Pocket Carnival - Handmade in Melbourne

we are go! for a sale

2012-01-11T18:37:00.004+11:00

Hello, and Happy New Year! My little blog's been a bit neglected lately, as I've been blogging over at Oh My Green, my new eco-design/living/business blog. I have some big plans for Oh My Green, so keep checking back! And you can follow us on Facebook now too - hooray!

In celebration of the new year (and of course to sell some stock quick-smart) I'm having a big bit of a sale in the Pocket Carnival online store. Pretty much everything is between 30 & 50% off. Amazing. And if you use the code nice you'll get an extra 10% off store-wide. Plus postage is still free. I know, crazy!

So, pop over quick-smart and get your mitts on some organic purses, recycled paper cards, and cutie everythings.

(Also, Christmas stock is 60% off - time to stock up!)

Today I...

2011-12-14T11:46:00.007+11:00

Of course, anyone who works in any way connected to the creation of retail of any goods knows that Christmas-time is bonkers. Unless, I suppose, you're an Ugg booter maker, in which case - winter's coming in 6 months! Hang in there!

Thankfully this year my bonkerdom has manifested differently than last year, which was generally tears & tantrums, terrifying Chris to the core. This year I am cool, calm & collected, my Christmas shopping is DONE! (don't hate me!) so I am free to enjoy my craziness in a more leisurely way.

This is my day today (blame Shannon for encouraging me to share this):

Discover Handmade Ryan Gosling.
Read Handmade Ryan Gosling.
Look up other Ryan Gosling tumblrs.
Watch videos on Youtube of Ryan Gosling reading from Fuck Yeah! Ryan Gosling.
Spend a bunch of time tweeting/facebooking Handmade Ryan Gosling (surely this is too good not to share!)
Realise Chris's mum is coming over in 30 minutes.
Clean, a lot, and very quickly.
Eat some cupcakes (multiple cupcakes are okay because they're tiny ones).
Think about writing a blog post for Oh My Green.
Check Google Analytics for Oh My Green.
Finally discover why Google Analytics says people spend 0:00:00 seconds on my site.
Have tea & cupcakes with Chris's mum.
Chat for awhile.
Have secret conversation with Chris about Christmas gifts while his mum is in the kitchen.
Ask Chris to buy ingredients for more cupcakes.
Package up 2 packets of gift tags.
Write this list.

Realise really need to vacuum.
Eat another cupcake. They're really good.
Contemplate on what an amazing invention vegan ganache is.
Congratulate self for figuring out how to make a recipe* for said ganache.
Take above photo in kitchen.
Look around studio in horror at annual pre-Christmas biggest-ever-mess.
Think about making lunch.
Stress because I have not actually done any work today at all.

*Vegan chocolate ganache - it's simply made replacing regular cream with thick coconut cream! Delish.

Craft Hatch - 10th December

2011-12-07T09:10:00.002+11:00

Hey Melbourne! What are you doing on Saturday? Because Pocket Carnival will be at Craft Hatch, and we'd love to see you there!

Craft Hatch is a wonderful market run by Craft Vic, featuring a bunch of awesome stalls selling products all made here in Melbourne! A wonderful antidote to the craziness of wandering up & down Swanston St at this time of year!

Saturday 10 December
11am-4pm
At 1000 £ Bend
361 Little Lonsdale Street

1000 £ Bend totally has a cafe with yummy food, great coffee and comfy couches!

We'll have a sale basket, Christmas cards & gift tags, make-your-own softie kits, and of course cards & purses too.

See you there!!

Something Special

2011-11-27T10:00:00.000+11:00

Some special things created for a special reason. I wanted to create a few products that were bright, sunshiney & happy, and you can see them here.

If you purchase one of these items on the Pocket Carnival website, 50% of the profit will be donated, split between the Peter Mac Foundation for cancer research, and a fund set up in the name of a beautiful friend.

If you happen to see one of these products in one of our stockists, 10% of the sale price will already have been donated to the Peter Mac Foundation.

xx Penny

yummy, pretty

2011-11-19T17:00:00.003+11:00

Ingredients for laksa. Interesting food theory: eating chillies in hot weather helps cool your body, whereas ginger warms it. I thought I'd test this theory on one of the warmer days, and it sort of worked! Mind over matter perhaps? The laksa was delicious at least, vegan laksa for the win! My secret ingredient is fennel seeds, and lots of them.

My new favourite flower arranging technique is colour blocking. Nice, huh? Lucky I have a cheap florist nearby!

Enjoy your weekend!

zanzibar by mozi

2011-11-14T18:00:00.001+11:00

soap dish - celeste crane by mozi

I was super pumped when I saw Mozi's new Zanzibar collection at Life in Style a few months back, and I'm still loving it now - cutest soap dish ever, right?

salad servers - clamshell by mozi

To be honest I have been a little bit underwhelmed by the melamine craze sweeping the handmade-nation, but I love love these geometric prints Mozi are using. I kind of want a whole Mozi picnic set, really. So great.

tumbler - bert bluebird by mozi

Plus, they have put a bird on it. Named Bert.

melamine plate - geo by mozi

Cute, right?

I do love these colours.

All images/designs copyright Mozi.

sweet bloom cakes

2011-10-28T09:45:00.002+11:00

Just a little bit obsessed with the idea of eating a piece of one of these beautiful Sweet Bloom cakes... how good does that look?

Sweet Bloom Cakes is based in Sydney, and I totally found them on Pinterest (so many nice cake pics on Pinterest!)

Cake in a jar! This is such a cute idea!

Sweet Strawberry velvet cake... I have been wanting to make a layer cake like this for ages, but this one is totally perfect.

Check out Sweet Bloom on Facebook!

Pocket Carnival hearts MonsterThreads

2011-10-25T17:30:00.000+11:00

We love Monsterthreads because they're just so gosh-darn cool. Monsterthreads is a line of amazing t-shirts, singlets & jumpers, all printed with fantastic illustrations from amazing artists. Based in Australia, Monsterthreads has shops in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, and stock Pocket Carnival purses at a few of these shops!
Best t-shirt, right? As a spectacles wearer I appreciate the sartorial style of this bear.

The brand new Monsterthreads store at The Galeries in the Sydney CBD! Cool!

More about Monsterthreads here.

it's a little sale!

2011-10-24T09:00:00.001+11:00

Just a little something... The online store is now restocked, a few more things are in the mega sale section, and if you're keen you can get an extra 11% off everything by using the code summer11 - time for some holiday shopping maybe?

Also, there are a few packs of Christmas gift tags up for sale too - 30% off!

More soon!

xx

it's been awhile...

2011-10-13T11:00:00.002+11:00

Hello, blog. Lately Pocket Carnival has involved a lot of sewing, my machine has been getting a real workout. Unfortunately the same can't be said about my online presence... never mind!

So many zips! Like a very small zip shop.

Catch ya later, skaters!

dear kids

2011-09-01T08:00:00.002+10:00

Storage shelves by Dear Kids.

I seem to have fallen out of the habit of blogging, which is mostly due to a large amount of purses I'm currently sewing, which rather has me chained to the sewing machine all day! So much sewing! It's hard rubbish time of year again though, so I'm hoping to find something pretty on the side of the road to paint in lovely colours. How awesome are these storage shelves by Italian company Dear Kids? Very awesome. Found via Pinterest.

Also, I asked a little question on Facebook, I'd love your input - I'm doing a pink version of one of my purse designs as a special fundraise-y edition, and I'd love your input into which one. I'm thinking Harlequin, what about you?

little lulu + rainy days

2011-08-12T09:00:00.000+10:00

Things have been a wee bit quiet at Pocket Carnival HQ since Design Made Trade, but I have been busy! One thing I did was a new window display at Little Lulu! Sal, the wonderful owner of Lulu & Little Lulu, and I came up with this window display idea after seeing this picture from Mac Pelican (which is now closed for biz! Aww, Mac Pelican!) Then it was action stations, snipping out the rain drops, threading them to rain clouds and hanging them! I'm super pleased with how it looks, this is the nighttime view!!

Of course for a shop window there are certain requirements, so the window had to:
Be bright & fun,
Contain lots of weather appropriate items from the shop (it's gumboot season!!)
Be eye catching from the street,
Make all the staff happy!

It's really quite nice to be working next to a window full of brightness! Hooray! And it's lovely to hear great feedback from people who love the display.

Sal chose the outfit the little girl mannequin is wearing, which is absolutely adorable!!

You can read a wee bit more about the products in the window on the Lulu blog! Take a peek!

Curses to shiny glass and its difficultness to photograph. If you're in the neighbourhood, come visit Little Lulu yourself - I'm there (most) Thursdays and Sundays!

Little Lulu's at 324 Carlisle St, Balaclava (just a few shops from Batch which is my fave soy chai source in Melbs, and also next door to big Lulu where you can find all kinds of awesome clothes, shoes and cool stuff for yourself!)

The Harlequin Collection: Harlequin

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000+10:00

I think this fabric is probably my favourite thing I've designed, and it was the clear winner at Design Made Trade too. I love my Harlequin Zip Purse!

Harlequin / argyle / diamond print is such a class pattern, and depending on the application means so many different things to different people. Diamond print sweaters are the domain of the conservatively dressed golfing set, whereas a Harlequin is a comic servant traditionally from the Commedia Dell'arte.

My harlequin has the aim of being bright & bold, and beautiful enough to fall in love with.

Harlequin cards! Chris helped me a bit, they're beautiful and yet suitable for most occasions. Chris gives them the dude-thumbs-up!

The cloud cushion has a front and a back - the back is the harlequin print in a more muted, pastel colourway. I have one on my couch. Love.

All images/designs/stuff copyright Pocket Carnival 2011 - thanks!!

Design Made Trade recap!!!

2011-07-23T20:18:00.007+10:00

Phew! It's now relax-time as Design Made Trade is officially over. DMT was my first trade show, and sharing a stall as part of the Craft Victoria booth space was a great way to enter into trade shows in a really good, manageable, non-crazy way.

My booth was shared with Lab 3 o 5 and Morgan Wills - I did a little post about all the Craft Vic participants on Oh My Green, take a look over here! Craft Vic selected 12 craftspeople/artists/designers (or design teams!) to exhibit. Four booths were shared amongst us.

