STUDIO JUICY

Hooray for Aperture Priority!

2011-12-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

And HOORAY for tripods!

I've had my Canon Digital SLR 400D for...ummm...like AGES! Its embarrassing how long its taken me to figure out some really basic things with it. I bought a little Canon Powershot 320 back in 2003 (for about $1,000 LOL) and I have had the best time with it - so easy, literally point n shoot, and I have had many great photos from it. I figured upgrading to the DSLR would be easy enough. Well for this untrained puppy, it was very very humbling.

BUT! After a LOT of reading, I am finally experimenting again. When lighting conditions are good, the camera is excellent. But inside my house can be tricky with the DSLR. The old powershot was a very faithful servant to capuring the light exactly as it was - but the SLR seems a lot more sensitive, and if the natural light available was slightly low, it would want to default to using the flash. Annoying! I'd been experimenting with the Apeture Priority mode to try and let as much light in as possible, but was still having mediocre results. Until I decided to use a tripod. What a world of difference.

Anyway I was excited about this photo because this nook in my home is actually quite a dark spot. But with the DSLR set on the largest aperture (i.e. the lowest f-stop, a concept it took me a while to absorb!) I managed to get this snap that I'm really happy with. I think I'm about to start taking pictures of all sorts of inanimate things. So be warned.

Like this phone, that was given to me by one of the Directors of the firm I work for, after I declared over a cup of tea that I "really wanted an old bakelite phone". He said he had one in his shed that I could have. And then he said "I've got a box full of rabbit traps you can have too"! I graciously declined that offer!

Hey how's my form - 2 posts in that same month. Unheard of.

New Things

2011-12-07T21:03:00.001-08:00

As usual, I've been busy doing just about everything but blogging. But today, just for a change, I actually took a couple of pics of things I've been working on, and I'd like to share them.

First up, my little niece Ivy turns 10 tomorrow. Amazing. She can get away with wearing just about any colour but I thought I'd do something cute in black. Why are black kid's clothes such a rarity? They are PERFECT for hiding the spills! I bought the tshirt and embellished it with the little bird. I really must do a tutorial on that one day, its super easy and the tshirt was $5 from Big W. Makes for a very economical gift! The gathering on the skirt was a little more time consuming than I expected, but I thought it came up very cute. Can't wait to see her wearing it.

I've had that curtain cable from IKEA attached to the wall in my studio for a while now. I thought it would be a great place to hang things to be photographed, but it in between photos it has become a place to hang pattern pieces, and lovely things. Like the lino print (on the right) from my talented and gorgeous friend Janine who I hope to collaborate more with...one day.

Here is a detail of the little bird...

So. I've been LOVING my weekly art class, and am taking a punt here that my Dad doesn't read my blog. Because I'm about to post a picture of his Christmas present. He loves Australian birds, and I love blue things. It only seemed logical to draw him a splendid fairy wren. How exquisite are these little birds? And I was very happy with my 2nd ever attempt at a pastel "painting". I even got commissioned to do another one for someone who saw this in our local student art show. FLATTERED!

And just for fun here is my lovely furry girl Isis, who just happened to take time out from eating grass to let me take this snap of her. And if she ever does something bad to a splendid fairy wren, or any other Australian native bird for that matter, she will be banished to the inside of my house. Forever. Can something really be "banished" indoors?

Oh, and here is a very scary snap of my garage which I am quietly trying to transform into a space where I can do some silk screening. More about that later. Not a small task by any stretch of the imagination. It's pretty gross in there. I've found myself reading articles about how to deal with "rising damp". Short answer: You can't. Unless you're prepared to rebuild your house. Which at the moment, I'm not! Surely its something that can be tackled temporarily with some exit mold, a bit of ventilation and a coat of paint?!? Sigh!

New Creative Outlets

2011-10-06T01:38:00.000-07:00

Well after a VERY ordinary Mother's Day Market way back in May, and a tax return that had me wondering what was the point of slaving away til all hours caught up in the throws of production...I decided to pull back, regroup, realign my creative energies and try something different.

The biggest news I have is that I started going to art class, thanks to a gentle but gigantic nudge in the right direction from my fabulistic sis-in-law, Snizza, who insisted we go together. I was petrified. It threw me so far out of my comfort zone it wasn't funny. For someone who had been drawing stick people and daisies for years, I was about to discover a whole new world of inspiration.

Now, traditional art is not reaaaaally my thing. I appreciate it, I respect it....but the idea of doing a still life of fruit or a hat kind of bores me. Give me colour! Big bold graphics! Draw a vase with some flowers? You're kidding me, right? Well I pushed all those feelings aside in the interest of actually LEARNING some new techniques, and I was so excited with what I discovered. I can actually draw! A bit. I'm random and rusty but there is definitely something going on in there somewhere.

SO. Here is my "tonal study" of some bottles. It was the first time I'd ever picked up a stick of charcoal. It was FUN!

Then it was time for a still life with pastels. Did you hear that? STILL LIFE! Woah things got a bit wonky with this one...and it was the first time I'd ever attempted using pastels too. I found them wildy confusing, yet strangely exhilerating!

Being a bit crazy about fashion photography I thought I'd try and draw a few fabulous looking models, with charcoal (I'm loving how TEMPORARY charcoal is: hmmm that line is in the wrong place....just give it a rub and its gone! I spent the entire first drawing class not knowing this LOL!)

I Iove her hair. The bend in her left leg is totally in the wrong spot tho. Funny how you can hone in on these things after not looking at it for a while.

It was around this time I declared drawing faces REALLY intimidated me, so my teacher encouraged me to have a go at "Nikolai". Who is pretty much JUST a face. No hair, no eyebrows. Just a sculpture of an accurately sized human head. Here he is:

Now I should mention that it was the lovely man in my life who decided a few months back that he wanted to start drawing more, and pretty much right away, came up with this:

So I INSISTED he go to art class too. Because obviously, there is a very talented artist lurking beneath his rugged exterior. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

And Merilyn Rice is a wonderfully talented teacher, and an inspiration as a succulent wild woman. I get very excited when I see creative women who have mastered the ever-so-elusive art of making a living from their passion. An art form that continues to elude me....for now!

Oh, and I also got busy madly making costumes for my brother's ridiculous bash he throws for the Aussie Rules Grand Final. My friend and I decided to revisit our uni days and go as our favourite band EVER and...well...lets just say I felt very OLD when a couple of younger people asked who we were....

See? I have been creative, I just haven't been blogging.
xo

Gocco Success! HOORAY

2011-06-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a highly thrilling moment!
Apparently the problems I was having burning a good screen was a mixture of moisture in the paper, and excess carbon. This was collectively solved by ironing the photocopy (regular iron with no steam) covered with a sheet of baking paper to remove excess carbon. Simple as that. I had two dud prints at the start and I was off to the races. Apologies for ordinary photos with this post. I struggle to get things right with the light in my studio...

I'd read that it was important to be liberal with ink...and I was!

It was SO TRUE about being liberal with ink. I printed about 100 of these without even the slightest hint I was running out of ink.

I ran out of SPACE to put the prints before running out of ink! Guess those Gocco card drying racks might have been a good investment after all! I spent a bit of time worrying about my cat coming to investigate when the tables in my studio looked like this!

What an awesome little unit. I'm so glad I didn't flog it off on ebay when I had ordinary results last year. Want to know more about gocco? Read about it here or there!

Gocco Long Weekend

2011-06-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was horrified to note that my last GOCCO experiment was the Queen's Birthday LAST YEAR. Gasp! The good news is that I did purchase some more supplies around Christmas...but have not yet found (made?) time to actually continue my experiments. I couldn't possibly let another YEAR go by without progressing so I decided to use the Queen's Birthday THIS YEAR to dabble once more.
I pitched a cross-continental collaboration with my very talented friend Christina who lives in Canada: a series of quotes (her words and my designs), printed using Gocco, onto postcards. She held up her end of the bargain and gave me lots of inspirational words. My deadline of 31 January 2011 made that awesome WHOOSHING sound as it whipped by. My excuse? I went to the Australian Open! OK that accounts for the week of January 31, the other five months? I got nothin.
SO given I still have not had a decent print from my Gocco, I thought I'd tackle that challenge before pitching my designs to her. One of her suggestions was a series of cards that say simply "hello friend".
So here is what I will print on Monday:

Birdy has no legs coz I plan to draw those later. Cheating with one screen, you see.

