moopy & me

The Competition has started

Fresh start

The whole family has been helping me out in the studio this summer... fresh white walls, holes patched up and the concrete cleaned up...

The studio shop was feeling quite crowded and dusty last year so I have cleared the whole thing out and designed some new shop fittings (that I am super excited about) that are being made very very soon... I am really looking forward to 2013.

We have a couple of new classes, one for highschool students and adults that I can't wait to start and I have had some awesome mural ideas floating around in my imagination that I reckon will look amazing when the children get their hands on it.

Nothing like a blank canvas.

Happiness & Sunshine

I took these photos today for Umbrella Prints. And they fill me with joy. They are so happy I want to stop what I am doing and sew right now... but alas I have no sewing thread here in the office, not to mention a million other things to do.

With all the blogging and updates I do here here here here here and here... it seems I havn't had much time for my little old blog ... The children have had birthdays and reached major milestones ... all with lovely photos for memories that hide in my iPhotos library.

I am looking forward to the January holidays already....

The Playdough Master

My little Olive starts Kindy today... she is busting with excitment.

Olive has been going to our local community kindy for two years now just for their awesome occassional care program (2.5 hours a week)... so she knows everyone and has a few little friends.. so really she is graduating up to the "big kids" room rather than it being a scary first day thing.

That's her this morning chillin with some fruit while I snapped away with my camera as I rushed out the door to work.. I can't wait to hear all about it when I get home.

 

REBLOG: from Umbrella Prints

*For technical reasons I have posted this on my blog so we can all access Monica's super duper fun downloads (me and blogger don't get on so well over at Umbrella Prints' blog & I can't figure it out just now?? so I thought it would be fun if you guys could access the patterns here anyway.. no?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monica Hajek + Umbrella Prints

We are super excited and proud to share with you today (or tonight as it is the case at my house... ) Monica's adorable patterns for you to make, keep and give (and it goes with out saying really .. but yo'all know it's for sharing and not profiting THANK YOU!)

Download Foxmask PDF PATTERN

Download Birthdaycrown PDF PATTERN

I have a couple of birthdays coming up in my family soon .. namely one big 4 year old... so this will be a fun project for me to get stuck into because lord knows I have a rather large stash of Umbrella Prints' Trimmings!

Enjoy xx

Fun with Picture Books

As those of you who have read my blog a few times may know ... I love picture books and include them in so much of what we do with the children in the studio. Children can relate to the artworks within and being familiar with the stories & illustrations makes introducing new art concepts super easy. They are also just plain old fun & relaxing!

These photos are almost a year old ... from Term 3 last year when we focused on illustration.. I came across them tonight whilst doing a bit of thinking about what fun projects we can embark on next term when we focus on illustration and picture books again... and thought they were too pretty not to share (makes a great art lesson for any Art/School teachers out there!)

You can see that the children have used a soft dark pencil to sketch from life first (onto quality watercolour paper), spending time to really look into my little plant still life. Then they add in a Tico bird (or hidden creature) from their imaginations... I love combining both of these skills in my art lessons.. I think it is so important for them to be practicing both life drawing and using their amazing wonderful imaginations.

Then finally we whip out the melty dazzling watercolours to paint any way we fancy... making sure to explore new colours.

How amazing are Leo Leonni's illustrations! I would love to turn them into metres of fabric.... We actually read only Leo Leonni books that term .. he has so many that are wonderful it's easy to do and not get sick of them.

PS Did you know I blog over here about the art classes for children...

Let the pinning begin!!

The Umbrella Prints Trimmings Competition is well and truely underway... and with only 3 days left to pin your favourite I am getting super super excited to see who wins... There are so many gorgeous things being made ... it makes me want to get out my Trimmings and sew up a mini quilt and use the Trimmings of the Trimmings to collage a pretty picture.

I am especially loving the creative works of those who didn't actually use the fabric for sewing...

