little market recap

 

Well, my new little planter pot market stand came up a treat after a lick of paint and some fabric coated shelves! And I bought the wee mini sofa lounge/day bed on the right from an Ipswich antique shop on Thursday for only $25 … isn’t it fantastic!! It gained much admiration, including my hubby who thought it might be a great idea to let our cat sit on it for a photo … NOT LIKELY!! I love it so!!

  

Speaking of LOVE, the ever-creative Bec from Little Brown Dog surprised me by hand-making me this BEAUTIFUL turquoise blue halter top AND as soon as I saw this little limited edition turquoise stuffie, I just had to have him to match! He makes me happy to be alive ~ there’s something so jovial about him! Bec’s stuffies are awesome and SO much better in the flesh … (she made the one on the left too but I had to force myself to pull in the purse strings!)

  

The AMAZING Muddy Tutu trio appeared for the first time at our little market, and I have to say, it was beautiful! Think harmony, intimate and goosebump material!

Oh ~ and here is my latest fan ~ lovely Mira wearing a snazzy blue pair of my eco-earrings! She spent the night flashing her new earrings whilst making cubby houses under the market tables with a little friend she’d met that night at the market, and having many a ‘who’s taller’ competitions with me. A great night had by all!

Hope to see you next time at the Little Market, last Friday of every month. C x

(Oh, and the little market at avid now has it’s very own facebook page! Join us here)

to do and new(s)

Happy Friday everyone!

Here in Brissie today it’s 9am and we’re STILL looking out into a sea of fog. Apparently the city ferries have even been halted! Never mind … it’s still full steam ahead for me (as usual).

On my To Do list today is to:

Finish making these little puppies into fabric fascinators,

Create a bunch of new business cards and fliers for an upcoming launch,

Somehow make this thing into an attractive new market stand,

Finishing off some new fabric key-rings  AND having a stall at The Little Market At Avid tonight! Crikey!

Busy day ahead for me!

In other great news, I landed TWO new stockists yesterday! So if you’re in the Ipswich area, you can now find my art prints + fabric jewellery at Handmade Heaven and Swich Contemporary Art Space.

PLUS jewellery designer Kellie Christie, (made famous by Maggie Beer flashing her jewellery all over Masterchef and The Cook and the Chef on TV!) has featured *yours truly* in an arty interview over on her blog! Check it out here if you wanna take a looksy.

AND I’ve now got my Itty Bitty Art Prints stocked on my website and etsy store.

Phew! Anyhow, I better get off my butt/computer and get cracking on my list! Hope you have a great weekends!

C x

totally awesome market day @ nook

This Saturday I had the totally *RAD* opportunity to set up my very own Pop-up shop @ Nook, with my fellow Tricycle peeps (Kate & Bec).

 

Sprawling our craftywares all throughout the front garden, complete with a cardboard cash register hand-made by Bec, we all spent the day sharing our crafts, drinking cups of tea, chatting away to the lovely Michelle from Nook and meeting many new hand-made fans.

There was a lovely, relaxed feel about the day and we managed to pop things into many nooks and crannies amongst the trees, paths and veggie gardens.

 

As usual, inside Nook, the hand-made treasure trove continued, and I found myself wandering in an out all day, each time still managing to find something new and cool I hadn’t noticed before. Michelle has been busy making lots of decorations and props for the store using recycled papers and magazines .. they’re worthy of a trip to Nook for a look themselves!

Nook’s resident kitty ‘Pedro’ was having a whale of a time playing cat’n’mouse with our teal green carpet and generally wandering amongst all the newfound treasures and trinket boxes he could find.

I must’ve been wearing my lucky underwear, coz I managed to score a plethora of beautiful gifts from Michelle, Bec and Kate!! Totally awesome + grateful!!

Thanks so much to those of you who were able to make it this time … we’re already planning to do it again sometime soon!

giveaway drawn and thank you

Thank YOU to all the lovely peeps who entered my giveaway and shared your feedback and my work with others.

There were over 40 entries but there could only be three winners …

Third prize went to Truffellady, who won herself a hand-made fabric ring

Amazingly, both second prize AND first prize went to Trulyana, who has won herself two pairs of hand-made fabric earrings and a mounted Itty Bitty Art Print :) The force must be strong with this one!

Congratulations to you both and again, thanks to everyone who entered!

C xx

last day of GIVEAWAY

Just a quick note … my giveaway finishes this evening at 6pm Brisbane time.

