New Goodness in NOW!

"LYRICS AND TYPE is an international typographic zine project designed by the award winning arts culture publication Wooden Toy Quarterly in association with the good folks at Semi-Permanent and Design is Kinky (DiK).For LYRICS AND TYPE Wooden Toy invited 16 leading international typographers, designers and illustrators to graphically interpret a line of lyrics by famous (both past and present) singers, songwriters or bands through a combination of experimental type and illustration.

Each 36 page LYRICS AND TYPE zine comes packaged in a 100% recycled hand stamped single colour envelope and zines printed in full colour A5 sized 130gsm uncoated paper from K.W.Doggetts fine paper and staple stitched."

AUD$12

"Very Nearly Almost acts as a historical document of street art, graffiti and related culture. Starting life in 2006 in London as a free black and white zine, VNA is now one of the biggest selling street art magazines in the world. Published 4 times a year from our offices in London, England. VNA is 100 pages packed with some of the most interesting artists, designers, photographers and illustrators, all lovingly printed on uncoated paper and of an edition of 2,000 copies."

Very Nearly Almost issue 11 AUD$16
Cover: INSA
Content: Featuring artist INSA, Mike Giant, Case, RuediOne, Gaia, The Toasters, Joe Holbrook, FecalFace-dot-gallery and more...

Very Nearly Almost issue 10 AUD$15
Cover: D*Face
Content: Featuring artist interviews with D*Face, Shok1, Dalek & Delta, Nash Money, Jess Douglas, The Berlin Wall, Artotale, Fame Festival and more...

Amateur hour - Giveaway time!!!

OK. Bear with me guys, as I am not altogether sure how these things work.....as you must know by now it is Blackbird Corner's 4th Birthday this Thursday the 1st of July.

Accordingly we've decided to have a couple of Giveaways!

Yesterday (Sunday) we gave away a back issue of the lovely SPOOK Magazine with every Frankie Magazine sold - along with the free plastic ring you always get when you buy Magazines from our Store.

From that random act of giving-ness I rediscovered just how much I adore giving pressies!! ie:almost as much as I like getting pressies! LOL

Above is what I have originally/imaginatively called "GIVEAWAY#1" and you have a couple of chances at winning this prize made up of lovely Handmade Goodness. We'll post the prize to you anywhere in Australia. To win simply pop a comment on this Blog or either of our Facebook Pages (or all three places we don't mind at all-more chances for you to win!) stating "I want to win GIVEAWAY#1 because....." and finish the sentence in another 25 words or less!

To win GIVEAWAY#1 you must actually be a "Follower" of this Blog or Facebook "liker" or "friend" of Blackbird Corner.

The prize will go to the entered sentence judged to be the most entertaining/complimentary/funny/original entrant

by Sean + Jen + Myself. Yep we'll take a vote methinks.

Thems the hoops you gotta jump through.

You've got until

lunchtime-ish on our Birthday to enter! Say Noon on Thursday!

Make sense? Hope so! Do let me know if it doesn't!!!

xxxx

Monday Morning

Click on image to go to original source.
Thanks to the lovely www.epherielldesigns.com for sharing this. Check out her lovely Blog too mebbe.
I'm on my way to my "day job" (well I will be once I get off the net!) and promise to do my best to not whine about petty westerner concerns today.
xxx

Pretty Pretty Pretty!!!

Blackbird Corner are not the types to be unfaithful. We're still happily married to Bird in the Hand Zine Shop.

We are, however, currently infatuated with another store!

Shhh - don't tell Ms Pow!!! We'd never act on it!!!

We have a wee little crush on Little Paper Lane in Mona Vale, Sydney, Australia.

They stock absolutely beautiful products from around the world and from their very own backyard! They have notebooks, specialty wrapping paper, greeting cards, wax seals, childrens gifts and much much more! They are located at Shop 5/1751 Pittwater Rd, Mona Vale 2103...Thats the official address, but the store is located at 1 Waratah Street....

Jayde, the lovely owner of Little Paper Lane seems to feel the same way about Blackbird Corner too!

She has done a very complimentary Blog about our little store!!!

http://littlepaperlane.blogspot.com/

xxxx

We are nearly four!!

Here are a few shots of our current window taken using my mobile phone yesterday. Sorry if they're a tad blurry!!

Lark organic Soaps + Frankie + Hand Embroidered Purses by Hex(6) + Valerie & Elly Naan Bread Brooches.

These purses made by Map69 using fabric featuring Cooks Hill & the East End (of Newcastle.)

They're attracting a lot of interest.

Bunny girl is wearing a one-off luscious frock by Hex(6) and accessories by That Vintage & Whatever Heather.

It's so exciting!!!
This year has literally flown by!!!
On Thursday 1st July 2010 it will be -
Blackbird Corner's 4th Birthday!!
Now you'll have to be patient with me as I've not done it before but I'm thinking it may be Giveaway time SOON!!!!
I'm thinking one on the Blog + one for Facebook "friends" + one for Facebook "likers" - what do you think?
I'm not sure what the "rules" will be yet but some kind of interaction will probably be required....stay tuned....

