23
JUL
teacup ballet
OH! Hi. Yes, I'm feeling a little sheepish. I haven't forgotten you, how could I? It's just, you know, life and stuff getting in the way of my sitting down here and having a good natter. But life is good, very good. My little munchkin Erika is filling my days with love and laughter and chubby-bubby cuddles. And at night I've been doing a little bit of freelance work, which I have been REALLY enjoying. It's a little exercise for my brain, working that creative muscle...
04
MAR
society6 love
Hey y'all, have you heard of Society6? One of the lovely gals I follow on Instagram has gotten me on to it, and it's brilliant! Independent designers / artists / illustrators / photographers can upload their artwork to the site (whilst maintaining copyright) and others browse and can purchase as canvases, prints, t-shirts and even iPhone cases!...
02
MAR
casetagram
Just in case you were thinking the Instagram obsession couldn't get any worse, along comes 'Casetagram' — a clever webpage can turn your fave Instagram pics into an iPhone case for just US$34.95 (they ship worldwide!). Brilliant! The only hard part is choosing a design and selecting which pics to include...
20
FEB
thank you, thank you
I just realised that I never got around to showing you the little thank you I made to send to family and friends upon Erika's arrival. I had neither the brain capacity nor the time to come up with a new concept, so used the same elements I designed for my niece Lucy's
20
JAN
instagram filter photoshop action
So you know about my Instagram obsession, yes? And how the app has some groovy filters to apply to your photos, yes? Well, a warm vintage filter is really trendy these days, and I was hoping to apply something similar to my high resolution images in Photoshop. I found some actions online,...
03
NOV
sunday magazine + mossimo
Did you happen to catch the October 16 issue of Sunday Magazine in The Sunday Herald Sun? If so, you may have seen some of my handiwork! And now for a little horn tootin'! We provided Lauren and the Sunday Magazine team with a very open creative brief for a Mossimo’s 25th Birthday campaign 5 page feature...
31
OCT
fab frogs
Have I mentioned my clever mate Linda before? If not, how remiss of me! Linda was a fellow designer at work until she retired nine(ish) months ago. I really miss her knitting advice and cookie baking! But, she's gone on to bigger and better things — producing a range of awesome little resin chocolate frog brooches, among other things!...
14
OCT
anniversary of travels – venice
You can view the original post 'Venice, one of a kind' here.
12
OCT
anniversary of travels – florence
You can view the original post 'Aah, Florence' here.
10
OCT
anniversary of travels – positano
View the original posts 'Perfect Positano' and 'Exploring Pompeii'.
07
OCT
anniversary of travels – rome
Anniversary of travels series continues... Ta-da! Rome. You can view the original post 'Five Days In Rome' here.
05
OCT
anniversary of travels – london
Can you believe it's been a whole year since hubby and I toured Italy (and a wee bit of London)? And what a year! I think about our trip all the time. It was so magical, for a whole host of reasons. I would love to go back again some day. To celebrate the anniversary, I decided to frame some of our photos and display them on our study wall....
28
SEP
baby shower
Last Sunday my gorgeous mum and sister hosted a beautiful baby shower for George and I, surrounded by all the lovely ladies in my life (with a few notable exceptions). There were delicious finger sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini quiches and sweet treats as far as the eye could see. I put in my two bob and made the Lamington...
15
SEP
vogue living shoot
In June I had the good fortune of tagging along with Melbourne Vogue Living editor, Annemarie Kiely, to a photo shoot in Melbourne's east. Keen to learn some more tricks of the interior photography trade, I pestered Annemarie until a suitable job came up. The house was amazing, the host oh-so-gracious, and the end result...
17
AUG
baby shower invitation
With an ever-growing belly (and my sister's persistent nagging), I thought it was about time I designed my baby shower invitations. I can't believe how quickly time is flying — George is almost 30 weeks! No mistaking my baby bump for an overly indulgent lunch now. As much as I love it, I really do wish I could get some SLEEP....
