Big and Little

Wordless Wednesday - Ski Lessons

2011-07-28T09:51:00.000+10:00

Play along with Wordless Wednesday at Faith, Hope and a whole lotta Love.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T09:04:00.003+10:00

Play along with Faith, Hope and a whole lotta Love

My Creative Space

2011-07-07T12:01:00.003+10:00

My creative space this week finds me battling the dreary, cold, wet Melbourne winter with all too many days like this...

.... to find enough good natural light to photograph my lovely Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange present from Keera at Live.Love.Sew.
Today however wet, miseable and cold it may be, it is the brightest day we have had all week. So here are some shots of the lovely creative journal I received.
Keera came across one of my posts moaning about how I wish I had more time to let creative ideas percolate etc and she came up with the lovely idea of a journal to draw, doodle and work ideas out in.
The cover for the journal is exquisite. Not only has she created a lovely patchwork front but she has also hand stiched some inspiring wording that winds its way around the entire cover. (I feel Keera has far more patience in her little finger than I have in my whole body)

Right down to my initials in the corner. ( Having the initials ME got me into a lot of trouble with teachers at school who thought I was being smart when asked to mark our initials in the corner of our work, but I digress)

I also received some lovely hair ties and clips for my girls in my package, but I cannot photograph them as they have gone away in the girls hair to their Grandparents for a sleepover while it is school holidays.

School holidays have been non stop to say the least around here but I have managed to get a few more of the cupcake pincushions made and out to new homes.Oh those wonderful wee hours of the morning!
When friends and family saw the one I made for Keera, the requests started pouring in.

The next lot aren't quite as large as Keera's but still just as cute.

This is the only one still to go to its new home....

I hope your week is full of sunshine and warmth and lots of creative space.
Play along at Our Creative Spaces

Wordless Wednesday - Bee Happy

2011-07-06T20:21:00.000+10:00

Play along with your Wordless Wednesday with Faith hope and a whole lotta Love

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-07-03T20:19:00.000+10:00

Dont you just wish you were a little kid again? I know I do when I see things like this.
Nothing beats a whizzy from Dad.

Play along with your shadow shot here with Hey Harriet

My Creative Space - with just a 2 month hiatus

2011-07-01T21:17:00.001+10:00

Well I know I said a while ago that I was going to attempt to be a little more regular at posting this year but once again one thing led to another and life got in the way. Even though I have not been posting and updates/ creative persuits etc, I have been keeping up with what all the other lovely people out there in blogland are up to.

Last year I took part in my first ever gift exchange run by the very talented Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous and received a wonderful surpise in the mail, so when it was anounced again this year there was no hesitation in signing up. My swap partner this year was a lovely lady in Outback QLD who is leading a life I thought would have been mine when I first started University.

Reading through her blog, Live.Love.Sew I discovered a very talented and patient Keera ( anyone who quilts is extremely patient in my book) who loves both crafting and cooking - especially guided by the amazing Donna Hay.

So with my thinking cap on I tried to come up with a gift that would bring both of these together.
I immediately thought of one of my upcycled Silverware Cookbook Clip's personalised for Keera as the cooking part , and a project that I had been wanting to try for a long time as the other part.

And after deciding that fleting was not my thing, this is what was born....

... a cupcake pincushion ( I hope it was obvious)

I hoped that with the cotton cupcake wrapper it would have more of a Donna Hay look to it.

So overall I was very happy when I packaged my gift up and sent it on its way to Qld.

I dont think I have spoilt the surprise for Keera either by posting these pictures, as she left for her honeymoon yesterday and reading blogs will not be one of the planned activities for the next week or so.

Well this is just the start of quite a few updates of things that have been happening around here.
I hope to be a little more regular in posting from now on, but no promises. ;)

To see what other creative types have been up to, check out and play along with 'Our Creative Spaces'

A Day of Extremes

2011-04-22T21:09:00.002+10:00

Well today has certainly earnt its title. Either absolute success of abject failure and nothing in between.
First of all were my Easter baskets for Mum and Caroline. It was obvious this morning that I had been working on them quite late last night as some of my 'logic' had gone astray and there was quite a bit of unpicking to be done before they were finished this morning. BUT, I am very happy with the way they turned out and would be very happy to receive one myself (especially if it is filled with chocolate eggs).

I put these down to absolute success #1.

Absolute success #2 is the easter tree. After searching our dying maple tree for the right branch, this is how you are now greeted as you enter our house.

Our house is white, not pale pink like the photos show but I could not get the white balance right today for some reason. Absolutely no chance on the little automatic (pic1) but getting a little closer (still not good) with the DSLR (pic 2). I will put it down to the funny light today and the fact that our front door is bright orange and alters the colours in the hallway.

Absolute success #3. All my market stock is made ( including a large pile of teaspoon bookmarks which were not actually planned for thoday) and packed in the car before 6pm. This may not sound like a big deal but I could count on one hand the number of times I have been ready for a market before midnight the night prior , and I have been doing markets for 7 years now. I can always find something to do, a sign to remake etc, designing a new stall layout. You maket goers know what I mean - well I hope you do, and I am not the only one who does this.

All these successes had made for too good a day and the failures were about to begin.

Abject failure #1. Beer battered fish and chips for dinner. Hard to muck this up I hear you say- well maybe, but not if you are me - I can stuff anything up - just ask anyone who has attmepted to eat my scones!!!
I had borrowed MIL's fryer to cook the fish, but all it did was stick the batter to the bottom of the basket so that when it was time to dish up my beautiful orange roughy, it came out in a multitude of pieces followed by crushed/smashed batter. It tasted alright but looked pre-digested. I changed the way I placed the fish in the oil each time but as the basket rotates and lifts the item being cooked out of the oil for short periods, the batter or just plain fish with no batter still stuck and ended up looking the same. A good night to be a blind dinner guest in our house tonight.

Abject failure #2. Attempting to put royal icing on marie biscuits so that the girls can draw on them with the new food pens. We ( or mainly I ) decided that pre-made biscuits should be easier to ice than home made ones but try as I might I could not get the icing to stay in the desired shape or for that matter not stick to the bench when I rolled it out. I muddled my way through 6 biscuits and gave up. There has to be an easier way amd will be a task for another day. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Failure #3. Hot cross buns were not even attempted today. Maybe tomorrow, when I get home from the market so we can take them for lunch on Sunday, but then again, if I am as tired as I normally am after a market ( and it does go for an extra hour tomorrow), then it will just be dinner and bed for me tomorrow before the Easter Bunny hops his way into our house.

Here's hoping your day was full of success and sunshine and have a Happy Easter.

P.S. If you are looking for something to do tomorrow and are near the Mornington Peninsula, pop along to the special Easter Market at Mornington Racecourse.

My Creative Space

2011-04-21T20:51:00.001+10:00

My creative space this week finds me enjoying Easter fun with the girls.
We have blown eggs ( free range of course - no cage eggs here - Sarah's attempting to get the whole school to boycott cage eggs by the time she leaves grade 6 in Dec), drawn on them with crayon and then died them and many little fingers along with them.
Here are some of my favourites

I know there are flash spots on them but it is such a miserable wet night here in Melbourne that I cannot get enough light without the flash.

Now comes the assembly of the tree for a centrepiece on Sunday. This was going to be done today but with a shuffle of work days and me working today, it will have to become a Good Friday activity.

Hopefully it will end up looking something like this.....

As my family are not big chocolate eaters , I usually find/make a small present for them with some chocolate ginger etc hidden inside. With a hankering for scones, which I absolutely cannot make, even with no-fail recipes ( mine could be sold to the army as ammunition), I thought this years present to mum and 'lil sis could be something to give them a nudge in the scone making direction.
A long time ago I saw some lovely scone baskets by Mud Tea and thought that I might be able to make something similar from my ever growing fabric stash. I think Kate has come up with a wonderful idea and it is not as simple to put together as it first appears. My version does not look nearly as pretty/neat but heck - it was made with love and a lot of experimentation and I am still rather happy with the outcome.

Next on the family easter/holiday craft plan is bajing some of these...

with this excellent recipe from none other than the Womens Weekly ,

and, also baking ( my oven wont know what's hit it - poor thing) some biscuits decorated with my new food pens.
After reading a lovely post on Christen's blog Twirling Betty about her children decorating biscuits, I spent the night scouring the internet for food pens that would not cost the earth and I could get before the Good Friday holiday. Baking Pleasures in Brisbane came to the rescue and the pens arrived today - YAY!
Still haven't decided whether we will make bunny biscuits or just plain round ones and let them create their own designs. - Maybe some of both.......

The rest of today ( after work that is and probably into the mystery hours of tonight) will be spent finishing the other scone basket, sewing some hats for the market on Saturday and if possible before it gets too late - bashing spoons, especially lots more bookmarks for Saturday too.

I hope your week and holidays have been creative and you have a lovely Easter

Wordless Watchful Wednesday

2011-04-20T22:37:00.000+10:00

Wet, on a beach, stick in mouth - pure joy for a dog

Play along with your Wordless Wednesday here with Faith Hope and a whole lotta Love

and

Watchful Wednesdays here at Flower Photography

Wordless Watchful Wednesday

2011-04-13T14:02:00.011+10:00

...
........

Join in with your Wordless Wednesday at Faith Hope and a whole lotta Love

and

Watchful Wednessdays at Flower Photography.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-04-10T19:49:00.001+10:00

This is my first time with Shadow Shot Sunday hosted by Hey Harriet. So here goes.
Whilst exploring Melbourne city with some friends visiting from overseas, we came across a sculpture of a huge swarm of bees taking over the Eureka Tower. Funny how you can miss so many things in your own city.

Play along with your Shadow shot here.

Elephants in Easter Bonnets

2011-04-08T23:56:00.003+10:00

Not your ordinary title but then Mia's first Easter bonnet parade deserves someting special. Its not every day there is an Easter Elephant!
The 3yr old ECC group at Sarah's school doesn't normally get to participate in many of the 'big'school activities as they are only attend on a Friday ( 4yr old group does 4 days) and most whole school activities take place on a Thuesday. BUT, end of term is end of term and always falls on a Friday. Our house was a veritable buzz of excitement this morning - Mia 'cos she got to dress up as an elephant ( even though the day was going to be 26'C) and Sarah because nearly 3 weeks holiday were starting. Gotta love Easter and Anzac day bumping into each other.
Here is how our fleece elephant set out this morning....

Mia had cooler clothes on underneath but when I arrived after lunch for the parade, she was still in the costume, trunked hood and all, admitting she was a little hot but this would not stop being Mali, an Easter Elephant. After a lot of ~~begging, cajoling~~, requests, Mia finally relinquished the hood in exchange for her Easter bonnet she made earlier this morning just in time for the Easter Bonnet Parade.

With a 7 year age difference there will not be many activities that both girls will get to do at school together, so it was great that Sarah was also part of Mia's first foray into the world of parades

A very proud bonnet maker...

My Big and Little with their creations demonstrating summer and winter fashions all on the one day.

