gretchenmist

spoonful magazine

2012-01-10T19:38:00.001-08:00

my copy of spoonful magazine arrived a few days ago and i've been meaning to share some pics. i contributed the hummingbird drawing/painting on the right in the top image. so lovely to see it in print. it's a very sweet publication.
you can buy a copy here. the website is pretty too.
{thanks anthea}

*****

in other news . . . my first day of chemo starts tomorrow. i've been trying to catch up with friends and do fun things with the family in the lead up and in a way i'll be glad to get it going, even though i have no idea how sick it will make me. i'm planning to keep the shop open and keep in touch here when i can ~ i'm hoping this can be a 'normalising' thing for me to do!
catch you soon :)

creative courage e-course + interview

2012-01-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

firstly, thank you all so much for the wonderful comments on my last post ~ it's such a boost to read all these and i'm sure i'll pop back and re-read :)

i thought i'd post a link here to stephanie levy's excellent e-course about opening up your creative confidence. i've done an interview for the course, which is exciting! so great {and flattering} to be involved. {thanks stephanie!}. there's an introduction to the women involved on stephanie's blog.

enjoy!

upside down

2011-12-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

the last month or so has turned my world upside down ~ i found out i have breast cancer! i've had the lump removed and my lymph nodes checked and am so very thankful to have found out this week that my lymph gland is clear.

it has been a crazy stressful time. the hardest part has been waiting for a series of test results. and also telling people ~ that's been confronting! i've wondered about mentioning it here, and decided to go ahead {especially now that i have results and a treatment plan} as i feel a connection/friendship with so many readers and also i think it's one of those things that is life~changing and pointless to try and not mention.

another positive thing about talking about it here is that i can remind you all to get onto the monthly self breast examination!! this is what has been the key positive factor in my story ~ i was lucky because i found it before it spread to other parts. it's scary to think that if i had have left it for even a short time longer the outcome would have been so much more devastating. i had my annual mammogram in march and have had ultrasounds for other things {a cyst, a strange unrelated shape thing} in august which were all clear and just a few short months later i found a lump which felt small but was actually a couple of centimeters big. please, do your checks!

i lost my mother to breast cancer when she was 39 {i was 18} and this is what has made me vigilant but also what has made this time kind of tougher.

during the last month i've changed my outlook from complete shock/fear to one of positivity {mostly!!} as the treatments now are 1000 times more sophisticated than they were 20 years ago and there seems to be an effective drug for each trait they have discovered. i have 5 kinds of medical world treatments lined up which will start mid-january as well as homeopathy and yoga and of course the love and support of my family and friends. **

and i get to have a drug~free {apart from champagne + coffee} christmas and new years.

i know it sounds strange to add, but i hope you have a wonderful christmas/holiday/silly season xx

** the book i chose to take into hospital for the surgery was marieke hardy's 'you'll be sorry when i'm dead' ~ i hadn't read any reviews and thought that it would be a funny, kind of upbeat read. then i got to the story about her friend! weird how that happens! and i want to borrow her friend's idea of the t-shirt that reads: 'thank you' {for all the love and support from friends and family}!

a new cushion design

2011-12-10T19:26:00.001-08:00

i took this brand new cushion cover design to craft hatch yesterday ~ i meant to show you earlier but ran out of time! it was lovely to meet some blog friends and to chat with my sister and penny from pocket carnival!

the new design is completely inspired by the making of the diy garland packs! i really loved the process of choosing the pieces for each pack. the collage is on the front and the last pic shows the options for the back of the cushions. there's a lovely darker version of the original soft aqua open flower design {2nd from the left}.

there's also a version with the 'music festival 3' print on one side and '7 tents' on the other.

the cushion covers are a collaborative project ~ digital printing and production is all local and by michelle at frankie + swiss {will share a link this week when the site launches ~ very exciting!}. i'm so happy with the way they turned out.

if you would like one between now and the end of next week {dec 16th} you can order by emailing me {gretchenmist @ gmail . com}. they are $65 including postage within australia {+$10 for international post}. they will be made and posted just before christmas!

will post a pic of the market next week too.

have a fun sunday!

our creative space

2011-11-30T17:03:00.001-08:00

printing, cutting labels, framing . . . thinking about how the display will work . . .

happy creative space day :)

to see more spaces/play along click here.

black friday weekend print sale~ buy 1 get 1 free!

2011-11-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

a quick post to let you know about my black friday ~ cyber monday weekend print sale in my etsy shop. if you buy one, you get one free {free print = same or less value}. choose your free one and mention in the note to seller at the checkout.
happy shopping weekend!

our creative space

2011-11-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

production mode!

making lots of garlands which is kind of rythmic once i get going. guessing about numbers . . . do i make more or pack more as diy versions? i guess the time limit will answer that question!

also thinking about black friday tomorrow ~ hoping to get organised for a print sale! stay tuned.

happy creative space day!
to play along and see other spaces, click here.

spoilt

2011-11-18T15:44:00.001-08:00

i've been totally spoilt by viktoria! each year the ag team {on etsy} have a christmas swap and this is what i received. i feel overwhelmed by viktoria's generosity and beautiful work {and the chocolate which is handmade is austria}. the beads are so tiny and i love the design. she chose blue-greens just for me :)
you can see her shop here and read about her work here.
excuse the daggy photo of me ~ i find it impossible to be normal when someone is taking my photo!!
thanks viktoria.

our creative space ~ late!

