applehead

a kiss from a rose....

... a big thank you from Rose to all of you who have sent (or are sending) postcards. To her delight she received four cards in the post the other day- talk about a grin from ear to ear. "more than you, mama!" and then we looked up where they had come from on the globe. Not only exciting but educational too! If anyone out there has a little one( or ones) that they think might like a card, drop us a line and we'll start mailing.

And Rose and Charlie both send kisses to Aunty Jane and Aunty Louise ( because their mama is so behind in sending photos!)

Here is  Pale Frog ( I'm not really good at finding names for my creations - always welcome suggestions).I now have a name-  "Fred" thanks to Julie at handmaid.
He is on his way to Melvindale, USA as part of the purplepinkandorange.com stuffed toy swap. He's a little bit tardy ( I mixed up the dates with a postcard swap) but I hope he'll make up for it when he arrives. Frog was originally part of an op- shop blanket that had a huge hole in it, so I didn't feel too guilty that I was cutting it up instead of using it to keep warm.... as you can see I was trying to focus on shape and texture rather than colour in this project. Bit of a challenge but enjoyable so  I think I'll  try a bird in the same fashion.
Here's a close up for detail....

swap updates

The parcel that I sent to Melanie  as a replacement indie swap has arrived so I can now post a full picture. ( her pictures are much better). Its always such a relief when the package arrives safely and happily...

I also included one of these ( the full apple version,not the slice): I figured that a parcel from applehead should contain an apple of some sort so I have been playing around with this for a bit.

the back - handmade felt and a vintage button

I'd really like to make a bigger version for a cushion and maybe have a go at a 3-D version apple doll.
Of course, that's after I finish Carla's knitted grey blanket.....

Finally got around to taking a picture of the wonderful wool tops that my mother - in- law Maggie brought me back from her recent trip to NZ.

The colours are just amazing. So, as soon as I can, it's a weekend of feltmaking for me!
Not only did I get the wool tops but this as well- ( I'm really very spoilt )

Banana silk! I haven't any idea of what I'm going to use it for but it feels heavy and dry like silk and has a wonderful lustre to it. Has anyone used this before?

I think that Carla's just going to have to wait a little longer for that blanket. ( unless you'd like a knee rug, Carla?!!)

sore feet, heavy bags and a much lighter wallet...

A big thank you to everyone who sent suggestions for places to go in Melbourne - as you can see , I had a wonderful time ... vintage buttons from Chapel St bazaar, vintage kimono fabric from Zigu Zagu
and the sweet little apple ( not to mention a stack of other  things) from  the most beautiful store I have been in for a while, zakkaya.  The linen crochet cotton was also found there  -  I could have closed my eyes and pointed and still have been thrilled with whatever I found.  Wonderful stock,and a lovely  welcoming space to be in. Exactly the sort of retail space I'd like to have one day if I ever decided to open a retail store. As for clothes- well,I'm glad that I didn't sign myself up for Wardrobe Refashion 06 - it would have been torture.

Just look at those red glass buttons - and a whole handful of round red Bakelite cherries - serious vintage button heaven! if only I can bring myself to use them!

When I returned home I had the pleasure of finding several postcards waiting for me from the handmade postcard swap organised by Nichola from nikkishell.

It is my first ever postcard swap and it won't be my last. Makes collecting the mail so much more fun when it isn't all boring bills! ( the cute little ceramic bird was a Chapel St bazaar find)
I think that mine should have started arriving now so I can post a few pics of them at last. I used a lino block print and collage ( recognise the paper, Christina ? perfect, thank you!) - the first lino cut I have done for ages and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

this is the lino print and below, the finished cards..as you can see I'm still in full on bird mode.

sooooo glad to be home - here's a cute photo of my smallest applehead....

oh and by the way, Charlie's wearing the only jumper I have ever managed to finish - I just seem to get bored by the time I reach sleeve no. 2 ( maybe if I  just sew together all the odd sleeves and bodies........). Best off sticking to more manageable knit projects for now ( except of course for the wool throw I am knitting for Carla, which grows about 1cm a month and at this rate she will be getting it for her 60th birthday - what on earth was I thinking???)

ps....I was asked what the  "applehead"  referred to - both my girls were smallish babies: Rose was 2.8kg and Charlie, a teeeny 2.2 kgs and they both had the tiniest, roundest heads just like little apples. I used to call them my "little appleheads" and it kinda stuck around...

take one pile of leaves...

add five children and you have instant fun for all!

