It's GIVEAWAY Time...

This Giveaway is now Closed :0)
Giveaway!!

Did I mention that we're having a giveaway??

Thank you to everyone who took part in the poll that was held on our Facebook page.  Although the Octopus was a one vote winner, we have decided to go with response number two which was a gift voucher (but if you want an octopus we'll make one available!!)

It's easy and open to all MooBeeTees followers world-wide.

All you need to do is this:

1. Visit MooBeeTees and tell us what you want to see us make more of,

and

2. What you want us to stop making :0)

That's it - two entries into the giveaway right there.

If you would like more entries you can also do the following:

3. Follow our Blog (although that might encourage us to write more!)

4. Follow us on Twitter (moobeetees - it's not tricky!)

5. Retweet/Tweet about our giveaway on twitter (it's only one extra entry, but it will mean great karma points for helping us out!)

 Tweet

There's another three entries!

Make sure you post each of your entries seperately in the comments below and don't to forget to include your email address at least once.

The winner will be selected randomly using www.random.org.

The giveaway will finish at 5:00pm, 30 May 2011 AEST.

Good Luck!

Look Who's Making Their Debut...

No, it's not MooBee - far too young!  It's MooBeeTee's new Plushies!!

I have been working away on some deisgns and these three are the first to be let loose at The Handmade Show on Sunday (20/03/2011).  Rabbits are always favourites with the kiddies, so they will be available first.  I think monkeys will be will be next.  So here they are - straight from the sewing room:

Nearly all of the plushies will be created flat - that is no bits that can fall off - so they will be suitable for all ages.  I will however be indulging myself and making some Special Edition plushies - the first of these has been inspired by my fabulous friends accross at Voodoo Rabbit (thanks to their fabulous fabrics and love of all things bunny!).  Here's a closer look at my Voodoo inspired Bunny:

I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!  What other animals would you like to see me apply the Moobeetees touch too?

The Handmade Show - Blood Sweat and, hopefully not, Tears!!

For those of you who may have been down a mineshaft with 34 Chilean miners over the last couple of months, you may have missed the fact the The Handmade Show is expericencing a rebirth.  The original concept of the wonderful Celeste Wong, The Handmade Show is a boutique crafters' and artisans' market which is now being lovingly looked after by a group of creative, hardworking 'nuts' including my good self.

(Note: Calling us 'Nuts' is, of course, a term of endearment!)

We are excited to be holding the first of these rebirthed Shows this coming Saturday, 16 October - at the Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL (Dummond St, Oakleigh, 3166).

As mentioned earlier, we are a boutique market so we are able to bring you some amazing items in a very intimate environment - no walking for hours to get from one end to the other - it's all in one spot AND it's INDOORS!!!  Particularly good since this weekends forecast is a little wet!

Some of the fantastic stallholders coming to the market include:

• Rosa May Creations
• Mignonne
• Ladybugs & Daisychains
• Spikey Rose jewellery design
• Jooce Bath n Body
• Found n Bound
• Vintage Sew and Sew
• EP Designs
• Holi Goddess
• Creations by Bobbie Mac
• Red Letter Studio

And did I mention there is a GIVEAWAY?  Just turn up and we give you the chance to win a Gift Voucher to spend at the November market.  Purchase something and we give you bonus entries in the draw for the Gift Voucher - how good is that???

I hope that we see some of you on Saturday - please come up and say hello - or I hope we see you as a stallholder in the future! 

Cheers!!

 

Baggy Trousers - Monday Madness!!!

I was YouTubing with the Moobee on the weekend and we were reliving my 1980's teenage years. We had a look at all of the 'old' video clips that used to get me so excited on a Sunday night when watching Countdown. 

One of my favourite bands (When did they become groups? I'm sure they were bands in the 80's!) was Madness.  I loved their music and their look - in particular I loved the absurdity of their video clips - Baggy Trousers was a particular favourite:

I had such a crush on Suggs (lead singer)!!

In honour of my trip down memory lane here's a little bit of Etsy Baggy Trouser madness - enjoy!