2011-11-17T21:18:00.001-08:00

about 4pm yesterday i thought to myself ~ umm, it's thursday!! finding myself under piles of paper and lists this week. . . all in preparation for the upcoming markets, craft hatch and sisters' market. also a couple of wholesale christmas orders happening. {apologies if i haven't popped in lately!}.

last night our littlest fell out of bed and fractured his collar bone! his bed is really not far off the ground, so i can't quite picture how it resulted in an almost broken bone! kind of added to the general feeling of craziness here!

happy friday! hope you had a fun and creative week :)

if you haven't already checked out what the others are up to, click here.

thanks curvy, phoebe and fede!

2011-11-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

a belated thanks to phoebe and curvy for this post.
and also thanks to fiona for this lovely post.

hope you are having a fun week so far!

our creative space ~ shelved!

2011-11-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

the creative space has been shelved today ~ there's a professional development day at the childcare centre, which means no care today! kind of lucky i don't have to be somewhere on time etc but it comes at a time when i have a to-do list longer than ever!

the exciting news is that i have been accepted to do the december craft hatch market organised by craft victoria. i'm also doing the christmas sisters' market in brunswick the following week . . . so exciting, but kind of nerve wracking :0. will keep you posted on dates etc as it gets closer!

meanwhile . . . i've been slowly working on these paintings. not sure if the dark one is finished or not, i think it is. the bottom one needs a little more, possibly some grey flowers.

happy creative space day! to see more/play along click here.

i won!

2011-11-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

i was so lucky to win kylie's cushion from her blog giveaway! i love it!
her work is immaculate. and i can't help admiring the gorgeous green backing fabric with the hidden light blue zip! perfection!
thanks so much kylie :)

see more 3 sheets cushions here.

have a fun weekend! any exciting plans?

our creative space ~ packaging

2011-11-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

we are in the middle of birthday festival here ~ we now have a 7 year old and a 4 year old! their birthdays are 5 days apart and this year we decided to do 2 parties ~ being 4 is a big deal! kind of busy but the parties are small and manageable, so hopefully this weekend will be fun.

workwise . . . i've put the packaging together for some DIY garland packs ~ with instructions. hopefully i have described the process clearly. a couple are available here, more to follow.

happy creative space day! to see more space or play too click here.

MAD pop up

2011-11-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

there will be a selection of my prints on display at this art fair/pop up in prahran this saturday! you can find them hanging in the exhibition area. i'm hoping to take the kids along for a look :)
. . . 11-4pm, 118 high street, prahran . . .

our creative space

2011-10-26T17:33:00.001-07:00

i'm working on a commission piece this week ~ i hope to be able to show you more once it's done. it's a peaceful and relaxing feeling to be sitting and working on something somebody already wants :)

also, i did an interview with maeg on her gorgeous blog ~ you can have a read here.

and, thanks to kylie for this lovely post. you should check out her new shop if you haven't already :)

happy creative space day! to play/see click here.

new print: succulents

2011-10-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

this one is finished and available as a print here!

i called it 'succulents' ~ because although they are a small part of this piece {bottom left} they are the inspiration behind the colours and movement. those solid blue leaves are usually down low, but they lead us through the garden to other loftier plants!

hope you like :)

new fabric

2011-10-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

the new lot of fabric arrived yesterday afternoon.
super happy with the results! you can get them here.

happy friday!
hope you're up to something fun on the weekend?

our creative space

2011-10-19T17:22:00.001-07:00

i've been playing around with some new garland pieces. thinking of new ways to photograph them to show the likely pieces for each one. i like the hand-held hanging photos but they do take a long time to do and i really need to make, photograph and pack in one time slot to avoid tangles ~ which is not always possible!

it's fun arranging the pieces up front instead of choosing as i sew. less pressure ;)

also toying with the idea of making some diy packs. what do you think?

to see more spaces or play along click here.

happy creative space day!

crochet

2011-10-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

i bought this book in a flash on the holidays! i saw the poncho on the front and had to have it. i was vaguely looking for a poncho pattern over winter but never found one that i liked enough. maybe i'll wait 6 months to start on the poncho {even tho the pattern is for a cotton blend} given that it's actually warming up here. in the mean time i have started on this tee. not in white, in a red and orange!! sounds full on don't you think? hoping it'll look ok. i'm planning to adjust the sleeves to more of a cap style if i can figure out how to.

hope you are enjoying your week so far.

our creative space ~ work in progress

2011-10-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

i pulled out my paints for the first time in weeks! it was excellent!
there are quite a few pieces on wood that i've started and i hoped to re-connect with them/work on them. i ended up working on paper with acrylic and pencil.
there will be stitching and one or two more details . . .

happy creative space day!
to see more spaces/play along click here.

inspiration + calm

2011-10-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

have found myself hearting lots of beautiful calm pieces on etsy lately. trying hard to incorporate it in my daily outlook :)

hope you like!

:: bateaux + bonsai . labokoff
:: early one morning . ykaihori
:: crossing the li river . jonathan kingston

pricing

2011-10-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

inspired by this post on the ink and spindle blog and the lastest batch of wholesale orders that were waiting for me when i got back from the break, i've decided to fiddle with my print prices once again. the thing that i'm aiming for is having prices the same in all places! they will be $33 for open edition and $35 for limited edition. {us and aus $ are roughly the same at the moment which makes it fairly simple}.

i thought i'd mention it here so as to let you know in advance. i'll adjust the prices in the next few days :)

Anastalia's tent pillow cases

2011-10-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

i was so thrilled to see these pillow cases anastasia made with my tent fabrics! i love the buttons and the design. so exciting!! {big thanks for sharing}.
you can see anastasia's beautiful work here and blog here.

