goodbye for 2008

Now its time to say goodbye, to all our company A-N-E (see you real soon!) -M-O-N-E (why? because we like you!) C-R-A-F-T.

This will be our last post for the year, we are shutting down everything until mid January (like proper kiwis do) so that we can enjoy the holidays with our friends and family. I am leaving you with a few random pictures from the last few markets we have done and some misc news.

loan sharks by paper fish!

paper skulls that are individually decorated by hand! sorry vendor, I'll get your name next time :)

Little Golden Books notebooks by ruby in the dust.

Illustrated characters by Xander (note 80s wresters at top) who also makes Sparkle Friends for What Now.

Some new toys made by yours truly.

The latest issue of world sweet world has some great stuff in it including how to make a couch from an old door, how to knit with plastic bags, and my little card and envelope tutorial.

You can get this at several locations in Auckland including, iko iko, oiu boutique (in st kevs), and the eco store in freemans bay. Here is their website for more info.

also I am working on getting our games up on the side bar so that everyone can play again without having to hunt through our archives. This is why I had to repost them below. I'm halfway there, but just need Luke for technical assistance in order to get the wabbit breeder up.

Well, its been a good year, thanks very much for following along! Have happy holidays everyone!

-k

GAMES

You can choose from one of three characters, mix and match outfits, and select a friend before printing your creation. *click the yellow arrow to make the magic happen



COMING SOON: Breeding Wabbits game

Beautiful Cut-Out Scenes And Life-Like Figures

I am quite into Christmas this year. Some years during the holidays I get a strong case of the 'so whats', like the world isn't full of magic or mystery. which it is. But it is very easy to get cynical amongst the creepy Santas and cheap tinsel decoration that are strewn about my environment, and its hard not to get annoyed at the extra junkmail stuffed into my letter box with ugly photos and shocking graphic design- more cheap crap I don't need. (And why does my 'no advertising material' sticker lose all its power this time of year? please friends, don't litter into my letterbox!).



But this season I have been determined to dive deep into the SPIRIT. Working with children has definitely helped with this. Kids are absolutely mad about Christmas, full of wild expectations, belief, and a crazy kind of merriness that is possibly sugar induced. If you spend a lot of time around them, it is almost impossible not to catch at least a small part of their happy frenzy.

Also I have forced myself to let go of nostalgia so that I can enjoy the southern hemisphere summer Christmas for what it is. Yeah its not going to snow, big fat deal. And we are not going to cuddle up by the fire drinking cocoa, or cider, or egg nogg, so what. Get over it. Instead we have the beach, pohutukawas blooming, and sunshine (ah the weather this year, glory be!). My tomato plants will soon be red and green.


So yes, I am making an effort and as it turns out, I am really enjoying myself. I spotted this little treasure on my friends desk yesterday and outright yelped with delight. A vintage nativity set! Illustrated! Made of paper! from the 1960s! Those of you who know me can understand how these elements combined are my pure pleasure. Its enough to help me overlook how inaccurately white Jesus and crew are.



Thanks very much to Megan for sharing this nativity with me, and to her grandmother for saving this treasure!

Mmm hmmm that's right. I have put up the tree, and made the presents, baked the cookies, and now I am ready! One week to go.


Happy Christmas!
-k

In between...

Gosh. Last week was packed with good and bad...
It started with my sewing machine blowing up. No kidding, blue flash, fuse blown, r.i.p. Pretty bad.

Then on saturday morning a wonderfully good thing happened : Sinterklaas (traditionally kids from the 'lowlands' = the Netherlands, Belgium, France, get their 'Santa' early on the 6th of december from Sint Nicolas - it it MASSIVELY important to both kids and parents) brought a lovely cooker for Lieveke. She was so rapt in it. She now makes A LOT of pizza for us.


Then... On sunday Lieve got very sick and on tuesday we had to take her to the hospital. It was that terrible broncheolitis again, no oxygen in her little lungs, she was in such a bad way this time. After a night and a day we were discharged and Lieveke was on the mend. Slowly slowly, but resiliant as ever. Oh lieveke, dancing in your hoola-skirt...


That really was the best of the week, our little daughter all tsjirpy again. But some other great things : Kimberlee and I did the Craftwerk-fair and I sold so well, a new little parcel with some more Marimekko flowers made it just in time for under the christmas tree...

And an old LOST parcel turned up : a most beautiful felted lime blanket with big white dots for our little new baby.

***we found out it's going to be a girl***
Gabriel sighed such a touching sigh,
of relief, of love, of gratitude
'oh so good
I think I know
now
how to
take care
of a girl'

I kinda want a normal uneventful week, this week.
Keep safe, all
X Lies

kids christmas party

this is my other job. I love it, and not just because it involves bouncy castles. though that helps.

our pretty building, all decorated.

Getting into the spirit

controlled chaos

All the way from the North Pole.

Who has been good this year?

no party is complete without face painting

the unnecessaries get discarded

The only lollies that are dairy, egg, and gluten free.

Clothes peg toss, always a classic.

"I sit at the kids table because I like them better"
yes it's true, see how happy I am?

certificate for unlimited hugs and kisses. every parent deserves one of these.

What did you do this Sunday?

-k

CRAFTWERK this THURSDAY!!!!