AQUA SILK SAROUEL PANTS : whoknowswear

Baggy pants trousers dress strapless skirt : lapinsexy

Harem Scare 'Em Jungle Suit : btbvintage

Does this remind you of anything?

Come on, we've all been there :0)

This just made me laugh.  And then want to go tidy!!

HOW TO: Make a Collage

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

 A collage is a technique of composing work of art by pasting on one surface numerous materials not usually associated with each other. Making a collage is fun, easy, and creative!  You are going to make a collage to represent who you are.  What kind of things do you like?  What are  my hobbies, favorite colors, and favorite singers? You can put anything that you love into your collage! Be creative! It's about things that interest you!

Steps

1. Collect materials for your collage, and find inspiration in them.
   • Traditional collage materials include scraps of paper and other flat materials: newspaper and magazine clippings, shopping bags, photographs (or photocopies of photographs), wallpaper, and foil.
   • Objects such as string, beads, feathers, and fabric.
   • Collage may encompass images, text, solid colors, or a mixture of these.  You may want a recognizable image or word, or simply a suggestion, feel, color, or texture.
   • Use what you have.  Start from available materials and work out from there.
   • Create what you don't have.  Since collage is an assemblage or blend of elements, it lends itself well to mixed media.  You could paint, draw, stamp, or stencil in between the elements you find, or cover over them.
   • Don't rule out unusual materials, like sandpaper, blurry photographs, etc.
2. Choose a base for your collage. The base is usually flat paper or poster board because these are easiest to work with.
   • The background does not have to be white, and it does not have to be plain. The background could be a page from a magazine or book, a large photograph, or a page of text.  Paint or draw on it, or cover over it with anything that glue will stick to.
3. Prepare the base by cutting the base to the desired size and shape.  Add any decorations or embellishments you want to the background.
4. Use scissors. to cut out pieces for your collage. Try cutting your scraps into unusual shapes, cutting out words or letters from a variety of sources to make phrases on your collage.
   • Cut out a whole picture, an identifiable part, or just enough to evoke texture, colour or feeling.
   • Cut different shapes for both words and images.
5. Try tearing materials too.  The rough, random edges give parts of your collage a different character than cutouts.
6. Arrange the items on your background.
   • Play with the different elements and don't be afraid to make this part a messy process.  Serendipity may hand you something interesting that you hadn't thought of.
7. Apply glue to each item.
   • You don’t have to cover the whole surface if you don’t want to, and not every piece has to be glued flat on the collage.  You can fold or crumple pieces of paper, for example, to get interesting textures.
8. Let the finished collage dry completely.  Depending on the glue(s) you used, you may need to let the collage dry for a few hours or more than a day.

 Tips

• Take your time.  Be patient and carefully choose and arrange your materials.
• A collage is a great opportunity to experiment.  Experiment with color, space, texture, arrangement, juxtaposition, and message.
• If you enjoy image editing, try an electronic collage.  You have the ability to change scale, transparency, clarity, tone color, and many other qualities of images you manipulate electronically.  You can also combine digital and paper image editing by printing edited images to include in a paper collage.
• If the materials on your collage do not stick perfectly after gluing, you can brush a diluted glue mixture (about 3 parts water to 1 part glue) over the whole collage once it is finished.  You can also use this technique to seal the collage.
• You can try mixing your glue with water to make it easier to work with.  Try applying it with a brush.  You may find it helps with the handling.
• Only use glues that are right for the materials you are pasting.  Some glues simply won’t hold certain materials, and some very strong glues may quickly damage your collage pieces.  Rubber cement is great because it doesn't wrinkle paper and is very strong.
• If you want to plan out your collage, you can lay the pieces down on the surface without glue, rearranging them until you have it just right.  Then take a picture of the collage so you will know how to assemble it.
• Make your collage however you want it, and don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques, images, etc.
• A three-dimensional art piece created by combining found materials may be called an assemblage.
• Let your mind run free.  Take pictures and put them all together.  Express yourself!
• Be random.  Do not paste items in a straight line.

