Recap on the Stitches and Craft show 2009 - Melbourne 10-14 March

This year marked the very first show organized by Living Creatively - and judging by the comments on many of the blogs who reported on the event - it seems they did a fantastic job!

The show in Melbourne was held at the Melbourne Showground and unlike past shows they put a fresh spin on what many thought in the past was a 'tired and cluttered' show (having been to a couple of the Sydney shows in the past, I tend to agree).

So you can imagine how super excited I am to see what treasures the show will hold this year when it hits Sydney. A group of us plan on going this year to check it out. So put these dates in your diary and look out for further details regarding our 'meet up'

Sydney Stitches and Craft show : Rosehill Gardens 19-23 August.
Brisbane Stitches and Craft show: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre 29 April to 3 May

Here are some pretty pictures courtesy of Julie Knoblock's blog:





To check out more photos from the show on flickr click here.

MARCH NEWSLETTER HAS ARRIVED!

Join our brand spanking new FACEBOOK group!

Ladies - we have created a brand new Facebook Group. An invitation has been sent to all of you. We hope you join. This will make it much much easier for us to share the happenings and exciting activities we have planned for Creative Fusion! We are both working very hard to get as many of you involved so that we can all share and inspire each other.

As mentioned in our first newsletter, we plan to have interviews with members, some group challenges, competitions and ofcourse, always share as much information as possible to help you all to start and develop your creativity.

We also encourage you all to participate in the group. Add comments and links and also if you want to share photos, please let us know.

xox
claudes and lin

For the Kids

This weekend I'm excited to watch a documentary about a young girl who was brought up on her father's old schooner, travelling around the world from age 5 onward. It made me think of school in the traditional sense, and how we really cannot rely on it to raise expressive and creative children.

Many of us are mothers, carers or have little ones in our lives. And what a huge job it is to know that you are a great influence in this little person's life.

In the traditional sense, children learn all sorts of skills, as well as behaviour by interacting with others at school. Some schools even encourage children in their weekly, or daily art exploration.

Here are some ways you can help those little beings in your life to continue the process of creation at home, where they are most relaxed and are available to create what they enjoy:

- Offer a base from which the child can grow, such as discussing with them your own creative childhood adventures with the paintbrush, the mud pies or the lego.

- Let them colour, but let them go outside the lines :) How often have we been told to colour within the lines? Perhaps that statement really meant something deeper.

- Get excited about rites of passage, religious/pagan festivals, birthdays, etc. and start a project for one with your child. Having a date to work towards encourages the child to finish their project.

- Encourage your child to go handmade at gift giving times. Bring back the importance of having a gift which means something, rather than one you give with a receipt in case it's wrong.

- With Autumn here, go frolicking in the falling leaves and plan a project for the cooler months with your child. You'd be amazed with what they can see when finding objects.

- Most importantly, display your children's work. Not only will they be proud of something they have created, it will encourage them to create more. Of course, the many pages they give us with 'I love you mum' or 'this is me this is mum this is dad this is cat' don't always fit on the fridge! Perhaps sit down one day and collate these with your child into a big book they can always add to or flip through. And presto you have a history of their work, and can see their artistic growth through the years.

Spread creativity to your children and enjoy your little beings!

Lin x

Step by Step....not just a NKOTB Song....

And for those too young to remember- that is New Kids On The Block....hahaha!

So last week I decided to finally start on a project that I had read about last year - a collapsible macro light box (you can read about it all in my blog here)

The project was relatively simple and made more so by step-by-step instructions I found on a cool site called "Instructables". They have a wide range of projects to tap into your creative side - art, music, cooking, recycling projects etc. Heaps of stuff which you can have a go making. You never know what skills or interests you uncover....


