i must draw

V-Day and Pot Dyeing

2012-02-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

Following an unplanned seasonal bout of flu, things got a little off track. I did get to watch season 2 of Gossip Girl guilt free from the comfort of my couch. At the weekend I did a little Valentine's day workshop where in my rush I forgot to bring a camera. I had a good little group and we made very cute embellished heart pins. Finally made progress on a store front and I have one thing in my shop which by the time I post this will hopefully be fuller. You think it's going to be so simple and before you know it you have to design a banner and change all the colors of the text etc etc. I do protest too much, if I wasn't so indecisive I'd be fine. There's also been some graphic design projects which I'd been working on for some time which thankfully were completed. Nothing worse than a deadline and a raging headache.

Heart pin

You may recall I mentioned a Pringle jumper that shrank from XL to mini mini. I decided on some pot holders, too thick for what I had originally intended. I blanket stitched the outside. I'll probably stitch a design onto the center but trying to stay focussed.

Pot Holder Super Felted

These should be in Thrift store find. In the spirit of Valentine's Day his n her cups. I love these they both have little lids/coasters. Whoever decided these weren't treasures must have been mad they are so adorable aren't they ?

his n hers mugs

Before I got ill I decided to dye a pink cashmere sweater on the stove. Like most of my ventures it was messy but ultimately successful. I plunged this garment into a pot of boiling water and dye and a cup of vinegar. For the next thirty minutes I had to stir it with my wooden spoon. Cashmere is usually hand wash only delicate and there I was stirring it like a stew. The color looked amazing and I would be lying if I didn't think it was going to shrink to the size of a small infant tee but praise be no shrinkage and beautiful color. The secret is apparently to let it cool naturally no shocking it with cold water and no tumble drying. So if you have a sweater in a color that doesn't suit you, or is plain blah. Have a go, you're not going to wear it any less are you ? You can use your washing machine if you want but I didn't want to risk the wrath of an unsuspecting neighbor accidentally having blue tinged clothes in the next wash and it sounded far more complex than the pot method.

From pale pink to lovely blue

Invigorated by this success I am planning more dyeing adventures, there is a rather plain jane oatmeal blanket that I just purchased which will be perfect for testing out various colors. I'm thinking I can make some bags and exciting pouches, creatures who knows....

Thrift store Find - Blankets

2012-02-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been one of these for a while which is not to say that I haven't been thrifting I just haven't gotten around to taking photos. When I was little someone gave me a coin collection and by default I became a coin collector as various relatives gave me their foreign currency but it wasn't really my thing. Since then I've not really dedicated myself to collecting much other art really, well that was then. Blankets are my new thing I can't resist a good color scheme and they are so practical, they envelop you like a good hug and brighten up a room. I recently stumbled upon the chevron patterned blanket and it was love at first sight. It was then that I knew blankets was my thing. They are by and large 100% wool or a mix of natural fibers. No acrylic in this collection. It's not the smallest most compact item to collect but at least it has a purpose and I can happily state that I have used them all. I just can't imagine when a blanket would be surplus to requirements ?

Crocheted blanket in shades of green.

Chevron knitted blanket

Troy Robe

Charterweave

Glenn Cree

Pin It

February, already how ?

2012-02-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well 1 month into the new year and it just whizzed by. The catalog is coming along and I'm still aiming for the mid February finish. I just need to make some hot water bottle covers so that they can be photographed, write descriptions, make an order form.......yep there is still an awful amount of mundane stuff to do. Here's some fun stuff, my mother in law has an ipad (she already had a cover) which is pretty snazzy so I decided to make a felted ipad cover worthy of its sleekness. My husband insisted that the apple had to be exact, no freehand cutting so I duly obliged I'm quite pleased with the outcome seeing as the jumper had been overfelted (again). Note to self do not use heavy duty wash cycle when felting or you will end up with tot sized apparel.I did some thrifting and found a woven coat which I can't bring myself to cut into, this has happened with a couple of treasures that I have found, I think they still have a job to clothe and so despite the potential of the fabric I just can't. This is also known as hoarding. There are currently 5 items that fit into this category who knows I may end up with a vintage line.

Pin It

A friend of mine insisted I should try Pinterest and it really is a marvellous thing, but the time that can be lost browsing through all those boards. You've been warned.

Back from me Break

2012-01-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

After a restful time in Norcal where I probably got more done than I would have done normally given the lack of distractions and chores. There's an awful lot of sewing to be done. I managed to overfelt a particularly nice Pringle sweater that came out of the washer toddler sized. It's so thick that it will make perfect pot holders or coasters, maybe embroidered if the needle can make it's way through the denseness without too much effort.

The catalog is coming along nicely, here's a peek of some of the photos that I took whilst away. It was actually a blessing that it was overcast as all the colors are dense and not sun drained.

Lil hoodie Bear

Napping Owl

Misfit Owl

Lil Penguin hanging by a thread literally

Behind the Scenes

Surf cycled Notebook

This is an early attempt at notebook making, still learning the machine. Praise be for Youtube, manuals just don't cut it for me, too much information. I soon realized that my wires were too big for the projects so ordered a huge box of littler ones. Tomorrow I plan on perfecting my technique, will report back on progress.

Design Dilemmas

2012-01-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

Well after the frantic dog episodes, I am happy to report that all are well. Farley's nose is healing although it's still quite pink. So you made all these resolutions, what gives I hear you ask ? Hmmm well I started designing a catalog, and the thing is these are not quick projects. I put my ideas on paper after fumbling about in Illustrator for an hour, clicking aimlessly. So it will be a part drawn, part print type of catalog. On my to do list : Product photography, scanning of lots of cards/drawings/fabric, measuring all my products and writing descriptions. This for me is work and while I will admire and feel satisfied at reaching the finish line it's going to take a while till I get to that point. Mid February should do it and then all I have to do is actually make some product as Christmas pretty much wiped me out, not complaining it's great that people liked my stuff enough to buy it. I'm looking forward to a trip to the In-laws who have a very lovely washer and dryer inside the house and obviously to see the family and miniature donkeys.

Miniature donkeys aren't that small the word miniature is misleading

No going down a set of steps and OUTSIDE to our oh so delightful communal washer and dryer where the landlord started to make a concrete path ( which took about 8 months entire cities were built in less time) and then abruptly stopped 2 meters short of the little shanty hut housing the machines. So there's a little muddy path to negotiate. Not the Sudan I know but still. I miss my Bosch washing machine in London, I didn't have a dryer so my apartment would have been constantly draped in wet wool jumpers, not a good look.

Not complaining when I get to see this view every week

So there you have it in order to progress I have to take a break from the crafting and focus on the marketing. Sorry.

Today was not the best or yesterday for that matter

2012-01-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

Newport Beach

Ocean view

Let's begin with the good, which is I got to go surfing this am and took some pictures. The sun was shining and despite the scarcity of surfable waves it was a pretty nice experience. So far so good but then I took the dogs for a walk. Oh my, so the day before I almost lost Sanford, it was partly my fault I took a shortcut after the dogs ran off which is their usual mo as they go romping around in the tall grass. Instead of finding all three dogs, there were none I had confused them and after a bit of name calling I found the two big ones but no sign of the small one. To be fair Sanford is always lagging, there's always a bush that he needs to pee on or something he needs to stick his nose in but there was no sign of him. I should explain that this is a natural habitat, unmaintained use at your own peril kind of thing.

The valley of lost dog

Sanford spreading his love.

We've been there many many times so I started to panic, more so when I remembered he had on one of his non tag on collars. (Rest assured he is micro chipped) The other two were no help looking for him I might add and as time ticked on, my yell's became even louder. At this point we stumble across a man and his two golden retrievers. "Are they friendly ?" he asks referring to the black dogs. "Yes" I reply while simultaneously yelling Sanford's name like a woman possessed. "Are you looking for a little black dog?" he asks. "Yes" I say. " ( Although I would never describe Sanford as black, clearly he's grey but these are details in high stress situations.) "Well I would stop yelling because he won't hear you he's over by that dead tree." Funnily enough I knew exactly where he meant and started sprinting in that direction while also realising that the sweatshirt had been excessive given the heat. i get to the dead tree... and still No bloody sign of Sanford. Excuse my french. I am now wailing and then I spot him standing in the distance looking like the naughty dog he is. I calm down and call him in a normal encouraging way and he sprints towards me and like a good Hollywood movie we embrace and hug. I would like to think that he was just making his way back to the car to wait for us, I can't be sure of course but he's a smart one.

Trouble 1 and 2

Anyway that was earlier in the week and not what I had planned on writing. If you're still with me there's more. So today I take the dogs out, same place. Sanford's on a leash just in case the other two are running free and everybody is enjoying the day until the big dogs go bounding off to the tall grass in search of adventure. I don't take the shortcut and instead call them. One of them has a grey ground squirrel in his MOUTH!!!! I scream he drops it. The other one picks it up. I scream again he drops it. This cannot be happening. Big black dog has blood all over its face. I yank off some big leaves and try and get as much off him as possible tossing them to the ground. At this point I'm thinking it's a squirrel, but on closer inspection when I had stopped hyperventilating I realize he has a cut on his nose which is the source of the flow. I get home and turn on the hose and spray both dogs in the face to clean their mouths. They don't enjoy it. I then call the vet and take bloody nose dog to get him checked out. I must admit I didn't want to tell the vet the whole story about the squirrel but I have to know whether he's at risk of catching anything. Fortunately I get this response. " Squirrel in the day time ok, raccoon or skunk at night not good." She's a very nice vet and glues the cut and sends us back with a week's worth of antibiotics. So, not so Hollywood second story. Talking of unfortunate events while calling the dog Sanford I hit myself in the face and managed to draw blood. Don't even ask, how because I'm still wondering myself. If you think any projects were completed you would be sorely mistaken I've aged a couple of years these last two days.

2012 is here

2012-01-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

So the process of change begins. Today I deleted 635 images from my camera so that it doesn't take an age to download the three recent ones. I don't know how it gets to that point where you just keep them on the camera even after you downloaded them but there you go, I don't think I'm alone. In the final week of 2011 I made inroads into making multiples of items. It is clear that I can't continue the making 1-3 at a time method of making. It's not time efficient, it doesn't mean that I'll be churning out carbon copies of the same thing it just means I will have an enormous pile of previously cut fabric to draw from. One of the minor setbacks of eco cycling is that if you take a jacket and use the fabric from it, you have to take it apart first which takes time as does selecting the jacket in the first place. I'm very picky ! It's taken some time to build up my stash. These are some newest additions, I'm very fortunate that heavyweight wool jackets are not in high demand in these parts. It's more of a sweats or beachwear community to which I am also a victim. I blame it on the dogs all that walking, you have to wear trainers and with wool trousers that would not be a good look.

This skirt has gorgeous green specks and a lovely texture.

This jacket is a mint green and brown tweed or herringbone I always confuse the two.

Another lucky find of browns, blues and yellow.

In the pipeline are some wristlet purses once I figure out how to get the wristbit onto the purse, some upcycled surf notebooks again, once I learn how to use my bookbinding machine and a bunch of other stuff. Let's see how long it is before they surface on the blog. Feel free to prod me with a reminder if it seems to be taking a while.

Rush, Rush, Rush

2011-12-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

New Owl purses

2012 Calendar all wrapped up

Can you see the new reindeer ? I made him a scarf

New and improved felted wine bottle holders or champagne if you are so inclined.

The sewing machine hasn't been getting much rest lately.