We are now looking forward to a busy school holdays filled with visits to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the museum, beach romps, exploring new parks, sleepovers and taking full advantage of all the beautiful autum days that will hopefully grace us with their presence.
On that note my coasters are now dry and ready for their next coat of modge podge before the waterproof sealant tomorrow so, I will leave you hoping that your weekend is full of fun, laughs and sunshine.

My Creative Space

2011-04-08T16:42:00.002+10:00

My creative space this week is a little late but this week has been so hectic that it is lucky to have happened at all.
With ' real' work amping up this year to more days per week I am finding it harder and harder to get the energy to craft. The desire is still there and many a blank moment at work is spent pondering and devising new ideas but by the time I get home and have cooked dinner, cleaned up the hurricane that decends on our house each afternoon, I am ~~buggered~~ exhausted.
Hence this clean washing pile is ever growing while it waits to be sorted, ironed and put away.

Any crafting that has been done this week has been restricted to dabbling in projects and finishing none. The glorious autumn weather that we have been having lately has meant that I can set myself up on a trestle table on the back deck and leave my work in whatever state I wish. At the moment the tea cup garden lights/bird feeders are drying, my new from old mirror is waiting for a top coat of gloss paint before being hung in the hall
and the plants I was hoping to keep alive to sell with my spoons at Mornington market on Sunday are well and truly dead. - all of this on one table - I love it.

I have however been luckier in the 'keepeing plants alive' department with my little money plants that I have propagated from the large bush in out garden. According to Chinese superstition, these plants correctly placed in you house will bring monetry wealth to the household. I must have read the book wrong as we are still waiting for the wealth to roll in.

Maybe with a couple more .....who knows.....

My creative mojo has to kick in tonight and tomorrow so that I can have some stock for my market. Coasters are on the agenda for tonight so they dry and be sealed tomorrow, and since flattening and stamping spoons is a little too noisy to be done at night, that will be this afternoon and tomorrows task as well as repotting clivia's to take to the market to put my teacups in, buying more garden stakes for the teacups and the everlasting Saturday basketball games for Sarah that are at the most annoying time of 4:30pm.

School holidays kick in as of today so I hope my next few weeks will be a little less stressful even if they are just as hectic. It is times like this I wish I worked at a school so that I could have the same holidays as the girls. Getting up and going to work whilst everyone else has pyjama mornings is very hard.

Here's to a creative week to you all and check out other creative spaces here.

Wordless Watchful Wednesday

2011-04-06T10:21:00.001+10:00

Play along with your Wordless Wednesday at Faith Hope and a whole lotta Love

and

Watchful Wednesdays with Flower Photography

@my house - Mondays post done in the wee (mystery) hours of Tuesday morning

2011-04-05T00:14:00.006+10:00

This Monday finds me both loving and hating the end of daylight savings.
Love it because my body still hasn't clicked in to the extra hours sleep so everything is done and ready for school so early in the morning and there is no problem getting everyone out of bed.
Hate it because it really does mean the end of summer ( not that we really had one this year) and that it is really dark by 6:30 and it will only get earlier and earlier in the months to come.
So I look back on a wonderful weekend the girls and I shared at Torquay while Brett was away hiking in the snowy mountains.

Climbing the sand dunes at Torquay

Rock Pools at Pt Addis

Evening at Pt Lonsdale front beach on the journey home. You can tell I have spent the day in the sun without a hat ( naughty, naughty) by the sheer number of freckles taking over my face. Oh the skin of a redhead!

I am also still amazed at how popular my silverware garden markers continue to be. I really thought they would be an item that would be a cute Christmas gift and that sales would drop off and ultimatley die after Christmas/New Year but people continue to amaze me with a repeat customer returning today to order another 41 spoons and forks.
Another plus for the day - my second order from Xenotees - a fantastic store on etsy, arrived today - super speedy. I already have an animal collective t-shirt but as the cooler days are coming I thought a longer sleeve was in order and since I love cutlery I thought this fork shirt very fitting. ( hahaha Yes I meant the double pun)
With a day like this I have found it very hard to wipe the smile off my face.
I hope your week has started as well as mine.

My Creative Space

2011-03-31T23:45:00.000+11:00

My creative space this week finds me loving this autumn weather and with many projects on the go....

New teaspoon bookmarks have just hit my shop.

They are a smaller, flatter version of my Cook Book Clips and area lovely way to mark you spot in a favourite or current book.

My teacup bird feeders are also making a comeback and the supplies are building up for the April and Easter markets. As Autumn moves in down here and the food starts to dry up for the birds in out area it was lovely to see a little bird partaking of our fare this morning. Only wish I had had the camera on hand.

I have also been working on repainting a cane surround mirror that I picked up from the side of the road. I love the cyclic nature of nature strip finds. I find many treasures in this way and always make sure I return the karmic favour by placing my unwanted items out to find their way into someone elses life. They never last long either. This week after finding the mirror I finally decided to get rid of the only remaining wooden bar stool. I think it was about 5 mins before it had been picked up. But I digress.... My new to me mirror was a terrible 'old bathroon pink' and is now on its was to being classic white. Before and after shots to come another time.

Last but not least, my vegie garden has amazed all and continues to grow despite the cat deciding that it is now here favourite place to sleep in the sun ( 3 snow pea plants died for her comfort) and the dog that has taken a liking to nibbling the lemongrass and silverbeet at the base of the plants. Nonetheless, the surviving peas needed a frame to climb up, so, as of this afternoon there is now a trellis hung on our fence. The man at Bunnings wanted to make it so complicated and I'm sure he would not approve of my hanging method. Rather than multiple screws and brackets I have opted for 3 squared hooks mounted to the fence, which will enable me to remove or raise the trellis frame when I want/need. Silly man, there is no rule that says things can only be used for their original purpose....

Take a break from your creating, and pop over to Kootoyoo to browse through what other creative folk have been up to.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T19:43:00.000+11:00

Play along with your WW here at Faith Hope and a whole lotta Love.

My Creative Space

2011-03-24T23:40:00.001+11:00

I Wish.....

My first creative space for a while finds me wishing....
Wishing for more time - my mind is working a million miles an hour with new ideas and there is is not enough hours left in the day after normal work and after school activities to get them all done.
I have new ideas for the silver cutlery that I hope will be a winner for Easter, and, I also want to have time to play around , just experimenting with spoons like the one above - nothing for sale, just feel good stuff around the house for me.
I also have a grand new idea for fleece this winter. I am calling it B.L.I.S.S. ( but you will have to wait for the great unveiling to see what it stands for.) BUT, and this is a big BUT , BLISS is still in my mind and has yet to have any prototypes made.
The plus side however it that sewing can be done late at night. Bashing spoons flat and then stamping them is a little noisey to be done after dark.

As for all the other ideas, eg the clothes that I would like to make, learning to crochet/knit , free form stiching, being creative with coffee sacks, the list goes on - well, they will just have percolate in the brain a little longer.

I hope you find time for your creative persuits and play along at Kootoyoo

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T09:02:00.013+11:00

play along here with Faith Hope and a whole lotta Love

Bite Size Snippets .....

2011-03-22T22:47:00.000+11:00

After the recent success of my 'Mini Maps of Melbourne' Coaster sets which were chosen to be gifts for the International VIPS at last weeks Loreal Fashion Week here in Melbourne and the requests I have had for sets from more northern destinations, Bite-Size Bits of Brisbane and Snippets of Sydney Coaster sets have been born. So favourite or memorable places in any city up the east coast can now be a talking point and create a drink with a difference.

The original .....

how they look when assembled

and the new additions....

Next in line is a wider range of aviation map placemats and some travel tealights ....... stay tuned .....

. . . Hiatus Over . . .

2011-03-21T22:37:00.003+11:00

Big and Little has been on a hiatus for the last 4 months due mostly to the fact that I cannot do everything. Now however due to so many email and other requests I will attempt to get it back up and going.
Just before the hiatus last year I started my Hand Stamped Silver Spoons and Forks. I thought these might be a cute little gift for Christmas and that I might sell a couple or three. Over 500 spoons later I am still amazed how successful they have been and continue to be. With this, Christmas, school holidays, work and wanting to spend as much time as possible with the family in the small glimpses of summer that we had, it was necessary to sleep at night and take a break from blogging.
Over the next little while I will show you what I have been up to creatively over the last few months. To do it all now would be too much for anyone to handle - including me.
Lets just start with the fact that it is work tomorrow and my vow this year is to me more varied in the jewellery I wear ( and the wardrobe for that matter). Normally I have one necklace and wear it to death - not this year - this is the year of change!
On this note, tonight, I have been inspired by all the dandelion (or fairy clocks as they are called in our house) craft there is around at the moment and have made/stamped myself a pair of brass earings to wear tomorrow.
Not quite how I imagined them but pleased all the same. No one at the office tomorrow will notice ( a downside of all male co-workers) but I will know they are new and different.
Judge for yourself.......

I will change the jump rings and hooks for brass coloured when I have a chance to get to Spotlight etc but to be able to wear them tomorrow silver will have to do. I am a perfectionist when it comes to selling my products but for my family and myself, many shortcuts or 'modifications' are made - all in the name of experimentation of course.
'till next time - happy autumn

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T23:51:00.000+11:00

Play along with your Wordless Wednesday here

My Creative Space

2010-11-04T23:26:00.000+11:00

Christmas has come early in my creative space this week as I work through the final touches, ~~problems and hiccups~~, for the tea light Christmas carols to be launched at the Red Hill market on Saturday. I am very happy with them and I hope many customers will be to. Perfect for that little gift for a friend or prehaps a teacher?

Play along with your creative space at Kootoyoo.

@my house - a little bit late

2010-11-02T22:16:00.001+11:00

My house this week finds me totally our of whack! Don't get me wrong, I love 4 day holiday weekends but it does throw my time/day clock out of whack. I went through today thinking it was Sunday and that I had plenty of time to get everything done for the Red Hill market next Saturday. Just after lunch it hit me that I have less than 2 days to get everything done as tomorrow is out with 'normal' work and the candle holders will not even arrive until Thursday arvo. So.... I pulled my little finger out and got on with all the new fork and spoon options I have had floating around in my head, and I must say they have turned out rather well. They are now all up for sale in my madeit shop

My favourites are the custom teaspoons ....

I had never like the idea of garden forks but when I stuck a couple of them in the garden at jaunty angles, it changed my mind. They now come in single forks, sets of 3 or mixed sets with spoons.

Now there are just the pile of coasters to do, more spoons and forks to stamp, cook book clips to stamp and fold, and the christmas tealight holders to create from scratch. Somehow I think I will be seeing a lot of the 'mystery hours' in the next few days.

Apart from all of that it was Melbourne Cup Day today ( hence the holiday, yesterday was mid-term break) and 'the race that stops a nation' did stop everything at our house, as, for the 3 1/2 minutes that the race took, we were all glued to the TV.

Play along with your house here

Waiting.........

