Feeling Festive!

Christmas is my FAVOURITE time of year! I love it!! I've already put up my chrissie tree and some deco's in our house! (I know its suppose to be bad luck to put up decos early or something but I'm not really thinking of bad luck around this festive time!)

On Saturday in crochet class we started on a Christmas inspired bunting/garland (which ever you like to call it) and I'm feeling more festive than ever!

These little granny-ish style stars will eventually adjoin a crocheted chain to make a long garland to hang on our wall. You can see what the finished project should look like over at Jodie's place!

These cute stars are quite addictive to make, and very quick too! I managed to make my first one in about 15 mins! The rest took a little longer because I got distracted chatting to friends over cups of tea and crochet!! hehe

So easy and quick, I'm hoping to have this garland done long before Santa arrives!!!

In other crochet news, I've started the second half of my "Mystery crochet project" (purse). I've only just started it but I'm so excited to get it finished!

I hope your Sunday has treated you well. Roger and I are trying out a new recipe for dinner (it is smelling delish in the oven!!) and if all turns out well I'll post about it soon! :o)

Enjoy the last few hours of the weekend, I know I am going to... Ahhh I love weekends!

My creative space...

Mystery Crochet!!!

Lately I've been working on a "mystery crochet project" by Jodie and it's looking fab!! A little strange but cute at the same time!!

A few crochet classes a go Jodie picked all the colours and bits and pieces that we'd need to make our first mystery project. It was exciting to get into class not knowing what was in store!!

So far I've only done the first major part and we've worked out that this little "mystery" is a cute little zippered pouch!

I can't wait to finish it. I LOVE the colours that Jodie picked (olive-y green and pastel pink!), she was so spot on picking the colours cause they're SO me!!

More creative spaces over here.

Photography fun...

Before I was working as a Property Manager and an Equine Science student I was studying photography... Sometimes when I play around with my camera I wish I had finished my degree in stead of changing my mind (as I constantly do over and over!)

I don't really think its a regret for not sticking with it because I don't like to think that I have any real regrets because things so far have worked out the way I think they were suppose to, but every now and then I like to prance around my house pretending that I learnt something from my short time studying photography and I take piccies of anything I think may be interesting or pretty... Some times the pictures turn out nicely, other times they turn out blurry or looking silly but I enjoy it none the less.

Tonight I thought I'd have a play around with my trusty camera and made a few edits that I thought I'd share....

Back in Blogland & Equitana 2010

Well hello there!! How are you? It's been a while!!

I got back home from Melbourne last night after the looooong 9 hour trip, thanks to my beautiful parents who travelled all the way with me, the trip was a huge success!!

(View from our apartment balcony in Docklands, Melbourne)

This year I was lucky enough to be given a volunteer position at the HUGE horse show known as "Equitana" down in Melbourne. Since I'm studying Equine Science at uni I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to see all facets of the horse industry in one place... and boy was I right!!

It was Horse Mania and I was lucky enough to have a back stage seat at the event!!

(Backstage in the main arena where I was working for the event)

I thought I'd share some pictures that I managed to take backstage and during some events...

So many "horsie" pics, too many to share! I had such a ball in Melbourne for my first ever trip! Think I'll be back again some time in the future for sure!! I managed to get some much needed shopping done and also got a few chrissie pressies, I am feeling very organised for the festive season this year!!

Back to reality now... work tomorrow after a nice break!!
More crafty posts to come soon!

Luna Cotton Table Runner WIP

This week is a BUSY week!! How has yours been so far?

Over the weekend I didnt do a great deal of crafting (except for somehow stuffing up pretty badly on my "Pretty Knitted Neck Warmer" whilst trying to add a few rows!! Arghhh! I am in desperate need of fixing this project and hope to get some serious knitting expertise from Jodie as soon as I can!!!) I also made my first ever skirt in sewing class!! I will be posting about this soon (when I can get a decent pic of myself wearing it!! LOL)

I have managed however to start a new crochet project, the Luna Cotton Table Runner. I am in LOVE with the purple colour of this table runner and how quickly the pattern takes shape. (The colour doesnt photograph so well as its very gloomy and rainy outside and the lighting in my house is a little dim but hopefully you get the idea!!)

It's still a work in progress and wiull grow a lot bigger but I am loving how its turning out. I think I might give this one away as I haven't really got anywhere in my house to put it at this stage, but it could make a nice addition to someone's Chrissie present!!

In other news this week, I'm off to Melbourne tomorrow for my first ever trip there!! I'll be down there for about 4-5 days at "Equitana", a really big horse show where I'll be doing some volunteer work! Should be lots of fun and pretty hectic, hopefully I can get some shopping done with Mum (whose traveling down with me.. Dad too!) Can't wait to get some retail therapy done, it has been a while (other than online shopping of course!! The perks of living in the country *wink*)

So I apologise in advance for being a bit absent over the next few days in Blogland! I will definitely be posting when I get home and may even have some piccies from the big smoke!!

Until then, take care and have a great week! :o)

I heart handmade...

Tonight Rog and I are spending the night in. Spending it doing the stuff that we enjoy - relaxing, chilling out and enjoying the fact the neither of us have to work tomorrow. Don't you just love that feeling?! I do! Knowing that tomorrow I can sleep in as long as I want with no stinky alarm waking me up for my work routine!

I've spent this afternoon having some dip and biccies (and a few glasses of wine *wink*) with my good friend Jen chatting about work, uni and life.

Now I am home listening to Rog yell things at the TV screen as he plays his Xbox Fifa soccer game (hehe I love how excited he gets about silly Xbox games! lol) whilst I have an urge to blog!!

