Lyla

A friend M, came over for a doll making day and Lyla was my creation, had a great day, swapping fabrics drinking coffee and sharing ideas.

 Here are the girls altogether, Bella, Daisy and Lyla.

Hope you have a nice day!

Self Portrait

Have been dabbling in a bit of paint lately - wanting to step outside of my box and try something new, so for a few weeks I have been just doodling paint onto a canvas. Painting over the top of it, then painting new doodlings. Then one day in a moment of a completely empty house I splashed the black paint across the top of everything and went to town on a self portrait. I love abstract art and have always wished I was clever enough to actually paint an abstract - so this is mine. 

This is me. 

 I used only 3 colors and my fingers to paint with. It means a lot to me and I was quite surprised with how happy I am with the results. I had intended to do some more on it when it dried the next day, not quite happy with a few things, but when my husband saw it he told me not to touch it anymore and said it was great just like it is.  

 A bit dark and gloomy, I know, but it really is how I was feeling and I felt great after doing it. A bit of stress relief I think!!

Milli 

the strawberry milkshake cow

This is from an early design I used to use only the head and hooves.......

I had tried to make her into a full doll before but it hadn't quite worked out - and then at about 1 am in the morning whilst trying to get to sleep - Milli popped into my head, so the next day I set about making her. I have plans to do a vanilla and choccy cow as well. And maybe some little poddy calves to go with them!?!

I'm quite happy with her, except her tail needs a bit of work and maybe a few more embellishments too! 

Have an udderly crafty day!!!

Daisy comes to town!

My new lil dolli - she's bellas' cousin. And again Hayley says I can't sell her  - 'mum...... she's tooo cute'! I don't think Hayley's ever going to let me part with any of the girls!! But I guess since dolls are my fav craft - I should have a few around the house!

'Dolls, dolls, they’re everywhere,

They’re on the counter,

They’re in the chair.'

 Bella!

Here is my latest lil gal - her name is bella - she's just the cutest lil gal yet! I still have a few things to finish off and add to her - but couldn't resist sharing her.

All made with my new Singer sewing machine - as the Janome has taken a sabbatical until further notice!

'I once had a sweet little doll, dears, The prettiest doll in the world.'

Charles Kingsley

This week at Jody Pearl's Reinventing Fashion by DEconstructing it.

JaM this week is Books.

What books have you found which

stimulate, excite, motivate & generally take up your leisure time - 

in a constructive way.

http://re-inventingfashion.blogspot.com.au/

I haven't actually read a book in a while but have been indulging in my all time favourite magazines which give me endless supply of country charm and inspiration - and dreams of one day having a house fit for the likes of the pages inside the wonderful cover that is 'Country Sampler'. I have been collecting these mags for over 6 yrs now I think!?!  

 And can't go past a Cloth Paper Scissors for some more wild and artistic inspiration too.

Have a nice day!

Bracelets

I'd been up late one night stuck on Pinterest ( I'm sure a few of you are familiar with this scenario) and saw a braided bracelet, forgot to save the link for it so when I googled this one is the one that came up

http://mmscrapshoppe.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/eclectic-braided-bracelet.html

But I love love love it so much - I had to make one. But being the thrifty girl I am was determined not to buy any thing for it and just use my stash of goodies

The pearls - that were sourced at an op shop were obviously not up to the task and snapped when I was nearly finished the braid - I was a bit short of time at the time so have still to unwrap - restring the pearls and rebraid  -  I will finish this but wanted to share with you, I thought it was looking great, especially the piece of denim bit I got out of my bin.

Yours craftly

I Thought I might join in this week with.....

Jody Pearl's - JaM this week is all about you  -

see what 10 things you can bring yourself to share with the rest of us.

http://re-inventingfashion.blogspot.com.au/

1. Being new to blogging, I am quite nervous every time I post something and really don't understand much about how I even created the blog - so any advice or info is welcome.

