(source)
This image encapsulates how I feel right now…
Peaceful
Relaxed
Calm
Reflecting on the year that has been…
(source)
…and – as a new day dawns - looking forward to the year ahead!
(source)
Happy New Year!
May it be a blessed and happy one for each and every one of you!
Hugs in abundance! Vikki xoxoxoxo
Thank you so much to everyone who left comments in my last post! I was delighted that you dropped by and very much enjoyed reading your beautiful messages! I tried to get around to responding to everyone but ran out of time… so if you have not yet heard from me - Merry Christmas to you too!!!!
~~~
I’ve had the camera dangling from my neck all day and thought I’d share some snapshots of my day with you…
~~~
It’s been very hot and humid in Melbourne so the hours spent in the kitchen were purely out of love!!
Gluten free glittery chocolate goodness with the help of some (edible) magic fairy dust!
Sweet vintage china tea cups filled with jelly
One gorgeous pooch jingling her festive collar!
Last-minute gift handed out to a friend… (pattern by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly)
A visit from Santa-in-sunnies, as he headed down our street today dishing out lollies (sweets/candy) for the local children!
Giveaway winner… 72 comments all itemised and put in to a festive box for my ‘Little Christmas Pudding’ to choose a number from:
Congratulations to comment no: 53 posted by the gorgeous Anna over at Anna Rosa Designs!
And now my Little Pudding is in bed it is time to relax, enjoy the carols and wait for Santa to arrive!
Merry Christmas everybody!!!!!!!!
With love and warm wishes! Vikki xo
It’s my absolute pleasure today to be guest posting over at Kerryanne’s gorgeous Shabby Art Boutique and playing along with Simply Christmas!
Have you been playing along with Simply Christmas too? If you ever need to top up your “Christmas-cheer-mometer”, then Kerryanne’s boutique is certainly the place to be!! Alongside Kerryanne’s inspirational posts full of ideas, tutorials and festive gorgeousness, has been a plethora of eye-candy provided by some amazingly talented bloggers who have joined in with Kerryanne’s ‘linky’ parties. Not to mention the wonderful guest posters’ who have offered-up fantastic tutorials and giveaways over the last few weeks!
When Kerry invited me to be a guest poster I decided that a Christmas stocking would be the ideal tutorial to offer in this, the final week of Advent.
This basic stocking can be sewn in just a couple of hours, and I’ve provided ideas for embellishment should you have a bit more time to spare! Just head on over here for my tutorial!
A Simply Christmas giveaway…
I am giving away one of my finished stockings! This one here, with the gorgeous ‘red robin’ button designed and hand-painted by Barb Smith of Theodora Cleave.
To enter, just leave me ONE comment on this post. I am happy to ship anywhere in the world! I will draw the winner at 12.00 noon (Melbourne time) on Christmas Eve.
This giveaway is now closed and a winner will be announced later on today!!
Happy creating!
Vikki xo
Can you believe we’re in the final week of Advent?! For those of you who answered a resounding NO!… then I’m right there with you!
I’ve spent the past few weeks re-painting our downstairs living area, making gifts for loved ones, participating in school excursions, making copious lists of everything I still want to achieve, and getting over the bump of an illness hurdle.
But! It’s all coming together and I’m winning! How about you??
Would you like see how Mr Suds and I have redecorated our lounge room?
Here is the ‘before’:
During:
…and After!
I love having white paintwork. Since moving in to our home seven years ago, we have lived with the happy yellow walls and doors. But it just clashed with everything! The house is so much more serene now and my mind feels clear.
I got some bargains on EBay including the wicker chair above ! It sure pays to shop around… and it gives you more ideas too!
I love these Jim Shore ornaments, this year I added the Santa Kitty cat to our collection… again, another bargain purchased on EBay.
I bet you could never guess where I purchased this dresser?! You got it! I should be on commission here shouldn’t I?!!
I hope you enjoyed the brief tour! I’m going to return to my sewing now but I’ll be back again tomorrow with something special to share with you all!
Festive hugs! Vikki xo
I have been juggling a few more projects than normal just recently, just to make sure that I get all my gifts hand made and finished before the gift-giving season commences!!
Fancy a peek?
Some soft pencil shading on this wonderfully whimsical stitchery design by the gorgeous Cheryl over at Willowberry Designs. I just love the playfulness in Cheryl’s designs, they really bring out the ‘little girl’ in me!! Actually, if truth be known, Cheryl is also very apt at bringing out the little girl in me – she’s been a dear friend since our Gumtree days, and always puts a smile on my dial and tickles my funny bone!!
This darling project is destined for a very special friend… I’ll show you more when it’s finished!
Next up is a completed paper craft project. I can show you this in entirety because the lovely lady it is destined for is too busy to read blogs at the moment – she’s only two weeks off giving birth to her fourth child! She’s been finding it difficult to get her sketch pad in the right position because her tummy is getting in the way! So I thought she might appreciate a new creative journal, for those stolen moments in the future when baby is asleep.
