CRAFT FOR MISFITS!

radio shows

2012-01-29T12:15:00.000+10:30

With all this music posting, I thought I'd better remind you of these two FANTASTIC radio shows, heh heh!

Goth, deathrock, darkwave: SHADOWPLAY

Coldwave, dark post-punk: CANNIBAL ROSES

Podcasts are uploaded to these blogs when they have finished broadcasting on Cathedral 13 ;)

weirdness ... but in a good way!

2012-01-28T16:21:00.000+10:30

Such a strange day today ... I went to my local needlework shop - err, the *only* needlework shop in Adelaide, that is! - to drop in my Red Over Red needlepoint to be made up into a cushion. Well, the shop has been bought by someone else, and after a 'WOW!' upon looking at my needlepoint, she ended up making an appointment for me to bring some of my kits in next Saturday!! :O

I'll keep you posted ... but wouldn't it be nice if they sold some of my kits at their shop? It's definitely a 'granny' sort of shop, but I think that they are trying to make it more contemporary, which is so awesome!

Oh, and I received my SureSlim programme today too, so I'll be starting Monday. Have a bit of menu planning to do first, as well as source the *massive* amount of seeds I have to consume every day (6 tablespoons!!). It's very much a healthy eating plan rather than a diet - I'll keep you all posted! ;)

goth rock from 2011

2012-01-27T09:23:00.000+10:30

OK, especially for Linea-Maria ... some NEW goth rock. Yep, goth rock is still around, especially in the UK, where they are very proud of their goth rock heritage ;)

This is a great band called Angels Of Liberty - the lead singer Voe is such a nice guy ... and not just because Anita and I are included in the credits of their 'Black Madonna' EP, heh heh! :)

12 hours of stitching ...

2012-01-26T18:41:00.002+10:30

I'm so pleased with the way this is turning out! Well, except for the weird little spider-looking bat in the middle - but luckily this is the prototype, and I've learnt how much (and how little) detail I can get away with when using 10 count canvas ;)

PS - I'm still waiting for my SureSlim programme ... hopefully it will arrive soon!

australian goth rock

2012-01-26T10:14:00.000+10:30

It's Australia Day, so I thought I'd post some classic Australian goth rock from the 90s - ENJOY! ;)

Later today I'll post an updated pic of my bat clutch - I've done a lot more!

PS - and yes, there are aspects of this holiday that make me uncomfortable ... :S

one more goth track for today ;)

2012-01-25T19:53:00.000+10:30

This time from 1980 ... Bauhaus' 'Dark Entries' is for me the most goth of all their releases. Some may disagree and choose 'Bela Lugosi's Dead', but I love the raw energy of this song.

What Is Goth?

2012-01-25T09:46:00.000+10:30

I've been reading a few blogs here and there, arguing about what is goth, and what isn't. I will admit right now that yes, I AM a goth snob! I have a pretty good excuse though, being a goth/darkwave/deathrock radio dj - if I thought everything was goth, then the show would be pretty crap :P

My personal opinion - for anyone who cares - is that 'goth' is about the MUSIC!! I don't care how you dress, or what label you put on yourself ... but the music is the most important thing. Sometimes, the most 'goth' people are the ones that don't go around telling everyone they are :P

Every now and then I'll post some 'proper' goth music, just in case anyone reading this is wondering what it is ;)

Here's one of my no. 1 goth tracks ... even though Screams For Tina is sometimes considered 'Californian Deathrock', for me that strong bass line and deep voice is what goth music is all about. Please feel free to argue with me (even Anita and I sometimes disagree about 'what is goth', heh heh) ;)

red over red .... and some batz

2012-01-21T20:46:00.000+10:30

The full set of pics are HERE ... but here are the highlights ;)

My 'red' design has just been finished and named - 'Red Over Red' ... I've been a massive Siouxsie & The Banshees fan since I was 15 - that was a bit of hint as to where the name came from (ie. the song 'Red Over White') :P

Here's Lily holding it up for me:

I'll take Red Over Red to the local needlework shop to get made up into a cushion next week. I've also started on the Bats clutch in lolly pink and black, with accents of silver metallic thread for extra zing:

I'll post a better pic when I've done more - right now, I'm eager to get back to it!

fitter and healthier for 2012

2012-01-18T08:41:00.000+10:30

Yes - that's the plan!

I hesitated before posting about this ... it's pretty embarrassing admitting that one's weight has crept up a bit - but there, I've done it! I always decide things spur-of-the-moment, because I'm very impulsive - and yesterday I decided that I needed a bit of help in the weight management department. So just after I started thinking about it, I signed up to SureSlim.

About a million years ago (well, more like 15), I went on Weight Watchers and lost about 20kg. Again, decided one night that I had to lose weight, and went to a meeting the next day ;) I've kept it off pretty well, but in the last year the 'love fat' has been creeping on. I've started exercising, and Anita has been controlling my portion sizes (she's the chef in the family) - but I think I need a bit of an extra push (and some accountability).

So, Blog World - I am hereby declaring that I will be losing 10kg! Not sure how long it will take, and that doesn't matter ... I just want to learn what's best for my body. We didn't even have scales, so had to quickly buy some last night!

SureSlim mainly involves whole, unprocessed foods - no diet shakes or meal replacements, just healthy eating. I have to get a blood test done tomorrow, then will be starting my programme next week. An intensive 6 week programme follows - hopefully I don't have to give up my morning soy lattes!! :P

new dreadz - red + purple

2012-01-15T10:43:00.000+10:30

Time for my 3-monthly dread changeover! I decided on a more 'sedate' red/purple/black combo:

The red is Ashford Corriedale 'Chilli Pepper', black is Ashford 'Liquorice', and the purples are Bendigo Woollen Mills Corriedale in a mix of purples. I'll have to get a close-up pic of the purple, since they are gorgeous!

Tomorrow is the first Kids Stitching Workshop at Brighton Library - cross fingers it all goes well ;)

new pics for old kits

2012-01-07T13:40:00.000+10:30

This morning I took a few pics of Anita posing with some of my old cross stitch kits - it was time for an update! Bookmark kits are next ...

The rest are in my Etsy Store! ;)

2012-01-05T08:39:00.000+10:30

OK ... I've succumbed to Pinterest! Brigitte invited me (I'm not sure whether you *have* to be invited, or whether you can just sign up?). I was sceptical, but have found it a great place to 'save' pics you've seen on the internet that you don't know what to do with.

This is my 'Random Awesomeness' folder, which I use for styles I admire ... I love the goth/deathrock aesthetic, as well as vintage films and fashion - they all fit together ;)

It's very easy to add pictures - you first put a 'pin it' bookmark on your browser. Then you can go to any website, select 'pin it' and it comes up with all the images from that webpage. Once it's on your pinboard, it links back to the website. A good way to save things you want to buy, recipes, inspirational pictures, etc.

I've created a folder for my cross stitch kits, and have already had hits from there to my Etsy store. So it works on many different levels.

Have you tried Pinterest? If you want to join, let me know and I'll 'invite' you ;)

ooo, it's 2012!

2012-01-01T10:03:00.000+10:30

Welcome to 2012! I hope you like the 'new look' blog - something I've been meaning to do for some time ... being on holidays is the perfect excuse!

I have another week of hols (except for one half-day on Tuesday), and have a list of things I need to get done, including recording January's Cannibal Roses show, finishing off the 'Red' cross stitch kit, making wool dreads, getting ready for the Kids Cross Stitching Workshop ... oh, and probably another million things ;)

2011 has been wonderful, and I'm sure 2012 will be even better! I hope everyone reading this has many wonderful memories from the last year.

stitching and stitching

2011-12-26T17:35:00.001+10:30

I don't celebrate the Christ-Mass, but I DO love this time of year because I have a couple of weeks off - yippee!

I finished the Felicity Hall Peacock Clutch - being tent stitch, it has warped a bit, so may need some blocking. I'll have to get the Sewing Master (ie Anita's mum Brigitte) to help me make it up into a clutch.

Although I'm itching to start my own clutch, I've promised myself I'd finish my 'Red' cross stitch kit first. This picture gives you an insight into my chaotic way of designing ... scribbling all over the canvas with texta, then drawing into a graph afterwards to create a pattern for the kit.

OK, after this short computer break, it's back to stitching!

feeling a bit cocky ...

2011-12-04T09:40:00.001+10:30

Haw haw ... bad joke, sorry!

This is the progress of the Peacock Clutch designed by Felicity Hall. It's looking gorgeous so far ... but it's not very friendly to stitch. As I've mentioned, I hate printed canvas, since the print is never exact, and you have to guess where the stitch is supposed to go. I also feel the wool is too thick for the gauge of canvas. Ah well, it's good for a change ... though I'm *itching* to start designing my own clutch ;) The metallic thread running through gives the design a real 'kick'.

Oh, and here's what Charlie thinks of it ... this was just after I had sewn the canvas to my frame:

Hrrmmmm .... cat hair on bag is just a bonus!

