Flea Market Find

Not that long ago I found these two stunning mirrors at my local oppy for $3 each. My oppy has ridiculously priced treasures and I love getting there early and unearthing such amazing vintage pieces. I want to find a couple more to create a collection that hangs on a wall over an old meatsafe.

A big thank you to Sophie who hosts Flea Market Finds each week. I was absolutely surprised to find out today that I won Flea Market Find of the Year. I love playing along and the most enjoyable part is seeing all the lovely treasures my blogging friends showcase each week. 

Have a wonderful weekend all. I'm taking a couple of weeks off with the family to sun ourselves in Queensland so will be absent from blogland for a while. Look forward to catching up with you all on my return. 

Trace x

Handmade Christmas Challenge

I'm a hardcore, glue touting, ribbon twirling, paper wrapping addict. I think hands down the best part about Christmas is the wrapping of presents and the making of handmade cards. I just can't get enough of it and what's more, these images make me weak at the knees.

Have you started making your Christmas cards yet? I plan on getting my kids to do similar cards like this for their class mates.

There is no end to people's creativity. These vintage books have been given new life with some Christmas cheer.

Not to be outdone by the world map, head over here for some local Melway wrapping action.

The humble doily - nothing humble about it. Just stunning.

Love that gingham.

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What wonderful creations are you making for Christmas? Have you spied someone else's creation that would be perfect for a loved one? Perhaps you need some help with a few ideas.To join in, just leave a comment and simply add your link below.You can join in anytime during the week. If you are new to this meme, click here for all the details on how to join in on this Handmade Christmas Challenge and feel free to grab my button.

My creative space

You may recall some time ago my conundrum with too many DIY projects and not knowing where to start. I'm slowly chipping away at this list. The foot stool has been finished - yeah! I'm such a huge fan of ink & spindle and their kangaroo paw print has absolutely transformed this old Op shop find.

Before

After

For more creative spaces, head over here.

Peace, Love & Letterpress

I'm a HUGE fan of letterpress and I love supporting LOCALS so I was thrilled when a mate told me about friends of his that have just started a new business called Peace, Love & Letterpress. If you fancy a card that says it all without the sappy teddybear motif, head over here. Better still, if you want to create your own, they have a great 10 step 'Design your own' option.


For local news and everything letterpress, check out their blog: Hippie at Heart.

Flea Market Find...of the year!

Sophie has set us the insurmountable challenge of picking our favourite all time flea market find for the year. That's like asking me to choose which child I love more. Preposterous! So, I've decided to pick the treasure I am most in love with now. Yes, one could say that's quite fickle, but seriously, I have too many beautiful finds that have a special place in my heart to narrow it down to just one.

I've chosen this flea market find because we only just added them to our wall. As each new dawn greets us, I shuffle past these beauties and sigh at the wonder that is our vintage timber printer trays.

Back when printing was done with good old metal type, printers would keep the letters, numbers and symbols nestled into each compartment within this drawer. We have used them to showcase the shells we find on the beach and the wonderful little knicky knacks my children salvage at the local Op shop. Consider it a montage of pre-loved gorgeousness if you will!

If you would like to join in or cast a vote, head over here. Sophie will collate the votes and crown Flea Market Finder Extraordinaire next Sunday.

Handmade Christmas Challenge

I love Christmas garlands, particularly those handmade. I intend to use these as some inspiration to make my own.

If time gets the better of me, I may have to enlist the help of Mel.

 

This is so simple, yet very effective. Adding some red creates a Christmas feel. I just love those paper hearts. 

Who would have thought putting some dried leaves together on a ribbon would look so beautiful. It appears they've also stamped them with an ink stamp of someones initials. Clever little ducks!

Speaking of ducks, I just love birds and these are no exception. All you need to do is cut out a dove template and find some gorgeous Christmas paper. I think I've just settled on my garland project!

For a wintry feel, try these gorgeous creatures. Don't you just love people's resourcefulness in using what's around them, upcycling the old and transforming it into something as lovely as this. Our carbon footprint is reducing by the minute thanks to these talented people!

