permaculture day

The weather was glorious for permaculture day on Sunday, just beautiful. I love being in Brisbane this time of year. The above shot taken during lovely Wendys' visitors tour of Northey Street.

She's the education co-ordinator of the community farm and is knowledgeable, personable and warm-a great teacher.

The sun was shining on the Village life market at Northey Street too- how pretty does this

'little original' dress made by Vanessa look? Aww.

Bunyas' Shiatsu tent was perfectly sited to catch some warm rays, I can actually feel some calm radiating through this image to me...

On the home permaculture garden I am thrilled and super excited to update about my rosellas - they have been producing fruit! I found this little guy and several more! And there are still many flowers opening so YAY! I'm going to be making rosella jam and syrup!

The red thick fleshy petal part in the top piccy is the main component of the jam and inside is a green seed pod. To save the seeds firstly choose the best plant of your crop. If you want to make jam you can pull the red leaves off for your jam, just leave the green pod there to fully reach maturity and then die off.

Once the seed pod is brown and dry you can pop them open and put the round dry seeds into a envelope, labelled, of course, and you'll be all ready for next year! If anyone wants some seeds especially suited for growing in Brisbane and surrounding areas leave a comment below with a link or contact and I will be happy to send you some once mine are ready.

This is a good link for all things Rosella, including recipes, growing, etc.

I love my pigeon peas too. They are excellent to use as a green mulch, provide shelter and also have nitrogen fixing roots. By keeping an eye on them and pruning them before they flower you can continually keep yourself supplied with mulch. Simply chop and drop them to the ground or rake them in a little.

But they are also a staple food of India, and this one will be supplying me with some peas as it's job to nourish the rosellas is near its end. And those yellow flowers are cheerful and pretty on a grey old day like today.

Lastly here is a progress shot on a pair of coffee coloured eco yarn fingerless gloves, custom ordered and now finished! I am happy they are all ready to be delivered next weekend to a returning visitor to Village life market...I love custom colour requests, the support we are getting this year and especially being part of such a beautiful permaculture lovin' community.

Thanks! And of course big thanks to you lovely blog readers, so tell me what's happening in your gardens??

xKate

re incarnated kimono

I am flattered and excited to have been invited by lovely Melanie from kimono reincarnate to create an artwork for the reincarnated kimono project. In essence the project involves 15 local Brisbane artists reworking pieces from 2 kimonos into original artworks.

The exhibition will take place in Hanasho gallery in West End for the month of April. I will have to steer clear of some of my favourite blogs for a while so I can get my piece finished in time and so that I don't see anyone else's work- I can't wait to see what each of us does but want it to be a surprise when I see works for the first time!

xKate

the definition of sweet

hello! I hope this little selection of images gives you some inspiration, specifically cute and sweet creative inspiration!

The very clever Steph of mon petit poppet is organising something very special over here. She is encouraging anyone crafty to join her in making 'hope softies'

Special little handmade toys for the families who have lost thier homes and everything in them during the recent Qld floods. There are thousands of people in evacuation centres, these toys will go to them.

So tonight I will be gathering some of my favourite fabrics and my softies books and will be trying to create something adorable ...won't you join in?

Cute little toys

and just to finish on an ultra cute note...puppies!!

I will update tomorrow with the finished toy!

xKate

photographing work effectively.

Despite the spring windy rainy weather I got outside a little bit last week and following some tips from a selection of wonderful links which Melanie of Kimono reincarnate posted.
I decided to do a few new photo shoots with my latest work, and try and get some better ones of my older things. I tried to capture the fuzzyness of the upcycled felt in the pine tree
(dash robin tree brooch)

the softness of this linen-cotton blend thread...(dash robin nest brooch)

and the texture contrasts here of the glass and thread and bark.

Shape and colour was the main thing I was concerned about capturing here, in this last image. This is such a fantastic piece of fabric-I found it in a second hand/antiques shop in nearby Deagon, can you believe it was once a 60's floral cushion cover?
(dash robin bird brooch)
I'd love to know what you think!
xKate

Meet me Monday.

Meet me Monday-
mini interviews with creative folk!

This gorgeous lamp graces my home, its one of my favourite things and comes from lamp maker, musician and blog writer Michael Swifte..

'I am an obsessed op-shopper always looking for something new to do with the things I find.

When I discovered lamps could be made with more heat sensitive materials due to the new energy efficient CFL bulbs, I began to make use of old glass, metal and plastic ceiling shades, teak bowls, melamine pieces, drawer knobs, napkin rings, polypropylene sheets, side tables and just about anything else...

I enjoy using the familiar and attractive colours, textures and shapes of items from the 60s,70s and 80s. I am interested in using items of a durable nature-one left from part of a set or surface damaged, and so not of interest to 2nd hand dealers.
A particular favourite place is the Lifeline supa store at Woolloongabba.

I try to make lamps match the decor of the modern home. I feel this mixes mod, deco, Victorian and minimal European styling.

My favourite creation is a lamp called 'F Box" I constructed it from a rectangular teak bowl with a stylised F hole cut into it, backed with a polypropylene diffuser, which was bought by a violinist friend.'

Aside from lamp making and op shopping, Swifte writes other blogs on varied topics ;one for his borrowed citreon car(pictured above),
many music ones and one with the attention grabbing title of http://theageofwarlordscookbook.blogspot.com/
which caught the eye of someone Michael very much admires..

'I've been asked to write an essay for a book to be called the Future we deserve.
The book is the brainchild of Vinay Gupta who invented the Hexayurt (cheap and light weight house design used for Haiti earth quake survivors) http://hexayurt.com/
Vinay is curating the submissions and likes my blog, particularly the title The age of warlords cook book. This blog is about the future of food and violence, looking at the experiences of people during various wars to shed light on the lessons we may need to learn in the future...Vinay Gupta challenges green groups to create cultural contingency plans for a possible bleak future.'

