Our Christmas Tree in the making

I love a fresh Christmas tree, I love the smell, I don't like the idea of cutting down a tree that has grown for years and will only last a month.

So here is this year's answer to a tree. It is made from driftwood collected from the beach. I have a feeling that we aren't supposed to take these from the beach so sshh, don't tell anyone! ;)

Here is last year's Christmas tree. With a little toddler on the run we decided that it was safer to just have a 2D tree.

Wishlist Wednesday

1. This would definitely suit my little babe for Christmas! From bohemian babes on madeit.

2. If I just shut my eyes I could just pretend that there's no nasty food colouring in this one. How amazing does this look! Found at Whisk Kid.

3. A Polaroid SX-70. I just love the rainbow colours that run through the middle of the camera. And I love bokeh! Image stolen from Brandon Warren on Flickr.

4. I first spotted these on someone's blog yesterday. Then I saw one on a friend today.
So in love! MadebyEmilyGreen from Melbourne.

5. So I have 3 tattoos that I got done in Mexico and Ecuador when I was much younger. I don't like them much at all now. I have been completely against getting any more tattoos until now! I saw a girl at work with a babushka tattoo on her leg and my heart started racing. It was just gorgeous.

(Don't worry Mum, I'm not really going to get one! I just WISH that I could!)

This one was posted by babushka_baby done by Marc at 2012 Tattoo, Newcastle.

Ta da! 36 hair clips done.

I am currently without my good camera so please excuse the quality of the photographs. I have finally finished a round of hair clips. They are the first lot that I have made since last year! They are 'non-slip', great for babies' hair, all backed with felt. I made an effort not to put too many buttons on, so that I am not stressing about the littlies choking on them.

I have packaged them onto card leftover from the cereal boxes and glued old atlas pages on top. I printed a little blurb for the back with contact details etc.

Anyways, they are all for sale at the Red Lantern Night Market coming up this Saturday night.

How much would you pay for one of these?

Scrappy hair clips are back.

I'm just in the middle of making a round of the scrappy hair clips that were so successful last year. There's not going to be many, so be quick if you want to grab one!

At the Red Lantern Markets in the Hunter Street Mall, Newcastle. I'll be there on the 20th November.

Encircled will be appearing at the Red Lantern Markets

My little brand 'encircled' will be making an appearance at the Red Lantern Markets in the Newcastle Hunter Street Mall this coming Saturday night, 20th November, 4 till 10pm. I will be having a selection of girls dresses, pencil cases, coin purses and hair clips all made from upcycled fabrics and many items hand screen printed.

The initial Red Lantern Market will feature rickshaw rides, a body-painting exhibition, street performance, Earthen Rhythms African Drumming, ‘Efendi Jaenudin’ Indonesian Music Ensemble and a fire-twirling exhibition.

Additionally, ‘Livesites’ will collaborate with the Night Market and produce an evening of ‘Dancing in the Streets’, at the David Jones end of the mall’.

Stay up to date with the happenings of the market on their blog: http://redlanternnightmarket.blogspot.com/

I think I can feel another useless collection coming on.

I have been seeing these gorgeous floral flour sifters at some of our second hand markets. I have been avoiding buying them, because seriously, why do I need another flour sifter? Well this time we were at the Wickham markets and I just couldn't help myself. So here I now have the most delightful flour sifter to add to my utterly useless dust collecting collection of "stuff". But I can tell you that I am in love with it :)

Trains, Art Galleries & Op Shops. Oh my.

Yesterday we made the train journey out to Maitland to visit their fantastic art gallery. They put on some brilliant kids holiday programs. The theme for the pipsqueak littlies yesterday was to create some play food to coincide with one of the current exhibitions 'Lunch with the Trades'.

We made some sandwiches with cardboard bread filled with shredded coloured paper. A soft drink of red cellophane with a bendy straw (no ADD symptoms to deal with here!), Styrofoam cupcakes, stickered lollypops and cutout cookies. Junior Masterchef, eat your heart out!

I think I had more fun creating the food more than miss 2.5 did. The Maitland Art Gallery is well worth a visit. It has free entry & a fabulous gift shop. Some of the kids programs cost a little bit of money, but are cheaper if you are a member.

After all the fun and food, we took the kids to the play ground next door and wore them out. They crashed out in their prams and my friend and I managed to briefly raid some of the awesome op shops that Maitland has to offer. I think I could spend an entire day trawling the op shops of Maitland.

Not sure where Maitland Art Gallery is? Here's a map.