Just A Minute...In February

I've been meaning to join in August Street's Just A Minute for months and months and months and...you get the picture. So here goes.

Making... goodies for the Stitches and Craft Show, a couple of collages that I'll show you soon and working on finishing the patchwork quilt I started 3 years ago. I've been taking myself to Amitie once a fortnight for a bit of wonderful creative time out.

Watching... a week's worth of TV this evening. Medium, Eli Stone, Gray's Anatomy, all thanks to the hard drive recorder. Love that piece of machinery. I'm totally into Biggest Loser this year too.

Reading...The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. I am totall inspired by this woman. She's a blogger who started a secret blog when she decided to lose weight and ended up having it published as a book. I can't tell you how many times I have laughed out loud reading this book.



Listening... to the incessant noise of my inner voice. I'll be working on drowning it out with some tunes this week. Can you suggest anything for me to check out on ITunes? I am needing introductions to some new music.

Thinking...a lot about my creative aspirations. What I would like my creative life to look like down the track. How to sustain myself as a creative entrepreneur.

Wishing...for just a wee bit more time.

Pop over to Jen's place to join the fun.

Love Fridays, There's Always A Reason

I was struggling to think of a post for Love Fridays today. It's been a topsy turvy kind of week and I've been feeling a little tired and uncertain. Balancing life, the show, work and everything in between is pretty challenging. I feel like there's never enough hours in the day to do what I want to do, to be as creative as I want to be, to write all the things I want to write. You know how it goes. It's no different for me than anyone else even though in self-indulgent moments of self-pity I feel certain that other people somehow magically have so much more time than me.

So faced with Loving Fridays today I was at one stage thinking something along the lines of "if I could go home and curl up in bed for a weekend of sleeping, comfort food and doing nothing" I might be Loving Fridays. A weekend full of things to do for the show and TinnieGirl is another story. In other words, woe is me.

Then I read this post from Courtney at The Inner Stitch. I popped a Tinnie in the post to her last weekend and it arrived during the week. Every time I read things people post about my Tinnies my heart fills with pride and happiness. I had an idea and I made it real. Not only did I make it real but then it grew. I am living a creative life. I am making a living as a creative person. What's not to love about that?

How about you? Have you got a reason to Love Fridays? It's a Meme and you can play along. You just have to post a story about something you love today or something you're looking forward to on the weekend. That sounds nice and fun doesn't it? There's a pretty button for your blog if you'd like it and if you want I'll put you on the list.

If you want a Tinnie grab one now. The shop special is on until end of tomorrow.

Fingers and Toes

Are crossed for this. The draw is tonight and there are so many great pieces of art to be won.

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You know with the craziness of this month I have failed miserably at self promotion. I'm having a sale in the shop until end of Feb. You get extra fat quarters with every Tinnie, and Doer Tinnies for the price of Dreamers.

If you've been thinking of getting yourself a Tinnie now's the time. I'll be removing most of the stock on March 1st to take to the Stitches and Craft Show and the Made n' Thornbury Market on March 28th (details to come). If you're in Melbourne you can of course come along to the markets and pick yourself up a Tinnie there. I'd love to see you and say Hi.

I'm off to do the final big shop for the show today. Op Shop gods won't you please shine down on me.

Love Fridays, Follow Me Down To The River

A favourite thing about my week is riding Betsy, my bicycle, through beautiful bushland to and from work everyday. How lucky I am to live in a city full of gorgeous natural spaces and beautiful parks and gardens.

I find it so peaceful to spend time in this setting each day. I love the time that my 40 minutes of riding affords me to think about things, plan, dream, create. I've started stopping at the falls some mornings and writing a few notes about how I'm feeling, ideas that are going through my head. Many a blog post begins its life on this ride.

In the last 2 weeks while everyone in Victoria, and the rest of the country, has been feeling so overwhelmed, traumatised and grief stricken by the bushfires I've found so much solace in my bushland oasis.

Seeing familiar faces like Lucy the Goose (a creature known to everyone who rides this trail) makes me smile every single time. Sometimes I sing out a big hello to her and give her a happy wave.

Love Fridays

House Guests

They turned up some time around Sunday lunch time. Self-doubt, indecision and the extended family of useless emotions, invading my space, vying for attention, and ruining my excitement about the show. Feet on the furniture,demanding cups of tea and generally getting underfoot and upsetting the balance. I should have known they'd be around. They always show up when the good stuff happens. Planting weeds in my garden.

• Who do you think you are?
• You can't go to the show! You're not good enough!
• Do you really think anyone's going to like your craft?

Ms L gave them a good talking too yesterday, and this morning I sent them packing. No room for those kind of house guests when I've got the show in 3 weeks.

Just 3 little weeks. I am so excited. Will you be there? Please drop in and say Hi. It's going to be SO MUCH FUN.

Speaking of house guests, I've also had some lovely new ones turn up.

From Starashan and Amitie

From The Princess and the Monkey

All gorgeous. All goodies that you can buy from them too.

And from Curlypops. Because I said I loved it and would she mind making me one.

Ms L reminded me last night when the pesky house guests got the better of me what a wonderful and supportive creative community I have in my life. It's OH SO TRUE.

Love Fridays, A Question

What would you do if you had an infant business, limited stock and no market experience, and you received this email:

"a question: if a place in the indie craft section at the Stitches and Craft Show in March was to become available would you be interested? 5 days, lots of fun, 10,000's of visitors? I took the liberty of putting your name forward to Living Creatively and they are really interested in Tinniegirl."

