Kelly Zarb Style

Let's Party!!!

2012-02-13T09:00:00.002+11:00

I launched this new mini zine at yesterday's Melbourne Zine Fair, which went really well. I purchased a couple of zines too, which I will share in a later post. The mini zine is just a series of little drawings of my little bunny character and her friend piggy having a tea party.

If you would like to purchase one I have a couple left here.

What did you do over this glorious weekend?

Off to the melbourne zine fair we go.

2012-02-07T19:20:00.001+11:00

Okay so I have some super exciting news to share with you!! I am participating in my very first zine fair this coming Sunday with my crafty friend Em. We will be selling our little zines at the "Festival Of The Photocopier Zine Fair."

I will be selling my "Crafty Collage," and "Miniature Worlds," zines so if you are in Melbourne for the weekend and would love to come and say hello, here are the details:

Festival Of The Photocopier Zine Fair

Melbourne Town Hall

Sunday 12th Febuary

1pm to 6pm

There will be over 100 stallholders selling their zines, so come down and show your love for the photocopier, its going to be awesome!!!

I'm off to finish off some more zines!!

New sketchbook in progress

2012-02-01T19:30:00.003+11:00

I have already sent off my last sketchbook for the "Sketchbook Project," but I also am participating in the "Limited Edition," project too. My topic for this book is "Create & Capture," which is alot more broad which I like because it really leaves it open for me to be fairly free.

I have only just started and decided to continue using acrylic paint for the front cover but this time with a little window cutout, so you can see a glimpse of the first page, pretty neat idea I thought, but my hands are a little shaky sometimes and its a bit jagged oh well.

I decided to add a little quote to the first page that I wrote myself which says "Create things with love in your heart, to capture hearts of others." I'm not to sure where this little sketchbook will lead me but I'm sure it will be a fun journey.

Is anyone else doing the "Sketchbook Project ?"

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

It's all about love.

2012-01-26T11:27:00.002+11:00

Okay so "Valentine's Day," is on the way and I thought I would make a couple of mini original illustration for my store. My nephew suggested the little bunny illustrations so here they are.

There are three little original illustrations available to good living homes. All of them are created on little scraps of paper I had in my ever growing paper collection.

I used Derwent pencils and PITT fineliner pens my favourites. All three of the bunnies are holding little gifts for you.

You could pop one into a little Valentines card for a little extra something or keep it for yourself if you like.

So if you would like to have a closer peek pop on over to my little store

Aah Mail Day.

2012-01-22T13:17:00.002+11:00

You know how I love a good mail day well here are to of my latest zine purchases of late and they are very cool.

The first little delight comes from Maps & Fragments photographic darling Sewon. This is her latest photographic zine that chronicles her travels through China. The pictures are so crisp and detailed you feel apart of her travels.

The next zine is one of my faves edited by the lovely Anthea and many talented contributors Spoonful. Each little happiness companion has great little heartfelt articles, recipes, gorgeous illustration and a craft project all in this compact zine.

It always brings a little smile to my face when I receive it. Hopefully you may go and check out these lovely little zines for yourself and bring a little zine happiness into your life too.

For more info:

http://www.mapsandfragments.com/

http://spoonfulzine.com/

Miniature Worlds "Mini Zine."

2012-01-14T15:38:00.001+11:00

Okay so I have finally created another zine to my little store and it is really cute!! Its about my little fascination with terrariums. I have always grown up with terrariums in my house and always imagined there cool little worlds so what a perfect subject for a zine. Its little in size but big on cuteness.

It has eight full colour pages and measures 4 by 6 inches, perfect size for your pocket.

So if you would like to get your hands on a copy they are found in here.

Have a lovely weekend everyone I am off to make a smoothie. I'm thinking blueberry and vanilla ice cream yum. What's your favourite smoothie flavour?

Sketchbook Progress.

2012-01-02T09:41:00.003+11:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! I have been trying to complete my little sketchbook to send back for the "Sketchbook Project." I decided to add some collage elements into it and its looking pretty good.

This section was created from MT Tape, sharpie marker, gouache paints, an original drawing and paper cutouts.

I would like to wish everyone a joyful new year ahead and I hope all of your dreams and wishes come true. I'm really excited to see whats in store this year.

Christmas Crafternoons are the best.

2011-12-21T10:16:00.002+11:00

Yesterday my sister Loren, my friend Em and her lovely cousin Flora came around for a fun filled afternoon full of food and craft. Our inspiration came from the new "Hello Sandwich craft book." we made little envelopes,cards and gift tags with some of the books labels, seals and templates.

I have never made my own envelope before but with the easy to follow templates in the book they were really easy. We made little envelopes, cards and gift tags with some of the books labels, seals and other templates.

This will be my last post before Christmas so I would just like to wish everyone a merry christmas and i hope you all spend it with your families and eating lovely christmas fare and I will see you in the new year.

Just a little bit further.

2011-12-15T19:10:00.001+11:00

So here is my painting I had started a few weeks ago now and have only just started to add more detail to, what do you think? I still have a wee bit more to tweak yet but its coming along at its own pace.

Its a funny thing painting I find that you really have to walk away every so often and let the piece talk to you, sounds weird I know but I think you need to come back with fresh eyes to see what your next move is.

What steps do you take to begin a piece of artwork wether it be a painting, drawing or anything creative really?

Extra Curricular Activities.

2011-12-10T17:11:00.001+11:00

There are not many little magazines that pack a big punch as much as "Extra Curricular.". Issue 7 has just arrived and I knew I would have to nab a copy. It never disappoints each issue focuses on a crafty topic and this issue its "jewellery ." You will find lovely interviews from some of the best up and coming jewellery designers around.

It also has a yummy recipe section and DIY page too. I buy this little treasure every issue and I still go back and re-read it again and again. Maybe it may be one of your new favourites too?

To purchase your very own copy of "Extra Curricular," just hop on over here.

What extra curricular activities have you got planned for this weekend?

Free Shipping People!!!

2011-12-04T19:02:00.001+11:00

So I have decided to add some crafty Christmas cheer by offering "FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING!!' until the end of December.

Yes you head right! Free worldwide shipping off everything in my store. Here are a couple of pieces I have had in my stocks for awhile and would love for them all to find new loving homes.

So if you would love to give some of your loved ones lovely handmade items for christmas you can find them all here.

Christmas Shipping Info: Orders for overseas {outside Australia} need to be made prior to Dec 11th to reach you before christmas. Orders within Australia need to be made prior to Dec 19th.

DIY Gift ideas!

2011-12-02T10:05:00.001+11:00

Source: honestlywtf.com via Kelly on Pinterest

DIY friendship bracelets

While trawling Pinterest today I thought I would share a few of my DIY gift idea finds. I always try to at least add some handmade item for my gifts it makes it more personal, so I hope you like these and if you have any other handmade gift ideas suggestions I would love to share them.

