Pepperberry & Co.

Melbournians: Your Call to Action!

2010-06-01T09:06:00.000+10:00

Hello Melbournians!

Just a quick reminder that my final fundraiser is on this Thursday night, and I'd love it if you could come! I fly out to begin my voluntary work on Saturday, so it'll not only be a great night out but also the last time we can catch up- which is definitely enough reason to come along, yes? :-)

Tickets are on sale now, and need to be booked soon-ish (read: now!) so that I can confirm details for Public Liability insurance. Please help out by spreading the word to your Melbourne friends, blog readers, facebook friends, tweety followers, etc!

Here are the details:

WHAT: Movie Fundraiser: Crossing
WHEN: Thursday, 3rd June 2010 @ 7pm
WHERE: Kaye Coghlan Theatre, Thornbury High School, 238 Collins St, Thornbury
HOW MUCH: $15 (full) - $10 (concession) - $120 (group of 10)

TO BOOK: Call 0401 766 348 or email thatLiNKproject@gmail.com

Don't forget to check out my new blog to see all the details of what it is that I'm doing and why, and to keep in touch with my adventures while I'm away. And if you can't make it along, pretty please donate via PayPal- every dollar makes a difference!

Thank you in advance!

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I'm Off To Change The World! Help Out and Enter My Giveaway!

2010-05-21T15:59:00.000+10:00

Hey, are you busy next Thursday night? What about the one after? Well, I am, but you'll never guess what I'm doing! Oh, ok, I'll tell you. But only coz I like you!

I'm changing the world! And you're invited!

Ok, that might be a tad dramatic, but it's pretty close. I, in fact, am running two fundraisers (including a craft class and a movie!)- and no, before you jump to that conclusion, they are not to support my ever-increasing fabric stash. They are to support a voluntary project I've been accepted for!

What voluntary project, you ask? Well... I've been accepted to undertake a placement with Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an organisation that works to help people escape from the atrocities in North Korea and rebuild their lives in free countries! I'm off to the USA in two weeks to spend 3 months working with them, and there are heaps of ways you can get involved.

Would you like the full story? Fair enough. It's all a bit of a surprise, isn't it?! Here's the story (and if you just want to come to the crafty fundraiser or the movie fundraiser, skip to the bottom of the post for all of the details, or just head here).

CHANGING THE WORLD!

I had always been vaguely aware that there were significant humanitarian issues in North Korea. On a cold day in 2009, however, that vague awareness was shattered when I was introduced to the harsh reality of what was actually happening in the country.

I was surfing the internet at the time, using StumbleUpon to find new & exciting websites. One of the topics that I regularly surf through is ‘Activism’, and that’s the channel that I was on when I came across an article about the crisis in North Korea. It detailed the atrocities that were occurring right under my nose, the lack of international response to the situation, and the desperation of the people involved.

As I explored the crisis further, plans that I had had for the day ahead disappeared. I read article after article, watched videos that brought me to tears, found stories from survivors, and was touched by tales of underground bloggers and journalists. I couldn’t put my computer down, and by the time the night came, I was convinced beyond a doubt that I somehow had to become involved in the solution to what I now knew was a massive problem.

Throughout my research, I kept coming across one organization that was making a noticeable difference to the people of North Korea: LiNK. I was inspired by the fact that unlike other organisations, LiNK didn’t simply fight from afar; they were on the ground, assisting people to escape from the country, supporting them to develop educational and workplace skills, and helping them to relocate and live lives full of freedom and choice. By the end of that fateful day, I was a monthly supporter of LiNK.

One day in April this year, on a morning like any other, I received my regular email update from LiNK. This time, the update was a little bit different to normal. Although there were still inspiring stories of change that had been created as a direct result of supporters, there was also a call to action: Become A LiNK Nomad.

A nomad? I thought. What's that?

Off I went to the LiNK Nomad website, where I found a little description that read:

North Korea is one of today’s least known yet most complicated crises; but where skeptics would argue that the future of North Korea is already written, a collective of passionate individuals – LiNK Nomads – are standing to say that the ink is not yet dry. They refuse to adhere to prescribed formulas and have instead chosen to bring this crisis out of the shadows to empower more North Korean refugees.

Don’t wait for others to be the change. Be on the frontlines, rewriting the history of North Korea. Are you ready to make this your story? Become a Nomad...

Above this description was a video, and it was a video that ended up changing my life:

Nomads: The Call To Action from LiNK Global on Vimeo.

Within a week, I had submitted my application. Within another, I had been accepted. In two weeks, I am off to the United States to change and save the lives of people I might never meet, but who I now know will experience a freedom that I take for granted on a daily basis.

This is where you come into it! You can join me on this incredible journey by coming along to one of my fundraisers:

LIGHT UP FOR LINK: A CRAFT CLASS THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
Come along to this gorgeous craft class, where you'll receive beautiful handmade paper from Papers By Pepperberry and be taught how to create your very own Paper Lampshade.

As if crafting, creating, chatting and giggling isn't enough, you'll also receive a lampshade base and lampshade pattern to take home, as well as have all of the tools and materials provided. And did I mention that all of the funds raised support a great cause? What's not to love! So, grab your friends, family, kids and any randoms you find on the street and come along:

WHAT: Light Up For LiNK- a Craft Class that makes a difference!
WHEN: Thursday, 27th May 2010 @ 6.30pm - 8.30pm
WHERE: Kaye Coghlan Theatre, Thornbury High School, 238 Collins St, Thornbury
HOW MUCH: $30 (full) - $20 (concession)
TO BOOK: Call 0401 766 348 or email thatLiNKproject(AT)gmail.com

Click on the flyer to check out it in all of its glory,
and save it to your computer so you can email it to all of your friends!

CAN WATCHING A MOVIE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? WATCHING THIS ONE CAN!
Enjoy a night out watching one of the most powerful movies ever made, whilst also raising much-needed funds to help end the human rights abuses & humanitarian crisis in North Korea.

Based on a real-life story, Kim Tae-kyun’s Crossing tells the tale of a North Korean defector & his desperate fight to save his family. An uncompromising, touching & inspiring movie, its depiction of the harsh reality of life in North Korea will touch your heart & move your soul. Don't miss it!

Click on the flyer to check out it in all of its glory,
and save it to your computer so you can email it to all of your friends!

I hope to see you there! If you're not in Melbourne or can't make it but would still love to support my quest to change the lives of North Koreans, you can always help out in any of the following ways:

- Learn all about North Korea, and then learn even more about North Korea and what's being done to change the situation at the LiNK website

- If you can't come along but still want to make a difference, donate! Even $5 can make a difference, and most of us have that to spare. I'm accepting donations of all sizes for my Nomad Project via PayPal- simply click on the link below! (EFTPOS, Bank Cards, Credit Cards and PayPal Account payments are accepted)

- Speaking of donations, LiNK are always looking for one-off and longer-term supporters to help more people escape from North Korea and start new lives elsewhere.

- Become a follower of thatLiNKproject to stay up-to-date with what's happening

- Spread the word! Let your friends and family know about how much the North Korean situation has shocked you, point them to the LiNK website, or grab them by the wrist and bring them along to one of the fundraisers!

AND A GIVEAWAY!

And now for the giveaway!

The more people who know about the situation in North Korea, the better. And the more people who come and craft or watch the movie at the fundraisers, the more fun we'll have! So, I need your help: your help to spread the word. And what better way of saying thank you for helping than by entering you in a giveaway?

What you'll win is the entire range of the soon-to-be-released Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Patterns:

To enter, simply blog, facebook or tweet about my crafty fundraiser (or my movie fundraiser, or both!) and leave a comment with the link. You'll receive one entry for each!

Thanks in advance for your support. I'm off now to panic about how much I need to get ready in the next two weeks!

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P.S. The haunting images in this post were sourced from CompleteAll.

Crafty Creative Craziness: The 2010 Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show

2010-05-12T15:45:00.001+10:00

PHEW!

That is the main word that keeps escaping from my mouth now that the mind-bogglingly brilliant and phenomenally fantastic Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show has finished. As usual, the Show was five chock-a-block days of crafty and creative goodness, with inspiration galore and enough fabric, fibre and paper goodies to make even the most stoic crafter go giddy at the knees!

It all began on Tuesday morning, when the great challenge of setting up began. I, of course, was still running around Melbourne like a mad chook, organising patterns to be printed, buying furniture for the stall, and folding and ironing fabric.

Even though the venue opened at 7am for set-up, Sharon and I didn't arrive until 7pm... not that that stopped us from creating an exciting and extravagant Pepperberry & Co. stall, complete with a built-in-a-panic Ikea shelving unit!

As a small, indie crafter, I was lucky enough to have a stall in the beautiful Incubator section with a group of uber-talented, ridiculously fun crafters. Below are pictures of their amazing work- can you imagine being surrounded by this kind of brilliance every day and not buying every thing? Sheesh, talk about high expectations!

From left to right, top to bottom, my fellow Incubator pals were: Jen from Red Parka Designs and her stunning handbound books; Claire from Craft Shmaft and her super-cute owls; Jodie from Vintage Ric Rac and her too-cute-for-words softies; Nic from Yardage Designs and her stunning hand screenprinted fabrics; Michaela from Wren's Nest Studio and her incredible Paper Quilts; Kristen Doran and her inspiring fabrics and softie friends; Pauline from Funky Friends Factory and her collection of cute critters; Nicole Mallalieu from You Sew, Girl! and her amazing bags; and Lisa from The Red Thread and her funky cute friends. Also inspiring me on a daily basis were Hollie from Two Cheese Please, Caitlin and Leisl from Pippijoe and the girls from Ink & Spindle.

Apart from running the shop (which the wonderful Sharon was in charge of!), and shopping up a storm (which I was in charge of!), I also taught sewing classes, where I met some gorgeous crafters from all across Australia (and even the world!); gave Small Business talks to a group of inspiring and inspired up-and-comers; and even squeezed in taking some classes, which resulted in the world's cutest sock owl and a Japanese patchwork purse!

To say that I'm exhausted would be an understatement, however the smile that is still on my face from the Show means it was all very well worth it. Thank you so much to Angela, Ross, Graham and the team for putting on such an extraordinary event! Here's to many more.

xx Sandra

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Sewing Pattern Testers Needed!

2010-04-30T15:24:00.001+10:00

UPDATE: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL INTEREST IN TESTING MY PATTERNS. I NOW HAVE A FABULOUS TEAM OF PEPPERBERRY & CO. PATTERN TESTERS AND AM THEREFORE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY FURTHER EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST.

Yep, it's true- Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Patterns are about to graduate from my Lab and into the real world! Before they can be launched at the Stitches & Craft Show, however, they need to pass one last test- the Crafty Community Challenge.

What I'm looking for is sewers of all levels who would like to come on board as Official Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Pattern Testers. What you'll receive for participating is:

- A free sneak preview of a Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Pattern (the range includes a Passport Cover, Notebook Cover, Cushion Cover and Textile Card!);

- A free copy of the final ePattern of the project you have completed; and

- Your choice of one of any of the other Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Patterns, as a little thank you.

As a Pepperberry Pattern Tester, you'll need to be able to do the following over the next 3 days:

- Get the materials you'll need for your pattern (they're small projects, so you probably have most of what you'll need in your scrap pile!)

- Sew the project, following each of the instructions in the pattern (each project takes no more than an hour); and

- Complete a brief survey about the pattern.

Pepperberry Pattern Testers can be anyone, from anywhere in the world, who has any level of sewing experience- including absolute beginners! The only thing you need is access to a sewing machine and the time to complete the project over the next 3 days.

To apply, please leave a comment or email me (littlemisspepperberry AT gmail DOT com) with responses to the following:

Name:

Email:

Sewing Level:

And perhaps a little note about why you are interested in becoming a Pepperberry Pattern Tester!

I can't wait to hear from you!

xx Sandra

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Living The Dream

2010-04-29T14:02:00.003+10:00

As you all know, this little Pepperberry journey that I'm on all began because of a wonderful, inspiring and life-changing craft gathering: the Stitches & Craft Show. What you might not know is that I have now come full circle, and I will be at the Stitches & Craft Show again this year- but not as a visitor!

This year, I am so, so proud and excited and happy to let you know that I will be there as a stallholder, speaker and teacher. I will not only be selling my handmade goodies, but also teaching other people on how to kick butt on the sewing machine and make Notebook Covers, Baby Blankets, Textile Cards and Cushion Covers. And if that's not enough, I'll be running Small Business talks to share all of the crazy things that I have learnt on this Pepperberry & Co. journey. Squeal!

Here are the details of the Show, which is happening next week (excuse me while I go and hyperventilate...):

WHEN: Wednesday 5th May til Sunday 9th May, 10am til 5pm daily
WHERE: Caulfield Racecourse

HOW MUCH: $10 for 1 day; $15 for two days; Children free!!

Now, if you've never been to a Stitches & Craft Show, you are seriously missing out. It is P*A*C*K*E*D full of crafty goodness- workshops, classes, freebies, competitions, hints, tips, networking opportunities, and so, so much more. I spent 4 days straight there last year and still didn't get to all of the crafty events I wanted to see and do! Don't dilly-dally now- grab your Show Guide here, book the classes you want to be a part of, and enjoy being immersed in craft heaven.

Last year's show, featuring the gorgeous Audrey & Maude. Photo from Living Creatively.

Now that I have convinced you of the wonder and joy of this Show, I would like to proudly present the classes I will be teaching at the 2010 Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show! To book into any of them (and pre-booking is advised!), just give me a call on 0401 766 348 or email me at littlemisspepperberry AT gmail DOT com.

WHEN PAPER MEETS FABRIC: TEXTILE CARD CREATIONS

Using handmade plant fibre paper and hand screenprinted fabrics, you will sew 4 unique, beautiful and personalised cards. Learn which threads and stitches work best with paper and receive a take-home kit so
you can keep on creating!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

When: Wed 5th May @ 11.45am ~ Thu 6th May @ 11.00am ~ Sun 9th May @ 12.15pm (incorrectly listed as Saturday in the Show guide!)
Level: Beginner +
Cost: $12

A COZY CUSHION COVER
Sew a unique cushion cover using stunning, hand screen-printed fabric and natural unbleached linen. Learn how to work with interfacing, insert an invisible zip, create boxed corners and make your own cushion
inserts. A take-home sewing pattern is included!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

When: Fri 7th May @ 12.30pm
Level: Intermediate +
Cost: $30

CUSTOM A5 NOTEBOOK COVER
Using beautiful, hand screen-printed fabric and natural unbleached linen, you will sew your very own notebook cover. Learn effective cutting/pinning techniques and how to use ironing templates, creative stitches and a walking foot. A take-home sewing pattern is included!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

When: Wed 5th May @ 3.15pm ~ Sat 8th May @ 4.00pm (incorrectly listed as 3.45pm in the Show guide!)
Level: Beginner +
Cost: $24

SNUG AS A BUG BABY BLANKET
Sew a soft, cozy and comforting baby blanket using gorgeous natural cotton and snuggly fleece. Learn how to create basic appliqué, stitch around curves, work with stretch fabric and create mitred corners. A take-home sewing pattern is included!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

When:Thu 6th May @ 12.15pm ~ Sat 8th May @ 2.00pm
Level: Beginner +
Cost: $20

And, if you're wanting to stop working a job and start living your passion, come along to my small business talk:

LIVING YOUR CRAFTY DREAM: MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Ever dreamt of running away from the rat race and crafting for a living? I did just that and so can you! Come along to this talk to learn all about the ins and outs of running your craft business, including blogging, online marketplaces, bookkeeping, taxes, local craft markets, advertising, marketing, media and more!

