Keys love

Hello there friend! I have much to tell you but alas it's very late and i should be in bed (my little peepers are real sore and I think i ate a bug on the ride home from work..) so in the pre-lude to all my new news (new news? hahahaha) I thought it might be nice to take the time and give a quick shout out to the lovely, super talented, super foxy artist that is Ms Erin Keys..

Earlier this year The B-train and I enlisted the mad skills of Ms Keys to design and make my wedding and engagement rings. Aren't they dreamy? (photo courtesy of Keys) They are so beautiful sometimes they are so that they make my heart hurt (actually when I first got them I was driving and the diamonds reflected and i was distracted by theyre shiny sparkleness!!) They are two rings that interlock in white gold with champagne diamonds and other lil gems for effect.

I can't gush about them enough.. when shopping for rings I got very disheartened as all those mass produced princess styley rings were just not me and i was starting to think i was'nt meant to have a ring.. enter Keys. Erin is an extremely skilled jeweller/metalsmith/maker/all round good guy and she read me like a book (which i'm sure was very difficult as I am an amazing fence sitter and hard to read moron) now look at the results!

Me in a ring.

Beautiful.

Thanks Keys, I loves ya kid.

so do yourself a favour and check her out before she gets too famous and you have to book even her assistant like 7 months in advance just to make a booking to get to her. (I hear she has a fancy website on the horizon too...)

More exciting news to come....

Outside Inside, Inside Outside!

Hey!

I am super excited to let you know a little magazine called " Inside Out" is running a little article on me. I am pleased as punch, a real proud pappa. Have a look see... it's a beautiful mag, maybe you'll like it too? I wish I was more techno-mo-logical and could post the article here....but i'm not so you will just have to do it the old fashioned way and go and buy the magazine!!

(i also wanted to put in a classier post than the last one....just for the mag :)

And my exhibition opens in Melbs tonight, Carbon Black in Prahan!

Hey it's you!

(hotshop zombies)

Well it sure has been awhile between drinks. Sozz about that, lots going on. Lets see, I have a new job! I now work at Borders, hard copy anyone? Lisa likes to remind me that I am now Manney and have a 'duty-to-do' card but i tell ya what, after shelving for 9hrs i feel more like Bernard, then to compensate when i get home i have to drink and i turn into Fran, 'BOOZE! CAKE! TRUTH!' I do actually really like my new job and think its gonna be a winner. So pretty much all work and not much on the art side.

Lets re-cap the week in hip dot points shall we?

. What doin? - Workin.

. How gettin there? - Ridin my bicycle.

. What readin? - Well I'm glad you asked! Now I can't help myself and have 4 books on the go! shocking I know, what a book hog!

1. A good and Happy child. Amazing, kinda like The Secret History, well a little in the same vein. Kinda bookish thriller style lets say.

2. The Brain that Changes itself. Totally out of my depth here but amazing true stories. Sciency-dealy.

3. One of the True Blood books, can't remember tittle. Trashy vampire goodness for the weekend.

4. Hello Sandwich's guide to Tokyo. Research, cute research.

. Watchin? - OMG, The Dead Walkers, brand new zombie series, scarin the pants off me!

. What makin? - Ooh this is a good one, got a party to go to and the theme is 'dead icons on a cruise'. I have decided to go as Carmen Miranda, or as I now like to call her, Carmanda, get it? Do you know how hard it is to buy fake fruit in this town?

. What eatin? - I have a mild addiction to 'Sushi in the City'...

. Listenin? - ipod on shuffle, it's ready for a revamp (you and me both kid)

So doin stuff, but not really doin stuff. Just kinda afloat at the moment, conserving my energy...

Oh I do have a show to pack up and get to Melb..... yeah....totes on it, like tomorrow, i promise.

Interview @ 'Dream and Blossom"

Hey check this out....

The very lovely Monica Robinson, who is the creator of "Dream and Blossom" has a little inter view on me here. She is a cute one and a total crusader for the local arts. The interview is the first in a series I think. Her enthusiasm is catching...

Gingerbread house located, on horizon...

Well whatdya know? Turns out the Universe doesn't hate me! Actually is kind of rootin for me! Yay for Universe! Yay for me! I tell you what when it happens it happens real quick. In the space of an hour I went fro having the worst time ever and wandering the streets like a sad sack, to pretty much skipping and squealing with delight! In one hour!

