Maternity Leave, Etsy shop and my musings!

Hello there, 

I just wanted to touch base and say a huge thanks for your lovely support of my creative ventures.. since starting this blog!

As I'm now finally on maternity leave #32pregnant and preparing for the arrival of our little loveheart. 

I have decided to close down the etsy shop :( ....cause I just don't see a return to tassel making in the foreseeable future?

 Having it on holiday mode was still leaving folk questioning when they would return and so by closing it, might allow for some moving on?
Etsy say I can return anytime, thanks Etsy!:)

I look at some old pics and see what the tassels were and at the time, I was very much enthused by them and I'm still proud of them too but if that's all I make from now on then I'd be disappointed in myself for not trying to venture forth into something else?
If you have any thoughts on this matter feel free to butt in ?

The pottery course I just did, was a bit of a fizzer and has left me with more questions then answers but that may just be the path I am on or is it the hormones talking, please feel free to butt in?

So for now it's nursery decorating for me!
I'll be back soon with that at some point :)

See you on instagram, if you really keen to see what I'm doing whilst my belly expands over the next couple of weeks!!
Bah!!
 Thanks for reading my post :)

Pippa.

Pictured Thought #2

 Mmm Tassel Pie!

Some more lovely work from Dee @picturedthoughts.

Enjoy!

 Tassel games, anyone?

 Teal tones!

Do you have a favourite?

Pippa x

Pictured Thoughts #1

I said to Dee from @picturedthoughts that people often ask me what my tassels are for?
She was more than happy to help me answer the question?

I meet Dee on instagram via #7vignettes, her feed is amazing!

She has a knack for story telling and creating emotion in her work! This is her passion.

Over the coming weeks I will share with you her creations!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Thanks Dee, your tassel-tastic! xx

roar!!!       (I smiled when I saw this one for the first time!)


Pippa.

Purpose

Making with purpose, is the type of making I like!
Making with and collaborating with others is what I like to do!

...so fortunate for me I have a number of Craft Collaborations going on, here are some pics of some of the tassels I have made these holidays, for said collabs!!

More collab details later on as they unfolds....but I'm real excited and I hope you are too!

Pippa x

psst these 'all one colour' tassels are over 1m long, very spec xx
pssst Kylie's back, frocking up!

Some Tassels, some thrift and $$!

It has been really nice this week making and filling orders.
The above garland is heading off to the U.S and the tassel twins are heading off to Sydney!
I think the arabian-blue and chartreuse are a great fit! 
I like making to peoples tastes, then they get what they'd like and I get to experiment with my colour palette and make tassels....not bored yet of making tassels!

This morning I floated an idea on insta for a dream catcher/tassel thingy. I popped up a pic pre-dyed and kindly folk offered their support and liked the image, that's what you do on instagram 'like it' if you like it or move on?

One follower expressed their 'love' for the new idea but that I was way too expensive.
I was fortunate that many of my insta pal were able to express eloquently, the reasonings behind handmade etc and money!

So am I too expensive?... well, interestingly Mr Ouch did the math, I don't do numbers but here's tassel pricing 101 in a nut shell!

1 x batch of twine = $7.00
Dye = $4.00

To cut, bind, dye and fluff up a single tassel takes one hour and 20 mins. Based on minimum wage of $19.00 an hour, I "pay" Mr Ouch $6.00 for his part in tassel making, whilst "paying" myself $19.00 for my part in designing, creating, measuring, cutting, assembling, dying and putting the finishing touches to the tassel.

So, that's $11 for materials, $6 to Mr Ouch, $19 to myself as my wage, which equals $36. Wow, $4 profit...

Hang on, they have to be packed and posted too... 

That's tissue paper, fancy sticky tape, business card, hand written thank you letter and a healthy dose of ouch-goodness. Plus the postage of $6.95.

So I'm actually more than $2.95 out of pocket! How'd that happen? Who's idea was it to make these stupid tassels anyway? You've convinced me, prices are going up. Right NOW!

Not really, because I love doing this and seeing my work make other people happy. 
I want tassels to be affordable and accessible to the design conscious, savvy shopper such as myself who has loads of class but on a budget! 
That's why I thrift and why I support the handmade community.

.....And whilst I won't be buying a new BMW with the proceeds (although I may have 2 sell the 2 Ferrari's to pay for the postage deficit, or employ a friendly pigeon or 3), there's a reason that handmade costs a bit more than machine-made in an anonymous factory in South East Asia.

 Here's some thrift!

Homemaker, UK, 1950's

Midwinter-Conran 'Nature Study', UK.

Zoo Line-Monkey

Spanish silver, modernist, brutalist ring.

