spunkee

My Creative Space is preparing for winter…

2011-03-10T07:30:00.005+11:00

…with these little slippers. I crocheted them for Maya but after lightly felting them, her feet barely fit into them. So I have given them to my friend’s little 3 month old daughter whose feet are waaay too small yet.

Speaking of the gorgeous little girl, I forgot to show you what I made for her when she was born. This is my first crocheted blanket, made before I worked out that you can actually join the motifs as you crochet them.

So many hours were spent (unnecessarily) stitching all these hexagons together.

Hopefully it is keeping her nice and cosy with the cooler weather we have been having this season.

And hopefully she is having fun playing “where is the white sheep” with this softie I made from an opped cotton and silk knitted jumper.

More creativity over here at Kootoyoo.

Happy Holiday Hooking

2011-02-24T07:30:00.001+11:00

It’s taken Maya quite some time to warm up to this hat. But thankfully all that crocheting, unraveling, crocheting, unraveling ... etc hasn’t gone to waste and she finally approves of her new sun hat. Once again there was no pattern, it was very experimental. I used a shell pattern in rounds and it was a bit of a challenge working out where to increase and how to increase, hence the unraveling. I think it has worked out okay except the brim is a bit floppier than I had hope for. But in an attempt to broaden it and reduce the floppiness, I double crocheted over a plastic cord around the edge.
It’s still a bit floppy but at least it keeps the sun off and it does look quite cute with her colour coordinated drink bottle!

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

The planet is round…

2011-02-17T07:30:00.002+11:00

…and I haven’t fallen off the face of it.

The busy but fun summer has distracted me from blogging and I’ve loved the break. Of course there’s been no break from the creating though.

I crocheted a couple of cushion covers dottie angel style. And now I’m trying to find the motivation to do the boring bits – sewing up the cushions.
Head over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

My Creative Space

2010-12-02T07:30:00.000+11:00

Busy, busy, busy preparing for the Sugar & Spice Children’s Market. Only finding time to take photos in the fading light - again. At least my parliament of owls is growing and these guys are ready to fly off soon!

This little brown owl is my favourite.
More Creative Spaces over here.

My very, very late Creative Space

2010-11-20T19:42:00.005+11:00

So late I’ve missed getting my link in over at Kootoyoo! I have been busy working at my mummy job, working at my housekeeping job, working at my paid job and dealing with the result of a run in with a Holden Rodeo on the freeway (we lost but everyone is okay). I have though managed to make some stuff!

Do you know how hard it is to photograph 8 hanging birds in the fading light with a slight breeze? Just as hard as it is to photograph a 12 month old! These are the only photos I got of these Christmassy birds before they flew off to their new home at the Ecotoys store in Burwood. This is a much better photo of the birds settled in their new home and you can check it out over here at the Ecotoys store facebook page.

Hopefully I’ll be on time for My Creative Space next week!

My Creative Space

2010-11-03T20:01:00.000+11:00

Happy hangers have been the focus of my creative attention this week thanks to dottie angel.
Pity they’re going to be hidden away in the wardrobe. Or maybe I just need a pretty wall and some special hooks to display them just like Tif.

Where’s your creative attention been this week?

My Creative Space

2010-10-27T21:55:00.004+11:00

Is it really My Creative Space time again already? Only another 1000+ posts in my blog reader this week. Blogtoberfest is making my head spin! Another day at playgroup and another mouthful of sand. Another crocheted something for Maya. (And here)
Another squared vest.
I love this simple but gorgeous pattern. I worked out how I stuffed up the sleeves last time. This time I “stuffed it up” deliberately so could do the gathered sleeves again. This is how I did it:
1. Follow Amanda’s squared vest pattern.
2. When Amanda says “Remember ch2 counts as dc” (Note I’m using US terminology here), ignore that and add an extra dc to the start and end of every round.
3. Stitch up the seams as per Amanda’s pattern.
4. Cut 2 pieces of hat elastic to fit comfortable around your arm.
5. Thread the elastic around the sleeve edge and tie in place.
6. Then do two rows of double crochet (Australian) around the edge to cover the hat elastic and voila!

My Creative Space

2010-10-20T20:12:00.004+11:00

Finally... One ripple dress complete.

Fifth and final WIP done.

And one new WIP started.

More creative stuff here.

The beanbag that’s not a beanbag creative space

2010-10-14T16:17:00.003+11:00

Finally it’s finished – the beanbag that’s not a beanbag. It took a lot longer to make than I had expected. That seems to be a very familiar story with me. I start things expecting to whip ‘em up in a couple of hours and when I don’t finish them they get put away for another day hence the millions of half started projects everywhere and hence the WIP challenge. Speaking of which, this is another WIP down – only one more to go!

So anyway back to the beanbag that’s not a beanbag. I love how it has turned out. I love that the kids love it. Although I really have to keep an eye on Maya when she’s in it!
I love that the kid’s friends and cousins love it. I love that I have inspired a friend to try making one herself.

All I did was sew up a beanbag using denim and upholstery fabric with some extra strong upholstery thread, hammer in some eyelets at the top (that bit was fun!), cut a door in the side, place a hoop inside the bottom of the beanbag to help keep its shape, put some cushions and blankets inside, hang it from the eyelets on a hook and voila, a fun swinging hideaway for the kids!
It looks so fun and comfy that I want to get in there myself, but I think I’ll leave the fun to the kids. I don’t want to break it! My Creative Space is a little bit later than usual this week. I’ve seen a bit too much of the bathroom in the last 12-24 hours, after eating a bad batch of food at the food court at work yesterday. Lets just say I won’t be eating any of that impossibly red sweet and sour pork again anytime soon!

WIPing up Triangles

2010-10-11T21:27:00.003+11:00

Remember those triangles I was crocheting here and here and here? Well I have finally finished them and have used them to make some things. Here they are sewn up into a couple of cushions for Khye’s bed.

I’d finished the crocheting and sewn up a couple of cushions ages ago, but I’ve been really procrastinating on hand sewing up the stuffing holes and stitching the crochet to the cushion. Khye’s been bugging me for his round cushions and now they’re done he doesn’t really care…sigh…

And with the other half of the triangles, I added picots around the edges and chained them all together to make some flags for his room. I don’t think he has noticed them yet and for some reason I haven’t pointed them out to him. Here’s hoping he’ll be a little more excited about the flags than he was about the cushions.

Hmm these photos of the flags are a bit crappy and I’m not sure why but they’re twisting out of shape now that they’re hanging up. I have ironed them, but maybe it’s something to do with the way I’ve joined them together with the chaining???

Anyway, I’m counting this as two more WIPs down in my WIP challenge. Only another two to go. Geez this challenge can’t go fast enough for me. I’ve got so many ideas for new projects but I just have to patient and finish off my five first. And to think I was originally thinking ten WIPs. I would have gone crazy!

My Creative Space (and first WIP done!)

2010-10-06T19:49:00.006+11:00

I am so happy with my new little cardi. I just love it. I used Amamda’s squared vest crochet pattern. And despite Amanda telling me it would be quick and easy to make, it actually took me ages.
I ran out of yarn (again) and then somehow I stuffed up the sleeve edges. But I managed to fix both, as you can see, by adding in some rounds of matching scrap yarns and by threading some hat elastic around the sleeve edges.
When I started I thought I would use a big 7mm hook in an attempt to make the yarn go further (does that actually work?), but by the end I thought it was a little loose. Luckily it was a tad too big and the yarn I used is wool, so I lightly felted it and now it is perfect!

I love, love, love it and I can’t wait for some slightly warmer weather to wear it. Also perfect is that it is my first WIP to be completed in my WIP Challenge. Only 4 more things to finish!
And join Kirsty on her Creative Space Thursday.

My WIP Challenge

2010-10-05T18:12:00.005+11:00

I am ridiculously hopeless at finishing things before starting on new things. My list of WIPs (Works In Progress) or UFOs (UnFinished Objects) or whatever you like to call them is huge. And I have some unfinished projects that have been sitting on that list for years and years.

Take for instance the patchwork cushion sitting on the couch. I made it about 12 years ago but I still haven't hand sewn the hole up and there is still stuffing spilling out of it. Or then there's the pair of overalls I started making for Khye about 2 and a half years ago. He's now way too big for them, but if I finish them in the next few months maybe they will fit Maya. And then there's the secret project I started making for my friend for her wedding present. They have just celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary and are now expecting their first baby in December. They still haven't received their present and probably won't for quite a while longer yet. (I think I bit off more than I could chew with this project.)

So anyway in a bid to cross some things off my list and to feel like I am achieving something, I have a plan to challenge myself to finish 5 WIPs before starting on anything new. Sean doesn't think I can do it. I'm not sure I can do it either but I'm gonna try. How hard can it be to finish 5 things? It's not like I'm setting myself a time limit or anything. The only rule is: finish 5 things before starting anything new.

Anyone else interested in joining me on my WIP Challenge??

Arrrgh

2010-09-25T17:38:00.001+10:00

I was gonna say that we'll have our Seany back again on weekends now that the footy season is over, but I guess we're going to have to wait just one more week.

My Creative Space...

2010-09-23T07:58:00.004+10:00

... involves opped denim and upholstery fabric, extra strength upholstery thread, some "inspiration" from a well known Swedish homewares store catalogue, a child's plastic hoop and a beanbag pattern ... but I'm not making a beanbag. My brain is getting a work out (good preparation for my return to work in two weeks) and my newly serviced green machine is also getting a good work out with this project.I love this bedspread crocheted by my grandmother, but it has absolutely nothing to do with my beanbag that is not a beanbag. I just didn't want a photoless creative space. More on the "beanbag" when it's finished. Hopefully it is strong enough and works out okay!

