N. Blogs

Washi Tape Decorating

2012-01-09T15:04:00.002+08:00

Ever since reading the Hello Sandwich blog I've become really obsessed with Japanese washi tape (as well as getting very nostalgic about Japan, I want to go back there!). Washi tape is so easy to use, it tears beautifully, comes in a large rainbow of colours and patterns and it doesn't leave a messy glue mark when you peel it off a surface. It's like magic!

Last week I went into Mt Lawley to one of my favourite shops Zakka Box and bought some flowery tape. Then in the city I was in the Art Gallery gift shop and they had tape too! So I got a stack of the orange ones. The pink pattered ones in the above photo I bought a long time ago from Kikki.k (another well frequented shop). Unfortunately they don't seem to do tapes anymore :( And the black ones are from the Art Gallery gift shop from a year or so ago.

I wanted new holders for my pens and remembered seeing some nice ones in Bunnings (their craft section is pretty awesome). At first I thought to paint them then I had the wonderful idea of decorating them with my washi tape! And ta-da~, this is the result. I first varnished the surface to make sure the tape would stick then I used a craft knife to trim the edges flush. The great thing is, when I get tired of it I can just change the tape! Next time I might try cutting shapes from the tape and make some patterns...I will need more tape :D

Hello 2012

2012-01-02T15:20:00.004+08:00

Like last year, we spent new year's eve burning through sparklers and being silly in the back yard. And then we had a ball doing jumping photos, trying to emulate Yowa Yowa Camera (although nowhere near as awesome as her, do take a look she's amazing).

I think 2011 was a little quieter than 2010. It was still a good year and I had fun...
+ With my friends we started the Montage Collective and did not 1, but 4 pop-up shops!
+ I got to watch Gemma Ward in her first play "The Ugly One", she is so stunning.
+ A friend had an engagement party which was actually a wedding! Apparently everyone had figured it out...not me, I was completely duped.
+ Went to Hong Kong in May for a week, love it there so much.
+ Got accepted into the On The Wall exhibition at the Sydney Finders Keepers.
+ Did my very first Upmarket in November!

Last year I made a lot of promises for 2011 which I unfortunately didn't keep. It's always like that with new years resolutions. You make them with the best of intentions, you do fine for a few weeks, at best a couple of months, then they just fall to the side and get consumed by the larger things in life. So for this year I won't promise anything except one thing:

I'm going to be positive.

I am quite a pessimist and sometimes I'll convince myself that things are so so bad that I'll never get out. It's an awful way of thinking and I'm trying to change it so I can stop being sad and just be happy with the present. So hopefully by the time it's 2013 I'll do a post about how happy I was in 2012? Only time will tell :) xoxo

Instagram

2011-12-29T11:50:00.003+08:00

I got an Ipod Touch for Christmas and have been downloading apps like mad! Instagram was of course one of the first to be downloaded. There are so many cat photos on there I'm in heaven! If you want to see my cat photos (and eventually other non-cat related photos) have a look here or follow me @eevamargita xx

P.S. Any other apps worth downloading?

2011-12-25T08:13:00.001+08:00

I hope you all have an amazing day and get to eat until you need to unbutton that top button hehe xoxoxo

Oliver Jeffers

2011-12-17T08:12:00.003+08:00

Oliver Jeffers from mac premo on Vimeo.

Another one of my heroes, alongside Shaun Tan. Oliver Jeffers draws the best penguins and you can learn to draw one by clicking this link.

On the Wall

2011-12-02T06:05:00.002+08:00

Just a quick post to let you know I'm part of the On the Wall Exhibition at the Sydney Finders Keepers market!

I'm sad I won't get to personally see it, but if any of my readers live in Sydney go have a look!

Shop is Live!

2011-11-17T17:03:00.002+08:00

My official online store is now live and ready! My etsy shop has also been updated if you would rather shop there.

At the moment there is a selection of cards, brooches, hairclips and the 2012 calendar. No jewellery is up yet, I'm saving it all for upmarket but once that's done I'll put it up online :)

Eeva Margita Calendar

2011-11-14T16:19:00.002+08:00

2012 calendar is here! There's a special girl for every month and I tried to match each one with a month that I felt resonated well with their personalities.

They can be pegged on a line, pinned onto your inspiration board, stuck onto your wall, put on your fridge, anywhere you like. They are a handy little A6 size so will fit in discretely with your decor.

At the moment they aren't in my online shop, but if you would like one please email me eevamargita[at!]gmail.com
My next market is Upmarket at UWA on the 27th November. I'll have a whole bunch of new things so I hope to see you there :)

Breathing Life

2011-11-08T11:11:00.001+08:00

Breathing Life
I love how this one came out! It was really fun doing the little details as well, it was like I was dressing the bear in finery.

New Illustrations

2011-10-27T16:59:00.003+08:00

I've been promising these for a few weeks now! I'm almost out of my busy schedule, just a couple more days and I'll have a bit of a break. I'm exhausted after being on the go since July. And it looks like it will start up again at the end of November. So while I'm having a breather here's a look at a few of my new illustration (it's been a while I know! But I feel like I finally know what I want to portray in my work and how to do it).

Mr. Fantastic

Kinoko (kinoko=mushroom in Japanese)

I had one more but when I uploaded it the colour was all out of whack so I'll have to fix it. My brain is too dead to bother right now, so you'll just have to look forward to it next time :)

I've been really liking working on the computer rather than using traditional medium. I just like the cleanliness of the lines and the vibrancy of colour that I can create. Also it means I get to be lazy and not bother hauling my paints and colour pencils out! And I thought that since I'm striving to show my cultural background (Japanese/Finnish) in my 'eeva margita' brand, why not do it in my illustration too. So that's where I've been getting my inspiration from and I love drawing the little folk-like patterns.

