Evolution

Some designs just happen fast..... others you sit on like a hen on a egg.

When we began Umbrella Prints together Carly and I decided we wanted to go marathon rather than sprint with our designs, not for want of ideas, but for the enjoyment of really looking into just a few designs and finding the potential and the inspiration within them. We still feel we have barely scratched the surface of exploring our Elephants and the Fan Flower designs.

However, we are about to release two newbies (for meterage) and are pretty excited about what we can do with these designs. When I say newbies well that's not quite true. My new design first appeared in a small run of fabrics with Carly last year titled 'Sunshine and Snow'


and then in my exhibition Paper Cuts.


In that time the design hasn't changed much, but it has.... shall we say... grown a little bit.

Anyway here we go (just a snip of it), more soon when I have time


Perfect Circle (Hydrangea) in flamingo
by Amy Prior (me) for Umbrella Prints

Pen and Paper

When all is disrupted and crazy and in flux there is nothing like a pen and a piece of paper.
My pen is my anchor, my paper is possibility.

random words and The word

If you say the word 'word' over and over its starts to sound really weird...anyway.....

It is now past the middle of February 2009. On New Year's Eve I decided to choose a special word for this year-like a personal mantra or focus. I thought I would see if a word naturally appeared, which it has, and it makes sense on many levels mentally, physically, emotionally.

So the word I have chosen for 2009 is the word MOVE.

Its not such a pretty sounding word even though it is just one letter different from love and dove and cove which are nice- no, its has the oo sound which isnt pretty but oh well its the meaning Im interested in.....
so, I am thinking.........be active, propel, motivate, are all about 'move' and would be good to focus on this year. There is also a lot going on around me that could be helped with a bit of mooooooove energy/action! Cryptic sorry, I'll write about it all later!

One of my sisters happened to mention the word 'move' the other day and G asked me yesterday whether I had had my morning stretch (as if its a conscious thing), after which I faked a stretch for her entertainment and it actually worked- I did feel energy activate through to my fingertips. Momentum is a good word too.

PS also makes me think of something a friend and I talked about a long time ago. We were talking about regrets and we both realised that we regretted things we had not done rather than regret things we did do.

Anyway thats enough navel gazing got to go do some REM!zzzzz

all creatures great and small

Penguinandfish

To donate $ to help animals lost, burnt and injured in the Victorian fires go here.

stasharoo

This is one of the pictures from our 'photo-shoot' I actually ripped it off Carly's blog for the speed. We have decided that between us all Carly's 5 year old daughter's camera is the best- sorry L!

Speaking of photos there are photos, pattern and instructions of Carly's cuterama Moopy notebook in the latest Woman's Weekly- the one with Magda on the cover.

Carly's craft pattern is featured in the upcoming yummy edition of Meet Me At Mike's (the book) and is handmade from Umbrella Print's fabric!

Charm your boots off!

Jenna sent us a memo to say she had featured one of our Elephant charms (#9) in a compilation over at her gorgeously named blog glitterandrhinestones. I must say she has indeed put in a lot of effort and it looks very nice and makes me want to go put my charm bracelet on just for the jangly gratification.

PS a few people have contacted us via etsy asking about buying our charms in AUD the best thing is to email me amyprior@hotmail.com

photo UP

Carly and I have been mucking around taking photos of our fabrics. Luckily we managed a few hours of time without distraction and it was a lot of fun. The conversations went like this "up a bit, no just a little bit down", "nup that looks crap'', "can you move? your blocking the sun", "yep, thats the one", "does this look too neat?", "hows that?". Awesome days.

Woke up

I woke up this morning hot with blocked ears and a sore throat = aha that explains the mood late last night. G tried to cram her legs (and then whole body) down the front of my singlet in order to become a 'joey' which made me laugh.

PS The best part of yesty was meeting R again and if you are reading this R? I have a little bit of plain organic hemp/cotton you can use for N's dress. x

The Blues

Had a long day, a stretchy, negative day, a doubt myself type of day. Woe is me, yes it is pathetic and I know I could have things much worse I know. Blame it on those hormones. Better come home after a 15 hour day and surf vacuous stuff (albeit numbing soothing stuff) on the internet such as baby name meanings and pictures of Clara Bow or whatever off the top of my head....and go to bed...Tomorrow will be better!