Finger buns are a must for morning tea after all that leaf throwing.

Pink for girls , blue for boys - purely by chance I might add ( truly)
- next week see Charlie in navy and Felix in pink, although its going to be a struggle getting that tutu off Charlie!

I have a lovely list of places to go, places to eat and things to do! Thank you all - I can't wait to get to Melbourne and start hitting the pavements. Bit worried about my apron strings though - are they long enough? It will be the first night away from Charlie and I know she will be dandy, but me ???
A quick note to all of those waiting for packages - I am busy wrapping and addressing but I may not get to the P.O until Monday. I'll drop you all a line when I send them out.

And speaking of mail
a very happy Rose has had a lovely time checking the mail this week - two letters for her! A lovely colour in card ( and a cd of music for lucky me ) from Justine at Born lucky  and a postcard, jellybeans and a cute hair clip from Ingrid and Lottie .
Here she is colouring her card and wearing her clip ( and no doubt enjoying a jellybean).

Thank you xxxx rose

crash and burn...

first up winners! Sorry , its taken me a little while to get back to you but I had a small encounter with a roof rafter... so without further ado
"just because # 2" goes to Bianca over at sadieandlance
and
"just because # 3 is on its way to Robyn at Knit me something good
Thanks again to everyone who left comments and songs...it was fun reading them and now I have a whole new world of music to explore.

Crash and burn indeed......I have been running around for the past few months on high speed, simply because I have given up work and therefore, need to compensate by achieving, achieving ,achieving in other areas. I have become the "can do " girl and it was only a matter of time.
Well,on Sunday, I climbed into the roof storage to get some wool down from my stash (yes, it has overflowed from my office into the roof!) and because I was in such a rush ( no good reason ) I turned suddenly and a rafter jumped straight out of nowhere - I swear it wasn't there before, officer - and hit me in the head. Luckily not quite hard enough to knock me out and consequently down the steps, but hard enough to bring on those lovely little stars.....
Did the first aid thing with pressure and ice pack but still had a lovely egg and a  killer headache for two days as a reminder to slow down NOW.
So I have returned to knitting - knitting is my equivalent of creative yoga. Possibly because I am a tortoise knitter - slow and steady - but I find it more challenging and it requires ( for me) a greater level of concentration and calm than does sewing or crocheting. I am quite speedy at the other two and sometimes, it is more about the outcome than the actual process. I find knitting to be more about the "journey" - how's that for zen?
I have also decided to make this week another "finish it off week" - with all of this frenzy to create, create, I tend to lose steam towards the tail end of some projects. Every now and then, I really need to just go back and tie up the loose ends , so to speak! Here are a few of those loose ends....

This is Ginger- she need pants! I'm really happy with how she is coming along - I wanted to see if I could do a sketch and then make a doll that looked like it. I am just way too lazy tonight to scan the sketch but she's a pretty close match!

This is Maggie, named after my one-of -a -kind-( in the best way of course)  mother in law !
Maggie saw the bird, as it was being made and suggested that it might look lovely on her spare bed! After all, some of those ties came from her cupboard (along with a truckload of other crafting goodies)!
I can feel more of these tie and suit coat birds coming on! A whole flock of them perhaps ( but not this week).

This is "blue" . I haven't decided whare to go with him yet but I want to keep it really simple and minimal. Perhaps just eyes and hair and the suggestion on arms. Lovely just to hug and sqeeze without to much stuff to get in the way.

And just one more little request, this time to all of those in Melbourne ( or anyone who has a good shopping knowledge of Melbourne). I am headed down to Melbourne, this Friday morning  until Sunday afternoon all by myself - how indulgent is that ( and how lovely of Damian and Georgie, our girl wonder to allow me by helping out with the girls). I can't wait - I'm just going to wander and explore at my own pace and stop when I want to stop and go when I want to go. And I will not be carrying the equivalent of three days emergency rations just in case ( really, I do overdo it sometimes!)

