Creating my way to Success

A Round Tuit 154

2013-05-20T07:02:00.001+10:00

Good morning!
It's a busy morning for us here today as my eldest daughter is off on her school camp for a few days! All very exciting - camping, canoeing, hiking and abseiling! What a great experience it'll be. I used to love school camps and I have to admit I'm a bit envious of her going off to do all of that with her friends!

It will be nice though to get some time with my younger daughter at home too!!

Hope you've got a fun week in store too!

Now to the party.................

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Tuits are very hard to come by, especially the round ones. For years people have been saying, "I'll do it as soon as I get a round tuit". Well now you can have one of your very own, and all those jobs that have needed doing will finally get done!

Here's my favourites from last week's party: First of all, these yummy looking Cheesecake filled Strawberries from Happier Than A Pig In Mud:

There are heaps more tasty ideas over on this blog - go check it out! http://happierthanapiginmud.blogspot.com.au/

Next, this super cute crocheted
amigurumi Giraffe from The Philosopher's Wife:

Isn't it gorgeous??
Lots more to see over at Rachel's blog, so do go and say hello:
http://philwife.blogspot.com.au/

Finally, this awesome tutorial for a
quilted pillow cushion with a hidden zipper from Made By ChrissieD:

Chrissie has a fabulous blog with lots of great ideas and projects - so head on over to take a look at:
http://madebychrissied.blogspot.com.au/

For those featured, feel free to grab a 'featured on' button from my buttons page.

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Now it's your turn:

Link up your own projects - old or new - no rules - just share your creativity and inspiration!

I'd love if you grabbed the button - then you can have your very own Round Tuit!

And of course we all love visitors and comments so do visit some of the other links!

By linking up here you're giving me permission to use photos from your post in features here on my blog.

I will feature my favourites on facebook during the week, and also on this post next week.

Sunday motivation

2013-05-19T07:00:00.000+10:00

Weekend clothes upcycling - a new plan and challenge

2013-05-18T07:00:00.000+10:00

As part of my renewed focus and drive to grow my blog, I've decided to delve further into the world of clothes upcycling.

As you may know, I have an ongoing clothes upcycling linky party, which now has over 450 projects and ideas linked up.

This resource is constantly growing and is a great source of inspiration.

However, what I would like to build up is another resource where you can easily look up types of clothing and get ideas and inspiration of what to do with that particular item of clothing. For example you may have a favourite t-shirt that has finally worn through and is no longer really wearable, but you still can't bear to part with it......so then you could search this resource for ideas for upcycling t-shirts.

So week by week I'm going to research and collect all the information I can find about upcycling particular items of clothing. Then I'll collate each post together on an easy to navigate page so each post is easy to find for future reference.

I'm also going to do a ruthless cull of my own wardrobe, and use the information I find to help me upcycle my own clothing, so I will have some extra examples of the ideas and inspiration put into practice!

To keep me accountable and make sure this resource gets made - here's the plan - week by week and clothing item by clothing item.

A post each week on Saturdays.

June

1st - jeans

8th - jeans part 2

15th - dresses

22nd - dresses - part 2

29th - tank tops

July

6th - swimwear

13th - t-shirts

20th - t-shirts part 2

27th - skirts

August

3rd - shirts

10th - shirts part 2

17th - underwear

24th - trousers / pants

31st - baby clothes

September

7th - pyjamas

14th - hats / caps

21st - shoes

28th - shoes part 2

October

5th - sweaters

12th - shorts

19th - socks

26th - leggings

November

2nd - track pants

9th - jackets

16th - scarves

23rd - belts

30th - cardigans

As you can see, these posts will start in June - giving me a little time to start researching and making them as packed full of information and ideas as I can.

If you notice any items of clothing that I've missed - or you have ideas or projects that you'd like me to feature or include in these posts then please leave me a comment, or email me (you can find my contact details here).

Next week I'll post any revisions and or additions to this plan!

So for now - I'm off to clear out my wardrobe and see what items of clothing I have to work with - and also start searching the internet for even more ideas and inspiration!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - and that you'll come back each Saturday to join me in exploring the fascinating world of clothes upcycling even more!

Fat Quarter Shop

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000+10:00

The Fat Quarter Shop

A one-stop online shop for all your sewing needs.

Today I was browsing fabrics with an animal theme...

