we're baaack!!

Yup we made it out the other side of Christmas and are back to our peaceful little home in Blackmans bay after a couple of day on the North West coast with family.
We did have a nice time and it wasn't all wasted on sitting around talking and doing nothing we actually got out a bit and I took Allan around to few of my favourite places around the area as I was born and breed there .

The highlight of the trip was our visit to Sheffield where we met a lovely Chap by the name of Matthew Simms.
I have been familiar with Matthew for many years though his handmade chairs that he made completely by hand, no electric tool from my knowledge, I could be wrong though.
He also makes Musical instruments, which he can be seen playing nearly everyday at the highlander Cafe in Sheffield main street.

The day we went in with the kids Matthew was playing a set of pipes that we later found out that he had made them all from scratch.
After Ruby started doing a jig to his music and he came over to say hello, we all got talking and found out that Matthew had also written a couple of books one that had already been published called Mackle Pickle and one of short poems for children, the book he had made as a mock-up was very sweet he had cut some stamps and printed the pages and had hand written the poems.
I couldn't help myself I offered to print his little book for him using the letterpress and add some more illustrations cut out of lino and print them for him.

We then got talking about music and explained that Allan is a composer and they resided that they may be able collaborate on something together, we ended back up in Sheffield the next day over the road in another cafe that has a piano for a little jam session.
It was pretty interesting hearing the pipes and the Piano together, it must have sounded ok because the cafe owner was thrilled and was Happy for Allan to have a concert there on :
Saturday 13th of February, at The Blacksmiths Cafe, Main street Sheffield
If you are in the area you are more than welcome to come along, there isn't a cover charge as far as I know but Allan would love for people to purchase a cd in appreciation.
We are hoping that Matthew will maybe bring along his pipes and join in with a bit of improvisation with Allan.
So all in all we had a lovely time over Christmas,
You just never know when you are going to meet someone very special like Matthew and have such a lovely creative collaboration happen.
Allan and I are very excited about it and can't wait to get back up to Sheffield.

Introducing Elizabeth Barsham

I have been wanting to do a little feature on a very good friend of mine for a while now, her name is Elizabeth Barsham, she is a local painter/sculptor who lives in Lindisfarne Tasmania and I am proud to be able to call her a friend.
I first came Across Elizabeth early last year when I had decided that it was about time I learnt how to paint in oils, after many years of procrastinating over it.
So off I went trawling the internet for a teacher and it wasn't long before I found Elizabeth in amongst all the old traditional landscape and still life painters.
I knew Elizabeth was the one to teach me, she was different and she had guts and she was well and truly an original.
I think the first thing that stuck me about her work is its complexity of tone and colour, the depth of her painting draw you in and there is no escape! I love that and I thought that if I was going to learn how to paint I was going to need someone like her to teach me.

Anyway I umed and ahhed about contacting her for ages then I realised she took adult ed classes so I signed up and took her class and I guess the rest is history we became friends
I hold an enormous amount of respect for Elizabeth and her Intelligence, humour and genuinely friendly manor, oh and her painting are pretty good too. Elizabeths very well behaved models for her
Barbie Does Bagdad Etching

If you are interested in seeing more of Elizabeths work or maybe becoming a student in one of her classes take a look at her web page here http://tasmanian-gothic.com/ or her blogger here http://tasmanian-gothic.blogspot.com/


There will be more on Elizabeth at a later date as we have decided to do a handmade letterpress printed book collaboration together It should turn out to be a very interesting project going on some of the ideas we both come up with at times lol
So stay tuned and hang on folks it could be a rough ride !!!

Calling Christopher William guitar hero jensen

Hi baby I miss you and haven't heard a peep out of you for weeks you really should call your mother from time to time I worry about you buddy
Anyway I just wanted to tell you I love you and I will see you up at little Nannies on Christmas day
I'm aaaaaaaaaaa lovin Yoooooooooooooooooooou!!
xxx Mum

10 Days on the Island 2012 cancelled for Opera Australia

I was just looking at my facebook and came across a post about 10 days on the Island being cancelled due to a visit from the Australian opera company http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/oz-opera-visit-cancels-ten-days-on-the-island/

Ten Days on the Island will be cancelled in 2012, due to terms and conditions for a five-day Australian Opera tour organised by the Sydney-based Australian Council for the Arts. The AO will be performing two nights in Hobart and one in Launceston, with the program not being decided until late 2011 by managers and executives in Sydney. Public relations for the AO point out that this tour, the biggest in the State’s history, will ‘interpolate Tasmania on the world’s cultural cosmos’, and draw hundreds of thousands of cultural ‘guests’ to the Isle.
Furthermore, in the fortnight before or in the week after the AO’s tour, no local TV or radio station may broadcast any opera-related material, nor can local artistic, cultural or entertainment activities can take place. This means, for example, that no cinemas in Hobart and Launceston, or within an 80km radius of each city, can operate during the exclusion period.

now when I read this I really thought it was a joke but I am afraid it is serious .

Concert At Meadowbank vinyard

I know I am a bit late posting this but It's better late than never I guess .
My very talented Husband Allan is having a concert tomorrow at the very classy Meadowbank Vineyard at Cambridge tomorrow afternoon at 3pm ticket are $20
Please come along and hear all new composition of Allans new Album Mandala of Sayla and Ava, an album of beautiful instrumental pieces played on the piano with flute and Cello.
Allan has worked very hard over the past year to compose these pieces and It would be wonderful to share it with people, so please try to come along and support a local talent.

newly listed on etsy

These have just been newly listed on my etsy if you are still looking for little Christmas tags or a little gift for anyone special you are sure to find something on my etsy store



http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyvictoria

I have been blogged!!

