AnK Bowtique

MADEIT MONDAY.....Christmas

2011-12-12T08:41:00.001+10:00

Firstly an apology for not tending to our Madeit Monday blog posts, we have been super busy with madeit store orders, our facebook market night and the Emerald Craft Fair (photos on our facebook page). We are closing our madeit store today for a much needed break and to spend the holidays with the kids. We did manage to find some gorgeous Christmas items still available on madeit, and if you are super quick at popping them in your shopping cart, we're sure they could be yours for Christmas :)

Red Stitch Designs Christmas JOY Pears $44.95

Twinkle Star Christmas Tree Onsie $18

Pretty and Print Christmas Bag Toppers $15

Love From Annie Rudolph Reindeer Softie $30

The Little Humbugs Pack of 10 Gift Cards $15

Zippy Zippy Christmas Bunting $35

Itha's Puddings 500gm Gourmet Plum Pudding $25

Happy madeit Christmas shopping :)

Madeit Monday - on a Friday !! Summer Dresses.

2011-11-11T13:12:00.001+10:00

We had no hope of our usual madeit Monday blogpost this week. Angie and I and the kids travelled the 3 hours to Blackall for our school swim camp. We also got to have a look at the new curriculum for 2012 and meet up with other home tutors. It was HOT, the sweaty no air type of hot, which made me start thinking of cool summer dresses. Check out what I found on madeit for summer for your princess.

Madison Dress Tropical Summer WOOSHI $47.95

Summer Maxi Dress HANNAH BANANNAS $45

Ava Rose Romayne Pillowcase Dress PHOEBE ELOISE $40

Livvie's Kinder Dress MY ONE BROWN MOUSE $33

Wisteria Peasant Dress SHELLI MORSE DESIGN $45

Tomorrow we are off to Angie's for Miss S's 6th birthday party, I'm sure there will be lots of pretty dresses - until it's time for the pool !! Happy summer dress shopping.

Madeit Monday - Halloween Finds

2011-10-31T12:33:00.000+10:00

Very rushed blogpost here, we have just opened our last unit of school for 2011 (although just quietly I could do with a mental health break right now !!) and we have had several lightning strikes resulting in fires in our area. Check out these fabulous Halloween finds on madeit

Eat My Feet "Halloween special" modern cloth nappy
$35

From My Hearth Stay Away Monster! Scented Kiddies Room Spray $6.95

Not all who wander are lost Felt Pincushion $8.00

Gina H Designs Set of 5 Monster Cards $8

Little Red Strawberry Halloween Spider Glass Tile Pendant $8

Kylies Collections Halloween Witch Tutu
$30

Madeit Monday.....Down On The Farm

2011-10-18T07:16:00.000+10:00

Welcome to this weeks madeit discoveries. Some great farm finds for all those little (and big) cowboys & cowgirls in your life.

Harvest Time - A5 notepad PADDOCK PRESS $12.95

Boys T - Pooches & Pickups Red

RETRO BIMBI $15

Tractor Personalised Decorative Cushion

TIGES & WEINCE $30

Organic canvas tote 'Chookie'
BIRCH SEED $20

Country Style Acrylic SALTY BRUSH $35

Boys Dog & Ute Shorts KRUMPET $20

Boys Shirt Vintage Print Blue 1930's fabric print

SPUTNIK PLAYWEAR $36

Country Cottage Bracelet LITTLE REDHEAD $24

Happy madeit Shopping, best thing to do on an overcast and horribly windy day like it is here today.
P.S KRUMPET also has the most amazing cowboy print shorts :)

Meet Miss Emma...

2011-10-14T12:59:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone! I'm Emma and I will be joining the AnK family in 2012 as governess and many-hat-wearer with Kristy and her family. Currently my fiance and I live in the rolling green Gippsland hills in Victoria, on my family's prime lamb and potato farm.

In the past I have also been a many-hat-wear - as a nanny, photographer, crafter, graphic designer and farmers-wife-in-training. I am a professional photographer, having studied commercial photography and graphic design at uni in Melbourne. I also have a children's clothing and accessories business, Little Miss Emma, on madeit (currently on a bit of a hiatus!) I love sewing, baking, blogging and generally being a non-typical gen y young woman ;)

I have a blog, Cinderella at Brindabella, where I chronicle all that goes on at Brindabella, scrubbing up the ramshackle farmhouse, our cottage garden and my ~~highly organised~~ currently very messy sewing room.

My fiance, Matt, and I are getting married this December at Brindabella. We are taking the honeymoon adventure of a lifetime and hitting the road after our wedding - traveling and working around Australia.

First stop? Alpha QLD as governess and jackaroo team! We can't wait :)

Our School...Unique & Amazing

2011-10-12T11:33:00.000+10:00

Imagine a classroom more than twice the size of Victoria, where the playground is as vast as the outback and the partnership between home and school is legendary.

That's our school, fabulous, unique, school of the air - LSODE (Longreach School of Distance Education).

Yesterday was our local Cluster Day - a day where the teachers travel to us and the kids travel into town and get to experience a day with their teacher and classmates.

The mums and home tutors (or Govy's - short for Governess) get to catch up over a coffee or two, sample the 'bring a plate smokos' and discuss any concerns with their childs' teachers. Yesterday we also previewed the new Distance Education National Curriculum Papers and some new technology that will be available in 2012.

Miss M works with her teacher on an art task.

Note the 'pipecleaner creature bracelet' worn by Mrs King, designed and created by Mr T :)

Miss B practises her very best Prep Handwriting

Miss F. is just as cheeky as her teacher, working on some Christmas decorations.

Miss G. designing a Christmas art scratching.

Mr Z. always enjoys catching up with friends at minischool.

Miss H helping a friend, showing her how to fold the Christmas decoration.

Miss M & her teacher.

We are really so very lucky to have such wonderful teachers who are dedicated and really do believe that 'Effort Conquers Distance'.

If you are interested in finding out more about the way School of The Air works, you can visit our school and have a tour:

Longreach School of the Air
Landsborough Highway

Longreach, Queensland

All proceeds from the tour and souvenir sales go to providing Excellence in education for Isolated Children.

Madeit Monday - Teacher Gift Guide

2011-10-10T17:42:00.000+10:00

Do you buy your childs' teacher a gift at the end of the year? Why not give them a fabulous handmade gift :)

We have been privledged to have a fantastic teacher in 2011. This blog post is dedicated to the very supportive, super fabulous and very understanding Mrs King. From on air lessons via the telephone and the computer, to cluster days (we're off to one tomorrow !), minischools and sports days - Mrs King has been a fantastic teacher for Miss M & Mr T & their little class of 8 students who are spread from Katherine in the NT, to Eromanga (Australia's furtherest place from the sea) and Alpha and everywhere in between.

Hope you can find some Madeit love to share with your childs' teacher this year.

Fabric Covered Notebook Chicken Ink $30

Luxury Eco Soy Candle oopsidaisi $29

Personalised Teacher Notepad DaniLu Designs $10

Fabric Covered Mouse Pad Little Yon Yon $8.95

Journal / Notebook Anrol $7.50

Always Remember Busroll Anrol Designs $29.95

Keep Calm & Eat Chocolate Hark Home $15

Happy Madeit shopping :)

Footy Fever....

2011-10-03T13:40:00.000+10:00

Sorry but I am not from down south so I know very little about AFL, but I LOVE the NRL. During the season I follow Melbourne Storm only because Billy Slater plays for them (soft spot for Billy) but on Sunday afternoon I was hoping that the Warriors would beat Manly. Partly because I am half Kiwi and also because I am not a fan of the colour maroon. But I have found these gorgeous items in Made It that have the colour maroon in it. I think I may even have to change my thoughts on the colour maroon/burgundy or what ever you call it!

Then I stumbled across this and couldn't help myself from sharing.....but it's for our four legged friends.

Rocstar

Madeit Monday....PEARLS

2011-09-26T11:29:00.000+10:00

Thought we had better tend to our very neglected blog. Today's madeit Monday is all about pearls - classic,

timeless and oh so pretty.

PRINCIPESSA Bracelet $41.65 My Sinfonia

Victorian Elegance Pearl Dangle Earrings $23 All About Romance

jug cover pearl drops

$12 Champagne Creations

Ballerina Charm Pearl Bracelet $9.00 Little Peanut

Bird and Pearl Necklace -Sterling Silver Chain

$28 Oh Deer

Happy pearl shopping,

Chalk'n it up....Made It Monday.

