Birthday Celebration Giveaway

This week I celebrate my birthday and come to terms with the fact that yes, I am getting older and starting to look it too!  But I do love a good birthday party and cake, so I thought I would celebrate by offering my blog readers a special discount in my stores AND a special giveaway too.

I am offering 25% off purchases (excluding postage) in my Two Cheeky Monkeys stores all week.  Those who prefer to shop in my Etsy store can use the coupon code 25SALE at checkout, while the discount is already in place for those who prefer to shop in my Madeit store.

If you love doily buntings and vintage crockery cake stands, then take advantage of the 15% discount in both Domum Vindemia stores this week.  The discount is already in place in my Madeit store, while those wishing to shop in my Etsy store can use the coupon code BIRTHDAY.

And because I love a big celebration, I am offering two prizes to two winners in my birthday giveaway.  First prize will be a pair of Mr Darcy cufflinks and the second prize will be a set of four Pride and Prejudice magnets.  Because I know how much you all love Jane Austen!!!  Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below to gain entries to the giveaway.  Some important information: the giveaway is open internationally and will run until Friday, 24th May 2013.  Winners have 48 hours to reply to their winning notification email before I re-draw the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Liberty Book of Home Sewing - Book Review

I hope you all found last week's book review interesting and helpful.  This week I'm reviewing The Liberty Book of Home Sewing by Lucinda Ganderton.  If you love sewing and adore the Liberty range of fabrics, then keep reading!  As the title says, this gorgeous book is filled with sewing projects for your home (and a few for your body!) made entirely from beautiful Liberty fabrics.  The twenty-five projects in the book range from cushions, curtains and quilts to bags, aprons and even a delightful peacock pincushion.  The Liberty Book of Home Sewing also has a section on sewing basics (such as essential sewing stitches and equipment), a glossary of terms and an annotated pictorial glossary of a wide range of Liberty fabrics.

I really enjoyed poring through this book and looking at all the beautiful photography and illustrations included to help crafters through each project.  The project instructions are well written and seem easy to follow with quite a few projects suitable for those with basic sewing skills (if they're willing to patiently work and think through each step).  I have to give the author bonus points for including "taking it further" options for many of the projects which will inspire more experienced sewists with variations or added extras for the project.

This book is great for Liberty fabric fans and for those who love to sew for their home, as the patterns will work for any good quality fabric, not just Liberty fabrics.  The photography and general design of the book are stunning - there is fabric eye candy galore!  On the down side, sewists who don't like having to enlarge patterns from templates or draw up their own patterns from written instructions are going to find some of the projects a little hard to get started.  This is not a big hurdle for most, but it will be for some.  There are also a few clothes patterns which give measurements only for size 12 individuals.  If, like me, you are still struggling to get back to your sylph-like size 10 or 12 pre-baby body, or if you're just not a size 12, then you might find it a pain to have to re-size the pattern to fit your body shape.

The few "cons" aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book.  It would be a great book to give to someone who adores Liberty or has a passion for vintage-inspired patterns and designs.  If you are not a fan of sewing items for your home, then this book probably isn't for you.  But honestly, I'd be happy just to buy this book and keep it on my coffee table for a touch of prettiness in the room.

Attic 24: A Crochet Lover's "Go To" Blog

Easter Wreath

You all have to know by now just how much I have enjoyed learning how to crochet, and I thought I would share with you one of my favourite crochet blogs.  For those of you who don't already know it, Attic 24 is an English blog full of beautiful photos of nature, baked goodies and bright and colourful crocheted items.  Lucy very generously shares many fun crochet patterns and ideas on her blog, of which I've tried one or two.  So if you love to crochet and still haven't discovered Attic 24, then head on over to Lucy's blog and check it out!

Crocheted Spring Flowers

 

My Creative Space - Literary Cufflinks

Looking back over my blog, I was a little horrified to note that it's been almost a month since I've shared my creative work with my dear readers!  Although I have been working on various handmade items, I think the dreary Melbourne weather combined with recovering from surgery and then a sinus infection have all conspired against my natural urge to share my creations.

But I've been working hard at improving my focus and motivation, so today I'm showing off some new additions to the "literature inspired" range of jewellery in my Two Cheeky Monkeys stores.  The latest additions are all for the well-groomed male in your life - cufflinks featuring the words "Mr Darcy" and "mad Hatter".  I adore the look of a crisp shirt and suit with cufflinks (especially when worn by Mr Cheeky Monkeys!!!) and I'm sure many of my readers must feel the same about their favourite man!

All cufflinks are now available in my Etsy and Madeit stores, as well as at my NSW stockist, The Bower Bird Project (for those of you who happen to live that way and want to see the cufflinks in person).  In the mean time, I'm planning to make some more cufflinks but can't decide whether I should make more of the above or feature more favourite characters from classic stories.  What do you think?

Op Shop Chic - Book Review

During my three weeks of recuperating from foot surgery, I spent a lot of my "free time" reading craft books borrowed from one of my local libraries.  I have read so many craft books that I thought I would review some of them for you, because there is nothing worse than buying a craft book only to find that you really don't like it (and with many people moving to buying books online, sight unseen as it were, this is a risk you sometimes take).

The book I'm reviewing today is Op Shop Chic by Rosie Lyons, which I'm sure you all realised I borrowed because of my love of upcycling.  This cute little book is packed with projects and tips on how to create beautiful items from unwanted, broken or other found objects.  There are four main sections which cover upcycling or recycling old clothing, furniture, fabrics and kitchenwares.

I absolutely love the idea behind this book, including the author's preface explaining why she believes in upcycling and recycling.  There are some highly inventive and pretty projects in this book, and I especially liked the re-decorated lampshade and tea towel bag projects.  However, for the experienced upcycler or op shopper, many of the projects in this book won't be new to you.

On the positive side, with something like forty or so projects in one small book, there are lots of projects to get a novice upcycler started on the right track or to inspire the more experienced creator.  The variety of projects in this little book is also quite impressive.  On the minus side, though, many of the project instructions are brief and not always self-explanatory, and there are no step-by-step photos, making it harder for novice crafters to follow along.  Many of the instructions also assume at least a basic knowledge of various crafting techniques.

So what's my final verdict on this book?  Op Shop Chic is a fun and compact book with many clever recycling and upcycling ideas.  Due to the brief nature of the project instructions and a distinct lack of photography (except for final product photos), I wouldn't recommend this book for those who are new to the creative world.  However, this book would be a good start for creative individuals looking for inspiration or a "how to" to get them started on the creative path that is upcycling.

DIY Mother's Day Roundup - For the Walls

Today is my final in my series of DIY mother's day posts.  I am a big fan of creating art for my walls (not that I have much wall space in my home), so today's post has various ideas for you to help your mum decorate her home.

Quirky cutlery art

What mum doesn't love to display photos (or silhouettes) of her "babies"?

Fabric in embroidery hoops is simple, but effective!

Another one for mums who like their art on the quirkier side of life.

What about a framed crochet "sampler" for the crafty mum?

Melt a mother's heart by framing her little one's artwork or by helping a child to upcycle their paintings into new works of art.

DIY Mother's Day Roundup - Flowers

I know that flowers can get pretty expensive around mother's day, and it's always a little disappointing when those beautiful flowers eventually fade and die.  So why not make your mum some longer lasting flowers???

Make a flower corsage for mum.

An oldie, but a goodie - ribbon roses.

A muffin cup/patty pan flower with a lollipop - kids could make this one so easily!

What about a handmade floral wreath for mum?

Another oldie but goodie - tissue paper flowers.