teddybearswednesday

Friends

2012-01-30T22:21:00.003+11:00

Ok it's been a while since I've done a mushy post so indulge me for a minute.

this past couple of weeks I've been grateful for friends.

Friends that I can joke with, be feral and know when a joke's a joke and have a good sense of humour.

Friends who are there for me, let me rant , get angry for me, help me and give me great pep talks when dealing with some tricky issues.

Friends who are just on the same planet as me, and who I might not have seen for ages, but when I do it's like it was only yesterday and it's so easy.

Friends who send me unexpected beautiful gifts just because.

thank you guys you've made my last couple of weeks .

And I'm all the better and luckier to count you guys amoung my friends.

I'm a makeaholic are you?

2012-01-26T14:47:00.006+11:00

It has dawned on me in the last first weeks that i'm a bit of makeaholic.

That I'm never not making something and that as soon as I finished the last thing I'm on to the next thing. That I never really stop. I'm notorious for packing more yarn than clothes when I go away, always making sure i have more yarn on me than I need to come me finishing the last project and needing something else to do.

At one point i wondered if I find hard to sit still, or have some sort of weird complusion to always be doing something, but then I realised it's not because of that, it's because I just plain love it, and when I have the spare time or a moment free i will make. Because i find it a more rewarding and nuturing way to spend time.

that I'm capable of sittting still, watching the TV without doing something, or sitting on the tram watching the streets go by. But I prefer to be doing something if that makes sense.

I'm reading a great book at the moment, but as much as I'm loving it, i would never spend a whole morning reading in my spare time, I can't , because i get tired of it, and want to turn my great love of making. ( i guess i'm not that smart)

Many non crafty peeps were surprised when I reached the deadline for the show, that I just started making all over again, that no where in there did I really stop.

that even when I didn't have clear ideas for what to do next, i started planning and working on an Easter update ( yes easter update) just so I could be making.

Does this ring a bell to you? Are you are makeaholic too?

I'd love to know.

OH and BTW happy Australia Day

PS the two pics are two toys I've made lately

thank goodness for orders

2012-01-22T11:31:00.004+11:00

I'm in a funny sort of place, have excited and full on adrenalin yet pooped and quiet and unable to settle. it feels strange to have finished all the toys for the show and still have quite a bit of time til it's actually on. To move on to new things when that last phase isn't really over.

At the beginning of the week i think I had a slight false sense of total relax, but there's still heaps of stuff to do, just more of um this less fun bits, like room sheets, labels and pricing.

I've actually really enjoyed putting my house back into some order, which had been a bit neglected in all the pressure and business. I usually hate house work but it's straightforward nature has suited me this week.

I've been really grateful and lucky to have some orders to work on, that are easing me into a different gear if that makes sense, and give me a bit room and sense of what i want to do next with my makings.

So that's me what's going on with you?

EEEEPPP!!!!

2012-01-18T18:22:00.004+11:00

SO much for a break eh?

But it's just a little bit exciting

More info here and here!!!

sorry

2012-01-17T21:43:00.002+11:00

That i haven't been around much lately or consistantly really.

Life has been super busy and a bit crazy Christmas and the new year were hectic with lots of family stuff and the deadline for finishing the toys for the collab, it's been work work stress stress busy busy.

There hasn't been much time for a break, or to breathe until now a bit or for anything else except the above. And somewhere in the midst of it all I have forgotten how to blog and write. Everytime I have opened up a new post i feel like I'm forcing something that once came so easily. I'm probably just tired or need some time out.

I'm hoping now that things have settled down a bit it'll come back ( the photos have been done and the toys finished- in time - Phew! )

sorry to be such a bore.

A question of labelling

2012-01-13T11:21:00.003+11:00

One issue that has come out of the whole collaboration thing is the question of labelling or signing my work. The folks at Outre gallery think it would be really good to have some way of showing a toy is one of mine. And I'm not just talking the label labels that I attach to them.

While I do agree how to do this has always baffled me how to do, and now that I'm thinking about it again, it continues to baffle me.

I've never liked the idea of sew in printed label because a) as a kid I used to cut these off my toys and b) so many of my amis are quite small and all the printed labels would take up a good portion of their body and be very noticeable.

I've always thought the Steiff button in the ear was genius, a distinctive way of labelling without being too intrusive or noticeable.

So then I thought about embroidering TW in small letters on their bottoms, but trying to do this consistantly and neatly ( like in the case of of the embroidery on crochet) is quite hard.

Then I thought about using a very fine fabric pen and writing the letters instead. And then i wasn't sure.

So I'm asking your help and your opinion on the matter. As usual.

What do you think I should do. It needs to be consistant I can't do labels for my mohair boys and a different thing for the amis.

Do you think it really is important I mark my bears and toys to show it's made by me?

Do you have any bright ideas ? Which one should i go with?

I would really appreciate any advice , opinions you have

thank you xo

Nearing the end

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000+11:00

At the end of this week is the deadline for all the pieces for the collab to be finished. If I want them photographed and in the catalogue book thing ( which I do).

So as you can imagine I'm madly finishing and making into the wee hours.

It's funny I have no idea what I will do once they are all done. I usually know exactly what I want to make next or at least some idea. But at this point it's hard to even imagine getting to that point, not having to think about what i need to make for it where I'm finished all the making.

I guess this collab has taken up alot of mind and time in the last year, especially the last six months so it's not surprising that I can't imagine life beyond it.

And the weird part is even when I meet the deadline and the photos are done, its not over or up. There's all the admin stuff to work out, prices, invites, blurbs etc. And then theres a whole month more of waiting. Waiting to show them to you and to the world. I think the waiting will be hard. It's been the thing I've found the hardest, the secret keeping and the lack of outside feedback.

Last week, i took a photo of That bear on my phone and was so about share it on Instagram.

I sat there for ages debating with myself and finally deleted it, saying to myself I've waiting this long to show him, why spoil it with a month to go.

But at the same time, i think I'm reaching the point where i'm ready not to be working on it. Like I've made enough , and I dunno I've reached the point where I want to get back to my own thing whatever that is. As wonderful as experience as it's been.

Here I am contradicting myself all over the shop. And probably not making any sense. Am I making any sense at all?

So that's my week and a bit where I'm up to .

What's going on in your world?

Home

2012-01-03T19:05:00.005+11:00

Had a lovely couple of days at the beach ( Walkerville) to escape the heat and noise of the city. It really is a beautiful part of the world, and not yet spoilt.

Hung out with my big family, went for walks on the beach, swam, read a little, and saw some echidnas and Merv's uncle.

Am back home as need to get back to work on collab.

I know you will probably think I'm boring , but as much as it is lovely to go away, I'm always so happy to be home to be back in Melbourne for all it's dumpiness, smog, ugly signs and buziness. Seeing the tall buildings approach in the horizon my heart wells up with an enormous love.

But like Kate said it's so important to love where you live and to me there's no place like home town.

PS And Oops yes above is the banner Martin created for the show. And yes if you are wondering that is that giraffe.

ENdings and Beginnings

2011-12-31T20:38:00.003+11:00

Thank you for keeping me company, your lovely comments, listening, name and sex suggestion, laughs and warm squidgy tummy moments this year.

I hope 2012 is a wonderful year for you full of love, laughter, happiness, smiles, and surprising bits too.

Happy New Year!!! Im heading down to beach for a few days, so I'll see you on the other side.

jess

Merv- the "reject" koala

2011-12-30T12:22:00.005+11:00

I never thought I would make a koala. ( again*)

To be honest koalas are not by any means my favourite Australian animal- echinidas and possums- they might even be one of my least favourite ones. Not that i don't like them, or have a problem with them it's just well they don't do it for me as much as wombats, wallabies, bilbies and dingos as well as the two mentioned above.

I digress.

Merv here was the 3rd koala head attempt I made ( why is it the rule that the last few things you need to do for a deadline all turn out to be sagas?) and while he wasn't right for the show, i felt perhaps this head had something. I shared him on Instagram and got some very positive responses, and so Merv was born.

The Grey part of Merv is a new mohair I bought a Japanese distressed mohair ( most of the mohair I buy is German) and it is the most beautiful stuff. the colour is superb, I didn't even dye it, and didn't really age it as i felt it was appropriate here. He has a sculpted nose, that I bought, and it's my first time using such a thing.

Merv is your average Aussie bloke/koala. He at first gives off a very macho vibe, but really is a big softie once you get to know him. His favourite food is beer , beer and the occasional sausage roll.

Merv is a limited edition of three.

And yes in case your were wondering Merv is named after that unique Australian cricketer.

*I made a set of knitted koalas many moons ago, when I still knitted.

the real spirit of Christmas

2011-12-29T13:18:00.003+11:00

please click image to get a larger image to read.

you won't be sorry

Christmas comes early for Mr Mustard

2011-12-23T21:03:00.005+11:00

She sure is Ms Superpops! thank you Cam, Mr Mustard and I both absolutely love it.

And to all of you, I hope whether it comes early or late or dead on time, I hope the festive season is a wonderful one for you.

Happy Holidays!! xo

A little bit exciting...

2011-12-23T16:44:00.006+11:00

Um I'm the Age today along with Pip and Nicole Jenkins in an article about crochet.

I'm a little bit excited, these things don't often happen to us here at TBW, so bear with me ( no pun intended) for a bit of shameless self promotion ;)

I'm very humbled to be in such amazing couple in the article and by Fran's kind words about me and my guys.

hope you're friday got some excitement too

PS if you've never seen me, I'm the blonde with the messy hair ( and house)

For Michelle

2011-12-19T19:55:00.003+11:00

One of my friends beloved cat Max died this year. And Max was like Turtle is to me, but was alot order and had been with Mich a very long time, so she was devasted as you could understand.