**all images by Anastasia Egorova

back!

2011-10-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

we are back from the family holiday! it was super busy and great. i have to say that my dad and carol were so good having all 4 of their grandsons and their parents staying in the house at once!
this is my dad and my littlest nephew {with his dad}.
i really enjoyed the time away from the computer and completely missed it at the same time . . . just easing back into it and hoping to catch up soon.

crochet / holiday

2011-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

i finished this scarf just in time for spring! made with the green pigeon roof studios yarn i bought recently and this pattern. the top one is also going to be a scarf i think. i'm following a shawl pattern from a japanese craft book via the diagrams! i looked up the symbols as i went along. now that i know what the lines mean, it seems a far more logical/universal way to have a pattern written.

we are heading north for a family holiday tonight~ i'm really looking forward to the break. hope you have a fun couple of weeks :)

water colour

2011-09-19T17:20:00.001-07:00

this is a small part of the big poster from dawn's workshop. it's not finished~ it needs more line work and maybe a little more colour in places. it was really fun watching it come together {with lots of help}. watching people work is the best way to learn new things.
dawn posted a couple of pics of us working hard here!

our creative space ~ cushions!

2011-09-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

as well as getting ready for our first ever school concert and going to see it, art supply shopping {always rewarding}, thinking about the last night of the dawn tan watercolour class {and finishing my project for that} and making lists of stuff that has to be done before our holiday next week, i have made these cushions for the couch! and, installing the zips didn't kill me!! it wasn't too hard :)

it's a great feeling to make something from my own fabric designs. i think i'll make some more for christmas presents once the new lot of fabric arrives.

today is the last day for pre-orders for the new designs. i'll be making the second order tomorrow!

happy creative space day! click here to see more/play along.

last of the new fabric designs

2011-09-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

the last of the new lot of fabric designs!
i really had fun with these flower/paper cut shapes. this one feels a little 70s to me!
you can find it here: open flowers, 2 greens

and this one is me working a little outside my colour comfort zone!! what do you think? i'm not sure whether to list or not to list ~ something is telling me i have to be super comfortable with all the new designs to have a 'proper' collection in the shop, and something else tells me this might be a bit too serious!! would love your opinion :)

happy friday!

** also: all pre-orders of fabric {placed before sept 17} receive 10% off. use 'septpreorder' at checkout.

our creative space ~ more fabric!!

2011-09-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

more fabric in the space!! and a couple more to come.
promise i will post about something else soon!

floating flowers ~ blue and yellow
floating flowers ~ grey/blue

to play along and see more creative spaces, click here.

fabric ~ inspired by

2011-09-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

'inspired by' fabric ~ available as a pre-order* here.
* the order for this fabric will be placed on friday september 16. thanks for your patience while i slowly build up my collection. i see the pre-order as a way to test the designs ~ and a learning curve for me: i can only guess which designs people will like :)

fabric ~ open flower

2011-09-05T20:20:00.001-07:00

the 'open flower' fabrics are making their way to the shop as pre-orders. i'll place the order on friday september 16! colours: deep sea blue, orange {almost neon}, grass/olive green + mustard yellow.
* please note: the photo of the yellow colourway shows the most accurate representation of the darkness of the pencil lines.

hope you like :)

water colour

2011-09-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

the top 2 are the exercises from dawn tan's class last week ~ i feel like i got turned on my head {which is a good thing!}. i always feel a shake up when i look in to the technical side of painting/drawing. it feels so the opposite of intuition ~ but good things will come of it. it'll just take time!

the approach was to start without any drawn lines, building up layers of colour. and as with dawn's style, the looser the better. i'm looking for more looseness in my work but as you might've heard me mention before, i find it hard to deliberately make looseness. then there's having the right amount of water and paint on the brush . . .

the bottom one is the beginning of an exercise from heather smith jones' book 'water, paper, paint'. a different approach again, but a more familiar place to muck around and practice. the kids and i had a play on the weekend ~ they were so keen to be taught what i learned.

hope your week has started out ok :)

ps. the lines in the top one are by dawn.

follow store

2011-09-02T00:31:00.001-07:00

i posted some prints to the new follow store in surrey hills, sydney this week, which i'm very excited about. the shop looks really great and stocks lots of things i'd love to buy ~ it's by the people of finderskeepers markets.

happy friday! do you have any plans for the weekend?
we were going out tonight but our littlest has come down with his 3rd bug in not so long . . .

ps the watercolour lesson was excellent!

our creative space

2011-08-31T21:17:00.001-07:00

here's a sneak peek of my favourite of the new fabric designs. i've done it in a couple of other colours, which i hope to share soon.
i'm planning to go with the pre-order again ~ hopefully i can get the photos edited this week.

happy creative space day and happy spring!
click here to see more spaces or play along.

watercolour painting with dawn tan

2011-08-31T01:01:00.001-07:00

tomorrow night is the first night of this great class i've signed up for ~ i can't wait!
you can see all the details about it in the harvest work room shop. dawn tan's style is just gorgeous ~ check out her blog here.

also very excited about the first day of spring tomorrow. we've had 3 days of solid sickness here ~ so much stress and worrying . . . it will be nice to see the tail end of winter!

hope you are doing well.

