Hiatus

Hello all, I'm just letting you know that I'm having an extended break from blogging, as I have too much on my plate to keep up with everything at the moment.

As you know I am no longer a frequent blogger, and I prefer to keep the subject matter shoe related, but the honest truth is that I am not doing much making right now, and probably won't be till Hazel is at school, which is hopefully next year.

We are planning some home renovations, so I'm working at my desk job late into the night when the kids are asleep, to earn some extra coin.

My daily exploits are still visible on Instagram @emblueski, so do come over and say hi.

Making like a mofo

 Sampling some new things. Playing with old designs/materials and reinventing them. I will never get tired of circles!

 Sending samples of new things off to magazines in the hope of some press.

Every night I am at the kitchen table making work by incandescent light. Not my favourite, I prefer daylight, but I need to make the best use of my kid-free time. Here are some pinwheels on the go...

...and here they are finished. They've found new homes at Craft Vic, Five Boroughs and Klopper.

Thanks for the feedback regarding my previous post, I know it often appears that other people have it all, when we are probably all a bit guilty of painting the best possible picture of our lives, despite the mess and chaos.

We are battling coughs and colds brought home from daycare, interrupted nights with the small girl, last night we struck a deal that she would spend all night in her bed, lo and behold it worked!

I've got a few new projects on the boil which are very exciting, I'm also in full production for my little Christmas range, and I'm doing the Finders Keepers in early Oct, so it is full steam ahead!

Studio

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Split personality

After spending all day in the studio I find it very difficult to go back to being a Mum.

Last week everything in the studio took longer than anticipated, and when it was time to get the kids from school and daycare I was very reluctant to leave.

I was out for about an hour, including time at the supermarket planning meals on the fly, then in the car the kids commenced their bickering which is far from pleasant, and really tests my somewhat flimsy state of zen.

At home it all became chaotic. Small girl doesn't sleep during the day, and after a big session at daycare she is a hungry whingy banshee. The big kid dives into his Lego pond and is self sufficient, and I am left looking at the manky kitchen which I have hardly seen since breakfast. In my head I'm still in the studio, trying to follow through on making an item, photographing it, uploading tweaking and emailing to potential buyers. Gotta pay for that daycare somehow.

So this is where I find myself torn.

Before any food can be cooked the whole kitchen has to be cleaned - unappealing and time consuming. Before any leather goods can be sold the images have to be tweaked and formatted - time consuming but infinitely more appealing than domesticity.

Essentially I'm constantly shocked and disgruntled that my kids require feeding at the end of each day. It is my least favourite scenario. Sure I can cook, I'm not unfamiliar with my kitchen, but I want to eat Tom Yum soup at 8, not kid friendly stuff at 6.

The irony was not lost on me that this particular evening it was me that turned into a banshee. I have apologised to my family, but during dinner I was unbearable. Somehow I made a huge spread of tacos and vegies, all very colourful and not slop at all. But I kept moaning about being interrupted from my work, I ate so fast and wanted to hurry everyone off to bed or into an activity that didn't include me.
Part of me was internally screaming 'just enjoy time with your family, damn you', and the other part was already out the door and into the studio.

It reminded me of The Divided Heart all over again. Rachel Power's book of conversations with creative mothers essentially boils down to this principle - to be creative you need to be selfish, to be a Mumma you need to be selfless.

And that's me there in the middle having a meltdown.

The fruits of my labours this week - luggage tags featuring big beautiful stamps. These went to a friend who is, you guessed it, an equestrian fan.

Keeping to a theme

 

 

 

 

 

I'm in the studio today, sweating it out under my hot tin roof. I will have to abandon the 'shed' for the comfort of the house in a while, the afternoon sun streams in the west-facing windows and will melt me in a way that hot yoga has yet to do.

I'm working on a commission for a few belts, using some of these stamps, but before I separate them I had to share them with you.

The top one is from Japan, fabulous colours, sweet naive style. Then a grand stamp from Hungary (Magyar), it is a whopper, and really well illustrated. The blue is slightly metallic. Finally a strip from DPR Korea, I don't have a lot of Korean stamps and these are so cute. Great cartoony style, vibrant colours and I always love to see traditional costumes.

