And so I collect..

I am a collector, each day I find something to stash in my pocket or nestle in my handbag. I seem to collect many things that others may not even take a second glance at. I collect them for their colour, their shape and their texture. I collect each piece carefully and note it down in my journal. Sometimes if I'm very lucky pieces even find their way to me.

A little collection titled - "La Belle"

It began with tea cups, then lace, postcards and books, now I just find myself collecting all the tiny moment that time forgot, untold tales and love stories of yesteryear all caught up amongst buttons and keys.

What do you collect?

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My Creative Space..

After spending a few days with a lovely tidy studio I thought it was time to mess it up again! My creative space this week is all about inspiration and I have spent the last few days bringing together all my ideas for my new shop collections which I'm very excited about. Stacks of magazines, article clippings and swatches of fabric line my desk as I scribble on giant post it notes to get all my ideas out of my head and onto the page.

My creative space - my journals, plenty of lovely magazine clippings to stick in, a little box of ribbon and lace, my very cute tea pot and a new inspiration board filled with images for my new collections.

My 'take everywhere because you never know when inspiration may strike' journal. Check out Keri Smith if you want to be inspired to never again live without a journal.

The Library fairies visited me again this morning with a beautiful bag of ribbon and lace. I just love sorting through all the pieces and dreaming up ways to give them new lives.

I'm also very excited to be an official member of the Udessi family. Kim, the wonderful mind behind Udessi has put together a beautiful online gallery and boutique market stall featuring some incredibly talented artists and I'm so delighted to join the team. Pop over to the Udessi gallery to check out their exclusive collection of Sophie Isobel Designs brooches, including a series one of a kind scrap brooches.

Brooches all packed and ready to be sent to Udessi.

Make sure you head over to the wonderful Kirsty to join in the fun and show of your own creative space.

Hope you have had a love and creative Thursday! I'm off to find a blanket, brew a pot of tea and spend a few hours amongst the pages of my journal on one of Keri Smith's wonderful adventures. Just print off her wonderful list of 100 ideas, if you feel like an adventure too.

Much love and creative Thursdays
xxx

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Daydreams..

Inspired by the gorgeous Alarna and her dreams of far away places, I enjoyed a blissful the afternoon in a beautiful daydream. Whilst I spent my day teaching..

The ever inspiring, J.D Salinger

The beautifully poetic, John Keats

and the prolific, if not life changing, Roland Barthes

My mind was filled with dreams of...

Beautiful photography by irene suchocki

Paris, where my heart belongs...

Beautiful dreams and wishes to you on this magical Wednesday... Pick up your favourite book and read a page, it will fill your soul with joy.

Much love and daydreams
xxx

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I heart weekends..

There is something so lovely about a weekend that just meanders along at its own pace. When you have no where important to be and the days are overcast and the afternoons are a glowing treat. These are the weekends I adore and I was very fortunate to spend the last two days at a lovely, quite meandering pace, with a little shopping, creating, reorganising, decorating and of course relaxing, filling my days.

After a few hectic weeks my studio needed a big overhaul and with the cold nights still about I have decided to concentrate most of my work in my office, which is the central part of the house attached to the living room. As it is usually the dining room, it has a fabulous old chandelier and I just love it as a space to work in. Previously I had been splitting my work between my studio in the spare room and the office, but now I have grown so attached to my lovely little dining room it just felt like the perfect time to move all my bits and pieces into one space.

My studio space now complete with Lucy the mannequin, my great grandmother's cabinet and my grandmother's sewing machine. I just love all the beautiful light the old windows let in.

I feel like a child with a life size barbie doll, I had so much fun finding Lucy something to wear, lucky we are the same size, I think this may become a weekly little routine.

My treasured cabinet holds all of my favourite books and years of inspiration journals.

I love reorganising and it always leaves me dreaming up new ideas and excited to sit down at my sewing machine and create. So I took a little break from my consignment orders this morning to work on a prototype for an idea I have been thinking about for so long. Ever inspired by mustard and indigo I just couldn't resist creating a my first wrist cuff, embracing these beautiful colours along with a line from one of my poems, together a piece of gorgeous Thea and Sami fabric and a few vintage buttons. Here is a sneak peak..

'And Dinah Danced..' wrist cuff

I'm very excited with this little prototype and can not wait to make some more for my Etsy shop which will be reopening on Saturday the 8th of August. I will be having a giveaway to launch my new brooches and accessories which will include an exclusive Thea and Sami collection. So pop in throughout the next few weeks for more details and some sneak peaks into my new pieces. I'm so excited!

