greenolive

a new venture

There is something new in the world of greenolive. Well, maybe not really new because its been bubbling away under the surface since about March this year, but it hasn't really seen the light of day yet. Those of you who are regular blog readers or market goers might have an inkling, but for the rest of you...

Ta da!! I present Vintage prints by greenolive.

Vintage prints is a new venture that combines several passions into one – my love of design and the printed page; my fondness of things old, with a patina, a history; my interest in reclaiming, recycling; and my favourite pastime, op shopping.

It is a celebration of the design, style and craftsmanship of books from days past. When illustrations were created by hand, paper was lovely and thick, and printing was done the old fashioned way. 

Original printed pages and illustrations from vintage books are sourced, curated and packaged with provenance details, ready for you to frame and hang in your home. They also make great gifts for newborns, new mums, kids – anyone really.

We'll be launching Vintage prints at Magnolia Square next week, at the Malvern Town Hall, as part of their new bloom concept. Its very exciting, and we hope you love Vintage prints as much as we do.

almost back on deck...

but I've given the lurgy to Drew!

I woke up this morning to find an email from Crafted by Lindy saying she had featured me in her post on this blog - a la mode stuff.

The post features lots of numerical and typographical goodness, including a wonderful wooden trunk with "55" printed on it!

Thanks Lindy for the post and now I've discovered a new blog to add to my list.

modish market blog profile

Wish I was here – at the beach. This is Inverloch, taken when we recently visited the girls from mookah. Jack is the dog we regularly dogsit, or rather have on loan from time to time.

A bout of bronchitis has me confined to bed - doctor's orders. So the past day or so has been filled with restless sleep, reading, cups of tea, knitting, lots of toast, more tea, and watching Days of our Lives. Plus a daily antibiotic washed down with lots of water.

But an email from Kylie, one of the Modish Creators Market organisers really made my day yesterday. They have profiled us on their blog. Read all about it!

See you when I'm back on deck...

see you at the Convent

The Shirt and Skirt market is on this Sunday, and I'm so excited. Its a beautiful venue with lots of old, interesting buildings and lovely grounds. 

And a gorgeous bakery that makes the best fruit loaf ever! They also do a mean poached eggs, so after the stall set up I'm gonna treat myself to that – need to keep the energy up for the busy day ahead.

We'll have some new wool tweed handbags at the market, as well as a new scarf design made from felted wool jumpers. Hope to see you there.

 

lino cut love

The past day or so has involved a spot of lino cutting and printing. Something I haven't done since art college back in the mid-80s. As in 1980s people, last centuary!

I really don't know why I've left it so long to pick up the tools. I love lino cuts: the process of cutting the lino itself and the big reveal as you ink up and pull a print.

You really can't go wrong with a lino cut – the texture, line work and graphic style that is inherent in the medium means almost anything you print will look great.

So, why lino cutting you ask? Well, because I'm working on something with Leisa and Nicole from mookah and it needed a lino cut. That's why.

But I can't show you the end result yet. The girls need to ok it, and I'll let them show you what its all about.

Won't be long, I promise.

seizing the day

Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I drag my feet. I put things off. I distract myself with something else...its been a common and constant theme for me and I'm not really sure why I do it. I don't like to use the P word, but yes, I am a Procrastinator.

In most cases I know what I have to do. I have the design, idea, skills or materials necessary. And more often than not, I have a deadline or need I'm working towards. But, still no movement. No seizing of the day.

Well, yesterday things were different. The stars must have been in alignment. I seized the day. One task on my very long to-do list was: photograph the cushions I'd sewn from our screenprinted fabrics so I could put them online and sell them.

There was no reason why this couldn't be done. Or rather, done months ago. The cushions had been sewn already – they were sewn for a market back in March. And people wanted to buy them – about a month ago I had a wholesale enquiry from a new kids shop wanting photos and prices for the cushions. But, still no movement!

Finally yesterday morning I grabbed the cushions and camera, made the most of the light and photographed the cushions. One hours work max. A few minutes to download. Easy peasy. What had I been waiting for?

Now I just need to manipulate the pics a bit, write some sales copy, decide on wholesale and retail prices, and upload the things! Then, maybe, we can make some money.

Better give me til the end of the week though, don't want to rush things too much do we?

washing days

When the weather forecast is fine and sunny, I only think of one thing. Not a day at the beach. Not a picnic in the country by a bubbling brook. No, I think of washing!