First off, I got a new job! Yay! Its working at Borders, hard back anyone? Yay for cash! Yay for books! Yay for a 30% discount! Best part is i won't start for a couple of days so now i can really soak in that unemployment time like a proper bum (now not having to worry about how i was ever going to pay for anything again, yesterday when i was in my low, i spent my last $5 on some delicious milkshake coffee caramel drink...)

Now here comes the real exciting bit. Look. At. This....

Amazing and super exciting. Thats all I am going to say about that now......

Handsel and Gretel were on to something..

I have that lost feeling again. It's tough out there in maker/artist/crafter world. I just feel that money is slipping through my fingers, i don't have a pay the rent job at the moment so thats not helping, i have some big decisions to make and i just can't seem to find my way at the moment. I should have made like Handsel and Gretel and left myself some bread crumbs to find my way back.

Little Bird Big Chip goes global!

I did it! It's here!! I would like to welcome you to my very first Etsy store, here. Commence phase one; Etsy takeover...

I have listed a couple of cacti, just to test the waters and some of my Two Tone Tony carafes. I am also planning to list some simpler cacti and a couple of those distinguished gents with the moustaches.

So stop by and say hi, tell your friends, spread the word! Lemme know whats you think? I would love to hear your feed back. Christmas is coming people.....

Melbourne Lovin'

(image courtesy of http://oddsandends.net.au check em out)

Hello there lovelies! How was your weekend? I only ask as........MINE WAS FLIPPIN' AWESOME!!!!!! thats all.

Even though as you know, I got the sack last week, I had planned a ladies weekend away with my favourite lady lil'lisa. we got our booties over to melbs for a threeday weekend of booze, art, deliciousness and...... shopping! (perhaps not the best when one has no fixed income but pffft.)

we flew in saturday morning and hit the ground running. we stayed at the nunnery a super sweet hostel in fitzroy, absolutely recommend it. Then we seeked out an amazing cafe off smith street, "Proud Mary". Lisa had a mind blowing sandwich of mouth watering pork belly and if i wer'nt so comatose from lack of food i probably would have ordered something other than blurting out eggs please... and the coffee? holy shit balls! they had this crazy tea distillation going on. do yourself a favour and get yo self there.

In the later part of the day we met up with friends for wine in the park which led to more wine.....and more wine..and ultimately contributing to the god awful, punch in the ovaries, hangover.. but i digress. ahem.

we saw some poor mans cirque du solei in the park (which led us to seek out a pub) but then we went to see a dirty blues band, "The Brothers Grim" inside the NGV. Amazing.

Which brings us to the cocktail section of the evening. One word. Polly. Now I would love to tell you more but.... some sort of memory blank.

So the whole reason behind this trip was to see the Tim Burton show on its last day, even in my state of extreme pain I could see the brilliance. Sketches, snippets of the movies, models it was all there. Now the next part of our journey (with much groaning and cursing/huffing and puffing) we went to find the market way out in the docklands. now this really perked up my hang over... a tin shed filled to the brim with creative geniuses!! I met the lovely girls at "Odds and Ends" Do you know what they make? lean in close now....knitted cacti!!! we are now like besties! please check them out on their etsy store here. They were super nice and gave me great advice for a first time etsy seller. I will be keeping in touch with those kids fo sure. (I am dying for a trade!) Oh and i just discovered their tre tre beautiful blog, remember to notice. makes me want to make nice stuff.

I also bought my new summer dress from made590. it is super cute and has....pockets! yessssss.

By now we had managed to perk up somewhat and started to think about a delicious dinner (i forgot to mention that shamefully we had to eat fast food for breakfast....hang head in shame)

We ate the most amazing dumplings. Amazing. They were these little parcels of loveliness that are filled with delicious stock and a little pork parcel. Super delicious, super fun to eat. I am salivating as we speak... oh and we managed to force down more wine.

A little bit more of a lazier approach to our next and final day. We strolled my old hood of northcote to visit a few fav's including I dream a highway and Manque. Kinda shopped out (you think?) and ready for home. Melbourne I heart you.

Well. It's official.

I'm a bum.

I gots the sack and now I am unemployed. Sad face. Apparently the big boss says too many staff. Whatevs. My greatest regret is that I did'nt rack up more of a cheese debt. What an idiot.

