Guess who's turning 2? mixtapezine & in.cube8r

mixtapezine & in.cube8r and are turning 2 and we would like to invite you and a friend to our party!

Saturday 25th July 2009
in.cube8r gallery
321 Smith Street
Fitzroy
6.30pm - 9.00pm

Melbourne Peeps! come down and say hi and have a drink & bite to eat on us! There will be a DJ friend playing 70's soul and a nice warm vibe. Join us, all welcome , you just need to RSVP info@incube8r.com.au

The Importance Of...

So to mark the news released earlier this week, that Kodak is ceasing production of their Kodachrome film, after serving us well for 74 years (tear), I just wanted to stress to you all the importance on analogue, not just with photography but with every facet of life. This will be completed in list form below;

• Analogue doesn’t make error noises.
  
• Analogue’s file won’t corrupt.
• Analogue can be handed down to your grandchildren.
• Analogue doesn’t have it’s own language i.e. gigabyte, wav, jpegs, tiffs ??!! What is this jargon and why are we putting up with it people?
  
• Analogue isn’t automatically updating and requiring a restart in 35 seconds unless you click here now.
• Analogue won’t need a new hard drive.
• Analogue didn't just crash.
  
• Analogue doesn't need to be rebooted.
• Analogue isn't burning fossil fuels every time you use it.
  
• Analogue’s battery didn’t just run out.
• Analogue doesn’t need to be ground down into dust and mixed in with cement to then be used in high-rise buildings just to hide the information (this is what the Australian government has to do!).
• Analogue allows you to shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Finally, I am anti digital, big shock, I know! I love analogue cameras with film and one hour processing and prints and questions such as ‘with or without borders?’ and ‘glossy or matt paper?’. Digital makes me feel like a bit of a liar.
If you are like-minded or would just like to return to the days of old I will suggest the Golden Half camera. It takes 35mm film and instead of the usual rectangle negative it takes half a 35mm negative vertically. So for a 24 roll of film you will get 48 photos. So you can click away crazily without worrying about how many shots you have left, a bit like you might use a digital camera. Plus you get the euphoric feeling of doing something artistic, which film just seems to ooze these days. Get it here. Otherwise pop down to your local Op-Shop and grab an analogue 35mm camera for under $5, bargain!

Once you have your camera and some lovely film stop reading blogs and go outside and take some moody photos. I want to see evidence.

Love from the Intern

xxx

Tea Towels & Totes are go

Ok so after all your feedback I have decided to do a small run of both a Tea Towel & a Tote.
I will print 100 of each. The divine chicks that make up Ink&Spindle have kindly offered to let me use their studio space to do the screen printing part. I am still working out the price for them both but they will both be under $20.


As soon as we have the design I will start selling them!. Please email feedbackDOTmixtapezine@gmailDOTcom if you would like to be notified as soon as they go up for sale. Also stay tuned for the letter B in our limited edition badge collection...

and the winner is...

This week we ran a comp to win one of Fat Mamas "SWEET AS" T-shirts.

Q:I'm doing my bit by...

Anna was the winner with her response being:

riding my bike, collecting my (4 minutes) shower water and mulching like there is no tomorrow!

A new giveaway will start on Monday June 29. Thanks to all who entered.

Issue 9 - FUNdraising article

Kristy wrote an article for the current issue of mixtape, issue 9 about the importance of fundraising and community.
Inspired by the article I am making 2 quilts for the 4 y/o groups at our little girls kinder. The groups are Yellow and Purple. The divine Nikki M put me onto printable fabric a few weeks ago and I just knew in the back of my mind that "one day" I would find a good use for it! Well I have!
This is the start - I got all 24 kids in the yellow group to draw a happy face. I came home and scanned them all, Sime popped them into indesign and shrunk them to fit and then I printed the images out on my trusty inkjet printer and this is what I got!


There will be 7 rows like this, I will keep you up to date with the progress!
Yellow fabric ALL from amitie, where else??!!

This little Intern went to market...again

Hello lovely people,

I've had a lovely week. On Sunday night I baked thirty cupcakes and on Monday morning carted them all the way to NSW on the train to surprise my mother for her birthday! I talk about my mother a lot don't I? She just influences my life so much. Who influences you the most in your life?

