Kate Ward

Cooking with Flowers - part 1

2012-01-26T09:23:00.000+11:00

Just before Christmas my roses were flowering like crazy. They're just outside my back door, and stepping into the garden I was immediately surrounded by their heavenly perfume. It was simply delightful!

The roses were so bountiful I decided to make some Rose Petal Jam. Its really easy and I thought I would share the recipe with you.

Rose Petal Jam

60 roses (petals removed from the stalk)

1kg sugar

1 litre water

1 ts citric acid

Place the rose petals, sugar and water in a large pan and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 20 minutes

Add citric acid and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.

Whilst warm, pour the jam into sterilised jars and seal. (The easiest way is to put them through a dishwasher, or you can wash them in warm soapy water, rinse, and place upside down on a baking tray in a 150 degrees C oven for 30 minutes. The jars should be hot when the jam is ready to pour)

Makes about 6 small jars.

Whilst writing this I remembered that its not always easy to tell when the jam has set. There are a couple of ways to check this.

Keep a small saucer in the freezer and when you think the jam is ready, drop a little bit on the saucer. If the drop gets a skin on it, you know the jam is ready.
Another trick is to use a thermometer. When the temperature reaches 105 degrees C the jam is ready.
Another trick is to omit the citric acid and replace with Jamsetta (available from supermarkets) this takes the guess work out of it and you get great jam, every time.

The great thing with rose petal jam, is that if it doesnt quite set you've got rose water, which you can also use in cooking.

A great recipe to use Rose Petal Jam is Rose and Almond Shortbread. I found this recipe on www.taste.com.au

Rose and Almond Shortbread

180g soft butter
125g (3/4 cup) icing sugar mixture, sifted
1 x 100g pkt almond meal
115g (3/4 cup) plain flour
45g (1/4 cup) white rice flour
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbs rosewater essence (I use rose petal jam watered down)
125g (3/4 cup) icing sugar mixture, extra, to dust

Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease. Use an electric beater to beat together the butter and icing sugar mixture in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the almond meal and sift over the flours and ground cloves. Stir until well combined.
Use your hands to roll heaped tablespoonsful of mixture into 8cm long logs. Shape into crescents and place on prepared trays, about 3cm apart. Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 25 minutes or until cooked through and light golden. Remove from oven.
Lightly brush shortbreads with rosewater essence and set aside on trays for 30 minutes to cool and firm.
Dust shortbreads with extra icing sugar, turning to evenly coat in the sugar. Set aside for a further 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Enjoy! x

Raku with Kevin Boyd

2012-01-19T10:13:00.000+11:00

Hello and Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you had a lovely holiday break. Over the holidays I had the pleasure of attending a week long Raku Firing course with Kevin Boyd at the Canberra Potters Society. Kevin has over 20 years experience in Ceramics and specialises in Naked Raku!

Whilst I found parts of the course challenging (I haven't quite mastered creating forms on the wheel - the clay is still boss!) I also enjoyed learning new techniques and meeting new people.

The first day we made forms for the raku firing. This was the first time I had attempted to make a bottle shape.

On the second day, once the bottle forms were 'leather hard' we applied a terra sig (Terra Sigillata) slip which was then burnished using a soft plastic bag (like the ones from the fruit and veg section in Woolies). Terra Sig is a smooth, lustrous coating of clay which resembles a glaze and is virtually waterproof.

The ceramic forms were bisqued in preparation for the raku firing.

Then they were glazed using the glazes specially formulated for raku. We had the choice of using a crackling glaze, blue or green copper glazes.

Kevin demonstrating the glaze application techniques.

David stoking the raku kiln.

When the ceramic form is pulled hot from the raku kiln, it is then cooled down quickly (by blowing on it). This creates cracks in the glaze and allows the smoke to create black lines on the clay.

The ceramic form is then placed in a garbage bin full of news papers, which ignite from the heat of the ceramics. The bin is sealed with wet news papers. Its the smoke from the fire which creates the black lines on the ceramics.

Pots that have been removed from the garbage bin are cooled with water. This helps the crackled glazed to simply drop off.

My bottle forms emerge from the flames. You can see the different copper glazes on the necks of the bottles, the black is caused by flame and the black lines is where the crackle glaze was applied.

Bits of glaze still stuck to the bottle and were scraped off using a knife. It was a little like peeling eggs.

The finished raku bottles were polished with a bit of bees wax.

Lunch that day was wood fired pizzas cooked by Chris.

And assembled by Marika.

Whilst we were learning Raku and wheel forming, on the other side of the court yard another ceramic course was being taught by Bev Hogg who was demonstrating how to create expressive 3D figurative forms. The results from that class were fabulous (sorry I forgot to take photos). It looks like I might have to participate in Bevs workshop next year :)

Im dreaming of a green Christmas

2011-12-22T10:42:00.000+11:00

Christmas for me is a chance to spend time with family and loved ones. Not a commercial event where so many unwanted gifts end up gathering dust or in the trash. So last year I decided that all my Christmas pressies had to be thoughtful and environmentally friendly!

I set myself some rules: I wanted to give gifts that would be enjoyed, but would have little impact on the environment. So I decided that hampers were the way to go. Recycled baskets from the local opshop were filled with home made jams and chutneys (using recycled glass jars collected throughout the year).

Handmade cards, decorated with beaded snowflakes (which could be reused as Christmas ornaments) labeled each basket, and exotic fruit added a touch of colour. Each basket included a hand printed linen tea towel (by yours truly). Although I didnt make the wine (thats another project on my growing list of things to do!) at least it was in recyclable glass bottles.

Ginger dipped in dark chocolate, and other delicacies were wrapped in grease proof paper and tied with string.

Happily all the contents of my Christmas baskets were biodegradable.

This year my Christmas presents will be handmade again, and I am working within another theme. Its so much fun, but I cant give away any more.... shhhh its a secret until Christmas day x

The House on the Hill

2011-12-16T06:41:00.002+11:00

Just around the corner from me stands a magnificent building that is falling into ruin through years of neglect. Fascinated by is presence and lured in by its air of mystery, a friend and I got a little closer to have a look.

Its the St John's orphanage for boys. A beautiful building, but Im led to believe it has a very sad history.

Many believe the place is haunted. It definitely had a desolate air when we went exploring.

Sadly nearly all the windows in the place have been broken and most of the walls have been graffitied. Rumour has it that a developer has bought it and is planning to turn the building into units.

Lets hope that the building is rescued and loved rather than demolished and redeveloped.

If I were rich I would turn it into a gallery - just imagine!

Granny Square Addiction

2011-12-08T18:07:00.000+11:00

A little while ago, when the weather decided to have a cold spell in the middle of summer, I decided that I should make a blanket (!?) one of my 'seems like a good idea at the time' ideas. I thought it would be a good way to pass the time on a train trip to Melbourne and back. The trip to Melbourne unfortunately didnt eventuate.... but I have lots of odds and ends from all my knitting projects, so a scrap blanket to use up these bits seemed like a good idea.

I did some google searching to get some inspiration and found this delightful idea

image courtesy of www.lushlee.com

image courtesy of posy.typepad.com

And the pattern for these groovy granny squares can be found here

Amongst my searching many blogs warned about the addiction to granny squares. Throwing caution to the wind I commenced my first granny square. It was only then that I realised that I was hooked (ha ha - excuse the terrible pun!) and was finding all sorts of excuses to create another square.

Thankfully my friend had lent me the Mad Men series and I could fulfil two addictions at once - admiring the 1950's glamour of the advertising industry and create granny squares at the same time.... ah bliss.

So far Ive created 40 little circles and completed 20 squares.... my aim is a 10 x 10 granny square rug, so I need 100 squares in total.... looks like I'd better go and watch another episode of Mad Men so that I can get closer to my target :)

Three French Hens go on an adventure

2011-11-27T13:48:00.006+11:00

My three French hens have been getting ready to go on a BIG adventure.

They've packed their bags and have left their farm in rural France to go travelling and see the world.

First stop...... Paris, of course!

Here are some holiday snaps of them in front of the Eiffel Tower. They are amazed at how beautiful the structure is...

Three French hens in Paris is a limited edition tea towel print of 15. You can find them at Strathnairn Gallery in Canberra until Christmas or online.

I have been flicking through inspiring magazines and found a lovely image by UK textile artist Julie Black. She creates beautiful images by layering, stitching and embellishing fabrics. Below is an image of her work....

Julie Black's work inspired my French hens to be appliqued rather than screenprinted. And I love the result. Stay tuned to see where the Three French Hens visit next.

Featured in Womans Day

2011-11-17T13:17:00.002+11:00

I was flicking through Womans Day (as you do) after a little bird told me that my Paris Balcony Heart cushion was featured in The Style File....

And here it is

You can buy the Paris Heart Cushion online at Blue Caravan - an online site which supports and promotes direct trade with emerging and independent designers. They insist on ethical production both locally and overseas, and love fairtrade or sweat-free certification. Blue Caravan believe that objects ‘warmed’ bydesigners, artists and artisans have aquality like no other… and that ‘ethical’is no longer a choice separated fromstyle and design.

