Brisbane Stitches and craft show...

I had been counting down the days and day dreaming about mountains of fabric.

The day had finally arrived...

Once though the doors I was graciously handed a booklet and map which aided me in heading straight to the indie crafters stand, or Incubator section. There was Mixtape (I am already a subscriber, but I said an idiotic hello), Ink and Spindle, Two Cheese Please and Dear Fi just to start with! I was one excited and awed little craft-blogger! Oh, to meet all the people behind the blogs, to talk craft and buy good things.

I have to admit something. Almost 5 months of being attached to a baby and 'baby brain' have done nothing for my people skills. I admit it, I was rather socially challenged. I could hardly hold a conversation!

Nervous? Me?

Oh dear, guess I will just have to stick with blogging and hope that the people I spoke with don't think I'm strange....First thing on the first day seems to be a good time to take a pram, as it wasn't as busy as I had expected... (note to self for future reference)

Cohen was loving it, lots of lovely ladies were talking to him and playing with his toes or waving! He was looking at all the people and the colours. So was I! There were so fantastic displays all around the hall... These are all crocheted by Luisa De Santi... I took a photo as the camera guys were setting up. I seemed to run into them a lot during the day. I wonder where the footage is going to end up? On the news maybe? If so, I missed it last night as we went to a birthday dinner... It was so great to be able to see things in person that I have seen on blogs! Who wouldn't want a close up of Jodie's amazing selvedge creations? Luckily for me Jodie wasn't at the show, she is at a school camp, or I can only imagine I wouldn't have been able to talk to her either... I probably would have just stared in awe... and she would have thought me strange!

(Um, hi Jodie, if you are reading this. I um you erh, yes.)

I'd love to know who made this too, but I didn't see a sign... fabric birds and houses on a vinyl tree! Wonder if hubby would notice if I hung some bird houses on Cohen's walls?

This was my first purchase. I just couldn't resist these gorgeous little brooches by Kristen Doran! One for me, and one for my sister...

I think I probably embarrassed myself at her booth too...

(Do you like, Noni? If not, I'm sure I could bring myself to keep both!)

I have been coveting Ink and Spindles amazing hand printed fabric and brought two more pieces so the first piece I purchased won't get lonely...

(I haven't been able to bring myself to cut it yet, it is waiting for the perfect project!)

I was also lucky enough to be able to participate in Holly's stamp carving tutorial. Of course, once I had started carving Cohen decided it was time for a feed! Holly was a great instructor and I still managed to get one finished (remember: it was my first attempt!).

If you get the chance to attend the show, I highly recommend her workshops!

I brought a stamp pad and some more carving medium, so expect to see more stamps in the future!

Last year I went to a Craft show in October and there were two stalls with $3 and $3.50 fat quarters! Crazy I know. Sadly for me they were not at this show... As a result my dream of having a mountain of fabric has been down sized to a hill, but I am so in love with it all. Peppermint Stitches and Amitie were responsible for these purchases...

Who doesn't need some birds, elephants, robots and stripes?

Or perhaps some cars and flowers?

Who could resist birds...

cute animals...

and Russian dolls?

Not me.

I had a great day. Had I not run out of money, I might never have left!

PS. Check out Danielle's blog too. She was there and also did the stamp carving tutorial.

Work in Progress....

I have been inspired by Pip and Kirsty to pick up the crochet hook again and remember how to make a granny square. It was only last year that my lovely mother taught me... so I practiced again, and I think I have the hand of it.

Spotlight was also having a sale, sigh, so I brought some wool...

Every baby needs a giant granny square blanket, don't they?

I am now happily spending my nights on the couch working on this...

And the winner is...

My thanks to all the lovely people who entered my little 100 posts giveaway!

The random generator decided that the winner was ....

number 33!

Michelle said "Congratulations on your anniversary. That sure is an inspiring giveaway! My favourite craft is knitting."

Thanks Michelle! It will be in the post soon!

Eye Spy... A work in progress.

