hopelessly addicted.....

Forrest the tribal teddy

2008-12-06T09:22:00.003+11:00

so i've been playing around with the idea for a while but i finaly got around to making a teddy from some of my handspun wool.

here's forrest. he's the first tribal teddy. he's wearing a very attractive bunch of lime green spotty feathers i picked up yesterday from spotlight. the melbourne cup is over for the year so they're selling them off cheaply (well slightly cheaper than they usually are) forrest is made from squambo

hopefully after christmas (i have wool packages arriving soon) i'll be able to get some more made.

2008-12-04T09:19:00.002+11:00

so following on from yesterdays theme i decided to make some ipod/mobile phone cases with matching little brooches. yep the brooches have a pin back so you can move them, take them off, or wear them yourself.

and here mum is standing with our apparently 6ft christmas tree she bought yesterday. no mum isn't a giant that's just a teeny tiny box.

felt and fun

2008-12-03T11:19:00.007+11:00

so last night i didn't feel like doing anything much so i started looking through my felt and decided to make some colourful broochees. i haven't made any in a while and now i have my pinking shears so i added some crinkle cut ones. i've used loads of ribbon from my stash and buttons from the tin. i just love looking at these. they're soooooooooo colourful drool worthy i'd say :D

here are a couple of single pics of the two different types.

the praying mantis now has a name -rodney- liza loo came up with it. i swear this bug is looking for trouble, she keeps roaming around during the day. but i think rodney is actually a girl. i found an egg case where she's been hanging around so i think were going to hear the pitter patter of tiny little buggy feet :D

some more brooches from left overs. i'm calling these ones "stop lights" cause there are 3 buttons.

these are "push the button" but i need to retake the photos.

i've ended up with tonnes of leftovers of my spun wool so i decided just to crochet them all together to make soem new cowls. i think they look pretty darned good actually. liza loo wasn't around to do the photos so i'll retake them when i can nail her down for a little while.

new ted-e-bears

2008-11-30T11:07:00.002+11:00

just some new ted-e-bears that were finished this week.

pom poms and stash busting

2008-11-26T08:51:00.004+11:00

i made some more scarves from my handspun wool. so the pom pom making thingy struck again. i just couldn't resist using them on some of my scarves.

this cowl is a big tube with no opening so these are jsut decorations.

on this one they're used instead of buttons so you can open the sides.

and i've been sewing alot lately trying to get rid of some of my stash (play quilts and new journals coming soon) so i've had alot of big offcuts which i hate to throw away. so i've been turning some into jewelry which also helps get rid of some of my buttons and ribbons (clever thinking that LOL)

big storm

2008-11-21T14:03:00.004+11:00

so i'm spent most of my time this week chasing my bantam chicken -madam squawky pants. she's decided to get all clucky and nest in an old wheel barrow we've been growing strawberries and peppermint in. the strawberries are all gone now- she stripped them and then sat right in the middle.

here she is giving me the evil eye.

yesterday afternoon we had a sudden hail storm. the clouds skated over really fast then all of a sudden it just got windy. i finished whooing the chooks into the coop and got back inside as it started. the photos don't do it justice they were actually the size of large marbles.

and yes that brown blob in the middle of the wheel barrow out in the hailstorm is madam. luckily the chicken yard has a great big tree right over it for shelter. i checked her after it all finished and she was barely damp. stupid me for worrying.

but the storm seems to have cured her of the cluckiness. she was out and about today when i got home.

mantis 1

2008-11-20T09:27:00.001+11:00

mantis 1
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

the praying mantis i discovered last week.

well actually i was trying to get a closer look at her friend, didn't see her, leaned where she was sitting and she tried to climb up my pants.

here's the photo from monday. hard to see but she has a bit of a dragon fly hanging out of her mouth.

gnome home update

2008-11-19T10:07:00.003+11:00

the gnome homes looked a little naked so here's the update of 2 with their new gardens.

gnome homes and new background

2008-11-14T11:41:00.008+11:00

lots of pics to upload from this week.

i finally got around to updating my background.

long stoy short i pulled it out this morning and got a closer look and realise my nephew had done some little scribbles on the far right tree. so this morning just seemed like a good idea to fix the whole thing. i pulled out heaps of coloured cardboard and scrapbooking papers. then made all the seperate pieces (glue all over my fingers of course and bits of paper sticking to me) each piece then gets bluetacked on so i can move them around or jsut pull them off and change them.

the trees have buttons used as the spots- the buttons are bluetacked so i can change them later.

and i used some of my big feathered butterflies which were left overs from something else

here are some photos of teddies (and the new kitty design- mouth needs reworking) i took yesterday then the new photos i retook of them. HUGE difference !!!!!!

a new design i've been working on for gnome homes. i love the tall pointy ones. so i'm going to make some new mushrooms in the future to match them and i'm working on a little "gnome" design or something else to go with them as a set.

i love the new background. it makes everything so much brighter and happier :D i might look for some little bumble bees when i go shopping this weekend.

and of course i got a package from sherry earlier in the week. they always turn into a huge distraction LOL so the rest of that day turned into a spinning day. here's the yarn i made form it. includes some sequins, coloured metal bells (and yes they jingle) and some coloured foil butterflies.

named it "sugar coated candy bunnies"

fussy piecing and big box stitching

2008-11-06T10:34:00.005+11:00

i started a new project to help get rid of some of my fabric stash. i took this photo a couple of days ago. i'm going to fussy piece some of the stars (english paper piecing so i can handsew) and then use random pieces around so it's a bit of a scrap pieced look. i actually have a few more stars together with the random diamonds around them finished so i'll put up the photos tomorrow.

i bought this new wool over the weekend and got started on a big cowl scarf. i started and stopped about a million times trying to find the perfect pattern. i wanted a big basket weave stitch but didn't have enough yarn so i settled on a big stocking and garter stitch checkerboard pattern. it's finished now and i'm going to get some big buttons on the weekend to finish the back.

modelled by the lovely liza loo of course.

