Make My Week #33 - Wrist Wallets or Money Cuffs

Not sure of the exact technical term for these but I hadn't really thought much of them until we started doing pocket-money.
Suddenly my guys need to take money places and even though the big one has a wallet and they often have pockets - it's just one more thing to lose or leave somewhere. Modelled with kind of photo you're pleased you didn't pay for!

Enter the wrist wallet - velcro on and off with a wee zip to hold money or other very small treasures.
I made them from fabric the boys had chosen 'lighting N'Queen' and Dr Seuss. Find similar Dr S fabric here.

On Friday when they got up there was a little package waiting for them both at their places for breakfast.
These versions are fully lined and..... I followed an online tutorial!!! I know Juliet will be very proud of me - online tutorials freak me out a bit but this one was very simple. You can find it here.
The boys can put them on without any help too which is great as well.

I am really pleased with these - I can see they might make a feature on the birthday present list. I made 2 extras because it always takes so much longer to make one individually than several at once.
It's also another pin real life where you take some inspiration on your pinterest board - here's the board, and you actually do something with it. You can find all sorts of my inspiration on pinterest and follow along if you want to.

I think an adult version would be great too if you were a running/walking type and just wanted a house key (and maybe some $ for a coffee along the way)

What do you think? Would you wear one?

Say It Again

These are some of the adorable words I've been privvy to lately

1. A 3 year old crying in his bunk 'Because I told Flip I love him but he didn't say anything..' we've got some work to do on the concept of going to sleep quietly but oh he is cute.

2. Flip was eating sweet-corn from the cob the other night and going on about how lovely it was and then he said, 'This is the loveliest thing in the world. But it's not lovelier than God.'

3. Bounce was talking about something in his lunch box and he said, 'That's impressive isn't it?'. I love the way he talks.

4. When Bounce asks for cheese he says, 'Cheese please madam.'

5. The other day at kindy Bounce said to me 'my jacket is over in the green box, that is the 'lost city' ' a fairly novel name for lost property I thought!!

6. Wee Bounce was getting a hair cut from Ma the other day and part way through he said to me, 'it's a long time for a little person to have their hair cut'

7. When the snow comes out Bounce gets excited about putting on his snow 'um-er-alls' (overalls) he also always wants to look at the 'weather a-port'

8. Flip hasn't got all the ins and  outs of conception but he knows the Daddy gives the Mummy a seed. The other day in the car he suddenly said 'wouldn't it have been terrible if Daddy only had one seed because then I wouldn't have a brother'.

What words can you never get enough of?

Yay it's Friday - whoop!

My Process

Most Thursdays I join in with Our Creative Spaces which is great place to go and have a look at what people have been making each week - there are sewing projects, drawing, songs, craft, quilts, crochet, knitting.... anyway.
This week the challenge was to talk about what inspires us, our tips for creativity and I guess our 'process'.

Personally I am inspired by lots of things - colours and colour combinations often grab my attention and make me want to start making. There are definitely times when I see something and set out to make myself one. I'm not too worried by that because a) I know I will never actually make something the same and b) we all start from some jump point even when we feel our work is entirely original and uninspired by anything else we often find someone else just around the corner doing the same (or worse doing it better!) and c) I don't sell my work so I am not effecting another person's livelihood.

I was walking around a fabric shop with a friend one day when she asked me if I realised I was touching all the fabric and making noises - I hadn't realised but I definitely recognise that I feel fabric and I often go fabric shopping with no set plans in mind. I see fabric and then I develop an idea.

In life I hate the thought of a 'uniformity' or 'sameness' for me the great adventure is indeed that we are CREATED, UNIQUE and we each have a PLACE in history. Somewhere to stand, something to do, a voice. I think this pervades into every aspect of how I create - I find following patterns to the 't' impossible, I rarely follow a recipe exactly, I'd never make the look on the pattern envelope.

For me creativity is a lot about 'play' - mucking around with stacks of fabrics and stacks of patterns. Looking at wonderful inspiring images online or on books - my creative inspiration on Pinterest can be found here - and as Pooh Bear would say 'letting things come, it's the best way to write poetry (or create) letting things come'.

I often make changes as I go along - if something doesn't work as I thought it would or if some great idea comes to me.

