Indigo Inspirations

another day on the tour bus in NZ....

2012-03-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

We are fitting 2 days sightseeing into everyday as I want to see as much as I can in the very short time we are here....I am being a bit militant about it and we are joking we are on the tourist bus!!!

We are really lucky with the clear blue skies but must admit the water temperature is a little cooler than what we are used to back home.....not that I would know! Any one that knows me, knows I am not a swimmer. I love the water and love being near it but don't have to be 'in it'....In my next life I plan on being one of those old ladies that swim everyday at the beach all year round....I will let you know...ha!!

Leigh

can't come to NZ without a photo of our favourite woolly creature

another beautiful beach

Tawharanui Regional Park

Chocolate Brown Chocolatiere at Warkworth

cute tips truck

"Red Barn Antiques" and retro shop

"Rummage" at Matakana

love birds

"Scotts Landing"

My new favourite mag....found at Rummage for some light reading at Scotts Landing

More Scotts Landing

me swimming....well me in the water.

my circus girl

Just a day to go so I will be back soon with the last of our New Zealand trip photos.

Have you been to New Zealand? What is your favourite place? Would love to know for my next trip.

xox Jo

exploring and sightseeing Auckland and heading North...

2012-03-04T23:31:00.000-08:00

We really are having the best time over in New Zealand....the weather has been lovely and we have not stopped for a minute....so here are just a few photos before we sit down for a feast of curries....

We actually came over here for Justin's sister's wedding.

next day we headed off to the Parnell Farmers Market.

but we were actually looking for La Cigale French Market at Parnell.

Auckland Harbour Bridge

Coatesville Market lunch

I love old sheds

Red Beach

The view outside our bedroom at Snells Beach.

Be back soon...hope life is good for you too!!

xox Jo

just popped over to New Zealand....

2012-03-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

We are having a little mid term holiday...aren't we lucky?

It is just a quickie so we are trying to fit in as much as we can.

I love travelling and exploring new places and this means taking heaps of photos. I haven't been over here for about 6 years and a wedding to attend seemed like a great idea!!!!

Here are my 10 favourite photos so far exploring Auckland....

leaving Gold Coast Airport

a cool vintage expresso coffee van at Auckland Airport

At North Head looking over Cheltenham Beach

some cute old steps

the tunnels at North Head

doing backflips (as you do)

still at North Head

the other photographer in the family

my Rani, Juzzy and Sasha posing

brunch at Devonport...

I will be back soon with more fun and adventures....

Happy weekend!!

xox Jo

my week in photos....

2012-02-27T18:26:00.000-08:00

I am loving taking photos - are you???

1. hand dyed mohair by me

2. Art Depot 55 get together...scrumptious, yummy, belly filling food

3. more get together

4. cheers

5. beach walks

6. Carla Dawes of "Bubbles at the Head" stunning embroidery necklaces

(I just had to buy one)

7. rustic charm

8. My darling cupcake eater

Are you a happy snapper?

- always with your camera ready....

phones have made it so easy to be...

Have a great week!!

xox Jo

Art Depot 55 has a new window display!!!!

2012-02-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Our window at Art Depot 55 has received another stunning transformation....down came all the hearts and the gorgeous lovey Valentines Day 'stuff' and in went a Tea Party setting complete with the garden goose.

It was put together by the ever so talented Vanessa from Little Black Brooch. If you haven't seen her work you should check it out.....her passion is to revive the art of the brooch and the passion for wearing them.

Vanessa's brooches....

Too cute....

Sunday.....Baking day

2012-02-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

We have always encouraged our little ones to cook and bake. When I left home I couldn't even boil an egg and I use to boil the old element kettle dry all the time because I forgot to fill it up. Our kitchen was very small when I was growing up, no room for anyone except my mum....our kitchen is very big here, room enough for everyone to get in and have a go.

On Sundays my big girl Rani, usually takes over and creates a yummy (usually sweet) 'something' for us all.

This week it was MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM from "The Farm Chicks" blog.

She uses beetroot juice to make the icing pink.

They were soooo yummy and moist - just as the title says!!!

Do/did your little ones cook?

And could you, when you first moved away from the family home???

Happy Baking ♥Jo

my week in photos...

2012-02-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago I came across a photo challenge that didn't seem too much pressure for me to get involved in...I found it via Pip at Meet me at Mikes but it is actually through JustB and it's called MY DAY!!!!

There are alot of photo challenges out there this year and I was tempted to jump on board but they all seemed a little overwhelming and another commitment that I had to fit into my already over packed day and week.....so when I read about this one and it said.....

"basically you just take a photo of something you do/see in your day! It could be anything. And you don't even have to do this every day. There are no themes. You can use any kind of camera or smart phone. AND you just do it when you feel like it!" I thought, this is my kind of photo challenge.

It is one of my years "wishes" to improve my photography....it is also to have a tidier house....that one doesn't seem to be getting the same attention as the photography one....

Any way I thought I would share them with you....hope your week has been just the way you wanted it to be!!!

If you want to join in the fun you can find all the info here

1. a bag full of hand painted fleece.

2. I love feet photos.

3. at Brunswick beach - afternoon walks.

4. at Brunz again...my littlest jumping off the bridge.

5. my new Mac Air with rainbow keys....LOVE RAINBOWS.

6. grass swaying near our house.

7. coffee and feet up.

8. My vintage phone....we actually used to use it when Kare was born 18 years ago....I love the ring!!!

Are you involved in any photo challenges and if so let me know - I would love to follow you.

You can check mine out at Flickr here

Have a great weekend ♥Jo

a whole lot of good stuff...

2012-02-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

I received my first order for the year just the other day and I must say I do love it!!! This one was HUGE....the biggest I have ever done with Mercurius.

Lyra pencils, water colour paints, painting paper and jars as well as beeswax and journals and crayons....even a gorgeous Glockenspiel!!!!

So most items are back in stock......just contact me if you have been very patiently waiting.....

♥♥Happy Valentines Day♥♥

anything special????

This is my favourite photo and I would have made them.....if....ummmm....I had more time.

They are called "Marble Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies"

via

What do you think????

♥Jo

I am lovin'.....paper craft.

2012-02-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

I just think it is amazing....so much patients required with such intricate work.

via

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On the Etsy Blog today there is a tutorial on how to make the paper cut card below.

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There is a really cute simple cut here (photo below) from the Into Craft blog.

Have you ever tried it? Do you think you would have the patients??? I am not so sure about me.

Lots of crafty love ♥Jo

Tuesday....dyeing day

2012-02-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

My stock of hand dyed wool felt has reached an all time low. With Christmas and then the new shop in town (Art Depot 55) taking all I had left at the end of last year, I thought I had better have a felt dyeing day instead of a wool dyeing day.

So I started with a walk along the beach with my mate 'Puddles'.

Back to a peaceful house as everyone had gone off to school.....

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I import quality wool felt from Europe on a 23 metre roll which is 180cm wide. I start by cutting it into 45x50cm pieces and soaking it in warm water with a dash of soap flakes.

I use the Landscape dyes which I just LOVE!!!! They are so simple to use and they have strong, vibrant colours which is what I need.

When I am dyeing one colour I use a big pot on the stove....

I have been commissioned to dye 200 silk pieces and am just finishing that off with this stunning green. I have mixed two greens to get this yummy one below.

And when I am finished...this is what that pile in the first photo will look like....a bit of work still to go to get there...

Hope you are having a great Tuesday too....anything special

♥Jo

weekends are just the best, aren't they?

2012-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

I am very proud of myself....

This weekend I have chosen leisurely, family fun times over the usual "oh I have so much work to do" thoughts that stop me and hold me to my computer and paint brushes. I think the problem is I do love my work and when you have a small business there is ALWAYS something you can be doing. I have just started pinning on Pinterest too which is kinda fun, although I don't really know what I am doing yet besides killing more time and seeing some really beautiful places I would LOVE to go to and things I would LOVE to have or see!! You can follow me if you want.....

Do you fall into this trap too or have you worked out some amazing way of balance?

I woke yesterday morning with a text from a friend asking if I wanted to go for a walk along Brunswick beach...."oh no I have too much work to do." Then a lecture from my 15 year old daughter who's whole life evolves around spending times with her friends...."mum you should go with Cath and get some exercise and go for a coffee."

