Weekends are for Celebrating!

What a long and hot week it has been! I must say I was delighted to hear the bell at 3:30 this afternoon as my classroom air cooler was actually creating hot air rather than cold, leaving both my class and myself a little over English for the day. But that's not all I am happy about!

I'm off to Brisbane tomorrow morning at 6:30 for my beautiful sister's 21st birthday party. I can't wait see my family for a few days and get all dressed up to celebrate the life of one of the world's most wonderful people. We are having a black and white themed party so I have spent the evening preparing some lovely black and white accessories for my mum and I to wear. It will be delightful to get out of the heat for the weekend and I'm even looking forward to relaxing with a book on my early morning flights.

Unfortunately this means no Shopping List this week, but I will make it up next week with a very special list I have been working on over this week... it's one of my very favourite things.

My little shop will be open while I'm away although it is a little empty after a wonderful week of sales. After I come back on Monday night, I'm can't to get back into the studio and make many lovely new brooches (I'm keeping my eye out for new fabrics in Brisbane) and adding some more tea cup artwork to my tea series.

I will leave you this evening with a delightful illustration by a wonderful new Australian Etsy artist Schmooks. This is how I feel on the eve of my exciting day tomorrow... joyfully flying on my little paper plane with my some very interesting friends towards a beautiful weekend...

Have a fabulous weekend doing all the things that bring you bliss and joy.
With love from my vintage world..
xxx

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My creative space..

At the moment my creative space is a basket of beautiful chaos! I have been so busy making brooches and getting back into work mode all my lovely fabric is sitting in a basket waiting to be ironed, folded and put back in it's correct shelf in my studio!

In someways I like the chaos of the fabric, they dance together and mingle and I find lovely new combinations to work with. My jobs for next weekend include, making this delightful basket neat again, making the perfect spot to store all my ribbon and colour coding my all my buttons!

Head over to Kristy at Kootoyoo to join in the fun and show off your Creative Space.

xxx

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Baby..... it's hot outside!

It's moments like walking home from work this afternoon that make me wish I lived in Alaska in a snow cave. I have never experienced extreme heat like this before, even now at 8pm it's 42 degrees. The sky was so beautiful today, the heat created amazing marshmallow clouds that I just had to photograph.. and I felt like Amelie.

The amazing afternoon sky..

Amelie's cloud photography..

Being back to work means lots of meetings, emails and lessons to plan. Best of all it means lots of fabulous reading.. Here's what's in my cute Paperchase bag today.

The Oscar Wilde collection, The Theban Plays and A Long Hard look at Psycho

Something about the heat got me inspired to create a new inspiration board. I really enjoy seeing all the things I love in one place, I find it gives me a sense of creative direction. It's amazing to see how similar all the snippets I keep are. Right now I'm loving summer colours, beautiful chairs, feathers and lovely potted plants.

Eclectic Possibilities - Inspiration board

I hope everyone is enjoying their Wednesday and a bit shout to all the Melbourne girls who are also braving the heat. I've decided the best place to be is the library!

With love and possibilities..
xxx

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Tuesday's heat wave and brooch making..

Just when I thought summer had subsided, they say that Victoria is in for its hottest week since 1908, with 43 degrees here in Mildura tomorrow. There is certainly a heat wave around here, I think everyone is just trying to stay cool and sane. I hope everyone had a lovely Australia Day, we spent the a delightful afternoon relaxing by the Murray River. Back to work tomorrow, the students start back at school on Friday so hopefully the weather will cool down a little before the madness begins.

I've had a busy day today shipping off my weekend orders. Thank you so much for your support for my new collection of brooches. They are almost sold out so I have been also spent today making a few more to fill my little shop and creating a delightful little custom order for the lovely Emma Lamb.

Orders ready to be packed in lovely brown paper bags.

My afternoon's work..

Here is a peak at a few of latest little creations, you can find them all in my Etsy shop now.

I heart Brown Owls..

I heart Teapots..

I heart Jane Eyre..

Before I go to find a lovely spot under the air conditioning, I have to share with you my favourite Etsy find of the day. A Fanciful Twist is one of my favourite Etsy sellers and I just adore her beautiful new prints, 'The Seamstress-Magic Maker' and 'The Treasure Collector'. All my favourite treasures together, so very lovely.

