growmama

on my mind

2012-01-25T01:10:00.000-08:00

i am so grateful to be based at home with my little man

it has been such the right decision

and from now? he is turning five this year and we are surrounded by talk of school, steiner kindy and well meaning folks asking why he is not in school already (he is big for his age)

sigh...i am going to go visit various schools so i know what i am talking about when we discuss education

my background is one of public schooling in a rough area - Jed's papa went to his local schools too - yet in all my 16 years away from NZ i was around homeschooling and unschooling, or steiner schooled kids. There is so much to consider, and it is such a personal decision...what feels right for your child, your family. So much seems down to a good teacher, someone who is called to that work, who sees your child for who they are and can bring the world alive for them regardless of what curriculum is set.

We already do a kind of homeschooling on the weekday mornings. This has simply evolved. It is needed. (This is the kid who wakes super early asking questions like 'what does ignominiously mean mama?'). There is no schedule, sometimes there are plans, it is always fun and always something Jed indicates interest in. I love where these learning journeys take us.

We learn so much better when we want to. I hope that love of learning and exploration stays alive for this small person whatever the route we take.

AND FOLKS...having a 7 day sale over on Trademe. Honestgypsy is my trader name. Click on over HERE and check it out. Something for everyone.

thrifty acquisitions

2012-01-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

So, a more intense week than usual had some interesting results. Namely a bad case of entrenched irritability in the mama. An escape was called for. And enroute, of course, i found time for a little rummaging in our local op shops. Vintage fabric is sadly and incredibly hard to source in Auckland town at the moment but, some other loveliness turned up.

I have this artwork up above my work table. It's made of layers of soft paper, cut or ripped to make up the picture. Incredible. I've been wanting to try something like this with fabric. 50 cents and it's giving me so much pleasure. I'd love to know who made it and what the story is behind it. (Imagination going overtime on that one!)

A peek of the haul. Or some of it.

Simple things like drinking water out of a beautiful vintage glass make me happy. These beauties were $1 each.

I finally found some cereal bowls - and they happen to be a lovely Crown Lynn.

And, my last errand of the day was to pick up some bunting and baby shoes i was pulling from Lets Go Retro (they are still stocking GrowMama vintage headbands) - the retro and vintage store on West Auckland's Swanson Road. I asked Simonne if she had any thunderbirds gear in any of her stash in the back. She disappeared into the bathroom, there were a few thumps and a bit of dust flying and she emerged with an old Tracey Island for Jed. We spent a bit of the afternoon cleaning it up and oh goodness, each of his Thunderbirds rescue craft fit in their launch pads and sheds and oh goodness, the hours of joy that little fellow has with it.

Thank you Simonne...you have made one little boy very very happy - and this mama is getting alot done while international rescue is working hard.

Hoorah for beautiful people and acts of generosity.

I live like that and it is so nice to be on the receiving end. Sigh...happy happy sigh.

Oh, and. AND...the sun is shining. Yup!

Liebster Blog award

2012-01-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

I am super duper happy to receive the liebster blog award from my fellow blogger, crafty lady and market stall holder: Annie B. You can follow along her crafty adventures through her blog: Annie B Handmade.

The award goes to lovely blogs with less than 200 followers, the rules are:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people in the blogsphere - other bloggers.
5. And, best of all – have fun and spread the Karma.

What a cool sort of an award...sort of the people's choice, grassroots, egalitarian styles. I've been digging around trying to learn who kicked it off and have failed, but the trail is an awesome ride!
Now, not being a techie minded sort of a gal, i am unsure how to tell if a blog has 200 followers or not so forgive me if i nominate you and you are a mega follower sort!

My picks for the Leibster Blog Award. In no particular order:

- the golden adventures of...
- Lady i swear by all flowers
- Vanette
- life in our busy household
- toast and life

(and would it be outta line to nominate another five? Hmm perhaps i will stick to the rules this one time.)

I hope i can leave comments for everyone...i have big plans for this here blogspace but am experiencing muuy technical troubles. If it takes me awhile, apologies in advance.

A topical aside: Thoughts go to the Occupy Auckland folks who are being evicted today. I am glad John Minto is down there.

this moment

2012-01-21T02:13:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by Amanda Soule...click HERE to see her moment and scroll down to her comments to be linked to many other moments across this magnificent world.

mama in garden. by jed

2012-01-20T01:05:00.000-08:00

Every now and then Jed picks up my camera (it's usually around) and takes a few pictures. Mostly unbeknownst to me. I like the peeks into his perspective his photos offer.

Much of the morning was spent wrestling the garden into some form of tame. The small one was busy harvesting and ogling the beautiful colours of his produce.

Summer has been a lucrative affair here in the North Island of New Zealand. My definition of a nice day weather wise has changed dramatically. Not raining and fairly warm is 'nice' for example.

I am glad the sun is shining in time to sweeten up the sweetcorn and plums and for my strawberry picking tomorrow. It's gonna be jam time. Hope you are warm whichever hemisphere you're in. xx

a tired day

2012-01-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

All plans and scripts went out the window. It was a tired day. We made playdough, we baked, we ate, we headed down for a swim, mama worked a little, we mooched, we checked out the Nationals surf championships...we mooched some more. Just. tired. and oh so serious.

We managed to fit in a little 'driving' of the surf lifesaver's buggy - the big favourite.

Sand between the toes.

And even the sun came out.

If you're a mama you might know those days? When you're not sure if it's the late night, the unsettled sleep, they're coming down with some lergy or fighting it off, or just plain having an off balance day (or in simplicity parenting speak - a soul fever).

Today's solution: letting go of any big plans and following the small one's lead, rest, connection, water, gentle play, good nourishing food, lots of loving and a bit of think of what may have thrown the small one off balance. Hmm.

Oh, and cupcakes!

out on the town

2012-01-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

Look what i had in my hot little hands!
Tickets to Fleet Foxes. I would'nt have bought them myself, so thank you Ra.
A rare night out. It was strange to be in the central city walking the streets on a Saturday night with all the noise, uber-young folks whooping it up (did i ever dress that scantily?! Actually, don't answer that) and side stepping the odd vomit on the sidewalk. Good. You know, in an inner-city sort of a way.
A far cry from the moreporks, clear nightskies and fresh air of home.

I love these guys...they shuffle onto stage in shadow looking like a bunch of shifty lumberjacks and proceed to sing like angels together. Incredible. And instrumentally SUCH a big sound.
I like their 'no flash' approach...it's all about the music, the connection between each other and the audience and pushing a few edges. The word 'integrity' comes to mind.

HERE's my favourite youtube clip of the Fleet Foxes. in Paris. Acoustic. And mighty fine.

dancing...

2012-01-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

i LOVE to dance. And sadly, many people close to me in this current chapter of my life (oh, there have been many)...mostly don't know this about me.

Jed knows this. We cut loose this small boy and i. Oh yes.

One of the things scrawled large and loud in my 'Vision 2012 - Ideas Log' book ...is to dance more. 5 Rythyms? Saturday nights in some murky steamy night club? (prob not) ...more spontaneous cutting loose sessions wherever i happen to be? Hmmm, oh yes!

So, in this spirit i am sending you over to the Vanette blog to experience the song that is anthem of this coming year to me. Florence and the Machine, i do adore thee. Hop along over to see the divine 'Spectrum'...HERE. We are shining, indeed.

cotton eye candy

2012-01-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

My cottons went from this...

...to this.

This snazzy cotton reel holder was my gift from the little fellow. I had been meaning to bang a bunch of nails into a slice of wood (er, that terminology indicates my woodworking experience) in order to tame my unruly basket of cottons for oh, years.

I guess he got tired of hearing me talk about it.

However it came about, i am much pleased.

No more rummaging about getting all in a tangle for me!

Funny, in this de-cluttering lark (yup, i am still going), it's the simple changes that are so life changing. I'm kinda de-cluttering my internal head space as i go. That's life changing too.

More about that another time.

Now, er, the embroidery threads...hmmm.

When they get back from holiday, Woodwise on felt.co.nz has a lovely range of simple rectangular cotton reel holders that fit neatly into drawers...HERE.

{this moment}

2012-01-07T01:29:00.000-08:00

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo -no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment i want to pause, savour and remember.

Inspired by Amanda Soule - Click HERE to see her precious moment and the hundreds (thousands?!) of others her readers link to in the comments.

Landing.

2012-01-06T01:10:00.000-08:00

Landing. Thats what i call the process of coming home after being away.
Thats what we're doing at the moment. Landing: a process of re-discovering home.
It involves:
1) eating wild greens straight from the garden. It's been so cloudy and generally unsummery that i still have a good crop of chickweed under the sweetcorn. Yum. And nutritionally a super food. Extra yum. 2) Liberating the vege and herb gardens from caterpillars and weeds. Think, green jungle with strawberries like rubies inside. More yum.

3) de-cluttering. I know, it's like the new year's buzzword. Feels good though. Especially for a opshopping queen like myself. living in teeny house. Yep. De-cluttering and re-organising. Getting sidetracked with delicious memories as i go. Happy sigh. Goodness mine has been a full life.

4) the remembering of favourite activities. experiments. mixing. Here he was combining different things in water to see how they changed and how fast and whether stirring it helped any. (It does). Salt. Paint powder. Flour. Hundreds and thousands. Soap flakes. sugar. glitter. Oil. Makes a fascinating sort of sparkly jelly-like swamp in the end. Most satisfying.

5) more remembering of favourite things to do: dressing up. meet jed the spaceman. I just love the helmet he came up with, nicely accessorised with the ski goggles, er, i mean space goggles.

For those feeling up for it landing also involved: 6) swimming and cavorting in waves, 7) eating outside in the SUN (yeah people, it shone, it shone!), 8) re-connecting with friends, 9) a long walk along the beach and 10) scribbling madly in a new notebook grandly labelled 'Vision 2012 - Ideas Log'. (Okay, this last one was just me). I LOVE this time of year. Despite 2012's inauspicious beginning's, everything is possible. What are y'all dreaming up?

Also, also, also...check out Kate from Foxs Lane's top ten tips for settling back home HERE. I just 'found' Kate's blog last night and i am rather smitten. (Don't ask how i got there, it was late at night and i can't for the life of me remember. Grateful for gettin' there though. Go see.)

holiday. hijacked

2012-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, the car was all packed up with the camping gear and adventure was on our minds. Then the little guy fell hard with a sickness. Christmas night through the next three days was a bit of a blur of high fevers, ice water bottles, thermometers..i am sure those of you mama's out there know the deal. Then there was the rain. Alot of it. For days and days.
I am just grateful we weren't in our tent with a sick guy in the torrential rain.
What we did do, was stay put, in Jed's second favourite place in the world. His godfather and family's lifestyle farm and horse HQ in the Taranaki.

Free range chickens, pet sheep, horses, baby rabbits, dog, birds, paddocks and bush... all that space to run and just well, occupy as only small folks can. Heaven for the small one. With all the animals to care for it's not often these folks get away so it was a good feeling to house sit for a few days too.

And of course, the chickens lay their eggs in all manner of places which means alot of fun for small people to find them every day.

There was alot of quiet (he is a gentle one with animals, such a blessing) stalking of the friendlier chickens .....

...rewarded with som happy chicken cuddles.

And now, Home. Not having had the rest or break i had wanted, or needed. Finding my peace with that and happy to be here. Hullo, hello! It's good to be back at the GrowMama frontlines again. Watching my homeboy unfurl into his homespace...'i love my home mama' and landing by de-cluttering, filling a few GrowMama orders while my nights are spent visioning the year to come.

My mind is awhir with the new years plans hatching...watch out world.

festive fragments

2011-12-22T00:25:00.001-08:00

This is my solution to the waste of buying gift wrapping only to throw it away. I bought a bunch of green and red cotton jersey awhile back and have cut various shapes and ribbons out to use as wrapping cloths. Love it. After Sunday we'll wash it, pack it in the Solstice/Christmas box until next year. I had all these complicated plans of sewing bags and i am so glad i did it this way. I like the look of them, they seem sumptuous to me. The gift tags we made from potato prints a while back.

Solstice morning the small person woke to this. A light sun shirt. Here in New Zealand the sun is pretty fierce and we spend a fair bit of time covering up in the summer. Especially given we live just up the hill from the beach. This beach hoodie is in lightweight polka dot cotton and the hood is lined in a vintage print i have been ogling in my stash. The pattern was from a burda magazine i copied at the library. Every now and then there is something i make that i am incredibly happy with. This is one.

Might have to be one in mama size in the New Year.

More happiness: summer has truly begun. We've been in a soggy ole world lately, and not so very warm either, but the clouds have cleared the last few days. Our favourite local orchard has it's first plums in off the trees. And goodness...are they ever the taste of summer!

Fresh blueberries, watermelon, the last of the strawberries...mmm...summer!

Happy Solstice everyone and have a Merry Christmas. We're off on adventures until just after the New Year. I'll be taking a little blogland break while i dream up some of the big changes afoot in the New Year. See you then - with tales to be told. xxx

PS -The winner of the Sew Mama Sew giveaway is Lemony Lucy who recommended Dustjacketattic blog. It made me think of you Jo. And other interior fetishists i know. (Er, i meant that in a good way!) I'll be in touch about your GrowMama goodies Lucy!

last minute gift guide

2011-12-17T23:31:00.001-08:00

Before we get into gifts to buy...there's simple gift tutorials galore to be found online. Many folks have enough stuff and sometimes it's just silly to think about contributing to more of it.
But! Some handmade paper bunting for the Yuletide season might be just the thing.
We used red and green cardboard, a pair of scissors and some lengths of bias binding to make ours:
- we sat down and Jed thought of different seasonal shapes. I wrote down the ones i thought i could draw.
- cut out our shapes. Jed went off and did his own thing with his scissors at this point.
- Glued any embellishments on. Arranged the shapes on our binding then:
- Mama zigzagged the bunting onto the bias binding and DONE!
(Er, anybody else notice a theme of fast, simple decorations around here?!)
Er, anyone else notice a theme of handmade, fast and simple decorations around here?!

Jed's bunting is my favourite. Kid's art before all the limitations of the (potentially) boring adult mind set in are just wondrous.

This is Jed's centre-piece of his bunting. "my symbol of Christmas" - direct jed quote.

OKAY...now to the last minute gift guide: We're going for local, groovy and easy on the earth and pocket.

Trash Footwear gift voucher. Based in Raglan and using rubbish from the tip and liberated from dumpsters, Ben makes kick ass footwear for men and women. I was lucky enough to meet Ben today and just take a look at my new summer sandals...

...These little honeys are made to last and are incredibly comfortable. Plus, Ben is an awesome guy. Click HERE to be taken to the Trash Footwear website. Aucklanders can hop along to the SAFE (Save Animals from Exploitation) shop in St Kevins Arcade on Karanghape Rd.

Koanga Gardens - take a wander through the Koanga Online shop HERE...seeds, books, mushroom kits, tools, fermenting crocks, sourdough starters...whatever it takes to build a brave new world...and something for everyone. Koanga Gardens and Centre for Sustainable Living do a great job...get in there and support them while taking care of your christmas shopping.

Felt.co.nz- GrowMama has a store in felt...it's NZ's answer to etsy...an online shop full of handmade goodness. Well worth a browse and there's still a day or so to allow for posting....well worth a virtual potter around. Go to Felt's home page HERE.

Sparkle stories. The gift of stories makes such a beautiful gift for any family/child. Sparkle stories are all-original, expertly told audio stories by subscription. Started a year ago by a homeschooling mama and papa. There are several story 'streams' you can choose from. They are beautiful stories about themes important to children and conveyed through characters they learn and grow with through out the year. We have been part of Sparkle stories for a few months and i cannot recommend them enough. Ideal for those who don't do screen time or want to lessen their screentime. You can also download sample stories for free. HERE.

Extracurricular magazine - give a subscription or the latest issue. Blog HERE (with a nifty piece on Ben of Trash Footwear fame)...and available to buy on Felt HERE.

And there's always GrowMama gear...HERE, as ever!

Merry days to you folks...stay out of those malls, put your money where your ideals are and support some good people working hard towards a better life.earth.world.economy... and get some truly beautiful gifts in exchange. Yeah!

Blexbolex Seasons

2011-12-14T23:53:00.000-08:00

I love this book.
And, last library visit i found it on the book sale shelf.
20 cents.
Happy dance? Yup. On the spot.
It's 'Seasons' by Blexbolex. Have a lookie at a preview on You Tube HERE.

