enJOY your journey

 i'm wondering if i can explain my absence from this space

and add a thrifty reference or two?

a journey of new found items & ideas

both worthy of the treasure

collecting the 'interesting' is a part of me

i adore the adventure & the thrill

the fact that they have been someone's previous story is cool too

so over summer these are a few ... from near & far

up-cycled colour & clothing to adorn & wear

practical & cute vessels for a purpose

fun elements & stories that enrich

ethnic elements that tell of a passion for culture

 yeah i've been missing from here for the longest while

i've been on a little journey of the heART

i've been enJOYing that journey

trying to decide if my hARTylittlepeaces blog

has come to an 'end of a season' ??

or maybe just needs to 'be' a little less than before

i have lots of balls in the air you see

creatively of course the main one is my

little smARTy's studio

its my passion & i hope that this shows through in all i do

& in the recent, paraphrased, complimentary words of another::

"running small is becoming more rare

when others see what you're doing, they want to be a part of it to

you have the right core values & i think what you're doing is amazing"

& the feedback, support & actual number of student enrollments

shows me that i am .... i have mostly full-to-the-brim classes

the few holiday workshops were so in-demand, that i added more

& i have a waiting list for some of the weekly groups

#mycuprunnethover #iloveteachingart

currently most of my head space is filled with this focus

it truly is a dream come true

so finding a fresh balance in this moment is where i am

i still want & need to feed my soul & be creative myself

& i'm hoping to paint again  ... you know, i have my own STUDIO
to actually paint in .... 
& i have so so many things i'd like to sew .... & make

and so to blog or not?

i will be blogging more over here

& these days i'm on fb a whole lot more

& i have a new love in ig as littlesmartysstudio 

which kinda makes sense - since my world is v v visual

i really want to love what i do

not let it rule what i do
balance
i think i'm finding it .... 

amber find

you well & truly know by now

that i like a little coloured glass

& its all the better when its a thrifty find

 the other week, little op shop hop

with a friend .... oooooh

top shelf, tippy toes to reach it

would be 30cm+ & is just lovely

i've googled the edb or dbe logo

but with no profound discoveries

love it

see how nicely it fits in

with previous thrifty goodies

t'was a whole $3 ... yep

plus the thrill of the hunt of course

a year of ethical fashion

so i spotted pip encouraging people to

join her in pledging to a

Year of Ethical Fashion 2014

#YOEF

now this is my kind of thing

i have for most of my adult life bought

second hand or upcycled clothing

i love buying from a maker when i can

i own plenty of clothes to meet my needs

& i'd like to join in a swap thing somewhere, sometime

oh & now i have been back sewing

clothes for me ......

these are small grass roots ideas that are not new

all of history has determined that our textile industry

requires of us to have these attitudes to sustain our resources

sub or lack of standard conditions for workers are not new either

what is new is that our world wide economy of scale

has escalated over the last generation+

we are not satisfied with what we need

our desires to have more

accesibilty to more economic clothing

& the hype of fashion that creates 

some kind of 'socially approving' desire

to want to have to use up & to discard

we have created an impossible whirlwind that our planet can not sustain

and

then there is the issue or what is 

fair????

fair conditions & fair payment

from the very production of textile fibers

to the actual garments

there are more and more companies

are joining in with supporting 'fair' & 'ethical'

Oxfam Australia regularly posts on their face book page

join in over there too ....

so in 2014 ..... i 'pledge' to be always mindful in 

shopping/sourcing for

clothing to wear for both myself & my family .....

that it be ....

:: bought from ethical makers 

= fair trade or handmade sellers

:: bought second hand

:: made by myself

:: be it already in our wardrobes

:: swapped or borrowed or gifted items

essentially i have what i 'need'

but in finding 'my-style' which is a

'first-world' fashion esthetic ..... 

i would of course like to have 'new-to-me' items

since May '13 i've made myself lots of new items

they are unique, fitted to me & my taste

& i can only hope that the people involved

in the production of the fibers were treated 'fairly'

who knows ..... probably not!?

but at least i'm half way to helping getting this 'right'

join in ....

