Busy as Ants and Bees

I've been spending a lot more time in the garden. It takes effort and care to tend to a garden, but it's the kind of work that has a calming affect on the mind. If you're feeling overwhelmed, lost, or even without momentum, taking care of the nature that surrounds you can help your mental health.

In between trying to make things grow in the backyard, I have busily been creating content, and preparing for an art exhibit. There will be more information about the exhibit down the track. For now I wanted to draw to your attention other works of the past couple of months. Such as the...

My Poppet Bookmark, celebrating the Chinese New Year. It's now the year of the Rat, don't you know.

{My Poppet link}

I produced a Kidspot craft video, showing how to make a 'Dummy' Fairy Home.

{Kidspot link}

My pride and joy, for the Christmas period, was the My Poppet – Santa Face Pin. How adorable is this?

{My Poppet link}

Two Sloths, a Dog and a Delicious Project

{ My Poppet }

It has been a period of neat things happening around here. To start things off I would like to share with you my latest tutorial offering over at My Poppet. I tell you it's a delicious treat of a project.

The latest issue of the Australian magazine, Handmade, has landed and two months in a row I've been a cover girl. Well, to be exact my designs are making the cover. In this issue you will find Frilly Tilly, a dog with long floppy ears and an adorable expression.

{ Melissa G Sloths x Leonard St }

Additionally, if you visit the Leonard St Fitzroy store, you will find a pair of sloth friends hanging out by a bench in their Leonard St ensemble, drinking coffee and gabbing about their weekend plans in Melbourne.

For more information about my handcrafted Leonard St Sloths check out the Press Release. And, if you happen to be in the Melbourne and Fitzroy area, say hello to the sloths.

Excellent Things

    It has been a full, and very long week. I have been awaiting the arrival of 'things' in the mail. A lot of thinking 'will it be here today'. It has been a week of projects completed. Yes! It is also a week in which the wind in my sails direct me to an island I had once given up on finding. In point it is wise to never give up on the things we desire, even if the path doesn't seem obvious or likely.

© Melissa Gaggiano

    A new tutorial from moi has gone live at My Poppet. If you're into cameos and felt craft this be the thing for you.

Instagram

    This week I finished making Majora's Mask accessory for a felt crafted Legend of Zelda: Link doll. A couple of years ago I made the doll for my husband's birthday. It was quite the epic event – took several weeks to design and make. The next year I made a Deku mask to compliment the doll. This year, at my husband's request, I made Majora's mask. The mask is needle felted and hand sewn in parts. I wonder what I will make next year to compliment Link. Perhaps Epona [now that would be a massive thing] or Zelda herself.

    I sourced one of the mask materials from Etsy shop Yummy Yarns & Fiber. I was struggling to find green felt to finish the mask. But I found what I needed in this shop. I bought a perfect little 1M pack of green dyed Alpaca felting fibre.

© Melissa Gaggiano

    In other news I am returning to my illustration work in a big way. You can find new prints in my Red Bubble store. Check it out!

Cheese Burger, Please

© Melissa Gaggiano

    My eldest loved the brooches that I worked on last week. So much so that I offered to make her one especially for her. And here it is, a tasty felt burger. Okay, now I'm so hungry for a cheese burger just from writing about this. I can't wait to present this burger brooch to my daughter.

    Are looking for clothing decoration that pops with colour? Check out my collection of felt brooches.

Sweetness in Stock

© Melissa Gaggiano

    Just look at what I have in my online store's stock. These tasty little felt brooches are perfect for anytime, any outfit, any season, any function, hoe down, shindig, hootenanny, you name it. Souther hemisphere dwellers,feeling the wintery blues, add these brooches to your clothes. Norther hemisphere dwellers, you too have an excuse to wear these brooches by celebrating summer. Check it out now! Be the first, be the only one with these brooches.

Making Sweet Little

© Melissa Gaggiano

    This week I have been busy making sweet little, little sweet things. Pineapple, watermelon, strawberry, and ice-cream down. Just need to do make a cheese burger, and attach pins to the back of these felt brooches. Wonder what else I'll be making...

Jolie Prix

Hey lovely readers! Do you love a giveaway? Of course you do. Who in their right mind wouldn't? Well let me word you up.

Head on over to the Histoire de Soie blog to find out how you can go into the draw to win a lovely brooch made by the talented Sandrine.