New Shops!

I am very lucky to be stocking my trinkets in amongst all the goodness in the Cottage. If you are in the neighbourhood, drop in and have a look.

Also, I have set up an online shop here, for those who can't make it to the shops. Perhaps your traipsing about days are over, and you merely hang out on the internet eating donuts, staring at pictures of the universe (wow a pony!) and buying jewels that you will never wear because you are too damn busy to go outside. That's okay! Just pile them up on the dresser. Or in a trunk.

Anyways,
Look here!

Perhaps pony friday just re-instated itself? Blame the universe.

In other news, I have work in the 'Perspective' exhibition at Craft Victoria, as part of the Craft Cubed festival which launches tonight. I am just this moment trying on an unfinished bastardized trouser-top I may save from the unfinished projects pile. Maybe. Lets face it, it's not like I have nothing to do, or nothing to wear.

And lastly, since we are talking about the universe. A little story about one of Saturn's moons.

Winter Smoke

An exhibition of new paintings by Rachael Hooper opening (tomorrow) Saturday 1st August.
No, not this genius 'Ham sandwich' which I love and covet, but NEW paintings. I had an afternoon in Rachael's studio a month ago and have been excited about this ever since. These works are beautiful.

Exhibition runs until 16 August.
Australian Galleries.
35 Derby Street, Collingwood.

I make stuff

Is the name of a 140 page full colour book by the editors of Hand Made Life, Ramona Barry and Beck Jobson. Containing images and interviews with 29 makers from around the world. Here's a peek into a page featuring one of my favourites, the stunning embroidery of Takashi Iwasaki. I can't wait to have a proper look at the launch on friday.

The book is available here, and soon here.

In the cracks

Since making my moss garden, I have been seeing it everywhere. Growing in the cracks in the road and the gutters, up walls, around the corner. It's nice to see things growing wild, especially when I think of the baking summer ahead. Speaking of which, the sneaker tree in Edinburgh gardens is flowering. Spring must be on its way.

Chutney Club

Featuring Beet (Beat It) Relish and Quince Jones Jelly amongst many other delicious things. It was a purely coincidental, but pleasing preserve tribute to producer and artist and number one hit.
There are more indiscriminate photos on the chutney club page if you like it like that.

Piennale 09

Many many Pies.


The pie master trophy.


Pie Hosts.



Post Pie Judges.

I was keeping quiet about it, but I was a Pie Judge. I'm putting that on my C.V. I'm not sure what I did to qualify, but I'm happy about it.
So many pies, including Pork Belly, Cider and Apple pie, Oz Burger, Jerusalem Artichoke and Mushroom, 6 Mushroom pie, Madras pies, Key Lime, Cherry & Apple, Strawberry Vanilla and Semolina, Pecan pie, and lastly, possibly my favourite, Spiced Dark Chocolate Pie.

Who ate all the pie?

We did! We did!

So today is the PIENNALE!
Or more correctly, the Pie Biennale 2009

Organized by the ever-lovely miss Trotski the 'Festival of the Pie' returns.

I've been schooling up and reading the event fine print.

3 categories: Sweet Pie, Vegetarian Pie, Savoury Pie with prizes for:

Best Sweet Pie
Best Vegetarian Pie
Best Savoury Pie
Best Presentation
Best Homemade Pastry
Best Original Recipe
Best Overall Pie
Peoples Choice Best Pie

It's a shame I don't have an oven, as I have been thinking of a braised leek and fennel cottage pie. I can't bake pie, but I can eat it.

3 is the magic number

Today I remembered to stop in at Y3K to have a peak. Lucky me I got to see lovely Fiona and Kain of ffiXXed before they leave town. Too much of Everything. It's a beautiful show. Things like the poster catalogue/the shopperbag top/ the rug w/sleeves all make me quite happy.


ffiXXed, Rug w/ Sleeves, 2008

I was still waiting for paint to dry so I looked in at Sutton to look at New World Records. It was also worth it.
Lastly I visited Mel at Utopian Slumps, I wanted to see Victory Over the Sun, which finishes up tomorrow. I liked paintings from the series Stoopid bougie futcha by Kate Smith. Somebody buy me one plzthx?
Christopher L.G. Hill made me laugh with his Therapeutic Land Art. As did Alex Vivian with his equally dirty little piles of stuff and obsessive constructions. Speaking of which, he has MORE, on show at TCB right now. It's called Stench in Numbers. Stinker.


Christopher L.G.Hill, Therapeutic Land Art (detail)


Alex Vivian, Age/Sex/Location, What U into? 2009

All three shows somehow kinda work together, and cross over, so If I were you and you were interested I'd go look at all three.

Work

Today feels like it's gone on forever. I left the studio instead of waiting around for paint to dry. I took things to the kiln to be fired. I fretted over other things that haven't been fired yet. (Will they be ready on time? Will they survive the fire? Will they be nice? Will they survive the ride home on my bike? Will they be all of the above and I ruin them with an ugly glaze?)
Scary.
So I went into the city, I visited Mayumi in Alice and the lovely ladies of Craft Victoria, to drop work off for an exhibition next week. I got excited talking about it, and the launch of a book.