I once used some fabric in an illustration many moons ago and it was that illustration that got the attention of a publisher that then got me wanting to design my own fabric! Because if I used my own fabric there would be no copyright issues in republishing the fabrics in my illustrations.... that's when Umbrella Prints got started (well there is alot more to that story, including getting together with my amazing friend & business partner Amy.. but I am not going to bore you with that now we have some serious pinning to do!!) what a rediculously large side step of a project, maybe one day I will get back to that book..

In the mean time I am more than happy to marvel at what others have been making with our fabric. Make sure you pin your favourite too!

 

Missing Kyoto

If time and money were no object I would grab my bike and ride around these neighbourhoods every weekend... oh I reaaally miss Kyoto.

It's going to be a lovely day

See you there

Beautiful Japan

It was like a dream being in Japan ... literally, while we were there I kept having to remind myself to soak it up, it was so stunning and rich with experiences you can have no where else... that it was surreal.

Now that we are home and I look back on the 1500+ (!) photos I took it really does feel like a dream (and NOT enough photos!!!).. were we really there? Maybe I just need more practice at going on holidays.. or maybe we just need to go back next April. My photos and words are not enough to express how amazing it was... Kyoto was definately my favourite.. I think? It was so relaxed and there were treats for the eyes everywhere you looked. Every single day was an adventure, we packed in as much as we could ... my favourite days were the ones when we hired bikes to get around. More photos with descriptions to come ... not because I need to share but selfishly want to keep the memories somewhere handy.

Sayanara

We are off to Japan tomorrow morning.. on a family holiday. It's so huge & beyond my comprehension that I can't think of much to say...(not to mention I am thoroughly exhausted from finishing up work for the term this afternoon & packing & chesty asthmary colds all round....). So I will leave you with some pretty pics from Hello Sandwich's blog.. maybe we will see some of these & come home with some equally as cute photos..

Hunny Bunny Pattern

I made a couple.... my fantasy of 20 bunny's hopping around the house this week was just that.. fantasy. But what I did manage to do (just in time for last minute Easter crafting) was slap together a pattern for you to download.Yah!

Just remember that it's for fun and not for selling, thank you.

  Download Hunny Bunny Pattern by Carly Schwerdt

You can also buy the blue fabric & hemp/cotton here

I would love to see them if you make one ... swing me an email!!!

Happy Easter

 

Hand in Hand

My copy of Hand in Hand arrived last week.. (Jenny asked me to share a project for her book about creative mummy bloggers).. it was so exciting to "meet" all the other women in the book and read about their ideas on living a creative life with children... here are a few sneaky looks inside the book at my project and some other faves of mine.

Love this one... embroidery of child art on a cushion (right up my ally!)

I am not too sure when it will be available in Australia but you can get a copy here and if you are in Adelaide I have a copy in the studio that you are welcome to look at.

Time for a little making

With easter around the corner, a family holiday to Japan, end of school term in the studio, Magill Road Alive and an UP Trimmings competition.. so many ideas have been spinning around in my head on the crafting and making that needs to be done.

With such a busy schedule I am all about killing 10 birds with one stone lately... I don't want to rush things and I don't want to miss out on some serious crafting ops but time is limited .. so the clevers have to come out in force.

Do any of you remember these little guys .. my little Hunny Bunnys.. Well we still have one that comes out around Valentines Day and hangs with us till Easter. And I was thinking I could update my pattern so that I could share it with you guys for Easter.. AND pop a few in the shop for Magill Road Alive AND see how many I can make from one packet of trimmings... well that is three reasons to make Hunny Bunnys.. let's see how I go.

That's Olive in the last pic.. hanging out with me in the "office" at home today making necklaces..

Umbrella Prints Trimmings Competition 2012

We have already sold out of two massive batches of Trimmings packets ... and our now happily making more packets for you... I just cannot wait to see what everyone is making!

And I am also a bit excited that Joel, Ebony, Kim & Irene are helping us with the judging this year.. how awesome will that be!