Still pfaffing

I started this blog when I completed my thesis with the hope that I would fill my time with creative projects - I did to some extent my friend and I started a market stall and we had a few commissions - very exciting!

Then I fell pregnant with our first child....I thought fantastic I will be motivated to design and make some lovely practical things for the baby....alas I spent the nine months creating bits and pieces for friends and family who were also pregnant and had very little done by time our little bundle of joy arrived.

No problems I will have hours to be creative - after all how much time can a little one really take up!

Finally when Oliver turned five weeks, we sent out the announcement cards - which I designed and shopped for pre-birth - but it took much longer than I expected to actually put together.

The first six weeks of Oliver's life I tried to do craft things on a daily basis - as I had not quite made the transition of being at home and looking after a little one. Previously being at home meant hours to do creative projects.....over the next few days I will post some of the items I have managed to make - motivated by birthdays and births.

Almost a year to the day since I started the blog - this time I will try to write more frequently...

The sample Christmas bags I made for the market stall a few weeks ago are neatly packed and waiting at my feet to head to Melbourne for Ashley, Lachlan and little Victoria The Christmas bags attracted loads of attention and lovely comments at the market and also a few orders which were delivered last night so I can head to Melbourne with a clear conscious and enjoy the weekend

Have a lovely weekend

The Olive Tree Market

My friend and I had our first market stall today - the local primary school P& C has started an art and craft market as a fundraiser and we were offered a stall. We lucked out and got given a fantastic spot under a huge morton bay fig tree which was just terrific as the forecast was for a hot and windy 30 degrees.

Actually it turned out to be much cooler and the school community and the locals turned out in droves which was great given it was a public holiday. There was loads of interest in our products and quite a few sales which is always the best. It was lovely to have people say such positive things about our products. When I create things for friends and family I am always slightly suspicious that they are just being polite....but when someone hands over their hard earned dosh - I know that they must like it.

My gorgeous husband helped out at the stall too and of course was the official photographer - although we hardly had time to take photographs as people were crowding around constantly which is lovely and then the stock was depleted. I am very excited about the response the softies got - as I was uncertain about the faces - but the children (and the parents) seemed to love them.

The only slightly disappointing thing of the day - was that I had made a basketful of baby booties as I wanted to play with felt and ribbon. I did not really enjoy sewing the booties - but was very happy with the finished product. I have seen these in many magazines and around the place on the net - and I found a pattern in an old Martha Stewart magazine and modified it to be clean and simple rather than the fussy frilly bootie they had designed.

The response was incredible - everybody loved them and I sold heaps. - This means unfortunately I should and probably will make more - but I am not too enthusiastic any more about booties!

oops I forgot I had a blog!

Completely forgot I had started a blog after the excitement of the first few days! My fantasy life as a creative being was overrun by my daily reality which is very different!

I am busy preparing for my first market stall on Saturday at the Olive Tree Market in Newcastle. It is a new art and craft market run as a fundraiser for a local primary school - the September market - which was the launch unfortunately was canceled due to wet weather. The girls who are organising The Olive Tree Market have designed an absolutely gorgeous poster - I saw it hanging in my favourite bookshop on the notice board and it inspired my friend and I to sign up.Dreaming about having a market stall and actually having one is very different as I have discovered. I am madly sewing this weekend in the hope that I have everything ready. It is also rather daunting when I think of someone actually buying the product - I am always a little anxious that the sewing is not perfect or the design is a little dodgy!!

The fun part besides the dreaming and the playing with fabric is of course the styling of the 'brand'. I have had loads of fun in the local art supply store choosing coloured paper and designing and making cards, labels, signs and other bits and bobs. So be prepared for a week of show and tell!

The real thing

I have been sewing a few bits and pieces for friends and family and thought if I am going to sell my stuff then I need to have a name and of course a label - delightful!

It is how I hope the people looking and buying :) react to the pieces they see.....if someone says this is delightful, then I will be a very 'delighted' girl!

My labels arrived last week and I am happy with them, they actually make every thing I sew look a little more professional.

A full and meaning full life...

I have been enviously watching the "swaps" my favourite bloggers have described and of course shown gorgeous photographs and thought - gosh I would love to do that...
So when Nikki-Shell suggested a zine swap I got excited - who wouldn't want to have forced useful box time!











Writing is not really my thing - but I had fun producing a little zine called "a full and meaningful life".

It is now winging it's way to the other fifteen like minded souls who hopefully will enjoy the content - if not the chocolate!

Creative pfaffing!

Whilst writing my thesis - I would read my favourite blogs religiously -partly as a way of avoiding my writing and partly dreaming of the post thesis life, where I had time to play with fabric, paper and other bits and bobs.

Now the thesis is done and I am playing - I have been inspired by my favourite blogs and the gorgeous things the writers create. I have lived a creative life vicariously and now think it might be time to stop pfaffing and start creating....