So Tread Softly...

moving on

I'm moving on - not very far - you'll find me over at wordpress - http://sotreadsoftly.wordpress.com/

Come on over!

using what you have

Before we moved out to New Zealand we sent a container over filled with, well, our life really - or at least our possessions that we couldn't bear to part with. When we finally brought our little wooden cottage with an open plan living area, we found that several of our treasured items really didn't fit in with the look and feel of our home. A certain set of shelves have been sitting in the garage since our arrival. I didn't want to get rid of them but there simply wasn't a place for them inside the cottage so, on Sunday I decided that I'd put them on the outside of the cottage!! Just to the side of our kitchen window we have a little covered porch that I felt would be the perfect place, so I painted them up in the cottage colours, knocked them back a bit with sandpaper and Mr Tread Softly helped me to fix them to the wall.

They look a bit sparse right now but I'm sure, that over time they'll be home to an eclectic array of treasures perhaps picked up off a beach or from a country walk.
 
Thank you to those of you who dropped by my stall at the Martinborough Fair to say hello and to purchase some agnes coy goodies. It was so great so see you all. So many of you said that you were planning on visiting the studio once it was open. I really appreciate that. Talking of THE studio, the invitations to the private opening have gone out and a very kind friend has said that she'll take photos on the day for you all.

In the meantime, as it's my birthday and MR TS is taking me out to celebrate, I'll say cheerio until my next post...

the martinborough fair

 image: new hand-mades in the studioI'm going to be at the Martinborough Fair this Saturday 7th February. My Agnes Coy stall will be on the edge of the square facing the pavement and Kitchener Street. Drop by and say hi if you're planning on going.
Until next time...

something out of nothing

The kiwi mindset has always been to make do with what you've got. Everything is recycled, reused or re-purposed here and it's starting to rub off on me. I've always reused vintage resources and found items in my work - they're the items such as the scrap of fabric from a 1920's chemise, a mother of pearl button from an Edwardian high necked blouse or an old, old postcard sent to a sweetheart during the war, that really makes my heart skip a beat.

I've made a start on arranging the shop part of my studio, as we now have a date for the log burner fitting, and have found that I'm really short of display pieces. I'd been given half a dozen old wooden nail boxes and so decided to paint the outsides that French Grey that is sort of a theme in the studio, and line them with pages from a beaten up, literally falling to bits copy of Jane Eyre which also happens to be my favourite novel of all time. In fact she was my first lead in a school play and then when I went on to act professionally, I played her again so I have a real soft spot for Charlotte and her masterpiece.

image: pasting the inside of the nail boxes
image: drying in the sunshine
image: shelving on the shop wall
I'm rather pleased with the way they've turned out. I'm going to water-base polyurethane the insides to protect the script. I can also display on top the the boxes as well as inside.
image: part of the shop and workshop space taken at night
The past two weeks have been pretty full on as I've been working my way down the list of things to make for the Martinborough Fair but, I did take time out today to sit in a friend's garden and have lunch. She made the most delicious homemade lemonade with honey and ginger. So refreshing which I was so grateful for and it's another scorcher out there!

image: lemonade with ginger and honey drunk under the shade of a tree.

Thank you for last post comments you guys. Loved reading them.
Until next time...

....aaand relax

Christmas and New Year was a bit of a blur. Actually, I spent New Year in bed with the flu but hey, that seems like 100 years ago now. Our focus over the 'holidays' was to complete the inside of the studio so that I could move in. Annnnd...I'm in! The workshop area is organized and I've spent three days working in it. It runs like a dream. The doors and windows are flung open and sunshine floods the space.I still have the shop area to organize but that will evolve over the next few weeks. On the inside, the only job left to do is to have the log burner installed so that we can get the building signed off and opened up to you guys. A date has been set and it's achievable.

I remember spending two whole days, just after Boxing Day, sitting on the deck with Mr Tread Softly reading books in the sun and sipping iced water. We realized that we hadn't really stopped and taken time out since last Christmas. So if I were to make a New Years resolution, and to be honest, I don't really believe in the things, it would be to take time to smell the roses. In fact, we're talking about disappearing next Christmas to a remote bach by the sea. That way we'll have to stop and take time out.

Wishing you all a peaceful and fulfilling 2009.

Until next time...