some Handmade action on the weekend

Greetings all,
When the experts suggest you have a 'showstopper' product on your market stall, this is what they are talking about!!

 Torunn from Herbert & Friends is everything that is good & clever about felt & softie perfection.

 So weird to be at Handmade Market as a shopper not a stall holder.

 I caught up with friends - Sarah from Gifts Created, she gave each of my children a moustache.  They have been playing with them & putting on accents ever since!!  Thanks Sarah!!

 Stacey from Anastasia de Grave designs is back, with a new beautiful baby boy too.  I was too busy chatting to some ladies, i didn't even photograph their products.  Next time ladies!!

 My total favourite from Shop Handmade had a stall too, Fiona from The Endless Yarn.  Always keen to support a fellow mother of 4 (all boys).

 My son used his own Christmas cash to adopt a crochet baby for Mr & Mrs Love Monster at home, more on that later, no kidding, on Sunday night, he reinacted Mrs Love giving birth!!  It deserves a post of it's own.  Bumped into a school mum while at Endless Yarn, between us we bought 7 Love Monsters in 5 minutes!! 

 Miss Haidee, she is a twin & total sweetheart!!  Tasmanian of course!! 

 We went bonkers at HeartFelt, look at these finger puppets!!  Much more wrapped up under the Christmas tree.

 Met the lovely Kate from Please Eloise & Eva Grace Designs, adorable lady, as expected.

 Back in the car we sampled the cup cakes from A Moment on the Lips . . . & nose . . .

 on our way to the Old Bus Depot Markets to see my gal pal Emma Kidson.

 She has split her business & rebranded to Japonicity for her amazing range of Japanese inspired designs & Kidson Jewellery for her custom design work (wedding rings etc).  I love it all & have most of her range too!!

 Emma has just had a blinder of a Christmas season, yay, & will have the major bathroom renovation to show for it.  She's the real deal, honours degree in her field & scholorships + awards.  Yes, huge fan!!

 Emma lives in Wagga & stocks the Paper Pear Gallery (i'm going to visit in the new year) or you can find her stunning jewellery at Hive Gallery in Braddon (i've done a lot of Christmas shopping in there this year) & the National Portrait Gallery Canberra.  There is currently a wonderful Impression Exhibition on at the moment with Streeton, McCubbin & Roberts (remember those names from Art History in high school??) 

I actually felt really Ok about not showing this market, my hands have never been so bruised & sore, there was no way i could carry or serve or sew or smile in that pain!!  Love Posie
PS all giveaway winners for Donna Hay & IKEA competitions will be announced a.s.a.p.

snippets of my living space - handmade makes it a home

Greetings all,

So while i find myself husbandless tonight, i thought i'd take a quick tour around my living area (kitchen/ dining/ lounge) & show snippets of the things i love.  Of course i should be pressing our funeral clothes but this was more colourful & less morbid. 
I was meant to do this kind of blog post with Tania McCartney ages ago, so here goes . . .

i won't shock you with my complete decade long Tupperware addiction/ collection, but i thought i might share with you the scary fact that i have a very large kitchen drawer dedicated to storing the lids not-in-use.  I once told a Tupperware lady i had a Tupperware storage cupboard & she scolded me for not using all my Tupperware all the time.  Geesh, i placed my smallest order ever at that party!!  The shame for me & well, lost commission for her!!

I like this area as there are photos of my children when they were babies, trinkets from our travels, craft books, our only wedding photo & well, it's practically the only part of our home which doesn't look like a serviced apartment without a soul.  It's hard to decorated your 6th Army house with any passion, so it's all here in one IKEA bookcase with big doses of Handmade.  Sorry it's a night photo!! 

These fridge magnets are from Lark (hi Allison) & represent my love for Alice in Wonderful, Clint Eastwood, flying, Noddy & cricket, what a score!!  The Kikki-K mushroom purse holds the spare digital camera, a Prim&Pretty ribbon brooch & a wooden love spoon i bought in Wales 20 years ago ('tis a bit dusty). 

LOVE pears from Red Stitch Designs (hi Brenda) & a wooden crocodile from Darwin where my 4 babies were born. 

A stacking pinnocchio from Italy, Babushka dolls from My Poppet (hi Cintia), toadstall from Gifts Created (hi Sarah) & a Red Stitch Designs owl, he's called 'hooter'.
These little collections sit in the wooden shelves on the King Furniture Jasper lounge - we wanted one for 10 years & saved up forever to buy one, on sale.  It seats 10 & that is pure leather luxury & i condition it like a prize cow!!

Due to my over loaded luggage in Europe, my husband had to bring back the snowdomes (via Afghanistan) which i collected from Venice, Rome, Dubrovnik, Athens & Katakolon in July.  I wish i got one in Munich too.  The children LOVE them too, actually they keep going missing - into their rooms. 

I also love this little area of the lounge, i really enjoy television - although - can not sit & watch, must be doing something with my hands, i have craft ADD.  I don't like to waste money so when i buy the children hair accessories, i like quality ones & beg them not to lose them, from Grace Designs (hi Rosalind) & Plushka (hi Katia).  They also each have a Mason Pearson hair brush, i still have the one i got in the 1980's.  The children don't watch a lot of television but on cold Winter Canberra days, the Wii is a great substitute for outdoor place.  If you HAVE to have such things in your living space, don't they look nice & neat in baskets?? 
So i've shown you mine, will you show me yours??  Love Posie

Shop Handmade launch TRIUMPH, fun, sales, media & treats

Greetings all,
Wow, this post only took 4 hours to do, with so many images, so i hope you enjoy.  The Shop Handmade launch was delightful.  Lovely media & VIPs, light bulbs flashing, champagne corks popping & microphones capturing comments . . . all round electric atmosphere.  Rachel & Julie should be so thrilled with the results & i wish them plus the 90 odd & counting designers they represent in Shop, all the very best!!

Team Shop Handmade - Tiana (IT), Tania (writer), Ros (admin), me (sales), Vanessa (markets), Julie (owner), Rachel (owner), Lisa (stylist) + gorgeous somewhere behind the scenes, Kerrie (markets)

i managed some shopping between cheese cake, chit chat & giggles . . . starting with some Tania McCartney magnets from her Riley book series for my boy (who saw them on my last blog post & said they would make him so happy) plus another Bloss doll, Gifts Created snail, Red Stitch Designs pin cushion owl & a Yardage Design tea towel . . . love love love!!

A super sweet note from Nic at Yardage Design, very much appreciated!!

Fabulous Anna-Maria from The Shopping Sherpa came along too!!

We wore aprons with all black & killer heels, special mention to how fabulous Ros from Rosalind Grace Designs looks, serving up the delicious food from pARTy cakes all night, while 9 months pregnant!!  All the best Ros with your next baby, you're allowed to deliver now, the Shop is open for business!!  Ros will also be busy replacing all the stock she sold tonight.  Have great weekends everyone, love Posie