Creative Spaces

Whenever we find ourselves in need of some inspiration up here at the studio,

a favourite place to visit is Little Peach in Bangalow. 

Owned by the incredibly clever, Jane Champain, the shop is full of gorgeous Japanese collectables and clothing. 

Jane travels to Japan regularly where she sources vintage kimonos.  With the help of well-known costume maker Catherine Overgaard, they carefully take the gowns apart and redesign them as clothes, scarves and beads.  

From the tiny origami swans to the hand-painted silk lanterns, Little Peach is a burst of colour and creativity.  It never fails to inspire.   If you're heading to Bangalow - then make sure you take a peek - it is just pure heaven... Love you Jane Champain...

Heaven...

 courtesy of shootspaces.com

We've drawn the winner last week's giveaway, if your name is Catherine Morgan then you are in luck and will soon be the proud new owner of the beautiful basket from Dharma Door. Please email me with your details..And a new week means a new amazing giveaway which we will have up very shortly..

Progress?...

I thought you might like to see that some progress is being made on the pool front - albeit at a snails pace - but good things take time - or so they say!!!
I'd like to introduce you to my stone pool cabana - the love of my life at this point in time... Don't you just love all things stone - particularly when those stones have been painstakingly placed by old-fashioned artisans into streamlined shapes and turned into lovely things like this... I have loved watching the stone masons creating this monolithic structure in my back garden - it feels so antiquated, so grounded and so forever to have such a beautiful thing at the doorstep... They are true artisans these blokes and I have such respect for their craft... I think this cabana is turning out quite well and it has inspired me to infuse a little more stonewalling into our garden... To finish off this space, we'll be building a pergola over the top - upon which I'm hoping to swathe a lovely flowering vine. Divine...What do you think?

An Ode To Blue...

Oh Blue, Blue
How I do love you...
Your dazzling hue
So pure and true
Blue, Blue...
Will you love me too...

Well, why not I say on this rainy Wednesday evening - a little ditty about such beauty... Ahhh... blue reminds me so of summer - and as the weather is holding our summer to ransom this year - all that one can do is sing... Ah blue... blue - yes, I do love you...

all pics from Marie Claire Maison - my favourite...

Walk Towards The Light...

I love lighting - particularly the elegant and rather dramatic kind that hangs imposingly from the ceiling. There's something of pure whimsy about these kinds of lights - they make a statement - they are sophisticated - and purely divine all rolled in one. As many of you know, I am a big fan of the George Nelson Bubble Lamps - I love the simplicity of their shape, plus that they are punctuated by texture and movement - however, I have been on the lookout for something new of late... My research brought me to this little beauty - the Josephine Queen Chandelier - it is whimsical and elegant and reminds me of a bygone era with a modern twist of course... I was sourcing this light with a client in mind - however the $16,000 price tag pops it slightly outside the budget! Nonetheless, I'm in love and await a day when such a large lighting spend is on the radar! Alas, it could be a while.... But one can always dream...

The Dharma Door Giveaway

Well it's monday again, that means it's time for another one of our giveaways!! With just more than 4 weeks to go till christmas, this is a great opportunity to win yourself a lovely christmas present.

This week,  the lovely people at The Dharma Door have generously donated a jute magazine basket, valued at $65. 

Have a browse through their lovely website, which features a range of eco-friendly, high-quality handcrafted products made by talented artisans based in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia. From bamboo bowls to book bags...from laundry baskets to shopping bags...from tableware to cushions...

All you need to do to be in the running to win is be a follower of our blog, and if you already are, check out our facebook page too and "like" us. And watch out for some more great giveaways we have coming up in the next few weeks!

Have a Dusty Weekend...

I'm thinking about colour right now - which is not an unusual thing to do on a Friday night for this colour crazy girl! But really, it's because I spent the day with a group of colour courageous gals at the Just Colour Workshop at the studio... Courageous you say? Well yes of course, learning about colour can be a daunting thing - it's such a vast subject, with nuance upon nuance to decipher - building a relationship with it takes patience, practice and perseverance but the journey can be the most satisfying of all when you find yourself creating a colourful interior full of life and energy... Thanks everyone for a great day... It's always a pleasure to spend time with my decorating tribe. Tonight, on this rainy Bangalow evening, I'm turning to soft and muted tones put together in a relaxed and pared back way - like those found in the Bloomingville website... Ahhhh.... What a beautiful palette indeed...

Before I go, I'm going to announcing the winner of the fabulous Table Tonic cushion... This giveaway has been such a popular one - and I'm so sorry that there can only be one winner... But look out for more giveaways in the coming weeks as we get into the giving spirit for Christmas... Now drum roll please...