Well I hope your weekend and been a productive and relaxing one. I'm off to settle in for the evening with a little button sewing and fabric folding.

Much love and decorating
xxx

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Shopping List Saturday..

Inspired by Anthropologie and the beautiful hues of mustard and indigo, this week's shopping list reminds me of beautiful days at sea, the moments just after dusk and the beautiful shop, The Society Inc, in Sydney.

1.Yellow Dress Yellow Drip - 5x7 Print by kirby
2. Eleanor Rigby - Vintage Necktie Buttons by ccstar
3. Dark Moments by barbraziemerphoto
4. Set of 5 Wool Wrapped Stacking Bangles by mysticfibers

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

Inspired by these beautiful colours I'm off on a little op shopping exploration to (hopefully) locate some lovely vintage scraps, lace and whatever else I might discover. I hope your Saturday is a lovely one, filled with picnics, afternoon tea, shopping, reading, relaxing and whatever else you love to do on the weekend.

Much love and shades of indigo
xxx

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Lovely...

Here are just some of the things that are making my Friday lovely...

Delightful Teapots for Mallard Tearoom designed by Sarah Walsh

Beautiful notes by oh, hello friend

The sweetest illustrations and gorgeous blog, Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall

Michelle Jank and her stunning and inspiring blossom necklace

Image from The Sartorialist

I hope your Friday has been lovely too. I'm looking forward to a quiet night in, with a film or two after a hectic week and can't wait to spend the weekend creating many new brooches for Udessi and Georgie Love and catching up on some washing and gardening. I also can't wait to finally get a chance to read and cut up my lovely stack of magazines. I will be back tomorrow morning with my little Saturday Shopping List.

Much love on Friday
xxx

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My Creative Space..

I spend my afternoon in the land of yesteryear, sipping tea and sewing on my grandmother's beautiful Singer sewing machine. I wonder sometimes if yesteryear is where I belong and I feel like Peter Pan holding onto Neverland. I hear the tapping of typewriter keys and I feel at home.

Today's creative space, my grandmother's sewing machine, my Olympia typewriter and brooches ready to be created.

Sometimes I think that the brooches look like yummy cookies ready for the oven...

Swatches and buttons in a Hammersley China saucer

One of my favourite teacups I discovered at a garage sale filled with much loved finds, including feathers and antique buttons and buckles.

And so I meander back to my world in the past, pouring a glass of red wine and listening to the news along the way. Perhaps I can belong somewhere in the middle, gathering inspiration for all my favourite moments in history. I hope you have had a wonderful Thursday.

Much love and vintage moments
xxx

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Inspiration on Monday..

On this fine winter Monday there are many things I love... I've finally finished my giant pile of marking, my beautiful new typewriter which has become one of my very favourite things and this lovely little collection of beauty that I found this afternoon...

One of my favourite studio created by the amazing interior designer Katie Sellers

Beautiful garlands created by the inspiring Lobster and Swan

A stunning fairy inspired journal that I would just love to live inside by woodlandfairie

I'm off to lose myself in the latest Vogue Living magazine and write a little letter or two. Enjoy your Monday!

Much love and inspiration
xxx

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An afternoon of Antiques..

I just adore when my day takes a wonderful and unexpected new path and what better day for an adventure through the countryside than a Sunday. My hubby and I set out this afternoon for a little trip to the wonderful Rose Harvest to rummage through the beautiful rooms in search of treasures and to also buy a vintage mannequin that I have had my eye on for some time.

I was delighted to find the lovely mannequin just waiting for me to take home. I'm so excited with my new friend (who still needs a name) and can't wait to use it to display my brooches. After a little searching I also found this gorgeous blue Sadler teapot, which just seems like it belongs at the Mad Hatter' tea party.

Very happy with my finds I was ready for a relaxing afternoon at home but after striking up a conversation about typewriters whilst purchases my goodies, I found out about an amazing antiques just over the South Australian border, that I was assured would have a typewriter or two. So my hubby and I jumped in the car and off we drove through the country side to try and find this wonderful sounding antiques shop. Over an hour later, we found it, in a tiny little spot just outside Renmark called Paringa was Cammies Antiques.. two entire sheds full of almost anything you could imagine.

And it just so happened that there was a lovely little vintage Olympia Portable typewriter sitting down the back looking for a good home.

My lovely new typewriter...

We also found some amazing old typewriter ribbon in this gorgeous little tin. I can feel a whole new collection coming on.

