Make, Do & Send

Colour Files: 12

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:22:00 +0000

Oliver + S Little Things To Sew, By Liesl Gibson

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:53:00 +0000

Hello lovelies, have you all had a nice weekend? We went to visit Baby Ama who is the newest addition to the Pope Family this weekend. I am in love and came home with the urge to sew all manner of beautiful things for such a gorgeous little girl!

My hunt for patterns started with Oliver + S who did not disappoint.

If you are into sewing even the tiniest bit I am sure you have come across Oliver + S. In fact even if you don't sew I bet you've admired the sweet Dan Andreasen illustrations. They look as though they've jumped straight off the pages of an old picture book don't they.

What I really wanted to tell you about Oliver + S this morning though was that there is a new book! Liesl Gibson's 'Little Things To Sew ' will be available on Amazon tomorrow (1st March) or you can get a signed copy direct from Oliver + S. They have this lovely little promotional video out which I just had to share with you...

Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, by Liesl Gibson from STC Craft on Vimeo.

I loved the film Thayer Allyson Gowdy did with Meg and Joy for the release of Creative Inc. so I think its really cool that more designers are embracing video, especially when they are this fun.

I am all over the travel quilt, penguin back pack and bear hats. I love that all the projects look really stylish while still being fun for children. Amazon here I come....

See you back here Wednesday friends!

Credits: Animation: Holly Klein Photographs: Laurie Frankel Paper Doll Illustrations: Dan Andreasen Music: “Quixote Dreams of Dulcinea,” by Ergo Phizmiz

Psst...This video is also available for viewing on YouTube and Vimeo. ;)

Colour Files: 11

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

via countryliving.com gift card "wallet" tutorial.

H&M Home

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:00:00 +0000

I've been shopping around for a new mattress all week and once all the practicalities were out the way I immediately started thinking about prettying it up.

Of course I have pretty much exhausted my budget with the mattress purchase so I was really excited when I stumbled across the H&M Home range. I'm not sure if I have been living under a rock or if its just new but I had no idea H&M did home-wares!?

I am definitely feeling the first two looks for bringing the outside in this spring, what do you think?

The second floral duvet actually got me thinking about Etsuko Furuya's Echino fabrics which use lots of nature prints and vibrant colours so perhaps I should see if I can get my hands of some and make a throw for the end of the bed...

Hope you have a lovely week friends, speak to you soon!

image source: H&M

Colour Files: 10

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:56:00 +0000

image source: haus maus

I am still here!

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Hi Friends, Sorry to have left you hanging for so long but to make up for it I have mixed it up a little by posting my first video.

Don't be too critical, its my first v.blogging attempt so I will get better with practice I hope!

It's great to be back in the blogging loop, have a great day xx

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 13:01:00 +0000

via on Pinterest

I hope you have all been enjoying the festivities these past few weeks. I have loved every minute of the past week as I have been able to spend some real quality time with my family. Everyone has such busy lives these days that spending a few days together seems really precious.

December was filled with all the highs that come with Christmas but also some lows which has been sad but I am ready for the fresh start that came with 01.01.11 and hope to really make this year count.

Heres to making 2011 AMAZING!

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

Oh, and a happy new year post wouldn't be complete if I didn't say a big thank you to each and every one of you for stopping by my little blog this year! I genuinely feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I think of you all around the world. Love and hugs, Alex x

Reflect On This Year And Manifest What's Next With Reverb 10

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:22:00 +0000

via on Pinterest

Have you heard of Reverb 10? I first stumbled across the project via Susannah Conway's blog but I've since seen it popping up all over the blogging world.

The idea behind Reverb 10 is that by thinking about the questions put to you through the daily prompts you can begin to reflect on the past year and look to the next, sending out reverberations for 2011.

There's no pressure to answer the questions in a certain way or to even put the answers to every question out there for the world to see, which I like. Its all about your own personal journey.

I thought I would share the project with you here as it seems like a really good exercise to work through for us all at this time of year.

Do you want to think about the first prompt together? Here it is....

Prompt 1: One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

Have you been taking part already? I'd love to hear what you think of Reverb 10 so far if you have been working through the prompts.

