my creative space: my creative space

This week I have some very exciting news! I had a VERY special visitor come and snoop around my place on Wednesday... the gorgeous Kirsty from My Creative Space... Woo Hoo!

There was lots of chatting and photo taking for a post which will be posted on My Creative Space Tour - justb. early February! Very exciting!  It was so wonderful to finally meet Kirsty, she also brought along her lovely friend Kate from one flew over! Great fun! And of course I couldn't help myself, I screen printed and made Kirsty a special little "Feather arrow" linen pouch, which she absolutely loved! It's always so much fun to hang out with fellow creative/inspiring people! Love it :)

:: feather arrow linen pouch

Also, I can now reveal a few things that I made for Christmas. I knitted a cute little bunny softie and made the little dress too for my lovely sister in-law who is having a baby girl in May! I am so excited that I will get to make some girly things... Woo Hoo! :)

:: sweet little bunny softie

I also colaberated with my wonderful mother in-law Norma to make this gorgeous little pouch for a dear friend of hers for Christmas, who loves all things Paris/french and she apparently absolutely loved it. The gorgeous image on the pouch is from The Graphics Fairy.

:: Paris pouch

I'm slowly getting back into it all this week! It was great to have a little break but now I am looking forward to getting creative.... I have SO much I want to do :)

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

**happy new year**

WOW... what and amazing year 2012 was for me! I've been one, very busy year and I loved every minute of it! Looking back over the year its really hard to choose my favourite bits because there are so many, but here goes:

I opened my "do a bit" Etsy shop... a little dream come true :)

I created some really wonderful things:

:: lots of lovely softies

:: they look a bit like mug shots, don't you think? :)

:: I cut quite a few screen printing stencils, mixed a lot of ink and screen printed like a maniac!

:: I did a LOT of sewing

:: and I dabbled in other creative ventures...

I also became totally addicted to Instagram... there so many amazing, inspiring and creative people out there! I just love seeing what they are all up to everyday!

Some of my own favourite Instagram photos:

This year I met lots of wonderful creative people through Sydney abcd meet-up which is organised by the lovely Steph from Bondville and her partner in craftiness Lisa from The Red Thread. Really looking forward more meet-up this year and be able to talk all things crafty without feeling guilty, they are such great fun!

I feel very lucky to have had such a wonderful year! Thank you all so much for your support, it's greatly appreciated! I love our creative community! Thank you xxx

I'm really looking forward to see what this year will bring and I really hope you all have an amazing 2013 too!

Best wishes,

Lamina :)

merry merry christmas

Wishing you all wonderful and fun festive season! See you all in the new year :)

some wonderful news

This week I had my first bit of magazine promotion for "do a bit" My little "Ginger cats grey" pouch is in the Etsy Summer Shopping Guide which is an insert in the "Shop til you drop" magazine!  I am so thrilled to be apart of it! :)

It is just so exciting to see something I made in actual print! It makes me feel very proud :)

There is also a  mini site - etsy.com/styd - for all the items shown in the guide too :)

Hope you have had a great week! :)

Ginger cats grey made it on madeit

I have been having such a great week this week... so many lovely things have happened! One of which is my "Ginger cats grey" pouch made it onto the front page of the madeit website, they had a cats and dog theme (madeit is an Australian online handmade market place for creative Australians!) I was so thrilled when I got the email this morning.. it made my day :)

:: Ginger cats grey on madeit
-you may have refresh the page a few times to see it

I opened my Made it shop do a bit a little while ago and had a few things in it but haven't had much time to get stuck into it until this week! So now I have my little link to my madeit shop over there on the side bar now... Woo Hoo :)

Have a fun weekend everyone!

I love love love Instagram...

I have finally joined the world of Instagam... Hooray! I have been sitting around waiting for my old phone (no android) contract to end.... I had two months left to go... it was total torture... I wanted Instagram sooooo much! I couldn't wait any longer so I decided (and my partner who got sick of me talking about it endlessly!) to pay out the remaining contract and get a new phone! Luckily for me they were kind enough to waiver the two months... I was pretty happy and vey glad that I didn't wait for two months for the contract to end!

I am so in love with Instgram! I love the fact it's so easy to use and so instant! I just love seeing what everyone is up too through their images! People are so creative with their instagram photos, don't you think! hmmmm... I'm still in training :)



Are you on Instagram? I'm doabit if you would like to follow :)

Have a great Wednesday!

a little cat crazy...

Oh dear... I've missed "my creative space" this week! Whoops! First time in a very long time! I've been very busy with my little Etsy shop... which I'm loving! I had a few custom orders and a few orders from friends, so not much time for other creative projects which are currently whirling around in my head! Hopefully I will get some time this week :)

In other news... I have gone a little cat crazy... good old pinterest has been feeding my little obsession!

I saw this print on pinterest and had to pin it... but then I HAD to find it and buy it! (found it at society 6 by Chris Carfolite)

Source: tumblr.com via do a bit on Pinterest

I bought this tote from Gemma Correll... it just cracks me up... especially as I have a three year old! I just her love illustraions!



