55 sleeps until the big bearded man comes

Here are some more ideas for the Christmas Ornament Swap check out the details here and some more ideas here, here, here and here. 

Braided Stars 

(looks like an easy tutorial)

Embroidery Hoops 

(also very 'in') 

Paper Balls 

How to:

1. Pick up some glass ornaments from the opp shop or your stash of ugly ornaments you never end up using.

2. Decoupage (a flash word for paper mache) with vintage paper (any paper really). Could be some christmas scrap book paper.

3. Sprinkle with glass glitter before the glue is dry.

3. Tie with jute and sparkly bead and a tag with a christmas word that inspires. 

Music Sheet Paper Balls

How to:

Same idea as above but paper just cut in strips and attached top and bottom. 

Check out this tutorial if you are keen to make these. 

Quilted Ornament

(little tutorial)

Yarn Balls

(super cool made with a balloon, yarn and glue)

Am I confusing you yet? 

Obviously I like all of these and probably shouldn't have shown you all my ideas as I still have no idea what I am making. I would like to give a few of these a go but don't want to make a flop. Maybe you are feeling the same? Well the approach of this swap is just to have some fun and give it a go. 

Are you keen? 
Please register to sarajspeight(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)nz with your name, email address and postage details. Ideally by the 1st November (thats tomorrow). 

my creative space: a green and blue pillowcase dress #2

I wonder if the trick to this getting stuff done is just to have the sewing machine and all the associated stuff sitting on the dining room table (and hence not tucked away in a pretty craft room). 


A couple of weekends ago we had a fourth birthday party to go to and as we're very low on finances I thought I could whip up another pillowcase dress. Plus its nice to make something. This little girl isn't very girlie I so thought she might like this green and blue pillowcase (only as a dress).  

When we got to the party she was wearing a simple purple top and plain jeans. All the other little girls were dressed to the nines in their party clothes. This made me laugh. BUT then I realised this dress probably won't be worn a lot. Sad face. But I'm hoping just a few special times as I know her parents liked that I'd made it.

I even made the bias binding around the sleeves and put elastic through the front and back.   Personally I didn't want to give it away. 

I've come the the conclusion I can sew with children around. Also another revelation. They have been surprising me by playing around me or 'helping'. Or taking themselves off outside while I've been sewing inside. After 'the earthquakes' I didn't let them out of my sight but thankfully each day this worry relaxes. I think my neighbour thinks its weird that I let my kids roam around outside (imagine a 2 year old with t shirt, no nappy or shoes but maybe socks digging around outside) but that's how I was brought up (and my husband for that matter).  So anyway the idea to sew for an hour a day might not be so unrealistic.

 Yippee. 

On a good day.

 I must say no housework got done. In fact housework got undone if you know what I mean. 

a merry doily christmas - part one: ornaments

Numbers for the Christmas Ornament Swap with whilethechildrensleep and hollymade are adding up. If you are hesitant about joining the swap due to what you consider a lack of creative skills I suggest a visit to these blogs and a little trip to spotlight (or your local craft store). I went to spotlight today and there are lots of things that you could use that would be beautiful yet easy to make. 


So I went on a mission to find some doily ornament (p)inspiration. If you haven't heard of pinterest you are missing out on hours of eye candy. I find its the best place to search for craft tutorials. But I digress.  


I've liked doilies for a while now, although I think I used to think them grandmaish. I've realised its the way you use them that takes them from fuddy duddy (spelling?) to creative and beautiful. If you are interested in finding doilies your local opp shop is the best place. The $2 shop sells paper ones these days. I know. I have a supply of paper ones from my MIL. They are many years old. 

Ideas and tutorials

(click on the links below the piccies)

Stiffened Doilies

from: marthastewart.com

This sounds easy and I've wanted to do this for some time. 

How-To:

1. Lay textile doilies on a covered surface. With a foam brush or roller, coat both sides of doilies with undiluted fabric stiffener until just saturated. Let dry overnight. 

