Too cool for pre-school

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MADE IN MELBOURNE

February 14, 2010 1 Comment

mim

knuffle kid. Sewn in Sunshine North. Screen-printed in Footscray. Patterns graded in Collingwood. Yardage printed in Kensington. Labels made in Thornbury. Photo-shoots at Geoffs house. Recently ate the best-ever gnocchi in Fitzroy. Found love in North Melbourne. Went to a birthday party in Abbotsford last night. Got a mention in The Sunday Age today… Made in Melbourne.

ALOHA POSTCARD

February 6, 2010 Leave a comment

aloha post card

I have had this post card floating about my studio for years – it has helped me daydream my way into an oasis many a time.

To me it shows how accessible art has become. When I was a uni student, days were filled with learning about amazing artisan’s of the world and of history, and my nights were filled with live band venues that had sticky carpet and free postcards – I would gather as many of these free pieces of art as I could and blu tac them to the crumbling walls of my rental.

I now draw inspiration from the multitude of images I’ve collected over the years, it helps me in starting the design process that eventually evolves into a new range.

Summer Time

January 21, 2010 1 Comment

Hanging by the poolWith the sun beating down on days that seem to last forever, finding a shady spot by the water with your friends, make summer time truly magical and memorable. Especially when you have the cares of a pre-schooler… life is all about having fun with your mates.
e and aThis is what happened with my latest photo shoot for my next range “Aloha Hollywood”. Which will hit the shops next summer 2010/2011.
A friend of mine has this amazing little oasis in the inner suburbs of Melbourne.last minute model - what a star A leafy backyard with a pool, chooks roaming around peeking at the grass and a fifties style brick house with an amazing black Cadillac parked in the drive (I had died and gone to heaven the first time I dropped into Geoff’s house – it’s my kinda place).
How could I not use it in one of my photo shoots – A big thanks to Julie and Geoff for the location, to my beautiful little models (plus the ring-ins who saved the day) and to Narelle for the ace photos….
Enjoy the sneak peak of next summer.
xx Em

OH… Christmas Tree

December 29, 2009 Leave a comment

Well it’s been that time of year again, Christmas has been and gone and I haven’t blogged for a while.

The craziness of Christmas plus selling our house made me a tad busy.  Oh and we hosted the Christmas brunch here – what was I thinking? Luckily it all ran smoothly… everything!

pompoms and birds nest in the chrissy tree

pompoms and birds nest in the chrissy tree

I have found that selling a house at this time of year is both a good but bad thing to do. The people buying have a massive urgency to buy, buy, buy and the market is so hot right now. The down side is in the whole “de-cluttering” thing. I like things. I like clutter.

The first thing that the agent muttered was “you will have to de-clutter quite a bit”………….. whatever.

So we did – our poor little shed, was busy already, but we de-cluttered, we pushed and shoved and crammed that little shed to breaking point. Hubby’s bikes (notice the plural) were balanced on the top of the mound of stuff and he would carefully extract them like it was a game of pick-up sticks. One wrong move and it would have been disastrous.

In all this we forgot an important box that we would need – that dusty little box that sits right at the back corner of the shed full of the Christmas decorations. I sent my skinny hubby in armed with a torch and his wits. He came out some time later sweaty, dusty and a bit grumpy clutching some lights and a couple of bobbles.

Home-made deccies it would be.

We scrapped together some wool, wrapping paper and pine cones and got busy. The girls had a lovely arvo painting the pine cones white and pink and I set about making pompoms and paper chains. It all looked smashing and we had fun doing it.

IMG_0548Oh and I love my new de-cluttered house – don’t know what I’m going to do with the junk in the shed?

