::today

:: listening to Horse Feathers, my new favourite band. thanks last.fm

:: painting a little violin for custom order

:: wondering how I'm going to choose few holiday photos to show you out of gazillions

:: looking forward to working with someone else in the studio

:: reading a novel written entirely without the letter 'e'

:: drawing ideas for new bearded men. It's a surprise.

:: planning on starting after-school sewing classes

:: missing my family. after 4 weeks together, you kinda get used to the constant chaos and being surrounded by love.



happy last-day-of-winter (or last-day-of-summer, depending on where you are!)

x

blog love- upon a fold

(all images from the shop)

A collection of paper art, supplies, books, and general paper-y goodness. The blog has lovely photos and stories and a list of extraordinary paper artists, and the shop is drool-worthy; you can find out more about it all here. What a lovely place to visit.



Justine & Matt,

you rock my blog world.

:: Quotation

via

"Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already done, you will never grow."



Ronald E. Osborn

wanted: crafty sewer assistant

sew print by masacarphotography

Hi!I need an assistant!

My stockists are growing, and I need to step away from the sewing machine to design new ranges. I am looking for a crafty sewer/ sewing machinist to work with me in my sewing studio, mostly sewing but may be some cutting, stuffing and finishing. You need to be pretty quick, and we can chat about payment per piece or per hour. Suitable for a friendly, creative type with just a few hours a week to start (good for mums too).

Please note that you would be hired as a contractor, not an employee, so you may need an abn (but that's pretty easy); and I'm in Brisbane, so you'll need to live close by. If you're on my blog, you probably already know what I do, but you can see more here.

If you have any questions, or would like to meet for a cup of tea and a chat, drop me a line at pepperstitches(at)yahoo(dot)com; and if you know of anyone who might be interested, please pass this along! That would be ace!

Pepper x

vegemite and naps

(bought this mug in a thrift store in Vancouver. makes me giggle)

Phew! I'm back!



Oh the things I have seen, the places I've been. I cannot hardly even start to think about where I would start to begin. I have gazillions of photos to show you, but I will try to narrow it down to a few. hundred. Canada was incredible, Denmark was gorgeous, my family rocks (and we didn't kill each other! hooray!) and I am sleepy.



For now I am enjoying vegemite on toast more than I ever imagined I would (who knew?) and taking naps at strange times as my body catches up to this timezone. And listening to magpies in the mornings as I write more lists and rearrange my studio.

I've dreamed, I've worried, I've prepared, I've imagined, I've cleaned and now I've packed.

Tomorrow we leave for a month overseas, and I am going to have a rad time. Rad, I tell you. It feels funny to be stepping away from work and sewing and everything. I will be taking a little holiday from blogging too, but please stick with me. I will be back soon, all fresh and inspired and crafty and writing lots of interesting things. With photos of legoland.

See you soon
Pepper x

48hr 'Going on Holiday' Sale! and Giveaway Winner!

Before I close my shops, I thought I'd have a bit of a yay! going on holiday sale! For 48 hrs (until 10pm Wednesday 21st July EST) everything in my online stores is available with a 40% discount! That's, like, heaps!


For purchases in my etsy store, use coupon code YAYSALE2011 For purchases in my madeit or bluecaravan stores, mark payment as 'bank deposit' and I will send you a paypal invoice for the discounted amount. Be sure to check out each store for different colours and fabrics and cute options!


And an extra Yay! The winner of the Kids Crafternoon Book is Angela! Please email me your address, and I'll have the book sent to you lickety-split.

my week in pictures

(yes blogger, please do turn random photos sideways. that's much more interesting.)


:: grrantlers for a new stockist. these ones look like really old ladies, I think.
:: making instruments for something really exciting. Yes.
:: patchwork tablecloths at the local quilt show on the weekend
:: I now have a collection of spoons. Because I needed another collection. (see the one with the wren? that's my favourite.)
:: cupcakes at a friends daughters birthday party
:: I bought a polaroid camera. it was cheap-as-chips, so I had to, really.
:: I made a passport cover, and a travel paint set from a vintage first aid kit, and a travel journal

I have been finishing orders, making piles of things to pack (5 sleeps to go!), breathing deeply, and not blogging much. Not blogging much gives me a bit of the guilts. Do you get that too?

101 things to do in 1001 days

I have started a new list. You know I like lists. Time has a way of flying by when you're not paying attention, don't you find? This list is a list of things to do within 1001 days. They are things I've always wanted to do, or to try, or to do again. I've popped the list on a page in the tabs up there, and I'll cross them out as I go. My list is also here, where you can make your own list, or browse other peoples lists.


Do you have a to-do list for life? A bucket list? New Years Resolution list? A before-I'm-this-age-list?

(Meanwhile I am loving these listography books)

'Holy Dooley I'm In a Book' Giveaway!

A while back, I made some cushions for a book project and yesterday in the mail came the book! (Reason #128 I love my mailman)

Compiled by Kathreen from Whipup, Kids Crafternoon: Sewing is full of simple sewing projects for kids from crafters around the world; and there is my pocket cushion project, on page 94! Sewing is the first of four great titles in Kathreen's Kids' Crafternoon series. Papercraft, Felting and Beading are due for release in November 2011. Yay!

I have a copy of Kids Crafternoon: Sewing to give away (thanks to the lovely folk at Hardie Grant).

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post by 10pm Tuesday 12th July.

Yay Again!