I've googled, but I haven't been able to find anyone online who has completed this kit, or who has made a needlepointed clutch - this is a pity, as I was hoping to get some making-up and finishing-off tips! Luckily, Anita's mum Brigitte is a sewing whizz ... so I may need her help ;)

Next on my stitchy list is finishing off the 'Red' kit, and starting a clutch for myself. Then I'm going to investigate making smaller coin purses to see how easy they are, and how long they take to stitch. I'd love to sell these ready-made on my Etsy store!

My other little project at the moment is a new radio show on Cathedral 13. It's called 'Cannibal Roses', and will be monthly starting Saturday December 3, playing mainly Coldwave and Dark Post-Punk. I hope listeners like it!

Oh, and here's a couple of pics of Anita and I before we went to my work dinner:

Right - I'm off to do more stitching!

finished for the year!

2011-11-17T13:49:00.001+10:30

YES! A quick blog post to celebrate the fact that I have just finished Year 2 of The Diploma Of Tapestry!

I finished my last drawing assignment yesterday ... and last night I celebrated by starting the Peacock needlepoint clutch kit that I bought to stitch for Anita's birthday.

And I've just remembered why I started designing my own cross stitch designs: I hate printed canvases, I hate tent stitch ... and I hate the wool that comes with these kits - it's already a tangled mess, and I've only just started! Ah well, it's a beautiful design, and will look gorgeous when it's finished ;)

Proper blog entry with pictures soon! xxoo

necklace of awesomeness!

2011-11-06T09:32:00.001+10:30

Wow! Check out my new 'everyday' necklace:

It was made by a gorgeous Etsy seller from New Zealand, Charlotte Burkhart from Little Sister Designs. She was a featured seller, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her original work - very talented! Head over to her store for a better picture, but basically it's sterling silver castings of bones and a mummified squirrel's claw - it's called the Witches Brew Necklace, haaha!

Aaaaah, I LOVE Etsy ;)

Needlepoint Clutch Bags

2011-11-03T19:37:00.002+10:30

Wow! Have you seen what my fellow needlepoint designer Felicity Hall has created? Gorgeous needlepoint clutch bags!

I have just ordered the peacock clutch to stitch for Anita's birthday in February, since she LOVES peacock feathers ... and it's not something I would design myself ;) I am inspired though, to design my own - I first saw the idea in the book 'Adventures In Needlework' by Jessica Aldred & Emily Peacock.

So ... I've just ordered a clutch purse frame, and will start stitching over the end-of-year break - I've promised myself I must finish my last 2 assignments before doing any more fun stuff! I think I'll start with a simple design - hot pink with lots of black bats (reminiscent of my website logo)!

The possibilities are endless ... skulls, spiders, leopard print - in colours to match every outfit!

More Flossie!

2011-11-03T09:13:00.000+10:30

I received another order from the fabulous Jenica from Flossie Fern on Etsy - she closed the shop for a while, as she was moving house ... a disaster, as I had run out of hand cream at home!

I've tried quite a few hand creams, and have also made my own ... but these ones are the best! They are pretty much identical to the ones that I have made myself (olive oil based salves), and come in many different fragrances ... as well as being *very* reasonably priced - in fact, it's cheaper for me to buy my salves from here than to make my own!

This time I ordered the Olde-Time Herbal Salve, which has a yummy herby scent. I also ordered this pair of solid scents:

The Spooky Gal Collection is made up of 'Haunted Attic' (lavender and rose absolute) and 'Graveyard Dirt' (patchouli, spikenard and rose absolute). They are both gorgeous, but my favourite is the latter - very deep and complex fragrance - YUM!

They're not as strong as the perfumes from For Strange Women, since they're larger and in a less concentrated form (like a more concentrated version of the salve, with an organic olive oil, jojoba oil and beeswax base). I've decided to use them as a very strongly scented hand salve for work, as the fragrance makes me feel good every time I use it ;)

She makes the Salve in a whole range of fragrances - check out the selection here - there are so many more I'm looking forward to trying!

Bowerbird Bazaar

2011-11-02T15:01:00.000+10:30

Although I already mentioned helping out at the Bowerbird Bazaar on my website (here), I thought I'd post a picture from their blog of part of the queue on Sunday (eeeeek!).

Adelaide's not used to queues like this to get into an upmarket art/design fair! I recommend heading over to their blog to see stories on all the vendors.

Pssst ... one day I'd like to have a stall there - if they accept me! They apparently have a very strict selection process, which is how they keep their stalls so upmarket ;)

Getting Heckled

2011-10-28T13:54:00.000+10:30

It's funny ... I've dressed differently from most people for as long as I can remember. In high school I had platinum blonde hair and styled it in 1940s waves (I really wish I had a picture - it was awesome!). It took me ages to do (rollers in my hair at night!), and I was bullied mercilessly all the way through school. My parents said it was my fault for being weird ... I guess they were right, since we all know how conformist teenagers are!

These days, I'd be trendy (and popular) if I looked like that ... and it would be much easier finding clothes! Ah well ... I was goth-punk inspired in my late teens, and shaved my head in 1993. Now it's a combination of my love for goth/deathrock music, and my love for colour ... I like to dress Chelle-Style ;)

The point of this post is that I have been called so many different names over my life, that I really should be keeping track of them all. There are three main groups of people who feel the need to insult me about my appearance:

Bogans: this is the most common one ... for some reason, very rough people (usually overweight, chain smoking, and sporting dirty tracksuit pants - footwear optional) are the ones who feel the need to comment on my appearance. They are usually very imaginative, calling out 'FREAK' or 'GET A HAIRCUT!'. Hmmm, if I had a dollar ...
Teenagers: these are only in gangs, and insults are called out after I am out of range. They are actually not very brave when they are by themselves. Everyone knows teenagers are the most conformist of all age groups - even though they don't think they are ;)
Middle Aged People: they're the ones who shake their heads at me and say 'that's disgusting', and variations on this theme. Sometimes I get religious nuts who call me 'JESUS CHRIST' ... very strange.

Of course, there are always exceptions ... but I can't think of any right now. Old people, once they've decided I'm not going to rob them, usually smile at me and say hello. Well, I guess they've seen it all before, right?

Anyway, I had two very imaginative reactions this week. First was an over-the-top compliment (I think!). A girl with a baby in a pram tapped me on the shoulder and said (loudly) 'OH MY GOD, I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING!'. I assume she meant 'I like your hair', but who knows? I just blinked and said 'thanks' before I ran away.

And today, a bogan with a mullet and a cigarette said 'SHE LOOKS F***CKING AWFUL!' before proceeding to explain to his friend how dreading my hair and dying it bright colours will make it fall out when I'm old, blah blah blah. I always pretend I don't hear these people, since a reaction is what they're after ... in this case, I was trying not to laugh - did he seriously think my wool dreads are REAL???!! Hilarious.

Anyway, people who feel the need to pick on other people have some serious psychological issues. They're obviously not happy with themselves, so think that putting someone else down will make them feel better about their awful lives.

The one time I have reacted, it was something like 'well, you're fat and ugly - I choose to look this way. Do you?' Heh heh ;)

Threefold Designs Pinup Girl!

2011-10-27T08:42:00.000+10:30

This is the gorgeous Evilyn Frantic from Hellzapoppin: A Sideshow Review stitching the Lime Leopard Print Bookmark kit!

Ages ago I asked a few people if any of them would like to 'model' my kits, and a couple of people replied ... one asked for 3 kits, and ended up losing 2 and returning 1 - with no pics :( Obviously she had no respect for my work at all, and has no understanding about the fragile ego of the artist :P

But Evilyn went ALL OUT, working with a professional photographer and everything! I was so excited, especially since she stitched it herself too. It all worked out perfectly - she makes this other girl look incredibly boring, which would have effected my branding - so I guess everything happens for a reason!

These are the low res images - we're still waiting for the photographer to send the high res ones ... but since he's taken months, I thought I'd put these up anyway. Enjoy the eye candy! And don't forget to recommend Threefold Designs to people looking for cool end of year pressies ;)

Finished!

2011-10-23T13:35:00.001+10:30

Yay, I've finished my miniature Tapestry ... it's being posted tomorrow ;)

Cutting off the loom:

And finally finished ... though I just need to give it a press ;)

I've enjoyed weaving this one - probably because it's more 'me' than anything else I have done in the last 2 years of my Tapestry course! It's a bit wobbly-edged ... but that's because I used a lot of eccentric weft, and took way more risks than I would have normally - I've decided that learning more is better than playing safe ... seriously, what do grades matter? (though I'd like to pass, thanks very much :P)

Berrylicious!

2011-10-22T13:21:00.000+10:30

That's what Anita's calling my new hair - Berrylicious: blueberry swirled with strawberries ;) Well, she *does* have a foodie blog, haaha!

Here are my new dreads - first, what they looked like before installation (thanks to my friend Wilbur for minding them for me!):

And then after installation:

And yes, that fringe is very high maintenance, haaha! But at least I've finally found a turquoise that is bright enough and doesn't take 2 hours to process - this one's Special Effects' 'Fishbowl' ... FYI, the hot pink is Manic Panic's 'Hot Hot Pink'.

