Seedling

On the Move

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:51:00 +0000

It's done: after months of being on the market we've just gone unconditional on the sale of our house. Hurrah! Now that it's all behind us, I can see in retrospect how stressful and all-consuming this process has been. I've felt a complete lack of creativity for some time now, but as soon as we got the final word, I felt a sudden urge to get back into the studio. If was as though I was putting all of my energy into the project of selling the house, and as soon as I was able to put my mind at rest, everything else relaxed and opened up. I'm spending as much time out in the studio as possible before we go -- tying up loose ends, finishing WIPs, and working on one last custom order. A bittersweet leaving. Feeling happy and lucky that this move has all worked out and sad to leave the spaces that I love so much.

We'll move into a rental now while we begin the long process of looking and saving for a piece of land in the country. While the rental we've found is incredibly beautiful and has many wonderful merits, it does not have a studio space. I'm not sure where exactly this leaves Seedling Clothing -- whether I will be taking an extended hiatus, or whether the business will evolve in some other direction.

An enormous thank you to everyone who has supported me here on the blog and also in other venues like Facebook or through my Felt and Etsy shops. You've been amazing! Will certainly keep you updated as my ideas develop and we've resettled.

All the best, Jen xx

Handmade For Christchurch

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:49:00 +0000

Have you checked out the Handmade for Christchurch auctions on Trade Me? They're incredible! Every item has been bid on -- sometimes up to 80 bids for a single item. Apparently, there are hundreds of donations yet unlisted (there is a limit to how many listings can be created each day.) It's amazing to see the energy and involvement behind the appeal -- I can only imagine how much money they'll raise. Trade Me has forgone any listing or success fees and 100% of all proceeds go to the Red Cross and Christchurch Women's Refuge. All of the work behind listings and correspondence with donors/bidders is being done on a rotating volunteer basis.

So far, I've donated one item (as yet unlisted) and may donate more as the auctions continue. This one-of-a-kind Vehicles Organic Kimono Onesie will be up for grabs. Check out the auctions and bid bid bid for a very worth cause!

You can save Handmade for Christchurch as a favorite seller to have their latest listings emailed to you. Or become a liker on Facebook to support the H4C team and keep updated on all of their goings-on.

Happy Purple Cake Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 03:05:00 +0000

March 1st marks the first annual Purple Cake Day throughout New Zealand. Do you know about Purple Cake Day? It was begun by Emily Sanson-Rejouis in conjunction with her charity, the Kenbe La Foundation as an effort to "....celebrate the children in our lives and empower them to help other children in need worldwide." Today in Nelson all of the schools are holding events to fund-raise for the children of Haiti and to help build a school there. In the wake of New Zealand's own devastating earthquake just a week ago, some of the funds raised will also go to help the children of Christchurch.

Purple Cake day is especially close to our hearts because Emily is a member of our Montessori community. She lost her husband and two oldest daughters in the Haiti quake; her surviving daughter is Solomon's classmate. I've been holding Emily and her family in my thoughts in the weeks leading up to this event. It was wonderful to see so many Nelsonians dressed in purple today, and to dance and sing along with "The Purple Cake Day Song" at Montessori -- it felt as though the community was unified, supporting Emily and her work wholeheartedly.

The students will be talking about the lives of children worldwide this week and will be discussing their hopes and wishes for those less fortunate than they. What a wonderful opportunity to expand our children's perspective and to engage them in helping others within their community and beyond.

I've also been searching for ways to help with the Christchurch relief effort. It's hard to believe, as our lives go on as normal, that just five hours down the road it will take a very long time for "normal" to resume. My heart breaks for the lives that have been lost in the earthquake and for all of the families and children there. New Zealand's spirit is strong and it's strength as a community unparalleled. I know that we will come together to help the city of Christchurch as much as is humanly possible.

I'll be auctioning off some of my pieces through either the Lil'Magoolie ChCharity Auction or the Handmade for Christchurch site (or perhaps both!) soon -- more details to come.

If you'd like to learn more about Purple Cake Day, follow the link here.

