There is always a moment on a long haul flight that I like to just gaze out the window and get lost in my thoughts.
It’s the inbetween, when I’m hours from my departure city and still a way from touching down at my destination.
If it’s on the way to somewhere as opposed to heading home it’s laden with anticipation of new experiences and inspiration.
This was that inbetween moment on our way to Japan in May.
In November Mr Petal & Pins and I headed to Adelaide to do our 4th Bowerbird Design Market.
We love this event for all sorts of reasons – and although it’s work it’s also lots of fun, although not so much the 4am start to catch our flights (2) to get to Adelaide in time to set up!
We get to share our story and products directly to consumers and chat with other designers and makers from all around the country running creative businesses just like us.
And then there is the food…our favourite this time was from The Seasonal Garden Cafe. Their endeavour is to celebrate seasonal produce serving simple, peasant food that is guided by what is available from their cafe garden and from the gardens of local growers – and they certainly delivered that in a very delicous way!
Equally impressive was their stand display so I took some photos to share with you.
On a recent trip to Melbourne we went back to Heide – this time with friends, picnic supplies, and time to linger.
These are a few of the photos I took of the Heide II kitchen garden in which Sunday Reed worked daily until just before her death in 1981. It’s a beautiful serene garden so I can imagine the joy of being in it daily – despite the sign warning to be aware of snakes!
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
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.
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…
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… 
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!
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?
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…
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?
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
I celebrated International Womens Day by chatting to my dear friend Deb on the phone while we both had a cup of tea – it’s a bit of a tradition now that we do this on International Womens Day and you can read about how this tradition grew in my post Serendipity & Teacups.
I’ve met and been inspired by a lot of amazing women over the years teachers, colleagues, customers and peers and I met a whole new bunch of amazing women recently when I attended Katie Hunt’s Paper Camp in Los Angeles.
Paper Camp Tradeshow Bootcamp is a 2 day workshop for small independent stationery designers wanting to wholesale their designs in the US and thinking of showing at the National Stationery Show trade fair in New York – (a girl’s got to dream!)
It was all sorts of amazing – the practical and insightful program delivered by Katie and the other wonderful ‘camp councillors’ generous with their knowledge and experience , the open armed friendliness and conversations with the other ‘campers’ over meals and a wind down glass of wine each evening.
Two days of stationery talk and learning with other people as passionate about it as me was more incredible than I could have imagined and importantly SO useful for turning ideas and dreams into plans and moving forward.
Our list of stockists is growing and this year includes our first UK one! – Atelier 19 in Chelternam and a new US one, Lavender Hill Florals in Indiana so if there isn’t one near you yet hopefully there will be soon.
To see if there is see our stockists list or browse our range on the petal & pins online shop – we ship worldwide!
PS. the lady with the violet hat is from our new Atelier Pétale range and of course the perfect floral choice for International Womens Day!
And just like that summer is over…I feel like I missed it I’ve been so busy but I did get to go for a blissful swim in the ocean in Sydney before I flew to Los Angeles to attend a paper camp for small independent stationery designers.
Crossing the international dateline is a strange thing depending on which way you’re travelling, I lost a Tuesday on the way back and it was offically autumn when I arrived home.
I love after I’ve been away to wander in the garden and see what’s different from when I left – the apples now have their rosey tint, the dogwood leaves are turning russet and the hydrangea hues are fading.
Today I’m joining Cathy from Rambling in The Garden for In a Vase On Monday and while mine is showing the beginnings of autumn in my garden hers will be decidedly showing the delights of spring!
Cathy invites you to take a few minutes to pick something where you are (even if it involves a bit of foraging) and share by leaving a link to and from her weekly post.
For weeks months we’ve been busy preparing for petal & pins debut at our first ever trade fair next week in Sydney and if that wasn’t excitement enough, tomorrow we have our first design market appearance for 2016 at The Barn Market.
Being the day before Valentine’s Day there is sure to be a little love in the air and I’ve been making paper ephemera love tokens to sell along with the Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe cards and prints.
I chose our beautiful Elliot Erwitt’s Paris book to style a photo with. On a trip to Venice a few years ago we saw a wonderful exhibition of this famous photographer’s work at the La Casa Dei Tre Oci gallery on the island of Guidecca.
My love tokens have various little salutations, some romantic, some cheeky!
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day I dedicate this post to Mr Petal & Pins – as Ella Fitzgerald sang in My Funny Valentine – ‘you make me smile with my heart’.
PS. Let’s go to Venice again!
Sandra X
Petal & Pins 