Doily Dame!

I just happened to catch The Collectors on the ABC tonight, and there was this amazing story about a lass who uses doilies in her art!   Click here to go the link on the ABC website - she uses doilies in ways I'd never even imagined!

So then I just had to Google her!  Her name is Simone Pfister and click her to visit her website to see her amazing work!

photo credit: Simone Pfister 

Sudsy

I received a gift voucher from a dear friend back in October for my birthday and yes, now it's late February - I've just used it!
The voucher was for an online soap supplies store, it took me so long to use the voucher because there were too many options for me too choose from!
Here is what I finally decided, it is a 3kg mixed supply of melt and pour soap.

Have you ever used melt and pour soap, any hints?

Denim string

So, are you wondering what this pile of scraps is for?

Bet you didn't think I was going to wind them up into a ball!

Nor did you think I was going to use it to decorate a present!

The scraps are the stitching and hems from old jeans that have been cut up, they seemed to good to throw away and when I find my big crochet hook, I'm going to attempt to crochet them into a a rag rug!

Paper cuts

I set myself a new task, a simple task, to cut up simple sheets of paper.  Easy right?  Wrong.
I pulled out my little board cutter, perfect for cutting the paper..... or so I thought.

But no, the cutter is too short for the simple A4 paper (which leads me to the question of why did I buy such a small one to start with!).

So it's back to the good old fashioned mechanical device, you may recognise them from your childhood....... scissors!

Ok, cutting up with scissors will be a breeze.... but wait, did you see how thick the stack is?

Oh and then there is that small fact, I can't cut a straight line to save myself (nor can I sew a straight line but that's getting sidetracked).

These scraps are just from one page of tidying up my wonky lines.... yes, from just one page.
This is going to take some time, some patience and maybe a few bribes to Mr to see if he will help!

A few days later and this small stack is what I have managed to cut up so far.  And no, Mr didn't help - he blamed bad lighting so he couldn't!

And these little springs are what I made from the scraps - which may explain why it's taking me so long to cut the strips (it's much more fun to get distracted!).

Blue Motifs - finished!

I have been busy sewing in the ends of the blue motifs, 

 

and here are the finished motifs - cute aren't they!

Off in the post they go, they are for the winners for the Guess the Gadget post!
I hope they enjoy them along with the last batch of crocheted flowers I posted to them as well!  

On the hook, hooked on the blue motif!

Ok, so I am attempting a new pattern. Yep, a big, gigantic pattern with huge three rows!!! Phew, I wonder if I will make it! 
Well I say that sarcastically because I have already undone it twice!
But here it is, in step form!

 

 

Now, I have no idea what I am going to do with the motifs - I just wanted to try them and now I have and can put them in the "Done, not as hard as I thought, maybe make again" basket!

On the hook....

This is what I have on the hook at the moment, will post more pictures shortly.

In the makings.... finally finished!

Ok, so I finally managed to finish these - don't know why it turned out to be such a big task as they were only little flowers! 

So here are the dinky flowers!

 

 

In the makings... not quite finished yet

Ok, ok, so enough with the lame hints....

This is what I am making....

They're not quite finished yet cos I start them and have to put them down due to the Summer heat!

In the makings....

What do you think I have in the makings?

Here's a hint....

Here's another hint......

Not much of a hint I know,... I'm such a tease!

Blanket ideas

I'm in need of your help......
A friend is having a baby and I want to crochet her a baby blanket as a gift.... but...
are these colours suitable and what size should I make it? 

Hawthorn Mini-Man part two.

This is another little chap I picked up from the Hawthorn Craft Market.

Can you guess what chap does?

Need another clue?

Did you expect this.....he is a tape measure - you can wind the tape in just by turning him around!. Cute huh!!!

Hawthorn Mini Man part one

I picked this little chap up from the Hawthorn Craft Market.

Can you guess what he is/does?

Need another clue?

Did you expect this....he is a needle holder. Cute huh!!!

So, are you jealous? Want one for yourself? Here's the details for the market.

Banner

So, did you notice? 

I've changed my banner from this......

to this.....

The banner was made via a free downloaded program called: Gimp and I've designed it to match a banner that I am creating for my new store (more info on this to come later!).
So tell me, what do you think of it? Is it an improvement?

Wind away

Here is another new toy for me!

It's a wool winder, I love the simplicity of the winder design and the shape of the balls.

But.... after I wound my first ball, I had a slight panic attack! The ball was wound so tight on the winder, I thought it was going to stretch the yarn. 

I want my abs that tight not the wool! So with a disgruntled moan, I pulled it from the winder, and voila... a perfect ball of yarn - it was tight due to the centre cone, once off the cone the ball relaxed! Phew!

Pandora's box

This jewellery box was made by my brother and given to me for a birthday.

Can you guess how old it is?   Or better yet, rather than trying to make me feel old.... can you guess what birthday he gave it to me for?

Can't guess? Well it's nearly as old as Pandora herself, it was given to me for my 9th birthday, so let's just say that it is more than 20 years old and still in good nick!