Max was max in more ways than one if you get my drift, she was a maximum cat.

I've wanted to and slowly over the last few months made her an ode to Max or a feline friend to comfort her. NOt to replace Max with - impossible, but i know she would be so sad and unable to get another pet any time soon.

So here she is, my ode to Maximum Cat. And she is quite like max, in she is rather larger than I meant her to be.

I do hope she likes her.

I'm sorry the photos are so crappy, I've sort of lost my proper camera, and these were taken with the Iphone, which camera is er limited. But I wanted to take some pics before I wrapped her up and sent her off. So these are better than none.

Hope you're surviving out there in all the CHristmas crazy and enjoying it too xo

Mr Mustard

2011-12-15T11:05:00.006+11:00

One of the things I love about music is how suddenly a song or a need to listen to a certain song or album comes into your brain.

Late Monday night all of a sudden I found myself singing " you never give me your money" by beatles. i scoured my brain to remember it was in Abbey Road and put it on. It was just what i was in the mood for and it was almost like listening to it for the first time, except I knew all the words.

I can't remember the last time i listened to Abbey Road and i love the way so often my mind will know exactly what i'm in the mood for without me really knowing.

So im subsequently have been having a bit of a love with Abbey Road.

Including " Mean Mr Mustard". Which is perhaps was the inspiration behind naming my lastest bear Mr Mustard. Although he is not mean ( a tad simple I think) he doesn't sleep in the park or shave in the dark- i doubt he even shaves but I think he might like to save paper.

My Mr Mustard is the kind of beer that is big into BBQ's and thongs and has a "kiss the cook" apron ( currently in the wash). He likes root bear more than proper beer however.

Mr Mustard is also a member of the beginning to be long line of Pancake Family. he is Kermit and Howie's uncle.

Judged and sentenced

2011-12-14T12:31:00.005+11:00

Today when out and about I saw a woman walking wobblingly down the street. As I got closer to her it became obvious to be she was a working girl and wasted. She was thin and gaunt too, which also suggested drug addiction or heroine abuse. I felt so sad for her. But what made me almost more sad was seeing the way other people were looking at her, with disgust and judgement.

Most likely she didn't choose this life, and what a horrible life it is. and now was stuck it in with no easy was out. Once in a world of addictive and addicts it's hard to claw your way out without the support of others around her.

I smiled at her, and she smiled back. I wanted show her that kindness from strangers was possible. That unlike other people I thought she was worthy of more than a cold stare.

The world when it is like this makes me sad.

I seem to be a bit of a "freak" or lost person magnet. I guess they see that I'm an unthreatning person who will smile that them. And most of time I find these people just want a bit of chat, a bit of time and a bit of kindness. And quite often I get something out of it too.

I wish we lived in a world that felt this more so, as perhaps there would be less troubled and lost people. Or at least they wouldn't feel so alone.

So I lied

2011-12-13T15:14:00.003+11:00

lucky it wasn't a big one.

But when I said Igor was the last steiff type bear for the year, I was so sad, and of course like any child very soon after all I could think of was making another one.

And I also had the perfect bit of mohair that I had dyed a while back ( twice) i couldn't really concentrate on anything i was supposed so Wally was born.

Wally is another of my boy bears, a little cheeky and little sweet. Likes tree climbing, digging for bugs and riding on trams.

He prefers cake and cookie batter to cakes and cookies.

All the good stuff in life.

Wally will also be one of the last of my makings I can show you as from now until mid Jan I'll be going into major exhibition prep.

Our creative space- business as usual

2011-12-08T10:46:00.004+11:00

Some Christmas orders

and because i cant help myself ( and felt too sad about him being the last one)
The home of Creative Spaces

Fletcher

2011-12-02T14:59:00.005+11:00

I had was tempted to call this bear Georgit, as he is a bit like a combo of George and Widget. Then I was tempted to call him Mugworth ( don't ask me why but this word came to me while I was making him) but decided um to most people that might not be the most appealing name.

And then it came to me, he was Fletcher.

Fletcher is named after one of my favourite songs of the year, although I don't think he is much like the Fletcher in the song.

This Fletcher likes playing Monopoly, the Kazoo ( who doesn't? although it look more like a digeridoo on him) and Cheezels.

A coming home of sorts.

2011-12-01T08:03:00.001+11:00

YOu know how I feel about bears and being loved and cuddled and worn away , the more loved and worn a bear is the more beautiful. That the signs of love and time and life on him, his scars make him who he is ( and us who we are) and all the more "valuable" and beautiful..

I received a phone call from a family friend who had bought each of her boys one of my bears, 5 and 3 years ago respectively. Both boys were distressed as both their teddies were in a bit of need of repair. And would I be will to do it. ( of course I would)

To see two of my bears already very loved and cuddled in their relatively short live is a dream come true, is a big part of why i do it, and inspires me more than ever to keep going.

the home of creative spaces.

Bob

2011-11-24T10:35:00.004+11:00

Bob is a bit of a philosopher. He's always thinking and pondering

what?
where?
how ? who?
why?

He also likes pancake sandwiches and water aerobic.

For more creative spaces.

Parsnip

2011-11-20T16:16:00.004+11:00

One of my favourite books of all time ( of which they are many) is the Velveteen Rabbit.

It probably doesn't surprise you at all. The whole thing about the rabbit being so worn and loved, precious to the boy, and the rabbit coming to life.

Without wanting to sound nuts or something, I do believe in the "life" in toys, the soul and personality that each one brings and has. it's something I so love about my old boys, that they are not just beautifully made, loved old bears but each have a little soul and personality peeping out. It's one of the big things that made me want to make toys was that I looked around at the toys and bears on offer and so many of them were dead or soul less. As a child and an adult I had/have wonderful toys full of life and personality. I wanted to the world to have what I have and set about trying to do so.

Parsnip is inspired by a combination of that book and the early steiff painted rabbits.

And while I had done some of these felt rabbits on all fours , I have long been wanting to do one on hindlegs.

Parsnip is also for Softies for Mirabel, as wonderful thing Pip does each year, that I always look forward to enormously.

And as usual with the last lot of felt rabbits I made while I do know it's name, I'm not sure of Parsnip's sex. ANd am wondering again if I've managed to make a multisex rabbit.

I'd love your thoughts.

thank you and a winner

2011-11-18T12:09:00.004+11:00

thank you for your thoughtful, caring and understanding comments in my One year on post.

It really meant ( means ) alot, the time and thought you put into them, and for listening and being "there " for me.

what a wonderful community this blogging community is. it's funny in a way to announce the winner of the giveaway today because this above is exactly the sort of thing I feel so grateful for in blogging and a big part of why I did my giveaway, to say thank you. And it makes me a little sad that you couldn't all winner, but I guess that is the nature of the giveaway. that there is only one winner.

So without further adew ( or crapping on ) this winner of the Gordon Giveaway is ....

WILLYWAGTAIL!!!

Congratulations Cherrie!!! I will email to find out your address so I can get Gordon to you asap.

thank you all for entering. I so enjoyed finding out all the different favourite animals.

hope you're having a great Friday

the last one

2011-11-17T16:19:00.006+11:00

By the last one i mean the last steiff type bear of the year. With christmas orders and stuff for the colab still to do , I don't think I will have time for another of them until next year.

His name is Igor Kwonk, and he's the wonkiest of all my mohair bears that I make. Wonky nose, askew eyes, ears of different sizes, lots of staining and ageing and mooshing, and lots of fun to make.

he's is insipred or based off Mr Worn old wonk himself, Ferdy an old bear of mine.

And Igor was this guy way back then , so see there always is a happy ending, even if it takes a few weeks ( because I realised half way through making him that i didn't have all the materials to make him properly, hence waiting for mail order etc)

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one year on ( and a bit)

2011-11-14T20:36:00.004+11:00

it's been a year a bit more since i last wrote about this issue and not much has changed.

I'm one year older, hopefully a little wiser and still single and tired of being so.

And yes I can hear many of you saying " you're still so young" " I have many friends over 30 in the same situation as you", " it will happen when you least expect it" " enjoy your freedoms" etc.

But perhaps ( and no offense) it feels different on the other side of things, when you've got your person, when you have seen it happen for you.

There's been a few disastrous attempts with online dating, lots of getting myself "out there" and phone numbers taken by potentials who never get back to me.

But when everyone you know, all your friends and relatives are in long term relationships and yet I'm still in the same place, it's hard not to doubt, to worry will it ever happen for me,? is there something wrong with me? I know I have a lot of love to give but is that enough , perhaps I'm not this enough or that enough. And at 31 I'm feeling not so happy painting the town red and am wanting to lead a more settled life.

And yes i have my freedoms and I've enjoyed them, but they don't feel like freedoms anymore, they feel like an emptiness and a loneliness, if that makes sense.

I see so much of what so many of you have and I want something like that of my own. A family of my own, not just my family family.

And yes i know i need to keep the faith and not think about it, but sometimes it's hard not too, like tonight.

thanks for letting me vent and for listening.

Frog Stewart

2011-11-11T11:58:00.007+11:00

I love frogs ( oh here she goes again you're probably thinking) and have had various forays into trying to make a frog over the last couple of year, the first I wasn't happy with , and then when I tried later again i again wasn't happy ( it was "fine" one of my most hated words, but nothing special)

But then something recently happened that made me want to get back on the frog bandwagon and try once again. And I do really love frogs ( I got given a Frogs of Australia Book for my birthday- that's how much I love frogs) and it felt wrong not to make my own version of one of my favourite animals.

