I have a confession to make. My personal default color palette is cream and peaceful neutrals. You'd probably say, how boring! It is only after I started this blog that I started to explore a spectrum of colors like pastels and bold & gentle colors. Having lived in the tropics all my life, I have a profound appreciation for natural color schemes, fabrics and materials and an even deeper connection to all their quiet, simple attributes. Organically, natural materials are very cool and calm to the touch in the perennially sweltering heat! I grew up having natural woven mats as my bedsheets.

Given this philosophy, I will be breaking some of the pretty and sweet pattern of this blog by creating simple, eco conscious crafts using locally sourced materials --just like the burlap desk caddy pictured above. I originally created it for the natural eco handmades category of the shop but I ended up liking it so much I'm keeping it for myself, LOL! It's created wabi-sabi style--both handmade and handsewn in its simplicity. I've also vowed to contribute to Artfire's Green Products movement.

I'll probably make a few one-of-a kind natural eco items for shop before I go on my 2 week lent and easter blog vacation on Friday, April 3. I hope you all support and create green handmade!

1. Happy Spring bunnies, 2. Shinzi Katoh plush bunnies, 3. Bunnies, 4. bunny purse, 5. pink eared bunny closeup, 6. Humphrey the Rogue Bunny, 7. bunny cuddles, 8. Bunny in her box, 9. Blue Meringue Biscuit Bunnies discussing tea

I love craft punchers and stampers. There's so many crafts and ideas you can create from them like this doily fringed cake stand!

To showcase Easter eggs in style, decorate plain, white cake stands with dainty paper fringes. You can use purchased paper doily lace or you can create scalloped paper garlands. Alternately, you can use a paper edge punch like this Martha Stewart floral edge lace punch which I used for this project.

Today I'm loving thrifted aprons in shimmery, floaty aqua and cottony gingham orange! Ahh, the colors of summer! I can wear these all day!

No crafty makes today but just a few great summer craft links to share with those living in the eastern hemisphere (like I do):

An easter freebie for you to download and enjoy! Just click on the file to enlarge and save to your hard drive. Feel free to do whatever you want--make note cards, cards, gift embellishments, heck you can even sell it you are able! Check out Babalisme's very cute easter printable too!

Have a great day everyone!

The uber fabulous Calamity Kim, apron goddess, doll maker extraordinaire and Jill of all crafty trades is having an apron celebration giveaway to celebrate the publication of her apron creation on Apronology magazine. Kim is one of the first people I've met on blogland when I first started this blog and I can say she is the sweetest! I love visiting her blog to see all the magical things she makes inside her studio--beautiful artdolls, eclectic quilts and collages, artful aprons, etc. There is nothing, absolutely nothing this gal can't do. Kim is also a fantastic storyteller. All her crafts have a beautiful story to behind them. You can explore more of Kim's craft world here.

Leave a comment on her giveaway post and join in the calamity! Tell her I sent ya!

Click here for artist designed spring desktop wallpapers! I'm loving the Fifi Lapin wallpaper.

I love prints and patterns and I get my daily fix of inspiration from the super talented Yasmine of A Print a Day. She offers the sweetest downloads on her blog and her notepad sets just brighten up my desk space. Her sweet and very artistic tags and labels also make my handmade gifts more special!

I'm so thrilled that Yasmine offers her super gorgeous, eye candy art as digital kits on her shop at such fantastic prices! I'm so happy to have purchased some of her little matryoshcha kit products such as the paper set, kit and elements. To Yasmine, thank you so much for making your art so affordable! My Little Matryoscha kits are so adorable they make me so happy! I can't wait to make a ton of bookmarks, gift boxes and scrapbook projects with her them. Visit Yasmine's shop and see her beautiful offerings. Her exquisite springtime themed kits-- Hello Doily and her latest collaborative kits with artists Samantha Hahn and Jessica Gonacha are just to die for.

1. Lavender Scented Blue Bird, 2. Birdie on a vintage clothes line, 3. teeny wool birds, 4. bird with flower pillow, 5. bird cage, 6. Blue bird button, 7. birdie jar, 8. Handmade tote with bird, 9. Tori (means bird) pin cushion

Thank you all so much for your good thoughts and sweet wishes about my Happy Handmades Craft Shop! I've chosen Artfire (although it is still in Beta) as a platform because of its sweet, personal online storefront interface and its simple but superb features. It also has a lower subscription rate compared to the leading handmade marketplace portal. Because of that I would be able to offer great craft supplies and handmade goodies at a much lower price!

Click here if you're interested in becoming one of its first 5000 founding members. There are only 399 accounts left as of this writing. Better hurry because it's going, going, gone.