On my Internet travels, I find myself back at Madeit checking out all of the handmade goodness that the site has to offer. I thought I'd share with you some pretty handmade finds that I have been admiring tonight!!

1. Button Cluster Necklace by Shagpile

2. English Rose Cushion by Emma Kate's

3. Rose Dress by Three Little Ducks

4. Carrie Bradshaw Coffee Sleeve by Tutu's and Muddy Shoe's

Find more handmade goodness here.

My creative space - Christmas Crochet

I'm running pretty late for My Creative Space this week!! Work has been super busy, and Rog has been in the city so I've hardly had anytime to do anything this week (and tomorrow is Friday... Oh my God!! Where did the week go?!)

Anyhow, this week I started to work on some Christmas crochet by making some Christmas washcloths using the round washer pattern that I mentioned earlier in the week.

Using some Cascades Cotton Rich, these little Chrissie washer were whipped up very quickly. The second one has one row to go (the edging) and it's done! Using one skein of each colour so far I've managed to make 2 washers, and have plenty of yarn left to probably make another 2!! How great is that!?

I hope to get a lot more creative stuff done this weekend...

Lots more creative spaces over here

Cows and Crochet...

Over the last few days I have been very busy. I spent the majority of my weekend doing some form of work (excluding a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon spent with friends crocheting and chatting!!).

On Sunday I went bush to our family property "Budda" to help mum and dad mark some of our little calves that were born this season. I love helping out on the farm (of course being raised a bush girl most of the time it doesn't feel too much like work for me.)

It can be a dusty, hot and long job but at the end of the day seeing all of the gorgeous calves that we've bred, branded and marked is worth the hard work!

So in between working at my real job and out on the farm I managed to squeeze in some crochet time and whipped up this cute little round washer!

The pattern is by Jodie. I plan on making a few more of these cuties in Christmas colours for some Christmas pressies and for a Christmas wash cloth swap that I'm joining in on soon!

And in other exciting news this past week, my gorgeous boyfriend decided to surprise me with a beautiful bunch of flowers delivered to my work on Friday afternoon! I was sooo shocked!! It was such a sweet gesture just to say "Love you lots babe" !!

(Unfortunately for some strange reason, Blogger wont let me upload the pics I have of the entire bunch so I can only show a couple of piccies above!! But trust me, it is a very nice and big bunch!! hehe)

The Lillie's in the bunch are just opening up now and are sooo pretty and looking at them every morning is a nice reminder of how special I felt when I got the big bunch!!

He is definitely a keeper!! *wink* hehe

How did you spend your weekend??
More crafty new to come soon! :o)

My creative space - This little piggy...

This week I decided to attempt to make my second zippered purse on my own!!!

I was armed with my Mum's sewing machine, another little sewing kit with fabric and buttons from Jellywares, a page of step-by-step instructions and lots of enthusiasm!

I had some stumbles along the way but I managed to finish my second purse and I'm pretty chuffed with the results!!

I love the little piggy fabric! It looks rustic and cute! The matching vintage buttons really set this little purse off!!

This really was a fun project, and I good one to try on my own with not too many spots where I could mess up. Although I did make a few mistakes (lucky they're not too obvious!! lol)

Later this week I'm going to continue working on my knitted neck warmer scarf and another new sewing project on Saturday!

Can't wait to share it with you all!!

Sorting my stash!!

This year in May I started to learn how to crochet and ever since then I've has a BIG obsession with yarn! I've only been purchasing from local lady Jodie from her new shop Jellywares in town. You would have read me talking about Jellywares a bit as this is where I take crochet/knitting classes and now sewing/dress-making classes!

Jodie stocks the most beautiful yarns and every time I venture into her shop (each week) I always find something gorgeous that I want to buy. Last night I went sifting through my ever growing stash to see what I have accumulated. Boy I was surprised! I haven't got too much, but I've definitely got a bit saved up!

I'm thinking that it might be a good idea for my next project to start trying to use up some left over yarns.

It was nice to go back through my stash and remember what I made with the left over balls of wool/cotton. Like finding my first ever ball of yarn that I purchased for my first proper project!!

It's a gorgeous ball of Nundle's chunky 20ply. It was so cool to work with, and worked up so quick for my first project. As you can tell by the photo I was pretty chuffed when it was finished!!!

I still haven't found a decent place to keep all of my yarn. I'm in desperate need to purchase a big box to keep them all in. At the moment they're all living squished into a brown paper bag! How sad!!! lol

In other news... Happy Melbourne Cup!!! Did you back the winner?? I didn't, but I did back the third place getter winning myself $21!! Roger also won in his work sweep so we ended up pretty lucky today!!

I hope you're day was also a lucky one!!

I'm off to help Rog with the yummy Indian dish that he is cooking us for dinner and then possibly attempt making my second zippered purse. This time I'm winging it on my own with just the written instructions!! Hopefully I don't get too stuck!!

Thinking... Thinking...

Lately I have been thinking...

Since I've learnt to crochet, knit (and now... slowly learning) sewing this year, I've been looking into creating my own Made-it shop!

I LOVE Madeit.com.au and since I've been crafting lots of things for myself, I thought maybe I should start making some things for other people and start selling them via Made-it!

What do you all think??

Of course I will start small (I've only got a few things to list so far!!) But I'd love to hear what you all thought!! Do you have your own online store? Do you use Made-it or some other online shopping site??

Feedback would be great! :o)

Hmmm... something to consider!!