holiday DIY with the kids

cement planter made from recycled packaging

1. Collect recycled food packaging for molds. Pay attention to unusual shapes. Wash them and spread out to find proportional molds. For instance, a cottage cheese container in an ice cream container works well.

2. Combine the dry cement mixture in a plastic bucket using one part cement, and 4 parts vermiculite. Use gloves when mixing. 3. Slowly add water as if you were making dough, being sure to add the last part of water slowly. Humidity can affect how much water you need. It should be the consistancy of peanut butter. (It looked too dry to me but you will be suprised.) The mixture should clump in your fist and hold its shape. We used a drill to mix the materials but a shovel will work if you don’t have one. Be sure to wash it immediately after mixing. 4. Transfer mixture to one of your recycled containers. 5. Tap the container on your work space to make sure it settles in until the top is flat and even.

6. Push a smaller container into the larger one. Remove the displaced cement mixture and put it back in your bucket. I like to put it in off center to give it that cool modern look.

7. Place the sheet metal on top and flip it over. Move the container back and forth to get the top nice and flat. Leave to dry for at least 24 hours

8. To remove the molds, tear off the outside mold if it is paper or use a knife to cut off plastic molds. Pull out the inside mold with pliers.

9. Sand the edges smooth 10. To create drainage, drill holes in bottom. Let dry for at least two days before drilling.

11. Plant a succulent! Enjoy!

to see a pictorial version pop on over to ready made . there are loads of other fabulous projects to try, the site is CHOKA block of inside, outside, craft etc..DIY projects, some are a little daggy but its kind of nice to wander through a site that is not awsum in its styling and just to find that sometimes SIMPLE is all it takes to get your kids / your creative minds working :)

happy holidays everyone xoxo

xmas spirit

(unknown source)

from here

i am not really feeling the xmas spirit right now. i am hoping today will be a day of no  braxton hicks, the last 3 days have seen me hanging on to benches and door openings to brace myself only to have false labour starts after a few hours. there are things to be done before baby no'2  arrives and i am truly hoping i can get through to the new year without dropping this load.

i have done most of my xmas shopping, there are still plenty of things to do. my xmas decorations are a half hearted attempt (but nina still thinks they are wonderful) i managed to make some xmas bunting from my nanas doilys, tea towels & aprons, nina made a wreath out of ? stuff but i would love the one pictured.

so hopefully today i can finish my shopping and xmas decorations without any interuptions from no'2. 

nurturing my soul

from here

nurturing my soul.....online that is

it's been quite a while my dear blog since i last posted!

the count down is on with 27 days to go to my due date. my dearest lil bambino will soon arrive and i have soooo much to do! my studio/nursery room is in an absolute shambles......i started the transformation about 2 weeks ago and i have left it in a bigger mess than what it started out.

i have been busy with custom orders the last few months but i am sorry to say that i have now packed away my fabrics and machines and will not be sewing for a little wee while.

i have been distracted by my new online obsession PINTEREST it's like creating your own magazine. for years i have cut and pasted my lil lovey lust pictures and inspirations into journels NOW it's all in one place. here are a few of my fave pics, go and have a look at my pins if you dare......i guarantee if you have an insatiable lust for pretty photos, craft, interior design etc you too will become addicted (all photo links will take you to my curated boards, from there you will be able to view the source) click on the BOARDS to see each collection of my favorite pics.

from here

from here

much love xo j

a creative painting space

an unfinished canvas & a big mess of metho, brushes, oil paints.

 i love that there is no straight lines, no hems to iron or zips to place. a creative mess in progress - i spend a little bit of time every other day playing around with the metho & washing back the previous colour, messy but fun :)

for more creative peeps pop on over to here

the handmade show - market day

i forgot to take my camera last saturday so i grabbed these pics from the THS facebook page. it was a great day, although very exhausting. this will be my last market at THS this year as i now take some time to clean up my lil house and get organised for baby no'2, because as soon as it is xmas i will have a baby the following week so i really must get  my big pregnant butt into gear before the weeks pass me by.

will i pack away the machines? we'll see.