*image from the harvest work room.

our creative space

2011-08-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

i started a new painting this week and also decided to make some mini versions on the side ~ as a way to experiment and get ideas out in a visual way {rather than taking notes, which i can't always translate later}.

and, the fabric has arrived!! along with some swatches of new designs~ so today i'll be taking photos, cutting and packing.

happy creating!
to see more spaces or share yours, click here.

2011-08-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

i managed to get my hands on some pigeon roof studios merino sock yarn.
it's just so luxurious and makes me want to drop everything and crochet!

our creative space

2011-08-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

these are the latest finished paintings. i'm working on making prints of them. the bottom one is proving hard to get right ~ the colour layers are blending together in the thick looking aqua areas and not showing the lighter layers on top. i'll stop tweaking when it works as a stand alone piece {sometimes it's better to accept that not everything is reproduce-able}.

on a positive note, the collage elements look very real in the print! am glad i followed through with them. i had planned a lot more of them but it worked out to be a minimal thing.

happy creative space! to play along or be inspired, click here.

2011-08-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

i've been checking the mailbox each day for signs of the first order of fabric {and also a couple of other exciting things i'm waiting for}. the colour sample sheet i ordered arrived today, so i'm hoping to see the goods soon, maybe even tomorrow {fingers crossed}!

in the meantime i've been making some tags to go with the fabric . . .

tiny

2011-08-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

the collage elements that i'm using for the new paintings seem to be getting smaller and smaller. they are kind of abstract flowers for abstract {garden} paintings and it seemed right to try them in a real garden! the hot pink is crazy in photos {always out of focus: the camera doesn't like it} and the sky was dark and verging on stormy.

have a fun start to the week!

our creative space

2011-08-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

a bit of head clearing and inspiration seeking/finding happening here this week! hoping to find some time to create, maybe tomorrow between appointments.

the photos are of the zoo gardens. i might be the only person to visit the zoo to photograph the plants!! {the last photo is for the kids who have a penguin obsession at the moment}.

there has been some progress on these paintings, i hope to figure out if they are finished and share them soon.

happy creative space day! click here for more spaces/to play along.

where the lovely things are

2011-08-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

if you haven't seen where the lovely things are, you are in for a treat!
big thanks to mallory for including my fabric in this post.

happy to be back in the swing after a couple of days of looking after a little sicky ~ very sicky! all ok now.

hope you're good!

our creative space

2011-08-03T17:13:00.001-07:00

my creativity has been devoted to taking photos of these new moo gift cards. the light changed again this week {with the temporary season change} which, for me, means re-figuring out the best way to get photos done. there was a call for a dark background ~ i hope the polka dot denim isn't to blinding!!

feeling a bit zapped today after a night of dreaming about being chased by a rhino {and trying to get both kids over a huge fence away from the charging rhino}, guided by a unicorn and waking to the sound of police helicopters hovering over our house {close enough to rattle all the windows}.

hoping your space is creative and peaceful! find more spaces here, and play too if you like.

knitting!

2011-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

i guess this means that i've been hibernating for a couple of months: cardigan number 2 and 3 for this winter! {i inherited my mother's ability to knit quickly}. i mucked up the sizing with number 2 {turquoise} which is ok as it fits my sister!

the turquoise yarn is jo sharp aran tweed in 'imagine' ~ which is now a discontinued colour {a crazy decision i think!}. i managed to find enough to make another one as i really love the colour, but i have a feeling it might be spring before i finish number 4.

hope u are good today :)

design for mankind

2011-07-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

big thanks to erin for including my fabric in this bookmark it post on designformankind!

hope you're having a great weekend. i've even taken off my scarf today ~ the sun is so beautiful. {can not wait for spring}.

latest obsession

2011-07-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

this yarn by pigeonroofstudios is my latest obsession! i really want to crochet a scarf with it and just love the look of it and i think with the cashmere/silk/merino blend it'll be perfect!

the fact that they disapper/sell while i'm looking at it in the shop {the time that i was lucky enough to actually see it in the shop} only adds to the obsession!

these two are from the sold section of the shop.

happy friday :)

ps. i wrote a short post about the process of designing fabric {to this point!} over here.

cwc

2011-07-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

i recently discovered the creative women's circle via penny/pocket carnival and instantly thought about joining! i'm always vaguely thinking about what i'd like to be doing in 18 months time when the little one is at school and about the future in general.

there are endless ideas/possibilites floating around! and mostly it feels as though these are connected somehow to international sources and people ~ which is an exciting thing! but, i really like the idea of meeting local like~minded people too!

thanks to tess for posting my profile on the blog yesterday :)

our creative space

2011-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

thanks for the great comments from last week's post ~ have been quiet on the blog front lately but busy in general. i've been fixing up a couple of the fabric designs that didn't quite work. the bottom pic is the one i uploaded for testing. the lighter areas, which are details of the painting, came out looking a bit stone~washed and faded rather than interesting! also the pencil marks where hardly there.

i like the darker sea green colour though, so i've opted for a solid version with darker pencil lines.

getting ready to make the first order of pre~orders tomorrow!

hope you are having fun in your space!! pop over here for more spaces or to play along.

our creative space

2011-07-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

finally . listing . fabric!!

