Normally I like to spruik blogs that might not be on the radar of a lot of people, but I think they should be.  But today I’m spruiking my love for a blog that lots of people adore, and with good reason.  Meet Me At Mike’s is run by the wonderfully talented and giving Pip Lincolne.

I am in constant awe of how Pip manages her time.  Not only does she run one of the hippest blogs on the internet, she’s a mother to three, a wife to one, a frequent contributor to Frankie Magazine (as well as many other publications), founder of Brown Owls, writes how-to books, creates like a mad woman, runs a successful shop and is an ambassador for blogging.  I get tired just typing all that out, so the mind boggles at how she manages to find the time to do it all.

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

If it wasn’t for Pip I would never have learnt how to make a granny square.  I would never have meet the wonderful woman of the Canberra Brown Owls, nor would I have found some of the amazing blogs, artists and crafters out there in Australia.

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

So while we’re in Melbourne I’m going to make the pilgrimage and go check out The Envelope Project at Meet Me At Mike’s.  I’m also going to be lucky enough to hear Pip speak at the Problogger Event in August.    I just hope she doesn’t think I’m stalking her…

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

Last weekend I had the immense pleasure of attending the Handmade Market with Miss Alivicwil.  I did a little bit of browsing and a little bit of splurging.  It was lovely.  There were so many wonderful things that I wanted to get, but I was on a limited budget so I had to behave.

I did however manage to squeeze in a little purchase from the wonderful Michelle at Poppy, Bean and Bloss. I purchased a fabric covered button hair tie.  Not the most practical purchase given my hair is still trying to recover from the post surgery hair-loss cutback, but I just couldn’t say no to the cut little ducky!

So for the past few days I’ve had the little duck sitting on my desk while I ponder what to do with her, then it hit me.  Yo-yo!  I could use the yo-yo skills I learnt at Brown Owls and make a cute little brooch.  So that’s what I did!

I’m rather chuffed with my made brooch skills.  I feel like Michelle and I have collaborated on our first ever project with great success.  It’s rather cute and is currently dressing up the lapel on my red winter coat.  I just love it!

I had another little success this week with the arrival of a coffee table book that I made using Apple’s iPhoto application.  Using the photo’s from our recent camping trip I put together a little thank you present for my folks.  I’m really happy with how it’s turned out.

Now if I can just get my butt into gear and get it into the post for my parents I’ll be even happier.   The photo on the front of the book is one my Dad took and I think it looks stunning.  He’s got such a great eye.  He was the whole reason I got into taking photos and it’s great now to be able to talk to him about the photos he’s taking and the little tricks that I’ve learnt.  I just hope he gets a little thrill from seeing his images in print.

I’m so happy with how they’ve come out that I’m going to go back and make books of our trips overseas and some family based books.  It was so easy to do and really quite cost effective.  The only downside was that it took three weeks to get here from New Zealand.

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Want to peek in to other peoples amazing and wonderful creative spaces, then head on over to Kootoyoo!

Mother’s Day falls on 9 May this year and so I’m giving you enough warning to get your orders in.  Here’s my picks for a funky Mother’s Day this year.

1. Black Vintage Tram Roll Menu Tea Towel – It’s a fact of life that Mum’s spend a large amount of their time in the kitchen, so why not make her time in there enjoyable with this hip chic tea towel from Aussie designer Yardage Design.  These are great quality and well priced.  I nearly purchased one for our own kitchen last week at Shop Homemade!  (In fact I’m planning to get my hand on some of these to transform into cushion covers!) Yardage Design also have a blog, so be sure to check that out as well if you love a good read and great images.

2. Techee Too – My Mum loves her iPod and what better way for her to protect it while she’s out pounding the pavement then in one of these fabulous and funky cases.  Made with such a great selection of fabrics you’ll be spoiled for choice.  Handy and versatile they can accommodate an iPhone if you want to leave your iPod at home.  They even have a pocket in which to hold you drivers license, credit card and some cash.  So handy if you’re just popping to the shop and want to take your iPhone and the basics.