So now my house in beginning to look like a typewriter repair store so I'm going to have to start finding a spot for all of my lovely typewriters, perhaps their very own bookshelf. Overall a very surprising and productive afternoon of antique delights. Now I can't wait to put everything to good use.

I hope your weekend has been fully of lovely moments too. I'm off to settle in for the finale of Masterchef and perhaps to do a little sewing and try out my new little Olympia.

Much love and Antiques
xxx

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Of Poetry and Magic..

And so I spent a day unlike any other, listening to some of Australia's most celebrated and inspiring poets and authors in the most intimate of settings as a part of the Writers' Festival. Writers like Peter Steele, Alexis Wright, Sophie Cunningham and Robert Gray, read their work and spoke about about their worlds and influences. I am left a sense of adventure and excitement, totally drawn into their every word, fascinated how just one stanza can say so much.

So I take a moment to catch my breath, giddy with beautiful poetry and prose as I get ready for the festivities this evening of the wonderful Festival dinner, which I am sure will be filled with wonderful food from Stefano's and fascinating conversation.

I will be back tomorrow with a Sunday Shopping List as well as my adventures at Rose Harvest. I have been planning a trip to my favourite antiques shop for many weeks and I'm delighted that I will be finally going tomorrow and can't wait to see what treasures lie waiting for me to discover. I hope your weekend has been filled with beauty and wonderful conversation.

Much love and writing dreams
xxx

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My Birthday Creative Space..

I woke up today and peered outside to see the most glorious misty morning view. I rolled back over dreaming that perhaps I could just sleep the day away, until my lovely hubby reminded me, it was indeed my birthday. And what a delightful day I have had. To my Year Seven's delight I let them sing and yell happy birthday to me mid class and we even had a little party. I arrived home this afternoon to some beautiful surprises...

Some absolutely beautiful flowers from my family and the most delightful little tea set (complete with amazing floating lotus tea) for my dearest friend Tara. My amazing little fair trade tea set made the journey all the way from Cape York.

My creative space this week is in a state of delightful chaos! I'm still in the midst of exam marking and can't wait to be finished so I can clean up my mess from my mixed media adventures, reorganise my studio and continue working on my wholesale orders and and some exciting new collections.

Three of my mixed media artworks which were on display at Poetic Licence. The large middle piece, 'Cheshire on Collins St' is already off to its lovely new home tomorrow. In the foreground, swatches, fabric and brooches in the process of creation and headed for the Udessi gallery.

Well we are off to have a quick bite to eat before going to see the new Harry Potter film. Being a fan from way back, I'm delighted that they decided to release it just in time for my birthday. Hope you have enjoyed a lovely Thursday!

Much love
xxx

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Poetic Moments..

What an amazing start to the week! Our Poetic Licence event was held last night as part of the Mildura Writers' Festival and it was just an amazing night. With the beautiful Art Vault as our venue we performed to a packed crowd and enjoyed the wonderful company of friends, family and other local writers, musicians and artists.

image courtesy of The Art Vault
Our fabulous venue The Art Vault

Of all the ways I express myself creatively I find writing to be the most intimate and challenging but on nights when you are able to share your work with lovely people it is indeed very rewarding. The piece I read was titled 'The Tale of a Tumbleweed' a story about a the world of Shakespeare and Company, my favourite little bookshop in Paris.

Here is a little exert from my piece...

Perhaps she was a soul collecting dust,
A book only to be read once,
For all her secrets were given away in the first chapter.
She would wear a green coat lined with old brass buttons and her grey eyes would consume anyone who stole her glance.
A fragile creature placed on the highest shelf,
Never a prizewinner but somehow never bundled for a garage sale either.
She was a rare beauty who by night would wake to find herself longing for metaphors and ampersands.
Those who knew her called her Dinah, for down the rabbit hole with Alice was where she longed to be.
And she would tell stories of the places she had been and the people who had captured a moment between her covers.

Also I was so overwhelmed and excited by the press we received for the event I forgot to actually post the article from the newspaper in my blog on Sunday. So here it is... (with another photo of my cheesy grin!)

So now that our event is over for another few months, I finally landed back down to earth today after what has been an amazing few weeks. I has been lovely to just relax for a moment and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the Writers' Festival over the weekend, including the very exciting festival dinner on Saturday night.

In other news, it seems I just can't keep myself or my brooches out of the paper at the moment. The beautiful Liesa from Handmade Heaven had a fabulous editorial today in a local Queensland paper about her gorgeous shop and she was so sweet in featuring on of my brooches in photo.

Liesa is doing so many wonderful things at the moment with her shop and the Handmade Expo, so if you are in or near Ipswich you must pop in and see her.