Simple, striking and thought provoking.
The small one is getting into his reading, or 'magic with letters and words' as he puts it. This book is a fun time together.

The book's hardcover is a bit damaged and i did wonder, briefly, about using pages of it to frame. But i don't think i could.

Er, 'escape', 'contemplation'...not hard to infer where i am at!

A COMPLETE ASIDE: i had a few emails hurrying me up on the groovy gift suggestion front: yup, i'm on it...next blog post will give you the solutions to your last minute gift acquisitions. Hang tight, it's coming!

SMS GrowMama Giveaway time!

2011-12-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Big ole Kiwi-style welcome to those of you new to GrowMama!

And to business...I make and sell my own designs made with gorgeous vintage fabrics for babies, children and accessories for the Mama's and Papa's. All designs are tried and tested in house. Hardwearing, stylish, simple, comfortable and easy on the pocket and the earth. Each piece i make is unique to you. The GrowMama blog is, well, snapshots of our daily life living in the bush, by the beach, crafting up a storm...living as large as we dare.

This time 'round i am offering a package of GrowMama goodies for the hardworking Mama

1) Vintage fabric headband. Perfect for those bad hair days (lets face it, every mama of small children should own at least one!). Can be worn folded over with hair peeking out vintage style, gypsy scarf style...you'll find what works for you.
2) Vintage barkcloth glasses case - stop those glasses from getting scratched bouncing around in the bag.
3) Pocket tissue holder for the handbag. Every mama's in need of an emergency tissue from time to time.
4) A surprise gift. I'll get to know the winner a bit and pop something into the package...clothing for one of your kids? A re-usable vintage fabric snack bag? Clues may be found in the GrowMama Felt shop HERE.
Tame the chaos of your bag with a glasses case in vintage barkcloth. I loved my headband in this fabric so much i made one for you.

Plus, there's that surprise remember!

Leave a comment below. In your comment leave a link to a favourite blog and say why you love it. Try and give one that isn't quite so well known if you can. That way, we can all share the blog love...i love discovering a new favourite blog, don't you?! (Oh yes, have a wander through the GrowMama archives too and stick around...i have some great weekly features and some blog design tweaks to launch in the New Year. GrowMama readership is growing and Growing...hoorah and hi everyone!)

International entries very welcome. Giveaway closes December 16th, 5pm PST'ish. I read every comment and put my ten favourite ones into the magic hat and the winner is traditionally chosen by the smallest member of the household.

Happy Giveaway Days to y'all!

Now, head along back to Sew Mama for some more Giveaway fun. Link on my 'Inspiring' list on the right there....

christmas cheer: fast

2011-12-11T23:48:00.000-08:00

One rainy morning you and the small fry can set up a Christmas themed printing press in your own kitchen. And, if you live in New Zealand, i am suspecting there is a rainy morning in your immediate future.

Not just any printing. Potato printing.

We did stars, christmas tree and holly leaves/berries. Oh, and some free painting sort of magic by the small printer was in the mix too. Those were my favourites. These are our gift tags and some to make cards with.

And this fast made little bit of mama late night craft wizardry...Jed's advent calendar.

I didn't want to the shop bought ones. I figured we didn't need chocolate everyday. My mind went to elaborate heirloom handmade type of advent calendars. But, problem. Every time i thought of making one...well, it just made me feel tired. THAT, is a sure sign NOT to begin that particular project.

Then i stumbled across THIS idea in Amy Karol's Angry Chicken blog. Genius. And, whats more...simple genius. I simplified her idea even more. I cut down a bunch of standard size envelopes i already had, dug out a bunch of little craft pegs, golden string and a few gold bells i had leftover from last years yuletide crafting. Each year i pack away any Christmas cards into the decorations box. Then we get to chop them up and use the images the following year...so i cut out images that would fit on the envelopes and glued them on. I mixed it up by adding a few with vintage red and green buttons (couldnt resist throwing buttons in there!), some with gorgeous christmas stickers we'd been given and filled in the remaining gaps with some christmas themed collage with green and red fabric. Inside each advent envelope went little things: stickers, a handmade wee book, craft pens, a tiny padlock and key, candle, tiny test jars of bath soap, balloons, all sorts of little bits of joy, vouchers for days out to favourite places. Even a few chocolate lady bugs. And a special gift for Solstice. The whole thing was done and dusted in an hour and a half.

The little guy was most excited to see it when he woke the next morning.

So there you have it, two easy peasy fast and furious fun Christmas ideas. Bring on the rain!

gecko and friends

2011-12-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Children see the world so differently. Try as i might, i don't see as much as them. Jed found this gecko over the edge of our deck a few days ago. It's been greatly exciting to see him/her come and go, bask in the sun, do whatever it is gecko's do best.

Last year we spotted a bigger, darker gecko sunning itself on the deck. Click HERE to see that wee beauty. You can read more about native NZ geckos HERE. Any ideas on what kind of gecko we have please let me know. It looks like a Duchavel's gecko but they are very rare and aren't meant to exist here, so, hmmm, maybe not.

When it disappeared, i was looking for it in the nearby trees, on the wood, you know...natural geckoey sort of places. It was Jed who figured out it's hiding place. Inside the hollow pipe of the TV satellite dish (we're not TV watchers but if you are to get any channels out here, a satellite is needed). So, if you look very closely at the photo above, you'll see a little foot and nose...I guess no birds can snap you up in there!

Along the creature theme...the stick insects are back. All summer long they hang out on the deck walls. We have Titoki trees along the back of the deck and the stick insects seem to like them, alot. Last year i counted 17 stick insects on one tree.

And this bizarre little beauty that Jed came running in to tell me about. Call me a geek but i had to get the insect identification book out for this one. I have never seen any like it. It's a male giraffe weevil. They live for about 2 years in rotten wood feasting, to finally emerge as an adult.

Thing is, they live only 2 weeks in their adult form. Crazy.

seasonal trees

2011-12-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Signs of Solstice and Christmas are popping up all over the house here...and the garden. Here in New Zealand where Christmas means shorts, salads, swimming, picnics and possibly even a surfboard, the beautiful red flowers of the magestic coastal pohutakawa tree is also synonymous with this time of year.

There's a little tree IN our little house too. There was much conversation about a tree this year...i tried to sell the small person on the idea of making a tree. Of course. But that idea didn't fly. Neither did he like the idea of having a tree that was cut down. Small one asked for a living tree in a pot. One that "we could be friends with all the year round and bring inside to help us celebrate". So, thats what we have.

It is a little tree so i had to do some quick thinking about decorations. I bought some lightweight red and green ribbon and dug around in the craft box. Out came the glue gun and some tiny pompoms and some sequin stars in red, green and silver. Hey presto...some little tree decorations.

One crochety morning that needed some focus Jed and i made a tree to hang on the wall too. The gold glitter 'streamers', cutting out of the tree and help with sticking down the green tinsel tassles were my contributions, the rest was Jed work. The symmetry of his crafting and arranging of artwork is amazing me at the moment.

I was happy to see the tree bunting come out of hiding again. Link to last years blog post (with link to tutorial) HERE. The season is looking pretty handmade!

MMmmmmm

2011-12-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

Keep it simple, keep it simple is sort of my mantra at the moment. Especially as we heal from this icky sickness we had 'round here. So much going on. The garden is no exception. Our strawberries haven't quite begun yet (for us anyway...the birds got a few before i remembered the glass jar over ripening fruit trick)..but we've been enjoying them nonetheless. I made my annual special trip to our local strawberry farm and was sad to hear the farmer, whose been in the business for years, upset about the increasing impossibility of being a small producer of quality strawberries. Sigh. Still, they made a most beautiful simple supper tonight (i give the small one supper before teethbrushing and bed each night...otherwise he wakes hungry at a hideous hour) - with a bit of the Great Co-operative Dairy's Black Plum live yoghurt on the side. It's the taste of summer.

My raw vegetable intake is pretty zingy with all our salads in our garden, the wild chickweed and red clover and nasturtium flowers i eat as we pass by... and Jed's amazing peas.

Green goodness. In Jed's words: "MMmmm, my body is so happy i ate that".

Yup. Mine too.

2011-12-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

The season has begun. This was the GrowMama stall at my last market. Green and red predominating over all that retro floral huh?! Hmm. Call me a recovering Christmas grinch!
Jed's advent calendar went up last night, a little pine tree in a pot has joined the family, the solstice fairies have been unpacked and are busy exploring their new tree. There'll be peeks of these in the time to come.

I've been fielding a few questions about my newly designed Christmas decorations since i had them at last month's Kraftbomb market...so here they are. I am sorry, i have lost my notebook i had with me that day so for those of you wondering where to buy them online: Go to my GrowMama felt store HERE.

Solstice/Christmas elf hats in three sizes: baby, toddler-school age and large child/small adult.

Pop them into the dress up box and you'll see them during the year as various fairies, elves, gnomes and pixies. Reversible - and with bells on.

Fabric holly with vintage button berries. A GrowMama designed special. These have a craft wire and pure wool inner to them so you can shape them as you like.

An aside: I think half my community is down with a nasty sore throat/glands up/phlegmy/cough/malaise sort of a lergy and i was no exception. Darn it all...i am usually so hardy. So, if i am a wee bit late replying to your email or your order is possibly a day off schedule, i am sorry. Know that i am trying my best to catch up!

book bonanza

2011-11-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of getting lost is stumbling across places you wouldn't otherwise. Yesterday took a wrong turn (or three) and found a gem of a op-shop. Hoorah! As well as an armful of fabric we brought home a bonanza of books:

I hadn't read Curious George before and we've been having a lovely time reading all his adventures. I loved reading about the author and illustrator too. The George stories date back to the 1940's...author and illustrator were a German couple who fled the Nazi regime. Then they left Paris on bicycles hours before the Nazi occupies the city. All they took with them was a change of clothes, a coat and their manuscripts - among them Curious George.

Beautifully illustrated and perfect stories for a small person just starting to read.

We snaffled the complete original collection of thomas the tank engine for a wee friends birthday gift.

And look! More Childcraft encyclopedia's: We already had 'How things work' and loved it so it was lovely to add to our collection. Finances get stretched around here and i was so touched that the lady working in the shop gave us these for 50 cents each.

We are big on books around here. The small one is as curious as George and we find ourselves reaching for books to supplements the mama's brain capacity. Plus, the encyclopedia's are so well illustrated with their drawings and photographs.

Jed went to bed last night asking 'Mama, how can a cockroach walk on the ceiling?' ... you can see i need an in-house library as support!

lookee here!

2011-11-28T01:17:00.000-08:00

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my new creation.

I have been waiting for the summer edition of Extracurricular magazine to come out so i can show you. I designed this little beauty especially for this issue.

I give you: the Picnic placemat roll! Headed out on picnic? Camping perhaps? Or just dining el fresco? Grab your picnic placemat roll to keep your cutlery and napkin in check. Beautiful vintage fabric on one side and nylon inner means you don't even need a plate! Yup, that's right folks...just wipe and go. Throw them in the wash if they get really grubby, line dry and they're ready to go again. Years of picnicking memories are going to add up in these classy additions to your summer kit!

And look what i found in my mailbox today. Happiness. The summer issue of Extracurricular magazine. As local as you get for those NZ'ers thinking of gift ideas for the crafty/DIY/ designer/makers/creatives among us. Hop along to Extracurricular's blog HERE and find out how to get your hot hands on a copy -it's hot off the press. This issue comes with an Ellie illustrated bird bookmark. Love.

Also, I was asked to write the tutorial for this issue...so, you get to make your own picnic placemat rolls for your very own!
The photos and styling of the shoot was done by one glorious lady called Vanessa Parker. Check out her work: you can get to BoxBrownie.co.nz HERE. Any special photographic work coming coming up? Get in touch. Really, you need to. Her wedding work is just stunning.

Extracurricular is always such a good read, and with that certified recycled paper with it's vegetable inks, all those crafty beauties featured and well, the whole magazine just oozing with inspiration...i reckon a subscription just might be the way to go.

So, there's my local crafty gift ideas for the day: extracurricular magazine (or better yet, a subscription) and oh yes, GrowMama picnic placemat rolls are available in my felt shop. Click HERE for a truly unique and useful (i love that word) gift that'll keep on giving.

shopping local

2011-11-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have this picture on my inspiration board above my work table:It's what our ancestors did and many parts of the world still live this way. Markets in the village square, trading produce, growing and making your own food and essentials. To have a better future, we need to get back to this way of life. Cut out all those transport miles. I don't think it means a deprived life. There's no reason why we can't import a few luxuries (i am rather partial to coffee myself!) but for the most part i think buying locally produced goods is the way to go. For those wanting more on eating locally, check out the locavores project HERE. (It's in San Francisco but still interesting to learn from.)

With the massive consumerist holiday of Christmas fast approaching i am mindful of where i source our gifts from. (The meaning behind this holiday is a whole other topic, i'll save that for another post!). For the most part i make, thrift and craft up a storm leading up to Solstice and Christmas for my own gifting and for you all to buy at markets. No surprises there right?! But i also like to support people doing what they love. I would rather not support the massive multi national chain stores with their mass produced gear. I like to put my money where it can be useful, put it toward folks who are building a better world. And, there is nothing like giving a handcrafted gift. That love shines through brighter than any Kmart purchase.

I'll be featuring a few beautiful handcrafted or vintage gift ideas as i come across them...check this out:
Big S Little S has created ..... Seedling Kits. Comes with a beautifully made bag, three packets of seeds, instructions and an ingenious and simple to use wooden pot maker. You can recycle your newspapers into seedling pots...genius!
For more pictures and information go to Stacey's felt shop HERE. She has some beautiful handcrafted wooden buttons too. And tell her to list more will you?!

solstice/christmas chains - a tutorial

2011-11-17T22:47:00.001-08:00

I am a bit funny about waste. Making paper chains only to throw them away seems frivolous to me. I know the kidlets love to make paper chains but i reckon there is something to be said for decorations that come out every year and become symbols of your family tradition too. So...i designed some Christmas/Solstice chains made of fabric...throw them in the wash and pack away...they’ll last generations. For those of you Southern Hemisphere folk who head to bush or beach, these travel like a dream...throw them in that backpack. Bring them out to decorate every Yuletime season.
I have some listed in my GrowMama felt.co.nz store (click HERE) but for those crafty folk out there, I thought you might like to make some too. The tutorial is for your own use, not for making for sale thanks.
Okay, here we go...

You need:
-Half a metre each of green and red cotton jersey (or t shirting) fabric. .( I used jersey so i could leave the edges raw)
-Green &/or red thread
-Scissors
-Sewing machine

1)Lay your fabric down on your cutting surface. Cut 6 strips of 28cm long, and 20 cm wide in both green and red fabrics. You should have twelve rectangles in total.
2) Laying each piece in front of you, the longest side of fabric toward you, fold your fabric rectangle up by about 4cm. Keep folding until you have the whole piece folded over. Pin the edge of the fabric to stop it unfurling. Prepare the rest of your rectangles.

3) Sew! Sew down each side of your fabric ‘chain-link’. This makes sure it won’t unfold and gives it structure. Sew the other 11 pieces. Don’t forget to reinforce the beginnings and endings of your seams.

4) Trim any wonky edges.
5) Encircle your first ‘chain link’, overlapping the edges by about 2cm. I sewed a rectangle to anchor each chainlink...to make sure it was secure and to have it look purty.

6) Take the contrasting colour to your first chainlink and feed that through your chain and sew that one’s edges together...and so on and so on!

This is a good, fairly labour intensive, fairly brainless late night project to do while rocking out to a bit of Kimbra, the Nymphs, and Feist on you tube.

I made mine in twelve chain links – that way they can be used separately or pinned to make a continous chain. Pretty pleased with myself – they look good! I’m thinking some rainbow coloured ones for celebrations in general (birthdays etc) might be on the crafting table oh, sometime in the New Year.

I'd love to see your chain creations...send me your links or photos.

Happy crafting. I’ll be here alot in the coming month with gift ideas, other crafty tutorials and stories from the frontlines of parenting. Looking forward to it!

the queen of happiness

2011-11-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Queen of Happiness...that's me. My title of the day anyway. So i was declared at breakfast time this morning by my faithful ever-loving knight. How lovely is that?
Magical days i tell you...even the hiccups, the occasional grumping mixed in with the holding hands, the races down to the garden and the piles of laughter. Once the sun warms the world it is warm enough now for those small ones among us who prefer bare skin to clothes. Bath time is back to the bucket on the deck in the warm evening breeze. I am amazed he still fits. It's partly about cleanliness, partly about water conservation (we drink rain around here) partly about water therapy...it's been a busy time for us, with the world opening up and speeding up for the small one...