3. Ribbon Lipstick (Brooch) – Made by Canberra based artist Prim and Pretty these brooches are stunning.  I had the pleasure of seeing them again at Shop Homemade and then again when the wonderful Michelle from Button Tree Lane was sporting one at our last Brown Owls meeting.  They are made with such attention to detail and care it’s amazing and they just liven up any ensemble.  They’d be great on winter coats, bags, hats and even as a pendant.  I’m am so getting my hands on at least one, if not more!

4. Our Family Tree Necklace – This pendant is so intricate and beautiful.  What a great way to always carry your family tree with you.  I just love the current trend in disk pendants and this is a fabulous example.

5. Mother’s Day Handmade Card – All the things you want from a Mother and room to customise and add your own inside.  I love this card, not only because it’s handmade and mixes some awesome fonts and colour but because the message is so great.  In fact, I totally need one of these…

6. Mum’s Calling Cards – Mother’s are busy people and a lot of the time they’re out and about and meeting people or running into old acquaintances.  It only stands to reason that Mother’s should have some funky calling cards to give to people instead of scribbling messages on the backs of ATM slips and receipts from the grocery store.   Also handy for including in your kids bags as emergency contact details or leaving at front doors if you pop around to someone’s house for a surprise coffee and they’re not home.  Trust the wonderful team at Avie Designs to come up with something so versatile and stylish! (Don’t forget to check out their blog either – it’s totally fab!)

I have been well and truly bitten by the embroidery bug and I totally blame Carina from Carina’s Craftblog and the wonderful crew at Feeling Stitchy.  The wonderful e-book that Carina has published got me interested and confident, and then Feeling Stitchy pushed me over the edge.  Now I just can’t stop – and I’m loving it!

I managed to complete another Badbird sampler.  Again I’ve used a mix of stitches and beads.  I’m quite proud of the chain stitching and satin stitching in this piece, and when the weather and time permits I’ll get some better shots of it in the sun.  I really like this piece and I can’t wait to start on another one of Andrea‘s free embroidery patterns.

I did promise last week that I would reveal my embroidery tease from a few weeks ago, and so here it is:

It’s still not finished (the Badbird sampler got me distracted) but it’s coming along nicely.  Both Tammy and Carolyn guessed correctly, it is indeed a little bunny.  Although Gina made me giggle with the Mr Squiggle comment!  I got the pattern from here.   I’m aiming to finish this little guy very soon as it’s part of a gift I’m working on for my beautiful niece’s 2nd birthday.

I’ve been working on some other crafty projects lately too.  I’m hoping to have them finished over the next couple of months.  I’m also already planning the next craft technique I’m going to teach myself and avidly looking forward to the next Brown Owls meeting to see what wonderful thing we’ll be working on next.  (I’m hoping for a ripple blanket.)

My life seems so full at the moment and it’s largely got to do with the craft I’ve been working on.  It’s amazing how having something you enjoy to focus on can make such a positive change.  It’s also having an outlet that you can talk to other people about too.  I’m absolutely loving Brown Owls and each time I’ve been I have been absolutely amazed at the talent and warmth contained in that little community center room.  To go all high school girl; It’s totally rad. (Oh how eighties… )

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We’re going on holiday soon and unfortunately we won’t be having time to be doing much crafting while away, so I’m not going to be able to post my creative space for the next fortnight.  But don’t fear, you can get your fill of wonderful crafty goodness from some rather talented and lovely people via the most wonderful Kootoyoo!  So go, check it out, you won’t be disappointed – you have the gnome guarantee!

Today has been a hive of activity.  Inspired by the woman at Brown Owls I’ve started on my Ginger Beer Plant.  I’m following the very helpful instructions posted over at Meet Me At Mikes.  It’s kind of an interesting looking mixture.  It reminds me of the fluid that we put in the fly trap for the backyard.  The smell is rather potent as well.  I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that at the end of this adventure I’ll have twelve liters of drinkable fluid and not just something to pour over the plants.

I also got out the CWA’s cookbook and made some chocolate biscuits.  I just love and adore chocolate so I couldn’t resist getting this close up shot of the milk chocolate melts.  The biscuits were baked and ready in under an hour.  They’re not bad, but a little dry.  I’m going to make some ANZAC biscuits tomorrow.  I’ve been craving them for the past couple of days, I’m hoping they’ll be a little better than today’s batch.