My kinda thinking too :)

Cottage Update

2011-11-11T08:54:00.000+11:00

At the beginning of the year I promised to post some updates on my project for 2011 - my little cottage. This is what it looked like when I first moved in

Not a lot has happened since then.

The gaps between the stones at the front of the house have been filled and whilst we were doing so, one friendly neighbour enquired (during the height of mouse season) if we were doing this to mouse-proof the house!

Thankfully I havent had to share my house with those little furry creatures.... Im sure having a savage guard cat helps with that!

Ive probably spent most time playing in the garden - the house was looking a little bare at the front so I planted roses, and a whole lot of other flowering plants - it was my intention to fill the gardens with plants which either smelt delicious or were edible. The garden is a blank canvas - just full of grass which I am hoping one day to fill with a cottage garden and a small urban orchard.

So far Ive planted a quince tree, persimmon tree and a pomegranate bush. If Im lucky I might be able to squeeze one or two more in - Im thinking perhaps a fig and an apricot. And maybe a lemon in a pot? They have to be fruit trees which have pretty foliage and fruit suitable for making jam.

This one managed to squeeze in despite my intention of a perfumed and edible garden. It was just too pretty to refuse.

Not much has been touched of the interior. It still is in its original condition. Wrinkly grey rental carpet and all. Even choosing the 'right white' posed problems. All the new modern colours simply looked wrong and I ended up choosing one called Princess Bling - its all in the name you know! :)

If you look closely in this photo you can see the varying shades of white on the walls, trying to cover the nicotine cream walls. Ive managed to use some of my screenprinted fabrics as curtains.

A sketch of the hallway

The junk room was finally converted into the guest room after I found a matching iron bed in a local op shop.

Luckily one or two of the rosebushes in the backyard had survived after years of neglect and drought. Look at them now!

Despite being here for less than a year it already holds many happy memories. Its a happy house.

This is how the little cottage looks now its been painted soft smoky grey with slate grey trim - my next big project is to find some visually appealing screens for the windows like those seen in Europe.

Im also looking for the perfect name for it. Any suggestions?

Queanbeyan Art Trail 2011

2011-11-04T10:29:00.011+11:00

Last weekend I participated in an Arts Trail around Queanbeyan hosted by Georgina from the Queanbeyan City Council. We had a glorious day and I saw some studios that I didnt know existed, and visited some galleries Ive been meaning to go to for quite some time.

First stop was scones jam and cream at Benedict House. Kate Shelton, the clever lady who lives and is the brains behind it has just published a book 'love of a laminex table' and it looks fascinating.... the photo was taken after we had indulged in morning tea - and it looks a little like the Mad Hatters Party :)

Then we went to Curtis Glass Studio - tucked behind a house, next to a pet store, I didnt realise this place existed. We were very fortunate and had a personal demonstration on how glass is blown by Mathew Curtis and his two young sons as assistants .... amazing! We got front row seats :)

Following that we then visited Cheryl Hodges- an amazing botanical water colourist ... I couldnt resist and bought a couple of her prints on cards, including the image below

By this stage we were ready for lunch which was served (with bubbles - of course) in the dappled shade under the lilac blossoms of wisteria at the back of Ouh Wah! Gallery. I enjoyed the meal so much I totally forgot to take a picture.

Bubbles with lunch had set the tone for the afternoon and when we arrived at the newly opened Form Gallery we were greeted with a glass of red. Owned by printmaker Claire Primrose and showing works by Claire, Maxine Price (Claire's mum who makes beautiful ceramics) and Paul Summerfield. Maxine has just finished a series on Bess of Hardwick who was the most amazing woman who was the second richest lady in 16th C England. Second only to the Queen! A pretty amazing feat considering there were laws that women couldnt own property at that time!

Our last stop of the day was the Artist Shed Studios. Here we were welcomed with more bubbles, a live band and a tour of the studios and galleries. Ive been meaning to check this place out for quite some time, so it was nice to finally see it :)

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day. A big thank you to Georgina and Queanbeyan City Council for putting together a delicious feast of art and food. Well done!

Mud - My new love!

2011-10-27T20:13:00.005+11:00

Have I told you about my latest obsession?

Ive just started a course with the intention of learning how to translate my designs onto ceramics (after years of not wanting to get my hands dirty) I am now elbow deep in mud..... and I love it!

There is something magical about the transformation from clay to pot, and then there's the alchemy of glazing too. I have a feeling that I am about to embark on a new journey of adventure :)

I've discovered you can carve into clay, just like a lino print. The effects are amazing!

Ive experienced a wood firing - now I know why potters love this effect - the ash produced can flavour the clay and glazes (above) and you get different results using the same glazes in a gas or electric kiln.

Above is a 'before' image, the tea bowl is coated with shino and temaku glaze in stripes. And below is how it looks after being fired in a wood kiln.

I love love love it! :)

Design Spark Article

2011-10-20T20:00:00.001+11:00

Wow!

I was flicking through the latest publication of the Design Institute of Australia and discovered an article on the Interwoven Exhibition I participated in earlier this year. To my delight the large image is of my screen printed fabric covered tea pots.

How very cool :)

A big thanks to Pip Wilkinson for organising the exhibition and article.

Canberra Times Review

2011-10-12T10:10:00.002+11:00

How marvelous!

My Shibori Silk Stole was mentioned by the esteemed Canberran art critic, Sasha Grishin.

"Kate Ward's Pomegranate, 2011, a sik shibori stole, is another work which holds attention and has its own sense of presence."

To read the article in its entirety double click on the image below.

Works selected for display in home

2011-10-07T08:03:00.002+11:00

Some of my prints have been selected by a client for display in their home whilst the house is on the market for sale. Because all the furniture has been removed it made the ideal space to display some of my fabric prints. If you look closely in the picture above you can see 'red knit print' as a canvas on the back wall.

The client was looking for some bold fabrics and my 'knit print' is the perfect feature within the neutral tones of the cottage - hinting at the possibilities the living spaces provide.

Mum's visit

2011-09-29T08:59:00.002+10:00

Mum came to visit me the other day to enjoy some country air.

She disappeared for a while and I found her drawing vignettes of my house.

Above is in the guest bedroom featuring a favourite cat toy I found at the Craft Fair in Tasmania last year.

And this is the other end of the bed..... Mum has the amazing ability to see beauty in my mess!

Silk Shibori Stoles

2011-09-21T07:04:00.009+10:00

My latest shibori silk stoles have been selected to be exhibited in the Creative Alchemy exhibition at the Belconnen Arts Centre. The show promises to be quite a visual feast with over 60 works by 40 artists, all responding to the theme 'Creative Alchemy'.

The word 'alchemy' conjures up ideas of mystery and intregue: genies in bottles, magic carpets, the Middle East, the exotic and transformations of the sate of being. My works are created by manipulating silk and transforming it into a permanent three dimensional object using shibori techniques. The silk is then dyed using exotic ingredients which originated in the Middle East: saffron and pomegranate - alluding to the magic of food that transforms our bodies and souls.

This is my first experience of dying with natural colours, and Ive really enjoyed the process. I quite like that it is non toxic, and can be done in my kitchen at home. I have a feeling this may be the beginning of an adventure as I explore dying with other natural colours.

In conjunction with the Creative Alchemy exhibition, artist of international acclaim Julie Ryder will exhibit her work in Creative Alchemy II. Julie's fascinating work explores the marks made by the chemical reaction of bacteria and moulds which occur between vegetable matter and natural fibres.

(detail of Julie Ryder's work)

The exhibition opens at 6pm on Friday 23 September 2011 at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

National Gallery of Australia Commission

2011-09-16T09:42:00.004+10:00

I have been working with the National Gallery of Australia over the past couple of months to create an image of the new entrance to the gallery which will be printed onto tea towels. After several design variations they decided on the one below....

They were printed and delivered last week :)

New Spring Designs

2011-09-09T07:25:00.002+10:00

I wander'd lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'ver vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils.

Daffodils, William Wordsworth 1804

I have been inspired by the change of season and developed a new design which captures the exuberant nature of Spring. 'Flower Power' - a bunch of flowers growing out of the roof of Canberra's Parliament House!

Printed onto onesies, tea towels and bags this design is available exclusively at Shop Handmade in Canberra and my online store.

I caught my cat snoozing amongst the flowers that inspired the drawing yesterday - too cute! x

Enlightened Fabrics

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000+10:00

A couple of months ago I teamed up with the very clever Jane from Honi and Lemon who transformed my screen printed fabrics into lampshades. Jane breathes new life into lampshades, recycling the frames of old shades and the lamp bases are upcycled too!

This shade with the Lake Burley Griffin scene has made its way to Shop Handmade in Canberra.

Each shade is bespoke, one of a kind and perfect for adding a touch of individuality within a room......

The Thrice Knitted Jumper

2011-08-25T08:51:00.002+10:00

Despite the heat of summer, earlier this year I bought some beautiful hand dyed wool from Rainbow Wools. It was multicoloured in various hues of blue and green with flecks of maroon and it reminded me of the gemstone Opal. It was love at first sight and I just had to have it!