...he sat for ages in the warm water, in the last of the day's sun...just looking out over bush and sea.

Part of what is new: He's started nippers...the NZ Surf Lifesavers training for small ones. It's games and water safety pretty much. But fun. Oh yes!

The queen of happiness (that really should be capital letters huh?!) is loving the garden...fresh herbs and medicines ready for the picking and vegetables busy growing in their beds of straw mulch.

Queen also of late nights and sewing blitz's. I have been merrily distracted from GrowMama market sewing this morning by a new idea. The photo above is the first stages of a new Solstice/Christmas ornament - to be revealed in a blog post coming soon to a screen near you.

bumblebees

2011-11-11T01:44:00.000-08:00

Rummages (even at speed) in op shops have been rare lately. As Jed gets older and my work from home picks up so does the pace. I make a concerted effort to live fairly simply. Fully, i like to think, but none of this charging around all day from appointment to playdate to deadline to errands for me. Well, not until the last few weeks at least. And things have changed in our dynamics too...Those of you with kidlets know how it goes...you just get into a comfortable groove and then they blindside you with some new developmental quirk (like whingeing when tired for sweets they didn't know existed until a week ago at the kid-height shelves at the grocery checkout or legging it even faster when you call for them to come - just examples - not that my wee angel would do either thing...oh no) and you have to figure out how to meet that next stage.
I did force one quick pit stop at a Salvation Army as we were passing recently. I had a hot tip off that there was a bunch of vintage fabric in. All gone by the time i got there but Jed did come away with a much loved book. This beautiful book... from the vintage 'eye view library' about nature- on Bumblebees. It is like a nature documentary written in fiction form. And that art work - loveliness.

On the lookout for more in the series...any tip-off's (for vintage fabric which i am in dire need of, or more books in the 'eye view library' series will be gratefully received.

brave little lemon tree

2011-11-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

We have a brave little lemon tree at the bottom of our garden that just pumps out the most delicious lemons. Even when the next door neighbours kid decimated it with one of my juggling clubs it hardly missed a stride. But i digress...that is another story - a long one!

I had been wanting to make lemon honey. I never have...until now. (Why i have these brilliant ideas when i am super busy i do not know.) One of the tiny church run op shops we go to has jams and preserves and Jed was excited to get some lemon honey. But...this old gentleman got to the shelf just seconds before him (Jed had been polite and had waited for him to go first) and cleaned out the whole supply of lemon honey. Jed was NOT impressed. The old fulla was not going to reliquish one pot of his lemon honey stash, not even for a cute little dude. I do believe Jed may have muttered 'grumpy old dude' under his breath. Or not.

So...after a quick chat about elderly folks and the necessity of being polite even in the face of grumpsters...off home to make lemon honey we went!

Super fast to make and yum on toast (a weekend brunch treat) or in pastry cases for little lemon tarts.

I used the recipe out of New Zealand's most famous cookbook. The Edmonds Cookbook.

Here it is:

Lemon Honey

50 g butter
3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp lemon zest - finely grated

1 cup lemon juice

Melt the butter in the top of a bain-marie / double boiler

Stir in the sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved.

Add eggs and lemon rind.

Place over boiling water and cook, stirring all the time until the mixture thickens.

Pour into sterilised jars.

Makes about 2 x 250 ml jars.

learning

2011-11-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

Jed came running in to tell me about a 'bee's nest' he found being built on our deck. Out came his insect book and another great learning experience unfolded. We talked about the differences between wasps and bees, their nests, stings and their insect lives. Jed identified correctly that this was a wasp's nest.
We put orange cones around the wasps nest to remind us not to get too close. Later that evening, in the rain, i knocked it down and we found it in the morning, blown into the corner by the wind. Such an amazing construction.
Books are great. Oh, we do love books around here...but to see for oneself, to touch and marvel...now that is wondrous. The nest is on Jed's table...with pinecones, seashells, dead beetles, seeds, a birds nest, feathers, snail shells and other special treasures.

little boys and puppies

2011-11-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a puppy. Or, a little boy and puppies.

Jed was at his much loved cousin's third birthday and for hours was not to be seen amongst the party action. Where was he? Upstairs, with Auntie's dog's three tiny puppies. Cuddling, kissing, chatting and protecting -'i am teaching the little children how to be gentle mama'.

I love this ability to rough house, climb trees and ride bikes wildly downhill balanced with the love of babies and bellies, puppies with such gentleness and care.

A few things to share with you:(non-puppy related)

Backwoods mama - Click HERE to be transported to the farm, where a wildly imaginative mama homeschools, sews and well, just looks pretty darn cute. I like her style: check out her Sew Camps.

Element Magazine - anyone else look forward to the NZ Herald's monthly magazine coming out? You can read most of it online too. It's subtitle is 'A Better way of Living' and that pretty much sums it up. Finally, New Zealand has a mainstream (but still good) magazine with massive distribution numbers talking about sustainability. Great stories, accessible format. Click HERE .

friends

2011-10-31T00:48:00.000-07:00

With spring rarking itself up into summer the pace of life has picked up too. Fairs, markets, town friends we don't see out here all winter popping up, playdates, birthdays and barbeques...and it's lighter 'til later at night. It's harder to go home when its utterly gorgeous out.
It's that more outgoing vibe of the warmer weather.
Friends are where it is at. Leaping... ...and disappearing, completely held in the green softness...until a head pops up...then two. Grinning. At home in their bodies, swimming naked in the stream, building, tree climbing, running wild through the sand dunes...creating whole worlds in secret caves. These two small folk played together non-stop for over five hours. No structure, no mama interventions, no drama. So beautiful. Friends.

Hoorah!

2011-10-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hoorah! I finally made it to 'The Bread and Butter Letter' on New North Rd in Auckland's 'almost city'. Sans child too...so i could potter to hearts content. Vintage and handmade loveliness. And, everything (well, mostly) is between 10 and 30 dollars. I walked away with a vintage housedress, a pair of Zak shoes (and yes, i am old enough that the shoes i wore in my girlhood are now considered vintage.) and a little mint green vintage typewriter. Hoorah indeed!

I have been on the look out for one for awhile and it was all i could do to not do a little dance of joy when i saw it sitting there. I may have wiggled excessively waiting for the cross signal at the traffic lights with it tucked under my arm though. Possibly.

Perfect timing...the small one is picking out words he knows as we read together and is beginning to write. (And, regularly asks me definitions of ludicrous words at 6am pre-coffee...'mama, what does presumptous mean?' etc. Sheesh.)

Mama has been having great fun too. I grew up in the era of girls being encouraged to take the domestic arts and typing and shorthand at school. I point blank refused. I was a closet typewriter user.

It works perfectly and came with a carry case. I am tempted to travel with it and plonk it on cafe table among all those laptops...tee hee!

woolly walk

2011-10-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

I had heard rumour of a 'Woolly Walk' in Auckland and i kept meaning to ask some crafty types (who are more in the know than my rural dwelling self) where it was. On a recent town adventure we came off the ferry (Jed's first boat ride!) across the harbour at Devonport, wandered outside...and lo, the 'Woolly Walk!' It's a mighty fine bit of knitivism. Perfect for racing alongside (that wee bit of info for my four year old readers and those mama's into running alongside wild small folk.

So much to explore in this culturally diverse geographically strange city of ours.

Next up on the wishlist is the freshly unveiled new art gallery and the new section on NZ wildlife at the city's zoo 'Te Wao Nui'. Although the trainride in is enough entertainment for us country folk ...we could just ride it into town and back and be content.
Auckland harbour on a sunny day is a beautiful backdrop to this little meander of crafty goodness.

Nice to stumble across displays of colour and creativity. I like being taken unawares by art and beauty in unexpected ways.

it has begun

2011-10-25T01:43:00.000-07:00

Labour Day in NZ was yesterday. The surf lifesavers are back on patrol from now on. Great excitement for the small people in our midst. Buggies, flags, the surf lifesaver boats....it's all being replayed in mini-fashion by small versions of surf lifesavers at the stream and on the beach. This winter has been, well, crap, to put it lightly and i'm not talking exclusively about the weather. Roll on spring and summer i say.
This time last year it was blazing hot and we'd all been swimming lots already. Lets just say it's still wetsuit temperatures in there. I have yet to go in. Jed would swim (and does sometimes) midwinter wetsuit optional. They're on a different thermostat those small ones. Being back down at the beach had me thinking alot about friends who live in Mt Maunganui and what's happening there with all the oil washing up from the Rena. So sad.

Labour Day also sees a local beach community's annual market that their community pre-school puts on. It's a great day and yesterday was no exception. Apart from their being many people moving slowly and with dark sunglasses on due to excesses of celebrating NZ winning the world cup. GrowMama was there and i had a blast. Thank you to those who came out to see me. Always a pleasure!

stop. go

2011-10-22T02:43:00.000-07:00

We have had footpaths being excavated and built in our neighbourhood. Yup, alot of orange cones, diggers, friendly workers in flouro vests, concrete trucks...happiness for a small person. I wondered how long it would take for Jed to ask for a stop/go sign of his very own. Yesterday.

There was no peace until he'd gathered all his gear and headed out for some action. That dress up drawer is a heavy traffic zone in our house, second only to the fridge among small folk.

He got the go-ahead from the guys to look after the truck for them. Oh the happiness.

It's rugby world cup fever here in New Zealand and the fervour has reached even our wee hideaway, it was hilarious to see all the world cup tourists driving down to the beach and doing a double take at the small workman 'working' alongside the big ones.

Hours of fun. Note to self: always have a book to hand. Ah well, it was one of those mornings he will likely always remember. Some of the neighbours even stopped at his stop/go sign and waited until Jed said they could go. Oh the power!

mini scientist in the kitchen

2011-10-19T02:36:00.000-07:00

I declared today a home day. It was a ferocious weather day, the ground out there is so waterlogged there will be no gardening for awhile. There were waterfalls down the drive and a pond appeared at the front door. Great weather for ducks. Not so great for little folks wanting to go on adventures. I thought i would share a few things we did today. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas of craft and projects and science experiments to try and i know from your emails some of you are too. We found this book at our last rummage at the library...

...Mini Scientist in the Kitchen by Lisa Burke. All sorts of fun experiments you can do with kids....all with stuff you likely already have in the kitchen. I really recommend it. Great photos and layout for kids. Plus a fold-out section on each double page with the scientific break-down of each experiment in launguage kidlets (and non-scientific mama's) can understand. Very cool.

This project was a look into solids and liquids and the task was to mix up some goop and play with it, running various experiments (will it flow through a sieve?) to determine if it was a solid or a liquid. Answer: neither, its a colloid. Hilarious word for a four year old to be fluent in using! Love it. Oxidation got a mention today too. Ha!

For those who want to try at home, goop is just pure fun to mix and play with even with no science attached:

Two cups of cornflour

One cup of water

few drops of natural food colouring optional but fun.

Add the water very gradually and mix well as you go.

It's a wierd mix...you scoop it up and it runs through your fingers but if you grab handful and press it'll act like a solid then run through your fingers again when you release the pressure. Fun stuff. We started off inside but as the play got more vigorous we moved outside to the covered deck. This is another one we tried recently. It involved marshmallows so was sure to be popular. Though it does involve some self control so the experiment doesnt get eaten before time.

We built a huge tower by piling several cubes on top of each other and topped it off with the pyramid. Good clean fun. Perfect for a rainy day.

springing

2011-10-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

When in our local organic shop awhile back, i asked Jed if he would like to choose a treat. He chose little violet and pea seedlings. We are enjoying watching his little spring garden grow and blossom in one of the wine barrels on our deck.

Slowly the vegetable and herb gardens are getting their act together too.

A slug habitat. We got to watch the cavorting of Jed's baby slug for the day and then released her...far away from Mama's patch.

My favourite part of the weekend? Giving up (temporarily) on my list of things to do and just sitting with Jed in the spring sun at the bottom of the garden. Jed was chatting to the slug who was crawling all over him, and the cat stretched out in the sun. I was making daisy chains. Just chatting, idly, sitting...thinking, chatting some more. Magic is so often found in those quiet moments 'in between'.

And someone just reminded me that the Piha Labour Day market is a week away...eek, i thought i had two weeks. No prizes for what i'll be doing this week! (Now, if i can just locate that missing week....)

the sun shone

2011-10-13T02:17:00.000-07:00

Couldn't see a few metres off our deck the rain was so heavy this morning...and then, at rest time...clouds lifted, we saw the sea and blue sky and got all excited. We raced down to the beach and climbed and sat and thought and marvelled in the sun.

Jed made a new friend. One very friendly sparrow. That could have been hours of entertainment...but the rain closed in again and chased us home. That's okay, springtime in New Zealand will do that to you on occasion. Small one got to race the raindrops and come home to share a meal and a bath and a bit of mayhem with his friends.

But not before the GrowMama re-usable snack bag got to come out. I just love these, ours are used daily. Apologies to those who've been asking for them. More will be stocked in my felt store soon, it's a sluggish week. There is one set left in store now. Link to the right.

vintage sundress

2011-10-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

I found this vintage sundress the other day. I have a thing for green, i have a thing for sundresses and i have a thing for vintage. Lucky it's a perfect fit. It was a rotten day and it made me smile when i saw it. I figured that alone, was enough reason to bring it home with me.
It needs a little tweaking. The hem is a bit wonky and the interfacing needs tacking down so i have set it to one side to fix once i get through this next wave of market sewing. The carrot.

I have been doing a bit of thinking about procrastination and the art of avoiding one's 'to-do lists' lately and spotted a brilliant little clip about just that via Bleubird Vintage's blog. Click HERE for Miranda July's 'tip for the easily distracted'. Artful brilliance. And, how is this for the hostess of the mostess summer uniform?! That apron!

apple spirals

2011-10-08T02:43:00.000-07:00

I get many comments about this newly acquired piece of kitchen equiptment. Kitchen utensils are pretty simple around here...i'm a mortar and pestle and swiss whip kinda gal. Even when i cooked Friday nights for 100+ fellow communards and guests at Twin Oaks Community i still made my pie crusts by hand. I just like it. This one fits the bill for being powered by elbow grease.

Impale the unsuspecting apple, turn the crank and it peels, slices and cores the apple. Plus you get a few 'magic drops' of apple juice on the board. Yum. Magic indeed. Anyone with fruit phobic children (you know who you are down the hill there!) might want to give this a whirl. Kids love it. They eat the peel as well as the apple.
I wouldn't have known what this was, except Jed did some visiting at our local beautiful Steiner nursery for awhile and they have one there. Then, on a rare occasion when we were in a 'new goods' store together (instead of an op shop) we spotted this on sale. It came home with us and is much loved.

Did i mention the apple gets sliced in a complete spiral?

I find much kitchen gadgetry superflous and slightly mad. This one is slightly mad in a good way. I'm sold.

7 days of blogging 7/7 - introducing terence

2011-10-05T03:09:00.000-07:00

So, in any one day, i am mama to many. Today it was a builder, a pirate, a mama bird on her eggs, a knight, an All black (NZ is deep in Rugby world cup fever),and Terence the sparrowman. I'm sure i am forgetting a few. Terence is around alot these days. We've just finished reading Gail Carson Devine's Fairies and the Quest for Neverland which Jed spotted at the library. Fairies, pixies, sparrowmen, dragons, high adventure and magic in general. Fits right in around here.

Then Jed wangled the Tinkerbell movie. Oh my! We're not used to screen time and perhaps thats why we got so spirited away by the story. Anyway, heartfelt request came for a Terence outfit. 'Turn the sewing machine on pleeeeaase mama'. Oh, okay! Twist my arm!

The under tunic is a basic shift medieval style with just the two seams, one running down each side. And jersey doesnt fray so i just cut the neck line out and no edge finishing to do, hoorah! The vest is the remnant of a brown men's t shirt that had already been partly used for another project, the pocket essential and the tassles from scraps. The brown 3/4 leggings, hat and wings were already favourites. I'll try and get a better picture.
Terence has been busy bringing in Spring. I came downstairs to this:
Fairy paint made from the juice of blueberries (the small one defrosted them overnight, i wondered what they were for) and fairy dust (gold glitter from the craft box).

I couldn't have come up with a more exciting and magical project myself. I love where kids take me if i allow myself to go for the ride...i recommend it. Jed worked out that the skeleton leaves from his nature table painted up beautifully.

