Thea & Sami

Leather Sofa

2013-05-18T09:32:00.001+10:00

If anybody in Brisbane is in the market for a good (used) Freedom black leather sofa, then look no further.

I have just listed this one for sale on eBay. Only problem is that I left it so late and the listing ends tomorrow morning as we need to clear the space in our Capalaba studio.

Check out the details here. Bidding starts at only $20.

Dreaming of Painting

2013-05-17T07:48:00.000+10:00

It's been a hectic week with teaching a 2 day screen-printing workshop and working on a new fabric design so my poor little blog has been neglected again.

I'm so inspired though! This beautiful image has me convinced that I should paint the ugly 'Colonial' type vanity and wooden mirror we have in our bathroom. To see the rest of this beautiful cottage designed by Tracey Rapisardi, visit the House of Turquoise.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend for more painting projects including finishing the coffee table I started last week. What are you looking forward to?

Alison's Chair Makeover

2013-05-05T09:44:00.001+10:00

We all love makeovers. Here's a great one submitted by Alison, one of our lovely customers.

The fabric used is our 'Hydrangea' screen-printed natural linen in Creme with coordinating plain linen.

Alison's husband sanded and stained the old wood this lovely dark shade. Very modern! The chair was professionally upholstered.

The 'before' shot.

The new Hydrangea chair will be featured in Alison's new nursery and then continue its life in the main living area. The same design is also available in upholstery linen weight.

Our Biggest Morning Tea

2013-05-02T09:06:00.003+10:00

We're taking part in 'Australia's Biggest Morning Tea' again this year!

I was disappointed that I couldn't host a tea last year due to family medical issues but thankfully, here we are again.

The date is Thursday, May 23rd and I would love to invite you all. The location is our Studio in Capalaba and the time is: 10 am - 12.00 noon.

In 2011, we raised $900. This year, we have set our goal at $2000. All proceeds will go directly to the QLD Cancer Council Fund to help fight this terrible disease that affects all of us! We are asking all attendees for a donation of $20.

I am very passionate about this cause as my husband is continuing to battle cancer and I have lost 3 other family members in the last 18 months to it.

The goody bags are back too! We have 50 to giveaway to the first people who RSVP and attend. Please do so by visiting our Events Page on facebook, leaving a comment here or emailing me if you're not on facebook.

Including in the goody bag is a Thea & Sami screen-printed linen tea-towel,

a mini hand-made soap from Outrageous Soaps

a clay gift tag from Mud by Nest. Other surprises will be included too.

In addition, generous small business friends have donated unique prizes for our raffle. Some of the prizes include this 'Peacock Party' clutch purse hand-made by Monkey and Me.

a Beautiful Mors natural soy wax tea-cup candle donated by Ruby and Rose Interiors

One-of-a-kind hat by Kelly Maddock Millinery

OLFA Rotary Cutting Set in pretty pink donated by Sew Much Easier with more prizes more to follow.

You may purchase tickets at our Morning Tea at 3 for $5 or pre-purchase if you can't attend. To pre-purchase, please make a donation on our official Cancer Council page here and email me to receive the corresponding amount in tickets. Prizes will be shipped Australia-wide but we ask that winners pay for postage costs.

If you are attending, please feel free to bring your business cards; it will be a fun day for networking while raising funds for an important cause. We are also looking for more baked goods so let me know if this is your specialty.

Pink Chalk Paint Table

2013-04-26T07:16:00.002+10:00

I'm officially obsessed with Annie Sloan chalk paint! Finished this old table yesterday for our guest room in 'Henrietta'.

The paint colour coincidentally matches the lilac 'Peacock Party' lampshade. I'm so motivated to have the curtains made up now, finally.

The paint obsession began last Saturday when I took part in Sandy's (of Paint Me White fame) workshop. It was such a great morning and lots of fun!

Visit Paint Me White to book a workshop or to purchase chalk paint.

Class image courtesy of Paint Me White.

Diamond Stitch Plywood

2013-04-24T07:32:00.001+10:00

Our favourite plywood placemats to date! How fabulous would these be for Mother's Day?

Protected with water-based varnish for easy care and for outdoor use. Just wipe with a damp cloth.

Being an aqua lover, how could I not include this in our range?

If you like this design, we will custom-print in any colour for you Special Occasion. See our growing range of plywood placemats here.

Eco-Friendly Placemats

2013-04-18T07:52:00.002+10:00

Rushing to have new and exciting products for Mother's Day so have now listed our Plywood Placemats on-line.

Fish in Black Prints

and White Prints.

Hydrangea in Red Print.

I love how the printing ink looks on all of these. We have finished each with 2 coats of water-based varnish for lasting protection.

More designs will be available in the next week and we will custom-print for special occasions. See more info on our website here.

Gift Certificates

2013-04-10T08:58:00.000+10:00

Working from my sick bed today but happy to announce that I have finally added gift vouchers to our website.

Not sure why it took so long as it wasn't as difficult as I thought using PayPal's features. With Mother's Day around the corner, the timing is right.