This year the booths were quite different to previous years. They were more open, rather than square 3 walled booths the walls were a lot more open, and there were windows between booths.

Photographed from left to right - And O Design at the back on the left, Harvest Textiles you can see through my window, Shelley Panton on the other side of my window, Pocket Carnival (that's me!) and Lab 3 o 5 with their amazing box display - cheers for laser cut awesomeness.

The windows in the stalls, while possibly a great idea on paper, were a wee bit of an issue. When sharing a stall, wall space is extremely valuable, and taking out a big chunk of that space was painful! Also, the walls were all different whacky colours, so hopefully the DMT organisers take whacky-colour-objections on board for next year. I'm just lucky that salmon pink and lime green are part of my colour palette!!!

Me. I am so not photogenic, excuse me. Look at that pained expression. Oh well. I tried.

New things! Business cards + brochures were snapped up very quickly by the design students who came to have a look! I actually had a lot of conversations with design students who were interested in digital textile printing. I think the Frankie & Swiss ladies ears must have been burning from all the times I mentioned them. In case you've forgotten, take a peek at their site here! I also spoke to so many people about my passion for using organic fabric, recycled/vintage textiles and post-consumer recycled card - lots of interest in Oh My Green!

The card wall - I decided the easiest way to display the cards would be to paste them up on the wall. Like a gallery display.

Lots of people have asked me if the even was successful/if I would do it again. I've got to say yes, but it's very hard to judge the results immediately! So much of these shows is about putting yourself or your business out there, and then waiting to see what opportunities come of it. Having said that, it was so amazing, especially for someone like me who works from home, to be surrounded by so many like-minded designers, interested public and supportive people. It was great to meet store owners and get feedback, and it was wonderful to have chit-chats with crafty types too!

I also saw so so so many amazing designers and stalls at DMT... the Craft Vic Open Studio spaces were awesome (see some pics on The Design Files!) I also love New Model Beauty Queen, who are launching a new website rather soon!

Also, massive thanks to Craft Vic, but especially Milly! for being super awesome & calm in the face of adversity/salmon pink walls. She was calm on the outside anyway. Yay!

xx Penny

All photos copyright Pocket Carnival 2011. Thanks!!

The Harlequin Collection + Design Made Trade

2011-07-16T09:00:00.003+10:00

Finally, the new Pocket Carnival collection is ready! Take a peek here! I'll talk about it in greater depth soon, but for now most of it's in the shop!

The Pocket Carnival website's also had a bit of a revamp, because I'm getting ready for...

Design Made Trade is a part of the State of Design festival and is happening next week! Thursday July 21st - Sunday July 24th, 10am - 5pm.

If you'd like to register for a trade pass to the show, do so here!!

Little Lulu

2011-07-08T11:25:00.004+10:00

Cute new displays I did at wonderful Little Lulu on Carlisle St in Balaclava. I love merchandising and arranging displays, it's so much fun - it's a very fast version of how I'd like to arrange a kids bedroom one day I think!

When I did this display it was so cold & dreary outside, I felt like something bright & happy.

The Boy Who Cried Ninja - cutest book ever?

For this display I wanted to go pastel pink & blue, for boys & girls. It ended up all being a bit girly. I totally bought one of those Le Toy Van wooden icecream sundaes for my niece.

Little Lulu
324 Carlisle St, Balaclava Vic.

Blog : Website

almost ready...

2011-07-03T10:00:00.000+10:00

Forgot to show & tell! New fabric designs. Yay! More soon.

xxx Penny

P.S. New post on Oh My Green about eco toy stuffing options. Nice.

Feeling Lucky? It's a lucky dip!

2011-06-28T08:00:00.000+10:00

Is today your lucky day? Maybe?

I've totally copied Shannon's idea and am running a little lucky dip. For just $10 you'll receive a random coinpurse, plus some other cuteness from the studio. Yay!

xx Penny

P.S. - if you're in Brisbane this weekend totally visit Shannon and other awesome lads & lasses at Finders Keepers market.

asylum seekers: what are we doing?

2011-06-23T16:41:00.000+10:00

Image from the April protests at Villawood Detention Centre.

I actually started writing this post weeks ago, and I'm ashamed of myself that I never posted it. I'm ashamed of our Australian government for what they're doing to asylum seekers, and I'm ashamed that we accept it. I wish there were no refugees, because that would mean there were no wars or events that people had to escape with their lives from. But there are. It fills me with anger and sadness that people still feel the need to kill others, and for what? But it happens, and so there are refugees.

Hundreds of thousand Australians have been watching Go Back To Where You Came From on SBS (if you haven't seen it, watch online). Tonight's episode (aside from the reality-TV-esque side of it) was really shocking. It was set in Malaysia, where the Aus Government has proposed sending a bunch of asylum seekers who're currently imprisoned on Christmas Island. These asylum seekers that are being sent to Malaysia are probably genuine refugees. They also just happen to be part of a deal to 'deter people smugglers'. But is this the right thing to do? Will people smugglers be deterred by 47 children being sent to Malaysia so the Labor Party will look like it's tough on border security?

According to SBS Online:

"Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said at the weekend there could be no blanket ban on sending children to Malaysia as that would would send a message to people smugglers and asylum seekers that the way to reach Australia was to send children who could then sponsor the rest of the family."

Seriously? Can a person with as much responsibility as Chris Bowen actually believe this is the right thing to do? “Australia will be sending children into an extremely vulnerable situation – especially girls,” said Amnesty International Australia's refugee spokesman Dr Graham Thom.

The United Nations has completed a review of Australia's refugee policies and practises and has called on Australia to reconsider mandatory detention. The government has rejected this request.

I could write more. I could tell you hundreds of thousands of words worth of facts about refugees, and about the psychological effect of prolonged mandatory detention (PDF file), I could retell stories from refugees, but I won't. Maybe just go watch Go Back To Where You Came From.

What can we do?
I am determined to not accept this any more. I hope you are also determined.

I've set up a list of letters & templates on my website over here.

The 'Malaysia Deal' to send asylum seekers from Australian controlled detention centres to Malaysia is dependent on receiving the approval of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres. Email your pissed-off-ness to: guterres@unhcr.org

This is a sample letter to the High Commissioner - edit away, but please email.

Email: guterres@unhcr.org

SAMPLE LETTER to the UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

Dear Antonio Guterres,

I urge you, as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to veto the Australian Government's proposal to send asylum seekers from Australia and its facility at Christmas Island to Malaysia.

I believe these asylum seekers should be processed quickly & fairly in Australia, and that sending them to Malaysia is in breach of our human rights obligations as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention.

Seeking asylum is not a crime, it is a right that all people should have.

Sincerely,

Name
Address

(Find more people to email here.)

Ham and Pea (and pasta!)

2011-06-21T09:30:00.001+10:00

Bow Wow Embossed Greeting Card by Ham and Pea

Literally, how cute is this card? I love pasta, I love the shapes & sizes and the winter-time-comfort-factor yumminess. I usually try and sub in some rice noodles sometimes. I like the skinny little vermicelli rice noodles? They're good.

The cutest thing about Ham and Pea (apart from the name!) is the fact that all the cards feature pasta somewhere in the design. YUM!

Ham and Pea
shop : blog : twitter : website

I totally just made my own big batch of lentil & walnut bolognese using my recipe (found here). How cute would Ham and Pea's cards be as Pasta Party invites? Very cute.

Side note: I have been wanting to cook this recipe for vegan mac & cheese for so so long. Maybe this week.

it's time to be amazing

2011-06-20T08:20:00.000+10:00

Don't you think? I've been working my way through The Public Studio's Build Your Own Awesome creative business plan guide. It's helped me hone in on exactly what I should be doing. Like a lot of creatives, I'm sure, I've tried to do a more regular busines plan in the past which I really never refer to.

If you sign up at The Public Studio to get Ming-Zhu's totally awesome email newsletter you'll get the preliminary worksheets, which are also really awesome, and are a great preliminary resource.

BUT ALSO, Ming-Zhu released, on Friday, a brand new online course with videos and homework and everything, which you can see here.

I feel like I should keep Ming-Zhu a secret or something, because she's so so helpful and I can tell Pocket Carnival's about to go nuts with awesome-ness, but I'm the worst at secrets.

(Also, how many times can I say awesome this morning? A lot. There's this bit in How I Met Your Mother, you know, the TV show, where Barney says "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead." And if you've watched the show you'll know he's such a random character to be taking life quotes from, but it's such a good one, no?)

Oh, and the above art print is available for sale here in $AU and here in $US.

visual inspiration

2011-06-15T16:32:00.003+10:00

Cooper & Campbells Room on Ohdeedoh

These are a few things that have been inspiring me when designing my new collection. I just sent all the new fabric designs to the printers last night, so hopefully soon I'll have something to show you!

I have spent a bit of time (truthfully, a lot of time) on Ohdeedoh looking at pictures of children's rooms and visualising how my new products would fit in. If you haven't visited Ohdeedoh before it's time to - it's the kids spinoff of Apartment Therapy, and it features real kids & babies rooms by real people. I love the clouds on the wall of the above room - you can view Cooper & Campbell's room here, and if you like the clouds on the wall you can find a link to create your own!

I love that Cooper & Campbell's room is not cutesy or kiddie, it's quite a relaxed vibe with a combination of vintage & new, and pretty much all the items could work in any room of the house. This is the trend I have noticed in kids decor lately - it's still fun & stimulating, but it's not age-specific.

L: sweaters by Jennifer Davis. R: Diamond Mug on Our Workshop.

