Secretly Shy.

Image by Meesho via Flickr


I've been to a fair few markets now, and have been chatting with a fair few of fellow crafty bloggers for awhile now. And even those who I don't often leave comments for (oh guilty!heart, be still!), I do know of your names and such!

Yet when I do come across people I know from the blogosphere or crafting world at markets, I hesitate to introduce myself. For the simple reason that really should have been dealt with a long time ago:


I am shy.


Oh, don't get me wrong. Once the initial niceties and greetings have been exchanged, I chatter quite easily (tho I really fail at doing small talk) and can be quite friendly. It's the initial hump, getting over that hump, that always fails me.

For example:
I saw that the incredibly talented Aunty Cookie was at the last Yarraville Markets, and though I walked past many times, hesitated countless of times, I just couldn't pick up the courage to say hi. Don't I just suck at being social?

Perhaps as time go by, I'll get better at this saying hi business. For now, I hope you overlook my little ... ahem. incapability to be a normal sociable human being, and come drag me out of my hole! I promise I won't bite!

Secretly Shy.

My 2009 Christmas Wishlist

1. Magazine subscriptions to : Real Living, Fashion Trend, Peppermint, Frankie. I really really want this <3

2. Any sort of craft books to do with sewing, softies making, crochetting, knitting , beading.


3. A Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens

4. Gift vouchers to Borders / Angus & Robertson / Dymocks / any book stores really.

5. More vintage goodness! More handmade goodness!


Celebrating Green Open Weave Wrap by Leanne from Rainbow Revolution

6. Scarfs. One can never have too many scarfs.

what's your christmas wishlist?

My 2009 Christmas Wishlist

1st of December, can you hear the bells?

Image by Amy Adams

That breathless feeling..

The pounding heart..

Clutching your letter to my chest, I tried to stop my head from spinning so fast.

Could it be? Can it be? Perhaps it really is true?
Dare I believe.. that christmas is finally coming round again?

It's the 1st of December! The month of christmas! Are you ready? Are you set? Have you dug out the christmas decorations?

Christmas will be a quiet affair for me this year, but I'm going to make the most of it by living my life to the fullest for these 25 days. Just in case, I haven't done so for the past year or so *winks*

So tonight I'll be off to the drive-in with my friends, to watch a few movies. See you on the flip side!

1st of December, can you hear the bells?

Waltzing through with Talent: Ky and Cloud from Voodoo Rabbit

Wow, it's 30th of the month and we are looking at yet another Waltzing through with Talent segment. Did you enjoy last week's? I promise you I have many more exciting ones lined up for you with fantastic giveaways!





I met today's stars when they joined the Australian Dust Team. Or technically, I got to know Cloud. Ky was very much just a name that floated around but I got to meet both of the ladies in person recently when they came down to Melbourne for a quick visit. And let me assure you that these two Brisbane ladies are just fantastic! Absolutely great personalities, and I'm not even being bias because they are fellow EGL and EGA lovers! So sit back and get to know these two colourful personalities, and as a treat, we got both of them to answer the questions, not just one!





Who are you and what do you sell?

We’re Ky & Cloud & our shop is called Voodoo Rabbit. We specialise in fabric & sewing supplies for the “dark arts & craftist”. We are sisters (in law in avery complicated fashion) but most importantly we are friends / craft buddies.

What are your inspirations and muses?

Ky: My partner Matt, he always encourages me in all of my projects and has been really supportive of Voodoo Rabbit. He has been encouraging me to do my own designs for years and now I am finally doing it. I also find Alexander Henry fabrics very inspiring and one day hope to create fabics as beautiful as these.

Cloud: Ky inspires me to stick with stuff and try new crafts. I bought my first sewing machine because of Ky and it has let me to start up Voodoo Rabbit with her too - I need to buy wholesale to maintain my steadily growing hoard of fabric (it’s like dragon gold to me).

How does your creative space look like?

Cloud: My creative space looks EXACTLY like Ky’s study.

Ky: My creative space would look a lot bigger without Cloud taking up all the room! Actually it’s on the top floor of my house, directly under the roof (so it’s stinking hot in summer & freezing in winter). I’ve got my sewing machine, overlocker & cover stitch machine on one side of the room. On the other, I have my computer, scanner & wacom tablet (for when I’m designing fabrics) and my huge blanket box full of fabrics that Cloud can’t have. Also it is usually a mess and I can never find anything.





Tell us a little about what makes you, you. Your other hobbies, day job (if any!) .. anything that makes you tick!

