hopping through branches

BrisStyle Markets

2009-07-08T08:15:00.005+10:00

I had a very nice day at the BrisStyle markets on Saturday.

I had hoped to take more photo's but the crowds were so intense I wasn't able to stand still long enough to focus my camera :)

Ruby 2 Go Go

Made by Maisie

Beckybean

I managed to pick up a lovely screen printed tea towel from Red Seed Studios, the best wood buttons ever from Beckybean, gorgeous lapel pins from Hot Toffee, a domino brooch kit from Ruby 2 Go Go, a pin from Kitty Boo Boo and last but not least a fancy collar from Pret a Pawte for Monsieur Pedro.

Ran into some of my very good friends at the markets too...

...with one of little Jellygnites cute little dashies.

short break

2009-06-22T22:47:00.008+10:00

Nook is progressing well although I don't have any new photo's to post just yet. I'm away house sitting for friends this week. They live on a gorgeous 15 acre block overlooking Wollumbin (a.k.a. Mt. Warning) in northern NSW. A good opportunity to relax and maybe even catch up on emails, ordering and some general lazing about. My duties here are light. Entertain Po (she's kelpie/cattle dog) and feed the chooks. So far so good!

Now, as idyllic as all this sounds there have been some minor set backs, the gas for the stove ran out yesterday. There is another stove in the barn 200m away. We have to traipse through long grass and mud to get there but Po & I enjoy the walk (Po more than I).

Po looking sheepish & then... big yawn

I usually like to get out early and take photo's while the fog's still thick but it was so unbearably cold this morning.

nook blog

2009-06-16T16:56:00.005+10:00

I have started a new blog here in which I shall record the meanderings of soon to be little shop nook! Go on, Take a peek ;)

On an entirely different and somewhat amusing note, I stumbled across this photo I'd taken whilst visiting Japan last February. It was attached to a drink vending machine.

Funny, I know exactly what they mean :)

GIVEAWAY WINNER

2009-06-11T08:57:00.000+10:00

...and the WINNER is
BUBBA CHENILLE

Congartulations Bubba Chenille !
: : Your goodies are on their way : :

Many thanks to all those who entered.

a nook to call my own

2009-06-05T09:18:00.000+10:00

I've been living in an old run down house in Browning St, West End with my partner Julian for a few years now. With the exception of one boarding house, our place is the only residential house remaining on the block. The other houses were converted into shops and other businesses long ago. Our house was probably built around 1930 and other than a few dodgy additions like the built in veranda, it doesn't look like a whole lot of maintenance has been carried out on this place EVER. The exterior needs a serious coat of paint, the gutters need replacing, the list goes on. Anyway, the exciting thing is, it's all happening! The house is undergoing a serious makeover. Now here's the really cool part - to top it off I have been given the all clear to turn the front half into my very own shoppe!

The shop will be called 'Nook' and will feature handmade, vintage & eco goods. I'm hoping to be open within 2-3 months. No way am I setting an actual date just yet. We still have the builders here and painters are yet to come!

One more thing about this house is that it sits next door to an old, now dis-used boarding house. Julian's father grew up in that house and his father before him! The place was bought in the 1920's by Julian's great grandmother and was run as a boarding house until around 2003!

G I V E A W A Y ! ! !

2009-06-04T08:18:00.000+10:00

I'm keen to put get some new items up in my shop soon but in order to do that I need to clear out a few other bits and pieces first. I've never done a giveaway before. This is my first - and I'm excited!!

So what's up for grabs I hear you ask..

You could win an origami print tote made from cotton/linen Japanese imported fabric which is lined and has a pocket on the inside, a little patchwork pincushion and four dragonfly padded drink coasters!!

How to enter? All you have to do is tell me which booties design/colour you like best. The booties can all be found right here. In one weeks time I will randomly select the winner so please make sure you leave your email address or a link to your own blog where I can get in touch with you.

Good luck :)

a nice start to the day

2009-06-03T08:05:00.001+10:00

Check it out, another front page...

Do you know about the Flickr Etsy front Pager's Photostream?
It's a great place to check if you've been on the front page, whether your a seller or if your lucky/patient enough to have made a treasury.
There is always a good chance one of your items has made it to the front page when it's picked up a tonne of views overnight for no obvious reason.

2009-06-02T11:00:00.000+10:00

Brisbane based label Kurashi has opened a brand new online store. Most items are handmade using beautiful linens, recycled fabrics and eco felt. There are also some cute little treasures from Japan.

