Flood Relief Appeal Auctions

The water has gone down, the sun is shining again, and things are slowly getting cleaner here in Queensland. But the photographs, the video footage, and the memories for those who witnessed it first-hand will ensure that the devestation from the past few weeks lives on for much longer. The floods too, have not completely gone, simply moved state to wreak more havoc in New South Wales.
As people rebuild their lives in the wake of all that has happened they need money - money for furniture, clothing, kids school books, even essentials like food and a new roof...or door...or whole house.

Having seen some of the other auctions mine seem pretty sad and sorry, but even if they only bring in a few bucks, it's a few bucks more that someone can use to buy something so sorely needed. So here's the items:

ITEM A

 Item B

Item A: This is a skirt upcyled from a vintage dress. The skirt is a medium, measuring 47.5cm (lying flat) at the band and 52cm long. The material is an off-white with blue-black faded lines and buggies all over it - sorry, the wording under the buggies is unclear. Being vintage material there is a couple slight tea-coloured stains on the back of this skirt, however they are very light - I didn't notice them myself until I measured the finished product. I think, given a good soak, these would come out - and the material was too sweet not to use! The skirt has been soaked and is now stain-free!

Item B: This sweet little bow-shaped bag came about almost by accident, but turned out so perfectly cute you can't help but love it. Made from 70% Acrylic/30% Milk, the yarn is beaultiful and soft but still very sturdy. the inner lining is a vintage yellow floral fabric, and (I believe) is 100% cotton. The colour-matched zipper has been machine-sewn to the lining and then hand-sewn to the outer to give added firmness.I'd envisioned this as a clutch but discovered it fits knitting needles perfectly as well, making it a stylish knitting caddy, or even a fun pencil case.
Length: approx. 29cm (11.4 inches) x 11cm (4.3 inches)


How the Auction Works:
1. Bidding on each items will start at $10.
2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog stating you are bidding for either ITEM A or ITEM B, your bid amount and email address ( if you're not keen on having your email available to the world, post your bid amount and then drop me a line via my etsy store with your email address and the name you posted under.)
3. Please make sure your bid is higher than the previous bid amount and is in whole dollar increments.
4. Postage is free for all Australian residents. Bidding is also open to all international addresses but will incur postage fees (sorry).
5. The auction begins NOW and ends midnight on Monday 24th January 2011.
6. At close of auction, I will contact the winners and. At this point the winner of each auction will deopis the winning amount directly into the Premiers Relief Appeal and send me proof of payment (in the form of a recepit number) via return email, along with a postal address. Once I've received that, I will post your goods to you.
7. Ckeck out all the other auctions here. HAPPY BIDDING!

Powerlessness

It's been quite the gap in between ramblings hasn't it? There's not been any exceptional excuse for my truency, I've simply not really been in the mood and that tends to make for fairly bad, usually rather sooky writing. Last night I was in the mood, but last night had other plans for me.
Last night we lost power. There was a pop and then darkness. And then came the absurdity of finding a key for the power box, discovering we didn't really know all that much about powerboards, and trying to get in touch with our landlord through his rather unfriendly mother-in-law. There were calls to the power company to be told the call-out would be free, unless of course it was just a switch issue - then it would cost us $300 for their trouble. And there was eventual contact with the landlord who promised an appearance within a half-hour or so.
In between all these little adventures was the constant grumbling of our hungry bellies as we mourned what was to be dinner - potato soup, and herb & cheese bread. And with no end to the darkness in sight we sat down to cold mashed potato with steamed vegetables and avocado (with no "d"). Another call to the power company, two visits by the landlord, and an hour-long game of oven-on-oven-off with the on-call electricians, and we headed to bed with power restored and the promise of a new line of wiring to replace the decrepit and illegal hook-up we have currently.
The truck has been outside all morning, beeping and crunching and hopefully fixing our wires, which gives me some hope that tonight may involve a little less darkness. Meanwhile, here's something I've been meaning to post for a while:

These fantastic cards are courtesy of Crankbunny's Etsy store. She also does some amazing paper puppets, and a pair of magical Zizzors that give you magical crafting abilities. Seriously thinking of buying a pair.

