Gosh, it's June?

Really, June. How did that happen?

I've been too busy lately, doing boring yet necessary stuff. I guess that's life, but what it means is there hasn't been much time for fun stuff. Hopefully that's going to change now that I'm organised and ready to take on 2012, halfway through it.

What has been going on?

Moving to a bigger place took a lot of time but was worth it. I miss our old flat (it was so well insulated and warm. Houses are cold, I forgot that. When I say cold I mean freezing!) but we now have a garden and a big stove and there's been cooking and planting happening. And our new west-side neighbourhood is friendly and super cute.

And here's a little something we picked up from the Lost Dogs Home. He's a spoodle (part poodle, part spaniel) and is called Benny. He's made himself quite at home. Jed and I have wanted a dog forever, and have talked about getting one since coming back from living overseas many years ago, so it's rather exciting to finally have one.

And there's space for me to work from home, which surely beats trying to fit all my equipment and stuff into the aforementioned flat, which was one bedroom. There were a few hiccups in setting my studio up, including not being able to fit my amazing custom workbench through the door, but nothing a problem-solving father and hacksaw couldn't fix. 

Oh, and I was in the paper a few weeks ago. Lucky it happened while newspapers still exist, right? 

Now to get onto work again. There are many design ideas swirling through my head and things that need reprinting, so better get onto it...and hopefully it won't be another four months between posts.

Dinner

Wow, it's been awfully quiet around here. Just thought I'd say happy new year. I'm about a month and a half behind but better late than never :)

Seconds & Samples Sale!

Merry Christmas! It crept up so darn quickly this year and now it's all over, just like that. Hope yours was grand. Mine was all about food, family and then lying on the couch watching a film. Hope fellow Melbournites (and their pets) weren't badly affected by the hail, lighting, thunder and general crazy weather :(

As it's now Boxing Day, I thought it would be fun having a wee sale of seconds & samples. A bunch of things are now listed in my Etsy shop and I'll add some more things throughout the sale, which will run until January 5th or until sold out. Go grab a bargain!

Christmas one-day sale today!

Yes, 20% off everything in my Etsy shop, today only (AEST).
Don't forget to use code: XMAS20
Items will be sent off Friday 16th December.
Contact me for special requests or if you're after Express Post.

Merry Christmas!

Dots & Loops Gift Guide

One of my stockists, Dots & Loops Handmade, all the way across the world in Canada, produced this lovely gift guide and included my tree towel. Thanks guys :)

New stuff

Oh, and some new things are now in my Etsy shop...

Three new cushion covers - Charcoal 'Trees' on Natural Linen, Two-Tone 'Trees' and Royal Blue 'Graph Paper'.

Some gift cards, all blank - Seasons Greetings and Apples in Blue and Red (on craft or recycled white card).

AND some lavender bags, which I've not made for a while, this time using my Graph Paper fabric.

 

Post-Markit and Harvest Market

Me at Markit last Sunday © Hollabee

One down, one to go! Markit last Sunday was a big day, long and busy and fun and tiring. I didn't take one photo but luckily Bianca did (I had no idea at the time - as you can see I'm busy being shopkeeper). The main disappointment was that the market was so big and busy that I didn't get a chance to have a look at who else was there, bummer.

And my only other market for the year is super super exciting, one of my faves - the Harvest Xmas Market, at Harvest Textiles in East Brunswick. How cute is the poster?!

Markit @ Fed Square this Sunday

Just a quick note to say that I'll be at Federation Square's Markit Market this Sunday, along with a heap of amazing designers and makers - see the full A-Z list here. I'll have a heap of new things that are yet to be in my Etsy shop, including new cushions, new cards and other bits and pieces. It's one of just two markets I'm at this Christmas, should be fun.

New fabrics!

Graph Paper in royal blue on a creamy coloured hemp/organic cotton (above)

Raindrops in teal on a lovely natural hemp/organic cotton (below)

Available soon :)

Spring

It's spring here in Melbourne, apparently (what that seems to mean is it's freezing, super windy, always raining - ie, a lot like winter). But there have been some lovely days. Here are some pics from a recent walk in the park. Amazing colours!

I've also been quietly beavering away, printing and sewing things for a couple of markets I've got coming up (the first for a year! Yes, I've been hiding under a rock.) I've also got some fabric panels that I'll be selling that I'm yet to get around to printing, and will be making some fabric packs too - fun! In the meantime, here's a picture of some of the fabric that's coming soon...

Gardening

Last Friday I had a long list of things to do (print things; get stocktake done; reply to emails; cook; clean - in other words: work, work work) but it was a lovely spring day and all I really wanted to do was plant some tomato seedlings and other herbs and chill out on my balcony and listen to some newish music, so that's what I did.

I went to the local (and inspiring) nursery and bought some potting mix and other goodies and repotted my lovely parsley, chives, thyme, mint, aloe vera and other succulents (they were in need of a bit of love) and planted new things - tomatoes! Basil! Oregano! And now some of the succulents, which multiply so quickly and easily, now live in the flat, which is super great.

Tomato seedlings

Chives, thyme and parsley

Happy house plant

Happy house plant

Happy aloe vera

More aloe vera 

New gift tags & cards

Have been having a lot of fun printing cards and gift tags and finally got a chance to photograph them today, and put them in my Etsy shop. The sun was hot, such a weird feeling! Hope it lasts for the weekend.

New Stockists

Just a quick note to say you can now find various Spin Spin goods at a range of shops around Melbourne town and the world. So if you're near me, you can go to the lovely Onabee in Kensington but if you're far far away, perhaps in Austria, you can swing by the sweet Stoffsalon in Vienna (where you can find lots and lots of lovely Australian fabrics) or in another direction, the delightful looking Dots & Loops Handmade in Nova Scotia, Canada.


Onabee, Kensington. Photo © Onabee.

Dots & Loops Handmade, Nova Scotia, Canada. Photo © Dots & Loops Handmade.

Stoffsalon, Vienna, Austria. Photo © Stoffsalon.

Cushion Mania

I'm chuffed to see my Graph Paper cushion included in the latest Frankie magazine and their cushion round-up. And mine's next to one from Donna Wilson House **swoon**. Other faves include Fine Little Day's Splash and Leah Duncan's Triangles, **double swoon**.