My creative space

 Hi and happy Thursday to everyone!

 How has your week been so far?

I have been doing some serious creating, realising it's only one week until the start of the spring fair season.

With that in mind I have been making some spring themed jewellery like these bird's best necklaces.
Now I realise that the bird's nests are not new, and I didn't invent them, but I had a stash of czech glass pearls that I wasn't using plus a few other round stone beads that needed a purpose.

 These wire-wrapped pendants are perfect beacuse they use 3 little round beads and wire (that I already had).
Also although there are plenty of these on etsy I haven't seen them out in the markets here, so they will be a bit of freshness on my stall.

 Next up - I've had a few requests for stud earrings.
The other week when I was in sydney for my wedding anniversary I had a bit of shopping time and as luck would have it our hotel was almost next door to the most fabulous button shop "Buttons buttons buttons". I always love having a poke around in there and picked up some sweet little buttons to use for earrings.

What do you think?

And that's about it for now...back to my creative space to do some creating, however if you'd like to see more creative spaces or join in then pop on over to Our Creative Spaces.

See you next time!

Mad about lace

 Lace. do you love lace?

You know lace isnt just the stuff associated with wedding gowns!
Who'd have thought you could have metal lace, plastic, crocheted lace, in fact you can make lace with just about anything!

Wikipedia says "Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric"

And it is the in-between open spaces which are as important as the solid parts when it comes to lace!

I felt very inspired to create my own lace after visiting the Love Lace exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney today.

Here are some of my faves and some unusual creations.

I love this tea set and photoprinted tea bags, traditional lace, but non-traditional treatment

steeped in memory by Linda Galbraith

This dress is so wearable, it has quite a fragile look though.

whitework by Anne Farren

 Now who would think to crochet Henry Ford's first engine - using wire?
Um, not me!
But this is a wonderful contruction!

Detroit's shadow by Ann Mondro

Or who would think to use Darwin's Origin of Species to make little cut palnts out of.
There were reams and reams of paper her, but I was fascinated by the little plants.

A brief history of time by Jenny Pollack

Did you know you can make lace of of coathangers?

Sacred geometry by Lyndal Hargrave

 Or leaves?
Such a simple idea, but oh so effective.

The garden of leaflessness by Golnar Roshan

I think this was my favorite - how could it not be?

It's jewellery, right?

Lacqueus by Alison Wheeldon

 And there are many more wondrous lacey creations to be seen at the Powerhouse Museum, so if you are in or near Sydney I urge you - go and have a look!

Make lace - not war!

My week - a birthday, a bay and bracelets.

 What a lovely week!

 Our beautiful daughter turned 21 this week and we travelled to Wollongong to celebrate with her.
We went for a picnic and found this fabulous bay which looks perfect for snorkelling.
We'll be back!

Then there was dinner and of course cake!
It's a double layer mud cake - uses 4 big blocks of chocolate - Oh, the decadence!

A small amount of creativity has been going on.
I've been making some cards which I forgot to take photos of.

And these bracelets which I made from some beads donated by Sue of metal and stone. These will go into the free goody bags which we give to customers at our craft collective The Nook at Leura, during the annual Leura village fair.

This afternoon it stopped raining enoughto go out for a little walk to a local lookout.

 On the way the sulphur-crested cockatoos were enjoying a snack -

 When we got to the lookout it looked like there was more rain on the way.

And there were lots of flowers out, including this Isopogon.

How was your week?

My Creative Space

My creative space this week is a bit of this 'n that!

 Some more sterling silver and czech glass earrings for Making Spaces Marketplace

Laid out here on my favorite portable creative space - plastic shoe box lid with upholstery velvet mat!

 Then some more tshirts for the Art and Design market at Wollongong on Sunday.

I've pulled out these cute fabrics to make some brooches, hopefully I'll have time to sew them!

If you'd like to see some more creative spaces, or join in then pop on over to Our Creative Spaces!

Wednesday wishes

I couldnt resist some bright and beautiful wishes this bright and beautiful Wednesday.

How much fun are these plates?

super festive set by Ninainvorm

It may be time to uncover my winter legs with this comfy skirt.

wrap skirt by ogekko

And this sweet print ticks all my boxes - tea, teapots, chickens and cake!

stay for tea by littlemoand friends

Happy Wednesday!

Selling your wares - part 2

Last month I started writing about where to sell your creatives outputs. You can read that post here.

Number 2 on my list is party plan or home shows, not because I think it is the next step for everyone, but sometimes it follows on naturally from selling to family and friends. You know your friends say to you "I'd love to see your creations and I've told my friends all about them and they'd like to see them too."

Advantages of a home shows is that geographically it is close to home and you need minimal selling accessories, as you would if going to a market.
You can just stay at home and unpack your goodies or you pack up your goods and go!

There are several approaches to party plan.

