art by wiley

Work, life

2012-02-17T06:00:00.000+11:00

Thanks, Philippa Moore, for writing this incredibly moving and inspiring post. Philippa says, 'I'm going to make sure being made redundant is the best damn thing that ever happened to me' and is on her way to making her writing dreams come true. 'I was waiting at a bus stop,' she says. 'Now, I'm in the driver's seat'. Yeaaaaah! I'm cheering for you!

And a link, courtesy of Philippa. An amazing TED talk about work-life balance. Well worth taking ten minutes out of your day to watch this. Nigel Marsh warns: "If you don't design your life someone else will design it for you." Sounds grim? It's not. It's a lively, funny, engaging talk which will leave you thinking about how you structure your life. Grab a coffee and click 'play'. You won't regret it!

Have a great weekend. Hope there's lots of 'balance' on the cards for you!

New works at Linden Postcard Show 2012

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000+11:00

The Linden Postcard Show is on again and Kim and I have works on show. I have three artworks (acrylic on canvas) and Kim is exhibiting his new work Uncharted. It is a work of papercutting using an old map of Venice.

Artwork: Uncharted by Kim Wiley

Uncharted (detail) by Kim Wiley

The Postcard Show is a yearly exhibition held by the Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts and is a fun show to attend. Artworks have to measure 30cmx30cm or smaller and it's wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling art. If you want art, art is what you'll find (everything's for sale too). It's a veritable explosion of art and your eyes end up darting here and there, trying to take it all in, before your brain can catch up. No really, it's fun. Go to this page if you want to get an idea of the installation.

We're looking forward to getting along sometime soon. If you're in Melbourne, here are the details. The exhibition runs until Saturday 17th March.

Artwork: Uncharted by Kim Wiley

Interview - Elise Hurst

2012-02-15T06:00:00.000+11:00

Elise Hurst is a very successful Australian artist and illustrator whose work ranges from picture book illustrations to oil paintings, art prints to book covers. Oh, and she's an author too. Sheesh, is there anything she can't do?

I first came across Elise a few years ago at her regular market stalls where she sells her books, art prints and cards. What's unique about her market set-up is that there is always an easel behind her display table so that she can work on an oil painting as the market buzzes around her. I love an artist who is so accessible, and being able to watch her work is mesmerising.

Elise is not only breathtakingly talented but very approachable and lovely too. And also a mum to twin boys. Wow! Now that's a whole new level of busy. Read on for a fascinating insight into her work.

Elise Hurst

Tell us a bit about yourself, your artwork and achievements.
I've been illustrating officially for about 15 years, but doodling and painting for many more. Over the years I have illustrated greeting cards, educational books, covers, done portrait commissions, landscapes, written and illustrated picture books and last year, had my first solo exhibition. I work from a home studio in North Carlton, Victoria. It's a great spot - I overlook our little garden and have lots of natural light. And there is good coffee down the street. That is very important. These last few years have been very exciting for me. I am working with publishers that I have always admired, I have developed a detailed pen style that I absolutely love and a series of oil paintings that are immensely fun to do. I have also been running a business selling my books, paintings, art prints and cards which is doing well and finding a lovely community of like-minded people. Last year one of my books, The Night Garden, was also animated and performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. That was a buzz! [Check out this YouTube preview. The Night Garden is the second one - Jodi]. I've always been a bit of a workaholic, overloading and overcommitting (which is part of the territory for many of us in this business to make it financially viable) until almost exactly one year ago when I had twins. Things have, well, slowed down a bit after that.

When did you know you wanted to work creatively (from a young age or did you come to it later?) and what steps did you take to make it happen?
My mum says I was always drawing, but I don't know if that marks me out as any different from any other child. What was different was the environment - my mum, my aunt and uncle and their parents all painted so the smell of turps, the problems of composition and having to not accidentally damage drying paintings was a part of my life from a very young age. I remember my grandfather painting on the beach at Rosebud while the rest of us played and read and drew in the shade. He was a natural showman and almost always managed to sell what he was doing to some passer-by who then had to take a wet oil painting back to a small caravan on the foreshore. We used to laugh about it, but I have come to realise that a little showmanship goes a very long way! I drew and painted, did pastel landscapes and life drawing as I grew up. I didn't find art at school nearly as helpful as watching my family paint and problem-solving with them. My first foray into illustration (aside from drawing the program to a school production of The Hobbit in Year 6) was when someone watched me drawing in a history class at Uni and pointed me in the direction of someone who needed an illustrator. By the time I finished Uni I had illustrated two books. After that I put together a folio, practised lots of different styles and began the slow hard slog of trying to meet publishers and get any sort of work at all. Things were quite lean at the beginning, but I worked hard, got better at it and gradually the number of books grew and grew.

Do you have any routines or rituals you perform before starting a day's work or a new project? How do you motivate yourself?
I really like working but a huge amount to time seems to be lost on emails and doing the business side of being an artist. And working from home is always a problem. Before I had kids I could do a few house jobs in the day but still have a lot of time for work, especially as I would happily continue into the evening. Now I find it harder to fit everything into the short periods of time available. So unless I am in the thick of a book and can really immerse myself in it at the desk, I often leave the house to work. I find the environment of a cafe to be fantastic for drawing, planning and experimenting with ideas. The constant supply of new faces, kids and dogs walking past, and the shapes and patterns of the world before me are a massive source of inspiration. And the coffee wakes me up.

Friend of the Bear by Elise Hurst

Has becomming a mother changed your approach to work? How do you manage your time?
I used to find pockets of time everywhere. If I was out and had a few moments to myself, the sketchbook would emerge and I'd be drawing. At home, I'd have all day to work, uninterrupted. Now I have odd hours and not much head-space for idle drawing. I was working on a book before the twins came along which I didn't quite manage to finish by the end of the pregnancy because of a rather severe case of carpal tunnel. It went away when the babies were born, but the work that would have previously taken three weeks to complete, took the next nine months. The lack of consecutive hours to work meant that my hand had to relearn the style I was using every time I sat down to work. Drawings progressed by inches each week. It was hopeless and hugely frustrating! This year will be better as I have a couple of days of childcare lined up and a lot less exhaustion to contend with.

Another enormous change that has happened is the type of work I am taking on. Or not taking on, more to the point. It has always been hard to turn down work because of the memory of the early days when work was scarce and money was a big problem. Having the kids has made me assess my time for books and stopped me taking on any time-filling jobs. The only work I am lining up is stuff that is really important to me. It is a strange thought that having children might be really good for my career - I expected the opposite. At the moment the kids are still really small and taking care of them is full-on so that when ideas occur to me there is no time to sketch them down or, sadly, even to draw the babies. They don't keep still either. As they grow, I'm looking forward to writing books for them, rather than just for my inner child.

Sea Roads by Elise Hurst

How do you go about developing new ideas for an exhibition, new work or a commission?
I like to keep a range of sketch books on the go at all times. I use Moleskines a lot as a place to sketch in partial ideas, characters lacking stories, or odd scenery. When I know what comes next in a picture, I draw it. When I don't know, I leave it for another day, month or year. It has allowed my subconscious to have more of a hand in the creative process and has given me huge joy as well as lots of new ideas. Some of these drawings become paintings, some mutate into stories - three of them are giving rise to books in the next couple of years. I also collect reference material - photos of animals, period images from the 1920s-50s of people and machinery and architecture. Every time I trawl through the collection I find something that sets my imagination buzzing.

Elise Hurst's commission for Koko Black. Watch the painting develop via time-lapse here.

What do you do when you have a creative block and need to 'refill the well'?
Out come the Moleskines, usually. But I also love to put films on in the background while I'm in my studio. Anything that is visually stunning gets my imagination going again - Wes Anderson's films, Amelie, Lost in Translation, old Film Noir, Miyazaki's animations, the Lord of the Rings trilogy - especially the extra features where we see the illustrators designing the world of Middle Earth.

What are your favourite tools/materials for creating?
A propelling pencil and a Unipin fineliner. I have started buying these by the box-full because I go through so many. I also love a dip pen with a metal nib but I find these hard to work with on books - the nib being a little temperamental and prone to splats and grabs. Sometimes that isn't a problem, but at others when a precise line is needed - it can be a bit of a disaster. Something I have always liked about illustrators is that they will break all of the rules to get the job done. So although a picture may look like it is done in pen - for some tiny fine lines I may use black watercolour and two hairs of a brush. Likewise I change media all of the time - oils, watercolour, pencil… whatever is needed for the right effect. It is very freeing when you realise that it doesn't matter how you achieve the picture, so long as it looks right at the end.

***
Please be sure to have a look at Elise's work in more detail at these places:
Elise's website is here.
Have a browse around her shop.
Check out Elise's lovely blog.

Thank you so much, Elise, for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to share these fascinating answers with us. What an honour to feature you today!

Review - Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000+11:00

I thought it only appropriate for Valentine's Day that I review a book about matters of the heart. Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator living in New York and 'Missed Connections' started as this blog before it turned into this book:

I loved following the blog, so was pretty keen to get my hands on the book when it was published last year.

Missed Connections is the online place (in this case, in NYC) where people leave a little note to the person they made a connection with but, for one reason or another, missed their chance. Like this:

'Chinese Food in Queens - W4W I met you in a Chinese restaurant nr Juniper park, you ordered General Tso's Chicken and we talked about horseback riding briefly. I thought you were cute.' p48-49

Sophie Blackall has then used the these Missed Connections classifieds to illustrate tales of imagined love, lost love and could-have-been-love in New York City. Her quirky illustrations elaborate on the original note and imagine further details of the initial fleeting connection.

