markets around town

Where has the year gone? With only a few weeks till Christmas it's time for me to finish projects and start Christmas shopping. Totally enjoy creating and making handmade but I also really enjoy purchasing handmade. Here are a few of the markets I enjoy visiting and shopping at for 

handmade, fresh produce and / or atmosphere.

Fair Trade Christmas Market

Sat 1st & Sun 2nd December 2012 :: 9.30 am-3.30 pm both days
St Aidan's Anglican Girls School, Ruthven St, Corinda QLD 4075

BOTANIQUE Christmas Bazaar
4 – 9 December 2012 :: 10am–4pm
at Richard Randall Art Studio
Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong.
A wide range of artworks and gifts

Handmade Twilight Market

Sherwood State School (cnr Sherwood & Oxley Roads)

Saturday 8^th December 2012 :: 3pm-7pm
handmade art, gifts and yummy edibles

BrisStyle indie Twilight Markets
King George Square, Brisbane City
Friday 14th December 2012 :: 5pm-9pm
local designers and handmade

Chandler Markets: Twilight Market
Friday 21st December 2012 :: 2.00pm - 9.00pm
Cnr Old Cleveland Rd and Tilley Rd, Capalaba
Fresh Produce, plants, handmade, bric a brac

Brisbane Markets @ Rocklea
  Saturday 22nd December and Sunday 23rd December
  385 Sherwood Rd, Rocklea
Extended trading hours 6.00am-2.00pm for the
The Saturday Fresh Markets and Sunday Discovery Markets
 fresh produce and gifts



handmade stars by friend Kaylene

from the sketchbook

Last weekend was awash with rain. I'd signed up for a drop in sketch day with Urban Art Binge initially the plan for the day was to meet at the City Botanic Gardens and sketch our way round to the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. With all the rain a more indoor venue was sort and we met at the State Library and enjoyed some sketching from the reading areas with the fabulous river and city views, 

lunched in the cafe and then across to the QLD Art Gallery to sketch statues and artifacts

another wonderful day sketching

decorating little books

I spotted these little notebooks in our local stationary store the other week and grabbed one pack of each color. Each book has 60 lined pages with a sewn binding. Since purchasing them I've been having a wonderful time making up collage pieces to attach to the front of each little book.

re-purposed doily + potholder

I have acquired a few doilies over the years some as gifts, a couple thrift ed etc. A few of them are ripped or stained in sections and I had worn out my potholder. So I decided to re-purpose one of the doilies, combine it with a couple scraps of check fabric and make a new potholder. 

Using block 'Double Square' from the book Around the Block by Judy Hopkins as my inspiration
added a small border to the block

layered and quilted everything with a couple layers of wool wadding in the center and finally

added a binding which incorporated a loop

Wild Things & The Language of Nature

A couple of upcoming exhibitions to enjoy

A selling exhibition by artists Sharyn Hall & Wendy Bailye

featuring art, homewares, wearables & accessories

this weekend 2nd - 4th November 2012

and then next weekend

we get to enjoy an exhibition by Tricia Smout "The Language of Nature"

6-14 November 2012 (10-4pm daily). The exhibition is celebrating the culmination of Tricia's 12 month residency at the gardens. Both exhibitions are in the Richard Randall Art Studio

at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha