Handmade Market is just around the corner - so soon!

I feel like I've only just recovered from the last one and Handmade is on in just over two weeks! It looks as if it will be the best one ever. I love the new opening hours - 11am to 7pm, and there will be even more food and some great new designers. I'm experimenting with some new daisy shapes so hopefully I'll have them ready in time!

The little things....

This is the beginning of a sequence I thought I'd start based on appreciating beauty in the little things in life. Sometimes it takes you stopping for a second to realise the beauty around you. There's plenty of opportunity when your home with babies, especially when you're breastfeeding! So here is my first installment in celebration of spring. It's the first of the flowers growing on the vines in our courtyard. I love the combination of white and green - a refreshing combination.

Friday eyecandy....

Isn't this adorable? I found it on Madeit, an Australian website much like Etsy where you can buy and sell Handmade items. It's just one of the many gorgeous things you can find in this awesome store - oopsidaisi. Shops like this make me feel lucky to have two baby girls....

From November......

I'll have some of my work at the Handmade store in the city!! I dropped my stuff off this afternoon. To start with I'll have some butterfly and swallow sets as well as some small ring sets. Here's a quick peek of what I dropped off this afternoon.

I just had to have a look around and found it almost impossible to leave without buying something. At the moment it would have to be one of the best places to go for Racing fashion. I saw stunning shoes, loads of beautiful jewellery, gorgeous handbags and accessories. Seriously, why would you go to DJs or Myer and risk getting something that you'll see 10 other girls in on race day when you can get something that is unique and lovingly handmade at the Handmade store just metres away?

Fabulous Handmade and a lesson about self promotion..

Hello there, it's been a while from my last post and I don't really have an excuse apart from the usual life stuff. Had a wonderful day at Handmade - the weather was perfect and there was lots of gorgeousness all around. I had a stall across from two beautiful designers (Please eloise and Little Slave - check them out!) and ended up having to buy something from both of them- it was all too much looking at their beautiful stuff all day!!

I also learned a real lesson recently in self promotion. I have always been a bit shy of it and never really advertised myself - apart from telling people what I do - if they ask me! Anyway, my sister-in-law recently had a birthday teaparty and decorated her place Alice in Wonderland style. I offered to hang my dreamcatchers everywhere since they kind of suited the theme, and ended up selling them all, apart from one, and got an order for some more. So I'll be promoting my work at every opportunity from now on - no more shy Mel!

More for Handmade

Hi there, finishing off some more items for Handmade this weekend. I've made some more dreamcatchers. It was a lot of fun making them. Even though they are exceptionally girly, even the hubby likes them (true story!!). Anyhow, in the meantime I'm hoping Emma will give me some rest and go back to sleeping through. She's been a bit naughty these last few nights and has been keeping us up, she just doesn't understand why Mummy and Daddy aren't interested in playing at 3am. If not, I'll be the stallholder asleep under the table at her stall......

Butterfly Love...

Just thought I'd share with you a one off set I created for the Handmade Markets next Saturday 11 September. The butterflies are 10cm wide. I've used the last remnants of some wallpaper samples so it's the only set I'll have. I'll also have some sets in other colours. Perfect for a little corner you need to decorate...

Lovely....

I don't usually write about fashion but I HAD to share this lovely piece I found on Etsy. Why do I love it so much? I guess it's because it is gorgeous as well as functional. You could wear this to a wedding instead of bringing along a handbag which I always find a nuisance. It's from a shop called kikosattic . You saw it here first....lovely, lovely, lovely...

Handmade just 3 weeks away!

This will be my first markets after having Sophie so am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I hope I'll get the chance to check some stalls out for myself. It's always chock full of gorgeousness....and yumminess.

Too sweet.....

Who said wall stickers are getting a little passe? They obviously haven't seen the collection from Mimi Lou (mimilou-shop.fr). I came across these the other day and fell in love. What can I say, I'm inspired....

Getting ready for Handmade....

It's late but I'm up getting some new designs ready for the upcoming Handmade Market on 11 September. Here is a little sneak peak of what I've been doing. I'm making lots of swallows this time as they went in a flash at the last market, some butterflies and ring sets and maybe a new shape if I have time.....

Sophie Mae

It's been a while since my last post but I think I have a pretty good excuse - and here she is, a little baby girl called Sophie Mae. She arrived into the world on the 20th May at a petite 2.85kg and 48.5cm long. We are both doing fantastically (apart from a nasty case of the flu last week).