 Be careful!

• Take appropriate precautions with scissors and glue.
• Put down newspaper or plastic, especially if you are working with liquid glue or paint.Make sure you don't waste it!

 

Things You'll Need

• Glue/paste.
• Materials
• Scissors or a craft knife
• A base, such as a piece of stiff paper or newspaper

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Collage.  All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Change is as Good as a Holiday...

 

Welcome Change (rustic green) - 24x36 LARGE Print : papermoth

Or so they say.

Whilst standing in the middle of our market stall last Saturday MooBeeGran and I had a moment.  None of my tees were selling.  Well, we sold two, but that's not enough to feed the children.

'Aren't they as good as everyone elses?' I asked MooBeeGran.

'Of course they are dear.' she replied.

'Then why isn't anyone buying them?' I asked.

'It's winter.' she said.

'Since when did the season have anything to do with a cashed up mother at a market?' I quickly shot back.

At that point I received the stare of a mother who was not going to answer any more childish questions.  I knew when to stop talking.  But it did make me think.

What could I do differently?

What should I do differently?

What is my point of difference?

Do I offer enough choice?

How do I make myself stand out from the crowd?

As a result of asking these questions there are going to be some changes at MooBeeTees.  We are still going to make beautiful handmade items for children - but - and this is a big but - we are going to streamline our range, give you more choice within it and  do it better than before.

 

Change always happens in the now : artzink

Big words, I hear you say.  True, but I think change is an all important component to any business, fledgling or established. So this is our first important change.  I'll let you know more about it as it happens, but I'm sure you'll all be pleased with the results.  I know MooBeeGran and I will be.

Change.

How has it shaped your art/craft?  How do you embrace it?

The first part of our change challenge will be a Mega MoobeeSale...more on this shortly.

Cheers!

Sneak Peak!

The lovely and talented MooBeeGran has joined the team at MooBeeTees and is crocheting up a storm for the cooler months ahead (even if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, there WILL be cool months ahead!).  Here's a sneak peak of some of the groovy cloche/beanie/turban/juliet cap hats she has been working on:

My thanks to the lovely Glennys for sharing her Turban pattern with MooBeeGran and to the lovely MooBee who consented to having her photo taken yet again, whilst not appropriately dressed for the occasion!

Keep your eyes on my shop for lots more fabulous headwear (boys and girls) and don't forget you can visit MooBeeTees on the 8th May at the Modish Creators Market in Malvern :)

MooBeeView #8: Voodoo Rabbit - plus Amazing Giveaway!

This months MooBeeView is with the fabulous and original Cloud and Ky from Voodoo Rabbit.  Voodoo Rabbit are suppliers of an amazing range of eclectic crafting supplies and are the creative force behind their own fabric designs and craft items. 

Voodoo Rabbit has just launched a new web store and we are proud to be able to give you a chance to enter a Giveaway that will introduce you to their fabulous world.  So grab a drink, settle back and relax, and enjoy the world of Voodoo Rabbit. 

1) After doing my research (and putting on my amateur profiler hat) I'm starting you both off with a difficult task (I think you can take it!) - Word Association.  Please let us know the first things that come to mind when I mention the following (keep in mind any kiddies in our audience!):

 

• Roller Derby – rink rash 
• Rilakkuma -  Kiddyland (a huge toy shop in Harajuku, Tokyo) 
• Twilight – when the sun starts to set (nice to see there are some normal people left in the world!)
• Punk - tartan.

2) You obviously both have a love for Japanese fabrics.  What is it about theses fabrics that attracts you both to them?  How do they inspire you in your own creative pursuits?

You can't help but love fabric from Japan. Cloud didn't own a sewing machine, didn't know how to sew and bought nearly $200 worth of cotton fabrics the first time she went to Japan because it was too beautiful to resist. If you haven't seen or used Japanese cotton before, you really should. It is a dream to sew with and is unmatched by anything you can find in places like Spotlight.

Japanese cottons are great quality. The range of colours and patterns is really diverse. The Japanese people still make quite a lot things themselves at home. Just one fabric store had over five levels – full to the rafters – with fabric. It was heaven.

