My Handmade Heart

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

A return to simplicity

To say its been a long time between posts seems like an understatement at this stage!
January 2015 was the last time I wrote anything and its now November 2017!!!

Alot has changed in our world.
Ive ummed and ahhed for a while about returning to blogging. After 7 years this space really feels like home but my life has change significantly since I started My Handmade Heart and now feels like the right time to close this chapter and begin a new one.

When I first started this blog it was to explore and share the crafts I was making after just discovering a passion for the handmade. People started encouraging me to sell my crafts and soon My Handmade Heart became a business. I did ok......not great, I just never had the drive to make en-masse and as an artist my motivations and insirations were constantly changing. I had a few highs and a few lows and before my daughters (you've met Mini and Tiny was just added recently) arrived was doing quite well with ETSY online sales and through Instagram.

Then motherhood took over.......I dabbled in making and art and continued to share on instagram but the store remained closed and even my plans for a Sale to get rid of existing items were forgotten. The more I immeresed myself in the world of mothering the more I saw how much I missed the real reason I had started crafting in the first place.

The first thing I ever really made properly were 3 lap quilts made from my grandfathers shirts after he had passed away. I think that speaks volumes about what I believe good handmade craft should be - personal, homey, imperfect, full of stories and most importantly made with love.

I havent pulled out my sewing machine in years (save to make the odd pillow for the couch) but my making days continue. These days you will find me in my new/old home, making mountains of washing that never get put away, making vegetables appear magically from the ground, making new and exciting experiences for my daughters, making time to spend with my children just playing, making crafts and paintings galore with my toddler, making plans to sleep again (one day).

With that in mind Ive decided now is the time to close this chapter and start a new one.

If I ever do return to selling and making I'll be coming back as My Handmade Heart, so this space will remain open untill that day.

In the meantime you can find me in my new/old farmhouse, in the hidden hills of Sydney, doing all sorts of good things with plants, dirt, kids, family and exploring a simpler life at The-Family-Croft

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Life Lately

Remember I told you I was getting a new camera for Xmas? Well, Ive been having lots of fun playing photographer with it! Im not quite brave enough to take it off Auto yet but its such a joy to be taking real photographs again and its been a shift in the way I think about images too which is interesting.

Im busy busy busy at the moment so will leave you with some snapshots for now.
I will be back very soon with some EXCITING news and lots of updates and new things for My Handmade Heart.

Friday, January 2, 2015

25 for 2015

Ive never liked the idea of new years resolutions, they always seem to be huge unattainable goals that never get completed, and then the next year you promise yourself all over again and the cycle repeats. When I saw Sophies list of 30 goals over on Her Library Adventures, I thought it was such a great idea, why hit yourself with the pressure of a big New Years resolution when you can give yourself a list of smaller attainable goals to achieve over the year, things that you really WANT to do rather than the thing you think you should do.

I sat down and started to type and the list came tumbling out, small goals, and big dreams, feelings manifested in intention. Im really excited to see if I can tick some of these things off in 12 months time, they are all things that Ive been wanting to do for a long time......... places I need to visit, things I want to focus on, ways to cleanse my soul and be happier in my new life as a mama.

So here is my list......25 Goals for 2015

Try my hand at jams and preserves
Create less waste in the kitchen and use all of what we have
Organise the pantry and make the kitchen a place I want to spend time in
Make my own bread
Reconnect with my friends and make time to hang out more often
Travel more often as a family
Visit my extended family and friends in Byron Bay
Start to practice Yoga again
Reconnect with my spirituality
Take time to notice the small things
Sew some clothes for Kirra
Re-design Kirras bedroom
Reduce the clutter in our home
Streamline my wardrobe keeping only items that I love to wear
Turn our bedroom into the sanctuary it should be
Create a space to work on my art
Organise and cull my craft supplies
Take time to just make for the fun of it
Spend some serious time working on my shop
Have a market stall
Use technology less
Read more
Learn a new skill
Get on top of our finances and start saving for our dream future
Dream BIG, live simply

A Handmade Xmas

Xmas was a simple handmade affair for us this year........with a tiny budget and all the chaos (beautiful chaos) of 2014 I wanted something simple, quiet and homely.
I toned down my Xmas decorations and went with a simple all white decorated tree, some stockings and a cornstarch clay star garland. I handmade a bunch of gifts for family - Homemade Laundry Liquid, Preserved Lemons, Cinnamon Popcorn and Baby Handprints in cornstarch clay for the Grandparents. I also made a couple of special gifts for Kirra, her first doll and a mini house cushion.

In the end we did not have a quiet simple Xmas day (what Xmas day ever is?) and entertained both our families all day at our tiny apartment, it was overwhelming to say the least and I dont even remember sitting down to watch my daughter open presents but I know she had a wonderful day and enjoyed being spoiled and cuddled by her family and that is all that matters.

