My Month of Gluten, My Week of Sandwiches

For the last month, I've been indulging.  Unashamedly indulging.

You see earlier this year, under the supervision of a dietician, I went off gluten.  It initially started off as a short trial to see how I'd feel and as I very quickly noticed a dramatic difference to daily stomach aches and energy levels, I stuck with it.  At the time The Man was still in the middle of treatment so neither my doctor nor dietician wanted to put me through proper testing then.

Well, the time for tests is almost nigh.  To get accurate results however I needed to be back on gluten for a month.

Then and there I decided that if I was going to have to eat food that was potentially going to make me feel unwell, then I was going to really enjoy the eating part.  I was going to have a joyous farewell party for all the foods that I may not eat for either a while, or ever again, depending on test results.

Photo borrowed from Myrtle and Eunice

Somehow I don't think that it was quite what my doctor had in mind, but I confess, somedays I've been eating my gluten quota in biscuits.  Well, biscuits, pasta, scones, waffles and a not-so-healthy breakfast cereal.  I've enjoyed the freedom of eating at a restaurants without having  to search out a little "gf" notation.  I've loved being able to just order fish and chips from any takeaway shop.  It's been great being able to catch up with a friend for a bite to eat without having to worry about food restrictions.  Grocery shopping has been fun, not having to read every label.

I now have only a few days left of my "free" diet and I realised, that for the most part, I forgot the sandwiches!  So this week is all about the sandwiches, delicious fillings loaded on freshly baked bread.  Be it a gourmet lamb and haloumi or a simple vegemite sandwich, I'm going to enjoy every single bite.

***Update - alas, it was indeed my last week of gluten eating.  Tests revealed that I was coeliac so it's now onto a gluten free diet and hopefully I should be feeling better soon ***

Flickr Faves on a Friday

Today's post is brought to you by the colour pink.

1. Dreamy Pink Balloons, 2. 14th Feb: Happy Birthday to me, 3. 100:365 {pretty pink pinkiefly, will you come fly away with me?}, 4. proserpina returns, 5. Pink + Nature + Amazing Photography = Naturally Delightful, 6. Setaria pink, 7. 02.12.10 : tickle me pink, 8. Standing on a Pink stool, wearing pink shoes, pink socks, a pink tutu, in front of a pink house... This is a true story! HBM, 9. Tie Me a Pink Ribbon

It's all about the pink this month as it's Breast Cancer Awareness month in Australia.

Last weekend I had the chance to meet with this lovely blogger who at 31 years old and with an eight month old baby was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  Her story had me in tears, especially when she talks about cancer being "A ghost.  A thief." as it's a feeling my husband and I really relate to.  Amanda's story has a happy ending but serves as a reminder that this can affect people young and not-as-young.

In support of this cause, Brisbane is having quite the pink weekend.  Tomorrow (Saturday), the BrisStyle's Mother and Child market will be going pink and helping to raise money for the Chicks in Pink charity.  On Sunday, the Boutique Market will be doing their part as well.  Both markets are on, rain or shine, so grab that umbrella and get pinked up!

My Creative Space

I'm working in miniature today.  I'm preparing pieces for a resin pour tomorrow, mostly hairpins and tiny stud earrings.  It still amazes me to find the fine details in these fabrics.

For more creative spaces, drop by Kootoyoo, there's always such an abundance of talent.

My Maiocchi 2010 Spring Collection Wishlist

My Maiocchi 2010 Spring Collection Wishlist by kimonoreincarnate on Polyvore.com


Images from Maiocchi

You can check out more of Maiocchi's Spring collection here.  Anything there on your wishlist?

Bookcase Tour Tuesday - Fruits

Do you have a book that you've owned for years, have paged through countless times and each and every time you do, you find something new that you hadn't noticed before?  Fruits is one of those books for me.

This book is jammed packed with funky Tokyo street fashion portraits by photographer Shoichi Aoki.  All the models are people he has found on the street, and photographed in their chosen outfits for the day, especially in areas like Harajuku.  On the weekend, the streets of Harajuku are rich with colour and I've been know to snap a fashion photo or two of my own there.

I've had this copy for years, and have recently pulled it out for inspiration for my next jewellery range.  I'm feeling the need for something fun, colourful and quirky in my life.