2010-10-29T23:40:00.004+11:00

Today was one of the hardest days I think Mia has lived though. Big sister Sarah has been away on camp this week and has been sorely missed by Mia. (She has never been an only child before). Each morning Mia would ask if Sarah was coming home today and when the answer this morning was 'yes', I don't think I have ever seen a smile as big.
The only problem was, Mia found it very hard to understand that she had to wait until 3pm for Sarah to come home.
To try and take her mind of it, she tried chalk drawing on the kitchen concrete step while I belted the living daylights out of many, many spoons.
This lasted for only one rainbow, but it was a beautiful one.....

Then we headed off to Bunnings to return my original vice and come home with one with a bigger, deeper grippy bit ( love the technical speak!). I am hoping that the woodworking vice I bought will work wonders for evenly bending the spoons (and maybe forks?). Mia loves going to Bunnings because they have the little kids trolleys and she feels very proud pushing our purchases around like a grown up
While there, we had to have a hot chocolate , to fill in a little more time, but the waiting was getting harder.....

Finally, it was time to go to school and collect Sarah. Mia spotted her first and became a limpit on her sister while Sarah struggled to gather her bags etc.
Mia was so happy to have her Sarah home, there was no wiping the smile from her face - even from under Sarah's somewhat smelly camp hat....

But alas....., although Sarah swore she wasn't tired, half and hour after getting home and having a shower, this is what Mia found.....

More waiting. This didn't worry Mia though as she knew Sarah would wake up soon and then she would play with her. At least she was home.

My Creative Space

2010-10-28T23:54:00.003+11:00

My creative space today finds me creating new spoon ideas for the upcoming Christmas shopping markets.
Here is cook book holder idea #1

This one will be mine as I was a little distracted by a 3 yr old this morning when stamping the 'H', hence its wrong alignment. I can't believe I had stamped all the other words, spelling backwards, as I went without incident and I stuff up on a simple H , two words from the end. Arghhhhhh!!!

~~~~~

I also spent the day remaking 2 of my toddler drums that I thought were winging their way to my lovely madeit shoppers. Australia Post contacted me today to advise me that they had been involved in an 'accident' and were destroyed. They will reimburse me the cost of the goods and the original postage but when I said the replacements should be sent express post, I was politely told that that would cost Australia Post too much. Really???

~~~~~

While trawling the net the other day I came across a small brooch with the 'unknown Beatrix Potter tea drinking rabbit' on it and now I have located a copy of the picture for myself, I am trying to decide what to do, make with it etc.... (the original 10cm x 12cm painting sold for 15, 600 brittish pounds 2 years ago, ~~I wrote this out as I couldn't find the pound symbol~~,).

Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.
If I think about this some more I am sure I can put off other proper work for a bit longer.

How has your 'space' been? Play along here at Lou's

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T21:31:00.001+11:00

Play along here.

@my house

2010-10-25T23:59:00.003+11:00

The week started early at my house today with Sarah heading off on a 5 day camp to a wilderness village. Last night she was counting down the hours and was up by 6am this morning, ready and rearing to go. Going back to being a single child household is very quiet ~~and easy~~.
The rest of the day was spent finsishing off this little guy ( why a red cat with pink spots is a boy I don't know but it is). He was made from a pattern by Wee Wonderfuls and you can download it here.

Mia has named him 'Cat'

When I had Mia, a lovely lady by the name of Jenny, would sew my baby slings for me as there was no way I would have been able to keep up the supply for shops, markets and internet sales with a new baby.
When I was back in the swing of things I bit the bullet and outsourced a lot of my sewing to a commercial sewing company, which just left the finishing touches - ie 50 studs per sling for the adjustable version and the final sewing that could only be completed after all the studs were done.
With time on her hands and now back in the swing of sewing Jenny came up with these gorgeous heirloom dolls. They have painted feet, tea stained socks for the vintage look, designer heirloom fabric for their bloomers and dresses and high quality wool for their hair. Each of their faces are hand stiched and as every one is different they all have their own unique personality.
Anyway, Jenny attended a few markets and received a huge order for the dolls only to find out when they were all finished ,that the person renegged on the deal and only took half the initial number ordered. ~~I hate these people, and may Karma come and bite them in the bum!~~
Anyway, unsure on how to list things on madeit and also how to get good photos of her stock, I agreed to set up her shop and get a few of the dolls listed. If sales take off then I will pass it back to her to manage. To check out these dolls and prehaps have them join your family check out her shop, 'The Dolls House' here.

The lovely weather today provided the perfect opportunity for photographing the dolls and Mia loved posing with them and introducing them to 'Cat'

What's happeining at your house? Play along with here with Buttons by Lou Lou

My Creative Space

2010-10-21T23:55:00.002+11:00

My Creative space finds me a lot more creative and happy than last week. It has however, not been a very crafty creative week so far. Instead, it has been creative in the sense of completing the company website and getting it live, finding a venue, and then creating the invitations, for the company Christmas lunch. I did finish and post my softie for the softie swap I am taking part in, so there was a bit of crafty goodness.

Now my 'real' work, ~~as hubby calls it~~, is over for the week it is time to get all the 'playwork' (spoon, drum and baby sling) orders finished and posted out tomorrow. For once I wish it was going to rain so I would want to stay inside instead of being a beautiful 29'C that I will want to spend every minute outside soaking up the wonderful warmth.

Mia has made up for my lack of crafting this week as every morning as I am getting breakfasts and lunches ready, she sits at her table making wonderful creatures out of playdough and then today had an absolute ball at playgroup when the outside craft activity was messing around with shaving cream. - Oh such simple tactile pleasures.

Happy creating. Play along at Kootoyoo.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T09:01:00.001+11:00

Play along with Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love here

@my house

2010-10-18T22:51:00.001+11:00

At my house today - the creativity is back - but in a tidy way and we have been busy, busy, busy - in the good way.
After a Saturday that was filled with a nail biting Basketball final with 2 extra time periods, ....

and then the breakup/presentation party at night ,

a slightly slower paced Sunday morning saw both girls painting many a masterpiece that now adorn the noticeboards followed by playdough creations. I have only ever made cooked playdough, but when I came across this post by Danielle on Hello Owl, I thought it was worth a try. Although it was successful, and incredibly quick to make, I think I like the feel of the cooked version better.

It was then off for a ride on the local tourist Steam train, aka Thomas the Tank Engine, for our train obsessed Mia, but unfortunately the steam engine was in for repair, so, as Mia phrased it, a Dirty Diesel, (this is meant as a term of endearment for a diesel engine), was pulling the train.

Brett, Mia and Sarah all piled on; Mia loving it because it was a train, Sarah loving it because the carriage was just like the Hogwarts Express with everyone in their separate compartments and Brett loving it because it was only a one way trip.

When I met them at the end of the line, there was just time to race home for a quick bite of lunch before heading off to Casey Fields (aka the coldest and windiest place on earth) for 2 hrs of Sarah's HPV training.

Today, saw me trying to get rid of , ~~I mean hide from view~~, some of the clutter in our house.
My craft area has been a sore point for a long time as eveything was stored on an open bookcase, so eveyone who visited always saw everything.
Well now it is all hidden away behind closed doors. After a bit of wardrobe renovation, I have removed several shelves from Mia's semi built in wardrobe and created a hanging space. I was very proud to throw out much of the 'stuff' I had stored on those shelves and have bags out by the bins as proof of my de-cluttering efforts.
Mia's old wardrobe then made it out into the top living room and is now my craft cupboard to hold all the equipment and sundries that I accumulate. I have decided to take a photo now, when it looks nice, before the rest of the stuff in squeezed in and the lovely neat look totally disappears.

Now you see it....

now you dont .......

No doubt wihtin a couple of days the inside will be a total clutter like the bookshelves used to be, but at least it started off well.

What's happening at your place? Play along here.

My Creative Space

2010-10-14T22:05:00.004+11:00

My Creative Space this week, finds me hoping a little normality might return to life soon. The last few weeks have been so full of sickness, death and then other major family stresses that anything creative has been totally gone. I cannot believe that it has been a week and a half since I last sat down and wrote a post ( the wordless wednesday's were scheduled well ahead of time). The only good thing to come from the last week has been the 3kgs that has managed to fall off my body from stress ~~as the eating better bit wasn't getting anywhere~~. I also came to realise that I need my creative space to remain me. Although the house has been clean with everything in it place, and the washing has been done, folded, ironed and put away all in the one day, I have not been happy in my life. I know this has a lot to do with what has been going on in our family, but also because a part of me (and a rather large part) was turned off and ignored for the sake of household order and peace. Tonight, I have produced a hula costume for a louau that Sarah is going to tomorrow night (and of course one for Mia too - her's was the test run) and I am feeling so much better with just the little bit of creativity creeping back in, that I know I must find a way to keep the house tidy etc as it has been this week or so, and still let the new ideas and creativity have their outlet too. ( If only the creativity didn't have to be done on the dining room table).
I will finish with a picture of my 2 hula girls (Sarah's complete skirt but not much else) as every post needs at least one photo, and an apology for the gumbling/rambling I have done here tonight, but sometimes one needs to vent in order to move forward. Let the creativity begin - onward and upward!

I promise that my posts from now on will be far happier, and creative. :)

Here's hoping your creative space is overflowing with ideas. Play along at Lou's here.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T09:10:00.002+11:00

Play along with your Wordless Wednesday here.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T23:19:00.000+11:00

Play along here

@my house

2010-10-04T13:51:00.002+11:00

@ my house today finds me greatly saddened, even with a clean house to start the new school term. Precious little house work was done around here last week while we were all sick and the place looked worse than I think it ever has. I don't think I have ever gone a week without doing anything - nor will I again, no matter how sick. The marathon task to get it back to normal is too great.
The house had to be tidied this morning as I hate coming home from a trip, late at night, to a messy house, and this brings me to the sad bit. Tonight Brett and I are leaving the girls at my parents place and jumping on a plane to Brisbane. No kids, and a trip to Brisbane, should have us leaping for joy but we are in fact flying up for a close friends funeral. Craig and his wife were a tremendous support for me when I was pregnant with Sarah as Brett was working overseas from when I was 12 weeks pregnant to 33weeks pregnant - 1 week before Sarah was born - and they were my surrogate family with Craig often saying he had more claim to Sarah than Brett as he was there for the boring first bit and helped me through all the classes just in case Brett didn't make it home in time.
For the past 10 years, our families have maintained as close a friendship that living 2 states away can allow. We would always catchup when their son was in Victoria for Tennis tournaments or when we went anywhere near Qld for a holiday.
For such a wonderfully generous man it was a shock for us to learn last year that he had a very aggressive cancer that by the time it was diagnosed, had passed the point of being successfully treated. He tried every treatment/procedure there is but 8mths after diagnosis Craig lost his battle last Thursday night. Rest in Peace my dear friend and may your family have your strength to get through this horrid time.

