Paper Pear Gallery, Wagga Wagga

Greetings all,
You will have heard about Wagga Wagga NSW with their flood crisis (the CBD was spared) but did you know there is also amazing shopping??  When we were in Wagga last month visiting our best friends, i was also catching up with Emma Kidson from Jewellery Stories/ Japonicity/ Kidson Jewellery.  Some days she can be found at the Paper Pear Gallery in Gurwood Street, a gorgeous collection of art, cards & jewellery in a beautiful building.  

 I love inviting windows with pretty merchandising.

 Toadstools came home with us, quelle surprise.

 Isn't red the best accent colour of all time??

 Amazing variety of art works & Kidson jewellery.

 Artist Catherine Stewart features heavily with her country inspirations.

 I'm still longing for a property with an old shearing shed on it.

 The building has tonnes of character, perfect for a light filled gallery.

 There's Emma, wrapping our goodies.  She's travelling the world right now, lucky girl!!  Can't wait to see what inspiration & influences she brings back from Dubai & Bangladesh.

I know where i'm going to fill our homestead with art!!  I love visiting country towns, they have so many treasures to find.  Enjoy, love Posie
PS fabulous giveaway to win a copy of Australian Story: an illustrated timeline, ends Sunday.

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.

another Handmade Market success story

Greetings all,

Wow, what a market.  As the fantastic Handmade Market fans know, this event has moved from Albert Hall to the Yarralumla Woolshed to the Kamberra Winery . . . outgrowing all of those venues . . . to the National Convention Centre - which is MASSIVE.  It never disappoints, our gorgeous customers follow us anywhere & everywhere, it's truly appreciated!!   

Thank you to everyone in blogland last week for your encouraging comments & lovely words wishing me success.  I've been lucky enough to do every SINGLE Handmade Market since November 2008, this is only the 10th market event, it's exclusive & selective, it's special company to be in.  I am so appreciative of the journey.  I've done big events & popular markets but none are managed & marketed so perfectly.  Handmade is a FULL ON market - non stop customers, money being waved in the air, EFTPOS running hot & products flying off the tables + customers bursting through the doors before the market is scheduled to start!! 

This weekend's market was extra brilliant, in air conditioned comfort & not a concern for weather (it was windy & did rain).  The stall holders loved the convenience, the customers enjoyed the ease, ambience + thousands went from the Market to the Shop & back to the Market again (Shop Handmade is only 500m away & was incredibly busy all day too). 

All i can say is a huge congratulations & hearty thanks to the Handmade Market team & 3 very busy Shop girls!!

The awesome combination of blogging & markets means . . . meeting people in reality, like the beautiful Terese from Designed to a T & groovy Amanda from Laylaba.  Special shout out to gorgeous Dzintra from Queen of the ArmChair who broke her arm on Wednesday & couldn't attend the market - she really is queen of that armchair right now!!  Also, at this time of year, i find dear friends who have moved back to Canberra on military postings (hello Tina & Corinne).  Even our gorgeous school principal stopped by to say hello, along with dozens of friends.  Many came down from Sydney, up from Melbourne & in from country NSW. 
I didn't have a chance to take snapshots prior to the market commencing & my stall looked raided afterwards so i'll just show some zoom in images & offer up a few tips.

 my business banner - always ensure your stall has signage

 bring as much stock as possible, you can store it under your tables - i emptied most of my bolts for my fabric sale baskets 

 as a handmade creator, i'm also a craft enabler selling fabric covered buttons - displayed in various inexpensive glass vases

 fabric brooches are perfect for those wanting a burst of colour to their ensembles - this divided box is great for presentation

 cards samples show how fabric buttons can mix & match - a cute way to add height to a display

 patchwork pencil rolls laid out in an open French bread basket - a $5 op shop find

 i find products in baskets, containers & cases keeps things tidy - i don't mind the mess, it means the customers have truly searched for their favourites

 screen printed purses sold well again - inexpensive linen lined baskets 

as my darling husband rotated between helping me, taking children to sports, the Farmer's Market, charging my EFTPOS machine, collecting children from parties & sleepovers, the tip . . . he made me the most delicious ham, salad & chilli giant sandwich on fresh bread from Dom's Bakery - packing lunch saves your hard earned market money

handsome soldier is so amazing that he went to Kidson Jewellery (my favourite) & chose this pair of earrings for me from her Zugara collection (with Moyou) & gave them to me in the car as a surprise on the way home, it TOTALLY made my day!!  Thanks Emma, sneaky clever you (& her lovely mechanic husband who is always helping with the heavy lifting + his lovely sister who came down from Newcastle for the event too) love you guys!!
Kudos to jewellery designers who can photograph their products, please excuse my 'cap' prop but it did the job.

It's simply incredible, in just 2.5 years the rate of success, dedication, momentum & small handmade business growth which has been possible via this market, a humble 'market', when market was still a dirty word . . . Handmade has truly changed that + it's permanent retail space in the heart of our nation's capital Shop Handmade & the Handmade Living book.  600+ crafty small businesses are affliated with all this, just brilliant, what an opportunity.  People wonder why i have zero plans to ever go back to work in my field (pharmacology) - how could i, after a decade of full time crafting & mothering, no way!!  I love being my own boss & available for our 4 children & my husband when he's in town. 
So i have 4 months to prepare for the next Handmade Market in June, i can't wait.  Love Posie

how to make fake carrots . . .

Greetings all,

Ok, so i'm at the end of being home alone/ husbandless for 9 months & basically, i'm letting the children play with knives.  Seems my twins couldn't resist using the parsley i bought this weekend (to plant in the Spring herb garden) to make fake carrots.  Read on . . .

simple method - grate & chop a real carrot, make hole at the end & stick parsley in, voila, fake carrot.  They are 9 years old people, get excited, i had to.

Looks like they were tidy using Tupperware to catch the compost doesn't it . . . they were not.  There was carrot everywhere, on the table, chopping block, in the bin, stuck to the lid of the bin, stuck to the outside of the bin, stuck to the bottom outside of the bowl, on the chairs, their legs, up their arms & they even managed to get carrot skin in their hair & even on the window BEHIND THE CLOSED BLINDS?? 

Ok, so it's been a while since i saw my husband . . . but is this a tad phallic??  I can't remember!!  I'm so exhausted i can't stop giggling at this image, i know, totally immature, i can't help it, i'm tired.

While my twinnies were using the cooks' knives at the dining table, my year 6 girl had to make an international meal for homework.  She chose to honour her Italian heritage & source a recipe from the Silver Spoon for Children cook book.  It's my level of cooking, so i was able to supervise, alas there was tension - hmmm the teen years are going to be interesting.  She wrote me a shopping list & MasterChef Junior whipped up this delicious treat - Italian Chicken Casserole with Black Olives.  I let the team down & undercooked the rice, but when Emma Kidson (Kidson Jewellery) & her gorgeous husband Lee popped by on Sunday night on their way back to Wagga Wagga, bang on dinner time, Lee thoroughly enjoyed his big bowl & politely didn't mention the rice!!

So me thinks this about-to-start-highschooler can start cooking an evening meal once a week.  Ah, how perfect, 4 children cooking 4 nights a week . . . i love it, all part of the plan!!  Better yet, call it a bonding session (Master Class) with Daddy & i can sew, far far away. 
Have great weeks & enjoy this GLORIOUS weather we're having.  Love Posie