Source: purlbee.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Tote Bags

Source: blog.blowing-up.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Tassel Necklaces

Please enjoy!!!

More Sketchbook Progress.

2011-11-29T12:30:00.001+11:00

I'm really loving just using the faithful old blue biro to sketch in my sketchbook it really is so much fun!!

For this post I really wanted to also say a great big thankyou to all the lovely people who read and comment on my blog it means alot to me and I also love reading your inspiring blogs and commenting too!!!

I would also like to say thankyou to these lovely people who have mentioned me on their very own blogs too Jenna and SEAM Magazine. Thankyou very much!!

It's a wrap people.

2011-11-22T10:12:00.001+11:00

Source: papermash.co.uk via Kelly on Pinterest

What a cool wrapping idea using vintage nature book pages and MT Tape!!

Source: puglypixel.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Cute little DIY envelopes using kraft paper, MT Tape and paper scraps perfect for personalising that gift card for christmas.

Source: velvetmoss.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

If you have some coloured yarn lying around what about trying this colourful idea!!

I hope these my give you some crafty inspiration for your christmas gifts.

Bursting at the SEAM!!

2011-11-16T18:34:00.001+11:00

I absolutely love independant magazines and when I heard about this little delight from Brisbane I knew it would be a sure hit!!

And you know what it didn't disappoint. Firstly don't let the small size fool you because it is full of wonderful articles on everything I love amazing creative people from all over the place, great fashion spreads, zines, cafes and also to top all of that off it fits perfectly into my little tote genius!!!

So if you want to get your hot little hands on a copy of "SEAM Magazine," check out there website for details.

Here is their blog too: http://seammagazine-scribbles.blogspot.com/

Progress made people!!

2011-11-12T15:01:00.001+11:00

I have been painting this piece for my online course and it is starting to come together quite nicely. I really enjoy the process of painting a piece to see how it will evolve. What are you working on this weekend?

It's the little details that count.

2011-11-08T15:27:00.004+11:00

Here is a sneak peek at a couple of new items I will be adding to my store. I have some new gift tag packs and assorted embellished cards going up for sale, so if you are interested you can hop on over here to take a look.

A day in pictures

2011-11-03T10:05:00.003+11:00

More progress being made on my sketchbook. I'm actually starting to really enjoy the time just drawing in my sketchbook with no real idea at the time of what I am going to do or how it will turn out.

This canvas is for my GYPO class with Lisa and Mati lots of fun!!

And last but definitely by no means least. My lovely little package from Jannese thankyou!!!

Have a lovely day!!

Sketchbook Progress.

2011-10-29T15:54:00.003+11:00

So I have finally made some progress on my little sketchbook for the "Sketchbook Project 2012." I decided to change my sketchbook's cover because I really wasn't happy with it. I decided to use one of my favourite mediums acrylic paint to randomly add colour splashes and some nice little pen doodles too, it turned out pretty well and its a lot more me I think.

Here is a glimpse into the first couple of pages too I thought you might like a look. I decided to share an insight into my own childhood treehouse which is my topic for the project. I never actually had a treehouse but I did have a cubby which was just as cool.

Is anyone else taking part in the "Sketchbook Project," how is your progress going with your sketchbooks?

More Book Love.

2011-10-26T08:57:00.002+11:00

Okay so I did another naughty purchase on Amazon jp and here it is. This little gem is great, its full to the brim with cute little illustrations and steps on how to achieve them.

I hope you enjoy the crafty eye candy. What's your favourite craft book at the moment any reccommendations? Leave a comment I would love to extend my collection. Enjoy your week!!

Let's Get Sketching.

2011-10-22T14:05:00.001+11:00

This week in the mail I received my little sketchbook for "The Sketchbook Project."

This little project is really cool, you get sent a little sketchbook to draw, collage or whatever takes your arty fancy and once you have finished it you post it back by 31st January 2012 to the Brooklyn Art Library and it will be apart of the permanent collection and be exhibited too, brilliant!!

Here is a little glimpse at the beginnings of my sketchbook. The theme for my sketchbook is "Treehouse."

If you want more info on how to obtain your very own sketchbook please follow this link http://www.thesketchbookproject.com

Have a beautiful weekend.

I love happy pants days!

2011-10-18T08:46:00.002+11:00

Outfit

Pants: Sportsgirl

Top: Target

Vest: ASOS

Necklace: Diva

Today is a happy pants day people because it is a lovely sunny 26 degrees outside today and I have a day off yay!!

I thought I would share a little self portrait of my outfit for this lovely day. I plan to go and watch "Footloose," I'm a sucker for a good dance movie and finish off planting out my little vegie patch. i hope everyone has a lovely happy pants day too!!

What's your favourite happy day outfit?

And the winner is.....

2011-10-17T17:36:00.002+11:00

Hello everyone I just wanted to say a big thankyou to all those lovely people who entered the giveaway.

The lucky winner is " Wide-eyed-tree." You will receive my funky decorated tote and handmade card Yay!!! It should arrive in your letterbox soon.

Thankyou again to everyone that entered.

Its giveaway time again folks.

2011-10-09T11:08:00.003+11:00

I thought it was about time for another giveaway!!!

Its pretty simple really, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favourite colour is and why and go in the draw to win one of my lovely little tote bags and a handmade gift card.

How simple is that? Competition closes on Sunday 16th October and a name will be randomly picked out of a hat.

So tell me what your favourite colour is in a comment on this post and go in the draw to win some fabulous handmade goodies, yay!!

What's in my make up bag.

2011-10-02T16:02:00.000+11:00

I finally decided to clean out all of my make up essentials and go for more natural and organic alternatives. There are so many new and wonderful natural makeup products on the market these days it makes it hard to narrow it down.

So here are just a few of my favourites. One of my must haves is my mineral foundation from Aussie brand "Inika." Inika have a great mineral makeup range including foundation, eye shadow, blush and much more. The other great thing with there mineral foundation is a little goes a long way.

Another great product in my make up bag is RMS beauty "un," cover up concealer and lip2cheek. They are an American company and I have been lucky enough to find them at this great organic and natural beauty products online store called "Bathing Beauty." .

I don't tend to wear much makeup, but I never leave home without lipgloss. I love Burt's Bees Lip shimmer in "Peony," and Dr. Bronner's organic lip balm in peppermint.

For my make up brushes "Eco Tools," are the best. You can find these sold separately or buy them in a handy pack of all the basic brushes you will need to achieve any make up look. They are sold in Australia from Priceline or online.

So that is just a taste of some of my new and old favourites, if you have any other natural or organic beauty products that you adore please leave a comment I would love to know.

Here are my top beauty product sites too:
www.bathingbeauty.com.au
www.ecotools.com/
www.inika.com.au/

Studio Ghibli : Arietty "The Borrowers."

2011-09-26T09:01:00.000+10:00

I have been waiting and waiting for this new animation to be available in Australia but unfortunately it still hasn't arrived, does anyone know when it is coming?

