Giveaway Monday!

Hey lovely friends, it's Monday morning and I'm feeling so happy because it's time to find out who won my giveaway!! It's also our niece's 3rd birthday, Happy Birthday Tova!!

We love you!

I'm thrilled to announce that Cathie is the first name out of the hat & will soon be receiving her own custom made Dandelion bunny. This is what Cathie said:

"congrats on the double birthdays & I love popping by your blog and seeing what you are up too and your pics are always so wonderful.of course I follow your wonderful journey & wish you many many more bloggy birthdays sweet lady" Isn't she sweet?

I will email you soon Cathie and we can chat about what kind of bunny you would like.

Now for number two who will win a String of Hearts, made from vintage fabric & soft alpaca. Congratulations Monique!!!! Here is what Monique said:

" I love how your love of family just shines through your posts. You honour them each time you share a tale. My little one would love a bunny. "

Sorry you aren't receiving a bunny, Monique, but I hope you will like your hearts, I can't wait to make them!

Speaking of hearts, number three will be receiving two lavender Love Hearts...and the winner is....Gypsy!! Yay!

" I love reading your blog and getting your take on life and things, you have a very refreshing way of looking at 'ordinary' things. Keep up the good work Beck, love Gyp xx" Thanks Gypsy, I'm so happy you have won something in my celebration giveaway!

Woo hoo! I'm so excited to be making something for all of you winners, I can't wait. I wish I could make something for everyone, all your gorgeous comments meant the world to me. I really love putting my blog together and sharing some of myself and my life with you. And I also love to check out what you are up to and see what is happening in your world.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaway, it's been a lot of fun for me. Hope you have a happy week sweeties, see you soon xo

Celebration Giveaway!!

I'm so excited today as I've been plotting a dandelion giveaway! I have just passed the 200 post mark & it's time to give something back to my lovely, loyal, funny & fantastic friends! I love to celebrate special occasions, well actually I just like celebrating! So this little giveaway is my way of saying thankyou & also having some fun myself.

So here is what you might win. First off is a dandelion bunny, it could be like this one above....

or like one of these twins. Or it might be totally different, you get to choose! Whoever I pick out first will win a bunny & I will custom make it using colours/patterns handpicked by you.

I have some lovely new alpaca offcuts too & some gorgeous vintage fabrics so matching them up will be fun!

Number two out of the hat will receive a String of Hearts similar to these, but again you can choose your colour combo. Yay!

Number three will be getting two Lovehearts of your colour/pattern choice.

All winners will also receive a mixed bag of beautful biodynamic garlic from The Organic Paddock. If you are an overseas friend then you might have to put up with something sweet instead.

This giveaway is open to all my dear mates far & wide, I really appreciate you all and love to read your comments & visit you. I love the way we can chat about everything and nothing, how I can be so inspired, moved and captivated. I love that I can see into other peoples worlds, see colours, patterns, moods, through someone else's eyes. It's such a relief to read that someone else feels the same way, has similar flat patches, or finds the crazy whirl of motherhood/creative life/inner life at times a struggle. I love to read of other people's successes, their joys, new babies, new idea's. Blogland has been a very rewarding & welcoming & fun place for me and it has become a part of my day & life that brings me a lot of pleasure, and some much needed space at times too. So thank you my dear friends, lots of love to you all!



Before I go a couple of important things I should add. To be in the running for this giveaway just leave me a comment telling me what you like about my blog. If you are a regular reader (follower) let me know for an extra entry. Good luck to all & I hope you have a great week, see you soon xo

ps: Oh, I almost forgot, it's my birthday today!

My Creative Space

It's funny how things can change from one week to the next isn't it?

Last week I was all about taking it easy creatively, not stressing about lack of output, taking in things around me in a mellow (ish) kind of way, blah, blah, blah....

Well it's a new week and on Monday night I suddenly needed to sew. I unearthed this little cloth book I started a year or so ago. As you can see it's a little creased and has a long way to go but I'm looking forward to trying to finish it. And I want to do it now! Not after I finish the lunches for tomorrow, not after we do readers, put another load on, shut the ducks in, feed the dogs, NOW!

But it's not always that simple is it? As a maker of things who is also a mother I need to get up early, stay up late, fit in with what's happening at home and usually put that first. Or do I? This brings up memories of my father who never let the domestics get in the way of art. He did what he wanted to do and that was that. Not so for my mum who took up the slack and not only worked full time but created a happy, loving, creative home. Is it easier for men or am I biased because of my own family life?

I guess my problem this week is that now I'm all inspired I haven't got any time!! I'm fired up to make some brooches out of these magnetic letters but I haven't had a chance to even get out the hot glue gun. I'm keen to work on my little cloth book, to finish some bunnies, to unearth my scrap quilt, to frame up some photos.

Ahh...what's the hurry? Three of my kids are sick this week & need looking after so that's where my priorities are right now. It's raining and cold outside to we'll crank up the heaters, have a quiet day and who knows..I might find a little creative space for me.

I'm sure I'll find some time to day to work on my Love Hearts, early in the week before sickness hit I got into a rhythm with these little colourful lavender hearts. Choosing, cutting, pinning, sewing, filling...boy it was satisfying. I hope to find a more regular space in the day/evening so that I keep in the loop and stay inspired. When do you do your creating?

Hope to see your space over at Kirsty's today,

see you soon

sweeties x

My Creative Space

While I am not getting a huge amount of creative projects finished lately I did make this little vintage NZ tea towel cushion yesterday, I like the way it jazzes up my bed and it was fun, simple & easy. I'm not stressing about the fact I'm not getting heaps done, this is the way it often works with me. I have a busy period of late nights and deadlines and then phases where my foot is off the accelerator & I find I'm happily making things in a more relaxed way.

