The Weekend in Snapshots

A lovely morning for a walk...

... and a bike ride in the evening...

The by-product of an experimental craft project...

... and a chance to relax...

What did you enjoy about your weekend?

I hope it was a good one... thanks for viewing :)

Wonderful Wednesday - Glitter

It must be getting closer to Christmas. We are finishing off units of work, preparing the new children for their transitions - ready for next year and we are beginning to clean, sort and tidy. This isn't actually 'Christmas' - more the add on, 'busyness' that occurs as we hurtle towards the end of year. Rather, I love the activities that focus on the birth of Christ and the miraculous and amazing events of this account and I love the myriad of crafts that reflect Christmas. 

Today I opened the tube...the tube of glitter paint. Christmas crafts (especially fit for children) seem to necessitate glitter to be amongst the materials required. Despite my enthusiasm for Christmas craft, I cannot bring myself to place glitter into the hands of young children. No matter how well supervised the activity is, glitter ends up from one end of the room to the other. Cleaning up poses another problem. When wiping up the remainder of the glitter, specks of glitter remain fixed in the sponge, ready to decorate further tables and items. Despite thorough washing after the cleanup, specks of glitter end up radiating their light on various body parts - hands, hair and face...especially when meeting others in public. Glitter is not a simple ingredient.

Yes, I used to shudder when Christmases approached and the date to open the glitter jar was due. That was until I stumbled upon glitter paint! This product allows the shine and sparkle of glitter, without the need to sprinkle, as the specks of glitter are already suspended in gluey paint. This reduces the amount of mess and cleaning up is a mere wipe (still with a little caution so that the specks do not adhere to anything else). Glitter is slowly being embraced... and it is also the inspiration for this week...

Wooden Studs by 'WinkelKo'

These are so sweet! I love the simple circles of wood with the hint of sparkle with the glitter layer. This pair of earrings would make a unique accessory or gift.

Resin Sphere Necklace by 'URBAN Handmade'

This pendant looks amazing! I love that this pendant looks like a little ball of glitter. This item of jewellery would add some sparkle to any outfit...

Heart Garland by 'Misiu'

This garland would add some decorative sparkle. I love the gold, glittery hearts all strung up together. This garland could be used for a variety of occassions, not just for Christmas. Lovely...

What is your favourite, glittery item?

Thanks for viewing!

The Weekend in Snapshots

Watching the beginning of a cycling event...

Bicycles were everywhere up the street...

Baking a cake...

A vintage book find...

A pink and white geranium in the garden...

I hope that you had a lovely weekend!

Wonderful Wednesday - Cats

I love dogs! I love the way our little dog shows such enjoyment when we walk in through the door after being away for a while. I love taking him for a walk, something that he also enjoys. I love his little personality and the way that he picks up on routines amazingly quickly. I love the way that he jumps up on my lap and snuggles down for a sleep, especially when he wants attention. Mind you, he does have some little quirks that annoy us too - all part of his little personality.

I did have a cat when I was growing up and I loved her to bits. Her name was 'Susie'. She was a fluffy tabby and she was such a gentle little girl. After she passed away, we did have a couple of other cats, but they were no way near as friendly and loving as 'Susie'. Mr T is not a big fan of cats. He is willing to interact with the pet cats of others, however, he is very much a dog person and there is no way that we would have one as a pet. Therefore, I have moved away from being a cat person and have become more of a dog person.

This week at work we focused on Pamela Allen's book 'Hetty's Day Out'. This is a story of a cat that goes out visiting different families and neighbours and is given so much food that she has trouble getting back through the cat flap. I used this story as a creative writing springboard with my littlies. We thought of an animal character, different foods it could eat and different places it could visit. We then thought of a problem that could occur and how that problem could be solved. After drafting our stories, we then made up little books to 'publish' our stories, Hence with all this fun and focus on cats, this week's inspiration is...cats!

Girls Novelty Bag by 'Pinwheels'

How cute is this bag? I love the tabby stripes that it has on its body. I love the cute smiley face and starry eyes. A gorgeous, little accessory for a little girl.

Wooden Cat Earrings by 'Once Upon A Tree'

How beautiful! I love the simplicity of these items - a simple cat figure cut into wooden discs. I love the way that this creation uses the natural beauty and features of the wood. Stunning...

Cat Coin Purse by 'Junction Road'

What a sweet, little purse! I would love to put a few coins in this sweet creation. I love the pink dotty fabric. I love the traditional, shape and size of this purse and its closure. I love the cute, kitty motif with her pink and white party dress. Lovely...

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday in the making

I am loving up-cycling. I think it is because I love checking out various sources to find goodies to up-cycle. It is now getting to a stage (much to Mr T's delight) that I am visiting my sources every weekend to find out if there is something new. I also love that each item I find is unique... I go often, because there is a chance that it won't be there for long. I rejoice when I have little 'finds'. I then love the creative process - working out the character of the piece and developing it into a new item...