and planning on fixing up a couple of designs that were not quite right ~ in some cases the pencil lines were too light or missing and the colours went haywire with the 'thinking of you' design . . . overall though, the colours were really good for a first go.

hoping to also get around to see what you're up to ~ life got super busy over the holidays with family visiting. it was so good to see my sister and nephews ~ the 4 boys had a great time together and our boys met their littlest cousin, who is 10 months old, for the first time. it makes me wish we lived closer to each other, instead of having a 2 hour flight between us. sadly, i didn't take any photos ~ kind of an indication of the busyness of young boys!!

happy creative space day! see more spaces here.

our creative space

2011-07-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

thank you for all the fabric love!! and sorry to keep on with the sneak peaks . . . we are on school holidays here and i had decided not to try to work this time round, but the resolve is weakening with these samples sitting here!!

so i'm compromising and doing a little bit here and there ~ my small goal is to get the photos done.

and the plan/idea is to slowly list the designs that are ready to go {there are 10 or so} in my etsy shop as pre~orders. that way i could make one initial order through spoonflower {around july 25} with a better idea of quantities.

my frazzled holiday<->work mode brain has been trying to figure out the best way to manage ordering multiple designs in varying quantities at differing times . . . and i think the pre~order is the way to go!! if you have any pointers on straight forward ways to go about this i'd be really appreciative :0

in other exciting news: i just found out that my sister and her 2 boys {3 yrs and 9 months} will be coming to visit next week, along with my dad and his wife ~ it will be so great to have them all together here.

happy friday :)

{pop in here for yesterday's creative space}

fabric samples ~ sneak peak!!

2011-07-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

here is the best photo i could get so far of the fabric samples which arrived in a big sheet. i was like a kid at christmas this morning, trying again to get a good picture. i'll cut them up this week and see about some good photos.

most of the designs worked well and a couple need adjustments.

hope you're enjoying the weekend :)

inspiration . noah woods

2011-06-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

love the shapes and pale colours in these prints by noah woods.

:: floating
:: india

p.s. my fabric samples from spoonflower finally arrived today~ will show some photos when the light works. am a bit excited :)
happy friday!!

our creative space

2011-06-29T18:18:00.001-07:00

thinking of using these collage pieces {cut out paper with pinholes and stitching} in this new painting. i don't usually add collage pieces to painting on wood, but i'm thinking it might work. i like the look of the thread hanging loose but am wondering if it would make varnishing and scanning etc too tricky . . . so much technical planning involved with this intuitive process!!

happy creative space day. to see more click on over.

sideways

2011-06-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

thank you for the comments on the last lot of paintings! as always, i really appreciate hearing your thoughts.
i've had this painting, 'orange flowers' {at the top} 3 quarters done for ages and finished it on the side last week. the print, 'home' {bottom} has also been in the system waiting for a final move for months.
so yep, a few different directions happening at once!!
orange flowers is here. home will join soon.

our creative space

2011-06-22T18:00:00.001-07:00

the top one ~ 'kangaroo paw' is done and in print form here. the second one is about half way and the others right at the start! i feel like i'm asking lots of questions with these ~ even though i'd hoped to let go of thinking. it's just the edge of my comfort zone i guess, which is kind of scary but feels necessary . . .

have fun today! find more spaces here.

2011-06-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

even though i've been thinking a lot about crochet, i have been knitting! i haven't been able to settle on a crochet project and in the mean time i started to want this cardigan {which is a bit girlier than my usual thing!}. the pattern is here.
procrastinating a bit this morning ~ 2 days of wild winds have made me feel scattered! it always does! do you like/hate windy weather?

our creative space

2011-06-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

this is me today. planning on letting these happen like they started, without too much thought! contradictory i know, but fingers crossed i can tap into it.

happy creative space day. click for more spaces.

knitting lessons

2011-06-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

tuesday was a school free day for our 6 year old this week. mr 3 was at kinder and i wanted to make the most of our day of just the two or us. we had a few things planned including shopping for wool for my dad who loves to knit and a quick visit to a beach playground on the other side of town {which was freezing!}. i promised when we got home that i'd teach him to knit! and it took one row of me showing and half a row of him doing for him to get the hang of it. it was so great to see him pick it up so quickly and get a big kick out of the fact that he could do it! it was amazing to see him pushing and moving the stitches across when they needed moving, like he'd always known how to do it.

hope your week has been good so far!

2011-06-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

a couple of new loves. there was a lot of noise made about the toy winnebago in our house the other night ~ it might just be on the cards {in real life} . . . one day!!
happy friday!

:: giant toy winnebago indian . juniperhome
:: dogwood branches . grainnephotography

2011-06-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

i think it's finished! thanku for the feedback and encouragement from yesterday :)
off to start another one~

our creative space

2011-06-08T17:15:00.001-07:00

i made a start on a new painting this week ~ the transition from computer work to painting wasn't as smooth this time. maybe it was the freezing temperature {had the heater on for an hour before i could go into the room!} or the extra time away from painting, or maybe it was that i felt that i should be painting rather than heading to the other desk with a more solid idea of what i wanted to create. anyway, i'm hoping that the next two work days help to re-enter the world i love so much!

happy creative space day :) for more spaces . . .

'theory' in the etsy blog

2011-06-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

it was a nice surprise to find my 'theory' print featured in this 'get the look' article on the etsy blog showing brittni's stylish home and collections. if you look closely you can also see an original piece on the wall {just above the couch on the bottom left in the group shot} and on the shelf! fun to be among some favourites too.
thanks brittni!

pressies!

