Tag Archives: mixtogether

Gifts & Toadstools

Please excuse the blog’n’run. I just wanted to show you Jane’s gift to me, from mixtogether while I have a ‘spare’ moment (not that it really is. Is it ever?) Anyhoo:
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Jane sewed this lovely ‘portfolio’ for me – on the inside, there are journals left and right, and a spot for things to write with:
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On the left side is this journal, a compendium of different bits and pieces (music stave, graph paper, vellum, recycled photocopy paper) bound together by Jane. I love this idea, it makes a wonderful eclectic little book. Great for doodling bits and ideas in:
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And on the right (not actually pictured, because the camera battery ran flat just at that moment!) is a larger size Moleskine journal – my very first ever of the ‘legendary’ Moleskines. A nice big unlined Moleskine definitely demands something more classy than doodles or todo lists as long as one’s arm (which is what I have today)… I shall have to take up watercolour painting or something!

Also. While I am showing off gifties, I must apologise to Barbara, who sent me this wee little floss tag a little while ago as a Thank You for sending her a chart. Aren’t these just the cross-stitch ‘thing-of-the-moment’? I love it, and I am definitely going to have to make some more of these. Niamh snaffled it the moment it arrived, as you can see:
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(This was an ‘experimental-bed-in-the-loungeroom’ day. Did I mention already I was not coping with the demise of the Afternoon Nap?)
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Also, just very quickly (because this has turned into less of a drive-by blogging, and more of an essay!), a little snap of my toadstool pincushion from Brown Owls on Monday night. You might have seen them doing the blog rounds already, but here’s mine. Complete with ‘ten-minutes-left-to-go-what-shall-I-do-now’ ladybird addition (which is also out of focus, I am just now noticing. Pfft).
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One of the things I love about Brown Owls is the spontaneity of the projects. Normally at home I will agonize over materials and details for way too long. But once a month or so on a Monday, there’s a whole lot less ‘how should it look’, and a whole lot more ‘let’s just have some fun’ (and some tea and some biscuits and some gossip chatter). Cool.

Mixtogether

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Some time back I signed up for a blog meetup – ‘Mixtogether’ – held by Nichola & Justine (aka the crafty girls behind Mixtape Zine). Sounded good – come up with a crafty gift (the theme this time being Creative Journals), turn up, meet & greet other crafty-bloggy girls, eat & drink yummy stuff. Yay. Only we know how good I am with deadlines, so it’s probably not terribly surprising to you that – with the Mixtogether on today – I was just starting my gift two days ago!

Anyway, long story short (too late!). I got it all done in time with only a few moments of panicky stress and swap anxiety (would it be good enough? would I be laughed out of Amitie in shame?) I’ve been meaning to have a go at some bookbinding for ages (Dermot gave me this book for Christmas – it came in handy). This binding is a Japanese stab binding, with a hinged front cover. I’m pretty happy with the outcome, and I’m pretty sure Nichola liked it too 🙂

Here’s the inside of the journal so you can see the funky end papers (it’s difficult to photograph a book that by design does not lay flat):
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And to go with this, I whipped up a pencil roll which is a slightly more grown up version of the crayon and pencil rolls I’ve made before. This kind of just evolved from fabrics I had in stash. It’s a little bit reminiscent of the aesthetic of two of my very favourite bloggers, I think (Tree Fall and Soulemama).
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Here’s the inside – Finn helped me to pick out floss colours to match all the coloured pencils (they’re watercolour pencils, in case you’re wondering about the paint brush there in the middle):
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And a close up, coz I just can’t get over those little circles! They were fun to stitch while we were watching the Olympic opening ceremony last night:
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Despite me feeling less than perfect (random virus #27 (or so) for the year is still hanging about, and I have an ongoing headachy thing), the mixtogether afternoon was lovely. I received a beautifully made portfolio from Jane, but that will have to wait for some morning light before I get photographs. I’m dragging me and my sore head off to bed.