Heres some snapshots of our Christmas.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Life Lately

Just some snapshots of what i've been up to lately (fomerly known as Weekly Wanderings)

Making homely Xmas presents this year, money tight and Ive been forced to come up with other options, its been nice.
Hanging out with my baby girl who is growing so fast and has just started to crawl
Going for walks around our neighbourhood
An exciting new opportunity to teach a Pajaki workshop in the New Year (more on that soon!)
A very very sad goodbye to my best friend of 8 years, my bunny boy Isaac. He was so unwell toward the end and we were forced to help him over the rainbow bridge, by far the hardest decision of my life
An exciting day out, Tinkering with Textiles at an Alfalky workshop (I will update on my experience very soon)

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Room for a Modern Little Miss

Ive been thinking about updating my daughters nursery lately, actually the whole apartment really. Now that shes showing signs of being mobile my expertly placed clutter and decorative items all seem dangerous and with all the baby stuff everywhere the place is starting to feel chaotic.

I will be starting with our bedroom and Kirras nursery, moving furniture around and clearing out things we really dont need. In the meantime I've been dreaming about my ultimate nursery............my style has changed since becoming a mother and I'm feeling a need for a more clean modern minimal look although I could never give up colour!
I started by choosing a focal piece, I found a whole bunch of beautiful pieces on the Invaluable website

I searched and searched their extensive list of paintings (Find them here http://www.invaluable.com/paintings/cc-AF14022FJQ/) and finally settled on this beautiful abstract which made me think of my daughter.

The palette for this room was lead by the painting with its rich pinks and blue tones and pops of yellow.
I focused on bringing out the blues with a mix of natural and white furnishings and a little touch of the pinks and yellows in the bedding. The heroes of this room are without doubt the beautiful Gillian Ayres artwork, the incredibly cool cot from Incy and the gorgeous rug by Armadillo & Co

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Alfalky Workshop

I'm very very excited at the moment because I'm going to an all day make and create workshop next weekend led by the talented Alex Falkiner. I was lucky enough to win an Instagram giveaway to attend and to say I'm really looking forward to it would be an understatement!

First of all this will be my first full day away from my daughter and I'm looking forward to being able to focus my attention on something completely for a whole day, I manage to get bits and pieces done at home but I'm never completely focused, a full interrupted day of art is such a luxury right now! Also I'm interested to see how hubby goes looking after Kirra for a full day, I'm sure he'll be fine but I'm glad he will be getting a taste of my current life (if only he could do the night feeds too!)

Most of all I'm just busting to create, it's been nine long months without much time for my favourite hobbies and with summer coming on and the change of season in the if the timing feels so right to start making again in earnest.

I can already feel my creativity returning in anticipation, just this week I have already made my daughter 2 dresses and 4 headbands, put up the Christmas tree and done some Christmas chalk art on our front door!

Here's is some of Alex's work..........I love her use of colour and form to create whimsical and surprising pieces.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Weekly Wanderings

Ive kept my promise to myself, to start capturing every day beauty, in a more meaningful and considered way. Ive been taking photos with an open mind and a keen eye and im really pleased with the results so far. Im still taking happy snaps but amongst the happy snaps and fails are some little gems of beauty.
I cant wait to get a real camera and keep on improving, I had forgotten how photography challenges you to look at things in a different light.

Below are my most recent efforts........I think each one tells a story or captures a moment in what is, on paper, a mundane and average life................I feel as though im making life a little more beautiful for myself and my daughter by taking the time to capture these moments and appreciating the small things.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Capturing Everyday Beauty

I'm a dabbler, I like to do a bit of this and a bit of that when it comes to my craft.
I find always doing something new and coming and going from projects from day to day gives me more creative freedom and means I come back to each project with fresh eyes.........It also means I have allot of unfinished projects that tend to get forgotten!

I also get caught up in things..........like Crochet! I was hugely into crocheting a few years ago and made many many blankets for friends and family, then one day I just stopped and haven't really crocheted anything in earnest for some time.

Another of those things is Photography. I have always loved taking photos and studied it at high school and TAFE, my father is a wonderful photographer and worked in the photographic industry for many years.............we even had a dark room at home with professional enlargers and all the kit!

Since having my daughter Ive been taking more and more photos and as I flicked back through my phone one day it struck me how many beautiful moments I could have captured differently, all the photos were the same......."Happy Snaps" if you like.......perfectly fine but lacking in emotion or not quite capturing the moment in a meaningful way.

So I've made a conscious decision to start trying to capture the truly beautiful in our every day lives. The colour of children's toys, small details of my daughters face, new experiences and special private moments. I have asked for a real camera for Christmas and I really cant wait to start looking at the world through a new lens!

In the meantime I will practice on my iPhone and continue to share through Instagram........I think I can see an improvement in my images already............what do you think?

Wednesday, October 8, 2014