It has definitely been the case with these items. I found the scarf quite a while ago and used pieces of it to make fabric flowers. I then found the blue/green flower brooch. Immediately, I thought of an idea to merge the scarf and the brooch together. This is the result... a knotty, short necklace. Both of these items lent themselves to a thicker, short necklace, maybe to jazz up a plain outfit (eg. a little, black dress). I wanted the feature brooch to be slightly to one side. I also wanted to create a stranded, distressed, shabby chic look with the scarf, to add texture. This item is ready to be listed in my store... a little nervous as this is something entirely different from the items that I have made...

Thanks for viewing!

The Weekend in Snapshots

Found some groovy, reclaimed fabric

I made some healthy apricot delight. I only hope I swizzed the coconut enough...

A purple gladdie flowering in the sunshine.

A new design...

I hope that you had a lovely, relaxing weekend!

Thursday Inspiration - Pirates

I love working with little ones. I love using their imagination and their willingness to have fun. Maybe it appeals to my creative side. I remember times spent with my little brother (and our dog) outside, on our play gym set, pretending we were on a boat (or other vehicle) and having some, imaginative adventure. We would be in the midst of this creative whirlwind for what seemed like hours. Good times...

During the week, we read the story 'If I had a pirate suit' by Pamela Allen. This is a wonderful story about a pair of brothers and how one had a pirate suit and controlled the imaginative play whilst the younger was the 'crew'. Hmm... as the older child, I do remember times when I controlled the games that my brother and I played. Using newspaper, the children and I made up our own pirate hats and we did some creative writing about what we would do if we were pirates. Hence my inspiration for this week are...pirates!

Pirate Hat by 'Schooza'

Every prospective pirate needs a pirate hat. This one is gorgeous. I love the style and shape of it. A great gift for little boys...

Pirate Handmade Doll by 'Mama Luvs Me'

Pirates are rather nasty, however, this little pirate doll is absolutely cute. I love his pirate attire - the detailed hat, his embellished shorts, stripey socks and eye patch. Obviously lovingly crafted...

 Pirate Island Play Mat by 'Creative Wishes'

What a super idea -  An island to stimulate creative play! I love the detail - whates in the sea, footsteps leading to treasure and fierce creatures in the jungle. I can imagine lots of toy boats sailing across this sea and pirates trudging along the island to find the treasure.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Monday in the Making

I've picked up the crochet needle quite a bit this week. I have just about finished a major crochet project and I have been trying to sneak a bit of time to spend on it to, so I can see it completed. However, I also created a couple of little projects...

I wanted to create a simple, yet sweet headband that could be worn by any age. I wanted the whole item to be the same colour, hence the same coloured flower with  matching button embellishment. This headband could be tied at the base of the neck, like a traditional headband, or it could be tied at the back of head to create a 'halo' type of headband. Intended for all day wear (for older children onwards) or these headbands would make lovely photography props. If you wish to find out more information, you can view the items in store here...

Thanks for viewing!

The Weekend in Snapshots

Planting tomato seedlings in preparation for Summer veggies.

Lovely lavendar flowering in the garden.

Walking my pup in the splashes of sunshine.

What were you thankful for over the weekend?

Wonderful Wednesday - Pears

It was wonderful to feel warmth on my skin today- to be able to wear a short sleeve top and skirt. It has been a while *sigh*. Maybe Spring might be finally pushing it's way through?

To be honest, I am seasonal - not necessarily with clothing, but with FOOD! When our veggie patch is working well, I love growing and eating cool season veggies - broccoli, peas, kale. However, when there is a sniff of warmth, my body starts to look forward to warm season veggies/fruits, and there are heaps - tomatoes, zucchinis, pumpkins, cucumbers, and also the fruits - apricots, strawberries and peaches. Yum! Nothing is more delicious than a freshly picked, flavoursome, home grown apricot.

At work, we read the book "The Pear in the Pear Tree" by Pamela Allen. It is a funny book about a pair of children and their desire and determination to pick a juicy pear off of the tree. It is also a terrific book to emphasise rhyme. The children that I worked with got themselves into pairs, thought of a pair of rhyming words, one drew a picture of one, the other drew a picture of the other and altogether we made up "The Book of Rhyme". Today, we found facts about pears and we thought of words to describe pears - what they look like, what they feel like, what they taste like and what they smell like, hence we had some juicy, tasty fun today... hence, my inspiration for this week are...pears!

Pear Cuff links by "Lilypad Designs"

Isn't this pair of pears adorable? I love the cute, smiley faces on the pear fabric. What a great idea to make this pair into a set of playful and fun cuff links!

Pear Brooch by 'Elle's Tea Party'

This brooch looks good enough to eat. I love the look of a 'slice' of pear, with two little seeds in the core. A unique brooch.

Pear Skirt by 'JIGsew'

How sweet!I love the detailed pears on the fabric. I also love how the pink belt picks up the same coloured pink flowers in the skirt fabric. I love the gathered high top waist. The great news is that this skirt is sold with a matching headband...

Lots of sweet, pear inspired items!

Thanks for viewing!

Monday in the Making

It has been a little while since I made headbands, so I whipped one up one evening...

