Sweet!

Once again this year I am participating in the Lort Smith Animal Hospital fundraising campaign "Party for Strays."

Lort Smith Animal Hospital helps over 100,000 animals every year.

Their campaign 'Party for Strays' helps to create awareness in the community and raises significant funds to save the lives of animals in dire need of medical treatment and loving homes.

The lovely Leigh and Laura over at That's Noice blog wrote a post about my little party cupcake charms I am selling to raise money for Lort Smith.

They describe their blog as an Aussie-centric blog full of things considered awesome,

and I agree. They show and discuss lots of great items from toe socks to cupcakes and I am so honoured to be mentioned on their wonderful blog. Thanks ladies.

My cupcake charms can be purchased here.

They are only $20 each. 100% of sales goes to Lort Smith and postage is FREE!

It's for such a great cause so head on over, purchase a cupcake charm and Party for their lives!

x Narelle

Stitches & Craft Show

(click image to make bigger)

In August, 19th to 23rd Madeit attended the Sydney Stitches & Craft Show.

Bec organised a booth & displayed a range of beautiful handmade products picked from crafters that have stores on the Madeit website.

I was lucky enough to have my daisy studs chosen to be displayed alongside all of the other talented people that were accepted.

The Stitches & Craft show is Australia's longest-running craft show, it had:

• Craft Bars: where you could learn a new project in under 30 minutes
• Reconstruction Zones: Where you could take a garment and re-fashion it on the spot
• Handmade Nation: watch a film about the DIY craft and design movement in the US
• Studios: presented by craft retailers
• Fashion Parades: Wardrobe Refashion & Burdastyle
• Inspiration: Lots of pop up displays around the show for you to be inspired by

Phew, I would have had a ball!

Some of the fab things on the Madeit stall were:

In the yellow box the Little Babushka Doll - Little Wise Owl

In the pink box the Little Blue Shoes - LoveBird

In the red box the Daisy Studs - Narelle

In the blue box the Madeit Recipe-zine edition 1 - Madeit

So click on the links & get shopping!

A big 'Thank you' to Bec for doing such a wonderful job on getting Madeit out there & for the amazing opportunity it gives all the talented crafters/artists around Australia.

x Narelle

Prepping for market

This week I have been busy in the studio getting some pieces made for a market on Sunday.

As scary as it sounds, I did actually want to have a few of my Christmas lines ready to go as well, but they will have to wait for the one next month.

The pieces on my bench at the moment (seen in the photo) are small bezels that I will be using to make resin & paper dangly earrings.

I have some smaller ones made too for studs, but they were a little shy and hid in the pickle when the camera came out!

x Narelle

Finally!

I have a store on Etsy!

Okay, well I opened a store on Etsy back in August 2007 but I have only just got around to listing a few items.

I guess I just felt that I'd get lost amongst all the other beautiful items for sale, especially in the jewellery section.

Then I thought 'what the hey' may as well give it a go and already I've been quite surprised.

I've had a few looks & someone has even hearted an item.

I have so many photographs to take of new items I need to get listed in all three of my stores but there is never enough time left in the day.

Fingers crossed tonight I'll get a couple of hours to take some pics before I have to go off to work.

Which is something I really need to think about. Night shift just doesn't seen to be working for me anymore, it's making me so tired I have no energy left for the day to be creative.

Okay, away goes the violin, enough of the sob stories. I'm off to finish a couple of orders.

x Narelle

Truly touched

A few weeks ago I completed a custom order for a gorgeous customer.

It wasn't a complicated piece, but I think it came out really elegant.

It was a double sided charm so I got to use 2mm sterling sheet, which I love because it's so thick & chunky!

Once I packaged it up & sent it off I emailed my client to let her know it was on it's way.

She replied to my email with the story of what this piece represents & a little information on its meaning to her.

Every day since, I have thought about that piece.

It may have been rather simplistic in design.

It may have not have taken me days or weeks to make like some pieces do.

But that charm now sits as one of my biggest accomplishments.

Thank you to all that have let me share a little in their lives & to allow me to make a special keepsake for their memories.

x Narelle

To all the Dad's....

"Happy Father's Day!"

I hope you all have a fantastic day & hope you enjoy all the ties you receive!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To my dad:

Words can't express what you mean to me.

You have always been there for me, standing proudly by my side.

You are the most caring, sharing, unselfish, funny, supportive man in my life & I am truly blessed to have you, not only as a father but as my friend.

You are the best male role model a girl could ever look up to & I will continue to look up to you forever.

You are an inspiration & I am so proud to be your daughter.

I love you.

x Tot

My Contribution

The button swap went really well. Reading through all the participants blog's there was a lot of gorgeous handmade goodies shared by all.

Thanks again for everyone that participated. There's nothing better than receiving a beautifully wrapped parcel on your doorstep, knowing that so much love & thought went into each piece.

Above is what I made for Caryn of Smooch designs, you can visit her store here & blog here.

I made a sterling silver button necklace from flat sheet & blackened it a little to give it that old rustic, found button look.

I had 2 gorgeous coloured pink buttons that I wanted to use, so I made some bezel cups for them to sit in. I stamped & domed 2 circles, soldered some prongs onto them so they would stand up above the buttons - like they were floating.

Then I filled the entire cups with clear resin. I think they turned out pretty well & making them has given me a few more ideas to play with.

I blanket stitched a little pouch to put everything in, which I'm now kinda embarrassed about because Caryn is an amazing seamstress & my sewing skills are not the best!

Overall it was really great fun & I look forward to the next one.

x Narelle

My parcel!

Yay!

Over on the Made-it website forum, I organised the 2nd button swap.
Same rules as last time - 2 x crafty projects involving buttons
- 1 x bag of 30 buttons

My gorgeous parcel of goodness was sent to me by Jacqueline (zippyzippy) and you can visit her store here and her blog here.

She sent me a beautiful hand-made book cover, the sewing is perfection at its best. The fabrics she used are adorable and it's padded!
Jacqueline was also kind enough to include a visual diary inside it and it happens to be the exact type I use - double yay!

I also got a hand-made/sewn card that will be perfect for a friend's birthday that's coming up and I got 30 of some of the cutest buttons I've seen.

Even the presentation of the parcel was well thought about, all colour themed and gorgeous.

ThAnK YoU JaCqUeLiNe! I love it all.

Soon I will post what I sent my recipient.
Unfortunately I was a little tardy with my parcel but it will definately arrive on her doorstep tomorrow.

x Narelle