For some inspiring Creative Spaces head over to Kootoyoo.

My Myer Victor

2010-09-19T08:51:00.004+10:00

I love my beautiful old Myer Victor. I got it a couple of years ago, not long after my 11 year old Husqvarna died and could not be revived. I bought it at a garage sale. I still have the tag attached to the handle on the case: “Good Working Order $20”.

Stupid me at the time went away to think about it. I always do that and when I go back to buy, the thing I want has gone. But not this time. It was still there. I paid the man my $20 and just as we were leaving his wife said, “Oh no you didn’t buy that heavy old thing did you?”. There was an air of guilt in her voice, like she didn’t want to pass the burden of it’s heaviness on to anyone else. She then proceeded to tell me about how her husband had given it to her as a wedding present 38 years ago, and how she could only use it when he was home ‘cos she couldn’t lift it onto the table. But I love it’s heaviness. It feels sturdy and solid – a bit like an old car. I love that I have a space in the corner of the dining room where I can leave it on the desk and not have to lift it up when I want to use it.
I love how the needle is not centred and sews on the left and I love how the needle is threaded from the side rather than from the front. I love this gorgeous green machine!
Visit Sophie’s for more Flea Market Finds.

My Mum's Creative Space

2010-09-16T08:43:00.006+10:00

My space is a little boring at the moment. I’m still working on the ripple dress, planning another crochet top, and doing lots of softie cutting out in preparation for future markets. But my Mum has been very busy lately. And Maya is a lucky girl ‘cos she received this fabulous quilt for her first birthday last week. Mum originally patched the quilt back in 1976 when she was pregnant with me. She has recently repaired the quilt, rebacked it, and machine quilted it. The backing fabric is from the curtains my Mum had in her room when she was a baby. I love that this quilt has so much family history in it. Maybe one day I could add to it a little for Maya’s daughter…
Visit Kootoyoo to get your weekly fix of creative spaces.

My Creative Space

2010-09-09T08:04:00.003+10:00

Crocheting more of this:It’s very slow going and getting a bit monotonous now. I think I prefer crocheting with big hooks and big wool. Looking forward to the end of it now.

Crocheted another one of these:Yes it’s exactly the same as the first one. It’s an order for a woman (a complete stranger we met at the shops) who saw Maya wearing hers and wants one the same size and colour for her granddaughter. Still got some loose ends to weave in and a toggle button to add.

And finished making these:Some bedding for a little wicker doll’s pram we are giving Maya for her first birthday tomorrow.

More creative spaces at Kootoyoo.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T08:26:00.005+10:00

More Wordless Wednesdays here.

My Creative Space

2010-09-02T07:07:00.000+10:00

I had envisaged that this creative space would be all about my gorgeous new crocheted sleeveless jacket like the one I made Maya last week, but it hasn’t happened. It all began with a bit of excitement and a lot of gusto (and maybe a touch of obsession), but has ended with disappointment.

First, I used the wrong yarn, a heavy textured yarn and for some reason I chose a colour I don’t love. Second, the jacket ate the yarn very quickly and I don’t have any more to finish the job. Thirdly, the yarn texture is hiding the pretty pattern I crocheted.

So anyway I’ve hidden it at the back of the cupboard so it’s out of my sight and out of my mind. I’m still really keen to make myself a jacket like Maya’s but I’m thinking that maybe I’ll use some wool fabric and sew it rather than crochet it. I haven’t been totally put off crocheting things for myself, but for the moment I think I’ll stick to the small Maya sized garments.
More Creative Spaces over here.

My Creative Space

2010-08-26T07:31:00.004+10:00

How on earth do you make an 11 month old sit still for photos? Every time Maya sees the camera she lunges for it. It makes taking photos of her very difficult. Actually it makes taking photos of anything with her nearby very difficult!

Just get a look at those tiny but terrifying teeth!

Anyway back to the creative stuff, I crocheted this sleeveless jacket for her on the weekend.

It was inspired by a top I saw someone wearing on tv and inspired by Leonie’s wrap.
It’s another ... one made without a pattern. I simply crocheted a circle and “added” a couple of slits for armholes.
I made a prototype with calico first to get the right size for Maya, then started hooking from the centre, ending with a scalloped edge and finished off with a wooden toggle button (raided from Khye’s threading beads - he’s most upset and wants me to take it off - I’m hoping he forgets about it).
I love it and now I want to make one for myself!

I’ve also been joining my triangles this week.

What’s happening in your creative spaces this week?

Front Page News!

2010-08-25T13:16:00.004+10:00

Look what arrived in my letterbox this morning.

Local newspapers delivered! Yes, yes I know, not that interesting, but with the very unreliable delivery service around here it is exciting for me. But what's even more exciting than that is the article about the Sugar and Spice Children's Market on the front page!

Ali spends a lot of time and hard work organising this wonderful market full of gorgeous handmade things for children. And she donates all the profits from the market to local charities. The first market back in June was fantastic with a great atmosphere. You can read the article here.

And if you look closely at the photo, you can see my spunkee owl softie tucked into one of the cute dresses hanging in the background and the colourful softie Ali is holding is another spunkee special!

The next market is on September 12th at St Ambrose Hall in Woodend. I won't be a stallholder at the September Market (I am hoping to have a stall at the December market), but I am looking forward to visiting and browsing and no doubt buying!

My Creative Space…

2010-08-18T21:44:00.003+10:00

…has been very busy this week. First up, I made two pairs of desperately needed jammies for Maya. They are made from vintage flannelette sheets. I’ve been searching the oppies for jammies Maya’s size but found nothing. Now I’m glad I didn’t ‘cos these homemade jammies are soooo much nicer – cosier and prettier than anything I could have bought (Sean doesn’t agree with me though). Yes I did make them a bit too big, but hopefully they’ll last longer.

Next I made another something for Maya. A little skirt made from an appliquéd and embroidered tray cloth. This is so totally inspired by the very inspiring Kate at Fox’s Lane and the gorgeous white tablecloth pants she made for Pepper. It is a little stained already, but with Maya still commando crawling, I’m sure there are many more stains to come. Now I have to try and find some non pink clothes in her wardrobe to match!

Lastly, there was yet another something for Maya. (Thank goodness I have a girl I can make pretty things for!) I made the dress for her dolly. I didn’t have a pattern, just kinda made it up as I went along. I really wanted to make a short sleeved dress to cover the white cotton of her soft squishy body, but that was way too difficult, particularly on such a tiny little dress. My sewing machine couldn't handle it. I guess it just looks like a white t-shirt underneath.
She has such a beautiful face doesn't she?
And I finished dolly’s cardi.

That’s all for now!

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T11:57:00.006+10:00

More Wordless Wednesdays over at Faith, Hope & a Whole Lotta Love.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-08-15T07:00:00.003+10:00

A few Sundays ago, we visited the Melbourne Museum to see the new dinosaur exhibit. And boy were there some fantastic shadows!

I love the tangle of different coloured shadows from this crocodile looking dinosaur.

This is a blue whale skeleton - apparently it's a small one!

More slightly less scary shadows over at Hey Harriet’s.

My Creative Space

2010-08-12T07:51:00.005+10:00

It’s Maya’s first birthday in a few weeks and I’ve been preparing her present. We are giving her a dolly who is in desperate need of some cute, warm clothes and I plan to make them. And ‘cos I couldn’t leave my crochet hooks alone for too long, I started dressing her with this little cardi. Using the purple wool left over from Maya’s top and armed with the “Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlecraft (1980) and a cardi Mum crocheted for me when I was a baby, I began crocheting without a pattern. I had intended to crochet it in one piece, but I started at the bottom edge and then it all got too hard when I reached the arms. So I started another piece from the neck edge and stitched the 2 pieces together. It was certainly a work of trial and error with lots of unraveling and lots of recrocheting!As you can see I still have to tie in the loose ends and sew on the buttons, but I think it has turned out well. Just in time to keep poor dolly warm in this miserable Melbourne weather.

Now I have to work out how to sew a dress to go under the cardi…

More creative spaces here.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-08-08T08:40:00.002+10:00

Maya's birds in the gorgeous winter morning sunshine.

More shadows at Hey Harriet's.

My Creative Space…

2010-08-04T16:22:00.005+10:00

… has waved bye bye to the crochet hooks (temporarily of course) and warmly welcomed the scissors and sewing machine back again.

I’ve been cutting out these woolly squares,
and transforming them into these soft rattle balls,
which have been very much loved by Maya!
I have also been admiring these gorgeous vintage sheet fat quarters that arrived recently and matching them with my existing collection. Thanks Ange for a great swap!

Where’s your creative space at this week?

My Creative Space

2010-07-28T20:45:00.003+10:00

I could hardly wait to finish crocheting Maya’s new little top I started last week.

I could hardly wait to get it on her.
Actually I didn’t wait. It’s nearly done. I still need to finish weaving in the ends. I tried it on her anyway. She ended up wearing it the whole day and I kept poking unfinished ends back inside.I’m really happy with the way it turned out, even though it is a bit tighter around her body than I had hoped for.
I also had to modify the pattern and add some more rows across the shoulders so her arms could fit through. Tension swatches are so borrring!

Now it’s dirty after a hard day of commando crawling and now I miss it. The crocheting that is. I wish I hadn’t finished it so quickly. Sure I have other crochet projects but I really enjoyed doing this one.

