Producitvity of late (Finally!)

Hello,

I've been a bit naughty and havent posted anything for more than a week! Makes me feel bad. What makes me feel worse is that I've had this post in my drafts for almost the past month and FINALLY getting around to posting it.

So here it is, my first long awaited productivity update! What have I been up to in the past few weeks? Lots! Lots of making and designing and crafting and sewing. Some stuff for myself and other things in preparation for Parramatta Lanes. Seeing as this is my first Productivity update I'm still figuring out how to write it out I think this will mostly be photos and little blurbs about the photos sort of segment.

Firstly things that I have been making for the Parra Lanes Festival. 

So like I have mentioned in THIS previous post, I will be having a stall at the up and coming Parramatta Lanes Festival! So very excited but also a little freaked as it's my first time selling my things. But I'm sure it will be a good learning experience. Here are some things I have planned for the markets. Your opinions and feedback would be most helpful.

Things that will be for sale include these little hand-bound notebooks.

Also these cute repurposed jars. Sustainability is big these days.

Drafting some possible packaging ideas for the markets.

Designed myself a logo for my 'brand' for the markets. I think it might be too cute but that's fine. just want something to put on a little business/contact cards. Thoughts?

Then some other personal projects.

And of course not studying this semester has given me some time to work on some other side projects for myself and my friends. It's nice to just be able to go and make something cos I can.

Made a batch of tiramisu the other week and packaged it up to give to my boyfriend as a treat for work.

Hand painted watercolour card for a Very Hungry Caterpillar themed 1st birthday. Got into water colour during an Illustration elective I did at uni 2 years ago. Brings me back to my childhood.

Present package: Made coordinating bag, wrap and card for a baby shower.

BUNTING! Some of my friends call me the Bunting Queen. Made about 4.7m of bunting for my friend Ben.

And packaged it up nicely for him. Did I mention I liked packaging?

Also designed, inked and framed this typographic birthday message for my friend Keni

That's all the recent stuff that I could find on my SD card. I thought I might put up some of my intern work on another post before this one gets too long.

If any of you internet people would be kind enough, I'd love some feedback on my stuff. Especially on things for the markets. Do you have any suggestions on what else I can make. ALSO Christmas is approaching and wanted to make somethings for the holiday season, Anyone got suggestions? Most helpful!

I know I am slowly easing my way back to blogging and not quite at the readership as I used to be but hoping to have some reader interaction would be very encouraging for me, so if you could be so kind. Also what are your thoughts on social media for The Jolly Cottage? I am hoping to get a Facebook page happening. Will maybe sort that out this week.

Gee I ask a lot of questions, my apologies. Anyway I hope you enjoyed seeing what I've been up to. Hopefully won't be too long before I post my next Productivity post, then I can show you what I do for work!

Till next time,

Julie

Workspace + ANNOUNCEMENT

A little peek into what I'm up to (kind of) and evidence that I am actually up to stuff despite my lack of posts about it all. Also evidence of all the mess I make when I make stuff (more mess than actual stuff sometimes). My super exciting announcement is at the bottom of this post. :)

my craft desk in my room

this one didn't auto rotate

all packed up on the coffee table, there is more on the other side.

yes, that is Clag

yes, I have a dumb phone which is slowly dying on me

GOLD

So yeah, making mess in my room, the dining table, the family room etc. Hopefully will be worth all the work. These are for a bunch of different projects but mostly for my own personal stuff. I will do a "Crafted" post with finished things later on so stay tuned for that.

ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!

So I am very excited to share with you all that I will be having my first market stall at the Parramatta Lanes Festival with the help of the Prospector Store! I will have a stall in the "Suitcase Market" trading under The Jolly Cottage*.

Take a journey through the hidden lanes of Parramatta and discover delicious street foods, pop-up bars, live music and art installations as traditional urban spaces are transformed into playgrounds for the curious (and hungry!).

Over 4 great Spring evenings I'll be out selling my wares to the world!! So come down, come in, come by and say "Hi!" (I'm a rhyming genius). Buy something even! All the locations are still being sorted and yet to be announced but I will be sure to keep you all in the loop.

When: 17 & 18 and 24 & 25 October

Time: 4:30-9:30pm

Explains all the mess I'm making. Not enough mess I think though, lots of work to do still. So I hope to see some of you blog readers there, even if its just to make my stall look popular. Might make a special blog discount password! So be attentive, you won't want to miss it.

For more information just follow this link to the Discover Parramatta event page on thier website.

And check the Prospector Store here and there because it's awesome.

Till next time,
Julie

*thanks Ben for helping out with the name!

DIY must try: Himmeli

So I do a lot of surfing the net and saving images and bookmarking pages and pinning things. So here are some things that I want to try out now, some time in the future (or possibly not get around to doing however unfortunate).

First up.

Himmeli

Himmeli is a Finish tradition where they hang intricate, hand-made, straw mobile over the dining table to promote a good harvest. These traditionally geometric mobiles can look quite modern and geometric and have been recreated by designers for general decorative purposes. Here are some examples below (which I just pulled of Google Images). 

A traditional himmeli made from straw.

A collection of mobiles and ornaments by Melissa of AMradio. You can by her things from her Etsy shop Hrŭskaa.

One of my favourite things by Melissa are her brass himmeli mobiles like these awesome hanging planters.

A himmeli pendant light by designer Paul Loeback.

I stumbled across these beautiful mobiles after watching a tutorial on how to make on the KIN Comminity youtube channel. You can watch the tutorial below.

It looks so easy to do, I just want to make some to decorate my room and to make for Christmas. Bring a little of Scandinavia into my house (I miss Sweden). If any of you internet people try this out let me know and show me!

Till next time,

Julie

Culinary Exploration: Strawberry Shortcake

So, thought I might start a monthly/weekly(?) Cooking thing. Gee I'm great at English.

Anyway, I like to bake and it's something I don't do often. Would also like to cook a bit more too so now I hope to try and get my self in the kitchen as often as possible and post it up online. Take some WIP photos and the end result (because I just like taking photos of food :)

ANYWAY! Last week I decided to bake Strawberry Shortcake, the recipe of which I found on the Sorted Food (these guys are awesome, follow them on Youtube!) website.

I was hoping to make some easy mini quiches but my mum didn't buy the puff pastry I requested the day before so I couldn't. I also couldn't be bothered walking down to the shops to buy some. SO I thought I would bake something else.

Mum just bought two big punnets of strawberries and wanted to use them somehow and decided on this shortbread recipe as it seemed quick and easy.

I didn't have enough butter so I just halved the recipe.

Cute little heart-shaped tin from DAISO! Only $2.80 #winning.

and into the oven

 it took FOREVER to cool down

TA DA!

Yay for fresh strawberries!

Also made a little cupcake sized one with the left over dough and packaged it all up for my boyfriend because I'm awesome.

Also made some choc chip cookies and some brownies for my friends fundraiser. The guys from my Industrial Design course who are graduating this year are trying to raise some money so they can put on their end of year design exhibition and had a stall at my university's open day on Saturday. Unfortunately I totally forgot to take proper photos. This is all I got.

 Hope you enjoyed the post. If there are any recipes you want me to try let me know.

Till next time,

Julie