stitching up 2010

Guess what I got for my birthday, from my truly fantastic parentals?

A sewing machine! (a Brother XL-2230, to be precise)



I've named him Akashi.

He is Japanese, has 26 stitch functions and enjoys kickboxing and good coffee.

:D I'm in love.

My first sewing project was an easy one - a roll-up makeup bag.





Looks pretty nifty and I designed the pattern myself - although I've since thought of about five ways to use less material and sew less seams.

It was a good first go though, I think.

I have a week of annual leave next week and I'm really looking forward to sitting down and busting out a whole bunch of stuff.

Actually I have a lot of ideas for new resin designs and owlish critters as well. Heaps of work to be done!

The aim is to hit up Newtown markets before Christmas. Anne, Sez and I made some serious cash before Christmas last year.

In other news, had another sale via my ordinary owl brand on madeit.com.au.

So far, I've made $60 via madeit.com.au. That's in exchange for about an hour's worth of effort in terms of setting up the store.

Gets me thinking about what I could do if I dedicated some proper time to some of these half-assed projects.

:)

stuff... yknow

Would you believe it? I'm in the process of moving, again...

Please accept my sincere apologies for the stark lack of updatage.

There's been little time for crafting or blogging of late.

My mother once made the observation that the big, heavy moments of my life always happens at the same time for me.

They don't happen in sequence... and not with gaps in between for thinking (and calming down) time.

I'm beginning to think she was right

Life's watersheds have a tendency of sneaking up on me in a big gang, and thumping me over the back of the head with a newspaper. Usually, while I'm eating my breakfast.

I've got to tell you... there were five glossy lifestyle liftouts hidden in the middle of my last newspaper to the head.

And they packed a whallop.

**cue whinge-fest here**

No.

I won't bore you with details.

Lets just say there's a lot going on and moving house on top of it all, is not making me happy. I've been doing a truckload of sooking about it, I'll tell you that.

I have set up an online store on the past week though, which is a bloggable crafting exploit I suppose.

It's called The Ordinary Owl and it's on madeit.com.au. I'm still putting stuff up and working it all out. It's a bit thin on substance at the moment, because my stocks are low.

Check out my logo:



I have sold an owl named Florence, which was an exciting moment.

Grumble grumble... Ok. I guess it hasn't been all bad this month.

Craft saves the day. Again.

making, moving, moaning....

So the last markets before Sez set off for her English teaching adventure were pretty good.

We didn't make a lot of cash (what's new?) but as always, it was smashing to catch up with my lady friends. Sold a few owls, sold a few bangles... a handful of pins. Our position was a bit out of the way and we weren't catching a lot of the crowd.



Ended up having a chat to a guy who's been doing animation work on a new film called Legend of the Guardians. He and his partner bought one of my owls.

They're convinced that once the film comes out, everyone will be going nuts for my winged-wonders. Check out the film's poster below - it's due out here on Australia on Sept 30.



I think stylistically my owls are a little bit of a stretch for film merchandise... but I'm happy to jump on any bandwagon that's going :)

It was a relief to escape Canberra's oppressive chill for 48 hours. Sydney has sun that penetrates a little deeper than what you get in Canberra!


(market ladeez - Moz, Annie and Sez)

On Saturday night, I caught up with some other Sydney friends out at Clovelly. Had some incredible Japanese food at cute little place called Ten. (tofu. bento. box: I shall say no more...)

They also had these crazy crane-shaped origami garnishes that I was most impressed with. I've searched high and low on the interwebs for a picture, so I can show you what I mean. This is the closest I can find. It's almost the same, but not from Ten (thanks to i-nomad).

That's a piece of carrot!!

I am going to learn how to make these little bastards if it kills me.

Also, I have some Big (Bad) News.

I've got to move out of my current place in O'Connor - the lease expires in just under two weeks now and the owners want their place back.

I'm moving to a place around the corner with a new set of randoms. I'm a bit sad - I really liked this place and my flatties.

But them's the breaks. :-(

to market, to market etc etc

I'll actually get there this week.

Sydney. This weekend. Newtown. None of this Rocks business...

