foxy

Inspired by amazing crafty mums, I decided early on that I would like to create a tradition where I make something for Millipede for his birthday each year.

6 months late, but I've finally finished foxy for his first birthday.

Here's how it all started...


And here's where it is now...






I originally made pattern pieces as I went thinking at the end I would be able to offer a free pattern and tutorial. BUT I have since decided I have no intention of inflicting the torture upon anyone else. Let me just say, I learnt the hard way that there is a very very good reason why most softies have short limbs and wide bodies.

Regardless, I must say I'm quite pleased with my first softie attempt, and was VERY happy when upon first meeting, Millipede tucked him under his arm and merrily took him off to meet the rest of his soft toys.

interviews x 2

Today I am lucky enough to be featured in the "interviews" section of Jodi's Art by Wiley site!

Why am I so excited by this? Well, for one Jodi is an amazing artist herself (I would JUMP on the opportunity to do an art swap with her if the opportunity ever arose), and secondly I've been a fan of her interviews for a while. She has interviewed some of my favourite illustrators and crafters, and I've gained new favourites from there too.

Here's a snippet of my interview:

"Nature is the biggest inspiration for me. I find it oddly alien, and that fascinates me! It's such great irony that the very stuff that makes up this planet can still seem so freakish and unreal. Show me one of those BBC nature documentaries and I'm all astonishment... take me into the backyard and hand me a teensy seedpod and I'm just as enamoured, sit me in front of a hyper-coloured sunset and well...you can imagine, I pretty much turn into the "double rainbow" guy."

For the rest click here!

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Last month I was also interviewed by Molly from Balancing the Tide.

Molly and I have "known" each other online for quite some time, she is a writer, poet, exquisite photographer, and she owns quite a few pieces of my art. Since we first encountered one another we've since both had our first babies. Now she runs "Balancing the Tide", a site dedicated to interviewing artistic mums, asking how their creative lives have changed since having children. "A LOT" is of course the answer... at least it is in my case.

Here's a snippet:

"My art-making used to occupy half of the studio we have out the back of our house, but as I tried to squeeze small moments of art into the calm moments of each day, I moved my computer inside onto the kitchen table. This made a big difference, I could be a mum, and answer an email on the way to change a nappy."

For the rest click here!

Many thanks to both Jodie and Molly.xx.

etsy success

Found  this on Penny's blog. Amazing isn't it? Makes me a bit proud to be part of it all.


Created by: www.MBAOnline.com

little old man baby

Millipede is 17 months old, but sometimes I swear he is actually 78... YEARS that is!

Mostly he spends his days pottering around the garden with the watering can, but let me set the scene I came across yesterday...

(He has had a cold, so his voice is croaky and hoarse.)

I'm occupied tidying up some mess, he is playing in the loungeroom.
Then I hear the TV come on. I poke my head around the corner to check, and find...

Him sitting on the couch snuggled up next to our cat, he has pulled the slanket up over his lap, is patting the cat with one hand, has a book in the other (with TV remote nearby), and is entranced watching the early edition news on TV, "ahh-ing" and "hmmm-ing" in response with his croaky hoarse voice.

Such a little old man!

We laughed about it being the early edition news, giving him time to have dinner and get to bed before 7pm, just like real old men ;)  Perhaps if I get him a car cleaning kit he can have our car sparkling and immaculate, up to "senior citizen vehicle" standards in no time!

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Please no Benjamin Button comments. It doesn't mater how hot you think Brad Pitt may be, the fact is it's just creepy.

sixteen

Some of you may remember the wooden watch I gave Mr You for our anniversary last year. Well this year we clocked up 16 years together.


Traditionally anniversaries carry a theme; cotton, silver, diamond, etc… I'm not sure if the 16th anniversary has a theme, but this year I made one up all the same; "Game of Thrones"  - whooot!!! (a-hem, exposing our nerdiness a little here -blush). 


So last month I popped onto Etsy and got these for my tall good-lookin' man:

For those of you as addicted to the show as us, I know you're dying to know where I found these... Direwolves hoodie from Fencing N Archery and the cute Stark card from Sophie Blackhall Cain. 

He loved them both!

flossy-p on facebook

Those of you who know me may have just spat coffee in shock. But it's true! I'm finally on facebook.

Come see for yourself : flossy-p on Facebook.

I was always a bit concerned that if I started a Facebook I'd have too many places online to keep updated. So we'll see, but the plan is for facebook to be about updates of products in my shop, and projects I'm working on... my portfolio site will still be a gallery of my work and what's happening in my work life... and this blog is more becoming a place where I talk about personal stuff.

If you have any tips or suggestions on keeping multiple web-spots updated and interesting, I'd love to hear them. In the meantime check out my facebook page, "thumbs-up" me if you please, and let me know your thoughts.  :)

new commission

I'm quite proud of this one. I think it's one of my most swirly yet. :)