But let me tell you, Frogs are hard. I think it might be that thing of the simplest things are often the hardest to create if you know what i mean?

Anyway 4 tries attempts later and me totally rethinking the way I was going about it , Frog Stewart was born.

Named after my childhood best friend's knitted toy frog ( made by her Grandma) who also was called Frog Stewart as their last name was Stewart, And all my life I have felt that is the best name for a frog ( and that the original Frog Stewart was the best frog toy )

Frog Stewart is for young girl whose going through a particular hard and difficult time at the moment, having to deal with something that a child shouldn't have to, but unfortunately many do.

I know Frog Stewart is really just a small thing that won't really change anything, but hope perhaps he will bring this brave girl some comfort and keep her company along the road.

Just because giveaway

2011-11-09T12:52:00.000+11:00

I've been meaning to do a giveaway for some time on my blog but never got around to it. to be honest every time I was about to, i saw one of my bloggy peeps do a giveaway so shied away from it because i didn't want to take away from their one. I'm a dork that way, but then the longer I waited it seemed there wasn't a right time, there were always giveaways going on by lovely peeps so i'll probably be waiting for ever

So I'm siezing the moment and plunging ahead.

Other than that there is no real reason for this giveaway , except it's November and really just wanting to say thank you to you for your ongoing support generosity, companionship and general aceness and loveliness.

Gordon is the subject of the giveaway in question.

Gordon is obsessed with all things nautical and sailing. He especially loves racing little boats on whatever water he can find lying around. He likes Peanut Brittle a whole lot too.

to go in the running to have this little sea faring Ele, all you need to do is comment and tell me your favourite animal or animals if you find it too hard. OH and be a follower of this funny old blog.

the giveway will be open for week and finish of Wednesday 16th of November 12 midnight the time I try to get in bed ( but never ever manage to)

MCS

2011-11-03T11:07:00.004+11:00

Sorry I know some of you freak out a little with the heads.

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My place and Yours- Where I sleep

2011-10-30T11:46:00.004+11:00

( on me)

on the hot water heater

on some mohair i was just about to use

and her favourite the modem
Well not technically me, but the sleep champion of the family.

Vic said we could use some creative license!

More sleepy arrangements here.

Aha! found the real Derek Wildstar in action

2011-10-28T16:01:00.002+11:00

He's the one in the red and white with the groovy styled haircut whos leading a bit

Widget

2011-10-27T08:21:00.000+11:00

The bears that I make fall into 4 categories. They are the crazy psycho bears, the sweet sensitive gentle bears, the boy bears and the daggy dorky dweeby bears.

Widget here definitely falls into the last category. He is one big dag. Widget ( i seem to be on a real kick of calling bears after cartoon characters) like his name sake is deeply into all things space. He's the sort of bear that would spend all his lunchtimes in the library studying, or reading and finding out about everything there possibly is about his latest passion.

Don't get me wrong I'm very fond of a dag and am one big dag myself.

ON the making side of things, i was particularly proud of the colour I dyed the mohair, though I really can't take any credit for it, as it happened by accident. I was dying some red mohair and green mohair in my usual ageing solution. And usually when I dye two lots with one pot of , I dye the dark colour first as the lighter colour will need less dye. I followed that logic and dyed the red first and then made the mistake of following it with the green. But as you can imagine the red dye from the mohair ran into the pot and hence I have this greeny yellowy, browny colour.

he also have different eyes than I normally use, but I'm quite liking them for a change, and a different shaped body than usual , more a jelly bean type body.

For more creative spaces visit the home of creative spaces

PS Oh there must be someone out there who remembers or knows Widget ? PLEASE?

My place and Yours- My Pincushion

2011-10-26T11:14:00.003+11:00

I've had my pincushion for 10 or 12 years. He is one of the first things I made when I was starting make bears. He was inspired by the early steiff elephant pincushions, which were amoung the first things Steiff made ( actually the first toy Margarete Steiff ever made which is a nice parallel being one of the first toys I made too)

And not to worry he once had ears but over his 10 or 12 year life span of being pinned and transported about the place, he lost them.

Unlike a lot of things I've made in the past, which I'm quite often embarrassed by, I love my pincushion. And I know I could make a better one now , i love his wonkiness and to be honest i find his lack of ears rather endearing. He is a reminder of where I've come and he's been with me and served me well for such a long time.

Despite my attachment him, i was shocked to realise this morning that he doesn't have a name.

Except Ear less Elephant Pincushion, and when I tried to think of another name none seemed to suit him as well ;)

I also have a second pin cushion because of my wonderful capacity to loose things ( or ELEP goes walk about - you decide), Which I also made 12 years ago now, when I was at the Embroiderers Guild. I figure by having two , I'm doubling up my chances of having one pincushion on me at all times. However I've found this logic doesn't always work, and they often both get lost at the same time.

as you can see both my pincushions are quite well loved, and stuffing covered- inevitable I guess when you are a toy maker.

To Peak at more pincushions, pop over to Vic's.

Derek Wildstar

2011-10-23T11:12:00.004+11:00

If your family is anything like mine, there are those stories of when you were a little kid, or when your parents met that you hear over and over again, stories that are part of family folklore that become famous and alot of them as you as you start to hear them you want to block your ears, you've heard them so many times.

One such story ( tho I like this one) is when I was 4 and was in the park with my mum, a lady asked me " what's your name and how old are you"

I answered very adamantly " Derek Wildstar and I'm 17".

For those of you who don't know who Derek Wildstar is , (which i'm assuming is all of you as my entire adult life i have not met someone who does) Derek Wildstar was the main character in a Japanese Anime series Star Blazers that i was obsessed with. For a while i actually began to believe Derek Wildstar was a figment of my imagination, because no one had ever heard of him, but then good old google proved that I had created this character out of thin air.

Derek Wildstar became one of my nicknames, that and Derek the Dwaddler as I was known to trail behind the others on family walks, off in my own world.

When I was making and then finished this little bear, he struck me as a Derek, and a bit of Wildstar at that. A bit cheeky, a bit innocent , a real "boy bear " if you know what I mean.

PS If there is anyone out there who like me was obsessed with Derek Wildstar as a child, please come forward, or who has even heard of him.

because I can't help myself

2011-10-20T07:49:00.003+11:00

thank you so much for all your lovely comments and advice about my losing my faith.

It really was so sweet of you guys.

But it seems I can't help myself.

I know probably i should have made something else new as one wonderful person suggested, but the thing is i couldn't think of anything i wanted to make other that what i was struggling to make. I wasn't inspired by anything else, and when I thought of anything else my heart wasn't in it. And in my experience things don't turn out so good when my heart isn't in it.

the thing is things have been a bit rough over here at late, life has thrown up some challenges and difficulties ( not related in anyway to losing faith in myself) and it's at these times I need my making more than ever and my heart needs to be in that making. Because it is a form of therapy in it's own way. if that makes any sense

so slowly over the week i've been working on this little guy, while doing some crochet here and there, a new old one , a variation on a pattern I've been working with for a while that i feel Im getting somewhere with ( but still needed some tweaking)

And my heart feels happy that I'm persisting, and i might just be feeling happier with him too.

who knows,too early to tell, but it feels good to be getting back to it.

My place and yours : on the shelf.

2011-10-15T12:26:00.006+11:00

WOOHOO for Vic bringing back the old favourite meme. My place and yours.

This week's theme is On the Shelf ( something people could say of me hehe)

mine is technically not a shelf but on the mantle.

This is the mantle in my bedroom, and every time I look at it it makes me smile or feel happy. I guess there are no surprises here for you. Favourite bear cards, my mum's childhood cat ( mummy cat) two tiny old bears,an advent calender in the shape of house that I can't bear to put away , an old wind in the willows set of felt figures, an old wooden peg doll, an old mammoth ( bellboy) whose vertically challenged, various cups and saucer and other bits and pieces ( you may want to click on the photo to see a bigger pic)

I also had pretty much the same set up on the mantle of my old bedroom, and made sure to try to have the same things, because it made me instantly feel at home looking at them

TO join in and see other shelves go here.

Losing faith

2011-10-12T20:15:00.004+11:00

It seems I'm experiencing a loss of fatih.

A loss of believe in my own skill, my ability. I was not that happy with the last bear I made. and that bear like every bear i make had a lot of me in him and then suddenly to finish him and dislike him feel disheartening . And then a failed head, and trying to figure out where I went wrong, what to fix and feeling clueless and hopeless. the sneaking doubt " have I lost it" or " did i ever really have it" etc. the self doubt and worry.

that other people don't see what you're unhappy at some level doesn't help or change your mind.

You ( I) have to be happy or Happier.

i know everyone has these days or weeks, and I know I've had a lot, but it doesn't mean it's any easier each time.

i know there are lots of more things in the world though, it's just can be a bit disheartening.

Hope your creatings going well.

PS sorry to be so somber.

patience is a virture

2011-10-08T15:07:00.005+11:00

Remember this guy? I told you his body was on the way.

Admittedly everything took a bit longer with him than usual ( whatever "usual") is, being delayed by sickness ( feeling heaps better) and catching up after being out of the world for a while, major wobbles of him , of course the odd bit of head obsessing and then the last minute "fear" of finishing him off. Do you ever get that weird fear of finishing off something you've worked for a long time on and is something important to you?

But Bear patiently waited and waited until his maker was ready and able to put him together to complete him and make him whole.

And now he'll patiently wait for his soul mate over here.

cosied up

2011-10-06T13:51:00.004+11:00

I am very guilty of many of getting all excited about granny squares and the idea of rugs or cushions, but then after crocheting up a few, I loose heart ( it's not a bear or animal or something 3d with life) and give up. I've been guilty of doing this more than once and hence I have a large collection of single granny squares.

while I've always been to lazy or toy obsessed to do anything with them, the thought of throwing them out or even giving them away ( especially as they are in varying degrees of neatness, so I'm not sure they would be much a "gift" for the someone).

