My Creative Space 'it's a sign'

Greetings all,
Yes, it's a sign, THIS sign in particular brings out the best in Canberra . . . handmade & organic food, craft, jewellery, design & wine PLUS the most awesome crowds EVER!!  Also brings out sheer panic in many a stall holder, only as it's the most successful market we have ever done!!
Handmade Market, Kamberra Winery on Northbourne Avenue (Federal Highway) & corner of Flemington, opposite EPIC in Lyneham, minutes from Canberra CBD, open 10 to 4!! 

note authentic wine barrel top right of banner

my love of colour as expressed in coasters

baskets filled with cute, quirky, limited & all round sweet fabrics -
LOTS of triple packs this time, 3xFat Eighths are looking so fun
& a bit of a French theme going on . . .

pretty Parisian box for Frenchy style coin purses

Hands up who likes having their mug shots taken??  Me neither, but another blog wanted an image of me, so this is me.  I wear glasses, as i'm blind & i pretend people can't notice i'm not wearing make up; i wear hair clips, as i hate my fringe flopping in my face; i wear a chunky strong necklace so when i had babies, they couldn't yank it off & i didn't look bare; i have about 6 blue & white stirped Ts, so no coincidence i was sporting one in this shot; i laugh a lot, so if you find my stall i'll no doubt be smiling!! 

Happy Creative Spacing people, have a beautiful weekend.  Love Posie

market stall merchandising . . . i'm going with my Euro theme

Greetings all,
Busy sewing up a storm this week for Handmade Canberra's UpMarket on Sunday, very excited as it's the first for the year.  It's normally on a Saturday & the next 3 are all Saturdays, but i can't tell you how handy it is to have a day up my sleeve to pack & prepare.  Then it will be time to crash on Sunday night, revive myself for Easter Egg decorating at school on Monday. 
So check out this handy wooden medicine cabinette i bought at our local Revolve centre at the tip, $25 & it's a fantastic size.  I instantly thought of laying it on a table, open & using it as a craft  First Aid supply centre at markets.  So i've filled it with . . .

Art Viva 1960's newspaper tubes (60mm & 40mm), Dumpling Dynasty sewing kits, Cavallini stamp kits, Jurianne Matter paper craft, children's learn to sew card kits, Lark knitted pin cushions, Craft Books, Tres Divin ribbons & MT washi masking tapes in all their pretty colours from Japan. So now i have all the non-handmade-by-me things in one spot!! I'm allowed to sell these things as they promote your own sewing & handmade, the rest of my stall is fabric & handmade products - um, all 4 trestle tables worth!!

Onto themes . . . i've continued with my Euro direction & purchased a subtle Eiffel Tower & matching planters to display products & look eye catching on my stall.  They will be filled with products in French fabrics.  Also used a damaged hula hoop, wrapped in pale pink polka dot fabric & with 7 x $2 sticks of faux flowers from a $2 shop, i tied them to the hoop with organza ribbons to make a pretty hanging feature for the centre of my marquee.  Can't wait to put it up!!

I'm using up some gorgeous European prints from AGES ago, time to share them.

Of course it's the weekend before Easter so i have some Lark knitted eggs to sell & the cute wooden bunny is from Bed, Bath & Table (they're having 30% off Easter things in store).  The lovely open handled basket was a whopping $2 from Revolve!!  Also, see that huge tool box, it was $5 from Revolve & is still empty, trying to work out the perfect product to display in there.  Finally, more $5 letters from Typo, to spell out POSIE on my table.  I'm aware i bought a T for the I, i thought an upside T would be more stable as the table gets bumped.  Um, realised the P is not self standing, so P is propped up by a cute wooden mushroom, ahhhh, thank goodness for blue tack!!

 
Yippee, new Kristen Doran prints, love her!!

This is how Canberra looked on the way to school . . . brrrr . . .

 

only to look like this an hour later??!!  Canberra pretty much has beautiful blue skies all year round, even when it snows, looks gorgeous until you go outside & loose feeling in your toes. 

So i went shopping on the way back to school - um, shoes $130 original price, but i got ALL of this haul, killer peep toe heels & cute grey sneakers for me; hat, body wash, black sequin beret & silver headband for my girls, the lot was $80!!  Nothing like a further 30% off all sale items at Sportsgirl.  The black shoes are really comfortable too, i can reach the top shelf in the pantry now!!
Have happy weeks everyone, see you at My Creative Space on Thursday, until then, sew sew sew.  Love Posie

Mathilda's Market this Sunday in Canberra - back in the swing of it . . .

Greetings all,
Well it's time to dust off my market skills, warm up my smiling muscles & pack for my first market of 2010.  As the decorator of Mathilda's Market Canberra, i put together a welcome display . . . here's a little taste of what it will look like . . .

My Betty Jo (Lino Forest) Babushka necklace will hang around my neck & i have 9 of those large blue IKEA bags filled with products!! 

Making sure baskets still have tags & are topped up with stock!!
  We have to bring the whole family so we're using the trailer.  My husband's car is in Brisbane & the children have parties during the market, not sure who is working harder tomorrow??!!

I try to take new product ranges to each market to keep things interesting, like my Euro screen printed dresses; new range of children's suitcases (will be available in various colours, sold as singles or sets of 4); something for boys & those who love to bake!! 
These images went to the Canberra Times for a promotion too!!

Of course lots of pink products as i can't help myself after lots of girls!!

Posie is a founder stall holder at Mathilda's Canberra!! 

Mathilda's Market Canberra in it's new home - the Hyatt Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue Yarralumla (next to Albert Hall) with free parking, free entry, EFTPOS & almost 50 beautiful stalls packed with lovely things for babies & children.  Always a gorgeous shopping experience, 9a.m. to 1p.m. Sunday 28th February.  Love Posie

My Creative Space 'faux screen printing & Euro style'

Greetings all,

Clearly after that last Creative Space post showing off my imported fabric collection from 10 years in the craft business, I have exposed myself to well meaning crafters & mothers who would sell their children or break & enter to feed their fabric addiction.
It has been gloomy weather since school resumed last week & my children are not as exhausted as I had hoped they would be with school filling their brains with new information & wearing out their bodies in the playground. So apart from my eldest venturing out with friends to the annual Canberra Multicultural Festival on the weekend (with her Japanese family & this time they ate Thai food) . . . well, it's just been school runs, homework, covering books & sewing like a woman possessed as markets loom near.

Well this is what I have been busy busy busy doing for the past few days. Wanting to go for a bit of a Euro meets Winter feel, with 'faux' screen printing designs & these gorgeous fabric colours mixed up. Had to prove to myself I can do a muted plain palate as well as blasts of colourful patterned fabric ensembles!!  I also find people ask for dresses with sleeves, so these can be trans-seasonal or popped over a skivvy & tights.  My range goes from size 2 to 8 for girls so there is something nice available for those approaching tween years who don't want black, vampire, mini skirt trash look.  I'll do up to size 10 shortly, just want to trial these first.

some dresses have capped sleeves, some elastic & some flat hemmed, some elastic hem (size 2-3 only)
mixing up the shapes & designs so each one is unique
my Euro colour palate
poor man's screen printing works just as well - cookie cutter shapes, fabric paint & press with iron

So these dresses will make their debut at Mathilda’s Market in Canberra, Sunday 28th February. I made 30 odd dresses from the 9 fabrics I purchased on Friday afternoon (Lincraft sale) & so far used about half of the fabric I purchased – great in case of orders & more stock for Handmade Market on Sunday 28th March. So yes, very fruitful rainy hibernation. 

Happy sewing & production for those of you already back into markets!! Love Posie