Hey guys! Thanks for your comments and warm wishes for 2009 - this year will be a fantastic one for sure!

We are having a wonderful holiday (so wonderful that we have decided to extend our stay), the weather has been treating us very nicely and I am happily rediscovering that this place rocks! Home really is very lovely, very green and very clean and yes, Anne, all this mood enhancing sunshine is making us feel chirpy and healthy and turning our wan North American skin a lovely biscuit brown.

I'm delighted to announce that Miriam, Martin and their infamous chair collection will be finding their way to Ann and Sam - hope you both enjoy your new friends and congratulations!

You'll notice that stock in my Etsy store needs a bit of "fleshing out" as it were. I hope to do a bit of art stuff while I am over here - lots to inspire - and to restock upon my return.

January GIVEAWAY!

Please excuse all this spotty blogging! My excuse? Being on holiday for a couple of months in the South Pacific. It's a hard life...

If I had a wire thingy to connect my camera to this computer thingy I could send you a picture. I'll try to get that sorted. In the meantime the giveaway print for January is "Martin's Chair Collection."

Say "hi" and win yourself some chairs and fowl.

And, Happy 2009!!!

L y s a, for you, some "Birdland" goodness! I like the giveaway and I don't 'cos I want everyone to win! I love that you all stop by my little blog and say "hello." Thank you, it's always awesome to hear from you.

Ta daaaaaa! Can you see it?!!

I got me a copy of the latest Canadian House and Home magazine so that I could be all overcome by my little Birdabies in print. It's a small thing but it makes me feel chirpy.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Zip on over to the Amnesty International site and take a peek at the amazing results when we fight for human rights for all.



If you're anything like me today, sitting at a computer (possibly eating a piece of chocolate) you can be pretty grateful, we've got it good as compared to many in the world. I get a bit teary when I think about how we humans function, at one moment with such gentleness and kindness and then in another moment with such violence. Even in our own lives we can be so hostile with the one who is most important to us - ourselves. Especially today and especially at this time of the year, I hope we can remember to be gentle and kind.


Snowmen Christmas card by gigiphillips

Arren Williams, a freelance stylist, editor and trend reporter, was kind enough to give me a nice post over on his Design Lab blog on Monday. Apparently my work is "storybook cool." How do you like that!! I'll have to remember that one. For those of you in Canada, you might like to grab yourselves a copy of the January edition of Canadian House and Home and take a peek at the bit about Arren. And, this is for you, mum - I believe there is a little picture of my "Birdabies" print in that piece. Wheeeee!



Birdabies goes out and about in the world and gets itself all famous.

Don't forget to play the GIVEAWAY game below, I'll be drawing a name out of the hat thingy in just a few days time. Details in the post below.

December GIVEAWAY!



No, it's not December already is it? Well, no. Not for another 2 hours but close enough. So it's the monthly giveaway time. Seeing as it's supposed to be a merry, joyous sort of month for a lot of folk, I've decided to give away a large print of "Birdland." I know I just blogged about it recently but it's the one that got me thinking about home and it might just be on television at some point in the nearish future and that's all I'm saying...

Leave me a little commenty goodness and win yourself some feathered goodness! Draw date: 15th December

Best wishes everyone!


Thank you again for supporting my work and by extension the amazing work done by the folks at Amnesty International.


No, not the frame too! Just the print, yeah.

I'm pretty happy.

I now get to put my knitting in this styling knitting bag from Sew Bendy instead of ye olde crumbling plastic bag. Melissa and Jenn at Sew Bendy are exceptionally friendly and professional and my bag, a "knit tuck," (I think they might be fans of the show) has a little pocket for DPNs and a snap loop for the yarn to feed through. The design of the handle means you can slip it over your wrist and knit in a department store while swaying to muzak and feigning interest in the toy section. I truly think this bag is improving my knitting maybe even my life!


I hereby dedicate these socks to Raina from Raining Sheep. If it weren't for you, Raina, I'd still be on the other side of the fence, the side without wool, where you think knitting is for people that don't get out enough.

And as promised, some socks. They're my second and third borns. Yes, they're pretty rugged looking but it's winter so they can be 'boot socks'! I can hear you wondering what my problem is, c'mon, admit it you're thinking 'life's too short, why would I knit a sock?' but I'll have you know it's pretty satisfying. They knit up quickly, self striping yarn is AMAZING and you can think about all those knitters from da olden days knitting up socks through necessity in front of the fire or wherever it was they did a spot of knitting.


Old Breton woman knitting - Image from a vintage postcard
Check out those knitting hands!



This yarn, "Holly" is a bit festive but in retrospect maybe not quite bright enough. I promised Rosemoo fuggly sock pictures if she would show me her great hat knitted up in some of Rivulettecraft's beautiful, popping bright yarn. So Rosemoo, ta daa!



I really had better get some of this. It is too beautiful.

And speaking of Rivulettecraft, I received my delectable glass bead from her the other day. It's wonderful and I'm very pleased but I had to laugh when I saw the size of the box that it arrived in...





Lovely, lovely handmade glass bead from Rivulettecraft.