I've got a few new owls to take along and I hope to make a few smaller ones between now and Friday.

Also have some new resin to sell.

Exciting news! I went and bought a dremel and a tonne of polishing rouge which works a treat to get rid of surface scratches from sanding etc.



I call it the AWESOME 3000.

It looks like a dentists drill and has a whole bunch of attachments and bits. I reckon I probably could do some cut-price dental surgery with this.

Makes for nice resin. Also I can drill holes and stuff with it which is ridiculously handy. I have not even begun to explore the possibilities.

FUN. TIMES.

Really looking forward to getting to Sydney on Saturday. Work has been a bit yuk of late and I really need to have a real weekend. Election coverage was not fun, at all.

It's time for beers and good times, I think.

Come along to Newtown markets this Saturday August 28. We'll be there.

FAR OUT no rocks markets this weekend.

Markets at the Rocks have been canned for this weekend.

We are not booked in for them until August 15. Just as well really, because now I have to work this weekend (and the next) anyway.

What. A. Pain.

I believe Annie and Sarah will be going along to Newtown with our shizzle. But I won't be there. :(

Much love to anyone that makes it out to support Corazon Collective on Saturday.

rocking the rocks on July 24

Word on the street is that Corazon Collective, in combination with the lovely Vani Wahid, will be hitting The Rocks Markets on Saturday July 24.

Pretty excited about this but now have LOTS of work to do.

Next weekend has been set aside for resin making and serious owling. How excitement!

Who would have thought when we first set up our shonky card table at Newtown Markets a year ago, that we'd be here by now? We have definitely come a long way in terms of set up and presenting ourselves. Made lots of lovely marketeering friends too.

Looking forward to catching up with my Sydney people. Come visit us if you have the time!!!

in da capital

Again, I bring you tidings of change.

It seems the only time I get round to writing this blog is AFTER all the interesting stuff has happened. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Document the process etc? Apparently not...

So, you know.

I live in Canberra now. (!!!!!!)

Yes. I have packed in my old (day) job with the and have moved to our nation's great capital.

Loving the 9-5 life, I have to say.

Also loving being out of Sydney. Canberra is just the right amount of city for me, I think. We'll see, I guess... I could end up eating those words.

But for now I'm loving it. No noise, no traffic, lots of trees, and there are kangaroos outside my office at work. I don't think it gets much better than that, actually.

Craft-wise though, I am feeling quite sad. Moving to Sydney has meant the end of an era, in terms of marketeering in Newtown.

Can't just rock up to Newtown markets whenever I feel like it anymore. Takes a three hour drive. Also, I am missing my crafting buddies. Once I'm settled I plan to hike to Syd about once a month. But June has been a quiet month in terms of craft and markets.

On the upside, being so far away might force me to get cracking with the online side of things. Anne has set a up a Corazon Collective store on Madeit.com.au. Not up and running yet but on the way.

As far as crafting in Canberra, I have been putting out feelers for markets and opportunities.

Here are the findings of my covert market hunting mission:


The Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston, a suburb on the south side of Canberra. I've been there two weeks in a row now (the first time with my camera, to take some sneaky pictures) and they get a massive turnout. Our stuff would do well there I think. Got to look into the cost though...

Also, have discovered the Handmade Markets, which happen less frequently (every few months) but seem very much our style.

Many opportunities to be had.

You'll be pleased to know I haven't been slacking off completely. I have still been creating critters. These owlish creatures are what I'm really excited about at the moment. Making lots of them.




Right now I am sitting in MacDonald's, blogging using their free wifi. LOL. I still have no net connected at home. Gah...

Have to say - I feel fucking dedicated to this blog, sitting here amidst the Cheeseburgers and McFlurries.

Stupid MacDonalds....

craft=virtue

Man! I just wrote the most epic post, and then my laptop battery ran out. ALL. GONE.

I have not the energy or patience to re-write the post in all its wit and glory...

To summarise:

- Have been doing well at markets.
- Now making larger amigurumi - birds mostly. Have discovered everyone loves owls. Note to self: make more owls.
- Also making resin earrings and pendants. Still finishing. Look kinda rad.
- Making crochet earrings. Also look rad.
- Feeling like a complete trashbag this month, need to stay home, do more craft and feel virtuous.

