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!

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.

Today’s Friday Fancies is an unusually long one.  I didn’t realise that there were so many variations of one of my favourite symbols out there.

1. Epershand Earrings 2. Harrington Earrings 3. Ampersand 4. Glass Marble Necklace Ampersand Symbol 5. Ampersand Ring 6. Sterling Silver Block Letter Ampersand Necklace 7. Silver Helvetica Ampersand Earrings 8. The Super Ampersand 9. Harrington Necklace 10. Aluminum Ampersand for Wall or Shelf 11. Ampersand Script Font 12. Land of Ampersand 13. French Style Petit Coterie Ampersand Burlap Pillow 14. Ampersand Gocco Print 15. Coral Ampersand 16. Ampersand Cushion 17. Ampersand Cross Stitch Kit 18. Wire Ampersand Symbol 19. Ampersand 20. Ampersand Necklace (Black)

I am in some serious travel lust right now.  I happened to wonder on to From The Right Bank where I was shown the most amazing images of homes and interiors.  I was happily ohhing and ahhing when my breath was taken away by Hotel Endsleigh.

I’m not going to show you all the amazing images of this Hotel that are available because I want you to go to their website and see for yourself, but let me just say this:

• The interiors have been lovingly restored and furnished in Victorian Era stylings.
• The wallpapers alone are worth visiting for.
• It’s lavish and sumptuous and all things wonderful.
• The grounds are magnificent and the natural beauty breath taking.

I want to go there and stroll the grounds in my Victorian Era dress and parasol.  It’s just too charming for words!  Oh the life I would live here…

Don’t you just wish you could go and sit outside looking at this marvelous view while eating and drinking on some wonderfully crafted menu?  I’m drooling just thinking about it!

I’m playing it fast and loose with today’s Friday Fancies.  Normally I try and stick to a theme, but today’s theme is all about things I like.  That’s it.  So enjoy.

A. Rufus – This little guy is just so adorable.  He’s made by The Vintage Magpie (the blog is a must see!).  He reminds me of Basil Brush, only without the double entendre.

B. What’s Up Chicken Butt? – I’d love a set of these cards.  What a great way to stay in touch with a bit of a laugh and some cool graphics.

C. Cast Metal Animals – Love these little animals.  I’m not a big fan of traditional style bookends, but these little critters would make the nicest little touch to a stack of books.  I couldn’t decide which one I liked most so I’d just have to get all three…

D. Milk – I’m still not able to drink milk like I used to and it’s still bumming me out.  But I’d totally love to get this card and frame it.  The colour combination is great, and it’s one that I’m really crushing on at the moment.  I’m even thinking about using it as the basis for my next adventure with crochet.

E. Funky Swirl Cupcake Liners – I recently picked up a copy of the Country Woman’s Association’s cookbook and I’ve been dying to try out some of their sweet recipes.  These cupcake liners would be a great accompaniment to the yumminess that is a traditional country recipe!

F. Snuggle Up – I’m starting to think I have a thing for bunny art.  I would love to add this to my collection.  Those little cotton tails are just so cute.

G. Scherenschnitte Ringer Tee – My love of t-shirts is not dissipating with time, and these great shirts are not helping the cause either.  Such sweet motifs and great colour combination with a vintage feel.  I want them all!

H. Valentine – I love garnet and I love upcycling.  I also love love *wink* so what better way to acknowledge all of that then with this beautiful piece of jewelry.  I’m really loving all the jewelry that’s popping up at the moment made from cutlery.  It’s such a great way to take some amazing flatware outside of just the dining room.

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.

Anthropologie announced this week via Twitter that it has (finally) expanded it’s shipping to include Australia.  Yay!  So to celebrate I’ve devoured their website and picked out a handful (i.e. a crapload) of their items that I would love to have in my collection. I’ll be featuring these items over the next week or so.

I’m starting where I find myself heading first when shopping: Homewares!