On the bottom of each page it gives the name and age of the person as well as the source of the clothes.  While there are numerous designers listed, there are also many handmade and second hand clothes that were photographed.

The photographer has also asked the model two questions; "Point of fashion" and "Current Obsession".  

Some of my favourite responses to "Point of fashion?" are; "fluffy alien", "explosively cheap", "being selfish", "harmony and unity", "space hunter", "jingling socks", "image of a milkman", "a weird nurse", "the monkey on my back", "flaming pink" .... oh who am I kidding, that's only answers from the first part of the book!

"Current obsessions" listed include; "eating nikuman dumplings until I fall over", "chocolate banana and dyeing fabric", "hemming by hand" and many people said "making clothes".

The book is actually a compilation of images from the Japanese fanzines of the same name.  I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few second hand copies when I was in Tokyo last.

There has also been a sequel of this book published, Fresh Fruits.  That one's on my wish list!

Fruits: ISBN 0714840831

There is one more week left to enter my Bookcase Tour giveaway.  Thanks so much for the responses so far!  I've really enjoyed reading them and getting a little direction on the direction of these posts.

Mum Made This

I think I could almost make this a whole series, we have many beautiful things around our home made by my mum.

I've mentioned before that my mum is a quilter and she made the most gorgeous cot quilt for our little one.  I'm certain it's from mum that I got my fabric obsession.  After many years of my raiding her stash when I was growing up, I think she's happy to have my stash to raid now when she visits.

This quilt is one of the latest pieces of hers that I have seen.  She brought it over on her last visit for us to pass onto the Leukaemia Foundation as a donation and to say thank you for the support they gave our little family.

Looking at the quilt, you'll notice that I'm not the only one in the family influenced by Japanese textiles... 

When I was taking the photos (quickly before dashing out the door to deliver it), the little one wanted to be part of the action...

I love how on this detail on the back, it almost looks like the boys are playing with the dragonflies.

For many years I've resisted the urge to quilt.  Recently though I was shopping for a new doona cover as ours is starting to look rather shabby.  I couldn't find anything in the stores that  I really wanted but started seeing in my mind all the gorgeous fabrics I have at home... I think I can see a "handmade by Melanie" quilt there in the future sometime...

Can I ask for your advice...?

I'm starting to take the plunge and advertise in a couple of magazines.  You would think that I would have actually put more stuff in my store first but maybe these ads will motivate me.

The first magazine, Yen,  has a lot of young, fresh with a bit of fun fashion in it.  I'm trying to decide between these two photos...

The second one is an eco fashion magazine, Peppermint.  For this one, I want some pieces from my "Eco range" - and my vintage kimono bamboo teapots have been the most popular to date.  Again though, I can't decide which photo to use...

Any thoughts?

Polli

Polli.  Pretty, pretty Polli.  If you drop by Creature Comforts, you could be lucky enough to win a Polli Eco Deco Garland kit.

I have been lucky this week already, I won this fabulous jewellery tree by Red Revival.  Can't you just see it painted up to join my other market trees!

Flick Faves on a Friday - Little Red

When I was little I remember going to stay with my cousins down south.  To be honest, I don't remember much about the trip.  I remember the stickers that my sister and I wore on our dresses so that the air hostesses knew to look after us as we were flying down without our parents.  I vaguely remember the corduroy dress that I wore that my  mum had made.  It was purple I think. And I remember one of my cousin's dolls.  I thought it was the best doll I had ever seen and still search for one just like it to this day.

It was a Red Riding Hood doll and she was wearing a long skirt, or maybe it was her red cloak that was long.  When you flipped the skirt up and put it over little Red's head, there was the wolf.

1. Red Riding Hood, 2. Little Red Riding Hood Dress KIT, 3. ♥Little Red Cap Girl♥, 4. Bento 05/19/09 Little Red Riding Hood, 5. Illustration Friday: Contained, 6. Red Riding Hood Papercut :), 7. Carved Little Red Riding Hood Stamp {explored}, 8. Good Morning Friday, 9. close up

I thought it was just fantastic, and to this day still do.  For years I looked for one, but of course, then didn't have google at my finger tips.  I found out today that they are called "topsy turvy" dolls.  In my hunt, I came across a number of vintage ones, but to be honest, a lot of the wolves were pretty scary.  However...  If I could knit, I wouldn't mind making this one... I found that Soule Mama had one with a similar idea.... and was tempted to get  this vintage pattern.