This new studio ghibli creation is based on the old story called "The Borrowers." You may have seen the movie with John Goodman in it a while ago, if not I highly reccommend it.

The Crafty Collage Zine has arrived!!

2011-09-22T17:47:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone well I am really excited to finally be able to launch my first ever zine!!

It is full of great little crafty collage inspired projects you can do and even get some friends over and make a day of it if you like. The zine is 16 pages, the pages are photocopied with little hand cut colour photo's of the projects in finished form for you to enjoy too!!

There are also little pieces of MT Tape throughout for that extra special something.

The zine will be stocked "here," in my Etsy store for the price of $7.00 USD.

Also special bonus for the first eight zines sold you will get an extra special little collage kit too!! How cool is that?

So if you would like to purchase one of the "Crafty Collage Zine's" you can do so over "here."

Have a lovely weekend.

On the production line.

2011-09-18T11:07:00.003+10:00

Yesterday was a very productive day indeed. With the help of my crafty friend Em we have just about completed my "Crafty Collage Zine."

It wasn't nearly as hard as thought it was going to be and they are looking pretty good too!!

It should be ready to go by the end of this week so keep your eyes peeled people. My zine will be a play back to the old cut 'n' paste style zine with my own special illustrated components and little homemade touches.

Have a lovely day!!

Nothing like a crafty workshop!

2011-09-17T09:37:00.002+10:00

I have finally had a chance to take some photo's of my sweet little goodies made at my friend Em's MT Washi Tape Workshop. It was so much fun and everyone who attended had heaps of fun, hopefully in the not to distant future there may be another whoo hoo!!

Anyway here is some of the goodies I made on the night.

Washi Tape Fridge Magnets.

Collage Bookmark

And last but certainly by no means least a collaged gift bag.

That's all for me on this delightful Saturday morning I'm off to meet up with Em who has kindly offered to help me put together my craft zine, more news on that very shortly.

In the meantime I hope everyone enjoys their weekend. What are you up to over this weekend too anything exciting?

I love crafty sundays.

2011-09-12T08:52:00.000+10:00

Don't you just love a relaxing day with friends creating fun stuff? I do!!!Yesterday my friend Em and I had heaps of fun making cards, cd coasters and little peg photo holders. We had a table full of MT Tape, books for inspiration, stamps, paper and soo much more the table nearly collapsed under all the crafty goodness.

The talented Miss Em will be holding an MT Craft Workshop this Wednesday night if you to are interested in some MT fun, laughter, learning and maybe make a new friend or too!

Event details:"JAPANESE MASKING TAPE DECORATION WORKSHOP"
Date: Wednesday 14th September
Time: 7:00-9:00pm
Venue: Dandenong Rd, Carnegie, VIC 3163 Cost: $35

For more info on the event please contact Em

The time has nearly come.

2011-09-06T13:47:00.001+10:00

The time has nearly come for me to unveil my very first zine called "Crafty Collage Zine." I am just working on the finishing touches before I take it to get printed. I am so excited to share it everyone. What activities are you working on this week?

Mail Love continued...

2011-08-29T18:55:00.002+10:00

I have been receiving alot of fabulously delicious things in the mail lately including the second instalment of "Miss Beebee's Workshop Zine."

It has some great things in it like making MT Tape bookmarks and rubber stamping your own wrapping paper. Yay!!

She also wrapped the zine so lovingly and added in bonus goodies, so cute!!

If you would like to purchase a copy of "Workshop 2," or her other self published zine "Workshop," please head on over here.

Holidays are great but mail rocks!!!

2011-08-25T15:07:00.005+10:00

Okay so I just returned from my lovely little holiday spent in sunny Queensland. It was awesome but coming home is just soo much sweeter when you have packages waiting at your door. YAY!!!!

So here is some of my haul.

Also while away on my holiday I managed to nearly complete my first ever zine. Now because I am not so skilled on photoshop I decided to create my zine from my very own illustrations and here is a sneek peek for you to enjoy. I should hopefully finish my collage zine by the end of September fingers crossed.

What exciting parcels have you received in your mail box lately? Leave a comment I would love to hear about it.

Flickr Friday:

2011-08-05T19:13:00.001+10:00

papapancake, a photo by bamsesayaka on Flickr.

So its the end of another working week and I thought I would change it up a little and show my fave pic from Flickr for a change, so here it is.

This lovely young lady named Sayaka Minemura creates wonderfully whimisical photos I could stare at all day, too cute! Have a lovely weekend people I am off to get my haircut Yay!!

Crafty Zine in progress

2011-07-31T16:00:00.006+10:00

This weekend has been a real treat for me because I have finally been in the right headspace to sit down and actually start my first ever zine.

I have been writing and sketching ideas done in my sketchbook non stop, and now I can safely say the zine is starting to come together. So here is a few sneak peeks of my first ever crafty collage zine, I am pretty excited about it too!! Hopefully by the end of September it will be complete and ready for the world!!! YAY!!

Have a great week.

A castle for thee little wizard.

2011-07-29T09:07:00.006+10:00

My nephew and I have been making little monsters out of air drying clay. I am going to make little Totoro's and he is making a wizard and some little monsters. So we decided that we should build a castle for the monsters to live in. Here is some of my inspiration for our very own wizard's castle.

Source: annwood.net via Kelly on Pinterest

Ann Wood

Source: countinggraces.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Counting Graces

Does anyone else have any helpful hints or info on building something like this? Please leave a comment my nephew would be very pleased to hear from you. Have a great weekend and I will update you next week on how the monsters turn out and the progress on our castle.

Cute Bento!

2011-07-26T17:53:00.003+10:00

2011.07.21-1, a photo by babykins. on Flickr.

I really love to sit down at lunch time and enjoy eating a well prepared lunch. Especially when it is as cute and scrumptious as this.

The creator of this amazing little bento is Izumi, she takes great photo's of all her bento boxes and gives handy tips and recipes to create your own tasty treats. I am just off to try my hand at making her "Milk Kanten Dessert."

Here is Izumi's blog for more tasty delights.

Ramen Girl Rocks!

2011-07-20T19:05:00.003+10:00

I found this movie last year on one of my weekly visits to my local video shop in the new to weekly section and thought it looked interesting and my instincts turned out right.

This movie has all of my favourite things Japan, cooking, comedy and heart. If you have never seen it before I highly recommend it.

Have a lovely week.

A little collaboration project.

2011-07-18T09:51:00.005+10:00

I have been working on a couple of new brooches which will go into my store this week but there is a little surprise with these brooches. The surprise is that I have been given some little swatches of beautiful handmade fabric from one of my Indie Biz classmates "Bonita Rose."

Bonita Rose has a lovely inspirational blog about her art, vintage finds, recipes and anything that colours her life. She also has a wonderful Etsy store selling vintage goods, jewellery, papergoods and more.

