My creative space

I would have posted yesterday but I was exhausted from walking everywhere. I clocked up 12 Klms just doing my normal Thursday errands on foot. That was on top of normal duties like walking kid to and from school(8.8klms). I may not be getting thinner but I am getting fitter. We won the first round with Midas and consumer affairs made them get our car back to us pronto for independent testing which proved without a doubt we were right, they owe us a new transmission. I hugged my car when I saw it and I am not lying. Enough of that though
I made this today and wanted to share it because for once in a long while I made something for FUN and for ME and this now sits in my creative space finished:)

I spotted these things on hairdressers hips and immediately wanted one for sewing. I made it with scraps from my odd sized fabric pile and an old handbag with perfect sized clips and rings. I knew I was hoarding it for a reason.


It hangs across my shoulder and sits on my right hip at perfect height to grab out my scissors. A bit like a scissor holster yes? So I can sling scissors now, Look out!!!

It works great. Maybe I should whip some up for my shop. Bah, there I go again, turning something fun into work!

check out the ever growing list at Kootoyoo's place of creative spaces. I'm about to grab a coffee to have a peek myself.

Cheers

Melanie

Scissor slinger extraordinaire!

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another day at nunde

and I am very happy with progress
38 bags sit neatly cut, awaiting construction.

Cutting fabric out is hard on the back. Does anyone else have this and if so, how do you fix it apart from giving up cutting fabric?


I am loving these. $2.00 each at the reject shop. Bargain! I always wanted those cotton reel racks you hang on the wall but I like this idea more now. I wish I got more.

And I am loving my old paint cards that border the window and cover the jagged plaster that I butchered. Must get some more .......

And finally my ironing board got a face lift with some scrap fabric.

Haven't I been busy this week???

Plus I have had to walk everywhere still because Mr Midas Narre Warren wont honor his Midas guarantee/warranty and wont get our car back from where they sent it. Nearly 3 weeks!!!!! Storms!! I have to walk my child to school in high winds, pelting rain and yesterday the wind brought down a fence that belongs to a big dog along the track we walk. We are a little bit...alot scared to see if the owners fixed it. We are arming ourselves with big sticks and a few of our own dogs today. I normally only take one at a time. I know, its crazy, but I am petrified of dogs even though I have 3 of my own. Yesterday was so scary walking home in the wind knowing a storm was on its way and a few times I broke into a trot when the wind whipped through the big trees making them look like big bendy sticks. It was exhilarating! Me breaking into a trot, hilarious!! Poor Connor was terrified, mainly because he and his school friends had turned the news of the coming storm into a full on cyclone warning with mass distruction world wide being imminant.

Gotta love 8 yr old reality. Its far more exciting than ours. Hope all of my fellow Victorians didnt suffer any damage from the storm. Stay warm.

Have a fab hump day ladies, where ever you are.

Cheers

Melanie

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Trash Talk on Plastic

I abhor plastic.



I cringe when I see packets that say individually wrapped, yes, more packaging, that's what we need right? Small tubs of yogurt, 12 little plastic bags of BBQ shapes in a big plastic bag and 6 packs of sugary water claiming to be juice in single serve plastic bottles..... STOP BUYING THEM.



I came across an article or two that I would like to share with you. They are worth a good read and although confronting to many, it is worth it to be more informed next time you go grocery shopping.

Please read this

Los Angeles Times opinion

Monday August 24th 2009
by Emily Monosson

Back to school with less plastic -- a teaching moment - My daughter and I recently made the annual back-to-school pilgrimage to the local big-box office store, and I am appalled. For me, the leathery smell of new shoes stirs sweet pangs marking those precious last days of summer; for my children, it likely will be the smell of vinyl and assorted plastics. More....


This following article is a less namby pamby approach with some really good "in your face" facts about plastic....read on and confront yourself with an issue that definately concerns you and me, all of us.


Rejecting the toxic plague
WAR ON PLASTIC
by Jan Lundberg Northern Californians Against Plastic

Here is a snippet of some interesting findings:

Clear plastic food wrap contains up to 30% DEHP [di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate]. This substance is also in intravenous blood bags. This poison was identified by the State of California for its Proposition 65 list of carcinogens and mutagens, but industry pressure got the listing weakened.

Triclosan, in plastics as well as antibacterial soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, and fabrics, is shown to cause health and environmental effects and compound antibiotic resistance. Researchers found that when sunlight is shined on triclosan in water and on fabric, a portion of triclosan is transformed into dioxin. More......


Maybe this week you could give up one of these things permanently and find a greener alternative.
I am up for the challenge, are you?

Take it easy guys
Melanie

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Farmers Market August

From this

To this...

What a beautiful Melbourne day for a market.

Well that's what I did yesterday. Tomorrow I'm making more bags. It is like a little factory in my sewing room and I'll give you a glimpse tomorrow.

Cheers for now

Melanie

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nunde gets .....

our first signage.