Source: etsy.com via do a bit on Pinterest

I really want to get this cat wallpaper for a feature wall in my home... such a pity I am renting! Sigh... maybe one day I will have a house of my own! :)



Source: bainesandfricker.net via do a bit on Pinterest

I really want this cat.... he's so cool and crafty!

Source: simplypix.tumblr.com via do a bit on Pinterest

and I truely believe this...

Source: hello-tiger.blogspot.com via do a bit on Pinterest

And that's not it.... last night I bought this print " The tale of Mr Cat" by Inaluxe... I just LOVE their work and when they posted this on Facebook last night... I had to buy it! I've been hoping for a while that they would do a cat print! I'm so excited... I can't wait for "Mr Cat" to arrive in the post!


Source: inaluxe.bigcartel.com via do a bit on Pinterest

Right... that's it! No more buying cat things! Or I "will" turn into that crazy old lady who lives down the street! Yes... it would seem I have a little bit of cat obsession problem! I just can't help it :)

Do you have a little obsession with anything that you find hard to control?

Have a great weekend :)

my creative space: share some inspiration

Last night I went along to Sydney abcd blogger meet-up for art, craft and design bloggers organised by the wondeful Bondville. It was such an interesting evening and so fantastic to meet up with like minded people to discuss a number of topics to do with sharing and blogging. I came away feeling totally inspired by all these amazing women that I had met!

I also had the opportunity to contribute to the goodies bag which we received at the end of the evening, incorporating the topic of "Sharing". I decided to share some of my favourite inspiring blogs - I had real trouble choosing just a few! I really wanted to make a card using watercolour, especially as I haven't played with watercolour for ages! I do love watercolour a lot!

:: share some inspiration cards

I did some watercolour text artwork and my little man did some of his own watercolour painting too! We had lots of fun and we made quite a mess! Yes I let him use my precious watercolours :)

:: splatter splatter....

He actually gave me the idea to do some fine watercolour splatter all over both sides of the card....nothing like a happy little paint accident I say :) So I splattered away...  mustard yellow, green and a bit of turquoise blue all over the cards, and then once it was dry, printed the text on top.

It was all a bit crazy here yesterday afternoon, trying to get it all 26 finished - painting, splattering, printing and cutting them all out! Phew... I got it done in the end!

:: cutting cutting cutting...



:: share some inpiration - front

:: share some inpiration - back

I am so please with how they turned out! It felt great to be able to be apart of the goodies bag :) I have to say it felt a bit like chrismas opening the goodies bag when I got home! There so many lovely and inspiring things.... recipies, mini projects to do, cards etc...

It was such a great night and I feel so lucky to have been apart of it! I can't wait for the next one!

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

birthday cake craziness

Birthday craziness is in full swing around here!
We had a bit of a cake frenzy for my partners birthday the other day! He LOVES cakes! I went to Adriano Zumbo's Patisserie in Balmain... and boy, did my little man and I have a hard time choosing! We left the shop with 3 gorgeous cakes and a macaroon for my little man.

This cake got eaten before I could take any photo's of it :) Image source from here.
 

v8 - black sesame dacquiose, brown sugar crunch, lychee gel,
raspberry sponge, raspberry jelly, liquorice cremeaux, rose
chantilly patisserie.  image source



chocolate mousse - francesco chocolate mousse, flourless chocolate biscuit,
creme brulee aux the, berry fruits compote, berry meringue sticks



Happy Birthday! Flourless chocolate biscuit, chocolate sabayon mousse,
ultimate chocolate brownie, caramel mou, milk chocolate chantilly
and cocoa nib nougatine with a White chocolate and Passionfruit glaze

I unfortunately have a terrible dairy allergy and so I couldn't sample them but I have it on good authority that they were absolutely delicious!

We also made a chocolate birthday cake for my partner (one that I could eat)... which was just too much fun for one little boy!

:: chocolate coconut cake... YUM!

And it was my birthday yesterday... 45 years old... so that makes me half 90 years old...YIKES!! Of course we had to make another cake! My little man was in heaven... so much licking to do! :)

:: the best bit about making cakes is licking cake mix off everything!

:: sprung licking the cake... naughty little monkey!!! :)

We have another birthday on the weekend which means another cake... my waist line in not happy with me at the moment! Luckily everyone else who is having birthdays around this time (and there is a LOT) all live interstate or overseas... phew... my waist line is very thankful for that :)

Hope you are having a great 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...

I feel very lucky...

Woo hoo... I won a little giveaway from inHomewares over at the lovely Christina Lowry Designs blog the other day! I won $50 voucher to spend at inHomewares!

Oh my gosh... there were so many beautiful products, from gorgeous home wares, lovely soaps and balms... it was so hard to choose! I was pretty excited when the delivery man knocked on my door, with a parcel for me yesterday!
In my parcel:
- 2x SunnyLIFE's Lacquer Bamboo bowls, one blue and one orange - I love bowls
- Margot Napkin - such gorgeous fabric
- Wild Fig & Almond Soap - all I can say is "YUM"

:: lovely things from inHomewares

I feel very lucky! Thank you Nicole (the owner of inHomewares), she was so lovely and looked really after me! She is a mother of four kids and has runs her online business as well! Not sure how she does it but I think she is SO inspiring! You can read more about her in a little interview that Christina did with her, over here.

