this is my favourite fabric/craft supplies store

There is a one craft store and one paper-craft store in my town. They are good for purchasing generic type supplies but specifically don't appeal. The best craft supply stores I have locally are the op-shops; fabrics, buttons, zippers, knitting-needles, yarn, and now even sewing machines.
I do buy a bunch of supplies online, especially fabric, often searching random places for what I am after, but here is a list of my favourites.

• nuno.plus - as mentioned before is the hub of Japanese fabric and notions for me.

• morning star - for natural fleece stuffing and the most luxurious organic linen i have ever used.
• kristen, cookie or lara for Australian hand-printed fabric
  
• a little goodness - Japanese fabric and supplies on etsy
• 3point5dollars - more Japanese fabric and fun supplies on etsy. yes everything is 3 point 5 dollars.
• sakura fabrics - Japanese fabric on etsy, yep!

Handmaiden chose the topic this week.

this is a work in progress

I am making a fabric covered file pocket as part of an architect friend's birthday present. I feel an architect needs one? I know this doesn't show much except the cute fabric, I will show and tell when complete.

Thanks to kept in a jar for the theme.

this is my trade secret

My tip for making or taking or crafting is don't be afraid of things evolving away from your original idea. I have had to learn that shaping the idea throughout the process is okay and this has stopped me from being disappointed all the time. Work with the failures. As an example I was trying to draw a simple girl for a card this morning and the closest I could come up with was oscar the grouch's wife up there! A few sketches later there was something I was happy with on the paper that I wouldn't have thought of off-the-bat.

As for techniques, mine aren't too consistent but Eb taught me to score cards along the middle with my knife for a crisp fold.
Sewing Stars explains here how to sew up a softie with a hidden stick. Very helpful.

Theme from this lady.

this is what i sometimes forget

To appreciate that there is open space and air outside of my own head.

A choose your own 'this is', thanks three buttons.

this is what makes me happy

Occasional melodic profanities.
Sing me a sweet song with the odd swear word thrown in and i will be a happy camper.

Beware of the tape, there may be some cursing.

Thanks one little acorn for this weeks theme.

this is what makes my skin crawl

Wasp Nests? On MY Porch?
Originally uploaded by D14BL0

No not the wasp. It is wasp nests that I have an irrational aversion to. Those chambers, disgusting.

Not my photo (are you kidding, I would not look at that thing so closely), so click on the link to check out the photographer.

Thanks Juddie for this weeks theme.

this is my most treasured childhood possession

So no, it isn't a couple of dolls or those cankles I have always had. The time I spent with my Mum, Dad, Grandparents, that is precious, the fact my big daggy brother would ride me around in the back seat of his tricycle no matter what, that is precious. Not all kids get that, I was bloody lucky.

Thanks for this weeks theme.

this is my best op-shop find(s)

I have loved a good op-shop for a long time, and my favourite finds that come to mind are the three above.

First is Mehlma, and gee I was a happy camper when I found her a few years ago. I think she was an old hairdressing head, but she evolved into one very popular prop/model for my uni photography assignments.

A recent find, (you may recognise them), are teacups to add to my collection.

Don't laugh but it was love at first sight when I saw my little conehead. She was $1, has the strangest noggin and fat legs. I love her. I like to believe that if I didn't take her home no one else would, and that makes her super special...even if other people think she is creepy. She inspires me.

Not pictured but a recent op-shop treasure that I have just thought of are my 3.25mm set of dpns. They are bendy and perfect to knit softies with.

Thanks Lino Forest for a fab topic this week, check more out here.

this is my most favourite outfit that expresses my individual style

Kitty picked a hard topic this week, but there it is. My Yoshi Jones dress, worn with jeans( my legs are good for walking but not looking at so i usually cover them with little pants or tights) and a vintage head scarf. I wear it with red flats, a vintage clutch (they are kind of my thing) and my bamboo ring. At the moment I am always wearing my winter coat with hood and peter-pan collar. To keep it fresh I change my brooch, I love brooches. (Don't worry that crap is on the mirror not my face).

I actually think my wardrobe needs refreshing, and would love to go nuts on IVANA Helsinki clothing, (click on archive, as the older stuff is my fave, the new collection is a bit too glam for me). I like this too.

Can't wait to see what other people are wearing be pointed in some good directions.

this is the space in which I create

This photograph is of my little sewing centre at our old house. I haven't set up my sewing machine in the new house yet, gulp! Aside from the sewing table I sprawl my makings all over the floor, the dining table, outside etc. Creating anywhere is good.

this is my favourite travel memory (multiplied)

You can't ask an indecisive person to choose just one...so here is a collection of travel memories that make me smile. (Buckle in).

The first photographs were taken during the Budapest Autumn Festival, at a night-time installation exhibition where artworks where projected onto buildings, trees and the ground. It was an incredible night and made you feel so submerged in the contemporary artistic movement that they have going on there. Budapest is a favourite of mine, (I love a good hot spring).
This was during our trip to Europe in 2005. Although not photographed one of my favourite memories, after a day of Gaudi, wonderful food, a siesta and just a general feeling of vibrancy, is wandering down to the Barcelona harbour with Eb. The water, an illuminated blue from the lights, was filled with millions of carp swimming around. We just sat there,by ourselves, watching the fish, and I loved it.