Vital Temptation

i love a scarf.....on  these wintery again days i think these are a vital must have.

amazing wearable fiber artworks.......they make me feel warm & cosy just looking at them :)

Vital Temptation on etsy.

freedom with wings

'free as a bird'

from sweet william

today i purchased this print from the lovely sweet william. i was doing some blog catching up this morning after some sad news (more in a moment) and i just had to have this picture. i have always loved paula mills' art works & now i can say that i am a proud owner of one.

free as a bird

on a sad day or is it a day of freedom? i was given news that my father has passed away. i did not know him very well, although i had visited him in germany & he to australia over the last 10 years. we shared many letters with never much in common as our languages were always a boundry and living in different countries our lives were completly different. for years he had suffered illness  but always managed to stay on top of it. testicular cancer & brain tumors finally got the better of him as he slipped into a coma and died peacfully in his sleep a few days later. one  strange thing was that i was going to be on a plane to visit him just last week, the day that i was to arrive & didnt, he fell into the coma..... when there  is no more hope & nothing to wait or live for, do we let go?

so this art print- free as a bird- is ever so fitting as he now has wings and is free from the hell that held him for so many years.

my dearest leo, you are now free.......so fly xo

garage sale?

pic from here

do these still exist? i am thinking of doing one. with baby no'2 getting closer i have realised how much crap i have collected over the years. as a renter for the last 7 years (currently living in rented house no' 4)my worst habit would definatley be buying or thrifting new furniture to fit into its new space - i now have a garage FULL of the stuff. and clothes- mountains, shoes-tonnes, craft & habby - bin loads, kids stuff -truck loads the list goes on. i sold my unwanted  'label' clothes  on ebay, but the time spent on photos, questions, posting & packing, ebay fees, just didnt seem to add up.

S  P  A  C  E

i need more of it in my little white weather board cottage to make daily living seem a lot less caotic. the worst thing about my sordid hoarding habit is that i have noticed nina now has a similar problem. she finds value in everything -egg cartons, toilets rolls -they make good tress, fabric scaps - make good dolls blankets etc i do admire her crafty arty little soul, but enough is enough.

ITS TIME TO GET RID OF THE CRAP!

or is it called clutter?

i am also thinking of packing up my sewing room  (until i feel a little more organised)this would also mean that instead of baby no'2 (due on 8th jan) sleeping in the hallway it could actually have a room to itself, now wouldnt that be nice?

more inky art love

shiver by yellena james

candy by Yellena James

maybe by yellena james

some more whimsical inky art love from esty.

i am really getting itchy paint fingers, maybe it is time to pack up the machines, fabric & habby to explore other creative outlets.

Yellena James' work is a must see,  go and have a flick through her links.

 shop blog web

inspiration

Floating Matilda by Jessica Doyle

Urchin by Jessica Doyle

Hope by Jessica Doyle

some saturday morning art love.

i have had Jessica Dolyes etsy site stored in the back of mind for ages. i think i first came across her  from another blog or maybe i was just trawlling etsy. anyhow...i love the first pic especially now that i am pregnant, it now reminds me of mother & child living and growing together. i love the inky, floatyness of all her works, its very underwater like (hence, the sea urchin) but i think it is the caos of the ink that gets my fingers in a knot and want to start drawing or painting again(my sewing machine & i are at odds with each other lately)

 go and have a looksy around her store or her web for some whimsical, inky, inspiration.

the joys of pregnancy

picture from sindyshops.com

i love this picture! how glamorous is Sindy? if only i felt this way today. some women love to be pregnant, i think i am definately NOT one of these, well i am some days......

Congratulations you are pregnant!!!

 here are some things you (me) may not like about it:

1. every morning begins with a quick dash to the loo to bring up breakfast

2. your wardrobe no  longer fits

3. oh aching breasts

4.oh even more aching nipples

5. itching skin as it starts to S T R E T C H

6. no brain,  cannot hold a decent conversation

7. sciatic pain in butt

8. can't sleep due to large bump in the way

9. kankles appear around 5pm

10. indigestion from water!