Etsyholics Anonymous

It's no secret I have a bit of an Etsy Addiction. I probably should restrict my use, or get help, or do something at least to curb my habit. But, like any addiction, I'm still in denial - convinced I don't really have a problem. After all, I only waste maybe two or three hours a day - that's not really  so bad is it? It is? Oh...
Then I probably shouldn't show you these fun things I found today...
But I'm going to anyway because they're too fun not to share! I mean, how could I not share this fabulous Mary Poppins two-piece from Zwzzy's vintage emporium:

The only thing stopping me buying this is the fact it's a teenie bit too small, which made me incredibly sad.
But then I found this amazing teacup obi:

and then I didn't feel quite so bad. When I found out that Marian Smale was from New Zealand I was even happier because that means the shipping is heaps cheaper (there really are not enough sellers on the Asia Pacific side of the globe).
Of course, I could have stopped there, but a true addict keeps searching for their next high - and I found mine in the form of a cake-topper from the lovely Concarta:

The best part? The bride has red hair, just like me!

Selling myself

I finally did it! I'm an Etsy seller! My shop is still really trashy and only has one item in it, but it exists and will hopefully make me a bit of cash to fund a travelling adventure next year. Check it out and help make me rich less poor.
That is all.

A-sailing we shall go

I've been sick all week. Again. My head feels like it's going to explode, or implode, or just simply combust. Usually when I'm sick I take to bed with a good book and read the sniffles away, but this week it's been impossible for me to focus on anything for more than a few minutes, so I've slept. And slept. And slept some more. And then spent the nights awake trying desperately to get to sleep.
Tonight I decided to stay up a bit later and try sneaking up on sleep. And it's a very good thing I did, or I never would have found the ship to dreamland:

Is she not the prettiest little ship you ever did see sailing on a ribbon sea? Her name is The Delightful Marie Rose, and she's currently docked at Chatham Girl's place. But oh! To have her for my very own, then I'm sure the fair winds would blow me straight to the land of nod!

Elephant dreams

How sweet are these pillow cases from Sunday Morning Dreaing! I love really nice linens, and never seem to be able to find what I want in the right size for my bed. So I buy far too many pillow cases. For me the bonus of these is the beautiful elephant sleeping beside me. I think he'd look super cool on my bed dreaming elephant-sized dreams. Maybe he'd even magically bring my own super-sized dreams to life. And in the meantime he could be my temporary boyfriend - until I find a real love.

All my friends are loved up at the moment. It's fun. They giggle like school girls, swoon over the mention of their love's name, and babble constantly about sweet moments and cute quips. I love that. I love the joy the big L (Love) brings, the excitement the little l (lust) creates, and the crazy-talking, big-dreaming, heart-run-away-with-your-head delight when someone is smitten. It fills the rooms, and the life of someone more completely than any other feeling, and seems to have the ability to wash away the greys.

"Sorry, you're probably completely sick of hearing about this," they apologise.

I promise I'm not. 

Keep talking. Keep dreaming. Keep loving. It looks good on you. 

Bag lady

I'm going back to study. After a year of desperate job searching, six months of unemployment, and far too long feeling utterly useless. I decided this about a month ago and started seriously researching courses, finally getting up the courage to apply about two weeks past. I found out two days ago I had been accepted into my first and only preference, and have been thinking non-stop about it ever since.
While I'm thoroughly excited at the thought of moving back to Brisbane (where the course is run) and catching up with old friends and favourite haunts, I'm also sad to be leaving the comfort of my family and the newfound closeness I have with Miss V and Wabi. I also have to admit to some trepidation at the thought of being a new student again.
I decided I should find a way to make the transition back to studentdom a bit easier. And what better way to do that than with a fun vintage bag that says "I'm smart, I'm sassy, and I'm super sure I'm going to ace this class":

1. Houses are fun, especially if they look all Hansel and Gretel like. And bags that look like houses, well even better! This one's from Cosas Raras etsy shop.
2. I'm a bit of a tan leather fan so this handcarved satchel tote from Bags Babylon is top of my list so far. What do you think?
3. A Swiss military fly-fishing bag as a uni tote? Why not. Although I also like this, and this from Meatbagz. 
4. Ok, so I wouldn't use this for uni but for storing my needles and yarn. Although Aunt Carrie says the insert is removable so it does have the potential to be a cute wicker picnic basket, right? 
5. Um...I need somewhere to store my sewing stuff as well. Yeah, so I got a bit sidetracked, but this sewing caddy would totally keep all my bits and bobs neat. And dirty birdie's basically giving it away.

