Start the Year Inspired Sale!

Good morning, everyone!

Just a super quick post today to let fellow teachers know that my TpT Store is joining in the huge site-wide sale today and tomorrow (Jan. 20 & 21).  This is a great opportunity if you're looking for handy IB resources, vocabulary/word wall cards, ORT comprehension sheets, maths inquiry-based worksheets, etc.  Everything has been marked down by 20% so go check it out!

Happy downloading!

Pinspiration Sunday

I know, Pinspiration Sunday has been MIA for several weeks now.  Sorry about that.  No real good excuse, just life happening and my attempting to recover from it whenever possible (in good ways, nothing tragic).  Anyway, we're back today so go grab your hot beverage of choice and let's do this!

Currently:

* listening - radio, Mix Top 20
* reading - The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
* making - HST Sampler Quilt-Along
* eating - nothing yet but hungry for brunch
* drinking - water
* wearing - PJs
* weather - clear but cold, 10C
* feeling - hungry
* wanting - warm weather to return
* needing - to go grocery shopping
* planning - quilting bucket list
* thinking - new list of cards to make this month
* loving - snuggle time with Oskar
* enjoying - crafty goodness

And now on to the pins...

Take Flight

So beautiful and whimsical.  Sadly, this is just a Flickr photo and there is no linked pattern but if you really wanted to do it, you could probably contact the owner and inquire directly.

Scrappy Quilt Blocks

These little blocks made from fabric scraps are so cheery, they're sure to make a fabulous quilt when all put together.

Stitched Owls

Utterly adorable little stitched owls.  These would be cute as pin cushions (if you can bare stabbing them with pins, that is), children's toys or just cute decorations.

Owl Bookmarks

I also really loved these little bookmarks.  They're made from fabric covered buttons and a bit of elastic and embellishments.  Very cute and clever.

Paper Straw Embellishments

Paper straws have become another trending embellishment but I know many people are stumped with how to use them so here's another idea for working them into your scrapbooking LOs.

Circular Design

Big and bold, this circular design is very eye-catching.  I also really liked how an enlarged photo and the journaling were used inside the circle element instead of just patterned paper.

Heart of Butterflies Card

So simple and elegant, I just love this card.  Beautiful sentiment, too.  This one speaks for itself.

Tardis Card

And for all of you Dr. Who geeks out there, how about a cool 3D Tardis card?

Watercolour Triangles

And here's a little crafty DIY you could do for your home decor or work into a scrapbooking LO or use as inspiration for sewing and quilting (or whatever hobby you do).

Pinspiration Sunday

Hello again!  Yes, I know - I've slacked off on Pinspiration Sunday the last two weeks.  Sorry about that - just busy, tired and up to other stuff.  But I'm back on track today so I'm going to dive in so as not to distract myself.  Go grab your cup of hot beverage and enjoy the photo love.

Currently:

* listening - radio
* reading - going to start Attachments soon for holiday reading
* making - layer cake sampler quilt-along (just finished block #14)
* eating - dried fruit & nuts mix
* drinking - water
* wearing - jeans & new sequins anchor t-shirt *giddy*
* weather - cloudy, 10C
* feeling - hungry
* wanting - to play Sims
* needing - to make a tonne of cards
* planning - Easter trip to Ireland
* thinking - what to snack on next...
* loving - quiet Sunday 'hermit'ing
* enjoying - discovered I'm getting more tax money back than expected *whoot!*

On to the pins!

Pixelated Heart Quilt Tutorial

So gorgeous!  I love everything about this modern style quilt - the design, the colours, the shape - yup, it's all there.  And the tutorial is free.

Chopsticks Quilt Pattern

Hmm, more triangles - are you sensing a theme?  Clearly I need to get them out of my system and this could help.  I could see this in really pretty melon yellows and oranges with grapefruit pinks.

Insulated Lunch Tote

Super cute tote bag.  I bet if you swapped out the insulation for a thin batting and increased the size a wee bit, it would also make a super cute gym bag, too.

Leaf Oven Grips / Trivets

A little something for the kitchen - leaf-shaped trivets or oven grips.  You could even have a whole slew of them in different autumnal colours, too.

Subway Art Page

I love subway graffiti print papers but their bold design can make them tricky to work with.  That being said, I think Tanya did a fab job of using this as her background paper.  The bold colours in the embellishments really help to lift them off the text.  Awesome.

Clustered Frames

I'm a bit of a sucker for clustered frames - so many little possibilities for photos, titles, journaling and embellishment.

Paint Chip Card

I know I'm not the only person who has a strange fascination for paint chips.  I love how this simplistic design is lifted by the bold, dynamic rainbow colours used here with a few button accents for extra fun and texture.

Hopscotch Card

Okay, now this is just crazy cute and creative!  I love all of the coloured twine and the little button for the stone.  Great birthday card for a child.

Paper Ball Decorations

Fancy a little 3D paper play?  These paper balls are perfect and make awesome decorations for any celebration or party.

