Cards!

This Friday evening I will be participating in the second Art Market at Espionage Gallery. So I have been busy having fun in my evenings making some cards to display along with my prints and jewellery. The first picture shows some of the new cards. The last picture shows some of the cards I made for the first market! Time consuming but love the process!

Bright Future

I have finally just uploaded my most recent black and white print to my Etsy shop.

This one is called, 'Bright Future'. The idea behind this drawing was born from looking into our daughter's eyes. Children and babies have such bright, sparkly eyes and when our daughter smiles, her little eyes light up and her eyes shine; I see a bright future for her. So I wanted to create an image that represented life, growth and many different flowers to show that she is unique and everyone is different and unique and she will grow in her own special way. I also think the image is a reminder to think positive and happy thoughts for our future. We are faced with many challenges in life but it isimportant to be able to visualize a bright future.

...And I just have to add that the poppy in the photo is proudly one from our little garden that we grew from seed! Poppies are my favourite flowers and I just love to see what colours they are when they open up!

Spirograph!

Our little boy received a small Spirograph set for his 4th birthday last week. So who has been having fun this week re-living childhood experiences? Me! So much fun! And I did share the tools with him too! Even with all the amazing drawing software available now, there is still something magical about Spirograph I think!

To Market, To Market to Buy a Great Print

"Chloe" by Fruzsi Kenez

The delightful and talented Fruzsi Kenez of Peach Patrol on Etsy has invited me to be a part of her first Artist Market at Espionage Gallery next Friday evening! Of course at first I said I was interested but wasn't sure I was ready but after meeting Fruzsi and seeing her enthusiasm and vision, I felt it was an opportunity too good to miss.

So I am excited and nervous and incredibly busy this week with all I need to organize to get ready for it but I will let you know how it goes. I am going into this with zero expectations so there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. If nothing else, the chance to meet some great artists and be inspired!

I Heart Jewellery

Tonight I did something a bit out of the ordinary for me. I actually attended the opening night of an exhibtion I am participating in at Zu Design! Sounds strange really as I always remember in the past that opening nights were something I would never have missed since they are the party and reward after all the hard work that goes into making a piece. But although I have exhibited regularly at Zu over the last few years, I have never actually made it to the opening of any of those shows. So tonight was different.

With early dinner prepared for the kids and a 6.00pm start time, I thought we could achieve it! And I am glad we did! "I heart Jewellery" is part of this years SALA (South Australian Living Artists) festival. It is a great festival which showcases and celebrates the work of South Australian artists and during August, numerous exhibitions and events are held around the state. I had forgotten just how crowded these events can be (especially when trying to squeeze through with an almost four year old in arms so he too can see inside the showcases but we loved what we saw inside and I was impressed that my little boy also seemed to quite enjoy the event. Fortunately Missy Muffet, aged 2, fell asleep in the car on the way there but unfortunately for Papa that meant he had to carry her when my arms gave up!

It was inspiring to see the work of the other jewellers participating in the exhibition and reminded me of why I really 'heart' jewellery. Thanks to Jane and Roman at Zu for having my pieces for this wonderful show.

Embrace

About 5 months ago, I blogged about an idea I had for a print. Well here it is finally finished!

It started with a hug; an embrace in the middle of the night to comfort my little girl. As we sat with our heads close together and our arms encircling eachother, I wondered what kind of visual pattern this might make. At that time it was something that was happening every night, a pattern that was forming: wake, embrace, go back to sleep. And so I translated this to the pattern in this drawing.

It is to remind us of the comfort we find in a hug. And also I see it as a symbol to remind us to embrace eachother, to embrace oppotunities and to embrace every moment...

Where o where have I been?

The answer to that question is: right here! Yes, I have still been right here at my desks most nights but not terribly productive recently. So, I started a new project a few weeks back to motivate me to make sure at least one new creation happens a week. The idea behind this project is simply to sit down, listen to music, get out my paper, scissors and glue, and see what evolves. We have lots of CDs we just haven't listened to in ages because of time restraints and ease of using you tube to find new material. But it is nice to visit the old music as it brings back so many memories of different times in my life.