It really feels like there are more than six current WIPs, and well, there are, if you count the half finished bibs, pincushions etc. Hmmm....

Then there are the planned WIPs...

(The end of that list did say more, but it seems to have been bitten off... I was trying to let you know that this list is just off the top of my head, and were I too sit down for awhile and think about it there would be many more things on there!)

Thanks to Cindy for the meme and Michelle from hugo & elsa for the theme!

Make your own catalogue cards here.

Cool crafts...

Since I am still working on my 'pay it forward gifts' and since they are top secret I can't show you what I am up to yet... ...here is some awesome craft by some very talented crafters... (Have you been to 'Folksy'? I only found it today - it's like Etsy.) This is Bert, he was knitted by the very clever Sara Carr, who has a shop on Folksy. How cute is he?

here

This LITTLE ICCLE BEAR is the creation of the very talented Abigail Brown... (found on Folksy, also on Etsy and Dwanda)

here

This is Thomas bunny, he is on MadeIt and belongs to One-Wise-Owl...

here

And for something different, this is the work of Franc Grom, who is very patient!

here

I love mail...

Have you seen Jodie's blog: Ric-Rac?

If you haven't then I am warning you not to check it out.

I'm serious, as it may be just the incouragement you need to purchase this wool felt.... from the lovely online store Winterwood...

(that arrived in the post today...

Ahh, I love mail...)

You must save yourselves. It's too late for me...

Decorating with Vintage Finds...

I just had to share these beautiful pics from Better Homes and Gardens...

here

here

here

Beyond Pink and Blue's Rainbow give away

Speaking of give aways...

If you fancy a set of these cute markers, you best pay Monica a visit at Beyond Pink and Blue.

I like the jungle ones...

100 posts give away!

(As promised...)

I want to give back to all the lovely crafters who have inspired and amused me, so I have created this little give away in the hopes that the winning crafter will be inspired by these crafty bits and pieces...

-vintage knitting needles -needle gauge -vintage craft magazines -knitting pattern books -donkey softie pattern -vintage tin of vintage buttons -11 pieces of fabric - new and vintage and a rabbit softie made by me...

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment and telling me what your favourite craft is.

For additional entries-

Make a blog entry about this giveaway to get another entry

or

Become a follower of this blog to get another two entries.

I will announce the winner next Monday, the 27th April!

(oops, sorry, not the 20th!)

Eye Spy... A magic Elixir

Remember last post how I said that the next post would be a giveaway? I lied. I didn't mean too.

You see, blogger has been playing tricks on me, and I thought this was post 100.

It isn't.

It's post 99.

Well, the next post will be the give away, promise.

So here is a late 'eye spy' and another apology for being missing in action for the last week. Life has been crazy and I have not had the time or the concentration level to be able to plant myself in front of the computer to make a post.

Instead I have been gallivanting around the country side, lurking and commenting on my favourite blogs, trying to catch up on emails, getting spewed on by the baby, watching him as he learns how to put his feet in his mouth, going to the doctors to find out I have tendonitis in my wrist and should rest it... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - mothers will know what I mean... and so on.

So here is my magic elixir. You can guess what it is right? Especially with Cohen still having 4am feeds and teething.

Uh huh - Coffee!

Ahhh... magic elixir...Image here

And the best coffee I have ever had?

Image here

It was this 'Kaffeehauser', Cafe Hawelka, in Vienna.

As page 50 of my Western Europe Bible, I mean, Lonely Planet informed me it is "Smoky, crowded, noisy, with nicotine-stained walls and arty regulars."

And it was. The walls were brown. The customers looked like they were in a movie. The coffee was DEVINE and was served exactly like the first pic. No messing around. Coffee and water. So good.

(It was very smoky though.)

Thanks to Amy at Badskirt for this weeks theme. Check out Cindy for more Magic Elixirs!

PS. Why doesn't blogger publish the spacing in your blog properly? I can hit return twice, and it will publish with one gap, I can have no gaps and it will publish with three. What the?