The winner of the Table Tonic cushion is....... Alison Gibbs.... Congratulations Alison - send us an email with all of your details and we'll get your gorgeous prize to you asap....

Gardenias At The Workshop...

It's all go go go here at the cottage today what with us preparing for the inaugural Just Colour Workshop to be held tomorrow...
To pretty things up a little, I've snipped some gardenias from our garden (which is fully flourishing right now) and popped them into a vase... I love them, not only are they beautiful to look at, but they fill the studio with the most gorgeous scent...
sx

My Green...

One Green Ginger & Smart Bag...

Tessa Kiros Food From Many Greek Kitchens...

The Little Cottage Green Door...

I'm having an extended green period - it's all about green for me right now and will be into the foreseeable future I feel... You see, green just brings a smile to my face, it makes me happy, makes me feel at peace... And there's one particular green that I love most of all... It's this green... My Green... It started way back when I bought a lovely bag from one of the first ranges that Ginger & Smart ever produced... It was the perfect green, the kind that couldn't be ignored... Almost 10 years on I still love this bag... It is the perfect green, and I bring it with me wherever I go...
Recently I was reminded how much I loved My Green when I bought Tessa Kiros' new book - Food From Many Greek Kitchens... Although I do love Greek food It was the colour green on the cover that really caught my fancy - I had to have it... And that's what brought me to my latest Green adventure... I love that we are holding the first ever 'Just Colour' workshop at The Little Cottage this Friday - with a very small group of soon to be colour lovers... It's going to be a great day of pure colour saturation and I can't wait to get down and dirty with the subject... To commemorate the day, I decided that we should paint our front door in My Green - and so I set Charlotte (from our office...) to work matching up the colour on the cover of the book to the Dulux Fan Deck... A couple of hours later and voila - a new green door... Isn't it just beautiful...

A winner and a new giveaway!

Its time to announce the winner of the me and amber giveaway, congratulations to Sarah from one perfect day! Email us with your details to claim your amazing prize.


If you didn't win this time, we've organized another beautiful giveaway with a massive thanks to Louise from the lovely Table Tonic which stocks a selection of handmade and/or vintage items including textiles, soft furnishings and jewellery, Louise sources creative, quirky and unusual pieces from all over the world with an emphasis on affordability and quality. While you are there check out her blog too!
This week she has ever so kindly offered a huge union jack cushion (51cm x 51cm) that retails for $99.

Thank you Louise for this great giveaway, all you have to do to enter is become a follower of our blog! While you're there follow the link to our facebook page and "like us". Easy Peasy and if you are already a follower then all you have to do is wait till friday to see if you are the winner..

Good luck everyone!

Remember Me And Amber...

Don't forget that I'm drawing the winner for the Me And Amber prints tomorrow and so if you'd like to win make sure you're in the draw first...
See you then...

Creative Souls...

Often I receive emails from my decorating tribe - like minded souls who love all things home and decorating... I love it - as it's a great way to touch base with all of you gorgeous gals (and occasionally guys!) who read my blog... Emails and blogs allow me a little peek into the world of you all - your lives, your loves, the things that make you tick... It's always a inspiration and fuels so much of what I do and so thank you all who have done so...

One such gorgeous lady is Jen from SuReal CompARTment store - a mini department store in The Strand, Parnell, Auckland. Jen is a creatively minded gal like me and you - shaping her life to reflect who she is. Her store is simply a hop, skip and a jump from her home - which is such a lovely way to get to work every day... I asked Jen to send me through some pics of her store and I am completely blown away by all of the beauty there and I just had to share them with you all. I've never been to Auckland - but I think a trip might be in order very very soon to check all of this greatness for myself (plus I also have an old friend who moved there from Sydney who I have meaning to catch up with forever!!! Sorry Sach!!!)... Thanks Jen for allowing us this sneaky peek into your beautiful world... I can feel a cobalt moment coming on as we speak...

The Beauty of Beauty...

I can't get enough of flowers - their look, their feel, their scent... Somehow their beauty is comforting - possibly because it is ephemeral... Momentary... Passing...
Beauty of all kinds is like that, don't you find? Whether it's a beautiful flower, a beautiful face or perhaps a beautiful relationship - as much as we try to hold onto it, as much as we try to keep it the same squeezing it tight hoping for permanence - beauty finds a way of slipping through the cracks... It moves on... It fades... It takes on a new shape...
Of course, that is the cycle of life - and exactly as things are meant to be... When one cycle of beauty fades it opens up the opportunity for transformation - for new energy - for new life and new beauty to emerge... When you open yourself up to it - when you go with the flow of life good things happen, don't you find?... Life offers new opportunities, new experiences, new surprises, new beauty... For me on this lovely Tuesday morning, that is the beauty of beauty... And exactly as I like life to be...

