Wordless Wednesday

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To Market To Market

One market down and one to go! This weekend I had a stall at the Ashby Primary School Market Day. This one is a bit special for me, as it's my children's school and not only did I have a stall, but I was one of the organisers:)

The market included indoor and outdoor stalls featuring handmade, vintage and eco-friendly goods, food, activities and the student art show. We were blessed with fabulous weather and it seems by all accounts (stall holders and patrons) it was a wonderful day.

The school didn't do to bad either, we raised about $1,000 more than last year despite shortening the event by an hour. The proceeds will help support the school's music and visual arts programs, both of which are fantastic. We are a lucky little school!

Despite having another market in two weeks (Piccadilly's Market, Sunday November 25th, Geelong Waterfront) I feel I can take a bit of a breather - only some stock to finish up. No worrying about volunteers, flyers, supplies etc....hooray! Cyndy Pin It

Day 30 and 31 Blogtoberfest - Wordless Wednesday (and Tuesday)

 

 

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Day 23 and 24 Blogtoberfest - Wordless Wednesday (and Tuesday:)

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Day 17 Blogtoberfest - Wordless Wednesday

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Day 11 Blogtoberfest - My Creative Space

Have you ever been afraid to make something? I have. I have embroidered many Australian native flowers, but for some reason I have been intimidated by the idea of embroidering a waratah. I am not sure why. Maybe because its big? Maybe because it has lots of texture? Maybe because it's red?

Honestly, I have no idea why, but I've been scared so I haven't.  And then a funny thing happened, last week some beautiful photographs of real and sketched versions of waratahs showed up in my instagram feed. I knew when I saw them I needed to bite the bullet and try one. So I did:

There are layers of stitches and a lot of them, so its taking me a while. And while not done yet, I can already see some things I would do differently when I make another one.

Yes, I can already tell I will make another one. You see, it turns out it's not as hard as I thought it would be to embroider one:)

Hope your not feeling intimidated or scared to make something in your creative space:) And don't forget to check out My Creative Space for more inspiration. Cyndy Pin It

Day 5 Blogtoberfest - Flannel Flower Pin Cushions in Progress

I love flannel flowers. I love the white and green colour combination and I love the different textures.

When I was playing around with the idea of pin cushions using my wool embroidery of Australian native flowers, it's no surprise that my first one featured a flannel flower. Unfortunately I didn't like how the pin cushion turned out (the round shape didn't work for me), so I kept it for myself and moved onto other flowers.

Since then I have made a number of pin cushions (square in shape, much nicer in my opinion) featuring bottle brush, gum flowers, Geraldton wax flowers and eremaea, but no flannel flowers until now. I made one similar to my very first one and then a different second one.

Same flower, but definitely two different looks. Which one do you like better? Cyndy

PS In case you hadn't noticed I decided to do this crazy thing called Blogtoberfest, an annual blogging festival hosted this year by I Saw You Dancing, where you challenge yourself to blog every day for 31 days.

When I first started blogging I set a goal of 2 posts a week, but since March I have averaged 1 post per week. I thought I needed a bit of a kick in the pants and I have found making public commitments makes me more accountable. And looky see, with this post I am already 1 post more this month than my average:)

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My Creative Space

Still making pin cushions (among other things). I have been trying to vary the Australian native flowers I use, but I do think some look better (and honestly are more recognizable) than others.

Here are two more finished pin cushions (wattle and eremaea) and two more embroidered (swan river daisies and another red bottle brush).

I have two more pinned for sewing (yellow bottle brush and geraldton wax flower)  and two more on the hoop (another wattle and heath). I would also like to do a flannel flower. Phew:)

Hope you are having a productive and creative week. For more inspiration be sure to check out My Creative Space. Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

A new school year is underway in our household. Middle and oldest started school mid last week, and littlest started kinder. I was thinking I would have more time for crafting, but I am still waiting for that to materialise. Littlest phases into her regular kinder schedule over the next couple of weeks, so still not much child free time. And I forgot with school also comes all the children's other activities (swimming, ballet, netball) plus all of my related volunteer work (toy library duty, school council, parent's association).

That's all to say I didn't get too creative this week. I made a wonky pencil case for middle (to her credit, she wanted to keep it even though I wanted to start again), sorted two containers of fabric, did some fabric cutting and started thinking through a new crafty project using a vintage tablecloth with Australian flora on it that has lots of stains (but it's still more of an idea than an actual project). I guess I need to be more patient with the transition to our new school year routine and lower my crafting expectations just a little:)

You can find lots more creative spaces over at Our Creative Spaces this week. Cyndy Pin It

My Place and Yours: Outside

This week's My Place and Yours meme theme at Punky and Me is "outside." My "outside" is currently a little worse for the neglect, so close up photos were the way to go:)

Lots of figs on the tree (but they won't be ready til March)...

