Friday Friends - Australian Makers - Kissyface

Hi lovely readers - how is everyone this fine Friday morning? Today is the first full day of Summer Street Fair, last night marked opening night and it was a fantastic success! It is a busy busy time in Albany town. 

Albany is the host port for Race 5 of the Clipper Round The World yatch race, the leg is named "A Second Great Cape and Three Oceans";  the Clipper ships will depart Albany on the 3rd December and the finish port will be Sydney, with an expected arrival of 12th December. I didn't know too much about this race so I read up - here is what I can share with you (credit to the facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/clipperroundtheworld/info ) 
"The Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race will start at 
St Katharine Docks, London on Sunday 1 September 2013 and return almost a year later - at 40,000 miles it’s the world’s longest ocean race.

It is the only race in the world where the organisers supply the fleet of 12 identical 70-foot, stripped down racing yachts – each sponsored by a place or a brand – and manned with a fully-qualified skipper, employed to lead the crews safely around the globe. 

The event was established by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to give everyone, regardless of sailing experience, the opportunity to discover the exhilaration of ocean racing. Crew members can sign up for the whole circumnavigation or one or more of eight legs. No sailing experience required.

1 circumnavigation, 16 races, 11 countries, 12 ocean racing yachts, 670 crew, 40,000 miles. THE RACE OF YOUR LIFE." 
Sounds pretty exciting to me!

Ok, I digress, lets get back to today's Friday Friend and Perth Based Australian Maker; I want you all to meet the fabulous Rikki from Kissyface! 

Rikki creates beautiful dresses and jewellery with a touch of vintage glam styling - here are a few picks that I just have to share with you! This gorgeous Green Fern Dress with peter pan collar has such a summery feel to it

and I love the practical design of this darling Blue Arrows Pinafore. 

Being a keen amateur photographer, I also find myself inexplicably drawn to the Happy Snappy Necklace ♥

I hope you enjoy reading A Stitch in Time with Kissyface. Don't forget, if you are in the local area to pop into Summer Street Fair this weekend to say hello! Have a wonderful weekend everyone xo ♥ 

A Stitch in Time with Kissyface

Kissyface is the result of my many years of sewing and crafting obsession. 

My dresses are generally very cutesy with interesting prints and a vintage feel;

think kitties, blossoms, nautical, polkadots... 

and you maaaay just find one or two peter pan collars in the mix. 

I also dabble in jewellery, resin brooches with vintage prints are my favourite at the moment. 

Customer feedback is very important to me. The photo below is courtesy of http://www.colormecourtney.com/  - Courtney Q is "a twenty something fashionista, blogger, new yorker, french bulldog mom, stylist + self-proclaimed party planner extraordinaire addicted to all things celebratory!"

After her recent purchase of a Kissy Face Dress she gave this review on her blog: "This dress from Kissy Face via etsy was exactly what I imagined, and fulfilled all my lobster dress dreams! It's the perfect fit and flair shape and fits my waist like a glove. The length was pure perfection and the skirt was just full enough to be twirl-worthy without being over the top. The construction is to die for, hands-down one of the most well-made dresses I am lucky enough to own! And It has pockets!!!! Big, giant pockets that remain hidden and secret to the un-trained eye. After wearing this darling dress by Kissy Face, I never want to wear another dress. Truthfully, If i could live out my days in the stylings of miss Rikki B I would be the happiest and potentially best dress gal around. Thanks to Rikki, lobster is now not only my favorite food, but also my favorite dress, that I will continue to cherish for years to come."

Above all, my shop is a place where people can give me money, and I'll give them rad products that I've made :)

Dear readers would you like to see more? Here is how you can connect. 

Buy lovely things on Etsy here: 

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/RikkiB

and keep up with all the latest news on facebook here: 

https://www.facebook.com/kissyfaceshop 

Crochet to Steampunk - Wednesday Wishes

Summer Street Fair is on again! Lots of local makers have been super busy creating wonderful things for you. Opening night is Thursday 28th November at 5pm sharp.