There is a huge cos-play, gothic & Lolita subculture in Tokyo which means that we can find all the designs that we love. There are lots of skull patterns, black, white, tartan, reds – the range is amazing.

Kawaii (literal translation from Japanese is 'cute') is near to impossible to find in Australia. Japan is the only place I know where you can buy a fabric that features little pigs, in a bakery. Fabrics in Japan even have cute selvedges!

Kokka fabrics from Japan – especially the designs by Etsuko Furuya for the Echino range are absolutely stunning. Her Cobweb design would have to be one of our all time favourites. The quality of the cotton is superb – you cannot fault it.

 

3) Given your eclectic tastes, where do you see your designs going next?  Will we see some more 'crazy toys' being created by Cloud and what is getting Ky's creative fabric juices flowing - what is 2010 going to bring to the Voodoo Rabbit fan?

Ky is currently finalising a tattoo inspired design featuring flaming cherries. The design itself is finalised, the colours just need to be tweaked. Cloud has been doodling skulls – not sure what Ky will do with them – they are ready to be scanned in for possible use in another fabric design.

Cloud is planning to finish her 'Stumpy' project. The results will be... interesting. Whatever the outcome, there will be a Voodoo Rabbit doll available on Etsy before the year is out. There may also be a Zombie Hare plushie pattern fabric in the works.

4) Time now for the last tricky fab four question - Project Runway has asked you to create a Voodoo Rabbit challenge for their designers using only items from your new shop.  What would that challenge be?  Please explain.

Surely the ultimate challenge would have to be a wedding dress made using only the fabrics, buttons and motifs available in our store. We'd only let the designers purchase  zippers, eyelets, ribbon and boning from anywhere else. We'd set the budget for the fabric at $750.

Alternative weddings are actually quite popular. Not everyone dreams of a traditional white wedding! We'd love to see a steampunk, Lolita, goth or rockabilly-tattoo wedding dress to knock your socks off.

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I'd like to thank Voodoo Rabbit's Ky and Cloud for taking the time to answer my questions and letting us in to their fabulous world.  If you want to learn more about Voodoo Rabbit and what makes it tick, please visit one of the online sites:

 

Webshop: http://www.voodoorabbit.com.au
Etsy: http://voodoorabbit.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/voodoorabbit
Blog: http://voodoo-rabbit.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/voodoorabbitfabric

MooBeeTee's Four Word Review:  Outrageously Amazing Stash Suppliers!

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This Giveaway is Now Closed :)

And now for the Giveaway!  Voodoo Rabbit has offered my blog readers a chance to win a shop voucher to the value of AUD$20 to be used in their new Web Store - a fabulous opportunity to try some Japanese fabric for yourself!

How?  It's easy!  Follow these steps:

1: Visit www.voodoorabbit.com and tell us which is your favourite fabric (and colour) and what you would like to make from it - leave a comment here.

Bonus entries (Let me know in a seperate comment for each bonus)

2: Tweet about your favourite fabric with the words, "I heart this fabric @voodoorabbit {link}" - make sure you include the link!

3: Become a follower of Voodoo Rabbit's Blog

4: Become a follower of MooBeeTees Blog

You can enter as many times as you like - the more entries you leave, the better your chances of winning.  Remember - leave a seperate comment for each entry and include your email address as the winner will be generated randomly.

The giveaway will finish on the 30 April 2010 at 12:00pm (AEST). The winner will be contacted and given 48 hours to accept.

 Good Luck!!

Happy and Peaceful Easter

MooBeeTees wishes all of you a Happy and Peaceful Easter. 

Take time to spend smiley moments with your family, try to eat as much chocolate as is politely possible (scoff the rest in private) and share lots of cuddles with the kiddies.

MooBeeTees is going to take a little family time and we look forward to seeing you all next week.

Enjoy!

March's Interesting Denim Fact...