I used the following to make my wool dreads: Black: Ashford Corriedale Liquorice, Pink: Ashford Corriedale Pansy, Turquoise: Ashford Corriedale Turquoise and White: Bendigo Woollen Mills Merino.

That Merino was bloody awful to felt ... I'm trying to stick to the Corriedale as much as possible!

Naked Space!

2011-10-18T09:50:00.000+10:30

Yes, Naked Space is a very cool name for a shop ;) Anita and I were in there buying yummy things for the house ... one thing led to another ... and now I have some of my bookmark kits for sale there! YAAAY!

Hopefully they sell and this becomes a successful venture - and if not, not harm done ;)

That same day, I received a phone call from my local council - they saw me on the local Artists Register, and asked if I'd like to teach kids how to cross stitch as part of next year's Adelaide Fringe Festival! Um - WHAT??! Hey, I have no experience teaching kids anything ... and she didn't even realise that I've just designed some kits for kids. So yeah, why not? What a day!!

As well as working on my tapestry (just needs the hem woven - pics soon!), I also finished making my next lot of dreads, since they are being installed on Thursday. Here are a couple of pics Anita took while I was hand felting them (excuse the dodgy quality - it was late at night):

I palm roll first, then roll out onto the towel. After doing this 3 times, I put them in a lingerie bag in the washing machine. This gives them a final felt, and a 'crinkly' quality which looks very cool ;)

Colours are hot pink, turquoise, white and black - I'm looking forward to getting them installed!

The Productive Weekend

2011-10-11T14:25:00.000+10:30

Yes it was! Apart from the obligatory annual dentist checkup and mountains of washing, I spent it weaving and cross-stitching - YAYNESS!

Weavy stuff - nearly there!

Stitchy stuff - the 'Red' cushion in progress:

And I'm experimenting with making a cross stitch badge/hairclip combo. Not sure how it will work out, but I'm stitching an eyeball on black Aida cloth. If it turns out, I'll back it with felt, overlock the edges and attach a combination brooch/hairclip to the back. You can never have enough eyeballs in your wardrobe, after all ;)

Pink?

2011-10-02T16:23:00.000+10:30

OK, I haven't been to Ikea for a while ... but when did Princess Cakes turn pale pink? I loved the weird lime green of the old cakes - they remind me of good old South Australian Frog Cakes ;)

Yep, totally random post ... ;)

I'm 37 - eek!

2011-09-30T09:25:00.000+09:30

Yep, my birthday was Monday ... went out to dinner at the gorgeous Dragonfly on Saturday night with the girlz (Anita, Lily, her mum Brigitte, and her sister Emily), where an amazing dinner and Espresso Martini was much enjoyed!

Can you see my gorgeous skull waspie that Anita bought me?

And here's the fantastic eyeball hair clip that I wore on my birthday:

There are a few things I want to get done before I'm 38 ... so here they are, and I'll see how many I can 'tick off' by next September!

Get fitter. Yep, I realise that I have to start exercising - GASP! Anita and I are going to a class once a week that's a mixture of pilates, weight training and cardio. And a weird vibration machine :P
Drink a lot of water every day. I've started using Habit Forge, which works on the premise that if you stick to something for 21 days it becomes a habit. It's great! I'm up to day 6 ;)
Finish the Threefold Designs kids' kits, and the Red kit ... then stop doing kits for a while! I'm going to concentrate on creating one-off art pieces instead.
Create a one-off cross stitch for sale at the next SALA Festival.
Finish at least one tapestry that is good enough to hang in the house. That's a tough one!

I'll be adding to that list incrementally as the year progresses ... but that's a good start.

Weavy skullz skillz

2011-09-29T18:30:00.001+09:30

Here's the beginning of the my last Tapestry assignment for the year ... a miniature tapestry. The bottom hem is a tricky technique Cathy (my lecturer at SW TAFE) gave me, which is apparently the same that the Australian Tapestry Workshop use - that line of light grey apparently gets pulled out later!

This is my first attempt at pictorial weaving ... after speaking to Cathy at Warrnambool, I decided to not worry about my lack of technical ability, and try to weave the design as best I can - whether it works out or not! She said that it's best to take risks rather than 'dumb down' a design to make it easier to weave. So what do you think this is? Well, hopefully you can tell it's going to be a skull - the teeth will be embroidered on afterwards! He's wearing headphones, part of which is being woven in silver thread - ghastly slippery stuff!

I also have one more drawing assignment for the year, as well as a couple more Research & Critical Analysis essays. Luckily we have a public holiday this coming Monday, so I'll bet able to get more done then.

I must say I feel much better about my tapestry work after visiting Cathy - it gave me an insight into what is expected in the course, and gave me encouragement about my own personal work.

"Are You A Celebrity?"

2011-09-25T18:25:00.000+09:30

Yep, we're back from yet another road trip - this time we went to Portland, Port Fairy and Warrnambool.

Thursday was spent driving - we left at 5.30am, and stopped by at our favourite place in Robe (Robe Providore) for some brekkie! Someone had yarn bombed a couple of stobie poles, so I had to take a pic for Kaite ;)

We stayed in 'The Cottage' (built in 1840), just out of Narrawong (about 10 minutes from Portland) and very close to the beach.

We had afternoon tea at Portland ... a very weird town - some people are very friendly, and some people incredibly rude. We were lucky to choose a lovely place (The Lido Larder), and ended up having a wonderful meal at Edward's Waterfront Restaurant on Friday night.

Friday was spent in Warrnambool - now this is a town I could definitely live in ;) We first visited the SW TAFE, and it was great to finally meet my lecturer Cathy ... I even met my other teacher for this year, Karen, as she was on her way to a class! It's nice putting faces to names, and I hope I can come back for a visit very soon. Lily's highlight was the giant playground (or group of playgrounds).

Yeah, the flying fox is actually meant for kids :P

We headed over to Port Fairy on Saturday. This is another town I really enjoyed - very friendly. The farmer's market was on, and a women selling preserves asked me (quite seriously) "are you a celebrity?". In hindsight, I should have said yes ... but she caught me by surprise!

We visited the 'Notorious', a replica of a Portugese merchant ship ... here's Lily (literally) posing inside:

For afternoon tea we found a gorgeous little place called Clonmara Tearoom. We had fruit scones and a pot of tea each (or in Lily's case, fizzy apple juice). Beautiful cottage gardens, nice owners and a very friendly Hungarian Puli called Sam :P

On the drive back to Adelaide on Sunday, we found yet another gorgeous place to eat - Henry & Rose is an (unexpected) find in Keith, SA. It's quite unassuming from the front, but inside it's a large, trendy cafe that would not be out of place in a big city. We sat outside in the courtyard, and had delicious cafe-style meals with Mahalia coffee - yum!

Anyway, we really enjoyed our little road trip. Anita's keen to drive to Melbourne some time - though our next weekend holiday will be Port Augusta, so Anita can show Lily where her mum grew up :)

Breathe ...

2011-09-12T18:30:00.001+09:30

Yep, that's what I'm trying to do at the moment! So many things are going on, that I haven't had much time for stitching lately - GASP!

Threefold Designs has gone through a bit of an overhaul - it's nearly there, just waiting for my website's header image and background to be created. The Etsy store has a new banner, and I have a new logo:

Gorgeous, huh? Thanks to the amazingly talented Dominique from VioletCrimeDesign ;)

My Facebook group has just been moved over to a new page - unfortunately, members can't automatically be transferred over, so I'd appreciate it if you'd head over and 'like' it!

And the other thing I've been working on is the new radio show - yes, Shadowplay has moved from a physical radio station (Three D Radio, where it's been since 1996) to the amazing Cathedral 13 online goth/darkwave radio station! This means that the show can be recorded from our dining room, rather than having to go to the studio every Wednesday night. It also means we have a much wider audience, since we've tried to cover as many timezones as possible. After the show has aired, it will be available as a podcast from our blog ... so hopefully we're keeping everyone happy!

Here's the write up on the Cathedral 13 site, and the Shadowplay page on their website.

PHEW! I'm exhausted just re-reading all that ... but hopefully all these changes will mean more time to spend on stitching, and my tapestry studies.

On Thursday morning Anita, Lily and I will be driving over the Warrnambool for a few days - well, visiting Warrnambool on Friday (and finally visiting my TAFE!), while hanging out at Portland and Port Fairy for the rest of the time. We'll come back on Sunday night - I'm looking forward to it! Pics will be posted here, of course ;)

Bye for now! xxoo

Oceans and Skulls

2011-08-27T12:50:00.000+09:30

I just realised I hadn't posted a pic of my last assignment! It it (loosely) based on sand dunes, and the different colours of the beach near our house. I'm really pleased with how this turned out!

Next tapestry assignment is a miniature tapestry of our choice. I've chosen to give myself a brief to design a logo for our radio show, Shadowplay. Let's just say there will be a skull wearing headphones involved ;)

Our current colour scheme is black, purple, grey and white ... so I'm keeping the tapestry in these colours too. Here's a sneak peek at the wool I've chosen:

OK, I'd better finish off my sketches and warp up the loom!