spring thrifting

weekend just past

went to our riBer

with a couple of girls

with whom i have shared the journey

of what is motherhood thus far

lovely time lisa & cassy & we missed you naden
 saturday morning just 'had' to be
an op shop hop

yes that would be quite the haul hey

included here is a new-to-me 1980's

heavy metail janome sewing machine

that no ... was not found in an op shop

but my 'personal shopper' found it for me

on buy-swap-sell

lucky me hey ....

oh & there's an embriodery hoop in there as well

might come in handy  ..... for something circle-y

thanks for an awesome weekend girls

crystal clear :: 15

 since i've blogged about my 

coloured glass jar collecting

i've had a few friends find them in their travels

may have mentioned that i was finding it tricky to track down 

some of the aqua coloured ones

bron-she-who-rocks found me this one

 well recently my awesome friend blog-less Cassy

found this little set ..... oh my!!

quite the bargain as well & she went & picked them up for me!

how amazing is all that ... 3 'made in belgium' minis

& that large one now has its long lost mate

 now speaking of mates ....

today 15 years back i married mine

i am blessed for the journey we have shared thus far

looking forward to more ... our way

traditionally the 15 year mark is crystal apparently!?

its true ... that as time goes by

you see each other more & more for who they truly are

love them even more & are loved in return

..... clearer now than even back then

enJOYing the journey

thrifty finds

haven't been out scanning the op shops lately

as i usually end up finding great things

that i just 'have' to have ...

mmmm .... went this week

found awesome things

that i just 'had' to have!

could hardly believe my eyes when i spotted that metal tree

i have always loved that design

given a few as gifts & have a huge wooden one

also another brown - made in Belgium jar

ooooh .... goodness

also my wonderful bloggy friend Bron

found me one of these:

 squeal ...... its aqua & is stunning
& its really large ....

& looks just perfect sitting next to its friend

oh & an addition to my collection
yay!
thanks Bron you rock!

thrifty finds

some summer time

country town

thrifty finds

never used indian scarves

liberty serving tray originally marked at 50 pounds!

english-made happy sunflower small platter
some silver-wear-with-anything earings

a few tups tumblers also never used

lucky there's a green one whew!

seriously awesome velvety orange lamp shade

shape puzzle, oh i love these

another awesome retro coloured glass jar for my collection

a drop cake vintage baking tray for my market display with just the right kind of patina

wire & bead ball puzzle

some amazingly well preserved circa 1950's & 60's dress patterns

thankyou Miss M Beath sized 34" pattern 5769

named & dated in cursive 4th Dec 1950

& more ... more tups & crochet hooks

dominoes & triominos

an excellent condition fleecy backed quilt

& i just can't go past some richard scary ....

looking through the clear glass at the 100

above are a pair of recently thrifted

huge glass cookie jars ... 30cms+

found on separate occasions

& hail from different eras

i adore a bit of glass jar magic

i'm always on the hunt for this coloured variety!

 now pictured here above & below

are a wonderful haul ... given to me today!

thanks mum ....
i grew up with all these jars

they were the non-perishables storage system ...

... mum has just done a huge clean up pantry-wise

ohhh how Tupps modulars work a treat ... just look at all that extra space!!

 back to the jars ... this post is about the glass not the plastic!

they are retro

they are sentimental

the are in excellent condition

& they are destined for a certain art studio

sometime soon ....

lucky me hey!

now people .... this is the post .... 

what post you ask?

this post is my
record breaker!

it is post number 100 in a calendar year ...
its my 1st century not out
can you see me raise my cricket bat & acknowledge the crowd?

in 2009 there were 86 ....

in 2010 i wrote 78 .... 

less as it was the year we packed up our house, sold it 

& stored it all for a while after we thought we were moving continents!

in 2011 a there was total of 99 .... nearly got there

so this is the year of
new records!

hmmm ... so what else can i do??

oh & people ... i know you're out there reading

please please leave me a kind word or two

i'd love to hear from you!

thrifty riBer hop .... blogtoberfest

 whisked away this past weekend once again

was a little thankyou to some of the amazing helpers

from our Playful Market

so spent some time at our riBer cabin

thanks for a fun time miriam, katrina, amanda, kate & genna

just the "ladies" this time ... plus Oscar

had to have another wagon group pic taken ....

a op shop hop was in order on Sat morning

3 op shops out of the 6 i know of in Echuca/Moama

& the farmers market .... lovely time

and then on Sun morning a fun visit to the Moama market

& the Little Birdie's market & the Port ....

