Super Soft & Squishy!

Well I can't say that the rain and clouds have left us yet, but the sun did manage to poke out from behind the rather dark grey clouds just enough to take a few photos again. As promised, the results of playing on the drum carder again...

"Autumn"

"Lilly"

"Atlantis"

For a bit of a change, I didn't use purple except for a tiny bit in the "Atlantis" batts. I think it was the day for pinks, oranges and lime green! Goes to show colours other than purple look good too, Lol! These three colour lots are all Alpaca and Silk, Tussah Silk in the "Autumn" and "Lilly" and Mulberry Silk in the "Atlantis". I quite like the little silky sparkle that the silk adds to the already bright colours. They are all now available in my shop or click on the shop tab above.

Just playing with the colours has inspired me to spin, so I might just break out the spindles and find some fibre to spin :-)

Thanks for looking!
Happy Crafting!
Liz :-)

Spining Spring Fibres...

With the first week of September, comes the first week of Spring in Oz. But while it might be Spring, the cold and cloudy week with rain here and there kind of makes you think Winter is still here. But the sun tried to poke it's head out today which was a good excuse to play with some colours and take some photos.

I have decided to start another spinning project for this month. I know I have quiet a few still in progress from a while back, but I felt like starting Spring with fresh fibre. I had a Liz Green Arts Ice Cream Sundae Braid called "Blueberry" that has been sitting in my stash from a while and decided it was time I stopped admiring it and started to spin it! So I started with this...

... which I then blended (minus the silk and a bit of the bamboo) on the drum carder to create these super silky soft and squishy batts...

... and this is the spinning progress so far...

I really do love spinning merino and/or alpaca with some bamboo blended in. It really makes the yarn shine and so very soft and silky. I also love the little chunks of silky bamboo, it adds a nice subtle texture to the singles.

Today, I managed to play on the drum carder, my fibery canvas for blending colours and different types of fibres together and see what happens. These cute little mini batts are the result:

 I also have some more buckets full of fluff for some more batts, but I will have to wait for the sun to come out again to take some nice photos.

I also managed to make a few sets of stitch markers this week...

As always, these cute mini batts and stitch markers are available in my shop.

I hope you have had a creative start to September too :)
Enjoy!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 30

DAY 30

The last day of August and also the official last day of my Creative Life Challenge. Looking back over the last month, I have learnt that creativity can come in many forms and one thing can lead to something unexpected. But most importantly, as hard as it is to get into the habbit of daily creativity, 5 minutes is all it takes, which really can make a big difference. 

There were a few speed bumps along the way, and a couple of days missed, but that is ok. Real life can get in the way of living sometimes, but only through recognition can we do something to change it. As tempting as it was to give up or put the challenge on hold till it could be sorted out, I realised that taking the 5 minutes to do something creative can actually make it easier to deal with the chaos in the long term. I guess being a little bit creative each day, in any of its forms, kind of makes you stop and smell the roses a bit, and you kind of live life instead of just existing through it. Now I look at my spin 365 challenge in a new light, and I'm keen to have another go at this year long challenge. Who said you have to start on January 1st?

I think it is important though, to step outside of the comfort zone now and again and try something new. It kind of helps to get you out of the rut and can reignite the spark in favorite activites. When I first started to spindle spin, I nearly always had a spindle permentaly in my hands. When life was thrown into total chaos these last few months, I forgot to make time to spin, and I forgot the joy of doing something I love. I know now that this joy balances out the chao in life, but I had to try patchwork to get back into spinning. 

So I shall see what September brings. Hopefully, I'll still be living a more creative life!

Thanks for joining me, I hope you had fun!

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 27, 28 & 29

DAY 27, 28 & 29

After spending the day running around for day 27 , I turned to what seems to be my current creative trend - I polished off another book. It was "New Moon", the next logical choice after "Twilight". Day 28 was cold and raining again, and it should come as no surprise that "Eclipse" was soon devoured. Today, day 29, was finally a sunny one, and walking passed the early blossoms on the fruit trees soon had me inspired to spin. With "Breaking Dawn" on in the background, I soon drifted into "the zone" and was quite pleased with my spinning progress.

