Monday in the making

Firstly, Happy New Year to all of my followers and friends! I pray that this coming year finds you well, happy and full of inspiration...

...It has been a little quiet here, as I spent Christmas (and time beforehand) celebrating with family. It was such a lovely time - catching up with siblings, relatives and little ones that I haven't caught up with in a little while. So special! For us, it means quite a bit of travelling, but it is so worth it.

I tried to provide each of our loved ones with a handmade gift, whether made by me or another crafty person, hence the lead up to Christmas was rather busy. However, a goal for 2013, is to be more organised so that I am not leaving 'gift making' to the last minute. Handmade gifts take longer to create as they are personal and made with love and care - factoring in the time into a busy schedule is challenging, but I feel that this is an important area I can work on next year. A blog post that has inspired me to create more handmade gifts for my loved ones and friends, is one written by Pamela of 'Majorie Handmade'. You can read it here.

As work has finished for a Summer break, I thought that I would squeeze in 'creativity time' over the festive season, however, family time and enjoying the sunshine took over. It was great to have a total break - it refreshes and rejuvenates. Since being back home though, I have reopened my 'Madeit store' and have started the blogging routine once again. I have also started with some plans and designs that I am now itching to get into. Hopefully I can show you some goodies soon!

On my list at the moment:

• Adding some more items to my store and creating some new releases.

I'll see you in the New Year!

Weekend Wonders

Oohh...excitement is mounting...

...holiday time is looming quite quickly. Despite the excitement that it brings, there is a lot to do before we go away for a break. I have been working on family presents. I also have been gathering little goodies together to surprise little ones (and bigger ones) at work.

It was our Bible study group's Christmas breakup yesterday and I made up little pudding truffles as gifts to give to members. I also spent time on the weekend searching for just the right fabric for a special Kriskringle gift...(now to make that one up). Hence, there has been a lot of searching, cooking and wrapping happening this weekend.

There was quite a large craft market in our city today and I enjoyed spending an hour or so looking around, buying some handmade goodies for loved ones. Markets are wonderful places as you get to view lots of lovely items and you are able to talk directly to the creator and designer - so personal! A few of the stall holders noticed that I brought my 'Christmas gift list' along with me and they asked who I was buying for. The ladies on my list were the easiest to find gifts for (or to match them with a Tupsy Turvy Design product), however, it was so difficult to find anything for the guys. The stall holders admitted that they didn't have anything available and that they too, find it difficult to produce items for men. Maybe that can be a goal of mine...

Anyway, I hope that you have a lovely week :)

Friday Thoughts - Christmas Trees No.2

Another decoration that the children have made this week at work were these popstick Christmas trees...

...to be honest, we made them out of wooden 'spatulas' that are a little bigger than popsticks.

The inspiration for this craft idea came from here. I got the children to paint the sticks with green water paint. When it dried, I glued them into triangles with a hot glue gun and the children decorated with sparkly things, stuck on with craft glue. They also stuck a brown rectangle at the base for the 'trunk' of the tree. I tied some gold cord at the top so that it can be hung up.

Have a lovely weekend!

Wonderful Wednesday - Christmas Trees

I am starting to get a little excited...

...I love the festivities of Christmas, in particular the smell of pine trees. We have had a number of 'real' Christmas trees placed along the driveway at work and near the office and library areas. Every time I walk past, I get a delicate whiff of pine. There is nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree. It takes me back to my childhood, where, in my home town, there was an annual Christmas Tree Festival. Different schools and organisations around town would decorate a tree and prizes were awarded for different categories. I used to love attending this festival, admire the beautifully crafted decorations and find out who were the 'winners' in each category. As soon as you stepped into the room where the festival was held, you would smell the fresh smell of pine. For me, it signalled Christmas. Hence, my inspiration for the week...Christmas Trees...

Christmas Tree Decoration by 'Addicted to Buttons'

I can quite understand this crafter's addiction to buttons. I love the colours and the designs that these little items have and they can add a special embellishment to lots of items. This is a great use of buttons - moulded together to make a tree decoration. I love the uniqueness of this item.

Christmas Tree hair clip by 'Frizzle Tree'

Here is a Christmas tree with a difference! This cleverly worked item is a Christmas tree hairclip made with folds of ribbon with a cute little embellishment on the top. Wonderful for a little girl to wear on the big day.

