childhood treasures - part IV

Something handmade from my pop (my mum's dad). Mum reckons nana must of helped pop paint the horse. Either way I think it's pretty awesome and even better if it was a team effort. I remember being small enough to fit on the seat along with a bunch of toys, who I'd take for a rock!

childhood treasures - part III

A white rabbit and a bonnet wearing rag doll. I had forgotten about these two. Both are over 50 years old and were handmade by my great grandmother for my mum when she was a little girl. Considering their age and two generations of love, only the white rabbit had a hole in it's shoulder. I have since mended this and if you follow me on Facebook you may have already spotted the rabbit hanging out with my puppet and Mr Buttcrack! I wonder what my great nan would have thought of this trio?!

childhood treasures - part II

Does anyone remember Popples?! "Pop, pop, Popples!"

I do, however I couldn't remember any of their names. After a little Google searching I rediscovered that this particular purple Popple is called, Pretty Bit Popple. 'Bit'?

Apparently she's, "a tad bit shy as well as a tad bit pretty. She likes to write poems and always talks in rhyme! She is also the Popple expert on manners and etiquette. She, Potato Chip, and Putter make-up the smallest sized Popple trio."

And she is on Facebook! 

childhood treasures - part I

I wanted to share with you some of the things I found on a recent trip back to my parents. It has been around 16 years since I lived at home with my parents, yet all this time mum has keep boxes in their garage of the many things I left behind. For years I had been saying I will sort through them and finally I did. Following on from the post below I thought this might make an appropriate start. 

The Green, One Eyed Monster – a papier-mâché friend, slightly jaded by the emotions of jealousy. Aware of his unflattering behaviour he comes bearing flowering gifts in hope of forgiveness. I found a newspaper clipping of this guy too. He made it in to the regional paper while on display at our end of year exhibition. He was one of my Year 12 art projects.

sunday find

all images from here, the bottom image credited to catherine ashmore 

The above newspaper covered, large puppets were made for the stage production, Satyagraha — a story based on Gandhi's earlier years in South Africa. The set and puppet designs are by, Julian Crouch who is wearing the 'heads-in-progress' in the top two images. Crouch's website includes images of sketches, works-in-progress, through to the final stage performances. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through them today (taking my mind of this heat for a moment) and thought it would be nice to share with you. 

What has the weather been like were you are?

I'm dreaming of the forecast cool change! I just wish it would hurry it's cool self up a little.

mouse trip

You guys would no doubt be familiar with going on an interweb adventure, right? I know I am. I love a super good adventure!

A recent example for me started by reading this wonderful interview with Christian Wagstaff on The Design Files. I had seen evidence of Christian's work before but had not know who was behind it. So happy to have found out.

image from here

From the interview I traveled over to Christian's Facebook page. What a gem this photo is of Cecil Beaton and David Hackney, dating back to 1969 by artist, Peter Schlesinger. I can't take my eyes off these two!

image from here

Then I spotted an album on Patrick Dougherty. I thought Patrick's name was familiar but couldn't place it — nothing a little Google wouldn't fix. That's right! I had seen his work before and in the best way, it reminded me of Grug. Love! I also think one could be forgiven for thinking Patrick played a part in the wondrous Where the Wild Things Are, fort. But. No. He may have been an influence perhaps however K.K. Barrett was their creator. You can read and watch more about Barret on that particular project here and here.

image from here

Detouring back to the original gateway — TDF — I entered the site of Diana Vreeland. I liked her quote which Christian had mentioned in his interview, "There’s nothing wrong with bad taste; it’s no taste I abhor”. I also found another quote I quite liked, "I believe you see, in the dream. I think we only live through our dreams and our imagination. That's the only reality we really ever know.”

image from here

And with that, my journey continues... while discovering K.K. Barrett, Geoff McFetridge hit my radar! But for now I'm putting on the brakes.

speaking of sunday

The Sunday before last we were driving back to Melbourne from Mildura and somewhere between Mildura and Ouyen we spotted a very bizarre Christmas sculpture on the side of the road. From a distance I thought it was some kids on bikes but as we gone closer I realised it was something else!

