CurlyPops

Sunday Snippets... via Instagram (on a Monday)

2012-01-30T10:11:00.000+11:00

Here's a little snippet of last week...

Washing cushion covers so they're nice and clean.... only for Mr Limpy Houdini Dog to sit on them immediately

Adding my brand spanking new fabric colourway to the shop...

Chocolate Mousse at NCB...

More tales of Baconpalooza...

Coffee and homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes with a long lost childhood friend

Checking the size of the first of my new curtain panels...

Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl

A CurlyPops & Shiny Happy Art Collaboration

2012-01-28T16:30:00.000+11:00

I've been busting to show you what I've been working on lately. It's a very exciting collaboration with Anna from Shiny Happy Art.

We've put together a combination of Anna's beautiful artworks and my bag making skills to create these very unique handbags.

We're beginning with this collection of four.

These will be available in the Shiny Happy Art Online Shop from 12PM Midday Sunday (29th January).

For more photos of each bag, just pop on over to the Shiny Happy Art or CurlyPops Facebook pages.

Play me a tune...

2012-01-28T10:09:00.000+11:00

I love music.

Actually, I love music even more than I love tv (and now that's sayin' somethin')...

There's nothing better than boppin' along to the beat, and singing like no-one can hear you (and hoping and praying that really - no-one can hear you).

I'm not a huge fan of using earbuds though. I always panic that I might accidentally start singing in a public place.

Anyhow, I digress....

After a few worriesome days wondering whether the postie also likes music and had therefore snaffled my CD's from the Punky & Me Music Swap, thisafternoon, there was a knock at the door.

It was my lovely next door neighbour. Apparently lots of my mail gets delivered to her house, and she normally just pops it back in my letterbox, but she thought that these were DVD's and that they might be important so she personally delivered them. Phew!!!

Anyway, I must say that my three swapees have fantabulous taste in music. There are some great songs which I can't wait to put on my iPod. The thing that I love about music swaps is that I get to listen new music that I may not have considered previously, and then I can decide whether I'd like to go and buy the entire album (I still buy the old school way - CD... no downloads for me)!

Thankyou Vic from Punky & Me, Miss G from Indefinite Space, Martta from Tell Me A Story Braveheart, and Bron from Mad Crafty Mama - you girls rock!

Chocberry Bag

2012-01-27T08:33:00.000+11:00

As soon as my new Chocberry colourway arrived, I couldn't wait to cut into it to make something just for me.

I have about eleventy-billion handbags... lots of really little ones, and lots of really big ones, but I never can seem to find one that's just right in the middle.

I auditioned a few different lining fabrics...

... but the gorgeous swirly one that Cathy bought for me won hands down.

This is the perfect size for my everyday bag. It had a maiden voyage to NCB Wednesday night, and today it gets to come along to pulmonary rehab, and then for a coffee and red velvet cupcake date.

I can't wait (for the coffee and cupcakes that is)!!!

A very late engagement

2012-01-26T11:19:00.000+11:00

Sometimes handmade gifts don't quite get made in time for an occasion...

The fabric panels arrived on Tuesday and I madly scrambled to get this cushion finished so that I could take it along to NCB lastnight for B-Fab (please forgive the hastily taken blurry iPhone snaps as I was running out the door).

Just in case the design doesn't make any sense to you.... that's the happy couples first initials.

....and here it is in its new home - on Boyance's couch!

Go Granny... now in Chocberry

2012-01-25T10:38:00.000+11:00

Exciting news today!

My new Go Granny in Chocberry colourway is now available.

It's quite difficult to get a photograph that truly represents the colour accurately. The pink and orange are quite rich and bright, which is just what I wanted.

I immediately had to cut into it and start making myself a new handbag. I'm hoping to finish it off today.

I've only had a really small amount printed at this stage, so get in quick if you like it. If you miss out, and would really love some, just send me an email and I can order another print run.

Sometimes you strike gold....

2012-01-23T09:05:00.000+11:00

.....Op Shop Gold that is.

I've been wanting to buy vintage chairs for my dining table for the loooooongest time. I've never ever ever found a large affordable matching set.

So you can imagine my surprise when my sister and I walked into the oppy a couple of weeks ago and spotted these gems. A matching set of eight vintage wooden dining chairs, in excellent condition.

But the best bit.... they were only $10 each. You could have knocked me down with a feather!

I think they've had a previous life in a school art classroom.

They all have various splashes of coloured paint, pencil, and pastel. I think it adds to the character.

The only problem with this room of course is that there's just waaaay too much wood. The wall unit was purchased for my previous house. It matched perfectly there, but now I wish it was painted white.

I need to make myself a Go Granny Cotton Canvas tablecloth to brighten it up a bit... off to add it to the big list!

Sunday Snippets... via Instagram

2012-01-22T09:20:00.000+11:00

Some of my favourite instagram shots from the week...

Playing Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl

The Punky and Me Music Swap

2012-01-21T09:41:00.000+11:00

*Yet another iPhone photo

I vowed not to join any swaps this year, just in case I disappeared and left my swap partners in the lurch (I'd be devastated if that happened)!

Epic fail... (I've never typed that before). Does it sound ridonkulous? I think I may be too old for words like that.

Anyway, it took me a grand total of 4 days to break my promise and join Vic's Music Swap.... well she is irresistable after all.

My original intention was to follow a theme. But, with 3476 songs on my PC (and that's not my entire CD collection), how could I possibly choose just enough songs to fit on one lone CD? In the end, I've tried to choose just some of my all time favourites. The ones that make you want to sing out loud, and maybe even bop along.

I hope my swapees are happy with my selection.

*In other news... it seems my poor old camera is becoming a bit superfluous. The photo above was taken on my iPhone. I've used the Snapseed App to edit it on my phone, and the Dropbox App to upload it, all while sitting on the couch watching tv. The wonders of modern technology.

Still playing catch up... and a Camera Bag

2012-01-20T10:11:00.000+11:00

Everything is still on a bit of a time-lag around these parts.

Even my daily consumption of coffee, red cordial, and chocolate (which sustains me with the delicate balance of caffeine, red food colouring and sugar) hasn't been giving me my normal extra energy boost!

I've been working on a fun project behind the scenes that I can't show you just yet, but then I remembered that I still had a lovely camera bag from last year that I hadn't yet blogged.

Lauren contacted me in December to make a surprise Christmas pressie for her sister. She visited Ink and Spindle and picked out this lovely Gingko in Deep Red and Stone.

The bag was designed for a smallish compact type camera and a separate lens, so there is just one adjustable separator inside.

I love how it turned out... now I just need to make one for myself (how many times have I said that?).

PS - thanks for all the lovely bloggiversary wishes yesterday. I didn't get a chance to reply to all the messages!

Missed It... by 4 days (or Happy 4 Year Bloggiversary to me)

2012-01-19T11:21:00.000+11:00

I missed it last year.... and I've managed to miss it again.

Last Sunday, this little blog clicked over the 4 year mark.

4 years and 1716 posts later (this one is number 1717), and I'm still rambling on. Whodathunkit?
I think I deserve cake to celebrate.

Hibernating

2012-01-17T21:20:00.000+11:00

'Twas just a little bit too warm for me today, so I spent the day hibernating in the air-conditioning sewing iPad Sleeves.

Some manly (as in 'for men' not as in Manly the suburb) ones are heading to Open Drawer tomorrow

Along with some lovely bright colourful flower brooches....

Just a reminder, the shop has re-opened, so if you're looking for any goodies... click on over!

A little change goes a long way

2012-01-16T08:26:00.000+11:00

I had a very fruitful oppy expedition with my sister more than a week ago now..... and one of the things I found was this lovely dress.

The length was wrong, and it had these weird ties connected at both sides, so you could pull it in from the front, or from the back to give waist definition, but either way, the opposite side just looked stretched and strange!

A very quick and very easy re-fashion was all it needed. It probably took me about thirty minutes in total.

I snipped off the ties (leaving them about 3inches long), overlocked the edges, turned them in and and stitched them down to make belt loops.

I cut four inches from the bottom of the dress and overlocked and re-hemmed.

Then I took the dress offcut and the tie offcuts, and joined them together to make a belt.

So... $4 and thirty minutes of my time. What do you think?

Sunday Snippets... via Instagram

2012-01-15T12:11:00.000+11:00

Some of my favourite instagram pics from the week that was...

Waiting at the table for dinner.... (I'm going to pinch that tablecloth one day)

My brother likes to tease me on twitter using the hashtag #weirds$%&mysistereats (I don't think bananas on toast is weird... do you?)

A gorgeous pressie in the mail from Nicole

Sorted out my thread drawer... Lissanne would be proud

Relaxed and swooned over Kev...

One minute it's a sketch in my book. Quick iPhone snap - add some digital colour and voila!

Lolly Heaven...

Mr Limpy Houdini Dog and his companion...

Playing Sunday Snippets with Tinniegirl

The FilmLife Project Bloggers Challenge

2012-01-13T13:01:00.001+11:00

What’s your take on or experience with organ donation, and why did you choose to take part in the FilmLife Blogger Challenge?

For me, the answer to this question is simple.... I need some new strong healthy lungs.

I've been on the waiting list for a double lung transplant since August 31st 2011. I'm not quite sure how much longer I can last without them...