Christmas Tree Pendant Necklace by 'Lace Metal'

I love the simplicity of this design. Gradually increasing rings on each row, linked together to form the shape of a Christmas tree. It makes a stunning necklace!

Christmas Tree gift tags by 'Jacibean Designs'

Continuing with the circular theme are these gorgeous gift tags. A similar idea, however, instead of rings, circles are used. I particularly like how the green hue is used in every circle, but used in various patterns. I lovely way to jazz up a special gift.

I hope that this inspires you!

Monday in the making

I have been busy making up orders. Here is another one...

I haven't tired of making these necklaces and I plan to make more. This is the last week of taking orders until I close up shop for a little break over Christmas. It will give me a chance to refresh and re-energise so that I can get designing and creating in the New Year. Already I have lots of ideas, I can't wait to spend some time working on them.

In the meantime, I am in production mode, making lots of handmade goodies for family and friends. I hope to share photos of these items soon.

Thanks for viewing :)

Weekend Wonders

I can breathe a big sigh...

...I have now completed my assessment work, therefore, now I can spend some more time focusing on my craft and some ideas for Christmas. Assessment is such a huge part of my work and it is quite time consuming. So, to have it completed is quite a relief.

I did manage to squeeze in some time for craft. I have completed another necklace order and I have been busy designing and stitching a soft, little something for a couple of my favourite little people in my life. I hope to show some sneak peaks soon.

I hope you had a lovely weekend :)

Friday Thoughts - Giving rather than getting

We are well into the swing of Christmas...

...and into the season of giving. I love teaching the children fun Christmas crafts, but also teaching them that Christmas is not just about 'getting' but 'giving'. Young children are naturally egocentric, therefore it is important to teach them that there are others in this world, not just themselves and about putting others before themselves.

I develop a 'Kriskringle' type of idea, but instead of buying items, we make them. Over a period of two weeks, the children decorate a gift bag and then we make some Christmas items - a card, wreath, decorations, bon-bon, treats, etc, to place in it. The children know that what they are making is going to be a gift for someone else in the class, not for themselves. That also means that someone in the class is making something for them. We then have a special 'Christmas Day' and I choose someone in the class, then draw a name out of a pool of names (children in the class) and they then give their gift bag with their goodies, to that child and wish them a 'Happy Christmas'. They love making their special little items and they are focused on doing their best for their special person.

I thought I would share a photo of one of our gifts...a tissue paper wreath...

They are stunning! They put so much effort into them that you would not guess that they were made by six year olds. They are simply a ring (paper plate with the middle cut out) and squares of green tissue paper (approx. 8cmx8cm) gently scrunched over the end of  a pencil and glued on with children's PVA glue, closely together. I did cut some red tissue paper squares (same size) to place in the occasional spot for 'holly berries). This child chose to scrunch theirs up into little balls. To finish, I twisted a silver chenille stick around the wreath and twisted the end into a loop for a hook to hang it up. The finished product...

Have a lovely weekend!

Wonderful Wednesday - Christmas decorations

The Christmas decorations and the glitz that it brings, has already entered stores...

...in fact, it started weeks ago. I love Christmas and it is an important religious festival for me, but it seems that I can't 'enjoy' or get caught up in the fun that it brings until I am on holidays, as the end of the year seems to be super busy. There are a number of ways to reflect on Christmas and experience its joy. One way to get into the 'spirit of Christmas' is to decorate the home with the festive touch and Christmas reminders. As we enter the season of Advent (preparation for Christmas) this weekend, I aim to put up our Christmas tree. I love cranking up the carols whilst decorating, hence my inspiration for this week - Christmas decorations...

Set of 4 Glass/Fabric Scandi Christmas decorations by 'FYL Handmade'

A unique set of decorations. This set is printed onto fabric and then framed. I love the European flavour of these decorations and the simplicity of a red motive on a white background. These would look lovely on a tree or on a gift as an embellishment.

Set of 9 Baubles by 'Velvet Bean'

This set of baubles have a touch of country and rustic charm. I love the look of the ribbon wrapped baubles with the rustic charm of string to attach the baubles to the tree. Why not use a set of these baubles in a bowl to decorate the Christmas table, similar to the photo.

