Finding Inspiration

How do you manage to keep the creative vibe going when you are working on a production line?

In preparation for next months market I have quite a bit of sewing to get through and am finding it difficult to get motivated............

So, still thinking about strawberries, I decided to have a change of 'scenery' and have made some sewing needle books with strawberries rather than the usual chooks.

The weather obviously is influencing my creativity and Spring themes are in the air.

It's taken me a while but I have found a few little tips and tricks to make the job of sewing multiple things a little easier.

Obviously, a production line of drawing, cutting and sewing makes the process quicker but new designs no matter how simple make it more interesting.

The back looks just as interesting as...........

The front........

'Berryliscious' is obviously an amalgamation of delicious and luscious !!!!!!!

I think you know what I was getting at..........

There's plenty more sewing to be done, so hopefully I will keep working away at it building up stock slowly rather than my usual last week rush.

After two weeks away No. 1 has returned home.

While he was way up north at Airlie Beach he picked up some sea glass for me............

Discarded glass tumbled and smoothed by the ocean and then thrown up on the shore.

I love it and the fact that he thought of me and bought it home.

The blue piece is beautiful and reminds me of the black faced sheep down the road..........

After being away for so long he was keen to get on the ride on mower and mow the 'lawn' green stuff outside so it looked cared for...........

Who was I to deprive him off this pleasure?

Another little job he likes to do is keep the glass screen on the wood heater clean.

Two weeks of soot build up wasn't going to move without some elbow grease.

He did suggest I could've cleaned it while he was away.

But once again who am I to deprive him of the satisfaction?

And you do know if you can see the flames, you feel warmer!!

I have to smile to myself, when he says things like this. Not that long ago he was having a dig at me about being so fussy as to how the housework and certain jobs were done.

Now I see it coming out in him and I just smile...........

Don't get the wrong idea, I am definitely not an obsessive housekeeper............

Read: don't turn up unannounced, you might be in for a shock, hehehe............

The fine weather continues and trees are blooming well out of their usual time.

The Manchurians are still putting on a lovely display. The first is now in leaf with the second just in blossom. The bees are having a field day.

The Crab Apples are starting to come out in leaf and it's still August (just).

A beautiful time of year and it's so nice to have sunny days, but once the sun disappears behind a cloud, you do notice the drop in temp.

I am slowly but surely getting on top of the weeds in the garden, along with the help of some feathered friends.

I wish I had their eyesight, they are so quick to grab the tip of a disappearing worm or grub.

Akin to crop circles.......but I know what causes them.............

Two weeks ago I noticed these 'interesting' vapour trails in the sky.

Obviously there was fog at Tullamarine airport in Melbourne and they were killing some time till it cleared.

Or were they just bored?

It made for interesting viewing. I wonder if anyone else noticed?

I love seeing things like this..........

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Well, that's a little bit of news from the Sweet Birdy Love household.

I hope your week is going well and that maybe you see something small and discarded , the beauty of which makes you smile.

Thank you for taking the time to drop by and see what I am up to.

Till next time, take care,

Claire X

Berrylicious

Yum scrum, aren't they just so cute?..............

Little strawberry pincushiony thingies.

Can you pick which one is mine? hehe.........

Needs a bit of fertiliser.

Look at that tea cosy, red and white, just gorgeous.

I have one knitted in that style, probably belonged to my grandmother but it's orange and blue!

Love that basket too.......more red and white and a polka dot mug.

Now UK readers may very well recognise these pics from a recent addition to the craft magazine market.

It finally made it's way to my local newsagents this week and I bought it immediately, without so much as a quick look first............

O/S magazines always take their time to make it 'Down under' so we are probably a couple of issues behind by now.

Mollie Makes, full of beautifully styled pics and lots of gorgeous things to drool over.

After reading about it on lots of blogs I finally get a copy of my own...........

Had to sit down and whip up a strawberry straight away.

Just need to make them a little bigger next time.

They have me wishing Summer was already here and I could pick my own strawberries from the garden

I've been a little quiet on the blogging front as I sewed up a storm for 2 markets last weekend. The first was in Bright on Saturday and even though I got a bit muddled and set the alarm for an hour later than usual...........it was a cracker of a day. Beautiful weather, quite a few stalls although not the usual amount we have during Summer and plenty of people around and they were happy to be buying, which is always a good thing.

A Blanket Bunny will be winging it's way to London very soon.

I think I better start making passports to go with my softies as they become little international travellers.

I had quite a few sales which means there's plenty of sewing to be done before the next market.

Had to take a pic of the blossom lined street, so pretty and it screams ..........

SPRING

Once the market was over I popped into the Enchanted Forest, to have a little look and got chatting to the owner.

She gave me her business card which had the sweetest little pop up paper cut in the middle of it.

Sorry about the blurry pic, my little camera doesn't cope with closeups, but just check out all that gorgeousness.........an owl in a big, old tree, toadstools and bunnies.

It's just adorable and only about 2 inches high.

Have you ever seen a cuter business card?

Add a tea light and look at that shadow.

It makes me smile every time I look at it.

I also did the Sunday morning market here in my little town and once again a beautiful day, plenty of stalls and people, but they all had their hands in their pockets.........

That's the nature of markets...........you just can't pick it.

I've never seen Tigger showing an interest in veggies before but after I had been shopping today, I left the box of veg on the bench to go and get changed and when I came out to the kitchen, there he is..........

Getting to know the bunch of celery...........he was rubbing his head onto the end of the stalks and having a little munch on the leaves.

Not sure what that was about. He often has a chew on grass when he's outside.

Maybe he's just making sure he gets his 5 serve of veg a day........

The weather here has been absolutely beautiful this week and I've been working up a sweat in the garden.

It's the warmest August on record, which might be nice to have fine weather but doesn't bode well for the coming Summer.

Everything seems to be blossoming early which isn't a surprise.

The Manchurian Pear is looking stunning. The blossom appears and then you get the green tinge as the leaves unfold

The chooks are enjoying a good scratch around and are getting into full swing laying eggs, beautiful brown shells with chocolate speckles on them.

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Well, that's a little roundup of what's been happening in the Sweet Birdy Love household recently.

That and the fact that hubby and son have been on the road making their way up to Queensland for a music festival in Yeppoon, gigging along the way. They've been enjoying temps. of 25 deg. and No. 1 has been in his element wearing shorts, singlets and his favourite warm weather footwear.....bare feet !!

It's been a little quiet with them away and I should've done more sewing but the fine weather just won't let me stay indoors.

Once I subdue those weeds into submission it's all systems go..........

Thanks for popping by everyone and if you have time to say 'hi' I would love to hear from you.

Till next time, take care,

Claire X