7 days of blogging 6/7 - fast food good

2011-10-03T19:55:00.001-07:00

It's nearing dinnertime, you are tired, small ones are tired and you have no idea what to make for dinner. It's the witching hour in many families. Sound familiar?
Here's one of my go-to fast food recipe's:

Sesame noodles.
Ingredients:
-handful of chopped rinsed spinach
-half a block of firm tofu
-two eggs
-mushrooms (i used two large ones here)
-egg noodles
-sesame oil
-sesame seeds
-olive oil
-soy sauce or braggs

1)Throw on a groovy looking apron. That always makes me feel like a domestic goddess, even if i am just making it up as i go along.
2)Take a few eggs, beat them and cook them.
3)While the eggs are cooking, chop some spinach.
4) Slice and fry some mushrooms and tofu in oil, garlic and soy sauce (or Braggs). Chop the cooked egg up or scramble it as it cooks.
5) Meanwhile, have some noodles on the boil.
6)Ten minutes later, when the noodles are cooked and rinsed throw everything together with a dash of sesame oil and a handful of toasted sesame seeds and a splash more soy sauce or Braggs (i prefer Braggs) and serve in a big bowl. Leave some serving spoons out and ask the smallest one to serve everyone.

It's pretty popular and I've got it down to fifteen minutes til it hits the table now.

The meat-eater's version of this recipe is to marinate thin slices of schnitzel beef (this is a very economical dish) in soy or braggs and sesame oil and swap that in for the tofu. I make either.

Well, i don't eat meat for various reasons and neither did Jed for his first year until we went to a Christmas work do and there was a carvery catering the meal...i was thinking oh no, what will i feed Jed when we ran up to the serving tables crying out 'meat, meat!' in total joy, grabbed a leg of something and proceeded to gnaw it enthusiastically while looking around for more. Yeah. I didn't imagine myself a mother of a meat eater but it is clearly the small one's body type. Meat is probably served once or twice a week around here. I buy organic meat from a local butcher. Four years in, the small one still runs in there, flings the door open and cries 'meat!' They know us by name and we get to talk about the farms where their animals come from. I am conflicted and i know i have likely opened a can of worms in terms of the meat-eating vs vegetarianism vs veganism debate and there is so much more to say on the topic but i am not going there today. Like many parenting decisions, this one is a personal one to make. Whichever version of sesame noodles you make, enjoy...i have heard both are delicious. What do YOU make when you're tired and dinner time is looming? I could do with some more culinary fast food tricks....leave a comment and tell us!

7 days of blogging 5/7 - fundies

2011-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make underwear for the longest time. Uh huh. I know, i know.
It's just that i like to have a go at making well, pretty much everything. And you all know how much i love upcycling, right?

Well, i flat out refuse to make muslins. What if i get it right and am stuck with an ugly old muslin i can't wear huh? Yep, most of my trialling of new patterns is done with the final fabric and i tweak as i go. Or to mock up the prototypes of my own designs i'll upcycle some secondhand clothing. Usually i make my own pattern up, or take it from a piece of clothing i own and love already. But...when i stumbled across three patterns for $1 on trademe, and one of them being a pattern for boyshort style underwear i couldn't resist.
Here we are, 'circus fundies' in the making. Cotton jersey in a dubious purple from the 20c bin at the op shop and a rainbow striped top from my upcycling bin provided the fabric. Fast and furious late night sewing ensued.

Ahem...the back view of my circus style 'muslin'. You didn't think you'd get to see me model them did you?!

As soon as i finished them i wished i had made my own pattern from a pair i already own. The legs on these ones were a tad big, despite measuring and following directions to customise the sizing. Good thing i held back on the special underwear fabric and used the dubious purple. Next time. I did learn alot about gusset construction from the pattern and it definitely de-mystified the whole underwear making process which was well worth a late night bout of sewing.

Oh yeah, then i remembered, belatedly, that Amy from Angry Chicken posted about her underwear making adventures HERE and HERE. Yep. I was right, make my own pattern ...that's number one on her 'how to' list. That sleep set is adorable. Something to aspire to. And now, i am diving into this rather large and teetering pile of vintage fabrics...

...next month's Kraftbomb is creeping up and so is the Piha Labour Day market. A highlight for the community out there, it is run in support of the Piha Community Pre-school. It's a great day out...the food (especially those gourmet salads, wow) was amazing last year, i got many a great bargain at the market stalls and the kids area was much loved by the smalls. It is also the first day the Surf Lifesavers are back on duty for the season...very exciting for the smalls also. Go HERE to check out the dates/times and for info on how to book a stall yourself. I'm told there are a few left. Better be quick. See you there.

7 days of blogging 4/7 - mama style

2011-10-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

So, i have received a few emails from readers asking if i had thought about doing a 'what i wore wednesday' kinda of a post. The short answer is no. Accompanied by a fit of giggles at the question. This is the woman who refused to wear pink or a skirt or a dress for nigh on ten years. Granted these were my radical days on the frontlines of social change and environmental work and i was living out of: 1) a backpack and 2) dumpsters, but still.
I live out in a fairly isolated community by a wild surf beach in the bush these days...so, lets just say there is no flash or bling on an everyday basis out here. Plus, i'm like Jed...real big on comfort. Mostly our clothes are handmade or bought secondhand. Not that should stop you looking all high fashion if thats what you're into. Totally do-able on a budget if you ask me, you just need vision and a few op shopping and seamstressy type skills.
I do love putting outfits together, i take after my Nana in that, but what i love the most is how different i can feel and how that comes out in how i dress. Beach or no beach, if i want to dress up, i will. Or i can look like the picture above and wear discordant colours and legwarmers that i found in an op shop for 10c and i suspect started life as the sleeves of a jumper.
Oh yeah, and there's the wee issue on not liking to pose for photos. I'm big on the 'catching life as it flies' school of photography. But i will share with you a few vintage finds from this season. I am very fond of vintage and handmade knits. The little guy is often sporting a handmade woollen vest. And the mama? Looking forward to ditching the jeans/dresses/leggings/cardigan winter combinations for the sundress/tunic and gaucho pants i favour in the summer months. Totally recovered from my aversion to pink, skirts and dresses you will notice!

These are all under ten dollars from op shops or online trading. As is most of my clothes.

I have secret desire to learn how to knit one day...i am always in awe of knitters. A few friends have tried but, well, here i am, still decidedly NOT knitting! Sigh.

Couldn't resist popping in this one of Jed proudly rocking his new favourite vintage knit: an astoundingly red vest with pocket and ladybird buttons. This lovely number set us back $2. The hat was $4 newly knitted, also from one of our favourite church run op shops.

Oh, and if you are looking for 'what we wore' type of posts...look no further than Ms Bleubird Vintage and family... someone sent me a link last night...how styley are they?!

seven days of blogging 3/7 - waylaid

2011-09-30T19:14:00.001-07:00

I have been temporarily waylaid by a nasty 24 hour bug thats been making it's way through the community. Ick. I'll save you from the gruesome details! I would've made considerably less sense than usual if i had of tried to post last night. We're back on track for our seven days of blogging now. Phew.

I'll leave you with a little gem Jed and i picked up on one of our op shopping expeditions...a mini fugeball. In great condition, it is fantastic for the small motor skills and can be played happily alone or with mama. It's pretty fun. My goalie has a habit of levitating on his head while Jed scores a goal if i am not careful.

Has anyone else noticed that i am always on the look-out for projects the wee fella can do by himself? Desperate efforts to extend mama's work time - since we got back from our roadtrip and small one was sick he somehow forgot how to amuse himself for three hours on end while i work. I treasure that time, when i am absorbed in my stuff and Jed is either working alongside me or has some incredible project of his own going on. At my insistence, it's coming back. Thank the heavens!

seven days of blogging 2/7- big ups

2011-09-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

A big ups to all the Creative Mama's who participated in The Creative Mama Series. Thank you so much for letting us peek into your worlds and for sharing your stories with us. I laughed, i nodded in understanding and my eyes popped out in wonder at times too. I feel humbled and inspired to be part of your crafty mama community. I had so much great feedback (mostly by email, many of you are shy of leaving comments it seems!) and got so much out of reading the posts myself. I am stronger in letting the 'lists of things to do' lapse while i do a bit of much needed sewing therapy or mama-time in the crafting zone. That is a gift, thank you for that. All the links to each mama's post remain up on the side bar.
And for those mama's who were going to write a Creative Mama post and got snowed under and couldn't do it...i salute you for putting yourselves and your families first. No hard feelings here, just understanding.

On a totally unrelated topic....another big ups to Emma Heke, who is the creator of the Ours DVD. Now, we are not big screen people. We don't watch TV so small one doesnt have that modelled. Just quietly, he has NO idea there is kids stuff on TV. Ahem.

Jed hadn't watched anything until he was 2 1/2 or something, but now, on a very occasional occasion, we'll watch a DVD. I was in a shop yesterday and for the first time took a look at what was available for children. Alot. I was kinda shocked. Not much of it i want in my house. But this DVD...'Ours', its a keeper. It runs through the alphabet with nature words, images and footage. Much of it is specific to NZ native wildlife. It runs at a slower pace than many films and features stuff children are truly interested in. If children are watching DVD's, i reckon this is the sort of thing we need more of. Emma has come up with another one called Our Creative Children, all about doing kid centred art inspired directly from nature. It's full of ideas and walks you through the creating process. So, all you folks who email me saying they are not the creative type but want to do art with their kids or anyone looking for good presents for small people...go HERE to the Ours DVD website. You can see clips of the DVD's HERE.

Go Emma, i say!

seven days of blogging - fun 'n' games

2011-09-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

So, every now and then i have a backlog of posts tumbling around in my head and for some reason they're not making it to you. Then i declare a 'seven days of blogging' bonanza...where i commit to blogging for seven days in a row. This is usually a fairly spontaneous decision with no thought to what my life looks like in the next 7 days and whether it's a good time to be doing more blogging. Yup. Here we gooooo...... I very nearly bought a game of tiddlywinks new recently but balked at the price. I said i would make one. Before i got around to it i found a vintage orginal one at the op shop. Hoorah! Great fun is often simple fun. It took the small one all of a few minutes to get the hang of it. Equally fun to play alone which is a bonus for the working from home mama.

These beautiful puzzles came from Lets Go Retro. I was dropping off some new GrowMama stock for Simonne when i spotted these beauties. I had been looking for some wooden puzzles like this. Each of these puzzles has different solutions and can make different striking patterns. I like that there isn't just one 'right' way. Life is a bit like that. I find the usual jigsaws the kids will do a few times and that's it. So hard to find good ones that aren't just advertising some TV show or movie too. But these puzzles are ones that keep their interest and they feel so good to tinker around with. Yup, mama's been at it too.

sewing for the boy

2011-09-26T01:24:00.000-07:00

Night before we left on a big road trip to the snow and beyond...what was i up late doing? Well, packing, but also...sewing. Jed refuses to wear jeans. He likes them, they come out for dress-ups but last about 5 minutes before being tossed to one side and proclaimed 'too uncomfortable'. So. I made him a pair of black stretch denim wideleg jeans with vintage barkcloth pockets. Super comfy and he can wear them as 3/4 pants next season. I design all my kids clothes so the small ones can get more than one season out of them.

This merino hoodie is a firm favourite at the moment. Not sure why it took me until spring to remember the pile of merino off cuts i had lurking in my stash but no matter...this hoodie was done in time for the snow. Perfect. The hood lining is made from a merino blanket Jed had as a baby. You can see him rocking it HERE. I had Nancy Langdon and Sabine Pollehn's Sewing Clothes Kids Love book out from the library and used their Imke shirt pattern and chose the pixie hood option. This is a great book - full of loveliness. They encourage fiddling with their patterns and embellishing. I like that. (You know how i have trouble sticking to the pattern!). The Imke pattern can be used to make long sleeve shirts and t-shirts too. It'll be getting good use in the years to come i think.

Another good link for tutorials for groovy boys clothes and accessories is Dana from MADE's Celebrate the Boy series she wrote/ collated. Click HERE for her boys stuff. She has more of her tutorials for kids HERE. Including her 90 minute boat neck shirt which has reached a sort of cult like following in crafty-nerdy-sewing mama circles. I haven't tried it yet. One talented lady that Dana.

Sew Mama Sew's archives are always a good place to look around for tutorials. HERE's the link to their boys sewing month tutorials. A few of you were asking about fast and furious pants tutorials, there is one in there. Happy sewing.

Next up: seven days of blogging...get ready!

the marketplace

2011-09-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

All these vintage fabrics i brought home from the Vintage Textile Fair have been sewn with.
I have a few big markets coming up.

Kraftbomb, my beloved regular market is this Sunday (11-2 at Grey Lynn Community Centre if you're in the area, come say hi) and the big Labour Day Piha Market is next month. There are still some stalls left, get in touch if you'd like to have your wares there. It's a great day out for the family with a kids area, beautiful food and coffee and some real bargains. One of my market highlights of the year along with the Titirangi Steiner Advent Fair in November. I had a pile of market sewing to do, which i promptly ignored and instead got stuck into making this shirt for myself. It's a tradition, to make new season's wear. I used Simplicity 3835, a built by Wendy pattern that i just love. I tweaked the shirt pattern to come up with this shirt. Instead of using elastic around the neck and arms, i altered the arms to be cap sleeves and created a big casing to form the neckline. There is no gathering, i made a long ribbon using the same fabric and threaded that through, finishing it off with a bow. Very happy with it. Along with the jersey batwing tops i have designed and will make their debut at the GrowMama piha market stall.

There was enough fabric left to make some heirloom baby shoes for this weekend's market.

And, some for the boys.

I started out making all unisex clothes and accessories but soon realised that my idea of unisex and many other peoples did not add up to the same thing. Then i got so many requests for florals and pink clothes for girls that i cracked. I try and have something for everyone now. The GrowMama Felt store, my online marketplace is looking good. With two sales in it's first week of being stocked, hoorah! On market days i may withdraw items in my shop while i have them on the GrowMama stall, but never fear, they'll be re-instated on my return from market. See you there. Or back here, whichever comes first. May your weekend be all you need it to be. xx

The Creative Mama Series - Anissa

2011-09-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

So, I’m fresh outta Creative Mama’s – i had a pool of five more to go but life with small children (earthquakes and other calamity's) has rendered them all temporarily mute. I am afraid you are stuck with me for the grand finale of The Creative Mama Series. A few of you have emailed and asked if i was going to do one..so, here goes..
Introducing Anissa Ljanta: Writer, crafty mama, herbalist, avid reader, event organiser, social justice activist, seamstress, mama, vintage enthusiast, gardener, lover of wild places, networker, cook, dancer, op-shopping queen, friend and more.

What’s your creative outlet? Why do you craft? When do you make time to craft?
Well, I sew. I make, i bake and i will upcycle pretty much anything i put my mind to. It’s compulsive. And partly necessary, both for my creative outlet ( I say it’s my therapy) and financially. I mainly upcycle my fabric or new vintage fabric which i find by rummaging in thrift stores. Ahh, i jiggle a crowbar between the hours in the day to allow time for crafting. I will involve my son to get my fix. Oh, and i stay up way too late.
Your creative space – what does it look like?
I have the best view from my crafting table. It’s a good sized table, i love it and I look out over the bush and ocean. Sounds of birdsong and the crazy west coast surf floats in my window. Downside is that it’s actually one side of my bedroom. All my fabric stashed under the table (or bed), vintage sheeting in tidy piles awaiting transformation under my table. I have an inspiration board (which i try not to cover completely with small child art), fellow Creative Mama’s art around me, a shelf to my right with my special bits and tins of vintage buttons, cat curled up asleep somewhere and all i need right to hand and in its rightful place. When Jed was tiny, i would set up a portable machine on his table and sew manically when he napped (if he napped), perched on one of his tiny chairs. So, this current crafting set-up is something close to paradisical in comparison. I dream of a separate studio but I love my crafting area at the moment.

How did you learn your craft? (Did your mama/grandma craft? Self taught?)
My mama made alot of our clothes when we were growing up. I was largely unteachable but learnt from watching her sew and was banging out dolls clothes and dodgy clothes for myself from age six or so. There’s alot of self- taught in there too. I know alot but I am still learning. Actively learning, thirsty for it in fact.