I hope that all of you and your loved ones are safe and well. x Jen

ps, Alas, it only occurred to me to make Solomon's t-shirt late yesterday afternoon. Next year, I'll get my act together and make a few more as an additional fund raising effort for Purple Cake Day through Montessori. I'm so glad that this will be an annual event!

My Creative Space

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:33:00 +0000

This week, I'm very excited to have begun a four-week textile design course with the lovely Karuna of Design Crafty. I feel as though most of my ideas usually revolve around what would work well for hand-printing, and figuring out all of the wonderful things that a professional printing company can do with fabric opens up a whole world of possibilities. Repeating blocks! Mirror images! The magic that Karuna worked with her computer after our initial exercise was pretty amazing.

In the first class we put together "mood boards" which functioned to gather inspiration and focus our ideas. Having never been to art or design school, this was my first mood board assembly. I really enjoyed the process, and after I came home, I found myself ripping pages out of magazines to set aside for future image collections. Here are some photos of the mood board I set up in class.

I've been working with a pen and watercolors to visualize different designs. I haven't played around much with watercolors in the past, but I really love the effect. When I got home, Solomon and I set out the paints and worked side by side for a while during Aya's nap.

If you live in the Nelson area and are interested in Karuna's classes, you can find out more here.

I'm playing along with the fabulous Kootoyoo this week. By the way, I'm loving the new look of Kirsty's blog. She's just switched from Blogger to Wordpress, and the outcome makes that transition look awfully tempting. Hmmm, something to think about.

x Jen

In the Kitchen....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:32:00 +0000

I've recently been enjoying a renewed interest in back-to-basics cooking: learning to make everyday things from scratch. After getting a bit lazy over the holidays, we're back to making our own bread, and I'm making yogurt again. This weekend, I felt like I was in the kitchen for entire afternoons. A bit ridiculous, considering how insanely hot it was. I thought about the women of our great-grandmother's generation and how they would have spent long days preserving and making sauces and jams in the late-summer heat. I was lucky to be in shorts and not a long Victorian skirt, no?

At any rate, two of my new ventures were making homemade crackers and tomato relish. I'd never experienced tomato relish in the States, but in New Zealand, it seems to be a pantry staple. You can use it on crackers with cheese, in pasta sauces, or anyplace you would use ketchup. Believe me, it is soooo much better than ketchup. Heinz is out. Tomato relish is in.

Our family's lovely auntie talked me though the final steps, and in the end, I felt quite proud of the joint effort (Jake for growing the tomatoes, me for preserving them, and Auntie Shelley for teaching me how.)

And crackers -- really pretty easy. I've become aware recently of how many ingredients even the healthiest crackers have, and in the interest of simplifying and eating fewer preservatives and additives, I think homemade crackers are the way to go. Hopefully I'll have the patience to keep these going -- they were delicious and felt like much more of a special treat than store-bought crackers.

I used the recipe from Alison Holst's "Dollars and Sense" cookbook -- one of my best and most often used purchases from the flea market. She calls for two cups of white flour, but I used half white and half wholemeal (wholewheat) flour and that worked fine.

Homemade Crackers
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
25 g cold butter
1 Tbs golden syrup or malt
about 1/2 cup water (I used more)

Mix dry ingredients well. Rub in cold butter. Mix the golden syrup with the water and add in slowly until the mixture is damp enough to form a roll-able dough. Roll out thinly, using flour to keep the dough from sticking. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter or knife. Prick each cracker in a few places and bake on a lightly greased tray for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool and store in an airtight container (if you don't eat them all first.)

And finally, I found myself out in the studio a few nights ago really and truly intending to do some serious work. But I was confronted by my stack of thrifted plates and some leftover paint that would have dried out had I not used it immediately (I swear!).....so I played around a bit more, with better results than the first time. Rather than fight the tacky, quick-drying texture of the paint, I just avoided layering all together. I have to remind myself that complicated doesn't = good. Sometimes (meaning usually) simple is best.

I hope your week is off to a good start. x Jen

My Creative Space

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:38:00 +0000

This week, I've been playing around with something a bit different....we were given a lovely set of matching dinnerware recently, and suddenly all of my op-shop plates seemed a bit extraneous. I bought ceramic paint ages ago, and it's been withering away in my desk drawer, so I decided to experiment with a new medium.