Sophie began to illustrate the Missed Connections messages because she, like many others, found them obsessive reading. In her foreword to the book she writes: 'I knew why I was glued to them: the voyeurism, the vicarious romance, the unintentional comedy, the angst, the imagery.'

She writes how she prefers to illustrate a Missed Connection with 'peculiar details' and 'striking imagery' and at this she excels.

The book is full of funny scenes, poignant moments, fantastical imaginings and flights of fancy. I love Sophie's unique and often surreal interpretations of these notes.

Sophie says, writing last year, 'I received twenty-seven e-mails this year from happy couples united after having posted a Missed Connection. Some even sent photos. Six of them asked me to illustrate their wedding invitations'. If that doesn't warm your heart this Valentines Day, I don't know what will!

Missed Connections is for the romantic in us all. It's published by Workman Publishing.

A workshop with Leigh Hobbs

2012-02-13T06:00:00.000+11:00

I always read 'The Good Life: Lunch with...' section of The Saturday Age; a column where a reporter takes a creative person to lunch, talks about their work and what they're eating. It's like a restaurant review and personal profile rolled into one. Food and ideas. Really, how can you go wrong with a premise like that.

So I opened my paper a couple of Saturdays ago and was particularly excited to see Leigh Hobbs interviewed because 1.) I love his books and 2.) I took one of his workshops early last year and not only is he an excellent writer and illustrator but he is a talented teacher and all-round generous, entertaining and lovely person. Isn't it nice when you find that out about someone you admire? (Click on the picture above to go to The Age article online).

I can't remember the exact title of the course I took but it was about how to write and illustrate your own picture books. It was run through Writers Victoria, so many people were there more for the writing aspect than the illustrating side. But I was there for both.

Writing and illustrating a picture book has always been a bit of a fantasy for me since I was a kid. I was a prolific picture-book-maker with my art supplies and my exercise books, to the point of preferring to stay inside writing and drawing when all the other kids were out there being, you know, active and stuff. But then that all kind of fell away as I grew up.

I ended up doing a writing course in my early 20s and I later trained as an English teacher but I have no formal education in art or illustration. So now I'm like a sponge. Trying to soak up all I can about skills, techniques, concepts and process. I try to do short courses when I can because they're affordable and fun and I always go away feeling incredibly inspired and motivated.

This was certainly true of Leigh Hobbs' one-day workshop. As an ex-teacher himself his manner was easy and engaging in the small workshop environment. He was a great presenter and a natural facilitator.

He had us do many activities, and one of the first (which he also does with school students) was to get us to draw his famous character, Old Tom, by giving us step-by-step verbal instructions. Below is my clumsy effort.

What was amazing was that everyone in the class came up with a different drawing, but each drawing was recognizably Old Tom.

My favourite part of the day was when Leigh took us through the process of conceptualising a picture book from start to finish. Obviously, this would normally take a lot longer than a couple of hours, but I got a real sense of the steps involved.

Through a guided process he got us to draw a character, name it, and attribute to it something it wanted but couldn't have. Here is my character and his greatest unfulfilled wish:

I can tell you, this was so much fun to do. This is nothing like my normal drawing style or the kind of story I would naturally write, which probably made it easier to play with and develop, because that's exactly what it was - play.

As any writer (or English teacher!) will tell you, a story is a problem that must be overcome. A character wants something that they can't have. How do they try to get it?

No problem? No story.

My story is about how Morrie's dream of being a star of the stage was thwarted by his unfortunate number of legs. That is until he sees an advertisement for 42nd Street, tries out, and to his utter surprise is given a starring role. As the chorus line. Yep, the whole chorus line. He is a roaring success. This is the mock up:

After his standing ovation, the presentation of flowers and the audience's adoration, he decides it's time to get serious. Nothing less than Shakespeare for him:

This process of working out the story, and worrying more about quality of ideas than quality of drawing, was really freeing for me. I'm the kind of person who will labour over something until it's almost dead. So it was fun to just test my ideas in scribbles, ignoring my inner critic, and run with something, knowing there was nothing at stake for me - no assessment, judgement, pass or fail.

But other than the excellent lessons in story development, one of the very best things about this day was having access to Leigh's sketchbooks. They were available to flick through at any time and I spent the better part of the tea and lunch breaks soaking up his sketches. Incredibly, much of his finished work was in the pages too. Final pieces that have ended up as pages of his books were right there in his sketchbooks. Wow. I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have seen these.

So if you ever get a chance to go to one of his workshops, don't even hesitate for a second. I noticed that The Age article listed a speaking gig he's doing through The Wheeler's Centre (Melbourne) on June 27. Would love to get along to that!

Vintage books and endpaper love

2012-02-12T06:00:00.000+11:00

This week I found these two lovelies in one of those disorganised little op shops that are full of hidden treasures. I do love a good op shop in a shambles!

I love gorgeous endpapers in old books, especially because they don't seem to go all-out on endpapers anymore in newer publications. Look at the lovely scenic page in The Ugly Duckling:

And here is the colourful endpaper spread in The Fancy Dress Party Counting Book:

The Counting Book is my favourite out of the two and contains fun illustrations such as this:

If you like vintage books and dabble in a little craft, you may be interested in my recycled picture book bunting tutorial here. There's also a little giveaway. Scroll to the bottom of the tutorial post to enter.

Thanks for stopping by today! Can't wait to check out everyone else's Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures!

Friday Links

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000+11:00

Image source: this post at the wonderful Her Library Adventures blog.

1. Her Library Adventures is a lovely blog with a focus on thrifting, design, fashion and books among other sweet topics. I like to link up to it on Sundays for Flea Market Finds when I uncover something noteworthy in an op shop. I also love the style and aesthetic of this blog - it's just so lovely! And by the way, it's written by a literature teacher. Three cheers for lit teachers! And for teachers in general ;)

2. This week I've been avidly following the Guest Blog at The Design Files. The Hungry Workshop are graphic designers and letterpress printers and this week they've designed a card inspired by TDF, each day showing a new step in the design and printing process. I didn't know a thing about letterpress before so it's been fascinating and rather educational. Today is the big reveal of their final design. Exciting!

3. Oh, and have you entered my giveaway? Here it is! And a free tutorial too if you're looking for something crafty this weekend.

Have a good one!

Recycled Picture Book Bunting - Tutorial

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000+11:00

Just before my second bub arrived last year I got all nesty and starting DIYing all over the place. I'm not normally terribly DIY and the idea of taking on a big craft project usually makes me feel like having a lie-down before I even begin. But when I saw this idea I thought, 'hey, even I could do that'. And I'm telling you, it's SO EASY.

I can't sew, but I love bunting. And I desperately wanted to hang bunting in JJ's room. So I made it out of an old picture book. This is what hers looks like.

A couple of friend's bubs have just arrived in the last few of weeks and I wanted to make something a little special. I do like a handmade gift because it's a labour of love and while it might be a little wonky, it's straight from the heart.

Okay, so, without further ado, here's the tutorial:

10 easy steps to make your own picture book bunting!

For this project you will need:

1 second-hand picture book

1 length of twine

Glue

Scissors

A ruler

A pencil

Instructions:

1. Create a template of a flag. I used this one that I found on-line by googling 'bunting templates'. This template measures 19cm across and 26cm down. You could search for another one if the size doesn't suit. Or create your own with measurements of your choosing.

2. Find a suitable picture in the book and place the template over it. (Check first that the picture on the back isn't a better one!) Trace around the template. Don't be afraid to angle the template so that you capture the aspects of the picture you want.

3. Tearing out the page makes it easier to cut. Then, go ahead and cut out your flag!

4. Go through the book and cut out all of your flags. I try to use every page in the book if I can because I don't like waste and it means I also have more to choose from when I go to make the bunting.

5. Before I throw away the off-cuts, I sift through them to see if there are any cute little pictures I can salvage. I save these to make gift tags as I need them.

6. Lay out your flags on the floor and arrange them in a way that pleases you. I try to balance the colours. I also try to also mix it up so the flags with text are interspersed with the pictures-only ones.

7. When you're happy with the arrangement, lay your twine out. I like to leave about 40cm at either end so that it can be easily hung up by tying.

8. Fold over the top of the first flag. I'm not very good with precise measurements as I do most things by sight. But I'd say the fold is about 2cm over. You'll see that you need to tidy up the ends. So use scissors to snip the pointy bits off.

9. Open the fold. Glue across the top and bottom of the fold. Hold the string taut against the crease in the paper, fold it back over to stick. I use my thumb nail to run along against the string as I'm pressing down to glue, just to make sure it really sticks. You could use the end of a spoon, paintbrush or anything blunt like that for the same purpose.

10. Simply repeat the process for each flag. Here I have made the gap between flags about 4cm (give or take, again, I just do it by sight). But you can make yours closer together or further apart. Up to you!

And...voila! You have your very own recycled picture book bunting! It's probably best to hang it flush against a wall so you can't see the folds on the side you glued it.

One idea I had as a way to 'gift-wrap' it is to put the finished bunting into the covers of the now-empty book. That way the recipient also has the cover of the book it came from as a place to store it and keep it flat if they are using it as a decoration for special occasions. Sweet!

Oh, and one more thing. Just a word on the picture book. While I know a lot of people might be horrified at the idea of cutting up a book, I do have some criteria for the kind of book I take apart.

I go to my local op-shop/thrift store and I look for books that are of a certain vintage (you want to choose a book that has the style of illustrations you'd like to display). Also, the book needs to be cheap. The one I used for this project was 99c. But most importantly I look for a book that is damaged, has pages missing, or is boring.

