one-a-penny-two-a-penny ....

 "HOT cross buns"

a dozen of them

 freshly baked

"HOT off the press"

 all a bit wonky

the way i like it

randomly cut sort-of rectangles

sliced in half

add a strip

press towards the strip so it sits higher

 slice it again at right angles

add another strip

& there you have a "HOT cross bun"

usually baked at Easter

but you know .... 

tweaking it to work with the whole

HOTTIE idea

 in no time at all

your dozen will be done

note the use of a very funky newspaper print below

hence the "HOT off the press" .... love dualities

& a little extra b&w

yeah ... there is always an excpetion to the rule

my own rule about colour plus white ... 

(still waiting for that blog post aren't you?)

 piece them together

love the serendipity of fabric choices

& colour placement

yes they are all wonky & wrong

wasn't too happy with myself at one point ....

for not measuring anything

.... but then it might be a little 'too' contrived

to my eye if i had ...

 what on earth is all this for you ask?

its my entry for the "Hottie Challenge'

which is a fabulous fundraising exhibition

of HOT water bottle covers

some are actually useable too ..... mine isn't

but it has great aesthetic value!!

 

raising funds for the

Margaret Pratt Foundation

Cam from Curly Pops

has organised a whole heap of entries

i joined in ..... love a community arty crafty project

that brings people of all sorts & skills together

remind you of anything .... full circle maybe?

so the HOTTIE Challenge exhibition

is on at the Open Drawer

1158 Toorak Road, Camberwell

right near the Summerhill Road T intersection

from the 5th - 28th July

 "HOT off the press

HOT cross buns

HOT under the collar"

 HOT HOT HOT

 its ... a little bit cheeky

i like it that way

 when you read these 'personals' up-close

you'll see why some of them are

a little "HOT under the collar" ...

... back to the penny bit

it is a fundraiser after all

you can visit & vote

with your pennies .... i think that's how it works?

wintry woodend retreat

it seems that there is nothing quite like 

running away from the everyday

from time to time

went again to this sweet cottage

set on the edge of the small country town of woodend

easy to get there 

once you've actually managed to walk out the front door!

so from friday lunch until sunday late

complete delight spent with crafty minds

i worked on a couple of long sleeve renfrew tops

some 'jama pants

moved onto something a little more challenging

the lisette tunic dress in a very retro fabric 

with orange, which made it even more retro

i love it but it will need to be 'styled' just right

to make sure it not a bit costume-y

there were some hand quilting stitches added to a christmas figgy pudding quilt

& i cut out a new look dress

pattern & fabric bought earlier this year

very summer-y but well you know

you never know when you might click your fingers

& be somewhere warmer sooner rather than later!

check back later for some

photos of these finishes

(having not really posted much on wearable makes

... i'm not yet up with the whole take a pic while wearing it thing!)

we all took ourselves on a little into town excursion

into the brisk cool mountainous air

up the main road

a right, past the catholic church with its round arches!

along the way & onto the auction house

yep .... there was a HUGE i mean massive

deceased estates auction set for the sunday

with an amazing collection of truly vintage haberdashery

& collectables

some very sweet wooden display boxes & drawers

might have been one just perfect for a recently acquired thread haul

also lovely 1900's shop counter that i did work out 

would have 'just' fitted into my car ....

ooooh how i would have liked to have taken

some of these treasures home ..... went had a look-see at the auction

but alas ..... not quite my budget

but a great experience

seemed half the town was there for the entertainment

hope those lucky new owners speak lovingly to those special items like, forever!?

oh & there was the most extrodinary quilt

apparently made over 50 years

tiny tiny little hexagons

silky fabrics 

all completely...

hand stitched .... the maker slowly went blind

& it was huge ....

wonderful time spent away

thankyou for your friendships

your gift of sharing knowledge your caring actions

your words your stories your company on this journey

new studio :: week 2

 insulation

base floor

all systems go

 stud walls

supporting beams

design details
so excited

structural timbers

scaffolding

some rain

 leaps and bounds

suddenly there is a space emerging

it has a great vibe

loving it

flutter bys

did some sweet little

water colour paintings

on commission

heART a craft :: studio styling

"heART a craft"

a collection of favourite images & ideas

collection no.5

so now that you know... i've
been working away on a little

studio project

long awaited

so amazed that it is finally happening

i've dreamt about it in daydream moments

... its nearly the time to style it 
'just right'

or rather ...

to start out on a journey
of an ever evolving studio style

there may have been some favourite light fittings ordered
went for white .... what is wrong with me??
lots of thinking & imagining ....
so, 'well' ..... there's just ...

nothing like having a little secret sneaky look in other people's studios

here are a few
that capture 'something' 
of what i'm aspiring to

pintrested but today i'm having issues working out original sources.....

