Saturday Shopping List featuring Ghost Nets

Image from flickr user Scripps Oceanographer

While up North I came across the Carpentaria Ghost Nets Programme, a set-up for Indigenous communities of the Gulf of Carpentaria to work together to get rid of ghost nets and marine debris from their oceans and land. Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been abandoned at sea causing disruption to the natural ecology. Due to strong currents a huge amount of them end up on the beaches of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Chantal Cordey's guitar strap made using nets and marine debris

During the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair the Ghost Nets Programme ran Indigenous weaving workshops using the nets. The Programme is doing amazing things to deal with marine debris problems but (obviously) the concept of re-purposing the nets in a creative way appealed to me and I'm looking forward to seeing more ghost net woven bags and baskets in future.

And so, this week's shopping list is inspired by creative ways of weaving re-purposed materials:


1. Recycled Woven Plastic Shoulder Bag-VL 114 from permanent baggage

2. Handwoven Recycled T-Shirt Rug from five forty

3. Eco Cuff - Woven Innertube Cuff - 8 Strand from The Inner Works

4. Woven pendant with leather cord from recycled tin from wear wolf

I highly recommend checking out the other items in these shops.

For more Saturday Shopping Lists or to feature some of your Etsy faves check out Fancy Picnic.

3 Quick Questions: felt at home

Cairns was fabulous, I came across some amazing projects but more on that later. In the meantime here's some inspiration from Phillipa England, the fabulous crafter behind felt at home.

Isabelle Guesnon - Felt Sculpture - Littlebird Dreams

I am a mixed media artist, with a background in Jewellery and Silversmithing. I love to experiment with different materials including wool and felt, as well as, more recently, assemblage art using vintage components, such as cotton reels, old buttons, ribbons, old advertising.

I am inspired by poetry, France, the countryside, daily interactions with people, other artists - both contemporary and historical...

Isabelle Guesnon - Felt Sculpture - Isabelle goes to Disneyland

What inspired you to start creating?

I have been 'making stuff' pretty much for as long as I can remember! I started crocheting a carpet when I was about 8 (got as far as the first row!). I got into felt making when my sister bought me a felt-making book and some wool roving. I experimented and it grew from there.

Isabelle scoots along barefoot - Felt Sculpture

If you could spend more time on one thing what would it be?

Just now I would have to say that I wish I had more time to develop the 'Isabelle' series. I am working on some story books to accompany the sculptures I make. She has a real little personality going on there, with her friends Gilbert the goldfish and Mabel the hen!

Handbag of your design - customised people purse of your choice

What's next for you creatively?

Developing the book I think. I have just bought some lighting equipment to work on taking better photos, so I think that's where I am next. I try not to be so rigid in my work and to go where I feel I'm being pulled at the time. I think that's just an excuse for being totally scatty and disorganised actually!!

Marlene - mixed media art brooch/necklace

Check out more of Phillipa's work here:

Phillipa England Blog
Phillipa England Etsy Shop

Thanks for your time Phillipa, can't wait to hear more about the development of your book!

Blog break

Hello! It's Cuddly Cat here, my creator is heading north for the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. I'll be supervising the craft room but I'm not so great with computers so there will be a blog break for the next week and the etsy shop will re-open on Tuesday 25 August. Meow :)

A perfect Sunday morning

What a fabulous morning we had yesterday at Brown Owls, so nice to craft and chat in the great outdoors. Read more about what we got up to over here.

Saturday Shopping List

Beautiful shades of blue for a beautiful day.

1. Cuff in Blue/White Striped Cotton from NanuSewn

2. Tiny Ingemar Swedish Horse Rubber Stamp from Corrabelle

3. Romantic Half Moon Pouch - Retro checks in turquoise and purple from Lifestyle with Love

4. The Market Tunic from Dear Madelyn

For more fabulous etsy finds or to post your own Saturday Shopping List check out Fancy Picnic.

And for all the big bargains, the BrisStyle Ekka Extravaganza Sale ends this weekend!

My creative space...

A little plush car making this week.