All items courtesy of my Etsy obsession.

Button it

If you're smart (and I'm sure you are) you'll have gathered I have a bit of a thing for Etsy. By bit of a thing, I think we all know I mean a serious obsession. But then can you blame me when people like Beanforest and the Calamity Collective are pumping out badges and magnets with witty, charming, and just plain cool quips? Just check out this bunch:

And that's just the first couple of pages.
I think this one's my favourite, I giggle every time I think about it:

My life's not quite that exciting at the moment, but if it ever was I'd totally wear this badge.

Peace for the cost of a ring

So, i'm pretty sure I'm in love with everything in imooi's Papernstitch shop, but this ring is probably the piece I will yearn for whenever I put on a pretty dress next summer:

 It's called the 'peace ring' and is made from polished stainless steel, with a rubber/resin inlay. And I love it. Problem is I'm also falling madly for the red 'mosaic ring', direct from their website:

 And if someone could buy theses and send them my way I'd consider a trade for my firstborn:

Ok, so I wouldn't really trade a child for jewellry, but I would be your best friend forever.

Monday must haves

Along with bikes, balloons in any variety are a bit of an obsession  of mine, especially ones this pretty:

This is a linen print from Spread the Love's Etsy store. She designs the doodles herself and then prints them on all sorts of different canvases. I'm a little bit in love.
I'm also much loving these stockings from Post:

Even though I hate Twitter, I love birdie motifs. And I think these would be fun to wear out to a club, even if it was just to tease the boys.
And speaking of teasing, Foxglove's postage stamp jewellry has been teasing me for weeks. In fact, I even dreamt about these little darlings last night:

They're resin and sterling silver cuff links made with a Chinese postage stamp from the 1960s. I think these would look super cute with a power suit and a sexy pair of heels. Or maybe as a gift for a special boy...if I had one.
And a gift for the baby who has everything? How about this:

E Ria Designs has an incredible collection of personalised sterling silver, gold, and vintage brass jewellry. They're all very simple pieces, which makes them perfect for any age, boys and girls.   

Check this out:

stunning, gorgeous, amazing. Just incredible right? Now take a closer look:

Yep. That's right my friends. It's made completely from cotton thread, wire, and more than 14,000 tampons, and it's 5m tall. I found it on one of my favourite design blogs, The Mogg Blogg, and just had to share. It's creators (the blog, that is, not the tampondelier), Joy and Janet, scour the design world for the 'fugliest' and craziest design ideas and display them for all the world to see.

Nice wheels

No doubt you've discovered my bike love already. I've got a bit of a thing for big-wheeled, high-seated, old school bicycles especially. So when I found this:

I had to share. The best part: this t-shirt is created by a Pretty Racoon from Canada who makes and silk-screens a bunch of fun and funky printed tees and other things. Love!

What I like about you

As you've probably noticed from my new blog layout, I'm quite a fan of the "too much is never enough" style of decorating. This is in constant conflict with my need for all things to be practical and useful. The downfall comes when I see cute figurines and crocheted amigarumi characters and think "being incredibly cute and cuddly is a practical use, yes?" Ah...not really. But sometimes you just have to give yourself over to the fun and fabulous and forget about the fact that it's only going to take up space, or it's going to be impossible to wash/iron/breathe in.
My latest impractical crush is tulle. Layers and layers of it. I've always been a fan of frou-frou frocks and sweet ballerina skirts, and embelishments always look better when they POP! And what pops more than endless layers of tulle swinging from your hips.

1.  Deep Teal Dupioni Raw Silk Wrap from Bonzie. It's not tulle, but I had to show you how cute it is.
2. Made to order bridal skirt also from Bonzie's Etsy shop. (She's amazing, check her out.)  
3. "Blushing in Pink" gown by Ouma. I'm completely in love with this too.  
4. "Formal Affair" ballet style adult tutu by Princessdoodlebeans, who makes these as well.