So now I'll arrange them into a story to be stitched into a belt, will show the finished product in a few weeks when this project is out in full. It's a bit secret at the mo.

Three cheers for wonky, blurry scanned images!

Right now!

Hi there, welcome to my studio! Today I am lasting a pair of boots, the old-fashioned way.

These are the tools I use to last any uppers. If they are on my desk all at once it means - BUSINESS TIME! You can see the lasts on the left, with appropriate build-ups for this client.

The uppers are pulled over the lasts with pincers, and then wrapped over the insole and held in place with tacks. The pincers are a combination of pliers and hammer, in this image I'm using them as a hammer. Tap tap tap.

And here they are being used as pliers. I keep the tacks in my mouth and pull them out when I need them (a very old-school method), the face I am making in this pic is because I'm fishing around in my mouth for a tack. Tasty.

The toe stiffeners are on, I'm painting them with adhesive so that they form one layer when the upper is pulled over.

The upper is all lasted, held in place with tacks, and here I'm hammering down the pleats. The boots will stay like this for a day or two, then once they are dry I can start to clean them up and get ready for soling.

Tada!

Tatau

 I am a bit cheeky, and perhaps lazy, in stealing this post from Craft Vic





Tatau #6: Emma Greenwood

words: Hahna Busch, photo: Beth Nellie

Inspired by the upcoming Tatau exhibition for Craft Cubed 2012, Craft has been intrigued to discover more about the diversity in tattooing across Melbourne. So we got out and about to meet some locals with unique tattoos and unique stories to tell. Here is a snapshot of one of the inked individuals we profiled…

From 4 August, all 12 of our profiled guests will have their photograph exhibited in From Tatau to Tattoo at NGV Studio, Federation Square. More information about the exhibition and project can be found on the Craft website here, including registrations for a tattoo by guest artists Tricia Allen, Pat Morrow and Simon Wilson. From August you will also be able to read the full editorial pieces on our tattooees. Stay tuned to The Craft Blog, for more tattoo profiles over the next couple of weeks.

EMMA GREENWOOD

Untitled
Artist: Geordie Cole, Tattoo Magic
Tattooist: Geordie Cole, Tattoo Magic
2000

WHO: Emma Greenwood – shoemaker and creative extraordinaire

WHAT: A depiction of swirling blue waves breaking into foam, inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock artists, and similar to Hokusai’s Great Wave of Kanagawa image.

WHY: Emma’s tattoo was a tangible expression of her love for the colour blue and her passion for the traditional style of the Japanese woodblock artwork. It is “the one” image she is prepared to wear for life.

WHEN: Emma got her tattoo in 2000 when she was inspired and surrounded by tattoo culture. The artwork covers an old tattoo done in her teenage years, and was recently retouched.

WHERE: The long-searched for artist trusted with doing the piece was Geordie Cole of Tattoo Magic.

In the studio

In the studio

Today Hazel had the most marvellous long sleep, so I got out into the sunny studio and finished a pattern.

At my desk.


Tricky mind-bending pattern cutting, I have been putting it off for far too long.


Gorgeous floral leathers, recent acquisitions. I fancy making Hazel some baby Doc Martens in the middle sample.

When she woke we ate lunch in the sunshine, and then went to pick up Leo from school, he's on two weeks' holidays now, yay no lunchboxes!

Progress

Her babies hatched! They are so teeny but they sure can move fast. Now I hope that they all find alternative accommodation, as they have built their web on my blind and I would love to open it without disturbing them.

Yeah yeah, buntings been done, it's so old-hat why would you bother? But have you ever seen patent leather bunting? Didn't think so. In three different sizes? Nope, that's just me and my ridiculous need to use every single scrap of leather.

Helen I am so ready to last your shoes, I just need a good 90 mins without threat of interruption by small peeps. Negotiating with potential child-minders is in progress.

How about this book given to me by Aunty Jenny, I wonder what joys are contained within?

I want these pants sooo bad! I would wear them all the freaking time! Oh man it hurts to want them this much.

Gotta have a shot of the open book, featuring painted nails and awesome embroidery templates.
Hand holding the book open shots are du jour right now, don'tcha know?