Oh, and by the way ... the website is now up and running! I have a few more tweaks to do, and a new banner is on its way - but I'm getting there!

Craft for Misfits!

2011-08-22T08:32:00.000+09:30

Heh heh - do you like my new pic? I asked Anita to draw on my head ... but I didn't expect the lettering to be so gorgeous!! :)

You *may* have noticed I've updated my blog theme ... I've had my website since 2005, and a lot has changed since then. I've decided to re-brand, since I feel my website doesn't really match my personality and my work. When I originally set it up, I wanted it to look very professional ... but now I've kinda changed my mind! As Anita said, 'it's not very you' ... as soon as I changed this blog around she said 'now THAT'S more you!'. Yep.

I spent a *lot* of money on my original website - so this time I'm doing it by myself using Wordpress. I prefer Blogger, but it doesn't have the same functionality, so I'm keeping it separate. I have a gorgeous designer working on a new Etsy banner, since all sales will be through Etsy - the ecommerce page is just getting too big and clunky!

The new site won't be up for a while yet ... but I'll keep you posted!

My First Exhibition! :O

2011-08-03T12:30:00.002+09:30

Finally, one of my pieces is in an exhibition - YAAAY!

La Sirene is on holiday for a month or so, featuring in the SALA Festival (South Australian Living Artists), as part of the City of Holdfast Bay's Salabrate The Journey, Sea Change 175 Art Trail. I'm listed as being displayed at Tangerine Treasures, but that's now been changed to Holdfast Walk. I'm sure La Sirene wanted to be closer to the ocean, as well as in a busier location ;)

Anita and I will be attending the exhibition opening next Monday, so hopefully I'll have some pics to post soon.

Wool Dreads For The WIN!

2011-08-03T12:15:00.001+09:30

Well ... after 4 1/2 years of wearing dread extensions, I've finally decided that the person who will always be there to make me dreads every 3 months ... IS ME! Yep, I'm making my own dreads from now on. My last dreads were felted wool, and my scalp (and hairdresser) are so happy, that I've decided to continue with them.

Luckily, Bella Textiles (www.bellatextiles.com.au) are just down the road, so I was able to get some gorgeous Ashford Corriedale sliver in Pansy (hot pink), Lime, Magenta and Liquorice (black). Yum, sounds good enough to eat!

And here they are installed! My hairdresser bonded them on like normal extensions, and I've attached one more on top with elastic bands (short hair install method):

My last ones were in for 3 months, and although a few of them have pilled, they are in amazingly good condition!

Hot Pants Cherry!

2011-07-30T15:32:00.000+09:30

Verrrrrrry excited! I came across the gorgeous and talented Jemima Jones of Sparky Jones Accessories via Etsy, and always loved her work even though a lot of it wasn't very 'me'. So one day I emailed her, asking if she could make me a bag in hot pink, red and black. The rest was completely up to her, since she only uses upcycled fabric - but her flair for putting together fabrics and colours is astounding.

Well, here it is:

And for more pictures and details of fabrics used, check out her blog post!

Robe ... and a giant Lobster

2011-07-23T12:11:00.000+09:30

Anita and I decided to take a few days off and head over to Robe, situated on the Limestone Coast, around 4 1/2 hours away from Adelaide. I'd never been to Robe, but I'd heard all about the gorgeous food, wine and Mahalia Coffee - well, that's good enough for me!

We rented a house that was right on Lake Fellmongery. Anita took some fantastic pics, so I'll let them tell the story ...

The back of the house we stayed at - 'Lake's Edge'

Literally the view from the loungeroom! - Lake Fellmongery

The famous Obelisk!

Anita among the ruins ... Kangaroo Inn, abandoned in the late 1800s


Pffft, bar's closed!

The Big Lobster (Larry) at Kingston, SE - Australians love oversized man-made landmarks ... Larry was impressive as a kid, and is still impressive as an adult ;)

Grooving In Green: Flossie Fern

2011-06-29T10:23:00.004+09:30

I came across this cool little Etsy store after noting that they had added Threefold to their Favourites. Aside from the gorgeous slogan 'herbal body care for modern flappers', their products are completely natural and 'safe'. I ordered the Flapper Joan Salve (Joan Crawford, that is!) for USD $14.

Although it's listed as rose and lemon scented, I can only smell a faint hint of lemon - though that would be a plus for a lot of people. It's a gorgeous and moisturising olive oil-based salve which is perfect as a hand cream (especially when I'm time poor and haven't gotten around to making my own). I would definitely buy this again ;)

I'd like to try their solid natural perfumes next ... especially 'Graveyard Dirt' and 'Mermaid's Snuff' - how can I resist?

Kitteh In The Window

2011-06-29T08:14:00.001+09:30

Yep, there she is, in the window of my Wool Room, just checking out what's happening at the tattoo shop across the road! It's her new hangout, and she hasn't touched any of my wool ... yet!

Sometimes we wonder where she is, then see a tail sticking out under the blinds :P

Anyway, kitteh aside, the Cancer bookmark has just been listed in my Etsy store for USD $14.50, so check it out!

Leo will be listed next week, and I'm currently stitching Virgo. Only Libra and Scorpio left before the set is completed - PHEW! After that, I'll be designing one more Egyptian bookmark kit, then maybe a Moon Phases one. Then it's back onto the needlepoint frame (where I'm happiest!) for a purple leopard print design - our bedroom wall is looking a little bare ;)

Toodles!

Grooving In Green - Facial Oil / Mineral Make-Up

2011-06-17T08:28:00.009+09:30

Since I haven't posted a 'Grooving In Green' review for a while, I thought I'd combine a couple of products!

Facial Oil
I don't use moisturiser at night, I use facial oil instead - my dry skin enjoys rosehip oil, but it's pretty expensive. Checking Etsy, I found Anthology Organic's 'Lullaby For Dry Skin' - which includes Argan, Grapeseed and Rosehip oils - USD $15.95 for $30ml.

This is absolutely gorgeous - one pump of oil needed (approximately 5 drops), and it smells divine. I'm now onto my second bottle ... and the customer service is excellent! ;) I also purchased a couple of gorgeous body butters from them, which I use as a very intensive hand cream.

Mineral Eyeshadows - Black Rose Minerals
I found Black Rose Minerals through a couple of blogs, and thought I'd order a few samples, since they now ship internationally. Customer service here is EXCELLENT! I had a glitch with the postage (which ended up being free for samples), and Rosa was very helpful in helping me out with my order. I received them yesterday, and am so impressed! I hate samples in little bags, but Black Rose gives the option of little jars for an extra $1.50 - making samples in jars $2.50 each.

Isn't this colour gorgeous? It's Doll Face, and it's the brightest mineral pink that I have found without carmine. Very impressive! I would definitely order from here again.

The next 2 colours I have tried so far are 'Were Me Out' (shouldn't that be 'Wear Me Out'?) and Venom. Highly pigmented, and very unusual and gorgeous colours:

Helllooooo!

2011-06-16T19:30:00.003+09:30

The first pic is of me goofing around after warping up my loom ... and the second one is a self portrait - the only drawing I've enjoyed doing this year. Man, I really hate drawing! It's more fun when it's not supposed to be realistic though, haaha :P

So - now I'm *only* juggling 3 subjects - I just posted my third Drawing assessment, and emailed my third Research & Critical Analysis essay. At the end of July, the fourth Drawing assessment and fourth R&CA essay are due, as well as my second Tapestry assessment. So I'm trying to time manage enough to do all three ;) I'm enjoying actual tapestry the most - I'll post a pic of my progress when it looks more recognisable ...

I'm really looking forward to my third Tapestry assessment, actually - a miniature tapestry. I'm working towards designing one that will serve as the Shadowplay radio show's logo ... and yes, a skeleton will be involved :P

Right - I'd better pour a glass of wine and start weavin'!

Updating on the run ...

2011-05-20T08:17:00.001+09:30

I just realised I hadn't posted for a while - naughty me! I had three assignments all due around the same time, so it was pretty stressful for a while ... but now my due dates are more spaced apart, so I can take a breath - phew!

So I've been working on TAFE on the weekends, and Threefold stuff during the week for the last couple of weeks. Consequently, I have finished the Taurus bookmark (see below), and have nearly finished Gemini. Anita took this pic with her new camera - she's going to revamp my other pics, which will be great, since I'm such a dunce with photography.

From this weekend the homework ramps up a bit, but my 'study timetable' isn't as ridiculous as it has been ;)

New Kit - Aries Astrology Bookmark

2011-04-29T12:41:00.002+09:30

Quick lunchtime update ... I've just finished the Aries bookmark - 5 zodiac signs down, 7 to go! Head over here for all the Astrology Bookmark kits :)

Done!

2011-04-12T08:16:00.001+09:30

Excuse the dodgy pic .... but it's DONE! On the right is the printed image I was working from - though the colours are a lot duller, the tapestry itself seems to be far more vibrant - see below:

Anyway, it has been posted ... now onto the second 'Research & Critical Analysis' assignment, which is on the Middle Ages and William Morris (the latter is my forte!).

