Oilver and S

I think I heard of Oliver and S last year but just stumbled across one of their patterns online over the weekend. Aren't the patten covers adorable!!! That is what drew me in. I had a set of paper dolls when I was in primary school which came complete with elaborate period costumes and I just adored playing with them. I am impressed that Oliver and S are prepared to sell Boutique sewers the licenses to make and sell their patterns in small quantities! Perfect for the markets/online stores etc... Maybe it's not as rare as I think but this is the first time I have seen this! I guess designers usually count on the common courtesy and integrity when it comes to reproducing copyrighted patterns etc.. I don't think anyone would be game to copy and sell any Amy Butler gear... the sewing/crafting community would spot a copy a mile away. My local fabulous fabric store stocks these patterns! yahooo....

Eden's bouquet photo shoot...

I was delighted to have my headbands photographed by Amanda in her latest photo shoot for Eden's Bouquet. They look as pretty as I had imagined them to be with these adorable outfits. How cute are these girls! More photos on Amanda's blog.
{photo: Amanda Keeys}

MACRO Monday

I am a sucker for any type of moss and fungi! We used both a lot back in my floristry days. I remember hiking a mountain in Austria with my friend Bindi and I was as excited with the LUSH moss we found as I was with the fabulous view. I took this photo on Christmas day '06 in NZ.

Headbands

I really enjoyed making these, vintage looking headbands for an order this week! I used lingerie elastic on the first two which is super soft on one's head. Then used a velvet ribbon with a small piece of elastic sewn into it. Anya tested the above band and didn't pull it off or pull a face... but promptly ran to the mirror to have a look then a big smile appeared! It seems I shall have to make her a headband too. The flowers are a mixture of linen/cotton blend, calico and muslin, as per the hair clips. Soft and feminine. Have a great weekend!

Friday favourites

I spied this old ceramic tin on my Mum's fridge last year... it was collecting dust behind a few things and certainly wasn't displayed in a prime position... which got me thinking... "maybe Mum doesn't really want it!!!" then the excitement kicked in because all I could see was my new jewellery box. While I don't usually go for much yellow in decor - I just love it! I would really like to know the story behind it. All I know is that it was given to my great-grandmother Sylvia Steele by her neighbour, possibly used as a biscuit tin... My Nanna, Norma Jean (Sylvia's daughter) is 83 so that makes it probably 150 years old... which we Aussies consider OLD! :-)

Pastels

I love the fresh, clean crisp ceramics in this photo {concrete & Honey}. I seriously don't have time to trawl through photos on Flickr as much as I would like to but I found this lovely lady through none other than the brilliant blog decor8. These little bowls remind me of Bison ceramics which I blogged about a while back. This photo makes me sigh.

White candy for your hair

I made these yesterday, they are so girly.. what little (or big) girl wouldn't want one... actually my sister definitely wouldn't but her girls would! For the record it is quite hard to take photos of your head in focus on a tripod without an automatic shutter release doovy!!

Making home-made pizza

Using my hands to create anything is very rewarding but I am also loving making things with (and for) my daughter! We paint together, use play dough, dress up and she also helps me in the kitchen. Yesterday we made our own dough for pizzas. I let her put the roasted pumpkin on and she did it with such precision for a 17.5month old, one piece at a time - all evenly placed!!! I was stoked :-) You know I wouldn't have cared if they were all thrown on but it was so cool the way she committed to such a big girl job with lots of care and focus. Yes, yes, very proud!

MACRO Monday

My neighbour has a fabulous garden he has cultivated over the past 30 years! This summer we got to share in the spoils; fresh apples, plums and these gorgeous figs. I think it is the first time I had ever eaten fresh fig, nice if you get a sweet one. I just love the colours in these. I hope you had a great weekend :-)
{Photo Rosalind Grace}

Friday favourites

Some of my grandfather's old books are my favourite things to look at, especially because he is no longer with us and I never knew him. I love that he owned them and used them to perfect his craft. Gordon saw them at Mum and Dad's place and couldn't borrow them quick enough, they are on display in our lounge room. My grandfather was a commercial artist/carpenter-builder after WW2 and a clever Jack of all trades and my Dad is exactly the same. I think it's fair to say that between both of them they passed on some creative genes to each of us. I have Mum and Grandma to thank for the sewing but that is for another time.

Birthday Bunting

My daughters birthday isn't until October but I thought I would start making a few things now.... slowly, slowly.... I know the months will race by and I will think "Oh, if only I had of done this and that". I have wanted to make some bunting for her room for a while now to replace a few baby type decos - I like multi-purpose items :-) I would also love to make some to sell down the track - possibly with Happy Birthday on it! Great for kids parties.