I used both a pen and paint for these ("Porcelaine" brand) and the consistency of each took some getting used to. Now that I've got the hang of it though, I'm feeling hooked. It's a good thing I have a whole pile of plates to go through. The paint is dishwasher resistant, but I imagine these more as little depositories for trinkets or keys than for eating off of. I'm sure I'll end up giving most of them away -- because really, there's only so many trinket plates my husband will tolerate.

Playing along with the lovely Kootoyoo this week. Find links to many more creatives and their spaces here.

At My House

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:25:00 +0000

We've been enjoying....

:: Produce from the garden. Lettuces, beans, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes....Here's Aya eating the first apple off the tree we planted for her when she was born. (The are 26 more on the little sapling, so we'll all get a chance to sample them in a few weeks time.) ::

:: First forays into preserving and jam making. ::

:: Experimenting with infusions. This one is raw apple cider vinegar with basil -- supposedly a

natural immune booster. I've been making "quick pickles" using this as marinade for

raw veggies like cucumber and beans. Perfect as a pre-dinner snack. ::

:: Refueling after long weekend runs. ::

And finally....homemade peanut butter. I found the recipe here, on one of my favorite foodie blogs. I swear up and down, this peanut butter is the best you'll ever eat. Instructions are as follows: dump a bunch of quality (roasted, salted) peanuts in your food processor, add a glug of oil (I just use canola) and whizz until it reaches your desired level of chunkiness (2-3 minutes.) Refrigerate. I gave jars of this out for Christmas this year; I wish I could have told people I labored away, stomping on peanuts or grinding them with a mortar and pestle -- but truly, it couldn't have been easier. Our locally-made (albeit very good) peanut butter is up to nearly $20.00 a kilo. Making our pb at home (and how much more local could you get?) costs about a third of that -- $7.00/kg. My only problem with this recipe is that if we're in stock, I seem to qualify multiple spoonfuls of the stuff as a meal. Must work on willpower.

Next up: homemade crackers. I'll let you know how it goes.

x Jen

I've been making....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:58:00 +0000

Kat and Margs, stop reading now. Or at least until your packages arrive.

Loads of "ice cream." Meaning frozen berries, frozen banana and a tiny bit of cream or milk, blended until smooth. If you happen to be 3 and 1, this is just as good as real ice cream. If you happen to be (nearly) 31, it's pretty good too.

Some birthday handmades for a nephew about to turn 1. I love the wool pinstripe on these teeny tiny pants. This was my first attempt making these (based on the design from Lotta Jansdotter's "Simple Sewing For Baby" but with cuffs turned out rather than in.) And hey! I followed another pattern! It gets a little less scary each time.

Some super soft charcoal-grey merino scarves for my sisters, who are in more wintery climes. I love the stretch of this material -- it tucks into itself so nicely, making it extra cozy.

A pillow made from a vintage tea towel.

And leftover from Christmas, an example of the embroidered bookmarks I made for family (this one is my husband's.) I had Solomon draw a portrait of each person on fabric and then I embroidered, added interfacing, and stiched them up (this idea is straight out of Amanda Soule's "The Creative Family.") Some of turned out a bit large, but that's ok, my family reads really big books.

I'm really enjoying spending time out in my studio making just for us -- low-pressure and fun.

xx Jen

Taking some time.....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 04:03:00 +0000

....to reflect. To relax. To be with family. Blogging has certainly been on the back burner lately. December was a bit of a whirlwind for us: weekly craft markets, working toward my all-handmade gift goal, school holidays, and a good dose of flu/ear infection/chest infection/broken arm/tummy bug spread liberally amongst our family. Whew. When my son's Montessori program ended for the year, and Christmas really got into full swing I decided to take a break from Seedling stuff for a few weeks. In my normal routine, I can get a bit focused on productivity and crossing items off of my list, so it's been good to step back and take time for lots of kid-centered and kid-paced fun.