2011-06-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

i picked up a parcel {a birthday present} [** oops, sorry to be confusing, my birthday was in april, it was a late present!] this morning and opened it at the cafe next door ~ it was this gorgeous bag, pouch and brooch from vanessa of ziazia. i love it. the bag folds over at the top to become messenger style. thanks vanessa! i feel very spoilt!

also, i won an instant herb garden giveaway on tracey's blog {a while ago, sorry!}. i entered for the kids really as they love to garden. the packaging is so sweet and they were very excited. thanks tracey :)

happy weekend! anything fun lined up?

our creative space ~ sneak peak!

2011-06-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

i've spent most of my creative time in the last 2 weeks in this space ~ it's actually pretty bright even tho the photo is dodgy! ~ making fabric patterns. i've just ordered samples for 15 designs. can't wait to see how they turn out.

looking forward to heading back to the other desk to start some painting ~ which sadly, is in the cold end of the house . . .

happy creative space day! to see more click here.

big art giveaway

2011-05-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

cathy mcmurray is holding a really great {and huge} art giveaway, called the 'instant art collection giveaway" on her blog. i've contributed 3 prints. it starts on may 26. save it to your click diary!

big thanks to holly for the writeup about the giveaway on realsimple.

* images {just a sample} from becca standler, nancy muncal, liesl pfeffer, hollie chastain and cathy mcmurray.

thinking of you!

2011-05-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

i worked on this tricky repeat today ~ thought i'd stop with it now as i've rearranged elements a few times {and i think i'll loose the original notion if i don't stop}!! the square above represents a 20cm square.

happy friday! are you doing anything exciting this weekend??

our creative space

2011-05-18T18:15:00.001-07:00

i've taken over the kitchen table this week! given that winter seems to have started already here, i'm hoarding sunlight and sitting as close to the heater as possible {with my scarf on!}. the urge to make 100 patterns is very strong, but so is the need to slow down with some paint at the table {a little away from the computer}.

thanks for the encouraging comments re the pattern/fabric making :)

happy creative space day! to see more visit our creative space.

a new print and a new pattern

2011-05-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

i'm still having fun folding and cutting paper . . . the shapes that appear when the paper opens up are so simple and addictive. the rougher the cutting the better!

the print is here.

* clicking takes you to flickr for a better look.

2011-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

i've been itching to start on some fabric design and decided to try out a half drop repeat tutorial with this music festival painting.

i'm glad i did this {starting at the start, rather than jumping straight in} because it's really helped and totally confused me at the same time!

the top image is made with a closely cropped version of the original painting ~ layout kept as it was. the placement of the tents in the original was just the way i liked them, but in a repeat, the negative space becomes the focus rather than the tents.

the second image is a more cropped version. i tried to make the shape more like a square before making the repeat. then close to the end, i added a tent and a few spare chairs to make the unit to make it look more natural and less stilted.

it's going to be a big/fun learning curve! a bit of re-thinking the flow as well as keeping with the element of surprise that happens with the process!!

happy weekend!

p.s. do you think it's a problem to use work that is limited edition in print form on fabric?
p.p.s. are there any pieces that you think would work well on fabric in particular?? thanks in advance!!

our creative space

2011-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

have been working on these pieces this week.

i/{we} made the decision to add another work day to my week starting this week, which means our little one is in another day of kinder and childcare. i think it's the right decision, but it does add more financial pressure and a feeling of guilt! it's so tricky to know what's right and to follow through with changes like these ~ but, i am loving the feeling that i can keep going tomorrow on what i've started today. i think working during the week rather than on the weekend might feel more 'normal' for the whole family too ~ something that i've also wanted to change for a while.

so complicated!! i'd love to know how people work these things out!

happy creative space day! check out the new space :)

inspiration . maria dimanshtein

2011-05-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

love the wildness combined with pattern~like steadiness.
check out maria's etsy shop: fantazerova

:: urban mystery 230
:: urban mystery 305
:: urban mystery 303

* all images from fantazerova

an interview

2011-05-10T02:32:00.000-07:00

thanks to brittni {paper n stitch} for this interview posted on scoutie girl today ~ and thanks if you've read it and left a sweet comment :)

new work

2011-05-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

thanks for the lovely comments on the last post! it's always so helpful to read your thoughts :)

have been playing around with these digital pieces ~ all inspired by paper cuts!
not really sure how i feel about them yet, kind of getting used to them . . . i've got an idea that might work for the 2nd one.

happy mothers day!

my creative space

2011-05-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

i've been feeling kind of blah lately and possibly a little burnt out ~ i might have pushed it too far with the intense non-creative work burst over the holidays . . . and also having appointments slotted into the creative time in the first week of getting back into things, doesn't help . . .

thankfully, i think i'm at the tail end of it. i'm trying to let go of 'grand plans which won't happen for a year and a half' and taking it slowly and working in stints on the top painting and trying out a simple idea in the bottom one {on paper}. am into black with blue at the moment!

happy creative space day! hop over to kirsty's for more spaces.

ammiki

2011-05-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

big thanks to ammiki for featuring my work on the front page this week!
ammiki is a really gorgeous curated site for artists and designers. it has some interesting ideas for collaborations too . . .

