Happy New Year!

Flower stamp from 'Embrace Life' set by Stampin' Up!

Although I dream about living in the tropics, I have had to be true to myself and give up on the idea. It would simply be too hot and humid! I shouldn't confess this (due to the scorn it will undoubtedly bring), but I have been loving the wintry 'summer' weather up here in the mountains. I used to live by the coast in Sydney, which was wonderful in many ways, but I've come to enjoy the cooler climate over the past decade.

The handmade greeting card pictured above is a recent creation and reflects my idealisation of tropical living alongside palm trees and bright flowers. I've been to the South Pacific Islands a number of times and it's been such an amazingly beautiful and aesthetic experience every single time. I used to have a little photo album of favourite tropical shots on my desk at school. Whenever I was feeling a little down, it always made me feel so happy to flip through these photos.

The inspiration for this card came from a photo I took in Fiji last year (below). I was walking along the road in Namaka, near Nadi, and snapped a few shots along the way. The picture below features Bougainvillea flowers and I love the foreground and background layers captured by my rudimentary camera.

There were so many beautiful things to photograph in Fiji, some of which I will share here another time. Sometimes I think I should invest in a better camera as mine is so basic, but then I realise I wouldn't have the time to really focus on this hobby alongside all of the others I have! For now, I'll just have to focus on the image rather than the technicalities of the tools. Even with a simple camera, you would be surprised at the quality of shots that can been achieved :) I'm just a novice in the real sense of the word but my photographic cards are quite popular as an alternative to handmade cards, so it is worthwhile for me to continue to add new images to the collection.

Hope you're having a Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you at my market stall in the oncoming months. Alongside my regular stock, I am always creating new cards and gifts, available at affordable prices, incorporating that handmade touch :)

Knitting Addiction...not!

A few days ago, I had the urge to buy some wool and knitting needles! I haven't knit in over 20 years. It was a frustrating childhood experience because I think my mum gave me the thinnest needles she had to keep me occupied. However, it must have turned me off knitting for good as I don't recall completing a single project! So, I went to the other extreme and bought the largest needles I could find and three cheap balls of acrylic wool. Although I knew I was using the wrong needles for the type of wool I bought, I wanted to get a feel for how long it actually takes to make a reasonably long scarf. (N.B. It takes a while from go to woe if you haven't done it in a long time, even with huge needles!)

The colours looked awesome on the actual ball of wool (above) but, when knitted up, I wasn't at all thrilled with the pattern created on the scarves themselves. Luckily, these scarves are just for practice--I don't think anyone would actually wear them in public!

The crocheted beanie below was made by my talented sister. She attempted to teach me how to crochet one night in Canberra but ran out of patience (instead, I walked away with this cute beanie!). She only gave me 10 mins to catch on, so I didn't even get past learning how to do the centre piece! When I think about the 100's of hours I spent tutoring her when she lived with me during her HSC...*sigh*. She'd like me to sell them at my markets but, unfortunately, there are already ample knitters and crocheters at the markets I'm attending at present, so I am actually not permitted to add any of these items to my stall. Same goes for my mother-in-law's booties, which she used to sell in a craft shop at Marrickville before it closed down (that's where I first started selling my handmade goods 18 years ago!)

In my front yard in the Blue Mountains
 

Below is one of the finished scarves. Knitters the world over would groan at my lack of imagination and skill. But, afterall, I have just been trying out a few different stitches to get the hang of it again. Overall, I'm pretty inspired to buy some smaller needles and some lovely wool to try out a few more projects. Hopefully, I will have improved considerably by next winter! It would be wonderful to be able to knit quality items to give away or sell at suitable markets.