I am really glad I did, it was gorgeous down there and the coffee was not bad either.

In the afternoon we had to go up to Burleigh Heads so my son could get his scooter fixed. We then went for a walk/scoot along the beach....it was just perfect weather and their were people everywhere....

A beach walk again this morning...and some leisurely wool painting this afternoon before friends come over for our weekly Sunday roast...

I have also been having SO MUCH FUN with Instagram and just photography in general with my phone...I have become one of those people who take there phone with them everywhere but not because someone might ring me.....No that doesn't happen very often....something might just need to be photographed...

Best go and get onto that painting and please let me know if you have any tips on balancing work and play as it is one of my dreams for the year..

Take care ♥Jo

from this to.....this!!!!

2012-01-29T23:29:00.000-08:00

I just love it when I receive a delivery of wool....it is so yummy and soft and creamy. It doesn't stay that way for long....I usually work to orders, so as soon as the order comes in, I get to painting.

The ever so talented Lanie from Bambino Lane Designs uses alot of my wool in her designs. She popped down today to pick up her latest order and to show me some of her pieces.....these little booties (rainbow) and this stunning little dress (autumn rainbow) are just so adorable (and neat...I wish I could do that)

And then I received a nice little Facebook message from her....this photo below....I just LOVE it!!!!

I have recently become a little hooked on Instagram.....are you too??? It has a whole heap of filters to transform the look and feel of your photo and then you post it straight to Facebook...it is heaps of fun.

Here is some rainbow boucle mohair I took the other day on Instagram....

and 12ply rainbow....

and Puddles....my trusty work companion...

Tomorrow I am off to my little Indigo Inspirations world.....my shop at Shearwater for the cleanup/setup ready for opening on Wednesday....I wish I had a little Indigo fairy to do it for me.

Oh well I don't, so clean I must!!!!!

See you soon ♥Jo

and the rain continues......flooding.....and the fun!!

2012-01-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

I had never experienced a 'flood' before I moved to the country 14 years ago...

In Mullumbimby we are lucky (or unlucky depending on your thoughts) to experience a flood at least once a year and usually more. Yesterday the rain just didn't let up and it became pretty obvious that we were heading for a 'real' flood as opposed to just some water across the road. It floods right where we live....and these next 2 photos are taken from our verandah. In the second one you can just see a blue car on the right hand side that had a 'crazy' thought that they could make it....the flood indicator measured 1.6m's at the time.

Flooding is usually pretty exciting....schools get closed down because no one can get to them and everyone gets evacuated if it happens during the school day. The buses come for all the kids that live up in the hills first and then the kids from town, if it gets really bad. I would have loved that when I was a kid. We used to think that our school would close down if it reached a certain high temperature and we used to 'will' it to happen which it never did. I think it closed down for a day once because of nits....not as exciting.

The post office and the bank in town were closed yesterday because the staff had been flooded in...I love that about Mullum....

Once the rain eases everyone comes outside to see the damage...it is quite social as everyone is so relieved to be able to get outside. Canoes, surfboards, boogy boards and bikes and kids having a great time!!!

Sasha here with the next door neighbour in the canoe.

and slide soccer...

As you can probably imagine I have a load or two of washing after our floods...

Life is back to normal today but more heavy rain is predicted...we will wait and see.

So what kind of weather are you experiencing?

There is so much diversity of weather going on in Australia at the moment.

Does it flood where you live?

Must go and try and get more clothes dry while it isn't raining...

take care xox Jo

it is raining again....

2012-01-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

I know I shouldn't complain but I am a little over this rain....it seems to have been hanging around for a while now....and I have so much outside 'stuff' to do.

The grass is growing almost in front of our eyes and I have orders of wool and silk to dye (and get dry). Then I came across this printable poster via Craft Blog and it made me smile...we certainly can't live without the rainbow!!!!

How about you?? are you enjoying your weather were ever you are?

hot, wet, cold, even freezing, raining or dry....

Would love to hear from you

xox Jo

I love....

2012-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

I love these creative ways to use pallets.....I would love one in my new work room....yep it is happening....

I can't wait to have more space and BE MORE ORGANISED....

photo's via here...

What do you think?

♥Jo

home again....

2012-01-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

We arrived home last night after our 10 hour drive from Sydney.....and it is raining.....making it hard to get those 5 loads of washing out and dry. It is kinda nice to be home - mainly because it is so neat and tidy. When we go away at Christmas time we rent our house out which means that we have to REALLY, REALLY tidy it up......and around here that is no small job. The upside to that is we come home to a house that everything (well almost) is in its place......and every year we say "lets keep it like this" and every year i really mean it but life happens and kids happen and my business happens and you know what happens.....the house isn't so tidy anymore.

This year my "wishes" for the year are

*to have a tidier house....I will let my friends be the judge.

*to spend time on improving my photography.

*to work smarter not harder....I plan on reading "the four hour week" - will let you know how I go.

*have heaps of fun.

*spend more time cooking scrumptious meals (due to the more time from working smarter not harder.)

*loose a little weight....so I guess more exercise.

Here is me playing around with my camera and lines and angles - taken in Sydney before we left.

I will be adding to my list....but if you have any suggestions on what you have come up with please let me know (I am open to suggestions)

Indigo is up and running (slowly) so if you are after something just let me know....

Take care ♥Jo

heading back North....

2012-01-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

Before leaving Melbourne we had a quick stop at 'The Convent' in Abbotsford and checked out the gorgeous Sophia Mundi Steiner School and the Old Bakery.

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Then on to Daylesford and the biggest vintage shop I have ever seen.

Hepburn Springs at Daylesford....

I have been having loads of fun taking photo's through the windscreen...

Road tripping.....

Historic wooden bridges at Gundagai

cool chair in Castlemaine...

and painted cows somewhere??? can't remember....

oh....coming in to Sydney and crossing the Harbour Bridge....we will be here for a few days visiting more family and meeting up with friends, seeing a performance by Circus Oz before heading home to Mullum.....

See you soon xox Jo

Camberwell Markets and St Kilda.....

2012-01-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

Our last full day in Melbourne and we headed off to the wonderful bric a brac and second hand clothes market - in Camberwell. It reminded me a little of the Rozelle Markets in Sydney...

Country Road boots for $1....can't go wrong there....and 1 or 2 or 3 dresses....I love this place. Oh and a red and white spotty umbrella....yay!!

and after our trip to Vietnam this time last year we have a bit of an obsession with the bright coloured Vespers.....I would love to get around Mullum on one of these.

Me at Luna Park at the short(er) and stumpy mirror...

Icecream on Acland St - St Kilda

I just loved this cute little lane way!!

And my (other) obsession with the beach boxes....we drove around and around until we found these amazing ones at Brighton Beach.

Today we found op shops on Chapel Street open on a Sunday until 6pm.....I am in heaven....another crochet blanket to add to the collection.

We have walked, trammed it and driven ourselves to exhaustion and loved ever minute of it....we will definitely be back to visit Melbourne again....

I will be back in blogland in a few days - not exactly sure where we are heading but I guess we will work it out soon.

Lots of love xoxo Jo

day 2......Fitzroy....love it!!!!!

2012-01-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Fitzroy...

each day just gets better.....more vintage shops than I have ever seen in my life.....window shopping was all I could cope with by the end of the day....

Great street art......

Also I have never seen so many shoe shops in my life....just had to buy a pair of leather boots in preparation for the coming winter.

love the cobblestone alleyways

great op-shops....

Spotted Meet me at Mike's although it has closed down the shop front....still nice to put a place to the name.

Oh, just had to take a photo of these toilets...if you are from Melbourne these space age contraptions would not be a novelty BUT they sure are to us country folk....we don't even have any traffic lights in Mullum. Everything is done by pressing a button (even the toilet paper) and sensor operated (water and flushing).

We are easily amused!!!!

Onto Camberwell Markets in the morning and then St Kilda.

Hope you are having as much fun as we are.....are you???

xoxo Jo

10 things I LOVE about Melbourne...

2012-01-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Have I told you I LOVE this place.....I want to move here.....????

