MooBear Designs

We're Going Home...

2012-01-16T14:37:00.003+11:00

I cried so hard while he held me in his arms. I was expecting the worst news while his lips formed the words I had wanted to hear for so so long... This day has been so far away and now I know we have closed this chapter of our lives. While i wept his voice was soft and clear...

"we have a home"

Buy Nothing New Month Challenge

2011-11-06T14:25:00.001+11:00

So in amongst the craziness of our lives I signed our family up to the Buy Nothing New Month challenge during October. It can't be much harder than what we already do right? I had grand ideas of taking a daily photo and blogging my family's success (or failure) at the end of every week.

Alas that idea went out the window. So this is a very detailed summary of the month of October buy nothing new month (with the exception of food).

WARNING: Picture heavy

I have to say that the best way for us to buy nothing new was to completely isolate ourselves, doing away with all the 'clutter' in our life. We are a good 30min walk away from the major shopping centre, there is no local op shop either which has never ever happened to us before. I can 100% honestly say I haven't stepped foot in an op shop during October. Carlos and I don't drive which meant all our time was spent helping his family clean, de clutter, box and move stuff from his dads which was no longer needed. You could say we were treasure hunting while we helped out.

The first room to get a mini make over was the kitchen. I managed to find a few treasures I know you will also appreciate.

Orange is such a sunny colour. I cleaned these up along with some giant Bushells jars too. They are magnificent aren't they?! I am thinking my wonderful friend Lisa could use the massive glass jars for honey... what do you think hun?

I also discovered an over flowing tea towel draw and linen cupboard. The green floral tea towel and purple 1972 calendar tea towel are just splendid. I have put them away to refashion. A handmade fluoro pink pot holder has no doubt pulled out many a meal from the oven. A yellow and white table cloth which I soaked came out bright and happy again.

This little gem was hidden away in the linen cupboard.

A wonderful mushroom serviette holder.

After the kitchen we were on a mission to clean out a small room to put some bunks (which we purchased off ebay, hurray!!) and create a space/bedroom for our 3 children. What we found shoved, left behind and carefully forgotten was GOLD, pure treasure hunting gold.

This Donald Duck night light was picked up in Disney Land when Carlos and his family visited in 1979. The lamp is stamped 1976. We already have a Donald Duck cookie jar so this was a lovely find.

These are 4 original Star Wars figurines.

C3PO is dated 1977 when the first Star Wars, A New Hope was realised.

Snow Trooper, Trooper Pilot and Lando were all from the following Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes back.

This may have been the find of the century. Carlos knew he had these somewhere. (there are more too but he thinks they are stored in the roof). Bear was absolutely beside himself when Carlos showed him what he had found under the bed. It was a very special moment between a father sharing his childhood toys with his equally Star Wars loving son.

Another find for Bear who can't get enough of MJ.

Carlos has crates filled with records from when he started to DJ in the 80's and 90's. This one is being displayed in the kids room.

Golden books.

These were tucked away and once pulled out were read and re read by new smiling faces! Does anyone get goose bumps when they read a story which they loved as a child?

Abuelo (Grandad) collects Aeroplanes.

All different types and sizes. Having a look right now at the shelves and cabinets I count roughly 50. He has calved his own from balsa wood and even has air line bags, crockery, glassware, you name it he has it!

Our kids know they are not allowed to touch his planes. They resist the natural urge to pick one up and zoom it through the air very well. Abuelo found these model kits and has given them to the kids to put together and play with which is something really special. I love creating and carrying on memories.

Remember these?

It's called a Rubik's Twist.

Kind of like a rubik cube you can manipulate. This is a cobra and shortly after Carlos made a dog. Thanks to google we can make many more sculptures.

Are you excited? I know huh...

This is the original Nintendo Donkey Kong Game & Watch. When the kids saw it they were floored by it. It's great to show them what we had growing up and they seem to appreciate how technology changes...

I remember seeing these but my first handheld game console was the original Gameboy and that was after begging my brother to let me have it to play Tetris when he got the up grade.

Her colour, shape and graphics. Isn't she beautiful?

Our kids will never know just how awesome these were back then. Unfortunately this one was damaged a few years ago and no longer works but we showed the kids the same game using an iPhone app.

Now the kids don't have many toys here while we work on fixing up the bed room so I discovered a local play group which a toy library visits every fortnight. So we can borrow toys easily and choose what suits each childs interest that week.

Best of all it's FREE.

So far we have borrowed magnetic blocks pictured above, dress ups, tween books, read along stories and musical instruments.

I also scored a little something for myself.

Every crafter needs one of these.

A vintage knitting bag with built in measuring tape.

This use to belong to Carlos' mum. It was put aside just for me and I am so excited to hold something so precious. It still contained some of the pieces she was working on, some knitting needles and crochet hooks. Accompanying the bag was an arm full of vintage wool too.

Why stop at crafty things though...

Carlos was on a roll finding all his childhood treasures. He managed to pull out his Batman belt buckle which he has bestowed upon me... Yippeee. Why the excitement you wonder? Because I can pair the belt with my Batman shoes.

I am proud to say we did absolutely no clothes shopping. Not even at a treasure shop which is a feat in itself. Moo and I have been sharing clothes which is really nice... and kind of strange. Bear has managed to squeeze into the same clothes from last Summer plus was given a few more hand-me-down boys things. Carlos is so easy to please. He has been a great customer with Native Instruments and they rewarded him with a free T-shirt. He is a jeans/shorts and T-shirt guy so it's perfect.

Bubble was fortunate enough to receive 3 bags filled with hand-me-down Summer dresses, 2 pairs of leather shoes and other assorted clothes. So she has had fun trying them on one day at a time.

Speaking of receiving clothes, the kids started at their 3rd school this year. We were worried we would have to buy new school clothes right in the middle of this challenge. But it turns out they were happy to help us out. We received a mix of new and 2nd hand uniforms for Moo and Bear as well as 2 new hats.

Now I will let you in on a trick that may (or may not) help your kids find their lost school hats. I did this for Moo when she was in kindergarten and we never lost her hat.

Sew a button either inside the hat or somewhere discrete on the outside. This gives your child something to easily recognise and their school friends pick up on it pretty quickly too.

Now just to end the month on a high note and to drum home the need to consume less, even if it's 2nd hand I invited my eco girlfriend in crime, Michelle along to Reverse Garbage to meet Annie Leonard who is the brains behind the viral short presentation 'The Story Of Stuff".

YOU REALLY MUST WATCH THIS MOVIE.

It will inspire you in so many ways. Support the choices you have made during October's challenge and it may even give you a kick up the bum to take the challenge a little further for yourself... OR better still the planet!!

I also got to meet Narelle from Reverse Garbage. They have been diverting waste from landfill since 1975 for practical and creative re use.

So both Narelle and Annie in the same room was just a little bit awesome to say the least.

So did we buy stuff? No we didn't...

Can't wait to see you next October ready to buy nothing all over again!!

Our trip to Ecuador

2011-10-23T15:18:00.001+11:00

Isn't this a great family photo?

It is one of a very few we have from the last 12months where we are all just so happy. One silly comment about boobies and we were all in hysterics.

On this day we were being interviewed about our very serious story and struggle with homelessness. The story covers the statistics of families experiencing the same crisis as us.

We were left homeless through absolutely no fault of our own. We were simply evicted from our rental property 1 year after we moved in because the owner decided she wanted to live there instead.

Bear sitting in the stair well of the hotel we lived in one of our favourite photos

We always had a beautiful light shining for the end of this year. My father in-law gifted our family of 5 and Carlos' two younger brothers, tickets to visit our family back in Ecuador. We were going to spend 8 weeks overseas. Something we have wanted to but have never been able due to other commitments.

We were going to spend Christmas and New Years with the family that would embrace us, laugh and cry with us, sing and dance with us, share stories between us. Can you imagine all the love we would have had surrounding us? Love that we so longed for through the storm we managed to weather as a family.

Carlos and Bubble smiling through the hard times after her operation in July.

Since going through Bubble's operation and being homeless, the trip was the one good thing we had to look forward to. All our family back home in Ecuador were up during the night while Bubble was having her operation and they were very much a part of the love and energy that got us through some of the harder days.

Moo, Bubble and Bear a few days after Bubble's operation when her eyes finally opened.

Can you sense I am avoiding something... Once I say it it becomes real. It seems the light has well and truly faded. Believe me we tried to keep it alight right till the very last kindle but sometimes you just have to surrender to the inevitable.

We are not going to Ecuador on the 14th November 2011.

There are so many factors stopping us at this stage. Homelessness has been the biggest drain emotionally, physically, spiritually and ultimately financially.

It's only been the last couple of days that the decision was made. We have passports organised but it was the expense of our shots to go overseas that we didn't expect.

We came so close, it was in arms reach. We had so many family and friends saying 'You have to go... you can't come this far and not go!' But we can and we have.

On a brighter note, as defeated as we may feel at times, we are looking at this as a re-scheduling of our plans and have decided that we will still travel within the next 2 or so years once everything is back in it's place and we are once again in full control of our lives.

Lighthouse and Rock

From this devastating heartbreak comes a little hope. We have another opportunity to focus on the commitments we made moving to the Central Coast. We will be moving into another home close to where we are at the moment. Moo and Bear really like their school which is a massive incentive to stay here while we can. This year they have attended 3 different schools.

We'll also be able to relaunch MooBear Designs which we have missed working on so so much. We have had new designs waiting to come to life before all this craziness occured.

Carlos will be able to get creative again with Analog Transmission as well as his own album as cdot on his label neuromantra. Actually would you believe that he finished recording his album while we were in crisis?! Funny how things work out.

Last but not least Carlos and I are dedicated to a very special cause. I mentioned back at the beginning of all of this that we would stand up and be the voice of family homelessness. In response to a very immediate need we have started working on The TreeHouse.

What is The TreeHouse? A not-for-profit organisation to help ease the stress and trauma for families experiencing or facing homelessness, to stop families from losing their sense of identity and to assist with the healing process.