When: Fri 7th May @ 11.00am ~ Sat 8th May @ 11.00am
Level: Everyone!
Cost: Free!

Finally, of course, you can come say hi to Sharon and I by visiting our stall, where we will not only have hundreds of my handmade goodies, but also Sewing Patterns, Sewing Kits, Fabric and Paper so you can do it all yourself.

If you can't make it to Melbourne or the Show this year, fear not! All of the wonderful things will also be available at my Etsy shop, which I must say is looking rather sexy these days with all of its new Notebooks and Cushions!

See you at the Show!

xx Sandra

P.S. Sorry to have been away for a while- Sharon's Nana sadly passed away and we've been hiding away from the world just looking after ourselves and each other.

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Sewing Does Occur!

2010-03-19T09:31:00.000+11:00

It may have come to my attention that I very rarely blog about all the wonderful little goodies I actually create.

Most of that comes down to the fact that I have the attention span of a flea, and I can never quite remember to take my camera to work, photograph the products, edit the photos, then pop them online. I'm exhausted just looking at that list!

Luckily, I'm surrounded by a group of wonderful crafters who actually do these things, and when they are at markets they do me the great favour of taking beautiful piccies of my things too!

So, thanks to the lovely Margaret from Konstant Kaos, here is my lovely range of Notebook Covers...

And a big fat stand of Passport Covers...

And here is a sneak peak of my Cushion Covers...

All of which will soon be available in my Etsy store... if my attention span will get them there!

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Crafty Market Love

2010-03-11T14:42:00.000+11:00

After the rough trot of last weekend, I must say I'm quite looking forward to this one!

Friday night will see Pepperberry & Co. launching our sexy range (full of brand spankin' new Notebook Covers, Cushion Covers and even Luggage Tags!) at the brand new craft market at Borders in South Yarra- how exciting! Borders is one of my favourite places of all time- how could anyone not be just delighted to be surrounded by that many delicious books, gorgeous comfy couches, and the smell of roasting coffee? If this combination and a little bit of handmade goodness sounds like heaven to you, come and hang out with us at:

Then, a few hours of sleep later, I'm off to my favourite market- the Northside Maker's Market. This market is always filled with so many wonderful things- unique, handmade goodies, a warm-and-fuzzy community vibe, and great food. I don't know about you, but I sure couldn't ask for more!

If you've never been down to the market before, this is your last chance- it's the fourth in a series of four and it's unknown whether this magnificent crafter's haven will continue! So come and play at:

And let's just hope that neither of the markets experience last weekend's bad weather or bad luck!

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A Bit Of A Rough Weekend

2010-03-09T16:18:00.000+11:00

Some weekends just don't turn out as planned.

On Thursday...

...as Sharon was driving home, she found a little ginger ball of bones that turned out to be a kitten.

Boris, as he is now known, is all spine and ribs and sunburnt face, but not much else. He now lives in our bathroom and is being regularly stuffed silly with food and water and vitamins. His ears and nose, which are badly burnt, are covered in paw paw cream, as is his little neck, which has lost all of its fur.

On Friday...

... our car died. Totally and completely died. After an adventure with towing and many phone calls, we were told our engine needs to be replaced.

Please note: Not our actual bus! Just a cute, relevant photo :-)

We're now using Sharon's giant school bus and keep getting inspired by the idea of a road trip!

On Saturday...

... a severe storm hit Melbourne. If you didn't see it in the news, here's a great update:

Normally I get very excited by storms. They mean lots of silliness and running around and squealing in the rain. Saturday's storm, however, flooded the Pepperberry & Co. studio. Bad drainage in the building meant that water rushed in at ground level, and the crazy, 10cm large, solid hail stones broke through the roof and flooded us from above.

We lost quite a bit of stock, particularly paper; our office furniture got soaked; and we are yet to see if all of the machinery (computers, sewing machine, overlocker) that we rescued actually function. Our office kind of ending up looking like the shop they show in the video above.

We moved out of the studio on Sunday, and are currently working from home. Next weekend, we're moving the office into the spare room of our temporary rental property. And then, we'll try to regain some semblance of normality in our now very wet world.

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My Very First Stockist!

2010-03-04T13:49:00.000+11:00

Some things in life are so overwhelmingly exciting they just don't seem real.

A year ago, in March 2009, I dipped my nervous little toes into the big wide world after a bout of Chronic Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I found the wonderful Stitches & Craft Show.

I learnt how to sew.

From scratch!

I started a business.

I made stuff.

I sold stuff!

I met some of the most wonderful people in the world.

And I slowly got better.

And now, a year later, I have another mind-blowing achievement to celebrate... my very first stockist!

A year ago, as I was sitting in my sewing classes and listening to the wisdom of some of craft's brightest stars, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that one day, something I made with my very own hands would be sitting on an actual shelf in an actual shop.

But there they are, at the gorgeous Little Shop Of Handmade run by the even more gorgeous Bec.

The Little Shop Of Handmade at 8 Woorayl St Carnegie

And I couldn't be more proud! Thank you to all of you who have supported me from day one. I couldn't have done it without you!

May all of your perseverance, blood, sweat, tears, laughter and hopes too turn into a dream come true...

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The Mum That Became an Eco Power Knitter

2010-03-02T18:36:00.002+11:00

One of my very favourite quotes in the world goes:

'If you think you are too small to make a difference, you've never been in bed with a mosquito'.

It always reminds me that no matter how insignificant it may seem, every little positive action can create an inspiring chain of reaction... well, maybe with the exception of a mosquito bite, which simply creates annoyance and some naughty words!

Whilst the internet is full of wonderful projects that take the concept of turning small things into big ideas to create magic, one in particular caught my attention today- the wonderful idea that is ReKnit.

The mother-and-son duo behind the concept take your old, uninspiring sweater, unravel it, then knit a beautiful piece of fashionable wear and post it back to you. Better yet, each month readers get to choose which pattern the team will work on next by voting.

It's design, creativity, recycling, ingenuity, community participation and fun all in one idea- perfect. But with only 30 items knitted each month, you'd better get that op-shop jumper in to them fast!

Now it's your turn to inspire me! What creative ideas have rocked your socks recently?

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Sustainable Craftiness

2010-02-22T13:44:00.001+11:00

For anyone who has not ever had the fortune of visiting or living in Melbourne, please allow me to share with you one piece of advice: the months of January through March are the time to come. Why, you ask? One word: festivals.

If this beautiful city knows how to do one thing well, it's celebrate. From the Midsumma Festival and Chinese New Year, to the St.Kilda Festival and the Melbourne Fringe, us Melbournians will head out in droves to anything that screams 'art', 'craft', 'culture' and 'environment'. And that's why I love living here!

This weekend saw one of the highlights of our festival calendar come to town- the Sustainable Living Festival. This 3-day show, which raises awareness around the issue of sustainability in all its manifestations, is filled with practical workshops, interesting talks, great performances, gastronomical delights and some of the year's best shopping opportunities. And did I mention it's free?

As any proud urban hippy did, I too headed to revel in SLF over the weekend. Ok, I did more than revel; I moved in. In fact, I have spent the last three days doing nothing but soaking up the inspiring world of people who are changing the world for the better in a crazy and creative number of ways. Bliss!

One of the absolute highlights of this year's program was the gorgeous Slow Fashion Show. Now, before you cringe at the very idea of the misogynistic, self-absorbed industry that is mainstream fashion, know this: the Slow Fashion Show was the exact opposite of just that!

The models were stunning, 'real' women and men; the event was open to all members of the public and was free; and best of all, every single item on the catwalk had a light environmental footprint. There were four key categories: Fairtrade, Sustainable New Materials (such as organic, unbleached and hemp items), Locally Handmade, and Second Hand/Vintage. I felt very proud that Pepperberry & Co. would fit into two of those four categories... if only we did fashion!

After delighting in the creativity and eco-goodness of the Show, I headed off to Re-Mixed Re-Worked Re-Fashioned, a workshop aimed at giving sexy new lives to sold favourite, op-shop gems or shocking Christmas gifts. There, I spent five hours doing some of my favourite things: laughing with fellow crafters, chopping up second-hand goodies and making a present of funky and stylish 3/4 pants for Sharon.

The highlight of the workshop, however, was discovering a true gem of the crafting landscape: Social Studio. The Studio is an inspiring concept that fuses the creativity and wisdom of Melbourne’s refugee community with recycled and excess materials from local industry to create original fashion garments.

In a nutshell, some of the most disadvantaged members of our community are welcomed into a space where they learn, create, craft, build long-lasting relationships and gain employment. It just makes my little former-Social-Worker's heart go all fuzzy! The Studio is located in Collingwood and runs these types of workshops every Saturday, and worldwide shoppers can also support this brilliant cause through their Etsy shop.

What did you all get up to on the weekend? Were you also spoilt with some crafty goodness?

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Custom Love

2010-02-19T08:58:00.000+11:00

Receiving a request for a custom item can be many things: exciting, challenging, flattering, and fun. Unlike the production of regular stock, a custom order presents you with the opportunity to get back to your roots and... shock!... get creative.

There's the mind-boggling, mathematically-loaded logic puzzle that is figuring out the pattern...

Then there's the trial-and-error process of making, fixing, remaking, fixing, remaking, wanting to cry, and then fixing it again...

And finally, there's that precious moment of putting it all together in the most beautiful fabric you own and being presented with the final piece...

A Pepperberry & Co. Luggage Tag

Which comes out beyond all of your expectations and makes you feel all warm and gooey inside. And is that, ladies and gentlemen, not exactly why we craft?

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Gasp!

2010-02-17T12:25:00.001+11:00

Ok. So, I may or may not have not blogged for... please cringe with me... nearly two months. And I may or may not now be too petrified to return to the world of blogging. But, fortunately for me, I am surrounded by a group of beautiful Melbourne crafters who have promised me that writing a blog post after so long will be nowhere near as scary as it seems... so here I am! Peeking out from under my little hat of blogging laziness and hoping that at least some of you will still be peeking back.

Seeing as this is my Official Return To Blogging, it seems quite essential that I update you on all the a-happenings over the past two months! With that in mind, please sit back and enjoy a very speedy, super-succinct Top Ten Things in Two Months:

1. WE SOLD THE HOUSE!

Wee-hee! You may remember that I posted about our beautiful renovation and impending house sale, and the brilliantly exciting news is that our house sold within one week of being on the market for $100k more than it was valued at! Needless to say, we were just a little bit over the moon.

2. HURSTBRIDGE IS OURS, ALL OURS!

That's right! We've settled on our beautiful 20-acre lot in Hurstbridge and now our heads are buried in a crazy amount of information about water tanks, septic systems, fire safety, solar panels, wind power, insurance, planning permits, and a million other things we've never dealt with before. So exciting!

3. WE HAVE SOMEWHERE TO LIVE!

Not being homeless is always such a nice feeling, and luckily for us, friends of ours have just bought a new home and are renting their old one to us whilst we build on our land! There's room for all of our pets (6 at the moment!) and even for us.

4. I SEWED THROUGH MY FINGER!

Ok, so I don't know if that deserves an exclamation mark, as it really wasn't that exciting. But it sure was painful! In a momentary lapse of concentration whilst sewing at the highest speed, the needle managed to go right through my finger, pick up the bobbin thread, and bring it back through. I then panicked and pulled away, which resulted in the needle ripping through the entire tip of my finger. EEEWWW!

That's not my actual finger (mainly because there was so much blood I couldn't take a photo!) but that's exactly what my finger felt like!

5. THE PEPPERBERRY & CO. TEAM HAS EXPANDED!

This has got to be one of the most exciting things to have happened since I started this journey- I now have people working with me! They are a wonderful team who deserve to be introduced properly in a blog post, though, so I'm just going to leave you with that tantalising bit of information and tell you more later!

6. WE GOT A Wii!

Ok, so it's totally unrelated to craft and my business, but WOW! How much fun are Wiis? I've already pulled my shoulder muscle playing tennis, peed myself with laughter doing obstacle courses, and felt proud to be 20 years old one day and 40 the next. Seriously addictive.

7. I CAUGHT UP ON MY FINANCES... ALMOST!

Yes, this is the most boring member of the list. Bur possibly also the most important! January was a crazy month that saw me open a Business Bank Account (all growed up now!), get an EFTPOS machine (endless excitement!), finally get an accountant and call the ATO (scary!), and get my income and expenditure into order. Phew! Good luck to everyone else out there trying to do the same...

8. WE SURVIVED THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS!

Christmas itself was a delightful pleasure, but the 17 markets we did in four weeks were a little less so! Of course, meeting all the lovely crafters and crafty lovers from around Melbourne was a highlight, but working every Saturday and Sunday, getting up at 6am, packing, unpacking, keeping on top of stock... well, that was that was not quite as much of a highlight. We survived, however, and had a blast along the way. Here's to many more Christmas periods of madness!

9. POSSUMS, LIZARDS, ECHIDNAS, & PREGNANT WALLABIES...

We've seen them all! Our little possums from way back when are all grown up and almost ready to be released. We rescued a very fat lizard who had been hit by a car and she gave birth to fifteen (FIFTEEN!) babies (ouch!). Whilst walking on our block a really fluffy bush moved and it turned out to be an echidna. And then a mummy wallaby with a little bub bounced past!So much cuteness all at once.

10. I MISSED Y'ALL!

I haven't read a single blog in two months, or emailed friends, or facebooked, or tweeted... and I miss you all! I miss laughing out loud at your crazy blog posts, being involved in your crafty projects, hearing all the inspirational stories, and most of all, getting to know you better and better through back-and-forth emails. I can't wait to get back into it!

See you soon...

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And the House is On Sale!

2009-12-07T11:49:00.000+11:00

My. Goodness. Me. What a mad week, month, year! The end is near, though, in more ways than one. December is creeping towards the New Year, my list of upcoming markets is slowly getting smaller, and... AND!... the most exciting, important goal of the year is complete.

