First Award!

I was very excited to receive my first award! Thank you sooo much, Raki!

Now this is my first time, and I believe it goes:

And so here are my nominees...

1. Color Me Katie

2. Playing Dress Up

3. What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?

4. Max California

5. Miss Balloon Hearts Blog

6. My Vintage Image

7. Mihee So

8. East of the Sun West of the Moon

9. Daily Dream Daily Doodle

10. Fashion for the Economically Challenged

An honarary blog is the lovely Ruffles and Stuff as I absolutely loved it, but it is no longer being updated. It is a fantastic

I've learnt that there was issues with being able to post with my previous layout so I've ditched it for a post-possible one. The place still need some more prettying up, but that will come in due time.

Skirts!

Lately I have gotten back into sewing, which feels great!I gave up on waiting for my sewing table to be put together.... Sigh. So I put it on the kitchen bench and got my sew on!

I wanted to share with you the skirts I created.

The first one, made for when I will do balloon twisting. It is the combination of:

This

+

This (Anthropolgie I think?)

=

This:

My intention is to make a matching jacket from a pattern I developed during my Fashion Design Course last year, with modifications (hearts and ruffles!). The pink Cotton Drill fabric was on sale @ $2 a metre!!! Could not resist and purchased 5 metres... I asked for it to be put on a roll. I love looking at it! hehe

The next skirt I made is from some butterfly fabric I found when I was searching in the boot of my car. I couldn't believe that I forgot all about it! I think I must have purchased it about a year ago. I've found it difficult to find skirt patterns that I like, and so I decided to make my own. Now I didn't have the means to make the pattern, but it wasn't necessary as I used my dressmakers dummy to build it and the measurements of a skirt waistband. Was really happy with how it turned out.

Buoyed be the success of the skirt, I went to Spotlight and searched for fabric to make into another skirt. I felt I hit the jackpot though! With this skirt I decided to make the waistband wider in the front and include four green buttons.

I'm thinking of making another skirt with the bird fabric for someone else. I'm usually hesitant to make things for other people, however I've gotten a few positive comments that I would like to make it and gift it to someone.

Perhaps when I get 50 followers (haha maybe aiming to high?) I'll have a contest/giveaway... Failing that I might make one to sell. Another alternative was to put up a tutorial for making a similar skirt. Any thoughts?

One Sweet Day

Inspired by Fashion for The Economically Challenged, I decided to post up a list of things that I'd like to do in my lifetime. Somedays I feel that the best days are in the past, but then I realise the future isn't going anywhere, and the best days are yet to come! (OMG "Total Eclipse of the Heart" much??)

General:

• Get married (& wear a white and rainbow dress!)
• Raise a family
• Make balloons at local Hospital for Children

To Visit and Travel About:

• Japan
• Canada
• America
• Visit a Balloon Expo in the USA

Achievements:

• To write a novel (do something with all these ideas in my head!)
• Utilise my sewing skills to develop more clothing
• Create and sell a balloon twisting PDF
• To learn resin-making
• Win 1st place in a cosplay contest

Mostly this reflects where I am in life... but I've many more years left to discover new loves and addictions in my life... And I can't wait!

It's all about the Birds and the Beads

Been feeling quite creative lately. This usually translates into the work I do with balloons, but also sewing, jewellery-making and writing have played apart in the last couple of weeks. So a little bit on each!

Balloons: was able to replicate a design I have coveted for a short while now. Based on the works of Patrick Van De Ven. Was quite excited as they are just about as realistic you can get with balloons!

Then sewing.

Imagine this skirt:

With these pockets:In hot pink. Oh yes.

Excited? I am haha! I've all but finished the skirt, just requires some finishing stitches. And then I'm planning on making a matching jacket from a pattern I created during my sewing course next year, with a few adaptations. Planning also on making a purple skirt in the style too. Will show you pictures to if this eventuates!

Jewellery making wise I made a necklace for one of my fantastic friends for her birthday. It utilised a statement piece pilfered from my mother's crafty bits. I really like the idea of using something in a new way. Brings some history to it!

Lastly writing. Have you ever heard of National Novel Writing Month? It gives would-be novelists the opportunity to write that 'one day' novel. Basically you have one month to write 50,000 words. Visit the website to find out more, it sounds pretty exciting. I'd heard about it several years ago but I'd forgotten about it by the time it came round! So this November I will participate and write about characters that have been in my head for too long! haha

That's the 'weekly' round-up in crafts. I will finalise my skirt and the rainbow belt and include it in my next post! Cheers!

Dream Wistful List

Okay! So with the passing of the show I usually am inspired to get creative. Not only that, some of the great tutorials others are kindly sharing online light the fire of creativity in me! And so I thought I would post online my list that I can look at and hopefully inspire me to get working...