edward and lilly and jingly jingo

2008-11-04T09:38:00.009+11:00

rebecca from edward and lilly just sent me a link to a post which has one of my leaf brooches.

here's new little bear pattern- jingo- that i'm working on. i started at his head and was going down the body when i decided i wanted a clown with the ruffle built into the body pattern. which of course made him hugely complicated especially when i had to hold down all the bits while i worked the rest of his body. that'll teach me a lesson !!!

so now i'm reworking the pattern to come up from the bottom

the batt womans batts

2008-10-30T09:11:00.005+11:00

just had to post pics of the new wool i got from sherry- aka squambo -well i got it last week actually and i just jumped straight in and went to work- she traded me for some stuff out of my shop for her wool.

i love them both, but the beautiful yellow wool (with little bits of grass green and bright blue) is so buttery and soft. it reminds me of easter for some reason

here's the finished spun wool the pics are a little duller than the real colours. i'll post pics later of some of the stuff i've made from it when i can get my model to stand still for long enough to take the photos.

loads of accessories

2008-10-09T12:03:00.003+11:00

wool i handspun from sherry, aka squambo

made the "yarn" for this from strips of fabric torn up, knotted together and spun into a wool.

here are some of the new accessories finished this week. i always have to drag liza out to do these then she stands around soaking up the attention LOL

dirty, dirty fun

2008-10-09T10:06:00.002+11:00

another package arrived from knittydirtygirl and i couldn't wait to finish what i was doing so i just had to get to work yesterday. there was another batt but it's already been spun :D

shown across the top is my new drop spindle i ordered from butterflygirldesigns i had to search around etsy for a good bottom worl but finally found a couple. so i think i'll have to spoil myself for christmas and get another couple.

on my hook right now is some of the wool i spun from the last batch. it's a simple sc stitch scarf with bobbles thrown in. i found out if you only go through the back of the stitch (from the right side) you make a little ridge. so i'm playing around with little sections of that too.

loads of other woolly stuff has been finished but i'll have to get liza to model them so i can take the photos.

bunny man

2008-10-07T11:40:00.004+11:00

i've come up with a new design of the large bunny dollies.

the man dolly !!!! i'd been thinking about making some when i was contacted by someone who wanted a man bunny for her fiance. so the suited man bunny was born.

there are more coming soon in little suits and some in little sweater/ pants sets.

this guys little suit opens at the button in the front. you can then lift his shirt collar and undo his tie at the back and change them over for others that were included in the set. his little glasses also come off too.

this little piggy

2008-10-06T11:46:00.003+11:00

little miss peppa piggy is finished. so another design down on the list of little play dollies. the monkey was finished yesterday but my 3yr old cousin, miss charlie visited and took a shine to her, so now she's a bit mushed from being huggled and cuddled. that's ok since i wasn't entirly happy with the face so i'll be remaking another soon.

since it's raining here today (and it's a public holiday so the mail man still has my wool parcels) i'm going to be spending the day sewing more brooches. i've got one finished and alot more cut now (digging out fabric from the stash)

new stuff and old stuff and lots and lots of stuff...

2008-10-05T09:25:00.005+11:00

so i did eventually count my fabric stash and i almost fell off my chair.

when does collecting turn into obssession and hoarding. i'm not really sure where the line is but i think i've definitly gone waaaaaaaay over the line.

my unofficial stash total is around 300 pieces of different fabrics (i say "around"because i've been shopping since the first total so it's gone up since then)

the official total doesn't include the 2 garbage bags of other fabric i have in my wardrobe, my large bag of fur fabrics (also hiding in the wardrobe) and a fat quarter box of solid colours stashed on my shelf.

so in an effort to get rid of some of "stash mountain" i've been busy. some are being torn into strips and spun into art yarns. and i've also made a start on a mini quilt.

i've got some new amigurumi stuff done- some more bunny dolls and a new panda guy too

oh and i was looking for something else to do with the yarn i've been spinning so i made some book cozies (same way i make my biz card holders, just on a grander scale LOL)

blog feature

2008-10-01T09:54:00.003+10:00

i just got a reminder from the lovely etsian nicole tattersall that i'm on her blog with 5 other aussie etsy sellers.
you can check it out here http://nicoletattersall.blogspot.com/2008/10/1-october-5-featured-etsy-sellers.html

frantic lunacy

2008-09-12T11:24:00.002+10:00

a big thanks to all the lovely etsian who've been putting my stuff in their treasuries lately :D

here's the treasury pic from the lovely tallib first week in september. mines the pink and turquoise apple brooch in the middle 3rd row.

The Octodudes and 3 wise owls

2008-09-12T11:15:00.002+10:00

finally for those waiting i have 2 new patterns for sale up in my shop- The Octodudes (and yes you must capitalise) an octopus pattern with 6 legs not 8. and the fat forest owls a kind of fat apple shaped bird with the big eye circles.

Trendy is as Trendy Does: From the Circus to Le Cirque

2008-09-11T13:58:00.002+10:00

Trendy is as Trendy Does: From the Circus to Le Cirque
Originally uploaded by Naughty Secretary Club

another one i found from the naughtysecretary club with my little pink and yellow clown brooch there in the middle

Etsy Front Page 8/29/08 PianoBenchDesigns

2008-09-11T10:06:00.002+10:00

Etsy Front Page 8/29/08 PianoBenchDesigns
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

dang it!!!!! missed this one too. mones the bottom one in the middle- the scarf worn by the very lovely jadey

Etsy Front Page 8/13/08 girlsavage

2008-09-11T09:53:00.002+10:00

Etsy Front Page 8/13/08 girlsavage
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

i missed this one. mines the yellow and pink bunny on the left with the mohawk

brooch pillow

2008-09-11T08:59:00.006+10:00

ok so after doing the swap with http://www.flickr.com/groups/797614@N24/ and expanding my fabric stash even further (i must be up around a hundred fabrics now, i'll count later) i've been trying to think of little things to do.

