Deadlines and whatnot

Thank you everyone for being so supportive of our new adventure.

Some beautiful flowers I grew last year - now to grow a business!

We are working on our deadlines as we speak. A number of things will be decided this-evening:

1. Location - we're requesting the lease documents
2. Logo - we can finally start marketing and get the website going
3. Tea Service - talking tonight about supporting another local handmade business with herbal teas for sale in store. I hope this will be a winner!

So stay tuned for more.... am getting nervously excited and dancing around the house nightly!

New bibs in the bunnyhornet shop

Come over and see what's new in store:

a new adventure!

Hello my little bunnies,

I've know I have been absent for some time but I promise you it's all in the name of progress....




.............drumroll please.................

....we are opening a shop called Handmade Highstreet!!!

Hooray!

Here's a little bit about the project:

I am aiming to give independent handmade artisans a marketplace in which to display their goods without the need to sit at a market all day. Keeping rent low will be a focus so that the contributor can make the most of their sales and profit. After the agreed rent is deducted from their sales, they will receive 100% of the remaining money.

I believe in handmade, being an artisan myself. I also believe that small business has a place in modern society even though it sometimes feels like big corporations and businesses have the market share in retail. I would love to give likeminded people the opportunity to support local artists. I know from experience it can sometimes be hard to find quality, handmade goods unless it is online. I would like customers to be able to see and touch all the items in store and educate them on the makers and their process.

Our community is so integral to our enjoyment of life and I believe that giving to those less fortunate is paramount to ensuring they have some equality. This shop will have a dedicated area which would provide free-of-charge spaces to artisans who are disabled or disadvantaged. The sales from the stock in these areas would help to buy new supplies and help kick-start a business idea for someone who needs a helping hand.

So do you think this is going to be a grand idea? Yes? I would love your support on this one and you can do so in any of the following ways:

1. Give us lots of encouragement, let us know what you think!

2. Come and help us paint and move furniture - in return I will get you yummy treats and maybe a glass of champers for the opening!

3. Help us out with a little bit of capital - see that little button over on the sidebar? That links through to our Pozible site where you can give us a little bit of cash to help out with shop fitting and funding our community, rent-free spaces.

I would also love to hear from anyone who is interested in stocking Handmade Highstreet. Opening dates and location are TBA (but that will be announced in the next week) but we are likely to be up and running in early to mid November so let us know if you would like to be involved.

My creative space... tidied...

I finally did some cleaning in my little craft room.

Now I'm not going to pretend it's perfect but if you could have seen the bombsite it was before the clean, then you would be giving me a rousing round of applause!!

Obviously, it could still do with some work but it's getting there!

Had a cracker weekend at the Davies Park markets yesterday, thank you to everyone who came along!

K

What has been happening in the life of bunnyhornet?

I think most people have the best intentions with any blog. We all think "I will tell the world what I'm thinking!!" and sometimes that's really easy. Sometimes it's a little harder though...

I've been so super busy lately with markets, my full-time job, friends, family - everything is going by so quickly! I had two market stall this weekend, one was at West End, my usual haunt on Saturday mornings and the other was at Racecourse Rd for the Carnival Day on Sunday.

In other exciting news, I am now the proud owner of a Canon 600D fancy schmancy camera!! So excited :) My lovely husband bought it for a joint birthday/anniversary present and it was a huge surprise. I can't wait to get to know it better.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the shots I took with it over the weekend.

Much love to you all, if indeed you are still listening....

Racecourse Road Carnival

Check out the button on your right!

I'll have a market stall there on the 5th June :) Come along and see me!

Hooray!

Look how far I've come :)

My first market stall at Marky Markets last November

At Suitcase Rummage in February

At Friends of Folk Festival in March

Davies Park Markets last weekend

Friday Future Favourite Blogs!

Petit main sauvage is one of the first sewing blogs I started reading. It's an amazing look into what you can do with your sewing skills if you really stick with it and learn your techniques and tips!

Beautiful blazer

I can't even find this talented ladies name, which I'm embaressed about as I have been reading all about her and her life for years now! How funny the blog world is :)

She does stunning things with draping and these are 90% her own patterns. GAH!!! Truly amazing seamstress!

Hope you enjoy!

Friday Future Favourite Blogs!