A choice of these are up for grabs :)

 

Enter here and best of luck :)

C x

pop-up- shop sneak peek

I’m almost jumping out of my britches here for two reasons …

Part 1. I’ve just finished making my brand-spankin’ new range of Itty Bitty Art Prints! Yippee! Here’s a sneak peek of how they’ve turned out :)

 

These puppies are all professionally giclee printed onto canvas, which I’ve then cut to size and mounted on recycled pine boards. It took ages to sand and double prime all the mounting boards, but now they’re done, I defo think it was worth the effort. I reckon they’re pretty cute! (but I may be biased!)

Each measures 4 inches x 4 inches and 1cm deep. I’ve been having a play with how they look in clusters and the verdict is pretty darned cool, so I’ll prolly conjure up a bargain for multiple prints.

Anyhow, onto Part 2 of my excitement, which comes from knowing there’s only 1 more sleep til my Pop Up Shop @ Nook with fellow Tricycle peeps!

This week I’ve been keeping myself busy getting my prints organised and a bunch of new fabric jewellery, ready to take over the front lawn of Nook’s lovely hand-made store at West End.

My newest addition are these fabric fascinator hair combs … they’ve been really fun to make, playing with different colour and pattern combos … + of course lots of new fabric earrings.

We’ve had a pretty impressive RSVP response to our Pop-Up shop so far, and I’m really looking forward to meeting a lot of my fellow BrisVegas blogging peeps in the flesh. Will I see you there too?

Oh, and before I forget, there’s only a couple of days left to enter my giveaway, so if you wanna be in the running for some freebies, get in before 6pm Sunday night!

Happy weekend lovely people! C x

crafty interview with Eve’s little earthlings

Ok so ever since I laid eyes on Eve’s Little Earthlings store on Etsy, I've been in love. I mean come on ~ she makes fantastic tree-lookalike pillows out of old wool jumpers she salvages from op-shops. Trees + recycled materials?!

Eve, You had me at ‘hello’!

After a wee bit of healthy Etsy and facebook stalking, the lovely Eve Geisler and I have become cyber buddies, and she’s agreed to this fabulous crafty interview. So without further ado, here she is!

Hi Eve! You know I’m already a fan, but can you tell us all a bit about what you do:

I am calling myself a fabric artist these days. It seems a little hoity toity to me, but, I am not sure what else to say. What it means is that I make things out of fabric, lots of little stuffed animals, banners, dolls, pillows shaped like tree branches and other fabric related items. I design my own patterns and try to produce original works (although I know in this vast world that is virtually impossible).

Why do you prefer to use repurposed materials?

Using repurposed materials breathes new life into them and it saves our precious new materials. I like browsing at second hand shops and getting inspired by what I see there. There is a huge variety of textures and colours AND it is all fairly inexpensive. If I make a mistake, I feel it doesn’t really matter, so there is a lot of creative freedom to experiment and play. I enjoy the hunt for good reused materials. It makes me feel resourceful! I also try to use mostly natural materials...ones that will return to the earth once we are done with them.

How and why did you start doing what you do?

For about 15 years, I was a potter. After many years of joy and toil, I gave it up to stay home with my young children. As they grew, I also changed. I started a home daycare and got interested in Waldorf philosophy. I started creating toys for my own children and the ones I cared for. The daycare has been done for a few years now and I find myself sewing and more and more things, not necessarily toys anymore, although I do love making my little animals. There is a real feeling of satisfaction when I add the eyes and nose to a little stuffed toy.

Who’s work inspires you?

I am inspired by somebody’s work every time I turn on the computer. There are so many creative souls working away quietly in their homes and studios. So many ideas, songs and stories. I used to feel intimidated by all this energy, but I know I have my little place in the scheme of things and I am satisfied with that. If I had to name a historical figure, it would be Henry Moore. In Toronto, there is a wing of the Ontario Art Gallery that has many of his works and I feel calmed and awed every time I go there.

What are five things you can’t live without?

Since you are asking about things, I will not name family, friends and world peace, which are precious to all of us.

I know I can live without it, but I want a couple of cups of coffee every day. Our garden comes to mind this time of year. I love the feeling of self sufficiency and the fresh food it provides. Tending a garden is a real connection to our ancestors. It is almost an instinct (That being said, I have to admit it is my husband who is the real gardener).

A trip to the mountains every couple of years helps me stay inspired. The feeling everybody gets when a good idea evolves into a satisfying project and then another idea springs from it. I guess that is the creative process. I also cannot do without daily exercise and yoga. Sewing is physically demanding and requires a lot of repetitive motions. Without yoga and stretching, I would not be able to work.

Where can we find you/your work?

I am on etsy here

If anyone would like to regularly see what new things I am up to, they can follow me on facebook.

I am not blogging yet...don’t know if I ever will, but I am a contributor to the Natural Kids blog. Natural Kids is an etsy team dedicated to making children’s items out of natural materials.