I'm also really excited to reveal my 2012 calendar!!! I created an illustration for every month, it's at A6 size and I'm so proud of it. I promise to show it to you very soon :) xx

Outskirts Recap

2011-10-07T13:41:00.002+08:00

Big victory of Outskirts was it didn't rain like it was supposed to! We had an odd location to set up, the ground was sloped but we made it work.

We made some masks to sell and I think they look pretty spiffy! I did the fox and the bear, Ali J did the butterfly and owl.

We had a photobooth made up. We painted a backdrop of birch trees which I didn't take a proper photo of silly me. But I do have these practice photos we took so people understand the concept. I love the Fujifilm Instax so much! I also made the moustaches the night before for props, they were a hit :) We have big plans for next time with heaps more props!

Sneaking a peek

2011-10-04T10:25:00.002+08:00

Don't you love videos like this where you get to see how artists work? Sass & Peril is such a cute brand and I always love seeing screen printing in action. Last time I did screen printing was way back in highschool and watching this video makes me want to do it again! But knowing how lazy I am I probably won't!

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-09-26T21:00:00.003+08:00

I turned 26 today. Although it was an uneventful day as I had to work at the Montage shop, I did have a couple of these chocolate chip muffins (gluten and dairy free, bought from IGA) - one for breakfast and one after dinner hehe. I don't feel like I've accomplished enough for this age. Maybe by the time I've turned 30 I'll feel like I've done something decent.

Blog posts coming up include
+ new illustrations
+ Outskirts wrap up

Outskirts

2011-09-23T05:23:00.004+08:00

This is really late notice, but I'm going to be a part of Outskirts this year!

Visit the land of Outskirts to uncover a treasure trove of local creative talent.

Bought to you by OnWilliam, Outskirts is set to fill Northbridge with over 100 events in 34 venues for the one day festival.

Street stalls, workshops, exhibitions, pop up stores and more will fill the streets, laneways and local stores.

Grab your special Passport to guide you through the world of Outskirts, as you discover a heap of hidden spaces filled with creations from West Australian designers.

On your journey fill your Outskirts Passport with stamps and collect a set of free official Outskirts Souvenir Pins from 11 OnWilliam venues.

Outskirts is proudly supported by City of Perth, Department of Culture and the Arts, East Perth Redevelopment Authority and Perth Fashion Festival.

25 September, Free
www.onwilliam.com.au/outskirts

_______________________________________

I'll have a stall there with Ali J, we'll be running a photobooth as well as having our wares for you to peruse and purchase. Have a look in the outskirts guide for full details here. (we're under "Lost in the Woods")

Hand painted pretties

2011-09-13T10:52:00.002+08:00

I had bought some wood pieces a while back meaning to hand paint a little illustration in each of them but as usual time flies by and nothing gets done...until now! I decided to make 3 of them to put into the Montage shop.

"Bunting Days"

"Soul Shifter"

"Inside my Heart"

I'm quite partial to the last one, "Inside my Heart". Which one do you like?

My little work blocker

2011-09-02T12:58:00.001+08:00

I'm finding it a bit difficult to sit at my desk at the moment. My bum is precariously perched on the edge of my chair because of this fluffy little bundle! I should move her...but she looks so comfortable!

Suomi

2011-09-02T12:50:00.002+08:00

My mom came home from Finland (Suomi is Finnish for Finland) early this morning! She had been there for 3 months having a nice good long summer holiday and helping at my cousin's house, she has a farm and 4 children so is always happy with extra helping hands. And of course my mom came home laden with goodies!

From top to bottom: Moose bottle opener : Wooden cooking spoon and butter knife (it smells so nice!) : Assorted Moomin paraphernalia (because what is Finland without the Moomins?) : Moomin tin box : Cute socks! : Moomin tea towels (yes, I am obsessed with Moomin)

From top to bottom: Thick felt pot holders : Marimekko serviettes (I LOVE Marimekko so so much) : Clover table runner (isn't it the best colour ever!), handmade kitty oven glove : Tree plate

I must admit I have even more stuff, but I thought I would choose the very best to show you...otherwise you'll think I'm very spoiled! But I did give my mom a big wad of cash to get me presents so really, I bought most of it myself :)

New Cards at Montage

2011-08-31T20:41:00.001+08:00

New cards being dropped off at the Montage shop tomorrow afternoon! I think these would be a super cool Father's Day card, and at $5 a pop it won't break the bank :)

Shop Duty

2011-08-31T12:34:00.002+08:00

Montage is well underway and we're taking turns at doing shop duty. On Mondays I'm with Helena.

Points if you can spot my work :)

P.S. Right now I'm the works of creating 3 new necklaces, completely different to what I have! As well a a couple new cards.

Little things

2011-08-11T15:24:00.002+08:00

It's the little things that make life so much more wonderful.

Like a walk in the park...

sweet little flowers...

all shared with my favourite person in the world.

Add a little bit of craftiness, like these new button earrings for the Montage pop up shop (visit the blog for details), and it's a day that leaves a smile on your face (also Korean BBQ/steamboat in the evening does help!)

Montage pops up again

2011-07-07T06:14:00.002+08:00

I'm a little late in announcing this on the blog, woops! I'm taking part in the Montage Collective's pop up shop again, this time on William st in Northbridge. We're a couple stores down from The Fox Hunt and New Editions Bookshop. We're open until the end of the month so quick sticks! Take a gander at how awesome our shop is on the Montage blog.

Made on the Left July 2011

2011-07-07T06:12:00.002+08:00

Woohoo Eeva Margita will be at the July Made on the Left market! And it's right in the heart of the city so it's super easy for everyone to get to. Hope to see you there!

