this is... my pet

Some of you may remember Poncho from when he first came to stay with us a month or so ago. He had just had a knee reconstruction and I am very happy to say he is recovering nicely. He is mum and dad's dog (so mine too while I was living at home), but while they are on their three month holiday he is part of the Teacups family... and more spoilt than ever before! He loves sleeping in the sun, belly rubs, schmakos and walkies but hates being home alone and going to the vet.

this is... something I got but still haven't used

This was a wedding pressie that has been allocated some permanent space in one of our wardrobes, sitting next to Mastermind... both sadly still in their plastic wrapping. I don't know what it is but we are just not board-game people. I used to enjoy the odd Guess Who or Monopoly growing up but nowadays tend to read a book (or blog), or attempt something craftalicious. My best friend is mortified... she is a Scrabble-fiend! 

Thanks flossy-p for this weeks theme (sorry I'm late).

tagging time

I have this swap card on my inspiration board and every time I look at it those big brown eyes stare back at me. Do you think she looks sad, possibly pining over her lost love? Or do you think she is hiding something?... Her blank expression giving nothing away. The cup of tea and pink rose on the table are our only clues! Speaking of clues, here are a few to find out a bit more about me. I've been tagged by Catherine from Little Glowing Lights. It's my first time so here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

That would have been while I was studying at tafe... probably eyeing off my husband to be, cause that's where we met. Or I could have been taking a long lunch with the girls cause we tended to do that a bit too.

2. Five things on my to-do list today?
- The joy of grocery shopping on a Saturday (annoying, but necessary)
- Spend a gift voucher that expires next week (kinda fun, but not a store I usually shop at so not overly excited)
- Wrap up Little Miss Jenna and make a matching card for the birthday party tomorrow (yippee! I love party pies and cake)
- Cut out fabric for a little tote bag (I haven't made a tote before but been told it's super easy... wish me luck!)
- Post on my blog (I can mark this off my list very soon) 

3. Snacks I enjoy?

Chocolate, chocolate muffins, chocolate cake, chocolate teddy bear biscuits, chocolate gelati... all with a cup of tea. Is there a pattern?

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire?

Live a life of craft 9 months of the year, and spend the remaining 3 months travelling around the globe. And in true beauty pageant style, save the planet and stop world hunger.

5. Places I have lived before?

I'm a Melbourne girl through and through.

Join in if you'd like :)

some new friends

I'd like you to meet my latest softie friends. Little Miss Jenna came from the pattern you can find here and is for a very special little girl who is turning one next Sunday. I changed the pattern slightly by adding some shoes, a scarf and a little bow in her hair. She loves drinking cups of tea and eating lots of birthday cake! Secondly we have Mr Baby Harrison, a pressie for a friend's newborn. This is a smaller version of the one I made a few weeks ago but this time I used some felt to contrast the very cute cowboy fabric. Harrison likes sleeping and snuggling with mummy... and wants to be a cowboy when he grows up!

just owl-ing around

Thank goodness it's Friday! I've been a busy bee this week. While I am enjoying working from home whenever I can, I do have to be strict and restrict my blog-reading and blog-surfing during business hours... It's so easy to turn ten mins of blogging into two hours! I am intending to have  a craft-ful weekend though so lots of pics of my latest projects in the next few days. In the meantime you can take a look at Mr Treetop Mirab-Owl with his little Owl-ette! They are sitting high on their perch watching the world go by. I must admit I was going to try making two little-ies but I soon realised that the smaller they are, the more time consuming and detailed they need to be (not very appropriate for a softie-newbie like me). I did take some time out yesterday to drop them into Mike's and while they no longer watch me while I work, I know they will be going into a new home with lots of owly-cuddles very soon! In return I treated myself to the latest copy of Mixtape which I started to enjoy over a cuppa earlier today (it was during my lunch break - I promise!). 

softies for mirab-owl?

I have just finished my Owl Softie for Mirabel! Here he is sitting proudly on his perch in the Treetops house. Don't look too closely though as the wings were a bit more difficult than expected. He is a Teacups on Treetops original (the very first!) so I think I might call him Mr Treetop Mirab-Owl. Hopefully I will get some time to make a few more in the coming weeks... maybe some mini Owl-ettes could be cute. And of course it's dedicated to our very lovely friend Brown Owl! 

this is... the pair of shoes I would sleep in if I could

I've had these for a couple of years now but they are super comfy and add a hint of sparkle to nearly any outfit (I promise I do not wear them with tracksuit pants!!). They were a Christmas present that Mr Teacups bought for me (without any help) and he even managed to get the size right. Unfortunately I am a bit obsessed with co-ordinating outfits with shoes... those who know me may think it's a family curse! I've had a couple of years though so have used the time wisely to invest in many more green accessories. Thanks to Hip Hop & Banana Bread for this great theme.

this is... me pre-1985

...well 1979 to be exact. I think I would wear that pinafore dress and mary jane shoes now! Thanks Angela for the extra "This is". It gave me a chance to look through some old photos and reminisce about the good old days of wearing matching outfits with my sister (hers always in pink, mine in blue), terry towling shorts and hand knitted jumpers (love them now but not so much then). 

on my desk...

This week I have decided to share a couple of my beloved swap cards with you. I actually thought I would be uploading more of them throughout my posts but I'm keeping busy with craft projects and haven't had the chance. The first one is my absolute favourite. It's by an artist called Sally... I have tried to make out the surname from the tiny signatures on the cards but all is can get is that it starts with G. The Owl swap card is because I have decided to design my very own Owl softie for my Softies for Mirabel. I am very excited about this as it's the first pattern I have ever made. No doubt there will be some teething problems but we shall see how we go. My inspiration being Brown Owls of course! It's definately given me loads of crafty enjoyment and what better way to pass on the love to a special little person. 

Sneak a peak at Kirsty's blog to see what others have on their desk this Wednesday.

who's a crafty chicken?

With my nephew Jesse's first birthday on Saturday it was the excuse I needed to make another softie. I found a free pattern for a chicken here and decided to put some of the fabrics I bought a couple weeks back to good use. While I did struggle a tiny bit, after some deep breaths and a calming cuppa, it all made sense and the chicken (or rooster?) was born. And I'm very happy to say that Jesse was very pleased with it too. With 2 softies under my belt, I'm on the hunt for a special pattern to make my Softie for Mirabel. Hopefully I get onto this in the next few nights!