SO they sit there unused, except for performing the task as a lap rug to the occasional ami who feels the cold.

But then I was lucky enough to receive an iphone for my birthday and so there was the whole issue of how to keep it safe and protected ( and warm)

and 3 granny squares crocheted together and folded over was a quick and easy and cheap way to provide said Ipod with a cosy. Not the neatest and certainly on the wonky side of things. But a cosy none the less.

Now what to do with the remaining 16....

for more creative spaces.....

absent

2011-09-30T11:45:00.002+10:00

I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I have not been and am in not well , have the worst case of flu bronchitis/viral buggy yuck in a long time.

To be honest I'm pretty miserable, i don't really feel like myself at all and there for not felt much like posting. I don't like to complain so i won't go on about it , but one of the lowlights of this yucky bug is that it meant I was sick on my birthday, which isn't something i would really recommend,

I will be back i promise when I'm feeling a more like myself and better and I don't smell like vicks vapour rub. I look forward very much to when that is and catching up with all your news xo

Yesterday

2011-09-23T19:58:00.004+10:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hanging out with a lovely friend and her gorgeous daughter.

(Posswonk and Bfab )

We also had the pleasure of feeding a family of swans with 4 signets! Who didn't hold a grudge that the wind was making our efforts to feed them a bit lame.

thank you catherine for a lovely day

Hello!

2011-09-22T07:01:00.001+10:00

My body is apparently on the way.

For more creative spaces

when at first you don't succeed....

2011-09-16T16:39:00.002+10:00

Try , try again. Let's hope my boys have success tonight!

GO SWANNIES!!!

I had a dream

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001+10:00

Not a big dream, or the most original dream

or the most in proportion dream.

A little arctic dream

But proportion isn't everything is it?

the cast of characters

Walter,

Ronald ( who has never quite got over the trauma of being sat on)

and Sparky the 2nd

Who'll be waddling, swimming and padding over to my shop, sometime soon.

right now Im waddling over here

A different sort of Red and White ( non football related)

2011-09-11T12:48:00.005+10:00

yesterday I was doing some cleaning out of some cupboards and the house I found this quilt that I made 8 years ago in a plastic Lincraft bag at the bottom of a big cupboard I was cleaning out.. It's funny I had completely forgotten about it. It's from my redwork faze, and the patterns are from a old Ladies Art Company catalogue I saw on the Internet once. ( The Ladies Art Co was a company that produced many pattern for redwork in it's hay day between 1900-40s. Being the nut I am I researched and learned all about redwork because that's what i do.)
It's a lap quilt I would say or a very small crib quilt and not quilted because well I couldn't be arsed and my skills weren't up to it. Like many things I've made in the past, I'm quite amazed to have made this, as I know now that sort of thing would drive me nuts. It's a bit wonky and crumpled (the crumpled part from sitting in at the bottom of a cupboard for 4 years or so)

Unfortunately it has a stain , and I was wondering if anyone had any advice of how to get it out?

I'm not really comfortable putting in the machine , being hand embroidered and all, i was thinking sard wonder soap, but would love any other suggestions.

Also if anyone would like it please put up their hand and say in the comments below. Don't worry I wont be insulted if no one wants it either. Being stained and a bit wonky. I just have so many of the things I've made including redwork and there really is a limit to how much I can keep.

Oh and how do I know it's from 8 years ago, because to be honest my favourite thing about this quilt is the fact that I signed and dated it ( probably knowing that i would completely forget about it and when I made it haha)

hope you're having a wonderful Sunday

Game Day

2011-09-10T11:02:00.004+10:00

It seems I'm not the only one.

GO SWANNERS!!

PS For those of you who are interested the jumper I'm wearing is the old South Melbourne jumper before the swans were moved to Sydney. Many people in South melbourne still barrack for them, and call them South

PPS this blog will return to it's usual programming soon, currently all of us at TBW have Finals Fever.

PPPS Have a great Saturday!

Sniffle

2011-09-09T11:17:00.004+10:00

Ok perhaps I should have checked the weather. But this is not how this post was supposed to go.

NOT at all.

It was meant to be where I unveiled a vision of red and white spendour, streamers woven in stripes covering the entire fence, with the balloons to accent it.

Believe me even at 9.30pm when I finished and stood back and took it in, it looked magnificent.

I was so proud , the idea i had in my head, looked soo much better than i imagined.

and it took me about an hour and half. ( you can't say I don't love my boys)

but now it's saggy pink soggy mess.

that at some point i have to deal with.

and no i don't have the heart to do it all again, especially as I checked the weather and we're in for a weekend of it.

I hope its not a abad omen for my boys.

Ahh well there are much bigger problems and sadnesses it the world

Keep warm and dry out there xo

An unusual request and other things

2011-09-08T10:51:00.005+10:00

Last week I received a unusual request for a bear . A Bowie Bear for a mad keen David Bowie fan whose having a baby.

The friend that asked me to do it, gave me an idea of what she was wanting. And after much thinking and over "making " out in my head, I figured out how best to tackle the facial detail bit.

And Bowie Bear was born. I used fine fabric makers, which gave me the control and level of detail I wanted. The only thing about them was there were so fine, many layers had to be done to get a good cover. i have to say painted or drawings on a crocheted and made up head is one of the more terrifying things I've ever done, that pressure of not making a mistake or else I would have to start again.
With him finished and on his way it's now time for a bit of bogan craft.....

Can you guess?

Where it's all happening.....

Outdoing even myself

2011-09-06T14:52:00.002+10:00

As the home and away games draw to a close, so too does our Footy Tipping contest.

And this year, i've set a new standard for myself.

Aren't you proud?

Final scores:

Posy	279
Molly	277
Lucy	271
Matthew	269
Jörg	265
Mary	265
Harrypalooza	265
Lola	261
Peter	261
Grandma	261
Sarah	259
The Scorer	259
Brigid	257
Jimmy	257
Dan	255
Ellen	249
Tom	247
Harriet/Rosa	245
Jess	155

I get my Tigger after all.

2011-09-01T07:16:00.002+10:00

So while George was George, I still felt I had a Tigger in me.

And so after some crochet necklaces were made, a different bear head went no where,

I started work on another one, and Tigger was born.

Tigger , like his name sake likes to bounce, and do belly flops. He like playing bongo drums and break dancing. He doesn't like boy bands much, more of a beats bear is Tigger. He's quite the ladies bear too, because he is quite the impressive bouncer.

His favourite peanut butter dogs ( a banana , with peanut butter smothered over it in a hot dog bun)

Don't ask me where this all comes from. Some strange little place in my mind.

For more creative spaces.....

the rules of losing and finding things

2011-08-30T17:51:00.002+10:00

i reckon I spend half my life looking and finding things.

I have noticed the following..

The more you look for something the less likely you are too find it and the more likely you are too lose something else in the process.

Things only turn up when you a have forgotten about them, b made another or c bought another one or d when you are looking for something else.

for eg- yesterday all i could find was pins, and all I wanted was needles,

today was all I could find was needles when i wanted was pins.

example 2- i lost a very precious necklace that mum gave me for my 30th last year. Looked and looked and looked for it to no avail. It turned up when I was looking for a doll needle ( i didn't find the doll needle)

Size doesn't really matter when losing things, the things I am most likely to lose are tapestry needles, lighters, scissors, bear heads, bear arms and legs, sunglasses, stuffing sticks and doll needles. I lose more doll and tapestry needle than I do fine sewing or embroidery needles.

The worst sort of losing is not in fact losing per say but the putting it in the " special place where it seems totally logical". That special logical place doesn't seem so logical when looking for it. Take the case of my headphones for my phone that I listen the radio with which I put a "special logical place that i would remember" when I went to England last year, knowing I wouldn't need them there. Not sure what logic I was working on as all the logical places I can think of have no headphones in them. And there for they are "lost"

WHen looking for something look both in the logical places, but also the completely strange places. The fridge , the bathroom ( in a mad fit of bear head obsessing) , the bed side table and the pantry. ( also check the milk isn't in the wool basket, butter isn't in the sewing basket etc etc)

Socks were made to be lost and worn odd, come on they look so much cuter.

have you noticed any of these?

Happy looking and finding. ( if there is such a thing)

the slow and the quick

2011-08-25T11:19:00.003+10:00

Quick- the final selection for my own necklaces.
Playing around with colours for the next lot of them for a few lovely people. I do love playing around with colours, it's about the only thing I miss about when I made dolls. I love how sometimes the best colours combos are the surprising one, the ones that don't quite match or go, but totally go off and look fabulous together ( does that make any sense?)

And the Slow-Head wrestling.

for me the mix of the slow and the quick is a perfect creative balance.

And since it's thursday you know what that means ...

what? Not a bear or animal?

2011-08-22T15:35:00.003+10:00

other possible names for this post were.

"Self photography is not my forte"

"in case you hadn't realised it i don't have much in the boobies department"

ANyway, a while ago, while on Pinterest I saw these ( via this style guru), feel in love with them and became completely obsessed with them. I wanted some badly

I googled and googled crochet edging and lace patterns but could not find anything that satisfied me, everything was too complicated and not what I had wanted. what I had loved about the original on littletreasures was their simplicity.