2011-08-22T08:00:00.000+10:00

Made it Monday this week is all about Chalk boards. Going to a friends High Tea last Friday (more to come on that later) and seeing her chalk board in her house with a lovely message written on it for some visitors that were coming to stay for awhile, I thought why not check out what Made It had. It didn't disappoint and I think that a lovely message for your visitors helps them feel more welcome in your home.

Baby Girl Loveheart Chalkcloth onesie

Chalkboard Teapot - Wall Decal

Pink Chalkboard Gift Tags - Pack of 4

Chalkboard Placemat - gift for play time

And my most favourite....

Chalkboard Speech Bubble

Guest Blogger: The Farmer's Wife. "It Must Be Love"

2011-08-03T18:53:00.000+10:00

Angie and I have been run off our feet lately with our madeit store reopening, term 3 on distance education, netball carnivals, pony shopping, Capella Craft Fair, market night preparations, school P & C meetings, mustering, end of the financial year craziness and much more. We thought we'd ask for some guest bloggers to blog for us while we attempt to catch our breath.

Welcome to Jess The Farmer's Wife, we're sure you'll all enjoy her guest blog as much as we did .

Hi Everyone!

Angie and Kristy have invited me to do my first ever spot of guest blogging. I am so excited to be able to share a little bit of me with all of you.

Ten years ago I moved to St George, Queensland, to do a 'country stint' of teaching. I had no intention whatsoever of staying, and only two weeks after arriving, I met my now husband, CP. I still teach, on and off, but mostly I am a Mum and Farmer's Wife.

My blog, The Farmer Has A Wife, is about life in a rural community from a city girl perspective. It's funny, it's factual, but mostly it's just the honest to goodness truth.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Jess xxx (The Farmer's Wife)

It Must Be Love

It's interesting when you think about all the different ways that people show 'love'.

A few years ago CP and I were driving back home from Brisbane together. I had been away with the kids for a few weeks, and dear husband had come to collect us for the long drive back again. About half way into the journey CP turned to me with the most loving look in his eyes. He took my hand in his, and gave me a big goofy smile. Then he said, "I've got a surprise for you at home. It's something that will make you very happy." Well naturally, my curiosity was piqued, so I started to guess.
"Is it sparkly, and can I wear it on my finger?"
"No, it's not sparkly and you can't wear it."
"Is it something I can use? Like maybe something in the kitchen?"
"No, it's bigger than that."
"Is it a new car??"
"No."
"Did you renovate the house??"
"No...but it's an outside thing."
"It's a POOL! You got a pool!"
"No... they cost too much money..."

I think I may have frowned then...

"I give up. Just tell me."
"It's something I KNOW will make you really happy. Something that will change your life."
"Just tell me."
"I took out the gate you have to open every day on your way to school, and I put in a grid!"
"And what else?"
"That's it. I knew it would make you happy. I know how much you hated having to open and close that gate every day. Especially if it was raining. And I thought, this way, you never have to get the gate."

I think I may have smiled a little. Just a little.

This is the grid.

He even put in a little sign and everything.
And up close...

It wasn't until I actually started using the grid that I realised something very important. CP really loves me. I always knew he really loved me, but I realised how he just shows his love in a way that is so completely different to the way in which I express love. He chooses 'acts of kindness' to express his love, where as I am more of a 'verbal or physical' expresser of my love. When CP put that grid in for me, he would have spent considerable time beforehand thinking about how much it would improve my quality of life. He had foreseen how I would have one less thing to complain about. And then he slugged his guts out for at least a whole day or two to install this grid so that it was perfect for when I got home.

He must really love me.

Or maybe he just was sick of getting the gate too? No - he loves me.

I'm really not a big gift person. But it has taken some time getting used to the fact that CP is not a gift person AT ALL. And who am I kidding? I'm still not used to his ignorance in the gift giving department. But if I added up all the times he 'did something' for me to show me that he loved me, I would have lost count years ago. I'm more of a "thought that counts" kind of girl. And NO, CP, "Happy Birthday Jess" and then completely ignoring me for the remainder of my day does NOT count as a 'thought that counts'. But if you'd thrown in dinner cooked by you, then YES, it would definitely count. Just saying.

My sister, Hannah, has the world's most perfect partner. This is him.

He's a 'thought that counts' kind of guy, AND a gift giver. Amazing. This guy has to be told when to stop buying gifts. And he chooses GREAT gifts. He is responsible for this:

And this:

The man is a genius gift giver!

So I suppose that while some guys show love by cooking you braised (organic) asparagus on a bed of cheese and bacon cream for your birthday, other guys drive 90km to change a flat tyre, or pick you up when your gear box is broken. If you're lucky, I suppose some guys could do both.

And then there are the guys like Farmer Russell, next door, who just like to buy sparkly things for his wife. Or a nice car for her to drive around in. And I know life shouldn't be all about keeping up with the Joneses, but I'll admit that sometimes I do get sparkle and car envy.

Life is like that though. The grass is always greener, isn't it?

I wonder if anyone has grid envy after reading this?

Jess xxx (The Farmer's Wife)
http://bushmumma.blogspot.com/

Madeit Monday - Anyone for a cup of tea??

2011-08-01T10:50:00.001+10:00

Lovely to be back in madeit land after having a break from selling for a while. Our madeit store is fully stocked with beanies and ruffled singlets being snapped up quickly, why don't you pop over to our store for a look :)

Our madeit Monday blog today is all about tea....anyone fancy a cuppa or two?

Jane Austen Upcycled Teacup and Saucer Zinnia Pea $18

Chalkboard Teapot Wall Decal Vinyl Design $30

Tea Bag Wallet Ernie and Bird $15

Vintage Tea Set Greeting Card Bella Stationery Studio $5

Keep Calm and Drink tea Art Print Mulberry Muse $25

Roses tea Cosy Art & Wool Things $30

Girls Tea Party Skirt & Top Set Sz 0/1 Pattikat Designs $35

Happy Madeit shopping,

Kristy

Winnie&Clem...the name of hats !!

2011-07-20T08:36:00.000+10:00

Congratulations and best of luck to Winnie & Clem on the BIG website launch today 20th July 2011 at 8pm. Well done on a fantastic achievement.

Anita with her gorgeous children who are also one of her inspirations.

Winnie & Clem is a handmade store specialising in stylish handmade accessories with a strong focus on handmade hats and caps for babies, children and adults. Winnie & Clem is run by the lovely Anita, a work at home mum of 2 beautiful children aged 4 and 2yrs. Headquarters for Anita is her home on a farm in rural NSW! Anita named her business after her grandparents ~ Winifred and Clement. Winnie & Clem, a little cute, a little old world and a lot of love! Check out our interview with Anita but most importantly pop over to her new webpage - Winnie & Clem

When was Winnie & Clem born and what were your original thoughts of what it would be?

Winnie & Clem was first born in January 2010. Initially I didn't really know what I wanted it to be, what products I wanted, business or hobby? I was really just testing the waters. I started with quite a variety of handmade products to gauge responses to them. Then when I launched a facebook page in April 2010 it became apparent from the feedback that there was a need for well made stylish hats, for both kids and adults.

This is one of Winnie & Clem's winter
wonderful 'Cloche' hats.

Where do you get your inspiration from when creating?

My kids, my hubby, my mum, life, fabric, beauty and nature!

You are about to launch your website, what were the steps involved once you had decided you wanted to launch Winnie & Clem on the web?

I am by no means an expert in this area, very much learning as I go! The first step was to get my domain name registered. With that sorted I chose a web provider and then organised my graphic designer. Sounds like a simple process when written in a few brief sentences but it was a lot of work and learning.

How do you juggle your crafty career and family life?
I am very fortunate to treat my business as my job and hence I have the kids in childcare for 3 days a week. I also have an incredibly supportive husband.

We both run small businesses and although that means a lot of work we both can be flexible and share the load when necessary. I am also naturally an organised person and use lists, diaries and planners to keep on top of everything. I am also a strong believer in routine for the kids, it helps everyone (including them) to manage day to day.

Like AnK Bowtique you also live in a rural area - tell us a bit about your surroundings and do you find them limiting ?
I live on a farm in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. It is predominantly a sheep and cattle breeding area. Our closest city is 60km from the farm and nearest main centre is Canberra, 2.5 hours away. Sourcing supplies for my business locally is almost impossible, I rely heavily on online ordering of supplies. Access to major markets is also very difficult with most markets requiring travel of between 2-4 hours.