Craig's sudden passing has really made me appreciate how wonderful life is and to see the beauty in the everyday things that are often overlooked. Find some beauty and play along with Buttons by Lou Lou

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 30 - Final Day

2010-09-30T23:23:00.001+10:00

I was hoping to be able to go out with a bang today and have some lovely shots from our visit to the zoo, but, alas no. The fever that has hit me for the last few days has now struck Mia and Sarah and no-one was up to walking around a crowded zoo. Maybe tomorrow - maybe not - I hope so though as it is the last free day we have for ages as Sarah's baksetball finals kick in next week and HPV training starts this weeken Sundayd so all weekends are fulled up till at least Cup Day.
We did manage to get out for a short time today. When the panadol had kicked in and everyone had a normal temp for a while we ventured out to Jells Park to meet the cousins and also pick up the bike rack for Sarah's HPV training this Sunday. It was nice to get some fresh air and Mia was so happy she finally had someone to play shops with. It is wearing very thin at our house.

You can see how heavy Mia's eyes were looking but thankyou to C1 and C2 for entertaining her with such enthusiasm.
When I started 30 photos in 30 days I did not think it would be as difficult as it was to take a photo a day. It has definately shown me that I could not do the 365 day photo blogs like some others, unless I give up all other forms of work and cut back to being a full time SAHM who does some crafting on the side. To those who accomplish the 365 task while tackling motherhood and work, I salute you.

Maybe over summer though, I might give it another go, as it is definately easier to take non-repetitive photos when you can be outside till 9 at night.

Till then - normal every-other-day blogging will be the norm. Thanks for tuning in for the past 30 days.

My Creative Space

2010-09-30T23:06:00.001+10:00

My Creative space this week is very uncreative due to a rather persistant fever that is leaving me blurgh and cold. Even though this week needs to be one of my busiest creatively, as craft markets have approved all my new products for sale, and so therefore I have to build up to market stock levels rather that just one or two on hand for madeit sales, all I have been able to manage is the bird present for my sisters birthday the other day.
These are not very good photos as I did not realise I had not taken any photos of the finished product until I was running late on Sunday and was desperately trying to wrap everything before we left for lunch. So the photos were taken on my phone and the focus is not very good when inside ~~or when under pressure.~~

So rushed was I that I didn't even think of moving the unused fabric from behind the cage.

This one, not so bad

And this one please excuse the birght orange bag that sort of grabs all the attention and something I didn't even notice till I was posting the photo to this page.

Oh well, I will claim that I was starting to get sick when they were taken and I am definately sick now, so therefore the design part of the brain was and is severely out of whack.

Play along with your better photographed creative space at Lou's.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 29 and Wordless Wednesday (but with a few words)

2010-09-29T21:42:00.001+10:00

Carolines Birthday

Again no photo taken today as it took all my effort to drag my body out of bed and off to work this morning. Pointing a camera at something was the furthest thing from my mind. This fever/flu thing has taught me more about what medications work for me. Panadol does nothing, Codral Cold and Flu make me feel wierd but sort of work, Dimetap and Sudafed I react very badly to but the best thing for both fever and head ( no good for the nose) is good old Aspro Clear - who'd have thunk it? I am only sitting at my computer tonight thanks to good old fashioned Aspro Clear.
So
Happy Birthday to my dear sister with whom I share this blog ( she is odd socks) and welcome to the upper levels of your 30's (hehe). So for todays photo we will have one of the birthday girl.

I thought this photo appropriate as the drawn Grand Final (where this photo was taken) has affected both our birthday's - but at least my party didn't have to be postponed due to the match replay (again hehehe) and Wordless Wednesday should be of one day that can never be repeated.

For Wordless Wednesday just ignore all I wrote, look at the picture and play along here.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 28

2010-09-29T21:27:00.000+10:00

This post is a day late as yesterday that bus I was hit with on Monday night became a whole fleet of busses and a temp of 40'C+ and my head did not leave my pillow ( moreover it couldn't) so the day sort of passed me by. The event of the day for the girls however was feeding duties of the farm animals at school. This includes, sheep, lambs, ducks, goats, chickens ( and the lovely dozen eggs that were collected), peacocks and cows.
The favourites are the lambs so here is a photo from my collection and we will just pretend I took it yesterday.

Cute aren't they - easy to see why they are favourites.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 27 and @my house

2010-09-27T23:53:00.005+10:00

Again with the combining posts but such is life.
At my house today we are enjoying the start of the second week of holidays, sleeping in 'til 9am and I am recovering from my birthday lunch yesterday. After so much food this cake went basically uneaten, so someone had to appreciate and eat it today. This cake has swiss roll slices around the outside whilst the centre is icecream with rasberries mixed through it and then loads of rasberries and piled on top. Absolute YUM! - Thanks Mum.

I think there has been so much going on these past few weeks that my body has finally succumbed to the bug that has hit eveyone else in my family. I was hoping it had passed me by but alas, I fear not. I have that 'hit by a bus' feeling tonight. Hopefully with a good nights sleep it will go away.
There is still too much to fit into these holdiays.
We are rostered on to feed all the stock animals at school tomorrow, boring work on wednesday, hopefully the zoo on Thursday, flying on Friday if the weather is good and the rematch of the AFL Grand Final on Saturday (still hoping tickets will turn up somehow).

Sarah and Mia helped to extend my birthday by posing as 2 extra presents using yesterday's wrapping paper

Play along with your house at Lou's

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 26

2010-09-26T22:41:00.002+10:00

39 Today!

no I am not 3539! I shared birthday celebtrations with my sister whose birthday is on Wednesday.

I can be happy about this birthday as I am still under 40 ( which according to both my children is really old)
When I was in my twenties the idea of being nearly 40 was something I wanted to avoid - turning 30 was going to be bad enough but today at 39, I can say that I do not feel any different to the 20-something girl - just a few more responsibilitieswith a few more, ~~actually a lot more,~~ wrinkles and wobbly bits.
So after a day of being totally spoilt by my family I thought I would see if I could list 39 things about myself that you might not know and maybe I have not realised about myself until now.

1. I am a real red head - although I do have help hiding some of the greys
2. I am perfectly happy celebrating my birthday with family and no big fuss.
3. I like myself better now than in my early 20's and I would not go back in time.
4. I love being a mother, and having 2 children is not twice as hard.
5. If there was not such a large gap between Sarah and Mia I would love to have had more kids.
6. I still love cute shoes - although my collection is slightly smaller than in my 20's
7. I always have a tape measure in my handbag.
8. I love Thai food
9. I love seafood.
10. I am more confortable in my own skin now than I have ever been.
11. I love it that my girls and I all have birthday's in September although it can be a strain on the wallet.
12. I hate blue cheese.
13. I play piano and have taught it
14. I wish Brett and I could spend more time together - life is so hectic at the moment.
15. I have all my teeth - including wisdom teeth and have had since I was 15
16. I dont drink nearly enough water.
17. I am a planner - everything is planned in advance.
18. I am not good with going with the flow.
19. I love photography and wish I could spend more time learning about it.
20. I love to cook cakes but....
21. I would happily give up cooking dinner every night.
22. I hate food shopping.
23. I would love to own a car which had back doors. - especially with 2 kids
24. I have only owned hatch back cars.
25. One day I will get married.
26. I will never get a tattoo.
27. I would love to have my own craft room. I was supposed to in this house but 3 wks after moving in I found out I was pregnant with mia - bye bye craft room, hello babies room.
28. I hope my girls grow up to be as close as my sister and I.
29. I love vintage silver at the moment and cannot find enough of it.
30. I wish my metabolism would keep up with the fact that I love cakes.
31. My eyes change colour depending on what I wear between blue, green, grey, hazel and a wierd kind of dark yellow ( I hate this one and avoid wearing colours that bring this out).
32. I have had a cat all my life.
33. I love 80's music
34. I love jelly snakes and am a sucker for licorice.
35. I ADORE dark chocolate and hate white chocolate - not even a chocolate in my book.
36. I would love to be more daring in my wardrobe.
37. My perfect house would be overlooking a beach with no close nieghbours.
38. I am a hoarder and don't like to throw anything out (much to the dislike of my husband)
39. I have realised that age is only a number and it is how you live and feel that counts.

Oh my, that was hard. I do not think I will repeat it for my 40th, but I am glad I did it.
Now I think it is time to curl up on the couch and relax before the week starts again tomorrow

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 25

2010-09-25T22:11:00.001+10:00

AFL GRAND FINAL DAY - and I had a ticket

As a Magpie supporter what a day it should have been. Should being the operative word. After getting away to a decent (possibly game winning) lead Collingwood seemed to forget there was a 3rd quarter, and then forget that the ball should go between the big sticks not the little ones, and to do this you need to actually get your hands on the ball. Through sheer luck they held on for a draw but unfortunately that also means that the whole game gets played again next Saturday and it is most unlikely that I will get tickets to that game.

We can but live in hope......

Tomorrow is my birthday - a wonderful way to top off a wonderful weekend.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 24

2010-09-24T22:51:00.001+10:00

Todays photo is a little secretive as when finished it will be one of my sisters birthday presents for our combined birthday lunch on Sunday. I was planning to work on it tomorrow but instead my lovely sister has given me a ticket to the AFL Grand Final! YAY!
And even better we are a family of Collongwood supporters and they are going into the game as the form team. It has been 20 years since we last won the flag and I would love the next win to be on a day when I was actually there.

Anyway, I must go and finish the present and make a lasagne for eveyone else to eat tomorrow night as I am not sure what time I will get home after the game with all the traffic.
Hopefully tomorrows photo will be a very happy one from the game. GO PIES!

My Creative Space

2010-09-23T23:59:00.001+10:00

My creative space this week finds me working on perfecting a wrinkle free version of my map coasters......

These are still of a very old Brisbane and surrounds - Nerang, on the gold coast is no longer the little town with so much empty land that this map shows

and

also new product 4 of 5 - Christmas carol tea lights

These will have words and music of all the favourite carols ready to light up with the beautiful glow of a candle.
Hopefully they will be another nice little new Christmas something for the markets.

Hope your week has been creative.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 23

2010-09-23T23:44:00.003+10:00

Sarah bought me a bunch of roses the other day and they were a bunch of buds. With the heat from the heater the last few nights they have opened very quickly and I wanted to catch a photo of them before they passed their best.
Rose buds are very elegant and beautiful but there is something very friendly about an open rose I think.
On looking up the meaning of a yellow rose, Sarah chose very well. It means, happiness and 'I care'

Thank you my darling daughter for my beautiful gift. You brighten my day.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 22

2010-09-22T23:18:00.001+10:00

It is amazing what my children get up to once they go to bed. Sarah and Mia do not normally share a room but when I went to check on them and found Sarah's bed empty, I must admit my heart skipped a beat. It was put at ease again when I found her asleep on a self made bed on Mia's floor.
Both have been waking with nightmares lately, usually one after the other, just far enough apart that I am almost back to sleep after reassuringly putting one back to bed and then lying there with the inbility to fall straight back to sleep.

If this was a school night I am not sure I would have let this lie (hehe), actually I dont think Sarah would have done it, but since it is holidays - go for it girls, and prehaps tonight everyone will get a full, restfull nights sleep.

After struggling to keep the camera steady in the low light I have decided I must get one of those flash things that bounces it off the ceiling and creates a soft light. Now if I could only remember the name of it or the blog I saw it on.......

