thrifting goodness

Today was an almighty day of thrifty goodness. I checked out quite a few oppies I had never been to and came away with some great finds. A few times I nearly wet my pants with excitement! Truly!! Firtsly was because of the little yellow sewing box. I'm so in love with it's sunniness. Then I also found a little girl's one for Tully. Score:)

I also found this great pillow slip. It's flannel so I'm not really sure what I'll do with it. May just keep it as a slip.



Lots of patterns. These are what I was really searching for as I need to make Tully some new dresses for winter. Now to find the right fabrics. They all look pretty simple so hopefully I'll be able to whip them up quickly.



This pattern was such a great find. It's in such great condition for such an oldie (it's from 1965). The only thing is that as much as I love it, I don't think I'll actually make it. So here's my first blog giveaway. The patterns a size 4 and apparently it's suitable for chubbies:) If you would like it just leave me a message and I'll get my little princess to select a random number.



I also found some absolute pearler's in the way of crafting books. Scrap Savers Stitchery Book is just brilliant. There are so many things I'm really looking forward to making and I love the idea behind the book, using scraps you have.



My favourite :)



This is to be my crafting offer for chrissy.



And the most fabulous child's apron I have ever seen!



The matryoshka mama and babies is also on my new list of "to do"



So much to do..... too much inspiration..... Oh and I got some old kids videos so I can actually get some of it done. Naughty?:)

t'was a lovely day today

I sat out in the autumn sun this afternoon making a pixie for my little man. It was just lovely, despite the squelching and gleefull giggles of two little nutters playing in the mud!



I actually don't think the shot captures the muddiness but it sure does capture the crazy hairdo of that little man! I don't think it was tamed at all today. Opps.

Anyway what's a crazy hairdomatter when there are trees to climb and mud to be found.



Tully must have just found it all a bit much as I found her like this 10 minutes ago. Covered in my mail for the day. Too cute and ohhh so peaceful.

on my desk ....

Not much going on at my desk today but there is always lots of "stuff" on it.

I spy.... a cute little strawberry tikki made for my kids. Damn I wish I knitted as I want more of these. A great badge from Sherrin that I still haven't taken off it's gorgeous packaging. Now the weather is cooler it may just need to find a scarf to jazz up. A pincushion and a bowl full of more stuff.

I'm a bit sluggish today. Asher is still breastfeed, which i love, but not all through the night!!!! shesh!

pixies

Two little pixies all finished and looking a treat. Tully has adopted the teapot one and the other is heading off to a new home. I've got a boy version for asher all ready to go but I have to wait for the fabric I want to use for the hair to dry. It's been raining here for the last two days. Not much, and never enough but it's so nice to have it. I really can't remember the last time it rained.

I hadn't posted a picture of this little fella that I finished quite a while ago. The paints have been very idle of late but hopefully I'll find my painting mojo soon and finish the other little lad that's sitting on my easel.

op shop scores aka vintage illo catch up

This morning I decided to drop into my local oppie for a bit of a look. I don't go there very often as I find it a bit overpriced and not really that many great finds. I'm so glad I did today though. So many lovely things. Firstly this great little wooden jigsaw. It was actually in two bags and I thought I had 2 jigsaws. Lucky i bought both bags! A bit difficult for the kids just yet but it's a beauty.
I also got this bedspread. I 've seen this fabric popping up all over the place and really love the print. I'm thinking of using it to make some library bags for the kids and who knows what else. There's lots of it.



These are the scores I was really excited about. I missed out on the last two days of the vintage illustration meme that Pip organised but I'm making up for it today with these gems. Firstly two gorgeous books illustrated by Marcel Marlier. Mary and her friends is a collection of various Mary stories.











And 3 Heidi books that we had as children and I absolutley adored. These have been illustrated by Marie-Jose Maury.

vintage illustrations...day 5

Today'scontribution to Pip's week long vintage illustration meme is from Brave Cowboy Bill illustrated by Richard Scarry. Asher was given this Little Golden Book at a great little opie in Clare. What a great little gift:) I didn't realise until today that it was illustrated by Richard Scarry whose illustrations I have always loved. It looks so different to his Busytown characters. I adore Busytown books. Brave Cowboy Bill was published in 1957 so it must have been at thestart of Scarry's career.

Anyway the pictures are so cute and tough. Although I dont think the message in this book is particulalry great " You could hear that cowboy laugh justbefore he pulled his trigger. BANG! BANG! BANG! He shot it dead." oh dear..... and then he skinned them :O I do laugh at how the tongues are hanging out the side of the mouth to show they're dead. So of the era.