When did you start sewing and what was the first item you finished?
I started sewing when I was about 5 yrs old. The first item I finished (aside from the practice sheets my mum use to make us sew) would have been either a needle book or a pair of elastic waist shorts, its a long time ago its hard to remember, but I do recall sitting at the big kitchen table with Mum and my older sisters waiting my turn to use the machine.

Anita's fabric combinations are timeless and
very versatile.

Where do you see Winnie & Clem in 5 years time ?

My aim is for Winnie &Clem to be the name of hats! But in five years time I hope to have employed some help so I am able to concentrate on not only making my products but able to work on more designs as well. I also plan to have a branch of Winnie & Clem producing and selling patterns for the sewers who would like to make their own hats.

Anita is truly a fantastic business woman who excels in the field of hat making. AnK Bowtique wish her every success with her new web page.

Whats in a Name..

2011-07-16T08:39:00.000+10:00

We have a LOT of animals out here on the property. One day Miss S asked when we were going to go and visit a real farm...apparently we aren't a real farm because we don't have pigs and sheep. Point taken but you have to draw the line somewhere with how many mouths you have to feed.

We have about 30 horses, most of these are retired and too old to ride so they get put up into the 'retirement paddock'. Mr B calls it other names that I am not willing to mention on here but I like to think it's a special place and a reward for all the long hard days of work they have done for us over the years. I like to call it the retirement paddock because there is lots of grass and your not disturbed by the occasional chasing from the dogs.

Talking about dogs, we have 15 work dogs.....some really good, some just OK but everyone is given a fair chance. It's a big effort to keep up with all the names and it's really funny when you are out mustering and the cattle are misbehaving and the dogs think they know what they are doing but are just being more hindrance and Mr B's father is trying to watch the cattle and keep them in line and yell at dogs at the same time. I have heard him yell at dogs that aren't even out mustering that day because you have to go through the list of names until you find the one you want. Poor things their must be some burning ears on some days.

This brings me to 'Whats in a name'. When Mr B & I name our animals we try and give them names of things, people or events that are happening the day they are born or the day we get them. Since having Miss M & Miss S it's getting a bit harder and occasionally we end up with names like Ruby, Petunia, Rose and those types of girly names.

This is 'Ekka", one of Mr B's work horses. He is HUGE!! With Miss M standing beside him he looks even bigger and has hooves the size of dinner plates. 'Ekka" came about because he was born during the time the Brisbane Royal Show was on which is also known as the 'Ekka'. A few other horses that we have are 'Indy' - born when the Indy car race was on, 'Cricket' born on the night of our local ICPA Cricket fun day, 'Vinnie' born on the day that Princess Mary christened and announced the twins names and 'Oakey' named when we bought her and the old guy couldn't remember her name and he lived on a property with the name Oakey in it.

Onto dogs...I will only give a few examples because we could be here all day. 'Alvin' is Mr B's wolfhound and of course he was named after the movie 'Alvin and the Chipmonks'. He suits that name and it really does sound like that when you yell it. 'Kirby' named after the people we bought him off and 'Billa' named after a property where we got him from.

This is 'Nell'. She was named after the children's book Sail Away written by Mem Fox about 2 dogs who went on a sailing trip to go to the Americas Cup. At the time we got Nell and her brother so we had Skip and Nell and it was Miss M's favourite book.

So how do you name your family Pets? Do you have a system like us or are we the only weird ones who think too hard about a name.

The Epic Photo Shoot

2011-07-11T14:15:00.000+10:00

I've always been told I never do anything by halves but I was even starting to wonder what we had got ourselves into when planning for the AnK Bowtique & Mulberry Photo Art 2011 Photo Shoot Extravaganza. Whilst packing the car I started to wonder how on earth we were going to cope with the 35 models, each with at least 2 changes of outfits and 4 changes of accessories. Would everyone turn up on time, would the clothes fit, would I remember all the names of the princesses? Even though we had put our madeit store into vacation mode, AnK Headquarters was still insanely busy with Mr AnK's skin cancer operation, school papers to be done, mustering, tax, and all of the other associated tasks that come with running a busy cattle property whilst teaching and crafting.

Like every big event there are always people behind the scenes making sure everything goes to plan. I would like to send a great big thankyou to my special helper at "Malden" - Miss Courtney. Courtney happily helped to bag and tag outfits, pack, unpack, repack and swap accessories countless times.

Mr AnK also needs to be thanked for his ability to put up with racks of clothes, ribbon, bows, fabric etc strewn all across the lounge room and pettiskirts hanging in every available cupboard. He was also in charge of Master T whilst we were away and although I have it on good authority that not a lot of vegies were consumed, a good time was had :)

A special big thankyou to my little helper, Maddy. Affectionately named Little Miss AnK by Phoebe, she really did try to help out even though she had been eaten by mossies at shoot 1 and was tired and cranky. Apologies to those who witnessed the whingy moments !! And here she is - not looking the slightest bit like a drama queen !!

Of course I can't forget to thank the other half of AnK - Angie and her Mr AnK who put up with incessant phone calls and demands for this and that as well as having Master T and Miss M for a sleepover. Angie was able to sort my mess in the Mulberry Photo Art Studio and had everything under control. I also need to thank my parents and my sister who had the kids come stay for some of the school holidays while I could focus on the photo shoot.

A mammoth thanks to Phoebe - owner, creator and dedicated photographer from Mulberry Photo Art

Over 3000 images.....WOW

Phoebe had the most unbelieveable amount of patience with each and every model.

Despite having her own family to attend to she dedicated herself to ensuring each child had some beautiful portraits as well as satisfying AnK for products shots. Thanks so much Phoebe and to Mr MPA and MIL MPA for providing family assistance so that you could click away.

A huge thanks to all the little models and their mums and dads. Some who travelled from long distances to attend. It was lovely to meet you all even though it was only a quick hello on most occassions.

A special thanks to our locations Emerald Homestay, The Irish Village, and the Hutchinson Family.

It may take us a while to recover but the images Phoebe has uploaded far outweigh the efforts involved. Truly beautiful photos by an extremely talented lady. We highly recommend Phoebe if you are looking for a photographer in the central highlands, all her details, pricing and dates available are on her website. She is best reached by email.

Thanks to all of our fans for their support, we look forward to working with you to continue creating beautiful accessories for your princesses.

Made It Monday - Sleepovers

2011-07-04T12:35:00.001+10:00

I have the pleasure of Master T and Miss M staying at my place for a sleepover. Miss S & Miss M are delighted to have them and there has been constant talking, laughing, playing and all round just having a fantastic time together. Sleepovers are few and far between out here because of distances but it's great to take an opportunity when one arises. Non the less some of the conversations I have heard have been quite amusing but I suppose that's what you talk about when you are 5, 8 & 9 years old.s

So I have found a few things that maybe of some use when having a sleepover. The only thing I didn't find on there was EAR PLUGS!

Gorgeous Girls Pyjamas from Kids Bitz

Story Starters from Leaf Journals

The cutest ever soaps from Bubble Lane

Boys Pyjamas from Red Gum Kids

Cute Lunch Bag, but I thought great for toiletries from Edan Rose

It's not all Ribbon & Lace...

2011-06-28T14:47:00.001+10:00

I thought I would share another side of our lives with you. We don't get to play with ribbon, lace, buttons and beautiful fabrics all the time (though it would be really fun). When I am not in the school room I like to get out of the house and I was able the other day to go up to our cattle yards and see some of our steers being sold. No we don't do Live Export, these ones are going to a feed lot. We had a buyer and agent come to home the day before where the buyer decides if steers are of suitable weight and type that he needs. The following morning the truck arrives and takes them to their new home.

Coming up the ramp and into the truck.

The last of the steers loading.

Most cattle business is done on the front of a ute. My husband (right) and the truckdriver (left) finalise the Vendor Declaration forms (to be carried by the transporter of the cattle).

They are on their way.

So, this is a regular occurance in all parts of QLD. As these cattle left our property my heart sank for all those tied up in the Live Export debarckle and we are very thankful that our cattle were able to be sold.

Madeit Monday....Meet & Greet

2011-06-27T08:30:00.000+10:00

While in Brisbane recently we had the opportunity to meet with some clever madeit sellers and some other crafty friends. It was also great to finally meet Bec and Jayc from madeit . Today we thought we would showcase some gorgeous products we discovered after our meet & greet, hope I have remembered to include everyone !!

