The Elm Tree - out and about....in Parramatta.

A lovely new little shop has popped up in Parramatta - it's called The Elm Tree.

This sweet marketplace is commited to showcasing the handmade creations of designers and crafters from around Australia with a focus on sustainability, the community and children.

With this focus foremost in their minds the gorgeous pair behind this project - Katie and Eleanor, offer a huge range of craft classes for children and adults.

The Elm Tree has all sorts of yummy, scrummy things!
Gorgeous gift ideas for Christmas - softies, toys, cushions quilts, jewellery as well as beautiful cards and gift tags.

The Elm Tree has popped up as part of Pop-Up Parramatta which is an initiative of Parramatta Council to revitalise and reinvent and renew the shopping arcades of Parramatta.

Planettreasures is now thrilled to be a supplier of The Elm Tree - if you are in the vicinity of Parramatta - pop in!

You can find them on facebook - here.

Marketing - at the Bluebird Market

Just thought I'd share with you a selection of the lovely stalls and faces behind the creations at the Bluebird Market at Leura yesterday.

alchemista - organic bath and body products

It is full of wonderful handmade, locally created goodies.
Despite the drizzly mountains weather our spirits were high.

Andrew from The Box People

Eccentric Style herb garden markers

De from Kookabubble

Winnie and her lightcatchers

Paper Elephant letterpress stationery

lip balm and lip balm holders from Pip & Waffle

Dom from portena jewellery

Pulford Pottery

handknitted socks from sewcialisers

satchels by needle vs thread

Have you got a favorite local market?
What makes a great market - for shopping or trading?
I'd love to hear your suggestions so please leave a comment.

Going...going...almost gone

I really should tell you about this before I eat it all!
I was lucky enough to win some of Cricklewood Chocolate's amazing chocolate.
Yum!
I chose 100% cacao with fig and hazelnut...it's very dark, very smooth and very delicious.
If you love chocolate or want a gift for a chocoholic...check out Cricklewood Chocolate.

A new (ad)venture

This week two of my crafty buddies opened a new shop!

It's in Parramatta in western Sydney and is part of the Pop-up Parramatta initiative to revitalise the city centre.

They have filled it with lots of handmade goodies from near and far.

It looks great! - so inviting.

art by benconservato

hats by Christine's Millinery

snack bags by the twin thing

jewellery by me

Here they are - the partners in crime - K1 and K2!

 

For more information about this wonderful enterprise visit here.

1st photo is from making spaces marketplace website

Wednesday wishlist

Don't the weeks roll round quickly?
And there's a definite chill in the air, although the days are clear and sunny.

So while I'm wrapping up in jumpers and socks, I still need some pretties, right?

birds on a wire by kylieparry

Or a stunning decorative plate.

printing plate on brown clay, bird 1 by almapottery

I can see how this could be a change of season dress with tights and a cardi.

romantic wanderer by SeaofTales

some little things this week

I feel that I havent been very productive lately.
Well at least it is a quiet time of year.

So I have been allowing myself to do some playing.
I was playing around with different beads in different colours in peyote and brick stitch, and I was going to make it into a pendant, when a friend asked was it a brooch?

*ping*

I added a vintage glass button, sewed on a brooch back and 'voila!'

- a brooch.



This set me to thinking that if I stitched a base of peyote stitch that is big enough to take a brooch pin and if I then added on segments of different stitches using different beads, I could drape and fold the pieces, sew them down and have a brooch with a flat back.

My first attempt - it is very free-form looking -


but there is definitely a possibility here.

Watch this space!

Sale and some new stuff

You know when you are just sick of seeing the same things?

I have been feeling like that about some of my jewellery, especially some necklaces that have been around for a while.
So I decided to have a clearance sale and see if I could get rid of them to make way for some lovely new creations.

I'm always a bit reluctant to lower my prices because my prices are so reasonable anyway, but maybe it will encourage some people to take the plunge!

- and I've threatened them, if they dont sell - then I will cut them up into bracelets or other things. (the necklaces not the customers!)

Where is this sale happening?
At The Nook at Leura, which is a craft co-operative that I belong to.
When?
Now!

And here are some new pieces -

peruvian opal and azurite with brass chain

rhyolite, chalcedony and pearl

brass pendant an assymetric mix of beads

and some cute owl earrings.

Wednesday wishlist

What is it with me and bright colours at the moment?

Is it beacuse it has been raining for 2 weeks?
Or does my mood need uplifting?
Am I trying to relive a past life?

Who knows!

Anyway I just fell in love with this vibrant cushion.
It has gorgeous Indian fabric and hopefully I'm heading to India this year, so maybe this is a taste of thing to come?


I was looking for something completely different - isnt that always the way? - when I found this stunning orange bag by tippythai.

There are so many lovely styles of bags in tippythais shop - I'd like one in every design and every colour.

But this one is the perfect summer colour and weight.


OK - something elso orange?

Well this is probabyl on the red side of orange - but how delightful is this brooch?
There are lots of really cute things in this shop and it has the best name - "inmybackyard"!



I'm so happy with my wishlist this week!
See it has lifted my spirits already - think I'll go for a skip. tralala!

What I made this week - blogtoberfest day 23

Not a lot of jewellery designing going on this last week.
But I've finally restrung this turquoise-coloured howlite pendant from this necklace which I loved but hadnt sold -


to this -


I have also made some tshirts as summer is coming!



more black ones -



and this time grey marle instead of the sand -



Look out for the tshirts in BoosTees shop - I will be listing them soon, when I have enough good photos.

I also had to make a pair of mitts for a northern hemisphere order -


Also available at BoosTees.

What I made this week - blogtoberfest day 16

Made two tshirts for orders -



sewed up some mitts I had knitted -




made some bracelets on memory wire -


and took apart a long necklace that hadn't sold and made a short necklace -


and a bracelet -