Flowers going to seed...

Garden marker made by the kids...

Brick planters...

Table leg...

Privacy screen...

First blooms on flowers planted by littlest.

To play along your self or see more "outsides" make sure to visit this week's My Place and Yours. Cyndy Pin It

My Place and Yours: Green

My initial thought when I saw the theme for this week's My Place and Yours meme at Punky and Me was "I don't have anything green!" And then I walked from room to room with my camera, and you know what? You guessed it, I have a lot of green! Here are some of my favourites:

Part of my vintage tole tray collection (mine are all from the 1940s and 1950s)...

Lily of the valley plate on the wall...

Bedside tables (yes, there are two of them and I LOVE them:)...

Vintage tole crumb catcher (from 1950's) on dresser (painted by me 15 years ago)...

Crayons waiting to be melted...

If you want to play along or see some green at other places you can visit here! Cyndy

PS I am really hoping somebody has a Kermit the frog at their place:) Pin It

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

One of middle's (age 7) favourite colour combos right now is black and white. So for Christmas I decided to make her a skirt using black and white fabric that I had in my stash. The problem was, I wasn't liking any of the combinations (I needed three different fabrics for this particular skirt). In the end I decided to use two black and white prints (both with some sort of circle pattern) and plain old white as the third, thinking I would come up with "something to do on the white fabric that would fit later.

Well, we finally came up with that "something": button embroidered flowers! It's simple and fits in with the circle theme. We are doing two on each of the white fabric panels. Only one more flower to go, then the hem and it will be all done!

Sometimes you just have to wait for the right idea to come along to finish something:) Cyndy Pin It

Op Shop Finds

In doing my good deed yesterday (dropping off unneeded clothes at the op shop) I couldn't help but take a peek to see if anyone elses unneeded items were needed by me! Of course I found a few I couldn't resist:)

The first was this "Mary, Mary quite contrary" mug. I love nursery rhymes, especially the ones with "Mary" in them. I have some nursery rhyme prints on the wall in the girls room, so I am thinking I will use this in their room - somehow.

The second was this beautiful flower plate. I have written about and shared my love of flowers elsewhere including here and  here, and I have shared many of my flower related crafts like here but that's just the tip of my flower obsession iceberg. My bedroom walls are covered in all sorts of flowers from framed prints to painted trays to framed embroidery to yes, plates:) The plate is melmac, but the colours (in my opinion) are stunning. I have just the place in mind for it on my wall:)

And case you are wondering, despite these finds, I did manage to get rid of more than I found:) Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

This past Saturday was my first market! The market itself was a piece of cake, the five hours went by quite quickly. It was the weeks leading up to the market that were a bit of a challenge. You see, the market wasn't just any market, it was a fundraising event (along with a student art show) at my children's school and I was also part of the committee that helped put on the overall event. Add to that my home commitments and a few other things, like organizing teacher appreciation activities at the school the week before, with trying to get stock together for my own stall and it was a bit overwhelming at the end.

That said, I am glad I had a stall. I got some lovely feedback about my handmade items and learned alot about what it takes to organize a stall. And it looks like I will be able to put what I learned to good use as I will be doing another market in a couple of weeks:)

So you would think with all the craziness leading up to my first market that I might take a bit of a break this week from making, but I didn't. A friend had some relatives visiting from overseas and wanted to give them a few of my items. Problem was two of them were still in progress (some more of my wool embroidery this time as hoop art) so I had to finish them. I pleased to say I delivered them yesterday and they loved them:)

After finishing these and seeing them all together, I am a little sad to see them go, 'cause I love them too. Looks like I will need to make some more for my own walls!

Hope you are taking a bit of a breather this week if you need it in your creative space. For more lovely spaces you can visit here. Cyndy

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My Creative Space - Bunting Swap

My bunting for the bunting swap hosted by Squiggly Rainbow is finally on its way here and overseas! With all my focus on market preparation I am sorry to say this project got away from me, but I managed to finally finish it earlier this week. So if you are still waiting to get one it could be from me - mea culpa:)

For some reason this project was way harder than it should have been. No, not sewing the bunting, but coming up with the actual bunting design. I knew I wanted to share a little Australiana, but what?