Kiddilicious Sweet Summer Dress $45

Boo Designs Wonderland Peasant Dress
$30

Puddins Retreat Nappy Wipes Case & Dummy Pod $13.50

Georgie Girl Brooch M2M Winter In Bloom $ 5.00

Cute As Buttons Pretty Pink Ballerina Tee $20

Oh Deer Me Russian Doll Romper $16

Madeit Bumper Sticker 50 cents

Win a $100 gift voucher to spend on your favourite madeit items!

all you have to do is add your bumper sticker to your car or somewhere cool and take a picture and email it to hello@madeit.com.au
*one winner will be drawn every month on the 15th.

Happy madeit shopping :)

The Other Side to The Suspension of Live Export to Indonesia.

2011-06-15T21:06:00.001+10:00

As most of you will be aware Angie and I live on cattle properties in Central Western Queensland. Like many others we were shocked with the 4 corners report on the slaughter of Australian cattle in Indonesia. Shocking images of animal cruelty but we wonder why 'the other side of the story' was not shown. It is very easy to sit back on the couch and watch stories such as the 4 corners broadcast but do you really know ALL the facts?

The other side of the story is the hardworking Australian families who will suffer from this decision to suspend live export. As a friend of ours, Kylie, put in her story - "There will be stories of despair, heartbreak, death, bankruptcy and loss. They will be stories of people who have been forsaken by their nation."

Today we would like to share with you Marie's story. Marie, her husband Chris and their 3 children live on a cattle property in the Northern Territory, they are award winning graziers having taken out the prestigious Sustainability Award under the NFF/DAFF 2009 Innovation in Agriculture Awards.

The Muldoon Family Photo by Glenn Campbell

Here is Marie's story:

As you can imagine our lives are in turmoil at present with the suspension of the livestock export trade to Indonesia.

The animal cruelty shown on the 4 Corners program was appalling and came as an enormous shock to us. It is incredibly upsetting to know that any animal could be treated that way. Animal welfare is an intrinsic part of every aspect of our business. We do not condone animal cruelty in any way.

Here are some facts you may not be aware of:

* The animal cruelty shown on the 4 Corners program is not common practise in Indonesian abattoirs processing Australian cattle. (We are learning that some of the footage was up to 5 years old and that Animals Australia may have paid for access to the facilities they visited).

* Some of the abattoirs in Indonesia are modern facilities who stun cattle prior to slaughter. Most of the abattoirs that accept Australian cattle do the right thing and meet international welfare standards.

* Our industry has injected millions of dollars into improving animal welfare. We are the only country in the world that invests in animal welfare improvements off shore.

* We acknowledge there are problems in the Indonesian market but our industry was already taking steps to fix them. We support banning the supply of Australian cattle to rogue operators who are unable or unwilling to meet acceptable animal welfare standards.

* Most Indonesians do not have access to refrigeration which is why they need live cattle. The housewives buy meat daily from the wet market.

* There 100 million Indonesians that live on less than USD $2 a day which is why they don’t own refrigerators.

If there was no way of fixing or preventing the appalling animal cruelty depicted by 4 Corners then we too would support shutting down the trade. However this is not the case. The Australian Government has put the lives of countless cattle families in Northern Australia in serious jeopardy. It is not only cattle families that will suffer, there will be a massive ripple effect .... contractors, trucking companies, fuel companies, small businesses in regional towns... the list goes on....

How any government expects a business / family to survive without an income for 6 -12 months is beyond me. Apart from the fact that they will send most of us broke, they have also hurt Indonesian workers and families that rely on the trade.

The government should not have banned live export to Indonesia. Instead a modified trade should have remained open where it could have been guaranteed that animals were slaughtered to international welfare standards. The Australian Government should have come to the table with their Indonesian counterparts and industry experts to resolve the issues. The issues can and will be FIXED. Banning live export does not stop animal cruelty, instead it will cripple the lives of thousands of families. We shouldn't forget that 70% of cattle processed in Indonesia prior to the ban were not Australian cattle. If we are not in the market, how can we influence change?

If the Indonesians decide to import live cattle from other countries then we could potentially have Foot and Mouth disease in Australia within a few years. This could potentially devastate all livestock industries in Australia, not just live export and not just cattle.

The 4 Corners program has provided an opportunity for both Australia and Indonesia to fast track change in Indonesia. These changes will allow investments in infrastructure and education and in doing so continually improving the care of all livestock. Australia is a world leader in livestock production and as such, why wouldn't we work with developing countries to improve their systems.

Attached are some industry press releases as well as a Letter for 4 Corners written by an industry person. This letter is a MUST READ for all Australians. If you don’t have time to read everything I am sending then make sure you read this one.

Please share this information with your family, friends and colleagues.
Please write or phone your local member to register your support for the Northern Cattle industry.

We truly need your support now.

Here are some media interviews that Mully and I have done which tell our story......

Live export story ABC 730 NT
Sydney Morning Herald
Marie’s interview with Fran Kelly

And here’s the link to Julia Gillard’s interview

Thank you for your support.

Best regards
Chris, Marie, Jock, Elizabeth & Isabella Muldoon

Midway Station
Darwin

We hope that you can get behind families like Marie's. Don't choose to accept one side of the story. Eat lots of beef and support the rural industry. Hundreds of thousands of jobs rely on Australia's beef industry. The flow on effects of the live export suspension will be incomprehensible.

and

Made It Monday - Womens Accessories

2011-05-30T16:02:00.000+10:00

Gee, it feels like a long time since I have been on our blog.

I have a small addiction to women's accessories. I love how they can dress up or down your outfit. So I have been through the wonderful Made It and found some great things that I have my eye on.

Belt Buckle from Broken Plates Mosaic

Jersey Scarf from Randome Ally

I Phone Case from bRainbow

Leather Brooches from Blue Ginger Designs

Necklace from Little Viking Girl

Happy Shopping!

Winter time

2011-05-16T12:28:00.001+10:00

Well, this is my first EVER blog! Kristy, my sister, asked me to be this week's guest blogger as she has found herself run off her feet and hasn't got time to find this week's five madeit finds. So as I sit here on my husband's laptop in our lounge room with Miss Three wanting me to make a cubby house out of blankets and Master One trying to type - let's see what I can find under my chosen subject - WINTER TIME. It has turned very chilly in the last week down here in southern NSW so I have been spending quite a bit of time searching madeit for things to keep us warm and cosy.

Red Stitch Designs

I L O V E these gorgeous handmade fabric pears from Red Stitch Designs. To me the natural linen/cotton mixed with little wood twigs conjours up images of a cosy lounge room warmed by an open fire - somewhere to snuggle up on a cold winter's night - we have had quite a few cold nights lately!. They would look fantastic sitting on my sideboard (hint hint Kristy - my birthday is not that far away!)

Black Eyed Susie

CUTE ! My little boy would look just divine walking around in these cosy merino baby shoes by Black Eyed Susie. He is just starting to walk and I am having trouble keeping his feet warm as he likes to pull his socks off and try to eat them! These would surely stay on and keep his little footsies nice and cosy!

Tumblemonkey

I saw these a few years ago in a magazine and thought I would really like to try them out. They are natural wool laundry drying balls from Tumblemonkey. Just pop them into your clothes dryer with your wet clothes - they work by drawing moisture out of the wet items to reduce drying time. A much better idea than the old rag I use! And they would look so stylish in my newly tidied laundry (thanks to the mouse plague I was forced to clean my laundry top to toe!).

Bobkin

"Awww that's really pretty mum", Miss Three Year Old tells me! I think so too. A gorgeous swing coat in navy from Bobkin. It is such a pity that I have already finished my winter buying for Miss Three otherwise this would have been definitely on my shopping list. Dress it up over a pair of pants, or make it a bit casual over leggings or tights. Love the leaf detail on the lining - a must have wardrobe item for your little princess!

Little Black Bird

I think I've left the best 'til last! This is my absolute favourite madeit find! This divine woollen patchwork quilt is handmade in Melbourne by Little Black Bird. It is made from pre-loved woollen jumpers and doesn't it look so snuggly and warm? The quilts are made in 3 different sizes and are made-to-order. This red, linen and cream quilt is definitely going in my MUST HAVE list!

Well, that's it from me. Cubby making time!. Hope you have a happy and warm madeit Monday!

Carla

A blog from under the Mulberry Tree

2011-05-08T18:01:00.000+10:00

The lovely ladies from AnK have asked me to be a 'guest blogger' for this Madeit Monday. Quickly following their request I was met with the task of picking a theme for my mini blog.... only for Kristy to quickly point out that I could follow the theme of photography! Woohoo! I'm right into the swing of all things photographically themed at the moment. With the re-opening of my business as Mulberry Photo Art coming in June, I have invested quite a lot in new props & accessories... many of which have been located and sourced from Madeit!

