Thanks to Sharon for the cool “This Is” theme this week, which is “This is the contents of my handbag“. I was expecting this theme to pop up sooner or later as, let’s admit it, we are all a little curious as to what others carry around with them, yes? :-)

Tipped out my bag and here’s what’s in mine:

Wallet; Phone/PDA to help keep my life organised; iPod Nano; 2 USB sticks which on rare occassions has stored work I have had to bring home but mostly stores One Red Robin files; a variety of forms and paperwork; an envelope holding any tax-related receipts, which gets emptied every week into a bigger envelope, ready for tax time!; my identity card for work; some gum; my faux wood covered Kikki K sketchbook full of all things One Red Robin; pen I found on the street, all cleaned up and in perfect working order :-); Customs forms for overseas packages; and the bonus tracks CD from Third Day’s Wherever You Are album.

I finally got some good time up in my studio over the last few nights and thankfully my softie-making mojo has decided to return from a brief hiatus. As a result, I finished up this month’s project for my regular submission to an Aussie craft magazine. Her name is “Springbean” and she’s a modified version of this little bear. Assuming all things go well, the project should be available in a few months time.

I know the dress looks quite simple but boy did it prove challenging! After a few failures, I finally came up with a dress that is quite easy to sew up so that you could make a number of different dresses in that style. Now for the much less fun activity of actually writing up the instructions!

I’m also working on a softie-project for a different Aussie craft magazine. The Editor got in contact with me and has asked for an owl-softie along the lines of my patchwork-bellied owls. This is what I have so far:

I’m just playing around with the positioning of the facial features at the moment and thinking about the shape of his wings. He has a little tail in the back and a round base so that he can stand on his own. I am hoping he will turn out a little cuter than my usual gumpy-looking owls :-)

Some links I’d like to share with you:
>> Orange You Lucky - found via Pip. I just love Helen’s illustrations and patterns, and not to mention her sense of colour and fun - reminds me very much of Mary Blair.
>> This cloth book by Forty-Two Roads absolutely amazes me! Such a brilliant idea and so lovingly and brilliantly made! I would love to try something like this for the girls.
>> Very much enjoying the art work, and reflections/insights podcasts by Marisa of Creative Thursday

Apologies for sounding cryptic on my last post! It’s nothing major - I think the whole process of coming to the decision was actually more important than the thing itself. Anyway, I have decided to go for it and will be talking about it more after I get a bit more meat behind the project ;-)

I hope you are having a lovely weekend wherever you are!