Check out the lovely products over at inHomewares.

post note:
I turned my back for 1 minute and a certain little man in my house has claimed these gorgeous bowls for his very own.... hmmmm not sure I'm liking this!!! Oh and he had a taste of the soap too...silly sausage :)

:: bowls for cars?

Hope you are having a fabulous Tuesday!

I am a lucky ducky

I was so thrilled when I got home the other day to find a little parcel waiting for me!

Woo hoo... I won these gorgeous little prints, a zine and two macaroon pin cushions from a giveaway on Dawn Tan's hand-made-love blog!

:: three gorgeous A4 prints

:: one A3 veggie print

:: two macaroon pin cushions and a very cute little zine

:: macaroons and tea anyone? :)

I feel so lucky! They are even more lovely in real life! I can't wait to frame the prints and put them on the wall! I just love Dawn's work and how she paint everyday things... so lovely!! I SO wish I could paint like her! She makes me want to get my paints out and get painting/practicing :)

Check our more of Dawn Tan's gorgeous work here ....

lost - broken - won - very excited

I have been having a pretty rough week... but there was some bright light at the end of the tunnel!

I lost my sunglasses and then my little man broke my back up pair of sunglasses too!!!

:: that's right... no sunglasses on the side table!!!

My favourite havaianas(flip flops) broke, while my little man was trying to wrestle me to the ground! Then the buckle strap broke on my brand new sandals! I am very glad these incidences happened at home... phew :)

:: broken!!!

And on top of that...  I've had a nasty migraine for the last 4 days which has turned me into a vampire... I can't go out during the day, which was probably a good thing because I had no shoes or sunglasses!!! :)

Not that I am complaining.. well maybe a little bit! But there is some bright light at the end of the tunnel!

I inherited this gorgeous little vintage patent red handbag from my mother in-law, which was originally owned by my partners grandma (dearest Nooni xxx)! I just love it!!!

:: love vintage bags!

And I won this amazing little giveaway from Dawn Tan - hand-made-love... I'm SO excited! I just love her watercolour prints and can't wait to hang them in my kitchen! Such a wonderful surprise after a couple of yucky days!

:: I won a giveaway Woo Hoo!!!
image source: hand-made-love

And... tonight I'm off to see one of my all time favourite bands... Duran Duran (at the Sydney Entertainment Centre) with a very dear friend...we saw them for the first time together, when we were screaming 16 year old teenages (quite a few years ago)! I just can't wait... it's going to be so much fun... Woo Hoo!!!

:: Duran Duran
- image source Sydney Entertainment Centre

I also got some new havaianas (flip flops) and some new sunglasses... because I cannot live with out these items!!

:: can't live with sunglasses and havaianas :)

So all is not so bad really :) Do you have weeks like this where things break, get lost or just go wrong!! It can be quite frustrating hey! I suppose it means I am safe from any of these sorts of mishaps for a while... at least I hope so :)

Hope you are all having a good week!

my creative space: birthday cake... the disaster and the celebration

My little man turned 3 years old on the weekend... Woo Hoo!! It's been a very busy few weeks in the lead up to his birthday party which was on Saturday... a lot to organise... phew! My little man and I had heaps of fun making chocolate crackles, honey joys, apricot balls and of course, the birthday cake!

Oh my goodness....where do I start with the birthday cake... what a disaster... Arghhh! I had grand plans for making a dinosaur birthday cake like this one here! It all started off really well, until it came to icing the sides of the cake! Oh dear.... my poor little dinosaur cake was a such crumbly mess, that the icing just wouldn't stick to it! If only I had read the instructions thoroughly, I would have known that I had to freeze the cakes before cutting them into the shapes needed! I was a little bit sad/devastated but I had to laugh... it was quite funny... my poor little cake... oh dear!

:: my poor dinosaur cake disaster!

:: icing disaster!!! :(

After I had given in to the fact it was an unfixable disaster, I made another cake on that Friday afternoon... while in the middle of doing everything else too!! Lucky for me I already had a "Plan B" cake in my head! I successfully iced and decorated it on Friday night... Yay "Dinosaurs on a grassy hill" :)

:: dinosaurs on a grassy hill

:: dinosaurs on a grassy hill

 I am so pleased with how it turned out, and with no icing disaster! My little man loved his dinosaur cake so much, he got a little cross when he couldn't have the dinosaurs from the cake right away... so cute!

:: I want those dinosaurs... NOW! :)

My little man had the best time with all his little friends and favourite people at his party in the park, despite the pesky rain! We are really lucky that our park has a covered picnic area which is quite big so we could all keep out of the rain... not that the rain stopped any of the kids or adults from having fun :)

:: park + rain + bubbles + friends = fun!!!
(sorry no friends in photos - respecting their privacy)

:: Happy birthday my beautiful little man xxx

Hope you are having a great creative week!

There are loads more creative people over at our creative spaces...