Madhuri Blue Elephant Yardage by The Quilted Fish for Riley Blake Designs:

Timeless Treasures Lime Tossed Animal Yardage:

5 Funky Monkeys Cotton Fat Quarter Bundle:

Gumball's First School Day White - Gumball Tossed Yardage:

Fandango Batiks Green Tonal Riding Horses Yardage:

And that is just a tiny peek at the amazing selection Fat Quarter Shop has!

You can search for almost any theme you could imagine, and they will have fabric to suit!

But don't just take my word for it - go and take a look for yourself at

The Fat Quarter Shop

Happy Fabric Shopping!

Giant fabric origami bag

2013-05-16T07:00:00.000+10:00

One of my most popular tutorials is for this fabric origami bag:

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a lot of pageviews on my blog coming to view this tutorial from a forum in Holland. When I went to look at the forum, I found a picture of a larger version of this bag. Unfortunately, although I bookmarked the page, it now won't show up in my browser, so I can't credit the inspiration behind my own larger version of this bag!

I used some pretty fabric that my girls chose from Wholeport.

I simply followed my own tutorial for this bag, but cut the fabric 80cm (approx 31.5") square. Then instead of drawstring ribbon, I cut 2 strips of the outer fabric, 118 x 10cm (46.5 x 4"); double folded them lengthwise and top-stitched to hide any raw edges; then threaded one through each side of the bag casing and stitched each strap together in a loop.

I'm really pleased with the result:

I think it would make a great beach bag, or just general tote!

I also had some fun playing around with the effects I can use on my new birthday camera...

I've only had my camera for 2 days, but haven't had a chance to explore all it can do yet! Looks like it might save me some time editing the photos on the computer, with all these cool effects on the camera itself! Can't wait to get snapping!

Have you ever tried any fabric origami? This bag is very simple to make - equally easy large or small.

For the tutorial so you can make one for yourself - go here!

And for some great fabric choices - why not try Wholeport!

I shall be linking this post to many of the fabulous linky parties whose pretty buttons are on the bottom of this page and whose direct links can be found on my linky party page.

(This post is sponsored by Wholeport. All opinions are my own, but I do receive free supplies in return for the post.)

Many creative uses for a single object

2013-05-15T07:00:00.000+10:00

As I've been looking at creativity over these past few weeks I've found in several places the idea of brainstorming as many different uses for a single object as possible as a way to encourage and stimulate your creativity.

This made me think of something I did a couple of years ago.

I had several old silver windscreen shades that I kept because I just knew they would come in useful one day! (we all have things like that in our cupboards, right?)

Well, I decided it was time to finally use these things - and so I came up with several different uses for them:

A fabric pie or pizza box:

Insulated lunch bags:

(the silver shade provided the insulated lining for these)

A little Space Jem!

Drinks coasters:

Placemats:

And even a shiny clutch purse!

I think I managed to find some good creative uses for these old windscreen shades - and used up most my stash - although I do still have some silver scraps left!

So - I thought that it was time to flex those creative muscles again with something else I've been collecting knowing I'll find a use for them one day!

Rice bags:

Last year I found these in our local supermarket. Previously we'd only been able to buy rice there in large plastic bags, so when I saw these lovely cloth ones I changed to buying them straight away - more eco friendly to have a cloth bag rather than a plastic bag. Plus they have a sturdy zip and are re-usable......for something!

However - I'm now amassing quite a collection:

13 bags and another in the cupboard still with some rice in!

So - rather than just endlessly saving these bags - I think it's time to do something with them!

Putting it out here on the blog should push me to actually do something!

By next Wednesday I want to have made at least one thing from these bags! Come back then to find out what I've come up with!

Meanwhile - any and all suggestions and ideas are very welcome! Please do leave me some comments!

What have you been saving that you need to get around to using - come on, I'll bet there's plenty other out there hoarding things - let's get creative!!

Happy 40th Birthday to me!

2013-05-14T07:00:00.000+10:00

Today is my 40th Birthday!

So I'm taking a day off.

This morning I'm going up to the top of here with my husband..

Then relaxing by the pool in the afternoon..

Then out for dinner with my family in the evening!

I'll be back tomorrow - much refreshed, and well, I've heard that

'life begins at 40'

so I'm pretty excited to get stuck into it!!

