Shop Australian, Shop Handmade for Christmas

This Christmas I will be buying handmade Australian gifts for Christmas present.  And what better place than Madeit to source all my Australian handmade presents. 

How amazing are these pink and black items?

Harlequin Fox Teething necklace  $17.00
Odds n Blobs Sleep Eye Mask $12.00
Little Miss Pretty Singlet Top and Pants Set $30.00
KJP Designs Cow Necklace  $22.00
Creative Wishes Pirate hat and Eyepatch Dress Up Hat $19.50
Three Kittens Sock Monkey $39.00
Joy Foolery Phone Case $20.00
Miss Tree Creations Keyring Wristlet $7.50
Ls Babies Unique Swimsuit $25.95

Present for Cooks

If you have presents to buy for people young or old who love to cook then these handmade goodies would be well received.

Top Left: Felt play Food Baking Set for Children. 
Top Right; i scream, u scream icecream spoons.
Bottom Left: Clay Pantry Tags
Bottom Right: Night Before Christmas Gift Pack

44 days until Christmas Gifts For Teens

You probably didn't want to know that but yes, only 44 days to go!

Today I am tackling some Christmas shopping and buying for the hardest group. 
The Teens.
I have two teen boys and a niece and nephew in this age group.

As I like to support fellow handmade makers many of my gifts will be from MadeIt.  Here are some of the cool teen finds I have come across. 

L-R Top to bottom
Fingerless gloves by Wombat and Poss
Diary by Trink Art Studio
Temporary Tattoos by Berlin Roses
Superhero Bangle by saria Rose Designs

L-R top to bottom
Computer Chip Coasters by Addicted to Buttons
( I brought these for teen son for last Christmas and he thinks they are very cool and uses them everyday.)
Beanbag by Island Home Emporium
T Shirt by Smukle
Beannie by Made With a Little Love

I would like to invite you to come and join my Creativity List. 

It is chocca block full of fantastic content from freebies and special offers to kids craft ideas and small handmade business articles.

As a thank you, you get not one but two free Ebooks.

Creative Play To Keep Boredom Away

50 Boredom Busting Ideas For Children.

plus

50 Tips For Selling Handmade Crafts Online.

Time To Bake Felt Baking Set

Sometimes when I create something new the idea comes first but this was definitely a case of seeing some cute fabric and knowing I must make something from it.

So brought a length of the baking fabric in pink and in blue and came home not as yet knowing what it it would be turned into. As it turned out, I only used a small amount of the fabric in this set.  But it is the perfect fabric. I am so happy with how it turned out and it has now become my favourite creation.

These are the essentials for any baker - milk, eggs, butter, sugar and flour. See more photos of the Baking Set in my store.

Traveling With Kids

When my children were younger they each had a bag we called their travel bag.  It was nothing flash or expensive, just a simple draw string bag.  It truly was a life saver and kept the kids amused and occupied countless times. They used their travel bags for car trips, airplane flights, when waiting at appointments, on the bus and other places where quiet play was necessary.

To put together your own Kids Travel Bag start off with a simple bag. Make sure the bag is child sized, and easy for your child to carry themselves, undo and do up independently.

Stocking the bag:
Think of items that you know will keep your child amused.  Matchbox cars for a car loving child, a couple of small books, finger puppets or a set of small dolls for imaginative play.

Add a few extras to the bag including items such as pipe cleaners,  pad of paper and pens, felt shapes, sticker sheets, small soft toys.

Before leaving home add a snack, drink and a travel size pack of hand wipes.  Keep the travel bag interesting and exciting by swapping around the items in the bag occasionally or adding an extra toy or game.
To ensure the travel bag serves its purpose of keeping your child entertained and quiet only use the bag when away from home so your kids don't get bored with the contents.

Doll house Dolls, new product

I am so excited to have these very adorable dolls now available in my shops at Etsy and Madeit.  There are fairies and families, girls and boy, parents and babies and soon there will be pixies and elves, knights and fair maidens.

Leonie Dawson Incredible Biz Workshop

I have really enjoyed spending my time working through Leonie Dawsons Biz Workshop for 2014.  Not sure what the Biz workshop is?

Take a look here.
And read here and here.