When I was in my last year of highschool - many many years ago - one of my major art projects was a piece called "frozen music" No doubt it was probably my teacher's idea or at least influenced by her but I came up with lots of designs inspired by music I listened to. The major piece was made into a huge, fabric, wall mural and I am sure I still have a photo of it somewhere that I should dig up.

So my new project is based on this same idea. Listening to music and seeing what colours, shapes and patterns come to my mind. The idea is that the piece should be started and finished on Monday nights but of course so far Monday has been extending to Tuesday and Wednesday. I have snapped a few shots with my phone along the way which I will post here. Hopefully I will have the finished collages ready to show soon.

Pikelets!

Yesterday was one of those Sundays that started out sunny and full of ideas about where to go and how to spend the day. As the day progressed, however, grey clouds gathered and it looked more and more like the perfect day to stay at home. It felt like a 'proper' Sunday - like the Sundays I used to have as a child often just spending time at home with family making our own fun.

I could have done a thousand things with the time I had yesterday. I even snuck off at one point to attempt an afternoon nap hoping noone would miss me. The poppets always inevitably find me however and they are rarely interested in afternoon naps nowadays since Miss Muffet turned 2 and thinks she no longer needs them.

And then I had the idea to make pikelets! Something I love to eat and the perfect afternoon tea for a rainy day and the perfect afternoon activity for Master T my little helper.

Colour

At last, my coloured pencils and paper are out and I am having fun!

And yes, this is the mess I usually create once I get started with those coloured pieces of paper! It usually ends up covering the whole desk. But it is always a great way to discover a new colour combination when two random pieces of paper end up sitting next to eachother.

The Last 40 Minutes!

A mother's day is indeed full. We have 2 children, so if I have had a tough day I always think about mums who have 3, 4, 5 children or more. My youngest Missy Muffet who has just turned 2 is always easy to put to bed. 2 stories, 3 lullabys, goodnight Missy Muffet and close the door.

Master T on the other hand has always taken, shall we say, a little bit longer to settle. He will be 4 in September and has recently been going through an, "I like Papa, I don't like Mamma" phase. So the nights that I need to put him to bed can be quite difficult.

This has been the last 40 minutes for me:

"I don't want Mamma to read my stories, I want Pappa" x 10
Ok T, I will just go to sleep next to you"
"I want Papa to sleep" x 10

So, I distract him by talking about his day, talking about what he will do tomorrow. Play the candle tickle game where I hold up my fingers like candles, he blows them out and then I tickle him. He notices that I am wearing jeans and not pjs. He say, "But Mama, you need to put your night time clothes on" So I put my pjs on. We talk some more. I had a haircut today. Master T says, "But Mama, your hair is not beautiful. The lady needs to cut some more." I must teach him tact, I think to myself.

So he goes quiet, we say goodnight. And then, "But Mama, we haven't read a story yet!" Mama sighs internally and says, "Okay, what story would you like?" He replies, "Mr McGee and the Big Bag of Bread" So we get the book and I open to the first page and he says, "I'm sorry Mama but we need to read 'Mr McGee and the Biting Flea" So we change books, read the story and say goodnight -again. And then, "But Mama, I need a drink of water" Of course he does after all his talking. So he goes to get a drink, comes back to his bed and we say goodnight. It is quiet and then, "Mama". "Yes" I reply. "I like you". My heart melts. "I like you too, T" I reply, and add, "goodnight T, sweet dreams, I love you." " I love you Mama" he says. And then silence. And then, "Mama, your hair is not beautiful!" And then he is asleep. At last.

And now time for Mama to do some work while the poppets recharge for another day!

Time for Action

After a conversation the other day, the phrase, "actions speak louder than words" has been floating through my head. I have been contemplating it a lot. How true it is. How many empty words do we give and receive.
It is time for me to take action. Time to give my words meaning. Enough said.