I just thought I'd stop by to share a few hopes and goals for the coming year. I think these are a natural progression of where we're already at -- no drastic lifestyle changes here. All the same, they say accountability helps, so with that in mind....

:: Pay off all of my credit card debt. Groan. Yes, I have some -- unfortunately, that's how we funded part of our travel a few months ago. I'm used to having a clean slate and I'm eager to get back there....I've set up a plan and I know that I'll be able to realize this goal within the year. I hate having debt looming over my head.

:: Continue to run; invest in new running shoes. Since this post a little over a month ago, I've been running five days a week. My initial expectations were so modest that it was easy to surpass them. I try to go in the morning to beat the heat -- it's been amazing! Such a good way to start the day. I ran on my school teams from when I was 14 through 22, and then for a few years as an adult before letting it slip. It's great to feel like a runner again.

:: Try craft night at Ka-pie (a local cafe.) I tend to be a real homebody, especially in the evenings when I'm sleepy and just want to crawl into bed and read. But...I know I would love this and would glean a lot from a group of like-minded craftsters. Time to break out of my homebody habits....at least once a fortnight or so. If I were also to make it to a few other evening activities (dance, yoga, rock-climbing, the movies....) that would be a huge extra bonus.

:: Aim for one date-night per season. Seems doable, right?

:: Get us all sleeping through the night. Once this one is achieved, I know everything else will go so much more smoothly.

:: Get the house warm for winter. Mainly, this entails taking off the walls of our coldest room, insulating them, and then putting up new gib. Also, we'll insulate the entire house underfloor. Still blows my mind that older houses here were built without insulation. Kiwis are tough!

:: Grow more food. Make more of our own food from scratch. I.e. preserving, jams, making yogurt, attempting cheese, etc. I've recently begun making my own peanut butter; I'm a huge pb fan, and I can honestly say it's the best I've ever eaten. More on that later.

:: Work toward finding the right balance between Seedling Clothing and being a full-time mother. My oldest is about to begin a Montessori program 4 mornings a week (previously, he's been in the less-frequent introductory class), but my youngest is still with me all the time. This is just how I want it, but I do sometimes feel torn -- when I'm working, I want to be able to have more space and time for that, and simultaneously, I want to give my kids the best grade-A mama attention I can. I want to be fully present for each of my roles -- I'm sure that balance is something I'll forever be striving toward in this area....

:: Nurture relationships that bring me up, give me energy and a foster sense of true connection.

:: Invest in our health and boosting our immune systems. I've always been one of those people that gets a cold once a year. Suddenly, it seems we're all playing "pass the parcel" with germs (not nearly as fun as with gifts) in spite of stringent hand-washing, healthy eating habits, and drinking tons of water. This week, our entire family is well, and I'd like to keep it that way (see also: Get us all sleeping through the night....) I'm not exactly sure how to keep us healthier, but I'm looking into it. I know quality sleep will help.

That's me...my goals for the foreseeable future, at least. My mother is here for a visit, and we're continuing with our Montessori break. I imagine I'll take time away from Seedling for the rest of January -- focusing my energy on summer, the kids, and play. I'm also looking forward to doing a few experimental projects just for us. Perhaps I'll check in again and share them here.

Happy New Year to you!

xx Jen

My Creative Space

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 07:37:00 +0000

This week I'm working on a small project for the walls of the my oldest's room; he has just transitioned from a toddler bed to a big kid bed, and I want to make his personal space feel as safe, beautiful and loved as I can -- you know, in a bigger-kid way. I'll do a few more of these with different fabrics and then I'm planning on using my free-hand (ie childless) time at the market this Saturday to embroider them. Simple, cheap, satisfying.

And not necessarily in creative space, but in super-exciting space, I just received my issue of this lovely magazine, which featured the work I do for My Baby and Me in the "Pick of the Organic Crop" section.

This is definitely a first for me. Yay!

At My House....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:01:00 +0000

...we've just completed a one-week, $100 makeover.

From this....

(Solomon, pointing out an especially enormous spider.....)

To this....