A Round Tuit 153

2013-05-13T07:00:00.000+10:00

This is a very special week for me!
Yesterday was mother's day here in Australia - and my girls spoiled me very much!
It's also my 40th birthday tomorrow -and my lovely husband surprised me with an awesome present yesterday of...

A Bungee Jump!! AND a surprise party with all my friends there!

I have to say that jumping at age 39 was a bit scarier than I remember it being at age 19!
But is was still awesome fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

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Today my parents are taking me out shopping to get a fancy new camera as my present from them! Can't wait to get that and start snapping away!

But for now - I'll leave you with this week's linky - and will check out what everyone's been up to in a couple of days when all the excitement here has settled down a bit!

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Tuits are very hard to come by, especially the round ones. For years people have been saying, "I'll do it as soon as I get a round tuit". Well now you can have one of your very own, and all those jobs that have needed doing will finally get done!

Here's my favourites from last week's party: First of all, this brilliant Travel Shoe Bag from Pam at Threading my Way:

I'm definitely making some of these for our next trip! Pam has some brilliant ideas and tutorials on her blog, together with a great series of ongoing linky parties which are a fabulous resource for all kinds of tutorials and ideas! So what are you waiting for - head on over and check out Pam's place now! http://threadingmyway.blogspot.com.au/

Next, this cute crochet love bracelet from Desperate Houselife:

I just love the simplicity of this idea. It's inspired me to show it to my daughter who is now an expert in crocheting chains and makes endless friendship bracelets for her friends. We have plenty of broken necklaces and charms etc that she could incorporate into her bracelets like the above!
For plenty more inspiration - check out this lovely blog:
http://www.desperatehouselife.com/

Finally, this great
DIY magnetic make-up board from Heavenly Savings:

Krista has posted a wonderful tutorial - I love this idea and I'm pretty sure we've got all the raw materials around the house and shed to make my own version!!
For more great ideas - head on over to Krista's blog at:
http://heavenlysavings.net/

For those featured, feel free to grab a 'featured on' button from my buttons page.

----------------------------------------------------------

Now it's your turn:

Link up your own projects - old or new - no rules - just share your creativity and inspiration!

I'd love if you grabbed the button - then you can have your very own Round Tuit!

And of course we all love visitors and comments so do visit some of the other links!

By linking up here you're giving me permission to use photos from your post in features here on my blog.

I will feature my favourites on facebook during the week, and also on this post next week.

Sunday motivation

2013-05-12T07:00:00.000+10:00

No longer for sale - making ALL my sewing tutorials FREE!

2013-05-11T07:00:00.001+10:00

I made the decision this week to close my little 'shop' and make all my sewing tutorials available for free.

The first I published this week:

Go here if you'd like the link to download the free tutorial and pattern!

I initially made these patterns, which are much more detailed and larger than the tutorials I have offered free on my blog, as a way of creating an income source from my skills. After all - don't we all want to get paid for the hard work we do?

BUT - I'm currently taking a good hard look at my blog and really trying to streamline it into what I want it to be and what I believe in and am passionate about.

This has led me to realise that having a 'shop' isn't what I want.

Here's why:

There are so many free tutorials out there that I myself don't buy any - so really why should I expect anyone to buy mine? I can't ask others to do what I wouldn't do myself.
I know that whatever I choose to blog about - it will take hard work and dedication to produce and promote it. That goes for having things for sale. You need to be constantly promoting and pushing those things and your shop. I really don't enjoy 'sales' and asking people to spend money. I'd much rather show people ways to save money by helping them to do it themselves!!
To be perfectly honest - I haven't sold many tutorials, but have had far more success with my free tutorials - and ironically have made more money through those free tutorials by means of the increased traffic to my blog they produce, and in turn my increased revenue through advertisements and sponsorship.

I'm happy with my decision - and am pleased to have had a good response from my readers from the release of the first of my larger and more comprehensive tutorials for free!

Over the next few weeks I will post the other tutorials and the links to the now free downloads for those!

How about you? Do you have a shop selling your handmade goods, or patterns? Are you happy to spend time promoting that and have you found much success through this avenue? I would love to hear other people's stories. I think it's all about finding your own way - and everyone's way is going to be different!

Happy Sewing!