'The Seamstress-Magic Maker'

'The Treasure Collector'

I hope you have had a lovely Tuesday and if your in Melbourne, find somewhere nice and cool to sleep tonight. Remember to drink plenty of water and if all else fails, perhaps ice and a bath tub might work well.

With love from the desert...
xxx

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All the world's an antique adventure..

What a weekend I've had! I wonder is some days the vintage world aligns and antiques just fall at your feet.

My very favourite place to be on a Saturday morning Pleasentrees is sadly closing down, so we went out for our very last hot chocolate and to check out their old barn full of beautiful French homewares.

The best hot chocolate ever...

I have had my eye on one of their Louis XVI style bedroom chairs for so long and with a bit of coaxing from my lovely friend Joelene and even my hubby, I finally bought it to match my little antique writing desk.

My beautiful new chair...

I was so delighted, I thought my day couldn't get much better but on the way home I decided to stop at my other favourite spot in Mildura, Rose Harvest to buy my friend a birthday present. Last time we were there I spotted an amazing old type writer but didn't really ever consider buying it. I went back to the same spot and it was still there and again my dear hubby said, I know you want it, you will never find another one, just get it. After a very long,10 minute wait to see if a couple that had it on hold still wanted it, the typewriter was all mine. A 1908 Remington Standard 10. I think I'm in love....

And it actually still works! It makes the most beautiful sound, like the beat of a classic writer dreaming up their first novel.

Other then my fabulous antique adventures I have been busy filling my little shop with plenty of new brooches. A big thank you to CurlyPops for the lovely feature on a couple of brooches I sent her, including one of my favourite custom orders I have done so far, I heart chocolate. She is super sweet, take a moment to stop by her blog and say hi.

I've just put ten new brooches in the shop and although two sold very quickly there are still many of my favourites there, including:

Tea Cup Collector

I heart pirates.. aaarrrr!

I heart Bookworms (inspired by my Saturday Shopping List)

I dream of Wuthering Heights (Oh Heathcliff!)

A big thank you to by bestie Courtney helping come up with some of these new phrases. The rest of the lovely new collection can be found in my little shop.

Well I'm off to enjoy a lovely Sunday night, got to love a husband that can cook. I hope your weekend has been wonderful, whatever you have been up to. To all my fellow Aussies have a wonderful Australia Day, I'll be listening to Triple J's Hottest 100, going for a swim and enjoying the last of my holidays. What are your plans?

Happy Sunday
xxx

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Shopping List Saturday..

Come with me and take a little trip to the back corner of your library, near the dusty first editions and cobwebs, you'll find a well worn spot where she sits and dreams her day away and lives tales of romance and high adventure around every corner.
She is indeed a bookworm...

1. What page are you on by Tollipop
2. Scrabble Collage Charm by Found and Made
3. Things I've Read of Bears by Fables and Foxes
4. Shakespeare Journal by Immortal Longings
5. Lets Read by Yaelfran
6. Librarian bookended print by Miss Brigette

What fun finding all these bookish delights on Etsy. As an avid bookworm myself I rejoice in all things worn, old and well read and once I'm in a library or book shop, it is very hard to get me back out again. Find a moment today to curl up with your all time favourite book and dream the day away.

Take a moment to brew a fresh pot of tea and pop over to the the fabulous Fancy Picnic to check out the other amazing Shopping Lists. The perfect way to begin a Saturday.

Hope you have a fabulous Saturday doing whatever it is you love..
xxx

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Fabulous Friday!

I opened the mail box this morning with my fingers crossed hoping that the mailman would be nice enough to stop at my house and he did, with not one but two fabulous treasures! I love Etsy delights.

The first delight is my very own tinnie from none other than Tinniegirl herself. Everyone needs a tinnie, it was like Christmas opening this parcel (my favourite, brown paper and string) and inside the most lovely tin full of very cute fabric, lace, buttons and even a few very delightful vintage pegs.

My beautiful Tinnie, I've named her Petti...

Inside my tinnie! I can't wait to start creating! Isn't she beautiful..

Pop over to Tinniegirl's blog and check out all her lovely tinnies on her Etsy shop. She is adding more to her collection very soon so get in quick and tell her I sent you.

My second delight was the too beautiful for words journal I bought from Hens Teeth. Viv is such an amazing artist! This journal is so divine, I just keep looking at it and smiling, thinking of way to fill all those amazing pages..

My beautiful new journal..

Visit Viv's beautiful blog to keep up to date with all her beautiful creations and buy yourself or someone you love one of her many beautiful things from her lovely shop.

