Herman Dune

This Music video is a bit random but I love it when the angels sing. And I adore the way he dances. Herman Dune is pretty fantastic!

I Drink Tea: How I Made a Tea Cozy

1. The way to begin any project is to gather your materials. To make my tea cozy I chose linen(of course), grey tweed, a red patterned left over and olive green ribbon. You will also need cotton batting, matching thread and fabric paint if you're going to print on it.

2. As I have two different sized tea pots I made two different patterns based on the same shape. To decide how big to make your tea cozy measure around it (roughly) and add 2 or 3 inches it width and 1 or 2 in height. My pattern for my largest tea pot was 15" across and 13" high. Just to make sure that it's the right size cut out your batting first, pin it together and fit it on your tea pot.

3. Cut out your fabrics. You will need 2 pieces for lining, and 2 for the outer shell. This is when you can do any embellishments you'd like to your shell fabrics. I wanted my shell to have multiple fabrics so before I could cut out my shell fabrics I had to sew my patchwork together. After I cut out my fabric I stamped my tree image onto the outside and set it aside to dry.

4. As batting needs to be attached to something, quilt the lining with the right side out to the batting. I chose to do this one in a spiral, while my other cosy I did in a grid pattern.

5. Once both pieces of batting have been attached to the lining, sew these pieces together to create a pocket making sure to leave a small hole in the top to flip right side out further down the road.

6. Cut your ribbon to approx. 3" and iron in half to create a tag and pin it between the tops of the shell fabrics good sides together and sew pieces together making another pocket.

7. Now is where it all comes together, flip your shell piece right side out and press the seams flat, make sure everything looks good and fit it inside the lining, good sides together. Match up the side seams and sew them together.

8. Trim your excess and flip it all right side out using that hole you left in the lining. Press everything nice and flat and either hand sew or use your machine and stitch that hole up.

9. As a finishing I used a matching olive thread and made a seam 1 inch up from the bottom to hold everything in place and highlight my green ribbon and green tree prints.

10. Make a pot of tea, put your new cozy on it and keep it warm twice as long. It's magic!

I Love Paris in the Spring Time

5 to 1, originally uploaded by Cyril BRETON.

We booked our flights last night. Very, very exciting...

The Want to do Nothing

Shirine Staring Into The Sunset, originally uploaded by Cyan64'.

I wish I could stay home all day in bed and watch the birds with my cat. Alas the outside world is calling,

Sunday Shops: Cuddle, Carry, Cozy

What better way to spend a Sunday than shopping on etsy. The problem is that it's a great way to spend your entire pay check too...
I'm a pretty big fan of cats, and thus am a pretty big fan of penguinandfish. I love all her fabric choices and each kitties cute little face. This one, Kitty no.63 is only $45. There's also a charming blog to go with the shop.

Okay, so maybe I can't justify a $90 hat, so this would fall under the 'once-I-win-a-Set-for-Life-scratch-and-win-and-can-have-everything-I've ever-wanted' category. In the mean time terrygraziano's Fine and Dandy - black hat is nice to look at. It's "a delicious concoction of a newsboy, a slouch hat, a beret and a crusher".

Now could I be anymore stylish when my hubby and I are off adventuring in France carrying around a GetReadySetGO bag? These are all upcycled funky vintage bags that they refinish to be lovely again. I think they sum it up in their description..."this bag is killer-sweet". Cobalt Blue VINTAGE Carry On Messenger Bag with Hand Drawn Black Bird on a Branch $52.50.

CircaCeramics 6oz tea cup vesper (pinstriped clementine) for $18. I think everyone and their dog wants one of these cups or bowls. There's nothing I love more than a cup of tea in a pretty mug. Sure I have a million mugs already, but whats one more if it brings you joy?

So I'm thinking that while I carry my beautiful new bag down the streets of Paris I could catch a chill and will need just a little something to bundle up with. Perhaps this yorktownroad flare scarf in light green linen is just what I need, and for $40 why not.

All is right with the world

shivery, originally uploaded by unclear.

The snow is gone and the rain has returned... This picture is stunning!

The Elephant Continued

The first animal I made was an elephant for a dear friend of mine and I've since made a few custom ones so the pattern is already made, I just have to whip up a few and as soon as I do you can be sure that I'll be posting pictures! In the mean time I've found some charming elephants on etsy for your enjoyment...

We'll start with "Lets grow old and wrinkly together", a vintage image of two old and grey elephants. Its made with post consumer card stock by SugarStreetCafe.

This is Elephant Love Print 8.5 x 11 by OrangeWillow for only $15 what a steal! I don't know why but I am always drawn to drawings like this with animal heads on people, but I'm scared of masks... odd? Maybe a little.

And finally a favorite seller of mine somethingshidinghere has these forget me not elephants. Its a mini plastic elephant covered in blue glitter, whats not to love!

Fine Forgotton Friends: The Elephant

I’m designing a new line of animals to branch out beyond those endangered in B.C. I’m going to start with a few that are either endangered or critically endangered throughout the world. With the trusty red list as my guide, each Friday I’m going to introduce you to some creatures through out the world that are in a bit of trouble.

Starting with the …the Asian Elephant

The elephant is set apart from other creatures by its mammoth size and above all, its trunk. Rough as the skin of an elephant may appear, the trunk has such fine coordination that it can be used to pick flowers or lift small coins. Smaller than those in Africa, these elephants can get to 12 feet tall and weigh up to 11,000 pounds! The females and even some males don’t have tusks and their forehead has two bulges on either side. The eyes of an elephant are disproportionately small but the folds around them give vast expressiveness.

WARNING VERY VERY SAD

The biggest threat to the Asian elephant today (as with most endangered animals) is habitat loss and the dreadful conditions of an expanding human population. For centuries elephants have migrated on the same routes and when a new farm is found in the middle of their path they eat or trample crops and are often killed. The future of these elephants, in and out of protected areas, is linked to human–elephant conflicts.

I met a herd of domestic elephants when I was in Thailand and we rode them into the jungle to visit some hill tribes, very amazing. Although they were very well treated they still had those sad and soulful eyes (just like this picture), maybe they see what we’re doing to the world and it breaks their hearts…