Okay, let's face facts. Some books are boring. Maybe they're written in a style that's no longer engaging, they've dated badly, or were never actually any good in the first place. Hey, I'm just saying. So if a book is not likely to be read and enjoyed that way, I figure, why not turn it into a beautiful decoration for a child's room which honours and celebrates a love of books?

Okay, now you may go forth and cut up a book guilt-free!

In case you're curious, this particular book comes under the category of 'damaged' as several pages had already been torn out of the front when I purchased it.

Giveaway!

Update: this competition has now closed.
Winner: Jill from deux chiens et un garcon
Congrats, Jill!

To keep updated on new tutorials, artist interviews, book reviews, features and giveaways, 'like' us on Facebook, follow on Twitter, follow on Pinterest, Google Friend Connect or email subscription (find these on the right-hand sidebar).

***

I made this particular bunting especially to photograph for this tutorial so I was thinking...would you like it? It's a little bit wonky, as all good homemade things are, but rather lovely I think (and unisex!), and will come 'gift-wrapped' in the book it was made from (below)! I'd be happy to send this anywhere in the world so please enter, whether you're near or far!

How to enter:
Simply follow my blog in whichever way you desire! 'Like' it on Facebook, follow on Twitter, follow on Pinterest, Google Friend Connect or email subscription (find these on the right-hand sidebar). Then simply leave a comment below letting me know which way you follow. Extra entries if you follow in more than one way! (If you're already a follower, just say that too!)

This competition will end on Thursday 16th February, 8pm (Melbourne, Australia Time).

Good luck, my friends, and thank you for all your support. This blog is so much fun to write but I didn't really know what I was up for when I decided to blog every single day! So it's always lovely to hear from you and to know that you're out there. xoxo

Interview - Amra Pajalic

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000+11:00

Amra Pajalic is a Melbourne writer with a slew of achievements to her name. She has won or placed in countless short story competitions and her debut novel The Good Daughter won the 2009 Melbourne Prize for Literature's Civic choice award. She has also been a Writer in Residence in high schools for three years running now (lucky kids!). She was Project Manager and co-author of the ground-breaking What a Muslim Woman Looks Like and is a columnist with the online journal Sultana's Dream. Phew! As if that wasn't enough she's currently working on her second novel funded by Arts Victoria. What else can I tell you about this talented, loquacious, hard-working, writer-extraordinaire? Oh, yeah, she's also my friend! Yay!

Whendid you know you wanted to be a writer and what steps did you take to make ithappen?

Being a writer was a childhood dream, it just took a whileto make it a reality. The first step was enrolling in a Diploma of Arts inProfessional Writing and Editing. This gave me the opportunity to learn aboutthe industry, create networks, experiment with different types of writing tofind my voice and make some life long friends (hello Jodi). I wrote a lot ofshort stories, one novel, and then The Good Daughter which became my firstpublished novel.

Amra Pajalic (photo courtesy of the author)

Do you have any routines or rituals you perform before starting a day's work or a new writing project? How do you motivate yourself?
I find that leaving the house to write really helps keep memotivated because I’m away from distractions and then have to follow through.

Do you have a typical work day? Can you describe an example of how you structure your day?

I usually like to work on my fiction first thing in the morning and then in theafternoon I can work on non fiction articles, funding applications etc. I set aweekly word count goal and some days I write more, some days less. I find thatonce the novel begins taking off and the ideas are flowing I don’t have to workas hard to achieve my word count.

Whichwriters have been your main influences or have provided inspiration for yourown work?

The Good Daughter was inspired by Melina Marchetta's Looking for Alibrandi and Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does my Head Look Big in This?

Amra's writing materials and tools

Howdo you go about developing ideas for new writing?

My writing process when working on a novel is to write acrappy first draft that is stream-of-consciousness writing. This is usually onelong document with disconnected scenes, character sketches and descriptions ofsetting. Once I get over 50,000 words I’ve usually figured out the story, characters,plot arc, timeline and chronology of scenes. I will also get feedback onsections with my writing group and have some discussions with my supportnetwork about aspects of my novel.
Then the real work begins of creating a draft where I stitchit all together by re-writing, revising, merging scenes, writing scenes joiningup action and basically moulding my misshapen words into something resembling anovel. I keep revising electronically until I’ve done as much as I can, thenprint, read, revise and keep doing this until I’ve reached the end of what Ican contribute to the novel. At this point I seek feedback.

Amra Pajalic on a panel at the Melbourne Writers' Festival 2010

Doyou like to write by hand or computer and why?
I love, love handwriting and this is usually how I begin myfirst draft of anything, however I’ve had Carpal Tunnel surgery and my hand isnow compromised so I’ve had to teach myself to do my first draft on thecomputer and try to switch off the internal editor. I think it’s reallyimportant to let that first germ of inspiration flow by itself and not killyour muse by editing, which is why I prefer handwriting because it prevents youediting your work.

Amra's notebook and pens

Whatdo you do when you have a creative block and need to 'refill the well'?
I stop writing and read. I like re-reading books that haveinspired me. Some of my favourite reference texts are Bird By Bird by AnneLammott, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, The First Five Pages byNoah Lukeman, and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I also watch my favouritemovies that inspire me: Good Will Hunting and Stir of Echoes. Usually after a weekof deliberately not writing the urge builds again and I’m back, stronger thanever.

Thanks for joining us today, Amra! It was fascinating to hear how you go about the mammoth task of writing a novel and it was a great insight into the life of a working writer. Thank you!

To learn more about Amra and her work visit her website and blog.

Review - Conversations with Creative Women by Tess McCabe

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000+11:00

I've been planning to review this book for ages. Then I got the gig as monthly book review columnist over at Creative Women's Circle, a website run by Tess McCabe, also editor of this book. Just so you know. Full disclosure and everything. I have to say I like it now, don't I? Just as well I do!

I put in a pre-purchase order for this book last year because I was so excited about it. I'd only just discovered Creative Women's Circle (a bit behind the times, me) so I didn't know much about it. But when I saw this book being promoted, well, I did know a few things:

1. I like interviews
2. I like creativity
3. I like books, and
4. I'm a woman.

So I guess I'm the perfect audience!

Title page with letterpress Creative Women's Circle bookmark by The Hungry Workshop.

I'm too embarrassed to show the cover of my copy as it's covered in coffee stains. Usually I'm very careful with my books - precious, even - but through a series of events involving a clumsy waiter, an overfull latte and a wobbly cafe table, my copy of CWCW came off looking the worse for wear. Go here to see what the very stylish cover actually looks like (and get yourself a copy too!).

In a nutshell, Conversations with Creative Women is a book of 'interviews about the careers and creative lives of 15 Australian women'.

Double-page spread of Lucy Feagins' desk

The first couple of interviews I turned to were Lucy Feagins, editor of the influential and informative daily blog, The Design Files, and then Pip Lincolne, renowned Melbourne crafter, retailer, blogger and author. Both interviews offered something new about these very clever ladies and I was interested to hear about the ins-and-outs of their respective businesses and the daily realities of doing what they do.

Pip Lincolne's published books

I was also introduced to creatives new to me (probably not to other people though!) and will be following up for more information on their blogs and websites (provided with each interview). I loved hearing how Kristen Doran built up her home-based textile business into one that supplies stores around Australia and the world.

Polli has been on my radar for a few years now but I had no idea about the story behind the jewellery brand and how two friends built such a successful business from a hobby.

I was in awe, truly, of Seja Vogel's adorable miniature felt instruments and was fascinated to hear the story of how she began making them.

Seja Vogel's felt instruments

One story that really resonated for me was that of Grace Camobreco, graphic designer and creative director of Taylor and Grace. She talked about the time she was fired from a job very early in her career and how it turned her into the designer she is today and gave her the drive to always 'get it right'. I think anyone can identify with a career blow such as this and to hear how it transformed and motivated such a talented, successful woman is inspiring and instructive.

Another element I love about this book is that each interview is preceded by a title page designed by a different illustrator or designer. Each visual introduction is thoughtfully realised in a style that describes the interviewee. Here is Pip Lincolne's title page designed by Yan Yan (Candy) Ng (bottom right). I love this allusion to all things Pip and her dedication to the handmade revolution. Perfect!

And another thing that's pretty freaking amazing about this book is that it was compiled, written, designed and published by one person. To read more about Tess McCabe and the process of producing this book go here for an excellent interview, courtesy of The Design Files.

So, yes, I do like this book. And if you like interviews and are interested in creative business, creative process, or just other women's lives and careers, you're bound to like it too.

You can buy this limited edition book here.

My grandmother's art (Pt 2)

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I wrote about my interest in my grandmother's work which lead to my mum dusting off a huge collection of my grandmother's art folio. I showed some examples of her student work yesterday but today I wanted to write about what her job was after graduation, because it's a job that doesn't exist anymore. It's basically an extinct craft - photo colouring.

My mum's mum, Marie, who I sadly never knew, worked as a colourist when she graduated from her Commercial Art course. She was employed by a small business who specialised in 'fashion and commercial photography, wedding and child portraiture'.

She worked there for a while until, during the war, like many single women, she was enlisted to help with the war effort. She was seconded at the 'Commonwealth of Australia Department of Aircraft Production' and worked as a 'senior dark room assistant'. As her parting reference says (below), her duties involved 'the developing of line drawings which she handled in considerable volume'.

What those line drawings involved is anyone's guess. Was the department cataloging its fleet or perhaps the aircraft parts? Working on developing new aircraft? Maybe it was espionage?! Oh, how exciting!

