Having a beer with Santy

Sometimes cleaning and serving drinks just isn't enough to get me through the day. That's when the snacks come out and the creative juices start flowing. And I don't mean the tequila.
This took me multiple sheets of A4 and at least 6 goes at getting the face to not look too evil. I am not much of an artiste, in the drawing sense, so it was hard work. He is actually leaning on the bar leaner and having a pint with the locals.
I am proud to say that he has already caused much mirth and merriment.

Drat!

I just made some gingerbread cakes. I put some leftover batter into muffin tins. The darn things wouldn't come out! The tops broke off, leaving the stumps behind. :( Which is funny :) because last night or the night before I was watching a Seinfeld re-run in which Elaine has a thing about muffin tops, and doesn't eat the stumps. Someone ends up opening a "muffin top" store, but then they can't get rid of all the stumps... hilarity ensues (but no too much, because it is Seinfeld after all).

I also just made chocolate christmas trees with M&M baubles, with greater success, though some of them look a little developmentally retarded.

More monkeys also. Thank goodness the monkey breeding season is almost over. The Orphange can't take many more!

What I've been up to.

Retail therapy ahoy!


As usual, christmas means an excuse to buy myself presents! And other people of course. :)

The gleanings of my Craftwerk excursion:
The diary (top right) wasn't my first choice, but while I went to get change, the lovely pale green print that I wanted got snapped up. You'd think I would have learned by now wouldn't you? :)
Ninja xmas tag/tree decoration by R.W.Scissors. Labels and notepad by Nut and Bee.
Croissant earrings by R.W.Scissors.

Bobbin earrings from Toggle stall.

Pencils from Jellybones.

I made experimental chocolate coconut truffles last week. They are WAY too much work to make on a regular basis! They are also incredibly rich and will make you feel sick if you lick the leftovers too much.

I designed myself a Christmas Wreath of pohutukawa and fantails, but when I printed it out on A4 it was kind of dinky looking. I really need to get it printed on A3 card. In the meantime I turned the image into cards and tags. :)

And finally, these are my secret books, which I have been meaning to photograph for ages. One day soon I'd like to make a giant one, from an encyclopedia or something. For really big secrets!

P.S ~ I had my strawberry apple jam on scones with cream for Sunday lunch. YUM!

Accidents with scissors.

Sock Monkey Orphanage will not be at Craftwerk this time, as our application was not accepted. (But I will still be there doing my christmas shopping!) Poor little monkeys. I've seen someone else selling monkeys, so maybe that's why. We wouldn't want the place to be over-run with monkeys! That's why we neuter them! :) We'll still be at Kraftbomb on the 22nd though!

New addition: Uncle Charlie, he is rather large is comparison to the others, as you can see! I'm not sure if I can give him up!

In other news.... I has a new camera! Small and dinky and able to be squirreled away in my purse! So I had to try taking one of those "myspace" photos that all the kids are shooting these days...
Yes? No? I'm not sure I have the hang of it. I also has new haircut, thanks to a small episode with the scissors when I got out of the shower on monday. Shouldn't leave monkey tools lying around like that! So dangerous!!!

Won't be long now!

I forgot to take photos of my "secret books" I've been working on. They were a bit of a hit at the last Craftwerk, so I've made sure and sourced some pretty books to turn into secret stash holes for emergency chocolate rations, cash, hip-flasks, stuff-you-don't-want-the boyfriend-to-find...
Photos coming soon!

In other news, Kraftbomb went pretty well. I didn't sell all my cakes, but I sold enough to make it worthwhile. I did forget to take photos though. :( I think I will rush out and buy myself a small camera before the next market, so I don't have to contemplate lugging the huge Nikon DSLR around. Mmmmm... retail therapy!

OoOoOoOoo excitement!

A little birdie tells me Craftwerk will be on the 11th of December and part of Cheese on Toast's birthday celebrations. I've got my application in and my fingers are crossed!

The sockmonkeys have been busy. Busy making strawberry jam! Well, actually mostly they supervised and made sure that no lint got in there. It was so enjoyable that tomorrow I'm going searching at the op shops for more small jars so we can try making Strawberry Apple jam.


