my creative space: hand printed fabric swap III

I just love the Hand printed fabric swap III that Leslie Keating from Maze and Vale organises! It's so much fun to participate in! I love designing and screen printing a special design for my fellow swappers!

I had this little "Seedlings" design (thanks to Steph from Bondville for the name x) whirling around my head for a while and scribbled it down in my sketch book.

I then created the "Seedlings" design in Adobe Illustrator and printed it out, so I could cut out the stencil! It was a little bit tricky to cut out all those stem parts! I do rather love cutting stencils! :)

Once the stencil is cut out, I got stuck into screen printing it... I just couldn't wait! There is nothing like seeing your design screen printed for the first time, it always gives me such a thrill! I had so much fun screen printing these fat quarters, two in emerald green ink, on off white linen/cotton...

...and two in charcoal ink, on oatmeal linen/cotton.

They turned out just gorgeous! I was so excited to pack them up and send them off to my swap partners who live in New Zealand, UK and two in the USA! I hope they like them :)

I couldn't help myself... I screen printed some seedlings for me too and I made a cushion! Love it :)

Hope you have had a wonderful creative week... check out what other creative people have been up to at my creative space!

my creative space: kitty luvs bear on show

Oh dear.... it's been a few weeks since I've posted... it seems I have been on a little bit of a break :)

A few weeks ago I created my "kitty luvs bear" Gocco print at a Gocco workshop at Sweets Workshop for  the Gocco exhibition at Sweets Workshop!  I also Gocco printed some plain, one colour kitty luvs bear prints, with the intention of painting them with watercolour!

:: one colour Gocco print of "kitty luvs bear"

:: playing and testing out watercolour ideas

I really enjoyed playing with watercolour ideas for my Gocco prints! I printed out kitty luvs bear on plain card so I could have a good old play without wrecking my precious Gocco prints! Once I was happy, I watercoloured the good Gocco prints... holding my breath :)

:: "kitty luvs bear" in watercolour frame and prints packed

I am so happy with how they turned out and was so proud to see my little print hanging up in the Sweets Workshop Gallery!

:: "kitty luvs bear" hanging out with Gocco friends

:: lots of gorgeous Gocco prints

:: Sweets Workshop Gocco window display



:: kitty luvs bear cushions

I also made some "kitty luvs bear" cushions for Sweets Workshop too, using my new screen from my emulsion workshop I did a few week ago! Love it!

It is such a great little exhibition and so many wonderful Gocco prints on show! I am so proud to be apart of it! The exhibition is on until 16th April!

Hope you have had a wonderful creative week... check out what other creative people have been up to at my creative space!

my creative space: morse code love

This week I have been working on a new screen printing design. It has been whirling around my head for a while now, so I am glad it is finally out into the world!

I am a little obsessed with patterns (thank you pinterest) and always looking for the pattern in things... anywhere... everywhere! I came up with the idea of using morse code in a design/pattern... I decided to use the word "Love" and translated it into morse code... I though it would look really interesting as a pattern! So I got to and created the design in Illustrator, printed it out and then cut out the stencil!

Hmmm...yes... the stencil... it was a little tricky cutting out all those dots and dashes! I stuffed it up the first time on the last row that I was cutting out...grrrr and then stuffed it up again on the second time cutting it out... arghhh! I finally got it right the third time! Phew.. I am now an expert at cutting small dots and dashes! I tell you what... I had a quite a sore finger from all that cutting, but it was worth it!

:: cutting the stencil.... third time lucky!!

I was pretty happy to finally get to screen print this design! I love it and made a cushion and a tote bag to pop in my little etsy shop :)

:: love in morse code - sea blue

:: love in morse code - sea blue

I love that it's a little secret message on a cushion and a tote :)

Hope you are having a great... stuff up free, creative week!
There are lots of creative people over at my creative space...

my creative space: hand printed cushion

Tomorrow is my gorgeous grandma's birthday and I was a bit stuck with what to get her, especially as she has everything she needs! What could me and my little man make for her (his great grandma)??? Then it came to me... a hand printed cushion... literally... with my little man's handprints!

:: hand printed cushion - front

:: hand printed cushion - back

I had a very definate idea in my head about how it was going to look but I didn't factor in, an experimental 3.5 yr old with paint and a devilish grin! Of course I let him go for it... we had lots of fun and got very messy :) I also screen printed a little heart and his name in the corner too.  We made a cute little hand heart card - using a tracing of my little mans hand -  inspiration from here. I just love this idea!

