dreams :: {part two}

This was my grandfather's wheelbarrow. He was a gardener among (many) other things. I remember following him around to many a nursery, many a gardening job... and pottering in the garden with him. Between him and my Mum, if not a green thumb, then certainly an appreciation for time spent outdoors, growing my own food and getting up to my elbows in soil, developed.

When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to be a landscape designer. Not a Landscape Architect, or a Landscape Gardener, but a Designer. I did work experience with a woman working as a designer and planted petunias in some of the poshest gardens in Toorak. And learning so much along the way... I especially liked how she snuck Australian native plants and edibles into English-style cottage gardens, unbeknownst to the owner... That felt like some sort of guerrilla or activist type of gardening. Making the world a better place, one posh garden at a time...

So I decided that was for me. I set about designing garden beds for my school, which were met with quiet, respectful nods and pleasant smiles, then binned filed. I read up on gardens in France and England and Italy, admiring their patterns and making plans to visit someday... My art teacher was married to a prominent Landscape Architect/Gardener and decided that, knowing the reality of it, it probably wasn't for me. My hands were getting shaky and how was I going to draw up perfect plans with hands like that? Despite my protests that my Grandfather's hands shook and it never became a problem for him... My maths teacher told me my maths wasn't good enough to be a Landscape Architect. And, despite that not being the direction I wanted to go, I listened. I suspect Mum and Dad had higher aspirations for me than Horticulture College (that's where used up footy players went), and for some reason, at that time, I was sensitive to that too. My art teacher encouraged me towards other areas, thinking I'd make an excellent Art Teacher, or Art Historian. And although she was incredibly inspiring, and a great teacher in so many ways, I ignored her advice and went a different way (that she also discouraged) and became a Textile Designer.

I loved Textile Design. I still do. It's certainly a process, and part of my brain, that just works and comes naturally for me. It can be slightly messy and colourful and full of patterns... But garden design was still there.

I began collecting gardening magazines and researching correspondence courses I could do at night, after a long, exhausting day pushing pixels on a screen to put socks on supermarket shelves (I was a sock designer). I visited open gardens on the weekend. I gardened in our backyard and one year managed to grow most of the veggies that we needed for a whole season.

I sat in a tent at a festival one weekend and heard David Holmgren (co-originator of Permaculture) talk... Mind. Blown. Huz (not yet Huz), and I started looking into Permaculture and off-grid living... One day we might move to Tasmania and do that...

I came very close to enrolling in a Diploma of Horticulture at a local TAFE, having abandoned uni plans after almost paying off a sizeable HECS debt... Whe Huz found employment, I planned how I'd quit my job, or do the course in the evening... While I pined for days wasted while sitting at a computer, under fluoro lights, for a pittance.

I needed to be outdoors. Out in the real world...

And then a little voice came and chatted in my ear... I had a dream where I walked into a red and yellow tent at a different festival. A little girl, aged about five or six, took my hand and said "I'm Audrey. You're going to be my Mama". And so it was...

I've heard a few little voices since then (including one I'm having stern words with right now). And I kept working with socks as long as I could manage in amongst moving to Tasmania, Grandfather's wheelbarrow and all, and the rest which is documented in this blog...



We have three living owlets and a menagerie of animals living with us and although we've been in our nest for almost six years now, and the natives out the front have come along and look great... we have no established garden. No design. No food forest. We've had not much time or money to devote to it and although we've improved the soil immeasurably in places, you wouldn't know it to look at it. I'd all but given up on me and gardening. And still that other big niggling voice is still there...



Get out in the garden. Learn all about it and how it works. Find a way to make the world better. One garden at a time... starting with ours.

I imagined and dreamed of gardening courses... workshops came and went as I faced facts that I was here, with owlets all day long, loving that, but needing something for me. Something useful. So I decided if the timing was right, the stars would align and it would just work out. It always does.

And then Milkwood Permaculture advertised that they were coming to Tasmania to teach Urban Permaculture Design. And I umm-ed and ahh-ed until the very last minute...

