passing notes from my cell

 

Hi , thanks for getting through the prison security .

 

Although I am here in solitary confinement I have given

some thought to my friends from overseas and

wanted to wish you a very scary Halloween !

 

To all those affected by Sandy I hope you are safe and well .

 

Hope to see you again soon xxx

 

Next time please bring cake .

 

read all about it

testing out Christmas

 

I've been doing a few Christmas gift try outs.

This one is so very easy .

 

All I did was melt some really nice chocolate in the microwave.

Then I dipped in some beautiful old teaspoons I found at Vinnies.

Pop them onto some baking paper to set in the fridge and

when they are nice and firm wrap some cellophane around them.

Decorate with a pretty piece of festive ribbon .

 

I thought the dipped spoons would go really well with

some Christmassy cups with marshmallows.

They would also be good with homemade bickies or special coffee.

 

The chocolate spoons can be swirled through hot milk or coffee

and then your friend gets to keep the spoon and the cup .

 

 

The whole thing only costs a few dollars so you could

make a few for teachers , neighbours or

for the unexpected Christmas guest .

 

Or your kids could just pinch them and suck the chocolate

off like my kids are sure to do !

 

What do you think ?

Do you have any cheap and cheerful Christmas ideas ?

 

under the christmas tree

 

Oh my golly gosh the time is flying !

The last fortnight has just been a blur .

 

How are you ?

Do you thrive on being busy or fall to pieces ?

 

Have you had a chance to think about Christmas ?

 

I admit I have been thinking about it a lot but have not

had a chance to get anything done sigh.....

 

I'll be very happy for you to inspire us all !

 

Please add your link and maybe you'll get us moving !

 

the one with dr who

My husband launched his handcrafted woodwork range this week .

Months of hard work went into the preparation for his first exhibition .

The soiree went off beautifully with lots of arty farty types

swanning around oohing and aahing .

The wife of the now famous artist just wanted to sneak off to crochet

but that's a whole other story .

 

Congratulations David xxx

morning tea with

 Good morning to Fiona Tully from Two Brown Birds .

What is your business ? What do you do ?

My business is called “Two Brown Birds”.  I design and create craft textile patterns, including quilts, stitcheries, and soft toys.
How long has it been going ? How did it start out ?
The business has been running for almost two years.  It started out when lots of people told me I should write up my patterns and try selling them – so I did!
How do manage around your family ?
Ah yes, the balancing act!  I try to mange balancing everything by schedueling “work free days”, and doing as much work as I can while my girls are at school, or after they’re in bed at night.
When your craft becomes your work how do you relax ?
Other ways I relax are by reading, baking, or every now and again when my brain is completely drained from over-work, I might work on a craft project by another designer – that way I can enjoy stitching without having to think about the technical pattern writing aspect.
Do you make things and sometimes keep them for yourself ?
I often keep things for myself!  When I make something, I feel quite attached to it, and if I give it away I feel like I’m giving away one of my children!  But there are times when I decide that I will make something for some-one, and if I know that from the start of the project, I’m happy to give it away.
What is your favourite craft ?
I don’t have one, but several that I rotate. I love designing  and working stitcheries – I feel like it’s colouring in on fabric.  Quilting is a big love of mine – there’s nothing better than having a new pile of fabrics to play with, arrange, re-arrange, and make into a quilt.  Sometimes I will have an idea for a new little character or playset, which I love making.  I decide on the personality of the character as I create it.  Every now and then if I’m feeling a bit overworked, I love to knit – I find the rhythmic repetition of the needles click-clacking relaxing, and it’s rewarding to see knitting grow quickly!

Are your designs your own ?
The designs that I feature on my blog are my own.  Occasionally I work on a project made by another designer if my brain needs a break after months of working on my own designs, but I tend not to blog about those projects.
Tell us something quirky about yourself ?
Hmmm…….well I don’t think it’s quirky ( I think I’m normal ha ha!), but anyone that watches me tie my shoelaces always comments and says “Wow!!  You tie you’re shoelaces different to anyone else I’ve ever seen!”

 

 

What are your plans ? How much further do you plan to take your business ?
I am so excited that the wonderful people from “Creative Abundance” have recently invited me to  join their list of talented designers.  This has truly been a dream come true for me, and I am so excited to see where this will lead.
Where do you sell ? 
 Creative Abundance distribute my patterns to retail and online craft shops.  Anyone that’s interested in my patterns can follow my blog at   to see pictures of my current designs, and sneak peeks of upcoming projects.

Find Fionas gorgeous designs at Creative Abundance (wholesale enquiries)
Fiona is having some great pattern giveaways on her blog at the moment too !
Or maybe you'd like to chat with my friend on facebook .

Thanks so much and and congratulations Fiona x

under the christmas tree

 

Only ten weeks till Christmas !

 

Have you started any crafty decorations ?

Have you started making any Christmas gifts ?

 

If you've gotten a head start on Christmas , please show us !

 

Leave your link below and don't forget to visit some other blogs and say hello .