"Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all" Douglas Adams

Friday 30 October 2009

Technology is my friend

Technology is my friend
Technology is my friend
Technology is my friend

I chanted as I set up a Facebook fan page with the help of a cold glass of Riesling, and then I tried to link it to my blog.
Do I really need one? Well apparently so!
Just like the blog, the twitter, the etsy shop and the artfire shop, plus I need to
Promote! Promote! Promote!
Forums and threads, chat rooms, join a team, do a challenge, do a giveaway.
Give out my card (after I’ve made one using some fancy pants computer application)
Wear my creations, go into local shops and show them my stuff, try and convince them to stock it and sell it.
Do the local craft market twice a month, and the other local craft market every Saturday.
Do the housework, the washing, the shopping and the cooking
(phew that I don’t have children as well!).
Read all the forums and threads that tell me to do all this stuff
Go to work at 7.30 a.m., get home at 5.00 p.m. and start all over again
No wonder I love it!
What a buzz :-)

Thursday 29 October 2009

Engaging writers block

I recently read an etsy forum thread that was called something like "you blog? why should I care?". It basically questions the writing style of bloggers, why they do it and how they engage the reader. So I've obviously been over thinking how I put together my blog because I now find myself with writers block.

So today I am going to show you some fab creations by a fellow EtsyHooker http://www.bagsandmorebypam.etsy.com/.
Just before I do, the etsy hookers team have a EtsyHookers Creative Challenge - Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose competition going at the moment and if you fancy having a vote, it's really easy just pop by here: http://etsyhookers.blogspot.com/.
Now back to Pam :-)



I like the name of this bag "Bead me up Scotty" it appeals to my Trekkie side.
The green in the scarf is one of my favourite colours, and the cats collar is something I've never seen crocheted before, very fab :-)

Monday 26 October 2009

Kooky Kiwis and a Guest

I've been a guest blogger this weekend here http://www.blueberryjunkie.com/2009/10/guest-blogger-sundays-jacberkitsch.html. I really enjoy reading blueberryjunkie's blog, she makes very cool kids stuff, I especially enjoyed her how to make a sock puppet post :-)

I posted the last Kiwi on my Facebook page and got so much great feedback that I decided to make a couple more and put them in the etsy shop in my new Kiwiana section along with the Pukeko. Lets see how popular they are :-)
This one is called Bert :-)

Thursday 22 October 2009

Kiwi’s and Cupcakes

A friend of the family is leaving our southern shores to return to Scotland and his family. We’ve had many Christmas’s together so I thought I make him a Kiwi reminder.


Kiwi's are flightless birds native to NZ and are one of our natural symbols, as a couple they are monogamous, and I do believe that their nostrils are on the end on their beaks.


My Kiwi bird looks a bit crazy, which I think should remind him of us because it kinda reflects our family :-)


It’s always nice to arrive at family dinners with stuff to share, so I’ve crocheted a bead necklace for my sister, we have free-range eggs from my friend and we’re going to pick a bag of oranges from the tree.

Last weekend Andrew made his first cupcakes. They look pretty fab so he might choose to throw some together to take for tea as well :-)

Monday 19 October 2009

The World of Blogs

I love spending time reading through the blogs that I follow.
It's great to be invited to share someones thoughts, ideas and sometimes their creative process and I find it a more chilled out way of networking than Twitter or Facebook

Just today I've seen tutorials, recipies, interviews with people from etsy and ArtFire, giveaways and product features. I sometimes leave comments so that the author knows I visit, it's the same as most things eh? I like to read comments on here, so think everyone else likes it too lol!

From last weeks reading I learnt what Snickerdoodles were and made some and I also won a giveaway on a blog that I follow http://christiecottage.blogspot.com/ where every Wednesday there is a giveaway and I was very fortunate to win a gorgeous fused glass pendant from www.FirstLightGlass.etsy.com where I also love this bowl :-)


I've persuaded Andrew that since it's our blog he does need to contribute sometimes and so he's promised to have something written by Friday, so a new voice to look forward too.

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Spring Time means Audrey Time

Audrey Hepburn is, in my opinion, the most gorgeous and sophisticated woman ever. My favourite of her movies is Roman Holiday. I dreamt of driving around Rome on a Vespa for many many years before I actually bought one.


She's just like this one and she is of course called Audrey. As a totally fair weather rider Audrey gets put away under cover for the Winter, and now with the warmer weather on it's way it means that Audrey gets to go for her service this weekend and it's time for rides to the beach!



