more business card wallets

These are the new ones specially designed and handcrafted for four special ladies:
I will show more pictures in a couple of weeks when they receive them.... This is my new label....I thought I would make them myself...
And these are my homemade tags....I am deeply inlove with my sewing machine stamp. I had bought it ages ago and hadn't had the opportunity to use it. Here it is...
xxx

Where have you been Ms????

GUESS?????







Here's a couple of clues:

And finally..

The question is NOT 'How did I get it out?' ...

The real question is ' Why did I drive it in the first place???'

Duh..... :p

I've done it again

Following G's business card wallet...here's mine..

I'm so happy with the result!!



And now, I have four orders!!!
These will be for Marie Louise who wants one like mine..and then Sam and Mags want something more like G's and another one for their friend Tina. These ladies were at the conference and have seen our business card holders..they immediately asked if I would make them one...Of Course !!!!!

Got to get this creative waves flowing...

keep watching this space.....

xxx

amigurumi

I've had my first attempt at 'amigurumi', a Japanese art to make crocheted dolls.
I got the dude pattern off crochet me.
The doll idea is from Rebecca Velasquez' amigurumi baby; only because pink yarn was all I had available :p
Of course hers is so much cuter! I love that tattoo.

The best part of my doll was making the diaper and I love how it looks...the worst was the yarn. I don't know what kind of yarn it is exactly but it kept twisting.



NOTE to self and others: try with a thicker yarn next time. It was really difficult to keep hold of that yarn.
Overall I'm quite pleased with it!!

sew does ... she

I don't remember how I came across sewing and crafting blogs...probably some Google searching on a pattern or whatever.
The point is, it got me started with sewing again.

And I'm quite happy that my blog has got someone started with sewing again as well, my sister Nita. She's living in another country and my blog is sort of a way for her to see what I've been up to.

She's a fine seamstress... I have to say that, we've been to the same schools :)

She's learning how to knit socks ... and in the meantime she's been doing some re-fashion and has even sewn a little emsemble for some friends' baby.

Isn't this soooooo cute?

xxx

we're in business

Here it is...
The business card holder for my friend and colleague G. I got the eye fabric from her some time ago and I know she really likes it. I hope she will like this wallet too.

It has been done with her taste in mind; I know she will like the eye, the embroidery around the iris, and the use of natural linen on the outside.

I don't think she will be too keen on the silver zigzag and probably the initials ...but I wanted to make it look a little bit professional..in case she wants to use it for the conference next week..

What do you think???

xxx

looking for inspiration...

... for a business card holder/wallet.

We're holding and participating in an international conference in less than two weeks time and desperately need a business card wallet.
My colleague G. already has her business cards and mine were only oredered this week; they should be on the way.
This might be my last conference and I have to make the best of it...including networking...

I was looking for some inspiration on the internet and found some very interesting examples:

• from Lana Stewart, a bookcloth business card holder;

• from Freelance Monster, some cute stuff in felt;

• from GlassBeach, a polka dot number;

• and my favourite, this crazy quilt business card holder from Shunklies.

Looking forward to a crafting weekend ...

xxx

all revealed

I can finally show you the apron I made for Mia, my swap partner and swap hostess at One Hour Craft. I am so happy she liked it. Here it is for you guys:





The pocket is an oven mitt which is attached by a hook to the apron. I embroidered the apple on the mitt to match the apron fabric and the little heart makes space for the thumb.

There's also the surprise I prepared for Mia's daughter...a matching apron based on a traditional Portuguese design blogged before

Mia's apron has been submitted for the Tie One On's June theme 'The pocket'...actually this is where it all started...
and I hope the other apron can be submited for next month's theme ' Local Pride'....

'boy, am I proud??

xxxxxxxxx

S. João

Hey, I'm back...
Been home for a few days...and look what I've been up to...