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T22:58:00.001+10:00

Play along here

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 21

2010-09-22T22:48:00.001+10:00

I know this photo is a day late but I had no computer last night and I somehow think my boss would have a dim view of me posting on my blog while I am supposed to be creating his website.
So tonight, a day late, here it is.

OUR TREE IS GONE! FINALLY!!

After a very enthusiastic first appearance by some tree lopping guys, 2 weeks later we had not seen them again and were left with a back yard full of branches, a front yard full of branches and a huge tree still across the remains of our shed.
Thanks to the insurance assessor who came out on Monday and decided that I needed a clothesline by the end of the week and as it as school holidays he deemed the girls needed somewhere to play so organised new tree guys to come out and finish the job.
Well they arrived today - a much more professional looking group too, and within 3 hours the whole lot was gone.

Now we just have the fun of extracting the last of our belongings and totalling the damage.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 20

2010-09-20T23:58:00.001+10:00

I have a stupid fear of chickens and today did nothing to improve it.
When we lived in Brisbane one of houses came with chickens and it would take me 10 mins to pluck up the courage to check for eggs. Our hens were the most gentle, aimiable birds on the planet but I still had this idea in the back of my mind that they would turn all evil on me. Just like when diving all I hear is the Jaws music - but that is another story.

The chicken fear stems from one day when I was little and a horrid little bantem rooster chased me around a friends back yard and pecked at my feet whenever I stood still. I now, rather irrationally, think bigger chook - bigger pain.
Anyway this chook and I met tete-a-tete today as it had escaped from its yard and I could see the scheming going on - just look at that eye! I know it sensed my fear.

Needless to say the longest lens possible was used for this photo so a quick getaway could be made. Dont get me wrong - I love the sound of chickens and also fresh eggs but not if I have to do it.

Deb @ works in progress posted great pics today about chicken love at her house. I loved the chicken hug photo of a chook with her son - secretly wishing I could get that close to a chicken. - Maybe one day after hefty doses of therapy.

@my house New Products - Finally!

2010-09-20T08:23:00.002+10:00

At my house today we are mini-celebrating as I am very happy with the way my new teaspoon bookmarks have turned out. The first in the 5 new products I hope to have finished in the next week.

I have always liked the souvenir teaspoons you get from all over the place but hated the normal display stand way of showing them off, so therefore, like everyone else they get shoved in a drawer or discarded.
Well now they can have a new life and also keep your place in the lastest book, until your next moment of escapism.

And this is the little gem I have to thank for enabling me to bend them without snapping the fine handles off. - My mini butane torch. ( but if the snapping thing does happen, I have products to make from the broken bits too).

These are the outcome...... The flattened spoon goes inside the book and the decorative handle sits down the spine of the book.

They will have custom messages stamped onto the flattened spoon but I haven't decided on what the standard ones will be yet. Prehaps, 'Fell Asleep Here', 'Brain Food', 'Food for the Soul', 'Melanie's Book' etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I also attempted some new fork creations but the gas ran out and even though the guy in the tobacco shop made filling the torch seem really easy, I cannot get the butane into it at sufficient pressure or amount. All I get is a low temp bunsen burner flame (although it can look like a flame thrower).
So back I go today, playing the helpless female and get another lesson on gas refills.

Whats happening at your place? Play along and check out some other homes at Lou's.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 19

2010-09-19T23:52:00.002+10:00

Todays photos are not ones taken today but rather ones I had thought had been lost forever. Thanks to our Spanish freinds who found these in their collection and emailed them through.

Let me set the scene.....

When our plans to fly home from Paris were cancelled due to September 11, 9 years ago, Brett stayed in France to continue working but a 1 year old Sarah and I headed for a business partners house on the island of Ibiza. I would like to say it was to keep Sarah and I safe from the suspected attack on Paris but thruthfully after 3 mths of living in their tiny apartment, I had had enough of our French hosts ~~and I am sure they of us~~ and I needed to get away.
Unlike Australia, you do not sit on the sand on Ibiza (something I found very strange) but instead rent a lounge to recline on.
So here are a couple of remiscing photos of a very young looking me and Sarah.

Slip, Slop slap Ibiza style

Now I am on a mission to find our lost European photos. They have to be somewhere!

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 18

2010-09-18T22:16:00.003+10:00

Today was the Sarah's last basketball game for the season, before the finals (which they will be in, but not for another 3 weeks) so to celebrate we used the free dinner at Hogs Breath Cafe that she had won 3 weeks ago as best player on court. Not the best dinner in the world but a free dinner out is a free dinner out and I love having a night off from cooking. As the charger for my little FT1 camera ,~~best small camera I've owned,~~ is still missing and I do not carry the SLR around with me everywhere, we again have to put up with the iphone camera. So please forgive the poor, ~~shitty, pathetic~~ quality of the shot. As all photos of Brett usually have the typical Brett curled lip I was very happy to get this one with everyone smiling (including Brett), and looking the same way at the same time, that I dont really care about the crappiness of the quality or the bunny ears Sarah is doing, hrrmmmmm ~~bunny ears are the best way to ruin a photo.~~

picture removed

Tomorrow I am off to play with my new butane torch in my parents shed ( as ours is still under a tree in the back yard) and bend some spoons in a way that no-one I can find anywhere has thought of doing before, so stay tuned for some new product shots tomorrow.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 17

2010-09-17T22:37:00.003+10:00

Friday mornings in this house mean Kinder Gym and it is a definate requirement of our week. Mia loves to climb ~~anything and everything~~ and this is the perfect outlet for her. She gets to climb, swing and forward roll to her hearts content.
Here is my monkey in action. Both of these are above my head ( Mia likes to look down on 'little mummy') so I am glad I don't have to hold or catch her.

Mia proudly wore her Collingwood jacket again today and no doubt she will be wearing it a lot next week as they have just wiped out Geelong in the Preliminary Final and rightly deserve their place in the Grand Final next week.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 16

2010-09-16T20:38:00.001+10:00

Over the half way mark now and I must admit it is harder than I thought to take a photo everyday. I mean some days just not that much happens that is photo worthy. Mia and I had a snooze this afternoon while it rained, hence the time on the photo and there is no way she was going to bed at the normal time tonight.
But now for todays photo explanation .........
Ever since Sarah got her ipod touch, Mia has pestered me more than usual to play games on my iphone. To the point that I will have to find a new place to charge it as there is many a morning that I have got out of the shower to find Mia either playing games or watching her itune movies on my phone whilst curled up in my bed.
Tonight is not exception. Sarah was playing angry birds on her ipod and I found Mia playing basketball on my phone. I wish kids were not so darn techosavvy so young.

See y'all tomorrow on hopefully a more exciting kind of day.

My Creative Space

2010-09-16T20:16:00.004+10:00

My creative space this week finds me totally rethinking my market stall.
7 years ago no-one was selling pouch style baby slings anywhere much in Aus and baby wearing was just starting to take off. As such my business boomed and I easily replaced my old full time job income plus more with one day at the market 3 out of every 4 weeks and sewing at night and while Sarah was at kinder etc. Today you find slings everywhere and add to this the ecconomic climate of the past couple of years and the fact that there are free patterns for slings all over the internet, sales have dropped dramatically and it is now my 'supplemental' products that are bringing in the money. I have also lost the desire to keep thinking of new baby products.

Since my upcycled spoons have been so popular I am moving more toward this line of upcycling thinking and are hoping to have completed samples of the new product range in the next couple of days so they can either be approved or rejected by the market committee.

My new mini butane torch arrived today so the small spoon bending can begin. Now all those souvenir teaspoons that people discard will soon have a new lease of life.
So too will this map from a 1996 version of the Brisbane UBD ( this is where we lived way back then)

These maps, but for the Melbourne markets from vintage Melways, as well as nautical charts will be turned into these....

I have several other coasters that are undergoing the waterproofing test, that are of a rounded square shape, which I think I like better, but since they are only tests they have very ugly advertising maps from the font section of the UBD on them and are not photo worthy. - not to mention the wrinkles from learning how to use modge podge. Everyone raves about this stuff but I must admit I am having some serious wrinkle problems. Any tips???
Also on the list of to do's are upcycling tea light candles, recycled sheet music, christmas carols and coffee sacks. ( A lot of these will require the mastering of modge podging) I have a very busy few days ahead but I love the inventing/design stage of new products.

I am also glad that there will be no more birthday cake baking after the efforts of the last couple of weeks have left me considerable heavier than I started out. I wish I didn't like cake so much.
Here are a couple of shots of the finished Thomas Cake for Mia last weekend ( actually a James cake as he is the favourite engine).

I hope your week is as creative as it can be. If so, play along here at Kootoyoo

As a footnote.........I am also committing to attend the Perle8 group next week (Sept 23rd). Now I have said that I will go and everyone has read it I cannot not turn up. ( What do you bet that the group stops during the holidays - hehehe, this would be just my luck)

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 15

2010-09-15T20:32:00.000+10:00

Our whole family supports Collingwood , and has supported Collingwood for generations, (to the point that there is no other choice apart from excommunication) and today Mia got into the spirit too. May the mighty Magpies please beat Geelong this Friday and make it into the Grand Final - for my birthday.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T10:12:00.002+10:00

See some other Wordless Wednesday's here.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 14

2010-09-14T23:39:00.000+10:00

Today has been full of diggers, mud and dirt - well photos of them anyway. Selecting and organising the final photos for my 'normal work's' webiste is absolutely draining and quite tedious. I will be very glad when I have finished the site.

At least my nephew loves looking through the photos - and scarily he can name all the different types of machines too.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 13 and @ my house

2010-09-13T22:57:00.002+10:00

I am cheating here and putting 2 posts into the 1 and then also including more than 1 photo..........

Apparently I have been a little stressed the last couple of weeks. This would have nothing to do with birthday shopping for 4 people in 2 wks, seemingly endless cake baking, 2 girls who could not wait for their birthdays, standard sister squabbles, sewing, spoons, 'normal' work, trees falling on sheds and very slow insurance companies. Quite a quiet fortnight really.
Any hoo, this is the face that Mia used when she was pretending to be me this morning with her toy family.
This is her stressed face.

She even had some of the wording down pat too.....'Dont even think of touching that cake if you want one for your birthday' 'Just give mummy a minute' ' can you two get along for just 5 minutes please' and the best one of all.... 'because I said so and I am the mum'

All of this was said as she sat at her new kitchen baking pancakes and strawberries for her toys this morning.

I was a little disappointed at the size of this kitchen when I set it up. The picture in the catalogue had a 3 year old ish standing next to it - not kneeling. Oh well Mia likes it and that is all that matters.