Yummy in my tummy

2011-06-24T13:00:00.002+08:00

I made the most delicious carrot cake this week. It's super moist, a little crumbly and tastes so gosh darn good when it's heated up. And the best thing is, it's gluten and dairy free :)

Ingredients:
- 100g brown sugar
- 150g Xylitol (note: you could replace all the sugar with a sweetener of your choosing, I just didn't have enough xylitol to make it sugar free)
- 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 3 eggs
- 250g almond meal (or gluten free flour, but I imagine it wouldn't have that nice crumbly texture)
- 250g carrots, coarsely grated

Method
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Line cake tin with baking paper and grease with a little oil.
- In a large bowl, mix sugar and oil.
- Add eggs one at a time and mix to combine. Stir in almond meal and carrots.
- Pour cake mixture into tin and level off with a spoon.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and feels firm to touch. Cool in tin.

(recipe adapted from here)

The sweetest thing

2011-06-20T13:22:00.000+08:00

The sweetest twosome ever, am I right?

Meet my Hero

2011-06-20T13:11:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I had the chance to meet my hero, Shaun Tan! For those who don't know who he is, shame!! I've written about him before on this post here. He is so adorable in real life! He's quite tiny, I was about half a head to a head taller than him (I'm 172cm). He seemed very normal and quite overwhelmed about the amount of people that came to see him for his talk at the Fremantle Children's Literature Centre. It was really great to hear him talk about his work and there was a little gallery of his originals from "The Red Tree" book. He's so crazy talented!!! Everyone had the opportunity to meet him personally and get his autograph on a book of their selection.

Aaron went before me and had him sign "The Lost Thing" for me.

And then, I had him sign "The Red Tree" for me and he used his fingerprint to make a little flower!! Do you think I could clone him with this fingerprint?

I also bought "The Rabbits" and a few lovely cards of his that I plan to frame.

It was such an exciting day, when I met him I didn't know what to say I was a little starstruck. Inside I was squealing like a Bieber fan, but I managed to contain all that and hopefully appeared composed and normal. He mentioned he is working on a new book so I am super excited for that to come out!

Print Making Workshop

2011-06-20T12:52:00.002+08:00

A few weeks ago Aaron and I went to a print making workshop run by the lovely Magali. I had done some lino cuts before, way back in primary school so I was familiar with it. We first had some practice cutting to get used to the feel of the tools and then we were let loose to create our own designs to print. I chose to do a print of a cat walking along a fence with flowers in the background. Aaron didn't know what to do so I suggested he copy my Golden Half camera.

Even though Aaron doesn't think of himself as creative I think he did a super job. It was really fun and I think I might buy materials so I can do this at home!

Baby crazy #2

2011-06-06T13:50:00.003+08:00

He had just finished reading the Harry Potter series and it seemed appropriate to incorporate a HP themed gag :D

P.S. He's holding a DVD (movie crazy) not a donut lol

Baby crazy

2011-06-05T08:29:00.001+08:00

I'm REALLY annoying, this happens on a regular occasion

I Poo

2011-06-04T07:38:00.001+08:00

I imagine this is what happens when you have little kids.

Hong Kong

2011-06-03T13:42:00.002+08:00

I went to Hong Kong last week and above is what I did most of the time hehe I'll slowly show some of the cool things I found over there :)

These are my favourite photos from the trip

All the ferry staff wore these cute sailor outfits!

The ferry was called the "Star Ferry" so the seats were decorated accordingly

This sweet kitty was just chilling outside of a small shop completely oblivious to the hustle and bustle on the side walk.

What I Wore Today

2011-06-03T13:27:00.002+08:00

Well not today, but it's what I wore on Wednesday :)

5 things I'm loving

2011-05-03T17:33:00.004+08:00

1. Cat 'n Pug Shizzle Tumblr - You love cats? You love pugs? You love Gemma Correll? This is the tumblr for you.

2. Madéleine Flores - Very funny comic artist. I love the way she draws, she inspires me to draw more comics.

3. Nedroid (also see more of his stuff on his tumblr) - Another comic artist I admire. His humour is right up my alley.

4. Kate Beaton - Another comic artist (looks like a running theme here!). I really like the loose way she draws and she is hilarious. Most of her work is making fun of history and she has a thing for reinterpreting old Nancy Drew book covers.

5. Corduroy by Jen Ray - I really wish she had a blog her little drawings are so cute, the above is named "Space Cat And Milky Way". She also makes tiny little creatures from clay and draws on ceramics.

Blog Revamp

2011-05-03T15:08:00.002+08:00

I'd been meaning to revamp the blog for a while now and finally got around to it today yay! Hope you like it, I created a new shop, and facebook button on the side too.

Unwrapped March

2011-03-25T15:24:00.003+08:00

This Sunday I'll be at Unwrapped in South Perth, Angelo St from 12 - 6pm!

Helping Japan

2011-03-19T08:15:00.002+08:00

As I'm sure you all know, Japan was recently hit with an earthquake and a tsunami destroying towns and people's homes. Now they facing trouble with unstable nuclear reactors. Being half Japanese this tragedy has really hit me hard and it hurts to see so much pain going on in my country. Thankfully my relatives do not live in the critical area, they live close Kyoto and would only have felt some earthquake tremors.

To help those in need I'll be donating part of my sales I make tomorrow at the William st market to the cause. I'll be donating to the Red Cross and to the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support. Many people forget about all the animals that have to survive through natural disasters.

Another blogger/illustrator/crafter Rag Pets is running a raffle to win one of her sweet plush cats. Tickets are only US$5 each and you can buy as many tickets as you like. She will draw the winner on Monday. She will be donating all the money to the Japan earthquake animal rescue and support organisation.

Please consider donating to the cause, even if it is just a few dollars, it all adds up. Below are links to organisations you can donate to.

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support
Australian Red Cross
Save the Children Australia
Direct Relief International

New pretties

2011-03-18T18:04:00.002+08:00

Button earrings

Button wee rings

"Green with envy" earrings featuring a frog charm

"The Bee's Knees" earrings featuring a bee charm

"Timely Hour" watch necklace with vintage beads

"Taking the minutes" watch necklace with vintage beads

All these lovelies will be available at the William st market on Sunday xoxo

Bunting Galore plus market news!

