Feeling loved!!

ooooh we have been chosen to be voted on in the Spoonflower fabric design of the week competition you can vote for us (or your other favourite design) over here at Spoonflower. I might enter another design next week any ideas anyone..........maybe the robots or bikes!!!!

Spoonful of Spoonflower

If you haven't heard about it yet let me introduce you to Spoonflower the amazing new site that allows you to upload your designs and have them printed onto fabric.

Here at Rubbergob we have just been turning this popular little owl into a tiling design (no mean feat let me tell you), which allows it to tile seamlessly across fabric (which means there is really no beginning and no end).



I'm imagining him on the turned over top of a child's bed sheet or the cuffs of pyjama bottoms!!!! or a library bag.........

Massive new season SALE!

To celebrate the imminent arrival of summer we are having an enormous super duper sale on our original range of cards. All of the cards shown above are for a very short time AU$50 for 50 cards.
They are approx 160mmx160mm and each comes with it's own matching designed envelope.
They normally retail for AU$6.95 each.
To take advantage of this offer you can go to our website www.rubbergob.com.au and our Etsy site rubbergob.etsy.com from November 21 through to November 28. Shipping will be calcualted on top of this price depending on your location.
Happy shopping :)

To market, to market

A long time between drinks I know but we've been busy being super creative. We have a long list of market appearances coming up before Christmas, I know, I know it's here already!

This Sunday October 26 we will be at the Distracted Market at Aranmore College in Leederville
Saturday November 1 we will be at Coolbinia Primary School Fair
November 30 Unwrapped in Subiaco
December 14 Upmarket Perth Town Hall.

You can come and see our Christmas wares, notebooks, make your own Christmas decoration kits, tags and cards with the super cute Mr snowflake eating reindeer bird :) featured below and just generally give us a hug, though please advise your intention to hug first as bird gets a bit spooked when accosted unannounced.

Daddies day in Oz

I know I know it's been a while but here we are again. Just in the nick of time for Fathers day here in Australia. So in celebration of all those papagobs we love so much I have created a special papa owl colour in card for the littlegobs to print out out and colour in for well... Papa Owl.



Also check us out in this months Real Living Magazine.

The brand spanking new Make it kits have just been launched nd you can purchase them at Fremantle Arts Centre for starters. Tune in this week for some pics of what crafty goodness we have for you.

Free envelope

Hi , I know it's been a while since we offered a free download but here is another envelope to add to the set. It feature some pattern design that we have been putting together. You wil also find this design in the new Make it kits that will be featured later this week.

Click on this image togoto a large version which you may dowmload and use to your hearts contecnt. As usual we just ask that you don't sell it in the attempt to make squillions of dollars and if you do will you kindly share with us :) .


We would also like to introduce you to our newsest retailer on the east coast of Australia......
My messy Room. This store really is too cool. You can read the journal here to keep up to date with what Stav and the shop are up to. Or if you are in town visit them at 111a Smith St, Summer Hill NSW 2130, Ph: +61 29798 3233.

It's been a while

We've had colds and been busy developing new stuff but now we are back. This week sees a preview of our new "Make It Kits" for kids and those crafty at heart. Photos of the gorgeous new notebooks, inspiration from the far corners of the globe and features on our fabulous retailers.

We have been busy developing a range of 6 paper make it kits. Garlands, Christmas decorations, our own designed paper for crafting with and wee make your own card sets. Much hand made goodness for those who like to keep thier hands and those of their wee ones busy.

Above are the beautiful Emma Owl as hanging decorations to cut out and also some to colour in.
Below is an example of the sheets of paer we have designed to cut your own designs out of or use our supplied template shapes such as owls, birds and other delights.


I shall be cutting some of these out ans putting together samples this week so keep your eyes peeled for what they are meant to look like comleted.

This is how it goes

Remember this card?

This is how it came together.....

A pencil sketch in my notebook of an image that had been in my mind for quite a while. Two great aussie birds.

Scan the drawing then add a bit of colour in Photoshop. I used an image of some parchment paper and added a bit of colour to it then used it as a background to the girl.