But really, all these cute Red Riding Hood and Wolf designs make me think... maybe I should design a softie version of my own.  If I could actually get myself organised in time, it could be my Softies for Mirabel contribution.  What about you, was there a toy in your childhood whose memory has stayed with you?

Pugly Pixel

I discovered the Pugly Pixel blog a while back and have had it on my list to revisit and download these great pieces of tape strip clip art.  In a moment of procrastination today (I should be working on accounts), I dropped by her blog and found so much more!

How amazing are these award ribbons!  And even better, she has a tutorial on how to make them yourself AND the vintage deco tapes as a free download as well!  Apologies for shouting at you there, I just really do think they are fabulous!

And if that's not enough for you... then check out these photo overlays, ready to insert your own image into...

It looks like I may have a new blog crush...

My Creative Space

Feeling moody?

I give you my first mood board, a piece of inspiration for the feel I want for my blog.

For the last few weeks I've been taking the Blogging Your Way course with Holly from Decor8.  While I haven't had the time and focus to give it the attention that it deserves, I have been really enjoying it.


For more creative spaces, Kootoyoo is the place to go.


And while I'm here I want to say thank you so much for all the lovely comments that have been left on my survey so far.  They've made me feel so warm and fuzzy!

The Bookcase Tour Giveaway - 20s Kimonos

I haven't been terribly consistent in my Bookcase Tour Tuesday posts.  I'd like to change that, and am asking for your help.  I'd love to know what you'd like to see, but more about that in a moment... first, some book eye candy... the book I'm giving away...

20's Kimono: 100 Royalty Free JPEG Files  

"The patterns used on kimono in the Taisho era (1912-1926) were composed, generous, bright and vivid.... when the tides of change were at work altering many aspects of Japanese society, the Taisho experienced an intermingling of the old and the new.  A brilliant popular culture blossomed in the resulting creative chaos." (from the book's introduction)

I  love the fabric designs that came out of Japan during this era.  There is a heavy Art Deco and Art Nouveau influence and you can almost feel the excitement of a culture opening its doors to the world outside.

There is a real sense of fun and humour to the bold patterns of this time.

Funnily enough, I have a pair of pajama bottoms that have this red print on them.

This period is filled with vibrant and colourful designs.

This book comes with a CD (PC and Mac compatible) with 100 magnificent designs from this era. 

Now lean in very closely while I whisper... I don't want the Man to hear... I'm giving away a copy of this book because... I loved it so much I accidentally bought two copies!


The giveaway is open all, I'll post it anywhere.  I'll draw and announce the winner on Tuesday October 12th (my time) in that day's Bookcase Tour post.  To enter, please take a few moments to answer my survey (link below) to help me decide what books to show you from my rather loaded bookcase.


Click here to take survey

Corky Saint Clair

Corky Saint Clair has some of the funkiest collection of jewellery cuteness around.

You can find his work (and mine!) in his shop in the Degraves Street Subway in Melbourne.

And a little birdy told me that he'll also be at the upcoming  Melbourne Finders Keepers market.

If you're in the area drop by and say hi to "Corky" and his Carry Monster.

Valentino Up Late

When you were a child, did your mother repeatedly tell you to "Don't touch, look with your eyes"?  I hear it at the markets all the time.  On Friday night when I went to see the Valentino Retrospective, that little voice was in the back of my head as I resisted the urge to run my fingers through the layers of sumptuous fabrics and feathers in the fashions on display.

The layers and detailing were the first things that really hit me at the exhibition.  I was fascinated by silks that were first woven and then draped.  By feathers and and lace combined to create a "tattoo dress".  But mostly, I was amazed at the way the textiles had been used to create wearable sculptures.  I'm sure I wasn't the only woman there choosing the dress I would wear for my own red carpet experience.

My cousin and I chose to view this exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art during one of their "Up Late" sessions.  And if you have a chance, this is the way I'd highly recommend to see it.  It was a lot of fun getting dolled up; me in a red dress and red lipstick, but many others in fabulous cocktail dresses, so the exhibition soon became a sense of occasion.  And what better way to take a break from viewing than with a glass or two of bubbly at the bar open especially for the evening.

