Tasselmania!

The Brisbane chapter of Brown Owls made funky tassel bunting to hang high above the recent ECO Bazaar in the Queensland Museum's whale mall.

a tasseled silk cap that I made for a recent themed exhibition.

Tassels, the close relative of the trending pom-pom, are a wonderful way to add embellishment to hats, beanies, bags, cushions, clothing, curtains and so on, and SO easy to make.

I'm going to include here a tutorial about making tassels. Once you have mastered the basic technique you can apply it to all sorts of materials that you may have to hand (think streamers, plastic, string, braid...) and use the results to add something a little extra to any project you are undertaking - or have undertaken in the past. You can also add tassels to store-bought items such as cushions, tote bags, and so on, or to furniture or architecture. Easy peasy - sky's the limit!!

 Christmas crocheted baubles with tassels. 

 Using yarn in your choice of colour, wrap it repeatedly around a piece of card (this one measured about 12 cms.), a small book, or even your hand.

Once you've reached the desired thickness (experiment to get a feel for this - depends on the material you are using and the use to which you are putting the finished tassel), slip a separate length of yarn between the card and the body of the tassel and tie firmly.

Slip the yarn off the card, and cut through the body of the tassel at the opposite side from where its tied.

 

Hold the bundle of yarn to make a small ball where it is tied and use another length of yarn to tie off the tassel's 'head'.

Now give the tassel a hair cut - hold it firmly and cut off all the extra long bits, turning slightly to make sure you find them all.

To tidy up the tassel, use a wool needle to weave tie ends into the centre of the tassel. Take another length of yarn (vary colour as required) and wrap it around the neck tightly before using the yarn needle to weave the end of this length into the body of the tassel as well.

I use embroidery thread and a finer needle to attach the tassel to an object. If you like you can add some beads at this point - again tidy the finished tassel by sewing the end of the thread into the body of the tassel. 

Ta-da!

wimcee will be at the fabulous BrisStyle indie market in the city hall on Saturday 14th September, from 9 am until 3 pm,  so if you are local please feel free to drop by, have a chat, and see what new things I've been making!

Or visit me on Facebook 

Have great tassel-making days!

wimceexx 

The happiest market of them all...

It's ECO market time again!

 The BrisStyle ECO market is a special market every year - for no really obvious reason it always seems infused with a mellow mood that speaks to my inner semi-hippie.  It might be that the crafters who take part are those particularly driven by an environmental passion - there are always, certainly, local ground-breakers aplenty who fit that description. It may be that the customers and browsers who come along to this market are inspired by the hunt for wares that are slightly different to the normal markets out there, BrisStyle and others - not simply hand-made, not only vintage, not just green, but a market that brings it all together and presents itself as a unique work of art.  The music is usually perfectly matched to the occasion, and the avant-guardedness of marketers, marketeers, and market all seem to dove-tail happily in the early spring sunshine (or, this year, in the cultural centre concrete shade).

tassels decorating the Whale Mall, Queensland Museum

This year, BrisStyle is holding its annual indie ECO market - with the emphasis on recycle, vintage and eco-friendly - in the Whale Mall, adjacent to the Queensland Museum at South Bank. Even more enticingly, in association with an opening exhibition of things Afghani at the museum, the theme this year is ECO-BAZAAR.

Bizarre Bazaar - look out for the hip, the edgy, the rock-abilly, the shabby chic, the Frankie-esque, the steam-punk-pumped, the eclectic, the boho, all in one significant event with green values and artisan artistry. See you Saturday, 7th September, from 9am!

wimcee altered jumper with crochet embellishment

wimcee altered jumper and cardigan skirt with crochet detail

Until next time,

wimcee x

Another etsy seller for your delectation!

My fourth of five May promotions is a little gem! Meet Deb of DebiMDesigns, a fabulously creative soul who has taken the creative energy that previously drove her love of paper craft, and channeled it into the wonderful, colourful world of polymer clay.

As she herself says, her work includes everything from the scenic to the floral, all crafted in intricate detail, but her first love are the fantastic, loveable dragons that she fashions as one-off pieces by hand, using no moulds or production-line techniques whatsoever. Fabulous! Dragons are a connection many of us have with our inner children, with fairy tales and imaginary worlds, and this is the audience that Deb addresses with her work so successfully.

