New Table Cloths and New Stock

It's cold and raining here in Brisbane; and this means staying indoors and keeping warm and occupied with either housework (meh, boring) or arty crafty stuff (yay! Exciting!)...I'm leaning towards the latter, I know you are!

This week, I scored three free bolts of fabric from a friend who's cleaning out his house; and they're just gorgeous! So, I brought them home but left them in the car to take to my folks' place to use.

Well!  I've made some table cloths with them, and began a curtain for the bathroom (it really needed a curtain for some privacy). 

Anyway, after three and a half hours at Mum and Dad's house, a lot of measuring, pinning and tacking, I got my table cloths all sewn up on my machine on their kitchen table.  I used their house because of the space they have in the living room - which I lack greatly - and that they're not there right now... plus the wild birdies loved it that I was there to feed them today too (man, they're such cuties!).

Well, my idea worked out really well, as I came home with all my gear, left the rest of the material in the spare room at Mum and Dad's place and pulled out my tables to see how it all went... and you know something?  The table cloths worked out just fine!  

The major one was a under-cloth - a double-sided one! - of my original calico cloth sewn to the new green material so I could use the green cloth with the new overhanging floral design one market and the calico and the red/white flower overhanging designs at another market... give my stall a bit of fun and elegance if needs be.  A bigger plus is that with the cloths sewn together like this, it will also make the cloth heavier and more sturdy when I'm outside at school fairs.

Well, what have you been up to which is just as creative as this? Until my next post, keep creating.

A Busy Time

The last few weeks have been crazy. 

Honestly, it has.

I have had markets to prepare for and writer's block to contend with - damned thing! - and then I found a very cool chair in my unit complex; and I mean it's retro!

So, I took it to my folk's house and refurbished it!  It took me about a week and I loved getting to know it.  And seeing it wasn't all that aged, Dad helped with the sander - a tiny little one - which worked hand in hand with the hand-sanding, I found the work just moved smoothly.

Anyway, before I knew it, my chair was off to the upholsterer's at Slacks Creek where I picked out a fabric and they took 2 weeks to get it done... now? Well, it arrived home last Thursday; and I haven't had any time to get to know my chair.

It's sitting here in my office waiting for me to snuggle into it... and isn't it the most lovely Reading Chair you're ever likely to see?

Anyway, the Murarrie Mini-markets were on yesterday and even though there were lots of stalls, not many people showed up.  So, not many of us made as many sales as we had hoped. There were three factors working against us: the long weekend, the Life Line Book Fest and the Scrapbook and Craft Show in the city... yeppers, they were all working against us; as people were either in the city or taking off out of the city to have that great long weekend either down the coast or up the coast.  Either way, nobody wanted to go to a craft market this weekend...

Oh well... there's always next time. 

Until my next post, keep creating!

Been Busy!

Oh, yes!  I've been busy indeed!

First off the Murarrie State School Organic and Craft Markets were great!  The day was gorgeously sunny and lovely - our first Winter's day too - and the crowds were bigger than last time. There were plenty of foodies there, as well as other great things for the kiddies to do - like a huge jumping castle!

We had a few stall owners who complained that they didn't know about the market until a few days before. 

Okay... I'm going to say something that might offend some people:  if you don't do you homework - you don't follow up on your inquiries and e-mails and look on Facebook - you're not going to know anything about where the market is.  Just sayin'.  We were informed that this market was postponed for two weeks.  We were told last week about it all still being on too... so when I showed up and everything was in full swing at 7:20am, I wasn't surprised to find parking difficult.

Even though I broke even, it was a lovely day.  It didn't rain until the very end, when we were all packing up, and even then, it was just a light shower and it went away. But we all had a wonderful day.


Earlier that week, I had found a great chair in my unit complex. It was all wrapped up and shoved into the recycling area up the back.  After unwrapping it with one of my neighbours, we looked at each other as a lovely chair was revealed. I asked if she wanted it; and she said no.  So I took it home.

Over the weekend, I've been moving it from one place to the next and sanding down the arms to prepare it for varnishing.  That was on Sunday.

Today, I Dad and I took to their place where I finished sanding it and put two coats of varnish on it... and wow!... what a difference this has made to it so far!