Our house is on the market!!

In the space of eight weeks, it has been transformed from an average home into a gleaming, sparkling, spotless little beauty. It looks so good, in fact, that Sharon and I are wondering why in the world we're moving out! Mind you, we've also conveniently forgotten all about the blood, sweat, tears, tantrums and bruises that got us to this point. Here are some pics I took for the online ad:

Our front yard, with the requisite sunrise.

Our beautiful, brand new kitchen.

Our ridiculously clean bedroom (please note the lack of cat fur!).

And our big, beautiful backyard with freshly grown green grass!

(Yes, this is a big deal if you live in drought-riddled Australia!)

Is this super-exciting or what? I've never sold a house before, and it's all a bit of a rush. We have our fingers crossed that it will be snapped up this week so that we can start planning our move to our 20-acre bush sanctuary in Hurstbridge:

And begin living our sustainable, off-the-grid, animal rescue and rehabilitation centre dream. Fingers crossed!

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Getting Down To Business

2009-11-19T18:57:00.000+11:00

Ok, let's be honest here. Any of us who run our own business, whether big or small, know that along with all of the joy, passion, creativity and independence comes one majorly horrid, blisteringly boring bit.

Finances.

Sigh!

Money can be hard to keep track of at the best of times, but I've found that getting my head around Etsy fees, PayPal fees, supply purchases, Market Stall fees, and sales can be nearly impossible. I've tried again and again to set up a beautiful, easy, functioning spreadsheet in Excel, but alas, it was never up to scratch. And so my finances went to... well, an unpretty place.

So, imagine how very excited I was when I found out that there was a brand spankin' new, super-simple, beautiful way of keeping your finances in order... for free. FREE, people. And easy. And clever.

Yes, I was over the moon! Of course, anything this exciting has to be shared with the world, so here it is. Head over to Outright.com and fall in love... then, if your finances are anything like mine were, have some fun entering data and getting all the pretty graphs up.

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P.S. By the way... at the moment, everything is functioning at 100% for the U.S., and Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and other are due to have a full-function 'Tax' section within the next few weeks. I clicked the little link to 'request taxes for Australia' (or whichever currency you work in) and had a response within six minutes! From a person! Wow. Great tool and great customer service. Can you tell I'm in love? So, if you're Aussie or Canadian or New Zealander and plan on using Outright, email them too so that they know the demand is there!

Enchanting, Evocative, Magical Joy!

2009-11-13T12:04:00.001+11:00

In my three minutes of spare breathing time this morning, I jumped online and created one of my favourite things- an Etsy Treasury!

For those of you who haven't come across them before, Treasuries are beautiful, member-curated galleries celebrating the gorgeous things that are found on Etsy. Any member of Etsy can create one, and they're an absolute blast to do! Here's all the information to get you started if you're interested in making your own.

Meanwhile, here's the one I got to make! I chose to celebrate all the enchanting, evocative and magical vegan things that I've found on Etsy over time. Here's a preview:

You can click on it to make it larger and clearer, but to see it in its full glory, head here.

Have a great weekend- I hope to see some of you at the Thread Den or Shirt & Skirt Market on Sunday!

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Oh my, oh my, it's been a while!

2009-11-10T11:11:00.008+11:00

How time flies when life gets crazy. I have so very much to tell you all, and I hope that you're still around to hear it!

The past 3 weeks have been filled with renovation craziness to an extent that I have never seen. Our backyard, front yard, bathroom, toilet, and laundry have been transformed into sparkling, gorgeous works of art. The walls are white, the grass is green, and the windows are so clean you could walk through them. Phew! We're hoping to put our home on the market in the next two weeks, and there's still much to be done. As you can see, the fluffy monsters have been our super-helpful assistants:

On another note, I have some Very Big, Very Exciting and Very Special Pepperberry & Co. news to share with you all. Are you ready? Pepperberry & Co. now has a home of its very own! I am the proud owner of a beautiful, big studio at Ironside Studios in Kensington. The last week has seen trailer-loads of fabric (who knew I had so much?), paper, furniture and projects moved into my new space, and I've been a busy little bee setting it all up. There are plans for an indoor garden, a gorgeous Pepperberry mural, a little shop, and sewing classes... so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

What else? Oh! Sharon and I have become the proud mums to 3 orphaned possums. Two of our furry bundles of joy are little ringtails, and their names are Bubble and Gum. They're both 3 months old and are cute as buttons! Our other baby is a little Brushtail Possum, and his name is Squeak. He's a cheeky little monster with an appetite the size of a lion's and teeth to match! These little babies will be with us until they are old enough to be released into the wild.

As if that weren't enough, I also have a Christmas Market frenzy coming up, with a total of 13 markets. Thirteen! I swear to you that I'm folding Passport Covers in my sleep. If you're around and doing your Christmas shopping at any of the following places, make sure you come and have a gasbag with Sharon and I:

NOVEMBER
Sunday 15th - THREAD DEN MARKET
10.00am - 2.00pm @ the Melbourne Lithuanian Club - 44 Errol St, North Melbourne

Sunday 15th - SHIRT & SKIRT MARKET
10.00am - 4.00pm @ the Abbotsford Convent - St. Heliers St, Abbotsford

Thursday 26th - KRIS KRINGLE MARKET
5.30pm - 10.30pm @ the Northcote Town Hall - 189 High St, Northcote

Saturday 28th - NORTHSIDE MAKER'S MARKET
10.00am - 3.30pm @ the Uniting Church - High St, Northcote

Saturday 28th - DAYLESFORD MAKER'S MARKET
10.00am - 4.00 pm @ the Daylesford Town Hall - Vincent St., Daylesford

Sunday 29th - SHIRT & SKIRT MARKET
10.00am - 4.00pm @ the Abbotsford Convent - St. Heliers St, Abbotsford

DECEMBER

Thursday 3rd - KRIS KRINGLE MARKET
5.30pm - 10.30pm @ the Northcote Town Hall - 189 High St, Northcote

Thursday 10th - REVOLVER UPSTAIRS MARKET
6.00pm - 10.00pm @ Revolver Upstairs - 229 Chapel St, Prahran

Thursday 10th - KRIS KRINGLE MARKET
5.30pm - 10.30pm @ the Northcote Town Hall - 189 High St, Northcote

Saturday 12th - MADE 'N THORNBURY MARKET
10.00am - 3.00pm @ 99 Leinster Grove, Thornbury

Saturday 12th - MARKET 3031
10.00am - 4.00pm @ the Kensington Train Station - Bellair St, Kensington

Thursday 17th - KRIS KRINGLE MARKET
5.30pm - 10.30pm @ the Northcote Town Hall - 189 High St, Northcote

Sunday 20th - SHIRT & SKIRT MARKET
10.00am - 4.00pm @ the Abbotsford Convent - St. Heliers St, Abbotsford

And finally, we have a winner for the Gloriously Ghoulish Halloween Giveaway I held recently- the lovely Monique from Blueberries in the Fileds! Thanks for all of your entries.

I'm off to cut, iron, cut, sew, iron, sew and cut now! Tell me- what's been keeping you busy?

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A Ghoulishly Glorious Halloween Giveaway!

2009-10-18T21:14:00.007+11:00

There comes a time, once every year, when magick fills the air.

When fairies dance, and sprinkle dust, and glitter sparkles in their hair.

'Tis also the time, when Witches come out, to celebrate their New Year,

And all over the world, come shouts of joy: 'Pepperberry's Ghoulish Giveaway is 'ere!'

And so to win, this beautiful prize, of a Halloween Paper Pack,

You must visit the shoppe, of Papers By Pepperberry, and then you must come back.
Once you are here, you must share with me, your ideas for further themes,

For packs of paper, that fill you with joy, and fulfill all your paper dreams!

To enter this Ghoulish Giveaway and win a Halloween Paper Pack, leave a comment sharing your idea for a new Themed Paper Pack that could be created from the papers stocked at Papers By Pepperberry.

You may then have an extra entry for each of the following:

- Leave another comment listing the nine specific papers you would put in your Themed Paper Pack;
- Heart the Papers By Pepperberry store on Etsy (or tell me if you already have!);
- Become a fan of Pepperberry & Co. on Facebook (or tell me if you already are!);
- Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link;
- Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link;
- Post on Facebook about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link.

This giveaway will close at midnight, Melbourne time, on Wednesday the 21st of October and a winner will be drawn soon after! Thank you to the wonderfully creative and vibrant Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist for hosting yet another fabulous Halloween Party.

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Catching Up On Life & Craft!

2009-10-16T08:30:00.009+11:00

Hello to all of my gorgeous Pepperberrians!

I cannot even begin to thank you for the touching, heartwarming, supportive, loving and generous comments that you all left on my previous post. It truly meant the world to me to read each and every word you left for me, to share in your journeys, to learn that my words had made a difference in your lives, and to feel the love that flowed in from every corner of the globe. Thank you. I am slowly making my way through your incredible comments and will reply to each one of you personally over the next week or so.

A lot has been happening in the world of Pepperberry & Co., and it is high time I updated you on the goings on- or is it going ons?! Either way, here goes:

MARKET DELIGHTS
I spent Saturday at the best market I've ever done- Northside Maker's in Northcote. It was brimming with lovely, super-talented stallholders, ridiculously friendly and supportive visitors, and a wonderful community vibe. If you didn't go, you missed out on a spectacular day! The next one is on November the 28th, so mark your diaries in fat red pen and be there.

My next market is tomorrow, at the 1st Birthday celebration of Melbourne's Multicultural Hub. There will be performances by the Burundi, Assyrian-Chaldean, Japanese, Bhutanese and Chinese communities, an amazing variety of handmade craft stalls, and lots of fun activities for all ages. I would love to see you there, so come along for a great day and say hi! All the details are in my sidebar on the right.

AT HOME
As some of you may know, Sharon and I were lucky enough to buy a big, beautiful block of bush land earlier this year. We settle on the land in December and are hoping to move there in February, so there's lots going on to make that happen! Our house is one giant renovation site, our garden is about to undergo a makeover, and our cats are getting used to the fact that all the walls/shelves/doors they used to take for granted might not be there next time they go past. Endless hours of fun!

ON ETSY
The Pepperberry & Co. shop is looking a bit stale, but fear not! I have over 50 new products to add, including a new product range that I'm almost ready to launch- so stay tuned. There will be plenty of goodies up in time for your handmade Christmas shopping!

Papers By Pepperberry has had a flying start, and there are many beautiful things being created with all of the papers as we speak. The gorgeous Jen from A Red Pumpkin Studio has just launched her first product featuring Pepperberry papers, and it is a simply stunning handmade art book:

ON THE BLOG
I'm making a few changes around here to recognise that over-committing to things does not do wonders for my health! So, if you don't mind, the Tuesday Tales will now be a monthly (instead of weekly) feature, held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. I will, also, 100% post the second half of the Product Photography tutorial as soon as I can.

AND A WINNER!
Thank you to all the wonderful entrants in Daniella's Happy Bee Giveaway, and thank you especially for your patience with the unusual delay. The winner, as drawn using the old names-in-the-hat method, is Jade from The Sewing Greenie. Congratulations!

That's it from me for today! I will see you all again on Sunday, when the Ghoulish Halloween Giveaway will be happening. Get your brooms out and your hats on!

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There's Something I'd Like to Tell You

2009-10-12T19:20:00.004+11:00

Two years ago, on an average day in March, I woke up crying. I didn't stop crying for the next 3 months.

With the tears came an overwhelming inability to do the things I was so accustomed to doing. At first, I found I couldn't do the big things in life, like catching up with friends, going out, participating in the classes I was in, or doing craft projects.

Slowly, however, even the little things became too overwhelming, and soon I couldn't even watch TV, read books, play on the internet, brush my hair or play with my cats and dogs. I would start to have a shower and collapse in a heap on the floor, sobbing until the water ran out. I would attempt to get out of bed and, half an hour later, find myself curled up on the floor next to it with tears gushing down my face. I just couldn't do anything; not a single thing. I was sick.

In early May of 2007, I was diagnosed with Chronic Depression. What was happening to me wasn't simply a bad day, a sad moment, or a reaction of grief. It was physical, chemical; something had short-circuited in my brain and now life was too hard to live.

What I faced then was like nothing I had faced before; even after my mother died when I was 14 and even whilst I was being thrown around and abused in Australia's horrid Foster Care system, I had not faced such irrational, uncontrollable sadness.

The darkness that Depression brings cannot be explained in words, and cannot ever be defined for those who have not experienced it; it is, quite simply, a petrifying journey through the darkest, emptiest corners of the human mind.

From day one, however, I knew I was going to survive. I knew that this disease could not, and would not, beat me. I had a life to live, and even during the days, weeks and months that I forgot about what that life looked like, I held onto the fragment of hope that one day I would get better.

Thanks to a fantastic counselor, well-suited medication, and the endless, constant, and ridiculously selfless love of Sharon and my furry bunch, I did survive. I made it to the other end of the darkness, and now Depression is just something that I have, rather than something that defines me.

Just as my life was getting back on track, and just as I was getting comfortable with pushing my boundaries by working, socialising, playing and laughing, another setback happened. This one was slow, creeping; nothing like the suddenness I had experienced with Depression.

The first feeling I remember experiencing was numbness. Pure, empty numbness. I suddenly had no feeling, no care for anything in the world; things that were sad, or touching, or inspiring just washed over me.

This was followed by a gradually increasing sense of fear. Within a month, this fear was debilitating; I would wake up and feel so monstrously overwhelmed by the thought of making breakfast, and all of the decision-making that that involved, that I would stay in bed until the afternoon.

Pretty soon, I couldn't leave the house. The thought of seeing people, of having to interact, was too much to bear. I lost the ability to make my much-loved spreadsheets full of my goals; the ability to create anything remotely crafty; and the ability to make any kinds of decisions. I was powerless; helpless.

Everything I knew about myself- every element of strength, independence, and resilience- was gone. I had changed from a vocal, overly-opinionated, strong person to a quiet, overwhelmed and frightened one.

Luckily, what I was experiencing had a name, and that name was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is exceedingly common in survivors of mental, physical and sexual trauma, and mine had simply hidden itself until the right trigger (my abusive boss) came along.

Once I had a name, I could start to understand what was happening to me, and why I was suddenly finding such mundane things so terribly difficult to accomplish. Having this understanding gave me power back in a situation where I felt powerless, and life slowly started to improve again.

Step by step, Sharon and I worked to overcome my PTSD symptoms. I quit my job and focussed on getting better. Sharon and I would leave the house for an hour at a time, so as to not overwhelm me. We made dramatically shortened to-do lists, and I worked on achieving what was on them every day. I would make decisions about little, silly things in order to get used to having that power again.