More Creative Spaces over here at Kootoyoo.

PS. Do you know how hard it is to make a very active 10 month old sit and pose for a photo?

My Creative Space

2010-07-22T07:32:00.008+10:00

So I have been thinking about this issue of stitching with visitors or when you are out visiting. An issue which Cath and Tas have been talking about lately. I have never even considered doing it, although there have been many times I would have loved to. I have just always thought that my visitors/hosts might think it rude to stitch while trying to have a conversation.

But this week I thought I would give it a go and test other's reactions to it.

At one friend's house, I actually asked her if she minded whether I crochet while chatting. She didn't mind, but we were too busy chasing after children anyway. I also took my crochet to playgroup, but again there was more chasing children.

Then we were invited to a friend's house for dinner and I finally found the opportunity to crochet in front of my hosts. I happily crocheted while Maya had a breastfeed, Khye played and we chatted. There were no funny looks or comments (that I saw or heard) about my crocheting until Sean suddenly realised what I was doing (about an hour later mind you!).

"Renee! Put that away!" Our friend's laughed and said they thought it was a bit odd but that it was just what I do. They're right it is just what I do. Except I usually only do it in the comfort of my own home with only my family.

I did put the crochet away. I probably won't get it out again with visitors. It just feels wrong and I feel too consious that other people think it is rude. And I do care what other people think. I don't want to p___ them off, particularly friends and family. I guess it would would be a very different story if they had a passion for stitching as much as I do.

So where have your creative spaces been this week?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T08:17:00.002+10:00

More at Faith, Hope & a Whole Lotta Love

My Crazy Chaotic Crochet Space

2010-07-15T08:15:00.004+10:00

I need some focus. I’m going batty with ideas. I am crazy for crochet right now. Ever since I learnt how to crochet and discovered the possibilities of it, I have felt like a woman obsessed. Every spare moment has been spent hooking or at least thinking about it. And this week there have been far too many crochet projects started. Fixing the blanket and Maya’s little dress were the first but now I’ve got so many things on the go I can’t keep up with them all. Now I’m not one of those freaky people who finish one project before they start another. Oh no I’m quite the opposite. I have half started projects everywhere. And it’s not that I get bored with those projects, it’s that I’m excited to start new ideas. I just feel a little out of control with the amount of projects I’ve started. I feel like I’m in crochet chaos. It doesn’t help that I find books at the oppy filled with patterns I want to crochet. It also doesn’t help that I find so much inspiration when I read your blogs and get so many ideas I want to try. I am the sort of person that needs to get started on an idea right away rather than note it for later, otherwise I loose the enthusiasm and excitement for it. So, much of my time has been spent poking about inside my big doona bag full of yarns, sifting through trying to find the perfect balls. Trying to find colours that match other colours. Trying to find balls bigger than scraps. Crocheting lots of samples. Unravelling half of them ‘cos I don’t have enough of the yarn to “waste” on a sample. Then yesterday afternoon I went and purchased more wool yarn for yet another couple of projects that I hope to start working on soon.

Will this craziness ever end?

I hope your creative spaces aren’t quite so chaotic and a bit more focussed than mine!

(This is the one crochet thing I actually finished. It’s a hat the looks ridiculous on me but gee doesn’t it make a fantastic vessel?)

A bit about me…

2010-07-13T18:22:00.006+10:00

I have seen these Sunshine Awards floating around blogworld for ages and now I am a recipient! Thank you Brenda! (at Mira Narnie) Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell a little about myself. Here is my 7-things-you-may-not-know-about-me list:

1. After 13 years being together, 8 of those years engaged, we are still not married. There have been far more exciting things to do like produce 2 beautiful children.

2. I had a stroke at the age of 27 about 7 years ago (just so you can work out how old I am!)

3. I work as a GIS Analyst (when I go back after maternity leave) and I studied Cartography at uni. (GIS = Geographic Information Systems and Cartography = map making)

4. If I’m not the first in bed every night, I get grumpy, feel uncomfy and have trouble sleeping.

5. I used to be a fairly organised person until the kids came along.

6. My mum’s middle name is Joy, my middle name is Joy and my daughter’s middle name is Joy.

7. I love the sunshine and follow it about as it moves throughout the day, particularly in winter. And of course summer is my favourite season.

Now to fulfil my obligation for receiving a Sunshine Award, I have to pass it on to some of my favourite blogs. A pretty difficult task when you follow so many blogs and I’m sure many of my favourites have already received this. Anyway here are just 5 of them:

Melissa at Clothwork

Tina at Tinkerbell’s Treehouse

Tracey at Bountifully

Laura Mitchell

Made of Cloth

Flea Market Finds

2010-07-11T08:32:00.001+10:00

Just because I have been silent the last few Sundays does not mean I haven’t been bargain hunting. I have been hunting and I have found stuff, but it wasn’t until this week that I was excited to share it with you and play along with Flea Market Finds.

During our visit to the in-laws, we had the opportunity to visit a few country oppies (without the children – thanks J&B) and boy have they come up with the goods!

My favourite find was hiding high up on the top shelf. First it was the colour and then I spotted the price…far out…$2!?!? The lady told me it was $2 because it was old and a bit scuffed up! I really don’t care! How good is it to see Maya taking an early interest in vintagey stuff!

Anyway luckily I found the case ‘cos I needed it to hold all these gorgeous fabrics and wool I collected. Fabric scraps, sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, curtains, upholstery samples… you can never have too much fabric… until you can’t close the cases or the cupboards I guess!

Then there were the books. The Crochet Book published by the Australian Wool Corporation has some fantastic 80’s patterns that I can’t wait to try. Of course there were more Little Golden books to add to the ever growing collection and Sean found a couple more Enid Blyton books to add to his collection.

And lastly there was this little white wicker shelf which will be perfect for displaying softies on my stall … after a bit of a clean up and coat of new paint.

There was more stuff than this though. I just haven’t photographed it. There was the $1 single bed wool blanket destined to be used inside a quilt, the hessian I’ll use to teach Khye how to sew, more self cover buttons, the lovely original painting complete with falling apart frame and the beautifully soft lambswool jumper for making more softies.

Hope you had a good bargain hunting week too!

My Creative Space

2010-07-01T07:39:00.000+10:00

It's all been about vintage sheets for me lately. Washing, ironing, measuring, ripping, folding, stacking,

arranging,

rearranging,

and restacking.

And now my vintage sheet fat quarters...

...are ready for the big swap!

More Creative Spaces here.

My Creative Space

2010-06-24T10:38:00.004+10:00

Now that the first Sugar & Spice Children’s Market is over, which by the way was fantastic and Ali did a great job organising it, there is once again time for finishing and starting more fun creative stuff. And the first project I finished this week was Maya’s little dress.

I had lots of fun making this, my first crochet project. There was no pattern. I made it up as I went along and used one of Maya’s existing dresses for the armhole shape and for size. I learnt heaps about crocheting, in particular how it is so much quicker and easier than knitting! Yay ‘cos I am the slowest, most uncoordinated knitter in the world.

I love the cotton yarn I bought from the oppy and three balls were just enough to finish the dress. I have only about 1 or 2 metres of yarn left over! When I was making the dress I was thinking I would sew the shoulders together but then realised it wouldn’t go over Maya’s head. So I decided to use buttons and loops to close the shoulders. I was going to use an embroidered doily to make a pocket, but instead used it to cover a couple of the self cover buttons I scored from the oppy recently. I love how the dress has turned out, I love the buttons and now I love crochet!

The other fun creative thing I’ve been up to this week is planning and stitching my postcard for the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap. I’m running a little late but hopefully it’ll be finished this week and on it’s way to my swap partner in the US soon. I don’t have any photos of the work in progress but it is based on this photo I took a few years ago. Do you know what it is? I’ll explain and show the finished postcard later once it is finished and has been received in the US!

More Creative Spaces over here at Kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

2010-06-17T08:54:00.004+10:00

My creative space has been very busy this week catching up after the flu last week rendered me useless for a whole three days. Luckily Khye was in care for two of those days and my wonderful mum came to stay and help out with Maya. She got up at 4:30am to catch the 5:30am train just to get here by about 8:45am! Thanks for your fantastic help mum.

Since recovering from those horrid fevers, chills, joint pain and head aches, I’ve been flat out preparing stacks of softies for the Sugar & Spice Children’s Market. There’s the usual herds of elephants, bales of turtles, towers of giraffes, flights of birds, and now a new parliament of owls,and a new colony of bunnies.
If you're near Woodend this Sunday, come and visit me and my menagerie of spunkee softies - we'd love to see you!

Sugar & Spice Children’s Market
St Ambrose Hall, Woodend
Sunday June 20
10am – 2pm
Free Entry

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-06-06T07:36:00.000+10:00

We had a very brief moment of gorgeous sunrise light during the week. It illuminated my sewing space beautifully and created some fantastic shadows.

More shadows over at Hey Harriet.

Opping the blues away

2010-06-05T18:10:00.002+10:00

Friday was a freezing, foggy day and I didn’t want to face the thought of spending the afternoon saying “Khye get off Maya” and “Khye don’t pull Maya’s fingers” and “Khye take the blanket off Maya” and then finally cracking it with frustration “Khye just leave Maya alone”!!!!!! I’m sure I sound like a broken record and that he doesn’t even hear me anymore. But that’s another story for another time … sigh ... So anyway I packed up my winter blues, my hopes for a peaceful afternoon (and my cash) and took a little trip to a couple of neighbouring little towns to visit their fantastic country oppies. And rather than enjoy the afternoon on our own I invited a friend and her two kids to join us for some op shop fun.