 

Not limited to stand-alone work, Deb also incorporates her polymer into practical pieces, decorating vases, candle-holders and so on with leaves, flowers and tendrils - the perfect, one-of-a-kind gift if you are after something different and unique.

Deb also incorporates other materials in her designs many of which feature beads and findings, or, as in the case of her piece de resistance 'Under the Sea', glass tile mosaic.

 

While Deb's work is all one-of-a-kind, she is only to happy to be approached for commission work similar to those already in her shop if you have a particular project in mind or colours that you would prefer.

Take a trip to DebiMDesigns and reconnect with your inner child, a world of joy and colour! You can also find Deb on Facebook. 

Have wonderful weeks!

wimceexx 

More of the May Marketplace...

My next etsy store to promote during this month of mutual promotions is The Happy Red Dog.

Brisbane local Zoe offers a range of useful decorating ideas from kids' personalised name signs to wedding decor items, all professionally finished and tailored to your requirements.

Butterfly Baby Name Art from etsy

Different designs are offered and both boys and girls are catered for.

Baby Name Art Signs Blue from the etsy store

Zoe can also offer room decor in the form of decorative quotes and other goodies include book marks, wedding decor items, iron-on appliqués and key rings, so check out her store and contact her direct about any special requests! My favourite of all her pieces is this little brooch, which I think is fabulous.

Fabric Bird Brooch

Have a great start to the week!

wimceexx

And another shop window...!

Apart from the usual, and not-so-usual, handicrafts and artworks available on-line at the fabulous etsy, there is also a whole, extraordinary, extensive virtual mall dedicated to vintage wares.

One such shop is my promo for this week - 'Treasures from the Past' belongs to Cindy (and Randy) Rogers, a.k.a. RCEastman, a couple from Eastman USA. 

I have a soft spot for dolls born of a wonderful, long-lost, collection in my childhood - I loved my tall 'walkers', I loved my beautifully nationally-dressed travel souvenir dolls collected for me by my mum, and I loved my collection of Barbies.

So in amongst all the great paraphernalia that Cindy has collected, her dolls are the stand-out item for me! Like this original, bubble cut Midge doll (Barbie's friend) from the early 60's.

1963 Midge

For those not so excited about vintage dolls, how about something seriously momentous, such as the 1969 moon-landing, or more specifically a newspaper headline recording the moment!

vintage news

Cindy also has plenty of china and glass-ware to choose from - these wall sconces are so retro, with their pastel colours:

MacCoy china

Cindy has more than 150 items on her books at the moment so plenty to browse! Have a visit and convo her about anything that you want to know about any of her items or conditions of sale.

Have a great start to your week,

wimceexx

Showcase!

This month I have joined a group of fellow artists and crafters wishing to improve their on-line profiles by a bit of cross-promotion - a fabulous idea and one we all owe a debt of gratitude to the wonderful denthe for facilitating. 

The first of five artists I will be introducing you too is Kirsten, the artistic force behind Lillibean Designs and her esty shop, sensibly, LillibeanDesigns.

''FLOW"

Kirsten's big-eyed girls are highly reminiscent of the style of work popular when I was a child growing up in the 60's - brooding, whimsical, and very retro-esque. But there is nothing glib about her work - it is beautifully executed, with her clever use of materials including recycled text giving her pieces a modern twist.

postcard set

LillibeanDesigns etsy shop includes post card sets of 6 designs as well as the larger canvases, so it is possible to secure a sample of Kirsten's magical imagery for a small investment, or these sets could make a wonderful gift.

However, her original mixed media collage/painted canvases, either small or large, are very reasonably priced, so have a visit to her shop and browse the full range of images and detailed descriptions for yourself if you are on the look-out for an extra-special present, or the perfect accoutrement for your environs. 

Until next time...

I love you more than...

wimceexxx

collagestry

At the end of this week I'm submitting my piece for a curated exhibition, The Tip Shop Competition, and it's proving to be the largest piece of fabric collage I've ever imagined myself capable of completing. We're at the stage of me sitting, sometimes lying, on the floor to get to the tricky bits. I have  needle-stuck fingers and a permanent pain in the neck. But it's been great fun nonetheless - it's playing with colour, pattern, shape and texture...what could be better!?