Crocheted white snowflake decoration by 'Edward & Lilly'

Add a touch of Winter Wonderland with these gorgeous, hand made, crocheted snowflakes. I love the lacy design! So much skill and effort and a touch of European class...

Nativity set by 'Twinklekids'

A nativity set is a perfect way to show the story of Christmas. This set displays each of the characters, hand painted. It would look cute underneath the tree or displayed on a cupboard/shelf.

I hope that this provides you with some inspiration :)

Monday in the making

During this past week I have been busy finishing off orders, mainly for multi-strand up-cycled t-shirt necklaces. However, I have had an idea for a new ring design floating around in my head and I was craving a little time to give it a try. I managed to find a little time during the week and here is the result...

This is my new 'daisy' design. It has a large, daisy like flower with a glass bead stitched in the middle. It is then stitched on a thinner band (compared to the vine ring I created earlier). Once again, I have added this ring to my personal jewellery collection, but I do aim to make more. They are comfortable to wear and are perfect for those ladies that can't wear metallic jewellery.

On the list:

• Christmas gifts - I'm busy designing and creating some goodies for loved ones.
• Cushions - another design that I can't wait to try!
• Necklaces - to continue to fulfil orders and add some to my store.

Thanks for viewing :)

Weekend Wonders

This year is fast drawing to a close...

...and this is particularly so with work. Presently, I am wading through assessment and reporting tasks. This afternoon was spent in front of my computer, typing up reports. It is great to cross items off of the list, knowing that I am one step closer to completion (I love lists!).

I have been finishing off some customer orders and packaging them up. It is such a thrill that others value your work. I have also been experimenting with a new ring design (which I will show tomorrow).

I love making hand made gifts (hence the beginning of 'Tupsy Turvy Designs') and I spent some time last night making up one of these gifts for a special person for Christmas. I must say, this little elf better get busy to finish them all in time before we catch up with family!

I hope that you had a lovely weekend too!

Friday Thoughts - Making a Japanese lady

This year is fast drawing to a close...

...we have just about concluded our last unit at work, before we start to unwind a little with some Christmas activities. We have been focusing on 'Japan'. Here is a craft that the children and I completed after focusing on traditional dress and the lovely hairstyles that Japanese women wear.

If you wish to find out how to make these lovely ladies, click here, as I give credit to this activity to the wonderful site of 'DLTK - growing together'.

Have a lovely weekend!

Wonderful Wednesday - Gifts for the girls

I went on a bit of a shopping spree on the weekend...

... and no, I didn't browse through shops at the local shopping centre that display the usual thing. Instead, I checked out all the original and hand crafted goodies on madeit.com.au . I found some lovely items and I have started to receive them in the post (the exciting part!). I thought I would showcase some lovely items for the ladies in your life...

Coconut Lime Soy Wax Candle by 'Torch Soy Candles'

Candles are a lovely gift, particularly for the lady that is hard to buy for. These candles are infused with lots of delicious fragrances.

Mini Lip Balm matchbox gifts by 'Twotreehouse'

What a super idea! Inside these beautiful little boxes are three mini lip balms. Just the right size to pop in a handbag. The flavours are tangerine, mint and strawberry. Gorgeous and cute packaging!

Zip Purse with swivel clip by 'Ooak Bags'

Every woman needs a handy little bag to place makeup, keys, tissues, etc in. This one can be clipped onto a belt or key ring, to make it hands free. I couldn't go past this bright design.

Linen cushion cover with screen printed design by 'Agnes & You'

This bright pink pattern on linen caught my eye. Hand screen printed, this lovely item would look lovely in a bedroom or lounge room.

I hope that this provides you with some inspiration!

Monday in the making

Necklaces have been my focus in the studio of late...

...I have already made some out of 'Sunset Red' and 'Dark Grey'. The latest colour is 'Royal Blue'...

This colour has a silvery grey pattern added to it. Like the other necklaces, this one has five, randomly placed, weeping roses stitched to the strands. These roses have one royal blue bead stitched in the middle. Another colour to add to the collection, however, 'Sunset Red' is currently sold out as I only have limited amounts of each colour.

