The RCH Made By Us Market

If you're looking for something to do on Saturday, don't miss the very first Made By Us Twilight Market.

The market is being run by the Royal Childrens Hospital Auxilliaries and features a curated selection of artisans inlcuding Tinniegirl

Sayraphim Lothian has been working on the set design and RCH Artworks for the market over the last few months, and it'll be worth your while to head along to see her amazing work too.

• Where: Malvern Town Hall, High St, Malvern
• When: Saturday 30th June from 12PM - 6PM
• Who: Stallholders

My creative space

Today I'm dropping off some Un-Reel Pendants at Open Drawer in Camberwell. Pop in and say hello to Robyn and Prue if you're in the vicinity!

I also need to add some snaps to finish off these sweet little bibs.

Oh and I must introduce you to my new love....

His name is Simon.

More Creative Spaces

A Quilting Bug

I mentioned yesterday that I'm doing some contract project work this week.

Well, one of the lovely ladies (who wished to remain incognito during this photo shoot) in the office is also a crafter. She's going to become a Grandmother for the first time later this year, so she's been working on a quilt for the new grandbaby.

Sorry for the blurry iPhone photo but I was snapping quickly in the office while we were playing show and tell. Oh, and after show and tell we ate chocolate mud cake that one of the other lovely ladies had bought in for morning tea (you see - this is why I miss my work soooooo much sigh...).

Can you see the cute little bugs and dragonflies? They've all been fussycut and pieced together, and she's quilted in the ditch all the way around. So completely and utterly adorable!

What Would You Do?

I received a lovely email last week, totally out of the blue, enquiring about some of my crafty goodies (I'll be able to fill you in on the details later in the week).

I'm working on a contracting project at my old workplace at the moment, so the only time that I had available to get everything all stitched up was the weekend.

Now that I have everything finished, I'm having a dilemma. I love this particular cushion so much that I'm not quite sure that I can part with it, but I'm also not quite sure that I have enough time to make a replacement.

What would you do? Is it the curse of the crafter?

Sunday Snippets

Beginning

Sunbaking

Cooking

Playing

Designing

Indulging

Packing

Sewing

Playing Sunday Snippets with Tinniegirl

*I can't resist finishing without asking the same question that I asked on Instagram yesterday when I posted this photo.

Where were you in 1987?

July Sponsorship

Do you have a crafty business or blog? Would you like to advertise for the month of July?

Everything you need to know can be found on my Advertising Page!

I'm spending the day sewing in this glorious sunshine today. Gotta make the most of those rays while they last.

My Creative Space

I've been turning this...

... into these for that.

I'm hoping to get back into it on the weekend.

More Creative Spaces

The one where I pretend to be a Food Blogger

Do you know the best thing about eating out with another blogger?

They can whip out their iPhone to snap a pic just as quickly as you can, without blinking an eye! *30 seconds later it's on Instagram and Twitter.

I met up with Carly for lunch yesterday at Hidden Garden Cafe in Ascot Vale. We decided to share our meal so that we could also fit dessert (which was a great plan).

We had Pork Belly and Pineapple Tacos to begin. These were amazing! Tender pork with finely diced fresh pineapple - yummo. Oooh there's also Sweet Potato Fries in the background - delish!

We ordered two desserts, which given the serving sizes, was completely ridiculous.

We shared this Banana Burrito. It came with chocolate ice-cream, fairy floss and popping candy. Carly giggled the whole way through with the popping candy.

I couldn't even get through my half....

We also ordered this very yummy looking Peanut Butter Cup (also with fairy floss and popping candy). We have no idea what it tasted like as there's no way that there was any room left for more food (it didn't go to waste though).

It was the perfect prelude to sitting in to watch Carly practice her speech with some of her medical team at the hospital.  She'll be giving the same speech at the Centre for Appearance Research's Appearance Matters conference in Bristol (UK) the week after next.

*Carly even managed to write and publish this blog post while I was driving between the cafe and the hospital. That girl has skills!

From WS to NY via London

I'm always very excited when I get a custom request for something special, and then I'm blown away by some of the places my creations end up.

This was a groovy West Suburban Melbourne teatowel... but now it's the perfect shopping tote.

In less than two weeks, it's heading to London and then to the BlogHer 2012 Conference in New York.

Carly loves to shop so I made sure to re-inforce those handles, and double top stitch the lining.

I had a bit of a lining dilemma last week, but in a quick trip to Spotty I found this print, which not only matched perfectly, but it's a great weight too (something similar to drill).

I'm giving it to her today so fingers crossed she's happy!


PS - if you would like to make yourself a super simple unlined teatowel tote, I have a downloadable pdf tutorial .

Feathering My Nest

Hallelujah the lurgy is gone and I've switched the sewing machine the back on!

Which brings me to the next thing on my agenda...

The upcoming Feather Your Nest exhibition at Gleaners Inc.

The following info is from the Gleaners Inc blog.

