My Creative Space 'markets are a funny thing'

Greetings all,
Well first of all, i have to announce the randomly drawn winner of the G I V E A W A Y from last week's My Creative Space post.  Congratulations Steph from Mon Petit Poppet.  Yippee, couldn't have gone to a sweeter blogger.  You win . . . Oh & the G I V E A W A Y - 2 pairs of Tasmanian Oak knitting needles, 2 sets of fabric hair clips, a dozen fabric covered buttons & 6 fat eighths of amazing Japanese printed fabrics??!! I can only imagine the magic you'll create with these!!

Now with Handmade Market exhaustion, busy work at Shop Handmade (have sold 3 Posie patchwork quilts this month!!), school assignments about year 3 camp + the usual spelling lists times 4 children & throw in the heart ache of losing two soldiers in Afghanistan this week, my nights have been, well, quiet & still.  Thank you all for your emails asking about my husband, no, he wasn't involved, alas, two other families have lost their special soldiers.
Anyway, hard up for an idea of what to do for this week's Creative Space, i thought i'd do a little behind the scenes of a market stall for you. 

 

Hiding behind people's stalls you might find giant Ikea bags with extra stock; small children who are actually fabulous help & company; handmade banners; their shopping - like a 3rd giraffe from Allana C; delicious cup cakes like pARTy cakes (more about Liz's cakes in another post, um, 2 dozen came home with me, hey, i have lots of children - this particular one was a hello gift from Plushka).  We listen & watch to find what makes customers smile/ where they spend their time/ what they chose & their comments (mercifully i don't hear too many "i could make that" which i can assure you, breaks a market designer's heart!!)  But markets are a funny thing, it is Winter & that means knitting season yet i sold dozens more knitting needles in Summer than i did on the weekend??  Look at all those beautiful Sheep's Clothing goodies, Stacey is now in Shop Handmade too!!  Recognise the gorgeous mummy in the last photo, well that is the lovely Ros from Grace Designs!!  With a new baby in her life, Ros hasn't been making much lately but it was great to see so many customers & other stall holders with her hair accessories adorning heads!! 
Happy Creative Spacing everyone, i'm off to steam mop the floors, clean the leather on the lounge (both MIGHTY jobs i assure you) & play with my little shelving units from Freedom.  Why, because i actually love housework, snore i know & we're off to Sydney for the Quilt Show tomorrow, stay tuned for a big post on Sunday.  Enjoy your long weekend, i'd best get sewing!!  Love Posie

My Creative Space 'warm up at the markets this winter' G I V E A W A Y

Greetings all,

The weeks are wizzing by & da dah, it's the quarterly Handmade Market in Canberra this Saturday.  I have to say i'm eerily relaxed about this market . . . & the hair clips circles which are forming on my studio floor??  Too busy to ponder why, how, who??
Very excitingly, i had an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald today for an Arts feature about my story book badges, why i love vintage books & if books can survive the new electronic age.  She asked what my pre-motherhood/ badge making career was (pharmacology) & i mentioned that my husband was the reader in the family & that he takes books to war.  Suddenly he seemed much more interesting & stole the limelight as the interview swung around to soldiers being prolific readers who carry books with their ammunition!! 

So this week's Creative Space is about a G I V E A W A Y & sharing the love of designers who i support & will ALL be available on my market stall this Saturday.  With Winter in the air my stall will be quite cosy this market, with knitting needles & woolly goodness. 

Art Viva Knitting needles; Japanese printed quirky fabric; Sheep's Clothing beanies & scarflettes; Yardage Design; Tania McCartney books + Kristen Doran Designs - her full range of screen printed & softie pattern awesomeness. 
Remember, this market i'm a 'craft enabler' as i haven't had time to sew lately with my work at Shop Handmade (which is a runaway success for my business)!!  So i'm helping others to get into DIY handmade.Oh & the G I V E A W A Y - how about 2 pairs of Tasmanian Oak knitting needles, 2 sets of fabric hair clips, a dozen fabric covered buttons & 6 fat eighths of amazing Japanese printed fabrics??!!  I might even throw in some story book badges for good measure.  Good luck!!
Just join in the 'fun people who like Posie' to follow this blog & leave a comment here (international entries welcome).  Winner announced at next Thursday's Creative Space with their booty all on display, ready to be shipped off to their wonderland. Back to my packaging, wish me luck, brrrrrr, think warm thoughts, love Posie

for the love of giving . . .

