in slow motion...

Thank-you for all your kind words after my last post. There are lots of things I should write about today, wonderful playdates, lovely mail and melodies... still no baking or bon-bons, maybe tonight. Life is such a precious gift and it feels good to be moving forward to a new year. Wishing you all sweetness and light in this most beautiful of seasons.

the diary of a shopgirl...

I come from a family of shopkeepers and for a long time I was determined not to be one too. Then one day I woke up and it was all I wanted to do. It was as simple as that. Fourteen years ago my family opened a little gift store in an old house with a shop front. Back then our dream was to create a place where people felt comfortable. A place where even if they only had a little to spend, they would find that special something. It would of course be beautifully wrapped. Years later our little shop has grown and changed but I think we have managed to stay true to our vision. Along the way we have made some wonderful friends and hopefully made a few people happy. We have watched children grow and have had the privelege of sharing a little part of peoples lives.


I know a lot is said about the commercialisation of this season. It's certainly the busiest time of the year for us, but it's still a thrill for me to see people taking pleasure in the simple things... writing cards and letters, buying a box for handmade biscuits, choosing an ornament for a favourite teacher, taking the time to travel across town to find the perfect treat for someone they hold dear.

We have worked really hard over the years to build relationships with our suppliers, a mixture of importers and smaller local companies. Selecting a collection of goods for each season is such fun. Of course a great deal of hard work goes in to making it seem effortless, but it's a challenge that I love. And then there's that great moment when it all comes together, when someone gets what we are trying to say and it just works. Those moments are really special.


For me, blogging has primarily been about own my personal journey into motherhood and finding my creativity within that realm. One of the most powerful things about this community is it's the ability to foster connection among people. I spent a lot of time thinking about this post. Revealing things about myself doesn't come easily to me but recently I have found myself wanting to write about my experiences as a shopgirl. This might be a one off post or maybe one day I'll write some more. I guess what it comes down to is that I've realised again how lucky I am to do something that I really love, something that allows me to connect with others on a daily basis. That our little shop still exists is testament to the support of many people over many years, testament to the power of the smallest exchanges. It's something for which I'm incredibly grateful.

inspiration, playgroup...

miss a and i have been having a lovely time at our local playgroup, this week it was our turn to prepare the craft activity...

miss a loves stickers at the moment, so we made red spotty star garlands...


and angels,


that ended up covered in glitter...

inspiration, christmas...

forgive the graininess of these pictures, they are scans of photos that i dug out yesterday as i began considering our decorations for the season...

it's ever so hot here at christmas time so we like to keep it simple...


this is our christmas table from a few years ago, i loved the simplicity of the berries against the white... the garlands are artificial, but are of lovely quality (in just the right red!)

the idea for the cutlery holders came from a then current issue of donna hay magazine... they said "eat drink be merry..."


these little boxes were filled with jocelyn's panforte...


i'm so looking forward to celebrating with my family and to spending time on simple crafting with miss a... one of her favourite activities at the moment is to wrap things up like presents, which of course delights me no end!

and i'm thrilled that it's an overcast and grey day here,

we are going to pretend we live in the northern hemisphere,

for a few hours at least...

delightful...

well saturday was a great day, it was a joy to spend time with such talented and inspiring friends and to make so many new ones... wonderful to meet tiel and leesa and ainslie, thanks so much for stopping by girls!


i was a tiny bit nervous but needn't have worried, everyone was so kind and encouraging :)


this is my little table (complete with bunny trying to make a run for it!)
there are more photos in my show set and here, here, here, here and here...

a big thank-you to everyone who came to see the show and to the umbrella girls for the opportunity to be involved in such a wonderful event xxx

tomorrow...

merry & bright...

so it's getting to that time of year...

the umbrella collective show is just a week away and now that things are coming together, i'm starting to get a bit excited :) if you live in or around brisbane and would like me to send you an invitation, drop me an email to redfeltflower(at)gmail(dot)com and i'll pop one in the post, it's going to be a delightful day...

