Blowing Off The Cobwebs

Yes, it has been a while. I just can't seem to get into a regular pattern with my blogging and before I know it once again months have gone by.
I have been thoroughly enjoying my SFI app on my iPad and love how I can pick it up and read it wherever I am . It has some great quick dinner ideas and is fantastic for a busy mum like myself who realises at 2.30 in the afternoon while sitting at work "goodness, what am I going to do for dinner tonight?". Speaking about my iPad, I have realised that it has become one of those gadgets that I can't get by without, it is sooo useful. I took it away with me to craft camp last weekend and had loaded my craft project instructions onto it as well as all my scraplifts for card making. The only downside was that when I got there I realised that it only had 20% battery time left and I had forgotten to pack my charger. Fortunately, I found someone who had an iPhone and had brought there charger with them and they were happy to lend it to me so it could charge overnight. My iPad was then happy for the rest of the weekend with constant use. You've got to love how Apple have made there devices with the ability to share chargers, it sure helped me out of a sticky situation.
Yes, once again Craft Camp has come and gone. I managed to have quite a productive weekend.
I made these accordion style card holders....

(tutorial found here).

This lovely Stationery Box including A6 size cards, note cards, gift tags and sticky note holder......

(tutorial found here).

Matching birthday card.......

and two other birthday cards........

I did actually have a list of birthday cards to make but ran out of time (and appropriate paper).

Lastly I made these gorgeous little booties for my sister who is expecting her first baby in August.

The pattern for these is called "Newborn Baby Converse Booties"and was found on Ravelry. I couldn't believe how quick they were to make and will probably make a couple more pairs in a bit bigger size for him as he grows. The black back stitching actually looks a lot straighter in real life.

Next time I post I should have finished the "Wooleater" blanket and will show a photo. I really do enjoy crochet and have been teaching the "Wooleater" blanket at my Friday Craft group and I think the ladies have been having a lot of fun learning how to make it. It really is a challenging pattern to do, especially for those who have not done crochet before or not picked up a hook in a while.
I am now in the process of deciding on the next crochet project and am leaning towards either this pattern or this pattern. I am going to purchase some "Red Heart Supersaver" yarn by Coats & Clark as I love the vibrant colours and it is real value as the balls are 200g. Where do you purchase your yarn from? I have found it quite difficult to get yarn at an affordable price in a large range of colours. The best place I have found so far is Yarn Over (formerly American Yarns).

Until next time :o)

The Shop is now Stocked

Have just finished adding the rest of my items to my Made It store.

(these are just a few of the items in my store)

Please come and check them out. If there is something there that you would like in a different colour/style, just contact me and let me know, as I will make to order.

until next time :o)

The Newest Hooky Project

I am currently turning this.......

into this.........

it is call the "Wooleater Blanket" and I found it through Thornberry's blog. I decided to do mine using the colours of the rainbow and white in between. I have already done one round of each colour and now am about to repeat them but I am going to do double rounds from now which I think gives more of a scallop look. Not sure yet how big it will be, will just have to wait and see or until I get sick of it.

I also had fun a couple of weeks ago making up some of these "Box Pouches".....

the tutorial came from here and I found it very simple and easy to follow, especially the part where you insert the zip. If I make some more (which I am planning to do some time soon) I think I would make them just a bit longer so that they can be used as pencil cases. They are currently just a tad short to fit a normal sized pen/pencil into.

I am currently thinking of opening up a shop on madeit.com.au and putting some of my other crafty items in there. I am just a little scared to take that first plunge as I am worried that no one would want to buy my stuff. Guess I won't know until I try it. Will post on here when it finally happens.

Until next time :o)

Happy New Year - 2011

A new year has begun and after having an extended break from blogging I feel refreshed and ready to get going once again with a fresh new look.

Well what have I been up to in the last 6 months?

I finished up the Ripple Blanket a few months ago. I decided that it was big enough for now and if I want to make it any bigger at a later date, I can just add more rows.

Just before Christmas I won a full fat quarter set of the "Sweet Broderie" fabrics from the lovely Rosalie Quinlan.

(source)

That is 35 delicious fat quarters. I am thinking that I would love to make a quilt with them but am not quite sure yet.

My lovely sister-in-law gave me this pack of assorted buttons for Christmas and they go perfectly with the fabric.

I have also been having fun making a variety of cards and scrapping notebook covers.

I sold these at our Craft stall at Carols Alive. Will definitely be doing more of these in the future as they are lots of fun.

Well until next time

Creative Spaces

Well, Craft camp was a success as I managed to finish not one but two projects.

The first being the Cinderberry Stitches "Paris Collection" bag....

And the second, turning this.....

into "Kirsty's Granny Shrug". I never liked the first cardigan that I made so frogged it and made this instead. This shrug was so quick and quite simple, even if I did end up having to do it 1 1/2 times. Some things that I would probably do next time is use a drapier (is that even a word) yarn as I used two strands of 8ply Carnival Acrylic which I feel has come out a little stiff. I would also like to apologise for the photo quality.

