Market Here Interview

Pop over to the Market Here website - a directory and search engine for markets, for an interview with yours truly, about my business, my inspiration and my plans for the future. 

Thanks to the lovely Lucina for the invitation.

Sponsor Spotlight - Zaranne Handmade

I'd like to introduce the first post in a new series of 'Sponsor Spotlights' each Friday on the blog. I thought a few fun questions would be a lovely way to get to know the people behind the blogs and shops that sponsor my blog (thus enabling my knitting and handmade addiction). My first guest in the 'Sponsor Spotlight' chair is the sweet Zara from the blog Zaranne Handmade. Her blog is a cosy corner of the internet with an inviting, authentic, down to earth feel about it. So please welcome Zara, and do pop over to her blog for a visit and a little chat.

 

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My blog is all about... my latest baked goodies: jam drops, apple jam and brownies. Plenty of op-shop treasure showing off. My stitched creations of bunting, beanies and tea towel cushions also feature. Then there’s the still small and currently pretty bare vegie garden, the frost and minus temperatures of a Southern Tablelands winter is not really conductive to plant growth, come spring though there’ll be pumpkin vines clambering over the shed and apple tree branches, tomatoes needing staking and beans climbing the picket fence.

 

If I weren't a… nurse, I would quite like to be... the owner and manager of my own little shop filled with local, handmade and unique items. Jams, chutneys, baked treats, framed water colours, vintage suitcases filled with quilts, tea cosies and placemats, and shelves laden with vintage canisters, wooden cotton spools, tea towels and silver cutlery.  There’ll be floral bunting out the front and tin buckets filled with bunches of eucalyptus leaves, lavender and sweet peas.

 



When looking for inspiration I... often turn to my favourite blogs. To reignite my love of op-shopping after not finding any treasures for weeks I turn to Allison of Just Underneath, Lea of Life, Love and Making Stuff and Max of Blackbird has Spoken. For simple living ideas you can’t go past Ivy Nest’s Tania and Michelle of Hugo and Elsa. Vintage home styling inspiration comes from Kylie of Lucy Violet Vintage and Kim of Feather and Nest. There’s plenty of beautiful photography to get me inspired by Naomi of Look See and for my fix of country living goodness I head over to The Shady Baker by Jane and Fiona’s Cattle, Kids & Chaos.

 

My favourite season is... Winter. Where I call home is fairly cold in this season. Last winter was my first living away from the coast and the first time I got to experience the beauty that is frosty mornings and snow fall making way for beautiful mild, sunshine filled days. Living inland, I am really enjoying all the distinct four seasons.

 

The best thing I ever found op-shopping... now this is a tough one as I have many favourite thrifted pieces. My typewriter is up there, along with the pretty pink Nally Ware kitchen canisters, and the Johnson plate collection that has gotten a bit out of hand. Then there’s the milk glass collection housed in the kitchen dresser and the floral sheets and tea towels filling the vintage suitcase towers.

 

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If you are interested in being featured in a 'Sponsor Spotlight', please check out my Sponsor Info page or email me - christina-lowry@hotmail.com
Advertising spaces range from $5 - $12.

'Ivy Loves Jack' Giveaway

I first discovered Bianca's 'Ivy loves Jack' store on Etsy when I was expecting Emerson. I had a Mama-feeling that this baby was a girl and made some 'just in case' purchases, in the way of three beautiful vintage baby dresses. A wonderful way to cheer myself during those nauseous days! Today the lovely Bianca is offering one lucky reader their choice of an item from her store. Be it a pair of vintage bloomers, a hand knitted sweater, or a sweet dress for your own little one. 

To enter the giveaway please leave a comment below telling us which item you would choose. For extra entries follow Bianca's blog or 'like' her facebook page and leave an extra comment. The winner will be drawn randomly on 16th May.

Tell us a little about yourself?
I am a full-time mum, part-time vintage shop owner, sewer and blogger.  It is certainly my most busy and fulfilling role to date!  Prior to becoming a mum, I was a snowboard instructor and prior to that, I worked within the education and foster care fields, specialising in child psychology.

Where can we find you?
Blog: www.ivylovesjack.blogspot.com

Etsy: www.ivylovesjack.etsy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ivy-loves-Jack/166810376696876

What is the story behind your shop name, 'Ivy loves Jack'?
Ivy and Jack are both special names in our family history.  Ivy loves Jack for me, conjures up the picture of two lovely oldies, who have lived the beauty of eras gone by and have lasted the test of time.  Just like the things that I sell now and hope to sell in the future.

What inspired to you open a vintage children's clothing store?
It is another step towards opening the ‘brick and mortar’ shop that I have dreamed of for years.  I just can’t wait to have my own space, full of vintage and handmade treasures.

What first attracted you to vintage items?
I have always loved vintage and pre-loved items, even as a child.  Our closest neighbour, my ‘Poppy Bill’, would bring me bits and pieces home from his fossicking in the local tip.  I thought my presents were such treasures even then! 

I really love the uniqueness of vintage items and think that they are just so much nicer to own than things that everyone else has, or could have.  I love the excitement of finding amazing pieces and creating a beautiful look with it.

