Flying kites ...

This weekend a lovely little kite festival was happening down the road at Edwardes Lake.

The wind factor was spot on for kite flying, and the weather was 30 something...
which seems to be a theme of late.

 Once upon a time Melbourne Summers used to have  heat waves for 4 or 5 days peaking at 40 something then have huge thunder storms to wash it all away. Instead this year, we are having really long stretches of 30 plus everyday.  Almost how one would imagine a normal summer to be. Go figure

But weather aside, we made our way to the park for some kite flying and some rather sticky gelati.

The rest of the festival was stall after stall of community organizations, Councillors and such with info booths.
Good on them for getting out there and spreading the word, but you know me...I wanted some crafty stalls, gourmet foods and homegrown grub. Oh well maybe next year.

 

Alas my needs were met the very next day,
when we had to set up our marquee and be a part of the Sydney Rd street party.

It was huge. Positively thousands of people, 30 + again, no wind, awesome bands,
lots of good food and a great mix of community and craft stalls.

An awesome day out, hopefully introducing a whole new crowd of people to Olive Grove and what turned out to be one busy weekend.

Hope you all had a good one too.
Jay x

Pop up shop ...

Tomorrow only ... 

there will be a special pop up shop in the Polly Pratt studio at Olive Grove Studios.

If you're in the neighborhood do pop by,

 there will be lots of handmade loveliness on offer.

A window has opened ...

Our new baby...

No I'm not preggers.

I'm speaking of the creative baby that has been in the making for the last month. 

Our new little range to grace the shelves at Olive Grove studios.

Lost in Melbourne.  

We focused on only 3 designs to get it off the ground and happening,

 but look forward to building it into something even more ab fab.

 Check out the rest of our goodies on our Lost in Melbourne Facebook page.

Jay x

Sale weekend is upon us, down at the Grove.

 

Do pop buy if you're after a bargain.

Jay x

Grand sale...

Big crafty sale happening down at the Grove tomorrow.

I've managed to hit the fabric shelves and have a BIG clean-out. So sad to see some go, but it has to be done. 

My home will breathe a sigh of relief for having a bit more free space.

I managed to rustle up...

Little pieces perfect for applique or fabric buttons,

Bigger pieces and by the meter for garments and bigger projects...

Test screen prints, great for applique' ...

 

and boxes a plenty of fabric. Vintage, jersey, craft and more...

Sale is one day only, including fabric from Polly Pratt, Starashan and the other designers down at Olive Grove too. So do pop down and grab yourself a bargain.

Jay xx

 

Know someone crafty ...

Know someone crafty or are you a maker yourself? 

We are now taking expressions of interest from our handmade community, 

to sell your goodies at the shop I am a part of, Olive Grove Studios. 

'Open space rental' is a new incentive we have created to promote local artist/designers whereby you rent a space to display your goods in store. No working behind the counter or boring meetings, just a new home for your wares.  A perfect arrangement for those of you possibly to far away to work shifts, or who work a day job and craft by night.

Prices are comparable or less then having a market stall and for that your goodies are on display 7 days a week in our Fab little shop on a bustling Melbourne shopping strip.

For more info just drop us a line at olivegrovestudios@gmail.com

Jay xx

Ducks...

Just a little show n' tell of the pieces I came up with for the 'Flight of the ducks' exhibition over at Gleaners.

I went with jewellery as that's my thing...

and found an old Morgans street directory of Melbourne that I cut up.
I used page 44... the best bit of town of course.
It Covers the area from my house to Liz's lovely shop on Ballarat st.

Then I cut some duckies out of black card stock and embedded them in resin.

Too cute.
Jay xx

Finished my bag.

Hooray, set up day for the exhibition is tomorrow and I've actually finished my bag today.
A whole day early. That's gotta be some sort of record for me.

All that was left to do last time I showed you was attach handles...which was all kinds of difficult...and make the birdy brooch.


I stupidly tried to stitch around a curvy solid object with a straight needle and fairly soon realised it was a recipe for disaster. Two snapped needles and many a swear word later, I finally went hunting for the curvy upholstery needle that I knew I had somewhere... and made light work of finishing the handles.

Then I moved on to the birdy brooch. I was going to trace a bird shape and maybe add a wing or two, but my prototype wasn't cutting the grade. So I started pulling out the fabric stash and uncovered one little fat quarter I had with a bird print on it. Perfect!

I tend to work more with imagery rather then silhouettes, so it suits my style, I think.

So here's the front,

the insides...

and the back.

Not the fabbest machine work and it took me far too long as an inexperienced bag maker, but I luv's it all the same.

Oh and my quote or poem that doth inspire my creation...

'The spring has sprung,
the grass is rizz,
I wonder where them birdies is?'
~ Winnie the Pooh

He he... I can thank my 3 y.o for that inspiration!

Jay xx

P.s Exhibition officially starts on Saturday, more details here:



and once we are set up I'll take pics of all the other designers bags too.

Tomorrow's the day...

The day to announce the winners of our little skirt auction.

It will be happening in store at 4pm, so if you haven't put your bid in, there is still time to call the store and stake your claim on one of these pretties.

