Craziness of the Week

Boo!

Yes yes yes it's all very American I know. I'm assuming that most of you have a terrible aversion to Halloween but let's face it, it's an opportunity for some freaky fantastic craft. I haven't quite finished carving my pumpkin for tonight but my trick or treat crepe paper bon bons are ready to go. They are Martha inspired of course (above) and I do think mine turned out gruesomely gorgeous (below)

Better get back to the pumpkin! RAMONA

another project of the week

Another pencil box! This one is for my 10 year old nephew Kye. He'll be expecting some cash in it I'm sure, but at least one element of his Xmas will be handmade. RAMONA

Project of the Week

60 days to go!

Ok peeps is it ok if I indulge my passion for Christmas now? Surely with only 9 weeks left to go you can tolerate some of my seasonal good cheer? Beck and I have already laid plans for some handmadelife product and are mentally planning our respective family menus (mine involve turkey, hers tofurky!)

For both the ladies of HML Christmas is a much loved time of year. Despite the stresses and strains that the season brings Beck loves the pomp and I love the ceremony. We admit it's mainly because christmas is the ultimate handmade season. I started making bits and bobs as early as June (insane I know!) but the big push in the gift dept begins in earnest now. I seem to have a lot of woody things to decorate this year, a change from more textile or food based gifts of the past 3 seasons.

Today I decorated these sweet little elephant bookends for my friend Rueben age 1.5.
I know everyone bangs on about not making or giving friends and their offspring gifts and just doing a family Kris Kringle but both Beck and I unashamedly love the excess of the occasion. Anyway Rueben is super cool and this a good excuse to make him something! RAMONA

SHOW OF THE WEEK

totem

The ladies of HML are big fans of Kirsten Perry. Her brain earrings are among one of our favourite accessories. We like her sense of absurdity and play that is evident in all her work (hairy stockings anyone?). That dichotomy beween being really beautifully ugly and really hideously beautiful can throw us for a loop - in a good way. So we are really excited to see her exhibition Uncanny Beigness at C3 Gallery

Show opens this Wed and runs til November 13

C# Gallery is at Abbotsford Convent and is open Wed-Sun 10-5

You can purchase her brains at her Big Cartel Shop here - food for thought no?

WEEKEND SPECIALS

twist of fete

Never let it be said we didnt warn you. This weekend there are no less than three fetes offering up everthing from pirate pits to devonshire teas. Of course because its Westgarth, Clifton Hill and Collingwood primary schools involved you can also expect excellent food, excellent craft and cake stalls and truckloads of second hand books, clothes and toys...not to mention to tappin musical performances that span David Bridie and the recalcitrants to long haired eight year olds belting out black metal. Fun for all the family. We've attended all three over the years and believe me we've always left empty walleted rather than empty handed.

We are also considering having a bit of a 'yard' sale on Sunday (weather and energy permitting) in our front yard to find new homes for our own collection of excess stereo equipment, vintage chairs, vinyl rekkids (like the one above), cd's, craft books, magazines, clothes and god knows what else on Sunday to co-incide with the Westgarth Primary School Fete. We'll post on Sunday morning and let you all know if we've managed to muster the enthusiasm needed to pull it together after being woken up at 6am by small people jumping on our heads demanding breakfast and thomas movies. BECK

Saturday 22 October
Tempting Fete 2011
Spensley St Primary School
193 Spensley st. Clifton Hill
10am to 4pm

Sunday 23 October
Whopping Great Fete
Westgarth Primary School
Clarke St. Northcote
10am to 4pm

Spring Fair and Open Day
Collingwood College
11am-4pm

DO OF THE WEEK

OPENING NIGHT

Unless you've been under the proverbial rock for the last ten years you would be all be familiar with what has become as daily a habit as our morning coffee - Michi Girl and by extension the illustrative work of Kat McLeod . As it happens Ramona and I were both present at the Michi Girl launch at Craft Victoria all those years ago, and Ramona is now a part of the extended Michi reporter family so we feel particularly close to her, besides she's a ginger like me with a smart mouth and a love of fashion - so what's not to love. It's also a very special birthday for Michi - yup... she's reached double figures.

Aside from a raft of giveaways and special anniversary surprises coming up on site, the first cab off the birthday rank is an exhibition of Ms Mcleod's publication work for Michi at none other than Lamington Drive entitled PAGE GIRLS. Expect an array of beautifully drawn and collaged fashionista amongst a crowd of beatifully outfitted and accessorised fashionistas - all celebrating ten years of must haves, quick quips and weather reports. Most definately 'Do' of the week. BECK

Read more about Kat here: http://thedesignfiles.net/2008/11/interview-kat-macleod/

PAGE GIRLS
20 October - 19 November
Lamington Drive
15-25 Keele Street
Collingwood, VIC.

Fun time of the week

Who listens to the radio?

The ladies of hml will be on the radio this morning talking up what a heap of fun we are planning over the next four weeks. We'll be checking out the new cool store Gleaners Inc in Brunswick, heading out to Mulgrave Makers Marketto check out what the buzz is about there, heading out to caulfield to the Craft and Sew showto stock up on liberty print fabric and superfine glitter and checking out the glorious new work at No Vacancy gallery by artist Gemma Jones Of course well also be indulging our love of Halloween crafting too. Anything to interrupt the Christmas decoration making (ha ha). We are on air at 1030 am on 102.7

Window of the week

Hot buttered toast

As well as being a classic movie, a local cafe, and our favourite meal, the breakfast club is an annual window exhibition at Craft Victoria. 2nd year RMIT ceramics students are invited to create tableware for the morning meal. Our day usually starts before dawn but we here at hml think any of these pieces would be a welcome addition to our bleary breakfast! On show til October 29.

OUT OF TOWNER OF THE WEEK

hello sweeties

Those of you lucky enough to be up north in warmer waters either permanently or as part of the school holidays exodus should make an effort to catch Beck Wheeler's Tarts and Flours in its last week at Gold Coast gallery 19 Karen .

When not designing soft toys and album covers for her musical namesake or participating in highbrow international illustration exhibitions Beck is another one of those clever peeps who regularly engage in genre bending nu-craft. The fact that her subjects of choice include important hml concerns like shopping, tea parties and monsters applied to reconfigured kitchen utensils makes her work all the sweeter. This time literally.

While you're there you may also want to take a peek at Wellington Based Mica Stills show Runaway with Me . I have to admit I didn't know much about Mica until recently (clearly my loss) but after seeing paintings like these I now consider myself a new and ardent admirer.

Perhaps I might even be able to convince the architect that we need another bear in the house. BECK

TARTS AND FLOURS by Beck Wheeler
RUNAWAY WITH ME by Mica Stills
both on until October 8

19 KAREN Gallery
19 Karen Avenue, Mermaid Beach

Gold Coast QLD.
Tuesdays - Saturdays 10am - 5pm

SHOW OF THE WEEK

Drysdale Dreaming

The exhibition of Pippin Drysdale ceramics at Moss Green Gallery is craft withal capital C. You don't get the moniker of Master of Australian Craft for nothing people! The work is considered yes, perfectly finished of course, but that discounts the pure pleasure one gets from the deeply saturated colours and gorgeous spectrum tableaux. This Fremantle based internationally acclaimed artist is enormously generous in her work. True objects of desire for the ladies of HML. Only one week to go so get there quick!

Moss Green Gallery
310 Toorak Road
South Yarra, 3141
Melbourne
Victoria
Australia

IMPORTANT: the gallery is inexplicably only open Mon-Fri.