I have always shied away from knitting with variegated wool because of the 'tiger striping' effect which can occur when it is knitted up. I wanted a pattern that would enhance the wool and it took me several goes before I found the right pattern.

My first attempt was to try cables but the pattern itself was too dominating ....

Then I tried a mock rib stitch..... this was better, but the end result was a rather stiff and heavy jumper. I simply had to undo it and try again.

Whilst flicking through my Mum's vast collection of knitting patterns I stumbled across this rather fetching 1980's drop shoulder, cowl-neck sweater from a pattern book called Crucci Greatest Hits - Volume Seven. How could I resist a jumper which came from a pattern book which sounded more like a night club compilation than a knitting book :)

(plus the pattern met my prerequisite of having a high neck - most important for surviving cold winters in the Southern Tablelands- and it has a pocket!)

This is the end result - the double moss stitch beautifully enhances the colours in the variegated wool. The knitted fabric is much softer than the mock rib stitch and the pattern works perfectly with the dropped sleeves. Knitting my first pocket was fun too!

Phew! Well, those skeins of wool turned out to be very good value since I knitted the equivalent of three jumpers from the wool!

Now that I have completed this knitting project I have now turned my attentions to another hand dyed raspberry and chocolate variegated yarn - wish me luck!

Nets Exhibition at Barometer Gallery

2011-08-18T09:54:00.005+10:00

I was lucky enough to have my work Necklace (below) selected to be part of a group textile exhibition which has been shown as part of the VI International Biennial Contemporary Textile Art in Oaxaca in Mexico earlier this year.

Necklace is knitted from recycled plastic bags and then heat is applied to make the fabric rigid. More details can be found in an earlier post on my blog. Click here to go to the post.

The exhibition has travelled back to Australia and was on show at the Barometer Gallery in Sydney in early August 2011. Artists involved in the show are: Catherine Dabron, Wendy Dodd, Gabriella Hegyes, Paula Hilyard, Barbara Jackson, Liz Jeneid, Lynne Johnson, Valerie Kirk, Jenny Manning, Maryanne Mussared, Marli Popple, Nancy Tingey, Monique Van Nieuwland and Katherine White.

Images of the Barometer exhibition are courtesy of Valerie Kirk.

Featured in Style

2011-08-09T07:29:00.003+10:00

The lovely ladies at Style Magazine, the essential lifestyle guide for rural and regional NSW, made the journey to visit us at the Handmade Markets, Canberra in June this year.

They dropped by to say hi - and it was lovely to meet them face to face after communicating by email....

I think they might've had a lot of fun discovering all the lovely handmade things at the markets :)

They even published a picture of my cushions (bottom of page 55).

Click on the images for a larger image if you would like to read the article.

Enjoy! x

Green Walnut Liquor & Winter Sunshine

2011-07-29T12:10:00.004+10:00

At the beginning of this year I decided to make some green walnut liquor. I had been inspired by an Italian interior designer I met whilst I was working in London who told me the process involved in making it. It involved picking the green fruit on a certain day of the year (St Johns Day June 24, the equivalent to our December 24), the fermentation process which required moving the fruit steeped in liquor so that it sat on a window sill that got the morning light, and then moved to another window sill to absorb the afternoon light. This was to be done for 40 nights and 40 days - before adding a sugar syrup and setting it to rest for 6 months.

I could just envisage a jar of the green walnut liquor sitting on a window sill in Tuscany and was romanced by the idea. Plus the liquor is so fragrant and exotic, I simply had to try making some. Mum just happens to have a walnut tree in her back yard which provides the most beautiful dappled shade in summer.

Picking the green walnuts using one of my recycled plastic bag crochet baskets to gather the fruit.

The green walnuts soaking in vodka with cinnamon and lemon.

After 40 days and 40 nights the walnuts turn black.

The finished liquor.

Making the most of the sunshine in my kitchen (and a partially restored cabinet - rescued from the side of the road).

My kitchen gets the most glorious sunshine on winter days, so I decided to make the most of its warmth yesterday by finishing the green walnut liquor which had been languishing, neglected on the top of my fridge for a number of months. It tastes pretty good already, Im looking forward to sharing it with friends and family.

Well, thats one project Ive finished which I can cross of my list. You'll be pleased to know that Ive almost finished the thrice knitted jumper - it just needs to be sewn together.

If you would like the recipe for green walnut liquor click here for an article which was published earlier this year in the Canberra Times Food and Wine section. It also has a recipe for Cherry Plum jam which is also incredibly delicious.

Enjoy! x

Scarves and unfinished projects

2011-07-22T07:30:00.007+10:00

I have been inspired to complete some of my unfinished projects by a friend who posted an entry on her blog about the same thing 'Finish it up Friday' . She wrote a list of all her unfinished projects, and every friday has to post an update of the projects she has finished.

Well, recently I unearthed some beautiful handspun and dyed wool from Wool Dancer I bought about this time last year. Her wools are aptly described as art yarn - and they are truly beautiful and unique.

Inspired, I decided to finish them and this is what they look like.....

I made up the pattern as I went, one was knitted using 1cm knitting needles... 15 stitches wide and about 49cm long.

I just love the soft colours in this - the wool is also incredibly soft too - like being wrapped in cloud....

The other one was crochet using a 1cm hook - I ran out of yarn halfway so I joined in some grey that I had in my wool stash.

This one is also about 15cm wide and 50cm long and made using single chain stitch.

I love the grey spun baubles which are tightly twisted into the pumpkins and purples of this yarn...

My sister modelling her new scarf...

You may be wondering what my other projects are that are on my to finish list? Well, a number of them are knitting projects.

Jumper knitted using blue/green variegated wool (knitted and unraveled twice so far)
Jumper knitted using raspberry / chocolate variegated wool (knitted and unraveled twice as well!) - I fall in love with wool and buy it without a project in mind and then find it incredibly difficult to find a pattern which suits the wool.
Lace scarf using 2 ply grey mohair
lace scarf using special NZ wool

Some of them are cooking projects:

Finish making Noccino (green walnut liquor)
Make some Lemoncello (lemon liquor)

Some are sewing projects:

Make a quilt - put together patchwork blocks from a Patchwork Bee I participated in (also organised by Jules from RelishAustralia)
Sew curtains from my handprinted fabrics for my house.

I promise Ill post updates on how I get on finishing my projects - but it may not be as regular as every Friday! x

Home is where the heart is

2011-07-15T17:24:00.003+10:00

I have been fossicking around some old houses lately and wanted to share some of the amazing things Ive seen...

An old slab hut - such a HUGE chimney - probably needed it to keep warm during the freezing winter months we are currently enduring

I just love the way this door has been painted

A wall covered with old cutouts from magazines...

Inside the old slab hut... amazing to think its been like this (abandoned) for 25 years.

This little place didn't even have running water or electricity connected.

A renovators delight :)

O to own such a piece of history. I hope it doesn't get bought by a developer.

* The spell checker didn't recognise fossicking.... turns out its a word generally used in Australia and originated in Cornwall.

Teaching Screen printing at Megalo

2011-07-08T10:18:00.007+10:00

Every Thursday night for the past 6 weeks I have been teaching a Screenprinting class at Megalo.

Class participants are taught the basics of screenprinting: using paper cut stencils, photo emulsion stencils, registration for two or more colours, and how to create basic repeat patterns.

Sherree printing using a photo-emulsed screen (above)

Big smiles from Steph as she displays her Gaudi Towers - created using one screen and repeating the image. (above)

More smiles from Bonnie as she displays her bows - created using one screen and repeating the image.

(above)

Sam printing her paper stencil lion (above)

Sam's lion using a combination of paper cut stencil and photo-emulsion techniques (above)

Carly's amazing 7 colour print which was then sewn into a dress - her first ever screenprinting project! (above)

Sophia's Marilyn repeat experimenting with shade and colour (above)

By the end of the 6 weeks we were printing repeat lengths of fabric. Above is Suzy's repeat inspired by lichen. (above)

The group had such fun that on the last evening everyone chose to print onto a tea towel as a momento of the class. (above)

Yum! The delicious colours of Permaset

2011-07-01T10:39:00.004+10:00

Last weekend at the 'Meet the Makers' at Gaffa Gallery in Sydney I met some interesting people and heard some fascinating stuff.

Along with meeting the other lovely designers in the show I met David from Permaset, who told me all about his inks.

Permaset's screenprinting inks are 100% solvent free (they contain no toxic chemicals, lead or other heavy metals). The inks are environmentally friendly, being water based which makes cleaning up easy too. Better yet, Permaset is an Australian company and the inks are made in Sydney.

I think this is fabulous! Locally made inks which do not pollute our environment...... and they come in a delicious range of vibrant colours which have been tested and proved to be 'light fast' (ie they will not fade in our harsh Australian sun).

Best yet, I was given a set of coloured inks to play with. I look forward to printing lots of different designs with these new delicious colours. A big thank you to David and Permaset for their generosity and support x

Creative Uses for Tea Towels

2011-06-24T09:31:00.000+10:00

A friend of mine bought one of my Knit print tea towels at the June Handmade Markets with the intention of using it as upholstery fabric. She has just sent me some 'before' and 'after' images of her ottoman:

Before (above)

After (above)

She says "This little ottoman has got a new life now and all because of your beautiful screen printed fabric!! I think it looks wonderful with your nice stitches pattern on it. Thank you very much Kate!"