Of course one of my main made it loves is AnK Bowtique. Mulberry Photo Art will be offering 'Mini Pettiskirt Princess Photo Shoots' after re-opening.... exclusively styled by AnK.....needless to say my ever growing pettiskirt & hair accessory combination will need on going replenishment... totally totally excited about their new {vintage celebration range} of pettis soon to be released...and can't wait to photograph some beautiful little models in these during our combined photo shoot on the 8th of July.

AnK Bowtique's Eliza Baby Stretch

I have also recently added another beautiful hobby horse from Calamity Bolt to my collection... already having had the gorgeous 'Buster' in the photography stable for quite a while and after the birth of my daughter I felt as though we needing to filly it up a bit... so I purchased another one of Elke's deliciously different hand made horses.

Giddy-Up! With Calamity Bolt!

PS Whilst you're there check out the gorgeous photography courtesy of Elke's husband! Just stunning!

Love love love.

Bunting is excellent too. You can tie it up anywhere... including outside between trees. Last week I purchased a lovely green and pink bunting length from Sammy Jo. GREAT VALUE. Much longer than what you would usually find for this price...highly recommend if you're after bunting... exceptional quality!

Sammy Jo's Beautiful Bunting

Another prop that is a little out of the box is the good ol' mobile. Great to dangle over newborns... or to shoot through with depth of field focused on the main subject to create a nice 'whimsy' effect. I like these pretty pink hearts from Ruby's House.

Ruby's House

And last but certainly not least... the knitted head wear... these have become must have props for any newborn photographer of late... I just adore this little pink beanie & cocoon from Cub Designs... digging the little wings too in this photo!

Cub Designs

Anyway.. that's me! Hope you enjoyed looking at a few of my photography prop picks from Madeit... I could also go on to mention the extremely popular Oopsidaisi & Georgie Girl creations... but they go without saying don't they?

Off for another busy week.... preparing for the 'AnK Next Mulberry Model' Shoot coming up in July...... can't wait!!! It's going to be bigger and better than last year!

Phoebe xxxooo

Madeit Monday.....Love You Mum

2011-05-03T08:54:00.000+10:00

Our Madeit Monday blog is dedicated to my gorgeous Mum who is always there for my sisters and I. She is such a hardworker and a dedicated Ma Ma. She is having a bad week after being robbed (whilst they were asleep).

Hope you have a great Mothers Day Mum, sorry we can't all be there to celebrate it with you ! Let us know if you like any of our Madeit picks and we will send them your way !

Shop Around The Corner Patchwork Fabric Bag $89

Here We Go Loopy Loo Pink Peony Bookmark $8

Oscar & Matilda Resin Bangle $39.95

Mulberry Muse Mothers Day Card $5.95

Citrus Pop L'Amore ... Vintage Inspired Necklace $36

Red Zebra Designs Shoe Clips $20

Ollie Octopus Fabric Notebook $20

Hope this week is a bit brighter.
Happy madeit shopping.

Madeit Monday....Fit for a Royal Wedding

2011-04-26T10:16:00.000+10:00

Where did my holidays go, where oh where can they be ?? Yes we are back in the schoolroom, started yesterday. Despite the fact there are 3 public holidays this fortnight, the distance education paper writers in their wisdom have not allowed for public holidays. The thought of this VERY FULL term has scared me back into school action. Today our classroom is full of heaving personal referrants, front ending 4 digit numbers, and using the 'adjustment' strategy to add. No idea what I'm on about....well you will once the national curriculum is released !!

Anyway enough about school, I was tempted to blog about mothers day but have decided the Royal Wedding just must take precendence !!

Check out what I found on madeit that is fit for a royal wedding !! AnK will be working on some very special wedding outfits over the next few months, can't wait until we can see all the wedding princesses in their outfits :)

Paper Boat Invitations Wedding Invitation in a Tin $18

My Sweet Prints Customised Wedding Scroll $25

All About Romance Bridal Flower Ring $20

Pinwheels and Pearls Wedding Ribbon Wands $200 for 100 wands

Hand Poured Insewition Wedding Bomboniere - 50 seductive soy
Vintage Bird caged Votive's $285

The Sugar Pot Best Man Cufflinks $9.95

Nyjole Jewellery Lace Bracelet $86

Happy madeit shopping :)

Kristy

Madeit Monday....Baby Shoes....too cute :)

2011-04-18T16:28:00.000+10:00

Last night we went to a christening, there was a chill in the air and the mossies were fierce but we had a great time ! Thanks Anna & family for having us, Mr T and Miss M were rather besotted with little Tempe ! I was surrounded by an adorable group of babies, ohhhh so cute. Searching madeit today I was thrilled to find so many gorgeous pairs of baby footwear - this is a little girl orientated sorry but I mean where would a girl be without a good collection of shoes to match each outfit ;)

Memory Lane Mary Janes Nesian Kids $20

Soft Sole Baby Shoes Candy Gallery $20

Plum Petal Baby Shoes Miss Poppitt $15

Rosie Toes Shoes Sharmeil $15

Eloise Mary Janes Little Wildrose $35

Madeit has some wonderful sellers with such fantastic

handmade items. Why not have a search and see what you can find.

I can't possibly blog about baby shoes without telling you about Joyfolie - these shoes will make your heart melt and your mouth drool. They are impossibly beautiful and ridiculously hard to get. Oh so divine, I just love them. Let me know what you think.

Happy rainy day shopping. I'm still stuck in the clutter of Miss M's wardrobe - yes there will be enough hand me downs for everyone !!

Madeit Monday (on a Sunday !)....GO BOREE

2011-04-10T08:02:00.000+10:00

We have finally made it to the end of term (only one week to go),

it has been a push to get there !!

This afternoon we are travelling to Longreach for the kids athletics carnival (tomorrow), it will be great to catch up with other distance ed. mums and the kids will have a great time seeing all their friends. The kids sports house is BOREE, they are on a high after taking home the swimming carnival trophy and are all primed ready for action !!

Team captains are Lachlan and Hollie who have done a terrific job this year in motivating their team, well done guys :) They have a few surprises in store too - watch out COOLIBAH. Our madeit finds this week are dedicated to BOREE, and all things yellow. Guess which colour Angie and I will be wearing tomorrow !! GO BOREE !!

Yellow Poker Dot Coin Purse

Lille Kusine $18

Vintage Yellow Rose Japanese Glass Cabochon Earrings
Vintette $10

Tissue Pom Poms - Set of 4 Yellow Gingham Tissue Pom Poms

Magic Stardust $30

Lavender shoe inserts
Sole Passion $15.95

Mini Fabric Basket - Yellow Spots
Anna Marie $8.50

Yellow and white polkadot fabric sun visor - 1950s style
Twirling Betty $25

Daisy Daisy Bib Set
Aisling Milis $12

Hope these lovely madeit finds brighten your day :)

Random Made It finds..

2011-04-04T10:24:00.001+10:00

I am comparing myself to a fine tuned marathon runner (if you have seen me you will know that is definitely not the case) who is at the last leg of their run. You can feel all your muscles seizing up and you are starting to feel delirious. Thoughts of not making it are running through your head. All this hard work and maybe it is all going to be for nothing! Then suddenly you get this feeling of new enthusiasm, maybe you will make it. No there it goes, that thought was short lived.

I am on my last week of school. This has been the longest term (12weeks) in history. I am even taking the last week off because I think I will go absolutely mad if I have to drag myself back out to the school room for another week.

This weeks 'Made It' finds are some cute things I found last week.

Fancy That. (much better than the Woolies variety)

Choochie Bubble (Its a wheat bag, to warm up and snuggle with)

Zinnia Pea (gorgeous sayings printed on cup and saucer)

Anrol Designs ( I have just purchased this for my bedroom)

I hope you enjoy!

I am now thinking like the little engine that could, ( I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.)

Madeit Ruffles - The Ruffle Phenomenon

2011-03-31T13:34:00.000+10:00

Better late than never is our madeit blog this week. We are both struggling with a 12 week term at school so our blog has been a little neglected :) Congratulations to Tina (Queen of Ruffles) from Georgie Girl who has created such a media frenzy this week when she took her stock to the Mummy Tree Markets in Brisbane. There were ruffles galore and lots of eager fans who had travelled from far and wide to get their hands on some ruffly goodness. Here at AnK we were delighted to spot some of our very own fans on the news coverage wearing some AnK and M2M Georgie Girl pieces. Ohhhh so cute.