And I like this one too:

I am going to try to keep this to one screen too: block around the spider and then draw the thin web strand after.
That is, if I can burn a good master. Fingers crossed!
I'll keep you posted. I promise.
PS Thanks to Lara and Nic for their tips re: Gocco from my last post...A YEAR AGO! Yikes.

Holy Hiatus!

2011-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

How many blog posts have I started with apologies for being a tardy blogger!? Way too many!
ANYWAY I meant to post this pic after the last Muddi Market in Wagga back in December 2010...OOPS! My sis-in-law and I scored these AWESOME vintage skirts made by Janine from Middlemost Clothing.
Seriously. How rockin' is THAT!? Janine has acquired the most succulent stash of vintage fabric and makes them into awesome skirts, dresses and accessories. I love crafty chicks making groovy stuff, especially in areas like the Riverina where all we can do under normal circumstances is drool about this stuff after seeing it online featured by designers doing markets in Melbourne and Byron Bay!

A while back I put together a very inexpensive but highly personalized gift for my crafty little friend Charlotte who turned 7. Hmmmm...more than a while really, because today is her 8th birthday! Anyway I bought a little packet of coloured beads and some clear butterfly beads for the whopping total of $4, removed the rather gaudy packaging and put them in a small cello bag, and then got out the trusty prismacolour pencils and the kraft paper, did a bit of scribbling...and stapled it to the bag to seal it up. Waa Lah! Insta-gift. She loved it.
Front:

And Back:

I'm big on packaging to personalize otherwise inexpensive gifts. I made these gifts for 2 little girls last Christmas. Super easy: The felt daisies came from Papoose Felt (their range has the most heavenly colours)...I stitched the button to the circular piece of felt. I then stitched the felt daisy to the hair clips. Then I hot-glue-gunned the button with circular felt to the felt daisy. Done! Soooo quick n easy. And while hot glue guns are not perfect for everything, they sure are perfect for glueing felt together. Works a treat.
I cut two slits in the craft paper to mount the goodies, enter prismacolour pencils and scribbles once again. Another $2 gift!

This one below is a brooch. I made it the same way as the hairclips, i.e. stitched the red felt daisy to a brooch back clip (you can get them at Spotlight) and then hot-glue-gunned (is that a verb?) the button to the daisy. Considering Matilda is not even 1, I thought I had better add some sort of "dont play with pins" disclaimer!

Muddi Boutique Markets

2010-11-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

Wow time whips by when you are in a creative frenzy!
This weekend I'm off to Wagga for the Muddi Boutique Markets.
I'm excited to be part of this market which is very new, but has already gained a lot of momentum. They did a very fun write up about yours truly too, you can check that out here. Whenever I do a new market I love to bring in a new product. It keeps things interesting for me and hopefully keeps my range of products varied for the lovely peeps that come and visit me at craft shows.
So this week I finally managed to get a photo of me in my new peg apron for the cover of the pattern...I'm not sure if my neighbour saw me posing in front of the fence in the back yard with my camera on a tripod!

In addition to selling the kits to make your own brooches, I thought I'd sell a few of the ones that I have made already. I felt the brooches needed a little bit of extra care with packaging to make them a more appealing gift, so my trusty laser printer and huge stash of stationery collected over the years allowed me to whip this together:

Its a handy way to use the plastic bags that I used for my greeting cards in Canada....they had to change size to accommodate Aussie printing specs so I have a BIG stash of those bags. Now I have a good excuse to make about 2,000 brooches. Yikes!

Upcoming Markets and New Apron Designs

2010-10-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

Usually this time of year I'm thinking about what markets to do before Christmas. I thought I'd shake things up a bit this year and do something local, which is not all that easy considering I live in Bathurst. Anyway lucky for me, this year the Bathurst Arts Council is putting on an event called Arts Alive 2795 to showcase community art in the region, and I've decided to be an exihibitor. Thats not until November 20/21, but I need to GET BUSY anyway.
In the meantime, I am lined up for the Muddi Boutique Market in Wagga Wagga (not really local but I do get to visit my folks which is a double bonus, and given my sweet mother Mazzy usually travels to help me where ever I do a market, I'm sure I can convince her to come along to one in her home town). I DIGRESS!
So in order to remain stimulated I decided to add a new product for the upcoming markets...Apron patterns! Not just any old apron pattern though, a PEG APRON pattern so you can look cool hanging your clothes on the line and your pegs will never get rusty or dirty ever again!

I've had a peg apron that I made a few years back and its been great, but I always felt it was a bit bulky. When my neighbour commissioned me to make one for her, I thought there might be a market for these. Anyway this new shape is awesome, I'm really happy with it.

And while I was at it I decided to make another apron, whenever I do a craft show I think to myself how handy a little apron would be to house cash notes (bum bags just arent cutting it for me any more!) and I was so excited about the shape of this little number that I thought what the heck, make a pattern and see how it goes? It could be even worn over jeans just for the fun of it. They are SO easy to make. And anyone who knows me knows of my blue daisy obession, how groovy is this fat quarter from BIG W! WIll wonders never cease.

And Bathurst is looking lovely this time of year, despite it SNOWING yesterday. Yes, you heard correctly. SNOW. In SPRING?

Melbourne Getaway

2010-09-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

OK so admittedly it was back in August (I've been a TERRIBLE blogger) but back in August my guy & I visited my fave Aussie city for a few days. Four in fact, which was no where near enough, but enough for me to capture the following pics:
Hooray! Finally I got to visit the ever so lovely Lara and Teegs from Ink & Spindle at their studio. These girls remain a huge inspiration, and their fabric continues to make me drool. More pics to come of the goodies I picked up from them! xo

My old trusty canvas Connies got replaced with a ridiculously over-the-top glittery pair with a tiger skin print at the South Wharf DFO...they were way too shiny to be photographed, these are the old ones!

We stayed here and LOVED it - right in the heart of the city, it was a great spot. A beautiful bunch of flowers bloomed for us during our stay. Nice touch!

We stumbled on Hosier Lane, which I'm sure would be a well known spot if I was a local...but instead we found it by surprise and I was blown away by the incredible graffiti art that covered every square inch of the bricked laneway...here is a small teaser (I must have taken 100 photos there!)

And I loved this tin can sculpture:

The first week back in Bathurst we declared we were in a PMF. That would be a Post-Melbourne Funk.
Perhaps that might explain my blogging silence. :(
Thankyou, Melbourne, for the inspiration, and according to the locals giving us the best weather Melbourne had seen in weeks!

Kits and Patterns for Kelani Fabric Obsession

2010-07-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

Living in Bathurst and having a full time job makes it a bit tricky for me to do craft shows that start mid-week (even the weekend ones are a challenge for me!) so I am grateful when a fabulous fabric house like (the very appropriately named) Kelani Fabric Obsession offer to stock some of my patterns and kits at a show they are doing. Kelani have a stand at the Craft & Quilt Fair from July 22 - 25 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and will be stocking my "wonky" softie patterns and kits.
I needed another photo for the kit cover so I went to my usual spot at the local fernery (I must look positively mad doing my photo shoot in there) but its the most reliable light source in town on a rainy day like today!

I took a pair of scissors to my sacred fabric stash to make the kits...I love this fabric from Sprout Design, and its a terrifying concept to not be able to get more!

It was hard to use this fabric designed by Bee from the ever-so-fabulous Ink & Spindle, another piece that can't be replaced....oh noooooooo!

And this little guy has fabric from Ink & Spindle and the drool-worthy CLOTH...I am getting a LOT better at not being the dreaded fabric stasher.

CLOTH bag finished...finally!

2010-06-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a post or two ago that it takes a while to finish things....this bag is direct evidence, considering I started it last Christmas! I decided around that time to stop being precious about precious fabric, and take the scissors to my sacred stash. This little bundle of offcuts from the ever so fabulous CLOTH collection was just screaming to be teamed with a few bits of denim from recycled jeans. It only took 6 months to complete. A bit here and a bit there. Thats how I tend to work.

