Welcome Coco Evie....

We've been keeping her to ourselves for the past couple of weeks, but here she is!  Little Coco was 2.79kg (that's 6lb. 2oz.) and is an angel.  Her first angelic accomplishment was a perfect delivery - all over and done with in 2 (very intense but drug-free) hours.  And you know what?  The sleep deprivation isn't as bad as I was expecting.  Yet....

Hello + goodbye....

Little Me - Somewhere in Europe - October 1977

It seems I've been retreating from the world wide web (and people in the real world) as Pikelette's arrival draws closer.  I thought I should make amends by saying hello to you all.  Hello.  :)

And also goodbye.  With only 1 week until the estimated arrival (though of course she will have her own idea about when the time is right) there are no guarantees as to when I'll be back.  I hear these newborns are somewhat time consuming.

So thank you to you all for visiting over the past few years.  Special thanks for your comments which remind me that I'm not just writing to myself.  And an even bigger thanks to those of you I've never met in person but feel like I have, thanks to the wonder of this funny little internet and the friendships it sprouts.

I'll miss you!  But I'll be back.  Sometime.  :)  xo

Meet Bill....

You'd think he'd have cheered up after some lovely comments on an earlier post, but no.  It's not his style.

I found Bill in an op-shop (thrift store, for the Americans reading) about 18 years ago (Holy shiznit!  I can't believe it's that long!).  Sure, I was way too old for teddy bears, but look at him!  I thought he looked so sad that I couldn't bear to leave him there (hehe, pun intended).  

Of course, he doesn't really look like he's cheered up over they years.  I'm hoping he perks up when Pikelette comes along.  Maybe he's been waiting all these years for a little girl of his own (and if that doesn't work, I'm tempted to stitch a happier face on him).

Have a great weekend!

Hang....

And then there was bunting....

I'm quite sure it's illegal to decorate a nursery these days and not include bunting.  And who am I to rock the boat?!  I've made a couple of metres and have cut enough to make twice as much again.  It's great to get back on the sewing machine - it's been a while!

Sew some more....

Turn + press....

Sew....

Cut....

Settle Down....

Ok, it's not often (or ever) that I talk about music at the sunday project, but I am loving this song by Melbourne lady Kimbra.  And the video is pretty sweet too.  Plus, I dance kind of like Kimbra, and get a lot of laughs from my friends for it, so it's nice to see someone else pull it off (though with slightly more finesse and a kick-arse dress).

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Kimbra - Settle Down from Forum5 Recordings on Vimeo.

Nesting?....

Well no, I don't think I am nesting yet, but I am trying to get some things done around the house before Pikelette arrives.  One area in which we're lacking is bedroom storage, so I was super happy to find this fantastic dresser on ebay recently.  It needed a bit of a clean up, so I followed these brilliant instructions from The Brick House (also seen on design*sponge) and I think it's come up a treat.  Not having the same American products as recommended, I instead used a regular household cleaner (suitable for wood), delicious orange oil, and then some furniture wax.

Hmm, this photo makes me realise how stark the bedroom is without any art on the walls.  Plus, I need to make proper curtains (and stop putting up with some fabric stapled up!).

And yes, that is a bear on the bed.  Don't judge me!

Gumnut babies....

Ok, don't panic - this blog isn't going to become all baby talk.  But I had to share this beautiful beanie my mum knitted for Pikelette.  She taught herself to circular knit (is that what it's called?) to do this which makes it even more impressive.  It reminds me of the gumnut babies, Snugglepot & Cuddlepie, by May Gibbs.  I'm sure Australians know what I'm talking about.  How scary were those Banksia Men?!

 

Introducing Pikelette....

Ok, so I may have failed to mention up until now the biggest project I've worked on since the inception of the sunday project.  Of course, she's more of a personal collaboration between me and Mr Stink than a crafty pursuit!  My photoshopping skills are pretty lame, but as Mr Stink is currently working in France (I know!!) I figured he might like to know his girls are thinking of him and waiting for him to return home - which we really hope is before Pikelette's arrival!!

Postcard for Jesse....