One day in March of this year, two years after my journey with Mental Health issues began, I heard about a little thing called the Stitches & Craft Show. I had not really left the house for more than an hour at a time for more than three months, and I most certainly hadn't been somewhere on my own. But something about this show called me; I was itching to get back into crafting, and I felt I was ready for the challenge it would bring.

I attended the Show, and never looked back. During those four days, I did so much more than simply learn how to sew, or embroider, or blog, or start a business. I regained a confidence that I had not had in over two years; started, again, to believe that I could achieve anything I set my mind to; and met people who touched my life in ways they will never fully understand. I became myself again; the Sandra that I knew. And so a new journey began, and Pepperberry & Co. was born.

I tell you this because it is something I have been wanting to share for a while, but it has not felt right until today. Mental Health issues, which are something I once scoffed at, are now a part of my daily life. I still have to wake up each morning and battle at least a few demons before I can start sewing, and I still have days when I break down completely and sit paralysed on the couch, wondering what the point of life is.

Just last week I had a few of those days: days during which the regular list of things to be done was an overwhelming, impossible mountain I had to climb, and days during which my fear and my sadness far outweighed my rational ability to function. Thank you to all of you who left loving comments; sent worried emails; and got in touch via Facebook and Twitter to see if I was ok.

I am ok, and thanks to Sharon, my furry family, and all of you who have been such a loving and supportive part of my crafty, businessy, bloggy journey, I will continue to be ok. I may not always be able to post Tuesday Tales when they are due; I may not always be able to respond to emails as soon as I'd like; and I may not always have what it takes to blog during Blogtoberfest, but at least I know that I have survived and that there is love for me in this world. So thank you.

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A Service Announcement (Blogtoberfest Day 4 and a 1/2)

2009-10-06T20:55:00.001+11:00

Hello lovelies!

Those of you who follow religiously will know that right now is about the time that a brand new Tuesday Tale should be showing up in your Blog Reader. Unfortunately, I haven't been feeling too well today, so there is a slight delay in the post. I'm going to try my best to have it to you, fresh and juicy and full of inspiration and giveaway goodness, tomorrow. Fingers crossed that I feel better!

Thanks for your understanding.

xx Sandra

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Inspired By The Magic of Photography (Blogtoberfest Day 4)

2009-10-05T17:46:00.005+11:00

I wanted to share something beautiful with you today- a blog that truly inspires me each and every time I visit. Although it's not directly craft-related, the magic and beauty in each post really gets my creative juices flowing.

The blog is called Stuck In Customs, and it's a celebration of the absolute magnificence of nature, cities, history and the world we live in.

Using a photographic process called HDR, or High Dynamic Range (for which you'll find a tutorial here), photographer Trey Ratcliff manages to capture elements of the world in a way I would never see.

I adore visiting this site and getting a good kick up the creative butt, and I hope you will too!

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Vintage + Recipe+ Cards = Addictive fun! (Blogtoberfest Day 3)

2009-10-05T02:39:00.002+11:00

Ok, Pepperberrians, strap on your seatbelts, hack into your neighbour's wireless connection, and get ready to be addicted.

I was recently checking out the lovely blog of Margaret of Konstant Kaos fame, and she had shared a link to a great little website that generates... wait for it...

Vintage.

Recipe.

Cards.

With anything you want on them!

Needless to say, I have since spent many hours creating absolutely useless and ridiculously fun cards with very random things on them. I therefore thought it was only fair enough that I spread this addiction to my lovely readers, like some sort of Mad Craft Disease.

Enjoy!

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Guess the Story! (Blogtoberfest Day 2)

2009-10-04T10:05:00.004+11:00

Welcome to day 2 of Pepperberry & Co.'s Blogtoberfest!

Today, I have a creative challenge for you to fire up those neurons before we begin the coming week. Are you ready?

Your mission is to solve the mystery behind this photo, which was taken 2 night's ago:

What is happening? Why is Tango the Bichon wearing Pajamas? Why is Sandra wearing socks up to her knees and pants up to her chest? Why are she and Sharon pointing faux guns?

Here are your clues:

- The lawn was not mowed for 3 months
- This photo is followed by a minor violation of the law
- The dead of the night is involved

So, Creative Sleuths, it's over to you! What is happening?

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A Bloggy, Octoberry, Festivally Fest!

2009-10-02T14:31:00.005+10:00

Well, I've gone mad. Officially. But this is what happens when Sharon's out mowing the back lawn and I'm left inside to my own devices.

Now, I'm about to tell you something, but you can't tell Sharon. She'll pop. Why? Well, we returned from overseas the day before yesterday. We settle on our new land in early December. Between now and then, we have to renovate our house, sell it, and organise for accommodation to be built on our new property (the little details, you know?).

Oh, and we also have to run these two businesses I happen to own, get ready for and be at no less than eight markets, and do the other 117 things on our to-do list. No, that is not a number I pulled out of my hoo-ha. We actually have that many things to do, according to the very sexy spreadsheet I've created (go on, bring on the nerd comments!).

So that is why this thing that I've done is madness, absolute madness. I've (cover your eyes, Sharon) signed up for Blogtoberfest.

Blogtoberfest! A Blogging Party! An October Party! A festival of all things blogging and craft-related. What this means for you is that every single day in October, you will be spoilt with a treat from Pepperberry & Co. It may mean a giveaway; it may mean a tutorial; it may mean some fun crafty links; it may mean a gorgeous photo. But I make no promises that it will be anything more than a ramble from me, and a potentially nonsensical ramble at that!

I have so many new followers now (Hi! And welcome!) that I'm actually looking forward to using this as a way of getting to know you all. So please, don't be shy- leave a comment! Tell me what you think about what I've posted, or a new crafty project you're working on, or the bad day you're having. Blogtoberfest to me is an opportunity to connect with my fellow crafters and bloggers, so speak up!

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P.S. Thanks to the super-talented Tinniegirl for her Blogtoberfest organising!

Miss Ning's Gai Pat Met Mamua

2009-10-01T20:38:00.008+10:00

What do you get when you combine World Vegetarian Day with a whole group of Etsy craft fanatics?

Delicious recipes, handmade heaven, and stupendous savings, that's what!

As some of you may know, today is World Vegetarian Day- and it's also the start of World Vegetarian Month. My gorgeous EtsyVeg Team and I are celebrating with special sales and a collective sharing of vegetarian and vegan recipes on the web.

Today, I wanted to share with you a special recipe I learnt how to cook whilst living in Thailand- Gai Pat Met Mamua. It was taught to me by one of my favourite ladies of all time, Miss Ning, who looked after Sharon and I whilst we were living with her as though we were her own daughters. May the delicious flavours and scents of Miss Ning's food bring joy to your home also!

MISS NING'S GAI PAT MET MAMUA

Preparation: 15 minutes ~ Cooking: 10 minutes ~ Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons Mushroom Sauce
2 tablespoons Medium-Hot Chilli Sauce
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Corn Flour
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1 large Red Onion, chopped roughly
3 cloves of Garlic, skinned and crushed
1 large Carrot, sliced or julienned
2 cups of Mushrooms, sliced (Oyster, Shitake, and Straw Mushrooms are particularly good)
1 packet Firm Silken Tofu, sliced into chunks
3 medium Capsicums/Bell Peppers (one red, one yellow and one green), chopped roughly
1 cup of roasted/fried cashew nuts
1 cup of water
6 cups of steamed rice

METHOD
1. In a bowl, thoroughly mix Mushroom Sauce, Chilli Sauce, Brown Sugar and Corn Flour. Set aside.

2. Place Olive Oil, Onions and Garlic in a wok or a large frying pan and toss until the Onion and Garlic are translucent and a pale golden-brown.

3. Add a Tablespoon of water and the Carrots to the pan and continue tossing all the vegetables until the Carrots begin to soften.

4. Add the Mushrooms to the mix, and another tablespoon of water if the pan is dry. Cook until Mushrooms begin to shrink and turn brown.

5. Add Tofu and toss the mixture until the Tofu begins to brown.

6. Add another tablespoon of water and all of the Capsicums/Bell Peppers. Cook until the Peppers begin to soften.

7. Add a further tablespoon of water and pour in the Mushroom/Chilli sauce combination. Stir through thoroughly until all of the vegetables are coated.

8. Add cashew nuts and continue cooking for a further two minutes.

9. Remove from heat and serve over steamed rice.

10. Enjoy!

While you're munching away, you can head over to my handmade store, Pepperberry & Co., and my beautiful paper store, Papers By Pepperberry, where I'm celebrating World Vegetarian Day by offering 10% off all of my items from now until the end of this weekend (Sunday, 4th of October). Simply add 'World Veg Day' in the Message to Seller during checkout and I'll refund you via PayPal!

You can also head to the EtsyVeg blog for the yummy details of today's celebrations, including links to original recipes and a list of all the crafty shops offering great savings. Oh, and don't forget to hug every Vegetarian/Vegan you know and thank them for doing the world a favour!

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An Inspiring Interview & Giveaway from Happy Bee!

2009-09-29T17:46:00.005+10:00

It's Tuesday again- can you believe it? Tuesday means only one thing in the world of Pepperberry & Co.- an interview with an inspiring artist through Tuesday Tales. Today we meet with Daniela, the self-confessed 'crafty girl since forever' who is behind the gorgeous goodies at Italian Craft and Quilt shop Happy Bee.

'I remember being a kid,' Daniela reminisces, 'and every Summer, Nuns would come to our small village and teach us how to sew and embroider.' The first thing that Daniela learned how to do was cross stitch, and since then she has 'always loved all things handmade and unique.'

Her Mother and Grandmothers inspired her to further explore craft, as 'one of my Grandmothers was great at knitting, the other one crocheted wonderful shawls, slippers, and scarves, and my Mom was a dressmaker,' Daniela explains. 'I grew up surrounded by crafty people!'

Years after first gaining some crafty skills, Daniela fell in love with the beautiful quilts that she saw in American movies. 'I particularly loved the oldest ones, so I decided to try to make them too,' she tells me. 'I took a class and learned basic quilt-making skills, and once I started… well, I couldn't stop!' she laughs.

Once she had the skills, Daniela began making quilts, table runners and wall hangings for herself, her family and her friends. It wasn't long until she expanded her repertoire and began sewing small items such as pouches, cases and key chains to give away as gifts on special occasions, and, she exclaims with modest surprise, 'people seemed to appreciate them!'

Once she realised that there was a market for her creativity, Daniela 'finally' decided to try to sell her things. 'When I found Etsy, I thought it was the perfect place for sell my crafts,' she smiles. 'It's so full of wonderful international artists selling their awesome items. So I decided to try this challenge!'

One of the first things Daniela had to do was come up with a name for her store. 'When I was thinking about the perfect name for my shop, my mind immediately went to bees,' she says. 'They are always so busy, doing lots of things in their lives; but they never seem tired and are always so proud and happy in their work,' she smiles. 'They really inspired me!'

Since starting her business, Daniella has found it easy to stay motivated. 'The main thing that motivates me to craft is the fact that I love to create new things,' she explains. 'I love to start with a few pieces of fabric and end up with a quilt!' she grins. 'It’s amazing what you can create with just some fabric and thread… the possibilities are endless. The only thing that limits you is your creativity!'

Daniela dreams of one day owning her ideal craft studio. 'My favourite place in the world is a little wood cottage I found during a trip to Colorado in the United States,' she recalls. 'It looked so amazing, all surrounded by woods and situated in front of a beautiful lake. All around it were mountains,' Daniela sighs happily. 'I immediately fell in love with it and thought that it would be the perfect place for my crafts, and especially to make my quilts, because it was so peaceful and relaxing!'

To follow Daniela's adventures through craft, make sure to check out her blog and Etsy shop. But wait, it's not over yet! The lovely Daniela has generously offered to host a giveaway for readers of Tuesday Tales, and the winner will receive their choice of a 4-in-1 Case from her Etsy Shop. To enter, simply become a follower of Dany's Happy Bee blog and leave a comment here letting me know which 4-in-1 case you would choose and why. Tweet, Facebook or blog about the giveaway and receive an extra entry for each!

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P.S. Sincere apologies for the delay in posting last week's giveaway winner! We fly out of Bangkok and back to Melbourne today after having lived here for 3 months, so as you can imagine, it's been a bit hectic.

Without further ado, the lucky winner of Jennifer's gorgeous Pink Lily Press giveaway is Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey, who said she would choose to have poppies printed as her custom notecards because it's 'a simple classic design that's just lovely'. Thank you for all of your entries- I was most inspired by some of your wonderful suggestions!

An Interview & a Giveaway from Pink Lily Press

2009-09-22T23:41:00.009+10:00

Welcome to another Tuesday Tale! Today we chat with Jennifer from Pink Lily Press in Washington. As is the tale of many crafters, Jennifer first began selling her work as a way to make money to buy more crafting supplies. "A few friends that I was taking a jewelry making course with introduced me to Etsy, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make some money to buy more beads!" she laughs.

It didn't take long, however, for Jennifer to realise that jewelry is a challenging market to jump into on Etsy. "There are so many talented jewelry makers out there that it's difficult to stand out," she laments. Luckily, Jennifer had a back up set of skills: "I had been making greeting cards using scrapbook paper since college and I decided it would be fun to start selling cards."

After playing around with designing some of her own cards, Jennifer realised how few wedding invitation designers there were on Etsy. "As soon as I started designing wedding invitations, my business took off," she recalls. "I left my job in the mortgage industry in May of 2008 to focus on Pink Lily Press full time and have not looked back since!"

Through Pink Lily Press, Jennifer primarily designs and prints wedding invitations and personalized stationery. "I also make any paper items necessary for weddings such as favour tags, menus, programs, and other fun paper goodies like recipe cards and personal calling cards," she explains. Jennifer creates all of her designs by scanning in her own drawings and digitally enhancing them, or by manipulating her own photos.

"I love being creative," Jennifer grins. "I have always enjoyed drawing, doodling and learning new crafts, as well as things like cooking, baking, and decorating my home." She finds inspiration in the world around her, whether it's browsing through decorating magazines, going for a walk through the neighbourhood, or taking photos while on vacation. Add this inspiration to her love of computers and paper, and you have the perfect recipe for a stationery business.

Like many crafters and small business owners, Jennifer admits that she has a hard time sitting and doing nothing. "If I have the luxury of sitting on the couch to watch TV in the evening, I usually have a pencil and pad of paper on my lap!" she laughs. When she is taking time out, Jennifer adores spending time with her family ("the older we get, the more we enjoy spending time together!") and is passionate about her home. "Home has always been a very important place to me and making home feel like a warm and welcoming place is essential, as is entertaining family and friends."

