hannahfaerie

2011-04-05T12:13:00.000+09:30

So far Autumn has been doing its best to make up for Summer here in SA. Its been very lovely and just a bit hard to stay inside. When I have been inside, its been to clean and rearrange the house. Change is as good as a holiday, so they say, but personally I'd like the holiday. Speaking of which I've started making plans for that. I will be 30 in a bit over a month and so I'm planning to travel, as I've never made it out of this country! Of course as there is a toddler to consider its going to take a lot more organising but that is the plan. Wish me luck :)

changes...

2011-04-01T21:14:00.000+10:30

I've been selling my jewellery for what seems like forever. I feel like I've learned lots over this time, that I've grown as an artist. But mostly, it's been hard. I guess the latest lesson has been to value my work. That may seem like a strange thing to say, given I have just marked down most of my jewellery.

For many years now I have attempted to treat my art as a business. I read every blog, every business tip out there, I did the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (an Australian Government small business assistance plan), worked hard at getting my jewellery into shops and galleries. I did ok, but it was never successful and after NEIS ended I felt very disheartened. Ok, truth be told I had a minor break down. There is nothing that breaks you down as an artist quite like being told your work is overpriced. Its even harder to hear when its coming from gallery and shop owners who expect the right to take 30% or more. Its hard to stay positive when you can't sell your work.

So, over the last few months I've been really looking at where my time and energy has been going with this. I've had a massive creative block for close on a year now and I can see its tied in with how I feel about my art. Working from the soul, and creating one-off work just doesn't seem to be 'commercially viable'. But really, that's not the point. I want to create something you wear with pride, not just for a season. I have been doing this a very long time, I'm not a newbie. I am experimenting all the time, but that doesn't mean my work is somehow poorly finished. I love nothing more than custom work, creating something someone has dreamed up.

So why the mark downs?
I have had my jewellery in several shops and galleries over the years while also selling online, and so I've had my prices at 30% commission prices online (roughly, some more or less depending on how salable I felt they were) to make sure my work was selling for the same price everywhere. In some situations this meant I was making a very slim profit, as the commission was 50%. But as I have realised that in the last year nothing has been selling in these shops and galleries, and I don't have the time to create (or follow up) like I used to, I'm turning all my attention online. It will (hopefully) give me more freedom to focus on creating for love, not on how affordable it is or if I will cover my costs.

So, hopefully change is a good thing once again. I already feel lighter, less pressured. Time to go with the flow I think.

... things that make me happy...

2011-04-01T12:08:00.000+10:30

I've got this playing in my head right now...

weekend fun...

2011-03-31T14:40:00.003+10:30

Next week sees an event of great sadness for Adelaide, at least in my opinion. One of our stunningly talented immigrants will be leaving our shores to go study in England. Humna is a henna artist, and I have been blessed to know her and her amazing work.

Just before my son was born 1 1/2 years ago Humna created a stunning piece of henna art on my pregnant belly. It was such a stunning way to spend an afternoon, snacking and talking about stories and children and religion and faith and the world.

silk threads for a new project I'm working on

So, to lighten her load she held a garage sale on Sunday. I collected a few gems for myself and my Mum but really enjoyed the opportunity to play some music with Morgan and then also with Shell Kira and Dylan James of The Wandering Minstrels. It was lovely to be surrounded by music, fruit trees and children paying while Humna's students gave henna tattoo's to all who came. To top it all off the weather was perfect!

some stunning pieces of fabric for my Mum :)

You can see more of her amazing work here -
http://www.diyastudio.com
and here -
http://www.hennacraft.com.au

You will be missed Humna!

Wednesday Wishlist

2011-03-30T16:00:00.005+10:30

Custom Circus Ruffle Bustle by wickedharem

I've been checking out bustle designs lately for a friend who makes herself costumes from upcycled fabric and well, I've got a bit obsessed myself. Here's just a few of my faves -

full length organza bustle by TPF Faerie Wear

The Mosaic by Wandlung

Fringe Recovery

2011-03-29T19:28:00.000+10:30

I said I would share with you my thoughts on the shows I went to see as part of the Fringe this year. It was great to get to go see a few shows, rather than just performing and following Morgan around to his shows.

