Playdoh and Prostitutes

So today in class we had 6 hours of group presentations. Yes, you read it correctly - 6 HOURS. And a total of one break, not included in the 6 HOURS. bleerrrrrrrrrrgggghhh.
To be honest, it could have been worse! People did make an effort to make things interesting - we got to play with playdoh (create-your-own public art!), we were bribed with chocolate (always a winner), we heard about the Newcastle Lockout (only 3 times), the legalised prostitution debate (interesting..), disability policy, Cessnock & Tidy Towns, Place-making in Newcastle, and more..
I managed (just) to stay awake for all of it, and got a letter written into the bargain.

Here's one of the playdoh artworks:

We did the Pasha Bulka for ours - Alyssa's amazing ship and my tiny starfish-like people were pretty incredible! But as there's no photographic evidence, you'll just have to take my word for it..

only one housey bit to go - yew!!

Now to finish and find a frame before the weekend.. Only 7 weeks late for my dear mother's birthday (shh don't tell!). 

How to make star lanterns!

A friend of ours made star lanterns for a party recently, and inspired us to do the same!

 I hadn't actually seen the lanterns, but had a photo which gave enough of an idea! So we went to the hardware shop and got some lengths of dowel (these were 2400 by 6mm I think).
For the big lantern I cut them into 1m lengths (10 pieces). Taped 5 together into a flat star, then the other 5 into another. Taped the flat stars together. Then, with han and skye on board, taped some struts in the middle to bend the star into 3D. That was the tricky bit!

Then I made some flour & water glue, and we used old patterns (for making clothes with) to cover the stars.

Han pasting away..

We ran out of time to organise proper lighting, so cut a hole and sat them on lampstands! Voila!

Time to party :)

Crafty Tuesday

 Well, I always meant to post about Crafty Tuesday, so here are some pics I dug up.

I often used to go round to my friend Jodi's place, who is a mad keen sewer, and has an open house on a Tuesday for whoever wants to come do art/craft/hangout. [You should check out her blog! http://tickleandhide.blogspot.com/]
I can't go anymore because I'm on placement, but it was always a fun time - regardless of the level of productivity!

On this particular occasion Baby stole the show a little bit, as you may have noticed..

Here is my embroidery lying neglected:

The lovely Jo with one of her little dresses:

Backyard looking so mellow in the sunlight..

DIY Onesie

Today I made a onesie. Well, I started it yesterday but sewed it today:

(sorry about the crappy photo)

It was lots of fun. I made it on Hanwen's new sewing machine - yay for her mum randomly giving her a sewing machine!!

It turned out fairly different to the picture I first had in mind, but I'm pretty happy with it. Particularly because I didn't end up needing to get any buttons (or make any buttonholes for said buttons) cos I went for the wraparound effect.

I didn't want to buy anything, so I'd looked around for a piece of clothing that

1) I didn't care about cutting up

2) was big enough to make into a one-piece suit.

And I found a pair of wraparound pants that I never wore because they were too long and flappy and annoying:

And I cut them up. Yay for recycling things!

And then what did I do with my new onesie?! I went to a onesie party in it of course!

Ok so it may be 1:25am but I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still the same day. right? yeah.

Today I did a really really really dumb and forgetful and embarrassing thing. But I can't tell you about that yet, cos I need a bit more distance. Sorry for the suspense :P.

Instead I'll tell you that today I slept in a bit, woke up all blocked and wheezy - ugh, tidied and washed up, started trying to make a onesie out of a pair of pants I never wear for a friend's party tomorrow, went & had yummy coffee at the Godfrizzle's place, read a book in a tree and was stumbled upon by a couple of random guys (so it's the first time in ages I've been up a tree with a book - and a thermos of tea, no kidding - and I get sprung!!) I'm sure they thought I was a fruit loop but they were very friendly and polite all the same. Maybe they didn't see the thermos. That would have confirmed it.

OH and then tonight (after the phonecall with my mother which made me realise the stupidly stupidly idiotic thing I had done - forgetting that thing, you know..well you don't.. but..) so yeah, tonight, I went to a loungeroom gig at my friend Aidan's place, and the lovely Redhanwen trio played and they were _gorgeous_ and then his friend James Fahy played and he was super! Cool voice and very entertaining. Such a great, cosy, intimate vibe there.

I had to leave early to pop in at another party which was a bit of a pity - but that was a good time of chatting & catching up with people so definitely worth it too.

And now here I am, onesie now half-made (I'll let you know how it turns out!) and I'm off to bed.

Bagful of joy

I wanted to show you my fun new bag I made:

It's from a pattern by Anna Maria Horner which my lovely friend Jodi bought and then made a bag from.. and inspired me.

(looks brighter with the flash, hey)

Pockets!

I made the strap extendable:

Added a fabric rose out of the scraps:

A little bit tricky, but so much fun to make! And I love the orange-ness.

In other news, it's a sunny sunny sunny sunny day today (I had to say it at least that many times to express my joy at the sun's glorious golden presence (and the conspicuous absence of black and bursting rain clouds!).

I went for a walk and discovered new and exciting patches of wilderness (in the midst of the suburbs, no less). Little drippy mossy gullies all overgrown and strung with glinting cobwebs.

Here are some cheery nasturtiums I picked on the way:

:)

Stuff[ed things] I Made

Here are some pics of fun little toys I made in the hols:
(click on them to enlarge photos)


Smirky.

I've got to admit that he is my favourite. I just love his blissful smirk and the way he slouches around so contentedly wherever he is!


Ginny the Giraffe

She was actually given eyes, but I didn't get a pic with them before I gave her away.


Elephant - I can't remember if he ended up with a name!


Little Pup


Thanks to the supercute patterns and ideas in the More Softies book - The Penguin Group 2008.