Enjoying Abuelo's back yard and some freedom recently

We're determined to use our experience to help others and make a difference.

To everyone who has supported us through our story we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I have no words left and I want to finish this blog post which has taken days for me to work up the courage to write. It was the easiest way for me to tell everyone at the same time rather than reliving those feelings over and over again.

Much love and light

Steph, Carlos, Moo, Bear and Bubble.

Who Has HATtitude...

2011-09-30T10:26:00.002+10:00

The ever so lovely Sandrine sent Bubble a hat after her operation.

Bubble wont leave the house with out her hat and if I forget to pack it she gets really cranky with me. Sandrine's hats are made with a touch of lace and pretty vintage cotton lining making them fully reversible and a cool light weight material for wearing.

I was even more ecstatic when I received my very own hat in the mail.

Thank you again and again Sandy!!

Don't forget to call past her ETSY shop Sandrine Marsh Accessories and her Facebook page for early specials and savings.

Happy 3rd Birthday Chicken...

2011-09-28T22:01:00.005+10:00

Bubble turned 3 on Saturday 24th Sept.

As always we snapped her first morning moment shot. I really should make a collection of them for each child. It is my Motherly duty as they are just hilarious.

We took her out for a family picnic in the park... But not just any park.

We took her to Australia's most spectacular free kids play ground at Sydney's Darling Quarter.

This is part of the water play feature which is going to be packed in Summer. I can tell you I would rather take them here than to the beach.

They have a flying fox.

This is the magic word for my kids as they have one at their local park too. I personally think they are awesome as well. Bubble had a blast and didn't even fall off.

Bubble even had her our own personal juggler on the day. It really doesn't get much better than that.

The girls scaled the ropes to have a massive slide.

Can you see Bear racing back on the side of the photo? I was yelling at him from the top to go back to Dad before we lost him... lol.

So we give the Darling Quarter Playground a big thumbs up.

Design Your Own Monster.

2011-09-26T08:07:00.001+10:00

Sometimes the only way for me to get my craft on at home is to teach my kids something at the same time. So one day I laid out a white sheet on the floor and placed all the materials we needed in the centre.

The kids were immediately interested. They each designed their very own monster on paper and then we went through choosing the materials, buttons, felt and fabric from Sophie on the floor.

Moo's monster is on the left. She did all her tracing, cutting, hand sewing and some machine sewing. I love that she took the initiative and gave it a go. She learnt some new techniques and also some that she won't use again too soon.

Bubble's is in the middle. She helped with cutting the fabric and did an awesome job of hand sewing the felt and buttons on. I was incredibly impressed with her patience. She also enjoyed shoving the poly fill into her monster.

Bears is on the end. Don't you just love it?! He hand sewed the felt eyes and I did the buttons. He added the fangs and had so much fun with the polly fill that it looked like ski season at Thredbo.

The most important part which they all did themselves was to sew the final stuffing seam closed and cut the final thread.

The original drawing and the final creations...

Teeny Tiny Bedroom...

2011-09-23T07:19:00.001+10:00

Moo came home from school with an assignment which involved creating a miniature, to scale bedroom in the theme of her choice using only recycled materials. She was given a budget of $20, 000.

I think we can rise to the challenge. Moo chose the theme 'handmade' so everything in her room was either hand made or custom made for her bed room. Right down to the purple carpet imported from Switzerland.

The fabric off cuts were all from Sophie.

Using cardboard with toilet roll legs we made a bed. I also found some left over wool to make Moo's crocheted blanket match her real one.

More cardboard and fabric for the table. A clear ice-cream tester cup with toilet roll for a swivel chair. Pasta lid and foil for a mirror. Berocca box wardrobe. Panodol box for toy shelf.

Are you impressed?

We even put shelves in the wardrobe so Moo decided to cut up tiny pieces of clothing from scrap felt.

One night I had a brilliant idea to make a fish tank using a small stamp container, the label from the packaging which happened to be blue, felt and fabric.

Isn't it just freaking adorable?!

Arial shot...

Moo changed the room around over and over again. We made some bunting, a couch from a watch box and a wall mounted TV.

Bubble also had a ball re arranging the room while Moo was at school. Truth be known I did too.

I wanted to thank the handmade companies who helped us bring this room to life.

Giggleberry Creations

Over It!

I want to see what the rest of the house will look like now...

Crocheting to my hearts content...

2011-09-21T22:49:00.004+10:00

Remember Bubble's crochet blanket? I managed to finish it before she went to hospital. Most of it was done of an evening and during the commute to and from school in the morning and afternoon.

While we were hospital I continued working on another massive granny square blanket for Moo. Hers was made with 12ply wool. It's super chunky, and super cuddly. But boy was it heavy to carry.

Of course I have 3 children and Bear asked me if I was going to make his. I decided I would make smaller granny squares as it makes it a lot easier to carry. He chose 4 colours and I have been crocheting 3 colours per square randomly.

I am absolutely ecstatic that all 3 children will have their very own crocheted rug which their Mummy made for them.

I love making memories, especially ones which continue to follow them through life.

This pile has since tripled.

I am not too sure what colour I am going to join the squares in or how I will join them as crocheting is still very new to me. If you have any suggestions... or just a random comment it will all be very appreciated.

What has been your most recent memory maker?

We heart french toast...

2011-09-12T21:36:00.002+10:00

What do you heart?

Happy Little Jelly Bean...

2011-08-29T21:06:00.004+10:00

Bubble was in surgery for 8 hours.

ICU for 24 hours.

On the ward for 6 days.

During this time she showed remarkable strength.

Day 5 in hospital.

This is the day that Bubble could finally open her eyes after being swollen shut. She wanted to get out of bed, play with Moo and Bear and explore all the things she hadn't seen but knew were around her.

This is the day we had waited for since giving her kisses 5 days before.

Her bandages came off the following day and she came home with a full head of hair.

It's been 6 weeks since her operation. She has been one very happy little jelly bean with no problems at all. In total she has 61 stitches in her head (I know because I counted them...twice).

Love and energy...

2011-07-14T07:00:00.001+10:00

This little girl is having a life changing operation today.

We have never been through anything this massive in our family before.

The only time spent in hospital was when I had Moo, Bear and Bubble but I didn't even stay over night.

We hope there is enough love and happy energy to help get our family through some of the sad times. I am not sure when we'll back to blogging but I hope it isn't too long.

Love and light Steph

Family fun in the sun...

2011-07-13T11:32:00.001+10:00

Some fun for the family before Bubble's operation.

Rolling down hill...

Covering ourselves with sand...

Walking along cool walls...

Knitting and sand do mix...

Kissing giant lips...

Matryoshka Ceramic Bowl...

2011-07-12T12:18:00.000+10:00

Since moving back to Sydney I was encouraged to do art classes.

I wasn't going to argue was I?! The only problem is that I could only go once a week for 2 hours. Half the time someone was sick, we had appointments, kids had to be collect from school... It rained. You name it something always popped up.

So 5 classes over 3 months later I have finished my first ceramic piece.

I really love it because I made it.

I didn't now what it was going to look like when I started it but now that it is finished I can not think of it being any other way!

Simply living...

2011-07-11T11:00:00.000+10:00

This little nook has been turned into a cubby today. There was a lot of child directed play and some problem solving to get the sheet to stay put.

It kept them busy for about 2 hours in total which is awesome.

I could hear them inside chatting but I couldn't help climb under the chairs, squish in a take a quick photo of what they were doing.

I love that all it took was a single bed sheet to change the experience for them both!! Never underestimate the power of a bed sheet!!

ABCD Meet Up and a lil something extra...

2011-07-10T22:25:00.003+10:00

Have you heard about the abcd meetup?

It's a truly inspiring evening. I was lucky enough to meet 35 art, craft and design bloggers in Rozelle 2 weeks ago. We talked sewing machines - handmade - markets - dresses - goodie bags - shoes - friends - pop up shops - and much much more.

The abcd meetup goodie bag is always a highlight and the perfect way for all of us to remember each other because sometimes a name tag with business name just isn't quiet enough.

I would love to list of all the lovely goodies which were included in our bags but I am going to be really, really naughty and link you back to the ladies who organised the whole evening. Truth be known we were heading off the following morning for a week away and the kids knew I was coming home with 'goodies' so I was lucky to even get a group photo of all the goodies before they were quickly claimed and put to use.

So check out...

Steph - from bondville blogged all the goodies!

Lisa - from the red thread also blogged all the goodies.

Saffron - from Saffron Craig did a little feature on the brooches I made.

Amy - from badskirt had a crazy day to begin with and still managed to blog about the goodie bag.

My contribution to the goodie bag was a recycled vintage zipper turned into a brooch.

They were in many colours and there were a few flowers in there too.

But wait there is more...

The biggest goodie of all went to Bubble.

The lovely Lisa from the red thread read this blog post about Bubble and gave her her very own Ooshka doll to take with her to hospital.

Lisa thank you from the bottom of our hearts for a little piece of handmade goodness.

As soon as Bubble woke up I handed her the goodie bag.

Her face tells you everything.

She is just so sweet... oh and Bubble too.

Not long after Bubble went quiet which can only mean one thing... TROUBLE. But instead I found her snuggling her Ooshka in the laundry basket.

Simply living...

2011-06-22T11:45:00.000+10:00

I picked up the little table/bookshelf for free along with the giant marie claire box. They fit perfectly behind our couch between the wall and the pillar. It has become Bear's homework station for now and it's really nice for him to have a cozy corner where he can just chill out.

The kids also like to play shops too.

Tie my hair tie...

2011-06-20T11:35:00.002+10:00

After my post about Bubble here she suddenly seems very interested in tying up her hair.

We have headbands by GemmaJoy and hair clips by KC's Hairclip Studio...

...Plus this giant button uses recycled mens tie fabric. Check out harrysdesk and her shop for more recycled tie goodness.

A new head deserves a new hat...

