It's Giveaway time!!

Finally, the doors have re-opened at Woodberry Designs.... almost 12 months to the day since I closed. That's very symbolic for me. It has been a mighty tough and unpredictable year but re-opening Woodberry Designs symbolises the start of a new era.

I know I have said it before, but I will say it again.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my convalescence with phone calls, emails, visits, gifts, cards and most of all, your friendship. You can't possibly know how much I valued each and everyone of you.

Sooooo, the big day... a new beginning!!

Lots of exciting changes, a new boutique and a new way of doing things. I hope you will all pop on over to the new website for a wander around. I have art work for sale, a fully stocked Cake Stand and patterns and doodle books available. So come on over for some creative inspiration.

In celebration of all that is good right now: new business, new lifestyle, great health and wonderful friends, I am having a Blog Giveaway.

This giveaway is a thank you for my support network who I cherish.

On the 20th November I will draw a winner who will receive this 10" x 10" mixed media cupcake painting, plus a selection of 4 cuppies from my new range of Faux cakes at Woodberry Designs.

Give away terms and conditions
Only my blog followers are eligible for this giveaway, so if you're not already a follower - nows the time to become one!

I am happy to post overseas, so all my OS friends can enter too.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post.

Prize winner will be chosen by random number generator but you can increase your chances of winning by doing one or more of the following:

- leave a comment on this post.

- Add my blog giveaway button to your sidebar (1 extra entry)

- Blog about this giveaway (1 extra entry)

- Visit my website and leave a comment in my Guestbook (1 extra entry).

Please let me know if you have done any of the above so I can allocate your extra entries in the Giveaway.

Good luck everyone and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

How I shocked the locals!!!

There was an air of anticipation as we set off at day break on Saturday morning for our first market stall at the Artist Market. The weather looked a bit dubious but even though we did get a light drizzle early in the morning, it fined up to be a gorgeous sunny and warm afternoon.

With the market tent erected and shabby bunting strung up, it was time to unpack my wares.


My intention is to sell a mixture of beachy and shabby items both sewn and painted but with such short notice I had to go with something that was quick this time - a few painted canvases and a big batch of shabby faux cupcakes and truffles.

This is when we 'shocked the locals'!!!
Those cakes caused a stir and a fair bit of controversy.

This was the general gist of conversations as potential customers flowed in to buy what they thought were real cupcakes...
Lady: They look so yummy.
Me: they are faux cakes
Lady: What foam cakes?
Me: No, faux cakes, pretend, fake.
Lady: Can you eat them?
Me: No, they are not real.
Lady: so what do you do with them?
Me: they are for decoration. Perhaps in your kitchen or dining room.
Lady: Why, if you can't eat them?

Now repeat that conversation over and over again and you pretty much get the feel for our first hour or so at the market. If nothing else it kept my fellow neighbouring stall holders amused. Then Laura from the stall next to us suggested that we needed a big sign about our fake cakes. 'Fake Cakes'... yeah, that pretty much summed it up. Certainly not as classy as faux cakes but it stated the obvious. So we sent hubs back home to get a large blank canvas and black marker and whipped up this sign...


At least with the sign I didn't have to keep repeating the same conversation, but still everyone had questions. We were very good humoured about it and some of the reactions actually had us chuckling.


Then every so often from out of the crowd there would be a shriek of delight as someone recognised that I had faux cupcakes - yay. We did make a few sales but not what we are used to. Our previous market experience for 5 years at Yarra Glen Craft Market in Victoria had us swamped by customers trying to buy as we were unpacking the boxes. AAhhh... this city girl is still adjusting to country life!! At least we can laugh about this episode and prepare something more conventional for our next market date in December.

I have to admit, my new recipe for faux cuppies is very life like, so little wonder people were fooled.

So my first market at The Artist Market wasn't exactly lucrative but I did have a fantastic day.

I've spent the past 8 weeks here unpacking, renovating, getting everyone settled into new schools, activities etc. and I've had little chance to meet new people. Of those I have met, while they were nice and friendly, none were quite like me. They didn't get me like my art/craft/blogging friends do.
Then....
I met the market stall holder community. In amongst the vibrant, energised, almost hippyish atmosphere of a beach side village market, with the constant melodic beat of local musicians and the tantalising aromas from the vegetarian BBQ, I found new FRIENDS. Just being amongst these incredibly creative and talented artisans filled me with joy.

I met the lovely Melissa from Moochi Moo who actually knew what faux cakes were and even purchased a few. Melissa sent Kylie from Earlybird Creations down to check out my cakes too. Kylie makes the most divine resin jewellery and she is a blogger too. Oh... and I have it on good authority that Santa is buying my Christmas present from her stall. If you want to see a bit of what I am getting, be sure to visit her etsy store.

