I love Bunny Nuigurumi (sewn plushies)!^0^ This is my first attempt in making one! I don’t have a pattern, so I was trying to keep it simple (but just as adorable.. HEHE)!

I named it Ballet Bunny – just look at its cute little feet!^^

Ballet Bunny can even do a split, how impressive!!

Once again, my limited embroidery skills are challenged… :p

More bunnies in the works…

Share your Creative Space over at Kootoyoo!

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Yep, I’ve made another bag – a shoulder bag!! And this time with a bit of embroidery! *smile*

I’ve got a feeling that some day my room would be full of bags and pouches and I wouldn’t know what to do with them^0^

A day in the city with my new shoulder bag!

I used Indian silk again! Love the texture!

Fits my art diary perfect!:D

I embroid using red sashiko threads, trying to make it a bit more interesting!

You can tell I really suck at embroidery, can’t you?!

I’ve been quite slack with blogging lately, I’m doing a bit of planning, and there’re a lot of stuff to take care of – life does get a bit stressful sometimes…
*de-stress de-stress de-stress* hopefully everything will all work out just fine!

I hope things are calmer and more relax at your end!

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Can’t believe another week just flew by – it’s Thursday again!

Introducing your トフ 兄弟 (Tofu Brothers) in my creative space this week^0^

Tutorial from 100 Felt Straps

I don’t have proper mobile strap strings, so I have to settle with sashiko threads, although very durable, it doesn’t stay rigid ><

And I also tried using the clover needle felting tool for the first time – it is awesome!!! It makes needle felting so much faster and safer – I only poked myself like 2-3 times, whereas before I usually poked myself more than 10 times! :p

New lovely Japanese fabrics for my creative space which I picked up from Beehive Gallery. Most of their Japanese fabrics are now on sale, hurry in Sydney crafters!:)

More creative spaces here!

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There was no way I could resist buying this needle felting book after discovering it in Kinokuniya’s craft section! Vast number of cute projects including fruits, vegetables, tofu, Japanese snacks… etc

100 Felt Straps (ISBN: 9784579112609)

As with all Japanese craft books, all instructions are written in Japanese only, however, the pictures are quite self-explanatory so you don’t have to worry even if you can’t read Japanese.

Only pictures can describe the extent of “cuteness”, so here we go…
“Awwwww!” is the reaction I’m expecting! ^0^

All projects are very inspiring and easy enough for complete beginners.
Definitely one to have on the shelf!

Hope everyone is having lovely mid-week!^_^

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3. Random updates…

Yes, a thumb’s up for Chubby*Hobby! Su Loves Sew has kindly presented me the Kreativ Blogger Award!! Thanks so much Su, this is so encouraging and I truly appreciate it!!

So, onto the rules:

1. Copy the award to my blog (done!)
2. Link to the person who has given me this award (done!)
3. Tell 7 interesting things about myself
4. Choose 7 other blogs that I want to give this award to
5. Link to their blogs
6. Comment on their blogs that I have given them this award

Hmmm… 7 interesting (or not-so-interesting) things about myself…

1. I drop everything on the floor and leave a trail of stuff as I walk into my house – including my jacket, I just take it off and drop it on the ground!
2. I like to drink water with a straw even at home.
3. I lived in NZ for 3 years before and used to say “yis yis”…:D
4. Whenever I work on a sewing project, Ken thinks that there has been a typhoon in the house :p
5. I wanted to be a manga/anime artist when I was little.
6. I majored in Software Engineering, but I hate computers!!
7. I don’t like wearing skirts!!!!

That was hard!! And now onto my nominations (not in any particular order and by no means exhaustive^^). My nominees for the Kreativ Blogger Award go to:

1. Cotton & Cloud
2. dear fii
3. Pink Penguin
4. viljtig
5. Miss Minzy
6. How are you all? (EmiShimosato)
7. Smitten Kitchen

Congratulations to the nominees!! hehe.. And I do apologise in advance if you have already receive this award before

Here’s my Sunday Inspiration! hehe.. I believe a post is incomplete without a picture?! *smile*

Looks like my job here is done! ^0^
I hope you are having a lovely Sunday!

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I’ve been visiting a lot of beautiful and interesting creative spaces every Thursday in the past months – I decide to join in the fun this week!^0^

Remember my Fujifilm Instax Mini instant camera?!
I want to show you the mini tote I’ve made for it!!

I’m in love with this blue Indian silk that I got from HK – it’s got a rougher look then linen, but yet much softer than burlap! Perfect for bags!

The Instax Mini fits right in!

Well, the initial idea for the tote was that so Ken can use it to carry the camera (You know how guys don’t have bags, they love their pockets..), but it turned out tooooooo girly!
I’m sorry, Ken!