1. You can invite people to your home and just have a home party.

2. You can ask some of your very supportive family or frinds to host one for you.

3. You can advertise.

The other thing to decide depends on what you make in a way.
Are you (1) going to just sell your stock on hand, with perhaps some custom orders?
Or are you (2) going to just take orders?

If you make mostly one of a kind items or original art works then you will probably do (1).

If your business is one where you develop a collection or range and have easily reproducible pieces you might prefer to do (2).

OK, lets say your hosting a home show at your own place, what are some of the things you need to do?

1. Prepare your stock and have it priced.
2. Prepare a display area that is easy for people to walk around and have a look at things.
3. Have a mirror and/or changeroom if your guests need to try things on.
4. Serve some simple food and drinks. Self serve is best, but you could conscript a helpful parter or child.
5. Decide on payment options. Cash only. Cheques. Paypal.
6. Have a cash box with change, and a receipt book.
7. Wrapping paper, bags etc.
8. Business cards and other information.
9. If you are going to take orders for later delivery you'll need an order form and/or a catalogue.

If a friend is hosting for you you might need to scope out the room where the party is to be held.
Check out if she has tables you can use for display.
You should  take your own cloths to cover any display tables.
Check on access to the house and how you will get your stock and display equipment inside.

Hopefully your friend will supply the refreshments.
Perhaps you can offer a little hostess gift or discount as a thankyou.

photo and great post from Popko

Other ideas from etsy sellers -

- offered a 20% off if you bring a friend deal, which went over really well! (I gave both the person and the friend 20% off). Alex Wijnen

- putting a dab of 'vanilla on a light bulb gives the room a wonderful fragrance and entices people to shop, as does the smell of fresh baked bread crochetgal


- Maybe have some cute "shopping" baskets that they can "fill up"! SewInspirations

- from my experience I wouldn't offer too many places to sit. My open house turned into a seated chit-chat. I think if there had been fewer places to sit, they would've mingled and browsed more. SouthernSkirts

- don't just hide behind your table waiting for people to hand you money---get out from behind there, socialize, have some fun, grab a drink, and party too! KreatedbyKarina

Have you had a home show?
How did it go?
Do you have any tips to share?

Mad about tiny houses

I am dreaming of down-sizing!
When hub retires we'd love to buy a caravan and do the grey nomad thing and travel round Australia, but we also reckon we'd need a base somewhere....maybe a shack near the beach....a little place to return to and store our family heirlooms.

We wouldnt need much...and just as I was ruminating on these possibilities there was a show on ABC Radio National on the Future Tense program about tiny houses!

Totally entralling!
You can read about one tiny house here but I think this is a bit too tiny for us. Great for one person, perhaps.

However some of them are very, very tiny!
 

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company via Retro Thing

How would I fit all my crafty junk in?

I'm quite partial to this minimalist design - 

Tumbleweed Z-glass house

 but maybe we'd need 2 - one for us and one for me!

Interesting ideas here -

from designboom

A delicious view is definitely needed -

from mincasa

But this won't happen for a few more years yet, but I can dream, yes?

In the meantime some other sweet tiny houses for you -

vintage fabric house brooch by grrlandog

miniature house by thelittlereddoor

tree house by pearsonmaron

Cloud Atlas

Still on the theme of clouds!

How appropriate that Jennifer Byrne's classic pick tonight on The 1st Tuesday Book Club on TV was Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
Have you read it?

I found it thoroughly engrossing!
The book consists of six nested stories  they are folded inside each other) telling stories from the past to the deep future and they are all connected very cleverly.

Sorry - you can't really click to look inside here - but this edition has such a pretty cover!

If you've read it - tell me what you thought of it.

Mad about clouds

My husband took a photo yesterday of some lovely wispy clouds and I started thinking about how varied and everchanging clouds are.
Do you remember playing that game when you were a child - lying on your back, looking up at the sky and making pictures out of clouds?

It strikes me that clouds can still inspire creativity!

You can photograph clouds!

photograph by ellemoss

You can paint clouds -

painting by soloworkstudio

you can wear clouds,

dress by northbrooklydrygood

in many different ways.



Earrings -

cloud earrings by zoozjewelry

necklace -

ceramic necklace by chARiTyelise

You can crochet clouds (who knew?!)

necklace by HoKiou

You can stick them on your wall.

decals by greywolfgraphics

You can find many used for these sweet cloud dishes -

bowls by dgordon

or snuggle up with cloud pillows -

pillow by myfavoritedress

and stick pins in a cloud -

pin cushion by spincushions

And of course clouds are perfect for a mobile -

mobile by madeleinesergeant

I have in mind that I should design a cloud tshirt for Boos Tees.
What do you think?

Do you have some special cloud memories?

My creative space

Another Thursday!
Don't they roll round quickly?

How has your creative mojo been this week?

I have been gluing again!

Making some promised earrings

Cute, eh?

Would you like to share your creative space? Or have a peek at some other creative spaces?
Then pop along here!

See you next week. Chao!