Picnic Aware!

Look at this picture. A lovely couple out for a picnic. The joint carrying of picnic basket suggests they are happy, content in their twosomeness, BUT... who packed the picnic basket? Who? And did they bring everything required? Was there a happy outcome or a mess of sticky fingers, dry thirsty mouths and a sinking feeling that the picnic was left wanting.

This leads us to the term "Picnic Aware". I think we can all agree that a bit of forethought when attending a picnic can make or break said event. This term was coined by my boyfriend after his string of picnic failures in which he thought attending a picnic meant just rocking up (even when you are the one meant to be bringing the required items).

(said boyfriend)


(said epiphany)

(said ephiphany still in progress)

So how do you make your man picnic aware? Who knows but if like my boyfriend they have an epiphany, record the event to promote it. Who knows maybe someone else will become "Picnic Aware" just from reading this blog.

Note* The term "Picnic Aware" should not be confused with the term "Picnic Awareness". Knowing a picnic is on is not the same as being "Picnic Aware".

Pish tosh xx

SMUG! SMUG! SMUG!

You know the song "Rock the Kasbah".. I thought they were singing "Rock the Sasquatch". I pictured a yeti dancing a cute dance every time I listened to it. It was my favourite song growing up. Dance bigfoot dance!




So what am I getting at? Well sometimes your version of things may work... you might even think that your interpetation is better than the original. And that is what I think of the new skirtguard I created for my bike this morning. Records had their time and day and now its time to use them in a new way...

Pish tosh xx

Art Attack!

How cool was that show? So many bright 90's colours, that crazy theme song, the set made of giant pens and pallets, and way too many uses for craft glue and glitter. Not to mention the host Neil Buchanan's hair and printed bright red jumper (so hot right now... this might have been my first crush)

Feeling inspired by various crafty things I thought I would channel my inner Martha Stewart and present my own craft segment:

Art Attack! with Feather Brigade! (!!!)

For this Saturday's segment we are going to be decorating a picnic basket. You will need:

*Picnic Basket- we sourced (all of) ours from Vinnies (find one that's a good size for your back rack)
*Buttons- K-star had jars and jars of buttons from ebay just waiting for a ridiculous project like this
*Hot glue gun, and lots of glue sticks
*A rainy/boring afternoon or a desperate need to procrastinate
*A smug sense of your own crafty potential
*Not necessary, but we did it, paint for a base coat

Step One: Glue

Step Two: Select a button (be sure to make the most of your ocd tendencies and subconsciously have the buttons in some bizarre hierarchy based on colour, size, and shape that makes sense only to yourself)

Third step: Combine the two, carefully (Hot glue burns!)

Fourth step: Repeat step One thru Three, a few hundred times. Soon enough you'll have your own button-bedazzled picnic basket!

(smug)

Another Optional step would be to get you housemate, K-star, to use her Polaroid to document the project and then work that into the art work. See example below. A Polaroid adorns the corner, forever immortalizing the blood, sweat, tears, and corniness that went into creating such an 'amazing' artwork.

Anyway, this is the finished product. Everyone gasp and sigh in amazement!

Now find your own basket and get gluing!

j.xoxo

The Craft of Cycling!

Did you stop to smell the artificial flowers on your bikes today? We did. We would love to have real ones growing from our bike (J-bot is determined to make this happen...) but we are making do people, making do. Because my head hurts from crafty ideas and I am ready to do a complete bike overhaul I feel the need to document our creative explosions so far...


J-bot's bike came beautifully painted. It is the dream bike of choice for little girls so what could be more appropriate than a small scary doll looking on in amazement?

Now with added leaves from Tokyo bike and the flowers and feathers streaming from her basket and back rack as shown above... Florence is definitely in her element!

Hildegarde on the other hand is about to get an overhaul, so I thought a documentation of things added up to now was necessary before I rip things off and try out new things!

A bell and butt-bears are always essential elements to bike craziness so they will be staying. And Hildegarde is a rather wicked bike so the Witch will remain in her pride of place, leading the way!

I am feeling torn over this... but its time for the crocheted skirtguard to retire. I am happy with it, but as with all craft explosions another idea needs to take its place. Mysterious as this sounds of course I will be posting the results up as soon as its done!

In the meantime I am going to leave you with a few other of our favourite things... all weird, whimsical and wonderful!

Never tire of bike shadows, and picnics. Our friend Milky Joe is soaking up the sun with our other favourite basket addition.. beautiful parasols.

Spokey dokes and freshly painted nails...

Ice cream vans and weird men taking arty photos...

Dinosaur birds and puppies riding in bikes. I repeat puppies riding in bikes!!

Pish tosh people xx

Dress-Up and Ride Like You Mean It!

We at the Feather Brigade headquarters spent the previous week feverishly praying to the rain gods and worshiping Milky Joe, the crocheted monkey of weather (see above), to ensure a nice day for Sunday, which just happened to be Halloween, which just happened to be HalloWheel. We stopped short of sacrificing babies and kittens, but thankfully the gods were appeased anyway and although the day started a little hazy and grey, we had a marvelously sunny day down at the park.

We pulled out our fancy dress finery, K-star dressed as a cult leader, I was channeling Picnic at Hanging Rock, and we headed into Darling Harbour.

Our cycling superstars of the day were Kerry and Garry. Their efforts put our fancy dress to shame. Not only did they bring along brilliant costumes, but both of their bikes were dressed for the occasion too.

We hung out at Pyrmont Bridge for a bit, talked to a few other cyclists and basically became a tourist attraction for the hoards doing the Seven Bridges Walk (all of the random strangers out there with a picture of us from the day, I urge you to use the photographs only for the forces of good- not that I know how you'd use them for evil, but still...)

We had a slow cruise along the wharves and parks in Pyrmont and Glebe and made it to the park as the sun came out for us. We met up with all the non-wheeled HalloWheel peeps, threw down the picnic blankets and while most of us snacked on strawberries and cheese, K-star got a little more into character.

It was a lovely day with lovely people. Hanging out at the park in the sun with friends, I can't think of a better way to spend the day. We'll definitely be inviting everyone to another HalloWheel next year (and hopefully hold another fancy-dress ride before that too- we love any excuse to dress-up)

We had a quick photo with Kerry and Garry before they headed off, and I want to say thanks to both of them!

We kept the HalloWheel spirit alive even when the picnic was eventually packed up. At home we decided to share the Halloween love with our neighbors and "haunted" them with a little crocheted ghost and handmade sign lowered past their windows.

Oh, Halloween, giving us an excuse to dress-up, eat lollies, and annoy our neighbors. I think it may be one of my favourite holiday.

j.xoxo