Teesha Moore - Fabric Journals

Teesha Moore has been at it again - this time making fabric journals. Here are her 4 videos - amazing colours and I love her no stress approach to putting stuff together. If you don't subscribe to her blog you should - she is so incredibly creative. Enjoy!



fabric journal 1 of 4 from teesha moore on Vimeo.

fabric journals 2 of 4 from teesha moore on Vimeo.


fabric journal 3 of 4 from teesha moore on Vimeo.


fabric journal 4 of 4 from teesha moore on Vimeo.

Summer Holidays

Here it is Easter Monday and I'm posting about last January - oh well better late than never!

This Summer, I took a trip into Sydney to have a little break with Emily, just like I did last year with Claire.

$109 on lastminute.com got us a mystery hotel at Darling Harbour - which turned out to be The Four Seasons. It is located in a very convenient spot - City side of Darling Harbour and a short walk there as well as up to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB).

Here's our room - not bad for the price!

Emily took to hotel living like a duck to water.

We dumped our bags in the room and headed up to the City. We went to Kinokunya - an amazing bookshop located in The Galeries Victoria opposite the Queen Victoria Building on George Street. They have an incredible range of books in all sorts of different categories. Here's Emily waiting patiently while I investigated the craft book section.
We wandered down to Darling Harbour for dinner. There are various options - some restaurants are expensive but there are lots of inexpensive options too. We decided to eat at Pontoon bar. Because it's a bar, they have a cheap food menu (due to the complexities of NSW licencing laws). Every dish is $10, cooked fresh on the outdoor grill - options include hamburgers, kebabs and fish and chips. It was yummy!

Now normally I wouldn't take my daughter to a bar (!) but this is a gorgeous outdoor setup with lounges and picnic style bench tables with a million dollar view!

We then strolled back towards the hotel, stopping for a gelato too. Back in the room we enjoyed the nice soft bathrobes and put our feet up and watched a bit of cable tv. Here's Em perfecting her bathrobe look!

Next morning we checked out and walked back down to Darling Harbour where we caught the ferry round to Circular Quay. Let me tell you that's about the best thing you can do for about $5 anywhere! From Circular Quay we walked up to The Rocks and had breakfast at Pancakes on The Rocks - neither of us could finish our pancakes - and that's saying something. The Rocks is one of the oldest parts of Sydney with some interesting, free museums featuring the archeological findings from digs around various different sites and theNSW Archives Office at Nurses Walk.

Down near Nurses Walk is a gorgeous button shop right next door to Margo Richards Antiques.

We slowly headed back up George Street to The Strand Arcade.

Emily was particularly taken by Sweet Art

They have amazing cakes

and these very cute pug dog candles.  

I LOVED these chairs in the reception area - very chi chi!

Oh - and one more shot - how gorgeous is this bike in the window of the White Kikki-K shop? Unlike the usual Kikki-K shops this one only carries the stock in white. Getting fit would be easy on a gorgeous bike like this!

A new blog

Summer has been long, hot and (now my least favourite part of the year) humid. On the plus side the kids are back at school (insert happy face) so it all evens out really! I have lots of posts to catch up but for the moment I wanted to let everyone who follows me here now that I have started a new blog - it doesn't replace this one but is very specifically about art dolls and art doll artists - it will be updated at least weekly (that's the plan) and will feature artist profiles, book reviews, information about conferences, tips and tricks and so on and so forth.
I will still be blogging here about life and more general interests so the choice is yours - follow one or the other or both depending on your interests!!
If you want to check out my new blog it is http://www.artdollartists.blogspot.com/

Christmas Countdown

I am totally unprepared/do not have my head around/ etc the fact that Christmas is only 18 days away - holy smokes - just gave myself a fright writing that! The tree is not up, have not made the Christmas Cake, or anything - nor have I bought a single present. This is not unusual for me - I am always ready for Christmas in early January - see testimonial here.

So I thought in the spirit of all things globe-trotting I would post some Christmas window displays from around the world.......

Printemps in Paris - a three wise men vibe going on via Rolye on Flickr

Macy's via itornot on Flickr

This little snippet about Bergdorf Goodman's windows - love those staircases - very steampunk!

and this handy youtube video with a bit of a walking around the Macy's display in NY.

The kids finish school this Thursday - might have to go on an expedition into Sydney to look at the windows in David Jones and the big Christmas tree in Martin Place (on a cool day! ) better hurry up though - I am running out of time - argh!!!!

UPDATE!

My lovely friend Kylie just told me that Harrods has a Wizard of Oz theme this year.

They have lit up the store in green lights to look like the Emerald City.

The Knightsbridge store has apparently landed on the Wicked Witch of the East.