I went to the fabric shop and ummed and arrhed about buying rolls of fabric today. I decided not to, as I had my bike, and it may have been pushing the limits of my crooked old basket, and I may have become more of a danger to myself and others.

Instead I got some samples and rode to Newtown to have a coffee to give me stamina to get home and to look at art, which I will post about next.
It's cold in the cave, and I am tired. It's friday though and things are good. Really good. Did I mention that not only is chutney club on sunday, but tomorrow is the festival of the pie?
Yeah, you heard me.

Hello World

Hello Blogosphere.

Yes, that's you.

I have been slightly addicted to stats lately, about a month ago I finally worked out how to see a map of visitors to this site. I am a bit slow.
I find it surprising and amazing still. So to my reader in Montreal, hello. To my reader in Adelaide, hello. To my reader in Alice Springs, yay, hello. Also hello Santiago, and Lisbon, and of course hello Paris, hello Berlin. Hello Holland! New YORK. London. Hawaii! Milan. Tokyo.

Hello World.

My map desk has come in handy. What a nerd.
Speaking of nerds, who is your nerdboyfriend?
I can't choose. It's very problematic.

A stolen magnolia...

Yeah, I steal magnolias. They help me think of spring coming to this dark cold cave of a studio I am working in. I am talking about my home. Also known affectionately as the carport or the garage or the bat cave.

I saw a dolphin

Jemila didn't really believe me* when I said I saw a dolphin in the Yarra as I walked across the bridge to the Arts Centre.

BUT, I did. According to wikipedia, dolphins have been known to venture upstream as far as South Yarra. I felt pretty sure it was a dolphin (after the initial shock where I thought perhaps it was some new fangled underwater craft, it was huge) or maybe some small whale. I watched it for about 15 minutes, cruising around under the pedestrian bridge between flinders station and South Bank. I was late for my meeting. After a little while I thought I better try to take a photo, but by then it was further away and all I really managed were some UFO-esque blurry dusk shots of the river with vague hints of dolphin fin (I can see it at least).

TRUE!

I hope he doesn't hang out there too often, for his sake, almost all of the fish are contaminated with heavy metals including arsenic and are really not fit for dolphin consumption.

*She came around abit maybe towards the end. I was a believer.

Crate

I dropped into Design Made Trade quickly to have a look at new crates from ROCK MARTIN. They are pretty lovely, in plywood or steel. Either way I could use some modular shelving solutions. I could also use one of those handsome chairs. And a whole flock of kangaroos. Nice work again Drew and Dale.

birthday girl

Happy Birthday lovely lady. Brookie and I concocted a plan to babysit, and whilst babysitting bake a surprise birthday cake for the lady of the moment. Unfortunately Amory had other ideas, and they didn't get to go out to dinner as he wouldn't go to sleep.

Meanwhile I was waiting in the back alley with an unbaked cake, hoping to get word to come in and bake it. Poor Andrea had no idea, and was confused by the attempts to explain. It turned out Ok though, as the smell of baking chocolate cake took over the house. Yum.

Happy Birthday beautiful lady!

At the movies

I finally got around to going to see both Samson and Delilah and Bastardy this week.
I loved both of them and if you haven't already, GO SEE them.


This documentary portrait of Jack Charles is of a funny, eloquent and very stylish man. The film has its distractions, but it felt very special to watch him, put together in his tweedy coat with his shock of amazing silver hair. The tragedy in his story is balanced by his warmth and charisma, he's made for the screen, and knows it.


Jack Charles with Director Amiel Courtin-Wilson

Samson and Delilah is an intimate portrayal of shy teenage romance, on the outskirts of remote Central Australia. It's stunning, so beautifully shot, with amazing performances from all of the cast but especially the young lead actors, so much more difficult and real than anything I've seen in ages. That said, it's not totally despairing either and leaves you with hope.



I hate to be preachy but we here need to see more films like these. Australia.

Moss

This morning I washed up these giant coffee jars I got from the op-shop yesterday. I then filled them with rocks and dirt and went out the back to scratch up some moss to cultivate in my pretty new terrarium, after the surprising success and ease of the last one.

This is what I made.



Now weirdly, I checked my email this afternoon and threethousand feature this.

Weird no? The SAME JAR and everything. Talk about the Zeitgeist.

And yes that is the foot of a hairy child in the background. He fits right in.

And...

Another reason to visit the ever lovely Alice Euphemia is they are having a jewelery and accessories sale this week.

Featuring treasures from Coconut Lu, Disce Mori, William Griffiths, Iggy and Lou Lou, Tru$t Fun!, Lucy Folk, Dani M Designs, Claire Taylor, Caracus, Birgit Holdinghausen, the delightful Dell Stewart and M.O.R.E!



Now might be the time to drag those bones in and make those coveted purchases. I have brooches and random scarves discounted, if you feel like brightening up your winter days.

