Fawns are still in progress but getting closer to completion. I’ll be re-opening my etsy shoppe this Sunday and the fawns will be available for purchase then. Next week: A batch of grumpy owls on tree stumps :-)

I’m slowly working through all the blogs in my Reader (although current unread items still stands at 1000+!) and so far I have come across some real gems that I thought I’d share here:

>> A beautiful pattern by Yasmine entitled “Little Princesses”. I think this would look gorgeous as a little girl’s dress, on cushions, or used to upholster one of those kid-sized armchairs:

{image credit: A Print A Day}

>> Stunning handmade and hand-painted art dolls based on Alice in Wonderland by Cart Before the Horse (via Plush You)

{image credit: Cart Before the Horse}

>> “Garden Nest” is definitely my favorurite Amy Sol painting to date. She also provides in-progress photos, which make me just as happy as seeing the finished piece!

{image credit: Amy Sol}

>> Poketo’s new range of Paper-cut Wallets - especially this one by Jayme McGowan:

{image credit: Poketo}

>> The colourful work by Simon Wild, particularly this mixed media piece “The Sounds That Brilliant Things Make”

{image credit: Simon Wild}

>> Speaking of brilliant, I am continually floored (and once I pick myself off the floor - inspired) by the softie characters created by Jodie of Ric-Rac. It’s very hard to believe she suffers from EITTTS at all! :-)

{image credit: Ric-Rac}

>> The re-styled Shakira dress on Burdastyle. Love the colour! (But pretty sure I couldn’t pull that off myself - might opt for a darker palette and tiny bit longer too . . . that is, once I get over this fear of actually making my own clothes!)

{image credit: Burdastyle}

>> I also LOVE this Colette dress (Ceylon) that Teegs made. Doesn’t she look gorgeous! I’ve got that Colette pattern on my Must-Make List.

{image credit: Teegs}

Is it only Tuesday?! It’s already been a crazy week. I can’t wait to go for a run tonight in much cooler temps. Hello Autumn my dear friend, how wonderful of you to drop by again!!

I know this little pile of fabric doesn’t look like much at the moment:

But it will soon be magically transformed into some fawns :-)

It’s funny that in Sunday’s post I was struggling with inspiration and just getting on with it, and tonight I find myself raring to go.

The spark? I recalled that on the weekend the girls and I made up some plaster magnets. My eldest, who recently turned 6, received one of those cute make-it-yourself kits for her birthday. They had been asking me all week, “When are we gonna make these? When? When? . . . When?!” and we finally broke open the box on Sunday afternoon.

Lots of newspapers strung about, lots of accidentally painted hands (and faces . . . and floorboards, whoops!), lots of mess, and lots of fun. After a few hours, we had some new fridge magnets and two girls who were very happy with what they had made.

The following photos were taken by my 3-year-old (quite the little photographer I will admit!):

And so I was reminded how wonderful and exciting it is to get stuck into something new. I’ve been working on completing half-done projects lately and it was getting stale. Time to work on some softies from scratch again; let’s start from the very beginning (and as Julie Andrews would agree, a very good place to start :-)). So new fawns - from scratch - are on the way. And perhaps next week, a completely new softie design, or two :-)

I adore these girls . . .

. . .  the two little souls who keep me afloat at a time when it would be easier to be consumed by the waves.

My creative space today: kitchen bench -

Hot cup o’ coffee. Breaking up reviews of documentation (that I have had to take home from the office) with staring at the pages of Dolly Dolly 16.

My goodness - how have I never heard of this magazine before??? Jamfancy mentioned it when making her gorgeous doll here so I looked it up on the net and ordered a copy just to see. And wow - so much dolly goodness! It’s all in Japanese so I have no clue what the articles are about but there are lots of swoon-worthy dolls:

And this issue has a tutorial on making really cute (and very real-looking) miniature treats like cakes and macaroons. There are also patterns for dolls and dolls clothes including a pattern for making the doll on the right - sweet!

So whilst I’m reading this mag I’m getting lots of good ideas about clothing for future dolls and quickly sketching a few out for refinement later on.

