Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

 

Happy Friday! It's kokedama-soaking day, so here they are getting a good dunking! Speaking of such things, the two terrarium workshops are on this Sunday so if you're coming along I look forward to seeing you there! If you missed out, keep an eye on the blog or send me an email to info[at]mrsparrow.com.au and I'll let you know when I announce some more (they'll probably run around the end of June/start of July).

Now for a tune for your weekend! I'm a big fan of M. Ward and you'll very often find me listening to his folksy tunes at Mr Sparrow (this song in particular I have a tendency to play on repeat!). This track, "The First Time I Ran Away" is from his new album, A Wasteland Companion, which came out earlier this month.

I hope you like it!

Have a fantastic weekend!

P.S. There's a new post on my other blog, givemakewrap, today!

Silk Scarves

I've finally finished those silk scarves I've been working on! They are 100% Japanese silk, hand-tie-dyed and lovingly hemmed. Each one is unique and made from a different blend of colours, and they measure a generous 115cm x 95cm. I like to wear them loosely wrapped around my neck, as shown, but you can really do all sorts of things with them! They're beautifully soft and perfect for the sort of in-between weather you get at this time of year.


These are now available at Mr Sparrow, in the store and online.

{to wear them wrapped around as I have in these photos, fold the scarf in half so it forms a triangle, hold it with the middle point down, then take the two pointy ends and wrap them around the back of your neck, then bring them back down in front}

Sourdough

 
Our friends Denis and Laura are bread-baking experts of sort and regularly whip up delicious-sounding loaves of all sorts. When Laura was over from Canberra last month, she brought me some of their sourdough mother (the starter used to make sourdough), and I have been diligently feeding it ever since, waiting for a chance to try my hand at one of Denis and Laura's sourdough recipes (yes, you have to feed it, and it's called mother!). Yesterday I finally got my chance and baked this rustic loaf! I used the much easier no-knead recipe, which had you bake the bread in a lidded oven dish. It all seemed very strange to me, having never made bread before in my life, so I was over the moon when I opened the lid to reveal something that looked like....bread! And it smelt like bread, too! And when we ate it a couple of hours later at our lovely Anzac Day picnic with Eko and Rick (and bubs), it tasted like bread, which is to say completely delicious! I couldn't have been prouder :)

I really love this idea of having an ongoing 'starter' that you use to create something delicious, like the Chinese and Vietnamese tradition of a master stock. And I also love the idea of sharing it around, so I gave a container of Denis and Laura's sourdough mother to Eko and Rick yesterday...and soon we will all be baking sister breads!

Zora's Rainbows

Zora's Rainbow Company have been hand-crafting wooden rainbows in New Zealand since 1977. A beautiful decorative piece or a fun and creative toy for children, the rainbows can be re-worked into unlimited shapes and patterns.

The large rainbow is suitable for children as young as one, and the small rainbow is suitable for older children and also makes a perfect gift to send and brighten someone's day!

I'm excited to now be stocking these beautiful rainbows and also Zora's fantastic paddle boats at Mr Sparrow - they brighten my day just by looking at them!  For more information on how the rainbows and paddle boats work as creative toys, check them out in our online store or take a look at the Zora's Rainbow website.

*Image from Zora's Rainbow Company

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

Happy Friday!

I made this little arrangement the other day from some cuttings I took from various succulents we have growing in pots outside. I wanted something different to put in my favourite little stacking cup from Perch!, and these succulents with their pretty range of hues seemed just the ticket. They should grow some roots before long, too, and then I'm on my way to a whole new set of plants - bonus!

Now for a tune for your  weekend, thanks to James.


James: This short but beautiful song, simply titled "2", comes from the new album from Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland, otherwise known as Hype Williams. They're an enigmatic duo based in London and Berlin who specialise in hazy and spaced out sounds. They're one of my favourite acts of the past few years and I found out this week that they're coming to Perth soon - woo!

Enjoy! 

Have a lovely weekend!

P.S. There is a new post on givemakewrap today, too!

New from Oji Masanori

Sorry it's been a bit quiet here this week - my sister is visiting from London very briefly so I took a couple of days off to spend with her...

A couple of weeks ago we received a shipment from Japanese designer Oji Masanori. These stunning new Kakudo wooden plates and dishes were part of that shipment and are now available in the store and online. They are as functional as they are beautiful, and look wonderful on display or used as serving dishes for fruit, bread or snacks.

The Kakudo range is a collaboration between Japanese designer Oji Masanori and Takahashi Kougei, a family-run wood workshop in Hokkaido, Japan. The name "kakudo" means "angle" in Japanese, and refers to the octagon-shaped forms of the dishes. Made from beautiful cherry or walnut wood, they are the sorts of special pieces you will keep and treasure.

I particularly like the combination of the small walnut plate with the KAMI mug - so pretty! Come in and have a feel of them in your hands, or find them in the new section online.

*Images from Oji Masanori

Kokedama Workshops

Yesterday I held two kokedama workshops at Mr Sparrow, and went home exhausted but happy!

I got to meet some lovely people and help them get their hands nice and dirty. Everyone created really beautiful kokedama, and some even successfully worked very challenging strawberry, daisy and periwinkle roots into sweet little balls!

