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Our Christmas family finished. Very sweet and apparently Santa (with the pointy hat) is always smaller than Mrs Claus.... who knew?

When I grow up

When I was younger I loved clay motion shows although I can't remember the name of any of them. I also remember getting a little older and loving making playdoh or plastercine figures and thinking that someone must do that for a job. I still enjoy making things with the girls, Ella always challenges me with something interesting, like a tiny weeny baby with a dummy and a bottle and clothes and nappies ..... While I'm making things I let my mind wander and think of Adam Elliott and the amazing work he does - wondering if perhaps I really have what it takes ... then Ella laughs and I take a good look at my attempt at making Felicity Wishes ...

Woof Woof

Two little pups, one in flannel/cotton the other felt/cotton for babes of friends. Such fun to make, easy and I think very effective. I'm inspired and although this pattern is only for one's own use, it's inspired me to develop my own patterns for other little critters. I'll share the results when they've been perfected.

New

Bought over the weekend at the Mud Factory in Healesville. The potter is lovely and the cup equally so. My morning coffees have already brought me extra pleasure when drunk from this beauty. Potting is always something I've wanted to do, but put off. I think 2009 might be the year.

$4.41

looks at least $10.00 with the addition of some handsewn sequins and seed pearls. Don't you think? The idea is to continue up over the shoulders and around the back - but Ella simply couldn't wait to wear it. Very relaxing beading - I did it at the hairdressers yesterday while I was coloured and cut. You'll be seeing more sparkles.

I wish I could tell you more,

but I shouldn't even be showing this much, even out of focus. I couldn't resist though. I want this special person to know that I am hopelessly late but this item is finished and simply awaiting a few special items to complete the package.

You know who you are!

Slovenian pumpkins

These photos are reproduced from the lovely Pina's blog. The reason I've stolen her snaps is that however hard I tried I couldn't get a decent photo of the lovely little felt pumpkin she has shown at the top right. The reason I was trying to take a photo of it was because she sent it to me! I told her how lovely an idea I thought it was and then there it appeared, in my mailbox yesterday. I love the idea of copying hers and producing a field of them for our windows but honestly, I won't get around to it .... this year!

Thank you Pina xx

Flour and water

makes glue, if you're doing papier mache absolutely old school. Smells like an untricked up pancake batter and dries like, well, something else all over your hands.

Not as much fun as I remember, I must confess, but I don't think tissue paper is the best paper to use, the glue doesn't really soak in, just lays on the surface, but it saves on painting at the end. Ella got fed up after a couple of balloons, we both agreed it was a little boring and we wanted it to be tomorrow when they'll be dry and ready to turn into black cats, pumpkins and ghosts. When Leila woke she wanted a turn and I have to say, for one so young, she is very methodical in her approach to activities. She came away pretty clean and very pleased with her work.

On the table for tomorrow - start to decorate the house, finish off these treats, Halloween cookies, a jar of experimental goop, and whatever else is added to the list in the next few hours.

Shaun

the sheep is pretty big with Ella. She and her Pa watch it together and almost wet themselves laughing. In a dvd that Pa gave Ella it had instructions on how to make one of the pigs.

Plastercine, I used it a lot when I was younger, I wanted to make models at one stage - there were quite a few stop motion kids programs I remember, I loved them. This photo was to show nan and pa what we made. I made Shaun, but the pig and Timmy are all Ella.

Encouraging creativity

can mean cleaning up a lot of mess.

At times I find it difficult, with the difference in ages, to always find activities that both girls are able to participate in fully. Ella's obviously much more co-ordinated and also, let's face it, cleaner and neater. I feel mean even saying that but you do have to be in the right state of mind to start activities when you know full well that you're going to have half an hour of cleaning afterwards. I know that's being a mother and perhaps I'm more selfish than some, but I do need to be in the right state of mind.

So yesterday was painting day and any reservations I had were removed when I was reminded how much Leila loves it, regardless of the low paint onto paper ratio.

Connections

Sandy is someone I've met through my etsy shop - I guess she's what you'd call a customer, in fact my best ever customer. It was Sandy who contacted the babycino website suggesting they review my dolls, it's Sandy who has bought so much from me and it's Sandy who has been so forthcoming with the sweetest support and encouragement of my little business.

