My Place & Yours..

I awoke this morning to find Olive in her new favourite spot, having a delightful time exploring her favourite blogs and I noticed she had stumbled across a fabulous new post on 'Meet me at Mikes'. Pip has started the sweetest meme, called My Place & Yours. It's perfect for the weekends, capturing moments and seeing the world through Sunday afternoon eyes. When I saw it appear on my screen this morning, thanks to Olive and her creative typing, I just couldn't resist joining in.


This week's theme is 'On the Shelf', so after a quick wander around the house, searching for the right shelf, I came back to my great grandmother's cabinet in my studio, which holds some of my favourite things..

On my shelf, underneath my old singer sewing machine, are my favourite journals and inspiration books, vintage tea pot and my Holga camera.

To play along with this delightful new meme, pop over to Pip's.

Also remember to enter my Etsy anniversary giveaway, just comment on yesterday's post to go into the running to win. Thank you so much to those lovely ladies who have already entered, it is so sweet to read about where your heart belongs.

I'm off to finish some marking and perhaps take a moment to have a cup of tea in the afternoon sunshine.

Happy Sunday
Much love
xxx

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Etsy Anniversary Giveaway and Shop Update!

What an amazing year it has been and how time flies when you're having a fabulous time playing with fabric and buttons! I'm so excited to be celebrating my first Etsy Anniversary and to wish my little shop a Happy Birthday I've created a lovely new range of 'I heart' brooches.

The new collection filled with some of my most favourite things including...

Three brooches inspired by the ever beautiful tale of a girl who tumbled down the rabbit hole..

And to thank you all for you amazing support, kindness and friendship, what celebration would be complete without a giveaway!

I have three lovely prizes to giveaway to three delightful people..

The major prize is very special custom design collection of three brooches to celebrate what you love in the world. Created just for you this custom collection is one of a kind, you even get to name it!

Your very own collection...

I've also created two very sweet brooches for this giveaway, made to wear close to your heart.

'My heart belongs to..' brooches are a special part of my new collection, inspired by vintage book plates and days meandering in Paris.

To go into the draw to win one of these sweet little prizes straight from my studio, just leave a comment on this post and tell me where your heart belongs...

Two bonus entries if you blog or twitter about my little giveaway! (please comment and let me know so I can come visit your blog and say hi.)

Thee bonus entries for each item you purchase from my Etsy shop between now next Saturday the 24th.

The giveaway will be drawn Saturday the 24th of October at midday Australian time and is open to everyone world wide so please join and to celebrate my little shop's first anniversary.

Good luck and wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Much Love
xxx

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The Side Show...

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by the show. Petrified of ghost train, overwhelmed by the flashing lights and outdated music, I still found something strangely alluring about side show alley, the big top and moments of vintage beauty that made their way into this peculiar past time. Yesterday I packed my camera in my handbag and embraced all things eclectic in a series of photographs exploring the vintage aesthetics of side show alley.

I hope you are having a delightful weekend..I've had a wonderful start to my first Etsy Anniversary, went to the local junk shop and found a fabulous vintage Remington typewriter to add to my collection. I'm off to finish photographing some new brooches for my little Etsy shop. Pop by later today to check out my new collection and enter my anniversary giveaway!

Much love
xxx

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My Creative Space..

Another very busy week in my little creative space, with exciting moments around every corner. When it rains, it really does pour and all you can do it soak it all up. With my year 12 classes in exam preparation, my Etsy anniversary on Saturday and a very excitable kitten for company, life is certainly creative and chaotic at the moment.

My creative space filled with lovely fabric for new brooches, some of my favourite books and new moleskine I can't wait to begin..

Inspiring.. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Urgent 2nd Class by Nick Bantock and The Secret Staircase by Jill Barklem.

A little stack of brooches, ready to be photographed for my little Etsy shop..

I can't wait until my first Etsy Anniversary on Saturday having a big shop stocking and a giveaway to celebrate. I'm also looking forward to taking some photos tomorrow afternoon at the local show. I'm fascinated by the old world circus and side show alley images so hopefully when at dusk I'll be able to capture some interesting shots.

Join the creative space fun with the Queen of creativity Kristy!

Wishing you a wonderful and creative Thursday!
Much love
xxx

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A weekend of ink...

