My creative space...

Still playing with colours... over breakfast. I tend to gather up a bunch of colours and patterns that appeal to me and then see what combinations I can make with what I have. My challenge then is to make sure I use as much as I can before I go to the fabric store again... Its like a little challenge to use that extra bit of creativity to make do. Of course every now and then something special comes my way in between fabric shop visits...


Like this piece of vintage fabric, or a tip shop/op-shop find... and then I'm inspired to try something new...

Lots of creative things happening around here today. Creative in a different way, but very exciting anyhow. A front lawn full of ceiling batts to tuck in our house and make it all snuggly.


And while they work, a cuppa with Bec for some crafty natter, among other things...

More creative spaces at Kirsty's. I always find it inspiring to see how other people work/think/create. Go check it out!

Playing with colours...

I've been managing to make a skirt or two here and there...


Playing with colours and preparing for spring...


Looking at what I have for the markets and enjoying the endless combinations of print and colour and ribbons...

I'll be at the Spring Beach Market in Blackmans Bay on Saturday. If you are in Hobart, stop by! They're having a sausage sizzle and there's room for owlets to stretch and play. It should be fun!

Aside from skirts, I'll have my usual stuff... Silk play capes, jewelled felt crowns, apron decorating kits, hair accessories, fair trade organic cotton baby clothes, pants and bean bags kits...


These are made with different colours and textured fabrics and different textured stuff inside. Bean bags are great for gross motor skills and indoor play. They had them at school when I was an owlet. Fun times! They make a nice gift too ;)

Looking for spring...

We went for a wander at the gardens today, looking for signs of change, of new life, of sunshine and warmer weather.

We found daffodils in the spot where we crumbled leaves in April. The owlets call them trumpet flowers...

We found some space for a creative moment...


or two...


We followed our shadows and learned about sundials, then sat in the sun and ate lunch...


We were reminded again that the whole world is our classroom and there is so much to learn, so much to do... and we are so lucky to have sunny days ahead and the time to explore them together.

Hidden treasure

We're taking advantage of the Australian Government's Energy Efficient Homes Package and insulating our house. Yep. We live in Tasmania. In a weatherboard house. Without insulation. Its cold. This is exciting stuff. Anyway, amid the excitement we decided to have a peek in the ceiling to see what's up there and we found a kind of a time capsule... A cardboard box full of blue and cream paper flowers, an old canvas stretcher and much to the owlets delight, a dolls pram. What luck!

My Creative Space

My owlets are unschooled. They learn naturally at home, in an extremely organic way, following their own creative thoughts and wonderings. Its a lifestyle... It requires creativity and flexibility, two things I'm lucky to have lots of. It means that sometimes my own creative stuff is on the backburner as more energy is devoted to owlet activities. Much of our best work is done in pyjamas with that sudden burst of post-brekky inspiration...


Or on the fridge while dinner bubbles away on the stove...


Sometimes its very involved, like today's instant *need* to act... to stage a play based on the Very Hungry Caterpillar, using whatever's at hand but aiming for high-level professionalism at all costs...


Other times our best and most creative learning happens up a tree in the afternoon sun, looking at the river and listening to the birds... Just daydreaming.



More creative spaces at Kirsty's.

Where it began...

So in amongst the reshuffle I realised there's a heap of artwork belonging to the owlets and me. Years of stuff I've collected and never sorted through, so I shall begin the task, spurred on by Cindy of kiss the birdie, who I went to uni with all those years ago. We each have a BA in Textile Design from RMIT and she's, in fact, the very same woman who introduced me to Huz! So anyway, I'll post interesting bits as they surface...


This is where owlet began for me. It was one of my 3rd year contracts, based on a beautiful book I was given on my 10th birthday, an illustrated version of Hiawatha's Childhood. This story board was accompanied by a range of prints and children's clothing... somewhat dated now, but I like the concept. I suppose its just grown in a different direction, as have I. The children down the bottom there are Huz, my sister and me.

Feathering the nest

We've been in this house over two years now and its just starting to feel like we know where things fit. We've been playing musical rooms again. We've also reclaimed a little space from the owlets. How do two small people accumulate so much stuff and then leave it in every corner of the house?!! We needed to make it less of a kids space - a little less child-centred, a little more family centred... Little owlet is ok in her own room now - though I suspect she'll be wandering into mine in the wee hours for a while longer yet. So we gave the owlets the studio, which had the most floorspace. I'm quite happy with my emergency craft station, I just need some storage, so the room that belonged to big owlet is now a room for reading, music and fabric! Here's the clean bit...


The bunks finally have a home that they fit and the owlets have a room they can play in.


A space for them to just hang out if they need a quiet moment.


Little side bonus - Huz and I feel like we have some space from little bits and owlet pieces and things are more orderly. Ok, big bonus.