Please pop on over and visit her etsy store and blog I'm sure you will find something to colour your day too!

Bonita's Blog
Bonita Rose's Store

Gift Style.

2011-07-16T19:03:00.009+10:00

I have become hooked on Japanese zakka books all because of these lovely ladies here and here. I had always been to scared to buy anything from Amazon jp but with a little nudge it was really a piece of cake.

So this is one of my first purchases "Gift Style." It is everything you want in a craft book, beautiful images and lots of inspirational ideas to create gorgeous gifts.

It also has separate sections for events like weddings, baby showers and christmas, decoration ideas for all year round brilliant!!

I hope you enjoyed the crafty eye candy and I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Don't get up to too much mischief now will you?

Bloomin Great Day!

2011-07-09T14:01:00.005+10:00

So what do you get with a couple of rolls of MT Tape, a glass jam jar, a pair of scissors and rubber stamps. A lovely little vase or pencil holder.

I have had Hello Sandwich's little pamphlet for a while and I have been wanting to make a little MT vase but alas didn't have a glass to share my blooms. I found this little jam jar at my local op shop for 50 cents, SCORE!!!!

I will share with you my new Craft book purchases in my next post so stay tuned!!

Flipping Pancakes.

2011-07-04T09:59:00.007+10:00

Often on my days off I will do a fair amount of cooking. if its not some soups to put in the freezer for my weekly lunches its a nice batch of pancakes or my new obsession gluten free sticky date pudding. I may post the recipe for the pudding in the next coming weeks. What do you like to cook?

So what did you do on the weekend?

2011-06-27T09:16:00.006+10:00

Loved this.

And this.

Ate these

Made this

So what did you do this weekend?

Do the truffle shuffle.

2011-06-23T19:11:00.006+10:00

Most people won't know what the truffle shuffle is unless they have watched one of my favourite childhood movies "The Goonies."

What was your favourite childhood movie?

An apple a day.

2011-06-18T13:00:00.005+10:00

Well that's what they say isn't it "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

I stumbled upon this little zine a couple of weeks ago and decided it should be mine. I definitely wasn't disappointed, the zine is put together by two lovely ladies named Katherine and Joesphine. It has everything from fantastic artists and illustrator contributions, a fabulous photographic section, it's printed on recycled paper and a recipe to boot, I'm in love.

So if you feel that you need to up your apple intake today I suggest you prescribe yourself a copy over here.

Apple Cart Zine

What's your inspiration?

2011-06-14T12:34:00.004+10:00

It is really starting to get quite cold here in Melbourne at the moment so spending alot of time indoors sounds pretty good. So I thought I would clean up my little creative nook, what better way to start than by creating an inspiration board.I have had this old pin board lying around for awhile and they are pretty cheap to pick up at Kmart or two dollar stores around town.

You can create your own board to, by simply gathering together some of your favourite bits and pieces like postcards, paint chips, fabric swatches, stationary, photo's the list is endless. Now all you need to do is arrange on the board with pins and hang it up.

If you already have an inspiration board in your art studio or nook, what kinds of things do you have on it?

Mail Love Friday

2011-06-10T15:26:00.005+10:00

Everyone loves a good mail day no bills or crappy junkmail but a super exciting hand written letter from a close friend or a online purchase from one of your beloved online stores. Well this was a lovely surprise I must say, it was a copy of "Spoonful Zine."

As soon as it arrived in the post I couldn't contain myself every single page of this gorgeous zine was so beautiful I didn't want to put it down. The zine is edited by the lovely Anthea and its the perfect size to take on a train trip to work or on your lunch break. The content is so heartwarming and cheerful just what you need on a long trip home or after a long day at work. So if you need a little boost of joy or just want to look at some lovely images and read a great article then give Spoonful a try I'm sure you'll agree that it is a great companion in anyone's day.

Spoonful Zine

Illustration Friday: Shadows

2011-06-05T11:42:00.001+10:00

Nourish my soul, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

I recently completed this piece and thought it could work for this weeks topic. I love using graphite pencil to create a contrast between light and dark as seen in the texture of her hair.

I love cooking and I believe cooking is a form of expressing love by nourishing yourself and loved ones around you with great food.

Enjoy!

Craft crush of the moment.

2011-06-04T19:03:00.001+10:00

MT Tape hues of the moment., a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

Okay so I was a late starter but I have to admit this amazing little colourful delight gets my heart racing.

I find myself looking at their amazing array of colours endlessly but I never want to actually use it because it is to pretty, but the time has come to change that.

Does anyone have any suggestions for craft projects that use MT Tape? Please leave a comment if you have any ideas.

Illustration Friday: Asleep

2011-05-31T19:02:00.001+10:00

Illustration Friday: Asleep, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

I have just started working in my shiny new journal and this is my first sketch in it, especially for Illustration Friday. Enjoy!! Have a lovely day.

Yummy Gluten Free Coconut Pancakes.

2011-05-24T17:29:00.005+10:00

Okay! Okay! so I have tried and tried a few gluten free and dairy free pancake recipes and most of them have been pretty ordinary.

But here is a sure fire winner and they are made with coconut flour and coconut milk. Believe me when I tell you they taste like little fluffy cakes but in pancake form, I kid you not!!
So here is the recipe for you all to try.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour (You can find it at your local health food shop)
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
A pinch of cinnamon
1 tbs honey
4 eggs

- Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk till all nice and frothy.
- Now add the coconut milk, vanilla essence and honey.
- In another bowl add all dry ingredients (Coconut flour,cinnamon and baking powder.)
- Slowly whisk in the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until you have a nice and smooth consistency.
- Set aside mixture for around 15 minutes or so just to get the mixture to beef up a little.
- Once thats done get out a fry pan or crepe pan and set on a medium heat and lightly grease.
- Place pikelet sized dollops in the pan and wait till you start to see bubbles then turn over and repeat. (Important: these little delights are very delicate so be careful to make sure it is throughly browned before turning.)
- Serve pancakes with berries, jam or maple syrup of your choosing (Raspberries work really well)
- Devour immediately.

Also if you haven't got plans this weekend why not head along to the MarkIt held on Sunday 29th May from 10am till 5pm at the Atrium in Fed Square. There will be heaps of great artisans and designers selling their wares.

Illustration Friday: Soaked

2011-05-21T15:45:00.002+10:00

This is a piece I have had for a while but I thought it suited this topic well. Its a small little mixed media piece I created using vintage music sheets and acrylic paint. I hope everyone has a glorious weekend.

Illustration Friday: Safari

2011-05-17T12:33:00.003+10:00

Safari, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

This is my interpretation of "Safari." It symbolises a young woman in the urban jungle. It was created with graphite pencil,coloured pencil,gouache and fineliner pen. Enjoy!!

