market day is a coming....

One more little sleep till market day at the Tamahere County Market...and I truly do mean little as I don't expect to be in bed early tonight with all that I still need to do!  Just thought I would quickly share some photos with you of most of the stock I will have with me tomorrow.  After tomorrow I will be listing some items in my wee online shop (which is to your right as you are reading this) or you can go directly to it here.

I have already had so many more ideas of products to make in the next few months for other upcoming stalls and I can't wait to get started on them.

And these ones will be finished by the end of the night too so that they can join in the fun.

And my eldest daughter, Hannah, caught some of the market fever and has whipped up a couple of sock cows and some page corner bookmarks to sell tomorrow too!

Best bit is I even get to do the stall with my sis and she is selling her beautiful prints and you can check out some of her work here.

Here's hoping for some beautiful sunny weather and lots of people at the Tamahere Country Market!!

Take care and till then

a small step is still a step...

A busy start to the New Year in the red delicious household as I've decided to go to the markets!  I've applied for a few of the local markets to try to get a stall spot in them as soon as possible and while I wait to hear back I am sewing up a storm so that I have stock at the ready.  

There's something quite exciting about preparing for a market...the planning, cutting, ironing, sewing, brewing, stuffing and pricing.  It's a small step towards the big dream but it's still a step forward.  I will be selling my cushion covers, lip balms, birdie decorations, owlie and roostie doorstop patterns and kitsets, my fox hoops and if I have enough time I might have some made up ready to buy owlie's and roostie's too.  

My hope is that if the stall's go well then soon I may also have some quilting and craft fabrics to sell too because who doesn't love delicious colourful good quality fabrics?!  

I cannot wait for the day I am surrounded by walls of fabric stocks in a rainbow of colours and designs!  I just LOVE fabrics and colours, creating and dreaming, designing and planning. Being surrounded everyday with beautiful fabrics and craft supplies is my idea of heaven, brimming with potential and ideas, alive with energy and limited only by our own imaginations.  Supplies, workshops, spaces to work and machines to hire, good coffee, collaborations for community projects, communities of likeminded people inspiring each other as we go, patterns and books published - it's a big dream and every part of my being wants it right down to my little toes.  I can see it and feel it and every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to bed it is on my mind so I keep making steps, I keep hoping, I keep dreaming and planning, I keep trying.

My little saying for life  - 'live truth, have courage and be kind' so this is me living my truth and having courage and stepping out.

Now all we need is to be called up for a market and then it begins....

Take care and till then

...handmade Christmas....tick

Phew - it is done!  The biggest sigh has left my soul after that exhausting few weeks and then chaotic few days leading up to Christmas day.  Work was crazy in the last few frantic days and the present making was a marathon effort but it's all OK because I made it over the finish line!! And now I officially can do whatever the heck I want for the next two weeks....well mostly...sort of...well let's just say more than when I'm not on holiday.

So the end results of all those secret workshops and shrieks of 'close the door' were amazing.  Super proud of the family for getting on board and running with this as it's not that easy to come up with presents to make everyone....and the common theme with the present making was it was particularly hard to come up with what to make Dad!  This includes me as I find guys so hard to make or buy presents for, whether they are younger or older I just find them hard.  Apparently I am easy as to make for because 'you love anything we do Mum' which makes me happy for two reasons.  One because it means to them I am a safe place and two that I am their cheerleader...must be doing something right!  I'm especially glad (and relieved) that they feel comfortable making for me as making a gift for someone can leave you feeling a little vulnerable.  And I know this from experience as there are some people in my world that I love making for as I know they will love anything.  But there are also some people that I get tied in knots over worrying about my homemade gifts being cool enough.  I know it's ridiculous that a nearly 37 year old woman, mother of three, professional accountant and craft lover and maker for years finds making for some of the nieces and nephews an nerve wracking experience with my insecurities at the forefront about what I've made being cool enough!    I think it's fair to say some people in this world get handmade and some people just don't...and that's OK because it makes the world interesting.

Anyway enough rambling, here are the creations made by my family....

