48hr 'Going on Holiday' Sale! and Giveaway Winner!

Before I close my shops, I thought I'd have a bit of a yay! going on holiday sale! For 48 hrs (until 10pm Wednesday 21st July EST) everything in my online stores is available with a 40% discount! That's, like, heaps!


For purchases in my etsy store, use coupon code YAYSALE2011 For purchases in my madeit or bluecaravan stores, mark payment as 'bank deposit' and I will send you a paypal invoice for the discounted amount. Be sure to check out each store for different colours and fabrics and cute options!


And an extra Yay! The winner of the Kids Crafternoon Book is Angela! Please email me your address, and I'll have the book sent to you lickety-split.

my week in pictures

(yes blogger, please do turn random photos sideways. that's much more interesting.)


:: grrantlers for a new stockist. these ones look like really old ladies, I think.
:: making instruments for something really exciting. Yes.
:: patchwork tablecloths at the local quilt show on the weekend
:: I now have a collection of spoons. Because I needed another collection. (see the one with the wren? that's my favourite.)
:: cupcakes at a friends daughters birthday party
:: I bought a polaroid camera. it was cheap-as-chips, so I had to, really.
:: I made a passport cover, and a travel paint set from a vintage first aid kit, and a travel journal

I have been finishing orders, making piles of things to pack (5 sleeps to go!), breathing deeply, and not blogging much. Not blogging much gives me a bit of the guilts. Do you get that too?

'Holy Dooley I'm In a Book' Giveaway!

A while back, I made some cushions for a book project and yesterday in the mail came the book! (Reason #128 I love my mailman)

Compiled by Kathreen from Whipup, Kids Crafternoon: Sewing is full of simple sewing projects for kids from crafters around the world; and there is my pocket cushion project, on page 94! Sewing is the first of four great titles in Kathreen's Kids' Crafternoon series. Papercraft, Felting and Beading are due for release in November 2011. Yay!

I have a copy of Kids Crafternoon: Sewing to give away (thanks to the lovely folk at Hardie Grant).

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post by 10pm Tuesday 12th July.

Yay Again!

what I did yesterday

Made a little guitar for a custom order. Not finished yet, I will add the strings and a little guitar strap too.

etsy & poppytalk love- camping

Compass Necklace; I'd rather be camping Papercut Postcard; Vintage Camping book, English, 1963; Everything........ (vintage shirt); Backyard Camping - An Original Vintage Photograph; Free Papercraft printable July 2011 Calendar via poppytalk; Felt Camp Fire; Antique Oil Lantern; a cute boy I found here. I would very much like to take him camping; 1950's antique thermos; Houndstooth baby bindana; 1oo% Authentic Bigfoot Hair; Vintage Canvas Backpack; Camp Journal via poppytalk.


Gee I like camping. I haven't been camping in years, I don't think. I would like to go in Spring, I think. I might plan it now, and then it might happen.

Where is nice to go camping in Queensland?



see the full (etsy only) treasury here

my (two weeks) in pictures

:: fresh flowers make me happy. they just do

:: mum, grandma and auntie (me) walking the kids to school
:: this little guy fell and broke his arm (photo taken a few days before. I'm not sure if it's the early morning or a possible aversion for cameras but that face while sipping his babycinno speaks volumes, don't you think?)

:: early morning drive to the Handmade Expo markets

:: sniffle supplies

:: duck noodle soup. the search continues

:: making bearded folk men. Will I ever tire of them? I think not

:: my twin sister moved into our lovely house, hooray!

nice crafty places to visit

(make and do; my all time favourite)

Like some sewing or crafty or design ideas? Maybe look at pretty pictures? Need a bit of inspiration? Here are some nice crafty places to visit and stock up.