Do you have collections of vintage pieces, like teacups, alarm clocks or knitting needles?

I have all of the above, although I don’t collect anything in particular.  Vintage for my home has always been my greatest love and I suppose I have ‘collected’ some pretty cool things over the years.  Since having my little girl, I have developed a love of old children’s things; books, toys, educational products, furniture and, of course, clothing.

Do you find yourself wanting to keep more than you sell?
I do keep much more then I sell.  I find it very hard to part with beautiful things that I know I will never find again.  I hope that people who buy my things will love them and think that they are as special as I do.

Thanks so much Bianca!

*bespoke* zine Giveaway - Comments Closed

There's nothing like creative eye candy for inspiration and *bespoke* zine certainly isn't lacking in this department. A tri-annual Australian zine made by and for the handmade community, the zine features stories, tutorials and recipes of a handmade crafty nature. The perfect read with a cup of tea, it's also the kind of zine that makes you want to raid your craft supplies. 

Jessica Van Den is the editor/publisher of the zine and shares a little about herself and *bespoke*'s evolution with us today. Jessica is also offering one reader the chance to find a copy of issue 6 in their letter box, just by leaving a comment below telling us one of your own crafty endeavors. Perhaps your working on a scarf, a skirt or painting Easter eggs? (Followers of this blog, please leave a second comment for an extra entry.)

How would you describe yourself? 

I'm one of those people that always needs to be busy. And I've never been satisfied to 'settle' for a job I didn't love, which is pretty typically Gen Y of me, really. Earlier in my life I never thought of myself as a creative person, but here I am now, a full-time creative entrepreneur! I think I'm a good example of not knowing what you want to do with your life until you accidentally stumble upon it. I'm a voracious reader - if I'm not working, I'll be reading a novel on my kindle, although I do find some time to hang out with my awesome husband and pat my kitty kat now and then, too. I'm an introvert by nature, but the internet allows me to be social with so many awesome people while still having quiet time to myself, which makes this country girl very happy.

Where can we find you on the web?

You can find out more about *bespoke* on our site here (bespokezine.com) and more about me on my blog (EpheriellDesigns.com). I also hang out on twitter a lot, so come say hi! I'm @JessVanDen

Tell us more about the zine?

*bespoke* is a little packet of inspiration that's perfect to read with a cup of tea or coffee. It's small enough to pop in your purse and take on the train, but long enough that it will keep you reading for hours.

*bespoke* is for those of us who live creative and crafty lives - with interviews, tutorials, stories, reviews and more, all about creative and crafty folk.

How did you find your way to *bespoke* zine?

I had been blogging on Epheriell Designs for close to 2 years, but I really wanted to create something tactile - something that took you away from the computer (because for me, computer = work) and left readers feeling inspired and empowered! So, I decided to publish a little print zine. I knew NOTHING about how to go about it, so it was a crazy learning process. However, I'm happiest when challenged to learn something new, so it was an exhilarating experience for me, and it was so amazing when the creative community just embraced *bespoke* and helped me make it a reality.

What's your background? It was a high school dream of mine to publish a zine, though I never did. Did you ever imagine yourself publishing a crafty zine?

Not at all! After school I did dual Bachelor's Degrees in Science and Arts - my original career plan was to become a research scientist. I've travelled many different paths since then (I've been a Science Communicator, teacher, and tuition center manager), and it wasn't until I was fully immersed in the creative online world that the dream to start *bespoke* appeared.

What inspires you? How do you harness your creative energy? 

Oh, that's such a tricky question to answer! I'm inspired by my surroundings, by all the fabulous work that fellow creatives make, by art, blogs, and more. Harnessing creative energy is like herding cats - it comes and goes, and you just have to accept that and learn to roll with it.

With so much going on in your life and so much inspiration, how do you balance your working and creative life, or do they cross over?

Well, I sleep in one room and work in the room next door, so I have a pretty short commute! My work is a huge part of who I am, so the two definitely cross over a lot. I suffered a bit of burnout in the early days, when all I did was work, but I'm better at taking some 'time-out' from my businesses these days, and making sure my brain gets a rest. The obsessive phase of a project is a pretty amazing time, but having a rest is equally important, in the long run. Took me a while to learn that lesson!


Thanks so much to Jessica for sharing part of her inspiring story with us! I love her take on creative energy - like "herding cats."


Make sure you leave a comment to go in the draw to win a copy of this lovely zine for your self. Giveaway will be drawn randomly on Friday, 7th April.


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Congratulations Tania! Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks again Jessica.

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The mail man certainly showed the letter box a little love when he handed these over yesterday. The latest issue of Frankie and look! Hand knitted booties! Hot off the needles of the lovely Nell, direct from the UK. Such a lucky girl am I, I won these sweet pom pom booties in a joint giveaway between Nell's shop 'Happy Circus' and the inspiring blog, 'The Beetle Shack.' These little darlings have been packed away with my growing collection of handmade items for the bump. Thank you ladies!

In other very exciting news, Susie from Flowerpress interviewed me for the her Australian makers series of 'Show and Tell'. You can see the interview over at here blog here. Thanks so much Susie! What a thoughtful and generous introduction. It was my pleasure!