I've also been looking a lot at the combination of pattern, illustration & object design. The colours in the artwork sweaters by Jennifer Davis are beautiful, and perfect for Spring which is what I've been designing for. I also love that by giving animals outfits we give them a personality - especially stripes & polka dots! Whenever I see someone wearing polka dots I assume they're awesome & creative and they always are!

xx Penny

beci orpin at cwc + lucky vs right place, right time

2011-06-12T14:56:00.004+10:00

On Saturday I went to my first ever Creative Women's Circle talk, and it was such a goodie. I imagine no less than 99% of creative Melbourne designer types would know who Beci Orpin is, but if not, take a peep at her website here! Beci spoke mostly about how she's gotten to the place as a designer she is now - her experiences and journey. This post isn't a recap of what Beci actually said though... sorry! Apart from reinforcing my suspicion that Beci Orpin is Super Awesome, a lot of what Beci said made it clear (in my mind at least!) that being successful as a freelancer/self employed creative has a lot to do with being in the right place at the right time, and taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

Being in the right place at the right time is not in any way the same as being lucky. Being lucky would be if, for example, I walked into my favourite fabric store and a representative of Lecien was there waiting to ask the first person wearing a yellow scarf to produce a fabric collection. Or I won the biggest ever lotto draw. But that's not going to happen. (How awesome would that be, though? Right?)

Being in the right place at the right time involves for someone in my position 3 things- working very hard to amass a fabulous skill-set, a great portfolio of previous work, and an awesome network of people around me. If I look at any of my favourite designers & illustrators who are consistently doing great work, they have all 3 of these things happening. If you have a great skill-set you can work effectively & quickly. If you have a great portfolio of prior work you have work out there that people can see and that will help you develop your distinctive style. A great network is also important - if you have the first two things a great network of people will know other people who have opportunities for you.

So it's really less luck and more lots of hard work. Going to this fabulous CWC event (along with my previous soul searching) really helped make it clear to me that I need to work on all three of those things mentioned - portfolio (in the pipeline!), skills (I have skills! but more is always awesome) and a great network (I already have a pretty rad network, hooray!).

Since the talk I've been working with The Public Studio's awesome business planning/soul searching guide - more on this soon!

xx Penny

spring collection: sneek peak

2011-06-09T19:08:00.003+10:00

Hello! As I mentioned previously, I've been thinking and thinking and thinking some more about life and Pocket Carnival and the like! While I've been thinking, I've also been working on a brand new collection for Spring 2011 which I'll be debuting at Design Made Trade in July.

I've never actually designed a collection all at once before, generally I just release a few new products each month. Designing a collection is challenging, that's a lot of designing! It also helps my organisation and is really enjoyable - I've chosen a colour palette that is joyful and fresh, but still fairly classic. The colours are for the most part based on colours I normally use, so a few of my current designs will be travelling into Spring (rainclouds is one of them! Fear not!)

I'm working with a bunch of my favourite patterns, and have been building on some pretty diverse inspirations including Moroccan tiling & woodland animals.

The whole collection is a bit different from past Pocket Carnival products, but I'm very excited and I hope you are too!

There will be a few brand new products and of course Pocket Carnival remains committed to using organic textiles, corn fibre stuffing, recycled cardstock and the like.

Bring on July!

(And of course, all images and content is copyright 2011 Pocket Carnival).

hooray! it's a sale!

2011-06-06T11:53:00.002+10:00

I'm changing some stuff up at Pocket Carnival HQ and am having a wee sale on some older stock (I decided it's time to let some designs go!)

If you take a peek on Etsy or in the Pocket Carnival Store, you'll see some stock is already discounted. If you're keen, you can get an additional 15% off anything your heart desires with the code winter15 (in either store!)

So, what are you waiting for?

pocketcarnival.com.au/store
pocketcarnival.etsy.com

markit at fed square

2011-06-02T16:34:00.003+10:00

Oof. I can't seem to get my blogging or generally creative mojo on lately, but this post by Ming-Zhu of The Public Studio totally helped. Go take a peep!

I decided, for my stall at Markit, I wanted a new setup (I do this practically every market, but it's kind of fun!). I wanted to make some card display stands that would be quite tall, and easier to lug around than my previous box display. I've been watching a ton of The Big Bang Theory lately so I got my math-genius cap on and designed it. My dad helped me chop everything up on his whizz-bang new band-saw! Yay! Then I got to relieve enough pent-up stress for a few years with my hammer and nails.

I also decided, the day before Markit, I wanted new business cards. I also have a new blog banner. Whee!

So this is my stall! If you came and visited Markit you'd know my head would be peeping out just above the trees. I wanted it to look a bit like a landscape, with trees and softies (imagine there are animals under the trees, I took this photo before I finished setting up).

Thank you to everyone who came by Markit and stopped for a chat or to buy something!

I know I have said this a lot lately, but the main reason I love doing markets is because I get to see what people like about Pocket Carnival. I had a big old epiphany after the market, and am currently designing a new collection... more soon!

hello, bunny

2011-05-27T10:00:00.001+10:00

Just a new little doodle. This is going on the back of all my new greeting cards.

New beginnings! I've been doing SO MUCH thinking about Pocket Carnival and how it might look in a few months - lots of new, fabulous energy is now circulating.

See you at MARKIT this Sunday!!!

Sandra Eterovic studio visit

2011-05-25T10:00:00.001+10:00

I absolutely love Sandra Eterovic's artwork, so I was thrilled to see this studio visit on the Craft Victoria blog - go check it out! You won't regret it!

all new pocket carnival cushions!!! (by pocket mum!)

2011-05-24T09:00:00.003+10:00

Aren't these the most adorable cushions ever? And I can brag about them because my mum (Pocket Mum?) made them! She's a great quilter, and SUCH a neater sewer than I am, and she's so supportive of Pocket Carnival (she possibly owns more Pocket Carnival fabric than me!)

She's made a few cushions now, and I'm so happy that she's making a few that will be available for the first time for sale at Markit at Fed Square this Sunday (29th May!) We are planning a few more that will be available online sometime very soon (and if you'd like one please also feel free to email me: penny@pocketcarnival.com.au )

This side is meant to be the front, but I personally love the little bow ties Pocket Mum has used instead of a zip, so to me they will always be the front!

They'll be around $70 each (which I think is a steal!) and there are more colours available so bring along your pennies to Markit on Sunday!

Do you like them? If you do, leave a comment, my mum reads my blog (hi Mum!) and she will be so chuffed!

xx

the wallpaper of the royal tenenbaums

2011-05-23T09:30:00.002+10:00

The Royal Tenenbaums is one of my favourite movies - I watched it again a few days ago and was struck by how lovely their home is, in a dilapidated & broken-down way. It reminds me of the home in Nanny McPhee - bright & colourful, but with a sad story hanging over. Like an old doll-house.

I particularly love the furnishing & wallpaper of the house. This is just a simple damask, but it gives such an air of opulence - martinis plus an Indian man as a servant give it, for better or worse, a wealthy colonial India feel.

In case you haven't seen The Royal Tenenbaums I have just included some images from the first 5 minutes or so - but if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?

I particularly love this image - it's just so indulgent! Why be outside when you can be inside, with jungle wallpaper, surrounded by people making you pretty?

This beautiful zebra wallpaper is by Scalamandre - to me it's so sophisticated for a kids room, but I love the bold red, and I wish I could have this somewhere in my house!

You can see more photos of this wallpaper on Duchess Fare!

This isn't actually wallpaper, but hundreds of tiny little paintings. I love this! It's like having a storybook drawn all over your walls.

Go watch it!

the dreamer - pennywishes

2011-05-19T10:00:00.002+10:00

The Dreamer - girl version - 8x10 by pennywishes

The past few weeks has been difficult, just full of the ever-present struggle between creativity & money. I love Pocket Carnival, but reconciling the business & creative aspects are HARD! This post from Rosie at Notions rang true a lot for me... times are tough. But dreaming always helps :)

xx

Markit at Fed Square: 29th May!

2011-05-18T13:30:00.002+10:00

Hello! If you're in Melbourne on the 29th May you should absolutely come to Markit! So many of my favourite artists & labels are going to be there, I'm so excited. Take a look at all the stall holders here - love!

In my internet-break (caused, yet again, by a rubbish-truck colliding with a phone line) I've been busy working on a new stall setup, new card designs and some new purses. I can't wait for Markit! See you there?

the talking animal cards

2011-05-10T14:30:00.000+10:00

Hello! Hope you're all well, and not-too-chilly! I realised I'd forgotten to introduce the new Pocket Carnival card series - talking animals!

To be honest, when I started designing cards I never wanted them to be occassion-specific, because I think it's handy to have a stash of anytime cards. Which is true, but I also really increasingly like giving people cards that SAY SOMETHING!

There are currently 5 cards in the range, however just this morning I've been finishing some new illustrations, so watch out!

My favourite is the Piggie (pictured top), but the cards all were inspired by this cat, which is a part of my kittens coinpurse and pencilcase fabric.

Huzzah for new cards!

Also Huzzah for something completely different I'm working on... it's a work in progress, but feel free to take a look.

chihuaha lady

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000+10:00

Hot Dog by StreetShooter45 on Flickr.

Looking up chihuaha photos on Flickr and Google Images is one of my absolute favourite things to do to cheer myself up.

This is today's favourite. Poor dog.

xx Penny

Onegirl Designwrks

2011-05-03T08:30:00.002+10:00

Aside from having two of the most adorable little girls ever (seriously, check her blog), Leslie runs Onegirl Designwrks - she's the designer & maker of some of the most adorable kids things ever.

I met Leslie at a market we both had stalls at a few years back - she's so super lovely, it's always so satisfying when people are as lovely in person as their creations are. And how cute are those little Oobees! And no detachable parts - hooray for baby toys!

Onegirl has a brand new online store, with lots of patterns, Oobee toys and a few quilts - go take a peek!

All images from Onegirl Designwrks

blog - flickr - online store - facebook

kite purses by pocket carnival!

2011-04-24T10:45:00.000+10:00

Pink & Green Kite Purse - Organic & Recycled Cotton at the Pocket Carnival store

These kite purses have been in the pipeline for the longest time, so I'm pretty chuffed I can finally show you! I have been wanting to make something fun & functional - something that would look just as pretty hanging on a wall, or on a baby's cot, as it was useful and handy. I can just see these kite purses hanging on a pram with a couple of pacifiers and face wipes inside?

Having learned from previous mistakes I made a mock-up of the design in calico - as you can see it's changed a tiny bit since then... I showed the calico version to a few people who were a bit unsure about it. Sometimes I can see something so very clearly in my head, it's difficult to convey that mental image to other people!