Kurashi :: shop
Kurashi :: blog

bris-craftiness

2009-06-01T15:02:00.000+10:00

Just a tiny snippet of my favorites on Etsy.
All handmade in Brisbane.

Clockwise from top left : Little Mary Moo, Love Janie Lou, Obelia Design, Studio Kurashi, Where's Becky Bean.

make your own

2009-05-19T17:40:00.000+10:00

For anyone interested in making their very own little pair of felt booties, you can find the instructions and templates of the blue bird booties below in this months issue of Homespun magazine (the blue issue).

I'd love to see your finished pairs!

a short break

2009-05-18T14:43:00.000+10:00

After acquiring dirt cheap tickets with Tiger, just 30 bucks each, my partner Julian (Jules for short) & I made our way to down to Melbs for the weekend.

The Nunnery in Fitzroy was to be our base and from there we ventured forth - well that is to say we shopped, ate tasty food, drank coffee and guzzled beer...
All around a fine weekend!

the nunnery

carlton park

We dined with pals at an amazing raw food restaurant called Le Cru. All vegan except for a small amount of honey used in some dishes. I ordered the beetroot ravioli which was of course not ravioli at all. It was thin slices of raw beetroot filled with a cashew cream centre drenched in a tangy citrus sauce - delicious!
We finished with raw, vegan tiramisu for dessert - oh lordy!

beetroot ravioli

parsnip pasta

le cru restaurant, zakkaya & melbourne museum

etsy front page

2009-05-13T08:22:00.000+10:00

Thanks Teneale for letting me know!

The council are laying stinky new tar over our street today. The trucks are so noisy and they start at 5am. Should look good when it's finished though. It'll be nice and smooth for bike riding too.

2009-04-30T15:48:00.000+10:00

If you get along to the Stitches show this week I highly recommend the Reconstruction Zone! The lovely Nichola of Wardrobe Re-fashion has organized a space for the public to get hands on and re-fashion pre-loved garments, op-shop fabric, donated ribbons, buttons and trims into whatever you fancy. No crafting experience necessary! Sewing machines and overlockers provided. The best bit is you get to take your creation home with you!!

Other show highlights: The Incubator! With BrisStyle crew - Scampsville, Made by Miffy, Jetta's Nest, Little Diva, Bubba Chenille and Ruby2 Go Go. Also Red Seed Studio and Peppermint magazine along with Ink & Spindle, Dear Fii, Kristen Doran, and Mixtape Zine.

Stitches & Craft Show

2009-04-29T09:16:00.000+10:00

I'm about to head down to the Stitches & Craft Show to help out at the Reconstruction Zone. Not really sure what to expect. I'm a bit nervous actually!

: : songs to sew to : :

2009-04-27T11:29:00.000+10:00

When I have a whole lot of sewing to do in one sitting I like to queue up a bunch of tracks to listen to on my computer (hooked up to the stereo). I can generally listen to the same list of songs over and over on shuffle for a few weeks before I get sick of them and have to pick out a whole new crop.
Here's two songs I don't think I'll grow tired of anytime soon:

What do you listen to/watch while you craft??

Oh my!

2009-04-20T23:08:00.000+10:00

Busy times indeed over at Pedrosprout HQ! Pedro and I are up to our ears in orders.
I somehow managed to convince my Mum to come all the way from Lismore to help me cut out felt circles - Onya Ma!

I'll let you know if she's still talking to me by the end of the week : )

new bunny colourways

2009-04-08T15:08:00.000+10:00

Just in time for Easter...

These little guys were delivered to Nesting Bird Interiors this morning.

All are available in the Pedrosprout shop.

Bris Style giveaway

2009-04-06T08:37:00.000+10:00

This months prizes come courtesy of Made by Miffy and Little Chrissy.
To enter, scoot over to the Bris Style blog and leave a comment at the bottom of the post.

fall fashion item poll on the storque

2009-04-01T10:02:00.000+10:00

Log in to Etsy to vote for your favorite fall (or autumn) fashions.

Did I mention that my booties are in the running. No pressure to vote for them. You can if you want to but no pressure, just if you want to : )

featured:

2009-03-31T10:53:00.000+10:00

............. in Woolworths Parents magazine this month. p26.

A little visit to Stumped HQ

2009-03-26T13:13:00.000+10:00

You may have noticed a link to Stumped in the 'nice blogs' list over to your left. Found it?

