A very special music-themed order

I know, I know, Christmas has only just passed and we still have the new year to ring in with celebrations.  And I am technically still on holiday.  Buuuuuttt...I have been slowly working on some non-rush orders for lovely friends and family members.

One of those orders is for my cousin who has probably studied music the longest out of all of us cousins.  She wanted little gifts she could give to her music students and commissioned several creations which I have not previously stocked in Two Cheeky Monkeys.

The musical clef cufflinks have been a popular addition to my stores, with several already heading off as gifts to music teachers and musicians.  However, the cute musical note collar pins are a completely new design.  I am loving their fun small size, and am seriously thinking of adding these to my store.

Another new design is the musical hair pins/bobby pins.  I will be adding this design to my store for sure, and customers will have their choice of treble clef, bass clef or musical note variations.  What do you think - would your favourite musician or music teacher love one of these?

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year

Yet again another Christmas has snuck up on me - a sign of old age, I fear!  But here's to all of you my faithful readers and friends.  Thank you for your support, comments and encouragement.  And I wish you all a wonderful Christmas celebrating (the birth of Jesus) with loved ones, and here's to a blessed and fun-filled 2016.

Christmas Gift DIY: Bling Lovers

The final in my series of DIY Christmas gifts is for those who love all things bling.  While super glitzy phone cases, shoes or accessories are really not my thing, I have to admit that there is something strangely alluring about tonnes and tonnes of sparkles.  Do you have a bling-loving friend or family member?  Or are you that person?

1. I can't resist a good rhinestone creation!

2. Give the gift of a custom blinged up phone case.

3. Bedazzled sneakers are a lot of fun for big and little girls (and you can even do them in more muted colour schemes).

4. An affordable way to enjoy the druzy trend.

Christmas Gift DIY: Geeks

Okay, today's Christmas gift DIY roundup is all bout spoiling your favourite geek boy or girl (Mr Cheeky Monkeys is my favourite geek, though I have a surprisingly large number of geeks in my life...I wonder why).  The beauty of some of these projects is that they can be adapted for almost any geeky obsession; and those of us who aren't "obsessed geeks" can love these creations too, ahem cough.

1. An abacus bracelet - wow - need I say more?

2. Doctor Who high heels, because it's not just the males who love the Dr!

3. Many beloved novels have their own unique land or country - why not turn your favourite literary piece's mythical land into wall art.

4. Practical and geeky at the same time: geekery serving dishes

5. Hands up who grew up playing Donkey Kong?

6. Another practical and geeky creation, a Dr Who notebook cover.

Boho Charm Necklaces

With only a week till Christmas (eep!!!), my love for (and my customers' love for) boho chic literature necklaces is still going strong!  I had a mild panic with only three of these fun necklaces left in-store during my busiest time of year, so I quickly set about adding to this popular range.

I have added several new "Mr Darcy", "Miss Eyre" and Anne of Green Gables versions to my stores in a range of colours and am currently considering which other literary characters I should add to the range.  Who would you choose?

Christmas Gift DIY: DIYers and Creative Types

Today's DIY Christmas gift roundup is for those friends and loved ones who love to create or have always wanted to try their hand at something a little creative.  So go on, give someone the gift of creativity this Christmas!

1. This fun sewing kit/sewing caddy is perfect for a young person or novice sewist!

2. Inspire someone to keep a journal with this beautiful journalling kit.

3. Use this tutorial for ideas in putting together a glass tile pendant-making kit.

4. Encourage little ones to be creative with their very own portable craft kit.

Teacher Gifts

As the end of the school year approaches for those of us in the Southern hemisphere, there has been a lot of mad creating going on in the Two Cheeky Monkeys household.  Some of the Monkeys' teachers are fans of handmade and special gifts, so I have been making little thank you gifts for them.

Fans of my Domum Vindemia store will recognise these two designs; they are my very popular music bookmark and teacup candles.  So a question for all the teachers out there: what is your favourite kind of thank you gift to receive?  Are you an "I hope they all chip in together" type, or do you appreciate the heartfelt and well thought out little gifts?

Sweet Mummy Necklace

I was recently approached by a customer who wanted a custom necklace which would represent her love for her beautiful children.  Knowing that I make a range of literature locket necklaces, she asked if I could inset a photo into a locket instead of a snippet of text.  While this is very do-able if a photo can be re-sized to fit my lockets, she ultimately chose to go with the very popular option of birthstones.

So here is what I created for this sweet customer, a locket necklace featuring each of her children's birthstones (in gorgeous Czech firepolish beads) and a charm which she fell in love with whilst browsing all my locket necklace choices.  It is always lovely to make a uniquely meaningful custom piece and get a glimpse into my customers' lives, and I know that this necklace will be cherished and worn often.  I can't ask for more than that my customers LOVE my creations!

Handy Dandy Needle Minders

For those of you who remember back to my needle in the foot episode (which I'd really like to forget), this post is one of my ways of ensuring that others don't suffer a similar fate!  Although my accident was due to a dropped sewing box and a sloppy cleanup thereof, I am completely sold on the wisdom of using needle minders when working on hand sewing projects.

So, with that in mind, I knew it was time to start creating needle minders/keepers for Domum Vindemia.  Of course, being me, I have gone down the path of making literature-themed needle minders!  The larger size (3cm - 1 & 3/16th in) of the glass cabochons I am using means that longer character names can be accomodated under the glass.  At the moment I am offering customers a choice of various Jane Austen characters, as well as Jane Eyre, To Kill a Mockingbird and Romeo & Juliet characters.  Who would you choose?

Cufflinks for the literature buff

I have been working on expanding Two Cheeky Monkeys' literature cufflink range for some time now, and last Saturday I unveiled some new additions with great approval at the Kingston Arts Makers Market.  Character names have been popular with many customers, but I have also had others asking for their favourite quotes inset into my literature jewellery and accessories.  So far I have added two famous quotes to the cufflink range, as well as a few new character name sets.  Keep your eye out for more newbies coming soon!

Christmas Gift DIY: Little People

I love to make gifts and surprises for my two cheeky monkeys, so of course I had to put together a roundup of child-friendly gift tutorials.  These DIYs are more suited for small children (I'm thinking preschool/kindergarten age), but some could be adapted for older kids too.

1. Memory games are great for entertaining kids as well as developing cognitive skills!

2. Every prince or princess needs a crown, of course.

3. This one is for all the parents who are tired of stepping on Lego/small toys.

4. Pretending to be a superhero/superheroine is so much more fun with an actual cape.

Christmas Gift DIY: The Gardener

My dad was a fairly keen gardener, and my FIL and MIL have been happily pottering around their garden in their retirement (he grows fruit and veggies and she grows beautiful flowers and herbs).  And Mr Cheeky Monkeys and I, while not particularly proficient, love to try our hand at growing our favourite edible and/or beautiful plants.  So today I have put together a roundup of gift tutorials for spoiling that avid gardener you know.

1. A funky kneeling pad for protecting knees.

2. This hand cream would be great for anyone who has dry hands!

3. Plant markers are essential for remembering which seeds and seelings were planted where.

4. A garden tote is perfect for gardeners to keep all their tools together in the garden.