And I made the stars align...



And right now now Tiny is up from her nap, so I'll continue the rest later... But do come back to read all about the course and where to next... I feel like I'm on an exciting new journey and I'd love to have some company along the way. xx

split personality

Did you know that I sometimes blog over at the Spiral Garden blog too? I do! And I write regular Spiral Garden newsletters too. I'm finding it a bit tricky and fun keeping up and blending Owlet with Spiral Garden. So far it seems to be working ok...

I've made a return to creating stuff under the Owlet brand. A new line of craft kits is on the way, as well as the old faves like skirts, crowns, capes, bean bags... Lots to do! But it's so nice to have a reason to do it again and a lovely home for all the things I love to make. I'm looking forward to more creativity to come. And hopefully more energy or time to make it all happen. Ha!



Tonight I've blogged over at the Spiral Garden blog about our crayon range and what we've learnt in the process of choosing that range.  I've reviewed each of our crayons to tell you the positive and negative points of each and to tell you why they're there. It's been an interesting process! More interesting than you'd think. Really!

new shoes

Over the summer we spent lots of time barefoot. In fact, when Huz arrived home from his last day of work, looking forward to three months of holidays, he announced that he wouldn't put shoes on again until the next time he had to work... and he didn't! He discovered so many amazing things about the world and himself while barefoot. He's still barefoot whenever he can be. Even at work...



I'm always barefoot while at home and I love it, but over the summer I experimented with my own footwear and discovered something quite surprising (to me). The pain in my knees I'd had for 5yrs could be attributed to my shoes. My beloved Birkenstocks were the cause of the pain and surprisingly, my uber flat ballet flats were the most comfortable pair of shoes I owned. Days spent barefoot ended in happy feet. No wonder the owlets refused to give up their baby shoes. The soft soled leather ones we'd always given them as their feet unfurled... I went looking for an adult version and found Soft Star. To my delight, I found we could design our own. Brilliant!




We set to work, printing out shoe shapes, choosing colours, colouring, matching, measuring feet... who knew shoe buying could turn into the perfect little maths and design project?! The owlets loved choosing their own colour combinations and shoe shapes. They selected sheepskin lining for theirs and loved measuring their feet to work out the correct size. Most especially, they loved picking their favourite colours for their shoes! I can't tell you the number of times we've lamented shoe colour choice in the shops in town. Now we have a rainbow...



I chose favourite colours and a simple mary jane shape, while Huz went for a lace-up in his fave colours and a mix of textures. They're bold, but kind of awesome, I reckon.



The owlets have been inseparable from their shoes. They've dubbed them their "outside slippers", that's how comfy they reckon they are... They are so beautifully made, with such care. Just as we'd imagined. The Soft Star elves did an amazing job.



Today we went out, walking around town in our new shoes for the first time and our rainbow of shoes did turn a few heads, but what I noticed most was the comfort! An afternoon walking around town and my feet just feel happy. They are not cracking and aching like normal. My soft stars have just been comfortable from the word go. And silent! I love walking around gently, not stomping. I can feel the ground beneath me and have a greater sense of where I am because of that. Much like when I'm barefoot. I can say we'll most definitely be buying more soon. I may go as far as to throw out all my other shoes which just might force the issue ;)

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This post wasn't sponsored or paid for in any way. We paid for the shoes in full and totally love them, we do! I can tell you though, that I will be posting a product review tomorrow and a super duper giveaway! Get involved, because there's some awesome rewards for you and your owlets ;)

my creative space :: softie

A little bedtime buddy for a little buddy of ours... And one for Mirabel too.
An oh-so-simple design, just the right size to cuddle.
With a sleepy smile and star in the pocket, made for wishing...

The owlets have requested one each too, with modifications, of course... Sweet dreams. xx

more spaces here

how now brown owl?

