Handmade Helps - how you can help too

You may have already heard about the great community of people who have put together Handmade Helps for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.  If you haven't then go see all the ways you can be involved - buy, donate, make, you name it they have it going on.  Yesterday I reopened my dusty little etsy store and listed two fabric tote bags with all proceeds going to Wildlife Victoria.  Check them out, and other people's goods you can buy here.

book sale time

Updated: I have added more craft books and even some japanese craft magazines.

well now that you are well and truly sick of hearing me moan about my princess ways, I have decided to entice you with a book sale.  I have decided to cull my rather large craft book stash, and at the same time earn some money for my New York* spending fund.  So go take a look in my etsy shop.  There are several craft areas - knitting, quilting, sewing and even some japanese craft books.  I have only managed to upload a third of the pile, so keep checking back.

And here's the sweetner, if you buy any extra items after your first book from the shop you pay no more shipping. So the more you buy the more you save! 

Meanwhile, I am putting together a Pirate birthday party for a riot of 3 year olds.  Walk the plank, finding buried treasure, making hats and telescopes - let the riot begin!!  Surprisingly someone is paying me for this service - maybe a new job outlook?  hmm, will see how I feel after the party.  

Hope you all have a good week and don't forget to grab a bargain!

*I know you are all heartily sick of hearing about the whizzme clans holidays, but we are going to New York at the end of this year - spending money is crucial!!  I'm thinking of having a fabric sale next - so keep your eyes peeled!!

can it really be true?

not only am I here back blogging again - thanks for sticking with me!, but finally, finally I updated the shop. I know, I can't believe it either!! Bluey above is sporting one of the beanies, suits him don't you think?! But go check it out, there are hoodie's, pants for children and bags for mummies too. There is still more in progress so I hope to update again in a few weeks, but feel free to shop right now.

So....life has been good to the Whizzme household, and well, really I'm back just in time to tell you that we are off (What AGAIN?!) to Fiji next week for a little family bonding and oh, you know we might just relax a bit too. I have my stack of books packed and a few crafty, easy to tote projects. Unfortunately it hasn't left a whole lot of room for anything else, I'm having to prioritize and well not one of my strong points! I know I can hear you all crying for me!! I'll try and send you a postcard!

But really, Thanks again for coming back - it means a lot. 

And if you came via the Living Creatively - HI! please drop a comment and say hello.

P.s. yes the photo is digitally enhanced!

nothing ever goes to plan

It has been one of those weeks.  Everything happening at once, but nothing much being achieved.  Well actually that is the whizzme household most weeks!  Mr Whizzme's parents drove over from Adelaide to see Miss L's first school concert.  It was lovely, and for a little girl who last year was incredibly shy, this year she danced and sang with the rest of them.  Unfortunately not long after the end of the concert things began to go downhill, so that by the afternoon Miss L was having a major melt-down.  Tears, tantrums, yelling, throwing toys - apparently I have a diva in the making!  I hoping it is just a stage she is going through, as we had more such dramas today at school pick up.

I also attended my last 'scholarly learning' session for the PANDA counselling, as of next week it will be more hands on.  This is a little scary, but also exciting to be finally contributing something back.  I will miss meeting up with 4 other women to discuss and learn about the linking factor in our lives - depression.  It has been another chance to gain strength from a horrible part of my life.

All these goings on have meant that the Lounge Around Pants I have made recently ready for my etsy shop have only today been listed. Phew! nothing like being 5 days late.  Some of you have already responded to the wonderful write up these pants got.  If your little Princess likes to lounge around (and lets face it, who doesn't?!) please check out my new offerings in sizes 0-1 and 1-2 here.

Finally sneaking in at the very end of the month, is the November giveaway.  Thought I had forgotten didn't you?!  This month's winner will receive a pair of custom made Lounge Around Pants for their little Princess, with some added little goodies.  So go ahead, leave me a comment to be in the draw - you have until Monday.