Some Peg Bears for the show have been completed (left-to-right: Nagma, Nakasi, Nha Nac, Nederpop and Nisiotika):

You’ll find individual pics over on my Flickr.

I’ve almost completed some cushions using my custom fabric . . .

. . . and I’m all fired up to get started on a few more button-jointed dolls like Constance on the weekend - completely inspired by Dolly Dolly :-)

More Creative Spaces here!

How lovely is unexpected mail?! I had a rotten day at work today and came home with another migraine. But it is amazing how one little package can turn things around so quickly!

With all the recent busyness I had forgotten that I’d ordered a couple of fat quarters from Spoonflower a few weeks ago. I was stoked when I saw the package sitting on the kitchen bench this afternoon. I ripped it open and I kid you not - the migraine quickly disappeared :-)

I took the risk of ordering a few yards of these designs last week when the Aussie Dollar was a little stronger than it is now (without waiting for the fat quarters to arrive first) and I did breathe a sigh of relief when I opened the package. I’m so happy with the way they have all turned out. Plus the base cloth is so much better (texture and weight-wise) than the cloth they had originally used.

I’m also so glad that Kirsty recently posted up a very clever method on folding a fat-quarter as I think that will come in handy for folding up some of the fabric for the show - the video is fantastic! And Kirsty also pointed me to Hoppo Bumpo’s Seam-Along (what a brilliant idea) - I’m thinking the French Seams will be a good option for some non-softies I am hoping to sew up.

One thing I am bummed out about is the fact that I missed out on joining Brown Owls this year! I’ve had it on my list of things to do since late last year and completely overlooked it. So exciting that Brown Owls are popping up all over Australia! And the first Melbourne meet-up is coming up soon too! Oh well, at least I can still listen to the Brown Owls radio station :-) Go on and join up - I’ve already found some new favourites to listen to!

I’ve got two lists going at the moment: one called “Need To Make” where items are crossed off quite regularly; and the other is called “Would Like to Make at Some Convenient Time in the Near Future“. Obviously the latter list hardly gets anything crossed of it and instead grows a little bit everyday :-)

But I’m happy that I’ve been able to find a little time in the last week to make some progress on that latter list. The first mini-project was to make a simple apron from my “Folksy Teaparty” fabric printed via Spoonflower (please excuse the marks on the mirror - who knew how hard it would be to photograph yourself wearing an apron!):

And the second mini-project involved cushions using my “Woodland Girl” (teamed with a polka dot print from Amy Butler’s Lotus collection) and “Faux Crocheted Circles” prints (also via Spoonflower):

And now on the couch:

The Cushions were backed with a chocolate linen and snap closures. These were done in no time at all and very satisfying - great projects for the kind of hot weather we are currently experiencing in Melbourne!

And a few quick links:

>> If you like Yoshitomo Nara, you will like pics of his latest exhibition at Blum & Poe

>> My latest fave artist - Carrie Chau.  I am disappointed that I didn’t get to see her show, “Indigo Child” in Hong Kong late last year, which was happening at the same time I was there! Here are photos of her show.

My desk is a serious mess (and it’s now started spreading itself out on to the floor), so it’s not worth showing since I can hardly find anything there myself! Also, the weather’s been super nice lately so we’ve been spending time outdoors (which means less time indoors cleaning up said mess :-)). Instead of messy desk pics, here are a few of the girls enjoying the sunshine:

And one of my recent favourite pictures drawn by Ava which celebrates the outdoors, complete with “rainbow grass” :-)

And speaking of favourites, here are a few more on the internet that have me swooning:
>> Elsa Mora’s new blog on paper-cutting
>> Sketches by Amy Sol for her upcoming solo show
>> Children’s book illustrations by Paul Rand featured by Chronicle Books
>> ALL the Box Prints by Dolan Geiman, but especially “Field Guide Tennessee”
>> Week of Australian Fabric Design on Mikes
>> Tryst Jewelry found via Paisely St Claire
>> Handmade cloth book using fabric printed via Spoonflower

I’ve started getting up at 5:45am most mornings to fit more into my day but the body is still trying to adjust so I’m off to get another cup of coffee - hope to be back soon with more softies!