I am starting to wonder why I'm reading so many books at the moment, but I think it is starting to pay off. As I listen to the words, and I'm transported to another world living through adventures, thoughts and words are starting to stir. I managed to write several pages today inbetween spinning and plying.

I try to write everyday, but often I find a time at some point in the year a bit of a challenge to keep writing. Occasionally a day gets missed throughout a particular month (this was last month), then the next month (this month), turns into the occasional day of writing. I don't know why this happens, but throughout the many years that I have been writing, there always seems to be one or two months at some point during the year where it all seems to fall apart. If nothing else, the constant challenge to do something creative every day this month has found me turning to books more, which in turn has helped to inspire my writing again, an unexpected positive.

Tomorrow is the last day of my offical challenge, the end of the month and the end of Winter here in Australia. Is there anything special you like to do at the end of the month? Do you reflect back on the month? Do you prepare and plan for the next month? Or do you go with the flow and see where it takes you?

Until tomorrow,
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 26

DAY 26

Well today didn't start out the way I had hoped, and the rain was no help.

The first discovery, was the Blue crocheted blanket that I had started a week or so back, had started to unravel in the bag I had carted it around in. With a little annoyance, I went about crocheting the navy round again while listening to "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer.

The second discovery, was the last 4 days of "Creative Life Challenge" posts that I had written had saved as drafts instead of publishing. Grrr! With the remote internet reseption, and the rain and storms the last few days, it hadn't been a strong enough connection to post properly. So forgive me for the bombarding of posts today :-(

So after these two setbacks, I decided to try and focus on something different, to try and find something more positive to finish up the day. As weird as it may seem, I had been perusing the net for tangling and drawing ideas, primarily Pinterest, when I was inspired to knit! How I managed to make that connection, I have no idea. So I worked on a nice simple shawl WIP as I finished listening to Twilight.

Can you recall a weird day where things seemed to just go wrong? Did you manage to find something positive in that day? What are some of the things you do when you try to search for something more positive on these days? Maybe you could make a list for the future...

Happy Knitting!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 25

DAY 25

Today went rather slow to start with, but quickly picked up as things started to stack up on top of each other. Funny how time seems to fly when you have so many things to do.

Needless to say, I turned to my audio books to be a little bit creative. "Sanctuary" by Jenny Carroll was the first book I read today, closely followed by "Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas" by James Patterson, a rather powerfully written book.

The 5 balancing balls principle mentioned in this second book is quite a life lesson, one I realise I had been trying to figure out, yet hadn't had it put in such simple terms. The idea is that you have 5 balls you need to juggle in the air in order to keep your life balanced, each one an aspect of your life - Work, Health, Family, Friends and Integrity. As you work through life, you will discover that life is a rubber ball - when you drop it, it bounces back. The other 4 are however like glass and need to be treated with care. So simple, yet an effective example.


Having already read the "Hobbit" and "The Lord Of The Rings" series, that brings my book total to 9 so far in the last two week. I must be on a book roll or something...

Have you ever been on a roll with something? Books, craft, gardening or otherwise? It's nice when you are on a flow...

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 24

DAY 25

Today was not a great day time wise. An unexpected turn of events soon put everything into chaos. Once things resumed some sort of normalcy later in the afternoon, it was a mad scramble to try and get everything done. Unable to even think of something creative to do, I ended up listening to another book, "Safe House", the next book in the 1800 series I have been reading. At this rate, the small reading challenge I had set myself earlier in the month, (read 52 books before the end of the year), was likely to be completed well before the end of the year.

Have you set yourself a reading challenge this year? Or have you set yourself a reading challenge in the past? Was it successful or were there any challenges?

Happy Reading!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 23

DAY 23

It looked like a promising day with the sun shinning, so I took the opportunity to plant out some strawberries that had managed to survive the bitter cold winter. I ended up planting them in front of the berry vines that I had planted out earlier in the month. But as I was putting the last handful of mulch around the strawberry plants, it started to rain. Typical! I ducked out of the rain, hoping it might stop so I could continue pottering in the veggie garden and take a photo, but it had settled in. So, while I worked on some indoor chores, I managed to listen to the next book in the 1800 series by Jenny Carroll, "Code Name Cassandra". Nothing like a book to be creative.