A. Dandelion Greens Serving Set B. Dandelion Greens Flatware C. Plucked Petals Measuring Spoons D. Florist Measuring Cups E. Nature’s Tale Soap Tin F. Flamenco Shower Curtain G. The Eye of Time Desk Clock H. Castle Key Bottle Opener I. Do The Dishes Dishtowel J. All-Sorts Dishtowel Forks and All-Sorts Dishtowel Spoons K. I Hate Drying Up Dishtowel L. Hobnail Tumbler M. Monogrammed Mug, Missus N. Monogrammed Mug O. Zinc Letters P. Wire Initial Hook

This Sunday will see the Park Hyatt in Canberra hosting Mathilda’s Market.  It’s a market specifically for selling handmade childrens items.  Now I don’t have any children (at the moment) but 2010 is shaping up to be the year of the childbirth for most of the women in my circle so I’m seizing the opportunity to do some baby present shopping. Besides, it’ll be a nice excuse to get out of the house on Sunday morning.

Mathilda’s Market is held in all capital cities, with the exception of Darwin.  (But I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before that is rectified.)

A month after Mathilda’s Market there’ll be the Handmade Market!

This market is not just about the kids, it’s got everything for anyone.  The market has become so popular it’s had to change it’s location to accommodate more stalls and shoppers.  Which is a great indication of how much people love to buy handmade and support local artists and crafters. I’m going to be saving all of my pocket money for this event in March.  Which will mean staying away from the fabric stores!

If you can’t wait till March, you can get a sneak peak of what’s going to be on show and the people doing the showing at the Canberra Handmade Market Blog.

As of April if you can’t make it to a market day there will be the Handmade Market Shop to supply you with your handmade fix.  The shop front opens April 16 and you can keep up-to-date with all the pre-opening happening at the shop’s blog; here.

With these new kids on the market scene it could be easy to forget about the tried and true Old Bus Depot Markets.

Held every Sunday in Canberra in what used to be, strangely enough, the Old Bus Depot these markets are an eclectic collection of craft, art, jewelry, fresh produce and specialty food items.  They also have a food court type area that has a small, but diverse, collection of stall holders.  These markets are a staple in our household.  HUBBY likes them because he can get his coffee fix from the wonderful people at Wagonga Coffee; and I love them because I’m a sucker for anything bright and shiny.

So that’s how I’ll be spending my Sundays for the next few months…

I’m a big sucker for flowers.  A BIG sucker! I can’t go past them.  I’m having a particular soft spot for Hydrangeas at the moment.  I love the soft pastels of blues, pinks and purples.  Today I’ve put together a collection of some of the floral items I’ve been lusting after on Etsy.

1. Hydrangeas in a Vase – It’s like Hydrangeas were made for being captured in water colours.  This artist has done such a great job of capturing the light and the different shades of the petals and clusters.

2. Hydrangea Save the Date – I love these Save the Date cards.  I wish the pattern was available in just note cards.  I would love to own a set of these to be able to send out to my friends and families.

3. Happily Ever After - This is a vintage item which just makes me think of spring.  I love the pink and green combination.  I wish I had the clavicles to carry it off.

4. Purple Hydrangea Focal – I would love to see this bead as a drop pendant.  I love the combination of the colour and the use of glass.  I’m nearly as big a sucker for coloured glass as I am for flowers.

5. Vintage Bunny Planter with Felt Florals – Unfortunately this little bunnykin has found a home with someone else.  But he’s still too cute not to share.  I do love the idea that something so special can be made out of a vintage item.  It’s like getting a second chance at life.  The colours in this bouquet are just so lovely too.  I would have loved to have this little guy in my home.  I hope he brings his new owner much happiness.

6. Maddie Bouquet of Flowers Vintage Inspired – What a great way to jazz up a pair of shoes.  Not sure how well the felt flowers would hold up under the tough workout that my klutzy feet would give them.  But they’re just so lovely I’d wear them until they fall apart!

7. Pink Blooms – I love this take on a water colour of Hydrangeas.  The individual flowers make the transitions between colour shades all the more impressive.  The simple lines of the stalks.  It’s just pretty.