You'd say yes. You know you would. What else can you do when opportunity kicks your door down? So from March 11th - 15th you'll find me at the Stitches and Craft Show. I'll be selling Tinnies as well as launching some new goodies that you're just going to love.

I'll be sharing my stall with a very fabulous blogger and crafter - I'll tell you who it is as soon as she's posted about it too. I'm so glad I get a buddy to hold hands with for this.

Please come and say Hi. I'm pretty nervous and excited, overwhelmed by what I need to organise and so looking forward to it. I'd love to see you there.

Now if that's not a reason to Love Fridays I don't know what is. Thanks Dear Fii. I think you might have just changed my life!

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Ms L and I have been to Coles tonight to buy all the things we are donating to different appeals. Toiletries to go to the Salvos, pet food for an appeal happening at work and lots of goodies to go into the Rainbow Comfort Packs. We loved the idea of getting more bang for our buck by buying our donations on the day Coles is donating all their profits.

Cash has gone off to the Red Cross and Wildlife Victoria, and tomorrow I'm going to Nikki's Sewing Bee. I'll be sending a few Tinnies off to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Etsy Shop over the weekend so keep an eye out if you'd like to buy one and support the appeals.

I hope that your Friday is good. I feel like my shock has subsided a little and I am able to actually start thinking about how to help. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow and putting my creativity to good use.

I'm Taking A Moment

of quiet reflection

• to block out the hype and the media frenzy
• to let the stories of those who have lost be truly at the centre of this tragedy
• to let the palpable energy of this disaster inhabit my space
• to send all my healing energy and thoughts to every living thing that needs them right now

A Story About BigCat and Tinniegirl

Some time in January 2008 I read an article about blogging by Kelly Rae Roberts in Cloth Paper Scissors. To by honest, I didn't understand the appeal. Around the same time I'd come across Meet Me at Mikes and a few other locals and realised it wasn't just people in the USA that were doing it. It was happening right here in my hood.

For a month or so I watched and read. I longed to be part of that amazing community of creativity. I even told Ms L that I'd found the craft community that I'd been searching for but that I didn't know how to connect with it. Duurrhhh - start a blog silly!!!

Today marks 12 months since I posted my first doubtful blog post over here. What an amazing year it has been. Life changing.

It started with a humble art swap, not long after came the Thornbury Sewing Bonanza, followed closely by a wonderful new friendship with my crafty partner-in-crime CurlyPops. Let's not forget BLOGTOBERFEST and the launch of Tinniegirl. There was a giveaway here and there, a little bit of burnout, memes and swaps, and lots and lots of meeting up with cool crafty chicks. And who can forget the Boy in the Box?

This past year has taught me so many, many things. I have rediscovered my creativity, my passion for life and my belief in myself. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.

So where too from here? Oh how I wish I knew. There are so many things I want to make happen. So many ideas that I want to bring to life and give form. Some days I feel like I will burst with all my creativity, ideas and energy. I can see it all unfolding before me like a magical dream come true. My life as I've always wanted it to be. Me at the centre - crafty, creative and inspired.

On pesky days I am so consumed with fear and self-doubt and the constant struggle of feeling like I never have enough time that the dream seems impossible, not meant for the likes of me. I think at times like these I have to go back and read posts like Taking Flight and More Than A Few Words. I have to remember to Float and Enjoy.

BigCat was my beginning but here at TinnieGirl is my future. I'm ready to embrace her and see where she leads. I'll hope you'll continue to ride with me.

Love Fridays

I'm loving that I'm going to spend tomorrow with my crafty posse in the air-conditioned comfort of Amitie Upstairs.

I'm loving that Melbourne is finally expecting a cool change tomorrow.

I'm loving that today I'm able to live in the moment and know that life is good.

Pop in tomorrow evening if you get a chance. I've got something special to tell you.

Come Craft With Me...

This Saturday, February 7th 2009, will be the first get together of the Thornbury Craft Bonanza for the year. We've found ourselves a new home at Amitie Upstairs (which may mean we need to rethink the "Thornbury" part of the name but who's complaining when there's a trip to Amitie involved.)

Would you like to join us? It seems some of our usual peeps can't make it so we have extra space. You'll meet lots of lovely creative girls, get some crafting done, eat some treats and talk and laugh yourself hoarse. A deliciously inspiring time just waiting to be had.

You can bring along your sewing, knitting, spinning, weaving, creative daydreaming or any other project you are working on. I'm on a mission to finish up some projects that have been hanging around for a long time.

There's room for 3 people to join us. It will cost you $7.50, which goes towards the venue hire and the refreshments kitty and you'll need to bring a plate of goodies to share. We get together from 1-6pm. If you'd like to come shoot me an email tinniegirl(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au. We'd love you to join us.

Come craft with me, come craft, come craft away......

Oh So Tired

I can't resist any longer. Everyone is talking about it and I'm jumping on the bandwagon. The heat wave in the south has wiped me out. Nights and nights of no sleep. I'm a walking zombie. Thank goodness it's a wee bit cooler today. I might actually be able to get some things done.

Sewjourn

I don't seem to have any words but I think the pictures say it all. Get yourself and your crafty friends to Sewjourn as soon as you possibly can. Relax, Create, Enjoy!









Thanks to Jan for a fabulous giveaway and to CurlyPops for taking me along as her guest.