The Melbourne Paperific Expo is on 27-29 October!

Textile Fibre Forum
published by
The Australian Forum for Textile Artists (TAFTA)

The Secret Revealed
Friday 27 October

Did you come straight to my blog or did you check out the NEW homepage for Studio Astarte: www.studioastarte.com.au?

I've revealed the secret; the new direction for this business. I'm producing an on-line "mega-zine" about art and self-development! I hope you will sign up as a free member!

Here's how it all came about. Studio Astarte had been a stamp manufacturing company for about eight years. I wanted a change. In June I announced that I was giving up stamp making, not quite certain what I'd do to replace it, but confident that I'd find something.

Through journaling I had come to discover that what really makes my heart sing is writing, editing, web design and creating art. And it sounds hokey, but I no longer wanted to sell people "things". Instead I wanted to make a difference in their quality of life. I'm into self-development. Could I spark others to access some of the good stuff I have been experiencing in my own life? And could I combine my interests and skills in one new business venture? Was it possible?

Eureka! A zine! But not one that involved printing and mailing out - an online zine. And since it will be hosted here on the Studio Astarte site, it seemed fitting to name it "Astarte's Mega-zine".

Follow your bliss and doors will open, where there were no doors before. - Joseph Campbell

Today is DAY ONE of Melbourne Paperific. We have people coming from all over Australia and New Zealand. We usually attract a few Asian visitors, too. It is a fantastic event if I do say so myself (given it is my other business besides Studio Astarte). Life's been pretty hectic lately, getting ready for this expo, making stamps to sell one last time AND preparing for the re-launch of this website. Here it is NOW: The big weekend. What a weekend!

Feeling Electric!
Thursday 19 October

I can't recall the last time I felt so charged-up about any project, but I am bouncing off the walls with excitement! It's all to do with the transformation Studio Astarte is about to undergo. My plans will be revealed Friday 27 October! Then it will take a little time to get to the stage where I have something to offer. But it is gonna be dynamite when I get there. Electric! Last weekend I was in Sydney at a seminar where I started to really learn how to do what it is I am going to do. Part of me thought - ohmygawd, I'm mad to give up three whole days away from my workplace two weeks before Paperific! But I am SOOO glad I went. The forces of the Universe all collided there in Sydney and I am reborn a Super-woman. But shh-hh-hh! All great super heroines have preciously guarded secrets. You'll have to wait a week to hear mine.

I felt like a Miniature Mad Hatter
Thursday 5 October

That's a five cent piece next to the mini-hats I whipped-up last night. (For my American readers, It's a bit smaller than a penny.)

One of the groups I belong to is the "Victorian Association of Miniature Enthusiasts" and we craft all kinds of dollhouse-size stuff. I like this group because we use a variety of materials and techniques. Variety is the spice of life! It's never boring and everything we create is SO CUTE. I'm running a felt hat-making workshop for the group on Saturday and these are my samples. The hat stands are from www.dollshousesandminiatures.com.au

The hats are made using marbles as molds with needlefelted fabric from Chrissy at Fibre Fusion. I've turned the instructions into a downloadable pdf file if you want to have a go yourself.

Bring on the Sun
Wednesday 4 October

Ah, don't ya just love Spring? This rosebush at my front door was a gift from a friend after I had a miscarriage years ago. It is a lovely memorium.

I'm so happy to see the flowers and feel the warm sun on my face.

October. Paperific is less than a month away. It is such a buzz to put on this show. Today I finalised the floorplan.

And it is an exciting time for me too, because I'm developing a NEW creative project to replace the stampmaking I've done these past eight years. Shh-h! It is a secret for the moment. Lots to be done these next few weeks but it isn't drudgery!

Whacky Artist Types
Sunday 1 October

I love going away for artist retreats and here in Australia the most fun you'll ever have is at a TAFTA Forum (see left column). The photo above is from the costume party at Hosham Forum back in 2004. Yes, most textile artists love any opportunity to dress outrageously.

Friday I drove down to Geelong Grammar School where the Geelong Fibre Forum was in full swing. A couple of hundred women and a handful of men were there taking five day courses such as fabric kite making, felt resist dyeing, papermaking, reverse applique, wire jewellery, basketry, knitting and lots of other "stuff". I hadn't enrolled in a class this time but Jacinta Leishman was teaching a mixed-media "alchemy" course and I offered to be a guest tutor in her classroom for a few hours - it sounds charitable, yes but was designed to give me a surreptitious taste of the forum.

I forgot my camera sadly, but there was a costume party that I stayed for that night and the theme was Hysterical Historical. I dressed as Julius Caesar - pretty boring in comparison to many others. I wish I could show you the Ned Kelly whose colourful helmet was made of tiny patchwork squares.

Student work was exhibited to the public on the following morning and it never fails to inspire.

After I left the Forum I dropped in at Geelong's National Wool Museum to see the biennial Wool Quilt Prize exhibition (on till 26 January). Stunning work, and there was such a variety of wool applications: Patchwork and applique of course, but also feltmaking, and even knitting. The roads were quiet on the way back to Melbourne. While I was off looking at art, most other Victorians were glued to their tv's watching the build-up to The Football Grand Final.

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