So late after one last failed google search, I turned to an old chestnut of a needlework book and a combo of a "foundation chain" and some mucking around with trebles, double trebles and triple trebles i made a pattern up.

it all coincided perfectly as last week was a tram travel heavy week, and not much time for bear/toy stuffing and making up. After crocheting my 3 turtle body it began to feel all too much like mass production to me, so i made crocheted necklaces instead.

What I love about these is they are quick and easy , and when you a finished you are finished, all you need to do it tie them in a knot and you have an instant necklace. No weaving in ends or sewing up. And when you're done, you can wear it. It's so instant, not that i don't love making bears and animals but it's nice to get a quick fix too.

I thought perhaps you might like some too, so I thought I'd share the pattern and if you can crochet you so can make your own. Even if you are just a beginner.

A few notes before I begin though. I've used in the English crochet terms, so if you are used to reading crochet in US terms you might need to translate it.

I used 8ply yarn with a 3mm hook, partly because i like the size it can out and partly because this is the hook I feel most comfy with and crochet best with. I'm sure you could use a 4mm, or bigger yarn or a bigger hook, it's all up to your preference.

And a warning these are addictive. The more you make the more you want to make. I originally was gonna to make 3 and now I've got 5 and i think I need a sixth....

Quick Crochet Necklace

*Chain 4

do 2 double trebles in fourth chain from hook , and then a triple treble in that same fourth chain from the hook * repeat from there to there over and over until you get the length you like. then chain a few ( maybe 10) and fasten off, break yarn and tie two ends in a know put on.

Enjoy!!

and please email or comment if you have any questions, or if it doesn't make sense

Tigger or George

2011-08-18T10:40:00.000+10:00

s the name of this little guy ( Yes Tania he's a boy- more about that soon)

Im hoping you might be able to help me decide.

While at first when I was making him i wasn't sure if he was a he, and one clever chook picked that up, whether in fact he was a she. but then as soon as I put the ears in place where they looked best, there was no doubt. BOY BOY BOY, i'm terrible aren't I?!

He's a new pattern , or really a variation of a pattern I've been mucking around with.

he's the sort of bear whose always got his paws in some sort of jar of something sweet, whether it be Nutella or Jam, or chocolate sauce , but strangely enough he's not a big fan of honey. More golden syrup type of bear. Licking the bowl when baking is another of his favourite past times.

And while he's a fairly quiet and sweet sort of bear, he does possibly the worlds loudest sneezes.

He also like making tic tac castles which you can imagine take a very long time.

SO it's strange that I know all this about but am still not sure of his name?

Tigger or George?

for more creative spaces ...

Weekend snaps

2011-08-15T20:57:00.005+10:00

Craft Hatch,

The Art of the Brick and

a yummy lunch at Journal with a mate.

Walking and sticks with Dusty

and the beginnings of a new little wonky dude.

hope you're weekend was great and your week ahead greater.

PS Ring up RRR and subscribe to Radiothon, between 9am-12 and you might get to speak to me, doing my best impersonation of the AAMI lady.

what the hell just ring up and subscribe whenever !

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

2011-08-13T17:24:00.003+10:00

My new cons ( the Green Machines)

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-08-11T07:00:00.003+10:00

today is my Dad's birthday so you've have to put up with me getting a little mushy over him, as if there is any dad worth getting mushy over it's my dad.

My dad is very special. He is loving, kind, sensitive and gentle. He's a great hugger and more in touch with his emotions than a lot of men I know , but not in a sissy way. In a beautifully strong fragile way. He takes on deeply the suffering in the world, he is often moved to tears by things both sad and happy.

He is wise and gives great advice, he's a great cook ( the sort of psycho cook that cooks 7 hour beef or something) loves his glass of wine, or a nice beer. But he also likes to indulge in the his Irish fry ups when mum's not around, and despite his great taste in food always eats lunch if he's in the city in the David Jones food court.

he takes an interest in my craft , which I know a lot dads/men don't and is always so lovely when talking to my friends. I'll never forget when I did my first Craft Hatch how he both dropped me off and picked up me, and then came back in the middle of the market. Just to see how I was going and show that he cared.

But as well as all the good stuff about my dad, I love so many of the funny and wicked things about my dad. Like he's the best dancer, well technically he can't dance but he doesn't care, he is so creative and inventive and gives it his all. As a kid and a teenager I was embarrassed by his dancing but now I think he's the best dancer and always want the first dance.

One of the highlights in my dad's dancing career was at a cousins weddy, my inflexible father doing his version of break dancing ending in a somersault.

It's the small things like even though he says he's not a sweet tooth, at breakfast it's more like he has toast with his jam.

He has great sense of humour ( except the bullshit part), loves animals almost as much as I do

and loves sport ( fox sports channels was made from him). It's from him I think I get my love of footy, and whenever I'm not watching it with him, I never enjoy it as much.

he has the most infuriating way of watching the most ridiculous sports like Curling, Rugby, Soccer and Pool and if I'm over there somehow getting me involved and entraced in them. I think partly he likes all my rude comments.

And golf totally and utterly obsessed with golf.

He also loves gossip and one of the things I love about him is even though he is one of the most highly educated and smartest people I know, he loves to read Womans Day and New Idea. ( he's especially into Jen, Brad, Ange, Nicole, Julia, Katie and Tom) I admit I support his habit and buy him magazines and last year bought him Brangelina for Xmas.

There is so much to love about my dad, and i feel so lucky to have him as my dad and not someone else.

Happy Birthday Dad!!! I love you to bits!!

Somethings don't change

2011-08-09T16:06:00.007+10:00

When I was a kid, I would go through little phases. Where I was totally obsessed with things, like Spot, elephants, cats, lambs, cows whatever. Where it was just all totally about Spot, all I would draw is Spot, play with Spot, read Spot etc. Until something else entered my sphere and then it was all about them and so on and so forth.*

SOmetimes one of these obssessions would start out of thin air, but most of the time they started when I had some sort of experience of or saw pic, or heard about a certain animal.

And if I didn't have a toy whatever if was I was into at the current time, I would just make it. SOmetimes I would draw it and then cut it out and carry it round, sometimes i might staple two of my drawings together and stuffed it with scrunched up paper sometimes I might sew or make one of out of something in The Making Box.

think forward 26 or more years.
When I heard of Kate's special turtle experience in Mataranka , I couldn't get turtles out of my brain. All I could think of was turtles and how much I wanted to go there myself and have my own special turtle experience. Now Im big lover of turtles anyway ... ( oh here she goes again i hear you think) I mean I have a cat named after them and have a small collection of turtle things. But her story made my love grow double. I digress

Realising I couldn't do that for about a year busy year!) I decided to have my turtle experience right here in melbourne.

Funny how we don't really change that much at all.

*one obsession i quite clearly never moved on from was the Bear phase.

Timid Tim

2011-08-08T12:30:00.004+10:00

Little Tim is a bit timid, he's the sort of bear that likes to spend a lot of time in his room listening to music and making up songs on his ukelele. Not that's he's stand offish, he's very loving and into hugs. He's just not super confident and takes a bit of time to come out of his shell and for one to get to know him.

His favourite foods are plumcots and gooseberry pie.

I actually never thought I would call a bear Tim, but it suits him the more than anything I could think of. And not that I didn't look for other answers, I've found a fabulous website for names but after looking through lists and lists of names, I felt he was more Tim than anything.

He's quite hard to photograph and yesterday I was ready to kill my camera as almost every photo I took didn't really look like him at all. These ones here are the best I could do, but he's does look a bit sweeter than this in real life.

Time for me to take some camera lessons I feel.

anyway I hope you are having a great start to your week.

See ya! xo

back to my old tricks

2011-08-04T11:17:00.002+10:00

After last weeks brief foray into pink, im back in my comfortable off whites, browns, tans and dirty whites. Including a rather nutty staining the nose and muzzle six times.

But you know me, i love this stuff.

On another completely different topic it's my parents Wedding Anniversary today. They've be married 38 years today. I hope when ( and if ) I find a soul mate, I hope i have a relationship as strong, loving, passionate and companiable as theirs! Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad.

For more creative spaces ...

and another pair bites the dust

2011-08-02T14:18:00.004+10:00

( Cons post Jess )

Three weeks ago a tragedy happened which I have not been able to write about til now.

My yellow cons died ( once were bright yellow) They were my best cons ever but then I think I say that about every pair of cons that bite the dust.

(cons pre Jess)

The worst part of this whole death of the beloved friends was I feel I had a small ( ok big part it in) Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to take them on a family holiday where there would be a lot of hiking - " there aren't your only pair of hiking shoes are they?" Somehow I don't think my mary janes would have been better.

But to be honest they were on their way out ( even though they had acquired the perfect look) with their heals worn to the degree that on a rainy day I might get a refreshing little foot path, or a stray pebble.

Despite this however they did me proud hiking I didn't slip or fall once. Until the last day.

I was babysitting and in a effort to get a very tired baby to sleep, put him the papoose and off we went. The rhthym of walking worked like a charm and the little dude soon slipped off to sleep.

All was going smoothly until I came to a muddy watery bit, and what I thought was a solid bit of mud indeed wasn't and said shoes were enveloped in mud. ( think quick sand) Luckily i didn't fall or anything, but since the precious parcel was fast asleep ( and had not been sleeiping) on I walking for another 45 mins in the most revolting muddy squilcy shoes.

I knew pretty much then they were gone, but the next day I rather optimistically tried to put them on. The mud had hardened, they had slightly skrunk(?) and no longer felt like my second skin.

When it was time to pack and go, i was faced with the fact i should really throw them out, as they were a shadow of their former dirty yellow selves. but the thought of throwing them out upset me too.

Luckily a family friend on the trip with us, saw them and asked if she could use them in her art.

SO it is a sad happy story as my dear old yellow babies, now with a new purpose in life.