Do you have a favorite book author or is there a series that you like to read again and again?

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 22

DAY 22

It was a crazy day today, running around doing things, a hint of the week ahead. About the only creative thing that I managed to do was plant some trees... just before the rain, not exactly photo weather. I then listened to "When Lightning Strikes" by Jenny Carroll, a perfect rainy weather activity, reading books.

So, it's a short and sweet report for day 22. Do you have activities that you like to do when it rains?

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 21

DAY 21

Well today was interesting...

It is about the 2/3 mark of a challenge that I struggle to keep going, kind of like hitting a brick wall. Does anyone else have a "brick wall" point when they are trying to acieve something?

I did manage to do some more spinning, with many cups of tea in the process, but forgot to take a photo. It wasnt much again, but maybe tomorrow will bring more creative inspiration.

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 19 & 20

DAY 19

Well after spending yesterday running around doing things, it was kind of no surprise that I didn't get a chance to be creative. So, short and sweet, another day of no creativity for the challenge so far...

DAY 20 

Today was mixed. I don't know if much was actually achieved, as there was a great deal of running around again. But, determined not to make it another missed day, in the final hours of the day, I managed to do a little spinning. Tomorrow is looking hopeful :-)

Did you find 5mins today to be creative? Remember, it only take 5mins to be creative!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 18

DAY 18

Well after the disaster, I decided to fall back on something I know well, kind of like my go-to craft. I figured if I started there I might be able to get back into the creative grove.

Originally when I started to do arts and crafts, I worked with beads and wire. So I figured that sitting quietly in the sun with some beads, tools and pins and making stitch markers was a good place to start. I think I got a little hooked, as these sets were the results...

After that I was inspired to play with some colour on the drum carder again. So I did. It was no surprise that the first batt I made was purple! Seems to be my go-to colour. I'm quite happy with the results really, I mean, don't they just inspire you to want to spin?

So is it no surprise that I ended up doing some spinning as a follow up to the batts. I just couldn't resist the temptation of the colours and the squishiness of the fibre batts.

Do you have a go-to craft of a favorite medium that you fall back on when you feel like you need to start again from scratch? If you get stuck on being creative, maybe this is a good place to start and then see where it takes you. Who knows, you may end up doing something you never thought to do!

Enjoys!
Liz :-)

P.S. The stitch markers and the batts are now available in my shop :-) Thank you for stopping by!

Creative Life Challenge - Day 17

DAY 17

Well day 17 brought chaos. It seemed that everything that I was trying to do just went wrong. First I was going to work on my Quilt at craft group, but forgot my cutter and board t cut some more strips. Thinking I was fortunate I had brought the pieces to do my Book cover, I wound the bobbin and got  ready to sew - No top thread! In total frustration I put it all away and pulled out a hand sewing project that I keep for such emergencies.

The project is a little mouse pin cushion. I had finished adding the embellishments to the body and just had the ears to finish. So, failing everything else I had tried to do, I finished the ears and then stitched the body ready to stuff when I got home.

Patchwork, to an extent, is a little out of my comfort zone. I am still learning the techniques and while I am enjoying it, maybe me forgetting half of the things I needed was telling me something. Maybe I'll try going back to something I know well for Day 18.

I hope your day was more creative than mine!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 16

DAY 16

Short and sweet today. In complete contrast to yesterday it was cold, wet and windy, a reminder that it is still winter for now. I didn't get much done today, just two stitchmarker sets. I think I must have been thinking of winter when I chose the colours, cool colours. In between the rain I managed to snag a pic of the garden from yesterday. I wonder what will inspire me tomorrow.