BUT... the best part about doing the market was meeting Justine from Jayswear. Talk about a kindred spirit. The cosmos had really looked after me putting our stalls side by side. Right from the moment we started talking (about THOSE cakes of course) we hit it off. We had so many shared life experiences, children the same age and at the same school, city girls forging a new life in paradise. We spent the whole 7 hours talking, laughing, talking, planning etc. Justine has just started preparation for a website and needs some help. I've offered to share what I know and lets face it.... it's really just another opportunity to talk and laugh some more. [giggle]

Anyhoo.... the market was quite an experience that turned out to be better than expected for all the wrong reasons. I managed to shock the local community, who just weren't ready for my faux cakes. I leave you now with the best comment made on the day. (There were so many funny remarks so it's hard to pick the best one, but this one still makes me laugh out loud).

After having the whole 'they're not real' conversation with this gentleman he goes on to say...
Man: They're not real then.
Me: Nope
Man: Are you here next month?
Me: Yes
Man: Are you bringing the real ones then?
Me: (with a giggle and doing my best Dawn French/Vicar of Dibley impersonation) No, just these silly non edible ones I'm afraid!!

Okay, I'm off now to whip up some more of those incredibly silly, useless, what are they for, 'fake cakes' for my web store that will be open tomorrow.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne

Cosmic good fortunes and new adventures

When we set off on our sea change adventure a few months ago I wasn't sure what exactly I would do work wise. I was completely open minded... new adventures after all do require a bit of free flow thinking and I knew once I got settled I would instinctively know what I wanted to do.

Short story is - I didn't feel very inspired to re-open the business. I'd lost 12 months immobilised... picking up where I had left off didn't feel right. Unenthused, I threw myself into redecorating and renovating the Beach House instead. I was busy making and designing new things for our home - something i love doing. Then it hit me, you know, that light bulb moment. I suddenly knew what I wanted to do.

I had lost my passion for Woodberry Designs/Shabby Art Boutique. It had simply got too big. With over 200 pattern packets in my collection, books, painting supplies and 2 web stores it made business complicated. Also my creative inspirations have changed a lot since I started this business 17 years ago. It's definitely time for a change.

Once that was decided life got pretty busy. My head was swimming with ideas, I couldn't sleep, I have oodles and oodles of paper notes, scribbles, doodles etc floating around the makeshift studio. OMG... there is so much to do to restart my business. Woodberry Designs [by the sea] is re-opening next week, so make sure you pop back for the Grand Opening and Give Away.

Just as I was throwing myself into this new direction another opportunity presented itself - I think all the planets must be aligned or something cosmic is happening. LOL. I will also be selling my art at the Artist Market of Port Macquarie, held on the 1st Sunday of the month. The market, held in the grounds of the Maritime Museum, overlooking beautiful Town and Oxley Beaches, has a vibrant village type atmosphere. I think it will be lots of fun. So with that added to the workload it has been a bit chaotic here getting cake production up and running again and lots of paintings and cottage sewing happening.

Here's just a little peak of what came out of the studio yesterday....

A little shelf and some Memory Lane china teacups was the inspiration.

Time to get back to the easel.

Until next time...

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

It's all about ME challenge...

Today I am participating in Natasha's 'It's all about ME' party/swap/challenge.

This is a swap with a difference - it's all about doing something for yourself. My project for myself does benefit the whole family, but it was orientated towards what I wanted.

As regular visitors to my blog would know, my family and I have very recently made a sea change from Melbourne (VIC) to a coastal town on the mid north coast of New South Wales. We have swapped the stresses of city life for a more relaxed and lay back lifestyle of a beach side community. It has been everything we wanted and more!!

We purchased a beach house which needed a little reno work to convert it to what we envisaged a beach house should look like. My project for 'ME' was the redo on a small family room adjacent to our main meals area. This room over looks the backyard, veranda and pool. The photo below shows the room as the previous owners had it.



It was a very dark and closed in room with a modern theme. I wanted to transform it into a beach house style with lots of light walls to open the area up more. I had a navy lounge suite that had to be used in there so I went for a white and blue colour scheme. The floor boards were recently polished so I painted the walls antique white.

painted the window sills in a bright gloss white....


added some beach accessories...

and some shells and candles finish the room off.

I'm in the process of making some beachy cushions for the lounge and painting some artwork for the walls. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the transformation. I like to sit here in the afternoons for some quiet/stitching/reading time. The kids now call it 'mums room' and I am happy with that.

