Paper love... six ways.

and of course .. my personal favourite ... 

A few facts ... a few tips ... and a quick catch up...

FACTS

I love paper. I love all kinds of paper.... however the heart races for delicate tissue thin writing paper (and if there's a water mark within it.... swoon) anything handmade, linen finish card stock and of course - as is evidenced in this post... pages from just about any vintage reference book I can find. 

There are an abundant number of abandoned books filling the shelves of thrift stores world wide. This fact simultaneously saddens and excites me. The digital era brings with it great convenience and many an environmentalist would argue the decrease of forestry pillaging, yet it also leads to the orphaning of thousands of truly stunning encyclopedia sets and reference books.

There are innumerable ways to recycle these exquisite pages and I'm on a mission to try them all. 

(Aside - Pinterest has been most helpful in my achievement of this frivolous goal)

Christmas is around the corner... I won't give you a minor cardiac episode with an accurate day count, however I will add that little compares to the pleasure of knowing your festive plots and plans are progressing along at a stress free pace.... she says smugly whilst scribbling a foreboding list longer than her arm.

TIPS

You need very few tools to transform paper into handmade loveliness. I find double sided tape, fancy edged scissors and stamps are the only "luxury purchases" required to go from basic cut and paste to... hmmmm ... how can I humbly state this... unique brilliance?? Might I add that all the brilliance lies in the delightful typography, alluring illustrations (think Websters pictorial peoples) and yellowing ageing of these parchment treasures.

Handmade is just hands down (see what I did there) a superior touch when it comes to gift giving. 

(even if the gift is store bought, the effort put into personalising ones wrapping rarely goes unnoticed)

You need not be a crafty bod to have a bit of fun with paper and you don't even have to tear out the pages (sacrilege I hear many of you scream) since the magic of scanning and/or photocopying allows you to duplicate as many of those captivating medical journal images (a gory personal favourite of mine) as you please. 

For those of you who do not have any thrifted books on hand fear not - The Graphics Fairy  is a modern day super heroine whose efforts to share vintage images in convenient down-loadable clip art form truly renders her Nobel peace prize worthy. Her website is a cornucopia of visual pleasure and well worth a visit. Obsessed with foxes and rabbits peoples ??? 

I cannot even bear to part with the corners and scraps of the paper I'm using so as you can see I sew them together (the music paper bunting) and/or turn them into mini cake flags. I'm always trying to come up with new ideas so if you can think of any other uses for these leftover bits do let me know.

I made the Monopoly money bunting for my son's room  - a token of visual abundance for all his lofty plans and dreams. Usually I turn vintage children's story books into bunting (and gift it to new mums for their nurseries and kiddies for their rooms & cubbies) yet I have found that just about any paper treasure can be turned into bunting and as for shape/size, uniformity etc ... well they're all silly rules that must be abandoned.

Even if the word "craft" has you running a mile I still think adding a personal touch to gifts and cards goes a long way to making someones day. Hand made cards are especially sacred and too easy when all you've really done is "steal" a page from an old dictionary and hand stamped the message - quick but completely unique.

CATCHING UP

Again thank you for your lovely comments and emails on my last post. I am still pretty inactive however it's only ten more sleeps and I'll have an operation that will put and end to all of this nonsense.

I am enthusiastic, optimistic and ever so grateful. Not only for the kindness and care of loved ones but also for the ability to distract myself by making and creating... twas very cathartic! 

We are back to school and Young Prince will be tackling exams pretty soon. He's at that bold and brassy age where he doggedly believes that study is for the birds and I'm trying (unsuccessfully I might add) to school him in the benefits of regular revision. Hmmm.... we shall see.

My hero of a Hubby made THIS and THIS yesterday (adapted with lemons) so I have no reason to complain about being couch bound with a couple of magazines, a pooch and a new period drama to enjoy. 

We have grandiose veggie plot and garden plans which will swing into action AS SOON as I am able to wield an axe and dig a hole. I. CANNOT. WAIT. In the meantime I swoon whilst looking at these.

How has your weekend been peoples? Have you been crafting lately? What about Christmas? (I know, I know... too early some might say) but have you begun preparations? Stocking stuffers, gift purchases, jam making? (a dream I have yet to tackle) Are you excited about summer days at the beach or are you stoking fires and donning socks? Are you out and about on a jaunt or home bound with cosier activities at hand? Do you have teenagers emptying the fridge and filling the washing machine or are yours of the littler persuasion... nappies, teething, racing around in dress-ups?? Will you be vacationing soon or will your festive season be a local one with family and friends? 

Do tell. 

♥♥♥ 

PS - The chicks are doing really well. Roz is still fiercely protective but hopefully we'll be able to move them into the bigger run soon so that the other gals can get used to them. 

Mr Sparrow ... a look and an interview...

Well I've prattled on about this store many times

and so finally I decided to do something more about my

love (verging on obsession if I am to be honest)...

The lovely Anna was most obliging and allowed me to

Hipstamatic my way through her wares and also answered

a number of questions regarding her unique and inspirational

Mr Sparrow....

Now you'll have to take my word for it when 

I say that I could have included twice as 

many images since the 

shop is filled with the most delightful treasures.

Anna has a way of including something for everyone.

However I've decided to let the interview and 

photos speak for themselves...

You have a very unique store, filled with things people don't see everyday in Perth. What inspired you to start a business of this nature? For a long time I was dreaming of a shop where I would collect together all sorts of things that I loved - homewares, jewellery, plants, and all sorts of beautiful things, plus some things that I had made myself. Then my husband James and I went and lived in Berlin for a year and did lots of travelling, too, and during that time I saw so many amazing shops and products that inspired me. I couldn't wait to bring some of these beautiful things to Perth, and to put them together with all the ideas that had been stewing in my head for a long time. So when I got back to Perth I made it happen!