The things I have made that I am proudest of most often are things that came to me when I played with ideas or started creating on some crazy whim.

I love colour and I love variety I sew, bake, felting, craft, I've done stained glass window making, jewellery making, decoupage, lighting, embroidery, photography, quilt making, written stories and poems, .... I'm sure there is other stuff I've forgotten....point is I like the process of making - it's the finishing I find tricky

I love:
the imagining
the ideas
the owning, wearing, giving a thing that is unique

So what is your creative process? Do you start with a pattern? Do your ideas translate as you expect them to? Do you see the creative process as playing or do you take it more seriously or in a more considered way?

Click on the Creative Spaces button on the right for other people's tips and thoughts and projects
Other stuff I've made this year
All images are things I have made in the last wee while
Also joining in with Simone - because it's great to see what other people are blogging about

Wardrobe Wednesday - Of Your Era

This month the inspiration for Wardrobe Wednesday is the decade that suits you best

For me I'm a clear 50s girl - I have the 'perfect' figure or at least vaguely the right shape. Although I think the designs of the 20s/30s are gorgeous and the designs of the 60s a lot of fun neither styles are built for curves.

This means I go well with an hourglass shaped - either fitted or full in the skirt
This is the outfit I put together for my new haircut last week.

I bought the shirt from Timaru savemart at the same time as I bought this dress. It was a size or 2 bigger than I would normally buy but I used my dress makers dummy to make some serious depth in the darts and left the top part as it was. Then I added the black ribbon and I was all ready for a new do.

Outfit
Top - $5.99 Savemart Timaru
Belt - ribbon from Spotlight
Skirt - bought on sale 10 years ago Catalyst
Tights - part of a set bought at Cosmic in chch
Shoes - bought in a bundle of 4 off trade me - 25cents!
Go here

or here or here to find other stylish ladies

for other things I'm wearing find my pinterest wardrobe page
look at other stuff I am wearing
or clothes I've made, re-made and altered

Brooch Winner

Congratulations to the winners of my handmade brooches  Ginx Craft and Planettreasures  - I decided to draw 2 names for fun because I can!

Thanks to everyone who entered and to all who read my blog and take time to comment.
Be watching out for my August giveaway coming soon.

B.M.W.B #32 It Takes A Village

You know the saying 'It takes a village to raise a child'? I have to say I'd be a bit selective about the village members myself but it is a sentiment I want outworked for my children.

On Sunday afternoon while The Atlas was on a special ski trip I went walking the hills with some friends - the day was awful, visibility was low, the wind was cold (but the boys were well dressed mum!!), and the track was narrow, slippery and covered in gorse in places - sound good? It was  until both my boys had moments of being 'a donkey on the edge' or even a donkey over the edge.

At every one of these times and a few others besides there were adults at their sides - mamas and papas - holding their hands, speaking to them kindly, distracting them with stories, offering to carry them on their shoulders.

It is a privilege to The Atlas and I that we have a great collection of 'villagers' around us. People who love their own children. People who treat our children kindly and talk to them with honour and respect.

I want my children to grow up with models of healthy families and with adults, who we like and respect, to relate to them and show interest in them.

As our boys grow and mature I want to have voices speaking words that my boys can hear when our voices get lost in translation. We intentionally want to have these good people in our boys lives (and of course we also get the treat of their friendship too).
We are blessed with a an amazing range of family (related and not) in our lives and I am firmly convinced our boys' lives will be richer for it.

This year I am making more of a conscious effort to have quality moments with my boys. B.M.W.B (becoming the mama I want to be)  is my way of recording and hopefully inspiring other mama’s too. Please inspire me with the little moments you are snatching with your little people OR with ideas I could do with mine. If you have blogged about it please leave a comment so we can all visit and encourage each other.
Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.

Do you have good people in your kids lives?

To see more of what I have been intentionally doing with my boys click here

Make My Week #31 - Olympics Cushion

Another 6th birthday party. This time  for a little sports lover.

As it's the Olympics and all I thought this was an appropriate design.

The birthday boy is a real sweetie with a super competitive approach to everything he does - he plays to win.

I think this will suit him very well!

My big boy modeled the cushion and my little one took most of the photos!

Want to see more crafty stuff I've made this year?