@my house - Mondays post done in the wee (mystery) hours of Tuesday morning

This Monday finds me both loving and hating the end of daylight savings.
Love it because my body still hasn't clicked in to the extra hours sleep so everything is done and ready for school so early in the morning and there is no problem getting everyone out of bed.
Hate it because it really does mean the end of summer ( not that we really had one this year) and that it is really dark by 6:30 and it will only get earlier and earlier in the months to come.
So I look back on a wonderful weekend the girls and I shared at Torquay while Brett was away hiking in the snowy mountains.

Climbing the sand dunes at Torquay

Rock Pools at Pt Addis

Evening at Pt Lonsdale front beach on the journey home. You can tell I have spent the day in the sun without a hat ( naughty, naughty) by the sheer number of freckles taking over my face. Oh the skin of a redhead!

I am also still amazed at how popular my silverware garden markers continue to be. I really thought they would be an item that would  be a cute Christmas gift and that sales would drop off and ultimatley die after Christmas/New Year but people continue to amaze me with a repeat customer returning today to order another 41 spoons and forks.
Another plus for the day -  my second order from Xenotees  - a fantastic store on etsy, arrived today - super speedy. I already have an animal collective t-shirt but as the cooler days are coming I thought a longer sleeve was in order and since I love cutlery I thought this fork shirt very fitting. ( hahaha Yes I meant the double pun)
With a day like this I have found it very hard to wipe the smile off my face.
I hope your week has started as well as mine.

My Creative Space

My creative space this week finds me loving this autumn weather and with many projects on the go....

New teaspoon bookmarks have just hit my shop.

They are a smaller, flatter version of my Cook Book Clips  and area lovely way to mark you spot in a favourite or current book.
 
My teacup bird feeders are also making a comeback and the supplies are building up for the April and Easter markets. As Autumn moves in down here and the food starts to dry up for the birds in out area it was lovely to see a little bird partaking of our fare this morning. Only wish I had had the camera on hand.

I have also been working on repainting a cane surround mirror that I picked up from the side of the road. I love the cyclic nature of nature strip finds. I find many treasures in this way and always make sure I return the karmic favour by placing my unwanted items out to find their way into someone elses life. They never last long either. This week after finding the mirror I finally decided to get rid of the only remaining wooden bar stool. I think it was about 5 mins before it had been picked up. But I digress.... My new to me mirror was a terrible 'old bathroon pink' and is now on its was to being classic white. Before and after shots to come another time.

Last but not least, my vegie garden has amazed all and continues to grow despite the cat deciding that it is now here favourite place to sleep in the sun ( 3 snow pea plants died for her comfort) and the dog that has taken a liking to nibbling the lemongrass and silverbeet at the base of the plants. Nonetheless, the surviving peas needed a frame to climb up, so, as of this afternoon there is now a trellis hung on our fence. The man at Bunnings wanted to make it so complicated and I'm sure he would not approve of my hanging method. Rather than multiple screws and brackets I have opted for  3 squared hooks mounted to the fence, which will enable me to remove or raise the trellis frame when I want/need. Silly man, there is no rule that says things can only be used  for their original purpose....

Take a break from your creating, and pop over to Kootoyoo to browse through what other creative folk have been up to.

My Creative Space

 I Wish.....

My first creative space for a while finds me wishing....
Wishing for more time  -  my mind is working a million miles an hour with new ideas and there is is not enough hours left in the day after normal work and after school activities to get them all done.
I have new ideas for the silver cutlery that I hope will be a winner for Easter, and, I also want to have time to play around , just experimenting with spoons like the one above - nothing for sale,  just feel good stuff around the house for me.
I also have a grand new idea for fleece this winter. I am calling it B.L.I.S.S. ( but you will have to wait for the great unveiling to see what it stands for.) BUT, and this is a big BUT , BLISS is still in my mind and has yet to have any prototypes made.
The plus side however it that sewing can be done late at night. Bashing spoons flat and then stamping them is a little noisey to be done after dark.

As for all the other ideas, eg  the clothes that I would like to make,  learning  to crochet/knit , free form stiching, being creative with coffee sacks, the list goes on -   well, they will just have percolate in the brain a little longer.

I hope you find time for your creative persuits and play along at Kootoyoo

Bite Size Snippets .....

After the recent success of my 'Mini Maps of Melbourne' Coaster sets which were chosen to be gifts for the International VIPS at last weeks Loreal Fashion Week here in Melbourne and the requests I have had for sets from more northern destinations, Bite-Size Bits of Brisbane and Snippets of Sydney Coaster sets have been born. So favourite or memorable places in any city up the east coast can now be a talking point and create a drink with a difference.

The original .....

how they look when assembled

and the new additions....

Next in line is a wider range of aviation map placemats and some travel tealights ....... stay tuned .....

My Creative Space

Christmas has come early in my creative space this week as I work through the final touches, problems and hiccups, for the tea light Christmas carols to be launched at the Red Hill market on Saturday. I am very happy with them and I hope many customers will be to. Perfect for that little gift for a friend or prehaps a teacher?