Do you do any crafting with your kids? Are they into it? Can you suggest a project that your small ones have enjoyed?
Oh yes, Jed and i are often ‘on the make’. We usually have a wish list of things we’d like to make and sometimes when the spirit takes us we’ll do a four hour stint and look up still in our Pjamas. Quite a few pairs of pyjama’s have paint splatters on them. Even if i am making something for Jed i will ask for his input...he will choose fabrics, colours, or have a say on design. He has started operating the sewing machine (under my very watchful eye) which is very exciting. It’s a power tool you know. Making window art from the waxed paper i use to make the Steiner window stars with was Jed’s idea. He will often craft on his own while i work. I look up half an hour later to see what hes up to and will be amazed. Kids art is so fresh and real. I love it. The paper is translucent and vibrantly coloured so when you hang it in the window it comes alive. This project could be done by all ages. Jed did his own cutting but you could precut pieces for the very-smalls. The best ideas are often my son’s. His concentration is incredible. I practice the art of putting the lid on my (boring in comparison) vision of how something should look.

Can you give us some tips on how you juggle being a mama and working from home (or finding time to be creative at home)?
Ai yi yi. That is quite the question isn’t it?! I am trying to build a business from home and ask Jed to do his own work for quite large chunks of the day sometimes. Mostly this works. I make sure we have some good adventure time and connecting time together to balance my work time. I think it’s good he can do his own thing. I love it when we are both absorbed in our own play/work and yet in the same space. Deep breathing is essential. Uh, what else? Oh, a good sense of humour and a grasp of the art of knowing when to throw in the towel and play rough and tumble for half an hour comes in handy too!
As for finding time to be creative, i always have more ideas than i find time to manifest. I think various other Creative Mama’s pretty much summed it up for me: I don’t watch TV (i can’t see how i would fit that into my busy life, i haven’t watched it in years really), I stay up way too late (ahh, the peace when all is quiet....bliss!), i drink coffee, and i will sneak off to a do a bit of sewing rather than scrub the bathroom floor. Making stuff is so much a part of my life that it is integrated as much as cooking is. For me, happiness and a balanced life comes before cleaning. You will find my house pretty organised though. I can’t think in chaos.

So, there you have it, the last instalment of The Creative Mama Series. It's been fun. I have enjoyed reading about the other mama's - how they manage the question of how to juggle mama'hood and craftiness.

To finish i have a last giveaway. A GrowMama giveaway: I offer one item of your choice from my newly stocked Felt store. Click HERE to have a wander around. I am stocking more items every week. Leave a comment to enter the giveaway. Tell me what you'd like to win and who it would be for. The youngest member of the household will choose the winner from the magic hat at the end of the week. I am happy to ship internationally. Good luck!

mama

2011-09-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

‘Mama’ is in hot demand. Other alter ego’s are hungry, are desperate for a pee, have sewing to do, are aching to dance, have a shop to re-stock and bills to pay, but, Mama is there. At the ready with a shoulder to lean on, a warm cup of honey tea and a story.
The wee fella is sick. Miserable sick. Outta nowhere. One minute all bounce and vigor with his cousin. Next minute wanted to go home. Anything that lays this boy out for this much sleeping in a day has me a little unsettled. Those of you who have been around awhile will know his aversion to sleep. Severe case of FOMO if you ask me. Anyway. I digress.

He fell asleep on me on the couch earlier today. I realised that he was truly sick then. Sitting there with 22.5 kg’s of four year old in my arms i remembered all the times when he was a baby, sitting there in that exact same place. I had a few minutes of internal strife. The deadline. The emails needing to be written, the lists of things to do. Meh, i decided, they would still be there whenever i got up from the couch. Instead, i sat. I held the warmth of that little person i grew those four years ago and i thought.
I thought about all the journey from then, until now. The growing into being a mama for me, the rocketing into little boy-hood for him. All the magic, the laughter and tussles in between. Wow.
How special it is to have the stillness and quiet and time to sit and think. To reflect. To wonder.

Now, if this continues much longer i may have moments of not being quite so graceful. But that's okay. I will keep reminding myself of the preciousness of simply being there. (And keep my radar up for what moments there are to snatch for me.)

travelling

2011-09-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

From blue skies and berries to...

...blue skies and SNOW! We were lucky to catch the last of the decent snow before the weather packed in.
Some of us very much looked the part. I was very pleased with this merino hoody top i made Jed. More about that in another post.

I love the mountains (i have often lived on or near them in my life) but I can never get my head around paying all the money for gear and a ski pass, only to wait in queues just to come down again. I don't think i can get away with keeping the small one on a sled next year though. He has his eyes on the big mountain. I have a year to get my head around being back on ski's or a board. We're talking 15 years ago at Verbier, or even earlier at Whistler when i lived in Canada. Sigh, my bottom aches at the memory.

A whirlwind of friends, granny and granpa, aunties and cousins and animal pals galore...

...and many many miles of roadtrip. Which, given there was a small person on board, was very pleasant.

My suggestions for travelling with small ones...
- pack a good lunch so you can all have decent travelling food.

- pack lots of snacks - include some you don't usually have...the novelty is a good distraction

- bring new stories and music on CD...libraries are a fantastic free source. Some recommendations: Enid Blyton's Enchanted Wood and the Faraway Tree, anything BBC produces, Roald Dahl (the complete collection will get you all the way down to Invercargill and back!)

-view finders with new reels are priceless.

-there are a bunch of games designed for travel: we picked up a Usborne 100 things for children to do while travelling card set. Each card has two sides of activities and came with a pen. The pen marks wipe off (novelty in itself)...this was sheer brilliance and will fuel many journeys to come. $15 well spent!

-pack a basket with pencil case, new notebooks for each child, pictures from magazines cut out with a new glue stick each. Include books and magazines and other activities that can be done in the car. Place the basket where the kids have easy access to it.

- don't forget to bring any special friends, pillows or blankies.

Some last words:

-limit the sugar and things with additives, you don't want your small people jittery in the constraints of the car!

- the more yummy things you bring with you the less the temptation to buy junk from service stations enroute

- be aware of the attitude you bring to the trip...think 'adventure' rather than trial by fire.

- we have a saying 'it takes the time it takes' - if you stress about having to make good time, you risk losing the magic moments enroute. Stop and play when you need to. It means everyone arrives refreshed. I, er, learnt the hard way on that one!

Look out for the last Creative Mama Series post this coming weekend: i am doing a giveaway of GrowMama treats to say thank you for sharing the ride with me.

nesting

2011-09-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

I am reminded again and again of the magic of a simple life, a life with space in it for creative juices to bubble up and entertain us with no more than a gnome, some dried grass, flower petals, moss and leaves. I began this nest project with Jed and his dear wee friend Ava Bean. Kicking around in the garden waiting for lunch, we wove the dried grasses into a nesty sort of a shape and talked about what else might be nice for inside a nest. A gnome was produced (and no, it wasn't at my house, but okay the gnome might have immigrated from there) and the children went off into the garden coming back with their additions to the nest lining. Loveliness.

So, it turned out i have horribly underestimated what i could get done this week. That's okay, there are weeks (months?!) like that. There has been alot of just hanging with friends in the sun.(I feel like i need to put this sentence into context...this working from home mama doesn't do 'hanging out' that very much usually) Jed and his friends have been swimming every chance they could. Very spring like behaviour!

And you know, the lists of things i want to do will still be there next week. We're off to frolic with friends, family and find a bit of snow up the mountain. See you mid week for the last Creative Mama Series post.

I'm leaving the giveaway for Simonne's Giveaway for her Creative Mama post- the Lets Go Retro voucher- open until then. Click HERE to go to her post. We posted the giveaway after the actual blog post went up and i think the Auckland local crew missed it...rark it up people and we'll draw it next week. Have a great weekend, i plan to!

little bit of green goes a long way

2011-09-06T03:44:00.000-07:00

The small one found two pieces of beautiful green knit fabric at our favourite church op shop a few weeks ago. I think they may have been cut out of a t-shirt. The colour was very him. Green is still the hot favourite.I had been wanting to make a simple doll for ages. I was inspired too by Sam's beautiful dollmaking.
Now, guess who the first doll had to go to?

I think of it as a tax for working from home.She's perched a bit awkwardly but you get the idea. It is a 'her' apparently, and her name is Leaf. Leaf's hat will forever be half slipping down and her face is a little lopsided but she is much loved. (Poor kid thinks he is lucky getting the first one made, but in reality he gets all the prototypes.)

A close companion of rainbow gnome, Leaf's main function is cuddles at night. Sweet.

Looking forward to making more dolls...it is amazing how each one suddenly springs to life with its own personality. The rest of the green fabric turned into another doll, and in light of the current craze on leaves...when the small one ripped the knees out of his stripy organic leggings...i mended the rips and cut out patches in the shape of leaves to handsew on. Small one likes them, and it prolongs the life of the leggings. There's a few knees of trousers getting a hard time lately, i am thinking about just patching them all. I have done a few patches in thick fleece. (Green of course.)It works nicely. The thickness of the fabric has saved Jed's knees from scrapes after tumbles from the bike or treeclimbing incidents.

The Creative Mama Series - Simonne

2011-09-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

I am honoured to be hosting a score of super talented crafty mamas sharing their wisdom, crafting and snapshots of their beautiful lives. This is ‘The Creative Mama series’. Join me every weekend for a wander in these ladies crafty shoes. Guest posts, stunning photography, inspiration, interviews, poetry and giveaways...all coming up. Magic aside it can be hard work this mama business, put your feet up a minute and join us. Hopefully there is always something here to give your day a lift.Name: Simonne Le Masurier
Mother of Molly (20, at Uni in Wellington) and Kieran (8). Live with partner Pete and our son Kieran and Pete's daughter Rosie (sometimes).
We live on a beautiful property beside the stream which runs out of Lake Wainamu in the Bethells Valley. Although our house is very rundown (always work in progress), our situation is stunning and l get immense satisfaction from the garden and the birdlife and the stars at night and the sound of the waves in the distance and the proximity of the wild West Coast and the incredibly supportive and fun community we have in the Valley. It is a magical place to raise children both physically and emotionally.
I am the owner of Let's Go Retro, the vintage store in Swanson, West Auckland, NZ. My shop, to me, is a wonderful, peaceful haven filled to the brim with beautiful treasures from our past. My craft is finding and restoring vintage wares. It is not something l was taught but rather a love l was born with and a wide range of skills and knowledge have come along the way just by being open to learning. If you're passionate about your vocation the gaining of knowledge is a pleasure. I count myself lucky to know that in my business l'll never know everything!
History - As a child l would love to sort through Gran's cupboards hearing the history of the various contents and Grandad's pigeonhole desk with its old stamps and log books and receipts for everything he'd ever bought was a constant source of wonder. Then as a teenager l was first off the block with the inorganic rubbish collections. I still have a tin chest and lined hat box found in a treasure filled pile. It's amazing what you can balance on the rack of your pushbike when there is a strong will involved.
There followed many years, off and on, where l would sell my wares at markets. Finally, the leap into the void of owning a shop was made three years ago when my son started school and l was faced with the prospect of getting a real job. And there began another steep learning curve!

My children have both picked up an appreciation of vintage wares and my eight year old can spot a Crown Lynn swan from a hundred paces! Molly always helps in the shop during Uni breaks and has manned market stalls with me for years. She's also a keen op shopper! I love that they both value what l do and have an appreciation of the quality and style of old things.
It is fabulous for a child to learn the basic economics and green/recycling virtues of buying secondhand. I've racked my brains to think of any helpful hints regarding juggling family/business demands but perhaps l'm just not the right person to ask. l still go into a panic if Kieran wakes up ill because Pete will have left for work already, his mother doesn't turn her hearing aid on until 9am, my mother lives in Melbourne and you cannot offload a sick child to stay at home friends as you'll just infect their children. I think there's a job opportunity there for someone - providing a quiet, friendly restful haven for sick children.
And then there's the guilt...
It's a nightmare sometimes but somehow it all works out in the end and neither of my children seem to be emotionally damaged in any way. I think l am but they seem OK!
I should also mention that Pete and l work in together well so the childcare duties are not wholly my responsibility. That makes all the difference!

Check out the Lets Go Retro website HERE. Or better yet, for those in Auckland, or visiting, go visit the store in Swanson...for those who love vintage and retro it is pretty close to paradise.

SIMONNE'S GIVEAWAY...is a $25 voucher to spend at Lets Go Retro! Wow...too bad i can't enter aye?! Leave a comment to be in to win. All entries go into the magic hat and the winner drawn by the smallest member of the household. Good luck!

double take

2011-09-03T03:01:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me why i bothered to spend time op-shopping the other day.
Here is where it began...I first got into thrift shopping when i was 12. We didn't have much money, and i wanted to express myself more through my clothing. I stumbled into one of our local church opportunity shops and came out with a shirt i loved...for 10 cents. There was no turning back. Its a pretty fundamental part of my life.

My take on thrift shopping:
= I think there is enough stuff in the world, i don't want to contribute to that by buying more new stuff...not when i can source it secondhand. Okay, underwear i buy. (i know someone would email and ask me that one!). I do want to try making some though. Yup, really.

= I really don't get paying hundreds of dollars for any item of clothing. I don't have that many hundreds of dollars for clothes to begin with, but still...

= i like the unique aspect of buying second hand. It's perhaps a little different, or vintage.

= everything comes with it's own story, my imagination likes that.

= it's kinder to my skin as well as my pocket...i wrote a piece about organic clothing for Organic NZ magazine awhile back and the chemical residue in new non-organic clothing blew my mind. Cotton mainly. Not good for the earth, oh no. Or me...if i buy secondhand the yuckies have mainly leached out. I am not a purist but this is a bonus.

= If i am walking past an op shop i usually pop in and do a quick scout. I am always on the lookout for good fabric (it is so expensive new and i use vintage prints for my GrowMama babies and kids range of clothing), craft supplies, books and clothing to upcycle. My eye is pretty finely honed after all these years. I can speed rummage an op-shop and be out smiling in ten minutes easy.

= Thrift shopping has furnished homes and whole wardrobes for me. It has me feel like anything is possible, even if i have only a handful of dollars in my pocket.

= i like the whole underground economy thing...trading, LETS systems, thrift stores, free stores, garage sales...

= i like the interactions i have with the people that shop in the same places i do...it opens my world to a broader one, a friendly one at that.

= I like that the money i pay goes (mostly) to charities doing good work. That's a good feeling.

= Oh yes, then there is the thrill of finding quality labelled clothing for a teeny tiny fraction of the original cost...i do find that perversely satisfying.
I have a thing for knitwear. A few days ago i came home with this top. I had ripped off the Salvation Army $5 tag when we'd gotten home. This morning i took a closer look at it. To find it was brand new with original tags ... for $238. I did a doubletake. I had quibbled internally over paying $5. Eek.

in sherwood forest

2011-09-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

I innocently read Robin Hood to the small boy the other morning. That was it. His imagination was seized, big time. Do any of you remember the pixie costumes i made last year? You can see the post HERE. The pixie tunic came out of the dress up drawer, a forest green long sleeved shirt was unearthed and the hunt was on for a hood. I pulled out this medieval looking jerkin i had found at an op shop and he was looking very robin hoody. When i said we could make a bow and arrow those eyes lit up. That was all i heard all the rainy day, until we made a break for the garden to ask a tree for some green wood.

He was a natural.
The next day: 5.30am. (His natural waking time, shocking i know, oh believe me i know)

..."Mama, what is the name of where Robin keeps his arrows?"

And so the morning saw the making of a quiver. And a belt and a pouch. All gleaned from illustrations in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th readings of the Robin Hood book. This picture is him waiting for his quiver....one happy Robin.
Guy of Gisborne was pursued relentlessly, a dragon or two got dragged into the story, many rich were robbed to give to the poor (i qualify), Mama was christened 'Mrs Robin Hood' and somewhere along the line, Stephen Fry joined the merry men.

Library, the store, post office...all greeted him with a rousing 'Hi Robin Hood' and he was so very pleased.

I have never seen him quite so taken with a story. Dress up's are popular but usually have to be taken off the second he is no longer in character. Not Robin. He has been with us for four days.
And counting. Isn't it funny how something just takes them on a fabulous journey?

Oh, the adventures.

On another more Mama flavoured note...Extracurricular magazine's blog has a post on me/GrowMama today. With some outtake photos from the shoot that the lovely and uber talented Rosa Mae did here. Take a look HERE. Thank you Ellie.