11.  waddle like a duck

12.  always hungry but nothing ever tastes good

13. no champagne or sushi

14. constipation

15. fork lift needed to get off the couch

16. ok so i could keep going..............

the count down for me is now at 16 weeks to go & yes i know its a very long way a way and all my  non- joys are only going to get worse. i'm crossing my fingers for a

 " i love pregnancy" list soon.

*

oooh how lovely it was to check out this weeks "monday new finds" from madeit. to my surprise i found one of my vintage styled market bags. there are lots of other lovelies to see, especially this one .
you can see all the 'monday new finds" here.

i have quite a few more market bags ready to pop in my shop along with some lovely lovely lovely journel/diary covers, ahhh but my camera has blown a fuse so i must get this sorted out asap

feeling pretty?

kimono style robe: Plum Pretty Sugar

cami dress: Plum Pretty Sugar

this makes me feel pretty, how about you? this etsy shoppe is amazing!

do go & have a wander through the amazing clothing & homewares. the blog is just as fabulous & inspiring, i have been on it ALL morning .....

Plum Pretty Sugar on etsy

Plum Pretty Sugar blog

made it store re-openend

my madeit shop has re-opened with some new lovelies in-store.

made from an eclectic mix of new & vintage fabrics, laces & doilies,  these market bags are perfect for your weekend market shopping days & have a little pocket inside to hold your keys and phone. they are fully lined or reversible. pop into my store and have a looksy, tell me which is your favorite xo

a market bag or 2, 3....

busy busy busy, my new market bags will be in my madeit shop tomorrow.

made from new & vintage fabrics. 

calico bag love

i do love a good calico bag. i have put in my vote over at udessi. entries close today at 2pm to win one of the many fabulous designs to be screen printed especially for udessi customers. i think i may just have to add one to my collection even if i dont win

my fave is definately Gretchen Mist's in sea green

a lazy sunday

yesterday i was woken from my dreary sleep with a msg from mum who was at this market. PACKED she said. it took ages to get a coffee and to wander through the amazing stall holders was at a slow shuffle. So it sounds like this new makers market, about an hrs drive from Daylsford is definately one to keep an eye on. Mum lives only 5mins away, so it would make  a great girly w/e away.

if you havnt had a looksy at their info page, do, its got some fabulous creatives on it. my fave so far, this lazy sunday morning, has been Blue Day Designs very interested in her stencil pics - might put this one in the vault for later when my new baby arrives. (not long now, only 17 weeks to go!!!)

Blue Day Designs

Blue Ginger Designs

(cos maybe one day  pauly might actually wear a tie)

purses to blush

the last week or so has also seen me being super busy making more doily purses for the lovely Jo from Blush in Corrimal NSW. Jo found me via MadeIt and bought out my store in one swoop! It's always such a good feeling when your creations are loved so dearly. She let me know that over the w/e the most popular purse was the big green sari one . So with that being said, more were ordered and are on their way.

(ok now i'll go enjoy my quiet time)

a week of creatives

ahhh the serentity!

nina has finally gone off to day care after having the dreadful cold for 1.5 weeks, finally she has gotton rid of it & they say the only way to get rid of a cold is to give it to someone else - ME! so i am now in week 3 of cabin fever, although i have managed inbetween nina's cold & mine to get some crafty swaps done and make a stunning cake! i promised nina on one of our rainy inside days that we would make a cake - pink with lollies was the request! it was yum!

the calico & co crafty swap was sent off during the week and loved much by its recipient- a doily purse from previous post (the white one) and Here Comes The Sun sunny day swap over at Punky&Me. The criteria was to make something that screamed SUNSHINE- i think i covered this pretty well! my swappee is an uber cool chick who sneaks the streets of perth and crotchets onto street placements, so i thought maybe a crotchet bag that could be slung over the shouder would in order. check out Captainplaknit 's stuff here

i've also got some new purses to show you, but i think i might go and sit in the sun while its out & enjoy my few hours  off life xo

Buninyong Makers Market

i was hoping to go to mums this weekend to just chillax......and also 'cos there is a new makers market happening in mums home town. i did get a heads about this one to join in and i think i just might a lil later down the track .

