Showing posts with label diary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diary. Show all posts

Friday, June 8, 2012

Autumn happenings.......as seen thru the lens

A little busy this month so letting my camera do the talking for this post. Lots of colours and patterns from nature and my surroundings.  Blink and you miss some of it.   So I stop and admire it instead.....

Jamie's Mexican Street Corn salad - spicy and colourful
Just look at her!.....a beauty.

Kilim Rug dreaming.....the price tag brings me right back down to earth with a big thud!
Monocle L O V E ...my mind thanks you.



Birthday presents  ROCK!

yes....it tastes as delicious as it looks.  yum yum!  Monica's famous pineapple cake.

and this you ask?   why, its a thin slice of carrot.  Thank you Mother Nature. 
See you again Venus....somewhere out there.

Inspired by this amazing artist that I still cannot get out of my head

On my walk to work....i stop to admire the quiet work going on around me.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Lead up to Birthday week.....

Its been a big, busy, crazy emotional week.   Not only because that is how I usually get around birthday time (another year , more grey hair, what have I achieved?  where am I going? - you know how it goes)  but because I am also working on many projects all at the same time.  Its like my cook/gardener/DIY/crafty inner self is on autopilot (and on a time clock apparently) and wants to start and/or complete all projects I have going.   Crazy - I know.

No matter what I am creating, experimenting or doing, I always have my trusty pocket camera with me. A photographic diary of sorts.   I know one day I will look back and realize these days (the crazy busy ones) are my happiest.   So here is a photo diary of what is keeping me interested of late:

In the garden:: A tiny Echeveria plant grows out of what I thought was a dried up root.
From a friends well established edible garden - beautiful, nourishing beans.
Fabric ::  Watching mum create something gorgeous with this fabric (More to follow soon)
From El Mercado::  (Top) Organic Food Market free range VS  (Bottom) Supermarket free range.  The proof is in the taste.
From my Father::  Admiring his latest original, upcycled work of art.

From my Mother::  a beautiful crochet creation
Cafe::  Martino honing his skills.....
while I admire the cafe's refurb including these gorgeous mango wood stools.
From the sewing machine :: new fabric place mats, that are teaching me much patience along the way....
thats all for now.  Thanks for reading.

xox
a (nearly) older and (hopefully) wiser craftyclaudes.......

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Date for your diary :: Finders Keepers Market - Brisbane 2-3 July , 2011

super sweet artwork by mel stringer
Back from a wonderful holiday which included lots of creative inspiration, fresh air and moments of awe at the talents of some amazing artists and crafters.  I will soon be sharing some photos via this blog as they are just too cool to be kept to myself!     In the meantime, check out this very cute poster for the upcoming Finders Keepers market in Brisbane.   Featuring a cute owlie and some of his woodland friends....sweet.

If you live in or near Brisbane, check out the Finders Keepers market and support handmade. 

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Date for your diary:: Powerhouse Museum Sydney - Quarterly Craft Weekend: 30 April-1 May


The first in a series of quarterly craft weekends will be held at the Powerhouse Museum on 30 April and 01 May.  You will be able to take part in some fun FREE drop in workshops like beginner knitting, recycled jewellery making and embroidery.  There will also be a couple fun looking paid classes one of which involves creating your very own Zipper Mouth Monster.  how cute are they!
photo credit

Zipper mouth monster: sew up your skills with Colette Guanta, Tessuti Fabrics
30 April, 10.30am – 2.30pm
$80 per person
All materials and equipment, including Jodie Carleton’s monster pattern and Tessuti Fabric are supplied; participants should have some experience with using a sewing machine
The sewing skills of Colette Guanta from Tessuti Fabrics join forces with the design nous of Jodie Carleton from the popular Ric Rac blog, making a terrific workshop experience.  Learn how to sew an edgy stuffed monster with a loud mouth.
This workshop is supported by Tessuti Fabrics and Brother sewing machines.


For more details including times and prices check out the Powerhouse Museum site

Looks like fun!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Art Month Sydney /Platform Hip Hop Festival - Power Moves by Nick Bassett

Presented by CarriageWorks' Platform Hip Hop Festival

POWER MOVES is a photographic series which studies the form and sculptural quality of Breaking, or B-Boying as it is otherwise known. 
Shot in a controlled studio setting, Nick Bassett has captured a highly talented group of dancers right in the split-second moment of their signature moves. The series is a study in form, physicality and skill, not simply a documentation of the moves or how they are performed.