2011-03-15T15:45:00.003+08:00

I've been busy cutting circles all day because I was making bunting! I'll have these for sale at my next market which is on the 20th of March. It will be the William st Culture and Arts Festival. I'll be posting up new goodies that I'll have on the Sunday throughout the week so keep your eyes peeled xx

The Little Fox

2011-03-07T12:12:00.002+08:00

I'm not very partial to sculpture, I don't think I'm very good at it. I don't really have the patience either! But for someone special I decided I would try my best at making their favourite animal: the fox. I think he came out quite splendidly...although I don't think I could recreate it again!

Telling the time

2011-03-01T09:33:00.001+08:00

New little fob watches came in the mail! Can't wait to pretty these up xx

Wee little me

2011-02-26T20:39:00.003+08:00

I love this dress. I wish I had it in a grown up size because alas, it is for babies! I used to wear it when I was a couple months old (about 25 years ago). It's still as good as new, except maybe the ribbon at the neck has frayed and aged a little. It's so tiny I'm amazed I used to be so tiny. I'm looking forward to the day I get to dress up my own baby in this dress.

Sketching at the shop

2011-02-21T08:26:00.001+08:00

While I've been manning the Montage shop, in the quiet times I've been drawing a bit. I really like these, it's a bit different to what I normally do.

I used a ballpoint pen and crayola markers.

Setting up shop

2011-02-21T07:21:00.002+08:00

The Montage shop is about to close this Friday, I finally got around to editing the video I made of us setting up our temporary space! Play to video to see an empty shop being transformed into something wonderful.

January Sketches

2011-02-04T11:14:00.001+08:00

Treasure time

2011-02-03T17:55:00.000+08:00

Yay I'm in a treasury! I'm on the bottom right hand corner :D

'just a dash... (tree challenge)' by bugmiscellany

...of this and that.join the fun! anyone can play along.http://treasurytree.dreamhosters.com/2011/01/30/treasury-challenge-130-to-23/

HoneyPieDesign $20.00	VintageScraps $28.00	larsandaddie $10.00
yalipaz $18.00	umbu $17.00	mozellemetana $20.00
PilliPillihand... $9.00	LaBestia $10.00	AmprisLoves $16.00
JenniPenni $30.00	lunashoesuk $55.00	CicaleTdesigns $48.00
vintagebiffann $	LoveNaturally $10.00	eevamargita $16.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Pop up shop

2011-02-03T15:01:00.003+08:00

Ugh I know my new years resolution was to post more and I haven't :( I have been super busy during January and didn't get to draw every day because of it. But January stuff is over and now I can concentrate on February which leads me to the reason of this blog post...

For those in Perth I hope you can come visit! I'm so happy I get to be a part of such a great venture with a bunch of super talented ladies. If you pop over to the Montage facebook page you can see a little article we had in the newspaper as well as keep up to date with news, we are hoping to keep doing pop up stores around Perth. Also check our our blog for profiles on each brand and creator.

Sketchies

2011-01-04T10:11:00.002+08:00

So far so good, I've been drawing every day :)

Went rollerskating with Lauren and Ali yesterday. That's me petrified (but I did manage to not fall down and in the end could do one round of the rink without touching the wall!), and them being awesome.

Sparklers

2011-01-03T21:22:00.003+08:00

32 sparklers + camera = super fun times

End of 2010

2010-12-31T14:41:00.003+08:00

Wow I can't believe the year has almost finished! This year has been a really great year. I never say that, I'm always a bit dissapointed but this year I am thoroughly satisfied. Looking back I had so much fun and joy...
+ Meeting my partner, falling in love, all that sappy stuff!
+ Seeing Helena get married
+ Getting a job at Future Shelter
+ Doing a fashion shoot for Korean fashion label "Basic House"
+ Walking for Pigeonhole's Autumn/Winter fashion show
+ Seeing a high school friend get engaged then married
+ Debuting Eeva Margita at Made on the Left in July and it was a success
+ Went to Dwellingup with Ali and Lauren (although I felt sick most of the time)
+ Seeing a naturopath for my Crohn's disease, and it seems like it's working! I feel so much better now, fingers crossed it keeps getting better in 2011
+ Best Xmas EVER

Sure I had some dark moments during the year too but the good far outweigh any bad. I don't remember what resolutions I had made though. I know I don't really keep them but I'd like to make a few for 2011.
~ Draw every day. Even if it's a really small scrappy doodle, DRAW! And I'll post all the drawings on the blog (this will help me with updates too!)
~ Update this blog more frequently
~ As I'm feeling better, get more exercise to get my strength back
~ Be better at updating the etsy shop, poor neglected shop

Goodbye 2010, Helloooo 2011!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T07:58:00.004+08:00

In keeping with Finnish tradition my family and I celebrated on Christmas Eve with a big dinner. I'd have picture but I forgot...the food was too good! But here's a run down of what we ate:

- Turkey
- Ham
- Roasted pumpkin with honey balsamic dressing
- Potato with apple and mayo salad
- Green salad
- Dessert : cherries, gingerbread cookies
- Non-alcoholic apple and grape sparkling 'wine'

I was so stuffed, I had a fantastic time and received lots of great presents. And soon I get to do another Christmas with my partner's family, yay!

Hope all of you out in blogland have an amazing Christmas and those in Perth, try to keep cool in this horrid 38C weather xoxo.

Gingerbread cookies

2010-12-23T13:13:00.002+08:00

I made these gluten free Gingerbread Cookies a couple of days ago. They taste a bit different to what my mom has made in the past, more powdery crunchy and spicier, but still very tasty! I wonder how long these will last?