Orla Purchase!

Well it might seem that I am obsessed with Orla Kiely and her duvet covers at the moment but finally the search is over and we have made a purchase! When our old quilt cover had finally torn from top to bottom it became an urgent necessity to go shopping for a new one. As luck would have it, the day we went into the city, David Jones was having a 30% off selected duvet covers. A friendly sales assistant was going past as I was admiring the Orla range and I said to her, "I don't suppose that 30% off includes the Orla range?", expecting a negative affirmation of my suspicions but to my surprise she said, "Yes, it does!". Well considering I had a $25 voucher to use at the same store and with the discount, the deal was done!

It wasn't the design I first thought I would choose but the colours in this one we seemed to mutually agree upon. As soon as we got it home, I had it on the bed (yes without ironing!) and very soon after that I had two little people to test it out! I think they approve! And the best part is I get to keep the beautiful packaging!

A 'Bazaar' Mother's Day Gift

I don't think shops understand what mums really want for Mother's Day. While the slippers, flannel pjs, anti-ageing creams and perfumes are all lovely, the best gift I received this year was a few hours to myself to visit Adelaide's Bowerbird Bazaar on Saturday morning. I have been anticipating this design market for some time since I missed the last one and it is currently only a bi-annual event. It is held at our Queens Theatre here which is apparently the oldest standing theatre on mainland Australia (this I learned reading the sign outside as I arrived 10 minutes before the door opened) It is no longer used as a theatre but is the perfect location for this kind of event; outdoor markets are great but it leaves the stall holders praying for fine weather to make sales!

I was so excited when I got inside that I hardly knew where to start. When you are with your kids pretty much 24/7 365 days a year, it feels very strange to suddenly not have to worry where they are or what items they are touching. I was really impressed with the quality of the products and had a lovely time chatting to some of the designers and creators about their products and experiences. It was both inspiring and a bit overwhelming but really good to see so much local talent and beautiful things made here in Australia. So many of the products we buy here in oz are made abroad so it was wonderful to see products with "designed and made in Australia" on them.

I had to have some cute t-shirts from the clever girls at Ink & Spindle. They screenprint their own fabrics and have recently begun a range of children's wear called "Inklet" which I spied on their blog. There was also a little gifts purchased for myself at Sunday Morning Designs and Messagemark. If money was limitless I would have come home with a lot more! I will be looking forward to the next market and when I get the courage may even apply to have a stall myself.

Of course the loveliest gift of all was spending time with my family today and the handmade card from my little boy that he made with his Dad while I was out at the market.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, mother-in-laws, Godmothers, fairy Godmothers, all those who mother and all mothers who have walked before us. What a wonderful and important job you all do.

Orla Duvet cover

So I am wondering if a small tear (thanks to the kids jumping on it!) in our quilt cover is enough to justify purchasing a new Orla Kiely one like this one above?

And would it be too much to ask Mr i to sleep between the multi coloured stem print? Hmm, I wonder.

Paper + Scissors

When I make jewellery, I always have a detailed drawing of what I am going to make before I start cutting into the materials. Of course some things might get slightly changed along the way for either technical or aesthetic reasons but in general I know exactly what the finished item will look like.

So sometimes it is nice to work in different ways and with paper and scissors, I have the freedom to just cut shapes out and see what happens. I enjoy nothing more than sitting down with my collection of coloured paper and then cutting away to see what shapes can be revealed in both the positive and negative. It is often through this process that new ideas are generated for something else I want to make or draw. These little paper and scissors sessions often result in greeting cards to use for family and friends' birthdays.

Lime Green

We have been lucky to inherit a lime tree on the property where we currently live. And I am happy because this colour green is my very favourite shade of green!

Safe in my Arms

I am just about to put this second print in my Etsy shop and I realised it is one I haven't shared before on my blog. This is one of the first little drawings I completed last year but it has been an idea in my sketchbook for much longer.

