100

This is my 100th post on my blog and it coincides beautifully with what I am going to post about!

Since May until September this year I have been working on illustrations for a poetry book called '100 Australian Poems You Need To Know" for Hardie Grant Publishers. The book has poems from all through Australia's history and I really enjoyed reading them all when starting out the project because I knew very little Australian poetry to start with.


Yesterday, in the post, I finally received my copy of the book and it is lovely, a really beautiful object even before you've even opened it! Well designed, well put together, great poems and as for the illustrations, well, for me it was quite strange to see all my drawings and etchings in there, but very satisfying.

The book will be available from 1st December, I'm not sure where from yet, I'm trying to find out myself because most of my family will be getting a copy for Christmas!

I've found a review for the book here and info about it on readings website here and I've found a site where you can pre-order a copy here .

Tomorrow we move out of our house, but unfortunately, due to things out of our control (because real estate agents are supposedly in control, but not doing a very good job) we have nowhere to move into. Homeless! So if you see Jeremy and I walking the streets in the next few weeks please invite us in for a drink and a friendly chat, thanks!

Don't forget to enter my blog give away competition!

Bridget's November Giveaway!

I should be cleaning and scrubbing and packing up our flat, we are moving this weekend (as long as the real estate agents get back to us to let us know if we have our new house, we're cutting it fine here!)

My kitchen is chaotic with half filled boxes everywhere and dirty dishes.The bathroom is clean from waist height up but I haven't quite got down to the bath and sink etc. and our living room is chockablock with cardboard boxes, so much so that I can't get to the skirting boards to scrub or the floor to vacuum.

So I decided to have a rest and I came up with a giveaway idea!

You could win the Featherstitch Fantail, 100% natural wool, 100% hand embroidered brooch of your choice! All you have to do is let me know which your favourite design is on the Featherstitch Fantail website by leaving a comment on your chosen brooch. I will pick the winner at random at the start of December and then make the brooch and send it to the winner.

Good luck!

The Kate Hudson

I'm very excited! I did a print swap with Kate Hudson, not the Kate Hudson, actress, but the Kate Hudson, Melbourne printmaker. She decided she wanted one of my bird etchings from my exhibition and since we know each other from Australian Print Workshop she got in contact with me and asked if I would be interested in a swap. "Would I ever!!!" I replied, I've been wanting one of her prints for a very long time, and, so, last Wednesday she brought in her gorgeous portfolio and I got to choose one. I really thought I'd choose one of her lovely bird prints, but I fell in love with this one. I love the colours in it and can't wait to move house, get it framed and put it in pride of place on my new wall!

The red table cloth in the print reminds me of a beautiful throw I found in my Mum's old chest, I claimed it years ago and still have it in our bedroom here in Melbourne. When I was a student in Edinburgh my granny came over to visit and she saw the lovely red throw in my bedroom and she said, 'oh, look, it's that lovely throw my mother bought while she was in Turkey!" So, it turns out it's a bit of an antique! I've always had a taste for lovely old things.

Here are a few more featherstitch fantail brooches I finished off last night while watching a lovely, if a little strange, true film about a lion called Christian who was bought as a cub in Harrods department store in London by two Australian guys and his journey to rehabilitation and freedom in Kenya. There is a lovely scene near the end in which the two Australians are coming back to visit Christian after a year, they are told he is a semi wild animal now and probably wont remember them. It is all filmed as it happened and Christian's reaction and their reunion is one of the most beautiful things I have ever ever seen on film. I've actually found the scene on youtube, have a look!

Feather In Your Hat

I've been stitching and stitching trying to get ready for Christmas. I've started making more of my fantail hat/ lapel pins since they seemed popular at market last weekend. They are made up of the same layering and hand sewn embroidery as the Featherstitch Fantail brooches with hand felted balls to embellish!



I'm also happy because I have finally sorted out my packaging for my brooches. I bought myself a rubber stamp of my "Bridbird" label and I found the most perfect little boxes, in a $2 shop would you believe! Unfortunately the shop has now run out of boxes but I think I may have found a (very cheap) supplier online. I've given them my card details and now waiting to see if anything arrives! Hope they come soon, fingers crossed they come at all!


I've added more brooches onto my Featherstitch Fantail sight too!

Jigsaw

While I was away last month my friend Andrea was looking after my stall at Rose Street Artists' Market. She also makes things and had her own work at the stall too. Now I am back we've decided to keep sharing the stall. So I thought I'd show a bit of Andrea's work.


Andrea makes jewellery out of old wooden jigsaws. The jigsaw pieces have their original image on the back and the front is covered with beautiful decorative paper then laquered with resin. They are prooving very popular!

Earrings

Earring and necklace set

Brooches

I have also listed more brooches on my Featherstitch Fantail website I'm trying to get lots made for the Christmas rush. Have a look and order early if you any take your fancy!