Ky: I’m a graphic artist, work for a computer games company and I’m also a bit goth. I sew – clothes, appliqué, quilts, etc. I also cross-stitch, sashiko and I recently finished my first trapunto. I’ve started drafting patterns (the latest one from a Gosu Rori magazine I bought in Japan) and I’m really working hard to take my sewing to a higher level. I haven’t had much time for other hobbies lately – I recently finished helping my youngest sister prepare her wedding – all of the stationery, hens’ night t-shirts, a cross-stitch for the cover of the guest book, faux fur shawls, jewellery and the brides’ veil. I’m really proud of the veil.

Cloud: I have no creative skills – just crazy ideas! I make the occasional softie but mainly I start projects and never get around to finishing them. I have a mermaid cross-stitch that I started over 3 years ago… I haven’t done any work on it in over 2 years. I also have a trapunto block I bought & started at the same time as Ky. Hers is finished & mine is lost somewhere down the back of the couch barely started! I do accounts / book-keeping for my day-job, so I do the bookwork & the bossing around for Voodoo Rabbit too. I seem to be a compulsive twitter freak – I managed an average of 90 tweets per day on my first 3 days!

What are you most proud of in your crafting/art life and your personal best achievement?

Ky: Definitely everything for my youngest sister’s wedding. The veil is top of the list, it took hours to do all of the beading on it. I'm planning to write a blog post about it as part of a series on all the crafting done for the wedding on Not Dark Enough. I'm also really proud of getting my first fabric designs printed at Spoonflower (our Gingham Invaded range).

Cloud: I think the space invader patchwork cushions that Ky & I just designed & made. It has been so long since I actually finished something creative. They looked really good. For some reason I can’t hem a skirt but I can patchwork like a demon!





Complete these sentences:

Ky:

* I love...chocolate, I can't eat too much of it these days without feeling sick but I always come back for more.
* I cannot live without... Matt who keeps me sane and focused. Also my sewing machine, I think it needs repairs but I don't know when I will be able to take it in - it is a good thing I don't sew stretch fabric too often.
* I hope... to quit my day job and open up a fabric shop with Cloud. There will be a small cafe in it where you can sit and have a cuppa and a biscuit while you mull over your purchases.
* When I grow up... I will no longer make computer games for a living, I will sew and craft to my hearts content. I will sell awesome fabrics to like minded souls and go on fabric buying trips around the world.

Cloud:

* I love… my partner Sam-Sam, my kitten Pikel (he’s my fuzzy little man) & Japan
* I cannot live without… my i-Phone. You’ll need to prise it out of my cold dead hands before I’d ever give it up. Oh, and my partner Sam-Sam & my kitten Pikel (just in case they’re reading this :p)
* I hope… to open up a ‘real’ fabric shop with Ky. It will have a coffee shop attached and will be next door to a rockin’ tattoo parlour.
* When I grow up… will be when hell freezes over! I love being a big kid – no growing up for me. Unless growing up gets me what Kyle wants too :P

What do you like best about the crafting/art world.

Ky: I like that there are people out there who can make such awesome things all by themselves and not have to rely upon mass produced products. I just wish that it wasn't getting so difficult to source supplies.

Cloud: I love being able to produce something myself. I can’t stand mass-produced waste & consumerism. The planet can’t sustain it and it’s all crap anyway. I’d much rather spend money either making something for myself or my friends, or buying from another crafter. I guess it’s a bit ironic saying that, considering I’m now supplying commercially produced crafting supplies. I like to think that Voodoo Rabbit isn’t supplying ‘mass-produced crap’ or ‘leeching’ off crafters. Ky & I craft ourselves and want to provide the stock that we just can’t get in the stores. We’re also extremely dedicated to producing our own fabric designs – not just supplying the stuff that’s already out there.

Where can we get more goodies from you?

At the moment we’re only listing on etsy but if you email us (sales@voodoorabbit.com.au) because you see something you want on our etsy site, we’ll sell it to you. We’re also planning on starting up a stall at the Southbank Markets and maybe a couple of other places around Brisbane.






Let me just say this: You Brisbanites are very lucky to have them living amongst you, for I'd KILL to have them in my backyard.

But for today we are sharing the love worldwide. The ladies have been very generously and have offered to give one very lucky Little Waltz's reader their very own Patchworked Pixelated Space Invader Cushion Cover worth 45.00 usd and lovingly handmade by the both of them.




I am so incredibly sad that I can't enter my own giveaway. I want this for myself!!


As usual, the following rules apply: (Please read for it may be different from previous week's!)

· One entry for each of our blogs (Not Dark Enough, Voodoo Rabbit & Zombie Hare) that you follow. Please leave a comment saying you have done so!