This week, I have to put on a couple of coats of clear top coat and then drop it off to the furniture guy to get cushions made for it... now that's going to be fun! And... well, by then, there'll be more photos to show off!  So, how was your week? Busy like mine?  Hope so!  Until my next post, keep creating!

Busy Times Ahead... And Now...

Wow... it's starting to get really busy really quick and it's at the right time of getting really busy too.

I have markets starting up fast, a new line of work being included into 'Crafty Pegs' at my markets and a recycle/reinvent challenge my craft group online have introduced for us to take part in which has just started up for me today.

Okay, how did that happen?  I found a chair at the back of my unit complex.  This chair wasn't just any chair.  It was all wrapped up, looking like it was going to be moved or had been delivered or something, and the people didn't want it; so they dumped it up the back still wrapped up.
Today, I happened to put out my rubbish and chat to a neighbour who was told me that her next door neighbours just dumped their crap there, and something that was wrapped up (and who would wrap something then dump it?).  So, I went over and looked at it, unwrapped it and - OMG! - what a gorgeous chair! 

Okay, it doesn't have its cushions and it does have a little wear and tear on it, but I who cares.  I'll fix all that needs fixing on it.

It's going to become my Reading Chair... and I love it that it's got all that wear on it; that means it's got history.

Otherwise, I've been knitting up a storm of dishcloths.  People love them.  I've got a commission to make three for a lady who is an artist at the gallery; and I'm currently halfway through the first dishcloth she's asked me to make for her.  Very cool.

Well, there you have it.  I'm busy, busy, busy.  But I'll keep you updated with the chair, photos of what's going on with it, and how pretty it's going to look too.  

And the market for this week is at Murrarie State School; it was postponed from 2nd May due to bad weather conditions.  This week, it'll be back on - without a doubt! - and I hope to see you there.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Working Up A Storm!

I've been working hard on my new line of dishcloths over the last month or so.  They've come up a real treat!  The display looks wonderful!

Dishcloth Display

And today, I got back into working on my actual Crafty Pegs workbench where I sat down and painted up some pegs and pencils to some good hard rock music. 

What a great afternoon! 

I painted up 3 pencils, got some pegs all sorted out and cleaned up a lot of plates in the fridge ready to be used over the next few months.

By the time all this got done, it was around 4pm and I had started at 1:30pm.  So, there was a fair bit of fiddly word done and I sat down and did at bit of knitting for another hour or so before getting in and figuring out what to have for dinner.

I've been knitting for the last 3 hours... now that's a lot of work between two different patterns and colours to be done.  Tomorrow, I'm off to Spotlight to find a few more counters for myself.  This is so I can do more patterns on other needles and get more done.  I have only one counter, and so if I want to get in and do another complex pattern I can't while I am using that one.  

Well, what have you been up to in your craft lately? Until my next post, keep creating!

NB:  The Murarrie State School Organic & Craft Markets were postponed over the weekend due to the harsh weather conditions preceding it.  It will be held, instead, on 16th, May from 9am - 2pm.  I will still be there.

Opening Night!

Last Friday night was opening night for the Workshop Wonders Exhibition at the Logan Art Gallery.  My piece - along with the other pieces - was there, and the gallery was packed!

I saw my script up on the wall with my photo and found my Mum had just arrived too.  It was a great success for us all to have so many people looking at everything we had done.

A few people thought we had been given the plaster casts and we worked on them, but I told them that we made them from scratch and how it was all done.  Quite a few of the parents were impressed at how brilliant and thought-provoking everyone's work was. 

One lady said that mine was very relaxing and she said she loved books the same way I did... and it was good that somebody out there enjoyed them as much as I did in the same way.

Before long, Mum and I were both off home.  It was 7:30pm.  The speeches had been made, the other exhibitions has been opened and I had a Dawn Service to attend the next day for Anzac Day, so an early night was called for for me. 

Opening Night

It was a great success.  The Workshop Wonders Exhibition will be in the Logan Art Gallery for 6 weeks before I can bring it home and find a place for it here in my home office.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Plaster Torso Workshop At the Logan Art Gallery

Over the last two weeks, I've been working hard on some workshop things... well, just one thing really.  It's a plaster cast torso - no, not of my own body, it's of a mannequin base with 3 layers of plaster on the inside of it, then we all cleaned it up, painted on a hardening resin and started our work on it... of a 3D piece of more plaster.

