Kimonos

I'm not usually one to spruik on my blog, but I've just come across a super sweet Japanese-inspired book for my Japan-obsessed Ollie.

(image from Booktopia - see link below)

Kimonos by Annelore Parot (which can be found here - check out some of the inside pages) is so sweet! Although it is mostly about a handful of Japanese girls in their kimonos, I think Ollie will adore it. There are a few boys and men pictured in traditional clothing, so I may even be able to convince him to wear something Japanese-y. Definitely one for his Christmas stocking!

Cookie Christmas Cards

Have you spied this yet? I thought it'd be perfect for making this years Christmas cards.

I made the above card with a cute little family in mind. Even though the dad is not a well-dressed pirate, I thought they'd like it :)

Basically, I just cut and pasted the cookie people that I wanted to use, added the xmas tree, and shrunk down the boy in a box so he looks more like a 2 year old boy in a box!
For the gift cards above, I shrunk the original image and cropped it in half. I arranged four on the page so I could print them out onto card stock and cut them into 4 small cards. I bought the card stock from a little scrapbooking place in Ormond (Melb) that's closing down, so got it for 5o% off. Perfect!

Quilted Christmas Wall Hanging

Inspired by the simplicity of this quilted wall hanging I saw over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio the other day, I decided to make myself a Christmas version.I searched for a Santa quilt block with no success, but knew I'd seen gnome quilt blocks around the traps. I ended up modifying this gnomeling quilt block to make the Santa. I also googled Christmas tree block, the star was a simple nine patch star. I've quilted it in straight lines that are roughly 1/2 an inch apart, and it's bound in red and white candy stripes. Now it's due for a wash so I can see how crinkly it turns out! After the wash, I'll sew on a little bell to the top of Santa's hat, and maybe a little gold belt buckle.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas!

This tired elf is off to bed - I have an early start in the morning, no doubt!

The Eleventh Hour....

I received the cutest little tin of chocolates today that I just had to share with you! They are made by a German company Confiserie Heidel, and they are so delightfully presented in a gorgeous embossed hinged tin.

Inside are four individually wrapped chocolates. I'm saving the wrappers to use as Christmas decorations for next year, they are just so sweet!
Now back to some eleventh hour Christmas crafting.....(always the procrastinator!)

my (super)hero *sigh*

One of my favourite things to see when I'm out and about is a little kid dressed up in a costume. Ollie hasn't been much of a fan of wearing dress-ups thus far, but I plan to change that by providing him with some rockin' costumes for Christmas.

The inspiration for this one comes from Ollie himself. When he refers to himself, he nearly always calls himself "Ollie-boy". Sounds like a side-kick name to me.

I picked up this yellow costume for a couple of dollars from an op-shop a few weeks ago.

Off came the roaring Tiger picture on the front, and on went an "O" for Ollie Boy. I added one on the pants, too, just because I could.
Then, on the back I added a black cape with his super hero moniker. Finito.
Hope he wears it ;)

Stencil Madness

I've knocked a few Christmas presents off my list this week, including all of these freezer paper stencil tees. The majority turned out well, a couple look a little patchy so I'll fix them up before I wrap them up. They are pretty easy to do, but if you haven't attempted freezer paper stencils before, Hoppo Bumpo has a comprehensive series of blog posts covering all the details (link, scroll down for stenciling info).

All the images I've used have been found on the internet, and all of the tees are intended as gifts for my nephews and sons of friends.

Kombi Van

Superman

Cassette Tape

Doodling Boy Swedish Street Art

(not quite finished - still have to add a red squiggly line drawn by the boy that will go around to the back of the tee)

London Street Art

(slightly modified - I removed the syringe from the end of the fishing line!)

VW Beetle

Mini Cooper

Lightning bugs

We ventured to the other side of town this week to check out CERES, and GJ's Fabrics, since it was right around the corner. Loved CERES! Is there anything like it in the South East/Bayside area of Melbourne?

I scored some of my favourite fabric at GJ's - Heather Ross's goldfish. $8 per metre. Bargain. I only wish I had been paid by work the day I was there (they failed to pay me - and I'm still waiting!!!!). I would have bought much more.

Anyhoo, one and a half metres was plenty enough to make some library bags for the Mother's Group kidlets. They are simple totes, fully lined, with the child's first initial machine appliqued on the front in a contrasting fabric.
I'll pop down to the shops if I ever get paid to get a book for each for the bags.

In the meantime, on to the next lot of xmas presents!

Christmas Wrapping Paper

Take one small boy, some potato stamps and some red and green paint...

Mix in an easel, butcher paper and some paint brushes...
Cover in an old t-shirt...
and you get a good supply of handmade Christmas wrapping paper.

Christmas Gifts

This parcel of goodies is off to the UK, hopefully in time for Christmas! I've really enjoyed sewing up all these goodies, and I'm delighted that all the materials (except for a packet of textas) came from my stash.

This hat was knit by my sister for the newest of the UK clan - born early November.
Some Christmas tree decorations made from Yo-Yo's, buttons and ribbon.
A texta roll (there are plenty of tutorials out there for pencil rolls/crayon rolls etc, but really, it's not rocket science. I just made up the pattern based on the size of my textas.)
Tied with some grosgrain ribbon.
Some little shoes for the little man. Again, patterns for little shoes can easily be found on the internet. I used a pattern that I had when Ollie was a babe.
I made up two Nintendo DS pouches using a tutorial found here. My photos don't really do it justice, as I don't have the DS and games to model in the pouches.
Basically, the pouch has a large side pocket for the game console thingy, and three little pockets for the little games.

I've also posted off the gratitude wrap I made last week, and one of the pear pincushion I made a while ago, all packaged within a fabric basket for the new babe. The Christmas presents were wrapped in some home made Christmas wrapping paper (I'll have to post about that this week) and some handmade Gocco printed gift tags. All in all, a very handmade Christmas!

Is it too early to mention Christmas?

Usually I wait until my after my birthday to start talking about Christmas, but I seem to have it on the brain! I'm aiming to make the vast majority of the gifts I give this year - although I have made a head-start on my Christmas shopping already.

Cute Christmassy ornaments

Sneak peak at a Christmassy gift

Trial run of some Christmas gift ideas

(tutorial found here)

Also, I was invited to contribute to the Melbourne op shopping blog I Op Therefore I Am this week, so go check it out!