Sure, it's only the laundry room, but it happens that this area is at the entry to the house, so it's often the first room people see. Also, I spend a good chunk of time in here. We repainted the walls, ripped out the grotty linoleum and painted the concrete, installed a shelf, added insulation to the hot water cylinder (behind the cabinet) and dislodged 47 (or so) spiders and their webs. Loving the simple improvements....

Playing along with Lou's blog today. Check out the lovely Buttons by Lou Lou to see what everyone else is up to at their house this week.

To Market To Market

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 07:17:00 +0000

Getting ready for a month full of markets.....

...with a few new prints on short-sleeved kimonos.

And I've managed to get this far with the terrycloth rag rug from yesterday's post:

So I think it's officially a WIP now.

Happy weekend!

My Creative Space

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:25:00 +0000

So far I've got the inspiration....

The materials....

And the space....

Does this count as a work-in-progress if I haven't technically started yet? This week a new shower curtain motivated me to finally finish up the bathroom refurbishing we began months ago with a simple paint-job. Rather than buy a new bathmat, I'm going to try to breathe new life into a pile of getting-a-bit-dingy towels. I'm not really sure how terry will hold up to the rag-rug style, but it seems like the thickness of the material should make pretty quick work of it.

In other news....today I finally dusted off the storage box that holds my running clothes (literally -- it was pretty dusty) after I heard myself saying "I really ought to make time for exercise" to one friend too many. I mean seriously, Jen -- do it already. Sure, I'm busy. Our lives are full....but do I not have 30 minutes twice a week to devote to my health and mental well-being? In fact I do. Sleep has been slightly better lately, and as my little ones get more independent, I know I can get away more easily. I'd love to get back into the running habit....as with everything else -- we'll see how we go.

Playing along with the lovely Kootoyoo (for the last time this year!) Pop over to Kirsy's creative space to find links to many more.....

Itsy Atsy Etsy (A Coupon Code for You!)

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Hello readers. First, a huge thank you for being here at the Seedling blog. It's wonderful to see the numbers slowly creep up both here and on Facebook, and it's lovely to hear from a few new readers in the comments section. Welcome everyone! I'm so glad you're here.

To celebrate both you and the opening of my new Etsy shop, I thought I'd try out a spanking-new feature they've got over there called "coupon codes." Just enter "goseedling25" when you check out and receive 25% off anything in my shop. Etsy's got it sussed! This is such a cool idea.

Follow the link below to find my shop and take your coupon code for a spin.

ps. I should probably note that unfortunately, we've passed the Christmas deadline for shipping items from New Zealand to places beyond Australia (I know -- it's ridiculously early) but I'll do my very best to get your item to you asap wherever you may be. New Years gifts are always nice too!

xx

Ta-da!

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:12:00 +0000

I'm on Etsy! I'm not quite sure why it took me so long to set up a shop on Felt's bigger, older, global sister. In part, I've been intimidated by the sense that Etsy is so huge that in order to get noticed, I would need to devote myself to forums and treasuries in a seriously time-sucking (and frankly impossible) way. And perhaps I'm right, but well....nothing to lose in trying, hey?

Over the past few days I've listed a few items, fiddled with my banner and filled in my shop policies. Click on the button below to have a look.

I welcome any and all critiques! Please, if you have any feedback, constructive or otherwise, I would love to hear it. Thanks! xx Jen

At My House....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:40:00 +0000

....it's feeling a lot like summer. Windows thrown open, kiddie pool out, trips to the beach, and today my first attempt at homemade yogurt pops. So easy! So healthy! Definitely a new seasonal staple.

And I finished heat-setting my order for My Baby and Me -- I so love working with MBAM. The quality of their clothing is amazing and I love the practicality and ease of kimono-style closures on these little newborn onesies.

I did 12 kimonos in all, but only photographed 10 since two of the prints repeated. Looking forward to sending these off tomorrow and getting to work on a few kimono prints in bigger sizes for the Nelson market on Saturday.

Happy to be joining in with Lou's blog today -- go visiting and see what other crafty bloggers are up to here.

This Week I'm Grateful For.....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:42:00 +0000

:: Outdoor play, outdoor play, and outdoor play.

