Monday snap shots...

 

Monday finds me...
...admiring the beautiful poppies given to me by my mama yesterday...as they open, unfurl, blossom....
    ...washing...
           ....attempting to finish a bunting.....
                    ....collecting lemons from the garden....
 ....and saying goodbye to my sweetheart Mr Bodes'  Grandpa who passed away during the night. A strong and beautiful man who lived 92 years filled to the brim with adventure, fight and spirit. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten xx

10 Things I Love: current day to day necessities

1.Cups (upon cups) of Tea. With oat milk.  

2. My Sewing Machine. Miss Janie Janome.

3. UGGGG BOOOOOTS!

4. Avocados. I could eat them all day!

5. Coriander. And all fresh herbs really. But particularly cori, the king of them all!

6.Scarves, shawls, wraps....in all patterns, textures, colours. 
Winter essentials.

7. mmmmmm COFFFEEEEE!

8. Bulgarian goats cheese feta. To die for.

9. A little posie of flowers from my garden or the neighbourhood....to brighten up our lives!

10. Lindt 70% cocoa dark chocolate. Could not live without

Love Ruby B xx

Books Books Books

Yeeeha! Early birthday presents from my dear mama. Two crafty books by Pip Lincolne...."Meet Me At Mike's" and "Sew La Tea Do"......filled to the brim with sewing, knitting and crochet projects, patterns, instructions, etc.  And also lots of pretty pictures of vintage fabric and bits and bobs. Just delightful!

Pip Lincolne is a Melbourne based crafter, blogger, writer, shopkeeper, author and all round inspiring lady. You can find out more by checking out her lovely blog Meet Me At Mike's. She has two more books on the way (pictured below so you can keep your eyes peeled for them) So I best get cracking on the crafty recipes in her first books....then maybe by christmas I'll be ready for more! ; )

Hooded Scarf

I've finally created some Ruby Bluebird pieces for the lads. After seeing my brightly coloured vintage fabric hooded scarves for the ladies, a friend requested that I make him a couple of "masculine" hooded scarves to keep him snug and warm through the cooler months.

Attempting to make everything using up-cycled or second-hand fabric means that you can't just pop down to your local Spotlight...you have to go HUNTING! So off I went....trawling the op-shops for the perfect "manly" "masculine" materials. The op-shop gods must've been shining their light down on me that day because in the time it takes you to utter "thrifty goodness" I had stumbled across a big piece of thick navy wool blend fabric, a couple of metres of navy/white/red checked cotton and a single cotton doona cover in big blue/grey/black/white checks. Perfecto!  

I ended up making four hooded scarves. Two for my friend, who picked them up bearing gifts....payment for the scarves, as well as bringing me a delicious box of goods from the AMAZING online wholefoods store he owns with his brother, 2BrothersFoods (I suggest you all check it out!)

And that leaves two....which I have popped up for sale on my etsy online store here! A Fathers Day gift perhaps?? Or a "just because" present for the special Mr in your life?? We'll see...

xx

off to market...

Ruby Bluebird Handbags

Ruby Bluebird Over-Sized Hair Bow

Ruby Bluebird Retro-Style Tie-Up Headband

I have a stall at the Market Girl Boutique Handmade Market this Sunday 21st August. So I have spent the last few days sewing, stamping tags & signs, pricing, packing, collecting, organising change, and mentally preparing myself for a day of selling my Ruby Bluebird wares. eeek!

I love sewing/making/creating, but I find the process of actually putting my little designs out into the world a little daunting. No matter how many markets I participate in, I always feel NERVOUS! Will people appreciate each unique piece into which I have poured a teeny bit of my heart and soul? Will they like them? Will they BUY them? arrggghhh! I guess I should listen to the very advice I dispensed to my sister B only last weekend when she was suffering pre-gig anxiety.....that feeling nervous is simply a sign that you are doing something challenging, experiencing the new and putting yourself out there.

In any case, I hope you enjoy these snaps of a few of my delights which will be for sale at the market, made using mostly up-cycled and vintage fabrics. And if you're in Perth may I suggest that you take a cruisy Sunday drive up to Joondalup to check out some super rad bits and bobs that our talented fellow West Aussies have been creating of late! Hope to see you there ♥

words...

source

source

source

source

The creative soul needs nourishment and constant encouragement. When working home alone all day it is comforting to discover these little gems on the internet and know that there are people out there, somewhere, in the past or present, who feel similarly. So today I am simply sharing some quotes/sayings/ideas that I have collected to help me on my way and keep me feeling inspired.