How did Christmas get here so quick ? In between the sewing and the shopping there's been little time for much else. It's been super busy but very productive. I'm already making plans for 2012 with a new website and catalog in the works but don't worry I'll be getting some help so I can focus on more new things. Expect some notebooks as I got a book binding machine for Christmas. I've managed to punch some holes but will need to watch a couple of videos before trying to put a coil in. Things that I have learned from this busy time, is make batches of stuff at the same time much more time efficient and even though I started before October preparing for the holiday season it wasn't early enough ! Renegade London made a considerable dent to the inventory (no complaints here) but there aren't really too many shortcuts to the making of most of the toys and because the fabrics are constantly changing you have to allow for the fact that sometimes it won't react as you predicted or your sewing machine decides it won't accept any of your threads even though it did it before. Tags make lots you can never have too many. I know that I made at least 144 sewn items this year probably more because that's how many tags I ordered. That doesn't include any paper goods so I'm going to aim to double that number next year. I found some new years resolutions from 2009 and one of my resolutions this year should be to revisit the goals more than once a year. I eventually get round to things on my list but sometimes it takes more than 12 months. The checklist book still seems to be keeping things on track so I'll keep using it. I always put "to be more organised/tidy" but I recently found a great quote "Creative minds are rarely tidy" and I will hold onto that. It doesn't discount dishes, vacuuming and laundry but you can't have everything. Thank you for reading and accompanying me on this journey and onwards to 2012.

Being productive is hard Part Deux

2011-12-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

So I should have mentioned in the last post that I bought myself a little to do book and I wrote each thing that I needed to get done and checked it off as I went along. There are still an overwhelming number of things to be checked but if anything it serves as a reminder to get going when my attention span wanes or I get sidetracked by Grey's Anatomy. I had never watched an episode so I'm now catching up on Netflix. In the long run I have saved time because I didn't watch it on TV with ads !

So the pillow is done. Two more to go.

The window display went up on Wednesday. This was after some frantic hot glue gunning of the deer head when I realized I'd stuck the picture hooks on the bottom of the frame. It took 5 hours to get this up. The middle where the doors meet was my major nemesis. I'd put something up only to realize it couldn't be seen. There's a lot of fishing wire going on, the backdrop was some fabric I bought in Ikea a while back. I'd been planning on making some curtains but I had an aha moment where I thought ooh they look like snowballs..

Daytime shot of The Seed Window.

View from the inside. I'm lucky to have a big table which I managed to fill.

Things have been pretty busy since the display so there's been less time to procrastinate and more doing. Glad to report the completion of the 2012 Calendar and a new improved wine bottle holder. I did some market research with people from work and it got the thumbs up so hopefully it'll be a hit. I also inputted almost a year's worth of receipts. thanks to memo book I'd identified the fact that it would soon be tax time and I would have to do it anyway and it got done and was quite satisfying. So on that upbeat note I will go and finish off an owl.

Being Productive is hard Sometimes

2011-11-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a tough month and I'm not quite sure why. There's no shortage of projects it's just a general malaise, hopefully it won't last too long. In the works is an almost completed calendar, some not yet begun blanket pillows, recycled hang tags and more plushies. I have an event coming up in two weeks so that will probably force me into action....

I started writing this post on the 14th November and I kicked that malaise into touch. Sometimes all it takes is a good clean and a work surface, other times it's just that general excitement to see how your idea turns out or maybe even going surfing does the trick. Here are the results. I did complete the calendar but haven't photographed it yet. The blanket pillows are cut but look at all this other stuff.

Surf inspired Gift Tags

Then there was the packaging design.

Felted Flower Pin Brooches.

Wine Bottle Carrier

CD Wreath x 4

and last but not least hoodie bear, the newest addition to the plushie family. It wasn't easy, it took 3 samples to finally find a successful conclusion that was faithful to the drawing.

Lil hoodie bear.

My dog was kind enough to model.

That's at least a couple of blogs worth of stuff in one. Hope you like them.

Photography - Kelly Slater

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

I happen to live in Huntington Beach and so it simply wouldn't do to not go to the US Open of Surfing when it's in town. This year I actually have a decent camera and in only it's second outing I managed to take a whopping 600 pictures. (This was mostly due to it being on Sport mode and the fact that I was there for about three hours.) So I didn't have a huge zoom but with a decent spot on the pier it was enough to get some decent shots. I think a lot of it is predicting when the surfer is going to go for a wave and if you're really lucky they will be coming towards you. It's 50/50 as they can go either left or right. So I was supposed to post this hmmm back in September but seeing as Kelly just won his 11th World title I think I can squeeze it in now.

New Cards & Wine Bottle Carrier

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

So to dispel the myth that I haven't actually been working much I present to you some recent work.

Snowboarding Penguins

Ice Skating Penguins

It has taken a while for the ball to drop so to speak. I had these leather scraps and they have been residing in a bag for at least a year or so. My husband needed to punch a hole in a belt and so I got out the punch and I realised I could cut up the scraps and make handles. I intend on making some wooly bags with my felted jumpers but these wine bottle carriers were pretty quick to put together. As Hannibal from the A team would say " I love it when a plan comes together."

Thrift Store Find - Vintage Sewing Basket

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

I found this lovely sewing box in my local thrift store and immediately swooped it up. I don't actually own a sewing box but this one matches the clock in the craftroom so clearly meant to be and worth the three year wait. It has two stacking trays and then plenty of space for notions. The top tray actually tells you what to put in each space. I filled it up a little for the photos but it will soon be bursting with stuff.

Top Tray


Bottom tray

Renegade London

2011-10-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well I finally made it across the pond as they say the journey was hellish. (I'm back now just a bit delayed with the old blog). It may not sound like much but when the remote for your tv doesn't work, the 9 hours of chair confinement seems insurmountable. I ended up having to switch seats but only when the hour and half of turbulence had ended. I replaced the broken remote and gained a seat which reclined but refused to stay in that position. I used to love flying Virgin, no longer. Anyway enough of the ranting back to craft news. After pooling my family resources I was able to create a decent display improvising with cardboard boxes, a tartan blanket, plate holders and easels. I did miss my oversized frame though but there was no way it was fitting in the suitcase as it was I was a mere .2kg under.

Star helper

Ethan (my nephew) and his Jimmy comics

Some of the goodies

The Frame that got left behind.

This was the lovely Kim and her leather goods.

Trees and Dog Dolls

2011-09-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit while I have been pretty busy with my projects but I've also been playing bejewelled a lot ! It's pretty addictive. Progress wise there are a lot of new projects that are in the pipeline and while I occasionally feel guilty taking time off to play mindless games I also realize that at times my mind needs a break. Standing in the shower today I had some great ideas, so even before the working day has technically begun constructive things happened.

Here are some tree ornaments I've been working on which combine two of my favourite fabrics and my new embroidery obsession. I really will be sad when all the green wool has been used up. I also made big tree pillows which you can see poking out there and some bags but alas no decent pictures yet.

Here's the new Sanford doll which he models so professionally. It's essentially a drawing on cotton.

Here's the Farley doll. He wasn't responsive to my cues so I just had to lie his namesake by him. As you can see he wasn't impressed ! I'm still working on the Boss doll but it's so nice to be able to draw and I love the way it looks. (Also washable in cold water !)

Thrift Store Find - Doris Day Mug and Mini Red Racer

2011-09-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been a thrift store find in a while although I continue to find gems.This is a mini hand cart which I thought would be a great addition to my display items. Sanford was intrigued by it but as soon as I moved it he ran for cover.

This is the most brilliant book and if you are at all interested in learning any of the above snap it up if you see it. There's so many stitches with good clear instructions. At $3 it was the bargain of bargains.

This is a famous movie star but I honestly had no idea because frankly the likeness isn't all that accurate. What I liked about it was the drawing itself and all the marks on it.

It took me a while to decipher this I thought it said Waverley but on closer inspection, drumroll please Doris Day, I can't say I saw that one coming. Still I do like a good mug. I wonder what makes you think I don't need that Doris Day mug anymore when it's simply BRILLIANT.

August Projects

2011-08-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks since the last post but rest assured it has been frantic on the making front. I discovered a new passion, embroidery. I began by making it up and then watched a useful video on Etsy labs that showed four stitches and I was up and running.

Here are a few samples, I'm so excited to incorporate the technique into new plushies.

This was my first attempt sans instructions.


little trees


Owl Tea Towel

Sun and Cloud

Rain cloud with rainbow on back

In addition I've been making a selection of cloud pillows as well as a sun but it looks more like an egg when not placed near a cloud. I embroidered a rainbow on the back of the rain cloud but forgot to take a picture. That's it for now, short and sweet.

How to Photograph Greeting Cards Easily

2011-08-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when you have to put down the pen or sewing needle and get down to the business of photographing your output. So armed with my new fancy Canon I set about getting it done as quickly as possible. I was going to do it outside but I decided any breeze would probably cause mayhem so into my very messy studio I went. One sweep of the arm to clear the table, one large sheet of white drawing paper and a bit of masking tape and my backdrop was set. Now the new camera is a lot heavier than my old (but very handy powershot D10) so I dusted off my tripod from college and set it up level with the display.

Using only natural light, I hate flash it just blasts details into oblivion I focused using the large screen viewfinder and shot a couple of images.

To save time I placed the circle ruler below so that my card would be placed in exactly the same spot. As I mentioned speed was key. I should add I removed the ruler after I placed the card in position.

And last but not least the finished shot. In order to get a perfect white background I had to take out the shadows and brighten the exposure a bit. The beauty is that because you take all the shots at the same time you can just batch change the whole lot in Photoshop relatively painlessly but even if you don't have it they can still look pretty good. All the images will eventually find their way online.

Sewing Projects

2011-07-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

After what seemed like a crazy couple of weeks I'm feeling fresh and the batteries are somewhat recharged so here's a few new things to share.

Felt Ball

"Make me a ball" came the request from a dear friend. So, ever up for a challenge I agreed this was my fourth attempt. They say a poor handyman blames his tools but I blame the poor instructions that I got from my book. I had to get out a protractor to measure 72 degree angles for my hexagon, which I'll admit I cannot remember the last time I needed to measure an angle with a protractor since Maths GCSE. Failed attempt No1 looked like a star shaped ball, so not a ball. Maybe I hadn't cut them out accurately enough, so I cut a second set of 12 hexagons, remeasured all the angles on my template just in case and guess what ? Star shaped ball no 2. So I went on the internet googling " hexagon ball gone wrong" and while I didn't find any images that matched mine I did find some more detailed instructions. I undid both star shaped balls and cut out 12 paper hexagons and pinned them to the two halves of my ball and then stitched them together et voila almost perfect ball. It seems bizarre that not having the paper made that much of a difference. (Note, nowhere in the book did it mention using paper.) In one set of instructions I read online the writer had somewhat defensively written, if it doesn't turn out right you haven't followed the instructions.Anyway, here's Sanford eyeing the ball, he didn't quite know what to make of it if I'm honest.

Project No. 2 - Use embroidery hoop

I've been meaning to try my hand at embroidery for a while now and finally made an attempt while watching Season 2 of 24. I sketched an owl using my invisible ink pen and kind of made it up as I went along. I pulled out what I think is a machine embroidered table cloth and tried to copy a few of the stitches. It's a start.....

Sleepy Owl

Also my new dslr camera finally arrived which I didn't use to take these pictures with but I did take the ones below with it. Learning all the menus is a feat in itself. Farley looks like a poster boy for animal rescue but he loves to sit on the balcony, snooze and watch the world go by.

Three Faces of Farley

Photography - Surf Groms

2011-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

We were asked to photograph a friend's children at Surf Camp. It was a strange morning light wise but it's amazing what you can post edit. Here are some of my favourites. Mackenzie and Griffin were both very photogenic and it was a fun morning.

Surf Ramblings

2011-07-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Summer's here, yeay. The water is finally warm enough for the Spring suit which I wore today. Trouble was my skin sort of stuck to the wax a little bit which was slightly uncomfortable. The solution is apparently vaseline, who knew ? It's these pearls of wisdom that I get when chatting to fellow surfers. I managed to elicit a "That was really cool" from an audience of four when I caught one of my few waves from that session which was very gratifying. It's not something that has happened before so I'll take whatever I can get.
The other day I met a photographer who was working on a new magazine called Boardtalk who also gave me a good tip about riding steep waves which was to be at an angle. It's nice to practice a sport that has time for leisurely chats every now and again. The dolphins have also been out a lot lately I'll admit when I see the fin pop up I freak out a little bit but as long as there is more than one I know everything is good.

Birdwatch

The other night I had the idea for a surfing bird series if you thought there's only a finite amount of bird
puns you would be wrong. I am steadily working up a few of the sketches and having a lot of fun doing it. Some of the surfing greats have names appropriate for bird puns which for me is a good sign.