Taking a Walk on the Pink side

2011-07-31T11:20:00.005+10:00

what has two arms and two legs

looks like fairy floss,

and has a disarming likeness to a Posswonk wanting to show his more feminine side?

A Bfab that's what!!!

Happy Sunday !

You won't believe it til you see it

2011-07-28T08:07:00.004+10:00

It's official. I'm making a pink fairy floss drag queen Posswonk.

The things you do for friends.

For more creative spaces.....

PS. this blog will return to it's usual programming soon ;)

All thing Sparky

2011-07-25T13:59:00.004+10:00

On Saturday night I had the overwhelming urge to make a seal. I have wanted to make a seal for quite a while as I love seals- I know I say that about every animal i make, to be honest there really aren't many animals I don't love, except hyennas and fly and well also monkeys just don't do it for me. Especially baboons. I digress.

ANyway the timing felt right with the seal so armed with some white/cream yarn and a basic pattern off i went.

It's funny I've talked before about the whole naming thing, and how it comes at different times with each one, but I'm not sure I've talked much about the whole issue of at what point do i know what I'm making is going to work and at what point, well I start to like it/love, feeling affection for.

Sometimes it's as soon as they have a head/face, other times not until they are completely finished or born, and quite a bit of the time it's not til the day after they've been finished. ( I often hate then when i first make them)

But with Sparky ( the seal) I knew pretty much as soon as he had eyes and a pinned on muzzle, in a half stuffed state, I was feeling the love for him.

And that his name was Sparky, partly due to the fact I think we bonded early so he felt more forthcoming in telling me his name.

Which meant that I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon and evening playing with , singing to ( he's conveniently shaped quite like a microphone which adds to the appeal) and talking to Sparky is his various stages of completion. ( the twitter girls were very patient with me)

Sparky also accompanied me out, take part in 3 conversations ( 1 quite political) listened to someones woes and managed to cheer them up.

Although one problem with Sparky is he is extremely distracting.

He's a good listener and very funny too, although he doesn't realise he's being funny most of the time.

Please don't offer Sparky a ball or a hoop to play with, after all he is a wild animal , can't you tell?

hope you're Monday sparking in some way.

things were all going to plan

2011-07-23T16:52:00.005+10:00

I had it all sorted. I had a clear way of proceeding with things and I was due to make something for the colab.

And weirdly enough the next thing i need to make for the colab which I'd been so excited about and keen to start, at that point in time didn't seem as exciting as the possibility of a new bear with some new yarn.

So Digger was born. Digger who likes snorkelling and making shell scuptures, and eating mushroom burgers. Who i made a scarf for because I didn't want him to catch cold.

Who is smaller than my other guys, even though he has the same amount of stitches in him.

Who now I've got out of system i can resume on the thing for colab I was meant to making.

Happy Saturday to you and hope like Digger you're keeping warm.

Maureen the Machine

2011-07-20T11:10:00.003+10:00

Now that is has become obvious to our family that my grandmother will not be returning to her house, my aunts have been doing a heroic job of going through my grandparents possessions so someone else can move in. When they asked me if there was anything I wanted, I had only one thing on my mind.

My Grandma's 60 yr old Kenwood mixer. Which had come out on the boat with them from England when my dad was 11, and had been used to make all my grandmothers amazing cakes, pies and tarts.

I think my aunts were a bit surprised wanting something that "probably didn't work". But as well as loving it for the sentimental reasons, another one of eccentricities is I have a thing for old mixers. ( weird since I don't bake) a bit like people have for old sewing machines. I think they a beautiful bit of machinery. ( she does need a bit of a clean though)

Although Maureen is my first mixer. And she actually does work. Last night while changing her paddles, I decided to try to give her a whirl. and Whirl and mix did she. ( I admit I jumped up and down in excitement) She has all her pieces, except the vitamiser that broke ( im not too worried about that as I don't even know what it is)

Anyway I absolutely love her, and now to i might be more motivated to bake something, because I have her.

And its nice to when something happy or nice can come out of something sad. DOn't you think?

Flea Martket finds

2011-07-17T11:45:00.004+10:00

I haven't been op shopping for a while but then last week was just walking past one or two and couldn't resist

a nanna type carpet bag, because a girl never has too many bags

a vintage suitcase because well I didn't have one

and a sweet panda mug with a lid because you can never have too many mugs.

for more thrifty finds pop over here!

Christmas in July

2011-07-15T11:16:00.006+10:00

while back I received an order from a lovely lady for 6 ami bears and a Peabody for Xmas.

Now as thrilled and excited as I was by such an order, it's the sort of order that slightly freaks me out because it is so far away, there is so much time. Don't get me wrong I always appreciate when people give me plenty of time, but well this is a lot of time. SO much time that knowing myself I could easily put it off and off and off and then it's a week til Xmas. Especially with all the colab making to do.

And a rushed bear is not a happy bear in my opinion.

So instead I've taken the bull my the horns, and have been slowly chipping away at them. Doing 1 or two and then something for the colab, and then something for the shop and then something for no reason, and so on. It's actually got a nice little rhythm to it.

The three little dudes are above are the first instalment of the 6, and right now I'm working on the Peabody.

And on a completely unrelated topic, tomorrow I'm off to a professional barista course. Which may seem a little odd since I don't really like coffee ( but hey I love those baby chinos) more done for the job skill bit, and that I can make people I like coffee. I hope they teach us to make those pretty patterns on the top, that seems a must.

PS . I realise I really should have done this post yesterday as part of our creative space, but well I'm not that organised. hope you have a great friday !

Home

2011-07-13T12:32:00.003+10:00

enjoying

- breakfasts in pajamas with unbrushed hair

- the peace and quiet

-being reunited with the woodle pops

-being greeted a lone snowdrop in the garden too dark to grow flowers

-hanging my holiday makings on the wall.

( ignoring that my house is a complete mess , the large pile of washing waiting on the washing machine and the pile bills)

It's nice to be home! xo

Break

2011-07-01T12:15:00.001+10:00

tomorrow I'm leaving on a family home, big family holiday, the whole extended kit and kaboodle.

FOr about 10 days or so. So i'm not going to be round much, though I do my best to keep up with what's going on with you.

I hope you have a wonderful week and bit .

see you on the other side xo

Today

2011-06-28T18:28:00.003+10:00

Arthur

2011-06-27T13:17:00.004+10:00

Arthur is a real little boy bear I think.

He likes climbing trees, looking for bugs and sticky buns.

I've just finished Arthur so I'm in that weird, just finished a bear place.

Where I carry him round in an effort to get to know him and the feel of him.

He's one of my more traditional bears, inspired by the early steiff bears. He's a new pattern I've been working on , and I think I'm beginning to get something I've been wanting.

He'll be popping up in my shop sometime soon.

Hope you're having a great Monday

Lucky doesn't even begin to cover it

2011-06-24T07:42:00.001+10:00

Today I am grateful for my life, a life that I have been blessed with.

I am grateful for my safety, for the safety of my family and ones I love, for freedom I have, to have the ability to walk outside without fear. That my dad who is sick at the moment, is in hospital getting the best treatment and care he can get, that i live in a country where this is available to us at the tip of fingers. And while I might worry about him, i know he will be ok.

For the fact that i get up each day, and mere survival isn't the first thing on my mind.

That I can go about my life and daily rituals without a second thought really, it's all taken for granted, it's just the way it is. There is always food on the table, a roof over my head, shelter from rain and storms.

That I won't be persecuted for my opinions and beliefs, that i can speak my mind freely, attend rallies and donate and help others will worrying about the consequences.

And when things seem to hard, challenge or upset me, I know that compared to what many people face my problems and issues are small and trivial.

That i was lucky enough to be born into this life.

Yes Lucky doesn't even begin to cover it.

makings

2011-06-23T10:57:00.000+10:00

a new little bear/pattern in the pipeline, not for anything , on a impulse, just because.

and an old favourite Cumkwat between him and the much talked about giraffe.

It's nice to have the mixture of new and exciting and challenging, and old, comforting and familiar.

hope you're enjoying a good creative mix this week xo

It's been a while

2011-06-20T13:03:00.003+10:00

Between potholders.

His name is George by the way, and he likes bungee jumping and white water rafting. He's one of those crazy outdoorsy dare devil types, which I'm not.

Today I'm feeling a bit under the weather as they say, luckily I'm not working today so I'm hoping a quiet day will keep the bug at bay.

on other fronts, this guy was picked up on Saturday. It was very sweet, the person who wanted him, thought he'd prefer to be picked up than put in the post.

I'm re watching the West Wing, my all time favourite show ( along with Friday Night Lights) It's been a while so I've sort of forgotten bit and pieces from it and when stuff happens etc.

God it's a great show.

I've also joined Twitter, under squidgyandwonky. I currently suck at it. Im hoping in a few days I will get the hang of it though.

hope you stay cosy on this wet and windy Monday

Y oh Y?

2011-06-18T11:22:00.004+10:00

With this whole alphabet thing I've got going on, with some letters I have heaps of possibilites for words/pictures, like D or H or C, whereas others like A for example I struggle for ages until I find the right one.

So who would of thought Y would be one of those ones with more than one? At some completely random moment, two Y words came to me. So later on ( usually late at night) i decided to do a really rough sketch ( rougher than my usual rough sketches) to test each idea drawing out, and maybe it would become clear.

Problem is I like both, and I'm not sure you can totally have an alphabet book with two ys. Admittedly I'd be happy to trade V or X in , but I'm not sure that's how it works

So HELP? any thoughts, opinions which you like better?

Happy Saturday

She stands

2011-06-16T11:34:00.003+10:00

Beast conquered.

