Finished stuff...

Sometimes it seems a real struggle to finish things, especially when I try and do too many things at once.
I tend to have every bench space covered in stuff of every crafty medium. Which is a sensible way to work in some respects...cause what else do you do while glue dries or resin sets. You move onto the next thing of course!
But soon enough, every where you turn....there is stuff.

So this week I have been finishing things, clearing spaces and re-organizing a little.

Finished my new brooches in all the colors of the rainbow,

finished restocking hair clips, bracelets and earrings,

finally photographed some more of mums scarves.

I tend to take them straight into the shop and forget to update here,
but lots of awesome colors made up, so I had to take some new piccies...

A much quicker turnaround on the granny square scarves,
now that I have the professional on to it. aka mum...

I was struggling to get one a fortnight done in my spare time,
so it was time for intervention. Thanks Mum.

Once all that was done, I made time to clear benches and pack stuff away.
Not surprisingly when I pack stuff away, it still looks messy. Something to do with having sooo much stuff Aughh...

So I took a day off and went traipsing around the country side in search of storage solutions.
Now I do love Ikea and it's clever ways of storing things, but I do like to diversify and mix it up a bit too, so my study/house does not look like an Ikea catalogue.

Hence our journey went along the trails of oppies, antique bazaars and second hand stores.

I have been following and bidding on numerous lockers and cabinets on eBay all week, only to be pipped at the post every time. Although really, my humble bids of $50 max pretty quickly got overtaken and nearly everything I liked went between $300 and $1200. Aughhh...

I really wanted some old school lockers. Something big and metal, with many doors to hide all my stuff away. I have many open shelves at home and no amount of prettying them up was gunna make my room seem any less of a sty. So closed storage it had to be.

Fortunately fate smiled upon us and I found the perfect bunch of lockers at an ex-office furniture store for much less then eBay was fetching.

Score...

Now it is so nice to be in my study and not see all the projects on shelves that need finishing. I Can just pull out one at a time and focus on whats before me.

Much nicer indeed.

Jay xx

Branches complete ...

I Finally got my skirts done for the shop, in the new 'Branches' design.

The chocolate version is worn here with a body tee by Troika and up cycled vest by Found.

and the Charcoal version shown here is teamed with another great vest by Found.
If that vest fit me ... it would so be mine already!
Alas it was meant for someone else.

A close up of the colors.

The colors are quite muted, so you could team with brighter pieces. But I do intend on whipping up a few more vibrant colorways later in the year for spring.

Before spring begins though, we are having our famous Olive Grove studios Garage sale.


We only have a two a year and it's chokka full of handmade goodness. I'll have heaps of clothes on offer and probably some scarves and jewellery up for grabs too. So if you've had your eye on anything, do pop down.

As a special bloggy/facebook promo... we will be opening our doors at 9am just for you, then to the general public at 10.

Need to make room for spring goodies to start trickling in.
Hope to see you there,
Jay xx

All in a row...

The lovely Christine over at Jelly Bean Jam has finished her piece for the August monthly design challenge. So early too...

Check out her apples all in a row.

Wish I could knit or crochet something more advanced then squares or rectangles.
Beautiful work C.

My Idea, is starting to come to fruition a bit.
I chose buildings in a row as my subject and took a bunch of photo's of the city skyline from our neck of the woods.

A little play with photo shop and a little help from a friend, means I now have it on screen. I've only done a test print so far to make sure the screen worked out,

so the next step is decide what it will be...

Possibly a bag, cushion or skirt.

Will have to put my thinking cap on and see what it wants to become.

Still plenty of time for you to join in too, so don't forget the theme is 'all in a row' absolutely anything... 'all in a row'.
Jay xx

Branches...

I'm so excited that my new tree screen got finished sooner rather then later. Gave me a chance to whip up my prototype, so I could give it a whirl burl before the weekend.

Quite impressed, I am.

After visualizing it for a long time .... it worked out just the way I wanted.

The irony is that I spent hours photographing all the tree's in the neighborhood....

and ended up using this one for my artwork.

It's the one in our own backyard .... Of course!

I just have to grade sizes in the new skirt pattern, then I'm good to go.

I won't have them done and in shop till late next week, but at least mine is ready for a trip into town to visit the crafty ladies at 'The pop up studio sale' happening at the Nicholas building.
Might see yah there.
Jay xx

August Mothly Design Challenge...

Now that I almost* ...... have tree's out of my system from last months design challenge, it's time to move on to a new theme for August.

I've decided it shall be 'All in a row'

T'is a fairly broad topic and could be interpreted many ways, so hopefully it's an easy one for you all to jump on board with.

Remember, you are all invited to join in, stranger or friend.

You can paint, photograph, screen print, make a softie, brooch, earring or shoe! Whatever craft you turn your hand at, make it yours....

My choice is based on my wee obsession with how awesome things look all in a row...Obviously.

Like...little houses,

House pillows by: Leililaloo

Skyscrapers,

City skyline pendant by: Block party press.

Big houses,

Victorian terrace screen print cards by: Mrs Beckinsale.

Cats,

Bigcat in a row by : SirGulamHusain

Globes,

Image via Pinterest.

Flowers,

Resin flower bangle by: Anna Nova

Ducks....

Image via: Jenny's Place.

You get the picture. Anything ... all in a row.

Send me links to your blog if you come up with something and I'll share it with all here.

Jay xx

P.s
Fabulousness, glamour and perfect stitches are not required. Just an idea brought to fruition, That's all. xx

*Almost.....
Well you know I made my little wood brooches for the July tree challenge, but I had a hankering to do a skirt too. So a week or so ago I got hubby to drive me around the neighbourhood photographing tree's galore. In vein that I would find one perfect shot worthy of putting on screen. I did...Hooray.
But the process of exposing the screen, sewing and all that jazz is not a quick one. So the show and tell on that one will be a little way off.
When it's done and dusted, I think then.....then I might just have got tree's out of my system.