On the list:

• Making a tutu (finally sourced some material).
• More necklaces.
• A variety of handmade Christmas presents.

Thanks for viewing!

Weekend Wonders

It has been an eventful week to say the least...

A pleasant surprise this week was to be featured in last week's madeit.com.au 'Monday New Finds' newsletter. One of my 'Up-cycled t-shirt multi strand necklaces' were featured and shortly after my shop was sold out of them. I also have a number of orders for them to complete. It was lovely and I am currently having tremendous fun making up these orders.

I have also been doing some Christmas shopping over the weekend and of course the place that I visited was madeit.com.au to find my hand made goodies. It was lovely to peruse through the different categories and all the amazing ideas and items to find just the right gifts for loved ones. The extra bonus is not fighting through crowds or waiting in line at checkouts. However, if you do wish to purchase some handmade products for Christmas, now is the time to do so to allow sellers to make, package and post your items.

Despite the busyness of orders and the urge to create more designs, I aim to make some handmade gifts as well. Got to package up some love!

I hope that you had a lovely weekend :)

Friday Thoughts - Kimono Dolls

As mentioned in previous posts, at work the children and I have been learning about 'Japan'. We have been learning about the country side of Japan, culture, food and festivals. Another aspect we have been looking at is Japanese traditional clothing, in particular, 'kimonoes'.

I helped the children to make these Japanese inspired cardboard dolls that are wearing our attempt at 'kimonoes'...

• Firstly, the children cut out a paper outline of the doll. I made one up that was simply a head and a body.
• This paper outline is then glued onto cardboard and cut out again, in order to make the doll more sturdy.
• A length of fabric is wrapped around the doll to make the body of the 'kimono'. Try to ensure that the fabric covers the 'body' area of the doll (ie. from neck to foot).
• A length of paper around 7 or 8 cms wide and long enough to wrap around the body, is then wrapped around the middle of the doll to make the 'sash'. It is taped at the back of the doll. As in the above examples, the 'sash' could be decorated first.
• I then helped out by tying some yarn around the middle of the sash and then snipped the ends of to represent the 'cord' like feature.
• The children drew the facial features and hair to complete the doll.

Have a lovely weekend :)

Thursday Inspiration - Japan

Wednesday slipped by SO quickly, hence this post occurring on Thursday. Sorry if you were waiting for it ...

At work, the children and I have been learning about 'Japan'. This is a new unit for me and I have been finding it fascinating and I am learning just as much as the children. We have been learning about Japanese festivals, culture, life and food. Being an artistic person, I have enjoyed helping the children make different Japanese inspired crafts (you will see another one on the blog tomorrow). Therefore, my inspiration for this week is 'Japan'...

Japanese Design earrings by 'Mikano World'

'Mikano World' have a lovely range of Japanese inspired items, including this pair of earrings. These earrings use Japanese Kimono fabric and the red and white enhances the Japanese feel.

Japanese Kimono Cushion by 'The Niki Tree'

What a stunning cushion! I love the gorgeous pattern of the fabric - a composition of fans. I also love the tonal blue base with highlights of bright colour. A stunning addition to a bedroom or lounge room!

Origami Dress card by 'Chie No Wa'

These origami cards are so clever! Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding and these cards have origami embellishments. I particularly like this cute little dress - a lovely card for a little girl. I love the addition of the 'buttons' and bow.

Cherry blossom brooch by 'Under the shade of a bonsai tree'

The detail in this brooch is amazing! Cherry blossoms signify the beginning of Spring in Japanese culture and this brooch captures this important event. I love the detail in the cherry blossoms and their colour on a raw, wood background. A unique gift.

I hope that this provides you with some inspiration :)

Monday in the making

Once again I have been playing around with accessories as part of my 'Tupsy Tee' range. I have created some multi strand necklaces using up-cycled t-shirts, however, here is my newest 'accessory'...

This is one of my favourite designs. It is very soft and comfortable to wear as the body of the ring is made out of up-cycled t-shirt. It is more of a 'chunkier' ring, but it provides room to highlight the 'vine' stitching, complete with little beads for 'fruit'. As each ring is hand stitched, no two rings are identical. I enjoy wearing mine all day, although, the ring is not waterproof and needs to be removed before washing hands, etc. The upside of this, is that it is completely hand washable!