So here is my second installment of the people I’m meeting at markets. I met Josh, one half of Fair Weather Friends, a few weeks ago. He has a great sense of humor, which is reflected in the work of Fair Weather Friends. I know it isn't strictly crafty, but it sure is creative. And, I think it is good to get some testosterone into the Mixtape blog, even though the other half of Fair Weather Friends is female. I'm buying one of their shirts for my lovely man for his birthday. I think you should grab one for your special man. And, I already have 3 of their badges, of which my mother and my lovely man have pinched from me already.

Q &A with Josh from Fair Weathered Friends

How long has Fair Weather Friends existed for? Not very long, we started the business in September 2008.

Brief description of what Fair Weather Friends does? Fair Weather Friends produce Limited Edition Designer T-Shirts and Badges.

How many Markets have you set up stalls at? 5 in total, and we do 2 markets every weekend all year round.

What got you stared on the Market circuit? It just seemed like the best way to directly access and interact with customers. It’s great being there to see the way people react when they look at our products. Being able to talk to customers about what they like and don’t like about our stuff helps us to make our products better.

What markets do you frequent with your store? We’re at the Rose Street Artist Markets in Fitzroy every Saturday, & the Camberwell Markets every Sunday, and we also do seasonal markets, like the Rooftop markets during summer.

Do you both have day jobs? Josh works full time for Fair Weather Friends, and Josie works part time in the Film & TV Industry.

What makes your stall and the items in it special? Everything we sell is designed, printed, pressed and produced here in Melbourne.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Like all good scientologists, we get our inspiration from the telepathic space gods of dimension seven. Just kidding. The boring answer is: television, old magazines, Mythology, the interwebs, etc. We try to be open to new ideas and anything and everything that comes along.

Is it inspiring to see other stalls of creative goods? It’s totally inspiring. One of the best things about doing markets is being able to hang out with and talk to other creative people, and see the things that they make (and then sabotage them when they’re not looking.)

Here are some photos of their shirts for your lucky eyes.

Fair Weathered Friends can be found at www.fairweatherfriends.com and at the Rose Street Artist Markets, Camberwell Markets and the Rooftop markets. Do support this wonderful local talent!



Enjoy, I'll see you all later in the week!


Love from the Intern xxx

we will resume normal programming soon---

Having problems with the website server so our website is in limbo land.
We are trying to fix the problem asap.
Meanwhile all you need to know about mixtapezine is right here on this blog.

mixtape - giveaway monday #5

Ok the giveaway for this week is the sweetest little t-shirt courtesy of Fat Mamas. We have a long sleeve size 4 red "Save A Little Piece For Me" T-shirt up for grabs.

So all you need to do is answer the following question:

I'm doing my bit by...

Leave your answer in the comments section and we will announce a winner next Saturday June 27 here on the blog and direct email to the winner.

A little bit about Fat Mamas:
Fat Mumma's is ethical, community focussed and creative. All our products, nappy bags, hand-bags, baby gifts or kids clothes, are either hand-made or made in Australia.

and the winner is...

Ok last weeks giveaway was the sweet - Baubles (A Christmas tree Quilt) designed by the ace duo Audrey & Maude. The question we asked you was:

Q:
Tell us one of your family traditions for Christmas and why you'd like to win this pattern.

WINNER:
Cat
My family doesn't really celebrate Christmas the way most people do - decorations, gift exchanging and parties.. Instead we'll go for a ride around town to look at all the decorations outside the shopping malls (where i live, theres a stretch of road with many shopping malls and they sorta 'compete' to see who has the best decoration) and then head home for a huge feast which we will all help prepare. My mum doesn't really like the idea of gift exchange or spending too much on decorations so we hardly have that and the quilt will be very nice to have to make up for the lack of decoration (:

Well done and thanks to all who entered in.
We have the pattern to sell in our shop here and for the month of June I am offering FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!! - for the Baubles (A Christmas tree Quilt)pattern only!

mixtape and whip up do a dance!

Back from a couple of weeks accidental break! I've been busy doing kindergarten enrolments that everything else has fallen by the waist side. Balance - the meaning of life for me.