I will also be adding it for sale here:
My Store

Illustration Friday:Beginner

2011-05-10T18:05:00.001+10:00

I thought this little baby rabbit sketch would be perfect for this week's topic, he is a beginner in life. Enjoy!!

And the winner is.....

2011-05-09T14:59:00.005+10:00

Drum roll please!!!!!!!!!!

The winner is "Va," congratulations I will be posting out your brooch very shortly. Thankyou to everyone who participated and have a lovely day.

How my work is created

2011-05-07T09:50:00.005+10:00

Okay so I thought I would put together a post on how I create one of my little illustrations and the processes I go through to get the finished product.

I always look through one of my sketchbooks for some flicker of inspiration and browse the many wonderful blogs too. Once I have found something I can work on I set to work. I always start with a HB or 2H graphite pencil to sketch out the outline of my desired piece. Once I am happy with the outline I will use a range of graphite pencils including (2B, 4B and 6B ) this will allow me to get a good amount of shading on my work. I also try to keep my hands really clean because I sometimes smudge sections of my work with my hand resting on the paper and have my trusty sharpener around.

Now up to this point I will take a break (usually a cup of rosehip tea) I will look through my craft supplies including vintage papers, rubber stamps and paints and decide on my little details. For this piece I used coloured pencil, a little rubber stamp of a bee and a piece of floral patterned paper for her jumper. I usually only work on one drawing I don't do alot of sketching I like to just dive right in and see what happens with the piece if it works it works if not thats fine too, there is always another illustration around the corner.

This is the final piece I am pretty happy with. What do you think?

Okay so that is a little snippet into my creative process, I hoped you enjoyed it.

Have you got heart giveaway.

2011-05-03T12:55:00.013+10:00

So do you have heart? Of course you do!!!

Here is a photo montage I guess of the process I went through to create this little heart brooch. So I hope a little glimpse into my studio, may inspire you to start your own little project today.

Also I am going to run a little giveaway for this post!

All you have to do to win this cute little winged heart brooch is to leave a comment with your name and tell me what you are working on now. It doesn't matter wether its a birthday cake or a scarf I would love to know what you are working on. Giveaway closes on Sunday 8th May. Winner will be chosen at random.

Don't forget to leave a comment so you can go in the running to win the little heart brooch!!

Also for more fun giveaways my dear friend Em has one HERE!!

Be Playful!!

2011-04-30T13:56:00.001+10:00

Be Playful!!, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

Its a lovely sunny day today and I thought I would share one of my photos for an assignment I am trying to complete with the help of my six year old nephew.

Hope you are having a sunny weekend too!!

Craftin Marfa style

2011-04-28T18:51:00.002+10:00

I really want to visit Marfa in Texas! Why because it seems so crafty freakin cool check it out for yourself on this video from Etsy.

The biz on craft.

2011-04-24T12:06:00.005+10:00

So I thought I would do a post on some really helpful little crafty business books. As I am trying to build my own little crafty business I thought there may be other crafty peeps who may be interested to know some of my top choices for info on how to set up a successful business. So here are my top three choices:

Also if you know of any great books that you have found helpful please feel free to send a comment along, I would love to peruse them and add to my growing collection!! HEE HEE!!

The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin.
This little wonder is one of my top choices it is broken into different sections including different selling avenues (online or bricks & mortar), blogging, marketing and heaps more. It is jam packed with goodness and also includes interviews with successful indie business owners, what more could you want?

Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey
This isn't really a crafty business book but these days having a strong online presence is a must for any business owner and can help bring traffic to your online store too. This book is great because it has helpful hints on taking photo's setting up a blog and the pros and cons of different blog accounts. It also has lots and lots of great interviews from crafty bloggers. Its all very heavy on crafty eye candy too. Yay!!!

How To Make Money Using Etsy by Timothy Adam
This is the newest book of my collection and very helpful for people who may be interested in setting up an Etsy store and to those who may have a store that needs a little help. Timothy Adam is a very well renowned Etsy seller and has tons of knowledge to share in a straight forward manner. This is my new favourite at the moment. I like it because he explains alot about using social media to drive traffic to your store.

OKay so thats my little post on crafty business books. Please feel free to comment on this post with any business books you can recommend.

Goldilocks Hairpin Set

2011-04-22T11:30:00.001+10:00

Goldilocks Hairpin Set, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

So I thought I may add some of these little hairpins I have had in my stock for awhile just to see how they go, what do you think? I hope everyone has a lovely Easter too!!
I will be back soon with another post on Crafty Business Books.

What are you workin on?

2011-04-20T13:18:00.001+10:00

Lady Joesphine, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

This little hexagon brooch is called "Lady Joesphine."

So I have been eagerly wanting to post my new hexagon shaped brooches to you, what do you think? I think I might even consider make a necklace in this shape too what do think of that idea?

Are you working on a new project at the moment leave me a comment I would love to know and check out other blogs!!

The Painted Lady.

2011-04-12T15:00:00.002+10:00

The Painted Lady., a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

Last week I was reading this lovely post and felt so inspired that I decided to paint my nails too!!

I don't usually paint my nails. Its not the actual process I dislike it can be quite therapeutic but its the fact that no matter how hard I try not to mark or scratch the new paint it always some how gets chipped or messed up quickly, I think it may be because I am quite impatient at times.

I really love my new skeleton key ring I picked up here on a whim, while having a bad day at work I needed a pretty fix and this was just that. The nail polish I used was from Rimmel called "Blue My MInd," what's your fave nailpolish tint of the moment?

New additions coming soon!!

2011-04-10T10:21:00.001+10:00

Little Feather Necklace, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend? I will be adding some new little necklaces to my store over the next week or to, that will feature little trinkets and glass beads. Sp stay tuned!!

What's everyone doing over the weekend anything interesting? I'm off to work!!!

A single red poppy.

2011-04-08T18:35:00.001+10:00

Poppy Fields, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

Hello everyone!!
This is one of my new brooches I will be listing very shortly. What do you think of the colour combo does it work?
Let me know your thoughts?

Hi Ruby Brooch

2011-03-31T12:47:00.002+11:00

Hi Ruby Brooch, a photo by Kell Z on Flickr.

Newly listed Felt Brooch to my little store you can find it and other goodies here.

Girl's just wanna re-style!

2011-03-29T12:36:00.007+11:00

They just wanna they just wanna!!! Okay enough of the Cyndi Lauper let's get serious here for a minute. I would like to share a cool upcycling idea with you all. I found these two little purses ( As seen above) at my local op shop for around 4 dollars and thought they could do with a little embellishment love. If you have any old handbags lying around that you could spruce up and bring a new life to why not give it a go or pick some up at your local thrift store for next to nothing and embellish away.

You can use all types of things to create a super cool embellishment I used little doily's, scrap fabric, felt, beads, buttons, hot glue and some thin rope, but the range of ideas is endless. You could try glitter glue, stencilling designs on with fabric paint, fabric trims,sequins etc.