June Update

2011-06-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some new owls that I've been making, complete with feet.

Sneek peek of a 20ft owl banner in progress.

New Owls

So many projects so little time. It's been a really busy couple of weeks and I'm not complaining when I'm not drawing I'm sewing and by the time I remember to take photos it's night time but I took some today because the night time ones were terrible.

Bedouin Soundclash @ Santa Ana

2011-06-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

I love this band have seen them twice before and they are amazing. I finally figured out how to trick my pocket sized canon into taking some decent pictures. The solution was a custom setting: small aperture, fast exposure, spotlight metering and a steady hand. If I had stuck to the party indoor setting it would have been wild flash and blur. I stuck to black and white mostly and took a couple of color. The music is very unique a blend of reggae/rock/pop influences and a host of others. Best you just go listen to it and then buy the record. www.bedouinsoundclash.com

Eon Sinclair

Sekou Lumumba

Watching the drum solo

Jay Malinowski

Jay

Owls, thrift and other news.

2011-05-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

It seems of late that I have neglected the old blog. Been keeping busy with lots of design work which has left me not wanting to stay longer on the computer. A new website is coming together slowly but surely. More card designs have been added to the collection and still the drawings continue to flow which has resulted in four new owl prototypes in production as I write. Well I finished one sample at least. It can take a while to fine tune the pattern but I was lucky enough to find some very appropriate buttons that make the project.

The husband helped me to make a card display using an old frame which is almost finished just a few technicalities to sort out but I'm excited about it. Since I wrote it's now complete. I had planned on using fishing line but it sagged too much so I switched to wire and it's perfect.

In thrift news following on from mini chair I found a fabulous office chair on castors. Very sturdy and comfortable, given the current overstock of furniture in our apartment I did debate purchasing the chair for maybe a minute till a man decided he would use it as a perch while he tested a TV. In the end I asked him "are you buying the chair ?" to which he nodded. I don't think he understood me because after half an hour of testing every possible button on the TV with a cracked screen he just left it there and I swooped in and wheeled it away ! The moral there is go with your first instinct or prepare to do some mindless hovering.

the back can be adjusted which is very cool.

No distressing needed !

the perfect office chair

So there you have it three blog post's for the price of one. Enjoy !

Thrift Store Find - Mini Chair

2011-05-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

What's better than a full sized chair, a mini-chair of course ! There was not a moments hesitation as I handed over $5 for this treasure. Baby owl jumped right in to have a nap in the sun.

Sanford gives Gisele a run for her money

2011-04-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that these photos were taken without the magic word "treat" or even the potential of one. Sanford just loves the camera and will pose whenever the mood takes him. Happy, thoughtful, coquettish he does them all really quickly. All he needs is a lucky break to launch him into doggy stardom ! However, like any self respecting canine Sanford refuses to wear outfits unless it happens to be a blanket.

Thoughtful

So happy

Add caption

Naturally white teeth

I'm drawing Birds !

2011-04-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Well little did I know that there would come a time when I could actually report on all my drawing activities on the imustdraw blog but that time is here. I like to think that I make the best out of bad situations which in my case has been a bad shoulder/arm which is aggravated by 1) surfing 2)typing and using a mouse and lastly 3) using scissors all of which are pretty standard parts of my day/week. So in an effort to minimize my pain/ give the shoulder a break (I suspect its RSI) I started doodling. What started as a thank you card became about 12 filled pages of sketchbook and out of that the beginning of a new card collection which I shall call Moshi, no particular reason other than I like the sound of the word and I call all my dogs moshi sometimes. I don't know whether it means anything or whether it's the result of watching kung-fu movies. Speaking of which Ip Man is one I highly recommend, which is the story of Bruce Lee's Kung Fu Master, there's a sequel but I haven't seen it yet.I digress as per usual, here are a few examples of my labors. I have more and one in particular that I like a lot which I'll save for another blog. Enjoy !

Birdy page

Hipstamatic Style Photos - It's my favourite thing ever

2011-04-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

Those of you familiar with this blog will know of my tendency to get lost on the internet, what starts as a simple email check results in RSI. Well this time I stumbled upon a gem. I had been eying all those hipstamatic iphone photos enviously that kept popping up on facebook and really wished that I could add that effect to my photos, well news just in if you have Photoshop you can and I did, so from now on say goodbye to dull and hello to saturated color. It works best with sunny images but as you can see my dog Boss also got the hipstamatic treatment or I think the technical term is C-41 process, and ended up looking very handsome.

Laguna Beach

Road Trip

Boss, the good dog

Cherry Blossom Trees

Craft Show Tips on Selling

2011-04-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that my blogs don't usually contain much in the way of useful info, lots of eye candy but here's a very informative video that I discovered. Half an hour long but worth watching if you've ever tried to sell your work at a craft or trade show. I'm the first to admit I am not good at sales, blame that on the British upbringing but I was of the let them look school of sales where the only conversation occurs when the customer actually wants to ask you something. But over the years I've discovered that the key is be yourself, the friendly happy version that is and exude positive energy. Even when I don't make a lot of sales I always learn something along the way whether it's a product suggestion from a customer, new way to display product or just tips from other vendors. For more great advice visit www.scoutiegirl.com or www.craftmba.com

I did embed the video but it was scary loud whenever I went to the blog and it would automatically start which was a bit off putting but the link will take you to the video instead.

Watch the Video here.

March Round Up

2011-04-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

The fact that I'm not blogging as much is because I'm busy making which is a good thing. Well it could also be the husband hogging the mac too. Here's a selection of some of the most recent items I've been working on for those that don't do Facebook The accessory line is coming along, being relatively new to the world of zippers the purses have probably taken me longer than it should but it's getting quicker. Baby Owls the newest additions to the plush line are coming along nicely. I'm going to begin documenting my color combos as I spend more time selecting fabrics than actually making sometimes. I bought some index cards for the job. One more to add to the long list ! Thanks for reading, til next time.

Ipad sized Japanese Geisha zippered purse

This is the first of what I hope will be many items in a Japanese inspired line with proceeds benefitting Tsunami victims which will be making there way to my etsy store. In the pipeline a very cute Sumo Wrestler. Feel free to leave suggestions.

Loveheart lining

The first of what will be many Geisha's

Pink Rabbit Purse

Purse Production line handmade style

Napping Baby Owls

Baby Owl Pillow

So peaceful

The Making of Dog Boy

2011-03-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

So it will soon be my brother in law's birthday and I thought of the perfect gift. As well as being a professional artist he is also the creator of Yeti Spaghetti along with my nephew. See the video below.

The protagonist of Yeti Spaghetti is Dog Boy and that is what I made. It took a while to do all the stitching (longer than I had envisaged) but it was quite fun seeing him come together.

Dogboy gets a quality control check.

No, sorry I haven't got any treats, says Dogboy.

Did you say treat ? (Golden rule of dog owning never say treat out loud without one.)

February Round-up

2011-03-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a month and I guess you think I've been twiddling my thumbs. Well in between bouts of watching entire seasons of 24 on Netflix, (so addictive but essential for couch crafting.) I am glad to report that there has been progress, namely I've added a new product to the line: Baby Owl and did two craft events.

Baby Owls dozing

Baby Owl awake

I made some totes and naughty me this is the only picture I have of them.

I did the Last Saturday's Event at SEED and made it on to their blog. Seed Feed: Last Saturdays Recap.

I watched Julie/Julia the other day and it made me hungry. I have been wanting to make Pad Thai for ages and by the time I remember I realize I don't have the ingredients. I once bought a Pad Thai sauce (readymade) which I sloshed over my noodles and it was disgusting. I am hopeful that my attempt will be successful as I spent a good half hour in the Westminster Supermarket trawling the aisles for Tamarind. The asian supermarket is great but at times it's not big on details so the Tamarind says concentrated but not how much you should use to unconcentrate it so that will be a test I'm sure but I'll take a picture however it turns out. Back to the film though cooking those 500 recipes was a feat to be sure and one that I definitely could not emulate.

In addition to looking recipes up online I have also been reading some craft business blogs about getting over creative slumps and stopping procrastinating both of which have taken time out of my day. What I did get from them however is that completing small projects will get you back on the wagon. I have realized that in my case I need to create new items and improve on existing ones in order to keep me motivated. Point in case, baby owl was one of three designs made after about 8 hours. No sooner did I have my pattern I couldn't wait to make the sample and within the week 4 baby owls had been born. Two of which sold on their first ever public viewing ! which was very exciting. So next time I find myself facing a small bump I'll get designing. I have so many ideas now that I don't really know where to begin so I shall start with a full scale assault on the craft room and clear my space which will probably take the rest of the day to do.

Happy crafting.

ER and alternate Universes

2011-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well it would seem that the flying start to the year that I had hoped for is experiencing a few bumps. This past week was almost a total loss except for the progress made when my intern came in. It was the jolt I needed to finish off a large pile of owls and begin some new projects. On Tuesday 3am, the husband started feeling excruciating pain otherwise known as acute sciatica down one leg. We ended up in the ER on Friday after the pain killers failed to make a dent. We struck it lucky as we were seen pretty much instantly, it was pretty empty when we arrived and we were the only ones checking in. I can't say that has ever happened when I've been to the NHS casualty where many an hour goes by in crowded waiting rooms. So after he had some pain medication administered he fell asleep and I was left trying to keep awake. I am so glad to not to have had back issues and touch wood it will remain that way. Fast forward 3 days and as we wait for a scheduled procedure this week, pain management has been the overriding priority.

On a positive note I have begun working on a Spring Line and signed up for a craft fair in Silverlake, Los Angeles in two weeks time so I need to get sewing.Here's some of the Valentine inspired Owls that have been finished.

What an appropriate stitch ?

Love is in the Air

I think I'm going to need another week to catch up on the lost sleep. Boss, the oldest dog who sleeps in our room has started to snore really loudly and I haven't really got the heart to chuck him out. I think he would be a bit upset, so I've been trying earplugs that I found (they're for shooting with and we had a whole packet) they apparently go up to 30 decibels which means Boss' snoring is louder than that as I still hear a faint sound, but if I lie on my side and bury one ear in the pillow it improves a bit. When living in London we had these noisy neighbors from hell, we are talking Beyonce singing "irreplaceable" so loudly on repeat that the walls vibrated. It really put me off Beyonce in a big way and to this day I have flashbacks of sleepless nights whenever "I hear to the left to the left..."

With earplugs you enter this alternate universe where your own breathing becomes really, really loud. Speaking of alternate universes I found myself in a laundrette having amassed so much washing that it would have been about 6 loads. The speed queen (honest that's what the washing machine is called) wasn't slow but when all you're doing is waiting for the spin light to come on it seems like an eternity. For those whose minds conjure up early 80's Nick Kamen Levi's Ads I can assure you that the likelihood of that happening in this particular laundrette were pretty slim. It was like an anthropological study trying to work out whose pale green towels were spinning around in the dryer. A bearded man apparently. I wondered what my washing load revealed about me, other than the obvious observation that I hadn't done laundry in a while. I had bought a book to read but I opted to watch the clothes spinning in the dryer. Those are 2 hours that I will never get back, how sad is that ?

Curtains, procrastination and Hulu

2011-01-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

Well it's midway through January and while I started strong and focused I waned a little. The sunshine came back and what with the enforced non-surf due to rain, and a cold there was nothing for it but to get in the ocean. It felt glorious although there were a couple of Niagara Falls moments of nose diving, put it down to rustiness. Back in the craft world I made a 2011 calendar as I couldn't find one that was just right. Today I re-organised the craft room and moved tables and made a pair of curtains which are a work in progress. I'm looking for an inspiring quote to applique onto them. It feels so roomy. I think it's just what I needed to do, I finally finished my couch potato cushions. I can't even remember when I started making them it was so long ago so it's nice to finally see the end product.

