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

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

Good evening!  I suddenly realised that if I didn't post my Pinspiration picks soon, it wouldn't be Sunday for much longer.  Don't you just love lazy days that get away from you like that?  So, go grab your hot beverage of choice and cosy up with me.

Currently:

* watching - Winter Olympics
* reading - The Persian Pickle Club (half way through - really enjoying it)
* making - embroidery quilt & scrapbooking
* eating - baked potato & asparagus
* drinking - water
* wearing - PJ trousers and jumper
* weather - partly cloudy, 5C
* feeling - relaxed
* wanting - more arms/hands
* needing - a hair appointment
* planning - a special Valentine's LO
* thinking - very little and it's all good
* loving - spending the day in bed
* enjoying - having a long catch-up with my Mum

And now on to the pins...

Cirque d'Elephant

Perhaps it's just me but I quite fancy the cute little elephant baby trend the last few years.  This would make a cute wallhanging or play mat for baby.

 

Garden Lattice Mini

I really love the garden lattice design and I totally fell in love with Cindy's yellow and grey full-sized garden lattice quilt so a mini is just as awesome.

Owl Tooth Fairy Pillow

This is just some photo inspiration - there is no pattern - but it wouldn't be difficult to design and put together.  Tooth pillows are just so popular right now and 'who' could resist these adorable owls?  (Not me, clearly.)

Nappy Wrap & Pad

I've made similar idea nappy wraps and changing pads for friends in the past.  This is like the deluxe model with the terry towel lining and the nappy pocket.  Again, just photo inspiration, no pattern but not difficult to design.

 

Silly @ 11 by Amy Heller

How great is this non-traditional winter LO in pinks and oranges?  The warmth is just glorious and the layering and embellishing are lovely, too.  Good stuff.

Happy New Year by Rambolina

There is so much to love about this 2-pager: the little tracks of shaped paper clips, the Chinese characters, the little typed journaling boxes with doodled edges, the mist spatters and so on and so on.

Watercolour Basics Tutorial

Okay, I haven't actually read through this entire article (yet) but the parts I have read have been good so far so I'm recommending it.

Watercoloured Book Pages

And once you've learnt the basics, why not play a little with some old book pages for some unique art for your creations?

Sketch 33 (Shimelle)

It's been a while since I shared a sketch and this one caught my eye for a LO I'm starting to plan out in my head.  Perhaps it will also spark your creative flow, too.

Sketch #256 (Creative Scrappers)

I also really like the striking hexie pie chart on this sketch.  A square photo or portrait 4x6 look the nicest with this sketch, just FYI.

Potted Hues

This photo and colour palette is just so pretty.  I could see some real show-stopper quilts or LOs made with these colours - that bold turquoise with the softer periwinkle hues and warm neutrals.  Swoon.

My Mantra This Week...

And finally, with the exception that I would swap coffee for tea, this is totally my mantra this week.  :)

Pinspiration Sunday

Happy Sunday, everyone!  I hope you've all had a great week and a good start to the new month (still can't quite believe it's already February...)  I have a fresh collection of pins to share with you today so go grab your hot beverage of choice and we'll dive right in.

Currently:

* listening - radio
* reading - The Persian Pickle Club (haven't quite started yet)
* making - Nice People Nice Things embroidery
* eating - toast & peanut butter
* drinking - water
* wearing - jeans, shirt & cardie
* weather - overcast, 3C
* feeling - philanthropic
* wanting - another weekend day (always)
* needing - in the larger scheme of things, nothing
* planning - Persian Pickle project
* thinking - about future possibilities
* loving - quiet time in bed with Oskar
* enjoying - a warm day with a bit of sunshine

And now on to the pins...

On the Bookshelf: Making Miniature Quilts

You see that adorable log cabin mini photo there?  That's my stock photograph!  This mini quilt was made by my mum, Diane England, and some years ago now I photographed a number of her quilts for stock photography purchases (which I sold via my iStockphoto account).  I stumbled over its use last week quite randomly but how cool is that?  And incidentally, if you like the idea of converting full-sized quilt patterns into minis, check out the article.

 

Puddle Jumping Mini Quilt Pattern

Last week I shared with you a new quilter blog I've been enjoying.  This week Camille posted a number of cute mini quilt patterns (at a very reasonable cost).  I love this puddle jumping one.  She also has a cute umbrella one, too.

Ironing Board Caddy

A handy little organiser for your ironing board to keep your tools sorted while you work.  Love the cute little pin cushion, too.

 

Boo Family Shield

I really liked this take on the family shield concept that was presented in Jen Gallagher's "Make It Meaningful" video from the beginning of the year.  The literal shield version Jen made wasn't to my liking but this alternate, more artistic/scrapbook-y version really appeals to me.

Crocheted Owl Hats

Total love!  I have a crocheted sock monkey hat similar to this that I wear for yard duty at work - I get so many giggles from the children, although they sadly don't understand the reference to sock monkeys (this generation, eh?!).

Men's Tie Eye Glasses Case

Here's a cute idea for an up-coming Father's Day or masculine birthday gift idea - make a glasses case out of a necktie.  Pretty spiffy.

Breakfast Brights

And here's a little colour palette inspiration that includes the Pantone 2014 colour of the year: radiant orchid (it even includes orange - how awesome is that?  I'm hooked!)

Pinspiration Sunday

Hey there and welcome back to a new year of Pinspiration!  To be completely honest, I had planned to post a new set of pins last weekend and then decided I would be lazy.  Bad me, but to be fair, I hadn't been online for some time and hadn't really been in touch with what was new out there.  That's not been a problem this week so go grab your hot beverage of choice and here we go!

