My Creative Space - Ugh

Have you any idea how much crap my kids have in their Creative Space?

I really wanted to sit down at the kitchen table and make some of these this morning.

Tape Measure Rose brooches

Unfortunately, I can't see the table for bits of cut up paper, glitter, pens and shells and inexplicably, half a dozen Littlest Petshop toys.

I mentioned the words 'Mermaid theme Birthday party' yesterday and all hell broke loose in our kitchen. The birthday in question isn't actually until August. M decided she had to make paper shell bikinis for all the mermaids (hmm, going to be great in the middle of winter) and E decided to make paper starfish to decorate the house. Did you know that making paper starfish and flimsy shell bikinis causes deafness in little girls? It's true. I had to shout very loudly to make them understand that dinner was about to be placed on top of their creations before they could hear me and respond.

Anyway, I digress. I still can't see the kitchen table so I'm ignoring the fact that I have a market to sell at on Sunday and sorting out the kids Creative Space instead. Best get on with it...

For more Creative Spaces visit http://www.kootoyoo.com/

Great birthday ideas to make for boys

My nephew has a birthday coming up soon. I have no problem finding ideas for handmade gifts to make for little girls but boys are a different matter. I've been doing a little research into ideas and thought I'd share a few of my favourite tutorials:

Awesome robot bag tute by Four Wise Monkeys (posted here on Sew Mama Sew)

Great looking t-shirt jacket tutorial by I am Momma - Hear Me Roar

I love this and I think it would be just the thing for my slightly army mad nephew.

Tutorial here  by Whipstitch (via Made by Rae)

Monster Tooth Pillow by The Long Thread

Oh so cute cape by The Long Thread

If you want to find more great boy ideas visit the blogs below:

http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/

http://www.made-by-rae.com/2010/01/celebrate-boy-in-february-2010.html

http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/celebrate-boy-part-2.html

Maybe I'll make him one of my necktie iPod cases and one of those bandoliers for keeping all his other important stuff in. If you come across any other great ideas for boys, please let me know!

My Creative Space - Nearly finished

As usual, I've got several projects on the go, at varying stages of unfinished. Sometimes, that last little bit takes weeks to do because my finishing mojo has gone somewhere and I've got my 'must start a new and more interesting' mojo going on instead.

These silk/cotton mix fingerless gloves just have a few rows to go to finish the pair and I could have/should have finished them last night. I'm making them as a favour for a lovely neighbour and she could have worn them today if I took half an hour to finish them last night. For some reason, I just couldn't do it.

Then there is M's new dress that I showed you the fabric for last week. All it needs is the shoulder straps hand stitching in at the back (I want to be able to pull the stitches out easily and adjust it as she grows) and a hook and eye closure at the neck. Again, just don't have the motivation to do it. I just want to start new projects, to put new ideas into practice. Do you have those days? I will have to make myself finish these off tonight and then they can both be worn or put away instead of draping themselves prettily over the arm of the couch.

For more Creative Spaces pop over to Kootoyoo.

My Creative Space - for the kids

E has a new friend and is going for a play after kindy today which means that I have several hours up my sleeve. I'm a bit giddy with all the time I have to 'play' today and don't know where to start.

Both of my girls have been going through my patterns and picking out what they want me to make them (bliss for someone like me!). M chose this pattern and asked for something in blue. I found the beautiful floral at Spotlight the other day. The green spot doesn't look like much in the photo but trust me, it's going to look fab when it's teamed as a trim on the dress. M wants the dress on the left with the bow but I think it might be a little too much on the floral print. I will make it without but will have to have a 'back-up bow' in case of meltdown. Why am I such a sucker?!

I've also got this on the go. It's a little cardigan for an old school friend's baby which is due next month. You may have seen me knitting it at the last Devonport Craft Market. You may have also thought that it looked like I had nearly finished it at that point. If you did notice that, you might be wondering why this photo shows the back which is the very first step of the pattern. Lets just say that there was an incident with a couple of dropped stitches (aaaargh to slippery metal needles. You are the bane of my life). The dropped stitches happened to occur around midnight on Monday and were on a tricky decreasing row. I spent the next two days futiley employing a crochet hook to try and get them back where they were supposed to be, but in the end, I came to the conclusion that it was better just to pull the whole thing out and start again. Thank goodness it's a newborn cardy! When it's finished, it will look something like this.

I made this cardy for another friend's baby last year. Isn't she a precious dot? She will be one now. Stop growing up all you babies! Stay cute and tiny for a bit longer!! You are so much easier to knit for when you are this little.