Heavy noisy doors

Messy cupboard

Curtain pole up

2 hours later ta da curtains (mess still inside).

couch potato a long overdue project

the original couch potato

Mine

As you can see no sooner is a craft project completed, Sanford is ALL over it. I don't know why it took me so long to finish it, I was waiting for a zipper and procrastinating I guess. The other spanner in the works has been the discovery of Hulu and Season 2 of Lipstick Jungle. In my next post I'll be revealing some Valentine's Day inspired Owls and some other projects I've been working on so stay tuned.

Down to Business

2010-12-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

With 2011 just days away I'm excited by what the new year holds in store. I have been busy checking out some useful websites to help me on my way that I thought I'd share.
These are good resources for all aspects of running a small art/craft/design business, marketing ideas and success stories:
Crafting an MBA
Scoutie Girl
Etsy Community

Got a mailing list Mailchimp will help you to organise your contacts and send some lovely looking emails and best of all it's free. (not that I have, with much regularity I think I maybe sent two out, my excuse is that I already write two blogs, but that's about to change!)

Hootsuite is a social media dashboard, take the hassle out of posting updates individually. Written a blog ? Hootsuite will post a link to it on your twitter and facebook leaving you to focus on the important things in life.

So I hope that info is useful on setting you on your handmade path, and now back to some pictures.

The woolies are being professionally photographed by the ultra talented Lindsey Kliewer and here is a sneek peek of one of my favourites. It's part of the grand marketing scheme that I have cooked up for 2011 so stay tuned for more. I was also very lucky to work with professional photographer John Santoni who came to my studio to take some shots. I tidied up in anticipation of the shoot, honest ! As you can see I'm am a mere amateur compared to Sanford who weasled his way into the shoot and modelled like a pro !

I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain....

2010-12-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

With an almost three week layoff due to a persistent cold I hope you haven't been too disappointed about the gap since the last blog. Honestly I picked up a pair of scissors and started cutting and within the same breath put them down again as the effort was too much ! There was nothing for it but to succumb and watch Tivo'd programs and sleep a lot. One of my recent favourite shows is Modern Family, I kept seeing ads and thinking that looks funny, I should watch it and then never did so now I'm catching up on reruns and new stuff....Where is this post going. I was going to keep it all upbeat and now I'm rambling on about telly !
2010 has been a year of progress and positive change. I am thankful for all the talented people that I've met and the opportunities that have come my way. I'm happy to be doing something that I really enjoy and that brings a smile to people's faces. According to something I read online it takes at least 5 years to build an empire which is where I hope to be 3 years from now ! Anyway enough of the serious stuff, here's some photos I took this morning (and then accidentally deleted 20 of them !!!) fortunately there's still 100 but here are some of my faves. You may have heard about the recent rain in Southern California, well the sun wasn't out but it did stop raining today. Enjoy and Happy Christmas.

Red Squirrel finds natural Camoflage

The Red squirrel is surrounded.

Two Rare Red Squirrels

Owl up a tree

Don't mess with me !

Run Squirrel Run

Grey squirrels fear nothing not even miniature donkeys !

The Cosy Dresser

2010-12-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

The other day I found myself taking one of those online quizzes, (so easy to get sucked in) one minute you're reading emails and the next you are finding out what kind of dresser you are. I didn't really need to take the quiz as I already knew the answer, cosy dresser. One who dresses for comfort, which is not to say that I'm all about elasticated waists I just appreciate clothes that don't restrict my movement. I recently made a U-turn on Uggs, having vowed that I'd never wear them, I have been wearing my wooly boots for two days solid ! It would probably have been longer had I not got home only to discover I had two right feet in the box, honestly it was very disappointing and I had to wait a week for the next delivery. I haven't worn them outdoors, just in the privacy of my own home but I see how it happens. It's like putting your feet in a warm duvet and then suddenly you're outside and you haven't taken the duvet off. It's been getting a bit chilly here at night nothing on the scale of England and snow but then there's no open fires and central heating (in this apartment at least) so a little chill goes a long way. There is one gas furnace type thing, it takes me back to being a student at Leeds and hovering around a most likely non-gas compliant heater in the most burgled street in Europe. Now Leeds that was COLD !
Why am I rambling on about the weather ? Well, it's making me less productive when it's warm I don't mind getting out of bed, it's easy, not so much in the Winter. Add to that as soon as the husband gets up the dogs swoop in, take his spot and proceed to nap, so now I have nap companions which makes me less guilty about getting up. However I did manage to tackle the Etsy Shop, Etsy is like that essay you got for homework and put off till the last possible moment. I spent the morning outside taking the product shots before settling down to write descriptions and particulars. It had been so long since I uploaded anything that the site's changed. It actually has a copy feature now which made the task far less arduous. I did redo the banner though. On that note, check out my new look shop (it's that store tab at the top) and let me know what you think.
In my next post I will have finished a batch of squirrels so it'll be less rambling and more pics. However I will leave you a pic of my dogs that I did in Photoshop. It started as a Xmas card idea and ended up being well not.... see so easily distracted ! I'm sure I'm not the only one so I ask you, what stories do you have of impulse online shopping or other stuff when all you were supposed to be doing was quickly checking your email ?

How to... Sewing Caddy

2010-12-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

I have strayed away from instructionals because, well I'm not very good at documenting each step by the time I think about it, it's already made. This was almost the case with Sewing Caddy, the pret-a-porter holdall for your sewing essentials. (You'll notice there's no step one!) It was also almost the death of Brother (sewing machine) it did not like sewing layers of thick fabric together. I got tired of carting my sewing smalls in a ziplock bag and then fretting that I'd forgotten something big, like scissors. Now there's no way I'll forget the important things, because there will be an empty pocket. Anyway enough blabbing here it is.

What you will need: Heavyweight fabric, elastic, thread, padding, ribbon.
Tools: Scissors, sewing machine, iron, pins,

Fabric from Ikea in case you're wondering.

After you have laid out everything that you want to carry in your sewing caddy. Cut out 2 equally sized rectangular pieces of fabric.

Next cut a piece of padding (stuff quilter's use) This will have the effect of swaddling your tools and making the caddy sturdier. Iron everything and pin hems.

Cut out additional pockets, don't be afraid to put the tools inside to gage how big the pockets need to be. Place a long piece of ribbon between your front and back layer. This will be used to tie it together.

Use elastic for some flexibility and additional storage. I used 3 rows of elastic.

Pin your pocket and use an invisible marker or chalk to mark your pockets.

Sew pocket and elastic using a straight stitch.

I added a piece of felt to attach sewing needles and pins and an extra piece of elastic so that I can still put all the miscellaneous items in a ziplock !

Here's a few of my essentials thread, glue and hem picker. ( Does anyone else lose these all the time ?)

Here it is rolled up, in my excitement I forgot to cut off that hanging thread.

All cosy and ready for a trip.

Midnight Madness Report

2010-11-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

The now standard display of plushes.

One of the pros of doing a show is the people you encounter and conversations you have. I met some lovely people at the Midnight Madness show.

This is the lovely Ricky from Sun Stones with one of his pieces a beautifully crafted birdhouse using repurposed materials, it has welded wings for that added touch of whimsy.

Here's Juan also from Sun Stones who gets extra brownie points for carrying my table to the car. His jawed creatures are reminiscent of the Little Shop of Horrors' Venus Flytraps, very fun !

I had seen this rock garland before each stone has a groove cut through it where the copper wire sits. Love this. Also by Sun Stones.

Here's Belinda from by Belinda. She has a great set of cards that are based on her hand embroideries and completed with a witty phrase.

Christy from Kohana has the most heavenly scented organic creams. Frequent trips to Hawaii are part of the process which is very envy enducing.

They look good enough to eat !

Hello Kitty or Cat Cat in this case

2010-11-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

Drumroll.....I am proud to say that I have been burning up the sewing machine these last couple of weeks I'm certain it makes a lot more noise than when I first got it. The idea for cat cat came maybe about a month ago but I hadn't got around to making a finished one till now. Readers of this blog will know that I have no cats which doesn't mean I don't like them I just like dogs more. However I'm still trying to come up with a viable pattern for each dog so not having emotional ties to cats speeded up the design process. I opted for a black cat as my first one but expect to see a wide range of colours by the end of the week. I'm hoping that this inspiring time of creativity lasts a while ! We have had a bit of rain these last couple of days which although you would think perfect time to go surfing, (as you get wet anyway) you would be mistaken. All drains lead to the ocean, say no more ! Anyway I must get back to the machine although I'm feeling the urge to paint again....

Before I go though on a recent Ikea marathon trip I spied this, it was attached to what can only be described as an open loo but anyway I digress. How cool would it be to have a portable tree for craft shows and displays. It's a task for the husband and his handy power tools but I hope to have one soon, a bit more rustic looking though. The owls would look so cute.

So much to sew, sew little time !

2010-11-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

I have been sewing like a dervish and my machine is starting to get noisier as it strains to get through another project. You may remember the ring pillow. Here it is again, in case you don't.

Now the flower basket was another adventure altogether. At the time I agreed to it, I thought how hard can it be ? The answer unless you want to use spray paint is a little bit tricky. I don't mind telling you if I never cover another basket again it wouldn't bother me. However, after a few sleepless nights wondering which fabric to use and how to make it work, it finally came together (as the deadline grew closer and I toyed with the spray paint idea (it was getting really late like the night before late but I was given a firm "No" by the intern, thank goodness) I was quite pleased with the final result which uses a felted wool sweater and wool suiting fabric along with some ribbon and wool felt. Handstitched the whole thing. I just hope the flower girl likes it.

This is the rabbit I made for the flower girl who likes princesses and such hence the use of pink patterned fabric.

And for the maids some cosmetic bags lined with satin with a special name tag inside.

I have a love/hate relationship with deadlines, I need them in order to force myself to finish things but it's like the feeling you have when you have an exam, you can't wait till it's over. I'm happy to have learnt some new tricks from this wedding inspired episode but I'm glad to be back to my plushies !

Sunny November

2010-11-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

It's like Summer's back without the tourists. I fitted in an afternoon surf the other day as it hit 90 degrees and found a parking space, only in November. Add to that no air conditioning and sewing just isn't fun. So many people out in Newport Beach who must have had the same idea. I did manage to fit in a successful thrift store shopping expedition, lots of exciting textiles and clothing to deconstruct. A direction I've been heading in has been textile design. So far I've only got to see the results on paper so maybe I'll use that brand new silkscreen set sometime soon that has been sitting in the closet for about a year. As my family keep telling me in reference to the prints I've made. "It would make a great suitcase." (You know who you are, ha ha.)

Polyester paisley who knew ? Excerpt from a two piece suit.

Fancy pinstripe from Men's Jacket that came with a waistcoat.


Gorgeous thick wool tweed from a suit jacket.

And now for something else... alert cuteness heading your way.

Farley the new dog.

Farley playing with the small dog.

No I haven't suddenly decided to use fur, this is Farley who we rescued about 2 months ago. He has been a huge distraction as he is like this huge teddy bear that you just can't help but cuddle. He has had to overcome a lot in his short life, having lived in a yard for two years with little attention and no one to care for his basic needs. The fact that he is such a docile and happy dog is a testament to his optimistic outlook. Who wouldn't be distracted by a huge teddy bear on legs ?

October Ramblings

2010-11-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well technically I guess it's November but its been a frantic month. So what's the excuse this time ? I hear you ask. The boring answer is the day job but the crafting has not been that neglected. I did a show called Found Art at the Ahsi Salon in Newport Beach and ended up making a huge surf sock from T.shirts. It wasn't precisely measured as I didn't have the board with me so it's snug shall we say. For work I designed a couple of T.shirts that the Graham Street Press printed beautifully. I was excited to see the end product and it proved popular with the kids.

Where are happens design.

Sleeve print, which was also made into a big print.

Some new penguins, these are male and some more mini owls.

A ring pillow for an upcoming wedding.

And that's it for now, thanks for reading !

Some New Furry Travel Buddies

2010-10-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Derek

Miriam

Jeffrey

Joyce

It's been a while...

2010-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I have neglected the blog but I'm back and working hard to balance work, craft and play. Fasten your seat belts for this is going to be a long one. Well for those of you that follow me on Facebook you will have seen the newest addition to the plush family Yolanda the Panda. I'm also working on some new Owls, having found some fantastic fabric finds.