My pressies...a quote about hope on a beautiful sunset picture from my hubby as he knows that hope is so important to me, a painted artwork by my youngest with the word 'mother' and what it stands for to her, a sock cow toy and 52 things my eldest loves about me from her and baking and an embroidered  Dr Suess quote that she knows I love from my middle

A close up of the sock cow

My eldests stash - a poem written by Dad and framed, a printed singlet, a birdie xmas tree decoration , macrame bracelets, fudge, hokey pokey and sherbet and stamped quote hoop art from Mum, baking and a turtle felt toy holding a canvas saying how much she is loved by the middle sister and a woollen weaved and decorated bookmark, a movie popcorn box and 'I'll do your jobs for two days' voucher from the littlest sister

The poem Dad wrote for all three girls

The felt turtle with his canvas of love

You can't help but smile when you see this little bookmark

The littlest's loot - printed singlet, monster pencil case, a birdie xmas tree decoration, fudge, hokey pokey and sherbet and button and ribbon bookmarks from Mum, a framed poem from Dad, a balloon ball and baking from the middle sister and paper booklets, a pencil case roll, bracelets and a framed button J from the oldest sister

The middle's pressies - a 'love' cushion, peppermint body scrub, a printed singlet, fudge, hokey pokey and sherbet and a birdie xmas tree decoration from Mum, a framed poem from Dad, two art works from the older sister and a collection of the middle's favourite baking recipes, a decorated box filled with pieces of paper listing things that the youngest loves about her and a 'I'll do your jobs for two days' voucher from the youngest

Dad's treasures - BBQ sauce, BBQ steak rub, steaks, 'manly' hand cream, a birdie xmas tree decoration and a bag to clip onto his bike for his keys and cellphone when he goes for a ride from Mum, a framed and decorated scripture and baking from the middle, a framed poem and magnetic wristband to use for his nails when building things from the eldest and a book listing all the things she loves about his from the youngest

I mean, how can you not feel completely loved and filled up from all that time and effort and thoughtfulness!  

Let me just say that pinterest is awesome!!

Well I hope you all had a lovely Christmas celebrating in your own ways and traditions and mostly giving and receiving love.

As the New Year approaches even though it is somewhat cliched and some may say corny, I love the feeling of hope and anticipation as a fresh new year is on the horizon and I feel some goals brewing in my soul.  

My goal for this week - to come up with my goals, hopes, dreams and desires for 2015.

Take care and till then

almost there....

We are almost at the finish line and the red delicious house has been a hive of present making activity.  The eldest has gone 'making mad' and has spent most of her free time in the last 3 weeks shut away in her bedroom crafting up a storm.  She is done and dusted for the most part and now just making for the fun of it!  She has made at least two presents for every person in the house and just has a hold up on the finishing of Dad's pressie which requires Mum's help.  The youngest is organised, most presents wrapped and under the tree but also waiting on Mum to help her with the final piece for Dad's pressie and then she is done.  The middle has procrastinated until just yesterday when in a mad panic finally realised she only has four days of making left!  She had grand plans, elaborate intricate present ideas and I had to gently (at first and then firmly when she wouldn't listen!) remind her of the time she has left and the fact that I don't have time to rescue her on Christmas Eve!  She is always the 'aiming for the moon' kind of girl, which I adore, but when you are four days out from Christmas, with no cash for buying last minute gifts as a back up option it is a very frustrating quality for sure!  

And how am I going you ask....well I'm doing well considering the tight time frame.  I'm on target with the plan I worked out but I will admit I am wasted and so very much looking forward to Christmas Day when I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing I am done!  

So into the making that Christmas tree decorations are appearing from the eldest

Pencil cases and birdie tree decorations under way

Printed singlets finally done

Brewing up some tomato sauce

Just need the labels now

Skin food done and just needing labels

Cushion cover, bracelets, birdie tree decorations and pencil cases

A few batches of lip balm plus tried a new hand cream recipe

The pressies under the tree are growing and so far only the girls have finished gifts under the tree

The pile of things to do beside me on the couch tonight...so much to do and so little time!

I probably won't post again until after Christmas as it's going to get a little crazy for me in the next few days so I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas break and enjoy some lovely relaxing family time and wish you all the best for the New Year ahead!

Take care and till then