Bunnies and Bibles

I nearly forgot that it was Thursday, which means playing with Kootoyoo.

Easter usually means bunnies, but for many in the world it is a christian holiday...so as I have an abundance of Little Golden Books I thought I would give the bible stories a go, as well as the bunnies.

I photographed them on our one exposed mudbrick wall, rather biblical methinks. 

Now the hard bit..loading them onto Etsy. See what other creatives have done at Kootoyoo.

Garden Dreams

I was going through some old photos today and found that I had never posted my trip to Melbourne, namely one of my favourite experiences, Captain Cooks Cottage. I know it sounds way daggy, but it was really very sweet. It had a gorgeous garden that has inspired some garden dreams for the future. It was full of foxgloves and cottage garden plants and really satisfied the Anglophile in me.

The cottage was bought over from England and was the first house Cook and his wife lived in. It is very tiny and has a fairytale quality. We are such a young country here, (only 220 odd years old) that little bits of history like this really strike a note with us.

On my book wish list is now Kitchen Gardens of Australia, by Kate Herd. I had a look at it in the bookshop, and if I wasn't so cheap, I would have bought it on the spot! But being on frugal Scottitsh stock, I will put in a request for purchase at the library.

Looking at the pics I realised that I had been neglecting my vege patch of late, partly because of the heat, partly laziness and also because of the resident snake. But I girded my loins and decided to spend at least an hour in it...I called defeat after half an hour. It is still stinking hot here, and very steamy (Evidence: the dazzling green of the growth)

I harvested about sixty cucumbers, which have grown too big, and got very itchy from the prickles on the vine.  Partnered with the sweat, I nearly screamed in exasperation. I should really pickle them, but I am not in that space at the moment.They will all go to my naughty chooks who seem to have a developed a taste for eggplant. (Those demned fowl!)

From the ten eggplant on my vines,  I managed to harvest two. Maybe the cucumbers will distract them.

So, enough of the garden for now, I am  going to make some bunny and Biblical Little Golden Book buntings. I am  not sure how they will go, but hey...one has to try.

Boxworld

I meant to post this yonks ago, but as as for many things, time got away from me.  It was an exhibition at the Lismore Regional Gallery, by Tasmanian model maker Warren Thomas, called Boxworld. In short, it was riveting. Miniature is so enticing, you want to step into its fantasy world.

After visiting a Lego exhibition with his children years ago, Mr Thomas was inspired to follow suit. He couldn't afford Lego, so began using everyday ephemera such as milk cartons and conflake packets. (My sister and I used to do the same when we made our Barbie furniture, creative little folk that we were!)

 This exhibition took up an entire room and apparently it is three times as large again. It would be mightily impressive to view the whole metropolis.

And the most important shop of all, an op shop! (Sorry about the wonky camera work, these were taken by my phone.)

Proud as Punch

I am a very proud sibling today as my sister Linda is increasing her family and realising her dreams...she now has a shop that she shares with her friend Lisa  at Mitchell Road Antique and Design Gallery.

I have never been to Mitchell Road, but I often read people rave about it in magazines. No longer a Street Tinker, or a Barrow Chick she is a fully fledged Proprietor! Good on you sis! I am not sure if the girls have named the shop, as it is shared, but my sisters official stall name is Wilma Vintage.

If you happen to live in Sydney, pop by their little shop...my sister has a nose for fabulous finds. She is like a bloodhound, and from the sound of it, even after a week they will have a high turn around with wonderful new goodies every week.

Retail therapy

A bit of retail therapy does wonders for the soul. I toddled off to Bangalow Markets today and had a very productive day, very uplifting. Firstly, I keyed up a place for a stall up at the Moller Pavilion for the next market. It will be the Bluesfest weekend, so hopefully will be busy. I am one of those pernitickity folk who hates mud in between my toes and rain on my paper goods so the Moller Pavilion is just the ticket, warm and cosy and dry.

These are the goodies that I collected today. There was a garage sale around the corner from the market which was a treasure trove. I got the hand reel, fabric, clown, two bill spikes (so I can be organised) and an old engineering book with fabulous illustrations which will be used in my collages. (Now that I have looked at them again I am thinking screen printing the illustrations...they are wonderful, stay tuned)

The old matchbook sign was from the markets, as was the blue thingamagig, which is in reality a wool winding contraption. I am going to use it on my stall to display  my garlands.  The wallpaper was got from Aurora in Bangalow...lovely vintage embossed.

The gift tags are some I am currently selling, made with dress patterns. I am using some vintage blue silk that I got from Kyogle.  A lady who makes  vintage doll clothes was destashing and I got a few bits and bobs. The nice thing about the silk is that it is very Miss Haversham...very fragile and coming apart in places, but lovely still.

I will sell on  Mr Clown, but he is quite a nice and jolly clown and not at all freaky...so he might hang around for a bit. The wallpaper is going to be some cards and the fabric will either be cushions or sold  as is. It is thrilling just to be able to have a bit of successful retail therapy...after such a crappy day yesterday, so I have had my fix and am trying not to mind when I part with them.