I admire Michaels beautiful and transformative use of found objects.
His lamps will soon be available in a new shop opening in West end, I will update as it happens.
In the meantime you can contact him and check out his lamps here...http://lampitup.blogspot.com/
cheers Kate

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and photographs Michael.

good wishes

I really enjoy being able to send out good wishes and thanks...
this is a no topic big gratitude ramble...
there are many lovely competitions being hosted by fellow bloggers,
it's a warm interconnected circle of offerings-bloggers are very generous.

I received some beautiful crystal and crochet gifts from Alice this week, so sweet.
http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/

These school holidays I have adored being with my patient boys, we have had space and time enough to be creative...

and silly

people who take time to read my blather, thank you too!

xKate

fricking ace Friday...

Tripitaka wanted to go to the little market at Avid Friday...sorry mr puss!
dear friends who popped in-cheers all, you're so sweet...

on the way in my mum(on a visit to Brisbane) & I stopped in at the Textile art festival
...loved these details...


text, layering

wrapping, spiralling

texure, colour.
The 12 by 12 (http://twelveby12.blogspot.com/)
& elements (darling downs textiles group) quilt displays were fascinating.

I have to mention the most delightful Katie Noonan...
who performed at the Powerhouse this weekend with her new band,
Katie Noonan and the captains
I was so incredibly blessed & lucky to be included on the guest list
-thankyou!!-
blissful tears flowed while I was listening to her, she has one of the most movingly beautiful voices...
visit her myspace
http://www.myspace.com/katienoonan
(i recommend 'never know your luck')
xKate

Meet me Monday

Welcome to my first ever 'meet me mondays' where I am giving over my blog space to introduce some artists to you...I get to combine my love of craft and community and for me it's a joy to approach people who I genuinely admire and pick their creative brains!!

My first lovely local 'meet me' craft maker is Chrissy. I am always fiddling with the cute as a button eco ring she swapped me for one of my brooches at the Avid market which she attends once monthly. I love her jewellery and her joyful way of recycling...so over to Chrissy...

"In my Community/Public Art work I love making art accessible and collaborating with people, and love working with kids.

Sharing creativity rocks my world, especially if it’s also environmentally friendly!

I LOVE scrounging around op-shops for beautiful fabrics and funky materials to upcycle into jewellery and whimsical mixed media artworks. I have a fabric fetish and love pushing the pedal to the metal on my trusty PFAFF sewing machine!!

I use loads of recycled/reclaimed materials...there’s an element of alchemy in turning junk into something beautiful...something really special about finding inspiration from discarded items ~ they’re usually so unique and individual. I also feel proud that I’m diverting waste through my artworks and eco-art workshops.

I’ve really honed in a few op-shops that are still run by charities, with true, old-school stock without the exorbitant prices. Gimme gimme good ol’ op-shops! Digging deep through shelves and drawers in an op-shop like this is heaven for me! I’m also a regular at Reverse Garbage in West End, Brisbane ~ always a treasure trove of wacky goodness!

The first time I create something...I love the rush of (the feeling of) being a kid again and running up to Mum saying ‘Look what I made!!’, except now hubby has to be the one to look all starry eyed at my newest arty adventure....when I create something and it becomes a range, my first eco-brooch, my first mixed-media artwork, or my first fabric eco-ring.

I’ve recently come across an AMAZING artist who goes by the name of Eve’s Little Earthlings. She makes fantastic tree-lookalike stuffies out of old wool jumpers, which she salvages from op-shops. Trees + recycled materials?! You had me at ‘hello’!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EvesLittleEarthlings

If I had 5 minutes of fame I’d spend it showing parents and kids how to make art using things they’d normally throw out. There’s SO much waste the average family can reduce by getting creative! And what a great way for parents to spend quality time with their kids.

decorated planter pots made out of recycled milk containers,

colourful wrapping paper using painted newspapers,

hand-made journals using recycled printed office paper,

flower mobiles using bottle tops and tin foil,

animals out of cardboard containers and carpet off-cuts."

Chrissy generously shared the thoughts behind her work with me -it's only through others that my intention to promote ethical creative business and positive interconnections between folk can be realised so if you'd like to be involved drop me a line... I hope you enjoy meeting me on Mondays to meet others!

http://chrissyforemanc.blogspot.com/

http://www.chrissyforemanc.com/

xkate

Bleeding Heart gift store launch

Everyones invited-today 4 til 9 p.m, School of arts building, Ann Street, Brisbane City...
Bleeding Heart have expanded and fitted out thier gift store and are holding an event tonight to celebrate! There will be cupcakes and champers at the launch of what hopefully will become the cities hotspot for local artisan activity...


I am really proud to have been selected to have my work displayed in the shop. The special part for me about being part of this store is that Bleeding Heart is a profit for purpose company. All profits they make go into wonderful projects-including providing play equipment and other aid to children in East Timor, running free courses on business for women and much more.

So if great art and great compassion interest you, make sure you check out this great new shop.

Pictured here are some of my items in the shop but there is such a huge range of lovely things in there from a wide ranging pool of talented artists.
Okay, shameless big plug over, have a lovely weekend all,
xkate

Marketeering

Yikes -I gotta fly! I have on my brand new retro dress, have a plate of caramel slice and my crafty goodness packed in the car...so hope to see folk at Avid Reader tonight!
For more information check out our bloggy
http://www.lovelythingmakers.blogspot.com/
xkate

whimsy

visited goma, apt6 opening weekend, such a whimsical delight. Came home and made some little tea cups brooches, was feeling all inspired by thoughts of whimsy, impermanence, joy and warmth.
xKate