Yep, I've been home for our most popular event (in Porto), S. Joao. For those of you who don't know about it, it's a bit like St. Patrick's day. The similarities are that they close the city for the party, people head off for downtown to celebrate it and it's all about having fun. This party is not celebrated or known worldwide like St. Patrick's but my opinion is that it is much more celebrated, i.e., I could bet the numbers are much bigger in Porto than in Dublin ( I might be biased but I've been to both).


S. Joao (St. John) is the patron saint of Porto and it's celebrated on the 24th of June, and it's a bank holiday in Porto's Metropolitan area. On the 23rd evening they close the streets in the city and everybody heads off towards the river. The picture above shows my crowd, Herr C., Mike, 'moi' and The Daddy. The 'thing' you see in my hand is a traditional hammer and we hit each other on the head with that. It usually squeaks like a toy. Traditionally you would take a garlic flower and brush it on people's noses, like this one (it stinks):


At midnight, there's the fireworks....half an hour of it...simply spectacular:


You can watch this show from both sides of the river, from Gaia and Porto.
This year they had a giant metal ball hanging from a crane. I saw a very similar thing a couple of years ago in Sidney for the New Year. I remember the fireworks finished and people were still looking at the ball to see what would happen but nothing did. I was very disappointing. I kept wondering if something would come out of this ball...and it did:

Pictures aren't enough...you really need to live it.
Afterwards you just drag your group around town, drinking and dancing..there are music groups performing in each of the stages scattered around both cities. And don't forget, keep hammering:


Here's something you won't find in Dublin, a mobile bakery...not just any bakery, it has got traditional wood fire ovens made of clay and they bake bread with cured meat inside... mmmmm




Some traditional games... at 1am.... in the middle of the street...



Because I'm spoiled rotten..here's what I got from The Daddy :)


And these are my three little (one big) princesses:

(now you try to get the three of them to stay still, look at the camera and say cheese :)

xxx

'M' is for Maria

aka Mia.

Yes, I've been really fortunate to have the lovely and talented Mia as my swap partner for the May OHC Apron swap.
My parcel was sent yesterday by Airmail so I hope it doesn't take too long to cross the Planet and reach her safely. Let's see if she likes it...

Here's a sneak preview:




xxx

Outside

crafty weekend

This weekend I had the chance/excuse to do what I enjoy doing best...sewing.

I was going to meet a friend of mine whom I hadn't seen for a few years and she now has a baby girl. I decided to make something for her little girl and this is what happened:

Of course I also had to make something for her sister's twins (a much belated gift)... both twins' names start with the letter 'S' so I thought it would be a good idea to put the initials on, then they can wear any of the bibs.




And here's a pic of the three bibs with the detail of the back fabric.

I got the bib pattern from here sometime ago and this was a very good opportunity to try it.
It was great fun and I think they liked the presents...

xx

soxs

:)

I learned to knit socks over the last Xmas holidays, in Germany. Me and my boyfriend were over to visit his family and for the first time I was really bored there. I guess it's because it was winter and there wasn't really much we could do. I went to their attic to see if I could come across any interesting findings (craft ideas) but because Mrs. S. (the mother) is a primary school teacher, all the things I could find were children related. Suddenly my boyfriend remembered that Mrs. S. could knit ...socks!!! We asked if she could teach me..and she agreed.
I spent the rest of my holidays there knitting socks. I knitted one pair for my father and one pair for my mother (I don't think I have any picture of these...I posted them home as a Xmas present :)
Since then, I have knitted another three pairs : one for myself, one for my lovely friend Christine and one for Akbhar 'my' technician (I'll explain later).
Christine's socks were actually a special request, as a birthday present. Of course they had to be green because that's her favourite colour.


As for Akbhar's socks...well, you see, Akbhar is the knitting technician at my University and since my PhD is in knitting (not this kind of knitting :p ) he is 'my' technician. Anyway, when I told him I had learned how to knit socks over Xmas he offered me a couple of cones of wool, so I thought I should make some for him. I hope one day he will teach me how to knit socks in one of our circular knitting machines ;)


I've asked to be taught how to knit gloves next Xmas holiday...can't wait!!! Might be so lucky to have the grandmother teaching me...

Tschuss
x