Added some shading (all in photoshop) to the Kookaburra and a bit more to the girl's face and increased the saturation of the colour to the skin.

Added an illustration done in Illustrator of some trees and put the same parchment scan behind them just this time I made it blue.
Just a final bit of tweaking by adding the trees into the body. There you go :)
I know I promised free giveaway today but you might just have to hang on till tomorrow I have to pick the winner of the Madeit blog comp to see who thought of the best idea for new Rubbergob products. They will win a fab pack of our stuff..............

Be good to your world

Here at Rubbergob we try really hard to be as good to our world as possible, we know we can always be better and as we go along we learn new things and find new suppliers that help us to be better.

As you may know we print all our products onto 100% post consumer recycled paper, it is processed chloring free and the energy used in its waste management is 100% Green-e Certified renewable energy, how about that hey!.

One of our printers is a company called Westcare. They are a not for profit organistation, providing employment, training and accommodation for people with a disability. We feel it is important to be good not only to the world you live in but the people you share it with.

There are some great companies out there who do an amazing job at being good to the world. Take a look at Earth Greetings and read the story of Heide Hackworth and how she started, admirable stuff. You just have to love a kookaburra.


More tomorrow on the lifecycle of our designs and illustrations so you can see how we do what we do. Oooh and I do think we are due another free dowload.

to market to market....................

Isn't it great to see so many fantastic markets coming up in Perth. I intend to be at the Made On The Left Market on Saturday morning. If you are in Perth be sure to catch the 33 designers and makers they have.

I fell upon Julie Knoblock an amzing illustrator from Victoria Australia. I remember seeing it quite a while ago and am so glad I found i again so I can share who and what inspires me. You can find Julie's brilliant work here and read all about her here.

Notebook heaven

I know I've spoken about these notebooks before but here they all are, they are all being printed as we speak which is a jolly good thing as we sold a lot from the samples we had made.




The notebooks come bound in a paper strap instead of cellophane bag. We are trying to be a lot better to our world by using 100% post consumer recycled paper and will continue to keep finding better ways to do what we do.



The notebooks also come in matching pairs and you will be able to order them on our website (as soon as I get time to put them up there).



They have 50 blank pages and cost $AU12.95 each or $AU19.95 for a pair. You will be able to purchase them in Calico&Ivy and Morisson (who have stores in Sydney and Melbourne) for starters.



..............how exciting.

Sassy pin up board

I spent a very wet and wild Saturday afternoon making this. Using an old, nasty gold frame that I'd had for years. I painted the frame white and had some foam core board cut to fit. You can get this from any picture framer and it comes in a variety of thicknesses.





I then covered the foam core board in batting that quilters use. I just taped this on the reverse.



Having chosen this fantabulous fabric from Calico and Ivy I then stapled it on the reverse side to the board.



Doesn't it look super snappy, it's going to hold all my inspiration for my design work, only problem there is that it will be full in about 5 minutes.

Bison, Dibbern, Distracted

Mmmmm I've been painting for a few days so way too busy to post. Battling with a portrait.......I'm almost winning however. Once you start on the oil paints again after a wee break you soon become too hooked on that wonderful smell and buttery texture to stop to do anything else........I'm afraid painting is a bit of an addiction as it is where I started straight after high school quite some time ago now.

Anyway.....I went to the also addictive Distracted Merchants of Fancy in Leederville (again) today and bought some beautiful vessels by Bison and Dibbern. Are they not the most beautiful things? If you haven't popped into the Distracted shop, which houses a tea shop, art shop and hair shop and waxing shop all in one you really must. They are purveyors of the most eclectic and beautiful objects.

Natural Inspiration

I have done a couple of posts about my garden, well not really about my garden but just to show where some of the inspiration for our designs comes from. Bird and I were sat having a brainstorm on the deck this afternoon and we watched a honeyeater sat in one of our trees pecking away, which was sweet as he features on these cards.




I was out in the rain on the weekend taking photos in the garden and this is what I snapped, a beautiful contrast of muted tones and that amazing camellia (at least I think it is).


