2013 Hottie Challenge

The 2013 Hottie Challenge is here! I'm in, are you? The aim of the Challenge is to make a hottie cover (that's a hot water bottle cover for all you non Australians:), which will be exhibited in the gallery space at Open Drawer Art Textiles and Learning Centre in Melbourne from Friday July 5th.

The finished hotties are sold to raise funds for the Margaret Pratt Foundation. The Margaret Pratt Foundation Heart Lung Transplant Trust is a registered charity whose aim is to encourage, develop and maintain Australia’s world class expertise in the field of organ transplantation by supporting research that addresses the problems faced by children and adults after heart and lung transplant.

The Foundation has donated $850,000 to date to promote research into the causes and prevention of chronic lung rejection. The Foundation provides funds for the researchers working at the Alfred Hospital, right here in Melbourne.
 

I participated in the last challenge in 2011. I found out about it from Cam at CurlyPops. It is a cause close to her heart. In 2011 Cam was getting ready to go on the lung transplant waiting list. About two months ago her wait came to an end and she now has a brand new pair of lungs. I can't even imagine how amazing that must be!
 

Cam is again organising a group entry for the challenge . In 2011 63 bloggers participated. She is hoping to surpass that number this year. What could be better than crafting for good? So head over to Cam's blog to learn more about the Challenge and how you can get involved.

 

Meanwhile, I need to come up with a concept for my entry. In 2011 I embroidered Australian native flowers on wool felt. I have one idea rolling around in my head, but I'm still in thinking mode. Be sure to stop back later to see what I come up with:) Cyndy

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One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns

Where has the month of March gone?! Only one week left of term one for the children, and next weekend is Easter, I can hardly believe it!

While Easter conjures up thoughts of rabbits and eggs and chocolate it also means hot cross buns in our part of the world. I like the traditional ones with fruit. The children, of course, love the chocolate ones.

In my quest to make felt food with an Australian twist I decided to give hot cross buns a try. I also used this as a chance to test some new felt (100% wool from the lovely Plushka).

What do you think? Good enough to eat? Cyndy
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I am a butterfly

 

(photograph via here, text added by me)

Life changes; sometimes it’s expected, sometimes it’s a surprise. Six years ago I left my career, my family and friends and moved overseas with my husband and children (expected). I then found myself pregnant with child number three (surprise!). I had planned to look for work after we had settled, but instead I was ready to go on maternity leave, so a stay at home mum I became.

For those who knew me in my previous life this probably seemed totally out of character, and honestly I never imagined that role for myself either. I had worked hard to build a career, a reputation in my chosen field, and came late to the child raising game (oldest was born when I was 35). I never considered the idea of not working, I wanted it all.

But with all the life changes 6 years ago, I did what I never thought I would do and became a stay at home mum.  For the last 6 years, I have been there for every moment of littlest's growth and development and I have thrown myself into my older children life, being there for every expo, school excursion, sporting event, and after school activity. I became that ever slightly annoying parent who did everything at her children's school, taking on volunteer leadership roles (school council and parent's association), coordinating fundraising activities and helping out in the classroom and around the school.

During these 6 years I also rediscovered my love of craft and handmade. It became my new creative outlet and a way for me to explore my fascination with my new home, Australia. Again, probably a surprise for those who knew me in my previous life. I started to blog, I started an online shop or two, became a twitterer, facebooker and instagrammer. Discovered, in fact, a whole new community of people and in many ways friends to share and interact with about my everyday life.

And so I settled into a routine, a day to day life that I was comfortable with. But 6 years on life changes again. In January littlest started prep, so all three children are now at school full time (expected). And I have gotten a job (surprise!). I had always said when littlest started school I would go back to work, but I did imagine a slightly longer transition. For what every reason, that’s not what happened. Last week I went back to the paid workforce, three weeks from seeing the job advertised to actually getting it. And it was a total fluke that I even saw the position advertised. I never look in the job ads, but that day I did and there it was, the perfect transition job for me in my former field of work.

And really I couldn’t ask for anything more, I am working 4 days a week, school hours. I am getting to bring my almost 20 years of experience from overseas to where I live now, and a chance to learn so much more about my field of work and community here. It’s all so perfect that I am a little bit suspicious:)

I am a bit sad about not being able to spend as much time on the children’s school, but I will still try and do what I can (I do have one day a week off:).  I am also not sure what impact working will have on my creative outlet. I am hoping that having more to do will only make me more productive - I guess only time will tell:)

Cyndy (the butterfly)

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A New Needed Prop

If you have stopped by before you probably know I am an avid op shopper. I love finding things I need, like a bathing suit for middle or a casserole dish to replace one I have broken. I also love finding things I don't need, like this lovely tea cup.

Why don't I need it? Well, I don't drink tea. I know, I know, I have never liked tea. I think it's because I associate it with being sick (when I was a child my mum always gave me tea with honey when I was sick). Second of all, it's an orphan. No saucer, no other cups. Just a lonely little cup.

Turns out though, I was wrong about not needing it. I decided to take new picturesof my felt biscuit brooches for my Etsy shop  and the tea cup was the perfect prop, don't you think?:) Cyndy

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My Creative Space

 

I'm feeling a bit discombobulated in my creative space. For the first time in 21 years, I have not worked full time and/or cared full time for at least one of my three children. That's right my youngest started school this year. That means effectively, I have from drop off to pick up each day free (6 hours).

This freedom should be fueling my creativity, but sadly this has not been the case to date. In the past it was amazing what I could do in the hour here or there that I had to myself. But despite working on a few things here and there, I am feeling decidedly unmotivated and without purpose. I know in my head what I need to do, I'm just not doing it.

I figure what I am feeling is par for the course when you experience a big change in focus and routine. Intellectually I know what I should do and could do, but I am missing the will to act on it. Hoping time is all that is needed.

So until then I will just be bumping along.

 

Do you ever feel discombobulated in your creative space? What did you do to get your self going or was it just about time?

For much more inspiration be sure to check out the home of My Creative Space. Cyndy

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On the Flip Side

The front of an item is what we usually see....

but the back may be more interesting....

 

Don't you love a little surprise on the flip side? Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

A couple of weeks ago an item from my Madeit shop was featured in one of the weekly newsletters. Later that day I received an email from a friend asking, "is that you"?!? The exchange ended up with her asking me to make custom gifts for friends overseas who had just had new babies.

She loved my bibs, but wanted a little more, so I shared with her a jingle ball I had made as a personal gift for a friend. And so the baby bib and ball gift set was born (trying saying that three times fast:)

Yesterday I dropped off the finished sets; one using a vintage blue flannel with little koalas and the other using the Melbourne travel icon print (both babies are boys). I love how they came out!

And I love how someone seeing what I do resulted in me making something new. Thinking I might make a few of these sets for the shop, what do you think?

Hope your coming up with new stuff in your creative space. Visit Creative Spaces for more inspiration this week. Cyndy Pin It