art is a tart.

hello beautiful people. thank you so much for your lovely comments as of late and all the love i'm feeling in the room right now. today has been one of those days, not a lot went right and i've been grumpy all day with a sore foot. i rode home from work in terrential rain (which i don't mind as i'm heading home after a day at work) and i was greeted by a parcel on my porch. my heart burst as i opened the package to reveal my early birthday purchase from rachel at smile & wave. only the most perfect mid week present EVER! it's beautiful, see for yourself below. i'm eating top deck and about to crack open my new copy of frankie. an aching foot can't stop this girl. i spent the evening at the gallery last night and managed to take a few more pics and sell another painting, woo! things are good right now and only a month till hawaii! happy birthday for tomorrow to beautiful bec of naughty shorts. i won't be rummaging this weekend but i have a date with some lovely girls and henri cartier-bresson so a wander into the city and through the rummage stalls is on the cards. have a wonderful rest of the week. lots of arty love on this rainy tuesday evening.

some close-ups were in order.

that's me.

felt cloud lovin'.

can't get enough of my dress and my favourite wallpaper.

cross stitchin'.

'tea & tarts' detail and 'how much is too much floral?' (sold)

moustache love.

teapot love.

ampersand action and 'breakfast'.

my vintage sheet purchase from smile & wave, woo!

'home beautiful'

oh what a night. after a mini (really quite big) meltdown at around 1pm yesterday, needles and cotton EVERYWHERE, a wonderful helper/sister working her magic with the food platters and dressed head to toe in vintage floral....i was off to the exhibition opening. the absolutely diabolical weather meant getting a cab was hilarious but i was saved and arrived at the gallery dry and happy. it was already pumping around 5.30 with lots of beautiful faces in attendance. i hung my last two works on the wall (that's the charm in me) and grabbed myself a wine (priorities.) works were sold (3 of mine), bought (an amazing screenprint on vintage floral was purchased for moi) and a commission was ordered. after 3 or so weeks of working through the night (fyi: cross stitching takes, ummm, FOREVER!) eating the most ridiculous amount of chocolate and cranking up around 4 hours sleep a night....i was ready to party. for now, i'll share some pics of my setup (a small selection of works are shown below, more to come)...party photos will follow in a few days. pottering about being my social self and sorting food platters, wine replenishment and sales meant i didn't take a single photo. with kate to the rescue i should have a few beauties to show you soon. i am incredibly in awe of my fellow artists and their talents. it was such a wonderful showcase of different mediums and everyone really put their heart & soul into their works, and it showed. so proud of all the hard work that went into getting this beauty off the ground. i'm already working on some lino cuts, new cross stitches and some gorgeous little collages, so please check in soon for more arty goodness. if you're keen to check out the show, i will post details for you below. i have had the most glorious sunday...a huge sleep-in, mugs of coffee, 2 loads of washing, super duper sunshine and a house clean have done wonders for me. i look forward to hearing what you've been up to. thank you for all of your support over the last few weeks, it's extra special when i get words of wisdom and loveliness from people i haven't even met. thank you to those who came and supported me, those who couldn't be there were thought of and missed. i'll sign off with my sunday love and a little pearl of wisdom....if you haven't already got yourself a naughty shorts creation, i suggest you get onto it, pronto! (i have never received so many compliments from a dress before...it was totally the star of the show last night) expect a bit more from this dress very soon as i am about to collaborate with two of my most favourite creative ladies...details soon! xx

before & after. my collective entitled 'home beautiful'.

the finished product and detail of added loveliness.

'plenty of fish in the sea' (sold) & 'stay as sweet'.

'in the madness, there is love' (sold) (note the ampersand stamp briar!)

(left) 'tea at 28' (top right) 'such high hopes' (bottom right) 'men, milk glass & moustaches'

'tea and tarts' & 'charles didn't have the heart to tell her he didn't much care for bunting' (sold)

'cake'o'clock' & 'nothing gold can stay'

Title:

'Home Beautiful' 2011

Medium:

vintage fabric, wallpaper, plastic, acrylic paint, aida cloth, metal, embroidery cottons, and felt on canvas/wood.

