The magpie in me

I have confessed here how I collect (read: hoard) fabrics, wool, ribbons and craftbooks. I also have a quite impressive button collection, and I have shown some of it here. I also have many things in my cupboards I am not sure of. I am not sure why I have them, and I am also struggling to see a way to use them. But I suck at tossing things.

I have a big jar full of re-cycled metal buttons. And plastic buttons looking like metal. Flowers-shaped buttons, shiny pearl-looking buttons, diamond-shmiamond-buttons. I like them, they're very pretty, but I haven't managed to find any use for them. One could argue if the collection actually needs to be usable at all, but I would like to think that I keep things for reason. So I took a closer look...

...and fell in love again! I can't throw these away! But how could a natural fiber-lover like me (wool, linen, wooden buttons) find a use for such a plastic bling-bling? But as in many cases, the first answer is not always the last (or the best either)! I really think I need to experiment more and think outside the box more often, too. Here we go:

This little rose-holder was closely followed by these:



Little felt pouches with my old birds and some new flowers! I know these might not be everyone's favorites, but I like the new look! And that said it really doesn't take that much to make something look fresh (and new - I think I've used the word a few times here already) - I am happy with the results. Hello spring and sunshine: here come my bling-birdies!



Happy new week!

Yours,
Mia

Let it snow...and snow...and...

After my snow-snow-snow-everywhere-spring-nowhere post yesterday I just wanted to share a few shots around my neighborhood today. I hope these will not shock the most spring-orientated of you:

Oh dear, that was Midsummer's eve around 6 months ago. And the very same spot today:



A great consolation is that in just six more months we'll have the roses again... And look at the poor house today:



And it keeps coming... And people are running out of places to shovel it into...

But dear friends, it's not cold (it's actually only -3 or so), it's Friday, and I have the second season of Dynasty almost on my DVD already. Plus some great company and just maybe a bar of chocolate, too. Life is good!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Yours,
Mia

Latest from the land of the late blooming

It's February, yippee! We made it through January (which, once again, felt so long and gloomy but looking back now was filled with so many things). I regularly read many blogs, and it seems that Feb has a spring feel to many of you. The colors are getting brighter as days get longer and lighter, and flowers, they're everywhere!

Here not so much. We have 60cm/23.6" snow and more coming all the time. Days are brighter but as it snows heavily constantly, the sun doesn't shine that much. So no daffodils or tulips here yet, we're still on candles-mode.

I have a soft spot for clean and simple Finnish design glass, and was lucky to get a few more from Santa. These are so beautiful together yet they work beautifully on their own, too. And actually...

...They make a pretty flower, too! Here's to spring, friends!

Bright Thursday!

Yours,
Mia

Mmmmm...moomins

There are a few things, that never fail to make me smile. These little white fellows are among them. Even if you weren't familiar with the story behind them, the cuteness just... is there.

I have made quite a few bags, pouches and other little things with re-used Moomin-fabrics over the years. Somehow, little by little, the wool and felting have taken over. Every now and then I dig my Moomins-stash (oh yes, I have one!) and make these feel-good-makes-me-smile -things. So you're not believing I do have a stash? Let's see:

...and it's properly labeled too:

My fabrics are still, after the renovation-boxing-time, washed but wrinkled-ly stuffed in the boxes. I just cannot get myself to do all the ironing at once. I have convinced myself it would take ages, so when I use, I iron. Pretty they're not, I must admit, but they're in the darkest corner of my working space (explains the dark pictures too) so I can live with them.




I really should go through my stash little more often as there are many, many fabrics I really didn't even remember I had. Pretty, springly and cute (and wrinkled). Hmm... There seem to be two options for today: either I go and start spring cleaning the fabric boxes with an iron as my weapon of choice or I could start sewing some more with my yesterday's finds. This really is a hard one...

Happiest Tuesday!

Yours,
Mia

Product development

January has been full of new ideas, sketching and new materials. Well mostly these things I have put together have been new pairs to me (like this wool&stitch), and there have been some well-known whyhaven'tIthoughtthisearlier -moments, too. I definitely have spring and even summer in mind already, and I have been developing my existing products to that direction too. Wow, that sounded quite serious! Let's see what I have been up to.

You already have seen my birdie-bags in wool (and even in tweed, I think). I wanted to create a lighter and spring/summer-style of this.