Not once but twice !!!!
I recieved and email a little while age from Anna of the Matilda's market saying that she had been thrilled to receive my application for the 2010 market in Hobart and that she had blogged me here
http://mathildasmarket.blogspot.com/ How lovely is that !!!

Also earlier last week I was features on
http://www.indie.com.au/ in their festive tags and trinkets column.

I feel very lucky and grateful to be feature on these two wonderful web pages.

Please visit both have a look at my special features and take a nice long look around both these pages as they are brim full of loveliness .
Please support all your local makers and designers and have a Happy Handmade Christmas.
Narelle xx

New item just listed in my Etsy and Madeit stores

Just listed in my Etsy and Made it store are there lovely debossed letterpress notecards
there is a set of 5 , they come with 5 recycled envelopes and are all tied together with Italian cotton butchers twine, just Beautiful!
These would be great for someone that has everything for Christmas, there is also an option to change the text and colour to what you would prefer as well.

SO just go check it out there is heaps of other nice things in both store to choose from .
just follows these links
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36746880

http://www.madeit.com.au/storecatalog.asp?userid=1983

Happy Shopping XX

market updates

Well it was a seriously hectic weekend but it all ended very well for all concerned I think !
There were alot of people through both the beach and the sandy bay markets which was nice to see and the weather was good to us as well always a plus on market day.

These were my last two market for the years and I will be taking it a little easier but will still be working on new stuff for next year, getting some drawing done and actually carve out some new blocks which I am especially looking forward to.
I will still be filling orders from etsy and Made it through the Christmas period so if you want to order anything feel free to visit my store and make a request.

market melt down in progress

I just have to say that this weekends markets have created a fair amount of anxiety in me.
As I type I still have things unfinished nothing too serious but just enough to get me upset and the fact that the tables at one of the markets have shrunk to half the normal sized , so that in itself is enough to make me go into a complete decision making melt down .
DEEP BREATH - DEEP BREATH - DEEPBREATH!!!!!
Oh my Gawd ! forgot to put the blooming Christmas tree in the photo so I have that too !!!!!!
Cup of tea and some curry and I will think about getting my act together ,get the car packed up and off I go ! sounds pretty simple really doesn't it !!!

I hope to see many of you readers at the markets and as i always say please make yourself known and say hello xxx

Letterpress love and surprises in the post

hi everyone yep I have been at it again buying stuff online .
Firstly I bought one of the upcycled journal off Isis http://www.etsy.com/shop/isis for a good friend of mine for Christmas and lovely Isis send me a little surprise in the shape of 3 little badges, since I have been attending markets I have become quite partial to the odd brooch and I have been holding the erge back to buy as I know that once I start I wont be able to stop.
the other purchases are of yes letterpress type a lovely 36pt bold font from my mate John in Queensland and a perpetual calendar from the UK so I can make my own limited edition handmade calendars, I have had ideas floating around in my head for a while now !

recent aquisitions

I have been very lucky lately to be able to pick up a few lovely things for my letterpress business and also this lovely calendar by Lori Dean Dyment, Lori creates the most beautiful monotype prints and her Etsy shop is really worth a look. http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeanDymentStudios
She has been a solid favourite of mine since I first joined Etsy and remains to be so I adore her work.

My other two purchases have been a nice find, both used for shaving lead type one a straight edge the other for angle so that I can make mitred boarder frames.
I have also got a small book press on its way and some lovely 36pt type will post photos when they arrive.

A FRONT PAGE PIC ON ETSY

Wow Just got an email from Luisa saying I got a front page spot on Etsy, I went to have look and it was gone NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Damn it!! I didn't get to see it, so no picture of it I'm afraid, it would have been nice to see what they had grouped my flora note card and tag set with though
Oh well !!


I just went back and had a look and it was there Yieeeeeeeeeeeee !! on a happy high now thanks Lusia for letting me know xxx

Blackmans bay beach market & The design market

Yes call me crazy but I will be attending two markets in one weekend I have called in the backup support team and we are going to be there to provide the best in Letterpress printing in Tasmania.

The Blackmans Bay beach market
11th & 12th of December Friday night is from 4pm - 8pm Saturday from 9am - 4pm

There is promised to be a huge amount of handmade goodies to be snapped up for Christmas pressies and decorations, cards, fresh flowers there is even going to be face painting for the little one and a bbq so come along and support your local makers
The Hall can be found along the Esplanade at Blackmans bay Beach just along from the Restaurant and beside the skate park.

Next is
The Market
At the masonic Hall Sandy Bay road,Hobart opposite St david Park,
13th of December Sunday 10am - 5pm
I have attended this market a couple of times before and it has never failed to impress me, the girls that organise this market do an outstanding job setting up and advertising it and we alway have a bumper crowd through the door.
It really is one of the best markets I have been to and the stall holders are carefully chosen to provide the best there is to offer in Hand made/design and art in Tasmania.

I feel very proud to be apart and particularily fond of this market as it was one of the first that I introduced Ruby Victoria Letterpress to the general public to a fabulous response.
I hope to see all the regulars and hopefully some new people at the next market and as I always say Please don't feel shy about saying hello if you have seen my blog and would like to ask me anything about what I do and the letterpress machine.

This Is the last design Market before christmas so it will be well worth visiting so that you dont miss out on getting something extra special and handmade for you loved ones this year.