Make sure you pop on over to Natasha's to check out the rest of the participants in the 'It's all about ME' challenge.

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

When life turns ugly

Uuuggghhhhhhh.......

It's been one of those weeks!!

You know the kind... what should have been a simple thing turns into a hair ripping, face pulling, UGLY event.

So what was the cause of my distress?

Paper doilies.

That's it!! A lousy couple of throw away doilies.

It started like any other day in the studio... great music, sun shining through the window, painting at the easel; when I decide in a flash of brilliance that I require a paper doilie for special effects. Okay, I know I have some. Which box could they be in? Every box is labelled and then there's the main catalogue I can cross check.

What - no mention of doilies!!

So off to the shops I go to pick up a packet of doilies. That should be simple - RIGHT!! Well... you'd think so.

From shop to shop I go, like a woman processed. I live in a town full of retired people for goodness sake - surely they still use them under their lamingtons and Anzac biscuits - don't they? Well not in Port Macquarie they don't.

None to be found. A quick search online does my head in when the postage quadruples the price of the item. Luckily, a new friend in town hears of my dilemma and saves the day - this time.

I'm fully embracing my sea change adventure and as yet have had little to grumble about. Generally, the shops here have all that I need. Perhaps I've been very spoilt in the past. Melbourne after all is a shopping mecca and had every conceivable crafting requirement.

So my blogging friends, it is you that I turn to in my hour of need. From now on, anything that is not covered by wholesale buying will have to be purchased online. Everyone knows the Web is a shopper's paradise, teeming with great goods and great buys.

So, the million dollar question - where do you buy craft/fabric supplies online?

Please take pity on me and save me before I make myself really, really UGLY.

I wait in great anticipation.... [giggle]

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

Back at the easel....

Q: When is a studio not a studio?

A: When it is a garage pretending to be a studio.

While I wait patiently... [with gritted teeth] for construction to begin on my new studio, I will have to suffice with the makeshift one we have set up in the garage. It is actually quite roomy and being surrounded by all my 'things' is both comforting and inspiring. Gypsy the-studio-buddy slumped into her beanbag beside my desk as soon as we unpacked it, so all is well in her world.

I stocked up on supplies today in readiness for a busy week of creativity. It is school holidays here now so my work schedule will be interrupted with kids activities, beach walks, picnics and the like, but I will also have the flexibility to work in the evenings. My ideas book is overflowing with new designs, projects and plans, so lots to do in a short period of time.

Apart from the new website and the opening of the new web store, I also have a special event to prepare for at the end of the month....oohhh. More on that project later.

I look forward to sharing some 'fresh off the easel' artwork later in the week.

Until then,
Hugs ~ Kerryanne

Making do with what you have... and other crazy notions!

Today is clean up day after our second dust storm in several days came through on Saturday - what a mess it has made. The photo below was taken on Wednesday when the first storm came through. This is town beach which is usually very busy but the gale force winds kept everyone locked up indoors that day.


We are settling into our new house which is looking more like a home now instead of a storage depot. That huge pile of boxes is slowly diminishing and I'm setting a cracking pace with the home renos. Of course this means I can now think about getting back to the business of painting for pleasure.

The plans for the new studio have been completed so hopefully construction will begin soon. As that big pile of boxes disappears from the garage I am gradually opening more of the studio boxes.... aahhh.... that's what I needed - my art supplies. After a bit of a look around on the weekend I decided to make a makeshift studio in the now almost empty garage. It won't be perfect but it will certainly do until the new studio is completed.

I've been thinking a lot about Woodberry Designs while painting my way through the house. I wasn't completely sure what direction I wanted to take in my new studio, in a new town. The more options I tossed around, the harder it became. Then when I least expected it - a light bulb moment. Now I have direction, plans and oodles of enthusiasm for a new project.

I am planning to re-open in about a month - just in time for Christmas BUT it won't be Woodberry Designs as you know it.

OOhhh... there's a teaser for you!!

During our relocation, the website has been available for viewing but not for shopping. Don't be concerned if you pop in for a visit and find it missing from cyber space over the next couple of weeks. There will be a new website up soon.

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

How much bubble wrap is too much?

I've been waiting very patiently for the 'Unpacking Fairies' to show themselves but as yet.... nothing, zilch, nada. Honestly, I thought by now they would have snuck in one quiet evening and finished the unpacking. Seriously, how long do I have to wait?