I must admit to loving Spring weekends, the weather is just divine and it is just the loveliest time of year to get out and about. It was also the perfect weekend pop out to the new studio 'The Ink Table' and set up my new delightful little studio space. The Ink Table is a fabulous new studio just out of town set up by the lovely Clare and Moana. Featuring a wonderful studio space, retail area and a giant Ink Table perfect for all things creative, I am delighted to have a little corner all of my own, to play and create in. So after a quick shop for a cute little desk and set of drawers, I was very excited to bring my space together.

The Ink Table counter, filled with all sorts of delights

Sophie Isobel Designs studio space... I found these super cute drawers on sale and couldn't resist, they are just perfect for fabric. Can't wait to start creating.

Some of the gorgeous products for sale including Miss Kwong's beautiful hand bound notebooks and journals.

Whilst at 'The Ink Table' I had the pleasure of co-hosting a delightful Poetic Justice Publishing workshop with Clare. After a wander around the streets and a few interesting warm up activities we spent the afternoon creating poetry and prose using the words from an old fiction novel.

With scissors, glue and some imagination and a little cursing when the right word was not on your page, we created some rather interesting vignettes. This was my page half an hour into the activity.

The rest of my weekend was filled with marking assignments and of course playing with Olive my gorgeous new kitten and at times it became Olive playing with my marking.

These are some of the fabulous diaries my year 7 class created for their Indiana Jones assignment. They looked fabulous and were full of wonderful adventurous tales.

And when Olive got tired of playing she found a great spot to curl up...

On my hubby's back, as he lay on the couch reading.. it was so cute I just had to share.

Wishing you a delightful start to the week, I'm very excited as it's my one year Etsy Anniversary on Saturday and I'm feeling a giveaway coming on as well as a big shop update. Be sure to check back in during the week.

Much love and poetry
xxx

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My Creative Space..

I feel like it has been so long since I have posted and it is so lovely to be back. I'm finally home after a lovely holiday in Brisbane full of fabulous shopping, dress ups and having a wonderful time with family and friends. Now the countdown is on for Term 4 and it's all very exciting, with my year 12s about to do their end of year exams, we are already on the countdown until Christmas holidays and I'm really excited about my upcoming first year Etsy Anniversary and new collections for Spring and Summer. So my creative space this week is all about inspiration, bits and pieces I found whilst in Brisbane and my delightful new friend.

My desk is full of Spring inspiration today, pages from Country Style magazine, fresh flowers from my garden, pages from Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree and a gorgeous fairy adorned singlet by Pani.

Beautiful Roses and Irises I found growing wildly in my garden when I got back. I just love having gorgeous flowers blossoming just outside my window.

I just love this sweet little notebook I found at Smiggle. Perfect for keeping all of my daily adventures in.

And another lovely purchase from the fabulous Retro Metro in Paddington, a delightful spring dress, original 1970's.

And last but by no means least my beautiful and favourite new friend..

Olive..
We got Olive yesterday afternoon and she is just the sweetest, most affectionate little thing. She has already found the perfect spot to chill out on the bookshelf and will find a lap to snuggle into whenever she can. Too cute!

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday, its so lovely to be back and I can't wait to join in the rest of Blogtoberfest. Right now, I'm off to cuddle up on the couch and watch the new episode of Glee.

Much love
xxx

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Party Inspiration..

How time flies when you're on holiday, moments are so relaxing and the days in Queensland are just so lovely and long, the evening warm and balmy, perfect for delightful get together and party or two. And I do enjoy a party particularly when it is a fancy dress affair.

My fabulous Auntie is turning 60 and to celebrate she is throwing a 60's themed party tomorrow night. I was hoping on my little holiday I would have some free time to work on a new collection of brooches, but instead I have had some delighfully busy days searching the City for costumes, wigs, fabric and balloons. I've created a little surprise for the birthday girl using a whole lot of fabric and paint (pictures to come) and have adored searching through old photos for inspiration for my costume. I really am a little bit 60's love child.


As a seached for inspiration I stumbled across one of my very favourite people from the 60's, Andy Warhol and his muse Edie Sedgwick.

Edie's personal style is just so fascinating and unique... Black tights, smoky eye shadow and beautiful chandelier earrings, I just couldn't resist putting my own spin on Edie's classic 'It girl' outfit for tomorrow night's party.

So I'm ready to go with a little blond wig, some fake eye lashes and a pair of fabulous earrings. I've even found a ready made Andy Warhol to come with me! Can't wait! Will have photos to share on Sunday. I best be off to finish the decorations and put the finishing touches on my little back dress.

Much love and flower power..

xxx

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