around the studio

 

Blue scrap metal yard bargain and words to live by.

 

 

 Ponies, Owls, pretty chairs and succulents. A window display in progress.

 

 Studio Xena enjoying the sun :)

 

Pretty colours

 

The studio decorating is a work in progress. Building the table and getting busy was the first priority, however, being a creature of my surroundings, it is important for me to have an organised space and be surrounded by things that inspire me for the designing process.

 

We have been colecting bits and pieces over the past three months from garage sales and the space is becoming to feel more and more alive and creative. Am really looking forward to spending time over the holidays with a paint can and putting in a feature wall and arranging more pretty things.

 

 

the table that eddy built

 

 First pieces put together in place. I really love how perfectly the dimesions of the table fit into this space. It was as if it was meant to be there.

 

Base complete!

 

 Bench top and stotrage complete!

 

 

 The exciting part. Once we put the felt down, we unrolled the canvas. This is when it really began to feel real. Eddy got to put his upholstery skills to use and staple the canvas down.

 

 

 I must have been way to excited to photograph the table complete with backing cloth but this was pretty close!
 

 

First repeat print sample to test the registration bar. Win!

 

 

Covered in freshly printed tea towels. 



suitcase rummage

 

Yesterday we set off to enjoy the sunshine at the Suitcase Rummage Market in Canberra. Not only was the weather perfect, the atmosphere was really relaxed and friendly. We met loads of lovely people, especialy our friendly stall neighbour Marie - Nicole whose company made our day extra special.

 

reinspired

Things have really changed in my world over the last 3 months. A hesitant move interstate found me meeting my dream man, who has reinspired me to pursue my love of screen printing, which sadly got put aside when I entered the world of full-time teaching.

With a new studio space and a 4 1/2 meter print table (lovingly built by said dream man) I have been busily printing away with old designs so I can replenish my online shop and stockists with the antisipation of launching new designs and products in the new year. Did I mention that dream man is also a very clever upholsterer??? We also share a mutual love for garage sales and op-shopping. Our heads have been exploding with all the things that we can do together, the possibilities are endless!

Very exciting times ahead xx

coastal pattern ideas

Playing around with my coastal patterns...more to come!!

coastal patterns

I spent last weekend down in Lorne on Victoria's Great Ocean Road with a group of fantastic ladies, celebrating a great friends baby which is due any day now. We had some lovely strolls along the beach and I captured these pretty patterns in the rocks. It truly is a special part of Australia!

I was going to draw this giveaway the old fashioned way with little scrunched up paper names, but being the nerdy IT teacher that I am, I decided to leave it in the hands of digital fate.
Thank you to the lovely Jiah from Elephant & Rose who wrote a lovely comment on her blog and got an extra number in the draw. You can see her beautiful designs here!
But the lucky winner -  number 3, thanks to the trusty random number generator, is Bianca from Hollabee. Bianca is a Melbourne based designer who has a gorgeous blog that you can check out here!
Thanks again for the lovely feedback. I will have some new designs and colours available in my shop very soon :)

:: GIVEAWAY ::

To celebrate the opening of my online shop, I have decided to have a GIVEAWAY!! Available to win is this gorgeous, 100% cotton, Jersey Scarf. This scarf features my original "Twiggy" design and is handprinted using eco-friendly, non-toxic, water-soluable ink. It is approx 204cm x 40cm and is super soft, hard waring and machine washable.

To be in the chance to win, all you need to do is to follow my blog (if you are new) and comment below. I would love to get some feedback on what colour and pattern combinations are your favourite. For an extra chance to win, you can help me spread the word about my giveaway on your blog.

The winner will be drawn on Sat, 12th May.

Good luck!!

new colours

New colour-ways and a gorgeous soft ash, 100% cotton jersey fabric. Shop to be updated very soon!

:: new :: handprinted jersey scarves

 On top of many little crafty projects that I have had going on lately, I have also been inspired to dust of my screens and print again. I have had this jersey fabric lying around for some time and decided to give it a new purpose. I am quite happy with the result, they are light weight, soft and perfect for dressing up an outfit now that the weather is getting cooler.

Above are a few examples of my prototypes, I am currently in the process of printing some new designs and colours and will have them for sale in my online shop soon. I will also be having a little giveaway shortly so stay tuned!

crafty holiday project #5

I'm having so much fun giving my old vintage lamps a new look. This particular one I was so happy with that I just had to keep it for myself!

crafty holiday project #4

crafty holiday project #3

A few years ago I was involved in a group exhibition called 'Partly Cloudy' where I decorated cloudy shapes on cute vintage plates. I was overwhelmed with the response that I received from these and even more excited when they sold.

Since then, I have been collecting gorgeous plates which I will be decorating with my designs and creating limited edition wall art pieces. Each set will consist of a cluster of three unique, one of a kind designs.

I've been having so much fun arranging plates and cutting decals the last few days. More pictures and info to come. Stay tuned!

crafty holiday project #2

Am really loving up-cycled lamps at the moment. A great way of showcasing ones own fabrics, of course! I have many, many vintage lamp bases in my garage that have been waiting to be loved again and finally a little time off to do so!

crafty holiday project #1

It has been a very long time between posts. My new life as a school teacher has left me very little time for my creative life. That however, is all about to change. I have some new and exciting ideas for future projects and maybe even a big move is on the horizon. So stay tuned!

For now, while the sun is still out, I have dug out one of my old Bentwood chairs and given it a new look. I tried desperately to erase the memory of how long it took me to strip it back from it's original white and just went for it. I am quite happy with the result!