I think the laces contributed to a big part of the ‘girliness’ – but I couldn’t help it :p

And finally my Clover felting tool & felting needles finally arrived in the mail! I couldn’t felt for a while because I broke all my needles T_T They are really fragile! Or I’m too rough… (maybe the latter :p) I’m very excited about my new tool – you’ll be expecting more felting in my creative space!

Head on over to Kristy’s blog for more creative spaces!

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Hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s weekend!^0^
Some of you might have known that it was also Chinese New Year!

Rather then doubling the fun, it was actually quite disastrous for me><
Especially because I got a mysterious rash on my face over the weekend, hopefully it will go away soon!! Trying to stay positive!!

Did any of you enter Sew, Mama, Sew!’s True Love Contest?! I missed the deadline by like half a day>< But the important part is that Ken really liked the "Something Special Card + Envelope" I made for him (Tutorial by Jennifer Casa.) Made me happy!^3^

I got to use my new Antique Alphabet Stamp Set that I recently got from Etsy!
Let’s face it, it’s just too hard for me to carve a set of alphabets this size! :p

I also stamped my initial on the back of each patch.

This is my new set of Alphabet Stamps, loved it!

Another pair of Origami Heart Earrings!

Just before I go, does everyone know that February is Crafty Month over at Kinokuniya (Sydney)?? All craft books are 20% off (Including Japanese titles – Hurray!), and Craft Fair will be held on the 27th Feb. Apparently Aranzi Aronzo will be having a special exhibition there too!! I’m a big fan!

I wish everyone the best of luck & health in the Year of Tiger!! xx
(My mum is a tiger baby hehe..)

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Valentines is just ONE WEEK away!!

How about making something special for yourself to wear on the big day? ^0^
… Or for anyone who’s still searching for a Valentines Day surprise gift!

It’s quite easy to make, and I’ve included lots of photo to follow!
So here we go…

You’ll need:

• A piece of Washi (Japanese Origami Paper) 15cm x 15cm
• Beads (of your choice)
• 2 x Fish-hook earring findings
• 2 x Head Pins
• PVA Glue
• Water-based Polyurethane & brush to apply
• Pliers
• Pin & Needle
• Scissors
• Wire

Step 1

Have your washi ready on a cutting mat. I used a type of origami paper known as Yuzen Chiyogami – love the prints! I also chose pink/red because it’s Valentines!

Cut out two 1.5 cm strips.

Step 2

Take one strip, fold one end of the washi to form a triangle.
And then keep wrapping the washi around the triangle.

When you reach the end of the washi strip, it should look something like the picture above. Fold the bottom corner of the part of washi strip still sticking out.

Step 3

Use a toothpick to apply a tiny bit of glue.

Tuck “end bit” in.

Step 4

Use your finger, gently press from the top of the triangle. Squash the two sides a bit to form a rough heart shape.

Repeat step 2 to 4 for the other washi strip.

Step 5

Use a pair of sharp scissors, trim the two sides of both hearts to make them rounder.

Step 6

First poke with a pin, and then a real thick needle to make a decent size pinhole.

Insert a piece of wire through both hearts – you don’t want to be holding the hearts when you apply the coating!!!

Step 7

Use a small paint brush to apply a thin coat of polyurethane and let dry. Repeat 2-3 times. Patience is the key – let dry completely between applications.

I’ve made heaps more hearts while waiting for the coating to dry ^0^

Step 8

Your hearts are now sturdy and water-resistant!

Remove hearts from wire and insert a head pin into each.
Thread a few beads in to make the earrings a bit more interesting.

Step 9

Trim the head pin if it’s too long, leave a section of exposed length of pin to form a loop using a pair of pliers.

Open the loop of a fish-hook finding and attach it to the head pin. Then close the loop again.

I don’t have a picture for this step, because I couldn’t take one><

Step 10

No more steps!! You are DONE! ^3^

I really like how the Origami Heart Earrings turned out! Hope my instructions are easy enough to follow. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment!!

Thank you for reading!!

:: FAQ ::

Can I use coating/varnish other than polyurethane?
I can’t say 100% for sure, but it’s relatively easy to test if your coating/varnish will work. Basically, the coating is to protect the washi from water/moisture as well as give it strength and durability. So brush a layer (or 2) of coating onto a small piece of washi, let dry, and if the washi does not become brittle and won’t break when bend (be gentle!) then it is probably good for this purpose!! Just a note though, I used water-based polyurethane (easier to clean up^^) so I’m not sure how oil-based ones will perform! But doesn’t hurt to try!:D

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I mean instant fun with my new instant-film camera^3^

Say hello to my new gadget Instax Mini by Fujifilm!!!

Doesn’t it look irresistibly cute?

This baby has such a clean & sleek design I couldn’t resist buying it when I saw it!
There’s a Hello Kitty Limited Edition – but I thought I’d pass :p

Taking lots of snapshots with my new camera!