There’s nothing quite like a bit of opping with a friend to cure those gloomy winter blues. Not only did the fog clear, the skies open up and the glorious sunshine warm us, but I found some op shop gold.

First were the brand new, still in packets, never used, all cotton vintage sheets.

Then there was the dear deer that the kids spotted, looked at briefly then returned to the shelf. I couldn’t let her go, particularly seeing as though she was only 50 cents. There were these little golden books. My favourite is the growly bear book, published in the early 60’s, and it’s beautiful illustrations. There were lots of other bits and pieces – fabric, wool, doilies, more books, kids shoes, embroidery hoops, stranded cotton, a kids coat, wire bowl for my market stall and lastly there was this. Oh my how gorgeous! And then to discover it was only 50 cents too!

Thanks AM for coming opping with us. The kids managed to entertain each other and they were even pretty well behaved, except when they ran around the shop shouting and laughing with that huge purple teddy that was bigger than them. The “Pru and Tru” ladies behind the counter weren’t very impressed though, glaring at them disapprovingly over the tops of their glasses!

Anyway hope you all found some op shop gold this week too! Check it out over at Sophie’s.

My Creative Space Full of Discoveries

2010-06-03T09:21:00.004+10:00

I’ve discovered a few things this week:

1. My zygo cactus plants have started flowering. 2. The granny rug I fixed last week looks fantastic on Khye’s bed.
3. I can crochet while breastfeeding Maya.
4. The balls of yarn I got from the op shop for her dress were different dyelots.Can you tell? The left looks more blue and the right looks more yellow. Bugger.
5. I discovered I missed 2 rows of crocheting but I’ve ignored it and I don’t think you can tell.
6. Even though my sewing space is tiny, it can be a beautiful place to work in the early mornings.
Unfortunately this gorgeous patch of sunshine only lasted a couple of minutes.

7. If you actually stop blogging and put the crocheting away, you can get lots of sewing and stuffing and handstitching done. There are stacks of softies slowly coming to life for the Sugar & Spice Children’s Market.

Discover more Creative Spaces over at Kootoyoo.

Not just another kids drawing

2010-05-31T17:42:00.001+10:00

I know what you’re thinking - “Just another kids drawing.” But this one is special. It’s Khye’s first drawing of something recognisable. And look at that, it’s a picture of me! Khye tells me I have 4 legs and the thing in my left hand is apparently daddy. Poor Sean, all he gets is a scribble!

PS. Did anyone see the crocheted granny blanket in the combi on Dr. Who last night? I only got a glimpse of it but didn’t it look great on the backseat?! Can you believe it, it was Sean who noticed it first! I’ve never been so excited about Dr. Who before!

Flea Market Finds

2010-05-30T09:50:00.005+10:00

Thanks to Sophie for hosting Flea Market Finds every week. I love sharing my finds and ooohhhing and aaahhhing over everyone else’s fantastic finds! Here are my finds for the week:A long wool blend coat desperately required for winter.
Now that I can crochet, I can collect crochet patterns. I just have to learn to read them now. Don’t you love the mother and daughter crocheted bikinis!
Golden Hands Volume 1 for $1. Lots of good stuff inside and more crochet patterns!
And finally a bunch of self cover buttons, jeans buttons and eyelets, and a couple of metres of this great green paisley fabric.

Now I’ve gotta stop blogging and start sewing – only 3 weeks till the Sugar & Spice Children’s Market.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-30T08:58:00.003+10:00

This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago when the sun was still shining. A bright happy colourful photo for this bleak, cold, wet, foggy, windy wintery day.

More shadow shots over at Hey Harriet's.

My Crochety Creative Space

2010-05-26T20:47:00.003+10:00

I think I’ve jumped into the deep end with this dress I’ve started crocheting for Maya. I have no pattern. I wouldn’t even know how to read a pattern yet. So I’m making it up as I go along.

I’ve learnt how to chain, double crochet and treble crochet and I’m using one of Maya’s other dresses as a guide for shaping the armholes. I’m making 2 pieces, a front and a back, which I’ll join at the shoulders and sides later. I started crocheting at the neckline and created the V shape by adding extra stitches at the centre – I’m guessing that’s what you call increasing? You guys can probably tell me more about what I’m doing than I can! Then to try and flatten the V shape at the bottom of the dress, I’ve had to add “wedges” of crochet at the sides, which is why things look a little wonky in this photo above. It’s looking okay though and I promise to show and tell more later when it’s finished.

There has also been some success with the blanket I want to fix. I’ve only fixed one side so far – it’s slow going trying to push the hook through the grey loops and then pulling my new purple round through. And I have to pull the whole ball of yarn through the grey loops too. The yarn keeps getting tangled which is very frustrating and I can’t wait just to get it finished now and back onto Khye’s bed where it belongs. Thanks heaps for your advice on this one.

Heading to Kootoyoo now to check out your Creative Spaces!

Thread Sorting

2010-05-25T08:34:00.003+10:00

Do you sort your sewing threads? A bit like button sorting? I do. I need to otherwise they become a huge tangled mess in the top drawer. I asked Khye to help me sort them out. How would you sort your sewing threads? Most people would sort them by colour I would think. Not Khye.
It took me a while to work out what he was doing.

But it wasn’t until the piles got bigger that I worked it out.

He was sorting by reel type!

Flea Market Finds

2010-05-23T07:14:00.001+10:00

Oh my, I AM HOOKED! I am sorry, very, very sorry for that much overused pun but I don’t know how else to put it. Why have I not learned to crochet earlier? I am loving it! I bought 3 full balls of this cotton yarn from the oppy this week that I absolutely love. I just hope I have enough to finish this dress I’ve started to crochet for Maya. I can’t believe how quickly it is coming along. It’s much faster and I’m more coordinated than knitting.

I’m thinking about using this cute little embroidered doily that I also bought from the op shop this week, as a pocket on the dress. Not sure yet. I also found this 3 tier wire basket to use on my stall at the upcoming Sugar & Spice market – less than a month to go now, aarrgghh. And last but not least is this minty green (loooove this colour!) chenille single bedspread to go with the peachy one I found a couple of weeks ago. It always pays to look in the dog blankets box at the op shop ‘cos I have found some great stuff in there. I thought this was a bit faded but after a wash I think it was just a bit dusty and grimy.

Visit Sophie at Her Library Adventures for some fabulous finds!

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-23T06:26:00.002+10:00

Are you sick of these sunrises yet?I’m loving them and the shadows they create like these.This shadow cast by the light switch actually made me laugh out loud at breakfast time. Khye was very bemused. I’m not sure what made me laugh - the shape of the shadow or the fact that a light switch could make such a shadow or maybe it was that I had never seen this shadow, even thought it had probably been there early in the morning most days, at this time of the year, every year!And then we spotted this little house fly and it’s huge shadow.

More shadowy shots over here!

Crochet - help!

2010-05-21T08:46:00.001+10:00

My main motivation for learning to crochet (apart from the obvious "making pretty stuff"), has been to fix the hole in this blanket. It has been very happy on Khye's bed except for the big hole staring at me every time I go into his room. So I've finally decided to do something about it.

I removed one round of grey crocheting where the hole was. I've worked out how to treble and do the triple treble thing. I have crocheted the green round on to the middle square to replace the grey round I pulled out. (And wouldn’t you know it, I ran out of green just before the end - bugger.) Anyway my question is how do I attach the middle square to the rest of the blanket?

Do I have to stitch it on separately? Or maybe I need to undo the green round and redo it somehow hooking the bottom of the grey trebles as I go? I’m not quite sure how to hook the grey trebles in though ‘cos I can’t pull the whole ball of yarn through them. Please, I need help! Thanks!

My Creative Space

2010-05-20T07:30:00.000+10:00

Remember my little piles of scraps from last week? Well they got sewn up, then unstitched, matched with more scraps, resorted into little piles again and resewn.

I had to unstitch them ‘cos I had droopy petals.
Backing the petals with floral cotton scraps helped to strengthen them,
and helped make them look prettier than before.What do you think?
I am just loving the bursts of colour!

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

Flea Market Finds

2010-05-16T12:18:00.003+10:00

I have had some luck recently finding textiles books (here and here) at the oppies and this week was no exception.A lovely hardcover needlework book first published in 1950, this book is the “Fourth Impression 1972”. And with these clear step by step instructions on how to crochet, hopefully I will be joining the “crochet club” soon.
This book, while not exactly a Flea Market Find, was very cheap – only $4.50. I found it at Lincraft!

This week I have been inspired by my find last week and by Kate’s gorgeous dress making, and have been flicking through all the patterns at the oppies. I found these. These illustrations of elongated models always make clothes look so good don’t they? But I love the dress pattern on the left. Not sure if it would suit me but I can only give it a go. Now to choose some fabric…

Oh and one of them came with the pattern cut out of an old 1975 newspaper. Just look at those house and land prices back then!

Visit Sophie at Her Library Adventures for more Flea Market Finds.

Sewing Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-16T08:38:00.002+10:00

Some beautiful shadows this week between all the sewing that’s been happening around here.

For more shadowy shots visit Hey Harriet.