So my first task was to Dream big and start writing those dreams down. The workshop is not only really practical but very pretty and easy to use.  The gorgeous watercolour pages and inspirational quotes scattered throughout the workbook make it a pleasure to work through.

Some of my dreams or goals for Creative Wishes are to see my items in more stores, to do a market, develop a range of toys suitable for babies, increase my range of products. 

Once I worked out what my dreams are for 2014 I took each goal and broke that goal down to smaller actionable ones.
 
For instance take my goal of developing a range of baby toys.
I have broken this goal down further- 
Investigate safety regulations for baby toys.
Decide on a toy that will entertain and engage a baby.
Draft toy pattern
Source materials
Sew toy and test for safety and durability
Photograph toy
Promote and list in my shop

The next stage is to schedule each step by setting a time frame and writing it on the calendar.

I am excited where my little sewing business is heading this year.  I feel I am much more focused and organised. I really believe Creative Wishes is going to shine in 2014 and I can't wait to share the journey with YOU.

Princess Crown Sew it Yourself kits

I am very excited to share my new Sew It Yourself Kits.

The Princess Crown Kits are perfect for children ( with a little help from parents) and beginner sewers.
The instructions are for machine sewing but they can very easily be hand sewn.

The kits come with all materials needed to complete the kit and the only thing needed is needle, thread and sewing machine.

Easy to follow step by step instructions are included with coloured photos for each step.

Would you like your crown in a different colour? No problem!
I have greens, reds, purple, blue, cream, yellow ... well just about any colour you can think of.

Perfect present for a child interested in learning to sew.

Developing a new product - whats involved.

At the beginning of the year I brain stormed ideas for new products for Creative Wishes.
Creative Wishes is all about toys for creative play so the toys and games I wanted to make needed to not only be fun and bright but great for sparking a child's imagination, encourage pretend play or have some educational value.

Developing new toys takes time. I have found that most people who aren't crafters aren't aware of the time it takes to come up with a new product. So I thought I would run through my creative process with a brand new (only released these yesterday) toy.

Learn to Count Aliens

1. The Idea The idea for these learn to Count aliens came from a soft toy I had as a child.  I remember it being a monster softie but my mum told me it was actually a mutant type animal toy.  It had one beak, two tails, three spots etc. I remember it had webbed feet and a dog like face with whiskers. I loved this softie, everyone else thought it was a little creepy! Anyway, the idea for a toy that had body parts to count came from this childhood toy.

2. Draft Pattern After I had formed the idea of making a counting alien it was time to come up with a pattern.  To do this I get out paper and pens and sketch until I come up with something I am happy with.  Once I have drawn the finished toy I then set about  drafting a pattern for it. At this stage it is often hard to visualise how it will look once finished after all it is just a flat drawing on paper.

3. Prototype Once I am happy with a pattern I set about making the toy.  The first alien I sewed from the pattern wasn't quiet right (although my son liked him). So back to the drawing board and making alterations until I am happy.

4. Choosing Material Next job is fun.  Choosing the fabric. Lets just say I have a little bit of a fabric stash to select from!  Choosing the main alien body colour was fairly easy but choosing the colour of the parts to count took a little longer. Lucky I have a big bag of felt off cuts in lots of exciting colours.

5. Sewing The Toy This toy is machine and hand sewn and because it is made for everyday play it is double stitched.  Some parts which will pulled more, like the hair and arms, are triple stitched.

6. Writing The Desciption I decided to give each alien an Alien ID Tag with their name and what to count from 1 - 10 on their bodies. These were printed off and tied with ribbon to the softie toy.  Then I wrote the description for the online listing and worked out my pricing using this formula

6. Photographing Finally I took photos of the finished counting toys, edited them and made the listing.

So that's my process.  Making handmade, unique items takes time but at the end it is so wonderful to see a brand new item that I know isn't mass produced and is made with love and care.

Where You Create - My Space

On Fridays I normally feature a crafters creative space.
 
Today I thought I would do something a little different and post my space.  No tidying up and pretending to be perfect, just how it is right now at this moment. Sometimes it is easy to hide behind our computers here in blogger land and pretend to have it all together, the perfect house with the perfect children and the perfect business.  We talk about our studios and shops and it all comes across as being so beautiful.