Today's Wednesday Wishes; titled "Crochet to Steampunk" is a little showcase of things you can see at Summer Street Fair - enjoy xo♥

Xmas tree in red from This Papercut Life by Sue Codee

Spring Colour by Nazzy-Beads

Handmade Cards from Le-Papier

Steampunkery by local maker Judy

Crocheted Christmas Lights from DELiciousDesignz

Strange Flowers, Washi Tape Love and Chocolate Pots

Hi readers, I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. Tonight I share with you Strange Flowers, Washi Tape Love and Chocolate Pots. Happy Reading! 

Strange Flowers

When planting two New Zealand flax grass plants, we had no idea that they may one day flower. Imagine our surprise, when overnight (or so it seemed) a flower stem of around 6 feet in height emerged and these pretty flowers opened up! 

On doing a little research, it seems that these plants can produce flower stems up to five metres in height! I can't wait to see if this plant flowers again next year, it's just on five years from when we planted it out. 

Strange Flowers indeed! 

Washi Tape Love
I inadvertently  have become a Washi Tape addict, thanks to the gorgeous Shannon of rabbit and the duck. 

I recently placed my very first Washi Tape order and was really pleased with the lucky dip of colours that were sent in my purchase. 

It also gave me an excuse to go to the hardware store with my long suffering other half, to get the materials for him to build me a Washi Tape holder - see below. The slanted edge is just sharp enough to tear the tape on - thank goodness for men and their sheds! I think I have a bad case of Washi Tape Love ♥ 

Raw Cacao Chocolate Pots 

I stumbled upon this gorgeous recipe through a pin on pinterest, being written in French I had to get it translated! It was worth every sublime mouthful! 

The original recipe post can be seen on the christelle is flabbergasting blog here:  http://www.christelleisflabbergasting.com/2013/11/petits-pots-au-chocolat-avocat-grenade-et-pistaches.html

Happy Eating! 

Raw Cacao Chocolate Pots - Ingredients:

1 avocado

1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave syrup)

1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or good quality cocoa)

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste 

Garnish: 

Seeds of a Pomegranate (or mixed berries) 

Chopped Pistachios

Method: 

Place avocado, maple syrup, cacao powder and vanilla bean paste in a food processor and blitz until combined.

Spoon into serving dishes. 

Place chocolate pots in fridge to chill.

Garnish with Pomegranate Seeds (or mixed berries) and Chopped Pistachios. 

Serves 2-4 people, depending on serving size.  

Lovely Maddabling readers, that concludes the weekend blog post Strange Flowers, Washi Tape Love and Chocolate Pots. See you all again on Wednesday for a new Wednesday Wishes blog post. 

P.S. 

Don't forget Summer Street Fair commences on Thursday 28th November at 5pm sharp, Maddabling wouldn't miss this for the world. Maybe I will see you there ♥ 

Friday Friends - Australian Makers - Old Vintage Bike

Hello readers is it really Friday already? Not much to report from Maddabling HQ, except of course that Summer Street prep is in full swing. What have you made or created lately? I would love you to share it with me in the comments section at the bottom of this blog post. This week I introduce to you sweet Adeline, the name behind the Etsy Store "Old Vintage Bike". Adeline creates the most darling children's clothing and home wares. 

I have suddenly developed a vested interest in baby girl clothing with the arrival of our first grandchild last Friday. I can't wait to buy gorgeous handmade clothing to spoil her with. I want to share with you now some favourite picks from Old Vintage Bike. I heart this Baby Girls Skirt + Singlet Set named "Ebony". It's so pretty and bright!

I do love this Pillowcase titled "Wise Owl" for no other reason other than the fact I really love Owls and this is supercute!

And lastly, how dapper is this Boys Button Up Shirt named "Duke" which is Retro Inspired.

Dear readers, this is where I leave you today. I simply must persist with my preparation for Summer Street Fair. It is not long now until opening evening! While I do that, I insist that you take some "YOU" time, enjoy a cuppa and enjoy the Tale of Old Vintage Bike. I hope you enjoy this tale as much as I did. Have a fantastic weekend xo♥

The Tale of Old Vintage Bike
OLD VINTAGE BIKE is an online boutique creating handmade clothing and home wares for special little Misters and Misses.  The home of exquisite apparel tailored to bring love, joy and happiness to the tender beginnings of our juniors. 

Inspired by old vintage and retro classics, each piece of clothing is designed and stitched  in-house from the highest quality fabrics in the ‘The Studio’.  