Today we walked from our B&B in Richmond all the way into the city....about 10 km..... my legs are aching.....but good aching....

Anyway here is my 10 things I LOVE about Melbourne....

1. the shopping.....$100 Elle Macpherson bras for $20 at the Bendon Outlet shop.

2. LOVE the architecture.

3. the easiness of the tram system.

4. the great variety of food.

5. the sophisticated yet casual feel.

6. street theatre and buskers on most corners

7. the street art

8. dog and bike friendly

9. the crowded, funky lane ways with interesting eateries, bars and shops.

10. did I say 'shopping'.

Flinders Street Station......the oldest metropolitan station in Australia and a Melbourne Landmark. Also one of our busiest thoroughfares - more than 260,000 people pass through daily.

street art

street theatre

Met up with the wonderful and ever so talented Rada Priya at Two Monks on Bridge Road. Rada is one of Justin's ex-students at Shearwater, graduating in 2004.

funky alleyways

Skateboard exhibition.....history of skateboarding in the 70's and 80's as well as an exhibition of urban art on skateboards..

the Yarra River

Off to Fitzroy tomorrow.....yay.

XOX Jo

Melbourne here we come....

2012-01-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

Leaving Anglesea and heading to Melbourne brings a couple of firsts for us.....our first Beach Boxes and our first tram sighting....

Beach boxes are the coolest things....I could fill it with all my wool and felt and crafty goodies.....oh I guess we could pop some beachy type of things in there too....

As we drove into Queenscliff (where we caught the ferry over to the Mornington Peninsula) we spotted 'The Chocolate Room'....being a lover of chocolate we just had to pop in.....chocolate fondue with local fruits.....

Also found this cool little shop called 'artisan's artwork' which Rani and I bought a few little things from, including the cards by 'lalaland' below to put into frames.

the ferry from Queenscliff over to the Mornington Peninsula takes around 45 minutes..

The first spotting of the ever so cool Beach Boxes.

and the first spotting of the Melbourne tram..

I love this place already....can't wait to hit the streets tomorrow....

Take care and be back soon xoxo Jo

today is berry picking and wine tasting day......

2012-01-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Today we drove inland from Anglesea and experienced our first berry picking at Pennyroyal Raspberry Farm.....

raspberries, brambleberries, strawberries, blackberries and red and black currents.

Between the eight of us we collected just over 3kg's

And the result......Chrissy's Berry Pie.....with ice-cream and cream.....

Next it was off to 'Gosling Creek Winery' for a bit of wine tasting....sparkling, sav blanc, pinot noir..

and a local beer......not for me though....I just like the labels on the local beers.

Every day is filled with new things...we are having the best holiday....

Tomorrow I am looking forward to heading into Melbourne and spotting my first Beach Box along the way and my first Tram.

See you later xoxox Jo

the beauty of the Great Ocean Road......

2012-01-04T23:36:00.000-08:00

Our first stop along the Great Ocean Road was The Split Point Lighthouse which is famous in our house as the Lighthouse in "Round the Twist" - an ABC children's television series.....

The Lighthouse is affectionately known as 'The White Queen'

A cool little teahouse just next to the Lighthouse...

The Great Ocean Road is known as one of the world's most scenic coastal drives. I was constantly taken back by the beauty....the rugged cliffs, picture perfect beaches, some with no one or only a few people on them. There are many viewing points along the way giving spectacular views of the coastline and the Southern Ocean.

On researching the Great Ocean Road I found out that the 243km stretch was built by approximately 3000 returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 earning 10 shillings and sixpence for an eight hour day.....read more here

The most photographed house on the Great Ocean Rd.....I don't know if I would like to be in there on a windy night....

We drove through beautiful Lorne as far as Apollo Bay....unfortunately we didn't make it to the 12 Apostles.....saved that for next time.

Tomorrow we are off fruit picking and wine tasting......see you then.

Take care xoxxo Jo

the beauty of Anglesea......

2012-01-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

Our first day at Anglesea was 41 degrees.....wow.....I don't remember being that hot ever although I am sure I have. We headed down to a dog friendly beach just south of Anglesea called Boundary Rd which was absolutely stunning......perfect waves, 'the best rock pools ever' (according to Sasha) and picturesque rock faces that rise up out of the ocean...

We are staying with our friends Paul and Chrissy and their children Max and Mia and 'Nelson the surfer dog'

my circus girl again doing triple back flips......

41 degrees makes you do 'unusual things' as Rani shows below....

The view from the lookout.....

Anglesea Beach at 9pm and still in the high 30's

The river at night.....

We are very lucky to be staying in this special area for 5 nights....we are heading off for a drive along the Great Ocean Rd so I am sure there will be many shots to share. I am constantly surprised at the beauty of this harsh coastline....soooooo different from the far north coast of NSW.

I will be back soon xoxo Jo

Indigo road trip continues....

2012-01-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

Heading into Beechworth ia like stepping back in time. I don't think I have ever arrived into a town and fallen in love with it so easily. It is regarded as Victoria's best preserved gold mining town and the streets are lined with many houses and buildings that are well preserved.....it is just stunning!!!!

We camped at Lake Sambell Caravan Park on the river....

Beechworth Town.....the main intersection.

We found this great cartoon shop on one of the side streets called SPLAToons - Cartoons and Caricatures and the kids had a cartoon of themselves drawn on a WANTED poster.....

Beechworth Honey was another interesting stop......here they are watching a video of the importance of bees and honey......

The Ovens Goldfields Hospital below was opened in 1857 and closed and dismantled in 1940. The facade was renovated by the Lions Club of Beechworth in 1966.

My circus girl.....

High Tea (or Chai in our case) was a yummy break from the wanderings at the Old School Building which was built in 1864.....

and of course a touch of shopping....I found two copies of the vintage Golden Hands craft magazine to add to my collection in the local op shop....Rani and I chose a book each at the fantastic local book shop.....a few retro coasters and a new dress......oh and that flowery thing under the coasters is a new shop bell for Indigo Inspirations in Mullumbimby for next year.

Our next stop is Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road.....can't wait....

How is it going where you are?

Lots of love xox Jo

the indigo family hits the road....

2011-12-30T02:36:00.000-08:00

After an extraordinarily busy, crazy few months we finally hit the road on the 23rd December at 4 o'clock in the morning. The night before we were still vacuuming and mopping and packing at 11pm ready for our guests while we were away.

We are a great travelling family...we eat, we sing, we snooze, and we laugh.

Once we arrived in Sydney we just had to do some shopping. This year I had avoided all malls and shopping centres in preparation for Christmas gifts as I decided on a 'local, handmade Christmas'......so I reluctantly hit Westfield so my teenagers could buy some new Christmas clothes.

Our youngest has his birthday on Boxing Day and here he is with his very special Flourless Chocolate Cake thanks to my brothers partner Elle.....yummiest cake I have ever had.

I know the candle says he is 1 but in the rush we just couldn't find the 2 to make him 12 as we 'needed to eat chocolate cake now'.

The next morning we hit the road again to my other brothers farm at Binda in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. He is a horticulturalist and his partner is an artist, so together they always create the most amazingly beautiful properties....

This is harsh, cold climate country so every plant that goes into the ground has to be tenderly cared for until it becomes established.

This is where Sasha's obsession with sheep all began....

Lots of delicious food and yummy wine to keep warm at night.....

Farmer Keith and Farmer Sasha talking sheep....

This is soooooo different from the lush, tropical environment that we live in. We dream about grass that doesn't grow before our eyes...

This shot is taken through the front windscreen.

Beautiful flower and vegetable beds.....

The photo below is taken taken with an iPhone app......Pano

After two wonderful nights we hit the road again heading into Victoria......very exciting as this is all new to us. I have been told I travelled down here as a child but have no memory of it.

We are now in Beechwood but more about that next time.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas/New Year break......would really love to hear what you are up to.

Take care xoxx Jo and family.

christmas greetings and off on an adventure.....

2011-12-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

Getting there....off to Sydney at 4 o'clock in the morning......and 'stuff' still all over the place. Our dear wwoofers, Camilla and Florintyna left us this morning to further their travels...hopefully we will meet up again in Melbourne as we are all there at the same time.