Hence my favourite purchase from etsy recently is this pendant from www.LaughingVixenLounge.etsy.com

Friday 9 October 2009

I think that I'm in love.

I finished the doll I was making and introduced Emelda to the world through my Etsy shop.
She's so cute! She is very different to other things I've made so far, and I love her. In fact so much so I've started on a sister for her and I'm thinking of doing a range of them, and making them fairies and princesses. And maybe some boys, though I'm unsure how to go about making their bums/shorts.
Also my friend who was being the Super Hero won the radio competition - hurray!

The rest of today's blog all about another fellow Etsy Hookers team mate.

Here is
www.thecrochetloft.etsy.com

I've picked a pair of her fingerless gloves that I've admired on her blog www.thecrochetloft.blogspot.com

They remind me of icrecream.

And a very unique scarf that has a pussy cat on it.
Although after the other night when our two woke me up at 3.00am crashing about I shouldn't be finding cats cute lol!

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Hand Made what a Doll

I had one of my favourite tea cosies chosen for a gift guide on the Handmade Highway http://www.handmadehighway.blogspot.com/ it's called Black Forest because it reminds me of a gateaux :-)




Anyway I've ended my creative mudbath and picked up a hook and some yarn and now I'm in the middle of trying to create a different kind of doll than I've made before. I've got it's main body (it's a frock) now I'm trying for the shoulders, neck, head and arms. I've unravelled it 4 times so far :-) I'm hoping that tonight is going to be the break through!



Since I started on etsy and more recently on artfire I've noticed myself leaning towards buying hand made products rather than mass produced.
First off
they are usually unique items and no one else will have one and the things I have bought have had so many comments.
Secondly
I love creating and am so honoured when others buy my creations that I think that other people that make hand made stuff feel the same, and I love how it makes me feel so I want to spread that joy There are heaps of amazing soap makers on etsy and one day I will try them all, in the mean time at the end of my road (the one in the picture up there) there is a shop that sells handmade soap that I never ever had thought to buy from before and now it's all we use. Doing what I'm doing has made me look at hand made products with new eyes.

Monday 5 October 2009

Rainy Monday

I don’t think it’s stopped raining all day today, we’ve had to get the heater out again and there’s been snow in the middle of the North Island. Hmmm, perhaps I was a little presumptuous saying spring had sprung.
After seeing the pictures from Samoa and Thailand it’d be incredibly selfish to whinge about anything, never mind a bit of rain, so we’ll be thankful to the rain for keeping the garden growing.

My friend is trying to win a local radio competition. This has involved him dressing up like a Super Hero and running around town doing challenges. He’s had to wear his cape for the past 2 weeks. He’s one of those people that really throws himself into things. This is him in his full regalia at the main beach as a lifeguard J If you feel like seeing more he’s on
www.morefm.co.nz and select Tauranga as a region.

The etsyhookers team have a challenge on at the moment to be creative in an eco way or a recycle way. I really want to come up with something truly amazing but as is always the way when I try hard to be creative my mind becomes blank! This has also had the side-effect of interrupting my normal creative flow so I’m kind of wallowing in a creative mud bath. My only plan to get it going again is to grab a ball of yarn, a hook and see what happens. Fingers Crossed! In the meantime, here are some fabulous creations from a fellow etsyhooker http://www.TheCrochetQueenn.Etsy.com, Excellent items for that snow today!

And a purse to match, perhaps :-)

Saturday 3 October 2009

Phew! What a week!

Earlier on in the week I found out one of my loo roll dolls was in a storque article on etsy. http://www.etsy.com/storque/etc/keep-it-weird-excretions-and-secretions-5354/

Perhaps not exactly the classy association that the girls would like lol! Publicity is all good and my views flew up for the week. Thanks etsy!

Also one of my ribbon necklaces has been chosen for a treasury by www.thegoblet.etsy.com very cool! Here it is: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=70399

Andrews dad passed away at the beginning of the week and so the week has been full of funeral organizing, tea making and everything else that goes with that sort of thing. We’ve both been a pretty shattered and exhausted.

The big ball of odds and ends got a bit of a workout as there was some waiting around, here is the progress so far. I think it’s quite effective and slightly funky now I just need to recharge a bit and think what to do next.


And on a happier note spring is definitely here, our irises and fresias look lovely, the clocks have gone forward for daylight savings and our evenings are getting longer.