Harvest Textiles Christmas market

Work today was boring, boring, BORING! Yet I am excited, excited, EXCITED for Harvest Textiles Christmas market on tomorrow.  My class mates and I have been producing some very special products for the occasion including screen printed wrapping paper and a Full Drop Co. limited edition riso calendar which was included the thousands gift guide this week.   The calendar features textile design inspired illustrations from the clever Full Drop Co. gang, including a little something by myself.  I can't wait to browse the goodness supplied by other stall holders and do some not-too-last-minute Christmas shopping!

Fruits of labour

Laz and I planted some very small tomato and zuchinni seedlings a few months ago.  The plants are raging now, especially the tomatoes!  I spent some time yesterday looking up tomato relish/sauce/soup recipes as there appears to be quite a bumper crop in our little backyard.  I love cooking, but have never ventured into 'preserve' territory...

ideas people

I have been spending more time drawing and jotting down ideas lately.  It's great to have a little creative energy back after being so burnt out after the uni year was over.   Being on the look-out to clever ideas around me, I stumbled across Mimi Pong's 'shapes of things to come' pouches:

The internet is a great thing.  Especially if you like looking at pretty pictures of beautiful design creations.  I have been finding lately that accessability and awareness of thousands of talented artists/designers/textile peoples with successful careers can also be bit of an intimidating.  This is certainly my current feeling as I'm approaching my final year of uni.  Soon it will be over and there is always the possibility of being in the internet and publicity hustling game too...  This blog has been very helpful in getting me to put my work out onto the net, and therefore, into public.  Recommended it for all shy, easily embarrassed folks such as myself!

Shima-Seiki

My first shima design! Incredible to see something like this created before your eyes so quickly. Colours a little reminiscent of Hawthorn football club.  A few kind folks said 'bark cloth' colours instead.  The question now is what to do with the fabric since I am a complete novice on any sewing machine.

22/11/2011

Snippets of enjoyment from this week.  kiwi-fruit bear-face icy-pole...making pom-poms....dinosaur kits...beautiful colours and new-ish shoes putting a spring in my step.

14/11/2011

I have been 23 for a whole month now.  Looking at pictures of bindles on the net this morning.  I can't think of any reasonable explanation for this except that this is what happens when you have time to waste. I always thought they were only for smurfs and hobos, but have discovered a Louis Vuitton bindle also.

images from here, here, and here

New Pace

Its so wonderful to be on holidays and be able to live at a lessened pace.  The weather is gloomy and stormy, but I don't mind at all.  It's a perfect opportunity to read blogs, draw and watch bad tv.  The cats have been keeping me company-Omar's new nap place happens to be my desk chair.  I feel so guilty disturbing him and kicking him off!

Feeling inspired by the gorgeous colours and fair-aisle patterning in Hilary Grant's work.  I would be tempted to purchase one of these lovely scarves if we were not quickly approaching summer.

Suburb snaps

I recently moved house... about 5 minutes away from my old place.  Regardless, its a scene change and has continually prompted me to pull out my camera and capture inspirational details:

 The end of August and the first peeks of blooms are coming out for spring.  After rain, things seem to overgrow; even cuttings on my desk:

around my bendy street, then down the creek

lazy days always

I am impressed by how lazy I have been today.  The great thing about this is that I don't feel like I should have been doing anything.  Ah, the joys of holidays and days off...  How I will miss you so when you are over!

I've had my knitting machine set up for a few days and have been enjoying what I consider as 'free knitting'; comparable to aimlessly doodling on a piece of paper.  Below are some pictures of cob-web and lace effects I have been playing with.

In Limbo...

My travels/holidays have been delayed by the second coming of an ash cloud from a volcano in Chile.  Cancelled flights feel a little strange.  I have said goodbye to everyone here yet I remain in Melbourne, kicking about...

A few days ago I thought I lost a sketch book which I carry around with me in my bag.  It was not a good feeling.  To fill the void, I started a new one.  A day later, I found the old one (such a relief).  Was good to start something new and will be continuing scibblings/scrap booking in the new book which has a unique, elongated shape.

I wanted to share my latest $2 find from Sydney road; this colourful and fun rug!  Its quite small (about A2 in size).  I bought two because they were so cheap and have sat them together under my desk.

concept design for shower screen

A snippet from my favourite project this semester.  Macquarie Island daisies in gesso, photocopy transfers, oil pastel, gouache, ink and pencil on transparent etching board:

Photo taken a few months ago in the Sub-Antarctic hut in the Hobart Botanic Gardens of a Macquarie Island environment:

Road to recovery

Party at our house last night; the day was spent recovering with Futurama on the dvd player and some good  food. By 'good', I mean containing chocolate.  I also got onto some internet searching trying to find things to do on my holidays. I ended up browsing through the 'Snuff Puppets' website wishing they would have a performance in Melbourne again soon!

Images from Snuff Puppets website

'Its-a-lovely-day-today...'

I was very happy this morning... Holidays are fast approaching, it is a lovely, sunny, cold but crisp day, and when I got home I got a nice cuddle from my cat.  Looking forward to getting my blogging shoes back on in the weeks to come and seeing people I haven't seen for a while!


 

Over the weekend I had some fun turning my dad's oil paintings into patterns:

You can't see it here because of the photo quality; but zoomed up in photoshop there was a strange demonic figure in the middle one.  On a less creepy note, there were also what looked to be beetles and butterflies! How lovely....

Oh my garsh....

Some of the most enchanted things I have ever looked upon by Husmann/Tschaeni:  

For more, go here on the internet, or better yet go here with your feet. 

Just another...

I was very happy to have been part of 'Just Another Female Skateboarding Exhibition' last week at 1-5 Faction.  There was some really amazing/inventive pieces to look at.  Highly recommended viewing!  Its on until the 28th of March; for more info head to the Faction website here.  I'll be putting a photo of the board I made into the 'gallery' section of the blog in the next few days.

Last Day of Summer

Last day of summer today, but I think I'm still waiting for it to start. Its also the last day of my school holidays and being able to stay in my dressing-gown for extended periods every morning.

A photo I took in January using my Holga.

Although I'm sure in the coming weeks I will miss the laziness holidays has allowed, I am quite looking forward to student life and have been getting inspired by a few things that I would like to share here:

1.  'Girls Zine'

Even though its entirely in Japanese, one can still appreciate all of cute, quirky, naive illustration and design.  I often think that if I was Japanese I would be a better designer.  These are a few of my favourite pages in the book:

2. Valerie Anne Molnar knitted creations...

Images from Valerie Anne Molnar via id textile.

3. Pedal Pushers

Bike gang at uni.  We printed some tees for Bike Fest 2010 and we were back in the print room last tuesday making bags for orientation day. 

Click here to read a post I did for the RMIT textile design blog about the day.