more melbourne

whilst in Melbourne we spent another great {very long} day on a Bunyip tour down The Great Ocean Road. the landscapes were amazing and of course we got to see all the famous spots. there were lots of photos taken and these are just a few of the highlights

 the Twelve Apostles

 Cape Otway lighthouse

 more koalas than you could poke a stick at!

 Loch Ard Gorge

a friendly parrot

melbourne street art

we are back from our Melbourne sojourn and had the most wonderful time. so much to see and do and of course we didn't do it all....so we'll have to go back!

one of the highlights of our week was the street art tour we took with an artist from Blender Studios. we had discovered some street art on our own - it's hard to miss in Melbourne as there is so much of it - but you don't necessarily discover all the little back lanes and alley ways where a lot of the really good stuff is. and it's great to get the inside knowledge from someone working on the streets.....literally. at the end of the tour we went back to the studio and got to look around and talk to some other artists working there whilst indulging in a little drink! perfect. if you're in Melbourne and interested in street art I'd highly recommend Melbourne Street Art Tours click on the link to go have a look at their website

 Banksy

 closeup details - great colours

 Swoon

a wall of Blender Lane. one of the best spots, rich with art

simplicity and beauty

over the last several weeks as the flowers have been blooming in the garden I've been bringing a few sprigs inside and putting them in these little bottles on my kitchen windowsill. these bottles are quite special to me as they belonged to my Dad. I remember going to old dumps and paddocks around where we lived when I was a little girl and helping my Dad dig up dirt and search for treasures - I certainly know where I get my magpie tendencies!

I've been changing the flowers every few days and loving the simplicity and beauty 

lovely craft supplies

all these goodies and lots more are available in my Craftumi stores. just click on the icons over there on the right or here and here

a little break

today we are leaving this

 and this

and heading off to the big smoke way down south.....otherwise known as Melbourne. I'm very excited and have a long list of places to visit, a tour down the Great Ocean Road booked, a Street Art tour booked with real street artists! art and handmade goodies to see...and maybe buy! and time to lounge around in cafes, coffee shops and bars! excited? yep sure am! a whole week of fun ahead.......

handmade markets

there are several handmade markets coming up over the next couple of months across the North Coast and I'll be at two of them in December. on Saturday 1st Dec I'll be at the very popular Legacy House markets in Grafton and on Sunday 2nd Dec I'll be at the NEW! Simply Handmade Markets at Yamba. check out the link for this one on Facebook. there's going to be lots to see...

this photo is from my stall at the Yamba Quota Club Fair which.....you've just missed :(

spring visitors

these gorgeous little blue wrens have been visiting me everyday for several weeks now. they come to my kitchen window and sit on the buddleia outside swinging in the breeze and catching insects off the window. so sweet. I always know they've arrived when I hear their peck, peck, peck against the window. at the moment there's just the two of them but I'm hoping we'll see a little family soon.....there usually is around this time of year.

and so the Big News

and the Big News is.......

that's right people in.cube8r in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. this is such a great concept and supports many, many clever and creative Australian artists. and with Xmas not so far around the corner now is a great time to support local and handmade and get some quality gifts this year. so if you are in Fortitude Valley pop in and see lovely Vicki -owner/manager of in.cube8r - and she will make sure you find something special. and don't forget to tell her I sent you!!

and of course you can still find me on madeit and craftumi and I'll be doing two local markets in December....whew! it's going to be busy! when am I going to find time for the day job?!
images from in.cube8r

still here

I'm still here and as you can see I've been a busy little bee. lots happening around here. craft shows, creating, designing new business cards and swing tags, sending off orders, answering enquiries from groovy little shops, getting lots of positive feedback for my shops......and some exciting news on the horizon....just a little teaser for now but stay tuned. I'll let you know very soon.

oh! and planning a little holiday to a big city way down south. really, really excited about that!