Anyhow enough intense talk first thing on a Sunday, here are some things I'd like to share with you:

mixtape giveawy monday! - you gotta be in it to win it.
mixtape zine T-towels, cool design screen printed on a hemp t-towel - take a vote over on our blog would ya please?
Tessuti Fabric's new store in Flinders Lane Melbourne - WOWZA!

amities Block Of The Month - lovin' it

Blog of the week - Red Felt Flower
Arthur's Circus goodness
Made By Maisy cuteness
Catching up with 3 old friends on facebook and feeling good about it.
Watching True Blood like a woman possessed and never wanting it to end, loving the books JUST as much.
I'm off to the Community Cup today with the family for a day of footy, live music, sausage in bread, beer and good times!

whip up and mixtape do a dance!

Some exciting news on whipup this week - my little bro Jonathan, IT guru, has developed a web application, for me to make it easier for you, small indie craft businesses, to advertise with whipup. More info at the end of this newsletter for those interested.

Some of my favourite posts this week at whipup were the stop and go felt village for kids: clothesline quilt pattern : the message board tutorial complete with a how to make your own groovy fabric to make it with.

There is a bit of polymer clay theme going on here at whipup - love the mokona - more to come in the next few days.

For around the home - this argyle style fleece throw is very cool.

And a little something for yourself - make this gorgeous leather link necklace.

And something super fun - why not knit a moustache or two!

More information on how advertise easily with Whipup and grab a bargain while you are at it. If you would like to advertise with whipup but using blogads is too hard, and project wonderful is too expensive then please give this a go. It is still in beta development, so does not have a fancy interface or lots of additional cool features, but those will come. First please feel free to read our advertise page for info about stats etc.

If you are still keen to advertise then scroll down the page - on whipup.net - to below the google ads - where you will see 'advertise me' above a cute little whipup graphic. Click on that and a lightbox window will pop up. Fill in your details, what size ad you want, upload your graphic (that you have pre-designed to the specs), after your ad is approved you will be invoiced for payment. Once you have paid - your ad will go live. Let me know if you encounter any probs.

Did you miss last weeks roundup? get them all here or subscribe to this weekly newsletter via email here - if you already subscribe why not forward this email to a crafty friend you think may enjoy it.

Get the whole blogging tips series here.

Get your featured on whipup button here.

Follow us on twitter: whipup: @whipup and Nicole: @craftapalooza

Ps. feel free to send in letters, ideas and links to whipup[at]gmail.com

The importance of a journal.

Some people are journal devotees others liken a journal to book keeping or filling out a tax return.

I’m in the journal freak/devotee category. I have to keep them for some subjects at University so I’ve really perfected the art of journal keeping, which I am thankful for. Thus I must stress the importance of one to all creatively minded people!

Here is my list of proof;

1. Journals are good for keeping you’re ideas in. I’m always forgetting ideas so I keep my journal near by so I can record all of my minds day dreams.
2. Journals help organise ideas and thoughts.
3. They are good for keeping sketches of things you would like to make in the future.
4. They are perfect for keeping samples of material, buttons, wool etc you would like to use in future projects.
5. They are good for keeping inspiration in.
6. They are good for keeping secret thoughts in.
7. They are good for documenting previous work in.
8. You can have a few going at once to support the different facets of your life i.e. mine are; one for Mixtape, one for photography, one for graphic design, one for craft.
9. They are good for working out all of life’s problems in as they don’t mind what mood your in.
10. They are good for keeping in your purse and producing when you are waiting around or in traffic etc… it’s much more wholesome and productive than texting or listening to Neil Young’s Old Man for the 76th time on your iPod.
11. They make you look artsy… and if you subscribe to the whole Andy Warhol- your body is a canvas concept, then a journal is a perfect accessory.
12. Journals these days are pretty inspiring themselves.
13. You never have to tidy them up or organise them or tell them to do the dishes.
14. They don’t mind if you make mistakes in them.
15. They don’t mind if you don’t keep them updated.

Personally, I have a Moleskine journal, an O’check Design Graphics journal and a RHODIA Top Spiral pad. However I am a big believer in the Australian made, Eco friendly journals. So check out Mainstream Green for some lovely hand printed, 100% recycled journals. Todae is also great for Eco journals and other Eco stationary goodies!

So go and get your journals and have a lovely week lost in its pages. Without mine I’d be so creatively lost.

Love from the Intern xxx

I need to know, I need to know!

I have the latest issue of Sew Hip which has a great double page spread on some ace looking t-towels...


I'm seriously thinking of printing up some LIMITED EDITION mixtape zine t-towels BUT before I go ahead I'd love to know if you would buy one!