Thursday 16th til Saturday 18th.

Shop 6, 37 Swanston St (cnr Flinders Lane)

The look of love

A pretty peek into the porcelain palace that is the Iggy & Lou Lou in-house residency at Alice Euphemia...

Alice Euphemia
Shop 6, Cathedral Arcade,
37 Swanston Street

Lets go back to Paris...

It's alive!

And it's flowering. I made this terrarium at the start of the year, I was experimenting for a project, trying to grow moss. It grew!
It's African Violets, which remind me of my grandpa and his greenhouse, and I can't believe I found this flower today by the window in the corner of my studio. It made me happy. Maybe I'll make more.



I googled terrariums and found this post - recipe, and have since been a fan of Emerson Merrick and An Apple a Day.
Now - to cultivate more moss in a prettier fashion. Hmmm.

condiments

I'll spare you the photograph, but here is a list of what is in the fridge. We may have a condiment problem.

Homemade!
Preserved Lemons from Adam's uncle's tree in the Strathbogies.
Whiskey and Fig & Walnut Chutney from Lydia and the last Chutney Club.
Plum Jelly from when I house-sat for Annie and Kade and their Plum tree.
Plum Sauce. (As above)
Plum Jam by Drew and his front garden.
Strawberry Jam by me.
Pawpaw and Date Chutney, A souvenir batch from Mum and Dad's (I wish I bought more back with me)
Pene's Quince Jelly.
Orange Marmalade. Also from Adam's uncle's.
Pickled Beetroot. That was me.
Fig Jam. That too.

Pickled Ginger. Tomato Relish. Greek Yoghurt. Peanut Butter. Tomato Paste. Persian Fetta. Seeded Mustard. Pear and Ginger Conserve. Halva. Jar of Halloumi. Sweet Chili Sauce. Tomato Ketchup. Oyster Sauce. Olive Tapenade. Pickled wild onions. Anchovies and Miso.

ALSO Beer.
... and eggs and one piece of broccoli.
... Milk and Baby Juice.
... and Garlic Spray. (for pests)

Maybe we don't need another Chutney Club meeting after all? Maybe more jars of stuff is the last thing I need?

mysterious letters

I like mail and therefore tend to like mail projects. This one is more lovely than most.

In April 2009, we sent a personal, handwritten letter to each of the 467 households in the small Irish village of Cushendall. We hoped these unsolicited letters would prompt neighbourly discussion, spreading across the town, promoting community curiosity.

You can read all the letters, or just look at them, as they are pretty.

front vs back

I have been doing a fair bit of stitching whilst watching The Ashes. It's quite a nice combination of activities, believe it or not. The two together are much more bearable than either on it's own. I'm pretty amateur with the stitching, but it makes for a more authentic fire if you turn it over and look at the haphazard mess of threads at the back.

EM em Oh Pee!

I want to visit here. You know, while we are thinking about spending money we don't have, and bigging up the things we love. (since 04!)

They are open tomorrow, and if it isn't raining weird horizontal rain and blowing a gale I might just get to Footscray to visit. I was sad to miss the fundraiser. A sadness I kept quiet about because I was living it up on holiday in Qld. This poster by The Narrows reminded me. Yes. Primitive Calculators. I'm sad. Boo.
And looking at the website, my favourite of the artist's prints to SAVE the Melbourne Museum of Printing is by Susan Jacobs. Perhaps worth spending that money you don't have on?

They have an online shop, and blog, in case the weather is too shitty to ride. I am interested in printing another Artist's book and think this might be the place, so I better get there sometime to have a look.

Type-setting my old friend, long time, no see. Why O Why am I drawn to all these tedious processes? Yes ANIMATION, I am talking to you. Also Knitting, and you too Embroidery, and well while we are here, lets talk about printmaking, and yes I could go on and on. And on.

Therefore, I am tedious.

Hmmm...

Which colour? Pene's lovely angora gloves are calling. But I have been crippled by indecision when it comes to colour. I think I want short ones this time. But yellow? Sparkly pink? Watermelon? BLUE?






I also fell in love with this cross stitched smock. It's pretty huh? As is the whole shop.
On that note, I think tonight is the last night to peak in the window and see our installation for the Gertrude Projection Festival. Have a look if you haven't had the chance.
Cottage Industry.
61 Gertrude Street.

Ahoy

I had a moment this afternoon to have a look in Glitzern. I love all that loot. It's dripping with fists full o' treasure.

I coveted many things. Not least this handstitched parrot to wear upon one's pirate shoulder.



Nor these cat's eyes. Hmmm, perhaps they are owlish?



If I did get a fist full of Rudd monies I'd probably blow some of them here. If I didn't first spend it all on fabric first. Which is more likely.
Sadly. As I have piles of fabric, and no piles of jewels.

too faraway

Some pictures to green up your tuesday. From a walk in the scrub with my father. Maybe a month ago. Seems like a longer time. Time flys.