I am super happy with how these purses have turned out... hope you like them!

Kite Purses available
Pocket Carnival store
Pocket Carnival Etsy

One Little Red Fox

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000+10:00

Arthur, the retro raccoon plush with woolen glasses

Gorgeous, no? One Little Red Fox is the creation of Julie who lives in France and likes crochet & cuteness. Don't we all!

Owl zipped coin purse with floral lining

I love her sweet little animals, they're all so adorable! I'm clearly a sucker for really unique and lovely purses - this owl purse is gorgeous!

Stanislas, the fox with a bow tie in mustard

I think One Little Red Fox makes such good use of different fabric combinations too - I love the simple houndstooth, the mustard wool, and the little pop of colour from the buttons and the floral tie. So good!

You can find Julie's blog here in French (or read it in English with Google translator!)
There's an interview with Julie on the Etsy France blog... the translation is a bit off though!

And, visit One Little Red Fox on Etsy

adzuki & kale soup

2011-04-19T08:00:00.001+10:00

Each week I try and chomp down on a mix of grains, beans & vegies to make sure I'm getting a full set of vitamins & minerals. I think it's important to educate myself about vitamins & minerals - Nutrition Data is one of my favourite websites.

Bean or lentil soups are great because I can make a huge pot at once and I've got a healthy & yummy lunch for the next few days - especially good now it's getting cold in little Melbs. Eating a hot bowl of soup is like having an internal hot water bottle. Awesome!

Adzuki & Kale Soup (sort of recipe)
1 cup adzuki beans, soaked in water for 8+ hours
1 large onion
1 leek
2 garlic cloves
2 - 4 tbspns olive oil
1/2 cup diced root vegies
1/2 cup finely sliced kale
water/stock + soy sauce
salt/pepper/herbs to taste

So! Making bean/lentil soup is all about feeling. What legume do you feel like, what vegies do you feel like, etc.

Soaking your beans makes them way way way easier to cook. Soak lentils 4+ hrs, and bigger beans 8+ hours (overnight!). They're soaked enough when they're crispy and you can break it open with your fingernail.

Fry onion, leek & garlic in olive oil.

Chuck in your soaked adzuki beans, and cover by at least 3cm with water/stock + a bit of soy sauce to taste (I like to think of soy sauce + water as instant stock...) Bring to the boil and then simmer for at least 20 mins, until the adzuki beans are getting tender. (How to tell when your beans are done? Can you squish it between your fingers? Does it taste nice when you eat it?) Keep adding water/stock if necessary.

Chuck in your 1/2 cup of root veg and simmer for about 10 more mins, until the vegies & adzuki beans are cooked.

Add in your kale, and whatever herbs, salt & pepper you'd like and cook for 5 more mins. Done!

Adding salt at the start toughens the beans, making them take longer to soften & cook. Best to add at the end!

Adzuki beans
These cute little beans are a nice, healthy protein. Like all dried beans & legumes they're a great source of folate, which is important for our bodies to eat to keep our DNA structure healthy. Folate is especially important for ladies (and gents) who're thinking about or expecting kids - you want to pass on the good bits of DNA! Folate also aids in red blood cell production.

Adzukis also are a fairly good source of most of the minerals we require in our diet. They're also yummy - I always think of them as more of a winter bean, they're warm & hearty. They're also slightly fragrant & more flavourful than a lot of dried beans, so don't require too many additional flavours.

Read more about the nutritional info of adzuki beans here.
Read more about folate here and here.

Kale
Kale, curly kale & cavolo nero (Tuscan cabbage, pictured) are becoming more & more popular, and hence easier to find. I usually prefer them to spinach, because they're easier to clean (no more grit!) and they can handle a longer cooking time. I always chop out the middle stalk, it's kind of a bit scratchy & hard to eat. I enjoyed this description of that by Vegan Dad...

Kale is really high in vitamin K, which is needed for a healthy liver & healthy blood. Vitamin K is fat soluble, so the general idea is when you eat a big plate of steamed kale at least have a little bit of oil with it. Your body doesn't keep big stores of vitamin K, so eat it often! Don't worry, kale is nice.

Read more about the nutritional info of kale here.
Read more about vitamin K here and here.

atpalicis

2011-04-15T10:00:00.001+10:00

Be happy - 8x6 cute art print by atpalicis

These sweet little art prints by atpalicis are absolutely adorable! The clean, crisp & delectable photography is what first caught my eye - they remind me of candy a little bit!

The artworks have a bit of a Japanese aesthetic to my eye, yet atpalicis is from Ukraine - very one of a kind!

Fox on bike - 9.7x4.9 cute art print by atpalicis

I think they're so joyful & fresh - the colours have their own story, and it's all so cute!

Red riding hood - 6x8 cute art print by atpalicis

I especially love this Red Riding Hood - I hope she's okay in there!

atpalicis on Etsy
atpalicis Blog

studio photos: warm & snuggly softies

2011-04-14T16:00:00.005+10:00

I just got myself a new camera (yay! thanks!), so of course have been taking billions of photos to try it out. I love it!

There's also something else new - pink kitten! More soon.

I like having 6 animal softies - it's much more symmetrical and a bit Brady Bunch - it's also way easier for my fabric printing requirements.

A while back I did a little quiz on Facebook to see which softies you'd like to see - kitten was number one. So here is!

Softie storage - seeing all their little legs sticking out amuses me :)

Something else new.... coming soon.

the my new roots cooking show

2011-04-11T07:00:00.001+10:00

My New Roots - How to Cook Quinoa from My New Roots on Vimeo.

My New Roots is one of my fave foodie blogs - it's a vego, wholegrain, nutrional paradise for food lovers. In a blog. Sarah, the author, is a nutritionist & chef, and makes really healthy foods delicious.

I particularly love that most of her recipes are accompanied by nutrional info for one or more of the key ingredients - she really knows her stuff.

Sarah now also blogs over at the Martha Stewart Whole Living Daily website, if you needed another reason to check it out.

Pip pip!

manchester press cafe, melbourne

2011-04-08T09:00:00.002+10:00

Manchester Press is the hottest new cafe in Melbourne - it's only been open a few weeks, and already I've heard so much about it! It's run by the same people as Loco Cafe in Elsternwick which is one of my favourites, so I was quite happy to go there for lunch.

It's down a little laneway of Little Bourke Street in the camping store district, and it's inside a building that used to be an old printing press office. So the decor is very reflective of this - lots of typography, cute shelves, tables made out of old printing equipment. Plus, amazing artwork by Montgomery. And a massive bowling pin.

The menu's short & sweet - just a few bagels, salads, and a couple of breakfast things. And, the bagels are $12. So, my buddy Deb and I said to each other, it better be a good bagel for $12. And it was! I got a guacamole, fetta, tomato, pinenut & rocket bagel, and it came with a really delicious salad (yes, there is a bagel underneath!) We were very happy campers.

I love me some coffee (hot chocolate) art. Cute!

The staff were all lovely, very hipster-chic.

If, like me, the promise of awesome coffee & a great space makes you speed down Rankins Lane you might not see their words of wisdom until the way out... Very true.

Manchester Press
8 Rankins Lane
Melbourne

Artocrat by Pragya K

2011-04-06T11:00:00.001+10:00

Pancakes, Limited edition colorful kitchen art print

I love how bright & joyful these pancakes are! Pragya K is a Philadelphia, USA based artist who clearly loves bold, saturated colour... her work is so much fun!

Sailing in a tea cup, Limited edition colorful kitchen art

I love how she takes everyday scenes or objects (or yummy food) and gives them such a distinctive style. The colour use reminds me of paper collaging!

Rainbow Magnolias , Limited edition colorful flower art

I think the magnolias are my favourite - rainbows + magnolias = awesome.

Check out Pragya K on Etsy, and her Studio ArtOcrat blog!

happy april 1st!

2011-04-01T15:00:00.000+11:00

I tried to think up a funny April Fool's to post, but I couldn't. So, in case you haven't already seen it, enjoy this video of hysterical baby laughter :)

the vegan lamington cake

2011-03-31T08:30:00.000+11:00

I've been watching the episodes of Zumbo lately, and I really like his creative process for cake making. He just thinks about what he'd like to have in the cake, the flavours & textures, and writes it down, and voila!
I had to make a special birthday cake a few days ago, and one of Zumbo's recipes involved a coconut & dark chocolate ganache. Genius! This inspired me to make a lamington-esque cake - chocolate, coconut & raspberry.

For the ganache, I boiled sugar & cornflour in a tiny bit of sugar, and slowly mixed in coconut cream to create a vegan coconut custard mix. I then poured this over chocolate to make a thick ganache - so good!

I forgot to take a picture of the finished cake, but these are the layers - 2 layers of chocolate tahini cake (modified from this recipe), and 1 layer of a jam cake (I just made up the recipe, it was good!)

In between were layers of ganache or raspberries. The raspberries were so great to cut through the richness.

Despite the cake tasting rich, it was not overwhelming. The whole cake had not a very high sugar content, but the chocolate definitely delivered a buzz!

Mmm. A good thing to create.

kittens!

2011-03-30T17:45:00.004+11:00

I had lots of fun drawing all these kittens! I do like cats, even though they make me sneeze. I decided to base them around a fun colour scheme that I don't normally work with - and I wanted also for them all to have little bits of personality on show.

As always, they're made of certified organic cotton and lined with recycled cotton. And they're cute!

Kitten purses are available
Pocket Carnival store
Pocket Carnival etsy

work in progress...

2011-03-17T20:35:00.002+11:00

Usually I work on some purses one day, some cards the next, a little of this and a little of that. This week, however, has been a combination of being overwhelmed by what is happening in Japan, plus lots of purse orders. So it's been a sewing week.

I have been almost glued to my sewing seat, watching things or listening to music on the computer. I'm getting there... if I can get it all finished by Friday, the weekend will be so nice.

Miso soup for lunch... oh Japan, I hope you'll be okay! This nuclear stuff is so very scary. I guess it's an overwhelming and unwanted lesson that nuclear power can never be 100% safe, no matter how careful we are.