Big excitement.
I am missing blogland so much but I am really busy trying to meet a deadline and do you know how hard that is for someone that cant concentrate for more than 3 seconds to achieve such a goal? ........ bloody well impossible! How do you all do it? Clean house, brilliant mothering skills and careers...HOW?
Well back to work ....
ttus
Melanie
x0x

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The Golden Mile

Don't expect anything profound from me. I have had to walk EVERYWHERE because my car transmission is in being looked at again.

This is the bike track I walk my son and dogs along every day ....twice ...to school 2.2 klm each way. 8.8klm No biggy for you exercise lovin freaks. Massive deal for people like me that consider exercise the most mind numbingly boring activity, second only to cooking, on the planet.

So this is where I walk, blank of mind due to lack of oxygen

and the most profound thing to come to mind is mmmmmm fluffy

lots of fluffy yellow flora

Have a fantastic friday chicky babes and for crying out loud, never ever let yourself get as unfit as I am.

Cheers

Melanie

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My Creative Space.......

Is booming with productivity

3 sexy sewing machines all in a row

Each one working over time on various tasks. Look at the mess. Its awesome!

This is on my space aswell
/claps excitedly. The posty brought me this today.
now I have to learn to use my gocco
This is going to hopefully fulfil my dreams of screen printing witty/serious/picture/etc things on my bags

Just outside my sewing room is this little beauty. In between sewing things to go on it I am sanding this down ready to put my products on.

What is it you ask?

Well I am so glad you asked!!

Its an old lolly stand that was thrown out by our local grocery store, destined for landfill. Before and after pictures when it is finished of course. An upcycler/reclaimers dream:)

Just testing my new labels. If you could see behind the scenes on my creative space today you would see at least 6 of these labels that were massacred by my old slow clunky singer. I gave up in the end and let one of the younger machines do it.

So theres my space
Bustling away, messy and gloriously industrious.
For spaces, if you like perving at them like I do, go to Kootoyoos and check them out!

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Trash Talk Tuesday

I am blessed to have supportive friends amongst my collection of people and one of the few that dont roll their eyes at my passion for recycling/refashioning etc etc is Aisha and she often sends me tidbits that she has come across in her travels.
Instead of pretending like I did the work I am going to just post her email and it will now be the body of this post. So here is Trash Talk Tuesday's Topic, gifted to us from Aisha......


Aisha wrote:
"I go to a basket weavers group every month, and having an awesome time learning how to use the products in our gardens, native and non native... before the compost gets it... and just basically sharing the wisdom of the world...

Anywho... one of the ladies that attends is also an artist her name is Ann McMahon and she weaves out of recycled bread bags.... The colors that come through are simply lovely, and even up close you wouldn't think they are plastic... She doesn't have a website but is mentioned on the website ARTEREAL. Here is a page with her statement and one pic of her plastic eggs....

http://www.artereal.com.au/AnnMcMahon.htm

This same lady Ann, told me about the (ELF) Orange recycle centre in Orange, an education center, community garden and just an amazing recourse for the community, they also have an art program and competition using waste...

http://www.netwaste.org.au/projects/envLearnFac.htm

here is their art page...

http://www.netwaste.org.au/projects/wasteToArt.htm "

by Aisha
------------------------------------------------

When I saw Ann's poly eggs I totally embraced the message and felt like some one was speaking my language. My heart fluttered a little. Thanks Aisha for pointing these sites out.
Also there is some good info for us tech savvy E people on E- waste which I think all Computer users must/should/need to read up on. Including myself.

Dont forget chicky babes: For all of those interested in signing up for a new Handmade market please go HERE for the info

Oh and I would LOVE to see some of that weaving done at the weaving class! hint hint!!

Cheers everyone

Melanie

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And here it is!!! Sign up Sign up

AN INVITATION TO BECOME A STALLHOLDER AT OUR
NEW CRAFTER’S MARKET
The Old Cheese Factory community invite you to join an exciting NEW MARKET. Our first Crafter’s market will be Saturday 12th September 2009, then every second Saturday of the Month onwards, from 10am—3pm.
Held in the beautiful grounds of the Old Cheese Factory, with plenty parking available and an onsite café.

Stall/Site fees: $35.00 per market.
We will be having a viewing of all potential stallholders’ products on:
Friday 14th August 2009.
10am – 12pm no appointments - first in first seen.
Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road Berwick. (Mel Ref 131 A2)

As it is a maker’s only market no commercially produced products will be accepted.
The criterion for selection is:
ALL ARTWORKS MUST BE MADE BY THE STALLHOLDER

For further Information please contact
Dani Basilotta Ph: 9702 1919 E: danib@narreclc.net.au
Phyllis Booth Ph: 8786 7900 E: homestead@narreclc.net.au
Jacky Grewer Ph: 9702 1919 E: ocf@narreclc.net.au

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Mundee and nunde

I would rather be creating nunde bags next to my very pink and orange window dressings that I just love.

Alas, I must clean because it is Monday and that's what I do on Mondays.

Tonight I will be catching up on about 4 weeks of unread blogs.

Cheerio!

Melanie

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