Her business is also her passion, although Jennifer acknowledges that running a business by herself is incredibly challenging. "Not only am I responsible for the actual design/production aspect of the business, but also record keeping, tax filing, and all of the other nitty-gritty responsibilities that accompany running a business." She is still learning how best to balance all that is required of her, and thinks it will continue to be a learning process for as long as she runs Pink Lily Press.

That's not to say Jennifer doesn't adore every moment of her journey. "The best piece of advice I can give someone looking to start their own business is to do what you love," she smiles, "because in the end, that's what keeps you going on a daily basis when you're so busy that you don’t have time for anything else."

The key elements that Jennifer sees in running her business are time, a lot of trial and error, and being prepared to make mistakes and learn from them rather than letting them get her down. She also recommends a willingness to create custom items, as she has found that they have given her some of the best ideas for new products. Finally, she says, "Be prepared to evolve. As your business grows, you may discover that a different product is more likely to bring in more customers."

To continue following Jennifer's journey, you can find her at her blog, on Facebook and on Twitter. To check out her gorgeous goodies, head across to her Etsy shop, 1000 Markets shop, or her website.

Jennifer has generously offered a giveaway prize to readers of Pepperberry & Co.'s Tuesday Tales. The winner will receive a set of 10 Notecards of their choice, with the option to have them customised!

To enter, you must be a follower of Pepperberry & Co. and leave a comment letting Jennifer know what your ideal custom Pink Lily Press design would be.

If you blog, Facebook or Tweet about this giveaway, simply leave an extra comment for each to receive up to 3 extra entries. Good luck- I'm so jealous (as always!) that I can't enter!

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When A Paper Addiction Grows Up...

2009-09-18T14:29:00.008+10:00

~ CHAPTER .1. ~

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a little girl with a penchant for paper.

This little girl loved paper of all sorts... handmade paper, textured paper, fibrous paper, coloured paper, flower paper, Japanese paper... any and every piece of paper made her very happy indeed.

Textured Parchment Paper

She would collect whatever paper she could, hide each piece in a special, secret place, and treasure it as though it were gold.

She would touch the paper, sniff the paper, pat the paper, and longingly stare at the paper all day long. On very, very special occasions, she would pull out just one piece of paper from her collection and make something beautiful for someone very, very special.

Screen Printed & Gold Marbled Paper

One of the reasons she so loved each and every bit of paper so very much was that she and her mother were very poor. This meant that to get just one piece of precious paper, she had to work very hard and save up all of her little coins.

As she stared at all those little coins in her hand, she promised herself that one day, she would find a way to share her beautiful paper with the whole world, not just with those who could afford it.

Plant Fibre & Embedded Flower Paper

~ CHAPTER .2. ~

And so it was that this little girl grew up. She got a job and started earning money, and as she did, her treasured paper collection grew.

No matter how many pieces of paper she had, however, she never forgot the many times she had stared longingly through shop windows at all the beautiful paper that inspired her so, but that she couldn't take home with her.

Japanese Kawaii Paper

As she travelled the world, she found that magical, handmade paper was tucked away in every corner of the globe. She added and added to her own collection, and as it grew, she remembered the promise she had made to herself: the promise to share this beauty and inspiration with the whole wide world.

Smooth Parchment Paper

And so, her childhood dream became a reality, and Papers By Pepperberry was born. She filled her little shop lovingly with every bit of treasured, special and beautiful paper she could find. In her heart, she hoped that somewhere out there, another little girl with a paper addiction would find her and realise she could now afford to fill her treasured collection and make many very, very special things for many very, very special people.

Inspired By Asia Traditional Paper

~ CHAPTER .3. ~

I hope you enjoy my new store, and this new chapter in my Pepperberry & Co. journey. Thank you all for believing in me since the very beginning and encouraging me to follow my dreams!

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How To Take And Edit Great Product Photos: A Tutorial (Part 1)

2009-09-17T11:58:00.009+10:00

One of the things that I've found the hardest about having my own Etsy shop is the taking and editing of product photos. When I first started on this journey, I had never taken a good photo on purpose; my good shots were limited to holiday snaps that had turned out beautifully... by accident!

It didn't take me very long to develop a serious case of Etsy Photo Envy, so I started researching. Over time, I have learnt about light boxes, natural light, white balance, and the tools I couldn't live without in Photoshop to edit my product photos. Today, I'd like to share that knowledge with you in the hopes that you won't have to go through the same pain in the butt process as I have!

Allow me to begin with my disclaimer- I am in no way a great photographer, nor a great photo editor, and I know that there are many people in the world who probably use far better techniques than these! But if you, like me, are a newbie at a loss of how to match some of the incredible photography on Etsy, and you like the types of product photos I take, then hopefully you'll like some of what I have to share with you.

Today, I'm going to show you how to photograph a product in this way:

And, next week, I'll show you how to edit it so that it becomes this photo:

Are you ready? Let's go!

STEP 1: THE LIGHTING DECISION

LIGHT BOXES VS. NATURAL LIGHT
If you've ever researched product photography, then you will have come across a discussion about Light Boxes. Some people swear by them; others have sworn off them. I'm of the opinion that if you do it right, light boxes can be brilliant (especially in the chilly Melbourne winter!); however, I've recently started using natural light and actually prefer that. Try both, and see what works for you and your gorgeous goodies!

LIGHT BOX TIPS
In a nutshell, a light box is a cardboard box with translucent walls that strong light can shine through, and it looks something like this:

They are reasonably cheap to create, and here are two tutorials to help you do just that.

If you do choose to create and try a light box, here are the tips that I learnt (the hard way!):

- Use smooth, large white paper as the background; any creases will show up and have to be edited out. I found that using white fabric as a background is far more difficult than paper, as it's extremely hard to find pure white fabric and every little fold, crease and bump shows up.

- Find the brightest, whitest light globes you can. Low wattage globes don't provide enough light, and anything with a 'natural' or 'fluorescent' tint will give you yellow and blue shading respectively. Energy efficient globes at a high wattage are particularly good.

- Use the same light source from every angle! I originally used the lamps that I had around the house, only to find that I had three different hues in my highlights and shadows once I got to the editing of each photo. Not good!

NATURAL LIGHT TIPS
Indirect sunlight is your best friend, and this is the only light you want to be taking your photographs in. To find indirect sunlight on a day with clear skies, simply hunt for a shadow of something larger than your products; the shading that trees, verandas and fences produce work well. On an overcast day, you can take your photos almost anywhere.

I've noticed that taking photos is best in the morning or late afternoon, as the light is too intense in the middle of the day.

STEP 2: PREPARING TO TAKE THE PHOTO

SELECT YOUR BACKGROUND
If you're using natural light, find a solid, low-key background and base such as a wooden fence, decking or planks. I've found that paving, grass and concrete make for horrible backgrounds in terms of editing, but you may find otherwise!

If you're using a light box, the background question is already answered!

SET YOUR WHITE BALANCE
Setting your white balance is one of the most important steps you will take. Never heard of it? Neither had I until I discovered that it's the greatest thing every introduced to the world of amateur photography!

Basically, white balance is a tool on your camera that allows you to tell it what pure white looks like at that exact moment and in the exact lighting conditions you're in. Once it knows this, it can automatically readjust all other colours so that they look as natural and true-to-life as possible.

To set it, you usually find and select the 'White Balance' option in your camera's menu, focus your lens on a piece of plain white paper and press the 'Select' button. Of course, each camera will be different, so hunt out your camera manual (now!) and follow the specific instructions.

STEP 3: TAKING THE PHOTO

POINT AND SHOOT
I use a very basic point-and-shoot camera, but I still manage to take some reasonable (I hope!) photos. I believe you don't need anything fancier, so just use the camera you've got, point it and shoot!

WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH
If you have a store on a site like Etsy, you can have up to 5 photos of each product. Depending on what you make, you'll need to make sure that the photos you take show your customers the key sides or elements of your product (such as the front, the back, the sides, the top and bottom, the inside, and any specific detailing).

GET CREATIVE WITH ANGLES
It is possible to show these elements of your product in a creative way. Whilst photographing:

- walk around so that you can take photos from varying angles;

- pick up your product and move it so that you can get interesting shots; and

- get in close so that you can show the details in creative ways.

TAKE 10 PHOTOS OF EACH PRODUCT
I take no less than 10 photos of each product, and only end up using 5. Why? Well, it's surprising how many times the photo lighting, angle or style just doesn't look that good once it's on a computer screen.

Further, some photos are more difficult to edit than others, and I don't want to be stuck on a single snap for half an hour when I could simply choose another one.

Finally, seeing all 10 photos and angles that you've taken together will help you decide which ones are best; if you only take 5 shots and are forced to use every one, you may be doing your products an injustice by not using the best possible photographs.

I hope you've enjoyed and learnt something from this tutorial! As I said, these are all tips from my personal experience, but I've learnt such an amazing amount from other crafters' experiences that I really hope I can offer you something from my knowledge base. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the tutorial next Wednesday, where I'll show you how to edit the gorgeous photos that you now have!

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P.S. A huge thank you to my gorgeous partner Sharon, who has spent months patiently making my light boxes, taking my product photos and comforting me when I've had major spack-attacks over how difficult the photography thing can be.

P.P.S I was on the phone to Laos yesterday, and managed to source wholesale rates for that gorgeous, vegetable dyed, hand woven, fair trade organic cotton I was telling you about. The prices are now cheaper- as is postage because I now know specific weights- so check it out here!

Tuesday Tales: An Interview With... Um... Me?

2009-09-15T22:25:00.004+10:00

Hmm. Due to some technical difficulties, today's Tuesday Tale interview needs to be postponed until next week- sincere apologies. But I have something... er... unexpected for you instead.

A few weeks ago, I applied for the Cruelty Free Etsy Team. As with most Etsy teams, I had to fill out an application form about myself, my goodies and my reason for wanting to join. Thinking it was just going to be read by the lovely Team Leader, I filled it out in true Sandra fashion- you know, waving my arms around, getting excited and putting in way too many exclamation marks.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I received an email saying my 'interview' had been 'published'. Say what?! I followed the link, and there it was... my squeal-filled, rambling rant. Oh, dear.

Should you... um... be interested in reading this instead of your regular Tuesday Tale, you can find it here. Thanks in advance for not commenting on how excitable a person I am!

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A Fabric Question For You

2009-09-14T23:00:00.007+10:00

A few of you may be aware that I have a slight addiction to fabric. It makes me drool, starts a twitch in my right eyeball, and has an unfortunate effect on my wallet. Thanks to blogging about this addiction, however, I realised that I'm not alone in experiencing these symptoms!

I recently shared with you some fabric that I bought whilst on my travels. The reason that this fabric is so special to me is that it's organic, fair trade, vegetable dyed, hand-woven (check out a video of hand-weaving here!) cotton that's created by a Women's Organisation in Laos. I strive to make all of my choices related to my business and my crafting hobby as environmentally and socially conscious as I can, so this really inspired me!

Since posting that blog, and the following one about Molly the Mouse (who is being made from this luscious fabric), I've received a number of emails asking me whether I could source some more of the fabric and make it available to some of you. I'm still in Asia and it's definitely a possibility, but before I make my way to Laos, I wanted to know what the level of interest really is!

Below, I've posted some pictures of the fabric with a description and the prices for each of them. I've also provided some pictures and prices of other cute fabric I've found whilst in Asia, to see if you're interested in any of that.

Please let me know if you'd like any of it as soon as possible, as I fly out in two weeks! If there's enough interest, I'll see what I can do to get some more in that time. I can't guarantee anything but I would sure love to share this wonderfully eco-conscious fabric with as many people as possible.

ORGANIC, VEGETABLE-DYED,
HAND-WOVEN, FAIR TRADE COTTON

NAME: Pink Organic Cotton Weave

FABRIC: 100% Organic, Vegetable Dyed, Hand Woven, Fair Trade Cotton (60cm /23.5" wide)

DESCRIPTION: Thick, pink, textured organic cotton with multi-hued highlights that add depth.

PRICE: $16 USD per metre / $15 USD per yard

NAME: Charcoal Grey Organic Cotton Weave

FABRIC: 100% Organic, Vegetable Dyed, Hand Woven, Fair Trade Cotton (63.5cm /25" wide)

DESCRIPTION: Deep, charcoal grey, tightly woven textured organic cotton.

PRICE: $16 USD per metre / $15 USD per yard

NAME: Off-White Organic Cotton Weave

FABRIC: 100% Organic, Vegetable Dyed, Hand Woven, Fair Trade Cotton (55cm /21.5" wide)

DESCRIPTION: Delicate, off-white textured organic cotton.

PRICE: $8 USD per 1/4 metre OR $7.50 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Lime Green Organic Cotton Weave

FABRIC: 100% Organic, Vegetable Dyed, Hand Woven, Fair Trade Cotton (63.5cm /25" wide)

DESCRIPTION: Rich, lime green textured organic cotton with heavy, pale emerald thread woven throughout.

PRICE: $16 USD per metre / $15 USD per yard

NAME: Navy Blue Organic Cotton Weave

FABRIC: 100% Organic, Vegetable Dyed, Hand Woven, Fair Trade Cotton (58.5cm /23" wide)

DESCRIPTION: Deep, navy blue textured organic cotton with multi-hued highlights that add life.

PRICE: $16 USD per metre / $15 USD per yard

CUTE KAWAII PRINTS

NAME: Vintage Toys on a Washing Line

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A cute little washing line pattern with vintage toys, clothes and teapots on a gorgeous, deep red/burgundy background.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Vintage Sweets Shop with Toys

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A cute sweets shop with gingerbread, cake, recipe books and vintage toys on a tan/green background.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Vintage Patriotic Craft

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A delightful vintage crafting pattern, including tape measures, cotton spools, the word 'Handmade' and patriotic elements on a deep red/burgundy background.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Vintage Craft on Green

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A lovely crafting pattern with knitting needles, balls of wool, a sewing machine, tape measure and vintage toys on a lovely green cotton.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Vintage Green Patchwork

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A sweet green, tan and white patchwork pattern.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Miss Muffet

FABRIC: 100% Cotton (109cm /43" wide)

DESCRIPTION: A gorgeous little pattern of Miss Muffet in her bonnet and apron surrounded by teddies, teapots and cakes on a tan background.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

NAME: Green Jungle Animals

FABRIC: 100% Cotton (115cm / 45.25" wide)

DESCRIPTION: A cute Jungle Animal pattern with elephants, hippos, giraffes, turtles, palm trees and small birds on a bright white background.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

SWEET PATTERNS

NAME: (L-R)
1. Pink Polka on White
2. White Polka on Pink
3. Pink Candy Stripes

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A soft baby pink collection of polka dots and stripes, perfect for quilting and soft toy making.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard of one of the three fabrics (please specify which!)

