ready for sale

I have these guys available in my shop now.

A big thanks to Angela of Three Buttons who said to me a year ago 'you should do squirrels and mushrooms'. Well it's taken a while, but hopefully worth the wait.

I have also decided to retire a few designs as new ones are emerging. So 'botanical/feathers' and 'ladybugs' won't be printed again. Whatever is in the shop now is the last of it. Thanks to everyone who has supported these two designs and made them such a success. I'll be a bit sad to see the end of 'botanical/feathers' as it was my very first design in the shop. But I need to be realistic about how many designs I can juggle at the moment!

talk

These guys are hanging out in my front garden. Maybe excited about going to the Stitches and Craft Show in Melbourne this March.

It's not often you see squirrels in Australia. Maybe never.

dock

My new iPod speaker/dock.

Now I have my new found skills of downloading craft podcasts (craftsanity and craftypod to name a couple) and also some kids shows for the boys. We can all listen at the same time.

But really I think the best thing is to come. Jodie and I get together to do work once a fortnight (sewing, cutting etc). And we get a lot done, but also a lot of talking. We try not to. But we are girls, it's what we do best. So I'm thinking a few podcasts in between the chats might help us be more productive and get inspired too.

the book

Pip over at 'Meet Me at Mikes' has been putting together a book this past year full of crafty goodness. A whole bunch of Aussie crafters were asked to submit designs and patterns that you can make yourself! To preorder (the book will be available in late March) click here. There were 25 contributors, each designing a unique easy to sew project for this book (me included) and I'm really keen to see all the work. A few of the other designers were... Lara, Shannon, Nichola, Alison, Angela, Tiel and Claire. I'm sorry I don't have the full list - you will just have to buy the book!

ta-dah

Definitely felt focused today. And here's the result. An new craft panel that will go to the printer next week.

he's got legs

... and a new smile.

robots

Jodie has been encouraging me to do robots for a while. So with a short amount of kid free time they are forming. I've still got to work on the legs and am not sure which face I like.

12 bunnies

All done. Hurray! Big pats on the back from myself to myself.

daisies

These little flowers are going mad at the moment. I have always had a soft spot for daisies.

quilt

My Aunty Fuzz made this fabulous quilt for Harry. He is a mad St George fan (local football team). I have to say Aunty Fuzz is one of the most generous and thoughtful people I know. She has encouraged and supported my dreams from a very early age. So it's lovely to have a piece of her creativity in my home and I think of her everytime I tuck Harry in at night.

flowers

My parents gave me these gorgeous plants. Hopefully they will sit in the new front garden soon. They remind me of my Nanna. She had them in her front garden when I was little.

backyard

Here's a little part of my enormous backyard. Mowing takes me two sessions. But thanks to my new found discovery of craft podcasts I can listen to interviews with Amy Butler and Anna Maree Horner and it gets done in no time at all. (Well it still takes a few hours, but time seems to go faster).
My neigbours recently told me that the previous owners didn't ever mow the lawn. They used to let the grass grow really long and then bring their 2 horses in to munch it all down again.

garden

Working in the front garden these holidays. Dad has been a legend helping me move all these rocks from the backyard to the front. There is still loads to do, but it's a start!

truth

My workspace... I have thought about showing my area all clean and tidy. But let's be real - that won't happen so quickly. After listening to another crafty podcast on Craftsanity where the blogger chatted about people not being real and only showing the clean snippets of life in their photos and text. Or only sharing the good times and not the bad, I thought it was about time I 'fess up.
While I'm at it there's another thing to say that is not up for discussion. I am a single Mum and have been for over two years now. This has been very painful and still is. Please don't leave comments about this. I'm trying to move on with my life and not dwell on this one.

paperwork

Working away today in my beautiful, tidy studio. HA! No the reality is I don't have a studio or even a proper desk. Creating in this house happens on our kitchen table. Cleared off daily for meals and layed out again with fabrics & printing inbetween. One day I will have a studio and will love every minute. But right here and now, this works for me.

I will attempt to take a photo of the area I work in... just need to do a major tidy up to keep the illusion alive of my totally organised space.

Hop

These bunnies will be hopping down to Cocoon as soon as I finish their other 10 friends. I REALLY want to go to Tasmania this year and visit Suz. Looks like I'll be going to Melb in March, Brisbane in April... maybe May?