What's happening at your place? Have a look here.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 12

2010-09-12T23:07:00.004+10:00

*** Mia's 3rd Birthday ***

Today my baby baby turns 3 and as she told me in no uncetain terms today, she is now too old to be a baby - especially as she now has one of her own (courtesy of Nanny and Grampy). Mia also thought she was extra special having a second party on her actual birthday. The other non-party was simply candles and the happy birthday song followed by cupcakes for everyone at playgroup, but for Mia it was a party with all her friends. Oh how I wish parties stayed this simple as they grew up.
Today's party was only family - this is big enough when everyone turns up - and the birthday girl was totally spoilt and seems to love all her presents as they have all been played with and declared her favourtie at different times throughout the day.
Now we just need a bigger house to fit them all in - a new kitchen set and associated food, train set, dolls cradle and pram, dolls house and scooter all take up precious space. Then there is only jsut over 3 mths till Christmas when it is all added to again ..... Arrrghhhhh

But for now Happy Birthday my darling Mia and may you always look and feel as happy and special as you did today when Happy Birthday is sung to you.

see you tomorrow.....
oh and yesterdays photo is finally up.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 11

2010-09-11T23:57:00.003+10:00

September 11. Oh what memories that brings back.
On the actual day of attack I was feeding stale breadstick with a 1yr old Sarah to the ducks in a small french village - enjoying what I thought was to be our last day in France (we were supposed to fly out Sept 12th) when Brett rang ~~on a very archaic mobile phone~~ to tell me a plane had just flown into the World Trade Centre in New York. I assumed it was a little plane and an accident so continued our stroll in the park blissfully unaware. It was only on returning to the flat that I realised the enormity of it all.
Fast forward to 2007. I had spent 1 1/2 days with contractions 7 mins apart and although I desperately wanted that baby out ~~even if she was only 35 weeks~~ I did not want her born on Spet 11 and have her birthday overshadowed by an act of terrorism. As it was the contractions stayed at 7 mins apart for another 24 hours ( making it 3 days on total) until I think half as an act of mercy she was born at 1:30pm Sept 12th.
Todays photo will be posted tomorrow due to technical difficulties with the memeory card reader.

and as promised yesterdays photo - nothing to do with Spetember 11. Just a nice photo of Sarah and Mr Guinea Pig ( so named by Mia after the guinea pig in Pinky Dinky Doo)

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 10

2010-09-10T23:48:00.000+10:00

Mia discovered the dress up basket today and what a day she had. In one afternoon (after a double session of Kindergym which I thought would totally wear her out), our house has been visited by the easter bunny, a queen, a wizard, a cloud (amazing what a fluffy white nylon mesh 70's nightgown can become),a zebra, and a ladybug but the favourite that kept appearing every second outfit was the snow white dress. Each of the outfits changed so fast there was no chance for photos and I was only lucky enough to catch this one of the snow white dress because I think exhaustion had finally caught up with Mia and a 5 second rest on the couch was needed before dinner. Someone's not half excited about her birthday are they ......

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 9

2010-09-09T23:53:00.002+10:00

One of the nicest things for a parent to see is their children playing happily together. With a 7 year gap between my 2 girls there is not often a common ground, but tonight found Sarah teaching Mia the hand clapping game 'Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky' and I was very surpirsed how quickly Mia picked up the words and if not all the clapping, she certainly found the beat and got the thumbs up bit at the end.
It was lovely to hear them so happy together - I could have listened for hours.

My Creative Space

2010-09-09T23:35:00.000+10:00

My creative space this week , I wish could say finds me resting on my laurels with the success of Sarah's rainbow cake last week, .......

the cake table spread - cake with butterflies and butterfly cupcakes.

outside view of the actual cake -

which stood about 25cm tall when all layers were added

and then the inside

one slice was on the rather large size with each one serving 3 people

.....but instead I am devising how I am going to make a Thomas the Tank Engine cake for Mia's 3rd birthday this Sunday. It was initially going to be an actual engine but since I have been making cupcakes endlessley this week - 80 in total - I think the cake will morph into a number three cake with train tracks and Thomas on top. When baking has to be balanced with sewing baby sling orders, filling all the spoon orders and normal work, something has to give. I wish I was, but I am not Superwoman - or magic.
I had also planned to make it to a new craft group (new for me) in not quite my local area tonight, but instead fell asleep in Mia's bed while I was reading her some books, and woke up a couple of hours later - hence the late posting time of this.
I hope your week is creative and a little less hectic than mine (although mine has been delicious).
For relaxation, or inspiration, check out what other people are up to at Kootoyoo.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 8

2010-09-08T20:33:00.001+10:00

Today Mia got a taste for school (well the art room anyway) and she liked it.
While I was at work today Mia spent a little time with her Aunty Shell, an art teacher, and loved all the fun things there were to make and paint in 'Aunty Shell's special room'.
I think Nana (ie Nana Daycare) will have a hard time topping this one next time Mia spends the day with her.

My budding artist - apparently this is the start of a lion.

Thank you Aunty Shell for having your phone on you ~~during class~~ today to give me a glimpse of what goes on while I'm at work.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T09:35:00.000+10:00

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 7

2010-09-07T21:27:00.000+10:00

Our back garden is still full of pine tree but this is the view from our ensuite window. I look at this view everyday and have never noticed the fairy sitting in the tree before. Maybe she is just a freak bunch of leaves stuck in a certain way after the storm combined with the impact of the pine tree breaking several brances in this tree, or maybe not.

I would like to believe there are fairies at the bottom of my garden.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 6

2010-09-06T21:29:00.000+10:00

After putting what I thought was a very tired Mia to bed at about 8:15pm and hearing nothing from her room afterward I was quite surprised to find this when I checked on her an hour later. Apparently, Mali (the elephant - named after the baby elephant at the zoo) and Little Ted couldn't sleep and needed another story ~~or several~~.

@my house

2010-09-06T14:34:00.003+10:00

Today at my house finds us cleaning up after the storm on Saturday night.
About 2am Mia came bolting into our bedroom frightened by the crash outside her window. The noise had woken me but I though a poor neighbour's shed had had a small branch land on it or something.
WRONG!!!
It was in fact our shed that had just been annihilated by the neighbours 15m+ pine tree that decided to split down the middle.

This is what brought Mia bolting into us - another couple of metres and we would have been retrieving our daughter from the branches (someone was definately looking after her)

Plenty of new ventilation

There used to be a clothesline under there.

So after many hours spent on the phone to insurance comapnies and safety assessors clambouring around our backyard at 10:30pm last night, the tree and the remains of the clothesline are being removed to our front lawn while we await the truck to take everything away. This could be up to 2 weeks from now as there have been so many trees to be cut down that the mulch trucks cant keep up.

Just a little squished....

Although we have lost most of what was in the shed either from being flattened or water damage at least the house wasn't hit. - especially as it was revealed on demolishing the tree, that the tree only stopped falling because one of the branches drove itself more that a foot into the ground - again so thankful that it did not hit Mia's room.

Pity we dont have a fire place as this is only a quarter of the branches and the main trunk hasn't even been attmepted yet as the tree guys were called away to an emergency.

Free wood anyone?

Visit some other houses playing along here.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 5

2010-09-05T21:49:00.001+10:00

Happy Fathers Day

I know it is not Fathers Day everywhere in the world today but here in Australia is is and for the first time in a long time I have not been at a market. (oh how I loooove Sunday morning sleep-ins!)
Therefore the photo for the day had to be of Brett and his girls.

Stacks on Dad! (or in Mia speak, 'Blocks on Dad')

picture removed

A Perfect 10

2010-09-04T23:04:00.000+10:00

Today, September 4th, my baby turns 10!
When I look back on it I can say that time has flown but then thinking of life BK (before kids) seems so long ago, I actually find it very hard to remember what it was like. So, due to today's occasion here is a mini photo story ....

10 years ago, 6 weeks ahead of time we found ourselves here... (oh how young we look)

which produced this....

which 10 years later has evolved to this........ (with the brand new ipod touch)

A great day was had, the birthday girl was totally spoilt by all the family and my rainbow cake was a huge success - more about that on a later post, but for now it will suffice to say...

Happy Birthday Sarah.
I look forward to to all that is still to come.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 4

2010-09-04T22:22:00.014+10:00

Today is Sarah's 10th birthday so the photo of the day is of a very tired birthday girl at the end of a very big day.

Happy Birthday Sarah.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 3

2010-09-03T17:22:00.000+10:00

Well today marks the start of the birthday cake making and since I want no help from little hands while attempting to wing the rainbow cake, I let my little Masterchef in the making bake some chocolate muffins for Sarah and Brett when they got home from school/work.
May I say that a lot of mixture tasting goes on with Mia's baking, to the point that there was only enough mixture for 21 muffins instead of 24 by the time it was all spooned out.

See you all tomorrow on my baby's 10th birthday (oh that makes me feel old)

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 2

2010-09-02T22:51:00.003+10:00

Today saw the start of what I hope will become a regular thing in our family again. - Going to the library!.
When Sarah was little we used to go every Thursday for storytime and bring home a whole pile of books.
Now with Mia, she has the whole collection of books Sarah accumulated, DVD's now exist, my work takes out whole days and then on the days I am not working, when you factor in playgroup and kindergym for Mia and Basketball training etc for Sarah it was easier to buy books for Sarah to read and then watch them pile up in her room. She is an avid reader to say the least, is always found curled up somewhere reading and often has 3 books ont he go at one time - denpending on which mood she is in. Because of this her bookshelves are overflowing and books are now in piles on the floor. I suggested she get rid of some of her books and the look of horror on her face was quite funny - so they stay.
Last Sunday I had promised the girls we would go somewhere while Brett was flying and I had thought the park would be good but on a miserable morning and indoor solution had to be found. Sarah was desperate to get the 2nd book in a series she had just started reading and since the bookshop did not have it in stock I suggested we try the library.
They didn't have it either but she did come home with 5 other books (she loves the teenage fiction section), Mia 3 and myself with a few books on junk jewellery. I have decided that I really like the look of steampunk stuff but don't think I could wear most of it.
Sarah was so enthused that she wanted to make the library a weekly event and the only afternoon available was Thursday, so today was the start. She returned the 5 books she had read since Sunday and only borrowed 4 this time with the reason that as it was her birthday this weekend she probably wouldn't get as much reading done as normal.
This photo was how I found both of them after browsing for a few things myself.

I apologise for the quality of the photos for yesterday and today. The charger for my camera's battery has taken a walk by itself and so I have to rely on the camera on the phone - a poor substitute, but since I have turned the house upside down looking for the charger I work on the fact that if I stop looking and pretend I dont care, it will turn up.

My Creative Space

2010-09-02T09:19:00.003+10:00

My creative space this week finds me attempting to make this gorgeous rainbow cake from 'I am mommy, I am baker' for Sarah's 10th birthday on Saturday. I will use food colouring to colour the layers as my attempts to use real fruit aka fresh strawberries has always resulted in a soggy cake. To make it a spring birthday theme there will be many of Marthas little butterflies all around - especially on the drinking straws. I am hoping that I will find a large butterfly punch at spotlight today that might mean all the flutterbys do not have to be cut by hand.

the cake

flutterbys

and the drinks

I will also be continuing my 30 photos in 30 days - a photo a day for the month of September. So far it is going well - but it is only day 2.