Yesterday was a perfect sunny day, the sort of day that is rare during winter up here on the mountain. So we made the most of the opportunity and washed load after load of deconstructed wool jackets, pants and skirts.

They look very colourful hanging on the line to dry in the sun. 

After drying the pieces are folded, sorted and packed away, ready to be pulled out again when the next wool-tweed-bag-making session begins.

That's probably in the next few days I expect because we only have three bags in stock and the Shirt and Skirt market is on this Sunday at the Abbotsford Convent!

Wish me luck!

grey urban type has left the building

 

Sold out. Yes, sold out. The grey Urban Type fabric is gone for good. The very last piece is now on its way to a studio in Canada, to be framed and hung on the wall.

So if you managed to get your hands on some while it was still for sale, good for you. Its bound to become a collector's item in the future. ;)

Oh course I kept a piece for myself, as a record of the design, colour and fabric. And I won't part with it for love or money. Don't even try.

country life

The wood that Martine chopped. Yes, I split this wood.

And just so you are suitably impressed, this is the pile that I split yesterday. 

Splitting wood is a part of daily life in the country, at least it is if you want to keep warm during winter! And with a husband confined to bed with a bad back, the task fell to me. Luckily it was a pile of Black Wattle rounds I was splitting, one of the easier woods to split.

Once I got the hang of it, I was able to split wood with almost every fall of the axe. It is such a satisfying thing, hearing the whack of the axe and seeing the wood split before your very eyes. There is something very back-to-nature about the whole thing.

Another aspect to country life is looking forward to wild weather. The high winds usually bring down a tree or two and fallen trees means free firewood. After a storm we are out in the car, driving all over the mountain looking for trees or branches to cut up, lug back home, and split to keep our fire going.

This morning I'm feeling the after effects of the splitting marathon – sore forearms, shoulders and lower back. But I'm sure my body will get used to it after awhile.

I'll leave you with this morning's sunrise. Hope you have a great weekend.

market days (or should that be daze?)

Ms Red Sheridan, so named because my sister has asked to buy this bag from me. Yes, buy. Its a wonderful feeling when family members start asking for or buying your stuff. 

My post-market recovery phase seems to be taking longer the further we get into Winter. 

As I type this its just after 3am Wednesday morning and I'm only now feeling ready to tackle life. In particular, the pile of paper work and unpaid bills that have accumulated. The emails I need to read. The post-market ritual of returning the boxes of stock to their homes in my sewing room/studio or behind the couch, only to drag them back out a few days later for the next market. The winter coats I need to finish so my sister can try them on to see if they'll fit her expanding pregnant tummy. The dress I have promised to sew for my niece since her 2008 birthday. Her 2010 birthday is less than a week away, and let me tell you she has a memory that could rival an elephants!

It probably isn't helping that this sleep thing is out of whack. Some nights I can't sleep, staying awake til four or five before my brain is quiet enough to let me sleep. Other nights I fall asleep easily enough, but wake up about 3am full of energy and unable to go back to sleep. The night before Daylesford market last Saturday I couldn't sleep, finally falling asleep about 2am, leaving myself only three hours of rest before we had to hit the road.

Daylesford was a marathon market day. The 2.5hr drive there. The drama of the "forgotten" clothes rails. The extra long market, staying open til 5pm. The 2.5hr drive home. To balance things out we had our best day ever there in terms of sales. You really never can tell with markets, you just need to show up and accept whatever the day holds for you – the good and the bad.

One of the good things was meeting Tania, aka myrtleandeunice. Her tea towels and cards were beautifully designed (turns out she's a graphic designer too) and infused with such wit. And her packaging was divine, making serifs look so sexy that I may have to rethink them. It turns out she'd bought some greenolive fabrics when we launched them in 2009, and has used them in a wonderful scrappy quilt.

Two more wool tweed handbags have found new homes. Ms Red Plaid went to a young woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and handed over the cash without me having to "sell" at all. I like those sort of sales.

 

Ms Charcoal Herringbone was chosen by a girl who had fallen in love with two bags, but couldn't decide which one she loved most. With the help of her friend and a look in the full-length mirror in the ladies loo, she made her choice.

Another lady was drawn to the bags because the Harris Tweed reminded her of her Dad. It seems her English father lived in Harris Tweed jackets, and the colours and textures of the bags brought back so many memories. They were so strong that she talked about having her mum send over one of her Dad's jackets so I could custom make a bag for her. I hope she does, I'd love to make a bag with that much history in it.

This is exactly why I love handmaking things and using recycled materials. Each piece has a story, a history and is imbued with memories.