On the to do list:

• making more necklaces (they have been in demand)
• designing and making some Christmas presents for family and friends.
• headbands

Thanks for viewing:)

Weekend Wonders

It has been a lovely weekend...

...it has been the first weekend in a while that we were blessed with sunshine for both Saturday and Sunday. Even though I love staying inside and crafting, I couldn't resist the warmth and the sunshine and headed outside for part of the afternoon to do some gardening.

I did also manage to finish off a ring that I was making. I also finished off the scarf that I have been experimenting with. I hope to show some photos tomorrow.

I was thinking that I also better start thinking about Christmas and what to make or buy for family and friends. I like to support handmade businesses and make items and cards for myself, which also means leaving some time to do these things. It could turn into a busy few weeks *smile*.

I hope that you had a great weekend!

Friday Thoughts - Mountains

We have been focusing on a new topic at work this week and I have been loving it! I love adding some new topics each year, to keep variety and interest. This year, I added a unit on learning about Japan. I haven't been privileged to visit this country, but I have enjoyed researching about it. This week we focused on the land, the flag, the difference in language and traditional clothing. It has been fascinating!

Japan has quite a mountainous landscape, partially due to volcanic activity. There are many photos taken of Japan's highest, Mount Fuji, showcasing its height, complete with snow on top. This week the children completed a crafty/Maths activity making a picture of 'mountains'.

How to make it:

• Firstly, each child had a 'mountain' coloured square of paper. We used dark green, light green and brown.
• The children then folded their square in half and cut along the fold line to make two triangles.
• The children kept one of these triangles aside in order to make their tallest mountain.
• They then folded the other triangle in half and cut it to make two smaller triangles.
• I gave the children the option of keeping both of their small triangles or swap with other children in order to have different coloured mountains. In the picture above, this child had one big, light, green triangle, but then swapped their little, light, green triangles in order to obtain one little, brown triangle and one little, dark green triangle.
• The children then arranged their triangles, biggest one at the back, two smaller ones at the front, on a large, white piece of paper and then glued them down.
• The children glued on cotton wool at the top of their triangles to represent snow.
• You could add more decorations if you wish.

We chatted about how the square could make triangles and how the big triangle could make smaller triangles, therefore, this activity incorporated some mathematical concepts about Shape.

Have a lovely weekend :)

Wonderful Wednesday - At the races

On Tuesday, the 'race that stops the nation' occurred in Australia - the 'Melbourne Cup'. It is Australia's most famous horse race and many people don a frock and a hat, attend special luncheons and stop to watch the race on TV (if not at the track). As for me, I am not much into horse racing, however I do love these majestic animals and I do love the hats and fashion. Hence my inspiration for this week - at the races...

Horse brooches by 'Oh Blackbird'

I love these brooches for the workmanship involved. Delicately cut horses and inner shapes and then backed with Japanese paper. How lovely!

Horse decals by 'JadaBella Studio'

These decals by 'JadaBella Studio' are amazing! Designed and made by 'JadaBella Studio' they are so professional and detailed that they look like they have been painted. This would look lovely on the bedroom wall of a little equestrian.

Purple Flower Fascinator by 'Emerald Diamond'

Fascinators are fascinating - these elegant creations created with feathers, flowers, glittery items, mesh, etc. I found it very hard to pick just one lovely creation by 'Emerald Diamonds', however, this purple number did catch my eye. Not only is the colour gorgeous, but I love the simplicity of it all - a large flower with a beautiful, glittery embellishment in the middle. It would look lovely with a purple, black or silver formal dress.

Tooty Fruity Dress by 'Pretty Parcel'

I love this vintage inspired dress. I love the simplicity of design and I also love the gorgeous, flowery print on the fabric. It is one of those dresses that could be worn during the day for work, but then could also be dressed up with a lovely necklace (and maybe some lovely hair accessories) to create a stunning evening/semi-formal piece. There are more lovely designs by 'Pretty Parcel' in their Madeit store to choose from.

I hope that these items inspire you :)

Monday in the making

I have been in an 'accessories' mood...

...I have enjoyed up cycling t-shirts to create accessories. I thought that I would make a few more necklaces.