My Friday has been fabulous, I hope yours has too. What are your plans for the weekend? I'm off to hunt down some more vintage postcards and letters, perhaps even a little something for the house, then have French hot chocolate at Pleasentrees and stock my little shop full of lovely new brooches.

My thoughts for the day... Drink tea in the garden and go searching for Wonderland in fabulous shoes..

Searching for Wonderland....
Shoes- Sam Edelman, Tea Cup- garage sale, Tea Pot-The Tea Centre, Books- second hand shops..

With love from Wonderland
xxx

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My creative space..

This week my creative space is more like a box really, my little stash of wool for crocheting projects. I just love to crochet, I find it really relaxing and I'm never short of things to create. One day I will make myself a beautiful big blanket but in the meantime...

My current project featured is the beginnings of a baby blanket for a very dear friend Monana. She is having a boy and likes bright colours so thought this lovely lime green would be perfect. This is the first of three baby blankets I am making for friends this year, must be baby season. Can't wait for winter to come so I can start on some scarves and berets.

Head over to Kristy at Kootoyoo to join in the fun and show off your Creative Space.

xxx

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Summer Daze..

It has been a hot and long day here in Mildura. It's official I'm back in work mode and am madly trying to finish my first year teaching portfolio before tomorrow. I'm sure I'm just writing the same thing over and over now and am dreaming of creating lovely things instead but there is light at the end of the tunnel and it will be all finished by 5pm tomorrow. Then I've the fabulous job of getting my lessons ready for the start of term one next week (which means stationary shopping!)

I've given myself half an hour to write this blog and let my brain enjoy some lovely things before I get back to unit plans and teaching reflections so I thought I would share some of the beautiful things that I've been keeping myself motivated with today.

First up The Selby which features stunning photographs of of interesting people and their creative spaces. There is so much to look at on this amazing website, you need a few hours and many pots of tea to search it all. These are a few of my favourites..

The amazing office of Daniela Kamiliotis

The cutest Tea Pot ever at Cheri Messerli and David Rager's place

Lovely books and trinkets from peaches, bunny and lily

The other beautiful photographs I stumbled upon today belong to lifeLOVEpaper. They are so soft and delightful they made my day. Check out her lovely little Etsy shop. These are a couple of my favourites..

Pale Winter Rose

I heart Fabric (oh so cute!)

Well my half hour is over so I'm back to my year 7 unit plan about 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.

Oh I almost forgot, I made it into another treasury today! Twice in a week, I'm feeling very special. Thanks so much to Sherry from Esprit * D'Art for including my Les Girls Altered Book Collage.

...a needle pulling thread...

Hope these fabulous photographs inspire your day too.

xxx

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Hot days and nice surprises..

It's been another hot day here in Mildura as the girls in Melbourne will know, we are definitely in the middle of summer. I've been getting back into work mode with school joining back at the end of next week, writing lesson plans and finishing my teaching portfolio. I must say I've also been procrastinating from thinking too much about work, instead finding some fabulous blogs to discover and read.

I also found spent a little while cleaning up my studio after the weekend's creations which are now on their way to Stay Human Gallery. My favourite part of the studio are the old inbuilt selves that are just perfect to display all my favourite things. Every now and then I give them a bit of a makeover and fill them with beautiful bits and pieces.

Every piece tells a story... My favourites include, my vintage wooden box of buttons, Romeo and Juliet cigar box, op shop vase, cup and saucers, Sark cards and delightfu handmade owl pin cushion from Courtney, beautiful photograph of Montmartre from Tara, bird card I purchased recently from moonmum and just some of my collection of diaries, notebooks and journals I have been keeping for the last 10 years.

My experimenting went well last night, got to love some crafty experimenting, I really want to create tiny little wearable canvases. I found some cute little ones from Lincraft had a fiddle last night to see what I could come up with. I'm really happy with the design, however the canvas is still a little big to wear as a necklace, so I think I will have to make them myself. I think this size might just work well as little brooches so I will do some further experimenting on the weekend to see. Here is my little prototype I was working on last night.

Tiny wearable art..

My little thrill for the day was being included in a treasury for the first time. My lovely bestie Courtney made her first treasury today and was very sweet and included one of my brooches. I've always wanted to see one of those little stars appear and I nearly jumped out of my chair when I saw it today. She has put together a beautiful collection which is just a must to check out.