This year was a bit surprising, mostly due to the unseasonably wet and cold weather. So bad that the parade on opening night was cancelled... and severe storm warnings issued for most of the state! It was rescheduled but I for one didn't get to it. By the sounds of things, it was a bit of a flop.


Cantina

It's rare that the most promoted Fringe show is actually the best. (so promoted there was an advert on the Virgin in flight magazine when I went to Perth earlier this year.) But the highlight for me was definitely Cantina, in the Spiegel Tent. So good in fact that I went to see it twice! Its so hard to categorise the performance, but it was kinda like hanging out in the wee hours of the morning in a Berlin nightclub frequented but acrobats and exhibitionists in 1935. And it seems the reason it was so good may well be the extraordinary production company behind it.

Strut & Fret have been behind such shows as the Kransky Sisters, the Happy Sideshow and the Secret Death of Salvador Dali, with current works include the Tom Tom crew and pyrophone.

Their work is amazing and diverse, working with the artists and venues more than trying to create to a production company bi-line.

Next up was the beautiful and inspiring Amanda Palmer. Once again in the Spiegel Tent, the only thing that this show suffered for was being too short. One hour is just enough time for her to really get going, but luckily she continued the show in the Garden after, with the assistance of Jason Webley.

Sometimes its hard being a mum, I really wanted to go see her the next night too and follow her to Tuxedo Cat for the Ninja gig. But its just not possible at the mo. Can't do everything I guess but the next time I pay money to see AFP will be somewhere like the Gov again, where she can give a 2 1/2 hour show.

Lastly was the Harry James Angus Band. That's Harry from The Cat Empire and man was it smokin! Lots of old school jazz and blues, post war tunes. My favourite by far was 'Just a Gigolo'. 3 of the members of the band were guys Harry has been playing music with since high school. The Cat Empire are back in Adelaide in April.

Sale time!

2011-02-21T12:43:00.000+10:30

So, as promised I'm having a sale for the next 2 weeks. It's a big 40% off for all my twitter, facebook and blog follower's. To get it, just enter the code 'fandiscount' at either my etsy or artfire shop at the checkout.

Summer fun

2011-02-18T11:35:00.000+10:30

Have you missed me? Probably not, as no doubt you have been just as busy as me.
This is just a quick post to say hello and to let you know why I haven't been blogging.
This weekend sees the start of the festival season here in SA, and we party so hard the rest of the country must think we spend the rest of the year sleeping it off. I'm going to be seeing a few fringe shows and I will do my best to let you know what I thought.
Next weekend is my youngest sister's engagement party, last month was my little brother's engagement party and next month in my other sister's wedding in which I finally get to be a bridesmaid. So as you can imagine, life has been very busy. I hope to be able to share with you all some of the wonderful things my family and I are making for the wedding, it seems to have become a project for all of us.
I hope to get back into the swing of things soon, new clay work and beading to do, and starting next week I will be having a sale in both my shops as I will need to make room so watch this space!
Until then, back to the dance :)

a change in the air...

2010-11-11T20:04:00.000+10:30

The rain is coming in as I write this... the tension in the air pressure right now is Divine. I love a good change. Even a bad one is ok.

I am transitioning my shop from etsy to Artfire. Its a big change for me, but its going well and I already feel quite at home there. Artfire is a delightful site to work with. I hope you will come visit me and give me some feedback :)

Life is very full at the moment, lots of performing and dance lessons and chasing after Wren, who has learned to run. If you are around, you can catch us this weekend at the Adelaide Vegan Festival.

So, hopefully all of this means more things to share with you and maybe even some more productive internet time, if we're lucky.

love love.

Ferret Fridays

2010-09-19T13:07:00.000+09:30

For some time now my partner-in-crime Morgan and one of his oldest friends , Simon aka Ferret, have been getting together every Friday for coffee. A few years ago it became having tea together too. And about a year or so ago Ferret started cooking. Turns out, he's very good at it.

So far, he has made us Sushi, Lamb Rogan Josh, Turkey and Corn soup, Rosemary Barrimundi and a few other strange things he has found the recipes for on the net and just thought he would try.

And now, its still Ferret Friday, but we make it more of an open house, with people bringing something to add to a shared meal, sometimes we even have everyone cooking in our kitchen! It works great for us, as we love to socialise but have found it much harder to leave the house as often as we used to now Wren is up and moving, and we love food too. And shared meals are such a great way to learn about other people.