New additions to the orphanage (except the green guy, he's just helping them settle in)


It's taken me 5 goes at making a box the right size and design for my tiny cakes. I was trying to make a proper cake box with a cellophane cut-out in the lid, but I just couldn't get it to work, and it was taking up way too much carboard. So I just went with this simple design. It will have cellophane wrapped over the top and that will keep the sides together. I didn't want to use glue if I could possibly avoid it. I've even got little paper doillies to put the cakes on. :) I think I will just do 2 flavours. Vanilla Delicious and Neapolitan. I was planning to make Choc-o-mint as well, but space limitation means I've decided to only make 6 cakes. So if you want one you'll have to get in quick!


Now I probably have too much stuff for Kraftbomb. So I'm hoping like crazy that there will be a Craftwerk before Christmas! Yikes!

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

.. these are a few of my favourite things! Before the last Craftwerk I went a little crazy making recycled paper gift bows. I don't know what it is about them that made me make them so obsessively. Probably I just like to play with craft knives. I sold hardly any. I guess no one wants mine when you can get shiny $2 shop ones for cheap. I might take a few to the next markets and then hang the rest on the christmas tree.
I was asked if I could make fabric ones and turn them into brooches. I had a go at it, but they are really fiddly and time consuming. Just not as satisfying to make as the paper ones. And they are all floppy! My 3 prototypes will be up for sale at the next Kraftbomb. (the green one was the first, so it's a little bung).

Lego-tastic.

Okie Dokie. Recent months have been productive. (I work much better when I don't have a deadline looming. ) But it's only in the last few days that I've gotten around to photographing the results.

It kind of started when I bought myself some Lego. As a kid I always wanted Lego. But like many families in the low income bracket, my parents refused to buy me any because it was too expensive. So I used to go downstairs and play with my neighbour's Lego. It only took me until I was 29 to get some of my own. It's still pretty expensive. Oh those precious Lego blocks!

Then I figured that if it's so easy to chew them out of shape, maybe I could melt a small hole in one and attatch a jump ring. First came brooches.....

...then some pendants on some leftover necklaces from another project.....

.... then some earrings, which I think are probably my favourite. Then.....

....more necklaces, this time on waxed cord with knot and loop closures. I like them because they speak the language of precious greenstone. And because it's one of the few things I can wear around my neck with my eczema. I probably would have put them on silver chains for the sake of other people, but the store had run out.


I don't want to make too many because I don't want to decimate my precious Lego supply. I did buy extra white blocks off Trademe a while back though. I blame William Gibson for putting it in one of his books.

Order Vs Chaos

The problem with having multiple hobbies, especially multiple crafty hobbies, is space. Or more specificly, the space the mess consumes. This is my lounge just before the August Craftwerk.







Notice the trail of distruction from sewing table to coffee table to dining table.


I have spent my friday night and sunday morning having a go at the Zen Art of Furniture Arrangement. Now the room no longer works as a whole, but I do have a dedicated T.V-and-lounging-with-Himself nook. (Himself loves it) The idea is that we can retreat into a corner of the room that is not overwhelmed with chaos. (yes the monkeys have taken over the couch already).

An added bonus of this furniture shuffling is that I can extend my rescued oak table to it's full length. (rescued from Salvation Army and lavished with hours of sanding/gluing/re-varnishing). Hurrah! Sewing at one end! Dinner at the other! Papercrafts at formica table! etc.

I think really I've just piled a lot of furniture into the middle of the room.

This is the kind of procrastination that consumes me when I know I should be attending to monkey business.

Coming later this evening: actual crafty stuff! Like my lego jewellery.

Fresh Monkeys

These guys and gals are currently hanging out at Roasted Addiqtion in Kingsland.
From left to right - Larry, Camille, and Odette.

This trio of triplets will hopefully be up for adoption at Kraftbomb on November 30th. (I haven't been to one yet, but I've heard good things from R.W Scissors)

Moving House

Kingsland Sockmonkey Orphanage is finally shifting it's e-address! Because honestly, who uses Myspace anymore?