What wonderful creations are you making for Christmas? Have you spied someone else's creation that would be perfect for a loved one? Perhaps you need some help with a few ideas.To join in, just leave a comment and simply add your link below.You can join in anytime during the week. If you are new to this meme, click here for all the details on how to join in on this Handmade Christmas Challenge and feel free to grab my button.

Secret Santa arrival

My secret Santa stocking arrived today. So very exciting. Actually, I think it arrived yesterday whilst I was in Melbourne for work because when I arrived home, the parcel had been torn apart by my eager children. It appears that my husband intervened just in time before they got their paws on this gorgeous stocking from Tracey (yet another blogger with a wonderful name!). My camera work tonight does not give this beautiful stocking justice.

I was very lucky to also receive a fabulous handmade drawstring bag with chockies, a sweet embroidery that has such beautiful detail of a little cherub sitting on what appears to be the letter T and a crocheted...I want to say granny square but its a hexagon shape (please help me, my descriptions are pitiful) and some handmade soap.

Thank you so much Tracey. I love them. Thanks again to Selina for organising the swap.

Trace x

Mozzies you are taunting me!!!

If you have ever visited Ocean Grove in Victoria, Australia, where I call home, you would wonder if the residents had all joined some bizarre German-esque knee slapping dance contest. I think I'd prefer that over the billions of mosquito's that plague our town every October. It's now an accepted practice to smack a friend in the head mid conversation if a mozzie decides to cut in. You've never seen anything funnier than watching a group of mum's at school drop-off, smack the living crap out of each other to fend these buggers off. 

Of course, it gets to a stage where you draw a line in the sand and say "that's it, I've had enough...these mozzies are not going to ruin my outdoor fun". So throwing caution to the wind, you might risk it all like we did, and have a barbecue outside. In mozzie terms, this translates to FREE BLOOD DONATION. We tried our best, but they even managed to penetrate our mozzie net. 

Oh, how I loath you Mozzie!

Flea Market Find

On Saturday, the kids and I managed a quick visit to our local Op shop during a break in the weather (the coldest day in October since...well since yonks ago). I was absolutely delighted to come across these gorgeous wooden tags with chalk boards. They had never been used and the chalk was still in its wrapper. Can't wait to use these for Christmas pressies.

I also found a great big stash of floral silk ribbon. I bought it all for a whopping $5. The ribbon is just gorgeous and again, I can't wait to use it on some presents.

For more flea market finds, head over here.

Handmade Christmas Challenge

If there are two things that I love its Christmas and vintage chic. Put them both together and you've got my idea of heaven. The undisputed Queen of Chic is Rachel Ashwell from Shabby Chic. I have her books and I love her work. 

As you can imagine, I was a little beside myself when I read her latest post on adding a little twinkle to a Christmas table setting for a new target commercial she is doing. In this post she provides a step by step approach on how to make a simple yet 'oh so glamorous' table setting using vintage pieces around your home.

Here's a few more table settings if vintage is not your style...

What wonderful creations are you making for Christmas? Have you spied someone else's creation that would be perfect for a loved one? Perhaps you need some help with a few ideas.To join in, just leave a comment and simply add your link below.You can join in anytime during the week. If you are new to this meme, click here for all the details on how to join in on this Handmade Christmas Challenge and feel free to grab my button.

My creative space

I broke out in a cold sweat this week and all over my Christmas Stocking swap. I haven't sewn, even mended, a single thing since year 10 sewing classes. That's 22 something odd years people!  Thank heaven's Mel was around to steer me in the right direction. Thankfully I popped it in the post today putting to rest my anxiety about my sewing attempt. It wasn't great, but it wasn't completely crap either so I just hope the poor woman receiving my parcel will be amused by my long winded letter explaining my sewing journey and will grant me clemency. She's not a follower so I'm safe to show you what I've made.