Greetings all,

Well i love giving.  Be it babysitting your children, making a handmade token or baking my way to your heart.  My mother would NEVER attend a friend's house with empty hands, she was quite the queen of sewing & baking, plus happily had all the neighbours children over non stop, effortless & welcome.  I hope i replicate that same attitude, i certainly try.
I know my girls LOVE anything quirky from Japan & collect Babushka dolls so when i read a tip off over at Sheeps Clothing that My Poppet was having an instore closing down sale or 15% off on line, i had a peek.  Cintia has some gorgeous goodies, so i stocked up some pieces (to add to 'our' collection) including a set of Matryoshka dolls, a wooden plaque, pig fan & these super cool paper balloons (monkey, tiger & world globe).  Like the shelf, the children play from this shelf all the time.  Also got some 'jumping' elastics for the playground & a book, ace!!  A fun school holidays gift bonanza!!

Now tomorrow is awesome Rachel's birthday - she is one half of the fantastic Shop Handmade & simply full of love, happiness, creativity & kindness.  After playing around with ribbons today with her daughter, i had to incorporate one into her gift.  I picked these fabrics which i know she'll love (all from Retro Mummy) & instead of a Posie tag, added a pretty one which reads 'handmade', how perfect.  The back fabric has the recipe for chocolate cake & inside a cute strawberry cross stitch print.  Sealed up in tissue with a Dutch sticker.


How cool is this - Shop Handmade Staff get to nominate their pick of the month, voila!!  Loving this pendant from Danielle Kathleen, i already want another one, like her Victorian cuff which she's about to release!!  How on earth am i going to work there & not buy up the whole Shop??

Finally - notice the new badge over on the right??  As my knowledge & experience is growing with all things Handmade, i'm going to give a tip off each month as i have my eyes open ALL the time.  Check it out!!  Have a lovely day, i'm taking all 4 children to the dentist, they LOVE the dentist, weirdoes, love Posie

My Creative Space 'around this handmade country of ours'

Greetings all,
Another Thursday, another Creative Space. 
This week we're going on a trip around Australia, starting with the creative space my children have made on the floor.  How about these these amazing Miller Goodman wooden shapes from Lark in Victoria.  Not only are they divine to touch, look at & play with, the creations are limitless with curves, eyes & colours!!  This 'elf' was something girl child number 3 came up with.  In her words "adorable", i agree!!  Expect many more creations in the Easter school holidays, which for the Australian Capital Territory, start a WEEK after Easter, go figure??   

Now to Sheep's Clothing in Victoria, i asked gorgeous Stacey to create a red, white & blue beanie to match my son's Country Road scarf from last Winter, we LOVE the results.  It was a 35C day when i asked him to model, thus bare chest (actually because it's Stacey, make that a Bear Grylls chest, giggles!!)  I'm a long time fan of Sheep's Clothing, thus our collection of beanies for the children, BIG fans.  Sweet Stacey popped in 4 extra brooches too with my latest order, so generous & kind!!

Now over to the lovely Gilly from Koo-Toor Creations in Western Australia who knitted this gorgeous scarf for the HeadsUp @Calvary Hospital - a great shop offering head dress options to ladies suffering hair loss during chemo!!  Donations of fabric for chemo cushions, scarves, beanies, all very welcome.  Thanks Gilly, it's so incredibly kind of you to send a donation to the other side of the country.  It's so beautifully presented & thoughtful!!

I'm testing a pattern for a cute pull-a-long doggy for Craft Schmaft in New South Wales.  I'll let you know how i go, thanks for picking me Claire, a non softie maker, but want to be at heart!!

Now down to Art Viva in Tasmania who make the most gorgeous knitting needles from Tasmanian Oak, available in these fun tubes too.  They were a huge hit at Handmade Market, well actually every market i've taken them too. 

These cushions are technically on their way to the Northern Territory, however, being delivered to the Central Coast NSW on the way up.  Farewell to my lovely school mummy friend/ Navy wife Jenna, all the best in the Darwin with your family, we'll miss you.  Hope your auntie loves these cushions, 'Owl Good' are they??!!

Now back to Canberra, where i've spent the last 3 days doing Easter Egg Decorating at Creative Clubs with year 3 at school.  One daughter was doing Easter Craft - nothing says Easter like a hot pink flamingo??!!  Her twin sister made a traditional Easter Egg basket with painted/ dyed/ patterned & crayoned eggs.  Only some workmen knocked them over & cracked the eggs (hard boiled but still, crushing, literally) & there were tears!!  I was working with a lovely teacher who is from Finland, she rather enjoyed my simple, bold, colourful style, yippee!! 

Back to the reality of orders, housework & preparing a trip to Sydney on Friday to see the family.  We are not religious, but we have a dozen Aries birthdays to celebrate so big weekend with the family!!  Do your children understand the story of Easter??  My 6y.o. told me it was "when God came out from under a rock to go on an Easter Egg hunt".  Close but no cigar matey & i'm afraid, no help from me!!  I'm off to see Allie's Attic Market in Mosman this Saturday, love my Corrie from Retro Mummy & Katia from Plushka, plus many more.  Shall blog on Monday!!  Love Posie