Friends

Ok it's been a while since I've done a mushy post so indulge me for a minute.

this past couple of weeks I've been grateful for friends.

Friends that I can joke with, be feral and know when a joke's a joke and have a good sense of humour.

Friends who are there for me, let me rant , get angry for me, help me and give me great pep talks when dealing with some tricky issues.

Friends who are just on the same planet as me, and who I might not have seen for ages, but when I do it's like it was only yesterday and it's so easy.

Friends who send me unexpected beautiful gifts just because.

thank you guys you've made my last couple of weeks .

And I'm all the better and luckier to count you guys amoung my friends.

I'm a makeaholic are you?

It has dawned on me in the last first weeks that i'm a bit of makeaholic.

That I'm never not making something and that as soon as I finished the last thing I'm on to the next thing. That I never really stop. I'm notorious for packing more yarn than clothes when I go away, always making sure i have more yarn on me than I need to come me finishing the last project and needing something else to do.

At one point i wondered if I find hard to sit still, or have some sort of weird complusion to always be doing something, but then I realised it's not because of that, it's because I just plain love it, and when I have the spare time or a moment free i will make. Because i find it a more rewarding and nuturing way to spend time.

that I'm capable of sittting still, watching the TV without doing something, or sitting on the tram watching the streets go by. But I prefer to be doing something if that makes sense.

I'm reading a great book at the moment, but as much as I'm loving it, i would never spend a whole morning reading in my spare time, I can't , because i get tired of it, and want to turn my great love of making. ( i guess i'm not that smart)

Many non crafty peeps were surprised when I reached the deadline for the show, that I just started making all over again, that no where in there did I really stop.

that even when I didn't have clear ideas for what to do next, i started planning and working on an Easter update ( yes easter update) just so I could be making.

Does this ring a bell to you? Are you are makeaholic too?

I'd love to know.

OH and BTW happy Australia Day

PS the two pics are two toys I've made lately

thank goodness for orders

I'm in a funny sort of place, have excited and full on adrenalin yet pooped and quiet and unable to settle. it feels strange to have finished all the toys for the show and still have quite a bit of time til it's actually on. To move on to new things when that last phase isn't really over.

At the beginning of the week i think I had a slight false sense of total relax, but there's still heaps of stuff to do, just more of um this less fun bits, like room sheets, labels and pricing.

I've actually really enjoyed putting my house back into some order, which had been a bit neglected in all the pressure and business. I usually hate house work but it's straightforward nature has suited me this week.

I've been really grateful and lucky to have some orders to work on, that are easing me into a different gear if that makes sense, and give me a bit room and sense of what i want to do next with my makings.

So that's me what's going on with you?

EEEEPPP!!!!

SO much for a break eh?

But it's just a little bit exciting

More info here and here!!!

sorry

That i haven't been around much lately or consistantly really.

Life has been super busy and a bit crazy Christmas and the new year were hectic with lots of family stuff and the deadline for finishing the toys for the collab, it's been work work stress stress busy busy.

There hasn't been much time for a break, or to breathe until now a bit or for anything else except the above. And somewhere in the midst of it all I have forgotten how to blog and write. Everytime I have opened up a new post i feel like I'm forcing something that once came so easily. I'm probably just tired or need some time out.

I'm hoping now that things have settled down a bit it'll come back ( the photos have been done and the toys finished- in time - Phew! )

sorry to be such a bore.

xo

A question of labelling

One issue that has come out of the whole collaboration thing is the question of labelling or signing my work. The folks at Outre gallery think it would be really good to have some way of showing a toy is one of mine. And I'm not just talking the label labels that I attach to them.

While I do agree how to do this has always baffled me how to do, and now that I'm thinking about it again, it continues to baffle me.

I've never liked the idea of sew in printed label because a) as a kid I used to cut these off my toys and b) so many of my amis are quite small and all the printed labels would take up a good portion of their body and be very noticeable.

I've always thought the Steiff button in the ear was genius, a distinctive way of labelling without being too intrusive or noticeable.

So then I thought about embroidering TW in small letters on their bottoms, but trying to do this consistantly and neatly ( like in the case of of the embroidery on crochet) is quite hard.

Then I thought about using a very fine fabric pen and writing the letters instead. And then i wasn't sure.

So I'm asking your help and your opinion on the matter. As usual.

What do you think I should do. It needs to be consistant I can't do labels for my mohair boys and a different thing for the amis.

Do you think it really is important I mark my bears and toys to show it's made by me?

Do you have any bright ideas ? Which one should i go with?

I would really appreciate any advice , opinions you have

thank you xo

Nearing the end

At the end of this week is the deadline for all the pieces for the collab to be finished. If I want them photographed and in the catalogue book thing ( which I do).

So as you can imagine I'm madly finishing and making into the wee hours.

It's funny I have no idea what I will do once they are all done. I usually know exactly what I want to make next or at least some idea. But at this point it's hard to even imagine getting to that point, not having to think about what i need to make for it where I'm finished all the making.

I guess this collab has taken up alot of mind and time in the last year, especially the last six months so it's not surprising that I can't imagine life beyond it.

And the weird part is even when I meet the deadline and the photos are done, its not over or up. There's all the admin stuff to work out, prices, invites, blurbs etc. And then theres a whole month more of waiting. Waiting to show them to you and to the world. I think the waiting will be hard. It's been the thing I've found the hardest, the secret keeping and the lack of outside feedback.

Last week, i took a photo of That bear on my phone and was so about share it on Instagram.

I sat there for ages debating with myself and finally deleted it, saying to myself I've waiting this long to show him, why spoil it with a month to go.

But at the same time, i think I'm reaching the point where i'm ready not to be working on it. Like I've made enough , and I dunno I've reached the point where I want to get back to my own thing whatever that is. As wonderful as experience as it's been.

Here I am contradicting myself all over the shop. And probably not making any sense. Am I making any sense at all?

So that's my week and a bit where I'm up to .

What's going on in your world?

Home

Had a lovely couple of days at the beach ( Walkerville) to escape the heat and noise of the city. It really is a beautiful part of the world, and not yet spoilt.

Hung out with my big family, went for walks on the beach, swam, read a little, and saw some echidnas and Merv's uncle.

Am back home as need to get back to work on collab.

I know you will probably think I'm boring , but as much as it is lovely to go away, I'm always so happy to be home to be back in Melbourne for all it's dumpiness, smog, ugly signs and buziness. Seeing the tall buildings approach in the horizon my heart wells up with an enormous love.

But like Kate said it's so important to love where you live and to me there's no place like home town.

PS And Oops yes above is the banner Martin created for the show. And yes if you are wondering that is that giraffe.