Blondebabypeaches

Still here - had a big break, hoping to get my camera working so I can uodate properlly

School holidays re still in full force and so daily finger painting sessions are keeping us all occupied. Which is fine with me as lately inspiration has been vary rare. I go in my lovely room ( which I need to make use of as soon it turns in to Tylers first bedroom) and stare at all my supplies and I get blanc. Even writing this is leaving me with blankness. Seems I work better under pressure these days - IM hanging out for the new theme on craftsters and I miss try it Tuesdays. So if your reading - give me a theme, even just one word and we will see if we can get it moving along.
I did try paper beads though and made some very beautiful ones, with embossing on some and a thick clear glaze so they were beautiful and shiny, but I sacrificed them to the name of piece, Tyler fell in love with them and he likes to sit down and put them back on the DPNs that they were made on. This can take a whole 15 minutes up, which if you know my Tyler is a big chunk of time for him!!

My lovely pink elephant has arrived from One Red Robin , and His royal majesty has taken over. He is lovely and Im feeling very blessed. I was also ROAKed ( random acts of kindness) by some one at crochetville, and from Texas came THREE new crochet hooks. Perfect timing as my mind starts to wander to a much wanted winter - enough heat already!!

I was tagged by the lovely Miss Violet so
6 WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME

* stickers, small scrunched up papers ( bus tickets, dockets etc) and lolly wrappers make me want to throw up, I cant concentrate If I see one, my mind is fixated on it, and I have to get someone to remove it, and if I have to touch it I have to wash my hands but its still not enough to remove it from my fingers so I rub my fingers on my pants or a cloth to get rid of what ever sensation is there for at least 20 minutes on and off. I can concentrate on stickers and dockets if they come straight from the person or packet and then put down and not touched, which Josh is grateful for as he likes stickers and sometimes he cant get them off the backing with out ripping.

* My matriarchal side of the family have just about every mental illness covered ( now number one make sense doesn't it ;) ).

*I believe in spirits and aliens ( are we humans pigheaded enough to believe that in all the galaxies etc , we are as smart as it gets!?!)

*I still sometimes get afraid of the dark

*I hate feet, including my own.

* Im terrified of new things, esp the thought of when I have to go back to work, Im afraid cause its unknown. Though a great part of my life is spent trying to get over this.

And now you all have confirmation that I'm mental, but its ok, Im a friendly mental that doesn't bite! I cant think of any one I have to tag, so if you read this, feel free!!

Happy new year! Wow, 2007 - anyone else remember how that would sounded so futuristic in the 80's.
This year started of with a bang - actually several, we were lucky enough to have passes to garden island ( a navy base thing) in Sydney - with the most amazing view - plus less crowds and good parking, and we watched the fireworks with glee, But then proceeded to get so lost on the way home that the 40 minute trip - took 3 and a half hours - bet you think Im exaggerating - but Im not - very unfortunately.


This is the year of the Sarah I have decided and its dedicated to not putting my self last. I am pretty special and deserve to feel like it, I wont feel guilty when I buy more material, I will spend time crafting and not feel guilty, try new things, say no, but say yes, and most importantly give my self permission to make mistakes.
Im going to not let what I think other people think of me (which I willing to put money on the they dont think that, it just my own paranoia)

My new year is already showing signs of being lucky - I was lucky enough to win the Pink elephant pillow from One Red Robin .
I am feeling very blessed and cant wait to get my beautiful elephant in the mail.

This is one of my fav's from the wedding - they were both standing their starring when I snapped it, thinking Ill just get the back of their shirts for show , but I really love it.

Found a sewing group on Eb, so if your reading from their HI ya!, its great to see! Last time I was posting on their I had to ask if there were any sewers as it all seemed to be scrapping - which I cant get in to, but they have their own lil bit now, so I can see the other crafts going on more clearly.
haven't really done much crafting wise - due to my brother taking over the sewing room, got some eyelets and red sparkle felt for another go at that stocking, have a skirt to unpick, half way through a crochet pattern, have few more bits that I want to see etc etc etc. My list keeps getting longer and longer - got some plain shirts for Tj to do dome stenciling for him, and Joshie still wants a pirate ship - but for the life of me I cant draw one I like.