so i'm starting to think about my christmas crafting schedule and dipping into the december/januarys, definitely making the short list is the cranberry & pistachio white chocolate from the new donna...


notebook also has some sweet styling ideas and is reminding me about making bon bons this year...

but top of the pile is creating your perfect christmas by Antonia Swinson with projects by Sania Pell (isbn1845972554)


some lovely things here including the pattern for the brooch that i used to embellish my summer tote, they used it as a napkin ring that then becomes a gift for guests to wear home... there is a gorgeous table runner on linen that is also making the to-do list (can i just say how much i love linen right now... love it!)

last year i was thinking about "twelve days of christmas" tree ornaments, crazy (i know) but i haven't entirely given up the idea yet, we shall see...

and last but by no means least, "clay paper cloth" is on tomorrow (saturday) at the "numinbah valley school of the arts hall" on the nerang-murwillumbah road... i'm not able to go but miss j will be there with her beautiful work and a few goodies from red felt flower too...

right... think that's everything, happy weekend friends! 

stripey summer tote...

my first bag...
perfect for a quick jaunt, just big enough for a japanese craft book,
might have visit yesasia to celebrate :)

little feet...

i'm sure that when you don't have time for a holiday is really the time you need it the most...

we have just returned from a week at the seaside feeling so restored, there is something is about the sound of the waves as you drift off to sleep, one of my favourite sounds for sure...

watching miss a...


playing in the water and pottering about in the sand...

pure delight...

and the history of love... um, wow!!!

i only ever intended to catch up to the ship of fools but i couldn't put it down, it gave me that desperate to get to the end/don't want it to be over feeling that my favourite books have given me... can't wait for friday!

so the rest of this week is about catching up on everything, i'm playing sugar plum fairy for the next few days and then catching up on preparations for the show...

oh and hoping to squeeze in a visit to our new ikea :)

friday again...

is it really friday already?

wip's for me this week are all about packaging...

i'm thrilled to be taking part in a show in november with some very talented friends, lots to be done but we are taking one step at a time in these parts... posting might be a little sporadic in the next month as i prepare but i'm sure i won't be able to resist popping in to keep you updated with my progress...

happy weekend friends!

you never know what's around the corner...

friday...

i love the sense of possibility that hangs in the air,
the weekend is just a step way...

a new book...

crafting with kids: creative fun for children aged 3-10 by catherine woram with photography by vanessa davies, (ryland, peters & small, isbn1845972511)

there are some really sweet projects in this book, a great "all-in-one place" reference, especially for those of us without a full set of MSkids...
i'm looking forward to working on some of these activities with miss a, it's becoming clear that despite my best intentions, a compromise will have to be reached regarding the pink...
this project has given me some ideas about how that might work...


i also wanted to mention that you can see some of miss j's beautiful festive decorations on page 144 of the latest inside out magazine...

right,
red (and pink) paper is calling me...

p

a present for petite...

familiar refrain...

chasing my tail, so just a quick post...

wrapping is finished and fabric awaits me...

i'm excited about exploring paper again...

just not enough moments in the day,

we really must do something about that :)

finally!

my sewing machine is back and i've actually completed a work in progress...


i can't show you any more than this because it's a surprise...

for petite...

it's late...

but i'm in good company!

more next week, have a happy weekend...

intention...

well friends the spring-cleaning is progressing slowly but surely... i'm really trying to give thought to how we live and to organise our space accordingly... the book has been a great help and the website has some excellent resources too... oh and i want a chalkboard like blair's, just the thing for our kitchen...

the herb garden is looking lovely, complete with a little lime tree...
thanks dad!


right by the back door so i won't forget to water them...

works-in-progress remain just that, my machine has been out for repairs so it's been hand-sewing only... which is alright because it's that time of year...

i'm hoping it will ready tomorrow because i have a lot to finish this week, fingers crossed... happy weekend to you all...