Other people have told me that they buy my screen printed tea towels and frame them, and others have bought the tea towels with the intention of turning them into cushion covers.

I think they are all such fabulous ideas - and it's lovely to see my designs inspiring creativity in others x

Environment Inspired Art - Article

2011-06-21T08:30:00.002+10:00

Ive just managed to get a copy of this article which was published a couple of weeks ago in the Canberra Northside Chronicle - it discusses my inspiration for my work 'Modern Tree (Hope)' which was created for the Footprints Exhibition.

Click on the image to see a larger version of the article.

Enjoy!

Interwoven Exhibition at Gaffa Gallery, Sydney

2011-06-17T09:51:00.007+10:00

My work has been selected to be part of Interwoven, an annual exhibition curated and coordinated by the Design Institute of Australia.

I drove up to Sydney on Wednesday to set up my works for the show. I was allocated a small room which had three walls - I decided to transform the space into a Lounge Room using my fabrics, as curtains, upholstery fabric, cushions, lampshade and as wall art.

Three of my designs are featured: Gingko; Knit; and Cloud stitch.

To make the fabric lengths look more like curtains I hung an old stained glass window between one pair (above).

And a small painting of the view from my kitchen window between the other.

I also commissioned an Creatif Upholstery to transform an old chair I found using some of my knit fabric - he did a fabulous job! The lovely Jane from Honi and Lemon, also transformed some of my Gingko fabric into a lampshade (you can see it in the top photo - more pictures of this to come, I promise!)

The exhibition is on at the Gaffa Gallery in Sydney from 16 - 27 June 2011.

Gaffa Gallery is in a beautiful heritage listed building in the CBD and is spread over three floors. There is a small cafe on the ground floor - delicious aromas of ground coffee spill out onto the street and waft through the space - along with a divine gift store also on the ground floor. It is definitely worth a visit!

Ill be going back for the 'Meet the Makers' on Saturday 25 June 2011. Maybe Ill see you there x

Sneak Preview of News Designs at the Handmade Markets on Saturday

2011-06-09T15:05:00.003+10:00

Its almost time for the fabulous Canberra Handmade Markets.... count down has begun with only 2 sleeps to go before the BIG day.

I have been busy developing new designs and colours specially for the event!

Organic Cotton Onesie with Aqua Lyrebird

Organic Cotton Long Sleeve TShirt with hand drawn Lake Burley Griffin scene.

Lightweight Cotton scarf with new Water Urn Stitch print

Red Knit print on cotton cushion 45 x 45cm

It will be held again in the Convention Centre, Civic which is a fabulous light filled venue. A perfect outing for the cold grey Canberra winter which has descended upon us!

Come along to see all the beautiful handmade goodies - I look forward to seeing you there

If you are unable to drop in to the markets - you can always browse my online store.

Modern Tree (Hope)

2011-06-07T07:40:00.002+10:00

How delightful!

The Canberra Weekly Magazine has published an image of my Modern Tree (Hope) as part of an article on the Footprints Exhibition I am currently in at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

The show opened last Friday evening and it is definitely worth a visit.

The exhibition is on until 19 June 2011.

Repeat Repeat Exhibition

2011-06-02T08:19:00.001+10:00

The brief for this exhibition was to create repeat lengths of fabric. Each artist could submit up to three printed lengths of material either in three different colourways or three different designs.

The inspiration for my work draws from my continued fascination of light and shadows, positive and negative spaces - for Repeat Repeat the starting point was to draw the positive and negative spaces when yarn is looped consecutively to create a knitted fabric on a large scale.

Printing the negative spaces (above)

Printing the Positive (above)

Having printed the lengths above I discovered through isolating areas of the design, interesting geometric forms emerged.

Repeating the negative space of the 'stitch' discovered in the first Knit print.

I continued to explore how these geometric forms looked when put into a repeat pattern. The result is a variety of fabrics some of which are easily identified as knitting, and others which play tricks on the eye - is the design the printed or the negative space on the fabric?

Individual knit stitch repeated on a smaller scale

individual knit stitch repeated in a different geometric configuration.

The exhibition opens on Thursday 9 June at Megalo.

Footprints Exhibition

2011-05-26T08:52:00.005+10:00

I was selected to participate in the Footprints exhibition by a selection panel which consisted of representatives from the ANU School of Art and the Belconnen Arts Centre.

The exhibition explores the impact of cultural, spiritual, environmental and economic footprints which we as a society and as individuals are leaving on our environment. The selected artists explore how the impact of environmental and social changes have affected and altered their artistic visions and practices.

Artists were asked to consider and respond to the theme of the impact of cultural, spiritual, environmental and economic footprints being left on our environment.

My submission was inspired by my experiences living in London. Often, in council estates were high density housing, (the term concrete jungle is apt!), there would be planted a token tree. Despite all odds, the tree would be flourishing and continuing to grow - even though water to its roots was hampered by the concrete paving, and it was surrounded on all sides by closely built dwellings. It shows that trees, and plants, are resilient and can grow despite all odds - offering hope and life to those around us.

Another memory I have from the same area is an image of a tree in the middle of winter. Its limbs were bare, yet caught in the branches were plastic bags, fluttering like jewels on the breeze against a clear blue sky (most unusual for London winters!) I captured this image on my iphone, but unfortunately it was lost in my relocation back to Australia.

My work created for this exhibition utilises a found piece of bark, embroidered with recycled plastic bags from Sainsbury's supermarket. From a distance, the orange plastic bag seems to merge with the bark - reminding me a little of lichen.

Footprints opens Friday 2 June at 6pm at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

Blog Love - Her Canberra

2011-05-20T14:28:00.002+10:00

Theres a lot of blog love going on and I would like to thank Her Canberra for featuring me on their blog recently. Its a wonderful online magazine for Canberra women by Canberra women. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to be featured!

There is a lot happening in my studio at the moment as I work towards Repeat Repeat, an exhibition of fabric lengths at Megalo, followed by more textile design for Interwoven exhibition in Sydney, coordinated by the Design Institute of Australia. Im also working towards Footprints, another selected group show at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

In the midst of all this I am also creating new wares for the next Handmade Market in Canberra in June.

Ill post some images of my creations as they develop, in the meantime I caught La Nina dancing in the sunlight....

La Nina in The Edge

2011-05-17T07:56:00.005+10:00

Last week I completed La Nina - a dress made entirely from knitted and crochet recycled plastic bags - which was selected to be in the sculpture show 'The Edge' at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

The sculpture is life size and approximately 1m high and 50cm diameter. She gently twirls and dances as she catches the breeze as you walk past ...... La Nina was created using over 100 recycled plastic shopping bags, mainly from Woolworths. I enjoy using discarded objects to create something of beauty and to change perceptions of the materials used.

La Nina also creates beautiful shadows and I captured some in the afternoon light - it's going to be an interesting study to watch the shadows as they dance over the gallery walls from early to late afternoon.

The Edge is an interesting exhibition. Although it is a sculpture show, many of the pieces in it are created using textile techniques - fascinating and well worth a visit to the Belconnen Arts Centre.

There is a Meet the Artist talk at 2pm, Sunday 22 May. The exhibition runs until Sunday 29 May 2011.

La Nina

2011-05-07T10:31:00.004+10:00

Yes, another knitting project using recycled plastic bags......

This time its a life size dress for The Edge, an exhibition at the Belconnen Arts Centre of sculptural works by the Canberra region's top emerging and established sculptures.

The brief was to respond to living on the edge, questioning how does place influence us? How does space affect our responses, our actions our dreams? How do we interject ourselves into the universe? How do we live on the edge?

My response was La Nina.

Peruvian fishermen named the extreme weather condition la nina (the girl, the gift giver) because the cold water brought to the South America's coast a flux of marine life which increased the fisherman's catch. Meanwhile on the other side of the world, countries like Australia have experienced severe flooding. Thought to be an effect of global warming, Earth is on the edge of climate change. The garment refers to Peruvian traditional dress, and the net-like knitting alludes to the nets the Peruvian fishermen use to catch the fish.

I have lost count of how many plastic bags I have recycled for this project, but its definitely well into the hundreds....

The exhibition opens on Friday 13 May at 6pm and continues until Sunday 29 May 2011, at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

Come along to see how the twelve selected artists have responded to the topic.

Recycled Lace Lampshades

2011-04-21T10:48:00.004+10:00

This week I knitted the final stitches, cast off, ironed and created two recycled lace lampshades using recycled plastic bags.

About thirty bags were recycled and you can see the different hues of greens and greys in the image above. The heat process seems to intensify the colours in the plastic. In keeping with the recycled ethos the lamp bases were found in second hand stores around town.

The shades were commissioned by an avid collector of objects made from recycled bits'n'pieces and when I delivered them I was shown her extraordinary collection: bags made from woven recycled paper, old chip wrappers and the pull tops from aluminium cans.