Madwestdesigns

2013-05-10T13:52:00.000+10:00

Coming into winter here in Australia is the perfect time to go and browse the beautiful work of Marie at Madwestdesigns!

Her Etsy Shop is full of gorgeous crocheted items,

like this beautiful Children's crochet spiral scarf:

These super cute Sock Monkey Beanies with earflaps:

And this stunning crochet Teen Hat with lace edge:

And for those of you in the northern hemisphere - where it's starting to get warmer, there's plenty more to choose from, like this beautiful embellished handbag:

Or how about a pretty crochet broach:

So why not head on over to Madwestdesigns to have a look through Marie's lovely shop!

You can also find Marie on Facebook

Happy Shopping!!

Ducky amigurumi!!

2013-05-09T07:00:00.000+10:00

I'm very proud to introduce you to...Ducky!!

Yes, I know he's an odd colour for a duck - but my daughter chose the colours and she helped make this cute little guy!

For my daughter's 8th birthday last week, her sister got her some more wool - and we downloaded and printed some amigurumi patterns:

She chose a duck to start with, and although it was bigger than I'd imagined and so took a bit longer than expected, I'm really pleased with the result..

I kind of followed the pattern - but didn't always count my stitches - so he's a little lop-sided! But I think that just adds to his charm!

Following the patterns was reasonably easy. You really only need to know chain (ch) and single crochet (sc) (which I've learnt as being called double crochet - how confusing!!).

The hardest part is the first few 'rings' at the beginning of each part. As it gets larger and wider the 'holes' where you put your crochet hook get much easier to see. My daughter can chain really quickly, and perfectly evenly now, but is still practising with starting the circles! Once I get that done - she's great with the double (or single) crochet too!

So we'll keep going and soon we'll have loads of different and brightly coloured amigurumi!!

From zero crochet skills to this in just 4 months I'm quite impressed!!

One thing I think I might invest in is a stitch marker - I seem to loose count and track of where I'm up to very easily. Any recommendations?

I"ll be linking this project to many of the fabulous linky parties whose pretty buttons can be found on the bottom of this page and direct links on my linky party page.

How to stimulate your creativity!

2013-05-08T07:00:00.000+10:00

The book I'm reading at the moment is the very interesting:

The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely

The book explores what motivates people to do things like work harder. Dan Ariely has some really interesting and fun studies to share seeing for example whether bigger and bigger financial bonus really do make people work harder and harder. What effect do people's reactions to what we produce at work have on our productivity or desire to work more or less.

All of this is 'behavioural economics'. Now if you'd mentioned that title to me I would never have picked up this book.

But reading about the experiments he has done and how people have reacted in them is fascinating!

I discovered this author through this Youtube video where he talks about what motivates us to work. It's 20 mins long - but well worth a watch if you have the time!

Anyway - how this brought me to creativity was this 'thought experiment' mentioned in the book...

"What if I paid you a lot of money, say $100,000, to come up with a very creative idea for a research project in the next 72 hours? What would you do differently? You would probably substitute some of your regular activities with others. You would not bother with your e-mail; you wouldn't check Facebook; you wouldn't leaf through a magazine. you would probably drink a lot of coffee and sleep much less. Maybe you would stay at the office all night. This means that you would work more hours, but would doing any of this help you be more creative?"

This made me think about my 'creative' blog and that my goal is to make it into a business that makes me a decent financial income. I am in effect doing this 'thought experiment' but without the time constraint.

I know that plenty of people have made more than $100,000 from their blogs and take the attitude that if someone else can do it then so can I. - I just have to figure out how!

However can financial gain as an incentive make you more creative? Perhaps it is more likely to stifle your creativity by putting pressure on you to come up with ideas?

But it does pose the question..

How do you stimulate your creativity?

Do you have something you do to help get your creative juices flowing?

Personally - I like to get some good music on and do tasks that don't require me to think about them - like exercise or sometimes housework!

Exercise I find particularly good as it wakes me up, gets the blood flowing and if I do it in the morning it motivates me for the day. I've solved a few 'problems' and come up with lots of ideas when running!

I Googled - "how to be more creative" - and here's a selection of the ideas I found:

Let your mind wander

Do things differently

Walk in the rain

Stop watching television

Block out interruptions

Listen to music

Eat with your hands

I'm not sure why eating with your hands would stimulate creativity, but I'm willing to give it a try!!