I did get a new fabric delivery today which is exciting! So many new products on the way, I can't wait to show you!

adorable: prunella soap

2011-03-13T10:00:00.000+11:00

Ginger - Red Rooibos Tea // Special Edition // Vegan Soap by prunellasoap

I found Prunella Soap via twitter - someone posted a link and the statement 'best photography ever' (or something like that). And I agree! Best photography ever! Seriously, so cute, don't you think! The lighting! The props! The bunting! The washi tape! Argh! Adorable!

50 Soap Favors - Wrapped // Vegan - Organic - Cold Process by prunellasoap

Prunella Soap is based in lovely Portland, USA, ships world-wide, and is adorable. All Prunella Soap is vegan, and is handmade in small batches using the cold process method - way better for your skin than supermarket soap, people!

You Choose Any 3 Guest / Travel Size Bars by prunellasoap

Check out:
Prunella Soap on Etsy
Prunella Soap Blog

the real pocket carnival studio

2011-03-10T09:30:00.001+11:00

Lara Cameron wrote on her blog a couple of days ago about the pressures we put on ourselves (and subsequently each other) to present a perfect image on our blogs. Not necessarily a perfect photo (although that helps!) but an idealised version of our craft, art, business & lives.

Her post very much sums up a lot of what I've been thinking and feeling lately. It's so incredibly difficult to stay motivated and keep on top of every single aspect of a business, especially when you work largely by yourself & from home. Argh. It can be super fun, but stressful too, obviously! I spend a bit too much time looking at other peoples blogs and imagining that if I was just that much neater, or the owner of that pretty chair or painting, etc etc, that my life would be so much more complete.

I'm sure lots of us do that!

I always do feel it's important to present a good image of Pocket Carnival, and myself. Obviously it's important to keep a clean & tidy workspace, and organisation is crucial. However clean, tidy & organised does not mean ready-to-be-photographed-for-a-magazine!

Usually when I put photos of my studio on the blog I spend ages rearranging everything and making it all picture perfect. Which is pretty unrealistic.

Generally whenever I want to take photos or have a general cleanup, Mr. Cardboard Box will be utilised. Oh dear.

I'm not 100% sure of the point of showing you my daggy old cardboard box (on my equally hideous grey carpet), but I guess it's just as a reminder to myself and others that behind every ideal looking house, studio or blog post, is very much likely to be a cardboard box, wardrobe or secret room full of mess, or undesirable furniture.

Perhaps just pop over to Lara's blog where she says it all so much more succintly, but I suppose this post is my response, and also my reminder to myself to stop worrying so much about it all!

I thought I'd finish with this wise old kitten - this is a peek at a new design. Kittens!

Whenever things are a bit quiet and I am not working on so many orders I try and get some designing happening. I find I go a bit whacky when I'm in design mode - it's hard!

Hope you like! Pencilcases & coinpurses soon!

love love love: blue hours design

2011-03-09T10:00:00.000+11:00

Jessica earrings - sterling silver square diamond shape ear bobs by bluehourdesigns

I am very lucky: Chris got me a pair of gorgeous Jessica earrings from Blue Hour Design for my birthday (back in Jan!) So good! I love them so much, they're so pretty, very light to wear (I hate heavy earrings!), and they get lots of compliments!

I'd actually been wanting these earrings for SO LONG, so good work Chris!

Dark Hover necklace - charcoal recycled sterling silver group of round circles pendant by bluehourdesigns

My earrings were so nicely packaged, and amongt all the prettiness was a lovely business card with some info about Blue Hour Designs, including that all of the silver they use is recycled/reclaimed. Yay!

Arcadian earrings - recycled sterling silver modern triangular dangles by bluehourdesigns

So head over to Blue Hour Designs and take a peek at their pretties.

Blue Hour Designs on Etsy
Blue Hour Designs Blog
Blue Hour Designs online store

happy international women's day!

2011-03-08T16:30:00.000+11:00

Happy International Women's Day!

I just love that video, starring the lovely Daniel Craig and narrated by wonderful Dame Judi Dench.

I consider myself very lucky to work in this industry of creativity & good things. I often ponder the fact that it's dominated by women, which is something I find very fun - I love meeting up with fellow designers for business chat, and also crafty gossip!

I think the craft & design industry can work really well for women - it's usually flexible, enjoyable & mostly very supportive. It can also be a tricky industry with super long hours, and it can be quite difficult to go from success on a hobby level to success on a larger more commercial level (don't I know it!). I think it's just nice though, on a day like this, to take a quick breath and reflect on the fact that all the lovely lasses around us (and the lads too) are doing some very amazing things.

So, a toast. Cheers!

patchwork on central park

2011-03-08T10:00:00.000+11:00

I know I've blogged about it before, but I do love going to Patchwork on Central Park. I usually go with my mum - she loves patchwork (and buying fabric!) and I love looking at the fabric and getting inspiration.

Such nice colours! I love the way they display their fabric - it's so pretty.

I'm on a big yellow kick at the moment (I think I always am, really), and they have a great selection of yellow fabric. When I was there a few people were asking for yellow fabric for things they were making for babies - yellow's so bright & happy! So are babies!

Fat quarters! It took me SO LONG to figure out what a fat quarter was, and even now I think it's a bit of a rude name. But still. A great way to choose fabric for the indecisive person - just get one of each, right?

And, if you're hungry, you can pop in to Our Kitchen Table after. Such cute cakes, no?

Patchwork on Central Park Blog
Patchwork on Central Park Website

meat-free monday: tofu don

2011-03-07T09:40:00.000+11:00

Something that I don't mention so often on the blog is how much I love cooking. I am also very passionate about vegetarianism and veganism. A vegan diet is way better for the environment - the production of meat/dairy consumes far more resources than the production of vegetables/grains.

Meat-free Mondays is a great idea, to encourage people who might ordinarily eat meat every day to go vego once per week. I thought I might make this into a fun weekly (or every few weeks) blog post and share some of my favourite meals! I always feel much better when I stick to a healthy, well balanced vegan diet (sorry cheese & icecream!) but we can all try going vegan once a week, it's fun!

Tofu-don is my standard, go to meal when I am in a rush. A donburi is a traditional Japanese meal of rice & either meat or tofu, which can be adapted in so many ways!

I always keep a pack or two of puffy fried tofu in the freezer (you know, from an Asian grocery) - it freezes really well, and defrosts quickly!

My simple Summer version of a tofu-don is: a layer of rice (brown rice if you have time!), a layer of tofu (I usually chop of puffy tofu, give it a quick fry with some onion, and whack on some plum sauce & soy sauce and any nuts or seeds I have lying around), and a layer of salad. And seaweed, for added health-food points.

The very first picture is white rice, corn, carrots & cucumber in a soy/sesame dressing & fried tofu.

Now that this first rather wordy post is out of the way, I'm looking forward to cooking some yummy things, brushing up on my food photography skillz, and sharing some yummy meals!

Houndstooth Owls!

2011-02-25T17:00:00.001+11:00

I'm so happy with this design! I am really into houndstooth lately, and my like of purple has been building... I think they're pretty adorable!

When I started designing fabrics I created a little colour palette for myself, and stuck to it. I'm so happy I stopped doing that! My newer designs are a lot more colour saturated, and more fun! If I'm going to get the fabric printed, I may as well get it done in many pleasing colours, right?

Houndstooth Owls:
Pocket Carnival store
Etsy store

studio, in purple & teal

2011-02-24T20:59:00.002+11:00

Lately I've really been leaning into the purple, teal & lime green colour scheme. I don't know how it happened! But here it is.

Plus a renewed appreciation of pattern. Love my chevron woven basket... awesome op shop find!

This is why you should pre-wash fabric. I washed my curtains and they shrank! Oops. Oh well, they're still pretty.

The owl in the plant pot is courtesy of The Storybook Rabbit. So lovely!

Oh, the fabric pile. These are all the fabrics I'm supposed to be working with at the moment... Hmm. Never ending pile of sewing.

More creative spaces here.

the happy home

2011-02-22T13:00:00.001+11:00

Image by The Happy Home. Adorable.

Isn't this adorable??? It's a cubbyhouse! That's right! A cubbyhouse.

Seriously, this is exactly how I want my house to look. Lucky kids.

(Found via Little Paper Lane's adorable blog - go check it out.)

new swing tags!

2011-02-21T10:00:00.001+11:00

Chris is a student, with access to the amazing resources of a university library. So, I got him to borrow me some business books. Entrepreneurial ones! Most of them are a load of waffle, but a couple have been very good (more on this soon!)

One of the books (plus an article in an old copy of Frankie!) made me think about packaging, and the purpose of it. Obviously it's there for a reason - to tell people who made the item, what it's made of, how to look after it. It can also make you feel a bit special! It can make you want to buy something even more. It should be nice, don't you think?

So, voila! The brown kraft card one is our old swing tag - sort of cute, and functional. I hope you agree the new one is just that bit more special.

From now on, whenever you buy a Pocket Carnival purse it'll be just a teensy bit more special, we hope!

Now, on to the softie packaging!

new stockist: made by others

2011-02-20T14:00:00.000+11:00

Images from Made by Others

I wish I lived a little closer to Moss Vale so I could visit Made by Others, it looks like such a beautiful shop, don't you think?

Images from Made by Others

I've been a big fan of the Made by Others blog for awhile now, where Anna, the shop owner, posts lovely pics of her store. Made by Others sells gorgeous artwork, ceramics, and lots of lovely handmade goodness, which now includes Pocket Carnival!

How gorgeous is that display? Clearly Anna has a great eye for beautiful products.

Images from Made by Others

Made by Others is also a cafe, so if you're in Moss Vale definitely take a look!

Made by Others
Shop 2, 366 Argyle St
Moss Vale NSW

the Mouse loves the Cheese!

2011-02-17T11:00:00.000+11:00

I'm still saving up my pennies for a mega-vacation in Japan (unless you all advise me to do the whole thing on my credit card?) Until then, I'm making lots of super cute things with Japanese on. The Bunny loves Carrots purse is proving rather popular, so I thought a Mouse loves Cheese was in order.

The Japanese word for cheese (チーズ) is said like cheezu! So cute! Kawaii!