NAME: (T-B)
1. Orange Candy Stripes
2. White Polka on Orange
(3. Orange Polka on White, similar to the Pink Polka on White above, is also available but is not pictured)

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A pumpkin orange collection of polka dots and stripes, perfect for quilting and soft toy making.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard of one of the three fabrics (please specify which!)

NAME: Blue Candy Stripes
(2. White Polka on Blue and
3. Blue Polka on White, similar to those pictured above, are also available but not pictured)

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: A soft baby blue striped print, perfect for quilting and soft toy making.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard of one of the three fabrics (please specify which!)

NAME: Tiny White Polka on Brown

FABRIC: 100% Cotton

DESCRIPTION: Delicate, tiny little white polka dots on a rich brown fabric.

PRICE: $5 USD per 1/4 metre OR Fat Quarter OR $4.75 per 1/4 yard

AND LUCKY LAST!

NAME: Unbleached Seeded Cotton Weave

FABRIC: 100% Unbleached, Seeded Cotton (60cm / 23.5" wide)

DESCRIPTION: Thick, unbleached, naturally seeded, textured cotton weave.

PRICE: $12 USD per metre OR $11.50 per yard

THE FIDDLY BITS!

Please note that due to the handmade nature of the fabrics listed, exact colour, weave and width may vary slightly.

Postage within Australia will cost $1.50 USD for the first 1/4 metre, Fat Quarter or 1/4 yard, and $0.20 USD for each 1/4 metre, Fat Quarter or 1/4 yard thereafter.

Postage to all other countries will cost $2.00 USD for the first 1/4 metre, Fat Quarter or 1/4 yard, and $0.40 USD for each 1/4 metre, Fat Quarter or 1/4 yard thereafter.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the above fabrics, please contact me as soon as possible as I leave Asia soon! You're welcome to leave me a comment or send me an email (littlemisspepperberry AT gmail DOT com), and make sure you include the following information:

- The name of the fabric (including the colour!);
- How much you would like;
- Whether you would be interested in any other colours that aren't currently
shown or listed as available (the Vegetable Dyed fabrics and the Sweet
Patterns come in many other colours)

If there is enough interest and I can source more of the fabrics, I will list the above items in my Etsy shop, where you will be able to purchase them and pay via PayPal or Bank Deposit.

I'm so excited to share this with you!

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A Giveaway Winner & Free Shipping This Weekend!

2009-09-12T15:22:00.007+10:00

What a marvelous response there was to Lotta's gorgeous work! It's hard not to fall in love with something so natural, simple and beautiful, isn't it? Thank you to all of you for sharing the things that most inspire you about nature- after reading through the responses, I really wanted to run around with squirrels whilst planting a garden and watching birds flying over a flowing river!

Now, I know what you're all thinking. Stop babbling, Sandra, and get to the good stuff- who won this sensational Leaf Printed Tea Towel?

Well, after another meeting between paper and fan, it was revealed that the winner was...

Peta from Pippiwillow! Peta wrote that "nature itself offers up amazing mediums to play with. Couple that with the ever changing environment and its ability to flirt with all of your senses... how can you not be inspired?" It's so true! Congratulation, Peta. And thank you to Lotta for participating in another wonderful Tuesday Tale.

But wait! The excitement is not over yet. Take a deep breath and get ready to feel proud, because I have been chosen as a featured seller on Etsy's Weekend Deals! This is the first time since I began my crafting journey that I have been recognised by Etsy admin, and I'm over the moon with joy.

Guess what it means for you, though? Free global shipping on any of my goodies from now until Sunday night, just by entering "weekend deals" in the message to seller! So, snap 'em up while they're hot, because some of these pieces are one-of-a-kind and won't be created again.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

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An Interview with Inleaf: Tuesday Tales

2009-09-08T15:53:00.009+10:00

On this second Tuesday in September, we meet with an artist who has combined her passion for design, gardening and sewing to create a breathtaking range of items. Lotta, the talent behind the Inleaf brand, makes hand-printed, hand-crafted art quilts, bags, towels, table linens, pillows, and sachets. Each piece is made using natural linen, organic cotton, hemp or reclaimed fabrics, and a unique medium called Leaf Printing.
Lotta explains Leaf Printing to me, as it’s a technique I’ve not experimented with before. “Textile paint is applied to the back of a fresh leaf or other plant materials, and then pressed onto the fabric surface,” she clarifies. “The fabrics are then steamed to make the paint colorfast, and then the items are constructed in my studio.”

The inspiration that nature brings to Lotta’s work extends further than just the pattern on her prints, however. “I take care to produce my work with minimal environmental impact,” she nods. “All inks and dyes are water based and non-toxic, and I use organic and domestically produced supplies whenever possible.”

As is the case for many artists and crafters, Lotta’s creative journey began in her childhood. “My mother was (and still is) an expert seamstress,” Lotta explains. “She sewed our clothes and wove rag rugs, blankets, and linen towels for our house. She made tapestries and knitted sweaters. She is a true artist and she taught me many of her skills along the way.”

Although the business idea for Inleaf came much later, Lotta’s mother was still a driving force behind it. “She was visiting from Sweden, and during an intense discussion about art, design, and life directions she suggested that I launch a creative business based on my big passions: design, gardening, and sewing.” Lota reflects. “We had both recently read about leaf printing, and the next day I started exploring the technique using leaves from my own garden and hobby inks from the local craft store.”

Through trial and error, Lotta learned which leaves will work for printing, which fabrics are most suitable, and which inks to use. It’s an ongoing process and she is still exploring how to quilt, embroider, and master other printing methods. “That’s the most intriguing part of being an artist,” Lotta smiles, “everything is possible and there is always room for new discoveries.”

Each of the Inleaf pieces start out as a sketch on paper. Lotta then cuts the fabric, collects the leaves, mixes the fabric ink, and does a few test prints. “I am a perfectionist,” Lotta admits, “and therefore I often spend way too much time on each object I create.” She smiles. “I have tried to be more efficient and streamline my work, but I still rather redo a seam or make an extra print if I am not absolutely satisfied!”

It is not surprising that the inspiration behind her gorgeous range comes from a myriad of places. The beauty in the world that surrounds her, the intricacy of nature, the simple pleasure of gardening, and the love and joy that her family bring are the first things that come to her mind. “Every day I marvel over the world we live in. It is so intricate, beautiful, and complex.” She says. “My two teenage sons are the joys of my life and my husband is my best friend and biggest supporter.”

She is further inspired by the historical importance of textiles, from the dowry of embroidered linens and sheets a bride brought with her into marriage, to the simple but beautiful patchwork quilts that were carefully created out of necessity and for warmth. “Beauty can be found everywhere.” She states. “It can be a smooth rock, a simple painting, an old piece of cloth, a pattern on a frozen pond, an iron gate, or a seed pod.” She smiles as she reveals, “I like to ‘collect’ beautiful images and ideas that can later be used for inspiration.”

The idea of ‘collecting’ inspiring ideas is just one of many clever pieces of advice Lotta has for budding artists. “Never undervalue your work.” She states firmly. “Pricing things low doesn’t always translate into more sales, and as your orders increase you will burn yourself out if you are not adequately compensated.” Lotta also recommends networking with other artists via blogs, social networking sites, and local crafts organizations and guilds. “It can be lonely working with, by, and for yourself,” she explains, “and I have found many wonderful friends via various art and craft communities.”

Finally, she suggests paying attention to presentation. “Make sure your website and Etsy shop are attractive and functional; spend time on your photography and invest in a high quality digital camera.” Lotta believes that beautiful photos will definitely get the attention of buyers, bloggers, and media representatives. “Little things like labels, business cards, and packaging are also important when you want to make a positive impression.”

Lotta has many artistic directions she is still eager to explore. “I will focus more on art pieces, like wall hangings and quilts in the upcoming year,” she says. “I also have a few exhibits planned for this fall and next spring, and I am looking forward to exploring, learning, and developing my work as I go along.” Although hand towels, sachets, and small purses will always be part of Lotta’s collection, she admits that she can see her bags and pillows become one-of-a-kind items in the future.

To keep in touch with what’s happening in the world of Inleaf, you can find Lotta at her blog, Etsy shop, website and Facebook Fan Page.

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR MARVELOUS ENTRIES!

And, if you've been busy drooling over Lotta's creations, then don't miss the chance to be the proud owner of this magnificent Queen Anne's Lace Leaf printed Tea Towel from the Inleaf Range! To be eligible to enter, simply become a Follower of the Pepperberry & Co. blog (or tell me if you already are) and leave a comment telling me what most inspires you about nature. Tweet, Blog or Facebook about the Pepperberry & Co./Inleaf giveaway and leave the link as a comment to receive an extra entry for each.

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Mission: Molly the Mouse

2009-09-05T15:50:00.010+10:00

Once upon a time, there lived a Mouse named Molly.

Molly was a vibrant Mouse, full of energy and smiles. She liked to chew on rubber cords, sniff inside her pet cat's ear, and nibble on her own tail. Her very favourite thing to do, however, was to play with shiny Christmas baubles.
Molly knew she was a special Mouse. She knew most mice had to live in small cages and run on strangely repetitive wheels. She also knew they had to eat very odd foods and that they weren't allowed to nibble on their own tails. Molly didn't think she would like a life like that, and Molly knew what she liked.

There was one thing that Molly didn't know, however. One very important thing.

Molly didn't actually exist.

Molly was merely a figment of her owner's imagination, but she was a figment that was slowly coming to life. But why slowly? Well, her owner, the Giant Pepperberry Mouse, was lovingly bringing her to life, but because Giant Pepperberry Mouse's Sewing Machine was currently on holiday, she was creating her by hand. And creating a vibrant Mouse like Molly by hand sure took time!

So far, Molly had two ears...

A nose...

And some arms...

All made out of this glorious Organic Cotton, Vegetable-Dyed, Hand-Woven, Fair-Trade fabric.

But Molly felt confident she would grow up to be a Big, Strong Mouse who would be able to play with Christmas Baubles and nibble on a tail that existed. She felt this confidence because she knew that Giant Pepperberry Mouse was on a mission: Mission Molly the Mouse!

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P.S. Would you like to bring your very own little Mouse to life? Visit the endlessly talented Jodie over at Ric Rac to download the free pattern!

P.P.S. Thank you for all of your entries in the Finki/Tuesday Tales Giveaway! Molly the Mouse has deemed that the lovely Kelly O. from John's Daughter is the winner due to the fact that the Finki Notepads remind her of her father, who has passed and whom she celebrated daily in her blog. See you next Tuesday for another inspiring Tale!

Crafty Melbourne Markets in September

2009-09-02T16:10:00.007+10:00

Ah, how I wish I were home to enjoy all the crafty goodness that is coming Melbourne's way in September! Here is my round-up of the best of the best (otherwise known as the Markets That Make Me Drool). Click on each link to find out the times and locations!

SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER

Made 'N Thornbury Market

Yarraville Market

Substation Artists' Market

Red Hill Community Market

SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER

Healesville Racecourse Market

Hawthorn Maker's Market

SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER

Craft Hatch

Mornington Racecourse Market

Werribee Racecourse Market

SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

Ivanhoe Maker's Market

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27

Lardner Park Market

Have I missed any that you know of or are a part of? Let me know! And enjoy your crafty shopping for me...

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An Interview with Finki: Tuesday Tales

2009-09-01T16:08:00.014+10:00

Welcome back to Tuesday Tales, Pepperberry & Co.’s new blog segment in which we meet and chat with gorgeous artists from across the globe.

On this first day of Spring, we meet with the appropriately vivacious Jay from Finki. Just like the new season, Jay is a bright, happy and sunny artist residing in the crafty city of Melbourne, Australia.

“I was born with a Lincraft club card in one hand, and a sewing needle in the other,” she laughs, and “so I was destined to be creatively driven, somehow.” The ‘how’ became apparent in July of last year, when Jay took a leap of faith and opened her Etsy store. “I had always crafted away at some project or another, but never had the confidence to believe in myself or my work.”

This is a common story for crafters at the beginning of their business journey, so how did Jay overcome this challenge? “Whilst on maternity leave with bub number two,” she explains, “I secretly worked away on a range of notepads, pen holders and journals.”

Secretly? I ask. “I say secretly,” she smiles, “because if I asked people opinions of my work, they would love it or hate it and all it took was one ‘hate it’ response for me to throw it in,” she sighs. “I most definitely cared too much about what people thought.”

Jay explains the tactics she used to keep her confidence, “I listened only to myself. I blocked my ears, so I wasn’t led or misled by outside influence, and I just worked away on a range of products to fill my little shop.” Having been a shopper on Etsy for more than two years, Jay felt comfortable making a foray into her much-loved environment. “It was also a bonus that I was somewhat anonymous!” she grins.

Jay’s work is highly eclectic, and she feels she is still finding my niche. “I guess that’s what happens when you hold off for so long,” she explains. “You’re like a kid in a candy store, and you want to do it all at once. I make notepads, journals, hand stitched penholders, bowls and baskets, all of which are reminiscent of the card craft of the 1950s where Nan would stitch up all her old Christmas cards into a bowl.”

Her talents don’t end there, however: “I also make glass pendants and rings, vintage fabric covered bobby pins and rings, and new to the range are my vintage tea towel covered stools. What a mouthful!” Jay laughs. Although her product range is so diverse, there are key elements that tie each Finki piece together: colour and a vintage feel. As Jay succinctly puts it, “If it’s a little bit retro and has a whole lot of colour, it’s got to be a Finki design!”

Where did such an incredible range of skills and the retro inspiration come from? “Mum taught me everything I know,” Jay says, and although she admits she’s spent time doing a Visual Arts Course and an Advanced Diploma in Engineering Technology (Jewelry), “the lessons from mum are what started it all!”

As with every crafty business owner, Jay faces daily challenges, “The biggest challenge in running a business is just keeping my head in the real world.” She smiles. “I’d love to have 8 hours a day where I can exclusively run Finki, but I have two kids, a part time job, and a house to maintain.”

How does she manage? “Well, quite often the house looks like a bomb hit it, the kids think I have become one with the study office chair, and my cats can’t remember the last time my lap was free for a pat and cuddle,” she laments, “but life is a juggling act. I have had to become the master of righting lists, prioritising and re prioritising, just so I can fit everything in.”

A smile crosses her face, “Truthfully,” she says, “if life wasn’t so busy in our little house, it just wouldn’t be us. We have always been the sort to be doing 10 things at once!”

Jay’s passion and time doesn’t only extend to the things she can create with her hands, however- her family, great Australian food, and helping other crafters also make that list. “I’m most passionate about doing something more than just selling craft, because it took me 33 years to build up the confidence to represent myself as a crafter.”

