my creative space

This week doing some new things. Toy & costume hat.

His name is either Max, Buddy or Dinosaur and since these photos has been doodled upon...




Tried a pattern from this book (love love) in order to make some proper monsters for donation to Small Joys for Japan. Mixed him up a bit with a quilted old belly and all. Can't stop seeing this chevron justabout everywheres. Drop toys into Calico & Ivy before end April for these little ones to wing it across the pacific. Here is my pile o cord for the others... Never quite like doing multiples but am keen motivated this time.




I used pins TWICE this week (this is like a record for me and a 'never do again' type affair... and made a pirate hat. Refusing to pay for a plasticy shop one, I got as far as adding some bling before this one was 'headed'. The requisite skullington is not yet added but may be if it comes off of his skull. Recommend a thicker felt from B&M, as there appears to be some droop.




I have taken lots of process photos if anyone is keen for a tute of sorts.

Oh and I made something else, the spare bed in the spare room, cause my dad is coming to stay!



Turn to this page for more stuff that is more wonderful.

these ordinary days

our very ordinary days are pretty special, pretty ordinary, and I try to enjoy each one. Mundane. Boring sometimes, humourous often. I know I will miss them when they are no longer so simple, but sometimes god are they an effort! Here are a few photos.

Brown:






(photo above, testing stain "Black Japan' on a piece of the old oak chairs... turns out it is more black then brown no surprise there...

and always always animals:




'he's a good crottodile'

My stool...

Got all Finnish-flag inspired on the second spray-job of my new 'helper' stools.


Aside from that, am persisting with the chairs (see last week) and have taken all o yo comments on board. Congrats to Cat on her Nihhonjin win - posted!

To here for more:

i brown owled..

today - it was lovely.

There were ladies, tea, muffins, and allsorts around the table. If you are in Perth and you are a bit keen, lookup these two ladies:

summer, still.

creative space: a little nihhonjin giveaway

Give-away away down below - you have to read all my novel first.

This dining table and chairs has come to our family from Rich's grandparents. The old (OLD!) green vinyl had seen some better days, and I thought I could do a number on it. So I was very very very excited to find something a little more exciting to sit on! This one was a prototype to see how it all went. Aok!
Before:

After:

Step by step went a bit like this:
1. Take screws out of old seat pad, and unassemble it from chair frame.
2. Attempt to remove old vinyl and tacks.


3. Find charming wadding of yesteryear, fight with tacks then proceed to give up and let them stay.
4. Decide to add some modern wadding to make it a little more comfy on the bot
5. Let fly with my new toy - how fun is a staple gun! I was never very good at hospital corners - I do remember learning at brownies.

6. Reassemble seat pad onto seat frame
7. Rejoice!

My dad is coming over to Perth in a fortnight - he is going to help me repair the chair frames (he is a man of dowel and glue and clamps and sheet-metal and araldite!).

My straw poll: Do I recuperate the stained timber for the chairs or do I paint? Please comment - I need an opinion or three to convince me
I was thinking something along these lines: to go with the spotty dots. Or something else? Red?



I have made a little 'thinking of you Japan' prize - this will ALL be yours, if you are the lucky number outta the hat. All you have to do is let me know what I should do to the chair frames... timber/paint...? Hmmm



(this fabric is a piece of antique silk I bought while I was there. One of you crafty whizkids will do it more justice than I can. And warning... this was my first EVER zipper). Drawn on Sunday night. Anyone in our world can enter. Each person's comment is $1 from me to Red Cross for Japan.

Creative Spaces a-plenty at Kootoyoo.

so many tragedies

When the cathedral in Christchurch was lost, it felt a bit personal, having been there on a holiday... Nothing compared to those who live and love people there.

This time, I am horrified. Gobsmacked, distraught, and shocked - so graphic. We visitied Sendai & Matsushima in December 2006 on our honeymoon. The photos of NOW are absolutely UNWORLDLY - here are some photos from then, it was beautiful. I want to remember that. We are thinking of you. Please let the world settle down sometime soon.

Donate money here. Take a trip to Japan sometime. They will need to recover their economy which was already so fragile recently.



port city of Matsushima, 20km north of Sendai - spectacular


birds that now look a bit dark - is this why i took this photo?


Another train & Rich



Everything is a bit special in Japan


My favourite photo. An animal loving nation.

Thoughts and prayers

flea market finds

these two from my latest trawl...

A tablecloth: got to love those puppies

and a pillowcase: handmade from an old sheet, it is a bit torn and has 'ties' on the end, but is so soft and crunchy at the same time. You know what I mean.


Also found myself a box of girls huggies nappies for $3.99 so let it be known my son is wearing pink undies!

i did one!

I committed to doing my first open water swim in 2011. Way back then, 3 months ago, I'd had a Bernie only a few weeks before, and thought it would happen when it warmed up for 2011/2012 summer swim season.

But I did it today!

Here tis the evidence:



Yes you may notice that Cameron Antonio aged 10-14years wooped my ass - but I made the distance, stopped only once to clear the goggs, and ran across the finish line to make it in 16 minutes!

so so so stoked. And looking forward to a couple more before the end of season!

(you may also notice that I was competitor 45 (out of 573) and I came 43rd in my group. I need to avenge this meet with some seriously even numbers, I hate odd!)

sigh

creative space - doodle pouch

have got this idea that 50 flashcards won't be strewn around the house if they have their own very special oilcloth home... sure, a plastic ziplock bag may have made the same impression, but blah blah..

A quick idea via here, and then heads down.


15 minutes later...
this




a cookie monster and all sorts of 'quiet, this is a serious cafe and serious grown-ups drink serious coffee here so shush' may almost be successful.

i am always up for an 'instant-distracto!' My friend Sal, has a 'restaurant box' filled with all those wonderful things that you tend to collect from kids party bags: honkers, clickers, balloons, cars, anything for 5 minutes and a flat white....

Expect to see a few more of these doodle pouches, any improvement ideas for me on the crafting? forget any grandiose ideas of straight lines, i could never walk one, so will never ever sew one to be sure, but anything else appreciated?

and no, I haven't seen the monster doodle. but i wanna.

here for more and more and more

ohhh michael.

he crooned.
we swooned.