ENJOY! THE! NATURAL! WORLD!!!! and other cards.

My latest batch of cards....

I've titled this set, which I haven't done before. But after looking at them, I just knew they had a name. Must be all this glorious weather we're having around here.

ENJOY! THE! NATURAL! WORLD!

this one^ is my favourite of the lot:)

These are my new revolution cards.... each one is handmade and a one off.

REVOLUTION: take one

(and all together now)

REVOLUTION: take two

what beautiful hands!!! I have total hand envy.

(together again)

These cards are all coming to the markets with me THIS SATURDAY.
hosted by Te Tuhi Gallery in Pakaranga:

te tuhi
Summer Market

this saturday, FEB 1, from 10-2pm.
Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts
13 reeves Road
Pakaranga

Will you be there?

if not, and there is a card you want, speak now or forever hold your peace. $3.50 each with envelope, just email me or leave a comment.



This one is for a friend, guess what she is up to next weekend....


Please go and enjoy the natural world. if you can. or maybe you have to work inside today? (like me, sigh)

-Kimberlee

Our little things

Mine

Theirs

His on mine

Is this pretty effervescent blue (Lobelia) a thing?

The above are just a few random things that I love to dwell on. I've been wanting to show you these little pictures for quite a while now, always something comes in the way... Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the fast rythm of our lives (wee toddler, growing every day, last week she said 'i want to drive a car'- and it was quite difficult to dissuade her!, also my artsy job, sometimes challenging, and sometimes I wonder 'what the heck', and then still getting used to living in Auckland far away from my trusted and old European nooks)... And so I find solace in these little signs of the things that really matter .

I have been reading lots lately. I just finished Paul Austers heartwarming novel 'The Brooklyn follies'. Oh sigh, a wonderful wonderful epic of how human it is to err and how divine to laugh! The book has Auster's typical charming 'flaneur'-flair capturing the reader from the first till last page (what a whallop in the end!) and it even has a reference to my all time favorite 'Candide ou l'optimisme' by Voltaire (if you can - read this one too!!!). In the book he muses in a certain paragraph on the beauty of sliding through the things of life in a taxi-car and how books can never convay the depth of that transcendence... Great huh how Auster puts his own work into perspective... A good lesson for me.

Speeking of things, high time to add a few new names to the 'inspiration' roll. These blogs tickle my interest for other things :

Hoping for happy accidents

Abby try again

Geraniums and potatoes

And if you felt like an exotic curiosum : my little brother has just started a sailing blog with lots of Flemish and great action pics of course (some contain my whole male family, brothers, dad, nephews!) : 'Shamrocksailing'

Ta'da every-one, soon some more crafty things

-Lies

army of me

I've been making my own army again. here are the rabbits, which are a new design. the cat's new too. my brother was viewing pictures of them and remarked "I don't see how they are an army." Yet its so obvious us to me.

Though it's quite possible I am just going a little nutty.

I had a special order and three are already gone. this breaks up my trio of rabbits, who I thought of as the generals.


I have put them all in the shop but we do have a craftwerk coming up, so some of them will be there. The next craftwerk is part of the greater cross street carnival. so keep your calendars clear for .../

The Cross Street Carnival
On February 16th, 2-7 pm
on cross street (behind kroad and upper queen st in Auckland's city centre)

CRAFTWERK will be there oh yeah and.....some of the most energetic bands, the craziest performers, and the tastiest of local treats, to help celebrate a thing called community.

North Shore Pony Club, Vietnam War, The Stomps, The Midnights, The Shades and Benka Bordovski Bordello Band.
Japanese Star Dancers, Craftwerk, Food Stalls, Specialty Stalls, Pantomime, Ribbon Trapezing, Roasted Corn Shack, Mime Competitions, Dunking Machine, Face Painting, Korean Drumming, Martial Arts Display, Jugglers, Unicyclists, Baloon Artists, Clowns, Magic, Puppet Shows, Improv Bandits and much much more hoopla.

but let not forget this is really about CRAFTWERK

rain date of the 23rd. You can get more information about the festival as time goes on at www.crossstreetcarnival.com .

okay that's all for now,
Kimberlee

Frock with attitude

Nothing like a weekend to reload on the craft!

Here are , for our little shop, two new reversible vibrant Tweety pinnies -for baby-girls from 6 to 12 months, in beautiful Japanese Echino Bird fabric :

Echino Birds on purple/vibrant stripes
Vibrant vintage dabs/Echino birds on turquoise

And I've been so inspired with some other Echino 'leopard' fabric, I made this rather wonderfull summerdress for Lieveke. It fits like a glove (took rather a lot of doctoring out that, and would you believe : some hand-inseem stitching!), and I made it so that it can 'extend' a bit while Lieveke grows (and she does my little cabbage). The Echino fabrics are so lovely to work with. Smooth yet strong and a flowing drape...

'frock with attitude'

This one is for Ashley : the content of my little bag! It's not so bad : deo, Eau de toilette, money-purse, Lieveke's beads (but I tend to wear them too), no phone even (it died quietly after an animated session with Lieveke meuh), c'est tout!

See you soon, sweets
-Lies

all talked out

I don't have much to say. Marilyn up there ^ is lost in a good book, which seems like a good idea to me..... This is an illustration I have been working on for days and it just never feels done. I have moved past working and have just been fiddling, you know what I mean? Anyway, I thought posting it here might help me see it differently. I invite your thoughts.

