pretties

Hello! More pretty shots from my walks, this Rosella is sitting on a red gum on the Murray river. If you look closely you can see a white and red sign on the tree beyond...it reads "no parking"

Yes-the river really is up high!

This above shot was also taken in Echuca, near the old port. Such a cute duck-it was sitting on the bank for a while just watching the river go by, then suddenly must have seen something it liked and splosh, straight in!

This red wattle bird was posing, turning its neck from side to side, in between sipping nectar from nearby flowers (it's a honeyeater). I didn't have the heart to break it to him that my zoom function was going to make a good photo impossible, so here's my best attempt.

Can you spot the silver eye bird in this shot? They are cute and tiny and love my parents guava(feijoa) tree, there are 2 babies and 2 adults, but only one adult in this shot. I love watching them from my parents kitchen window, the 2 little bubs nestle into each other sitting on a branch.

And the flowers around here this year are spectacular! So much colour and vitality! So vibrant, these old fashioned roses have such a gorgeous fragrance too, I wish there was a blog version of scratch and sniff so I could share it with you...

Even the finished roses look beautiful to me, and I have spotted so many big fat swollen rosehips that my mind is turning over the possibilities of making some rosehip cordial. Will have to do some recipe searching!

Don't worry, with all these nature shots and walks I am not trying to hide a lack of making.

In fact, I have been crocheting, found some beautiful wool in a nearby op shop-20 cents a ball!! So I have made a hat and a few other little things...

xKate

Meet me Monday -LiKim Chuah

Meet me Monday-mini interviews about creativity with my fave people!
This has been nothing short of fascinating and fun to work on, if you enjoy reading and looking at this half as much as I did you will be happy.

Viewing LiKims' photography and collage images bring me rapidly to a point to envy,but I can also find joy in sharing her sense of creative playfulness...

"I am primarily a photographer, exploring the streets of the city or new suburbs.

I am into geometric building lines, shapes, old abandoned buildings, decaying things, composition, awesome colours and textures like peeling paint or oil stains on the road.

I actually feel like I have run out of Melbourne places, which is scary.I need to know more cool places to visit...anyone with any ideas please let me know.
I use two digital cameras;my SLR EOS 450D and my crappy camera phone. Film cameras from op shops and a couple of special novelty ones like the Golden half which I bought online in a moment of weakness. I use normal film, cross process slide film, red scale film and on occasion I alter/cut/paste/ink onto negatives.

Some of my favourite creations are from a long time ago...my sister back in the day.

As an op shop addict I always come across heaps of old school cook books with garish, ugly and gross food photos.I never had any use from them, other than my buffet themed jacket costume last Halloween...

Recently due to cold cold weather and grey skies I have started using these cook book images in collage, along with old National Geographic mags, kids picture books, pet books and sports books.

I love the kitsch factor of the photos, sitting in front of the TV cutting out the pictures and covering the entire lounge room floor in peices of paper.
I don't have a table and work on the floor which is bad for my body and anyone else who is wanting to walk through the lounge. As relaxing as collage is- it's harder than it seems.
Sometimes I might sit for a hour or more trying to position a puppy in front of rioting protesters.

I use a very crappy cheap stanley knife, stolen scissors, borrowed cardboard glue and pens from work and some textas I bought in Japan.
Make something creative every week or every day, even if its crappy and lame...create don't consume! And also cheese and banana on toast is underrated. You can add in peanut butter to the mix(Don't knock it til you've tried it)'
Thanks so much LiKim,
I had such fun with this,
anyone else interested in being featured drop me a line,
Xkate
To see more of LiKims wonderful works of collage art and inspired photography go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/li-kimchuah/
and blog
http://angryaliceart.blogspot.com/

festival fun

What a fun, busy, amazing, intense week of crafting...did you go to the Avid reader market or to the Saviours of the lost arts workshops/market or the Hays Inlet festival? I attended all three!!

I had a wonderful time yesterday at the Hays Inlet festival. It was such glorious weather, the suitcase collective stall & parade came together beautifully.

Becs efforts organising the fashion parade and the stall fittings were inspiring and made our various eco friendly products look amazing.

Aside from my dash robin scarves, brooches and toys our stall and parade featured little brown dog cushions and upcycled wool and cotton clothing range, Chrissy Foremans jewellery,
go go girls vintage upcycled clothing, mumatopias range and more..

I hope we all gave visitors some ideas about what can be done with recycled/natural materials.

The sea breezes whipped up some strong gusts which added some wild hair action to the parade! Sam Jockal enthusiastically talked the crowd through the collection while Micheal Swifte d.j ed and the models looked stunning strutting down the catwalk in the upcycled outfits and accessories.

