markets/events this week

Busy, busy, busy week ahead! If you are in Brisbane get out your diary and start checking!
The saviours of the lost arts...craft market is happening on Tuesday in King George square, Brisbane-10-4.

Lots of beautiful hand crafted items will be on display and for sale as part of this exciting series of craft events-I am sharing a stall with Sam of Biddy Bags so pop along for a chat with us, to see what's on offer or to have a cup of tea with us.


On Monday I will be part of a group of crafters who will be sharing a little of our experience of turning craft hobbying into a business, this is another saviours of the lost arts event.
It is a small and informal workshop being held at the Bleeding Heart cafe. Go to this link to find out more...www.bleedingheart.com.au/?p=250


Also on Sunday as part of the Hays Inlet Festival
http://www.prca.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42&Itemid=47
a lovely collective of crafty women have organised an up cycled fashion parade.
My accessories will be available at a stall in the market running all day and will be featured alongside a diverse and stunning range of clothing made from vintage and recycled fabrics during the parade; on from 1-1.30.

All these events are such a great opportunities to come together and celebrate the fun and dynamic styles of up cycled and eco friendly fashion and traditional and diverse craft and I am really excited to be part of all this...
xkate

my creative space

Good morning all! So nice to be here again.

Here's some things on my mind and in my hands.
Big scarves whilst lovely and restful to make are not always stimulating creatively.

I am enjoying the unexpected and free path the crochet nests are taking me onto...

Linen, glass beads, old metals, roughened woods, vintage buttons....

wrapping linen thread around the key worked well, really securely attached.

I need to find some more old keys.

And wrapping felt around this twig was the right thing for this one.

They just looked so lost without something to be placed on.

For more creative spaces go to
www.kootoyoo.com

xKate

craft city

Wonderful things are happening in the craft community of Brisbane right now.
Today I went along to one of many workshops being hosted by Bleeding Heart cafe as part of the 'Saviours of the lost arts...craft workshops' This is a series of free workshops covering all kinds of crafty goodness. Crochet, tatting, knitting, gem work, stained glass making, craft and business, fabric dyeing, etc, etc. I am a big fan of Bleeding heart cafe, I am partly biased because they stock things made by me, like this bag down here...But I would love them anyway! They are a profit for purpose business with their fingers in so many pies I won't try and list them-just go to their site to learn more about them and also to see the Saviours of the lost arts craft workshop programme...
http://www.bleedingheart.com.au/?p=250
Today's workshop was about Internet and crafting(hello, hello) and was really informative and also informal-I love learning in comfy spaces, with lovely women, don't you?

Also happening in Brisvegas this week is this the Lovely thing makers craft market...Friday night from 5.30 til 8pm at Avid reader bookstore. As usual it's free, takes place in the courtyard with music and lovely food and wine by donation and has a great atmosphere...

xKate

my random creative space

This is an all over the place post about an all the place week...
I shall try and lure you all in with some vintage buckle imagery-ooh baby...

And now to reveal the rest...
I was told, by my youngest and his visiting friend 'hey mum we are going to look at my books' -reading together, how lovely, I thought...

I should have been skeptical of anyone wearing a hat like this, huh?

He does have quite the creative streak...before one of his cardboard box houses got tossed I stopped to photograph this genie he decorated it with...cute...I might just appropriate it for some embroidery.

This is the view my kids have had of me the last couple days while they are both at home with colds.
I am unsuccessfully trying to force them to rest, hands on hips, trying not to laugh. Also note wool and hook, slipping in a few stitches as I cook dinner.

Where ever I can I am stealing time to build up stock for 3 markets ahead. I have my fingers crossed it will be bitterly cold at each event and that this pile will be snapped up and wrapped around chilly necks...

Thanks for visiting,
for more creative spaces (that are a hell of a lot more stimulating than mine) head to...
www.kootoyoo.com
xKate

my creative space

I have a project coming up in a couple months where I shall be guiding others in their knitting. Pause for incredulous laughter.
So gamely picked up the sticks after 5 years (from where they had been hurled most likely in a fit of frustration) to find it is not as difficult as I remembered...is 2 months enough time to get me skilled up?
Why, oh why could it not be crochet workshops!!!

Onto happier things-my latest whimsical art piece.
A gumball machine($2 from oppy) filled with hundreds of vintage buttons(probably $5 from various sources.) The joy it gives me to see those buttons swirl in glass top...priceless!

Happy crafting and living, xkate
p.s here for more http://www.kootoyoo.com/

mothers day 2010

We visited Nudgee beach for the wetlands migratory bird festival today...

What a stunning wetland.


This beautiful sacred kingfisher kept us company as we wandered through the dappled shade of the muddy mangroves.
http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Todiramphus-sanctus




Happy mothers day to mothers everywhere. My wish is: all creatures be safe and young ones be safe, our environment secure and life giving for many years.

I see inaction in politics and business towards preserving and protecting the world we live in, the land we walk on and the air we breathe and I worry, I really despair sometimes for the future... but today was about breathing in pure air, meeting people who do care and do notice their environment and the creatures around them and it was wonderful and restoring...may there be many more festivals like this!

xkate

my creative space

Its all about crochet this week...learning new stitches to try and stretch myself-I find it helps me to have a small project to trial things on. Above is an oven mitt with ricrac and pin tuck crochet stitches.

I have also been busy finishing off a grey scarf order. I love using dark grey yarn.


Also found some new bird art inspiration and have been making nests of nests! So it's been lovely and creative this week, one of those rare times where the initial idea of what I want to make and the finished article seem very close.


xKate
P.s for more creative spaces off you go to...http://www.kootoyoo.com/

nests and french vintage...

I found the inspiration for this...(linen& bead bird nest brooch)

from this...French Inspired jewelry, by Kaari Meng.

It is full of the most beautiful exquisite images.

I also found a way to use some of my recent bird creations...here is one holding a short scarf around my neck.

I spent a good chunk of the long weekend working on this green and red stripey one. It is finished, finally, but weaving the ends in took longer than the crocheting of it! Does anyone have any tips to make this process faster??

xkate

northey street snaps...

These images are my sons' photos of our morning out at Northey Street. It is a city community farm, learning centre, garden, market and park area and probably my favourite place in Brisbane to take my kids...

Pictures by Luka.

pictures by Jack.
For info about Northey Street go to thier flash new website
http://www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au/
xkate