.... to taste some Port ... & see the "steamers"

 so here are some more thrifty finds

there are distinct patterns here if you notice

some Tups ... 

children's books/toys

something for me

something for the studio/market stall

something retro ....

do you spot it .... oooh ???

when i spotted this aqua blue jar i was almost jumping out of my skin!

you see i have been collecting for years these retro jars ....

some have had cork tops & some glass lids like this one

i love the siluette shape without a top ...

they are lined up in a quirky spot ....

but until now i have only managed

red & orange & yellow & mustard & emerald green & brown

 the count thus far is 15

ranging from about 12cm to 22 ish

great classic retro colour palette

but i know the aqua is out there ....

my mum has a couple!

she needs to keep an eye on them or they may 'walk' my way!

.... but i found one .... & now it's found a new home

yeah i've searched on eBay & often found them

they go for too much in my book

& there's not quite the same thrill of the find in that!

... so yay for up-cycling ....

 joining in with Blogtoberfest once again ....

so stay tuned  .... you can join in too

today is day 1 .... thanks Kat!!

thrifty fun times

 some truly ace thrifty finds recently

i love a bit of op shop spotting

i usually have to drag the little boy along

but in the end he has lots of fun

and has got the idea now .... that just maybe we might walk out with

some treasure for him .... if he's good!!

loving Dr Seuss .... he's never off the current book menu

can't go past a great Tups bargain ....

some happy yellow sunshine-y container goodness

rolling pins .... tactile woody ones .... yep 4 the studio  

.... (whispered in case my husband finds out ... 

i promised that i would not 'collect' any more objects for the 'studio' ..... until i actually had one!!)

oh & the pin cushion was Oscar's choice .... seriously!

then the "piste de resistance"

a "Fisher Price Play Family Airport"

my heart skipped a beat & then raced when i saw this little number

all grimy & shoved on a shelf almost out of sight!

.... Oscar spotted it at the same time 

complete bargain ... a bit damaged

but you know in a world where retro is just the ticket

.... there are 'Fun Times in Florida' ... ! yay

 loving the teal green & all the super cute images

they are in very good condition

the control tower however must have had someone crash land

but still she's apples ... love the baggage manually operated turn table!

my mum has all the contemporary FP little people & the plane to compliment

... so if you're going to fly .... be sure to check in with plenty of time ...
not sure if there is a club lounge to wait in?

certainly not a wheely suitcase in sight ..... 

gone are the days when you'd actually go to a travel agent  .... loving it!

so yeah .... funny sunny times here

"Think left and think right

and think low and think high

Oh! the thinks you can think up

if only you try!"

Dr Seuss

thrifty finds

you know by now

i have a great love for all

things made of clay

if you've never really squished your fingers through clay

... then  you must!

our tactile sense is often ignored & really

it is just as important to enrich as the others ...

some finds ...

 clay made with a quirky, organic approach to 

being useful as well as lovely to look at & to hold

i like things a little left of centre ...

the tea pot below was not a thrifty find

(cherished treasure brought home from japan)

but hey the little cup & saucer goes so nicely with it

& 

some books

classics ...

nothing like a little Dr Seuss in life

favourite about this place at the moment

& a reference book from my past

as i flicked through the pages when i picked this one up the other day

the images were as familiar as they were when i was 7!

oh & a few pieces of 'someones' favourite 

mikasa set ... always on the look out!

joining in with the 

Haby Goddess'

Make : Grow : Thrift

thrifty treasures

the thrill of the hunt

love it

& when i find such wonderful treasures

gives me such a great buzz

little burnt orange red chair 

will find a new life as a 'prop' ... with me

it may well feature again someday on this here blog of mine

found at a garage sale $1 ... seriously

i couldn't walk away from it

also went on a little op shop tour

thanks for your company girls

some of this was picked up on our 'tour'

some on my own the week before last

fab retro dinner plate - destined for our cabin

turquoise flower plate ... matches some japanese ceramics i already love

fun snail-y teapot will become 'the' studio teapot

awesome chunky metal bangles that i've worn twice already

earings in one of my favourite colourways

& an oh so lovely little lacquer style green & black trinket box

i had other intentions for this box when i picked it up 

but it goes so very nicely with the green tiles around our fireplace

now its a keeper

& the fabric ...