I have managed to get a bit of work done - the most exciting being an installation at the Blue Olive Cafe, opposite the Canberra GPO. It is a swarm of colourful swallows flying up and across the wall. Will post some photos soon but if you are in the area pop in and have a look. Oh, and grab a coffee from the lovely Simone while your at it as you'll want to stay and check out her fabulous vintage homewares collection....

I'm back!

Here are some new ring set designs I've been working on that are now available in my Madeit store. It's been a little while since my last post and that can mainly be attributed to the fact I am about to have a baby. I've been busy preparing and dealing with some last minute issues like a breech presentation. But after a successful ECV this morning (turning the baby from breech position to the correct position) everything is all ok and I'm on the home stretch - Yay! I'm furiously making some new stuff before the baby arrives so make sure you check it out before it all comes to an abrupt stop for a little while....

More new shapes

Cute little deer and a butterfly......

New Shape

Clouds seem to be everywhere and since I like them I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon and create a few sets for the Handmade Markets this March 28. This was my first attempt and I'm pretty pleased with the result. These shapes are really light and can be stuck on the wall using Blu Tack or 3M Picture Frame Hanging Strips. I'll only have a few sets so you'll have to be quick!!

Nesting Part Two.......

Have had a compelling need to pretty things up around home so have done a bit of decorating. First up was the dining room wall where I hung some family photos I've been meaning to frame for ages. I bought some cheap frames in black and white from a discount store and hung them all together in a sort of structured way. Didn't turn out so bad and Emma actually recognises the people in the photos and loves to point them out which is cute. I can keep adding new photos as I get them so I'm looking forward to having a wall covered in happy memories.

Next up was a blank wall in Emma's room. I had some pretty lights in the shapes of flowers that I picked up from Ikea so I made up some butterflies and little discs from some brightly covered fabric and stuck them all around. Emma has her own happy garden on the wall.

Oh, and I got my Nanami Cowdroy cushion I ordered from the UK. I don't think the photo does it justice - it's made out of a suede material and I even got a certificate of authentication. Did a bit of experimentation with some little ring sets I made....they're supposed to look like bubbles from the fish.....ok, so it seemed like a good idea at the time...

Exciting Week!

What an exciting week it has been. It started with more than average sales over the weekend (don't know why) and having my swallow set featured in the Madeit website newsletter on Monday (BTW, you should subscribe, you'll find lots of handmade lovelies). Well, within an hour of that happening I sold four more items and received a phone call from a frantic customer who wanted to know whether I was listing any more ring sets because there weren't any left. That lovely lady does not know how much that made my day! Some new wholesale requests and emails from new customers asking for product updates pretty much rounded off a great week.

In addition to that I have been able to list some new designs from my new and improved range (pictured). A slight change in the base material means that my new stuff is MUCH lighter, meaning improved stick-ability as well as the ability to offer FREE SHIPPING within Australia. Oh, and I now have greater flexibility in the range of shapes I can use too so watch this space!

Blue Swallows

I've just listed some blue swallow sets in my Madeit store. I'm so glad how they turned out. Better go, my two year old is doing somethng interesting with a pair of scissors and a throw cushion.......

Nesting.......

I think it's the pregnancy hormones kicking in because I am in a bit of a nesting phase. I've been planning some finishing touches to our renovations with a bit of urgency, which isn't like me really (the urgency bit). Anyway, not liking the current situation of my couch (it's a bit boring), I discovered some cushions that will match the retro-asian thing going on and had to share them with you. Even though I had to order them from the UK, they are actually designed by an Australian born artist, Nanami Cowdroy. I love, love, love them. Will post a before and after photo of the couch when I get them. I wonder if they repel baby spew?

Found some boxed frames in my cupboard so....

I made up some butterflies in a box. I only had four boxed frames so that's all there is. They're on sale now in my madeit store.

Just waiting on some new supplies and I'll be posting some NEW stuff soon. Yay!! As I'm think I'm sick of looking at my old stuff - It's time to move on...

SALE and Free Shipping!!

I'm hoping you are having a lovely start to your new year. It's been a bit hectic on the home front but I have had time to review my products and am introducing a new line of designs very soon. In the meantime I have cleared out my store room and have put put all of my old stock on Sale in my Madeitstore. These items have been significantly reduced so I'm not expecting them to last long.........