Its amazing the clever and beautiful things people can make from rubbish!

Designs for Repeat Repeat Exhibition

2011-04-16T10:08:00.005+10:00

I have been invited by Megalo Print Studio to be part of Repeat Repeat, an exhibition of screen printed fabric lengths in June 2011.

This is a fantastic opportunity for me to explore some ideas which have been floating around for some time - as well as creating some fabrics for my house.

Idea # 1 is a continuation of an idea which was originally exhibited as a water colour in London - enlarged knitting.

I am particularly interested in the patterns which occur in the negative spaces....

So I started printing using different hues of blue and green. It started to remind me of the zillij mosaics found in Morocco.

Not convinced about the blues, I then tried a bold single colour....

Fun! I can imagine Red Knit as curtains - now I want to print this design in lots of bold colours: pink, orange, green ....... and imagine it as the upholstery for chair - groovy! I've found an old chair which would be perfect for this.... stay tuned to see the next installment

My Sisters House

2011-04-12T07:23:00.004+10:00

Last weekend was spent at my sister's house. Our project was to transform the back room in a weekend.

My sister's house is a magical place, with big thick walls, deeply set windows, tin roof and a wide verandah which wraps around the front of the house.

Most of the light switches are cords which seem to stretch forever up to the 12 foot high, pressed metal ceilings and the kitchen has an old wood fire for the stove.

It reminds me of my Grandpa's farm house which was a grand old place that used to sit on a hill overlooking paddocks of wheat, cows and sheep.

Anyhow, we got stuck into work. Cracks in the brickwork were filled with concrete, old flaky paint was scrapped off and new paint covered the lilac purple hue of yesteryear. (note the two bottles of french champagne that feature on the shelf).

At the end of a hard day's work we relaxed in front of the first fire of the season.

On the very cool green velour lounge x

Introduction to Screenprinting at Megalo

2011-04-02T19:09:00.005+11:00

Every Thursday night for the past 6 weeks I have been teaching the Introduction to Screenprinting class at Megalo.

Class participants are taught the basics of screenprinting: using paper cut stencils, photo emulsion stencils, registration for two or more colours, and how to create basic repeat patterns.

Below are some of the results of the class. I really enjoy the teaching process - its amazing how the same process can result in such different imagery and ideas.

Fantastic layering of colour and size of imagery .....

Beautiful three colour prints using a combination of paper and photo emulsion stencils.

Great placement printing incorporating different coloured inks, printed in different layers to create depth

A two colour design printed using the t-shirt jig. What a shame I don't have a detailed image of the design to 'show-off' the precise registration achieved!

Another design created on the Tshirt jig using photo emulsed screen.

A two colour print (white and black) using both paper and photo emulsion screens.

There were two others in the class who also had some interesting imagery: delicate pencil drawings of native flora printed over red dots; and the effects of layering transparent and opaque inks - but I totally forgot to take photos of these in the rush to finish everything in our last class.

I am very impressed with how quickly everyone got the hang of it and transformed their ideas into prints onto fabric.

Well done everyone ! :)

Reflections: beauty in every day moments

2011-03-28T21:46:00.005+11:00

Whilst rummaging through a stack of DVD's looking for a particular image I found one with a whole lot of piccies taken with my phone whilst in London. They made me happy and I wanted to share the love with you....

There were a few recurring themes in my phone photos: reflections; lamps; and food!

I think this demonstrates you really need to carry a camera with you everywhere to capture the beauty in every day moments.......

My first house warming presents

2011-03-24T13:14:00.006+11:00

Whilst wandering past the shop front of a local antiques dealer this delightful light blue set of kitchen scales caught my eye.

Perfect for jam making AND the perfect colour for my kitchen I couldn't resist and bought them using a house warming cash gift.

They are pictured here helping with their first recipe - quince jam. The fruit was also gifted to me following my reputation as a jam maker :)

Yummmm

Lovebirds Embroidery

2011-03-21T22:27:00.003+11:00

It seems like Autumn is suddenly upon us with foggy mornings, rainy afternoons and chilly evenings - all which suddenly make me want to curl up inside my house and be crafty and creative.

My latest screen printed design has been printed onto a heavy linen fabric and can be used as an embroidery panel for those so inclined. Yesterday I couldn't resist the urge to see how one would look if I embroidered it. So I got out the embroidery threads, made a cup of tea, threaded the needle and got started .... this is what it looks like with simple daisy chain leaves and french knot flowers .....

How much fun :) and the wonderful thing is the design is open to interpretation.

If you like my embroidery panels and would like to make one too - you can buy them from my online store www.madeit.com.au/kateward

Happy Creating x

Parisian Chic Bag Design Launch and Give Away

2011-03-20T17:48:00.008+11:00

Designed and launched at the Poppyseed Markets today, the Parisian Chic bag which has many different uses. You can see in the image below a picture of the design turned into a stuffed toy or travel pillow, and below it in the same image the design printed on the shoulder bag.

The fun thing about this bag is it lets your creativity take over to create something individual and beautiful: stretch the design over a cheap frame to turn it into a print to decorate your walls, embroider it, cut it up and stuff it - or simply use it as a bag.

Or you could create an easter gift for someone special :) The fun thing is that the bag comes with instructions, so if you wish to make a stuffed chook - you can!

Stay tuned, Ill post a tutorial so that you can transform your bag into a much loved toy.

For a chance to win this beautiful toy, simply become a friend on Facebook by following the links on the right hand side of my blog. The winner will be announced on Monday 18 April - just before Easter. Good Luck x

New Designs for the Poppyseed Markets

2011-03-18T18:18:00.003+11:00

This Sunday from 10 am - 2 pm I will be at the first Poppyseed Market to be held in Canberra at

The Abbey Function Centre

Federation Square

O'Hanlon Place

NICHOLLS (Gold Creek)

Poppyseed markets has quite a following in Sydney and is known for its quality handmade, vintage and chabby chic goods ......

My latest design is a dual purpose bag: tote, stuffed toy, embroidery panel. Designed with Easter in mind, and a need to collect lots of Easter Eggs from the Easter Bunny, the Ooh La La Hen has been printed onto a calico tote.

Once you have enjoyed all the chocolate you possibly can - you have the option to cut out the hen design and turn it into a toy, or cushion, or embroidery panel - the choice is yours. The design measures approximately 30cm and is printed onto a tote which measures 34 x 40 cm with a side gusset.

Happy Creating x

Other Projects and inspiration

2011-03-12T12:51:00.004+11:00

Some of you have been wondering what I get up to when Im not creating art..... well, I have just moved into a little cottage and this is going to be my project for this year.

It is a very pretty little place and would be called in Real Estate speak 'a renovators delight'.

I love its rustic charms and I have decided that I wont change very much of it.... probably just painting and some gardening will do the trick.

I love the kitchen and a lot of creative alchemy goes on in here....

And this is the view from my kitchen. I think Im very lucky to have such a beautiful view of chimney pots and tin roofs.

And it has already inspired a drawing from a page I rescued from the book binding course I attended a couple of weekends ago: 'Robbery Under Arms' the book written about the bush ranger Captain Starlight. It has such beautiful prose I am inspired to read the rest of the novel.

Other things I love about my new abode:

I can hear the church bells ring on the hour
My kitchen drain gurgles like a babbling brook
I have a cupboard in the chimney
The old claw bath in the bathroom
Two tiny little windows in the lounge room either side of the fire place
The postman says hello when he delivers the mail

Well, Im off to do a bit of painting (weather permitting). Next time you see the front of my house the colour scheme will have changed, and there just might be a garden :)

Knitwear becomes Sculpture

2011-03-06T10:35:00.007+11:00

With the chill in the air of the impending change of seasons, my fingers are itching to start knitting....

So I picked up some needles and reworked some yarn I bought earlier in the year from Rainbow Wools. I absolutely love the blues, greens and greys in the variegated yarn but Ive been struggling to find a pattern which would suit the wool.

After starting and unraveling for the third time, I decided to play with texture to create the pattern of the jumper. Using a stitch called Mock Rib which is K1 P1 (repeated) for the first row, and then knit for the second row - so very easy - the wool has knitted into a beautiful textured fabric which makes the colours of the yarn sing.

Some amazing things can be created using knitting and Scandinavian Sandra Becklund has created some visually stunning pieces.

I don't think my jumper will look anything like these creations, but they are fun to look at and very inspirational :)

Autumn Harvest and Half Hearted Days

2011-03-04T20:35:00.010+11:00

Today whilst I was driving home something red in the trees caught my eye. I slowed down to check it out and to my delight it was a wild apple tree growing by the side of the road.

It must've been serendipitous because only moments before I was thinking I should make some chutney with some old apples I had in the fridge which were perfect for jamming, but too floury to eat.

I couldn't resist temptation and I picked a basket full of the delightful tiny fruit.

Amazingly the majority were unspoilt by bugs and insects. They look like they could be Gala apples- although Im not terribly good with apple varieties. They are sweet and tart to eat.

And so cute and photogenic!

Anyway they inspired me to get cooking. Last week a friend of mine was telling me about Apple Butter she used to eat with fried biscuits (like a scone, apparently its an American thing) so I was curious to see how you make it.