Nearly there!

2011-04-06T08:05:00.004+09:30

Can you see the line at the top? Yes, I'm nearly there with my Tapestry assignment! It was a 20cm x 20cm replica of a portion of a tapestry from history - I chose 'The Boar And The Bear Hunt' from Southern Netherlands in the early 15th century.

It's done in 16 epi with 12/9 cotton warp, and 2 strands of Australian Tapestry Workshop yarn. Yeah, I know that's a very tight epi for the warp size ... but I didn't have enough time to order anything smaller.

Although not perfect, my weaving is a lot neater than last year - so I *have* learnt something, heh heh! The sides aren't pulling in as much as they were - though I've just noticed from this photo that the top right is, so I'll unpull that tonight and do it again :P

In case you're wondering, I will post a picture of the original next to my copy when I'm finished :)

Pirate Love

2011-04-01T08:25:00.000+10:30

I recently commissioned the gorgeous Zoe from ericsaysivy to make a necklace for Anita for her birthday in February - which she's wearing in the above pic. She's had many compliments ... even from Brandon Mably! (see previous blog entry here).

Grooving In Green - Perfume

2011-03-31T08:05:00.000+10:30

I haven't been happy using synthetic fragrance (even though I LOVE my Issey Miyake!), so I've been investigating natural perfume oils. Anita found the shop For Strange Women on Etsy, which has a wide range of perfume oils, solid perfumes, and the opportunity to have a perfume created especially for you (if you have a spare $300!). I ordered Sweet Androgyny for myself, and Winter Kitty for Anita - both came in 7.3ml amber bottles, beautifully packaged, and were US$25 each + postage. It's difficult to get used to putting a tiny dab of oil on pulse points (well, for me it is!), but although subtle, the scent is strong enough to last most of the day. Anita's been using non-synthetic perfume for a few months now, and has stopped getting rashes on her neck. Makes sense, huh?

I will definitely be ordering from here again - I also ordered the range of oils in sample size, and have found that Jaded and Cleopatra suit me, and Decadence & Debauchery and Moss & Ivy suit Anita - YUM!

Cat Amongst The Weft

2011-03-24T14:32:00.004+10:30

Just having a quick weaving break - I have the day off for study (thank the gods for a great boss, and lots of annual leave to use up!). I'm replicating a portion of a Flemish tapestry, and have made a rod for my own back by choosing to weave in 16 epi - EEEK! So fine that my eyes are boggling :P I originally wanted to do a Morris & Co tapestry, but 'The Adoration Of The Magi' which usually resides in the Art Gallery Of South Australia is currently touring Japan (of all places!).

Charlie has decided that tapestry = lap sitting ... hmmm, not easy to weave when there's a (rather large) kitteh on one's lap!

Right, off to do some Colour Theory homework, then back to the weaving later on.

Kaffe!

2011-03-03T08:05:00.001+10:30

OK - *still* coughing, and consequently driving everyone mad ... but I'll get there! :)

Last Friday Anita, Brigitte (Anita's mum) and I went to see the magnificent Kaffe Fassett, who was giving one of his amazing lectures / slide shows - WOW! :O He and Brandon Mably are so inspirations! Here's a pic of them both (nicked from Facebook):

Kaffe Fassett was the reason I started designing needlepoint - I picked up one of his books in the early 90s (after I finished Art School), stitched a few of his designs, then decided to start designing my own. I saw him first in 1995, then in 2000. Apparently he has toured in between then and now, but I missed him. I had lent Brigitte all my Kaffe books, and she was the one who tipped me off about this visit.

Kaffe started off as a painter, then moved to knitting, then needlepoint, rag rugs, mosaics, and now quilting - PHEW! He still does them all interchangeably, as well as touring the world with his workshops and lectures. I wanna be that energetic when I'm in my 70s too! Brandon, as well as being Kaffe's partner and studio manager, is also a designer - he showed us the rooster needlepoint he's working in when Anita and I decided to be groupies and corner him :P

Tapestry-wise, I'm getting really bogged down with the massive amounts of work I have to complete in a fairly short space of time ... it's crazy up until the end of April, then the assignment due dates are a bit more spaced out. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason my persistent cough won't go away. So - in typical Michelle-fashion - I've created a study timetable, which is becoming increasingly more detailed. My cure for being overwhelmed is strict organisation! Cross fingers that it works ;)

Coughing ... and a bit overwhelmed

2011-02-14T08:49:00.002+10:30

Home today with a cold :( And I have one of those obnoxious coughs that are loud and annoying - apparently a remnant of having croup as a small child ...

Last week I received my pack of Diploma Of Tapestry books for this year - YIKES! 4 subjects: "Apply Colour Theory In Response To A Brief", " Use Advanced Drawing Techniques To Represent And Communicate Concepts", "Apply Research And Critical Analysis To Inform Artistic Practice Parts 1 & 2", and "Produce Textile Fibre Work" - the last subject the only one to actually involve physical tapestry weaving.

I confess to being a bit overwhelmed as I perused the books and the due dates - typically for SW TAFE, my first assigment is due to be posted only 1 1/2 weeks after I received my books ... so I spent the weekend frantically painting with gouache a colour wheel, 4 'contrasts of hue' exercises, and a 'light/dark' contrast exercise. Only one 'colour light/dark contrast' exercise to go, and 3 10cm x 10cm collages. Thanks to Anita, who kept Lily out of my way for most of the time! I'm going to draw up a colour wheel for Lily to paint, since she wanted to 'stay and help Chelle' :)

But for the moment, I think I'll go back to bed ... *splutter*

Grooving In Green: Mascara

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000+10:30

Oh! I forgot the mascara, and was reminded when I remembered I must buy some more :P

Mascara was one of those products that I had to really search for, and it's pretty important to go natural with this since it's so close to the eye! I first tried Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara (with it's gorgeous packaging!), and it's really good if you can find it (and if you don't mind paying $25 for mascara).

I then found Australian-made Ere Perez Natural Almond Oil Mascara, which is $28.95. The formula is very similar to the Physicians Formula, and wears very well.

Both products are excellent, and pure ... only criticism I have of the Ere Perez is that I only bought it a couple of months ago, and it's starting to dry up. Then again, I *know* that you should only keep mascara for a few months anyway for hygiene purposes ... :P

Grooving In Green ...

2011-02-07T18:37:00.014+10:30

Since reading The Green Beauty Guide around a year ago, I've become so hardcore with my beauty products and cosmetics, that I thought I'd better post some of my recommendations here. First, get this book! I found it in my local library.

Basically, it’s all about checking the ingredients in the products you use, and swapping them for ‘green’ options – ie. chemical free. That could mean making them yourself, or purchasing – though some things are more difficult to get than others.

I had quite a few skin problems before switching to green products – they've make a HUGE difference!

HAND MADE

Moisturiser

Easy – I just use about 5 drops of rosehip oil or avocado oil (if my skin is feeling very dry). If your skin is oily/normal/combination,use jojoba oil – I promise it won’t feel greasy! Commercial moisturisers are a waste of money. You can add appropriate essential oils to facial oils if you want them to smell good.

Hand cream

Sweet almond oil and grated beeswax (in a 2:1 ratio), 3 Vitamin E capsules, a bit of rosewater and essential oil. In a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the beeswax in the oil. Take off the heat and add the rosewater and essential oils of your choice, then stir in the contents of the Vitamin E capsules. Carefully pour into small jars. This stuff is gorgeous!

Face Scrub

Just put a teaspoon of sugar in a dish, then add as much olive oil and rosewater needed to make a scrub. Make this just before using, since the sugar dissolves pretty quickly! If your skin is dry like mine, pat the excess water off carefully, then rub in the olive oil as a finishing moisturiser. Also good for dry hands.

BOUGHT

Sometimes it’s not always practical to make some products yourself – ie. make-up, cleanser, etc. Here are the some of the products I recommend.

Mineral Make-Up

Mineral make-up is fantastic – and there are many brands out there. My favourite is Meow – they do over 84 shades of foundation, so you’re sure to find a match! Plus they come in light, medium and heavy coverage, and in 2 different sizes. They are cutely organised in cat breeds and shades – I’m a Sleek Persian :)

Other brands I’ve ordered by not yet tried are Shiro Cosmetics, Spectrum Cosmetics and Concrete Minerals.

For lipstick, I use Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer - cheap, pepperminty, and available in most pharmacies.

Cleanser

I follow The Green Beauty Guide’s method of ‘double cleansing’ – take eye make-up off with jojoba oil, and the rest with a milk cleanser, then second cleanse with a simple olive oil soap.

For a milk cleanser, I use Refreshing Daily Cleanser from Erzulie Cosmetics – it’s cheap, gorgeous and pure! She uses vegetable-derived emulsifying wax, rather than Polawax NF (it’s a good idea to ask what type of emulsifying wax is used, since that term can cover either).

Olive oil soaps are pretty easy to find in most health food stores – I would avoid ones with palm oil listed though, as they may not have been ethically obtained!