Its about 15mins out of Ballarat, if anyone doesnt know about it. They  have a blog

go have a looksy & find out a little bit more about it.

short ' n' sweet i'll be back in the next few days with pics of my crafty swaps & swappees, more on my madeit store sell out & some news of a new stockist xo

purses, purses, purses

some newbies in my madeit store

i have been busy stitching up a frenzy! in total i made 12 zippered purses today. made from recycled denim, vintage doilies, laces & silks. they are all different sizes as i was not  too concerned about them all matching in size, more of a "lets just go with the flow & see what happens" kind of thing.  And its nice to see something a little bit different in my store aswell, although i must update my hand-dyed scarves. They are still available i just have not yet taken new pics to show the new laces i am using. maybe tomorrow whilst pauly & nina are at the footy.

 (yay!  day off family duties)

creative space

a while ago i purchased this gorgous print "the rabbit & the duck"  from Penny @ Pocket Carnival, for a friend who was expecting a baby boy. I thought this print was (still is) just perfect for a little boys room. For months i searched for the right frame and couldnt find one that would fit it nicely......baby Miles was born and I was under pressure to get this thing framed!  i ending up buying a white box frame and machine stitched the print onto some art canvas, then framed it. I love the texture that the art canvas has and with the stitching it makes it look more of a collage. i am very happy with it!

then a card.....the giraffe was scanned from a piece of  vintage wrapping paper (you may remember i made gift tags using this wrapping paper quite some time ago) then printed onto my fave paper (art canvas) & machine stitched it a ll together.

The gift was perfect for them! The Pocket Carnival  print is now hanging up on

miles' wall and the card is possibly going to be framed aswell. :)

 its a good feeling  when you put something together for someone special and they love it!

pop on over to kootoyoo to more creatives!

quick! quick! by midnight tonight!

oh silly me!

this is a fabulous little swapsie going on in blogland that i thought i would join as the swap date is for the week of my birthday and it is a birthday swap! so i thought it quite fitting that if i give a gift - i will receive a gift. the only problem is that i made the swap number an uneven one, which means someone will miss out! (thanks to my eagerness and stupidity)

my plee....QUICK! someone join this swap by midnight to night so that one lovely person doesnt get left out!

JOIN HERE NOW!

otherwise i pledge now- that i will send 2 x handmade gifts to make up for my eager stupidity!

new brooches

i have just added some new brooches in my madeit shop.

these little lovlies are made from an old pair of sass & bide jeans(far too gone to keep or sell), a vintage silk sari skirt and of course my nana's lovely collection of chopped up doilies & lace table cloths. they are pinned to my favorite paper (art canvas) with the blurb  "brooch" from the dictionary printed on & they come delivered to you in rescued pattern paper & lace making them a true re-cycled, up-cycled, re-purposed fabric addition to your wardrobe.

our creative space

this morning we sat in the morning sun and did some colouring in. i finally had a creative space! its been a while and i am happy to say that even though i am not hugely excited about the way my teapot turned out, it may just be the first of many. i did a sketch of a teapot onto some canvas paper whilst nina drew some flowers, i then had the urge to stitch it up with my machine as i dont fancy myself as a drawing person, then i came back to sitting with nina and shared her pencils. she wasn't too impressed that i only used green "have you ever seen a green teapot mama?"

the tulips are just because - mum gave them to me on the weekend, tulips are my absolute favorite and this morning they had opened up!

pop on over to kootoyoo for more creative spaces. there are lots to see, so i am going to grab a cuppa and sit down and imerse myself in some lovely creative spaces this afternoon