For this weeks Flickr Faves Mitsy set us some homework.  This week’s theme was set for us; Self Portrait.  We were tasked with finding images that represented who we are.  So without further ado here’s the 9 images I chose to speak to who I am at this moment in time.  The lists is by no means definite or exhaustive. It’s just 9 somewhat random images.

1. gnome – This one is a no brainer in some ways and yet in others it’s surprising.  My gnome “fetish” was well over a decade ago and yet I still have this link to gnomes.  It’s one that I propigate through my own choices, but it still amazes me that these little guys keep coming up in my life.  Sometimes the gnome thing is really random and then at other times it seems apt.  I’m sure when I move on to the next stage in my adventure a gnome will adorn my body’s final resting place.  I just hope it’s a tasteful one, like this one, and not some $2 Crazy Clark’s job!

2. Colored Pens #8,- I love stationery.  I’m a mad pen collector.  I might not drink coffee, but I have a coffee mug collection that grows just to house all the pens I acquire.  I love notepads, blank paper, wrapping paper, envelopes, cards, stickers and the list goes on and on.  There’s nothing more thrilling than a fresh notebook.  That first beautifully empty page.  I love the beginning of a school year when school supplies litter all the shops.  I love stationery!

3. Groovy Rainbow Cupcake,- Food.  I’ve had a constant battle with food.  I love to bake and I love to eat.  Two things that have not been conducive to a healthy lifestyle.  My relationship with food is changing and evolving and I want to be able to still have fun with my food and enjoy my life through my enjoyment of food.

4. star dust and rainbows. 156:365, – I love rainbows.  I love colour.  Lots of colour.  Bold colour.  I also love Converse Chuck Taylor shoes and mad socks.  Rainbows are happy.  I love to be happy.  Happiness is a state that I want to be in for the largest chunk of my life.   I love this image.

5. Tattoo pioeuvre 9,- Much to the misunderstood amusement of my friends and family I love tattoo’s.  I have four.  Two rather large and prominently placed and two smaller pieces.  I will get more.  I love them on other people (when they’re done well); regardless of their age, race, size or subject matter.  To me they’re like a living canvas.  I love the images that people chose to carry with them.  The stories behind them.  The technique that is used to make them.  I love them.  I will continue to think that people that have them are beautiful in their own way, and that the tattoo doesn’t distract from that.  I don’t regret mine, and I hope that those that get tattoo’s don’t regret theirs either.

6. I Want To Read: cover,- I’m a bookworm.  I love a good book.  Although I suspect what I consider to be “good” is not to everyone’s taste.  I love getting lost in a book.  I love the sense of accomplishment when I finish a book.  I love listening to people read from books.  I love going to bookstores and wondering the story picking up and caressing various books.  I’m a bibliophile and proud of it!

7. Girl Painting a Rainbow,- First off, I love the name of this image.  It sounds like it should be a Rollingstone’s song.  I love being creative.  I love to take objects and re-purposing  them.  I love the imagination.  I love seeing what others come up with.  I love the design revolution that’s happening now.  I love spending hours looking online at what people have created and how they incorporate the design trends and their own quirky style into their homes.  I love getting my hands dirty in the creative process.

8. A-Maze-Ing Laughter, – A day without laughter is like a day without sun.  It’s not right.  I can’t get enough of laughing.  I love to laugh; I love to make others laugh.  I love hearing a child just cracking up with their own laughter.  I love watching other people laugh.  I love infectious laughter that flows from one person to another.  I love a good joke.  I love a smartarse comment.  I love a witty insight.  A good pun.  I love a fart joke.  I want to laugh.  I believe our bodies were built for laughter.  I believe laughter is the sound of love.  I want to see this sculpture in person!

9. Macro Game Piece Monday – I’m an online gamer.  I’m addicted to playing an online game.  I love it.  I love playing board games and card games with my friends.  I love strategy and I love the escapism.  I love games.  I love nothing more then a good meal, great company and a few rounds of various games as a good night in.  I love trivia nights.  I love competition.  I love playing.

I loved this task so much it inspired a redesign of my blog theme where I chose photo’s from my life that I have taken that I feel represent all the great things in my life.  (With the exception of friends and family because I didn’t want to use their images without permission.)  I also realised that I used ‘love’ a lot in this task and I think it’s reflective of where I am at the moment.  I’m loving life.  Are you loving your life?

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Wanna see more wonderful self portraits?  Or maybe you want to submit your own.  Head on over to Artmind where Ms Misty is hosting the Flickr Fave party.  Happy St Patrick’s Day!

I can’t stop looking at this image.  The combination of that oh-so-inviting water and the lush greens of the garden.  That little hint of purple foliage and the shine in her hair.  Down to the wonderful red of her fingernails.  I can almost feel the warmth of the sun in this painting.

I would die to have this painting hanging in our home.  I’m in serve artist lust at the moment.  This is amazing.

Check out more of Diego Gravinese at his Flickr or his website (which is currently under construction but has his contact details there).