Blogging is a great way to be able to educate and to spread the message about the amazing gift of organ donation, and I'm hoping that lots of my fellow bloggers will also be inspired to answer these three simple questions.

I've been a registered organ donor ever since I was old enough to legally sign up. It wasn't until I was 27 that I was told that I would end up eventually needing a transplant myself. Now ten years later, it's become a reality.

If you were to donate your organs, which one would you love to donate, and why?(nb. this question is intentionally quirky so feel free to be creative and have some fun with it)

If something happens to me, I'm donating everything.... except my pesky dodgy lungs of course (trust me - nobody wants them)!

I think my heart would be perfect for donation. It's grown big and strong from taking on all the extra workload and having to pump so fast while trying to distribute oxygenated blood around my body.

It's full of love for all my family and friends who have stuck by me along this wild and crazy medical ride.

It has empathy and passion and creativity.... and seriously, who wouldn't want a bit of that?

Who in your family would you need to talk to about organ donation, to be sure your loved ones knew your wishes?

Absolutely everyone in my family, and all my friends know my wishes. We've discussed it endlessly. I'm also officially registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register via Medicare

I know that my family will ultimately have to make that final decision, so it's vitally important that they all know my wishes.

Would you like to join in the blogging challenge and answer the three questions?

Just blog your answers to the questions and add your details to the linky list. I'll tweet your post with the #filmlifeproject hashtag and it will then be added to the official FilmLife Blogger Challenge Page.

FilmLife Project Website
FilmLife Project on FB
FilmLife Project on Twitter

The FilmLife Project

2012-01-12T18:22:00.000+11:00

Have you heard about the FilmLife Project?

As part of DonateLife Week 2012 (19th - 26th February), young filmmakers between the ages of 16 and 35 have the opportunity to make a 5 minute short film using the theme of organ and tissue donation, to raise awareness of organ donation, and specifically the very important issue of discussing your wishes with your family.

If you have a budding filmmaker in the family, its the perfect opportunity to have some fun while discussing an important issue. There are great prizes on offer and award winning filmmaker, and liver transplant recipient Paul Cox is one of the judges.

For those of us who are bloggers (not filmmakers), there's also a FilmLife Blogger Challenge.

I'm really hoping that all my fellow bloggers might join in and take on the challenge.....

From the FilmLife Blogger Challenge Page:

We’re looking for bloggers to help spark conversations about organ donation among young people, by taking part in a challenge we are putting to people in the engaged blogging community!

It’s helping us raise awareness not just about organ donation but also for the film festival in February where young people creatively interpret this fulsome topic and people’s experiences with it – from both sides of the track.

FilmLife Project is a collaborative project in conjunction with Donate Life Week 2012 (19-26 February), that aims to inspire and encourage young people to have conversations that ask and find out their loved ones wishes around organ and tissue donation.

Here’s how we’re asking our fabulous, engaged blogging community to take part.

A. Answer these questions:

What’s your take on or experience with organ donation, and why did you choose to take part in the FilmLife Blogger Challenge?
If you were to donate your organs, which one would you love to donate, and why?(nb. this question is intentionally quirky so feel free to be creative and have some fun with it)
Who in your family would you need to talk to about organ donation, to be sure your loved ones knew your wishes?

B. Create a mini-film as your FilmLife Project (optional):

We’re running a spin-off of the FilmLife Project on our Facebook page, where people capture a day from their life, this January, in 12 seconds. We’re calling it the 12 Seconds FilmLife Project. If you were in the mood, we’d love to see your 12 second video on the blog post too!

C. Link Your Blog

Please link your blog to www.filmlife.com.au so that anyone interested in submitting a film or attending the free filmmaking workshop on 21, 22, 28 January in Parramatta can register their interest. The workshop is worth $3,000 per person and there are only a few more places left.

D. Tweet

Tweet your blog out using the hashtag #filmlifeproject - and we’ll retweet via our twitter account, @filmlifeproject.

For more information, here are some factsheets with statistics around organ donation in Australia to help you introduce your blog challenge.

A huge thanks to all the bloggers who have already expressed interest and are taking part – your contributions will raise awareness and spark conversations about organ donation in young people and in doing so, help to save lives.

***************************************************************************************************************

I'm going to blog the answers to the blogging challenge questions over the weekend. Who else would like to join me?

FilmLife Project Website
FilmLife Project on FB
FilmLife Project on Twitter

PS - I have to thank Cathie for letting me know about it....

Sometimes you find a gem...

2012-01-12T10:24:00.000+11:00

Tulips Necklace by Greg Mann Jewellery from Gleaners Inc

My sister came to visit for a day out last week, as part of the last hurrah of her Christmas holidays.

After a visit to Tinniegirl, and spot of lunch, we headed to Gleaners Inc where I'm quite sure that the last time I'd visited, I'd vowed to Liz that I had to stop buying necklaces.

I mean seriously..... how could I possibly resist???

The Pacman Poll

2012-01-11T15:53:00.000+11:00

Thanks so much for all the Pacman feedback yesterday via blog comments, twitter, and facebook messages.

It's a really interesting topic that generates lots of discussion for and against. My conscience immediately tells me that I could never go ahead with this design (other than printing a panel for my own personal use to make a cushion for my couch).

I did receive some interesting twitter feedback from peeps in the Legal IP fraternity (just another reason to love the connecting power of twitter). There would definitely be concern over passing off/unfair competition.

There was also some discussion over who would be responsible if a corporation decided to take action. Michelle directed me to the Terms of Service regarding proprietary rights and copyright over at Spoonflower.

For anyone who does need some advice on a subject such as this, they also advised contacting the Arts Law Centre of Australia.

I tried to respond by email to everyone who left a comment, but lots of blogger ID's don't have an email address enabled which makes it impossible, so apologies if you haven't been receiving a reponse!

So riddle me this Batman Pacman

2012-01-09T22:03:00.000+11:00

Sometime about a year ago, I was doing lots of sketching and drawing for my next range of pouches and cushions, and I drew this Pacman illustration.

I really liked it, so I digitally coloured it and had a sample printed, and it looked fabulous.... but then I started to question it.

Some corporation somewhere in the world owns the Intellectual Property rights to Pacman.

I don't think I have the right to use their intellectual property (even if it is my own hand drawn illustration) and I certainly don't have their permission.

So, over the holidays, I was reading blogs and the Spoonflower Top Ten Indie Fabric Designers and Top Fifty Fabric Designs for 2011 were announced....

Mock Pacman 2.0 fabric by pixeldust

.....and this was the 7th most popular fabric!

So... in your opinion - do you think I should be able to print my drawing and sell pouches and cushions with my design, or do you think I'm stepping over the Intellectual Property boundaries?

Banishing the UFO pile - Specimen Two

2012-01-09T10:45:00.000+11:00

Following along from last weeks UFO triumph, here's another one that's finally been finished and therefore banished from the UFO pile!

I started making this backpack for Ms L around this time last year.

My original intention was to make her a fairly lightweight backpack that she could use for her Uni course. It just needed to be large enough to fit some A4 notebacks and some writing tools.

I wanted it to be quite sturdy so I used a dark denim and interfaced it with a layer of Vilene S320.

Cathy helped me to pick the cute penguins from her stash to make the front flap.

I'd previously made the backpack from Nikki's fab book You Sew Girl before making this one, so I used the technique from the book to make, and to place, the adjustable backpack straps.

Now, the outside of the backpack is totally functional..... but the magic happens when you see the inside...

Can you see those gorgeous bright stripes? The inside of the flap was cut from a piece of silk taken from a skirt that Ms L's Mum had made for her many moons ago....

But I've left the most romantic part til the end .........the light blue fabric for the inner part of the backpack was cut from the shirt that Ms L was wearing when she met Cathy, so every time she opens the backpack, there's a little reminder!

Sunday Snippets... via Instagram

2012-01-08T08:32:00.000+11:00

There's something kind of strange about this time in early January... lots of shops and cafes are closed, most of the city is on holidays, there's no work to be done (well actually there is, but I'm not doing it), no medical appointments to attend, nothing much to do but take a break and indulge in some silliness....

.... like seeing how many meals I could eat this week containing either bacon or pineapple.... or as a complete indulgence - both! (there were six in total for those of you playing along at home)

I wonder how many times Michelle has had bacon this week? We've been playing bacon show and tell over on Instagram.

There was also a little bit of organising (Lissanne would be proud)

The contents of my fridge - chocolate, doggie meantballs, and eggs... nice

Some more eating... the Hello Panda's were delicious thankyou Cat (Raspberry Rainbow)!

A new coat rack - thankyou little brother

Oh and the final special one for the Bethenny fans!

Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl

2012 - Your Awesome Year

2012-01-06T21:03:00.005+11:00

Have you been over to visit Tinniegirl lately and checked out the amazing workshop that she has planned?

Here's all the details just in case you missed it!

From Cathy....

I've been absolutely busting to spill the beans on the super-secret-squirrel business that Louise Gale and I have been working on for the past couple of months.

I first met Louise in 2010 when I traveled to the USA for An Artful Journey Retreat. By a stroke of good fortune we sat at the same table and spent an incredible 3 days painting, laughing, eating chocolate and connecting. Louise is vibrant, funny, warm, engaging and full of the most fabulous energy.