Just thought I would leave you today with an ART DEPOT 55 update. Here are some photos showcasing some of the amazing artists and crafters work. If you happen to be in Mullumbimby over the coming weeks drop by and check it out.....55 Burringbar St.

We had our ART DEPOT 55 Christmas party at Tracey's earlier in the week....Oyster Bay and gingerbread men.....

Happy Christmas and family time. We are off on an adventure down to Victoria so thanks to all the camping and shopping suggestions. I am going to try REALLY hard to blog along the way....which should be fun....see how I go....I have never blogged before away from my desktop.

I am trying to smuggle a big(ish) container of crafty goodies into the car and all the "still in plastic" magazines I subscribe to....might even finish my crochet blanket.

Anyway must get back to the other life....hope to be back soon

♥Jo

happy Sunday......

2011-12-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

Today was our Christmas with Justin's family....we head down to Sydney at the end of the week for another Christmas, on Christmas Eve with more of Justin's family and then Christmas no. 3 with my family on Christmas day....

We have been blessed with quite a bit of baking over the last few days.....Camilla and Florentyna are used to it being cold and snowy at Christmas time so are baking, baking to try and make it feel a little more like Christmas to them......these bickies are soooooo yummy!!!!

And Sasha is a bit of a baker too and made these Christmas shortbreads....

And Puddles received a Christmas treat too....one that he is not so impressed about....a bath!!!

Hope you are having a yummy Sunday too....next Sunday will be Christmas day.....I can't believe it.

Big or little plans???

♥Jo

happy Sunday......

2011-12-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

My shop at Shearwater closed on Friday.....school holidays have begun so I am functioning at a slightly slower pace this weekend. It is sooooo nice. I have been totally consumed with my little Indigo world and while I can put the rest of my life (and my poor family's too ) on hold for a little while I look forward to thinking and doing something else.

On Thursday night two gorgeous 'just left school' Austrian Wwoofers arrived at our house. We have lots of wwoofers (not sure what they are....click through here) and love having the extra help and learning new things about how other people live in other countries. Camilla and Florentyna just graduated from a Steiner School in Austria so I thought they would be perfect at helping me with my Indigo 'stuff'. I do all the painting of wool (my kids do some) and tracing and cutting of the kits and it is very time consuming. How excited am I!!!!! If only they arrived a few weeks ago....or if only they could stay!!!!
They have done some filing, painted wool, painted fleece, made heaps of felting kits and traced loads of horses and mice AND cut them out.....

here is Florentyna painting wool

and Camilla making felting kits.....

The best bit (well one of the best bits) is that I had some time to open my eyes to other things around here....

Thought you might like an update on Curly.....mouth stained green from eating grass all day.

here he is again with the stunning Salt 'n Pepper

I even had time to notice that baby pumpkins had begun to grow again....yay

and the Poinciana Tree was flowering

and we had a huge bunch of bananas growing - yay again

and the mango tree was bare of fruit....looks like not one mango this season......not so good.

I just picked up the new Donna Hay Magazine because I wanted those biscuits in my kitchen - like real ones not just on the cover of a magazine. Wow I wonder if time will allow that to happen....only time will tell.

but I got this instead.....two tim tams as I felt like some chocolate.

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Don't forget if you need anything from Indigo online I am taking orders until the 18th of December and then will be closed until the 16th of January 2012.

Is your life a little crazy too or is it just right????

Lots of love ♥Jo

Mullum Christmas shopping night on again....

2011-12-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

A glass of champagne on arrival....local artisans selling handmade local goodies.....yummy food....great coffee.....lots of friendly faces....

This Friday 9th December....Mullumbimby Civic Hall from 5.30pm

Love to see you!!!!

♥Jo

Gorgeous "Rainbow Children Gnomes" paintings.....

2011-12-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

I just love these paintings....they are so FUN.....

I could just imagine a line of them on my daughters bedroom wall - when she was younger. Her wall was a slightly lighter mauve than in the painting below and it had a subtle sparkle finish....Oh it was so sweet.

Now she is 15 - it is covered in Frankie Magazine posters and pictures of her and her friends.....equally as nice but just different.

These gorgeous original paintings are by the ever so talented Sydney sider Rowena Dean...they are on a 20x25cm canvas and are just adorable.

Prices are $37.50 each

2 for $70

3 for $100

plus postage....

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I only have 7 left as I have had them in my shop for a few days this week.

If you are interested - order at sales@indigoinspirations.net.au with the number underneath the painting.

Happy weekend.....I am getting organised for my last week in the shop before Christmas.....I close on Friday 9th December so it will be a BIG week.

How is your's panning out??

I look forward to hearing from you ♥Jo

2011-12-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

I just read the coolest post by Reuben over at HOUSE OF HUMBLE.....it is about men and knitting. Reuben and Katie (House of Humble co-writers) are just the most adorable twenty-something couple pursuing a simple, mindful and beautiful life. They love op-shop finds, baking and they take great photos.....they write one of my favourite blogs to read.

I love that my boys have learnt the art of knitting and crocheting at school and that they too, think it is normal. You may remember my post a few months ago where my son made his first pair of red with white dots shorts and was sooo proud of himself.

Just wanted to share this wonderful read with you.....let me know what you think....♥Jo

happy weekend....and my new apps

2011-11-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

It is not my intention to go quiet on the blog world front....I am just sooooo busy with getting orders out for Christmas that I literally can't fit everything in. I have had a couple of 5.30am starts which is not my normal routine, let me tell you. I have just woken and my mind quickly shifts into "ok when I get up, I will....." until it just seems easier to get up and do it.

We have had a little rain and grey weather and were expecting it again today but to our surprise it was a glorious clear and shiny kind of day. So we did our usual Sunday morning 'thing'....dropped the boy off at work and went for a stunning walk along the beach. I have a new app on my phone so thought I would give it a go....I love it - it is so much fun....reminiscent of old photos of me as a baby and of my mum and dad.

Curly in the chook pen....I think he thinks he is a chicken.

My youngest has saved all his money and hired a dingo for the weekend to make bike jumps. It is his ideal way to spend the weekend......he loves to work!!!

Hope your weekend has been enjoyable...whatever you have been doing.

Have a great week and I hope to be back soon

♥Jo

christmas wool felt ready for making chrissy decorations

2011-11-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

I have been working on my wool felt for Christmas....hand dyeing in to two shades of red, two shades of green and a golden and then leaving one natural. The clothes lines and anything that resembles a clothes line has been draped over and covered.

It has been my intention for about a month now to make Christmas decorations for my ETSY shop...then it moved to kits for my ETSY shop and maybe I still might get there with that one.....but at least I have dyed the felt and that has made it to my ETSY shop....yay!!!!

So if you have plans to make decorations or I have planted a seed then check out my shop here or just email me with your postal address...

* I dye them in a 45x45ish piece for $20 each and the colours are in the photo above. The natural is $9.

*Smaller sizes come in a 22x22ish as a 6 pack (as in the top photo) for $27.50.

*11x22ish as a 6 pack for $17.50.

*and the smallest 11x11ish as a 6 pack for $9.

They have been so popular in my new shop in town which is sooooo cool!!!

Shearwater Open day.....this Saturday

2011-11-16T02:08:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that my Shearwater Shop will not be open this Friday due to a pupil free day at school in preparation for Saturdays Open Day. If you around, come and check out the amazing and beautiful work by the students and the amazing and beautiful display by the teachers. Oh and I will have quite a largish stall there....hope to see you ♥Jo

just arrived......shop update.....dolls, dolls, dolls

2011-11-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

I love it when my 'Doll Lady' walks through the door. I never quite know when that will be....it is a always a pleasant surprise.

Her latest visit was on Thursday and these cuddly, soft and adorable dolls are what she left me.

They are all lovingly and thoughtfully made with soft cotton flannel and are filled with pure wool stuffing and have pure wool for hair. (except the last doll below...she is made with a thin, soft cotton cord)

They are about 35cm tall and very cuddly.

These dolls don't make it to my website as they are always different....only customers who come in it to my shop usually get to see them and they go as fast as they come in. Now I have a blog I can show them off here too!!!!

They are $75 each plus postage and come wrapped in purple tissue paper with my hand painted rainbow wool as a tie.....very special!!