At the Last Saturdays Event at SEED I met some lovely people including Christy from Ever/After who designs the most wonderful clothes for littlees and Gustavo from Marydesign who sells really fabulous jewelry.
I was having a closet clearout the other day and had run out of bags in which to place my sold items, I stumbled on the idea of a T.shirt bag on Marthastewart.com and it was so easy. I am now going to hoard all my t.shirts and make them into bags as well as collect them from friends.

You may have seen this photo on my facebook it was a pure wool Jaeger skirt that was calling out to be made into a stuffed animal. So here you have it, and what a chic rabbit it is if I say so myself. More to come.

Lastly, having never mastered knitting in the round yet still wanting to make hats I thought I'd have a go at making a beanie/ glove combo. The sweater had been felted yet not so much that it didn't still have some stretch. I can attest that the hat is very cosy, we had a freakish hot week in September but now that we are back to fall weather I will wear the gloves too.

Lastly, a date for your diary if you happen to be in Orange County, yours truly will be hosting it so I'll definitely be there. The more the merrier as they say.

Pinot & Pups

2010-07-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Look at these beauties, snapped at the Pinot and Pups fundraiser at Newland House on a scorching hot day.

This one reminded me of my dog Sanford. He was very obliging.

There's a face only a mother could love. He knew right where the camera was, a pro.

I think William Wegman had this type of dog. Not camera shy either.

America's Next Top Model

2010-06-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sanford is a bit of a supermodel when it comes to posing for the camera. I caught him in some good light and before I knew it had taken about 50 pictures. These are some of my favourites. The slightly blurred ones below best reflect his personality which is constant movement and expression.

Beneath all that hair is actually a very cute little set of eyes.

Not afraid of a serious pose.

Seashell button Bracelet.

2010-06-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

What's this ? I hear you say. There is method to my madness I assure you. I have just had to become a font of all knowledge in all things jewellery related as part of my new job so I couldn't help but experiment and made some simple bracelets using seashell buttons, leather and a super clasp.

Blue version.

White version. I tripped over my dog and landed on my hip, shoulder and lastly hand. There's a small chip on one of the buttons as a result but it will be easy to replace.

Thrift Store Find - Craftsman Toolbox

2010-06-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Technically this was a swap meet find but it's in keeping with the thrift store mantra. Impressed by it's sturdiness, no plastic here and it's sense of history I parted with $5 and it was mine. I'm slightly obsessed with storage it must be said but I justified this purchase by appointing it as my new painting tool box. The inside was slightly grungy so it was given a clean and then the husband kindly painted it for me. I rather like the surprise of the purple interior. I hope you like it too.

Sturdy handle.

Purple interior, so shiny.

Thread Spools Some Crafty Ideas

2010-05-14T17:04:00.000-07:00

So, here's what happened to some of those spools. I thought they would make good hooks for the side of my craft table. Can't take the credit for the implementation of the spools on desk that was my husband. Apologies for the messiness, sometimes there's no amount of fancy angling of camera to avoid it. However it really isn't too bad.

Ribbon storage with pretty pin.

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Thrift Store Find - Cotton Spools

2010-05-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

I found these empty wooden cotton spools and bought them as I had seen an article where they had been used to store bits of ribbon. Nowadays the spools are plastic and not nearly as nice. I think I am going to attach some to the side of my craft table as hooks for extra supplies. Another idea is draw pulls. You can paint, stain or decoupage so many ideas...... Have you got any ?

Masterclass in Packaging

2010-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

This happy little package arrived at the weekend, the sturdy outer was merely a clever disguise. Every part of the inside was BEAUTIFUL.

The box within the box.

Stitched imagery on the box.

The cake box (very apt)opens to reveal the tasty contents. Crocheted Oreo Cookie, Jammy Dodger, Cup cake and flower pin.

Note printed bird tags, each a different bird. The items themselves are gorgeous and perfect in every way. Taman you are brilliant and have a very bright future ahead of you. THANK YOU !

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Social Media Marketing - (Yes it's still the I must draw blog)

2010-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

So, the other day as part of my day job I went to Social Media Marketing training. You may be noticing that I've been more active than usual in the social spheres and this was in part due to the overwhelming statistics which I couldn't ignore. I used to think I was quite techy I can no longer make that claim as I don't even have a smartphone. I am making the assumption at this point that you have a website, blog and e-newsletter.

Here in a nutshell is what I learnt - Websites which used to be the piece de resistance are no longer the behemoths of old. You have 4-6 seconds to capture your viewer, marketing people are seeing websites as hubs for social media marketing e.g Facebook. Everyone is suffering from major ADD and like 24 want real-time updates and interaction. So, you need a website but you need to maintain a presence.

Facebook- billions of people have their own personal page however you can also create a business page handy if you don't want to share every aspect of your life with the entire world. So after umminng and aaahing I caved in and created a business page and whoosh the satisfying acknowledgement of like. Post badges on your blog and websites so that you can spread the word. If you get 25 likes you can claim your own unique name. I still need 3 more likes, hint, hint.

Twitter - In the past I have made half-hearted attempts with this media and couldn't see the point, now if I had a smartphone it would probably make more sense, imagine real time thrift store find, to buy or not to buy ? I could interact directly with anyone reading my tweets. There's a bloomin' useful tool that manages your tweets (you can pre-program up to 30 days in advance, imagine that) it's called hootsuite.com and drumroll when you tweet you can simultaneously send it to your facebook, now that's more like it. I'm not that witty when it comes to tweeting, does anyone really care what type of sandwich I'm eating etc so if you like me are tweetless then simply link to your new blog posts, flikr uploads or anything else you find interesting on the net. Use it as a way to thank people too.

Flickr - I've had a Yahoo account for as long as I can remember and in all honesty I get so much spam that I barely use it but that's what you need if you are going to use Flickr. On Wednesday I created my Flickr stream, which has a gargantuan audience if you tag your pictures well. If anyone comments and says "Is that for sale"? it arrives via email and you can respond to potential purchaser which 2 days after I posted my pics occurred, really.

Foursquare.com - I had never even heard of this but apparently Yahoo wanted to buy it for $100,000,000 so they must see potential in it. Again, you need a smartphone, the idea is that you can connect with your friends, collect badges etc by checking in. The GPS in your phone posts your exact location, (no good for Tiger Woods) and lets your friends know where you are. Other people if looking for say a happening bar could see how many people have checked in and make a decision about whether to go or not. I don't have a bar or shop and sadly spend most of my time crafting away in my house so I don't think I'll be using this just yet.

But, I haven't got the time, I hear you say, think about it this way apart from the time investment all this stuff is free marketing. As long as you respond in a timely manner to requests you build relationships and help to build your brand.

There endeth the lesson, if like me you are a one-man band on a miniscule advertising budget, why not give it a go.

UniqueLA - Check

2010-04-29T17:08:00.001-07:00

Desiree B. Antarctica, originally uploaded by Desiree B.

Here's a snap of my booth featuring the antarctica scene and owl tree.

And relax... In the build up to the show it was full steam ahead with a ramped up production line of all things felt. I was for those few weeks a self imposed half-chinese sweat shop (although I use the term sweat figuratively.) This is the 3rd time I had done the show and with each one I aimed to raise the bar a little bit higher. So it was was that a tree and arctic scene were created in addition to a display frame. You can see the final product on my newly created flickr account. Blogger can get a bit tedious uploading pictures so this way you get to see many many angles.http://www.flickr.com/photos/desireebflickr/
I also recently stumbled across these Uplifting tales of Success and thought I'd post the link if anyone fancies some motivation.

Thumbs and Roses

2010-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Pardon the pun but I've been trying to think of catchier blog titles. After an action packed Easter weekend, it has dawned on me that I have 2 weeks left till UNIQUE LA. Maybe I'm panicking prematurely but it seems that not a minute goes by without a needle in my hand. Of late I have become obsessed with felted flowers and if I continue at the current rate of output will have a veritable garden of brooches and hairclips. In my quest for more colours I stumbled upon the holy grail of wool, a ginormous Ralph Lauren black woolen cape, several yards of smooth fabric. The possibilities are numerous, it can be used for the penguins as well as many flower brooches. There was also a nice XXL cashmere jumper that got the hot water treatment, I love the feel of cashmere so soft and what luck finding the largest size! My husband voluntarily came with me and held my bag while I rummaged through, he had no desire to try to differentiate between acrylic and wool. Still I felt pressured into speeding my usually leisurely pace which probably wasn't a bad thing as I managed to get a load of washing done when we got home.

Daffodils and improvised vase. I did have a fancier one I just preferred this one more.

My sweet windswept nieces and their custom flower headbands.

Thrift Store Find - The Perfect Jug

2010-04-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

In between the sanding, sewing and surfing I popped in to the thrift store and here is what I found. A very sturdy hand thrown jug which just happens to match my fruit bowl which was given to me by ceramic Dan.

Miracle Dog

2010-04-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

April 1st is Boss, our chows birthday and he was 4 yesterday however henceforth it will be known as Miracle Dog Day thanks to a minor miracle but miracle nonetheless. What is she talking about ? What's with the mystery ? What happened to the craft stuff ?Well in recognition of Boss's special day the dogs got given some cooked beef ribs which they happily ate on the balcony outside. It was fairly windy and Boss made easy work of his rib and wanted in again. My husband opened the screen door to let him in and in he came. Sanford continued to chomp and in the blink of an eye the wind caught the screen door and pinned Sanford against the barbeque, as my husband got up to release him from this trap he disappeared. He had backed off the balcony and dropped 12 feet. I never saw it happen and I'm glad I didn't, we rushed to see him sat on the asphalt. My husband tore down the stairs and picked him up, fully expecting a trip to the hospital. He looked up at us as if to say "Am I in trouble, did I do something wrong ?" So with great trepidation we put him down on the carpet, and this is the miracle part, he walked casually up to his partially chewed bone (no limping, no sign of discomfort) and picked it up in his mouth, crawled under the coffee table and continued to chew on his treat.
I don't know how he survived that fall without a scratch but I am so very grateful that someone up above was keeping him safe. So to add to his long list of nicknames he has another Miracle Dog.

Artist Series - 002 Taman Sheikh

2010-03-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

The other day while logged into my gmail, I was happily surprised by an IM by a former student of mine Taman who is now studying for her textiles degree at Chelsea College of Art. Taman was that rare but much appreciated student who would listen, had talent in abundance and worked unbelievably hard. At the same time she was funny and extremely polite. As an example of her generous nature she has been loyally dragging Stanley her FTB to Amsterdam, Kenya and more recently Turkey for which I am very grateful.

So when I asked to see some of her work and she sent me these photos I asked her if she wouldn't mind me posting them. Aren't they just fabulous ? They are currently on sale in Fabrication

I am so proud. Above is Taman's piece from AS level.

Summertime and the sanding is easy....

2010-03-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

What a glorious weekend of sun filled weather. Apparently the rain is coming back mid-week so I'm enjoying it while I can. For me sunny weather is the equivalent of inducing copious amounts of caffeine, so it was on Thursday night that I found myself on my hands and knees sanding a table. Dan and Angel our lovely neighbours will soon be moving to Denver and have been having clear outs in preparation of the move. On Thursday I find Dan outside of his garage with a stanley blade and a very shiny looking table. Curious, I wander over. "What are you doing ?" I ask. " Trying to get rid off this resin coat?" I offer my nickel's worth of suggestions which include use of a hammer. It transpires that they will be getting rid of this table and I put in my claim and offer to chip off the rest of the resin, which is strangely satisfying. Dan is no stranger to projects (he is a carpenter pro) and beneath the layer of resin, is a very thick coat of copper paint, a layer of primer and some remnants of black paint. The table has had a few makeovers since it's days as a naked rubberwood table and it's time to take it back to bare. With the aid of a sander I spend about an hour and a half slowly removing the stubborn copper layer before I'm pooped out. Where I stop my husband picks up and over the weekend we have it stripped. Off to Osh to buy some stain and the transformation is almost complete. The similarities between my dream table and the the one I got for free (with some elbow grease) is uncanny. I am very happy. While it is relatively easy to pick up old stuff in London, not so here, it's antique with an antique price tag!!

