And so! It begins!

So really, I think all would agree that I've been sitting on my plans for long enough. Which plans? The plans to open up my own Etsy store! Heck!
All semester I told myself that the holidays were the time to do it. And it's the holidays. And you know what? I want to do it. I'm edging closer and closer toward the goal. I've made a handful of these little felt creatures, and the more I do it, the more ideas I get, and the more I want to do it!

(Making days like today, when I'm stuck at work till 4.30, ultra painful!!)

The much-groovin' Andrew (super dude, and with a hot design company!) is creating me a logo and a little swing tag for my creations. I've reserved my Etsy account username. I'm getting ready to learn all about postage costs.

And then? And then?

Button Factory will be officially alive!!!! And hopefully kicking, in time.
I don't have huge expectations, but y'know - why put it off? Maybe I'll make a sale in the first 2 months, maybe I won't. But at least I'll be trying - and I'll havea great reason to keep on creating!

I'm super excited about my new little friends... emphasis on the little! I'm delving into the creation of miniature versions of my designs. This morning before work I got started on a teensy pink whale. I think he's going to be a little bit cute. I can't WAIT to finish him!

In the meantime, I have to stick out my 9-4.30 day (hooray for being owed half an hour!)

My ultra plan is to finish little whale friend before Kat & Hatti head over for dinner tonight... Pining away here....

Etsy La-ha-huv

Nope, it's not some exotic-sounding function on the super-uper-duper site Etsy, La-ha-huv is simply the word "Love" stretched out over 3 syllables :)
But speaking of Etsy La-ha-huv, I'm in it. I'm in love! I've discovered my new favourite seller of the moment. Her name is Katie and her store is skunkboycreatures. Freakin' adorable stuff....


Ella the owl!



Henry the Pig!

Penelope the Elephant!

Marbles the Penguin!

*sigh* I want one soooo badly!! Can't pick a favourite between Marbles and Ella... but I have enough will-power to ensure all that there will be no immediate purchases. However, if someone were to surprise me with one... ;)

That's all, along with a promise to update this thing more often. For the 1-2 people who read it :D

To Actually Do It...

It's 2008, I'm now 22 years old, and I think it can be acknowledged I've had my fair share of experiences, dreams, inspirations & such. I've gone through phases where I was content working in a pie shop, times where I've been so desperate to find something to do with my life that my heart ached, and the odd period where I've found a new dream every week. January 2008 seems to be much of a dream-per-week kinda month for me. The latest burning desire? To create. Thanks to Spotlight and Art Shed, both conveniently placed around the corner from the lovely office I work at, I've even attempted a couple of bits and pieces here and there. 2 cupcake paintings. A little triptych of a bird on a cherry blossom. Drawings and colourings-in that drive me nuts because I can't seem to get it right. How can I want to do something so badly, yet have so many bad attempts?

Last night I settled on the fact that in order to create, I need to be inspired. To see something I want a part of, and take it and use it. I half-heartedly went through an old Dolly magazine, hoping to see something whimsical in the fashion spread, but it was just a grinning blonde girl in a white cardi at the beach. White cardis don't inspire me and surprisingly, the beach doesn't often either. So plan A failed miserably and I went to bed!!

Today I woke up and decided that if I want to create so badly, maybe I should actually push myself. I talk about wanting to paint and draw and make things pretty much every day, so much so that the creating process itself takes a back seat. So my (albeit a little late) new year's resolution is... to start AND finish one drawing per day.

This morning on the way to work I even picked out my inspiration. I was parked at the traffic lights and this lady walked past in a rainbow coloured dress, holding an umbrella (in full Aussie Summer sunshine) and carrying a tote bag with writing all over it. So today's task is to capture that look. So far I've got the umbrella :)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RAINBOW ROSES!!!???

At first I thought they were fake silk flowers, but apparently they're the latest craze since this guy in Amsterdam came up with this special dye-ing technique.

I think it's love....

I said YES!!

And I have a pretty sparkly diamond ring to show for it... Yay!!!
As if Christmas Eve wasn't already my favourite day of the year
*happy sigh*

A Stupid Fly....

One word to describe me right now?

.PATHETIC.

So there's this fly crawling along my desk and he's not well. I kinda bat at him gently with my fingers and he mostly just hops around. Yeh, he's dying slowly. His existence as a pesky flying little beast is officially over. So I pick him up, thinking "Well, he's going to die anyway, I may as well just throw him in the fish tank and let the fish have a treat"
I dip my finger in the water and am about to shake the little guy off me when I feel totally guilty about the fact that I've put him seconds away from a violent demise (getting eaten by 3 tetras is never pretty, I've watched it happen to 2 goldfish. Blech)
So after a few seconds of trying to will him to crawl into the water himself, I decide he's not ready to die and put him up on the bench above my desk so he can have a nice view of the world.

Just now Kat came in and killed him with a sermon CD. My poor fly.

Speaking of Christmas...

...Apparently I'm getting an expensive gift from the boy. Pressure? Oh no, not at all ;)
(I'm still psyched about what I got for him! All will be revealed....)