ALFALC swap - sent!

ALFALC swap, originally uploaded by things to make and do.

I'm just about to wander up to the post box to post this package of goodies for my swap partner (a little fabric a little chocolate). I hope she likes it! I've had fun putting it together.

Roses from my friends

Well actually from my husbeast (I just love the Ben Harper song), a thoughtful and lovely gift on valentines day (I'm not a big one for hallmark holidays, but honestly, when isn't a bunch of flowers just the ticket!! Thank you Blair xx) 

I bring these flowers up because when I was changing the water today I was thinking about tricks to make flowers last longer. Most flowers I'm ok with, but for some reason roses and I just aren't a good fit. After about two days they look saggy and wilted, or just plain old dead. Where am I going wrong? It's such a shame, roses are so pretty, until ofcourse they enter within 20 meters of me!

Do you have any tricks for cut flowers?

PS. this photo was taken on the first day I got them as opposed to today, when only the greenery and a few lilies remain :)

Keeping secrets

There is lots of secret craftiness going on at my house. I've posted a few sneak peeks of my cushion swap, but I'm also working on 2 other secret projects at the moment, a fabric chocolate swap with smoochee and a secret gift for a mummy to be. I'm trying to be sneaky, but really I just can't wait to show you all!

So, as I'm trying to be good and not give the game away, I'll not post any of my pics but instead show you some "secretive feeling" flickr faves.

image credits
1. Les boutons d'or..., 2. Raven, 3. Rose...pivoine, 4. ..., 5. composição, 6. Untitled

Pillow talk - Dresden x 3

pillow talk x 3, originally uploaded by things to make and do.

I've been pottering away at my pillow talk swap cushion today. One of the wonderful things which comes out of stretching myself is learning new things. Not only have I learned how to make a dresden plate, but I've learnt how to put my sewing machine in reverse! I feel a bit silly that it's taken me 4 years to look it up in the manual, eek! Next I'll have a go putting in a zip, which is something else I've never tried.

Edie Eckman - crochet

Following on from Jan Eaton's ace crochet book, I borrowed this book by Edie Eckman from the library. It's in such popular demand that I couldn't get an extension and only had time to try a few out (I had actually been waiting 3 months to loan this copy!). I'm so happy with them, they were really fun and there is some great extra reading in the book apart from the patterns. The book is so delicious I wanted to photocopy the whole thing! EDIT: I probably should have added that I actually have this book on order, which my Mum has very lovingly bought for me. Ignorance is not bliss, so I am on the hunt to find out what is legal for photocopying copyrighted material in Australia. I'll get back to you on that.

My place & yours - Kitchen love

I've been wanting to join back in with My Place and yours for a while now, but it seems that my aspiration for a good blogutation keeps getting in the way (thanks for the word Kate, it's so true!)

Enough I say! This is my kitchen and I love it, even in all it's unwashed-up, dirty floor, not sure what to cook for dinner glory! The truth is, I could have tidied up and taken photos that make me look a bit more like the super mum I'd love to be. But no, the real Bec has not just baked some delicious little cakes, or fixed the leaking tap and has a high probability of unmentionables lurking in the bottom of her fridge!

My most favorite things would have to be my zero japan teapots, the new Donna Hay book Seasons and my yummy collection of T2 teas. There is nothing like a good recipe book and a nice cup of tea to help you forget about the housekeeping for a little while longer...

More kitchen love over here at punky and me

I love you more then zombies love brains

Isn't this mug ace! Happy valentines day everyone.

You can find this repurposed decal mug over here at folded pigs

An apple a day

So very clever! An apple a day year calendar by vik. You can find their website here, or the calendar for sale at their etsy site.

This is what they have to say "Here's a quick and easy way to keep in tip top shape. Just peel the little variety sticker from every apple you eat and affix it to a square. Keep it interesting. Try a Belle De Boskoop, a Newtown Pippin, how about a Peasgood Nonsuch, or maybe a Turley Winesap. There's no shortage of combinations and imagine how good you'll feel, when, after a years time, you've filled each square with a colorful little sticker."

via here at Simple blue Print

Pillow talk swap.. fabric and play

I've been playing with some designs for a cushion for my partner, most of the designs involve a dresden plate, something I've been wanting to have a go at for a while. So, out came the scraps and away I went. The first one just felt at little bit like two squares laid over one-another, so I had another go and I am happier with the result.

... and some fabric I've thinking about using. I especially like the brown and pink one.

PS. A big shout out to Blair who is on night shift tonight, thanks for bringing home the bacon xx

Odd + Even

Finished - 1st ever quilt!

Quilting, done. Binding, done. The Boy looks happy, though a little dubious and so am I. It's absolutely a positive start, but I think next time I'll be better able to visulize the quilt as-a-whole, and pick better co-ordinating fabric for a nicer result. It seems to me, there is quite an art to getting quilting fabrics to work together, not only colour, but theme, pattern, size of pattern, lights and darks... I have so much to learn!

Raspberry jam.. a delicious treat!

Yummy Jam - from Ruth, originally uploaded by things to make and do.

Some homemade raspberry jam from Ruth (thanks so much Ruth!) I've been craving some rice pudding and this will go perfectly, yummo!

Keeping it real

I've been inspired by Heather (and a few of the pillow talk members) to do a post about keeping it real. It's easy to retain a certain amount of anonymity on the web. I guess I'm a little on the fence and think it's both good and bad. Good because with all the information out there, it would be easy to loose your privacy, but on the other-hand, bad because it can be hard to connect in any real way with someone if they only show you what they want you to see.

When I started this blog, I thought it would be a bit of a photo journal about the crafty and designery things that I loved (also because writing isn't my forte) however, as I continue to share with you all, I can feel myself opening up to new possibilities, friendships and to think more clearly about who I am and where I'm going.

So, keeping it real (in no particular order):

This is me, as in right now, no styling, no make-up, just plain ol' me

I live in a small city called Hobart, I adore it here

I've been married 5 years to this wonderful man

and been a mother for 1 year to this little boy

I'm not ashamed of the Gospel.

I always knew I wanted to have a creative job, and after going to art school I worked here as a graphic designer (until I had a baby) I'm loving being a stay at home mum, but I hope to go back to being a full-time designer one day.

I hate chalk, chalk dust or any chalk like substance (even writing it here is making my tongue feel furry!)

I'm addicted to watching seasons of television on DVD, once I start I can't stop, I'm like some kind of TV series maniac! (I'm totally nerding out about the new season of Lost at the moment)

I am ashamed to say I can be a bit of a craft/design snob, I'm not proud of this at all.

I'm a craft binger (is that a word? as in 'I go on craft binges') At the moment I'm on a crochet binge, but I feel a quilting binge coming on. I think I tend to burn myself out with one craft and then move onto the next. I've never really thought about it until writing it down now. Maybe I should try to be a bit more balanced, or go on a craft diet?

I can't stand it when someone reads me my horoscope, usually while I'm saying "I don't want to know, I don't believe in it, I appreciate that you do, please stop, no really I'm not joking"

I would choose cheese over chocolate any day

I'm always looking forward to 'the next big thing', I really have to pull myself back to enjoy the here and now

I can't roll my r's, sad but true.

So, there you have it, a bit about me. I'd love to get to know you better too.

hope you have a wonderful weekend xx

Crafternoon - fun on a bun

We had our first crafternoon of the year last night and it was fabulous, thanks everyone who came along! It was also really nice to see some new faces, and the old ones too! If you are interested in coming along to the next meeting, email me at thingstomakendo {at} gmail.com.

My photos from last night were very ordinary so this is an old pic of a crafternoon sewing bee for Kenya Aid.