teacup treasures

A few posts back I mentioned mum was having another clean out and she gave me some Tupperware. Well she gave me some more trios for my collection as well. These two sets I adore. I have loved them for a long long time.
Mum has been collecting Depression Glass lately and she has a very impressive collection already. Beautiful pieces, and luckily for me she needs room for the Glass so I got a few trios.
Mum's trios were given to her in the late 1950's. Back then as Kitchen Tea presents, 21st birthdays and the like girls were usually given trios for the Glory Box! So mum ended up with quite a large collection without even trying to and she has never really used them, but always kept them.

I also have another one which was a present from Mum recently. She bought it off Ebay for me and I adore it, just have to get a photo so will share that soon.

I always try to declutter and not have things to dust but it's hard when you love collecting things and there is no point in having my teacups unless I can see them, so alas, they are usually dusty so don't look toooo closely!!

maybe you have been out adding to your collections this weekend???

happy hedgehog

I have finished my little felt pin cushion. It's an adorable pattern from Squirrel Momma. You must check out Squirrel Momma's blog if you haven't already, such gorgeously cute work.

It was part of the first kit we received for The Pin Cushion of The Month 6 whole months ago!!!! I have changed the pattern quite a bit. I found the first one a little fiddly for my clumsy fingers so after deciding to put a much higher side on it, I then thought I would use a completely different felt.

I do love the hedgehog and have started doing another one of these (a little different again) but it will need to take a back seat while I catch up on some other projects.

I have also done this just in time for Mikes-Felt-A-Long which has been on this month (yes I know...I have cut it a little fine, one day to go phew!) I LOVE working with felt, it's just the best!!!!!

hope your weekend is a happy one :)

cool cap

I was soooo lucky in that I won an Ebay auction raising money for the Bushfire Appeal. I won this gorgeous shower cap made by Liesl over at Hoppo Bumpo! Lucky me. I have loved Liesl's shower caps for some time and often considered having a go at her tutorial.

But the truth is I have just been too slack to get on with it. You know how it is...the to do list gets longer and longer. It becomes one of those lovely projects you will do in the future.

But now I have one, it is such fabulous quality and made of a Japanese Print fabric lined with a black nylon. My girls love it too. We have all been wearing it!!!

but wait...there's more, the sweetie that Liesl is, she also put in some of her gorgeous buttons too! Thank you Liesl, it felt great to be helping the Red Cross to raise money AND to receive such a lovely item.

So much happening at Handmade Help, you need to check it out each day to keep up :)

in progress..........

in progress...................for Meet Me At Mikes Felt-a-long

yay!! Collectors starts back on ABC1 tonight at 8pm...I LOVE that show, do you? All that vintage loveliness they share each week. It lets me know I'm not alone when I enjoy the tactility of my button collection or smile at my teacups :)

happy weekend

vintage love

What a wonderful find at the op shop - anodised tumblers. I grew up with a set of these, they were a set of 6 in a circular blue leather case. Mum always kept them in the glove box for picnics or just stopping for a drink on a Sunday drive. Now we have a set and guess where they will be kept? that's right....in the glove box!

creative space

This would have to be one of my most creative spaces. It was my computer that opened up the world of blogging and bloggers to me about 3 years ago.

I had finished studying art majoring in Ceramics but still had access to the studio whenever I wanted it during the week. I thought I would be making pots until I popped off but, due to health reasons sadly I had to give Ceramics up. It is hard, heavy work stacking kilns and the glazes are quite toxic.

During the following 12 months I was trying to find creativity in other areas. Sewing I had done since High School but just took it for granted. It was while searching the internet for knitting patterns I discovered Knitty.com and through Knitty I discovered blogs.

Well what a world that opened up for me. After lurking for about 6 months I felt SO inspired to start blogging and take up sewing again. Not clothes this time but more fun things like bags and toys. Of course I still continue to knit, only scarves though, but I love it!

Without my computer I am sure I would still create, but I couldn't live without the creativity, inspiration, motivation and most of all.....community I get because of this technological marvel!!

Others are playing too, why don't you? pop over to Kirsty's place to see how!! :)

tupperware love

Mum has been giving me some special items lately, a few she has bought on Ebay and others are from cleaning out her cupboards! lucky me.

Firstly is a vintage Tupperware Cake Storer/Carrier, it had never been used, I have had this since before xmas and have been using it quite a bit myself though!

I love this....it's a Tupperware Party Catalogue from 1963! Unbelievable to see the prices and I love the artwork!

the next few items I have actually had since I was 10! They are information booklets on........you guessed it, getting your period!!! They are very amusing and were all published by Johnson and Johnson in 1964. They were available with your "sanitary products"!!!!! Mum put them away until the 70s for my sister and I. I have always loved the artwork in them so just hung onto them. They certainly are treasures now and quite funny to read.


visit Handmade Help to see what's happening, it's certainly a busy place! :)

terrific Tinnie!!

Early last week amidst the overwhelming sadness and loss of the Victorian bush fires, a little ray of sunshine came in the mail to me. It was like a tonic, it was my TINNIE from Cathy. It was better than xmas. The tin I chose was even more gorgeous in real life!

