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:)

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

Day 3 Blogtoberfest - Are the school holidays over yet?

We are in the 2nd week of our Term 3 school holidays here, and its about now that I start to lag. I will admit 24 hours a day with three children starts to take its toll and yesterday I hit the wall. A trip to Melbourne with the 3 said children (for business, not pleasure unfortunately) probably contributed. I find driving in Melbourne (as I don't live there) stressful and the closure of the Burnely and Domain tunnels (they go under part of the city) added to my stress.

Even before we were back home I had announced (to the delight of the children) we would be getting takeaway for dinner, as I couldn't even get my head around the idea of cooking.

But today is a new morning and we are off to swimming lessons (intensive swim during the school holidays), we have cookie dough in the refrigerator to bake and oldest needs a new pair of shoes! The weather is also supposed to be glorious in our part of the world, so maybe some work in the backyard is in store.

Only 4 more sleeps left and the children are back at kinder and school. I'm sure come Monday I will be wishing it was still the school holidays:) Cyndy Pin It

Day 2 Blogtoberfest - What's rolling around in my head

Some project ideas I get move easily from vision to reality, while others roll around and around in my head, or take multiple attempts before I am satisfied with the outcome.

I've been playing around recently with two felt food ideas, that still aren't quite where I want them to be. One is pavlova. It was one of the first felt food items I made and sold when I opened my Madeit shop, but I haven't made one since. I like how it turned out, but there is something about the design that doesn't feel quite right to me.

Pavlova (aside from the fruit) has texture and the first version I made ignored this. So I have been playing with ways to create the swirls of the meringue and cream. I have also been playing with the idea of individual pavlovas.

The other is Vegemite on saladas (saladas are saltines or a square cracker if your not Australian:). Saladas are easy shape wise, but they are mottled in colour. I've been experimenting with tea dying and think this might be the answer, but haven't quite achieved the affect I want yet. And then there is the Vegemite. I thought about using "puffy"paint or dimensional paint and spreading it with a real knife. I've also looked at the idea of creating "worms" (for non Australians you put Vegemite (or Vegemite and and butter) between two saladas and press so that "worms" squeeze out of the holes in the saladas). But how to create the "worms?" Yarn or multiple strands of embroidery thread?

OK, I might not have the answers yet for my pavlova or saladas and Vegemite, but don't worry I am not giving up. I just need to let them roll around a little longer in my head and try a few more ideas:) Cyndy Pin It

Day 1 Blogtoberfest - It was meant to be

Over two weeks ago I opened my laptop, pushed the start button and then the thing we all fear happened - NOTHING, NADA, ZIPPO. My heart skipped a beat. I popped the battery pack out and in; unplugged and replugged the cord; tried the cord in another outlet (or two or three); closed the lid and opened it back up; hit the start button again and again and still NOTHING.

I tried not to panic, but at this point I swore a little (OK a lot) and said something to the effect of "why me, what have I done to deserve this?" I then broke into a sweat and thought about the fact that I hadn't backed up my hard drive recently (read I might have lost everything) and swore a little (OK a lot) again.

And so, more than two weeks with no laptop began. Thank goodness I have a smart phone, but in all fairness it's not the same. I came to realize that I rely on my laptop for so much; from little things like links to my favourite websites, to document templates, to auto passwords, to catching up on episodes of TV shows I miss, to checking my email properly.

I can safely say being without my laptop drove me crazy. I can't tell you how many times I thought of something I needed/wanted to do, and would realize I couldn't because I needed/it was on my laptop.

Prior to my laptop breakdown I had been thinking about participating in Blogtoberfest. My blog has been a bit neglected this year and I thought it might be a nice way to challenge myself and get my blogging mojo back, but sans laptop, well that was crazy talk. But lo and behold, I got my laptop back today, October 1st. I decided it was a sign, my participation was meant to be and so Day 1 of Blogtoberfest begins.

Here's hoping I won't have any technical difficulties this month! Cyndy

PS In case you are wondering I backed up my hard drive today:)

Pin It

My Creative Space - New Etsy Store

First a new market stall and now a new shop on Etsy! Yes, sometimes my creative space isn't about the actual act of creating/making, but the behind the scenes activities.

When I made the decision to start selling my handmade items, I knew I needed to start slow. The anal retentive in me also required me to have a plan. And so I created a loose business plan, with loose dates, goals and activities/tasks.

I dipped my toe in the water just over a year ago with my Madeit shop. My goal was to open my shop on August 1, 2011. And I did, with one item in it:). On average I sell a couple of items a month. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I am not the speediest of makers and I only list what is ready to ship.

The next goal in my business plan was to attend 4-5 markets over the year. To date I have done four:) I love connecting personally with customers and hearing feedback on what I make.

The final goal in my business plan was to open an Etsy shop by August 1, 2012. Admittedly, I was a little off goal, but I was finally able to hit the "open shop" button earlier this month (September).

And, fortunate enough to celebrate my first sale within 48 hours!

So, now I am done. No more plan. Ok, that's not completely true, I have two markets in November (which means I will actually have done six this year, one more than my goal:) and the anal retentive in me has been thinking about what is next, I just need to put it on paper!

What's happening in your creative space this week (in front of or behind the scenes?) To see what others are up to be sure to visit My Creative Space. Cyndy Pin It

Making Something New

This weekend I made something new, a potholder. Not an earth shattering craft project by any stretch of the imagination, but I had never made one before. I made them because someone asked me to. A friend who is traveling overseas this week called me Thursday and said "I need something for my Aunt, she has an organic bakery, can you make some pot holders from vintage tea towels with Australiana on them?"

I said "yes" and I did. Now, I don't know about you, but whenever I make something specific for someone I am always a tad nervous about whether they will like it. Fortunately, she did, even deciding to give one of them to her mother in law instead:)

It also got me thinking about how I come up with new ideas of things to make. Clearly being asked is one way. I am not sure I would have come up with pot holders on my own accord. Sometimes I am inspired by things that others have made (online, magazines, at markets), like a skirt. Other times I am inspired by necessity, like headbands and hair ties (for my girls). And still other times I am inspired by the raw materials themselves (fabric, children's books) and think what can I make that will best utilize or showcase the materials, like bunting or cushion covers.

 

Regardless of how I come up with new ideas, one thing is for sure, I have more ideas than I can implement. I don't know about you, but I keep a notebook, where I write down all my ideas, and as I implement them, I fill in the details, like measurements, materials/colours used, costs for me to make etc... Why all the details? That's in case I want to make something more than once. I'm a make by the seat of my pants kinda crafter, so its usually documenting after the fact rather than before:) But documenting none the less.

So, hope you like my newest idea. My friend thinks I should make more of them for markets. I'm not convinced yet, but glad I made them at least once. So what's your newest idea and how did you come up with it? Cyndy Pin It