I found a recipe which looked pretty easy to make and got started. I choose it because I didn't have an apple peeler and the idea of peeling each of the tiny apples was pretty unappealing....

So I cut and cooked the apples in a water and vinegar solution and they were starting to soften nicely. The next stage of the recipe called for the boiled apples to be passed through a sieve - this sounded too hard to me - so I just blended them together and then added the sugar and spices....... It wasn't until the end of the cooking that I realised that straining the mixture gives it the 'buttery' texture. Because I was in a half hearted mood I had just made thick apple sauce! Its still yummy though and now I want to make the recipe properly.

In my searching I also found a recipe for making the apple sauce in the slow cooker or crock pot which takes about 12 hours. This looks like another easy recipe :) I am a big fan of this cooking device and so tomorrow morning I will be embarking on Apple Butter #2.

Im also hoping to make a Bengal Chutney - its main ingredient is also apples. I used to make this one all the time when I sold jams and chutneys for pocket money when I was studying at Art School. I cant find my original recipe (its stashed somewhere safe) but I found a similar one on the web.

You can click on the links below to each of the recipes I am referring to :

Whilst delighting in my discover of a windfall of apples it reminded me of a movement which I heard about in London where people were sharing fruits off neglected trees in urban environments. I found a page where someone was starting to document all the trees in London called Urban Forager - a fantastic idea! I don't like to see food go to waste, which got me started dabbling with the alchemy of preserving fruit in the first place.

With a little further research, I found an article in the Sydney Morning Herald similar concept undertaken by a Sydney sider.

Hmmmm. I could be onto something here.... there's heaps of old fruit trees near where I live.

Food for Thought - as they say!

Weekend Adventures

2011-03-01T20:34:00.004+11:00

On the weekend I went to Sydney to see the Terracotta Warriors at the NSWAG exhibition. It was a fabulous show and absolutely fascinating to see. Whilst in Sydney I also squeezed in a couple of markets and found some delightful things......

Wandering around Kirrabilli I happened across a delicous chocolate store Coco Chocolate. I had been here once before and couldn't resist temptation so I dropped in to admire their beautiful displays and sample some of their chocolates.

Kept beautifully cool behind a hand painted silk blind are delectable flavours: rose geranium, pink peppercorn, dried figs in chilli chocolate are some of the unusual flavours I tasted. Yum! Its definitely worth a visit. They're stocking up for easter with some delightful variations on the egg theme. The most delightful were the light blue speckled 'Magpie Eggs'.

We then made our way to Paddington to the Magnolia Square markets which were held in the old Paddington Town Hall. It was creatively decorated throughout and I particularly loved this idea of putting together ideas in a mood board.

Paper Queen, Jo Neville created stunning interior scenes from paper throughout the market. Jo is an Australian artist who also runs Paper Couture, a stationery boutique based in Sydney.

Everything was made from paper - including the rug.

I just love the lamp!

And being a 'knit-wit' I couldn't resist taking a photo of the knitted jute. There were also crochet doilies in the same material. Such great texture! Apparently its pretty hard on your hands and its recommended to knit wearing gardening gloves :)

Happy People at the Handmade Markets

2011-02-24T08:49:00.002+11:00

I had good intentions to take lots of pictures of my stall at the handmade markets on the weekend. But somehow I forgot....... I think I got carried away with the excitement of it all.

My new designs were greeted with such enthusiasm they literally flew off the table. The embroidery panels sold out in minutes, I heart Canberra walked out the door, and the Gingko designs gracefully fluttered their way into the hearts and bags of customers.

The experience left me buzzing and Ive already started thinking of new designs......

If you would like to relive the experience visit the Handmade Facebook site - there are lots of lovely images capturing the day.

Sneak preview of my new designs for the Canberra Handmade Market

2011-02-17T22:17:00.010+11:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been working on some new designs which are going to be launched at the Canberra Handmade Market on Saturday 19 February at the new spot in the Convention Centre in the centre of town.

Inspired by a recent commission to create a lyrebird cushion using patchwork techniques I have transformed this design into an embroidery panel for others to embellish. The panel can be used in many ways by transforming it into a cushion, stretch over a canvas to become an artwork, incorporated to be part of a quilt or sewn together to make a bag.... the possibilities are endless! They also make a perfect gift for a crafty friend :) The panels measure approximately 45 x 45 cm and are printed with colourfast waterbased inks onto linen.

I loved this design so much I also printed it onto grey cotton T-shirts.

I have just moved into a cute little cottage (which explains the absence of regular postings since Christmas) whilst washing up I admired the delicate shape of a ginko leaf my sister had picked for me. This was the beginning of the Ginko design which has been printed onto linen tea towels, hemp table runners and as a repeat onto a length of fabric.... oh and a couple of cotton T-shirts.

Having gotten into the printing mood I then started on some Canberra souvenir tea towels and bags - this design is created using hand cut paper stencils - and are a limited edition of 10 tea towels and 9 bags. I love the street art look this design has......

All these designs will be available on Saturday or if you are unable to drop by for a visit they are also available from my online store.

ps - Im contemplating incorporating some of my renovations and decorations into this blog. What do you think? Would you like to hear about the other things I get up to?

Asian Stab Book Binding

2011-02-14T07:38:00.005+11:00

Something I have been meaning to do since Art School is to do a book binding course. I have always been fascinated with the way papers are bound together to become books - and there are many different ways to do so.

I participated in an Asian Stab book binding workshop on the weekend taught by artist Caren Florence. Asian Stab, as the name suggests, is a technique which comes from Asia (notably Japan, China and Korea) and the papers are bound together using a decorative stitched edge.

We learnt a number of different techniques starting with the basic four hole, and then working our way through noble binding (decorative corners), hemp pattern.

left to right: noble, my variation of the hemp stitch, and basic four hole stitch.

And finally tortoiseshell pattern with a hard cover (below) with some soft japanese paper on the inside.

Ive found some tutorials by Rose Newton if you want to give it a try:

Four Hole - the most basic stitch

Noble binding

Hemp leaf

Tortoise Shell

Lyrebird Cushion Commission

2011-02-03T15:08:00.007+11:00

At the Handmade Market in December last year I was approached to create a cushion with a Lyrebird design.

At first there was some confusion over the image as I was in 'screenprinting' mode and thought that I had been confused with Formosa Textiles, who screenprints lovely images of Australian birds. But we eventually worked out that the Lyrebird cushion was to be similar to a design that I had created for my friend Jules earlier in the year for my patchwork group. (below)

The cushion design includes a number of techniques: applique, hand embroidery and machine embroidery onto natural coloured linen. The back of the cushion is an olive linen to compliment and contrast the colours on the front of the cushion.

I was very happy with the end result and I have a feeling it could be the beginning of a new range. Keep your eyes out for new Lyrebird designs which may make their way to the next Handmade Market on 19 February.

Inspiration in the Kitchen

2011-01-20T07:52:00.004+11:00

Susan Parsons, writer for the Canberra Times Food and Wine section, wrote a delightful article about my other passion - making jams and chutneys. The article includes recipes to make Oriental plum jam and Nocello (Italian green walnut liquor) - both are delicious!

Double click on the image below for a readable version.

Making a Windsor Stool at Sturt

2011-01-15T08:16:00.009+11:00

This year I decided to do a week long woodworking course at Sturt in Mittagong as part of their Summer School series. Sturt is renown for its wood, weaving and ceramic courses and many well known artists have taught at the school, or undertaken residencies. Not only is Sturt a place to learn wonderful things, it also is set in very beautiful surroundings and has a wonderful coffee shop and gallery.

Ive always wanted to do a woodworking course and I thought making a windsor stool would be a good sized project to undertake. The teacher was Howard Archbold of Rare Chairs, who makes Windsor Chairs using traditional tools and techniques. No power tools are used in the creation of his furniture. He kept saying the loudest thing you could hear in his workshop in the Hunter Valley was the sound of the waterfall. Sounds idyllic!

So anyway, I had a fast introduction to a number of hand tools I had never seen before and learnt new terms all which sounded positively medieval!

The first thing we did was to cut and shape the seat of the stool from camphor laurel wood. Although I am quite adept at cutting using a regular hand saw, we used a HUGE old fashioned one, and needless to say my circle was a little wonky. Using a spokeshave (you can see it in the above picture) we smoothed and rounded the edge of the seat. We then hollowed the seat top using a rounded scorping tool originally used to make oak barrels. This process pretty much took a whole day to complete.

My perfectly round seat (above). It took me two attempts!

Next we split wood for the legs. We used a green wood called rubinia (or black locust). Green wood is used because when the legs are tapped into the seat, the moisture difference between the legs and the seat differs ensuring when the wood dries, a tight fit occurs. This was how stools and chairs were made centuries ago, without the aid of nails or superglue.

As you can see the legs are pretty rough, so we had to roughly shape them into round poles on the old fashioned vices which work on the principle of using your body weight to hold the wood in the vice. (above)

Taking a break in the picturesqe Sturt Gardens.