DETAILS:
Rockin' text design (designed by my man)
Screen printed (by me) on Hemp cotton
Generous size T-towel
Price $15

Please click on the survey in the side bar and cast your vote!

I appreciate this.
Justine

lucky me!

At the Brisbane Stitches & Craft show Catherine from Made By Maisy came to help out at my stall. We ended up doing a swap - a subscription of mixtape for one of her beautiful dolls. Now I was never a real girly girl growing up so maybe that explains why I love (certain) dolls so much now?!

Check out the made by maisy etsy store here, and tell 'em mixtapezine sent ya!
****

****
Speaking of all things cute Issue 9 has an artist profile on Penny from pocket carnival.
I met Penny last year at a market we both ad a stall at - I fell in love with her stuff immediately and asked her if she'd be in our zine!

Sweet illustrations, beautiful prints & practical purses. To be enjoyed!

***

Reading: Sookie Stackhouse novels (2 1/2 in)
Watching/Obsessing: True Blood
Re-discovering: Craftapalooza's blog - I met Nicole nearly 3 years ago at the very first blog meet Nichola and I organised - Nicole has a sparkle in her eye ;)
Crafting: Block of the month-Block one! Having a ball with the hand piecing - it's the only way I can seem to stop, slow down and focus! amitie has a flickr group.

This little Intern went to market...

Hello!

Sorry for the lack of blog last week! It was my last week of University for the semester and it was awfully hectic.

So to my Blog...

To complement the article in the brand spanking new issue of Mixtape, To Market To Market by Martine Booth, I would blog, not about setting up your own stall, but rather about some lovely people making and selling some lovely things that I am discovering at markets on the weekends.

I think we should all support this local talent, not only by buying their products, but also through spreading their names through word of mouth and offering encouragement. I think it takes real guts to firstly set up a stall with no guarantee of a profit and then to keep coming back weekend after weekend simply for a passion in craft, especially as we venture into the cold, cold winter months.

This will be an on going blog, so if you think there are any markets I should venture to or people I should meet do leave me a comment!

The first person I had the pleasure of meeting was Tiare Pearson at the Camberwell Market who trades under the name Septum Ahoy!

Q & A with Tiare!

How long has your business, Septum Ahoy, existed for? About two years.

What do you make and sell? I'm mostly known for my jewelry; I create affordable hand made pieces out of all kinds of fun things such as glass, game pieces, laser cut wood and lots of vintage bits n bobs. But I also make other stuff for my brand like silk screened cushions, gift tags, prints and even terrariums.


How many markets have you set up stall at? About 25. Give or take.

What got you stared on the market circuit? When I finished high school crafting became an obsession and I was soon running out of space (and money!), so I had to clear out. And holding a market store seemed a perfect solution. It did take some encouragement though. Like most people, I was doubtful of any success and couldn't see people parting with their hard earned money just for my jewelry. But you never know how you’re going to go if you don't give it a shot!

What markets do you frequent with your store? I trade mostly at the Foster Arts and Crafts Market and the Camberwell Market.

Do you have a day job? Yep. I'm an apprentice florist.

What makes your stall and the items in it special? I don't know if it's all that special, but I have had some really good reactions and positive comments. I think to most people, my goods spark a bit of curiosity in them, they find it amusing or different or nostalgic. My pieces are hand made and I like to use as much recycled and vintage components as possible.

Where do you get your inspiration? I mostly get my inspiration from my materials. I love visiting my local haberdashery shop, touching and playing with all the different fabrics and buttons and the same goes for the hardware store. And supermarket. And Bargain store. When I'm looking in any shop or draw or back shed, I try to think about what I can make with that particular object.


Is it inspiring to see other stalls of creative goods? Very inspiring! Its great seeing somebody offering their goods to the public, because creating things can be a very personal endeavor. And I find it very encouraging, especially seeing regular stores week after week, as it shows that the public really appreciates hand made items.

Here is a little taste of what Septum Ahoy are creating

Five of Hearts Pendant

Admit One Token Badge

Admit One Token Badge

If you would like to know more about Septum Ahoy products, stock their products or know where Septum Ahoy is trading next, do send an email to Tiare at: fuddzilla@hotmail.com.

I hope this has given you some inspiration, it surely gave me some.