Me And Amber Monday.....

Is it monday already? Well that means its time for another of our beautiful giveaways!

This time, we are delighted to be able to present to you...not one, but two beautiful 10x10cm artworks, each worth $39 RRP which are hand screenprinted directly onto pages from old books, so each one is unique. Thanks to the generous ladies at Me And Amber, a graphic design and image-making duo based in Sydney. You can check out & buy their great products at Blue Caravan.

Entering to win this beautiful giveaway is easy, simply sign up as a follower of our blog, or click the link to our and facebook page and "like" us.
Good luck and enjoy the day, whatever lays ahead for you..

Floral Beauty...

I little floral flourish to brighten your Sunday...

And the announcement of the winner of our Savon de Marseille body milk from the lovely gang at Whiteport... is Tina Pearse... Congratulations Tina Pearse - please send us an here email here with all your details and we'll get your prize straight to you... And thanks again Whiteport...

x

Sonya From Jatana Interiors...

Oh, I do love Sonya Marish's house (located up in Federal just behind Byron Bay). It's full to the brim of life, laughter, colour and joy.... A treasure trove of loved bits and bobs, layered sublimely to create a totally modern aesthetic (i.e personal, individual and unique). These pics are from the shoot that Prue and I did a few months ago at Sonya's house - that has made its way into the latest Christmas issue of Inside Out mag. Have you seen it? Check out Sonya's website (www.jatanainteriors.com.au) and to see all of the beauty...

Workshops for 2011...

It's me again...
As you know well - we have our workshop dates up on the website - check here for details...
The workshops are filling up fast all - particularly the Styling 101 and the Follow Your Heart Creative Living seminar up at the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast... If you were hoping for a place at either of these workshops - then I advise you book your place on the website - or give us a call at the studio 02-66872184 pretty quickly as we have limited places and don't want to you guys to miss out... If you have any questions re any of the workshops then don't hesitate to email us here ....

Oh - and we have a little sale on at the SHOP - in particular the sense of style books (which are much cheaper than on the website) and our stationary - Australia only at this stage... Perhaps a good time to stock up on these one of a kind pieces for Christmas (what with it so scarily just a hop, skip and a jump away). Just click on the Free Range By Shannon Fricke logo to the right here and you'll be redirected to the shop....

What...Christmas!...

I've been reminded today - that another year is almost done - and Christmas just around the corner!!! Eeek... Time flies and this year in particular seems to have gone by in a flash. I was reminded about this as the new Christmas issue of Inside Out magazine has hit the stand - filled to the brim with great Christmas ideas and my kids Christmas story... It's becoming a bit of a tradition - me doing a kids Christmas story for INside Out... And this one was so much fun to shoot - up here on the farm - by the forest and creeks that form the perimeter. Thanks again to everyone involved in making this story fab - it was another crazy production - with loads of helpers making the day what it was....  Thanks all - and Happy Christmas!!!

Tricky Spaces...

I have a few tricky spaces in this old house of mine... Funny nooks and crannies and a rabbit warren of rooms... The verandah is a space that has been giving me a lot of trouble for a long time... Originally an external verandah, it was glassed in some years ago and is now an internal living space... Long and thin and surround by old aluminum glass sliders - the space is not really indoor nor outdoor - and is barraged by an onslaught of sun in the afternoons... Hmmm... tricky! Recently, however, I've been playing around with my Robert Plumb outdoor furniture - and decided to bring it in from the deck to the tricky verandah... The proportions seemed to work... Then, I began bringing in my pot plants (ravaged by the wind outside) and slowly have built my very own little indoor glasshouse - you know the type I've been dreaming about building out in the garden for years! Although it does get a little heated in there - and I will need some outdoor awnings around the perimeter of the house soon - everything seems to be surviving - in fact, the plants seem to be loving it... And so, a breakthrough - my tricky space, is now my favourite space. Next will be recovering the Robert Plumb beige cushions into something more uplifting - possibly a Thibaut (?) -  don't you just love decorating...

A reason to love mondays..

What a weekend! We were kept busy hosting a workshop on saturday with some fabulous women from around the country. And to kick off the week with a bang, we have a new giveaway!

This one comes to us from the kind folk at Whiteport, they offer a unique range of premium and affordable lifestyle products, all themed around a stylish white palette (my favourite colour!)

This week they have offered a lucky follower a beautiful body milk from the decadent "Savon De Marseille" range worth $37.95. All you have to do to win is become a follower of our blog, or follow the link to our facebook page and "like us". Go on, it could be you slathering on this luscious body milk... Good luck...