18
JUL
hobart in a flash
Hubby and I traveled down to Hobart this past weekend for his sister's husband's 40th. Originally from Tassie, our brother-in-law gathered together a great group of family and friends for a beautiful birthday bash. We made the most of our leap across Bass Strait, scooting all over the country-side, sampling a little of what gorgeous Hobart...
08
JUN
i know i’m biased, but…
...everyone else I've spoken to agrees with me: this little munchkin is as cute as a button. Above is the thank-you card I made for my sister to send to her lovely friends and extended family. Lucy was about 8-9 weeks old at the time this photo was taken — I can't believe she's already almost three months old. When I see her I want to kiss...
04
MAY
disassembled typewriter
I love this poster by artist Todd McLellan, partly because I think he's a little bit obsessive compulsive crazy... which I can relate to. And I love his description too: "In my series Disassembly, I photographed old items that are no longer used by the masses and often found on the street curbs heading for disposal. All of the pieces...
31
MAR
visit victoria — march 2011
Okay, so I promised to share this with you in a timely manner... well, March kind of got away from me. But here 'tis — you can still enjoy perusing the events of April and May! My favourite jaunt in autumn? Daylesford. Hubby and I will definitely be doing a little weekend away sometime soon, when the leaves start to turn and...
25
MAR
internet rant
Ooh, I love a passionate internet rant (and a flow-chart, for that matter). Unfortunately, because of the face-less nature of the 'net, it can so easily go off the rails. I was perusing a forum the other day, whereby a mediator had to step in and scald the name-callers like children. He all but said 'kids, if you have nothing nice to say...".
08
JAN
slice of healesville heaven
‘Twas such lovely weather on Thursday, I was so pleased to get an impromptu Healesville Sanctuary invite from my mate Ali. It has been many years since we visited, but it was a first for Ali’s little one, Piper. The bright little bubble is 18 months old, and her vocabulary has grown so much since I saw her last. It was so cute hearing her pronounce...
06
JAN
may the force (of typography) be with you
Ok, confession: I am a Star Wars nerd. I grew up in the 1980s with an older brother whom I worshipped, it was a little hard not to be. Combine that with my love of typography, and what's on the top of my wish-list? These friggin’ awesome posters, that’s what! Check out Abduzeedo for more info. PS. Don’t get me started on the changes George Lucas...
05
JAN
tourism victoria — spring 2010
I probably should have shared this with you during spring, when the event information was still relevant... but I was in Italy! (Was that a little too smug? Sorry...) Anyhoooo, I put the above booklet together just before going on holidays, and the final client tweaks were performed by my trusty side-kick. Though the events have passed,...
04
JAN
mixed martial arts + crafts
Of course you know by now: I love martial arts. I love crafts. Well, some jolly clever fellow combined the two to create the world’s most awesome t-shirt (damn, I wish it was me — why didn’t I think of that?). A very thoughtful friend, who clearly knows me very well, bought me this great tee last Chrissy, and I love it. You can get yours here...
03
JAN
get kickstarted
This is such a brilliant concept — well actually, two brilliant concepts. Firstly, the website Kickstarter: I’ll let their little spiel give you all the info you need (or better yet, visit their site to see how it all works). Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge...
02
JAN
take a walk to lala land
On a beautiful day this week, hubby and I took the boys (our furry children) for a walk to the Lala Falls in Warburton (about 80km’s east of Melbourne). A 3.2km trek from the car park to the waterfall, the winding track was bathed in dappled sunlight. The sound of rushing water and bird calls was so uplifting, and the walk challenging enough...
06
DEC
pizza n’ pinot
Last Saturday hubby and I awoke at dawn (ok, not quite, but it felt like it) for a trek to the Red Hill market on Victoria’s coast with the fam. Oh, what a food & craft wonderland! Farm produce, breakfast delights and sugary treats as far as the eye can see! Sweet little bubba outfits, clever crafts and beautiful funky knits! It was all too easy to part...