I love the snow, like almost love nothing more than snowboarding with that boy. This is Mayrhofen, Austria in 2006. At the end of a day in this gorgeous environment nothing could beat sitting at the snowfield huts on a deckchair with a blanket and a beer. Bliss.

For number three, we are tracking back to 2003 in Banff, Canada. Cramped inside a van with 2 Aussies, 2 Canadians, 4 Mexicans, a Colombian and our luggage I wake up after a long drive to this. I am Australian so I don't see proper mountains with proper snow. Seeing this for the first time is storybook stuff.

There are many more, perhaps I will post travel reminiscing more often.
Thanks for the topic, thanks for the game.

this is my pet

The top is Opal, my favourite dog, whom my family got when I was a teenager. She was a kelpie x border collie,adorable, totally spoiled and was obsessed with playing ball. I have to mention La-La too, (although I couldn't find the photos), a black kelpie, the first pet I really remember. The next cuties are Banff and Jasper, who are technically my parents cats, but I still consider mine. I harass them endlessly when I visit.

I currently don't have any pets, (unless you count our worms). When we one day settle down the first pets we will get are two of these.

More this is here.

this is something i still haven't used

I am a hoarder. Still unpacking I found a collection of erasers, pencils and sharpeners I used to collect as a child. I hid them away and never used them because I didn't want them to be ruined. This habit was a hard one to break, but I try not to do it anymore.
Thank you flossy-p for this theme.

this is how i recycle

Wormies make good use of our kitchen scraps. In our family recycling was always a part of life and now I continue to recycle as much as I can. Did you know how much household waste can be recycled in the recycling bin? Almost everything. I also keep packaging, paper etc to re-use, and dig the op-shop to both buy 2nd hand or donate. I try to make use of recycling depositories for things like mobile phones or placcy bags. I am sure I can do more, and look forward to browsing the 'this is' list for other's ideas. Thanks to three buttons' mum for the theme this week.

this is mother's day

her advice ; live your life.

happy mother's day lovely one.

(thanks for posing in strange photographs over the years, but why didn't I inherit your slim long legs?)

this is my jewellery box

My 'this is' is a little fabricated this week. I do have some jewellery boxes, but my collection has evolved, (or devolved) into living on shelves, being hung on the wall, etc. (Yes this causes finding it all to be problematic). So I have photographed the jewellery box that was most recently in use, a colourful and cute music box that I have had since I was a little girl. I also thought this was a nice excuse to show off my favourite and most-worn jewellery.

• Knitwit bangle by Liana Kabel
• fabric brooch by In My Backyard
• vintage formica ring set by Katy Hackney
• 'I wish I was a real girl' necklace by Geneine Honey, a recent gift from gorgeous a. (She saw it in Melbourne and thought of me, too sweet).
  
• red coral beads, a going away present from my old workmates.
  
• silver bangle; another beautiful friend a, has a matching one. She bought them at a market whilst living in Mexico, and had them inscribed with 'amigas para siempre'. too special.
  
• earrings also from Mexico and a present from a.
• Akina fabric covered pins, a gift from eb's mum.
• vegemite bobby-pin.
• Vintage Flower Pin by Grainne Morton.
• bamboo ring, homemade by m's father.

wow. this has made me realise how many of my favourites have actually been special gifts. lucky girl.

the host of 'this is', thank you.

this is the contents of my handbag

1. mobile telephone
2. old crusty ventolin inhaler
3. sunglasses and case ( i am a sook and can't handle the sun without them, very important!)
4. copy of my RSA certificate as I was working at a cellar door today
5. knitting, you never know when the opportunity to knit will arise
6. a bunch of grocery lists, thankfully this made me clean them out
7. locally grown bitty apples to snack on today (although I ate cake instead)
8. keys
9. pigeon wallet, from Bondi markets 3 years ago
10. Murakami book, nothing worse than not having a book when stuck somewhere waiting
11. Miffy pen
12. Manjugang pencil, with hilarious quote "You are spring time because you fondle me".
13. Red moleskin diary
14. underwear mirror, but i don't like looking at myself in it
15. coin purse made by me
16. Twin Stars mini purse, great to keep your tampons in
17. two Aveda tinted lip glosses and one 99pence tin of vaseline (bargain)

Second photo is the bag itself, (emptied). A christmas present from my oldest amazing friend miss m.
So what do these contents say about me... I like chinatown and compartmentalising but have issues with throwing things out?

Thanks Sharon for a fun this is topic, and as always thank you to three buttons for co-ordinating it all.

this is my demon

this is my creation(s)

This is my latest creation. G's library bag. I ditched the back print and left it plain, after printing I only added her felt stripes before sewing together.

Whilst sorting out old boxes today I came across some of my 'creations' from when I was six. Perhaps the odd little creature could become a softie one day. I used to love writing stories but I am glad my spelling improved, and what were teachers thinking giving me workbooks without lines? Thank you to Betty the Geek for the current 'this is'.

this is looking out my back door

The first is looking out my back door, the second is if you look out of the alcove.
I have joined in the 'this is'. I have followed three buttons' lead and used the back door, not front.