Linen (and linen is re-used too, makes me smile!) and needle felting! More lighter look and somehow just...new!

The surroundings are still somewhat wintery, there are meters of snow everywhere and when taking the pictures it also was crisp and refreshing -20c...

... As it's also today (-22c and windy) so this woolen pretty-bird is definitely more today's style. But spring is coming, and this year I'll also come prepared!

What you have been up to lately?

Yours,
Mia

Thinking, making, liking

Friday was all about pink and today's theme-color is definitely blue. I am not feeling blue, no, quite the opposite, but I had a light blue weekend. It all started with this light blue-white wool piece I found while in a fabric-hunt a few weeks ago. I know, it doesn't look that spectacular here, just blue wool but I had a vision...

I thought I would make a pretty bag(s) from it with some needle felted flowers on top. I also wanted to try something little new (for me), machine embroidery on the flowers after needle felting.




I like the different blues with light blue wool, and the bag turned out almost like I visioned it. But how about a smaller tote... Would it be too similar or... ? I think I must try...




Is the tag too much? Or would the bigger bag need one too? Decisions, decisions... But I am definitely happy with the flowers! How about them and a pouch?





I like it! And I think you all remember my condition and have guessed the last piece already:



A key ring! And the set was completed:



And all blues together:



I just love the feeling that something I had in mind (read: I saw it before I made it) comes together this good. This definitely gives a great start to this new, crafty week! I hope your weekend was great, too!

Happy Monday!

Yours,
Mia

Sunglasses needed

I have noticed, that many of us bloggers (and especially Christmas-lovers) have had great difficulties adjusting ourselves back to normal life and facing this dull January. These fun and inspiring awards have offered some help but best of all have been my dear friends! In real life and on-line (is there a difference these days?) who design and make so wonderful things that one cannot do anything but admire, smile and... You guessed it, take home.

Pink is my number one cheer me up-color! Just take a look at that prettiness! Who could care less of snow/rain/wind/grayness/January/anything wearing all that? I know, it's a lot pink but Finnish winter calls for extreme actions!

Like double-bling-pink-thing. Oh yes.

Or the diamond (read: shiamond) so large you need sunglasses while wearing it (even here in North Pole I mean Finland ).

And it all starts with pretty underwear? Here in Finland it all starts and ends with pretty socks, woolen socks that is. My dear friend knows I definitely cannot use any socks, they need to be pink too.

***

I am feeling so much better with all this! Try it (and it can be any color as long is not black-gray-dark brown) and I guarantee you'll feel the spring! I think I heard the birds singing today while visiting the Post office. Or maybe it was just my shiamond-blinging? Either way:

Shiningly superb weekend, everyone!

Yours,
Mia

P.S. The wonderful heart-bracelet is by Jane, the most beautiful corsage is by Viv, the pink scarf and the woolen socks are by Piia and the bag is by Esprit (and so me but also so-last-last-last-season). And last but not least the other bling-bracelet is by Nomination. Some were gifts and some I purchased myself. Thank you darlings, you have made my day so many times!

Random ramblings

¡Hola!

I just got back from my first Spanish-lesson this year, and it was lovely. We all (there are about 15 of us in my group) had forgotten every single thing we learned last autumn, but with some heavy laughing and a few table-meets-head-banging we got it all started. It's pretty intensive almost three-hours every Tuesday but I love it still. And I just read an article in a newspaper about how learning new things and keeping your brains busy allows you live longer and happier. In the picture above the article was a guy holding a Spanish book - it's officially good for you to study!

The bag above was designed to bring some sunshine into this dull/gray/dark January. I managed to photograph it on the other day when the weather was a bit better (no wind nor -30C) and it actually felt like spring. The birds were not singing quite yet anywhere expect on my bag (I miss that so much), but sun made everything look so white and bright. It was only a few hours but it filled me with hope: there will be spring after all. Eventually.



