Hello everyone.  Today is Day 10.  I think you all deserve a star for making it this far with me.  Well done.  So a hand drawn star motif is in order.

Today Craft Group came over.  Lisa cross-stitched.  Helen brought baubles and we all pitched in and attached ribbons and toppers.  Kristen hand embroidered star ornaments (with buttons) and I did a little cross stitch on Miss Viking’s Christmas Stocking which won’t make it this year (she has a back-up!) but hopefully next year.  Little Miss Viking’s might be ready for her 18th birthday……

We ate lovely cookies that Lisa baked, Christmas cake and Christmas cookies. Yum.  We talked about a crafty girl’s caravan getaway.  We discussed family christmases, kids’ expectations, roast ducks and winding down the year.  It was great.

Gee, I had the loveliest morning.  My dear friend Michele, whom I have known since drafting college, and I went to Finders Keepers.  I bought a tea towel from Able and Game and a little set of toadstool hooks for the above Misses’ room from Made590.  We also spent a lot of time at the Eveleigh food market as Michele is a real foodie.  Then we visited lots of vintage shops in Regent St, Redfern and had lunch at the Bourke Street Bakery.  It has been a few years since we have pottered (without children).  I feel totally re-charged!

I have emerged from the making of things to meet up with lovely Craft Group.  Lisa made the yummiest cinnamon scrolls and she worked on a pretty quilt for her new baby.  Kristen sewed and stuffed 3 fine little bears and I made a couple of felt pebble necklaces for the up and coming markets.  We discussed a very important and awesome matter, which I will share more with you soon.  I’ll give you a hint – it has something to do with the words ‘pop-up’.

Hello, hello.  Just popping in to tell you about a group of creative ladies that I have joined up with.  We are the Creative Collective, a super nice group of bloggers/crafts people who are (hopefully) going to inspire you into some making.  Once a month we will have a theme, the idea is to join in and make something with us, take a photo and post it to the Flicker Group or the Facebook page that Amanda over at Calico & Co. has very kindly set up for us. At the end of the month, we each choose 5 projects that we think are lovely and spot on for the theme.  There could be a prize badge (just thought of that!).

This month’s theme is Spring.  It runs from now until October 31.  Think blossoms, peas, sandals, trampolines!  You can use any materials that you like.  I am going to try to use what I have, rather than going out to buy more craft materials, and I encourage you to do that too.  It is going to be lots of fun.  Amanda has a button for you too, to add to your blog if you have one and are joining in. 

Happy making, I hope that you will have a go!

I love a good collaboration – a cup of steaming tea with a Shortbread Cream biscuit, a vintage dress with a little cardigan – and here is one that I think you might like.  This is the first sneaky peep of a little collaboration I did with my friend Fiona from Fiona Kate a little while ago.  Fiona asked if I could design a set of postcards to compliment the fantastic Postie card holder.  The brief was ‘Advent’ - the idea being the postie could become an Advent calender for Christmas.  What a super idea.  It could be unique and different every year.  So, I produced a range of 24 cards personally decorated with washi tape in lots of different ways.  It was really fun to do.  The blank set will be available closer to Christmas, ready for you to decorate.  Currently the cards are doing the rounds of the magazines for Christmas shoots (insert squeal) and when they come back to me I will take some lovely photos and list them.

Have a lovely day.

I have popped a few more things into the Vintage Shop.  Like that blanket up there.  Thank you so much everybody for your encouragement.  I think I LOVE finding things almost as much as I love working with paper so it is great to share this.  I hope to have a proper link button on the site soon.  Tomorrow Lisa is coming around for craft group and not only is she ace at baking and knitting, she is really good at stuff like that too so I will ask her for a hand.  Kristen and Helen are coming.  I have invited Lyndall.  Lyndall is a new school Mum who is from Holland and has only been here a week and I thought she might enjoy meeting some local girls and having a cup of tea.  We are looking forward to hearing about Dutch things.  And eating cake.

Oh, don’t you love it!  I have been light headed ever since a friend said a friend was giving this away to a good home – was I interested?  Yes indeed.  I had just the good home for it.  I am not really an officiando on furniture makers of this era, so if anyone can help me out with information on Van Treight, that would be great.  I could only find 80’s style furniture from them on Ebay.  Mr Viking was super impressed with the bar ( he likes a congac from time to time).  Everything fitted in really nicely.  Thank you friends, she will be happy here.

PS – the little blue ceramic vase was inherited from Mr Viking’s great aunt Else, it is my favourite, favourite thing.  It has OJ 53 stamped into the bottom and I will research this one day!  The candelabra is Swedish (design House Stockholm), a wedding present from a dear friend.  The glass bowl is Kosta Boda and the Alvar Aalto vase was also a family wedding present.  It is practically the only vase you need.

Print from Yardia on Etsy

Darcy tea towel from Brookish on Etsy

My best friend had a birthday.  The gift had to be handmade, as I am still following Dottie Angel’s diet.  It’s the best diet I’ve ever tried I think.  Tracey loves Jane Austen.  Back in High School when Pride and Prejudice was on the list I just didn’t get it.  Tracey tried in vain to convince me it was romantic, exciting even.  It was all too subtle and I always wished Jane’s characters would simply get to the point.  Something has happened to me.  Older, wiser – now I get it, the subtleness.  I have become a period drama junkie and  I can regularly be found watching re-runs of shows like Lark Rise to Candleford on Foxtel.  It’s my one weakness!  So I hope my romantic friend likes her print from Yardia, and enjoys doing her dishes with this Darcy proposal tea towel from Brookish, both on Etsy.  Happy Birthday dear friend.

Looking out

at Margie's Beach

Two old friends

Beachcombing boys

My best friend's sifters - I love them so.

It has been raining here in Sydney for a few days now so it was time to get the sunny holiday snaps up.  We spent 4 lovely days with my old flatmate and dear friend Margie at her house at Kelly’s Beach in Bargara, Queensland.  You might have to look this place up.  If only to learn about the Loggerhead turtles that lay eggs on the beach in the summertime and then hatch (though we didn’t see any).  It was fabulous.

On the weekend we had a little party for our friends who are moving back to New Zealand.  In the afternoon Miss D, Miss H and Master L helped decorate this little house and then they demolished it with our friend’s little boy.  They had such a fab time.  Good luck Kelly, Tanya, Dayne and Marley – we will miss you.