AND they were selling these limited edition ruby slippers in store. Unsuprisingly - they sold out!

Look what I found

I found the pics I'd saved them down to my computer - but don't know where I got them from - if they are yours please let me know so I can add a link (or if you happen to know please tell me also). All I know was that the woman had needlefelted them as party favours for her daughter's party.

While I was looking for the elusive needlefelted monsters - I came across this - how awesome - it is a converted toddler pusher. I love the inside lining made to look like the brains. You wouldn't want to have an ugly baby though, people might be cruel.

needle felting love

Found this incredible needlefelted "Venus" by Stephanie Metz who lives and works out of San Fransisco. She is a sculptor who works in needlefelted wool. Take a look at her site - she is an artist with a point of view which she communicates so well via her art. I particularly love the "Overbred Animals" series as a commentary on our relationship to the animals that we are bio-engineering for food production. Very thoughtful. Be sure to check out the entire portfolio - especially the figurative studies.

In other surfing - I also found this extremely cute (and highly more achievable) monster - firstly this one from Dawn Schiller of Oddfae (maker of those steampunk Chrono-Seidh that I am so completely in love with). There was another site with awesome one eyed monsters - but I've been looking for it all day - and it has disappeared.

But there are also these bags from Beth Connors from Felting In Fibre-Space.

Journalling

I read many blogs - one of the artists whose work is consistently amazing is Teesha Moore. Her work has been featured in Somerset Studio and several other Stampington publications and she teaches at ArtFest in the US each year. Her work is original, quirky and colourful. She doesn't post on her blog very often but when she does - it's always a treat. Recently she posted several videos on Youtube showing how she makes her 16 page art journals - I learned so much from them and am hanging out for her to post the final part (which is the actual written journal part).
Her journals are made from a 22" x 30" Fabriano Artistico 140lb (300gsm) Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper. For those who actually occupy the same space in the universe that I do - I found it at the Art Supply shop at Hornsby!

Here are part 1 & 2 of the actual journal construction:





Here's how she paints the backgrounds:


Here's how she collages the pages:








And the pen work that she does over the top:








And finally here's a "white journal" that wasn't painted


UPDATE!

Here are the two additional videos from Teesha





Aren't they great tutorials - so wonderful of her to post them on youtube for the rest of us. Be sure to check out her website and particularly her rubber stamps - the Zettiology range and my absolute favourite (as in I'd love to own every single one) The Tattered Circus.

Kaffe Fassett interview

Everyone who reads my blog would know of my fondness for all things Kaffe. Here is an interview on Danish TV (but in English!) the link is here. It should open up in your Windows Media Player - that's what it did for me. Thanks to Jane for posting the link.

Fabric Explorations

Here' a great little snippet from Quarry Books featuring Patti Culea and a mini project from her latest book

Isn't she adorable?

STOP! Where are you going with this?

I know I have a few followers on this blog - not a lot - just a few. Some of you may have landed here because of an interest in dolls, or home design or quilting or felting. One follower is my best friend from high school (hi Gail!) and I know she is not interested in anything remotely crafty or domestic. Case in point - when I got married I had a kitchen tea. Everyone was asked to bring their favourite receipe. She brought a list of favourite restaurants because she makes reservations for dinner. So she's here to keep track of me (and now you've got your licence back (ahem) you will have to drive up the M2 and visit me).
But amongst the thoughts on paint colours and crafty love - you will perhaps have noticed a slight bent towards social justice issues. It may seem incongrous to be talking about pretty things one minute and horrific injustices the next but that's the nature of the world we live in.
I follow a number of blogs - some present a world where life is a continuous Martha Stewart Living event, untouched and unruffled by the crueler considerations of life. But even Martha had a time when life went pear-shaped and she spent time in the clink for corporate indiscretions!
I much prefer blogs that are more balanced and more real. One of the best blogs that walks these two worlds is Tara Bradford's Paris Parfait. In between pictures of vitrines at Galleries Lafayette and Parisian brocantes, Tara packs a punch with intelligent and incisive commentary on US, Middle Eastern and European politics. She calls people, political parties and whole countries out on their less than savoury policies and practices. She refuses to stand idly by and not speak up.
Which brings me to this -
About a year ago the issue of People Trafficking blipped on my radar. People trafficking is modern day slavery. Children, yes, CHILDREN are bought and sold as cheap labour and sex slaves and it happens EVERYWHERE.

