Fleamarket Finds

I love baskets. This is a selection of my favourites, all found in oppies or markets. I've been sorting out our sunroom/sewing room and these baskets are a great way to store wool and bits.

This pretty fabric was found at a garage sale yesterday. I love blue & white together.

This is a pretty poor picture of an amazing gunpowder box I bought for $10 at a local jumble sale. It's fantastic as it serves as a table, bench and has lots of space inside for toys & odd things.

This morning I had a little excursion to the Daylesford Market, fun!! I couldn't resist this little pram & tin bucket. When I get a sec I'm going to plant up the pram with succulants, or flowers, I'm not sure yet. The tin bucket is for mum who is always looking for things to plant in. Aren't they sweet?


Finally today a lovely vintage teatowel with a wild flower theme. I love the colours in this and I'm trying to decide whether to make it into a cushion or just hang it on the wall. Have you found anything colourful, sweet, beautiful or interesting lately? I'm off now to check out more treasures at Sophies xo

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

My Creative Space

My creative space today is all about looking for creative ways to get through One of Those Days. You know those days when the minutes drag, you just want to be in bed or just Somewhere Else? Rosie is happy painting though while I have another cup of tea to keep awake.

Yesterday was a long and not so fun day with Bill having his dental work done, thanks everyone by the way, for your supportive comments. Isn't this one of the nicest things about blogging? The sense of community & caring is amazing. Bill came through it all well, although he was pretty distressed when he came out of the anaesthetic, but he seems fine today. I hated all of it and found it very unsettling. I really feel for people whose children have ongoing medical issues, it must be so tough. Anyway, today is another day but after a disturbed night with Rosie having nightmares I am feeling pretty ordinary.

There is quite a racket in the garden which is proving to be a good distraction. Tiger the rooster is being very creative with his new found cock-a-doodle-dooing. He is practicing religiously and calling out to the girls in the other coop. Maybe he is also calling out a mourning song as sadly his mumma, who was not well, died yesterday morning. The kids and I talked about her lovely attributes and said a little prayer for this funny old feathered chook. She was a great mum to her little ones and kept them warm and safe. She was so sweet to them and let them sit on her back when they were small. Farewell Mamma Chook.

On a happier note I'm excited to tell you that Daisy is a reformed character. Her chook chasing/killing days may be over. I never thought I would say it but I think I can actually leave her out now and not worry about a potential massacre. Perhaps she is growing up. She really is a dear dog. This is her practicing restraint.

I may have mentioned that I am in the middle of a big order of Love Hearts for a shop in Melbourne. I've really been enjoying cutting out the heart shapes and picking out an interesting mixture of fabrics.

Speaking of fabric I wandered into an op shop in Ballarat yesterday while I was waiting for Bill & happened upon four beautiful, mint condition Australiana tea towels. Oh happiness! Just what I need to add some colour to my latest batch of Love Hearts.

It's been a busy week this week with Book Club last night & my course starting on Tuesday night. Tomorrow I am meant to be off to week garlic at Callawadda but I'm thinking it might have to wait till next week. I really need a day at home, sewing and getting ready for the weekend. We have the Swiss Italian Festa starting on the weekend in Hepburn Springs and the kids will be in the Grande Parade and performing with their school in the concert. It's a great festival, if you are looking for something to do you can access the program online. My brother and family are also coming up to visit which will be lovely. Sunday is going to a Cupcake party & a Fairy Tea Party too so that should be fun. I'm off now to have a look at some other creative spaces...Hope you have a great, creative and happy weekend too. See you soon xo