In all likelihood, she wouldn't have known exactly what she was working on, the big picture stuff, I mean. Whatever it was, she handled it in 'considerable volume' and so it was likely repetitive, monotonous work. But it probably also involved attention to detail, and I imagine she would have enjoyed that aspect. If you have a look at some of her other work, you can see that she was very good at detail.

Here is a photo of her which was probably taken at that job. She's the one on the left. She and her friend are holding what look like canisters of chemicals for the dark room.

When she finished up at that job she returned to her previous one, and eventually left, as you did back then, to marry my grandfather and have two children. When the kids were still little she was contacted by her original employer who had set up business in Tasmania, and was asked to do some work from home, because he had never found anyone else who was as good as her!

So she became a working mum, completing her colouring assignments at the dining table. My mum remembers clearly the smell of linseed oil, which was probably used as a mixer in her oil paints. She can also remember her sometimes twirling a cotton-wool around the pointy end of a paintbrush so that it looked like a cotton-bud, and applying paint that way. This may have been a blending technique.

Here is a collage of examples that my mum has. I wonder about the people in these photos. Who are they? Where are they now?

I feel so lucky that Mum has saved so much of my grandmother's work and I can see it with my own eyes, touch what she touched. There are also a few sketchbooks too. But I'll save those for another time...

My grandmother's art (Pt 1)

2012-02-05T06:30:00.000+11:00

I was thinking about my grandmother's job recently and how it's one of those jobs that's become extinct. It was the kind of job that, for the next generation, won't make any sense at all - like dial-up internet, landline phones and camera film. She did, in fact, work with photos, but in a way that's so alien to us now. She coloured them in. Her job title was 'colourist' but I think that refers to a different (much more modern) job now because when I googled it, nothing came up about this old-school craft.

My grandmother's photo-colouring work (Before and after)

I remember from my childhood seeing examples of her work: black and white photos, painted with oils, to resemble the actual colours of the real world. This was obviously before colour photography and it must have been such a special thing to go off and have your photographs coloured. When I asked my mum if I could have a look at these photos, a few days later she got back to me with a huge collection of so much more of my grandmother's work.

My grandmother, Marie Smith, did a Commercial Art course at The Melbourne Technical College in LaTrobe Street, Melbourne, from which she graduated in 1938 (wooah)! My mum has much of her folio work - from rough sketches to finished pieces. You can definitely see her development as an artist, from her early work at the beginning of the course, to her very accomplished art towards graduation. Here is a selection of some of her folio pieces. Because it was a commercial art course, much of her work was training for creating advertising and catalogue images: fashion, ticketing, posters, book covers, that kind of thing.

This is one of my very favourite photos of her (below). She is the one at the front, on a boat, sketching with her classmates on a field trip. I often try to imagine what she was like when I look at photos because I never knew her. She passed away only months after I was born.

The wooden board these items are resting on was the board she worked on for her photo colouring work (later in her career). It is covered in pin-holes from where she attached the photos she was working on, paint splotches and is seeped with oil. It is one of my most treasured possessions and I feel so lucky to have such a well-worn and special memento.

My mum has saved my grandmother's paintbrushes, and was very lucky to find one of her used oil paint tubes recently when we cleaned out my grandfather's house for sale. It was the very last thing she found, hidden at the back of a top shelf in the bedroom wardrobe, and seemed a fitting final treasure to uncover.

When I returned the work to my mum after taking photos of it (many more than I have room here to show you!) my mum gave me this piece:

I just love it. The colours, the styling, the image and the way it's very much of its time but, at the same time, hasn't really dated. I love the airbrush work she's used as shading on the right-hand side (can you see it? - the blue splotches). I love the hand-painted typography. I just love it. I'm going to frame it and put it up at my desk as something to remember her by and a prompt for me too: to keep making art, to follow in her footsteps (in my untrained, trial-and-error way).

Mum also gave me this:

While it's not a completely finished piece, I think that's what I like about it. I also like that it's on hard card (like the previous piece) and I will have this one framed too and will hang it in one of the girls' rooms.

When my grandmother married my grandfather, William, she became Marie Ward. She went on to have two children, my mum and uncle. She worked as a photo colourist at her dining room table. But I'll write more on that tomorrow.

My grandmother would have been 91 today. It's her birthday. So I wanted to write this post for her.

Earl Grey double-decker bus tin

2012-02-05T06:00:00.000+11:00

Found this very cute Earl Grey Tea tin in a little op shop for three bucks. Can't go wrong! I'm using it to hold my watercolour tubes (a big improvement on the cardboard box they were previously living in).

But while I'm pretty pleased with this week's Flea Market Find, I was given something a lot more special and personal this week: my grandmother's artwork. Here's the story.

* Linking to the lovely Flea Market Finds

Friday Links

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000+11:00

Illustration by Graeme Base. Image source.

1. This week I was excited to read this interview with one of the most amazing children's book illustrators in the world, Graeme Base.

2. My next set of pencils will be Faber-Castell. Here's why.

3. If you're a blogger and are looking for fresh ideas for making your blog 'awesome', check out this list of a whopping 57 tips!

4. And on the topic of blogging, here's a sneaky, shameless bit of self-promotion. As the new monthly book review columnist for Creative Women's Circle (cue happy dance!), this week I wrote about this book.

5. And finally, if you're into taking photos, an excellent photo challenge right here! There's a prompt for every day in the month of February. I'm going to give it a go and will be posting my pics to Twitter so follow me if you wanna see 'em!

Have a lovely weekend!

(P.S. I'll be doing a bonus post this Sunday for a special reason ;)

Paper swan complete!

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000+11:00

Kim's paper project, shown last week in the early stages, has developed into a beautiful swan! Some serious folding (and many hours) went into creating this paper sculpture.

Kim used the street name pages in the back of an old Melway and I think it really works. I love creations which incorporate words/print/typography and this really adds an interesting element to the finished piece. And a great way to recycle an old street directory! If you're interested in creating a paper sculpture this is where he found the tutorial.

*Linking up to Our Creative Spaces today!

Interview: Penny Eager aka Pocket Carnival

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000+11:00

I've been a big fan of Pocket Carnival for several years, ever since I spotted Penny's gorgeous designs at Mathilda's Market in Melbourne. I own several of her Pocket Carnival pencil cases (a bit of a fetish on my part I think) and she has a wonderful range of other lovely goodies. Not only is she a talented crafter, artist, designer and businesswoman, she is a genuinely lovely person whose business practices reflect her personal values about the environment and sustainability.

In Penny's own words:
I live in Melbourne, in a quiet little area withlots of lovely cafes and restaurants nearby. I’ve been runningPocket Carnival for about 5 years now and am really happy with it.I’ve recently started an eco-design and business resource website Oh My Green which I began for two main reasons. I, like so many people I know,and like all of us should be, am very concerned about what we’reall doing to our environment. I like to think that we can livebeautiful, well designed lives that are also environmentally andsocially sustainable. I also hold these values up for PocketCarnival, and I was starting to get a lot of queries from peoplewanting eco-resources for their business, so I knew the website was agood idea. (Oh My Green is also on Facebook and Twitter. You can read more about Pocket Carnival here.)

Pocket Carnival softies. Image Credit.

When did you know you wanted to work creatively (from a young age or did you come to it later?) and what steps did you take to make it happen?

I think a great part of it wasrebelling against my university degree and subsequent office jobs –finding a creative pursuit is a great antidote to being in an officeduring the day! Little did I know there is an immense amount of adminto do when you run a creative business!

I did an Arts degree, studying politics, women's studies, sociology and Indigenous Australian studies. My design & art practice is all self taught, with the addition of some short courses in various art & craft forms - ink drawing, hand felting etc! Whilst my university degree hasn't directly trained me for the design & creative work I do, it definitely helped sharpen my ethics and personal beliefs which inform my business values. This has also inspired me to start Oh My Green.

To be honest it's extremely difficult to run a handmade business when you've grown to a certain level (I guess that would be the level where you're relying on it for your income!). Sometimes I feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot by not moving production to China, or using conventional cottons (which are cheaper!) rather than organic, but that's a personal choice I've made.

Pocket Carnival Houndstooth Owl Pencilcase. Image source: Pocket Carnival Shop

Do you have any routines or rituals you perform before starting a day's work or a new project? How do you motivate yourself?
No daily routines! Perhaps I should! Atthe end of the day I like to go for a walk or a jog to make myselffeel a little fresher and clearer. When I start working on a newproduct or project I do have a bit of a routine, more just a flow oflooking at why I’m working on it, efficiency, and just planningwell so I know what I should be doing. This also helps withmotivation – I find I’m unmotivated if I don’t have a cleargoal.

How do you balance the creative/design aspects of your business with the administration side? What processes or methods do you use?
This is the tricky part, and lately Ican see why having an agent or business partner might be a good idea!For me it works best when I divide my time clearly – maybe I’llsplit the day into two, so before lunch is creating and after lunchis admin. It depends what I’m working on, how many orders I’mcompleting, that sort of thing.

How do you go about developing new illustrations and designs?
It’s a little different depending onwhether I’m working on a collection or an individual illustration.I love my Talking Animal cardsbecause I can just add a new card in when I’m in the mood! If I’mdeveloping a collection I sit down and figure out colour andpattern inspiration, which products I want to work on and how manydesigns I need. It can take a long time, but it’s good to have anoverall plan!

Talking Animal cards. Image source: Pocket Carnival

Pocket Carnival Harlequin Collection. Image Source.

What do you do when you have a creative block and need to 'refill the well'?
This happens more than I’d like toadmit! I’ve come to the realisation that the best thing to do whenI’m stuck on something is to distract myself with somethingcompletely unrelated for awhile. Anything from doing some cleaning togoing for a coffee…cleaning actually works really well because ithelps me to realise I’d much rather be working!