Silver, Finnish, P Sarpaneva, 1975.

Thanks for reading!
Pippa x

Royal Curtsy

The winter light was just right this morning. 

I have not edited these images, 'brownies promise' look at the colour of our newly painted lounge room at chez Ouch!

 It's the dulux colour 'Royal Curtsy' very apt for today!
.....wouldn't you say?

Change of camera angle and it looks very dark,  
What an amazing colour and here's my new tassel garland!
....with a macramé knot and dyed gold!

 Add some vintage teak beads for a different look!

 

Latest thrift find, a dish by Broadstairs pottery in the UK.

I think I would like to collect this maker so keep your eyes peeled for me!

Pippa.

Tassels & Concrete

I know!
What a match made in heaven!

I met Sarah from saraihomewares on instagram, as you do?
She popped in to say hello at my recent market, I returned the favour on Friday night. 
She was selling her wares at another market in Seaford.

Well I had to buy some of her concrete tea light holders!
......and look they match my tassels so seamlessly!

We chatted about doing a collab?
What do you think?

 I truly think they are lovely!
It was nice to meet another local maker, enthusiastic and talented!

Pippa

On an important side note, please add me to your Bloglovin or other blog reader cos I'd hate to see you go!!

:)

an emerald green tassel and more!

 Well it's 6 months till the jolly old man comes a visiting!
But why wait till Xmas for emerald green tassels?...it is the pantone colour of the year aswell!

These are for a custom order so I had to show you before they are packaged and posted!

 This has been a huge week for Ouch Flower.....I'm over here and over here

Teal, Black & Gold tassels

but the biggest thing was our 7th Wedding anniversary, Mr Ouch gave me those pair of pewter salt and pepper shakers, an excellent and stylish choice!
I found him a book on Golf Course Architecture! 
Both thrifted and with homemade cards...nice :)

Is it time to bring back the gold tassel?

School holidays in three sleeps time ....then it's giveaway time and a big ouch bead making extravaganza!

Ohhh and I helped a friend with her blog banner...her old one wasn't stylish enough for her, cos she's very stylish!

 Pippa


psst....If you need some new blog banner help say so... cos I'd like the experience, kinda want to build a portfolio up, might like to venture into blog design in the future? ..no charge!

psst...a huge welcome to you new blog friends.....say hello!

Cathrine Holm, tassels, latch hook, blog friends and knot school!

Mine

Ouch Boy Pic

 Yes! that's right!
A Cathrineholm Lotus bowl from the US in such good nic, 
I had thoughts I'd bought a fake....(are they fakes, loitering about?)
There has to be perks to returning to full time work and this is it!
....sigh!

My heart has been doing small leaps as this latch hook slowly builds into a shaggy wall hanging, I think this is a better way to repurpose unruly tassels!
I can see myself moving into this more and more!
I think the colour palette will be simple .....natural, black and peach......but chartreuse may sneak in a some point, it's sneaky like that!
What do you think?

Oh and the black tassel is back!
So pleased....

I'm really into black and white at the minute but there has to be a splash of colour!
speaking of Black and White, I visit this blog often to get my fix!
It's very lovely!!!

And Black, White and splashes of Orange never looked so good, 
check out this delightful 'Modernist Nest'

Speaking of ace blogs, I met this lady at the Voices 2013, she's lovely and a very busy mum of five!

And this lovely maker too!  
Beautiful textiles!

Pop over and say hello!

Yesterday's macramé class went really well and the ladies who came, were keen knotters and the day flew by.......more about that soon!!

Pippa

New Tassel idea's and some macramé!

I have been doing some thinking...What more can I do with tassels? 
I know?.... complex problem solving involved here!

I have came up with the 'stripe' idea and the pom pom idea!

Thanks to instagram, MMMC and Carly pointed out 'the stripe' made room for two colours
.....sooooo onto that big time!

And Welcome Tassel Triplets!

with my latest thrift find, lovely heavy wooden candlesticks, 
teak I think?

Arabian Blue Tassel Triplets

and a new hanger...Double Dip Macramé Hanger  
(Arabian Blue/Lemon)

 ....made with Vintage Macrame Beads!

Do you like the new idea's? Any suggestions?

On other news...I'm exhibiting my work at the CAE in Melbourne! In time for the June Macrame class!

Also in June I am going to market! ...yes the first Ouch Flower market stall!!!
Details over here!
....also thanks for the slump support, I'm now back on my feet!


Hope your well too xx

Pippa.

.......a daisy garland

I made a tassel garland for a baby girl!

I love doing custom orders, I think Daisy's mum has great taste in colour combo's!
The Cerise(new), Coral, Peach and Natural together are a winner!




Pippa
Lest we forget.