I guess now I will have more time to work on my etsy store... and i guess now i can finally get around to joining the library, the house might get to look a little nicer, i could try out new recipes (perhaps only with beans as cash may be at ultimate low..) or i could just sit around the house in my underpants with the blinds drawn, eating bowls of cereal and watching oprah.... blegh!

only time will tell...

it couldnt come at a worse time, but for now i choose to look only on the bright side as this weekend my dear friend lil' lisa and i are goin to melbs! yeehaw! cocktails, shoes, the tim burton exhibition,more booze and delicious eats!! screw you place-of-prior-employment, you will not rain on my melbourney weekend!!

Oh and if you were wondering the above image is of my production line, 'the sweet dips'. avoid the rush, shop from the luxury of your living room.....christmas is coming people!! orders welcome!!! (i do have alot of time on my hands now, just sayin is all...)

Etsy Lovin'

So I am busy, beavering about..... playing photo shoots in my studio, because ladies and gents I am gearing up for an etsy store! (Eeep.) I tried taking some shots in the Jam photography room (last time I got some great shots but this time I just couldn't get the settings right) so after much swearing and cussing, I went back to my studio and started messing around with some more laid back shots. What do you think? I think these are much nicer than a plain white background. Looks warmer, tells the story a little better maybe?

There is so much fine print to having an etsy store! Just tryin to do my best to be super prepared. Researching shipping, store policy, alchemy? Wah! It's harder than I thought. Don't worry I will keep at it.

So far, from my intensive researching/procrastinating, I have seen a lot of naff glass on etsy... I am going to be the gal to change that...I hope.

On the up side, so far I haven't seen anything like mine on etsty, do you think this is a good or bad thing? Maybe nobody cares for glass cacti and succulents? No! Surely that can't be so?

Definately nothing like Skiny Pete, thats fo sure.

Am a little worried about the weight. Would you pay $60 in shipping alone to be the proud pappa/mamma of a hand blown cactus? I could say the seller pays all watering costs...

Whatcha been doin' kid?

So whatddya been doin' today? Well here goes...

I ate this delicious lunch.

Which I made in my kitchen.

When it's tidy it looks like this.

Then I went to check on my stocks that I grew from seed, can you believe it?

Which are planted in our veggie garden.

Then I rode my beautiful bike.

Then I met this boob for coffee.

Who made me do this.

Sometimes even a rough day can turn out ok.

Country girl does good.

Say hello to my new range "Yumemiru". These lovely Bonsai forms, hand crafted and lovingly made from glass are now available through Craft Victoria and soon to be in Artisan Qld for their Cherish launch, just in time for Christmas.

I'm pretty sure I have talked about the dizzy-ing highs and spiraling lows of being an artist before, but this is going to be my little reminder that, kid, you done good so far.

Upon my aunty's request (she thinks I need an achievement wall....ah, nah I'm good) i will meet her half way and write myself a little list so that when I am having a low/lull I can come back to this post and refresh my memory. Here goes....

1. Got myself an Artstart grant from Australia Council.

2. Participated in 3 exhibitions this year.

3. One of these being my very first solo show, selling 9 pieces.

4. Photographed for SALA and featured in Adelaide Living Magazine.

5. Inside Out magazine did a photo shoot on me and will be in their Nov/Dec issue this year,

6. Submitted 3 proposals for a Japan residency next year.

7. Won the peoples choice award for the Cibo exhibitions which included cash prize and free coffee for a year. (If anyone would like to join me for a coffee date, I'm buyin....)

8. Am on my way to creating branding for myself.

9. Have secured two new stockists for my work, Craft Vic and Artisan.

10. Have a new production line in the works...

And finally,

I'm a good guy at stuff.

Not too shabby for a country gal.

Sandworms, you hate em right? Well I hate em myself!

Lookit! Sure is pretty right? In my attempts for world domination through glass (one bonsai at a time) I have the talented, young chap Josh Mann of www.joshmanndesign.com designing a logo for me. Kid did good huh? I am in love with it, feels like me. See how he even gives a nod to littlebirdbigchip?

Well, today stared off quite strange, bad ju ju. Couldn't sleep last night, managed to spill a whole mug of water in pitch black at some ungodly time, all over my side dresser. At first I was filled with rage but the ever intuned b-train saves the day and it ends in hysterics. Then time to get up for my big photo shoot with Inside Out and I am rudely awoken by a puffy left eye. God damn it! What the hell is this all about? The one day I have to look nice and the universe gives me a bung eye. Thanks universe. Thanks a bunch.

But not to fear as I am a crafty minx. I flipped my fringe over to the other side, oh yea. Cunning.