My friend Catriona gave me a dress made out of striped Liberty print that she wore in the 80s! The fabric was still in flawless shape so I used it to line the bag:

I nerded out and made sure I used a small snippet of fabric bearing the word CLOTH (no secret how much I LOVE their work)

Love the shades of blue created by chopping up an old pair of jeans or two!

One of these days I'll post a tutorial on how I do zippered pockets on tote bags. I'm pretty sure you'd never find this technique in any traditional sewing instructions, but hey, it works great! Sometimes I just make it up as I go along, making tutorial-posting a challenge. (i.e. "You mean you want me to do it twice? Exactly the same??!")

So my bag is complete and I'm a bit in love with it. The ONLY problem is that I think I made the strap a bit too long. As you can see I top-stitched the bejeezus out of it, making unpicking it not an option. I'll use it a bit more and see if I can tolerate it. It would be such a shame to chop a chunk out of it! Ahhhh we'll see.

Gocco Hiccups!

2010-06-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

K so there I was. I cleared away all other potential interruptions, and left the Queen's Birthday for me to roll up my sleeves and get busy printing.

Artwork prepared, Gocco unpacked and ready for action: Check.

Chair strategically placed at window to distract cat and prevent her from walking on fresh prints: Check.

Screen burned, ink applied to master, all going well:

Here is where things start going pear-shaped:

I've read about this happening. Of course I didn't consider it would happen to me, I envisioned a flawless print run....the carbon from the toner stuck to the screen, well more than the carbon stuck, even the PAPER stuck! Ouch. I knew this master was toast but printed a few anyway and quickly decided to have another crack with a fresh master. (Its painful though, every master you waste is about $15 worth of supplies!)

I remember reading that if your photocopied artwork has any moisture in it, the carbon may stick to the master. So I got out the iron, and turned off the steam and applied the iron to the artwork to dry it out. The second screen I tried to burn was better, but still had some major carbon sticking problems. No paper stuck though...so I printed a few more...(man the printing bit is heaps of fun, I had to force myself to stop b/c it was coming out all wrong...)

So its back to the drawing board - I think I have to make the photocopy lighter, I'll try that - I only have one master left so I think I'll get some more supplies before commencing the next experiment. Its a pretty amazing little unit, I so hope I can work out how to get a good screen, coz the printing part is super easy and heaps of fun.
So the rest of my day got freed up to do something with guaranteed results: I made a lined A-line skirt with a lovely piece of winter woolly fabric. Its nearly finished, I'll have to post a pic! Ciao for now. xo

Gocco Experiment, Here I Come...

2010-06-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

I first heard about GOCCO right before I left Canada to move back to Aus in 2006 and have been coveting one ever since. Despite them not being made any more, I was slightly anxious about the concept of having one and then one day not being able to buy supplies any more! But as they say, I'll deal with that when and if it happens! It only took four years but a few months ago I purchased the PG-11 and its been sitting in my bedroom whispering to me ever since. So its time to bite the bullet and have some fun with it. I'm not very good at loving my experiments and given this is a whole new application for me, its taken a while to dive in. ANYWAY long weekend coming up = lets have some gocco fun baby. So I've prepped some artwork, the PG-11 came with enough supplies for 3 designs, so here is what I plan to experiment with:

I can't claim the rights to this phrase, I scribbled it in my journal after seeing it in a graphic design rag....so apologies for not being able to reference it correctly!

Hows this for a drawing with absolutely no point:

And this is an old design that I thought might be fun for printing on fabric one day. But for now I'll print it on paper and see what happens:

I'm terrible for percolating on projects and not having a finished product for weeks on end which is why I'm such a terrible blogger. So instead of sitting idle I thought I'd share that there is progress in the Juicy Zone! And hopefully after the weekend instead of black and white artwork I might have a pretty picture or two to share. Or at the very least some pictures of my cat covered in paint! xo

IMOK - Love Your Work!

2010-05-27T16:38:00.001-07:00

One of the BEST things for me about participating in craft markets is connecting with other like-minded creation-obsessed peeps. Meeting the lovely duo of Sandra and Jen from IMOK in Melbourne was a highlight for me for sure, we had one of those crafty conversations that covered everything from challenges to the reason why we can't stop doing what we're doing...it seemed every thing we declared was met with a "me too!!!" type response.

Anyway in addition to these two spunky chicks being very cool, they are mega talented to boot. I LOVE that they BOTH create their illustrations/paintings and I was totally inspired by Sandra telling me that they go on holidays to PAINT together! How awesome is that!?? I couldn't resist this little rabbit canvas, who now has primo real estate on my mantle. Thanks for the inspiration ladies! xo

Stitches Wrap Up

2010-05-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

So I am back in Bathurst, and I still havent remotely organized my life upon my return from the Stitches & Craft Show in Melbourne. I havent taken photos of all the amazing goodies I picked up from the uber talented crafty chicks in the Incubator, suffice it to say I have a photography exercise for the weekend, and I am positively exploding with ideas (and the desire for a few crafty projects just for the hell of it! i.e. not a smidgeon of production oriented tasks in sight!)
The experience for me overall was positive, however I did find things a little slower in general than the Sydney Show last year (which is all I can compare it to!) ...with the exception of the Saturday which was a fantastic busy day for me and gave me the encouragement I needed to continue with my crafty obsession.

I managed to take a quick couple of snaps after I set up and for some reason after that my camera didnt get much of a workout and I missed getting pics of all my neighbours!

Hooray for the Wonky House (thanks Gramps!)

I'm so glad I managed to get the brooch kits together, they were very popular:

And the highlight for me was running the workshops and even though they weren't super busy it was awesome to see people making their own wonkies, especially younger girls learning to sew! Its official: when someone asks if wonkies are hard to make, the answer is NO!

Huge thank you once again to my tireless mother Mazzy for her help and support, its so much fun to have you at these shows. Even my Dad got a guernsey this year, driving all the way to Melbourne to pick us up on Sunday (and letting me sleep in the back while he drove back to Wagga until midnight!) I am so lucky to have awesome parents.

Another thank you to our friends Judy and Peter who let us move into their guest wing, and taught Mazzy and I how to be transit queens!

And finally, a BIG thank you also to everyone who came by and showed their support, I am so grateful. Thank you thank you xoxoxooxxo

More pics sooon, I promise!

Daisy Brooch Kits

2010-04-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

I make no secret about the fact that I work best under pressure. I've always been like that. I am an awesome worker when I am juggling 500 things and a lazy lame worker when I have one task and a week to do it. I could be relaxing this week, obsessing over the final details for next week's Stitches and Craft Show. But noooooooo... instead I am madly finishing the pattern and kit for these little daisy brooches that I've been making...determined to add them as a product at my stand. (Yes the daisy obsession continues!) I don't have to do this. But if I don't I'll feel slack. I could have done this six months ago when I took a mini-craft-hiatus after almost killing myself with preps for the Sydney Stitches Show. But there was no pressure, so I didn't. So instead of having a relaxing week easing into my adventure to Melbourne, I will be in a mad panic, covered in bits of felt, printing kit covers on my trusty laser printer, lovingly selecting colour combinations of leather, felt and buttons (man is that part fun!)...reminding myself that its better to make the kits and not sell any of them than sit around wondering if they would have sold if I'd bothered to make them at all!

I So Heart Melbourne

2010-04-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Its true. So much so that when I'm there I have a permanent gigantic smile on my face that doesnt go away, even when I get into bed.
Anyway I have been a shockingly terrible blogger, but I have a half decent excuse: I have been in a crafty cyclone preparing for the Melbourne Stitches and Craft Show. Yay! And I am very excited this year because I am running some workshops on HOW TO MAKE A WONKY! Putting together kits for this has been heaps of fun, and I even tapped into my stash of exquisitely sacred fabric, for the enjoyment of whoever might decide to come to a class!
I made all the faces already to save a bit of time (with no small amount of help from my awesome mother Mazzy who will again be my sidekick at the show):

Nearly 100 wonkies are packed and ready for their adventure south:

(those plastic buckets are the BEST for wonky transportation!)
And a few familiar wonky faces will be back: I ran out of "Lily Caroline" wonkies and kits at the last show, so I made a few more of her:

I must admit its been nice this time around not freaking out about how to display everything, organize signage, give aways etc. I did more than my fair share of freaking out for the Sydney Show in August last year. You know the drill, craft nightmares i.e. showing up at the venue with no stock.....thankfully I haven't had any of those...YET!