Here are my tools of choice for this project:

Voila this is the final product that look pretty nifty if I do say so myself.

For the little grey handbag I simply cut a strip of silky fabric I liked and hot glued it to the bag with a draped effect. Then I have simply hand sewn some little glass beads onto the fabric. I then embellished the doily with a rhinestone and buttons and glued that to the fabric.

I bought the little gold handbag because it was so little and in pretty good condition but it didn't have a strap so I thread through some white rope I found at the fabric store and cut it at my desired length before tying a knot and there you have your strap. I then created a little felt bow and added a fabric yo-yo and vintage anchor button for a little nautical themed bag!!

So I hope that it brings a little inspiration your way to create some fun re-styled purses!! Enjoy!!

Random Facts for enquiring minds?

2011-03-24T12:31:00.007+11:00

Well I thought I would give you a little insight into the workings of me.

Where does your surname orginate from?
My surname "Zarb," is actually from Malta a little island in the Meditterean Sea. My grandfather and grandmother were born there.

Favourite Colour:
Would probably be Purple, its very soothing and tranquil. But I also like teal blue and peppermint too.

Favourite Musician:
Eva Cassidy hands down. I know she didn't really ever write her own songs but here voice and interpretation of song was sublime. She was also a brilliant artist too but very shy. One of my all time favourite songs is her version of "Woodstock," originally done by another fave Joni Mitchell.

Favourite Meal:
My homemade Moussaka with tofu on the top instead of cheese sauce Yummy!!! (I don't eat dairy or gluten.)

What did you wanna be when you grew up?
Only recently I found my old autobiography which I had to do for a project in primary school and in it had the same question and I wrote "Artist or Park Ranger."

Most embarassing thing that you have done?
I have had a few embarassing moments one of my all time worst was on my first day at a new job I was a visual merchandiser for a reatil fitting company and it was Christmas time. My job was to hang these garlands around some poles that were around three meters tall, anyway I was trying to stabilise the garland to the pole. With the garland in one hand and a pull tie in the other I tried to pull the tie tight but my hands were really sweaty, so I got a pair of pliers out of my pocket and tried with those it worked, but I pulled the tie so hard with the pliers that i hit myself in the forehead pretty hard.
Now I didn't really at the time but within a couple of seconds I felt something warm trickle down so I put my hnad up and realised I was bleeding. So I had to go to hospital on my very first day of work. Great Job Kelly!!

What irritates me?
Most irritating thing for me hands down is definitely people on mobile phones all the time. I work in retail and it really annoys me sometimes when people don't have the courtesy to just say "Can I call you back in a minute?" when they are at the counter. I really don't want to know what Kate said to Melanie yesterday?

Destination I would love to visit someday?
I really really want to go to Japan, but sadly it might have to go on the backburner for awhile.

Okay so that's just a little peek into the goings on of me. Enjoy your week everyone and also if anyone is going to be in Melbourne this Sunday head on down to the >"Mulgrave Farmers & Makers Market." I will be there selling my wares so come down and say Hi.

So this is how it came about.

2011-03-09T17:45:00.001+11:00

I thought I would do a post on why I love to craft. When I was young my grandmother gave me a book for my birthday (Above). She was always very creative making clothing (She made my mum's wedding dress), painting and heaps more and I always wanted to get in on the action and so she gave me this craft book from the 70's which was choc full of cool looking crafts like tie dye, applique, embroidery etc.

So when my grandmother passed away my grandfather gave my mum and me all of her sewing stuff including sewing machine, table, lace,buttons,threads and heaps more it was like a magical world had opened up to me so now if I make anything it will most likely consist of my nana's sewing stash,which is pretty cool I think.

I would sit in my room and just pour over this amazing gift, the book was so bright ( This is the inside cover how cool is it!) and all of the people pictured in the book looked like they were having so much fun and that's whatI wanted to do too. So I used to get my mum to teach me how to knit and sew ( My mum was also very crafty), so I could embellish or customise my own stuff and I still continue to use those skills I learned way back then. That's what I love about craft it is a skill that can be passed on to another generation for them to get the same thrill as the last generation.

This is the inscription my nana wrote when she gave it to me for my birthday. Do you have a memorable gift that you would like to share with us?

Thriftin Finds Thursday

2011-03-03T16:28:00.003+11:00

Yes well I have been on another thrifting adventure with my dear friend Em and well it was pretty successful. I found out about this massive Vinnies store in Boronia and had to take a look for myself and yes it was BIG!! I came away with a jar of buttons and a cute litttle dress for only $3.50. I haven't taken a photo of the dress because it needed some TLC, it had a really dark stain on the back, but no matter I got it out.

I also brought home some apricot colored lace, some vintage stamps and some drumsticks. I don't actually play the drums but they were only one dollar so maybe I will give them to my nephew to play with (Sorry Sis). Now we had been thrifting for most of the day and also had a bite to eat and bought some dirt cheap MT Tape (SCORE!!) but the day was not over. Em spotted a cool little camera for $5 bucks and I found another dress that I will alter a little but had a lovely floral print, will share photo's once finished. Oh how I love thrifty trips.

Progress made.

2011-03-01T19:13:00.005+11:00

I have become obsessed with collage at the moment as seen on my folder cover for this super awesome course I am participating in. The folder has an array of vintage paper, paper doilies, stamps, MT tape, stamps and scrapbook papers.

Also working on more embellished tops for store here. So many projects so little time!! What projects are you working on at the moment.

Embellished tanks say what!!

2011-02-18T19:31:00.004+11:00

So sorry for lack of posts I have been trying to juggle alot of different things at once and it just isn't working, but one thing I am happy to announce is the return of my embellished tanks to my store!! YIPEE!! So I will slowly but surely be adding new embellished tanks over the coming days so stay tuned.

Also if you have any colours you would like me to do, just send me a comment I would love the feedback!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Goin Native!!

2011-02-04T15:03:00.002+11:00

Well I 'm not actually going native but it sounded cool!! i am actually having a blast with the new course I am participating in called "Get Your Paint On." My normal painting process begins with a sketch or to and then I get down and start my canvas, but this time I thought I would change it up and just see what happens. So above is what came of going off the cuff and I must admit I am pretty happy with the end result.

Have a lovely weekend!

Thursday Things.

2011-01-27T18:46:00.004+11:00

So today I thought I would share some of my favourite things of the moment. I will start from the left side and work my way round shall I?

1. This is a great book I received recently from Book Depository. Its called "Print & Pattern," by Bowie Style, its choc full of fabulous patterns and beautiful illustration.

2. I have become a little obsessed with Crayola textas at the moment, just letting my inner child shine I guess. These three colours are dynamite though aren't they?

3. Heart buttons need I say more.

4. If you don't know me by now I love owls and this little guy came from one of My best friends Em on her recent trips to Japan.