The exhibition runs until November 14th.

Taking Photos for Etsy - Useful Links

Yesterday I had a great time running a session for some of the BrisStyle members on taking and editing photos for Etsy.  It's funny though, I felt like I needed to start with a disclaimer - I did my photography degree pre-digital days and product photography was not one of my best subjects.  

While I don't think I came up with anything that isn't already out there in the internet world, I hope that putting lots of information together at one time might have helped.

Along the way of putting the session together I came across some very useful links on Etsy on the subject that I thought I'd share;


Photographing 2D artwork.  Some really simple ideas for people that sell prints of their work.  During the session I also got talking about photographing fabric.  A seller who I think does an excellent job of giving life to this flat medium is Karaku. 


Brightening your photos using Picnik.  Personally, I'm a photoshop gal, but for this session I realised that the software is quite an investment and not really worth it for those who want to use a few simple photo editing functions.  I had a play with Picnik and was really impressed by how simple it is to use and how effective it is.


A basic how-to video on Photoshop.  This video (from youtube) is a 50 minute investment but from the parts I've watched, it seems to do a good job of covering the basics.


Photo tips including lighting.  In this tutorial she also talks about knowing your camera, colour and reflection and translucence.


Taking (and editing for) sharp photos.  This lesson goes over a number of things that will affect how crisp your resulting image will be.


Styling your photos and including props.  Photo styling is really not my forte' (hence why I didn't do so well in my product photography classes) so I found this article really quite interesting.  It goes into the thought behind what props help create the story of your product.  Make sure to scroll down to see some of the example images at the end, I just love the choker in the frame image.


Before and After photos.  Oh how I love a makeover.  I have (not so secret anymore) secret addiction to before and after shows.  Looking at the examples in this article does make you think about what it is about your own images that you could change.  In a similar vein is the Etsy Shop Makeovers group on Flickr which I believe that anyone can join.


Photographing for Etsy - a video by Etsy.  This is both a fun and interesting video to watch and shows some examples from a few different Etsy shops.  One thing from this that I found really interesting was what they said about having a person model clothing as opposed to it being on a mannequin - that items that were modelled sold so much more quickly than those not.  This statement was backed up by a few people in yesterday's session as well.


Photographing Jewellery.  A good little tutorial focused on the specific challenges of photographing jewellery.  I really like how some of the examples they have used in this also show the additional four shots used for the listing, it's good to see how the different angles work together.  There is also a link in here for making your own light box.


Collaborating with Photographers. This one is a little different - focussed on clothing designers who don't feel like the photos they take themselves gives justice to their work.  It looks at collaborating with photographers as well as an interesting take on getting your pieces on musicians and celebrities. 

Molly

May I introduce you to my latest model, Molly.  Molly the mannequin model.  She came to my last couple of markets (Molly the market mannequin model - try to say that three times quickly!) but today was giving me a hand in the studio.

Molly is a little risque', she's been going out in public in her underwear, or rather her under kimono, which quite frankly is a little too tight...

...and her obi is poorly tied, so she needs to stay very, very still...

...and today she didn't hesitate when I asked her to strip off for an all-nude-except-for-a-few-flowers shoot.

And the very good news is... my comments are back!  All bar the most recent ones, but I have them copied and just need to add them in manually.  Yay!

4606

4606. The number of comments currently missing from my blog. 4606 notes filled with kind words left by kind people that through a technical mishap, I've misplaced. 4606 comments that have made me laugh, ponder, consider and at times cry. 4606 comments that have at times been like hugs from all over the world when I needed them. 4606 comments that have started dear friendships and each and every single comment I hold dear. I feel so silly, so irresponsible, to have lost them, like something so precious that I have been given and carelessly left behind.

Missing Happy, originally uploaded by dietrich.

I really hope to find them soon.

My Creative Space

The other day I had an air conditioner installed in my workspace, a much needed edition to allow me to work in here this summer and not bite the Man's head off each and every day. We had hoped to move before the summer, to begin our treechange life, but the Man is still needing weekly visits to his doctor (but all is well and he's doing really well) so we've put it off for a little while longer.

Having to disassemble my room to allow the technicians access to the wall was a great chance for me to do some much needed re-organising.