Well let me tell you... at this very moment in time my studio  (which isn't really a studio but a set of creating areas) is messy and chaotic and full of unfinished items.  My house is in need of a good clean, the fridge and pantry are empty and even though it is almost midday one child is still in bed (teenager, school holidays)!

Recently I was the Designer in the spotlight at Made It and I took some photos of my space all tidied up and looking neat. 

But when I am busy sewing and have orders on the go and multiple items in a half finished state it looks vastly different.

So that is the state of my creative space, imperfect, chaotic and messy!

Felt Board and Felt Play Sets

When my boys were younger they had quiet a few felt board sets.  They were very popular and I have fond memories of them sitting down and putting the scenes together.  It would keep them entertained for ages and was one of the games that they would come back again and again to play with.

I have no idea what has taken me so long but finally Felt Play Sets and Felt Boards are here in my shop.  The felt board is actually a mat so it can be rolled up and taken along when away from home.  The scenes are purchased separately from the mat and so far include a princess palace scene, beach scene and a car and road scene.  More are on the way and of course custom orders are always welcome.

As with all Creative Wishes toys these are made for everyday play so they are made tough with attention given to durability and safety.  Perfect for ages 3 +

Handmade Toys - Felt Cars and Trucks

I have just finished a custom order and loved making it so much that I made an extra for my Made It store.

The brief was it must keep a young boy entertained on a long plane flight, feature cars and trucks and be light and easy to take along when travelling.

It is all that as well as interactive:

• Wheels that can be interchanged between the different cars and truck.
• Tool box that has two metal tools inside.
• Opening truck door to place a driver behind the wheel.
• Caravan with top opening to place people or luggage inside.
• Back of truck opening for luggage, tool box or people.

Road pieces that the cars, truck and caravan can be positioned on.

I really enjoyed making this set and I have a feeling there will be more like it coming soon.

Felt Play Food

I have a wonderful new product range I want to share with you all.

I am really excited about these because they turned out just as I had imagined they would and that doesn't always happen!

Fruit Felt Play Sets - something to drink, something healthy and a treat.

 At the moment I have them in the four sets above - banana, apple, orange and strawberry.
The apple and orange ones come with juice and a sraw and the strawberry and banana sets come with a milkshake.

And then there is the really wickedly delicious set!
Chocolate!

Any suggestions of what fruit set to make next?

MadeIt Designer In The Spotlight

Free Ebook

50 Tips For Selling Your Handmade Crafts Online

I am very excited to be the Designer in The Spotlight for this month over at Made It.

Be sure to pop on over and read all about my love of handmade, Creative Wishes and me.

Here are a few other things about me you may or most likely don't know.

I am left handed   I have four sisters   I have three sons   This year I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary I have had melanoma  Green is my favourite colour   I was born in Tasmania  I am a midwife and nurse  Introverted   Green eyes   short   Fifth generation Australian  My kids are half Greek   My youngest child is named after a convict relative  I would like to live in Italy for a year  I don't exercise enough  I like good food   I strive for a simpler life  Gardening is fun   House cleaning isn't fun   I have lymphoedema in my leg  I am creative  I'm a home body  I grow herbs   I'm not a girly girl  I love reading lots  My first job was working in a department store in the haberdashery section  We own a white dog called Casper  I find it hard to walk by a book shop without going in   I have a collection of vintage cameras  I used to scrapbook  I can knit  I can't sing  I like live shows and the theatre   

Childrens Tool Belts

Kids love to be just like mum and dad and they can be with my new tool belts, gardening belt and doll care belts.

The each have a hoop to hand a hammer or spade, a couple of clips to hang tools land equipment off and pockets for storage.  The belts are adjustable and study and come in a range of colours including green, red, orange, yellow and white.
The tool belts encourage kids to use their imagination and they will learn from mimicing adults  too.
Too Cute!