Wednesday

Our crow is back today.

CAW-CAWing away outside the door's entrance atop the traffic lights again. Sean had to get a photo of him as he seemed to be demanding it with the ruckus he was making. Yes, I'm sure it's the same crow. Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't it be him? Hmmmm?

I'm so glad that it is Wednesday and that it is after 12:30pm as this is the "Friday" of my "Day Job" & the "Sunday" of my shopweek!

Tomorrow I get to put the newly arrived LOMO Cameras into stock, maybe change the window display and hang out in my favourite place.

Now. Totally off the subject...if you have two minutes PLEASE consider hopping over to this GET UP page & signing the petition:

"I call on the governments of Australia to act urgently and effectively to reform mental healthcare in Australia so that:- there is no longer inequality of access to effective treatments between physical health and mental health - early intervention is the norm; - community based treatments are the norm; and - quality services are the norm"

This is a subject very very close to our hearts at Blackbird Corner as we have personally lost people very dear to us due to the currently ineffective treatments/options in place for Australian's suffering from depression.

You can even go one step further & email/fax your local MP from this page.

I did - it only took 5 minutes.

Sadly, I imagine that most of the lovely folk reading this Blog have either suffered from or love someone who has been affected by this insidious disease, so let's do something about it together.

xxx

PS. Thanks to the lovely Sharon at http://sparklepandadesign.blogspot.com/

for bringing this petition to my attention.

xxx

Important things

It is Monday. For me this means a return to the Day Job.

To the "real world" as they say.

After four days focussing on my passion ie:Blackbird Corner, it can be quite a jolt returning to such a contrasting environment.

One where I'm essentially working for "The Man".

Fortunately the people I get to spend those hours with are really lovely folk or I think I'd go crazy travelling between these two very, very different worlds. I only work there a grand total of twelve hours a week so mustn't complain!

When I get home though it can take a rather silly amount of time to wind down & get re-motivated to do things for my shop.

The constant rain today sure didn't help!

But motivation came eventually and I managed to: pay some suppliers, update the bookwork, order some more Journals from San Francisco, confirm the Peppermint Magazine order & cut out three limited runs of skirts (two for Wayward Girl + one for My Fascist Mother) and to palm the actual sewing of these ranges to my ever suffering Sister Jen.

Jen - one of the main ingredients in my Important Formulae List.

The other main ingredient (my Sean) got the unpleasurable task of dealing with an instore waterfall situation. Yes! Again! I know! This time my beloved (sincerely - not sarcastically) Landlord called a Plumber instead of a Carpenter, which was promising.

The Plumber confirmed our suspicions - that the guttering & drainpipes on that corner of the building are beyond useless. Ironically though he'll be back "when it isn't raining" to fix it. Sigh. What can you do eh?

xxx

A backyard with a hill

This is a shot from my mobile of the Dungog War Memorial.

We were closed last Thursday.

You may have noticed or you may not.

My Sister; the kids & I went on a roadtrip! To Dungog. Here is a shot from my mobile through the windscreen.

She is strongly considering a Tree-escape.

(Is that what they call it these days??)

I was, admittedly, a tad sceptical about the whole thing as I thought things like: "it's too far" or "the country folk will be unfriendly/stare at us all/make us feel unwelcome" or "there's nothing there" or "the affordable houses there will be decrepit".

Also I will miss her & her children - "like the deserts miss the rain" so that may have been altering my perspective.

And then, then it was lovely.
Really lovely.

We drove there, staying below the suggested speed limit most of the way due to the interesting texture of the roads. (I'd hoped to have taken a photo of their patchwork quilt texture but my stupid camera let me down + pulling over may have been more than a tad dangerous too.) Within an hour & a half (including a brief stop in Clarence Town to use as a yardstick) we were sitting in the very cool Dungog Cafe sipping yummy hot beverages.

Here is a shot from the Dungog online Touristy page whatsit.

The people were outstandingly friendly & approachable and did not seem to notice/remotely care that two of the three teens in our group are walking advertisements for Sacred Art Piercing. The main Street has everything a person could possibly desire, including four or five cafes + a FABRIC STORE + a really cool antique shop full of temptations. (Temptations that I resisted - for now.)

The particular house she's considering is exquisite.

Here is a shot from my mobile of the mud. Every shop there sells Gum Boots. LOL.

As soon as we were standing outside the house(in the mud) I immediately pictured us hopping on the (quite frequent) train to Dungog for (quite frequent) mini escapes & staying in this house. Regularly. Very regularly.

My niece confided that she has always wanted to live in a house where you can see a hill from the back door.

Guess what.

Cross your fingers & toes!

And don't worry Blackbird Corner is NOT considering relocating!

AND we'll still be stocking Hex(6) regardless of what happens!

xxx

PS It was lovely to meet some regular readers of this Blog over the last couple of days! You inspired me to bother Blogging this afternoon instead of bludging.

xxx

Gocco goodness!!

