rambling post

so I've been reading everywhere lately about how stretched of time everyone seems to be and how they wish they could give back more to this wonderful blogging community. Also about the quality of their blogging and consequently on tips about blog writing. These, I think, are common worries for any blogger/crafter ... Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could have more than 24-hour days to make all those projects we have popping inside our heads and never seem to get around to actually doing ? Back in January I planned so many projects for this year, but now I can't believe it's (almost) June and so little has been accomplished. I'm still behind on my orders (sorry guys, I'm trying ...) and the shop updates have been irregular to say the least. Sometimes there's so little time that blogging seems to be more about showing photos than actually writing something meaningful.



And then there's blog reading, which is something that seems to be taking much more of my time than it used to, especially since discovering this immense crafty blogsphere. Which leads me to my next question, why do we read the blogs that we do ? Before bloglines I really didn't have a very efficient way of tracking which blogs to keep up with so I'd just rely on my side bar links and start clicking whenever I had a bit of free time. Now I have it somewhat organised and try to read the updates at least once a day (ok, so sometimes I only glance at the photos, but most times I actually read every post). My organization is very basic, and goes in the lines of: daily reads, meaning close friends, crafty or not, that I like to keep up with, share gossip or just silly comments about everyday stuff; inspiration, all those wonderful crafty blogs that keep me inspired and that allowed me to know such amazing people; knitting fever, for those knitting blogs that motivate me to continue my own; and flickr photo pools, for photo inspiration. And I currently have 133 feeds on my list, which is pretty close to what I can handle these days without getting overboard *sigh*. Like most people, I do have a 9 to 6 job (quite non crafty related) so it's a tough challenge to try and balance whatever free time I have most days.
So what I'm trying to say is, I'm probably going to take things a bit slower from now on. Apparently there's a good chance we'll actually move to the new appartment this summer (cross your fingers) so I'll be busy painting walls and decorating soon. If you don't see new posts for a few days, don't worry, I'm just taking a break :-)

And now for the crafty bit of this post: those fabrics scraps are part of the package that Blair generously sent me. Lovely tiny bits of fabric, and I already have plans for a few of them. The neat cardboard boxes are my attempt to organise the fabric stash that's been piling all these months. I've organised them by color, seems to work better for me this way, and attached some handmade labels to know what's inside.

all this talk about time just reminded me of that cool time turner gadget that Hermione had on one of the HP books. Anyone knows where I can buy one ? that would actually work, of course ...
 

mail day

I must've been a really good girl lately, because the most amazing packages arrived to my house yesterday ... I had just been to the post office to mail my backtack package, when I arrived home and opened the mailbox to find my own. Soosz, I love this bunny, it's so cute I wish I could've brought him with me to work today !


and what else ? oh yes, this amazing swap package from Christine. The floral pink fabric is what the trade was originally about, but of course she had to add all these extra cute things for me .. absolutely love the lucky charm and cat pin !


and because of that post about incense I made last week, I. sent me a package full of deliciously smelling incense for me to try out. I think my favourite might be the strawberry one already, and just look at the colorful fimo buttons and pincushion she sent as well.

Girls, these absolutely made my week, thanks for spoiling me rotten :-)
 

black, white ... and red

Both my back-tack III and swaporama trades are finally done, wrapped and ready to go ! The quilted bag and scotty softie are for my secret swaporama pal. I didn't have much time to search for cool items to send out this month, so I made an extra effort with the handmade ones. And I'm just showing you a few teasers of the back-tack softie just in case L. might be reading this (ha, you'll have to wait till it gets there !).

It's a pointy kitty, of course, not exactly a secret since L. chose it specifically :-) And I'm adding a couple more things to the package, but those are a surprise. My softie is coming all the way from Australia from the talented Soozs, by the way.. can't wait to see what she comes up with !


 

new rubber stamp :-)

Gráfica Martins & Irmão - Porto

 

smelling good

A. and I are always on the lookout for good incense ... not the usual patchouli or sandalwood varieties (I actually can't stand those) but something more subtle and refreshing. My favourites are these French ones that we picked up a few years back in Provence - memoire d'un instant. The smell reminds me strongly of those holidays, and they have such whimsical names too (I haven't been able to find them anywhere else, so if anyone reading this knows where I can buy them, please let me know).
But I think I might have found a good substitute ..the other day I just happened to wander into zara home looking for suitable items for my trades this month and discovered their incense collection. Their selection is not wide, but boy does it smell good. I loved these two - "white jasmine" and "black vanilla" - and if I wasn't a regular customer at this store before (this was my 2nd visit actually) I think I might just become one.
(and if you have any good incense suggestions, please let me know as well)
 

yoko

this week the sweetest package arrived from Brazil. Eglair makes amazing dolls and patchwork bags (just see these bags) so when she proposed a swap a few weeks ago I immediately agreed. Softie #4 is currently on its way to her home, and this beautiful Yoko came to live with me.
She was afraid to make the trip all by herself, so her cute black kitten came to keep her company ! And apparently, Sushi loved her too, but I'm not willing to share her just yet ...