• Finish my cross stitch (that I started, oh about 10 years ago!!)
• Make a few necklaces (addicting once you start)
• Make a high-waisted dress (McCalls pattern)
• Drape a tulip skirt (use those skills I learnt last year!)
• Make a dress for doing balloons in (I already have the rainbow fabric)
• Finish my army jacket refashion:

A work in progress

Online Tutorials I MUST try:

• Grograin ribbon belt (have rainbow ribbon and will have gold stars as the 'buckle')
• Bouquet Tee
• Layered Ruffle Skirt
• Long Sleeved Shirt Tutorial
• Ruffled Bib Singlet
• This Shirt Tutorial
• Mens Shirt to Ruffle blouse (not a tutorial)
• Refashion the Ruffled T-Shirt Bib

as for other craft projects;

So cute!

• ^ This cute necklace by Texas Monkey
• This ruffly headband
• Tiered trays

That's about the list of *want to do* for the moment. I'm sure there are things that I've forgotten or shouldn't of left off... but that is a whole lot of creativeness to conquer! If you've got a suggestion for one that should be added.... Let me know in the comments!

Is there such a thing as too many Rainbows?

Last few weekends have been pretty busy! Looking forward to the one where I can just relaaaax! Unfortunately not quite there yet! Mostly it's because of all the ballooning work (which is good, extra money for me!) but also the fun and excitement of attending not one, but two shows! Also won some prize money. Yay!
I had high hopes for my balloon dress, sadly it was not meant to be :( but I did win a 2nd for it. After having been sitting about for 5 days it looked worse for wear, but that's Darwin weather for you! Here is some pictures I took of my dress the night it was made:

This next picture is a ring I purchased at the Katherine Show, sterling silver and mother of pearl. It's pastel colours really appeal to me! And I also purchased a sterling silver puzzle ring from the Darwin Show, with a difference. It has a sweet looking frog that sits in the centre. A little different, alot cute! I'd include a photo, but as you can see from this ring picture, my camera is not so good with macro shots :(

Now, people who know me know I like rainbows. In fact, if you haven't visited my website, it's called A Rainbow of Balloons. One of the things I enjoy doing is finding quirky clothing/shoes with the rainbow theme. The fabulous T.U.K. shoes of an earlier post, the funky 80's shirt... (those shoes are a tad too small.... at the shoe man's getting made biggerer!) May I present to you the latest shoes of awesomeness?

If you happen to know of some fabulous rainbow confection that you'd think I'd like.... Please please please let me know! Most of the things I do buy with the intention of wearing as I twist balloons, but some just need more wear time! haha

Hopefully soon I will be inspired to do some sewing. Despite learning a fantastic array of things last year... I haven't made any dresses since that weren't made of balloons! Scary, isn't it? Working on some clothing modifications too, such as the army jacket makeover I'm in the middle of doing. I hope to share more with you in my next post. I've got a vision! (also I purchased some rainbow sarongs at the show which I plan on making into a dress and a matching table runner... all for the balloons of course!) Also some jewellery plans.... I'm feeling inspired! I might just have to do a seperate post and get peeps to help encourage me! hehe

Blog Lovin

Wow, lookit all that time between posts... Where did it all go?

I'll just put it down to starting in my new job, and focussing so much energy on that! I'm still loving the 5pm finishes, early Fridays and NO weekends! The 8am starts are a bit owie... but I'm handling it better than I thought. It was a completely different environment to move into, going from recruitment and training in a retail environment to working in an office for a business that repairs and supplies mining motors! A lot of new things to learn and I'm taking it a day at a time. But so glad that things are falling into place.

Another perk is internet access! Never would have thought I'd get that luxury at work. But I'm lovin'

Another thing that has kept me distracted, in the nicest possible way (of course!) is discovering new, readable blogs. I am attracted mostly at this time to blogs that have a strong refashioning/repurposing theme. I really enjoy reading unpretentious blogs, but am quite put off by ones that just seem so full of their own importance. I like the open honesty that many possess, others oh I don't know.... I find it a little hard to articulate, but maybe you understand what I mean?

The stand out blog that I recommend you might visit is called Ruffles and Stuff. Disney, the sites owner, just seems so lovely. She has some fantastic refashioning and repurposing tutorials, and a wonderful honesty in her words. I completed one of Disney's tutorials, on how to make a necklace inspired by Anthropologie. It was really easy, and thanks to a sale at Spotlight, economically noice*!

The pouty face is for the blurry photo haha... Nonetheless, the necklace came out cute!

This necklace was made for my best friend after I discovered the joys of jewellery making!

The latest and my favourite! Thanks Disney for opening my eyes!

And so that about finishes up what I have to say. For now. Until next-time!

PS If you have any awesome blogs you'd like to recommend I'd love know! Always looking for interesting reading material :)

*Aussie bogan-ism for nice