I used scrapbooking paper by Kaisercraft, I think it is called ‘Chapter One’. The tree is also a Kaisercraft product and I painted it with acrylic paints and gave the leaves some sparkle with Crystalina KindyGlitz by Derivan.
The dragonfly charms were hand sewn to the paper and secured with sticky tape on the reverse.
Finally, I made a personalised tag and attached it to the binder along with some co-coordinating ribbons.
Now… can you guess what this is going to be?
Something purfectly girlie and frou frou! Anyone who knows by little Rosie knows that she is obsessed with kitties! When she clapped eyes on THIS beautiful feline she fell in love instantly and has requested that I make one EXACTLY the same. “Mummy,” she exclaimed excitedly, “this has to go top of the list, so everything else I’ve asked you to make for me will have to wait!”
Aye, aye Capt’n!!!!
Okay – best be off – I’m also working on a tutorial that you’ll be able to find over at Simply Christmas in a couple of weeks’ time! Have you been following along?
Till next time, creative hugs! Vikki
Angels playing happily…
Fill our hearts
With love and glee…
I’m very happy to be introducing you to the third and final instalment of Angels playing happily! Do you like the fabric wings?
How about…
…with feather wings?
The choice is yours! Instructions for making the project with either feather or fabric wings are included in the pattern, which you can download HERE. A full requirements list can be found HERE.
I really enjoyed designing and creating this sweet angelic project and hope you enjoy sewing it! I would love to know what you think of this and my other designs, so please don’t be shy – leave me a comment or drop me an email. What kind of projects do you enjoy making? Stitcheries? Whimsy? Quilts? Funky? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Till next time! Angelic hugs!!
Vikki xo
As the interior decorating continues, I managed to take some time out this past week to catch up on some crafting goodness! My mojo is returning to its former glory. Have you heard the old saying, “if you want a job done, give it to a busy woman!”? Well, that saying holds so true for me. Now I’m up to the elbows in wall paint, I’m energised and having to carry my notebook around with me as new ideas keep popping in to my mind.
My notebook also contains daily lists. Here’s an excerpt from last weekend: 1. Supervise six year old sweetheart while she helps to paint walls; 2. Turn back and wonder where aforementioned six year old has disappeared to with paint-roller; 3. Roll eyes and exasperate; 4. Bath the dog!
It is always mojo-inducing and a real thrill to have a project published in your favourite magazine – and that too happened this week! The current issue of Australian Homespun magazine is the ‘Food, glorious food’ issue and my ‘Diva Diner’ recipe card holder is the bonus web project.
I designed this project for my sweet friend Deb from The Angel & the Pukeko as part of a special Christmas package last year. Deb is mad crazy about red and white polka dots and she plans to decorate her kitchen to accommodate her growing collection of dotty goodness. Hence I designed a recipe card holder – one that can be hung from a kitchen cupboard whether it has a handle or a nob. Deb’s favourite recipes can be written up on cards and viewed through the plastic window without concerns that the card might get splattered! (Not that I’m saying you’re a messy cook, Deb!!!)
When I think of polka dots, I think of the 1950’s and so designed this project around some pictures I found of a 50’s diner with its gently curving roofline and light bulb-surrounded signage. Even the straps were designed with reference to the knots in the scarves that girls would use to put up their hair. The ‘original’ was named ‘Deb’s Diner’!
This issue of Homespun (No. 102), and all future issues are available in digital format on iPad or HERE, which makes it widely available and also opens up a whole new way of enjoying the magazine!
There are some wonderful projects including a sweet red-work table runner by the lovely Leanne Knell of Petals & Patches – do you remember the Matroyshka sewing set I made here? Gosh I love her stuff! Plus, there’s a fabulous shopping tote designed by the talented Vivian Robinson of Viv’s Creations – you can see some of her amazing designs at Mrs Martin’s Quilt Shop. There’s also a quirky octopus (who is way too cute to put in the cooking pot!) designed by softie sensation Pauline McArthur of Funky Friends Factory. Pauline is currently gifting new newsletter subscribers with one of her cute softie patterns so head on over and say Hi!
With all this talk of cute and soft it’s time to give you a sneak peek of one (of two) possible conclusions to my free BOM, Angels Playing Happily…
Intrigued? I hope so! There will be a full-on photo session for this project over the weekend. I’m planning to complete the interior painting of my hallway tomorrow so that I can put the hooks back up and then hang the angelic project in order to get some good pics!!! So… you shall have the third and final instalment next week – or I’ll eat my hat!!!
Til next time! Hugs! Vikki xo
This past few days my creative space has been in the SUDs’ family lounge room!
At close of play yesterday, the first coat of ‘Ivory Stone’ was on the walls.
A vast difference from the yellow, eh? That’s a dividing wall between the lounge and the front door and it will all soon be the same colour. I am looking forward to painting the front door white!
Mr SUDs and Master SUDs applied the second coat of wall paint last night, and today I have been glossing the window frames and skirting boards, it’s looking really good!
Okay – my coffee break is over – back to it!!
Where is YOUR creative space this week???
Hugs! Vikki x