He really is a sweet little cowboy for all his rootin tootin toughness:)

vintage illustrations ....day 4

Today I have chosen one of my very favourite illustrators, Cicely Mary Barker. I don't have an original copy (wow that would be cool) but many many reprints of her work. I love the delicacy of her images and the sweet little poses and clothing. She was greatly influenced by the Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood and I think her pictures have the same romantic tones as Rossetti and Millais, although so much sweeter and less dramatic.



I love the relationship to the flowers and the beautiful botanical detail.





I also really love her simple linework drawings. I think they are actually my favourites.




If you want to check out some more great illustrations head over to meet me at mikes

on my desk wednesday

We've been out and about all day today so I haven't touched these little lasses since last night. I'm having such fun mixing and matching fabrics and colurs making these little pixies. Thankfully I come from a big family where there are many little girls so I can keep making dolls knowing they will find a home beyond ours:) Although I do plan on making some boy ones too. I bought orange dots today so I can do Asher a little fluffy headed replica pixie as I have a cute vision of a little orange afro.

And the rabbits are for thekids for easter. I got the cute little pattern from here such a great little pattern

Off now to see what else is on everyone else's desk this week over at kootoyoo

vintage illustration .... day 3

A very battered and dog eared favourite of mine from my childhood today, Andy Pandy's new pet illustrated by Matvyn Wright. No date of publishing in the book but I got this for Christmas in 1977.

This is my favourite illustration. I love their sweet little beds.



Such bright and fresh colours but gee it's a bit of a crazy get-up Andy pandy gets around in:)

vintage illustrations ...... day 2

For the second day of the week long children's book illustration meme I have chosen another popular illustrator who will probably pop up again somewhere else this week. But how could she be resisted? Joan Walsh Anglund is just a dreamy illustrator. Such innocence and simplicity.

These pictures have been taken from A Child's Book of Old Nursery Rhymes and was published in 1974, the year I was born.



I would love to get this little illo printed up and framed in the kid's room.

vintage illustrations ....day 1

I love children's books so I couldn't pass up the latest meme that Pip has started up today. I'm going to try and post a picture from my favourite books each day, but we may just have to see how I go:)

I choose one of my books from when I was a child to start with. See my little girl writing in the window? Great placement:) A beautiful little golden book of Hansel and Gretel illustrated by Eloise Wilkin. I don't particularly like the story as the Grimm Brothers freak me out a bit, but the illustrations are just devine.



Although that witch is very scarey! Check out her fingers!!!!!



But of course everything ends happily ever after:) Gee I love those cheeks

great finds

Just in case you didn't know..... It's still bloody hot! Shesh. Crazy, crazy weather.

We have been spending way too much time inside due to the heat but ventured out yesterday to check out some shops on the other side of Adelaide I had been wanting to for ages. So over to nest studio and one small room in Croydon we headed. What a fabulous little street they have tucked over there in Croydon. If you live in Adelaide and haven't checked it out, go there! Both shops are just unreal. I bought a couple of little belle and boo cards and found the most devine little pair of sandals I really wish I had found at the beginning of summer. What a great little studio too. Some little people were very happily slapping paint around when we visited.

At one small room I got a bit of aunt cookie , hollabee and kristen doran wares. How cool to score such cool stuff from such awesome talented ladies. I really wanted some of the sprout fabric but that has to wait for the next visit.



Further down the street we quickly zipped into a very cool shop called hype and seek. I scored a beaut little shirt for Asher in there. The label has me a bit mystified though. Anyone know what they mean by non iron cotton, cause it needs an iron? Another great shop though. Sooo many cool things to be found. Kids had had enough by now and melt downs were promised so off home we wandered so I could finish....



this little chick. I should really wait until this little pixie is in her new home before I post pics, but I was a bit excited that she turned out as I intended (except one arm is a bit lower than the other, that I just had to share. Thanks for the lovely comments on the first pixie with the most unfortunate name. I'll let the little lass, whom this pixie is flying off to, have the naming rights. Although she did teach my daughter the hilarity of the word "fart" so she may not be granted a much nicer name. :)

on my desk

Well this little fella was "at" my desk for a bit so I couldn't really get onto to the stuff that was "on" my desk. Now he's gone off to bed though so I can get back to what I've been trying to do all morning and by gosh it's 2pm already.



A bit of painting on the old bonds t-shirts. Lach reminded me last night that I had promised a tee for a friend's nephew and that she is heading homme this weekend. Best get cranking on that one:) You may spy my preferred paints, Permaset. Any other fabric artists out there want to share there fav brands? I'm always looking out for recommendations. I like Permaset as they are water based. No icky fumes and they are really durable. Oh and check out my over-laden paint palette. I do need a new one!

Back to the babe in arms at the top. I think this is what may have tuckered him out so much this morning. Oh the budding artist, although it may be a make-up artist:)



Thanks to kootoyoo for the meme. It's fun to sticky at what everyone is up to.