My Creative Space

I have been meaning to join in with my creative space for such a long time. Here are a few pictures of projects that I have been working on this week

~please be kind~




I was sent this this fab car road FQ a while back and wanted to make a special gift for a lovely friend with 3 boys. This car mat has a space for four matchbox cars then conveniently rolls up to pack it all way. Perfect for distraction tactics at restaurants or Dr's surgeries.  It took a while to work out but I got it finished in the end. Thankfully my little friends aren't too fussy for perfect stitching.





Yesterday One of my lovely friends asked for a helping hand making some canvases for her children's empty walls - this is a small sample of what we made. We really didn't have a plan as to how they were going to turn out but together we came up with these - I like them so much - I might have to get busy making one for Lou. It was such a lovely morning and it was so nice to be making something a little different.

Don't worry though - those waiting on orders, I promise they are on their way too. SEE :)




This is me not purchasing anything...

June is my 'get back on track' month for budgets. I don't know if it's the EOFY looming or just that most Mays (and Jans, Febs, Mars and Apes) I go a bit mental with the buying, but June has traditionally been the Month of Try Not To Spend As Much On Stuff You Don't Need.

So, I still shop for groceries and important things. But I wind the pantry stocks down by making weird recipes involving all those cans of soup and curry pastes that gather in Woodstock proportions over the course of the year. I also let the car blink its pesky fuel lamp at me for as long as possible (what a rush). And I cleverly delay paying any bills that come in that month. So canny.

Now, if I was buying this June, which I am not, I would definitely be getting one of these gorgeous Naomi Murrell brooches.

Bargin Finds

Have to love it when you find a great bargain at the sales! My four year old Sofia really wanted new boots to wear to pre-school - being the neat freak I am I hate nice new things going to kindy and coming home wrecked within a day or two.

We headed out the other day to see what we could find in the sales - I found myself a wonderful pair of long black boots that I loved but the marked down price was more expensive that what I would normally pay at full price - back on the shelf they went!

We were however there to find Sofia something and we lucked out - we found these fabulously cute brown boots in Cotton On Kids and yes on sale for $20! We had to buy two (as they had two different browns and we couldn't decide and she does have a sister to hand things down to!) and while were were there we found this great red dress reduced to just $10! Kids fashion is so wonderful these days and at that price she can wear it to pre-school!


Here she is after her first day at kindy with her new dress and boots and yes they had survived their first day!



Leanne

lOVE it







I love browsing through book stores 
& even more so online while in my pj's! 
This book stood out for me. 
I love the handwritten pages 
& the uplifting words.







'Celebrate all of the women in your life. Here is an unforgettable testimony to the strength, beauty and brillance of the female spirit. Bursting with color, each hand painted page is both wise and wonderful.'
available here

Q&A

The lovely Amanda at Homely-One tagged me yesterday to play a little game of Q&A that has been circulating around blogland... and then pass it on to some bloggers. So here goes:

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I spent my 30th birthday (um, a few years back) in a Tuscan farmhouse literally watching wine be crushed by hand beneath my bedroom window. I dream about retiring to my own Tuscan piece of paradise some day...

2. What is your favourite band?
U2. For sentimentality sake. And because I can't seem to part with my 1988 genuine 'Fly' glasses even though they'd fetch a pretty penny on Ebay these days...

3. If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?
Bella from Twilight. Because if I were her, I'd want to be a vampire too...

4. Concert or Broadway show?
Love both. Um... I'm pretty jealous of my sisters both going to the upcoming Muse concert (without me!), though...

5. Theme song for your life?
Good lord -- Pass!

6. Fancy dinner at a nice restaurant or a picnic in the park?
Picnic in the park. I'm hopeless with food. I've been ordering the same lunch from the same cafe for near-on 10 years. The perfect picnic? A bit of homemade hummus on some fresh crusty ciabatta and freshly expressed coffee from the thermos. Yum.

7. Favourite place to shop?
The internet. 24/7 - need I say more?

8. Favourite movie?
'Jeux Enfants' - a french film (English title 'Love me if you dare'). One of those films that fills your thoughts long long after you've seen it. Near-on changed my life. And the boy is a total spunk. mmmmm yummy French actors
Right... Your go! I'd like to pass on the quiz to my gals at:


Spill your guts, gals!
x

My little aqua book: Alfresco Dining

Meet... Marvin the Monkey!

Before I was even pregnant with Fern, I bought this book from Dymocks:

I couldn't resist. It was so cute and quirky and I had never seen soft toys like it anywhere else at the time. Every toy in this book is simply made with little more than socks and gloves!

I brought it home and thought I'd begin making immediately. Except, I couldn't. Do you think I could find the socks and/ or gloves... anywhere?? Disparaged, the book has been on the shelf for the past couple of years, gathering dust.

Until now! At the recent Stitches and Craft Show in Sydney, my fabbo MIL scored me some 'Red Heel Socks' (avail here) specially designed with this specific purpose in mind! Yay!

So.... from this:

Today -- I made this!
Can you believe he is literally just a pair of socks?!!?!... and I do love him so. His ears are crooked. His stitching is uneven. His eyes are lopsided. And to me he is perfect, because I didn't buy him from a shop and because he was made with love and my babies in mind. He was actually made for my baby-to-be, but Fern discovered him (or the half of him that was finished) and fell immediately in love. So, I am going to make her one too. Because everyone surely needs a little Marvin-the-Monkey in their lives?

If you havn't made a softie before, this one could be a good one to start with. You literally cut out all the pieces from a pair of socks, and just machine/ handsew the lot together with some stuffing. The only additions in my case were a couple of buttons and a scrap of ribbon! If you look up 'sock monkey' on the net, you'll find instructions for making your own creation. Go on -- it's a lot of fun!
x
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)