With this happy birdie above I want to say a huge thank you to Kerry! She has given me yet an another award! My blog is now a

and the award is for crafty-blogs, which have less than 300 readers, to courage more and more people to visit you and see your handmades. Lovely that you chose me, Kerry! I am having a bit hard time choosing three (only!) blogs to pass this award to, as many of you may have a huge audience already, but I'll give it a try (and if you have many more than that 300 followers already please forgive me, you just are some of my dearest favorites):

1. Beth from Linen Cat Blog
- loveliest handmades (foxes! bunnies! owls!), always perfectly beautiful pictures

2. Helen from Helen Phillips
- the most gorgeous pictures and unique and fantastic handmades. Makes me smile every time

3. Viv from Green Rabbit Designs
- one of the most talented, most kindest and definitely most-bunny-loving blogger I know

And as always, there were many other beautiful, funny, smile-making blogs I could have chosen but I went for crafty-aspect this time. The chosen and all the other ones on my blog-list: you all make my days brighter with your posts - thank you!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Yours,
Mia

Location, location, location

Have you ever wondered why all the classy magazines have their spring/summer-collection photos taken in fancy places like Bahamas, Jamaica or Miami Beach? Well... I am sure there are a few things differently (and I am not saying better) there than in exotic place like Finland in beautiful (ha!) January afternoon. For example there's probably less...

Snow



Wind (and wind+snow)



Both models and the photographer wearing not so glam rubber boots



Blurry pictures due to snow, shaky freezing hands and foggy lens



Running after the objects supposed to be photographed (gone with the wind)

Oh dear. Maybe I just need to wait a day or two until the weather is more spring-ly. If anyone has an extra share of sunshine or otherwise beautiful days I would be interested in purchasing. Please contact me asap.

Happy Thursday (come rain or shine)!

Yours,
Mia

Almost the academy awards

Hello friends!

When I started to wonder around the blog-land some years ago and dreamed of my own blog, I never thought that one day it would receive an award like this:

Thank you so much, Teje!

The award made my day, and here are the duties it has attached:

• thank and link back to person who awarded you check
  
• share 7 things about yourself check
  
• pay it forward to 15 discovered bloggers almost check
  
• contact these bloggers and tell them about the award check
  

Here we go them:

1. I do not like winter (Christmas is an another matter)
   
2. I am not big on music but give me anything from him anyday and I'm sold - even them, I just might need to book the tickets to UK for this following summer
   
3. I have a dream other than this handmadebyMia-life to write book(s) for children
   
4. I am useless with manuals and just pretend to be interested when someone kindly shows me how to use a new gadget (this causes a few troubles every now and then)
   
5. I secretly love William Shatner (in Boston Legal that is)
   
6. I could live on Mexican food
   
7. I drive a teenage-dream sort of impractical and old sports car. I know I should donate it to next generation already but I love it

And then the list of newly discovered bloggers! I didn't choose fifteen but just seven new(ish) blogs I have visited lately. I am linking to them here too, you all can go visit them:

1. Robin from mynestofyarnandbuttons
2. Lisa from Periwinkle
   
3. Shanti from Wires&Yarns
   
4. Lyn from stitch&bake
5. Emer from Made by Emer
6. Jill from I should have listened to my mother
7. Vanessa from do you mind if i knit
8. - 15. Anyone at my bloglist "I love to visit", older or new, you all deserve the award!

Lovely way to start a new week - giving awards to wonderful people! I am now off to make some designing. I have many ideas for new things in mind, and I think I need to draw them into my ideas-book right now.

Happy and sunny (if only...) week to all, see you soon again!

Yours,
Mia

Slow - slower - me

The very first week of 2011 has almost gone already and I haven't posted once. I apologize dearly, and to my defense say that I have enjoyed my holidays tremendously, it's been really lovely. That said it's also been a bit difficult to get back on track - everything seems to be moving quite slowly around here still (I think it's actually me).

It's not been only pillow-cuddling though, I have done some serious aunting (kisses, sweetie!) for almost a week, and also got some bags and pouches knitted here and there. And those pillow-covers above too - I hope they make you smile as much as me! As you can see of these pictures , the amount the light around here is not blinding yet, but we're definitely getting there. Sun actually made a brief appearance today and on Tuesday, I think. Spring here we come!

I have also made one and only new year's resolution and that's not to blog daily. I feel after the busy autumn and December-posts I need a little break, so I'll try couple-times-a-week phase and we'll see how it goes. Just now it feels I have absolutely nothing new to say or show, but on the other hand there's Teje's beautiful award, some wonderful Christmas presents, new bag designs... I just take it slowly and we'll see!

Here's to new, crafty year and many happy days! I'll see you soon again!

Yours,
Mia