I'm off to have a little peak at other people's Creative Spaces over on Kootoyoo.

Dolls and Daydreams

Meet Leilani. She's my new little Pasifika doll and I think she's quite lovely (and wonderfully easy to make). I made her on Monday using a pattern by Sarah Hanson of Dolls and Daydreams.

Sarah is the very clever (and high energy!) lady behind the blog Dolls and Daydreams and the organising force behind Dolly Donations. Despite being really quite pregnant, she has been creating some wonderful dolly and toy patterns recently for sale in her Etsy shop. There are some truly scrumptious ones in there and if this little lady is anything to go by, I know I will be back for more. Just look at these patterns.

Those little mushroom babies are high on my list of wants. I just have to get through that pile of 'to dos' I created when I went to the Spotlight sale yesterday first.

Sorry...

I am that woman that's in front of you in the queue when there's only one person serving at the counter during the Spotlight sale. I am the one you mutter swearwords about because you only have one roll of fabric and she has at least 8. Plus, who needs that amount of toy fill? Pah.

I am the woman that the Spotlight staff actually smile and talk to because I am in there so often and have frequently sympathised with their plight (have you EVER seen a happy Spotlight staff member?!) The two way conversation with the staff member actually makes things worse I know because you are in a rush and it seems like things are taking longer because there is talking involved.

I am the woman who is ever so sorry to the ten people in the queue behind me (and to my other half who is going to spit tacks if he sees how much fabric I bought today).

Please forgive me. I promise not to buy so much next time.

My Creative Space - Smug

Take that you scarey knit fabric. I am no longer fearful of your wiley, slippery ways. I have purchased this book and it has taken away my fear of you.

In fact, I am so unafraid of you that I even made the world's most awesome kiddy undies!

I have actually made 3 pairs of awesome kiddy undies and I am thinking that lots more will be made. Why don't I just go and buy some kiddy undies for my children I hear you ask? Very sensible question and had I been reading this blog a week or two ago, I would have been asking the same thing. The answer is that these undies are particularly awesome because when small girls are hanging upside down on swing sets (as they are prone to do around here) whilst wearing a skirt and NORMAL undies, well, it's just not a good look. With these undies however, all is covered and is just extreme cuteness in the form of funky looking gym knickers/boy leg undies/hot pants.

So if you have ever had the urge to make undies for the small peeps in your life, I highly recommend the pattern by kitschycookids which I got here. It's super easy and if you don't have an overlocker, you can just use the zig zag option on your normal machine. The only extra thing I would recommend that you do with the pattern is to fold over a little bit of ribbon at the back to act as a label so the kiddliwink knows which way they go on.

For more creative spaces, pop on over to Kootoyoo.

Devonport Craft Market tomorrow!

I bet I'll be up and out of the house before you lot tomorrow.

 It's market day tomorrow which means a very early start for me.

 No matter how early I get there to open up the building, there's always someone who has beaten me to it and there is lots of good humoured tutting and watch tapping. I'm beginning to think that they get there that early purely for the joy of tutting at me. Yes, you lot know who you are and I am going to do my best being the one tutting tomorrow!

 I've been very hard at work building up my stock again so I have lots of lovely goodies for you.

 It's forecast to be a wet day so you won't be at the beach will you?

 That means you should come and see us at the market.

 If it's not too wet, you could join in the Treasure Hunt (see the poster in my side bar)

 Hope we get to see you tomorrow!

 Devonport Craft Market, Sunday 6th March, 10am-3pm, 32 Clarence Street, Devonport.

My Creative Space - monkey business

Meet Bubbles. She's a cheeky lass. Loves a trip to the beach and a flirt at the icecream shop.

  And this is Rose. Bubbles is her best friend and she does worry about her sometimes. She likes to go to the beach too but she prefers to collect pretty seashells to add to her collection.

This is probably Ringo. I'm not sure until he's finished. You never know with sock monkeys, until you meet them properly, who they are.

Sometimes I don't find out who they are until they go to their new home.

Take Stripey for instance.

He didn't have a name or a personality until he went to his new home with M's friend last weekend. He was given both when he was unwrapped. I hear from M's friend's Mum that Stripey is spending an awful lot of time being cuddled in bed which I think he must be very fond of (all sock monkeys like a good cuddle).

I do love making these guys and I love seeing them go to a new home. Bubbles, Rose and Ringo (if he is indeed a Ringo) will be coming along with me to the Devonport Craft Market this Sunday, 6th March, 32 Clarence Street, Devonport, 10am-3pm. Come along and say hello if you can.

For more Creative Spaces, pop along to Kootoyoo.