tsk tsk

focus

Firstly  I thought I would share these cute little gingerbread girls. My friend Jodie who is living in NZ made them for her daughter's first birthday. They are soooo sooo cute. I love the little packaging and cards.

I also need to focus on my ideas. Visiting zoe's atoz blog she had a lovely list of things to do. So I'm inspired to get my thoughts together and post my list....hey it can't get lost in my handbag or on my desk!

1a. find out how to insert word links!!!

1. design more cards to sell for etsy shop

2. finish kindy/world vision auction poster..send to printer

3. create a list for etsy shop

4. finsih quilt for brother's wedding

5. send ABCme flyers to Aus Baby card

6. make a start on Logo for CAIRS

7. Send Vikki her logo file

8. Start on illustrations for auction day

9. Design 3 1 vouchers

10. Start putting thoughts together for design a calendar

11. make spring-rolls and chicken dumpling soup for dinner

12. pay bills

13. make a pair of booties from Heather Bailey's design

14. Continue pattern design for free spirit.

 

what a crafty day I've had

I put a stop to all my work today and whilst the children are at family daycare, decided to get some ideas out of my head. This red satchel is one of them. This has led me to thinking about making some mini aprons for my mini friends. The thing is I don't know how to finish it. I have made a yellow and white ticking lining and it is all just hanging on by sewing pins. I need to get my mother in law down for a few days 'sew' she can help me out. I'm just not good when it comes to fiddly bits and making it all look right! I don't know why I chose red. I rarely wear red, I'm a earthy toned girl. I might have to be a present for someone.

Now I'll go and clean some of my house, do 1/2 of work and go and pick them up!

Let the felting begin

today, my friend Katrina and I did a felting class. We went to uni together and she is about to spit her first baby out. I told her that she should do something creative and fun before the baby arrives...first time mum, hasn't got a clue about the real meaning of sleep deprivation! Anyhow, it was great. Here are a few photos of us working..well I'm the one behind the camera. I'm really keen to make toys/animals/decorations of some sort, but I couldn't cut my first felted piece. So I have decided to make a pouch. Don't know what I'm going to put in it. Might be good for WIPS. Scissors, thread etc.

making pom poms

Recently Monica made a great apron with some pompoms on the bottom. Sorry for not including any links in this post but I still have yet to learn how to do that!

Anyhow, I told her that I had a recipe to make your own mini pompoms. SO thought I would share. Now I'm no expert. They are very shabby-chic. Don't expect to get perfectly formed pompoms. But with a little effort you can create some fabulous fuzzy balls....try mixing colours!

1. Firstly you need some embroidery thread. The thicker the better. Don't ask me to give thread counts or whatever, cause I just go to the shop, feel the stuff and buy it. Thicker than your usual needlepoint work.

2. Cut lengths of about 6cm or 2 1/2". Cut heaps. You want it to be nice and thick. Lay them out together so that all the ends are together. Cut a larger length and tie it tightly around the middle so that you now have something to hold for the next steps.

3. Boil the kettle...make yourself a nice cup of tea while you are there. Carefully, pour boiling water into another mug and dunk the bundle of thread in and out a few times, like you would a tea bag. Then leave it sit in the hot water for a few minutes. This loosens the fibres.

4. Carefully squeeze out any excess water from the thread. Using your hairdryer and a hairbrush (not too soft) dry and brush the threads. You can be quite vigourous. You really want to loosen the fibres so that they become fuzzy.

5. If you feel like it isn't working, repeat steps 3 and four.

6. Once the threads are dry and fuzzy all you need to do is trim away. Keep on twisting as you trim. As I said, shabby-chic pompoms!

My photos are not the best. I think I need something with a macro lens. I was going to make a heap for a quilt, but never quite got there. But on cushions they would look great.

If you do this, send me a photo so I can see how they turn out.

time out

I took some much needed time out and spent the morning in the park with a friend of mine. It was such a lovely day. Children love spending time in the park...wouldn't it be great if we could do it everyday, we need an extra 2 hours added on to each day I think.

New Website up and running

Well finally the new site is up and running. That is http://www.tsktsk.com.au

There are a few little things that need work, but I recently advertised in Practical Parenting Mag. and needed to get the new work up so people can see.

My next big step is to create some original artwork that I can sell that is different to the ABCme products.

WIP going no where!

I keep on pulling these three pieces out that I have been working on every now and again. I just don't know what I want to do with them. If anyone has any suggestions that would be great. Maybe make some cushions. They are in a square format about 15cm x 15cm and 20cm x 20cm....mmmm!! We are going away for a holiday in September so I might take them with me and work on them then..whilst sipping a cocktail or 2!

Monster Birds

For sometime I have concentrated on creating artwork for my daughter's room. It seems easier for girls somehow. I try to avoid commercialism as much as I can...I know it will be unavoidable once they start to go to school!. Please no Barbie or Spiderman. Anyway, I've been struggling with ideas for my son for some time. I've been through a circus theme, a animal theme. His imagination is so wild at the moment..he is almost 4! He says fantastic and sometimes precocious sayings, like "your're a Mustard Pickle" or "you're a radio monster". Funny but naughty! I'd like to build on this idea of imagination in a visual sense. Just take a look at Sara Fanelli's book Mythological Monsters and you'll get what I mean.

I have started illustrating these Monster Birds. Maybe for posters, if I can do some more, maybe as flip books!

But I really must think about going to kindy now and dropping my sewing machine to be fixed.

bossy brother

Master A told Miss M today that he was going to put her in the mailbox and send you to the Melbourne Zoo. "Then you won't know your way home and you'll be lost forever" Why are brothers so mean?

Magic Birds

I have been trying to finish some artwork for Miss M's bedroom for quite some time now. I have really enjoyed this process of mixing media.

Another almost finished project. I still want to embellish this quilt with some fine beading work in a few of the squares. The back of the quilt is made from the softest material called minky. It is so nice to snuggle under it with her.