Her Writing

I will leave you with my very favourite find of the day.. A gorgeous little bird (I know I just love birds) beautifully created by Ann Wood handmade.

'Jolly- Grey Scarf'

I hope your Tuesday was cooler then mine.. I only wish that tomorrow would bring a little rain or maybe just a dip in the pool.

Much love

xxx

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Love and the art of dressing tables and good books

Just a little blog today to show you my second finished mixed media artwork for Stay Human exhibition. Like my first piece 'The cool of my Heart' my second artwork harks back to the days of the early 20th century and the love and beauty that resonates from this era.



'Love in the Valley' was inspired by beautiful dressing tables and the intimate moments of adornment and letter writing that take place during this delightfully feminine past time. Complete with a vintage glove and fan, early 20th century poetry and postcard, I have created this dynamic black and white mixed media original to display the delights of a 1920's socialite.

'Love in the Valley'

Detail - string of beads, vintage fan and postcard..

I also had couldn't resist last night and made a few need brooches for my little shop. I just had to put to use some of the lovely new fabric I bought recently. In this little batch of four I've included a few literary references including one I've been wanting to makes for so long... I heart Mr. Darcy. Who doesn't!

'I heart Mr. Darcy'



'I heart High Tea'



'I dream of Wonderland'



'I heart Yoga'

I've also begun my reading list for the year. As a Literature teacher I get very lucky when it comes to reading amazing novels so I thought I would put together a collection of the books that I will be reading and (in some cases would just love to) if I had the time.

Books for 2009

1. The Scandal of the Season-Sophie Gee, 2. Hunting and Gathering- Anna Gavalda, 3. To Kill Mockingbird - Harper Lee, 4. Ulysses- James Joyce, 5. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffengger, 6. On Chesil Beach- IanMcEwan, 7. March - Geraldine Brooks, 8. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall- Anne Bronte, 9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Hunter S. Thompson, 10. Bleak House - Charles Dickens, 11. Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy, 12. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen, 13. The Theban Plays - Sophocles, 14. A farewell to Arms- Ernest Hemingway, 15. The faith of a writer - Joyce Carol Oates, 16. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

Hope you are having a lovely Monday, I'm off to work a little idea I have been thinking about for a little while, when art meets necklace....



Will show you the results of my experimenting tomorrow.

Happy Monday

xxx

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An artful weekend and surprise treasury...

It seems that once I begin creating I just can't stop, which is quite fabulous on a lovely summer weekend. Yesterday I completed one of my exhibition pieces, a new little original piece for my shop and worked on a baby blanket I am crocheting for my friend Moana. I'm so delighted with my art filled weekend I just have to show you my new pieces.

My first artwork for the Stay Human exhibition, is called 'The cool of my Heart' and tells the story of a far off romance in Egypt, an archeological artist longing to see his love again. I've been a little adventurous with the piece and added some intriguing objects including a locket, diary entry and beautiful green feather. I just love the idea of telling a tale through my work..

'The cool of my Heart'

Close up of locket and diary entry..

The other little piece I created last night has been a long time in the making, forming in my head when I found some lovely little square canvases just waiting to be filled. I finally found the perfect material from my lovely haberdashery shop that reminds me Zandra Rhodes Royal Doulton collection. So with all the perfect bits and pieces, my Tea Cup collection has finally come to life. This is the first of the series, 'Rose Tea'.

'Rose Tea'

Created using vintage paper and lace, with early 20th century poetry and lovely hand embroidered fabric. Whilst I was sewing I was dreaming of a Jane Austen world, of tea parties and long walks with Mr. Darcy. Rose Tea is now for sale in my little shop and will have more lovely tea cups and perhaps even a tea pot joining her soon.

This morning was just one of those fabulous days on Etsy, I've heard it happen to others but it was a first for me to get a treasury without stalking for hours. I got on to the treasury and it was at 333 with only 5mins until it was 'treasury time'! I had nothing prepared but had a few ideas and was lucky enough to get one! Everything in my world seems to have a story, even my treasury. It is called 'Willows and Wallflowers' because it is the name of the novel I am slowly writing. It was lovely to bring my ideas to life with beautiful artwork from Etsy.

Willows and Wallflowers..

Some of my very favourite Etsy artists..

Well I'm off to enjoy the afternoon sunshine, finish my second exhibition piece and tidy up my little cottage a bit, it seems scraps of vintage paper are taking over!

May your day be filled with sweet delights...
xxx

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