The table I wanted (which was in Oregon !) note weathered surface.

My newly stripped almost finished table. As I said, uncanny. (those are sun rays not weird patches)

Sanford and the coffee table.

The excitement at using the sander didn't stop there and we set about giving our coffee table a revamp too. This was a second-hand find and the coffee ring stains on it had been annoying me of late, but they are gone now. Due to the sun however a few spots were missed so a bit more sanding is required it just feels much cleaner now and it will be getting a natural wax coat.

So, in craft news I've been working on a new design for a Matryoshka plush, I made a speedy mock up but I need to make the head a softer curve. It is only after stuffing that you make these discoveries but I'm confident I'll get there. I also started to use my gargantuan felted jumper stockpile, I have recently come to the realization that most of it is too thick to comfortably fit in the sewing machine which requires hand stitching and well frankly I'm all about the machine!! In an effort to diversify my range of products for the show, I made some sample flower pins but I'm thinking I can put them on headbands too.

I managed to find some time to go surfing and quite frankly I got pummelled. I took myself on a time out as my ears were hurting a lot from being pounded. I did consider calling it quits but I figure you can only learn and become better by sticking at it (if you don't drown that is...) I had the weirdest dream last night which featured crocheted cushion covers, Johnny Weir at an airport and David Beckham. I don't know what it means, maybe I should watch less TV.

Oh and here are some paintings in progress. Before sun and after sun. I'll take better pictures once they are finished.

Here comes the Sun

2010-03-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've been restless for the last few days but finally the wait is over and confirmation that I have a booth at UNIQUE LA finally arrived on Friday night. Hurrah and boo at the same time, I must hit the brushes and sewing machine in every spare minute, which boo means less surfing time and general lounging. This week has been productive, two paintings a diptych I guess are in progress (ocean) as well as a pair of cushions. I also attacked a 2 year old never worn French Connection dress with a pair of scissors, while this may seem rash it's taken me two years to take the plunge. A little history.... I bought this dress and foolishly never tried it on, purple silk with a navy pattern it was long and boho ish. I got it home and not only was it too big but was unflattering from every angle. So, in the wise words of Tim Gunn I made it work. This involved a lot of pinning and chopping of excess fabric all the while pacifying myself with the thought that I never wore it anyway. Any change could therefore only be positive. I am glad to report that the transformation is almost there, it fits and is a much better shape for me. I may even wear it to an upcoming wedding, note the confident tone, ha.

I spray painted some more coffee tins and transplanted an incredibly hardy lavender plant. I kill plants, not deliberately but they just don't last. Add to that I get hayfever and it seems that gardening and I just weren't meant to be. I finally bought one of those trigger things that stop your finger from going numb that you attach to the spray can only to find that it didn't fit 75% of my collection.

The never ending birthday flag project continues, I've sewn all the requisite letters but need to finish the flag bits. I definitely need to be printing and not appliqueing everything. I have officially given up fizzy drinks (not including carbonated water) there is just no nutritional value to it and while the same could be said of coffee I have to start somewhere. It's amazing what a difference sunshine makes, my energy levels have doubled and I actually went for a run on Saturday. Legs are still sore today Monday but I went, and hopefully its the first of many. I made a pact with myself if I didn't go surfing I would have to go for a run, needless to say come Sunday I went surfing and chatted to a teenager who'd just moved to the area. The waves were fairly non-existent to begin with but it picked up a little, nowhere near as painful as the running.

In the afternoon I whipped up a set of coasters, I hadn't found any in stores that I really liked so inspired by an old designsponge post I made my own. That's it for now, expect more as I get busy.

Polar Babies

2010-03-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

The latest kids on the block Polar babies are here and child friendly too !

Ice Skating and Polar Bears

2010-03-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Oh, its been a full week since I got back from Colorado and I attributed my lethargy to the 7 day working week. Turns out however that I had a bit of a cold which was not going to stop me from an overdue surf on Saturday. It was supposed to rain on Saturday I might add and on cue as I approached the shore little droplets started landing on me. But, don't you get wet anyway ? I hear you say. Obviously you do, its the paddling part that's trickier with a downpour getting in your eyes, like swimming with no goggles. Still, it had deterred a large crowd from forming and the waves were bigger than the 1-2ft surfline forecast. More 3-4 with the occassional beast. When faced with a big wave I often pause for an instant, which is the worst thing to do, because that's when I get caught in no man's land and get dumped on. I resolve to make a decision one way or the other the next time a big one comes along and I'm in the wrong position.
After the surf, I was fully animated to get some creatures made, I've designed a polar bear, beaver and boss dog and managed to make 2/3 prototypes. There were distractions along the way I was fascinated by the Jonny Weir Series airing on Sundance and watched 4 in a row. (Commercial free.) I didn't know much about him while the Olympics were on, I just thought he was really good and deserved to place higher than he did, not that I know anything about scoring Ice dancing. I did work a few Holiday on Ice specials at Wembley way back when, which makes you appreciate the physical effort that goes into it. I got to watch Torvill and Dean doing the Bolero probably one of the most famous ice dances of all time.
In total contrast to the ice skating, we had a movie night and watched Law abiding Citizen I wasn't expecting the gruesomeness and I covered my eyes on occasion. It was definitely uncomfortable viewing, fictitious as it was. Pics of polar babies coming soon.

Need a portrait ? I know a man

2010-03-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

Family Viewing, Oil on Canvas 60" x 72"Dreaming California, 2009 60" x 72"Oil on Canvas

There was a time when I was the only painter in the family, that was until my sister got married to Ben Hughes and I had some serious competition. Back then I had completed my fine art degree and he was an accountant (an extremely good one I might add.) Ben is one of those multi-talented braniacs that rarely falters at anything he tries his hand at. HTML coding, check, unicycling, check, book writer, check.... you get the picture.When he decided to paint professionally it was no different, over the years he has just refined, pushed and perfected his technique. He has won prestigious prizes along the way. I wish there was a chink in his armour but annoyingly he is as humble and down to earth as they come. If you would like to commission a portrait of yourself, family, pet or loved one he will do an amazing job.

http://www.portraitswest.co.uk/
You can also follow his adventure filled blog BLART

Back from Colorado

2010-02-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

So, I have been internetless for the last week, quite a strange feeling. I was almost tempted to go into an Internet Cafe but I thought there's nothing that can't wait. It was freezing in Breckenridge, CO, literally -2 but very pretty, it felt like Christmas with all the snow. The altitude was a killer though, I was breathing like a heavy smoker just walking up a hill ! Still I did have a go at snowboarding, I was fully prepared for the inevitable falls and apart from a comedy catapault off the button lift the falls were quite graceful with no visible bruising. It took 15 hours of driving to get from CA to CO. I managed to finish a book, sleep and snack...lots of snacks, sunflower seeds, chips, bananas etc. I was fine until we started climbing and my stomach felt like it was being depressurised. Apart from a headache, couple of nose bleeds and stomach cramps which wore off on day 3 I was fine! Here are a few random snapshots from the trip.

Some donkeys covered in fresh snow on Main St, Breckenridge.

You would occasionally hear a huge crash which were icicles falling down. Hazardous.

Cold, chilly enough said.

Very hard to spot a clean car.

Troy my FTB finds himself knee high in snow.

Snapped from the car, the expectations are not high when a town is called No Name.

Two Paintings of the Sea

2010-02-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

As I said in the previous blog, there will be more pics less chat although I had a nutty dream the other day that I was going out with Kelly Slater, (notice emphasis on dream) I think it was because I had read about a new film at the Imax which starred the latter. I can't remember the last bit but that was more 24 ish. Talking of waves, I finally made it out for a surf and I was so exhausted, I got advice on paddling from a young whippet, I didn't have the heart to tell him I knew full well I needed to get beyond the breaking waves I was just knackered. New fitness regime starts....after I get back from Colorado. (work related excursion.) I will pack the perfect push ups because I don't know what else I'll be doing in this ski resort. See, I almost wish I'd stopped at the word blog.

Chickletto is here

2010-02-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hot off the sewing machine, my newest prototype Chickletto. He is another winged creature which is in keeping with Penguino and Owletto. You like ?

Ha ha chickletto is safe from Sanford, for now......but he wants that chicken bad.

Too tired to rent a DVD

2010-02-10T10:46:00.001-08:00

All this crafting is making me tired. I achieved my goal of completing the big owls and penguins so I patted myself on the back. I created some nice tags to save me having to write them which although would look nice I'm time poor right now. It seems like both my other jobs have just got really busy overnight adding to the strain. I felt my life pass by on Friday as I tried uploading a design file for a huge banner, watching the little bar making sloooww progress across the screen only for upload FAIL to appear each time. I finally gave up with that particular company after calling when they couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I called a local company in LA spoke to a nice man, uploaded my file (same file) with no issues whatsoever !! I feel like I've had a crash course in printing over the last week. When you are having 5,000 of something printed you can't help but wonder if you may have forgotten something, we shall see....

I had a little tantrum with my new sewing machine, the trouble with electronic machines is that they beep a lot when they are unable to do something ,which in this case was attaching a button. I changed the bobbin, re-threaded etc all to no avail. Beep, so I did what I do with all things electronic I switched it on and off, again no joy. I was starting to think gadgets and I were having a bad relationship. I had just received a new Canon D10 (waterproof allegedly), thank you nice people at Canon, to replace my old one,(6 months old) which had already been sent back to the factory for a new lens and was again playing up. All this without ever having touched water my sole reason for purchasing it in the first place! I ranted very politely to Canon and they agreed to send me a new one and things have been good so far.

So, forgive me for the lack of faith in my Brother machine, I finally dug out the manual and discovered low and behold, it was my fault, I hadn't depressed the foot fully, I gave it the extra nudge and voila button nirvana was reached. I am so happy about this exciting development. It takes me ages to sew buttons on by hand, I don't know why, and in a blink of an eye the Brother spits it out perfectly.

It was Superbowl weekend and husband's birthday so a lot of extra shopping/ cleaning/ cooking had to be fitted in. I did manage to make 20 spring rolls which reminds me I need to try and make some falafel again. This post has been most self indulgent but therapeutic for me, I'll be back to the short on words big on pictures format soon enough. If you made it this far you are probably related or just super fabulous. Have a great day.

Thrift Store Find - Apple

2010-02-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

Thrift Store Find
This apple needs a bit of TLC but I think its a wonderful object and a handy depository for knick knacks and the like. One day I will carefully sand and remove the blemishes but till then it sits happily on the living room table reminding me that wood is a beautiful thing.

Whirlwind and active

2010-02-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

Where the magic happens

The flag project so near yet so far

The weekend flew by with a flurry of crafting activities. The craft room has now reached the stage where every surface is covered with bits of fabric. No matter how many plastic storage containers I get there just aren't enough for all the scraps I generate and like a born recycler, (or hoarder) I always think there will be a use for that tiny little piece. The reason for the chaos is that darn hanging flag banner that I thought would be oh such a quick project, not so as you may have gathered. There's the letter cutting, fabric cutting, letter sewing, flag cutting etc etc and of course I wanted to draw from my extensive pile of scraps so that the letters would all be different patterns. I am my own worst enemy !! Progress was made but I think that this will be a one time deal. On the plus side I did get to try out a new stitch on the sewing machine which worked like a charm. It still seems surreal to press a button and have it instantly knot, the joys of technology.

Three paintings are on the go, some nice stormy skies which is funny really when 99% of the time the sky is a lovely shade of blue but that wouldn't be enough of a challenge. Progress shots coming soon.
I also will be selling my line in a boutique in LA which means I have to actually create in bulk and so had a big jumper shrinking session. It still surprises me that I can go out and find exactly the right colour in a jumper at a thrift store for a couple of penguins just when I need it. I have a theory that the gods of re-use look favourably on my furry creations. I only wish I didn't have to go outside to do the laundry. Unlike London, it is fairly common to not have a washing machine inside, oh how I miss my bosch, so quiet so quick.... When we had that rainy spell there was no way I was going to do any shrinking. We also once had a nasty possum living on top of the laundry, so the thought of having a giganto oversized rat landing on your head whilst you wash your small's was quite a big deterrent. It did start to stack up till a possum solution was found. I can't believe those things are not considered a nuisance and therefore animal control will have nothing to do with them. But I digress...

