Crafty Mermaid

A thrifted teapot and flowers on my dining table.  Its amazing what can bring a spring to your step and a smile on your face coming home.  :)

This is John in the cabinet in my kitchen - I'm feeling very settled somehow!  I haven't had the chance to offer tea to anyone yet - but its only a matter of time before I'm sure John will impress :) Actually getting people to my house for tea has been a disaster - about four abortive attempts by different friends and of course the frantic cleaning before hand.  Only to arrange to meet somewhere else at the last minute (them not me!).  I'm sure John will get an outing soon though!

I bought this envelope template in Muji in Hong Kong airport (I had WAY too many hours to kill there on the flight back to Ireland).  I haven't managed to use it yet as I'm still working through card packs that come with envelopes so I wonder how its going to work out when I run out!  I also managed to fill my time in Hong Kong with a back and leg massage and a bit of crochet!  The massage was great - exactly what I needed before the next long haul flight to Frankfurt.  It really is a bit of a mission to get back to Ireland.  I'm stopping over in Shanghai in December on my way back to New Zealand and much prefer that option but unfortunately work commitments meant that I had to fly straight home this time.

I've been choosing paint for my mother's house.  What a wonderful summer activity!  Unfortunately it all went out the window when we went curtain shopping - they really didn't have the choices I'd like and I'm sewing machine less at the moment :(

I think I have a thing about sunflowers.  They're just so bright and pretty.  I'm also pretty fond of the vase (recent ikea purchase when I went to buy a desk - not the most focused of shoppers!).

A small gift from Girona for a friend - chalkboard notices.  To which another friend replied - 'Oh I know what they are... They're for sandwiches'.  They must be some sandwiches! :)  I love the idea of these in a garden with tippex (or twink as its called in NZ) revealing the planted loveliness... rosemary, thyme, and why not potatoes?

Continuing on the theme of random things in my current abode.  Fresh flowers in a crystal (ahem) decanter.  I think it might be all the Mad Men watching but I really like the look of these and at 50 cent in the charity shop you just can't beat the price! I'm slowly settling into a groove back in Ireland and am still really loving cycling to and from work.  Unfortunately today saw a quick jaunt to the pharmacy to get Echinaforce to hopefully head off a cold that seems to be developing - I'm driving my office mate nuts with lots of sneezing.

I've had this globe for years and still love it.  Its been in my I  room in my parents' house since I moved to NZ, so I was delighted to drag it with me for my sabbatical.  I'll definitely have to ship it back to NZ when I go - I don't think I can leave it behind again :)

My 'new' thrifted crockery.  I'll be very sad to leave these behind me when I go back to New Zealand.  Each of the different types of crockery shows a different pattern.  We've named the man John :D

I've been busy, busy, busy this past week and really need to work through my photos.  I've finished my 'commission' for cards for a friend and will post those in stages soon.  I've also been making a few recently as well.  I've been a bit shocked to discover just how much crafting supplies I had left in Ireland and will try to get through as much of them as possible (card and paper mostly) before I go back to NZ in December.  I'm loving being back in Ireland though and have just bought a fantastic bike.  I'm whizzing in and out of work and today when I met some friends in Dublin city centre for a catch up was able to whizz home afterwards from the train station!  The downside is that I seem to carry my helmet with me everywhere.  :)  I went for drinks with my old pottery instructor and can't wait to start back at pottery classes this September.  I will  master that wheel! Have a lovely evening, CM :D

Views from my motel window in Gisbourne on a recent trip (well two months ago now).  Although I'd seen the train line there, the train itself was so unexpected and seems to be a tourist attraction.  Ireland doesn't have motels so I still get quite excited about staying in them.  They sound just so American (yes, Gisbourne is in NZ) and remind me of random TV dramas.  I love how blue the sky is here and how bright everything is in NZ - the sun just seems stronger.  More of a harsh bright light than Ireland's softer illumination.

Pictures of an amazing Tui on my way into work one morning in NZ.  Luckily for me I work near the Botanic Gardens and Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (now named Zealandia for some strange reason).

I'm growing tomatos and lettuce from seed - in early August. This might just be insane. A friend of mine was given these and didn't have time to plant them up this year so I nabbed them and couldn't wait! (Well I can't bring them back to NZ, now can I?), so they're growing here if they can at all. I somehow think this is setting myself up for failure though! Notice the crockery? A lovely second hand purchase which will be properly unveiled in a future post (or in other words, when I've finally remembered to photograph them!).

This is a bit of a departure from my usual posts but as I've been travelling so much over the last few weeks, the only way I could get my crafty fix was via other peoples' efforts.  Here's a very sporadic selection of the ones I remembered to bookmark.   I love the Google typography available from Rhett Dashwood . I want to make the Schoolhouse Tunic from Amy Butler as discovered via Domesticali . Envious of the bright, cheery colours in this Attic24 granny stripe blanket. I.CAN'T.WAIT to start something bright.  I'm currently working on a baby's blanket for a friend and its all cream. Icky, boring, cream (I'll admit I did like it to start with). And want to make some skirts .

I always find it hard to make the cards a bit more blokey.  Though these images from a magazine worked out well in combination with some money stickers and some playing card rub ons.