Illustrators' exhibition and craft market this weekend

This weekend I will be taking part in an inaugural market which will be part of Illustrators Australia's annual 9 x 5 show.  (Last year's 9 x 5 post here.)  As usual, illustrators were sent a 9 x 5 inch piece of wood in the mail, on which they were to paint an illustration in according to a set theme.  This year's was Carnivale, and it has resulted in some fantastic work.
My piece is entitled Carnival Mask.  It was one of those pulling-teeth projects I must admit: I avoided doing it until the last minute and virtually had to be tied to my chair, possibly not unlike some circus act.  And not unlike some circus act, I ended up performing and came up with something I was mostly OK with.  This and that could be better...or different...but hey -- there is only one way to learn, and that is by doing.  I have finally realised.
The market and exhibition will be at Space 39.  I will have a full selection of cards and prints, a small selection of mirrors and wooden items, as well as the exhibition entry above.  Please come and say hello!
Cut and pasted from the Illustrators' site....

SPACE 39, Lvl 2, 39 Little Collins St, Melbourne

OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY 9TH NOVEMBER 6pm-9pm – Includes Silent Auction of works starting at $195, carnivale performances by Lana Sway andMagdalena Whirly Bird, drinks and nibbles.

GALLERY & ILLUSTRATORS MARKET
Open Saturday 10th Nov & Sunday 11th Nov, 11am-3pm

Oh my god: 100 pages of Etsy favourites!?!?!

And so I have 100 pages of favourite items on Etsy.  Is that something to be proud of?  I'm not sure.  In the three years that I have had my own shop on the site, I have bought plenty of vintage items and art work, mostly found by looking at other people's favourites.  I guess that that is how I have sold a lot my own work too....
Either way, it forms an interesting record of one's taste in things.  Here are some recent favourites.  Above: Arabia Finland strawberry jam jar from Junkhouse (hardly!).

Above: 1933 bookplate from Vintage Inclination.

Above: vintage Russian vase from GoGoBerlinette.

Above: Advancing in familiar light: handmade greeting card based on a drawing by the very talented Helen Gibbins.  

Above: vintage cast iron apple door stop from compost this.

Above: print by Becca Stadtlander.

Above: Rose de Borman's hand painted silk lion cushion.  I find everything she makes incredibly covetable.  One day....

Above: Amy Blackwell's beautiful odd hand knitted mittens (sold unfortunately: but still inspiring).

Above: print by Emma Lewis.

Above: print by Rob Hodgson.

I tend to like a lot of British artists, actually.

Sorry about the lack of posts.  I have been working on a few things for The Design Files Open House which I can't show on the blog just yet.  I am very proud to be involved again!

Enjoy your Sunday.

Puppenhausmuseum

A little peek into the wonders of 1950s life via the dollhouses of Puppenhausmuseum.  (I rarely visit the site as once I am in there I can't leave: you have been warned.)

A book of nature from 1967

This is the last of my posts on books found in the public library of my parents' hometown of Pucisca.  I was particularly enamoured of this one, but was slightly disappointed when I realised above that it was actually just an American book in translation.  At least that means it would be easier to get my own copy!

New mirrors

Hello!  New mirrors in the shop.

A strange animal book

This somewhat strange animal book comes from the library of Pucisca.  Originally in Italian, it was published in 1968.  I will put in more details when I retrieve my notes, which I left at the studio.  For now I'll let you know that every kid I have shown these pictures to has found them absolutely hilarious!    Try them out.