Make and Do...

Make and Do – 

a day of talks and discussions 

led by today’s leaders in Australian design 

sharing how they successfully launched their businesses, 

kept them growing and conquered the online marketplace...

I will be hosting this day with Michael Reid 

as part of the galleries strong commitment to
Australian designs and products.

Having an event that will give our audience
a unique opportunity to learn and discuss
the positive influences that the handmade community 

has to offer will be a new and
refreshing topic for our event days.

When: 27 th  October 2013

Where: Michael Reid at Murrurundi 
Boyd Street, Murrurundi.
The Upper Hunter, N.S.W.

                         

Cost: $65 per person (includes light lunch and afternoon tea). 

Booking can be made at the Michael Reid Web Site.

The Speakers:

After studying in Australia and the US and working in the banking sector, Vanessa Anderson started to design and create cakes and cupcakes in Oregon.  Following her move back to Australia she quickly established a reputation for pretty sweets and fabulous tasting cakes and in 2008 she and her husband Jon started up Sugar Rush in the stunning Hunter Valley.  Inspired by artworks, fine china and fabrics, Vanessa’s painted cakes, and fine piping work are known as some of the best in the country and have been featured in wedding magazines and newspapers, and on the internet and television. Vanessa and Jon’s tutorial site Cake Style TV provides resources and step-by-step cake tutorials to followers all round the world.

Angela Lavender from Country Culture, is passionate about supporting Australian designed, made and produced goods – from designer products to handmade finds and unique gifts. Country Culture grew from her desire to bring together the many rich and colourful sources of talent that she has discovered - often in the most unexpected of places - and showcase it to the whole world

In 2000 Megan Trousdale and her husband Duncan re-established Nundle's oldest shop, Odgers and McClelland Exchange Stores, a business started in 1891 that had been closed for over 20 years.  As well as serving customers over the counter, in 2012 they took the store online and now send parcels of tea, soap, enamel cookware, garden tools and kitchen utensils - wrapped in their distinctive brown paper -  all over Australia and overseas. Online sales now represent 30 per cent of  turnover.  Megan is also a freelance writer for Country Style, House and Garden, Good Living, Organic Gardener, and Gardening Australia.

Interwool and its fashion brands Sheer Bliss, Bliss, Baby Bliss and Carrigan are the brainchild of Nick Bradford and his wife Kylie.  Since starting in Sydney in 2002 the company has brought to market the best superfine merino knitwear, scarves and coats, manufactured in Australia and China.  Its sales doubled each year for the first three years and enjoyed double digit growth thereafter. After two office and warehouse relocation's, Nick and Kylie bought Nundel Woollen Mill in 2007 and relocated InterWool there in August 2013, continuing to produce innovative clothing for the Australian and New Zealand markets and to develop knitwear for international markets. 

 For more update on this event and whats new at the gallery
Please checkout the 
Michael Reid at Murrurundi Facebook page
which I update on a regular basis 
highlighting art, culture and events that are happening at the gallery and around 
our picturesque town.

Chunky Skirt

With winter creeping up, a tad too fast...

Out came the chunky wool...

This is a new skirt pattern that I have finished...

It's so comfy...

And a little bit Granny Groovy...

Recycling plastic bags

I decided after returning home with yet another pile of

plastic bags...

That it was about time I started to think about recycling.

Now I do normally recycle my plastic bags 

but not quite

like this...

 

After reading a few tutorials I started to make some "plastic yarn"...

Which was very easy.

I did workout very quickly that you need a larger hook

 to make the crocheting easier.

I used a size 10mm.

and before too long I had a recycled plastic bag, bag.

complete with a bit of plastic flower bling...

So why not give it a go,

at least it will cost you nothing...

Kaspar's Crocheted Wrist-warmer Tutorial

Hi everyone.

My name is Kaspar and I am 16 years old.

My mum has been trying to teach me to crochet

since I was young.

I didn't get the hang of it until last year.

I think crocheting is great.

I get to make stuff for myself and my friends.

If I end up making too many things I could even have a stall at the markets.

But that might be a way off as I do end up using all the things I make.

This pattern started because I wanted long wrist-warmers but I wanted the pattern

to be easy.

 Mum helped me work on it and now I have made lots of pairs for me and my friends.

