the red thread

Sweetie Beans now available

05 May 2011

At last, I have the Sweetie Bean fabric panels available again in my online shop.

The Sweetie Beans are a super easy and quick gift to make and kids love cuddling them. You might remember that I was undecided about the name, but I have settled on Sweetie Beans because I have something else in the works that is much more suited to "Cuddle Bundles".

a short story

04 May 2011

Notice the year scribbled out? When Roxy asked me what year it is I said '2010'... oh dear!

Below is the illustration of the tooth and ants enlarged.

Edit: I forgot to add - this is a true story. Pesky Ants!

eclectic and colourful

Image Source: Light Locations

Large light white rooms with eclectic decoration and colourful splashes. Perfect.

I love the feeling that all the bits and pieces in this house have been salvaged and given new life. The whole look is brought together beautifully by the blank canvas created by the white floors and walls.

Seen and loved

03 May 2011

Oh how I love this stunning wall!

The colours are to die for and the triangle pattern is the motif of the moment.
In fact I totally adore the whole photo.

Love.

Image Source: Dos Family

I also love the idea of having gym-style rings in children's bedrooms. Awesome. Isabelle from Dos Family bought these at Ikea in Sweden. Unfortunately it doesn't look like they stock them in Aus.
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Inspiration :: Natural Dyes

Have you ever experimented with using natural dyes? You can achieve some beautiful rich colours and have lots of fun trying things out.

My friend Kasia from Laikonik painted these paper lights with vegetable dyes. They're beautiful aren't they?

Image Source: Laikonik

Martha Stewart's blog featured these glorious coloured eggs for Easter.

Image Source: The Crafts Dept

A couple of years ago I tried my hand at dying goose eggs with natural dyes and then I painted my designs in white. I was aiming for soft colours, but Martha's inspired me with her rich dense palette.

Margie at Resurrection Fern is constantly creating amazing art and craft based on her love of and interaction with nature, so it's no surprise she often experiments with natural dyes. She has even started a dyeing journal to document it. So lovely.

Image Source: Resurrection Fern

Are you inspired? Have you ever tried this? Wouldn't it be a lovely rainy day activity with kids using spices, fruit and vegies from your kitchen or garden and scraps of fabric, twine, paper, etc.
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