This morning I have been relaxing after all the work, playing about with a feature on my camera which lets me select one colour...mmm, red!

I have so many photos to sort through and lots of new things to list on made.it and esty,
so will tear myself away from Blogland and get onto it,
xKate

Hays Inlet festival

If you want to enjoy some fun in the winter sun, come along to the Hays Inlet Festival Family Fun day tomorrow. Its a wonderful local cooperatively organised festival.

There will be lots of fun activities for all ages-kite making workshops, art exhibitions, music by Dubmarine, an up cycled fashion show featuring pieces from a wide range of local Qld and Northern Nsw eco fashionistas & more.

Some of my accessories will be in the parade and I will also have a whole collection of goodies to purchase on the day too-lovely soft dash robin eco scarves and also some of my latest jewellery,

dash robin nest brooches featuring linen, beads and found objects including old metals, keys and driftwood.

Some of the talented people involved with the Hays Inlet festival upcycled fashion show include:
http://www.littlebrowndoggie.blogspot.com/
http://www.chrissyforemanc.com/
&
more.
So come along, have some fun and meet the locals...

xKate

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

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

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

market

My winter season love of wattles is continuing, I love watching how the colours of the flowers and buds change as the day passes...sorry if I am getting a bit 'I love a sunburnt country' here. But oooh acacia trees are just such gorgeous native beauties! Did you know you can use the bark of them to dye fabric and yarn? I will be writing more on this soon, having gathered some information on dyeing using natural materials from my lovely Aunty.

Anyway, I have had a few busy weeks includuing a fun night out at the Avid Reader market.

It was like a party! Lots of lovely friends and family coming through to visit, live acoustic music(gorgeous piano accordion and violin-hmmmm) and food&wine...I couldn't ask for a better night out really, a happy night!

I will be back again, with more of the same brooches and such, plus some newies fresh off the press-including some coasters made with special aboriginal art designed fabric.

The next market night is on the 21st of this month, slightly earlier than usual. Same place and same time though, Avid Reader, Boundary Rd, West End 5.30 p.m til about 8pm.

I am enjoying sewing, on my new machine. The update on my earlier post is -yes, I totally killed my old one. How terrible! But fortunately my kind mother came along to the shop with me and helped me choose a newie and even spent a day teaching me how to use it and showing me lots of little tips and tricks. Since then I have been spending many an hour whirring away.

My stock of crafted goods is building up, stitch by stitch, loop by loop and I have an etsy store in the works...I am in the process of refining it all and will be getting some techno-computery-help from a talented friend of mine...

She is not just a happy cupcake but also a total genius with making and designing so hopefully my Internet presence might be a bit more spruced up next time you log in here!

And now here is my not definitive very amatuerlist of hints for anyone contemplating a market stall-my own ever growing collection of hints and reminders presented as a...

Market cheat sheet

Prepare a small case containing-receipt book, very legible price signs, pens, sticky tape, scissors, wire ties. It is so handy to have a little supply of these things ready to go.

It is good to also have a small amount of wrapping paper or paper bags as people often buy things at markets for gifts...I use recycled papers and tissue paper.

A thermos and plenty of snacks will keep your expenses down, but you can also barter your items for snacks/drinks sometimes.

Layered clothing with beanies, scarfs,gloves for winter and sun hats, suncream for summer are practical and for night markets a blanket is handy too.

I think a good rule of thumb is to have about $100-$200 of 'float money' made up in both change and notes, (and some extra change for parking might be helpful too.) And if your maths skills are not wonderful bring along a calculator, it might just help you to use one anyway as a double checking system.

To display your goods you might need to provide a table and chair for yourself for some venues, the bi-fold ones fit better in most cars and can be bought cheaply from Kmart, and you can also get sun shades there too. Added extras-lamp, a cushion, table cloths(long rectangle shapes usually work best and dark colours with simple patterns are good backgrounds for most products)

I prefer attending markets that have tables as it is a big job to carry and dismantle tables, shades and your goods. If you plan to do a market by yourself, for the first time ask a friend along to at least visit so you can have a toilet break, etc.

I carry my items in vintage suitcases inside large plastic tubs(weather proof and tough), the cases are set up ready to be opened as part of the display.

Another way to display items is to pin fabric to cook book or plate stands and pin things through the fabric-this works well with my brooches.

