Craft & Design | Petal & Pins

October 9, 2019

Spring Notes

I’d like to say I sat down to this cup of tea and spent a few hours sketching but it’s just a pretty tableau to show off the beautiful detail inside the cover of our petal & pins notebooks that we released at the beginning of Spring. It’s exciting to go from an idea, finesse a design and then hold a new product in my hands.

The posy in the photo is from my patchwork hedge, there is lilac, crabapple blossom, japonica, beauty bush and a rose and if I’m lucky (like this year) their flowering overlaps for a colourful spring display.

The hedge inspired the patchwork dress which features in our Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe card collection. A sundress design I like to think of as conjuring up weekends wandering around markets or picnics with friends.

I timed the photoshoot perfectly because now it’s raining – the garden will love that and I’ll go and put the kettle on for a cup of tea I’ll actually get to drink before sorting stock to pack for the Made by Hand Market this weekend at Hazelhurst Arts Centre.

Made By Hand Artisan Market

10 – 3 Sunday 13 Oct 2019

Hazelhurst Arts Centre

782 Kingsway, Gymea, NSW

This event is part of Sydney Craft Week see what other events are on here, and if you’re out and about in Sydney on the sunday come and say hello!

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June 15, 2018

Just A Card

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I was excited for our lapel pins to arrive, just in time to wear at our upcoming trade fair in Melbourne!

Have you heard of the Just A Card Campaign? It came about when British artist & designer Sarah Hamilton saw the quote “If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought ‘just a card‘ we’d still be open” by store keepers who’d recently closed their gallery.

This prompted a call to action! Designer/Makers and independent shops and galleries needed a voice and so in 2015 Sarah started the wonderful Just A Card campaign.

Sarah says “when you buy JUST A CARD, just a book, just a gift etc from an independent shop or creative business you’re not just buying a card…you’re supporting passion, skill, creativity, originality and community” – I couldn’t put it better myself!

Many of the shops that sell my work are small independent stores with passionate owners, so my sucess is also linked to their sucess.

While the Just A Card Campaign started in Britian it’s message has resonated globally with designers, makers, and independent shops and galleries and next week is a 3rd Birthday celebration of just how far it’s come.

Coming from a small island off an island (my old atlas doesn’t even name it!) by necessity gives me a “there’s a whole world out there” focus on where I’d like petal & pins to be so I’ll be participating in their Five Day Instagram Challenge and I invite you to follow along – @petalandpins

How can you get involved?

Follow Just A Card on twitter and Instagram
Download a poster and put it up in your event or shop.
Like, comment or share the social media posts of designers, makers and independent shops and galleries whose work you love.
Re-post this blog post!

And finally as Sarah says – by all means compliment people, it makes the world a far sunnier place, but if you can, please, buy ‘just a card‘!

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Image | May 1, 2018

petal & pins Mothers Day card and Perle d'Or card

March 26, 2018

Flower Lamp

autumn style mantle by petal & pins

I’m joining Cathy from Rambling in the Garden for In A Vase On Monday albiet with one I arranged on Saturday night as it’s raining this morning.

It’s been raining on and off for the last four days – not that I’m complaining because the garden needs it and it’s the perfect excuse as the mornings get darker to pull the quilt up tighter and ignore the alarm clock for a few minutes more.

I love this time of year when summer gives way to autumn, it feels like life slows a little and reminds you to take a moment to just breathe and be still – which is funny really because as the days get shorter you would think it woud bring a sense of urgency that you have less time to do all that needs to be done!

The hydrangeas have just about finished for the season but their late season faded colours are a favourite of mine and I’ve been leaving them to dry in vases around the house.

On Saturday evening after a day of grey skies and rain I decided to add a bit of autumn style to the mantle piece by filling a large cylindrical glass vase with dried hydrangea heads intertwinded with fairy lights.

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Want to try making your own ‘Flower Lamp’ vase? This is what you’ll need.

glass vase or jar
dried hydrangeas
secateurs or scissors to remove the stems close to the flower heads
fairy lights

I have used Down To The Woods battery operated LED string lights that are on malleable wire that can be twisted and scrunched. The small battery box can be neatly tucked out of sight behind the vase so you can easily turn it off and on when you want!

I love the soft cozy effect the twinkling vase creates and I’m now keen to try out the idea with autumn leaves.

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September 7, 2017

Out & About This Spring

spring 2017 tableau greenery dress and perle d'or

We’ll be making a few market & fair appearances this Spring so why not come and say hello!

