Back to school.

swap.

Wee wonders for the enchanted pumpkin.

been down so long...

but still working! I just finished a new spool doll with new eyes, well, eyelashes. Star bursts! Pop! Pop!

can't help it...

Perhaps you may be over bobbins but I'm certainly not. I've now found the perfect (no, this time they really are perfect) animals to hold my assortment of twine.

I saw this brilliant idea from Zakka Life way back and have never given up looking for just the right creatures. These doe and deer came from Jupiter's Child, another wonderful Etsian. Check out the shop and perhaps you too would like to adopt a few of their lovely pets. You'll find it hard to say no. I, of course, would still love a giraffe....

Forgot to mention that this obsession did have its reward. My very own bobbin gals made it in the July/August issue of the hip Australian frankie magazine! It was so cooool (still is) and tremendously gratifying. Thank you all who have supported and continue to support me.

My bobbin gals in frankie magazine!

a new kind of sweetness.

I am very fortunate to have friends in the right places. These fabrics come from a friend's mom in Japan and the pattern is from a book from a pal in Hong Kong. The Lego props, of course, are mine.

jolly jars.

Coming soon!


And more goodness....

happy.

I go through staring contests with wooden pieces a lot. Sometimes I win. The mushroom caps were a wrong purchase almost doomed to the reject pile. Now I wish I had more of them. These turned out so cuuute!

animal bobbins.

You know, you gotta love Daiso! Since I've been on this bobbin kick lately, I've been keeping a keen eye out for other cool notions I can use instead. (I'm not really sure why there's such a shortage of cooler bobbins.) I found these cute animal cutouts at the local Daiso, which are originally intended as "planter accessory" to "decorate the planter fashionably." Soon as I saw them, I knew they would make perfect bobbins! I found only the sheep yesterday and I really wanted the dogs.... So today, I went back and got on all fours to scour the floor. They're packed in such small bags, I was certain a few had fallen and gotten tucked in the shadows. Sure enough, I found one bag, a bag of dogs! Needless to say, this little girlie had a very good day!

Owlie love.

Apple harvest.

Apple pincushions showcasing Japanese fabrics from my sister's trip.

eggs?

As much as I aspire to become Martha Stewart-esque, I just don't have enough egg parties. I was looking for a place to set these dolls upside down while their bottoms dry, when I came upon this egg tray on my shelf. I've been trying to find a regular use for it so I can justify hoarding yet another item with a singular purpose. Definitely won't be chucking this any time soon.

Whipped up a couple origami purses yesterday. If you're into instant gratification, this is the project for you. They're super easy, quick and fun to make and I just love the simplicity of their shape.

Fabrics and ribbons!

My sister has returned from Japan, finally, I was getting a bit lost there without her (was missing her a lot). She brought home these fantastic fabrics and ribbons, which was really awesome of her to do considering her full and hectic schedule. She has over 900 pictures of places and things. Can't wait to get started on these! Yay!

Griffin and Finch.

Thank you Sophia for making Griffin and Finch a part of your wonderful celebration and giving them a fine new home.

what a quack!

Finally got the Japanese book (ISBN483476348x) I've been coveting for 2 weeks from a local Mitsuwa. I really only wanted it for its duckie pattern.

I had to modify a bit the original pattern since the gargantuan head made him just a bit puffy and alien-y for me. I also had to soften its ridiculously angular wings and it looks like I might need to make smaller his feet just a tad. Overall I think the quack came out pretty darling.

Owl on a log.

Meet Carnation, the dreamy owl birdie. She enjoys red wine and sunsets and apples and cheese. She especially loves ball flowers, so she welcomes colorful pins aplenty in her log, creating a most wondrous garden for perching.

eureka.

bvI have not been able to stop making these apples. I kept adjusting the pattern for a curvier, tapered body but I think I've finally come up with the perfect shape. This green apple has the narrower bottom I'm looking for.


More importantly, I have more exciting news. Tonight, as I was getting ready to secure the leaf and stem to this gorgeous fruit, I saw something else. A pear!!! Yup, a pear and the pear below is actually the apple, upside down, sans puckers! It's a simpler task since it won't require the tricky thread tugging necessary for an apple's puckers. With a pear, attaching stem and leaf finishes the job. One pattern for 2 different fruits - that is brilliant! (There's a very impressive lady who sells these patterns in a kit and I bet she offers a single pattern for both fruits.) Hmmm....


I certainly look forward to making lots of pears this weekend, but for now I desperately need to do some snoring ^_-. I do hope these tutorial and tips have been encouraging. Perhaps you too will discover something new - happy crafting!

handpicked giveaway.

To celebrate the Summer and as a token of my appreciation for the crafts community, I'm giving away an apple pincushion of your choice from this batch. To enter, please leave a comment. The winner will be randomly picked and announced on Aug10. Enjoy!!!

Don't forget to check out the tutorial.

apple pincushion tutorial.

I have been wanting to make my very own brightly colored fruity pincushions for some time but haven't because I didn't have a pattern. Although there are certainly enough patterns online and in stores available for these, I prefer developing my own patterns so I don't have to worry about being bound to certain limitations. It's far more rewarding and comforting knowing I'm working with templates of my own. In the end, I control the fates of my creations - keep, gift and yes even sell them.

The pictorial tutorial shows a quick way of creating your own pattern. You can also apply this method to other bulbous articles; yes, a pear, an egg (use a styrofoam/cardboard egg please and perhaps 4 parts, instead of 6, is best), a tomato. Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll find this exercise quite encouraging and liberating. Have fun!!!

Add an additional 1/8" seam allowance to your fabrics when cutting. For the stem, cut 2 pieces of felt in 2 colors, 1" x 1.5", with the inner felt just slightly narrower and roll them, stitch closed. The leaf also uses 2 shades of felt, the underside being darker. Sew leaf to one end of rolled stem. Secure stem and leaf with fabric glue to apple; also attach a button on apple's bottom with fabric glue. With perle cotton and doll making needle, (or the longest needle you have) go through stem, apple and button at least 3 times. Pull taut to create puckers and knot.

have your cake and use it too.

basket cake.

Kudos to everyone who whips up felt creations like this. It's certainly no easy task putting together the "piped cream." Still, it's a feast for the eyes. Delicious!