Ideal for loved ones that live far away and/or love natural fabrics and linen homewares. Purchase gift certificates in various amounts here.

French Stripes for a Boy

2013-04-05T07:30:00.000+10:00

Love, love, love this teenaged boy's bedroom with the dark blue walls and curtains featuring our 'French Stripes' fabric.

The ink colour is our own 'Blue Marine' screen-printed on European white linen.

Coordinating roman blind for the smaller window

and a pinboard for all those important things in a boy's life. Thank you to Jane for another glimpse into your lovely home.

New Cushions

2013-04-02T06:52:00.003+10:00

New cushions are now available!

These ones are screen-printed on our upholstery-weight, natural linen which has the loveliest texture and is very sturdy (child-proof).

Choose the Diamond Stitch design in 4 print colours here.

Or our ever popular and classic Fretwork design in red or black prints here.

And to celebrate Pantone's colour of the year, we have a limited edition range of our Hydrangea and Cottage Garden designs in Emerald Green. These are printed on our medium weight linen.

Do you have a favourite? More cushions available here and some on sale here.

Special Bunnies

2013-03-30T07:53:00.000+10:00

With Easter bunnies everywhere right now, I wanted to draw your attention to Peta's great site where you can check which companies do and don't test on animals.

I was disappointed to learn that the (Kiehl's) cleanser I am currently using is tested on animals.

Fortunately Korres, another brand that I love, is not tested on animals. You will find this range of natural skincare at amazing prices at Bath and Unwind with free shipping to Australia and NZ.

Happy Easter everyone!

Chalk Paint Workshop

2013-03-21T08:22:00.002+10:00

I'm just a tad excited that I've just booked a workshop with one of my favourite bloggers!

I'm sure most of you follow Sandy who does the most amazing painted furniture makeovers.

I'm looking forward to meeting you next month Sandy! Workshop details on the Paint Me White blog.

March Screen-Printing Class

2013-03-20T07:23:00.002+10:00

I know, I said that I wasn't to teach workshops this year but what can I say? Sweet people twisted my arm.

The following images are from yesterday's class (first of 2013).

Fabulous 2 colour printing by Tammy de Silva.

More prints by Tammy and the lady herself.

Animal printing by Stacy West.

Funky bugs by Helen Gray.

Helen and Stacey.

Is it a 'slug' print?

No, it's a 'snail' print by Margaret Higgins.

Foxy print also by Margaret.

Can you tell the Sarah Ponthieu is a child of the 80's?

Margaret and Sarah.

Unfortunately, Sonya Neville had to leave the class early (so no portrait) but we love her screen-prints.

Today we're teaching a couple of the ladies how to screen-print yardage. You can follow us throughout the day on Instagram (theaandsami) or come along to our next workshop in May. Details on the website here.

Plywood Printing

2013-03-14T07:05:00.000+10:00

We've been playing around with printing on plywood. It's so exciting to be trying something new.

First prints are a success! This is the Red Hydrangea and is destined to be a placemat once varnished for protection.

Fish are always popular for the table.

Say hello to Rachael, our newest team member and screen-printer extraordinaire.

We have 2 boxes full of cut plywood so more placemat printing to follow soon.

A Blue Weekend

2013-03-10T08:51:00.003+10:00

This is what I'm working on this wet weekend.

Just for me. Just for fun. Happy crafting everyone!

SALE TIME

2013-03-07T08:55:00.003+10:00

We want to make new things so have been adding lots of goodies to our Sales page over on our website. Do check it out for a bargain or two. Will keep adding items daily.

Also on sale are fabric remnants and fabric packs for the crafty types.

You're also welcome to visit our Capalaba Studio Shop on Fridays to shop in person (always so much more that we don't have time to list). Enjoy.

Flax & Muse

2013-03-06T07:00:00.000+10:00

Just couldn't wait to share the lovely work of Flax & Muse with you.

Flax & Muse is a new venture by photographer Trish O'Brien offering a boutique book binding service for fellow photographers and the general public.

These single disc cases feature Thea & Sami's Iron Flowers design screen-printed on Duckegg Blue Linen. My heart sings when I see our fabrics used so beautifully.

Timeless: a very special Engagement Album in pale gold embossed paper binding, 180gsm softly textured paper and printed Lokta paper lining. Tied with black grosgrain ribbon.

The new way of keeping wedding photos: USB sticks that are engraved with the clients' names and packaged in custom-made presentation boxes.

Visit Flax & Muse for your custom-designed handmade books, photo albums, disc presentation boxes and journals.

Peaocks in the Laundry

2013-02-24T18:00:00.003+10:00

Love seeing where our fabrics end up

such as these blinds made from our ever-popular PEACOCK PARTY Teal screen-printed natural linen.

Hopefully, they make washing duties a little more pleasant for Olivia. Sending a little thank you gift your way for sharing :)

Colour Samples

2013-02-22T07:07:00.000+10:00

Seem to have spent a great part of this week printing and sending out fabric samples to various interior designers met at our recent trade show.