The pole lathes which I thought were for turning poles, is actually made from poles. It is a very clever invention and goes back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians. A piece of rope is attached to a pedal (very similar to the old pedal sewing machines) which is then wrapped around the wood to be shaped, and the pole (or sapling) at the top assists with the movement of the wood. Its a great way to learn how to shape on the lathe because if the chisel gets stuck in the wood, it simply stops turning.

Concentrating hard!

My almost finished legs.

Next was figuring out the style of the stretcher to space the legs. I chose a three legged stool and the T style.

Next step was to drill the holes for the legs. This was quite a tricky part of the assemblage - the legs had to be at an angle, but I wasnt allowed to get the wobbles whilst drilling the holes (my head is used to stabilise the drill).

My finished stool! The seat has the most beautiful grain so I decided just to polish the top.

The legs are still green and will take about 3 months to dry out. When they do, it turns into a delicious warm brown. I have lightly limed the legs.

Phew! What a week. I had a fab time and I learnt heaps, met lots of lovely people and best of all walked away with my very own piece of furniture. I have a feeling Im going to be making a lot more stools and who knows, I may even take the challenge and make a Windsor Chair next!

Fantastic Plastic

2010-12-23T07:45:00.002+11:00

How cool is this - Im featured in the Canberra Times Times2 lift out from Monday.

Click on the image below to read the article.

How to make wallets from recycled plastic bags

2010-12-19T07:17:00.003+11:00

I also promised that I would share with you the pattern for how to make your own wallet from recycled plastic bags.... so here it is. The pattern is from the Why dont you [re]design Christmas publication. Click on the image below for a larger version which can be printed.

Let me know if you would prefer a pdf version and I can email it to you.

Here are some examples of what they look like in colour......

Happy creating x

Winners of Handmade Living & [re]design books announced

2010-12-19T06:34:00.006+11:00

Handmade Living is an Australian publication put together by Tania McCartney and the lovely ladies at Shop Handmade in Canberra. It contains lots of lovely handmade ideas by Australian creators.

Featured in this book is my lampshade made from knitted recycled plastic bags.

To win a copy of Handmade Living, readers were asked to become a follower of my blog. Followers names were written on pieces of paper and randomly drawn from a hat.

And the winner of Handmade Living is.......... Kylie!

Why dont you [re]design Christmas is a British publication put together by [re]design, an organisation that promotes designers who create objects from found or recycled materials.

A collection of twenty designs, I am very lucky to have two of my works feature in this publication. The lampshade made from recycled plastic bags was featured, along with a wallet also knitted from plastic bags.

To win a copy of Why dont you [re]design Christmas readers were asked to subscribe to my newsletter. Again, names were written on paper and randomly drawn from a hat.

And the winner of Why dont you [re]design Christmas is Bronwynne!

Congratulations to the two lucky winners who have been randomly selected to win a copy of two publications my work has been featured in this year. I will post the books to you on Monday so that you will receive them just before Christmas.

Pomegranates..... and Christmas hampers

2010-12-16T09:35:00.005+11:00

Pomegranates often feature as part of my display at the markets. One of my first screen printed designs was of a Persimmon Tree and my sister, who helped me with my first handmade market, couldn't find any persimmons at that time of year and so displayed some pomegranates instead. Since then the pomegranates have become a regular fixture on my stall.

It is really interesting to see how people respond to them. When they are displayed out of their usual context - people often think they are ceramic - and cant resist but pick them up and admire the shape, colour and weight of them.

I also hear about peoples stories associated with pomegranates - the juice is very popular in Turkey and you often find stalls at the side of the road selling freshly squeezed juice. Ahh, another reason why I want to go back and explore more of that marvellous country :) The fruit has also been around for a VERY long time and can be dated back to 3000 BC!

(Above Image courtesy of Canberra Handmade Markets)

Whilst purchasing some the other day, I was told by the green grocer, in his broken english, that they are very good for you... and this lead me to look into the marvels of this delightful fruit.

Pomegranates are:

High in anti-oxidents (even more than green tea!) which helps fight certain forms of cancer such as breast and skin
They can prevent hardening of the arteries therefore reducing the chances of heart attack and stokes
It is good for thinning the blood; raising good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol

So they are beautiful to look at AND good for you too......

I have been eating the fresh fruit squeezed over a bowl of bircher muesli for breakfast. The muesli is very easy to make, you just need to be little bit organised to make it the night before. Click here for the recipe.

Im thinking this year Im going to give Christmas hampers full of delightful, natural goodies (such as pomegranates) and other beautiful handmade things.

High Tea, Handmade Living Book Launch & Give Away at Daltons

2010-12-12T16:39:00.006+11:00

As part of the Handmade Living events, the fabulous Handmade team orchestrated the book launch this morning at Daltons Book Store in Civic, Canberra.

A selection of the contributors to the book (including moi) displayed their creations alongside a very delicious spread of cupcakes and nibbles - you can see Mikaela, who makes beautiful accessories using Japanese origami papers in the background.

The other clever people also in the book at the launch were:

Posy Patchwork - who makes wonderful things from fabric. I just love her doorstops.

Poppy Bean and Bloss - also makes wonderful things from fabrics, including journal covers

Tiny Concept - delightful wares, including the Parisian Pillow (pg 43 of the book which I just adore). A big congratulations to her, as one of her handmade dolls features in a film!

Polbymade - makes lovely japanese inspired garments using exquisite fabrics from Japan.

Highland Habitat - Naomi makes gorgeous lotions and potions from natural ingredients.

Real Chai - kept us hydrated with delicious chai made from real ingredients

I ran a giveaway for the above cups, hand baked ginger snaps and Kate Ward Design 'Ooh La La' tea towel (valued at over $50)...... the winner of the prize was Debbie Campbell.

Congratulations Debbie!

And a big thank you to the Handmade team for such a lovely way to start a Sunday morning. It was a fabulous opportunity to meet other creatives x

My first news letter

2010-12-10T16:04:00.003+11:00

I have finally found the time to put together a news letter to share with you my comings and goings, latest designs and inspiration. Click here to go directly to the newsletter ......

If you are interested in receiving these updates, all you need to do is click on the subscribe tab at the top of this page and enter your details. If you do so before 17 December 2010, you will also go into the draw to win a copy of the fabulous book 'Why dont you [re]design Christmas' which contains 20 designs and the instructions on how to make them..... it features two of my designs too!

Into the night at the Gorman House Markets

2010-12-08T07:18:00.003+11:00

You are invited to Gorman House Markets’ Christmas event,

“Into the Night”

Saturday 11^th December 2010

10am – 9pm.

It’s Christmas time and we are celebrating,

On 11^th December, Gorman House Markets are trading Late!

You will find all the treasures you seek,

To delight your loved ones for Christmas this year.

Come for the amazing shopping and gourmet food.

Enjoy the musical talents of local bands.

Our “Kid’s Land” will be in full swing with activities galore.

There will be a visit from Santa at 2pm.

As dusk falls, be delighted;

Majestic fairy lit hawthorn trees will light the night sky.

Bring your family. Meet up with friends,

Celebrate Christmas time in the city, at Gorman House.

Hoping you can join me. I will be selling my limited edition Christmas tea towels, dual jewels and other delightful bits n pieces ........

And the winner is.........

2010-12-02T12:15:00.003+11:00

With eyes firmly shut

my fingers pick by random from the basket of folded up comments

....and the winner of my tea towel give away is

Drum roll please.........

Robin

Congratulations! And thank you everyone for your lovely comments x

Countdown and giveaway

2010-11-30T08:24:00.007+11:00

As the count down to Christmas begins in earnest, along with the release of the greatly anticipated Handmade Living publication AND the next Handmade Markets the Christmas carol 'The twelve days of Christmas' continues to be the inspiration for my range of designs.

A limited edition of 'Two Turtledoves' (above) and 'Three French Hens' (below) has been printed onto linen teatowels, and a similar design onto t-shirts will be available at the Handmade twilight markets.

The twilight Handmade Market held at the Kamberra Wine Centre in Canberra this Saturday 4 December. For those unable to get to the markets this weekend, the designs are also available from my online store.

I am running a give away today as part of my participation in the Handmade Blog Tour and Handmade Living publication. Leave a comment on this post and I will select at random one lucky person who will win one of the above tea towels (you get to choose which one). AND become a follower of my blog for your chance to win a copy of the new Handmade Living publication.

Green Christmas Ornament Auction

2010-11-29T07:59:00.003+11:00

Handmade Canberra is joining forces with Loop to auction handmade Christmas decorations. (Loop is the new sustainable development at the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets) The ornaments can be for any purpose: the Christmas tree, dinner table, mantel piece or even the front porch. They must be made by hand, preferably with local and/or recycled materials. All the proceeds from the auction will be donated to Paediatrics at the Canberra Hospital (PaTCH).

I thought one of my special Dual Jewels which are designed as an ornament for the christmas tree or to adorn the body would be perfect for this and I designed this one for the auction.

Ornaments will be auctioned online at www.loopcanberra.com.au with a selected number of items auctions live at Green Christmas, at the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets.

