Goodbye Year

And so we come to the end of another year and it was a good one for me this year. Got my small business up and taking baby steps, sold a couple of things on Etsy, relocated to Tasmania albeit temporarliy, spent more time with my bestest buddy Naomi and made some really cool stuff.
I know I said that the little paintings would be going on Etsy but well there seems to be a time lag going on, but instead this little beauty has gone on instead. Its a little too warm for Ozzie buyers to get excited over this one at them moment even down here we managed to get to 30C which is more than is usual.
So it's a recycled wool vest all local Tasmanian eucalyptus dyes hand stitched by moi with naturally dyed silk thread. Above is the front and below the back. But you could probably work that out for yourselves!

And yes thats me in the picture, very reluctant and more than happy to have me head chopped off. And as a special New Years break treat to myself, I have two more of these dyed up and ready for stitching, though perhaps not till tomorrow after the bubbles have worn off.

Hope you all have a frabjous New Year. See you in the next one.

Burnt Buttons

I told you the button story would continue.

Here they are in there tins after they have come out of the fire.
And a few more.

Filthy little so and so's aren't they. I have to sift through the ashes and each one has to picked out individually.

And then they all get a bath and a good scrubbing.

Tomorrow I will reveal some of there lovleyness though I must admit that once more there is a lot of black. But amongst them are a few beauties.

Paintings

Here are the paintings I have finished, the first 3 have been sold.

These 3 will be on etsy shortly.

Nest Flowers 7" x 7"

Bowl 6" x 6"

Shadow 6" x 6"

Tomorrow I should have finished button pictures for you to see. I am really hoping for lots of colours this time, not all blacks and black and whites like last time when not enough oxygen could get to them during the smoking phase. So this time I have many more holes in the tins and my fingers crossed.

Tins of Buttons

Well the seasonal festivities are over and its back to work tomorrow. Though I did pop down to the studio yesterday afternoon to put my tins of buttons into the fire and lit it, got it absolutely roaring and then left it to go out. So now there should be lovely colours hiding inside the tins just waiting for me to go and discover them. I may not be able to wait till tomorrow.

Market Day

Tomorrow is the last Homespun Market for the year and the next one isn't till the 9th of January so you best get down there. I will be there for both of these dates and then I will be gone till the end of February. At this stage I will be in Melbourne for a market on the 14th of February and am awaiting news on whether I will be at the Sustainable Living Festival on the 13th. Course you can always find me on Etsy or contact me through the blog or visit me at the Studio.

I will have a few new t-shirts at the markeket tomorrow and hopefully a few of my paintings. One of which sold yesterday before it was even properly dry, I hadnt signed it or written it's name on. (I did this before it left though) So you see what happens if you visit the studio, first dibs.

The buttons went in the kiln on wenesday and were fired yesterday so on monday I will get to begin the next process which will produce the beautiful colours. Unfortunately this means they won't be ready for this market.

Buttons Galore

I promised you buttons and buttons you shall have. Well pictures of buttons anyway. So this is what it looks like in the button factory at the moment.

Lots and lots of buttons drying ready to go in the kiln for their first firing.

They have been rolled out some with texture,

and then cut out with a cookie cutter,

and then each one had had holes put in,

with a little punch that has to be cleaned out after every hole,

Yes every time!!!!

Then after they dry for a while,

each one must be individually wiped with a damp sponge

to make sure all the edges are nice are nice and smooth. And this is only the beginning.

The saga will continue

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I have been preparing little boards with a layer of beeswax to some encaustic paintings.

And these are little canvases also prepared and with the first 2 coats of milk paint to turn into masterpieces next week. So busy busy busy in my studio at the moment.

I will be at The Civic Homespun Market this weekend. www.civichomespunmarket.com.au / www.civichomespunmarket.blogspot.com

At the moment I am working on a new range of buttons some of these new ones have texture and some are round an some are both. I hope to have these for sale well just before xmas but perhaps not in time for the Homespun market before xmas. But they will be available if you wish to contact me either here or via my website. I will put pics up of works in progress as soon as I take them. The new buttons will also be available as necklaces though only with the one hole at the top and hanging on some handmade silk string.
I also now have a range of naturally dyed wool blend t-shirts in stock in small, medium, large and extra large. And because there were requests leggings (like the ones I had on sunday at Niche) are being dyed as we speak, so if you want them, come and get them.

Xmas Sale

13 Russell St Invermay




Well tonight is the big opening night of the Tin Shed Pottery xmas sale. There will be wine and nibbles and lets not forget 10% off the stuff. The sale starts at 5pm tonight through till 8pm, then sat and sun 10 to 5. I hope to see you there.