Until next then,
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 15

DAY 15

Today was another lovely sunny day, too good a day to stay inside. So for something a bit different I got into the veggie garden. Spring is just around the corner and with the warmer weather comes the start of the weeding. It was a good day to see how the veggies are growing and to prepare the beds for the next round of planting. With a little help, I managed to top up an unused bed with soil and plant the berry vines and canes I had brought last week. Thinking about it now, I should have taken a before photo, as it was in much need of attention after all the rain. I didn't take a photo when we finished either, as by that time the sun had set and it was getting dark. I'll try and take a couple in the morning if I think to.

I was originally going to card some more batts today, but I guess it goes to show that you never know where you will end up and what you will feel inspired to do. Creativity comes in many forms, and I guess today it came in the form of gardening! I hope the sun was shinning for you today too.

Until tomorrow,
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 14

DAY 14

The sun was shinning today and it was a perfect day for photos and for inspiration. It felt like for just a moment that spring really is just around the corner. Just the thought, is inspiring. Thinking of the flowers that will soon bloom, kind of inspired the colours I used today.

While it isn't quite hot enought to dye, I finally got around to playing on the drum carder, so there are a few more mini batts in my shop. I also managed to create some more Ice Cream Sundae braids, especially as the two I made the otherday were quickly snatched up. I also found some beads I liked and made them into some stitch markers, they are kind of addictive once you start. So with the much enjoyed time and fun I had today, I have only added a few photos here, more are via my shop above.

I hope you had a creative day today and enjoyed the sunshine!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 12 & 13

DAY 12

Yesterday was not a creative one, but it wasn't until this morning that I realised that I had not done anything creative, or written my blog post...

DAY 13

So today was more productive, and I managed to finish spinning up a pink and orange yarn and wash both it and the purple green. Both of these, and a merino silk mini batt I also created today, will be available soon in my shop. I wonder what the weekend will bring...

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 11

DAY 11

Short and sweet today. I managed a bit of crochet and had an interesting writing session this morning. Other than that, my mind seemed to wonder. I wonder what tomorrow might bring... I hope the day was creative for you!

Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 10

DAY 10

A lovely day today in front of first the spinning wheel, where hardly a dint was made in a braid of fibre, and then the sewing machine. I had more luck with the sewing machine and managed to sew down all the scraps of fabric I had pinned together to create a cover for my sketch book. I'm quite happy with the piece so far, but much more decoration is to be done before it is finished. Needless to say time kind of got away before I got to the drum carder. Maybe tomorrow...

How was your day? Did you manage to find something around you to inspire you?

Until tomorrow, Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 9

DAY 9

Well it was another cold and cloudy day, not exactly inspiring weather. But even with the clouds, I managed to create some new "Ice Cream Sundae" braids for my shop. I have been having a lot of fun with these of late, and it was great fun creating a few more. Needless to say, they won't be the last! I also have a few more mini batts on the way, but maybe I can have fun with those tomorrow :-)


Happy Creativing!
Liz :-)

Liz Green Arts "Silver Amethyst" Ice Cream Sundae Braid 150g

Liz Green Arts "Choc Chip" Ice Cream Sundae Braid 150g

Creative Life Challenge - Day 8

DAY 8

I would like to have had another really creative day again today, but unfortunately this blog post is as creative as it got. I don't know if it was because it was Sunday, and a need for rest, or the clouds that came over in the afternoon. I did manage to have a hunt at a shop and picked up a new big dyepot, but once it started to get cold not long after I got home, that was where the enthusiasm stopped. I did contemplate making some more batts early on, but again the cold... maybe tomorrow... after all, who can resist playing with colours!

I hope your day was creative even if mine wasn't that much.
Remeber, there is always tomorrow!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 7

DAY 7

The weather was a little brighter today and it is amazing how a bit of sunshine and good company can inspire creativity. I did a bit of spinning on two spindles that I had started a while back, both purplish of course. Then I blended a batt with lots of colours and started to spin that on a new spindle to show a friend. And then I showed another friend how to navajo ply using a spindle from the bobbin I did a few days back. So it was an exciting day with a surprising amount of spinning.

I really do love spinning on a spindle when awat from home. I love how portable and compact it is, and really it is easy to whip it out at different places and have a quick spin. It is amazing how quickly your crop can grow.

