moopy & me

Sleeping-in the new year

Leading by example here, I have been enjoying some lovely sleep-ins this week as the new year rolled in...Chris and I have been taking it in turns.

Boy doesn't time fly when you have children. A year used to feel like a year but now a year feels like 12 weeks.... I wasn't ready for Christmas and now all of a sudden I am looking February in the face.... and as many business owners know you feel like you are already looking at 2008...

One of my 'things to do' in '06 was to organise my studio so that I could actually work in it.. at the moment it still looks more like a storage cupboard fell down and couldn't get itself up.... I am tempted to embarrass myself into getting it cleaned up by showing you pictures... I wonder if I said to myself (you) that if I don't get it cleaned up by ..... January 24 (holiday to Cairns) then I have to show you the photos.... My biggest motivation to clean the studio is also so that I can get started on that super secret project...... ......

sorry ....I just stopped writing my post there for a few hours.. while we all headed down to the beach after dinner for a big walk.. like a million other people around the world, one of the things I want to focus on in 2007 is my fitness... but I thought if I started before Christmas then the whole new year pressure would be eliminated... so far so good... and my new (early birthday present from mum) running sneakers have helped for sure..

Many moons ago ... lets say around 1500 of them... I used to jog almost every night and thought nothing of doing 10 clicks along linear park, I loved it so much ...especially the part where you can drink beer and eat chocolate completely guilt free. So tonight I did a little jog-walk, that is where you are so unfit you can only make it 100 metres before you have to stop ...catch your breath and do another 100 metres..... Moopy loves the breeze in her hair while I am jogging...so much so that when I stop to catch my breath she says "keep running!! keep running!!" .... to which I say "not yet sweety I have lost my breath", to which she says with a conserned tone "is it lost on the ground, do we have to go back and get it off the ground?" so cute.

Ok back to the project..  in October last year, a brilliant children's book publisher, one that I have so much respect for, contacted me to write and illustrate a children's book... I know! I came a way from that meeting where they said so many lovely things... wondering if I was in some kind of dream world... it took me quite some time to take it all in..and now is the time to stop all the thinking and start doing. I was a bit worried to talk about this here but the reality is, this is such a supportive community I would be silly not to share right from the start. It will be so wonderful to get back to some good old drawing...where I can play freely without worrying about what I am meant to be doing because that is what I am meant to be doing...

So you're on, if that blessed studio is not organised by the 24th then I will be airing the shame right here in full colour.

There are a couple on new Cheeky Moopy bunnies up for sale in my shop too.

Need a new friend?

Available here

My toys are also available at (since you ask... so sweetly and I am silly enough not to have it up on my shop blog)

Kido Store (Sydney):: Readings (Melbourne):: Mill & Mia  (special exclusive kittens) (Melbourne):: Wish on Gouger (Adelaide) :: Tiny People (Byron Bay):: Mahar Drygoods (California):: Urban Cow (Adelaide):: Born naked (Semephore):: Millie Molly Moo (Portland AU)..... umm have I forgotten someone? sorry!

Busy busy busy...

This fun little article was published in a local mag... Adelaide Matters.

Consequently ALL my toys have been sold ... and a trillion orders have come in.... GREAT you say!...  except this was after making the decision (only two weeks prior, due to THIS project) to cancel wholesale orders.... You see, I thought the article would be focused on the art classes I teach which is my primary business.... I suppose that big red kitten was too cute to pass up for a photo..... I have decided to wholesale one or two designs again (kitten & owl) with a bit of help....

This has been a long time coming but a very hard decision to make... they will all still be handmade with much love... and I will still be making them, just with a bit of help. This will give me the time and inspiration to keep making new designs without having to make the same toy over and over... this can drain all creativity and joy from any craft. So I have lots of sewing to do to replenish my real life actual shop (as opposed to the online one which never has much in it... that is about to change).

I have planned a crochet night this week with someone who knows what they are doing ... I will hopefully get some tips on how to make unholey smooth critters ala Camilla ... well we will see?

Feeling special

This Moopy bunny has been made with a mix of vintage and Surface Art fabric... very funky indeed .. thank you Moyra for your generosity!

More vintage kittens... green must be my colour theme this week because looky at what the posty delivered this morning.... feeling very special!

Is Alicia not the sweetest gal ... speechless .. a custom made patchwork collage just for me in the most perfect colours all the way from Portland OR,  beeming.... smiling.. I need to say it again .. I love this crafty blog world, if only I knew Alicia was right there in Portland when I was living in Beaverton just 5 years ago... *sigh*.

And more mail ... from Shannon (thanks sweety, yours is on its way..promise) who has one of my new fave blogs ... but photos later.

Sleepy bear

I found that pretty teapot at my local thrift shop this morning (a must, quick trip before I start teaching on Saturday's). The generous lady in the shop gave it to me (YES!) because she said "they were going to throw it out because it has no lid but I rescued it knowing you would find it"... how completely wonderful... there are some very special people out there who every now and again restore your faith in human kind (it makes up for the 'finger' someone gave me whilst driving in the city... they cut me off and then proceeded to give ME the finger!) any way I think it will make the perfect vase.