I do have a few smaller star dolls here that come in pink, blue and cream and are $45

Email me at sales@indigoinspirations.net.au if you would like to order one or have further questions.

I have also updated the RAVENSBURGER PUZZLES and GAMES SECTION of my website (well my hubby has) ....some cool, great Christmas gifts there. Click through here....

Happy weekend....hope it is a good one!!!!!

♥Jo

Mullumbimby has a new shop....ART DEPOT 55

2011-11-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

On the left hand side of this beautiful 1903 heritage listed Old Bakery, 10 local artists and crafters have come together to sell their local and handmade goodies....it is so exciting!!!!
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This is what it looked like on Saturday afternoon....we had just started bringing in display cabinets and furniture.

After quite a few hours scrubbing and cleaning and moving furniture in over the weekend we opened at 9am Monday 7th November.....

Have a look now.....

jewellery using old typewriter keys, embroidery work on cushions and framed art pieces....leather bags.....beautiful cotton and leather slippers.....ceramics.....purses, clutches and notebooks.....skin care goodies.....my hand painted wool and wool felt, kits and scarves...

but wait....there's more.....walk through to another room full of wonderful

bags, hats, cushions, skirts made from vintage fabrics.....vintage brooches, earrings and the cutest little hand mirrors. Oh you must come and have a look!!!

We share this beautiful building with Kim at Darling Buds Florist and Kim again at Little Red Truck.....Mishka at Little Birdy's Vintage and down the alley way we have Down the Alley Treasures and Rock 'n Roll Cafe.....you don't need to go anywhere else.....

So what do you think.....not bad for a week and a half planning....sometimes you "just have to do it"

love to hear from you ♥♥Jo

just arrived....an online update....

2011-11-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

More boxes have been unpacked.....it really is an exciting time for a me....by the time an order has arrived I have no idea what I have ordered, so it is a bit of a delightful surprise.

I really don't have time to add to my website so product info is available here, on my facebook page and my monthly newsletter.....pass on the info to anyone you may think is interested....

Here goes.......

PAPER CHAINS - eeBoo $21.50

An easy craft project that is sure to have the kids entertained for hours. Each pack contains 120 colourful links with easy to assemble slide-in tabs (no glue needed) and stretches 24 feet.....20 different paper ribbons in 3 colourways.....makes every room a party.

FAIRY QUEN PLAYING CARDS - eeBoo $19.50

A fun and magical time while learning to count in 2's and 5's. Ages 5+.....easy to follow instructions

SIDEWALK CHALK GAMES SET - eeBoo $21.50

Take the fun outdoors....set includes a gold coin to toss, four vibrant chalk sticks and a booklet of instructions for sidewalk games such as hopscotch, Skelly, London Calling and more. "A child, a coin, some coloured chalk brings hours of fun to a plain sidewalk. Learn games that generations played when fun and toys were all homemade"

WOODEN BIRD WHISTLE TOY $11.50

With its smoothly sanded wood and softly sculpted form our bird whistle wooden toy fits right in a child's hand. Made from select European hardwoods, finished with natural oil.

Dimensions: 7.5 x 2 x 4.5cm

AMBER TEETHING NECKLACE $25.50

Amber has been worn for centuries as a natural remedy for pain relief and to promote fast healing and boost the immune system. Wearing amber in the form of a necklace is a traditional European remedy for teething babies.....33cm long.

ALPHABET TOT TOWERS - eeBoo $32.50

Printed with soy- based inks on 90% receycled materials and non-toxic coating, Alphabet Tot Tower helps build large motor skills while promoting language and concept development. 10 nesting boxes per set.

WOODEN KNITTING FORK $23

This beautiful wooden knitting fork comes with a 50gm ball of my hand painted wool in 16ply.....make stunning rainbow rope.....you can make it into bracelets, necklaces, straps for whatever you need a rainbow strap for (like everything would look good wrapped in rainbows - don't you think?)

And not to be left out for the wonderful mums, sisters, aunties or anyone really....

MOONTIME DAIRY 2012

The Moontime Planning Diary combines the solar calendar with the moon phases and positions. Daily pointers make it easy for you to access and experience the influence the moon has on your health, garden and housekeeping, building and renovating.

The Moontime Diary features all the diary essentials plus
• Introduction on how to fine tune to the moon
• Helpful tables
• World map to convert time
• Daily moon and planetary aspects
• Aspect interpretations
• Moon void of course
• Monthly ephemeris
• Printed on 100% recycled paper

Email me at sales@indigoinspirations.net.au if you have any questions or thoughts. If ordering please include your postal address so I can calculate postage.

Would love to hear how your Christmas plans are going.

♥ Jo

Today....

2011-10-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

I know I have spoken about my Mondays and Tuesdays before and this week was no different....I could totally use a whole other person on these days but instead I rush and rush and some days like today I feel like I haven't really completed anything. I have done lots, but completed...not too much. And it is the completion which has the 'feel good' effect.

Just because I am half mad and not busy enough already I thought I would take on something else....I have become involved in another wonderful opportunity. A space in the beautiful heritage listed "Old Bakery" building in the heart of Mullumbimby town became available and 10 of us are setting up shop full of amazing local, hand made crafts and art pieces. I am sooo excited BUT it means making sure I have enough stock for two shops....ahhhhh.... it will all be OK.....but more on that next time.

Today I have been receiving more stock and pricing and dyeing mohair for dolls hair and dropping parcels off at the post office and, and, and.....

But I thought I would show you my Night Time project because that is more fun....

At night I am working on a new babies blanket in my Coconut Ice - hand painted chunky, super soft, unplyed yummy wool and mixing up the squares with the natural cream in the same wool. I am using a 10mm bamboo crochet hook so that "completion" comes around quicker. I am loving the colour combination but will have to do a more boyish one next time.

Oh....and I did have a quick lunch. I have given up bread again....I do this every so often and I definitely feel better for it but then I just give in to temptation and toast and tea is back on the breaky menu. So sea salt and cracked pepper vita grains with local avocado and tomatoes from the garden with more sea salt and cracked pepper on top is my favourite at the moment.

Oh.....and here is the latest autumn rainbow hand painted mohair I have been working on.

Hope you are all well...would love to hear what you are up to. ♥Jo

relaxing Sunday....

2011-10-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

My eldest has just started working on Sundays down at a cafe in Brunswick Heads. He starts at 7.30am which is pretty early in our house for a weekend (except of course in soccer season)......so we decided to drop him off and go for a walk along the beach and come back for a coffee before venturing home for breaky. Today was one of those perfect mornings on the beach.....calm, warm and very peaceful.

Last year when we were visiting Sydney, we went down to an Eastern Suburbs beach with some friends. Our kids could not believe the people.....every bit of sand was taken up with towels and bodies. I was use to it.....when I was younger every weekend would be spent hanging at Curl Curl Beach with my friends. My children have only experienced beaches where you have plenty of space around you and you can throw a ball and even have a game of soccer if you want.....lucky them.

my decaf cap....

And the working man himself....sorry it is a little blurry as I was trying to take it without him seeing me.

I work everyday - I can't help myself...when you have a small business there is always a huge 'to do' list. But today, writing this post is the first bit of work I have done. Instead I did a spot of spring cleaning.....went through my clothes (again), wiped down areas that really, really needed it and it feels good.

I really hope you had a great day too!!

Was it relaxing or hectic, peaceful or chaotic? I would love to hear...

♥ Jo

An ETSY update....

2011-10-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

I have been busy today adding to my ETSY shop as many of my crafty goodies as I can....It is so much easier than adding to my website.

I have been working on hand dyeing mohair and thought I would show you.

Mohair is perfect for doll's hair as it is lovely and soft and can be plaited just like real hair. I can actually dye any colour you like.....purple, green, blue...really whatever you like!!!

I am just waiting on my boucle mohair to arrive in the mail.....a nice loopy mohair..... and then I will dye that in similar colours.....I can't wait. I love it when I hear the postie van beep, beep as he nears the house.

I will be adding more goodies soon so stay tuned.

♥♥ Jo

I am lovin'.....owls

2011-10-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Owls are such amazing creatures...did you know that they have three eyelids?.....amazing isn't it? One is for blinking, one is for sleeping and one is for keeping the eye clean and healthy. I learnt this fact from here and there are nineteen more fun Owly facts.