I am super excited to see all the other Incubator girls, Melbourne seems to be the epicentre of extreme talent in design so it will be humbling and exhilerating to be part of the Show.

Fun Treats for Easter

2010-03-31T19:39:00.001-07:00

I managed to whip up these little treats for my niece Ivy and my nephew Jeddy in time for Easter. I bought the little kraft boxes at spotlight for a few buckeroonies and got out the Prismacolor Pencils. I've never made a secret of how much I love using them on kraft paper...especially the white pencil. And white Prismacolor Pencils make the BEST tailors chalk. I could never find a tailors chalk pencil that wasn't IMPOSSIBLE to sharpen (they always seem to break!) ...so I just use my trusty white Prismacolor Pencil. I digress.

Here are the tops of the boxes:

The sides:

And of course inside:

It was a mega challenge not to eat all the contents as I was colouring...however I did find the willpower because by the time I was colouring I had already bought a second bag of Cadbury Eggs after the first bag accidentally disappeared. How can you not devour those tiny little morsels? They're the perfect "oooh I'll just have four" size. And four is never enough.
YUMMY

No New Ideas?

2010-03-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

An interior designer I worked with in Canada told me that in the world of design, there are no new ideas, and I disagreed. But every now and then I am reminded of where she was coming from...check this out:
I designed this little graphic a couple of years ago and at the time I thought it would be a fun silk screen print on a tea towel, or fabric to make an apron.

I think I blogged about it many moons ago because it ended up on a MOO postcard. Anyway yesterday I was in Spotlight and I found this:

Now I am certainly not claiming that there is some sort of intellectual property infringement going on here (heck they could say the same about me!). I didn't invent this style of graphics, there are probably hundreds of similar designs out there. I just think its interesting how similar it is, thats all. The cup shapes, the ring on the plate, the shape of the knife? It spins me out. I still think there is such a thing as NEW IDEAS though. I think we have to keep pushing ourselves to be original.

Mathilda's Wrap Up

2010-02-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm TIRED! Admittedly I got myself into a frantic flurry last week with all sorts of last minute tasks that were probably insignificant in the broader scheme of things, but hey, that's craft markets for you. All in all the day was a success. I'm not sure if having to travel to these kinds of events is all that feasible, it puts a lot more pressure on you to make the market a success if you are trying to cover the cost of getting there (especially if you factor in the travel time). And let's face it, if you are trying to run a business you have to factor these things. My business is more like a hobby on steroids as I have a full time job. But I'm still learning, and the marketing exercise and exposure is unbeatable, and its so great to see all the other delicious things on offer.
Meet Nellie, a new wonky using recyled fabric. There are only two of her on the planet:

A new display item for me was the wonky house, I wanted something to display the wonkies vertically, a flexible system for markets when the table is provided and I don't know before hand how big the table will be. Its always hard to get a good photo at indoor markets, but here is an idea of how the set up looked:

The clothesline ties between the post at one end and the wonky house at the other, so no matter what size the table is, I have a system to accommodate my goodies.

The hooks on the side of the wonky house came in handy for hanging wonkies in bags! (There's Nellie again)

And I launched the first wonky patterns! Featuring the wonky trio on the cover made with the lovely fabric from Ink & Spindle. I sold a handful of these patterns, one day I'd love to see some wonkies that others have made from my patterns and kits.

Huge thank you to my gorgeous mother Mazzy for your help, to my amazing friend Genius for everything, and of course Gramps for his exceptional wonky house building skills. xo Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Mathilda's Market in Canberra

2010-02-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to be a stallholder at Mathilda's Market in Canberra at the end of February. But I must admit it has put me into a bit of a crafty spin....I am seizing the opportunity to create lots of unique pieces with beautiful fabric that I've been hoarding (some for years). I have such a hard time using it if I really really love it. But I did declare after the Stitches Show in Sydney to stop being precious about precious fabric! I'm focusing on wonkies and tshirts for the market, and am so grateful for the FABULOUS scissors I got for Christmas from my gorgeous Mum. They absolutely ROCK MY WORLD and yes, I am aware how nerdy that sounds. But they do.

And I must admit by far the most fun part about making wonkies is exploring all the different fabric combinations that give them their personalities...so many awesome fabric designers out there...

We all know that crafty chicks can never have too much fabric but I think I might be walking a fine line. What do you think?

Yay for the New Year

2010-01-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

Every year I vow to be a better blogger and every year I prove I am rubbish at it! Its not that I haven't been crafty, but I tend to work on LOTS of things at once and as a result the actual completion of projects can take a while...then its time to try and get a half decent photo...but I decided to stop obsessing over the photography (did I mention how humbling my Canon SLR is?) and post some progress for a change!
K. So I've been obsessing, as I do every summer, to create a pattern for the perfect summer dress. When I say perfect, translate as follows: cheap, comfy, versatile, and fast: a dress with a bit of shape to it despite having NO ZIPPER! Anyway as I am a bit of an experimentalist when it comes to pattern making, I make friends with making mistakes until I get it right. (Never use precious fabric for an experiment!) So here is my first " mistake" however I've gotten lots of wear out of this little number despite the neck being a bit gapey. Yay for a $2 dress. Excuse dorky snap of me in a tree. (Note the Echino fabric used for the pocket blew my $2 dress budget!)

Finally got a canvas and some cushions done with Lara's lovely birch fabric. This was supposed to be a thank you gift for my Mum for helping me at the Stitches Show in August. It only took 5 months to do this!

Its been 12 months since I visited my friend in Canberra and I'm finally leaving tomorrow for a solo road trip to our nation's capital. No visit would be complete without a juicy treat for her two girls, so in typical fashion they get a new juicyroo tshirt.

Of course in some personalized packaging...prismacolour pencils rock on kraft paper!

Oh yeah, and I also made some beads just for fun:

And I finally mowed my lawn: See?!? I've been busy! Ciao xo

Juicy Roo Tshirt Model

2009-11-04T19:28:00.001-08:00

Introducing exquisite little Siena, the first daughter of my dear Aussie pal Paul and his exceptionally lovely Japanese Canadian wife Janine, who are coming all the way from Vancouver to VISIT ME IN JANUARY and I'm VERY excited.
So I'll get to meet this little treasure, who has finally grown into her Juicy Roo tshirt that I sent when she arrived 12 months ago. How gorgeous is she? So gorgeous!

Vintage Lara Cameron Tote!

2009-09-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

OK it might be a stretch to call this fabric Vintage but given its from a while ago, and not available anymore (at least in this colour way) I consider it vintage! It took an important birthday to bring me to be able to take a pair of scissors to this lovely piece of ginko fabric by Ink & Spindle's fabulously talented Lara Cameron. So when my sweet sista-in-law Snizza had a birthday yesterday, I got busy stitching.

In a perfect world I could have made it a smidgeon wider but overall I was happy with it and she loved it so that's the main thing!

A little bit of zipper action:

A spot to hang your keys:

And I'm loving the silver metallic thread these days for top stitching reinforcements! (This thread represents a positive in my ongoing love/hate relationship with Spotlight)

"Love Your Experiments (as you would an ugly child)"

2009-09-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Canada I was fortunate enough to be exposed to the work of graphic design guru Bruce Mau (although referring to him as a graphic design guru still seems somewhat inadequate as he is much much more than that). Anyway his studio came up with "An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" which has to be the most inspiring set of rules for any creative person. One 'rule' that I am constantly trying to make friends with is #4 on the list - to love your experiments as you would an ugly child! It always makes me chuckle but I must admit that I do find it hard to love creations that I feel are inferior in any way.
Enter stage left sock bunny Exhibit A. I'd been contemplating revisiting a sock bunny project that my friend Cyd and I tacked in Grade 8 sewing class! After further inspiration from the fabulous sock creature creations discovered at Sydney's Stitches and Craft Show by Kristie from Rourke and Henry and Claire from Craft Schmaft, I tried to remember how we made them (it was 1985 after all!), and I whipped up this rather dodgy looking character. As is often the case when I "wing it" ...I cringe a little at the results. This poor bunny needs a prettier face, more stuffing in her limbs, and nicer eyes! But I am loving her anyway as an experiment - and a starting point to improve on. After all, the first wonky I ever did was very odd-looking as well. So here she is, and I am loving her, as I would an ugly child.

