Saturday

For some people saturday means a day off work but when you work for yourself it just means that today we work from home. Just as well I like what I do.

This is a shot of my lounge room floor, with the buttons assembled in types and some are being sorted into sets for uploading onto Etsy. In the foreground you can see my new Tasmanias, some are buttons or afixables and some will be made into necklaces or brooches. On the right you can see some of the hearts and rounds that have been grouped and down the front are the open shapes which I will put a large jump ring on so the can be worn. This is just the beginning of my stock building for firstly the market that is attsatched to the Regional Conference coming up next month in Launceston and some for the big Tasmanian Craft Fair at the end of October.

My partner thinks they look like armies massing for war games!!! But thats just him!!!

Dark Buttons

I have put on some dark buttons on Etsy now.

Lets see how long this little lot take to sell. I have the hearts and rounds to take pictures of but not enough light. It is the middle of winter down here and we could do with a bit of sunshine. Well I could.

New Buttons on Etsy

Well nearly. I am currently in the process of uploading more buttons to Etsy. A process which may very well go on for a few days. To begin will be some large buttons in sets of 3 at $10 a set and then some of the smalls in sets of 4 and 6 at $10 and $15 respectively. There are some new ones I have been working on so I hope everyone will love them as much as the last batch. And heres a sneak preview.

Squares

Eggs

Moons

Stars

4 medium ovals

6 medium ovals.

There are also Large Hearts and Large and medium rounds still awaiting having their picture taken.

Buttons in a new home

Had a notification from facebook today from a lovely woman who bought some of my buttons a just little while back and I thought I might just show you what she has done with them.

Isn't this just one of the most purtiest things? And are they buttons I spy there?

 Yes they are  And my lovlies look right at home. I wish all my buttons should go to such a good home.

Thank you so much Fabienne Dorsman-Rey.

The Buttons go West

They have finally made there way home to Perth. Yes my lovely smoke-fired buttons are now available from Dale at The Thread Studio. She says very nice things on her blog here but if you really just want to cut to the chase and buy buttons try this way and you will go straight there. I will work on getting up some individual button portraits both here and on my Etsy Shop over the weekend. But the big thing is have to get my accounts ready for a visit to the accountant on monday to do my Tax!!! Wish me luck.

I must add that I have Dorie to thank for this as Dale saw my buttons on her blog after she bought my buttons on etsy, and then contacted me. Small world isnt it?

Natural Dye Bundling Workshop

Look here. Its's me doing a workshop featuring the art of bundling cloth with leaves. It is a fun easy natural dye technique. Would love to see lots of people there. I don't know as yet whether I will be doing the Barnmarket but I have my fingers crossed.

Strahan

Just a few pictures of our trip to Strahan. This on the way across not far after Cradle Mountain.

On a Dam somewhere, I just love the reflections in the water.

This is on Sarah Island, which was a penal colony.

A sea eagle.

A view of the Lower Gordon River.

Looking up into the canopy at Heritage Landing on the Lower Gordon.

Our 10 minute walk at Ocean Beach before the huge black clouds moved in and we had to run for cover.

And finally looking back at Strahan from Risby Cove.

There were a whole heap more photos most of them me playing with a very high horizon line for a new series.

Sneak Peak

Just a quick pic of some of the new buttons, some of which I will put on Etsy and some for the markets stall. Let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to go on Etsy or order direct!!! I can also do some that are more custom if you would like. I am thinking some would be nice with out holes to attatch to work like shisha mirrors.

Lucky Dip Me!!!

Must thank the lovely Lisa for saying some delicious things about me over here. I t does give one a little zip of excitement when someone loves what you do. Today I spent the day firing more buttons so now have a huge bag of smokies to wash up and hopefully I will get enough sunshine in the morning to take some photos of them. My options here at home in my little 1 bedroom flat are severely limited and unless I am home and there is sun I just don't have any way of getting a decent picture and you know it poured with rain all weekend and the last two days I have been in the studio while the sun was shining but all is not lost. I wont be going in till after lunch tomorrow so fingers crossed...........
And I read over on another blog let me see if I can find it.( No sorry. If whoever you are reads his please let me know so I can add you in!!!)
That birthdays mean giveaways. So seeing as I had one of those just last week I will have to have a rumage around and see if there is anything I have that people might like. Any suggestions???

