The Vehicle of Poets

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. - H. G. Wells 

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. - Christopher Morley

I love my bicycle. It was the best purchase I've made in recent times. I ordered mine on eBay almost a year ago, it came partly assembled and I just had to attach the last few things. I would have loved a vintage bike, but since they're all the rage these days they're exorbitantly priced. So I got a new look-alike, one season too old, and therefore within my limited budget. I also found a cheap basket to attach to the back, and now my poor bike has become my official pack horse.

I live near my studio space, so I ride up each day loaded to the max with all my bits and bobs - laptop, bag, jacket, packed lunch and quite often the cat in his carrier in the back basket. I have half a mind to get a bike trailer since I seem to lug around so much stuff all the time!

Today I rode up to Newtown and back, about a 6km round trip. I dropped into the Newtown Garden Market to pick up some herb seeds first. Since the weather is going to be rainy/thunderstorms for the next few days I'll probably miss out on the farmers markets I go to each Sunday. There is a stall selling herb and veggie seedlings for only $2! But since I'll be house-bound by the weather (perhaps indulging in DVDs and good book), I'm going to have a go at planting some of my own seeds. I'm squirreling away toilet rolls and egg cartons as we speak.

Then I rode a few metres down the road to Holly Chalmers shop on south King Street. Holly is my latest stockist for theartofjordan Tarot deck. I made a display for her shop using an old brushed white tin (salvaged from a Crabtree&Evelyn gift box). We decided to add a little sticker along the front the next time I'm in, but it looks pretty cute sitting on the counter so far.

I'm also chuffed that I received the Green Guide for Artists to go with my other new books (The Craft Inc. Business Planner and The Handmade Marketplace). So I'm off to make a cup of herbal tea, sit back in my crazy purple velvet chair and get stuck in to reading!

The Seeds You Plant

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. - Robert Louis Stevenson

So I've started my little herb garden in my tiny courtyard. Here's how I've managed it:

I've salvaged tin cans from our kitchen and a pallet from my parents and then picked up some hooks and sheet metal screws from the hardware store (I'm hoping to find some old spoons in the op-shops - to bend into hooks), and screwed them into the cans.

No doubt a mini electric screwdriver would have been handy and easier, but that's an expense that I can't justify or afford right now. So I used a screw point to hammer a tiny hole into the steel, which maked it easier the turn the screw in by hand. I also did the same thing to punch drainage holes in the bottom of the cans. The hooks have two holes, which provides a sturdy attachment. All pretty easy if you've got sturdy hands! (I'm not sure how I'm going drill holes into old spoons, but I'm sure I could borrow an power drill somewhere.)

I also managed to find a little local garden shop within bike riding distance of my studio and home where I picked up some organic herb/veggie potting mix and a few more seedlings. It was just a matter of transferring the seedlings from their little pots into the new tin cans and hanging off the pallet. Voila!

I'm not sure if I am meant to water them straight away or not, so I'm playing it safe and checking beneath the top layer of soil each day. If it's dry then it gets a drink, otherwise I leave it. I also check for wilted/brown foliage and pick it off to encourage new growth. I've also positioned the pallet in the morning sun which I'm told is the best sunlight for plants. It's a lovely spot in the mornings to have a cuppa.

I'm inspired to get more cheap seedlings from the farmers markets this weekend and pot some more!

iWish Wednesdays

Some of the things I'm lusting after this week. I flicked through these books really quickly in store today so I can't tell you much about them. But these are the ones that really piqued my interest: 

• The Little Veggie Patch Co. by Fabian Capomolla and Mat Pember - How to Grow Food in Small Spaces. Had some beautiful photography and great layout design, would be a joy to read.
• The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking by Kate Payne - Decorating, Dining and the Gratifying Pleasures of Self-Sufficiency on a Budget. Printed in two colour which tends to make me zone out, but no doubt filled with gems of knowledge.
• Sewing Basics by Sandra Bardwell - All you Need to Know About Machine and Hand Sewing. Aside from my obsession with gardening at the moment, sewing is my other big interest. I would love to get the basics down so I can start making my own clothes.
• Sew Step by Step by Alison Smith. Another goodie - and I've always been a fan of DK book layouts.
• Stitch Step by Step by Maggie Gordon and Ellie Vance. I already know a lot of stitches, but would love to see if there are any other tips and tricks I haven't heard of or tried as yet.
• Lion Brooch - coming soon to Pigeonhole.
• Bush Radio - looooooooooove.
• KeepCup - for all those occasional guilty Chai Lattés I'm drooling over this reusable coffee cup (white cup with pale pink band, charcoal lid and magenta rotating cap).

Seeds of Change

Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream. - Debby Boone.

Looking around the City of Sydney website's green section I found some interesting links to planter boxes. Aside from the links to ecoVert and Earthbox, it was their link to BEST that got me really interested. Their boxes are made from recycled polystyrene and related styrenic plastics - diverting these materials from landfill. Definitely the coolest!