Have never been so excited to finish something in my life. At one point there I felt I was never going to finish her.

While I've never been one for having a party around my birthday, I'm seriously thinking about having a giraffe finishing party.

And she stands, which I'm totally surprised by, as once I had the body under control, I was having real doubt about how vertically stable she was going to be ( she has a very long neck, and is a bit top heavy). And she's not even wired, i had thought about doing that, but tried first without it, because to be honest, I don't like putting wire in toys.

anyway I'm sorry, but you know I can't show you anymore of her because she's for the colab, yadda yadda...

and now I'm going to do something easy, an old favourite, with NO spots or colour changes, where I don't even have to think.

hope you have something to shout about today xo

Today

2011-06-15T11:27:00.004+10:00

tomorrow night I'm going to South Side Brown Owls in which they are doing embroidery as the theme. I thought it might be a help if I brought a long my old work book, which include handstitched samplers, from my days at studying at the Embroiderers Guild. I was 19 at the time and at the start of my crafting "career".

when I pulled the book off the shelf, water came gushing out and my heart sank. This wasn't a good sign. When I opened it up, my heart sank further, my whitework ruined, pages wet, with runs and stains, and many of my samplers stained with colour runs and for the book itself. it had been a casuality of a new leak in my roof.

Luckily not all were affected. The second half of the book seemed to go untouched. But without the other ones, each week we did a different stitch, the book feels incomplete.

While I am very aware compared to the huge losses the people in Queensland, NZ, and parts of Victoria, this is small, but I must admit I was/am a little devastated.

This was something from my past, a marker of where I started, that i would never do again, from different phase in my life, when I was just learning the ropes. I had hoped to pass this one to a daughter or son, niece or nephew. And now I feel unsure.

that said, i don't feel I can bear to throw any of these out, knowing the work and story behind them.

I know I'll get over it, move on, but for now I'm a bit sad.

you know?

It's a real achievement i think

2011-06-14T21:03:00.006+10:00

I've talked before about our family footy tipping, and I've told you about how I have my own special take on tipping.

this year so far, I'm outdoing my self in my usual coming last. ( please note I don't try to loose either, but it does say something about how the sides I like are doing , doesn't it, also with a new side coming into it, I feel like I'm DGFing all over the place )

it felt too much of an achievement ( or a giggle at least) not to let the moment past - two week's of my all time low of 2 points, was the real turning point I think.

Cumulative totals:

Molly	141
Matthew	133
Lucy	133
Posy	131
Harrypalooza	127
Grandma	127
Sarah	127
Jörg	127
Peter	125
Jimmy	125
Mary	125
Brigid	125
Lola	125
The Scorer	123
Ellen	123
Tom	115
Dan	113
Harriet/Rosa	109
Jess	73

Conquering the beast

2011-06-13T10:51:00.003+10:00

a day and half and eight bodies later, I think I might be getting somewhere.

I always knew the giraffe was going to be hard, but perhaps just not this hard.

It's been a while since I've been so completely stumped by a project.

Even when I wasn't "making it" so to speak, I was plagued by giraffe body thoughts.

Saturday night late I was ready to throw in the towel and resign to making a separate body and not a conjoined one like I wanted to.

But then at 1am 4 more brilliant ideas came to me, and Sunday morning arrived, and starting up again, my perfectionistic obsessive side kicked in- I would not be beaten by this body.

It may take me a while to regain my love of giraffe's however.

(the second image is my first and hopefully last handwritten crochet chart , it may make no sense what so ever to you- but I am immensely proud of it.)

hope you're having a great long weekend ( and normal weekend to those who don't have it)

Spots

2011-06-10T11:32:00.001+10:00

are a pain in the arse!
Happy Friday xo

And then came Trevor

2011-06-09T11:18:00.004+10:00

Deja vu?

Not quite, but sort of .This is Trevor Twinkletoes, twin of Terry Twinkletoes.

he's a tad tubbier than his brother.

he like tacos, tulip, trampolining and Tina Turner.

He doesn't have much time for Talk Back Radio though.

It's funny how using the same pattern , materials every ted turns out a touch different.

I do really believe that I make them to a certain point, and they take over and their own little individual self does the rest.

Trevor Twinkletoes is for a very special yet to be born baby of a super special Lady.

I hope she likes him!

For more terrific texitiles and things travel here.

NO more t's I promise for a while.

all about the bear.

2011-06-08T11:22:00.003+10:00

I'm being so good and you guys don't even know about.

I'm being so disciplined and it's killing me.

the thing, I recently made a bear for my colab with Martin, and it's painful for me that I can't show you. Really painful, because well i love this bear. I mean really love him, and I'm proud of him, and well you know me of old self doubt, that hardly ever happens.

Really not since Posswonk the 1st, has a bear affected me like this. and yes you might be thinking why not keep him Jess? But the thing is, if i feel this way then I know he is probably really quite good, and that's exactly the sort of quality i want exhibited. I know I'm my toughest critic.

SO I'm thinking perhaps I can tell you a bit about him, like his name which is Edmund, and that I even made him a jacket. And when I feel a little sad i pick him up and walk around with him.

when people come to my house, i casually leave him sitting in the living room ( the room you enter from the front door - i have no hallway in my place), just so someone might say " who is that magnificent bear?" ( er no one has) or even the possibility that I may be able to share him with someone.

and I've got a whole nother 8 months to wait. I don't know how I'm going to do it.

J is for joy

2011-06-07T06:45:00.001+10:00

another rough sketch

Some stuff from the weekend

2011-06-06T10:56:00.003+10:00

Attending a Climate Change rally

Finishing one bear, Wombok
and starting the next

Plus spotting Wayne Carey at my local deli!

hope you had a great weekend

I bet you saw this one coming

2011-06-04T11:38:00.005+10:00

His name is Marcus.

He likes croquet chilli fries and break dancing.

Obviously.

His day job is being a hot water bottle cover.

And he's part of the Hottie Challenge.

happy Saturday xo

B is for Brave ( very rough)

2011-06-03T11:00:00.003+10:00

Because true courage and bravery isn't when you're not scared, but when you are and you do it anyway.

this ( very rough) sketch is dedicated to this lovely lady

PS apologies about crappy image, my scanner doesn't like my sketches.

A bit of an update ( again)

2011-06-01T22:25:00.007+10:00

Thank you all so much for the lovely commments, messages , thought and loving over my last post about my grandma. I'm sorry if I have yet to replied you , please know each and every one of them was so appreciated, treasured and taken to heart. You guys really are amazing, and I can't thank you enough.

it's been a strange and tiring week , in terms of my grandma.

Last Tuesday Grandma was really on her way. She looked and sounded very much like my grandpa the days before he passed. My dad and his siblings felt she was going and so did the doctors and nurses.

Over the course of the day our family gathered together and visited her, saying our goodbyes, how much we loved her and whatever we needed to say to her. It was a very emotional time.

Amazingly the dementia was gone, she knew what was happening and who we all were.

In many ways as sad as we all were it was a beautiful day, to be there to experience this with her, her most coherent her had been in months, and to experience it too with each other. the bond that is draws between all of us there. How at any point i could turn to a cousin, an aunt or an in law to be hugged and comforted. An understand that needed no words.

Then suddenly later that night, she rose from the dead, punched a nurse in the face and became quite abusive. The next day she was up and about, with no memory of the day before, and sadly the dementia had returned. Leaving many of us with that ambiguous feeling of " perhaps it would have been better..."

It has been strange to live with a constant feeling of uncertainty, would this be "the day", would Grandma be better or worse today and a quiet sort of waiting.

And still waiting. Grandma has her better days and her worse days, but there is still no further clarity. Right now last Tuesday looks like a faint memory, but then that Tuesday came upon as suddenly. I guess it's no different to before last Tuesday, but somehow it seems a bit different, or at least a new element has been added to the mix. THe thing is it could be tomorrow, in 2 weeks time, another month, or another year of this.

I do feel grateful to have had that day with her, to have said goodbye and to share with her when she knew who I was and who everyone else was. That if she went tomorrow, we've had our time with her already , if that makes sense.

I feel too incredibly grateful to you guys for the support and love I received over this bit.

At times I've felt a bit bad, or guilty, as she is still here and everything is so uncertain and you are sending me these lovely thoughts about her going etc. But they have been an enormous comfort in this new strangeness too.

so thank you very very much xo

PS the Polar, Walter in this post will be part of an auction Cathie will be running over at her place during this month. If you feel he is your sort of bear ( and I have to admit he's amiable chap) , make sure you grab a ticket to be in it to win him, and many other wonderful prizes too.

PPS. Despite what one of the pictures suggests, I have not turned to alcohol to get me through the week, I can not however speaker for Walter.

PPPS. The Again in the title refers to the fact that I wrote this post or a similar post earlier today only to have blogger swallow it up. I did in fact cry a little. Funny the things we cry over, when other more cry worthy thing we can't.

PPPPS. In case you haven't noticed, I really like doing PS's .

something sweet to start you week ( or end it depending on what time it is where you are)

2011-05-29T23:23:00.004+10:00

He does it yet again.

Prepared and not prepared

2011-05-23T16:33:00.002+10:00

I received the news today my grandmother has become very weak, not eating, barely moving and only having sips of water. The staff at the home she is in think she really might be going.

My grandmother for those of you who don't know has dementia and over the past few months she has been deriating more into the illness and becoming lost to it.

And for all the times I've almost wished and thought it would be better for her to go, than this painful slow merky deepening confusion, when faced with it actually happening I feel myself and hear myself think "please don't let her die."

