Wordle me

I love little bits of useless but pretty things.

Marika who has just started to blog about her crafty adventures sent me a link to "Wordle" where it generates a scramble of frequently used words on your blog and mine came out with this: It's nice to know that there aren't too many negative words generated. :D I think it must only look at the first page of your blog though. I guess I have been talking about leather a fair bit!

Try it out!

A cool quote

I heard a great quote on the radio this morning which I will try not to bastardise too much as I didn't have time while driving to write it down:

'Nothing is earned without hard work
You cannot work hard without passion
Do what you love'

...or words to that effect by Nathan Buckley - former Australian football player.

Because Nathan Buckley told me to, today I am:

1) working hard to enjoy every moment of this day off I am lucky to have

Treats from one of my many favourite local cafes

...with a tomato, feta and basil bruschetta and a soy chai latte with a little trickle of honey at Le Chien.

2) passionate about these gorgeous scrap fabrics I purchased today

for the love of fabric!

I am still thinking about what I will do with all the material but for now, I will just run my hands over them and purr.

3) loving this craft experimental phase I am in and working on more leather sewing

Belt attempt # 2 with Cheeky Beeks fabric

I have one order to fulfill - a belt for my (sometimes) lovely sister. In return, she shall knit me a scarf for winter (because we are sisters and we don't ask, we just expect ;) )

Sandra, Danielle and Michvanetta are all looking like they have been very busy living the Nathan Buckley way recently too!

P.s. please do not think I am a football fan because I quote a footballer. Not that there is anything wrong with being one, I am definitely not a fan. My husband has enough passion for the both of us and then some. :)

The process to pick the winner

The Contenders

The Witnesses

The Hat


Grumpy little helper

The winner!

Congratulations sarasophia! What a lovely comment you left and an enchanting blog you have!

Thanks to everyone who visited and said hello and I hope you stay in touch. A little precious birdie keeps telling me I must open a shop, so I guess for those who missed out, watch this space!

My Goodness Me

"Welcoming cats" by convexstyle.

I wake up and find so many wonderful comments from people about the pouch! THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Of course thank you to Lara who pointed many of her wonderful readers here too. Welcome! If you popped by another way, Welcome!

I mentioned in the previous post I am drawing the winner "over the weekend" but I think I need to be a bit more specific. Errrmmm...let's say I'll draw it tomorrow morning Western suburbs of Melbourne time at 10am?

See you then! Have a great Friday or Thursday as the case may be...

A gift for you!

My first attempt at working with leather was in my early high school years. I loved it and was amazed that, unlike my attempts at pottery and sculpting, what I envisaged in my head actually translated into my work! Alas, science and maths got in the way so I had to give up art and craft pretty early in school.

So anyway, now to celebrate the rebirth of my leather work (and crafting in general really), I am giving away a leather business card pouch to one of my readers. I know there aren't many of you so you'll have a pretty fair chance of winning!

Just leave me a comment and I'll draw a name from a hat over the weekend. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Leather pouch with Japanese fabric cover

Leather pouch with Japanese fabric lining

P.s. the vase and the box you see in the pictures with the pouch are not included with the giveaway. Nor are the business cards I picked up from the Stitches and Craft show. :D

Street Art

The best art is free, unexpected and anonymous.

Street art on Johnston street

Edit: I guess not so anonymous after all - http://www.flickr.com/photos/stensoul/. Thanks for letting me know LoungeKat!

Mmmm looks delicious

The cake for my wedding (way back in 2007) was made by my very talented and beautiful cousin, Natanya. It looked amazing and was really delicious too!

Our wedding cake

Nat recently had a baby boy and I thought it would be quite fitting to give them a "nappy cake". If you have not heard of a nappy cake, it's basically a whole bunch of nappies bundled together to form a shape resembling a cake - such a clever idea.

Alas, since she lives in Sydney, I couldn't use my usual supplier who only delivers to areas within Melbourne. So, I tried to make one myself instead. I don't think Nat reads my blog so I think it's safe to post about it!

"Nappy cake"

A new find

I discovered a new online mag today via Abigail's blog called "Antler". It is a free mag featuring fashion, art and design . This month's issue has an interview with Abigail, a jewellery designer based in Glasgow who makes some of the most exquisite pieces I have seen but alas, cannot afford just yet [Edit: Previously I wrote that the magazine featured an interview with Abigail's beautiful jewellery which would be interesting if her jewellery could speak...so note to self: do not write a post in a rush!] . Check it out!

Tonight my family and I are going to watch Cirque Du Soleil. I am very excited - I have seen them twice before and loved every minute. I hope everyone has a fun filled weekend!

Is that a lotus root you're wearing?

There are many things I find challenging at my work but one saving grace is the building's foyer which is used as an art gallery. The most recent exhibition was of art and craft created by friends and family of the company.

The work by Misako Sakai was my favourite:

Collection of jewellery by Misako Sakai

Lotus Necklace by Misako Sakai

Lotus Root earrings and ring by Misako Sakai

In her words:

"Renkon, or Lotus Roots are delicious to eat and so attractive on a plate. When slices of root dry, they shrivel up into interesting shapes, which I used as inspiration for this jewellery".

I think it is amazing what people use as inspiration!

My To Do List

I finished one thing on my To Do list for this weekend, a pencil case which showcases my newly acquired zipper skills. I bought the cute fabric used for the project from the Stitches and Craft show but I'm sure it would have preferred a better home, if the fabric could think and feel that is. Alas, it would have to make do with me and my basic sewing skills.

Showing off my new zipper skills

On a different note, you might be able to make out from the scrawling on my To Do list that there is an item to remind myself to shop on Etsy. You know, in case I forgot.

I cannot decide on anything from this gorgeous Mu-Yin jewellery store as a going away present for my sister:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5200824

I am thinking perhaps the two peas in a pod necklace. Just gorgeous.

Experimenting

I love holidays where I have the mental space to just work on some craft projects. Stay tuned for more installments during the Easter break!

Experiment 1: Iron on transfers

Bird Tank prototype

The good - it's super easy and cheap and great for prototyping.
The bad - the transfer material is actually quite thick and opaque. So not so good on white.
The ugly - none. Well maybe one - it does look kinda cheap.

Experiment 2: Leather obi belt

Leather Obi belt - Sheep's leather with Japanese patterned fabric

The good - I'm getting there with sewing leather, it's definitely wearable and I've got plenty of ideas of how to improve for my next attempt.
The bad - The sewing isn't really consistent and the leather didn't really glide over the machine
The ugly - Luckily the inside of it can't be seen when wearing it. ;)

Leather belt close up, but not too close ;)

If you want to have a go at sewing leather, it can be done with your normal machine if the leather is soft enough. I also found this guide helpful. If you have any tips on sewing leather, I would love to hear it!

Just what I wanted...

Buttons and knick knacks

Fabric buttons close up

I received an awesome package in the mail from Louise yesterday morning and I was completely stoked. It was more than what I expected (I actually wasn't quite sure what to expect from my first swap and all). I received gorgeous fabric buttons, material and other bits and bobs for craft projects. Thanks Louise!

My First Swap

It's my first craft swap so I'm nervous and excited. What if my recipient doesn't like what I have made them and feels ripped off?? Or WORSE, what if I don't like what I receive? (note sarcasm in preceding sentence).

I'm sending my items today in time for Easter, as instructed.