i love patchwork but me and the sewing machine aren't always the best of friends (but keep that quiet cause if she hears you there'll be trouble next time i need to use her)

so i needed some little projects to do by hand. so i've got one dolly quilt finished and another on the way. this one's pictured with little lilly a new crocheted dolly design

the second project i've been thinking about for a while are little brooch pillows to add to my range of brooches.

instead of packing your brooches away in your jewelry box you can have them pinned to the pilow and out on display. you could also use the pillow for a pin cushion. or if you spray a little perfume on the back you can leave them out as decorations

the first pic has some of my brooches pinned on and the second has some pins in it.

i'll have some more complicated designs later. these are pretty simple. i just made a square template for the small patches. then traced around sewed the front panel together. the layed it ove the backing fabric/ cut it to size, pinned and sewd around leaving a small hole to stuff it through.

new package YAY

2008-09-10T14:33:00.002+10:00

new package YAY
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

my new package from knittydirtygirl on etsy. soooo many sparky, colourful, wonderful bits i'll just have to get to work on spinning something new :D

knitty dirty clutches

2008-09-10T11:04:00.002+10:00

the two clutch purses i made from the yarn i spun (knittydirtygirl)

the main body is knitted in a rectangle and sewn along the sides. then i tried putting a knit band along the top but didn't like it so i decided to use a crocheted band.

the top band was super easy, i just picked up the stitches along the top (but skipped some to make a gather and have the opening smaller)

screen shot

2008-09-09T10:04:00.003+10:00

loads of lovely etsy people have been featuring me in their treasury lately.

here's a great one of aussie sellers from eclecticmoi mines the little brown monkey keychain 3rd row down.

uuuummmmmm......

2008-09-09T09:38:00.004+10:00

i know i should be posting but i've felt pretty rotten lately so i've been putting it off.

done with the excuses so now for an update.

i just started learning to spin and i think i've found a new obssession :D

so here's the first lot of wool i got and spun from squambo on etsy i ooly remembered to take photos of 3 balls instead of 4.

and here's some of the stuff i made from it modeled by my lovely sis liza and her friend jadey

indie fixx article

2008-07-26T09:59:00.003+10:00

i feel a bit like a pratt putting this up.

a little while back i was asked by miss fruifly off etsy if i'd mind doing an interview which she'd write up to put on indie fixx.

well here's the interview :D anything stupid i've said just ignore LOL

the sale is still on for a bit longer in both my shops for anyone interested.

parcel pressies

2008-07-21T14:55:00.004+10:00

i got heaps of great stuff in the post last week.

this one is from wooldancer a great aussie seller. i had so much trouble finding etsy sellers who shipped out of the us and uk. so finding her was a god send. now i just have to wait for my drop spindle to arrive in the post.

and this gorgeous wool was hand dyed using food dyes by the lovely cseneque she dyed this one especially for me in sunny yellows and bright pinks. i love this and i'm playing around with how to use it before i make a final decision(i don't want to waste this jewelled beauty) the far right is for a scarf knitted in fairisle with other pure wools i have in my stash.

my love whale necklace was a trade with gypsyrabbit she hs the most gorgeous packaging for her little goodies :D

SALE SALE SALE

2008-07-21T10:13:00.006+10:00

i want to clear some space in my etsy shops so i'm having a big sale.

so if you want some great bargains go and check them out

here are some:

all 22 of my amigurumi patterns in a pdf file pack for $20 bought seperately they'd be $79

load of scarves under $20, most are aroud $10

brooches are reduced- prices depend on designs and there are loads to choose from

heaps of plushies still left and on sale too

guardian pharmacy knitting

2008-07-20T11:34:00.003+10:00

i finally took some more photos of the stuff i've got finished to send to the guardian angel knitting program. it's run through the guardian pharmacies here in australia and they partner with world vision to send warm winter woollies to children overseas in need. this year it's all going to the caucasus region (the region between asia and europe)

i missed out on sending stuff last year cause it was so crazy around here. but i've got more planned and on the go so i'll definitely get my parcel in the post this time :D

malou and her funky little bunny

2008-07-20T10:29:00.003+10:00

the lovely malou sent me a pic of the funky little rabbit she made from my bouncy bunnies pattern. she used a rainbow sock wool with a grey base. she plans on sending more pics of her creations along soon so we can all get a look at what she's doing :D

treasury

2008-07-11T14:16:00.002+10:00

see i knew sitting around for 6 hrs and lurking around for a week would pay off :D i snagged a treasury and you can see it here http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=55610 i'll have to try and get a screen shot later (my keyboard shortcuts aren't cooperating grr......)

waiting for the treasury

2008-07-11T10:31:00.007+10:00

so i'm stuck sitting here patiently waiting for a treasury slot on etsy. so i thought i should do something productive.

this is a new batch of wearable stuff. they're part of a custom order. so what doesn't get chosen will be put in my wearables shop on etsy

these are from a new customised bunny dolly. she's a keepsake for an upcoming wedding. of course i went overboard on the little gal -lots of fun :D- but the extras are removable.

i got a few new patterns done last week and over the weekend. but i've been really slow in getting the photos done.

there's a new bunny and teddy pattern- big head and little bodies.

a new snail/slug with bif eye stalks hanging off the side.

a cute new little puppy

and a couple of new felt brooch designs i'm playing around with.

so when the photos are done i'll put them up before i send stuff off.

baby safe mr. ted's friend

2008-06-30T17:18:00.001+10:00

baby safe mr. ted's friend
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

a new custom mr ted.

was commissioned by a lovely lady who was looking for a baby safe toy for the new little person who's going to be in her life.

he has woollen eyes instead of safety eyes so he's more chew friendly :D

new scarf-knitted chevron

2008-06-30T17:13:00.001+10:00

new scarf-knitted chevron
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

one of the scarves i'm making for the guardian angel knitting program http://www.guardianpharmacies.com.au/new_angel.cfm any aussie with spare time and wool should get involved. of course there are tonnes of other programs around in every country where crafty people can get involved to help out in their communities.