2011-06-19T22:47:00.002+10:00

Tonight Bubble and I were snuggling in bed after singing songs. She was chatting about her favourite part of the day and I have to tell you some of her sentences didn't make any sense but she always makes me laugh.

Then she said "Mummy I am going to hospital!"

We have been gradually introducing her to the words operation and hospital but tonight she showed just how much she understood.

We were told Bubble had a condition back in March 2010. Something we had never heard of before. Cranial Synostosis. We now know in her case that it means the soft skull plates which fuse together after birth actually fused too early down the centre of her skull. It has resulted in an oval shaped head or what has been called a "funny shaped head" although there is nothing funny about it.

On 14th July the team at the Children's Hospital Randwick will correct the condition so her brain isn't restricted and has room to grow. Otherwise she could develop pressure on the brain as she gets older. It involves reshaping her skull bones so they are more rounded.

Tonight we spoke about staying in hospital and all the things we can take with us to make her room feel really special. There is the crocheted rug I made for her, handmade toys, photos and G-Raf who we have named Jirafa (hea ra fa) which is Spanish of course just like all our handmade toys. Big hug to Claire for sending me the kit to make him.

We decided Jirafa would also need surgery just like Bubble. He'll be getting needles, bandaids, bandages, blood transfusion if he needs it too. This wasn't something I had planned. It just flowed with the conversation and seemed so perfect. So Jirafa is now on this journey with all of us and I hope he is just as brave as Bubble.

Something else which is very special are the handmade hats, beanies and berets she'll be wearing after the operation. There will be crocheted ones, knitted ones & sewn ones. Bubble absolutely understands the love of handmade so a few friends are already on the case.

After all a new head deserves a new hat... Or two.

Simply living...

2011-06-14T22:00:00.001+10:00

Turning Bear's bed into a spaceship didn't take much effort at all. Just some paper, crayons and blue tac.

Bubble is in charge of the STOP button.

Bear waits for the signal from base to pull the throttle.

We also drew a map beside the control panel of different space stations. These are still up on the wall.

We have since added a pirate ships steering wheel and treasure map to the collection.

A quick fix...

2011-06-12T09:42:00.000+10:00

We are seriously limited in clothes here. I only packed enough for a 2 week Summer holiday and that was 3 months ago.

With the help of friends we now have winter clothes for all of us which has made life so much easier and warmer. You all know who you are and I have so much love to return in hugs for each of you!!

I do find myself following the old 'mend and make do' motto more so now than when we were living 'at home'.

A pair of jeans, or as Bubble calls them jeams needed some serious attention around both knees.

This fabric is close to our hearts and holds the memories of when I breast fed Bubble during the day when she was a tiny little chicken.

I couldn't let the back pockets go without adding a little detail...

Simply living...

2011-06-10T21:23:00.002+10:00

It can be really hard with 5 people in one space. More often than not each person wants to do something different all at the same time which we just can not do.

There is a lot of compromising and negotiating.

There are some moments which I find us just 'simply living'.

Most of it comes from only having 1 small box of toys as that's all we have room for and an ever changing collection of books.

I hope some of my simple ideas inspire some of you too. I have learnt it's the quality of time we enjoy with each other and not the quantity.

A parcel off goodies arrived from GemmaJoy. In the parcel were some craft supplies and fabric contribution towards my therapy quilt but it also contained confetti.

A moment captured.

We have walked with dinosaurs...

2011-06-08T21:03:00.001+10:00

We were excited on 18th May for 2 very special reasons.

1. Moo was coming back from her 3 day school camp and we missed her terribly.

2. We were all heading to Homebush to see Walking With Dinosaurs after Carlos won tickets with Kid Size Living.

(You can read more about the MooBear antics in the post below after being notified)

We were prepared with snacks and drinks... Now bring on the dinosaurs!!

The show itself was part documentary, part musical and part puppet show. No matter what you call it though it was the most magical event we have seen as a family.

The show was set over the Triassic period 245-208 million years ago, Jurassic period 208-144 million years ago and Cretaceous period 144-65 million years ago.

Ankylosaurus 11m tank-like armoured dinosaur.

The creative team behind this spectacular event did a mammoth job of putting this all together. It was impossible to pretend these creatures were just puppets. They walked and moved smoothly, the sounds were incredible. Their eyes followed everything they saw and their skin was ... Perfect.

Once immersed within the narrated story the only way back to 2011 was intermission.

Torosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex... Baby T-rex to be exact.

Mother and Baby T-rex nuzzling safely.

I have to say that the Tyrannosaurus rex was by far the scariest moment. She was angry, stood 12m high and ran out roaring without warning to protect her baby. The whole arena screamed in unison. As I looked around me everyone had the same expression of fear and excitement on their faces.

This is what our own children couldn't wait to see either.

T-rexes commanding the land.

Can you see the blur of the narrator on the left running to get out of the way?!

I am not sure who is holding who.

Neither of us was about to let go.

The biggest dinosaur was the Brachiosaurus which stood at a staggering 22m. It only just made it into the arena. There was so many 'Ooooh' and 'Aaarrhh' moments we lost count. No one cried or wanted to leave which surprised me. Bubble kept waving hello at the dinosaurs and we had to tell Bear repeatedly to sit down. Lucky the people behind us didn't mind.

After seeing 15 very real looking and sounding dinosaurs that night we all slept with one eye open.

Walking With Dinosaurs...

2011-05-17T16:17:00.013+10:00

Imagine our surprise when Carlos received an email from KID Size Living congratulating him on winning a family pass to see Walking With Dinosaurs tomorrow night!!!

There was a lot of screaming (mainly from the adults)....

And then we calmed down and told the kids.. and then we were all screaming and jumping around.

It's no secret just how much Bear loves his dinosaurs. Carlos bought him some new ones today after school because all of his are still in storage.

I still remember thinking his obsession might have been getting out of control. What about the silly drawing I did of a Rar which became a doona cover and then finally an official MooBear Tee.

Or his favourite pass time in his dino cape.

We have tried to explain and show them footage of the show but we really wont know how they (or us for that matter) will truly react when we see a life size 72 foot tall Brachiosaur until tomorrow night.

Carlos has been wanting to take us ever since the show started touring in the US around 4 years ago after the huge success of the tv show. Bear and I even bought him an official tour t-shirt from the treasure shop because it was the closest we thought we would ever get.

Given the most recent and stressful event in our lives this will be the first time we go out to a really awesome event as a family and can really truly enjoy it.

I don't think we would appreciate this gift as much if we weren't where we are now.

Sometimes the universe works in the most mysterious ways...

What's keeping me busy you ask.. My therapy quilt.

2011-04-18T16:43:00.005+10:00

I have the best friends surrounding our family right now. Their genuine concern as well as yours astounds me and I really do feel so much love and energy from all your comments, emails and messages.

Quite a few of you have asked me what have I been creating while Veronica was away and of course it's another excuse to blog too.

The only craft item I managed to smuggle into our suitcase which was already over flowing was the crochet I started back in October when Tina was up here help celebrate Bubbles Birthday. It is a sentimental thing I guess. A way of keeping the memories of the times I miss and the people I love around me.

The other project I decided to start was a big hexagon paper piecing quilt. I figured I would do some hand sewing and play with recycled fabrics while I was at it. It has had a very therapeutic effect since I started it. So it is my new go to project when things are a little overwhelming.

I started by purchasing a collection of orange/yellow vintage off cut fabric scraps from Little Wise Owl on Craftumi.

You can check out Beckie's madeit store here and her blog here.

I figured that way I could start then source more fabric as I needed it although that has turned out to be a little harder than I expected as orange/yellow pillow cases, sheets, clothes etc seem to be in short supply in all the op shops I have visited.

Then I thought if you have an odd pillow case/scrap fabric etc that fits the feel of my 'therapy quilt' I would love to add it too. It would make this quilt so much more special to my family and in years to come the quilt will become the story of our journey through this time of our lives.

I am so sentimental aren't I?! So if you think you have have something you know where I am!!

I had a wonderful donation of fabric, off cut curtain to be exact from Britt of Stitchybritt. See the retro fabric with black through the yellow and orange?! Perfect right?

The kids also love the quilt and keep asking if it's finished...

Craft Schmaft Surprise...

2011-04-17T21:36:00.003+10:00

On Friday I received a parcel in the mail and having only seen this little owl drawn on the front of the parcel I recognised immediately who it was from and proceeded to happy dance and squeal while Moo, Bear and Bubble laughed at my antics.

A G-Raf Kit

(The pattern is available in Claire's shop or Etsy)

The best part about Craft Schmaft kits is they contain everything you need to make Mr G-Raf or any other animal you choose which means I don't have to go searching for supplies.

Funnily enough I have tried to make a few projects and found that I didn't have pins, elastic, velcro or believe it or not scissors... I know!? How can anyone craft without scissors. Happy to announce I bought a pair last week!

So a big smooch and massive snuggle to Claire for helping me get back on the crafty yellow brick road. Once I am done making Mr G-Raf I think I will share him on Craft Schmaft's facebook page. While you are there check out Bubble with another Craft Schmaft creation, Wonk right here.

New Craft Space With View...

2011-04-16T22:18:00.006+10:00

I have never had issues starting a new blog post but I guess that's what happens when you don't do it for over a month. I want to share so much and then there is stuff I would rather just put behind us...

So I thought why not just show you my new 'studio space with a view' and no doubt by the end of the post I wont be able to stope typing.

My father in law insisted on taking Veronica (my sewing machine) back to his place rather than let it go to storage with ALL the rest of our belongings. I am so glad he insisted because Veronica would have gone just as stir crazy without me!!

I picked the desk up from a treasure shop for $20 literally. I had to carry that thing home and that involved a train ride to the city and a very steep walk up a hill with 2 very tired and cranky kids. Luckily it collapses so Moo carried the table top and I carried the rest.

I actually got in trouble after for not calling local friends so they could help at the time but I just wanted to get it home and set it up. I mean really it's only a desk right?!

