giveaway- folk man doll

Oops I forgot I was going to have a giveaway. I did. Sorry. Here it is. Just 'cause. You may have picked it from these photos, but here is a folk man doll, ready for a new home. He likes playing the banjo and sitting on the doorstep drinking strong tea from a big clay mug.

If you'd like to have him to sit on your shelf, or on your armchair, or maybe for a little one, just leave a comment. Followers have an extra entry, so do those lovely bloggers who reblog (please leave a comment so I know to give you an extra entry). I'll draw a winner next week. Hooray!

He can't wait to meet you.

heartfelt and handmade

via

It's impossible to miss Valentines Day posts, and Oh I Do Love them, but it sure can get expensive. I prefer gifts that take time, not money, and I thought I'd write a last-minute Valentines Post full of ideas for the last-minute people amongst us.

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* Write a love letter. A proper one with nice paper and sweet things inside. Write about how you met, list the things you like about them, write your hopes for your future together. Document your silly jokes, anything.

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* Find a nice rock. Write 'you rock' on it. Or buy a wooden ruler. Write 'you rule' on it.

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* Set up a treasure hunt. Leave clues and presents around the house; or do a suburb-wide one, leaving clues at places like where you first met, your favourite cafe or other special places (it takes a bit of explaining, but people love to help out in the name of romance). You can make the last clue lead to somewhere you can wait for them.

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* Bake a cake (Oh-Goodness look at this one), or your love's favourite dish. Anything in the shape of a love heart is pretty swell.

* Google 'vintage valentine' images, choose your favourite and print them on card. There are some really corny and sweet ones.

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* Buy tickets to their favourite band. Even if you don't really like them.

* Leave messages in unexpected ways; arrange all the shoes in your house into a giant love heart, use straws or toothpicks to write a message on the table, or sauce on a plate, or add giant speech bubbles to furniture. Arrange two sets of clothes on the bed holding hands.
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* Write a song. Draw a picture, sew a giant love heart with sparkles. Whatever.

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* Leave sweet post it note messages in their favourite books, movies, in the kitchen drawer, on their favourite mug, anywhere they will find them over the next week.

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Do you have any other ideas?

Love on, peeps xx

my week in pictures

A visit to an old pub in town with a grand staircase and tiled floors

Holding tiny puppies. So cute.

Laying on my bed as it rains, reading an epic tale and eating popcorn

Making Valentines

Handmade burgers. Even the bun was made from scratch (no I didn't cook it. I just cheered)

Cucumber vines in the vege patch

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Hope your week was swell xx

routine

(Bear to do list by boygirlparty)

While I do enjoy knowing that actually I don’t have to do anything in any particular order most days out here, I tend to flounder without a general routine. I kind of drift around with no clear purpose, and spend more time than I mean to on some things, and not enough on others, and then wonder where did the time go?

So I have tackled this like I do so many things. With a list. With little tick boxes that are oh-so-satisfying (and I believe that 'nanna-nap', 'reading' and 'tea break' are perfectly acceptable entries), on the top of my clipboard of 'things to make and do'. It gives a bit of shape to the day, and I know what to expect. I don't do everything every day. But I do most things most days, and I think that's ok.

Do you have a routine? What is a part of your everyday routine?

my creative space

Today I've been sitting right here, in this armchair, stitching antler boys and girls for this shop, and a few for my shop. It rained a bit, I watched movies and drank a lot of tea, and thought about all the things I want to make.

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See more creative spaces here.

telephone animals

I finished these guys last week, but just got around to posting about them. They use a pattern I made years ago, with the addition of ears and noses. (I thought, hmm, telephones, bit ordinary. What do they need? Of course! EARS!)

There's a bunny, a bear, a mouse and a squirrell; and they are made from new and recycled textiles and felt. Soft and squishy, they're safe for kids and cute as, perfect for playing or looking sweet on a shelf or couch. They are in my etsy and blue caravan shops now.

cosy lamp

More guerilla knitting turned home decor. Pretty darn cute methinks. This could be the beginning of something (and something to do with those leftover wool bits, and the scarves I knit but.never.wear).

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seen here

my creative space- bunny love cushion

I've been seeing lots of gorgeous valentines day posts in blog-land, and they inspired me to get all mooshy and make this love bunny cushion. It's made from recycled sweaters and is extra soft and huggable. It's in my etsy shop now.

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I've got lots of ideas for Valentines Day, but really should have started thinking about it in January. Not yesterday. Darn.

etsy love- mail

I Love You Envelope Necklace, 8 vintage inspired notecards with handmade envelopes, Metal X and O, Owl Post Gift Box, 1920-1921 Love Letter, Vintage Royalite Typewriter

More mail love today.

letters & blog love- goodnight little spoon

I've been writing letters since I've been here in the country with dodgy reception. Letters are nice, you can hold them and keep them and are prettier than emails (my messy handwriting aside). I can use my typewriter or my favourite pen, or coloured pencils, and pop in little treasures, like a tiny flat rock I found at the beach, or a photo, or cut-out quote.

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But no one does letters like Bianca does letters. Letters, packages, parcels, postcards; beautifully, eclectically, interestingly, artistically wrapped, full of lovely surprises. She loves mail and red mail boxes and has cute dresses and is thinking of getting a little mail tattoo. I love.

Visit her blog; you can write her a letter, or get a free postcard. You can join her Monday Five meme. There are sweet envelopes, labels and writing paper to download for free, or see some of her incoming mail or outgoing mail and get all letter-y inspired.

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Go Bianca. you rock my blog world.

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(This all reminds me of the Envelope Project. Do you think Pip will have another one?)

Sophie & Marie

Sophie and Marie are this guys sisters, made to fit those cute dresses from way back when. They have soft ginger hair with a lace bow, removable dresses and if you peek you can see their green underwear. They are big enough for cuddles and small enough to accompany new friends on outings and visits.

Sophie likes to play pretend, feed ducks at the pond and listen to bed-time stories. Marie prefers dressing up, picnics and singing along to nursery rhymes.

Sophie is in my etsy shop; Marie is available on blue caravan.