I'm also a little too in love with blue, in all shades and patterns. When I was seven I convinced my father to paint my room in what Behr paints are currently calling fountain spout (I'd love to know who gets to choose the names). When asked why I chose that colour I shook my head sadly: so that I could be surrounded by the sea all the time, of course! I got sick of that colour after a few months but still love being surrounded by anything that reminds me of the sea. It's my happy place and blue is my happy colour, especially when it comes in the form of cute stuff.

1. "Water and Fire" feather earings by Hayashibeads. She crochets as well, look!
2. Navy vegan wrap boots from Toms. I've been wanting a pair of Tom's for ages, not only are they super funky, they were founded for a cause greater than themselves.
3. Wedding cake love bird toppers and place card set by Little Vale, who also makes stuff like this.

What secret obsessions are you harbouring at the moment?

It's a jungle out there

Hi there. I've been away for a while. Not anywhere special, just not here. But I have been making new friends, and they'd love to meet you.
Thessalonius Tortoise is a lovely young Greek boy. He loves swimming, hanging ten on the EAC with Nemo and Crush, and just chilling in the sand. He originated from Roman Sock's pattern, but something went a bit awry, and he ended up a little fatter and a wee bit more staionary than her little fellas. But still ever so cute.

And then there's Ermintrude who came about all by herself. She's a sweet little Elephant with a bendy trunk, who loves trumpeting loud and long. She's a big fan of roaming wild in the open plains, and says her idol is none other than the King himself, Babar.

Oh, I almost forgot, she's also good at flying, but only when nobody's watching.

I haven't spent all my time just makeing friends tho, there's also been improvement in my doily ablilities. AND Ta-da!

I took the pattern for this bow tie, ammended it a bit, and turned it into a sweet little clutch. I love the sweet, yellow-flowered lining too and only wish I'd had enough to make a whole bag out of just that.

Punk'd

I've fallen slightly in love with Steampunk. "Ah...What?" I hear you say. Steampunk, according to the internet's most *cough* reputable source, Wikipedia, is a style derived from science fiction and speculative fiction. It incorporates elements of the steam-power eras, mixing them with fantasy and giving them a mechanical yet whimsical look.
Maybe it's my yearning for all things old, or a homage to my father's mechanical tinkering, but I'm a wee bit obsessed with it. And why not with pretty headpieces like this, snatched from a wedding shoot on Green Wedding Shoes:

There's also a huge collection of handmade steampunk pretties on etsy.com. Look at this from Antige's shop:

And this from buildersstudio's shop:

Spare parts have never looked so sweet!

Birthday wishes and cute creations

It was my dad's 70th birthday yesterday and (due to lack of funds) I decided to create a feast for dinner instead of buy him something. Being adventurous, I decided to let him choose the menu and was met with the least likely dinner choice for a balmy January eve: Slow-cooked lamb shanks. Luckily we woke to an abnormally cool morning, and I headed to town feeling a little bit better about my mission. For dessert he decided on cheesecake which, for my first ever attempt, I think turned out pretty good:

I'm not a fan of cheesecake but the plates were all but licked clean, so I'm guessing it tasted ok. I took the crust recipe from Canelle et Vanille's bakewell tarts and baked it for half an hour. It turned beautifully sweet tasted like basic shortbread. The filling I made up as I went along, so the measurements are guessed to the closest degree.
Mixed Berry Cheesecake
250g cream cheese
250g mascapone
1/2-3/4cup icing sugar
3tbsp lemon curd
5tbsp Berry compote
mixed berries to decorate
Beat cream cheese and mascapone until soft and light. While mixing slowly add icing sugar and lemon curd alternately. Fold in bery compote to form swirls through mix. Spoon into cooled pastry base and top with berries.
I served mine with extra compote, icecream and chocolate shavings.


I've been doing quite a bit of crocheting lately too. Procrastination while packing last week led to these two, both of which I gave to my friend K as part of a belated Christmas pressie:

My first ever doily, randomly selected from here. Still need to do a bit of work on my tension I think.

A cute little bowtie. Another pattern found on Creative Yarn.
I'm working on my very first amigurumi at the moment. Cross fingers it works.