The little window sill needed something so I started with a jar of cottons which Helen from The Wacky Wardrobe gave to me... AND if you look to the right of the photo you can see CentrePoint Tower. It's a lot bigger than that from where I sit though.

How freakin' awesome is that!?!

Uh huh... I know CRAZY!

Here you can see my work area, with my desk, sewing machine and chair. In the middle you have our TV and below it our 'entertainment unit' and 'dvd player'. On the right is our round dining table with 4 chairs and then the kitchen runs along the wall to our front door

I will tell it to you straight.

Team MooBear are living in a small 2 bedroom apartment and our living area is only slightly bigger than our bedroom back on the Central Coast. We have managed to simplify to the extremes and make the most of everything we have around us... Each Other!

We are really grateful for where we have ended up and for what we have. This is the perfect stepping stone to get us back on our feet and stable again.

This would not have been possible if it weren't for people and charities that hold there hand out to help families in crisis. Once we are back on our feet and are settled in our own place we will be returning the favour ten fold and will continue to be the voice for those who can't or wont be heard.

Just a few things to keep me going.

Peppermint Magazine (thanks baby you know how much I love my Peppermint!!) Warm Fuzzies felting book to go with my new felting kit which Jazzy put together and bought down for me. I even made her a felt rose but sshh don't tell her it's a surprise birthday present...hehe. There is a library book which has some hand quilting projects and some material I picked up up from a treasure shop for $2.

AND scissors!! You just can't craft with out scissors.

Oh I managed to pick up some op shop zippers and made a curtain holder 'thingy majig'

This is a close up of my first hand felted creation. It is going straight to Jazzy because I think she is one awesome woman and I wouldn't have been able to craft without her kit... I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things without her. She is currently minding Dory our cat which is a massive ask and it's great to know she is safe and loved.

Hopefully I can blog a little more than once a month but if I can't you know it's because my family comes first at this stage in our life.

Happy creating people and thank you for all your love and support. If I haven't responded to your comments or emails it's because it became too overwhelming and I stopped but I will this time!! Promise...

I told you I wouldn't be able to stop typing...lol...

Introducing Sweets Workshop...

2011-03-12T22:13:00.004+11:00

After our family moved last year to the Central Coast we never expected to be back in our old stomping ground so soon. But here we are enjoying what Sydney has to offer us and boy has she been busy.

On one of my trips back to Sydney I strolled past my local coffee shop and discovered a lovely new shop in the same block. There were bright red doors with a stunning window display which included a mixtape zine. The window read 'Sweets Workshop'

My heart was in overdrive until I realised that the shop had not officially opened and wouldn't for a few more days. I wanted to know more about this little shop and stumbled across their website where I quickly fed my hunger for creative ingenuity and read up on some of the early featured artists. I also totally liked their facebook page as it was the only way I could check out the opening night photos.

For the last 2 weeks I have walked past Emma and Johns shop countless times. Their window display would beacon me every time but alas, we were on a mission and I really wanted to devote some quality time in the sweet shop.

Today I could take it no longer...

With all 3 kids in toe I stopped to show them works from the current exhibition Pencil and Paper. Bear stood still and intricately observed the hand drawn works of art on about 100 white swing tags which where all lined up one after the other in a massive glass frame about the size of a large coffee table.

Today was a great day indeed.

I had spotted these cuties last week.

Emma had noticed my GemmaJoy ceramic scissor brooch and I had noticed her Genna Johnson wood burnt scissor earrings. I asked Bear to help me pick them out and the crazy little guy almost purchased a ring with a rock in it! I love him to pieces but the earrings were more my style...

I shall be heading back there with the children... this time only one child at a time to check out the exhibition which they all wanted to stay and check out today.

I shall take along my Frankie for both Emma and John to sign next time too.

Congrats guys and keep showcasing the indie artists who provide an addictive mix of creativity!

Homeless but standing strong....

2011-03-08T13:14:00.005+11:00

I haven't blogged in almost a month. Unfortunately when life happens something has to give and at this point in our lives a lot more has caved in than we ever expected to.

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word homeless?

- Smelly drunk guy who lives in the park

- Old woman walking around pushing her trolly

- Families sleeping in cars

- Young run aways

- Broken families torn apart by violence

Our family is none of the above and yet we are homeless. Homelessness effects over 105,000 people in Australia and of those 1/3 are families.

Carlos and I are stronger than ever.

We have had to jump through hoops since being officially homeless on Monday 28th Feb. We are now in temporary accommodation, which coincidentally turned out to be in a hotel one street away from where we use to live in Sydney.

All our belongs are sitting in storage waiting to be moved into a new home and re opened. But alas there is no new home yet. The emotional roller coaster of the uncertainty, lack of support from the system and pure frustration of no one being able to do anything until we were officially homeless has been mind numbing to say the least. Not to mention having to care and help our 3 children understand the current situation we were now in.

Getting Moo and Bear back into school seemed nearly impossible but we never gave up and today they both started back today with friends and surroundings they grew up in. They both deserve some normality their lives.

Homelessness can all to often be invisible.

Out of our frustration we contacted the media.

The Express Advocate on the Central Coast ran a story HERE on page 3.

The Inner West Courier featured our story HERE on page 7.

We are not invisible and we refuse to let this defeat us. We want change within the system and more support and understanding for people who are going through this every day.

Together we have a voice that will be heard and will not be ignored.

Welcome Navarone...

2011-02-11T09:20:00.001+11:00

Baby Navarone was born on Yesterday the 10th Feb at 3:07am. 6lb 13oz and 47cm long.

We want to congratulate Michelle and Peter Hayward for being the inspirational family we know and love.

One day not too far away we will get together and have very long and much needed hug!!

Personalised baby blocks made Zina from RaspberryBubbleZ.

This completes all the handmade a donated goodies which were sent as a surprise Baby Shower gift as well as the refashioned baby items I sent too.

Once again I want to thank everyone who helped bring a much needed smile and distraction to Michelle and her family with our handmade baby hamper.

Love and butterfly kisses for each and everyone one of you!!

A little baby refashioning...

2011-02-06T18:35:00.006+11:00

Once I knew what everyone else was contributing to Michelle's Surprise Baby Hamper I had to make something different. I didn't want to double up and truth be known Michelle owns every Over It! item I have created.

I am super happy with how both projects turned out and can't wait to make a few more.

New Born Leather Boots

Made from a recycled leather jacket

(Rebekah I found a use for it hope you don't mind...hehe)

They remind me of converse high tops.

I cut them in a way that would show both the colours from the jacket.

The back of them opens up so you can get them on and off little feet easily.

They can be folded over too just like a pair of converse high tops. I can't wait to see some little feet in these leather boots.

This is the jacket from Rebekah which I cut up. Actually I only cut one of the sleeves and there is still more leather left over from it to make another pair.

Baby Sleeping Pod

Made from my stash of off cut chenille and jersey knit.

A very warm pod that any baby would be happy to sleep in. It has 4 ties on the side which close the top layer over the baby.

It is also fully reversible if it needs to be a little warmer.

I hope baby N gets a couple of uses out of it.

The bias binding at the bottom was all hand stitched too.

So that was my contribution to Michelle's Baby Shower Hamper. There are still two more gifts to reveal after the little man decides to join his family...

The gift of giving...

2011-02-05T10:55:00.002+11:00

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Steph. She had organised a big Alice in Wonderland themed party for her 30th Birthday but sadly the stars just didn't align on the day. She felt ever so sad.

Michelle, a very special friend who lived far far away was "so sure it was beautiful and wonderful and perfect". It broke her heart to know that the birthday girl wasn't spoilt on her special day.

Over the following week Steph received some beautiful gifts in the mail including a pair of damn fine purple high heel shoes named Poppy. Steph felt extremely spoilt and special.

A couple of months later Steph knew that Michelle really wanted to have a baby shower but to organise one when Michelle was expecting her 10th baby would be a huge feet in itself. Steph thought long and hard. She decided to ask her friends to help put together a special baby shower hamper filled with handmade goodies and more.

Steph had goose bumps and knew that this was the perfect way to spoil Michelle who had been in and out of hospital and was truly 'over it!' If Steph could take Michelle's mind of being pregnant and all the not so wonderful things that came with her pregnancy and make her smile instead of feeling uncomfortable, then that was what she was going to do.

Below are all the goodies which were sent to Michelle this week. You can check out her reaction on her blog HERE too.

Bel Creations - handmade stationary with personal message.

Thank you Belinda...

KissKiss HugHug - baby bib set.

Thank you Jacqueline and Felicia...

rachelle rachelle - boys shorts, burp cloths and bib.

Thank you Rachelle...

Handmade by Haylz - Tissue wallet and tag toy.

Thank you Hayley...

Summer Luv - UV Baby wrap SPF 50+

Thank you Karen...

GemmaJoy - Coffee button felt brooch

Thank you Gem...

The zipper ones are my Over It! left overs...

Kasiabear Designs - 2 hand printed bodysuits.

Thank you Kasia...

The Body Shop - Pamper Pack

Thank you Kerry who is also a Bizness Babe mentor...

Purely Natural Living - 2 lavender and goats milk baby soaps and set of three natural soaps with wooden bed.

Thank you Rebekah...

Babyjo Bamboo Wear - bambo hat and singlet

Thank you Jo...

Bare Foot Babies - Bib set

Thank you Sophie...

Agoo - Bamboo socks.

Thank you Susan...

Jasmine from Jazzy Rose also contributed a NB bag of nappies.

Thank you Jazzy...

Zina from RasberryBubbleZ also handmade a set of personalised name blocks which I can't show you until the little guy is born otherwise I will ruin the surprise.

Last but not lease I made a few baby items from recycled materials which I will share in another post as this one is quiet photo heavy.

I wanted to thank Michelle for continuing to support woman in business and empowering us to work together. Call past her blog and see her work behind the Mummy Ambassador program. She might even be able to help or inspire your own business!

Easy no sew refashion and eco makeup...