All three products are great if you can afford them, especially if you're time poor and unable to make your own. But if you're on a low to non-existent budget then making your own might be the way to go. With the added bonus of salvaging materials and diverting them from landfill, you end up with an original, charm-filled version. All it takes is looking at how these systems work, seeing what you have around and how they can be repurposed.

I haven't made any of my own (as yet), so here are some of the best tutorials I've found around the web:

• Vertical Vegetables - use an old hanging shoe organiser (by pippa5 on Instructables).
• Pallet Garden - by Fern from Life on the Balcony.
• Tin Can herbs - by the Hedgewitch UK.
• Mason jar planters - Readymade.com.

What are some of the things you would make a garden out of?

The Eco-Twee Life

 
Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm concerned about the environment. Granted I'm not the most clued in person, but I'm definitely concerned and do what I can. I use eco-friendly cleaning products at home, recycle and I've started seriously getting into reuse (which is perhaps more important that recycling!).

There are so many things to learn about this issue and how to integrate new practices into your everyday life, that I'm thinking of starting a new blog all about it. Some of the things I'd like to explore, experiment and learn about include:

• Herb and Veggie gardening in small spaces (apartments and courtyards) 
• Eco-friendly cleaning products
• Refashioning and sewing your own clothes + vintage/second-hand shopping
• Bicycle maintenance 101
• Car sharing and eco-friendly powered vehicles
• and more...

Perhaps most importantly, I'm concerned with doing all these things on a budget and in small spaces. So I hope that other low-income inner-city urban dwellers like me will be inspired to make some changes to their lifestyle. Why? Aside from the obvious benefits to the local community now and into the future - it's born out of genuine need.

I'm a low-income earner, very low in fact. I live in a shared rental terrace in the inner-city with no front garden and a small, somewhat dingy, back courtyard (which is entirely paved). I'm (only just now) learning to drive (I'm 29. Just). So right now I ride a bike everywhere, walk and catch public transport - but when I can drive I want to hop on to car share bandwagon (and one day drive a vehicle powered by old chip oil or whatever). And so on...

My aim is to create a herb and veggie garden in our courtyard to supplement the fresh food we buy at the local farmers markets each weekend (yep, I cycle there). I'm trying to build it almost entirely out of salvaged materials (already have a cache of tin cans, plus a pallet left over from my parents place).

My friend, CK introduced me to the City of Sydney talks that are on right now. We're going to attend one on Wednesday about growing your our food in small spaces. Their website has a whole bunch of links and resources you can download, and I'm already signing up for some of their green workshops (worm farm anyone?). I'll be taking pics, writing notes and tweeting from events in the next few weeks - all in the hope to launch a new blog. I've also got another little idea attached to that, but I'll keep that to myself for the time being!

So what are some of the things you do now, or would like to start doing to live an eco, sustainable, low-cost and healthy lifestyle??

[IMAGES: Pics from my organic farmers markets travels - I love cycling over, filling up my bike baskets with fresh flowers, veggies and potted herbs.]

How Excitement

I have some good news! Next week my tarot cards will be stocked by the wonderful Gathering space in Newstead, Victoria. Even more exciting for those of you living in Melbourne, Gathering will have a stall at the Royal Melbourne Show - and my tarot cards will be there alongside all the other fantastic little goodies Gathering will have on offer!

This will be the first time my cards are stocked in store - so I've been designing bits and pieces to make it super easy (and good looking) to set up and display. First up is a mini flyer with basic card meanings and a simple 3-card spread to get you started. Tomorrow's task is the display box - using salvaged materials to make it as eco-friendly as possible.

If you've already got one of my Tarot decks and would like the little flyer to print out and keep then just flick me an email (jordanATtheartofjordanDOTcom) and I'll send you the PDF pronto. Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for photo updates of the handmade packaging. Exciteballs!

On Sabbatical

Some of the things I've been up to in recent weeks while I take some time out from life.

• Riding my vintage style bike Ice Maiden to the organic food markets on Sundays, picking up fresh flowers, fruit and veggies.
• Enjoying dappled sunshine on a picnic blanket under the trees with Poe.
• Cat-sitting my parents cat Broomhilda along with Poe (eventful).
• Slowly gathering new seedlings for my new herb garden (using an old pallet leftover from renovations at my parents).
• And perhaps most notably - going platinum blonde!

I'm working on a new business idea also - involving blogging, how-tos, eco and ethical craft - that's all I can tell you right now. Life can get the better of you and it's good to take the time out and refocus your priorities, get healthy, enjoy the small things...

Have you seen my clean new website? I've also started a tumblr blog for more design related things, including pics of each tarot card, and some basic info on each. I'm also updating my bookshelf here on the blog with what I'm currently reading, watching and listening to - along with my all time firm favorites. Plus I'm posting pics and things to Twitter, Instagram (search for theartofjordan) and Foursquare quite reguarly, so you can get bite-sized updates from me there also. And who would I be without a Pinterest account too?

Lots of things on the horizon, but mostly secret right now. Stick around my friends, it's going to get mighty exciting :-)