Here are some important details about Gleaners Inc.'s next exhibition entitled "Feather Your Nest".

• The exhibition will be part of Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed Festival. 

• The show opens on Friday August 3rd at 5.30 pm. We will have drinks and nibbles and discount shopping on the night!

• The theme of the show is "Feather your Nest". Creatives are invited to interpret this common idiom in their own way and either create a unique piece or submit a previous work that  references the theme.

• Both 2D and 3D work will be accepted

• Please remember that the space is quite small, so keep this in mind when creating your masterpiece.

• Please email Liz at gleanersinc@gmail.com to submit your work . It can be an expression of interest with your idea, pictures of your past work or an image of the piece you wish to submit.

• All work for the show is to be delivered to Gleaners Inc. by Friday July 27th. If you are out of town email Liz for the mailing address.

• All work can be for sale. The gallery will take a commission on all sales in the vicinity of 25%, so price your work accordingly.

• We have decided  to avoid  commercially produced feathers in any artwork. "Windfalls" or naturally shed feathers are fine.

• After the roaring success of the "You say Doyley, I say Doily" show in March , this coming event should not be missed!

• Go forth and start Nesting! Any other questions, just ask Liz.

Sunday Snippets

I was a little quiet on the instagram front this week, but here's are my picks of the pics....

Central Heating Installation (thankfully those poor ducks are much warmer now)

Mulitpurpose Jenga

Baconpalooza

Closely followed by Chocolatepalooza

and Teatowelpalooza (thankyou Dianne)

Mess

Teatowel Tote WIP

Cutting new Fabric Sample Packs for the shop

Joining in with #pipsinstagramlookbook

Not sure if Tinniegirl is playing Sunday Snippets today, but I'm a creature of habit!

Little Shop Of - Now Bigger

There's much excitement happening at Little Shop Of... this week. Bec has moved a few doors down the street into a new larger shop!

You can now find Little Shop Of...  at 2 Woorayl St, Carnegie, Vic, 3163.

If you pop in for a visit, you'll now find my new Un-Reel Pendant Necklaces plus some new colourways in the Brooch Kits.

Say hi to Bec for me!

Sweet Cherry Tote

I've been busting to show you this sweet cherry tote.

It was a beautiful gift from Nikki when I joined the transplant waiting list last year.

Nikki based her styling on her mothers beauty case from the 60's.

It's a craft tote, but I've filled mine with all sorts of lovely pampering bathroom/spa products to take with me.

It's even more exciting as you can make your very own.

It's Project of the Month in this month's Australian Homespun Magazine .

All the project details that you need and where to buy the magazine are right here.



My Creative Space and the missing re-discovered knitting

How do you know something is missing if you've completely forgotten about it?

It's been a couple of years since I last picked up the knitting sticks for actual knitting. They get more use around here as tools for pushing out seams, or for mixing up various gluey/varnishy/painty concoctions.

A few weeks ago, my SIL mentioned that she needed a new grey scarf for winter. It was the perfect project to get my knitjo back on track (I've since gifted it after forgetting to take a photo).

I went in search of my Buttontree Lane Knitting Project Bag, and found this half finished scarf inside.

I don't even remember who I was knitting this for as I've already made one in very similar tones for myself....

... and I may have already bought more yarn for the next one - whoops!

My creative space

Oh Sewjo... and Regretsy?

Please come back (pretty please... don't make me beg). I have sooooo much sewing that I really want to get done, and I need to make Carly a totally custom tote bag before she flits off overseas on her next adventure.

I'd been fit and well for such a long time (well as fit and well as you can be while dragging an oxygen trolley around anyway).

I'm really not dealing well with this little bump in the road at the moment.  I'm trying extremely hard not to be all whiney and whingey. *Slaps forehead*

Moving on....

Did you read about my Happy Birthday Queenie Facebook Sale?  I received the strangest comment on this Owl Pouch. I could have just deleted it, but I've purposely left it there for the world to see, as I must say that I'm completely intrigued.

Is it really Where DIY meets WTF enough for Regretsy? I'm quite sure that nothing I make is cool enough for that!

Anyway... I'd love to know your thoughts crafty peeps - would you be upset, offended, chufffed, perplexed or intrigued?


Addendum: I'm pretty sure you can't end up on Regretsy if you don't sell on Etsy in the first place?

Edit: If you've never visited Regretsy before - beware some of the content is quite rude and may offend! 

Update: Mystery solved - the Regretsy comment wasn't actually referring to the pouch. It was something else entirely (gave me a chuckle anyway)!

The Happy Birthday Queenie FB Sale

It's Queenie's birthday so I'm celebrating with a massive Facebook sale - most items are 50% off and I'm throwing in free postage anywhere in Australia.

Get shopping quick!

Sunday Snippets

It's been very quiet around these parts this week. I've been struck down by the lurgy and have zero motivation or energy to do anything much at all.

I really need to get better as I really don't want to go to hospital. Bleugh.

More interesting Sunday Snippets over at Tinniegirl.