So where should I go?
I need suggestions for..
a wool shop
vintage/retro shops
cool funky happening shops ( because i am sooo cool and funky)
a good Japanese restaurant

Is Chapel st still worth the visit?
Is Charmaine's ice creamery still on Brunswick St ? Do they still have chilli- chocolate icecream on the menu?
Do I really need a woolly hat?

Really any suggestions welcome...I'm just a bit looking forward to it, just a little bit.....

But I can't knit on the plane........

just because...babies alway need stuff

Loving all the tragic songs that have been bravely offered up ...at least I know I'm not alone in my enjoyment of songs to wallow by.
I am soooo exhausted - that's what taking your children to a Hi 5 cd launch will do to a girl.
And I thought battling my way through the Exhibition hall at the Craft fair was tiring - no, a few 100 children plus parents who have been waiting for more than an hour and a half to see the famous five wins hands down anyday. It wasn't generally advertised and it was at the Powerhouse museum,so I thought it would be relatively quiet and low key. Wrong , wrong , wrong. As soon as I saw the sardine packed floor , we made a beeline for the next level where we had a good view of the stage and all of the parents fighting for the best position for their offspring. It was worth it in the end - Rose was thrilled to bits to see Hi 5 kind of up close, especially her favourite Tim. I will think twice before I go to a non booked seat kids group concert again.

So todays" just because" parcel is for all of those crafty ones out there who like to make things for babies. A few balls of baby yarn in the three standard colours: boy, girl and a bet both ways, a DMC toy rabbit that has a place for you to embroider something sweet, a repro vintage postcard from a children's book, some pretty fabric including a piece of cotton waffle for a small blanket and a bit of trim and button fun. Chocolate is a given. And as I am sooooo tired I would like to know your favourite song/s to chill out/kick back to. I haven't drawn yesterday's winner yet because the girls went to bed early - I'll do that tomorrow.

As this was such an uninspired post, I will end off with a lovely piece of inspiration that I received in my "words, words,words " swap.

If you can
WALK
you can
DANCE

If you can
TALK
you can
SING

Zimbabwe proverb

Simple and sweet
(but they obviously hadn't heard me help out Maria McKee on "Show me Heaven" when they coined it......)

just because....I went to the craft fair today....

Look at what I found today at the Sydney Craft and Quilt fair....the most amazing pin made out of vintage buckles and a bird button. This one just called to me, even though I rarely wear green ( I'm convinced I look jaundiced in green) and there was an equally wonderful red and white bird pin, which is more the type of colours I tend to go towards. However, after asking the opinion of about a dozen lovely ladies, who all said go the red, the stall owner ( who also said red) told me to go with the one that "sang to me" . Green it was and isn't it just lovely..... I saw so many wantable things and I thought i was doing very well until I came across the Ecoyarns  stand. The most wonderful 100% organic cotton, naturally pigmented and fair trade all the way from Peru. They had knitted it up into  simple moss stitch face cloths - simple and divine.  Despite my embargo on new wool purchases ....Oops, I've done it again ( thanks Britney) and now all I have to do is knit them up.....
Two other highlights of the day- I came across  Prints Charming  who handprint a range of absolutely inspired  designs on cotton. Not only is the fabric charming (the colour palette is a dream) but the women who own and run the business are warm and welcoming and passionate and proud about their products. Visit the website and enjoy!

My other moment involved the discovery of a new ( at least to me ) craft...Russian punchneedle embroidery. Like I need to take up another craft but I just couldn't walk away without tucking the "show special" into my bag.
Stay tuned - I have lots of ideas for how I can use this and I'm going to start mastering the technique as soon as I've finished with "just because" package number 2...

