I love bed. I do. I really do.



Did you ever!?

Let's go shopping with BrisStyle!

Regency Skull Kitchen Towel Orange by Brilliant Trees Collective

Navy and white drill and red and white floral cotton purse by Shelleyberelli

Ceramic Mixing Bowl by Spunmud 

Ring beadwoven matte black by Afrikitten

1/2m Basic Brights Skull by Windham Fabrics by voodoorabbit



Back in the shop - just in time for Valentines!

St Valentine Heart Garland 1m, $15 from Miuandumi on Etsy

These garlands can also be made to order in different colours and lengths... so if you're wanting a rainbow heart garland... let me know!



See that gorgeous black floral kiss-lock bag hanging in the background? I love that bag. It was made by Vicki of Marcello Neckwear, and I bought it from her at a BrisStyle market over a year ago. When I'm not using the bag, it hangs next to my bed, and greets me with awesomeness every morning when I wake up.

Subversive Cross-stitch on Etsy - Language warning!!!

'Come at me, bro' by the Argenta Collaborative

'I want your beard on my face' by MANJUNK

'I am Jack's smirking revenge' by ValeriePhoto

'F me gently with a chainsaw' by DefiantDamsel

'Jules English Mofo' by Defiant Damsel

Okay, this makes me happy, and also gives me ideas. I think the 'Heathers' quote is my favourite.
It's one of my all time favourite movies.

Have you seen any subversive cross-stitch I should know about?

What day is it?

There's a big blank on the pantry where the 2011 calendar used to hang, so I finally got around to choosing and downloading 12 owl artworks for my 2012 Owl Lover Calendar.

In 2011 Shivani, the creator of My Owl Barn, collaborated with 30 international artists to put together a choose-your-own-image-for-each-month calendar for free. The only problem is choosing 12 images!

Image from 2012 Owl Lover Calendar by Caro Celis

So if you're looking for a new one, look no further!

I once ran away from colour...

I've always shied away from wearing colour. From my delightfully moody teen years, where it was black, black and a little more black, to hitting the mid-thirties and embracing the forgiving qualities of that darkest hue, black has been the staple of my wardrobe.

But...there's so much colour creeping in at the edges. I'm feeling like perhaps I've been too hasty. There's a world of eye-popping technicolour out there...

Rainbow crochet rug - 3 feet, by MonsterBloodIV

This is what happens when hundreds of kids are given thousands of stickers... at the GOMA until March 2012. Absolutely stunning art installation by Yayoi Kusama.

Color Me Katie is an example of extreme colour love. This adorable chick literally surrounds herself with every colour there is, and makes you want to do all her fun little DIYs too. Katie also has a community-based outlook with an emphasis on sharing that is really infectious!

Kaylee Frye's parasol by lizzica

Street art can be good. Street art can be bad. Shall we debate? I just know that if I discovered a rainbow on my fence, I probably wouldn't be too upset!

A trio of treasuries!

Etsy treasury by Rachael from the awesome Hip Brown

 A last minute gift treasury from Sandrine, of the ever-classy SMBoutique

And this cool blue-green selection by the BrisStyle Etsy Street Team. Love!

Red velvet cake, The Ramones and so on...

image via alpineberry.blogspot.com

This is the cake. This one. It's Cameron's birthday today - he's my best friend in the entire world, and I love him so fiercely it's scary. So I'm going to make him a Red Velvet Cake, and maybe add a bit more chocolate cream into the middle. He really likes chocolate.  

This morning I got up with him (at 4.30am, thank you!) and made him coffee and some eats. I played him this...



 and gave him his present...a whipper-snipper! I know, I'm very romantic, but it's what he wanted.

Ada Coat by LittleHouses on Etsy

I'm in a little bit of love with this coat. I don't need it, not at all, but boy, I want it.

One of ny new brooches - a mix of old and new materials which seemed to find each other! The laying out phase of making something new is a dreamy, playful time for me, and I listen carefully for the little voice that hints I'm stepping on my comfort zone. This is when I know I'm heading in the right direction.

Now I just have to come up with a clever name, and write it up in my little shop. Stay tuned!



Happy New Year, you good-looking people

Welcome to 2012.

My pure and fervent hope is that this year is better than the last, for everyone.

Today began with croissants and coffee. And no hangover! I also redesigned my blog and re-opened my Etsy shop, and photographed the new pieces which I will list very soon.

This year my goal is to do more good. To make the most of my time. To put aside the worries that hobble me, and to finally hit my stride!

I'm also thinking I should make a few lists. Of goals and intentions. To really set it out there and illustrate my plans, make myself accountable for the results.

What do you think? Are you a lister? Do you already have your lists in order? 



This one's for all you Santas out there...

Think The Cramps said it best...you got gooooood taste!

Thank you Santa (aka best hobo ever) for my awesome new laptop that I neverrrrr dreamed I'd have, and thank you Secret Santa (aka Mumma Sue, aka Suzie Wong) for making me smell like a mental problem ... Obsession!