I have just returned from a short stint to Stumped HQ in Northern NSW to see what those good friends of mine were up to.
A little over a year ago, Sean and Jan relocated a beautiful old existing house from Brisbane all the way down to their 15 acre property just west of Murwillumbah. Prior to relocating the new house, they lived in a two storey barn style shed (see below) on the property for several years .

S & J wanted a home that was suitably sustainable and comfortable enough for their families needs. Many options were considered and researched before the decision was made to recycle a pre-existing home. Sean started a blog to record their experiences and share all that they had learnt along the way. Stumped is a truly informative read even if you don't intend moving a house anywhere anytime soon. The blog even includes a tally of the costs to date.
It has taken approximately one year to get the house back together, stumped and plumbed. Sean and Jan did loads of the work themselves too.
Oh, and did I mention they did all this with a (now) 2 year old and a baby due in 3 weeks.

Go Sean & Jan!!!

house arriving in two parts and the new tank ( photo's from Stumped)

view of Wollumbin (Mt. Warning) from the back deck

misty view from the composting toilet

breakfast in the nook

I didn't take too many pics of inside the house as S & J were still in the process of moving in. I think Jan would kill me if I posted any here : )

more tops

2009-03-12T15:43:00.000+10:00

My good friend Momo lent me a selection of her Japanese craft books while she is away visiting friends and family in Japan. Very generous!
I am halfway through making one top but in the meantime I have made another top from this book.

Pedro held the pattern down while I traced : )
This is my favorite top yet. The fabric is a cotton linen from Japan. It's a little coarse but in a good natural sort of way.

new brooches....

2009-03-07T20:47:00.001+10:00

etsy & the aussie dollar

2009-03-07T09:17:00.000+10:00

It's been really hard deciding what to do in regards to pricing on my Etsy shop. Our dollar is sooo low in comparison to the US dollar. Whilst writing this it's at about .64 cents.
The dilemma is that if I lower my Etsy prices too much it's unfair to other sellers in the US and if I don't the price is way too high for my Australian and New Zealand customers. Plus I think it's confusing to buyers generally (and me) to see different prices for similar items on different sites. To top it off, I'm now pay almost double for my listings on Etsy as well.
So anyway, I've decided to go ahead and lower my prices on Etsy so they're in line with what I charge here in Australia and offer free shipping to my fellow Aussies. Hopefully this will work out OK.

If you're in Australia (or the US for that matter) I highly recommend purchasing through my other shop on Big Cartel. It's works out about $2 cheaper I think.

Monthly Bris Style giveaways

2009-03-03T09:34:00.000+10:00

There are 2 new giveaways this month over on the Bris Style blog. This months goodies come courtesy of Little Diva Crafts and Bubba Chenille.

: : coasters galore : :

2009-02-28T16:52:00.001+10:00

new coasters in the shop now

Japan - Part 1

2009-02-27T09:04:00.000+10:00

I have been back home for a week now catching up on a little sewing and deciding which project to start next . I'm still tired! I forgot just how noisy it can be living here in West End. I live just a little too close to the ever encroaching 'entertainment district' than I'd like to. I get less sleep at home than I did in Tokyo....
Anyway on to more exciting things - Japan was great as always. Kyoto is still my No.1 place to visit. It's so flat and excellent for riding bikes. I love the surrounding hills, the grid street system, the river, the shopping arcades, the fabric stores and there seems to be heaps of vego/vegan places to eat (more than in Brisbane anyway). Oh and the people are super friendly and helpful.

tori gates, Fushimi Inari

bamboo forests, Arashiyama

For my friend Megan's birthday we went to Arashiyama (in the western hills of Kyoto) to Tenryu-ji Zen temple and Shigetsu for Shojin-ryori (vegetarian temple food). Shigetsu is set amongst one of the oldest landscaped gardens in Japan. The food was amazing!

There is another beautiful garden and villa in Arashiyama called Okochi Sanso. It's just up a bit from Tenryu-ji. It has some seriously nice gardens with paths all covered in moss, grand views of Kyoto city and a tea ceremony room where we drank tasty Matcha.

Not long now.

2009-02-05T14:50:00.000+10:00

I leave for Japan in the morning and won't be back until 21st Feb YaY!!
Feeling a little anxious about the trip . I hope I haven't forgotten anything. I'll be able to relax once we're on the plane.

bamboo shoots in Kyoto

Shinjuku

BrisStyle blog giveaway

2009-02-01T18:38:00.000+10:00

There will be a new giveaway each month over on the BrisStyle team blog. To be in the running to win all you have to do is leave a comment on the giveaway blog post - easy!
This months giveaway comes to you courtesy of Edward and Lilly. Check it out!!