Years ago, when I hadn't lived in Hobart long, didn't know many peeps, felt like I was on holidays... I missed creating with people. Having just left a design studio to work from home, suddenly creating was a whole lot quieter. Then I discovered blogging and found my way to Pip's. Not long after, she began a craft group called Brown Owls. I was sad that it hadn't been around when I was in Melbourne. Sad that it wasn't in Hobart... I joined up as a Faraway member. Pip sent me a kit with some stitchy work to do. That's it in the picture above. I never started it, but I liked the idea of it and I lived vicariously through the blogosphere...

Then I discovered Crafternoon. I think one afternoon a friend mentioned it and I googled and found Bec who invited me along for a crafternoon or two at her place and a gallery exhibition and some things thrown on a table at a market and before long here I was with regular market stalls and an etsy shop..! I think craft groups are good. They're an excellent way to meet other creative types, learn new things, multitask... See? I can talk and create and drink tea and eat cake! They're great for building community and making sure you set aside time to do something you love.... So Crafternoon ended and I miss it. And other crafty groups haven't been on at a time suitable for me, with three owlets in tow, or a tiny owlet needing me nearby at night... And many of my friends are in a similar boat. So, Hobart. We are about to have our very own Brown Owls group. Yay!

I've found us a perfect little clubhouse with space for a sewing machine or three and room for sitting and knitting, or crocheting, or whatever your thing is. It's located in a playground so if owlets need to tag along, they can, and they'll have a lovely time too. Our first meeting is at the end of the month. It's all just a little bit exciting!

If you'd like to join in too, check out the facebook group for Hobart Brown Owls here.
Or the Brown Owls Worldwide Clubroom here.
Or the Brown Owls Members Blog here.
Or follow the Brown Owls Twitter account here.
Or you can send me a message and I'll let you know when and where.

If you're not in Hobart, maybe you'd like to look up your local Brown Owls? Or do you have another crafty group you're part of? Or maybe craft's not your thing at all....

my creative space...

I'll be working on this over the next few days... I've been spying it in my basket, thinking about it, finding something else I need to do instead... I'm a bit stuck!! I'm hoping the inspiration will come to me like a flash in the next few hours. Its a Mama and Baby blessing flag for a lovely friend interstate. I'm picturing her birthing space filled with lovely colours and I'm honoured to have been asked to contribute... Now c'mon creativity!!

Maybe I need a wander around at Kirsty's for some inspiration. See you there. x

Our creative space....

Well its the big owlet's, really. I've been working on some new simple shapes for appliques for baby and kids stuff for the owlet shop for autumn. Big owlet has been playing with shapes too. First she traces all the shapes on my old school math-o-mat. Then she adds character to them. I think they're just brilliant. So we're collaborating. One or two might make it onto clothes for the owlet shop and another one or two just for big owlet to wear with pride. I'm particularly loving the confused looking owl...

See some creative brilliance at Kirsty's place, as usual.

Day 19 - Lounging around

Well two posts on Saturday helped me feel like I deserved a day off yesterday. And as I said, I needed to catch up with my trusty husky! So I did. We made these pants for the little owlet to lounge around in during the warmer months. I used an old sheet and some new trims. Then I lounged around with the fam for a while... I'll be making some more pants like this and using other recycled bits and new pieces in the next couple of weeks for the shop and the ever growing list of markets! My lounging days are numbered!

Blogtober Day 13 - Socktober

Badskirt's theme of the day is Socktober... So I suppose its time I shared a little about my past life... For about ten years, before, during and after having owlets and until about a year ago, I designed socks. Thousands of socks... stripes, spots, dogs, cats, flowers, butterflies and more recently, birds... You name it. I loved the speed of the work, the colours, the range of ideas you could play with and put there. Towards the end the socks started getting more conservative, the colours more restrained, the ideas less out there... The quality sadly not as fabulous as when I started... Ahh but that is the way of things and the way of the Australian fashion industry... And so it goes full circle and now we have handmade and quality, colour and quirky are ever on the rise. Happy designers, happy customers. Another great reason to buy handmade... Here's a sample of my souvenirs from that past life. I'm applying the same principles and method of working now of course, its just skirts and onesies these days ;)