Meeting Clara

Oh my, what a week! I had so much in my to-do-list, and most of them (as always) were to accomplish at the same time... So hectic it was but great! And to make my days brighter and happier I had a long waited visitor to stay for almost whole week... Please meet Clara:

Clara is a happy traveling owl and she travels all around world, and visits many creative people, and now it was my turn! And what a lovely time we had! As I was busy getting a big order ready and shipped, Clara was more than happy to help! She tried needle felting...

... participated posed for a photoshoot...

"I've never been in Japan, do you think they would notice if I went with these birdies?"

Our days were full of activities, and in the evenings we just fell in sleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. Clara slept greatly in her busy-bee bed:

...and after a well-deserved beauty-sleep she was ready for some more action...

She helped me to sort and pack a few things, and we also wrote a card to Clara's best friend, Hans the Hedgehog! We wish Hand gets his card soon. Clara misses Hans a lot even she has the best time visiting wonderful, new people, and I wanted to ease that a little. So I made Clara...

A hedgehog-hat! Fits her perfectly too! Clara travels with her precious journal, where every one who meets her can write a note, draw a picture or capture some memories any way they wish. I scribbled down a few pages too...

 ...just before it was time to get Clara safely packed for her travel to the next destination, Sweden! Thank you so much for your visit, sweet Clara, and happy and safe travels! 

I wish you all the Happiest and sunniest May Eve! Hoot hoot!

Yours,
Mia

P.S. You can find out more about Clara&her travels by clicking the sidebar button in my blog "Follow Clara's Travels" or you can read about it here, and oh please go visit Susi, the wonderful lady behind Clara here - all this will make you smile, I promise!

SALE SALE SALE

It's been a strange week, many happy and also many horrible things have happened. My heart goes out for everyone related to Boston-tragedy, and I am sending warmest thoughts your way. On the other hand sun shines here and I am finally (FINALLY!) soon getting something, I have been dreaming on for some time now: a new, big studio! More of that later (with pictures and all, I promise!), but for now I am just happily dancing around, it's been a long wait. And this happy occasion is causing some packing, re-organizing and decluttering, and I thought this would be a perfect, perfect time to get my shop-shelves emptied too. So:

*clicking the images below will take you straight into my shop to see the items pictured

It's a sale, and everything is - 40% with a very imaginative code SALE13 - and I mean everything:

...bags...

...pouches, cozies and keyrings, and...

... pins and figurines too. Even the things that were on sale before, it's -40% of those too now! All you need to do, is hop into my shop, and use the coupon code SALE13 (here's how-to) when making a purchase, and the discount will be automatically calculated (the shipping fees are excluded).

Welcome, and happy, peaceful weekend!

Yours,
Mia

Kitty cut

When there are two cute kitties to pack...

...and some thrifted fabrics to choose from...

...the choice is pretty obvious...

...or what do you think?

Yup. I thought you'd agree.

Happy weekend!

Yours,
Mia

Sealed with a kiss

When was the last time you wrote a letter? I mean a real letter, not a text or an e-mail? I know, it's been long for me too. I love receiving letters, there's something much more personal in hand-written note than an e-mail (even I LOVE them too). I can still remember when I was a child, we wrote constantly. By hand - all the time. I had many penpals all over the world, and at school we girls wrote letters to each other daily even we were together all the time. I really miss that easiness in writing, you didn't need a special occasion to write, you just picked up a pen and started scribbling. And the receiver loved your note, and wrote back.

Nowadays I do not even have a proper stationary. I used to have many different papers for letter-writing and matching envelopes, too. I am so happy I won these beautiful flowered notecards from Anne's spring giveaway a while ago, thank you! These cards are great, there's plenty space but not too much, so it's easy to start writing a little more than Hi! or Happy Birthday! Anne writes most wonderful notes (and always by hand!), and she makes beautiful things too: Please visit her beautiful shop here, there's a sale going on for a few days still! 

I also thought that maybe I would write more often if I had a pretty pencase? It would caught my eye every now and then and inspire me to get my pens out and write a little note for someone special. And once I got it going...

...I couldn't stop after one, so there are a few in my shop too! Sealed made with a kiss love! 

Happy Monday!

Yours,

Mia

Candy colors

Welcome April! Welcome colors! I have been inspired by Easter candy we still have  I had to purchase an another batch for this photoshoot. Colors make me happy, and if you like them too, those (and some other) bags can be seen more closely in my candyshop shop here. Candy long gone (again) I'm afraid.

Lovely weekend!

Yours,

Mia

Soft days

Happy Easter weekend! We've had it sunny, bright, springly and chocolate-y so far, how's yours?

We are having sort of low-key Easter this year; we have just taken it slow, had a lot some chocolate, a lot of sauna and relaxing time. I have been re-charging my batteries, and have been flipping through books and magazines for new ideas and inspiration, and with one book in particular I have been spending a lot of time. I got this wonderful book for my birthday, and I must say I am a big fan. Arne&Carlos have a special feel in their books, sort of warm and soft yet cheerful and vibrant - and then there are colors, the fantastic colors:

 

You might remember I already have Arne&Carlos Christmas-book (and there's an Easter-one too), and this new one is all about summer and garden and flowers and the cutest soft toys:

   

For some reason I have been thinking of soft toys lately; how I would love to try one of my own, maybe a knitted fat chubby cat or a smiling raccoon! I bet it would be so much fun - but how to find the time off my beloved wool and barbed needle? And also seeing how wonderfully others do it... Oh my! Please take a look for both inspiration AND change to win a wonderful soft and beautiful Posie the bunny please click the picture below, Vivienne's fantastic giveaway is open for today (March 31st) still:

Lovely days of Easter, and oh: Welcome April!

Yours,
Mia

Eggcellent*

It's time for a little craft-post, it's Easter-y this time! I think I've told you earlier, that I hoard collect pretty cards, and love to re-use them. My friends and family know about this hoarding hobby, and they keep saving beautiful cards for me too. The 2-sided cards are the best as the greetings and wishes are not on the backside of the beautiful front, and it can be used right away. 

Once a pretty card (or a calendar picture or anything beautiful really) is chosen, cut an egg-shaped piece, and one just same sized from an another cardboard. I used plain color for the other "egg" as that will be the card's write-your-greetings-base.

Oh, there are two eggs now! I am sure now this card starts to tickle some of those childhood memories of yours...from kindergarten perhaps? We used to make these when I was a child for Easter. We decorated the top ourselves, and added a little birdie and Easter-greetings inside.

The upper egg was cut in half, and both sides were attached to the other egg with those tiny metallic brads. You need to put them through both layers, and then turn the little legs open on back, and that let's you...

 

...to open and close the egg! 

And here's the other one, with a birdie this time, very pretty too! And do you see the little holes...

...they were punched there before the brads were attached, and they let you...

...to use some pretty ribbon to keep the egg closed until it's receiver opens it and reveals...

...anything you have chosen to hide inside! These cards shown here may or may not been used to send the happy little pins to my giveaway-winners... I really can't confirm as it would spoil the surprise, but I can most definitely say that the pins have been shipped!

Happy Easter-crafting, it's only a week away!

Yours,

Mia

*I think I must apologize the title, I saw it somewhere the other day and couldn't resist. Oh my.