:: Quotation: How To Be Alone

Not quite a quotation, a poem, but just beautiful.
Watch it. Do.


"If you are, at first, lonely, be patient."

what I did yesterday

Made a little guitar for a custom order. Not finished yet, I will add the strings and a little guitar strap too.

etsy & poppytalk love- camping

Compass Necklace; I'd rather be camping Papercut Postcard; Vintage Camping book, English, 1963; Everything........ (vintage shirt); Backyard Camping - An Original Vintage Photograph; Free Papercraft printable July 2011 Calendar via poppytalk; Felt Camp Fire; Antique Oil Lantern; a cute boy I found here. I would very much like to take him camping; 1950's antique thermos; Houndstooth baby bindana; 1oo% Authentic Bigfoot Hair; Vintage Canvas Backpack; Camp Journal via poppytalk.


Gee I like camping. I haven't been camping in years, I don't think. I would like to go in Spring, I think. I might plan it now, and then it might happen.

Where is nice to go camping in Queensland?



see the full (etsy only) treasury here

my (two weeks) in pictures

:: fresh flowers make me happy. they just do

:: mum, grandma and auntie (me) walking the kids to school
:: this little guy fell and broke his arm (photo taken a few days before. I'm not sure if it's the early morning or a possible aversion for cameras but that face while sipping his babycinno speaks volumes, don't you think?)

:: early morning drive to the Handmade Expo markets

:: sniffle supplies

:: duck noodle soup. the search continues

:: making bearded folk men. Will I ever tire of them? I think not

:: my twin sister moved into our lovely house, hooray!

nice crafty places to visit

(make and do; my all time favourite)

Like some sewing or crafty or design ideas? Maybe look at pretty pictures? Need a bit of inspiration? Here are some nice crafty places to visit and stock up.

:: WhipUp (book reviews, tutorials, crafty links, blogging tips)
:: Craftbits (looads of projects, rated by users with a gallery too)
:: The Making Spot (tutorials. Lots and lots of tutorials)
:: Dollar Store Crafts (swell projects to make from dollar store & recycled things)
:: Craftster (so many projects, so very many, and crafting/DIY/eco forums)
:: Craftzine (tutorials, ideas, recipes, DIY, patterns, forums):: Craftsy (tutorials, online classes)


I've left out blogs for now. As you know that may end up a very long list indeed.

Do you have any favourite crafty websites to share?
Please pop a link in the comments!

my creative space- dolls

I've been making some more dolls from calico and vintage fabrics. They are fun to make and to hold, but I'm just.not.sure. about those faces. Do they look too surprised? Just innocent? Do they need a nose?




What do you think?

*update* thanks for your lovely comments! I decided to alter the eyebrows a wee bit, and am much happier. I have named them Agnes, Abigail, Anne and Ada, and they are in my etsy, madeit and bluecaravan stores now x

every day events into every day posters

Loving this growing collection of everyday posters, promoting every day events with posters to give them a sense of importance they ordinarily would not have. You can submit your own, if you're feeling inspired. Or just be lazy like me and check out everyone else's mundane-ness turned event posters.

My poster today would be 'sneezing so much your eyes water', brought to you by 'the common cold', supported by copious amounts of tea, vicks vapour rub and tissues. Showing at 12 noon in my dressing gown. By the makers of 'that sneeze that sits in your nose and makes you pull a funny face' and 'my nose is red and very unattractive'.

Every Day Posters Every Day.

in the mail

Letter and postcard from old housemates in Germany and France, a Japanese book and cars print fabric, and some salt and pepper shakers from the U.S. for my collection (donkeys! and bears!)



I love my mail man.

blog love- eye snacks

Oh I do love the very pretty embroidery, art and photography from Dutch based artist Ingrid. Her blog is lovely, her portfolio is beautiful, she is down-to-earth and creative, and you can also buy some of her work as postcards to send to your friends (or keep for yourself)! What more can you ask for? Oh, that she also has an online vintage shop full of treasures? (I like these) Sure, she has that too!


Thanks Ingrid, you rock my blog world.
(and Limuna you are super-cute)

stop motion music

Keep watching to the end, it gets better and better. Made me smile and dance a little in my chair.

Ace.



Happy weekend everyone!

50% Danish, 100% excited

by Paul Samples

I like being half Danish. I like boiled eggs in my tomato soup. Danish architecture and design give me a vague sense of (probably misplaced) pride. I am happy to be connected to the 'happiest country' in the world. I like bicycles, icecream, cottages, liquorice, vikings, fairy tales and plastic building blocks; all areas in which the Danish excel.

In one month, four peasly little weeks, I will be joining my family (7 + 1 bub) as we travel across the world and meet up with more, far-flung family. I am excited, and nervous, and happy and worried all at the same time. I have never been so far away!


things I want to do in Denmark

:: fill a travel journal, a camera and my suitcase
:: go to the original lego land
:: ride a bike. everywhere. look as chic as these people while doing so.
:: smile at all the tall men. ALL of the TALL men.
:: visit the little mermaid statue
:: see Iron and Wine play. buy a tour t-shirt.
:: send a ridiculous number of postcards
:: look at castles. Maybe Princess Mary's too.
:: soaking up the eco/sustainable/vintage/chic culture. they have lots.
:: eat a lot of Danish liquorice
:: See some deer and other animals-I-have-never-seen
:: go to a Viking Museum

that's all I have so far.
Have you been? Do you have any suggestions?