On Sunday Ill become Mrs Latham, I never though marriage would be important to me, I never I thought I was one for it, its just a piece of paper as my mum says. But I yearn to be married to him, its incredibly and inexplicably important to me and I cant wait.
I know that things wont be different - which is a good thing I love my life with him ( when he isn't snoring) but it feels like a change is coming.

This is the other thing I was trying to post yesterday. Its a stocking prototype for my friend Betty, who likes the high - hooker for lack of a better word - style boots.
So Do I leave it plain, add laces, add buttons ( real ones not the badly cut out felt ones for demonstration purposes), add a monogram letter B in cursive, start all over again, or do something I've not even thought of.
I like it but I feel it needs a bit of ......?

These are our first strawberries - which we ate just after I posted last - Joshie had to wait till they were just the right shade of red - which involved careful inspection of them each day, and still involves them, each day we check for new ones and their redness inspection.


This is our first on shirt go, Joshie loves it, and I picked up some $2 shirts for Tyler today do a couple for him. Excuse my washing - I hate folding - I will do anything to avoid it for as long as I can

Sorry I've not been around, I've had good excuses though!
I cant get Photobucket to bloomin work, ill try again later if I get the chance, not many craft photos though cause our wedding is on Sunday and its amazing how even when your running of and eloping how there is a million last minute things you need to do!!

Random crafting
2 pick pockets, (think lil purses with 2 pockets inside - named cause when I whipped up the green one - Rod decided he wanted a plain black one for his picks, which he got but no picture cause he wouldn't let me make it anything other then plain black) The string next to my tawny scrawny (which does up with velcro) isn't attached - just didn't notice it when taking the photo

Tyler helping me with my string crochet bag, it folds up in to its own lil round pocket

Remote and TV mag holder.

Lil zip up purse other side is the same suede like as the remote holder in the navy and inside is lined with rainbow fabric - now holds my lino cutting tools

some crochet I'm playing with.

Stencilly fun.
The dragon is growing on me, I need to find one to copy as I did him off the top of my head. My pirate sword which Im doing crossed on a tee for Joshie and my birdies.
These are just on scrapp peices of fabric, so once on good ones it should look very fab. I didnt iron the fabric before hand because who can wait to iron when your excited so there is a lil bleeding, also usinga better brush will help that. I used contact paper as no freezer paper and I havent got any copy paper wrappers yet.
Any ideas on what to do with my practice patches?

First and foremost, a huge thank you to Coryn who is such an amazing person, that she after reading about my being jipped ( what is the correct spelling of that!?!) and my love orange, sent me this amazing pillow, I love and adore it and it follows me from room to room. The pillow looks a bit funny cause I had to wrestle it off Tyler who loves it too.

After the good- now the sad




My beautiful bag, which I love and adore and looks fabulous with my jeans, got attacked by the leaking pen bug, just under the kitty, and I couldn't save it. And it was the last of my tawny scrawny lion sheet (remember that golden book?).
It was perfect, I kept it simple so the sheet could show off its wonderful whimsyness, and it had the perfect pocket - one long one for my evil pens and lippy.
Sad day in bagness.

but in good news again (I'm starting to sound like one of those good bad children's books) I look fabulous in the new top I whipped up



So comfy, Its heaven to wear. Ignore bad old white maternity bra showing through. Its made of stretch Tshirt fabric.

Must remember new camera battery...... To show off all the stuff I have been doing. Mummas been a crafting fool!
We have sewed and drawn and LINO printed
- couldn't believe it when I saw it in a local art/craft store!! And stenciled on fabric - and actually love it! I did a bird like shape inspired by the pieces that are found at this wonderful bloggers local oppies , and then drew a pirate sword for Josh - am going to have both of them crossed and drew a dragon - which I think still needs work but Joshie and ROD love it so will stick with it.
I must admit I was nervous about stenciling - had been watching to many reruns of very bad Aussie changing rooms, but It defiantly isn't as daggy as I remember, I had seen fabulous ones on various blogs and on craftster but for some reason I though mine would turn out like on the very bad abovementioned show.