Snow. It's pretty neat stuff. Snowflakes? Amazing!

I was 26 when I first saw it snow. I had just arrived in Canada (a lot of snow comes here) and my need to frolic and dance in the snow was very strong; terribly amusing for the people I was with at the time.

One of my favourite things is still a nice walk at night in fresh snow. The insulating effect of snow makes for an enchanting, quiet walk and when there's a bit of light around and the snow's all sparkly I feel like I'm adrift in a sea of tiny jewels.


Baby Snow Bears - limited edition print

For those of you in the north, stay warm!

This is not what it looked like today. This is last week. Today looked all grey like THIS. Now all these trees are, according to my son, "naked" and they've gone and left their fricking clothes all over my everywhere!! Grrrr.


eeeeeeEEEEK! I missed my own GIVEAWAY! For shame. Is it the 16th today? Yes, I think it is.

Oh well, without further ado: is there an Elizabeth Sullivan out there in the audience? Would Elizabeth please come up to the stage? We have some wee bears and YOU are their new mummy!

Thank you all for participating in the monthly giveaway and thank you to those who sent me emails. As always, I wish we could have an Oprah moment where they'd be bears under everyone's chairs!



Here are some new bears in the works. Yep, it's all gone to bear around here! All bears, all the time.

In other news, I have been strutting around feeling very powerful of late and the reason? I have birthed my first sock!

I'm going to have to show you a picture of it soon, just as soon as I can figure out a flattering way to photograph it... I know, I know, the anticipation is... is... Not there. But I'm going to show you anyway.

Beautiful people, have a wonderful week!

The GIVEAWAY!

Did you have spooky fun last night? We did. And I discovered that a red bicycle reflector light set on flashing mode looks good inside a jack-o-lantern! Hot diggity!

More fun has been had of late making knitted things and now that I've started... I can't stop! It's probably pretty spooky seeing these first wretched attempts, especially for you veteran knitters out there, but it seems fitting seeing as it's Halloween and all.


I can now knit things from the shoulders up.

The GIVEAWAY...

It's the 1st of the month so it's GIVEAWAY time! If you like cute things or know someone who does, fire me a wee comment and be into win! The cute thing to be got this month is a limited edition print called "Bear Hug." Hope you like it and good luck!


Bear Hug - Limited Edition Print

GIVEAWAY DRAW: 15th November

Happy November!

It's happening again.

With the holiday season nearly upon us my thoughts are turning to my family and my lovely home in the South Pacific. It's quite an interesting place, that New Zealand a.k.a Aotearoa, meaning "land of the long white cloud," and for quite some time it's interestingness was a bit of a secret.

Since parting from supercontinent Gondwanaland 80 million years ago, it steered away from other landmasses (wheeee!) and well out into the Pacific, beginning the longest period of isolation of any non-polar landmass on earth. This remoteness allowed evolution on land to take an eccentric course. Plants, animals and ecosystems developed that are so distinctive, New Zealand is like an island ‘Ark’ – it has a high percentage of native species that are found nowhere else. By comparison, Great Britain, which separated from continental Europe only 10,000 years ago, has only two endemic species – one animal and one plant.

Birdland - limited edition print

So, who was hanging out on the ark all those many years ago? Well, because of the timing of the split (dinosaur time), New Zealand evolved pretty much without any mammals. Apart from some lizards and insects it was basically one big non-stop bird party. Without predators birds flourished - when there's no one around to eat you or your babies you can nest on the ground and heck, you don't even really need wings! Most notable is the evolution of the flightless bird which became our beloved national bird, the Kiwi.*

Birdland's a picture I created when I was thinking how lovely the forest must have sounded all those many years ago...

I might just be making it downunder for the holidays this year! Yeehaaa! I'm curious, have you started your holiday shopping and/or holiday making/re-gifting yet?? Would getting a gift for free start the ball rolling for you? Of course it would! Enjoy the beautifully written, sensitive reviews at Wishing Willow and win at the same time!

PSSSSST! It's my work getting the spa treatment over at Wishing Willow today!!!

* It never ceases to amuse me that the United States got the Bald Eagle and we have the small, brown, flightless, half-blind, nocturnal Kiwi as our national bird!

For more information about the prehistory on NZ see this page. Oh yeah!

GIVEAWAY - The Draw!

We have a name! And the name is GENEVIÈVE BRODEUR! Congratulations Geneviève, some weird hair coming your way... Thank you to all for your participation. I visited each blog (for those that had them) and had a delectable little nosey. So many different lives and passions and voices and yet a common thread running through: the desire to connect and share with others.

I'm getting into this giveaway vibe - another in November.


And on the topic of giveaways... more giveaways! This time over at the Pikaland illustration blog. My work, along with a tonne of work by people way more talented than me, is winable or failing that, buyable from Amy, the hardworking blogger gal of Pikaland. Have a look, lot's of pretties.



Magic Blossom Bears - Limited Edition Print (LARGE)

What can I say? People like pink for little girls. I guess we feel more comfortable when we can instantly identify someone's gender. Been to a big chain toy store lately? They are so helpful. Head for the excruciating neon pink aisle to the left if you are after something for your sweet wee girl. Head for the miniature military-industrial complex to the right for your tough little guy. Thank you and have a nice day.