What are your favourite tools/materials for creating?
I love my black markers. Millenniumbrand is my favourite! And although the hours of sewing can be a bitdaunting I love my printed organic cotton. It’s wonderful to openup a new delivery of certified organic cotton printed with my owndesigns. There’s something special about knowing that a fewstitches here and there can turn a piece of fabric into so manydifferent things – creating things is pretty special! I also enjoythe online side of marketing and promotion – I love working on mywebsite, although endless tinkering with html and css codes can bevery frustrating! That’s when I go back to something made offabric.

Penny Eager at work (image courtesy Pocket Carnival)

Pocket Carnival's website
Penny's blog
The Pocket Carnival shop
Pocket Carnival on Etsy
Penny's eco business resource site: Oh My Green

Thanks so much for joining us today, Penny! I loved hearing about your approach to work and it's so inspiring to learn more about your ethical business practices.

Be sure to check out more of Penny's work at the links above!

Review - Colours & Numbers by Orla Kiely

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000+11:00

Colours and Numbers are two gorgeous board books by Irish designer Orla Kiely. I recently bought them for a newborn bubby boy whose Mama knows a thing or two about style and design.

I just love the patterns, the bold graphics and the retro colours.

It's always lovely to find children's books that also appeal to adult aesthetics.

You can't really go wrong with colours or counting as topics.

And board books are the best, aren't they? Who doesn't love a book that you couldn't ruin if you tried, but at the same time, can chew to your heart's content!

Orla Keily, Colours and Numbers, published by Egmont

Blog Launch! (or 'what's this blog about anyway?')

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000+11:00

A while back I set today as my own official 'launch' date for the revamp of this blog. I guess I was giving myself a deadline to make it a little prettier, work out a new direction and decide how often I was going to post. I tend to need deadlines, or I end up sitting on the couch eating chocolate and watching Ellen during the kids' nap times. Nothing wrong with chocolate. And I love Ellen. But I also love doing things too.

So...I did it. I prettied the blog a little (still a work-in-progress), I decided on what I wanted it to be (also a work-in-progress), and I made the resolution to post every weekday.

Why? Because with a toddler almost three, and a baby of four and a half months, I need a creative outlet. And I like to write. Every day? Well, I didn't really think that through. But so far, it's been fun and I'm really loving it: having the deadline, collating information, developing ideas, taking photos, writing posts. I'm thinking about stuff. And not just about sleep routines and developmental stages and how much washing I have to do/hang up/put away (I really don't want to think about that one).

But what am I trying to do with this blog? Well, I not only wanted a place where Kim and I could show what we're working on (painting, illustration, paper cutting and folding), I also wanted to make it a creative space where people could come for inspiration; a place I would like to visit. And with that in mind I've developed a theme for every day of the week. And this is how it's going to go:

The Monday Feature: this is where I feature an illustrator or artist, product or place, experience or idea. Basically it's just an excuse to write about whatever I feel like ;)

The Tuesday Review: picture books, art and illustration books, books on creativity and creative thinking, freelancing, small business, style and design and the occasional magazine.

The Wednesday Interview: this is the most exciting one! Starting this Wednesday I interview creative people I admire: illustrators, artists, crafters, writers. I'm curious about other people's creative processes and practice. I love hearing about how other people go about their work, get their inspiration and overcome creative blocks.

Creative Space on Thursdays: on this day I show what Kim or I are working on. I also like to link up with Our Creative Spaces.

Friday Links: a weekly round-up of fun, interesting stuff I found on the web during the week.

Sunday Flea Market Finds: I post on Sundays whenever I find something worth sharing in my op-shopping travels.

I've also put buttons along the top bar which link to pages where I'll collate the features, book reviews and interviews so that if you miss anything you can easily track it down.

(Bunting outside Lark)

If you'd like regular updates on what's going on here head on over and 'like' the Art by Wiley Facebook page. Also, I'm a Twitter newbie but I also plan to keep you updated via tweets (is that the lingo?) so follow me if you're keen...maybe you can show me how to use it at the same time.

So there you have it! Happy artbywiley.com launch! I'm raising my metaphorical glass of champers right now, welcoming you to my creative space online and hoping you'll stop in and say hello every now and again.

Thrifting in paradise

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000+11:00

Last weekend we went to thrifting paradise. Honestly, it was like the biggest op shop of all time. I have to write a whole post on this place sometime. It's the Mill Markets in Daylesford. Have you heard of it? Oh my! It's huge. It's a massive building divided up into stalls. There was a little stall with 50% off everything (I wish I could remember its name) but that's where we picked up these goodies.

Cute Camper shoes for me:

Old man cardigan for Kim:

He does love a good old man cardi :)

* Playing along at Flea Market Finds at the lovely Her Library Adventures.

Friday Links

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000+11:00

Here are some fun things I came across on my internet travels this week:

1. Always wanted a tattoo but too worried about the pain, not to mention the permanency? Here's the perfect solution! Cute designs, no regrets: check out Tattly (discovered through Pikaland).

Image source: Tattly Typewriter. Illustration: Julia Rothman

2. To pay homage to Australia Day yesterday I was looking for an image that avoided cliche. Yeah, good luck to me! Instead, I present to you, Graeme. Somehow, he seems the quintessential Australian male (circa 1976).

Image credit: Michelle @ Rock My Roll discovered through Our Creative Spaces.

3. Able and Game make cards. No, they make THE BEST cards. If you're looking for something a bit different and A LOT hilarious, you must check out their stuff. Here's one for Valentine's Day:

Image credit: Able and Game

Happy Friday all!

Our creative space

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000+11:00

Happy Australia Day! Great day for a bit of creativity...

Kim's been working on a paper sculpture. It's very time-intensive and fiddly but it's fascinating to watch it take form. It's going to be an animal. I won't tell you what yet...all will be revealed in good time!

Me, I'm starting a new artwork today. Ah, the blank canvas! Always a little daunting, but exciting too.

*Linking up with Our Creative Spaces today.

The Victorian Writer's got it covered

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000+11:00

I love that The Victorian Writer, the member magazine for Writer's Victoria, is using art and illustration for the covers. Looking forward to seeing what appears on the next issue!

From below: Clare Whitney, Sonia Martinez and Rhonda Goodall-Kirk.

Review: Paper Runway magazine

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000+11:00

Paper Runway is a relatively new Australian magazine with a focus on all things paper: from artists, illustrators and designers who use it as their chosen medium to paper sculptors, cutters and creators who make breathtaking artwork out of the stuff.

This is the third issue of Paper Runway (I have the previous two as well) and it's just going from strength to strength. In my opinion this is the best issue yet, featuring a wonderful range of paper artists, products and ideas.

The magazine itself is beautifully designed. I especially like the stitching down the spine, which turns the humble magazine format into something special, luxurious and collectible.

With a retail price of $24.95, it is a sneaky indulgence, but I know I will linger over it for several weeks. If you're an artist of any persuasion, or just love paper products, it's well worth treating yourself.

It also comes with some freebies: a gorgeous bookmark from Earth Greetings and a DIY art project by Michael Leavitt which you can use to make a paper Converse shoe - yaysies!

We picked it up on the weekend at the lovely Lark. Kim has recently been working with paper cutting and folding so he was interested in it for those reasons, particularly the article on UK paper cut artist Mr Yen. Me, well, I love the illustrator interviews: Grace Lee, Lilly Perri and Emma Leonard in this issue.

I know you can order it online but it looks like you can also read the entire issue online here. Sweet!

But if you love paper as much as me, you probably want to hold it in your hands ;)

A Lark in Daylesford

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000+11:00

Yesterday we spent a most pleasant day catching up with lovely friends in Daylesford. Daylesford must be one of my most favourite day-trips in Melbourne. And one of my most favourite places there is the shop Lark.

It's a sweet little family business which stocks the most gorgeous, hand-picked loveliness.

You can't help but gasp with delight as soon as you enter. Inevitably I want everything that I see.

I love little shops like this which support artists, crafters and designers - real people - making beautiful things for anyone who wants unique gifts and homewares.

I didn't go too shopping-crazy in Lark yesterday. But I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to!

Livin' in the 70's

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000+11:00

I don't do dresses. I generally live in jeans. Sometimes I'll wear skirts, but dresses, no.

But when I saw this hanging on the rack at my local Savers, it just seemed to be calling my name. I immediately loved the colours, that was the first thing that drew me to it.

But also, when I got up close, I realised it reminded me of dresses I'd seen my grandmothers wearing in photos from the 1970s. That floaty, flowing look. And the arms. Check out those wings!

When I showed Kim the dress in the store, the words he said ('try it on!') were completely at odds with the face he was making ('are you crazy'?)

But when I tried it on, he agreed with me - I had to have the dress.

Now...where to wear it?

* Playing along at Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures

A sweet case for my Kobo

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001+11:00

The other week I blogged about the e-reader I got for Christmas (happy, happy!) and today I wanted to share with you the adorable cover I got from the Etsy store YK Bags.

I just did a general Etsy search to find this store and what a find! Oh, the sweetness! Love the features like the slot for the reading light (a separate purchase to the Kobo).

And two little pockets on the left (perfect for my little notebook!).

Love the way you can also slide the Kobo into the left sleeve for travel, then insert it into the tabs on the right for reading.

And look at that happy fabric!

I also like the idea of keeping this newfangled electronic gadget in something handmade (and so lovely). Ah, the harmony of it all!