Play along with your creative space at Kootoyoo.

@my house - a little bit late

My house this week finds me totally our of whack! Don't get me wrong, I love 4 day holiday weekends but it does throw my time/day clock out of whack. I went through today thinking it was Sunday and that I had plenty of time to get everything done for the Red Hill market next Saturday. Just after lunch it hit me that I have less than 2 days to get everything done as tomorrow is out with 'normal' work and the candle holders will not even arrive until Thursday arvo. So.... I pulled my little finger out and got on with all the new fork and spoon options I have had floating around in my head, and I must say they have turned out rather well.  They are now all up for sale in my madeit shop

My favourites are the custom teaspoons ....

I had never like the idea of garden forks but when I stuck a couple of them in the garden at jaunty angles, it changed my mind. They now come in single forks, sets of 3 or mixed sets with spoons.

Now there are just the pile of coasters to do, more spoons and forks to stamp, cook book clips to stamp and fold, and the christmas tealight holders to create from scratch. Somehow I think I will be seeing a lot of the 'mystery hours' in the next few days.

Apart from all of that it was Melbourne Cup Day today ( hence the holiday, yesterday was mid-term break) and  'the race that stops a nation' did stop everything at our house, as, for the 3 1/2 minutes that the race took, we were all glued to the TV.

Play along with your house here

@my house New Products - Finally!

At my house today we are mini-celebrating as I am very happy with the way my new teaspoon bookmarks have turned out. The first in the 5 new products I hope to have finished in the next week.

I have always liked the souvenir teaspoons you get from all over the place but hated the normal display stand way of showing them off, so therefore, like everyone else they get shoved in a drawer or discarded.
Well now they can have a new life and also keep your place in the lastest book,  until your next moment of escapism.

And this is the little gem I have to thank for enabling me to bend them without snapping the fine handles off.  - My mini butane torch. ( but if the snapping thing does happen, I have products to make from the broken bits too).

These are the outcome...... The flattened spoon goes inside the book and the decorative handle sits down the spine of the book.

They will have custom messages stamped onto the flattened spoon but I haven't decided on what the standard ones will be yet. Prehaps, 'Fell Asleep Here', 'Brain Food', 'Food for the Soul', 'Melanie's Book' etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I also attempted some new fork creations but the gas ran out and even though the guy in the tobacco shop made filling the torch seem really easy, I cannot get the butane into it at sufficient pressure or amount. All I get is a low temp bunsen burner flame (although it can look like a flame thrower).
So back I go today, playing the helpless female and get another lesson on gas refills.

Whats happening at your place? Play along and check out some other homes at Lou's.

My Creative Space

My creative space this week finds me totally rethinking my market stall.
7 years ago no-one was selling pouch style baby slings anywhere much in Aus and baby wearing was just starting to take off. As such my business boomed and I easily replaced my old full time job income plus more with one day at the market 3 out of every 4 weeks and sewing at night and while Sarah was at kinder etc. Today you find slings everywhere and add to this the ecconomic climate of the past couple of years and the fact that there are free patterns for slings all over the internet,  sales have dropped dramatically and it is now my 'supplemental' products that are bringing in the money. I have also lost the desire to keep thinking of new baby products.

Since my upcycled spoons have been so popular I am moving more toward this line of upcycling thinking and are hoping to have completed samples of the new product range in the next couple of days so they can either be approved or rejected by the market committee.

My new mini butane torch arrived today so the small spoon bending can begin. Now all those souvenir teaspoons that people discard will soon have a new lease of life.
So too will this map from a 1996 version of the Brisbane UBD ( this is where we lived way back then)

These maps, but for the Melbourne markets from vintage Melways, as well as nautical charts will be turned into these....

I have several other coasters that are undergoing the waterproofing test, that are of a rounded square shape, which I think I like better, but since they are only tests they have very ugly advertising maps from the font section of the UBD on them and are not photo worthy. - not to mention the wrinkles from learning how to use modge podge. Everyone raves about this stuff but I must admit I am having some serious wrinkle problems. Any tips???
Also on the list of to do's are upcycling tea light candles, recycled sheet music, christmas carols and coffee sacks. ( A lot of these will require the mastering of modge podging) I have a very busy few days ahead but I love the inventing/design stage of new products.



I am also glad that there will be no more birthday cake baking after the efforts of the last couple of weeks have left me considerable heavier than I started out. I wish I didn't like cake so much.
Here are a couple of shots of the finished Thomas Cake for Mia last weekend ( actually a James cake as he is the favourite engine).

I hope your week is as creative as it can be. If so, play along here at Kootoyoo

As a footnote.........I am also committing to attend the Perle8 group next week (Sept 23rd). Now I have said that I will go and everyone has read it I cannot not turn up. ( What do you bet that the group stops during the holidays - hehehe, this would be just my luck)

@my house

My house today finds us celebrating the end of winter (YAY). I know there are still 2 days to go till spring and that the forecast for the first few days of spring is yuck to say the least BUT today was perfect! The sun was shining, it was almost warm, the violets are going beserk in my paving and the blossom has appeared on the trees. Oh how I love the first signs of new life after a bleak winter.