And don't forget to enter Joanne's Imp'ish giveaway, last days people! Go HERE to read Joanne's Creative Mama post and leave a comment to be in the running to win.

walking through the ages

2011-08-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

After Kraftbomb on Sunday, i legged it across town to the Auckland Vintage Textile Fair.
A first timer, i had no idea what to expect. What i got was a delightful wander back through the ages. Even some of the stall holders had taken the opportunity to dress in their favourite vintage get ups. I love that. Vintage patterns, hats, books, trims and haberdashery, clothes of all sorts and era's, shoes, linen, and of course pile upon pile of vintage fabric. From pricey collectors items to folks thinning out their fabric stash.

These vintage feedsacks brought back memories of my time living the Americas. Sigh. I miss those yard sales Charlottesville...then i got to thinking about the Perpignan fleamarkets and Emmaus (a church run secondhand bonanza of places throughout rural France) on the road back home up to the Pyrenean mountains where i lived. That place pretty much furnished our home and the gite to boot. Not to mention clothed us. Sigh again. I have to settle for Auckland Salvation Army stores and the odd garage sales these days. It just ain't the same. High class problem i know. I am not cleaning up after an earthquake nor hurricane like many friends at Twin Oaks Community in Central Virginia where i used to live. My thoughts to y'all.

I miss my people in those places more than the thrift stores.A modest smattering of vintage fabrics found their way home with me. And quite a number of these delightful vintage scrap decals. I am crafting at every opportunity at the moment (one could say at a frantic pace - as you'll see in the days to come) and my mind is already whirling to where i might use these. Some i have put aside for Jed's friend Sofia and her lovely mama, Stacey. Others are up on my inspiration board. And there are plenty more to play with. What a treat.

If you haven't already, pop on over to Joanne's Creative Mama Series post and leave a comment for a chance to win her giveaway...a beautiful fair trade organic cotton 'hello sailor' shirt from her new Imp'ish collection...click HERE.

The Creative Mama Series - Joanne

2011-08-28T01:51:00.000-07:00

I make sure i have some time to myself...walks on the beach, go to the movies at local community cinema, have friends over for knitting group night (which last week i started to crochet a hat) & catch up with friends for a cuppa tea! My creative space is my desk in the corner of my bedroom with mac, printer favourite magazines, stacks of my children’s artwork for inspiration...and the paper work yet to be filed.

My children are involved in the daily running of the business. They know I pack orders, check my emails and need time to draw sometimes. I get them to help and they have input on my designs. For example my 10 year old daughter drew the original design for my ‘hello sailor’ print on this season grey marl tee. I plan on this business becoming a part of my children's life and for more than just for me, because I have 5 creative daughters I hope this could become a part of their future.
I have a dream to have a school near, or in, the factory where my clothes are manufactured in India, and other social projects for India and locally between buyer and supplier to bridge the connections.

Check out Joanne's Imp'ish blog HERE. Please do...she writes about the farmers of the organic cotton she uses for her Imp'ish line, their families and life in the village. Beautiful photos too. So good to see the whole process of a fair trade garment from seed to being worn. Every time Jed wears any of his Imp'ish gear i think of Joanne, her family and all the way back the chain to the folks in India who grew the cotton and manufactured Jo's designs, and their friendship. That is pretty cool. I can't say that about any other of our clothes.

JOANNE'S GIVEAWAY: Jo is offering one Hello Sailor Imp'ish organic cotton top. Your choice of size (0-7). To enter simply leave a comment below. All comments go into the magic hat and the winner drawn by the smallest member of the household at the end of the week. Good luck!

Organic Island Baby website is HERE. Go, love, buy! -or just covet :)

{this moment}

2011-08-26T03:48:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by Amanda Soule: pop on over to see her moment (bear in mind that we in NZ are a day ahead) HERE. Be sure to have a wander through the comments folks leave for her with links to their magical moments.

i felt

2011-08-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

There are body parts strewn across my work table. Gnomes and dolls in the making.

I am loving these simple cuddly gnomes. Made with super soft vintage wool or cotton flannel and stuffed with unspun wool. Perfect first doll for baby.

I have finally stocked my GrowMama Felt store. It's been sitting there un-used, since 2009. Yup. But, i did it...i am part of the felt community now. And it feels good. Felt is New Zealand's online treasure trove of handmade goodness. Check out the GrowMama Felt store HERE.

Re-organising the GrowMama Etsy store is next. I am not sure what my block is to really getting my etsy store going. Like many creatives, I have a pesky little voice that pipes up when i am not feeling at my best that says untrue things like 'you are not good enough'. Right now the sound of singing, laughing and the drone of the sewing machine is drowning it out. That'll do, until i exorcise it, train the voice to be a little more supportive, or i would settle for it telling jokes.
Kraftbomb craft market this Sunday people. If you are in Auckland, it's a nice scene.
Grey Lynn Community Hall. 11-2.

AND AND AND...Don't forget to go visit Jannelle of Heart Felt in the latest Creative Mama Series post HERE. Loveliness offered for her giveaway...go see!

The Creative Mama Series - Jannelle

2011-08-21T00:56:00.000-07:00

I've always had the need to be creative and with the arrival of my
children my creativity turned to photography and sewing.

I took up photography 4 years ago and love capturing little moments of innocence and wonder that children possess. I'm self taught and still learning but it helps when I have great models who put up with me.Since then I've had photographs published in a variety of books and magazines from around the world.

When Sadie was born in 2007 I developed the need to sew. My mother sewed all our clothes for my sister and I when we were children and I started to regret that I didn't take up the opportunity to learn from her when I could. But my good friend supplied me with a sewing machine and another showed me a simple dress pattern and I haven't looked back.

Life is busy in our household but I try to do at least one creative thing a day. Some days it might just be a few shots with my camera ~other days it may be cutting out a pattern or even just matching some fabrics together. With Ian at work most nights I do get a lot of evening time to myself and I like nothing more than having some hand sewing in my lap.

My creative space is everywhere. I recently just moved my sewing machine into the garage, but I hand sew wherever I happen to be in the house. It could be outside while watching the children play in the garden, sometimes in front of the fire or even in bed while watching a movie. I always have it handy to pick up when the opportunity arises.

The children like to join in when they can. Charlie and Sadie both love to have a go at hand sewing and show interest in drawing, painting and photography. Recently they made 'stuffies'. They drew a picture onto a piece of A4 sized piece of fabric with crayons. Sadie drew a turtle and Charlie a dinosaur. We set the crayon with a hot iron (use a piece of greaseproof paper in between) and then cut around the drawing leaving a decent sized seam. They then whipped stitched around the shape to make a pocket. They then stuffed the pocket with stuffing and closed it up to make their own original stuffed animal. They both took their stuffie to bed that night, something special, unique and handmade. I've now taken that craft to the library with me where we'll be doing it with a group of children for a school holiday project.

My tips for being at creative at home:
~ turn off the TV
~ get inspired through books, magazines, blogs, and the world around you
~ have supplies at hand so when you have the will you have the materials
~ involve the kids, it might slow your process down but it can also be
inspirational
~ make it your own, put your own little twist to your creation
~ just do it! The washing will get folded, the dishes will get
done....eventually!

JANNELLE'S GIVEAWAY...a Hiawatha headband! Leave a comment for Jannelle below to be in to win one of Jannelle's beautiful Hiawatha headbands. All comments go into the magic hat and the winner chosen by the smallest member of the household at the end of the week.

Jannelle's lovely blog, Heart Felt can be found HERE.

To shop or be tempted in Jannelle's Felt shop, click HERE. Etsy shop: HERE.

shades of green

2011-08-19T22:26:00.001-07:00

Green is the favourite colour around here at the moment. There are green cats, green buds apparent on the winter branches of the deciduous trees, new green knitted cardigan for the small one (I get asked if i knit all the time when Jed or i wear our various handknitted clothes, the answer is a wistful no...i am just good at finding them brand new and beautiful at thrift stores, lucky us), attempts at a natural green plant based dye, and a green doll in the making. Even the thrift shop finds were in shades of green...
I have a new pair of favourite trew: a green pair of wide leg corduroy trousers found in a most unlikely thrift store. I was whirling out the door when they leapt out at me. $4 of warm cosy green. I've felt a bit de-railed by life lately plus feeling an economical pinch in the pocket and sometimes it is the small things that cheer one up. Call me simple but the green corduroy trousers did it for me this week. Especially topped by the THIS shirt...made from a vintage curtain by me a year ago and still a favourite.

Ta daaaa....TEN metres of brand new vintage stretch cotton drill...in green and light brown. All ready for the spring range of GrowMama designs. It's getting harder and harder to source reasonably priced quality vintage fabrics and new fabric is so expensive...i was so happy to find these. With a few metres of lace and a cotton vintage print for accents, perfect.
The wee man all in green. Examining the sleet and hail that fell last week...to our great excitement. We don't usually get such wintry delights in our seaside locale.

The sun glinting off the latest acquisitions of vintage buttons, all in shades of ...green.

extracurricular growMama

2011-08-17T01:51:00.001-07:00

Here it is folks...a little ray of light in the depths of winter (snow? here? craziness!) arrived in my letterbox. Issue 6 of Extracurricular magazine is hot off the press.
And i get a mention! Well, a few. Front cover, inside cover, twice on page 1, page three (can i just say now how excited i am?), and interview and photographs by the lovely Rosa Mae Rutherford pages 6-13 (did i mention excited?).

I wrote an article for this issue too...Waste not, want not. On upcycling, a subject close to my heart.

I should say that there is much more to the magazine than just me though...click HERE for a sneak peek into more extracurricular goodness. I always look forward to EC coming out and this one has a tinyhappy/Melissa Wastney tutorial for a foraging bag and a recipe for mulled wine. And Darren Song's stitch art on paper...sheer beauty there.

And click HERE, to go to Extracurricular's blog and find a stockist near you.

These are not just any magazines. Small yet sassy, these babies are keepers...collect 'em all and display them proudly.

Scoot on over HERE to check out Bronwyn's Creative Mama Series post...best invention ever for babies and toddlers i reckon.

The Creative Mama Series - Bronwyn

2011-08-14T00:42:00.000-07:00

I’m a mama to Keagan (4) and Keira (2). My husband Brendan, is currently writing his thesis, for his final year of Architecture whilst working full-time. We live in Laingholm, Auckland. I’m originally from South Africa, but after meeting my husband in the UK we decided to settle in his home country. Shortly after arriving we started our family.

When Keagan was born we lived in a lovely little one-bedroom unit in Three Kings. It was there that I did my first bit of sewing as an adult. I made a quilt for Keagan. I remember sewing frantically, impatient to see the finished product. He still uses his quilt most nights. That’s where my quilt-sewing-mania started. I made quilts for everyone I could think of. At first, I sewed each stitch by hand until I learnt how much faster it was to machine quilt. The most recent quilt was a photo quilt for my brother and his fiancée as a wedding gift. I would sew in the evening while watching television, in the days we had a television and had time to watch it.

When I heard my friend was pregnant with her second child I wanted to make her something very special. After hearing she had discovered her moses basket covered in mould, I started making my first folding bassinet. This lead to Bubbalux Bassinets. I threw myself into making bassinets, sitting on the living room floor surrounded by bolts, drills and alun keys; or standing in the courtyard electric sander in hand. I don’t know how the neighbours felt about the noise but luckily nobody ever said anything. I would work 10 hours at a time once a week when Keagan visited his grandparents. Timber is such an amazing medium to work with. I used Rimu and spent hours sanding it to perfection. There is something so incredibly beautiful about finished timber. With my limited knowledge I believe that Rimu should be even-grained without markings but it was these imperfections that in my eyes gave the timber life; a bit like people I suppose, our imperfections make us who we are and give us character and substance.

It was then that we moved to our current house in Laingholm in NZ. Keagan was two-years-old. I had all the intentions in the world of continuing with Bubbalux but when Keira came into this world I set aside my creating for a time, and when I picked it up again it was to make ‘taggies’. I had such fun! Each ‘taggie’ was different with assorted applique designs I created in my head in the early hours of the morning. I learnt how to use a sewing machine through making ‘taggies’. I then went on to complete a variety of other sewing projects. I sewed dresses and a duck for Keira, who loves ducks, and capes, a Tigger costume and a robot for Keagan; and I recently made a dolls folding bassinet and a high chair for Keiras 2nd birthday.

At times I sew when the kids are awake with Keagan sitting at my feet pressing the peddle of the sewing machine while I attempt, with marginal success, to sew in a straight line. Keira entertains herself on the floor nearby by sticking pins into unsuspecting stuffed victims. Sometimes the kids and I craft together. We have made ‘pet rock’ animals, paper villages, robots, masks and other child-focused projects but mostly I think they are still a little young.

The drive behind my crafting is to contribute in some way financially though fundamentally my crafting is a creative outlet and fills a need. My father was an amazing carpenter and my mother dedicated her time to nurturing our creativity. My mother-in-law and my mum purchased a sewing machine for me as a gift for my birthday five years ago. My father-in- law has over time, stocked our workshop with tools.

When Keira was nine-months-old I dropped Keagan at kindy and on the way back Keira fell asleep.
I had just moved her from a capsule to a car seat so it was no longer a matter of lifting her out of
the car and putting the capsule into her cot, which I now know is very dangerous. I was sitting in the car while she slept thinking about all the things I could be doing upstairs when I had an idea that has gradually developed into the MOAI. Each MOAI is meticulously sewn by my mother-in-law Patricia Scott-Woods, who has 50 years sewing experience. MOAI offers an alternative to leaving your child sleeping in their car seat. It is a car seat/trolley cover, a carrier, a hammock and a sling/frontpack. Born of necessity, this is incidentally where it got its name,
Necessity…the mother of all invention. When Keagan was little he spent most of his life in a front pack. When he fell asleep I could not put him down or he would wake. The MOAI transforms from a front pack to a hammock allowing an unsettled child gentle transition, and gives mum precious time to be, to do, to create. If I had a MOAI then, I think of how different my life would have been.

Children are amazing gifts, we cherish every moment with them but as mamas I believe it so
important to set aside time to for ourselves, something so many mamas forget. My crafting space has
changed from the floor of a one-bedroom unit to the kitchen bench; or ‘my little hole’ which is what I affectionately call my study – a tiny, dark room in the heart of the house created by my husband by dividing one of our larger bedrooms into two. It doesn’t matter where I’m working; I am doing something I love and that’s what is important at the end of the day. Which brings me to the million dollar question...

How do I juggle being a mama and working from home?

I’d love to be able to say that I’m one of those super organised mamas who have managed to balance work with family life but I muddle through the best I can. I don’t believe there is any other option. My children need me. I want to be with them as they start this long journey of self-discovery. Working from home gives me that opportunity. When the kids are tucked in bed at night dreaming of the day gone by, that is when my work day begins. I often get to bed past midnight. It helps that Brendan works long hours too so we motivate and support one another. It helps too that I am passionate about what I’m doing. Each day as I watch my daughter
rocking gently in her MOAI, hear her version of ‘MOEEEE’ as she yawns and rubs her eyes, or carry her sound asleep from the car I feel empowered to continue doing what I’m doing as hard as it is at times. I have chosen this path as a ‘working mum’ and as long as I am strong enough to continue two lives symbiotically the juggling act will continue.

Click HERE to check out the MOAI on Bronwyn's website.

Visit Bronwyn's MOAI facebook page HERE.

BRONWYN'S GIVEAWAY... is 20% off your very own MOAI! For all GrowMama readers who leave a comment on Bronwyn's Creative Mama Series post! Or ten percent off a custom made one. (Offer not valid for the Kiwiana Moai). If you leave a comment below i will email you with a special code. This offer is open until midnight Saturday NZ time.

The Moai would have made my life so much easier when my son was small and if we are blessed with another baby i will be first in line to buy one i can tell you. Brilliant invention Bronwyn!

dyeing

2011-08-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious sunny day but Jed didn't want to go to the beach or for a bikeride. He wanted to do the dyeing project we've been talking about for weeks. And so!

For a small person that loves crafting, colour, mixing and muslin play cloths...this was an afternoon of heaven.

Very proud craftsperson at the end of a busy afternoon.

My heart was glad to see these colours against the blessing of a blue sky that we had today, instead of the forecasted rain...hoorah!

Aucklander's: I will be at the Titirangi Mum's Craft market on Saturday and a few of you were asking where to buy GrowMama gear in a retail outlet-check out Lets Go Retro on Swanson Rd. Etsy, felt and trademe will all be re-stocked next week. (I sincerely hope.)

Last chance to enter Angela's giveaway and read her Creative Mama piece...click HERE.