This owl that watches over our garden day and night was an op shop find probably around 10 years ago.I love those huge orange eyes....

♥

What an amazing photo this one is....I wouldn't imagine the owl staying there like that....

I don't have any OWLY things in my shop unfortunately.....if you or you know of anyone that makes anything 'Owl like' out of natural materials and you/they wholesale them can you please, please contact me...I would love to hear from you.

*There is a really cool OWL PILLOW PATTERN AND TUTORIAL here

*Other great OWLY things I have found....

via Etsy store

via Etsy store - I actually couldn't resist this one.....going to make some Chrissy pressies with it.

Do you love owls too and think they are just the cutest.....or do you have another bird or animal fetish?

Hope your weekend, where ever you are has been wonderful. I have been dyeing mohair for dolls hair so will show you that next time.

Take care ♥Jo

just arrived...online update...

2011-10-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Just a little online update in preparation for Christmas.....My shop is overflowing with goodies at the moment making set up and pack up a bigger job than usual for me and my helping fairies (my two youngest ones and hubby).

At this time of the year I don't get a chance to update the website so I will let you know here and on my facebook page.

RAINBOW NESTING BOXES - set of 10 only $35.

Children will love nesting, stacking and building with this set of 10 rainbow coloured wooden boxes...... made with non-toxic paint and child safe materials. Recommended age: 18 months +

SEAGRASS DOLL CARRIER only $37.50

This doll carrier is perfect for creative play....ideal for a doll around 30-40cms....(I have hand made Steiner dolls too that I can email photos if you are interested)

The carrier is 40 x 25 x 12 cm's.....too cute!!

TREE HOUSE CONSTRUCTION SET...$72.50

Gorgeous tree house made of recycled branches. the set comes with 2 wooden dolls. Housed in wooden box with a lid. Recommended age is 3+

Email me at sales@indigoinspirations.net.au if you have any questions or thoughts. If ordering please include your postal address so I can calculate postage.

Is life just a bit of a crazy rush for you too or have you got a more relaxed system in place. Please let me know what you do. I read a great post a few days ago by "motherwho" about organisation around meal times which I plan to take on board. Check it out here...

Take care ♥ Jo

teapots flowers, cups and saucers flowers.....and Curly

2011-10-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this "Teapots flowers" on facebook last week and was inspired to take a photo of my own. I often use whatever is lying around that is the right size as a vase.....and as our garden is beautifully decorated with happy nasturtiums at the moment and they don't have very long stems, I chose one of my favourite op shop finds....a Royal Doulton cup and saucer with purple flowers......don't you just love those self seeding smiley faces......oh and those great op shop finds?

This morning Sasha went out to feed Curly the sheep to find that he couldn't stand up....we took him straight to the vet and found out that he had a tick. We just went to visit him in hospital and were shocked to see him....he doesn't look very "Curly" at the moment......they had to shave him to see if there were any more ticks. He will stay in over night and hopefully be home with us tomorrow.

Of course we bought his fleece home but not sure yet what we will do with it.

It is very quiet around here without him ♥♥

I hope you are having a lovely weekend. I am off for a nice cuppa and maybe a tim tam (all the banana bread and anzac cookies the kids made have all gone)

♥Jo

wool. wool and more wool.....

2011-10-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

I close my shop in school holidays.....I open it up again tomorrow until the end of this school term and "oh my god" - until Christmas. For those of you that are new here, I have a small shop which is jam packed with wool and felt and other craft goodies, books, children's toys and puzzles. I take up a large area outside the shop as well. It is on the grounds of Shearwater - the Mullumbimby Steiner School and is open to everyone....I have customers who travel quite a distance because of the difficulty of finding natural, quality craft items and especially wool felt and I post world wide which is pretty exciting.

Which brings me to today - my last day of frantically trying to restock my supplies of hand painted wool. I had a wonderful customer a few weeks ago who almost took home all my wool in stock so I had a lot to replace. It is quite a time consuming job. I buy all the wool in different plys, soak it, paint it, cook it, rinse it, dry it and then it usually ends up in 50gm balls ($10).....(that is a sit in front of the TV kind of job). I also sell it in 100gm ($19.50), 200gm ($30) and if it comes in it 250gm ($36) hanks.

I also sell it in my ETSY store and on my website and am continually experimenting with colour combinations for new listings. I sooooo love what I do!!!! and feel very, very lucky especially on beautiful spring days like today.

Happy about: I have just received a copy of Pip Lincolne's Sew La Tea Do book and can't wait to make a new dress from it. (not her latest book - I haven't won that one yet.)
Reading: the latest issue of Papier Mache Magazine.
Favourite blog post I have read lately - Ivy Nest
Listening to: (sad but true) Australian Business Women's Network Podcasts.
In my craft basket: still stitching together my crochet blanket.....I will get there by next winter, I promise.
Grateful for: the sun and the rain.
Watching: The slap.....have you....what did you think??

Would love to hear from you ♥ Jo

Jack (John/Sasha) of all trades.....

2011-10-07T01:26:00.000-07:00

My little Sasha is a bundle of enthusiasm and energy. He is the family researcher and the family doer. I was going through my photos today while trying to clean up my desktop (ha) and realised how versatile he has been over the last few weeks.

Firstly, he built a house with Pa for Curly the Sheep to sleep in ....

and here it is again with its bunting ♥♥

Then he made a pair of groovy shorts - red with white pokka dots....

The finished product......he hasn't really taken them off yet.....love the undies..

He fell off his scooter (while riding down a hill) and landed himself with 4 stitches in his knee but that didn't stop him from getting behind the sewing machine.

Then their was a cupboard to make with dad....

And sheep to look after.....

and chocolate covered strawberries to make......and eat.

oh and here is Curly at school ♥

School holidays are almost over.....I am a little sad as I am soooo enjoying the house full of laughter and plans for what to make next. I purchased an overlocker a few days ago so am looking forward to having time to make more clothes...

Thanks so much for taking the time to read through my blog....I really appreciate it.

♥♥ Jo

Pip Lincolne's new book...."make hey while the sun shines" giveaway

2011-10-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Pip Lincolne's new book "MAKE HEY while the sun shines" is out and about in the book shops now......full of crafty projects & recipes.

She is giving a signed copy away. All you have to do (Australia/NZ only) is make a lovely comment on her blog.....here....

Also please comment below to let me know....thanks heaps

Good luck!!

♥ Jo

off to the local farmers market....

2011-10-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

As I always work on Friday's in my little shop, I unfortunately miss out on our local Mullumbimby Farmers Market. Well, I could get up extra early and be really organised and go before work....but well that just isn't going to happen. So as another school holiday treat I headed to the Mullum Showgrounds bright and early to grab some amazing local produce and to also get some vege seedlings.

I just love the variety and the quality of the produce....freshly dug potatoes, just picked eggplants and you can't beat this one.....fresh bread straight out of the wood fire oven....so yummy!!

Fresh strawberries and marshmallows drizzled with melted chocolate....Mmmm

Mandy - one of the "PickleChicks" was also there with here delectable pickles and preserves made from locally sourced grown ingredients....

Farmers markets are popping up all over the place which is a wonderful thing....next to growing your own it is the next best thing. And it is great to support the local growers and makers - just like supporting handmade (only different)......
Do you also have great local growing community? and just love this kind of shopping experience??

Happy eating yummy, fresh food ♥Jo

a day of sewing.....a day of joy!!!

2011-09-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

I love school holidays.....no getting the kids out of bed, out of the shower, out the door. Everyone can slip into their own little routine. They can wake up when they are ready and I CAN SEW ALL DAY if I want to. Justin's mum is staying with us at the moment and is an amazing knitter/sewer - an all round clever person when it comes to 'making.'

So for Wednesday Jude, myself and Rani all booked ourselves into a day of sewing on the verandah. It is the perfect location as it has huge tables and plenty of room to spread out and cut out, and pin together and what ever else needs doing on a 'SEWING DAY'.

Rani actually was still outside well into the evening as I think I 'kind of' dominated the sewing machine during the day. She chose a beautiful piece of fabric that I had stashed away in my fabric cupboard for about 15 years. I had bought it from an op shop just after she was born and it was perfect for a bag...