:: Two hours this morning all to myself! I was able to browse the farmer's market at leisure, poke around op shops and pick out an enormous stack of magazines at the library.

:: I've just finished an order of 12 newborn kimonos for My Baby and Me -- just the heat-setting left to do. Feeling happy with the results I'll post a few pics of new designs before sending them off.

:: Our first ocean swim of the season.

:: And I set an all-time personal record -- all of my Christmas gifts were sent to family back home this week. I managed to hand make nearly everything (a few items were handmade by others) which was another new record. I felt a bit sad as I sent them through the window at the post office; I'll certainly miss being with my family this year. Time now to think about how we'll celebrate in our own way and begin to create a few new traditions (camping, perhaps?)

Hope you've had a good week with many things to be grateful for as well...... xx

ps I'm happy to be playing along with the gorgeous Maxabella Loves...this week -- check out her blog for more gratitude and much lovely inspiration.

My First Advertisment

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 07:35:00 +0000

Huzzah!

It's pretty exciting to see the "Birds on Wire" photo I submitted through Felt featured the back spread of Extra-Curricular. Extra Curricular is such a gorgeous little magazine; visually and intellectually stimulating, it's an incredibly satisfying read. Worth every penny! Find it here.

At My House....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:53:00 +0000

Yesterday, we enjoyed watching the creation of this giant outdoor art installation....

I loved seeing the single-minded focus with which S worked. No space was off limits, and in a manner that reminded me of "Harold and the Purple Crayon," Solomon narrated the cities and scenes he was creating.

The rain last night washed away most of the chalk -- clearing some space for more today....

This Saturday I'm Grateful For.....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 08:08:00 +0000

:: Freshly baked bread and freshly cut flowers....these two simple things make me feel so nourished and happy.

:: My new camera! Over the past few moths my trusty old Cannon slowly withered away until it really and truly completely died. Seeing this possibility looming in the future, I've been saving up my points in a reward-card system we use and was able to order a new camera (A Fuji Finepix) at absolutely no cost. It arrived today and it has been so much fun figuring it out. A lot has changed in the five years since I bought my first digital camera.

:: Eating outdoors. Pasta primavera, do your worst - - we just hose down the table (and the kids) afterward.

:: An amazing garden-boosting concoction that was recommended by our good friends in Denmark (hi Ben and Jane!) Simply fill a bucket with grass clippings, then submerge in water. Leave for a minimum of two weeks (N.B. Unless you want you or your loved ones smelling like the Bog of Eternal Stench, you'll definitely want to use gloves when handling this and keep away from curious pets or children.) Remove grass clippings and pour liquid into a plastic jug (a used milk container works well.) Dilute with water 15:1 and spray on the soil around your plants as a natural super-fertilizer. My husband swears our vegetables grew overnight!

I'm happy to be joining in with the gorgeous Maxabella Loves.... Hope you have much to be grateful for this weekend as well. xx

My Creative Space

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:50:00 +0000

Hello! It's good to be back. I think a bit of a break was vital, but I'm feeling fresh, recharged, and ready to enjoy this space again....

While I was away from the blog we've done quite a lot:

:: We've begun our landscaping and gardening business -- nearly two weeks in, and all going well.
:: I've done my first craft market, which was a wonderful experience. I loved meeting people and the other vendors couldn't have been nicer. My stall-mate Amelia and I will be doing another Nelson market on November the 20th, and every Saturday through December. Please stop by and say hello if you happen to come down!
:: We've finished putting in our spring gardens - - we have fruits and veggies tucked into every possible corner. I think this year's crop will be amazing. I'm so excited for summer's bounty of fresh organic produce. (Full credit to my husband -- this is very much his domain.)
:: I've churned out a few new designs -- I'm most excited about this one....

The print has been hand-cut and will be used just once. I've hand-detailed a few of the vehicles as well. Though this design won't be repeated I see a lot of potential in the idea and am excited to see where it goes.

I've also been doing a few summery prints on blankets....

I think I'll need to put prints aside over the next week to complete a few Christmas projects to get ready to send before the deadlines. (FYI Dec 6 for Australia and November 29th for all other international if you send via airmail.)

