Tuesday 18 December 2012

Northcote Christmas lights





Last night I got my three year old out of bed and into the car gave him his first ever glow stick and drove him down the road to see the Northcote christmas lights. It was beyond amazing, he couldn't believe his eyes and neither could I.  You can walk around the front yard engulfed in flashing bulbs and inflatable nativity scenes.
Go, if you are anywhere nearby it is a sight to behold. On the way home he said, " If I see another school of fairy lights we should, stop the car undo our belts and run and see them." I asked why he called them a school of fairy lights and he said "that is what you call fishes."True enough. I didn't take my camera so here are some photos I found on The age web site. He went to sleep by the blue light of his glow stick two hours later than usual but it literally took his breath away.

Monday 17 December 2012

Christmas decoration a-go-go


Pram tree


The finished product


Wintery snow dome 


Any sort of holding back that I managed to do at Halloween has gone out the window as Christmas approches. The other weekend it was in the high 30c and one of those days you have to shut the blinds when you get up and scurry around as much as you can before 10 am, and then spend the rest of the day hiding from the heat. We went to Gymnastics class and bounced on trampolines and balanced on the beam then we walked back home and the two boys and I went and bought a Christmas tree, tied it on to the pram and pushed it home. I had visions of it looking so  sweet I could take a picture and make it into a Christmas card but they screamed the whole way and once I finally wrestled the thing inside I was almost finished. Anyhow we recovered and spent the whole day decorating the tree and listening to a fantastic new Christmas mix from our friend. We made this sweet little snow dome with glitter and a bear, a wreath, and painted some clay doh decorations for the tree. It was really fun. I like the Australian mix of Northern winter/ Southern Summer that is Christmas here, it is funny explaining what snow is as the sun beats down outside.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Shop


It was a fun day selling my books and things today thanks so much to everyone that came and supported me I really appreciate it. And thanks to Smiley Mcslidey for having us as well.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Christmas Pop Up Shop

This Saturday I will be selling my Alphabet book and Posters and a selection of cards and some other nick knacks at Smiley Mcslidey Studio on the corner of Nicholson st and Blyth St in Brunswick East, come along tick off some of that christmas shopping list.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Sunday Morning



I am super excited as I am about to sign a lease on a studio space which hopefully means upping the ante on my production levels and making some brand new stuff soon. There are lots of interesting people sharing the space and one of them, Sunday Morning Designs has an excellent pop up shop between now and Christmas eve, go and check it out!

Friday 23 November 2012

Sleeping in the whale



We found an amazing palm tree stalk and took it home. It has been a boat, a surfboard, a picnic spot and a "giant smiling whale to sleep in". I think it may just be the best toy ever. This is my three year old curled up inside it just to give some scale perspective.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Water wall



We made a really fun and very simple water wall the other day. I just cut a hole in the side of some milk bottles, nailed them to the fence and tied the lids on with string so the children could screw them on and off and see how the water flow was effected. It was really fun, kept them cool on a hot day, raised interesting things to discuss and we can keep adding more bottles until it will be gigantic!

Saturday 17 November 2012

in the oven




It is my son's best friends birthday today and we made her a cardboard oven to play with. It seems to me that children usually want to play with big toys like this for about as long as a cardboard oven would last and then you can just pop it in the recycling, done and done!

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Halloween


The pirate.


The bat.


The gingerbread a cat and a ghost-a


The front window.

I have to say I went  a little Halloween crazy this year. It is such a fun holiday I can see myself getting way out of control on the decoration/dressing up front as the children get older. They had so much fun trying to keep up with all the older children in the street and we ended the night with swollen eyes as apparently we can add face paint to our list of family allergies. Good to know.

Monday 12 November 2012

Foxy

I am doing a little drawing project for someone and its been quite fun. I am curious to see where it ends up after the back and forth, Ill let you know.

Monday 8 October 2012

Shak attack update



I am inching forward with progress on my Shackleton project and its getting pretty exciting here are a few new images.

Monday 27 August 2012

Grimes

I have just been put on to the music of Grimes. I may be behind the eight ball here but goodness it is good. And what a woman, it is worth looking her up, she is great and has just  directed some excellent videos for two of her tracks with more to come! Yes.

Saturday 11 August 2012

colour






Wow just got lost in this prism of amazingness. More crazy beautiful colour here.

Friday 10 August 2012

Girls

Oh my god Lena Dunham is my hero.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Missed connections

Sometimes I feel like I am a total dud at finding things on the internet. There must be a world just out of my grasp full of all these beautiful inspiring things to discover, and then I realise all I am reading is celebrity gossip, and even worse than that I don't even know the celebrities anymore.

And then you hit upon a vein of gold and suddenly the world is alive. I found Catherine Campbell's beautiful illustrations and drawings through the Design Files. And then through her I found Sophie Blackall. And it all got me thinking. 


Thinking about so many things and pens and inks and past lives and one time when someone gave me the whale eye on the L train and it ended up in the missed connections section. Ah those were the days.

Saturday 28 July 2012

Give away

The ever supportive people at Craft Victoria are giving away two book and poster packs of mine to the first four people who buy something at their on line shop. A place worth visiting anyhow.

Thursday 26 July 2012

South



I am working on a sculptural hommage to Earnest Shackleton. He has always been my favourite explorer and after re reading his Autobiography South recently I became obsessed. What an inspiration! That man was amazing and I thought he need a monument or two.  This model of his ship the Endurance is  about as big as a pen lid. This is just the beginning of the project, Ill put in some more photos when it is done.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Doll house



Wow what can you say about this, how beautiful. A full sized doll house by artist Heather Benning, that I found here.

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Your a card





I have made a new series of cards using imagery of bird eggs and feathers, they are now in my etsy shop. Ta da

Friday 13 July 2012

Feather


I am working on some new projects involving eggs and feathers here is a little look at what is to come.