Is there a craft that you love but haven't had the chance to do for a while? Maybe you might be able to find a few moments to do something you love.

Happy creating!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 6

DAY 6

Today was a very productive day with lots of sewing (and concentration!) with a friend, and many cuppas in between. I did a bit of work on my quilt and then started to design a patchwork cover for my next art journal. It is amazing what a few scaps of material can create. I still have lots of sewing to do on it, but the design is well on the way. You can probably tell by now that I have a thing for purple/blue/teal at the moment. They are my kind of colours, and even though they are cool colours, they make me smile and are a "warm" delight to work with.

Do you have a favorite colour that you tend to work with more than others? Why do you love this colour? Find something that inspires you in your favorite colour!

Happy creating!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 5

DAY 5

I would have liked to have gotten more done today, but I am great full for the few moments of creativity that I did managed to find. The plied yarn from yesterday has been skeined, which will be washed before it is made available for purchace, and I managed to spin a few langths on my spindle, an old spin-in-progress. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little more productive, but I'm happy that I was still creative today, even with limited free time.

Were you creative today? If so, was the something that inspired you?

Happy creativity!
Liz :-)

Creative Life Challenge - Day 4

DAY 4

Today was not a very creative one. I spent most of the morning trying to write something creative. But the words just didn't seem to come. I spent the afternoon with a dear friend and she gave me a little inspiration. It was just enough to give me the momentum when I got home to ply the singles I did a few days ago. It's an interesting result, but only a skein will show the true colours. Maybe tomorrow :-) baby steps ...

I hope your day was creative too.
Hugs,
Liz xx

Creative Life Challenge - Day 3

DAY 3

It was an unexpected day today but a surprisingly productive one. I had a wonderful day with some lovely ladies and got the sewing machine out and worked on a quilt that had been a little neglicted. While the fabrics were plain, they were bright and colourful and were a joy to work with again. While there were many cups of tea in between rows of sewing, it was a lovely time sewing with friends on a cold winters day :-)

I hope you found a few moments to be creative today.
Hugs,
Liz xx

Creative Life Challenge - Day 2

DAY 2

So far, so good. I ended up surprising myself today by filling a bobbin! I was originally going to ply the two singles I spun the last two days, but I walked past a braid of purple and orange merino that I had dyed a while back. I have often admired it, but never done anything with it. Not wanting to pass up the creative spark, I took the opportunity and sat quietly and spun, listening to "The Lord Of The Rings, The Fellowship Of The Ring" as I twisted the fibres into singles.

There is something so soothing in the rythmic sound of a spinning wheel. Sometimes it is almost as if you are spinning your worries away as the twist locks the fibres together and is then fed onto the bobbin. What I find exciting is watching the colours change as the fibres slip through your fingers. To me, that is where the magic is in spinning.

How did you go today? Did you find a few moments to be creative? Don't be too hard on yourself if you didn't get the chance, it will come.

Until tomorrow,

Happy Creating!
Liz xx

Creative Life Challenge - Day 1

I have been a little quiet over the last couple of months. Life has been chaos and many times turned up-side-down. While I have spent much time in contemplation, with everything going on I barely had time to be creative. I realise now how important that creativity was.

I realise, not for the first time over the last few months, that life is short. If I have taken nothing away from these months, it is that we need to be creative everyday, even if it is just for a few moments.

The moment that I began to write, draw, sew and to spin soft fibres again, I suddenly realised that I had been missing something magical - Living Life.

I have therefore come up with a little challenge to help get my creative mojo back, and hopefully help others. A month long challenge to be creative everyday, even if it is only for a few moments. Let us see where the month takes us...

As I missed posting yesterday, this is the spinning that sparked the idea...

And this is what I managed to do today...

It may not be much, but it is a start :-)


Let us see what tomorrow brings...
Happy creating!
Liz xx

P.S. I have also update my shop with a few new items, here is a taste!

For more Fibre, Yarn and supplies, please click the shop tab above :-)
Thank you for looking!