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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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

Day18 Blogtoberfest - My Creative Space

This week I have been working on a few of my felt Australian biscuits and cakes. I did a special order of Iced Vo Vo and Hundreds and Thousands biscuits so I need to make some more. I find it easier to make them in batches of about 6 - you sort of get a rhythm going. Both biscuits have a lot of detail stitches (can you say hundreds and thousands of french knots?), but at least they are colourful:)

As I have started each batch, I have made some small changes to the design or the how I am making them. I've decided to try cutting the Iced Vo Vo biscuit shape after sewing on the "jam and icing". In the past, I've done the cutting before.

And I have decided to change the colourway slightly on my Hundreds and Thousands biscuits (thanks IG friends for weighing in, you can follow me here ). I am going with brighter colours than I have been using.

Do you make changes to things you make regularly? Do your designs evolve the more you make them?

I hope things are evolving in your creative space this week:) To see what other have been up to, or for inspiration be sure to visit My Creative Space. Cyndy Pin It

Day 4 Blogtoberfest - My Creative Space

I am one of those people who likes to keep busy, so I always carry a project I can work on in my purse. Although it's the school holidays, the children have had an hour and twenty minutes of swimming lessons each morning, so I have been working on finishing up some felt strawberries and blueberries.

I might have also finished a lamington...

or tim tam or two:)

Hope you are getting lots done in your creative space this week, little or big:) To see what others have been up to be sure to vist My Creative Space. Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

The creative process is an interesting one, and probably different for everyone. As I prepare for an upcoming market I am reminded of my creative strengths and weaknesses. I love creating new things, and I am excited that others will be able to see them soon. I am not so good, however, with the repetitive processes required to create more than one of something.

This week I have been working on more Australian biscuit and cake felt food sets. I have decided to focus on making multiples of one biscuit at a time. That means cutting, embroidering, sewing and stuffing the same biscuit or cake, over and over and over. Not sure this is really working for me. How do you handle repetitive creative tasks?

Hope you are getting lots of things done in your creative space, whether they are one offs or repetitive tasks:) And be sure to visit My Creative Space to see what others have been up to this week. Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space - Jam Drop Biscuit

Have I mentioned I love working with felt (as exemplified by here and here)? Over the weekend I decided to add a new felt biscuit to my collection that Australian home baked favourite, the jam drop. So I made one, then a second, then a third and finally a fourth, but of the miniature kind:)

Yes, I couldn't resist adding it to both my felt play food collection and my growing felt biscuit brooch collection. Do you think there is a way I could wear all four at the same time?

Hope you got a chance to work on something new this week. Be sure to visit My Creative Space for more inspiration. Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space - Iced Vo Vo Brooch

I love getting new ideas. Last Friday littlest and I were having coffee with a friend. My friend noted how she loved my felt food, but how her were children were already too old for them. She then commented on how I should have a "big girl" version.

And with that little comment she got me thinking about my felt food a little differently. How could I take what I do and make it "big girl?" And it hit me, a felt brooch. So Friday night after the kids fell asleep I stayed up late making a "big girl" version of my felt Iced Vo Vo - as a brooch!

Wish all new ideas were so easy and came to fruition so quickly - I hope you are getting lots of new ideas in your creative space:) To be inspired by others  this week be sure to visit My Creative Space  at its new home on Village Voices on Kidspot. Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

Remember those 12 extra child free hours I have been looking forward too? Well, I've found out that's not exactly how it works:)

While it's true the littlest is now in kinder for 12 hours a week I forgot about the to'ing and fro'ing that occurs, how her time overlaps with middle and oldest's school pickup, how I need to do kinder duty, and how I would try and get things done that are easier without any children around like cleaning and groceries.

As a result, while technically I have 12 "child free" hours a week they do not equate to 12 hours for me and my making! Yes, secretly I was thinking I would have more making time. When a I bemoaned my discovery to a friend earlier this week she laughed, smiled and told me she had already discovered this but didn't have the heart to burst my bubble. She thought it would be better for me to learn this on my own:)

I also think I had been hoping/planning to use all this "extra" time to make stock for my first market of the year which is later this month. Now that I have been disabused of that notion, I feel like I am trying to squeeze in a bit of making everywhere I can - even the children's swimming lessons, which of course are now on two different days instead of one.

I have been working on a few new felt food items (yes, I do love my felt food:) I decided to try making teddy bear biscuits. My middle thinks they look like tigers not teddies. Hmmm.

I have also made some pikelets. I think I need to make them a bit smaller though, as they still feel like pancakes (they are ~3 inches in diameter). I also need to put something on top of them, I am thinking strawberry jam and cream?

I hope you are getting lots done in your creative space this week! You can visit Our Creative Spaces for more:) Cyndy Pin It

A Little Moment: Happy Valentine's Day

One of our family traditions/rituals on holidays is making themed frosted sugar cookies. I have an obscene number of cookie cutters, many are general, but I also have them for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, 4th of July (yes we, do American holidays too:) and of course Valentine's Day.

On Sunday middle and I made the cookie dough and yesterday after school each of the children rolled and cut their cookies.

Today after school we are icing and decorating. An edible Valentine:) Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones! Cyndy Pin It

Felt Play Food: Hundreds & Thousands

In one of my more desperate inspired parenting moments this week, I plucked a packet of Hundreds & Thousands off the shelf while shopping with littlest at Aldis. I had forgotten to bring her water bottle and a snack and she was whinging up a storm. I was hoping the promise of a biscuit when we got home would keep her quiet. It didn't:(

My impulse purchase, however, wasn't a total loss. I had been thinking about making a felt version of the biscuit for a while, and now I had the research I needed. And yes, my research did require eating some:)

You will note these are a round version (non Arnotts), there are also square ones (Arnotts). I decided to make the round ones as so many of the other felt biscuits I have made (e.g. iced vo vo, tim tam) are rectangular:) You know, just trying to shake things up a little:)

Next on my list? Tic Tocs - more research though is required:) Cyndy Pin It