Today....

I know I have spoken about my Mondays and Tuesdays before and this week was no different....I could totally use a whole other person on these days but instead I rush and rush and some days like today I feel like I haven't really completed anything. I have done lots, but completed...not too much. And it is the completion which has the 'feel good' effect.

Just because I am half mad and not busy enough already I thought I would take on something else....I have become involved in another wonderful opportunity. A space in the beautiful heritage listed "Old Bakery" building in the heart of Mullumbimby town became available and 10 of us are setting up shop full of amazing local, hand made crafts and art pieces. I am sooo excited BUT it means making sure I have enough stock for two shops....ahhhhh.... it will all  be OK.....but more on that next time.

Today I have been receiving more stock and pricing and dyeing mohair for dolls hair and dropping parcels off at the post office and, and, and.....

But I thought I would show you my Night Time project because that is more fun....

At night I am working on a new babies blanket in my Coconut Ice - hand painted chunky, super soft, unplyed yummy wool and mixing up the squares with the natural cream in the same wool. I am using a 10mm bamboo crochet hook so that "completion" comes around quicker. I am loving the colour combination but will have to do a more boyish one next time. 

Oh....and I did have a quick lunch. I have given up bread again....I do this every so often and I definitely feel better for it but then I just give in to temptation and toast and tea is back on the breaky menu. So sea salt and cracked pepper vita grains with local avocado and tomatoes from the garden with more sea salt and cracked pepper on top is my favourite at the moment.

Oh.....and here is the latest autumn rainbow hand painted mohair I have been working on.

Hope you are all well...would love to hear what you are up to.    ♥Jo

wool. wool and more wool.....

I close my shop in school holidays.....I open it up again tomorrow until the end of this school term and "oh my god" - until Christmas. For those of you that are new here, I have a small shop which is jam packed with wool and felt and other craft goodies, books, children's toys and puzzles. I take up a large area outside the shop as well. It is on the grounds of Shearwater - the Mullumbimby Steiner School and is open to everyone....I have customers who travel quite a distance because of the difficulty of finding natural, quality craft items and especially wool felt and I post world wide which is pretty exciting.

Which brings me to today - my last day of frantically trying to restock my supplies of hand painted wool. I had a wonderful customer a few weeks ago who almost took home all my wool in stock so I had a lot to replace. It is quite a time consuming job. I buy all the wool in different plys, soak it, paint it, cook it, rinse it, dry it and then it usually ends up in 50gm balls ($10).....(that is a sit in front of the TV kind of job).  I also sell it in 100gm ($19.50), 200gm ($30)  and if it comes in it 250gm ($36) hanks.

I also sell it in my ETSY store and on my website and am continually experimenting with colour combinations for new listings. I sooooo love what I do!!!! and feel very, very lucky especially on beautiful spring days like today.


Happy about: I have just received a copy of Pip Lincolne's Sew La Tea Do book and can't wait to make a new dress from it. (not her latest book - I haven't won that one yet.)
Reading: the latest issue of Papier Mache Magazine.
Favourite blog post I have read lately - Ivy Nest
Listening to: (sad but true) Australian Business Women's Network Podcasts.
In my craft basket: still stitching together my crochet blanket.....I will get there by next winter, I promise.
Grateful for: the sun and the rain.
Watching: The slap.....have you....what did you think??


Would love to hear from you  ♥ Jo

introducing our new family member....

This is "Curly"...... our new little month old lamb. My son Sasha has been quite obsessed with wanting a sheep since we spent a week at his Uncle Curly's farm near Croockwell in the Southern Highlands of NSW when he was about 9. He came home from that holiday and announced he wanted to change his name to John. 'Why' we asked (as it took us 4 weeks to finally choose his name when he was born) 'because I want to be a sheep farmer and I don't think Sasha is a good sheep farmers name'. Who could argue with that? His friend Mia from Sydney was visiting us at the time and decided she was going to be John's helper so she should change her name to Mary......

Sasha/John has researched everything....made lots of phone calls to farming equipment businesses and timber companies in his search for getting the best item at the best price as we didn't even have a fenced area for him.. He has also had lots of long conversations with Curly (the human) making sure he had all the right info. So after working in a 35 degree spring day yesterday with his dad and his Pa, we now have a wonderful 60m fence to keep Curly (the sheep) and as a bonus, the chickens in as well.

So here are a few adorable photos of our new little CURLY.

 He is still bottle fed so Sasha/John was up at 6.15 this morning making his bottle and feeding him.

  His mum was unable to look after him and his twin died not long after being born so Sash is his new carer.

I am looking forward to when he will need shearing so I can spin the wool and crochet a blanket to keep us warm in winter.

And I am sure this will not be the end of posts on Curly and Sasha (it really is hard to call him John).

What do you think...are we mad??.....maybe just a little???

I would love to hear from you ♥ Jo

My Monday's and Tuesday's are like no other....

I love Mondays and Tuesdays.....I work from home on these days and I am home alone. I never have enough time to do all I want/need to do and so have learnt the art of 'List making' so I don't waste a minute.

The music is either up loud or off depending on what "I" feel like. We always have music on in this house so peace and quiet is usually my preference although for some reason today it is 'on and loud'....I don't know why.
The photos above are of a pile of my hand dyed wool felt.....which I worked on yesterday.....doesn't it look so pretty?
Today I have been painting wool for an order for 'Treasure House'....the shop at Noosa Pengari Steiner School and making about 40 felting kits as I have fallen so far behind with these.

I have only finished the rainbow packs and the pinky/purpley packs....lots more to do.
Well I best get back to it before I have to do the usual Tuesday afternoon pickup from school and drop off at circus and soccer training....

Before I go....here is what is Happening this week...
Reading: the latest mammoth issue of Frankie Magazine
Working on: what seems like a million felting kits
Lovin': my new addiction.....crocheting...I have just finished my first beanie...it doesn't fit anyones head in this house but I am sure there is a head out there that it does fit.
Also Lovin': early morning walks and afternoon walks with Puddles, the dog and sometimes with Sasha, the son.
Eating: chocolate bullets...can't help myself.
Hope to hear from you soon ♥ Jo
And here is a photo of my above mentioned walking partners.

this week behind my camera....

      If you leave your door open in our house when no one is looking you

         might just find a little surprise on your bed when you come back

                                       as Kare did......eggs anyone??

                              Bare feet on the earth......nothing better!!!

         painting, painting and more painting....here I am painting rainbow
                wool felt to sell as is and also to make into my craft kits

                               sunny days at the beach with the family ♥

 and here is a sneak at my shop....I will do a whole post on it very soon
                                         ....I love my shop♥

                            
Life is busy, wonderful and a little cold and wet at the moment, but that doesn't stop the fun...
AT THIS MOMENT....I am....
Reading: The Happiness Project (still...I have been for a few weeks now)
WORKING ON: finishing off my tax....yah
LOVING: my crocheting....I have just learnt a new stitch and now have officially moved past granny squares...Yah again
Making: lots and lots of my craft kits because I am way behind.

Hope you are keeping busy too....what is taking up all of your time?

♥Jo