Easter Egg Decorating Ideas

And speaking of celebrations and parties, perhaps you want to do something a bit different with your Easter eggs this year.  Well, this site will give you plenty of inspiration.

Yummy

And here's a truly yummy colour palette to tempt you with - those dark fuscia tones are lush!

Pinspiration Sunday

Post #100!

Wow, I nearly missed noticing it but this is officially the 100th post!  Furthermore, I've ticked over 9000 page views since this little blog started last summer.  Not too shabby, if I dare say so myself.  And of course, a big thank you to all of you who pop by to read, comment and share in my hobbies and snippets of life.  Now, go grab your hot beverage of choice and we'll get the day officially started with some photo love.

Currently:

* listening - radio
* reading - catching myself up on quilting & papercrafting magazines
* making - layer cake sampler quilt-along
* eating - nothing yet; brunch soon
* drinking - water
* wearing - PJs & cardie
* weather - rainy, 8C
* feeling - hungry
* wanting - to sew, sew, sew!
* needing - to book tickets to Ireland & hostel
* planning - belated Shrove Tuesday (AKA Pancake Day) supper with friends
* thinking - what to do today...
* loving - new fabrics
* enjoying -  lazy Sunday morning in bed

And now on to the pins:

Ombre Chevron Quilt

It's chevron, it's turquoise and it's ombre - swoon!  No actual pattern (just HST, after all) but great inspiration and some tips for best effect.

Paper Pieced Pompoms

Remember that circle of flying geese pattern I mentioned for my Persian Pickle Project?  Well, take the same paper piecing pattern and make pompoms!

Free Motion Quilting Starter Tips

Here's another handy guide for starting free motion quilting, focusing on steps to prepare your machine for the project.

Rolled Accessory Tote

I've been meaning to make a small one of these for ages to put cutlery into when going to quilt guild.  Don't limit yourself just to cutlery, though - you could use these for many different items and adjust the pocket sizes as needed.

Pie Chart Journaling by Jill Sprout

I always love Jill's work and these artsy pie charts are such fun!  A nice way to break out of the traditional scrapbooking format and have some fun with scraps, too.

Peek-a-Boo Windows by Sandy Ang

Here's another interesting idea for those of you who want more inspiration for using photo enlargements.  Sandy has cut large slits into her background paper and adhered the photo to the back so that sections peek through to the front - neat visual interest.  I also really like the black doodle lines around each window.

Celebrate Colour

Okay, let me preface this by saying that green is my least favourite colour.  However, this colour palette is just gorgeous!  The mix of limes, turquoise and an unexpected lavender is very refreshing and spring-like.  Love it.

'Soft Kitty' for Quilters

And finally, I stumbled over this adorable quilter's rendition of the 'Soft Kitty' song from Big Band Theory (total fangirl).  Yup, just awesome.

Pinspiration Monday

Yes, I'm a day late with this post but better late than never!  I spent yesterday at a class (will share photos soon) and simply didn't have the time or energy for blogging afterwards so please excuse my tardiness.  Now, go grab your hot beverage of choice and let's catch up on some pins.

Currently:

* watching - Family Guy re-run (I'm not proud about it)
* reading - between books; I've a LOT of magazines to catch up on
* making - layer cake sampler QAL and "special/secret" quilt
* eating - tomato soup with toast & cheese
* drinking - water
* wearing - yoga outfit & cardie
* weather - clear, 8C
* feeling - fit
* wanting - more crafting time
* needing - more will power with eating
* planning - next two blocks of layer cake sampler QAL (totally obsessed)
* thinking - what a lovely spring day today was
* loving - having successfully done yoga headstand again today (with help)
* enjoying - sewing layer cake sampler QAL

And now on to the pins!

Rainbow Quarter Square Triangles

How yummy is this quilt?  Rainbows and triangles - I'm totally in love!  A good choice for using up those scraps, too.

Grandma's Window

Here's a nice geometric with straight lines and a bit of breathing room around everything.  Love the use of the red and turquoise together with little hints of other colours mixed in subtly.

Free Motion Quilting Tutorial

I'm looking at borrowing a friend's sewing machine over the summer so I can do some free motion quilting.  I've not been able to have a go at it yet so I'm super excited and looking into simple tutorials like this one.

Modern Quilt Guild Homepage

Have you heard about the Modern Quilt Guild?  Perhaps you're already a member but if you're not, if you're a quilter and you love making modern quilts, this might be something that interests you.  You can join either as a guild or individually.

Sewing Machine Cover with Pockets

How cute is this sewing machine cover?  I love the patchwork and the pockets with the spool blocks are super cute.  Pattern is available in the book advertised on the website.

Sewing Machine Cover with Selvages

And here's another one that uses selvages for a fun DIY pattern.  Can you tell I've been looking into making a sewing machine cover for my new sewing corner?

