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.

1. How to Crochet a Blanket, 2. Mitsy’s crocheted babuschka’s, 3. Heart Burst Crochet Rug, 4. Multicoloured Crocheted Bag

I happened to stumble across something rather cool this week and I’m either sociably late to the party or nerd cringingly earlier.  I’ll let you decide which.  Awhile back I featured an artists work in one of my Friday Fancies, I didn’t know it at the time but the artist also has a rather awesome blog; ArtMind.  I’ve spent a few quiet moments today drooling over the pictures and words and thought I would take up the weekly challenge that is set on ArtMind and put together some of my Flickr Faves for the past week.

As you can tell I’m in a crocheting frame of mind this week.  I’ve been diligently working away on my first ever crochet project, however I’ve still managed to find some time to squeeze in some web snooping to see what others have been working on.  I’m such a big fan of colour.  Sometimes I feel like I’d love to live in a rainbow… or better yet the spot where the rainbow meets the earth and all the colours pool out.  Such vibrant colours can’t help but lift the darkness that the rain has brought.

It’s also been Valentine’s Day this week and I’ve been thinking about the hunk o’hunk burning love that is HUBBY.  We’re rapidly approaching our 5th Wedding Anniversary.  While it’s only a small milestone when compared to the likes of both of our parents who have a total of 76 years of wedded bliss between them, it’s still a big achievement for us.  (I suspect more so for HUBBY as he’s married to me, but I won’t be telling him that!)  We don’t really “do” Valentine’s Day (which is lucky for him as he went to an AFL match with some of the lads on Sunday!) but we do enjoy telling each other that we love and appreciate the other.  It’s nice to be in a house where “I love you” is said so often.

So that’s been my week in photo’s.  It’s been a good one, despite the rather large personal issue that’s hanging over our heads at the moment.  But then I guess the test of a real relationship and human spirit is the ability to laugh when things aren’t rosy, and in this house we’ve been positively pissing ourselves – so that’s a good sign.

The weather has turned wet and it’s divine.  We need rain and we need lots of it.  I love the sound of rain on the roof, the smell of it hitting the hot earth and the way the world has a glisten to it after a good soaking.  I’m especially looking forward to everything turning green again.  I love it when it’s green.

So to celebrate the rain I’ve dedicated this week’s Friday Fancies to the wet weather.  Enjoy!

1. Rain Energy – The colours in this piece are so vivid and alive.  I want to be there.  The reflections in the pools of water.  The artist has captured after the rain magically.  The sense of light and dark.  I want this piece.  I want to hang it in a place where I’ll see it everyday.  I love it.

2. Winter Rain – I love the mood of this piece, the way she seems to run off the page like water down a window.  It reminds me of our time in London.  Her expression is something of a mystery – is it the drudgery of another day at work, the reminiscence of a lovers tiff or the fact that it’s raining.  I think I could look at her all day and let my mind wander.

3. I like People who Smile when it’s Raining – And I like this outlook.  Rain, whether physical or metaphorical should be a signal of renewal.  Washing away the old and making way for the new.  Just like dancing in the rain should be compulsory so should this outlook!

4. Pale Rain and Sea Blue Glass – How wonderful are these shades of blue?  I love them.  Stunning.  They make me wish I was swimming through water of this colour.

5. Rain Drops Studs – Such a cute little set of studs.  Simple and understated, the perfect pair of earrings for lazy days at home reading and listening to the rain on the roof.

6. Here Comes The Sun – After a good down pour we always have GOD’s promise to look forward to; the rainbow.  This piece is so simple, yet stunning.  I love the idea and how it’s been wonderfully executed.  I would love to own this piece, shame someone beat me to it!