 

love the industiral but not institutional vibe

metal & wood plus pops of colour
liking the black but not sure if i will do?

from somewhere ....

then this one below:

of which there is something about

the proportion of space that i think will be simular

not so many windows but that morning light will be there

pintrested here

 

like the soft aqua blue of this

again industrial ... won't have enough space to dedicate to drafting drawers

but there is an essence here...

now this next shot

is actually another art studio classroom set up

i like the one wall of colour

this user friendly nature of the furniture

simple child appropriate & pops of colour once again

like the hanging chairs too ... have done that other places in the past

might re-visit that idea too ...

and this one below

always loved the versatility of wires & clips

another previously done by me idea
a time worn re-visit

they are a must

as is storage for shallow flat larger papers & art works

wheels .... there will be chunky industrial looking castors on whatever i can

& quirky storage or display containers

i am so looking forward to all things radiant

beautiful simple practical interesting

keeping my eyes peeled all the time for things that will 'work'

so blend up those ideas with a few that i haven't thought of yet

& a little bit of senrendipity

.... can hardly wait to move in!!
&
just to leave you with a thought .... from
ref: a favorite book i chat about over here
there will be plenty of problem solving going on
in my element

new studio :: week 1

so excited

... that i almost have no words

my longed for studio

is actually becoming reality

 it will completely change

how we use & what is housed in every room in our home

already there's been furniture juggling

& 'art resources' sorted

 so the build started last week

demolition done

those tricky levels sorted

we've had a bit of rain since then

so stump holes turned to muddy pits

gum boots squelched

timber has arrived by the truck loads

 the joists are in

progress so far has been quick

so studio plus a super huge deck plus a storage space

oooh yeah!

& we will still have the cricket ground

this space below is the floor area

of the actual studio

its going to have a 4m high ceiling

wonderful eastern morning light

will be quirky & have loads of character

just the way i like it

stud walls appearing

ugly exposed plumbing being hidden & sorted

window & door frames have arrived

my job ..... is to prime these this weekend

like to help??

i'm sure i could find you a paint brush!!

 

 stay tuned for further updates

i am enJOYing the journey

but .... there are some things about a reno/build

that seriously .... not much fun

but am so so so thankful that were are able to make this happen

lucky lucky me .... my cup runneth over!

i am the Lorax. i speak for the trees

 "at the far end of town

where the Grickle-grass grows

... is the street of the Lifted Lorax"

there is a favourite story about these parts

its Dr Seuss' "The Lorax" 

(in case you hadn't quite picked that up!?)

its so well loved that it was the theme for

Oscar's 5th Birthday celebrations held recently

  "..... I came to this glorious place.

And I first saw the tress!

The Truffula Trees!

The bright-coloured tufts of the Truffula Trees!

Mile after mile in the fresh morning breeze."

 the Onceler was there, seeds planted

a game or two  .... pin the mustache on the Lorax

some dancing to the "bad song" .... & others from

the soundtrack to "The Lorax" the movie ...

 "But those trees! Those trees!

Those Truffula Trees!

All my life I'd been searching

for trees such as these.

The touch of their tufts

was much softer than silk.

And they had the sweet smell

of fresh butterfly milk."

 the party table was set

with a valley of green

mini truffula trees

made with pom poms & skewers

party food to match

with barbaloot bears & humming fish

  "UNLESS someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.

Its not."

  i so love the multiple messages within the story 

of the Lorax ....

with hindsight, the Onceler is regretful about his greed

there is an environment that we are given to care for

you, me ..... it always starts with the 'little' people of the world

 & there is always hope

it reminds me that really so much of what we have

we really don't NEED ....

  lots of lovely little friends joined in the fun

for in our village, there is always time to celebrate

these small kids & their families

are all part of our heart-felt 'village' & we love you
oooh ... check out this spunky Lorax dress made
especially to be worn to this party!!

how time flies - blink & your baby has turned 5 years old!

a No.5 cake, which when cut, was all 

green & orange & chocolate swirls

with some green-grickle-grass 

& 5 carefully picked Truffula Tree Red Velvet Cake Pops

mmmm .... yum!

  there were party loot bags with goodies

& truffula seeds & more barbaloots

special spontaneous moments with a grand-fatherly 'reading'

 we love you so much Oscar

so while you are slowly 'biggering' & 'biggering'

we hope you grow & learn & love & enJOY

... its your journey & we love having fun with you!

 all quotes are taken from the Dr.Seuss reference: "The Lorax"

first published in 1971