When my little boy (who is now 3 and a half) was a baby, he wasn't much of a sleeper and woke frequently at night. I read books about self settling and 'crying it out' but I chose to simply pick him up and cuddle him and watch his tears disappear and a look of contentment come across his face. I felt like a big strong tree and my arms were the branches. He was completely safe and happy in my arms.

And so I made a little sketch about this at the time which last year turned into this picture. The bars were for my baby's cot. The droplets for his tears. The flowers were ones we had passed on our walks together and I wondered if he dreamed about them. And the big tree on the side - that one is for me. Even as a big strong mummy tree, I also feel the need to be protected and safe. Perhaps that is Daddy tree!....

Master T sleeps soundly now at night. This print is for my friends with little ones who are going through the sleepless nights. There is an end to it, so hang in there.

And here it is!

After weeks of procrastinating and weeks of work, here it is: my first little print in my etsy shop!

I spent Sunday afternoon trying to make friends with my husband's camera and lenses. I am not sure we will ever be best friends but I would like to think that we could come to some kind of arrangement where I speak nicely to it, and it does the work! Unfortunately it doesn't matter how flash your camera is or even if you switch it to the auto mode - you can never take a great photo unless you know what you are doing with it and what is is you are trying to photograph.

As I have probably said before on this blog, photography was never my best subject at uni and I still have visions of doing whole assignments and having the slides developed only to discover the battery in my light metre was flat and my readings were all out!

The weather was not the greatest yesterday and although I picked the brightest room for the job, by the end of the shoot I was chasing the light and reaching for the tripod. The images are far from perfect but for now I will be content with what I have produced and keep working on improving them.

From here it does not matter what happens - it is just the fact that I have started that is important. Now I have to keep going.....

Almost out of Excuses!

What a week it has ended up being. Who would have known last Monday in Japan as eveyone trudged back to work for the week, that by Friday their houses might be floating on water and they might be running for their lives. Few things shock us on the news anymore but the images coming out of Japan at the moment are truly horrifying. It is so surreal for us to sit and watch from the comfort of our homes these images of loss and devastation; trying to empathize with people when we really have no idea. I have felt a couple of magnitude 5 ish quakes while living in Japan which had me running for cover under our kitchen table but I really can't imagine how frightening an earthquake of this magnitude must have been.

Fortunately for us, most of our family and friends are located in central Japan and have not been affected by the quake and those that are near Tokyo are also okay. It really puts our lives back into perspective. We run around in our material world climbing imaginary ladders and filling our homes with all the latest thinking we are quite in control and quite clever. Nature knows better and recently has been reminding us of our vulnerability. These are the times when we feel helpless but can at least take the time to reflect on things that are really important to us. Life is affter all very precious.

On the work front this week I had a long list of things to achieve and have crossed off a good third of them. I am pretty happy with that. My husband keeps asking me when I will put my first print in my shop and I am now excited to say that I am running out of excuses as to why that hasn't happened yet. Some packaging arrived this week and I have just spent tonight updating my shop policies and shipping details to include prints. So really now I have just two things to do: take some photos of a real print and make a listing for it. So it will be soon, very soon.....

The Start of Something New!

Recently, I find myself caught up in the admin side of running a little online shop. I spend the little time I have to work searching online for supplies, appropriate packaging and estimating postage costs etc. I am itching to get started on a new drawing and would love to start on a piece in colour, however, progress is also slowed by my littlest poppet who occasionally still wakes in the night and will not go back to sleep without a hug from me.

Since March has arrived, a crispness has crept into the night air and I wonder if Missy Muffet wakes because she is a little cold. The other night I was working away when her desperate little cries came from her cot. Yes, it was time for a hug from Mum and as I sat with her I started to imagine how that image might be represented graphically. A hug is such a simple gesture but so warm and comforting. It got me thinking this might be a theme for my next print. I made a few quick rough sketches and have filed them away for a time when I can see past all the little jobs I need to do first. Hopefully soon, very soon I will be able to list my very first print in my Etsy shop. If it doesn't happen in March then it will definitely be April - I hope!