Happy to once again be joining in with Kootoyoo! Find many more creatives and their spaces here.

My Creative Space

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 02:54:00 +0000

Oh, I am loving my time out in the studio these days. When I finally get out there, it's usually after 8 -- but lo and behold, there's still a hint of daylight in the sky. The air smells fresh, and all is peaceful and quiet. A few friendly hedgehogs poke around on the borders of the yard. I've been on a bit of a podcast blitz as well. I've been listening to episode after episode of This American Life. Have you heard of it? It's classified as a radio journal and the premise is that every week a theme is chosen and stories that are variants on that theme are explored. Quite simply, it's brilliant. I often stay out in the studio after I'm done working just so that I can finish listening to an episode. I'm sure all of you mamas out there (stay-at-home or otherwise) appreciate what I mean when I say that I crave social and cultural stimulation. TAL (among a few other podcasts, like Radio Lab) help provide that for me. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of listening, find This American Life here, and Radio Lab here. You can stream all of the programs directly from the sites. Working in the studio + listening to a podcast is for me, multitasking in the best way.

Anyway. Here's what I've been up to: Lots of prints, including some very satisfying new mosaics (each of which is one-of-a-kind.) Still building up stock though unfortunately, I won't be at the Nelson Market this Saturday. My stall-mate has had something important come up, so we're aiming for next Saturday, November 6th instead.

I have the pleasure of playing along with Kootoyoo today. If you have the time, check out many other creatives and their spaces here.

Checking in.....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:18:00 +0000

Okay, I admit it: I've totally fallen off the wagon with Blogtoberfest. On the plus side, my work in the studio has been prolific and I'm feeling fantastic about the output. This is what it comes down to: something's got to give. I have two little sleepless wonders -- one of whom, thanks to daylight savings, prefers to get up at dawn with the birds, and isn't in bed for the night until about 8pm, and the other who wakes several times in between. When I have so little time and energy to work, the studio wins over the computer hands down. Also, it's beautiful outside and I've been preferring to spend any other leisure time I can muster going for walks or playing outdoors.

I doubt that the point of Blogtoberfest was to turn me against blogging, but the pressure to sit down every day and post has made it a chore. So, in the interest of my sanity, and to preserve my good feelings about blogging, I hereby discharge myself from Blogtoberfest. Like someone who jumps into a marathon without training or foresight, I've totally hit a wall. I feel a bit guilty for letting go of my commitment, but I'm telling myself that it's fine -- it's my blog and I get to decide what's best.

To keep things from being too gloomy and boring, here's a picture of a rainbow (refracted by a glass of water in my window) in the dishwashing bubbles. Totally mundane, but pretty all the same.

Congratulations again to Beck, winner of the giveaway! I'll probably be posting again sooner than I expect.....once the pressure is off, I'm sure I'll be teeming with ideas and enthusiasm for this space. Until then..... xx

And The Winner Is.....!

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 06:07:00 +0000

So, I just visited random.org and put in the variables between 1 and 15, and wouldn't you know it picked number 15! True randomness always surprises me. BECK of Dandelion is the winner of Kari Chapin's The Handmade Marketplace. Congratulations Beck! If you see this post, please email your details to me at seedlingclothing@gmail.com. Otherwise I'll be in touch and will post your parcel off to you ASAP.

As for the rest of you, don't despair! I have another copy of Kari's book tucked away for a future giveaway. Luck and random selection may shine on you yet. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered; your tips were so brilliant, I think I'll dedicate an entire post to them ~~tomorrow~~ sometime in the future (too many break-of-dawn awakenings, sleepless nights and full days here recently; I think I just have to let go of daily posting for now.) See you then.

Felt like Friday....

noreply@blogger.com (Seedling) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:26:00 +0000

It was just too easy getting this "For the Kids" showcase together -- so many amazing things for babies and bigger children in the pages of Felt.

Enjoy.

desiree

$22.00

Bicycle Print Revers...

craftykin

$23.00

Toddler Crochet News...

apricot

$28.00

Purl Fancy Jacket

purl

$69.00

Cute Apple Pocket Sk...