I'll see you all later in the week,

Love from the Intern xxx

whip up round up JUNE 09 (A)

If you have been following me on twitter this past week [@whipup] you will know already
that I was interstate for work last week and my family joined me for
the long weekend, and when we returned we were quarantined just for
going interstate to a city with a high swine flu count. So the kids
and I have had a marvelous week of sort of homeschooling - Otilija has
learned to knit, Orlando has been speed reading Captain Underpants and
Roald Dahl books, they have both made a whole bunch of paddle pop and
toilet roll puppet characters and practiced a complicated dialogue for
these guys. We baked, we sewed, and we even did some cleaning up. Its
been a very relaxed week without rushing, without deadlines and
without any yelling at all.

Here is the lowdown of the good stuff from this past week at whipup:

I reviewed a fantastic book this week - felt furnishings - read the
review : midnightsky
fibers giveaway was a popular - winners will be contacted later in
the week - thank you all for entering : I am in love with the Barn Quilts
movement : read my lowdown on making soap at
home : 4 fun free knitted and crocheted toy
patterns : these sewn love
notes are adorable : and making neck ties
for my man is definitely on my to do list : so impressed with the crochet yo-yo
afghan : and I reviewed retro
crafts here.

kids stuff: activity
books : playdough boredom
buster : I really like the shower
curtain playmat : make your own coloring
books.

Fun stuff: owl
softie - so cute : pompom
flowers - stylish and fun : another
owlie : knit don the dillo :
knit and felt this funny bunny.

Sewing: sewing
machine cover : this
quilt is really very sweet : all about sewing
feet : recycled baby soakers
: how to make a values
quilt : box
pleat apron is pretty darn good : and the half
yard bag is clever and cute.

Kids are off to soccer this cold cold morning - while I stay in and
catch up on some me time.

Did you miss last weeks roundup? get them all here
or subscribe to this weekly newsletter via email here
- if you already subscribe why not forward this email to a crafty
friend you think may enjoy it.

Get the whole blogging tips series here.

Follow us on twitter: whipup:
@whipup and Nicole: @craftapalooza

Ps. feel free to send in letters, ideas and links to whipup[at]gmail.com]

mixtape - giveaway monday #4

Sorry about the slackness of post action last week. As we all know trying to juggle family,work,friendships and the like can sometimes become a bit overwhelming (well for me anyhow!)


So a couple of things: the winner for last weeks Pendantic pendants giveaway will be chosen today and notified via the blog and email. Thanks for all your comments.

Speaking of comments I'm not sure what I have done but on the home page of our blog it shows up as no comments until you click on the post title. Can anyone help me with that?

OK so this weeks giveaway is from the very talented duo Audrey & Maude:


Louise put this Christmas Pattern together late last year. Louise is a wonderful quilter with a great eye for colour.
So to win a pattern of the Baubles (A Christmas tree Quilt)
I'd like you to tell us one of your family traditions for Christmas and why you'd like to win this pattern. Winner will be chosen next Saturday June 20.

just a minute

August Street and I have swapped a few mixed cd's over the years and let me tell you she has great taste in music. I have been doing "just a minute" for a couple of years now and I got the idea from her. It's fun, it's quick and I find it interesting, do you? Wanna play? Go here and sign up - it's free (oh and tell 'em mixtapezine sent ya ok!)

Making... badges, a baby quilt for Steph and block of the month
Watching... playschool currently on in the background
Reading...Dead Until Dark , articles for Issue 10 and Homespun featuring one of my Top 5 peeps!
Listening... RRR radio and The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

new stockist - the handmade expo

The Handmade Expo

Shop #11 at the Old Flour Mill, is the new home for Handmade Heaven and will house some of the most fabulous handmade items from kids clothing/accessories, handbags, toys, jewellery, quilting, embroidery, woodwork, tasty treats and so much more..you name it, it will be on the shelves.

new stockist - blackbird corner

Blackbird Corner stocks One Off & Limited Run Clothing, Accessories + Cards Designed & Produced in Newcastle NSW.
They also offer a growing range of LOMO Cameras + Australian Magazines & Zines.
You'll find cool retro trinkets & toys in their tiny back room.
Oh & it is Blackbird Corners third Birthday on July the 1st!

Stop bye and say hi/happy birthday and don't forget to tell 'em mixtapezine sent ya!