What is your favourite dish for sharing with others?

Nullarbor Trees

2010-08-24T11:12:00.000+09:30

One of the most interesting things about the Nullarbor is the the trees. Yes, trees. There are lots of them. Sure, they aren't very tall, but they are still trees.

And so, people have felt the need to decorate them, make them stand out and look a bit better if they're dead. We saw so many trees covered in the strangest things; bottles, bra's, shoes, clothing of all kinds, cups, you name it, it was there.

Well, we couldn't miss our chance to add to it. We just happened to be carrying some large, colourful plastic hearts with us. They were intended for another project, but this seemed too perfect. On our way home as we stopped for lunch we decorated this tree.

You may also notice that Morgan is holding more than just our baby. It's his Dad's Bugle. He can almost play it now, but lets just say that it was a good thing there was no one else around to annoy while he was learning.

i have returned :)

2010-08-17T14:48:00.000+09:30

windmill obsession :)

working on our painting that was a wedding gift

on the bight

wave rock

Have you missed me? Seems that even though our trip to WA ended nearly a month ago I haven't really got back up to speed with everything.

So this is just a quick post to share a few stories and a few photo's and hopefully I will back at things again soon.

lunch break

the service at Norseman was exceptional!

Most of all we were amazed by the lush-ness of the Nullabor plain. The variety and abundance of plant life (and the height, there were trees!) was beautiful. I look forward to doing this drive again some time and taking the time to enjoy it more.

dance

2010-06-15T15:28:00.001+09:30

Lately, I have been dancing. After 8 years, I have finally started taking lessons in tribal belly dance. I can't tell you how good it feels! I have also been amazed by how little I really use my body in everyday life. Just the challenge of moving my knees to move my hips without moving my shoulders has required a lot of focus and energy. I'm all inspired...

So, just for something different I wanted to share this video I found just the other day. Looking forward to seeing more male dancers, and getting to tribe fest one day...

planning...

2010-06-03T10:59:00.001+09:30

I'm having fun helping my sister with her wedding plans. Those of you who know me know I'm not into the wedding thing much, so it has been interesting for me to get to see this side of our culture. I guess it's a good thing that I'm not the 'odd one out' on this issue in my family. All the women in my family are quite practical and would prefer to do most things ourselves, especially when it comes to such a special event.

So, even though my sisters, my Mum and I all spent a Saturday going around to the bridal shops so Tiff could try on dresses (which was an experience in itself!) my youngest sister Gabi will be making the dress, Mum and I are already coming up with ideas for the jewellery, invites, and other stunning accessories.

I decided to make a treasury of etsy finds to show off a few things to inspire...

... and I intend to make a few more to share with Tiff. As we live several hours apart this seems like such a great way to bounce ideas back and forth.

And it seems that The Crafty DiY Bride blog likes the idea too. Go check out the blog for more wedding ideas.

wednesday wish list

2010-06-02T12:50:00.002+09:30

its all about hats today...

Market fun and the Gumeracha Medieval Fair

2010-05-05T14:29:00.002+09:30

Its an interesting life. Being performers means that we don't have weekends to rest, that's what monday is for! Last Sunday we joined Dylan and Kira at the Stirling Market to play as Floot Moot, and had the great surprise of the Cinnabar Red girls arriving to dance. We got to play for them for a while, which was great fun.

But by far the best experience I have had as a performer has been this weekend. Morgan and I were playing for Saffron Tribe at the Medieval Fair at Gumeracha and it was just one of the most beautiful festivals. I think part of what makes it so special is the amount of participation. I don't think I have ever seen so many people looking so comfortable in costume! It was so wonderful to be a part of it all.

Wren was completely overwhelmed. He loved it very much, watching the Knights fighting, the artisans village, the delicious pop corn!!! But most of all he was in love with Indian musicians we were hanging out with in the Middle Eastern tent. He woke up in the pram to them playing on the Sunday and was just transfixed. They were just beautiful to listen to, I felt very blessed to get to hear their magic all weekend. I think the Saffron girls did too, as they started the Sunday afternoon set with lots of floor work to their fantastic sounds.

We also had Dylan and Kira join us on the Sunday and so we played as Floot Moot. Also with us in the Middle Eastern area were some folk pumping out amazingly good food and tea and Vanessa of Velvet Henna who gave me a tattoo that I must share photo's of. (Remind me!!!) The whole weekend was such a lovely experience, and I hope we get to do it all again next year and give more to this amazing event.