Today's package includes the following goodies for your crafting pleasure: some more of the wallpaper that was mentioned in yesterday's post , a piece of vintage barkcloth from my hoard of treasures, beautiful buttons , some Jo Sharp DK wool (I am going to throw in two balls of each colour as penance for giving in to the wool buying demon today) , a postcard from my much admired Yoshitomo Nara and a selection of other fabrics.  I forgot to put the trims in but there definitely will be some.There is also the secret not quite ready for public display small project in the works that will be in there too, along with the compulsory chocolate. The rules are the same as for yesterday - leave me a comment. This time I would love to know the most tragic love song you enjoy/hate/ feel compelled to listen to. I have so many its hard to choose just one but try Laura Branigan's "Best was yet to come" for a start. Lots of whoa,yeah kinda wailing and sob story lyrics. Air Supply's "Making love outta nothing at all" was a close second......"the beating of my heart is a drum, and it's lost, and its looking for a rhythm like you..." Beautiful stuff guys, makes my heart ache.....literally - and yet I can't seem to turn the damn stuff off!

Drum roll please for yesterdays winner.........Mummy jo come on down. I was really pleased when Charlotte pulled her number out of the bag as Jo regularly leaves comments for me and I always enjoy a visit to her site. Go take a look at the lovely "red" picture she has posted - happy happy red indeed.
Thank you to everyone else who left a comment and a song - I will post a complete list when I get a moment. Try again today or tomorrow....roll up, roll up all welcome to try ( even if I sent you anything before you will still be in that draw , so Nichola,quick,name that tragic love song !)

just because...it's Friday

here it is ...the first "just because" package ...some vintage wallpaper (more on that later) , a lovely piece of sheet music just perfect for collage or postcards, two small pieces of  vintage barkcloth (a small purse, needle case, part of a softie or just to keep because the colours are beautiful), a mix of print fabric , the first postcard that I've ever removed from my Yoshitomo Nara postcard book (that was hard) , some buttons and some trim! Of course there is some chocolate but I didn't want to distract from the rest of the booty on offer!  I'll probably put a bit more collage paper in and there's a little something that wasn't quite ready that will be in there too!

All you have to do is leave me a comment before I post the next "just because" parcel tomorrow sometime, and I will put you in the draw. And if you like a song for my new playlist ( see my previous post).
If your name comes out of the hat , its all yours for the grand sum of one hand made postcard for my wall. Easy. This is just like being a fairygodmother but without the tutu, wings and sparkle!! Bring on the pumpkins! And remember there is another one tomorrow and then again on Sunday (and you can be in all three draws if you want). I think Sundays will be themed around " crafting for a new arrival" as I have somehow amassed an awful lot of crafty stuff geared towards this end. Stay tuned...I'll post the winners names, once the gods of luck have cast their votes.....

Look at that wallpaper...how lucky am I ? I have been quietly coveting some after seeing some wonderful pieces over at Aunty cookie  and then this morning I happen across these three at the little vintage furniture place down the road.
It was just what I needed to get me going on my drawing for  Illustration Friday . I know , I know, its already Friday, but let me tell you: I have really struggled with this weeks theme "Jungle". I had almost given up on it , until this wallpaper happened. Here it is...my take on  "jungle"

music to knit to.......

So cruel- U2 *
Creep - Radiohead *
Narcolepsy - Ben Folds five*
Moon on the rain - Fairground attraction
Curious soul astray - k.d Lang*
Alive - Pearl Jam*
Crying - Roy Orbison
Voi che sapete - Le Nozze de Figaro ( The Marrinage of  Figaro)
Better be home soon - Crowded House
Looking in - Club hoy
I hope I never - split enz
Joelene - the White Stripes
Let's get it started- Black Eyed Peas

