Softies For Mirabel

    For six years running Pip [nearly typed Pop] Lincolne, over at Meet Me At Mikes, has coordinated a charity event titled Softies For Mirabel. This is the third time that I have donated a homemade doll, and I chose this sweet little thing that I finished on the weekend....

    I couldn't possibly explain Softies For Mirabel so eloquently, but Pip's poster says it all quite nicely. Have a read of it to find out what Softies For Mirabel is all about.

Check This Out

Consider your mind blown...
Is it crochet?
Is it a doll house?
No! It's a crochet doll house.

Source: craftkat.blogspot.com.au via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: craftkat.blogspot.com.au via Melissa on Pinterest

Homemade Yum Love

    The past few years I have learnt to appreciate the art of homemade in a whole new way. The first time I discovered a blog it was Loobylu which led me to Meet Me At Mikes and inevitably a wide world of online crafters and artists. I cannot express the joy I felt in seeing people just getting out their paint brushes and sewing machines, making things and quite literally making their own rules.
    When it is gift time I do still buy presents, but when I can, I will try to make something. And the things that I've made have made far greater impact on the people who have been on the receiving end.
    This week's craft project will be making felty pizza slices. I found a wonderfully simple tute by Semi-Crunchy Mama, which I shall follow. You can check it out at...
http://semicrunchymama.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/tutorial-felt-pizza-slice/



Image copyright Semi-Crunchy Mama.

A New Doll

    The past few days I have been making a homemade plush doll based on one of my own drawings. I was kinda' surprised to have completed the little thing today. Sometimes things can just fall into place and we can get things done when the universe doesn't throw a curve ball. This was one of those times.
    My eldest has named the doll after herself - Gwen.

This Is Where It Is At

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

   
 Today I feel a bit of momentum returning:

• After a few days of languid blahs I finally began designing a new doll.

• I gave up on a crochet pizza project, which was warping on me even though I was following the instructions. Oh well! So I have decided to sew felty pizza slices instead.

• I just finished reading My Life is a Toilet, written by Gretel Killeen. Funny as!

• I have Module 5 of my photography course to read and work through.
• And yeah!

The Shoes Don't Fit

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

    My eldest loves to wear my shoes. As young as she is, it really won't be long before her feet can fit properlly into these.

Light of the Moon

    Several evenings ago we had a brilliant moon. Although my current lens has a limited range [EFS18-135mm] I couldn't resist the urge to take some photos of the moon and the night sky.
    Interesting thing to note... in the first photo you can see a reflected silhouette of the moon. And you can actually see some of the moons shadowy detail.

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.



Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

A Possibility


    A couple of times in the past few years I have commissioned the talented doll maker, Evie Barrow to make pirate princess dolls for my daughters. And now I have thought up the perfect way to display these dolls in my daughters' bedroom - a wall mounted shelf that looks like a pirate ship.
    This project would need me to use carpentry skills which I do not yet have. But I am so keen to make this shelf that I'm willing to learn a bit of the trade.


Drawing by Melissa Gaggiano.




Model by Melissa Gaggiano.

 

    The following are the pirate dolls created by one of my most favourite designers, the delovely Evie Barrow.

Tip of the Day: Look out for Evie's Bearded Men brooches.

The Pink, the Orange & the Grey

    Last week I was doodling some clothing concepts, very much inspired by the pink and orange colours that pop up in some Moroccan interior and exterior design.

Fashion illustration by Melissa Gaggiano.

Fashion illustration by Melissa Gaggiano.

Fashion illustration by Melissa Gaggiano.

Fashion illustration by Melissa Gaggiano.

Fairies

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

    When I was a little girl I love to close my eyes just enough so that I could still see out through the blur of my eyelashes. The best time do this was at night when the street and city lights switched on. One time I was a passenger in a car at night and I did this. The street lights were like floating, dancing orbs of light. Magical. I used to imagine that these orbs of light were fairies. Actually I didn't just imagine it. I believed it.
    And now with the Christmas tree all set up and the decorative lights switched on, I close my eyes, just a little bit. Once again I can see my dancing fairies doing their thing.