I do like her whiskers though:

and her fully lined apron dress!

Stitches & Craft Wrap Up #2

2009-08-29T22:37:00.001-07:00

OK so I am a bit late with this post, but I wanted to make mention of some of the ultra groovy stuff I picked up from the talented crafty chicks at the show!

It was awesome to meet Michelle from Shelbyville, and I just LOVED this collection of stories and her awesome Illustration + graphics about...laundromats! I will never look at a laundromat the same way again. I had to buy two of these coz I have a special friend in Canada who I hope will love it as much as me!

I LOVE this lined pouch by Lily Pad Designs. Having made a few lined pouches in my time, I had a deep appreciation for the flawlessness of this little creation. And that fabric! Divine. I bought this pouch on Day 1...just couldn't resist.

How groovy are these silk screened cards from Surface Art? So lovely! I think I might even frame them...

I've always loved Julie Paterson's work from Cloth...and summer is on the way so I think I will make a skirt with this lovely fabric pack. I chuckled when Julie said she was not a good sewer. She's pretty good if you ask me!

Just loved this print from Kristen Doran. It will SO be a panel in a skirt. Another skirt! I have way too many skirts. But they are so easy and quick to make: I don't reckon you can ever have too many if you make them yourself!

And how could I not come home with a bundle of delight from my lovely neighbours, Ink & Spindle? And instead of cleaning my house this weekend, I finished my Ink & Spindle "Wonky Trio"....that I hope to feature on the front of my wonky pattern that will be available SOON.

If its possible to imagine, I do have a few other show goodies but I think I will post about them when they are being turned into creations! Until next time....happy stitching! xo

Unbelievable the Show is Over...For Now!

2009-08-24T21:19:00.001-07:00

WOW.
All I can say is WOW. Actually I have HEAPS more than just that to say! But it will take a few entries no doubt to say everything I need to. In a nutshell: the Stitches & Craft Show was the most rewarding, inspiring and fabulous experience. I am positively HIGH on all the amazing people I met, all the incredible talent out there on display, and I can't wait for the Melbourne Show! I hope I never lose the level of enthusiasm and passion I have for creativity that I feel RIGHT NOW!
OK I'm sorry for being a self-promo NERD but for everyone who didnt make it to the show, here is a pic of me with some of my goodies:

and here is my gorgeous mother Mazzy who was such a massive help, and so selfless throughout the show (and before!) and I was delighted to share the experience with her:

I wanted to get pics of everyone else in Incubator but of course got side-tracked every time I went to venture out with my camera...so instead I will share my finds: (and it will take a while to get them all up here!)
Check out my sock monkey! I did a workshop with the lovely and hilarious Kristie from Rourke and Henry: my sock monkey had the most "junk in his trunk" (i.e. those were Kristie's words coz his butt was kind of big!)

A big highlight for me was meeting the lovely Nanette from Rummage and her gorgeous mother Joan...Nanette was making these exquisite little peg dolls and I originally bought one, then two, then thought of getting a few for gifts....ended up with five and I honestly don't think I can part with ANY of them. This little redhead was perfect for me! She has a daisy on her dress, and I am self-professed daisy CRAZY! I just loved them all.

And look at this one! SOOOOOO SWEET!

It all went so fast and before I knew it I was packing up my ute again to head across the mountains back to Bathurst. In the five days I was gone, the cherry blossoms have started blooming. YAY. Spring is in the air!

I got heaps of other goodies and will write more later. How lucky was I to get neighboured with the Ink and Spindle girls? They were even lovelier than their fabric, and that is off-the-richterscale lovely. More about them and my latest I & S stash later.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came by and showed their support. xoxxx

Dig the Dog debut at Stitches & Craft Show

2009-08-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for my brother. He rocks. Not only is he a mega-talented illustrator/designer/multi-media KING, he is a ridiculously excellent bloke. About a year ago we collaborated on a tshirt project: designing tshirts for kids under the name Dig The Dog. It was a fun mix of both of our styles of drawing. After months of R & D we finally found a great supplier of transfers that don't crack or peel after being heat pressed onto the t shirt. Another recent exciting development was finding a good supplier of baby tshirts. They're so cute! Teeny tiny itty bitty little t-shirts!
Check out our nerdy promo shot: it was so hard to remain semi-serious during our self-timed photo shoot!

His drawing style is fabulously PUNK. His style has been a hit with people looking for kids tshirts a bit edgier than your average baby/kids gear. I had some fun creating some designs with some of his drawings (i.e. skull tshirt on far right):

And of course Juicy Roo's tshirts are as warm and fuzzy as it gets:

I'm excited to say that all the t-shirts will be available at the Stitches and Craft Show NEXT WEEK! I am so excited to be part of the Incubator section at the show, with all the other uber-talented designers and creationists! We're up on Level 4 at the exhibition centre at Rosehill Racecourse. I am at stand 176. Be sure to drop by and say hello!!! Whew. That was quite the post.

Isis the Wonder Cat

2009-08-10T17:04:00.001-07:00

Here is my favourite furry girl, and if she could speak, she would complain that I have not been playing with her enough because I have been completely obsessed with preparations for the Show next week. I am also doing an experiment as I have just discovered that its possible to blog directly from Flickr. Late year resolution: populate my flickr page! Until next time....

Display Items for Stitches & Craft Show

2009-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Holy production frenzy! I thought about putting a disclaimer on my products saying “no slave labour was used to create these products with the exception of mine and my mother Mazzy’s”!!! Without her help last week I would not be able to say today that ALL 160 kits are complete and ALL 100 wonkies are ready to be packed.

First ever wonky kits! What a nerdie self portrait. I do love my teal wall though.

Here is Mazzy assembling a wonky kit! Thank you Mazzy! You are HIRED!

All of Mazzy's help allowed me to focus on getting the tshirts going, and also play with some packaging ideas:

My handy Dad “Tricky Micky” got a production-frenzy-guernsey too – and after an email exchange of schematics brought down this clothesline inspired apparatus for my display at the Stitches & Craft Show. Brilliant! My craft nightmares are subsiding. I think I was having them largely because I was uncertain how this would work. (Excuse the mess in this photo!)

And while there is something slightly unnerving and seemingly cruel about hanging wonkies from their ears....I think this clothesline display will be great for showing things vertically:

Now I have to finish the drop cloth…but I got the Juicy Roo sign last week and am very happy with it.

Tricky Micky made this grid structure too, which was brilliantly designed to be assembled on site...but the plywood tightened a tad after being painted...so after seeing him whacking it into place with a rubber mallet, I decided I did not need the additional stress of trying to tackle that, and have this thing breaking on me come August 18...so I think I will throw it in the back of my trusty ute as is, and rest assured it will be a fabulous place to display wonkies.

Now. Where was I? Oh, thats right: greeting cards and tshirts. More about them later!

WONKY KITS BEING ASSEMBLED!

2009-07-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Every time you do something 160 times it takes a while. I picked this magic number out of the air, that was my target for the number of wonky kits I wanted to have ready for the Stitches & Craft Show which starts officially in 21 days...and I am officially ILL with nervous excitement. My horror dreams have started (ie show starts and the last fifty things on my to-do list have for some reason been completely ignored!) I am SO GRATEFUL my sweet mother Mazzy has come down this week to help....as I have a full time job and there are only so many minutes left in the day once I get home from work. She is also going to help me at the show and I am so proud to have her there, as she was such a huge stitching inspiration to me when I was growing up. In addition to helping with all sorts of show-related tasks, she is CALM and RATIONAL and without her support I reckon I would be a MASSIVE basket case.

The good news is the kits are well underway: my studio desks are covered in bits of paper:

I must admit though, that the kaleidoscope of colour truly soothes my soul...