Get your cheese-loving on Etsy or in the Pocket Carnival store.

the fabulous fab-ruary sale

2011-02-16T11:00:00.001+11:00

This month when I was writing up my goal/stock checklist (I do one every month to keep track of what I'm making, what I'm designing, and other goals), I decided it wasn't February, it was Fab-ruary. Nice.

In honour of fabulous February, I'm having a wee sale. You can use the code fabulous in either the Pocket Carnival store or the Etsy store, and you'll get 15% off. Expires Sunday night.

If you look closely, you'll spot some brand spanking new designs I haven't introduced you to yet. I like them :)

P.S. ALSO! The winners of the card giveaway are #4 Little Mo, #11 Hayley Glen, #23 Marta Z & #25 memtree. Can you email me? penny@pocketcarnival.com.au

P.P.S. You can read our latest newsletter here!
http://pocketcarnival.com.au/newsletter-2011-feb.html

the pinwheel necklace

2011-02-15T11:32:00.004+11:00

Tiny Pinwheel (windmill) Necklace by mxmjewelry

How gorgeous is this! A pinwheel necklace, and it ACTUALLY SPINS! Amazing. My dad knows how to make pinwheels, surely an excellent skill to have in life. (Found via Epheriell.)

Pinwheels are definitely something that make me nostalgic! I remember having a super rainbow one, and I would watch for ages.

playtime purses

2011-02-10T15:15:00.000+11:00

These cutie little purses are our newest, and are already super duper popular! We'd have blogged them sooner, but lots of our lovely stockists nabbed almost all of the first batch!

In particular I love the kite... kites are fun, right?

Get them in the Pocket Carnival store, or on Etsy.

springtime with babiekins!

2011-02-09T16:50:00.000+11:00

Hello! You may remember that a little while back I showed a peek at some illustrations I was working on? Well, I'm delighted to tell you all that these illustrations are all in the new issue of Babiekins! The Spring edition! (It sort of feels like Spring in Melbs at the moment!)

Even though I don't have any babies of my own (I wish!), Babiekins is probs my fave online magazine. It's free, bonus! It's beautifully curated & laid out, it's quite fast to load, and it's just lovely!

So, go take a look at Issue #4 of Babiekins now!

And, if you'd like, you can skip ahead to page 87 to check out my little contribution.

I've gotta say, I did these illustrations during some of the hotter weather in Melbs, so the colours are bright!

I'm thinking about using my three favourite illustrations for either pencilcases or coinpurses... we'll see!

xo Penny

the envelope question (giveaway!)

2011-02-08T21:05:00.002+11:00

Hello! I've been super busy working away the past few weeks - we've got lots of new stockists on the way, more about this soon!

We've been busy google searching, calling places and trying to find some new envelopes for the greeting cards. We've narrowed it down to two - both post consumer recycled, there's a kraft brown and a white.

Chris and I sort of both prefer the brown - it's unbleached (yay!), and it looks recycled, so you don't have to read the fine print on the back of each card to realise it's more eco-friendly. I also think that the white envelopes are more in line with the look of the cards!

But, I decided I'd like to know, what do you think?

The giveaway.
Leave a comment, letting us know if you would prefer your Pocket Carnival greeting cards to come with a white or brown envelope - see the options in the above pic. (If you don't have a blog, leave your email address in the comment too!)
We'll pick 4 winners at the weekend who'll each receive 4 cards of their choice.

Thanks in advance!
xo Penny & Chris

so pretty: anthropologie

2011-01-20T11:00:00.000+11:00

Clockwise: Zinnia Thicket Bowl, Zinnia Thicket Salad Plate, Zinnia Thicket Dinner Plate

Chris is currently in London for a bit, working away. I'm quite jealous, but it is rather cold there, so next time! While he's there he's giving a gift to some friends who very recently got married. We were going to try and think of something portable for him to find in Melbourne, but then I thought of Anthropologie... I remembered seeing these photos on Decor8 some time back and now feel all jealous that I can't visit the store too!

How gorgeous are the Zinnea Thicket pieces? I would be delighted to eat dinner from them every night, wouldn't you?

This is so kooky & cute - I love both the Wise Ol' Canister, Orange, and the Nathalie Lete Dinner Plates. Adorable!

From The Deep Side Plate, Octopus

These ones are maybe a bit too risky for a wedding gift, but they're my faves. Can't you imagine eating a big bowl of spaghetti off an octopus? I can! If Chris had taken a hard suitcase (instead of a soft backpack) I'd be tempted to make a request... my birthday is coming up soon!

Distant Voyage Bedding

This looks perfect, no? If it had not been snowing in London recently I think this would be perfect for a newly married couple... maybe for a honeymoon?

Most of these items are available with international delivery on the Anthropologie US website!

It's all so gorgeous! I sent Chris a map of the Anthropologie store location, my suggestions for ultimate wedding gifts, instructions to take photos of the shop (if they let him!) and the hint that my birthday is soon. So... good luck to Chris!

tips for online selling - branding & packaging

2011-01-18T10:20:00.003+11:00

Hello! Christmas is over, 2011 resolutions are most likely still fresh... I just wanted to share some tips, based on my own experience + some hits & misses I had in the online gift buying department last year.

The assumption I'm making here is if you're an online seller, you'd be pretty chuffed if you had repeat buyers & word-of-mouth referrals. Right? Read on...

3 Handmade Cold Process Soaps by innerearthsoaps

Branding

Let's say you've made something awesome. Like a coinpurse. You probably have a business name. Stick it on your product! That way when someone's using your stuff, they can remember who made it. So if someone asks them, or they want to buy another one, they don't have to search their memory!

Every product is different. For a coinpurse, you might use a fabric tag. You can tuck it on the inside. Or, if you made a mug, you might put your name on the bottom. Notepad? Sure, it's perfectly acceptable to tuck your business name or even your website somewhere small. Some products this won't work so much for. If you make something little, like earrings, it's harder than for a t-shirt. So, think about...

Hanging Glass Keychain by littlemoandfriends

Packaging!

I think a great assumption to make when selling is that the item you've sold is being given as a gift. This means the lucky recipient of the item is not the person who purchased it. If you assume your product is being given as a gift - what would you like the recipient to know? This is the same when you're selling at a market or wholesale - you don't have the opportunity to present a written product description to every shopper.

Every item is different, in terms of how it can be packaged as well as what information needs to be presented. For example, a coinpurse is pretty self explanatory as to its use, and is heaps easier to attach a swing tag to than a bowl. However, what information should be attached? Is it made of special fabrics? Is it handmade? Who designed it? Are there care instructions?

If you make something small, maybe you can tuck it into a bag with the information on it, or attach it to a backing card. If you make something big, a swing tag might do.

You might consider including any of the following info:
Business Name,
Website,
Materials,
Location,
Your Name,
Copyright info,
Care instructions!

This info doesn't need to be fancy - even if you only have a dot matrix printer & some basic white printer paper, it's better than not at all!

Hand Lettered Air Mail Envelope Seals by KisforCalligraphy

Posting

Finally, when you mail your items, do it with care. If you include a note, make it a polite one! When you package your item, package it safely. If you include a business card, don't write a super personal note on it - that way the person you're sending the parcel to can pass the business card on.

Is it working?

If you were to get into the habit of very politely asking your customers how they found out about you, you might be able to tell if it was via word-of-mouth. Try it!

Hooray! I hope these tips help. Don't get bogged down in fabulous design this, or custom printing that - when it comes to branding, something is better than nothing!

xx Penny

awesome: klaus & kinski animated music video

2011-01-17T11:45:00.000+11:00

Take a peek at this! Emma Kidd, plus Nacho Rodríguez & Gina Thorstensen, did gorgeous illustrations which were turned into a wonderful animation for Klaus&Kinski's new song - El Rey del Mambo y la Reina de Saba.

So cool! Check it out big sized on Youtube!

sneak peek

2011-01-15T19:15:00.000+11:00

A little peek at something I'm working on. More info soon!

Cuties!

thank you!

2011-01-13T12:47:00.004+11:00

Hello! Thank you all so much to the lovely people who bought the softies for the QLD Flood Appeal. We sold 7 softies and donated $200 to the Premier's Distaster Relief Appeal (our receipt # is 3115290), which is fantastic! Obviously it's a teensy drop in the ocean compared to the money, effort & time that will be needed to get Queensland back in shape, but there are so many lovely crafty /bloggy types that are doing so much that it's all adding up!

The Little Man Bear softies are now for sale on Etsy and in the Pocket Carnival store too. Yay!
Something else happening is a Flood Appeal Auction on Facebook, organised by Handmade Kids and Rudy & the Dodo. This fabulous team have been accepting donations of goods which will be auctioned tomorrow (Friday 15th).

In case you've never experienced a Facebook auction before, you have to sign in to your Facebook account, 'like' their page, and then once the auction opens tomorrow, leave a comment on each item you'd like to bid for with your $ bid amount. 100% of the winning bids will be donated.

Take a peek! There are 2 more Pocket Carnival softies for auction.

Thanks! Back to regular, non-soggy, scheduled programming soon!

Softies for QLD Flood Relief

2011-01-11T15:43:00.001+11:00

Hi lovelies! I'm very saddened to hear about the floods in Queensland - it's a terrible thing, and unfortunately so many people have been, and will be, affected.

To help a little, we're starting off by selling 4 softies (you choose!) - they cost $30 each, and $25 from each softie will be donated to the QLD Flood Relief Appeal. (The other $5 covers postage).

You can purchase one of these special softies on Etsy or in the Pocket Carnival store.

(They're a great gift for a baby or small child, or for yourself if you like cuteness).

Softie for QLD Flood Appeal:
On Etsy
Pocket Carnival shop

To donate your craftiness:
Handmade Kids are currently setting up an auction, proceeds will be donated to Queensland Flood Relief.
Details are here:
Handmade Kids Website
Handmade Kids Auction Facebook Page

To donate your money:
Queensland Flood Relief Appeal

To stay informed:
You can stay informed about the flooding on:
Brisbane Times, or
SBS World News Australia.
Queensland Police Service on Facebook - they're posting regular updates on evactuations, road closures and flood levels.

hey there, summer.