Yes, I made this illustration into cards because I had a few requests. I'll shamelessly link you to our store once again.
I was on a bit of an envelope making spree yesterday (helen, thanks for the paper!) and I just couldn't stop! the cards above are going to come with these.

the comments about my last post were pretty enthusiastic and full of some strong opinions and good thoughts. Thanks for that, I like hearing it all. T.V seems to be a paradox. we love it and we hate it. we want to get rid of it but we couldn't bear to see it go. Luke's Aunty Krissy has thrown hers off of the cliff, twice! fancy that.

there is always more to say but I am out of time.


must go,

-kimberlee

the revolution will not be televised

A simple illustration I made using a freeware programme similar to photoshop.

This may sound too preachy and prescriptive, but KILL YOUR TELEVISION. Luke and I got rid of ours in Oct. 2006 and the change for me has been profound. I used to be a big TV watcher. When I was a kid through to my university days, I used to saddle up to the boob tube and the hours would melt away. It was my 'nothing' time and even though I would be the first to admit that tv had loads of rubbish and truly deserved the title 'idiot box', I would justify it's continued presence in my life by thinking, hey, there is some good stuff on TV.... PBS docos, the national geographic channel, animal planet, the Simpson's, etc.

But Luke hates t.v. so few years ago and with some reservations on my part, we gave it the boot .... on a trial basis. I missed it at first, sometimes I even missed it a lot. But now I can say that I really really really don't miss it. And when I do see it (like at a bar or someone's house) I realise that I had previously underestimated tv's negative aspects. By that I mean the dumbed down programs full of stupid humour and recycled plot lines, and the dehumanizing advertising trying to convince us that our lives are not good enough and we need MORE of what they're selling.

Of course I could go on, and of course none of these are original ideas. But the shock to me was how strongly the bad parts overwhelmingly obscure anything worthwhile and how I needed a long break from it to see what was plainly obvious.

Any justification I previously had for television is gone. But for those who are not convinced, be warned. When you watch it, you get so much more than you bargained for. The subtle ideas and ways of thinking will permeate into your life no matter how good you think your stupidity barriers are. And what about those good things worth your time? (PBS documentaries, the rare intelligent and creative show, the learning channel etc) well it's like half a cup of delicious brownie batter mixed into a bowl of shit. It's going to be tainted because of the format. and I still think most things worth seeing are available on dvd or via the internet.

That's all sounding rather negative but there is MUCH positivity to be embraced here. I think we are seeing a rejection of the previous forms of entertainment (tv, hollywood etc) that have been spoon fed to us in the past. Instead, there is a DYI thing happening. Now people are making their own magazines (zines) and reading and writing blogs instead of just buying the latest issue of (fill in the blank) or getting their books from a best sellers lists. There has been a rise in independent everything ....film, music, publishing and of course HANDMADE. we are embracing this new do-it-yourself entertainment and at the same time saying that the other stuff just isn't good enough. It's been too impersonal, too compromised, too stupid. no thanks, check it at the door.

On a personal level, cutting out t.v. has meant spending more time on the things I actually love. And doing things I love has had this strange psychological effect of making me I feel more like myself and more truly human. I guess that's a bit profound (and I don't blame you if you are rolling your eyes right now) but the way you spend your time defines of who you are. there is just no way around that.

If anybody is still reading this I am very surprised (if you are still reading leave 'bluebird' in the comments and it will be our little secret). OK the MANIFESTO is over. back to captions and pictures.

A little pixie hat I made Lieveke as part of a Christmas gift commissioned by her uncle Karel. She is doing 'twinkle hands' for this photo. bless.
I used the pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing, but I am sure you guys know ALL about this famous book. just in case you don't know, click here to find out more.


here you go Ashley Rose... she bag tagged me to photograph the contents of my hand bag. It's a blimmin' rubbish tip today which is embarrassing, but I am going for total realism here.

-kimberlee

arm yourself

a little illustration I made. let's start a revolution.

my soldiers (they are in the shop), ready for war.

In my imagination they take down Barbie.... She's an easy target with all that ridiculous hair.
though I admidt, I loved her as a child. shhh (and it was because of her hair)



who wants toys made of lead? not me. no thanks MATEL.

-kimberlee

we've been busy

A little ridiculous collage I made to commemorate our anniversary.....married 4 years now!

my dearly beloved

On the topic of celebrations, here is Auckland's New Year's fireworks show. Yes we have a view of the sky tower which I thought was over rated until I saw this.

I've been crafting up a storm but am finding it hard to get back into the rhythm of blogging. So I hope pictures and captions are fine until inspiration strikes.

peace out. word to your mother.

-kimberlee

Wish

From us to you for this new year :

Lots of love

Oooh! In between copious Christmas / New Year dinners and to soothe the missing of family overseas (dag lieve familie, veel geluk dit jaar XXX) we've been holidaying heavily... Here in New Zealand the hot and supersunny weather has come through and so we've been going to the beach every day... We took Lieveke to stunning Whatipu to celebrate the new year, something of a tradition now (in 2006 Lievie was in vitro, but we spent a wonderfull time there with my big belly, in 2007 Lieveke stuck her little fists into the black sand for the first time in her life). She loooooooves it -and so do we :

What this place needs is a bit of water

Lets toddle for ever

And ah, I found a bit of free time to make some new things, you'll find them in our Esty-store :

Linen dresses for toddler girls

Sunhats in bubbles and bangles.

As we leap into yet another year of..., well, everything (!), just a little special thanks to
-uncle Cuddle for lavishly spending Euros in our little shop - very sweet!
-Bronwyn, for your kind and generous ongoing influx of fabrics into our stash
-Tess, co-mum and promotor of hats and skirts in Auckland - thanks for your everlasting interest dear Tess
-Melissa from Tiny Happy, who's off with her lovely family to Norway for this whole everything-year, your blog has been a very big inspiration so far for us little NZ girls - good luck!
-miss Kimmy - lets have another good year together girl

Hey, what is anything, if you can't say thanks X
-Lies