And now for the most important part-- the giveaway winner announcement!

The winner of my shop opening giveaway is Jojoebi of A Bit of This and a Bit of That! Congrats! I will be contacting you soon! Thank you, thank you all so much for participating!

My Happy Handmades Shop opening giveaway ends tonight! Don't forget to enter if you still haven't. I'll announce the lucky winner tonight!

Another lovely mail goodie today! A piece of handmade fabric memento from shibori artist Glennis of Shibori Girl. I was so lucky to have won one of her hand-sewn shibori silk ribbons during the One World One Heart Giveaway event. Learn more about this beautiful fabric tradition here.

Thank you so much Glennis for this inspiring, giveaway gift!

P.S. A little shop update tonight! I will be adding one of a kind, fun, kawaii novelty items. Be sure to check back. Thank you and have a lovely Tuesday!

Today is a lucky day. Yes indeed. After all it's St. Patrick's Day (tomorrow). I'm munching on a shamrock shaped sugar cookie as a write this. Want some?

Look what arrived in the mail! Three lovely giveaway goodies!

These lovely whimsy goodies were all handmade by the elegant and very lovely Chelsea of Itty Bitty Birdy! She is a real life dolly! You have to go to her website to see!


I won these Sweet Treats party favors from her Valentine's Day All Dolled Up Party, a truly splendid and successful affair she hosted for all lollishop gals and friends of Lollishop. If you're into bright pastels, sweet, whimsical and vintage, Lollishop is the market place to indulge all your creative, vintage whimsy dreams. Visit Chelsea's Keepsake Cakes and Ittybittybirdy on Lollishop. There are lots of sweet treats to take a fancy on!

Thank you, Chelsea! I love these sweet treats!


Oh, a cuddly creature also arrived in the mail! It's cute bunny that arrived inside a lovely handmade lavender box! It's from Diana of Bunnykissd! I won in her One World One Heart (OWOH) Giveaway last February. Diana makes miniature handmade treasures in her shop Faerie Garden Fancies. Thank you so much, Diana! I adore your lovely bunny creation! Truly springtime has arrived!


What could be a luckier day than receiving vintage treasures in the mail? This beautiful, fabulous vintage copper charm bracelet adorned with vintage baubles is from Beka of Secondhand Bek. I was so lucky to win in her One Heart, One World giveaway too! Thank you Beka, I'm so charmed!

Thank you all for your sweet words about my new shop. It means a lot! Don't forget to drop your names in the hat too! Have a great week!

Hmm, wouldn't you love to doodle and write with this cute wooden pen and mark your favorite page with this fun mousey bookmark? Then join my little craft shoppe opening giveaway! Simply leave a comment and take a peek at my little shop here.

This giveaway is open until Thursday, March 19, 2009. Don't forget to leave your contact details with your comment. Thank you and Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone!

Update: Comments are now closed. Thank you so much for participating!

I'm happy to announce that my little craft shop on artfire is opening soon! I'm sharing my love for crafts and inspiration by offering very affordable, one-of-a-kind craft supplies like zakka books, notions, wee softies and other handmade fancies to inspire and stir creativity!

I will also be doing a shop opening giveaway soon, so watch this space!

It is a fact. The human soul thrives on beauty and inspiration as much as the body needs food and water for its sustenance. This week, add some beauty to your space and to your life by downloading free, soul nurturing, inspiring art from Indiefixx's Feed Your Soul: The Free Art Project. Spread the word!

May beauty follow you wherever you go. Happy weekend!

"Dogs leave pawprints on your heart."

Craft of the day is a super adorable Toby dog made from Clare Bower's exclusive pattern on Handmade magazine (Vol. 25 no. 11). Isn't Toby so sweet? He's my new best friend!

A childhood inspired pencil and notebook holder made from One Red Robin's easy to follow tutorial.

Crafty links:

• Printable babushka bunny bookmarks from Areathriftyone
• Quilt patterns from Moda Fabrics
• Kidlet Wall Pocket from JC Handmade
• DIY iPhone cover from Sewtakeahike
• March embroidery pattern from Andrea Zulli [via Whipup]
• "Budgie Love" embroidery pattern from Lazy May
• Spring embroidery patterns from Orange Flower Sketchbook
• Printable Kind Over Matter Mini-Book One from Kind over Matter

1. Basket of Babushkas-close up, 2. Matryoshka Charms, 3. Russian Dolls, 4. A Matryoshka, 5. Matryoshka, 6. Linen & Lace Matryoshka Bag, 7. Camille, 8. Matryoshka fabric & ribbon, 9. Three happy Scandinavian Babushka softies with Heather Bailey fabric!