Roughly 2 to 4 million people are trafficked in and across borders each year.
Human trafficking is now a leading source of profits for organized crime, together with drugs and weapons, generating an estimated 9.5 billion dollars per year.
The overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children.
The average victim is forced to have sex up to 20 times a day.
The CIA calculates that profits from one trafficked woman alone averages around $250,000 USD per year.
Traffickers acquire their victims in a number of ways. Sometimes they are kidnapped outright in one country and taken forcibly to another. Traffickers also entice victims to migrate voluntarily with false promises of well-paying jobs in foreign countries as au pairs, models, dancers, domestic workers, etc. When they arrive at their destination many are placed in physically confining conditions, their travel documents and passports are taken away and both they and their families are threatened if they do not cooperate. Women and girls are forced to work as prostitutes in heavily guarded brothels and strip clubs.
An estimated 1.8 million children are exploited by the commercial human trafficking industry. Children are abducted from rural areas and trafficked into a range of exploitive practices, which include bonded labor, sexual exploitation, marriage, illicit adoptions, and begging.
Young girls, some as young as 12 years old, are forced to work in brothels, massage parlors, prostitution rings, strip clubs, or used to produce pornographic materials.
Children are recruited and trafficked to earn money by begging or selling goods.
Child beggars are sometimes maimed by their captors to generate sympathy and generosity from potential buyers.
Victims are forced to live in confining and unsanitary conditions and are subject to many abuses such as malnutrition, sleep deprivation, emotional abuse, and beatings, lack of healthcare and forced abortions. Many contract STD's and hepatitis A & B and HIV/AIDs.
Children are deprived of basic education and any sort of parental upbringing, and are completely dependent on their captors for food and shelter.
Perhaps it doesn't come as a total shock to some that it happens in Africa and Asia but did you know it also happens in Europe?

And also the US?

So what can be done?
1) get educated - visit the A21 Campaign, the Greyman , Not for Sale or IOM to start to understand the insidious nature of human trafficking and how, when, where and why it happens
2) get political - write to your local, state and federal representatives to put political pressure and resources into policing and prosecuting as well as resourcing for rescue and rehabilitation
3) put your money where your mouth is - provide funding for the groups mentioned above and also buy free trade products that pay a fair days pay to workers and don't use child labour
4) think about prevention - many of the children are sold or lured in by the promise of a better life. Child sponsorship through Compassion or World Vision helps provide children out of the trap of poverty and vulnerability that makes them vulnerable to exploitation.
5) Pray - pushing back the darkness of this world is a spiritual as well as physical activity. One does not replace the other but done in conjunction -it achieves much.

Just don't bury your head in the sand. It has to STOP *

*STOP - Stop Trafficking Of People

Tents for the Homeless Pt 2

I am happy to say that my husband's little initiative to raise some money to buy tents and sleeping bags for the homeless in Sydney's Woolloomooloo area has really taken off. He's raised over $1000 USD through Chip In as well as gathering a boot load of tents and sleeping bags from friends who have donated "in kind". The money is still coming in as others find out about it - but he spent the $1000 last weekend buying 16 sets of tents and -5 degree sleeping bags. It has been really cold in Sydney this week due to a air pressure system coming up from the Antartic - so those extra warm sleeping bags are going to come in handy. This is what he was originally confronted with.
You can see more pics and read about it some more here.

and this clip on YouTube shows the type of tents we bought - little two man jobs that can go up and be taken down quickly. The police turn a bit of a blind eye to the tents so long as they are down by early morning when the rest of the city turns up for work. So next time you see a homeless person - why not wordlessly buy them something to eat or a cup of coffee.
In the meantime, I'd seen this book on someone else's blog - turns out my friend Dale had just finished reading it and has lent it to me. It's a great easy read and a powerful story. Highly recommended.

And the winner is ......

Deb! Random Number generator came up with #2 - so Deb wins the prize.
Congratulations Deb - I hope you make lots of them!
Now I am off to check the new Sewn website which launched today!!

Crude, Rude and Vulgar

But this just made me pee my pants laughing!

A Little Oops

Thanks to all those who have commented on the Sewn post for a chance to win - I've just made a small update because as I read the comment I realised I'd left off a very important word - PATTERN! You are entering to win a pattern - not the pincushions and needle cover itself.

Sorry about that folks!

Sewn - free giveaway

Sarah Fielke has a great blog called The Last Piece. She previously co-owned Material Obsession at Hunters Hill here in Sydney but quit that at the end of last year. She is now the creative director of Sewn - a new website venture which is launching next Monday (June 8). There is a big virtual Launch Party with lots of different blogs joining in and offering giveaways. You can check out the different blogs and their respective giveaways here.
I've decided to join in the fun and lead all those quilters and other sewing chicks into the wonderful world of cloth dolls. You can join in too - just post a comment below before June 8 to go into the draw to win (drum roll please......)
Patti Culea's Little Star Pincushion and Needle cover pattern! To enter just leave a comment below by June 8th and I will draw a winner. Too easy!