15 Fantastic Felt Facts

I create a lot with felt and I love it.  I love the bright vibrant colours and the fact it doesn't fray.  It is so fun to work with.
So to enlighten and brighten your day here are 15 Fun Felt Facts.
1. Felt making preceded spinning.
2. Felt is not woven.
3. Felt is made from matted and compressed fibres that are pressed together using moisture and heat.
4. There are a few stories about the discovery of felt.  This is my favourite: The story of Saint Clement and Saint Christopher relates that while fleeing from persecution, the men packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters. At the end of their journey, the movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks. (gross huh!, but thank goodness for sweaty feet!)
5. Oldest acknowledged textile
6.Felt was produced as far back as 6300 BC
7. Earliest felt remains date back to 700 BC.  They were found in frozen tombs in siberian Mountains.
8. Frey resistant.
9. Felt was once ground up and used as an aerosol spray to conceal bald spots.
10. Comes in a gorgeous amount of bright colours.
11. Roman Empire soldiers used felt pads as armour, felt tunics, boots and socks.
12. By first century AD felt making was wildly practiced.
13. A machine was invented to make felt in 1846.
14. Felt is widely used in many industries including the automive and home construcion industries.
15. Many musical instruments use felt, including pianos, The density and springiness of the felt is a major part of what creates a piano's tone.

I would like to invite you to come and join my Creativity List. 

It is chocca block full of fantastic content from freebies and special offers to kids craft ideas and small handmade business articles.

As a thank you, you get not one but two free Ebooks.

Creative Play To Keep Boredom Away

50 Boredom Busting Ideas For Children.

plus

50 Tips For Selling Handmade Crafts Online.

My Creative Space

The bag of felt scraps is growing.  The bag sits on my roll top desk where I do all my hand sewing.  I have it there so I am reminded to use it for those small bits and pieces in my crowns and wands and other projects.  But it is now overflowing! 

So I am on a mission to use up those small pieces of felt.
My first felt scrap project is making finger puppets.
I have already shared the Little Chick ones in the post below.

So here are my little Girl Finger Puppets.

I am liking making finger puppets at the moment as they are so quick and easy to whip up a set of an evening.
Whats been happening at your CreativeSpace this week?  Pop on over here and share or just check out the other wonderful spaces.

Finger Puppets

Just had to share my latest craft project because I am so happy with how they turned out.
They are so damn cute!

I started off just wanting to make one finger puppet of a little chick hatching from his egg.
And here he is.

But ehen I got a little carried away and made the chick out of his egg and then the egg just cracking with little yellow chick peeking out.

  That was it a set of three, but this morning when I looked at them I new I needed just one more to complete the set.

Little munchkin has put in an order but he wants a penguin hatching from his egg.
It is his first day back at school today so I might just get sewing and surprise him when he comes home.

Funny Felt Faces New Product

I have been very busy lately working on a new product line and want to introduce you to CreativeWishes Funny Faces Play Set.

My little testers have all had great fun coming up with some wildly creative and funny faces and have even suggested some extra pieces they would like to see.
I love how the creative tester below has used the hairy eyebrows as a beard and the red mouth as a mono brow!

The Funny Faces Set comes with 35 pieces including 4 different hair pieces, 4 noses, 4 pairs of eyes and loads of extras such as sunglasses, beards, eyelashes and a hat.
When it comes to packing away all the little pieces, there is a very handy pocket sewn into the back of the face.

 I can also custom make you your very own Funny Face Set to resemble your children or family members.
Little daughter has red curly hair and brown eyes, no problems or dad has a goatee and spiky black hair and green eyes...done.
These are available in my Made It and Etsy shop. Perfect for the preschooler age, although my mini testers were ages between 3 and 10 and even the 10 year old was having loads of giggly fun playing with this.

Felt Food High Tea Sets

This week I have been sewing the most adorable High Tea felt play food sets.  There are dainty sandwiches with the crust cut off, sushi rolls, delicious chocolate slices and lovely  little cupcakes with gorgeous icing.  And of course a couple of teabags to make your own cup of tea.

I have images in my mind of when my munchkins were much younger and had pretend picnics and morning teas with their toys.  They would take all their teddies and soft toys outside and arrange them around the picnic table. 
They would serve up sandwiches and snacks of dandelions and grass, daisy fowers and leaves.

 
They would offer their guests fresh drinks from the tap with a sprig of lavender or rosemary picked from the herb garden.

They had such fun playing pretend games with their toys.