5. Hot pink nail polish fromSportsgirl called "Lipstick."

6. A peachy colored bangle I thrifted a while ago.

7. Last but not least is this lovely little quote card that says " Great people are those who can make others feel that they too can become great." Mark Twain.

Whats your fave things for Thursday?

Thrifty Finds of Saturday.

2011-01-23T14:00:00.005+11:00

Okay so yesterday my friend Em and I went on one of our op shopping day trips and I scored some cool finds (Above). We found an awesome array of books at one of my favourite spots for an unbelievable 20 for a dollar yes you heard me right a dollar. I couldn't even imagine finding twenty so I walked away with a nifty gardening book aimed at kids it had some really cool illustrations. I also scored a tube of buttons and some kids sewing patterns for 50 cents each. These sewing patterns come in very handy for my paintings so double score!!!!

But the best surprise of the day came at Monash Gallery Of Art. They had a lovely little photo exhibition on which was cool but in the galleries shop they were selling these little zines called "The Hillscene." It was full of fabulous goings on in the Dandenongs area including Belgrave, Upwey, Sherbrooke and many more. There were some great articles on cafes and my favourite op shops. Here is there Facebook page for more details.

Have a great week everyone!

Arty Resolutions 2011.

2010-12-31T12:37:00.005+11:00

So it is the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. I never really get that excited about New Year's Day to be honest its just another day. But this year I feel is the year I will take my art more seriously. So here is the plan.

1. Sign up for more markets
2. Study (I can check this one off because I signed up for a course here
3. Take better photo's of my work
4. Last but not least is really just make more ART!!! (As seen above)

What's your arty resolution list for 2011?

So I hope everyone has a safe and lovely New Year!!

To Market, To Market We Go.

2010-12-18T15:16:00.006+11:00

Hi everyone. I am madly scrambling to get everything ready for my market stall tommorrow (Yah Hoo!!). So if anyone is in town and would like to come along the market is from 8am till 1pm tommorrow (Dec 19th).

Here are the address details:
Mulgrave Maker's & Farmer's Market
Corner Jacksons & Wellington Roads, Mulgrave (in the grounds of The Body Shop Headquarters, enter from Jacksons Road).

Paperplanes and flights of fancy

2010-11-27T11:40:00.002+11:00

Pretty quiet here at the moment working hard for Xmas so not much crafting going on. But I Have been working on some new sketches (Above) that I may incorporate into a new product for my store so stay tuned. Anyway sorry for lack of posts but I am off now to prepare for a clothing swap party tonight. Have a lovely weekend.

To Market, To Market.

2010-11-12T09:13:00.007+11:00

So as you may already know I am gearing up for my first market stall in December and as time ticks by I am trying to make sure I have everything organised, so I thought I would share my to do list for my market stall. If there is anything I may of missed please comment on my post this is for everyone to use as a reference if they choose to.

What you will need:
- A folding table (Borrow if you don't have one to save cash)
- A chair
- Tablecloth or lovely fabric to put over the table ( Also try to find a cloth that will reach the ground to hide your storage containers)
- Stickers for pricing your lovely items
- Baskets, pretty plates, pin boards or other cool items to display your items ( All of these items you may have around the house or could pick up from a local op shop)
- Notebook and pens ( To record sales or other nifty ideas that may spring to mind on the day)
- A bum bag or small pouch for change
- Small change (coins) just in case customers have large notes
- Business cards with your email or website info
- Food and drink supplies
- And last but definitely not least a friend or family member to help you out on the day

This is just a basic list but if you have any other ideas please feel free to comment I would love to hear from you.

You could also check out the Etsy Forums for other great tips and hints from others crafty peeps from all over the world.

I love bunting...yes I do...

2010-11-02T13:16:00.004+11:00

While on one of my regular op shopping trips I came across this lovely bright navy fabric (shown above). Now I could either put it away in my fabric container or create something wonderful with it and well the second point won over. So I decided the best project for it was some pretty bunting and with the leftovers maybe a skirt for summer. I also found some cute little doilies and a cane tray which will be perfect for my upcoming market stall.

This is the final product which I think will look lovely hanging around my market table, BONUS!!!!

Have a lovely day!!

What A Hoot!!

2010-09-03T15:48:00.003+10:00

Here is a sneak peek of some new cards that I will be adding to my store in the next couple of days!! Have a lovely weekend everyone!!

Rain is a comin!!!

2010-08-31T13:22:00.003+10:00

Just one of the new photo's I have taken for my store, I thought it suited the mood of the day. It's very grey outside looks like rain is a comin!!!

Skirt Happy!!

2010-08-28T14:29:00.011+10:00

Okay so I have finished my very first attempt at making a skirt and to tell you the truth I am pretty happy with it. The etsy tutorial was really easy to understand. I altered it slightly by making it more gathered and I also added a belt and belt loops now its on to making some shorts. Have a lovely day!

Keeping me busy.

2010-08-23T19:07:00.010+10:00

Lately I have had the urge to sew something not just my normal little projects but to actually try my hand at making an item of clothing. So I decided on a skirt and I found a great little tutorial here.

So I went out and found this cute little floral fabric and got cracking!

I also spent the weekend catching up on some reading. If anyone is thinking of heading on a trip to Tokyo Japan anytime soon I definitely suggest heading on over to "Hello Sandwiches Blog," and nabbing yourself one of her awesome zines on all the hot spots to visit in Tokyo town!

Honest opinions please?

2010-08-07T14:09:00.007+10:00

Okay so I have been working on some new ideas and sometimes what I think is cool and what other people class as cool are on very different levels. So I was wondering if you lovely readers could give me your honest opinion on these fabric collar necklaces? Would you wear one and if so what colours would you like to see? Don't be shy any criticism is fabulous, I love feedback.

Also the collar itself measures 6 inches (150mm) at the widest point by 2 1/2 inches (65mm) long.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and I would also like to say a big thankyou to everyone who has ever posted a comment on any of my posts it means a great deal to me.

what's for dinner? Moussaka

2010-07-26T12:14:00.006+10:00

I love this recipe I have altered it a little but it is absolutely yummy.

Moussaka:

Ingredients:
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 medium onion chopped
500g mince meat
1 cup beef stock
olive oil
chopped fresh parsley
1 eggplant sliced thickly
1 tub ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 cup grated mozarella
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 potato sliced thinly

1. Place the slices of eggplant on a tray lined with baking paper in a preheated 180 oven and spray with olive oil. Bake in oven for around 20 minutes or until eggplants are slightly browned. Once done set aside to cool.

2. Now prepare the sauce. Place a little oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry off the chopped onion and garlic. once onion is translucent take out of saucepan and add in a little more oil and the mince meat. Once mince is all browned add the onion and garlic back to pan. Now add the tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste,beef stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 mins.

3. Once the sauce is prepared, you can create your moussaka. Place the thinly sliced potato in the bottom of a large baking dish. Then add the eggplant slices.

