Sunday

I took a trip to the Camberwell markets on Sunday to buy some vintage buttons from the "button lady" who has a regular stall there, but to my huge disappointment she wasn't there. I am just hoping her absence isn't a permanent thing.


I did manage to pick up a few lovely vintage glass buttons and a needlepoint picture so I didn't come away empty handed.....oh and some hot jam doughnuts!

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons!

Here is a selection of vintage buttons I bought at the Camberwell market on the weekend for a new project that I am working on....

Find me at the North Melbourne Market this Sunday

I am going to be at the North Melbourne Market tomorrow Sunday the 20th of Feb. It runs from 10am to 3pm and has a $2 entry fee.

As mentioned earlier I am going to have some of my old stock on sale including clutches and the last of the brooches.

I hope to see you there!

PS. If you are wondering why the pictures of my etsy shop that are normally in the right margin aren't there anymore it's because I have put the shop in vacation mode. It will be up and running again next week.

Been Busy...

Sorry for the lack of posts of late. I have been busy getting ready for the North Melbourne Market on the 20th Feb.

The photo is a sneak peak of my new range of zipper purses which will make their debut on the day.

I will also have some old stock on sale....more about that soon.

Christmas Decoration Close Up

I promised you a closer look so here they are.

The decorations were my first proper crochet project after learning how to crochet.



I used DMC Pearl Cotton embroidery thread to make them with a size 2.5mm hook which was a little tricky for a beginner but I had a small tree and so I needed to make the decorations small as well.

I was going to stiffen them but ran out of time to experiment so just gave them a press with the iron to flatten them out. I finished them off with some grey/silver ribbon to blend into my silver tree.


I also made some hearts using 8ply yarn which were easy in comparison.

Oh and I know I am a little late but Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Well I hope you are all having a very Merry Christmas.

It is late afternoon/evening here and we have only just finished lunch! I guess we will be having a late dinner.

I should mention that I have found it nearly impossible to take a good photo of my christmas tree. The branches stick out in all strange directions and it's not symmetrical at all. It's a cheap $12 one I bought from Borders one Christmas eve when I was desperate to find something. I think I will have to remedy that next year.

Yes those are the decorations I crocheted! I will show them to you in a little more detail soon.

Christmas Baking

I have been doing a bit of baking the last 2 days in preparation for Christmas.

I made some gingerbread biscuits for the first time ever yesterday. I got the recipe from here. The only thing I changed was to use cinnamon instead of the mixed spice. They worked out well although the icing seems to take forever to harden. I iced them this morning and it's still not hard.

Today I have been working on cream puffs which are a Christmas tradition in our household. I have made the custard and shells and will assemble them tomorrow so they can be eaten fresh.

phew! Time for a cuppa I think.

100 Seinfeld quotes [Episode 1]

For all you Seinfeld fans out there. This clip never fails to make me laugh!

Christmas Decoration Sneak Peek!

I have been busy crocheting.

Brooch SALE

I am discontinuing my current line of brooches. It's time to move on to new designs. As a result I have put them on sale for $20 (including postage for Australian customers) until they all run out.

You can find the brooches in my etsy shop here. With Christmas just around the corner they could make good christmas presents.

I have already had a few sales so if you see something you like, grab it while you can. I have multiples of a small number of designs but if the listing says last one then that is it!

Vintage Crochet Patterns

Clark's and Coats Book No. 243 Pot Holders

This is one of the many vintage crochet patterns that I have purchased lately. Oops did I say many? Now that I can crochet I may have developed just a slight fascination with vintage potholders, vintage crochet motifs and crochet covered coat hangers.

The pattern booklet contains a variety of potholder patterns and was printed in 1948. At the moment I am dreaming of collection of potholders on my kitchen wall....

...but I must work on my Christmas decorations first!

Granny Squares

Granny squares made by me!

They are not too hard once you have mastered the basic crochet stitches, although I am still working out the finer details of an invisible finish.

I think I will save making a granny blanket until after summer. I want to try some smaller projects first and make some christmas decorations.

Camberwell Markets

I didn't go to the Camberwell markets at all during the winter, mainly because it was so cold. Yes I am a wuss!


Anyway I went this morning and there was lots of vintage goodness on offer.

I came away with a sugar bowl, a tablecloth and napkin set still in it's box (minus the lid), a set of 8 cross stitch napkins all with the same design and a selection of crochet patterns. All vintage and all in excellent condition.

It was a beautiful spring day for it too.

New in Store

New in my etsy store is this purse made out of denim and a vintage napkin that features a floral cross stitch design.

You can find it here.

OK Go - White Knuckles

If you love dogs you will love this film clip by the band OK Go and even if you don't I am pretty sure you will find it amazing anyway.

Spring Birds...

I won a giveaway that Belinda of Moonmum was running and these beautiful Spring Bird cards arrived in my letterbox this week.

The bright and cheery colours do remind me of spring and I can't get over how well made they are. The quality is really impressive.

I am feeling very lucky right about now, especially since these were the last Spring Bird cards that Belinda had left.

Crochet

I am learning to crochet!! and I am excited...hence the exclamation marks.

I have always wanted to learn how to crochet ( something to do with my love of doilies) but put it in the too hard basket because I am left handed and instructions for us lefties are scarce and trying to reverse everything is just too hard.

Anyway learning to crochet right handed has solved that problem and I have been taking classes at Onabee in Kensington. So far I have done Crochet 1.The Basics, Crochet 2.Granny Squares and will be starting Crochet 3.The Next Step soon.

At the moment I have been just practicing my technique but I am thinking about what I could do as my first proper project...something to do with granny squares I think.

My Birthday Wishlist

Sweet Bow Studs from Joannarutter

Monty the Fox Lambswool Plush from Sara Carr

Heart Factory from Pearson Maron

Silver Stitch Texture Ring from All Those Threes

Blue Is Bashful

ruby-jo brooches can now be found at Blue is Bashful, 109 Greville Street Prahran.

Blue is Bashful is a cute new shop selling pretty clothes and accessories with a vintage feel from independent womenswear labels with a focus on local labels.

If you want a peak of what else is in store you can check out their blog, or better still, go and visit in person.

The shop is just a short stroll from the Prahran railway station so it's easy to get to and it's nestled amongst a selection of interesting shops that include fashion, books, magazines and music, so its so it's worth the trip to have a look around.

Peppermint Magazine and How To Score Yoursef Some Discounts

The DUST team which I am a part of are running a promotion in the latest Peppermint magazine, where participating shops are offering discounts until the end of August.


Details on how to get the discount are in the add, including the discount code, so you will need to buy yourself a copy of the latest Peppermint magazine to take advantage of the offers.

I am offering 15% off. My shop is a little bare at the moment but I will be adding new items over the next week or so. I have trying to get the hang of photographing some new products which is proving to be a little difficult and slowing me down a little.