Xx Em

park life

December 10, 2009 1 Comment

spinny egg timeIn an earlier blog I added a photo of me in a spinny egg at the ripe age of 5. It has got me thinking about the safety conscious parks that we have today vs. the parks of old.
Don’t get me wrong I’m all for safety – just as long as the fun has not been taken out of it!
Well I found a park – that I have to say IS the best park I have ever been to. It has a steep metal slide, spinny egg, round about swing on chains, turrets, see-saws, monsters, knights, headless ladies it has the lot.
I cannot believe that I’m about to give away this secret – people in my inner circle will be saying “NO, Emma don’t do it!” but I just have to share the love of this place.
Ready….it’s the Fairy Park in Anakie Victoria, not only does it have a great play ground but it is also has animated fairytale scenes in little caves, grottos and cottages. If you have a spare day – you have to get there.

xx em

P1020010

Vintage too Cool for Pre School

November 29, 2009 Leave a comment

For as long as I can remember vintage has always been in my vocabulary. My Mum, Grandma and Aunties are, or were, all crafty ladies.
For my Gran it wasn’t a hobby, but a way of life. She grew up at a time and on a farm where if you didn’t make it, you didn’t have it. She was so old school – she used an old wood fire driven oven until the day she died. It was a beautiful matt black oven trademarked “Luxe” – with pots and kettles bubbling away on top and delicious smells of rock cakes and Anzacs coming from the oven. There was a little door that flipped open where you could feed the wood into it. My grandpa was constantly resting his well darned socks on the little door while sitting in the comfy armchair beside it, half asleep and as full as a goog (as he would say). We would toast our bread with our toasting forks in the embers and to grandmas frown we would flick water onto the stove to hear it hiss at us. It was an edifice that symbolized family life and it’s a time that will stick with me forever.

fabrics for vintage dresses

fabrics for vintage dresses

It has helped to shape who I am and the practices I use in my working life. It’s about not cutting corners and to use everything until it’s broken and then fixing it to make it work again. I cannot walk past a vintage curtain/table cloth/sheet without seeing the potential for it to become something again – to give it new life.
See my new reversible vintage dresses that are available now. To stock or buy email – emma@knufflekid.com

Moo soup definitely to cool for pre-school

November 23, 2009 Leave a comment

I dont think its alive - Moo Soup just chillin'

I dont think its alive - Moo Soup just chillin'

Imagine my surprise….. whilst looking for some frozen peas the other day, I found a little plastic cup filled to overflowing with frozen water, grass, rocks, flowers and I don’t want to know what else. It was propped up against some frozen pita bread in the depths of my freezer.

“AVA”

“What Mumma?”

“What is this?”

“Umm Moo Soup – what does it look like!”

Well I won’t say here what it looked like, but I just love the whole dar fred type expression Ava wore on her face. I obviously have no idea about cow’s and the fact that they love soup.

Well we are truly catered for if a cow comes over for dinner, but if it’s just plain old humans, maybe we will just stick to my good ol’ favorite bacon and pumpkin soup – I know it’s a winter dish, but in light of all the rain we had on the weekend I think I can just get away with it.

Emma’s Pumpkin Soup.

A glug of olive oil

Bacon – now this is giving away a big secret…. Use Andrew the sausage king’s – it is the best!

1 large pumpkin (the sort that you carve at Halloween)

Garlic

Red onion

Enough chicken stock to cover it all – preferably homemade from left over roast

Finely grated parmesan

Greek yoghurt

Heat oil in big pot, add the garlic and onion and cook until it has softened. Add bacon and cook until it has started to brown. Add the pumpkin – push it around with the wooden spoon for a bit and then cover the lot with the chicken stock. Let it boil and then cover it and let it simmer for about half an hour. Put it in a blender until smooth. Gently reheat, add parmesan, salt and ground black pepper and then serve with a dollop of yoghurt…..yum

the month of markets

November 23, 2009 Leave a comment

MMM shoppers

MMM shoppers

It’s done and dusted, the month of markets is over for good old Knuffle. That little goat did well amongst the crowds at both the Maribrynong Makers Market (MMM) and Mathilda’s Market (MM) – lots of M’s there!

The MMM is a favorite of ours, it’s the place where this whole business first started. Knuffle was fresh and brand new at the very first MMM, and my, haven’t they both come such a long way! The market was busting at its seams and had to take over the local park down the road to accommodate all of the fresh crafty talent in the area – by the way it’s my local market – so I just have to love love love it!

Mathilda’s Market fell on a day when we had more rain in 24hrs than we normally have in a month…. But no, that didn’t keep the crowds away. The inclement weather seemed to entice the punters into the beautiful town hall. I love this market – nice and early on a Sunday and it’s over by 1pm, which leaves me the afternoon to hang with my family. Aaarrh the best of both worlds.