I also tried to look up which colour might enhance or stimulate creativity - but found several different answers - blue, grey, purple and turquoise. Who knows - perhaps if I'd looked for longer I could have found more colours mentioned!

I guess it's all a personal choice - and finding what works for you.

After my post last week -

"What is Creativity and why do we need it"

I really want to look at ways that might encourage creativity in myself and also my kids.

Perhaps some kind of creativity challenge - does anyone have any suggestions? - perhaps I will work one out for next month - a small creative challenge each day?

Would anyone be interested in joining in with something like this?

Any and all suggestions welcome!

What do you do to stimulate your own creativity?

Personalised Duffel-Style Bags - Free Tutorial!

2013-05-07T07:00:00.000+10:00

This easy to follow and information packed tutorial shows you how to make not just one, but all sizes of this versatile duffel style bag.

The keychain size:

The pencil case size:

The handbag size with several pockets and clips:

And the overnight or airline carry-on size:

The tutorial includes all measurements, pattern pieces,
and clear photos and instructions for every step, including how to custom make any size duffel you choose!

I have made sets for myself, and both my daughters with our initials on:

I also made one with rip-stop nylon fabric for my daughter to use as a waterproof swimming bag.

I have made sets for my daughter's friends..

And an extra gym bag for myself with longer straps..

So - if you would like a FREE copy of this PDF tutorial, just

click here

to go to the download!

To see my other free sewing tutorials, go to

My Tutorials Page

Happy Sewing!

I'll be linking this post to many of the fabulous linky parties whose pretty buttons can be found at the bottom of this page and direct links on my linky party page.

Wrapped in Fabric

2013-05-06T19:00:00.000+10:00

Wrapped in Fabric

is a wonderfully comprehensive on-line fabric, patterns and notions shop based right here in Australia.

There is an amazing selection of fabrics - both in terms of type and style and always something interesting to discover..

Like this Explorer Antique Maps in Tan & Gold by Hoffman:

Over the Rainbow Batik in green and blue dotty waves by Laundry Basket Quilts for Moda:

Glow in the Dark Outer Space planets by Camelot Cottons:

Zoofari Words White by Riley Blake Designs:

Just to show you a tiny selection of what this amazing shop has to offer!

Of course - I had to have a quick look in the bargain section while I was there - and look what I found...

Moda School Days Chalk Board Grey By American Jane:

Just gorgeous!!! - this would be great for kids library bags or pencil cases - or perhaps art smocks!

Whatever you're looking for - you're sure to find something to suit at

Wrapped in Fabric

So why not head on over there right now for a look!

Happy Fabric Shopping!

A Round Tuit 152

2013-05-06T07:00:00.000+10:00

This weekend was my youngest daughter's birthday party at our house. I made my first ever pinata!

I think I used a little too much tape as it survived lots of whacking, and in the end it was thrown to the ground and just ripped open! The kids loved it!

I was also pleased with the cake I made - this time it didn't look too different from the model in the book:

With swimming tiny teddies instead of dolls!

This was much better than one of my cakes last year that certainly got a lot of giggles!

Icing cakes is not my strong point - but at least they always taste good, and the provide a good amount of entertainment each year!

Who knows what kind of cake my girls will request next year!
Have you made any great kids birthday cakes?
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Time to get to this week's party!

Tuits are very hard to come by, especially the round ones. For years people have been saying, "I'll do it as soon as I get a round tuit". Well now you can have one of your very own, and all those jobs that have needed doing will finally get done!

Here's my favourites from last week's party: First of all, this cute sewing with scraps crazy square block from The Sewing Loft:

I LOVE this!! I always have plenty of scraps to use up and Heather's tutorial on how to make it is super clear. I've pinned it to try myself sometime soon! Heather's blog is just gorgeous, with heaps of great tutorials. So go and say hello at: http://thesewingloftblog.com/

Next, how to make a t-shirt quilt from Lambers Lately:

I love the straightforward, 'give it a go' way that Leslie made this quilt!
For lots more great ideas, visit Leslie's lovely blog at:
http://www.lambertslately.com/

Finally, this gorgeous round crochet rug from Elisabeth Andree:

As you may know I'm slowly learning how to crochet and Elisabeth's blog is full of fabulous crochet projects she has made that I want to try myself (when my skills get much better).
For lots of crochet inspiration, go and say hello to Elisabeth at:
http://elisabethandree.wordpress.com/

For those featured, feel free to grab a 'featured on' button from my buttons page.