In between creating I managed a thrift store visit and found the best drinking glasses ever, they are old wine bottles that have been cut and sanded (a great idea) so they are just the right weight (Ikea thin they are not) and not too small, best of all each one is unique. As you can tell I was very happy with my purchase I had been thinking about those recycled glass ones with the bubbles and blue rim for a while but I'm glad I didn't get them.

Hurrah, my vintage soft toy pattern book arrived derailing my progress as I have simply got to make the elephant, polar bear and donkey. Work beckons, the rain is back.

Tall letters

2010-01-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

There's a store called the Creative Re-Use Depot in Long Beach that I'd been meaning to visit and fearful of getting really lost I never made it. Cue GPS and the shopping possibilities grew tenfold. It's a bit of a drive but a real treasure trove. These cut acrylic letters that I got are the tip of the iceberg. I also got some pipe cleaners, draughting tools, portfolio and a small bell for the price of a sandwich. Slightly random now that I'm typing it out but I'm trying to stay focussed and not get too cluttered. One day these will adorn the walls of a very stylish kitchen.
6UH5828TFT5G

Take a Bow

2010-01-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

Ok so Christmas was a while ago but bows are a year round thing aren't they ? Birthdays, anniversary's ,weddings etc. I can't claim credit for this idea however I did make it. I saw the felt bows on twigandthistle.com The gift bow tutorial was on the how about orange blog.

So simple the only change I made was I sewed the loops together instead of using glue dots which would have involved a car trip to the craft store. I attached a pin to the back so it can be worn as a brooch. I plan on making some more with fabric strips I think they could look really nice. I just prepped some fabric to be made into letters for a garland but if I have some left over....watch this space is all I can say. More bows are a coming.

Picture moment - Nap time

2010-01-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes there's nothing better than a midday nap. Here's Boss and Sanford demonstrating how it's done.

Valentine Inspired Cushion

2010-01-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

This cushion has been sitting in the studio for a while. I had been going back and forth with it deciding it needed something more but not knowing what exactly. I was left with a neckline piece after making pigletto and it is getting to be that time of year again, February 14th and all. I might add some more to it but then again I might let it be. The cushion is super soft, a recycled Ralph Lauren no less. I think I got it from my dad. I hope you like it.

wristlets

2010-01-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's one I made earlier...

Here's some wooly bracelets that unsurprisingly are quite toasty when worn.

little wooly pigletto

2010-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

This is my first foray into proper 3D plushies. Piggy is made from 100% recycled Scottish Argyle tank top (vest in American speak). I found the pattern on marthastewart.com so feel free to have a go. I must admit the instructions did confuse me a little but I got there in the end. I have ordered a book on amazon (is there anything you can't buy on amazon) that is from the 70's that I should be getting any day now that has a lot of really nice animals to make. I was excited to share this latest project with you.

Progress so far

2010-01-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

I was so hopeful at the start of the year and I'm happy to report that a certain amount of progress has been made. It took awhile to sort out the craft room, amazing how much time that takes. I recently was given some small aluminium buckets which I will use to sort my ever growing button collection. My new sewing machine arrived yesterday so I have threaded it and sewn a straight line but that's as far as I've got as I'm still reading all the ins and outs in the manual. It sews buttons too! which when you sew as many as I do is really good news. Below are some pictures of a pin brooch made from felt, it was a test one, I want to make some more so that I can throw them in a hot wash to see what happens.

I'm Back

2009-12-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

After all the build up to the last show I needed a break, but I'm back to full working order and with a new sewing machine purchase imminent very excited about future projects. I have to figure out how to balance painting and sewing. They aren't very compatible, you can't do it in the same room for instance.
My project list for early 2010 includes in no particular order: Argyle recycled sweater pig, Recycled sweater owl, lettered garland, pin brooches, wet felted flowers (learn how to wet felt first) Image transfers on wood then made into coasters, multiple paintings of the ocean, donkey ornaments and fancy zippered bags.

It sounds like a lot just typing it out. I will also be bringing to the blog stuff that I read that interests me and inspiring projects. In this way it will lessen the burden on me to take copious photos of my stuff or lack of it !!

How to make the garland.

I found this on katiedid.squarespace.com and absolutely love it. I was thinking of making one that said Give me strength and just have it up all year round. Patience is a virtue could be another one, must blog etc etc. I was super excited to find out that Muji has an online store, NO one sells those clear sleeve folders and so I bought 2 to begin with that will help deal with the backlog of cutouts and printouts that form my must have a go at this one day file. They currently reside in a box. The office has now got a much needed lamp which means I can work when its dark, I salvaged a corkboard from work which will need a little trimming to get it to fit the nice frame I have for it. Must get back to work. Happy New Year everyone.

Unique LA

2009-12-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

So, I've been a slacker on the blog front but only because I've been chained to my sewing machine. I felt like a factory worker as I attempted to complete projects in time for the show. My fingers are sore from not using a thimble. The regular job just gets in the way and when there's gossip girl and desperate housewives to catch up on its hard to get down to serious stuff. I've been sucked in by Melrose Place too, oh the shame of it. Anyway, thank you to all the lovely people who stopped by and were so complimentary about my wares. The most comical moment was when I wasn't even there, a small boy with his father apparently picked up a penguin and licked it. The father then felt obliged to buy it and later on I saw the small boy still clutching the penguin. So for you kids out there wanting new toys, don't scream and throw a tantrum, just lick !!!

The furry travel buddies awaiting adoption.

I was sad to see glamour owl go, she had sparkly eyes.

The paintings before they got straightened.

Happy Shoppers.

Shop Banner

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

This banner is for the craft shows that I'm doing. It's not quite finished yet as I have to punch some grommets in and back it but you get the gist. You may have been wondering about the delay in posting and I would love to say that I've been super busy and productive but in fact I had an accident and badly sprained my wrist. (Spent 4 hours in A&E for an x-ray just to be sure) and have been in a splint since. It's a lot better now, I can use scissors and a mouse ! I have been very grumpy though, as I had a lot of plans and they had to be abandoned and the accident could have been easily avoided. Such is life. Coming soon more lettering inspired projects.

Hug a Tree

2009-11-12T04:24:00.000-08:00

My goal is to create a big forest of trees, but there are only four at the moment. The wool has been felted so they are very soft. It took ages to finish the big tree as I couldn't get the bird to look the way I wanted it to, I did in the end and thus the forest began.

Papa Massimo and the Penguinos

2009-11-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Behold the Penguino Family. Here are some photos from the family album. As you can see there is a striking resemblance between the babies and their parents. I am reluctant to put them up for sale at the weekend as I have grown rather attached. Leave a comment if you like them. Thanks.

Non Painting Chronicles - Noisy Men

2009-10-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Am I a bad person because I want the workman next door to stop singing. He's clearly enjoying himself although he's clearly no Pavorotti, but he's giving me a headache. They are making some sort of medical suite in the building and between the banging, drilling, shouting and now singing I'm ready to go to war. I think I've answered my own question, Yes I am. Mind you in my defense I've only eaten a couple of pistachio nuts and half a cup of coffee hardly a balanced breakfast. It sounds like they are trying to saw through the ceiling now. GIVE ME STRENGTH.

Onto brighter news, the Penguino family is expanding rapidly. The tote pattern is almost complete and its nearly the weekend. Although I have to work on Sunday, so its slightly less exciting. Debating whether to go to Ikea this evening before heading out to the husband's gig. So much to do before the shows in November and December. I had a supremely strange dream last night, I was in Politics, assisting John Kerry and then I can't remember much more but it was dark. That's what you get for watching Criminal Minds before going to bed. John Kerry must have been on the news is my only explanation, I barely know who he is. OK, singing and drilling. This is TOO much.

Here's One I made Earlier - Tote

2009-10-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

I think I may have not posted a HOIME last week, so you get two this week as I am so proud of this last one that I can't wait. It's a tote as you can see, in this eco conscious world we live in it makes a stylish statement and packs a lot of groceries. I hope you like it.

Here's one I made Earlier - Owletto

2009-10-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Owletto is the newest of the animal series that I'm currently producing very slowly. Owletto is made from wool felt and embellished with machine embroidery and vintage buttons. He will be going on sale shortly in my Etsy shop. At last some inventory!!

Non Painting Chronicles - Lost and Found

2009-10-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

The weekend started inauspiciously. After a late night on Friday, the early morning surf trip was delayed by trying to find my waterproof watch. Parking is metered so the watch is an essential part of kit, those traffic wardens just swoop. After the watch was located, I couldn't locate my wallet that was fine though I had quarters I could get by. I stopped off at work to check I hadn't left it there but no luck. The surf was the biggest its been for a while and the crowds were out, you have to wait till its really cold for the numbers to die down. There was a lot of fog which created this strange atmosphere. I caught one big wave but was content to crouch, the drops are quite intimidating when the waves are big. No injuries though and an exhausting session. They say that bad luck comes in threes I beg to differ.
Here's my top three for Saturday. 1. Looking for lost wallet, everywhere, checking bank activity etc.
2. Stepping in dog poo in my birkenstocks and having to clean it off with an old toothbrush. Those grooves in the sole are a nightmare.
3. Breaking my sewing machine.
I could go on but I'll leave it at that. On the plus side I had some great finds at the thrift store and also went to The seed peoples market where I saw a lot of very groovy handmade stuff and had a nice cup of Spicy Apple Cider. The perks of winter.

Sunday, so much better. A nice chat on Skype with the family is always nice, I love the fact that you can get up and grab something to show them so much easier than describing it. Following a chat with my neighbour who suggested the thread might be the problem with the sewing machine, I had already changed the bobbin twice so I gave it a shot. I changed the main thread and it seemed to work, but then no it was still all loopy at the back. I racked my brains, the needle had broken and I had put a new one in so I took it out again and turned it curvy side forward and like Moses parting the Red Sea the machine started chugging out perfect stitch after perfect stitch. I had visited Jo-Anns and looked at the new computerised machines and to be honest was seriously thinking about trading the old one in. Self threading needles, drop in bobbin, auto start I could go on... Maybe the old tank got wind of it and decided to behave but it works and whilst it does I can't really justify the expense even if the new one does Letters and eighty three stitches !! I produced my second tote ever on Sunday lined and everything. I was very proud and promptly went round my neighbours who are used to me flinging new craft projects in their direction. Feedback was very positive. Whilst I was looking for a CD for my neighbour what should pop up, none other than the missing Louis Vuitton wallet. Oh, the joy. I hadn't cancelled any cards. How did it get in the draw in the first place I've no idea. I have my suspicions. I lost a bag of cheese earlier this week which I later found in the freezer. It's been a spacy couple of days.

Non Painting Chronicles - Chicken Run

2009-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

As we have established Chicken is no longer person non-grata. She/he has a name Penny and has been through many tribulations in her short stint on the street. When we no longer saw Penny out and about we feared the worst but she was spotted by a neighbour in another neighbour's yard looking forlorn with a bunch of cheetos for company. We were going to plan a rescue and relocate with a much more caring neighbour who really wanted Penny but through recent circumstances that happened anyway. At 5am this morning I heard what sounded like a cat fight, the rain was so loud I had barely slept but I didn't move. ( Yes very rarely in rains in Orange County !) The downstairs neighbour however went to investigate and found Penny in the jaws of a Possum. Possums are not cute at all, this one was bigger than Sanford and the neighbour had to launch into attack mode to get it to release Penny who duly managed to escape and ran through my neighbour's legs into her bedroom. She scurried into a cardboard box and stayed there till 10am the next morning. Penny had lost a lot of feathers and had left a pool of blood in the yard, she is being well looked after with an appropriate diet and we hope that she will make a full recovery. The hunt for the Possum is on, the gloves are off. I might add despite their capacity to kill other animals they are a protected species in Orange County so we will be relocating Possum who has left a fecal trail on top of the laundry area. Sorry if you're reading this before dinner. More Penny pics to come.