Kokeshi Dolls

I don't really collect things but I am seriously considering hunting down one of these little beauties, pending a $ windfall in our tight we-want-our-own-home-and-there-is-an-economic-crisis-budget!! Isn't she the cutest thing! I am drawn to her and would love to see her at my place. This lovely kokeshi I found in the online store Room 6. I also have a friend currently in Japan keeping her eyes peeled for me :-)

Amy Butler scraps

I kept every last scrap of my Amy Butler fabric left over from the bag I made. I love covered-button hair accessories and would like to make them to sell. I particularly like the weight of this home deco fabric on the button. I am trying to track down some quality hair elastics and clips for wholesale prices... so if anyone knows of a good online store - I would love to know about it. I think these little beauties are great, it's a pity I just cut my hair :-)

MACRO Monday

Autumn has arrived in my corner of the world!! To celebrate the change of season and to remind me of what is to come, I dug up some of my favourite macro shots of Autumn leaves from last year. In Canberra we get quite a show of yellow, orange and vibrant red leaves - it is quite a treat. We lived in Brisvegas before the ACT, where palm trees and frangipani's feature pretty much all year round, so we hadn't witnessed Autumns such as these... I love experiencing the distinct four seasons that this part of Australia has to offer.

Friday favourites

I am so in love with letter pressed anything!!! I came across local studio, Poppy Letterpress yesterday. I was going to write about a favourite studio from the US but I do love to mention Australian artists, and these guys are from Canberra which is better still. I love that they have a list of links - resources for the beginner on their blog! I would dearly love to spend some time as a fly on the wall watching how they create their stationery - it's quite a process. I found a post about the basics of Poppy Letterpress on Canberra's Got Style so I won't regurgitate how it works etc... I would love to have some of those letters on my mantle piece....... if I had a mantle piece :-) {Photos - Poppy Letterpress}

Once a florist...

....always a florist! These are actually the last wedding flowers I did, way back in 2004 for my lovely brother and sister-in-law in New Zealand. The wedding was very chic just like my favourite kiwis - Jeremy & Elizabeth. The arrangement over the church entry was my brother's idea, I did one on both sides so you could enjoy the flowers on entry and departure! Jo Wickham was the official photographer, she is fabulous!!! If you want to see a few more of my brothers photos go here. I do love a good wedding and wish I knew of Snippet & Ink when I got married... so many inspirational ideas, especially if one is on a budget and creative!!! Anyway, I thought it was about time I posted some of my floristry handiwork!

New do

Hairdressers in Canberra can't be trusted and if they can I haven't found them yet! I had to go back to my old haunt in Sydney to get a decent cut. Yay! Feels much better.

Birthday present for Miss L

Happy Birthday for today's 3 year old!! I do love Grosgrain ribbon and what hot pink fairy outfit doesn't look complete with a perfectly accessorised hand made piece! xx

Macro Monday

This is one of my favourite photos from the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. Roses aren't my favourites by a long shot - I love oriental lillies, lisanthus, peonies and calla lillies to name a few :-) I miss my days in the florist where I enjoyed fresh flowers in every room - what a luxury! We are heading home to Canberra today... I had a great time with my family and even managed to squeeze in time for a hair cut! I might have to update my profile picture :-) I hope you had a great weekend.

Friday favourites

Amanda Keeys photography is a force to be reckoned with in children's photography! Amanda captures the most amazing moments and puts her unique stamp on every photo she takes. These are just two of my absolute favourites, the first one is my lovely niece and the second is Amanda's daughter, I just love the composition. You can see Amanda's work on her blog, website or flickr. Amazingly she is a mother of 4 (soon to be 5), has an etsy store and recently published her first book; Baby Beanies - Happy Hats to Knit for Little Heads available at Amazon and other bookstores. She says she sleeps like the rest of us, I am not so sure :-) Hurray for Aussie talent! I actually have Amanda to thank for putting me onto Etsy about a year ago... once you are hooked on Etsy it won't be long before you are following 30-50 blogs and getting lost in another creative world. I LOVE IT, although like everything else it is a balance (yeah, yeah).
{Photos - Amanda Keeys}

Vintage sewing patterns #2

I managed to scan a few more vintage patterns. I think the sketch on the left in the Vogue pattern looks like Liz Taylor once again, don't you? I am loving pattern number two - those neck ruffles keep on coming back and sadly I won't be a good Stepford wife grocery shopping in the 3rd little number. Can I just say the Stepford Wives was one of the worst movies I have ever seen, I hated it!

Going to play nurse...

Anya and I are off to the NSW coast to spend time with my sister (who recently had an operation) and her family. It will be nice for Anya to hang out with her cousins as she doesn't get to do that often. Weeks ago I was wishing myself there.... now I am going, although the circumstances could have been better.

MACRO Monday

This photo is part of a series of 4 photos we have block-mounted on our wall. It was taken on our 2006 New Zealand holiday (Hydrangeas, Christchurch botanical gardens). They are gorgeous flowers en masse and individually.