I'm a hair-trigger sneezer of the highest order, but since the latest gifts of some really gorgeous bottles of smell, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Obsession has always made me think of my best peep Cass, and now when I wear it, it's like she's right with me! Hypnôse does the same for my sis. And even though my mum has preferred sandalwood for at least 5 years, whenever I get a hint of Youth Dew, she springs to mind. The human brain is a funny thing.

Speaking of obsession and smelly things, have you read 'Perfume' by Patrick Süskind? This novel delves deeply into the powerful sway of the olfactory sense over one freakishly sensitive blood-hound of a man who goes to spectacular lengths to create the perfect scent. It's a spiral of desperation and murder with an incredible ending, and I highly recommend it.

Sooo, what did Santa bring you?

Happy non-denominational day of gift-giving and eating, y'all!

Artwork by Prynn



You've guessed by now I have not a breath of religion in my body. I also have no need to debate it, throw food scraps on door-to-door bible bashers or make a pilgrimage to Nietzsche's grave.

I'm just not a subscriber. 

But I do love a public holiday, and a chance to get all the family together.

I've made some tasty chocolates, most of which have been devoured by a husband with absolutely no remorse.

The muffin-mould worked a treat for the cranberry, almond and crunchie choc trees.

But the peppermint icing trees were a sad, floppy and totally irresistable failure.

We also discovered Krampus! The Alpine region anti-Santa, who made naughty children rue their wickedness with taste-testers of hell! Brrr, he's a looker alright. The Krampus Christmas cards of the past are a far cry from the snow-flakes and rosy-cheeked Santas of now.
I'd love to know if terrorising children in this manner actually made them behave?

Verbs are doing words

Eating - Miso for lunch, which made me think of this crimp in the Mighty Boosh (one of my all time favourite shows. Thanks Beebs!)

Dreaming - entertaining some lovely Christmas wrapping fantasies... aided by this - gorgeous video of a surprise ball being unwrapped, from Gina Namkung on Vimeo.

Making - A crochet blankie for another very special little bub, due next year, and greatly anticipated!

How to make a straight-jacket, and so on.

Lolly badges... coming up in my shop

Thanks to Threadbanger for this tempting DIY on how to make a straight-jacket. Go crazy? Don't mind if I dooooo!

Did anyone see Johnny Depp on the Graham Norton Show? Could he be any more likeable? I love the stories of his friendship with Hunter S Thompson, especially the crazy stuff at Thompson's Colorado ranch. Even his funeral, ashes shot into the stratosphere by a cannon, was financed by Johnny Depp. Now I wonder if any of my friends love me enough to shoot me out of a cannon...

I'm looking forward to seeing if the film version of 'The Rum Diary' lives up to the hype. I loved the book, as I've loved all of Thompson's books.

Happy Gonzo Friday!

Viola does Cindy, and so on.

Just lately...

This amazing photo series Response to Cindy Sherman, by Viola Renate. Exhibiting now in Amsterdam... sigh.

The Dainty Squid, fellow op-shop obsessive, who has the best hair, and makes me unwisely want to dye mine pink or something...

This is never not funny....

I don't do windows

Instead, a liquid chalk pen to make designs on the glass. This draws the eye away from the dirt! Right?

Verbs are doing words

Snapping - My surroundings at 11.11am on the 11th of November, 2011. 11:11 11/11/11!

Playing - with watercolours

Hearing - New action from Icarus Line. Awesome.

Seeing spots... and cherries?

This loveable bit of fluff was a Halloween commission from a talented photographer who lives in Melbourne (and just happens to be my lil brother's girlfriend!). It's the first double-layered apron I've made, and it worked so well! Considering my usual results making my own patterns... it's a WIN!

Verbs are doing words

Growing - an avocado from a seed. Pit? Whatever. From a smooth egg-like seed to cracking open like Monkey's stone egg to reveal a determined little tendril that just keeps on growing. 

Gifting - a crochet baby blanket to my gorgeous cousin who will soon have a little Christmas baby!

Hearing - C.W. Stoneking, just about the coolest olde style feller I ever did hear. Get onto his music, it's audible timetravel. And his personal story is kinda interesting too.

We're all (g)in this together

Maluna via happy things

Ok, so it's been quiet around here lately.

I've missed contacting artists and coming up with new photos to share, but things have been a little cuckoo all up in here.

Did I mention I have two kids?

Apart from that reliable madness, my job is kinda (not really) crazy, and I work pretty long days. Don't we all, I hear you ask? Yeaaaaahhhhhhh.

My sister's been sick too. Anybody who knows me knows how much I freaking love my sis, and the recent flare-up of her MS symptoms gave the whole family cause for worry. But you know what? She's being treated with some wickedly strong medicine, and handling it like a pro. I couldn't be more proud of her valour. On the list of women I want to be like when I grow up... Kirsty's number 1.

Under this glowering storm of concern and weariness, when I'm in a foul mood and I feel the urge to take it out on others, I seek to remind myself of this:

We are all made of the same stuff and WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

And then I have a gin and tonic.