Artwork statement:

'Home beautiful' is my latest collection of work that summarises and celebrates the treasures I have collected, treats I have baked, and the people I love the most. The idea of falling in love, my constant need to decorate my home with opshopped treasures and the importance of my family and closest friendships, are some of the beautiful things that inspire me to create art. I am incredibly sentimental and my opshopping adventures allow me to collect and collate objects that I reinterpret with my own memories and relationships. My two grandmothers play an integral part in my personal expression, whether it be baking on a Sunday afternoon or cross stitching and cutting up floral fabric into the early hours of the morning. My artworks are storyboards which explore these feelings and past memories that I constantly wish to remember and represent. Craft has always played large part in my artistic expression and my latest works are a testament to the hours spent as a young girl watching and learning from my grandmothers. Little do Kit & Nancy know that they are what inspire my thrifting adventures where I spend hours sifting through mothballed fabrics to my love of baking where entire afternoons are spent pottering in the kitchen and icing benchfuls of cupcakes. This thrifty/baking behaviour is showcased on my blog (kit & nancy) where weekly goings on and adventures are documented and shared. I enjoy surrounding myself with and collecting objects from the 70's era, where large bright and floral patterns enrich everyday home life.

all works from the 21 fabulous brisbane based artists can be seen until wed 31st august at

circle gallery, 274 montague road (upstairs)

west end, brisbane.

gallery hours vary but 10-4pm most days.

words to live by.

only a few more hours to go. 2 more works to complete. one finely wallpapered piece of plywood hung. an inspired space full of art coming together nicely. a diet that is milky bar one day, celery the next. friends and colleagues. standing room only. couldn't be more excited.

amy rice puts it perfectly.

a little breather.

i'm surprised i'm not seeing the world in tiny little cross stitches. have had my face pressed up against the biggest piece i've undertaken for the exhibition. in other news, i successfully wallpapered my bit of plywood! it was so much fun, a little stressful (imagine wallpaper glue flicking everywhere and the first glue attempt coming out all lumpy) but rewarding. it's come up lovely and i'm super impressed. choosing what wallpaper to use ended up being the hardest part! 12 of the 14 works are complete...i told everyone i'd be working up until the last minute (which is in 2 and a bit'ish days) and i'm not going to break that promise. the works range from pieces that took me 20 minutes to think up to 24 FULL hours (broken up of course) of stitching. met a little italian lady today who was the sunshine in my day and could tell i was a little stressed. after thinking i was buying all the antipasto goodies for my wedding, i told her i had hungry art lovers to feed and she was so helpful i wanted to cry with joy. she told me to keep smiling and that because i was a beautiful person that everything would turn out ok. i can't thank her enough, her words truly helped me regain my focus and get moving into the final stages. after tasting every olive in the place, i walked out with a huge box of food and a smile. priceless. may have also picked up a few oppie treats after driving the wrong way. i'm hoping a certain mama-to-be is going to have a girl. these shoes were too cute to leave behind! will be back over the weekend with exhibition goss and pics. installing begins tomorrow night...wish me luck!

(insert a tiny squeal here)

pillowcase lovin'.

closeup of the cuteness that is baby shoes. (clucky much?)

have your cake...

wow...so this is what 4 hours sleep feels like? there's been no regular behaviour happening in my world at the moment..i'm definately channelling the life of an artist. i've forgotten what that felt like. i feel like i have an art baby that needs nurturing and constant attention, and to be honest, i'm exhausted. how will i ever cope as a mother?? an afternoon tea break at lady m's was my saviour today. i needed the sugar hit and the triple shot latte should keep me rockin' for a few hours yet. so many ideas, so little time. obviously. haven't done any wallpapering yet, will save that for tomorrow night...i need to get prepared. hope my mitre 10 splurge on thursday night pays off. it's taken me about 20 mins to write this, can anyway say procrastination? i better get back to it. those florals won't cross stitch themselves and after covering a good pair of lazy pants in everything from glue, paint and even brownie batter...i can see myself making good progress. love and luck for the week ahead (i'll borrow a bit of that if you don't mind!) xx

can anyone say triple stacked brownie sandwich?

i'm not sure if i'm loving the brownie or the pink floral more....

saturday behaviour.

