HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR BLOG!


This week it is my blog's first birthday.

I hesitated for ages about starting a blog, and it was only to stop Tanya pestering me that I finally agreed! Well thanks, Tanya, 'cos now I'm hooked. I love being a blogger, I've met so many fab people in the past year who I'd NEVER have met without my blog, I've been tagged, I've swapped and I still love every minute! Don't you?

Anyway, to celebrate my 'blogthday', I have two pretty parcels full of Lark lovelies to give away, including buttons, bookplates and knitted birthday cupcakes. If you'd like to win them, please leave a comment on this post over the next week. If you're shy, you can also email me at allison@larkmade.com!

The Christmas market was great - working from home in Daylesford can be a bit isolating so I always love to get out and meet people for a few days (though it was nice to get back out of the city to the forest afterwards!). As usual lots of fellow bloggers and friends of Lark turned up to Magnolia Square and it was lovely chatting with them. Hello everyone!



I did lots of Christmas shopping, of course, keeping to my pledge to Buy Handmade for Christmas. I bought these gorgeous soft toys from Maiike; they are made from recycled woolly sweaters. Knitted goods from Adele, various lovelies from Memi, badges from Kearnsie, soaps from Annie at Cossé and bags of stuff from Red Wagon, Est and others. I also met with Daniela from Succulent, with her gorgeous handprinted clothing, Belinda from Blink , who made an excellent next-door neighbour, and my old friends Rie and Guthrie from Chook Leaf . Christmas is sorted!

Here are some of the lovelies I will be taking along to the Magnolia Square Christmas market tomorrow (well, it opens on Thursday but I have to set up my stall tomorrow) ...

Pocket mirrors made from children's storybook pages and vintage 1940s and 1950s fabrics.

Hand made baby shoes, using vintage linens.

Cute hair accessories made with little vintage and retro buttons.

Bunnies and kitties made by my friend Beck.

Embroidered Snow Baby Ornaments.

Vintage Button Bracelets from Violet and Rose.

Smiley crochet Rudolph baby rattles.

Of course, Angela and Miss Buttons will also be on the stand!

See you next week!

RE-DISCOVERING ADELAIDE

Jacob and I went to Adelaide, just the two of us, as a treat for his 6th birthday. Paul and I lived there for a while once, when I was pregnant with Jacob, so it was interesting to go back after seven years, and think about all the changes that have taken place in my life since then. I took these photos of old and interesting signs, which I saw everywhere around this pretty town.











In Port Adelaide we discovered a Salvo's thrift shop that was located in a former menswear shop. Inside they still have the original vintage shop fittings, and I was in heaven!

For some reason I am obsessed with cupcakes this spring! This is a new design I have just finished. It is a bit more girly than my usual cherry-topped cupcakes, it has a candy flower on top. I originally designed it as part of this special set in a pink gingham box for the Seed children's stores (they will have them in their stores from December), but I am so taken with it that I think I will make some more, in all sorts of cupcakey colours!


Talking of girliness and cupcakes, the Magnolia Square Christmas Market will be taking place from 22-24 November at Malvern Town Hall. I will be there with my knitted goodness, and Miss Buttons will once again be gracing the Lark stall.


And yet more girliness (but no cupcakes, alas!), here are some of the pretty buttons, craft smocks and accessories I have just made for Donna of Country House Antique Textiles in Devon, England.



Donna is a passionate collector of vintage fabrics and has even created a dedicated 'fabric room' in her house, lined with vintage habadashery shop fittings full of old fabrics and trims. Can you imagine? Donna sent me a little package a few weeks ago, bursting with scraps of the prettiest 1930's-1950's fabrics and I have used many of these for her order.



Vintage fabric lovers - you must visit Donna's website, she has many lovely prints for sale, she ships all over the world, and I can guarantee you will fall in love with something! She writes a great blog too!

Christmas is coming, and I am so excited about Lark's first-ever range of Christmas decorations, available here over the next few weeks. Their happy faces make me smile, and I feel all Christmassy!

Today I am making a batch of these cute kitty toys for the Softies for Mirabel appeal.