Hurrah!!

We finally used the Gocco Machine I "won" at the Tender Centre ages ago! Sean has printed some of his unique (and copyrighted (DER!)) designs onto lovely little Moleskine Cahier Notebooks and they're so cute!!! I think they'll make the cutest gifts!

Hope you guys like them as much as we do!!

xxxx

Monday Monday la la la

Thanks to it being a Public Holiday, Sean and I got heaps & heaps & heaps done today. Things that, otherwise, may have remained on the To Do List for weeks!

On Saturday we went to Centenary Antiques & bought a lovely new desk! It is now happily installed under our Cuckoo Clocks & full of Handmade goodness & it looks great!

We also screen printed more teatowels for Anorak as we were almost out of most of them - which is gratifying + some more Anorak "Bicycle Hoodies" for women (which we'd also run out of!) and made lots of Badge Sets to top up the dwindling range in store!

Plus I moved things about in the Back Room in order to fit the Blueberry Paper Gift Wrap in near the cards where it belongs & Sean finished off the new Anorak range of Gocco Printed Cahier Notebooks which will be in stock as of tomorrow!

Photos soon! Maybe tomorrow!

Oh and here is a shot of one of the new "Butterfly Pockety" Limited Run Skirts by My Fascist Mother that I squeezed into stock today too! Worn with a lovely one-off hand knitted scarf by Secret Culture.

Have I mentioned how gratifying it is to be nearly running out of things you've personally designed & created?

It is so gratifying that we didn't mind spending our Public Holiday playing catch up!

xxx

Blessed be.........

This week has been pretty intense.

Lots of swings & roundabouts (metaphorically speaking.)
What gets me through topsy-turvy weeks like this one?
Apart from my Sean (yes yes puke I know!) and my Sister Jen;
is - you lovely folk.

The lovely people that support our little shop with their regular and enthusiastic custom. The lovely creative people that contribute to our little shop with their gorgeous creations. The lovely people in the lovely online crafty community that encourage one another every day.

All of you are lovely.

The shop is already having the bestest June.

That is crazy.

And lovely.

I think this is maybe due to how much we've evolved & expanded over this time. We're literally overflowing with unique pieces of handmade goodness these days. Overflowing.

Tomorrow we're going trawling for new shelvy whatsits to assist the squeezing in of even more goodness!!!

Which will be lovely.

xxx

I am rather opinionated aren't I.

I think we should all be rather opininated when it comes to the current ecological situation that BP has put us all in though. Don't you? (Hey! Maybe you don't!)

The above picture was "tweeted" by Wil Anderson (yes the comedian) & so was the below satire of the alarmist propaganda the Libs & the HUGE Mining Companies are trying to force down our throats currently.

It's been a long day, in a long week of watching the News whilst trying not to cry, so I'm a tad cranky at the state of this world.

Thankfully, I have my tiny bubble - called Blackbird Corner.

It keeps me sane, talking to all the lovely & interesting people that the shop seems to attract.

Thanks for letting me vent guys!

xxx

It's a Secret Culture!

Introducing our new range of Scarves created by the very lovely Ashleigh for her Label - Secret Culture.

They are all ONE OFF pieces and we have a huge range at this very moment. I have been reliably informed that they're proving rather popular though, so be fasssst! I've not taken mine off since I got it yesterday - except to sleep of course!

They're very reasonably priced too, most are only $20-$25 each.

Not bad at all! Sure you could get an even cheaper scarf elsewhere....mass produced...overseas...by a machine...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

xxx

La la la la la la la la I love you June!

It's been a long and very satisfying day.

Here are some shots Sean took of recent additions to our evergrowing range of goodness.

Blueberry Paper Wrapping Paper!

My Fascist Mother Panel Skirt - Red Riding Hood.




And the exquisite Polka Dot Rabbit embroidered vegan gloves.
Would write more but I'm exhausted!
So nice to be home, listening to the rain falling on the roof, snug in front of the heater. Sean is cooking us a delicious dinner, today is our 17th Anniversary which is very satisfying too.
xxxx

Ask & you shall receive!

So...we sell quite a massive range of cards by Anorak, as you know. Until this week we've not sold Gift Wrap though, despite it constantly being requested.

Until now!

It just took a couple of "days off" for me to find the time to seek a suitable supplier. Finally, this weekend I discovered the most gorgeous wrapping paper I've seen in ages!

Printed in Australia on 100% post consumer recycled paper using vegetable based inks, Blueberry Paper is printed using solar powered electricity to boot!

The contemporary and whimsical illustrations are by a lovely & talented woman from Sydney called Sandra who works across a range of mediums including linocut, ink, acrylic and digital design.

The best thing about these scrumptious sheets of Gift Wrap?

They're only $5 a sheet!!

I know!!! Crazy huh!!!!

So now you can buy a gift & card & wrap all at once in our little shop! Hurrah!!

xxx