Goodbye Seed!

Artwork for a musical set above, and the finished product below. I really enjoyed working on this, and I feel a bit nostalgic looking at it now, as
I left my "proper" job at Seed about a month ago. It's been a strange month: on my first day in the studio a panic set in, and about ten days later my back gave out. So it has been forcibly slow getting used to this new life, but I have been kept optimistic by new surprises every week. Ongoing freelance illustration work, running to the post office to send sold items and then replenishing the etsy shop, trying out ideas that have been waiting in my sketchbook, sewing scarves for Craft Victoria and a generous greeting card order from a lovely friend which I am just finishing off. I miss the camaraderie of the workplace though, and often wonder just what my colleagues are doing as I sit alone. They are working hard too, no doubt, in between having a laugh and a gossip and discussing where to go for lunch.

I really don't miss the bland corporate nature of St Kilda Road, nor do I miss HAVING to be at work at a certain time and then the day pretty much set out for me. I do miss walking home via the Botanic Gardens, and sometimes I miss being part of a brand like Seed, having been there for over five years. (Three stores when I started, over 50 now.)

I don't panic as much, and mostly I am really enjoying this new life, though I can't say that I am anywhere near used to it yet!

A tattooed sailor in love

Above: detail of a finished poster, and soon-to-be greeting card.
Above: the sketch and the sailor completely naked, with just his working-man tan lines on show. I always have a conniption before I start, and have to make cups of tea or do something really important like looking for ideas that I don't need anymore --you know -- just in case.
Above: cup of tea provided rescue (and as usual is only half drunk) and the sailor man is nearly done. Phew!
Above: cut out in Photoshop -- the completed poster. The little wooden man himself (sans Photoshop) will be in the shop too: as soon as I work out how to fix the blade on my fancy saw.

Making a knitting pattern

I have been making a proper pattern of my confetti-coloured 'Riches to Rags' scarf (previously discussed in this post) for a sweet lady I met recently who loves to knit for relaxation and is going through a very difficult time in her life.
I'll put it in the etsy shop one day soon too, although I can't make pdf files yet and don't think that anyone on my side of the equator is going to be remotely interested anyway in these particularly glorious last days of spring.

And speaking of knitting, here is a photo of my minimalist (ha!) lounge room. Kind of like Where's Wally, see if you can spot the beautiful knitted tree cushion by Sara Carr which my brother bought for me.

(A highly appropriate gift considering that a few months before he took my Sara Carr pencil scarf before I ever got to wear it. Surely he must be the only six feet plus dark hairy male in the whole world who has ever worn that item.)

Two new mirrors

I have made some new mirrors for the shop. The moustache mirror, a good gift for a lad whose Movember is not going well, is actually the same size as the lips mirror but I uploaded it at the smaller size for some reason and now it refuses to delete. Weird.

(You can also spy my very dry looking left hand painting the moustache mirror in the previous post.)

Felicity if you are reading this, a crown mirror is almost done too!

Studio shots by Anna Parry

I am very lucky to have a super talented friend like Anna Parry, who very kindly took these great shots of the studio last week. It was interesting to see what caught her sharp Scandinavian eye, as some of the photos are very different to the ones I took a few months ago.
Thanks so much, Anna!

The 'Make Your Own Man' greeting card

I have been wanting to do a greeting card version of the Make Your Own Man illustrations (initially a set of paper cubes) for a while. Now that I have a fancy new printer, which is both reliable and can handle thick card, I have finally been able to offer it.
By the way, I am working on cards at home this week as I have injured my back and haven't been able to get to the studio, even though I should. I implore all people who do jobs which require alot of sitting to set a little alarm clock by their desk and get up every half hour! Back pain is awful and I wouldn't wish it upon anybody.

A new tattooed clock and a couple of mirrors

Above: I am very happy with second tattooed hanging clock now that I have added a swallow and some flowers to the hand. It's alot more balanced I think.

And I have made a couple of mirrors for the shop too: a third pipe and a second fifties redhead, this time with a black bow.

Further showing off...

My orange sweater Clock Hand has found fame in the Christmas issue of Inside Out. I haven't bought my copy of the magazine yet -- when I tried yesterday the newsagent man helpfully said "we don't have that one but we do have the new Better Homes and Gardens!"
The images here come from Phoebe McEvoy who very kindly sent a pdf of the entire gift guide via e-mail. If it is an indication of the direction that Inside Out is going with new editor Richard Waller, then it's going to be an even better platform for small local makers than it was under Karen McCartney. Hooray!