(Lets just hope it doesn't make me look like bizzaro me in the photos..) You know what I learnt today? The Jam is like a black pit. We may have well as been underground, forty thousand feet down with a 20 watt globe. No wait, worse, a fluro. Poor photographer had a rough run trying to find some decent light to get a good shot. After all my pre studio buffing and tiding we didnt even shoot it!! In saying that though, she did take some great shots and I can't wait to see them in the december issue (out november if you were wondering).

I got her to take a shot I was wanting to get done for a while now, one of my tools. Glass blowing tools are quite beautiful objects in themselves. We also shot in the cold shop, some sketchy ones and some finished products with colour samples.

And now I get to finish the day (with my bung eye) by eating delicious homemade prawn pasta and watching Beetlejuice on the telly (hence the tittle of this post).

Nice.

Hot Dog!, we have a weiner!!!

Ladies and Gentleman, introducing your champion......

Shhhhhhhhhhhiiiiirrrrrly!!

(insert wild cheers from rambunctious crowd)

Now we all remember Shirley, yes? And we all thought she was lovely, yes? (its her winning personality) but now we have confirmation of her loveliness!! Earlier this year I entered the Cibo seasonal exhibition, Arancino. For each of the seasons, Cibo is exhibiting Adelaidians work at all of their different Cibo locations. Images go up on line on http://www.ciboespresso.com.au/galleria/

and the public gets to vote for the work they like.

Well the votes are in kids and...

HOT DOG WE HAVE A WEINER!!

Yes it's true, Shirley won her round. A big, heart felt thank you to all my supporters, friends, family or just shirley lover, I thank you for all the support and love you always offer me in all my artistic endeavours.

So what do I win you ask? Well I'm pretty sure there is a cash prize and I'm hoping for some free coffee.. The big boss, Roberto rang me from Cibo and we are going to meet (for coffee, hahaha) and the exchange of prizes next week!! It's a little like meeting a blind date, "So I'm tall, have dark hair.." I really wanted to say I'll be the lady wearing the rose!!

This is the first round of prizes too. As there are other exhibitions, they will have winners too, then we go into an end game (I secretly hope it's like Mad Max and is held at Thunderdome, maybe in that battle cage.. two men enter, one man leave style....) then the winners artworks get displayed on Cibo's takeaway coffee cups. Huzzah!

Vote 1, Shirley for President.

oh mr hart! what a mess!

My studio is a real tip. There is just stuff. Everywhere. I need a helper monkey, any takers? You need to be ruthless with me, don't give in to my bellowings of "I need that!" or "That might come in handy!" To be considered for the role of helper monkey you must have super organisation skills, be able to keep me on track, no procrastinating, make me look like a real artist seeing as...... Inside Out is coming to shoot me in my studio!! Eep!

Alright. So these are clearly the before pictures. I gots to get my booty in there and get cleanin'. (Lets hope you can notice the difference in the after shots, yes?)

The Glass Garden

Here you go, for my interstate and international lovelies who couldn't make it, some pics of the glass garden.

But if you are in town, there's still time! Show runs until the 5th of September.

Was a great opening night, stacks of people. Family, friends and free booze lovers.

What's that you spy? Some little red dots? Little red dots = sales! Sweet, sweet sales! Momma needs a brand new pair of everything!

buck up tiger

Its official.

I had exhibition come down.

But its ok im nearly through it now. It takes alot of energy to be an artist I think and really commit to it. Takes up a lot of head space, but mostly I feel like it's energy. You gotta be on it in so many ways and there is no one else thats gonna do it for you. You gots to hustle the work, you gots to design the work, you gots to make the work, you gots to pay the rent yo. So I guess its not a surprise that sometimes (and I think its when you stop or slow down that this happens) the dread sets in....

oh the negativity that the dred brings with it! oh, i have so much debt! oh, my body hurts! oh, i have no clams! oh, why am i doing this, why didnt i choose some officey job that pays a decent wage?

why? I'll tell ya why.

Because I freakin' L.O.V.E it.

thats why.