My (slightly sidetracked) Creative Space

2010-05-13T07:32:00.000+10:00

Sidetracked ‘cos I had planned to get lots of sewing done for the Sugar & Spice Market in June. Sidetracked ‘cos I found a Meh Tai baby carrier at the op shop and it needed a bit of “work” for us to use. It’s such a simple design being just a square with the straps sewn to the corners. But this one was such a boring plain blue (unfortunately I forgot to take a before photo). So after a bit of shaping (the edges of the square were cutting into Maya’s thighs) a bit of colour and the addition of some vintage fabric, this is how it looks now. What do you think? I’m much happier with it now. And Maya’s much happier in it!

I also started on something new (like I don’t have enough projects to work on!).

I’ve been sorting and resorting little bits of scraps into piles. More later!

And I started cutting up this fabric to make my winter skirt. I'm not very good at dressmaking, but hopefully it turns out okay and hopefully it will fit me.

Have you been sidetracked this week? I’m heading over to Kootoyoo now to check out your creative spaces.

Flea Market Finds

2010-05-09T20:12:00.003+10:00

I had the opportunity to go opping by myself for a couple of hours this week. So opping I went and I went with intention. Never a good sign because we all know how that usually turns out – disappointment. Not this time! I went opping with the intention of looking at, trying on and hopefully buying some clothes for my sad looking wardrobe. I rarely bother looking at clothes for myself because it’s just too hard to try them on with the kiddies. But without them, I had some success bringing home a pair of jeans, a couple of jumpers and some tops.

And what would a trip to the oppies be without some sort of fabric purchase?!

I love the colour of this wool fabric and hopefully it will make a good winter skirt.

Check out more oppy finds over at Her Library Adventures.

Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Shadow Shot

2010-05-09T08:44:00.002+10:00

Happy Mothers Day to all you mums! Hope you are enjoying a nice sleep in or having a beautiful breakfast in bed!

More shadows over at Hey Harriets.

My Creative Space

2010-05-06T07:30:00.001+10:00

This week's creative space has seen some slow and uncoordinated knitting, a stack of cutting out, a bit of sewing, a heap of stuffing and now there’s a whole lot of mess. But that’s okay ‘cos I’m heading to Stitches & Craft with Mum today!

Head over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

PS. I was going to post a photo of the mess, but you know what it’s like so I thought I would post a photo of something much more pleasant – another gorgeous autumn sunrise!

Ecotoys

2010-05-04T15:57:00.005+10:00

Have you ever visited the Ecotoys online store?
Now you can visit them in person! Ecotoys are about to open their new shop in Hawthorn.

Eco Toys & Baby Grand Opening
Sat 8th May 2010
9am - 5pm
651 Burwood rd, Hawthorn East 3123
(next to Auburn Village & train station)

If you haven’t heard about Ecotoys before, they sell a beautiful range of eco friendly, ethically made and locally handmade toys and they are now expanding their range to include natural baby products.

So pop along this Saturday for the grand opening. You might even see some spunkee softies flying about!

Flea Market Finds

2010-05-02T07:51:00.009+10:00

My find of the week is this near new hardcover textiles book published in 2008. I saw it for only $6 at the local oppy, took it to the counter and then discovered that books were half price that week! $3! Bargain!

It has some great projects like these gorgeous slippers to knit. This folded Japanese quilt looks like fun and easy to make as you fold circles over padded squares, quilt them, join all the squares together and then you have a finished quilt at the end. And maybe I can teach myself to crochet these baubles for Maya. I also picked up another beautifully packaged set of sheets from my favourite op shop. It is only bailing twine but the blue matches the sheets perfectly! And just look at these sheets – it’s Noah’s Ark! I love the colours and I love the design. Not sure what I’ll do with them yet. I guess I’ll chuck them in the linen cupboard with the rest of the vintage sheet collection…
…just as soon as they’re washed and dried. I also found a set of these pink sheets. I don’t think they’re too vintage but they’ll look good with my other sheets. I just couldn’t resist posting another clothesline shadow shot!

Go visit Her Library Adventures for more Flea Market Finds.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-05-02T07:25:00.002+10:00

I've got nothing to say today. No story today. Just a random photo of a piece of wood in the backyard, and for some reason I just like this shadow shot. Check out more shadow shots over here.

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday!

I think I am in love…

2010-04-29T07:56:00.000+10:00

… with this little chair.

You might recognise it from my latest Flea Market Finds and I particularly love it now because it has a gorgeous little cushion to cover the hole in its seat. The cushion is made from an old thrifted scrap from the fabric stash,and backed with a doily from this huge doily haul. I didn’t think I would ever find a use for this orange doily.
But doesn’t it look like it’s made for this cushion and this cushion made for the chair?

I’m also starting to fall for this lamp.

The lamp was owned by my grandparents and a few days ago it looked like this:

Since the lamp is used in Maya’s room, I’d been thinking of redoing the lampshade for a while and, as Sean would say, “pretty it up”.

After removing the old plastic ribbon from the shade, I then recovered it with an old lacey tablecloth that had been hanging around for years.

Since I can’t crochet, I used the edging of a doily from the huge doily haul to edge the lampshade.

I have also lowered the lampshade and now I’m thinking the base might need a lick of paint. But what colour should I paint it? What do you think? I would love to hear your suggestions.

Oh and this is how the other new project I started last week is looking.

I’m still stuffing it.

How’s your creative space this week? I’m heading over to Kootoyoo now to check it out now.

Flea Market Finds

2010-04-25T09:30:00.006+10:00

My find of the week is this cute little kids chair. It only cost $1 from a garage sale.

It took over an hour to clean with a toothbrush.

It has come up nicely now.

And most importantly Khye loves it!

Other finds this week include this gorgeous green tablecloth to add to the collection of tablecloths.

Some more sheets and pillowcases to add to the collection of sheets and pillowcases.

Some more doilies to add to the collection of doilies.

A lovely peachy chenille bedspread I plan to use as a quilt backing.

And a basket to store it all in.

But I think the basket may have become Igglepiggle's boat!

Check out Sophie's for more great finds.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-25T08:23:00.006+10:00

We had another gorgeous autumn sunrise this week.

But rather than post more ... of the .. same early morning shadow shots, I thought I would share some fun clothesline shadows.

Pop over to Hey Harriet's for your weekly fix of great shadow shots.

My Creative Space

2010-04-22T07:05:00.000+10:00

This week I've been sorting,

matching,

resorting,

and rematching,

my collection of upholstery fabrics. Some are small pieces from sample books and some I have a few metres of. Most are floral. All have been acquired from op shops over the past 15 years.

I finally decided on this combination for my new project - yes another project to add to the long list of unfinished projects.

They're not my favourite pieces of fabric, but I still love them - they're green! I find it difficult to use my favourite fabrics, particularly if I don't have much of it.

I hate cutting into them.

It's a fear of making a mistake and wasting them.

It's a feeling of wanting to save my favourites for something special. I never find that special project and they end up being put away in the cupboard. The only enjoyment I get from them is when I pull them out for some more sorting and matching. I need to overcome this problem. My cupboards are overflowing with favourites.

I did also promise to show pics of my finished pincushion.

I hope my swap partner has received this by now,

'cos she knows who she is!

Head over to Kootoyoo for lots of inspiring creative spaces.

Flea Market Finds

2010-04-18T09:57:00.000+10:00

I didn't think I was going to play along with Flea Market Finds this week. My great run of oppy finds over the past ... few ... weeks finally came to an end. Nothing jumped out me saying "buy me, buy me" this week. All I found were a couple of pieces of clothing for Khye and Maya, and this pair of too short jeans in My Creative Space.

Yesterday I had both kids with me so I wasn't planning on going garage sailing, but something told me to drop by just this one garage sale nearby. Boy am I glad I did!

- 6 large pieces of fabric with about 4m in each piece,

- about 15 - 20 crocheted, knitted and embroidered doilies,

- a large embroidered tablecloth,

- and a stack of embroidered, cross stitched and appliqued napkins.

All this for only $5! Bargain!

Oh and they gave Khye this cute yellow teddy who he has named "George the teddy".

Don't you dare call him just "George". No, no, no he is "George the teddy".

What bargains have you found this week? I'm looking forward to checking out the finds over at Sophie's place.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-18T08:33:00.000+10:00

I thought I would be going to the archives for Shadow Shot this week. But in the fading light yesterday arvo, I found these.

Pop over to Hey Harriet's for more shadow shots.

My Creative Space

2010-04-15T09:22:00.008+10:00

I need some advice. Yesterday I found some Levi's Red Tab jeans my size and they fit perfectly, except they were too short! TOO SHORT?!?! How can they possibly be too short?!?! I have never ever had this problem before. In fact I have always had to take my pants up! I hate taking pants up which is why I usually buy and wear skirts. Anyway, like I said these jeans were a perfect fit and the price was pretty good too. "Ladies slacks half price" the sign said. That included jeans. So I bought them for all of $2, thinking that I could find some way of lengthening them or if that didn't work I could make shorts for next summer. After rummaging through my fabric stash, I found some paisley corduroy that I sewed as a cuff to the bottom of the jeans.

What do you think?
Do they look okay? Or are they a bit daggy? Sean says I have prettied them up but he doesn't really care. When I tried them on I kinda thought they looked a bit pyjamary. I'm not sure. Would you wear them in public?

What else do I have in my creative space this week? I should have been sewing new spunkee stuff and preparing for the Sugar & Spice Cildren's Market in Woodend in June, but I haven't been doing that.

I did finish an old Work-In-Progress for my grandmother though.

This bird is made from reclaimed wool fabric and I used the pattern I designed for these love birds.