We've been friends ever since the retreat and share a passion for art, for dreaming and for inspiring other souls in their journey. When Louise told me that she was coming to Australia to visit I was so excited. I am so looking forward to soaking up some of Louise's amazing energy.

It occurred to both of us that it would be fantastic fun for Louise and I to organise something special for Melbourne peeps {or anyone who can get to Melbourne to join us}. I'm so pleased to unveil our very exciting project:

Are you ready to create Your Awesome Year in 2012?

Vision your dreams and plan an amazing year ahead in this one day in-person workshop with artists and dreamers Cathy Kirwan and Louise Gale.

Join Cathy, Louise and a lovely group of creative souls to get 2012 off to a great start. Through visioning, creative exercises, meditations and tools to create “Your Awesome Year”, you will leave the workshop full of ideas, energy and focus. We will use the power of this time between the new & full moon to plant dream seeds and cultivate a plan. Using inspiring tools & techniques to see our dreams & plans unfold in the year ahead.

{the details}

Saturday January 28^th, 2012

12pm – 6.30pm (includes lunch)

CERES Environmental Park
East Brunswick

Cost: $125
Limited places available

The workshop includes:

A beautiful day at the gorgeous CERES Environmental Park with instruction from Cathy & Louise.
Guided visualizations and meditations
A light lunch and sumptuous afternoon tea
Time to explore, relax and let your dreams unfold
Reflections on 2011 – celebrating success, farewell to the year
Affirming ourselves – creating positive messages to carry into the new year
Creation of your 2012 Vision Board
A goodie bag of tools & additional resources to take home with you

By the end of the workshop you will have:

A clear vision of your dreams and goals for the year ahead.
Reviewed and celebrated 2011.
A vision board to pin up at home to inspire you throughout 2012.
Let go of any negative thoughts or feelings so you can move towards your dreams.
Met other creative souls to be inspired, share and have fun with.
Set the wheels in motion to see your dreams become reality in 2012.
Found your truth, positive affirmations and courage to move forward and make 2012 Your Awesome Year.

What to bring:

Poster board (A3 or larger)
Glue stick
A photo of yourself that you really like (to put on the centre of your vision board)
Any magazine images, quotes, inspiring words you might have already gathered
Additional magazines to use and share
Any additional favourite art materials you may like to use (pens, markers, glitter, stickers) (please note: due to venue restrictions to paints)
Any snacks or drinks you'd like in addition to what's provided
An open heart and mind
Extra money for cafe purchases
A small item to contribute to a gift exchange (more details in the registration pack)

Payment Options

You have the option of paying in full for the workshop now, or making 2 part-payments, one now to secure your place and the balance in 2 weeks time. Please note all payments must be made in full by Thursday January 19th 2012.

Join us to make 2012 Your Awesome Year?

To register and pay in full click here.

To register for the installment plan click here.

*********************************************************

A Little About Louise & Cathy

Louise Gale is an artist and life coach, passionate about the energy of our thoughts and how we express ourselves creatively. For many years she has been using vision boards, visuals and the law of attraction to realise her own creative dreams.

Louise spends here days painting, exhibiting, coaching and creating programs to help other creative souls identify their passion and find a way to make it a greater part of their daily life. Living and creative life and helping others to do the same is Louise's passion and life purpose.

Louise is from the UK, lives in the USA and is currently traveling Australia and New Zealand, expanding and nourishing her creative spirit.

To learn more about Louise and read her blog visit here, connect on facebook or on twitter @louisegaleart.

Cathy Kirwan is an artist, writer and dreamer. She has been dreaming of living a creative life for as long as she can remember and over the last few years has made that dream a reality. Cathy is a self-taught painter, exhibiting and selling her work in person and online. She writers regularly here at {tinniegirl} and spends her days dreaming big dreams.

Cathy has been facilitating groups and leading personal development workshops for over 20 years. She is passionate about creating opportunities for others to vision their dreams and live their most authentic and creative lives.

A Jenaveve Bag

2012-01-05T06:20:00.000+11:00

I think this might be one of my favourite things that I've made lately... (oh, and look - it matches my header and sidebar)!

This photo not true colour as it has been instagrammed.

Emma from Ballarat Patchwork sent me this stunning fabric so that I could create a custom handbag for her. It's from the new Jenaveve Range by Valori Wells for Free Spirit (this print is Floral Birds).

It's a linen/cotton blend which makes me love it even more as it has a really beautiful textural look to it.

It worked perfectly with this gorgeous bright orange drill from the stash...

... and I even had the perfect complementary lining fabric on hand.... 'twas meant to be.

Oh, and doesn't Emma have fabulous taste in fabric colours (as they completely match mine *ahem*)!

Banishing the UFO pile - Specimen One

2012-01-04T15:59:00.000+11:00

I've seen quite a few crafty peeps confessing their *UFO sins in the past few days, and considering there was another day of hibernation from the heat on the cards yesterday, I thought I should join in.

But, I didn't want to just join in and show you what was unfinished, I wanted to take the opportunity to finish them!

I'm hereby introducing you to specimen one - a dodgy bag for my mum.

I think I started making this bag in about 2006. It was while I was still working full time, and trying to work out how things were constructed. I wasn't using any reference materials or patterns at all.

I made the outer shell from a skirt that I'd picked up at the oppy, and the lining is some fabric from the Spotty remnant bin.

At this point, I had zero clue about straight grain/bias grain, or fabrics that had some stretch, or how to join a bag outer shell and an inner lining together. So when I found it still lying in the UFO pile, it was a bag outer which was sort of cut on the bias, and an inner lining using a cotton fabric with a slight stretch, and I'd already attached a magnetic snap to the lining, after sewing a piece of vinyl to the back to add some strength. Can you tell that I was just making it up as I went along?

Notice that I didn't even bother changing the thread colour either!

When I found it yesterday, I could have just chosen to throw it in the bin, but I think it's a perfect lesson to illustrate that anyone can learn to sew, and with lots of practice and perserverance, you can only get better and better!

So after sewing together my mismatched outer shell and lining, and making a new adjustable strap with some lovely antique brass hardware, I can now pass along the dodgy *OFMM bag when I go to Colac tomorrow.

The best thing is that my mum won't take any notice of the dodgy bits, she'll love it anyway!

*Un-Finished Object.... thankfully not Unidentified Flying Object
*OFMM - Only for my mum

A Summer A-Line

2012-01-03T15:52:00.000+11:00

I probably should have ironed it before taking photos, but it's waaaay too hot!

While hibernating from this horrid Melbourne heat yesterday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to tick something off my 'to do' list.

I'd promised a friend that I'd make her an a-line skirt, so I grabbed Nikki's A-Line Skirt pattern from the stash, and then started searching for Carly's measurements that I'd written on a notepad... somewhere.... before my latest clean up!

Alas, my search yielded nothing nadda zilch!

So, never one to waste an opportunity, I decided to make one for myself instead.

I've had this fabric in the stash for at least four years. I bought it from Spotty because I loved how the pattern is printed along the selvedge on both sides.

I used a plain balck cotton drill for the waist section as there was no way that I was going to be able to match up the pattern, and I actually like the way that it adds a bit of definition (I also love the way that the interfaced waist and facing section holds my tummy in)!

The only problem with the fabric is that the white section at the top is a bit see through, so tomorrows mission is to buy some lining fabric from spotty and add it to the inside.

Here's hoping that it's cool enough to leave the house for that!

A backwards step

2012-01-02T10:41:00.000+11:00

Now that the whole Christmas/New Year shebang is over for another year, I can take a step backwards with some handmade christmas pressies.

I had these little square panels printed aaaaaages ago and they've been sitting in the stash just waiting for a project.

All printed from from my original hand drawn illustrations...... as you can tell from the wonkiness of Pacman.

I just overlocked the edges and made them into simple unlined zippers pouches. One for each of my older nephews (to hold their iTunes vouchers), and the Owl for Little Miss (in her favourite colour).

The funniest thing about the Pacman pouch, was watching the boys on Christmas Eve and waiting to see how long it took for them to work out what it was. First guess was Space Invaders......

Oh Galaga, Pacman, Donkey Kong and Frogger. How I miss thee.

Bring on 2012 and Fill it with Colour and Music and Coffee....

2012-01-01T00:01:00.002+11:00

Happy New Year from me and Mr Limpy Houdini Dog!

Goodbye 2011.... I'm not sad to see you go.

2011-12-31T09:26:00.000+11:00

1. Bunting 4, 2. flying ducks wip, 3. Biancas handbag 1, 4. Edna 1, 5. Dress1 2, 6. Go Granny Cotton - 3, 7. Becs Cushion 1, 8. Go granny blue, 9. Treasure bags, 10. Dress 1, 11. Granny shade - evening, 12. Couch, 13. iphone pouches, 14. WA Bag 2, 15. chooky cushion 3, 16. Beads 1, 17. Red Brooch 1, 18. Cloth doll - dress, 19. Teatowel bag , 20. Brooches, 21. Flowerpress tea towel bag 1, 22. Dolly apron dress front, 23. Doiley skirt 2, 24. Desert Island - blue and yellow, 25. CurlyPops 5, 26. Pocket mirrors 2, 27. humphrey 3, 28. Texta Roll - owl - close up, 29. Kitchenaid Cover 1, 30. T-shirt quilt finished 1, 31. Shell close up, 32. Apron 1, 33. Connors pencilcase close up, 34. CurlyPops 1, 35. In Full Bloom 4, 36. Ruffle Skirt 2

Thank goodness 2011 is over. It really has been my annus horribilus. I don't like to whinge and whine in this space, but seriously, this year had quite a few sucky bits!