I used up-cycled denim for the base flower and then some blue and white floral, reclaimed material for the inner flower. A blue button is stitched into the centre of the flower and the flower is stitched onto a shiny, white stretchy band. This item is currently in store (click here for more information).

I have also been scrambling and matching up t-shirts in my stash for my new projects. I have developed patterns for each. Just need to get going, cutting out the materials and sewing them up. I would love to spend a big chunk of time on these...

My new order of yarn arrived during the week. Some of the yarn will be used for a new project and there is some yarn to finish off a project. Hopefully I will finish it off this week...

Thanks for viewing!

The Weekend in Snapshots

A beautiful sunny day and beautiful bright pink roses.

 A batch of a healthy version of 'Hedgehog slice.

A new design under way.

Spring flowers...

Fabric flowers on the go for another project.

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wonderful Wednesday - Zig Zags

I haven't been very punctual lately. At the beginning of the year, I set myself a target to make handmade gifts for family and friends. I love spending time creating a special item for a special person. The only problem is that sometimes everyday 'life' gets in the way - housework, job, family commitments, etc. Sometimes the crafting time gets shortened, leaving little time to complete items.

However, I read a small business, crafting blog lately and the writer shared the importance for the time to create - to release new ideas, to design, to create and for someone like me, craft is a love, a stress release and an expression of my creativity. Crafting is important for my health and character, therefore, I have been trying to squeeze in at least half an hour of craft and creating each day. 

I have been working on a crochet project since January as a gift for someone. The time for giving it on time has long gone, but I am now so close to finishing it. Despite the lateness, I still want to give it to my chosen recipient, to keep as an heirloom item. Other ideas and projects seemed to have closed in on this particular project, but I know that it needs to be given soon! The main feature of this project is its zig-zag pattern, hence my inspiration for this week is...zig-zag...

Leather Clutch by 'Juwel'

I love the plain white clutch with the added vibrancy of the zig-zag pattern on the opening panel. I also love the blend of colours in the zig-zag pattern. Stunning!

Pink Sleepy Creature by 'Dewberry Workshop'

How cute! I love the simplistic design and features of this cuddly softie. I love the three, pink toned fabrics for the body of this sleepy creature and I love the zig-zag pattern in the ears. Gorgeous!

Christmas Bunting by 'Little Starrs'

This bunting would surely cheer up any space for Christmas! I love the different red and white fabrics that feature in this bunting, especially the zig-zag fabric that has various widths. A beautiful decoration!

What do you like that has a zig-zag pattern?

Thanks for viewing!

Monday in the making

It was one of those weekends where I had a number of design ideas and I didn't know where to start. To begin with, I wanted to create a simple card set, complete with matching gift tags. I wanted to use parts of an old atlas that I purchased. I made up the set, but I thought the card faces needed something more. I played around with some painted images, however, I ended up adding quotes. This is the result...

 

As the images are black and white, I have used a neutral toned paper as a backing paper for both the cards and tags. I have added a splash of colour with a bright green insert to match the foliage feel of the images.

As for the other ideas, more to be shown soon...

Thanks for viewing!

The Weekend in Snapshots

Went looking for pre-loved items I could use in my creations and purchased this brooch. I can't wait to transform this...

Went out for breakfast with Mr T...

Had a new idea for a sewing project and started it...

Went for a walk with Mr T and our pup...

A field filled with dandelions...

Our pup watching our favourite V8 Supercar team (I also gave him a bath, which is another story)...

What were favourite moments over this weekend?

Thanks for viewing!

Wonderful Wednesday - Queensland

I had a very special moment yesterday. A lovely friend of mine went out of her way to drive down where we live and stayed with us overnight. This special person was at the same boarding place while we went to uni and we became friends. So much so that she was one of my bridesmaids in my wedding. She has been holidaying in the southern state, braving the cold as she is from Queensland. It would have been wonderful to visit some of sights around the area where we live, but on the day that she arrived it poured with rain all day! Oh well, it was lovely to chat, to catch up on what had been happening in our lives and to reminisce about 'good times'. A brief, but lovely visit...

It has been some time since Mr T and I have made the trek 'up north'. I think that it is something over due as we do have a number of good friends and family members that live in the sunshine state. When I think of Queensland, I think of bananas, pineapples and all manner of tropical fruits, of lush rainforests and sugar cane, of frightening thunderstorms, humidity, warmth and plenty of sunshine. Hence my inspiration for the week is ... Queensland...

Mini Plush Pineapple by 'Pumpkin Pie Creations'

Got to love smiley fruit! I love that this plush pineapple still has a golden body and green 'leaves'. I love its cute, smiley face...ready to cuddle!

 Felt Fruit by 'Kwuirky'

This bunch of fruit looks very lifelike! It has hard to think that they are carefully made with felt. A great item for imaginative play or placed in a fruit bowl as a decorative feature.

Forest Tree Set by 'Folkwood'

What an adorable set of wooden toys! Once again, this set would be perfect for imaginative play - taking dolls for a picnic over the river. Looks lovingly created...

Thanks for stopping by!