Princess Lily - Photo by Rachel Tutton

Tina is an amazing lady who is dedicated to providing ruffles, she has a fabulous eye for colour combinations and fabric choices and we are thrilled to be able to work with her on several M2M (made to match) items. Thankyou Tina for supporting us and offering guidance when it all seems too hard.

Today's madeit blog is all about ruffles - ruffles for ladies and ruffles for babies.....the ruffle phenomenon is certainly here !!

Red Stitch Designs Linen Drawstring Bag $39.95

Railway Street "Scaramouche" bamboo jersey ruffle tee $85

Little Star Clothing Beige botanical garden ruffled halter $33

Trellis Fairyfloss Ruffle Dress $45

Charliebird Clothing Tea Tilly Rose Ruffle Dress $45

Indigo Magenta Girls Twirlie Skirt $40

Missy and Moo Buttons and Frills Cushion $35

Oopsidaisi Rosey Ruffle Playsuit $45

I could have filled pages upon pages of blog posts about ruffles, hope you enjoyed the few I selected. Happy shopping, don't forget to tell the sellers where you found them.

Madeit Monday - it's almost Easter....hop to it :)

2011-03-21T16:46:00.000+10:00

Quick blog here before the P & C School Tourism Meeting, how I miss those days of browsing the net whilst listening to our 'on air' meetings. Now as Secretary I have to have my fingers busy typing the minutes !!

Hope you enjoy these Easter finds ;)

Three Honeybees Sweet Mini Bunny Friends Easter Egg Cookies
$12

Pixels Plus Paper Easter Rabbit (Bunny) Gift Boxes - 2 Pack - Limited Edition PINK
$5.00

Ollie Rose Rabbit Rattle $16.95

Coconut Kids Easter bunny singlets $14

Imaginart Easter Hunt Card $4.00

AnK Bowtique Neveah Easter Trio Baby Clips $6.50

Hope you have fun shopping on madeit, remember postage make take up to 2 weeks from some sellers plus creation time for your goodies. Best hop to it ;)

Madeit Monday - red, navy & white my favourite colour combo.

2011-03-14T12:15:00.001+10:00

Madeit Monday today is dedicated to all things red, navy and white...my favourite colour combination...check out these gorgeous items from some very creative madeit sellers.

Monkey Chops Mummy & Me Bracelet Sets $20

Kitty Hugo Kids Drawstring Bag $20

Cushion Tree Hello Sailor Cushion Cover $40

Zucchini Girl Emily Bag $42

Alphabet Monkey Surfboard Cot Quilt & Cushion $170

Zippy Zippy Navy & Red Bunting $30

Ascoozamii Designer Boys Adjustable Belt $12

AnK Bowtique from Paris with love M2M Pumpkin Patch Stretch Headband $15

Happy madeit shopping, let us know if you purchase any of the above goodies :)

Frayed, ripped but Ohhh so gorgeus.

2011-03-05T10:06:00.000+10:00

In my blog surfing this morning I come across this very beautiful blog from Australia (which I love when they are 'local') Mrs A in the Cove. She has given me the most amazing idea of what to do behind my daughters bed. I had plans of hanging a curtain up behind it. I even have the fabric but haven't had the chance to make it yet.

But when I saw this I have changed my mind. I think it will add a whole lot of colour and be a bit whimsy as well and it is same colours that I have in her bedroom.

Can't wait to go to town and pick up some more fabric!!

Photo from Mrs A in The Cove

Mrs A has used it in the most beautiful party table. Check out her blog for some other fantastic party ideas.

Photo from Mrs A in The Cove

Madeit Monday (bit late !!) - Wall Art

2011-03-01T10:59:00.001+10:00

Madeit Monday is a bit late this week, sorry !! This week our blog is all about wall art, prompted by the gorgeous Me Likey print I recently won at the Autism Advisory & Support Service Auction on facebook.

Me Likey The Perfect Tree $80

Ledamae Circular Collection Transport $38

Art Candy Boutique Strawberry Dreams Print $12

KatyK Designs Extra large Destination Canvas (custom) $250

Nancy Louise Flutter B Green $25

My Name By Design Custom Fabric letters $20 per letter

Have fun shopping on madeit :)

Kristy

It's time to be thankful.

2011-02-24T10:16:00.000+10:00

Photo courtesy of Emma

As I sit and watch all the devastation on TV in Christchurch I realise that my own life is not that bad, Yeah, I'm having a bad week in the schoolroom, my husband is away so all is left to me, I have had the worst hay fever for two days but this is all meaningless when you see how the poor people in Christchurch are dealing with such devastation. There were a few anxious hours after the earth quake as I waited to find out about my family who live in Christchurch but thankfully they are all OK. Miraculously some of their houses are not harmed while others have major damage but they are all alive and together.

I read Shannon Fricke's post this morning and have decided to take some of her advice.

I am living my BLISS.

I have my children with me, a husband who cares for us, great family support, live in a blissful place & fantastic friends. What more could I want?
NOTHING

Rainbow Party - Part 2 The Cakes

2011-02-08T08:54:00.000+10:00

We have always had 2 birthday cakes for Mr T and Miss M, so this year was no exception. Miss M had wanted a giant cupcake cake for several years now but it had been wet and all our parties had been cancelled. Mr T was happy with anything that involved lots of colour and icing. So with that in mind I thought I would attempt the rainbow layer cake.

Rainbow Layer Cake = 3 packets of Betty Crocker Vanilla Cake mix, 4 1/2 tubs Betty Crocker Vanilla

Premade Icing. Each layer is baked seperately. Mix packet mix as per instructions and seperate mix into 2 bowls (thanks to Suzanne for the tip to weigh the mix so that each layer is even !!). Colour with food colouring - you will need lots ! All of the colours in this cake are made with food colouring except for the purple which was created using edicol dye. Available from kindergarten suppliers and non toxic !

To put together we iced between each layer, filled the gaps with icing and then poured more icing over the top. We freezed the cake into between icings to assist with cake crumbs. It was such a hot day you can see the icing was melting off the cake.

The bottom of the cake was ribbon, the top was coloured choc chips from woolworths. Tip- might be a good idea to put these on at the last minute as the colour melted and ran onto the cake a bit.

Melting child and melting cake.

Success - it was a little bit frozen so hard to get the first piece out but it was delicious and cold on

such a terribly hot and humid day.

Cake number 2 - Miss M's Giant cupcake. Made using a Wilton cupcake tin and homebrand cake mix with pink marbling. White frosting is bakemate in a tin can, available from Woolworths. I love this stuff, soooo

easy !! Cupcake wrapper was made by fan folding wrapping paper from Phoenix Trading. Rainbow sprinkles purchased from ebay.

The Giant cupcake was very popular.

One very hot Miss M.

Hope you enjoyed the Rainbow Party cake details.

9th Birthday Rainbow Party - Part 1 The Food

2011-02-07T18:47:00.000+10:00

It was with great excitement that we held a rainbow party on Sunday for Mr T and Miss M's 9th birthday. There was double the joy when it was revealed that it wasn't going to be too wet and that all the party goers could actually drive into our rural property. This is the first time we have had vehicle access since the 16th November 2010. So apart from the birthday celebrations it was also another great reason to celebrate.

Partygoers included 20 plus children of varying ages and 25 plus adults. The heat was almost unbearable with ridiculous humidity and no air at all, and just to top off a fab rainbow party we had several light showers of rain !! There was a bit of organising involved so rather than clog our facebook wall I have opted to blog about the party and the preparation. Starting with the food.

The food table was full of colour, and lots of sugar !!

Tropical fruit punch proved popular. Drink dispenser & rainbow star paper

cups from Crazy Clarks.

DIY printables such as the birthday banner, cupcake toppers, food labels etc were from Little Spunky Monkey. Bec was a joy to work with and knew exactly what I was looking for. I would highly recommend using her services.

Party food included Jelly Oranges, Rainbow Bread, Rainbow fruit Kebabs and Rainbow Cupcakes.

Rainbow coloured disposable platters from Crazy Clarks.

Cardboard cupcake stand from Ebay. Rainbow cupcakes homemade.

Take home treats. Rainbow lollipops from Tom's Confectionary Warehouse

Thanks to the tip from Tina at Georgie Girl :) Clear noodle boxes from Crazy Clarks filled with jellybeans and lolly snakes from Tom's (as above) and wrapped with ribbon from the AnK collection :)

Lollipops are pushed into floristy foam that was wrapped in white paper and edged with rainbow tape.