I sourced all the material from my local Oppy, cutting up a quilt cover to make the stocking. I used some lace from a purchase I made at the Alanah Hill seconds store in Melbourne (fabulous place to go crazy if you haven't been there) and then I hand sewed the pearls on to match her taste. I also added a few little pressies that will hopefully sweeten the deal.

A hand carved wooden ink stamp and a hat pin.

plus an antique inspired butterfly pin.

For more creative spaces that no doubt can sew better, come a wondering over here.

I've recently come across Anthropologie and its fair to say that I'm absolutely in love with this season's range. I could just imagine myself in this outfit - "Oh honey, I'm just heading up to the milkbar to get a loaf of bread. I'll be back in a jiffy" as I saunter up the street in what can only be described as casual glamour! In reality, I'd get that skirt caught in the wheel, throwing myself over the handle bars. But hey, a girls got to dream.

 

Hello Chicken's - I may be smiling but if you lay a feather on these $100 gumboots, I'll be eating chicken drumsticks tonight!

 

Hello summer outfit...my goodness this is divine. Love that bow and the belt. 

I'm a sucker for a pleated skirt and this dress is no exception. Must have it. 

Minor detail/setback is that this is a UK label and I don't fancy converting the Aussie dollar over to pounds. So, I'm guessing I'll just drool over this, never to be destined to have one of these gorgeous outfits hanging in my wardrobe. Of course, if anyone has come across this label before and can provide a good argument to go fourth and purchase, please let me know. I'm easily swayed by peer pressure.

At what stage do you call it a fetish?

Strolling around my house today I suddenly realised that I have quite the collection of bird inspired homewares. I've always loved birds but didn't quite realise until today that perhaps I'm bordering on obsessive.

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I bought these original screen prints over here off Etsy.

This was my first bird purchase - a wall decal in our living room. You can find them here.

I found these shadow boxes at a garage sale. I painted them and added, yep...another bird! My DIY post is over here.

 My mother bought the quail from the Eumundi markets in Queensland. I do hope no birds were harmed in the making of this polystyrene creature. The small note bird was an Etsy purchase from Natalie Kibbe at Humblebea.

A bird softy to hang on my heart memorabilia holder that hangs on the wall in our kitchen.

Our latest purchase, Gold Birch drum shades from ink & spindle.

So, how do you determine if this is just a healthy interest in birdlike animalia or some kind of weirdo fetish?

Flea Market Find

Oh how I love vintage bottles. Particularly those in a sun shiny yellow bottle holder. My mum bought this from a garage sale yonks ago and graciously decided to pass it on to me last week. It fits in perfectly in my home. I just love it.

For more flea market finds, head over to Sophie's.

Handmade Christmas Challenge

Another week behind us and 11 weeks to go until Christmas! I've noticed a lot more Christmas traffic in blogland with gorgeous Christmas gifts profiled on Etsy, Madeit and Felt and plenty of handmade crafty creations made by many of you. My little girls have already started singing Christmas carols. I'd love nothing better than to turn on the Christmas tunes but I'm concerned we may peak too early so I'm going to give it a few more weeks before I invite Bing (Crosby) back into our lives! Whilst I wait for that day, I've decided to turn my attention to Advent calendars so we can officially start the count down. 

Here's some gorgeous handmade ones I'm using as inspiration to make my own:

A novel way to spruce up some empty paint tins. The kids would love opening these up to reveal the gift inside.

Covering a canvas with some material and dressing it up with some lace and pegs is a simple yet effective way to create a fuss free calendar.

I imagine that these parcels are all books which doesn't have to be expensive. You could wrap up some books found at an Op Shop, Garage Sale or second hand bookstore.

This is my favourite because of the family images they've attached to each parcel. I don't have a gorgeous staircase like this, but I could easily do something similar off our mantle piece.

What wonderful creations are you making for Christmas? Have you spied someone else's creation that would be perfect for a loved one? Perhaps you need some help with a few ideas.To join in, just leave a comment and simply add your link below.You can join in anytime during the week. If you are new to this meme, click here for all the details on how to join in on this Handmade Christmas Challenge and feel free to grab my button.