:: WhipUp (book reviews, tutorials, crafty links, blogging tips)
:: Craftbits (looads of projects, rated by users with a gallery too)
:: The Making Spot (tutorials. Lots and lots of tutorials)
:: Dollar Store Crafts (swell projects to make from dollar store & recycled things)
:: Craftster (so many projects, so very many, and crafting/DIY/eco forums)
:: Craftzine (tutorials, ideas, recipes, DIY, patterns, forums):: Craftsy (tutorials, online classes)


I've left out blogs for now. As you know that may end up a very long list indeed.

Do you have any favourite crafty websites to share?
Please pop a link in the comments!

my creative space- dolls

I've been making some more dolls from calico and vintage fabrics. They are fun to make and to hold, but I'm just.not.sure. about those faces. Do they look too surprised? Just innocent? Do they need a nose?




What do you think?

*update* thanks for your lovely comments! I decided to alter the eyebrows a wee bit, and am much happier. I have named them Agnes, Abigail, Anne and Ada, and they are in my etsy, madeit and bluecaravan stores now x

in the mail

Letter and postcard from old housemates in Germany and France, a Japanese book and cars print fabric, and some salt and pepper shakers from the U.S. for my collection (donkeys! and bears!)



I love my mail man.

stop motion music

Keep watching to the end, it gets better and better. Made me smile and dance a little in my chair.

Ace.



Happy weekend everyone!

::Quotation

"She felt in italics and thought in capitals"



Henry James

riverside markets

I have told you about my sister before. She is ace. Did you know she makes gorgeous bags? You can see them here. She has a blog here. And is on facebook over here. We did the markets on the weekend, right next to the river. It was cold in the shade. Then hot in the sun. Then cold in the shade again. Oh then the sun came out and it was hot. Then.It.Was.Cold. The crowds worked a bit like that too, and came in waves from the restaurants and cruises. We had a nice time, and are getting ready now for the handmade expo. Do come along!

do you have to be superhuman?

(photo by DudleyRedhead)

I feel a bit like this today, just trying to catch up on computer-y stuff. Reading, researching, updating, filing, entering, writing. Marketing, accounts, social media, blogging, research, accidental-looking-at-etsy, reading blogs, guest posting, listing items, following up. Is it all necessary? And how can you tell what is important and what is not? If it makes money? But not all value is about money. If it is focused? But you'd know too the treasures and ideas found accidentally. Do you have to be superhuman to fit it all in?



When people ask what I do, I say I make stuff, but sometimes the computer part can grow and grow into the making stuff time, and days pass where I have ticked boxes but not.made.a.thing. That can't be right.

taa daaa!

Here it is! Hooray!


Oh boy, it took some tea and patience, but I now have a Pepper Stitches website, which is nice. It has lots of info on it, and so I've taken some pages off this blog but you can still see by clicking on the new speech bubbles in the sidebar there. So when people are looking for what I do, they can find it right away; instead of immediately reading about what I had for breakfast or my new favourite song. Which is nice to know, but not-quite-as-professional. So this blog will be for bloggy stuff, and other stuff can go on the website from now on. Yep.

I think I will take a better quality photo for the front page. And change the order of photos in the gallery. And.. but it is good for now. You have to let it be, sometimes, don't you? Or it would never end.

I made it with wix.com, which is free, and easy, and looks ace. My sister made hers there too. (remember to change your bookmarks to pepperstitches.blogspot.com if you'd rather go straight to the bloggy bits)


Now I need to get back to sewing!

upcoming markets! almost-ready website!

You know that thing you do when you suddenly look up and realise you haven't posted on your blog for almost a week? Yeah. Oops. How did that happen?

I've been madly preparing for my first Brisbane markets! I will be with my sister Amanda from Red Pear drinking tea and chatting with all of our lovely wares at the Riverside Markets (Eagle St, Brisbane) this Sunday 19th of June, then next Saturday 25th we will be at the ace Handmade Expo (Brisbane Rd, Ipswich). So we are stitching and emailing and breathing deeply.