Ok first before I forget - those near Newton, there is an exhibition thing going on called Walking the Streets, where art is shown in the shop windows - now my mumma has a piece in one of them so go find it! Its suitcases made from train tickets - looks better then it sounds.

I have been going back to basics with my stuff, since my mojo has been playing hide and seek with me, I figured to K.I.S.S. might make it come back and it is and I'm having fun playing - new battery for Velma ( the camera) tomorrow.

And before I go I have a dilemma - I'm doing the use what you have in your stash thing ( elopment is in 24 days) BUT spotty has a sale in all its Sydney stores and I want to get fabric paint so I can try the pretend freezer paper but its really copy paper wrapper stenciling, and would like some more felt for this sassy stocking I'm making.
SO do I stick to my guns - or pretend that its a wedding present to my self?

Actually I do have another dilemma - Am I wierd that I name my stuff? ( My favorite name is Frank for the remote control - Frank the zappa - get it? That Still cracks me up!)

I finally started to use those cot sheets I got from the oppies, - there is half a handbag in my craft room as we speak waiting to be constructed. I'm happy with this one so far hope it turns out as well as I envisage - no pics - not cause I'm embarrassed this time but cause it needs new batteries.

I got gipped on a personal swap, - she was looking for children's patterns so I sent her a heap of Top kids mags ( think aussie ottobre in the 90's), she was going to send me some fabric and a few bits an peices, so nadda, zilch zip, the sad thing is though, if she had just told me she couldn't afford to swap I would of sent her one or 2 anyway and just not send them air mail but by boat (it cost $40!).

OMG!! Click here!

It takes you to a craftster page for us poor aussies who cant get freezer paper it says you can use the copy paper wrappers!!

The real reason for lack of updates

I realised how much worse I have gotten since my mums last atttempt. I am so concerned about getting everything right that I cant just have fun, I craft but then dont like it and am to embaressed or I craft like it the cant get a good photo and am to embaressed.
I used too be the good one about not caring what others thought - way back in my teenage hey days, but its hard now, so many titles to live up to, I am the sensible good girl( even if I did have a baby at 20) yet still yearn to be carefree - though with my babies - I mean in my actions my crafts my arts.
I feel that I have to try extra hard cause I look thriteen ( still at 27) and I have these child people still assume Im the irresposible one. So I try extra hard to be the good woman.
I hide the depression cause its not what good women have and even in my sane moments are afraid that if I talk about it my children will be sent to foster care like my siblings and I were for that year. The stigma of that still stays with me.
I feel that what ever I do isnt good enough, though in the few clarified moments it is, I am.

Still here - just still fighting the big black dog - so going very slowly. I am eloping as well in Nov so trying to get that going - just Us and our 2 boys on the beach at sunset. I cant wait.
Working on half a dozen things as normal, not all of them will get finished as normal - need to reinstall my photo program so there are no photos of what I'm hoping will turn out to be a mod style crochet bag - well at least my interpretation of it!
was working on what looked to be a beautiful peace shawl - but was using the worlds worst written pattern so have given up and working on my own. Shame cause I brought the book purely for that pattern!
Also have the most adorable childs sheet thats waiting to be turned into my latest project bag - have handles, just waiting for energy to hit.

101 in 1001 list to be posted soon
message in a bottle just for fun

My garden is taking on slight undertakings the winter weeds are being cleared away, though some Im in love with and might be keeping.
I have my seeds sprouting and each day I get a report from Joshie about which has new ones etc.

Im working on a crochet bag at the moment - but I don't know about it, in my mind it was so clear but am having transcribing problems.

