Good mid-morning to you all! Here I sit, pyjama-clad still, my attempts to catch you up on my news today interrupted periodically with all variety of banging and popping sounds; Dave is working from home and as luck would have it, finally got his new camera flash delivered this morning. And, now that he has other toys to use it with (namely about ten different lenses of varied and increasingly intimidating lengths), he has set his tripod up on the table and is making movies of Monty, now recovered from last week's stint at the vet and the theft of certain important parts of his tomcat anatomy, who is playing jack-in-the box with the packaging of said flash, the inflatable cushiony padding part of which now doubles, thanks to Monty's ingenuity, as a squishy sort of ski to be skidded across the kitchen floor. Brilliant.
Here's a snap of my first stint at Palmerston markets last Friday night. A huge thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and other lovely things about my work. I love hearing people say: 'This reminds me of . . .' or: 'I had something like this when I was little . . .'. But what really makes my day is that look some people get like they've found treasure. It is a very humbling thing to watch a person's face light up and to know that my work is the reason for it. I feel like the luckiest girl on earth to be able to say thank-you to their murmured comments of: 'This is really wonderful'.
Sunday of course marked the first sabbath of June and of course, the Happy Yess Market for another month, and, not incidentally, the market I designed a poster for a few weeks back. It is such a special day for me to look forward to now; I go with a hungry tummy so I can buy lots of cake from the lovely local girls who find the time on their weekends to bake all sorts of wonderful; to say hello to the excellent people who keep Happy Yess a vital part of our arts community and sell plungers of delicious fresh coffee; to meet new people and be the lucky recipient of their lovely words, and best of all, to catch up with my lovely friends, having hid myself away working all week. There really is nothing better than eating cake in a camp chair, surrounded by loads of wonderful handmade things, watching bunting flicker jewel-like in the afternoon sunshine while talking about music contributing to the evolution of the human species, or when to have the next crafternoon, or where to find the best vintage clobber in town.
If you're looking longingly at those lolly-like necklaces, you are more than welcome to come and try a couple on while I'm still selling them! The majority of my stall is dedicated to my illustration work and prints, but the jewellery I sell is made with equal love and care. The Fimo necklaces are all strung by me, and the stringing alone takes several hours as I consider each to be a wearable work of art and can safely promise buyers that their hard-earned cash ensures no-one else in the world will have one like it. Dave and I made the beads together a few years ago before we left for London, and though we loved doing it, we no longer make beads anymore. Besides the problems created by the climate, this sort of work can be very hard on the hands (kneading the clay, even with the aid of a pasta maker can be very physically demanding) and takes, quite predicatably, hours. Hours which, I am sad to say, I don't have spare, and know I should dedicate instead to drawing. So, once these necklaces go, there won't be any more! I've also made earrings, which are equally lovely statement pieces and use hand-sewn raggy beads as well as smaller Fimo ones. Most necklaces are between $35 - $65, the earrings $15 - $25, and bracelets $15. Any of these would make really special Christmas or birthday presents for any girl, five or thirty-five!
I will of course see you all at the next month's installment of the Happy Yess Market; word has it the very clever Emily Hearn will be designing the next poster- I can't wait!
Have a fabulous day everyone!
Mel x
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