Hi there! Welcome to my blog. My name is Jhoanna and I’m a Mum; IT Analyst by day; Crafter; Blogger and newbie Runner.

Almost 6 years ago I stumbled across a number of craft blogs: namely Loobylu, Wee Wonderfuls and While She Naps. Having a baby at the time, I was instantly smitten with the softies and dolls that these lovely and talented women were making and soon decided that I wanted to make one for my daughter.

I had only used a sewing machine once in Home Economics class back in high-school and had access to a very old machine. But I found a free softie pattern on the internet and I tried it. My daughter adored the softie cat I made for her and shazam! I was hooked!

Around the same time I started a craft blog called “Craft Itch“, which looking back, kinda sounds like a contagious disease! On the blog I shared about my inspirations, the mixed media collages I was making, and a few softies I had tried. After a few months and lots and lots of sewing, and learning, and experimenting, I came up with my own softie/doll designs and decided that a better ‘label’ was needed for my art and craft.

So in October 2004, I started a new blog: One Red Robin. And I’ve been here ever since!

I love being part of this awesome craft community. I have met equally awesome people and have learned so much. Since starting One Red Robin, I have been involved in  many opportunities I would have never dreamed of: projects published in magazines and books; being part of exhibitions in Australia and overseas, and having my own solo exhibitions; and launching my own softie sewing pattern range.

So on this blog you’ll find posts about my creations – softies & dolls and other craft projects; things that inspire me; good finds; news about new softie patterns to be released; new surface patterns (mostly for my little fabric range at Spoonflower). I also post about my two wonderful girls from time to time, and my other passion, running :-)

One of my goals in maintaining this blog is to motivate me to try new craft projects and actually see them through to completion. So in a way it’s here to keep me accountable and it’s also meant to act like an online scrapbook of all the lovely things I find on the Net that inspire me to keep those creative juices flowing.

I hope you enjoy your stay here :-)

Happy crafting!

• “To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.” – George Kneller

• “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10 (emphasis mine)