I made another 'Climbing Rose' necklace using a number of strands and various lengths, embellished with five roses. These roses have tiny gold beads stitched in the middle.

I have also been experimenting with different designs. This necklace is also made up of various strands, however, this one is plaited and knotted at different intervals (sorry that I don't have a close up of this one...).

I have also been experimenting with some rings, also made out of up cycled t-shirts, with embroidery and beading. I absolutely LOVE the design and I trialled one today (that is mine for keeps!!) and it is so comfy to wear. It is a bit wider or 'chunkier' that some of the rings that I wear, but the design and detail is lovely. The only downside is that it is not waterproof (ie. you can't wear it to wash dishes, wash your hands, etc) but the upside is that it is hand washable if it becomes dirty or yuck. As this design is a new creation, I haven't got any photos as yet. Hope to share some with you soon.

On the list:

• Finish the scarf (it's been on the list for a while).
• Trial my 'Christmas idea'.
• Tutus
• Another bear or two or three

Thanks for viewing :)

Weekend Wonders

It is nice to relish some warmer weather...

...the only drawback for Mr T and myself is: hay fever. Where we live is one of the worst places for hay fever and as Spring blesses us with flowers, grasses and warmth, so does hay fever. My hay fever is particularly bad on heavy cloud/rainy Spring days, whereas when it is sunny and breezy, Mr T's hay fever is bad. Hence one of us is sneezing away. I never used to suffer from hay fever, however, after living here a few years it has developed...urgh. However, at least it is only for a time, so I can be grateful for that.

Whilst going for my Saturday walk, I had an idea to create something cute with a Christmas theme. As it is the beginning of November, I will need to get into it quite quickly. I will have to see how this project goes, otherwise it will be something that I work on for next Christmas.

I have been loving making up cycled t-shirt items for my 'Tupsy Tee' range. I have been focusing in particular on jewellery and I will show some items tomorrow.

I hope that you had a lovely weekend:)

Friday Thoughts - 'Brushing' up on Spelling

Today I thought I would share with you one of the crafty, Spelling activities that the children completed during the week. We have been looking at words that end in 'sh' this week and one of the Spelling activities was to make a 'brush'...

We used a wide strip of paper for the 'handle' of the brush. The children wrote words ending in 'sh' on thin strips of white/cream paper. I showed them how to curl the end a little, by using a pencil (some did choose to keep straight bristles). These 'bristles' were glued down one end of the 'handle'. The children then decorated their 'handle'.

Other Spelling activities that we did:

• I had a bunch of little, coloured paper squares. The children wrote the letters of their words on the squares and glued them on a piece of white paper to make their words.
• We ran out of time this week for this activity, but we were going to make a fish. First, find an outline of a fish. The children write words ending in 'sh' on paper 'scales' and they glue them down on their fish.

Have a lovely weekend :)

Wonderful Wednesday - Blue & White

I love to experiment...

... with colours, fabrics and textures. I am very close to finishing an experimental scarf that has knitted and fabric elements. It is on my list to complete this weekend. The only hint, so far, is that it has a lovely blue and white fabric element. Hence my inspiration for this week...blue and white...

Beaded necklace by 'Beads63'

The pattern on the beads in this necklace caught my eye. They look beautiful. These beads are made out of polymer clay and are quite unique. At the moment I am on the look out for interesting beads for embellishing necklaces and hair pieces that I am creating. These beads are lovely!

Post It Note Holder by 'Leah's Paper Passion'

This is a marvellous gift idea. A beautiful, decorative case that houses a 'Post It' note pad. It comes with a little pocket that you could place notes, vouchers or a gift card for a special person in. This is one of many of the beautiful designs available.

Heart mobile by '1000 Pretty Things'

I love the use of the same colour scheme (blue and white) using various fabric patterns.  I also love the look of the same shape, repeated - very effective. This would add a decorative touch to a country kitchen or lounge. It could also be given as a gift for a baby shower.

Hand knitted blanket by 'Plushka'

I love knitted products and I appreciate the time and effort put into them. I love the different hues of blue, combined with the white and the use of various stitches in this blanket. A lovely gift for a new baby.