I hope your week is creative. Check some others out at Kootoyoo

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 1

2010-09-01T23:55:00.005+10:00

I have seen many blogs with a photo a day for 1 year or even 5 years etc but I do not think I could do this so when I came across Danielle at Hello Owl doing 31 photos in 31 days for August I was too late to join in but decided a month of photos was a good place to start.
September is a month full of birthdays for our family (7 in total) along with fathers day and cameras are always on hand so I thought what a perfect month to ~~attempt to~~ take a photo a day - hence 30 photos in 30 days.

Todays photos makes me feel that our choice for Mia's birthday present is a good one and will be well received in a couple of weeks time - although we did not spend $249 and ours is a little smaller and totally portable. Anyway according to Mia she was being just like mummy and talking on the phone while cooking in the kitchen. She even told me to 'Shoosh, I am on the phone and will be with you in a minute' -all this from someone who is not even 3 yet!
Tune in each day and see what is going on and if I can really take a photo a day without cheating.

Wordless Wednesday - First Flight

2010-09-01T09:30:00.003+10:00

More Wordless Wednesdays here

Ahh Memories

2010-08-31T23:15:00.001+10:00

On a bleak winter day ( last day of winter woohoo) there is nothing nicer than looking at photos and remembering the warmth of Summer in France and Spain. ( and my love of doorways)

@my house

2010-08-30T22:19:00.002+10:00

My house today finds us celebrating the end of winter (YAY). I know there are still 2 days to go till spring and that the forecast for the first few days of spring is yuck to say the least BUT today was perfect! The sun was shining, it was almost warm, the violets are going beserk in my paving and the blossom has appeared on the trees. Oh how I love the first signs of new life after a bleak winter.

My broadbeans have also loved the weather lately and are growing like mad so hopefully there will be a nice little crop soon.

Grow my little beauties, Grow!

My sunshine spoons and cookbook clips are walking out the door and while taking these photos I kept finding spent sparkler sticks from Sarah's slumber party the other night.

Sparkler writing at the slumber party (and the source of all today's sticks)

What's happening at your house? Got you interested? Check it out at Buttons by LouLou

My Creative Space

2010-08-26T13:11:00.000+10:00

My creative space this week has not been very crafty - apart from painting my nails hot pink and buying up all the spoons I could find at the Camberwell market on Sunday. (Oh and Mia's attempt at lip gloss, watched and most probably encouraged, I might add, by her big sister who did nothing to stop it - just took photos on my phone.)
Instead of crafting, I have had a crash course on Kosher cooking.
We are having guests to dinner tonight that only eat kosher food. I will not be able to do everything totally kosher as I have only 1 of all the main appliances in my house but ~~I think~~ I am playing it as safe as I can by going vegitarian so no meat and dairy can bump into each other. It is a perfect excuse to buy a new chopping board and new knife but I will not however buy a new wok for the night or new cutlery. We will just have to pretend that these have never touched both meat and dairy when cooked.(Hopefully they are not too strictly kosher and can bend the rules a little) I did consider serving a cold meal as this makes kosher much easier as meat and dairy can actually meet on the one plate but as winter is still letting us know that it is not over yet, a hot meal is an absolute necessity.
With kosher dips and bikkies and a kosher dessert I hope my 'almost kosher' main course is ok. Just in case though I have bought a pre-made totally kosher meal - designed for kosher people to eat easily in non kosher households, as long as they witness the opening of the packet and it stays in its own container and doesn't touch one of my meat 'dirty' plates.

This is what my attempt at dinner will hopefully look like ....

Yellow Curry of pumpkin with green beans and cashew nuts

I must admit that even though I enjoy a new cooking challenge and the people at Alex's Kosher and Continental Mart in Caulfield have been very helpful and very patient with my many questions, kosher is not something that can easily be worked into a non-kosher household.
Hopefully next week I will be a little more crafty (although it is the start of a very hectic few weeks with birthdays) and I should have my new line of products ready to hit my madeit shop and preview here.

Till then see what other crafty people have been up to at Kirsty's

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T10:00:00.006+10:00

Find some more great blogs playing along with Wordless Wednesday here

@my house

2010-08-23T22:54:00.002+10:00

Today at my house finds me cuddlling a very miserable Mia who is full of cold and snuffles and doesn't want to move - just sit on mummy's lap. This is a bit of a shame really as the house could do with a decent clean after the whirlwind weekend that happened around here. Between Brett getting back from camp and all that entails, Sarah's basketball, watching Collingwood just beat the Adelaide Crows (YAY) and then and early Sunday morning start to try and get the bike rack attached to my car before heading off to the Camberwell market with my sister ( a bountiful day was had with many treasure bargains coming home with us), then to head home for a quick bite before finding out that Sarah's bike does not fit a standard bike rack (blast the new fangled shock absorbers) so has to be squeezed into the back of my hatchback as well as the car seat for Mia - a very tight fit I can tell you. It was then off to Casey Fields to stand in the cold and the wind ( despite the sun) to watch Sarah at her first training session for HPV - not the papiloma virus, it is actually 'Human Powered Vehicle' and is a endurance race for teams of eight who ride a highly modified recumbant trike. I am not very good at describing it so here is a link if anyone is interested. RACV Human Powered Vehicle Challenge.

Sarah being strapped in to the trike

The trikes in action in last years competition

I am now watching Secret Millionaire which is actually in Frankston this week and I am rather disappointed that it is only made to look like the worst place on earth where everyone is hooked on drugs, and generally living in below par conditions. I know there are a great number of people like this down here but there are also a lot of people who are making a success of their lives, regardldess of their income, and I wish the millionaire had looked a bit harder and found more of the good organisations that help people and how they have helped to turn lives around.
Climbing down off my soapbox, I am off to tackle the mountain of washing that needs to be sorted, ironed and folded. I wish there was a little fairy for this - I hate ironing.
Now you have a glimpse of life in my house, I will see you at Lou's.

My Creative Space

2010-08-19T18:59:00.000+10:00

Todays creative space finds me making costumes for my nephew's book parade at school next Tuesday.
He wants to go as 'Will Solvit' who, until yesterday, I didn't know existed let alone know what he looked like but how can you say no when these big eyes look at you and ask 'Can you make my costume for me, Aunty Mel?'
On doing a bit of research it is actually a very easy one to make - much easier than the lion costume for the Wizard of Oz - and should be able to be made tonight. Little bit of modification to a couple of t-shirts and some cargo shorts should do the trick and then his little time travelling morph.
I do so like the easy ones!

Will Solvit in all his glory

Hope your week has been creatively simple and check out some other clever folks at Kootoyoo.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T10:00:00.001+10:00

Check out other Wordless Wednesday's here

Envelope Envy

2010-08-17T23:51:00.000+10:00

Since my spoons have proved to be very well received (and hopefully the new line of forks will be to) I needed to find a way of packaging them that was not just being wrapped in tissue paper before being placed in the padded bag for mailing.
I had been searching the web, actual shops, my brain ,~~and that of friends,~~ to try and come up with the perfect solution. I wanted a small flat type of bag that could be customised if I wanted to.I had just about given up when I stumbled across this post on the madeit blog.

Envelope Paper Bag Tutorial

Suffice to say I have found my answer. I have so many odd envelopes laying around my house that are about to fine a new purpose in life - not only for the spoons but also for all sorts of small presents or gift bags.

@my house

2010-08-16T22:15:00.002+10:00

My house today marks the return of 'BIG' from my big and little banner. ie Harry the Saint Bernard. - much to the delight of my 'Little'.

Harry spends 51 out of 52 weeks living with Dave but this week Dave is one of the 9 instructors along with Brett (hubby) on a school flying camp. They were all due to fly out by 8am this morning, but the mornington peninsula turned on a truly horrific morning with nasty rain and horrid wind. A break finally came around 11ish and they were off, and as the twitter updates tell us they all landed safely at their destination by mid afternoon.
Anyway back to Harry..... Last year when harry came to stay Mia was not yet 2 and I worried about her gung ho'ness with such a big dog. Harry is so gentle she was fine and this year has proved no different. Best friends pickup up just where they left off.

They sat and watched the rain and ABC kids together all ~~rainy, wet~~ morning ........

......... and then after lunch I noticed that there was an unusual slience in the house. This instantly fills me with dread. Not for anything dangerous but this is normally the time I find Mia colouring in the kitchen chairs with black permanent marker or other similar 'quiet' activities.

Instead I found this.....

If it wasn't for the drool, hair and excessive size, Harry could live with us always.
( Me thinks another ~~bigger~~ dog is in the not too distant future)

Now you've seen my house, pop in and visit some others here.

My Creative Space

2010-08-12T21:23:00.000+10:00

Today's creative space finds me flat out, whacking, stamping, cutting, sewing, polishing and lacing - Spoons, bubba boots and drums that is, trying to get all the orders finished and posted/delivered.
It never rains but pours. For weeks I have been wanting business to pick up and get back to what it used to be but with the current ecconomic climate I gave up and found myself a part time job to pick up the slack. No sooner did I do this than the work has just kept coming.
Mumasupial has picked up again at the markets and online sales, new shops are approaching me to sell my toys and slings and after last weekends worry about my spoons, the orders have just kept coming sometimes within 1/2 hour of listing the item- to the point that I am now on a mad search for silver plated spoons to be able to keep up.
Hence there are no new photos ready.
I have taken pics of all the spoons before they go out so I can create a catalogue and will take some of all the boots and drums before they get sent to the shop tomorrow but for now a ~~demo version~~ collage of photos taken on nice sunny days (not like today) will have to suffice. Maybe tomorrow I can update the photos as I do like to have fresh new pics for a post.

Check out what other crazy crafty weeks people are having over at Kootoyoo.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T10:00:00.004+10:00

What's Cookin?

2010-08-09T23:39:00.003+10:00

On a beautiful, almost spring day that reminds us that a miserable, wet winter will end, there was finally the chance to get some decent photos of my cookbook spoon taken and into my madit shop.
Ever since I first made this spoon it has been a constant in my kitchen. I used to try and get cookbooks to stay open at the appropriate page but normally this resulted in the page being covered in whatever was being cooked as my messy fingers had to keep reminding the page to stay open. Well, no longer. This spoon has exceeded my expectations. At best I thought it would hold the book open laying flat on the benchtop but I have found that I can stand the book up and the clip not only holds the pages open but balances the book so I can still read it while moving around the kitchen.
Now I am hoping that other people find them as useful as I, wondering what they did before it joined them in their cooking endeavours.

Alas, the weather returns to winter tomorrow and for the next week or so ( that is if you believe weathermen) but I can dream about sunshine and warmth.

The Highs and Low of a Sunday

2010-08-09T00:29:00.002+10:00

After being on a high tonight after a very successful Mornington Market, 2 more internet orders, new outlet opportunities for my spoons coming to me without any prompting, enquiries for purchasing my train and car caddies and both my stores being featured on the madeit front page at the same time, I was disappointed when perusing madeit that I found someone, who within 3 days of my spoons being listed, had flooded the market with exactly the same thing, only instead of using vintage sliver spoons, they use old stainless steel spoons.
Before I listed there was no-one doing anything like this on madeit. I know and understand I cant expect to be the only one selling garden spoons but it was still a bummer on such a good day.
With the day giving both highs and lows on the crafting front I am choosing to stick with the positives as they certainly outweigh the negative and as I continually tell Sarah to look for the good in something, focus on that and try to find something good in a so-called negative, I have to lead by example and remind myself that 'imitation is the best form of flattery'.