In praise of the ampersand

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000+11:00

I love the ampersand. I don't know why, I just do. I use it when I write, yes. But that's not all.

I like to look at it on my desk:

(Ampersand from Typo.)

I like to wear it:

(I bought these earrings a couple of years ago from the gorgeous Etsy shop Isette and they are very high rotation jewellery in my collection.)

It's also good for lounging on:

(Image credit: Aunty Cookie Ampersand Cushion on Etsy)

I covet these cushions by Aunty Cookie (aka Shannon Lamden, Melbourne designer). I don't think it'll be too long til I get me one!

So, in closing, there's nothing this little symbol can't do. So much more than an abbreviation of the conjunction 'and'; not just a ligature of the latin 'et'. It's beautiful but utilitarian, graceful yet bold. Really, it's the perfect logogram!

Judging a book by its cover: Emma

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000+11:00

Every now and again when I'm in a bookshop, a book presents itself and I must buy it. It's like some sort of universal force propelling me to pick up the book, take it to the counter and present my credit card. On the weekend, this was that book:

It was the first thing I saw when I entered the bookstore - the fact that it was under a spotlight might have helped draw my attention.

Immediately, I had to pick it up, I had to touch it. But I didn't decide to buy it straight away. I kept going back to it whilst browsing, and eventually it was just blind compulsion - book, counter, credit card.

And when I saw the cover was credited to the fabulous illustrator Jillian Tamaki, well, I was completely sold!

Love the way the inside cover and flap shows the reverse of the embroidery (below).

Emma is the first Jane Austen book I ever read as a teenager and so it holds a special place in my reading history. The book itself is brillant. Haven't read it? Read it! And if you like lovely things, buy this edition!

It was created as actual embroidery from original illustrations and has been released by Penguin under the special title of 'Penguin Threads' along with two other books (illustrations and embroidery also by Jillian Tamaki). You can go to this page and watch a little video about how it all came to be. I just love how art director Paul Buckley explains that he got the idea for the special edition covers when he was browsing on Etsy!

Go here to see Jillian Tamaki's personal embroidery project which originally got her the gig. Love this so much!

And for more of Jillian's work, check out her 'sketchblog'. Lastly, I found this great resource on her website for students or anyone else interested in working as an illustrator.

Gorgeous detail from the back cover.

Viva la Reader's Feast

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000+11:00

I mentioned yesterday that the weekend's city outing involved buying books. Oh, yes-indeedy it did! One of the rituals of our little Degraves catch-ups was always to wander down Swanston Street after lunch toward Reader's Feast where we would spend a most satisfactory hour or so browsing, chatting between the bookshelves, then eventually buying our hoard.

And so it was nothing short of devastating to me to hear last year that Reader's Feast was closing. I went to say goodbye. I went several times (I did pick up some closing-down-sale bargains, yes, that was part of it). But I could hardly believe I would never see it again. I'd been going to the store for more years than I could count and it always had a very central place in my city experience.

But then something amazing happened. Mary Dalmau, director and general manager, announced it would be re-opening. Could this be true? It was! Hooray.

And in the most amazing location. Reader's Feast is now in the famous Georges building, complete with red-carpet entry and chandeliers.

Could this be the classiest bookshop in Melbourne, nay, the world?

It still has a wonderful range of books and the old building lends it a certain charm.

I do buy lots of books online, but nothing compares to the tactile experience of real books in a real bookshop. Being able to pick them up, touch the covers and flick through the pages is an experience that can't be replaced by the click of a mouse on 'Add to Cart'. In fact, the purchase I made yesterday was due to the fact I could touch and feel the book (more on that tomorrow - this book deserves its very own post!).

Yesterday I received in the mail my 'Privileged Reader Voucher' (if only I'd had it on Sunday!). The program gives you a voucher to the value of 10% of your purchases in the last six months. I love those vouchers and so I was suprised to get one considering the bookshop closed around mid-year. But the letter explained: 'In our new business, we have decided to calculate the value of the voucher you would have received in July had the old Reader's Feast store not closed.' I mean, who does that? No wonder this bookshop inspires fierce loyalty in the customers who love it. So now I have my voucher...it's a pretty good excuse to pay another visit soon ;)

A tour of Degraves

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000+11:00

I love going into the city - the bustle and the buildings and that dynamic sense of movement. Workers, trams, buskers, shoppers, busy, busy, rush, rush. I love the main streets but I love the laneways better. And me and Degraves Street, we go way back.

Back to when I was twenty-one and studying in a building on that street. Break time and we'd all wander downstairs and grab a coffee at one of the cafes there. That's when I first started drinking coffee. How could I not?

Then much later me and a couple of friends formed a (very) informal writing group. How we started meeting up in Degraves Street I can't quite remember, but Degraves it was. We often strayed from the supposed 'writing' focus, of course, and ended up chatting about books, goals, dreams, creative pursuits, and, well, life really. You know how it is.

Then kids came along and the catch-ups became less frequent. But yesterday, we did it! We met up.

We had coffee, we talked, we laughed, we bought books. Always an essential ingredient of our catch-ups, the book-buying part. And I got to soak up the atmosphere in my most favourite little street. Yesss!

Okay, technically this collage is not of Degraves Street, it's Centre Place. But it sort of follows on from Degraves when you cross the side-street. It's known for its funky eateries and its graffiti, which is actually allowed in this location. Although my friend reminded me that not very long ago a very industrious council worker painted over a Banksy in a nearby laneway. Ooops!

Above is a collage of some of the lovely little shops on Degraves Street. The Little Bookroom is a specialist children's and YA bookstore - recently moved to this location I think because I remember when it was elsewhere. Then there's Little Cupcakes. YUM! Ill Papiro is a gorgeous boutique paper shop and Senior Art Supplies has a really great range of art materials. Heaven, right?

Oh, how I wish I could visit every week. But yesterday was enough to keep me going for a little while...

Vintage Book Finds

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000+11:00

I made a trip to my local op shop this week to find an old picture book to cut up for crafting purposes (don't judge me!). But instead I found a bunch of gorgeous books I wouldn't dare cut up. Look at these lovely finds:

I think my favourite is When I grow up...what will I be? Each double-spread lists a grown-up job like: Nurse, Mechanic, Ambassador, Research Chemist! Awesome! And tells a little story about a character going about their daily tasks. Below is a collage of some pages from the book. The bottom-right image is from the 'Mechanical Engineer' page where engineer, Terence Trotter, invents a huge bath for piglets (rather like a car-wash it seems!).

My next favourite is Raggedy Ann - so bright and sweet!

Love these endpapers! So pretty.

So I'm thrilled with these finds and you can rest assured I won't be taking the scissors to any of these books!

*Linking up with Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures.

I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000+11:00

So I discovered recently that one of my favourite children's book illustrators, Jon Klassen, was the designer on the animated music video of U2's I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight.

As a U2 tragic from way back this is very exciting.

Dawn Tan and the legend of 'Macaroni and Tomato Soup'

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000+11:00

Macaroni and Tomato Soup. Have you heard of it? No, neither had I until I met Kim. It is the single-most consumed meal in this house, closely followed by chocolate. Okay, I know chocolate is not technically a meal. I do know that.

At first I was dubious (see the ingredients? yep, that's it!), but the truth is, I'm a convert to this comfort meal of indeterminate origin. Family legend has it that it may have been created by Kim's mum's mum by pantry items that were always on hand. But there's no way to confirm it.

What can be confirmed is that everyone loves it: Kim, his brothers, his sister, his mum, aunty, uncles, cousins - the passion and ardour inspired by this meal is far-reaching. And so when I took Dawn Tan's watercolour class early last year and had to choose a recipe to illustrate, well, it was obvious wasn't it?

And while doing the class Dawn planted a seed in my mind for the most awesome gifts - tea-towels! So with the aid of a camera, Spoonflower and the super-dooper sewing skills of my mum, I managed to create these tea-towels for every member of Kim's family who is evangelical about this meal. And boy it was fun giving them out at the family New Year's Eve BBQ!

The original watercolour is framed and hanging in our kitchen. I'd never worked with watercolours before so this was a big learning curve but oh, so much fun! Dawn got in there with a paintbrush a couple of times to help me out and so all the really good bits I will credit to her. All the dodgy bits are all my own!

Pssst. Do you like our dog's-bum hand-towel holder?!?!

So thanks to Dawn, her awesome class, her generous nature and amazing talent in art and in teaching, I was able to create these personal gifts that made me so happy to give! Thanks, Dawn!

Me showing Dawn the end result!

Postscript: Kim just read this post and said, 'couldn't you write a paragraph of words describing how awesome this meal is?' He suggested: incredible, amazing, life-changing, sensational and cheese-o-riffic. I said, 'no'.

Sketchbook Project here I come!

2012-01-10T06:30:00.001+11:00

I forgot to put this one in my grand plans for the new year. After dithering a little, I decided to participate in The Sketchbook Project after all and received my sketchbook the other day - oooh, all those fresh, slightly terrifying blank pages!

Woodland Animals pencil case by Pocket Carnival - love it! Here's the shop if you'd like to take a wander.

This is the Limited Edition Sketchbook Project - anyone can participate but there are only 5000 places and images from these sketchbooks will appear in an art book series, so, no pressure or anything.

My theme is 'Create and Capture'. Now...what to draw?!

A book by any other name...

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000+11:00

My darling, talented-at-choosing-presents Kim, got me an e-reader for Christmas. Woop! I'm not ashamed to admit I did a little happy dance when I opened it.