Christmas Baking

2010-12-21T10:21:00.004+08:00

Poor blog, I've been neglectful again. Perhaps these delicious treats will make up for my absence.

I've been making these for the past couple of days. They are called Karjalan Piirakkat, they are Finnish Karelian Potato Pies and are oh so delicious! I managed to find a gluten free recipe and I can't believe how much they taste like the original. The different flours were a bit annoying to find but it was well worth the effort. Normally a rice mixture is put into it like in the linked recipe but I prefer to put in potato mash, that's how my mother's family has always made it, I think it's more Karelian or something? I also didn't bother glazing it, there's really no need and I cooked it for 25 minutes so it's more brown on top.

Then this morning I made Pannukakku (Finnish Oven Pancake)! It's a bit like a pancake you make in the oven but it's not very solid, it has a bit of a custardy texture to it. I substituted the flour for plain gluten free flour and put in rice milk rather than regular milk. My pannukakku didn't come out as nice as it should. It was a bit too soft, I think there was too much butter in the recipe. When I make it again I'll halve the butter (dairy free) and maybe put in a touch more flour. I topped mine off with Finnish style Strawberry Jam. It's very syrupy in texture but oh so delicious! Took me about 2 and a half hours to make though. Can't wait to try it on regular pancakes too.

I still intend to make some Gingerbread cookies and Cinnamon Rolls (finnish style). In case you're wondering why all the Finnish food, my mom is from there and I adore the food. Piirakka isn't a Christmas food but we always make it for Christmas. It's a little time consuming to make so we only have it once or twice a year. And the pannukakku, it's a regular dish, you can make it sweet or savoury with toppings and can be had any time you want a light snack. And I'm making everything gluten and dairy free because I have Crohn's Disease and doing this type of diet helps with the symptoms.

Meet my feathered friends

2010-11-04T19:35:00.002+08:00

This here is Herbert.

Who is that hiding inside of Herbert?

Little Henry was hiding inside of Herbert! Aren't they the sweetest of friends?

I've got a crush on you

2010-10-28T11:51:00.002+08:00

You know that fluttery awestruck feeling you get inside when you see something that is just out of this world awesome? That's the feeling I got when I first stumbled upon Shaun Tan's work.

The first book I read of his was "The Red Tree". I came across it in class when I was in uni and the way Tan combines collage with mystery and quirky little details made me swoon inside and I had to find more of his work.

I've been slowly accumulating his books and the other week I went to Planet Books in Mt Lawley (which by the way, is such an amazing place for a bibliophile!) and acquired a few!

First up is "Tales from Outer Suburbia"

It's a book featuring a collection of little stories and plenty of amazing illustrations. I really love the endpapers!

A new book that I discovered in store is "The Bird King and other sketches". I had to have this one, it's full of his sketches and for some reason I always like artists raw sketches rather than the finished product.

Again, the endpapers are amazing! Just look at that budgie!

And then I saw this journal with his illustration on the front. There is a kitty holding a teapot on it!!! At first I wasn't going to get it but then my man saw how wistfully I was looking at it and bought it for me. Maybe one day it will be filled with many illustrations that are at least as half as good as Shaun Tan's.

What illustrator makes you feel all gooey on the inside?

Tomato red

2010-10-26T18:16:00.002+08:00

I found this little bicycle at the department store, it's meant to be a Christmas tree ornament. I wish I had a real bike like this, all shiny and red...but then I remember how I'm not very good at riding a bike anymore (I think the last time I rode a bike was in 1999 eep) and riding on the main road scares me to death. So I think I will just have this wee bike sit on my desk all year round and I can dream of a fancy me who rides around on a bike without a care in the world.

Pretty Presents

2010-10-22T17:51:00.002+08:00

It was my birthday at the end of September (woo I'm 25 now!) and my dear friend Lauren gifted me with some lovely things.

She got me a stamp of a pug! I loooove pugs, I love the way way they snort it's so beautiful. I was dreaming of how I would one day get a pug called Hamilton Puglington but then I had to face the reality that it would most likely make me sneeze and itchy because that's what short haired dogs do to me if I'm exposed to them for long periods.

This teapot is one of the most greatest things I have ever been given! It's a vintage teapot and Lauren drew the most sweetest illustration of a pug on it, I adore it so much. She managed to combine two of my favourite things, isn't she just the best?

Made on the Left Christmas Market

2010-10-21T12:07:00.003+08:00

It's getting close to that gift giving time of year again! And what better way to shop for gifts than to buy handmade at the next Made on the Left market.

Upstairs at The Saint, Innaloo
2 Morris Rd
10-4pm, 13th & 14th November

There are no lifts so if you've got small children or babies have a day off and leave them with a sitter or your partner, you deserve a free day!

My brand Eeva Margita will be there on the Sunday, 14th November I hope to see you there! I will have some delicious new goodies featuring monocles, owls, butterflies and the alphabet, how exciting ♥

Back from the hills

2010-10-20T14:40:00.003+08:00

I've been back from the Dwellingup holiday for over a week now and finally got my butt into gear to show you what I did down there. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted to though, most of the time I was feeling really sick and the altitude wasn't making it any better (would never have thought that the place was high enough but considering how drained I felt the whole time I was there versus how I feel in regular old Perth, it must have been pretty high up!). So I managed to get one painting done and then snap a few pics with my partner which I then doodled on once I came home. I apologise for no photos of sweeping landscapes and of the most sweetest alpaca on the drive there.

Let the sweet one sleep

Originally I had the bunny in brown as that's how I saw it in my head but turned out my head was wrong! The brown was too dark and overpowering while the grey was just right.

Making music

These marks

My partner is so pretty haha! I love doodling on top of photos in photoshop. I've been thinking about doing it for real though, getting face paint and painting on his face...I'm sure I can convince him of letting me do it, all in the name of art!

