Can you see the problem here??? And a freebie!

So annoyed, but have contacted TYPO as well as tagged them in a post from my page so lets hope I get a response.

This is also what I've been up to...

A logo for a friend of mine for her new business. If you live down Mornington way and love fresh fruit to your door, why not try Mornington Peninsula Cheap Fruit & Veg.

These are market signs and price tags for Lil Pip's first market as seen here. Jane had a brain wave by using her current logo, removing the wording, adding the price and cutting them out using a circle punch she has these cute little price tags so off I went! The signs will be in little frames, so cute!


What I've been buying...

Woodland fabric "Hoot Tweet Chirp Fox, Multi" from Spotlight - $16.94 p/m (but bought for 50% off!)|| Retro Space fabric "Retro Kids Space, Mult" from Spotlight - $16.94 p/m (but bought for 50% off!)||
Alphabet & Numbers Stamp Set, Lowercase a to z from TYPO - $19.95|| Three Birds Tramp Stamp from TYPO - $2.95|| Versa Color Black Stamp pad from Spotlight - $3.99|| Large Papeir Mache Trunk with leather handles from Spotlight - $24.99

What else??? Oh did you see Pip from Meet me at Mikes on The Circle yesterday? I love seeing more craft on the TV, if you didn't catch it you can see it here. You can also check out some behind the scenes pics on pips blog!

Remember the cute frame I got from the latest issue of Real Living, I couldn't decide on what to put in it, I didn't want to use a photo, cos that's predictable so instead I did something else, granted for me it's kind of ironic as what I put in there is predictable for me LOL.

before

taaaaddddaaaaaa......

after

too freaking cute!!!!

And because I'm so freaking awesome I've made the chevron pattern into PDF's so you can easily download and print them off for yourself!

Simply Click the colours you would like, save them to your computer and print away!

Light Blue || Pink || Black || Red || Yellow || Navy ||Aqua

Till next time, keep crafting.

A little bit about me!

 Hi, I'm Gem, I'm the person behind Musings of a crafty mind & Eastside Crafters.

I'm 30 (turning the big 31 on our first crafty catch up ;)). I have an adorable 4 year old son and a gorgeous partner who I adore. I am currently a SAHM but am just finishing off cert 3 in child studies (to become a child care worker) but in previous life was a Vet nurse. I live in the beautiful Yarra Valley which I wouldn't change for the world!

I left vet nursing to become a mum over 5 years ago but unfortunatly we lost our first child after she was 3 days old due to complications with her birth. Her name was Lily and she is my beautiful angel. She is actually the reason I got into craft as an adult.

I had always been a crafty/creative child but as time went on I forgot about that part of me but when I was organising my daughters funeral I really wanted to make something for her, so I decided to make a guest book for people to sign at her funeral. It wasn't perfect but I was happy with how it turned out, it was pink, yellow and white pastels, I used some very cute baby related scrap booking papers on in the front left hand side near the bottom I used some cute pink letter tiles to spell out her name, LILY, lined the pages inside to make it look professional and worthy of being such an important memory from such a sad day.

I don't have any pics of it unfortunately and it's currently in storage with all her other items but I promise when I get it out I'll show you all.

So from there and as a sort of therapy (and to indulge my stationary addiction) I decided to learn to scrap book, I collected many themed papers, got obsessed with card stock and embellishments etc. I've made about 3 pages to date....LOL. It was fun while it lasted but just wasn't for me. I realised I liked to make things that serve a purpose, that can be used over and over again, so after trying card making, invitation making etc, as well as graphic design, I went to the other side, fabrics and sewing! This is where I am today with my craft.

I ♥ fabric, it makes me happy, I have make clothing, toys, aprons, bedding, room decoration etc and I love it all! I currently have two machines which are like my third and forth children LOL. One is a Brother BC 2500 sewing machine and the other is a Elna 344 overlocker, basic but what I need right now. My dream would be to get an embroidery machine but that's a while away!

Not my actual machine taken from google images, too lazy to take a photo of mine LOL.

 

 

Again not my machine, too lazy to take pic myself!

Back to reality I have a wee dog who's name is Daisy, she's a funny little thing she is but she was my saviour in very dark times, she gave me something to love when I should have been loving my newborn daughter. I also have 3 cats, Molly, Scout, and Moushka, three ratbags of cats but would be lost without them! 

I'm obsessed with the internet and having access to it, I couldn't live with out my internet, facebook, google, it connects me to a world I need to be a part of! I also love reality TV, I know not the most stimulating of activities but I ♥ it. My latest fav was The block, I even stood in line (FOR 4 HOURS!) to see inside the houses, am a little lost now it's over, although I'm glad to have found Katrina's blog, as well as Josh and Jenna's website so can get a fix in a round about way LOL.
I'm now watching the Renovators which is good but isn't the block!