SPF 30+ Moisturiser

This is a tough one – it’s very hard finding an SPF moisturiser that doesn’t have nasties in it! For my face, I previously used the Petite Marie Ounce Of Prevention SPF 30, but it’s currently missing from their website :( So I’ve just ordered the Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+ – I’ll let you know what it’s like in a future update.

For sunscreen for the body, I have been using Australian-made Wotnot – it’s great, but expensive. Anita’s been using the Natural Instincts SPF, but I’m not happy with the inclusion of phenoxyethanol. It’s a tough call, and I’m still undecided!

Shower Gel / Body Moisturiser

You can’t go past Dr Bronner's Magic Soap!! This can be used as a shower gel, handwash and shampoo.

For a body moisturiser, I love the Dr Bronner's Organic Lotion - especially in Patchouli and Lime!

Handwash

We’re currently using Natural Instincts Handwash – gorgeous, and only a faint lavender smell.

OK – over and out for the moment! I’m sure there are a lot of products that I’ve missed out, but I’ll keep these blog entries tagged with ‘green beauty’ for easy reference … any recommendations you’d like to share?

Boo!

2011-01-12T21:07:00.004+10:30

Yes, I'm back! I've had a bit of an internet hiatus, due to moving house ... I'm now a 7 minute walk from the beach, living with my partner Anita, and her 3 1/2 year old daughter Lily.

Oh, and the kitteh - see above! This is Charlie, playing with a bit of tapestry wool. Don't worry, she stole it from Lily, not from my wool stash :P

I've never lived with a kitteh before, only little dogs - so it's a whole new experience!

Creativity-wise: I received a credit for my first year of the Diploma Of Tapestry (YAY!), and have been working on Astrology bookmarks (Aquarius below), as well as an Egyptian Ankh bookmark.

OK, off to post the playlist from tonight's radio show - byeee! :)

Indie Craft Corner Feature!

2010-12-07T08:05:00.000+10:30

Yay! Thank you to Indie Craft Corner for featuring me on their fantastic blog!

http://indiecraftcorner.blogspot.com/2010/12/threefold-designs-craft-for-misfits.html

Today's a fantastic day so far ... as well as being featured, I've also sold my first kit on Etsy - eeeeeee!!

Misfits At The Markets

2010-10-24T17:52:00.002+10:30

Yesterday was a lot of fun! It wasn't commercially successful, but a lot of people took business cards, added their names to my mailing list, and gave me an amazing amount of positive feedback! And that was really the aim of being part of this market :)

Our main battle was the wind ... we ended up putting random items in the bottom of the bags to stop them blowing away ... though some people were wondering why one of the leopard print bookmark kits came with a pack of baby wipes! :P Anita's gorgeous mum, Brigitte, saved the day by bringing large pebbles, as well as a gourmet picnic lunch :D

Of course, the most important thing about being part of the Market is making sure the HAIR is right! I should have taken a pic of Anita stitching the purple leopard print bookmark while wearing purple leopard print :P

I will definitely be part of another Market - this one was more of a browsing rather than a buying market (and is on again next April), but there are many others (like the Gilles Street market) that are more of a shopper's market ... on my list of things to look into!

Stream Of Wellbeing ...

2010-10-22T08:10:00.000+10:30

I'm currently working on my last Tapestry assignment for the first year - a 'small tapestry of my own design'. It really will be small too, since I don't have very long to complete it (a couple of weeks now), and I have been preparing for tomorrow's craft fair. But here's what I've done so far:

I realise I'm being a bit ambitious doing the 'stream' completely in eccentric weft ... but I'm going to give it a go! Personally, I'd prefer to take risks and get lower grades rather than play safe and aim for distinctions :P

My design is based on the Stream of Wellbeing - basically, everyone has their own Stream - going with the flow and putting positive energy into things ensures a good experience, pushing against the current and resisting creates 'blocks' in life. At the moment, I am seeing some people around me who are so negative and spend so much time picking on other people, that their Stream just beats them up all the time, and they suffer for it. Seriously, if they spent all that energy into doing things that make them feel good, their entire life would change!

Tomorrow Anita and I will be sitting at the MarionLIFE Spring Fair all day - Maggie Beer will be opening it, so I hope Anita won't be chasing her all day, since she's a bit of a groupie, haaaha! :P

I'll bring all my kits, but I'm aiming to sell the small (cheap!) bookmark kits tomorrow - the rest will be there to entice people to join my mailing list for future purchases. I've never had a craft stall before, so this will be something new for me!

I'll post photos!

Treasury - La Sirene, Goddess Of The Sea

2010-10-14T08:44:00.003+10:30

I've just created a Treasury in honour of La Sirene ... and couldn't resist including my own design - *blush* :P

La Sirene - Goddess Of The Sea

It's Tuesday ...

2010-10-05T07:49:00.002+10:30

Aahhh ... I'm sitting at my desk at work, thinking I'd better do an update before tackling today's deadlines :P

I've been sick with a cold for the last week - I could see it coming, what with cramming tapestry homework, dyeing homework, Threefold stuff, preparing for the craft fair at the end of October ... and the fact that it was end of month at work, and I'm in Accounts so couldn't take any time off - eeeeeeeek! I ended up working half days before collapsing, then going home and sitting in the sun for a while. I do feel a LOT better today!

Anyway, I did get a lot of work done on the weekend. I have to put the finishing touches on a painting for a 'commission design' assignment at TAFE tonight so I can post it tomorrow. Painting is not my forte - I didn't like it when I was at art school either - YAWN!! Then I have a couple of weeks before my next dyeing assignment is due. I also made a stack of hand cream for various people (Kaite - yours will be posted tomorrow!).

The MarionLIFE fair is on Saturday, October 23 - my very first craft fair! I'll bring all my cross stitch kits, though I still have to make up a whole pile of bookmark kits since I think they're the ones that will sell on the day.

And finally ... I've been featured on an Astrology blog:
http://www.kathycrabbe.com/2010/10/just-do-it-libra-wool-artist-michelle-from-oz/

Gawd, I feel like I'm everywhere at the moment! Hopefully the exposure will mean I'll sell my first kit on Etsy soon :)

Anyway, better get back to it!

Threefold In Purple & Black Treasury!

2010-10-01T07:20:00.003+09:30

YAY! Check out this cool Treasury my Astrology cross stitch is in:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c9bda2fed9f8eef7224c1be/indie-junction-in-purple-and-black

Thanks to Deb, fellow Indie Junction Team member, and owner of ZurDesigns (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZurDesigns).

Threefold Designs on Facebook

2010-09-25T13:56:00.002+09:30

I've succumbed to peer pressure, and have created a Facebook group for Threefold ... if you're on FB, please join!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=150798364953821

All The Cool Kids Are Stitching!

2010-09-15T08:00:00.001+09:30

Anita had the fantastic idea of asking friends to 'model' my needlepoint kits ... the bookmark kits are small and cheap, so I think they will do well - but it's always a good idea to have a gimmick to create more interest :P Of course Anita and Brett had to be my first models:

I've asked a few people if they'd be interested in me sending them a kit, and have already got 4 responses - how exciting! Now I just have to make up the kits ... in between doing all my TAFE homework, of course. Hrrmm, I really wish I could afford to work part time :P

Hot Hot Hot!

2010-09-14T08:19:00.002+09:30

I've just created my very first Etsy Treasury list! Have a peek - there are some very talented people on there!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c8ea5dde9916d917d5c4b22/hot-hot-hot

I'm a Featured Artisan this week!

2010-09-06T07:25:00.000+09:30

Yaaaaaay! I've been included in the trio of Indie Junction's Featured Artisans for the week beginning 5 September :)

http://indiejunction.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/indie-junction-featured-artisans-for-the-week-of-september-5th/

Dead After Dyeing ...

2010-09-01T07:35:00.004+09:30

Very melodramatic post title! Well, after many late nights (and nearly falling asleep at my computer at work during the day), I finally posted my dyeing assignment last week. I'm still frantically working on my next tapestry assignment (texture samples), so haven't had time to update. Last night I finally grabbed some images from my phone, so here they are!

This is my completed last tapestry assignment - I still haven't got the hang of keeping the edges straight ... but I'm still pretty pleased with the finished product! This was based on a google map of the area in which I live - the glittery blue thing in the middle is the Happy Valley Reservoir :P

Here's a pile of dyed wool, ready to be mounted on cards! They looked so pretty, I had to take a pic - they're shades of the primary colours, as well as blue-green :)

And some of the secondary and tertiary colours, which turned out better than I expected!

I still don't think dyeing is my forte ... I had to dye a few of the samples twice, because the colour was patchy. But it was still more fun than I expected.

Now I'm working on the 9 small texture samples ... three of them have to be 'treated' in some way - my first is currently being toddler-treated! Lily, my best friend's little girl (3 1/2 years old) is helping me out by carrying one around for a week - I promised she could have it back after TAFE had marked it :P

Life Lesson # 645: Time Management

2010-08-19T06:44:00.000+09:30

Yep, procrastination is one of my biggest weaknesses. I'm an all-or-nothing sort of person (not that you've probably noticed :P), and I've been spending so much time on my tapestry weaving, that I've completely neglected the wool dyeing component of my course.