Unwrapped September

2010-09-28T19:24:00.002+08:00

Oops I just realised I never said on the blog that I was going to do Unwrapped back at the start of this month! Eep sorry, I mentioned it on facebook and just assumed I did on here too. Sorry sorry, here are a few photos from the day to apologise!

See that first necklace? It's a wee harmonica!

When I saw these camera charms I had to get them.

I freaked out when I saw these little pocket watches, so cute!

Slightly different layout with little clothespeg displays to combat any wind.

I've applied for a couple of markets in November so fingers crossed I get into those and I promise I will notify you of when they are ♥

Candy Stripes

2010-09-28T19:12:00.002+08:00

I swear I'm alive! I know I'm a terrible blogger but hopefully that will change soon. I'll be going down to Dwellingup from tomorrow for nearly 2 weeks to join Ali and Lauren for a bit of an artists retreat. Fingers crossed that the time away will recharge my creative mojo because I am really missing it!

Anywho for the time being I have a little something for you guys to have a look at while I re-energise. IKEA was having a sewing contest where you had to make something using at least 70% of their fabric. So I decided to make a sweet bunny! She ended up quite big, I think about 70cm tall perhaps? She may be big, but she sure is adorable. Sadly IKEA didn't think so and didn't choose her to be a finalist. Nevermind, it was a good challenge and now I have someone cute to sit next to while I watch TV.

Sweet words

2010-08-20T18:08:00.002+08:00

Listening to The Beatles always makes me paint out sweet nothings.

Snap Happy

2010-08-08T07:27:00.003+08:00

Finally got my latest roll of film from my Golden Half camera developed and here are some of my favourites ♥

Eeva Margita facebook page

2010-08-04T18:44:00.001+08:00

Now you can become a fan of Eeva Margita on facebook!

Made on the Left Report

2010-07-22T05:42:00.003+08:00

What a great day Sunday was! I was a little nervous at the start since I was launching a new brand and it's always hard to predict how others will react to your work but I didn't need to feel so worried because it was a very successful day. The new venue was spacious and full of light, a nice change from the Hyde. And gosh so many people! I hardly got a break the whole day, whenever there was a break it only lasted maybe 5 or 10 minutes, I'm so glad I had my man helping me out otherwise I believe I would have collapsed. Enough talk, onto the photos (the best part of any blog post).

This is how my booth looked for the day. I really like how it came out! I'll be setting up an etsy store to buy from in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

Here are some other great stalls from the same day

Stuffaduck

B.H.O

Caldi

Osmosis

Bluefish Design

Made of Awesome

Little Mo and Friends

Olive Farm

Lovely typewriter at the promo table

And finally, polaroids we got taken at the Made of Awesome booth :) I am so rocking that mustache haha

Made on the Left!

2010-07-15T17:59:00.002+08:00

Argh I've been so busy I haven't even been able to tell you guys that I'll be at the Made on the Left market this coming Sunday!
Details:
Sunday July 18th
10 - 4pm
The Saint Hotel, 2 Morris Rd Innaloo

Here's a little peek at what I'll have at my little booth, Eeva Margita.

Sweet little bow ties (there will also be hairclips!) $20 each

"Snow Rose" necklace $33

Clockwise from top left - Hanging button earrings $20, "Icicles and Acorns" $24, "Key to the night" $24, "The bells are ringing" $24

Other sweet things in store are hand stamped moleskine notebooks and greeting cards! I would have had photos for you but I've been flat out and starting from tomorrow I won't have a rest until next Wednesday. I've got a wedding, modeling, Made on the Left, iron infusion and receptionist work experience lined up. I think I will be rather exhausted by the end of all that!

Hope to see you on Sunday! If not, hope you can check out the Saturday of Made on the Left :)

Crafternoon

2010-06-19T11:10:00.000+08:00

The other day I went to see the ever so lovely Miss Lauren of Osier, to have a crafternoon. This time we made baby booties for Ali's gorgeous daughter.

They are so tiny and sweet, we were squealing for nearly the whole duration of crafting!

Excuse me while I hyperventilate

2010-06-12T17:08:00.002+08:00

Dear people who love me,

20 months of coloured pencils, 25 pencils per month = 500 coloured pencils.

Get this for me and I will worship you for life.

Love,
Niina

Me me me

2010-06-12T16:58:00.002+08:00

Bunny head necklace

The dog bowl

I believe if I had these items from me me me, my life would be quite complete.

Birthdays = Cards

2010-06-12T16:41:00.003+08:00

There has been a flurry of birthdays lately so I made some cards since receiving a handmade card is always nicer than a hallmark one.

This one is for Helena. Go check out her awesomeness.

Drawing for guys is difficult! First time I've ever drawn a motorcycle, and I cheated a bit, I traced a photo to get the basic shape.

Normally I hate how I draw cats, even though I adore them, but I think I've figured out a satisfactory way to draw them.

Sketchbook peek

2010-06-01T20:32:00.002+08:00

I have a bit of an aversion to showing people the inside of my sketchbook. It's full of unfinished ideas and things that don't quite look right. This is something I need to get over but being such a perfectionist it can be hard! So here are some pages from the past few months, enjoy :)

Lock me up and throw away the key

2010-04-27T11:47:00.002+08:00

Lock me away
I have a thing for lockets, always have and always will, and I have no idea why. Maybe it's because you can hide away a little part of yourself or someone else in a tiny space? Whatever the reason, lockets are the bees knees.

Exercising in Bridgetown

2010-04-27T11:23:00.002+08:00

In February I had a client job to illustrate a map detailing exercise stations in a park down in a place called Bridgetown. I think it came out quite well and it is so awesome seeing something of mine in print!

Which acorn to choose?

