Yummy - LOVE In My Tummy!

OMG ..... do you you die?.....these cupcakes look totally amazingly delicious!  They are courtesy of the super website by Ming Thompson - "Ming Makes Cupcakes" where you can find a total of 33 mouth watering recipes for Cupcakes and a selection of Cookie and Savory recipes too! ......I'm thinking these could be apart of my Handmade Christmas....eh, eh?  YUM, thanks Ming!

I CHALLENGE You!

I've done something quite crazy (I think)  I have made the pledge to make 2010 a totally Handmade Christmas!!  ....eeeeek.  I came across this challenge at the Knicky Knacks blog via Honey Jumble (super blog BTW) who has also taken the plunge. 

The idea is to buy and/or make handmade items only for all of your Christmas gifts.  It is quite exciting, if not a little nerve racking, and I think perhaps it's just the thing I need to keep the creative juices flowing!  Every week up until Christmas, on the Knicky Knacks blog, you are invited to share your projects, ideas, purchases etc. 
I will keep you posted on what I create over the next few months til Christmas......(this year is going too quickly!).....
 

.......and I invite you too to join in the Handmade Christmas Challenge!  Do let me know if you join up and we can panic together.......hee,hee,he... xxx

LOVE-lace

I'm just about to get started on my Victorian Cuff for my swap buddy Robin.  These are some inspiring images to get me going.....

image from here

image from here

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Craft Supplies = Craftumi

craftumi

Just discovered CRAFTUMI!  They sell craft type goodies online for all us creatives out there....YAY!

Sprung

Spring has sprung in Sydney today......so lovely!

bunny from here

Eye Spy.....

As promised here is a little sneak peek at my apron for Shawnee's #11 Flirty Apron Swap!......

I am sending off my parcel today.  Its all wraped-up nice and cosy in its little box (not too squished I hope).

The AMAZING Cupcake Bake-Off Bonanza!!

It was RSPCA Cupcake Day today and I just wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone who ordered cupcakes and made a donation!
For most of Sunday my sister and I were up to our eye balls in cake and icing - we made 120 cupcakes altogether (minus a few for "quality control" purposes of course) and we totally sold out - YAY!  We had soooo much fun baking up a storm, here are some pictures of our efforts.......

 

* The SKETCHBOOK Project *

I was feeling quite down today ..... until I came across The SKETCHBOOK Project via Design*Sponge.  It's a awesome idea from the Art House Co-op.  Anyone from around the world can take part - to participate and have them send you a moleskine sketchbook that will go on tour, start by choosing a theme.

Project details are:
Sign up by:   October 31st 2010

Post your Sketchbook by:  January 15th, 2011

Tour starts:  March, 2011

After the tour, all the sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Art Library.  You can choose to have your sketchbook on digital record too.

YAY to the max!  I am so excited to take part!  The theme I chose is "If you lived here......"  I can't wait to get my sketchbook.....

The Blank Canvas

The Brooklyn Art Library

 

 

 

 

Sketchbooks Arranged in Theme Categories

Victorian Cuff Swap

Now that I'm on the Swapping Band Wagon I just can't get off!    I've just joined the Victorian Cuff Swap (yay) hosted by Hungry Hippie.

The Victorian era was quite ornate as you can see from the pictures below ruffles, bows and lace were in abundance ...

I LOVE this boot.  I especially love the scalloped edging around the little seed buttons.

SPOONFLOWER

Have you heard about Spoonflower?  My sister introduced me to their website and all I can say is HOORAY!

Spoonflower specialise in creating custom fabric, all you have to do is upload your designs!  There is no minimum order and no set-up fees and they have quite a good selection of natural fibre base fabrics to choose from.

And, most importantly, they ship all over the world  *happy dance*

You can also make your designs public and sell directly from your Spoonflower account. 

Check out some of the beautiful designs below by Isabelle of Trois Miettes and Holli Zollinger...... 

birdhouse by Trois Miettes

 daffodil_yellow by Holli Zollinger

  
I can't wait to start designing my own fabrics.  I'm beside myself with glee!!

Flirty Apron Swap

Yesterday I joined Shawnee's Flirty Apron Swap!  This is my first ever swap and I am very excited to take part.  I've heard that swapping is heaps of fun..........so hear goes...

The them is as follows:  

"Create a handmade apron package based on "Back to the Future"! Your apron can be movie-themed, 50's retro, 80's pop, or Futuristic!"

I've chosen 50's RETRO as my theme.   Check out some of these cute pictures I found for inspiration...

Stay tuned to see what I come up with........(any suggestions welcome).

Operation NICE

Today I joined Operation NICE!  I came across this blog through "a little hut" and it is a  really wonderful place.  I have to admit, I had started to believe that people these days were only looking out for themselves and noone really showed courtesy and kindness towards strangers anymore.....

How wrong I was!.....Operation NICE is all about just that - being nice and "encouraging others to be proactively nice".

There are lots of inspiring stories to read and ideas on how to bring a little bit of NICE into life!

Cupcake Day for the RSPCA

image couresy of here.

One of the great loves of my life is my gorgeous doggie Daisy.  Another great love is making (and eating) CUPCAKES!  Now what do these two things have in common you might ask?  Well, my sister and I are raising money for the RSPCA though their Cupcake day scheme.

The Royal Society for the Provention of Cruely to Animals does AMAZING work for all creatures great and small so place an order for some super scrummy cupcakes (if you are in Sydney) or any kind of donation you can make would be just wonderful!

A little about the RSPCA:  Every year the RSPCA NSW cares for and protects our state's neglected, abused, injured and strayed animals.  Last year a staggering 46,558 animals came to the RSPCA NSW for help.  The RSPCA is NOT an agency of the Australian Government and therefore relies on the generosity of the community to continue its vital daily work.

Have Trolley - Will Shop, Part 1

BEFORE .......(stay tuned for "AFTER")

I am in the process of moving house and I now live just a short stroll to the shops....yay!  So in my pursuit to be more creative I thought that I would spruce up an ordinary IKEA basket and turn it into a shopping trolley (while very practical, I've never been a big fan of those ones that look all plastic).   Hopefully it will turn out uber stylish and not just look like a basket strapped onto wheels!  Wish me luck ....

First Ever Post...........eek!

image courtesy of the amazing www.reinatakahashi.com

Hello and welcome to Love Dove blog!  This is my first ever post and I am really excited to have it up - finally.  First, a little about me: I was once a fashion designer, but for the last few years I have been working as an office assistant and.......I've had my fill!  I miss the creativity the most and I find that life has lost some sparkle since I stopped designing.  I've come to realise it is such a huge part of who I am (I have, however also realised in my little sojourn that fashion wasn't really my true love and that my passion has altered slightly into that of interior textiles).

I decided to start writing this blog to help get me back on my creative path.  After straying for a little while, it is time to get back into it and realise my dream of living a fantastically fulfilling and creative life - although I am finding it easier said than done.

I would LOVE any suggestions you might have, perhaps you might like to share some of your favourite crafty/artsy projects to help inspire me??  

So, on that note I invite you to follow me on what I hope to be super creative escapades (with a bit of everyday life thrown in for good measure)!