I posted my 4th assignment on Monday (I will post pics soon - but I'm sitting in my office at work at the moment!), and my dyeing assignment is due to be posted next Wednesday - PANIC!

Last weekend was a write-off due to fun social things (and I picked up my new Ashford tapestry loom - eeeee!), so I started dyeing on Tuesday. I'm actually enjoying it more than I expected! I've completed the red and blue ranges over 2 nights (staying up until midnight, which is a bit rough when I have to get up at 5.00 the next morning :/), and will do the blue-green and black tonight, and the yellow tomorrow night. The weekend will be spent doing the colour pyramid, so I'm pretty much on schedule to post by Wednesday.

Hopefully I've now learned my lesson about procrastination ... the next few tapestry and dyeing assignments have very short timeframes, so I'll REALLY have to concentrate on my time management!

Moon Phases Pattern In Etsy Treasury!

2010-07-29T07:00:00.001+09:30

I'm excited ... I've been included in my second Etsy Treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c5099c2bb2d6d91adee636b/colour-geometrics#4c50a27b11178eef861e66f5

Hold on tight!

2010-07-25T14:16:00.005+09:30

Yep, it's been a bumpy ride! What a week ... I'm putting it down to the fact that Saturn has just moved out of Virgo (where it has been for the past 3 years), and into Libra - and it's a Full Moon on Monday - shaking things up! At least the Full Moon is in Aquarius - I have Moon in Aquarius natally, so I always feel more in my power around this time of year :P

This is a good time to get rid of things and people that are not positive enhancers of our lives - that has certainly happened to me in the last few years! And I have not regretted a single thing - my life is just getting better and better.

And I did promise to post my progress on my 4th TAFE assignment. This was supposed to be a semi-abstract composition based on the landscape, and putting into practise all the lessons of the previous colour exercise. I played around with a few concepts, then decided to take a map of the area I live in, and turn it into a design:

And I was having problems with my back while using the tapestry frame, so Brett set it up on his old painting easel. It's still not great, but I'll be getting a proper Ashford Tapestry Loom in the middle of August - I can't wait! And by the way, does anyone know how to attach the cartoon to the frame? I've used masking tape :P

It was suggested by my lecturer to colour in the cartoon before I started weaving, since I have a habit of jumping in feet first and making it up as I go along. I made an attempt to do this, but I really struggled - those tiny amounts of colour took me about 2 hours! I guess too much planning inhibits my creativity ... I much prefer working on a section, then looking at it and 'feeling' what colour should come next.

And here's the design so far ... it's getting there, though my technique is still pretty horrible! I wanted to make the Happy Valley Reservoir a feature, so I wove it in sparkly blue thread - terrible stuff to weave with, but I'm happy with the overall effect!

This week I'm going to concentrate on weaving as much as I can, since I haven't even started my dyeing wool assignment, and that's due the week after this one! Eeeeeeek! I have to allow quite a while to sew the slits on this one, as there are a lot of them - bleeuurggh :P

Threefold Designs on Etsy!

2010-07-02T07:00:00.000+09:30

I just realised I haven't mentioned my new Etsy store, so here's the link!

http://ThreefoldDesigns.etsy.com

So far I have a few of my kits available on there, and I'm adding more all the time.

I confess I've been obsessed with Etsy since Anita sent me a link - I'd heard about it before, but I didn't realise how much of a range of handmade goods are available - very impressive!

I'm currently working on my 4th assignment for TAFE, so I'll post an update with pics very soon :)

Woooooah Papa Ghede!

2010-05-19T08:28:00.004+09:30

Done!

It's a bit wonky on the top and bottom edges, and I have a problem with ridging ... but I'm still pretty happy with how he turned out :)

I posted to Tafe yesterday, and last night I started warping up my frame ready for my next sampler, which is all about colour. I have only 3 weeks to get it completed, so I'd better start when I get back from the radio show tonight.

Nearly there ...

2010-05-16T12:58:00.004+09:30

This is an action shot of me weaving on Friday :P

Status of my tapestry: I have cut off the frame, and am in the process of sewing slits and catching the braided warp threads.

I hadn't thought much about how I was going to finish this off ... so I might buy some velcro tomorrow, and attach it to the back of the tapestry, since it's only around A4 size. Maybe next time I'll be brave enough to attach it to a fabric-covered board.

I'm aiming to post this to TAFE on Tuesday - wish me luck!

Update!

2010-05-01T21:47:00.002+09:30

I've been so busy weaving, I've forgotten to post some photos of what I'm working on ... so here it is so far:

The skull (Papa Ghede) is the difficult bit ... but it's working out better than I expected!

:O

2010-04-05T17:59:00.004+09:30

I am in shock ... my sampler is working out! This is for my second assignment, a small format tapestry of my own design. I wasn't sure what to do, since my technical skills are limited ... but Papa Ghede wanted his portrait done - who am I to argue with a Vodou l'wa? :P

Can someone please tell me how to weave a single vertical row? I have tried, but it's just like I'm wrapping the weft around the warp, and it doesn't sit right!

By the way, the background is the wrong way around - I am weaving on the side, and they are representations of gravestones - lucky it's only the sampler!

In between weaving, I'm still needlepointing - this is what I'm working on - a lime leopardprint pattern:

Inspiration!

2010-03-23T08:03:00.005+10:30

While in Melbourne, Anita and I visited the Victorian Tapestry Workshop for a guided tour - so inspirational! At the time I didn't realise they had a piece in the Art Gallery Of South Australia for the 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art - we went to see this on the weekend:

If you're in Adelaide, you NEED to see this! It's spectacular ... Anita thought it looked like a Sopor Aeternus album cover :P

Actually, the whole exhibition is fantastic - it's on until 2 May, 2010.

More info: http://tapestry2008.blogspot.com/2010/03/victorian-tapestry-workshops-latest.html

Sampling ...

2010-03-23T07:53:00.002+10:30

Last week I started my second assignment - Small Tapestry, Own Design. I have so many wonderful ideas floating around in my head, but lack the technical skill to execute them. So I had to come up with something a bit more basic!

Papa Ghede, the Vodou l'wa of cemeteries and Ancestors, has been asking me to do his portrait for some time now. So that's what I'm doing. I haven't worked out whether I need to weave on the side or not, so I'll figure this out in my sampler.

Part of the process, according to the textbook, is preparation. Preparation? That word is not part of my artistic vocabularly! When designing a needlepoint, I have the idea in my head, get a blank canvas, draw all over it, and stitch, making most of it up as I go along. Here, I have to sketch my design first, do samples, etc. So starting slowly and carefully, rather than jumping in with both feet - this will be good for me, especially since I'm struggling with the technique.

I haven't heard back from TAFE about my sampler ... hopefully if I'm on the wrong track they'll let me know before I've done too much of this assignment!

More Fart Than Art :P

2010-03-10T08:02:00.004+10:30

Well ... yesterday I posted my first assignment to SW TAFE via registered mail.

This is what my sampler looked like before darning in the ends:

Much more artistic than the front:

I decided to do a small additional sampler, with the warp done properly - the consenses between Anita and Brett is that it looks like a small rug ... possibly for a doll's house:

My next assignment is a small tapestry of my own design - only problem is, I have lots of designs in my head, but a distinct lack of technical skill to execute them :P Ah well, I'm doing this course to learn, not to get the best grades in the class!

Gold Weavzzz

2010-03-02T07:00:00.000+10:30

OK, so I have Pavement's 'Gold Soundz' in my head ... probably because I'm seeing them Sunday night - woo hooooo!! One of the only non-Goth bands I listen to :)

Last night I cut my dodgy sampler off the frame - thanks (especially Kaite!) for the feedback - yep, I did have trouble following textbook instructions, especially when warping instructions were different in every book I looked at, and internet information on tapestry weaving is hard to come by. Oh well, I'm learning so much along the way!

No photo at the moment, as I'm sitting here at my work computer, but I'm in the process of darning in the ends and sewing the slits. Because my tapestry is so chunky, I'm going to have to darn in ALL the ends, not just the ones on the edges. But since I don't have to send in my first assignment until next week, I'll have time to do another (tiny) sampler, just to show I have learnt from my mistakes ... and believe me, there were quite a few! :P

The Moon Is The Number 18

2010-02-28T09:20:00.005+10:30

OK - so I'm nearing the end of my first sampler ... in the process of completing the 'landscape' part. I decided to base my landscape design very loosely on a tarot card - you wouldn't guess, but it was inspired by The Moon :P

The edges will be in black, so I can practise sewing slits - though I will also need to do that on the edges of my circle too. I'm finding that I'm enjoying 'eccentric weft' rather than weaving to right angles of the warp. It's just something I'm automatically comfortable with ... though I realise that the whole tapestry can't be made up of weird angled stitching! I've also realised that heavy black outlining seems to be a 'Michelle' thing to do, as I do that in most of my needlepoint designs.