My broadbeans have also loved the weather lately and are growing like mad so hopefully there will be a nice little crop soon.

Grow my little beauties, Grow!

My sunshine spoons and cookbook clips are walking out the door and while taking these photos I kept finding spent sparkler sticks from Sarah's slumber party the other night.

 

 Sparkler writing at the slumber party (and the source of all today's sticks)

What's happening at your house? Got you interested? Check it out at Buttons by LouLou

Envelope Envy

Since my spoons have proved to be very well received (and hopefully the new line of forks will be to) I needed to find a way of packaging them that was not just being wrapped in tissue paper before being placed in the padded bag for mailing.
I had been searching the web,  actual shops, my brain ,and that of friends, to try and come up with the perfect solution. I wanted a small flat type of bag  that could be customised if I wanted to.I had just about given up when I stumbled across this post on the madeit blog.

Envelope Paper Bag Tutorial

Suffice to say I have found my answer. I have so many odd envelopes laying around my house that are about to fine a new purpose in life - not only for the spoons but also for all sorts of small presents or gift bags.

My Creative Space

Today's creative space finds me flat out, whacking, stamping, cutting, sewing, polishing and lacing - Spoons, bubba boots and drums that is, trying to get all the orders finished and posted/delivered.
It never rains but pours. For weeks I have been wanting business to pick up and get back to what it used to be but with the current ecconomic climate I gave up and found myself a part time job to pick up the slack. No sooner did I do this than the work has just kept coming.
Mumasupial has picked up again at the markets and online sales, new shops are approaching me to sell my toys and slings and after last weekends worry about my spoons, the orders have just kept coming sometimes within 1/2 hour of listing the item- to the point that I am now on a mad search for silver plated spoons to be able to keep up.
Hence there are no new photos ready.
I have taken pics of all the spoons before they go out so I can create a catalogue and will take some of all the boots and drums before they get sent to the shop tomorrow but for now a demo version collage of photos taken on nice sunny days (not like today) will have to suffice. Maybe tomorrow I can update the photos as I do like to have fresh new pics for a post.

 

Check out what other crazy crafty weeks people are having over at Kootoyoo.

What's Cookin?

On a beautiful, almost spring day that reminds us that a miserable, wet winter will end, there was finally the chance to get some decent photos of my cookbook spoon taken and into my madit shop.
Ever since I first made this spoon it has been a constant in my kitchen. I used to try and get cookbooks to stay open at the appropriate page but normally this resulted in the page being covered in whatever was being cooked as my messy fingers had to keep reminding the page to stay open. Well, no longer. This spoon has exceeded my expectations. At best I thought it would hold the book open laying flat on the benchtop but I have found that I can stand the book up and the clip not only holds the pages open but balances the book  so I can still read it while moving around the kitchen.
Now I am hoping that other people find them as useful as I, wondering what they did before it joined them in their cooking endeavours.

 Alas, the weather returns to winter tomorrow and for the next week or so ( that is if you believe weathermen) but I can dream about sunshine and warmth.

The Highs and Low of a Sunday

After being on a high tonight after a very successful Mornington Market, 2 more internet orders, new outlet opportunities for my spoons coming to me without any prompting, enquiries for purchasing my train and car caddies and both my stores being featured on the madeit front page at the same time, I was disappointed when perusing madeit that I found someone, who within 3 days of my spoons being listed, had flooded the market with exactly the same thing, only instead of using vintage sliver spoons, they use old stainless steel spoons.
Before I listed  there was no-one doing anything like this on madeit. I know and understand I cant expect to be the only one selling garden spoons but it was still a bummer on such a good day.
With the day giving both highs and lows on the crafting front I am choosing to stick with the positives as they certainly outweigh the negative and as I continually tell Sarah to look for the good in something, focus on that and try to find something good in a so-called negative, I have to lead by example and remind myself that 'imitation is the best form of flattery'.


So lets go out on a positive - Mumasupial and me2 on the front page at once.

I hope you have had a lovely weekend and if in Melbourne, enjoyed the rain-free, almost hinting at spring, couple of days.

Ho Hum, once again a post will appear on the following day as I forgot the time and finished it after midnight.

Toot, Toot, Chugga Chugga

Well it, the Train Cozy that is, is finished and I must say that although I would change a few things if I made it again, I am extremely happy with how it turned out. So I might say is Mia and Molly Engine.
See for yourself.......

 

As I said there are a few changes I would make as I learnt that Wonder Under does not work all that successfully under 3mm ribbon, it is very easy to stick said ribbon to your ironing board when trying to attach Wonder Under and stitching all the track cross rails individually takes a lot of time.
BUT...
I already have plans to make more but this time for racing cars with a racetrack going all the way around with a pit lane in the middle and possibly a train one but with the track done a far simpler way.
Hmmmm, possiblities, possibilities. Now if only some of my friends had young boys instead of girls.