Ok, so I shouldn't post this yet as it's still on the way to Jesse, but hey, maybe she won't look at my blog while it's in transit?  Fingers crossed.

So Jesse printed a heap of postcards and invited anyone to do a swap.  I love the rocket postcard she printed and sent to me, and as I still hadn't got around to making one for her, I decided to make something in response to her design.  I used similar coloured card (packaging from some tomatoes) and traced the main veins of her rocket print.  Then I recreated the print by making little holes in some thick paper and stitching the paper to the card at random places around the edge.  Ta-dah!

Before + after....

Well this has been a long time coming.  I started this chair project almost 2 years ago and finally it's finished.  Keep in mind that I moved countries during that time, and had to take the chair apart to get the wooden frame in boxes for shipping, and the metal seat was checked in as luggage on the plane.  Not sure that was the most sensible approach, but anyhoo....

The image is of Pania of the Reef and I screen printed it using freezer paper.  You can see some posts (and photos) on the progress here and here.  I still think I could've done a better job with the print, mainly if I'd had some helping hands and a bigger screen.  Having said that, I'm pretty harsh on myself and the general opinion of those who see it in person is that it rocks.  I did all the sewing at the upholstery course I was doing at the time.

I didn't get a before shot before I started sanding back the wooden frame, but this should give you an idea what it looked like when I found it on the side of the road.  The wood was much darker and coated in some sort of lacquer that had gone yellow and started to chip. I hate sanding but this piece was small enough that I stuck it out (unlike our dining table which Mr Stink took over restoring after it broke me - maybe that's a before and after for another time).

I hope you like it!

The kitchen gallery....

Ok, so a shot from a little further back might've worked better, but never mind.  I like putting together mini compositions around the house, and this is one of my favourites.  It features the Big Breakfast teatowel (in awesome neon pink!) from Mr PS (slimline silver frame from Ikea), a Martin Poppelwell napkin from Esther Diamond (stretched on a canvas frame) and the plate by Mignon Khargie which I won at a plate a day for plate #200.

(Psst! - What do you think of the wider blog format?  I'm not too sure about it myself but I'll see if it grows on me).

I don't want a pickle....

So finally I've photographed the plate I was commissioned to make for friends to commemorate the birth of their son Arlo. What a great project! I was given a brief by the parents - please include motorbikes and pickles. This is in reference to an Arlo Guthrie song. It's a laugh - you should check it out.

This plate was made using the same technique as my "pleased to meet you" plates. It was nice to work in colour this time. I'm not sure that the above photo shows off how vibrant the colours are so I've included an enhanced image below. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

I stayed with the hand drawn look, and my colouring in the wreath is intentionally messy. This was at first just to get a quick idea of colours, but i liked the look so decided to avoid keeping in the lines. 6 plates were made, mainly as gifts for grandparents.

This was really fun, and something I'd love to do more of. Perhaps I'll just have to start creating my own events to commemorate.

Market Lane & The Design Files....

Ooh, don't you just love these white tiles? They've got me thinking about kitchen renovations (which is wildly ambitious considering we've spend about 2 months re-doing the master bedroom - not the fastest of workers).

Anyhoo, they're at Market Lane (in Prahran Market, Melbourne) and I have been fortunate enough to win a 3 month supply of coffee (delivered to my door mind you!) from the lovely people there!

How did I manage this, you might ask (jealously?). Well I spotted the competition while cruising a favourite site of mine. This favourite site is another one I've been meaning to share with you, though if you're in Australia I'm sure this won't be news to you. The Design Files is full of Australian design greatness, with a smattering of OS delights as well. I particularly like drooling over the Australian Homes section.

So I'm happy! Though it's Mr Stink who is happiest, as I'm currently banned from coffee. And all my favourite cheeses. And alcohol. Ho-hum.

Hello everyone....

Did you miss me? Are you still out there?! I'm (slowly) returning to a more balanced existence, but it will be a while before the sunday project is back in full swing. Please be patient.

It won't be long until I can show off the commission I told you about (ages ago!). The final stage is under way and I'm crossing my fingers and toes that everything goes to plan. So far, I'm really happy with it.