For more photos (including all the finished products), check out the Autumn Workshops album on our facebook page.

Thanks so much to everyone who came along yesterday and made it such a great day. Next up are terrarium workshops on Sunday, 15th April - if you're coming along, I'll see you there! If you missed out on this round of workshops (they are now all booked out), keep an eye on the blog or sign up to the newsletter on our website so that you're the first to know when we announce some more later in the year. There will probably be another round of kokedama and terrarium workshops around June or July, and other fun workshops later in the year!

Papillionaire bicycles update

I know a lot of people are eagerly awaiting new Papillionaire bicycles so I thought I would let you know where we're at. Papillionaire have been out of stock of almost all of their colours since February, which is why it's been a while since we've had a bike in-store.

We were expecting a bicycle to arrive mid-April (as in now!) but unfortunately I've just heard from Papillionaire that their entire stock of 3-speed bicycles has been held up with a shipping delay and they are now expecting the container to arrive on the last day of the month. That means our shiny red 3-speed Sommer bicycle should arrive around 5th May. This one will be available for you to buy or to take for a little test ride! Sorry for the delay, but hopefully it will all be worth it!

There is also a new 8-speed Sommer model, which will be available from late May and comes in black, blue (Maya) and red (Boston). We can take orders for both the 3-speed and 8-speed models in any colour you like, and tailor them to your specifications - see the Papillionaire website for all your options!

The prices have gone up a little, so the 3-speed will be $765 (previously $749) and the 8-speed will be $915. This includes all upgrades (leather saddle, leather washer grips, rear carrier, wicker basket), delivery to our Subiaco store (we will deliver to your place for a small additional fee) and assembly.

If you have any questions about Papillionaire bicycles or if you'd like me to let you know when the red Sommer arrives in early May, leave a comment here or send me an email. Otherwise keep an eye on the blog as I'll post a picture as soon as it turns up!

*Image by Papillionaire

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!

Happy Friday!

These two little birds kept us company at Rottnest over Easter - one in particular came every day and chirped away happily from the top of our balcony door. We called him the reporter because he sounded just like he was reporting on the day's activities to his little bird friends. I spent ages trying to get a photo of them but they would fly off whenever I came near...eventually I managed this one!

Now for a tune for your weekend, thanks to James.

James: I had a nice jog to the THEESatisfaction album, awE NaturalE, the other day. They're a female duo from Seattle who appeared on the Shabazz Palaces album of last year, Black Up. I'm a huge fan of that album and Anna and I saw Shabazz Palaces live earlier this year. This album has a similar sound, plus these ladies have fabulous hair! I hope you enjoy this track, "Existinct".

Have a great weekend! And if you're coming along to one of the kokedama workshops, I'll see you there!

New from Sukie

These cute iron-on transfers from UK design studio Sukie have just arrived! There are more than 80 unique designs and three alphabets that can be used to customise t-shirts, tote bags, tea towels and any other fabric you like. These are some of my favourites...

 I really love those black jewell-like ones - I can imagine them looking fantastic on a plain white tote. And the fish ones would make such cute t-shirts for little ones!


Also, the super-popular Sukie Perpetual Calendar is now back in stock - hooray!


Find them both in the store now or the iron-ons online here and the calendar online here.

P.S. There is a new post on my other blog, givemakewrap today!


*First image by Taltrade.

Sunsets

Probably my favourite thing about Rottnest is the sunsets, and one of my favourite things in the world to do is go up alone into the dunes just before sunset and watch the changing light. It's like food for my soul.

And my favourite part of a sunset? The sky opposite the setting sun, where you can see all the colours reflected in reverse - blue down the bottom, pink in the middle and yellow above that (and a moon if you're lucky!). It amazes me every time.

Easter opening hours

I made these little felt bunnies for my nephews and niece for Easter because they're too small to have lots of chocolate like the rest of us!

I hope you have a wonderful Easter, whatever your plans. I'm heading to Rottnest with my mum this afternoon and James will be joining us there tomorrow - I can't wait for a few relaxing days of fishing, bike-riding, lying on the beach and having the odd beer at the pub :)

Just letting you know our hours over the Easter break (we will be closed on the public holidays and the weekend):

THURSDAY 5th April: 9.30am - 7.00pm

GOOD FRIDAY: Closed

EASTER SATURDAY: Closed

EASTER SUNDAY: Closed

EASTER MONDAY: Closed

TUESDAY 10th April: 9.30am-5.30pm

Happy Easter, and see you next week!

Back in stock

Oji Masanori's KAMI wooden mug, Crescent & Eclipse brass bottle openers and Sun & Star brass trivets are now back in stock, both in the store and online. These are still among my very favourite pieces in the shop and I'm so glad to have them back!

Also, there are some beautiful new pieces from Oji Masanori to add to the collection. These are still in their boxes at the moment but I'll have them on the shelves and show you some pictures next week...

*All images from Oji & Design

Naturally-dyed Easter Eggs

I love these naturally-dyed eggs by Jenna of Sweetfineday. She used red cabbage, red beets, turmeric and coffee to achieve these lovely earthy colours. I'll have to give this a go next year!

*All images by Sweetfineday