A New Years Day ambulance trip and a week in hospital, another few days in hospital having lots of horrible tests, and eventually being listed for transplant....

There were various battles over medical funding with both federal and state beauracracy.......... and then there was that false alarm....

Just for my own amusement, I'm going back to the list that I made at the start of the year to see what I managed to tick off.

Stay out of hospital (that one actually is my number one priority)! (half tick)
Have more fun (half tick)
Work on more illustrations (half tick)
Work on more textile art pieces (half tick)
Apply to take part in a group exhibition (gold star - I took part in 2 this year)
Indulge more in my love of eating lunch at nice cafes (gold star)
Remember that exercise is a necessary evil (half tick - I haven't missed many PR sessions)
Spend more time properly planning meals and cooking for myself (fail - no interest in cooking)
Experiment with more coffee blends and make a shortlist of my favourites (half tick)
Procrastinate less (have decided that procrastination is actually part of my creative process)
Remember that me time on the couch watching trashy tv is good for my soul (half tick)
Improve my writing skills (fail)
De-clutter more of my life (gold star)

Overall, I'm pretty happy with that list of things.

There's no list for this year - living in limbo, and waiting for a phone call that will change your life forever sort of negates the need for any forward planning. I'm not going to indulge/frustrate my inner control freak by making plans that I know I can't keep.

Instead, here's a teeny tiny little look back at some really amazing stuff that happened in 2011.

The Hottie Challenge
Cosmo Magazine Fun Fearless Female Nomination in the blogging category
The release of my Go Granny fabric printed right here in Melbourne (and it was the inaugural Frankie & Swiss order).

Looking back through my flickr stream, I can see that even with the sucky bits, I really managed to achieve a lot.

So, it's hooray to a brand new fresh year. Hopefully a year that will bring me some new lungs..... and a brand new lease on life!

Forty

2011-12-28T15:32:00.000+11:00

I forgot the camera so I only have an iPhone snap

It was my sister's birthday yesterday, and a very special one at that!

I don't bake these days, but lucky for me, I know someone who is an exceptionally talented baker and cake maker....

I asked Cathie to make a chocolate mud cake with chocolate ganache, and OMG it was absolutely delicious.

The boys loved the decorative stars, and even sang a special rendition of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' before we all joined in to sing Happy Birthday.

She received a new Kindle for Christmas so I made a Kindle Sleeve to protect it while it's in her handbag.

Happy Birthday Rach!

The Week That Was.... in Instragram Snaps

2011-12-26T16:33:00.000+11:00

Merry Christmas To All

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001+11:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm going to be celebrating in style today wearing my gorgeous new Polly Pratt dress.

It's being teamed with this lovely Cooper St jacket that I picked up at the oppy a few weeks ago, and my Dorothy Shoes (of course)

I'd normally try to get away and have a bit of a holiday at this time, but this year I need to stay in Melbourne so that I'm close enough to the hospital just in case the phone rings in the middle of the night.

Anyway, today is the perfect opportunity to thank each and every person who takes the time to read this little blog every day, everyone who leaves a comment, and every lovely customer who has made a purchase from my shop during the year.

Making stuff, stocking my online shop, and blogging are the motivations that keep me going each and every day........ and every reader, every comment, and every purchase spurs me on to keep going, instead of just giving up.

So I just wanted to say thankyou... and Merry Christmas.

Cam x

... and I couldn't resist a little photo of my nephews and their nextdoor neighbours sprinkling Magic Reindeer Dust on Christmas Eve

'Tis Christmas Eve...

2011-12-24T07:43:00.001+11:00

...and you know what that means of course

Are we there yet?

2011-12-23T10:12:00.000+11:00

Only two more sleeps peeps!

Unfortunately the dreaded lurgy has decided to visit and ruined my motivation and energy to do anything much.... but I forced myself back to the sewing machine yesterday afternoon to finish the Christmas pressies.

I'm giving my little nephews a Lego type gift each.

I really struggled to find an appropriate Lego for the twins who are 3 1/2. There seems to be a real gap in the market between babyish type Lego and the 5-12 age group.

Of course, what I love more than the Lego, is the Lego bag!

Nice bright durable cotton drill with a panel of gorgeous Lego fabric by Susie from Flowerpress.... and in different colours so that there are no arguments.

I hope they're a hit!

The one where Christmas came early

2011-12-22T07:39:00.002+11:00

Packages, packages, packages....

So many beautiful things have landed on my doorstep lately, that it seriously feels like Santa has already been to visit.

This one arrived last week all the way from the UK. Lynsey from Cuteable and Swirly Arts sent me all these amazing treats.

Whoops! One of the Tunnocks Tea Cakes is already missing in this shot, and those Thorntons Chocolate Chunk Cookies are TDF. I've been limiting myself to two per day to make them last.... and vintage fabric and gorgeous tags and my BIL's favourite - Wagon Wheels!

My lovely friend Carly popped in to visit last weekend with a pressie for me - check out the specs cleaning cloth. So much prettier than the ugly grey ones that came with my new specs.

Speaking of specs... did I show you my new specs from Zenni?

One last package for today.

This was on my doorstep when I arrived home on Sunday.

Did you count???

That is a stack of thirty teatowels and one pillowcase from Amanda at Krafty Panda. Amazing. Speechless....Love.

Sigh... I'm so lucky!

The Wonky Wreath

2011-12-21T07:22:00.000+11:00

I spied Vic's lovely yarn wrapped Christmas Wreaths over at Punky and Me a few days ago, and they gave me the inspiration to have a crack myself.

With no cardboard on hand, I went out searching in the dark unknown depths of the garage stash and found some different size embroidery hoops (just another thing I hoard from the oppy even though I don't embroider), and some random balls of yarn.

I didn't have anything red or green, but orange and turquoise was close enough!

I faffed around with it for a few nights on the couch. I was a bit mesmerised watching Kev on Go Girls instead of concentrating on the wrapping...

But, once I'd finished all that wrapping, I thought it was missing something... it just wasn't quite Christmassy enough - but I had an IDEA.

Back out to the dark depths of the garage for another search.... this time I was looking for wire, and my wire beading jig (another thing I haven't used in the last 5 years).

When I opened the box labelled 'Wire Beading Jig' .....surprise surprise I found my long lost hot glue gun - HALLELUJAH!

What was that rule I learned at Lissanne's workshop??? LABEL, LABEL, LABEL.

After that little bit of excitement, I sat down and crafted a little star (or what is supposed to be a star) using some copper wire and the jig.

Yesterday, I finally hung it on the front door - with only four more sleeps til Christmas.

And here endeth a very long story about a very wonky wreath.

Mr Mustard and the case of the missing apron

2011-12-20T10:11:00.000+11:00

Photo Courtesy - Teddy Bears Wednesday

Have you met Mr Mustard?

I was reading all about him last week, and found that his 'Kiss The Cook' apron was in the wash. Every sweet little bear deserves something new for Christmas, so I decided to make him one.

Step 1 - Create the Fabric Design.

With a chocolate brown bear and a name like Mr Mustard, I couldn't resist sticking with the chocolate and mustard colour theme.

A bit of Photoshop and Picnik magic and some inkjet printable fabric and we have a starting point.

Step 2 - Make the Apron

I made myself a little cardboard template and cut out the front panel, and some plain yellow cotton drill for the back panel.

Sew right sides together with a teeny tiny seam and leave a gap. Trim and nick the curves.

Turn out and topstitch.

Step 3 - Add some straps

This bit was a little tricky, as the apron was soooo tiny, but I managed to find some nice strong ribbon in the stash which works perfectly.

Step 4 - Find A Model and Show it Off

This is Moby.

Moby is a little bit smaller / shorter than Mr Mustard but he was the only willing participant in my house (and he's a bit of a show off).

Mr Mustard's apron is now in the mail and on it's way to Jess's house. I hope it makes it in time for Santa!

The I Love Santa Sale

2011-12-19T21:34:00.000+11:00

It's nearly time to close down the online shop for Christmas so I'm having a very quick 24 hour sale.

Just use the code ILOVESANTA for 25% off anything in the shop - stock is limited to what is available and the sale ends at 8PM tomorrow night.

Happy Shopping!

A Special Treat - An interview with Lissanne Oliver from Sorted!

2011-12-19T07:24:00.001+11:00

I'm still working on all of my organising and de-cluttering at Chez CurlyPops.

Christmas seems to be the time of year when we all accumulate more and more stuff, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to interview the Master of Organisation, Lissanne Oliver from Sorted!

She even has some tips for the holiday season - perfect for us creative types!

1. How long have you been a professional organiser?

My whole entire life (43 years). Started in kindy apparently - thank you Dr Maria Montessori! Montessori teaches organisation so I think if I didn't have the gene (which I do) kindy would have got me going.