Don't get me wrong, I love books, as in the real, hardcopy kind ;) They are just about my favourite thing in the world. And the e-reader is not fabulous for all books of course. I mean, who would attempt to drool over a lushly photographed cookbook or coffee-table art book on a digital interface?

Also, the first book I opened on the Kobo was one of my all-time favourite books, Austen's Pride and Prejudice - one of the free 100 books that come loaded already. Let me tell you it was pretty weird to read that famous line 'It is a truth universally acknowledged...' on something so modern and techy. I would probably still pick up a real book for a classic.

But the very first book I actually bought and downloaded was a new release, Marieke Hardy's You'll be sorry when I'm dead, and it was $4.09. Yup, you read it right. How can you go wrong? I've downloaded a few more since, mostly non-fiction.

As well, not being back-lit, it's easy on the eyes so you sort of forget you're reading on it until you turn the page with a click!

Problem Solving 101: a simple book for smart people by Ken Watanabe

I also want to read the Steve Jobs biography. Have you actually been into a bookshop and seen how thick it is? I could use it as a makeshift table it's so massive! Much easier to carry around that particular tome on a digital file and save on a physio bill.

I read an article last year about snooping. It was about how in the new era of the e-book, people's bookcases will tell you very little. It used to be that a bit of amateur psychology could be performed by checking out the books owned by a new friend. Well, not anymore, this article was saying. Because if the person has an e-reader, their bookshelf is now frozen in time, effectively a museum piece describing the person they used to be.

I don't think my bookshelf will become a museum piece exactly. I still buy plenty of art and illustration books and I'm terrible for picture books. I can't stop myself. So the book is in no danger...not from me anyway.

I think if anything, it might end up evolving a little to serve a different purpose - perhaps become a bit of a luxury item - beautiful objects to be collected, made with high quality paper and containing beautiful images.

I was very interested to read this article last week which offered this for people worried about the future of the book: 'We should concentrate on the message, not agonise over the medium. We should be agnostic on the platform, but evangelical about the content.' It's the reading bit that's important, that's the thing. And you know where I read that? On my computer.

And plus, being the fresh owner of an e-reader meant Etsy was just begging me to find a sweet cover. Hooray!

Grab a badge/button!

2012-01-08T17:40:00.002+11:00

Grab this badge to link back to this blog from yours! Just copy and paste the code below. Let me know if you do and I'll link back to you.

Ikea love - Pt 2

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000+11:00

Following on from yesterday's Ikea love-fest, I thought I'd show a few pictures of P's room. Note: these photos are from the brief, blissful period immediately after the organising was done.

I've had that tall Ikea 'Billy' bookcase for years and it's moved with me several times. The little bedside table/shelf we picked up this week. The colourful tubs spaced out on her shelves now contain categories of toys (eg: music, animals, puzzles) that were previously strewn around the house in various states of disarray.

The framed print is not Ikea, believe it or not. It's this one from The Black Apple. Love it! And what I want to do in the space underneath that print and above the bedside table is this with an Ikea spice rack. But they didn't have any in stock this week. Ah, well, just an excuse to return in a month or two!

And here is a small dedicated bookcase (also in the Billy series) at the foot of her bed.

And that, my friends, is quite enough about Ikea from me.

So can you believe it, I made it through a whole week of blogging daily!? Um, how many more weeks of the year to go?

As you might be able to see I'm slowly re-designing the blog to give it a new look but unfortunately it can't happen overnight. Actually, strike that, with two little kids it can only happen overnight! When else do I get the time but in the wee hours?

Okay, I'm bracing myself for another week of blogging. And kind of wondering when I'll have time to get any art done. Hmm, maybe I didn't think this through. Oh well, a deal's a deal. See you Monday!

Ode to Ikea

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000+11:00

Oh, how I love your clean Swedish lines,
your ingenious design.
Your storage solutions excite me.
Sometimes when I see you
I'm overcome with desire,
an all-consuming need.
You're the solution to the problem I never knew I had.
(Oh, sweet Micke range!)
Upstairs you offer me the promise of another life.
A beautiful life, with more efficient use of space.
And food. Cheap food.
And downstairs, well, you're just irresistible.
I'd take you all if I could.
Ikea, you have taken over my home.
And I LOVE it.

(Cabinet, houseplants, and silver potplants from Ikea)

Alas, we don't have a studio, or a dedicated room in the house to make art. A stand-alone studio in the backyard is the big dream but until that day arrives (in the very distant future) we've had to find other solutions to our space 'issues'. A while ago we tidied up our art supplies in this awesome cabinet which stands in the lounge room (above). But we have continued to use our dining table as our work space and this, quite frankly, has been doing our heads in.

Anyway, despite the fact that yesterday I said redecorating could only happen in my mind, when we went to Ikea this week to find colourful boxes for Miss P's toys, an idea was planted, and eventually realised. Our own desks! In the lounge room! Our dining table back!

And when we discovered that two Micke desks pushed together would fit the allotted space exactly, well, the universe was sending us a sign, wasn't it? And defying all logic, instead of crowding the space, these new additions have opened it right up. (Ahem, it may have something to do with our newly clutter-free dining table).

Our workspace fits behind our dining room table and is fairly inconspicuous.

My space, with a canvas-in-progress.

Kim's space. Map paper-cutting artwork headed for Linden.

The view from the kitchen. You can see we've swung the dining chairs round to use as desk chairs. It was impractical to add extra chairs here just for the desks.

And here's the space in the bigger context of the open-plan of our dining/lounge/kitchen, complete with busy toddler in foreground.

You have no idea how excited we are to have our own, dedicated work spaces. So excited in fact, I was moved to poetry ;)

Home Stylin' Books

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000+11:00

I've been going through a bit of a home interiors phase whereby I borrow thick, lush home styling books from the library, pour over the unattainable, and look dejectedly around my own place feeling inadequate. It's fun! No really.

I try to make things nice where I can but the reality of having two little munchkins means the place is childproofed within and inch of its life (child-gates and nifty but unattractive drawer locks are not exactly featured in these books) and the floor is often strewn with the debris of play, you know: odd parts from random toys, blocks here and there, sultanas under the couch, deflating balloons... can you tell I'm looking at my floor now?

Just to drive the point home, this is what I got when I tried to photograph the covers with Miss P as photographer's assistant:

But it's nice to dream and these books are the stuff of dreams. Beautifully photographed, stunningly styled and aspirational.

Special mention to Nomad. The concept of the book is how to incorporate your travels into your home when you return - whether it be through displaying a souvenir you brought home or using the dominant colour palatte of the place you visited. Some really interesting ideas here. It might be a while before I can travel somewhere exotic enough to warrant some home stylin', but in the meantime, I'll travel in my armchair...and redecorate in my mind.

Top to bottom: Modern Vintage Style by Emily Chalmers, Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney, Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick and Nomad by Sibella Court.

Blogging inspiration

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000+11:00

Still on the topic of resolutions, this article caught my attention in Saturday's paper. Last new years eve Bronwyn Bowerman made a resolution to complete - and blog about - a craft project every single day of the year. Yes, that's right, every day. Crazy? But she did it! Whilst working full-time too as a fashion designer.

(The Saturday Age, 'Life & Style', Dec 30-31 2011, p18)

The result was 365 Days of Craft which I've just browsed through and found some cool, quirky and unique craft ideas. The sheer variety of projects she has devised is staggering. The newspaper article also noted that she is getting married this month and I see on the blog that she has put her crafty skills to good use for her nuptials. Check out this gorgeous table setting she made out of sticks from her backyard. Genius.

Kudos to you, Ms Bowerman. I take my inspiration from you. My lofty goal of blogging every weekday seems to pale in comparison to actually going to the trouble of making something and then blogging about it. My goal now seems much more do-able.

Welcome, 2012, I've been waiting for you...

2012-01-02T06:30:00.000+11:00

I've got a confession to make. I'm not the kind of person who goes around saying, 'I don't make resolutions!' When someone asks me what my new year resolutions are, I say, 'How long have you got?' and then the other person's eyes slowly glaze over.

I love making resolutions. Maybe it's because I like making lists. I'm the queen of lists. Or maybe it's because I like thinking about the future. I don't necessarily like doing the things required to make good on the resolutions, but I do like thinking about them. As a result my lists are usually fairly lengthy. My main problem is reigning them in.

This is my abridged list. Ha! Good luck to me.

I probably need to explain a few of those.

1. Oh okay, that one is self-explanatory. Crazy, huh? Not sure if I can do this but I'll give it a red hot go.

2. I'm a 'lurker' (eeeeek, hate that term!) meaning I read lots and lots of blogs but never leave comments. Or maybe about once a year I'll drop a line. I'm making a resolution to comment on the blogs I love because it's nice to know that people out there are reading and enjoying what you do. What goes around, comes around, eh?

3. Um, I guess that one's obvious too. I'm hoping to do this by the end of the month. Will keep you posted...

4. I've signed up to do a Camp Pikaland 6-week online illustration course starting in March. Hoping to share the results of some of my assignments with you...if they're not too cringe-worthy.

5. I want to start doing Illustration Friday after the Camp Pikaland course in order to keep the drawing muscles flexed and build on those skills.

6. Another obvious one. I usually don't like making my goals so general. It's like saying, 'exercise more' or 'eat properly'. I mean, what does that mean? I should really say, 'finish a painting a month' or 'work on a watercolour series'...actually, both are pretty good ideas now that I think about it. But I do have some paintings that I want to work on so I'll just leave it at that.

And then there are the other goals. You know, exercise more, eat properly, stop wasting time on Facebook. The usual suspects ;)

New Year here we come!

2011-12-30T15:03:00.001+11:00

Love getting a fresh calendar out ready for the new year!