Born from the idea of helping other crafty individuals gain this same confidence was the Northside Makers’ Collective, a not-for-profit organisation Jay has founded with two other independent designers, Margaret from Konstant Kaos and Jennie from Cravings Frocks. “Even if we just create an environment where people can meet with like-minded souls and learn from each other, then I’ll be happy, but ideally we want to help them get their work out there into the community.”

As a mother, Jay hopes that this message will also be instilled in her children, “I love seeing my children grow into confident, creative and loving individuals. I want them to have the confidence that I didn’t have, to follow their dreams, wherever it may take them.”

With such extensive experience and knowledge, it’s not surprising that Jay has some wisdom to share with crafters just beginning their business journey: “Listen to your heart,” she states simply, “and follow not fad or fashion. Find yourself in your craft, and don’t keep it to yourself- share it with the world!”

She acknowledges that “not everyone is going to love what you do, but like-minded souls will cross your path and be inspired by what you bring.” A smile crosses her face as she says, “Open the doors for opportunity to come knocking, as it won’t find you hidden away on the couch!”

Our interview has come to an end, which is a surprise to the chatterbox that is Jay: “Oh my god, is this the end?” she exclaims. “I was just getting started!” she laughs. To hear more of Jay’s journey, track her down at her website, blog or Etsy store, or find her at some of Melbourne’s greatest markets: the Sisters’ Market in Brunswick, the Northside Makers’ Market in Northcote and the Made ‘N Thornbury Market in Thornbury.

GIVEAWAY!

In the spirit of sharing handmade goodness with the world, Jay has kindly donated an exclusive Finki item as a giveaway for Pepperberry & Co. readers.

The lucky winner will receive a gorgeous, hand-stitched, vintage-inspired set of four Finki Pocket Notepads in the theme of their choice: Phantom, Vintage Sci-Fi, Geisha, or Retro Cats!

To enter, simply become a Follower of the Pepperberry & Co. blog (or tell me if you already are!) and leave a comment letting me know which Finki PocketPad Set you would like to win and why.

For bonus entries, blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link!

I hope you enjoyed the latest installment in my Tuesday Tales! I look forward to coming up with another creative way of choosing this week’s giveaway winner...

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Celebrating and Reflecting

2009-08-31T16:43:00.011+10:00

Today is a very special day for me at Pepperberry & Co: it's my 50th blog post!

I always like to use special dates and anniversaries as a time to reflect. Each New Year, I sit down and journal the incredible moments, achievements and highlights of the previous year, and make plans and wish lists for the upcoming one. I would like to do the same for this milestone in the Pepperberry & Co. journey.

I have been blogging, sewing, discovering, learning and laughing through the Pepperberry & Co. blog since March of this year. In that time, magical things have happened: I attended the incredible Stitches & Craft show, learnt how to sew, figured out how to blog, bought Charlie the sewing machine, squealed as I was featured on other blogs, had my first market, went crazy with giveaways, started my Etsy shop, shared tutorials, and discovered the worlds of Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. These are some incredible achievements, and I feel so happy and proud to have been able to experience them all.

The absolute highlight, however, has been meeting my crafty friends from across the globe. With every comment I receive, every market I do, and every craft event I attend, I discover a new blogger; someone else out there in the virtual world creating amazing craft, making her readers laugh, and sharing her incredible journey with the world. I have been phenomenally inspired by the endless determination, talent, and creativity out there on the handmade highway, and I hope that I celebrate that enough in my little corner of the blogging planet.

Today, I would like to say thank you to the beautiful group of people who have supported me on my journey: those who have been with me from the very beginning and have shared my joys and helped me through my struggles; each and every person who has commented on my posts and brought a smile to my day; the shoppers at Pepperberry & Co. who help make my small business dream come true; the Melbourne crafters who have made me laugh, cry and learn; and the followers and readers who I am yet to know, and who I look forward to being friends with in the future.

Without you, Pepperberry & Co. would not exist, and my heart would not be full of crafty love. Thank you. May the next 50 posts see as much joy, laughter, silliness, craftiness, friendships, and learning as those that I have already written.xx Sandra

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And the Winner Is...

2009-08-28T19:38:00.007+10:00

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Boys and Girls...

Crafters, bloggers and hedgehog lovers...

We have a winner in the Tuesday Tales Apple & Eve giveaway!

With my regular selection panel of feline furries not currently living in the same country as me, I had to get creative. Instead of cute cats, I live with a big fan...

And paper...

And what do you get when you combine said fan with said paper? Exciting flying giveaway entrants!

Everyone's name was written on a piece of paper (by hand, people- no printer here!), and then they were released into the wild. The one that flew the furthest was deemed to be the Proud Owner of a Tiny Happy Hedgehog...

...and that is the lovely Justine from Just Nibbles! Justine said that she loved the Tiny Happy Hedgehog with Green Flowers because it reminded her of the little ones in their natural environment. Three cheers for Justine!

Thank you all for entering, and I look forward to seeing you all at next Tuesday's Tale and Giveaway!

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When Handmade Craft Goes on a Recession Diet

2009-08-27T20:40:00.006+10:00

Q: What's better than a one-of-a-kind crafty piece that has lovingly been created by hand?

A: When that crafty piece is nearly half the price it used to be!

That's right, darling Pepperberrians! My Etsy shop has gone on a Recession Diet. You'll now find each and every one of my goodies at nearly half the price they used to be! I've also put over 15 new items in store for your viewing pleasure.

So, if you've ever coveted one of my Notebook Covers...

Or perhaps you would like to travel in style with a Passport Cover...

Or you simply want a cute little Snap Wallet to store things in...

Then now's the time to grab one! Nothing in the store is over $17, and prices start at just $10. A bargain for handmade goodness!

And, if you blog, Facebook or Tweet with a link to my store, you can also have 25% off shipping costs to anywhere in the world. Just put the link in the message to seller and I'll refund the costs to you.

It's Christmas time at Pepperberry & Co.! Come and stock up those merry stockings.

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P.S. Welcome to all my lovely new Followers who I've found thanks to my Apple & Eve giveaway. Remember, it's not too late to enter to win one of Eva's marvellous hedgehog softies!

A Happy Hedgehog Giveaway!

2009-08-26T17:56:00.007+10:00

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR ENTRIES!
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED.
THE WINNER WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY!

Hello gorgeous Pepperberrians!

To celebrate the launch of Pepperberry & Co.'s new artist interview series, Tuesday Tales, the wonderful Apple & Eve and I are hosting a giveaway! You could have the chance to take home your very own Tiny Happy Hedgehog from Eva's amazing range:
All followers of Pepperberry & Co. are eligible to enter (not a Follower yet? Become one here!). For your chance to win, simply visit the beautiful Apple & Eve store, find your favourite Tiny Happy Hedgehog, and leave a comment here telling Eva & I which Hedgehog makes you happy and why.

Are you so in love with the thought of owning your own Tiny Happy Hedgehog that you want extra chances to win? Ok! Do any (or all!) of the following and then leave a comment with the corresponding link:

* Post about the Tiny Happy Hedgehog Giveaway on Facebook
* Tweet about the Tiny Happy Hedgehog Giveaway on Twitter
* Blog about the Tiny Happy Hedgehog Giveaway on your blog

The winner will be chosen in a Top Secret (read: I'll make it up when I get there!), creatively inspired manner on the evening of this Friday, the 28th of August (Bangkok time).

Have fun, and good luck!

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Tuesday Tales: An Interview With Apple & Eve

2009-08-25T09:33:00.000+10:00

Welcome to Pepperberry & Co.’s Tuesday Tales!

As a crafter and small business owner, I am constantly inspired by my fellow crafters. Their stories, creations, challenges and successes all work to keep me motivated and to inspire me to dream a big crafty dream.

I have chosen to share this inspiration with you, my fabulous readers, through a new blog segment called ‘Tuesday Tales’. Every Tuesday, an inspiring crafter who runs her own business will be featured on the Pepperberry & Co. blog. This means that each week, you’ll get to discover new and exciting artists from across the globe, and will hopefully pick up some hints and tips on how to start or run your own crafty venture!

Today, we meet with Eva, the vibrant creator of the Apple & Eve brand, who is an Estonian girl currently living in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 2005, Eva was pregnant with her second son, and was looking to make him a special toy. She sketched a bunny, and her crafting business adventure began.

“After I sketched the bunny for my son, I went fabric shopping,” she explains, “but unfortunately, I came back with empty hands, because I didn’t like any of the fabric. So I decided to make a little white cotton bunny and embroider something simple and cute onto it.”

After the first bunny, Eva felt like she should make more of them. “It was just so calming and at the same time exciting to make little sweet toys,” she explains. Little by little, she made more and more bunnies, and after discovering Etsy and blogging, requests for other animals started flowing in. “After the bunny, there was a request for birds, then kitties, then hedgehogs...” she laughs.

Having a hobby and running a business are completely different realms, however. So what inspired Eva to take things to the next level? “Receiving positive feedback from customers, enjoying every second of crafting, and being in the awesome community of creative people,” she answers simply. The transition suits her perfectly. “My favourite element of being an independent crafter and business owner is the ability to make my own decisions about every little detail.” She ponders whether that means she is a control freak. “Maybe, but I just love to see things my way. The Apple & Eve way!” she giggles.
Eva’s journey with craft began long before the concept of Apple & Eve was born. “I learned all my skills at school, where handiwork was taught as an obligatory course,” she explains. “From 4th till 11th grade we learned to sew, to knit, to crochet and to embroider.” Of these mediums, sewing and embroidery stimulated her the most. “Sewing is a very constructive medium,” she says. “You can create a whole three dimensional item from a piece of fabric. Embroidery is more like drawing or painting for me. Drawing with a needle, yes that’s it!” she laughs. “It’s also an unbelievably precise art. Every little stitch has to be perfect, so the result will look clean and perfect.”

To create her gorgeous critters, Eva goes through an intense process of research, sketching, and sewing. “First there is an idea of an animal,” she says, “then I go through many, many pictures of it- if I don’t have a certain image of it in my mind already.” Eva tries to capture each creature’s strongest characteristics, and then she sketches it “like a kid would do it- simple outlines, round forms, a few exaggerated details.” She also has to make sure her idea will be physically possible to sew.

The unique and beautiful embroidery that is a feature of Eva’s work is also inspired by hours of research. “I look at endless pictures and photos of flowers I want to make- Flickr is the best place!” she exclaims. After sketching her pattern ideas, she comes to her favourite part- embroidery. “Embroidering summarises the pleasure of the whole process,” she smiles.

The idea of making simple things for babies (and grown-ups!) is still the main inspiration behind Apple & Eve. It applies to the design of the toy itself and to the embroidery. Most of the flowers and plants you can see in the Apple & Eve store are from Eva’s own childhood memories, and reflect the things that she is most passionate about in life: “my family, good health, nature, good relationships, and sunshine,” she grins.

To further immerse yourself in Eva's lovely creations, track her down on her Blog, at her Etsy shop, on Flickr, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

I hope you've enjoyed your first Tuesday Tale! Stay tuned for more incredible artists over the coming weeks.

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Conquering the Craftosphere: 10 Must-Know Craft Sites for Every Crafter

2009-08-24T15:57:00.010+10:00

I have no doubt at all that when I first entered the online crafting world, I resembled a very confused infant who'd just been told to fend for themselves.

There were millions of colourful websites, thousands of online sellers, hundreds of genres of craft... and then there was little ol' me.

Terms like blogging, tweeting, facebooking, swaps, Etsy and tutes may as well have been in French, for I had no idea what they meant or how they even vaguely related to my crafty dreams.

I stumbled around in the dark, and slowly built up a base of websites, blogs and articles that helped me find my feet and build an understanding of the Craftosphere. What I yearned for from the start, however, was a map: a guide to the absolutely key crafty websites that would tell me everything I needed to know. And so it is with pleasure that I present to you just that: the Pepperberry & Co. guide to the Top 10 Must-Know Craft Sites for Every Crafter.

CRAFSTER
Craftster is an online community where people share hip, off-beat, crafty D.I.Y projects. It's the largest online community for indie crafts. Craftster has 700,000 active monthly members, making it the prime location to find enough crafty projects to keep you busy for the next ten years!

CUT OUT + KEEP
Cut Out + Keep is an online community for crafty and creative people to make and share step-by-step tutorials. You can browse through thousands of craft projects and tutorials, keep track of your favorites and add your own versions, post your own tutorials, read their monthly magazine, and chat on their boards to make crafty new friends. A great resource for all crafty types!

INDIE FIXX
Indie Fixx is a celebration of the creativity, tenacity, and general spunky goodness that is the indie design movement. The site lets you explore a delectable smorgasbord of indie products, and also has great Tutorials on Tuesdays from crafters across the globe!

CRAFTPLACE
Craftplace is an online space for crafters to connect with other crafters, share projects and ideas, make suggestions, and find inspiration. Craftplace also brings you the best crafting content, resources, ideas and inspiration from around the web, and lets you know about shows, markets and other exciting events that are coming up.

CRAFT GOSSIP
Confused about everything crafty out there? Not sure where to go and what to buy for your latest craft idea? Can’t find that kitsch pattern that everyone else is talking about? Well worry no more! Craft Gossip covers news written by craft people telling you about all the good stuff. They scour the net looking for the best craft ideas and projects and review them for you. With dozens of categories to search through, every crafter will find something fun to play with here!

HELLO CRAFT
Hello Craft is dedicated to the advancement of independent crafters and the handmade movement, as well as empowering small business owners and educating the public to the benefits of buying handmade and teaching the joys of making. With useful articles, tutorials, links and stories, you'll soon find yourself saying Hello to Craft more often!

CRAFT
Celebrating the D.I.Y spirit, CRAFT's goal is to unite, inspire, inform and entertain a growing community of highly imaginative and resourceful people who are transforming traditional art and crafts with unconventional, unexpected and even renegade techniques, materials and tools; people who undertake amazing crafting projects in their homes and communities. You'll find a whole range of quirky, fun tutorials here!

LIVING CREATIVELY
LC is your place to discover what’s happening in the world of creativity, and to unleash some of your own. The monthly LC magazine uncovers the best on offer in the worlds of art, craft, design, urban living and fashion from around the world. With articles on creative people and brands, business tips and views, step-by-step project sheets and ideas, a handmade marketplace, special offers and competitions, online forums and an extensive calendar of events in Australia, LC will definitely keep you busy!

CRAFT BITS
Craft Bits provides resources for teachers, therapists, and craft enthusiasts, with tutorials, articles, great pictures and inspiring projects galore. As an independent craft website, their aim is to satisfy the needs and promote the awareness of the benefits of creativity in everyone, young or old. Go explore and get crafty!

CRAFT STYLISH
Craft Stylish is the ultimate crafting resource- a place to connect, discover and share with other crafters. It’s the destination for fabulous inspiration and expert instruction on the latest trends, projects, ideas, and materials. Whatever craft you love—knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, embroidery, jewelry making, and more- you’ll find great information and community on this site!