Heart Cloud

photograph by comic book guy

Happy Valentine's Day x

Hope this floats to Victoria.

Top 10 Etsy Eco-Friendly Fabric Designers

Jackie Hernandez has written her 2009 top 10 list of Modern, Eco-Friendly, Printed Fabrics on Etsy which is posted on Crafting a Green World. We (Umbrella Prints) are so happy to be included on the list again in such fabulous company!

6/10 are Australian designers thats very cool too.

Give

From SA it is just so surreal whats happening in Victoria. If you aren't able to donate money to the Red Cross then there are other ways to help bushfire victims in Victoria. If you handmake items and can give a child something to smile about even for 3 seconds then go to Meet Me At Mike's for up to date information and links.

Skirty Action

Carly and I love seeing what people do with our fabric. Still, out of all the fabric we have sold we get comparatively few pictures sent to us of items that have been made from it! I make myself feel better by thinking that that must be because people just cannot bare cutting into it (!)

Also I understand the pleasure you can get from just stashing fabric and going through it every now and again brings up all those feelings of inspiration and reflection at your selection of perfect fabric pieces folded neatly. My stash/es represent potential (what COULD be made?) and memories of places and people. There is a particular piece of fabric I will post one day that causes me to sigh with joy just because of the colours in it. Some of my stashed fabrics are worthy of framing but I don't want them to fade- silly isnt it? Anyhoo I guess that is the beauty of fabric- that it can be enjoyed in so many ways, whether it is folded, stashed, cut, ripped, worn, hung, stretched, wrapped or sewn.

The wonderful skirty creation above was sent in by so lovely and talented graphic designer Kerina! x

Victorian Fires

The Victorian fires are still burning. Its unreal and horrific. Anyone (everyone?) wishing to contribute should go online to the Red Cross .

No Phone Home

JUst in case anyone has been trying to call me at home I dont have a line at the moment our attempts to get phone via the internet has rendered us with nothing for a few days- so back to two cans and a piece of string.

Orange Crush

I found these manties via Oliver of the Sky's favourites on Etsy. You know it is so hard to find men's presents for Valentine's Day! This shop made me laugh! I love the styling, photos and the names of the products and its nice to see a bit of manly (?) on Etsy.

Venus & Adonis

If you live in Sydney and love delicious theatre then you can go to the Sydney Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare's upcoming production of Venus & Adonis starring Susan Prior (aka my big sister) and Melissa Madden Gray. It had a great season in Melbourne- did you see it? This lady (Susan, left) has been a massive inspiration to me. Plus these costumes are frou frou gorgeous!

Fan Flower in silver

Fan Flower sterling silver charms and necklaces are up on Etsy ($US) tonight!

This is the second half of our Tandem #3 collaboration with silversmith extraordinaire Ceeb Wassermann. That is, my Fan Flower (from within the Fan Flower pattern on fabric for Umbrella Prints) has been immaculately hand cut into silver by Ceeb and is ready to wear. There is so much love and work in each of these pendants you can nearly here them sing!

So exciting for us. If you would like one and you live in Australia they will be available to order on the Umbrella Prints website shortly or you may write me an email (they are $160 AUD each with a quality fine silver chain). x!

Jenny from our Tandem #2 (Ciuccio X Umbrella Prints) asked me to do an interview over here at her lovely blog! Carly's interview is coming soon too. These quilts are available at Rose and Radish, LA and online. Beau fun collaboration across the seas.

Amusement In House

We have had to spend a lot of time indoors over the past week because of the amazing heat which has meant getting extra creative with G to keep her from getting too ratty. Anyway this one works-we surfed the internet together, G shouting out words and me trying to find funny pictures. These were the two pictures that made her and me and S, laugh A LOT hysterically in fact.

Big Cat

Cat in pear helmet