And here it is.....she is sooooo clever and extremely patient.....much more than I am when I am sewing.

I made my first skirt with a zip..........out of a sheet I picked up at the op shop.

and my first bunting......I was pretty happy with myself. I had fun shooting a 'bunting photo shoot'

Guess which one is my favourite....?

Have you dedicated a whole day to something lately?

Would love to hear from you ♥Jo

the adventures of a cardboard box....

2011-09-27T01:41:00.000-07:00

This film was made for the Nokia Shorts 2011 competition. It tells the story of a boy who meets and befriends a large cardboard box.

The lovely Luisa over at Dance in my garden posted it on her blog and I just couldn't resist sharing it. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions. You really need to watch it till the end.

It is wonderful!!!
♥♥♥

I am sooooo excited - we are having a sewing day tomorrow. Justin's mum is over from New Zealand and is very keen to improve Rani, Sasha and my sewing techniques......
I am sure you will hear all about it.

EATING: yummy chicken with garlic and parsley and lemon with a side dish of beans and broccoli. A Donna Hay recipe. Here it is....
NEEDING TO DO: make room in my office for my new IKEA boxy bookcase....that is a bigger job than it sounds but one that will be sooooo worth it.

Take care ♥ Jo

breathe out....it is school holidays.....

2011-09-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

Well I think this....I think "yah school holidays" - time to breathe a little and slow down and get some of the much needed jobs done around the house and get on top of my business. I am fooling myself really as I always over extend myself and therefore everyone around me. I am a bit of a workaholic (I know where my Sasha gets it from) and I can always organise both Justin and myself and also the kids.

I have high hopes of painting the house..this is one that I really don't think will happen. For starters everyone is quite happy with it being blue - I am ready for it to be white. We are having building steps days and walk in wardrobe building days. The beauty of old weatherboard farmhouses is that you can cut out here and add on there and it all works out. We are also doing renovations to the chook house as the chickens keep going into Curly's (the sheep's) little bedroom to lay their eggs and then he comes along and squashes them which is not good.
Amongst all this I will be dyeing wool and felt to try to get ahead a little. Which brings me to today. I was going to spend the day sewing and crocheting my blanket together but instead I am a little tired. I heard an imaginary phone ring at 1.30 this morning and ran to answer it in the kitchen. Both my teenagers were staying out for the night so I immediately thought of them. But as I said it was all in my head...I must have been dreaming it. As a consequence I couldn't go back to sleep and ended up listening to podcasts of Women in business - Australian Business Network at 3am. I am working on an order for Luisa from Dance in my garden and she mentioned them the other day so what else is there to do at 3am (except sleep of course). It is the "can't waste a moment" part of me which was still working at that hour.

Here are some photos of the amazing vintage fabrics I picked up yesterday - some from op shops and some from a specialty fabric shop. The second one is of some Christmas bunting I have just started working on....don't you just love bunting?

And an update on the new family member.....he is sooooo cute. He comes for walks around the block in the mornings and afternoons with Puddles (the dog) and Sasha and myself. Sasha has been getting up at 6ish to feed him his bottle. Here they are....

Sasha is out there now with Pa building him a shelter. I will show you that next time.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend were ever you are.

I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment.

♥Jo

food for the soul...a community cookbook

2011-09-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Food for the Soul is a collection of more than 140 nourishing vegetarian recipes, beautifully woven together with food tales, seasonal blessings and delightful illustrations all donated by local artists, food growers, business owners and family and friends of Shearwater Steiner school.

Inspired by the abundance of fresh, local produce and wholesome lifestyles in the shire, you are invited to indulge in the book like you would a great big community feast – cooking, eating, laughing and sharing the joy of food together!

Food for the Soul is available for purchase for $25 plus $6.50 postage...just email me at sales@indigoinspirations.net.au with your postal address.

It is a result of hundreds of volunteer hours and all funds raised will be used to build food gardens and creative play spaces at the Little Shearwater (Kindergarten & Pre-School).

It really is a wonderful book and a wonderful thing to encourage the children at Little Shearwater to get out there and get their hands in the earth and grow some of the food that they eat while at school...Wow I wish my school was like that. Mine was full of concrete unfortunately.

Have a lovely weekend and do you know of any other community cook books that have been published too?

♥ Jo

introducing our new family member....

2011-09-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is "Curly"...... our new little month old lamb. My son Sasha has been quite obsessed with wanting a sheep since we spent a week at his Uncle Curly's farm near Croockwell in the Southern Highlands of NSW when he was about 9. He came home from that holiday and announced he wanted to change his name to John. 'Why' we asked (as it took us 4 weeks to finally choose his name when he was born) 'because I want to be a sheep farmer and I don't think Sasha is a good sheep farmers name'. Who could argue with that? His friend Mia from Sydney was visiting us at the time and decided she was going to be John's helper so she should change her name to Mary......

Sasha/John has researched everything....made lots of phone calls to farming equipment businesses and timber companies in his search for getting the best item at the best price as we didn't even have a fenced area for him.. He has also had lots of long conversations with Curly (the human) making sure he had all the right info. So after working in a 35 degree spring day yesterday with his dad and his Pa, we now have a wonderful 60m fence to keep Curly (the sheep) and as a bonus, the chickens in as well.

So here are a few adorable photos of our new little CURLY.

He is still bottle fed so Sasha/John was up at 6.15 this morning making his bottle and feeding him.

His mum was unable to look after him and his twin died not long after being born so Sash is his new carer.

I am looking forward to when he will need shearing so I can spin the wool and crochet a blanket to keep us warm in winter.

And I am sure this will not be the end of posts on Curly and Sasha (it really is hard to call him John).

What do you think...are we mad??.....maybe just a little???

I would love to hear from you ♥ Jo

a new groovy online craft magazine not to be missed.....

2011-09-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Etzcetera......a brand new Australian crafty lifestyle magazine is available online only. Published bi-monthly, Etzcetera Magazine is loaded with step by step projects, inspiring interviews with creative people, interesting family and lifestyle articles, tasty recipes and fun and inspiring ideas.....wow....who could ask for more??

As Kim Archer (the founder of Etzcetera Magazine) says "it is a visual feast of pictures, projects and stories all in one place that is easy to read and enjoy.

The magazine is divided into three sections....
*The Projects (and lots of them)
*The articles
*The advertising...the crafty advertising is as visually appealing as the rest of the magazine and contains clickable links to take you straight to the website or product......how cool is that?

Issue one and two can be found here....the first issue is free....and issue 2 can be purchased for $4.50 or you can also grab a 12 months (6 issues) subscription for only $22.50.

As a special bonus (for me) one of my hand-spun, handpainted, hand-knitted scarves (below) was featured on page 42 of the second issue in an article titled "In the mood" by Lisa Pate.

Happy weekend everybody....this is the first day in a while that my 'to do' list is not a foot long.....only 11 inches.....

Would love to hear what your weekend plans are.

Oh, and call by tomorrow as I will be posting photos of our new addition to our family....what could that be??????

Lots of love ♥Jo

check this out...making newspaper yarn....the ultimate in recycling

2011-09-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

I just came across this...thought you would love it.

Let me know what you think?

♥Jo

what a wonderful day....

2011-09-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would do a quick post to show you a few photos from my wonderful day yesterday at the Shearwater Threads of Life Spring Fair.....it was such a lovely and colourful day and I was lucky enough to meet a couple of my online customers in person which is always really nice..

I am a little tired from the hectic week preparing for the day....making sure I had enough of everything (which of course I did) so photos is all I can get my head around today.

I hope you had as nice a day as I did yesterday....what exciting things did you get up to....I would love to know.

♥Jo

Shearwater Steiner School Spring Fair this Saturday..........

2011-09-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Shearwater - The Mullumbimby Steiner School is holding its annual Spring Fair this Saturday.....it is always such a wonderful, colourful day with lots of yummy food and craft activities for the little ones. Not only will you be fed, and kept busy with crafts.....you will be entertained as well......
The primary school children will be performing in the morning, followed by the bush dance band, and then to finish off the very talented high school students will perform in the afternoon.

I will be there with my Indigo stall - so don't forget to say "hi" if you come by...