2011-01-18T13:09:00.005+11:00

This was too good to not try.

Grab one long sleeved men's shirt and wrap it around your front with the neck collar behind. Pull it so you can do the buttons above your bust and down the shirt.

I had to pin a brooch to mine as the button was too tight.

The sleeves should sit at your side pull them under your bust and tie off.

Voila!! One super easy, super stylin' top with absolutely no sewing what so ever!!

You can tie it on the side too. Try a bow... embellish it!

Tell me this isn't sexy... Go on!

Oi! down in front...

You can check out the tutorial HERE.

The shirt has been in my stash for a while and I never wanted to cut it up. When I saw the tutorial I raced into the studio and grabbed it straight away. It is one of Carlos' but he has never worn it and if he really wanted to he still can.

Funny thing I came out and he looked and me and exclaimed "You look like a woman!" which I think meant "WOW my shirt looks hot on you".

Maybe it was combination of waking up on a good hair day, his shirt and trying out my sample of Ragged Blossom Beauty natural mineral make up!!

*plug plug*

Lindy has been following Over It! for a while and contacted me to share her new eco business because I live and breath all things Earth and human friendly. I was absolutely delighted to see her business as I had been on the look out for eco friendly make up that wasn't all mass produced.

Lindy meticulously handmakes all her products from scratch, using only the highest quality cosmetic grade minerals and nothing else. They are free from the following nasties.

Parabens

Oil, Talc, Fragrance

Boron Nitride

Bismuth Oxychloride

Synthetic Dyes

Animal Products/by-products (except maybe Carmine in some colour, however a note of its inclusion will be made)

These all sound horrible!!

The colours you see are the colours you get and I can honestly say it feels like I am not even wearing makeup. It lasts all day and is kids proof... Haha not really!! So don't leave it lying around for their little fingers to find.

I highly recommend checking out her new SHOP. If you are on facebook check out her PAGE too as she has random giveaways and prizes. I have 2 more colours on their way to me as well.

So in conclusion today is a good day don't you think!?!

MooBear Donates To Flood Auction...

2011-01-13T08:44:00.009+11:00

Like many Australian families we have been checking on our Queensland friends and family making sure we know exactly what is going on. The news has been constantly on with late nights watching for any change... in anything really.

For my international friends who may not be aware of the magnitude, the majority of Queensland has been flooding since December. The capital city of brisbane is currently under water. To date there have been 12 deaths, 9 are feared dead with more missing and tens of thousands of homes and businesses have been affected.

I have been watching friends update on facebook who are in affected areas. Clint hadn't posted in a few hours and I panicked. So I left a message on his wall (as you do). It simply read 'Are you okies?'. I checked his wife's page too and learnt that they had lost power and Clint's phone battery was dead. Power is now back on so all is safe for them.

These are devastating and truly emotional times for Australians but there are auctions dedicated to helping the Flood Appeal happening everywhere!

We have donated MooBear Tee's and Over It! item to the following auctions

1. MooBear tee and Gina purse to Jazzy Kids Auction on facebook.

2. Moo's Rocket to the Wholesale Baby Auction.

3. Gina Purse to the The OZ Material Girls Auction.

4. Tie Me Up body suit & Zip It Headband to the Carmen Steane Auction.

5. A red pirate eye patch and a black pirate eye patch to Butterfly Magick.

Our other friends from GemmaJoy, Boutique Creations, Snugglebug, KC's Hair Clip Studio and Butterfly Magick have also jumped on board.

All funds raised go directly to the Flood Appeal to help rebuilt lives.

There are blogs doing their own auctions as well as a master list being set up.

Sandrine is donating the entire proceeds from her ETSY store.

Recycled Fashion are offering a handmade clutch

isismade is offering a giant bag of handmade Isis goodies.

BrisStyle:Handmade Ark Appeal

Handmade Help Blog have a master list too.

(Photo taken from Brisbane area flood photos & info on facebook)

After all the sadness and being so helpless this picture of Wally Lewis put a smile on my face this morning. Even through the hardest times Aussies still dig deep and can have a laugh.

League of Extraordinary Crafters...

2011-01-06T09:58:00.002+11:00

Sometimes the universe has a funny way of bringing people together. In this case it is a group of currently 47 extraordinary crafters who have used facebook to their full advantage. I was invited to join the group by Christy who I met on CO&K craft site.

All of us chat live, share ideas, give advice on projects, inspire each other no end and become the shoulder to lean on when our sewing machine packs it in. We all do a variety of different crafts ranging from custom jewellery, plushies, crocheted goodies, felt creations, clothing and accessories.

We range in ages and craft ability. Some of us craft for ourselves, our business or as a hobby. There are well established crafters and not so established ones too.

It is how ever a great group of woman (... actually are we all woman... I haven't met everyone in the group yet...lol) who were able to put all their creative minds together and come up with our very own web site to share everything we do with the rest of the world.

So watch this space for some creative interviews with the very first crafters who brought the LXC movement to life.

www.lxcrafters.com

Handmade Christmas Part 2...

2011-01-03T18:50:00.003+11:00

This instalment of Christmas goodies is all about what the kids received for Christmas 2010.

I wanted to give Moo something she would really use. Something she could personalise and something that would grow with her and be special.

I made her a satchel out of reclaimed canvas curtain and spotty blue material. I put a note in with it saying she could draw, paint, screen print, sew... Whatever she wanted to do to put her mark on it and make it hers.

She decided she wanted to put her own MooBear Design - Moo's Earth on her satchel so she could show her friends at school. She also has plans to write around the Earth with her school friends help when they go back.

The satchel itself it fully reversible.

Moo is also wearing a GemmaJoy original felt design necklace. She received 2 for Christmas but I have the other one in my jewellery collection because she has claimed my new purple felt flower headband... fairs fair right?!

Bubble received a pair of handmade pants by Cheeksmeeks but they wont be online much as they were expecting their 2nd bub on Christmas day!!

Mr Smooth received an awesome Retro Chrissy shirt thanks to Kristy from HandmadeRetro. I won the shirt as part of the big Sew,Mama, Sew Giveaway last month. You can check out her shop too.

Bear has only let me wash it twice since Christmas so I am planning on doing another load of washing tomorrow.

If you missed part 1. check it HERE. I made Carlos and his brothers their own adult MooBear Tees.

T-shirt Refashion Time...

2011-01-02T17:52:00.003+11:00

This morning I snuck away to the studio work on some refashion projects for Bear and Bubble. Some friends come around from Sydney back in November and brought with them a bag full of T-shirts so I pulled 2 out and made Bear a pair of pants and Bubble a skirt.

They actually didn't want to have their photos taken which was really unusual for them both but I managed to persuade them with sultanas...hehehe

Tanies are the best!!

Bear still rockin out the MJ moves and his favourite shirt at the moment by Kasiabear.

A super comfy pair of everyday pants. I used a pair of his own pants as the pattern.

They remind me of fisherman pants.

Bubble has a super cute twirly skirt. I cut off the bottom of a shirt and re sewed the patches onto the bottom of the skirt.

I really like the colours and the patches!!

I wanted to send a big warm thank you to Amanda and Eddy for letting me get creative with their clothes.

Last craft for 2010...

2010-12-31T20:04:00.003+11:00

I had an idea in my head from this morning and I decided to create the idea using materials I had sitting around my studio.

I used thimbles, buttons, and key charms to make pendants. I really like the idea of having a pendant which is suited just for my crafty personality... I am now on the hunt for a tiny sewing machine charm to complete the look!

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and enjoyed 2010 as much as we did!!

See you some time in the new year!

xo Steph

Isis Little Tea Zine Is Here!!

2010-12-29T16:01:00.007+11:00

A little while ago now Isis put a call out to all tea lovers to contribute to an indie zine idea she had bubbling away in her wonderful imagination.

I was lucky enough to have been part of this process and also pulled some of my creative friends on board too so look out for a lovely sounding story with an evil twist too!

The zine contains 40 pages of recipes, tutorials, stories, facts and all things tea, contributed by tea-lovers all over the world and comes with a free badge!

They are a limited print run, on 100% recycled paper with a 100% recycled cover. The zine is black and white, with coloured artists' pages in the centre.

You can purchase The Little Tea Zine from Isis shop for $5 which would be a great gift to go with some tea for the perfect tea loving Nana, sister, Aunt, Mum... Uncle... you get the idea!!

"Ain't no party like my Nana's tea party" badge.

My contribution was an up cycled tea cup pin cushion tutorial.

Now because the majority of the zine is b/w I just have to show you that my dress really does match my tea cup which is quite funny seeings as it's a treasure shop tea cup purchase...hehe.

My snazzy pins are also from June at Noon. Her shop is filled with wonderful goodies too.

While you are here you should call past Isis' Ethical Clothing Pledge. We have been part of the pledge for over a year now.

Handmade Christmas Part 1...

2010-12-28T09:53:00.004+11:00

This Christmas we decided to go completely handmade for family and friends. We wanted to do something a little extra special for the MooBear Uncles though.

So we put our thinking caps on and thunk really hard!

Carlos suggested making them MooBear tees. So we match up one design each which fitted their personalities perfectly and got to work.

So let me introduce Anthony and Steve who are the most supportive big brothers a sister could ask for.

Steve was there for the birth of our children. Anthony was living in England during that time but I was chatting to him via email when I went into labour with Bear at midnight. So in their own way they were part of something very special which no one else outside of Carlos and their father has ever been part of!

They are also equally the favourite uncles to Moo, Bear and Bubble. So much so that their names are completely interchangeable.

I would do anything for these 3 men and although I have been out number for years now I am happy to have them all to myself. Although I wouldn't mind being an Aunty either.

There might just be adult MooBear tees available in the not too distant future...

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

2010-12-24T10:51:00.002+11:00

Woohoo it's Christmas Eve!!

We celebrate the South American way and have a huge feast at about 11pm tonight then open up all our presents at midnight. Then tomorrow the kids wake up in their own house which will be the first time ever and see what Santa has left for them...YAY!!