06
NOV
saturday treat
It was such a beautiful day today, we couldn’t resist taking a drive to the Yarra Valley for lunch. If you’ve never been to Giant Steps Innocent Bystander in Healesville, you really ought to give it a go. Not only does the cafe/bistro serve wood-fired pizzas and bakery goodies, but they do wine and cheese tastings and sell all manner of jams,...
26
OCT
milan, let’s go shopping!
Train travel really is the best way to get around Italy. You can see glimpses of small towns and amazing terrain that you mightn’t otherwise. While on the train between Venice and Milan, I saw chickens pecking around beside the tracks. I theorised that the reason why we’ve seen so little ‘pollo’ on ristorante menu’s is, because the...
20
OCT
venice, one of a kind
Before leaving for our trip, I’d heard a couple of people remark that two days is all you need in Venice. There aren’t a huge number of ‘must-see’ touristy items to cross off your check-list. Love it, hate it or indifferent to it, I’m sure everyone must agree that there isn’t anywhere else in the world quite like it. I’ve been meaning to do a little reading,...
09
OCT
three days in the cinque terre…
...is not enough. Famous for the walking trails that connect these five tiny villages on the coast, the Cinque Terre is simply stunning. I probably should have done a little reading before departing on our first trek, however. Passing a number of German tourists wearing hiking boots and sporting walking sticks, I began to doubt my choice...
06
OCT
aah, florence
Yes, you are right. I know. I have procrastinated over writing this post. Why? Well, I’ve gushed over every other destination thus far, it’s difficult to articulate just how much I loved Florence. I. Bloody. Loved. Florence. How’s that? I seriously loved this little city. It has such an abundance of art and culture and history and lush green gardens...
29
SEP
quick stop in pescara
Following on from my last post on Pompeii: Our driver then drove us from Pompeii to Salerno train station where we were to catch a train back to Rome. I have discovered that I can sleep just about anywhere — including on the steps of the main train station entrance, with my head resting on my folded arms across my bag. Not quite as...
25
SEP
exploring pompeii
Pompeii, like much of Italy thus far in our trip, was a mind-blowing experience. So much of the original city has been spectacularly preserved, and the area it covers is immense. We had just two hours to explore this ancient wonder, and so had a very knowledgeable and lovely guide, Maria, walk us through. I was so impressed by how...
24
SEP
perfect positano
Getting to Positano was to be our first major train journey, and it could have been a bit of a juggle. As it was, we cheated a little — we caught a train from Roma Termini to Salerno, then jumped into a taxi for the remaining distance. Hefty price, yes, but we avoided connection complications, and was able to see some amazing scenery...
23
SEP
five days in rome
Aaah, Rome. What a phenomenal city. I was somewhat intimidated upon our first meeting. I feared the language barrier would lead us up numerous dead-ends, not to mention all the thieving gypsies and pick-pocketers we'd been warned about. Whilst I am confident in reading an Italian menu (seen plenty of them before),...
21
SEP
london calling
My goodness, we managed to pack a lot into our day and a half in good ol’ London-town. We had uncharacteristically good weather for at least half of it, too! You would suppose that after a 24 hour journey we would have been just shy of a coma, but we were running on adrenaline and determined not to miss a thing...
20
SEP
buongiorno!
Aaah, alas we are home from our whirlwind Italian tour. What an amazing time we had, and what spectacular things we’ve seen! Not to mention all the delicious food we’ve eaten... but oh, where to start? I kept a little diary whilst there, so that I could recall where we visited and what we saw...
20
AUG
font design
Back when I was in uni — a decade ago (urgh!) — I created my own usable font using Illustrator and font creation software. It was tops. Not that I can compete with the masters, of course, those absolute legends that designed the timeless fonts that are so common today. I feel the urge to do it all over again. I'd like to toy with handwritten fonts...