And then the wattle tree across the street inspired me. I have some lovely wattle cotton fabric that has just been waiting to be used. I initially toyed with the idea of embellishing each bunting with wattle embroidery, but it became clear that would require a little more time than I had at my disposal. Instead, I went with pairing the fabric with two of my all time favs gingham and ric rack.

So here they all are before I sent them out. Simple, but I like them. I even made one for myself, as I am planning to make a bunting from all the ones I get in the swap. Not very original I know, but fun to have all that handmade love from so many people in one place:)

Here's hoping you are not as far behind in your creative space as I am in mine! For more lovely spaces you can visit here. Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

Earlier this year I participated in the Hottie Challenge hosted by Cam at CurlyPops. The challenge was to make a hot water bottle cover to help raise funds for Margaret Pratt Foundation (Research for heart and Lung Transplants). I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to make for my cover - I could see it in my head. Unfortunately, at the time I couldn't find the material (kind and colour) that I could see in my head, so I had to come up with an alternative (don't worry I still love what I did, you can see it here:).

Fast forward to this past weekend. The children and I stopped at one of our regular op shops and guess what I found? The material (kind and colour) that I had seen in my head when I had envisioned my hot water bottle cover, so of course I bought it!

I think this grey colour is the perfect back drop for my wool embroidery. I love using wool embroidery to depict native flowers. I don't really need to make a hot water bottle cover, so I decided to make a pin cushion. I started with a flannel flower. I love how the flower turned out, not so happy about the placement on the material, which I unfortunately cut too small, so not much room for adjustment. I might have to come up with another use for this one (plus, think I need to take the words off, just did that to fill the space, but not happy with it).

I've started a second one, this time giving myself a little more wiggle room:) I am embroidering one of my all time favorites a red bottle brush. The tree by our fence is in full bloom right now and it's so vibrant. I also want to do one in hot pink. There is a hot pink bottle brush tree up the block in bloom that is gorgeous, I just need to get the right colour of wool.

So remember, good things come to those who wait:) Hope you are getting lots done in your creative space this week. To see more lovely creative spaces you can visit here. Cyndy Pin It

Visions of Spring

The first week of September was fabulous here, warmer than normal weather. The lavender in the front garden looked beautiful, so I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. I thought I would share them today in hopes of conjuring up a little bit of that nice warm spring weather:) Can you feel the warmth? Cyndy

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My Creative Space

This has been a hectic week. Lots of extra things happening amongst the regular schedule and lots of unneeded drama from the children. Oldest daughter decided she didn't like how her book character costume was going so after much moaning and groaning (can also read tantrum) finally got her to agree on a new costume last night - Nancy Drew. We already have everything we need except knee socks:) Will need to get those tonight - not even sure if you can get them anymore! My son waited until the last minute to complete his model for the junior school dinosaur exhibit and admist it all the youngest decided late yesterday was the time to get gastro.

The control freak in me isn't doing well with it all:)

I did manage to finally send out my items for the Snail Mail Swap hosted by Seaweed and Raine. Above is a little peek at one of the items I made to send (it's a pin cushion) - will do a full post this weekend on everything I sent:)

Hope you are getting lots done in your creative space this week! For more spaces you can visit here. Cyndy


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My Creative Space

This week things haven't quite gone to plan. Sick children, wonky Internet, and other commitments have meant my new shop isn't as up and going as I would like it to be. That said, I am proud of my self for meeting my goal of "opening" my Madeit shop on August 1. OK, I could only get one item listed on the day, but I did what I said I would do. I managed to get another one listed last night. What do they say? Slow and steady wins the race? Well, that is the philosophy I am buying in to:)

Thank you to all those who left encouraging comments last week - they really were appreciated! It was comforting to know I wasn't alone in my fears/insecurities. And despite my wonky Internet (apparently I have reached my limit this month so it is sloooow as molasses) I am glad to have taken the leap:)

Since my Internet time has been curtailed, I have had time to play around with an idea which mixes two of my favorite things: doilies and wool embroidery. Above is my first play. It's not done yet, but I am liking the idea.

I hope you are getting lots of things done in your creative space this week! See more creative spaces here. Cyndy Pin It

Op Shop Find

On Saturday my youngest and I went to the op shop after picking up some cat food. It was a last minute decision to stop, but I must have felt the vibe because I found these sweet little fabric coasters featuring hand sewn lily of the valleys. I have a few other items with lily of the valleys on them in my bedroom - I find the combination of white and green so refreshing and just looking at them reminds me of their wonderful scent!

I also managed to pick up some doilies, a bag of children's books, and a Madeline video (for the youngest, of course:). The price tag for the whole lot - only $6! How can you not love that?! Cyndy Pin It