I really just wanted to share the paper I found to wrap our handmade presents in... Oh and our hand knitted Santa from the Treasure Shop $7 baby yeah!!

I used pattern paper to wrap up some of our gifts along with the stashes of ribbon I have hidden away and all over my desk. The orange paper I used to label them are from an envelope GemmaJoy send with gifts.

The awesome retro paper I bought from my local Treasure Shop for $1.50 which gave me 9 rolls to play with. To be honest I didn't really want to use it because it is so awesome hehe.

So there you have it!!

The boys have arrived with more food gifts and hugs to I am off to enjoy my day. They also do all the work for tonights feast and I sit back and relax!! Not a bad gig if you ask me!!

Merry Christmas you crazy people!

LOVE AND ENJOY!!

Winners are grinners...

2010-12-21T16:31:00.005+11:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get around to drawing the winner of my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway hosted by of course Sew Mama Sew!

All names were placed into Carlos' hat.

Jumbled up and mixed about...

I can never have just one child help all 3 have to be part of the process!

Each of those names were stuck to a coloured ball...

Stephu.

Beth- the mumma bee

kessilari

I proceeded to juggle all 3 balls and the winner would be the ball I dropped first.

Stephu ended up being the winner.

Unfortunately Stephu didn't leave me a way to contact her so I'll give her 3 days to contact me.

(Thanks to the networking skills of myself and a little bit of facebook Stephu managed to find out she was the winner...YAY!)

If I do not hear from her then I shall send the loot to the person on the ball which fell 2nd... which would be Beth.

So there you have it!!

The MooBear & Over It! Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Loot...

2010-12-12T17:22:00.011+11:00

We are joining in the big Sew Mama Sew giveaway this year along with our blog friends GemmaJoy, harrysdesk and This is sew my life. There are more out there so be sure to check out the giveaway list on their blog.

This is going to be the biggest giveaway we have ever had on our blog so lets see what one lucky person could win shall we...

Yep all of these handmade, up-cycled, refashioned and recreated items by none other than our ethically made and enviro friendly labels MooBear Designs and Over It!

Are you excited? I am...

So lets give you a quick run down of the loot.

1x Gina Purse

Made from recycled denim, doilies, scrap fabric and button valued at $30.

1x Recycled denim baby bib

Made from recycled denim, scrap fabric and button valued at $15.

1x Pink Plated Jersey Knit Necklace/Belt

Made from recycled jersey knit valued at $12.

1x Zip It Headband made from recycled zippers and button valued at $12.

1x Denim Zipper Brooch made from the off cuts of all zipper creations and denim valued at $6.

1x Eye Patch made from off cut felt and elastic valued at $8.

1x Zip It Pocket Pal made from recycled zippers and denim valued at $15.

And last but not least a MooBear Tee...

...One of our original launch designs Moo's Rocket to be exact valued at $40.

That's a whopping $135 worth of Eco Friendly goodies!!

What do you have to do to win this loot of handmade recycled goodness?

Pop past our SHOP and then leave a comment

(1 entry per person) on our blog mentioning your favourite MooBear Design tee and who you would share your loot with.

That's it.

If you are after an extra entry you can call past Over It! on facebook and leave a comment on our wall with the secret password "I am so Over It!"...

If you feel like spreading the love then you can blog, facebook and twitter it till your hearts content but you don't have to.

- Entries close 17th Dec 2010 12midnight AEST

- Will post internationally

- Winner will be chosen randomly by method of coloured balls in our back yard.

- Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you directly if commenting on this post.

Good Luck and if I don't speak to you before Christmas have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year xo Steph

Sunscreen and Bubble...

2010-12-10T09:03:00.003+11:00

Bubble makes me laugh so much.

This photo of her takes the cake... Literally.

She was eating chocolate cake till she decided to use it as a hair and skin product.

She may look really happy but she has also had a really bad reaction to sunscreen which is why her face is all red and puffy. She was itchy all over where we applied it and was up for a few nights from discomfort.

I wasted no time in contacting Rebekah to see if she knew what was causing the reaction and if there was a natural sunscreen out there somewhere we could use.

Instead she made up an all natural sunscreen sample with absolutely no preservatives.

*YAY*

I am happy to say Bubble still has a great smile and uses chocolate cake as hair gel. Only now she has no reaction to her sunscreen.

A big massive thank you to Rebekah for having the best natural soaps and skin care range in the world...

Check out Purely Natural Living.

Felt Flowers and Markets.

2010-11-30T16:51:00.005+11:00

I came across the bag of felt off cuts in my stash again and swung into felt flower mode this time. These flowers are big and chunky for dramatic effect. They will be made into rings and brooches and will be available at the next Red Lantern Night Market.

They will be available in green, red, black, purple, yellow and blue... So far.

I have also been making more eye patches.

Remember when I made Bear his very own? Well I went ahead a made a few more to take to market. They were so popular I have had to restock! Gotta love that...

So we have a huge range of colour combos with eye balls and stars to choose from.

I'll also be at Ettalong Bowling Club for the Christmas Shopping Night

Thursday 2nd from 7-10pm.

There is a complimentary glass of Champaign and mini manicure to help get you in the Christmas shopping mood!! So if you are a local be sure to stop past and say hi.

Sometimes, the stars just don't align...

2010-11-28T14:13:00.005+11:00

This blog post is my vent to the universe...

I am always a happy person. Everyone who knows me will tell you I am. I surround myself with happiness. With the things and people I love.

Sometimes though the stars just don't quite align...

My Alice in Wonderland inspired party was suppose to be a celebration of love and womanhood to share with my friends and the people I rely on. It was my first ever child free event and I had the whole event planned and played out in my mind.

Unfortunately, the months of preparation, donations of decorations, the amount of food and alcohol went to waste...

Because there was no-one here to enjoy it.

I completely understand that things happen in other peoples lives which they cannot ignore. It doesn't change the fact that I hurt and am so sad.

I'll leave you with some of the photos from the preparations of the evening to enjoy.

My Alice in Wonderland book from 1981 and my personalised birthday badge by GemmaJoy in the Alice theme.

Carlos had the bar set up in the studio to serve cocktails of every kind. Bar fridge, drinks, glasses, blender, salt and sugar.

Lovely bunting donated by Rachelle after her daughters 1st Birthday Tea Party. Rachelle even printed out my name and 30th to replace her daughters.

Thanks Hun!

A quick garage sale visit in the morning for Bear and I. We bought the last item on our cocktail list for $5. Very cool and very retro glass blender.

A very special puzzle book with beautiful illustrations Carlos picked up for Moo back when she was a baby from a treasure shop.

View from the studio outside.

Doily bunting and table set up along with a mannequin dressed in a black 'Alice' t-shirt wearing my brand new reclaimed satchel by Little Wise Owl.

I was sharing some lovely refashioned items on my facebook page which I was looking at buying myself for my birthday. Rebekah and Jazzy snapped the satchel up before I had time to buy it only I didn't know until I received it on Friday. Yes I cried when the postie handed the parcel to me...

Carlos made Brenda and I frozen strawberry margaritas.

Brenda called around earlier in the day with her family to finish of my cake she made and to spend some quality time with me. I have a few new personalised Gemmajoy brooches to add to my collection including a sewing machine... I love it so much girls!!

The cake Brenda made just for me *tear* Brenda girl I miss you so much!

She even made 'eat me' cookies... how sweet is she?!

So I leave this blog post in tears because I am so grateful for what I have. Carlos I love you and you truly are my lighthouse. Thank you for making everything better and not calling me a sooky baby...

Right now I could do with a hug...

MooBear 3 Day Sale Starts Now...

2010-11-23T19:50:00.002+11:00

To thank you for supporting kids clothing with a conscience and for making us Australia's fastest growing and favourite eco-friendly, independent kids t-shirt label, we are having a 3 day sale especially for our facebook 'likers' just in time for Christmas.

All our Big Kids Tee's are $30 but only for 3 days so be quick.

SALE starts 7.30pm Wed 23rd November till 7.30pm Fri 26th November 2010.

Boring? Tea Towels? I think not...

2010-11-19T09:01:00.004+11:00

Back in March I went to a garage sale across the road and bought a few items really cheap. Thrown in there were some very new retro tea towels which were unused. I sent them straight to CurlyPops because she love a tea towel or two for refashioning!!

Just look at them now!!

WOW...

These a definitely worth checking out over at CurlyPops today... or tomorrow. You can find her selling her handbags and yummy goodies at the Daylesford Makers Market on Saturday November 27th so do say hello from me!!

I have a few I kept hold of which I really must refashion. It's a crime not to when they look this delicious.

Some Christmas Face Washers...

2010-11-17T17:35:00.000+11:00

Rebekah and I have been doing some brain storming. Well actually it's more like excited jumping around the craft shop with a spontaneous craft idea to add to Rebekah's soaps for Christmas. I decided to help out and make her some Christmas tree decorations/face washers to go with her soaps for our markets this weekend. We'll both be at The Red Lantern Night Market on Saturday and then the Handmade Craft Market on Sunday.

They are a little quirky with lots of handmade love.

What do you think? I have put one away for us to add to our tree too... hehe sshh don't tell Rebekah although I am sure she wont mind.

Christmas Handmade Craft Market...

2010-11-17T09:50:00.004+11:00

This is where you find me this Sunday 21st November.

I'll have Gina purses, eye patches, zip it brooches and headbands as well as all our MooBear Designs tees so be sure to stop past to do some Christmas shopping.

Hope to see you there too!!

Central Coast to Sydney iPod Play Lists...

2010-11-14T18:31:00.005+11:00

When we all take the train trip to Sydney we make sure we take our iPods along for entertainment. Today we popped into the annual Newtown Festival to meet up with family and friends. It's amazing how much quicker the trip is with music...

These are just some of the songs playing on our to Sydney and Back.

Can you guess who was listening to which music?

I Want Candy...

2010-11-13T11:25:00.003+11:00

Now for this post you need to sing the song I Want Candy...