Every item tells the story of a whimsical childhood, and every mini minor has the opportunity to dress up in beautiful enchanting designs to match their individual character.

At OLD VINTAGE BIKE we like to add the extra magical touch to the little vintage girls skirt or top with lace, velvet ribbons, doilies and bows and the retro look to our boys shirts with contrast collars and cuffs.

The Studio’ is quite often found in a delightful state of mess, but each creation is joyfully produced with devoted attention to detail and TLC.

OLD VINTAGE BIKE opened its’ doors in December 2012 to keep ones’ sanity and thanks to all our faithful customers we continue to grow and expand our range continuously.

Dear readers, do you want to see more? 

You can buy lovely things on Etsy here: 

http://www.etsy.com/au/shop/OldVintageBike

A facebook and webpage for OldVintageBike are currently in the making. 

Pink is for Girls - Wednesday Wishes

Inspired  by the arrival of our first grandchild last week...

 today's Wednesday Wishes is "Pink for Girls"

Enjoy xo♥

Faux Taxidermy Christmas Deer Head from hodihomedecor

Pink, orange, red petal floral chunky gypsy resin handmade bangle 

from TopazTurtle

Handmade Dusty Pink Underbust Corset with Swarovski Crystals from MapleRoseCostumiere

Cupcake Topper 12pk - Pink from KazuOnline

Pale Pink Chiffon Rose Clutch - Size Large from HeidiCreations

Misery Beach, New Arrival and Beetroot,Pumpkin,Spinach,Feta + Walnut Salad

Hi readers, sorry for the delay in getting this blog post out there. It was to be done Sunday night, but this didn't eventuate. Better late than never hey! This week I share with you Misery Beach, New Arrival and Beetroot, Pumpkin, Spinach, Feta + Walnut Salad. Happy Reading ♥

Misery Beach
We set out early on a Saturday morning to the somewhat secluded and beautiful Misery Beach. I was on a mission to do some creative photography. 
Ideas had set in my mind, and it was time to make them happen. 

Why is pristine Misery Beach called Misery Beach? It appears to have earned it's name from when the Whaling Station, located a few hundred metres to the west, was in operation. Apparently the blood and whale guts would be carried out from the Whaling Station on the currents and they would wash up onto Misery Beach, which definately would have earned it this name. Don't quote me on this, it is but hearsay. 

With prop bags on my arm, we set out down the beach track. My long suffering other half knew what I was up to...... I think I truly confused and amused the seagulls with my antics....setting up props in the freshly washed sand on the waters edge, making sure that the odd wave didn't take my props out to sea and dodging the blue bottle jellyfish that seemed to be washing up in the waves. 

The result was a fab range of photographs that I had made into Christmas cards. Original Photo Image Christmas Cards. They are subtly festive, a lot are in black and white, it's a modern take on the classic Christmas images. These will be available at Summer Street Fair at the end of next week. 
New Arrival
Excitement was on the agenda last Friday, with the arrival of our first grandchild. She is just gorgeous and we are completely smitten with this tiny bundle. 

Mum, Dad and baby are doing well, we just can't wait for the next lot of precious cuddles with her. 
Beetroot,Pumpkin,Spinach,Feta + Walnut Salad

This is a super tasty and easy salad to make. Perfect for summer entertaining. I sourced Gourmet Italian Balsamic Glaze at my local supermarket. It is a little syrupy which makes it easy to drizzle over, and gives defined lines. 

Ingredients: 

500g Beetroot, peeled and diced
500g Pumpkin, peeled and diced 
150g baby spinach leaves, washed 
200g low fat feta cubed
Handful of Walnuts
Gourmet Italian Balsamic Glaze

Method: 

1. Roast pumpkin and beetroot until tender and just cooked. Allow time to cool. 
2. Arrange baby spinach on a serving plate, top with pumpkin, beetroot, feta and walnuts. 
3. Drizzle over Gourmet Italian Balsamic Glaze to finish. 

Lovely readers, I hope you enjoyed reading Misery Beach, New Arrival and Beetroot,Pumpkin,Spinach,Feta + Walnut Salad. See you all tomorrow for a new edition of Wednesday Wishes xo♥

Friday Friends - Australian Artists - Bridget Farmer; Printmaker

Welcome to another Friday lovely Maddabling readers. This weekend sees exciting things afoot in the Maddabling household, hopefully we will get to spend some time with a (pending) brand new arrival in our extended family! More to come on this. More Summer Street Fair preparation will also be underway. Busy times on the not too distant horizon. 