2. Press with an iron. 

3. Hang from thread or monofilament.

 Wooden birds with decoupaged doilies 
and aged with a dark patina. 

from: etsy.com

 Felt Doily Stars

    

from: melissagoodsell.typepad.com

Hanging Fabric Doilies 

 from: lemontreecreations.blogspot.com

Doily Star

from: marthastewart.com

and just in case you missed this from my first christmas ornament swap post

here's my favourite again. 

Paper Doily Bird

from: beautifulnest.blogspot.com

PS. While I did find some use of doilies for Christmas ornaments I found more as decoration therefore part two to come.

christmas ornament swap / the big reveal

Welcome lovelies, 

from: dana-made-it.com

Would you like to receive 6 beautiful handmade ornaments for your Christmas tree? 

Yes of course you would. 

Myself and two blogger friends, Sara @ while the children sleep and Holly @ Holly Made (both whom I know in real life) will "post" ideas for inspiration over the next wee while. 

Here's the details:
Participants will be put into groups of 6 people, and you will "swap" ornaments. That means making 6 handmade ornaments, one for yourself, and one for each of the other members of your group. You will be given the postage details of the others in your group and be expected to post them an ornament by the end of November. Resulting in six beautiful ornaments. Ta Da.

How to register:
Sara has kindly offered to organise/host for us. Simply email her at sarajspeight(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)nz with your name, email address and postage details. Please register by the 1st of November. So you have one month to make.

What to make: 
You needn't be a crafter to make something that you and others will love. They can be made from anything ..... natural things, wool, felt, buttons, beads, fabric, paper.....I have a stash of crafty stuff so please ask if you need something.


Here is some inspiration/tutorials.

from: beautifulnest.blogspot.com

from: etsy.com

from: blog.maggiemakes.com

 I'm planning a post on doilies christmas stuff. Totally the 'in' thing. 

Stay turned.

PS. If you would like to receive emails when I post on this blog (maybe once a week) please see the right hand side of a green (and sometimes blue) life blog 

and click join this site on the followers or become a member. 

so excited at what I've been up to

So I have a rather large stash of fabric, ideas and two children who need clothes but I think I've finally broken the mental 'I need to have a quiet, tidy home before I can sew' idea. This is good news as I have a large list of things to do in 2011 and if you didn't know its October. There will always be something IN the IN TRAY as reading the book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff" has tried to teach me.  However lots of the STUFF in my TO DO tray is from 2010. Big sigh...


So I can tick
x1 pair of boys pants
Made with a pattern from Ottobre Spring 2009 with thick Indian Cotton from Spotlight. Probably cost me about $10 all up and I'm going to LOVE them. 

front

back

x1 Pillowcase dress with an over the top bow.
I think I picked up this pillowcase for 50 cents and used my late Mother-in-Laws material for the bow. It's going to be a party dress as white is not that practical but oh so pretty, was kinda experiment and really was super easy so now I'm inspired to make more.

coming soon ... Christmas Ornament Swap

Welcome,


Oh so exciting a Christmas Ornament Swap. More information real soon. 

Source:www.juliacrossland.blogstop.com

for the soul

So life isn't always so sunny for me as I have anxiety. There I said it.

So hence the sometimes blue in the blog title. 

I don't expect to talk about it much as mostly I don't need too but every now and then (like most people) I need to express some of my thoughts and feelings. Which if you have anxiety are constantly running through your mind. And until you deal with them they don't go away. In fact they like to stick around.  

I mostly just need to get some exercise, a walk in nature, to make something, 
or have a chat. 

read: some alone or ME time. 

Being a Stay at Home Mama (SAHM) alone time is difficult during week days as children crave mummy time. The big thing around here at the mo is giddy up horsy. So normally in the weekends Papa "looks after them" while I get a bit of ME time. But as it's getting to crunch time for my hubbie with study I'm playing SAHM in the weekends too. I'm not annoyed with him as I would like for him to succeed. BUT I shall be very happy when mid November comes, exams are finished and we can have more ME and family time. 
It will feed my soul. 

But do you know this blog with all its little lists makes me want to make and making inspires me to make more. How awesome is that. 

who said boys clothes were boring...

it is hard to get inspired by shop brought boys clothes I admit.  

but hand made boys clothes that's a different story I think. 

here is the pair of pants I finally finished for Master 2. 

I like! Do you?