Chocolate Bark - mmm

The packaging with my little snowman dude:

Just out of the fridge and ready to be broken up:

I know, I know, it's Feb already! Well you can consider this either a "slightly" late Christmas post or a really, really early one!

Well for extra little gifts, Hubby and I like to make something for the family so this year as usual, Hubby made the booze (homemade Advocaat - yummm!) and I made Chocolate Bark goodness!

So, so easy and really tasty too! All it is, is a layer of melted dark chocolate, a layer of melted milk chocolate and a layer of melted white chocolate. I added some crushed nuts in with the milk choc and some crushed Candy-canes sprinkled on top. When it was set, I broke it up in to big triangular bits and wrapped in clear cello. I made the little snowman from some polystyrene balls, seed beads, felt and my trusty glue gun (Oh, how I love you, Glue gun!) I attached some ribbon to his head and tied him on to seal up the cello bags. I think they turned out really cute, it's just a damn shame I'm still soooo bad at taking photo's. Is that even possible? How can I still be so bad at it!? lol. The pictures don't really do it justice but you get the idea, anyway.

I also made some choc-dipped, brandy soaked cherries which I wrapped up similarly and they were absolutely delish! I should have made some for myself too, damn! Oh well, there's always next Christmas.

Happy Crafting!

Schmancy Olympic Challenge

Hi All,

I'm super excited about the Schmancy Olympic Challenge on Plush You!

What the friggin heck am I going to do though? Time to get the pencil and paper out I think. I got the "Opening Ceremony" category which is the one I wanted the least as I have no idea about Winter or Winter Olympics but even less about the opening ceremonies at these things. Us West Aussies don't get snow or freezing temperatures over here.

I have a couple of ideas, but I like to be a bit different so I want something that's going to shout out to me but I haven't had that brainwave yet. It'll come... maybe.

Well, Good Luck to anyone who entered and I hope you have fun creating and making!

Happy Crafting! :)

Here comes the bride....

Let me introduce you to the happy couple, Mr and Mrs Octo.

These two lovebirds met at the local pub one warm summer's day and it was love at first sight! Mr Octo is a little bit quiet, reserved and shy however Mrs Octo speaks her mind and is not-so-quiet, so needless to say, it was Mrs Octo who approached Mr Octo and asked him out on a date and the rest is history. These two are a match made in heaven and they love the pants off each other! (Well, they would - if they had pants on)

Hope you like them as much as I do.

Happy Crafting!

P.S. These guys and their rellies will be available at my etsy store soon(ish) so be sure to keep an eye out for them. Cottonspool

Check this out

Just popping back to give you the link to this fantastic blog called GardensofUtopia . You should check it out for sure, she works with polymer clay and her work is nothing short of amazing.

Just quietly, hubby - if you're reading this - I would loooove a sculpture of Cass. hint, hint, nudge, nudge. My B'day's not too far away! lol

Another day, another doll.

This one is waaaay better. I'm much happier with this geeky little girl. I think she's cute and I much prefer the stitched face than the fabric marker although the latter is much easier. You reap what you sow I guess. Anyways, I think I've got it right this time, but hubby seems to think her arms should be by her sides so a slight adjustment is all. I'm thinking of all the different variations of her I could do, different faces and different hair. I'd better write it all down and sketch it out I think before my sieve-like memory loses it!

I'm really wanting to make some stuffed toys too but do you think I can get a decent fleece selection anywhere at this time of year? Oh well, I managed to find some green fleece in a really great fabric store that I'd never been to before (it's so HUGE with so many different things, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!) but seeing as it's green, I have to think of things that can be green and cute at the same time. hmmm.

Also, kinda off-topic, my hubby is totally my hero. I seem to have this knack for stuffing up my sewing machine but after a little internet research, hubby fixed it! He took it all apart, adjusted the timing and voila! Take that, Sewing-shop! I get to keep my $85 and have my machine working beautifully. $85 - seriously?! I wonder if that's a career I may pursue - it seems like easy money to me. That's nearly as bad as the $240 the dentist charged me last week to take out my last wisdom tooth which took him all of 15 minutes. Geez.

Well that's enough of my ranting for now, I hope you like the new doll.

Happy Crafting!

Stuffed Elephant

So, here's another one of the toys I've been working on. This is only the second time I've tried to make my own proper animal pattern so I don't think she is too bad, considering. She didn't turn out quite how I would like but she's still kinda cute in a flawed sort of way. There is some seriously questionable stitching on her nose but by the time I noticed it, it was too late to fix so I'll just pretend she got in a fight with one of her Elephant-friends. She is made from a velour type material which is slippery like anything so it's moves about a lot while sewing so it's a pain in the butt to sew but it is lovely and soft to the touch.

I think I might make some more of these little guys. I also think she definately needs some ballet slippers and a tutu. How cute would that be?! Well I'm off to find myself some tulle...

Happy Crafting, kiddo's.

:)

Long time, no see.

I know, I disappeared again! So, so busy over Christmas and New Years. Boy, am I glad that's over for another year!

Well anyways, I've been busy stitching up some stuffed toys as I've decided to try my hand at a market stall and I thought I'd make rag doll's to sell. After about 5 prototypes (and counting) the best one so far is this little girl. I'm still trying to decide whether to stitch the faces on or not and whether or not to make her body thinner so she can have removable clothes or leave her with her inbuilt dress? Any thoughts? I may end up going with both and making some of each anyway, it's good to have options.

Anyway, there she is, I hope you like her. (Her arm isn't wonky by the way, it's just the way she is sitting or at least that's my story anyway. haha)