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

i love the earth & other confessions . . .

Greetings all,
As i prepare for Handmade Market this Saturday, i'm finding hand stitching is a very relaxing way to end the day.  I'm using 'odd' hair clips to hold my jersey & fleece baby wraps together while i bind the edges with pretty embroidery thread.  First day of Winter here in Canberra, it was glorious, sunshine, warm, delightful, but baby's still need their wraps!!  Here's one for the boys, Robot March with blue spots on the reverse.

Now, i promise i love the earth & i'm anti plastic when i can be (don't mess with my Tupperware obsession though) . . . my children don't use plastic bags at school, they have small lunch boxes, i'm a saint.  But when it comes to selling fabric products which can spoil with dust/ dirt/ storage/ grubby fingers at a market, i have to use cello bags.  In order to not waste the plastic, i use different sizes for different things & check out the variety available!!

While i'm making confessions about my business practises . . . i also use child labour!!  Just for the record, this particular child just loves to be near me & she didn't have to do this, or line them up so neatly, she's just orderly. 

& this boy chose to sleep inside his doona cover for some strange reason last night!!  Ok ok, i make my children sleep on the floor & lease out their beds for extra cash, alright!!

This puppy is our guard dog, he sleeps in the hall way at night in Winter & gets to wear an Alpaca overcoat for luxe - no animals are harmed in protecting our family, he lives better than we do!! 
Finally, this donkey has proven quite handy at delivering messages.  Our 3rd daughter is finding it very hard to cope without Daddy.  She doesn't like to draw attention to herself & i feel, this was her indirect way of communicating her emotions.  She tucked this note in donkey's peg mouth, looked at me, tears welled up in her eyes & we hugged for an hour, bless her.  Handsome Soldier called tonight after a long absense from communication & we had a lot of catching up to do, from explaining why there is a new starter motor in the car & my finger crisis to confirming we have all toilets flushing again & the girls came home from camp.  Exciting stuff!!  Love Posie

listening to my body & what's saying (screaming)

Greetings all,
Are you also having a very wet weekend??  Well it's hot chocolates & movies on here today. 
I can't believe i'm relaxed enough to take a break from sewing (read: clean the house from top to bottom, cook & bake) when . . . a) i've been so unwell due to that silly finger; b) i have orders & stock to make for Shop & Handmade Market; c) i have a motherload of submissions for Handmade Living & d) my husband is away on what seems an endless trip to the desert, i'm the answer to every car/ toilet/ child & dog issue which arises.  I mean, a week on anti biotics, the children's toilet stopped flushing, the car wouldn't start & our dog has been barking!!  But my finger's better now (thanks for your comments, all so kind, yes an infection under the nail, took me down, hard!!)  I'm also listening to my body & what's it's screaming out is "slow down".  I have a lot of responsibilities with home, children & business, without any back up, even so, i created all of this . . . i can slow it down as well. 
It's also this time of the quarter where Handmade Market is a week away - on Saturday 5th June (June i know, already??) so my well timed deliveries of fabric, knitting needles, hair clips & buttons start pouring in.  Yes, there will be a GIVEAWAY shortly!!  I just know i won't be able to sew as much as i normally would for the market, but with the back up of the Shop Handmade (open 6 days) the pressure to perform on market day has been raised a little.  So this market i'm more 'handmade craft enabler' than handmade by Posie.

. . . another 50 pairs of Tasmanian oak knitting needle goodness + 10 more tubes with sets of 3 or 4 pairs . . .

. . . lovely Katie from MissChiefMaker & gorgeous Rachel from Mr Mudge at the Biggest Morning Tea on Thursday, on the verandah of the Forrest Hotel, good luck with your baby Rachel - doesn't she look fabulous 3rd time round & 7 months pregnant . . .
After the Morning Tea (they raised over $5K!!) I took myself out for lunch & to the War Memorial.  I just had a bout of missing my husband, thinking about losing my mother-in-law to breast cancer, my finger hurt, i missed my girls on school camp, i didn't want to go home & just found out this new Army exhibit opened . . . so i bravely went in.  Going to a War Memorial is NOT an easy task when your husband is at war, i can assure you!! 

I won't try to describe helicopters, vehicles or the camp as i am sure i'll be wrong.  Some Army wives practically manage their husbands careers, know every course/ base/ detail/ weapon & every movement.  Me, well, i listen out for the date he's coming back home to us, where he is & how he's travelling only makes it real & i like to play pretend, that he's not in danger.

This was a nice way to end the exhibit, with an image of Sabi, the explosives dog who was MIA for over a year, now back on duty. 
So this week it's serious work for the Handmade Market, working at Shop every day, meetings with Handmade Living & that's right, parenting, feeding, loving 4 primary schoolers.  Have lovely weeks everyone & stay tuned for the GIVEAWAY on Thursday, love Posie

My Creative Space 'market preparation for the family'

Greetings all,

Phew, another Thursday & round of the Creative Space game as sponsored by kootoyoo . . . & nice prompt for my quiet blogging since my husband's surprise return (after 7 weeks in the wilderness).  He couldn't have come home early, at a busier time for me!!  Inbetween looking longingly into his eyes i have been in the studio preparing for Mathilda's Market this Sunday here in Canberra.  With lots of interstate stalls coming, it's really made me up my game & get super productive & creative. 
It has been a big week for the family too.  Our eldest met the Elisabeth Blackburn, Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine; the Prime Minister (he has soft lady hands) & became House Captain at school - just in time for the swimming carnival where i'll rehash my pom pom making skills.  Also, keep everything in the household a float has been a test of my organisation skills . . . read on . . .

a few more quilts for the market

to be quilted tomorrow

some folk stickers; & penny wheels which need buttons for headbands

magnets for the Elleni May shop

some hair clips for ChildPlay

remembering to take knitting needles to the market

turning all this research, images, snow flakes & flags into . . .

O Canada O Canada &

Whistler Mountain (Olympic assignments for year 3 twins)

in my spare time, i'll make homemade pasta

my husband made the sauces for lasagne

it tasted as good as it looked & half for the freezer

look at those layers . . . & the salad cancels out the calories

also made a double batch of pasta dough, now who rolls the better tagliatelle??
(top left corner, was NOT my effort!!) 

all so i can be here on Sunday!!

Have great weeks everyone, love Posie