tasmania

At the end of June our beautiful girl set off for to see the world on her big Gap Year trip. It was exciting but just a little nerve wracking watching her go. She and her friends have been planning this trip for ever though and I'm so proud of them for saving up and doing it!

She's off for five months around Asia and Europe. We'll miss her but already its fun sharing her travels vicariously through stories and photos.

Luckily, as a distraction, we'd booked a week in Tasmania for the school holidays and on Monday last week my three boys and I packed our own bags and headed for the airport!

None of us has been to Tassie before and I planned our itinerary to see as much as we could in the six days which meant lots of driving round the place at the start of the week.

We landed in Hobart on Monday, staying right on Constitution Dock.

A big icebreaker ship, the Aurora Australis sits right at the Dock. This is the ship that transports people and supplies to Antarctica, and there's something very romantic about having a bright orange icebreaker parked outside your hotel! On our walk around the area we filled up on local scallops and chips then visited the replica of Mawson's Hut.

It was raining when we arrived and a planned trip up Mount Wellington was thwarted by ice on the road. Hobart sits below this cloud capped mountain with a huge river harbour flowing down the middle. Its a beautiful city.

The next morning we woke to more rain but managed to beat the clouds by heading north and east towards the coast. By the time we reached Spiky Beach and Spiky Bridge blue skies had opened up, and we were blessed by great weather from then on through the week.

We headed back in from the coast and arrived in Launceston that afternoon. The city is sited on a big hill overlooking a wetland river, the grand Tamar. Tasmania is an island of majestic lakes and rivers, huge rocky crags and rolling green hills. Its really beautiful and perfect for a roadtrip in that the distances between places are relatively close.

Day three we visited Cradle Mountain. The two plus hour drive from Launceston is jaw dropping and passes through some beautiful green country overlooked by craggy mountain ranges. At Cradle Mountain we did a two hour bush walk around Dove Lake, time to take in this most beautiful landscape.

Back in Launceston we had enough just enough energy for a gourmet burger from Burger Junkie food truck. Highly recommended.

Day four we drove the Tamar Valley up as far as Bass Strait. At Beauty Point we did a guided tour at Seahorse World and held some seahorses in our hand. It was great. On the drive back down south was one of the highlights of the trip for me - visiting a valley where my ancestors lived in the 1800s.

How amazing to find the beautiful weatherboard church and stand beside my great great great aunties' Margaret and Alice's graves. They came out with their mother and sister, my great great grandmother from Ireland in 1848, to be reunited with their father, transported eight years earlier.

They went on to become respected pioneers in this idyllic rural valley... but more of that another time, I think it deserves its own post.

Back in Hobart we made another attempt at the peak of Mount Wellington. This time the road was open but the top was fogged in! Next time I come to Tasmania, and there will be a next time, I hope to see the view from up here. I bet its spectacular!

Day five was our trip to MONA. For readers who don't know about MONA it is the celebrated private gallery of Old and New Art on the banks of the Derwent, a great drawcard for the city and something everyone had recommended to us. If you get a chance, do go. It was the gallery space that really amazed me. Carved from rock the galleries take you down into the centre of a hill into the most magical reality. I need some more time here next visit too. It is a testament to its popularity that we ran into neighbours of ours on the MONA ferry and friends from Sydney who'd flown down for a weekend in the first gallery!

Day six, the day we left, we headed south to Port Arthur. On the way we dropped in to Unzoo and saw them feed the Tassie Devils, and Spotted Quolls. We patted kangaroos and fed Green Rosellas and walked down to the water to look across to Flinders Bay the site of the now disappeared Flinders Bay Probation Station where my ancestor Richard Clancy spent his sentence cutting wood.

Port Arthur is a major site of Tasmania's Penal program, but also the site of a modern day massacre which changed the course of Australian gun laws. It is a deeply resonant site, but to me the positive spirits have the stronger voice.

After Port Arthur we headed for the airport, tired but happy, dropping on Doo Town and its blowhole on the way. We flew out of Hobart late arriving home tired but happy, to the familiar lights of Sydney.

We loved Tasmania, it was great to go somewhere where we didn't know what to expect, to a most beautiful natural landscapes, this island with the purest air in the world and new and interesting birds and animals is a great family adventure, and we will definitely be going back, there is still so much to see.

8 years!

Yesterday was my 8 year blogaversary! Can you believe it? I can't.

Eight years ago I wrote my first posts. I remember it was a sunny Sunday afternoon in November, and I sent them off into the world wondering if anyone would ever read them!

Since then my Flower Press business and blog, both of which I started on a whim, have become a big part of my life.

A huge defining part.

