Unique Paper Mache Christmas Baubles

There are 24 hours in everyday, but as I am getting older, it seems like time is flying by ...

Recently, we enjoyed two weeks break from school and that time seemed to pass by like we had only days. Stores are already promoting Christmas decorations, October is nearing an end and countdowns to Christmas are beginning. Christmas is definitely looming!

As thoughts about Christmas began swamping my head, I wanted to create something for Christmas. Amongst my mixed media art creations, I have been enjoying creating with paper mache. I thought that this would be the perfect medium to create a special decoration.

I wanted to create a Christmas bauble that stood out from traditional Christmas baubles. Each bauble is spherical, however, the middle of each bauble cascades reclaimed fabric to add a splash of colour against the white outside. I still wanted each bauble to portray a key feature about Christmas, hence the words: joy and love; the letters cut out of newspaper and adhered to a scroll made from old book pages. I also wanted to retain Christmas colours, but put a modern twist on them, therefore I used red, white and silver.

These baubles have been designed for the person who loves Christmas and decorating, but wants a splash of originality and a modern feel.

Soon available in store. To view what is in store, please click here.

Thanks for viewing!

~ Jen.

P.S - If you have enjoyed reading about the story behind Tupsy Turvy Designs' products, why not become a 'Golden Ticket Member'? It is FREE and membership entitles you to regular updates, exclusive sales, discounts and opportunities. Simply click here and enter your email address. Easy! I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon ...

A New Mixed Media Pendant Range

Everyone needs to go through change and this process is not easy. Today, after having long hair for ten or so years, I decided to visit the hairdresser and go short instead. It wasn't an easy decision. I scrolled through many suggestions that I found on the Internet. I then had to think about whether I liked these styles, my lack of time to style hair and whether it would suit me.Then, there was the fear that if I went with the short hair and I didn't like it, it would take a long time for it to grow back to a longer length.

Change can instill a bit of fear, however change can also be a time for celebration. It can be a time of letting go of the past and provides the opportunity to be open to new possibilities. Luckily for me, I am already embracing the change in hairstyle. I am enjoying these ease of styling and the lack of weight.

That being said, I am very thankful for thick hair to be able to have a choice whether to grow it long or have it cut and styled shorter. I am very well aware that some people, unfortunately, don't have that choice. Change that is out of our control can be especially distressing. Change unlocks so many emotions...

I've implemented some change in my line of mixed media jewellery and I am quite liking this change. Previously, I have adhered my mixed media art to buttons to create pendants and earrings. Due to a bit of inspiration when crafting with my sister-in-law, I decided to try framing small pieces of mixed media art in silver plated casings. To protect it, a glass dome is adhered on the front. This is the result...

Each of these pendants feature either a butterfly or small heart. I thought that the silver plated casing and glass dome not only add a bit of elegance, but will make them more robust. Each pendant comes with a ball chain. To see what is available in store, click here.

I would love to know what you think or which one is your favourite.

~Jen.

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!

Red, Blue and White

Things have been a bit quiet on the technology front as I have entertained my parents for a week. It was sad to say goodbye to them, but then something exciting was going to happen.

 I travelled to the big city to pick up Mr T from the airport. It is great to have him home. He was in Cambodia for a fortnight, helping out with an organisation that provides support to those who do it tough in this country. It has been great to hear about his experience, the culture and the interesting places that he visited. Red, blue and white are the colours that are on the flag of Cambodia. This week I chose some hand crafted goodies from the new madeit.com.au website that share the same colour combination...

Headband by 'Little Angel Card Creations'

I thought that the flower on this headband looks dainty and sweet. I love the alternating red, white and blue layers and the pearl embellishment in the middle. Gorgeous!

Pinafore by 'Pebbles Children's Clothing'

I love this cute, little dress! I love the floral lining, buttons and the stunning flower applique. I love the retro feel that this item has. So sweet!

Boat picture by 'Red Loves Green'

What a lovely piece to have in a boy's bedroom or on a wall in a cottage by the sea! I love the wash type of background and the cute, but detailed sailing boats and bunting. Lovely!

I hope that this provides you with some inspiration!

Wonderful Wednesday - Black and White

I have a confession to make...

...I am a bit of a motor racing fan. Growing up in a car and mechanical orientated family, a bit of car racing enthusiasm had to rub off on me.

Previously, it was great to have the racing on the TV, burbling in the background and occasionally catching up on the results. However, as my brother now works in a racing team, I am now a very keen in follower of his team, right down to their successes (or problems) during practices and qualifying. It is very fascinating and I know I am hooked!