 I hope that it provides you with some inspiration :)

Monday in the making

I do as much craft as I can during the week, however, I love spending an hour or two on Friday, Saturday and Sunday working on various projects. I have the time to really sink into them...
...however, I was fairly flat on the weekend and spent a lot of it sleeping. So, I didn't finish all the projects that I hoped to finish.

One of the projects that I did finish off  were some cards that were on my list...

Once again, I have delved through my photo stash and found two photos - one of the Grampians and the other of a farm paddock. For the photos on the card on the left, I added some colour around the edge of the photo. On the paddock photo, I added a film effect that made it look like it was on an older type of film - it reminded me of the 70s.

On the list:

• Finish of my scarf project.
• I would love to stitch up another bear.
• A tutu order - first to source some lovely pink tulle.

Thanks for viewing :)

Weekend Wonders

I am a 'list' person...

...I have a plan in my head (or on paper) about all I want to achieve each day, and the same was true for this weekend. However, I have been a little flat. I ended up sleeping for a lot of Saturday afternoon/evening and throughout Sunday. The good news, though, is that I am feeling SO much better - ready to face another week.

We did do some travelling on Saturday to catch up with family and usually travelling equals knitting for me. However, I think that I ended up knitting all of one row and the rest of the time I slept. I have had a few busy weeks and weekends that my body refused to do anymore. I am glad that it is starting to cooperate again now...

The bad news, was that I didn't get a lot of projects completed. I did complete a few during the week and I photographed them today. I will show one of my completed projects on tomorrow's blog post.

Thanks for viewing. I will chat again tomorrow :)

Friday Thoughts - Grandparents

Today was 'Grandparents Day' at work today...

...it was great to see the children so excited about showing their special visitor the classroom and to spend some time together completing activities. It was wonderful hearing and watching the interaction between the children and their visitors - the children proudly explaining items and routines, while the grandparents patiently listened and helped out with the completion of activities.

It reinforced one of the ideas that was promoted in a conference I attended yesterday - that humans are built for relationships. Right from the moment of birth, children are learning from the interactions between themselves and others. It even affects physical growth and brain development. If interactions are positive, loving and nurturing, the children positively grow and their brain develops into a healthy state. However, if interactions are negative, abusive and neglectful, the child's brain fails to grow into a healthy state due to the state of trauma and stress. This in turn, effects learning and their view of the world.

But what made me smile about today were the positive interactions: smiles, laughter, hugs, one-on-one valuable time, listening ears, positive and encouraging words. These grandparents (whether they knew it or not) were helping their little ones grow in a healthy way.

What activities did the children complete with their grandparents? Well...

• they coloured in a picture of an older vehicle.
• practiced cursive writing.
• drew themselves on a 'penny farthing' and decorated a border (see above picture).
• matched older items with their modern counterparts.

 I hope that you have a lovely weekend!

Wonderful Wednesday - Up-cycling

'Up-cycling'...it is a bit of a modern word, but it is one that I have taken to...

When you are 'up-cycling' something, you are re-using it in some form to make something more worthy or valuable; to make a better product. Lately, I have been having fun 'up-cycling' t-shirts and turning them into different tops or accessories, hence my theme for this week's inspiration...up-cycling!

Bucket hat by 'Fine Fred'

This gorgeous hat is made out of up-cycled trims and denim. I particularly like the lace trim. The final result is a beautiful hat that has a vintage feel to it. Lovely!

Dog softie by 'Vintage Chenille'

Toys can also be made out of up-cycled fabrics. This little dog is so cute, made out of a pure wool blanket. That would make it extra cuddly! I love the pink bow collar.

 Cassette desk caddy by 'Red Zebra Designs'

It is not purely fabric that can be up-cycled, rather, it can be any item! I think this pen holder appeals to my retro side as I grew up with 'cassettes'. Nothing like waiting for your tape player to fast forward to your favourite song and then needing to rewind because you went to far...yes, patience was more prevalent back then. However, as cassettes are now practically obsolete, what a great way to reuse them in a practical way. This caddy would make a unique gift.

Bag by 'SjSmith'

This bag is made out of a jumper. I love how the original knitting pattern of the jumper is used to make the decorative sides of the bag, complete with buttons. Once again, a very practical idea to something that would have been discarded. That is the beauty of up-cycling...it is also good for the environment as materials are reused to create new and exciting designs.

I hope these ideas inspire you!