Nothing much to see here....Creative Space

I would love to be one of those prolific crafts people that always have something fabulous for show and tell, something new and exciting and different, or 10 projects all happening at one time in organised chaos.

But the truth is- I am having one hell of a lazy winter.  I rarely go in my sewing room because the temperature suddenly drops 100 degrees down that end of the house. (Yes it's Iceland in my sewing room, really!) 

I have become prone to migraines, developed an addiction to watching The Tudors and my aversion to mowing and weeding my garden has resulted in a jungle appearing out my back yard that is so prolific it is just best I stay indoors from now on.

Yesterday I chose to stray from home and wandered into the city to visit Charlie Lily for designer eyebrows.

In the early nineties I plucked my brows with such a heavy compulsion that they have never been the same since and it was time I did something about them.  It was 1993 and around that time I also had my nose pierced and I recall my mother saying to my father "Oh Jimmy look what she has done to her face"..... and my father said "I like her new nose" and then my mother shrieked "not her nose her EYEBROWS! She HAD such beautiful eyebrows". It always struck me that not even a large silver ring in my nose could divert my mother's attention from what I had done there. Hence my need for the artistry of Charlie Lily's designer brows. The only problem was that I encountered a psycho on the train to the city who tried to steal my iphone. My iphone Clarence Hansel 3rd!!! Can you believe it?  My pride and joy. 

Just at the last second as he came at me from behind my intuition spiked and I was fast enough to keep my phone and my bag, thankfully. But he was so angry he attacked the girl behind me, took her phone and left her with bleeding hands. Everyone on the train was very upset after this commotion and as I sat there kissing and cradling Clarence the iphone, I realised that I needed more than just great eyebrows to make up for this level of unprovoked violence.  So I went to the Theosophical society bookshop and bought a Richard Freeman Ashtanga yoga DVD.  You see I cant go to yoga at the moment because Grandpa the babysitter has gone on vacation and as yoga is such a great outlet for stress- a DVD was the solution to all my problems.  I finally made it home to the haven of my loungeroom and proceeded along with Richard Freeman through the 70 odd asanas, mudras and bandhas (and my cat lying gracefully across my mat in all the wrong places at all the wrong times).  Everything was wonderful. Except.....

Today I cant move!

Can't even walk properly.  

Or bend. 

Forget crafting, what about just being able to sit down?

OUCH! Damn it Freeman what have you done to me?

The upside of all this is my thighs are like rocks.  My buttocks like steel.

And my new eyebrows make me look at least 5 years younger.

For some actual creative spaces go to Our Creative Space.

Creative Space XVI...

Today I am playing along with Kirsty's Creative Space and revealing to you all my Knitting project for my friend Katarina using this divine mohair from Wool Baa in Albert Park.

The only problem is- my knitting keeps magically, frustratingly, camouflagingly disappearing!

Let me show you how...

Mon evening 9.55 pm.

We all know that it is extremely difficult to prise a Birman off knitting.

However did you know that it is next to impossible to even FIND your knitting when it is hiding beneath a Birman?

Wed evening 8.49 pm.

It took me an entire 20 minutes of hair pulling searching last night to locate my knitting when it had magically morphed into my flokati rug.

Thurs morning 9. 46 am

And as recently as a few minutes ago my knitting was swallowed up by this seemingly innocent fluffy stool.

If only I had known how much adversary everyday household items would pose to my knitting.

Would I have still chosen cream coloured Mohair at such peril?

Be sure to check out Kootoyoo for more Creative Spaces.

Creative Space XIV...

Ooh I have had such a big break from Creative Space and am excited to be playing along again.  I have quite a few projects going on at the moment, some quilts, a silk scarf design, some knitted things and am trying very hard to finish off all my unfinished projects, the ones I have been putting off  because I have lost steam along the way.  I could never decide for instance how to finish off this Bird Boy until thankfully someone gave me another Lindt Chocolate Bunny with this bow that I can put to good use. These vintage buttons from Cheeky Little Monsters are my favourite and I always want to use them but have a strong dislike of button sewing. (These are pinned on, but I'm getting there, really I am.)

Sometimes I think my dolls look almost scary when they are inside out, stitches EVERYWHERE as I'm so particular about reinforced seams.  And then when they are turned out they look almost cute, but oh so strange until finally they are stuffed and dressed and then they are my little friends and I love each and every one.  Well this Sailor girl above is somewhere in that 'between' world- not yet loved but no longer seeming like she was cobbled together by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  (I'm reading this at the moment and Gothic literature is so exquisite- it makes me want to recline on my 1950's sofa and sigh heavily all day with a hand to my brow).