2011-01-07T13:45:00.000+11:00

Summer pretties from Etsy.com

Summer Breeze ...Orange Cotton dress by aftershowershop

Let the great world spin - A cheerful fine art carnival photograph by irenesuchocki

The Messenger - in tan and red by moop

Star - Paper Garland by EdgeInspired

Pink lemonade 8x8 fine art print by aVeryStory

hello, love.

2011-01-06T10:00:00.000+11:00

New Valentine's cards! These were so simple, when I finished them I wondered why I hadn't done them a long time ago. My favourite is the houndstooth, in purple... Do you like it?

I know that a heart card for Valentine's is not exactly revolutionary, but I did want to do ones that are really bright & cheerful, and that you'd be happy to give or receive all year around, to anyone. I think the yellow is kind of nice for a new baby! Quick, somebody have a baby and I'll give you one.

I also have an increasing obsession with these really simple patterns - polka dots, stripes and so on. The houndstooth is new though!

These three are my faves. I think I might frame them - I'll show pictures if I do!

Check them out in the shop here! Or on Etsy.

gifts for guys

2011-01-03T11:10:00.000+11:00

I know it's a little after the event, but I didn't want to risk spoiling the surprise of these gifts! I always find buying for men a wee bit trickier than for ladies, but these are some fun little gifts I bought for Christmas...

Left - Journal by Record Attempts - they're made of old records!
Right - Mug by Able & Game - I think the picture says it all. It even looks a bit like my dad!

Left - Zine by Andrew Fulton - this zine is adorable. It's such a little thing, but it has a great plot! Go buy your own.
Middle - iPhone pouch by Ambette - super handy, obviously, and very suitable for even the most stylish of men (and my dad!)
Right - Notepad by Nut & Bee - these are just funny.

Tea Towel by SpinSpin - awesome! I kind of want to write messages inside the speech bubbles...

I did develop a new gift giving strategy over Christmas - when in doubt give delicious edibles. With a lovely tea towel instead of wrapping paper.

I think I'd be happy if someone gave me a new toasted sandwich machine which produces lovely toasties, along with an awesome tea towel to clean up afterward? And a lovely loaf of sourdough. Yes I would. Although by giving it to Chris it's like a gift to myself... hah!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T12:01:00.003+11:00

2011! Wow! For a couple of months now I've been doing really good at adjusting myself to 2011 - accidentally writing 2011 instead of 2010, planning goals... but now that we're here I'm just not sure! 2010 was a mixed bag for me personally - the first half of the year was fabulous, the second half was tricky. But, that's what life is!

Pocket Carnival came leaps and bounds in 2010. Only in November of 2009 did I design the first Pocket Carnival fabric purses, and by the end of 2009 we had a handful of art prints and cards, plus the Woodland Animals purses.

So, 2010 has seen Pocket Carnival really bloom, which I'm so proud of! When I look at all our super lovely products and around the studio, I'm so happy with how things are going. I have so many plans and ideas for 2011 buzzing around in my brain, even if only 1% of those work out it'll be heaps!

I do have a few resolutions for 2011 - they essentially boil down to:
1- Stress less,
2- Be more organised,
3- Do more fun stuff!

So - cheers to 2011, and I'm off to do some 3 - fun stuff.

P.S. - I'll be back super soon to share some actual plans for 2011, including some fun new stuff which the hearts pictured above are a sneak peek of!

so delicious: bluecorn, st kilda

2010-12-30T19:30:00.000+11:00

Hello! Things have been feeling a wee bit quieter around here which is so nice - I love this time of year, the Christmas craziness has calmed down, and it's been fun enjoying the sunshine, going for lots and lots of coffees (or, in my case, usually a soy chai), hanging out with friends and family and having fun. At the moment we're busy planning lots of fun new products to be launched in Jan, Feb & March, yay!

These photos are pre-Christmas - from the Pocket Carnival Christmas Party, to be exact. I always feel a bit nostalgic for work Christmas parties, so even if it is just Chris and I in attendance I like to have a party! This year we went to Bluecorn in St Kilda - it's modern Mexican food. Yum. And, their margaritas are delicious! And huge. The one above is mango margarita, it's my fave.

We had margaritas & corn burritos with delicious fillings. I usually get my food without cheese because it can all end up very cheesey otherwise! Mmm.

Usually they only have one dessert option - when we went it was churros with strawberry something, chocolate mousse and chocolate & coconut sauce. I love churros. So good.

Mojitos! So lovely.

If you're around the hood, check out Bluecorn! Yummm.

Bluecorn
205 Barkly St
St Kilda, 3182

happy christmas!

2010-12-25T10:55:00.002+11:00

Happy Christmas! Hooray! Our internet hasn't been working for the past week-ish (but was fixed yesterday) so it was a lovely enfored break! I wrapped lots of gifts and stacked them in a pine-tree shape.

Sent lots of Christmas cards (I did them in batches to make it easier!)

And made a table full of vegan gingerbread (recipe is here!)

Now, the once fully stocked shelves of Pocket Carnival are rather bare, and it's time for a holiday I think!

Hope you all have a lovely day, whatever you may be doing.

xx Penny

super cute: owl gift tags!

2010-12-14T21:06:00.003+11:00

Oh look, it's even more owls! Owls seem to be a permanent fixture on the hot-list, so why not enjoy them? Exactly.

I love these gift tags - I have a ton of birthday gifts to give every December, so these are proving to be a super creation already.

There's 8 tags in each pack, and they're available:
In the Pocket Carnival shop, in $AU
In the Pocket Carnival Etsy store, in $US

the OWLS are here!

2010-12-08T19:30:00.004+11:00

I know there are many many owl lovers out there - my affection for owls is growing every day. So, I thought a fun new set of cards might be in order!

So far there are 7 cards, although I'm considering doing the 'I Love You' Owls without the text as well, so people can frame it?

Whilst I hope that I don't know anyone who needs one of these cards anytime soon, and same for all of you, it's still a nice card.

The cards all all available for sale now in the Pocket Carnival store, and on Etsy! Hooray!

And. How delicious is this. Vegan Chocolate Brownies, from Dre on a Tray, at the North Melbourne Market. These brownies were so very extremely pretty AND delicious, and almost made up for the super slow market day!

P.S. - did you see the Able & Game new tea-towels yet?
P.P.S. - check out this market that one of our fave stockists, Nook, is doing in Woolloongabba!
P.P.P.S. - our latest newsletter is out! http://pocketcarnival.com.au/newsletter-2010-7.html

odd one out!

2010-12-04T11:25:00.002+11:00

This year I decided I would have finished designing all my new products for the year by October... that didn't actually happen of course. I did design heaps of stuff in October, but I just keep having new ideas!

I have some other new things to share too, but my printer ran out of yellow ink. Hopefully Monday my new yellow ink will arrive! For now, this is my newest (and maybe cutest) Christmas card. (And that is how I take photos of my cards - high tech, huh?)

You can buy the new deer cards:
In the Pocket Carnival store
Or, on Etsy

new on etsy!

2010-12-03T09:45:00.000+11:00

Hello lovelies! There is so much happening on Etsy at the moment, almost every day there is a new feature, and I just wanted to share the features that took me by surprise!

The Burger Tee - Pre Order by matthewroland

Activity Feed!
Take a peek with your peepers here: http://www.etsy.com/your/activity
You'll see activities! Sales, likes, etc!

It's a great way to keep track of recent activity in your shop (but if you have a high amount of traffic it's a bit confusing!)

paper garland . scalloped triangles . decoration by gretchenmist

Local Items!
When you enter a search term on Etsy, there's now a neat little 'Local Items' button - if you click this, your search will show you items only in your geographical region, based on your IP Address (like Melbourne, Australia).

Sellers: make sure you're being listed!

A sellers location in the Local Items search is based on the location of the red pin on the google map in their public profile.
Click here to visit your public profile, and if there's no little red pin, add one!

View more about this search change in this forum thread on Etsy.

A3 Print - Patisserie by PeaPress1

Shop Currency!
You can now list items on Etsy in a bunch of different currencies - to change your currency, go to Your Etsy -> Shop Settings -> Shipping & Payment -> Currency.

We've decided to keep our prices on Etsy in $US, as you can buy in $AU in our big Pocket Carnival megastore (well, I wish it was a megastore!)

Hope this helps for your holiday sales! Please do the google map thing for Local Items!

make make make!

2010-12-02T10:13:00.002+11:00

I was reading Irene's blog, and was super-inspired by her drawing a day challenge! Good one! I considered doing a drawing every day too, but maybe it'll wait until Jan. I did decide to illustrate some new cards - these are special occasion cards! Often people ask for these at markets (especially birthday ones), so I decided it's time.

New art prints! So many waiting to be packaged. I have a stall at North Melbourne Market on Sunday which is always an unpredictable market - I can't decide what stock we should take. Probably cards, fabric, and some sale stock.

And finally, to keep me going through all the crafty making, I've been making gyoza. So good. So easy.

I cook it with soy beans and broad beans. Mmm edamame.

For more creativity, pop over to kootoyoo!

happy hanukkah!!

2010-12-01T19:24:00.000+11:00

Hooray!

xx Penny

loving: candy stripe

2010-11-27T12:22:00.003+11:00

Red and White bunting / Garland / Flags by vidastyle

Today I'm loving candy stripes. They're so cute & cheerful, and it's nice not to have to eat a candy cane to see candy stripes, right?

Candy Stripe coin purse by SeventhSphere

Candy stripes remind me of cute old fashioned shops that have striped awnings or blinds - I don't think enough shops have these anymore!

Gift Tag 8 pack - Candy Cane Red - Printed on Recycled Card by pocketcarnival

They also of course remind me of Christmas, which is always a nice (if stressful!) time of year. Every year I spend it with family, and we just eat a lot and hang out and sometimes play cricket. That's a nice thing to do.