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and I am sooo envious of Alicia's new studio right now. Of course, I probably wouldn't be able to actually make any crafting if I was there, I'd be spending every minute just admiring every perfect tiny detail .. *sigh* it's beautiful, isn't it ?
so although I don't think I'll ever be able to reach that state of perfecion, I can at least aim to someday have a work place as neat and tidy as Laurie's. I just love how organised those fabrics baskets look.
 

#200

and #200 (gift for I.) is posted almost a year to the day I made my first bookcover

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recomendações do fim de semana (a repetir):

.. restaurante Terra, Rua da Palmeira 15 Príncipe Real - Lisboa
.. restaurante Come Prima, Rua do Olival 258 - Lisboa

 

new blog shops all around

haven't made a craft gallery post like these in a long time. The goal was to post weekly about whatever wonderful inspirations I found out there, but I've been kind of forgetting about it. But today I wanted to post about three shops by friends who are very talented and deserve much more than just a link on my side bar... please go and check them out.

homens de arame

wonderful brass and copper creations by S.


re.bites

beautiful handmade pins in silver and felt by I.


dedaleira shop

unique bags (and I hope some of her lovely bead jewelry in the future) by T.


 

cast on

finally cast on my next two projects. Maggie, from Rowan #31 and Kyoto, from Knitty which I've been meaning to start since last year. These will probably last me all through summer ...
This weekend I won't have much time for crafting, but I need to make an advance on both my trades or else I'm going to be in serious trouble for those deadlines. And I hope this good weather continues, have a great weekend everyone :-)
 

new labels

... playing around with Illustrator (I'm new to this, so if anyone has any good tips I would appreciate it)
 

getting ready for summer

is it just me or today it's just incredibly hot ? definitely one of those summer days that were not meant for me to be staying indoors working at the office ...
I can't seem to get enough of that shirt pattern, so I've made myself a couple more during the weekend. Red is my favourite color, and I was saving this piece of japanese cotton fabric for something really special.
I had already used some of it for one of the softies' dress but finally decided it was time to make something wearable out of it. I mean, is it not enough that we collect fabrics like crazy, but then we don't have the courage to cut our favourite ones ? It's always such a dilemma ...
The other fabric is very, very light (T. got it for me from Feira dos Tecidos) but has a stunning pattern and beautiful colors.
(and just noticed that Flickr changed its layout completely ... humm, not sure if I like it this way better)
 

dispatching orders

quite a few orders posted on the mail today (and a few delivered last week already) ... lucky for me, the people at my post office are the nicest (one of them asked me the other day what was it that I "sold", then pointed to one of my labels and asked: is this your site ? I'm going to check it out) and it's always empty when I go there (humm, maybe the fact that it's usually 8:30 in the morning has something to do with that ...). Anyway, here's what I finished during the last days.







The weekend was bliss, a lot of catching up with friends, not a lot of crafting, although I did start on a couple more blouses using that same pattern (can't get enought of it, maybe I can post some photos tomorrow)

And girls, I'm feeling very house deprived ... not even dr. troy or mr. bauer are making up for it. When is season 2 coming this way ?


 

black and white

it's a very funny coincidence that both trades I've signed up for June are themed black and white ... so yesterday I went digging for my choice of fabrics, and this is what I came up with



and a snapshot of Sushi to help me get inspired .. have a good weekend :-)


 

it's finished

my first summer knitting project is finished and blocked, and I'm so in love with it I think I might go for a second round in a different color (dark red maybe .. or olive green ?)
the kal deadline was postponed until the end of the month, so I actually finished it on time. This pattern was great to knit, and the best thing was .. no sewing needed at the end (it's funny how I love sewing fabrics but I hate sewing knitted pieces).


Pattern:
Somewhat cowl, from knit and tonic, and alterations from mimsy
Needles: 3mm and 3.5 mm circular needles
Yarn: cotton blend (Katia ? not sure)


 

fabric obssessed

is it terribly crazy to be so happy that I've won one of Blair's fabric scraps bags ? at least I'm relieved to find out I'm not the only one so fabric obsessed, one of these days I'll need to sign up for a fabric-holics support group (along with the book-aholics first, though ..). And while we're on that theme, here are a few gorgeous fabrics I got recently, from cotton patch



this weekend was supposed to be a real crafty one, but thanks to dr. house I didn't get much done (meninas, vocês tinham razão ... a série é fantástica ...despachámos 16 episódios no fim de semana ! obrigada pelo empréstimo, A. :). I was really bummed because of these news about one of my favourite tv shows, so I'm glad I found a new one.


I did manage to finish the somewhat cowl, a few orders, and package the softies ready to go to their new homes (this one on the photo is already there), but time is just never enough, is it ?

 

summer top

it's been a long time since I've made something for myself to wear, and with summer coming soon (and it seems that it's going to be a hot one), I had this urge to make a breezy summer top ... this pattern is adapted from a burda magazine, and it's so easy I'm definitely going to make a few more.

more bookcovers finished here and here