BiDM Busy-ness!

ONE WEEK
In a week, I will be soaking up the markety vibe, listening to some guitar tunes, chatting with customers and generally enjoying myself at the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market.

I only hope that next Saturday is not as wet and soggy as today! Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the misty rain, light breeze and occaisional snatches of sunlight, but not the best weather for Happy Market Days next weekend, me thinks!

Sunny Day at the last BiDM

I have made all the stock I'm going to make (I could always make more, but keeping my sanity is rather more important!) and printed out all the prices and bits and pieces. So I'm feeling pretty good - roll on Saturday!

What I do have left to do is make a pretty new dress for market day! It's green (suprise!) and cream spots and I'm making a mod-style summer dress. My gorgeous little girl bought the fabric for me for Christmas (love her style!)

Details for the first BiDM of the year are on the BrisStyle website as well as a list of BiDM marketeers - go write your shopping lists now! (well, I'm going to anyway!!)

See you next Saturday!

The Art of Letter Writing

Ever since I was a small girl I have loved receiving mail. I love the postage stamps, the canceling
post office stamps, the dog-eared envelopes, the anticipation of what's inside...


I have a 'pen-friend' in Italy; we have been writing to each other for just shy of 20 years (oh my!). We are dear friends and although we mostly email each other now, it is most exciting when a parcel comes in the mail all the way from Italy!

I love sending mail too! I love making and decorating envelopes and putting little, funny and sometimes trivial notes inside or long big essays of thoughts and happenings. It truly is a beautiful art, this letter writing!


I have just finished some new products for my jellygnite Etsy shop. A year or so ago I made my mum an 'Art Deco Ladies' note paper set, she commissioned me for a couple more for her friends and now I've finally nutted out a whole range.

It features gorgeous ladies from the 20th century in their varied, but always so stylish and glamourous fashions. There's 'Deco Retro', 'Wartime Retro', 'Rock n Roll Retro', 'Mod Retro' and 'Woodstock Retro'. I had considered including the 80s decade of fashion too .... but those fluro rah-rah skirts, leg warmers and big hair have left a permanant scar on my memory!

I'm looking forward to the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market (in TWO weeks!) where I can bring my 'Retro Ladies' note paper sets out and encourage others back into the love of letter writing!

an apple for the teacher

I've just come back from a great BrisStyle Committee meet (they are such a fantastic bunch of super dedicated BrisStylers!) and am feeling really positive about all the 'good things' . And it's well and truly time for another blog post .... now that Christmas, summer holidays and 'back to school' are out of the way it may be time to get back to the blog ... even though life continues on in it's crazy, frantic fashion.

Today, the (very) lovely Helen from Ruby2GoGo gave me this gorgeous brooch for my birthday - 'an apple for the teacher'. Isn't it lovely? It's made of camphour laurel wood (mmm smells good!) by Sam from Jetta's Nest. I love these wooden brooches - I hope she has more for sale at the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market!


Speaking of BiDM, it's the first of the year and it's in 3 short weeks! I'm quite excited making new little gift tags, 'Little Loxies' and eco- envelopes. I'll be in the same spot as last year; next to Little Chrissy. Yay!

... it's that time of year ...

Although it's not December yet (when Christmas 'officially' starts in our house!) it's certainly "that time of the year".

It's that time of the year when my colleagues and I are busily marking student work and writing reports as well as thinking of fun Christmassy things to do while trying to stay 'on top of it all'.
It's that time of year when the heat arrives and brings thunderstorms in the evening (yay for rain!)
It's also time for me to start thinking about Christmas gifts and looking forward to and planning the festive season.

And the thing that's exciting me the most is the BrisStyle Indie Designers Christmas Market, because, not only does it coincide with the end of school for me, but I can't wait to set up my little stall, soak up the friendly market atmosphere and do some super crafty Christmas shopping!

I have been making a few new things for BiDM, some more 'little cuties' (like the one I made in this post) and my 'eco-envelopes' (see this post). Most recently though I've made some little gift tags.


These have been made using up-cycled cereal boxes (I have been amassing quite a collection - we eat a lot of weet bix!!) and some fabulous vintage images from old childrens books. I think they would make cute gift tags for gifts for kids, but think they would work as bookmarks too!


Making these is very addictive and fun - I absolutely LOVE trawling through damaged old books looking for the perfect images!

I'm selling these in my jellygnite etsy shop as well as at BiDM. I'm really looking forward to BiDM now! ... but there's a little bit of preparation work ahead of me yet!

If you are keen to check out who of the BrisStylettes will be at the next BiDM, check out the BrisStyle website (created by a very clever local Brisbane web-developer ... aka, my husband!!)