The bags and pouches that I've made for the last few years have been greater or lesser degrees of collage, as have been many of the aprons that I make, as well as the skirts and dresses I've done for children, so this is I guess a natural extension. I did a whole series of small collaged pouches a while back:

and more recently have finished a series of small shoulder bags made from Japanese vintage kimono off-cuts and stocked by Reverse Garbage in their Emporium:

I've also indulged myself with a number of soft sculpture collages previously, a number of monkeys and a few other adventures:

(These or similar can be found from time to time at The Collective Store in Wynnum and at Bleeding Heart Gift Shop in the city)

 The Tip Shop project involves reusing materials sourced from the local Tip Shops - Endeavour Foundation administered out-lets for re-usable goods dumped at the Brisbane City Council tips by residents, with all profits going to Endeavour. The aim is to publicise the shops (there are two in Brisbane, at Acacia Ridge and at Geebung), and to demonstrate one possible out-come for re-use, that is art work.

The selected artists represent a diverse range of demographic and discipline, so the results should be very interesting. Work goes on display in the Brisbane Square Library for two months, and the winner is chosen by public vote, either personally lodged or recorded on-line.

I've been blown away by some of my gem finds at The Tip Shop, including a precious haul of embroidery cottons, many of them French, many wound carefully onto card and labeled, to which it's a true honour to give new life:

Here are some sneak peeks of the work-in-progress...all will be fully revealed soon on-line via The Tip Shop Competition links.

Until next time...

My life as a powder keg, and afterwards...

I haven't written a post here for about nine months, not since last June/July. My blog tends to be more personal than anything else that I write and the problem nine months ago was that everything became a bit too personal when I was found to have a shadow on my lung.

Who can say that they HAD lung cancer? And what does that actually mean? I have lots of questions and not very many answers so it's a difficult place to visit or revisit even now.

I was surprised to find that cancer, dying, death...all those phantoms...were not so frightening to confront. I went into hospital one morning and came out without half one lung less than a week later, and that was, apart from being excruciatingly painful, not all that terrifying an experience. I was so very well looked after by doctors and nurses, and I was, by and large, a very good patient and did everything I was told to do.

Really and truly, my main if not only concern was the distress I was causing my family and friends - my sons, my parents, my husband, my sister... Bad, bad wimcee for being such a nicotine addict for so many years and bringing this on everyone around me.

After my operation the prognosis was that there was no need for further treatment - no chemo, no radium. The nature of the cancer was such -  so new, so small, so contained - that there was nothing to indicate a better outcome if I underwent further treatment than if I didn't.

I had initially gone to my GP with a recurrent pain in my chest - in the left side - which led via tests to the discovery of the shadow - on the right side - which was unrelated. To this day nobody knows what was causing the original pain - possibly the rigours of learning crochet which I took up about that time (and which kept me sane in hospital it must be said!) - but it probably saved my life.

I don't know what comes next with this - the thoracic specialist said before Christmas, 'now we watch, and we wait' - but when my eldest son became engaged to his long-term sweet-heart in January, and my middle son took up a terrific new position in Sydney at about the same time, and my baby boy embarked on his thesis more recently, how could I not feel blessed for having been here to enjoy and savour these moments?

I did a very few markets towards the end of last year, with enormous help and support from the heavenly Helen and the others at the BrisStyle helm, but for now I'm off the marketing circuit. Sadly. Miss the camaraderie very much; miss taking my work to town; miss meeting the browsers and the customers... But I do want to give more time to my parents and to my husband this year and I was finding the markets took bigger and bigger chunks of time.

I am cranking up both on-line stores - etsy and madeit - in lieu, and giving more time and attention to real-time retail through The Collective Store, Bleeding Heart, Rosemount, Reverse Emporium, and other possible outlets instead. And I'm also hoping to get back to painting again this year, or at least working more on the art/craft combination - the soft sculptures and fabric collages and so on that I've dabbled with previously.

So - watch this space!

Life is a very wonderful, precious gift to be cherished but also to be taken at the flood and joyously exploited!