Any parting thoughts?

Well, I think we are all more creative and stronger than we think we are. I would say that creativity is one of those precious gifts that humans possess in abundance...it just needs encouragement to flourish.

Cheers to that! Thanks so much Eve (and your little Earthlings!)

running an arty business

Some people say I'm super 'lucky' to be working full time running my own art business.
If I had a dollar for everytime I heard 'I wish I could paint all day and get paid for it', I wouldn't quite have enough to buy a condo in the Maldives, but I'd sure be able to shout myself out to a mighty fine dinner and a movie.

The truth is, it's probably more like 10% luck and 90% effort, alongside 10% creating and 90% behind-the-scenes other stuff.

There are definitely days where I'd agree that I really am very fortunate. Days when I complete or sell an artwork, or receive some really great feedback, or come across someone really inspiring, or connect with other creative people, or when I'm working with others on creative projects : these days I wouldn't trade my career for the world.

But there are also days when I honestly consider giving it all up for even just a smidgen of stability and normality.

Being an artist and running my own business is fantastic in so many ways, but it's also a bloody hard slog. Like most other small business owners, there's the services you offer and then there's all the behind-the-scenes stuff like marketing and admin and a whole plethora of other duties that make it hard to be a one-man-band at times.
And I have to say, although I do my best not to buy into the whole 'starving artist' myth, making a business out of something that many see as 'decorative' rather than a 'staple need' can be tricky.

I'm very fortunate that I have lots of people in my life that support me and believe in what I'm doing. Sometimes actually, I think I'm my own best critic. But it's hard not to be when l find myself working a 70 hour week and not making a single cent, thinking 'Is it really all worth it?'

I wish I could say 'Yes!' every time, but in all honesty, my answer to that question depends on the day you ask me.

I honestly don't know how long I can sustain working solely as a freelance artist. There may come a day where I have to let it go and get a 'real job', and there may come a day where I look back at myself asking this question while I'm drinking a cocktail from my condo in the Maldives. Or I may burn myself out somewhere in between.

All I do know is that right now, the good outweighs the bad, and I love having the freedom to create and connect with others. The rest is a work in progress and I'm learning more about myself and what I'm made of in the unfolding process.

What about you ... do you run your own art/craft business too? How do you find the trials and tribulations? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

C xx

competition: win an Itty Bitty Art Print by chrissy foreman c

To coincide with the launch of my new upcoming ‘Itty Bitty Art Prints’ range, I’ve decided to celebrate by hosting a giveaway!! Yaaaay!

What’s up for grabs, you ask? Well, THREE prizes actually!

First Prize:

If you’re the lucky first prize winner, you will get to select your favourite Chrissy Foreman C artwork and have it mounted as an Itty Bitty Art Print of your very own ~ PLUS win one free pair of fabric earrings from my eco-jewellery range! (choose your own) Yay! Double the fun!

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Second Prize:

Second prize wins one pair of hand-made fabric earrings from my eco-jewellery range (choose your own). These will come wrapped in a gorgeous little hand-made fabric eco-pouch. I’ll email the winner with a bunch of different earring options so you get to choose a pair in colours and patterns that suit your lobes!

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Third Prize:

Third prize winner will scoop one hand-made fabric ring from my fabric eco-jewellery range. If you win this prize, you’ll need to give me you finger measurements and I’ll find one fabric-beauty from my stash that fits you like a glove!

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How to enter:

There are five ways to enter … each earning you an extra entry ~ So you can enter only once or up to five times to increase your chances of winning a lovely prize! Yay!

ENRTY 1. Help me name my newest artwork:

Using some of the great title suggestions and feedback I’ve received so far from my lovely fans, I’ve come up with the following four options for my yet-to-be-titled-artwork:

1. The Tides of my Soul Creature
2. The Glide of my Tides
3. Aquatic Soul Dance
4. Cellular Serene

Which title do you think suits best? Just leave a comment on my blog with your favourite title number!

ENTRY 2: Tell me your favourite art print and why

Head on over to my new Art Prints Store, have a scroll through and let me know the title of your favourite artwork and why it’s your fave. If you win first prize, your favourite print will be all yours in Itty Bitty form!

Entry 3: Become a fan on Facebook & share

Become a fan of my facebook page and suggest my page to your friends. Don’t forget to leave a comment on my page letting me know you’ve shared the love! I love new visitors :)

Entry 4: Share my competition on your blog or facebook

For an additional entry, share a link to my ‘Itty Bitty Art Print competition’ on your blog or facebook profile!

If you type an @ sign before my name on facebook, it will link directly to my page so I'll kow you've entered (such a cool little app!).