The beautiful Astrid has a very specific asthetic which she likes to portray - the fabulous Swinging Sixties!

Astrid did not know how to sew when she started on her journey of handmaking her 60's inspired wardrobe from vintage patterns and blogging on her site Sew Sixties.

She is currently on a a-line skirt binge but it's well worth going back through the months to see some of her trails and tribulations whilst making dresses as well.

Definitely worth a look and a giggle at Astrid's musings on her favourite friend "Mr Seam Ripper"!

Mad Men Sunday...

Catching up on some Mad Men today :)

See you tomorrow!

Friday Future Favourite Blogs!

Here we are again, another Friday, another amazing blogger!

Today I want you to find some time (like a month and a half) to sit back with a cup of tea and trawl the archives of New Dress A Day. Marissa went from losing her job to being so successful at blogging about giving cheap thrift store finds new life that she made it onto E!. Yes, E!.

From this.....

.... to this! Wow!

Orginally Marissa had $365 which she could spend over 1 year (that's $1 per day folks) to make herself an amazingly funky wardrobe and dress herself in something new daily. What an effort! And she made it!

And from this......

.... to this! Holy Moly!

I spent the better part of a day getting to know Marissa via her blog and it was well worth the effort. So many ideas, and so amazing that she spent so little on such an amazing look each day. Jealous!

Enjoy :)

The good news

Well the good news is marred only slightly by some food poinsoning or a bug which I have caught but I will fill you in all the same (I'll try to sound as excited as I was pre-sickness!)

bunnyhornet has gone retail! Hoorah!!

Two Saturday's ago (my first at Davies Park) a lovely lady called Toni came to my stall and said she loved my wares and that she wanted to stock them in her store in Sydney. I didn't think she was serious (but to be honest I was extremely hopeful) and didn't think anything more of it until I received her lovely and complimentary email.

She sent me a picture of her store too:

Isn't it gorgeous??? I am so proud that she asked me to send her some stock. Here's a little peak at what is on it's way down!

I'm really hoping she loves it all and that her customers love it too. I'm pretty confident given how much encouragement and support I've had from my friends, family and you my dear blogettes!

Toni's shop is Tonik Skin & Body Rituals and is in Newcastle if you're around that way.

There, times this blog by 10 and you'll understand how excited I really am (sans lurgy)!

Friday Future Favourite Blogs!

Here we are, at Friday already! Can you believe it's been a whole week? Phew, time flies when you're busy doesn't it?

This week's blog is a local one for me. Steph, who writes the blog 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World, is an American living in Brisbane and she has a great blog about all her sewing adventures in Oz.

How amazing is this 1950's dress from a vintage pattern?

And now I desperately want a pair of these Plus Fours!

You should head over to check out her blog, it might become one of your new favourites!

Ciao!

Exciting news....

Not to jinx myself but I have some exciting news to tell you... but it's not time yet!

I will keep you all updated :)

20% Discount!

Good Morning,

Since I'm in such a great mood after a wonderful market weekend and some beautiful weather coming our way, I thought I'd give everyone 20% discount in the shop until the end of the month. I know, so generous ;)

Young girl cameo in Rust

If you saw something at the markets on the weekend that you liked, don't be shy, email or convo me! I'd be so happy to pop it in the shop for you and it will be winging it's way to you in no time.

Just type MARCH11 into the coupon code box before checkout to receive your discount.

Happy March everyone!

Markets - Success!

Hello!

What a successful weekend I've had! Despite some severe machine trouble over tha last week, I managed to get enough stock made and ready for the Davies Park Markets at West End on Saturday AND the Marky Markets on Boundary Street as well.

The Davies Park gig was last minute as I was only called on Friday afternoon to see if I could fill a spot. I arrived at 5am (eek!) on Saturday morning and we were able to trade until 1pm until the rain forced us to pack up. It was still a really great environment and the girls I was next to were really friendly.

Side view of my stall at Marky's

Then I did my regular Marky Markets and while the day was miserable, a lot of people were still out and about in West End.

See you all next Saturday at Davies Park again :)

Friday Future Favourite Blogs!

Hello again for another Friday! It's been a while since we did our Future Favourites so I thought I better find you a good one :)

Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing was a blog started with the sole purpose of completing every garment in the Vogue's Book for Better Sewing which the author, Gertie, found and loved.