Yesterday Anita and I visited Bev, a fantastic tapestry artist and weaver. If I get stuck I'll go to her for a class or two, since just talking to her for a few minutes taught me so much! She weaves on both the front and back warps, using the floor to join them together, and seemed surprised that I was only weaving on the top warps! No wonder my sampler is chunky ... I'll try that next time.

I'm also excited by the advice that more experienced tapestry artists have been giving me - so if any of you are reading this, thank you! :)

Steppin' and Hitchin'

2010-02-21T17:40:00.002+10:30

No, they aren't dance moves ... they're the latest techniques I have been learning on my sampler!

I finished the (rather dodgy) circle, then started hatching:

I think the wool is too chunky - I have warped up in accordance with the instructions, with 12/18 seine twine, and used 8 x 2-ply yarn strands in keeping with the instruction that the weft should loosely fit in between 2 warps. But I think my work would look a lot neater with finer warp spacing and less strands. Also, my tension is all over the place - it has stabilised now, but started at 16cm wide, and is now 15cm! Ooooops :P

While I'm learning a lot in this sampler (which, I guess, is the point!), I'm not happy with how it's turning out. Though the due date is looming (pun not intended), if I get time I'm going to do a miniature, finer sampler to send with it.

Weaving Part 2

2010-02-15T20:12:00.003+10:30

Yesterday I spent a lot of time learning stepping and weaving a circle. It took me a while to figure out the former, as I found it challenging getting to terms with weaving separate blocks with different colours, and found myself mixing up my unders and overs :P

Next was weaving a circle. What I'm finding difficult is making sure the different colours are even. I started off doing exactly the same amount of rows in each colour, but when they are packed / beated down, they are difficult to count. So I just worked visually, and they seem to look good so far!

Is that wrong? If any weavers are reading this, please feel free to criticise!

The textbook instructions aren't very comprehensive, so at the moment I'm relying on the only book I could get hold of at the library - Kirsten Glasbrook's 'Tapestry Weaving'. I have ordered a secondhand copy of Tadek Beutlich's 'The Technique Of Woven Tapestry' from the US, so hopefully it will arrive soon. Hopefully I'm on the right track, since I've been having a few of those 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!' moments :P

Needlepoint ...

2010-02-15T20:05:00.003+10:30

Yes, I'm still needlepointing ... well, I can't weave in front of the telly!

The lime leopard-print kit is on hold, since I've run out of green ... my gorgeous friend Anita and I will be visiting Melbourne in March, so I'll go to the Victorian Tapestry Workshop to stock up.

At the moment, I'm working on a needlepoint of Erzulie Dantor's veve for Anita's altar:

La Sirene

2010-02-14T10:20:00.002+10:30

As promised, here is a pic of the small La Sirene needlepoint I finished:

Michelle Learns To Weave ...

2010-02-14T09:37:00.007+10:30

So ... Thursday night I taught myself how to weave! I spent a while looking through my books with a perplexed look on my face, too scared to actually start ... but after a while I stopped procrastinating and warped up the frame:

Next I had to put in the 'floor', then 3 rows of waste yarn. I discovered that I prefer using bobbins rather than 'butterflies' of yarn, which I found too cumbersome. In the picture below I'm starting the 'double half-hitches' - a process I found quite difficult to learn, as my textbook only gave me one 'how-to' diagram, without a picture of what they are supposed to look like when finished ... so hopefully I've got it right!

I was getting the hang of weaving, once I realised that beating the weft down would hide the warp threads!

And here I'm practising changing colours randomly:

So now I'm feeling more confident ... I guess I'll find out whether I'm on the right track when I hand in my first assignment!

Hot Aftershave Bop

2010-02-09T08:05:00.001+10:30

Unfortunately, the stable internet is still not forthcoming ... guess AdamMax is not all it's cracked up to be ... but then again, it leaves me more time for stitching :P

I will post a pic soon of the needlepoint I am very close to finishing - it is another La Sirene design, this time for my little friend Lily.

I've also just received my course information for the Diploma Of Tapestry, which I am studying via correspondence through SW TAFE in Warrnambool. I've just ordered seine twine and tapestry bobbins, and already have a weaving frame - not sure quite what to do with them when they arrive, but I guess I'd better figure it out, as my first sampler is due March 15! Very exciting times ahead :)

I'll post pics as I go along ...

Update ...

2009-12-20T16:09:00.008+10:30

Haven't updated for quite a while ... internet woes, which will hopefully be fixed when we get Wimax - woooooohooo, can't wait for broadband speed!!

I realised I hadn't posted a picture of my finished Papa Legba veve needlepoint:

And I'm currently working on a lime leopard print needlepoint:

This will be available in a kit, and eventually in many different colourways, like hot pink, purple and red!

Next year I'm going to start studying the Diploma Of Woven Tapestry ... which will add a whole new dimension to my wooly art practises :P

Excited!

2009-09-15T13:18:00.004+09:30

Very very excited – I have made a sling bag from this fabulous pattern:
http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2008/11/margaret-sling-bag.html

My sewing skills are rather limited – probably because I don’t have much patience for sewing, which is pretty ironic for someone who loves the slooooww craft of needlepoint! But I’ve been looking to buy a good cross-body sling bag without success – at least making my own I can have numerous bags in cool fabrics. I have already ordered this:

And this, for Anita – combining her love of purple and peacocks!

My first one was plain, in cheap fabric … just in case it didn’t turn out! I used plain black cotton for the body, and pink paisley quilting fabric for the lining. The main body is lined not only with interfacing, but also cotton wadding.

Main body of bag in progress:

I printed the pattern out at 80% and made the strap longer, since I wanted it hanging on my hip. Overall, it was much easier than I expected, and the instructions were clear and easy to follow.

Finished bag:

Since this bag is rather plain, I’m covering it with badges …

Are You Upstream Or Downstream?

2009-08-06T07:24:00.001+09:30

If there’s stuff you want in life, then there’s a book you really need to get: ‘Ask And It Is Given’ by Abraham-Hicks. I’ll be posting more ‘Abe’ quotes on this blog, because they really inspire me.
No, I’m not getting a commission, but reading this book has really changed my perception on how we can get the things we want in life. I’ve always believed in responsibility for our own actions, and that all physical illnesses are caused by psychological issues. But this book puts this philosophy in even simpler terms – how you feel is absolutely the most important thing.

Your emotions are the indicator of whether something is in your best interests or not. So many people spend so much of their lives doing things they don’t want to do – why? If something makes you feel bad, then it is not what you’re supposed to be doing (struggling upstream). If something feels good, then you need to do more of it (flowing downstream). And if you are going ‘upstream’, it means that you are struggling, and working really hard for something … but nothing you want is upstream. Flowing ‘downstream’ means going with the flow, going with what makes you feel good, taking Life’s opportunities and running with it. Everything we want is downstream. Or, even more simply, upstream feels bad, downstream feels good.

If you have an issue to be sorted, it really is as simple as asking yourself ‘is this upstream or downstream?’.

I recently had a very important decision to make that I had been putting off for a while. Then I stopped and said to myself ‘how does this make me feel – upstream or downstream?’. I decided that every time I thought about it, I felt angry and upset – definitely upstream, surely that can’t be good for me! So I gave it up. I cut my ties, and started flowing downstream. Oh, how freeing it was, it was like a weight off my shoulders!

Another good technique is ‘appreciation’ – sounds fluffy and new age, doesn’t it? But seriously, if we look at things to appreciate, then we can attract more things to appreciate:

"A desire to appreciate is a very good first step; and then as you find more things you would like to feel appreciation for, it quickly gains momentum. And as you want to feel appreciation, you attract something to appreciate. And as you appreciate it, then you attract something else to appreciate, until, in time, you are experiencing a Rampage of Appreciation."

Every time something bad happens, it makes us aware of what we don’t want – but it also makes us aware of what we DO want … therefore, by concentrating more on what we do want rather than harping on about what is wrong, we can attract all this good stuff.

Every noticed that people who are whingeing all the time constantly have ‘bad luck’, or are always getting sick? There’s no such thing as bad luck … or coincidence. We’re all attracting whatever we are thinking about.

Try appreciating today – and see what happens!

Kudos to: http://www.abraham-hicks.com

Legba Veve in progress

2009-08-03T22:22:00.003+09:30

Papa Legba is the Vodou l'wa who guards the crossroads ... if we want to contact other l'wa or our ancestors, we have to ask permission from Legba first.

I have been 'asked' to stitch Legba's veve in his colours - red and white:

New Kits Available!

2009-07-26T13:28:00.004+09:30

New kits available:

Skulls (only AUD $120):

La Sirene (only AUD $100):

http://www.threefoldneedlepoint.com/catalogue.htm

Welcome!

2009-07-26T13:18:00.002+09:30

Welcome to the Threefold Designs blogspot! My gorgeous Marketing Consultant convinced me that this would be a good place to keep track of my creative progress.

The website is updated every Full Moon, but this will be updated whenever I feel like it :)

And of course ... comments and feedback are always appreciated!