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Now it's your turn:

Link up your own projects - old or new - no rules - just share your creativity and inspiration!

I'd love if you grabbed the button - then you can have your very own Round Tuit!

And of course we all love visitors and comments so do visit some of the other links!

By linking up here you're giving me permission to use photos from your post in features here on my blog.

I will feature my favourites on facebook during the week, and also on this post next week.

Sunday Motivation

2013-05-05T07:00:00.000+10:00

More car organisers!

2013-05-04T07:00:00.001+10:00

I love hearing from people who have used my tutorials and made things.

This week I received an email from Angie who has just made a couple of car organisers using my tutorial and kindly sent me pictures to show them and said she'd be happy for me to share them on here.

So here's what she came up with:

Aren't they great? I love the cars and dinosaur fabric, and I have to admit it's a thrill when I see something someone else made using my design and tutorial!

Angie did have a suggestion for this project:

"I think next time, I would just add some stiff interfacing to give the main box some firmness....the placemats were kind of a pain. :-) I also just made straps out of the same fabric and then added some velcro to attach them together. Other than that, I think it's just like your instructions. :-) "

I think the stiff interfacing would work great and velcro straps too. I happened to have old placemats and clips on hand to use for mine - but it's great to have suggestions for alternative materials - I'm a bit fan of use what you have and substituting things where you need to!

The tutorial for this car organiser can be found here.

Thanks once again Angie for allowing me to show your projects here!

Have you ever made anything using one of my tutorials?

I'd love to hear from you if you have. Leave a link in the comments here or send me an email and I'll come and take a look!

Have a great weekend!

The Fabric Fairy

2013-05-03T19:00:00.000+10:00

I always find great fabric when I browse over at The Fabric Fairy.

Today I was checking out the new arrivals section and found...

this lovely Lady Luck Cotton Lycra Knit Fabric:

Very cool!!

Super cute Bulldogs and Bones Cotton Knit:

This very chic Chainlink swimsuit fabric:

And this gorgeous Fuschia Hearts Argyle Knit:

The Fabric Fairy has amazing customer service with the fabric fairy herself - Megan, happy to help you with your fabric selection and projects.

Now a trip to a fabric shop is never complete without visiting the sale section. Today I found that there is some

Indigo Ruffle Knit Fabric in there!

I bought this fabric myself a while ago and made skirts and bags for my girls which they wear and use ALL the time!

With this fabric reduced to just $7.99 a yard (was $12.99) - it's a bargain not to be missed!

So head on over to The Fabric Fairy right now to see what you can find!

Happy Fabric shopping!

The value of linky parties for increasing traffic to your blog.

2013-05-03T07:00:00.000+10:00

My weekly linky party - A Round Tuit, now gets over 100 links per week, and I love visiting the projects people have linked up and get lots of inspiration from them.

I used to link up my projects to lots of linky parties every week, but over the past few months have gradually stopped doing so. Partly it was the time it took, partly because I just focused on my own party and visiting all the links there, and also I just got into the habit of submitting my projects and tutorials to larger sites like Craftgossip and All Free Sewing, and the smaller linky parties just kind of got forgotten.

However - recent contemplation about the direction of my blog together with a post by Gwen at the Bold Abode telling how she had doubled her email subscribers and pinterest followers in one month, got me thinking again about linky parties again.

A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time each day going through the parties I had listed on my Linky Party Page. Some of them had disappeared, some had moved to other sites, and so I updated, then searched for more current parties and expanded my lists.

I've decided to spend time each day linking up my projects and visiting other links. To hear that for Gwen this has been one thing that has increased traffic to her blog again, plus knowing that it has worked in the past for my blog is encouraging.

I think I had fallen into a rut of how I did and didn't promote my posts. But I don't think that what works now is what is going to work every month.

I was just reading a great article on Whip up about monetizing your blog, and a sentence in it struck a chord:

The blogosphere moves very fast, and it’s very

likely that what’s earning income for you now

won’t be the same thing that’s earning you

income next year.

This is a good reminder that although you need a long term goals and plan, it is also vitally important to constantly reassess in the short term what you're doing and what is or isn't working.