well ... let me tell you i have a whole other post to write about there!

stay tuned for that one!

its all got a real asian kind of look hey

well i do like a bit of asian styling!

happy happy thrifting

joining in over here

at

MAKE GROW THRIFT

with the Haby Goddess

... thrifty wood

 ... can hardly believe our good luck lately

new to us for free

 the previous custodians were simply pleased to have 

this gorgeous wardrobe taken away

i had been hunting for a 'just right' larger

 wardrobe for Oscar on eBay

had in mind to find a dark wood piece 

that was just crying out for a little paint 

& mod podge transformation in the form of 

branches & leaves

hmmm needless to say that i will not be

giving this new beauty the same treatment

& we have more beauties below...

with my kiddy art studio on my mind a-plenty lately

groups of 4 pre-kinder & kinders is the plan

so you can see why this set of very cool

retro chairs were irresistible!

i love them and they are larger than they appear

strong & sturdy as the day they were made

and the stories... oooh i'd love to hear a story or 2 from them!

just in need a wire brush run over them 

& maybe a little light sand

& a good oil ... perfect

below is the hall style table that i spotted
early last monday morning

on a nature strip ...

heading back home after dropping
my big boy at the station

was sort of still in my pj's!
& in the wrong vehicle

stopped, checked it out, laid said table on side

hoping no one else might spot it too!?

high tailed back home

swapped vehicles in a massive hurry

bribed the 3year old to 'move-along-quick-sticks'!! ...

whew ... & it was mine

along with a great hoard of Lego!

 so joining in the Haby Goddess'

make

grow

thrift

... great thrifty finds hey ...

thrifty toadstools & more treasure

 been at 'our' riBer ... (translation from Oscar speak = river)

whilst north managed a now traditional shopping expedition ... 

to 2 op shops ... my favorite ones ...

these little handmade toadstools just had to come home with me!

i have plans to polish them up a bit but they have already been well played with

this is the treasure hoard! i seriously only spent about $40

tupperware colander for sandpit play

& a slice n'store & a sweet keeper

& hamburger press molds that look like they have never been used

& a cool rusty brown butter container ... i have been searching for one of these for years
... my aussie farmers butter will live happily in this i am sure

and a single bed boys cars & trucks doona cover set
that is 100% cotton & is handmade as one large piece of fabric & way well become the backing to some wonderful quilt for my little boy

& a really groovy paisley printed patchwork design
double doona cover that actually matches some pillow cases i bought a while back
... perfect for a cabin!

a denim jacket & a pink top for me

t shirt & shorts & japara & a CR woolen jacket for Oscar

balls of wool ... that have already been attacked! (see next post!)

x2 awesome crochet hooks

a wiggly giggly game (not pictured) already been well played with!

dominoes

wooden bowl ... which will head straight to a studio ... one day!

a great bag full of little animals ... & an excellent pyrex mixing bowl ...

a new or almost new barbie-mate ...

yep i think that was all

whoo hoo!

thankyou to all the people who love cleaning out their unwanted items at new years ... they become someone else's treasures!!

...went off to market ...

saturday was really wet & wintry but still the people came ...

...great fun with friends with other stalls & visits too ...i think i looked the part ...
cute baby swaddle wraps
& patchwork travel blankets
& cute decorative mini wall quiltsdoing a big photo shoot tomorrow...
with one of my favourite new little people ...
... so i can actually put some of
my handmade items in my
etsy shop!!
just love this cane basinet basket
that was a thrifty find last week ...
...looks a treat painted up in an 'elmo' red ... love it .... look out for it in more pics!
love that cute little dolls house pictured above too!
made lots of cute fabric magnets ...
and the people's favourite once again ...
...was my funky appliqued
de-constructed
cute & cool fabric
layered
hand stitched
little people outfits ...

PS - sorry but didn't have the opportunity
to post about what I was
selling as I'd hinted I would
.... blogger was done all day for me on friday !!!