Having said that there are two bunny girls who need to be finished by tomorrow before they jet off to two little girls in France, lucky rabbits!!

So they'll be needing some skirts of course, and their pink & greeny/blue cardi's are arriving in the morning. I'll show you the finished twins next week.

Rosie & I had a very happy visit from Kate & Miss Pepper yesterday & one of the topics of conversation which really got me thinking was the whole thing about who owns ideas or concepts, is it ok to share or borrow ideas etc. Some lavender hearts that were similar to mine were seen in a local shop. Did I feel funny about this? I guess I'm not sure. In one way I am but only slightly, after all the heart shape is not original and neither are pinking shears.

My Love hearts were something I came up with one day, I've made & sold a squillion of them & if someone else has borrowed the idea I guess that's ok. If it had been a complex design, something that I had worked extremely hard on to perfect, something particularly me and mine then perhaps I would feel differently. What do you think? Has this happened to you?

After the girls left yesterday I pulled out the dye pot. I've had a gorgeous Egyptian cotton doona cover languishing in the cupboard, waiting for someone to give it a new lease of life. It was white but some parts of it had become stained and were no longer looking too flash. Hmmm...what colour would I use...?

Yep, fuchsia of course!!

It came out pretty well although I don't think the pot was big enough to cope with a queen size doona cover, the coverage wasn't really even. (Max doesn't care though, he likes pink.) Still, I think it's an improvement on the way it was and I learned a bit more about the dying process. When I came out to check it in the late afternoon someone had taken it off the line and used it as a roof for a makeshift cubby. I guess that's pretty creative...it did look pretty!

So although I'm not in a creative frenzy lately things have been bubbling away nicely. I'm working on another big idea which may take a while to happen but it's fun to plan for. I'm also loving our craft nights at the Perfect Drop. It's been fun meeting some new local crafty types as well as hanging with some well known, local identities, chatting & having a laugh. What's been happening in your creative space lately? Lets zip over to Kirsty's and see what everyone else is up to. Bye for now lovely friends, xo

Tuesday

My kids are sick, two are home from school today & I am also feeling a bit unwell so have been taking it easy. The thing about being sick that I like is the weird zone I get in which really slows me down & makes it easy to ignore the messy house & sink full of dishes. What I don't like of course is the lack of energy & general malaise! Oh, and the looking after others that goes along with family life can be kind of tricky too.

There's much to be happy about lately though, and lots to think about. I liked reading Floss's post today in which she speaks of five things she is grateful for. On the eve of taking a car load of clothing & other items to Lancefield from where they will be heading to orphanages in Vietnam, it's good to be aware of all that we have & of those who have little.

Some of the things I am loving & am grateful for lately are...

The amazing weather we are having. The sunshine & gentle breezes, the smell of the air, the swans & their babies that live on the lake on the way to Ballarat, the green,green fields and sweet hills that decorate the horizon, the funny caterpillar hay bales and of course the endless blue skies.

My boy learning to sew on his first button. His monster is coming along well, in fact he's almost finished.

The big, fat quinces that are hanging on our trees, waiting patiently for me to pick them and make them into delicious, pinky red jelly.

The fifty Love Hearts that I finished & delivered to Big Dreams last week, along with a big order of garlic. Yay!

The precious time with my little kinder girl who makes every day special. Yesterday she made me sand pancakes ''because you are beautiful Mummy'.

I'm loving making the bunny triplets for Kelly, I hope to finish them over the next couple of days.

So yes, I am feeling a bit ordinary but also reflective & happy. How is your day going? Are you a pincushion swapper? I can't wait to see all the amazing creations that people come up with. I haven't quite nailed down an idea yet, I'm waiting for inspiration to strike. Hope you are having a happy day, have you entered my giveaway yet? xo

Catching up

There seems to be a lot happening at the moment. Change of seasons, weekend activities, The Organic Paddock, school stuff, festivals, sewing & making and a hectic family life. Sometimes when life is busy it's hard to keep up with what's happening with others so it was good to make a time recently to catch up. On Friday a group of us went to Kyneton for dinner in Piper Street to hear all the latest news & eat some delicious food at Pizza Verde.

I love Piper Street with it's beautiful soft bluestone footpaths and pretty & interesting shops, it was good to be in a different town for a change. And how good was Pizza Verde? At least 9/10! Amazing food and great service.

Of course I had to do a bit of window shopping,



I'd love to have a better look inside Lulabelle's Frock Salon somtime.

We didn't get home till late and I stayed at Mum's in Hepburn. It was pretty fantastic having a mini sleep in, don't get that too often!

The weekend was lovely but I was a bit sick so didn't have my usual energy and found it a bit hard going at times. But still ballet was ace, the girls are loving it, and Rosie had a fun party aferwards.

On Sunday we took it easy and Mark made zucchini bread. Mmmm. The girls & I went to Shell's and cut a big basket of lavender to dry for Love Heart production. It was quite relaxing cutting the blossoms in the sunshine, avoiding the bees, and soaking up the fragrence.

Back at home the girls made potions and flower arrangements while I made the lavender into bunches to hang. Then as they settled down for some quiet time I cut and pinned some more of my scrap quilt. It's coming along well and I'm loving matching up all the different shapes and patterns. I really should be working on Love Hearts & Blanket Bunnies but it's also good to do something that isn't work sometimes.

This week I'm hoping to get lots of little things done, it's hard to keep on top of it all isn't it? I feel like I'm always trying to catch up. I do love Monday's though as it's the start of a new week and anything is possible. A new month too, I wonder what March will bring? Summer has been lovely this year but I'm looking forward to Autumn and the beautiful colours & blue sky days.

How was your weekend? Did you catch up with friends or have some fun with your family? Hope it was a good one, see you soon xo