As you can see by the photos, I finished sewing the wings in the car on our long drive up to see my grandmother. Last minute as always!

What else? Oh yes, I packaged up and sent my retro swap parcel - thanks for your very encouraging comments last week,

and yesterday I received my swap goodies,

with a pretty card from Little Wise Owl.

A handy calico market bag and a cute little fabric covered notebook. Thanks Beckie!

Oh and of course my pincushion is finished and will be packaged up and posted today. I'll show the pics next week.

Check out more creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

A most opportune find!

2010-04-11T21:27:00.011+10:00

For the last couple of months I've been thinking about how I would love to get a carpet sweeper, just to pick up obvious bits of mess without the arduous task of dragging out the vaccuum cleaner. I had decided that it was highly unlikely I would find a carpet sweeper at the oppy and that ebay was probably going to be my best bet. I haven't even checked ebay yet, but just look at what I stumbled across at my local oppy this week ...
... a gorgeous red Sabco "Whisk Away" complete with white wooden handle!

Other finds this week are these two beautiful crochet blankets.

I found these for only $3 each in the dog blanket box. I never understand why they put perfectly good blankets in the dog blankets box.

Actually these aren't "perfectly good". They both need a really, really good wash and a bit of TLC. One has blobs of melted wax all over it.
Hopefully I can get it out. Shannon Lush tells me I should be able to. And the other blanket has a dirty great hole in it.

So all you crocheters out there, tell me, is this hole repairable? I'm assuming all 3 rows of grey will need to be pulled out and replaced??? I can't crochet, but I'm hoping I'll learn one day ... or maybe I can get Mum to help me fix it!

Kiera is pretty happy with my finds this week!

I also picked up some great fabric (read pillowcases, tablecloths, and an apron) from a couple of op shops in Violet Town and Beechworth over the weekend.

I also found this beautiful cotton tea towel.

And this very cute linen pot holder with a 1977 calendar printed on it.

Pop over to Sophie's for more great finds!

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-11T08:20:00.003+10:00

No story - just loving the diamondy shadows and patterns.

Visit Hey Harriet for more shadowy pics.

My Creative Space

2010-04-08T07:53:00.006+10:00

Although it's nice having Khye back home again,

it also means I have less creative time.

But I did actually finish something this week - my retro swap.

He is made from materials reclaimed from wool jumpers and the floral heart is a piece of 1970's cotton fabric from my mum's stash. What do you think of him? Let's hope my swap partner likes softies and likes owls and likes purple and green and orange. I'm going to miss him sitting watching over our house. Lucky he can't talk 'cos he would have a few stories to tell!

For more creative stuff, head over to Kootoyoo.

It’s all about green stuff…

2010-04-04T10:04:00.001+10:00

…and spots and florals and a few other pretty colours this week.
Have I mentioned before that I like green? I love the little spotty Natio cosmetic case. That won’t be holding cosmetics ‘cos I don’t own any, let alone wear them. No it will be great for taking small sewing projects in the car or on the train.

And don’t you love the “packaging” of the cute green floral fabric? This op shop often “packages” their sheets and fabrics like this and they are always so cheap. It’s gotta be my favourite local oppy.

For more thrifting fun, head over to Flea Market Finds.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-04-04T08:10:00.002+10:00

Thought I would continue with the early morning shadow shots this week.

And the same wall again later in the morning.

I love how morning shadows change so much and so quickly. There are lots of photo opportunities, and its great for clogging up computer space!

Check out Harriet’s blog for more beautiful shadow shots.

I found it! I found it!

2010-04-03T13:49:00.003+11:00

Do you remember this post from a while ago when I had that horrible sick feeling? I was convinced I had thrown it out. But while searching for a bag of Japanese kimono fabric scraps last night, I found it! There it was all rolled up in a small bag tucked in a bigger bag right at the back of the cupboard. There was such excitement in the house! I hadn’t been so stupid after all and had just put it away very very safely! I am so very happy to be reunited with my wallpaper and now I can start thinking about what I wanted to do with it again.

So very happy! Now if I could just find these kimono fabric scraps…

My Creative Space

2010-04-01T10:10:00.003+11:00

When your darling 3 year old is on holiday at Grandma and Grandad’s house for the week, and you find yourself with some extra time, what do you do?

Sew of course!

I’ve been in a bit of a pincushion frenzy lately. There are so many ideas flitting about and now I’ve got a few pincushions on the go. This one is finished. What do you think? Sean likes it. “That’s really good” he says, “That’s one of the best things you’ve ever made.”

Huh? I looked at him puzzled.

“It’s the label” he says, “The label really makes it.”
“And the blanket stitch” he says, “The blanket stitch looks good too.”

Considering I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember and considering I didn’t actually make or stitch the label and the blanket stitch, I’m just not quite sure whether to take this as a compliment or not.

“You’ve gotta keep this one” he says, “You’re not allowed to swap this one.” Guess I’m keeping this pincushion!

Other things in my creative space this week:

I finally sewed a zip on this crocheted cushion cover – an old favourite from the op shop that kept loosing its cushion insert until now. My retro swap is nearly done. It’s looking good and I hope my swap partner likes purple!

There’s also been lots of spunkee sewing but nothing to show for it yet.

Khye is due back from holidays today so next week is not going to be quite so productive. Until then happy creating!

Head over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

My gorgeous babies

2010-03-29T13:03:00.002+11:00

Just thought I would post a beautiful picture of my babies, Khye and Maya. My mum, Merrilyn Ward, painted this for us. I have hung it in a prominent spot so we can see it and admire it every time we walk past. Thanks Mum. I love it.

I love Sundays!

2010-03-28T17:59:00.006+11:00

Not only do I get to play Shadow Shot Sunday, but I also get to show off my collection of treasures found during the week by playing along with Flea Market Finds. This week though it’s not only things I’ve found …

I received this nice set of glasses and jug from Sean and the kids for my birthday last week. He picked it up at a garage sale and was told it is Israeli glass. Does anyone know anything about Israeli glass? This set is made from frosted glass and hand painted.
These fabrics were added to my collection this week – a pillowcase and chenille dressing gown and aprons from Mum’s stash.

Mum also gave me some dresses that I used to wear including this gorgeous genuine 1970’s dress that she made. It’ll be a few more years yet before Maya is wearing this.
Mum also gave Maya this gorgeous cotton hat.

And this apron – I don’t think I can cut this one up. I don’t wear aprons but maybe I could make it into a skirt for Maya??
Mum also gave me some wool scraps to go with the couple of pure wool jumpers I picked up this week. They’re such scrummy colours together but the crappy photo from the crappy camera doesn’t really show how beautiful they are. Khye is having a holiday at Grandma and Grandad’s house this week so hopefully I will find some time to use these fabrics – stay tuned to My Creative Space this Thursday.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-03-28T09:29:00.003+11:00

I am loving Shadow Shot Sunday. I am observing the world in a different way and finding heaps of shadows in places I would otherwise have ignored. With all these shadow shots I might have to start playing Shadow Shot Saturday too!

I’m also loving these beautiful autumn sunrises. There was a particularly orange sunrise this week as it shone through all the smoke from the controlled burning happening in the Dandenongs.

My Creative Space

2010-03-25T20:12:00.007+11:00

It was fantastic having Mum here for a few days to help me out with the kiddies and get the house organised. No photos though ‘cos it’s already starting to look messy again. I can’t believe how quickly the housework piles up when you have kids.

There’s been lots of sewing this week though, but I have nothing finished to show. I can show my actual creative space though...... a tiny desk in the corner of the dining room.

My pincushion for the swap is coming along okay and I hope my swap partner likes it. I’m also looking forward to upgrading my old tomato pincushion that I got for my 21st many years ago!
I also "dabbled" in a bit of cake decorating this week. I made a chocolate ripple hungry caterpillar cake for Khye's 3rd birthday. Yes it looks a bit odd (and the photo is not a good one).
My excuse is it was made at 10pm. Somehow I don't think I'm cut out for cake decorating. But I think Khye enjoyed it ... if he could see it through his glasses! (They’re vintage showbag glasses, about 25 years old!)
Check out other creative spaces at Kootoyoo.

Flea Market Finds

2010-03-21T21:47:00.003+11:00

Actually all op shop finds again this week.

These gorgeous glass vases.

A lovely yellow floral apron.

A couple of fantastic wood jigsaw puzzles for Khye.

A few pretty lace doilies/tablecloth including these two – my favourites.

This pretty appliquéd and embroidered napkin.

A couple more jumpers for making softies (if I ever find time sew again!). The top jumper is angora and the bottom is 100% cashmere and so scrumptiously soft.
And a few bits and pieces for the sewing box.
I’m looking forward to checking out everyone else’s finds over Her Library Adventures.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-03-21T17:37:00.005+11:00

A beautiful March sunrise through our bedroom window. I took a billion photos 'cos the light kept changing, but I think these are my favourites.

Ooops I forgot to add the link to Harriet's blog where you can see heaps of other shadow shots.

My Creative Space

2010-03-18T12:08:00.003+11:00

Yesterday I found myself with a couple of spare hours before Khye came home from childcare. I had just fed Maya and she was in bed. I walked into the kitchen… …and sighed at the state of it.

I went to the lounge… …and shook my head at the trail of toys.

I stepped into the hallway… …and rolled my eyes at the mountains of washing.

I looked into the study… …and groaned at the piles of mess.

I walked up to the bedroom… …and tsked at the unmade bed.

I felt really tired at the thought of it all, so I threw my hands into the air as if surrendering to the mess and said “Bugger it all, I’m going to sew!”