So this month - May, I'm getting back to joining in lots of linky parties. After just a couple of weeks I'm noticing a growth in my visitors!

Towards the end of May, I will reassess again!

So if you have a linky party (or know about one) and it isn't on my party page - then do leave a comment here with the link and I'll add it and come around and link up each week!

And of course, don't forget to come and link up with my own linky party

A Round Tuit

every Monday!

Crocheting onto objects

2013-05-02T07:00:00.000+10:00

Last week I stumbled across this great little tutorial for making crochet picture frames over at Lola Nova, by crocheting onto a basic bracelet.

Now I have two daughters who have recently grown out of all their bright plastic jewellery - leaving me with a large collection like this:

I've kept them knowing that one day I'll find some use for them - and this just seemed perfect!

So I gave it a go..

It was quite easy to crochet around the bracelet - although my stitches weren't very even - with some looser than others! I only did the basic first layer over the bracelet, the tutorial has further layers to make the 'frame' wider.

But knowing how easy the basic idea is - this is definitely something I will play around with. I showed it to my daughter and she picked it up very quickly. She's been practising and has started attaching them to keyrings and bags, and also making them for her friends!

I tried again using the whole tutorial and ended up with this...

I'm very pleased with it - especially since it's the first whole crochet pattern I've managed to follow!! Still not perfect, but I'm excited nonetheless!!

It's also got me looking around the house wondering what else I can crochet onto?

Any suggestions anyone? What have you creatively crocheted onto?

I'll be linking this post to many of the wonderful linky parties whose pretty buttons can be found on the bottom of this page, and whose direct links can be found on my linky party page.

Fashionable Fabrics

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It was my youngest daughter's birthday yesterday and we're having her party at the weekend, so when I was browsing through Fashionable Fabrics today, this fabric caught my eye:

How fabulous is that? You could use it for some eco friendly - reusable wrapping paper, for party decorations, or to make a birthday bag or pencil case - endless possibilities!

I also found these gorgeous fabrics in the new arrivals:

Woodland Pals Racoons in Nature by Robert Kaufman

Bailey Caravan Pink by Blend Fabrics:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Panel by Andover Fabrics

Fashionable Fabrics have an unending selection of fashion forward and novelty fabrics - so many ideas and inspiration!

As always, I had to take a browse around the sale section - and look what I found...

Roar Lions in Bright by Robert Kaufman

Only $8.25 per yard!

Head on over to Fashionable Fabrics right now to take a look!

You won't be disappointed - fodder for the creative soul!

Amazingly creative upcycled jewellery

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Having decided to take a weekly look at creativity, I could think of no better place to start than at

Mich in LA

Here is the fabulous Michelle:

I discovered Michelle's blog a couple of years ago when I stumbled upon her feature:

Guess the Mystery Thing

In these posts - Michelle creates beautiful, imaginative and quirky jewellery from the most unbelievable objects and items.

She will show you the finished jewellery - and the idea is that the readers have to guess what the jewellery is made from - someone who guesses correctly will win the jewellery!

Here's some examples of things she has made:

Ring on Fire made from plastic bowling pins..

(notice Michelle is wearing some of these stunning rings in her picture above!)

The clip on part of plastic hair rollers - to cute pendants:

These gorgeous golden bird drop earrings..

Or pretty bird pendants:

From...

Dollar store swizzle sticks:

Really her imagination and creativity knows no bounds.

But I have to say I'm equally as impressed with some of the creative guesses that some of her readers come up with as to what the jewellery is made from .

For example - Michelle challenged her readers to guess what the pretty leaves on this necklace were made from:

Here are some of the guesses:

Marie: melted down false fingernails?
Square Feet: shed snakeskin.
Peaches: aardvark toenails.
Kerry: leaves from a plastic tree you have growing in the back yard.
Lisbonlioness: I do realize that Gollum is an unwholesome fellow, but pulling out his toenails is just...wrong. Plus, this necklace will smell faintly of algae and will be a tad slimy to the touch. Have you no heart, woman?
Anne P: you have cast a spell on some beautiful leaf and frozen it, like magic!

In fact, they were made from this...

I know! Amazing hey?

I find myself now looking at the oddest things in strange ways wondering what pretty things they could be turned into!

There is a great quote by Andy Warhol that I think perfectly describes just what Michelle does:

“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore

you suddenly thrill you.”