Barbara Willis's new book

Barbara Willis is one of the premier cloth doll makers and also a very lovely person. I've not had the pleasure of doing a class with her but I have met her and chatted to her at length at different shows over the years and many of my friends have done classes with her and loved the whole experience. Barbara is in Australia at the moment on a teaching tour - I would so have loved to have joined in the fun. My problem would be deciding which class to do.... There's this one called The Collector This one called Lillith

This one called Box of Memories

And - oh my giddy aunt - this one which is a mermaid journal

I have seen many of Barbara's dolls in real life and, let me tell you, as gorgeous as this eye-candy is - you have to see it in the flesh to get how rich and lush and layered and fantastabulous it all is. Barbara came to cloth dolls from the porcelain doll world and all of that experience informs her dolls from the daintiness of their poses to the use of silk and taffetta in dressing them along with exquisite accessories.

I will be ordering her new book from Amazon. I think I will need to laminate every page though so I can wipe off the drool easily.

Scarves for Bushfire Victims

I belong to many online groups (mostly through Yahoo). Jan Macfayden belongs to one such group. Jan was on Channel 9 last week because she is co-ordinating a large distribution of quilts to Victorian Bushfire victims. Many, many people have donated quilts, fabric, blocks, backing fabric and so on to the cause, a quilt being a nice warm cuddle for people who have lost everything or who are so traumatised by what they have seen and heard. So when Jan mentioned that a scarf or beanie would be appreciated as it's getting pretty cold down there, the backlash from some quarters was - well - suprising in a rather disappointing way. The worst comment was this, "'People in Kinglake can afford to buy a hat and a scarf, I believe more than half of the bushfire appeal money has been given out. Also I believe that everyone who has lost their home has been assigned a case manager to work with them to help them. They would surely be able to organise some funds or vouchers to enable them to buy items needed. Unfortunately there are people who don't want anything that isn't handed to them on a silver platter or free."

Well Jan has posted a response on her blog which basically outlines the reality of the situation - but is it really that difficult to imagine that people who have been through such a dreadful experience might be suffering from stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, a sense of hopelessness and despair, depression and so on and are struggling with all sorts of stuff?

The theoretical assignation of a case worker does not mean that you have an one-on-one, 24/7 personal assistant to help get your life back together. Anyone who has ever had to contend with our woefully inadequate and underfunded social security system on behalf of themselves or another person will know how slow moving and time consuming it can be.

Even typing this makes me cranky. I just hope the silly woman who wrote this never has to experience the total loss and devestation that those in Kinglake and other areas have.

I for one was excited to know that all that wool I bought in a end of winter, "gosh aren't they fabulous and wow so cheap!" frenzy will find a home around the neck of someone who needs a little bit of a cheering up present.

So here are some I prepared earlier - for such a time as this.......

It's a Cold Old Day in Sydney today

It is a rainy, cold day in Sydney today - can't help sitting here thinking how miserable it must be for those who live on the street. The good news is that we are at $690 (USD) so in AUD that's quite a bit more! I've bought some tents and need to price some sleeping bags - keep your fingers crossed that we can get some at a good price!
It's funny watching the donation process - originally we hoped that maybe 100 or so people might "chip in" $10 or so - however it's less people but so generous - hard to predict what people will do. It's funny in a way though - because if everyone did a little bit - it would all add up to make such a big difference.
Just remember do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are, whenever you are able.
Looking forward to hitting the $1000 mark!

Tents for the Homeless

My husband is very interested in issues with homeless people. He was in town recently for a meeting and was after a cup of coffee - he wandered into Hope Street which is a drop in centre for Homeless Men. (He's kind but not terribly observant!). Homelessness is on the rise with the G.E.C. and many people are sleeping rough in the Domain in Sydney - with Winter fast approaching it's a rather cold prospect.

He is mobilising his friends from his old school - St Leos at Wahroonga who are called, appropriately enough, SLOBS (St Leos Old Boys). I said I would help him with my contacts too - so here's the widget for my blog. We are collecting the funds ourselves and then will buy the tents and sleeping bags. If you'd like to chip in - please feel free - we've set a goal of $1000 by June 30. If you live in Sydney and have an unused sleeping bag or little 1 or 2 man tent - feel free to drop it off and we'll make sure it goes to someone who can really use it.

To donate - click on the link below.

Oh for the old days

I love old cartoons - and am always amused at how risque they were. Like this one.
Red Hot Riding Hood 1943

Swing Shift Cinderella

And these little nudies - would you see a cartoon like this today? All those bums sticking up in the water?
Waterbabies (1935)

I love the way there are a million things going on and the visual puns that so often go on..