To conclude, I shall leave you with a picture of a creation I have christened Rodney the Angry Rooster.


I bid you goodevening.

Newtown DIY markets this Sat

Ok. It's actually happening this time (unless it rains? nothing forecast though).

Markets this Saturday April 10 in Newtown, across from the station. I'll be there from 7ish until whenever it gets boring in the afternoon.

Come visit.

I've been slaving away all afternoon on my next batch of resin. Well worth the effort though - they look incredible .

Still have several owls to finish though! :-O

Eeep I am cutting it fine. Planning on pulling a late one tonight and then getting up early before work tomorrow.

Will document the weekend's marketeering in pictures.

Off now to meet Anne for coffee and talk shop.

Ciao!

amigurumi

Bad news - no markets this weekend.

My hours for work have been changed so it will have to wait until next weekend. Apparently it was going to rain anyway...

Oh well. Gives me another week to get my stuff together.

I'll be there on Sat April 10 instead.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a pic of one of the coolest pieces of amigurumi I've seen in a while.


She's the creation of Heather Stoneking, a fibre artist from Florida. You can visit her etsy shop here.

Amigurumi is is the style of crochet animals I make. It's single stitch crochet formed in a spiral.

Although it's one of the simplest forms of crochet. you can do some truly amazing things using the this concept. My stuff if nowhere near as detailed as this.

Other examples of amigurumi, by rad fibre artists:

by Anja, at tinyowlknits

And this is a fave too:

by thekeepmecompany

I'm kinda into birds right now, as you can see.

Etsy is f@$king awesome. I'm thinking of starting my own shop there.

Markets this Saturday April 3!

Heading back to Newtown DIY markets, across from the station, this Saturday April 3.

I'm really pumped. It will be the first weekend we've been up there this year.

I'm quite looking forward to it. We met heaps of awesome people last year. And it's a pretty cruisy way to spend a Saturday morning (as long as the weather is fine). Read a book, drink a coffee, soak up the sun and wait for bites. It's kind of like fishing.... :P

I'm always intrigued, observing the kind of people that buy our stuff. It's a great exercise in beginners marketing. Being able to recognise your target audience/demographic or whatnot .

Anyway, here are some pics of a gorgeous sunny day at the markets from late last year, to entice you to visit. If you want to loiter around and be a stall bitch with me, BYO chairs. I'll be there from 8am-ish to about 1pm-ish.






Got LOADS of work to do between now and Saturday to be ready.

I need to pump out some more resin and also have some new ideas for my owly creatures. Thursday and Friday are dedicated to stock production!! Hopefully see you Saturday.

new 'lines'... eh?

As promised (if not a little later than promised), here are some piccies of my latest projects and seed ideas for a new 'line' of stuff.

Remember, I'm a practicing 'fibre artist' and 'designer' of resin radness... so I get to have 'lines' and 'seasons', and what not. hee hee :-D

a long time between blogs, craft and creative whims

So it's been a long time between bleating heart blog posts!

I have a confession to make - I've been dabbling in other blogs.

They all ended up being a bit boring though. So here I am making my triumphant return to bleating heart.

I haven't fallen off the crafting radar altogether - Sarah, Anne and I got really serious about our crafting exploits towards the end of last year. We formed our own little outfit called 'Corazon Collective' and did pretty well for ourselves at Newtown markets over Christmas.

Since the beginning of 2010 though I've been SUPER slack with crafting. I've made some resin bangles (still unfinished) and two super cute little crocheted owls (modelled on a 'one-off' owl I made for my friend Maria's little girl Lara). And that's all. Really need to sit down and concentrate on some serious work!!!

To be honest I'm feeling a bit uninspired. But I just need to focus again I think.

Hopefully re-igniting the bleating heart blogging bandwagon will help!

I'd like to post some nice piccis of my owls and my newest resin stuff but it't too hard to take good pictures inside at night. I'll take some with good natural light and post them this week.

xx
-t