For more wonderous Creative Spaces tottle on over to Kootoyoo.

Creative Space XII...

(For April's Creative Space please go Here, Cheers)

Today I am bone tired, I have been feeling this way for weeks now but it is only today that I decided to visit my GP and plead with her to take my tiredness away. She said that I may be tired for one of 3 reasons-

1. I have a virus.
2. I am an exhausted mother to a spirited 3 year old.
3. I have borderline chronic fatigue.

Arrrggghhh, in other words she has absolutely no idea why I'm tired and is grasping at straws and blood tests and why did I not just go and get a reiki or acupuncture instead??????? Sometimes when I'm talking to my Doctor I see a look come over her face which spreads from the corners of her eyes right up through her crinkled forehead and seems to suggest that she thinks I'm a mental case. "Mmmggghhh right, I see" she says with her sidelong doubtful-yet-curious eyebrow furrow.  What goes on behind my Doctor's eyes (countless lonely nights gorging chocolate in pajamas or torrid swingers nights) I can only imagine, but what I really wanted was some kind of magic pill not a psychological assessment.

Anyway today's creative space consists of lying on the couch watching Toy Story 2 for the 30th time and printing out swing tags for my little Shirring dresses which I have been slowly (and what I'm saying is s-l-o-w-l-y) making for a few weeks now. Mostly I'm just laying on my couch with my head thrown back and my hand to my brow being pathetic.  Sigh! 

But there is a compelling sense of completion in the pinning on of those swing tags.  There really is.

Please go and visit some actual Creative Genius spaces at Kootoyoo.

Creative Space XI...

Today I am pretty much like Kirsty who hosts Creative Space over at Kootoyoo, finishing off all my projects and getting ready for Christmas.

I have a terrible tendency to start something and then become distracted by some other venture- so today is all about Completion.  Especially as the Made In Thornbury Market is only 2 days away.

Here is my Kitchen table...

This particular table was once my Nanna Molly's and then it was my Mum's and now it is mine and that may have something to do with why I love sitting at it.  I have a seperate sewing space but it just does not invite me in like this table does. I also like to do all my embroidery on my couch and only at night.

Here is a close up of some faces that will become my Mama and Baby dolls in the next few hours. Well.... Hopefully!

A face for Little Red Riding Hood for my Thread Den order.

 

This little flock of birds need some stuffin. (Can see how they will remain this way until the last possible minute...)

And the Beeeees, the Beeeeeeeees.

Hey wouldn't it be great if I remember to photograph the finished toys before they sell this time!!!!!!

Here are some realisations-

• You can lure an obstinate Birman Pussycat away from precious fabrics by placing a woollen blanket on the workspace as well.  Then you need to take her off the blanket 2 or 3 times to prove that it is also precious and then finally she will settle there thus saving your fabrics from catness.
• You can place a lamp underneath an ironing board as a very easy light box for tracing faces.
• Sewing Velvet to Cotton is freaking hideous and therefore I don't recommend it. 
• Sometimes the faces of dolls resemble your friends but never, never ever tell that particular friend about the likeness you alighted upon.
  

As this is the last Creative Space for 2009, make sure you head over to Kirsty's to check them all out.

Creative Space IX...

"The Bees....The Beeeeeeeees......." *

Today I'm playing along again with Kirsty, I have not had a chance to do this in a while, but it is not because I've not been creative- it is because, quite frankly, I am a very lazy photographer. There, I said it.  

I am totally confounded as to why I find it so utterly difficult to pull out a Digital camera, set it to Auto,then point and shoot! Especially after spending long years in the dark room doing all of this myself- developing, pushing, cross processing, enlarging, burning, dodging.... now I do it by plugging the camera in and clicking on one or two buttons with Canon Software.... oh goodness lazy old me!

Today's Creative Space takes place on my couch.  

I am making more of the Bee Boy Rattles in the beautiful Kokka fabric from Kelani.

I bought this linen Bee print fabric so long ago and have been waiting to find matching corderoy.  Where do people buy good quality corderoy I wonder? Usually I just stumble upon it by accident in my frequent thrift shop pilgrimages.  This corderoy is Colonel Mustard yellow and black.

 

Bee boy is getting new wings sketched today as his sample wings were too big and made turning out difficult.

See how beautiful the print is.

Bees drinking tea is really too cute.

I drew his face on as a way of reducing time, it takes about 13 seconds to draw as opposed to 10 minutes to embroider.  But I do love embroidered faces so. Perhaps I will do some of each.