4. Now place a generous layer of the sauce. If you have some leftover like I always do you can place it in the freezer for sauce for pasta.

5. Now put the ricotta,grated parmesan and the egg in a bowl and mix well.

6. Place the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. You can now add the mozarella to the top and you are done.

7. Place moussaka in oven for around 45mins at 180 degrees until browned.

I'm A Blogger Follow Me Swap.

2010-07-25T10:31:00.005+10:00

Hello everyone,
This blog post is dedicated to some new little blogs I have found from my current Swapbot swap. So if you are looking for some new crafty goodness, eco friendly tips,fabulous recipes or just to meet some new friends then here is a little treat for you to enjoy on this lazy sunday.

New Bloggers to meet:

Consciousness-Collection

Dimmicks Dinner

Bare Bones

Carol's Stamping Blog

Billie Monster

Krystal's Kitsch

This Young Mama

Jenny's Thrifty Thoughts

Working In The Green Room

Flying Without Feathers

So there are all my swap partners blogs please head on over and share a comment or too, even if its just to say hi. Have a fantastic week everyone.

Something I've been working on.

2010-07-21T13:39:00.003+10:00

So I have finally found something that I really love to make and feel proud to add to my store. These necklaces are one of my new ideas to re-vamp my Etsy store. I have really been neglecting it of late due to work, family issues. As lots of crafty/ arty types will tell you and I know in my experience is I spend alot of time looking on the internet at all the fabulous crafty blogs and never actually spending time working on my own store. So to turn that around I will be adding new pieces as often as I can. So here is but a little taste for what is to come.

So tell me what is your biggest time waster mines definitely crafty blogs, how dare they have such beautiful things to peruse!!

Have a lovely week everyone.

Oh so thrifty!!

2010-07-03T15:43:00.008+10:00

I have been away from the internet unfortunately due to some technical difficulties, but I am back with some new piccies of some thrifty awesomeness I picked up a little while ago.

The top image of of a cute little ornamental vase I found for fifty cents and a little jar of white buttons, that always come in handy. But the best score of the day was definitely this:

I have been dreaming about finding that perfect little picnic basket with beautiful gingham trim and guess what!!!

Here it is, I found it at one of my local stores and it had a set of cups,plates and a flask all for eighteen dollars, I love it!! Now all I have to do is wait for the weather to warm up so I can take it out. Have a great weekend everyone, I am off to the market tomorrow!!

Mail Delivery.

2010-06-22T14:37:00.004+10:00

Don't you just love walking to the mailbox and discovering cute little packages that have nothing to do with bills or advertising I do! Here is what arrived in my mailbox today.
The new edition of "Frankie," magazine and a lovely parcel from "Seasonal Delights," her gift tags are too cute for words.

I hope everyone received something lovely in their mailboxes today too.

A Fine Rainy Day.

2010-06-20T14:48:00.002+10:00

Its another fine and rainy day here in Melbourne. I just love it when its rainy outside and you can snuggle up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and just do nothing at all. But then I started thinking about songs that are rain related or have rain in their title and here's what I came up with so far:

Purple Rain - Prince
Umbrella - Rihanna
November Rain - Guns n Roses
I Think It's Going To Rain Today - Bette Midler
Fire And Rain- James Taylor
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - B.J Thomas
Come Rain Or Come Shine - Ray Charles

I could go on and on but that's just a snippet anyone have any other suggestions? Leave me a comment I would love to add it to the list! Have a lovely rainy week!

My thrift haul.

2010-06-15T15:00:00.003+10:00

I haven't been op shopping in a while and I needed to find some bits and pieces for some new ideas I have for my etsy store. I didn't find alot but that's the thrill of an op shopping trip you either hit a goldmine or you don't. I did score some nice fabrics, a collection of white buttons and some sheet music so it wasn't all bad news. Ah well it just means I will have to continue searching more op shops. Woo Hoo!! Have a lovely week guys.

Illustration Friday: Trail

2010-06-08T14:01:00.003+10:00

I thought I would use this little painting I did about two years ago of a little snail. What do snails leave behind? Trails, enjoy your day everyone.

My old world phase.

2010-05-30T12:28:00.003+10:00

I don't know what it is but I have started to notice that my store has two sides to it. I have my moments where I create cute,fun and bright pieces and then I have my soft, subtle, lace and butterfly pieces too. I can't explain why but I guess that's just my style who knows maybe its because I've been watching "Anne of Green Gables and Dr.Quinn Medicine Woman," too much.

I really enjoyed making these cards and the extra element of using the sewing machine to attach the paper worked really well. If you have never tried sewing with paper and card on the sewing machine I highly recommend it. I attached the buttons with a heavy duty craft glue which was highly effective. The cards will be heading into my store during the week if you are interested.

Hope everyone has a great week this week.

Illustration Friday: Early

2010-05-26T19:26:00.003+10:00

Who doesn't love a hot cup of tea in the "early," in the morning? This piece will be available in my etsy store too, prints will also be on their way.

Illustration Friday: Equipment

2010-05-17T11:33:00.003+10:00

This is a little piece I completed last year that sits on my desk at home. Max is wearing one of his lovely scarves he knitted with his knitting equipment i.e wool and needles. Perfect investment for the current cold weather we are having here in Melbourne. Have a lovely week everyone.

Bursting with Butterflies.

2010-05-11T11:09:00.004+10:00

I decided to partcipate in a swap on swap-bot for the first time in a very long while. If you have never heard of swapbot you should definitely have a look. It's free to sign up and it allows you to sign up to lots of very creative and fun things. You could also make some new crafty minded friends.

I am participating in the "Butterfly ATC Swap," I have never made an ATC (Artists Trading Card) before but it was really fun.

If you are looking for some crafty inspiration here are a couple of blogs I found very inspiring:

Dottie Angel
Tims Sally

Parasol•Craft Issue 3

Check out these fab crafty sites full of fabulous and inspirational people and ideas. Enjoy.

Illustration Friday: Cocoon

2010-05-02T14:06:00.002+10:00

I love using butterfly images in my work. I see them as a symbol of rebirth and giving you the ability to start afresh. So the butterfly lives anew, once they emerge from their cocoon.

Butterflies possess the ability of change, leaving the safety of their cocoon to discover a new world in a new form without fear, trusting their untested wings to fly without a doubt in their minds.

Going pouch crazy.

2010-04-22T14:35:00.002+10:00

I have always wanted to make cute little bags and cases with zippers but it just never seems to work out right. But finally after a fair bit of trial and error I think I just may have got it right. So here is a little makeup case I made for myself. I think I may make more to add to my store we will have to see.Have a nice day everyone.

Illustration Friday: Detective

2010-04-20T09:08:00.003+10:00

Meet Detective Max Holmes. He is on a secret detective mission. So secret in fact I can't even tell you about,so I will leave it up to you to imagine your own scenario. Have a lovely week.