March is also Art Month in Sydney.  A time where studios, galleries and performance spaces throw open their doors and encourage people to follow their art.  With varied events and activities such as art cycle tours, Thursday night Art Bars,   a little Gardening, and art dinners.  As well as various photographic, sculptural and mixed media exhibitions - there is something there for everyone.


To check out the various events on offer until March 31 - visit the Art Month Sydney website

To check out Nick Bassetts photography exhibition as part of the Platform Hip Hop Festival visit the Carriageworks website.

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Fabric Book Cover - Diary 2011

2010 - say hello to 2011....
This project takes me back to my school days.  Where we would take great pride in covering our school books at the start of the school year.  Back then we used brown paper or clear wrap to cover them, which although neat, was a little boring.  So for the last few years I have been covering my diary with pretty papers, pictures, stickers lots of colour and designs.

For my 2011 diary, I have decided to dip into my fabric scraps to create a fabric diary cover.    There are some great tutorials all over the net to help you get started if you wish to sew one.   However, a lot of the tutorials I came across involved much measuring, pining, sewing and using things like interface - which I don't have. I also get to use one of my absolute favourite craft material - double sided tape.  Double Sided tape is so easy to use, very forgiving if mistakes are made and also stays very strong.

Here is my step-by-step guide on creating a very quick and fab looking fabric cover:

You will need:
- Diary of your choice (hard cover preferable but not essential)
- 1 piece of fabric (enough to cover the diary with a 3cm seam all the way around)
- Fabric scraps in your choice of color (I chose cotton, both printed and plain, as well as printed linen)
-  Double sided tape
- 2 pieces of card stock in your choice of color
- sewing machine and thread in your choice of color

Step 1:  Open your diary and place it on top of the large piece of fabric you have measured and cut to size.



Step 2:  Place your chosen fabric scraps on top of the bigger piece of fabric. Arrange in the design of your choice and pin in place.

Step 3 - Head over to your sewing machine and sew the pieces in place.  I used a zig zag stitch and went in a crazy pattern.  It is totally up to you on how neat you want to keep this step.  I chose to go wild stylee!

Step 4:   This bit is just like covering your book with paper.  Take your double sided tape and line the edges of the inside flap of your diary.  Peel the backing and fold the fabric over pressing down as you go.  Do this to both the front and back inside cover of your diary.  It may look messy - but don't worry as you will cover all this up in the next step.

Step 5 - Using your chosen card stock,  measure and cut a piece large enough to cover up the inside flap.  You can use as much double sided tape as you like to secure this card stock to the inside.  

Tadaaaa!  Here is the diary all covered in pretty fabric - ready for 2011 adventures

Inside cover of the diary - hiding all sorts of messiness!
I hope these instructions are clear.  Its actually much harder than I thought to write a tutorial.  So if you have any questions just let me know.

Happy Monday everyone!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Date for your diary:: Ride - Life in the bike lane - 18 November




Art, bikes and felt  all in the one place?   Now this is our kind of show!   Martino loves all things bikes and as for me I get to check out some artists I have been reading about in different blogs.  This year is the 10th anniversary of the Sydney Bicycle Film Festival and the official exhibition is entitled ::  Ride - Life in the bike lane::.   The show consists of wooden bicycles individually customized by different Australian artists - both emerging and established.   I am really looking forward to seeing what artists Fleur Harris (below) and Cupco (right) do with their wooden bikes.

Check it out:

Thursday 18 November
6pm
District 01
74-76 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Audrey Kawasaki - "Tangled" - Outre Gallery - Sydney

Mayakashi by Audrey Kawasaki

oil and graphite on wood panel 12"x12"



I first saw Audrey Kawasaki's art in one of Martino's Juxtapose magazines.  My first thought was if Martino ever gets a tattoo, it has to look like this'.......very weird as he doesnt have any tattoos and not really expressed any interest in having any either.    Audrey's art is beautiful and features her female (and some androgynous males) in very alluring, sometimes dark and sensual poses.  For me the faces, particularly the eyes are what makes her pieces.   Finally she will be having her first major solo exhibition in Australia and we are off to check it out.  Very much looking forward to it......maybe even stop by the tattoo place afterwards!


See Audrey's work at the Outré Gallery(Shop 7, 285a Crown Street, Surry Hills) from October 29 until November 15.....

For more details see here