It seems I'm not the only one that gains huge inspiration from the nature around them. Every now and then I have a sneak peak to see what the amazingly talented girls over at Poppies For Grace are up to. I think they live on a farm and a fruit farm at that (how idyllic) and are committed to sustainability in their design and packaging. If you haven't seen their gorgeous stationery then where have you been.

Free envelope

I know I usually wait till Monday for the weekly free download but so many people seemed to love the last owl envelope that I have created another. Click on the image below to go to the full size version and print it out. Cut around the envelope shape and fold the four flaps over to create a square envelope with a space on the front for the receivers’ name.

Enjoy

This one was inspired by all the wonderful colours in the work of the various designers I've been looking at this week. I'm also trying to think warm as it is cold and rainy here this week.

Colour Crazy

Sorry was so busy yesterday couldn't get to post for the life of me.....................but today despite being also crazy busy designing catalogues for Rubbergob here I am.

Just want to tell the world about the wonderful Calico & Ivy here in Perth. Debbie has recently taken over the shop that sells the most beautiful fabrics, yarns, patterns, books and much other implements of creativeness for you crafty types. Here is a sample of the sort of stuff you can find at Calico and Ivy along with Amy Butler, some fantabulous Swedish heavy weight fabric and liberty prints.


Did I mention Calico& Ivy are the first people to stock our brand spankng new notebooks along with everything else from our range. Be sure to pop on down and have a look.



I'm getting really into the colours seen on some fabrics lately....I know I've been going on about fabric but there is such amazing design to be seen on fabric patterns and the mixing of them.

Then Mia from One hour craft told me about HeatherBailey fabric designer and amazing photographer by the look sof things (why am I the last in the world to discover these wonders) and there are those stunning colour combinations again citrus and sky blue. They just make you happy.

I usually get too excited about new design and colours etc to sleep so I may have time for another post :)

Ooh look what I found!

I spend way too much time looking at lots of inspirational designer, makers and illustrators online. funnily enough a fair few of them are Australian and girls too. So I'm sharing a few of my recent finds lately.

Bird Textile in Byron Bay NSW promotes sustainable design and a great eco ethos of producing things locally with a low environmental impact.




I am really into fabric at the moment and finalising some of our own design to have silkscreened.
On that note here The Cut Cloth are Perth girls called from the same family that design and produce their own fabric and create some brilliant products ranging from hats to cushions and this great bag. We met them at the George Street Markets in Fremantle last year and they really are the nicest bunch of people.


You can read Diana's Blog to find out what she is making lately, I wish I could sew like this.


I suppose I can't go without sharing some designs I've been doing for a friends toddlers bedroom. Based around his favourite book ( I think) Whale in a pail and his other mates Squiddly Diddley (I made that one up though) bob about with their old wooden boat and starfish friends in the wee ones bedroom.
I'm thinking about some new cards here..........anyone??

It's a great life...........and todays freebie notepaper dowload

Remember to check the end of the post for your free downloadable notepaper !

Isn't it just..................it's my day off with littlegob and we usually go swimming but today we hung out in the garden and I thought well I should really share it with you "gobbies" out there as my garden happens to be where a great deal of the inspiration for our stuff comes from. It's a really old garden, well for Perth it is, about 60 yrs old and contains the original hibiscus and mulberry tress and gum trees and Jacranda and on it goes. I need to add that it is winter here in Western Australia but check out those stunning blue skies. Oh and how about my $20 pirate wellies Janine's littlegob will be so jealous.

This is one of our old Jacaranda trees and my tin roof.
Our small Emmas Owl canvas in littlegobs room. These are available on the website $95 AU (without postage) but if you are interested let us know here you are and we can work out postage.
Drum roll please..........................This weeks freebie download...................for all of those who go to notebooks anonymous like me (I have way too many notebooks) and need to write down all the things they need to get, do, finish etc here is an A5 (half a sheet of A4) piece of designed notepaper with Emmas Owl (in blue) on it. Feel free to dowload, print and scribble away on, as usual don't try to sell them and I would love to know who downloads them and what exciting things you might write on them.............I'm very nosy. Just click on the pic below and it will take you to the large image, print it out actual size and snip around the outside dotted line for super duper notepaper. Enjoy!