There was a person who commented a bit ago to see if i have any top kids mags with a suit for size one, I have been trying to email through that email, but it wont let me, and it only just occured to me to put it here. i do have a suit but its for a bigger size? not sure if you would want this to resize - let me know via the comments!

Today a miracle happened, something that hasn't happened in past few days - wait for it..............

I went to the bathroom alone!!!!

Holy cow you say how did that happen? Well I had no sick child clinging off me!! He was better so was sent with his big brother and daddy to watch their cousin play footy, so I had the house alone.
I got to clean (with the top 50 one hit wonders playing loudly in the background, and have hence been singing, boom, boom, boom, lets go back to my room..... all day!)and finally got to make my cherry pie!! Very Yummy!!



I didn't get to do any crafting, but I went to the bathroom alone and that was the best accomplishment that could of happened today!

Excuse my poor tired face - but I had my poor sick boy hanging off me all day and night, I just realized that this is really blurry as well so will take a better photo latter but you get the gist of it.

Today we had to go out and Rod turned to me in the car and said those magic words
"I can take you to spotlight if you want"
This was on a extremely rare day off for him and he said this! I have the worlds best husband!
We had Tyler with us I was trying to be really quick (because he was happy being carried by dad was the easiest trip to spotty ever!!! For the first time in his short life he wasn't going 60 million miles a minute) I spotted some luscious material, and was patting it, thinking I don't really have the money to spend on it, Rod brought me 2 meters of it and another material which he picked out cause he thought it would make a good smock top (and I actually agree)! Then on the way out he said "don't you need more wool, or anything"
I reminded him that he wasn't supposed to help me add to my stash that he was supposed to get angry about it! The man is a crafting womans saint! He said yeah but it makes you happy! I declined this time because I really wanted to get Tyler home, but I cant say I wasn't tempted! He has offered to take me back when I get paid this week to pick up some of the other yummy material I found.

I'm very angry at photobucket - I finally was able to finish my beautiful green smock top - they have down time for scheduled maintence - well who scheduled that! They didn't run it through me - its bad enough that I played bad mummy to what I now know is a sick child to finish the last bit ( I made him play with his father - which he wasn't happy about and I shut the door on the craft room).
In better news Rod likes it, I knew when I picked up this opp shop special that he wouldn't like the material - but I loved it - it was one of my ugly but beautiful finds. Its true he did grimace when he saw it - but holey moley - he likes it as a top!! Shock of the world!
And in even better news I like it! I'm not always fond of the stuff I make for my self - but ill wear this one with happiness!
For a pic of a work in progress on the smock top see 2 posts down.

Would you be wierded out if a perfect stranger knocked on your door and said "I saw a sheet on your line from over the fence, and its so beautifully tacky that I would love to buy it off you and make clothes with it?"

I was so tempted, but before I could get up the nerve, Tyler needed to keep moving so I went and now all I can think about is how beautiful it was and how it would of loved living with me.

Blue Blue Blue
Most things I did today seemed to have a blue hue to it.

The planter boxes, Joshie and I painted this brilliant blue this afternoon. Though beautiful, not finished yet, Joshie thinks they need more decoration, and who am I to argue!

The ballet slippers I whipped up for my self. I was jealous of the ones for Tyler made from the child slipper pattern I posted about here , So I whipped them up using the wool from my second batch of dyeing. Only one - ask Tyler why, apparently it was giggle and snatch time!

This bookshelf I found on the side of the road this afternoon, with a wash and a coat of the blue paint on the sides that weren't white. It will be great above the chest of drawers in the craft room for those extra storage that all craft rooms need. As soon as I get new storage though, it seems to fill up really quickly, leaving me the need for new storage again - its a vicious cycle.

and I know this is green but I was working on it last night so it doesn't count. My smock top in working - a bit shorter then I would of liked - but it was an opp shop special and I had to take what I could get. From this tute .

Im on a mission to reclaim my lost craftiness. As the depression is deciding whether or not to take a real hold I find I get more restricted in my crafting when she's here, I lose my looseness my freedom and become rigid and strict, I need my creativity back.
Crafting is not a choice for my, its my expressions, its my love, my joy, my angst my fear its my life and if I were to lose that I would morn it like I would morn a child.