procrastination...

spring-cleaning...

hello... what clever and sweet peeps you are, thank-you for your birthday wishes... i had a lovely day... i have been a bit distracted as my week was littered with routine medical appointments, thankfully all is fine but i still find myself nervy as anything when they come around... the words i wrote in my last post remind me to be present in each and every moment regardless of what it brings or where it may lead...

it seems strange to be reading of fall in other worlds...


here it is spring and while autumn is my favourite month i am ready to embrace the new season... those of you who know me will be aware that i edit a lot of myself away in this space... beyond the closely cropped shot there are lots of piles, messy piles, the kind that result from life being on hold...

so spring is in the air and i'm ready to get tidy...


this book is going to be my guide...

and on thursday a man with a green thumb is going to help us re-plant our herb garden...

and maybe we will plant some pretty spring flowers...

thirty-seven...

dream... behold... create... love... share... inspire... hope... wish... cherish... embrace... nurture... celebrate... grow... treasure... sing... dance... remember... correspond... intend... listen... speak... give... nourish... feel... live... hold... discover... blossom... search... rest... follow... lead... meditate... observe... venture... remain... be...

piles...

of the things that inspire me lately...




my reading stack complete with newly arrived japanese craft books...

more fabric...

stamps from a lifetime ago...

happy wednesday!

living...

well it seems i am destined to be an erratic blogger... i didn't intend to be away so long but life has been busy and i am just enjoying that right now... we have found ourselves all of a sudden in the land of "two"... miss a (as she now would like to be known because she is a "big girl") is delightful company and we have been having a lovely time getting up to all manner of adventures... yesterday we ate fish and chips in a charming beach shed by the water all white wood and sand, sorry no pictures... i've been erratic with the camera as well...

i would love to be able to say that in my absence i have been travelling to exotic places...


but no i haven't... my lovely sister kindly took time out to shop on my behalf (and thank-you t for waitng patiently!!!)


not sure what these will be, right now i'm just enjoying the folded-up goodness of them...


before i go i did just want to let you know that miss j's website is very near... do pop over for a sneak peek at her latest work, divine...

happiness...

WIP friday...

i've been meaning to post a WIP on a friday for some time now, i'm really enjoying the group that fiona started and find it really has helped me to focus on the process of crafting again...

so we won't discuss exactly how long this little number has been sitting on the work table... as you can see, the prototype is nearly finished with little piles for a few more cut and ready to go...

the idea for this bunny came from these ladies... i love the texture of the linen combined with the japanese fabrics and also the effect of the stitching on the reverse side of the denim...

now all i need is some time to finish them up!

we were thrilled to read that there are so many "tiger who came to tea" fans out there and do thoroughly recommend inviting a tiger to your next party, even though it will eat all the cake and drink all the beer!!!

ps...lisa, you are never too old for a tiger cake :)

tiger tea party...

when our darling little moo turned two on sunday, we had a small family celebration inspired by her favourite book...

but no matter how small the party is you always have to have balloons,


and cake,


and cupcakes,


and lollies!


the tiger cake design came from the 1970's edition of the Australian Women's Weekly birthday cake book (thanks mum), my sister made the gorgeous cupcakes (Donna Hay Kids #1) and the animal balloons are in Martha Stewart Kids (spring 2005)

playing catch-up...

there's lots to be blogged about and i am seriously behind in replying to queries and comments...

so, this week is about catching up on things...


on the weekend before last... miss j held her wonderful winter show, i had a lovely time making making tiny pink paper cranes to sell to raise money for chicks in pink...

i find the act of folding paper to be such a calming pastime and i was so pleased with how they turned out... they were surrounded by paper lanterns (martha stewart kids, summer 2005, page 28) and looked so pretty!


the weather was gorgeous, miss j's new work is simply divine (hurry up with that website miss j!) and i got to meet some lovely bloggers as well which was a real treat!

ps... thank-you all for your sweet blog birthday wishes :)