Candy in the morning time,

Candy in the hot sunshine.

Candy baby can't you see,

All I want is your candy!

Now that the mood is right I can share with you some very fruitilicious candy.

Carlos loves his rock candy as equally as I love my liquorice.

It absolutely amazes him how they get the tiny little image of the candy flavour and words inside the candy. I think it would be a pretty cool job title to have on your resume too.

So when the kids and I visited the Fairhaven Markets today we were excited to see Paul, The Candy Man there again. He remember me from last time we visited. I had to make the trip back to the markets because I forgot to actually take the jar of candy with me.

Not this time though.

Paul and Ange make their fruitilicious candy from home which is perfect because home made candy tastes so much nicer than the mass produced lollies in stores. They make candy for every occasion you can think of and for every event you have been too.

Even better they now have an online store so we can buy directly from them when ever Carlos wants too. Which come to think of it might be a very tempting option... hmmm.

I am also loving the jar that we bought from the markets too. Can you see all my buttons wanting to have a new home in there?

Stencilling and Swimming...

2010-11-08T17:24:00.002+11:00

We woke up this morning and the sun was shining. I spontaneously decided to do some stencilling and screen printing but I needed to entertain Bubble and Bear at the same time.

Out came the wadding pool, sunscreen, swimmers and queen size sheet.

I was able to do a lot of printing while they both happily splashed around in the shade of the clothes line. Bubble did decided to get back in after Carlos changed her but no harm done there.

They enjoyed themselves so much. I might actually join them next time and test out my new recycled, vintage, linen bikini which Tina made when she was here in Sept.

Of course I am a little random and decided to stencil my t-shirt while I was still wearing it... nothing strange there!!

Red Lantern Night Market...

2010-11-08T12:01:00.003+11:00

I am so freakin excited about the Red Lantern Night Markets.

I was personally invited by the organiser Justine which is nice because it means people out there in the market world like what I do...right?!

I was a little worried about getting there because as you know Team MooBear do not drive so I invited my bestie, fellow eco warrior and now market buddy Rebekah from Purely Natural Living along too!

We'll be there on Saturday November 20th from 4-10pm and also Saturday December 11th from 4-10pm.

Hunter Street and Surrounding Laneways Newcastle CDB.

Between Newcomen St and Wolfe St.

If you are a Newie local or from the Hunter Valley bring the family along and enjoy the market atmosphere, fabulous food and get some Christmas shopping in too!

My Creative Space... Eye Patches

2010-11-04T15:29:00.004+11:00

Bear has ben asking me for weeks to make him an eye patch. So the only creating going on today was making him his very own one of a kind eye patch which is made from all recycled materials... I think I might have to make a few more for the markets.

For more creative spaces check out Kootoyoo.

Now a few things while you are here.

1. Have you voted for my recycled denim baby bibs which made it into the finals of the Ecouterre Gap Recycled Denim Challenge? Voting ends tomorrow and I would love you to vote for one of my very first Over It! creations if you would ever so kind... I'll owe you a coffee!!

2. Have you entered our GIVEAWAY? All you have to do is name the newest, natural soap made by Purely Natural Living which I have been lucky enough to use all week and you could win your very own. Entry closes tomorrow night.

3. Have you stopped past my facebook sale? There are Zip It headbands reduced to $8 and brooches from $8. There are girls T-shirts, Zip It hair ties and more.

DIY Display for Market...

2010-11-03T16:14:00.005+11:00

I have had to rethink how I display for my Zip It headbands and brooches as the denim frames just take too long to pin all my creations to. Check them out here.

I needed something I can display and leave them on. My solution was to use 2 small vintage suitcases and turn the inside into a display area.

I am a vintage suitcase hoarder.

They were both road side rescues.

I wanted to pad the inside with foam but want to avoid buy any. I really like to use what ever I have lying around.

On a random trip to the treasure shop earlier today I noticed some foam sitting on a table. I asked what they had planned for the foam and they said it was going in the bin... Well not if I can help it!! I got home and cut the foam to size.

I used some scrap material left over from a project for Rebekah to cover the foam and created a cushion. The perfect place to pin my brooches and to display my headbands.

Now I have the perfect no fuss way to display both my Zip It headbands and brooches.

I am sure Rachelle and Shannon will be very happy to see my new wind proof display too...Hehe.

So what am I going to with the denim frames? Why, still use them of course. I am going to tie 3 rows of string across them and peg my Zip It hair ties on them giving me more room to use on the table front at my markets!!

Pure genius!

Now a few things while you are here.

3. Have you stopped past my facebook sale? There are Zip It headbands reduced to $8 and brooches from $8. There are girls T-shirts, Zip It hair ties and more.

Purely Natural Living...GIVEAWAY!!

2010-10-28T11:38:00.014+11:00

Today I have something very special and exciting to share with you all.

Yesterday Rebekah came over with a surprise new soap she has been working on just for me to try. She handed the bar to me and asked me to guess what was in it.

I had to think for a moment because my senses were telling me to eat it. There was a very strong citrus smell which was very familiar. I guessed lime but I knew it wasn't right.

It was lemon grass! Imagine that in a soap...

Today I used my lemon grass soap and I feel fresh and alert (although that could have been my coffee earlier hehe...) It also has an exfoliant which I thoroughly love as it makes me feel cleaner and fresher. My skin also feels softer too which I don't get from my normal soap as it dry's out my skin. I can't stop touching my arms and face they feel so smooth.

Carlos also tried it and he said it felt invigorating and his skin didn't come out dry either. He really liked the exfoliating action too. I didn't think he would because his skin is so soft but he proved me wrong!!

(do you like my photo? I took it all by myself)

What is in this bar of natural soap?

Coconut Oil

Palm Oil (the one used is certified maintaining sustainable farming practices)

Ground Pumice (For a gentle exfoliant)

A blend of Rosemary Essential Oil, Lemongrass Essential Oil, Cajeput Essential Oil & Peppermint Essential Oil (all Certified Organic)

o Rosemary Essential Oil – Considered on of the best tonic for the centrals nervous system, strengthening mental clarity & awareness

o Lemongrass Essential Oil – With its invigoration properties stimulate, revive & energies, useful for clearing the head and relieving fatigue.

o Cajeput Essential Oil – Helps clear thoughts & dissipates sluggish feelings.

o Peppermint Essential Oil – Helps people become clear headed and refreshes the spirits.

Now that's a lot of natural goodness packed into one little bar of soap.

Rebekah also wants me to name her new soap. No pressure hey! I have another bar of this soap which has your name on it if you can come up with a really great name for Rebekah to use for this one of a kind natural soap.

So the condition of entry is:

1. Only 1 entry per person so everything is even Steven's.

2. Pop over to Purely Natural Living and list any 3 ingredients from any of her products along with your chosen name for this bar of soap in one comment.

3. Leave a way for me contact you.

4. Entry is open to Australian residents only and is open until Nov 4th 2010 9pm AEST.

I can't wait to hear what names you have thought of.

Over It! is a finalist in the Ecouterre GAP Recycled Denim Challenge.

2010-10-26T14:31:00.003+11:00

Through one of my blog hopping evenings I came across the Ecuoterre GAP Recycled Denim Challenge.

Almost everything I make for Over It! is made from denim or zippers so I thought sure why not enter for some fun. Now I wasn't sure if I was aloud to enter as it is in America.

I read through the terms and conditions and found nothing to say I couldn't. They also extended the deadline till the 24th Oct. I entered on the 23rd... how close is that??

So I am happy to announce that my Over It! Recycled Denim Baby Bibs has been chosen as a finalist in the Ecouterre GAP Recycled Denim Challenge.

I would love if you could call past and VOTE.

It's just a click with no registration or sign ups.

There are so many great entries so check them out while you are there. You might just be inspired.

Thanks a million for all the love and support!!

Over It! Sale...

2010-10-25T14:49:00.005+11:00

I am nearly at 450 fans on my Over It! facebook page.

I need to clear out some Over It! stock to make way for new creations.

So I thought I would have a facebook sale and see what happens. Worse case scenario I don't sell anything which I highly doubt.

I have bonus items, free postage and one for you and one for a friend happening after 7.30pm tonight but the album is ready to go on my page if you want to have an early lookie!

Hope to see you there.

Happy Birthday Carlos...

2010-10-24T13:24:00.004+11:00

Last year Mr MooBear had his birthday and was officially a big boy!

He really is easy to buy or make things for but we really wanted to give him something special.

Something no one else had bought him or that he had bought himself.

Something that he has always wanted but has never been able to have.

...A MOUSTACHE...

It's a me.... MARIO!!

Ah yes... Stroking his new luxurious MAN moustache...

I am not sure how I am going to top this next year!!

Of course the rest of the family had to try it out too!

Well almost everyone!

Woohoo Vegies!!

2010-10-23T14:31:00.002+11:00

We started our vegie patch back in the middle of September HERE.

5 weeks on and we have some vegies starting to show themselves. Our kids are loving it and check up on them everyday when we water them.

I am hoping the kids leave them to grow till they at least ripen before pulling them off. I know they have been eating the lettuce because little pieces have been broken off the tops.

Boxers or Briefs?

2010-10-22T16:17:00.004+11:00

That is todays question.

While Tina was here last month for Bubble's birthday we stayed up one night sewing. We had a few things to mend and a few new ideas to try out.

To be completely honest we could have sewn just about anything that night because it was the quality of time spent together not the quantity of things sewn that was special.

We ended up making Carlos and his brothers some boxers.

Anthony showed us his ones in dyer need of replacement so we took that project on board. The boxers closest are made from a pillow case and the scraps were also used to mend his pants where they split.

Starting from the left boxers made from scrap material from Tina's stash.

Boxers made from Jasmines last scrap material hand over.

Boxers made from the scrap material which made Bubble's jacket and birthday dress.

I foresee more boxers being made as Christmas presents!!

New Shoes? Yes Please...

2010-10-21T08:54:00.003+11:00

I called past the Compai girls blog and discovered this post.