The online world was very different eight years ago, its changed a lot in that time. Nowadays everyone is a part of it, we are all on instagram, everyone is microblogging. Its great, I love it! People understand immediately when I say I'm a blogger, those blank looks are gone. Lots of us have little handmade businesses, people are making their own all over the place! Being creative is much more common.

It wasn't like that back then, we were pioneers in many ways looking to find other makers online and so happy when we found this likeminded community. I miss those lovely early days a little, when the craft blogging community was like a small secret society, sharing and inspiring each other in our creative pursuits. Secret crafters! Those other bloggers shaped my life, my work, my art. If you are reading this, and you were one of that gang back then, thank you a million times my friends. If you are still blogging, and there are less of us these days, then your blog is probably over there on the right and I'm still reading it.

Thank you too to all the lovelies that have come along in the meantime. You are constantly making me think and grow. I make my own soap, jam, pickles, sew my own clothes, grow my own vegies, make my own pots, print my own fabric, buy art, cook food, watch shows, raise my kids, live my life inspired by you!

I've had so many amazing opportunites come my way through my blog and shop, I've had the most amazing emails turn up in my inbox every year of its life. Thank you thank you thank you for reading and responding!

Connecting online is fun and rewarding in a million ways. I was shy to put myself out there at first. I didn't tell anyone in my real world about my blog for a while and then when I slowly did I only got positive feedback, and now my real and virtual communities understand, support and cheer on my creative life. That's such a gift.

My Flower Press Etsy shop turns eight years old in a few of days too. I'm going to celebrate!! I'm going to get my act together and have a sale. I've been a bit distracted this year, I haven't looked after the poor old shop, it has its own life though and looking today I see my recorded sales are up to 970! Time to go for the thousand I think!

Thanks for reading, Susie xxxx

p.s. The images above link to some of my most popular posts, just click on them to go there. Many of the tutorials have been viewed thousands of times, and I love to think of all the makers out there making, inspired and guided by my words!

kind

I was away last week. My mum was in hospital and I flew up north to look after her.

I spent the week keeping her company, visiting my Dad and looking after the house and the dog. She's out now and on the mend we hope and my brother is there to help her transition home. My sister was there too, last month, I love my family.

I had lots of time to think last week, at home alone each night and on the long drive to and from the hospital.

And I found myself thinking a lot about kindness and community and generosity.

I was going to write an essay here about good people and how they restore your faith in humanity but I think I'll just say this small something: My mum is really well loved in her community. She is kind, thoughtful, funny, clever and in return she attracts really kind and lovely people.

And in these bad news days I was reminded about how wonderful people can be. Friends came out in force to offer help and support to our little family, my gang helped let me take the time I needed, and she was surrounded in hospital by kind nurses, doctors, cleaners and orderlies doing their job with a smile.

I think most people are good. Not all of them and not all the time, but lots of people are doing good every day, watching out for others and giving without thought of receiving in return.

I strongly believe this sort of giving is its own reward and I believe in a sort of karma. I try to keep an eye out for my neighbours, my community, my family and in return they reward me with love and care a thousand times over. I know they have my back.

You guys are my community too and I love the way the online world works in that same way. I love that social media like blogs and instagram can enhance our feeling of community so it spreads out even further and we are all a bit closer to each other's lives, most times for the better.

And that's what I was thinking as I drove to and fro.

social

 

When I am working on something I tend to lock myself away and retreat into my thoughts. I like the quiet and being able to give single minded attention to the project I'm obsessed with.

Other times I love the social. I love to chat and gossip and laugh and natter and share. I think it feeds me and keeps me sane and happy.

I need both sides and luckily they seem to find their own rhythm.

This past week has been a social one, three lunches out, a workshop to teach, two functions Saturday night and a soccer game yesterday. I've loved every minute of it.

I caught up with bloggers this week, and it confirmed my belief that they are as wonderful in real life as they are on their blogs. I love being able to have those particular bloggy conversations where you talk about shared inspiration, community, blogging, design, fabric, craft, magazines, life and the internet! And never have to explain what you're talking about or who's who!

It always proves to me what other non bloggy people doubt, that you can have online friendships that are as strong and true as those you share with people in your everyday. And that there are some amazing, clever, funny, talented people doing their thing in blogland.

Thank you Kidspot for inviting me to the Voices of 2013 launch. It was fun to get frocked up and celebrate the amazing local bloggers we have. I just wish I could have made the masterclass and had more time to catch up with the out of town peeps who were here.