The Fair will be held on the school grounds at 349 Left Bank Rd Mullumbimby.....love to see you there!!! It is truly a wonderful day......

♥Jo

a day of celebrations....

2011-09-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Fathers Day......

Almost every Sunday we have a lazy family bacon and eggs breaky. We cook up fresh tomatoes and mushrooms and squeeze fresh juice from our fruit trees, with cups of tea and the paper. Today though was a little bigger than usual. My parents are visiting from Sydney and all of Justin's family came over as well to celebrate a combination of Fathers Day and his sisters birthday.

We had four fathers, one very soon (as in any day now) father and one birthday to celebrate. We had our yummy breakfast cooked on the bbq with cups of tea, then the birthday cake and coffee......our tummies were a little full....

We then decided to take my mum and dad for a drive up north a little to a picturesque little village called Tumbulgum. It is on the Tweed River and has a cafe called "House of Gabriel" which is in a one hundred and twenty year old historic homestead which has been restored to its former glory. It has a really cool antique shop out the back and a clothes/gift shop.

My dad's name is Monty and on the drive home we saw a stall on the side of the road - 'Monty's Strawberries' so we couldn't drive by without a photo.....and buying the yummiest ever strawberries.

And because every Sunday night we have a roast with Justin's parents and another family we finished the day off with more yummy food....I don't think I will need to eat for a while.

What else is happening this week.....
Eating: very excited to say - the first very mulberries of the season....I will take a photo of the poor tree laden with fruit....branches almost touching the earth.
Reading: the latest issue of Mollie Makes.
Working on: frantically getting ready for Shearwater - The Mullumbimby Steiner School Spring Fair this Saturday.
Lovin': this sunny weather....it means all my wool dries faster...yeh

♥Jo

because I can't help myself.....

2011-08-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

Because I can't help myself....I have been searching for photos of really 'stand out' funky crochet pieces.....and wow did I find some. The lovely Lidia Luz from Brazil does some really amazing work....I love the way she uses colour.

You can check out more of her work on her blog....lidialuz.blogspot.com. One day I will progress from my beanie, wrist warmers and granny squares.....can't wait.....I am quite impatient when it comes to crocheting...I want to do more now...

Let me know if you know of any other stand out crochet artists.....
Take care ♥Jo

My Monday's and Tuesday's are like no other....

2011-08-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

I love Mondays and Tuesdays.....I work from home on these days and I am home alone. I never have enough time to do all I want/need to do and so have learnt the art of 'List making' so I don't waste a minute.

The music is either up loud or off depending on what "I" feel like. We always have music on in this house so peace and quiet is usually my preference although for some reason today it is 'on and loud'....I don't know why.
The photos above are of a pile of my hand dyed wool felt.....which I worked on yesterday.....doesn't it look so pretty?
Today I have been painting wool for an order for 'Treasure House'....the shop at Noosa Pengari Steiner School and making about 40 felting kits as I have fallen so far behind with these.

I have only finished the rainbow packs and the pinky/purpley packs....lots more to do.
Well I best get back to it before I have to do the usual Tuesday afternoon pickup from school and drop off at circus and soccer training....

Before I go....here is what is Happening this week...
Reading: the latest mammoth issue of Frankie Magazine
Working on: what seems like a million felting kits
Lovin': my new addiction.....crocheting...I have just finished my first beanie...it doesn't fit anyones head in this house but I am sure there is a head out there that it does fit.
Also Lovin': early morning walks and afternoon walks with Puddles, the dog and sometimes with Sasha, the son.
Eating: chocolate bullets...can't help myself.
Hope to hear from you soon ♥ Jo
And here is a photo of my above mentioned walking partners.

my new addiction.....

2011-08-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Crochet has become my new addiction....yes I know it could be worse and much more expensive so I am quite happy about it. Lucky I have pretty much a never ending supply of pure wool as I paint it myself but books....there are so many of them. I have been tempted to buy a couple.....and will show you them when they arrive. I learnt to crochet when I was a child....I can still remember the pale pink and white baby wool blanket I crocheted when I was about 10. I have no idea what happened to it.
So I was very excited last week when I learnt how to do other stitches. Last Saturday at the MILK and HONEY CRAFT MARKET, Mary one of the other stall holders showed me how to do the double stitch and I was off......I created round, rectangle, frilly bits with chain and kept pulling it apart to do more. I was hooked, so to speak.
So you can imagine my excitement and happiness when I finished my first pair of wrist warmers. (at almost midnight because I couldn't put them down). I used a 5mm bamboo crochet hook and 8ply hand painted Autumn Rainbow wool and it took less than 50gms. Check them out.....what do you think?

Coincidently, another stall holder at our market, Helle Jorgensen was offering crochet workshops starting yesterday and running for three Saturdays for two hours learning how to make flowers and experimental and freeform crochet techniques......yah!!!! so of course I just had to go. I went along with Julia (another amazing, creative friend) and this is one of my new creations.

Just a quick look at Helle's gorgeous studio in Murwillumbah and her amazing creations. Helle works alot crocheting with plastic bags and receives them from all over the world so she has an amazing selection of colours. On her blog there is even a PLASTIC BAG YARN TUTORIAL....check it out and you can also see more of her photos on her blog too.

And just in case you are in the area and want to join in the fun, here is Helle's workshop poster.

Oh if only I could just sit in the sun today and crochet and crochet......fortunately/unfortunately I have more painting of wool to do so it will have to wait. I will show you more soon.
Am I the only one who is crochet mad at the moment? (or maybe just mad)
Have a lovely day and would love to hear from you ♥Jo

this week behind my camera....

2011-08-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

If you leave your door open in our house when no one is looking you

might just find a little surprise on your bed when you come back

as Kare did......eggs anyone??

Bare feet on the earth......nothing better!!!

painting, painting and more painting....here I am painting rainbow
wool felt to sell as is and also to make into my craft kits

sunny days at the beach with the family ♥

and here is a sneak at my shop....I will do a whole post on it very soon
....I love my shop♥

Life is busy, wonderful and a little cold and wet at the moment, but that doesn't stop the fun...
AT THIS MOMENT....I am....
Reading: The Happiness Project (still...I have been for a few weeks now)
WORKING ON: finishing off my tax....yah
LOVING: my crocheting....I have just learnt a new stitch and now have officially moved past granny squares...Yah again
Making: lots and lots of my craft kits because I am way behind.

Hope you are keeping busy too....what is taking up all of your time?

♥Jo

nice things to check out.....

2011-08-18T01:44:00.000-07:00

via scrapps flea market etsy shop here

wow....I have just come across these beautiful prints by Adelaide artist Kate Mason. The originals are handmade collages and include lots of her favourite collage elements including paint, patterned paper, old book paper, napkins, painting decoration and fabric.

I have decided I am going to deck my office out in groovy artwork by local and overseas artists, so I am purchasing a couple tonight....tell me what you think ♥ Jo

great magazine for all you crafty ones..

2011-08-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

I received my LIVING CRAFTS Magazine in the mail last week....I love it!!!

Living Crafts (an American magazine) provides craft enthusiasts with the information, ideas, and inspiration they need to support their desire for self-sufficiency, sustainability and a natural lifestyle. In each issue there are projects for the entire family, including fun crafts for parents and children to do together.

Their readers are people who consciously choose natural materials for their handwork projects because of aesthetics, quality, personal health and the environment. Living Crafts aims to inform and inspire readers to choose Mother Nature’s supplies whether they create their own or buy ready-made handwork.

Each issue focuses on a season of the year, bringing ideas and the how-to for projects that are in harmony with nature to create a seasonal rhythm at home.

A 1 year subscription (4 issues) is USD $21.95 and a 2 year subscription (8 issues) is USD $28. You can click through here to order.

In this issue there is a 12 page article about the leading brands of organic fabric companies, where they are produced, where they are printed and their certification. Also cool patterns for neck pillows and eye patches and an article showing you how to make simple wooden boats with children. As well as a 'how-to' on felting our fleece instead of spinning it....all you need is some roving (or fleece)

I get real joy out of receiving a magazine in the mail....I love to put on the kettle and find a warm spot outside and see what I can find. What about you????

♥♥ Jo