i've been waiting for this sunny saturday morning since my vintage sheet haul on monday. i enjoy many things (hence my tiny bank balance) and one of those things is hanging pretty sheets on the washing line. i know many of you know what i'm talking about, it's almost like i'm discovering them again for the first time, and it makes me so happy. i also started baking super early as i have many things to get done this weekend. it's the last weekend before my work is hung on a gallery wall amidst 20 other incredible artists. i am so excited, a little nervous and extremely inspired. i sometimes worry about being 'too' busy but now that i am, i'm loving it...i work at my best under pressure. back to the baking behaviour though, i got stuck into a big birthday brownie order that consists of a 3 layered raspberry brownie cake sandwiched together with vanilla cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh strawberries. a smaller version will accompany it and i promise to post pics tomorrow, they already look super delish and i haven't even started with the filling! it's a design i saw a few weeks back and have been wanting to try out. i love when things come together. i also thought a spot of baking would be a good distraction from 24 hour artmaking. i'm cross-stitching as i type this so all is falling into place. i promise to show you my artworks towards the end of the week when they're glued, pasted, stitched and hung. a few of you have asked me what i do with all the vintage fabrics/linen i collect...well, first and foremost i buy them to use as bed linen. secondly, i would like to make tablecloths and cushions for my future shop and also to furnish my home (now and in the future) so i collect them with that in mind too. thirdly, i'm just one big fabric whore and the sight of vintage floral makes me weak at the knees. seriously, it gets me into a frenzy and i love it. fourthly, i use it in my art...all will be explained when you see my new works or if you go back a few years on my blog and check out some of my older creations. i hope you've all had a lovely saturday. will pop by tomorrow with some cake pics and details of my sunday behaviour. enjoy your sunday!

so much prettiness.

brownie waiting to be stacked and filled!

priming my plywood and the wallpaper i've chosen from my collection to cover it.

the things a girl will do...

...to find vintage floral. (me on monday)

happy wednesday!

monday behaviour.

the day started with an early coffee and ended with a car full of treats and waffles in our bellies. kate and i headed south for a bit of treasure hunting and big spending behaviour today. kate with her new mac and me with armfuls of fabrics. after a few dollars spent at robina we headed to murwillumbah for some country wanderings. found some super cute oppies, some incredibly cheap, others embarrassingly expensive (talking to you salvos.) the afternoon was topped off with a beautiful burleigh sunset (enjoy mama!) and some max brenner behaviour. it's time for bed, if only every monday was like this. artwork is coming along nicely but still a lot to do. a busy week lies ahead so i'll love you and leave you and be back on the weekend. night!

50c johnson dinner plate love. (found 5!)

pretty floral sheets and pillowcases.

more sheets and the cutest little bubba knit.

boy fabrics...finally!

autumn tones and lavender love.

my favourite floral of the day and some pink cloud behaviour. love.

burleigh clouds.

floral tablecloth and gc lovin'.

gorgeous sri lankan vase and waffle/chai evidence.

sunday best.

the sun had his hat on this morning which meant perfect weather for some sweet treat brunching with one of my favourites. nestled amongst flower ridden queenslanders in clayfield, 'dandelion & driftwood' did not disappoint. the service was incredible and as we nestled under umbrellas in the courtyard, it provided the most perfect setting for chats over scrumptious delights. i had one of the best coffees i've tasted in a while (the house driftwood blend) and the banana & blueberry bread that i feasted on took the gold for best banana bread in town. that's a high achievement considering lady m's and little larder were their competition. the place was packed full of cuteness (read: cute boys), baristas in bowties and hipsters. definately not a place for wearing your favourite trackies but after the lazy pajama arsed day i had yesterday, i wanted to put on my sunday best. so on went the salmon pink katie's number and mustard flats. there were girls in pretty floral dresses, puppies tied up outside and a showcase of some of the most divine looking treats that i've ever laid eyes on! after coffee and bb, ash and i ordered a monte carlo and macadamia brownie to share. oh yes. although they were all out of the peanut butter whoopies (these guys know their stuff, obviously) and cotton candy cupcakes, i was really impressed with how traditional and tasty the treats were. they were washed down with a yummy chai of course. it just means we'll need to go back for round two to sample those delights. if you haven't been convinced to make a stop off there, then go back and read the part about the cute boys at least. no sunday is complete without a visit to secret to see my gorgeous emily, who greeted me with open arms and market finds she'd picked up earlier today. i can always rely on this woman to deliver my eye candy fix for the week. i walked away with a dress i'd eyeballed a week or two ago and a sweet owl money box (with sealed base which means i really will be saving) for an absolute steal. i best be off to get back to finishing some works and slowly remove myself from the sweet food coma i fell into this morning. totally worth it. will pop by to see what you've all been up to this weekend too...much baked love.

takeaway coffee cart out front (complete with barista in bowtie) and the sweet treat menu.

table shot. yes, that is a whole lotta cinnamon sugar on my blueberry & banana bread!

hello mr. brownie and mrs. monte carlo.

a brunch is never complete without puppies. i'll take the guy in the middle thanks, takeaway.

the dress. with coral heels (thank you trudy) this baby is gonna rock the exhibition opening.

owl be saving lots with this fella.

milk glass, men & moustaches.