I love to read her tips and tricks for sewing and they have really helped me to master some tricky techniques. You should really check out her tutorial for bound button-holes - it's expecially helpful if your machine doesn't do button holes!

Happy crafting everyone! Come check me out at Marky Markets on Sunday at the Hi-Fi on Boundary Street, West end :)

The Queensland floods and going AWOL

Those last posts were all set up to publish automatically after I had a spurt of blogging energy!

But as they were unfolding, so were the Queensland floods and little did I know that in the next few days we would come within a metre of being completely inundated at home.

This picture was taken just 5 metres from our new home in Brisbane. We were extremely lucky...

I've been in full swing with the markets again! Just this weekend I took my bunnyhornet wares to Friends of Folk Festival (FOFF) at The Old Museum. This was through my usual markets in West End, Marky Markets. I had an awesome time listening to some great bands and getting some sunshine.

It was also the weekend of Suitcase Rummage and as I couldn't attend two markets, my friend Erin took along some of my things while I brought some of her gorgeous hand made candles from her shop The Orchard.

My Stall at FOFF

Erin's beautiful candles at my stall at FOFF

Some pieces I sent along to Suitcase Rummage with Erin.

The next markets are on 20th March at Marky Markets (the Hi Fi) on Boundary Road in West End. Come along and say hello!

Friday Future Favourite Blogs

We made it to another Friday and not a day missed on my blogging bandwagon! Hooray!

On this week's blog list I have another group of special sites which give me a moment's respite in my hectic schedule. I usually like to read these in the morning as their humourous tales usually lift my spirits for the day :)

1. Male Pattern Boldness: Peter Lappin has missed his calling as a comic satirist. He loves to put the hard questions to his readers including; Leopard Print for Men - Yea or Nay?, Manscaping - Yea or Nay? and WHAT is up with Japanese Fashion????. And don't miss him sewing and styling his enigmatic cousin Cathy (hint: Cathy has the EXACT same measurements as Peter - a coincidence?)

Peter in his fabulous new leopard print pants

The ever-stylish Cathy

2. The Selfish Seamstress: You absolutely must go to the back catalogues of this petite fire-cracker's blog. The queen of Burda Style and an amazing home-seamstress, she has a haiku for every sewing-related situation. Observe:

Tell me again
Why you think that MY sewing
Should save YOU money?

Purple/Grey Creation Number 1

Purple/Grey Creation Number 2

Purple/Grey Creation Number 3

3. Meet Me At Mikes: Pip is truly a warm-heart. She blogs endlessly but not with the incessant ramblings of some blogs (ahem... sorry if I've fallen into that category!). Her store Meet Me At Mikes looks beautiful in every captured image and her crafts are as inspired as the books in which she features them. She is tirelessly happy and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy - expecially on a dreary day. Definitely worth a look!

Softies for Mirabel Campaign - all these toys are donated!

Happy New Year!!

It seems a bit late to be talking about New Years doesn't it? Well it usually takes me a little while to catch up to my life and I've only just realised that it's been three weeks since the start of 2011! I decided last year that I was giving up resolutions as I rarely followed through.

This year I am going to make some "resolutions" of sorts but lay them out as goals for sometime in the future rather than this year.

1. Try to eat healthier and stay fitter. 

A and I in the US trying some of the local cuisine!

This is a tricky one as I love food and I hate exercise! The change will have to be in my lifestyle, not my diet. The answer is not in joining a gym, but finding fun ways to get my heart rate up without slogging away on a treadmill... bleh! We have two beautiful little puppies who need daily walks so that should be a good start :)

2. Create more

The blanket I crocheted last year

 I've been so much more creative this past year than the five before it. However, there's more I want to explore and try this year! I would love to pick up the tatting which Nana gave to me for Christmas. I also want to start making more for my market stalls which I am proud to sell.

3. Seriously consider all aspects of possible business ownership.

Another tricky undertaking as I am so unsure of where to start with this one. Last year I wrote a 5 year plan and I'm pretty happy with how things are going so far. I have fulfilled three of my six goals for last year and in all honesty, that was all I was hoping for. A house has been bought, puppies have been adopted and my sewing room is in operation. Surprisingly enough, a goal from the second year has also been achieved so I deserve extra marks for having a market stall... now to get to that elusive "Quit my job" goal.