Juicy Roo Postcard

2009-07-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

With the Sydney Stitches & Craft Show rapidly approaching (did I say rapidly? I meant to say RAPIDLY!) I am crossing things off my to-do list, however not as frequently as I seem to be adding things! But every now and then I have a win: today I received my postcards. I wanted to have a Juicy Roo themed give-away for the Show. Given the majority of my goodies for the Show are fabric based, it only seemed appropriate to have a pic of Juicy Roo stitching madly with her ever-faithful furry feline friend watching on. I was really pleased with the print job, all colours came back exactly as expected, even with pantone guides sometimes there can be a shift depending on paper, varnishes etc. All in all I am stoked! They'll be super fun to give away.

Here is the front:

And here is the back, with some room to scribble a juicy message if need be:

Lily Caroline pic, as promised

2009-07-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

I promised to post a picture of Lily Caroline once she was completed. She is the newest addition to the rapidly growing wonky family...here she is, inspired by my grandmother who taught me how to draw little birds. Isnt she sweet?

WONKIES GALORE

2009-07-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Question: What does a stash of 99 wonkies look like? I'll show you. It looks like this:

Time is ticking away for the Stitches & Craft Show and my goal of 100 wonkies is almost realized, leaving me time now to finish the kits, and then start on the cards, tshirts, aprons and bags (of course I am deluded to think I can achieve the final 2). What fun! Never a dull moment when creation takes over.

Lined Pouch

2009-07-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

One of the (many) things on my 'to do' list before the Stitches and Craft Show is post a project on the Living Creatively website. I've been tossing around some ideas for this: a tote bag, a cushion cover, an apron.....but I think I've decided to put together a project sheet on how to make a lined pouch. I love lined pouches! I've made a few as gifts and they are always well received. Here are some pics of the one I made for my friend Gina (alias 'Genius'). The zipper can be a bit fiddly truth be told....but they are worth the effort!

This fabric turned out to be perfect for lining: thanks Catriona!

My Grandmother Taught Me to Draw Birds

2009-07-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

Her name was Lily Caroline. Isn't that a beautiful name? She left this world when I was 6. I remember a lot about her though. She taught me how to draw birds and fish. Little birds appear frequently in the indy crafter world and I am no exception. The little bird that reappears in the world of Juicy Roo over and over again is the same bird she taught me to draw...(ok maybe I juicy-roo-afied the tail bit!) I thought I'd use my little bird as an embellishment on the belly of a Wonky....and it only seemed fitting that I would name the wonky after her. Lily Caroline (i.e. the Wonky!) has not been finished yet, but I'll introduce her formally as soon as she is stitched up. She will make her debut at the Stitches and Craft Show in Sydney. Am I crazy for naming Wonkies after people and things that I care about?

Wonky Infiltration

2009-06-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

My home is getting messier daily in preparation for the Sydney Stitches & Craft Show. Every where I look I see piles of fabric waiting to be wonky limbs:

Faces and limbs waiting to be attached to bodies:

Bits of fabric waiting to be limbs:

Bodies with faces waiting for limbs:

But seeing the big pile growing on the couch makes it all worthwhile! Now! Where was I? Oh, thats right, I was stitching.....

Army of Wonkies

2009-06-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

I recently committed to participating in the Stitches & Craft Show in Sydney in August. Since making this decision I have been excited, a bit stressed....and BUSY! First task was to get Peta's shop 'Bambinos' stocked up with a stash of Wonkies to keep them going. My sweet mother Mazzy came down for a week to help me stitch! In a very short time she perfected the blanket stitch (for their eyes) and the ladder stitch (to stitch them up)...but she was exhausted by the end of the week! Welcome to my world...the price we pay for the joy of crafting!

Closet Fashion Designer

2009-06-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

OK I admit it. I am a fashion designer at heart. Coming from someone pretty clueless about fashion in my teenage years, I realize I am now confident wearing what makes me smile, with no thoughts of what anyone else might think. For me, the ultimate clothing design is art mixed with fashion. The brighter the better. I have become a bit of a scribble addict and my sketchbooks are turning into a kaleidoscope of colour in the form of skirts and tshirts. Given my stitching time is so limited, I have to be quite in love with a design to actually take it to the next level (i.e. make it). And the fabric has to be succulent! Product plug: prismacolor pencils have to be the most exquisite ever created. So soft, easy to blend, and intense pigments in more colours than I thought possible in the world of pencils.

KNITTING RESCUE

2009-05-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

My mother Mazzy is quite the accomplished knitter, so it only made sense to ask her to teach me. So she found some wool from a discarded project and showed me how to knit. That was three years ago. The scarf project I tackled turned into a long snakey mess. Thanks to two of my work mates, the brainwave idea was born to stitch the thing down the ends so it would stay FLAT (a phenomenon previously damn near impossible!) and get some contrasting thread to do something fun with. So now I have a new scarf that is SO warm, and might actually get some wear out if it, three winters after I started it! Knitting is HARD!

Bag Project

2009-04-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled upon www.livingcreatively.com.au...not sure how I've missed it, but its full of great stuff for craft obsessed people like me. Anyway at the last minute I decided to make a tote bag for their April competition, which turned out to be lots of fun but way too much work for one night (how typical of me). Anyway I managed to finish it, and was quite happy with the result. I used the vintage fabric that was rescued from my friend's parent's place, who were using this big fabulous piece of floral fabric as a drop cloth! I am so glad I was able to rescue it and give it life, and a huge thank you to Melanie for donating it to my cause! My friend Lisa (another fabric nut) has a piece of it too, and I look forward to see a divine bag come out of her lair!

60s Dresses Complete!

2009-04-30T07:33:00.001-07:00

A success all in all, and my dress didnt fall apart despite my accidental last minute unpicking!

60s Dress Update - Ivy's Sunshiney Yellow Number

2009-04-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Our challenge with Ivy's dress was:
a) make a summer dress that is big enough to fit her next summer but doesnt swim on her.
b) make something she will look adorable in.

Well (b) wasnt a challenge at all I really dont think it would matter what she wore, she always looks adorable.
I used a gorgeous sunshine yellow linen and lined it with a yellow voile, and used the cute 60s daisy trim that I've had for ages. So here is her dress mid construction, from the fabulous window at Studio 22 (ie what used to be our dining room):

And here she is looking exquisite:

60s Dresses Update - Nicole's Dress

2009-04-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

Snizz found a gorgeous Alexander Henry fabric online but could only get 1m. So our first challenge was to make a dress with limited fabric. Bring in the denim! I jotted down a few ideas while on the train to Sydney (great time to jot things down by the way) and this is what I came up with:

Our choice was unanimous and it was time to GET BUSY:

My first experiment using silver metallic thread that I picked up at spotlight proved successful. This little detail really made the dress I reckon. But I am a huge textile nerd so others may not agree.

60s Dress Update - The Mondrian

2009-04-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

It took a while to work out how to tackle this one, but eventually after many scribbles I got the courage to take a pair of scissors to the fabric:

Then I thought I'd be really clever stitching on the last black stripe to hide any bits where things didnt line up properly. Great plan, until, while ironing inside out, I saw what I thought were leftover basting stitches and UNPICKED them. I was infact unpicking my delicate hand stitching, and didnt realise until I put my dress on before the party. OOPS.

Easter Project

2009-04-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well I have to hand it to myself I know how to give myself a huge amount of work to do in a short time! Its all good though, I could think of nothing lovelier than burying myself in sewing for four consecutive days! Next weekend is my folk's 40th wedding anniversary and we are throwing a 60s themed partay. Project No. 1 is an attempt to recreate Yves Saint Laurent's Mondrian Dress from the 60s....I just love this! But because my body is not exactly the same as TWIGGY's I might have to modify where a few of the seams go. Anyway I think I have my head around how to tackle it. Time to get busy! Then I can tackle two more dresses: one for my spunky little niece Ivy and my sweet sista-in-law, Snizza. Ready? I am!!

Wilma and Daisy

2009-03-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

I really need to find a better way to photograph these little friends. And a faster way to make them. This was my first wonky experiment using Amy Butler fabric. I love the Lotus design (ie cream and red floral)....perfect wonky legs. And ears!