Moments

Most memorable market moment was when a little girl (about 4) with her parents picked out a button and insisted that she must have it and paid for it with her own money which she couldnt give directly to me but via her mom as she was far too shy but when they went past again on leaving I got a smile and a big wave. So sweet.

Niche Market

What a weekend! 3 days is a long time to smile and chat, not that I didn't enjoy every minute of sharing with people, coz I did, but it is quite tiring as I realised when I got home last night and just crumpled into a small tired heap. But what lovely people I met. I would like to thank everyone who stopped and listened to the story of my work and told me how much you loved what I did. It is always nice to get great feedback esp as I spend so much time working on my own and never quite sure how other people will view what I do.

A big special thanks to Emily from Pop Glass who had the stall next to me and to the Lovely girls from 3 Blind Mice, Kate, Claire and Alice who were friendly, bought some of my things and modelled them and sent other people across to see my clothes they were just plain gorgoeus. Also a big thanks to Sophie Hill from That Vintage who is always a joy to do a market with and so helpful. And to Isis and Sam and Maya oh and every one really that made it such a wonderful experience.

Next weekend is the Xmas sale at the place where I have my studio, The Tin Shed Pottery, 13 Russell St Invermay. Friday 5pm - 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 5pm. Hope to see you all there.

Home again, home again jiggety jig

Well I am back from the big smoke and while it is lovely to go away on holiday it is comforting to be home sliding back into the routine. This is of course supposing that you have created for yourself a routine that you enjoy. That would have to be one of the keys to a happy life.
I did the market and it was ok but not as fabulous as I had hoped, this was made more difficult by the fact that my position was so dim people were having to peer to see what was for sale. And quite honestly my stuff probably didnt exactly fit the demographic of the market. So more research is most definitely needed to find a market were I am a more comfortable fit. On the upside I did manage to buy myself a few pressies, a couple of books; Handmade in Melbourne so I can see what is happening and where and a book on Encaustics which is an area I would like to explore next; a funky owl who I just couldn't resist when I saw him peering quizzically from his branch in the window of a florist. And there was much looking and eating and drinking and hanging out with my best friend. But now It is time to return to work so today I am back in the studio gearing up for the Niche market on friday.

Off across the stream

Today I will be at the Homespun Market in Launceston and then tonight I hop onto an plane and nip over to Melbourne where I will be doing the Threadden Market in North Melbourne tomorrow.

Sold

I told you on the old blog ( which I will put in a link to. I promise, well sometime) how two of my little paintings sold in the exhibition, well it closed yesterday so it was payday and as an extra added bonus a third painting sold so I trippled my money. Oh yes I could grow to like this. Getting paid for something you really enjoy doing. Now that is money for jam.

Eggs on the move

The exhibition that I had work in closes today, the good news apart from the fact that 2 of my pieces sold is that the exhibition is going travelling and I have been asked if I will put in some more work to replace my large piece and the sold works. So I am sending my 3 egg pictures on the road. I am not sure how long they will be gone. Best take some more photos as this is the only decent one I have. Best get on with more paintings as well I suppose. I do enjoy doing them. Glueing on the tissue paper for texture, making the designs with the starch paste, layering on the milk paints and finally the beeswax finish. Bliss.

Pesto Pasta

So delicious and a little different when you have no blender or mortar and pestle, just finely chopped basil, garlic, fetta and pinenuts drizzled with olive oil and left to sit while I sauted onions and mushrooms and at the end of cooking time I added some quartered cherry tomatoes and some olives. Cooked up some fettucines swirled through some cream cheese and pasta water and the other ingredoents and oh yes it was good. So good I needed seconds.
And then today I made 137 more buttons so I really hope there are lots of buyers out there or I am going to have to make alot of very funky cardigans.
Tonight I will be making beads, many many beads for all the earrings I will be making next week. I estimate that for Melb and Niche about 1000 should be enough. Beads not earrings. At 6 beads and 4 beads a pair well you do the math.

Hillbarn Box

Just picked up my first box full of delicious local fresh produce and am planning the food that will reult. I am thinking a Pesto Pasta, Silverbeet Frittata, Nicoise salad and either some Vegie Patties or Strata. Yum can't wait to get stuck in.

New name same blog same philosophy

Ok for many and various reasons i have modified my business name to better reflect the persona I wish to present to the public. So I am going to move everything over here and let the other one lapse. But there will be links for a while.
Hope you enjoy the new me.