What do you enjoy most about the work that you do? Probably what I enjoy most is being able to sit in my shop and look around and think 'I created this'. As with anyone who has started their own business, my business is my baby, so it's a pretty amazing feeling sometimes to see what it has become. In practical terms, the parts of the job I love most are discovering a new product that gets me really excited, and then unpacking that box when it arrives at the shop! And I love merchandising, so working out how to display new stock, or creating new little scenes within the shop is my absolute favourite thing. 

What do you find the most challenging? Probably the most challenging part is balancing everything! I do have one employee, but essentially Mr Sparrow is a one-man show, which means that every job that needs doing needs to be done by me. Sometimes I feel like it's all running smoothly and at other times (hmmm...like right now!) I feel like I'm running around in a total flap! It can be frustrating because I never get to devote as much time as I would like to any one part of the business, and there are always a dozen new avenues I'm wanting to explore that just never get explored because I don't have the time.

Do you have any advice for anyone wishing to start their own business? I guess I would say don't be afraid to put yourself out there and take risks. It can be quite scary approaching designers, dealing with imports, paying huge invoices...and generally doing a whole lot of things you've never done before, but generally people are fantastic to deal with and you'll find that you'll work it all out along the way!

The current market is very open to vintage, recycled and up-cycled. It seems like now more than ever people are open to the unique and original. Your store really reflects this trend. How do you stay inspired when it comes to sourcing new products and ideas? I generally don't have any problem finding inspiration because there are always so many brilliant designers creating new and exciting products. In fact, I have the opposite problem of seeing too many things I like and wanting to stock them all! There have been times, though, when I've felt in a bit of a rut and in need of a bit of refreshment. There are a few blogs I can turn to and know I will always find something inspiring: Oh Joy! and Oh Happy Day! are my favourites. I always find that getting out in nature is incredibly inspiring, too, and leaves me feeling refreshed and full of new ideas! 

What do you think are the most important elements of "great design"? Hmmm that's a tough one! I'm not a student of design and generally just trust what I am drawn to. My thoughts, though, for what they are worth, are that great design is designed to last, so thought needs to have gone into the materials and the structure so that it will stand the test of time, physically and aesthetically. I also think great design is an inspired combination of beauty and functionality; and finally I think great design is created with environmental concerns in mind, if not at the very core of the design.

Who are your style gurus? I don't really have any style gurus as such - I just like to blend ideas from all sorts of people and places. Probably the person that inspires me most, is my best friend, Eko. We just bounce off each other, so once we get talking about something creative we start coming up with all sorts of ideas and get wildly excited! She has an amazing sense of style, too, and we're able to be brutally honest with each other, so if ever I'm unsure about something I'll run it by her.

Sadly, Mr Sparrow will be closing its doors soon. You are however going to continue to run the store online (yay!) Can we expect any changes or will your catalogue/range remain similar? I'm looking forward to having a bit more time to work on the online store and make it more of a reflection of the physical store. So this means getting more products up there and also making some changes so that the aesthetics of the shop are reflected online. I have a few things in the works already so you'll see some changes online soon, with more to come! In terms of the product range, it will more or less remain the same, but some things work better online and some better in a shop, so there will be a few necessary changes. 

Do you have a favorite product or item in your store? Why so? I think my favourite products are the Pull + Push incense pots and planters from Japan. I love these for so many reasons - they are made from mortar and I am a bit obsessed with concrete these days, and the attention to detail in the design, crafting and packaging of each piece is inspiring. I would LOVE one day to visit designer Nobuhiro Sato's workshop in Kyoto and watch him create one of these beautiful pieces.

Any dreams still to be realized? Hundreds! Every day I come up with some new product I want to be making or business I want to start! Probably most of them will never come to anything but I think I will always need to be challenging myself and doing something new and creative - it's what keeps me sane. For the moment I am concentrating on doing various things with kokedama, making concrete planters, and running workshops. I will be selling my kokedama at Shop Handmade in Canberra from September, and I'll launching some exciting new workshops with my friend Eko in November here in Perth. 

What will you miss most about Perth? I'll miss my family and friends most, and my house and garden, which I love. I'll also miss my parent's property at Dwellingup, because it's such a beautiful, spiritual place and I'm always so happy there. And of course I'll miss the sunshine! Also, more than I can say I'll miss being in Mr Sparrow each day and all my lovely regular customers. I already have lots of visit back scheduled, though, so I think people will wonder if I've actually left or not! :) 

Thank you so much Anna. 

I am so chuffed to have been able to do this.

As you can see there are so many lovely

things to behold so if you're a local 

do pop in and find just about all

your gift shopping under one roof!

For those who live elsewhere don't despair....

Mr Sparrow flies everywhere!

***

What to do... what to do?

Do you suppose it's a tad dramatic to want to lock up

a condiment before you embark on a holiday overseas?

Perhaps I can hid it in my sock drawer?

Darn.... 

Now I can't because I told you where it would be!

Silly me.

Think, think... think.

Well it looks like I'm just going to have to open a safety deposit box

in Zurich. Lady Vida... you have missed your calling... seriously.

Methinks you need to contact David Jones or Donna Hay or some such.

You see if EVERY-body could devour your jam on toast for breakfast EVERY-day....

Well there'd be no wars, no fighting, no angst. Just sticky happy smiling faces.

And so my Christmas has begun peoples!

Already I have received delights beyond imagining....

Like these two tweets who moved in last night.... Thank you Lord David & Lady Jill!

(and the lovely image above is from a Christmas card hand delivered by dear

friends whilst we were out - Thank you Lady Rachel!)

Sigh... now I have to, have to,  have to, 

HAVE to start packing....

But I'd rather do this ....