I was having a quick look at swap bot  just to see what was new, when I came across a swap for a cd of your 12 favourite songs.
Of course, when I went to bed, way way  too late as you do, I couldn't sleep for trying to decide what I would choose if I signed up. The list above is what I narrowed it down to for today  and there are 13 as I just couldn't do 12 only. The artists with stars are the ones that I could have picked any one of several songs from and the last two are current favorites that could change in the next day/week/month ....or not.
I would be lost without my ipod - I am continually making new playlists depending on my mood/ activity/time of the day!
I have playlists of my favourite "broken heart" songs, one with the most tragic songs I know( and I know waaaay too many of those - I was brought up on a strict diet of them) and a list that conjures up memories of old loves..sigh
Then there are the workout mixes - a mix that is perfect for those long easy runs,one that is more upbeat for those days when I really need to pick up the speed (Eye of the Tiger is a must of course).
Holiday travel playlists, best movie soundtrack list,Rose's fave dance mix for each month, and a list of songs that just have to be sung to at the top of your voice when no one else is around to laugh when you hit the wrong note or sing the wrong words- the "belt em out" tracks. Meatloaf has a lot to answer for.
I realised that I don't have a playlist of songs for knitting/crocheting/sewing/crafting to....and now I need one. Simply because if you are going to have a playlist of songs to run to , then to balance it out you must have a playlist of songs to kick back and create to. I welcome any suggestions for  the list ....also if you have a list of your all time 12 ( or 13 if you must like me) please,please post it and let me know...I love listening to other people's music as it gets you out of that "musical rut" that is so easy to fall into ......I can't believe that my list has changed since I started this post.."Bizarre Love Triangle " by Frente just got the shove for "Better be home soon" by Crowded House and I'm not convinced that it was the right decision.

Better stick to crafty things before I do my head in, so moving right along ....
my "All things Zakka" package finally arrived in Hawaii so I can show off my happy snaps now...

And here's a sneak look at a parcel that is on its way to Canada to sienna poet  who was a little unlucky in the indie secret pal swap......3 months and not a single package....I'm sure that swap karma will bite them back at some point.....

Last of all...after much thought and consultation with best friend Steph , I have decided that I will put the name of everyone who leaves a comment on tomorrow"s post ( first "just because" package") into a hat and draw out a name. That gives all the early birds, late sleepers, diligent workers, superparents....everyone the same chance of  enjoying a giveaway! So just leave a comment on tomorrows post ..oh and leave me a song title to add to my list ....BEFORE I post the Saturday spiel and I will add you into the draw. I promise it will be worth it.
Clear as mud.....I hope.....see ya tomorrow, off to put together the first "just because " parcel. Fun, fun fun.....

more stuff to give away coming soon....

I really enjoyed giving away those magazines so much - its that warm,fuzzy group hug kinda feeling just from posting out a few envelopes! Priceless.
I have come across a few blogs who do the lovely give- away-stuff-and- spread -the love -around thing every week ! I of course am not that organised but as I am in the process of reorganising and sorting all my stuff  out ( and I have a lot of stuff) it is a good time to do it.
So, on Friday  I am going to give away something else..no details yet but I can say that there will most likely be some fabric, buttons...oh and chocolate, must include chocolate . Good chocolate I might add. My favourite.
And then I will do it again on Saturday (after a visit to the craft fair fun fun fun)
and for good measure again on Sunday. I will choose all different times to give people a fair chance.
All it will take is a comment and  a handmade -by- you postcard for my office wall,which since I officially gave up work is no longer my office but a place that I keep all my stuff and some of the soon to be someone else's stuff.
While I'm in the giving away mood , does anyone besides me read or wish to read "Runner's World". For some strange reason that I just don't get, nobody that I know is interested in reading them. I mean its full of fun stuff on running, eating and running, fast running, slow running and heaps on running shoes( ye ha) . I get a new one every month and after I finish reading it they get stored on my shelf as I am convinced that someone else out there must enjoy running! Any takers?
(Silence)
(more silence)

Here is a picture of Rose and I dressed up to go out for her first real run. She had been asking for ages so when I said "yes' she insisted that we wear matching outfits. ( I was sure that people would think that it was my doing)
She was so excited when we arrived at the beach front that she leapt out of the car and took off at a super speedy pace.
Then over she went and managed to graze both hands and cut her knee. Poor girly.
Cruel mama ( who is a firm believer in the fall off horse/get straight back on horse school of thinking) put lots of magic spit on it, gave her a big hug and made her get up and keep running! What a little trouper, my Rosie poppet is!  We ran almost 2km with only two stops on the see saw and climbing frame along the way.
She hasn't asked to run again with me yet , though.....

So any takers for the running mags??!!!!!!