For more spaces or to show off your own head over to Kirsty's.

Plus don't forget there's 10% off in my etsy shop until 16 August!

3 Quick Questions: Blossomnbird

Pink Sherbert in the Park with Doris Skirt

I've been watching Karen's little world Blossomnbird progress for a while now. I love the way she combines colour, pattern and texture, I love how her designs translate across so many different mediums but most of all I love that her sweet creations make me smile.

Betsy Patchwork Art print 10 x 8

What inspired you to start creating?

Hmmm what inspired me to start creating???

Ooo that's tricky to say in just a few words...

My Grandmother and her Mother were both artists....though I spent a lot of time outdoors as a child (not doing artsy-craftsy activities) but my favouite game with my friends was making gifts for each other out of things that we found on the beach....

I've always loved the idea that something amazing can be created out of the simplest of materials. Especially something unique that can affect and inspire.

I guess too, it's a way to express myself. A form of communication and connection...I'm very visual and tactile; not much of a conversationalist, not much of a writer, not much of a dancer, not a musician and I definetly cannot sing too well!! ...

I can't imagine not doing what i do.

Crazy Lovely Day One of a Kind Skirt

If you could spend more time on one thing, what would it be?

Well aside from long days at the beach with my family or playing creatively with my daughter. I'd say drawing and painting. But I love fabrics too and always end up wanting to play with and surround myself with yummy vintage fabrics and textiles.

Art Print 8 x 6 Sitting Bunny Limited Edition

What's next for Blossomnbird?

What's next? Developing my art...experimenting with and refining things to share...

Maybe show my work in a few more brick and mortar places too...that would be nice.

Sweet Melancholy Gal Brooch Pin

More Blossomnbird here
Blossomnbird Etsy Shop
Blossomnbird Blog

Plus check out some of Karen's sweet animations in the sidebar of her blog.

Nook opens today!

It's about time Brisbane had a shop as cool as Nook, opening today 9:30 am-4 pm!

It's Sale Time!!!

Stock up now on edward and lilly embroidered products and cute critters!

The Brisbane Etsy Street Team better know as BrisStyle are holding an Ekka Etsy Extravaganza sale to celebrate the Ekka (Brisbane's local Exhibition. The sale runs from 6-15 August.

During the sale all edward and lilly items will be reduced with free postage in Australia!!!

Head over here to check it out!

My creative space...

Finally finishing off this embroidery I started earlier in the year. For those of you with sharp eyes, yes the left leg is a slightly darker shade of pink and yes I will be re-doing it when I pick up some more thread but for the time being I'm hoping to incorporate this image somehow into a page for the 2010 diary project I found out about via Sam (check out Sam's entry, it's awesome!). The diary is black and white so hopefully the slightly darker shade of thread won't be too obvious. Serves me right for leaving things till the last minute!


And some more tiny stitches for lavender scented birds. These ones will be going off to Drift and Reverse Garbage.

For those who are waiting on plush cars, yep they are coming... hopefully next week... and for more creative spaces or to show off your own pop over to Kirsty's.

Pop back later for news about a BIG sale!!!

Saturday Shopping List

No shopping list mosaic this week, instead a bunch of loveliness that's been tucked away in my Etsy favourites for a while. I have a secret crush on every item in fleur fatale's shop and these Verdigris bobby pins are to die for!


After losing our market stall virginity together Little Chrissy and I embarked on a brooch swap. I scored this cute Red Cuckoo Clock Brooch in exchange for a sausage dog. Check out Chris' shop for more cuteness!


I'm loving these Spring Garden earrings from Up in Annie's Room. While you're there check out the French Dictionary Glass Pendants!


And who could resist Wabbit-Lionel from Chunky Chooky. He's a little shy but oh so cute!

For more Etsy favourites or to play along pop over to Charlotte's.


Finally, I just want to say a huge thank you to Jun from BeaniPet for giving me a Kreativ Blogger Award last week. BeaniPets are super cute hugable pillows, Jun only makes one of each and puts them up for adoption. They're so beautifully crafted. Check them out here.