Hottie Challenge Completed At Last

So after lots of procrastination I finally finished the Hottie Cover for this FAB competition.

I had tried to theme this hot water bottle along side the cause the competition-which was in aid of - Margaret Pratt Heart and Lung Transplant Research....I immediately wanted to make the hot water bottle cover like an upper torso. I decided to use felt as I thought it would be practical for a cover and it would be great to see the anatomy of the body in contrasting colours.

UNFORTUNATLEY the felt I got lacked structural integrity and was a pain to work with. The stitching showed up a bit too pronounced on the ribs than I would have liked but this was a project on a budget after buying my new laptop so it will do.

After seeing all the others on Cam's blog I know I should have spent more time on this....some of them are just fantstic!

oh well.... next time!!

I can't wait to see it on display in the gallery in a few weeks!!

Like A Child On Christmas Morning

I lay in bed chatting to chef boy, complaining of a head ache and not wanting to go to work.
Beep- one new email.
"Your parcel is now with the driver"

I quickly jumped out of bed- Gotta go! My new laptop is being delivered to work today....

Oh the excitement!!!

I waited by the post room until Aus Post had done their morning drop and proudly carried my parcel back to my desk.

It's Soooo nice. And fast with lots of RAM....now I have to wait for work to be over so I can go home and nerd it up.

Wuuuuu

For My Crafty Girls

I found this awesome list on Pepperstitches today. Gonna print it out and hang it up where I can see it everyday!!!

 



 

Knight In Shining Armour

Aunty meg was kept busy this weekend.... A trip to spotlight with the soon to be 5 year old nephew of Chef Boy led to an afternoon of crafting this cool Knight costume. Mr E sat himself down on the floor cushions and watched Horton Hears A Who while I crafted away.
I also made another costume with the off cuts for his 2 year old brother and they both played in their outfits all day.
Success!

A Labour Of Lurve

So here it is ....
This is what stopped me blogging last week and nearly caused me to go blind: Chef Boy's new embroidered tshirt.





His reaction: "aw wow, that's awesome! Kinda wish I had given ya a better tshirt to do it on now!!!"
My mums reaction: "that's nice love.....but what is it?"

Please tell me it looks like a set of headphones to you!!!!???

A Year Later....

This time last year I arrived in Australia with my life in a suitcase (and one box that i shipped a few weeks earlier). It was incredibly scary and exciting all at the same time. Exams finished and financials in order, I left for greener pastures/ employment opportunities. I was very lucky to be arriving to a warm welcome from Chef Boy and his fab family. I moved in with Chef Boy's parents and became an honorary Irish daughter to them. They kept me fed and watered untill I found my job and got a house of my own. Having all that support certainly made the move that bit easier I must admit and I am very thankful for all their help. Mummy Two Hoots has been very brave this year and has kept herself busy in my absence with quilting.....

I miss all at home - but for now it makes sense to be here where I can get work!

A year on I have accomplished soooo much:

• Still living with Chef Boy - That is a big accomplishment for us both- We havn't killed each other yet!!


• A job


• A visa


• A great little home


• A new car


• An Iphone


• Learnt to sew


• Started blogging


• Made some awesome great new friends


• Kept in touch with old friends at home


• Kitted out the house with furniture


• Survived my first Christmas away from home


• Grown my first vegetable garden and not killed it!


• Graduated from my bachelors

Lots and lots and lots
It was a big year!!
So to celebrate I baked a yummy brekky for chef boy and I last weekend.

A Stitch In Time

Armed with my newly acquired chain stitching technique I decided to embroider a present for Chef Boy. I spent nearly an hour trying to get the iron-on transfer pencil I bought to work but to no avail.... I would pull away the baking paper after ironing the pattern to the t-shirt to find there was nothing there :(

So idea number 2..... print the template on transferable paper and iron it to the t-shirt. So I selected the image Chef Boy had chosen for his t-shirt, printed it out and cut the excess transfer paper away from the design. I ironed it onto the t-shirt and after a great phone call with my mum started stitching over the design.