This week it is my great pleasure to introduce to you a new Friday Friend and Australian Artist - meet the clever creative Bridget Farmer, Printmaker. 

I have great respect for printmakers and the work that goes into creating the finished pieces that you see. I remember trying my hand at etching in high school and it was no mean feat to get the correct depth, line and textures on the tiny etching plates that we created. I also recall that it was terribly difficult to work with lino cut tools, often fingers would get in the way of the sharp tools you worked with. 

So it should come as no surprise to Maddabling readers, that I had a good snoop through Bridget's online portfolio and have found some favourites that I have chosen to share with you all today. 

The first piece is the "Finch III" Etching, I find this so beautiful, so full of cheeky character, it really captures the nature of these little birds.

I adore this darling wooden Gum Leaf Necklace, which has been laser etched and painted.

I also love the "Dancing Magic Moon Hare" Linocut, it reminds me of a sweet children's book illustration. 

Dear readers, I leave you now to read and learn more about the fabulous Bridget in "First Edition; The Story of Bridget Farmer, Printmaker".

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to be kind to one another. See you all on Sunday for the Maddabling weekend blog post xo 

First Edition; The Story of Bridget Farmer, Printmaker

I am Bridget Farmer, I am originally from Ireland but came to Australia in 2005 intending to travel and visit friends for 5 months. Of course, the age old story, I met a man and stayed. I now live in Daylesford in the highlands of central Victoria with my Australian husband, our naughty dog Eddie and currently a bump growing in my belly!

How and When did your handmade/artistic journey begin ?

From the very beginning of my memory really. I guess it's the same with all artistic people. I began painting giant fat cats at nursery school which progressed onto horses as a teenager and then birds at art college.

I've sort of stuck with birds ever since. I've always made things and when I started to be able to make money from my creations at the end of art college I knew that that was what I wanted to do full time. I've had the odd part time job here and there but these days I do my work full time.

What inspires you ?
My surroundings inspire me. I mostly draw from life and from these drawings I make my etchings. I love sketchbooks and try to have one on the go all the time.

Recently I've started making linocuts. They featured curled up animals in circular shapes. I didn't really know where this idea came from until someone asked me if it had anything to do with my pregnancy! It's funny how you don't even realise what it is you're doing and where your inspiration comes from at times!

What mediums do you work with - do you have a favourite ?

I work in a few different mediums. 

I make dry point etchings which I call my serious work. I exhibit these through galleries around regional Victoria and Melbourne and sell online. I also make linocuts which are quicker to make than my other printmaking work so I can sell them for a bit less at local markets and again online.

I've also started a range of etched wood jewellery depicting my bird drawings. My degree at Edinburgh Collage of Art was in jewellery and silversmithing so it's nice to utilise some of those skills again, even though these days I would consider myself a printmaker.

Do you have a favourite piece that you have made/created ?

I made a giant dry point etching of a pheasant. I think it's one of the largest prints I've made and I really enjoyed the challenge. I only made 10 in the edition and I didn't even keep one for myself which I am sad about.

BUT! I intend to make another large piece soon, this time depicting a peacock. I even have a neighbour's peacock lined up as a model!

What are your future plans/dreams/aspirations ?

My baby is due in February 2014, so really my only aspiration at the moment is to be able to balance my work and motherhood. I know things will have to slow down work wise and this is why I've been making pieces that don't take as long, trying to stockpile prints and starting the new range of jewellery which will hopefully tick along nicely. I want to spend time with her (it's a girl!) making lots of things and I hope she will inspire me further.

Dear readers do you want to see more? Here is how you can connect: 

Take a visual journey by seeing the 'how to' for making the Pheasant here: 

http://www.bridgetfarmerprintmaker.com/2011/05/pleasant-pheasant-printing.html

Become a follower on Facebook here: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bridget-Farmer-Printmaker/282594906471

Visit the website and buy lovely things here: 

http://bridgetfarmer.bigcartel.com/

and on Etsy here: 

http://www.bridgetfarmerprints.etsy.com