Herbert and Friends - Handmade Softies by Torunn

I had a great day at Bondi markets last Sunday. The wind was ferocious, but aside from that the sun was shining and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I met some really great people and had interesting conversations. Thank you  to everyone that made it such a nice day!
This Thursday I'll be heading up to Newcastle for This is Not Art, an annual art festival. It consists of workshops, panels, performances, screenings, exhibitions and so much more. If you're looking for something a little off-beat to do this long weekend, come and check it out! There will be a zine fair on Sunday where I will be having a stall with a couple of friends.

I just wrote a post and was about to publish it when my computer flipped out and lost everything. It is so frustrating when that happens! Basically what I was saying was that everything in our house has a thin film of red dust on it. For those of you who aren't local, we had a red dust storm which was visually pretty amazing. We woke up to an otherworldly red light which slowly faded into orange. I wish I had taken some photos!
Instead, here is a photos on some ladybirds I've been working on for In Annie's Pocket. I've also been sewing frantically for my market stall on Sunday. I think it'll be a good one! 

I was having a browse through Etsy the other day and came across some awesome wall decals. They're made by SurfaceFlik. I would definitely buy one if I wasn't renting and had the space! Here are two of my favourites.

Sigrid and Mila are the bestest of friends. They were born on the same day and therefore think they're twins. They love to go on adventures and are always planning their next one. The adventures they embark on can be anything from searching for fairies and gnomes in the back yard to teaching themselves how to windsurf. They hope to one day compete in The Amazing Race. 

At the moment I'm trying to get super organised. I've been falling behind with website and Etsy updates, so I've decided to do a ibit by bit. I've just added a section on the blog sidebar for upcoming markets. This way you can easily find out when and where I'll be! Keep a look out for more improvement and feel free to give me suggestions. I'm going to head over to my Etsy store now and see what changes I can make there!

I received a lovely email today from Jordyn, who bought two of my owls from 'In Annie's Pocket' in Byron Bay on the weekend. She sent me this picture of Paolo in the car on the way to his new home in Brisbane. It's always so exciting to receive feedback from people and hear what the little creatures are up to. Jordyn tells me Paolo is a bit mischievous and won't wear a seatbelt. He loves Triple J and sings along loudly off key. Thank you Jordyn!

Gerald the Gentle Giraffe is the kindest of creatures. He's the kind of guy that's always willing to lend a hand, whether it's painting your room, helping you move house or keeping you company when nothing is going your way. He adores lazy sundays and playing frizbee in the park, followed by vanilla ice cream with chocolate topping and sprinkles. 

I will be having another stall at Bondi markets this Sunday 6th September. It is father's day so why not take your dad down to the beach and while you're there check out the market. It is also the first weekend of spring! Here's a photo of some of the new creatures that will be at the markets. 

Hope to see you there!

I'd like to introduce you to Herbert's newest friend, Aniko the panda. 

Aniko is an aspiring botanist. You'll often find her out in the forest, sketch pad in hand, examining the flora. Her favourite plant is the Actinotus helianthi, otherwise known as the flannel flower. If you would like to meet Aniko in person she'll be at Bondi markets this Sunday 6th September.  

Here is the Sewn Machine. My first exhibited stitched artwork.

Anastasia Freeman, the curator of the show did a fantastic job of putting the exhibition together and I highly recommend a visit! It has been a while since I've exhibited work in a show so I found it exciting to be in that environment again. It was a super fun opening last night with loads of people and a performance by Daniel Green. If you couldn't make it last night but want to check it out the gallery is open Wed - Fri 11am - 6pm and Sat 11am - 4pm and continues until 12th September.