My birthday is coming up so I am putting these at the top of my list.

Do you think I could make my own pair of up cycled denim shoes?

I totally reckon I could!!

An Oldie But A Goodie!!

2010-10-20T14:55:00.002+11:00

Bear pulled this T-shirt out of his draw the other day. This is one of the very first mock up's of Moo's Rocket from way back.

He has been the only one to wear it and it is the only one an a white T-shirt.

I have sent most of the original mock ups to friends out there in blog land who I love and cherish close to my heart. I also have a few designs which didn't make the final cut when we launched.

There is a special one put away for Bubble which is 1 of only 2 made.

They can be called collectors editions right?

He's Growing Up Too Fast...

2010-10-19T17:04:00.002+11:00

Today was Bear's first day at big school.

We caught the bus to school together.

I told him I loved him and for the first time ever I left him with someone I had never met before. He would be out of my hands and in someone else's for 2 whole hours.

I was just meant to follow suit and do what everyone else does and trust that everything would be alright.

Everything was alright.

He made 3 new friends Ella, Jimmy and Taylor.

Sometimes My Plans Don't Quite Happen....

2010-10-18T15:25:00.005+11:00

Yesterday was so lovely in the sun that I actually went outside and had a sleep under our clothes line all by myself while Bear and Bubble had their sleep.

In the afternoon I was still in 'relaxing in my sunny backyard' mode so the kids came out for a ride. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do some more of crocheting.

Unfortunately Bear and Bubble only had a short bike ride and then wanted me to kick the ball. So I managed to crochet for about a minute. It would have been longer if I didn't take the photos!!

Hope your projects and getting done!!

Look What I Bought for $1...

2010-10-17T18:12:00.003+11:00

The Point Clare Spring Fair was yesterday and it was... Well it was very, very windy!

I am lucky I have awesome market friends who bought tents with walls. I managed to fit perfectly in the middle of rachelle rachelle and Just Like Katie and for the rest of the day we took turns holding the tents down so we didn't blown away.

At the end of the day the white elephant stall was selling off everything for $1 a bag. As soon as the woman yelled out "Fill a bag for a dollar" I was there pulling out all fabric I had had my eye on since 8am.

This is what I had filled one bag with.

A lot of Chenille off cuts.

Some big some small.

Checked and stripped material off cuts.

They are all rectangular with one corner rounded...

I am thinking someone made a beautiful quilt from the chenille and fabric at some stage and these are all the left over pieces.

They are all so new and lovely that I might make a scrappy quilt.

I also picked up all these wonderful squares which no doubt were also used as a quilt and maybe these didn't quite make the final cut?

I am thinking a cot blanket although Bubble will be moving to a big bed sometime next year. They definitely need to be made into something very yummy!!

So what have you bought for a $1 lately?

Sneak Peek...

2010-10-16T17:21:00.003+11:00

I have been working on some pendents made from recycled curtain rings, recycled trim and fabrics. This is only a snippet but I think I am onto a winner!!

And The Winner Is....

2010-10-15T14:28:00.005+11:00

There was no fancy name drawing this time as I am so busy getting ready for tomorrows market.

I asked Bear for a number and he said 11 so I scrolled down the comments under the giveaway post (minus 1 as it was 1 entry per person) and found the name...

Naomi

Naomi can have any of the brooches from the giveaway or I can make her one in the colours she would like!!

Naomi what are you think girl?

I have also been using up and clearing out space in my studio. I came across some T-shirts in the cupboards and put them to use...

I bought the shirts new at the treasure shop and embellished them with doilies and buttons. Then stamped them with Over It!

I also found the perfect backing material for my new robot softies too.

Sometimes it is good to go through your stash...

School Hair Ties For Point Clare Spring Fair...

2010-10-14T09:00:00.003+11:00

Today I am working on my last minute projects, finishing off some yoyo hair ties which have been made some unwearable Point Clare school uniforms and reclaimed buttons. I predict these will sell very quickly.

Remember you'll find MooBear and Over It! at the Point Clare Spring Fair this Saturday the 16th Oct on Takari Ave, Point Clare.

Foo Fighters and See Sam...

2010-10-13T15:00:00.003+11:00

I love the Foo Fighters.

If I could go to any concert in the whole wide world it would be Foo Fighters.

If I happen to be in the studio I am 99% of the time listening and singing along to Foo Fighters.

Carlos bought me the Blue Ray of their concert Live at Welmbley Stadium.

This was a massive concert with 165,000 tickets sold in 24 hours.

PHOA...

I can watch this in the comfort of my own home up close in full 1080P DTS HD with Dave Grohl singing right to me! To make things a little more realistic Carlos fills a spray bottle with water and when Dave shakes his head I get sprayed with sweat!!

The girls over at See Sam know how much I like the Foo Fighters and how much I love their dresses which are all made from recycled T-shirts and fabrics. So they made a dress in Bubble's size with a Foo Fighters shirt from 2005 and of course I bought it!

Bubble know's who the Foo Fighters are and is very impressed with her new dress. She is totally ready to rock out to Everlong.

She is also sporting another GemmaJoy headband... hehe

Carlos keeps grabbing Bubble and giving her kisses and giggling uncontrollably because she just looks so adorable in her dress.

Girls if you come across any New Order, The Clash, Queens of the Stone Age or Muse tee's give us a heads up!!

Pants Split? No Problems...

2010-10-12T19:03:00.004+11:00

While my brother in law was here for 4 days during Bubble's birthday he split is shorts.

He asked Tina and I if we could fix them and we said "Yep, we sure can"

Tina patched up his shorts and while she did that I made him a new pair of boxers as he was in dyer need of some. Aren't I the best the sister in law?!

The boxers which you can see peeking over his shorts were made from some really soft scrap fabric while the...Umm... Cock was left over from a pillow case project.

Tina and I had a massive laugh about putting a 'rooster' on his bum!!

I am trying to keep it clean here but if you let your mind wonder into the cutter you can get very creative with this patch work!!

We had his permission to put the 'rooster' there... hehe

Point Clare Spring Fair...

2010-10-11T18:16:00.005+11:00

You'll find MooBear and Over It! at the Point Claire Spring Fair this Saturday the 16th Oct on Takari Ave, Point Clare along with our friends Just Like Katie and rachelle rachelle.

It's going to be a jam packed family day with a lego expo, talent show, white elephant stall, handmade stalls, cakes, face painting, tin can ally and the author of Zac Power will be there too!

Team MooBear was also asked to help out with some of the events promotional items too. Feeling part of the Central Coast community we offered to design the events logo, banners and posters which you can see here.

I can not take the credit for this though as 99% of it was Carlos' doing. We worked on the ideas together but in the end Carlos is the one who sits at the computer bringing it all to life.

So you should really give him the Hi-5 the time.

So why not bring some friends, family or your neighbour along for the day and have some fun and meet the people behind our label MooBear and Over it!

Time For Some Refashioning...

2010-10-10T18:50:00.005+11:00

I have to admit that Bubble is the easiest person to refashion for and I really must try some more refashioning for Bear and Moo. I promise I will try!

A recent trip to the Treasure Shop with Tina reignited the love for pillow case dresses. So with 2 very different pillow cases and some vintage trim I had lying around I got creating.

I added a doily to the neck line and I think it is the perfect addition to this pillow case.

I didn't have to shorten it in any way as it was a nice small case to begin with.

The chicken is trying to escape.

The colours in this pillow case suited her olive complexion too.

The 2nd dress was shortened as it was a standard case.

When I saw this I just had to have it!

I love it when she poses!

How perfect is this vintage trim with the dress!

The left over part I cut from the bottom was turned into a ruffle.

Once again the perfect addition to this lovely new summer dress.

Bubble you are completely spoilt my girl.

Yep, I can crochet...

2010-10-09T18:51:00.005+11:00

To all my blog friends who can crochet and I keep saying I am going to learn to crochet!!

I did it and I rock!!

Impressed?

If you read my post yesterday you would have seen the start of my new project!

Introducing My Awesome Friend Tina!!

2010-10-08T16:42:00.006+11:00

This is Tina.

I could tell you so much about this amazing woman. She has crafted so many things for my kids it's crazy! She is my inspiration and I love this girl to pieces. Our story is a little strange so I will give you the short version.

Tina and I 'officially' met on facebook. We both have a mutual friend Marla who if you ask any of our friends spends far to much time on facebook!! So Marla sends out a mass message about 2 and half years ago and in that message Tina mentions 'craft and sewing'.

The rest is pretty much history.

Marla, Tina, Brenda and I formed a private group on facebook because Tina lives in Melbourne and it was our way of reaching out and supporting one another. All 4 of us have been pregnant over the last 2 and a half years and the group was our place to go and ask each other for advice, recipes, a laugh or just be ourselves it was also some where to leave a message at 3am while our babies were up crying with colic.

Tina and I have met 3 times.

1st was at my baby shower for Bubble in Aug 2008 where we surprised both Marla and Brenda. They didn't know Tina had flown up especially! We have the whole thing on DVD.

2nd was shortly after at Marla's christmas party I believe. No surprises there just a great day with the friends you would rather call family.

3rd was Bubble's 2nd birthday party last week where we surprised Marla again and yep we also have it on DVD. This time Carlos and I flew Tina and her daughter here to help celebrate with us and what a celebration it was.

Basically Carlos and I have never been away from each other and the kids so it would be less traumatic to fly Tina here!! Not a bad compromise if you ask Tina...lol

Just thinking about the 4 day party brings a huge smile to my face. So needless to say Tina and I stayed up late chatting, crying, laughing and of course sewing.

Now the funny thing is that Tina and I actually went to high school together except I was in the year above her so I never had much to do with her. Now I have everything to do with her!! YAY.

Obviously there is a lot more to our 4 day birthday party but sometimes it's nice to keep an amazing memory between friends!! You know what I mean? So instead I would like to leave you with some very HOT and raunchy crocheting photos!!

Enjoy!