I worked for 16 years in broadcast production; film ,video, stills photography. I had loads of different roles that all involved organising, from reception and production assisting, to editorial assistant and stylist. I also worked in props and wardrobe, produced websites and CD Roms (when new media was new!) and my last job before SORTED! was working as a theatrical agent, representing some big names in AUstralian film, television and theatre. I *hated* it. Ghastly workload, no respite, shockingly bad pay (the equivalent of a receptionists wages). So I quit, and thought, I want to have a job that I love. love love love. I heart organising! That's how it happened... and in February 2002, SORTED! was born. It's been a brilliant 10 years! (Tip: we have lots of special free things and discounts and great competitions next year to celebrate, so we'd love you to join our mailing list!)

2. What are your top 5 tips for dealing with clutter?

Don't let it in the door. Stop at the source (I often use a pic of a tomato sauce bottle for this one)
Don't put it down, put it away! Clutter is sometimes just a visually busy space.
Don't wait for the organising fairies to come and save you. Make time to deal with your stuff.
Do keep a permanent box or bag that is destined for charity. Feed it regularly and scoot it away to the op shop.
Do make friends with your bin! Clutter can simply be rubbish or recycling (think old packaging, outdated printed material).

3. If you walked into my house and only had one hour to make a difference, what would you do?

Love this question! I would go straight to your tertiary storage space and help you discard .. no hang on... if I was dying, I'd remind my family, AGAIN, that I am an organ donor...

kidding

If I had an hour at yours, I would first identify what you felt the problem areas are, and/or ask you which space you were most avoiding dealing with (eg paperwork!). I'd then hold your hand (not literally) and step you through doing something you really didn't want to do or felt overwhelmed by. I would be non-judgemental, creative and you would have my attention 100%. That's my job. I love to help, and I LOVE my job.

4. What are your 5 favourite organisational tools?

A texta and a sticky note for labelling
Evernote.com (I swear I'm getting an Evernote tattoo!)
My brain for it's problem solving abilities.

I know these are not probably the tools that people want to hear about, so I will say I do love my Rexel shredder that will do 100 pages at a time. It's such a strong piece of equipment and saves me time and energy. Plus, I use the shredding in my cat's litter tray!

http://blog.sorted.net.au/2011/06/09/product-review-rexel-auto-100-shredder/

Sorry, that's not too many tools, is it?!

5. Do you have any tips for the upcoming holiday season?

Yes, get in the car and go away for a week. Then come back and look at your space with fresh eyes, and take at least 1-2 days to start creating positive change in your space.

Declutter
Shred
Archive
Put away
Rearrange
Throw out
DONATE

It's important to take time to get organised!

That's all for now!

Thankyou so much Lissanne.... if you pop on over to Lissanne's blog, there are some upcoming workshop details for anyone in the Northcote area.

Sunday Snippets

2011-12-18T09:50:00.000+11:00

Some favourite Instagram shots from the week that was....

Happy Sunday.... only 7 more sleeps.

Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl.

Flight of the Ducks - the big reveal

2011-12-17T11:16:00.000+11:00

Now that the exhibition has oficially opened, I can reveal my finished masterpiece (ahem)!

I wanted the ducks to look as if they were flying off the canvas.

Sitting at the machine stitching those millions and trillions of stitches was actually quite therapeutic....

The exhibition opening was fabulous. I love group exhibitions because you get to see such an amazing array of talent (and who doesn't love an entire wall of pegboard)?

The way the different people interpret the same theme is always fascinating.

If you pop on over to this post at Gleaners Inc, there's a full list of the artists.

Also, just a reminder, the charity auction finishes at 8PM tonight, so please check it out and make a bid. It's a lovely pressie for Christmas!

Flight of the Ducks

2011-12-16T09:57:00.000+11:00

Tonight is the grand opening of Flight of the Ducks.

I'm so excited to see what everyone thinks of my finished artwork...

I'm even more excited to see an amazing array of creative works in every different medium imaginable.

I had a weird dream lastnight that I arrived for the opening only to find that my piece was too big for display and so it wasn't included. Hilarious!

I wonder if my ducks may fly away to a new home?

Busy Busy...

2011-12-15T10:42:00.000+11:00

It's one of those weeks where everything is happening at once...

I don't have any photos of lastnight's wonderful Open Studio Event just yet, but I'll share them as soon as I do.

Unfortunately, I'd managed to take along a dodgy oxygen bottle as a back up. Once I removed the seal and changed it over, I found that it was actually EMPTY!

In much better news, these lovely new iPad and Kindle/eReader sleeves are now in stock at Little Shop Of...

Get in quick while they last!

A Very Special Collaboration for Charity

2011-12-13T09:40:00.004+11:00

Anna from Shiny Happy Art and myself have been working behind the scenes on something very special...

We wanted to do something to support our favourite charities this Christmas, and decided to combine our arty/crafty talents for this completely unique Shiny Happy Art / CurlyPops handbag.

The handbag will be auctioned and the highest bidder will be the winner. 100% of the proceeds will be split evenly and donated to our two chosen charities.

Charity 1.

I've chosen to donate to the Margaret Pratt Foundation Heart Lung Transplant Trust.

This one is quite obviously quite close to my heart, as I'm waiting for a double lung transplant.

After my transplant, the major problem which I'll face is organ rejection. The foundation provides funds for research grants via the Alfred Hospital to improve the outcomes for heart and lung transplant recipients.

I'm hoping that the more the scientists can research the causes of rejection, the more likely they can provide treatments so that my new lungs will last as long as possible!

Charity 2.

In Anna's words....

I've chosen to donate to Scarlett Kisses Project.

This project gifts small photo frames to mothers in hospital who have just lost their baby to stillbirth or neonatal death. The frame is wrapped with a SANDS brochure and tied with a sweet tag. My second baby, Caitlin, was stillborn so it's a cause close to my heart.

My friend Jen, who I met through SANDS, thought up and started the project herself, saving up and buying frames when they were on sale, in memory of her stillborn baby, Scarlett.

It's just a little project now, but I'd love to support it and help it grow. When your baby dies it's a very lonely grief. The hospital staff will usually take photos for you, and maybe hand and foot prints ... whatever they can. This frame gives the mother somewhere special to put that first photo, honouring that little soul.

I have a Scarlett Kisses page on my website about it, and I recently started a Scarlett Kisses Facebook page.

The hankies that I sell all support the project.

About the Flying Hearts Painting

In Anna's words...

The painting is my favourite from my "Flying Hearts" series. The original is a mixed media piece, using screenprinting, acrylic painting, collage and shiny shiny varnish on canvas. This artwork is also available on a cushion, in my current range.

About the Handbag

The front features Anna's gorgeous Flying Hearts panel. I used a plain black cotton drill for the rear and the straps as I really wanted the Flying Heart to 'sing'.

The handbag is a large size - approximately 36 cms wide x 36 cms tall.

The interior features a double pocket and a magnetic snap closure.

There are two straps measuring approximately 70cm long each.

Auction Details (ie the fine print...)

Bidding begins right now at $40 - just leave your bid in the comments (please ensure you have a valid User ID or leave your email address for contact).
Bidding ends at 8PM AEDST Saturday 17th December
Highest bidder wins
Paypal payment is preferred so that the handbag can be express posted to the winner on Monday 19th December (in time for Christmas)
Please start bidding!

PS - here's the code if you would like to pop a little button on the side of your blog....

<a href="http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2011/12/very-special-collaboration-for-charity.html"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6501759549_0d3c3b42cb_o.jpg" />

Something a little bit vintage...

2011-12-12T16:38:00.000+11:00

I'm making up a batch of iPad Sleeves for Gleaners Inc so I've just popped a couple in the shop...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-12T09:23:00.000+11:00

Even though it was quite chilly and blustery lastnight, we braved the cold and headed off to Carols in the local park.

Luckily the kiddies never seem to notice the temperature!

They were very excited when Santa arrived on a firetruck.

Just for a laugh - meet Baubleboy

Sunday Snippets

2011-12-11T15:52:00.000+11:00

I can't show anything from today (Sunday).... as I've been working on secret stuff.

So instead, here's a little showcase of my favourite instagram shots from the week..... enjoy!

Sunday Snippets.... playing along at Tinniegirl

Advent Blog-a-Long Day 10...

2011-12-10T17:55:00.000+11:00

I've been pretty slack with the christmas themed posts for the Advent Blog-a-Long. Sorry Car!

But, I definitely have something christmassy to show off today.

This is the super gorgeous handmade christmas pressie that I received from Nicole for my NCB Kris Kringle gift.

It's looking rather lonely on the poor old unpainted tree that I bought before christmas last year.... maybe this might inspire me to get out the paints?

Next Week - Open Studio Event

2011-12-09T07:04:00.004+11:00

Original Artwork by Tinniegirl

Being on the waiting list for a double lung transplant has meant that I haven't been able to take part in any Christmas markets this year, and I've really really really missed it!

But, next Wednesday I'm taking all of my crafty goodies over to Cathy's End of Year Open Studio Event.

Everyone is welcome - just check the details below to get the address.

Open Studio & End of Year Celebration

Please join me for a glass of bubbles, a peak into my new studio and some creative Christmas shopping.