We quite liked how Diamond Stitch looked in the Cottage Blue print on upholstery linen so have added it to the website.

Also printed yellow Tentacality on white linen for possible use in a young girl's bedroom. Probably won't be adding this one to the range because the colour hasn't been a great seller for us even though magazines like to feature yellow prints,.

We do however, custom-print any of our designs in colours that suit your decor. A minimum of 5 metres apply for this service.

Jewel Tone Cushions

2013-02-21T06:31:00.000+10:00

Diamond Stitch is inspired by the hand embroidery technique of long stitch.

Cushions are now available in jewel tones of Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire.

Screen-printed front and back with water-based inks on preshrunk European white linen.

Do you like the colours?

You will find them on our website here. More coming soon in natural linen.

Peacocks & Pom Poms

2013-02-18T06:46:00.001+10:00

My 12 year old niece squealed with delight when I gifted her with our first Peacock Pom-Poms cushion for Christmas.

Photographing products isn't always straightforward. Floppy pom poms had to brought to attention; this is where thread and washi tape (my beloved) came in handy.

If you like the cushion, you can get one here (with free shipping).

Sunny Sydney

2013-02-08T06:38:00.002+10:00

Loving our stay here in Surry Hills, Sydney. Tomoka (who has been assisting me) and I have enjoyed breakfast each morning at different cafes and at ethnic restaurants for dinner. So many great choices around Crown Street!

We've been good though and walking to and from the Decoration + Design show, 30 minutes each way. Today, we'll be driving though so we can pack up afterwards. Probably just as well as I think our feet will have reached their limit by today's end.

Our new 'Diamond Stitch' design, launched at the show. This is screen printed on the natural upholstery linen in Red, Black and Emerald. We've also printed jewel colours on white linen. New cushions available soon.

Here's Tomoka enjoying the amazing weather. The best thing about Sydney are the long, sunny days. We finished at 5 pm yesterday and still had 3 hours to enjoy the daylight at Darling Harbour, something we're not used to in Brisbane.

Here I am too. Don't usually like having my photo taken but I just love my Donna Morgan purple print dress bought in San Francisco. Got to get ready now for the last day at the show. Have met some great people and hope to see you there too.

Preparing for Decoration Show

2013-02-01T07:11:00.001+10:00

We've been working hard to get things ready for our first time exhibiting at the Decoration + Design show in Sydney next week.

Hanging fabric samples had to be prepared for our wall.

I was one assistant short this week so am grateful that Tomoka Ota (pictured) was available to help.

Tomoka is driving with me to Sydney. We've had to hire a jeep (ours died) so I'm only hoping that I can figure out how to get around flooded areas.

We're taking our delicious chairs and ottomans. If anybody in Sydney is interested in purchasing any of these after the trade show (Friday night), let me know and you will save on expensive shipping costs.

The image is our new promotional card designed by Shannon Morton with photography by The Design Villa.

Fabric sample cards for our visitors. Talk about last minute: we received a new fabric screen at closing time yesterday which we will be printing today. This means we will have a brand new fabric design to reveal at the show and it's not floral! I think many will be surprised.

If you are visiting the trade show, you will find the Thea & Sami at Stand A25. Would love to meet you!

Wedding Tea Towel

2013-01-23T07:03:00.001+10:00

Recently, I was asked to design and screen-print wedding tea-towels for lovely bride Susan who liked our Doves and Rose napkin designs.

The finished product was printed in white on eco-friendly, natural linen. We can work with you to create something unique for your special day too.

We wish Susan and Stewart all the best for their Country Chapel Wedding next month and may they be blessed with a long and happy life together!

San Francisco Trip

2013-01-22T06:10:00.001+10:00

Back from San Francisco and what turned out to be the best Winter holiday I've ever had!

My first week back home was spent fighting off a head cold and recovering from post-vacation blues but it's full steam ahead now.

This post features just a few shots from my trip. Sorry if you starting following me on Instagram; I lost my mobile early on so that was a downer.

The beautiful houses are perhaps what I'll miss most about SF. So unique and what incredible details!

The famous Lombard Street including a cute interpretation on a t-shirt designed by Tomoko Maruyama, purchased in Japantown.

Of course no trip to San Francisco would be complete without visiting Alcatraz (so interesting) and seeing the sea lions basking on the docks at Pier 39. What nobody else will tell you is that they quite stinky so you may not want to watch them for too long.

I especially enjoyed the walking tour with Genie on The Real San Francisco Tour (highly recommended) and discovered local treasures such as secret tunnels, street murals and Smitten Ice Cream, made on the spot for you using liquid nitrogen. I tried the Salted Caramel flavour. Yum!

Both Voyt and I celebrated our birthdays in San Francisco which is a big deal as I didn't think he would make it thus far (if you asked his doctors a year ago). I have learnt how important it is to take time out and enjoy life.

Voyt is a big jazz fan so it was only fitting that we celebrated his birthday at the famous Yoshi's. Mine was marked with a delicious dinner and belly dancing floor show at the the El Mansour Morrocan Restaurant.

Good bye San Francisco, I already miss you!