2010-04-24T11:52:00.003+08:00

I forgot I had made this and scanned it in! Did it a few weeks ago, it's a Cd cover for some movies I burned for someone. It's not the best thing I've ever done but I think it's still pretty cute :)

The birds are calling

2010-04-24T11:40:00.002+08:00

Blueberry Birdie & Ring-a-ding-ding
I know everyone seems to have a thing for birds these days, but whatever, I love them too and these charms were too sweet to pass up. And the little bell charm is my new favourite thing!

Lemons can be sweet

2010-04-22T09:49:00.002+08:00

Love me with a lemon kiss
This is one of my favourites that I have made. The little yellow drops is the icing in the cake!

Busy little fingers

2010-04-21T13:38:00.002+08:00

"Catch a little tree"

So this is what I have been busy with for the past month or so : making jewellery! I've been building up a new little brand which I have named "eeva margita" (forgive me if I've already mentioned this...). The name is a combination of my mother's and my middle names. I've done this because I've been using photos of my mother from the 70's as inspiration and then throwing in a little bit of me for good measure.

More photos are on the way, so hold tight and check back tomorrow ♥

When you're feeling blue...

2010-04-19T11:33:00.002+08:00

...there's nothing like a bunch of cheerful flowers from someone special to put a smile back on your face :)

Happy Easter

2010-04-02T09:48:00.002+08:00

Hope everyone is having a nice easter or has awesome plans! Excuse the silence on my end, I've been busy but I have some blog posts up my sleeves to show off very soon.

In Harmony

2010-03-13T09:20:00.002+08:00

I've discovered this new online drawing program called Harmony and I think it's my new favourite thing. I drew this girl using my mouse in a couple minutes, I love the sketchy look!

Kitty #2

2010-02-28T11:06:00.004+08:00

Here is kitty number 2 in what I've decided will be a series of sketches of cats. It's not the greatest sketch but by drawing more cats I endeavor to get better! This cat lives in my friends barn where she keeps her horses. I'll probably use a lot of her pictures since she has a million cats, thanks Tegan!

Pretty as a picture

2010-02-23T17:40:00.004+08:00

I re-did the blog! If you're viewing this post via a blog reader then click here to see the blog in person :) I might still change the background....not quite sure whether I like it or not. Also I couldn't figure out how to get the header section of the blog to not be white in the background, darn html!

EDIT - ugh decided I didn't like the background, it's too busy but I'll leave the screen grab up for now, maybe I'll think of something else later :P

You should put a ring on it

2010-02-23T16:02:00.002+08:00

Remember those little fabric covered buttons? I turned some of them into sweet little rings! Aah I love the look of these, like tiny pincushions. And I think they look awfully cute stacked in twos or threes :)

These are a few of my favourite things

2010-02-17T12:03:00.002+08:00

Well a few of my NEW favourite things! Yesterday I went shopping and found the most delightful things!

I popped into Bed Bath 'n Table and they had an Easter spread with lots and lots of really cute decorations. I saw this wooden rabbit and the little ceramic ones and I just had to have them! I'm thinking of using them for future market props. And then the bottle to the side has sweet little birds on them! There were also two larger sizes but I quite liked the small size (it's about 15cm tall). I'll probably also use it as a prop or stuff it with ribbons.

Then I went to Kikki.k to get this bag I had seen on their website. It's made from a really firm canvas so it will last a long time. I think it will be a great 'going to the post office' bag, right?

And then I saw these rolls of tape, with bicycles on them!! It would have been a crime to leave them there :)

Pin pin pin a cushion

2010-02-15T17:44:00.002+08:00

Another batch of craftiness with the oh-so-wonderful Lauren! This time we made a bunch of wrist pin cushions following My Little Mochi's tutorial (although we made a few adjustments!). I especially liked how the one with owl's went (I used Lauren's special Christopher Owl material she made at Spoonflower).

See how Lauren went with her pin cushions :)

Here kitty kitty

2010-02-09T23:07:00.003+08:00

When I saw this cat I just felt like I had to do a little sketch. And you know, it felt good to do a sketch! I haven't been drawing because I didn't really have any great original ideas in my head so I think this is what I need - just some mindless sketching. I'm thinking maybe I'll do a big series of cat illustrations. It would be cool to get people to email me a photo of their cat I could draw instead of picking random photos from the internet. Would anyone be interested? Otherwise I'll just use my cats :)

Insomnia

2010-02-06T14:34:00.002+08:00

I was hit with insomnia last night and thought I would doodle a bit to wait for the sandman to come. Makes me want to draw Spock more hehe he's fun to draw.

Sweet like candy

2010-02-04T18:13:00.001+08:00

These little fabric covered buttons are so addictive to make. I can't wait for my etsy package to arrive to finish them off!

Crafty friends are awesome

2010-02-02T20:28:00.002+08:00

I went to Lauren's house to watch Ponyo (which was amazing!) and she showed me how to make a purse! I'd been wanting to learn for a long time so I was so happy when she offered to show me. Today I added the little bit at the front, I think I got it a tad wonky though.

FIXIT Magazine

2010-02-01T19:58:00.001+08:00

Help get this awesome magazine off the ground!! Click the picture to learn how you can show some support and spread the word, I really want this magazine to be launched :D

A few bits and bobs

2010-02-01T16:36:00.003+08:00

items from stephaniexu
I've been whipping my credit card out a little too much these days, but when it buys you lovely items such as these how can I say no?

I'm sorry to whoever reads my blog that I haven't updated in over a month. After finishing my honours I really haven't felt like drawing. Also my health went down the toilet but I'm re-building it! I am hoping these new craft materials will kick my creativity into full drive :)

Muppet Love

2009-11-25T12:13:00.001+08:00

This is just awesome! I used to watch the Muppets all the time when I was a kid, this makes me nostalgic :)

Upcoming Markets!

2009-10-30T21:15:00.003+08:00

Quickly popping in to let you guys know of a couple markets I'll be at in November!