It's the truth. (why else would anyone work in a billion degree heat?) and sometimes the wheels fall off and sometimes you lose your way, but you know what its just like handsel and gretel. just leave yourself a little trail (i prefer to use musk sticks) and you will always find your way back. sketches, photos, friends, these all help. because even though you are the one who's gotta get it all done there is always someone there who can help, or at least make you a cup of tea. so buck up tiger, life, she aint so bad.

well thats what im tryin to tell myself anyway........

i feel a new list coming on....

ode to the business duck

Konichiwa friends! meet "the business duck". Well thats what me and the b-train called him. He's the guy you see at train stations telling you how much you should pay. What are we going to do? Don't worry the business duck will tell us what to do! Public transport, by the way, is awesome in Japan. What you do is just but the cheapest ticket possible, even if you don't know where you are going, then when you get off, look for the business duck, stick your ticket is and he 'adjusts' the fare, telling you how much more you need to pay. I love him. (I don't really know what he's about but I'm sure it's something like that.)

At the moment I am battling some sort of flu. Great. But apart from that I am doing well on my quest to 'think, breathe (when possible through clogged snout) and eat japanese' in the hopes of creating a successful grant/residency application. I have dug up my Murakami books to read and am drinking tea from my favourite mug with pictures of sushi on it (does that even count or was it too lame to mention?) and I am hoping to drag my snotty self down the street to grab some miso for lunch. Miso heals all. It's true. Alright, here we go, round what feels like 86, of re-writing application. wish me luck. (i need it)

konichiwa

I dream of Japan.

Three years ago me and the b-train went ditched the Winter for a balmy, sometimes humid Japanese summer.

It was amazing.

And consequently I think of Japan everyday. Especially when its cold and rainy because I just think in Japan its beautiful and warm. If I think about it real hard I can almost feel it. I even remember the smells. slightly obsessed, no? I think of riding bikes through the streets, visiting temples, eating delicious, delicious snacks, browsing through amazing fabrics catching crazy trains through the crowded underground...

So now I am trying my darndest to get back there. For someone with very little income but big dreams and different skills, applying for a Japanese residency in 2011. I would like to spend 2-3 months living, breathing, eating Japan. I want to explore the honoured tradition of Ikebana in the hopes of designing an Ikebana specific range of vessels which will then be used for Australian flora.

Sounds neat right?

Well to get me in the mood, that samurai state of mind, I figured I would start posting some of my favourite japan photos, because lets face it, they pretty much havent seen the light of day and I think they should get out there.. By now you can probably sense my procrastination a mile away.. but lets hope this helps. Writing applications for residencies and grants takes up so much of my head space. I want to be as accurate as possible, I want to give it my all, but this time i am having a really hard time starting.

Maybe it's because this time I want it so much?

So lets do it.

Lets get it on.

Japan style.

flip yea.

One more sleep

Can you believe it?

Can you believe that I started this blog in what, April, talking about my exhibition, trying to nut things out, stalling and procrastinating with dot points..

(. i

. still

. dig

. dot points..)

and now here we are, on the eve of the opening night. Big sigh of relief followed by bundle of nerves residing in stomach. Will people like the work? Will I make any sales? Will I spill wine on my dress? Hard to say really isn't it?

One thing I do know is that I am actually kind of proud of the work I have produced. I thinkthe show comes together really nicely and is cohesive in it's flow. Even though the show hasn't opened yet I found myself talking about having another show for next year! Woah, woah now lets just get over this show, maybe have ourselves a breather? Don't think I'm so good at stopping, even when i am holding my eyes open with match sticks.. Gotta strike while the iron is hot and all that crap.

Speaking of crap.. had my little face in the Adelaide Magazine today. Boy do I look angry! Especially so. Why couldn't they have chosen the smiley one? I AM A SERIOUS ARTIST! BUY MY ANGRY WORK! Thats what it screams to me.. guess it's better than multiple chins showing

All publicity is good publicity, right?...

Right?

Will take some shots of the work installed and put them up for you to peek at.

Only one sleep to go.

Gulp.

its the final countdown....

Ok, so not long to go now... 4 sleeps in fact. So for anyone who has been living under a rock (i look like i have been living under a rock at the moment..) my very first solo show opens THIS FRIDAY!!

July 30

JamFactory

6-8pm

Come one, come all

"The Glass Garden"

I am organised, I am calm, I am ready.

Bam.

Maybe not ready, I look like hell, but we will get there. Delivered all my work to One Small Room for the show that opens on Thursday night and am setting up for my solo tomorrow. So I guess I'll see you there?

come on down

here it it is lovelies! get out your diary and mark it down. use a highlighter if you like, anything to get you there!! thursday night, at "One Small Room" in Croydon. Lookin forward to it, can't wait,..... will this week never end? (longest week ever)