Bay View Christmas Market Day & Northside Makers Market This Saturday

This Saturday is going to be a busy one. Kazzalblue has 2 markets at the same time! Here's me (Joy) at the one we did in Nunawading a few weeks ago. Karen was conveniently taking the photo!





This time Karen will be at the Northside Makers Market in Northcote, VIC, Australia while I run a market in Bayview, Napier, New Zealand.



No chance of getting together for these ones when they are in different countries.



I am looking forward to it with a little apprehension as I will be on my own there but then so will Karen. Please pop down and say hi. We'd love to meet you all. Here is a better pic of me and my son when I went to visit him in Melbourne.


So see you on Saturday!

Charity Walk for Child Cancer

I totally advise against ever walking 15km without training first. I heard about a great charity event called the Mega Walk and thought hey - A nice stroll on Sunday morning will be good for me. A group of us ventured out together but I could not keep up. Ended up with me on my own most of the time chasing the figures in the distance and suffering as silently as possible - HOWEVER!! I did finish and eventually caught up with my friend after jogging a bit and it is only now that I have stopped that my hips have completely seized into one position and I feel like the tin man from Wizard of OZ!

That's me on the right, and my obliging friend on the left!

Quite an accomplishment tho! Unfortunately my once nice, lovely, helpful husband thinks it is very funny and won't help me at all!

Yesterday before I put myself into this position I was very busy working on lots of things for the markets. I have a Christmas shop I am a part of with my sister, Karen, and drop of was yesterday so all the tagging and labelling had to be done and for the first time ever I got it all done on the first day!

Next weekend I will be at the Bayview Christmas Market so I hope to see lots of you there!

I have also been trying to get actual school work done. I am in the middle of writing end of year school reports - well nearly in the middle of it anyway! And I am rather proud of myself because I took this pic on my phone and I have actually managed to get it onto the computer!

Jean Shopping - YUCK !!!

Today was my first Monday not going to work in the city. I did have to go to work with hubby but I started as I told him I intend to continue and went shopping first. We have a family sitting on Wednesday for some photos and the whole family had to get new clothes to be a similar colour scheme. We opted for a white pastel kind of look with jeans. Given I am the only female I got to wear whatever I wanted and the boys are all wearing shirts.

Dont you hate shopping for jeans though. I really dont think I am an abnormally shaped size 12-14, but when I went to try on a very common type of jean, not mentioning any names, if the waist was the right size then the butt was too big and if the butt fitted then the waist didnt. I was starting to get a real complex so I called it a day and resigned myself to wearing the same old jeans I have been wearing for the past year. The day wasnt improved by the fact that in pulling on and off the pair of three quarter jeans I was wearing, the button broke so I ended up walking around Eastlands holding my pants up.

Anyway I was lucky enough to have another go this morning and I found a really great shop. I know you have all heard of Jag. Well I had, but had never shopped there. They have gorgeous tops for women and great jeans and they are really well priced. Everything fitted and I wasnt a funny bottom size and bigger or smaller top size. I have three very nice tops to choose from now and a nice pair of jeans so we will all be in new clothes for our photo, even the baby.

If they come out really nice, which I am sure they will, I am going to have the photos made into a book to be given to the parents and inlaws for Christmas gifts. I will put up a link for the photographer and show you the finished products when they come out next week.

Take care!
Karen

Last Day at Work

I have taken the plunge and have finally after 10 years resigned from my job in the city. I have been working part time ever since Sammy arrived and working for a family business and trying to sew in my spare time. (WHAT SPARE TIME) and I finally decided to work just for the family business and do a little sewing and spend more time, I hope with the family.

What a big change! Today was my last day and it is quite nice to think I dont have to be there on Monday. No traffic to deal with, or rushing to get kids off to school and then get to work. No feeling guilty when I want to be sewing for a change.

So, on top of selling the house and planning on moving, I have also had a career change.

That is partly why I have been making lots of different things lately. I like to create but havent had the chance till just recently. Once you start things just seem to flow.

One of my Christmas ideas is this swag. It says Merry Christmas and you can hang it over a door or on the fireplace, which is where mine goes. All handmade and different from the mass produced items you can buy in the shops. I love the idea that there are only about 10 of these in the whole wide world, and I can say that because that is all I have made so far.

.

Do you like to create new projects. If you send me a link or an email with a photo attached I would love to show off some of your wonderful works for you. If not, drop me a comment and let me know what your favourite thing to make is.

Karen

Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap

Yesterday I found out who my Christmas swap partner is. Her name is Jeannet and she lives in Holland. I took a look at her blog
http://quiltingjeannet.blogspot.com/ and she makes such beautiful patchwork items. We have been in contact with each other and are really looking forward to the swap.





It's always nice to see what other crafters do and I am very excited because this is the first one I have joined in.

Thanks to Clare, from Clares Craftroom, and Robyn , from DaisyQuilts, for organising the swap. I'm off to get creative now.

Nothing to Do

I am facing the amazing prospect of having a whole weekend with nothing to do. Well, I mean nothing planned to do. I am sure I can fill the void with all sorts of things that arent planned though. Second master has gone off to camp for the weekend and the eldest thinks he is going to play xbox all Saturday. The littlest will have a big hopefully 3 to 4 hour sleep so I think I will sew and prepare for the markets I have coming up at the end of the month.

I would offer to help my husband tidying his shed, ready for the big move now we have sold the house, however I helped him last week and only got moaned at for calling all the things in the shed rubbish. (How was I to know it is a shed law that you must hold at least 2 of everything, but never know where they are when you need them) and never return anything purchased from Bunnings even if it isnt required). I think we could start a bunnings with all the things in that shed!

So that leaves me with spare time. Yippy!

My colouring wallets have been popular and I have great fun making them and as I have been showing off in my previous posts I have been experimenting with other projects lately to take to the markets. I think the recyclable sandwich bags are great too and I have to finish those and my dinosaur toys too, so lots to finish off. Perhaps I should have a finish day?

It is supposed to be around 31degrees on Sunday in sunny Melbourne. How are you going to spend this lovely weekend?

More Reusable Snack Pouches and Sandwich Bags

Environmentally Friendly Reusable Sandwich Bags

I thought I just might pop up another couple of photos of the snack pouches I have finished and listed on Madeit. I had to make some for little girls, seeing as I only have boys in my family but have lots of very cute girl fabric. When the boys saw them though I had to make more boy ones so I used some great fabric that has soccer balls on it and world flags. Too cool for boys I think, even my 14 year old said it was cool.

What do you think??

Reusable Snack Pouch

Well I have been busy over the past few days. Melbourne cup weekend and I found this fabulous website I have spent most of my time browsing through.

Finally got off the computer and got a little motivated to do some sewing. I have been meaning to make these gorgeous little snack bags for my little boy, but kept putting it off. Not sure why as they really dont take very long. While all the boys in the family were watching the grand prix this morning on TV I cut the pouches in the photo out and sewed them all up.
Sammy loved them. When I picked him up and handed over his pouch he wouldnt give it back to me. I had to grab it for a photo while he was having dinner.


I thought they came out really well and they were fun to make. I decided to put a couple on my madeit site as they are such a great reusable item and every little bit counts when it comes to helping out the environment. They can be washed easily if they need to but most of the time it is just a shake to get rid of the crumbs and a wipe with a damp cloth if necessary and they are all ready to go to school again.








*************************************


What is your tip for saving the environment?
Karen