06
AUG
oh so inspired
I changed my route to work a couple months back. I substituted the Eastern Fwy for the Monash — further in distance, but freer moving traffic (most of the time!). The one thing I miss about my old route is waiting in the right turning lane from Punt Road on to Swan St, under the bridge. I would nearly miss the light change checking out...
18
JUL
aah, the alpine air
Biting cold, soft white powder snow, extra-thick socks and ten cosy layers, slow-cooked lamb stew with cous cous, amazing views, lots of colourful wool and a crochet needle, and bloody gorgeous mates and hilarious conversation make for a very enjoyable weekend. Love you lots, me sweets xo...
11
JUL
for the soul
I officially started my four-day week this week. Work has been busy and stressful of late, so on Friday I resolved to treat myself. It was such a beautiful day, clear blue skies and bright sunshine, though incredibly cold. Thus, I decided to drive to the Yarra Valley — to soak in some rays, treasure hunt in an antique store...
01
JUL
the inner sanctum
Following on from my last post, in which I uploaded an article featuring Shannon Bennett and Guy Grossi... Last year I had the unbelievably good fortune to oversee a photo-shoot in the Grossi Florentino kitchen of Guy Grossi. The shoot was to promote Leggo’s tomato paste, and I was so excited to see the inner workings...
09
JUN
karate n’ stuff
As a kid, I had the insane good fortune to live around the corner from the Honbu dojo (headquarters) of world-wide karate instructor Sensei Paul Mitchell. My brother took up karate training when I just ten years old, and since I hadn’t inherited my sister’s brilliant athletic abilities (when I was about seven, I won a big trophy for being...
22
MAY
a good day for a panda
I’ve been thinking about experimenting with a four-colour silkscreen — it will certainly test my registration skills, but I’m keen to give it a go. I’ve got the screens prepped, ready to go — now I just need to decide on a design. Meet my panda. Just thinking about pandas gives me the warm and fuzzies...
19
MAY
silkscreen printing
My old high school has kindly accepted me as their ‘artist in residence’ — I use their facilities to process my silkscreens (I’m using the photo-emulsion method which requires a darkroom) and in exchange I chat to the Year 11 & 12 graphic students about their current projects. They’ve all been so welcoming, it has really been a lovely experience...
14
MAY
inside out photo shoot
I have organised and art directed a number of shoots in the three years I’ve been with News Magazines. A couple months ago, on a stiflingly hot summer’s day, I was lucky enough to see the inner workings of an Inside Out shoot. The brilliant Bev Douglas (Creative Services Art Director) had directed shoots of a number...
13
MAY
spring racing carnival
Last year (or was it 2008? I’m losing track of time) I organised and directed a shoot, and produced the artwork, for Myer’s Spring Racing Carnival campaign. Spring Racing is huge in Melbourne — and I’m sure retailers make a mint selling beautiful dresses to the gals, and smart suits to the fellas!...
13
MAY
shooting for myer
In 2008, Myer had a full schedule of advertising with Sunday Magazine. Some of the photography they supplied themselves, but much of it was organised by me and shot here in Melbourne by photographer Robin Lowe. Robin, and his lovely stylist Madeleine, are a dream to work with. In amongst all the serious photo-taking,...
09
MAY
a hen’s kitchen tea
My beautiful, vivacious sister was married in March of this year. To farewell her single-dom, her closest friends, mum and I staged a “Bridal High Tea”. It was a beautiful summer’s day in February, all the girls wore floral frocks, we supped on delicate finger-food and fruity punch, and played very civilised croquet...
26
APR
tourism victoria — spring 2009
Since mid-last year, I have had the pleasure of working with Tourism Victoria to produce several 24-page advertising inserts. This first insert appeared in The Adelaide Magazine and QWeekend Magazine in October 2009. My contact at Tourism Victoria, the lovely Emily, has been wonderful to work with...