Plus I am working on my very own website! It is nice, I think, and will have links to all the important bits, like this blog, and facebook and twitter and flickr and a gallery and online shops and stockists and upcoming market dates and a bit about me too. Phew! If your bookmark says 'pepperstitches.com.au' it will go there; use 'pepperstitches.blogspot.com' if you'd like to come straight here. I hoped to launch it today, but my computer keeps freaking.out. and needs a bit of a rest. I will be nice to it, I need it to be nice to me, too.

So I am busy you see, but will post again soon. With pictures and everything. Hope your week is going ace!

etsy craft party 2011

via bristyle

Last night I went to an etsy craft party, and met lots of lovely and super-creative people. I was too busy having fun and drinking tea to remember to take photos (I had fun and took lots last year). So this banner will have to do. Just imagine photos of lots of people. And lamingtons and cookies in the shape of cats, and biscuits in a little suitcase. Yes.

I met Jess who edits the gorgeous *bespoke* zine and designs jewellery too; Kate from dashrobin designs who is very funny and teaches crochet; Bronwen who is an ecologist by day and makes Whizzbangle resin bangles by night; Dominique from Esbert's Collection who draws and makes (the.cutest.crochet.bears); Lesley from sweet as spice, who is lovely and has the bestest business card ever; Majella had an awesome hat and is a vintage lover/styler/writer; Teneale makes dolls with a wicked personality (I especially love Mr T); and also Vicky from Incube8r, Helen from Bristyle, and Lisa who ran the whole shebang at Salt House. Phew.

I had a lovely time and it was so nice to meet some new crafty friends in my new city. I hope I didn't talk too much. I do that sometimes.

(OH! edit: you can see some photos here)


(ps. Darn blogger keeps refuses to keep me logged in unless I am on my dashboard, so I cannot follow any new blogs. Or edit my pages. Or leave comments properly. Has this happened to anyone else? It is a little bit annoying. Actually quite a bit.)

etsy love- National Red Apple Day

5 little apple cores wooden play food; Red Apple Napkin Holder; Apple Earrings; vintage red apple canister large; Sweet, Red Arthur Apple - Printable PDF paper toy; Apple a Day Brooch; Apple postcard; Long Grove Apple Haus Apple Cookbook 1976; Vintage Apple Wall Clock

Did you know that in Australia it is National Red Apple Day? Well it is. It's part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Week. Eating apples are good for your insides. People are embarassed to talk about Bowel Cancer. It has the word 'bowel' in there. But it is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in Australia. It is important. You can find more information here.

Here are some apple-y things on etsy that I like. Happy Apple Day.

33 ways to stay creative

on today and tomorrow, found by etsy tweet

I have already done 1, 7, 9, 11 and 31 this morning. It's going to be a good day!

new stockist! Mr Sparrow

(Anna and Mr Sparrow in Frankie)

You can now find Pepper Stitches in the gorgeous Mr Sparrow, in Perth, Australia. Now you can find Pepper Stiches in 4 States! How exciting!

If you are over that way, Mr Sparrow stocks oh-so-many-delightful things. Anna, the owner, is delightful too. How do I know? Well she's lovely. And there is an online shop. I have seen it and lusted mightily. I know.

:: Quotation

via

"Man, oh man, you’re my best friend, I scream it to the nothingness, there ain’t nothin’ that I need. Well, hot & heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ; there ain’t nothin’ please me more than you. Home, let me come Home. Home is wherever I’m with you."

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

(listen to the whole song)

this is me. today.

my week in pictures

*the vintage tupperware tea party was lovely. We ate caramel slice and girl guide cookies and drank tea and chatted.

* accidentally discovered craft markets up the road and picked up a houseplant named Earl

* my niece Elsa. I know I go on about her being the cutest.thing.ever. but just look!

* all bike racks ought to be in interesting shapes. Just saying.

* Juniper sleeping upside down and snoring

* roses make me smile. Celebrating a house full of furniture! Yay!

* then we went shopping and filled up jars with spices and legumes and nuts and seeds, and labelled everything with matching labels. Yes.

Hope your week was lovely x