About this blog

A blog about the meanderings of a craft designer and hand maker living in a beautiful island at the end of the earth....I'm a weaver addicted to her little Ashford Knitters Loom, a crocheter, knitter, painter, gardener and grandma. Rowena lives in Tasmania - a world apart, not a world away!

Craft is a social activity, shaped by communal resources and motivations. Leonardo Bonanni and Amanda Parkes Virtual guilds : collective intelligence and the future of craft JMC vol 3, no 2 July 2010 pp. 179-190

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Market Sunday - Deviot's Turn

We're off to Deviot Market tomorrow!  Hope it's fine and lots of people come out to buy fabulous Tasmanian handmade art craft.

Just shopping tomorrow...........

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

TRULY TASMANIAN HANDMADE

I've had confirmation from the beautiful Lyn  of Lyn's Maille who knows all about this one :

The 2010  Truly Tasmanian Craft Exhibition and Sale will be held at Latrobe on the November Longweekend : 30, 31st October and 1st November.

You will see an exhibition of high quality handmade craft by Tasmanian craft persons held in Latrobe.  There will be working exhibitions and fine Tasmanian made produce as well.

Artisans work Includes jewellery, wood craft, furniture, photography, art, pottery, craft, lace making, teddy bears, fine food, lead lighting, mosaic mirrors, glasswork, ceramics, alpaca craft, hand painted silk, handmade cards, wooden toys, decorated eggs, handmade collectables and Christmas decorations.

So, check out Deloraine but don't forget this one Saturday 30th October, Sunday 31st October and Monday 1st November 2010.

Truly Tasmanian Craft Exhibition and Sale
Latrobe

Monday, October 18, 2010

Craft Craft and more wonderful HANDMADE from Tasmania

They are coming thick and fast - the run up to Christmas 2010 has a plethora (wonderful word LOL) of handmade Tasmanian fine art craft!  Here are some - there are probably many more.....

Please check the date and venue - I have collected these from various websites and blogs....

OCTOBER

24 October                         Deviot Hall Market, West Tamar

NOVEMBER

29 October - 1 November   Tasmanian Craft Fair Deloraine

October 30, 31 and November 1              
                                         Truly Tasmanian Craft Exhibition and Sale  
                                         @ Latrobe - Dates are def LWE!!
6 November                       Matildas Markets Hobart  @ Elizabeth St Pier
 
19 - 20 November              The Apron Design Market @ The Seaport,
                                         Launceston  
                                         (mentioned on a couple of blogs...
                                          more info please?)
 


19 - 20 November             Niche all wrapped up for St Giles @ Tramsheds, Launceston

21 November           http://themarkethobart.com.au/




28 November          Clarence Point Market, West Tamar

DECEMBER

5 December            http://eastsidemarket.blogspot.com/

EastSide"Makers"Market


12 December         http://themarkethobart.com.au/

Friday, October 15, 2010

Jellywares on Marshall

Well what a lovely surprise I had last week !  On chugging in (the little Toyota Ute) to the (almost) outback town of Cobar in western NSW during SO and mine's Big Trip 2010, I found the delightful Josie presiding over her shop counter, crochet hook in hand.     Jellywares on Marshall has a welcoming and delightful ambience specialising in all things home-made, home-grown and wholesome.  Lovely displays and all sorts of tempting things to buy! There is a good selection of yarns, books and accessories; hand crafted goods created by Jodie as well as fresh eggs, preserves and pickles! Handspun yarn by Jodie and the ladies of the town can also be found and gorgeous sewn dresses for us and the children all made special with Jodie's unique touches!  She does classes as well, has an online store, is a mum to two gorgeous little ones and works with her husband on their sheep station 70 kms up the road - don't know how she fits it all in.


Goodies by the dozen!



Shopfront on Marshall St Cobar


Jodie and one of her lovely daughters in the shop!
I could not resist and bought some Cascade yarn to bring home for the AKL to play with (lucky loom that it is).  SO is quoted as saying "haven't you got enough wool at home ?"  Yes, but you can always have more, besides this is cotton and alpacca, and this season's colours!!   Check out Jodie's blog here.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Notions in my (Victorian) Neighbourhood

You may have gathered by now that I have a split (ah hem....personality??) life.  Some of it is here in Tasmania - born and bred 7th generation - and some of it is in the little village of Malmsbury on the edge of the central highlands of Victoria with the remote Significant Other who is there for his work.  Near Kyneton, it's rather like our Ross in a way - big english trees and old buildings and busy with tourists.  (Also b. cold in the winter and stinking hot in the summer).

Well.....10 kms up the road, Piper Street in Kyneton is the place to go on a weekend.  The monthly Farmer's Market is a draw, but the roughly kilometer length is absolutely chokkas with cafes, providores, art, handmade and decorating.  Everything from French Provincial to vintage Australian.  I love to wander when I get the chance...which I did on Sunday.

In a previous post I have enthused about Stockroom on Piper who have occupied part of the old Meskills Wool Mill building and this was my first time back since their opening (and relocation from Daylesford) - and I was not disappointed.  Jason and Magali have added a new coffee hub complete with vintage red caravan and 1970s lounges to sit on and books to browse (I was right at home!); there were the usual gorgeous Australian designed and made clothes to peruse plus an eclectic offering of handmades interspersed with vintage collectibles and kitchenalia - not to mention the exhibition spaces and artist workshops!

So......I was absolutely exstatic (well very excited at the least) when I spied a familiar logo and recognised the work of the lovely Rosie from NOTIONS !  Wonderful to see Tassie handmade abroad and mixing it with the world!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

It's amazing how much can happen in 10 days!

Just been reading  what y'all have been up to over the past week or so....everyone is sooo busy and lots of wonderful news and good stuff happening!

Me and the SO have been travelling in the big wide spaces of Australia on our annuals - last year we went to Broken Hill and down the Darling with not much water in it.  This year, some of the same, but along bits of the Murray and up the Darling on the other side.... water water absolutely everywhere...and the feed...and the wildflowers!  Also this year we took the tent and only slummed it in a park cabin on the last night.

2.600 kms Sunday to Friday...whew!  but fantastic. I flew out last Saturday and on the Sunday we drove the trusty little Toyota Ute from Malmsbury (our Victorian home near Kyneton in the Central Highlands) to Loxton (SA).  Monday was Berri and Renmark, then off through NSW along the Murray River to Lock 7 near Rufus River at the bottom of Lake Victoria (full of water). Tuesday was Wentworth, Pooncarrie and to 'Bindara Station' on the Darling River (full of water). Wednesday we ran from the rain through the Kinchega National Park & the Menindee Lakes area (full of water); then real outback stuff up to Wilcannia (boy oh boy) and to Tilpa (where we wrote our names on the wall at the pub) and camped at the weir (full of water). Thursday back down to Cobar where I met the lovely Jodie at Jellywares, then Hilston and Hay. Friday we headed for home through Balranald, back into Victoria across the Murray (full of water) at Swan Hill, down through Kerang, to Bridgewater, Malong, and home along the freeway back to Malmsbury (where the Malmsbury Res is almost full of water LOL).

I'm tired thinking about it!   I just fell off the red plane this arvo and am catching up on the important things like emails and blogs!

Photos tomorrow .......xxxxxx...zzzzzzz....xxxxxxx