my creative space

Found these beautiful green vintage buttons in bag I bought second hand on Monday, it was my lucky day.Sorting through them was wonderful and these ones I popped into a jar so I could look at them while I worked. I keep clinking them together against the sides of glass jar, the noise, the colours, its very relaxing...hmm. Sew, sew, clink, clink. Simple pleasure.
Hopefully I will see some of you at Avid Reader tomorrow night?
xkate
To see more creative space head here...
http://www.kootoyoo.com/2010/02/my-creative-space_18.html

that 70s fabric...

I spotted a funky 70s curtain a few weeks ago in a second hand store and bought it home excited and pleased. However in a moment of impulsive oddness, I put it out to sell at a garage sale last weekend.
Thank goodness it didn't sell because I don't know what I was thinking-I would have cried! How could I resist creating something out material like this? For instance in the image above notice there is a cat with a bird perched on it's hat, sitting atop walrus' head, happilly dangling a line near a 'no fishing sign'?

And a penguin as cute as this one? So amusingly strange! I cut it so carefully to try and preserve the funniest bits and made a handbag with it.
I was speaking to a friend of mine today and we were both mentioning how sometimes its very stimulating working with recycled materials. Perhaps because there is the creative challenge of using the material well, and having to design something with the item as it is provided to you, not the item you wish you might have...A limitation is really is helpful for me creatively, I usually get overwhelmed in fabric shops and avoid them partly for that reason, the selection is too much. And also you are just not going to find a piece like this at Spotlight.

The next Avid market night is coming up, first for the year, this Friday, the 26th.
I will try to find time to make pesto dip because thanks to the rain, storms and constant warmth my basil has gone bezerkers!

You can see it here amongst the tomato and cucumber plants in my tiny permaculture patch.
Mixing tomatoes with basil makes for delicious meals and confuses bugs like fruit flies with the mixture of scents.
yum
xkate

inundated

They have visited my lounge room, my kitchen and now my very own bedroom...

a cute green friend, this time on the base of my bedside lamp. I know one is under my bed right now because I can hear it landing as it hops across the floor!! I have lived in Brisbane now for about 13+ years and not once has a frog entered a home I have lived in. It is the most heart warming thing.

I was taking more notice of my garden today, and I felt very happy and inspired by the beauty all round...


Moments pass by so fast. Un noticed. So fragile and small and lovely.




Now that the weather has briefly cooled, I have been wanting to do things! So using some vintage buttons I ordered in from the U.S and a whole bunch of fabric I bought second hand, I have been sewing...

So far I have 2 bags made and another 3 cut out...have had some suggestions from friends and have experimented and found a way to make a bag which can be turned inside out for 2 different looks...but wait -there's more...vintage buttons hidden inside...such a satisfying project!
Now one last thing, 'yay! the lovely thing makers market evenings are kicking off again', Friday the 26th-Boundary Street, West end, 5.30 til 8, Avid Reader...
xkate

backing up

My computer screen was flashing like a disco light today, occasionally fading to white and basically looking like it was about to break down altogether! So I decided to back up all my photos, pronto, which meant I had a brief look through the last few years of images. And apart from oodles of photos of all kinds of lovely folk, family and friends and funny things there was a huge amount of images of my creative bits and bobs.


It was odd looking through the old craft images, sort of like looking at high school photos, embarrassing but sweet too. I wouldn't know exactly how much I have made, gifted, sold and traded, but LOTS!! There are photos of the first markets I ever went to and even before I went to a market. I started off truly when I exchanged this oven mitt, made from 2 old felted jumpers for art therapy classes.

I made things for years before this of course, but I began to see my work might have some possible financial value and worth. And I began to keep some kind of record...and here warts and all are some of my early things...




P.S-i hope no one tried to go to the wetlands festival...it truly was a wet-land here on Sunday, and it was rained out and cancelled, my apologies if anyone went along.
xkate

new things

Please excuse this really ordinary photo!

It shows a crochet stitch, spike stitch, which is used in the project 'Sienna headband' from the beautiful book vintage crochet
I talked about this book earlier here....
http://dashrobin.blogspot.com/2009/11/treasures.html

It is a slightly challenging stitch. Simply 'spike' your crochet hook below the row you are on, yarn over, then draw through and pull the yarn up to meet the top of your work, yarn over again and draw through both loops on hook and continue...or if that made no sense, google it!

This was my first attempt but I have since being playing around with colours that are only very subtly different and the results are very interesting. Its wonderful how one new stitch or tip from someone can open up a whole field of new ideas sometimes...


Apart from crocheting my heart out, I did go into the city and shifted around and re stocked my supply of goodies at Bleeding Heart too, so it's all there for you to see at Bleeding Heart cafe, in the school of arts building on Ann street in the city.



Expect to see more changes soon as the wall behind is going to be painted(YAY!) and some more exciting things are planned...



Miss dish now has set up shop too, and her dramatic and beautiful creations are well worth investigating.


I am reminded of burlesque style outfits when I see her rich luscious pieces but they would be suitable for more down to earth fashion too...sometimes its nice to jazz up a plain jane outfit with something contrastingly pretty, do you agree?


This is such a long blog but before I sign off, one more thing;
This weekend, this Sunday actually, at the Nudgee foreshore there is a music festival in celebration of wetlands and the migratory birds who visit them. It sounds like a lovely mellow event for big and little folk, and celebrates conservation of these important habitats and the diverse species of travelling birds who live in them. It also combines another love of mine, world music, with performances by varied performers...check out the details here...

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:BASE::pc=PC_5999

xkate

photo fun

Now my kids are once more settled into their school routine I will be visiting Bleeding Hearts and re stocking with some fresh bags and toys and brooches. By Wednesday there ought to be a good little selection. I think another biz babes graduate, the lovely Miss Dish will also now have stock in too, so check out her amazing jewellery or visit her at http://missdish.com/?p=102

I was playing around with some new business card ideas and images today, I like the contrast happening in this image and the gnarled surface of the tree bark.


I have also been getting some piccys made for my made.it store which I am in the process of stocking up too.
http://www.madeit.com.au/detail.asp?id=53181
I used my large old and odd crockery collection to set them up with...exploring some different angles and created this sort of funny view of a little owl softy.


This owl is nestled or stuck between one of my favourite plates, which I love because of the little picture of a ballerina on the back. But this picture makes me happy cos it looks to me as if he is climbing across them?

And this back door is such a handy prop, this is one of my favourite colour combinations, red and cool grey, this just brings me joy to look at...

xkate