Love the credit card size photos and the self-shoot mirror!!

Also comes with a close-up lens – pretty thoughtful!?

It’s been a rainy weekend in Sydney, a bit unmotivated! Still working on the Valentines tutorial – blame the rain! – Will post about it tomorrow (HOPEFULLY)!!

Hope your weekend has been fun and inspired! xx

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In order to celebrate the month of True Love, I’ve been thinking about the perfect Valentine’s gift to make – as far as I know the male species would prefer something more subtle and practical rather then big red hearts on a phone pouch – which I don’t think they’d like to take with them everyday!! We all know that they like to act COOL :p

So I was thinking something pampering – an eye pillow would make a nice Valentine’s gift, I’ve also chosen more earthy colours and patterns – to show LOVE but not overwhelming!!

Materials for the (washable) Eye Pillow Slipcover:

• Fabrics:
  • Piece A – 4 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ – linen
  • Piece B – *** – any fabric of your choice
  • Piece C – *** – linen
  • Piece D – *** – any fabric of your choice (I chose one with hearts on it!)
  • Piece E – *** – linen
  • Piece F – 20 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ – lining fabric of your choice
  • Piece G – 10″ x 4 1/4″ – any fabric of your choice (this is the panel that will be in contact with the eyes, choose a fabric that feels soft to the touch! I used 100% Cotton.)
• A piece of string 4″ long
• 1 cute button (I used one made out of coconut shell – gotta choose one that can go into the microwave!)

*** For pieces B, C, D and E – please cut fabrics according to this template here.

Materials for the Eye Pillow:

• Fabrics:
  • 2 pieces – 9 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ – any fabric of your choice (I used homespun.)
  • flaxseed (linseed) approx. 150g

Seam allowance: 1/4″

Step 1: Let’s start with the eye pillow slipcover!

First of all, I would like to personalise the front panel a little bit using hand carved stamps. I carved 2 different size rubber heart stamps (you can find the stamp carving tutorial here).

Take piece C, use a fabric marker to mark the 1/4″ seam allowance. Use fabric ink of you choice stamp randomly within the marked lines. This brand of fabric ink that I use require me to iron afterwards to set the colour.

Full of HEARTS and LOVE! ^_^

Step 2: Patchwork

Now sew pieces B, C, D and E together and press seam open. This is what you should get, a patchwork panel measuring 6 1/2″ x 4 1/4″.

Step 3: Getting there…

Sew pieces A, G and the patchwork panel together according to the order shown in the picture below. Now you should have a long fabric panel same size as the lining. Press seams open.

Step 4: Make things more interesting!

Now let’s decorate the fabrics a bit with some stitches!! Use a fabric marker to mark the 1/4″ seam allowance.

Use different colour threads to decorate the fabrics with some stitching. This is what I’ve come up with, you can stitch more or less according to what you fancy, possibilities are endless!

Step 5: Putting the eye pillow slipcover together!

Pin the fabric panel and lining (Piece F) RIGHT side together – don’t forget to pin the string in place. Stitch along the 2 SHORT sides.

Turn RIGHT side out and iron.

Using the folding line (shown by the 2 arrows in the picture above) – first fold the RIGHT flap in and then the LEFT. This is how it should look like now.

Pin in place and stitch along the 2 LONG sides. Trim the seam allowances with a pair of pinking shears (optional), or apply fray-check glue if you have any (also optional). If you used fray-check glue, remember to let dry completely before turning out.

Yes, you can turn RIGHT side out now!! Don’t forget to sew the button in place and here’s your slipcover DONE!!

Step 6: Sew the eye pillow

There’s no point of a slipcover without the actual eye pillow, so here we go. Pin the two pieces of homespun together (If you use a different kind of fabric – RIGHT side together please!) and stitch around leaving an opening on one of the short sides, backstitching at each end. I double stitched – just in case the seeds find their way out!!

Trim corners, turn RIGHT side out and fill the pillow with approximate 150g of flaxseed (a funnel would make things easier here!), you can add more or less seeds according to your liking, I personally don’t want it too bulky, otherwise it wouldn’t be comfortable on the eyes!

Shook all the flaxseed to one end and then stitch (double-stitch!!) the opening closed.

Now to the exciting part, place the eye pillow into the slipcover!!!^^
TADA!! There’s your Valentines gift ready!!

Eye Pillow – Front View.

Eye Pillow – Back View

Oh! In case you want to do some “safety testing” before giving it away – Put it in the microwave for 45 secs or chill it in the freezer – place over eyes and relax!! You deserve some reward after all the hard work!!

I enjoyed making this eye pillow very much! This project is also great for using up scraps!
I hope the instructions are easy enough to follow for you!^^ There will be another Valentines tutorial coming – a matching gift to go with the eye pillow, so hang in there, I won’t be long!!^_^

Thank you very much for reading!!!

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