Wednesday 14^th December 2011

4 – 9pm

Featuring Special Guests

Camille Condon {CurlyPops}

Jaylene Juanita {Finki Handmade}

Prints, Cards, Jewellery, Stationary, Clothes, Original Artworks, Cushions & More

****************************************************

Last year was the inaugural open studio and now I've decided to make it an annual event. It's a great opportunity to celebrate the end of the year, get together for a glass of bubbles, have a peak into my studio and creative process, and do a little Christmas shopping if you feel so inclined.

If you'd like to come along please email me at tinniegirl/at/optusnet.com.au and I'll send you my street address.

All welcome.

PS - If you're looking for something in particular from my range, just email me ( mscurlypops (at) gmail (dot) com ) and I'll make sure to bring it along!

My Creative Space..... Flight of the Ducks

2011-12-08T07:03:00.000+11:00

I warned that I was becoming addicted to Instagram...

I've spent the last couple of days stitching and stitching and stitching to finish my piece for The Flight of the Ducks Exhibition at Gleaners Inc next week. There's still time to join in if you like.

If you're around the Brunswick area, you MUST pop in for a visit!

I'm actually nearly finished now... but I can't show you anymore than this little sneaky peek from early on in the process.

Just in case you're wondering - Yes, I have seriously stitched about a billion stitches onto a scrap of calico with my little Janome.

I know that it may not be cool to be blowing my own trumpet, but I'm seriously LOVING how it turned out!

Only 8 more days and I can spill the beans...

The home of my creative space

Calendar Girl

2011-12-07T08:28:00.000+11:00

Sometimes really big crappy stuff happens, and even though you feel completely helpless, just something teeny tiny like making someone smile is enough.

Bianca had sent me a lovely calendar teatowel quite a few months ago now. One of her girlfriends bought it for her as a 30th birthday pressie.

It had been languishing on my cutting table ever since....

In a serendiptious moment at the oppy, I found this lovely green floral fabric which was a perfect match for the bag lining, and that spurred me into action.

I couldn't quite decide between green and orange straps (and I couldn't ruin the surprise by asking) so I decided to go with both!

While I was making it behind the scenes, I even sent out a few sneaky WIP photos on instagram.... but she still didn't notice.

But I can happily report that it most definitely made her smile!

A tour of Open Drawer

2011-12-06T09:32:00.000+11:00

When I visited Open Drawer to stock up my crafty goodies last week, I took some happy snaps so that I could take you on a little tour and show you some of my favourite things.

I only had my iPhone so I apologise in advance about the photo quality.

I love that each time I visit, there are always lots of new pieces to drool over.

I spotted these beautiful stitched blind contour drawings by Sarah Daly as soon as I walked in the door. Sarah is one of the new artists stocked at Open Drawer.

I've added the little yellow birdie to my wish list....

There are also beautiful handmade christmas decorations. All of the hexie lovers in blogland would love these!

These new poppet dolls by Rozie Hart are completely adorable. Each one has a name and a little backstory!

Now these have been on my wish list for a little while now. Beautiful textile art by Nola Bailey.

If you're in Melbourne, I highly recommend a visit. Make sure you allow plenty of time to explore the retail gallery, the back room, and the upstairs gallery. The extra bonus is that there's also a lovely little cafe just two doors away!

Open Drawer Art Textiles and Learning Centre

1158 Toorak Road
Camberwell (Hartwell Village)
Victoria 3124
Mel. Ref (60 C6) See Contact Us page for map
Tram No 75 - Stop No. 52

Adding to the iRange - New iPad Sleeves

2011-12-05T07:06:00.001+11:00

I've been working on these iPad sleeves for a little while now, so I'm very excited to finally have them ready!

The front panels feature my hand drawn illustrations, and of course, the fabrics have been printed right here in Melbourne.

These iPad Sleeves are available in the shop right now, and you can also find them at Open Drawer.

Sunday Snippets

2011-12-04T17:28:00.000+11:00

Sunday Snippets.. via Tinniegirl

Advent Blog-a-Long Day 3... late with an excuse

2011-12-04T00:30:00.000+11:00

Whoops! I didn't quite make it before midnight for day 3, but I have a perfectly good excuse.

I was too busy celebrating with the happy couple!

Advent Blog-A-Long Day 2 - Cushion City and a Market

2011-12-02T10:09:00.000+11:00

I'm having computer issues at Chez CurlyPops.... my PC was on the way out, so I bought a new one, only for my 9 month old HP screen to die......so I'm blogging from my teeny tiny mini laptop instead.

I headed off on a Melbourne road trip yesterday so visit some lovely stockists.

First stop was Open Drawer in Camberwell (Hartwell Shops)

You can now find Go Granny Cushions, Fabric Packs, and Cards along with my usual range of goodies.

Next stop was Gleaners Inc. where I dropped off some lovely new cushions and some super-cute zip pouches.

I'm still on the lookout for an Egypt teatowel if anyone has one lying around that they no longer want/need!

Tonight I'm off to the Made'n'Thornbury Twilight Market.

Cathy from Tinniegirl and Cathie from Melbourne Epicure are both having stalls so it will be lovely to catch up!

Advent Blog-A-Long Day 1

2011-12-01T20:20:00.000+11:00

Photo taken from inside the window at Open Drawer today

I'm not quite sure what happened to this year, but I blinked, and now it's December already!

I decided that I couldn't resist signing up for Car's Advent Blog-A-Long.

We never bothered with advent calendars when I was a kiddie-lid. The first time I actually realised what they were was when I discovered craft blogs. It's completely amazing how much time and effort goes into them - wow!

I can't promise that my advent blogging will be quite so christmassy and you won't find a daily dose of chocolate (unless you come over to my place and find my secret out-of-childrens-reach chocolate cupboard)....but I will definitely try.

Why not pop on over and sign up for some fun.

My Creative Space

2011-12-01T08:53:00.000+11:00

Working on something new just in time for Christmas....

All will be revealed very very soon!

In the meantime, I would love it if you could pop on over to the SORTED! blog and check out my interview all about donation and recycling and re-using - thankyou Lissanne.

The home of my creative space

Go Granny Jacket

2011-11-30T07:39:00.000+11:00

Photo Credit

The most seriously exciting thing about designing a fabric, is seeing the way in which a talented creative person can take that fabric and transform it into something truly amazing.

Photo Credit

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would see something quite as cool as Lara's Go Granny Jacket

Photo Credit

Thanks for letting me share your gorgeous photos Lara!

Check out all the Go Granny creations in the Flickr Group.

Jigsaws and Monkeys

2011-11-29T08:08:00.000+11:00

I've had these super cute vintage jigsaw panels in the stash for the longest time, but I've finally put them to good use.

They're now sweet little zippered pouches.

There are 3 designs to choose from and each one features a recycled chunky zip

Ready and waiting in the shop!

Oh Christmas Tree Yukka

2011-11-28T08:03:00.002+11:00

My sister and BIL and the kidlets are heading off for a Queensland holiday this week (soooo, what do you think the chances are of the phone ringing at 4AM while they're away?)

I had to take advantage of the ~~slave labour~~ family christmas spirit before they left, and invited the boys over to decorate my tree.

I can't deal with any of that mess inside the house, so my original idea was to get them to decorate the silver birch tree in the front garden....

.... but using their own artistic abilities, they decided that the christmas baubles were much better suited to hanging from the dragonfly lights and the yukkas.

Once they'd finished, I tried to get just one decent ta-daa moment for the christmas album.

...and again

...and again.

I give up.

Sunday Snippets

2011-11-27T17:54:00.000+11:00

Weekend Snippets via Instagram....

Sundays Snippets.... via Tinniegirl

Markit

2011-11-27T10:14:00.000+11:00

Are you looking for something to do this lovely Sunday?

Why not pop on down to Fed Square for Markit!

Make sure you say hello to Betty Jo in the BMW Edge Theatre Foyer. She'll have all of her Betty Jo goodies as well as some some choice pieces from Gleaners Inc (including some CurlyPops stuff).

The Red Heart Tree Project & A Hottie Update

2011-11-25T21:44:00.000+11:00

If you're looking for a sweet crafty project to make this Christmas, then this might be just what you're looking for.

The lovely ladies at Open Drawer are going to cover one of the courtyard trees in hearts, and a portion of the workshop proceeds will benefit The Margaret Pratt Foundation Heart and Lung Tranplant Trust.

Also, I received a lovely surprise in the mail this week with the latest edition of the Foundation's newsletter.

This is the section on the fantastic Hottie Challenge!

I've scanned the entire newsletter so that it can be downloaded as a pdf here. You can read all about how the donations assist research at the Alfred Hospital into the issues of chronic rejection, chronic infection and long term dysfunction after transplant, along with all of the fundraising activites that have taken place during the year.

Betty's Place

2011-11-25T09:35:00.000+11:00

Lastnight I went along to a lovely little housewarming party for Betty's Place

Magdalena has created a beautiful space....

It's filled with gorgeous handmade creations....

...and vintage treasures too.

Say hi to Nicole!

Betty officially opens her doors to the public Saturday (tomorrow) - 605 Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick.

Thankyou Betty!

Go Granny II

2011-11-24T11:43:00.000+11:00

I arrived home lastnight to a very exciting package.....

It's Go Granny II - my granny square design printed onto a 135gsm natural fibre 100% cotton basecloth.