Market dates for the new year coming soon.

Grass heads too cool for pre-school

November 12, 2009 Leave a comment

Mr PooPoo and Mrs Pella - named by a 4 year old

Mr PooPoo and Mrs Pella - named by a 4 year old

A friend recently introduced me to a great craft idea to do with the kids.
Introducing Mr and Mrs Grass Head – these great little guys sit happily on the window sill watching the world go by, growing their hair, waiting for their next style and cut.
They are made from those good old sock’s that seem to have lost their mate in the wash – they have to be put to some good use I guess.

This is what you need to produce them;

trim time

trim time

- 1 x odd sock
- Soil with grass seeds mixed into it
- Buttons for the eyes and nose
- And a container to hold them

ready for the army - lucky it grows back

ready for the army - lucky it grows back

Fill the sock with the soil and seed mixture, enough to make a head shape and tie into a knot. Leaving the excess of the sock, to be a wick in the container.
Sew on the buttons for the eyes and nose.
Completely wet the head and dip the wick into the container that is filled with water.

Put it in a sunny spot to start the photosynthesis of the grass.

To maintain the little fella, just keep the water levels in the container up and give little mist sprays on the head to maintain his lovely complexion. Cut hair at will or in Mr Poo Poo’s case trim moustache also – I guess it is Movember.
Enjoy…

Xx em

to market to market

November 8, 2009 Leave a comment

poll postion at Sister's Market

poll postion at Sister's Market

to market to market to sell a fat goat…….home again home again I sold tonnes of stuff!
I shouldn’t refer to Knuffle as fat I know and if I’m gonna rhyme it should at least…. well rhyme.
Oh well not to worry.
Ahhrr the month of markets has begun here in the world of kk and it started off with a bang.
It was Saturday and it was hot….. and the crowd was out at Sisters market in Brunswick.
Let me just say I had primo position right outside the front door, no one could resist a little peak at the frocks hanging at eye height as they passed by into the big old building that is the Brunswick Town Hall. I must admit that when I first found out I was outside and it was going to be over 30 degrees, I did have a little bit of a wig out. Those who know me, know all about my crazy fare skin – it burns at the thought of the sun and if my head gets hot I turn into a tomato and my ability to speak or think is nil (it’s an unfortunate Tasmanian gene, that I was hoping after living in Melbourne for ten years, it might subside just a little – but alas it is how I was made). Luckily I was greeted with the big ol’ edifice of a building with shady cool solid walls that I leant against all day. They just don’t build them like they use to.
So a big thanks goes out to the lovely sisters Roberta and Marianna for giving me such an ace spot on my first market with them – they inform me that they will be venturing out to St Kilda in the New Year. Sounds like a good plan ladies.
Any hoo enough of my dribble about being hot (I can see my long suffering husband rolling his eyes at me, cause I’m “going” on about being hot. We honeymooned in Vietnam… but that’s a whole other story.)

new bag's for markets

new bag's for markets

Back to the market…..I got to see a bunch of stall holders that I’m getting to know from the “market/trade show scene” which was great. I love the fact that I can make a bit of extra pocket money while catching up with friends without having little cling-on’s attached. Some of the familiar faces where Keiki Designs – with their cute little frocks/bloomers in ace fabric, Wendy June – who just makes me want to pick up some pencils and draw, love her stuff, Rileah Designs – my present cupboard is full of her hair accessories and Little Bubble and Tree – we seem to follow each other around the markets – love that fabric girl.
Some new friends I made are; Chuckles – damn cute sock monkeys, I couldn’t resist the red and white striped pirate one for Ruby, she’s gonna love it to death. Another amazing stall was Angus and Celeste – truly talented jewelry designers I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy anything…next time for sure. Tinker had some damn cute stuff also – I have a bit of a thing about birds at the moment…so do they!
Next market to catch me at is the Maribyrnong Makers Market this Saturday 14th Gamon Street Seddon – if you’re in the area drop in, it will be big, lots of stalls in two venues and a little festival in the park.
Xx em