Wonky Production Underway Again

2009-02-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

These little furry friends seem to sell like hotcakes in Peta's shop. Before I know it stocks are low and its time to get busy again. They are one of my favourite things to design, and I have some ideas percolating of how to utilize Spoonflower's custom fabric service to print fun things on Wonky limbs. For now though, I'll have to focus on using fabric from my gigantic existing stash...

Blue Rooms Complete

2009-02-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

Nothing crafty happened this weekend. Highly unusual for me. But there was a good reason: deciding to not sell my house caused a flurry of inspiration to finish painting my living room. The walls were a nasty hangover from the previous owners, covered in a paint colour that I can only describe as "hint of nicotine". It didnt take too much effort to decide what colour to paint the wall. I only had about 42 swatches of the same blue, guess every time I went to Bunnings I picked out an inspirational colour, and 9 times out of 10 I picked out this shade. I love it.

Thank you package for Adele

2009-02-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

My very generous friend Adele still has not received her Juicy Roo package of gratitude for sending me a gigantic stash of succulent crafty goodies from my beloved fabric store Dressew in Vancouver, BC. I've been meaning to make her a tshirt and an apron...I still have not mastered the perfect cut of apron, but am working on it. Love the kitchen graphic on the apron, I think it will be my first Spoonflower experiment. The tshirt features once again a lovely piece of Etsuko Furuya fabric. That woman is a genius!!

Making Tshirts - A Foolproof Project!

2009-02-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

After a couple of mediocre results on the stitching front I decided to regain my stitching confidence with some new tees for Georgie Love. This one is based on a tshirt I made for my sister in law way back when, and its barely holding itself together after she has just about worn it to death. One of these days I will complete my tutorial on HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT TSHIRT!
My furry abyssinian friend ISIS loves helping when I sew.

Spoonflower Fabric Ideas

2009-01-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

I have had ideas percolating for many months for printing my own fabric. Some of the background patterns that I design for the background of my Juicy Roo cards would make for great fabric. Being a lover of geometric retro daisy patterns, being able to print my own fabric is a bit ridiculously exciting. Just what I need - another creative obsession! I recently discovered Spoonflower, an amazing new company based in the US offering print-on-demand fabric. Have not ordered anything yet, but intend to get the swatch print asap so I can start dabbling.

New Juicy Roo Cards for Bambinos

2009-01-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for my relationship with Peta's shop Bambinos on George here in Bathurst. I was surprised to see the card rack half empty after dropping off almost 100 just before Christmas! Its great that she can tell me exactly what customers are asking for. For example..."we need baby shower cards!" Me being child-free and clueless about these things, I always have to ask the obvious questions...."does the baby shower happen before or after the birth of baby?" I'm grateful for Peta's guru knowledge about these things! Here are the first two new shower cards:

The Quest for the Perfect Apron

2009-01-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a recent request from my extremely fabulous sista-in-law Snizza, I got busy trying to design a pattern to make the perfectly shaped apron. So far I have made two, and while the end results have been pleasing, the cut is still not quite perfect. I managed to spend the last four days of my holidays in a mad stitching frenzy. It was exhilarating! You can see the challenges I am having with my new Canon 400D digital camera. Soooooooo have no clue what I am doing. Its on my list of things to master. Here is Snizza's apron, using turqouise corduroy and a divine little piece of Echino fabric.

So Much Fabric, So Little Time

2009-01-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Is there something wrong with me? I admit it. I am completely obsessed with fabric. Sometimes I find myself sitting in front of this mondo mound of textile divinity with the creative hamster in my brain running on his little wheel, thinking, thinking, thinking...
Is this normal behaviour? I recently met a textile junkie who COMPLETELY understands. Thank you Lisa! And I thought I was completely alone. We have organized a fabric swap of extreme succulence and I am excited!

Happy New Year??

2009-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

OK So whats the deal with the technology gods and me at the moment? I was beyond horrified when I sat down to get creative yesterday and my imac exploded before my very eyes. Exploded is a strong word, it just went fizzzzzzz and then the screen went blank, and I couldnt turn it back on. I'm devastated. Apple politely inform me that while 2.5 years is not the average lifespan of a $2,400 computer, shit happens. Shit most certainly does happen, and it seems to have happened to me. While I can buy another one, I discovered that my back ups were not quite as comprehensive as one might hope. I know, I know, that part is my fault. How could I have forgotten to back up my website? Oh dear. Anyway, I saw this proverb in a mag and I have decided it will be my mantra for 2009.

Bunny Brooches

2008-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

When my friend visited recently from Canberra her two little girls (aged 3 and 5) were not too keen to leave the juicy zone. I promised I would send them a treat in the mail (who doesn't love treats in the mail!??) and I just finished these bunny brooches for them.

Wonky Twins

2008-10-22T18:09:00.001-07:00

Two new wonky twins, who are nameless at the moment. Made from corduroy, featuring Echino fabric.

Lined Pouch

2008-10-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you cross a vintage zipper bought on ebay, a piece of lovely Echino fabric and salvaged denim from an old pair of jeans? A perfect home for a handful of Prismacolor pencils! I'm still trying to master the art of these lined pouches, there is one tricky part when inserting the zipper. I made one a while back that turned out to be the perfect pouch for my digital camera.

New Birthday Card

2008-10-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a very 70s disco-inspired card that will accompany Peta's birthday present. Its always good to test new designs on people! I think she will get a good chuckle out of this mighty 'fro.

More Fabric and Felt

2008-10-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I like fabric and felt way too much. This little stash will be used to make my next Wonky batch. Oh, thats right, I still have to finish the other Wonky batch!

Letterpress Obsession Continues

2008-10-14T21:17:00.002-07:00

How lovely is letterpress? So lovely! One of these days I will get my hands on one of those antique beasts. Until then I will fantasize and continue to acquire lovely letterpress things, like this "Sew Crafty" card from Letterpress Delicacies in Texas, and the Love card from Eggpress in Oregon.

Daisy Crazy and proud of it!

2008-10-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a love affair with the shape of the daisy. I can't help it! Amongst my constant supply of tshirts that I make, the humble daisy appears frequently. And I mean FREQUENTLY. Can a girl have enough tshirts with daisies on them? Not this one. Look! Here is a new tshirt....and lo and behold...its got a daisy on it!

I'm sure old school embroiderers would be horrified with my chunky style of stitching...

Button Score!

2008-10-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

There are many fabulous things about spending a weekend with your Mum, especially if it happens to coincide with her cleaning out her crafty cupboard before moving. Look at this fantastic vintage button score! Not to mention the old box of chocolates they have been living in for the last couple of decades. These buttons were about to be donated (no doubt to a worthy crafty cause) until I intervened with a desperate cry of "waaaiiiiiiit!". I am a worthy crafty cause! These buttons will have a home with me where they will be adored. Even the bizarre little fabric covered ones that have lost their loop on the back and can't be sewn onto anything anymore! Thanks Mazzy.

Tshirt Neckline

2008-10-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Being the extreme stretch-sewing enthusiast that I am, I tend to strive for perfection. Some may articulate it more as a tendency to obsess over things just a tad. I'm OK with this. It keeps my mind stimulated. The irony is that at the end of the day, its probably more a case of personal preference as to which approach is better. The neckline on this tshirt is a perfect example. This tee is a birthday gift and I simply was not happy with neckline No. 1. I didn't like the way you could see the stitches, even if it was subtle. So I went for the tried and true neckband, which looks a bit gathered in the pic, but once being worn, smooths out to be the perfect combination of comfort and funkiness. Love this Echino fabric by Japanese textile artist Etsuko Furuya. Gorgeous. Happy Birthday Peta!!!

Fuzzy Fabric from Dressew, Vancouver

2008-10-14T20:32:00.001-07:00

Thank you to my dear friend Adele from Vancouver for your most generous package of furry fabric from your recent visit to Dressew. Oh how I miss Dressew! Here is a sample of just one of the fuzzy pieces you sent, the fabric is absolutely perfect for Wonky faces. Thank you again, I am so grateful!

Incomplete Wonkies

2008-10-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

There is something so tragic about incomplete wonkies. Especially the ones that have eyes already. They seem to look at you with their half complete little faces and cry out to be stitched together. Here is an official wonky declaration: I WILL FINISH YOU!!!