Jay xx

Skirting around...the pictures.

Time for some pictures of the great skirts everyone has created as a part of our 'Skirting around exhibition' and silent auction.

1. 'The Grass is greener' by Finki.

Applique and screen print on denim.
Size S (10-12)

2. 'A far cry from olives' by Roze.
Hand screen printed and gold foiled on denim.
Size S (10-12)

3. 'Flying ducks' by Polly Pratt.
Applique on denim.
Size 16

4. 'Encircle' by Starashan.
Denim and vintage silk kimono.
Size 12

5. 'Embroidery Tree' by Dear Someone.
Applique denim.
Size 12.

6. 'Oh Deer' by Ena Designs.
Free motion machine embroidery on denim.
Size 10-12

7. 'Ruby's view' by Mim.
Hand screen print and embroidery.
Size 16

8. 'Rosie's Trippin' by Troika.
Hand screen printed on denim.
Size 14.

You can see bigger pics over on the blog olivegrovestudios.blogspot.com

Our silent auction is running till 8th May, so if you like the look of any and just must have it for your own, go ahead and place a bid by calling the store on 9388-8006 or sending an email to olivegrovestudios@gmail.com

Some skirts are bid free at this stage, so go on, be the first and nab yourself a truly unique artisan skirt.

Jay xx

A bit of fun...

Creating just for fun is what our new exhibition is all about.

Not for mass production or personal gain. Just for fun.
Just to express ourselves through the medium of sewing.

We were given one skirt pattern to work from, one piece of denim and had free reign to make whatever was truly us. I'm wrapped with how mine turned out.
It's a combination of screen printing and applique and is very me I think.

All the skirts have been set up for viewing in our shop front window, where you can try them for size then join in on the silent auction running where all money raised from the skirt auctions will be going toward buying new shop fittings.

The exhibition/auction will be running till 8th May, so I'll make sure i pop back in and show you all photo's of the designs. Till then... do pop by the shop for sticky beak any old time.


To read the small print, just click on the image,
Jay xx

It's sale time at the Grove...

Those who shop down at Olive Grove would know that we no longer have a clearance rack... cause really, there are 9 of us there always making new and exciting stuff that needs to fit in.
So... we've been collecting sale goodies behind the scenes ready for our annual garage sale this Saturday.

It will be huge...
and as you are a V.I.P ... yes you are!
We'll be opening doors at 9am so you get first dibs.

Print the above flyer too, and bring it in to get 10% off any full priced new season stock.

Olive Grove Studios
159 Sydney rd,Brunswick, Vic
PH: 9388-8006

This is a one day only event happening this Saturday, so if you're after some designer handmade loveliness be sure to pop down and say hi.

Jay xx

Walking to work.....

Blogtoberfest day 23:

Mr Finki has been getting the camera out at every chance available to keep up his challenge of posting a pic daily for the new blog, which has got me into walking around with my eyes wide open too....

So funny how we can be in auto pilot a lot of the time missing the little things we pass on our way around town. I made a point of strolling to work the other day instead of power walking so I could see the sights.

Spotted lots of street art...................

and admired the many amazing old buildings of Brunswick...............

So we'll start having little excursions I think. Making a special time once a fortnight to walk around with our eyes up and our cameras out.

For more great Blogtoberfest reading, be sure to head on over to Tinniegirls.

A cushion or four......

On the drawing board this week is a project that has been on the cards for quite some time.....Patchwork cushions.

I've been saving up the offcuts from my souvenir tea towel stools till I had a healthy stash worthy of bundling together for a cushion or four!

I tend to work in color blocks so decided that was the way to go. I ended up with oranges, blues, reds and greens, all my favorites.

I have plenty more to make but I thought 4 was a nice amount to have ready for my stall on Saturday at Sisters Market.

Do pop by if you're in the neighborhood.
Also displaying there crafty delights on Saturday will be:

Polly Pratt
Betty Jo designs
Mecino
Able & Game
Rabbit & the duck
Chuckles designs

and many more..........

Come and see my new space......

You probably don't need an excuse for a party.......
But here's some any way!

Lots of handmade goodies to buy,
drinks and nibblies for all,
prizes and give aways.......

What's it all about?

The team at Olive Grove have decided to open their doors later than usual so you can steer away from shopping center madness and enjoy some local handmade loveliness.

Olive Grove is an artists studio/ retail space that has been based on Sydney Rd, Brunswick for the last 10 or so years. They currently represent the work of 9 designers that focus purely on hand made, ranging from clothing and art to accessories and toys.

I joined the team at 'Olive Grove' in November and find myself constantly inspired by the creative people around me.

So I'd like to invite you along to have a sticky beak at my new space, see all the funky stuff the others make, and along the way you might even be able to cross a few Xmas presents off your list.

Olive Grove Studios
159 Sydney Rd
Brunswick, Vic

Hope to see yah there!

Come one...Come all....

I've been buried in a crafty sea of fabric, foam and tea towels this week, gettin' ready for the Sisters market. A fabulous indoor market held at the Brunswick Town hall on Sydney Rd.