1. How to do Paper Mache.
Be green and crafty at the same time. Here is a talented artist doing wonderful things with this technique:

Carousel by Artfulblogger (flickr)

Rapunzel with hair close up by Artfulblogger (flickr)


2. Screen printing for under $10!! (or in the case of us Aussies under $15 ;-)
9 Steps from creating the screen through to printing and cleaning up. Its rough but simple and for a $15 investment, its not bad. Here is a bag I found recently online:

Umbrella British Brolly Tote by Happyfamily.etsy.com

Some of the Creative Fusion members also have given Screen Printing and other crafts a go. So come and share in their stories at our inaugural Creative Fusion Morning Tea which is being held on Sunday 29 March, at the EJ Ward Community Centre in Paddington. Here is the invitation if you have not already seen it:



3. Rubik's Cube style pincushion
Using one of my favourite craft materials - felt! Its easy to cut, paste and sew. Comes in a variety of colours and adds a retro look to a plain old pin cushion.


Rubiks cube pincushion by rsilandcrafts (flickr)

We look forward to sharing more stories and ideas with you all at the morning tea! Hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Happy Days!

Claudes

Creative Fusion March Newsletter Prep!

With our CF day almost upon us (March 29 to remind you), we are busily getting goodies and parcels ready, as well as preparing the newsletter for this month's release.

A quick note to let you know we are looking to approach one of you for our 'Artist Chat' in the next issue of the newletter, so please do be forthcoming in your answers :) We will also ask you to provide shots of your work, as well as your contact details (etsy/ebay/blog/flickr/sit

e etc).

Happy Arting and looking forward to seeing you on March 29!

Lin x

This week from the Markets - Glebe.

As promised - here is a visual recap of some of the funky goodness found at Glebe Markets. So when you get a chance - get out there and support handmade......


Wall stickers - An easy way to update a wall, add a bit of glam to your bedroom, create whimsy in your little ones bedroom - or simply make a statement. These are Australian Made and come in a variety of colours and designs.

Two little birds - our fave - We bought this one a while ago (in red) and as we are renting - we decided to mount it on a piece of white foam core board for instant art.


I am obsessed with Kokeshi dolls....as soon as we have our own apartment - i have plans for some of these ones.....too cute!
Autumn Tree and Squirrel.... very sweet. Visit their Etsy store - Flatbird here




Summer Blossom's Metallic Dream hair pins.....party time!



A big range of designs, colours and styles.....

The lovely Rochelle from Summerblossom. She has recently launched her own website So check it out.

Jewelry artists Ali and Michelle created Lime Lily a few years ago. Both joined forces and have created simple, funky , elegant designs.


One of my fave pieces from Lime Lily's range ......check out their stall at the market or online via their website.

Glebe Markets are on every Saturday. So grab a group of girlfriends, or just go on your own - a great place to find lots of little treasures. Enjoy your weekend ladies......

Moo.com

Following last week's topic for showing off one's work, let's continue with Moo.com (Thanks Paula!).

A UK company, Moo, offer great, unique ways to hand out business cards, minicards, postcards and more! Upload a vast range of your own images to the site and presto! you have your own unique business cards displaying your work!

Whether you're an artist who paints and wants to send some samples to a gallery, a photographer who needs to network, a quilter who wants to share your passion, a cake maker who needs something to hand out when people ask 'who made this?!', Moo can cater for you.

I've uploaded one image, and produced 100 cards from this. They act as my sculpt's contact cards for people who are interested in purchasing my work. They are cute (2.8cmx7xm), and easy to store.

The beauty of Moo is that each card can be completely different. If you've made 100 cakes, upload your pics of each cake, and you'll have a unique set of cards to hand out to potential order-makers.

If you're design savvy and can create your own digital image, why not try uploading these? You'll be able to showcase your talent with the computer, as well as network with people!

Moo also offer a range of other goodies, such as Sticker Books, Greeting cards, Note cards and Festive cards. It makes packing your work interesting and delights the purchaser when they receive it.

Below is the link to the products they offer:

http://www.moo.com/products/

Go Wild and Enjoy!
Lin x