This is perfect for everything from quilting and applique, to summer skirts and dresses.

Pop on over to the shop and check it out!

The Dress

2011-11-23T07:04:00.001+11:00

I'm always lamenting that fact that I don't make enough things just for me, so I'm making a more concerted effort at the moment.

I'm taking my inspiration from Michelle at Buttontree Lane and her participation in Self Stitched September.

I can't quite imagine having enough me made clothes in my wardrobe to be able to put together an outfit every day for a month but.... that's my aim!

It all began with this vintage pattern from the oppy. Back in the olden days it seems that some patterns were not sold with size variations, and sizing was a bit different to what we consider standard now.

I assumed (quite wrongly) that size large would be perfect.

After sewing the basic seams (and before overlocking), I tried it on and it looked more like a sack.... with arm wings large enough that a gust of wind might have been able to carry me away. So that's when I ditched the pattern and just started freestyle sewing, beginning with the side seams.

I made the arm wings smaller, and then slightly gathered them and finished them with binding.

I added top stitching to the side pockets so that they would sit neatly....

.... and instead of the large wide belt, I made a skinnier tie up belt and added belt loops so that it would sit nicely around my waist.

I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Next time, I might try something more complicated.... and perhaps without wings?

Pimping my Wares

2011-11-21T21:04:00.000+11:00

So just how many sleeps are there 'til Christmas???

Today is all about pimping my freshly made wares.

I've loaded lots of lovely things into my little shop just for your handmade shopping pleasure.

But get in quick. If there's another 4AM phone call....

the shop will close and I'll be outta here!

Only 1 week late

2011-11-21T08:55:00.000+11:00

Better late than never hey!

I finally managed to deliver Bec's completely finished birthday pressie yesterday.... and she loved it. Phew. Although she may have been a teensy bit disappointed that it wasn't a pair of hot pants Anna.

I've been ~~hoarding~~ collecting ribbons and vintage trims for years and years. I have bucketloads of them, in fact.

Another lesson learned from my day at the 6 Steps Workshop.... I must start using what I have, and not living by that old mantra 'She who dies with the most fabric (and trims) wins!' .

I'm completely in love with the way this turned out, so I had a hard time handing it over yesterday.

If you would like to make something similar, it really is easy peasy.

Just cut a piece of calico to the size that you need for your cushion cover front. Without overthinking the placement of ribbons and trim, just start laying down pieces and stitching them into place, criss crossing over as you go. The more random, the better..

(apologies - blurry iPhone snap).

I made sure to change my thread colour to match each piece of trim or ribbon.

(apologies - blurry iPhone snap)

Once everything is stiched into place, neatly trim the edges (you'll notice that this project definitely required coffee).

You can then turn it into a cushion cover, or anything else your imagination can conjure up!

Weekend Snippets.... by iPhone snaps

2011-11-20T17:12:00.000+11:00

Storm Chasing

Coffee Drinking

Dressmaking

Pouting

Eating

Relaxing

What did you get up to?

Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl...

Bunting to the Rescue....

2011-11-18T08:50:00.011+11:00

The beautiful coloured bunting has disappeared from Gleaners Inc... but never fear, a brand new batch is heading that way thisafternoon.

I played teatowel lucky dip to decide which country was next on the cushion list....

....and the winner was Suid Afrika (or South Africa to us). Check out that fabbo elephant in the top left hand corner!

If you see anything you like from Gleaners Inc and can't make it into the shop, just get in touch with Liz and she'll organise an online sale for you pronto!

I've added lots of new goodies to the shop too, so pop on over for a little look.

If you're thinking about buying pressies for Christmas, please get in early as there have been lots of reports of delays with Australia Post.

I sent an order to QLD on Nov 2nd which didn't arrive until Nov 15th (13 days later), yet I sent a package to the UK on Nov 11th which arrived on Nov 17th (6 days). It makes no sense!!!

*I have complained to Australia Post and the standard answer was that it can take up to 10 business days for delivery. What the???

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

2011-11-17T09:50:00.000+11:00

Is it a bat?

No, it's a bird alright...

Thank goodness Mr X came to the rescue by climbing up on a chair to catch little Mr Birdie and take him back outside to fly away.

I quite like visitors in my creative space, but I'd rather that they not be of the feathered pooping variety!

A new obsession

2011-11-16T11:14:00.000+11:00

I'm always a little bit behind the times when it comes to new fangled technology....

... but now that I have an iPhone

....I've found a new obsession.

Instagram

Do you Instagram too?

I couldn't resist adding this one.... it's an Instagram of my Intragam

Going Custom

2011-11-15T09:46:00.000+11:00

A custom order iPhone/Gadget pouch for Car....

Scrappy offcuts from my housecoat. Nothing gets wasted around here!

Happy Birthday Beccasauras

2011-11-14T08:44:00.000+11:00

Happy Birthday Bec!

It's not quite finished.... but here's just a little teaser. Can you guess what it is???

Sunday Snippets

2011-11-13T16:09:00.000+11:00

Packaging up fabric to pop in the post tomorrow morning...

Coffee and a good book or two...

Catching up with the Skip for Rejection team at one of the checkpoints (after they'd already skipped/run 60 kms). They've raised over $15k for the Margaret Pratt Foundation so far.

Please ignore the crazy hair - it was veeeeeery windy out there.

....and off they go with another 20 kms to go. Thank goodness it wasn't 29 degress as predicted today.

Back home and working on something special... I can't say what it is just yet.

Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl

Blogging - the Good, the Amazing, the Excellent, and the Ugly

2011-11-12T10:23:00.000+11:00

The Good

The sweet little floral plate that Cathy spotted for me at the Oppy a few weeks ago.

The Amazing

The fact that Cherie from Waste Not Do Want had a matching one that she packaged up in bubble wrap and popped in the mail for me, along with some lovely magazines.

The Excellent

Being a responsible blogger, I thought that I should demonstrate and photograph that the plates are perfect for chocolate biccies.... just like (slightly melted on the way home) Tim Tams.

The Ugly

Once out of the packet and displayed on a plate.... those seven Tim Tams had no chance (yes - I did eat the entire 7).

The Week That Was - Part 1

2011-11-10T09:57:00.001+11:00

It's been a really quick week so far.
Time seems to have passed in one giant blur.... and here we are - Friday already!

On Monday, I caught up with a friend for lunch and then we popped into Gleaners Inc to visit Liz.

Geez... I really need to find a better hand model. If only Frances wasn't armless.

I couldn't resist treating myself to one of Liz's brand spanking new hot off the press recycled marble rings. It matches my cardi perfectly!

I also bought myself this lovely Greg Mann pendant from Gleaners Inc a couple of weeks ago. I've worn it a few times already but kept forgetting to blog about it. There's at least three more pendants that I'm coveting too...

Well, I'm off to pulmonary rehab (while dreaming about the cake I'm going to treat myself to afterwards). Have a lovely Friday!

PS - I've popped a few of the vintage fabric sunnies/specs pouches in the shop!

My Creative Space

2011-11-10T08:36:00.000+11:00

In my creative space today..... vintage fabric Sunnies/Specs Pouches.

I'm putting a little stockpile together and getting ready to send a package off to Betty's Place.

The home of my creative space.

Skip For Rejection

2011-11-09T08:55:00.000+11:00

The Skip For Rejection is taking place this Sunday - 13th November.

It's the next fundraising event for the Margaret Pratt Foundation.
For those who may be new around these parts.... from the website:

The Margaret Pratt Foundation Heart Lung Transplant Trust is a registered charity whose aim is to encourage, develop and maintain Australia’s world class expertise in the field of organ transplantation by supporting research that addresses the problems faced by children and adults after heart and lung transplant.

The aim of the research must be to improve the outcomes for heart and lung transplant recipients.

The Margaret Pratt Foundation has donated $700,000 to date in 2011 to promote research into the causes and prevention of chronic lung rejection.

Image from Skip for Rejection FB page (used with permission)

On Sunday, Chris Pratt is going to attempt to run/skip 80 kms... all the way from Geelong to Melbourne.

There are 8 checkpoints along the way with volunteers and collection tins for anyone who would like to come along and make a donation.

The finishing line is at The Woolshed Pub at Docklands, where everyone is invited to come along and show their support for the event and the foundation. Drinks and meals are available - it might be the perfect place for Sunday night dinner!

There'll be more events like this next year, so please pop on over and like the Skip for Rejection Facebook page to keep up with the latest news. You can also check out the official website for the event information and the fundraising tally.

Thanks for your support!

Something out of the ordinary.

2011-11-08T10:10:00.002+11:00

New Look 6720 in Echino Bonbon

I've been working on this little project in the background over the last few weeks now.

New Look 6720 in Umbrella Prints - Oasis - Wild Floating Grasses (beautiful fabric to work with)

A friend bought some beautiful fabrics from Earthgirl Fabrics and asked me to transform them into some little dresses for her daughters, and skirts for herself.

New Look 6720 in Melly and Me - Where The Wind Blows

I love how these little dresses turned out, especially the Size 4. Completely adorable!

As for the pattern - I think the way that the facing is attached to the bottom of the bodice is a little clumsy, and not easy to sew. There was a lot of unpicking and re-sewing to make it nice and neat.