May your week be all you need it to be!

it's winter

2011-08-09T03:21:00.000-07:00

It's winter. We're past the solstice, so we're on the downslide...but, it rains alot, it's chilly, i'm tired, there's not much in the garden...it's winter. Ugh. I know we have it easy as far as winters go but I find myself coveting the summery blog posts of other hemisphered blogtypes. Then i just want to sew. It's my therapy.

It's not just that it's winter really. I am usually a graceful winter person. It has been a strange time.
Not so good things happening. Friends house burning, neighbours car crashing in next to our house, Friend having a stroke, babies lost and grieved for. I could keep listing 'em but i won't.
Somehow the hard stuff takes up more space than the magic all around us. The last few days all of it has been weighing heavy on me. It somehow muscled the happiness out of the frame. I realised i was letting it.
Well, I am categorically NOT letting it. I can feel sad, and still appreciate the beauty of the freesia's my boys picked me on their walk. I can rage at injustice and still smile at Jed's face as he registers that Mumford and Sons (so totally Jed style that band) actually swear in their song 'little lion man'. Now THAT was an interesting conversation!

And when that sun does shine, we are out there, in it. Doing a spot of paleontology,rock climbing, drinking tea, dreaming of our garden, crafting or just sitting with faces upturned to it's warmth and appreciating it oh so very much. Sometimes it is the little things that lift me up so i can see clearly again.

Loving this too: three of my favourite bands coming together for the Railroad Revivalist Tour.

You gotta listen to THIS!

The Creative Mama Series - Angela

2011-08-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

What’s your creative outlet? Why do you craft? When do you make time to craft?

Most of the time I swing between crochet and sewing. I love free-form crochet, partly because I enjoy making and experimenting, and the process is really important to me, and partly because I'm really bad at sticking to patterns! But I'm working on that as it makes reproducing a favourite hit and miss, and I'd love to make some of the garments that I see in pattern books.
I'm fortunate to have my nana's sewing machine and overlocker, and since Luna was born I've been sewing again, spending time getting to know my machine, my materials and teaching myself to sew better. I do a lot of hand sewing, but I love the speed and scale you can achieve with a good machine. I love detail and the things I enjoy making tend to take hours of work, and I make my all own patterns. My sea horse softies for example, involved several prototypes and experiments with scale and detailing, until I reached a point where I was happy with the pattern and went on to make some to sell (then I just had to dare to cut into some of my vintage fabric stash!). I think going to art school unleashed a part of me that really just needs to make things, no matter how impractical, last year I was delighted to made some work for the crochet coral reef project that visited the Auckland Museum, so beautiful, and it spoke about the damage we are doing to our oceans, as well as the complex growth of reef animals. On the other hand I love the functional side of crafting, and like to revisit some of those everyday projects and ideas, things like really warm wool blankets, pajama cases, accessories and upcycled or altered garments. I enjoy drinking my coffee from a beautiful old cup, and I also enjoy wearing a skirt made from a dress my mum made when she was young, they're imbued with warmth and love already.

I really work to prioritise my crafting/working time, with two littlees it is a challenge! Usually my most productive time is in the evening when the kids are asleep, occasionally daytime naps synchronise and I can have half an hour or so to work. Housework is low down on my list of 'must dos' and if I have free time I don't like to be cleaning! Mothering my children is very intense, however, making and working nurtures and energises me, so it's a survival thing too. Some weeks I can work a lot, others it's about the kids and our activities, and I might just do some baking and gardening to keep the creating part of me going.

Your creative space – what does it look like?

My creative space is a room I share with my husband Rob, it's fairly big, but it's so full! I have a stunning view out over Waterview reserve, the best thing is I can work and then close the door without having to put everything away again. I have a lovely collection of boxes and tins, containing thread and some of my nana Shirley's projects (for me to finish) and I also collect vintage Strawberry Shortcake dolls and My Little Ponies, so I have some of my favourites out to admire. I tend to get a bit obsessed with things and my room reflects that I think!
I like to work in an orderly way, but I work on many projects at a time, and neat and tidy tends to mean I'm not working much though... so it's a full space. The window with the beautiful view gives me headspace.

Do you do any crafting with your kids? Can you suggest a project that your small ones have enjoyed?

Luna sometimes does some 'sewing' with me, sometimes sitting on my lap while I'm at my machine, I have to be in a patient mood for this though. I make pincushions, so I have an excess of pretty pearly pins, which she enjoys pinning into things beside me. I'm gradually including her in stages of my work that she can handle, she has a long attentions span and enjoys detailed work, organising my 'special things' and I love to see what she does, where and how she 'sews' (pins!) I think just being able to (carefully and beside me) rummage through my sewing notions and small projects is really good for Luna, we spend time with all my buttons, she arranges and plays with them, imagines them as a family, it's very tactile and good for all that careful motor skill development. Blake likes the sounds of my machine and usually just gets into some boxes or random less-precious things in the work room at the moment. Currently I'm working on an alphabet blanket and big cushion with Luna, she arranges and pins the felt letters, it's fun and I look forward to finally completing it with her!

Can you give us some tips on how you juggle being a mama and finding time to be creative?

I'm really not very good at the whole juggling thing! I do my best to engage the kids in the daily chores, tidying, cleaning cooking etc. so any 'free' time is not spent catching up on all those things. Having a designated work room really helps, so that was a priority when we were looking for a new flat. Having a very supportive husband is what really makes the difference for me too, we both work on our own projects after hours when the kids are asleep - I really enjoy evenings when we are both working along side each other on our projects. With a cup of tea and maybe some chocolate..
I sometimes read other blogs by craftsy mamas, and they seem SO organised! I'm trying to streamline a little and help the kids have places for their toys and projects. Things seem to be in a state of flux with kids - they grow out of clothes so fast, learn to walk, run, sing, cut veges for dinner, yet days can fly by 'just' reading or sorting out shells. It seems like the key for us is less is more, we try and 'do' less together and just 'be' together, not making too many commitments every week.

ANGELA'S GIVEAWAY...

Oh for my give away I have a cupcake pin cushion kit! It's complete and good for someone who has done some sewing (I have more photos and all the instructions are available on my blog too) or for a child who might have someone to help with trickier bits!

To be in to win a lovely cupcake pin cushion kit, or to leave stories of your own creative mama journey, leave a comment. All entries go into the magic hat and the winner will be drawn by the youngest member of the household at the end of the week.

Angela can be found in her blog, Mermaids Purse.

For a wander through Angela's lovely work, or to buy Mermaid's Purse loveliness, Click HERE.

Good luck for the Giveaway and thanks for stopping by!
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vintage classics

2011-08-05T03:39:00.000-07:00

Fun vintage finds like these make me feel rich. Pottering through one of our favourite wee church thrift shops we unearthed a box of brightly coloured vintage train set pieces buried under a pile of empty boxes.

Complete with this wonderful little wooden village. 'Was $5 okay for us?' they asked.

"YES!", we said, grinning wildly at each other.

Love those wee buildings.

And, flying through the op shop today, looking for white shirts and sheeting to do a big dyeing project, i found this draughts set. Wooden draught pieces on a vintage board. $1 well spent.

Jed beat me tonight. Beaten by a four year old, hmm, i figure i have a few options 1) study draughts at mastery level, 2) get more sleep or, 3) get used to beign beaten. Perhaps all three?

Creative Mama Series Giveaway winners annoucement: Evi was the winner of Melissa's giveaway and Libby Jones the winner of Georgia Leigh's giveaway the week before.

Last chance to enter Sam's giveaway for that gorgeous yellow pocket baby...click HERE to go to her Creative Mama Series post.

making birthday magic

2011-08-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a magical day here. Jed turned four. Friends, family, games, fine food, fun and a fair bit of mayhem. Even the sun shone. Loveliness.
The birthday crown in the making. For a boy whose favourite colour is green.

A few days before his birthday we spent the whole morning crafting. We couldn't even wait to get out of our pj's. I love that he can do his own thing alongside me. I wanted to create an enchanted forest sort of a stage for his birthday present to be set up on. In the meantime, the rainbow gnomes moved in and had a lovely time.

A friend gave me a bunch of green felt for his birthday crown and with so much beautiful green left over we got busy. Jed wanted to use the sewing machine so late one night i cut out piles of leaves and vines and we ran a bunch of them together with sewing machine. Sort of like THIS project we did out of paper. Except these we get to keep. Jed's room has turned into a magical forest. For his wee party we hung them down from the ceiling. Very cool.

The rainbow gnomes left a trail of clues for the kids to follow. The treasure was hidden in a treasure chest in the forest near our home. They came back triumphant carrying the chest between them. The gnomes had left little party bags inside the chest (cleverly made from the pages of an old children's gardening book) with little gifts inside.

Chocolate mud cake (vegan and egg free) decorated with a pixie/fairy/gobin sweet market.

One of Jed's friends is dangerously allergic to nuts, seeds, eggs and kiwifruit which cut out all of my usual party foods. I am so glad, i would never have found the chocolate mud cake recipe...which was so very good! It will be made again.

This wee man was clear about what he wanted...from the friends he wanted to invite and the food. I just helped manifest the vision. What alot of fun it was too. Making magic. The eve of his birthday he kept saying, 'i just want it to be tomorrow, now' and the night of his birthday?

'Mama, i don't want to leave my birthday behind'. Yep, a good day was had by all.

If you haven't already, take a peek at Sam's Creative mama post...her lovely giveaway is open until friday night NZ time. Click HERE.

The Creative Mama Series - Sam

2011-07-29T23:58:00.000-07:00

How did you learn your craft?
I come from a creative crafting family. I remember my grandmother sewing and my nanny was a wonderful knitter. My family all sleep under quilts made by my mum every night. Growing up my parents would craft in their spare time (and still do), my mum at the sewing machine and my dad in the workshop making pretty curls of paper thin wood as he carved.
I came to Waldorf doll making when my children were young. I wanted to make my daughter a doll and used the book ‘Toy making with Children’ by Freya Jaffke. I made simple doll using one of Fil’s old t-shirts and an odd ball of wool. I was amazed at how something so precious could be made from simple recycled materials. What I also didn’t realize until I made a doll was that I created a little character. At some point during making her, she came alive. She was the first toy Evie really connected with and gave a name. She called her Milly.

A few years later I a friend suggested running a doll making workshop as a fundraiser for our Steiner play group. I have run many craft workshops and had made a simple doll for each of my children and so I volunteered to help. I had a few weeks before the workshop and so I met with my friends to learn how to make a simple sack doll. This is where my love of doll making began.
It was a good thing too as since both my friends I was running the workshop with had very young babies it became apparent that I would need to do all the talking! The workshop was a success and since then I have made many more dolls and now run a weekly Waldorf doll making group.
I love the process of Waldorf doll making. From simple, natural materials, sheep’s wool, cotton fabric, wool a little soul emerges. The key to a beautiful doll I believe is not to have a fixed idea of the outcome but to allow the doll grow. It is such a wonderful thing to make dolls for children that become their treasured companions.

Do you do any crafting with your kids?

I do craft with the kids when they show an interest. Often whilst I am knitting they will want to work with wool too. Sometimes they are happy to wind some wool beside me or make a pom pom, Evie likes to finger knit. More often than not I give them some spare yarn and they happily wind it around the furniture and themselves creating webs and dens.
Can you give us some tips on how you juggle being a mama and working from home (or finding time to be creative at home)?
-Make the most of small crafting windows of opportunity – e.g. long journey’s in the car
-Be prepared for a project to take a long time as you pick it up and put it down whilst looking after the kids
-Accept that sometimes it’s just not a good day for crafting and wait until the kids are in bed before working on your project.
-Enjoy what you are making.

SAM'S GIVEAWAY...Sam is offering growMama readers a chance to win one of her delicious yellow pocket babies...leave a comment below to be in the draw to win. All entries go into the magic hat and the winner drawn by resident small person. Winner will be announced the week after.

Sam's dolls are available at Forest Folk. Go see...they are so very lovely.

If anyone would like to join Sam to make dolls her group are making them for the Titirangi Steiner school to be sold at the shop and Advent summer fair held in November. If you would like to make a doll for yourself we can also provide doll-making lessons. For more information please contact Sam: phorm(at)email.com.

Update: Giveaway closed!

{this moment}

2011-07-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by Amanda Soule. Click HERE to see her moment and be sure to read the comments and links to all her readers moments...it's quite a journey!

bad hair day solution

2011-07-28T02:12:00.000-07:00

Most of my crafting is done out of need. About a month ago I had a bad hair day. One rummage through some vintage fabric and a little visit to my sewing machine turned that bad hair day right around. Instead of feeling down and fielding strange looks, I got many comments about my fabulous vintage hairband. While I was at it, I made a bunch for the Growmama stall at Kraftbomb market and they sold like hot cakes. The bad hair day solution has arrived ladies!

I used to live in a hairband like this years ago when I was travelling alot, when I was street performing, whenever I took the five night train across America to a meeting and oh wait, and when I lived on the commune too. Either I have more bad hair days than most or I am lazy. Either way, I am happy to have updated the headband with a more vintage feel and am wearing one of mine 2 days out of three.

To make it easy for those of you who contacted me after the last markets, GrowMama headbands are to be found in-store at Lets Go Retro in West Auckland, they'll be on my stalls at the Titirangi Mums Craft market in a few weeks time and Kraftbomb from August onwards. Oh, and I am listing a few on Trademe. Etsy listings to come. If anyone wants the pattern, email me. Happy to share the love. Or wait for the tutorial, it's coming.

I love that these make use of those special vintage fabric lengths that aren't quite big enough to make a piece of clothing out of.

This is my favourite. Vintage raw silk with animal print. I scored 12 metres of this stunning material at an estate sale for an absurd (if you know me, you think lower on the scale here, not higher!) price. This woman had the most beautiful collection of fabrics, alot of it belonged in a museum. I think of her and her love for vintage textiles whenever i see this fabric. I am still dreaming of what to make myself out of it...twelve metres is alot to play with.

A big welcome to all the folks new to GrowMama - i just about fell off my chair when i saw how many of you are dropping by these days!

LAST CHANCE ...to enter Melissa from Tiny Happy's giveaway, it closes midnight on Friday.

Click HERE to be directed to her Creative Mama Series post, leave a comment to be in the running to win.

kate greenaway

2011-07-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

Many of our favourite books have won the Kate Greenaway medal for excellence. I have wondered on occasion who she was and why there was a medal in her name but never got any further in my investigations. Last Saturday on a rare childfree potter in a thrift shop I found The Kate Greenaway Treasury: a collection of all her illustrations, published works, letters and writings. Wow. And for one dollar. WOW.

Kate was born in 1846 and to look through the collection of her work is to garner a rare glimpse of how life was back in those days. She wrote songs, published a book on toys and games of that era, a colouring in book, a book on the language of flowers, poetry and verse. Some border on the absurd, some just pure delight to look at even today, these hundreds of years later.

She also had a special friendship with John Ruskin, a famous art critic turned commentator on the social and political life of the day. He was said to have anticipated environmentalism and sustainability in his musings. To be independantly solvent in the 1880's and with such friends, Kate must have been one interesting lady.

I'll leave you with a quote from one of Kate Greenaway's letters- she was asked to give advice to those wanting to learn skills to work in the arts:

"One never uses the rules, one only feels them - and defies if one likes...
But we should first know and love them"

The Creative Mama Series - Melissa

2011-07-23T20:15:00.001-07:00

Tell us about you...

I'm Melissa, I turned 30 recently, I have two kids- Arlo who just turned 8 and Keira who is 6, and a partner named Tom who works as a teacher.
We live in Nelson, in a house on a hill with a big lemon tree outside the front window. We love it here and have friends in the neighbouring houses. We have our parents and grandparents, siblings and nieces and nephews here in Nelson, and being near our family is really important to us. My major loves in life include aforementioned family, friends, beach and bush, watching films, baking and eating chocolate. I love music- listening to and collecting albums, and playing the cello and piano. And making things, of course! I love to knit, sew, and design things and am lucky enough to work on that full-time, now that the children are both in school. I've also joined a volunteer group which helps new refugees and other migrants settle in our city, through making crafts together. I'm excited about that.

What’s your creative outlet? Why do you craft?
I've always loved being creative- my parents gave me a sewing machine for my 13th birthday, so working with textiles is very familiar to me. I like to make objects from discarded things- textile recycling, i guess. But I'm also drawn to fabric stores and bolts of beautiful new linen, printed cottons, etc. Liberty of London prints my favourite fabrics. Why do I craft? I suppose it's just a really enjoyable process for me, turning something old into something new and (hopefully) useful, but I also love to make useful things for others, use my hands and be practical. One day I'd love to learn other practical skills, too, like making things from wood and fixing things around the house.