Thanks to Bug and Pop* for this week’s “This Is” theme - “This is what I want to be when I grow up“.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I want to be Beci Orpin when I grow up :-)

{Beci Orpin. Image credit: Outre Gallery}

Well, of course, not actually be her or be exactly like her but I think more to be engaged creatively and make stuff on a full-time basis, in a number of different mediums; and to fully develop my own style and have that translate across the different mediums; and to do it well. Like she does. I think that’s what I meant :-) And then there’s my little secret wish - no so secret anymore - which is to quit my job and study Textile Design. But that is still many years away I think.

It’s kind of funny that this is the theme this week because I just started reading “The Divided Heart” by Rachel Power (as recommended by Claire and a few other creative Mums) and so far I am nodding in agreement at the end of every page. Sometimes I cringe because it has spoken so clearly and so honestly about feelings I would have never admitted to anyone - those feelings that arise during moments of excruciating frustration, juggling motherhood and the desire to be freely engaged in a creative process (and feeling like a complete failure at both). And it’s got me thinking about what I really want to work towards - “what I want to be when I grow up” - which is something like what I’ve written up there. But I’m still figuring it out and still thinking about what little thing I can do everyday during those spare minutes to bring it into fruition.

So before I start heading off on a tangent, I highly recommend the book for all creative Mums and Mums-to-be. Lots - LOTS - of food for thought and so many amazing insights- and I’m only up to the 3rd chapter!

Okey dokey, so back to making stuff :-) Babushka Soft Doll #2 was completed a few days ago - made from vintage Japanese kimono scraps and wool felt:

I spent last Friday out and about with the girls, including a trip to Hudson so that they could see the show (they loved it :-)). A few things we collected from the day: cutie-pie brooches from Lark (from Dymocks in the city), a key chain from Heidi’s Yummy Breakfast collaboration with kidrobot, and Yoshimoto Nara postcard (both from Hudson), and the cutest little owl in my favourite kind of green that Nikki brought back from Japan (thanks Nikki!).

* By the way, check out Bug and Pop’s new shop of super cute kids clothes!

Last week, during my lunch break, I was able to pop into Outre Gallery (on Elizabeth St in the city) and see Beci Orpin’s “outside, over There” exhibit in person. I have always admired Beci - she’s multi-talented and does it all: textile design, fashion, illustration, softies, collage, paper-cuts, sculpture. In fact it’s accurate to say that I want to be her when I grow up (’though I’m pretty sure we’re about the same age!).

(Image credit: Gemma Jones)

As expected, her work was stunning and I particularly loved the paper-cuts, gocco prints, giclee prints and kokeshi dolls. You can see all of Beci’s work from this exhibition on Outre’s website here.

I also had a chance to wander around the remainder of Outre (I could have spent at least another hour there I think!) and came across the work of Mark Ryden. I instantly fell in love with his “The Tree Show” collection - whimsical settings, strangely cute characters, colourful but dark, with a touch of humour. A sample of his work (image credit: Mark Ryden website):

Outre also has a great range of art books you most likely will not find in your average book-shop.

I couldn’t leave without one piece of artwork and so a small reproduction of Yoshitomo Nara’s “Missing in Action” painting came home with me. Here it sits on my desk with a postcard from Beci’s exhibition, giving me a boost of inspiration as I begin on the next batch of softies.

The reason I chose this particular painting by Nara is that the girl looks exactly like Aurora (the haircut, the big eyes, and even the red dress!) when she’s in one of her defiant and stubborn moods - which has been happening a lot lately, given that she has entered the “Terrible Twos” stage :-) But I just searched this particular painting on the internet to find out more about it and discovered that the original by Nara was sold for US$1.08 million at Christie’s back in 2006! Ummmmmm . . . wow!