Me - I'll be busy sewing up 8 nightdresses' by next Friday.  End of School for 2007.

off again

I think I mentioned a few posts ago that the Whizzme family is not that good at staying still for too long, so tomorrow Miss L and I are off to Rye for a few nights, then Friday the whole Whizzme clan (including the black one) are heading down to Phillip Island for 9 nights.  This has meant that my sewing plans have met some serious snags and I am currently hand-piecing and quilting in a frenzy to get my seasonal quilt finished.  It has nothing to do with the fact that I leave things until the last minute - nothing to do with that at all!

I must say a HUGE thank you to all your wonderful feedback I have received of late - it has me blushing with pride.  Mr Whizzme liked the fact that Dani had finally cracked my secret - I am a crazy lady wielding knitting needles  - sorry if I have ruined any illusions you may have had of my awesome multi-tasking skills - HA!

Also another awed thank you to those of you that snapped up my Aunty Cookie tote's so quickly.  When I get my hand's on some more of Shannon's fabric I will try to stitch a few more.  

In the meantime please excuse me if I do not visit in the next little while or I'm late to reply to your comments, I'll be at the beach....

IF

If I was going to make a Babette blanket I would probably use colours something like this

and my squares would start to look something like this...

but I wouldn't be doing anything so silly as starting another project, so instead here (finally) is the progress I have made on the hexagon blanket:

This blanket is actually the reworking of a wip that was looking like this.

A gorgeous striped cardigan for Miss L in Rowan wool cotton.   Unfortunately, the completed back you see here is a size 2, and given that Miss L is now 5 I might have just left this project a little too late! (now there's an understatement).  There wasn't enough yarn to complete a bigger size so the perfect excuse to start some hexagons.  Miss L is monitoring the blanket's progress quite closely, including sizing it up to her bed!  Nothing like cracking that whip over your mother!!

When my little overseer has retired for the night, I have been trying to still work out a colour way I like for the chevron scarf.  I won't bore you with photo's of all the versions I have tried, but I think I finally like this one - I think!  

And I've also grown attached to this version - in 3 ply hand dyed cashmere (purchased from AK).

So you can see it is really very lucky that I haven't started any other projects this week (she says nudging the Babette blanket under the cushion).  But I know you are really here to find out if you won this month's giveaway.  My helpful little barrel bunny (or bowl bunny as the case may be), Pebble was very excited to be able to choose this month's winner.

The prize is this great book.

And the winner is

so Gwen email me your address - whizzme (at)bigpond(dot)net(au).

Finally, because so many of you have been so lovely about my knitting tote's, there are now 3 available in the shop - all sporting great Aunty Cookie fabric. (hey Jo, look, I finally made something for the shop?!)

Now I hear Miss L saying something about blankets....

winners are grinners

Well it has taken all day to get this post together - some of it my slowness and some computer slowness, but finally I think we have both got our acts together. I mentioned previously that I belatedly became interested in Project Spectrum. There's even a Flickr group. For April and May the colours are Pink, Green and Yellow, and there is nothing like leaving it until the last day to post your entry! I decided to use it as a chance to practice with the camera, and get outside.


This little mosaic combines some of our garden, the rubbish bin, Miss L's hullahoop, the dog's ball, a vintage hairbrush, my new drink bottle, Miss L's bedroom light and a very unusual bean bag! See if you can work them out. Before I did this I would have said that I predominantly surrounded with green - my favourite colour, but it is amazing what you find once your eyes are open to it.

Anyway, I know you are really here to see if you a giveaway winner so I won't bore you any longer...

Ladies please send me your mailing address to whizzme (at) bigpond (dot) net (dot) au, and I will post your prize out asap.
Thanks everyone for entering it was fun, and interesting to see how many of you are fabric whores and didn't care what colour fabric you got!! And Stacey the bribe enticement was tempting, maybe we can work out a deal for a hair clip anyway?!

But wait don't go yet. If you did miss out this time, I have decided to have another giveaway next month - still some spring cleaning left to do, so stay tuned. And if you can't wait, I have dusted the cobwebs of my etsy shop and placed some more fabric bundles and other items up for sale. Go check it out.