Feel free to leave me a comment below with your answers if you would like to share or tweet me @makedoandsend. Have a lovely day friends. x

Colour Files: 09

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0000

imgae source: hayal25 via pinterest

Christmas Mailing Labels and Gifted Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:21:00 +0000

Have you had a chance to check out Ez of Creature Comforts holiday magazine, Gifted, yet? I enjoyed every single page from cover to cover and even did a little happy dance when I saw the gorgeous free printables Ez has sprinkled throughout.

I loved the wrapping set from Paola Zakimi with her sweet christmasy illustrations so much that I used the christmas wrap to make some whimsical mailing labels for my holiday cards. What do you think, sweet right?

They were really easy if you would like to make some yourself. Just open the wrapping paper file (on page 71-72) in an editor like Photoshop and cut out a space for the address to go. Voila, you have added mailing labels to Paola's gorgeous wrapping suite.

You can have a flick through Gifted Magazine right here...

Have a lovely day everyone.

psst... I have free christmas mailing labels for you to print here!

image source: creature comforts

Colour Files: 08

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:00:00 +0000

image source: pinterest

Printable Christmas Lists in the New Toffee Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:19:00 +0000

I have some exciting news to share! These printable lists I designed have been published in the new online magazine Toffe e.

Back in September, Nancy Alice Wood of Wolf and Willow contacted me to see if I would be interested in contributing to the Christmas printable section she was compiling for Toffee.

Believe it or not I already had christmas projects on the brain so I jumped at the chance and submitted 4 printable lists for holiday organisation. 8 weeks later, and here I am pictured as a contributer to the brand new Toffee Magazine!

Yep thats me, third on the right :)

If you download the magazine you will be able to print my lists for managing To-Do's, Shopping Lists, Christmas Cards and Gift Planning as many times as you like!

Toffee Magazine is just $2.99 which is really reasonable considering you get 102 pages packed with great interviews, crafty book reviews, recipes, crafts, printables, a whole bunch of ideas for making your own beauty lotions and potions and more. You will also receive a selection of patterned digital papers for scrapbooking and craft projects which are gorgeous.

You Can Buy Issue 1 of Toffee Magazine Here!

Speak to you soon friends!

Colour Files: 07

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:38:00 +0000

image source: real simple photographer: Francesco Lagnese

Free Printable Minimega Advent Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:56:00 +0000

As the 1st November is here I thought it might be a good time to start thinking about all those christmas projects we've been promising ourselves we will get round to this year.

To kick things off I though it would be great to start work on an advent calendar so come December we will be ready to start counting down the days to Christmas! I have had this Minimega printable bookmarked for months so I am really happy I can finally share it with you here now.

Aren't these polar bears the sweetest, I love that they all have different coloured cheeks :D

The best thing about this printable is that it's really versatile so you can make your advent calendar as simple or as elaborate as you wish. I am thinking of stringing them all up to make a chain of polar bears and taping chocolate coins to the backs, but seriously, the possibilities are endless so get your thinking cap on.

Why not use the advent bears to decorate the free Minimega paper cups and fill with treats or you could
cut 12 small envelopes in half and stick them to a large sheet of card to create 24 pockets. Stick your advent bears to each pocket and leave notes, pictures, jokes, activities or treats in each one.

I would love to hear your ideas too so add them in the comments section below. Have a lovely day friends!

image source: minimega

Colour Files: 06

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:11:00 +0000

image source: via we heart it (photographer unknown)

Mae Mae Paperie Business Card Stamp

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:03:00 +0000

You probably noticed I have unexpectedly been offline for the last couple of weeks but I am back...Yay!

One of my first stops this morning was to check in on Megan's blog Mae Mae Paperie to see what she has been up to and I was delighted to see these lovely calling card stamps that are now available in her shoppe.

I know you have heard me say 'I need this in my life' many times before as I swoon over all sorts of pretty little things but I'm telling you, I really, really do!

I'd love for you to fill me in on what you have been up to while I have been away from the blog so leave me a comment and say hello!

image source: mae mae paperie

Colour Files: 05

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:10:00 +0000

image source: caitlin shearer illustration via daydream lily

Free Knitting Patterns from Pickles.no

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:57:00 +0000

Autumn is here! ...well at least it is in my little corner of west London.

Red and gold leaves have been falling from the tress, hundreds of conkers are bursting from their spiky green shells and there is a definite chill in the air. All these little signs that winter is on it's way have got me thinking about knitting.