Hmmmm...

After a bunch of requests, I'm going to be making a series of Larger prints for ye olde Etsy shoppe. The poorly shot image below (it was cold and I didn't want to hang around outside!) shows the regular size and the new large size for comparison.


Bear Hug Green - Limited Edition Print (LARGE)


I Run to you - Limited Edition Print (LARGE)

Fireball. Some photographic goodness from Maine Momma

My, time flies when you are doing exciting things like sorting through all your... crap! The house I live in is being purged. I'm not fond of clutter and yet it comes, gently, quietly like drifts of sand or dust or something and you're like, "how the hell did it get this bad?!" And so, I haven't been very good at posting for the last couple of weeks, how could I when on top of all the decluttering there have been so many great blogs to check out? It has been fun times reading all your comments from the GIVEAWAY below, it's always a delight to check out the stuff you get up to through your blogs.

I feel honoured to have received some bloggy awards since I started a-bloggin' from Mayamade, Little Bird and Fancy Picnic. If by some strange twist of fate you are unfamiliar with these rocking ladies go take a peek; they all make very different things, they are all creative wonders!


Mayamade goodness


Littlebird goodness


Fancy picnic goodness

Instead of passing on these awards to others, I'd like to say "thanks" to all the creative people I have been lucky enough to make virtual aquaintance with since I started to blog; you've been supportive, genuine and inspiring. So, on the topic of women and creativity I'd like to share this short trailer for your benefit and inspiration. It comes via, you guessed it, another fantastic, creative women's blog (Maine Momma)*, I look forward to seeing the whole documentary when it comes our way. It is being released in the states this month.

Curtains...



*You need to definitely, definitely check out Maine Momma's Flickr photostream, it's beautiful.

GIVEAWAY - yay! It's that time of the month -- ha! Not that time! Excuse me. I mean that it's time for giving away something to like, go on yer wall. If you don't have one of these (image above, not including frame) but you think you might like one, let me know. There's no pressure, you don't have to say anything witty, you can just say "hi" if you like, it's all the same to the impartial hat thingy.

I'll draw a name from the hat thingy on the 15th of October and post the winner's* name here at Zukzuk. Please make sure to leave me a way to contact you; blog, email addy or whatever just in case.

Thank you to everyone who comments, lurks, reads or just blows by occasionally, it's nice to think you're all out there!




Here's the necklace I received the other day from a yummy trade with Katrin from Kaleidoscope Style. She has loads of beautiful, fun and of course, colourful pieces. I feel very lucky to have mine!



In celebration of all this delectable Auntumness we are enjoying at the moment I made an Autumn themed landscape print and also a version with more of a Summery feel for those not quite ready to let go of Summer or perhaps for those southerners soon to come into Summer. Maybe just for folk who like yellow, green and red together!! Anyway, these along with dear little Sugardrop baby will be finding their way to ye olde Etsy shoppe soon.



Sugardrop Baby - Limited Edition Print





Tiny Summer Landscape - Limited Edition Print


Tiny Autumn Landscape - Limited Edition Print


I really don't mean to keep banging on about myself but it wouldn't be nice if I didn't mention that Ariadna from the blog Design This Design That has put out the second issue of her fab on-line magazine with lots of stuff about people who draw things and somewhere amongst all those colourful pages is a Zukzuk interview. Take a look if you have a lot of time to spare, are trying to put off some sort of unpleasant task or are my mother. Gee, that's not what I meant, that sounded dreadful, like I was putting the magazine down! Of course you should look at the magazine even if you are being eaten by wild dogs -- you should look at my bit/interview only if you have time to kill. There. That's the self deprecating sentiment I was going for.

http://issuu.com/designthisdesignthat/docs/issue2




If you happen to live in Canada, by chance, Hamilton, you might like to zip along to the opening, sorry, GRAND opening of the White Elephant next Friday. Jane and Hollie are opening a lovely boutique gallery there and you might just see some of my stuff!


And, it's that time again, thank you to everyone for your support.

*Excuse me for using the word "winner" it's such a dirty little word...

I've been to New York!


On our very first day we spied a friend in the crowd, cool.

Well, you know where this is! Time square, visually and olfactorily arresting.


What a place!

I had a great time, I barely complained at all about having to schlep child and stroller around this fabulous city. We were so giddy we even found the cab rides thrilling; as exciting as a dodgy fairground ride and just a wee bit more dangerous.

Carousel - Central Park

We did many of the touristy things with plenty of park time thrown in for kid and parent relief.


Central Park

For you North Americans I'm sure all of this is not so interesting, you've no doubt been to New York a bunch of times, but for me, all the way from little old New Zealand, it was mesmerizing. Please excuse these photos, they are, I think, primarily for my mother's benefit.

Museum of Modern Art


Lovely hidden courtyard in Greenwich village


Brooklyn Bridge


I hope I find my way back here one day. It was truly lovely.


Manhattan skyline