hey! vote!

You can vote now in the feeling stitchy rainbow embroidery competition. You can see them all here.

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I'm going to vote for this one, because it's my favourite. I really like antlers. (Plus Cathy from ChunkyChooky stitched it. I'm not biased or anything.)

my new boss lets me nap

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Guess what I did. I resigned from my job. I did. Last week I packed up my desk, and put my pirate bobble head and novelty tape dispenser in a archive box and walked out, like they do in the movies.

Right now, I am entirely self employed. Today I had a nap. I just had breakfast for dinner.

I have a business plan. I have business cards, and postcards and a marketing plan. I have the feeling that my ignorance of what I'm undertaking is protecting me somewhat, I'm not as terrified as I should be.

my weekend

Sitting in the sun at the markets with a friend.
I saw a Twilight poster and laughed and she turned to me and said, 'you know, I know you well enough that even if you liked Twilight, we could still be friends'. Apologies to any fans out there, but it made me laugh. (and yes, that is another yellow phone. Because four is just not enough)



Planting seeds for winter veges.
I made labels from chopsticks and duct-tape, an idea I got from a tutorial I saw which used cheap yellow pencils, but despite searching I've forgotten whose blog it was. Please let me know if it was you. It's a grand idea.


Making giant burritos with boy housemate, and eating too many.
He is a bad influence on me. We went grocery shopping and bought chocolate biscuits, iced vovos and multiple lolly packets. Multiple.

Watching soccer (sorry. football.) and sitting in front of the fire. With a warm cat.

Wondering how many games I can stay up late/ get up very early for. I don't usually watch, but am always one to get swept up with the excitement. Go Socceroos!

A flea market find! WOOO!

So very excited that when I found it I yelped and my friend (and several other people) thought I had encoutered some kind of spider. But just very very excited.

At the markets I bought 4 typed of potatoes and 2 kinds of sweet potato to roast with this organic chicken. Sunday roast.

(they were all delicious)
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Looking forward to a wonderful week.

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I hope your weekend was lovely!

on the subject of cubby houses

Build CC has an article on Couch Cushion Architecture. I wonder what grade our cubby house would have earned. I sure like the architectural tone in the reviews.

Via Dude Craft

Oh! Deer!

Here are the deer I finished last week, I think they turned out pretty deer-like after all. They're in my shop now, and I'm cutting out some more in lots of colours including pinks, greens and blues to suit all deer lovers.

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I sure do like antlers.

Rusty Linen

there's my fox in a lovely treasury by itsastitch. Yay!

people who smile

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It's still raining on and off, and will all week. I like it.

shop update- quilts

This lovely soft quilt measures 220cm x 180cm, big enough to fit lots of friends, and is from upcycled pillow slips in blue, white and cream. It features original embroidered slips (just like the one's at Nanna's place) and a checkered back.While made to be a picnic blanket, it would also make a lovely bedspread or light quilt.

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*note that as this item is made from upcycled materials, some light stains are visible, but are hardly noticable unless you're looking for them.
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This baby quilt measures 100cm x 115cm and is made from upcycled bedding covers in lovely pastel spring colours and a butterfly print. It's perfect for baby to lie on and play on in the park, or to use as a bedspread or light baby or toddler quilt.

*note that this item is reduced due to some not-quite-perfect stitching. This is aesthetic only and the quilt is still lovely and functional and will wear as normal.

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These quilts are made from some of this catch. They are simple but sweet (nothing like this quilt). In my shop now.

hey!

Cathy from Chunky Chooky stitched another of my designs! Yay!

snowglobe pincushions

(Please excuse my grubby fingers.)

A while ago I bought some tiny horses and deer from this shop, and this week I turned them into snowglobe pincushions. Because they ought to go together, don't you think? I think they need a shorter name (snow cushion? globe pin?) and I'm still working out the best way to make them, I think my glitter is a little clumpy from the glycerine, and the sealer kinda smudged the glass a bit. I like prototypes though, it's a bit exciting to try new things. I can show you how to make them if you like.

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Do you have prototypes? What do you do with them? I'm collecting a bit of a drawer of first-go's and 'oopsies' (or @#%$, depending on the case). I was thinking of using them for a toy drop, but it feels a bit rude to use something I wouldn't sell. And there's a limit to how many I can give to family and friends. Really. Maybe I will chop them up?