So I did! I unpacked the sewing machine, and sorted my cut out bits of fabric from last week into colour piles, and started sewing … for all of about 10 minutes. Sigh… Maya decided she didn’t want to sleep after all and she wasn’t content playing on the floor. No she wanted cuddles and how could I pass up cuddles with my gorgeous little girl!

Thank god for Mums though. Mine arrives in about half an hour for a few days and hopefully I can get this house sorted out while she’s here.

There was another more successful sewing session earlier in the week. Maya was asleep and Khye was outside helping Daddy mow the lawn. It gave me time to sew up the dinosaur tail I had promised to make for Khye. It worked out really well using green fabric and the fringe from a green wool shawl. And Khye loves dinosaur dancing in the garden!

The rest of my creative space this week is filled with thoughts of pincushions and retro somethings.

Check out Kootoyoo for other creative spaces.

My Place and Yours

2010-03-16T20:12:00.004+11:00

Pink… I didn’t think I had any pink in this house apart from fabric and Maya’s clothes. (It’s pretty difficult to avoid pink when there are girls about.) But when I went looking, I did find some pink.

Pink wool blankets on our (unmade) bed.

Pink cross stitch that my sister in law made for me many years ago, hanging above my sewing desk.

Pink teddy pastel painting that Mum painted of my favourite teddies when I was little.

Silk scarf painted by mum 22 years ago, that I used to wrap a canvas and hang in Khye’s bedroom.

Pink indian sari patchwork given to me by a good friend for my 30th birthday. (not a very good photo I know)

Oh yeah and pink door handles throughout our house.

Visit hello owl for more pink!

Op Shop Treasures

2010-03-14T19:56:00.003+11:00

I found some exciting treasures this week at my regular op shops, a couple of new op shops and the Saturday garage sales. There were 5 garage sales within walking distance of our house this week and Maya and I enjoyed a nice sunny morning walk hunting for treasures. My favourites this week are these beautiful vintage skittles and cute wall shelf.Unfortunately there was one skittle missing, but the sellers at the garage sale think that they will find it in their clean up. They have my phone number so hopefully I hear from them. Fingers and toes are crossed!

Another favourite are more floral sheets to add to the collection. I can feel a quilt a-brewing…

And yet another favourite from this weeks treasures are these books. Kaffe Fassett was a huge inspiration for me back in high school – actually he still is very inspirational and I love his work. I cannot believe I found this book for only $3.

The other two books are from the 1960’s and 70’s. I love these birds from The Stitchery Book.
And these softies from the Handicrafts book.

Hope you all had some great finds this week too and I’m looking forward to visiting Her Library Adventures to check them out!

Shadow Shot Sunday

2010-03-14T10:09:00.004+11:00

Beautiful weather we have had lately. Beautiful for washing. Beautiful for shadows!

Visit Hey Harriet for other beautiful shadow shots.

My Creative Space

2010-03-11T09:52:00.003+11:00

Thanks for your comments last week. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one juggling lots of things and trying to find a good balance between them all. I am trying to limit my computer use to one hour a day. We’ll see how it goes… How much time do you guys spend on the computer?

This week started out so promisingly. Khye asked if we could make some muesli bars. “Is that a good idea mummy?” he says in his 3 year old talk. “What a fantastic idea Khye!” So we mixed all the dry ingredients together. Khye was being a Really Useful Helper (just like Thomas the Tank who is a Really Useful Engine) and used his spoon to stir everything in the bowl. It was looking so yummy, so colourful, so promising…After mixing with the wet ingredients and smoothing the mixture into the tray we put it in the oven. That’s when things went wrong. I forgot to put the timer on. About 2 hours later I noticed the oven was still on. Another couple of seconds and I remembered the muesli bars were still in there too…No more needs to be said.

On the sewing front though, I did manage to get a stack of cutting out done.
Hopefully next week’s creative space will see me sewing this lot up.

Head over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

Stormy photos

2010-03-08T09:08:00.003+11:00

Wow weren’t the storms in Melbourne wild? Out here we were only hit by the edges of the storm – bit of lightning, thunder, heavy rains and luckily no hail. But we did have some amazing clouds whipping up around us.
And here is another stormy photo from a couple of months ago that I just thought I’d share.
I’m playing along with Shadow Shot Sunday, but I don’t know that my shadow photos are going to stack up against Harriet’s and everyone else’s beautiful photos. I’ll give it a go anyway and keep my eyes peeled for beautiful shadows during the week.

Op Shop Treasures

2010-03-07T09:15:00.003+11:00

Its been pretty quiet this week at the op shops. In fact I spent less than $5! (Sean is happy!) But I did find a few little treasures.

This cute musical birdie for Maya’s room. I love the colour, I love the music and I love the fact that it plays for ages!

Another piece of clothing for Maya and some more fabric (background).
The jumper is acrylic but I love the pattern. Just need some cooler weather now! And I love the little orange flowers on the fabric.

And lastly I found this teeny tiny half finished patchwork. The sides of the hexagons are only about 1cm long! It comes complete with paper hexagon templates, tiny fabric scraps and hexagons already tacked and ready to sew together. It’s a lot of work for something so little, but I plan to finish it – it’s on the long list of projects to do. Maybe I’ll finish it 2020…

Head over Sophie’s for more treasures.

My Creative Space … or lack of

2010-03-04T09:15:00.004+11:00

I love blogging. I love updating my blog. I love reading other blogs. I love visiting other very inspiring Creative Spaces. I love reading about Vic’s op shopping and garage sale adventures and the bargains she picks up. I love playing along with Sophie’s Flea Market Finds, showing off my finds and being excited and jealous at the same time over other people’s finds. I love reading Tif’s poetic blog posts, admiring her beautiful work and her amazing house. I love reading my bloglist to see what other people are up to. It inspires me and motivates me.

But now I almost despise the computer because the more I blog and read, the more I am inspired and motivated, but the less time I have to be creative. I’m still trying to find that balance and it’s particularly difficult when you also add housework, a toddler and a baby to the mix. So many things to do, so little time. When I finally get some time to myself, I don’t know where to start. Yesterday when I had a spare half hour, what did I do? I cleaned up the stationary draw! I guess at least I can find working pens now, but really that was way down on the list of things to do. So how do you guys do it? How do you fit in the fun creative bits?

Anyway, at some stage between all the loads of washing, the demanding toddler and the hungry baby I did find a few minutes this week to sew the long awaited ears onto Khye’s fabric rocking horse.

Not very exciting or inspiring I know but I did get to use needle and thread. I started making the horse way back here and I still have to finish the reins and the saddle – maybe that’ll be part of next weeks Creative Space!

Oh yeah, I did also make a bus with Khye the other day – I can count that as being creative too!

For other much more interesting Creative Spaces head over to Kootoyoo.

Fun things to do with kids #3:- A Bus

2010-03-02T13:14:00.004+11:00

I was about to throw this biscuit packet into the bin (the recycles bin of course), when I had a sudden thought of "I can't throw this out, look at those great little compartments, perfect for sorting or something." After a couple minutes I decided it would make a great bus for Khye!

We made it together - Khye chose the wheel colour and he did the taping, while I did the cutting and as you can see by the photo it was pretty simple to make:
- tape 4 plastic bottle lids as wheels to the biscuit tray
- cut out a rectangle of cardboard the same width as the tray to make the windscreen
- cut a smaller rectangle hole on one end of the cardboard so the bus driver can see out
- cut a piece of clear plastic from some discarded packaging and tape to the cardboard to make the windscreen "glass"
- tape the entire windscreen to the biscuit tray and voila!

What fun, creative things do you do and make with your kids? I’d love to see your ideas and creations. I’m always looking for new things to do with Khye.

PS. Start saving all your plastic bottle lids. I use them for sooo many things. They make great wheels, eyes, lights, heads, ears, for threading, mobiles etc.

And don't forget the Baby Show Ticket Giveaway!

Oppie Treasures

2010-02-28T18:49:00.005+11:00

It was another good week at the op shops with a few more treasures found. Apart from the pretty fairy dress and silver pixie shoes that Khye has been wearing all weekend (his father is horrified and refused to let me post photos - we'll save them for the 21st!) I also found this gorgeous little cloth dolly for Maya.
She needs a wash but her face is so pretty.
This light cotton market bag – I love green and spots!
I love the green lid and spots on this jar too!
I also found these wool jumpers. They are a bit rare during the summer season so I was lucky to pick these up. The pink one is angora and will make a soft cosy cot blanket and some cuddly spunkee toys.
And lastly this beautiful hand crocheted wool blanket. It was a bit pricey by church op shop standards so I decided not to buy it initially, but I couldn’t stop thinking about so went back the next day and thankfully it was still there!Thanks to dottie angel, I think I’ve discovered I have a thing for blankets. I only realised it once I had bought this blanket. I actually counted 32 blankets in our house! Some are in use on our beds, many in the cupboard, but I just couldn’t hide this one away.
Head over to Sophie’s Flea Market Finds for more great treasures.

And don't forget the Baby Show Ticket Giveaway.

Baby Show Ticket Giveaway

2010-02-27T15:27:00.010+11:00

Thanks to Ecotoys I have some Baby Show tickets to giveaway. The tickets are worth $20 and the Baby Show is in Melbourne next week from Friday 5th - Sunday 7th March.

Ecotoys will be exhibiting at the Baby Show with their beautiful range of toys made from natural, sustainable and recycled materials. They will also have some fantastic offers and giveaways at the show including this gorgeous organic baby hamper valued at $240.