PURE GENIUS - a music post

We went to see Wagons at the Corner Hotel on Sunday night.
What a night, I got to bed at 2.30AM unheard of these days for me. Wagons are a 6 piece who put on a brilliant show. They can all sing are multi instrumentalists and for the launch had a "man choir"!! and a guest Cello player .
Henry Wagon is a charismatic young lad who sounds like a cross between Johnny Cash & 70's Elvis. Seriously! His voice is effortless and his story telling has you wanting more. Do you love me is definitely song of the year for me and both albums we own are just as good as each other.

Ok and the PURE GENIUS part is the fact that part of their merchandise are TEA TOWELS. For me (being in my middle 30's) and a longtime lover of live music who no longer wears "band t-shirts", the TEA TOWELS are the way to go!
The band are playing locally at the Oakleigh Bowling club late July and if you live in Melbourne and have a soft spot for alt-country it's a gig not to be missed.

The only thing I've got to remember is not to tell our 4 1/2 year old when we go and see them again as she saw Wagons play live at Basement Discs and now keeps asking us when she can go and see them again!

Go on! Make time for the small things - tell 'em mixtapezine sent ya!

mixtape - giveaway monday #3

Ok! Well here we are at week three of the mixtape monday giveaway. So far we have given away a beautiful wooden teething toy and two made by miffy "saucy apron patterns"

The mixtape giveaway for this week is:

Pendantic pendants are the perfect handmade gift for the woman who enjoys standing out in any crowd. Each pendant is handmade from a reclaimed and upcycled wooden SCRABBLE® game tile (measuring approximately 20mm x 18mm) and features a graphic image which is decopaged to the tile face, sealed and then finished with a raised, glassy surface. Affixed to each pendant is a sterling silver plated aanraku jewelry bail. The authenticity of the reclaimed SCRABBLE® tile is verified by the recognisable SCRABBLE® letter (and value) displayed on the reverse side of the pendant. Whilst SCRABBLE® tile pendants have enjoyed a lot of popularity in the States, they are relatively new to Australia and are only just beginning to take off over here. So be amongst the first Aussies to grab your own unique (and affordable!) Pendantic pendant today!


So the Q you need to answer to go in the draw to win is:

“Pendantic pendants make the perfect gift! And with almost 200 designs to choose from, that’s a lot of gifts to give! So after checking out Pendantic’s store leave a comment here telling us ...

WHO would you give a Pendantic pendant to?
WHICH Pendantic pendant would you pick especially for that person... And WHY?

The winner will receive BOTH the pendant they have chosen to give as a gift AND a pendant of their own choice as well!” Will ship WORLD WIDE.

Good luck! You have between now and Friday June 12 to write in. Winner announced on this blog Saturday June 13.

and the winners ARE:

I have decided to give two copies away of the"Saucy Apron" pattern courtesy of Made By Miffy. A BIG thanks to Lou from Made By Miffy for the giveaway. Come back on Monday to see what we are giving away for mixtape giveaway monday #3!!

OK so the TWO lucky peeps that won wrote:

Why, you'd just have to cook green eggs and ham in that apron!

&

Truthfully I'd probably be cooking up a hot mess, but I'd look damn good doing it! :)

Thanks to all who left a comment, I would have loved to have given you all a copy!

Justine

Brisbane has the goods wrap up

A BIG CONGRAT'S TO JO & FAMILY FOR THE BIRTH OF BABY #3 Mia, yip, yip yippeeee!!

***

Well my aim was to write each and every day about Brisbane (QLD peeps) and the week just flew by...
So I thought I'd do a quick sum up by pointing you in the direction of:

Brisstyle

I had a few of their members help me on my stand while I was at The Stitches & Craft Show in Brisbane town (thank-you, thank-you). I must also mention my kindred spirits - Ellie & Sam from Red Seed Studio and Kelley & Ben from Peppermint Mag (which by the way sees Issue 3 out VERY SOON!) There are a heap of other creative souls that don't make up a part of the Brisstyle collective please feel free to leave a comment and a link back to your website!
Basically I am so glad I made the effort to get to Brisbane for the Stitches & Craft Show and now I am getting into gear for Sydney in August. LC are looking for indie peeps for the Incubator section - take a leap of faith! it's not so much about making a heap of money, it's about making connections and contacts (BUT money is a bonus, a good bonus!). If you live in Sydney you gotta come to the Stitches Show if only to see Handmade Nation.

