.pop-up shop. June 3, 2013

Just recently, a friend asked me to participate in her pop-up shop coming up soon at her home.  I am rather excited to be part of it, given my apparent lack of confidence to take on markets.  So I’m turning into a proverbial busy little beaver, making bits and pieces for this event.  Here’s a glimpse of my wares, and of course, anyone local is welcome to come along! Click on the image above for a larger view, or the details are below:

Winter Warming Pop-up Shop
Friday 14th June
31 Cormiston Road, Riverside, Tasmania
11am-4pm

Love Ruth

 

.friday faves. June 29, 2012

It’s been a while since I’ve done a favourites collection.  So I decided today was a good day to share some!  They are all wooden items that I’ve collected over the years, and all have their own little story…

Top left: Jordanian Bedouiun woman

This little treasure comes from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan when we visited there in 2000.  She was bought at a desert Arabic bazaar and reminds me of that incredible country, it’s beautiful people and the unforgettable time we spent there.

Top right: Giraffe push puppet

Apparently these toys with a disk on the bottom that you push to make them dance are called push puppets…I only just discovered that.  This one I bought on a trip to Melbourne in 2008 for Ethan when he was 2, (yes, I know, it’s not suitable for children under 3, but it lived on the top shelf of the bookcase until he was big enough to not try and digest its parts!) and has become a favourite of Ethan & Eli’s.

Bottom left: Babushka dolls

I have a small collection of these type of dolls.  They get called everything from Babushka dolls, Russion dolls, Matyroshka dolls and Nesting dolls.  Call them what you want, I adore them.  I have so far limited my collection to 3 sets which includes 14 individual dolls whey they’re all displayed in a row.  These ones were bought on a last-hurrah-girlfriend-trip to Hobart with my wonderful friend Jodie almost 2 years ago before she left to live in Africa serving with Mercy Ships. 

Bottom right: That Vintage Birdcage pendant

It was probably impossible for me to include a favourites collection without a bird, right?  This pendant was my Mother’s Day gift last year and is made by the very talented Sophie Hill of That Vintage, right here in Launceston.  Tasmanian wood and crafting, and worn often by a proud Tasmanian. 🙂

Hope your day is looking and feeling fantastic.

Ruth x

.scooter love. January 16, 2012

Anybody else out there think scooters are fabulous?  Ever since visiting the city of Athens in 2000, I have dreamed of one day owning a scooter.  However, I would personally hate to drive one in the crazy traffic in Athens!  I watched in fascination/horror as very brave moped drivers wound their way through intensely busy lanes of traffic.  Then we visited some of the Greek Islands, and although the moped drivers didn’t have to contend with such crazy traffic there, they did have to navigate some perilous-looking cliff-edge roads.  I can certainly imagine myself cruising on one in the not-so-crazy streets of Launceston.  However, it’s not a very practical option for this point in my life, with two little people in tow.  But a nice dream nether-the-less.

 

I took this photo of one I used to admire every time I went past The Mill Providore in Launceston, but sadly, it doesn’t reside there anymore.

 

But there are always cute scooter items available from handmade markets and stores, and Made It has a few on offer:

Scooter Clutch Purse by The Rabbit and the Duck

 

 

Scooter Retro Cushion by Henrietta and Morty

 

 

Mini Art Gift Cards by Red Elephant Creative

Vespa/Scooter T-shirt by Ruby & Sam

Scooter Coin Purse by Seventh Sphere

Hope you have a wonderfully carefree day. 

 

Love Ruth x 

 

.supporting Leo Fogarty. October 20, 2011

Hello! 🙂  I’m pleased, but also a little surprised, to find that I still have a blog!! I thought perhaps it had closed itself down from neglect over the past month or so!  Thankfully, I remembered my password, and can now return to a bit of craft blogging!

The most important crafting I’ve done in recent weeks is making some Leo the Lionheart soft toys and brooches.  These toys are being sold to raise money and support for the Fogarty family, and in particular their 15 month old son Leo, who was diagnosed with cancer last month, and has relocated from Launceston to Melbourne with his parents, to undergo significant treatment.  His story has touched many, many people.  Both people who know them well and people who only know of them have come on board to help out in practical ways, such as making & selling Leo the Lionheart toys.

There is a Leo the Lionheart Facebook page here, where you can purchase an amazing and individual lion for $20, (or $30 for a special order Leo), and brooches for $8.  There are also beanies, canvases and t-shirts, plus the occasional auction. 

See this link for more info and background on how the project started, which was initiated by Pene Daniel.  Both Leo’s parents and Pene are people that I know personally, and it is an honour to be part of a community of people who are doing whatever they can do to help.

If you are not on Facebook, but would like to buy a Leo the Lionheart, please contact penedaniel(at)hotmail.com [I do have an ‘@’ sign on my keyboard, just don’t want Pene to get any spam by me posting her email address here 🙂 ]

God bless you, Leo! 

Ruth x

.launceston views. July 3, 2011

My husband Paul, recently ran in the Launceston 10, his second ever race.  It’s pretty much what it sounds like.  You run 10km through part of our city.  He did it in an excellent time of 56 minutes and 13 seconds, which took 3 minutes off his first attempt (The Burnie 10 in October last year).  The very big down side of the Lonnie 10 was it was a horrid day.  So very wet and absolutely freezing cold.  But the boys and I braved the unpleasantness to go & meet him at the finish line.  Then we all walked (quite a distance in such bad weather!) back to where our cars were parked, and on the way, crossed the bridge that has an excellent view of our Seaport area.  I took this photo as I crossed it and thought it gives a lovely view of part of my home city that I wouldn’t normally appreciate.  Because I would normally be running to get out of the rain.  But by this stage, we were so wet that there was really no point. (o:

 

Launceston Seaport

I changed the hue slightly on the image, and sharpened it, as it was understandably a bit washed out and hazy.  I like the outcome.

The next day, I took a photo from my front deck, looking out over the city, and this turned out prettier than I thought it would.  (I also added some pink hue so it shows off the beautiful sunrays making their way through the clouds).  It is a good reminder to me of not being able to see God but knowing He is still there, shining light into dark and dreary places.

View of Launceston city

This shot was taken a few months ago (actually 2 shots shoved together & saved into one jpeg file – I don’t actually have photo seaming software, but I kind of don’t think it matters when it’s just for your own appreciation).  This shot captures the Gorge and the suburb of Trevallyn, with the Tamar River in the foreground. 

The Gorge and Treveallyn, Launceston

The boys and I take many walks along this stretch, and I know I don’t really take it all in every time we go strolling.  Isn’t it hard to fully appreciate the place where you live and breathe, and have existed for 98% of your life (the other 2% includes lots of holidays but never actually living anywhere else).  But taking a few shots sometimes can help to see it differently, and realise it’s pretty beautiful.  And it is what you make of it.  I believe anywhere you live, you can end up not seeing what it has to offer if you don’t take the time.  I admit, I am a smell-the-roses kind of a person, but I have to say that smelling local roses can be just as memorable as heading to the other side of the world to do so!!

 

So if you live in this great city with me, I hope you like the images of familiar places.  And if you don’t, I hope you enjoy seeing somewhere different to your own backyard.

Happy Sunday,

Love Ruth x