Well, it's day 3, and I'm up to my finishing touches.  I just need to get in and find some quotes and opening lines from famous writers to write onto the torso in paint after I finish up the flowers and make them look better, then glue on the bling and then?  Well, I gotta sign the thing!  

On 24th, April, there's an art opening at the gallery and my piece will be in it.  It's about my passion for books and how much it takes up my life, my mind and how far back it goes into my soul... and how much I find reading and writing like oxygen; and if I stop either one, it would destroy me, so to me it's like living in my own self-designed dreamworld where I hope I never wake from.

Well, that's kind of what I'm hoping to put across in my piece.  It's been fun doing it... and my 3D piece of a book is going to be hung in my office... well, somewhere here anyway... if I can find a place for it.  So, what have you been up to lately?  Until my next post, keep creating! 

Scrubby Cloths and Fine Crochet Yarn

I'm really enjoying the knitting of my new line I've taken up.  It's only been a week or two and I've already made more than 4 dishcloths. 

There's two scrubby cloths, 2 ordinary dishcloths and one that has been started with a checkered pattern and another scrubby cloth started on crochet yarn.  I'm really getting into this.

I'm also still painting stuff as well.  But seeing I have so much of the painted stock, I've really sat down and started on my knitting to get enough for next year.

Here's a few photos of my cloths.  Aren't they the cutest things?

dishcloths

Well, anyway, it's just the beginning.  I'm hoping to make them in different sizes, styles and patterns.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Hand-knitted Dishcloths and Other Such Things

I'm looking forward to the Easter Markets this weekend.  Not only am I completely oranised, but I'm also working on a new line of little things to add to my stall - which are also hand-made, just like everything else I have on sale there.

I was taught to knit aged 12 when I was only holidays at my Grandparents' house at Tarragindi here in Brisbane.  It was a wet day and my brother and I were both bored and so Grandma taught me to knit and show my brother how to crochet (not that he'd let on that he picked it up as he never kept up the skill).  
When we returned to school, I remember in Home Ec., we were asked if anyone could knit or crochet.  Only two girls put their hands up - me and one other girl - and we were set to work on a 10x10 stitch of knitting.  While we both found this skill hard at the time, I have kept up my practice of knitting and have been making scarves and beanies for the last few years.  

However, I've begun making dishcloths and washers to sell at my market; deciding over the last few days to start making them.  So far, I've completed two and I'm onto my third one.  Each one is individual and are of my own pattern, being made from yarn I've had for years and wish to get rid of - so the yarn is perfect.  

This will take time though.  I'm not going to put any of them out on the stall until next year.  So, even though I'm making the first few now, I've got the rest of the year to get in and make well over 60 by Christmas.  And during the New Year break, I'll be making even more while I'm down the coast too.  So, it'll be nice to be able to enjoy making them there.  

Well, what have you been up to lately?  Anything new?  Anything old that you've picked up from years gone by?  Until my next post, keep creating!

Easter Markets

This Saturday coming I'm attending my Easter Market at Murarrie Progress Hall.  There's going to be a lot of fun things there from food stalls, a coffee van, a sausage sizzle and other great stalls where you can do and buy wonderful things for your loved ones this Easter.

Crafty Pegs has an All Ages Lucky Dip... yes, you can pay $4.00 and dip your hand into the gorgeous box and pull out something beautiful to take home with you.  

I've also been creating a new line of goodies to sell at the market too: a hand-knitted dishcloths.  They're lovely, colourful, bright and very pretty to use around the house.  I've only made two so far, but I'm hoping to bring them in at around Christmas-time and then over the NYE break, I'll go away and make a whole lot more and bring in the New Year with a lovely lot of new stock to sell to you all!

I also have a few other plans on the drawing board which aren't completely set in concrete just yet, but if all goes to plan, I'll be selling more than just pegs, coat hangers and cute little pencils and magnets to you all.  So, keep your eyes on this space and on my Facebook page as well as my website for updates... you never know what might show up on those places before here. Until my next post, keep creating!