BrisStyle Limited Edition Eco Tote Bag

... Help Pick the Design and WIN!

This is rather exciting! We are printing a limited edition run of BrisStyle totes for the BrisStyle Indie Designers Christmas Market. Some of our very talented BrisStylettes have come up with some fun designs.

Head on over to the BrisStyle Blog to pick your favourite ... if you can - I'm having trouble deciding which one I like the best! You'll go in the running to win a tote of your very own!

Sharlzndollz' design entry

Newness for the Festive Season

I’ve been absent of late … lots of different things going on that meant the blog posts didn’t happen … but here’s another one now!

I’m getting quite excited about the beginning of December … so many good things happening; school’s out, Christmas is coming … but before all that the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market is being held!!

I’m very much looking forward to the BiDM market – the BrisStylettes are such a lovely community of crafty gals that the markets always have such a friendly and fun vibe.

I have a nice load of stock waiting to make their appearance at the Christmas BiDM – Little Jellies, Little Loxies, my softies patterns, note books + brooches. However, I have recently been busy making some new things for *jellygnite* at BiDM.

I have quite a love of letters and mail and mail art; I really love the book “Urgent 2^nd Class” by Nick Bantock (love his illustrations!) and have just ordered this yummy mail art book called “Good Mail Day”. So, in keeping with my love of mail I’ve made some ‘Eco-Envelopes’ (they are a lot of fun!).

I’ve made them using all re-purposed materials – both fabric and paper. My fabric ones are mostly vintage fabrics and lovely old buttons. My paper ones are old maps and book pages as well as 1940s wallpaper. You can have a peek at them in my jellygnite Etsy shop.

I love that these envelopes can be used for a whole heap of uses! I posted one in the mail to the lovely Ruby Red (which arrived to her intact, happy to say!) using a little address sticker on the front. I also think they’d make good pouches for gift cards and small gifts or for using as a little purse. I can’t wait for the gift-giving of Christmas (or the BrisStyle shopping on my 'to-do' l

Bring on the Christmas Cheer and the fabulous BrisStyle Indie Designers Christmas Market!

Racecourse Rd Street Festival

Hello there!
I've been a little absent lately enjoying a bloggy break and also being very busy at work. Tomorrow is the Art Show at school so I have been crazy busy (and anxious!) getting it all together! Fingers' crossed for tomorrow.

Also taking up my time has been preparing for my next market. This Sunday I'll be at the Racecourse Rd Street Party sharing a stall with bella Bel from EmBelISH so have been having fun getting ready for this. A whole bunch of BrisStylettes will have stalls out the front of St Augustine's (where our last BiDM was). I can't wait - it's going to be huge! (drop by and say 'hi'!)

Here is a pile of my new recycled books that I've been making from cereal boxes and paper ephemera - the 'Mills and Boon' covers have been used too. They just need their threads snipped and they're ready to go!

Somewhere hidden in my 'to do' pile (well, one of them anyway!) is a bunch of Little Jellies waiting patiently for completion ...

I can't see me getting these babies finished in time for Sun (such a shame!). Some of them seem to be quite worried about this, but I told them that it's ok - they can come to the BrisStyle Christmas Market!

BiDM goodness

The BrisStyle Indie Designers Market was such a busy, busy day that I barely got enough time to do a spot of shopping! With so many gorgeous handmade goodies on show, I could have easily spent the whole day just shopping!

After quite a stressful lead-up to the market (not at all helped along by my little girl banging her face into the wall), I was very happy with my table set-up; all my little things sat together nicely!


I picked up some gorgeous jewellery pieces from LittleChrissy, StratDesigns and ReRead; a delightful 'snow queen' brooch from Chris, a yummy green lolly bracelet from Sophie and a sweet blue resin ring from Hayley. It feels so nice wearing (showing off) my new pieces!


I also bought a much-coveted skirt for my little girl which she was over the moon about (such a girly girl!). It's a gorgeous orange-coloured skirt from Robyn at HotFudge. It only made Emi love the skirt even more when, wearing out for the first time, complete strangers complimented her on her fashion sense! Well, it is a most beautiful skirt! (the sneakers don't really do it justice, but the days activities called for 'sensible shoes'!)

For more of the low-down on the BiDM, check out this post on the BrisStyle blog.
Amanda from Twinkle Star Art has uploaded a bunch of photos from the BiDM onto Flickr too.

I'm back at work now that my holidays are over ... not that I have much to complaian about, I'm only working 2 days a week this semester! Which is lovely because it leaves more time for making and playing!