Do you want the good news?

Image by prudence rabbit Or the bad news? Well, the good news is that my sewing machine is fixed and it wasn't the timing as expected. Thanks to the sewing machine expert, my lovely mother - for fixing it. The bad news is that the cause of sewing machines misery was operator error. Yes, yours truly. But don't tell anyone! Who knew that putting the needle in backwards would mean it wouldn't work? PS. Next post is a little giveaway...

Eye Spy... A suprise

Miss Muggins has Eye Spyed "a suprise"...

Everyone loves surprises, except me...

I mean I do, if I don't know about them at all. But if I know that there is a surprise, and I don't know what it is, it drives me mad! I mean, being an identical twin I could never keep surprises, as my sister always guessed what they were, or we would give in and tell each other.

We could never lie either, because anyone could ask the other twin if 'such and such' were true, and they would disagree. Lesson learnt: never lie. Also, never hint at a surprise! Thus the reason I found out the sex of the baby while pregnant! How to wait while some one else knew, knowing that I could know too?!? Hmm....

Anyway, so my surprise it that hubby let me buy these shoes! (With me not working and being at home mum and all....)

You know, after two previous shoe purchases in the last week as well...

But I love them. Maybe not every ones cup of tea I know. I do feel like I am in a fairy tale when I wear them - which is not a bad thing as far as I am concerned! I think they are beautiful. What do you think?

Thanks to the lovely Cindy at Bug and Pop for the meme! Have you been to her blog? She is creative mother extraordinaire to two gorgeous kids and amazing craft/sewing woman who finds time some how!

(Also, how cute is her header?)

PS. Um, this is still a craft blog, I promise! Hopefully the sewing machine will be fixed on Tuesday! :)

I love op shopping and Give aways...

I've cleaned, scrubbed, washed and vacuumed - phew. Good mummy.

What's that?

Oh. Yes. I will totally be mopping in a minute, ok cleaning fairy? I just want to share a couple of things first...

It will be no surprise to the gorgeous readers and beautiful subscribers (x2) of my blog that I love op-shopping (aka thrift shopping). I especially like it when there are new piles of craft supplies that have not yet been raided, just waiting for me to rummage through! And how good is it when they contain buttons like these... especially after seeing the prices of vintage buttons on Ebay!

I'd like to share the buttony love and some fabric love too...and since it is getting close to my 100th post, I am in the midst of organising a give away... Would you like some of these? I'm afraid that we will be keeping this little guy, but I had to share... tee hee hee... Cohen's first rusk. Maybe I should have taken an "after" photo too, where there is slobbery bits of the rusk stuck to his nose, from when he aimed at his mouth and missed! PS. I just need to extend my thanks to the lovely person who vandalised the only disabled/parents toilets at the shops. So thoughtful and caring of you. I'll bet you didn't even know you could kick a door in or break the locks until you tried. I mean, it's not like people use them, is it?

It was the best of times...

I love Thai food.

Sunday night, dinner at Thai Orchid - Spring rolls, Curry Moreton Bay Bugs, Deep fried Banana with ice cream and cream... yummmmm

Wonderful art work on the walls of the restaurant. How cool it this? Sleeping baby. So cute and so quiet...

Happy baby. So cute, just less quiet...

Friends super cute little chickens. Hello...

Awww....

New heels - totally practical for a new mum with a 4 month old baby, right? (From Novo)

But I didn't stop there, I brought another pair... I love shoes and there are so many styles that I like right now. (Would you believe these are from Target?!)

It was the worst of times...

Cohen continues to teeth, but with no little pegs to show for it yet.

Today he also got his four month needles and he was not impressed and kept reminding me about that during the day by bursting into tears at intervals.

I got my flu shot too and I feel like a bully punched me in my arm...

Neither my sewing machine or my over locker are working.

(Sob, sob...)

So I can't finish my Pay it forward gifts (sorry guys, they are number one on my list too), or my quilt, or over lock Cohen's flannelet wrap.

Sigh...