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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My Creative Space..

It feels like forever since I blogged last, I have missed it so much I raced home after work today to catch the last of the fading winter sun to catch my creative space. This time of year in a school is always chaotic and I always forget just how crazy it really is. My reports are finished and we are in the final stages of proof reading so by tomorrow after I will officially have my life back. Yay!

I'm so excited I have been madly scribbling down ideas and creating inspiration collages, I've got so much stored up inside, I just can't wait for the weekend buy some new fabric let loose on the sewing machine! My creative space this week is a little corner of my studio where some inspirational lovelies have found themselves together.

In my little corner many lovely things, including my favourite new book 'Jane Austen's Sewing Box' by Jennifer Forest, a page of my inspiration journal, a very cute notebook from The Black Apple and some new brooches which will be in the shop very soon.

I'm being inspired by, Venetian glass and piles of buttons, Victorian sewing and illustration and my great grandmothers beads..

Make sure you head over to the wonderful Kristy at Kootoyoo to join in the fun and show off your Creative Space.

It is so lovely to finally have a free moment to enjoy everyones beautiful blogs. I will be back tomorrow a sneak peak at some bits and pieces for my shop update. I will be stocking new brooches, artworks and a surprises over the weekend, so keep an eye out. Well, the sun has set and I am a little chilly so I'm off to my cozy lounge room to enjoy the new Real Living and Inside Out magazines, I feel another collage emerging.

Much love and happy creating
xxx

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Journals and Big Ideas..

I'm constantly fascinated by the evolution of ideas and dreamings. They are little moments in your subconscious and sometimes like tiny butterflies they manage to break free of their shell and take flight. I have often considered investing in a sturdy butterfly net in order to catch some of my crazier daydreams. If we are really lucky some days we might just catch one of those lovely little ideas upon a page and snap the book shut, hoping it will not escape. This is when you needs a very trusty journal by your side at all times.

I was so excited to return home to a lovely package waiting for me. The fabulous Megan from The Byron Life create totally gorgeous recycled notebook for beautiful preloved golden books. When I saw the perfect one for me in her Etsy shop Mellimoomoo I just had to have it. Now it has taken pride of place on my desk ready to be filled with wonderful fluttering ideas.

My gorgeous new Alice in Wonderland journal..

I've had an idea fluttering around just out of my reach for a long time now, something that has been right in front of me and I have never realised. Finally during a writing workshop last month I was able to catch it on paper just by chance and ever since I have been spellbound with this little exploding day dream, finally a concept for a strange little novel, not quite for children, perhaps for those wishing they still were.

I have always written for adults and never thought of searching through all my inspiration to find that everything I adore to write about is really aimed children and the 'always young at heart'. So I've spent the the weekend getting all my ideas roughly down on paper and for the first time I've begun to collaborate these with all my favourite inspirational characters, settings and narratives.

Setting inspiration - Count Olaf's house

Character and Setting inspiration - my favourite heroines..

I've realised through this process just how much my childhood reading has influenced my own story telling, the places, people and adventures. I would love my protagonist to be a little bit of Alice, Dorothy, Mary Lennox and Sara Crew and I've only just begun to consider all the books and films I love.

So now I am beginning the planning and writing process, much to my absolute delight. All the possibilities begin to collide and my page becomes a melting pot of the strange, the wonderful and the crazy.

Planning in process - a strange little time line and scribbled pages.

As my tale grows and I make sense of all my scribble I will let you in on the secrets and adventures that find their way onto my page. Right now all I know is, it's about a girl, a very big house, an even bigger imagination and one tiny key.

Now that the kettle is boiled I'm off to brew a pot of tea and get a few hours creating in before I settle down to mark English essays. Wishing you an inspiring Tuesday.

Much love and wild imaginings
xxx

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My Creative Space..

What a very bright and colourful mix bag today! It seems my whole house is one big creative space at the moment! In every corner I'm working on something or have inspiration scattered.

I've just finished few new little petite brooches which can be found in my Etsy shop now...

In my mailbox this morning was a gorgeous package from lovely Linda of two pink possums which included an amazing stash of fabric and scraps! I can't wait to have a good look through everything, I can see some new scrap brooches being created very soon. Thank you so much Linda!

I am always collecting pictures for my inspiration and moleskine journals.. Have had a delightful time this morning going through my new magazines in search of lovely and inspiring images..

In the land of crochet, I've finally finished this giant granny square baby blanket for my friend Moana's little boy Bailey.

As soon as I finished one baby blanket I have begun work on the next, a very classic all white granny square blanket for my friend Joelene. So I too have jumped upon the granny square train. If you heart granny squares to make sure you check out A Granny a Day.

I'm off on a little adventure to Devonport, Tasmania tomorrow for my great Aunt's 90th birthday. I'm so excited about going to Tassie, haven't been in ten years, will be lovely to celebrate and see family. So I've got my little mushroom project pouch all ready to take with me to granny square throughout my trip. I will be back Monday night with photos and hopefully some cute bits and pieces from my travels. My Etsy shop will be open and all orders will be posted on Wednesday the 22nd. Some lovely new scrap and 'I heart' brooches to come very soon as well as a few new suprises.

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

I feel like I've only been back in blog land a few days and I'm off again on another little adventure. I can't wait to rug up with hats and scarves, visit lovely antique shops and take plenty of photos.

Until Tuesday
Much love and granny squares!
xxx

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An imaginary trip to Egypt...

It has been a fabulous Friday in my little nook. I've been to the post office (again), found a brooch back supplier and spent the afternoon on a lovely little imaginary trip to Egypt.

With the Stay Human Art on your Sleave exhibition fast approaching I've been busily working the two mixed media pieces I'll be exhibiting. I initially started with an vintage circus idea for the pieces, but somewhere between sleep, wake and dreaming they have taken on a life of their own and transformed into early 20th century adventures to Egypt.

I just love hand dyeing vintage fabric and lace to give it new life for my artwork. You just never know how it will turn out. Here is some of the odds and ends I dyed up for my Egyptian adventures.

Olive green, Ebony black and Madonna blue..

As I create, I am reminded of the Satin Bowerbird, creating a nest, searching for the perfect pieces to add. I seem to meander around my house trying to find interesting and beautiful trinkets to add to my artwork.

My pieces are a constant process of collection, as the story builds...

So far I've located a locket, some lovely buttons, a little key and a very sweet white glove that I've waiting to use.

Tomorrow will bring more collection, perhaps a spontaneous dash up the road to the RSPCA op shop and plenty of glue and sewing. It's not the usual artistic process but I just love it.

Finally after I very enjoyable organising hour yesterday, I've got my inspiration journal in some kind of order. It is organised chaos, but it's all in there.

A brooch ideas page.. I really do heart Edgar Allen Poe.

Before I go to curl up with a cup of chamomile tea and my latest adventure 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath, I just have to show you the cutest illustration I found on Etsy today. It just made me smile...

Cupcake bird by Kate at Little Doodles..
My two favourite things in one very divine drawing! I adore it!


Sweet dreams of little birds at high tea..
xxx

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