Candy Cane Christmas Handmade Good Will Bunting in Small by heidiadnum

Candy stripe also reminds me of baker's twine. I never actually have seen a baker using this twine - maybe I go to the wrong ones? Normally they just use paper bags. I have been using so much candy stripe baker's twine for my gift tags these past few weeks it's making my eyes funny. But I'm happy the tags are so appreciated!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend (and please please please don't let it be Baillieu...)

my creative space

2010-11-25T08:52:00.003+11:00

Today I'm working on more purses. Always with the purses. Each month I keep a record of how many purses I've made - I kind of do and kind of don't want to add it up.

Also - new design! Yeah! I don't want to show it all, but I will when it's ready. It's going to be cute, I hope.

It's been such funny weather lately, hot & windy, now cold & rainy - it puts me off my tracks a bit! When it's a hot day I usually can't work in my studio between about 3.30 & 6 because it gets so hot, so I guess I could have a siesta, but instead I take little piles of work to the lounge-room. The lounge-room has terrible lighting, but is cool & dark, which is nice in the heat!

And so, this is the loungeroom table. Gift tags, cards, and swing tag type labels for the softies.

For more creative space, check out Kootoyoo!

staying cool in the sun!

2010-11-24T21:57:00.002+11:00

It's finally warm! It's beach weather, picnic weather, weather for shorts, skirts & thongs, weather for icecreams any time of the day & ice blocks in every drink!

It's weather for impromptu picnics at the beach (or anywhere). You don't have to prepare - just grab a drink from the fridge, a snack from a bakery, and go!

It's weather for GRANITA!!!! This one's from 7 Seeds - it's an Earl Grey and Tangerine granita. So good. It's like a fancy, delicious iced tea.

It's also weather for mangoes! And snow peas! In a salad! With avocado!

And, when you next visit Lulu & Little Lulu in Balaclava, pop in to Wall Two 80 for an iced coffee - because it's iced coffee weather! And they're fancy and pop roasted coffee beans on top.

new! mermaids

2010-11-21T20:56:00.002+11:00

Hooray! Finally the mermaids are here! Shannon originally suggested mermaid softies would be cute awhile back, and so I got to it! Merboys are on the way, but probably won't be here until next year.

I think they're pretty cute.

Get them while they're hot here, in the Pocket Carnival online store.

P.S. Thanks to Georgie from Bee Hive for the little feature!

roseus gifts - gifts for girls!

2010-11-19T13:26:00.000+11:00

Another of Pocket Carnival's new stockists is Roseus Gifts - Roseus is an online gift store for girls! Everything on the site is very girlie - there's a great mix of gifts for newborns & babies, and gifts for older girls too.

And really, I'm sure a lot of us old girls would be very happy to get a cupcake soap any time!

You can find Roseus Gifts on Facebook too!

my creative space: so many things

2010-11-18T11:08:00.003+11:00

So many things happening at this time of year!

The gift tags have been selling - I always love to imagine big piles of lovely gifts, wrapped up with a Pocket Carnival gift tag. Hooray!

Lots more toys waiting to be stitched up after they've been stuffed with corn & hemp goodness... the toys are still on sale for a little while longer too!

Purses! A big pile.

And something new I'm working on... mmm lemons :)

For more creative spaces, take a little peek at the list of blogs on Kootoyoo!

P.S. Just added a few sample pencilcases to Etsy at a lovely sale price!

i want: the little paper lane window display

2010-11-17T20:01:00.001+11:00

Sometimes Shannon & I email each other photos of shops we'd like to run. I think this is one of them - how cute is Little Paper Lane looking!

Lovely Jade, the owner of Little Paper Lane, only opened the store this year, and it looks so fabulous. They've just decorated for the holidays - it's a beautiful colour outside, and I think the duck egg blue / candy stripe combo is one of my favourite things about the Australian holiday season - it's so bright & beachy & fresh, with just little hints of candies, snow & yummy things.

So cute! Look at those wee little blue elephants on the table.

Little Paper Lane also takes phone & email orders, but I think it'd be super fun to pop in with my gifts and choose wrapping paper all year round from the paper wall.

Little Paper Lane also stocks Pocket Carnival!

Little Paper Lane
1 Waratah Street
Mona Vale, 2103

Facebook
Website

hello, froggies!

2010-11-16T14:39:00.000+11:00

Hello little frogs! I always like to have lots of matching things, because I like things in a set. So after I'd made my Frog Softies (which are currently on sale!) I felt the need for frog purses.

And so! They are done! My favourite is the little frog in those very 1980s spotty leggings with the cup of tea. The tea cup is very tiny, but it has a cute pink geometric pattern!

You can find them:
Pocket Carnival Store
Pocket Carnival on Etsy

today i love: my bearded pigeon.

2010-11-16T09:24:00.001+11:00

Cath from Chunky Chooky is awesome. She makes super cute kids stuff, and has recently started a second line, My Bearded Pigeon. Possibly the cutest name in the world (although I can't verify that sorry), and just all round awesome.

This cushion reminds me of the posters that became widespread after the 2002 Woomera Detention Centre protests... it's bold & graphic, and the message is immediately clear. I think sometimes messages can be lost in the design and the media... not this! Plus it's made of organic fabric, and $5 from every cushion sold goes to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, who are a great organisation. The ASRC work with asylum seekers and refugees on their refugee applications, and also do heaps of work to help people get jobs, training, etc.

My Bearded Pigeon also offers awesome cross stitch patterns, plus finished pieces.

Right on.

Visit:
Chunky Chooky Blog
My Bearded Pigeon on Etsy

pocket carnival fabric!

2010-11-15T11:45:00.002+11:00

First, a big hooray! Finally the new designs are available for sale. They're printed on lovely organic cotton sateen, which is a smooth, slightly satin feeling cotton.

My personal favourite is the little bunny in the hat, I'm wondering if I might do the fabric in an additional colour as well?

I'm selling small panels of the organic cotton in the Pocket Carnival store - they're about the right size for a cushion cover, or of course you can do a multitude of other things with them. If you'd like larger quantities you can let me know, or else...

For Sale on Spoonflower! Click on any of the following designs to purchase it directly from Spoonflower. It's less expensive to purchase larger quantities directly from Spoonflower, and more designs are available - click on the image to see purchasing info!

And also - little bit of a sale happening currently in the shop on coinpurses, toys & fabric!

little indigo: so much cuteness!

2010-11-14T18:18:00.003+11:00

One of my newest stockists is Little Indigo, a brand spanking new online children's boutique. Hooray! Little Indigo stocks all kinds of neat items for boys & girls, which makes it easy for finding the perfect gift for lovely littlies you might know.

You can also take a peek at Little Indigo on Facebook for the occasional discount code!

All items pictured are stocked on Little Indigo - take a look!

candy cane!

2010-11-13T10:55:00.000+11:00

Pretty cute! I mentioned to Chris that I'd like to have some candy cane gift tags, so he designed them! We were going to buy a bunch of candy canes to use as photography props, but then we'd have to eat them...

Available sor sale:
The Pocket Carnival Shop &
Pocket Carnival on Etsy

sunny day!

2010-11-06T16:54:00.003+11:00

Hello! Thank you all so much for your kind comments, emails and thoughts after my last post - I really appreciate it :)

Today I've been having a nice day in the sunshine. I went for a walk to post some letters, and wandered home a long way, looking at everyone's nice Spring-time gardens. My cousin Alice and her adorbs baby Lucy came for a visit - hooray babies!

I washed some fabric for more softies, as a big box-full are currently winging their way to a lovely shop in Perth.

My mum gave me some organisational tools - surely the 'Someday' clips will be most often used?

I made an apple cake! I might pop the recipe up, it's pretty yummy. I think I need a cake detox soon, since Thursday I've eaten enough cake for at least a month?

It is nectarine and peach season! Hooray! And I ate a mango (not pictured, as is already in my tummy). My friend Debbie was aghast that I hadn't had a mango yet this season, so I had to rectify the situation.

Happy purse! Big 'thank you heaps!' to Michi Girl and The Design Files for featuring it!

Okay! Hope you're all having super nice days too.

today

2010-11-04T19:33:00.003+11:00

Today we said a final farewell to my lovely little Grandma.

She was a lovely, kind, warm, wonderful person, she was so friendly and good at looking after people. I think we gave her a wonderful goodbye. My mum and I read a eulogy (hard to do!) and then the whole family & friends had tea and cake and laughter & gossip.

I wasn't too sure about putting something on my blog, but it's nice to be able to honor her memory.

The past week has been pretty sad & exhausting, and I am very much looking forward to getting stuck back in to work tomorrow!

xx Penny
(P.S. - the photo is of a book I wrote for her in primary school - it's pretty cute.)

today i love: mochipan!

2010-11-03T11:25:00.003+11:00

Kawaii! Such a good idea! Emily of MochiPan makes these adorable purses - it's cute, and it teaches you the Japanese alphabet at the same time!

Chris - I know you are reading this, please buy me one for Christmas? The purses all come with different zip colours and charms, but I like the blue girl best :)

日本語 love

2010-11-02T13:19:00.003+11:00

日本語がだいすき!! I think that Japanese alphabet is super cute, kawaiidesune! And I also love love love the silly nonsensical English that Japanese people are so fond of, so I wanted to do some silly nonsensical 日本語 for Pocket Carnival. Although I think my Japanese does make sense, but that's okay. I got my lovely friend Yuko to help me with the bunny purse!

Flowers love Sunshine Coinpurse
On Etsy - On Pocket Carnival Store

Bunny loves Carrots Coinpurse
On Etsy - On Pocket Carnival Store

another fabric sneak peek

2010-11-01T22:15:00.003+11:00

Hello! Have been rather absent lately, apologies to those waiting for emails or parcels, it's been rather a week of unexpected personal things that I'll talk about soon.

I did want to share a little peek at some new fabrics - I'll be listing a few for sale by the end of the week I hope (including the owls on blue polka dots in the first photo), and you can also see a few new designs for sale on Spoonflower.

Back soon, lovelies.

sneak peek

2010-10-27T17:57:00.003+11:00

Often people ask me if my little animals and people have names. They never have names, but they often have a bit of a back story - I like to imagine where they might live, and what they might do. These frogs are pretty fancy in an 80s kind of way (of course prior to the '87 Stock Market crash).

Stay tuned for more, involving a Fedex delivery somewhere between Memphis and Honolulu. That's the life.