 I love that someone went to the trouble to set this up for a giggle or two, or even their own amusement. Whatever their reason it brightened our trip. We couldn't resist a closer look! 

after procrastination

Things became a little more productive around here as Sunday went on. How about you? How was your weekend? Did you make something? A Sunday roast dinner? Or perhaps you read a good book? Planted something in your garden? Or had coffee with friends? I do hope you had the time for something that you enjoy.

sunday morning procrastination

Boy am I easily distracted! These little boxes are a result of me cleaning my desk so I have a space to get on with the important things I need to get done today, like do work on a paying job. Anyway I couldn't bare to discard, The Design Files Neighbourhood 2011 calendar so I made these out of it instead! They would look great with solid fluro or black bases too, don't you think? I didn't go there however as this would have let me to further delay.

A video link on how to make these boxes can be found here.

Happy Sunday peoples! x

property snooping

This house is for sale. Initially, when I saw these photos I thought of Mad Men, then a split second later — Edward Sissorhands! Don't you think with a little creative tree trimming this place could fit right in the set of E.S? Loving that bathroom.

country op-shopping

• L O V E the illustrations in this book... •

 • ...and it was only ONLY .40c! •

While back in the country visiting my parents I scored all of the above for a grand sum of $8!!! Needless to say I was pretty stoked — things certainly aren't as cheap around these parts.

11, 12, 13

Photos from a visit to my parents' last week. I have more to share with you — treasured and forgotten childhood items my mum packed away when I left home over 13 years ago.

The first photo is Lou Lou, currently my parents' only pet. They had another dog who sadly passed away late last year.

hello 2012

Woohoo my first post for the year! How are you all? Relaxed, happy and enjoying the possibilities of a fresh start — a new year? I am. And I'm still in holiday mode so bare with me as I warm up to reality again. I thought I'd start by sharing some phone photos from over the past couple of weeks... proof I have not been in complete hibernation, well kinda. There were a few scorching hot days around Christmas and new years where we pretty much did hibernate for fear of melting in the heat!

A new year calls for a new calendar. The top left-hand photo is of the 2012 Frankie magazine calendar — a first year (paper) anniversary gift from hubby back in November! The wooden Christmas decorations were purchased while on our honeymoon, in Prague, 2010.

What are holidays without yummy food?! The hubby was gifted a Cheese Making Kit and a BBQ for Christmas. Both have been put to the test and score pretty highly, I reckon.

More yummy home made foods. Pavalova. Blueberries and muesli. Chocolate Ripple Cake. Zucchini Bread — recipe from here — made with the zucchini's from granddad's garden.

Time in the studio, planning, trying my best to keep the plants alive and sewing. For the first time in what feels like years I have sewn clothes for myself. Perhaps more on that in another post.

Kitty cat cuddle times. Unrushed — a holiday pleasure.

And... I turned another year older. Argh!! Just kidding, its not all bad being as old as me hehe. With every year in my 30's that passes I feel more positive in my own skin and this is such an awesome feeling. For so long I have felt awkward and shy, that's not to say these feeling are completely gone but I feel more understanding and in control of my thoughts/feelings. I have learned and grown so much as a person in the past year. I'm looking forward to the year ahead.

Are you still on holidays? If so what are you up to? Or are you back at work? If so what do you do?

A sparkly Etsy treasury to celebrate New Years. I wish you all a wonderful night.

•

We had a lovely and simple Christmas day this year, spending lunch with my husband's brother, sister, uncle and granddad — at granddad's house. This was the first Christmas without Grandma so it was special to be able to share the day with him. After a yummy lunch we headed outside for a walk around the garden. Granddad is English and lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, his backyard is super large which suits him perfectly as there is plenty of room for fruit trees and a veggie garden. We scored a little bounty of fresh beans, zucchini, carrots and garlic just before the buckets of rain and hail hit Melbourne.

I hope you've been enjoying the past couple of days and that none of the giant hail landed near you. Wherever else you may be reading this from I hope your days have been safe, fun and relaxing too. 

I'm taking a little break from this space for the next week or so but look forward to catching up again in 2012!

Enjoy x