So lets go out on a positive - Mumasupial and me2 on the front page at once.

I hope you have had a lovely weekend and if in Melbourne, enjoyed the rain-free, almost hinting at spring, couple of days.

Ho Hum, once again a post will appear on the following day as I forgot the time and finished it after midnight.

Toot, Toot, Chugga Chugga

2010-08-07T14:26:00.005+10:00

Well it, the Train Cozy that is, is finished and I must say that although I would change a few things if I made it again, I am extremely happy with how it turned out. So I might say is Mia and Molly Engine.
See for yourself.......

As I said there are a few changes I would make as I learnt that Wonder Under does not work all that successfully under 3mm ribbon, it is very easy to stick said ribbon to your ironing board when trying to attach Wonder Under and stitching all the track cross rails individually takes a lot of time.
BUT...
I already have plans to make more but this time for racing cars with a racetrack going all the way around with a pit lane in the middle and possibly a train one but with the track done a far simpler way.
Hmmmm, possiblities, possibilities. Now if only some of my friends had young boys instead of girls.

My Creative Space

2010-08-05T23:21:00.004+10:00

My creative space for this week is not quite as advanced as I had hoped it would be. Delayed by life, work and happily the sale of my first spoon on madeit within 2 days of listing them, yay - so excited, and an unexpected order from a new retail outlet for my kids drums and bubba boots, my train caddy has not evolved very far.
Last night when everyone was tucked up in bed the first drafting stage began, complete with 1/2 size mockup, and then the full size trial and series of adjustments as I found out that just doubling everything did not work,

This photo was taken at about 1:30am when I finally decided that
1. no more could be done without fabric and it was too late to start searching through the stash
and
2.the fact that I needed to be up and awake in under 6 hours
..... so excuse the bad lighting etc.

I would have thought that as I only had to choose the fabric today I would have made a start and even got it finished but my true libran indecisiveness kicked in to its fullest and I think it took me over 5 hours to finally decide on the colour combination. So as a result this is as far as I got.

Hopefully tomorrow will see it completed and I can post some pictures of it in all its glory. I have a good feeling that this will be a winner with Mia when it is finished as we had to take the paper version out today with us so she could play with with her trains.

Hope your creative space has been a little more productive.
Pop on over to kootoyoo to see what is going on in the crafting world.

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You can now see the finished track in all its glory here.

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Wordless Wednesday - Part 1 and 2

2010-08-04T10:04:00.007+10:00

Part 1

Part 2

Who let the ducks out?

2010-08-03T21:47:00.002+10:00

When graced with a wonderous winter afternoon of sunshine what else is there to do but get out in it. It has been ages since we have fed the ducks at the botanical gardens so I chopped up all our old bread, grabbed my camera, and the new remote control, and headed out with Mia.

It has obviously been quite a while since we had been there as the ducks are gone!. The pond, which in summer is brimming with 20+ ducks was empty, apart from the obligatory seagulls. To my knowledge, ducks did not fly north for the winter in Melbourne - they stuck it out in the cold with the rest of us. Bummer - photo op gone. So instead of throwing the bread into the water for the ducks we spread it out on the grass for the pigeons, sparrows, and other birds that live in the park.

the duckless pond

A trip to the park is nothing without a turn on the swings, and since we were the only ones there (like having our own giant private garden) everything inch of ground had to be explored.

as well as all the rocks that had to be jumped off.

After many failed attempts, and shots of hands, or sky, or very close faces, while checking to see if the camera had gone off, I successfully mastered the remote control. Now, there is just the problem of hand placement and/or as I now find out using the 2 sec delay.

With everyone alseep early tonight I have a chance to get some spoons listed in my madeit shop and enjoy a nice cup of white tea. Ahhhhhh.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2010-08-02T15:14:00.005+10:00

With the wet and dreary day that greeted us yesterday I would not have dreamt that this would be the heading for the day, however you never can tell what Melbourne weather will provide.
First was the plane part - fairly standard on any weekend around here where there is no wind. Brett had one student sitting his pilots exam and another needing to go through a final flight with Brett before sitting the prac part of his next flight level.
Secondly,Mia is absolutely besotted with trains. Way back in May we went to a friends 2nd birthday at the Diamon Valley Miniature Railway and Mia was in love. ( Sarah enjoyed it too but riding miniature trains is not the 'coolest' of things for a 9 year old girl to admit to). Since then Mia has constantly been asking me if we can ride the trains again. Unfortunately it is just over and hours drive so not exactly somewhere you just pop over to. But yesterday was different. Brett had been working a lot, and therefore not had much time to do anything with the girls, and the coming week was going to be even worse, so we dragged him away to do something special.
Although it was very cold, and I am talking only single digits, we rugged up and took the automobile to ride the trains.

For $3 a ride, I consider it very good value for a 15 min ride on a train, through tunnels, across bridges, round islands etc. It is anything but a boring circular loop.

picture removed

Everyone needs an icecream after a train ride - even if it is mid winter and struggling to reach 9'C

Then it was home in the automobile again before the nasty storm hit. - perfect weather to enjoy a roast dinner to cap off the weekend

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My remote control for my digital SLR arrived today so next on my list of things to do, after the necessary nasties, is to see how well it works and play with the camera.

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Tower building on a Rainy Sunday

2010-08-01T11:45:00.001+10:00

Last week while browsing the blogosphere, Annabel from Bellgirl, challenged us to figure out what she was working on. I guessed it , a drawstring play mat, but only because I had made one for my daughter.

My sister and I had a mat similar to this when we were little to hold all our lego so when I needed somewhere to keep all of Mia's blocks, it was time to raid the fabric stash and recreate a relic from the past.
So on this very miserable, wet and cold Sunday morning I thought I would show you our toy mat in action. What better thing to do when you cant go outside than build towers.

Now we know where all the blocks are at all times

Ready to go

Let the building commence

Now to sit down and plan the next project for my train loving daughter - a variation of My Little Gems' Car Cozie tutorial to accomodate some trains with a loop of track running around the outside. Hopefully I will have something to show later this week.
That is unless the weather clears and we ride the trains at the Diamond Valley Miniature Railway.

My Creative Space

2010-07-29T14:49:00.002+10:00

After a hectic week, this creative space finds me making muffins.My 'Best Ever Chocolate Muffins', ( so named by Sarah and Mia) are Mia's favourite thing to do in the kitchen as she can mix everything together and then it is a race to see if I can get the mixture into the muffin pans before her tiny little finger has 'tasted' all the mixture. It is surprising how much one little finger can collect when tested numerous times.
As we have no snow here in winter, the next favourite part of muffin making is putting the 'snow' or icing sugar on the muffins, as well as the bench and anything else within arms reach.

Showing Piglet how to make it snow.

Waiting for them to cool

Still waiting, but getting closer

Cool enough - This one's mine

To see what other creative people are up to this week pop on over to Kootoyoo .

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T00:40:00.000+10:00

Through the eyes of a 2yr old.

2010-07-26T22:00:00.001+10:00

I am constantly humbled by the simple wonders of the world as seen through the eyes of my 2 year old daughter. Saturday night found us sitting ( and shivvering) under the bigtop of the Perry Brothers Circus - a family circus since 1880 - watching what probably would have been a great circus 20 years ago. Now, to an adults eyes the acts are tired, the performers are old and the 'sparkle' of a circus is missing due probably to the fact that this circus used to have lions end elephants etc, but there are now gone , as they are for all circuses, and the acts have not been replaced by anything eye-catching. .... BUT.... In the eyes of a 2year old ( and a 9 year old) the magic is still there. The clowns are still magic, the tightrope man is awsome and so is the balancing acrobat. ( I have to agree the balancing guy was really good). Each act was followed by enthusiastic applause and constant 'Wow''s and all we heard on the drive home was..'I want to go to the circus again tomorrow Mummy'.

Sunday was a suprisingly sunny winters day so we took advantage of the lack of rain to get out into the vegie garden. The broccoli, cauliflower and beans had all finished and needed to be pulled out and added to the compost so the garden can be ready for the next plantings. While I was pulling out the bigger plants it was Mia's job to pull out all the grass that had sprung up along the edge of the garden. To her suprise she found the absolute last of our carrots. She spent the rest of the night, and all through dinner, pointing out that we were eating our carrots and that she had found them when everyone else had said there were no more.

The proud haul - albeit a small one

One chilli plant has been devastated by the frosts so it was also Mia's job to pick the last of the chillies on the bush before it was pulled up. Again these were proudly displayed to all as she had 'tected' ( protected) them from the nasty frost.

'Tected Chillies

This coming week brings busy, busy, busy. Shop listings to be done, wholesale orders to be sent and a new 'day job' to start. I have good intentions to post as much as I can, especially since this blog will be used as a family update as well as craft for the next few weeks as the grandparents tour the great Australian Outback, but we will see what time allows...
So for now I'll leave you with the thought....'Dont over think things. Sit back and enjoy the simple happiness to be gained from looking at things through the eyes of a 2year old'.

My Creative Space

2010-07-22T22:52:00.006+10:00

YAY - they arrived!! My stamp set that is.....

So this week has seen me dig out some old spoons and some of these ( everyday flat washers, that is) .....

and make some of these......

...... More practice is needed to make sure the imprints are deep and even and silver spoons are much easier than the flat washers. Others have been made but they are now touring outback NSW and I forgot to get photos before they went to their new home.

(I know this isn't Basil but mid winter is not going to find much basil growing in vegie gardens. Plus I am standing in the rain on a very wet Melbourne morning to take these photos so parsley will do.)

( As the rain was getting heavier, only one shot of each spoon was taken so their was no 'choice' to be made for the best shot/lighting, lack of stray grass growing in the vegie garden etc.)

Practised versions of all of these will be available in my me2 madeit shop very soon....

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Today was the opening day of the Quilt and Craft Fair in Melbourne and many hours were spent fossicking through beads, fabric, silver blanks and the best store for any sort of gadget you could think of. www.punchwithjudy.com.au . (Finally a supplier of freezer paper in Aus!) If I had the patience to make quilts there would be even more to choose from - especially a thing they call the Curve Master Presser Foot , solely for sewing curves without the need to clip or press the seam flat!
If I could knit there is also this great book called "Really Wild Tea Cosies" - hmmmm, now who do I know who knits and has time on their hands.......sis?
The day was not all spent drooling however - apart from a selection of charms, pendants and some sterling silver pendant blanks, I did buy myself a darning foot for my machine. ( my main reason for going to the fair)

I have watched Alisa Burke do lovely free form stiching on her blog as she transforms clothes, furnishings etc and wanted to give it a go myself, so, first thing done on arriving home today was to play with my new toy. I only got time for one attempt but was very happy with it and can't wait for the chance to do more. If this is what a first attempt looks like, the future looks promising.

To find out what other creative types are up to today, pop on over to Kootoyoo and gaze upon some amazing talent.