Design of the month - Cleopatra

 

This Design was based on the 'Penelope' style with a change to rectangle format and a change of colouring to pretty pink. Love it!

Yes Dear, Yes Please!

Nothing is better than receiving goodies in the mail - not even shopping for it yourself and it's even better when the 'things' are a total surprise and EVEN BETTER STILL (if that's at all possible) when the 'stuff' you receive are just the perfect mix of awesomeness!

"Oh yes, I concur! How do I receive parcels of perfect loveliness in the mail too?" I hear you say, well..you will have to wait until next time 'The Lady that blogs' AKA 'Yes Dear' organizes a 'gift swap'.

I was involved and it was a wonderful experience. Basically, you signed up with the lovely Angela from Yes Dear!: The Lady that Blogs, you are given the task to purchase for another lucky swapper with the following conditions.

• Minimum spend $50 (including registered or express postage to ensure a tracking number), you can spend more if you wish but the tracking number is not negotiable.
• Item(s) MUST be sourced from a handmade designer in Australia or New Zealand.
• If you yourself are a handmade designer of course you are most welcome to include some of your wares BUT you will need to also purchase from another party.  This is about injecting some cash flow into, and creating some further exposure for, the local handmade community at large.

You fill in a quick survey asking what your fave colours are, a few fave designers and your 'style' so that the person buying for you has an idea on what you are about. 

I had the tremendous fortune of being gifted by Angela herself and whoa what a bounty! Ok I should have photographed the package all neatly wrapped up in the vintage dressmaking patten paper (tops idea - will use and make my own) but I was in a pressie frenzy and alas, it was too late... 

Included in my perfectly selected pack (photographed above) was:
B Broach from Return to sender
Infinity knit grey scarf (am wearing it now) from Burrowed
Earrings silver and mustard yellow from bellebird
Wooden car brooch by Naomi Murrell
Cute card from Nomuu
Check out the brilliant sketch of the bird - an original just for me from Angela!


Oh swooooooon

Ninja party

My little man's 5th birthday was a ninja theme (can you guess!) some ideas for you in-case you are in the same predicament! Is actually a pretty easy theme to DIY!

A Mini Ink designed card of course! Featuring my own Lego man!

Goodie bags - printed eyes, thank you card with badge sourced from ETSY - Jesse Jeans, origami ninja star with pointy bits snipped off and hand made head bands with iron on transfers (using the paper you can print on with your ink jet)

Chocolate dipped fortune cookies

Rice Crispy lolly sushi

Ninja Bread men cookie cutters also cut fairy bread if u run out of time to make bikkies...

mmmmmmmm Nut free rocky road - replace nits with Malteasers and Crunchies.

Ninja - meet Ninja

Pinata made from a store bought one, covered with black card, print out eyes and add black belt.

Mud cake ninja - too easy - especially if you pop into local 'Cheesecake Shop' and purchase pre-made and iced cakes!

10 FREE PRINTS!

Our customers never order enough! Because we are so kind and caring, we have saved you the hassle of under estimating how many people you need to thank or invite to your next soirée!
To take advantage of this offer, click on the link below.
Don't forget to like us on Facebook and share the love!
You don't need to order now you can redeem at any time on any order in the future, but you must sign up between now and the first of April.

Click HERE to claim.

Thank you!

An new take on nappies

Check out these amazing nappies from Every Use Counts. If only I had bubs...how happy they would be in these!

Read more about the talented Western Australian designer HERE.

Happy Easter - we are taking a short break!

Here's to a wonderful Easter Break. We will be pausing over the Easter break for a bit of rest and relaxation between from Thursday 5th April until Thursday 12th April. Feel free to place orders within that time but please be aware that they will not be commenced until we return to our offices!

New designs

 

This one started with the GORGEOUS image. It was just calling out for something simple and sweet.

 

  Simple bright and starry! I dig the dark bold colours.

 

Kind of retro. The inspiration came from the bold colours in the photo but would work just as well with a black and white close up.

 

A very lucky boy with a retro aeronautical theme.

Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day! XO, Etsy from Etsy on Vimeo.

Cool photography editing packages

HIPSTAMATIC
If you always have your I phone, and love to take photos, you'll love Hipstamatic.
You change the lens, film and flash, use different combinations and produce different often surprising effects. "Digital photography never looked so analog. The Hipstamatic brings back the look, feel, unpredictable beauty, and fun of plastic toy cameras of the past! The Hipstamatic keeps the the quirks of shooting old school but gives you the ability to swap lenses, film, and flash settings all with the swipe of a finger."
Hipstamatic is available for purchase through the app store for $1.99. You get a collection of lenses, flashes and film to combine in as many different ways you like, you then purchase film packs as they become available if you wish.

Below is a pretty boring  subject but Hipstamatic makes it look a lot more appealing!
Heaps of fun!

Original image

Hipstamatic variations

CAMERA BAG
If you like the cool retro/vintage look of some pics these days, then you'll also love 'Camera Bag'

It works on your desk top computer and you 'run' your images taken on a standard camera, imported into your desktop computer and then run them through Camera Bag.

It is available for PC or Mac and can transfom the simplest of photos into a work of art!
Its a photo editing software that  filters your work allowing you to change the look and feel of an image ans well as add a border/edge
The neat thing is you can have a quick view of how your image would look after changing and adjusting the filters.
I started with the same basic image and chose a style I liked, re-saved the image and hey presto - neat image!

Dear little Caspa

We had to say goodby to our little girl Caspa this week.

I didn't realize how much she cleaned up after us! Food scraps fallen on the floor never lasted long with her around. In a house of 2 small boys  now I have to double my vacuuming efforts!

Its amazing how many little habits you form to accommodate them that you continue to carry out after the habits are no longer needed.

Also incredible the many places you expect to see them sleeping, or peeping or wagging about in and you have to look twice when they aren't there.
xxx

DIY Slip cover for a couch

And now for something completly different!
How to make a slip cover for a couch/settee.
So I found these marvellous mid century couches on the side of the road on verge collection day.
Beautiful teak wooden frames, terrible condition...

Re-upolstering them couldn't be too expensive right?  Quotes came in from $3000 - $1,800. Sigh.
Time to get crafty.
After nagging my mum to borrow her sewing machine, she gave me one for my birthday! Score!

1. Make paper pattern of side and inside arm rest panels. I literally held sheets of brown paper onto the sides and traced around them.
2. drape fabric down back and onto where your bottom sits, you could drape all the way down the rear (behind) of seat as well but I wanted this part black.
3. Cut top of arm rest pieces.
4. Place all pieces inside out onto chair. Tuck the large panel into creases. Its better to have more fabric. When you cut pieces, leave around 1cm hem to play with.

4. Pin everything together.
5. Tack stitch everything together. Not entirely necessary but allowed me to remove some pins
6. I marked with chalk where to sew since my hand stitches were a bit off and my seams weren't a perfect 1cm.
7. Sew it all together.

8. Hem the skirt and dress!

Yay! Am quite proud! Thanks go to Ikea for supplying well... everything. The seat cushion was the perfect size so for now, that will do just fine.

Designer birth announcement cards 'Jake'

A lovely combination that works superbly!  

By using the Lucas colours of soft pale blues & beige and combining it with the Elizabeth layout, creates this new design! Love it!