FOLKS! I have missed you. My little news is that we had the children's production this Sunday and the little angels did a sparkling job. Of course there were several going the wrong the direction but doesn't that just make it all the more classic? My favourite part of our dance was Sean, our lanky teenage boy who lead all the little girls with this awkward confidence which made my heart sing! LA LA LA. If you have no idea what I am speaking about, then read this post. I am not sure about putting pictures up here, since they are not really my kids afterall.


Otherwise we have cracking the crafting whip, since it is CRAFTWERK this thursday! 6-10 pm in St Kevins Arcade on K'road. A Mexican theme, an hour longer, and films this time. COME ALONG! say hello!

We will have all our gear there, I have been working on some new prints (above) so we'll see how that goes.


alrighty, I am late for work!

xo,
kimberleeeeeeeeee

Special finds

With Christmas round the corner I've been browsing Etsy for some special finds and really awesome inspiration. I like simple, original and crisp design, and my favorites do reflect my soft spot for things crafty... Look how creative people are with concepts such as 'knit' and 'woven' and...

beautiful knitted silver brooch
at Naventin

woven tote, from recycled construction fencing
Davidshockdesigns

the CB bag : 'made of strips of both clear
and blue plastic shopping bags,
which were hand cut
then knotted to create "yarn"
and then knit'
by Olivebrown

Let's stretch that knitting a bit more : a 'knitwit' bangle, why not.
Lianakabel

From the needle to the measure tape, a bracelet now.
Ideaka.

Etsy 'window' shopping is wonderful. Go there!
All credits respectfully to the makers and their photographers, of course.




Enjoy the new week...
X Lies

it's about time

animal print scarf

vintage patchwork scarf

vintage rose garden scarf

Yes it is about time that I added some things to our etsy. Its been ages which is why I am so lucky that my fantastic crafting partner is so on top of things (thank you Lies for keeping the shop going!).

It is indeed summer here and I am trying to embrace the fact that summer and Christmas go together in this part of the world. The last couple of years I have stuck to my motto of "its not reeeeallly Christmas." Well guess what, it is. And it's about time I got used to it. Sunny days, bright colours, breezy scarves, and Christmas!

-k

Just practising, silly

Above some more dresses for here.

Quickly huddled on the door : some skirts for here (a new vending point).

A peek through a rather fun curtainblind I sewed from a fabric gift from the lovely Bronwyn. Quite refreshing to look at a perforated world at times. I recommend. This weekend I'll be doing this again, sadly Kimberlee has to work during the fair, but Bronwyn will be her interim.

A tiny garden with a daughter, sunlit, on a sunny day.

Daughter on a rainy day, what else to do but curl up in your cosy leopard-cat hut and nibble some banana-chips... The occasional 'mum, more' was mumbled. So I am mum now. No longer mama. Just mum. Like furniture. Food. Mum. Pretty handy, a mum. Makes me feel like I've been around for centuries, the shiny newness of being mama has worn off. But then again it gives me deep, ample yet simple satisfaction, I am now part of the indispensable parts and particles that make her day her day. Yesterday while we were walking to Lieveke's day care centre, all of a sudden she announced dramatically 'mum, I'm gonna miss you sooooho'. Taken aback by this sudden and unusual display of reluctance to go to creche I replied 'oh sweet it's not that bad and we're not even there yet...' Lieveke halted her little trot and clarified tsjirpily: 'I know mum, I was just practising, silly.'

Thanks all for your sweet responses to the new dresses/the jumping model, you're part of the day too X
-Lies

on the wall: the gentle arts

I've been stitching and pretending I know how to embroider and it's kind of worked out. I'm no tiny happy yet, but I'm okay with that.

It was a really fun experiment, especially since I have been so busy with other things that my crafting/creative time has been compromised. Also this is the first successful project I have done in a while. Do you ever have one of those runs where you try a couple new things and nothing turns out? Just a whole bunch of failed ideas, or executions of ideas. Half finished projects quickly hidden in the cabinet and filed under "yeah, I don't think so." It can start getting to you!

What do you do with the failed attempts? or the works in progress that you know are NEVER going to make it? Lies says it feels quite liberating to throw them out. I would agree but something holds me back. I think,

"My babies, my brain children, I love even though you are wonky, and ugly, and unflattering. It's not your fault."

Perhaps Dr. Frankenstein could relate.

This is my tangled mess of embroidery floss which I usually store in a zip lock bag. I have a whole bunch of those little white cards that you can wind such things around but do I have the patience and presence of mind for this task? We'll see.

An inspiring book for embroidery ideas, this one has great pictures of vintage wall paper. Off the Wall by Lencek and Gideon Bosker. Imagine being a couple who jointly write books about vintage wall paper!?!? that TOTALLY reminds me of this other husband and wife team who answer the question, "What happens when two models who love fitness and each other write a book together?"

BAM! This happens!

You might be saying to yourself, "Kimberlee, get over it! We've seen this before, it's time to move on." Well folks, I CANNOT! it is too grand. I think God put this book on the earth to make me laugh.

Okay getting back on topic, a collage of some wallpaper samples from the book. Imagine if you had a whole room done up in some of these prints. It would be like living in an optical illusion, which might be a lovely life. I'm not sure.

let's stop here, shall we?

-k