I know you have all been waiting for the latest instlament in the 'Quirky Denim Facts' file - so here it is:

May 20th of every year is considered to be the official “birthday” of blue jeans as it was the day that Levi Strauss, Levi’s jeans inventor and the owner of the idea of riveted jeans pants Jacob Davis received patent of the rivets no.139,121 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Thanks to http://www.jeansguide.net/jeans-interesting-facts for that fact.  The things you learn on my blog! More interesting facts next month :)

And the Next Boys Line will be...

DINOSAURS!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and let me know what little boys would like :)  Don't despair though Monster voters, you will be the next boys line after Dinosaurs.  I have some great ideas for both.

Once again, thanks to my fabulous followers (and a few twitter tweeps!) for helping me out :)

Next Boys Line Theme - Quick Survey

I'm starting to think about my next clothing line and I'd like it to be for boys.  If you have a little boy in your life can you help me decide by answering my quick survey (see above)?  I'd really appreciate your help.  

(My 'little' boy is nearly 13 and he's not up with what is hip for the 6 and unders!)

Many thanks :)

Karen.

My Art Tee is Complete!

It seems like it took forever and I am thankful for Janil's patience, but I have finished my Art Tee - yay!

For those of you who are new to the Art Tee journey, let me explain quickly:

• LittleWaltz held a Giveaway for me
• Janil won the Giveaway
• After much discussion a design based on Janil's idea was drafted
• A bit of back and forth
• And then - 'TAH DAH' A finsished one-off, unique, personalised Art Tee :)

For those more visual, here are those steps in pictures:

My dodgy draft doodles:

 

Checking out the fabric combination:

Almost there (still making little changes):

TAH DAH!

 

 

I had so much fun creating this tee that I think I'm going to do it again in a few months, so keep an eye out for that giveaway.  In the meantime, if you are interested in your very own Art Tee, don't hesitate to contact me at MooBeeTees.

Enjoy :)-

MooBeeView #6 and Giveaway: SashaSews

The challenge of February's MooBeeView has been undertaken by the lovely Sasha of SashaSews (and FabricFusion).  She has accepted the challenge and not only has she answered my fabulous four questions magnificently she has also offered my blog readers a chance to win one of her gorgeous Medium Size Fabric baskets - in fabric of your own choosing.  Now Sasha is a queen of organisation, so if you are in a bit of a crafting mess, now is your chance to win in this fabulous giveaway!

But first, let's learn a litle bit more about Sasha and the items that she sews:

1) As you know I do my research. I note that you are a Cancerian. Of the many fabulous traits associated with this sign, I did see one lurking in the background that indicated a 'tendancy to be untidy' - is this the reason for your creating fabulous storage solutions? Or was it something else??

Yes, I am a Cancer - which does explain a few things about me! Luckily, my tendency towards untidiness is pretty much restricted to my fabric stash (which regularly gets out of control)!

But the reason I started creating fabric bags, baskets and organisers was an extension of my love of colour and fabric. If you look around, most of the handbags, diaries etc that you see are black. Maybe brown. Occasionally white. To me, this is a crime when there are literally thousands of beautiful fabrics that could be brightening up our lives! Why have a boring storage box when you can have one that matches your decor? Why have a black diary organiser when you can have one that makes you smile when you see it, because it is so pretty?
 

2) You use some fabulous fabrics for your creations - I see some that would be very familiar to Australian etsians - do you have a favourite textile designer/s and have you ever thought of teaming up with someone to create fabrics specifically for you?

I love fabric. For myself, I would choose anything pretty and shabby chic. But when I discovered Saffron Craig's fabrics, I fell in love. Now that I am following her on Twitter, I am stalking her with questions about when a new range, and new colours might be coming out!

I have also had a sneak peek at some new Sandi Henderson fabrics that are delicious, and will hopefully be in Fabric Fusion soon!

As for fabrics made specifically for me, I dream of one day making a real statement with fabrics created just for my lines of organisers. But for the time being, I have avoided going near Spoonflower.com, because I am afraid that I will become addicted if I even look at their home page! All in good time....