You may even see some of my spunkee soft toys at the Ecotoys exhibit!

To receive your free ticket to the Baby Show please email me with your name and email address. You will then be subscribed to the Ecotoys e-newsletter and we will send you a ticket via email which you can print and present at the Baby Show.

My Creative Space

2010-02-25T16:34:00.007+11:00

This is where I spent most of my day today – in my favourite part of our garden.

I find it very peaceful here and it’s so nice sitting on the cool grass on a warm day. I blew bubbles for Maya who has never seen bubbles before and she was fascinated by them!
Then while Maya slept I finally completed this tiny babushka brooch that I had started at christmas time.
The pattern is from this book that Sean and the kiddies gave me for Christmas.
And I also photographed some of my spunkee softies in the garden. These softies are bound for my new etsy store and for the Ecotoys stall at the Baby Show in Melbourne next weekend.

Head over to Kootooyoo to visit heaps of other great creative spaces.

Op Shop Treasures

2010-02-21T09:37:00.011+11:00

This week I’ve had a good run with the op shops. Apart from picking up some practical things like a hat for Khye, some clothes for Maya and a wasp trap for Sean (which I hope will also trap some of those darned flies), I also found some “treasures” for myself.

This lovely fabric covered Address and Telephone book.

I love green – I’m always drawn to green stuff.
I love the inside too. The index letters down the side almost look hand stamped with their imperfections.

But I have a dilemma, as I always do with these sorts of things. I don’t know whether to actually use it or not. If I use it the beauty of it might be spoiled but then what’s the point of having it cluttering up precious cupboard or bookshelf space. What I’ll probably end up doing is putting it away to “think” about and then forget about it! What do you think I should do – use it or not?

This beautiful silky scarf which Maya loves when I drape it over her. She loves the silky smooth texture on her hands and feet… and tongue!
And I love the orange and pink together with the black. It reminds me of this scarf I bought a few weeks ago.
I found two of these linen tea towels and although I’m not a huge fan of pink I really like these. I think it might actually be the greens that I like.
And the squirrel is my favourite panel.
I also found this yummy pure wool blanket. I love the woven pattern – it’s the same as a couple of other blankets we inherited from Sean’s grandparents and although they’re pink, I love them.
And lastly I picked up this kids wooden kitchen. I’ve been looking for a kitchen for a while and have resisted all the plastic kitchens I’ve seen and I’m so glad I did ‘cos this wooden version is great. The oven door is missing but that’s okay – I don’t think Khye has noticed. Last night he cooked us some yummy playdough pizzas!
I’ve been having lots of fun playing along with Sophie’s Flea Market Finds each week and checking out all the treasures other people have found.

Until next week, happy treasure hunting!

Where is she?

2010-02-17T08:09:00.003+11:00

I lost Maya yesterday...

...amongst all her pretty flowers. If it wasn't for her limbs and her head, I don't think I'd ever have found her!

Kitchen Love & Op Shop Bargains

2010-02-16T08:02:00.003+11:00

Today I’m playing along with Punky & Me's Kitchen Love and Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds.

The kitchen is not my favourite room in the house ‘cos being in it usually means work ie. dishes, cooking etc. But it is nicer to be in now. See it used to be pink – pink cupboards, pink benchtops, pink handles. Last year Sean painted the cupboards white, changed the door handles and he made timber benchtops. He’s done a fantastic job and it looks great. And now at least I feel more comfortable doing the dishes and cooking!

Another part of the kitchen that I love are the spice racks on the wall. And I have been enjoying making salads for our summer BBQs in my favourite green pyrex bowls that Sean found at the op shop recently. I love green!

Fun things to do with kids #2:- Tiger Ears

2010-02-14T10:34:00.009+11:00

We went to the Melbourne zoo the other day. We saw lots of animals. Highlights were the seals in their new pool, the butterfly house

and the lions
Unfortunately the queues were very long to see the new baby elephant so we didn’t get to see her. We had a great fun family day and then we went into the zoo shop. Khye spotted the tiger ear headbands and wanted them. He really wanted them. There were tears. So Sean said “I’ll make you some tiger ears when we get home”!!!!

So a snooze in the car and an hour later, here is the making of the tiger ears!

What is he drawing on the cardboard?

Oh I see, he’s making it like a headband?!

Cutting it out

Trying it on for size. "That'll do"!

More cutting out

What’s he doing now?

Oh okay, he’s making some orange headbands.

Missed a couple of photos here (must have been distracted by Maya) but Sean tells me he glued the orange headbands onto the cardboard headband.

He then asked Khye to point to where he should draw the tiger’s stripes. I would have just asked Khye to draw the stripes himself…

And then it’s time to have fun getting down on all fours and roaring like a tiger!

But there were some problems ‘cos the headband kept falling off his head.

So back to the design table for some modifications.

Looks like he’s sticking some straps on at the back and the front.

Yep and it’s back to roaming and roaring like a tiger!

It’s not how I would have made tiger ears but they both had lots of fun!

(I would have made them like the reindeer ears!)

This week’s bargains…

2010-02-11T08:40:00.003+11:00

It’s been a good op shopping week!

Beautiful single bed sheets. They just don’t make sheets like this anymore. Not sure whether I’ll cut these up or use them as sheets. At the moment I’m just enjoying seeing them sitting there adding a little joy to my boring linen cupboard, every time I open the doors!

This cot sheet for Maya. Sean thinks it's ugly but I like it.

Love this vintage kitty fabric remnant.

Also picked up some other fabric scraps, ribbons, buttons and another skirt for myself, a dress and a rattle for Maya and more puzzles for Khye. Still nothing for Sean though - he always complains I never bring anything home for him.

Check out Sophie's flea market finds at Her Library Adventures.

Black Saturday

2010-02-07T10:33:00.004+11:00

Thank you to all those who have helped my parents after the fires of Black Saturday. And a huge, special thank you to Jenny and Steve for helping mum and dad save their house and garage during the fire. They couldn't have done it without you.

Our thoughts today are with all those who have been affected by the Black Saturday bushfires.

Fun creative things to do with kids #1: - Reindeer Ears

2010-02-03T09:05:00.004+11:00

Well they're not really ears but that's what Khye calls them. Yesterday we made some reindeer antlers. Khye's very creative Grandma gave me the idea, inspired the Eric Carle book "The mixed up chameleon" about a chameleon who wished to be more like other animals, including a reindeer.

It's a simple activity and all you need is some stiff paper or card, crayons or pencils or textas and some tape.

1. Ask your child to spread their hands on the paper or card and trace around them with a pencil.

2. While your child colours in the hands, cut a strip of paper, wrap it around your child's head and tape the ends together to create a headband.

3. Cut out the coloured hands.

4. Tape the hands to the headband.

5. Time to have fun pretending to be a reindeer! Or maybe pretending to be a chameleon wanting to be a reindeer!

I couldn't miss out on all the fun - I made myself some antlers too and we had great fun running around the garden pretending to be reindeer!

I'll have to remember this one for christmas. It would be fun to decorate the antlers with some christmassy glitter!

PS. Thought I might share with you the activities we have fun doing at home in a series of blog posts called "Fun creative things to do with kids". Hope you find it useful and enjoy it!

Skirts & Scarves

2010-01-28T15:46:00.004+11:00

My latest op shop finds:

I love the colours of this scarf.

And love the print too! Not sure what I’ll do with this yet.

I love the fabric in this skirt.

But there are too many pleats and the skirt does not look good on me. I will either modify the skirt to suit me or I’ll use the fabric for some other project.

It’s very difficult to take photos when the 2 year old is running around!

I couldn’t go past this scarf.

It is a huge piece of fabric.

Blue is not really my colour but I love the woven design.

Not sure what I’ll make with this either.

I love this skirt.

And it needs no modifications!

Fat chance

2010-01-25T10:26:00.003+11:00

So much for the posting every few days! Its been over a week since my last post! Where does my time go? Oh yeah my time goes into a toddler and a 4 month old baby. And to think I was considering a post a day... ha! Fat chance of that ever happening!

This is dried and hardened fat. Looks like beautiful textured lizard skin doesn't it.

I have that horrible sick feeling…

2010-01-17T09:15:00.002+11:00

5 years ago we holidayed in the UK and I loved the textured wallpaper that lined the walls of a few of the places we stayed at. It was like puff paint – raised and spongy – and there were some beautiful designs.
I was so excited when we went into a hardware store (I have no idea why we did that on our holiday!) and discovered rolls of wallpaper that you could tear off small samples for free! I collected a sample from every roll and carted it with me for the rest of the holiday, planning to do something with it when I got home. For 5 years it has been sitting in the cupboard waiting until I finally had an idea for it the other day. But when I went to the cupboard to get it out I could not find it. I have searched high and low throughout the house and I cannot find it anywhere. I had a big cleanup last year before Maya was born and I now have this vague memory of discussing with Sean whether I was actually going to do anything with the wallpaper samples or not. And now I can’t remember for the life of me whether I threw it out or put it away very, very safely. I have that horrible sick feeling I have thrown it out. Of all the junk in our house and of all the things I could have thrown out. Sigh…

A million photos

2010-01-14T22:04:00.002+11:00

In a bid to update my blog more often and to do something with my arty photographs which are just wasting away on my computer, I am going to try to post a new photo or series of photos every few days. (Maybe I'm setting the bar too high considering I only post every few weeks but lets see how I go!) This is today's photograph which was actually an accident but I love the colours.