it's a wrap

spending the morning surrounded by jute, hessian, a glimmer of gold, leather and butchers paper.

made some leather bunting,..which i then sprayed with gold paint.

made the kids some hessian, christmas sacks.

the paint is MrJason Grant for Murabond.  (deep sea dreaming)

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and wrapped countless gifts with butchers paper, jute, hessian and gold stamps.

so simple.  so cheap.  so effective.

a lovely, australian country colour scheme.

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thank you all for your wonderful friendship and support over the last year.  

i can promise you more fun and massive, exciting projects in the new year.

have a lovely safe festive season.  much love to you all and your families.

jane xx

the little black shack on the hill.

i posted some months back about the gorgeous team from country style magazine coming to photograph our little black shack to feature in their magazine.

well.

it hits the stands tomorrow!

i got my subscribed copy last week....but was out at lunch with some girlfriends when a text message came through with a photograph of the cover.

(thanks beth!).

my wee boy, jasper, was gracing the cover with his chook, oprah.

and, i may be a wee bit biased, but i think it is one of the best covers of country style to date.

the black and the pink are a gorgeous, vibrant combination.

and, ain't he cute!?

and oprah!  honestly, what a little star!  She knew to stand so very still.  made for the screen, that chook!

anyway,. here are a couple of sneaky inside shots.

the necklace i was wearing was designed and made by the divine 

uberkate.

here she is wearing it!

click here to buy one.

and the dress lottie is wearing and the pants that the boys are wearing are all made by my very clever, textile designer friend,

fiona lenord.

hard to see in the pictures, but all the clothes are made from vintage fabrics.  rafferty's pants are made from australiana tea towels.  there is a kookaburra on the front and a rosella on the back. 

they are totally divine.

click here to buy some.

(she has just made me a dress for christmas day,..so will show you all that one next week!).

all photographs are by the extraordinarily clever

sharyn cairns.

so!  everyone go out and buy this issue of country style!

jane xx

Frankie + Carrie

i mentioned a week or so ago, that my lovely friends at 

shibori

came up to shoot an advertorial for 

frankie magazine.

was a super day,...

anywhoo.

the magazine is out this week.  i have just had a preview of our page,..and

yippee!

looks fabulous!

instagram via the gorgeous Pip at meet me at mikes.

looks fab, eh?!

make sure you all go out and buy a copy of Frankie!

jane xx

first world problems.

*if* i were the type of person who was to go out and buy christmas decorations, baubles and the likes, then i *wouldn't* because of how darned expensive they are!

lucky i am not!

a confusing sentence.  i am sure i could have structured it better.  but it does the job.

are you all with me?

$7+ for ONE glitzy bauble?  

what are people thinking!?  how much money do you have to spend to decorate the entire tree?

how first world!

for other first world reasons (an expensive italian car that needed a new cat. converter), and the death of my iPhone, i found myself in town yesterday, for 8hours, un-contactable, and with 20 clams in my back pocket.

fun. (no, really it was!  nowhere to be.  no-one to speak to.  i was as good as free!)

so, i set myself a challenge.

i was going to buy all the decorations for our tree for $20.

and here is the result.

and the breakdown.

mexican bunting from Oxfam $8

pink/yellow and orange cut paper decorations from Oxfam $5

chinese paper lanterns from chinatown $2for a pack of 6 

chinese 2012 'year of the dragon' lucky door hanging (which i, probably un-luckily, hacked into small hangings) $5

yellow fabric torn into strips and tied into bows - already had in the stash

pom-pom 'star - made by lottie from her yellow wool and some of my jute twine.

so,.there you go.  a 12foot tree, jammed into a vintage milk pail, crammed with decorations,.all for $20.

still first world. but easier to swallow. 

how does your tree look this year?

jane xx