A heartfelt thank you to all who have commented and sent lovely words of encouragement on my little show - your response has been truly overwhelming and I am so grateful and humbled by it. Thank you especially to Pip, Cintia, Claire, Jaime, Emma and Katie (hope I didn’t miss anyone!) for posting up such kind words about the show.

I’m going on a little internet/blog break to catch up on some non-crafty stuff - hope to be back online late next week.

Woodland Girls are still in progress:

“This Is” this week is free-form so I thought I’d share my latest fun distraction. Thanks to the inspiration provided by Mel and Kate (and the discussion here also via Kate), I found myself distracted with thoughts of soap-making this past week. I really like the idea of making our own soap for the simple reasons of 1) knowing exactly what goes into them (and therefore knowing what exactly goes onto our skin, 2) having soap with the fragrance I actually like, and 3) saving money.

I followed the very simple tutorial here (link found via Mel) for re-batching soap (thereby bypassing caustic soda - stuff which freaks me out.) I used half the ingredients on my first attempt, mixed it with some shea butter and a combination of Sweet Orange, May Chang and Spearmint essential oils. It produced 4 smallish bars of soap with a very refreshing fruity, tropical smell - sweeeet! This batch was for me :-)

I then made a full batch using the ingredients mixed with a bit of coconut and lavender oils for the girls. This produced 8 bars of soap. The girls love how they smell (light and sweet) and are very happy to see their names on them (simply carved on each one with a toothpick!).

The soaps are now curing and we’re looking forward to using them next weekend - I’ll let you know how they soap up :-) It only took me 1/2 an hour to make up the 12 bars and I’m already planning to make another batch - perhaps with some vanilla bean and ground cinnamon :-)

In regards to cost, I don’t think I saved any money on this batch (set-up costs) but I think the next few batches will certainly be cheaper, working out at between 40c-90c per bar of soap. I bought the oils from the Perfect Potion store in the city (they also have an archive of free recipes on their website) and I am also finding this website useful for supplies and recipes. I’ll be using the essentials oils I’ve accumulated to make other cleaning/personal care products. So it looks like this whole thing is not going to be just a distraction after all . . . :-)

And before I get started on some Woodland Boys, I just wanted to share with you this gorgeous card by Rob Ryan (based on his amazing and whimsical paper-cuts), found in Dymocks. It says “You were in my head but now you are in my heart. Please stay there forever.”

And also this quilt I found in a patchwork magazine that I have added to my “To-Make” list. My version will be smaller (for Aurora’s bed) and will have much larger triangles (as cutting out all those tiny triangles will drive me up the wall), but I’m hoping it will look just as good.

Okay, hopefully back soon some completed Woodland folk :-)

P.S. If you’d like a chance to win Peg Bear Rhyme, join in Funky Finds monthly giveaway here!

House-hunting has gone into full swing over here, so I’ve been spending most of my internet time searching for homes and booking inspections as we’ve got just over 6 weeks to move out. Apologies if I owe you an email - hope to get to it this week!

I’m trying to work on all outstanding orders before I start packing up my craft room, so a few custom Peg Bears (and one custom Peg Bunny!) were completed and posted off:

And on my desk, I’ve finally got some new thank-you cards done to go with the orders. I’ve been printing these cards out on glossy photo paper using my printer but I think I will need to go back to getting them done professionally as it will certainly turn out cheaper (my printer uses unbelievable amounts of ink):

There are more Peg Bears to be made so they’ll be taking over my blog for the next couple of weeks (and hopefully you aren’t sick of seeing Peg Bears by the end of it all!).

Here are some things I also enjoyed this past week:
> Young Me/Now Me found via Paisley St Claire
> Gorgeous cupcakes that make me want to drop everything and get baking, thanks to Danielle
> All of Elsita’s work just rocks, but this is so delightful
> So much talent and incredible work to marvel at over here
> Couldn’t agree more with how Manda views her fabric collection :-)
> Love, love, love the sneak peek into the gorgeous fabric lines by various designers at the International Quilt Market over in the USA, thanks to Pink Chalk Studio

Be back soon :-)