surrounded by beautiful creativeness will help.

New Shoots

Sprouts, originally uploaded by Dr. Kluane Spake.

I just got word this afternoon that one of the seeds I planted last week has started to shoot. I'm very excited, but also rather nervous and overwhelmed. So much to do before then, but Melbourne, you'll be seeing this little duck down there in August!

Ring Packaging

I'm obsessing over design at the moment. Logo designs. Web page designs. And packaging designs.

In my travels, I came across this ring package by Gerlinde Gruber via Lovely Package. Oh so stylish.

My Creative Space

There's been lots of work going on today, but very little of it "creative"...

The cranes were set aside...

...the desk was cleared... the tidiest it's been in a long time...

Today was all about applications, business development, profile writing and portfolio making. I'm starting to plant a few seeds that I hope will start to grow later this year.

For more creative spaces, head over to Kootoyoo.

Treechange Dreams

We had another free day. Again, we jumped at the chance to get out of the city, this time heading north. A bit more of a drive this time. As we passed a strawberry farm we vowed to go picking there next season. We passed pineapple plantations and vowed to take the little one to the Big Pineapple when she's bigger, and both recalled the delicious desserts they had there. We passed the Glass House Mountains, their beautiful forms have made my heart sing ever since I was a young child.

A little further along, a steep and windy road later and we were in the township of Maleny. The day's plan? A bit of a wander, to pop our heads in to some real estate agents as we want to move up there in the hopefully not-too-distant future and lunch.

The morning had me in tears, happy tears as I realised my little baby is not such a baby anymore. She sat quietly, happily, between The Man and myself on a sofa in a coffee shop munching on some of my toast and some of the fruit from his Bircher muesli. No bib. No mess. She people-watched and just looked so grown up all of a sudden.

A few hours later, after some second-hand bookshopping, with the little one asleep in the back, The Man grabbed some takeaway fish and chips which we ate in the car at a lookout, a glorious view of the Glasshouse Mountains ahead of us. We talked of the slower life we wanted, talked about the house we plan to buy in the area, talked about business plans, family plans. With The Man's treatment soon coming to a successful end, that future is nearly here. And what a bright one it will be.

The Easter Weekend

We had a lovely Easter weekend. I did indeed get some treats from the Easter Bunny after a conversation that went a little like this..

Me: "Do you think the Easter Bunny will come and visit me this weekend?"

The Man (just discharged from hospital and still in quarantine): "I'm really sorry, but I don't think he can this year."

Me: "Well, do you think the Easter Bunny would like me to help him and pick myself up a little present for him to give me?"

The Man (laughing): "Yes, I'm sure the Easter Bunny would really like that."

Me: "So what do you think the Easter Bunny would like to get for me?"

And so, a couple of chocolate eggs came my way on Easter Sunday morning.

This Easter weekend was also filled with some yo-yo making, decorating some real eggs and a super cute handmade bunny delivery from the New Zealand Easter Bunny aka Granny.

On Easter Sunday morning, the little one and I went for a wander down to the Young Designers Markets where we got to see the cuteness made by Kitty Boo Boo...
The Coolness of Wicked Child Designs...
And the scrumptiousness of Miss Dish...
I also fitted in some late night, insomniac sketching and some messy (and not-so-successful) resin playing.
After all that, we were tuckered out and it was time for a good lie down.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Can't Sleep

It's late. I can't sleep so I'm trying to scribble down the thoughts, ideas and images that are keeping me awake instead.

Happy Easter

Feliz Pascoa, originally uploaded by Teka e Fabi®.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe weekend. We're having a nice quiet one this weekend and I'm hoping that the Easter Bunny remembers me on Sunday!

My Creative Space

Some resin casting experiments in progress at the moment. The shaped crane is from a mould, my first ever mould, that I made. Most of the work on these pieces today however has been research, research on where to take them next to get the best looking results.

And this week, I've done a little more embroidery on some vintage kimono fabric. Another piece waiting to be folded and stitched into a fabric origami crane.

For more creative spaces, visit Kootoyoo.

A Day Good For The Soul

Yesterday the planets seemed to have aligned. The man had a rare day off from the hospital/clinic and was feeling well, I had no plans and the weather was beautiful. Not wanting to waste a moment, we piled the three of us in the car. Soon we found ourselves winding through the rainforest lined roads on the way up to Mt Tamborine.

Our first stop was at a quaint little coffee shop, nestled in a flower-filled garden in Eagle Heights.

The man went for a traditional bacon and egg breakfast. I couldn't go past the poffertjes (dutch pancakes) which were light, fluffy and sweet.

Our tastebuds satisfied, we went for a gentle stroll down "Gallery Walk", the main tourist area of town. The air was filled with the scent of the lavendar planted by the footpath. We went into little antique and local craft stores. I couldn't leave without getting some freshly made fudge (chocolate-chilli and "Turkish Nights") to take home.

Our last stop of the day was at St Bernard's Hotel for lunch. The Barramundi we both ordered was delicious, but the rainforest view from our table was to die for. While we ate we looked over the rainforest covered mountains out as far as the ocean.

It was a wonderful family day out, one we've reminded ourselves we should do more often.

Latest Additions to the Family

This is my baby. Well, one of my babies. The baby I had before I had "the little one". She's a few years old now, has travelled with me throughout Japan, to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and has helped me record the beginning of my little one's life. I love this baby to bits. The only problem with her is, well... um... she has a bit of a weight and size problem... she's not a just-throw-in-a-handbag-and-go type of gal.

So, she's had a new little one of her own. Adopted mind you, as she is of a different race. This one is lovely and light and thin, no problem squeezing her in a bag at all!

She fits perfectly in a little padded pouch I made for my ipod a while back.

The new baby got to go on her first outing today, to the Craft Expo. While I was too busy chatting with a dear friend as we went up and down the aisles to take many photos, I did test the baby out on this beautiful quilt by Margaret Tweedie.

Just look at that use of yo-yos (or "Suffolk Puffs"). The new baby did quite a good job at capturing them indoors without flash, don't you think?

I don't want my old baby to feel neglected of course, I still love her dearly. So she got a nose job, a new lens, a macro.

And with the new lens, I can get in nice and close and pick up all those little details in my pendants. This particular pendant is from my new range "Love Letters from Japan" and are now in store.

Watch this space for more out and about photos now that I have a more portable baby to throw in my bag.

My Creative Space

I'm continuing to work on some embroidered cranes.

I'm thinking of doing a few different types, ones that can be placed on a table (rather than hung) like this, single strands like the one above, and full mobiles similar to the one I made for a friend.

For more creative spaces, drop by Kootoyoo.

Giving Love and Joy Wings

A new range I'm working on. All from vintage kimono fabrics.

Promise Not To Look Too Closely?

Promise not to comment that my stitching could be neater?

Then I'll show you a little something I started working on today...

... hopefully I'll have it worked on further in the next few days....

Planning an Escape

In just over a months time, the man is going to get a break between chemo and transplant. We're planning then for the three of us to get away for a few days, to relax, to soak up the energy of nature.

On the shortlist of places to stay, this is my favourite, a little tree-top house, overlooking the rainforest. If I close my eyes I can imagine I'm there already!

Flickr Faves on a Friday

I've been wanting to try my hand at a little simple embroidery. These are some of the gorgeous pieces that have been inspiring me.

1. We're All Mad Here Wall Hanging, 2. Comfort Zone, 3. Tattoo embroidery - Mend or Make do!, 4. "Hand Stitched" Embroidery SWAP, 5. polaroid-embroidery-hoop, 6. My creative space... dream girl wall piece