I'm trying to embrace the new 'relaxed' lifestyle but fear that I can't truly relax until after the unpacking is complete. Even then, I think it will be a stretch for me to be relaxed enough not to be obvious amongst the relaxed set. I'm more typically an un-relaxer. Got to be doing something all the time. How will I ever get anything done if I work on Port Macquarie time... hhmmm, perhaps this is precisely the problem. I'm orderly; I like lists; I set goals (mostly unrealistic goals); I'm just a doer!! The question is - can I adjust my body clock to run a bit slower?

I'll let you know where I sit on that score after the unpacking is complete. Until then, I'll do my best not to rush... LOL

Anyhoo, apart from unpacking, painting, unpacking, cleaning, gardening, um and did I mention unpacking... oh I did, several times... okay well moving on...

I did also find time to catch up with blogging friends this week and goodness me what a lot is going on at present. If you haven't already caught up with this exciting new blog Among the Gum Trees then you really must do so.

Among the Gum Trees is the brain child of Jenny of Elefantz, who has brought together nine established and emerging designers to offer something new and exciting to the world - their own original designs - to download free of charge. I know.... crazy huh!! I also have a special interest too 'cause one of my very cleaver friends Vikki of Sew Useful Designs is one of the very talented designers on this team.

Another good reason to pop on over for a visit is this - A GIVEAWAY

In fact, NINE amazing giveaway packages for nine lucky bloggers to win before the end of this month!!


Okay, so another exciting event in blogland this week is Natasha's Swap

This is a swap/challenge/party all rolled into one. But a "swap" with a difference. You see, you won't be assigned a swap partner to mail anything to. Your swap "partner" will be YOU!

The idea of this is that you create, for fun's sake. You will make something for yourself to keep and enjoy. You'll do the project you have been saying you will do. You'll try out that new "thing" you've been wanting to try out.
It will be all about you.

Doesn't this sound great? I can't decide which of the many 'must do projects' on my list I will do. So pop on over to Natasha's blog and get involved.

So, until next time, I'll be in amongst the bubblewrap and boxes.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne

Hi everyone,

Yay - I'm back online!! It may have only been 4 weeks but it does feel like a lifetime. You don't realise how much you rely on the internet until you don't have it. We had a few hiccups getting it connected but now we are all set up.

Sooooo.... here we are in beautiful Port Macquarie on the NSW mid north coast. As relocating goes, I think we did pretty well. Our furniture and all 308 boxes arrived intact and we moved into our house 2 weeks ago. We are doing some renovations and unpacking and seem to have put a dent in the amount of boxes stacked up.

This photo is very unbecoming but this is what you get when you have teenage daughters with cameras. LOL




See I told you - very unbecoming!! I think this was about day 3 of moving in. It was hot, there were still heaps of boxes everywhere and I decided to have a break amongst the mess. The interesting head wear was the TV liftout... like I said, it was hot!!!! Hhmm... since then I have located the box with sunhats.

The girls have settled in well and are already at their new schools. The great thing about living on the coast is there are beaches everywhere you go. Of course it is still a novelty for my girls so we do the beach stop off on the way home from school. Here's Aimee going in for a wade in her school tunic. I get a few strange looks as I navigate the sand on crutches - LOL



Even the studio buddy has put in a good effort as a 'beach' dog. I'm not quite game enough to let her off leash yet - Lighthouse beach is a very looooong beach and I may never catch her again [giggle].

In other news, the builders are working on the plans for my new studio so hopefully that will be underway soon. I'm desperate to get all my supplies out again for a play. At present the studio boxes are all stacked up in one corner and I know if I start opening them I won't get the rest of the unpacking done. They will be my reward for setting up our new home.

Doesn't this picture of town beach look peaceful?

Naturally there will be things we miss in the city (family and friends would be at the top of the list) but the many benefits of making the sea change outweigh the negatives.

Life is an adventure to be lived and we are certainly having the time of our life.

So, until my next update, I will be unpacking boxes and walking the beach.

Hugs ~ Kerryanne

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye...

Sooooo... the cars packed and we are ready to hit the road

What a funny photo.

No, no, that is not my car. Really it's not.

Although... judging by the amount of things piling up beside my car, this could well be what it looks like after I pack it. [giggle].

I'm going off line tonight and won't be reconnected for a few weeks. Apparently things move rather slowly in the country. I'm all for a relaxed lifestyle but hey, a girl needs her 'puter!!

Final box count - we made 300... woo hoo. That's a lot of boxes!! My house looks so empty and bare. The polished boards make everything echo and it even seems a bit creepy at night. I have never felt that way before.

Anyhoo, next time I speak to you all I'll be in the new house, in a new state, starting a new adventure.

Wish me luck, as you wave me goodbye.

Cheerio, here I go,on my way.

Living the dream.

Hugs ~ Kerryanne