Coco avant Chanel

We have just come back home after watching the film Coc avant Chanel. Beautiful, fascinating and passionate. What a huge influence this woman had on fashion and how women see themselves. Audrey Tautou is, as always, a joy to watch on the big screen - a lovely and very talented actor. Alessandro Nivola - sissling.

All over the place

It was a busy week for Wren’s Nest Studio. The most important event was the launch of the Website http://www.wrensneststudio.com/. Bill has been working very hard behind the scenes as it was a very big job. Especially organising me to write and review pages. But it’s up and running now. If you come across any problems while navigating around it, please let us know so we can fix them.

‘Paper Quilts’ a handbook, is being printed now and should be with me – maybe Friday this week. I’m crossing my fingers and toes!! I guess I should be happy with next week. Next problem = Where to store the boxes. A nice problem to have really.

I have a new product line based on the crazy Paper Quilts I design. These are now available as a gift card pack with 4 cards per pack and each card with a different image. Embellished with crystals and tied together with a satin ribbon. They are printed onto fine art paper with pigment inks which have a beautiful richness of colour and long lasting quality. Creating these crazy Paper Quilts is one of my very favourite things to do. They remind me of the mixed media collages I used create. These will be available at my market stalls and at Made It www.madeit.com.au/storecatelog.asp?userid=3725

I had 3 star students during the week at a White Dragon Papercraft. Emma, Denise and Ann all created wonderful pieces. Our Dragon Princess Anne Stewart wasn’t well during the week and we are all wishing her our best for feeling 100% again very soon.

Buttons Galore

What do Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, Ewan MacGregor in Star Wars, and Bananas in Pyjamas have in common? They all wear buttons from All Buttons Great And Small!!
And that's just where I visited and went shopping last week. I have been wanting to go back for several years but somehow just never got there when I was in Sydney. It is a really magical place with floor to ceiling buttons – a lolly shop for a bower bird like me. I used to visit quite often when we lived in Newtown many years ago. I can see in my head the buttons I bought there in the past. Special buttons full of character - they stand alone.

The buttons I bought will be part of a special quilt I am making to show at the Stitches and Craft Show in Sydney in August.

Then I went on to Elizabeth Rosa Fine Stationery Shop at Double Bay. Another favourite haunt where I always find some gorgeous new piece of wrapping paper or stationary.

Albert Hall - Winter Warmers

The third Handmade Market at Albert Hall was another great day – full of atmosphere, happy noise and crowds of people. The first market was freezing, the second roasting – the third , it was just right.

I set up my stall in a lovely spot near one of the huge arched doorways. I have tried very hard to tidy up the look of my stall and I was happy with the result. It’s much easier to pack and unpack the car too which is probably the most tiring part of any market day. I’m always on the look out for ways to make my space look new and fresh though. I’m in search of folding ladder display unit now. More height and a couple of areas for pretty arrangements of pictures and other products.

Albert Hall was busy from before the opening time of 10 am till closing at 4pm so I didn’t get a chance to pop around to have a look at all the wonderful handmade goods at the market. And so, for the first time, didn’t buy anything either!! Except coffee of course. I met lots of great people and there were many people interested in taking a class. There was also interest in the book which is very exciting.

So, it’s back to “the shed” to replenish stock. fill orders and make some new papers. Time to start thinking about the Sydney Stitches and Craft Show and Christmas too. It is really wonderful.