flea market finds

My enamelware is starting to take over every horizontal surface. I am needing some sort of a dresser/kitchenette buffet arrangement?

These scales I have had for a while, they remind me of cooking with my mum and trying for the life of me to remember how many ozzes in a lb...


but have found the perfect accompaniment or perhaps this is too much ?


I think this could be upended as a side-table or maybe a lid added? Join Sophie to see what else has been discovered and snaffled up this week.

Does anyone in Aus have a history with www.trademe.co.nz? Would like to hear your experiences with shipping to Australia etc (is it a local ebay equiv?)

wrens explained ... and nuts

in case you needed some trivia of the ornithological kind...

I grew up in a house of birds, particularly blue wrens. Mostly ceramic, and often mobile. When I grew up and became an environmental type persona, upon investigation I found that in Australia existed the lovely fairy wren, the superb fairy wren, the splendid fairy wren amongst 12 species. Even though there is the auspicious purple-crowned fairy wren right here in WA, none were described as spectacular... well i think they all are.



So a new header happens today.

Today, we are running across the oval because we need the toilet at home (surely this should induce labour), after collecting some nuts and attempting to making some christmas cheer from this already very cheery specimen: (any attempts at botanical classification?...)

the biggest nuts I have ever seen!


and eating these.

Thanks pod for the recipe - these are called Lemon and Sugar Pancake Muffins - if you are ever looking for a sure thing, try ANY of these recipes from this wonderful blog.


Getting busy making a new scrabble tile bag.

My husband (cough ...and myself) are well known for our 'rule bending'... So we needed something heavy duty, involving double flaps, elastic drawstrings and heavy dark cotton. A bit like getting under an old photography cape... while wearing gumboots. And a condom. With a lock.

my creative space

This week has been about finding a home for my pins..


and fastly, fastly, quickly, quickly getting through the numbers on the advent calendar before I have a baby... So far I am up to 11. This is like an olympic event once Rex goes to sleep at night!



Bit wonk on both sides, but not sooo bad i can't show you! Other advent calendars to covet and inspire here... Anyone know of an index of crafty decorations to make? Ours are in boxes. Somewhere.

These are headed to something special... tbc


Thanks for your lovely comments on the mystery bikini babe featured in prev post - thankfully she is wearing clothes this week as Perth is back to mid 20's from 39 degrees!

Visit Kirsty (who taught me to sortastemstitch, thanks) for this week's lovely stuff all around the vorld. How good is the horsey neigh stool?!

Weekends in Freo..

We went to visit Ronald, had a swim as the shark chopper flew overhead, then toured Mosman Park/Pepp Grove with mouth agAPE!

and have been listening to a fair bit of this. It's amazing how quickly a 3yo gets the air guitar happ-en-ing! This footage from the year I was born.

It has been a musical edumacation for me, as some of the lyrics which I will happily since along to have had to be modified. Thought this song was all about a DUNDERHEAD...

We have been sporting eyebrows from the 'angry scotsman' range:



& I admit to have been tucking into some serious comfort food:


And some food torture:

creative foxy lady

Mostly, have been absent-mindedly creating a small person on my inside, here is the busting-out, compelling, shiny, painful evidence. In a couple of weeks my 'hot-cross' will be v saggy so i am getting it ouuuut there. Oh and its 37degrees.

Besides, have finished a pillow,


a fox is finished and en route to a birthday girl:



and starting an advent calendar from this book by this lady and this one.


This is my box of tricks - ouch! - do you think i might need a pincushion - anyone recommend a little pattern to me?


Only other thing i am creating is a a mount of 'fixit' jobs - these shorts need a re-threading of... can i pls summon some energy?!


Cruise to here if you would like to see more round bikini shots creative spaces...

fleamarket enamel...

My love for enamelware grows and grows.... not this week though... a very dry enamel week or three here!
Here are some of them, collected from all over and USED in our home:




My favourite piece of all is the jelly mould pictured in white in last photo.
Here for other people's super finds...

my creative spaces: chard & fox belly

I am getting excited about building this from here: check in next week for progress.

And asides, we have been having birthdays, decorative chard arrangements and pillow mark II....




Head to Kirsty's for lovely inspiration this week.

flea market find question...help pls?

Seems I have a new-found addiction at the thrift shop - can anyone please tell me what is the name of this type of material, used to make these very nifty old tablecloths?

It has quite a texture to it, you might be able to see in the second snap:





If you go back to my last post, you will see the thrifted Husky that is now in residence on the map table, sharing with the laptop and a cup of tea. Dangerous living here.

This creative envelope: what the h is coming over me!

Not sure if it is hormonal or otherwise but I have a new (old) purchase and what's more, I HAVE USED IT!



It is about my age, and came with nice round knobs and a 'QC check' that was lovely in itself.



My very first (ambitious) project is a prototype for a gift... Started here:

slowly got to here:

whipped into this with the IRON! (another thing i simply don't do):

and then a late night lasters, got me here:

Not so perfect, but not so bad... Don't look inside at the seams (is that what they are called?).

Rex has taken to the camera again. Asked Oaky to smile for a photo, she didn't, so she copped a 'gentle' reminder... 'SMILE PLEASE!'. Is that fear in her eyes?


For creativity that doesn't involve manipulating brown dogs, or very untidy but speedy needlework, try here. Nice to have something to post that is somewhat 'on message'.