:: hand heart card - front

:: hand heart card -  inside

I am so happy with grandma's present... she's going to love it! :)

***Happy happy birthday my dearest grandma***

x x x

In others news...
I know I have been hinting at some BIG news the last few weeks, pop by on Monday and I'll finally be able to reveal all the mysteriousness... I'm very excited :)

Hope you are having a great creative week!
There are lots of creative people over at my creative space...

my creative space: cushions

You may have noticed/or not, that over on the side bar under "a few things to do" that I haven't done anything about making the shibori cushion... for a very long time... yep I can hear the sound of crickets too! Well, I finally got my A into G and made it... hooray :) I used the fabric I made from the Shibori workshop  that I went to in March.  I'm so happy with how it turned out... LOVE it!

:: shibori cushion - 40 x 40 cm

I was on a roll, so I also made a "grey cats ginger" cushion too! One side is mainly grey cats and the others side is mainly ginger cats. It's so bright and happy! My little man loves this one!

:: grey cats ginger - front - 40 x 40 cm

:: grey cats ginger - back - 40 x 40 cm

I forgot how easy making cushions was and how gratifying! It's so nice to have some new cushions for the couch... admittedly they don't quite go together but that's ok... we have two couches :)

Don't forget to enter my ***Giveaway***
You could win yourself a screen printed, handmade pouch made by me :)

Hope you are having a great creative week!
There are lots of creative people over at my creative space...

christmas number three

We had a wonderful Chrismas day, filled with friends, family, lots of yummy food (my poor belly) and of course... some lovely gifts! My little man had the best time, with all the excitement of Santa leaving gifts under the tree.. it was so much fun for all of us!

:: tackling the wrapping paper :)

Last week, I was a little busy making a few gifts for my wonderful mother-in-law Norma, who has a little miniatures blog make mine mini. I decided to make her two cushions but also make them in miniature (1:12 scale)! The two human size cushions are screen printed and the miniature cushions are ink jet printed using bubble jet set 2000 (to fix the ink)!

:: home sweet home cushion - big and small

:: home sweet home cushion - miniature (1:12 scale)

:: geo-flower cushion - big and small

:: geo-flower cushion - miniature (1:12 scale)

I had a lot of fun making them! I am so happy with how they turned out and Norma just loved them!

Well it's time for me to put down my screens and squeegee for a few days (at least) and put my feel up, pick up a good book and relax...but I'm sure my fingers will start itching to do something soon :)

Hope you are all taking a bit of time out and doing some relaxing over the holiday too :)

a little cushion makeover

I bought this really cute little dolls house furniture set for my sister's little girl, but I wasn't really loving the cushions that came with it! So I decided, in the midst of all the craziness last week, that I would give the cushions a makeover... Yes I am slightly insane! Not sure how I found the time but I did!

:: cushion makeover - before

I prepared the fabric by soaking it in bubble jet set 2000, ironed the fabric onto freezer paper and then using my ink jet printer, printed my little designs onto it and then sewed them up into cushions... it was very easy!

:: cushion makeover - printing

:: cushion makeover - sewing

Voila... new cute little cushions!!!

:: cushion makeover - after :)

And when you turn the cushions over...

:: cushion makeover - after

I had a lot of fun doing this little project. I used my own designs... did you notice the rainbow cloud, home sweet home and the cupcake designs? I printed different images on each side of the cushion so she can mix and match!  I'm so please with how they look, they are so cute and my sisters little girl absolutely loved them :)

Hope your having a great Wednesday!

ps. I have done a guest post over at make mine mini about these little cushions... thanks Norma :)

christmas number two

We just got back from four crazy, wonderful days in Melbourne for our christmas no. two with my family... pheeeeew!! We had such a great time but it wasn't long enough! I really wanted to get out and about in Melbourne but we only had time to hang out with the family... hopefully next year we will stay longer! Anyway, I can now reveal what I have been up to in the last week...

I tea dyed, screen printed and made a cute little tote bag in bright orange and sky blue. I used the stencils I had made for my little bird in hand which looks quite effective I think! I love how it turned out and now wish I had made two at the same time :)

:: tote - screen printing

:: tote - sewing

:: tote - arrows and crosses in bright orange and sky blue

:: tote - inside pocket

I made another "bird in hand". I really love the grey and raspberry colours together.

:: bird in hand - grey and raspberry

I tea dyed, screen printed and made another 'home sweet home" cushion. I forgot to take a picture of it finished... drat!

:: home sweet home cushion - grey and raspberry

Yep... I have been very, very busy! Everyone loved their handmade gifts... phew!! It felt so good to give something that I made... best feeling ever :)

I will share another cute little project I also did last week with you tomorrow!

Hope your are having a great week leading up to xmas and it's not to crazy!  xxx