Currently:

* listening - to upstairs neighbours making strange noises above my head...
* reading - catching up on magazine subscriptions
* making - UFO class photo LO
* eating - roast chicken sandwich *Homer drool*
* drinking - water
* wearing - jeans, knit shirt, hoddie
* weather - snowy, -4C
* feeling - warm & cosy
* wanting - 7-day weekends
* needing - to co-ordinate key drop-off with chimney sweeps this week
* planning - next few scrapping & sewing projects
* thinking - as little as possible
* loving - having a 2-day weekend to myself, tucked up in bed
* enjoying - Oskar snuggled next to me

And now on to the pins...

Family Tree Quilt

How awesome is this family tree quilt?  Of course, it doesn't hurt that it uses both orange and turquoise colour palettes or that it incorporates an owl in the design.

Simplify by Camille Roskelley

Okay, technically not a pin but I recent discovered Camille's sewing blog and have really been enjoying her work so I'm passing along her link.

Cupcake Runner

OMG, a real reason to use hexies!  Okay, forgive me if you're a hexie lover - I am not but I can totally get behind pretty much anything that's made into a cupcake (real or otherwise).

New Years Resolutions by Celine Nevaro

It's that time of year again when folks are making their New Years resolutions so why not document them?  I quite liked Celine's take on the concept.

Monthly Review

Or perhaps you're more of a summariser and if so, then perhaps this monthly review approach is more your style.  I really liked the circular design and the mix of stamps and bits and bobs.

New Years Card

Does anyone actually send out New Years cards?  I can't for the life of me remember getting any growing up (but then my memory isn't great at the best of times) so perhaps this is a newer trend I'm not familiar with but either way, I like the split diagonal design of this cad and the layered tag and mini bunting.

Crocheted Edging

Okay, you need to understand that I am utterly rubbish at knitting.  Utterly.  However, I have this wild hope to learn to crochet this year and I really love the look of crocheted edges on the right quilts.

Tiny Amigurumi Owls

See now, if I ever do learn to crochet, I can make a whole *stare* of these adorable owls.  (Yes, that's right, I worked in the collective noun for a group of owls - I am just that much of a geek.)

Black Eyed Susan Brights

And here's a cheery colour palette to share with you today - just love that combination of yellow/orange and turquoise!

Pinspiration Sunday

Hellooooo!  Yes, it's been a while since I last posted but you see, for we teachers there is currently a much bigger, more stressful time of year upon us than Christmas - the dreaded report-writing season!  However, I'm happy to announce that despite nightmarish dreams last night involving me suddenly discovering I had new students added to my class, for which I had to write reports last minute (true story!), I am officially finished writing reports for my class.  Whew!  So now I can finally start to enjoy the holiday season - I'll share with you what I've been up to recently later this week.  For now, go grab your hot beverage of choice and let's have some pin-sharing fun.

Currently:
* listening - to the radio; Sunday countdown programme
* reading - hahaa!  No, seriously, you think I have time to read these days?!
* making - Secret Santa gift for a co-worker (squee!)
* eating - nothing yet
* drinking - water
* wearing - PJ shorts and fleece top
* weather - cloudy, wet snow, 1C
* feeling - starving!
* wanting - more hours in the day
* needing - to seriously get back in control of the eating situation
* planning - everything that needs doing before flying on the 18th
* thinking - I'm sorry, I don't understand the question...  Brain is mush.
* loving - being done with report writing!  Did I mention that already?  Whoot!
* enjoying - the wee bit of snow we received

And on to the pins...

One-Day Wonder Pillow

Still need some quick gift ideas or home decor for the holidays?  Consider some quick and easy throw pillows.  Love the star but also the running stitch in the background adds great dimension, texture and interest.

DIY Earbud Case

Here's a cute stocking stuff idea that the music-lover or smart phone junkie in your family would likely appreciate.

 

No Sew Tree Skirt

Here's a modern but simple take on the tree skirt that anyone with a glue gun and a pair of scissors can do.  I love how delicate it looks.  Perhaps add a few gold beads to the centers of the flowers?

Perseverance by Amy Heller

I'm totally in love with this LO and not just because I was a figure skater half a life ago.  I often enjoy circular designs but what really did it for me was the wiggly stitch lines that mimic blade lines on the ice.  Total nostalgia.

Mistletoe

I also really love this LO.  Crate Paper has been featuring crafting with pink for the holidays on their blog, as their Bundled Up collection features a lot of pink and it's been very inspirational!

Twine Wreath Card

I know, I know - Thanksgiving was months ago now but I really like the idea of the twine wreath; easily adaptable to Christmas cards if you're still frantically searching for inspiration for those last minute cards (or haven't started yet - eek!).

 

DIY Ornament Wreath

 And speaking of wreaths, how about this gorgeous DIY bauble wreath?  Totally gorg, right?  And what's even better - super cheap and easy to make!  Win, win.

Felt Owl Decorations

Owls!  Yup, my owl obsession kicked in when I spied these cuties!  No ready-made pattern but really, you can figure it out from the photo.  Felt, embroidery floss, ribbon and black beads.  You can do it, I have faith in you.  ;)

Cookie Cutter Decorations

I also thought these were a cute and unusual idea - use cheap cookie cutters as shadow box frames for little holiday vignettes.

Colour Share

And a little colour palette love to leave you with today.  I just love red and turquoise together - they're like the perfect combination for just about anything, as far as I'm concerned.

All right, I'm going to cut myself off there or I might just spam you with another 100 or so images (gah, don't you just love/hate Pinterest?) and deprive you of any time to actually get your own holidays sorted.