I ♥ M a c r o

2009-01-31T12:26:00.000+10:00

......... and time wasting

Nesting Bird Interiors

2009-01-30T12:04:00.001+10:00

If you haven't been to visit Nesting Bird Interiors shop I can tell you it is well worth the trip. It's at the beginning of Logan Rd, Woolloongabba in Brisbane right by all the antique shops and the lovely old Goodyear Tyre building (the one with all the peeling paint). Nesting bird is above Miss Mouse Boutique in one of the old terraces which were built in 1855. Nesting Bird stock loads of locally made homewares, childrens toys and clothing and some of my very own Pedrosprout booties, totes and brooches.

Studio Kurashi bird motif pure linen childrens shorts

+ cute peg dolls (looking very European)

Photo of Nesting Bird taken from Nesting Bird blog

Photo of Nesting Bird taken from Nesting Bird blog

Finally, some new clothes...

2009-01-27T21:21:00.000+10:00

I have been running a little low on summer tops lately so I got sewing and made these two over the weekend. The pattern came from Japanese craft mag 'Cotton Time' and was originally a simple dress pattern. I made the gingham top first to see how it all worked.

Ginghamy was followed closely by this one. I went through my stash and found some op-shop fabric so all up I'd say this top cost less than $5 to make. The gingham top was maybe $7.
Not bad at all!

One of my favourite fashiony blogs is Wiksten Made. Jenny has great taste and designs some of the loveliest clothes I've ever seen. With my love of yoke tops (I think that's what they're called) and inspiration from Jenny's Wiksten collection I set about re-working some of my old second hand shirts.

The red top above is a Christian Dior shirt I originally bought second hand for $10

I should probably try and find another easy summer top pattern soon otherwise I think I'll end up making 5 or 6 more from my Cotton Time pattern. When your on a roll........

Shop Update

2009-01-23T12:39:00.000+10:00

My booties are now available over at the new Pedrosprout shop. I also have totes, fabric drink coasters, pincushions and felt brooches for sale too.

2009-01-20T19:46:00.000+10:00

little pincushion
brooch (below)

coasters

Hot! Hot! Hot!

2009-01-16T15:33:00.000+10:00

Another super hot sticky day!

All the Blu-tack I used to hold pictures in place in their frames has melted with the heat and the pictures have all slipped down in their frames.....
........and my lip balm has turned to liquid.

New online store

2009-01-14T15:47:00.001+10:00

I've just added a couple of items to my new online shop

http://pedrosprout.bigcartel.com
Hopefully I will have it completely set up within the next month (or two).
I've been wanting to have my own site for a while. Etsy's great but the exchange rate can make it difficult I think for local shoppers. With my new shop, items are listed in Australian dollars.

pincushion and cotton/linen coasters

The subtle art of cat relocation

2009-01-13T11:29:00.000+10:00

I know, I know, enough with the cat already.

Pedro tends to pass out on whatever you are about to use.
Luckilly, I have mastered the art of relocating him into the same position elsewhere without him really noticing.

Kyoto - Takayama - Tokyo

2009-01-06T23:12:00.000+10:00

Madly planning for my trip to Japan next month. I have all my accommodation booked but still searching out craft and fabric shops to call in on. So far I have Linnet in Kyoto, Tokyu Hands and Okadaya in Tokyo. If I get time I'd also like to check out the textile district in Nippori.
Does anyone know of anywhere else worth a visit??

Happy 2009!!

2009-01-02T15:56:00.000+10:00

Holidays here I come....

2008-12-18T09:00:00.000+10:00

It's been a very busy few weeks with completing Esty orders, making stock for the market, making Christmas and birthday presents for family.....
It was my sisters birthday last Saturday (the day of the BrisStyle market) , my mums birthday is tomorrow and mine's on Sunday! Crazy!! Poor Dad cops it the worst, having to buy two presents for each of us. His birthday of course falls on or very near to Mothers Day so I guess he gets his own back.

It was nice to meet and chat with a lot of the lovely ladies that are BrisStyle last weekend. I picked up a little necklace from Olivia of Scampsville and some cute baby bloomers from Benita of Betsy Kingston.