I hope that helps at least a few of the newbies (and maybe even some oldies!) find their feet in the Craftosphere!

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Magical Fabric and the Art of Addiction

2009-08-20T09:30:00.000+10:00

Dear Craftspersons, Craft Bloggers and Sewing Types,

I write to inform you that Fabric Addiction is a state of being that is now officially recognised as a health issue by the World Health Organisation.

SYMPTOMS
Fabric Addicts, sometimes colloquially called 'Hoarding Nutcases', can be diagnosed according to the following symptoms:

The owning of a stash of fabric so ridiculously large that it no longer fits in a contained, reasonably sized space;

The appearance of drool at the corners of their mouths when presented with an entire store of delicious, textured textiles; and

The unsubstantiated belief that owning more fabric, even when the current fabric stash is not yet finished, leads to eternal joy and happiness.

CASE STUDY
The WHO has been fortunate in discovering a specimen upon which to conduct a thorough case study of Fabric Addiction. The patient, known as case number Pepperberry04589, was found wandering the streets of Vientiane, Laos. She exhibited a a large smile upon her face and a tight clutch on her bag. She was captured and placed under analysis. Her case study has shown us that the following hand woven, vegetable dyed, fair trade organic cotton from Laha was to blame for her extreme condition:

She was also found to have the following product in her possession, which is believed to be made from the aforementioned fabric and was found to contain the necessary financial aid to support her addiction:

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Should you come into contact with a Fabric Addict, please take extreme caution and observe the following procedures:

Do not make eye contact. Fabric Addicts may mistake eye contact as a sign that you are eyeing off their Fabric Stash with intent to steal.

Keep your elbows pinned to your sides when inside fabric stores. Raising them even slightly may be misinterpreted as the precursor to a move called 'The Elbow', where Fabric Addicts place their elbows into a sudden death battle and the winner receives the rights to a highly-sought after piece of fabric.

Back away slowly if a low growl emits from the Fabric Addict. This is a sign of Fabric Withdrawal and can lead to extreme temperamental shifts.

Please contact the WHO immediately should you suspect that you or someone you know is suffering from this debilitating condition.

Yours Sincerely,
Manager
Executive Office of Fabric Addiction Management
World Health Organisation

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I'm Back!

2009-08-17T19:39:00.000+10:00

My darling bloggy friends! How I have missed thee!

I've taken nearly a month off from blogging in order to travel the wild roads of South East Asia, but the little niggling twitch in my left eyeball has been a constant reminder of what I miss about the blogosphere: the friendship, the crafting, the inspiration and the sharing. Enough is enough, my eyeball has said! So I have picked up the tools of the trade and am back in bloggy business.

What have we been up to for the past month? Well...

This might surprise all my regular readers, but the month has definitely been filled with eating, and a lot of eating at that. But how can I resist when it looks like this?

There has also been the checking out of shiny, pretty, golden things... and the development of a mild case of kleptomania. If only that giant Buddha would fit in my handbag...

There has been laughter, silliness, dancing, the patting of many stray cuties and endless good times with the gorgeous Sharon and the wonderful Teegs, who joined us for 3 amazing weeks.

And, you will be proud to know, I have actually left my computer (a challenge like no other, now that I own Adobe CS4 and Sims 3!) and actually seen some sights- in both Thailand and Laos!
Whew! No wonder I haven't been blogging! Sharon and I have chosen to settle in Bangkok for the next two months, though, so I'm back in action and can't wait to play in the blog-and-craftosphere.

I have many things to share with you, including new fabric, tales of a stamp carving adventure, fabulous finds from around the web, a Top Secret Project that involves fibres and an addiction, a whole new range of Etsy goodies, and an inspiring craft project that I'm going to need your help with.

Excitement, here we come! Stay tuned this week for all the news...

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A Not-So-Merry Pepperberry on this Christmas in July!

2009-07-25T18:57:00.000+10:00

'Twas the day of Christmas,

And although it was in July,

There was no reason not to celebrate,

And call on that red suited guy!

Anyone who knows anything about me is well aware that Christmas brings out that special something in me. The joyous sounds of carols, the sparkle of fairy lights, and the delicious smell of Polish cooking really bring a twinkle to my eye. So what better thing to do than to celebrate it twice in the one year? Welcome, therefore, to this very Pepperberry Christmas in July, thanks to Maggi over at Kata Mommy!

I awoke on this Christmas in July full of anticipation. Would I receive something lovely in the post, perhaps?

Unlikely, considering my letterbox is 7378 kilometres away...

Maybe something would be waiting for me under the tree?

Nope. That's not only 7378 kilometres away, but also packed away tightly in a beautiful white box...

So what would it be? Well, this Christmas, my darling Santa brought me:
- a complete computer meltdown;
- a race around sweaty Bangkok to have my motherboard replaced;
- a complete Windows OS breakdown; and
- a lovely German man who temporarily fixed my computer until Monday, when I will race around sweaty Bangkok again to have my computer fixed... again.

Oh, dear! I think someone accidentally put me on the naughty list this year!

My Christmas cheer has therefore been slightly subdued... in fact, one might call me a downright cranky pants. With that in mind, I took this quiz to find out exactly which Christmas character I am, and guess what? I'm Mrs. Claus! Apparently, my unwavering support, hospitality, and comforting touch have landed me this important role. Further, I supposedly know how to take good cheer and deliver it wherever I go, spreading warmth even on the coldest winter days.

Let me just make it clear that that's not how chirpy I look at this very moment...

However, in the spirit of the day, I still wanted to share some bloggy joy with you. I have been saving this gorgeous tutorial until that special day in December, but I simply couldn't wait any longer!

The lovely Nikki over at Project: Domestic Bliss created this spectacular, simple and cost-effective Christmas Silhouette, and now you can too with her brilliant tutorial. The possibilities, however, do not stop at Christmas- this clever idea can be used with images of your family, friends, holiday spots, pets... anything!

I'm off to carve an image of a functioning computer now. May your Christmas in July be far merrier than mine- and don't forget to tell me what you asked Santa for!

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Just Call Me The Bag Lady

2009-07-08T04:29:00.000+10:00

I was introduced to the world of sewing by a tote bag.

Ok, maybe not just a tote bag, but a tote bag that I was lucky enough to make with the help of the magnificent Cathy of Miss Marzie and Audrey & Maude fame.

I had such fun making this sexy, quick little number that I've been madly collecting tutorials for tote bags ever since. Of course, like with most of my bookmarked tutorials, I still haven't had a chance to make them! I thought I'd share them with you, my dear readers, instead- and perhaps now the pressure will be on for me to make one.

Oh, Fransson! has this whimsical Margaret Sling bag tutorial:

You'll find this rustic apple picking tote tutorial at Purl Bee:

Qamut has this tote tutorial for those of inspired by bold polka:

Grab the tutorial for this two-tone tote at Whispering Pine:

And finally, MmmCrafts has this gorgeous messanger bag tutorial:

I hope you enjoy playing with these super-simple crafty ideas! As always, let me know if you end up making one because I'd most love to see the result.

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P.S. GIVEAWAY WINNERS!: Thank you to all who entered my Tea Party giveaway and left such amusing and creative comments. I had immense trouble choosing my favourite entry, so with my magical powers, I've deemed that there shall be 6 winners! Lucky Vicki from Sew Useful Designs shall be receiving the Alice in Wonderland Passport Cover, and runners up Kami, Harley Dee, Ange Moore, Calidore, and Lizzie will receive a bookmark made out of the same fabric. Of course, winners may have to wait until I am back in the enchanting land of Oz to get their prizes... but in the meantime, please email me your postal details!

Inspired by Paris

2009-07-06T12:53:00.000+10:00

As a constant traveller, I have found that there are endless places with which I fall in love, and even some that I love enough to live in; there are only two corners of the world, however, that move me to the core of my soul. Today, I want to celebrate the first of these: the magical, enchanting city of Paris.

Vintage, classy and chic, Paris is the embodiment of design inspiration. Poets, sculptors, writers and crafters have all found a creative kinship with the city of love, and nowhere is this more obvious than at the home of homemade goodness: Etsy.

A quick search for 'Paris' will reveal nearly nine thousand results, ranging from photographic prints and scrabble tile pendants to items of clothing and magnets for your fridge.

I undertook the horrifically difficult and painful job of having to admire all the beautiful pieces that are available to find for you the ultimate in craft that is inspired by Paris:

(Clockwise from Top Left) 1. Parisian Clockfaces by Phenomenon 1859 - 2.. Children in Paris Collage Cards by Stories Divination - 3. Love Birds Photographic Print by The Left Bank - 4. Parisian Cat Passport Cover by Me! - 5. Vintage Magnet by Mind's Eye Cards - 6. Vintage Gift Tags by Blue Bird Lane - 7. Vintage Watch by Poet Summer - 8. Eiffel Tower Scrabble Pendant by Blue Finger Studios - 9. Coffee Stained Stationery Set by Seasonal Delights - 10. Corner Bookmarks by Seasonal Delights - 11. Uh La La Earrings by Jesophi - 12. Vinyl Wall Art by Savvy Gal Designs - 13. Carousel Print by Snappy Chic

Does it not simply make you sigh contentedly at its whimsical delight? If you're craving further Parisian inspiration, head across to Petits Details, one of the most beautiful French blogs on the web.

Now tell me: where in the world do you find you have a creative kinship with?

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Crafty Kuala Lumpur!

2009-07-04T13:53:00.002+10:00

Hello, my gorgeous global friends!

I write to you from Tasik Kenyir, a intensely serene and sensationally beautiful lake system in the middle of Malaysia. From where I sit, I can see thunderous mountains covered in lush tropical rainforest, a lake so blue it sparkles like sapphires in the sun, and that endless stretch of sky that can only be seen when one is on holidays.

Fear not, however; this is not going to become a travel blog! You can find that over at The Adventures of Sharon and Sandra, a blog I have started so that you can follow our 3-month journey across the wonders of South East Asia.

What I have done for my Pepperberrians instead is sourced some gorgeous creative inspiration from the streets of Kuala Lumpur, where we have spent the past 5 days. Today's crafty roundup comes in the form of patterned paper, and should hopefully tickle the fiddles of paper and fabric fanatics alike:

Aren't they simply gorgeous? Such vibrant colours and unique styles. I can't wait to see what else Malaysia has on offer!

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P.S. I have succumbed! You can now follow me on Twitter, and find my pics on Flickr.

P.P.S. To all my lovely bloggers: I may be a tad busy over the next few months, and therefore be unable to comment on your wonderful blogs. I am, however, still reading as many as I can, and would absolutely love to receive emails from you with updates of what you are up to. I promise to write back!

Why, There Is Magic In The Air...

2009-06-27T21:36:00.000+10:00

In the land of tomorrow that was thought of today but will not exist until yesterday, there was an ordinary tea cup called Mr. Teetally Tea Cup.

He lived in an ordinary house on an ordinary street with an ordinary little old lady, who had one magical secret...

She could cook extraordinary Magical Scones.

She would order her minions to gather her piles of wood and set her stove alight, making very sure it heated up to exactly 220 degrees Celcius, or 428 degrees Fahrenheit if they were travelling through the magnificent land of Ah-merr-icka.

The minions would then collect 3 cups of self-raising flour, 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, 1 cup of soy milk, and 80 grams of vegan butter, perfectly cubed; for if it was not, the ordinary lady in the ordinary house on the ordinary street would turn into an extraordinarily evil Queen of Hearts.

Once the ingredients were accumulated, the little old lady with the extraordinarily evil streak would snatch her broom and chase her minions wildly from the depths of her kitchen, as they could never be allowed to discover the Top Secret ingredient within her Magical Scones.

With a beastly cackle, she would combine the self-raising flour and caster sugar in a medium-sized bowl; using her fingertips, she would rub in the room-temperature vegan butter until the mixture resembled fine breadcrumbs. She added the soy milk all at once, and used a round-bladed knife to mix the flour and sugar together with a cutting motion. She would be sure not to over mix her mixture, but simply mix until it was mixed together evenly.

It was at this stage that she would add the most important and Top Secret ingredient of all... a potion of Love, Sweetness and Delirium.

The extraordinarily evil Queen would bring the dough together with her hands on a lightly floured surface and wickedly work it until it was smoother than the Cheshire Cat's smile. She then used her weapon of choice (an evil rolling pin) to roll out the dough to exactly 2cm thick, and once she had captured her 5cm pastry cutter, would cut out perfectly round circles before placing them on a baking tray exactly 1cm apart.

They would then go into her preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the Magical Scones were golden brown on the top and sounded hollow when she tapped the bottom of one with her bony finger. To serve, she would drench them with lashings of vegan butter, rich strawberry jam and thick, whipped vegan cream.

One sunny Sunday in September, she was making her extraordinarily Magical Scones with her Top Secret ingredient in the ordinary kitchen of her ordinary house. Unbeknownst to her, she had accidentally left Mr. Teetally Tea Cup, the ordinary tea cup, in the room with her... and he overheard her entire Magical Scone recipe!

It was in that very moment that he knew he needed to escape, before the ordinary lady in the ordinary house discovered his presence and turned her wicked ways upon him. To escape, however, he needed one very special item... a Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover.

He racked his small pink brain for hours, and in a moment of genius, knew where he could get one- from the bewitching world of Pepperberry & Co. To get there, he only needed to squeeze his eyes very tightly shut, poke his handle harder into his hip, and wiggle his nose five-and-a-half times. Within a second, the Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover appeared inside him, and he was off! Flying through space in a whirlwind of madness and kitten toes.

When he landed, it was with a thump. Dizzy and slightly sore, he rubbed his eyes and looked up into the face of the most beautiful young girl. 'Hello,' she said kindly, 'my name is Alice'. She lifted him into her arms, and gave him the sweetest rub all over his little face; suddenly, he turned the brightest of bright pinks and a blinding sparkle began to shine from his newly-golden handle. He was no longer an ordinary tea cup- he was the extraordinarily pink Mr. Teetally Tea Cup!

He wandered down a green grass lane with Alice, towards a meadow of bright pink poppies. On the way, he began to think about the Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover that had saved his life; now that he was safe as safe can be, he wanted to pass it on to one of the wonderful people who lived in the magical world of Pepperberry & Co. So, he decided that anyone who wanted to win his Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover simply needed to become a Follower of the Pepperberry & Co. blog, and leave a comment describing the most magical journey they would want to take with its help.

Oh, and whatever happened to Alice and Mr. Teetally Tea Cup? Well, they found a thick, brown trunk made from oozing vegan chocolate, and there they lived together, eating Magical Scones full of Love, Sweetness and Delirium and living happily ever after.

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