Sweet Fabric:
tin cans

Finally back online! It seems our disconnect had nothing to do with storms & everything to do with the Foxtel guy. Apologies for not popping in to say g'day last week.

In the space this week I have the beginnings of a custom music box order. It's really all about the music box at the moment...I've got 5 on the go this week. I've really enjoyed the stretch with this one. I've used a comination of water colours & freehand machine embroidery to achieve the look that the customer was after.

Visit my favourite creative space ever right here. It's a really special one...go...go...go.

Just a little housekeeping note...I've ditched JS Kit. I'd received a number of emails from people having trouble loading the site & more & more of you seem to be having trouble commenting so I'm back to bloger which in my opinion is just about the worst commenting system going around. We'll see how it goes. I think I'll miss the chat.

Don't forget to pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.

& heading to Canberra with Shannon and a few Aunty Cookie music boxes too.

"You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run"

I'm so running ... running from the disaster that is our abandoned life in the old house & hoping that The Date & The Smalls might have everything done by the time I get back ... I fancy myself as very clever.

I'm excited about...

- catching up with Nan.
- just worrying about myself.
- laughing.

See you here or on Sunday here.

Hot
-Red
-Finishing up & posting Music Boxes. My music box shop.
-matsutake I think I'm going to like it there. Found via whipup (also pretty hot).
-tinkering around with a bit of html.
-Fiona's puppy for softies for mirabel.

Not
-Red
-Electricity taking up to FOUR weeks to get connected! What is up with that?
-too many hours kneeling on the floor, sitting at the sewing machine & typing on the keyboard. All this makes for a pretty creaky OLD me.

More of what's hot & what's not over at Loobylu.

just the right size for a small bottom.

We've got a bit of a love of stools at our place. Often the three kids & I are found sitting perched on little stools in front of the gas fire.

This little toad stool is constructed from a tin can, a round placement & the foam from the other day as well as a little extra stuffing. The can has been weighted to keep it stable.

For the price of a few screws & a couple of hours of your time you could make one of these yourself.

A lovely gift idea I think.

A selection of my finest produce.

The hexagon faker fabric is my weekend favourite.

Hope your weekend has been relaxed and lovely.

Earlier in the year I said I wasn't going to leap frog around from project to project. It seems I just can't help myself.

I've been mucking around making a roly poly toy.

I had intended for it to be a flower pot but now I think a little character might be better.

"I get knocked down but I get up again...you're never going to keep me down". I like the message. In my opinion resilience is the very best weapon you can arm your kids with.

sleep tight.

Tin can music box made for PANDAs good night - Night Out Night Off. It plays Brahms Lullaby.

Posted (late) to Ms Cookie.

All my babes went to sleep with plinky plunky music playing in their rooms & Lullaby is my favourite.

I'm so pleased with my MP3 music box. I do love the wind up, plinky plunky version but this is something quite special, I think.

The Story
Someone contacted me via the website to ask if it would be possible to have a music box which played The Cure. I did a bit of research & found nothing. Then another person asked if they could have an original piece of music added to a music box.

I got to thinking & originally purchsed one of those "record your own" greeting cards. It wasn't at all satisfactory. The quality was terrible and you could only record about 20 seconds.

Then I wondered about making a little pocket for an iPod or MP3 player. There is also a speaker below the "false floor" of the music box. The wiring is all hidden in the lining and both the speaker and iPod/MP3 can be used outside the music box. The only element that is fixed is the wiring.

I did manage to break one speaker trying to force it into my standard size music box. The final version is 800g tinned tomato size.

So...a couple of casualties, much swearing & back to the drawing board moments, but I'm thrilled with the end result.

I'm also grateful to people who ask questions & push a bit.

It's cleaning day (which I'm not a fan of). But I love the smell & sparkle of the eucalyptus at the end.

So now I shall sit on my nice shiny floor tonight & finish off this music box.

Quite a few friends have given birth lately (all have had girls).

Gifted this week.

Spearmint & pink music box which plays "dance of the sugar plum fairy".

One of my neighbours from childhood had a little boy recently.

I set about making a music box for him just like this one. I stained & printed the fabric. I lovingly stitched & assembled all the elements. Once complete, I imagined how this little gift might be treasured in years to come by a sweet little boy named Harry.

Then, just as I was about to wrap...something made me hesitate. I came downstairs & trawled back through the inbox only to discover the baby's name is HENRY!

So might I suggest that if you're expecting, that Harry is an excellent name for a boy ...

Tins of Fun. Draw.

I think quite handy for keeping the smalls entertained when you're out & about. I have visions of these being toted out to dinner over the summer.

Just like this...

Can you tell I'm on the countdown to school finishing? How I love the holidays.

The popcorn plans are complete.

The original idea for this came from yoghurt tubs. We eat quite a bit of yoghurt & consequently I've collected a good number of the 1kg tubs. I thought that they would make good popcorn buckets & set about preparing the embroidery.

It didn't work out as I'd planned because the tub was considerably narrower at the base than at the top. So I've gone back to the old faithful tin can & I'm pretty happy with the result.

I've been nodding along with Lara, Jodie & Stacey as they've been struggling with their crafts being suitable/cool enough for boys & teenagers.

I reckon this ticks all the boxes & will make a really cute Christmas gift. I'll be packing a sealed bag of popcorn & a movie ticket into each tin. The large (800g?) can of tinned tomatoes is perfect for the job. It doesn't look like it fits in the pic but it does - I promise.

Best of all ... it's cheater craft!

This was gifted yesterday.

Constructed from: tin can, coffee dyed sheeting, upholstery sample & music mechanism.

See more of my music boxes.

& today is the last day to enter the giveaway.

Paul Kelly gives me goosebumps too.
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just waiting for the glue to dry so I can finish off another tin can music box.

I really love making these - they give me such pleasure & thinking of all that lies ahead for the little people that will own them gives me goosebumps.

Just an aside: fellow tin can crafter posted today about her recent makings from vintage pillowcases & she shares my love of little people. Maybe I've found her.
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Fresh Home Sewn Produce

Not available at a supermarket near you.

My teeny cooking apple. He's tightly sealed inside the tin waiting to be gifted to someone special.

are now Off my desk...

& available for sale at my favourite shop. I was in there on Saturday & the shop is just jam packed with stunning handmade loveliness. I bought my kids some Larkmade eggs - just so sweet. I'm eyeing off a couple of gorgeous vintage dresses too. Do yourself a favour - pop in & say hi.

On my desk... after work. Have a fabulous day.

for a girlfriend's new baby.

It is a music box. Our babes were given pewter ones when they were born & they are truly treasured. Each now holds the dried petals from the roses given to me by the date on the day they were born.

It's what I began the other day & I'm very happy with my girl meets boy crafting effort on this one.

I used the drill, the sewing machine, a bit of embroidery & some strong (& good smelling adhesive) The only new item I purchased was the music maker - it plays "rock a bye baby".

I'm looking forward to the first Brown Owls meeting tonight only a few more hours - yipee!