Bitten by the sewing bug

Yesterday I went to Spotlight for poplin to make more children's cooking aprons to paint ... but I saw the cutest pink bug fabric! I picked some up, then found matching stripes, then something else and left with more than I planned on buying (as usual). I put them to use straight away and made a couple of Guinea Pigs from one of my Bit of Whimsy patterns. Now I have 2 sick, but happy girls with new companions. I finished 2 in one afternoon. Very happy with that!

Super Sweet Dolls

A couple of months ago I made my girls a doll each, from a pattern I bought on Etsy. They're constant companions, and we get compliments on them everywhere we go.

Check it out ... Bit of Whimsy Dolls!


Bit of Whimsy dolls are the brainchild of Sarah Faix of www.bitofwhimsyprims.etsy.com and just shout 'buy me' every time I visit her shop. She has a real knack of achieving a beautiful shabby chic look with her dolls that simply eludes me when I'm choosing fabric. And not only does Sarah sell her little creations ... you can buy the patterns as well! This is where I went a bit nuts, and I have a few of them now (and no time to sew them, of course). I follow Bit of Whimsy Dolls on Twitter as well, which lets me in on secret sales and special offers. Pirate monkeys, sleepy peanuts, sweet mae girls, cats, guinea pigs, lambs, squid ... something for girls and boys and safe for little ones. If you're a beginner sewer, get one of these patterns ... they have the most user-friendly instructions I have ever used (and I've been sewing for 27 years!) and will yield excellent results. Incredible customer service goes hand in hand with a top product. I return often to Bit Of Whimsy Dolls :)

More Gingerbread Man news

It's official ... the gingerbread men have now been accepted by Hand Made magazine. Not sure which issue, but it's very exciting!

Cowgirl Rag Doll

I've been making Raggedy Ann dolls for a while now, and I really like the idea of them dressing up. Here I've taken a classic Raggedy Ann face and dressed her up as a cute little cowgirl. This is my first trial run, and only part of the entire design, but I'm pretty happy with my days painting.

My favourite Big Cat

A recent visit to Dubbo zoo realised a long-held dream ... decent close-up photos of my favourite Big Cat ... the Cheetah. It really is something when a big cat looks you right in the eye ... wow.

A little bit Country

I was talking to a friend today about the painting I used to do for Country Cravings in St Marys. It's the most beautiful shop for country furnishing and accessories ... I loved going in there. I did a number of commissioned pieces, and taught there for 6 months. It was a dream job, and I really miss it.

This is the largest piece I have ever painted (a Maxine Thomas design), and it was a very expensive piece. You could have knocked me over with a feather when it sold in under a week!