And that sleepy bear taking a nap is made from some pieces of fabric Barb so kindly gave to me, knowing I could use it and would be inspired by it.... also a bit of repro 30's fabric from Hetty's Patch (on Port Rd if you are in Adelaide) and the apron is from a 70's looking bed sheet... I am now going to find a recipe for cheddar biscuits... I have been reading Angelina Ballerina to Lily in the evenings and I have developed a strange hankering for cheese biccy's?? ( with a good glass of Coonawarra red.. can you even get a bad one?) and Lily is obsessed with being a ballerina ... ever since we went to the Adelaide Festival opening it had been all things ballet... oh dear.

I forgot to mention :: the sleepy bear is wearing knickers because we are all into that at our house right now ! (sorry for those who think we don't usually wear knickers... we do! we are toilet training so anything helps..right?)

Oscar & Lily

These two are the best of friends, I love how in this photo they both have the same smile on their faces. Oscar (the family schnauzer) has so much patience with Lily and is very protective of her... of coarse I wouldn't take my eye off them but so far he has put up with endless pokes and prods and kept that exact same smile on his face. In my immediate group of friends and family, Chris and I are the only couple with a child, so Oscar has been Lily's only pal... I am one of those annoying friends who bugs everyone to hurry up and have kids already !!Sometimes I worry that Lily doesn't get to hang out with more close friends her own age.... and then I have a fleeting moment where I think about baby #2 (that is NOT a hint by the way!!)..... mmm? I remember a time where I would have sworn black and blue that I would never ever think about baby #2.

Ok, now onto the latest "Moopy bunny" softie I have been working on... (I started her last year for MOS' May flower moopy) she is still not 100% how I have her in my head ... but getting there... I popped these two girls in my shop and with in an hour they were sold! WOW! I was very excited but also hesitant to let them go as I had only spent a few hours with the repro 50's fabric moopy. I made the orange moopy two weeks ago but didn't like her face... but then when she sold and the customer thought she was adorable I saw her in a new light and have decided to show a pic.

Her face was meant to be rounder.... How bizaar is this internet world... how many times have you made something and then the next day or maybe week someone else is doing it! (and not because they are copying ....they couldn't possibly have known what you were doing) its so wonderful how we all seem to be connected... the reason I say this is because Lily and I were making aprons for lots of her toys a few weeks ago (and that's why she so urgently needed to make her own).. and Amy's theme this month for Tie One On is infact making softy aprons!! Yah! finally I can join in .. I think my sewing skills can manage this one!

I just got a call from Button, she is in town! Yah! Moopy and I are meeting her at the Gallery in an hour ... so all that thrifted fun I was going to show will have to wait... here is a tidbit..

That Villery & Boch platter is actually mine, my oma gave me a number of pieces when I was born... and I thought it looked nice with that fabric and vase...

That's a wrap

Nest Studio art class kids had their exhibition on Sunday.... I love seeing their proud little faces as their parents, friends and family look at the artwork. I think I have said this before.... I don't encourage outcomes based artwork in my classes, that being said it is very important for the kids to have their work displayed in a meaningful way so that their efforts are validated.... plus they get to see their work in a new way and amoungst their peers. Here is a little peek at some sculptures from last term... I will post up this terms mural when I get a good shot of it. (The work here was done by kids aged 3-8)

Japanese doll

Bunny

Elephant

Cat

*there are a few toys still left..... if you were umming about one ... go see if it's still there...

Big applogies

Right when I thought I was actually running on time for something.... Typepad decided to do maintenance (all night!!!) and I couldn't inform the internet world as to where you can look at Morphe toys which have not been bought yet in Adelaide. So lets start this again..... right NOW (quick click the link now before you miss out) all the pics and prices are on Flickr. I will email you back tomorrow night 11pm (instead of tonight) if you are the lucky winner and organise payment and postage...but remember first in best dressed.

Tada!

I don't think I need to say much here because the toys speak for themselves. In a few hours the million and one photos can be seen here. Enjoy. I am going off to sleep now. night night.

Thank you for all the well wishes by the way... look who else has a new shop! and look who's having a baby! Congratulations girls.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Hi!

Gee, when I said Bon Voyage I meant the toys not ME! Sorry to keep you all in the dark so long.... I hope you understand. I think I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew, setting up a new shop with and exhibition while running art classes is possibly a bit crazy... I have been working around the clock (big hugs to Chris for taking on the role of Mum and Dad at the moment) trying to get things organised. Some relief came on Friday when my scratched up window was replaced... now my signage can go on.. phew, just one day before the big day....

What you don't know what the big day is? MORPHE! opens this Tuesday at 6pm at 18 Elizabeth Street Croydon South Australia (Nest Studio), come and enjoy! If you can't manage the flight over then don't worry it will all be on the fantastic Flickr (pop back here for the link). While I have been setting up and not wanting people to peak at the mess, I have had Julie's stunning textiles in the window.... they have certainly been creating a buzz.

Can you see it behind the reflection....

Here is a tree that sits in front of my shop, it has a really lovely mosaic base.

A million more photos to come... and I will do my best to get neststudio.com running properly with an actual layout that works with real pages etc... but it might a while.... I miss Lily and think some family time will be needed for the rest of the festive season.

My appologies to any people who are missing swaps or mail or email... it will get to you soon:D