Pop over to Sophies and Apron Thrift Girl to see some more goodies

Let's Go Shopping

I am feeling particulary out of sorts today, got the mean reds, so I thought I should do something constructive and join the Bris Style "Let's Go Shopping" meme. If I didn't so something constructive, I would have to hit the bottle like Brick (aka gorgeous hunkola Paul Newman) in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and "not stopped 'til the switch clicked in my head". I think I will have to do a seperate post on Paul Newman, but it will have to wait.

I admit that I have been a bit lazy and taken these from my first treasury How about a cuppa? which, I must say took an excessively long amount of time to complete. (I think two and half hours) Is it just me in my negative state, or are those crafty Etsy folk getting the populace to do their job? Hmmm. Anyway, thankyou Bris Stylers for including my Hearts and Flowers Garland.

Spotted Deer Family Lime Chiffon Faux Cake Sculpture
Kooky Crafts

blue willow pattern 7x7 art print

His Hers Teacup Set
trixiedealicous

vintage apron

buzzinaround

Merch chick at the Art Gallery

I almost forgot. ...for this month I am a "Merch Chick" at the Lismore Regional Art Gallery. My vintage garlands and bunting are available in the foyer.

I feel a bit guilty as the current exhibition is a very political one, dealing with trauma and war, and there sitting in the foyer are images of the complete opposite subjects. But maybe, in that respect it works, and the childish innocence of my objects brings the subject of the exhibiting artworks into focus. Hmmm.

Khadim Ali, [Untitled] 2011, water-colour, gouache and ink on paper, courtesy of The Cross Art Projects

Flea Market Finds - Black and Yellow

I have collected so many bits and bobs lately that I can't fit them into my house and decided to put them in my stall at the recent Love Vintage Fair at Byron. My mantra is now "Sell it on sweetie!" (Aka. Edie in Ab Fab)

This little plastic wicker children's wagon satisfies my fetish for yellow and black. Whilst cleaning it I noticed that the wheels were made by Wingfield Plastics, Adelaide...and there the mystery was solved. No wonder I love yellow and black plastic...it was made close to where I grew up. Subconsciously I must have seen yellow and black everywhere growing up and these memories surface when I see 'stuff' and a little voice screams, "Nick you must have it...you MUST." Ofcourse I don't need a childs wicker carriage, but it felt good buying it.

While at the fair, it went missing and I thought "Ahh, goodbye groovy little carriage." It is not uncommon to have things swiped.

Half an hour later a little kid wanders by the stall wheeling the carriage. It is piled high with goods. I approached the mother  who said with languid surprise, "Oh is this yours?" On the affirmative she looked down and realised that her kid had been having a very good time 'collecting' everything at his eye level. I told her the price and she looked at me as if I was from Mars. I felt like banging her over the head with carriage.

So the carriage returned home, to wait for another fair.

Pop over to Sophies  and Apron Thrift Girl for some more finds.

Frankie Pressie

I love presents, particularly surprise presents, and especially those which arrive in the mail.  I wonder why a parcel in the mail is more exciting than any other kind of present? I even love it when you are expecting something, like a magazine subscription, an amazon order or an etsy purchase. The fact that it is collected from the mailbox adds a certain excitement to it. (Disregarding the black snake  who seems to be stalking me at the letter box)

But I digress...the other day I received a surprise present from Frankie magazine for being a long time subscriptor (is that a word....subscriptee??) I was so moved that I began to weep a little weep, 'cos the pressie is so sweet.

It is a lovely squirrel necklace from Corky St Clair. So gorgeous! Thanks Frankie and thanks Corky...your gift really lifted my spirits.

New stuff

I have just re-stocked my Etsy and Made-it shops with some more cushions, bunting and garlands.

From the five I uploaded, Sleeping Beauty and the Good Fairies was a hit on Etsy. I had four favourites within an hour. Funny, I wouldn't have thunk it...but people love princesses.

I finally got around to making my Valentine garlands. They are made of vintage 'Romeo and Juliet' plays and a colourful 'Cinderella' picture book. Very autumnal.

 

Favourite shops-Uno

I have been sooo long in posting...my dastardly internet has been mucking up. At times like this I think of Audrey Hepburn in the Nuns Story, and feel that I must accept the burden of bad internet with grace and patience, as Audrey learnt to become humble and not yearn for the Congo.

There is so much to catch up on. My sis will be happy to hear that I nearly trod on a black snake in the orchard yesterday. It ran away from me, I ran away from it, but not before performing some bizarre spastic contortions from sheer shock,  that would have gone viral on You-Tube... if I had the misfortune to be filmed. Thank goodness there were no witnesses and the only memory I have is a crook neck.

I have been busy travelling the countryside, visiting stockists and favourite stores, and taking lotsa photos,  so I thought that I would start off with some pics of my trip to Plum Vintage at Kyogle. Maya stocks lovely collectables and local arts and crafts such as ...Collecting Feathers.