Creative Space IX...

"The Bees....The Beeeeeeeees......." *

Today I'm playing along again with Kirsty, I have not had a chance to do this in a while, but it is not because I've not been creative- it is because, quite frankly, I am a very lazy photographer. There, I said it.  

I am totally confounded as to why I find it so utterly difficult to pull out a Digital camera, set it to Auto,then point and shoot! Especially after spending long years in the dark room doing all of this myself- developing, pushing, cross processing, enlarging, burning, dodging.... now I do it by plugging the camera in and clicking on one or two buttons with Canon Software.... oh goodness lazy old me!

Today's Creative Space takes place on my couch.  

I am making more of the Bee Boy Rattles in the beautiful Kokka fabric from Kelani.

I bought this linen Bee print fabric so long ago and have been waiting to find matching corderoy.  Where do people buy good quality corderoy I wonder? Usually I just stumble upon it by accident in my frequent thrift shop pilgrimages.  This corderoy is Colonel Mustard yellow and black.

 

Bee boy is getting new wings sketched today as his sample wings were too big and made turning out difficult.

See how beautiful the print is.

Bees drinking tea is really too cute.

I drew his face on as a way of reducing time, it takes about 13 seconds to draw as opposed to 10 minutes to embroider.  But I do love embroidered faces so. Perhaps I will do some of each.

My kitchen has a creative space of its own at the moment as I have started making my Christmas cards for my lovely brothers and sisters. And I cannot tell you what is materialising in my sewing space as it is a project for next week, however I promise to be more adept at photographing my little creative ventures from this moment forth.

For more creative spaces visit Kootoyoo here.

*Quote from Job, Arrested Development Season 2, if you have not seen this series you must endeavor to do it very soon as it is clever and witty and ever so endearing.

Thread Den Market Day...

 

Finally I have been afforded a quiet little moment to sit down and relax in my newly arranged lounge room and post about the North Melbourne Market day last Sunday, which was hosted by Thread Den.

The Thread Den girls were so very welcoming and the amazing Lithuanian club was all abuzz with good cheer as another beautiful sunny day was delivered to Melbourne.

The venue was a large maze of rooms, so the market was spread out front and back and upstairs and through the halls.  My stall was in the ballroom which had chandelier lighting and was a perfect atmosphere for selling vintage clothes as well as handmade crafts.

As I am living alone with my son now and am sometimes sewing to 2am- I tend to lose perspective on what I'm actually creating and wonder if people will appreciate the end of my labours.  But what I loved about the market was that people were genuinely encouraging and my toys were well received.  I think it is important to get such positive feedback.

I was particularly thankful when a wide eyed 7 year old exclaimed that this little Monsieur on the left was the most beautiful toy ever.

Cheeky Little Monsters buttons sold consistently over the course of the day but probably not as crazily as I imagined.  I had 2 large suitcases of them and my favorite selection in this lovely 50's basket.  Children really liked them, so I was often selling one button from here or there and it reminded me of my own childhood button fettish, I was obsessed by their shiny sparkling goodness.  I still am obsessed if the truth be known, particularly if they are of the vintage persuasion. I do believe that these buttons will find their place in the future somehow and someday.

I sold some of my collection of vintage clothes as well.  This is my personal collection, so it was wrought with emotional difficulty when the time came to price them.  I found myself telling people when my son had worn a particular item and what we had done that day.  But I know I cannot keep everything forever, so it is wonderful to know that others will appreciate the beauty and elegance of a garment that was designed 30 or 40 years ago and is still going strong. 

For some extraordinarily daft reason I forgot to photograph my handmade shirring dresses, which look like this but were in different fabrics. There was one dress made from lovely light Japanese cotton that had splashes of violet coloured flowers that I wanted to show you.  Ah alas I cannot.  But I think I will go searching for the fabric again because it was incredibly beautiful and quite 50's looking.  When I showed this fabric to my best friend she said that she had actually dreamed of her daughter wearing the very same fabric when she was pregnant!!!!!!!

So there in lies a snippet of my time at the market.  I believe everyone else had a great day as well, but I cannot be sure as I was pretty much bound to my table for the day except for a brief wander around.  I did however love the calendars by Able and Game and the beautiful table set up of  Spin Spin Handmade. 

Any market that combines my two greatest loves- Vintage and Handmade, has found a friend in me. :)

Thread Den Market this Sunday...

Come along and say hi to me this Sunday at the North Melbourne market presented by the lovely girls at Thread Den.   I will be selling some of my handmade toys and dresses as well as some of the cutest vintage clothes ever.  I will also be selling  Cheeky Little Monster's Amazing vintage button collection.

It would be so very lovely to see you there. x

My Place & Yours- My Secret Weapon

I very much enjoy this weeks theme for Pip's My Place and Yours, which was excellently chosen by My Bricole, as it gives me a chance to talk about my beloved boot collection, undoubtedly my greatest weapons and now no longer a secret at all.

Boots are my Boyfriend. I'm practically married to them!

Here let me show you some:

 They are from trips to Barcelona, Paris and London, Leongatha and Bendigo and Savers in Greensborough.

Sales at Fluevog and Camper and birthday shopping on Brunswick Street. My God, they have been retrieved from rivers and jealous ex-boyfriends, been lost in Amsterdam, up mountains, in temples and danced to Bowie, The Cure, Nick Cave and countless others.

They know everything about me and have the power to make me feel amazing or stylish or crazy or flirty or just plain cool...

I have never had a bad day in my well worn Brazillian tan boots.

I bought burgundy cowboy boots moments after my first ultrasound.  I actually wore them the night my partner left and Martha Wainwright mentioned she liked them.

I have a pair of Amazing boots that are soooo difficult to walk in,  I keep them in the shed so I can't be tempted and break an ankle.

The black cowboy boots are the ones I have owned the longest.

Somedays I think the boots wear me.

I really need to take better care of them.  They look exhausted!

Many of them had incredible lives even before I knew them.

Oh to think what they have seen.  I blush just thinking about it.

So that's enough about the boots. Now I urge you to check out more of our Secret Weapons here.