'stick me'

2011-04-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

so excited to be part of this book of stickers collected and made by yael!
the artists included in the collection are all part of an etsy team called artisus.
fun!!
they are here.

my creative space

2011-04-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

so great to have 'my creative space' back for the start of the new term. school's back!!

the one at the top ~ 'theory' is finished and the other two are in progress. they are/will be acrylic, pencil, pinholes and stitching on paper.

painting these pieces inspired a trip to the art supply shop this morning. i had spotted the most beautiful gouache paints ever {over the holidays}, and have also been obsessing about water colours, which i think might work better for what i'm trying to do with the bottom layer. i was very restrained and bought only a couple of colours to try them out . . . am sure i'll get back to the shop soon. {i don't shop for shoes very often!!}

hope you've had a creative, fun day. will pop in to yours asap, no doubt i owe you a visit {sorry!}.

visit kirsty for more spaces.

a couple of finished pieces!

2011-04-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

in between editing and uploading images {for the website}, i took some time to finish the stitching work on these pieces. i made print versions of them ~ very excited about the way the prints look virtually the same as the original!

the top two are mini prints. they'll be in the shop.

happy short week!

happy easter break

2011-04-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

hope your easter break is relaxing and inspiring!
love this little guy by sweetbestiary.

thankyou for all the great feedback about the website :)

**image from sweetbestiary shop.

2011-04-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

it's been a week of solid work here. all computer work . . . hubby has been looking after the kids and taking them places so the house is quiet!
i'm almost finished my website ~ one of the big jobs on the eternal list! it's a good feeling to be able to focus on it and just keep going while my brain is in the mode {after 7 days, the mode might be escaping me!}.
would love to hear what you think.
i used otherpeople's pixels {see the logo on the top right} to make it ~ i like that i can make the design how i like it, pretty simple, without needing web skills!

how has your week been?

fine art friday

2011-04-07T19:42:00.001-07:00

:: 3 clamp lights . carvingmyinitials
:: drama on the horizon . annamariapotamiti
:: hot chutney and bacon fingers . . . mold . ovaldrive

a small collection ~ loving the colours {predictable enough} and the sketch elements.

happy friday!

my creative space ~ big prints

2011-04-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

thankyou for the lovely birthday wishes! the weekend was lots of fun and i was completely spoilt!
almost feeling back to normal now :)

i've been working on my computer this week {and last week} ~ making large prints. being grown up = having a new printer that will print on a grand scale and on extra beautiful paper! the photo is quite dodgy~ the sun is out today and i have the blinds down. not complaining at all though . . .

the big ones will slowly make their way to the new section in my shop.

happy creative day!
for more creative spaces, pop over to kirsty's.

shopping for me again!

2011-03-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

the words that i love to hear: 'why don't you see if there's something on etsy that you'd like'! it's hard not to be materialistic when i'm on etsy so often . . . so it's easy to find great things.

i'm turning 40 on the weekend~ which i'm ok with! i was thingy about it a few months ago when i hit the age of outliving my mum. but getting past that makes feeling funny about getting older seem frivolous. it's definitely worth celebrating.

happy friday too :)

:: lingerie sweetheart neckline pendant . gemagenta
:: coastal rainforest pin cushion . fogandswell
:: my moon my man ecofleece sweatshirt . blackbirdtees
:: slouch hat . tortillagirl
:: vintage art deco necklace . julienolan

**all images from shops listed

finders keepers gift guide

2011-03-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

i was really excited to see that amy {umbrella prints} included my 9 flowers embroidery in her gift guide for the finders keepers blog! i love the other pieces she picked. thanks amy :)

my creative space

2011-03-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

working on some drawings that i make into patterns for fabric . . . {kind of short on words today!}.

happy creative space day! to see more pop in to kirsty's.

*

2011-03-21T16:41:00.001-07:00

this is one really beautiful way to help raise funds for japan.
by minicyn.

happy tuesday~

fine art friday . an exhillarating ride

2011-03-18T03:15:00.001-07:00

: remember . jenniferdavis
: into the mystic . honeytree
: at sea . set of two 5x5 photographs . analoguelove
: the first freedom . {a new one by} drkennedyjones

*images from shops listed.

loving the playful/romantic sense of freedom in these pieces.

listening to: random noises coming from the kids' room {past 9pm and they should be asleep} + fireworks?? + julia stone {her sound reminds me of a handful of others . . . . but it's growing on me} . . .

happy about: friday!

my creative space

2011-03-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

the week has flown by!
have been working on paper and the computer . . . making holes with a pin, stitching, painting, drawing, and playing with the first idea for fabric. fun! and lots to learn!

>> click images to go to flickr=clearer

happy creative space day!
visit kirsty here for more.

my creative space ~ re connecting

2011-03-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

our phone and internet was disconnected this week . . . you can imagine the disarray! it's a particular kind of disconnected, hands tied behind the back kind of feeling. we've got a temporary solution {no phone} and it's going to be 1000 times better when it's all fixed up, sometime soon. i can see how a break from the internet can be healthy, but only when if/you're ready for it!

. . . mr 3 and i went out in the rain to take garden photos and i put some stitching detail into the almost finished work in the top photo.

hope you're having an inspiring week! pop into kirsty's for more spaces :)

ps thanks so much for all the encouragement re the fabric idea ~ can't wait to start on it xx

fine art 'friday' . sarah giannobile

2011-03-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

:: dream of white light
:: living form
:: dream
:: james town

it is saturday, night . . . fridays seem to be getting busier . . .
hope you like sarah's work ~ i think her drawings are amazing and i love her colours.