If you’re uploading it on your blog, leave the @ sign out. If you do both, let me know and I’ll add another competition entry on your behalf!

Entry 5: Join my mailing list

This one is easy peasy: Just pop over to my website and enter your details into my mailing list box on the bottom left to receive updates about my arty/crafty adventures!

I respect your privacy and NEVER share your email with anyone else ~ so your deets are safe with me :)

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That’s it!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below on my blog to let me know how many times you’ve entered, or you can email me your answers on mail (at) chrissyforemanc.com. Prizes will be drawn Sunday night 25th at 6pm Brisbane time. All prizes include postage to anywhere in the world! Winners will be notified via email, so remember to enter your correct email details in the comment form below so I can contact you in you win.

Yay! Good luck!!

Luv Chrissy x

itty bitty art prints ~ coming soon

Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing some behind-the-scenes work, preparing to launch my newest arty venture :

My Itty-Bitty-Art-Prints range!

I’ve collated a bunch of my most popular artworks, along with a couple of yet-to-be-released newbies and they’re off at the printers as we speak.

Each of the itty-bitty artworks above will be professionally giclee printed on 4 inch x 4 inch canvas, and mounted onto eco-friendly recycled pine boards.

I’ll be launching them next weekend at my upcoming Pop-Up-Shop @ Nook with my fellow TRICYCLE artisans, as well as on my website, where my Itty-Bitty-Art-Prints will be available for only $20 a pop!

I think they’d look great clustered, so you can collect a few of your faves and pop them on the wall or a shelf together. Sweet!

VERY SOON I’ll be putting together a celebratory Itty-Bitty-Art-Prints competition where you can win one of these puppies … so keep your eyes peeled!!

Pop-Up Shop @ Nook

Yippee! TRICYCLE is proud to present our very first Pop-Up Shop @ our very favourite hand-made store, Nook!

If you haven’t already heard, a couple of my fabulous creative peeps and I have joined forces to create a Brisbane-based eco-friendly  hand-made collective called TRICYCLE … and now we’re taking over the front lawn @ Nook!

This means next Sat, you simply must come and check out all the goodies we’ll have sprawled out over the Nook garden lawn, and then pop inside to check out more hand-made goodness in store. Nook has developed quite a name for itself in the Brisbane world of hand-made goodness, so we feel really blessed to be holding our first TRICYCLE eco-art stall there. It’s a collaboration that’s almost squeal-worthy!

I’ve recently posted an interview with the lovely Michelle from Nook, so you can check out the beautiful things on offer and find out a bit more about the store.

Hope to see you all these … oh, and please, tell all your peeps too!

Luv Chrissy, on behalf of the tricycle trio x

new eco-blog = TRICYCLE

In the mood for some eco, ethical, hand-made goodness? Well look no further!

A couple of my fabulous creative peeps and I have joined forces to create a Brisbane-based eco-friendly collective called TRICYCLE.

Together, the lovely Bec from Little Brown Dog and Kate from Dash Robin Designs are my partners in … um … eco-ethical craftiness!

We hope you can pop over to our new Tricycle Blog and show your support for our hand-made goodies, workshops and upcoming events, all with an eco-bent. It’s still a work in progress, so do visit regularly to check out all the cool crafty creations as they unfold.

Thanks and hope to see you there soon!

Chrissy and the Tricycle team :)

new artwork: can you help with a title?

I just finished this puppy last night … It’s been a long journey actually … I’d say probably close to ten hours of joy!

Yet to be titled: paper, lace, metallic pen, eco-acrylic paint, markers, watercolour pencil, skeleton leaves, fabric, watercolour on board. 46 x 45cm

My mind and intention wandered throughout this piece … I started it when I was feeling confused about some changes in my life, yet I was feeling inspired. I often use my art to make sense of things, so it started by drawing all the circular shapes in and went from there. A few nights later I was watching some documentaries on underwater animals, so I feel like that found it’s way in there somewhere too.

Then a couple of nights on I noticed a face emerging, so I started working around that. I love how things unfold … most of the time I unintentionally create shapes and layers that begin to merge into something. It’s a fun journey!

In the coming days, I just started playing with a few techniques (and the face went by the wayside). Finally last night I spent a few hours honing in on areas to make them ‘sing’ with the rest of the piece … I even found a bird in there last night … can you see it?

End result = I don’t know what it means, but I like it! So because there’s so much content in there for me, I’d love your ideas … can you help me think of a title for this one? What does it ‘say’ or how does it ‘feel’ to you? Any suggestions?

I quite like it with this other, most recent artwork of mine called Blue Musing … maybe it sits well as a duo?