Picture Moment - Penny Chicken

2009-10-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

If further proof was needed that the chicken is alive and well, see below. Chicken casually strolling up and down the street.

Non Painting Chronicles - October 3rd

2009-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well firstly the chicken is alive and well. He seems to be settling into life on the street and is keeping the noise down as far as I can tell. The dogs now ignore it, two kids have given it the name Penny although I'm pretty sure its a boy, not the same kids that chased it with a shovel i might add.

The cowboy boots had their first official outing, I had them re-heeled and given the chill in the air opted for skinny jeans. They were much admired. It would seem as though the heat wave has ended and Winter is finally here, time to get the jeans out and thicker T.shirts. I bought a really warm coat but I think I'm going to have trouble wearing it whilst riding a bike which means either walking or not wearing the coat quite as much as I thought I would. Oh, such dilemmas.

On the domestic front, after months of hand washing dishes the new dishwasher was finally going to be installed. However, the handyman was also painting the back bedroom and it took longer than expected, blah blah. Upshot, the dishwasher is sitting outside on the balcony, so near yet so far. I had specially saved up some dishes for testing which I promptly had to wash. Still the office looks lovely and cosy now that the walls aren't institution white. What is it with replacing bulbs ? I've had a lamp on my desk for month now sans bulb, its one of these fancy halogen types, I must get myself to a hardware store.

I'm reading a couple of books at the moment, one about a sailing voyage and another by Elizabeth Berg. By the time I get to bed though I just want to sleep and manage about 2 pages before I do. I'm starting Lent early and giving up coffee, which is the reason I am soooo tired sans caffeine boost. I'm sipping water but its not making me any more alert. The husband was fiddling with the lamp the other day and needless to say it was on and a spark shot right through his thumb.I've never known someone more accident prone than me. I discovered the source of my spectacular superman fall, my birkenstocks had stretched so I duly got some holes punched in and so far no re-enactments yet. Yesterday a bike was stolen from our neighbour who had it locked to the railing, I remember my wheels getting stolen off my bike in London on 3 seperate occasions and I was mad about that, this bike was brand new and had never been ridden. I made some flyers and will be on the lookout.

Picture Moment - Ocean Morning

2009-10-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

Overcast skies, unusual for Huntington beach but so much more dramatic.

Here's one I made Earlier - Penguino

2009-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here's One I made Earlier
Penguino is an original design, made out of felt and is the first of a many penguins currently in production (well on the ironing table.)

Non - Painting Chronicles

2009-09-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

I shot the chicken but I didn't shoot the deputy. ( Sing to Bob Marley)

That bloody chicken, last night it sounded like it was being attacked by a ferile cat the amount of flapping it was making. Early this morning it was squawking away and generally making a racket. Let me be clear about this, we live in a city, there are no farms nearby that I know of and it would be like a chicken walking around a cul de sac in Ladbroke Grove. Apparently its a bantam chicken and those are expensive said my neighbour. My other neighbours had seen the chicken this morning and contrary to popular belief that it was being attacked it was just happily and casually strolling up the alley, clucking away. Those darn sleep bandits. In the evening as I chatted to the neighbours we spotted the chicken on the fence, slightly obscured by a table. I got the airsoft gun and using my valuable TA experience crouched into position and aimed. I think one of the plastic balls ricocheted and possibly hit the chicken ( I doubt it though) but the noise was enough to startle it, and it flew away. This may seem cruel but I can safely say I don't mean to harm the chicken I just wish it would find somewhere else to live, like the country. I think we are going to have to fork out for a fishing net if we have any hopes of capturing it . It's like the Usain Bolt of chickens. We would of course find it more appropriate accomodation. It's either that or a wanted ad on Craigslist. Chicken: young, agile, social and talkative seeks full time carer. Free, pick up only.

2 Days later Chicken update. So, yesterday in a scene reminiscent of Lord of the Flies the kids on the street decided to chase the chicken. There were about 7 of them. I know I fired at it, but it was indirect only and one of these kids had a blue shovel ! The chicken was flapping about like nobody's business. They weren't hitting it as far as I could see, merely poking bushes, but they were chasing it like a relentless mob and they trapped it in the Apartment complex across the road. Well, we didn't see chicken the next day and feared the worst. Note use of the word fear, due to the nature of it's capture I felt really bad like someone who sees a crime being committed and just closes the curtains. Those kids are out of control. To quote my neighbour " If you want to figure out who the next serial killer will be, look no further." I exaggerate but a shovel ? I'm happy to say Chicken outwitted them all, he was heard happily clucking this morning much to our relief. It is imperative that we capture chicken, he needs to know its us or the kids. We'll find him a nice patch where he can be free of the daily stresses of living on the streets. Still he better steer clear of the Santa Fe.

Picture Moment - The View from I-5 & Raccoons

2009-09-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Naturally with an 8 hour journey the sky is going to change but it was pretty dramatic. All pics were taken from the comfort of a moving vehicle.

These little muddy prints are those left by the rowdy raccoons after a night's camping at Caspar Beach.

Here's one I made Earlier - TV Table

2009-09-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Materials: Primer, Spray paint, adhesive numbers, tray table

Method: Make sure your tray table is free of dirt and dust. Lightly sand. Mask off areas that you don't want to paint. Coat with primer. Leave to dry and repeat. When dry attach numbers to table. Grab your colour spray paint and coat. Leave to dry and repeat. When fully dry peel off the numbers carefully and Ta Da moment. You can use any type of stencil I just happened to have a sheet of numbers.

Non-Painting Chronicles

2009-09-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Back from a week long vacation. Vacation would imply rest and relaxation but as I mentioned in a previous post there were a couple of anti-sleep bandits in force namely 7, yes 7 dogs who at the mere sound of a branch breaking would start a howling festival. There were also the roosters about 3 I think who like to get everyone up before six and that was when we had four walls and a roof. After a short stint at the donkey ranch we set off for our roadtrip down Highway 1. In theory beautiful coastline, the roar of the ocean and sea breezes. In actual fact some parts were near terrifying, hairpin bends one after another after another some with shear drops down very very steep embankments. I was more holding on than admiring the view. We didn't prepare for the fact that we would be on these narrow, steep, winding roads for hours on end. Our first stop was the Emerald Forest and Patricks Point. We camped and were fairly optimistic, we had bought provisions earlier in a grocery store, chicken, pasta salad, potato salad and bread and butter pudding. The husband had seen the bread and butter pudding at the counter and asked to try it and he then promptly purchased a big slice. We also had some doughnuts to roast over the fire, a little camping secret we were told when camping last year. The frosting melts and they are delicious. Cue dinner, very nice thank you. Doughnuts unfortunately were a wee bit on the dry side, two fell in the fire and they didn't really melt. They weren't krispy kreme and just didn't work so we soon abandoned that idea. Exhausted we retired to bed, the first thing I noticed as I lay in the tent was the snoring, it wasn't coming from our tent. I tried and tried to block it out, I listened to my own breathing I sang songs from the Sound of music in my head, nothing worked... The snoring was so loud it would have registered on a decibel counter. I said to myself if I don't open the tent to look out then I can pretend its not real. Needless to say I unzipped the tent door and looked for clues. It wasn't coming from the immediate vicinity, it was further than that. If I had had a bee bee gun I would have happily have shot a few harmless plastic pallets into the snorers tent. I also imagined a design for a soundproofed tent which I realised had actually already been invented, its called an RV. Add to this, the husband got up twice to hurl in the middle of the night so 1st night of trip, Sleep Bandits 1 Sleeping 0 My husband spotted the snorer the next day, he was on the larger side shall we say and was driving a motorcycle. "How do you know its him." I asked. Apparently he had had a friend who would fall asleep in front of the TV and snore really loudly. He was also on the larger side. So conclusive wouldn't you say ?

You can see where this story is going its not a tale of blissful enjoyment of being at one with nature. The next day we visited the beautiful redwood forests and went through The Drive Thru Tree, all very nice and then we drove and we drove and we drove. Twisting, turning, light, dark, light, dark, slow car, fast car, brake, brake, brake it was a wonder we didn't all get car sick. Miraculously we made it to Caspar Beach for another night's camping. Cue another food disaster, I forgot to mention the delicious bread and butter pudding which my husband tasted and was about to eat being the cause of his night hurls. As I looked at the pudding, I saw a tiny white patch of MOULD, I screamed "STOP" just as he was about to take a large bite, so upset stomach was narrowly avoided for a second night .

Safeway, pretty well known store to stop off at. We bought good donuts this time, choc chip cookies, and decided to buy some of their hot soup which they'd run out of but would warm some new stuff up for us. Great we thought, just what we need. We'd bought a stove with us but alas no pans or propane to light the stove. So excited about having found the campsite and it was fairly sheltered from the looks of things. We settled down to some dinner one spoonful of soup and it was stone cold. There was no way it had been heated up, it was so disappointing. So the husband went off and to his credit found a microwave and disaster was narrowly averted. When you are sleep deprived the smallest things can seem like crisis.
The road work began about 5, we could hear the sound of drilling in the distance. The sleep bandits were at it again but I was confident I could block it out. Exhausted we retired to our nylon tent, we'd also forgotten pillows and the makeshift towel pillow wasn't really making the grade if you know what I mean. In a moment of inspiration I took the detachable chair headrest and wrapped the towel around it, much better. I don't know what time it was when we started to hear strange sounds outside of the tent. "What's that ?" said the husband. "I think its someone throwing their trash out." I replied. The sounds continued and next thing I know my husband tells me, in a very serious tone. " There's a bear outside, open the tent and shine the light at it." Bear expert I am not, I am still at heart a city dweller and the thought of a flimsy bit of nylon being the only thing standing between me and a bear. Well, I was terrified. Still I stuck my trembling hand out of the tent and waved the light. I was officially done with camping at that point. My husband continued to strongly urge (read shout in a low voice) to wave the bloody light which I obviously was. The light trick having not worked the husband figured out it wasn't a bear and unzips the tent whilst I hold on to the dogs. We have raccoons, (where were the warnings!) in our sleep deprived haze we had left the donuts, chips and cookies out. The husband did some excellent hissing impersonations and threw rocks, a log, plastic bottle of water at our unwelcome friends. But still they came back again and again and again. The husband to his credit went out in his boxers and socks put everything in the car and threw some bigger rocks and finally they got the hint. Once they had left we could enjoy the sounds of the Seals honking at the beach. I am being sarcastic obviously! Sleep Bandits 2 Sleeping 0. I couldn't wait to get the tent down and get out the next morning, it was wet and cold. The raccoons also took a tupperware container with dog food in it. So sneaky.
Two nights of not sleeping and suddenly the ocean, well who cares its blue, ocean I'm over it. We decided we were going to get on the 101 as soon as we could so that we could actually make some distance. The locals were not altogether forthcoming in their direction giving. Something along the lines of head to Valley Forge and ask there for directions to Petaluma. As it was we found it just fine. Through Big Sur, no vacancies lots of trees, more winding. We would push on and stay in a motel. We didn't have the willpower to put the tent up again, we were weak, tired and in need of warmth. We passed one motel and then absolutely zip for about 40 miles a long time. We passed Hearst Castle. "Its a national tourist attraction there's has got to be some motels." I said hopefully. Miracle of miracles we found a motel and it took pets, we were going to sneak them in. The 20 pounder would have been easy enough, the 50 Pounder would have been a challenge but we walked them in, legally. Oh how we appreciated the beds and hot shower, we slept like babies. OK, so this motel stop wasn't without incident as I went to the car to grab some things in my pyjamas my Birkenstock made contact with a 1 inch tile ledge which sent me flying Superman style onto the cold, hard tiled floor. This fall follows the ice-cream trip in Big Lots where I landed on a shelving system which had I seen the Ice-cream I would have obviously avoided. Still, Sleeping 1 Sleep Bandits 2. Over the course of the journey home I talked a lot about Vanagons and other sleep/drive vehicles being a really good idea. There was some beautiful sights that we experienced but I know we have to plan more in the future. I won't be camping any time soon.