Thank you to my workshop students and Melissa at SewMakeCreate for a fun couple of weeks. I've really enjoyed teaching, and sharing the art of stamp carving with others. We printed on fabric yesterday and I was so delighted when all the students turned up with new pieces carved and all inspired to make. If you're interested there is another class starting next month.

Thank you to our soccer and netball families, you make me laugh with your one eyed enthusiasm. Its nice to share the sidelines with the old faces and the new, shouting our teams on to greater heights and discussing tactics from the security of the non players section!

Thank you too to all my lunch pals, especially Tuyen for whipping up home made pho, and Jo (bubala) for gifting me one of your beautiful neon print pouches.

I love my social weeks, I don't get anything done, but it fuels me for the more introspective weeks where I wouldn't leave the house at all if I could wangle it!

Are you a socialite? Or do you like the quiet one on one and getting things done?

thrift

 

Back to school today for my three and I'm missing them already.

They were all very excited though and ready to go back, looking forward to the new year beginning and to catching up with friends.

It is very quiet here now, which is nice as I have much to do and real life to get back to. Its time to embrace the new year and make some plans, write lists, send orders, sort out stock, make some new things...

I've been meaning to blog these holiday treasures, the souvenirs I picked up round and about on our travels this summer. I love a bit of thrifting and just lately with the kids bigger and (slightly) more patient we've been detouring via country op shops on our road trips to see what we can find.

I love the small town thrift shops, country Vinnies, Salvos or those funny little independent stores you find. Country stores often have more vintage finds than the big inner city shops and there's a lovely old time feel to them.

We hid from the heat in a huge shopping mall on that very hot day that came while we were camping, we'd gone there to watch  a movie and spent a couple of hours browsing. Even with all those shops though we didn't buy a thing. I don't know about you but I'm always so over shopping and consumption by Christmas that I can't seem to raise any enthusiasm, even with sales all around. On the other hand we didn't leave one oppie empty-handed and I felt much happier in the idea that I would be reusing something that still has life, something made to last.

There were some secondhand clothes bought along the way as well, especially by Miss A, an op shopping convert, we both found some tops and dresses, all in great condition and some still with tags.

Did you score any out of town thrift treasures while you were away. Do you like to travel thrift like us? Do you have any recommendations. We had fun scouring the Central Coast this time, Woy Woy has some great shops and there are some around Green Point too.

camp

If you've read this blog for very long you will know that January means camping for the flowerpress gang up the coast with the Mr's side of the family. (last year, the year before).

Each year we meet up at a beautiful little campground in a National Park in the small beachside town where his parents used to live. My father-in-law swam in the Bogie Hole (natural sea pool) as a baby in the days when you had to row over to swim at the beach.

Mr F is one of four and there are lots of us, mixed, blended, old married, just married, going out, new babies, small kids, big kids, really big kids, and including loads of friends who have been around so long they've become family too. We make a crowd!

It is heaven. Even after all these years I forget how magical it is. The effort involved in driving up the coast, celebrating Christmas, driving back down the coast and then repacking in a couple of days for camping is huge. But its always worth it and I am always grateful that the hard work running our own businesses during the year gives us the freedom for this long holiday break.

The site is slap bang on an amazing beach. Those beach swims, sometimes five or six a day, starting with a pre-breakfast float help wash away the year's stress. Its my annual water therapy. The simplicity of no hot water, no phone reception, no technology, no housework, and just the occasional brushing of sand from your bed, hanging up your wet togs, and washing your plate in a plastic tub is liberating.

Venturing into the real world we managed to do a tour of the local op shops, see The Hobbit on the hottest day and cheer on our friend Rob at the local 'Band on a Barge' concert. And I finally got to meet lovely Leah from Sean the Prawn too through our mutual friend Mika that night too, hi Leah, hi Mika!

Camp ended as always with awards night and my niece made these amazing origami lotus tea light holders for the tables from a thrifted Mills and Boon. So there was a tiny bit of crafting too!

During the camp we kept up with the all important weather but managed to avoid most of the news. The day the park closed to day trippers due to fire danger we hid out at the movies. It all became too real though when days later our friends had to pack up and drive home to see if their house had survived the Coonabarabran fires. Luckily it has so far, but not their garden which was burnt out, and many of their friends have lost houses and sheds. Another scary year for fires, my heart goes out to anyone in those districts or on fire watch.

Back home now we are slowly washing clothes, watering the garden which survived the heat (thanks to some lovely neighbours), and packing away the camp stuff. The christmas tree needs seeing to but we are busy celebrating as my beautiful girl turns 15 today!!! Happy Birthday my love.

Its nice to be back, and I am slowly starting to work out priorities for this shiny new year ahead. But more of that later, there's birthday cake to eat!