2. I am obsessed with OP shops, second hand shops and antique shops, craft shops, markets, car boot sales, well maybe even all shops - even though if you asked me if I liked to shop, I'd tell you no!

3. Slightly obsessed with exclamation marks!!!! but if I talked to you I certainly don't sound that excited, least I don't think so anyways.......

4. Always feel a bit ripped off when its the end of the day and I can no longer keep my eyes open - never enough hours in the day!

5. Love love love my morning coffee - I have a special blend of half jarrah cheeky cino and half bavarian jarrah - makes the most yummy hazelnut cappacino.

6. I don't wear skirts or dresses unless its someones wedding and I'm in the bridal party.

7. I'm a gemini and I think I use it as my goto a little too often!!

8.  I hate following instructions and recipes, there always needs to be room for imagination.

9. I did love school and I had a fantastic childhood.

10. I talk way too much.

Pumpkins

Trialing some new types of pumpkins - much quicker and easier to make than my normal pumpkins, but I don't think they are as great looking as my normal. But am going for a shabby chicer style pumpkin - thanks Chris for your inspiration - I'll keep working on them and I'll keep you posted on their progress - oh the pumpkins in the real garden are doing well too - no piccys of them though!!

Picked up this change table on the local buy swap sell page, after some initial confusion over no we're not having another baby and no we didn't buy it for someone who's having a baby - it's to beome my new art trolley - the lady said OH! really maybe I should be keeping for myself - poor thing now she's going to have to go and find herself a change table to convert for herself!

 Needless to say it's blood y perfect for an art caddy

A few little beauties I found at the antiques store up the road

A few lil fellas from the op shop

A look at my space today, as is, not sure how I ever actually achieve anything, and no wonder I'm always starting new things without finishing the last - way too much inspiration screaming in my face all day and the more stuff I pull out the worse it gets. It's a very viscous cycle!!! 

A small amount of order to my world

Sew....... what shall I go and do??? to paint or sew??  I really think my poor dolls above in pic need clothes- the weather is cooling down rather quickly - I had my scarf on for nearly the whole day today, and the girls need something to keep them warm. But I also have a big order for golliwog dolls and bunting for the shop.... maybe I'll have a cuppa, flick through some blogs and think twice about my next mission.
Till then.........Happy crafting  xoxo

So glad I decided to stop in at the local second hand shop - they are closing down and things were much more affordable.......

I got heaps of these fantastic little bottles and jars - great for shabby chic somethings

One bag full of old sewing nic nacs - including a box full of singer parts which I've been after for some steampunk items, some lovely old books, doilies

These hair curlers have never been opened - have no idea how old they are but they are very cute, made in England

These are from the local cheap shop GoLo - picked them up for $1.50 ea very nice

And while I figured out how to take some old fashioned style photos from my phone - I thought I'd post a pic of my kitchen cupboard - showcasing some of my special and most fav things....

When I woke up this morning my head was full of wonderful inspiring crafty things to do today - somehow I ended up getting roped into setting up sylvanian village! which by the by took about 3 hours all up!!!!  Not that I was complaining (I do love a day in a miniature town)  But when it was 2pm I realised I'd better feed the boys whom I'd neglected all morning.

Finger Knitting

Okay, last weekend when we visited the Andrews in the fabulous Blue Mountains - I attempted to teach my 11 yr old niece how to crochet. But alas I am a shocking teacher!! I think she was getting it - but I kept insisting she look up tutorials on utube - and I kind of make mine up as I go most of the time. So anywho - I had my wool with me. Hayleys jeans kept falling down and she was walking funny around Katoomba to try and keep them from falling around her ankles (poor dear - we forgot her belt) so I grabbed a few strands of wool and showed my niece how to finger knit - thinking it'd be a quicker thing to learn, so I whipped up a wool belt for Hayley.  I know the story is dragging on a bit now but I am getting to it - you know how one thing leads to another and so on......

So when we got home I started to finally use up some of my huge stash of wool to create a funky scarf, 2 balls of wool and about 30 mins later - wallah.....