i've got the scarf and the matching beanie (with tassel) finished and i'll photo them tomorrow. the beanie was easy, just made it larger across. the points of the chevrons became great decrease points to shape the crown.

new bunny dolly saffron

2008-06-29T09:38:00.002+10:00

finally got around to finishing poor little saffron. i had her head finished weeks ago and she's been sitting there staring at me since LOL

is up for sale in my etsy shop. i also have listings where you can order your own custom dolly.

flingles and fluffers and floxes

2008-06-29T08:53:00.005+10:00

ok so i was bored last week and was trying to think up some quick patterns i could make so i settled on a guinea pig pal for my bunnies. well the guinea pig didn't go so well, so i decided he was actually a lemming. still didn't like him even though he was now a lemming. somehow just changing the name didn't help....

then i was going past my work table with a pile of fur waiting to be cut and i had a stupid idea. my lemming needed some hair!!!!!! and after he got his little red mohawk lars the lemming as born. and soon after lars came little lulu.

of course this set me off and i wanted to make heaps of stuff to use up my little fur scraps that i can't bear to throw away :D

then i got sick of the guinea pigs so i made a little punk bunny with a furry neon mohawk.

then i decided i wanted to make something smaller and fit-in-your-hand sized. i was flicking through my work books and thought the hedgehog/alien bird nose would look cute on a little alien. so the flox was created. little and foxy. i was thinking weeble (weevil) but that's been taken.

new collector bears- atlas and cherry

2008-06-19T14:43:00.004+10:00

this is the fancy new collector bear clown atlas, so named because is shredded collar is made form an atlas print fabric. i love the mish mash of the different fabrics so i think i'll have to make some more of these fancy little guys :D

and little cherry is the sweetest gal around. she's made from a cherry red chrysanthemum printed fabric.

the bells on both these guys were from a big pack i bought ages ago and stashed away.

of course they'll both be going for sale in my etsy shop www.rosieok.etsy.com and no these aren't play toys cause they're both thread jointed and definitely not kiddy friendly

little precious

2008-06-13T16:03:00.001+10:00

i wasn't planning on having the pattern ready cause i still have a cold and was feeling a bit funky this morning. but after i had a nanna nap i feel heaps better so i got the typing finished YAY!!!!!

new minified elephant dolly

2008-06-12T11:07:00.002+10:00

people have been asking for my dolly pattern so i decided to make some minified versions.

this is a new design - a little elephant dolly.

i went through 50 million different trunk versions and originally it was going to be larger, then i hit the jackpot with a smaller trunk and head size ended up soooooo super cute.

this original will be for sale on etsy. and the pattern will be ready for sale there to in a couple of days

brain mush and new stuff

2008-06-05T09:50:00.005+10:00

been a little neglectful lately and i've just woken up so my brain feels a little like mush.

i finally got my hedgehog pattern ready for sale and up on etsy.

i made some more brooches.

and i turned my moosey ring into a moose brooch

then i made a little amigurumi cookie pattern (haven't photoed yet) it's a layered raspberry swirl cream cookie :D and a purple stripey doughnut shaped bracelet.

i've started on a new series of amigurumi patterns so i have an elephant that will be ready in a few days to show :D and my new monster mash pattern is almost finished, so get ready for.... the ducktopus!!!

my last stash buster journal sold so i'm also making new ones.

stash buster cuff- red china

2008-05-29T09:40:00.002+10:00

stash buster cuff- red china
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

more from my stash busting frenzy.

this is a fabric cuff made of stuff from my stash. it's about 7" long and 3" wide.

i cut a base peice of calico the right width and length. then i took some random little bits and pieces i had and appliqued them to a base fabric.

then i sandwiched and basted like a quilt. i quilted the poor thing within an inch of its life with embroidery threads LOL so what started out about 1/4" thick with all the layers and wadding is now about the thickness of a couple of pieces of paper :D

the buttons were from my stash too and the big red one on the end is vintage from my grandmothers collection.

i trimed the top layer and wadding and then folded the back layer around to the front and stitched in place.

and viola a stash buster cuff :D

new scarf-knitted chevron

2008-05-28T09:26:00.002+10:00

new scarf-knitted chevron
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

started making this scarf last week from my wool stash.

it's a knitted chevron pattern. not the pattern i was looking for but it was the best i could find at the time. i'm still looking through my books to find the right one, it's more like a wave

workroom1

2008-05-28T09:23:00.002+10:00

workroom1
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

some of the huuuuuge mess that i made while crafting.
from when i was making this batch of collaged postcards for my etsy newsletters to go out on.

reclaiming my stash

2008-05-27T22:16:00.002+10:00

my ever expanding paper stash just expanded some more today my parcel arrived from marina http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5146894 over at etsy so i couldn't help getting to work.

so since reclaimed and recycled is becoming so big i've decided to use my stash to make a heap of new stuff :D

i took some little quilted purse panels i was making and turned it into the journal's front cover, since i was probably never going to finish the little purse then used some of the new stash and some of my old to make the pages for the journal.

some are plain, some are collaged and painted. don't like a page just undo the ribbons on the front and move it :D

i'm selling this one (and making some more ) over on etsy http://www.rosieok.etsy.com/ it also comes with a little stash of papers, ribbons, pictures, book pages etc.... and other bits and pieces to personalise and add to the journal pages :D

will have to make me one with all my favourite little bits !!!!

covers front and back

some pages

isobar brooch

also since my fabric stash is getting bigger (there was a sale onthe weekend and i couldn't help it LOL) i decided some new jewelry would be perfect so along came the isobar brooch (i'm in love with atlas pages right now)

this is had pieced, layered and heavily quilted using embroidery thread. more will be coming (so much to choose from :) )

will be for sale on etsy in my other shop www.wearablesok.etsy.com

barnabus

2008-05-22T14:28:00.002+10:00

this is barnabus and he's for a new project i'm working on called "monster mashes" it's for a series of monster patterns that can be mixed and matched.