. One entry for following this blog Little Waltz

· One entry for following Voodoo Rabbit on Twitter @vooodoorabbit & then tweeting about the giveaway

Please tweet the following statement: Fantastic Space Invader Cushion Cover by Voodoo Rabbit to giveaway, come check it out here! http://tiny.cc/CjabM

· One entry for becoming fan on our Facebook Page.

· Two entries for each purchase (from: our etsy store) made during the period of the giveaway.

This giveaway will end 14th December 2009, 10am Melbourne time. The winner will be announced on the following Waltzing through with Talentpost.

So why wait? Get cracking and you could be that lucky winner!



Would you like to be considered for this feature? Send me an email at petite.valse (at)gmail.com and tell me why you'd like to be in the feature!




The winner from the last Waltzing through with talent is:



Pippirose!!

Congrats! Please send me an email with your address and we'll send you your earrings asap!

Waltzing through with Talent: Ky and Cloud from Voodoo Rabbit

DIY Tutorial: earring displays

Earrings are such whimsical things. They can sit and twinkle from your ear lobe or they can dangle and catch the light and shimmer everytime you turn your head.
I love earrings.

In fact, they were the first piece of jewellery that I covet, and till now earrings hold something special in my heart.

But I always have an issue. How do you keep them so that they don't get tangled? Especially if you are like me and especially love the crazy long ones that dangle past your shoulders. They get tangled so so much!

So here's a tutorial on how to make a display for your earrings: it doesn't just keep your earrings tangle free, they also allow you to show them off like the pieces of art they truly are!



You will need:


1x thumbtack
Jewellery pliers


1x cardboard with windows cut out
(Make sure that the windows are longer than your dangle earrings!)

Not pictured:

1x silver chain (or any colour chain you'd like really)
Jumprings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Step 1:
Cut out windows from your cardboard as shown above.
Make sure that your cardboad is fairly thick!
If it's soft, it won't hold the weight of the earrings.

Step 2:


Measure out the length of chain you need.
If you want your chain to be tight, you need to cut it slightly shorter than the width of the window.

Step 3:

Use a thumbtack to punch holes in the side of the cardboad.
Try to punch the holes near the side of the window.

Step 4:

Attach the chain to the cardboad by hooking it up to the holes with jumprings!
See why you need to punch right at the side now?

Step 5:

Repeat steps 2 - 4 for the rest of the windows
And you are done! Technically.

Step 6:
This step is optional. But we are crafty people, so...

~* it's time to decorate! *~


This is what I did with mine. I wanted something simple and girly!
Plus, I do have a heap of flowers and ribbons laying around..

And there you have it!




Your very own earring display, customized the way you want it to be,
a work of art that's functional to boot!

How was that? Easy isn't it?
It takes about 10 minutes to do, and it's so much fun!

Perfect for the bedroom, the craft room, even the living room!
Plus you can change the earrings around, so you can constantly update the piece of art.
Or even put one next to the front door, so you can grab a pair just as you go out.

The possibilities are endless...

So try it out, and please do show me your results~~!
Good luck! and Happy crafting!


p/s: You can make it as large as you like, with as many windows as you like. It's really up to you!

DIY Tutorial: earring displays

Shamless plug: Sometimes we all need a bit of a kick.

It's been awhile since I spoke about my shop and my items, so here's a quick run through of what's been appearing on the craft table so far:



Yellow Roses Ear Studs: You can find them here


Light pink ice cream Ear Studs: You can find them here


Mezzo Piano Musical Ear Studs: You can find them here


An apple a day Ear studs: You can find them here


Black x Pink Skull ear studs: You can find them here

There are more but I haven't been able to upload all of them yet.
So stay tune to my MadeIt store and my Etsy store!

Shamless plug: Sometimes we all need a bit of a kick.

What do you sell?

What do you sell?




Here's a question often found on application forms for craft markets, a question often asked between business associates.. and while I always have to give them the boring version, here's what I'd love to answer:


I sell dreams of elegance and delicacy, of hope and desire for the pretty. I sell sparkling gems and jewels that feed the womanly soul and allow it to soar in the skies of the world. I sell hope, happiness, tears of joy and tenderness. I sell sweets and candies that will sweeten your dreams and make your smile in your sleep.

I sell sparkles and twinkles in your eyes, shining and shimmering like a star in the night. I sell beautiful flowers, hoping that your spirits be lifted and rejuvenated with its gentle dance in the wind. I sell songs and sounds to adorn your ears, and tender kisses upon your hair.

I sell stories, fairytales and dreams that will nestle upon your chest like a baby cuddling up to the warmth. I sell crystals and diamonds, catching them as they fall from the sky.

I sell jewellery, lovingly handmade every bit and every piece.. but are they truly what they seem to be, or perhaps they mean much more?





So here's my question to you:

What do you sell?

What do you sell?