And who knows, maybe they'll inspire you too...

DIY: handmade paper decorations

DIY Paper Lanterns

DIY Paper Wheels

DIY Streamer Backdrop

Ruby Bluebird is getting married! The wedding is still a loooong, looooong way off. However, I have lately been inundated with the advice that "it'll be here before you know it!" and so I have started to slowly peruse the net for DIY wedding ideas.

And these paper decorations have most certainly caught my eye. I am a lover of COLOUR!!! And texture. And, of course, all things handmade. These decorations are fun, simple to make and could certainly be re-used....for weddings, parties, anything (if you'll excuse my reference to a certain 90s folk rock band)  ; )

You can find step by step instructions for these glorious Paper Lanterns here. The Paper Wheels and Streamer Backdrop come from Ruffled, which is a delightful site showcasing plenty of real handmade weddings, as well as recycling and DIY ideas.  A good "read" for the handmade bride.

Inspiration board...

I have been feeling a little creatively lost and directionless of late. So to tackle those feelings head on I decided this afternoon that it was time to make a new INSPIRATION BOARD!!!! A fantastic way to refocus, to remind yourself of where you are trying to head and what you are trying to achieve. This is a creative inspiration board to get Ruby Bluebird back on track....but you can make one for any occasion/facet of your life.

Ingredients: Scissors, pins, cork board.

Recipe: collect images from here there and everywhere....magazines, library, internet. ANYTHING that inspires you, catches your eye, makes you smile.

OR....if you're not into doing it the old fashioned way, you can take a look at Pinterest. A website that lets you collect images from the net and collate them on your very own virtual pin-up board.

I'm pretty content with my real life pin-up board for now....it has taken pride of place above the sewing machine. And by the looks of things we may be heading towards a very bright and colourful creative future! Here's hoping! xx

poetry bombing

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this video of Miami based artist Agustina Woodgate poetry bombing. There is something so beautiful about putting a little positive "something" out into the world....not knowing where it will end up or who will discover it.

Making the world a teeny bit lovlier, one little poem at a time ♥‏‏‏

Colour me happy

 

 The afternoon sunshine spills into my little sewing room, falling on this and that, highlighting a carnival of colours and filling my heart with joy.

Colour glorious colour! Inspiring, nourishing, wondrous.

I am reminded of one of my favourite quotes, by post-impressionist artist Paul Gaugain
"Colour! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams."

DIYcouture: making DIY easy

Oooooh I just love stumbling across a website that supports the handmade revolution, bucks the concept of "fast fashion" and makes DIY less daunting and more accessible. DIYcouture is a UK based website which does away with scary, complex sewing patterns in favour of booklets filled with easy to read, simple, visual instructions. The philosophy behind it is to encourage  people to get involved in the craft and fun of 3D creation. Each DIYcourture collection consists of 12 classic, staple pieces that can be encorprated into any wardrobe. The latest collection includes a cloak, a jumpsuit, a pleated skirt, a gathered dress, a hoody and more.

Now the only question is....what will I try my hands at first?

Perth: Sunny 19 degrees

 

 

 

 

Perth: Sunny 19 degrees. It is wintry days like these that make my heart sing! It feels like spring has sprung in my back garden today...the flowers are out and the lemon tree is weighed down with an abundance of citrusy goodness. Providing us with the vital ingredient for our much needed hot lemon & honey drinks. Delightful!

My sweetheart, Mr Bodes, is heading off on an adventure early tomorrow morning. A 10 day work trip camping on the Nullabor, near the WA/SA border. The days may be sunny but the nights will be freeeeeezing...so I spent this afternoon sewing him a snuggly new scarf. The outer layer is thick grey "jumper fabric" which I found in an op-shop in Osbourne Park, and the lining is made from an old checked doona cover. Sew them together and voila!....a NEW scarf.

Before sewing the scarf up completely, I embroidered a tiny heart ♥ on the inside of the lining...a little something from me for him to take on his travels x

Stamps are...

Stamps are...

beautiful
imperfect
totally frickin' awesome
♥

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”

Well, you've got to start somewhere. And I figure what better way to start than by sharing these cross-stitch slogans that I embroidered and then popped into second-hand photo frames that I had lovingly scavenged from various op-shops. I do hope you like. And I do hope you enjoy perusing my blog as I attempt to get the hang of it!