his arms, legs and horns are all different sizes. and he has a super long tail. the shape of his tail can also be changed to make another horn.

he's going for sale today and the pattern will be finished before the weekend to sell too http://www.rosieok.etsy.com/

new accessories

2008-05-16T14:30:00.006+10:00

among other stuff i've got done in this (veeeeery) slow couple of weeks were some new brooch batches.

went shopping and bought some feathers and made this pretty little brooch.

also made a new bumbly bee design too.

new forest birdy pattern

2008-05-16T14:22:00.002+10:00

got the forest bird pattern (with the head feather/bobble) ready and for sale on etsy now.

alien fishy pattern update

2008-04-15T22:03:00.001+10:00

so i finally got hte pattern finished, and photoes, and typed and posted up on etsy. the original will be for sale there too.

alien fishy

2008-04-14T09:32:00.002+10:00

alien fishy
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

almost finished withthe alien fishy pattern.

and coming in the pack with him will be littel scenery pieces (like the forest friends and the mushrooms)

i think he'll have some little fat spongy coral type things shaped like fat littel catus' :D

alien fishy head

2008-04-11T20:46:00.002+10:00

alien fishy head
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

new pattern i'm working on right now, an alien fishy. had the bright idea when i was (pretending cause i really didn't want to) work on the sprocket pattern. we're having a littel disagreement right now!!!!

he's going to go in with the other alien birdies i have, but this one of course is an alien fishy. i've got the body finished and now i'm working on all the extras. i'll have to work on making some scenery to go with them (like the snails/hedgehogs and the mushrooms)

i'm slowly getting into the habit of photographing everything as i work that way i don't have to make myself redo it later when i want to type up patterns.

warm fuzzy rainbows :D

2008-04-08T15:30:00.009+10:00

big load of stuff to put up cause i was too lazy to over the weekend.

so i decided to take a break from plushies over the weekend and i wanted to sew something anyway. so i decided to make a new series of fabric ACEO's. i went with the theme of "girls just wanna have fun" a bit of an 80's thing. i got 3 cards made and another started. i did go shoppping too for new wool and actually found this funky pale sherbert type orange so i'm going to make a new sprocket type alien birdy with it (sherbert orange and lime green :D )

girls just wanna have fun no.1

girls just wanna have fun no.2

girls just wanna have fun no.3

then yesterday finally my package arrived form the lovely lupin over at etsy. i have so many little felt squares now!!! when i opened the package i had a huge smile on my face. it was like opening a package of little warm fuzzy rainbow goodness. so of course i had to drop everything i should have been doing and had to make some stuff with it :D

warm fuzies and rainbow goodness!!!!! 60 felt squares.

a couple of abstract brooches. the green and orange one i call the baked bean brooch :D

couple of abstract leaf shapes. ice blue and fire engine red yummy :D

and of course a purple and greey bunny :D

then today my trade package arrived from jodieflowers over at etsy too. another huge smile moment. the spider just looks so goofy. i think he's going to end up on my dressing table mirror, and the book mark probably in my work folder.

so today i got the kooky kitty pattern finished, photoed and listed up on etsy. the tail is a little weird, it's kind of a loose corkscrew shap. it's made by a combination of increases and decreases.

then i started making up the sprocket alien birdy pattern with my new sherbert orange wool and 2 kinds of lime green for contasts. but i had to undo his neck 500 times (a slight exageration only 4 times) so i've stopped. i must have made a mistake somewhere when i was crocheting him so i'm putting him down till tomorrow cause i'm just

a little cranky right now!!!

craftin' madness

2008-04-03T13:10:00.004+11:00

i finally ran out of all my business cards i made last month so i spent alot of yesterday making brand spankin new ones.

i love looking at all these little coloured laminated cards. it's like a whole handful of candy !!!!

and they all have my little pics on them :D it's funny to think these are going out all over the world.

i'm also in the process of making up sprockets pattern for sale.

sprocket and pal

2008-04-02T11:22:00.002+11:00

sprocket and pal
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

so i finished sprocket last night :D he's the most hilarious thing i've seen in ages.

he sitting there with the other alien bird i finally put legs on.

the blue one is the old design. i made sprocket cause i thought i should have some new alien birdy designs to add to the range so i dragged out the drawings i made from the original with all the little add on bits and went to work. i couldn't help myself i just had to layer him up with a bit of everything LOL

less is more isn't in my vocabulary when i get going.

WIP sprocket legs

2008-04-02T11:13:00.001+11:00

WIP sprocket legs
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

here are sprockets legs (yep i finally gave him a name)

they just looked so cute last night while i was working on them i just had to take a photo of them standing there :D

new alien birdy WIP

2008-04-01T12:30:00.002+11:00

after getting the alien birdy pattern finished yesterday i decided i needed some new ones. so last night and this morning i've been very busy. i'm thinking of a whole range of limited editions???

anyway this one is made in all one piece from the nose back to the base. i reeeeaaalllly won't be doing this again!!!

the big 18 and alien birds

2008-03-31T11:20:00.007+11:00

so the family party for jen jen's 18th went well and fun (and boozing) was had by all.

here are some of the morning photos of little liza loo trying to give our other sister, the big birthday girl jen jen her 18 birthday kisses. alot of wrestling and screaming later 18 kisses were given LOL

so i finally came through on my promise. the alien birdy pattern will be ready later today. it was a week later than expected but he's finally here so nathalie can stop begging and badgering :D

****EDIT****

the pattern is done now so i'm listing some for sale in my etsy shop.

mushroom madness

2008-03-28T09:14:00.002+11:00

i know i've started to slip back into my old bad habits of blog neglect. so i thought i better post something.....

nothing really interesting has happened just alot of work but it seems all of a sudden my life has been taken over by mushrooms and snails. that's all i seem to be doing lately.....mushrooms and snails and listing new patterns up on etsy. that's all that's taking up my days.

well that and armloads of parcels to lug to the post office.

i did get one new teddy pattern too. he has a great big fat watermelon head :D

jiggly jellyfish- free pattern

2008-03-25T11:37:00.003+11:00

BODY- top down
· Use starter ring. 3 chain join into loop, 2 chain then 5 sc into loop, join to 2nd chain at beginning (6st) add marker.
· *Inc all* (x6) (12st)
· *1sc, inc* (x6) (18st)
· Sc 1 round
· *2sc, inc* (x6) (24st)
· Sc 6 rounds . **If you add more rounds here you get a longer jelly fish or squid.
· *1sc, inc* (x12) (36st)
· Sc 1 round
· End leaving a tail at least 6” to sew edge.

