Chain, Chain, Chain....

Once again the Sister Outlaws have come up with another Crafty Triumph.....

The Re-Sew-Cool Paper Chain Scarf Kit!

Described as "A playful scarf for kids and teenagers which should appeal to the fun in all of us", the scarf can be looped in various ways and can even be used to place hands in for extra warmth. The kit has all the materials to create your own colourful scarf, or if you prefer a tonal accessory, it can be ordered in colour matched hues. The kit is full of lovely hand dyed and felted strips of recycled knitwear (21 pieces to be exact), instructions, a needle and wool yarn for a distinctive decorative running or blanket stitch finish to each chain link.
The felted wool comes in random textures and thicknesses, you just stitch up the loops and Voila!
A cosy, snuggly scarf that will be a godsend on these chilly Autumn mornings.
Julianne, one of the Sister Outlaws team invites us all to get scarf stitching and join the Chain Gang! Here is one of Julianne's gorgeous twins Pepper modelling the toddler version Paper Chain Scarf in rainbow hues. It's a mini "wee-sew-cool" scarf for the rug rats!

Feet of (Coloured) Clay

Ah Fimo, We had a lot going on way back in the good old days. You helped me with my final year jewellery folio, and made me money when I was just starting out in the world .
I worked with you to make pretty things for a nice lady jeweller in a studio in down town Paddington in the 90's.
And now you are here on my blog. Being sculptured into new and stylish wearable treasures. I still love your bright colours and versatility . And the way you can be re-invented to fit with the times!
Leonie Simpson is a Sydney based jeweller who has fashioned polymer clay into smooth discs, wedges and knuckle shaped beads strung on leather They have a definite 80's aesthetic. Bold and distinctive with colour layered on colour!


No Milk Today by Athens based Eva.Awesome layered and textured geometric shapes.

So intricate, and reasonably priced.

Melbourne jeweller Emily Green also utilizes the bright colour palette of polymer clay to fashion beads in lolly shop brights. Simple and pretty and almost edible!.Emily strings her beads on a fine silver chain and can be worn by stylish girls of all ages.

Shopping by Colour

I love this series of photographs by Marco Ugolini and Pedro Motta displaying supermarket products divided by color. They are currently part of a group exhibition called Food For Thought.
There is no doubt the colour of food packaging can evoke a response in the consumer. Which raises the question. Are we being influenced by food companies to purchase their products according to the colour of the packet?

Artist Marco Ugolini says "I see the supermarket as a space of manipulation. The attempt, in this action, is to subvert this structure of power. The pictures have been taken in a supermarket in the same neighbourhood of the art center. None of the products have been bought after the shooting."
I can imagine the supermarket wasn't too impressed that all these products had to be returned to the shelves.
To bring a bit of fun to the normally drab chore of supermarket shopping, I aim to divide my shopping up into rainbow coded collections of products next time I visit Coles......shopping will never be the same again!
via Junk Culture

One Plastic Beach

One Plastic Beach from Tess Thackara on Vimeo.

This is a facinating video featuring Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang . This couple is well-known for collecting plastic washed up on Kehoe beach.They have been doing it for 12 years and creating fantastic art from their collections.

P.S.I have a handy little collection of Kraft Cheese spreaders from local Melbourne beaches too.

Wear It

"Young Melbourne designers, Emma Grace and Ellie Mücke (who was featured on Find, Make Do last year), invite you to be inspired by their novel approaches to making new from old. Through the Wearit exhibition and workshops, the designers aim to facilitate a shift in the way that we consume fashion items.
The general public is invited to participate in a workshop, bringing along broken, un-loved and out of date jewellery ( everyone's got some in the bottom of their jewellery box!),and pre loved shirts, (you know, the ones that your boyfriend has had stuffed into the back of the cupboard and is never going to wear again. Or that shirt your bought at the op shop that just hasn't managed fit in with the rest of your wardrobe. In any case a shirt, a 'biggish' one, an old one, a mens one ideally, one that definitely doesn't fit you as it is, but one you can see would be just right with a bit of a makeover) to fix or re-create into something new and unique.
Simultaneously an exhibition of new works by Grace and Mücke will provide inspiration, challenge conventions and offer new perspectives.
Wearit is an opportunity to re-connect with community in a regional location and a forum to exchange skills, materials,thoughts and inspiration. Together we can begin a mental and physical shift away from a ‘throw-away culture’.
Come and visit Stockroom in Kyneton this March, and see how wearing the consequences of this shift can be truly inspirational."
Bookings for either a Jewellery or a Shirt workshop are essential and can be made via the Wearit Blog.
via the Wearit MediaRelease

Pin Pals

While shopping in my favorite precinct of King St. Newtown while on holiday in Sydney, I finally got to visit Made590 and was very taken with these Pin Pal earrings. They kind of summed up me and my moods when on a holiday with two kids and no Mr BJ!

I now want the matching hair clip.

I have been a fan of Pin Pals on Etsy and Flickr for ages, and love their cute blog.

The Pin Pals are Samantha Purdy and Sara Guindon. They are two self-taught crafters working and living in Montreal, Canada.
Samantha and Sara met in 2006 and decided to combine efforts to establish a small business called Pin Pals. Sam works with vintage textiles and cross stitches her own designs on to handmade brooches and earrings.Sara is an illustrator and designs paper toys and T-shirts.

All I can say is...what an ACE combination of talents!

The talented Sara collaborated with fashion designer Supayana on these gorgeous dresses.The illustrations were done specifically for these designs with the drawings digitally printed on cotton. Sweet!

Plastic Fantasic

Summer days mean swimming and relaxing, but they also means extra litter on our beautiful beaches. Today I am celebrating some more eco-conscious designers that have given salvaged beach plastic a new life as interesting and colourful jewellery. from top left 1.Rainbow Warrior Lei by Rebecca Ward

2. Aquamarine bracelet by It's a Man Made World
3.Save our Oceans armband by Illicitly Beautiful
4. Beach Plastic Necklaces by Judith Selby LangDisc Necklace cut from plastic bottles from the beaches of Cornwall by Spacefruit Chunky necklace from Salvaged plastic found on Kehoe Beach by Beach Plastic jewellery.

Ball and Circle Neckpiece from plastic salvaged from the Bahamas by It's a Man Made World
Save our Oceans Charm bracelet from salvaged plastic collected on the Atlantic coast by Rauschmittel

And a quick look at the Recovered Beach Plastic pieces I made for Markit .Plastic collected from an assortment of Victorian beaches.