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Do you remember this prototype? Well I have some real-darn deer to show you, with antlers and everything but I left my camera at a party on the weekend, so I can't. It was a good party.

brown owls @ the pub

On Wednesday night (I know it's Saturday. I um forgot I had photos to post) we had a lovely Brown Owls gathering, knitting and embroidering and chatting away, meeting new owls and owls from different places, and learning new things. Beer was had, wedges were shared and the turnout was so big we took over an entire section of the pub. (Please excuse the photos which are dark and blurry, due to blown lighting we were sitting in 'mood lighting', which made for a bit of squinty eyes, a few missed stitches and not-so-good photos.)

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We chatted about having a meeting at the premises of ArtSparks, an art & sewing school for kids that has facilities including big tables and a bank of sewing machines! We chatted about work and babies and projects and admired one another's handiwork. I learnt about circular knitting needles and that yarns are made from twisted together strands called plies, which is why the more plies in a wool the thicker. Ah-huh. Also wool comes in skeins, not just floss. Also how to pronounce skeins (like 'veins' not 'vines'). I started a white soft scarf (because I still can only knit in straight lines). Plus I arranged to adopt Amy's market umbrella for my upcoming markets. It's all coming together..

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Much fun for Brown Owls! Yay!

eeeee!

there's my VW embroidery pattern stitched by the lovely Cathy from Chunky Chooky, featured on the Feeling Stitchy blog!

there's my Winter Fox featured on Kid Independent!

tonight, we knit

Zebra Quentin Blake

tattoo

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Tonight I am knitting with Brown Owls. In the interest of research (and to stop myself looking at the clock quite-so-much) here are some knitting-related badges and magnets.

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(Procrastinate? me? noooooo..)

life is too short

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this week/ last week

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Last week I
- had a cold
- found some books in a lane way
- stuffed plush raindrops
- received an invitation to my high school reunion
- watched Avatar
- rearranged the studio
- cooked yummy soup
- dreamt of camping and crocodiles
- made a snow globe pincushion
- was cranky at work
- ate peanut butter ice cream



This week I am
- still coughing
- looking forward to knitting at Brown Owls
- watching Robin Hood at the movies
- have a pimple on my chin. Arrgh!
- working on new cushions
- making new blog friends
- wondering about my job
- looking forward to the forecasted rain
- hoping your week is lovely

my week in pictures

We had a house BBQ to welcome our new housemates. They are awesome. I made party bunting and candle holders from jars and wire. We stayed up Very. Late. Indeed.

I found random mosaics on the way home.

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Played Stratego with the Boy. Lost. Several times...

Foxes. Pretty bright foxes with lovely tails. (blogger? sideways pictures again? why?)

I saw a possum


The lovely necklace from this giveaway arrived (isn't it pretty)!

Also bleached hair on impulse. Kindaaa turned out pineapple. I hope I'm a cute pineapple.

Oops I forgot!

My Friday Follower! Sorry ‘bout that!


This week I introduce the lovely Kathy from Chunky Chooky- if you haven't already met. Kathy was one of my first followers and her encouragment and comments really kept me going in those weeks where I wondered over the sanity of blogging in between working, studying, life-in-general. She makes VERY CUTE plushies and rattles in lovely bold prints, the kind of stuff that makes me sigh and think of little fingers holding them... ANYWAY, do go have a read, she is down-to-earth, lovely, kind and funny. Here's her etsy shop too.
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Considering my unpredictable schedule I figured that setting up a regular blogging theme like this doesn’t really work for me, but I still want to show you some of my favourite blogs and say thank you to my followers, so instead I give you the blog love of the moment tab on the side there. I’ll keep featuring followers and my favourite blogs, but gives me some more leeway in scheduling! I love finding new bloggy favourites through other people's blogs, I hope this will give you a chance to find some more too.

I want

This Book. You can buy it here, or a signed copy here.

Or buy me one. If you like.

Papercuts, I love. Mister rob does them very well. Check out his lovely etsy shop.

If you like paper too, check out this blog.

Leon, Leonie and baby Maddox

DSC06792, originally uploaded by Licorice Tree / Tobiah P. Mundt.

Remember Leon? He was one of my entries into my first group exhibition. He has tattoos of a skull and a flaming heart. He was bought by the lovely Tobiah for her gorgeous baby Maddox. Isn't he cute? Oh. My Goodness. Just check out her flickr stream.

This is Leonie. She has tattoos of stars and cherry blossoms. She left last week to go half way around the world and hang out with Leon, Maddox and Tobiah.

Good bye! Have fun you guys!