Christmas at CraftACT

2010-11-28T07:15:00.004+11:00

I dropped into CraftACT yesterday to celebrate their Christmas event with them. Lee has done a fantastic job of displaying the wares available - it looks like she had a lot of fun playing with colour, texture and shape :)

I was impressed at how vibrant the colours looked against a black background. It really enhances my Marks & Spencer green Re-find handbag and knitted wallets knitted from recycled plastic bags.

Redesigning the Regular

2010-11-26T15:07:00.002+11:00

Today I was featured on the Canberra Weekly magazine! Im tickled pink by the review :)

Read it all here by double clicking on the image below

Dual Jewels and Re-find Wallets at CraftACT

2010-11-24T08:20:00.006+11:00

CraftACT are holding their annual Christmas event this Saturday 27 November 2010 from 2pm-5pm.

In anticipation I have created Dual Jewels which are designed to be worn and are also a decoration for the Christmas Tree. They are available exclusively at CraftACT and are the perfect gift for Secret Santa.

Also featured in the CraftACT shop will be my Refind wallets - which are made from recycled plastic bags. The wallets also feature in the book 'Why dont you [re]design Christmas'. For your chance to win a copy of this book, simply subscribe to my newsletter. The winning entry will be announced on Friday 17 December 2010.

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me....... at the Undercurrent Market

2010-11-18T08:00:00.004+11:00

The Christmas carol 'On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me' is the inspiration for my range of designs which will be available at the Undercurrent Market held at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra this weekend.

I am participating in a series of markets leading up to Christmas with a new limited edition Christmas design being created for each market. A limited edition of 'A partridge in a pear tree' design has been printed onto linen teatowels (above), t-shirts in a variety of summer colours (below) and calico bags with the design printed in festive red (further below) will be available at the markets.

Undercurrent is a one day design market showcasing orignal Australian works, curated by Richard Baz, the owner of the National Portrait Gallery Shop.

The market will be held on Saturday 20 November at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra from 10am to 5pm.

Goodies selected and made for Maker Handmade

2010-11-16T00:08:00.004+11:00

A lovely store in Melbourne has recently opened called Maker Handmade which stocks exquisitely handmade ceramics, textiles, jewellery, paper products and other beautiful products of the highest quality. Their stock selection criteria is simply that it has to be handmade and of high quality.

I was delighted to be approached by Rachael from Maker Handmade who asked me whether I would be interested in selling some of my handprinted wares in her store........ the answer was a great big YES and I will be posting some goodies to her tomorrow (tea towels, soft cover sketch books, cushions) - just in time for the formal opening party on 25 November 2010.

Man in the Maze Cushion Commission

2010-11-14T09:02:00.004+11:00

I was recently approached to design a special image for a 21st Birthday present.

The request asked that I design something which incorporated the Native American Indian 'Man in the Maze' symbol which represents a persons journey through life. The Maze contains seven concentric circles with many twists and turns representing the choices made in life. The centre of the maze is always blank to symbolise reaching our goals and dreams.

I wanted to personalise the design to represent the person's life so far, so I incorporated imagery and symbols to suggest his duel citizenship, achievements, interests, dreams and goals.

The above image is the end result. The design measures 48cm x 48 cm and printed on hemp fabric using water based, permanent fabric inks. The cushion a black linen on the reverse side to further emphasise the black print on the front.

I really enjoyed working to the brief and working with Margo who commissioned the cushion. I hope that her son loves his very special, and thoughtful gift :)

Adventures at the Tasmanian Craft Fair

2010-10-31T16:55:00.014+11:00

My arty friend Jo and I visited the Tasmanian Craft Fair on the weekend. It was a very well organised event with 14 venues around the town of Deloraine. Thankfully part of the entry fee included catching buses between the different venues which towards the end of the day saved our feet! We met some amazing people and discovered some beautiful objects.

Our first stop was The 3rd Door who make beautiful handbound books. We were both so inspired we bought a lovely sketchbook and Im thinking about making a trip down to Tas again to do a book binding course with them!

Next we discovered the delightful quirky stained glass birds created by Diane Brown. We both had to have one of these, and Jo's blue wren is already hanging up on her kitchen window.

I fell in love with Sally Cassanrda's beautiful ceramic jewellery and objects. I restrained myself and only bought a pair of earings and some buttons. Her designs are made from the impressions in clay of lace she has collected over the years. I cant wait to knit something beautiful to attach to my new buttons. It has been raining here for the past 24 hours..... perfect knitting weather - if only I brought my knitting :)

I was looking for a new bag to replace my very worn (and loved) japanese handbag. I found a lovely design from Sashiko Design with lots of pockets (very important to put all my things in)

My last extravagant purchase of the day was some beautiful 'cloud cups' by ceramicist Dean Smith which took my breath away that had light blue crystals floating on an earthly caramel background..........

We also discovered some very beautiful etchings by Joseph Austin, a Sydney based artist. He had a lovely selection of prints and cards. I couldnt resist and bought a card of his exquisite coral tree etchings.

Selected to exhibit at Handmade in Britain and the UK Eco Design Fair

2010-10-14T07:19:00.007+11:00

Wow!

My recycled knitted plastic bag designs (plastic lampshade and knitted purses) have been selected to be displayed at the Handmade in Britain Chelsea Old Town Hall from 27-30 October 2010 and the Eco Design Fair Islington Town Hall, 4-5 December 2010 as part of [re]design's initiative to encourage people to consider the provenance of what they consume and purchase over the festive period.

[re]design are promoting how to make and recycle Christmas decorations and gifts and have selected 20 Good and Gorgeous MIY designs (two of my works have been selected!) and are compiling the ‘How to make’ of these designs, with a step-by-step instructions into a small book which will also be available for purchase at the events.

[re]design is a London based organisation which curates sustainable design exhibitions and promote designers who don’t want to make landfill, and at the same time to educate visitors about sustainability in an inclusive and accessible way. [re]design also faciliate workshops, lectures, seminars and publications on recycling and design.

Lake Burley Griffin Cushion Commission

2010-10-13T08:20:00.002+11:00

I was recently asked to translate my design of Lake Burley Griffen into a black and white screenprint for a cushion by one of the customers at Shop Handmade in Canberra.

Screen printed using black ink on white linen, the original image has a lot of blank space around it so I decided to frame the print by adding a black border at the top and bottom of the same material (also linen) to match the back of the cushion.

The cushion is being delivered to Shop Handmade today. I loved the design so much that I have also made one using navy ink on a cream back ground (hemp fabric) with a border of navy blue (cotton) and matching fabric on the back which is available to buy at Shop Handmade. They retail at $90 which includes the cushion insert.

All my products are created using quality fabrics, water based fade resistant fabric print paste and are created by hand in my studio.

New Persimmon Tree Design

2010-10-12T09:35:00.013+11:00

The Persimmon Tree design has developed into a season of designs, from the winter tree with bare branches and orange spheres of fruit into the summer tree with fresh green leaves.

Printed on 100% natural linen tea towels (70 x 50 cm) the Persimmon Tree design is centrally placed and measures 30 x 35 cm and are perfect for bringing a bit of art and design into your kitchen. Or you could frame it and hang it on the wall.

The tea towels are printed in limited editions, ensuring each tea towel is unique in its placement and colours.

The tea towels can be bought at Shop Handmade in Canberra or from my online store

In the studio.....

2010-10-11T09:23:00.004+11:00

This image captures the creative chaos that happens in my studio..... also known as the kitchen bench.

I usually have a number of projects on the go and here you can see the design of a new fabric print, my patchwork project of a lyrebird for an online collaboration, coloured fleece in a favourite cup from a felting workshop I participated in at the NGA earlier in the year, a collection of interesting objects collected on my travels through South Africa last year (I particularly love the giraffe and zebra cutlery), daily living bits n pieces and my goldfish (who are painfully shy and hid whilst I took the photo).

There is a riot of colour where ever you look..... and this creative chaos continues throughout the rest of my home.

A Cup of Light

2010-09-23T22:15:00.007+10:00

I have just become the owner of a delicious smelling Erica Soy Candle made by the fair hands of Erica herself. Erica's candles not only smell amazing, they are good for you too! The soy wax melts at a very low temperature which means you can use the melted wax as a perfumed moisturiser - yummy - just be wary of the flame if the candle is still lit :)

It is environmentally friendly too, the candle doesnt emit any of those nasty petro-chemical toxins in the smoke that comes from regular parafin candles.

I just love it! It looks beautiful and smells gorgeous (I have French Pear flavour).

Check out Erica's website for all her delicious flavours www.ericasoycandles.com.au

Winner of the Red Heart Paris Cushion

2010-09-14T09:10:00.002+10:00

A big CONGRATULATIONS to Catherine Lorimer who was the lucky winner of the Red Heart Paris Cushion. The competition was open to all who attended the Handmade Markets at the Kamberra Wine Company in Canberra on Saturday 11 September 2010, and those who entered left a business card in the lucky draw at my stall.

The design is inspired by the beautiful balconies in Paris, and this particular design came from a building on the Ill St Louis, the island in the middle of the city.

The cusion measures 50 x 50 cm and the design is printed on hemp using water based, permanent print paste.