>>>>><<<<<

i was looking at this dream workshop/camp last week and my mind started racing ~ how great would it be! for a couple of hours i started trying to figure out a way to get my family and myself to sweden!! hmmm.

this great article on creative burnout made it to the storque yesterday. it's written by lee wolfe, a very savvy and creative artisan gallery team member. it includes some thoughts on the topic from some team mates, including me! {thanks lee}

also, thanks to jan for including one of my new prints here.

happy weekend :)

my creative space

2011-03-02T15:58:00.001-08:00

i chose a space in a favourite cafe this morning to clear my head after the school/kinder drop off.

the woman sitting next to me leaned over and asked: 'what are you doing? are you designing fabric?' then she said she liked it!

so there it is. that's the other thing i want to be doing!

happy creative space day :)
pop over to kirsty's for more

work in progress

2011-02-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

here are a few of the new pieces i've been working on lately. i'm a bit excited about the top one! i cut some pieces out of a photo i printed and stitched around them to make some of the collage elements. i wasn't sure how i was going to use them or if they'd look too out of place. it's acrylic, marker, cotton thread and collage on paper, with pinholes. {clicking takes you to flickr}.

i'm playing with a looser kind of painting with the others! and some chunkier leaves {2nd last pic/sketch}.

happy march + happy autumn {in melbourne at least}! it felt almost like winter today, which i guess is what autumn is about. don't think i'm ready for the cold just yet . . .

yay!

2011-02-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

i won these beautiful earrings made by christina lowry in a giveaway she ran on her blog last week. they are my new favourite earrings! so lovely + a very generous giveaway. thanks christina! was going to try to have a photo of me wearing them, but getting decent photos of me is always tricky!

am sure these earrings symbolise good luck too ~ i've had a lucky kind of day. how has your weekend been?

**check out christina's shop here.

my creative space

2011-02-23T19:50:00.001-08:00

>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<

the new desk is not looking so new anymore~ which is ok with me.

a couple of new prints and some paintings and sketches in progress on the desk today. feeling a lot more relaxed with the different directions happening at the same time ~ sketching/trying out new things, quickly as they come up helps. just need a few more days in a row {universal truth}!

hope you had fun in your space! to see more, visit kirsty here.

ps. the solid blocks of colours are inspired by this work of my son's.

a new tent print

2011-02-23T00:37:00.000-08:00

a new one {2 tents} from the tents series . . . it had been sitting for a long while needing something to make it finished. i wondered and wondered, then the time must have been right as it required no thought. i love it when it works like that.

this one was inspired by a camping trip from my late 20s. there were young kids in the tent behind us, not sleeping at all, and wombats circling our tent! they make a loud rustling sounds and i have a soft spot for them, even though they don't smell great.

happy mid-week and thanks again for the inspiring discussion on the last post :)

fine art friday . landscape

2011-02-17T19:17:00.001-08:00

:: star gaze . beth hoeckel dot com
:: warm lake . jessicatorres
:: limited edition 8 x 8 faux polaroid . whphotography
:: el capitan . ellaksverdlov

*all images from shops/site listed.

love the comments on yesterday's post {thankyou!}.
happy friday :)

my creative space

2011-02-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

every time i do a stint of digital colouring i go through a shake up!
it makes me question why i'm doing it, what i'm trying to achieve that i can't achieve with non~digital work. and what is it i'm trying to do with my non~digital work again??
i left it alone for a bit and found these leaves from the real world {they've been a source of inspiration many times} and got out the gouache and markers and did some drawing by hand! i did put them together digitally and painted the red in photoshop in the last image. the little ones are gouache on chalk board paint.
i get a feeling that my work is going in many directions at the same time, which is exciting but also comes with a weird sense of guilt! not entirely sure where that comes from, but it could have something to do with thoughts/theories that come from having an online shop and 'branding' {kind of the opposite of free art~making}, the pull between graphic design {the past} and fine art {my real passion} and what i should be doing . . . eeeek, the pressure!!
do you ever tie yourself up in these kinds of knots about your work?? does it always come before a calm, resolved feeling?? {fingers crossed}.

happy creative space day! pop into kirsty's for more spaces.

ps. thanks for the kind thoughts/comments on the last post + thanks to everyone who has subscribed and entered the giveaway :)

giveaway

2011-02-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

happy heart day for yesterday!

i had a roller coaster ride of a day ~ i had my annual mammogram {my mum had breast cancer at 32} in the morning, which i passed. a huge build up of stress/anxiety followed by the relief of good news ~ it's very grounding! and kind of ironic, in a good way, to go through this on valentines day . . . a quiet, inner celebration of being in the here and now with my loved ones!

we also watched 'the kids are all right' which was really great. have you seen it?

. . . the giveaway prize is one of the new prints {of your choice}: moss {shown above}, buds {black}, buds {blue}, heart {pink}, heart {turquoise}, garden bed, shooting or square flowers.

to enter, subscribe to the newsletter {if you've already subscribed you're automatically entered + thanku!}. the winner will be announced in the first newsletter, this friday {feb 18}.

calendar sale

2011-02-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

the 2011 calendar is on sale!

inspiration: fleurlux

2011-02-12T17:33:00.001-08:00

love these pots and plants made/grown by fleurlux. the shapes are so perfect. i found them in this treasury {thanks jamie}.
is your sunday going well?