Which is more about me not wanting to let go, of the grandmother I remember because all this time no matter how prepared I am and no matter how much I know in my heart that if it does happen it's for the best, there's a part of me that's not ready to say goodbye. it's my selfishness

not wanting my last living grandparent to die.

But whether it's today or tomorrow or in a years time I won't be ready. Death is funny that way.

I remember when my grandfather, her late husband died, he died slowly over a week, and each day I visited him, sitting by his hand, watching breathe hesitantly, at time pausing for long moments without a breath and then resuming.

And I remember it was the same as it is now, I couldn't have been more "ready" I knew what was coming, yet so unready when he breathed his last breathe.

SO I'm sitting here, waiting for the news, and it's an odd feeling.

Waiting to here something you are not ready to here.

PS Sorry about the somber nature of this post.

Terry Twinkletoes

2011-05-17T21:05:00.006+10:00

Terry Twinkletoes like turnips, playing Twister and typewriting. He's not one for tweeting though and taxidermy sort of freaks him out

And his favourite letter is T of course.

Happy Tuesday ( or what's left of it)

(Terry Twinkletoes is a custom order for a lovely lady. I hope he likes him)

Redhead

2011-05-12T11:44:00.000+10:00

I'm finding my creative space, and the beary crafty part of blogging a bit funny at the moment, as I'm working on a lot of things for the colab with Martin, which Martin and I agreed that it would be best not to show finished pieces before the exhibition as well if we did it sort of takes the surprise out of it, and why would anyone come?

So I've been making a lot of things, but things I can't share, with you , and have some ideas I'm really excited about, that equally I have to keep to myself. Can only post suggestions of what I've made, or progress shots. I find it strange, as I'm so used to, and love sharing my guys with you guys, getting your feedback etc. So I have to keep all this stuff to myself , sort of like holding on when you're busting to go to the loo, but I have to wait til next year.

Luckily today i have something to show, because it's no where near finished, and posting it won't be a problem.

( i hope)

Gemma put the idea to me of using one of Martin's colours rather than one of his characters, for one of my interpretations, challenge myself with using a bright unusual colour, since as you guys know I'm prone to very traditional and earthy(muddy) colours.

Which brings us to the Red head. The third redhead this week I've made, and I'm hoping it 3rd time lucky, but I'm not totally sure.

what have you been up to? It's pretty exciting, my creative space has been renamed and moved to it's own special little page!

that burning feeling

2011-05-11T11:56:00.002+10:00

it seems I have a subconscious desire to self harm, or burn myself, but this time it's not my bottom at issue, it's in fact my head.

Yesterday morning in the wee hours, I accidentally light my hair on fire, which caught fire, burned my eyebrow and a bit of my forehead above. Terrifying in the few seconds I was literally on fire, but in hindsight rather embarrassing and just a bit funny ( to me anyway)

But like a real girl, i was actually more worried about how it might look, than how much it hurt. ( and boy does it hurt)

and today I'm paying for it with a lovely scarry blistering thing above my eyebrow, and lots of skin peeling ... lovely.

A is for Accept

2011-05-09T12:30:00.001+10:00

just what the doctored ordered

2011-05-06T08:03:00.003+10:00

Yesterday i shared a bit of how my mojo has been a bit absent of late. I know this comes and goes, but what upset me more was it was also affected me and my makings, and I was feeling quite uninspired about my bears and wonklings. The fact is I can deal with feeling flat and mojoless but when my craft and ideas fail me, i feel a little lost, as it's often my bear work that helps me through those time. I didn't have any idea what I would make after my current project, and usually I have too many ideas, but always know which way to go.

A great mate had told me about an exhibition Secret Animal Realms by Cat Rabbit at Fed Square which she thought I would love. Which I had some how missed hearing about. I'm a big fan of Cat Rabbit'sand love to try to see whenever she exhibits.

So Yesterday I had a bit of spare time while I was in town and popped into see it.It is utterly amazing, beautiful and wonderful, so inspring so full of so much thought, love and details. Tiny felt books the opened, skirting made of felt. I could go on and on.

I spent ages looking at each one, not really wanting to leave. I'm sorry the pics aren't the best but my camera ran out of juice.

And when I finally did i felt so renewed and inspired and back to have 4 bears in my head already. It's a wonderful thing about seeing great work, and amazing makers, how it can inspire or reinspire one

I cannot tell you how beautiful this exhibition is. If you have time do yourself a favour and go to it. It's only on until May 8, but I promise you won't regret it.

this week

2011-05-05T08:06:00.001+10:00

this week i've been working on some of Martin's creatures for our colab.

Sometimes it's funny with making things, sometimes they come easily, sometimes it's more of a struggle and many heads, bodies etc have to be made.

I have never really learned the secret of taking something 2d and making into something 3d, except by trial and error and lots of thinking and studying. This week i've been wishing I knew the secret, as i feel I've been coming up against all the challenges of creating 3d toys. WHich has left me frustrated and feeling hopeless.

Lately I've also felt like I've lost my blogging mojo, the need, desire and the content all failing me. I decided at the very least I had to join Kirsty's regular thursday meme, and hopefully but writing and doing a post, it would get me in the habit and perhaps blogging mojo would return.

My normal non blog mojo seems to be absent too. I wish it would come back soon.

Some week's are like that aren't they?

sorry this isn't a very well put together post or space today.

hope it's been a great week for you

On being a bogan

2011-04-29T11:10:00.004+10:00

is it wrong that I don't even know what time the Royal wedding is on today?

Or that had not many of you folks blogging about it, it would have totally escaped my attention and I would have missed it?

Or that even now knowing it my plans for this evening remain unchanged- watching my boys against Carlton?

On that front, I realise it's been a while since I've blogged about footy.

I'm sure you're all wondering how I'm travelling with a new coach and without my beloved Kirky ;)

Well I'm liking the new style of their play more open and pretty to look at.

I'm slowly adjusting to the no Kirky factor, and still feeling the same love for my boys, even with all the new faces. My new favourites are Jude Bolton ( in one commentators view "plays like Tarzan looks like Jane) , Kieran Jack and Jesse White.

I'm quite into the footy this year, and I even went to the first game of the season, which was heaps of fun.

Especially since my team wasn't playing, so I didn't have all the emotion turmoil.Or as much, because I ended up so passionately supporting the Tiges that I was quite devastated when the lost.

I'm feeling more and more fond of Richmond I have to say, possibly due to the fact that a dear friend is a loyal supporter. And Richmond supporters seem like a general nice bunch, who heroically stay through to end of every match even though well they're not the best at winning.

and as for the footy tipping, it's up and running again, and I'm starting off in fine form.

17 points behind the 2 lowest person in our comp, and last week scored my all time low score of 3.

Anyway I better go, as i'm sure most of you have completely tuned out or fallen asleep.

have a great night whatever you do! xo

My creative space

2011-04-28T08:00:00.000+10:00

In my creative space this week it's been a little bit confusing and I've had the strange feeling I'm seeing double.

We have currently have situation Two Bruces in the house and on the couch , and I can tell you it's been quite a tense time for all of us.

there's been the inevitable identity crisis on both Bruce's fronts and all sorts of chest puffing and niggling for whose the top Bruce.

luckily Donut and Enid have stepped in to keep the peace.

the truth is I don't usually like to have two of the same bear under one roof, it generally causes comparisons and one of them with self esteem issues ( with the exception of Posswonks as there are never too many Posswonk's and they all get along great ) but Bruce is part of an order for a new shop Fine and Sunny, so I had no choice.

I'm looking forward to getting the Fine and Sunny gang off so some sort of order can be restored around here.

also looking forward to popping over here to see what everyone's been up to over the last couple of weeks.

Today

2011-04-27T10:48:00.004+10:00

I'm not one of those people that ever wins things, like raffles, giveaways, competitions etc.

I'm lucky in so many other ways but not on that front. To be honest it doesn't bother me , it's just a fact something that well whenever I enter a giveaway or something not to get too excited about winning.

Until there was this giveaway on Silkie Sue. To be honest i had to read the giveaway a few times, just to make sure it was true. Sam was giving away 3 vintage bears, and you know there's no "thing" ( if you can really call them a thing) I love more really than a wonky old ted. I couldn't believe Sam's generosity.

So of course I had to enter, how could I not? And at one point when I found myself drifting off into dreams of giving one of these wonklings a home, i had to remind myself " Hold on there Jess, you know your luck with giveaways " ( I hope you can tell where this is heading...)

But then a couple of days later and I get an email, and yes me had had the incredible luck to win one of them , a chap named Old Bear!!!!!!!

Old Bear arrived today, and he is just gorgeous, although I think his other name might be Gerald. He's settling in very well, and I think he and the Noodle are becoming firm friends already.

thank you so very much Sam, for your incredible generosity.

I promise I will give Gerald the best home ever.

Oh dear

2011-04-25T14:03:00.002+10:00

was cleaning my house today when I came upon this little guy.

Not even slightly easter related

2011-04-24T12:03:00.003+10:00

A couple of months ago, I planted some lettuce seeds after feeling envious all of the home produce going around in blogland, ignoring the fact that so far I have yet been able to grow very little in my garden due to the tiny amount of sun it gets each day.

Every time for the last little bit i was out in my garden i would check hopefully to see any sign of my lettuces peeping up. I was greeted instead by the my bulbs beginning their slow and steady journey toward spring.

I planted these bulbs years ago and when I moved put them in pots so they could come with me.

One of the things i love about them, is i forget every year which pot has which flower, and even which pots have bulbs, so there is lovely element of surprise.

( the 2nd pic is some beginnings of bulbs next to me completely savaged cabbage- please don't talk to me about my cabbages, or white cabbage moths or snails) xo