My kitchen has a creative space of its own at the moment as I have started making my Christmas cards for my lovely brothers and sisters. And I cannot tell you what is materialising in my sewing space as it is a project for next week, however I promise to be more adept at photographing my little creative ventures from this moment forth.

For more creative spaces visit Kootoyoo here.

*Quote from Job, Arrested Development Season 2, if you have not seen this series you must endeavor to do it very soon as it is clever and witty and ever so endearing.

My Creative Space VIII

Today is my birthday and I'm having a little morning celebration with tea and blackberry croissants and watching Anne of Green Gables while I embroider hearts. Life could not be sweeter.

Well, it would be if not for the arrival of my second wisdom tooth overnight- a sure sign that I am getting older.

I can feel the beginnings of it cutting through and it's rather tender indeed.

I'm planning on setting off later to use my Birthday ticket from Palace Cinemas to see Terry Gilliams new film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.  Although Gilliam's last film Tideland was a freak show, Imaginarium's cast includes Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Jude Law so it simply Has to be wonderful.

Does it not?

I'm playing along with Kirsty again today, here is my Creative Space:

 

Lately I have been enamored with the idea of Bird Girls and Bee boys and Rabbit hearted girls.

These are some pictures of Bird girl.

Some of the dolls I have given as gifts in the past have had compartments that unzip to reveal their hearts and I'm designing a new doll that is similar but has a string of hearts hidden inside. I will let you know if I have any success with my plans.

Until then check out Kootoyoo for lots of fabulous Creative Spaces.

Creative Space VII

My Creative Space began in a garden beside a beautiful rare Ombu tree.

We call it the Faery Tree because of all the winged creatures we imagine inhabit it's branches.

An inspirational space for drawing faces of particular creatures.

Today it is Monsieur and a feline friend.

I believe it is possible for a bunny rabbit and a pussy cat to fall in Love.

But time will tell.....

Under the watchful eye of Kameko, I finished the embroidery this morning.

Kameko has lately been under the weather, but thankfully using grey wool won her over.

I now have 6 faces covered in a mass of white cat hair, waiting for me to select their wardrobe.

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter where hopefully these faces find bodies.

And check out Kootoyoo for more Creative Spaces...

My Creative Space VI...

 

My Creative Space on this fabulous rainy Thursday in Melbourne is sifting through all my new buttons and op-shop aquisitions and trying to spring clean my sewing space.  My collection of haberdashery is starting to take over my house, really and truly and to be honest I ran out of cupboard space a long time ago and yet I am still collecting..... Here are some of the latest finds.
Some very cute fabric from Leongatha Salvation Army op shop and some amazing leather buttons from a thrift shop in Korumburra.  (So much better than the fake ones made of plastic that were big in the 70s).

While we are on the subject of buttons, check out these lovely ones I received from Tania at Cheeky Little Monsters on the weekend. They are fantastic, but once again I ask myself "where do I store them" because, lets face it, it will take a lifetime of sewing to use them all.

  

Is it just me or are these knitting books Camp or what?  'That Unhurried Look'- surely is because you would not be seen outside your house in jumpers such as these! And what is with the chess champion?

This one is my favourite, I bought it from St Vinnies for my friend John who totally adores 80's woollen jumbers (and he can pull off wearing them too).  I love that it is for men only, which kind of gives it a 'wool porn' feel and raises the question- are the fantastically hideous jumpers enclosed within Only to be viewed by Men?  Or can they Only be Knitted by them????

 

 

Lastly here are some other recent op-shop purchases. This really pretty 70's acrylic knit is too small for me but I have been squeezing into it all the same, because it is awesome. The practical guide to crochet is the sort of book I always dream of finding and finally have. And as for the 80's bikini pattern- well I just could not say no!

So that is really all I am up to today. Once everything is put away (read 'shoved' away), then I can begin the next creative project, I have a few markets coming up so I had best put on my skates as my mother would say :)

Visit Kirsty for more Creative Spaces.

My Creative Space V

Today my Creative Space is having a hair crisis!  A seriously terrible, perplexing, gigantic mess of a hair problem.  Sometimes no matter what I do I just cannot get my own hair to look good and now this affliction has transferred itself to my dolls.  Having tried so many variations over time on this doll, I set about today to remedy the situation, but alas- no success (again).  Perhaps she will forever remain unfinished. I have decided to give up and work on my photo albums instead.  Try Try again, another day, maybe when the rain has cleared things will start to look up.  :)

See more Creative MySpaces at Kootoyoo.

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