· Put in safety eyes
· Take a large eyed wool needle. Fold the edge of the jellyfish up a couple of rounds. Sew to the body of the jellyfish.

UNDER CIRCLE
· Use starter ring. 3 chain join into loop, 2 chain then 5 sc into loop, join to 2nd chain at beginning (6st) add marker.
· *inc all* (x6) (12st)
· *1sc, inc* (x6) (18st)
· *2sc, inc* (x6) (24st)
· Leave a tail of about 6” to sew the base circle to the bocy later.

Finishing Body

· Stuff most of body. Leave a gap at the top, you can add more stuffing later.
· Place the base circle inside body.
· Stitch around the circle leaving a small gap.
· Finish stuffing the jellyfish body, then stitch closed. Knot and hide inside body.

· cut about 16, 6” long threads for tentacles (8 groups)
· Take 2 strands of thread for tentacles.

· go through either on base circle or on the body edge. Knot the threads.
· When you have front, back and sides you can put extra legs in these.

TIP

If you’re using a metallic thread and having trouble keeping tension: wind the wool around your little finger like normal, then wind around your first finger for extra grip.

easter weekend

2008-03-25T10:15:00.003+11:00

i had a very quiet easter weekend so i used it to catch up on some work-typing new patterns and get some new designs done.

patterns ready for sale at etsy :

bouncy bunnies to go in the forest friends range

little tripod aliens to go with some space men later

i also came up with a crocheted bunny keepsake box, that sits on a little scenery with some mushrooms. he opens in the back with a button and his tummy is for keeping stuff in :D i also made some little trinket boxes with flowers on the top.

the patterns aren't ready for these yet, they're a bit complicated and might go up as limited editions????

last night i got sick of doing bunnies and mushrooms so i decided to make a bear, and that's when mr ted came along :D

his pattern is also going up for sale along withthe original bear in my etsy shop

mushroom madness

2008-03-21T16:02:00.002+11:00

so after making the original domed mushrooms in the back i decide i neede to add some more styles if i was going to have these for sale.

so i went a little mushroom crazy yesterday.

i looked around on the net and checked some encyclopedias and then went to work :D
i loooooove having all these little mushies around and i couldn't resist doing a photo with the mushrooms i had and some of the little critters that are still here (oh there are actually more mushies since the photo LOL)

i love the tall pointy ones on the left. you wouldn't believe it but there's actually an art to making a mushroom that's free standing. these tall pointy red ones are great, cause the stalks are so long and the cap balances well you can twist the stalks :D you can kinda see it in the photo.

so i'm putting each style up in seperate patterns. each pattern has the 2 different sizes of mushrooms. or you can buy all 3 types (that's 6 patterns) as a bulk pack

flutterby butterflies pattern

2008-03-21T15:44:00.002+11:00

it's good friday and i'm still sitting here in my pj's. since i've got a quiet day i decided it was the best time to write up some patterns and put them together with photos.

oh and instead of hot cross buns (which none of us really like) mum decided to make scones. so we just had scones with strawberry jam and tonnes of whipped cream (we made waaaaaayyyy too much so we just had to pile it on LOL)

so i've finally got the pattern for these written up and now they're going on sale in my etsy shop.

little hedgehog and his mushy

2008-03-19T11:12:00.003+11:00

hhhhmmmmmm....... i already typed this post once through flickr and it didn't show up????

anyway this is the little hedgehog to go with the forest friends range- i already have the little snail, mushroom and the butterfly. so a hedgehoggie seemed perfect :D

i had the bright idea to put an alien birdy nose onto a round body to get the right shape.

so i sat down last night and got to work. it went fairly smoothly and i only had to undo a couple of increase rows to get the shape right.

when i finished the body then i had to go through the pain of getting all his little woolly spines on- i had to cut a whole heap of wool into lengths, pull them through the body and knot, and then cut it. but after the first couple of rows i got the method right and it was a whoooole lot easier.

so after i was done i thought he still didn't look right so i decided to add little stubby legs for him so stand on, and then i thought he still looked a little naked so i added the ears (which are pretty much the same as the legs LOL) adding the ears of course meant i had to cut some of the wool bunches out. all that hard work!!!!

so i'm absolutely in love with him. but i think he still looks a little like and echidna. i think it's cause his forehead is so broad????

anyway i'm planning on making a smaller version so you have mamma hedgehog and her little baby hedgie :D

i'm still deciding what other forest critters to have in the range. maybe i'll make a little tree or bush for the next one. and i think i'll have to add a little birdy to the range.

hopefully i'll have the patterns up for sale in the next couple of weeks.

right now i'm working on getting the alien birdy done cause i've had so many requests for it.

patterns ahoy.....

2008-03-19T10:58:00.008+11:00

here's a list of all the patterns i have for sale at etsy http://www.rosieok.etsy.com/ there will be a heap more coming soon. and some more free patterns

sweet little gurumi bunnies

itty bitty sea turtles

funky fishies

goofy gurumi ducky

bowling pin buddy

chunky funky munkey

little felted tadpole brooch

2008-03-18T13:07:00.002+11:00

little felted tadpole brooch
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

i bought a felting kit about a month ago and i've been playing around with it ever since.

i'm still working on making stuff look like i want. i seem to keep changing my mind halfway and making something else.

this one's a little wool felted tadpole brooch. he's micro tiny- inder an inch long. the smallest brooch back i had was barely smalll enough to fit.

so there are going to be lots more little felted creatures showing up soon :D

little alien birdy finished

2008-03-18T12:55:00.002+11:00

little alien birdy finished
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

i was originally going to leave him without the legs because he was standing fine.

but lately he's decide to keep falling over so i ended up adding his little legs back so now he's FINALLY finished.

easter bunny face off....