Also on offer will be the amazing crafty offerings of:
Konstant Kaos
Rabbit and the duck
Fontok
Tiges and weince
Lauren williams
Two cheese please
printspace
and much, much, more..........

Market week mayhem....

I'm at it again........
A whirlwind of activity, preparing for this weekends Sisters market at Brunswick town hall.

I just LOVE the finish of my new stools, so I've been working away on getting a few more of those done in time and I've redesigned my little stall space, so I can fit more in.

Keeps it all fresh and exciting when I can re merchandise each time. Part of the fun of doing the markets is the constant challenge to keep it all new and exciting for you and me both.

Take a seat.....

It was only a matter of time before my range expanded to include a product so useful in today's society, that it's need on my market stall could no longer be ignored.
The product of choice was born out of need to find a wonderfully practical use for all my souvenir tea towels.

I was eager to make aprons, handbags, pillows and even baby bootees with them, But they are all being done. More importantly, they are being done by people I've met in my crafty travels that I'd like to call friends. So as much as I wanted to do my own spin on a handbag or bootee, I scrapped the idea and went back to the drawing board.
I continued to add to my collection of tea towels whilst on my travels, knowing that one day soon they'd join the 'Finki' range. Just wasn't sure how!

So with out further ado I introduce to you the 'Finki stool'.

Perfectly bright, bold and beautiful and so very practical......... Very me indeed.

The range of 'Finki stools' (featuring my brand spanking new woven labels) will debut at the next Sisters Market, Sat 1st August.

Saturday's day at the Sister's Market.

Another market over and three weeks to go till the next one at Sonny and Coco. So, plenty of time to get my act together and produce lots more goodies.

I've got a bit of re stocking to do, as I sold all my story book baskets, most of my pen holders and nearly all of my new art journals. But high on the agenda will be some knit rings for Jen, a lovely blogger who always pops by to say hello and brighten my day.
I'll do some basic block colors, but I think I'll do a few with contrast crotchet edges, and maybe some needlework too.

I had the chance to catch up with quite a few bloggy peeps, thank you for taking the time to stop buy and out yourselves. It's so nice to put a faces to all the wonderful, crafty posts I read.

It was a funny market today, lots of early shoppers....lots. Then a dead stop at 2. From then on, I think it was just locals drifting in. None the less it was a profitable day, and aside from making money, I always walk away having met lots of nice people, having had the chance to get to know my fellow stall holders and of course getting immediate feedback on my goodies...the good, bad and ugly. All of it is so valuable.
I am none the wiser as to 'what people want', which really just reinforces the fact that you should just do what you like, rather than guess what people might like. At least that way you can stand there and really love everything you have to offer, knowing it wasn't influenced by fashion or fad, just pure personal inspiration.

Moving along, let me tell you about my shopping adventures at the market. Fortunately my partner in crime came along to help man the stall, so I could duck away for chit chat's and shopping.

My first stop was to say hello to Kylie over at tiges and weince. I had bought a t-shirt transfer from her during the week and loved the end result, so I had to buy more. I got a blue starry giraffe, which I'll stitch on with orange I think for a fun contrast.
I also picked up some of her funky book marks, I'm glad I did cause they were going like hotcakes. If I left it any later I would have missed out.

Next up I grabbed some chai & honey (yumm) lip balm, from back of the moon day spa. I got heaps from her last time I saw her at the sisters, so I knew it was good.
My neighbour again, was the fabulous miss piggy tales. She's always expanding her range with the funkiest Japanese fabrics, so I just had to have one more piece from the range. I got this red and white babushka pony tail holder.
My across the road neighbour, was Bronwyn from retro bub, where I got Finn the cutest little boy tee with a blue retro space ship on front. All her stuff was just so cute, especially for little girls, but I had to stop and remind my self that I was there to make money.....

Well not before a visit over at Lark. I'm sooooo glad they came all the way from Daylesford. I just had to get a donut rattle for one of the babies on the way, and when I saw how super special the price was I also grabbed peas in a pod, and a watermelon.
Later in the day my daughter popped in for a visit with grandma, sporting a badge that said, I love craft........'where'd you get that from I said'. At Lark's stall.
aggghhh, how could I not see it.
Back to the table, and I found a heap of too cute badges that I just needed to have.
Then My lovely boss Sarah, popped by to say hello. I showed her my Lark rattles, thinking she might like them for her niece. She came back and showed me the cutest knitted beanie she found. 'Where's that from' I say.
Lark......oh my god, how could I have missed it.
So i was back there again to add a beanie to my collection for new babies on the way.
I promise I wasn't stalking Alison and Steph!
I'm amazed at my poor skills of scanning a table and actually seeing all the things I might like. I must have done a 'boy look'

Lastly but not leastly, I finally committed to buying something from Shannon at rabbit and the duck. I love her stuff, and I'm always there touching it...poor Shannon, probably thought I was a stalker too. But what I needed was something to use as a new cosmetics purse. Being the difficult customer that I am, I couldn't commit to oneof the patterns that were there could I?
So I'm getting one made in a babushka print, with a zip. I'll be picking it up at the next Sonny and Coco market, so I'll post you a pick, when it's done.