Next week I'm off to my folks place for bit of a relax until Christmas. I'm especially looking forward to seeing this pair of ragamuffins -

I overheard my Mum telling someone that Ren (the black and white dog) was finally starting to behave herself and doing what she was told. Mum felt that they were really getting through to her. The funny thing is, Rens 12! She's not behaving herself she's just getting old!!
Ren was a bit of a handful in her youth : )

They look like great mates don't they?
The little one is Stimpson. Both dogs were rescued by my sister at different times when she was traveling the east coast fruit-picking. My sister took care of Stimpson but Ren was flown up to my parents as she wasn't allowed at the farms (she'd run around knocking the fruit from the trees). They both eventually retired with my parents to this property in Northern NSW. Looks like they're both enjoying that view!

Small totes !!

2008-12-16T19:46:00.000+10:00

Christmas market!

2008-12-08T07:33:00.000+10:00

A group of us in Brisbane who sell on Etsy are having a market this Saturday over at Hamilton.

Date: Sat 13 Dec
Time: 9am to 4pm
Place: The Historic Hamilton Town Hall, Cnr Rossiter and Racecourse Rd, Hamilton
Entry: Free

Most of the stalls that will be there can be found on the BrisStyle blog. I have so much sewing to do before the weekend!

I stopped in at the GOMA design market on the weekend to visit Momo who was having a stall and say hi to Ellie who has recently started her own business Red Seed Studio. It had to of been one of the hottest and humid days we've had this year but still there were stacks of people out and about. Momo's stall was so busy we could hardly get over to say hi. Here's a few pic's Momo took of some things she made for her market stall :

Research Trip No. 1

2008-11-13T07:24:00.000+10:00

I've just returned from a small 'research' trip to Melbourne. Researching tasty food and cute shops mostly. On my travels I frequented my favorite place for soup and onigiri - Wood Spoon Kitchen! Their Pumpkin Gnocchi in Coconut Tomato Soup is the tastiest soup I've EVER eaten, EVER. I dream about this soup!!
I can also highly recommend trying the Moroccan Pizza at the Vegie Bar (great service) and the amazing organic cashew nut milk spiced hot chocolates of Coco Loco in Northcote - like liquid chocolate! AMAZING (and vegan)!!
I visited stacks of cute little homeware and handmade shops too - Zakkaya, I Dream a Highway, Rose St Markets just to name a few.
I always feel really inspired after getting away for a bit, especially to melb. I even loved the cold, (really) windy, wet weather. A nice change from the fine, sunny, hot days we always have in Brisbane. Nope, I'm not being sarcastic. I just like a bit of variety in my weather from time to time and the opportunity to break out a jacket or two.
A trip away was just what I needed to get myself all ready to make some things for an upcoming market with fellow Brisbane Etsy folk from BrisStyle. The markets to be held at The Historic Town Hall in Hamilton, Brisbane, 13th December 9am -4pm. Only one month away! Time to get cracking..........

In print!!

2008-10-27T16:31:00.000+10:00

I featured in the local paper this week.!! The photo was taken with me lying down so I look a little strange (I think).

I've been really busy working on a project for Homespun magazine which should feature in the May 09 issue. They had me come up with a new shoe pattern and instructions on how to make them. It's been easy designing the shoe but my instructions still need lots of work. I have no experience with pattern making at all and I never read the instructions for anything. Can't wait until I'm all finished.

Etsy finds..............

2008-09-24T18:37:00.000+10:00

A friend of mine recently opened a cute little shop on Etsy called Studio Kurashi.
Studio Kurashi features simple, comfortable children's clothing and occasionally Japanese craft supplies too. All the items are handcrafted from designer fabrics and and quality linens.

Half length pants, suitable for boys or girls. Great for summer (or winter with tights underneath)!!

2008-09-19T09:23:00.000+10:00

Red striped pincushions.

Small tote made yesterday using Lara Cameron fabric.
The little rabbit hook I bought from Adirondack Metal.

Room Shoes

2008-09-17T14:18:00.000+10:00

I have a new pair of shoes up in the store (these ones are reserved for a friend). I hope to get quicker at making them so they can become a regular item at Pedrosprout.

H E L L O !

2008-09-16T18:19:00.000+10:00

I should introduce myself ::

My name is Michelle and my passion for creating began some time ago. For instance, there's me above, quite a few years back, looking very serious indeed. I wish I still had that machine.

.....and the furry little guy is Pedro Sanchez.
Mr Sanchez is one of my best mates.
He was up on the garage scoping the garden when I snapped this pic. He looks somewhat unimpressed. I think it was early.

2008-02-25T15:12:00.000+10:00

Coming soon .........