This "quick project" is certainly taking a lot longer than I anticipated..... let's call it a labour of love.

But it is starting to look awesome!











This weekend I have a very important visitor coming down from St Kilda to spend time with me YAY.... I am planning on baking lots of yummy treats. I also MUST FINISH the hottie challenge this weekend!!!

I also MUST POST PHOTOS OF DAYLESFORD CRAFT DAY.... man i am so slack!



still waiting on new laptop to be dispatched

The most expensive brooch I will ever own

Soooooooo I went to the fantastic Daylesford on Sunday to the Thread Needle Craft day hosted by Melly & Me –Melanie Dekker, Ric Rac – Jodie Carleton, and Kirsten D Designs.

It was a rather spffing drive out to Daylesford in my new car on a crisp sunny morning. I was very excited to get there after the drive and a bit apprehensive going on my own to the event. But I had nothing to fear…. The ladies were super nice and I had a great day.

I did expect for the price of the retreat we would be given a project/kit to work on and have a lesson on something .... but instead we got the patterns that were especially created for the event with no kits. The patterns are fab and if we were to buy them they would cost us a small fortune but had I known that we wouldn’t really be given the bits to make a project I would have brought a stash of fabric to use.

Luckily in the gift pack we did get one small project to do on the day….

This pretty piece of linen printed by KD for us to embroider and turn into a broach and thus the most expensive broach was born.

So I spent my day working on this and chatting to everyone. Jodie from Ric Rac was an absolute hoot….very entertaining –such a great character! It was lovely to meet Melly after a year of Blog stalking her and making her things and she is soooo nice. I even got my hands on her highly coveted new book “Sewn Toy Tales” which is already out of stock. I have plans to make something for my cousin’s little girl very soon!! I loved KD’s caravan panel and I bought one to embroider and turn into a cushion cover for the couch. I ALSO bought Jodie’s “Work In Progress” bag kit… and I am UBER EXCITED to make me and mummy two hoots one of these each……..at some stage in the near future! Promise mum! Pictures of these soon!

I have ordered my new laptop so I will be blogging much more once that arrives in a couple of days ( I am soooo excited to be nerding it up on a new piece of geekery very very soon YAY)

More pictures to come but here are a few from the iphone……

Cheater cheater pumpkin eater

Ooook so I happened to have another 5inch square of the fabric I was sent to use as my "homework" piece for the retreat in Daylesford tomorrow. I had bought it as part of a christmas pack I bought and never used last year (some over zealous fabric buying)

So here is take two.... An "I heart crafts" bangle

That'll do!

Now I'm getting excited for my trip tomorrow!!!

You're so lame - I bet you think this song is about you

Yes that's right people my "homework" for daylesford tomorrow is LAME!

A pin cushion....and a crap one at that!
So disappointed - I hope the standard isnt too high!?
This is the worst thing I have made this year.
What will I do???

Oh blogger where art thou?

Bad point: I haven't blogged very often this week
Good point: I have this overwhelming wave of creativity and the need to surround myself in pretty things.

I have spent every day and evening for the past week indulging in looking at pictures and designs. Everything from the usual interior magazines I read, crafty blogs, graphic design, illustrations and even typography.
I actually can't get enough! It's getting to the point where it is very much consuming every part of my brain and I cannot focus on ANYTHING else today.

I have never been a good "drawer" Miss C was always the one I envied with her amazing hand writing and fantastic drawing in school. And now I want to draw. I want to write in whimsical fonts and make pretty things.

I don't know where this creative blast has come from but I'd like to see where it leads me.

I am currently working on my project for daylesford and my hottie cover... I will upload pictures this weekend I promise!!


Sitting outside the office on a park bench trying to regain my focus. It is beautiful, mild and calm outside.
Like a warm spring day in Dublin.

I am currently making an envelope full of things to make someone smile. And it is making me smile too. I can't wait to finish and post it!

Let's hope the last two hours in work are more focused than the several doodled filled hours just spent!