"Rainbow Juice" mini lemonade plastic bottles from Woolworths. Bottle labels designed by

Little Spunky Monkey applied to the bottles with clear packing tape.

Labels were printed on a laser printer. Different coloured food colouring

added just before the guests arrived.

Rainbow cupcakes. Cupcake toppers designed by Little Spunky Monkey.

Kindly sampled by my gorgeous niece Miss C.

The party table.

Rainbow Table Skirt (fabric bunting) and rainbow tape (around lollipop boxes)

available from The Party People

The lollipops were very popular !!

Miss M samples the jelly oranges.

Miss C has another rainbow cupcake !

Personal cupcake recipe with lots of food colouring.

Think I have covered everything !! Will blog about the cakes and games later :)

Hope you enjoyed reading about our Rainbow Party.

Madeit Monday - Rainbow Bright

2011-02-07T12:58:00.000+10:00

Well the Rainbow Party was a success, I think there will be 20 VERY exhausted children in central Queensland today, promise to post photos soon. But first here is our madeit Monday blog - all things rainbow and bright and colourful !!

Rainbow Bunting Flags Milly Molly Mandy $30

Pinwheels & Pearls Ribbon Wand with Jingle Bell Ladidah $8.40

Rainbow Spot Beanbags My Georgie Boy $35

Custom Rainbow Print Three Cats Studio $16

Rainbow Pillowcase Dress mushroom and me $30

Personalised Rainbow T-Shirt The Crafty Nomad $28

Boys RAinbow Stripe Cotton Necktie Cheeky Jasmine $15

Rainbow Tutu Little Fish Creations $35

Have we mentioned how much we love madeit ?? We were thrilled to open up to the top sellers page this morning and find we are Number 1 madeit seller at the moment, thanks everyone for all you shopping support. Hope you have fun browsing all our rainbow finds :)

Madeit Monday - French Chic, April in Paris

2011-01-31T15:44:00.000+10:00

To celebrate the release of Georgie Girl and Ank Bowtique's April in Paris Collection (which sold out quicker than you could blink), our Madeit Monday blog this week is very french inspired...oh la la !!

Parisian chic princess dress littlemissdoily $45

Parisian Dream 3 Tiered Twirl Skirt Sz 1-6 TomandMolly $35

French Greeting Card Paris Eiffel Tower MulberryMuse $5.95

French Poodle and Eiffel Tower 8x8 Decorative Cushion TigesandWeince $24

Filigree Paris Necklace LilacAndSnow $37

2011 diary "Parisville" LittleWildrose $20

French Mademoiselle Doll MonPetitPoppet $45

Happy french shopping :)

Made It Monday (on Tuesday) - Back to School

2011-01-25T07:22:00.000+10:00

Well it's our first day back at school today. I don't know where the holidays have gone!. This poor blog has been a bit neglected lately so I am kicking us back off again with Made It Monday.

I have found some very funky little accessories to help motivate and hype up the back to school vibe.

My daughter is starting Prep this year and is very excited. I wish all the new little preppies and the first time mothers a fantastic start at school.

My Creative Space Gets a Makeover

2011-01-16T16:51:00.001+10:00

As most people who know me well will tell you, I like to be organised. My creative area was in need of an overhaul and with the count down on until we head back to the schoolroom I needed to get a wriggle on or there would be no madeit store reopening. I am fortunate enough to have some help in my house cleaning and decluttering - the Miss Courtney is a fabulous addition to our grazing workforce this year, but until the floodwater goes away and school goes back she has been enlisted to help me !!

Although I have a 'bow room' as it is affectionately called in our house, it is also a spare room so my creative space is actually our lounge room. I have been reminded on the odd occassion that it's not the best thing to see when you first walk in our door but the lounge room does have it's benefits. Plus when you're flooded in for 20 weeks in a year you don't get many visitors :)

1. I can watch TV.

2. It is air conditioned

3. I can see if anyone is coming down the road

4. I can talk to my husband at night (when most of my work takes place & he is sitting on the couch!!)

So in an attempt to make it look a bit more presentable I have 'borrowed' some storage from the school room (don't ask what IT looks like now - we haven't got to that room yet !!). I think it will work (sorry Donna I couldn't take over the toyroom - it has no aircon and no view !!)

I would love for all my storage to be this neat and organised, but until we ship the kids off to boarding school and I can take over the school room....the lounge room will have to do !!

The craft table where it all happens !!

Think I might need to invest in some more of these !!

They are great for hiding things :)

Definitely could use a few more drawers too !

Ribbon, ribbon everywhere !

Love the digital photo frame with all the AnK models flashing by - great motivation.

The schoolroom shelves definetly came in handy...now I just have to work out where to put the MAB's, 3D shapes and sight words...ARGHHHHHH !

My newest addition to the creative space is my IPAD.....love, love, love. Just perfect for keeping up with ordering supplies, checking emails and posts on facebook.

Unfortunately although I like to be an organised crafter I also make quite a mess whilst I'm creating. So Suzanne I will TRY to keep it clean just for you - or at least until you can come over and see what it looks like !! Oh and Angie - now you can see the amount of supplies in my lounge room, best get over here before they sell out !! I could take photos of the organisation in the 'bow room' but I shall leave that for another day.

Necklaces

2011-01-09T17:33:00.000+10:00

As the action heats up in the AnK Bowtique Flood Appeal Auction, I thought I better tend to our very neglected blog. Despite renovating Angie dusted off her builders mitts and managed to whip up this gorgeous necklace for the flood auction.

These are very rare items in the AnK Bowtique store so if you have wanted one for a while you better get bidding. Here's another one of Angie's creations that found its way to 2 little girls on a cattle property in Queensland. I hope you like it Miss A & Miss G.

My Miss M was thrilled to receive this necklace in her christmas parcel from Angie & Crew.

Here she is wearing her Georgie Girl Ruffled Skirt and necklace and Indy Hair clip (both made by Angie), pictured with her Ma Ma.

I think we need to start pestering Angie to make more necklaces.....what do you think?

Back to the auction, things are starting to heat up there :)

Clever Mr AnK

2010-12-18T13:55:00.000+10:00

I've been meaning to blog for ages about Mr AnK's wet weather projects. Seems fitting to do it today when it is raining yet again. We have had unbelievable rain this year, over 50 inches and still counting. Earlier this year Mr AnK built me this great ribbon rack, he even got the kids to help him paint it. Although it doesn't look this neat (thanks Kirby for rolling up all my ribbon), it really has helped to have it all displayed like this.

He also built the kids a great bike rack, helps to keep the garage free from clutter.

So now you know what Mr AnK gets up to on those rainy days when he's not ferrying mail out on the trusty 4 wheeler motorbike or mustering cattle which is his 'real job'.

Stay safe from the storms :)

Crazy Craft Fair

2010-12-14T14:47:00.000+10:00

We attend two major craft fairs each year. Thank goodness that's all we do because getting that much stock ready is no easy feat. This year we had the challenges of wet weather and Kristy having to leave home a day early and I was away leading up to it at a wedding. Stock was transported from Kristy's on the back of a four wheel motorbike and then across a swollen river to her car on the other side of the creek. But you know what they say it always works out in the end and we had a great time at the market. It is fantastic to catch up with our customers face to face.

We were also lucky this year to win the Best Dressed table competition at this market which is a great honour.

This is a showcase of what gets created at the two AnK headquarters.

Now you can put a face to who we are. (Kristy on the left and I am on the right)

A big cuddle and thank you go to our super model and helper for the weekend, Suzanne (in the background to the left)

Thank goodness not a lot of stock come home with us, because the wet weather has really played havoc with AnK in recent weeks.

We are now going to take a break over the holidays to recharge and refresh. The store will be closed shortly but will be re opening in January, full again and with some new items. Join our facebook page to keep up to date with all the news.

Made It Gift Guide - Little & Big Girls Dresses

2010-12-13T09:26:00.000+10:00

We have dedicated this Made It Monday to girls dresses. This post has not been helpful to my bank balance though!
I have left a few things for you all so enjoy shopping. I am really enjoying hearing of all your purchases from our Gift Guide.

Hannahs Banannas

Rascals and Ragamuffins

And this one is for all the yummy mummy's!

Silk Sculptures

Happy Shopping.