Well that's it for this week. To see more creativity, visit Creative Spaces at Kirsty's place.

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My Creative Space - Again

It seems that this is all I am blogging about lately, but at least it keeps me up to date and on track. Although it only seems like yesterday that I last blogged.

I have made more progress on this....

the colours are much more vibrant in real life. It is now at a size where it actually is starting to keep me warm as I am working on it.

I also managed to pick these fabrics out of my stash....

for the "Paris Collection" bag. I am hoping to have them cut out for next week. I am waiting on some Hanky Linen that I ordered from here so that I can do the stitchery part.

Maybe next week I will have something else to share. We will have to wait and see.

You can see some more creativeness over here.

Until next time....

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Creative Spaces

I have been busy on the crafting front of late.

And this is what my Creative space looked like the other day. I loved the way it looked so had to take a photo.

I have finally finished sewing up my samples for the craft camp that is coming up in May and have finally posted them on the blog.

I decided to do a Sewing accessories set that can be made over a weekend, and this is how it turned out.

As you can see I actually made two of everything with different contrasting fabrics so that there will be a choice of either pink or blue.

I am very excited about the whole thing and eager to see what kind of response I get.

Also in the middle of all of this I joined the "On the Edge - Pillowcase Crochet Along" and ended up with this

I love the colours and the textured edge. This will be coming along with me to craft camp in May with my Hexagon blanket.

I am looking forward to seeing what the next little while brings craft wise, and I wonder what will be posted here next. Maybe now I may have some time to play with that new toy that I posted about last time.

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Spring has Sprung.

Spring is finally here and this is what has started blooming in my garden......

I just love the look of bright pink and yellow roses. They are sitting on my table next to my laptop so that I can gaze on them often.

It seems this has now become a once a month blog, but at least it is better than nothing. I just can't comprehend how fast the weeks go by and before I know it another month is gone.

What have I been up to this month? Well I finished this bag.....

and started this one.....

I found this pattern in the October Better Homes and Gardens magazine and just loved it on site. Fortunately I even had all the right coloured wool so didn't need to buy any more. The whole thing is done in single crochet (or double if you use USA terms). I am thinking of lining it with one of these......

I am still continuing with this....

As you can see I only have one more block to do but it seems to be the one that is taking the longest. I think I have just gotten bored with it but will not start the next stitchery of the month project until it is finished.

I am on holidays for a week so am hoping to do some extra projects as I am planning to make some items to sell at Craft Camp which is coming up in only 4 weeks time. I think a list is in order so that I can keep on track as at the moment my brain seems to be all over the place and am finding it hard to stay focused on one thing at a time. I am also trying to come up with some new things to sell that craft ladies would want to buy.

Will blog again soon or maybe in another month. See you then.

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Hello There!! Missed Me??

Well it has been a while, a whole month in fact since my last post. I know I say this every time, but where has the month gone? And I was informed last night that there is now less than 100 days till Christmas. Christmas! Already!! We are heading into the last week of school for term 3 and gearing up for the last and most hectic term of the year, the one that goes the fastest (if that is possible). I am totally behind in my Stitchery of the Month as this one arrived a couple of weeks ago...

I'm not so sure about this one. It is definitely more country and not necessarily my style. It may end up being a gift for someone special who's birthday is coming up soon.

I have been busy crocheting another bag which is going to fulfill one of my PIF promises I am thinking of doing another one for my other PIF as well but in colours I know that she likes the best. This patterns is really great for using up those left over balls that aren't quite big enough for a project on their own. Just a few more rows to go and some handles.

Craft camp is coming up again at the end of next month and I posted my form off today. Am totally looking forward to a whole weekend dedicated to crafting and hopefully will come home with something to show for it.

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Cosy & Warm

Even though I am a through and through coffee lover, I don't mind a pot of tea every now and then either. I found this cute Maxwell Williams Teapot at Myer during their stocktake sale for only $4. Well, I couldn't pass up a bargain like that and considering I didn't already have a teapot this size I had to bring it home with me.

Well it made a lovely pot of tea but I found that it needed a cosy. It is a 2 cup pot and by the time I was ready for the second cup, the tea had gone a little on the coolish side.
So.... here is what I whipped up, thanks to my new book "200 Crochet Blocks". I altered the pattern slightly to make a couple of Bobble Blocks into a tea cosy. I just love the way it turned out and it now keeps my teapot cosy and warm.

This also arrived in my letterbox yesterday..........

yes, the next stitchery of the month. Boy these do come around rather quickly and I hate to say it but I am still on last months stitchery so can see me once again getting behind. There just is not enough hours in the day to do everything that has to be done and what I want to get done. Any way I will just keep plodding along and I am sure that they will get done eventually. This month is a mug and spoon bag, very cute indeed.

8o)