good evening lovelies. i hope you've all had a lovely saturday pottering about the house, spending time with your favourites or eating utterly indulgent treats. (hopefully all three) i spent a day in at the flower house, making art and reboiling the kettle every 5 minutes. it's been a productive few hours and the ideas keep flowing. never short of an idea, this girl...that's almost the problem. i'm so excited to be back in the art game after letting it take a back seat for too long. i'm an artist at heart and it's time to let it ride shotgun. i'm painting designs of my favourite crockery onto canvases, cross stitching moustaches and i'm surrounded with so many vintage sheets it feels like 1975. heaven? i think so. after a lovely skype chat with mama this morning i stayed in bed a little longer to finish my coffee and to take a quick peek over at rachel's fabric stash sell off. I treated myself to an early birthday present as i was so surprised that there was anything left to grab. i also have my mama eyeballing the oppies in san fran for pretty florals and she's definately making me proud. I was told the other day that hawaii hosts a flea market every weekend...which caused immediate hot sweats and high pitched speaking until i realised it was a honolulu affair, not maui. i reminded myself that i am not in hawaii to thrift, but to relax and spend some valuable time with my family. in all the excitement i ended up nabbing a gorgeous 50's beach babe styled pair of polkadot bathers last night in the city and a new beach towel to ice the pre-hawaiian cake. i'm off to a gorgeous little northern suburb haunt tomorrow morning for brunch with the beautiful brunette. with red velvets and whoopie pies on the menu, i predict i'll be gaining a good 3 kilos. 3 kilos of deliciousness i might add. wallpaper glue is on the shopping list too, as i prepare my plywood for a gorgeous coating of vintage delight. the plywood will be the backing that all of my artworks will be hung from....it's going to look (after i master wallpapering in a day) divine! monday is road-tripping behaviour to murwillumbah and with 5 or so oppies on the to do list...i'm kinda already wishing it was monday already. i'm off to finish watching jurassic park now, gotta complete my goldblum and t-rex fix. my moustaches need stitching and tea needs drinking so i'll go and wish a happy sunday to you all.

.image source.

mondayitis.

you've got the symptoms? i've found the cure! it's one of the most simple recipes i have ever attempted but definately one of the tastiest. how can one resist lemon icing and a recipe that calls for an entire block of white chocolate? it's been one of those mondays...a big rummaging day yesterday left me overtired and achey so i knew i had to whip something up to make this monday better than expected. i first made this slice (double the height i may add) close to two years ago for one of my favourites at the gallery. the sweetest man i have ever met, this slice quickly became his favourite and i renamed it 'a slice of frankie' soon after. i'm back at the qld art gallery now after a few years at goma which means i get to spend most days with him. i am always greeted with a hug, he wants to hear my latest stories and i am in awe of his generosity. he is a real treasure and this delicious slice is my ode to him. if you have a spare 30mins one afternoon, i urge you to give it a try. i've even got leftovers to have with a tea later. no more mundane mondays with this treat around!

'a slice of frankie'

125g unsalted butter

50ml thick cream

200g white chocolate

1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots

250g shortbread biscuits, crushed (i prefer scotch fingers)

1 cup dessicated coconut

icing

25g unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp lemon juice

2 1/3 cups icing sugar

1. line a 18x25cm baking pan with baking paper

2. place butter and cream in saucepan and bring to the boil, remove

3. add chocolate and stir until melted

4. stir in apricots, biscuit crumbs and coconut

5. press into pan and chill for 1 hour

6. for the icing combine butter, lemon juice and 2tbs of warm water in a bowl and stir in the icing sugar

7. spread over the slice, sprinkle a little extra coconut on top and return to the fridge to set

8. cut up and enjoy!

rummage day!

what a wonderful day. grabbed our favourite spot early, lots of girly chats, stacks of gorgeous suitcases, swapping treats, sushi & starbucks, hot chocolates and more girly chats. the day was made more fantastic with a gorgeous trio of ladies that were my stall buddies for the day. visits from my favourite brunette (complete with starbucks & macaron in hand!) and fellow gallery girly were icing on the cake. i haven't rummaged for a while so i was pretty excited about seeing all of my favourites and making some dollars for the hawaii fund. both accomplished and then some. here are a few snaps from the day. the rain held off till close to 5 which was much appreciated. i'm totally exhausted but inspired up to the eyeballs. thank you to all who visited, bought and chatted...you're fantastic. have a great week all.

le stall.

some of my treats and the amazing suitcases on offer at kimberly's stall.

the colour coding queen and my favourite blue treats on offer.

may have bought a suitcase for hawaii/europe travels and some florals for le collection.

pillowcase action and a gorgeous book found for me by kimberly. perfect.

more vintage sheet love.