I kinda have small arms and so does Mum

so you might have to add a couple of rows if you crochet too tight or your arms are

a bit bigger.

I have a easy PDF to click on and you can print it off if you like.

I am going to add a couple of photos so you get the idea of how I made them too.

The first one is how I measured to make sure that it was long enough.

In this one it shows you how I added the marker.

You can see I am working in the back loops as well.

When you fold it in half you need to hand stitch it together.

I am really bad at that so Mum sews them up.

and there is a spot for your thumb as well.

So that's about it.

Really easy and I can make a pair in 3 days and they are really nice to wear.

Thanks everyone for looking at my tutorial

and I hope that some day I can start my own Blog

and share what I have been making.

But for now thanks Mum for all the help and letting me post about it.

Kaspar!

A day in the backyard

A couple of pictures of my backyard
Late afternoon...sun going down...

Some weather we are having

With the changing seasons...
Summer to Autumn
It has been quite the dramatic change
here at river cottage...

that is hard to get use to...

One minute it is so hot you could melt on the spot...

The next it is like a blizzard...

What's the weather like at your house?...

Settling in...

The weeks are flying by now that I have settled into my new job...
I have organised some lovely new stock that will be arriving in the next two weeks...


One exhibition is over and the next is about to be hung...

The rain has managed to make it inland enough to make everything look amazing...

Some crochet has been happening here but sadly not by me...

Kaspar is onto his third pair of wristwarmers and nothing seems to be slowing him down...

I hopefully will have time this week to help him write out his very first pattern...

Stay turned...

Valentine

Happy valentines day...💗

My son Kaspar, made this lovely corsage...
I think for someone special in his life...
it only took two days and is so professional looking...
I do think he has a-lot of potential...

Maybe he can take over for a while...

The weeks seem to be whizzing past at high velocity

with not much time for

crafty endeavors...

But I have had time to

"clicky click" 

a few happy snaps

to share with you all...

This first one says...

"My dears, I have missed you all.

please come for a visual tour of my new workplace"

"Would you like to read some books with me"

"maybe wandering around the gallery is more your thing?"

"I know, you just want to sit and relax,

how about you find a spot next to me"

and after a day working and taking in the scenic gardens...

I come home

to
little "Lollie"

patiently waiting...

So while I have been busy
learning new skills and everything arty...

The tradition of crocheting is still alive and well at home


This is my sons handy work...

I am soooooooo proud...

Maybe he can take over for a while?...


Edit: I know this looks all a tad glam...
but in all reality I have dishes piled high,
10 loads of washing and folding, and I cant for the life of me
think of what to cook for dinner 90 % of the time...
I spend most of my time picking up, cleaning up and tidying up...
only to realize that it seriously doesn't make a dent in the chaos
that is my life...

This is why I have a blog...it is a place to escape to once in a while
and dream...

New Adventures...

The start of 2013

has been a whirl wind of enthusiasm

and gusto...

New adventures and new beginnings...

My sister...Vanessa and her husband Jon

 has started their very own online business...

They are excited to share with you their vision for cake learning and inspiration.

 Cake Style TV is an online cake class, 

where you can learn how to create full-on cake designs with the pro’s.

 They hope to inspire through tutorials, 

and help create amazing cakes that suit just about any theme or occasion. 

   Looking to inspire mums and dads, young people, Grans,
in fact everybody, to give it a go!

 Follow everything from the very beginning,
and learn each and every step of decorating cakes.

 Everyone loves to learn new skills, and their aim is to make cake fun,
and not intimidating.

And it’s not just decorating, they want to help get people baking up a storm! 

With a collection of free recipes,
which they will add to,

 and in time, some of their signature cakes
and sweets will be available as well.

Want to know more...Visit their site...

Cake Style TV...

Now for some more news...

I have just started a new job as a...
Gallery Manager
at the Michael Reid Gallery
Murrurundi...



This is an amazing opportunity
and I am so thrilled that Michael asked me to
oversea this beautiful space...

There is a lovely retail space that showcases Australian
designs and products...

and gorgeous rambling gardens
and sandstone buildings...



but don't fret my crocheting companions
for while I have been lost in the
landscape
I
have also been inspired
by the beauty...




and into the swing of things I go...