Bundling Workshop

Chthonic 2

This is a pic of a recently completed piece. It is layers of plaster bandage and stitched cloth, painted with milk paints and finished with hot beeswax.

And these are some pictures I have taken to advertise an upcoming bundling workshop in Snug Hobart at the Craft Hive in August.

I took this photo on Thusday and then sold this piece of fabric about an hour later.

This is a lovely felted wrap.

Leaf prints on one of my vests.

Another vest.

And a different one again. The vest supply is building!!

And a pic of some bundles in progress. These are two bundles with materials gathered from Ocean Beach and 1 from Sarah Island from our visit to Starahan. Of which I should get pics up sometime this weekend. 

Swings and Roundabouts

Looks like when one door opens others close!!!!! The excitment of being in print yesterday and getting a lovely email today asking if I would like to have my buttons stocked somewhere, I got a double whammy, I didn't get into the Barnmarket next month (I am on the waiting list though so all is not lost) and I missed out on the Niche Market coz somehow I got left off the list. Now I must say income wise I was kinda depending on those two to boost my coffers in the stocking up for the big Tasmanian Craft Fair at the end of October, oh and my workshop in Geelong. So right now I am at a bit of a loss about what to do to make up the short fall. I suppose I am really going have to work my butt off getting things online. Wish me luck.

In Print!!

I was in the newsagent today to buy some phone credit and as a part of the ritual I went to have a little peruse of the magazines being as how I have a small addiction that way. I just happened to pick up this magazine and was having a flick through trying to resist buying it, firstly I noticed the lovely big ad for incube8r where I have a cube and thought nice bit of publicity there and maybe I should get my act together and get myself on their website. I flicked a bit further and found a scrummy little article on the divine Miss indiaflint and I could feel myself wavering but I resisted and it was in the process of returning the mag to the shelf that the deal was clinched. It flicked open to the back page and right up there in the magic left hand top corner was a little picture that would bring joy to my heart. 4 little smoke fired ceramic buttons all lined up on a pice of naturally dyed blankie and underneath a little blurb abd a link to my blogspot (thats here!!!) Oh me oh my to think in print and I didnt even know. Best make more buttons!!!!!!

Sold Art

And here it is the finished piece that was sold. I must admit that I did not really want to let it go.

And tomorrow I am off on a little holiday to Strahan way over on the West Coast of Tasmania hopefully there will be pictures when I return!!!!!!!

Studio Business

Pictures from the button factory.

Yes I am in full swing now pumping buttons out fast and furious.

And this is the stockpile awaiting their trip to the kiln for their first firing. I will be doing a huge craft fair in October so am working on stock from now, having other markets along the way keeps putting dents in my stock but in a good way.

And this is a little fun distraction. Local artists were asked to contribute a little something for a fundraiser for our local arts cooperative. We were each given a 8" x 10" board to work on and they were all for sale for $50 each but the names were on the back so in theory you didnt know who's you had till after purchase.

I worked on two pieces above and below only choosing at the end my preferred piece to glue on the board.

In the end this one went off to the sale last night and yes it sold reasonably quickly and I spoke to the purchaser who was very happy with her buy. This is a work in progress picture not the finished piece of which I will put up a photo tomorrow when my partner brings the camera back!!!

Both pieces are plaster bandage the lower one is adhered to hession with a piece of stitched cotton in the centre and then painted with milk paints. More layers I might add then can be seen here. I then coated the whole piece in hot melted beeswax to protect it and give it a wonderful luminosity.

And these are just a couple more in progress on the bench.