In my search for some new patterns to try I stumbled across a fantastic Norwegian blog called Pickles which has all sorts of lovely, cozy patterns which I know you will love too. In fact many of the patterns Heidi and Anna blog would be perfect if you are looking for gift ideas to work on for the holiday season!

The Pickles blog runs along side the Pickles yarn and pattern store founded by Heidi and Anna who are both self confessed 'yarn nerds' :) They stock beautiful yarns in both neautral shades and gorgeous on trend colours that are easy to mix and match for creating your own colour palettes.

I will definitley have to try knitting one of their designs and then I can show you the results here! I love the traditional looking Warm Winter Mitts shown at the top of this post, they would go perfectly with the new navy coat I bought this season.

Happy knitting friends!

image source: pickles

Colour Files: 04

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:34:00 +0000

image source: via pinterest

Make Something Blog and The Workroom

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:57:00 +0000

I discovered a new blog this weekend called Make Something which is where Karyn from The Workroom blogs all her news and latest sewing projects amongst other crafty things.

It is such an inspiring blog, I have been obsessively riffling through the archives and dreaming up sewing projects of my own. I even drafted a dress block and whipped up a toile on Sunday I was so inspired to get sewing.

Aren't these details beautiful, Karyn is one talented seamstress indeed...

As well as blogging at Make Something Karyn also runs a really cool business in Toronto called The Workroom. You can sew by the hour in the studio and have full use of all their fantastic equipment. Karyn also runs classes that cover everything from how to use a serger to drafting a pattern from your favourite piece of clothing!

I would truly love to have something like this local to me. Make sure all you lucky Canadian's go visit Karyn at The Workroom.

If you'll all excuse me now...I'm off to buy some Japanese pattern books of my own ;)

image source: a, b, c, d

Colour Files: 03

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:39:00 +0000

image source: xiu×5 via pinterest

Rue Magazine Launch Issue: Studio and Home Tours with Megan Gonzalez and Victoria Smith!

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 07:30:00 +0000

I had bookmarked Rue Magazine after seeing a few bloggers talking about the launch but it wasn't until I saw Kelly mention over on Dear Evie that they had a studio tour with Megan Gonzalez of MaeMae Paperie that I felt the need to click on over right that instant!

If you hadn't guessed already I seriously loooove Megan's work and was so excited that I could snoop around her studio thanks to the lovely people at Rue!

Megan always comes across as such a sweet fun person and her studio is no different. It is just how I imagined it to be - bright, colourful, inspiring, eclectic... in other words, my dream workspace.

You can see the spread in Rue Magazine (pg.54) and also find more images that Megan has posted on her blog right here. Let me know if you enjoy the tour too.

As if that wasn't enough excitement pre 9am on a Monday morning.... I also discovered they had done a gorgeous (32 page!) feature on Victoria Smith's home (pg.85).

If you follow Victoria's blog Sfgirllbybay you will recognise some of the details from her posts but seeing all the rooms photographed so beautifully together in one spread was fantastic. I got such a feel for how Victoria lives and also how all the design details fit and work together in the space as a whole. Such a great read!

I'd love to hear what you thing of Rue Magazine and whether you enjoyed the content as much as I did so feel free to leave me a note in the comments section below.

Speak to you soon friends...

image source: rue magazine

Pocket Money Picks 17/Sept

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone, isn't it lovely that the weekend is here!!

Let's have a look at this weeks Pocket Money Picks shall we :)

1. Screen Printed Steam Tea Towel $1 0 - Sweet Harvey

2. 25 Flat Kraft Paper Bags $3 - Packagery

3. Nesting Burlap Bucket Pattern $9 - Designs Maya Made

image source: 1, 2, 3

Colour Files: 02

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 07:17:00 +0000

image source: wiedler via pinterest

Free Printable Note Card

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 10:35:00 +0000

Click to download your free printable note cards here!

Did you have a nice weekend? Monday's can be a little dull can't they so to brighten things up around here I have some simple flat note cards I've designed for you to download, yay!

Just print on nice thick card using the best setting on your printer and cut around the pink boarder. You can even use them with the printable mailing labels I posted last month if you like :)

Have a nice day friends!