Yes I really do need all these ruling devices, I'm obsessed by millimeters remember?

Listening to: Ernest Ranglin - Below the Bassline

In the studio

Yes I have been in the studio! Wow, what a reunion, snatching little moments in there during the day while Hazel sleeps. It's rather tricky managing my time now that I have an official day job, or should I say a night job.

After the kids go to bed I am at the computer coding press articles for Media Monitors. It's a good earner, and I am keeping informed on certain topics (oh Public Transport is soooo riveting) but it sure does stretch my days into long ones.Here's a resident of the studio, it has become a home to many spiders in my absence, and this one is a beauty. She is waiting near her eggs for them to hatch, I am dreading the spiderlings getting into everything but I don't begrudge them a good start to life.

Anyhoo, here's what has been getting me into the studio, Helen's Oxfords. Poor Helen has been waiting so long, and I hate to admit that there will be more waiting before her feet get to step into them. However, the pattern is cut, and as of yesterday the upper/lining is cut.

She has chosen some gorgeous leather, creamy coloured and soft yet robust, I am really looking forward to lasting these. There is a great texture to it as well, a beautiful crazed crackle as you can see in this next photo.


Here are the lasts I'm using, they are so divine, old school and with some great curves to them. It's always a pleasure to use wooden lasts, the new ones are all plastic, they are quite heavy and a bit lacking in character and soul.

I got this pair years and years ago when I was still a shoemaking student in Adelaide, we visited an old makers' workshop as he was getting rid of a lot of stuff. I scored a few pairs of old lasts, stacked leather heels, and general bits & bobs.

They are perfect for Helen's long, elegant feet. Instead of being hinged like the new lasts, the cone comes off when you press a hidden spring, Leo thinks that this is such fun to do, he is constantly pressing the little button and clicking the cone section on and off.



My feet are also waiting to get into these Golf Brogues, I have had them on the go for longer than I care to admit. The pattern is almost done, I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist, I am still agonising over millimeters!


Happy inspiration always helps.


Meanwhile the lemon-scented gums outside the studio window do their traditional December thing of shedding bark. Such a contrast in colour and texture.

Hope that you are inspired and industrious too. Don't forget to get some rest though! I should add that to my list.....

Listening to: The Daktaris - Super Afro Beat

Part Two

I'm back over at Pencil & Pipette for round two today, loving these photos taken by Anna.


It's funny when someone comes to visit your studio and you get to see it anew, through their eyes. A worthwhile experience, as I tend to consider it a bit of a crazy mess. Fairly obvious that a shoemaker isn't going to have a clean, minimalist workshop.

Listening to: New Buffalo - I've got you and you've got me

Pencil & Pipette

Hey folks, here's me in my studio, photographed and thoughtfully questioned by Anna from Pencil & Pipette. Her blog motto is, 'writings and samplings on creativity and how people use it to make positive change', which is an immensely appealing idea.




We met in a rather serendipitous fashion on a 43 degree day in the Kid's Gallery at the Melbourne Museum. Anna had just visited my blog a few days before, and recognised some of the accessories that I was wearing at the time, so she introduced herself and the rest is history.

We have been emailing back and forth, I responded to Anna's questions regarding making shoes, mass-production, and the role of the craftsperson in new practices of sustainability. I answered in my standard verbose fashion, and so Anna has split the interview into two parts - I do tend to waffle on.

Today it's all about handmade sneakers, my first love, and the reason I got into shoemaking in the first place.


Hope that its informative in terms of my methods, let me know what you think.
Thanks Anna!

Sneaky Peek

Navy blue with white.
I am giggling with delight at the thought of being able to wear them soon!
Just have to put the soles on, make the heels and I'm Mary Poppins.

Yes I did

Today I was grumpy, cross, seething even. I took my vengeance out on a box of trashy Cadbury Roses. Yes I did. Even managed to enjoy some of them, but not the Lemon Cheesecake one, blech!


Pene, here's the finished strap. I've just tacked the upper on here, still waiting for the insole to dry before I officially last it.


Bonita!

I'm happy to report that my mood was lifted by
Listening to: Gilberto Gil - Roda, he's too darn cheerful in this 1967 version of such a fab tune.