I’ve also been working on my Dolly Donation.  I’ve finished the girl and I’m half way through finishing the boy.  Hopefully they’ll be done by Monday and I can put them in the post.

Today I’ve spent a lot of time amusing myself and avoiding the chores.  That’s going to have to change for tomorrow…

Wanna see other people’s Creative Spaces? Head on over to Kootoyoo.

1. Roller Derby – Skate of Emergency, 2. Baby Kylee’s Bathtime, 3. two little owls!, 4. MOVIES TIME :D

I’m running a little late this week with my Flickr Faves, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time.  I’ve had a busy week with lots of new adventures.

On Saturday I went to my first ever Brown Owls meeting.  Much fun was had and I feel like I’ve got a brand new chapter happening and that’s exciting.  I backed it up with my first ever Roller Derby social skate on the Sunday.  Freshmeat doesn’t start until mid March, but already the new recruits are hyped.  It was a great day out in the sun.

On Monday night we went to the movies with COUSIN and LEE LEE.  We also ran into M and R while we were getting some pre-dinner food.  It was awesome.  We went and saw The Blind Side. It was spectacular.  It’s the first movie I’ve seen in a long time that had a positive vibe to it.  There was a happy marriage and family at the centre of it and the message of the movie was one of hope.  It was awesome.  I left the cinema on such a high and feeling like we can all make positive changes in our lives, and the lives of those around us.  I was also grateful to see a positive marriage portrayed.  I feel sometimes like the world just gives us all negative messages about marriages; that they’re all doomed to fail.  Sandra Bullock rocked in her role and deserves her Oscar nomination.  Tim McGraw was also a great surprise.  I can’t talk highly enough of this movie, if you can afford the movies – go see it!

We also got some wonderful news; my sister-in-law is pregnant!  It’s such great news.  It’ll be the second grandchild and it’s going to be loved like nothing else.  It may also have another cousin some time soon.  We got some great news from my Gynocologist.  We are able to start on IVF.  I’ve been scheduled for an examination on my tubes to see how much damage was done from the surgeries I’ve had.  Once that’s known we can start.  It’s going to be awesome.  For the first time in five years I feel like we may just, finally, get that family we’ve always wanted.

All in all a pretty outstanding week.

Image: Get Excited and Make Things by Matt Jones

Today I went to my first ever Brown Owls meeting.  I must confess I was rather nervous about attending.  I’d class myself more as a wannabe crafter than a real crafter so I was convinced they’d see me for the wannabe I am.  Strangely enough they didn’t turn out to be the Nazi Crafters from Hell I’d convinced myself I’d be greeted with while trying to convince myself that I’d be better off staying at home.  In fact they were all really, really lovely and damn talented!

I took along the crocheting I’ve been working on, both as my show and tell and my project.  I was happy to learn that I’d actually been making good progress with my pieces.  I thought I was moving slowly with them, but I managed to finish off my third square.  (Albeit *after* the meeting as I was too busy gabbing.)

The wonderful, and uber talented, Michelle from Poppy, Bean and Bloss taught me how to crochet flowers.  I may or may not have under counted my petals but it’s great to know how to make them.  I’m going to do a flower based granny square blanket next I think… although I am looking at the ripple blanket on Attic24 with some lust and envy.  Can you have more then one crochet project on the go at once?

I’m really excited and inspired by my little outing today.  The women of the group are all so talented and have so much to offer.  It was great to talk to people that read the same online blogs as I do, and had some new ones to add to my already massive reading list.  It was also great to talk about online ordering for craft supplies and get some hints and tips.

I also had a question that’s been playing on my mind now for a couple of days answered; “How do you carry your works in progress around?”.  Well it just so happens that Michelle (yes another one) from the fabulous Button Tree Lane makes just the little cases for such a requirement.  They’re awesome and I want one!  You can check them out on Etsy at ButtonTreeLane.   I really love the triangle shaped cases, but I think I would fit more into the box shape.  Although I could get one of each… eventually.

I’m really glad I got out of my comfort zone today and did something that scared me.  It bodes well for my first outing tomorrow with the Canberra Roller Derby League.  It’s a social skate for the Freshmeat, which I am, so it should be a laugh.  All in all this year is shaping up to be a good one.