I'm a hoarder.

I just can't do it...





I tried to throw these old work shirts away.

Mr Goldfish didn't need them any more, and because they were emblazoned with a company logo they couldn't go to the Op Shop.

I'm trying to ease up on my accumulation of recycled materials - I'm starting to drown in them here and it's becoming overwhelming!



But I just couldn't throw these shirts into the bin. I know I can make something with them....

So I've salvaged the buttons and cut the fabric into strips.

The buttons have gone straight into the jar - they're always useful, and no one could accuse them of taking up too much space...

The fabric is a different story.

I already have loads of fabric strips.

More than I  can ever imagine using.

And yet I might.... One Day!




So I'm giving myself a month.

One month to use the fabric or toss it...

Now - what to make?

More Mitts...

Yep.

It's ANOTHER pair of fingerless mitts...

The fourth pair I've made from this pattern.



Little Miss Katie has claimed these ones for herself.

I thought they'd be huge on her - but they're not that bad!

Featured on Madeit.

Madeit is a handmade online market. Similar to Etsy, but it's Australian based. And you can only sell handmade products. No craft supplies, patterns, kits, or vintage items.

It's always a bit of a buzz to be featured on the Madeit front page... It means that out of all the listings on madeit - they wanted to showcase mine!

Today's feature is all about beads - and my Recycled Bead Earrings were chosen to be a part of it.

I love these ones. Dangly earrings are my all-time favourites! The chains allow for that perfect amount of swing, but the weight of these beads means they don't fly around and drive you mad.

And I REALLY love that they're not identical. Each bead has character - so of course none are exactly the same. If you look closely then you'll see that the earrings are slightly different from each other.

And where did they come from?

An old necklace of course.

Even the chain was part of the original necklace. Only the hooks are new.

So if you're looking to buy handmade gifts this Christmas - go and take a peek at what's on offer at Madeit. Click here  to go to the front page, and from there you can search for specific types of items.

Or you could always head straight here to my store. How cheeky is that?

Hey. I'm allowed to be cheeky - it's my blog!

(And I'll let you in on a secret. Very, very soon - you will be seeing some familiar creatures appearing in my store)

That Bag is DONE!!!

So it's been years in the making.... but finally that bag is DONE!

Started: Feb 2009

Finished: November 2012

How embarrassment!



I wasn't completely sure at first. Somehow it felt a bit bland - like it was just quietly waiting to be embellished...

And then a funny thing happened.



I just started using the bag!

You know the deal... Running out the door... Need a bag to throw your latest project into....

All the other project bags are overflowing....

So I grabbed this one in desperation - AND IT IS BRILLIANT!



There's room for my sketch pad and pattern notes, as well as the umpteen different balls of coloured yarn that I need to have on hand...

And still some room left over to throw in my purse, keys and phone, if need be.



If I'm throwing it into the back of the car, then I can just knot the handles together like this.

And when I come home, it hangs happily on the coat rack like that:



I'm loving it EXACTLY the way it is - and it doesn't need a silly embellishment after all.

(That being said, I reserve the right to add said silly embellishment at any time)

PS. If you've been following the progress of this bag over the years, you'll notice that I didn't use the lining or the handles that I planned to... I'm so fickle!

Fixing Suff

Most of my craft time lately has been spent "Fixing Stuff".

There's been some Pattern Writing for Captain Fizzlepop, that wonderfully colourful clown...

And some Sketching and Planning for our December Challenge...

But mostly I've just been Fixing Stuff (or trying to)



This cushion was in fabulous condition - except for those buttons.

Poor thing was starting to look MOST bedragled - that star was definitely losing its shine!

Of course I didn't actually HAVE the ones that had dropped off - so I improvised with some round buttons instead.

As always, it took more work than I expected - about 20 buttons needed to be stitched on.



And I think it works.

In fact it worked better than I anticipated...

You kind of get so caught up in the overall pearlescence (is that even a word?) and shine... that you lose track of the individual shapes of the buttons.

Love.

Winner Announced

We had so many entries for the Fishie the Plastic Bag Keeper challenge...





Just look at them all!

So many shapes and sizes and colours and styles...

But I do have a clear favourite.

This one stole my heart the first time I laid eyes on it:



So a huge congratulations to Jorel for her Scrappy Fish - I love how unique and quirky it is!

It has so much character...

Now Jorel will be able to choose what I should design for the next Crochet Challenge, which will be run in December 2012.

And before I go... here's a few of my other favourites up close.

Juanita designed some fabulous fins which she has kindly shared the instructions for . Love the eyes on this one, too:



Shhshh produced this magnificent Koi, and based her fins on Irish Crochet leaves:



Julie used a different style of fin to create a shark:



Grayhare added some serious BLING to jazz up her plastic bag keeper...



Lise went with a magnificent array of bold colours:



And I love the cartoony eyes on this entry from Esther:



Finally a CAT-FISH  from Wendy... love here interpretation of the pattern:



And the fully tested version of the pattern is now available for sale!

Quite a number of the testers have made a second one already - and are planning to make more as Christmas gifts this year...

Click here for more details about purchasing the pattern.

A Stuffed Moose Head???

Yes.

You heard correctly...

That patchwork piece of knitting I was working on:



Bucky is the November Challenge over in the Laughing Purple Goldfish Designs group on Ravelry. The pattern is available for free this month to all participants. Come and join in the fun!

(The fully tested version will be available for sale in December 2012)

I want to see a reindeer version.

Can you imagine it?

Instead of a wreath hanging on your front door this Christmas - you could have a Stuffed Reindeer head!

How awesome would that be???

It could even be Rudolph with his shiny red nose...