THIS COMING SATURDAY...

the 6th of december...
i will be having a stall at GoMA
at their (now second) annual
CHRISTMAS DESIGN MARKET

so for those of you who couldn't make it to my show last week
i will have a similar range of stock including:
poetry vessels
ornaments
quote tags
earrings etc...

i hope those of you who can,
can make it along...
do some local christmas shopping,
have a coffee in the sunshine by the river,
and visit our state art gallery all in one outing !

just click on the invite image above for clearer details
and a full list of stall holders.
(please note: cash and cheque sales only)

more blue

my studio needs such a clean out after the frantic pace
of the past few months
one more show to go (at GoMA) next saturday
and the personalised star orders to get to stores...

and then maybe a clean up, after a few days of rest !

in a corner of my heart

this colour .. .. ..... .

in a corner of the studio

a patch of blue... . ...

yesterday...

it was so lovely to see
so many friends and collectors at
my christmas show yesterday,
to know that all the hard work is received so well,
and to see my work fly away to their new homes as gifts
during these trying times...

i couldn't have got by without the help
from my friends -
lisa, sarah, anna, teresa, jenny, erin,
& my beautiful sister tiffany
(who flew from sydney for the weekend ! )
you gals are the best !
i am so lucky to have such
amazing, inspiring, & supportive women in my life...

we raised a lot from our tea and coffee
donation jar for our friends who have lost their homes
in the recent storms too... thanks so much

AND for those of you who have asked and couldn't make it yesterday
on saturday 6 december i will have a stall at the
Gallery Store Christmas Design Market
at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane
(i will post more details of that market soon)

and after that... i will come up for air i hope...

i've seen fire and i've seen rain...

what a week it's been in brisbane

my parents home at the gap was damaged in the storm
(a new roof & carport and a lot of mopping up is still needed
and my mums precious garden she's cultivated
for 40 years now will need a lot of repair)

and their neighbourhood (my childhood-land)
as a whole has been badly affected,
with two of their long time neighbours losing their homes...

nearly six years ago the home i was living in was burnt down,
and although (because i lived in the granny flat) i didn't lose
as much as my dear friends who lived upstairs,
the toll it took at the time was great...
so i know what they are going through first hand !

i had so much support and love around me at that time
that i got through it ok in the end...
and i pray that those affected now, will too.

there was one lady who at the time of my fire
kept bringing meals around
to my mum and dad's home (where i was relocated for a while)
and collecting things for me from her church,
a lady i've known all my life,
and now with these storms it is her home that is lost...
so this sunday at my christmas show the tea and coffee
donation jar (and then some) goes to her and her family...

so if you are popping in on sunday...
have an extra cuppa (or two)
and support the neighbourhood i grew up in:
i am grateful in advance... x

photo above: my darling friend sarah's styling goodness for the show...
(i didn't want to post an image of the street, there's enough pictures on tv...)

finding time (somewhere)

for words... . .. ...

getting through the work

this year has seen such growth in my business...
and in my dedication to my poetry and one off pieces.

paper boat press couldn't be where
it is today without the support of my friends and family
that help it in so many ways...

from those oompaloompa's (as they like to refer to themselves)
who work in the studio with me... spending time with them is a joy...
to my circle of ever encouraging friends (you know who you are)

to my dedicated mum and dad, who, over the past few months
have showed me so much support it's hard to put in to words.

a few years back my mum had a bad fall off a ladder
and had to give up work, which was very hard in itself...
but through my business expanding
she feels gainfully employed earning a modest little income
sponging the green-ware and tying ribbons etc.
working from her home, at her pace, when her injuries let her...

so it isn't just about me, and my dreams
it's about the little community this growth has created.

and i suppose the knowledge that the thousands of little ornaments
and quote tags have been touched and made by many
wonderful people, just puts more love in each piece,
well, that's my take on it anyway...

it's not always black and white.

this is a must for all of us who know that
life indeed has many a grey area !

one of my most dearest friends kate knapp
who also happens to be one of my favourite artists...
has just had her first book released -

it's not always black and white

i've been privy to the pages of this book for
a long time now, but seeing it,
holding it, reflecting on the wisdom kate shares with us
through these pages and whimsical drawings
is renewed in each look...

congratulations kate !
you make my life so colour-filled
& help me everyday through the greyness...
for this, i am forever blessed...

another sneak peak

some other little bits and pieces for my christmas show
cork-board pins...

when in japan earlier this year
i picked up so many great little stamps.

in my clay work i usually use my own designs,
vintage buttons,
or lots of other bits and pieces -
but sometimes it's nice to mix it up...

so between the japan-holiday stamps
& the desire not to waste as much clay possible -
here's a little sample of the pins that are a new addition to my
previous designs from last years show...

sneak peak

the june page sneak peak of the calendar i've created

especially for my christmas show...
they are off to the binders this week.
my 2009 calendar
has a quote on each month to inspire and reflect upon
as we venture through another year...

real living...

as paper boat press
has grown through the years,
and more than ever over the past year -
i've had the support of so many fabulous magazines
that have featured many facets of my work

and, in the latest real living
i've been so lucky to have
4 different features throughout the mag
(including the wonderful shot above)
thanks so very much to the LOVELY team
at real living
you make this boutique brisbane business very grateful !

i was also very honoured to get a corporate christmas order
from them as their gift of choice this year...
i'll post a photo of the little package
i created for them soon
(once the gifts go out to their clients of course...)

christmas show...

paper boat press

christmas show

sunday 23rd november 10am – 2pm

st francis theological college
233 milton road, milton, brisbane.
(entrance via baroona road)

this years show will feature:
christmas ornaments
(including some that aren't for sale in stores)
quote tags and small tags
poetry bowls
my book: count me the stars
wall sculptures
pendants and earrings
cloud brooches
an illustrated calendar
greeting cards
and lots of other surprises...

i hope you can pop in for a bit of christmas shopping
and a cup of tea... k x