Design Files calendar here

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000+11:00

I often look at other people's blogs and see photos of their houses which are so styled and attractive. In reality, I know they've probably just kicked away a pile of washing before arranging the shot. Or is that just me?

Anyway, it's a bit hard to keep your home looking like Home Beautiful with a toddler and baby underfoot and even harder to keep a Christmas tree upright and with all the decorations hung and undamaged (currently there are more baubles stashed in toddler-secret-spots than there are on the tree). But one teeny-tiny bit of the house I feel happy about is our entrance way. Another bonus is that Miss P can't reach the top of this cabinet yet.

Merry Christmas from the Wileys! Hope yours is wonderful!

Mapping

2011-12-22T06:30:00.000+11:00

Kim's been working on something a bit different for the Linden, which involves no paint whatsoever. I really love what's evolving. In the meantime, I snuck a photo of his materials:

Painting again

2011-12-20T06:30:00.000+11:00

It's been a while but I've got the paint and brushes out again and am finding snippets of time in the day - when the kids' naps coincide (rare) and when the kids go to sleep at a reasonable time (bahaha!) - to work on a new painting. So, you know, I get a few minutes...

This one's for the Linden Postcard Show which is in January - so, yikes, better get a wriggle on. But it's really nice to be painting again and I'm bursting with so many ideas for more work which is really exciting.

About books for kids

2011-12-19T10:30:00.000+11:00

Hip hip hooray for Saturday's Age Books section - some quality editorial space dedicated to books for younger readers. How nice it would be to see some YA and picture book-love more often!

'The very best of company' by Frances Atkinson, The Saturday Age, Life & Style, Sat 17 Dec, 2011

The main image there of the bear and the rabbit is from Jon Klassen's I Want my Hat Back. I bought this picture book online recently and I can't wait to receive it. Just love his gorgeous illustrations.

Review - The Suitcase Series 1: Camilla Engman

2011-12-14T14:53:00.000+11:00

Being a bit behind the times I've only recently discovered Camilla Engman, her fabulous artwork and her lovely blog. Not so long ago I got my hands on a book all about this fascinating artist.

It's beautifully designed and produced - each page is a visual feast of photographs (many of them taken by Engman herself) and artwork. And there is just enough text to learn about the artists' life and work without taking away from all the eye candy.

Engman's work is at once completely identifiable, but also extremely diverse. Her fine art is both humorous and dark, ranging from cute to unsettling.

Her colour palatte is one identifying feature of her art, as is her illustrative line-work. There's something very compelling about her images so I'm glad that this book is full of them!

I love that it also includes images of her life, home, studio and ephemera.

I was so sad to read that her famous dog, Morran, passed away recently but what a wonderful life he had. When I ordered the this Suitcase Series book, it arrived with some other goodies.

One of them a mini photo-book of Morran's adventures (top right), which is a lovely keepsake. Farewell, Morran, you will live on in our collective memory.

The Suitcase Series is a project by Uppercase and I'm eagerly anticipating editions to come and the chance to peek into more artists' lives.

(Back cover with 'baggage tag')

You can buy The Suitcase Series 1: Camilla Engman here.

Advent adventures

2011-12-11T10:15:00.002+11:00

The Advent calendar we made last year is back up and P has been getting very excited about checking that day's pocket every morning. The types of things which have made an appearance are: stickers, a Christmas tree decoration, a musk stick and today it was a Schleich zebra. The pièce de résistance is a miniature snow dome which I'm saving up for Christmas eve.

This morning she asked for the first time who was putting the things in the pockets. After a beat I said, 'elves...Santa's helpers'. When that was met with a blank stare I said, 'the fairies came' and her face made the most wondrous expression I've ever seen. So there you are, it's all the fairies' doing. Amazing how much fun Christmas is with a toddler.

What I'm reading

2011-12-07T14:13:00.001+11:00

Loving Oslo Davis' guest blog posts over at TDF this week. Really like finding out about other people's processes and in this post he shows the way he uses references for his 'Overheard' cartoon series for The Age. Also love today's post about scary Japanese picture books! Can't wait to get my hands on his new book Libraryland (libraries being a topic close to my heart).

Here's an interesting interview with him.

Design Files Open House

2011-12-02T14:18:00.000+11:00

We spent an awesome morning wandering around The Design Files Open House in Fitzroy. It's a concept pop-up shop, but in a house, and everything is for sale. Really, everything. From fixtures to furniture to artwork.

The idea was conceived of by Lucy Feagins, blogger extraordinaire, and the execution is breathtaking. Especially when you go upstairs - wow. If you suffer from house envy, you're bound to get a big bout of it!

On the balcony you can get a coffee and a cupcake if you so desire, and sit under the most gorgeous umbrellas.

If you live in Melbourne it's worth a visit over the weekend, as it's open for another two days. You can find the details here. Or if you can't make it, there are much better photos than mine here.

Here are some Dawn Tan originals. Oh, how I love Dawn Tan!

And my newest favourite discovery, artwork by Dane Lovett:

Such a cool idea for a pop-up. Highly recommend you pop in!

Brooklyn Art Library - a virtual tour

2011-11-25T22:30:00.000+11:00

Thinking of doing The Sketchbook Project again. Wish I could visit the Brooklyn Art Library. This little vid is the next best thing:

Blog renovations

2011-11-12T14:57:00.001+11:00

I've been thinking about this for a while and I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to give this blog an overhaul and in the process make it into something bigger and better. I'm still thinking about what this will entail and how the blog will look and feel but it's an exciting prospect and I've been taking lots of notes about it whenever I get the chance.

Btw, the gorgeous blue spiral-bound notebook is handmade by Rebound Books.

I'm going to re-launch this blog in the new year with a new look, new content and new focus. I'm thinking Monday 30 January is a good launch date – it will give me enough time to fully develop my ideas, plus, who does any work in December or January? I mean, really!

In the meantime, I'll still blog intermittently, but when I launch the new-look blog I plan to keep to a more regular schedule. I'd like to blog daily, but that might just be setting myself up for failure. But three times a week seems reasonable...what do you reckon? Maybe I'll think about it and get back to you...

While I want to maintain its personal nature and share the work that Kim and I do, I also want this space to be one where I get to explore ideas and the creative process. I want to celebrate and showcase art, illustration and writing that I love. I hope to feature other artists and illustrators, show inspiring and interesting images and explore ideas related to creativity. I want it to be a resource for others as well as a place where I collect and dissect all the amazing things I discover on the web in my (probably too frequent) internet travels; a repository of sorts.

After all, if I channel all this into my blog I can stop calling my aimless internet surfing 'procrastination' and start calling it 'work'. Hurrah! Genius, no?

Bubble art

2011-10-24T18:52:00.000+11:00

We've been using every trick in the book to make Miss P feel special lately - after all, it's hard work being a new big sister. Got this idea from the guru of ideas Keri Smith.

We used food dye with bubble liquid...you had to use A LOT of food dye for it to be effective, and it ended up being a quite messy but jeez, this activity was a hit.

She loooved blowing bubbles and loved even better the colourful pops on the paper. And, of course, loved the requisite bath at the end of it all.

Hello, sweet baby

2011-10-21T20:26:00.000+11:00

Meet JJ, born 27th September 2011. She is a sweet little bundle of baby joy and every day is a new adventure for her and for us.

So, no art lately. Except for today. Here's me and P, finger-painting up a storm while JJ sleeps. Lots of messy fun.

MT tape and Japan reminiscence

2011-09-26T13:29:00.002+10:00

MT Tape! Who knew it had become such a 'thing'? And why hadn't I heard of it? I lived in Japan in 2004 (yikes, seven years ago now!) and thought I missed this fad entirely. When I read about it in Paper Runway magazine I became fascinated by its possibilities so I found an Etsy shop called Crafty Japan run by an Australian woman living over there and put in an order. Later I decided I needed Jenna Templeton's zine 'Little book of mt masking tape' (discovered in Paper Runway) and so I ordered that from her Etsy shop.

Happily and co-incidentally both packages arrived on the exact same day last week. Hoorah!

Then I read in the 'Little book of mt masking tape' that the rise of MT tape didn't begin until about 2006 – ah, no wonder I hadn't heard of it. Apparently the company, Kamoi, have been going since 1923 but only recently began making the tape in colours and patterns at the request of some creative Tokyo women who'd started using it for collaging.

MT tape is basically masking tape, but pretty. You can use it for labelling, gift wrapping, craft and it remains adhesive after you peel it off. It also doesn't leave any sticky residue on the surface you stick it to so you can use it to hold down watercolour paper, for example.

I have a bit of a fetish for stationery and wrapping. For example, if I am asked in a shop if I want something gift wrapped I will usually decline because I want to do it myself. Is that weird? I know most people find it a chore, but I love it. So I was thinking of all the ways in which MT tape might assist me in my creative wrapping endeavours.

When I lived in Japan I loved both the ridiculous and the sublime. I know it's a bit of a cliché but it really is a land of contradictions. I was looking through my old photos the other day and I have lots of images that look like this:

Osaka

but also this:

Koya-san

Oh, how I loved karaoke, hyaku-en shops and purikura machines. But aesthetically I was more attracted to the austere, minimalist Japan rather than the kitsch Hello Kitty kind of kawaii. A lot of the applications of MT tape seem to fall into the kawaii camp and can be a little garish but I have seen some gorgeous things done with it too.

So I'm very pleased with my small selection of washi tape and no doubt I will be looking for more patterns and designs before too long. In my mt tape internet travels I also found this gorgeous little shop selling lovely Japanese crafty things. Very tempting...