First up is the Darlington Arts Festival on the 7th and 8th of November.

And then I'll be at the Made on the Left market. It runs for two days, 14th and 15th. Different designers each day, I'll be there on the 15th!

So this post isn't just text, here's a sneak preview of new stuff you can expect to see!

Hand stamped moleskines!

Laser cut wooden xmas ornaments. I've also got a girl elf to accompany the boy as well as a super awesome tree ornament with woodland creatures!

Hope any Perthites will pop on by and say hello :)

Now I've got to keep chugging along with my honours project, one more week and I am finished!

A Golden Life

2009-09-22T15:21:00.002+08:00

As a graduation present, I received this wonderful little camera from my mom. It's called a Golden Half because it takes half frame pictures. The beauty of such a camera, is you get twice as many photos from the one roll of film! My camera is a special limited edition version featuring the art of half-Japanese model Chelsea Maika. I've seen her in a lot of magazines I've bought from Japan and always liked her because she looks like a little doll.

I took these pictures ages ago, I think at the start of the year but when I got them developed, despite telling the photo lab that the photos were half frame, they printed them full frame! If I wanted them full frame wouldn't I have just used a normal camera?? So I scanned in the negatives at home, which is probably what I'll do from now on so I don't have to print unwanted photos.

The way these photos are paired, are pure accidents and it's their serendipitous nature that makes these so great :)

All the animals are my pets, boring I know but I love taking photos of them. Writing this post makes me want to buy another roll of film...

Inking I shall go

2009-09-02T14:24:00.002+08:00

I've been inking my final illustrations for my honours project (a children's picture book). I'm almost finished with inking, I think about another 8 pages plus front/back cover, title page, publishing page and endpapers...so I guess still a bit far from finishing! And then I still have the colouring to do of course...not looking forward to that! Such tedious work.

This is Fantastic!

2009-08-30T10:14:00.001+08:00

I love how old school this looks! When I first heard about it I was worried it was going to be claymation which tends to look a little cheesy. But the method they used reminds me of shows I used to watch as a kid :)

Enjoy!

Oh Golly!

2009-08-13T23:50:00.001+08:00

I made this little dude for this little dudette's birthday. I think she liked him :)

I'm super proud I crocheted his pants. It was a big feat because I am a rubbish crocheter. For some reason I can never pick up the last stitch when making a rectangle so I end up with a triangle. So Golli's pants are constructed from several triangles. At least from the front you can't see what a mess his pants are!

The market been and gone

2009-08-13T23:40:00.003+08:00

Finally I am blogging about the market that I did last month, Made on the Left. It was a lot of fun to do and it was a really great day for me. I think it had a lot to do with most of my stuff being on sale. And I was really happy with how I did the layout of my table! The string of bunnies at the front was a last minute decision to prettify my table and I think they work just swimmingly.

I won't be doing any markets again until towards the end of the year, gotta concentrate on finishing uni!

Blue blue sky

2009-08-07T14:52:00.003+08:00

Today was a beautiful day! The sky is a really ridiculous blue, it almost looks unreal. I love days like this, not too cold and not too hot. The sun feels like it caresses your skin. And to make it even better I received a fabulous package from ASOS.

Fabulous fabulous shoes!! They were on sale and I had to have them, I mean just look at them! I am so in love with these shoes, they fit like a dream.

Also comes with chihuahua approval :)

I'm being neglectful again....

2009-08-05T15:29:00.004+08:00

But I'm being neglectful with good reason! I've been catching up on my honours project work. At the moment I am up to the part of doing the final sketches for each page of my picture book. I haven't mentioned the story have I? Well, it's about a dog with a really big nose. His nose is very annoying and his family doesn't like him. But then he puts his nose to good use and redeems himself. I should have finished the sketch part a looooong time ago, I am so behind! So here's a glimpse of what I've been doing instead of blogging...

This is my final double page spread to sketch out and it is a b**ch. I'm doing it in a comic style format (just this spread) and it's so tedious!!! I hate drawing this tiny ugh. And you see that pile of papers to the left? Those are all the pages I've done so far.

Oh and I must confess...as well as doing much needed honours work, I have been re-watching the TV series, Supernatural. I'm up to Season 3 now. Gosh I really love this series!!! I hope there are some others out there who like it too cos I have no one to squeal about it to...except my mom and she's not as obsessed as me, so there's only so much I can squeal about to her without her telling me shut up. The season 4 finale finally showed on Australian TV on monday and OMG so excited for the next season, wish it would come sooner!!!!

Also I need to make a post about the market I did, and re-open my etsy store! I was meant to open it last week but haven't got around to it yet...but don't hold your breath :)

To market, to market...

2009-07-24T16:22:00.004+08:00

I've been busy all week preparing for Made on the Left, which is this weekend!!! YAY! As I am discontinuing my old stuff they will all be sold at a reduced price (yay for you!). But I have new products! Like the two images I posted "Mushroom Gal" and "Just keep on dancing", will be available as A4 sized prints. And I also made some mini prints which I am so giddy over, I love the colours!

Skull Girl

Petal Lady

Birdie

Berry Picking

Bunny May Love......Bunny Loves You

I love these two!

I also mentioned in a previous post about whoever mentions my blog will get a little surprise when they see me at MOTL. But I'm limiting the numbers who will get the prize, the first 10 to mention the blog will receive the following in their hot little hands...

Pretty sweet aren't they! These badges are exclusively sold with the Love & Hate zine I mentioned some posts back, but for 10 lucky blog readers, it's yours for free! Hopefully there will be some people who actually mention it :P I have no idea how many people actually read this blog!

Little parcels wrapped up in string

2009-07-13T16:26:00.002+08:00

I made a whole stack of coasters to send as Christmas gifts for my relatives in Finland. I love how colourful they all look together and so sweet and quaint tied up in brown string.