New Baby Thankyou Cards

2008-09-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

The exceptionally fantastic Janine from Vancouver has always been very supportive of Juicy Roo and she and Aussie hubbie Paul are expecting their first baby! They have commissioned Juicy Roo to do some thank you cards for their new arrival (lets face it we know they'll be getting LOTS of gifts!)...

so here are a couple of ideas:

Illustrator Graphics for Digiglass

2008-07-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

What a tardy blogger I have been. Unfortunately my creative pursuits have been temporarily put on hold in exchange for home renovations. Aaaaarrghhhhhh!
Fortunately, to keep my sanity, I have been commissioned to design some panels for an aged care facility, using a fantastic new product called Digiglass. Vector graphics are printed on a thin translucent film, and sandwiched between two thick sheets of safety glass. The results are spectacular, and hats off to Digiglass of Melbourne for developing this versatile sexy product! Check out http://www.digiglass.com.au/

The botanical theme of these panels features creepy crawlies designed to make you smile, not to make your skin crawl!

Adventures in Felt

2008-06-04T21:11:00.001-07:00

I've just discovered a new local source for fabulous felted wool remnants, perfect for brooch making. A long weekend is in the mail, so I hope to to transform some of this lovely soft felt into wearable art.

Will Work for Fabric!

2008-06-04T20:55:00.001-07:00

Yes, it is true, succulent pieces of fabric are as good as cash to me. So when my friend Catriona asked me to whip up a biz card for her in exchange for buying me some fabric on her next Sydney adventure, I leapt at the chance. I had been coveting some remnants from CLOTH for sometime, and she must have read my mind because among other things (of extreme deliciousness), that is EXACTLY what she picked up for me. How talented is Julie Paterson from Cloth? So talented. And these pieces are even more glorious to touch, these exquisite linens are so earthy. Coupled with the FUNKIEST mod patterns silk screened on them, they are just sensational. THANK YOU CATRIONA!

Ivy's Tshirts

2008-06-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to whip these up for my sweet little niece Ivy for ages, and finally finished them. Being a sweet little blonde with BIG blue eyes I'm sure she will look gorgeous in both of them. I delivered them today and got a big smile and hug in return. So sweet!

Skirt Commission

2008-05-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

I am fortunate to have lots of friends who are very supportive of my constant itch to stitch. The very fabulous CYD would definitely fall into this category. She has commissioned me to make a skirt for her, (I am sure the final fit will be challenging considering she lives a couple of hours away) and its almost in one piece. Being a funky chick who can pull off MAD looks, I thought I'd kick things up a notch on the crafty front. I love corduroy! And how lovely is this Echino fabric? I have had so much mileage out of that fabric!

Arrival of rikrak Etsy Order!

2008-05-18T03:02:00.000-07:00

How lovely is my newest addition to the collection of blue things? Very lovely!

Juicy Roo Press Coverage!

2008-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

How cool is this!?!

http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Two New Wonkies

2008-05-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

In response to Peta's request for Wonkies suited to baby boys...meet the newest additions to the Wonky Clan. Stretch and Zippy are off to their new home at Bambino's on George today. I will be sad to see them go, but I'm sure some new friends will be created sooner rather than later. That red striped material on Stretch has been kicking around in the Juicy Zone for years. It came from Jax in Gastown, Vancouver, and had The Belgian's name on it for ages, as I was going to make him a shirt. As is so often the case with sewing projects, the ones that involve immense amounts of stitching generally don't get tackled. Or maybe its the amount of button holes! I need RESULTS! Thats why making tshirts ROCKS.

Photography Challenges

2008-05-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

Alas I fear my trusty Canon PowerShot S30 might be on its last legs. Either that or I am a shocker of a photographer. I am experiencing its limitations and its very frustrating. Admittedly I've had it since early 2003 (surreal to think I paid almost 1000 Canadian bucks for it.) But I must say it has been a little gem. Its been dropped many times, knocked off a table by my cat (on purpose!) literally an hour after I bought it, and has been the most faithful travel companion EVER! I knew in the early days that natural lighting conditions were my Canon's best friend. So now that I have built a lightbox, I want to be able to photograph my goodies at all hours of the day, not just when it is gloriously overcast. And so too by problems begin. This pic is the best I can muster so far of a set of Juicy Roo greeting cards AND I had the help of the levels in Photoshop. I might borrow the office's camera and see if that makes a difference. If it does, I need a new camera. If it doesnt, I might need a BETTER camera. I'll postpone further judgement until I can do some more experiments.

NOTE that very blatant attempt at self promotion. Would anyone believe it is an attempt to see if I know how to create a link? I'm very new to blogging you see.

More Wonkies for Bambinos on George!

2008-05-12T02:08:00.000-07:00

Peta from Bambinos loved the Wonkies and made a request for boy-specific Wonkies...so its back to the Wonky drawing board. Despite these little creatures being quite time consuming to make, they really are a lot of fun. Once the eyes get stitched on (usually its the first step), they cry out to be completed. And I am very grateful to work with someone like Peta, who has her finger on the pulse of what consumers want! And besides, making Wonkies helps justify my fabric addiction!

Other Lovely Blue Things...

2008-05-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

I almost got rid of these blue teacups when I was downsizing and I am SO glad I didnt because now I adore them completely. I think my obsession with blue things in the Juicy Zone may have developed in conjunction with my love affair with these teacups! They belonged to my sweet little grandmother who probably never used them. They are Japanese Noritake china and the design is titled "BLUE MOON". How Lovely.

Pick a Colour, Any Colour

2008-05-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Every time I go to Bunnings (which seems to be every second day lately due to constant renovations) I head straight for the paint section and pick a couple of swatches that I think would be groovy on an accent wall in the Juicy Zone. I now have a gigantic pile of swatches, and I would say there is a definite theme going on. I must admit I have a secret longing for a collection of blue things for the Juicy Zone.

Groovy Moo

2008-05-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I managed to not know about MOO for so long....what a fun concept. Being a lover of all things printed, opening my pack of MOO postcards made me smile!

Farewell to My Wonky Friends

2008-04-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Off they go to their new home at Bambinos on George. Thanks to the fabulous Mazzy for helping stitch up the last few...

Postcard Fun

2008-04-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

Well I almost managed to do a set of postcards without most of those pantone colours but I think one or two of them might have crept in. Anyway for some reason my ADSL connection is sloooooooow today so I have not been able to upload the set in their entirety. Not to worry, here is a sample anyway. I think this would be a FUN silk screen print on a piece of linen.

Creative FUNK

2008-04-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

As so often happens to me my head is spinning at the moment with too many ideas and not enough time to execute them all! As much as I love my Juicy world, I am finding that drawing stick people is limiting me from exploring my full design potential in other areas. So I've decided to pull back from my greeting card world, and focus on exploring some other mediums.
LIST OF INTERESTING THINGS TO DO:
1. Whip up a set of cards for MOO. (OK maybe this is kind of in my greeting card world, but the rules are NO STICK PEOPLE, NO PANTONE 311, 232 or 113, and HAVE NO INTENTION TO MARKET THEM! This one is JUST FOR FUN!!!)
2. Focus on perfecting the art of pattern making for silk screening on textiles...
3. Buy some fabric ink for last bit of #2
4. Be a more regular blogger
5. Build a lightbox so I can take digital picks when light conditions are less than perfect (ie that is most of the time for me considering I'm stuck in an office when the sun is at its most glorious...how depressing)
6. Explore new colour combinations!

Ahhhhh....that should get me out of my funk.

Etsy Order!

2008-04-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ordered my first thing from Etsy! Its a fantastically FABULOUS scarf covered in succulent blue daises, made by the talented RikRak in Ottawa, Canada! Oh how I miss Canada! I cant wait for it to arrive, it will be a fantastic addition to my collection of lovely blue things.

First Blog Ever

2008-02-11T18:45:00.001-08:00

I've always been a journal freak but over the last 24 months my entries have become few and far between. Pages of neatly scribbled text have been pushed aside in favour of pages of squiggles and doodles, and despite the fact that I love the art of hand-writing, I can type SO much faster. Why can't I work out how to change the colour of that heading? It is very annoying.