But today I wanted to share with you the work of Diem Chau. I've shown you her embroidered plates before, and now I can't resist sharing her latest crayon commission for the FIFA World Cup which starts tomorrow! (Ok, so I'm just as excited about the World Cup as I am about the crayons).

Balloon dog....

Struggleville....

Yep, that's where I am. But you've probably figured that out for yourselves. With the day job commitments piling up, the sunday project is taking an official temporary hiatus. Don't worry, I'll be back next month once deadlines have been met and I regain some control over 'me' time. I have managed to start work on a really exciting commission which I can't wait to share with you once it's finished. I think you're going to love it. See you soon?

Rollerskate....

Accordian....

Grenade....

Beaker....

Radio....

And now for some words!....

Ok, so I've had a few emails asking what I'm up to with all these sketches. Truth is, I don't quite want to share with you yet - sorry! But they're part of an idea I've been working on (in my brain) for a while now. I think it's a good one. I hope you'll agree....

In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment on any that you particularly like (or any that you don't). All will be revealed in a week or so.... :D

Underpants....

Poison....

Telephone....

Pegs....

Diamond....

Coffee....

Cassette....

Cheese....

Tooth....

Camera....

Blooms....

Our 4 metre tall cacti are putting on quite a show at the moment. :)

Blanket update....

Those of you with your finger on the pulse will know that I'm a contributor to the Blanket Magazine blog. This year I'll be focusing on art with regular Monday posts. Come and say hi sometime!

Framed....

I got around to framing my Sean Morris print on the weekend. I think it looks great! (and so does Talullah the donkey). Here's the tutorial:

• find yucky old plastic "gold" frame at church fête
• clean
• spray with "heritage red" spray paint as per can's instructions
• re-spray if required
• insert kick-arse print.

Pretty easy, huh? :)

Origami love....

Check out my super cool origami decoration! My friend Amanda made it (though claims her origami skills are lacking - whatever) and we did a swap for one of my brooches. Amanda's into tessellation origami - I took at look on flickr. This guy is amazing!

Forest of selfish lovers....

I treated myself to a print by one of my favourite local artists this week. If you're a regular over at the blanket magazine blog, you might've seen my post about Sean Morris last year. He is one talented guy. I really wish I could draw like this.

I planned on showing this off once I framed it but I couldn't wait. Maybe I'll get it sorted on the weekend, so come back and take a look! Trust me - it'll be more exciting than it sounds.

In the meantime, if you'd like your own piece of Sean's work, you can buy it at bad hair mountain, and stay up to date with his news here.

A plate a day....

Plate by Joelle Bellenot

-

Remember when I won the coveted 200th post over at A plate a day? Of course you do! Well, while I was gallivanting in New Zealand, the 300th post was up for grabs! Ok, so the plate above is #302, but I love it so much that I thought I'd share it (and it's my blog so I can do whatever I want). You can see the 300th post winner here.

Wasted time....

Ooh, jealous? You should be. I won this print by the hugely talented Jordan Clarke thanks to a Forth Thread giveaway. The paper she's used is oh so lovely, and the fine detail is exquisite! If you'd like your very own piece by Jordan (for a more than reasonable price!) you can choose one from her etsy shop. Go on, you know you want to....

Excuses, excuses....

Well here's an excuse (and a sob story) - my camera is broken! Ok, so this is not a photo of the actual broken camera (and I don't know who to credit it to), but they work the same in that they don't. This, in combination with my lack of doing anything creative to show off, is the reason for my tardiness on this blog. Get off my case, alright?!! I make no promises to change, lest I disappoint you. :)

Happy hot new year....

Whoa, well I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are, but with the temperature hitting 40 degrees Celsius yesterday (that's 104 degrees Fahrenheit for you old school types), I'm almost relieved to be back in the air conditioned comfort of my office. Except for the work that needs to be done. Ho-hum.

I'm check in tomorrow with excuses for my lack of post of late - they'll be impressive! There might even be tales of dinosaurs. Or industrial espionage. Or love and betrayal. Whatever they are, I can assure you that I won't be at fault. :)