I tried to delay opening it for just a little while and I waited oh at least 20 seconds! It was full of so many wonderful things. I bought a Doers Tinnie which means it contains 6 FQs as well as buttons, trims, floss and every Tinnie has a surprise in it......

my surprise is the lovely vintage pillowcase which is what you see under the FQs...a Holly Hobbie type of print, it's adorable! All the FQs are vintage and I love them. Thank you Cathy. My plan this year is to use up fabrics I have and make a Shabby Chic style quilt (just in simple squares I don't have the patience to do a pieced quilt) and also a quilt using up my vintage fabrics and vintage pillowcases so the fabric from my Tinnie will go into that.
Not the pillowcase though, we will be using that. There are some pillowcases I have collected that I love so much and so do my daughters so we use them on the beds.

Pop over to TinnieGirl as Cathy has a sale on all Tinnies until the end of February. You won't be sorry!!!!!


There is so much wonderful work being done by crafters to help raise money for the Red Cross Victorian Bush Fire Appeal. I won an auction last week of some handmade loveliness for the appeal and I will share that when it arrives.
If you haven't already, please donate by going to Handmade Help and either donate and/or bid on a handmade item. If you haven't already checked out this blog then pop over now, the amount everyone is doing to help is inspiring.
Marian too has one of her to die for handwoven scarves up auction for the Appeal so pop over there and place a bid, it is truly gorgeous!
Bel's school had a fundraiser on Friday to donate to the Red Cross and are having another one this Friday, maybe your school is doing something too. It is a great way for the younger children to understand what has happened and has made them really want to help too. What I'm saying is that every little bit helps and even though most of us aren't in a position to donate thousands or even a hundred dollars we must all do what small thing we can.

stitchy love

I finished this stitchery last night!! I LOVE the pattern and the possibilities are endless for colour variations and adding things to it like I have added the mushrooms. This gorgeously cute Mushroom Girl pattern is available over at One Red Robin and the lovely and very talented Jhoanna is letting us have it for free! which is so generous of her. I plan this to be the first of many! Pop over to see Jhoanna's stitchery and the list she also offers for other suggestions to do with the pattern :)

creative space

I have finished this other stitchery of Felicity Wishes. The one I traced from Bel's activity book. It was lots of fun and even though Felicity is a Chef in this one, she is doing a good impersonation of an Irish Dancer!!!

So my Creative Space for this week is where I usually do most of my stitching. We have two Club Chairs and they are perfect for stitching. Nowhere else feels quite comfortable enough, so I sit here with all my stuff around me and lately with this heat I have a fan on the table next to me going flat out!!!

Pop over to Kirsty's place to see other Creative Spaces!!!!!

art journals and therapy

I have been doing quite a bit of work in my journals trying to find my own style of fairies, girls and whimsical creatures, constantly changing them. These are a few I am happy with and they are quite rough in a journal kind of way so I keep thinking I must try some on canvas soon. It's so convenient to draw in journals though, and then with my water soluble oils and a little poster paint add colour!


I wanted to mention the whole Art Therapy thing as I know a few of you are keen to hear how it's been going.
Basically it has fallen through! I had quite a few visits and while my counsellor was lovely we really didn't touch on any actual "art therapy" which is understandable for a couple of visits but then we kept getting side tracked each visit about issues.
Then there was quite a gap in visits because of xmas, and I just felt we were paying lots and I wasn't getting anywhere. Lots that we just don't have!!! We just couldn't afford for me to go long term but we thought well we won't worry about the money, it's important, but it was starting to stress me having to pay for therapy with a credit card!!!!

This particular counsellor doesn't go through Medicare which all Psychologists do now but she was a Counsellor and wasn't covered. In case anyone in Australia is interested and you weren't aware anyone can be covered by Medicare now for Therapy you just need a Care Plan done by your GP, so it's affordable for everyone. You just pay a small gap.

Anyway so I had to stop going. BUT one great thing to come out of it is that I have been so busy in my journals and with drawing in general. Before my first appointment I was told to bring along my journals so I was inspired to finish off stuff in them and just generally get them in some sort of order. Well I haven't stopped since then so that is a real positive coz it makes me feel good.

I have had a very good Psychologist recommended to me and she is quite full until march for new clients, so at the moment I am in limbo but thankfully most of the time I feel a lot better than I did a few months ago.
I am reading a book called Buddhism for Busy People - Finding Happiness in an Uncertain World by David Michie. It is such a brilliant and easy way to understand the Buddhists philosophy about thinking differently and not worrying about things out of our control and concentrating on the simple important things in life. So I recommend it to everyone who wants to think differently and try and slow down a bit in their life, and appreciate the most simple things. I find this really helps with depression and anxiety and a sense of hopelessness which comes at times. It's not a cure all but a great help.

I have a few more journal pages in a Journal Set on Flickr. I haven't put heaps up as a lot aren't really worthy of it but I am adding more all the time so if you want to have a look at that set or my Drawing Set pop over here.