First up on Sunday 17th September is The Market. Hobart – this curated design market of local Tasmanian artists + makers is held in the charming old Masonic Temple 3 Sandy Bay Rd from 10 to 3.

On the 23rd & 24th of September we are excited to be heading to Launceston to be a part of the Blooming Tasmania Flower & Garden Show held in Princes Park & Albert Hall – there is a terrific program planned for this event and you will find us at stand 46 inside Albert Hall so do come and have a chat and see all our new designs.

Sydneysiders we’re heading your way too so pencil Sunday 8th October in your diary! We will be at the annual Made By Hand Market at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery 782 The Kingsway Gymea. Always a lovely event with stalls in the gallery and gardens -why not grab a friend and make a day of it with lunch at the gallery cafe too.

November you will find us at the Bowerbird Design Market in Adelaide – a hand picked selection of independent Australian designers. With over 160 stalls, it’s the perfect place to seek, explore, find and collect unique high quality wares. Held over three days from the 24th to 26th at the Adelaide Showground Fri 4 – 9pm Sat + Sun 10 – 5pm

Hope to see you at one of these events – we love getting to meet and chat!

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July 5, 2017

Starry Nights & Fairy Lights

petal & pins winter blues

This Friday we’re heading to Launceston for the Starry Starry Night Niche Market. The beautiful Albert Hall will be transformed to a winter wonderland of fairy lights and local designer + makers will show their wares.

For those of you not in Tasmania I’ll be sharing some pictures from Starry Starry Night during the event on instagram and facebook I invite you to follow along to see the magic conjured up in the wonderful 1890’s building and take advantage of shopping from the petal & pins online store with *FREE worldwide shipping all weekend (starting from today!) by entering the code STARRYNIGHT at the checkout.

*offer ends midnight AEST Sunday 9th July 2017

PETAL & PINS ONLINE SHOP

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May 29, 2017

Moments In May

Another month is drawing to a close – where did the time go! Here are a few moments in May to give you an idea of what I’ve been up to.

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It started with a trip to Adelaide for the Bowerbird Design Market, a fun three days to showcase all things petal & pins, chat with familar faces and new amongst the market goers, catch up with other designer makers and have a glass or two of South Australian wine… envelopes

when we got back we couldn’t put it off any longer – we needed more envelopes – that’s 5000 sitting on our doorstep…so I’ve been ‘sleeving’ cards… Autumn patterns

I started @thehobarthaberdasher on instagram to sell some of my sewing stash…fabrics, trimming, beautiful laces – if you’re a sewer or crafter take a look, I’m happy to post world wide!

petal & pins greeting card and quinces

and while I’ve been giving away bags of apples from our garden, someone gave me quinces from theirs. With a supply of homemade quince jelly from last year I decided to just use them decoratively – a large bowlful on the dining table and that lovely yellow was perfect for a photo prop with my banksia rose greeting card don’t you think? handmade postcards

I did a ‘Postcards Over the Edge’ Workshop with Tasmanian artist Lynne Fellowes at the Schoolhouse Gallery – a fun and creative way to spend a day with a couple of friends…

cherry tree in autumn and I’ve watched the cherry tree turn golden and loose it’s leaves…so in the garden I’ve been sweeping and raking.

What have been some of your Moments in May?

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March 17, 2017

Vintage Niche

petal & pins at Niche market

Vintage Niche Market – Design & Wine.

Niche is held three times each year in Launceston, the heart of the Tamar Valley wine growing region in Tasmania.

Saturday March the 18th Niche is celebrating ‘Vintage’: the time of year when grapes are harvested and our wineries start serious production of the region’s famous cool climate pinot, riesling and sav blanc varities.

petal & pins is joining other Tasmanian designers + makers and a small selection of wineries representing the Tamar Valley Wine Route to celebrate and 20% of all sales goes to support childrens disability service St Giles.

If you’re in the region why not drop in and say hello!

Vintage Niche Market

Saturday 18th March 2017

8am to 3pm

Albert Hall, Launceston

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February 6, 2017

Loose Threads

I’ve been wanting to make some handmade paper again for ages.

I’ve been collecting loose threads from silk fabric scraps to add to a recycled paper pulp mix, storing the lustrous strands in a heart shaped chocolate tin from Maxim’s De Paris until I had that elusive spare moment to do it.

Sunday morning I finally got around to it having decided that soaking some shredded old bills and correspondence earlier in the week would be a way of prompting that elusive spare moment to appear!

I went for a fairly rough mix – I like how you can spot the odd hint of a typeface and I also threw a handful of geranium petals in…and some glitter too!