Michelle has the creativity and talent to turn the most boring item into something totally thrilling!

I am in awe of Michelle's creativity - and try to pop over to her blog whenever I can to read her posts - and particularly her 'Guess the Mystery Thing' posts, although I often find my own creativity sadly lacking when I can't guess or even invent a creative guess to explain the transformation!!

So if you want to flex your creative muscles, head on over to

Mich in LA

Have a good browse around, say hello to Michelle, and see if you can guess any of her mystery jewellery sources!!

Thanks Michelle for letting me feature you and your amazing talent here today! Can't wait to see what you make next!

Magnetic Pockets a tutorial - 5 steps in 15 mins

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Does your fridge look anything like this?

I get endless vouchers and notes that get stuck on the fridge with magnets, but look very messy and cluttered.

So I decided to pretty them up a bit!

So instead of this:

I can have this:

Much neater and prettier!

It's a nice simple project that just uses scraps of material and a magnet for each pocket. (I have several odd magnets that have fallen off things or come unstuck etc).

So here's how to make your own magnetic pocket for the fridge to hold all those coupons, vouchers and notes, in just

5 steps and 15 minutes

Step 1

Cut your fabric a little wider than you want your pocket and 4 times the length.

(I cut mine 11 x 40cm (4.5 x 16")

Fold in half lengthways with right sides together:

Step 2

Stitch down both long sides:

Step 3

Turn the pocket right sides out and press:

Also press the raw edges of the opening inside the pocket like this:

Step 4

Place the magnet just inside the pocket:

Then stitch across the top of the pocket on both sides of the magnet. I used my zipper foot so that I could get the line of stitching nice and close to stop the magnet slipping around.

Then stitch down the other two sides of the magnet to hold securely in place.

Step 5

Fold up your pocket in half, with the magnet at the top back.

And top-stitch down both sides, close to the edge.

And you're done! Pop it on your fridge and fill up with those vouchers and coupons!

I think my fridge looks a little tidier now, don't you?

You could make these pockets any size you like - but you may need more magnets spaced out across the top for larger pockets!

For more simple sewing tutorials that anyone can sew in just

5 steps and 15 mins - go here.

And for lots more sewing tutorials for all levels and abilities - take a look at

My Tutorials Page.

I shall be linking this project to many of the fabulous linky parties whose pretty buttons can be found on the bottom of this page, and whose direct links can be found on my linky party page.

A Round Tuit 151

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Hello and welcome to a fresh, new week!
As the wet season comes to an end here, it's time to clear our garden, cut back the overgrowth and plant some new veggies!
But before we do that - I'm going to enjoy...our very first Valencia Orange which is slowly ripening..

and the last of our pumpkins..

Yummy!!
What's growing in your garden just now?

Ok - let's get to the party..

Tuits are very hard to come by, especially the round ones. For years people have been saying, "I'll do it as soon as I get a round tuit". Well now you can have one of your very own, and all those jobs that have needed doing will finally get done!

Here's my favourites from last week's party: First of all, this Anyone Can Knit Sweater from Sew Can Do:

Some of you may know I have a series of tutorials entitled "Anyone can Sew" and I'm a big fan of this attitude of giving anything a try. Cheryl has tons of great tutorials and so much more on her blog so do go and take a look at: http://www.sewcando.com/

Next, this fabric vase from Meeha Meeha:

I love her creative use of this fabric pouch! I've made several pouches like this - and even produced a tutorial for them, but never thought to use them as a vase! Genius!

Meeha has a BEAUTIFUL blog and you must go and take a look around:

http://meehameeha.blogspot.com.au/

Finally, this New Ham DIY from Serger Pepper:

What a great idea - and a lovely tutorial!

Mama Nene has a wonderful blog with lots more great ideas on it.

So why not take a trip over to her Italian corner at:

http://sergerpepper.blogspot.it/

For those featured, feel free to grab a 'featured on' button from my buttons page.

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Now it's your turn:

Link up your own projects - old or new - no rules - just share your creativity and inspiration!

I'd love if you grabbed the button - then you can have your very own Round Tuit!

And of course we all love visitors and comments so do visit some of the other links!

By linking up here you're giving me permission to use photos from your post in features here on my blog.

I will feature my favourites on facebook during the week, and also on this post next week.