2008-03-17T13:09:00.002+11:00

easter bunny face off....
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

as always a little late but her are my 2 easter bunnies and their easter eggs.

i made them a couple of weeks ago, but i've been really lazy about listing new stuff in my shop on etsy (the one with the toys)

so they're going up today.....finally......

big bunch of brooches

2008-03-17T12:57:00.002+11:00

big bunch of brooches
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

big batch of brooches i made over the weekend to put up in my shop. it includes the designs i've had requests for.

i'll also be making some more elf men this week.

new designs in this bunch are the bear elf man withthe blue spotty face. also the little bunnies at the top are new. they're based on the birdies with a little alteration to the design. and the square green one with buttons all over it.

my favourite would have to be the birdy in the bottom right corner. he's made form some fabric that has fire trucks and emergency trucks on it. the car was the perfect size to fit. his tail is made from little left overs. the middle feather says FIRE and the other feathers are a ladder and truck door.

the first photo

2008-03-15T20:54:00.001+11:00

the first photo
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

this is the first official photo from my new digital camera.

my dad came home friday and he'd bought it for me just out of the blue even though he knew i was saving to get a new one myself.

my poor faithful digi died right before xmas (of all times for it to die!!!!) so i've been borrowing my sisters and was planning to get a new one for my birthday present to myself this year.

but my wonderful daddy got me one instead. and it's pink too LOL

he can be so random LOL he weekly brings home recipe cards and weird stuff from the supermarket for me.

however.... he can never remember my birthday without prompting and never remembers how old i am (which is kinda good)

and it actually took about 4 times of me telling him the camera died in the first place for him to remember. so it was a complete shock he came home with it!!! a very nice shock too :D

so after the weekend when i have some new stuff made i'll be able to take some proper photos with my shiny new pink digital camera.

new bunny men brooches

2008-03-14T13:46:00.001+11:00

new bunny men brooches
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

just some new bunny men brooches for the shop.

i've already marked and cut out a heap of new brooches-elf men, clowns, bunny men, rabbits, birds, monkies. i'm also working on a couple of new brooch desings- a teddy elf man and a moose head to go with the moose rings.

so i'll be sewing a huge batch of stuff over the weekend.

gurumi love

2008-03-14T09:25:00.006+11:00

i got a DD (daily deviation) today on deviant art YAY

http://rosieok.deviantart.com/art/last-weeks-work-gururmi-gang-78964869

i got online this morning and wondered why my messages had jumped so much??? i was a bit slow cause i just woke up :P then i started going through them and someone mentioned the DD, which of course woke me up properly!!!

the DD was suggested by the lovely DekeNicki http://dekenicki.deviantart.com/ she sells on etsy to http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5164074

and featured by Myana http://myana.deviantart.com/ who featured something else of mine to in the artisan crafts gallery i think???

critter pencil cases

2008-03-13T10:50:00.001+11:00

critter pencil cases
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

and here are the pencil cases. oh and of course i'm still looking for other things to crittify- lip balm pots are a possibility .

the first i made was the pink and blue. i tried a few ways to get the top on and finally settled on the way i'm using now cause i'm really lazy and hate sewing wool seams so it's all made in one piece.

i can fit half a dozen pens in these and i'm planning on making some larger ones too.

critter pockets

2008-03-13T10:35:00.001+11:00

critter pockets
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

so here are the photos i promised yesterday of the business card holders.

the original designs are the ones on the bottom. these i've been giving out with my business cards in them. they're great for using those bits of left over wool from big projects and all those novelty buttons i seem to collect.

so i changed the loops to try out something different and decided they looked alot like they had noses.

so of course for a laugh i decided to crittify one :D

and i got the two at the top. the blue and grey one also has a little tail :D

blue and green aliens will be seen

2008-03-12T13:21:00.002+11:00

Picture 007
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

i've had a few requests for these so i finally got around to starting some. so this is the little blue and green alien birdy i've been working on. i've finally decided to leave him without any legs.
he just looks cute sitting there.

i've been thinking of making a little nest and some little eggs to go with it. so maybe i should start calling it a "her"instead of "him".

last night i was working on some crocheted business card cases that go in my parcels, thinking it was a great way to use some of my novelty buttons.

and then i got a little carried away so now i have some looking like critters, then i got a little crazy and made some crocheted pencil cases that look like critters too. so i'll have the photos up tomorrow after i make a heap more :D

i'm trying to think of other things i can crochet and crittify too??????

amigurumi notes

2008-03-11T10:34:00.011+11:00

1. I always start my pieces using this method=
· 3 chain and join back to first to make a circle
· 2 chain, then sc the number of times given into the circle
· Join back to the 2nd chain, insert marker after this and start the first round.

2. The marker counts rows but also indicates the back of the piece. This is where colour changing happens

3. You count rows at the right of a marker and a row up as the first row
The circle shows where the marker is and each arrow indicates the beginning of a new row.

4. Abbreviations are: inc=increase dec=decrease st=stitch or stitches x=number of times

5. Anything between *..* is to be repeated given number of times

6. I increase by working twice in same hole

7. There are 2 methods for decreasing. The first is below with pictures.

go throught the next stitch and pull wool through. leave on hook.

go through the next stitch and pull wool through. leave on hook.

now hook the wool again and pull through all 3 loops on hook.

you should be left with 1 stitch on the hook.

· The second method I only use when closing a piece by decreasing– e.g., heads. All you do is skip a hole in the row below and sc in the hole after. This gives a smoother close.

