3 weeks later and everyone is back where they should be, which means that I'm back in the cellar, thank you very much!

I've had this on my list for far longer than I wanted to, but finally they went into print.

 My original card of this design was hand stamped, which was not only a labour of love but didn't allow for the flexibility of printing in different colours. Also, i often went wrong...one mis-stamp and a card was wasted and I had to start again.

So now this card has turned into a screen print which allows me to not only offer it in a multitude of zingy colours, but also I've decided to offer it as a set of blank cards for people to personalise as they would like.

The cards will still be available to buy personalised by me,  with a hand-stamped name or person, but the added bonus of choosing your colour, and they will now also be available as a set of these 4 bright beauties blank and ready to be personalised at a moments need.

Genius, huh?

 It's always a good Saturday when you can get a bit of sewing time in as well as hanging out with the family.

I'd had this cushion commission for a new baby that I was supposed to have had done all week but it didn't quite happen.

I bribed Ruby with choosing some of my fabric and having a play on my machine while I was working on it so I didn't feel quite as guilty working on the weekend.

I've done a fair few of these cushions but this one is a little different. 

It's made entirely from my own fabrics.

I feel I've come a long way in a relatively short time being able to use just my own designs in my work.

I'm going to have to rethink things a little for the boys' version however as looking at this made me realise that most of my designs are definitely geared towards being more suitable for girls.

The Kite Strings would work well, but a couple more neutral designs are needed I think. Perhaps miniaturising my Euro Wonders and using that would be good.

Another new little detail is putting my screen printed name as a label on the back. 

At the moment I have just printed these as a selvedge strip on my fabric pieces but I'm definitely going to print up a whole load of them.

So a fun Saturday was had by all...well by Ruby and me anyway ;-)

Hello and Happy Monday to you!

I can't tell you how much I am loving life being calmer and being in control. Don't get me wrong, I still give my fair share of crabby irrational crossness, but generally life is cope-able at the mo.

Just as I say that watch it change...

First weekend for a long time with no visitors, no trips, nothing pressing, leaving me to get started on a commissioned cushion for a new baby.

I really love doing these log cabin cushions. Every one seems to be different. One of the recent ones was a bit too pink for this customer, so I pulled in a bit more green and teal. Log cabins are perfect for adding a little special piece of fabric without hyper-ventilating at the thought of using up precious stash. Just a little row of Lu Summer's Hearts, along with Mikodesign's Matryoshka dolls work a treat. Oh and let's not miss a couple of teal Scruffy Daisy's here and there ;-) I love the pop of colour in the Erin McMorris Lollie fabrics too.

I've just embroidered the centre panel and am finishing off the personalisation, then magic it up into a cushion and we are good to go.

I have a couple more in the queue...let's hope I'm still enthusiastic about them after I'm done.

By the way...quick question...

I'm thinking of adding to my Take Away Kits and making a Log Cabin Cushion Cover Kit. What do you reckon? Is this something you'd like to see? Will possibly be based on my screen printed fabrics, along with coordinating plains. What do you reckon? A goer or a noer? If a goer , what would you particularly like to see in them?

Answers on a postcard please, and you never know, there may be a little something in it for you... ;-)

It seems like a long time ago now that I was obsessing with Freezer Paper as a printing method, but since doing the Screen Printing Course it took a back seat. Not only did it take a back seat, but I wasn't sure if there was going to be a place for it now that I was screen printing.

Having invested in a fair size roll of freezer paper, I was a bit cross with myself for being so flitty with yet another craft.

Today I learnt that there is definitely still a place for freezer paper printing.

It goes without saying that screen printing is perfect for producing quantities in a way that just doesn't work with freezer paper.

And in contrast freezer paper is perfect for one offs. The time and expense of producing a screen for just one print obviously makes little sense.

So I was delighted to remember my stash of freezer paper that I could use to personalise this commissioned cushion. I used to embroider the details but with my recent penchant for printed fabric I really wanted to find a way of doing this.

I was very pleased to discover that freezer paper still has a place in my crafting...particularly since I have one mighty large roll.

And you never know, Jo and Fran, I may even need another one day soon...

Yesterday I managed a trip out to get crafting supplies, including some fabric paints for my hand-printing fabric projects.

First up on the project list was taking the pencil pouch idea a step further by personalising it.

Ruby has headed off to her friend Sadie's party today, so of course she was first on the list to get one of my new pouches.

Despite the fact that Ruby's response was "Mummy, I wish we could give my friends something other than crafty stuff for their birthdays. They aren't all like me and like it you know. Can't we give them something normal?"

I'm still wracking my brains to think what may be construed as normal, if a personalised pencil case and matching keyring isn't. I'm thinking Ruby was implying something pink and plastic. Or perhaps glittery and sparkly.

Either way, she did rapidly back it up with could I make her one.

And I'm pretty sure Sadie's Mummy will be more than happy with this pink and plastic, or silvery and glittery alternative.

After my new found love of making Log Cabins, my mind has been running over time on how to develop these further. This always happens to me...when I discover something new (to me) I am all consumed by it and can't think of anything else.

Consequently, even tho we are snowed under with BM plans, my mind was obsessing with log cabins and all the developments I want to do and I wasn't going to settle until I'd tried some of them out.

One of the things I have been thinking is how to incorporate log cabins with some personalising.

Again, as with the first, I got out a pile of my favourite fabrics and began to play. I use alot of hand screen-printed fabrics with my work. I love the added texture that they give and the rawness they exude. I am a big fan of the large posse of Australian designers that design and produce fantastic hand-printed fabrics and always want to use these wherever possible. They don't come cheap, but a little goes a long way, I think and in something like a log cabin you really don't need a large amount.

My starting point of part of an Auntie Cookie panel was a definite in my head before I'd even found it in my stash. It had this project written all over it. I love seeing pictures in log cabins (hence the birds on a wire in my first). I feel it adds a story to them.

Another obvious choice for this piece was from another of my favourite screen-printed fabric designers from the wonderful Lu Summers of Summersville designs. Her designs are perfect for log cabins as they tend to be small scale, so lots of detail. Lu also tends to use one colour, so again, not too clashing when using a variety of fabrics.

I haven't quite decided whether this is going to be the beginnings of an idea for a quilt, or cushions, or kept to wall-hangings. But for now I was eating into too much BM time and a little wall-hanging for Ruby was where it had to stay...despite the fact that Ruby wasn't best pleased that I had to miss the final 'h' off Shoshanah because I'd run out of room...she thought I'd spelt her name wrong!

Illuminating

I think I gave you a sneak preview last week of Hannah Nunn's stunning lamps that I am now the proud stockist of. Her work is a joy to see, a mixture of hand and laser cut botanical and abstract designs that look beautiful enough when the lights are off, but come magically to life when they are on.

As well as making table and floor lamps, Hannah designs and makes stunning Fairy Lights that either come in a random hand-cut design or can be personalised with your own special individual message. As you can see from my new blog header I've ordered one for Blueberry Park. I am so thrilled with it.