Nicole M Design A-Line Skirt in Melly and Me - Where The Wind Blows - Blossom

After making my first a-line in thick denim, this one was an absolute joy to sew. It drapes beautifully in this quilting weight fabric.

This one is most definitely on my to do list to make for me.

Burda 8090 in Vintage Groove Polka Dot

Finally, I finished off with this Burda A-Line skirt. I've made this once before... a very long time ago.

The retro style of the fabric is perfect with the design of the skirt..... and Frances was very happy to finally be modelling skirts that fit!

PS - I've made myself a new header in illustrator. I'm still a newbie so don't be too harsh... but check it out!

Treasured

2011-11-07T08:56:00.000+11:00

Here's the finished result of what I was up to yesterday.

A friends little boy turned one last week. Sam's birthday party clashed with Nico's (I swear, the babies and toddlers and kiddies in my life have more social events than me), so I'm visiting him today.

A few people commented on the clown fabric yesterday. It's a few years old now, but it's Michael Miller Clown Capers.

Funnily enough, Sam's mum had originally bought the fabric to make something for his old brother (who is now four), but she never got around to it and so the fabric was gifted to my stash!

Anyway, I whipped up a couple of drawstring bags to hold his treasures, using my quick and easy tutorial.

I still had a little size 1 t-shirt in the stash, so with a little bit of dragster design, and some applifix....

... he now also has a very cool little man tee!

Sunday Weekend Snippets

2011-11-06T15:41:00.001+11:00

*please excuse some of the bluriness of my mobile phone photos!

The weekend began early Friday afternoon at my place with a bit of a tidy up (still working on my goals from last weeks 6 Steps Workshop).

Keke the Koala found a new home with some friends in the bookcase.

The CD's got a little organised..... (sensing a musical pattern/obsession with these two shelves).

I finally found my long lost copy of You Sew Girl (jammed in amongst, and under, a pile of junk in the bookcase)

Friday night was dinner at the beach...

....and lots of climbing

...until sunset.

Up early Saturday morning to celebrate Nico's 4th birthday.

Sunday is for eating - yummy banana bread courtesy of Cathie

Sunday is also for sewing - birthday pressie in progress...

Join in Sunday Snippets with Tinniegirl

A Thankyou

2011-11-04T09:49:00.000+11:00

I know I've said it before.... but crafty bloggers are so amazing and generous when times get a little tough.

Jess surprised me with this gorgeous Moby Potholder.

It matches with my little Moby (and his family portrait)...

Crafty Rie sent me a huge package of goodies in the mail.

Beautiful fabrics and buttons....

Chocolate and cappucino and soapie mags (these are some of the things that I obsess about over on twitter), and even a lovely teatowel!

Thankyou so much lovely ladies!

Little Shop Of... Re-stocked

2011-11-03T07:56:00.002+11:00

I was supposed to re-stock Little Shop Of a couple of weeks ago.... but that call put a spanner in the works for a little while.

As soon as the sewjo returned, I got to work whipping up some brand new Vintage Fabric Sunnies/Specs Pouches. I'm happy to report that they're now in the shop and ready to be snapped up!

There's also a range for the bloke in your life. My fave is the plaid one made using a pair of mens vintage pants.

To celebrate the oncoming gorgeous weather, there's also fresh new colours of flower brooches available.

Go forth and SHOP!

Little Shop Of...

8 Woorayl St

Carnegie

Taking a Gamble

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000+11:00

I didn't have a gamble yesterday - in fact, I only turned the TV on from 3PM until 3.15PM purely to watch the Melbourne Cup, and that was it for the entire day.

But I've decided to take a gamble and re-open my online shop...

You see, I have these all new beautiful cushion covers in lovely new designs that I worked on really hard, and I just couldn't resist showing off.

100% designed and printed right here in Melbourne!

I can't quite decide which colour to keep and add to my couch collection...

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T10:07:00.000+11:00

It was a big night in the 'burbs lastnight as Ghosts and Devils, and Witches and Ghouls (and Buzz Lightyear and Shrek) trawled the streets collecting lollies from unsuspecting neighbours....

Cool Ghouls wear skinny jeans....

I tagged along to trick or treat the neighbours houses...

.... and then treated myself to some lollies as they traipsed further afield in the neighbourhood

...and when boredom set in.

Getting Sorted

2011-10-31T07:00:00.001+11:00

I have to confess that for a control freak like myself, the topic of organisation is heavenly.

If you follow me on twitter, then you'd also know that I'm quite addicted to any reality tv shows that feature hoarding/organisation.... think Hoarders on Biography Channel, Clean House on Style Network, and Clean Sweep on Discovery Home and Health.

Unfortunately I was also born with the hoarding gene (it's on both sides of my family). I find it extremely difficult to throw anything away that might be useful one day.

It was definitely time for an intervention!

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to spend the day at a hotel in the city at the 6 Steps Workshop.

The workshop featured three fantastic, passionate Professional Organisers who presented a range of topics around de-cluttering, organisation, and simpifying your life.

Lissanne Oliver from SORTED!
Chantale Bordonaro from Simplicity Source
Joshua Zerkel from Custom Living Solutions

The sessions were:

Cut Clutter Forever
Manage Paperwork Without Pain
Moving or Downsizing - Think Outside the Box
Need Storage? - Reclaim Your Space
Master Your Paperless World
Skyrocket Your Productivity With Online Tools

I can seriously say that I've started making changes already which are going to make my life sooooo much easier - most importantly for me I think it will improve the following dramatically

No more forgetting things (lack of oxygen to the brain has seriously affected my memory skills)
No more double handling of things (means less energy expended)
No more searching for things in the craft stash (time saver)
No more re-buying things I already have just because I can't find them (money saver)

Some of my favourite tips from the day that are really easy to implement.

Stop things coming into your house that you don't need
Insist on consumable gifts (chocolate is always welcome if you're giving me a gift)
Filing Cabinets are nursing homes for paper
Think about retrieval, not storage. If you store it, can you find and access it when you need it?
Done is better than perfection (great tip for those of us who read lots of perfectly pretty blogs)
Label Label Label (I currently suck at this one)
Think Rightsize, not Downsize.

I'm such a technodork - I also finally learned what 'in the cloud' actually means!

All of the online / tech solutions were really interesting. These are the two that I'm using now.

The best one for my needs is going to be EVERNOTE

You can create all sorts of lists and notebooks.
I've taken photos of the business cards I've collected and made a business card notebook in Evernote, so that the actual cards can be thrown away (its ingenious).
I've also made a grocery list, and as I remember what I need, I just add to the list in my iPhone. It can also be synced with my PC and Laptop.

We also learned about DROPBOX

I originally found out about Dropbox from Michelle at Frankie & Swiss. I use it to share my fabric design files so that she can just access each one when I send through a printing order. It's fantastic.

Another thing that I really liked was that it was re-iterated that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to anything. It's important to do a little research and find the solution that fits the needs of the problem that you have. The storage and organisation solutions that I need to take control of my craft/space and back up supplies, are going to be different to what I need in the office to take care of personal and business paperwork.

The trick to everything that I've learned being implemented is to take action within the first 3 days (that means make a start... not a finish).

So today I toodled off to Officeworks and bought some supplies, and then came home and started organising.

My sewing patterns are now all stored in pretty magazine holders. I can't see the mess of all the different sizes / packaging types (apart from a few largish envelopes that are peaking over)

This was another great tip - all of the stacks of paperwork and receipts that come in via my front door end up in piles on the kitchen bench. I'm now going to categorise them (and separate the personal receipts from the business receipts) as they come in, so that I stop losing things.

I have a little cupboard with packaging supplies for my online orders. It's a bit messy, and it was hard to find which business card / swing tag / postcard I needed each time (depending on what I'd sold)

I bought some business card and postcard holders, so that I can now see the fronts of each type of card and easily retrieve them when I need them for my packages.

I have to also confess that I bought myself a new box of labels at Officeworks and when I moved all the cards around, I found the box of labels that I already had!

My next job is to tackle this cupboard. The plastic containers house all of my bag / pouch making supplies - from flex frames, to magnetic snaps, o-rings, d-ring, slide adjusters etc... you name it, I hoard it (and yes I do have an entire basket of zips....and screenprinting ink - don't ask).

The good news is that I do at least have them containerised. The bad news is that I can't find what I need because there are no labels!

I have a discount code that I can share with everyone for Lissanne's webstore - you can get 10% off all products and services until Nov 7th by using the code 6STEPS.

In the meantime.... I'll get back to my organising.

My Place and Yours

2011-10-30T17:44:00.000+11:00

I'm playing along with My Place and Yours this week...

I've showed where I sleep before, so instead I'm showing my newly transformed spare room. It's still a plain white box, but the bunk beds are gone and now I have two nice new singles and a trundle bed.

It's all ready to go for when I get that phonecall that I'm waiting for....

Sorted.... from my archives

2011-10-29T06:40:00.000+11:00

A long long time ago (ok, well not really that long ago), I bought a little book.

This little book was the subject of my second ever blog post on Wednesday January 16th 2008.

Today I'm off to spend the day at a 6 Steps Workshop with the books author and organising guru Lisanne Oliver, and two other organisational experts. I'm completely fascinated by the topic so I'm quite excited about the day ahead.

Here's hoping it might also keep my hoarding tendencies at bay!