NOTE: Okay, I honestly had a neat scrapbooking LO to feature but sadly, Blogger won't let me copy over the image and the site domain has expired and isn't working so...  Computer says 'no'.  :(

Hello Card

I just love the rainbow cross stitching on this card and of course, the very trendy Thickers by Amy Tan are fab, too.  Super simple and attractive.

Stitched Heart on Map

And some more stitching, this time on a map to highlight a location.  Would be great for scrapbooking LOs about one's hometown, a travel destination, a card - so many possibilities!

Hedgehog Mittens

OMG!  Squee!  Cuteness alert!  Okay, now, I've said this plenty of times but I cannot knit to save my soul.  But, these are just too darn cute to not pin so...

Pinspiration Sunday

Sunday evening again already so I guess it's time for a little Pinspiration.  Go grab your hot beverage of choice and we'll dive in while supper warms up.

Currently:

* watching - Manhunt
* reading - just finished Still Alice (very good - I recommend it)
* making - felted flower and baby quilt
* eating - pizza
* drinking - water
* wearing - jeans & a striped long-sleeve shirt
* weather - foggy and wet, 4C
* feeling - tired
* wanting - a second day to sleep in
* needing - to type up a long documentation
* planning - multi-tasking several sewing projects
* thinking - mulling over Still Alice
* loving - having used my sewing corner at last!
* enjoying - a day in bed with Oskar

And now on to the pins...

Victory Garden

When you have a surname like England, you tend to have a real soft-spot for Union Jacks and anything English.  I love the soft colours used in this version.

Leftovers Quilt

This is such a great idea - use up all of those leftover and tester blocks to make a big sampler-like quilt.  Such a fun idea!

How to Sew Zippers Tutorials

I always find zippers tricky, no matter how many times I put them in.  This site has several tutorials at all stages of the zipper-sewing process and for various needs.  A handy reference.

Sock Owls

Move over, sock monkeys - it's time for sock owls!  Super cute and easy to make; I could see these being really fun autumn or Hallowe'en decorations around the house.

Washi Tape Card

I really liked the colour palette of these different washi tapes in the background design and the little mix of embellishments is really cute, too.

Geometric Stamped Card

Here's fun geometric card that uses heat embossed stamping on a chalkboard background - really eye-catching and lovely.

Paper Flower Wreath

With spring feeling just around the corner, perhaps it's time to start decorating.  This could be a good project to use up those scraps.

Colour Palette

One of my favourite spring flowers is when the magnificent magnolia trees blossom.  I'm really digging these fresh, spring greens; that Pantone radiant orchid pink and the hints of grey blue and deep brown.

Okay, folks - it's a short week this time around; that's all for today!

Pinspiration Sunday

Well, here we are back at Sunday.  I can't believe I've successfully blogged for nine consecutive days!  It's amazing what you can get done when work doesn't get the in the way.  Sadly, that will all change with returning to work tomorrow...  But let's not dwell on that just yet.  Go grab your hot beverage of choice and we'll enjoy some photo love.

Currently:

* watching - nothing good on the telly
* reading - Still Alice
* making - nothing today (break!)
* eating - stir fry & noodles
* drinking - water
* wearing - jeans & long-sleeve top
* weather - clear, 4C
* feeling - accomplished
* wanting - to start a quilt-along
* needing - to go to bed early
* planning - a little self improvement
* thinking - just 8 more weeks to Easter break...
* loving - my re-arranged living room (more on Wednesday)
* enjoying - Canada's Olympic gold hockey medal WHOOT!

And now on to the pins!

When Bali Met Sochi

Want to continue getting your Olympic fix even though the Games have officially closed?  Try this beautiful batiks quilt inspired by the 2014 Winter Games artwork.

Layer Cake Quilt-Along

I just found this great sampler quilt-along by Material Girl.  All of the blocks use HST and are very quick and easy to put together.  The plan is to make two blocks each over ten weeks and late-comers are welcome.

Cat Lady Embroidery

Are you a (crazy) cat lady or one in the making?  Then you might like these cute Internet-inspired free embroidery patterns.

Handbag Inserts Pattern

If you love having different handbags but hate the transferring of your stuff from one to another, here's the solution - handmade, of course!

Mission Concepcion

I'm totally in love with triangles!  I love this yummy orange and turquoise triangle border paper and the popped-up effect used to add dimension.  So cool!

Our Little Snug Bug

Remember I said I love triangles?  I really like the visual triangle and little bits and bobs clustered on these floating triangles.

Interesting Bits by Julie Kirk

Julie Kirk sells these fun little ephemera packs on her Etsy shop.  If you like ephemera, these could be a great option - paper, embellishments, bits and bobs, etc. and all co-ordinated to work together.

Shaped Word Clips

Lawn Fawn has some fun new shaped word clips in super pretty colours.  There are a nice variety so go check them out.

Holiday Glimmer Palette

This is such a pretty champagne-like colour palette.