Drums and Sockdreams

2010-04-21T14:04:00.001+09:30

So as some of you may know, I have been waiting patiently (or not so) for a an order of beautiful socks and stockings from Sockdreams in the US to come through. They have and they are just beautiful and even better than I had hoped. But surprisingly, they made it here the same day as the new drum Morgan had ordered so both of us were just a little bit excited.

Wednesday wish list

2010-04-21T12:15:00.000+09:30

The Love me 2 times Short Skirt/Dress by gaiaconceptions

lace by ElizabethZusev

Victorian Dream Silk Long Line Corset by binkaminka

Swinging bed by timlaursen

Just a quick wish list for this lazy Autumn day (it has been so lovely!). There will be another post today as we got 2 lovely packages in the mail yesterday :)

Wednesday wish list

2010-03-31T10:01:00.000+10:30

Handmade ceramic doumbek by EarthToneDoumbeks

Woodland Pine Necklace by decoratethediva

Bamboo Jersey Scarf Soft Chartreuse by rainbowrevolution

Rustic Gold - Handforged Brass and Sterling Silver Necklace by Epheriell

tea dresses for Kelli's wedding by sohomode

flutes and full moon

2010-03-30T17:26:00.000+10:30

Our band, Floot Moot, played at the Willunga Waldorf School Autumn Fair on Saturday, and in the rain at the Stirling Market on Sunday. We have began our journey and I couldn't be happier. If you facebook, you can follow us here. And if you don't then here would be a better idea.

Enjoy the full moon tonight...

tribal firbes... this friday!

2010-03-08T11:26:00.001+10:30

Only a few days to go now! Please forgive me if I don't post this week as I will be frantic making jewellery. But I will try to get a few photo's up of my latest work, just to give you a taste of what's in store.
So come join us for our opening on Friday from 7pm and for our big performance on Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets are selling fast! Oh, and don't forget we will be running workshops all weekend :)

creativity blooms

2010-03-04T16:35:00.000+10:30

I have been doing a bit of a clean out and have discovered some things long forgotten. Its always interesting to get a bit of a look at who you used to be, like meeting an old friend and realising how differently you both remember events of your shared past.

One of them was list of goals I wrote at about 20. It had aims for the next year, for when I am 30 and for later on.

I'm happy to say that I have actually met a lot of those goals. I there are just a few left and only one of them is something I still wish to achieve in the same timeline I set myself. There are also more than a few I am happy to let slide, as I have changed so much and they are no longer things things I want or need. It feels good.

I also found a few drawings from that time that I wanted to share with you and a few new ones that I have been working on as backgrounds for photo's of my jewellery.

Enjoy :)

wishful warmth

2010-03-03T21:38:00.000+10:30

I'm thinking about the cold, now that it's Autumn. Not that it feels anything near chilly yet, but here it is, my sock dreams, mood beads, wooly Wednesday wish list.

I've been featured!

2010-03-03T20:11:00.000+10:30

I just found out I have been featured on the blog of Calico & Co. today. Please head over and check out the Jungle themed finds if you get a chance, they are very lovely!

fringe-ing :)

2010-03-01T16:20:00.003+10:30

Well, Adelaide has gone just a little mad.

I love this time of year, the festival season, but I have had very little time for anything else.

But we have made it to the opening parade, the Emma Hack exhibition opening (go check out her work while its at the Festival Centre, just stunning!), a Chocolate Party, Astrid Elika's CD launch, the Fringe Artist's Bar, and a few others that I can't think of right now.

Oh, and my little Brother's 21st. And that's just the first 2 weeks!

My partner has also been performing all this time with 3 men 6 arms, Saffron Tribal Belly Dance and with the Gurdy Girl. And we still have 3 gigs to go...

I have a long list of Fringe events I want to go see, and an even longer list of one's I just can't get to. Maybe next year.
As it is every last moment I have spare is spent making new creations for our Tribal Fibres - Connecting Threads exhibition and event on the 12th - 14th of March. And I feel like I have never been more creative. I'm really looking forward to this event, with the art work and the workshops and the big performance on the Sunday night it will really be something quite different. I can't wait!!!