Colour Inspiratation

2010-12-10T11:21:00.000+10:00

These are some images from a blog that I frequent. Leslie's photography and skill of putting together these inspirational designs are sublime. I love the everyday things that she uses to create these colour inspirations.

I love how she creates these story boards.

So, be sure to head over to Leslie's blog 'Creative Mint' for some more inspiration.

Hi, My name is Angie and I am addicted to Stationary

2010-12-09T08:50:00.000+10:00

I have an addiction to stationary. I think it stems from my need to be organised and my little office is usually ( I use the word usually lightly) the only place that is in my life. I also like pretty things. So I try and bring it into my office with cute little note books and other stationary items. I don't usually buy stationary items from the usual newsagents and shopping markets. I like things to be a little different.

I think the spaces that you spend a lot of your time in needs to inspire you. I think the office is probably the place that needs the most life brought into it. Using stationary and accessories is one way that I do this.

My office is a small room that is in the middle of our house with no windows. I hate that I can't see the outside from in here. Mr AnK has just installed a sky light in here for me so it is letting a lot of natural light in. The plan is that when our school room is no longer needed I an turning that into the office/craft area and redesigning the exisiting office into a walk in robe. I have plenty of time for the designing process because finishing school is still a long way off!

So I fed my addiction the other day with a little online shopping at Kikki K. These are the new ininspiration items for my office. I had a big clean out in here, just so that I could get the most out of laying these 'pretties' in their places.

Miss AnK's also have a stationary addiction but they like to shop at Smiggle.

It's feeling a lot like Christmas!!

2010-12-08T07:48:00.000+10:00

I have done the mammoth trip to town and down my Christmas shopping. It was completed in two days and comprised of a 10hr driving round trip, an overnight stay and an eventful trip home.
About an hour and a half from home it began to rain. When I am by myself it always makes me a little anxious because I know I have 40km of dirt road to pass before I get home. About 1/2 hr from my turn off the highway onto the dirt it was pouring. I was back to about 70km/hr, which was probably lucky because I was busy gawking at all the water rushing through the gullies. Being a country girl in a dry area of Australia it always excites me to see running water. I wish most times that it is beautiful crystal clear water that would be nice to swim in, but out here it is always muddy.
Anyway, I get to my turn off and it's not raining at this stage. The clouds are heavy and rolling over a mountain that is at the back of our property. I need to hurry home or otherwise my non-experienced mud driving skills are going to be needed.
About half way along the dirt road it gets a bit slippery where there has been some rain before I get there. It always catches you unaware. One minute your driving normally and then all of a sudden when you hit the wet part you begin to go sideways. I come down a small hill and whoooop, sideways this way and then sideways that way. As I mentioned before mud driving makes me a bit anxious. It's not that I am scared or fear for my life or anything. Nothing drastic is going to happen to you it's just the thought of getting bogged. Then it means I have to get a friendly neighbour out of their dry house and into a tractor to come and pull me out.
It starts to rain again and the road becomes wet. I am in 2nd or 3rd gear now and the trip is slow. It is a lot easier to drive in the mud when it is raining and there is water in the mud. My husband has called a couple of times on the two way to check on me, he's very thoughtful. I have a parcel to deliver into my neighbours mailbox when I go past but he has heard me on the two way and is waiting for me. I put my brakes on to stop at him and I just kept going. Sliding straight past him. We chat for a while before the rain gets to much and we start to look like drowned rats and it's on my way again. A little while later I make it home. Proud of myself for not getting bogged.
The weather that night produced some very heavy rain and has been the cause of flooding in our area. Roads have been blocked for days and towns are on stand by. Lives have been lost in the area as well with people trying to cross flooded roads. My heart goes out to those families.

I am thankful that I was able to get home to my family safely that afternoon or otherwise I may have been stuck. Stuck in a large town with lots of shops is never a good idea for this rural, shop deprived girl.

Now I have all these Christmas presents that need wrapping. There is only one place to go for inspiration on wrapping presents and that is Martha Stewart. These are only a few of her ideas and you can find more here.

Happy wrapping!

Made It Gift Guide - Little Girls

2010-12-06T10:15:00.000+10:00

Todays gift guide is for all the little princesses in our lives.

Georgie Girl

Oopsidaisi

Blackiki's Crafty Deliveries

LoopyLoos

Beetle Blue Designs

Happy Shopping!

Madeit Gift Guide - Presents for a teenager

2010-11-29T13:50:00.000+10:00

Hi, my name is Suzanne and I am the gopher or odd jobs girl for Kristy and Angie at AnK Bowtique. I have absolutely no creative flair at all, but am lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful things and plenty of artistic talent when I am around these very clever ladies. I recently helped out at on the AnK Bowtique stall at the Emerald Craft Fair and lived to tell the tale. What a busy, crazy, fun filled weekend. I can't wait to do it all again next year.
I have found some great gift ideas for teenage girls on Madeit. They have all been given a tick of approval from my fussy teenager, so I hope you find something you love.

Norma Jean Highwaist boyleg shorts $25 missfancypants

Bibs and bobs belt $25 josephandmary

'Melanie' handbag in cream $28 QueenBee

Boho Lace Kaftan Top $45 oopsidaisi

Plaster Wall Word $39 kuber

Spiral toe ring $15 VsporaArt

Milli Organza/Silk flower Clip $6.50 AnKBowtique

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas.

Suzanne.

Madeit Monday Gift Guide - Gifts for Teachers

2010-11-22T14:55:00.000+10:00

While we are lucky enough to have finished school for the year, we know there are many of you with several weeks to go. This weeks Madeit Gift Guide is dedicated to the teachers. This year we sent our teacher a gorgeous notebook from Winnie and Clem , who were very accomodating to make sure it got to us on time - hope you liked it Miss Hewson :) Here's some other great gift ideas:

Little Yon Yon Fabric Notebook $24

Loved Mouse Pad $12

Precious Promises Australia Pencil / Ipod Pouch $13

Rose Cottage Cards Teacher Thankyou Card $3.50

AnK Bowtique Shabby Magnets $7.50 - available when our madeit store

reopens over the weekend.

Hope you have a great week, we are madly trying to get ready for the Emerald Craft Fair and praying that our creek goes down before then so we can get out !!

Happy Shopping

Madeit Gift Guide - presents for a friendly neighbour.

2010-11-15T16:45:00.000+10:00

Hi, I'm Jodie. Angie and Kristy roped me in to be a guest blogger for their madeit gift guide series. I have put together some great madeit finds for a friendly neighbour. Like Angie and Kristy, I live on a remote cattle property in Queensland and love being able to browse and shop Australian handmade, in fact I think I have a madeit addiction !!

Cupcake Wrappers - Cakecups $9.50

Amy Butler Wall Clock - Chic Girl Designs $20.00

Relax Me Bath Salts Absolutely Gorgeous $17.95

Spotty Storage Cannister Happy In Yellow $15.00

Lumbar Travel Cushion Vintage Sew and So $15.00

Handmade Soaps in drawstring bag Bayside Rose $17.00

Happy shopping, hope you enjoyed my selections.

Jodie

Happy Birthday Aunty Mara - Madeit gift guide.

2010-11-13T10:59:00.000+10:00

Last week it was my sisters birthday and as usual I was not organised to get her a gift in time. I should of been shopping on madeit !! So this madeit gift guide is dedicated to Aunty Mara. Stay tuned for our`next gift guide where we have a guest blogger.

Handbag and Matching Coin Purse MISS PIGGII $30

Iphone Pouch RabbitandtheDuck $20

Fabric Notebook WINNIEAND CLEM $19.99

Sterling Silver Bracelet MADEBYSUZE $30

Lip Balm in a Tin The Sugar Pot $5

Made It Xmas Gift Guide - All About The Boys

2010-11-08T23:02:00.000+10:00

This weeks madeit xmas gift guide is all about the boys. Follow the links to get some great stocking fillers and support Australian handmade.

The Cool Tool Belt The Little Louvre

Fold and Go Car Playmat Hipcups

Alphabet Bib & Nappy Cover Georgie Girl

Boys Personalised Decoartive Cushion TIGESANDWEINCE

Hobby Horse Crafty Crack Pot

Happy Shopping

Made It Monday gift Guide.

2010-11-01T12:57:00.000+10:00

It's the first of November today and that leaves only 55 days until Christmas. We are going to do a Made It Gift Guide leading up to Christmas. We would like to support all Australia's crafters and promote the giving of Handmade items to your family. This week's guide is for the Grandmothers of Australia (of course you don't need to be a grandmother to enjoy these lovely items).

Happy Shopping!