sucker for story book themes

Greetings all,

Are you a sucker for a particular print on a fabric??  I am, Babushkas, i have to have!!  But i'm also a huge fan & collector of quirky & cute story book themes on fabric & stationery. 

You bet that Little Red Riding hood is right up there with my favourites. 

 Fantastic . . . Mr Wolf.  He's big, he's bad & he's sporting a kerchief, adorable, even if he did just eat Grandma!!

 I so want a red riding hood cape, for me to wear in Winter, maybe a felt one??

 Playing around with my new stamps, loving my Little Red!!

You like??  Now for some fun sewing with this new fabric & me thinks a cute handmade product tag with a matching Red Riding Hood is a must!!  Love Posie

i can sing a rainbow, um, i can make a rainbow

Greetings all,

Well i can't sing a rainbow, i have an awful singing voice (tone deaf & fortunately i know it) but i can see all the colours of the rainbow around me right now . . . which is handy as it's ONE stressful week with major production for Handmade Market on Saturday.  An impressive list of bloggers are coming as new stall holders or visitors, including Maxabella Loves - thanks for your support!! 

Last night i picked up my girls from a sleep over at a friend's farm in Murrumbateman (thanks for all the lovely comments about the last post on twins, yes, i embrace my good fortune!!) & look what they have been busy picking . . .

crabapples in varying degrees of ripeness & . . .  

 quinces, my nightime photography not doing their greeness justice.

 Then home to finish off a rainbow of products for the market, like children's necklaces.

 Just in time, a shipment of amazing craft-enabling Tasmanian Oak knitting needles.

 Lounge craft = hand stitching penny wheels & buttons onto headbands.

 A splash of pastel, i'm thinking of doing up lucky dip jars with pom poms, bias, ric, rac, ribbon & other trim, plus buttons for a basket of fun on my stall.  Brilliant way to share the love & offer up cost price haberdashery i can finally part with.

 Today was spent making . . . 300 Liberty of London badges.  I cut the fabric sitting in the car park outside school each afternoon last week & now i've sorted them into sets, plus some singles.  I have this fabulous 1950s travel case to display all my Liberty printed goodies in, including hair clips, hair slides & buttons too.  Kind of hoping it will be a show stopper. 

 I've made 16 tulle ruffled bottom bloomers, they took ALL Saturday & i'll thread the elastic in the carpark outside school this week (you safety pin the ends together, then do a mega elastic sewing session in one hit when you're next at a machine).  Pricing these is difficult, they use expensive materials & take at least an hour a pair to create (as i restitch the tulle ruffles to the actual fabric).  I've done 3 sizes but want to try to do another dozen, especially in the larger sizes.

 Last market i didn't take headbands, new hair clips, coin purses or cosmetic purses - um, 4 of my biggest sellers, so this time i've come prepared with a tonne of each.  The Hello Kitty fabrics sell well at Shop Handmade & the new hair clips will all be in Liberty prints!!

Another no brainer product i've managed to neglect for a while are simple gift tags, i normally have them with fabric but this time i'm doing stamps - vintage, Euro & quirky - in an 8 for $5 pack, mixed up colours & styles.
Phew, yes, exhausting & a very busy week ahead, but making the most of my rainbowy outlook, or i'd crack under the pressure i put myself under.  I need to cut about 100m of fabric to feel like i have filled up my baskets from the last market.  Have a beautiful & colourful week too, love Posie
PS the winner of the Handmade Business Summit All Inclusive Pass for this Friday in Canberra is Fiona, who is just starting up a small business now, Congratulations, you were randomly selected by Julie, Queen of Handmade, thank you to everyone for entering!!

EDIT: just found this drawing on my sewing machine from my rainbow boy!!  The children were drawing & painting up a storm today.  Bliss. 

our creative space 'keeping-it-simple craft' & Handmade Summit All Inclusive Pass to WIN!!

Greetings all,

Pottering away in the studio with some simple crafts this week, deflated that my husband went back to Brisbane after a week long holiday with us & so very sad that we lost another soldier overseas.  Makes my husband's world all too real, dangerous & our time with him so incredibly precious.  It will be very hard to let him go back there. 

Small details in handmade goods warm my heart, like this wordy ribbon tape from Pepe's which i'll add to a denim coin purse??  My 3 favourite words - LOVE * LIVE * LAUGH.

 Continuing on with keeping-it-simple craft, making a gazillion small tags for sale at the Handmade Market in 2 weeks (gulp).  Loving the new owl stamps from Kikki-K on a basic handmade tag - just die cut, stamp & add twine.

 Um, so i make hot water bottle covers but could not resist this from Bed Bath & Table, i mean, it's a Babushka, forgive me?? 

I feel quite zen with a break from complicated & detailed sewing this week, it's good for the soul & i'm still building stock.  No rest for the handmade crafter in small business.

Now for something totally cool & a-must-attend-event for small business owners - here's your chance to win an ALL INCLUSIVE PASS to the amazing Handmade Business Summit & Expo 2011 on Friday 10th June at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.  It's on the day before the next Handmade Market, making it the PERFECT reason to visit Canberra!!  Oh visit Shop Handmade while you're here too & pick up a copy of Handmade Living!!

The official word . . .
"The Small Business Summit & Expo 2011 aims to bring together designers, small business owners, employees, business experts and stylists to discuss the latest in business strategies in a not-to-be-missed day of practical business building and ideas exchange.

Some of Australia's best corporate and motivational speakers who have built their businesses from the ground up will be providing us with insight, invaluable information, intellectual stimulation and many “light bulb” moments. Attendees will enjoy the opportunity to learn important information about retailing, merchandising, customer service, Social Media, IP and marketing, as well as attending our Small Business Expo."

OK, it says "light bulb" moments, sounds like an event Oprah would endorse!!  I'm going, i can't wait, i'll hold your hand if you're coming along & you don't know anyone!!  

The full day includes . . . Branding & Marketing Your Business . . . Digital & Social Media . . . Morning Tea . . . Small Business Start Up . . . Lunch . . . Retail Selling, Customer Service & Merchandising . . . IP & What It Means in 2011 . . . Small Business Expo . . . giveaways & door prizes. ALL for under $140!! 
These industry experts charge up to $300 each for these talks, so this is incredible value & a wonderful opportunity + you'll get fed & a huge networking opportunity.  All details at the Handmade Business & Networking site, including registration, accommodation & speakers.

To enter, please leave a comment at this post saying a) you'd love to come & b) how you'd like to improve your business/ what you'd like to gain from a summit like this.  If you can't possibly factor in attending, i'd still be interested in what you'd like to gain from the Summit, i can ask your questions for you & post the answers afterwards.  A winner will be drawn on Friday 3rd June by Julie Nichols, Queen of Handmade, so you have a week to plan & get excited or time to book your own tickets!!  Thanks for sponsoring this Julie!!
Enjoy more Our Creative Spaces this Thursday, love Posie 

EDIT: the winner of the Handmade Business Summit All Inclusive Pass for this Friday in Canberra is Fiona, who is just starting up a small business now, Congratulations, you were randomly selected by Julie, Queen of Handmade, thank you to everyone for entering!!