3) How do you decide what to organise next? Does it come from looking around your own home, or do you find yourself mentally tidying up for family and friends? Where does the inspiration spring from?

What to organise next. Well, I guess the inspirations come from many different places. It helps that I get to keep all the prototypes, so yes, we have fabric baskets in our bathroom cupboards, in Ryan's baby room, and even as a fruit basket!

Sometimes things come from my daily life. Like the fabric baskets -- they will soon be coming out in office sets, with labels for Sales and Expenses, In and Out trays, etc. Why? Because I was doing my tax paperwork the other day and wanted my piles of papers to be in pretty baskets!

And any mum is always looking for a way to keep toys tidy, right? If you can make the storage ideas fun and bright, the kids just MIGHT put toys away themselves! Or at least help??!

Other ideas have come from friends and customers - I have just finished a custom order for a handbag organiser, which adds 10 extra pockets to any handbag. I loved the prototype so much that it has now been added as a new item in the shop.

I try not to mentally tidy other people's houses... after all, let she who is without mess cast the first stone!

4) Now the tough question: You have the choice to organise either the 'Brangelina Brood' or 'Lindsay Lohan' - who would you choose, why and what would be the one SashaSews item they would have to have multiples of? 

Definitely the Brangelina Brood.

Why? Well, with 6 kids they sure must need organisation and storage! And.... perhaps while I am in the super deluxe kids' wing of the mansion, who knows... Brad might just stroll past to admire the wonderfully tidy and organised space that I have created?!

They would definitely need a car organiser for each child, to keep toys, games, snacks and drinks handy... 1 each, in every car... and aeroplane. So I am guessing they would need probably about 60? 70? LOL!

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I'd like to thank Sasha for taking the time to answer my questions and letting us in to her organised world.  If you want to learn more about Sasha and Sasha Sews please visit her at one of her online sites:

Shop 1: www.SashaSews.etsy.com

Shop 2: www.FabricFusion.etsy.com
Blog: www.SmallTownMamma.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SashaSews
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SashaSewsHandbags 

MooBeeTee's Four Word Review:  Seriously Fabulous Storage Solutions!
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And now for the Giveaway!  Sasha has offered my blog readers a chance to win one of her gorgeous Medium Size Fabric baskets - in fabric of your own choosing.

How?  It's easy.  There are only two steps:

1: Browse the SashaSews shop and comment on your favourite item.

2: Become a follower of MooBeeTees Blog and let me know in a comment:)

Remember - leave a seperate comment for each step and include your email address as the winner will be generated randomly.

The giveaway will finish on the 6 March 2010 at 12:00pm (AEST). The winner will be contacted and given 48 hours to accept. 

 Good Luck!!

January 2010 Blog Post Wordle

As promised here are my January Blog Posts as a Wordle - just love it!  See if you can find yourself in the midst of all the words - the bigger you are the more you have been mentioned!

If you want to appear 'BIG' on my wordle, let me know and I'll do a MooBeeView with you - it's always great fun to share what we do with others.

Thanks to Wordle for allowing me to have some fun with my words!  For your own fun access Wordle via: http://www.wordle.net/.

LittleWaltz MooBeeTee Giveaway Winner...

Congratulations to Janil who won an original MooBeeTees designed tee, thanks to LittleWaltz and her great giveaway!

Janil's design idea was to create a village with an element of personalisation included in it. I'll be designing the tee over the next couple of weeks and will be able to share it with you all once it is finished.

 

For all of the info on the giveaway - pop into LittleWaltz via this link: http://petitevalse.blogspot.com/ 

While you are there check out her new giveaway with the fabulous Ange from Jewellery by Ange! It's worth entering :)

MooBeeTees Blog as a Wordle - Nifty!

Thanks to http://www.wordle.net/ there is a super nifty little
program that will turn your words into a 'picture'.  As I said, nifty!

I couldn't wait to get to the end of January to try this out, so
here is MooBeeTees blog for January (Part 1) depicted as a 
wordle:

I'm going to do this at the end of each month, so take a look - 
you may find yourself in my Wordle! 

As I said, nifty!!