Your creative space – what does it look like?
I'm lucky enough to have the spare bedroom as my 'workroom'. I'm afraid to say it looks like a small child has been let loose in there to play with things and make a jumbly mess. But actually, I made the mess. I try and tidy it up every few months or so, but the truth is, I know where everything is, and I find it a bore to keep it organised.

How did you learn your craft?
My Mum taught me how to sew and knit as a child. She had unending patience, and just let me have free reign with her stash of yarn and fabric. She also let me experiment in the kitchen completely freely. I was lucky.

Do you do any crafting with your kids?
My kids are really into making things too, and I try and think of projects that we can together. We've made puppets, blank books, beaded necklaces and also worked on basic tapestry/embroidery kits. I'm afraid that the latter requires more patience than I often have, but I am working on channelling my own mother in such moments! The thing that works best, really, is just sitting around a table drawing/painting together. Or all working on our own projects at the same table (Arlo will most likely be building lego castles, K writing detailed diary entries about what she ate for breakfast, and Tom reading his latest library find.)

Can you give us some tips on how you juggle being a mama and working from home?
It's always a struggle and juggle- there are so many other things to do, of course. I just try and fit my work in whenever I can, while still 'being there' to participate in school trips, do the housework (blah), taxi children around to various activities, help out other family members, etc. It's not so easy, but I think all working parents do the same thing.

Digital Riroriro print.

Drawstring bag made with 'Vita' fabric Melissa designed.

Handpainted hellebore card set.

MELISSA'S GIVEAWAY...leave a comment below for the chance to win all three of the beautiful tiny happy creations pictured above. Yes, all three...you lucky lucky people! The giveaway is open until the end of the week and all comments go into the magic hat. The winner is drawn by the smallest member of the household. Good luck!

Update: giveaway closed! Winner drawn Friday night and announced next week. Thanks for entering everyone.

You can find Melissa on her blog: tinyhappy.typepad.com.

The tinyhappy etsy shop is HERE. Enjoy!

{this moment}

2011-07-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by Amanda Soule. Click HERE to see her moment and be sure to read the comments and links to all her readers moments...it's quite a journey!

making me happy

2011-07-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

- these flowers on my table.

- stumbling across a small paleontologist's digs through out the house

- raw carrots

- new pieces of vintage fabric...this one reminds me of a summer garden.

- scintillating conversation at the lunch table: 'Mama, what does 'catastrophe' mean?'...silence...then, 'Mama, how did you learn all these big adult words?'

- On Jed's request we made playdough together. Coloured naturally. The blue tea set was mine when i was girl, loving those colours together. Noticing my attraction to bright summery colours at the moment...the opposite from whats happening outside my window.

It was a blustery wet winter's day, tucked up snug in my tiny house with my wee man. We read, we sang, we talked, we read, we stared into the fire,we baked. We did our own thing, we came back together. Mama did a bunch of work, while small one dissembled my stash of bias bindings, trims and elastics into a 'market'. Isn't it astounding what huge projects can materialise behind you in the minutes you weren't paying attention?

On the outset it didn't look like it had much going for it (awful weather, mama with alot of work to do and very tired small person) but it was perfect.

AND HEY! Last chance to enter Georgia Leigh's giveaway...go on over to her Creative Mama post and leave a comment to be in to win THREE of her fantastic patterns. Go, go!

re-usable snack bags

2011-07-19T01:44:00.000-07:00

Making re-usable snack bags has been on my list for oh, awhile now. (It's a long list that one)

I want to lessen the packaging we throw away. To pack food for lunches and snacks i mostly i use stainless steel tiffin tins i bought in Fiji a few years back. But, to seperate the food within the tins, I would wrap in paper.

The little guy was very sick recently and confined to home for a week to save others from contamination, i went a little stir crazy. Might have had something to do with tending a sore sick little fellow, or the lack of sleep - but neither stopped me from tinkering away at creating new patterns for some re-usable snack bags. These are for dry foods like crackers, dried fruit and nuts, biscuits and suchlike. What you see here are the prototypes. I always test run new patterns before sewing them up to sell.

In case any of you crafty seamstress types wanted to have a go...this is my favourite. It has a circular base so it stands up. (Just link back to this post if you have a go okay?) The other ones fall down which drives the little people crazy as it turns out. Test run...see?! I also added these nylon tabs so little fingers can easily open the snack bags themselves.

You can re-use them several times before throwing them in with the rest of the washing. I wash them inside out. They are made with vintage fabric on the outside, are lined with nylon so can be wiped out to refresh between uses, and close with velcro. So far, so good...we are enjoying using them and they feel so nice in the hand. I haven't seen any snack bags like them on the craft circuit and i am looking forward to listing some in my online venues and getting feedback from markets.

One thing though, one of our wee friends is anaphylactically allergic to nuts so i have taken care to keep a snack bag allergen free for the times we hang out...just in case.

The Creative Mama Series - Georgia Leigh

2011-07-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

My husband and I, plus our six kids (I know!), live in a place lovingly referred to as Happy Valley. It is a beautiful mountain valley in the Wasatch mountains of Utah. I homeschool our oldest kids (9, 7, and 5) and mostly hope that the rest (4, 2, and 4 months) don't find the corn syrup and marshmallows while we're busy with that. I hate cleaning, cooking, and laundry but I love spending time with my kids and soaking up their individualism. In my "free" time (hardy har har) I play the violin in our local symphony and love a good book.

What’s your creative outlet? Why do you craft? When do you make time to craft?
Sewing has become much more than a craft for me. I learned how when I was little - maybe 8 or 9 - but didn't really sew regularly until I was married. I had this intense NEED to create something. To make something useful and beautiful with my hands. Now it is more of a skilled trade, I think. Sewing is very complex - I think it exercises your brain in a different way and there aren't any substitutes for it. I feel like music is the same way for me. I feel very lopsided when I'm not participating regularly in the symphony, like I'm not completely whole. At the same time, sewing has also become work. Because our Etsy shop is so successful it is an important part of our income, so it is more work than play sometimes. Your creative space – what does it look like?
My creative space is a humongous disaster area. Think FEMA. In fact, the biggest investment of time for a new pattern or video tutorial is getting my space clean enough to take pictures in. I am lucky enough to have an entire corner of a centralized room in our house, though. I enjoy being in the middle of things while I'm working.
How did you learn your craft? (Did your mama/grandma craft? Self taught?)
I was lucky because my mom taught me! Her mom taught her and so on and so on. I think this type of chain became very rare in the 80s - 90s but is going to come back again with our children. Do you do any crafting with your kids? Are they into it? Can you suggest a project that your small ones have enjoyed?
As much as I'd like to, I just don't get to all the great things I dream up for my kids. But I can say that they have access to all kinds of art, sewing, knitting, and paper-crafting supplies. Our dining room table often looks like some sort of warm fuzzy crafting bomb went off on it. I have one daughter who loves to sew and make all kinds of random items that have no use whatsoever. I have a son who has been taking knitting/crochet lessons from a retired elementary school teacher in our neighborhood. My four-year-old daughter cannot physically fall asleep until she has colored something EVERY night. She's been known to fall asleep with a marker in her hand, leaving a big splotch of color on various surfaces.
Can you give us some tips on how you juggle being a mama and working from home?
I'm not sure I can offer any tips because I don't juggle very well. Because we homeschool and I run a business from home, I just don't have enough hours in the day to do everything. A LOT of things go by the wayside and I just have to deal with it and not beat myself up over it. I try to get the important things done every day and hope that the less important things will fall into place.
GEORGIA'S GIVEAWAY...your choice of three Georgia Leigh patterns from her shop! So much to choose from for the lucky winner! (The car visor CD holder sewing pattern is nothing less than genius...i tell you from experience.) Just leave a comment on this post to be in the running to win. All comments go into the magic hat to be drawn at the end of the week by the smallest member of the household.

You can find Georgia on her blog, Georgia Leigh Designs, HERE.

Her patterns can be bought at her shop HERE.

AND, and and...Georgia has a nifty series of learn to sew videos on you tube...view them HERE.

Giveaway now closed folks...but check out the other Creative Mama Series posts and giveaways ...every weekend there are more lovely crafty mama's interviewed!

titirangi mum's craft market

2011-07-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

I got about three hours sleep last friday night. Little fellow had a high fever. I woke up ten minutes before i needed to leave for the Titirangi Mum's Craft market. I looked like something the car dragged in, Jed was in good form. Hmm.
Lack of sleep and forgetting half my stall set-up aside, it was a lovely market. This was only their second market day...i was impressed. They have a bouncy castle and face painting for the smalls, and the quality of crafting was superb.

Second Saturday of each month. If you live in the 'hood check it out.

I saw some wonderful friends i don't usually cross paths with, met some new ones and you know, it is always lovely to be in the company of women. Especially crafty kindred.

I was perversely happy to hear there was a coffee cart outside too. Three hours sleep = several drinks of coffee required. It's an age old equation.

The winner of Heleen from Ruby in the Dust's giveaway is: Annie from Annie B Handmade.

Heleen will be in touch one day very soon...congratulations Annie.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a Creative Mama Series interview with an awesome lady from the USA...and the generous giveaway she has up for offer. See you then!

PS: Hang in there NZ'ers...the sun is shining here for the first time in ten days...headed your way soon. Now, to scrape the storm detritus and sand off my car...

papermaking

2011-07-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

After five days of the small one having a nasty virus, we are out the other side and crafting together again. Phew. To say the least.

We made Jed's birthday invitations this morning. His favourite colour is green at the moment and we used paper he made himself for the front of the card. I was racking my tired brain for what to put on the front of the cards and Mr almost four said 'Mama, it's my birthday, you should just ask me...i want rainbows!'
Quite.

We have had a papermaking kit on the crafting shelf for years now. I was waiting for the right time and last week was it. We ransacked the paper recycling bin and had a fine time ripping up different pieces of paper into stamp sized bits.

Added water and stirred. Jed was fascinate with the whole process, he stirred and stirred and got his hands in there and played in it for hours each day. Cheap entertainment i tell you!

Take your paper pulp and add more water and whizz. We used the manual swiss whip but then graduated to the food processor for a thinner, less lumpy pulp. You can see the paper making deckle (wooden frames that fit together with mesh screening on one) in the background in this picture.

We added glitter to our mix. You can add colours, flowers and make different weights of paper.
You pour your paper pulp into the deckle frame and put the other screened part of the deckle on top, squeeze/tip excess water out then turn it out on your drying boards:

The sponge soaks up the rest of the excess water and voila! Pop it in the sun or hot water cupboard to dry and you have handmade paper!

HERE is a link to a old Sesame Street playlist...all about crafts...one of them is about kids learning to make paper from old fabric.

Don't forget to check out Heleen's Creative Mama interview in this last post and leave a comment for her giveaway...it closes Friday...hurry hurry!

The Creative Mama Series - Heleen

2011-07-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

I am honoured to be hosting a score of super talented crafty mamas sharing their wisdom, crafting and snapshots of their beautiful lives. This is ‘The Creative Mama series’.
Join us every weekend for a wander in these ladies crafty shoes. Guest posts, stunning photography, inspiration, interviews, poetry and giveaways...all coming up. Magic aside, it can be hard work this mama business, put your feet up a minute and join us. Hopefully there is something here to give your day a lift.
{Creative Mama buttons to share can be found via the side bar. Spread the word, it’s going to be good.}

My name is Heleen Webb and I live on the North Shore with my husband Craig, an arborist, our two boys Daniel, 6 and Joshua, 4 and our crazy cat Siwa. I am a full-time mum and part-time crafter/designer who work and blog under the name Ruby in the Dust.

What’s your creative outlet? Why do you craft? When do you make time to craft? I have always been a creative person but neglected it for a few years while I studied and worked in adult teaching. When Daniel was born, I had more time to start sewing again and I rediscovered how much I love it. My crafting time has fluctuated over the last 6 years most recently, with school hours.
Since I’ve started selling my work, I am very disciplined about my work time. When I’m home alone, I spend the time in my craft room making or designing rather than doing house work or reading on the couch. I also go to bed far too late, because I get my best thinking time at night.
I am a very visual person: I love colour, pattern and texture and I think that’s why I adore fabric so much. I adore being able to combine different combinations of those elements and to create something beautiful and useful as a result. I mostly sew bags and pouches, but also dabble in quilting, knitting and hope to learn to crochet one day.

Your creative space – what does it look like?
My workspace is a sunny room where I can make a mess and then close the door. I am very lucky to have enough space for my fabric collection and all my other stashes: knitting wool and yarns, bags of cotton reels, vintage kid’s books, buttons, my cloth dolls, the list gets longer by the day. I have a desk for my sewing machine and a table for all the other jobs like cutting and over-locking. The room used to be the nursery when the boys were little, and has very special memories for me.

How did you learn your craft?
My mum taught me to sew and gave me my sewing machine when I turned 21. She has always been interested in sewing and crafts and gave me and my sisters the crafting bug when we were young. My dad has also been a big inspiration to me. He is a farmer and very clever with his hands, and taught me to see the value and potential in things that may look worthless to others. Most of the craft I do today has been learnt through library books and blog tutorials though. My nana knits, but I only really learnt to knit last year with the help of YouTube! I appreciate how much you can learn from other crafters in the blogging community; it’s such a great place to pass on traditional skills in a modern way.

Do you do any crafting with your kids? Are they into it? Can you suggest a project that your small ones have enjoyed?
Our boys really enjoy making things, which makes me very happy. Recently they’ve been doing some embroidery by drawing a simple picture on fabric, stretching it over a hoop and then ‘drawing’ it with thread using simple running stitches. I was really amazed at their concentration span; they both sat there for over an hour one night, and when Daniel got up the next morning, he wanted to do some more before school!

Can you give us some tips on how you juggle being a mama and working from home (or finding time to be creative at home)?
As I said before, I put my crafting ahead of my role of ‘housewife’... I dislike that word so much, and I’m certainly not one. If you see my house you’d know what I mean. When I’m really busy, something’s got to give, and it’s always the housework. I’d much rather be known for my creative work than my spotless floors. Being a mum comes first though, so when the boys are at home after school, I close the craft room door and do normal mum-stuff. The boys like helping me in the kitchen and we sometimes do craft together, which is precious time because I’m sure in a few years’ time they won’t think those are cool things to do with their old mum! Craig is also very encouraging, and gives me plenty of time to work on the weekends when I have deadlines and markets to get ready for. I am so glad that he appreciates how important my work is to me. I honestly could not have done as much as I have so far without his support.

HELEEN'S GIVEAWAY...a Ruby in the Dust children's play crown. Colours to be chosen by the lucky winner. Perfect for the play box or for a special birthday child. Be sure to leave a comment to be in to win! All comments go into the magic hat and the winner to be chosen by the smallest member of the household at the end of the week.

You can see more of Heleen's world on her blog, Ruby in the Dust HERE and find her work for sale HERE. I love the fabric she designs...check it out!

The Creative Mama Series

2011-07-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Next up! The Creative Mama series. Coming to a screen near you. A little while ago I checked the Growmama blog stats...something i hadn't done, and was thrilled to realise my readership has rocketed in numbers. I mean really folks, there are alot of you!

So, to celebrate, I am excited to host an amazing line-up of talented crafty women from New Zealand and beyond, in guest posts, giveaways and interviews in 'The Creative Mama series'. These are all women who inspire me, whose life seems vibrant and whose work is forging the way creatively, sustainably and passionately. It's going to be a wild ride.

Saturday, we begin!

modelling and matariki

2011-07-06T03:59:00.000-07:00

I had a few deadlines crashing down around my ears these last weeks. This has involved small people doing alot of, well child-led limited resourced projects, which luckily, Jed excels at. However, it is always good to have a plan in place: The latest work the small one does sitting next to me at my craft/work table is modelling. We came home from our local Steiner schools Matariki Day with some beeswax modelling clay. Such vibrant colours and am enjoying the ritual of warming it in your hands before beginning to shape the wax. And the smell....sigh. Forest Folk stock it.

And before anyone emails me about where to find that fantastic hippo placemat...it was mine when i was a kid. There's an elephant lurking around somewhere. What can i say? My mother the packrat!

We enjoyed making the Steiner school grounds our own...exploring the pond, the fields, gazing out on the bush that surrounds the school, and playing in the many little huts and houses that dot the land. Such a magical place that school.