Frankie giveway

Thanks to the lovely Lara at Frankie, I now have a fresh copy of my favourite magazine. As you can see, I'm doing a giveway, so be sure to enter! Just a little note; the 'trashy treasures' are very cute little badges and pocket mirrors. If you miss out, you can get them on Toggle (search 'Ruby in the Dust'), and I'll try to update my etsy shop soon.

Once again I've been a bit behind the 8-ball; just saw that Toggle featured me as their artist of the month for June. Read it here.

I'm going to make some dinosaur tails this week; will post some photos if my model Joshua will pose long enough. OK, enough about me, have a great week :)

Cold

We're back from a great little holiday in the Central North Island. We spent six days touring south from Otorahonga to Mount Ruapehu and back up again to Rotorua, then Tauranga. It was beautiful and cold, and sometimes beautiful because of the cold.

Some highlights:

1. The glowworms at Waitomo. It's easy to become blase about it as a tourist destination, but it's famous for a reason.
2. Thermal activity at Orakei Korako. It's between Taupo and Rotorua, but it's far enough from the main road to be off the tourist trail. You get a boat ride across the lake and explore the little valley at your own pace. Spectacular.
3. Just being able to hang out with my family. My sisters and I don't see each other often, so this is a very special time for us.

OK, now I have to prepare for Kraftbomb tomorrow. I'll do a post about my frankie giveaway when I've got a copy of the magazine; needless to say, frankie doesn't seem to be big in Otorahonga.

In print

I had a big surprise yesterday when I heard some of my journals were in the latest NZ Women's Weekly magazine (22/06/09). How cool; thanks to Endemic for the plug! You can find them there, or on Toggle (if the link is dead, check under 'paper' in the categories). If you would like to check them out for real, Next Door Gallery (132 Hinemoa St, Birkenhead) or Let's go Retro (717 Swanson Rd, West Auckland) both have it in stock. And don't forget about Kraftbomb; I'll be there next Sunday. Here's a link to the article:Trash to treasure

Some new things

After being so inspired by print-making the other day, I was very excited when I found this beautiful owl bag at the Warehouse. It's big and strong, perfect for carrying a lot of kids' winter gear around in. Made in China of course, but just look at it...


This buckle was just begging me for a belt, so I made a reversible one from this very helpful tutorial. Unfortunately I need a practical belt more than a decorative one; my jeans are one size too big. Will have to wear it on fat days.

And finally, I've taken the plunge and bought myself a couple of pattern books in a language I don't understand, without even knowing what's inside. Clever, hey. But so many people sing the praises of Japanese pattern books, and I really like the whole layered look they seem to have going, so I thought I'll give it a go. I bought them from YesAsia, they offer free postage if you spend a certain amount; you can also buy them from this Etsy seller. The pattern book is called Sewing Talk, two dresses really caught my eye. I found a very informative blog with help if you want to sew from Japanese books.

The second book is called Pochee, it's more of a craft book with some clothes patterns. Not sure of the leg warmers though! There's lots of great bag patterns in there.

I'll probably be a bit quiet on the blogging front for the next few weeks while I show my sisters around Auckland and the central North Island. Hope you have a great month :)

I dream of prints

I've been thinking a lot about print-making lately. Screen printing, specifically, but also lino cuts, gocco and stencils. It's mostly fuelled by this great book I found in the library: Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin. And so I've been sketching my vintage button collection, which might one day end up on a tea towel or something like that. In the mean time, here's some inspiration from my favourite fabric designers/print makers:

Beautiful prints from Ink and Spindle, based in Melbourne. I love their colours and designs mostly inspired by nature.

Three Sisters Ink are three sisters (surprise!) who make very graphic, strong patterns inspired by mid-century design. Check out their fun kids' designs.

Finally, Jesse Breytenbach, a fellow-South African who does great block prints and illustrations. Shown here is one of my favourite designs by her, a protea. I also love this print:

I probably won't be getting much time for my current interest in the next month; I'll be too busy hanging out with my lovely sisters, who are arriving this Friday (yay!)...

New pouches

I've just finished these new designs for tomorrow's Devonport Craft Market. (Sorry about the crappy photo; bad light.) One is a coin purse and the other a large pouch, possibly to be used as a clutch. I've designed the patterns to use my beautiful upholstery fabric pieces and some vintage buttons and embroidery. Hope to see you at the market; Devonport Community House, 32 Clarence Street, Devonport, Auckland. 10am -2pm. Hope you have a great weekend :)

Doll inspiration

I just have to share this amazing dollmaker with you; her work is incredible. Mimi Kirchner makes the most beautiful felt dolls and dresses them so well; wish I could find those clothes in the shops for myself! If you're inspired, you could try making your own doll from this free pattern.