GIFT OF THE WEEK

boxy but good!


You know I've gone crazy for these pencil boxes. I had already made my friend Max a little box but I knew he love a companion one for his 3rd birthday coming up next month.



I'm going to fill it up with those fabulous model animals you can get a toy stores and perhaps a little journal for field notes.



These boxes are available at Bunnings for $8, the paper I used on this one is from October Afternoon - you can buy their papers online here . RAMONA

BITS AND BOBS OF THE WEEK

gifties


Well you all know that we are totally obsessed with Christmas at HML. I'm using the royal we here because Becks Christmas spirit doesn't rise until October whereas I am the ghost of Christmas past present and future! I have started making some decorations - just some little papery, woody, ribbony, glittery things for the kids trees.



I did them before I knew how to do that pinwheel concertina trick so they may be rejigged while I'm watching telly.



I also made a wheat bag for my lovely pal J who turned an unmentionable age last week. I didn't have time to do anything fancy but I copied Beck's cloud running stitch idea - they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!



I am a secret fan of the hobby that shall not speak it's name (i.e scrapbooking) and have been making little mini albums of Thom, to his delight. He loves the idea of books starring himself - so vain! And as much as they all poo poo my little hobby, there have been rumblings amongst other members in the family as to why I haven't dedicated a project to them.



There is something so satisfying about crafting in winter. Maybe its the accompanying pots of tea, the good smells coming out of the kitchen and the cosy quietness of it all. Needless to say I love Christmas in July! RAMONA

SHOW OF THE WEEK

size matters

Well if you are anything like me you are suffering from festival overload, between the design festival, the film festival and the Gertrude St projection festival we are all a little more festive than usual. So I'm not going to tell you all about Craft Cubed (Craft Victoria's Festivus for the Rest of Us) just yet. Let's just say it is the jam filled doughnut of festivals and leave it at that for now.



Despite not officially starting for a couple of weeks there is an early bit of hot sauce from the program opening this week at Pieces of Eight gallery. Director and curator Melanie Katsalidis has brought together jewellers who began their creative practices as interior designers - hence the downsizing. How do you go from creating an environment to an object?
We are seeing more and more interdisciplinary practice, which is a great thing. It blurs the lines between craft and design, it gives people multiple income streams that don't include selling your soul to devil, and it injects new life and energy into what can sometimes be a closed shop. It will be interesting to see how these designers compress their ideas into the miniature and wearable. RAMONA

image 1 Suzi Zutic

image 2 Kim Victoria Wearne

image 3 Katrina Tyler

Pieces of Eight

28 Russell Place

Melbourne City

Downsizing July 26- September 3

SHOWS OF THE WEEK

Nanny State

So it's State of Design time again. This year, as always i've been up to my eyeballs for months getting things organised for Craft Victoria's contribution to the festivus. With pod of trade stands by some of our favourite peeps there will be loads of beautiful wares for sale and show. Both of us agree Design Made Trade is always worth a look, and not just becuase over the past three years we've both been involved. Ramona is also wearing her Craft Victoria to the event by officially launching Craft Victoria's new business portal Craft Work (another labour of love) in her offical 'Chair' capacity on Friday.

This time round CV is also presenting the Open Studio program: twelve makers, six studios and four days of talented individuals making 'live' from the heart of the cardboard souk. Old friends and new faves alike will provide a rotating schedule in collaborative studio spaces that will provide a nice 'fingerfied' counterpoint to the more machine made parts of the show. I have to send a big shout out to supergirl Milly Flemming who had to pick up the maternity leave baton and get this project completed after I absconded to give birth to Finn - she's done a cracking job and these Open Studios promise to be the highlight of the show, I can't encourage you enough to make the effort to get up close and personal with this amazing line up of crafting superstars.

Also tied to the fest is Harvest Textiles mini program of satellite events called Make up, there are least three unmissable workshops, including weaving, chair making and teepee building which we'd love to be attending. And of course because its Melbourne and we all know each other, there is a lovely link to the open studios at DMT presented by Craft Victoria with the gobsmackingly brilliant Maryann Talia Pau appearing on both bills.

                            

There are loads of activities for kids which look fantastic including Junk Puppets, the Makedo marvellous life size Maze, and a repeat of last years Paper Plane accademy  which we hope both our big boys will be attending.

And of course then there's the exhibitions... we want to see Bus Projects Critical Mobility , The Housing Project at hml fave venue the Compound interest, but we'll have to see if our families let us out of the house. Oh and if you're in the mood for some art but don't want to miss out on some retail therapy while you're perusing you'd be a fool to miss the Look. Stop.Shop window installations.

And because all that festivalling will no doubt make you hungry theres also food... Dining with Strangers, Design O' Pizza at Ladro Broadsheet's pop up Micro-Kitchen and for those that want a little highbrow action theres always From Buildings to Food at Heide.

Ah Melbourne...always a festival. So much to do, so little time.

State of Design festival runs 20 - 31 July
check out the website to make sure you at least know what you'll be missing.
Design Made Trade runs from 21 - 24 July
opening tonight for invited guests, tomorrow for trade and saturday and sunday for regular peeps
Harvest Workshops 23 - 31 July
book now to make sure you get in
BECK

CRAFT FIND OF THE WEEKEND

je suis un knitwit

Last week my brother hit the jackpot while oppshopping in the country and found an original knitting nancy which he presented to me (along with a couple of other gems) for my belated birthday present. I love a little french knitting, and I have to say I was a demon with my original knitting nancy all those years ago.

Many a winter outfit and accessory for my beloved sindy - (the only bendable barbie alternative at the time with red hair and while the image above isn't actually my Sindy you get the picture) . So you can imagine I was very excited to whip open the box and get cracking.

Thankfully the inside box lid has a wealth of instructional information for the lapsed knitwit - however it looks a little more like you're giving nancy a labotomy rather than using her to create a masterful tube of neat stitches in Fig.3.

And just in case you feel your creativity waning the makers have very kindly provided an excellent mini fold out pamphlet of ideas... I'm absolutely loving that hankie holder in post war brittish green. Definately on the Christmas 2011 list.

Mind you I don't remember Nancy looking this grumpy back in the day... BECK