The three wooden "glass end caps" are to become our summer planters - salads, herbs and the must needed strawberries shall soon be poring out of them, but not before they have been cleaned and painted - I m thinking blue with white polka dots would be esp purdy.



These are the slippers from the craftser post - see a post or 2 below for details, Im only showing you the close up of the hand dyed wool ( my oceans mystique) because I made them to big (chubba was sleeping when I did them and I didn't want to wake him to try them) and I haven't weaved in ends or made a cute motif to go on them, I was thinking a lil red felt car with nice black wheels. And I was thinking about adjusting the pattern for myself and making ones with ice creams on them - sock/slipper heaven!

I have my orange sherbet on needles waiting to be turned into a lil clutch style purse - I would like to felt it but as it was white I fear that the bleached treatment it got might work against me.

Here Here

And as a Special treat of late, Tyler has been hopping of the breast mid feed giving me a lil round of applause and then resuming feeding. Lets all cheer for Boobas!!

Aussies - get the latest Grass Roots magazine - its full of fibreriffic goodness!

We went to have a look at the car boot sale at Joshies school ( Joshie thought we were really going to buy a new car boot) and was prepared just to see junk but I got a beautiful retro trashy Enid gilchrist book for only $2 - Im in trashy craft heaven!

I got my spindle in the mail - it came with a small amount of raw wool - which some had been spun on the spindle - no wonder she gave up if she was spinning straight from that!
Very sticky - would have been shawn a million years ago and had a lot of debris. So I gave it a soak and now its drying patiently till I can get something to comb/card it (The photos are the wrong way around the second photo is the first soak). But it means I get to spin dye and knit/crochet from the beginning!
I have some beautiful fabric just waiting to be sewn - if only I could find the time to cut it - I have to cut on the floor and that's just not very Tyler friendly - but IM crossing my fingers for that moment.
I was on craftster and found these adorable lil slippers to crochet and she included the pattern - very extremely cute
Pattern on second page and her blog here
I'll add them to the other 6 things that are already on hooks or needles.

I also have all the ingredients waiting to be made into a cherry pie - just need time now!

I won the spindle - Yay me!

orange sherbet and Aqua wonder hanging out to dry!

In the last half hour I may have bid on a spindle and dyed some more wool a beautiful orange sherbet.
Too many new addictions

All balled up!
Still Loving it.
I have cast on my oceans and waiting to hit spotty for a 5.5mm hook ( and more wool) for my purples. I lub Lub Lub it!

Dyeing fun - It actually worked and it turned out beautiful, if I had seen these at a store I defiantly would of put some in my basket. I think we have another new obsession.

the greeny / blue (oceans mystique) was a a kool aid type mix - called vitafresh, that I found a IGA (no kool aid is Australia) with a dash or 2 of food colouring, The flavor I used was tropical which was a light green, and blue was the food colouring. It is a bit more nice patchy then the photo shows. I used the soak in hot with a glug of vinegar - then mixed up the colours in a plastic cup with vinegar and hot water - didn't use measurements just went for it. It soaked it up right away and left a tiny bit of clear water - but I nuked it anyway - 2 mins just to be on the safe side, then rinsed

The dusty purples ( no name yet)(which got tangled cause I didn't secure my hank too well, but is now all untangled) Is food colouring with vinegar - using the same method as above.

IM in love. I think the purple is calling me to be a motif type scarf, oceans mystique is still deciding what it wants to be. I think it wants to be felted bag but it forgets its a machine washable wool - so we will have to have a chat and see what else we can come up with.

Now to turn it into balls - which strangely enough I have no idea how!

Oh and I think I want to add spinning to my list!!

Aside form the Top kids mags I scored at the local op shop - bargain I gots some wool and some what Im assuming is like kool aid, some vinegar and food dye, I technique per ball!
Also hit spotty
Skirt pattern new material = Love

Dying link