And my last tip is to price your goods sensibly. Do not undervalue your time, your designs and your work! If you break down the cost of replacement materials, your time spent designing, researching and making up the product, public transport or petrol, stall fees, insurance, materials(books, magazines, patterns, sewing machine, hooks and needles, yarns, etc, etc), Internet and phone access, etc. Anything which contributes to the finished product and which needs to be accounted for...then add on a little extra for increases, this is how you will get a fair and realistic price.

xkate

disappearing blogger

I have been crocheting lots and lots, some simple purses, with hand sewn linings. My favourite so far is cream and cherry red stripes with lovely Japanese fabric lining.The lining fabric piece for this one was recycled from a worn out cushion cover. I made a large floor cushion many years ago for the comfort of my then toddler-who is now twelve years old-ye gods, time flies!

As I was stitching away I was watching a BBC dvd production called "who do you think you are?"

It was truly fascinating and moving to see how each person felt as they discovered truths about their families and past, social history.

It also got one of my kids really interested in the idea of a family tree. I think he thought I was going to create an actual magical tree when I said I would make up one for him.

I tried to make up for that disappointment by making a interesting one and gathered a collection of family photos and stuck them on the wall, siblings next to each other, under parents and so on. It was a really lovely experience and I recommend it to anyone who is separated by land or sea from their family as it really bought my kids and I a lot of joy. The photos were also great talking points to the events they recorded.

I am doing a bit of roaming lately, maybe in part to inspire me and fill up my soul with some light and happiness from lovely people like this little cherub above.

I am heading away again for a few days, up to Montville where I will rest and relax and enjoy a taste of winter in the mountains. And hopefully I will also experience a taste of fudge from the fabulous Montville fudge shop!

xdash

winter in sydney, its a mighty priddy city...

Just back from a trip to Sydney and oh my, I have picked up a flu in my travels.

I am not oinking, except when near chocolate(normal behaviour from me)so hopefully its not swine flu. Although a curly wee tail would be cute ;o)

Highlights were catching up with my lovely family, and enjoying all things American washed down with many a cocktail. Yummy cocktails. I also love sitting with Maddy and crocheting flowers for her('you doing some knitting-can you do some flowers-bigger please?') and bushwalking with Nicholas, who was the leader-but in the middle, keeping us safe and on the path!

And after all these sweet moments I spent one morning being totally nerdylicious!

I went to the state library and saw some very cool (for geeks) exhibits. There is some interesting objects selected from the libraries collection including an actual real schindlers list, one of the typewritten lists of people he typed up as he plotted out how to save the people he had come to know, a plain and simple list but special, profound to see. And also a first edition copy of Charles Darwins 'origin of species' book. There is such a lot to see in there, I just dig libraries SO much.

I popped into the NSW gallery but there wasn't anything that really grabbed me so I wandered up through the Sydney botanic , crunching dry leaves under my feet.

catch you all again soon when I am feeling better,

xkate

(oink, oink)

oh I just love to ramble...

A gompa is a Tibetan temple or meditation room and is where Buddhist students gather. And recently Katie and I spent the day at Chenrezig monestery in the hinterland of the sunshine coast of Queensland. As we walked around we could have been practicing walking meditation or enjoying the view of the mountains but instead we were singing merrily "goompa, goompa, goompady doo, I have a tibetan prayer flag for you,"to the tune of the 'oompa loompa song' from the classic Charlie and the Chocolate factory film.

So I might not have moved any further along the path to ultimate happiness but it was lots of fun.

Back to Chenrezig it is so beautiful, there is peace that almost hangs in the air and your cares get lost on the windy roads up to the mountain top where it sits.

Aside from the buildings, the grounds are lovely, if a little to snake-filled for some peoples sensibilities. I am not at all scared of snakes, and the pythons and others that sun themselves on the paths always seem way to fat and sleepy to be bothered doing anything to anyone. They are like those full bellied Buddhas, content.

I am not usually content to sit still for very long or lay about, so its work for me to simply be for a moment. Just be.

Unfortunately I felt tired, worn out and stressed driving back to Brisbane, there is always a part of me that just wants to stay there longer.

Fortunately, after a cup of tea I remember there is much to enjoy being back in my normal life-my friends, cute doggies, markets, kids and sewing to reel off just some.

And speaking of sewing I have placed a few new sewn brooches with Sarah at her cafe "the juice tank' on Oxley Avenue in Margate. They are a new design I have enjoyed working on very much. The cafe is so close to home I could not resist, even though I was trying to hold off displaying them until I open my online store. I dont have any pictures to show but imagine brooches made out of cute retro fabrics like these

...oooh how I love these retro designs, I smile each time I work with them, when I find a discarded pillowcase of bright cheery flowers in an op shop I pounce!

The Juice Tank is a popular space with many local crafts workers who have been able to display/sell work. But it has just been sold!

So, I am not sure how long art pieces will be on display there, so maybe best to get in there quickish to enjoy not only the great things within, also the lovely coffee and the friendliness and warmth of the service.

xkate