It's not finished yet (though I do suspect it will be in a permanent state of work-in-progress-ness), there's a picture waiting to be framed, my newly painted "inspire" to go on the wall, and another postcard to find a spot for...

One wall did get prettied up... I used some Ikea kitchen knife magnetic strips as a inspiration board, the magnets are kimono fabric covered buttons...

And then the not so pretty, but oh so practical, new organisational system, all my bits and partially completed orders easily found and within reach.

For other creative spaces, Kootoyoo is the place to go.

And once again, sincere apologies as my comment system is still in a state of flux... it may take me a few days to sort out and I may very sadly, still lose a few more comments in the process. I hope I will get it all sorted very, very soon.

Comments... crossing my fingers and huge apologies...

I'm about to do something a little risky... I recently changed the way comments were taken on this blog - from Blogger to an external website. The new system however isn't giving me links to the blogs of people that comment, and I really like having those links! I'm about to disable it, but fear I may lose a lot (if not all...) comments on my blog. I am crossing my fingers and I sincerely apologise to those kind enough to have left comments on my blog.

***Update... so the worst seems to have happened... I have lost all my comments left using the blogger system... I have to have them up again soon... sorry!

A Wish a Day - Day.... Five?

Today's Wish: May time always be your friend.

Today's Paper: Taken from last year's diary, pages include the day the little one was born.

Number of Cranes: 29. One for each hour of the day + five more for the extra hours a friend pointed out it would nice to have.

Cranes to date: 34

Ummm... could we just pretend that today is really day five and that I didn't miss an entire week of my Wish a Day - especially before I'd even completed a week! It can be our little secret.

Time just seemed to have run away from me over the last week. What with preparing for markets, a market, then a market day that turned into a sick day, then another, then catching up on things after market and sick days. All is good now though and I'm back on track. So little one, my wish to you today, may time not run away without you.

My Creative Space

One tiny crane down, another 28 to fold for tonight's "Wish a Day". I did fall off the daily project wagon last week, but I'm back on it today. The pieces of paper are from last year's diary and include the page that the little one was born on.

For more creative spaces, Kootoyoo is the place to go!

A Wish a Day - Day Four

Today's wish: May you have limitless energy.

Today's crane: Paper from the recycled paper envelope our energy bill arrived in today.

The pinwheels and landscape: Paper from an old magazine.

I've been thinking a lot about energy today. We received our latest power bill and ouch! I try to be really good about our consumption, but have apparently let things slide a little. I often have my "if I win the lotto" fantasies about the house I would have built; it would be eco friendly, energy efficient and off the grid as much as possible. Like many people, I worry about what energy sources will be available in the future and would like a push by the powers to be towards more sustainable systems.

And then on a personal note, something I don't normally talk about on the blog. I've wrestled with the decision to talk about it at all. I have a couple of chronic health conditions that can really zap my energy, one of which is fibromyalgia. Usually, as long as I take care of myself and stay on top of sleep, for me it's quite manageable. Recently I haven't been getting enough sleep. Today the fatigue and the pain levels went through the roof. It was a morning when I was really glad I didn't live alone as I'm not sure how I would have managed. For most of the day I struggled to walk and wasn't even able to pick up my little one. To get through the day, I took the strongest painkiller cocktail I could, which then made me even more exhausted. By the afternoon, I gave up and just went back to bed. I worry sometimes about what genes I may have passed onto my little one. There were a number of times in the past when the illness was bad that I wondered if I really should be a mother at all. Even on a daily basis, energy is something that I have to decide how I will use, knowing that I only have limited reserves.

So there comes the inspiration for today's wish, one that works on a global and a very personal level.

My Creative Space

I'm having a big brooch making day (that is a big day making brooches, not a day making big brooches) today and have been sorting fabrics for a customer that wants some red and some blue teapots.

For more creative spaces, Kootoyoo is the place to go!

A Wish a Day - Day Three

The first day of spring. And what better way to celebrate the first day of spring than to go to a friend's wedding. At was a lovely afternoon ceremony in the park and the weather was perfect. The grass was lush and green and the perfect spot for the little one to run around on while blowing kisses to all the other guests.

And so the inspiration for today's wish.

Today's wish: May you have someone in your life who truly makes your heart soar.

Today's cranes and hearts: From today's wedding invitation, with some hand colouring and drawing.

Crane count so far: Four