I haven't done finger knitting since I was a kid - I remember mum showing me.  So glad that it came to mind and I am loving it like crazy and thinking I might make a few more.  

I don't have a mannequin to take flash piccys of my creations - but lucky there's always eager kiddlings around.

"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either."
~Elizabeth Zimmerman

So so so so very excited with my findings from the weekend!!! We made the journey to The Blue Mountains to visit with family there and what do you think I found all along the way?? Craft shops, antique shops, vineyards, cute little villages, shops, cafes and awe inspiring sights everywhere. We had the most fantastic time and can't wait to go again and check out some of the spots we didn't pass through.

 So these two suitcases finish off my stack that I've been collecting for years, though I'm always determined not to pay a lot for them - I had to give in to the cute little one on top, I've never even seen one this small and just had to have it, the other one was a third of the price but completes my set off nicely! Though the 2 big suitcases on the bottom are exactly the same - I'm going to gift one to my sister in-law.

And below I finally got my old iron and the pot warmer. The binoculars and dressmaking hemmer are from second hand shops, both gotten at bargains and worthy of mention!! And the crochet tablecloth you can see also a find from the weekend only $15 for a huge completed tablecloth - has a few marks on it which I'll attempt to remove - also been after one of these for ages. I must have patience after all - it has certainly paid off in the end.

I haven't posted in a while, camera needs batteries, keep forgetting to buy them! I'll get there..... but anyways a few old piccy's

This fantastic hutch we found in an antique store - before...

 After...

Organising some of my larger bits of fabrics

Some of my crates

I was in the middle of making some more bunting for the shop, which I had been putting off doing for like 3 weeks - I kept telling myself I had more interesting things to work on than bunting - so hubby on night shift I commit myself to triangles, and lo and behold not 5 mins into sewing - machine says 'kerthunk, kerthunk, kerthunk...... i tried for ages to fix said problem - so off to the sewing machine hospital it is.  Feeling a bit lost without my right arm, I finally got to work on some felties?? not sure if term is correct or softies??
Oh by the by I just pinched some batteries for my camera out of the kids game thingys - shhhhh   :D

just some practising

oops lil froggy snuck in, last project made on machine, new prototype

A journal cover with the same lil birdie design, it's from some scrapbooking supplies I have from DCVW

he's soooo cute

Okay so enough pics for today - I think it makes up for so long no postie!!

Feeling a bit naughty - have been neglecting my garden, but with the drizzly cold weather last week it was so hard to make myself get out there! I'm still climatizing. But the garden has loved the rain and is thriving. We didn't go for too much variety as we only got here in October.

  Eggplants galore - I had actually bought 2 Lebanese purple eggplant seedlings, but one turned out to be a white eggplant, am looking for a chutney recipe or someway to use up the glut of them if anyone has any on hand!?!

 My beautiful tomatoes - so yum.

The corn did super well - it wasn't as sweet as I'd thought it would be, but dad told me to use some potash on them when they started to flower - and I just never got around to applying it. But next year I will make sure that I do. I even bought it - I have good intentions - honestly.......   :) but it was so yum to have homegrown corn, picked, husked and cooked straight away - not to mention a raw cob to chew on while I was picking!!

 

  Plenty of cherry tomatoes that popped up everywhere once we started watering and feeding the garden bed. Found a fantastic way to use them up to - I made a spag sauce with them but roasted them in the oven with herbs and balsamic vinegar, olive oil etc - very nice, I made spag and meatballs, even Hayley said it was good (which means a lot coming from the bird eater herself!!!)

The cherry tomatoes run wild and take over this whole garden bed - I'm not going to argue with them.

 And so proud of my olives, never even seen them on a tree before, there's only a few but I cherish them soooo much, will have to do a bit of research on olive growing and hopefully next time I'll get enough to actually do something with them.

I bought some citrus trees and have potted them up, I hope they go okay.