Disclainer-
I promise I'm not a crazy stalker fan, in fact I can't stand when people get obsessed with celebrity, while I was waiting at the block to take a peek inside I stood there waiting to get things signed by the contestants and thought, wait a minute this isn't me, I felt strange asking for a signature from someone who was not 8 weeks a go just like me, don't get me wrong I loved watching the show but that whole celebrity thing just doesn't sit right with me, asking for autographs should be for 15 year olds with braces and acne, not 30+ y/o women. I admire the peeps from the show because they are just like us who have a talent for design and renovation, I love all things creative so to me it's a good fit. I did however get the promotional hat signed by a few of the contestants for my son as he loved watching the show and when I brought it home got a kick out of the autographs but never again will I ask a stranger for a signature, no matter how famous, they're just people!


So yeah, that's me in a nut shell, there isn't much to me really, I'm a Wife, Mum, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Crafter, Internet and Reality Show Junkie, Coke Zero Lover.

To market to market...

I've been sewing, and gosh it feels good!

This is a market apron I made for one of my sewing sisters for a Christmas in july swap we were doing! What do you think? I used fabric bought from Verri Vintage. Sam from Verri Vintage was my recipient and she didn't even realise I had bought this to use for her present!

I was going to use a free pattern I had found online to create the apron but I couldn't get my head around it so I just thought I would make up my own, at the end of the day it's pretty basic and straight forward. There are a few things I would change if I were to make it again but for a first go I am pretty chuffed as to how it turned out.

Sam was very impressed which is the main aim :D

Do you participate in swaps? Do get them done as soon as you get your partner or leave it till the last minute (like me LOL)?

BIG W fabrics!

Click to enlarge to see more detail.

I quickly took some pics of the fabrics I picked up from Big W, some really cute ones and they are about $3 for the FQ and $6 for the remnants. The remnants are top right and 2nd row left.

My Melly and Me book still hasn't arrived :( It will be two weeks on wed so am going to continue to stalk the letterbox! Can't wait!

TSS traveling doll UPDATE!

There are some new photo's of the dollies first stop over on the TSS blog! Check it out here. I am hoping to meet this wee dolly this sat YAY!

Here's a sneak peak!

In other craft news I am stalking the mail box this week as I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Melly and Me's new book, Sewn Toy Tails! I was luck to met Missy Melly herself at the recent Daylsford Crafters Retreat and she is just so lovely and very talented! It's coming from the UK and was orders over a week ago so I am hoping it arrives this week, fingers crossed! I've had a look through it and fell in love with all the little creatures Melly has created.

I have to let you in on a secret, maybe I shouldn't maybe I should keep it to my self.... ahhh what the heck, it's not like anyone reads this new little blog or anything...


OK my secret is one of a unlikly place where some very cute (and inexpensive) 100% cotton can be purchased. OK ready, wait for it...It's BIG W! The next time you've popped in head over to the haberdashery dept, there are little rolls of FQ as well as remnants usually just over a mt of the cutest fabrics! There isn't a large selection but I never walk out with less than 4 FQ's when I rummage through. Check it out.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter N...

As promised the letter "N" button monogram.

Hanger Detail, cute hey!

Would you believe I bought more buttons today, I am button obsessed! I can't go past an op shop without scouring their habadashery section looking for gorgeous old buttons.
I love when you find them in old coffee jars or Vegemite jars as you know someone has spent their time collecting any spare buttons they find to be put away for a rainy day.

Now for something exciting, I'm a part of a group of talented creative women called The Sewing Sisterhood.

The Sewing Sisterhood are a group of creative and talented women from all over Australia who make and sell their wares on Facebook, Madeit, Oz Handmade etc.

A number of the girls are participating in a special project, they are raising money for charity (charity yet to be confirmed). It all started with a rather un attractive piece of golf themed fabric Belinda from Little Sew and Sews  received in a fabric bundle. Her first idea was to send a piece to everyone and see what they could come up with and sell but, well, that went down like a led balloon, but it did plant a seed for the "Scrappy Softie".
The doll (yet to be named) has been created using a gorgeous rag doll pattern from Dolls and Daydreams, Big Doll Softie Pattern . Using fabric donated by a number of the girls Belinda pieced her together resulting in a gorgeous softie doll.

Isn't she just divine, she will be making a number of stops all over Australia before finally being auctioned off with all the proceeds going to the nominated charity. Along the way she will be added to resulting in what I am sure will be a gorgeous addition to any child life. Her first stop is in WA with Tina from The Sewing Fairy, then she is back to Belinda so she can personally accompany her over to Melbourne to meet her new host family! I am hoping I'll be able to see her in person when a large contingent of TSS are convening on Melb for the Quilt and Craft fair being held at Jeff's shed in a couple of weeks (11 days to be exact!). So look out for some pics on the blog. I'll also be added her journey pics as they happen.

Well that's all from me today, catch ya later crafty peeps!