i love to cut and paste!

here's a peek at something i've been working on. i have used illustrations from my picture book 'when i close my eyes...' to make customised art prints for kid's rooms. 


if you would like an art print, cut and paste just the way you like it, have a chat to me at the daylesford makers market  or drop me a line at my etsy shop in the alchemy section.

happy friday!

and if i spend the whole day a blubbering mess

just the other day i was talking to a friend who is going to have a 'no more breast feeding party'. she said that she wanted to have a ritual for herself, but mostly for her daughter to bid farewell to this great source of comfort.

i thought this was such a beautiful idea and a really healthy way of letting something go.

i then happened to read an article in the gorgeous 'dumbo feather, pass it on' about a woman who used to be a performance artist and has now found her life's work as a celebrant. she says she feels more like an artist now! she has a very creative approach, and that's why people go to her.

so, here's to ritual, i say! 

i've been secretly dreading christmas, as i'm having the family do at my house this year.

i lost my mum a little while ago and it's just not the same without her. so, i've been thinking... instead of trying to make it the same and feeling awkward, i'm just going to do it my way.

i want this to be a day that my family can get together and begin to heal. (although, i wont tell them that, they'll all go running for the hills!)

so, i thought lets sit under the big tree in our front yard. i want to collect a whole lot of white sheets from opp shops and lay them on the ground and give everyone a cushion with their name embroidered on it.

we don't have to sit at a table and pretend to be all formal. our family has changed and maybe our rituals need to too. and if i spend the whole day a blubbering mess, that's ok too.

this was my mum

play time

what a glorious spring day it is today!! recently, i took some time out to just play... and this is what happened.

the inspiration to 'just play' came about while reading an article in the beloved frankie on book designer coralie bickford-smith. her motto is "Stop Designing Start Playing". those are some wise words my friends! 

oh golly the winner is....

renae mccarty-ferguson you are the winner xx i will send you the very first copy of my book. hehe. i hope you look like this woman when you receive it!

thank you to all of the lovely people who shared their thoughts with me. you were so helpful and kind to take the time out, we are all so busy at the moment. oh and i really did put all of the names in a hat and pull out the winner. my cat nina was witness, she doesn't stand for any nonsense.

in other news, i've figured out what sort of paper i'm using and how i'm going to bind my books together. 

this has been my bible lately.

i've decided that i'm using a book binding method called single signature pamphlet stitch, rather than using my sewing machine.  

times tables

a creative, business savy friend of mine was telling me how important it is to make yourself a timetable and stick to it. i was telling her about my woes of being a little overwhelmed and getting stuck in problem solving ruts of recent times. (i am learning so much about self publishing!) her advice was sound, as i found myself categorising and dividing time like some kind of physicist.

pictures eat people timetable- imagine the business is a nest

day one

create baby birds for 2 hrs

make sure the branch is strong and find good sticks for the nest for 3 hrs

get the sticks in order for 1 hr

day two

create baby birds for 2 hrs

teach the birds to fly for 3 hrs

make sure the branch is strong and find good sticks for the nest for 1 hr

day three

create baby birds for four hrs

tell stories about the baby birds and listen to other stories for 1 hr

make sure the branch is strong and find good sticks for the nest for 1 hr

what!?

create baby birds- making, drawing, creating

make sure the branch is strong and find good sticks for the nest- set up my business, buying materials, research

get the sticks in order- paperwork and book keeping

teach the birds to fly- selling my products, etsy, markets, shops etc

tell stories about the baby birds and listen to others- write blog, email outs, myspace, respond to emails

love to you sweet mumma!

i met with a few mummy friends for a cuppa at a local cafe this morning. one of the mums has just had another beautiful little baby. so with a toddler and a new born it was such a big deal for her to just get organised and get out of the house. it was so nice to sit and have a chat and see her laughing at how crazy life is at the moment. i am in absolute awe of her. it really brought me back to those raw days of early motherhood of being sleep deprived and just keeping it together. love to you sweet mumma!

2do

1. mark this date in your diary. (there will be a pictures eat people stall!)

2. get a diary, refer to step 1

3. stop making lists and just go to sleep, it's late

4. don't worry about spelling mistakes on blog posts

xx