Things to do with your mother, sister , partner or best friend.

Hello all you lovely people,

After a sad good bye, involving the holding back of many tears, my mother left this morning after spending 8 days with me in Melbourne. It certainly was NOT a relief to have my cupboards, hanging space and bathroom free of her things but the memory of her in this big, sometimes lonely, city will not cease.

We have made many lovely memories on our expeditions traipsing around the city because my mother, like myself, has a creative spark, and thus when she is down we like to frequent a few places to help satisfy our urges. If you to have this deep creative bond with another, be it your best friend, sister, aunt, grandmother, partner etc… here is an itinerary of a creatively influenced day you can spend together.

The locations can be easily changed to suit your locale! And it doesn’t all have to be done in one day, we certainly can only fit one or two things in because... we are wanderers and easily distracted!

Creatively influenced street - Oh dear, my obsession with Mailing Road, Melbourne, is a little fanatical. It contains the most gorgeous antique shop, beautiful hand crafted gift, clothes and trinket shops, a stunning art gallery and some lovely places to sip on a chai latte (if that’s what you’re into, like my mother is!). I simply must insist that you make the trip!

Bookshop - Borders will satisfy you if your idea of a bookshop is that it should be like a grocery store. If you prefer something a little more organic, down to earth and smells like books and not coffee I suggest the Greville Street Book Store in Prahran or the Brunswick Street Bookstore in Brunswick Street. They are perfect to relax in at the end of a long day.

Craft shop- My favorite for visiting with friends and family is Kis It Better in Greville Street, Prahran. This shop has delicate, stunning and has very reasonably priced, ribbon, fabrics and sewing accessories that will add a striking finishing touch to your current craft endeavor or inspire your next!

Markets - Prahran Market is perfect for a fresh bunch of flowers, a little cupcake and some fresh figs. If you want to experience a classy little market without going into the heart of the city and being overwhelmed by choice and people I assure you that Prahran Markets is the market for you.

Art gallery – of course the National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road is a standout. But honestly, we sometimes rush through to get to the gift shop because it contains some really wonderfully inspiring design pieces and books. Also, Gallery 696 on Sydney Road, Brunswick, is wonderful for some contemporary independent art and design pieces, if you prefer less fine art orientated galleries. You can also purchase a lot of the art at really reasonable prices. I’m sure you will here me talk about this Gallery a lot in the future as it is doing really wonderful things for the promotion of young local talent.

Bake a cake - At the end of the day, buy some organic ingredients from Macro Wholefoods Market and, bake a lovely cake to share over some chai tea you bought from Darriwill Farm store in Mailing Road. We made this white chocolate mud cake. It was simply divine!

I hope you enjoy! I always struggle to think of things to do with friends and family when they visit, because there is just sooo much to do, I hope this helps you!

love manderlee

Brisbane has got the goods

Beckybean are a sister team who make beautiful handbags. They are made with love and you can tell because the attention to detail is second to none. I am the proud owner of a bag very similar to the one below (modelled by Bec herself!) Pop in and drop them a line , tell 'em mixtapezine sent ya!

front then back

mixtape - giveaway monday #2

This weeks giveaway is a "Saucy Apron" pattern courtesy of Made By Miffy. Lou from Made By Miffy lives life in FULL COLOUR and this shows in everything she does. So the question for the week is:
Q What is the best thing you could cook up in a saucy apron?
Leave your answer in the comment section of this post and we will announce the winner next Saturday June 6, good luck!!

ABOUT MADE BY MIFFY (as told directly from Lou hereself)

Miffy is my nickname - comes from my porn star name - remember that game back in the 90s? First pet and street name? Mine was Miffy Devon. Cool. I get my inspiration and best business advice from Dr Seuss... "If you never did you should, these things are fun and fun is good." and "Today was good, today was fun. Tomorrow is another one!" There's something in those for all of us don't you think?!

I have started a group called www.apron-nation.ning.com where peeps can post pics of aprons, share apron tutorials, participate in apron swaps and competitions, etc. It is just kicking off but welcoming all helpers so we can 'take over the world, one kitchen at a time"

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This week is dedicated to all the QLD peeps! Brisbane is so god damn supportive of mixtape I have decided to feature QLD crafters all week. Justine