Well I'm off to defrost my the fire and contemplate what to cook for dinner before embarking on exam marking with a little sewing in between. Hope you have had a wonderful Wednesday and I will see you tomorrow with my little 'birthday' creative space.

PS. Just a little note to let you know that my Etsy shop is currently set on vacation mode. With so many wonderful things happening at the moment, I have just been a little overwhelmed and will spend the next few weeks reorganising, making wholesale orders and creating some exciting new pieces for my own shop. I will be reopening at the beginning of August and will be having a big giveaway to celebrate so stay tuned!

Much love and poetic moments
xxx

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Weekends are for celebrating!

Some days you wake up without realising the effect the day will have on you. Saturday was one of those days for me. The little photo shoot I did for the paper for our Poetic Licence event somehow made the front page, which was not only exciting and slightly bizarre for me but also wonderful for our event which, after today's rehearsals is shaping up to be an amazing evening of enchanting songs and poetry.

My piece of combined poetry and prose has finally come together and I'm really delighted and totally nervous about reading in public on the night. My dear friends Monana, Clare and I will also have a little stall filled with all of our bits and pieces and I am busily finishing and framing a number of new mixed media works which will be on sale on the night.

I'm also totally ecstatic that the beautiful local gallery 'The Art Vault' which is hosting our event will now be stocking my brooches. The Art Vault houses some of Australia's most amazing and inspiring artists and it is such a joy for be selling a range of my signature and mixed media brooches within their art filled walls. Thanks so much to Mia and Julie for supporting local artists.

So after our rehearsals this afternoon I couldn't help but go out and celebrate with a few friends and had a wonderful night listening to Triple J's hottest 100 of all time, whilst catching up, laughing and dancing the night away.

What a wonderful weekend it has been and with Poetic Licence on Tuesday night and my birthday on Thursday I couldn't of asked for a better start to the week.

Much love and poetry
xxx

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Shopping List Saturday..

As I worked on a few new mixed media artworks last night, searching, tearing and cutting up old books, I began to think about the fragility of the written word, the page, the vast emptiness that is a single piece of paper. For one moment it exists and the next it is has disappeared, tangled in layers of fabric and lace.. its intended meaning no more but perhaps a new meaning created. My fascination for the written word, published and bound on soft cream pages leads me to this week's shopping list, an exploration the world of paper...

1. Les Fleurs du Mal numero 2 by MarcoLaGrenouille
2. ...sketch for showed you your air... by restlessthings
3. Out of silent ether- original vintage paper collage by littlebrownsparrow
4. Pg. 225 Limited Edition Print of Original Drawing by jaimers
5. The Poe Sisters by DearDodo

I often wonder what the author would think, their work stained with paint, glue and ink.. But I suppose we all draw inspiration from each other, each word and brushstroke adding to the eternally evolving world of art.

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

As the words pour from my fingertips and onto the page, my mind is full of images, my soul souring on the tale I am writing. It has taken me hours to put together my shopping list as I have suddenly been inspired to finish my piece for the Writers' Festival, thanks to all of these beautiful artworks. So I'm off dance along the Seine a little longer, Paris seems to always be the perfect setting for my stories.

Much love and ink stained pages
xxx

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Surrounded by inspiration...

After a few hectic weeks it was lovely to spend the day at home today, catching up on blogs, drinking tea and writing the day away. I also had a bit of fun this morning posing in a photo for the local newspaper about the up and coming event Poetic Justice Publishing is holding as part of the Mildura Writers' Festival. More about that a little later...

Today was all about surrounding myself with all my favourite things and just taking a moment to be inspired, watch the world go by, listen the the beautiful sounds of hot tea being poured into china and ink seeping into crisp clean paper. My desk holds all my treasures and today the smell of lavender and dreams of Paris were my inspiration.

With my journal, a pot of tea, fresh lavender from my garden and a beautiful stash of magazines I spend the afternoon, writing and dreaming.

I am currently writing a piece to perform for our Poetic Licence event as a part of the Mildura Writers' Festival. As I weave between memories and dreams, I am writing about the world of Shakespeare and Co. the beautiful little bookstore on the banks of the Siene.

Inspriration - The beautiful Peppermint Magazine and a lovely new notebook I found at GoMA.

Tea and Lavender...

As the sun sets early on this lovely overcast day I'm off to settle in for the evening to begin a few new artworks to display at the Writers' festival and work on an exciting little idea that has been brewing within my journal. Wishing you a delightful Friday!

Much love and inspiration
xxx

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