8. All pieces are worked in rounds (a spiral)
Follow the sequence for pattern pieces. All pieces are made first and then arms and

amigurumi valetines love hearts pattern

2008-03-11T10:29:00.018+11:00

ok so i'm over my paranoia and i'm putting up some new free patterns. for all my patterns i recomend reading my amigurumi notes first before you start.

this one's for a little amigurumi -crochet- heart. a little late for valentines, but...... anytime is a great time for love.

the heart stands roughly 6cm, 2.5" tall. variations for other sizes later.

the heart is made from the top down- each top cheek(not sure what these lumps are really called LOL) then these are joined and the heart continues down to the base point.

TOP CAP -make 2

Starter ring. 3 chain and make loop. 2 chain, 5sc in loop and join to 2nd chain. Put in st marker. (6st)

*1sc, inc* (x3)(9st)

sc 2 rounds

end leaving a small tail.

JOINING

have the wool attached to the hook (slip knot)

take both caps in your and and line up so the backs are facing you.

now take the hook and make 2 sc stitches to join them in the middle.go around both halves of the heart so now you should have about 14st (ignore if you are one or two stiches out and just keep following the instructions)

start stuffing when you have enough room

sc 1 round

*1 sc, dec*

repeat the last 2 rounds till you get to the end and dec to close.

mossy cable fabric scarf

2008-03-11T09:44:00.004+11:00

Picture 001
Originally uploaded by rosie.ok

i bought a huge bag of wool that was on sale last time i went to spotlight.

so i decided it would look perfect as a cabled scarf. i spent a whole night starting and ripping the stupid thing apart cause i just couldn't get happy with it.

then i finally settled on this cabled fabric pattern.

cause the wools so bulky and i used 7mm needles it knitted in no time.
so here's the start of it. i'll have finished photos tomorrow cause i'm still weaving in the ends

buttons galore

2008-03-10T13:17:00.005+11:00

so mum decided to use buttons on a quilt she's making for my sister. she bought a huge bag of beutron novelty buttons and took about 40 out.

so she gave the rest to me (about 4000 in total LOL)
well i decided i needed to make more brooches for my shop and thought the buttons would be perfect. so i dragged out a bag of felt, and my embroidery thread stash and went to work

my favourites would have to be the teapot and the apple.

oh and i'm still trying to work out flickr but i am getting there.

me and my blog

2008-03-05T10:35:00.003+11:00

ok, so i think i finally have to admit it.....i hate my blog!!!!

so hate may be a strong word but my blog and i definitely seem to have a weird relationship. maybe i have bloggophobia. even this morning going to post i considered doing something else.

i know there are people out there who swear by their blogs.

but me and mine have real issues.

i swear every time i go to log in something happens and the page takes forever to load, the server is down, i can't think of anything to type, my digi camera dies (it left me right before Xmas of all times!!!) i've decided i want to start using flickr but haven't put anything on there so of course i can't put photo on my blog yet, i'm too tired for the stress, i swear no one ever reads it, people have taken my images for their own uses (which is of course terrifying for any artist)

but the excuses keep coming and have been since december last year. don't forget my camera died so i couldn't do anything (sure that was the excuse)

last month one of my goals was to get the blog back up and running but our hate/hate relationship just seemed to get worse.

it's not like i don't get a chance.

i'm on every morning, i visit my etsy shops to see how things are going, i check through my emails (i've been getting alot of spam again lately grrrrr.... ) then i go on deviant art to check through my messages and chat with people.

and it's not like i don't blog on DA, cause i do, quite regularly and i get personal there alot.

so why is it i hate my blog????

i guess it will have to go down as one of those great mysteries of the ages- who built the pyramids??? does the fridge light really go out when you shut the door??? who steals all my odd sock and never replaces the toilet paper rolls and leaves a milk carton in the fridge with 2 teaspoons left in it???

going round and round

2007-11-22T09:16:00.000+11:00

i seem to be chasing my tail these days. it just feels like i'm going round in circles and digging my own little rut deeper!!!!

i've mostly been running around doing stuff for other people this week but i did manage to get a couple of whatsits done and i'm planning on putting more munchkins together today.

Squidge
Jezz

2007-11-16T14:56:00.000+11:00

working on some new munchkins for sale http://www.rosieok.etsy.com/

got half a dozen more to joint and stuff this week. love sewing them annd doing the faces, but the in between is a pain.

etsy front page

2007-11-14T09:42:00.000+11:00

got an etsy front page on buzzby the bumble-d-bee yesterday but i missed it so here's buzzby

the spotlight

2007-11-11T08:57:00.000+11:00

went shopping this weekend at spotlight (my favourite store!!!) and spent way more than i should have. but it was well worth it.

i bought some funky new fabric to add to my stash. i couldn't pass up the white fabric with the pink animals and the alligators. not sure what i'll do with either of them and they were way more than i'd usually pay but....................couldn't pass up on the black with pink spots either. i've been eyeing it for weeks now and finally decided to cave.

can't just buy one of something if it comes in lots of colours so i had to 20 skeins of embroidery thread just to see the rainbow.

cute pink buttons to make my cute pink fabric. not my usual thing but it was so sweet. it reminds me of an ilustration in the cat in the hat where he flicks the pink stain into the snow.

back, again

2007-11-09T18:40:00.000+11:00

yes i know, i make promises and then back out, but this time i've added blogging to my to do list so i reallllllly mean it this time!!!

i spent this morning changing it round so got a new layout YAY!!! mostly just time spent avoiding what i should have really been doing.

anyway the etsy assault has been going well- remembering to post stuff daily, i've had 3 sales already this week.

kirri is finally together after sitting sewn in a bag for months. she went up on etsy last night

my little lumberjack man is finished. not sure about how he turned out, he's not quite what i expected. so i'll leave him up on etsy while i think about it.

i've started on a new one and i've worked out a different way to do him a little Hercule Poirot type man. i worked from a sketch in my diary. he seemed like a very prudish little man.

so here's jaques the lumberjack in his underpants

stuff

2007-05-01T22:12:00.000+10:00

i've been getting so lazy lately with my posts so here's the deal. i've pulled everything down and i'm going to turn this into a place where i put patterns and tips.