Last weekend, Melbourne hosted the Australian Grand Prix and I had my eyes on the results and happenings of some of the races. A black and white, chequered flag heralds in the winner, therefore my inspiration for the week is 'Black & White'...

Personalised Wedding Card by 'Little Angel Creations'

What a beautiful card! I love cards consisting of two colours as it looks 'clean'. I also love the beautiful accents - the bling flower and the ribbon.

Coin Purse by 'Retrofied'

I love the shape of this coin purse, but most of all I love the pattern of the fabric. Looking at the dots too much make my eyes go funny. Such a groovy pattern!

Necklace by 'Velvey and Me'

How classy! I love the mix of black fabric and bow with the dual strings of white pearls. This necklace would jazz up a black and white outfit. Lovely!

I hope that this provides you with a bit of inspiration!

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 :)

Wonderful Wednesday - Red & White Inspiration

It is a big weekend in Australia, this coming weekend...

It is the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final. I must admit, I am a sports fan and I am looking forward to this event. This is not purely because of the excitement and hype that a game like this brings, but also because Mr T and I are driving to a special Grand Final party and catching up with family. I can't wait!

The teams in this year's Grand Final are Hawthorn Hawks and Sydney Swans. I personally would like to see the 'Swans' win the gold cup (not purely Mr T's persuasion). I can't help but look at the colour combinations of the uniforms. The 'Hawks' have a retro combination with gold yellow and brown, whereas the 'Swans' are red and white. Since I am 'cheering on the red and the white' this Saturday, this colour combination provides me with inspiration this week...

Necklace by '2 Favourite Girls'

I love this beaded necklace! I love the choice of round shell beads that are interspersed by smaller red beads. Very effective in this dual wrap, however, it would still look stunning as a single, long necklace. It would make a stylish accessory.

Cushion Cover by 'Little bit me'

I love the way that the red and white fabrics border this printed image. 'Little bit me' hand print their images. Clever and practical. Would look lovely on a sofa or on a bed, to brighten the room.

Baby Shoes by 'Buster Boo'

Aren't these so sweet! I love the white rain drops on the red background and the button closure. They look soft, and comfortable. They would make a lovely gift for a new baby.

Dog Collar by 'The Crafty Possum'

I love the paw print band on this collar! It would make a stylish and sturdy accessory for your pooch. My little dog has a collar from 'The Crafty Possum' and it is sturdy, looks good and is also easy to unclip for grooming purposes.

I hope that these items provide you with some inspiration!

Monday in the making

I have been busy making up some extra stock for markets during the past week, predominantly tutus.

Here is my latest...white...

Made with soft white tulle and embellished with a white satin ribbon.

I have a couple of orders to fulfil and I also want to experiment with my new 'Tupsy Tees' idea. This will keep me busy this week. If only there were more hours in the day to craft!

Monday in the making

It was great to have to extra time to spend on creating...

Whilst away, I finished stitching some dolls together, made a small selection of tutus and finished off my 'Black & White' selection of headbands. It was also great creating with someone else, chatting and crafting. It's always interesting to find out what others do, and to learn a few hints along the way.

As mentioned in my last post, I made up a tutu especially for my niece to check for size and look. I am pleased to say that she liked it and everyone in the room thought it also looked sweet. As we were surrounded by River Red Gums on our holiday, it made a perfect setting for a photo shoot with my niece in her tutu. I was then inspired to make a selection whilst away and add it to the Tupsy Turvy product range. As you can see, they make cute photo props and they are also perfect for imaginative play.

I finally finished off my latest headband selection. I aim to release it on my Facebook page tomorrow, however, here is a sneak peak...

Currently, I am working on the clothes for my latest doll set and I have been inspired to make another item. I visited the craft shop today to purchase supplies to give it a go (I also bought more tulle for more tutus).

I have also had fun taking photos, downloading photos and editing them over the past week. A big thanks to Mr T for introducing me to a new photo editing program.

Love it!

Monday in the making

As mentioned, I've been busy making headbands. This is my 'Pink, White and Purple' selection.

Funky purple patterned headband

 Purple and black headband

 White tulle headband

 White satin headband

 Soft rose pink headband

 Satin pale pink headband

Some of these headbands are embellished with buttons, some have diamantes added to them. Four of these headbands are sold already, but I can make more as I have more of the same fabric. They will be one of a kind as the embellishments won't be exactly the same. I've enjoyed making this selection so much that I plan to release selections of headbands regularly.

What colour would you like to see?