2012

I can't quite believe we've left 2012 behind already, can you?!

It was a good year, a busy year with lots of happy times and not too many sad.

Looking back, it was a creative year too. I often feel like I don't get everything I want done, so I love these end of year roundups and photo mosaics, where I get to see what I've actually achieved - it gives me a great sense of accomplishment!

There's nothing like collecting all your work together to remember the times through the year, what you were doing, what was happening, what you made.

For example looking here I see that this was the year I finally learnt to crochet and embarked on a bullseye quilt, which is still 'in progress'.

I made a quilt for little Poppy, my second, but definitely not my last, in fact I've started another starry quilt which I need to get back to...

This was a year for sewing and one where I actually made some clothes for myself. I grew in confidence and started to learn more about how patterns come together, how sleeves fit armholes, how linings fit within skirts. I have many new patterns in the stash and one of my dreams is to design and print some material and then make some clothes with it for me!

At the end of the year I celebrated five years blogging and was included in Pip's Ace Bloggers list around the same time. It feels like a wonderful milestone to have blogged regularly for five years, it has given me so much. My little Flower Press business which has also enriched my life marked its fifth anniversary too and that felt good.

I created tutorials - for foam and perspex printing, for my small baby quilt and for stencil screenprinting. It felt good to share what I'd learnt. In return I followed many tutorials, pinned many projects and became an instagram addict!

I did my first collaboration and made a wonderful marble starter kit with dear Alisa, something we're both very proud of.

I made soap, I made bread, I made yoghurt, ricotta and jam. I planted more vegies and reorganised the garden to make it more a mix of ornamental and productive. 

Our family worked hard, we played hard, we did our best. We ate healthier, we lived simpler, we cared for others around us, we looked at art, we were creative, we exercised, we lived. My heart is full watching my beautiful children grow a little more into the wonderful people they are.

I'm excited about 2013. Some ideas are slowly percolating in my mind. I've learnt not to be too specific about goals, to let life steer me through my year. But I do know that there will be more of all of this, another big mosaic next year with lots of creative life. 

And I know that as always my lovely blogging community will inspire and encourage me and help show me the way.

While making this I couldn't resist looking back at the last four years of mosaics, I think this one's the biggest! Here's the list of links for 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 if you're interested. And for individual photo links for those images above, click the mosaic picture to be taken to flickr.

my creative space - snakes, flowers and society 6

Its no secret I love a bit of floral! I especially love those bold sixties and seventies flower designs you see on vintage sheets and pillowcases. I love the riot of mixed flowers, the detailled linework and the great colours.

You might remember this design, its one I doodled quite a while ago and its the wallpaper on my phone. I always get compliments on the design and its a favourite of mine too so in my spare time I've been working on expanding it and cleaning it up.

Its still black and white, I like to get the linework sorted before I play with colour (though I had a play here!). But I also love the graphic quality of black and white. Here's another pattern I've been playing with, I'm calling it snake because it reminds me of the patterns on the diamond python snake of the north coast.

I've been seeing lots of people posting about website Society 6. I went and had a look and its a site where you can upload designs which other people can order in a number of mediums, art prints, phone cases, t-shirts and now cushions.

The other day they were having a free shipping offer (they seem to have very regular discounts) and as my flower press account was already set up I jumped at the chance to see this seventies floral design in print and check the quality of the products.

The prices seem really reasonable to me so I'm hoping they look as good in real life. Has anyone ordered from them before? If you are after some designer onlines for Christmas presents this looks like a good place to start. Especially with free shipping!

Don't forget to visit the creative clubhouse.

shop update

Some more bits in the Flower Press Shop.

Here are the blockprint cushions I printed way back here, these are all one-offs made from experimentation with my Prism block. I love the way they look backed with graphic black quilting cotton, so much so that you might remember that the first one lives on my sofa!

I've also listed some drawstring Lego bags. These little bags are perfect to keep track of all those little bits of Lego when out and about and like the Marble Kits would make a great little holiday play kit. 

Speaking of the Marble Kits, thank you all for your sweet comments and orders. Alisa and I were tickled that so many of you liked our retro Marble sets.

I've been skirt sewing today and after a frustrating morning fiddling with sizes and lost instructions I seem to have made myself a skirt that fits! I'm hoping to get it hemmed in time to share it on Thursday's creative space.