Perhaps it shows that I'm not really business minded but when Sandy contacted me most recently to ask me to make another precious piece of material (a family keepsake) into another doll's dress I suggested we do it as a swap instead of a sale. Today we received her parcel and it wasn't just posted, she'd wrapped everything so beautifully. She'd sent the material for my part of the swap, together with some kidsafe cutting knives she'd recommended to me and some gorgeous cards from her own etsy shop. You really should check out her shop, there are some wonderful things and I think her counting and alphabet cards are really unique.

Thank you Sandy, again, from all of us. x

Too much but so thrilled

Around May last year I entered the blogging world and one of the first forays was to enter a PIF exchange with Marianne of Applehead. Marianne has just extended her family with another beautiful baby girl, so that she should choose to send something to me at this point in time made it all the more special. It's quite amazing, the generosity towards a complete stranger, I feel quite embarassed and humbled I guess, that she should spend her precious time on me and my family. The girls (well Ella and me really - Leila was a little non plussed as they tend to be at her age) in this family were thrilled. Ella said "Oh mummy that's so kind of her we really must send her something to thank her." It was terribly kind and we are terribly thankful and we will send something to thank her - I'll set myself a realistic target though of before year's end! I also have a frame to hand that I think they will fit, so I will put it in and share more when it's on the wall.

Like, like

Both Ella and I like drawing on little business cards.

You can never have too much fuss

made of you on your birthday, at least that's how I feel.

Tomorrow someone very special in our life is celebrating his birthday. We have got an adult present too, but this is what Ella wanted to make for him. The picture is of nan and pa dancing together while the band plays on the piano, guitar and tamborine in the background.

The spoils of birthday cake making, is the kitchen ever as quiet as it is when little ones are licking the beaters?

They're like Christmas, they're coming

Friendship,

that's what Amitie means, and it's very hard not to be friends with this shop.

I have sold two girls this past week, which continues to be a big thrill, so the half dozen on the table need to get a move along with three already promised, the other three will go into the shop. Material for clothing was required and I seem to have focussed on purples this time, which is not a colour I'm normally drawn to. The two linen blends I just loved, the little dolls I think I'll make into a dress for one of the girls and the other I want to make some new cushion covers for our couch.

Threads and Flicks

A new skirt for Ella copied from a Townmouse skirt we bought years ago. Thanks to Tamara for the recommendation to buy a cutting board - sure it's for a quilt I'm planning to make, but it is very useful - I'm slow to catch on to new tools. I am also one of the legions who have bought Amanda's book, but I haven't yet had time for more than a glance.

Some material and a pattern my mother in law cut out for her daughter about 40 years ago and never finished. As she was handing it over to me she still mourned the fact that she hadn't finished it - that together with the Mousetrap game they searched Melbourne for one Christmas but all the shops were sold out. They bought Cath a Skippy game instead but her face fell when she opened it.

Geoff's off to "Dreamtime at the G" tonight. Ella and I went to the movies to see this together but it was released on dvd this week. The plan is that we'll put Leila to bed, get into our pj's and watch it together.

Bag Lady

Some time last year I bought one of the Japanese crafting books on making bags. I have looked at it numerous times and found the thinking part of it too much. I have wanted to give it a try for ages and yesterday Geoff took the girls to the pool and I had time to figure it out. I have to say, it's SUPER EASY. SUPER easy, I can't believe I left it so long. Okay these are simple tote bags, but it couldn't be more straight forward. I tried to take shots of me "wearing" the bags, but I was slouching trying to fit everything in the shot and think I may have received emails asking about my third pregnancy as a result, not flattering.

So, these take about half an hour each to make, start to finish - really! Be prepared, I think this could be addictive and everyone I know will most probably be receiving a gifted bag at some point in the near future.

"Milly needs a tutu mum"

When your child is sick it's hard to refuse them anything, I find. This took me only a few minutes to put together but it has a fatal flaw, it's not elasticised. I used elastic, but I guess you have to stretch the elastic as you sew otherwise it's not going to stretch, obvious now of course but not before I tried to put it on her. I only ever put elastic through things to then gather, not to gather in its own right. I'll try again, but perhaps not today.

Easel

I dragged the beloved easel inside yesterday and we gave it a workout. Leila did her first painting and given how engrossed she was, I feel there will be many more.