I found this house on Hindsvik and I’ve fallen in love with it.  Admittedly I would have a tad more colour, plant life and wall coverings; but the principals of the house are brilliant.  I love how the house doesn’t look like much from the street but it’s normal facade hides something special behind it.

The house has been designed by Suppose Design Office and is in Buzen, Japan.

I adore the ‘arcades’ in the house.  It would be like having a alfresco cafe in your own house.  I also love the idea of having a clear ceiling where the house is directly influenced by the environment.  Imagine laying in bed and watching the stars as you fall asleep.  Only one small problem would be if you had neighbours that looked into your home.  You’d have to be awfully careful when bathing.

Heating and cooling would also be an interesting proposition.  Practicality aside it’s a rather lovely home.

1. I Carry Your Heart Necklace - This is from one of my favourite poems by e.e.cummings.  I love the simple design of this pendant.  It’s just so wonderful.

2. Drawer Ring – How awesome is this ring?  I love it, it’s like a spy ring.  I can only imagine the cool things you could hide in this ring.

3. Tea Roses Stacking Ring – I love these colours and the funky style of the stacking rings.  Would love to add these to my collection.

4. Bowl of Cherries Ring – Too cute!  I’m going through a bit of a cherry phase at the moment and this cute little stacking ring is just what I’d like.  Anyone want to buy it for me? *wink*

5. Green Rose Earrings -  You can’t go past the classic green and pink combination, add to that some bling and roses and you’ve got a winner.

6. Make Do and Mend - I’m really starting to embrace this as a motto for life.  There’s so many things that we’ve got in this house that can be repurposed and save us money and the environment.  I love this poster.

7. Sea Urchin Collection - This is so amazing and unique.  I can only image how cool it would feel as well.  I love the soft pink tones and the addition of the little bit of sparkle.

8. Slut Teacup - If only I drank tea I could buy this without feeling guilty.  Alas I don’t.  I love the collection of china in this Etsy store.  The subversive text is just so wonderful, if not a little inappropriate.  In a good way!

This is why I adore Twitter so much.  One of my Tweeps sent me this message:

Click on the image link and I was greeted with this:

This is all kinds of wonderful!  Thanks @elimaschio you made my day!

I’m a little late with my Creative Space this week, but I’m hoping you’ll forgive me when you see what I’ve been working on.

Lately I’ve been really moved by some of the embroidery that I’ve been seeing on the great creative blogs out there.  I’m especially crushing on Carina’s Craftblog.  Which is lucky because Carina has published a wonderful ebook on embroidery.  I purchased the book on Thursday night and I’ve been searching for a way to use it ever since.

I hit the jackpot when I stumbled on to the blog Feeling Stitchy.  It’s a massively wonderful resource for all things stitched.  I fell in love with so many of the projects on there but I still wasn’t sure what to do so I went looking for more inspiration.

I was lucky enough to come across Vintage Transfer Finds and there I fell in love with this little birdie.  I stitched it up in no time and I’m so proud of it.  I even managed to do my first french knot and it worked!

I’m so smitten with it.  I decided to turn it into a little coin purse based on the tutorial on Cat Taylor which I found through the very amazing Creative Space by Megan at Simple Pleasures.

I used some of the new fabric I picked up this week at Addicted to Fabric and lined it with a bright purple just for something fun.

So what do you think?  I’m thinking that it would be a great little giveaway to one lucky commenter.  So if you’d like a little blue bird to keep your change happy just leave a comment on this post letting me know where you’d take the blue bird on your adventures.  Comments will be closed at 8pm AEST on Tuesday 9 March 2010.

Aren’t these book covers amazing?  Penguin Classics has teamed up with Aids Awareness Fun (Red) to produce eight new covers for a sample of their penguin classic books.  I would love a set of these books, not only to red but to lovingly gaze at.

I’d also love posters of these covers, they’d make such a powerful statement hanging on the wall.  Once again Penguin has proved why they’re a literary powerhouse.

Image source: Studioloo

I want this yarn, and not just because it’s called Candy Sprinkles.  I swear!

How beautiful does it look?  I’d love to make something funky out of it.  Not sure what… a scarf maybe… oh the possibilities…

How awesome is this vase?  Prairie House is made by artist Dora Humniski as part of the artist collective called Loyal Loot.

I just love the simple lines and the imaginative play on proportions and landscapes.  I’d love this vase just so I could keep changing the item it held and pretend I lived in that house for a little while.

Image source: Loyal Loot

Image source: Lovely Mariquita

How gorgeous are these felt animal brooches from Lovely Mariquita?  I want them all!  These so many variations and styles to choose from, this is a mere handful of all the ones I would love to give a home to.

I think it’s the cartoon style eyes that really make them special.  They remind me of a teddy bear I had growing up.  If I only had to pick one item I think it would have to be a deer… although the raccoon is cute.. and so’s the little squirrel… and the birds… Oh don’t make me pick just one!