Snug and warm…

My freestyle crocheting continues, at the moment I am on a beanie kick! I delivered this little range to Handmade Heaven yesterday….

I am just making them up as I go along, I will learn to read a pattern one day (a friend has lent me a book), but for now there are too many projects just flowing and working.

Liesa bought this one before I could even put it on the shelf.

And doesn’t she look adorable in it!

I had to keep this one for myself (purple of course!).

And now for a big ohh-ahh moment – this is the first beanie I made.  A gift for a little friend's naming day. Isn’t that just the sweetest face?

I hope you are snug and warm wherever you are, if your heads feeling a bit cold I could always whip you up a beanie!!!

Head on over to Kirsty’s for more creative spaces, something tells me there will be other crocheting goodness to check out – along with all manner of things creative form across the globe.

Waiting….

My creative space is waiting for inspiration to strike…….

I’m all ready to go! This canvas is so perfect, the shape is just so appealing to me, I really want to do it justice and paint something great on it – no pressure!

The second granny shrug isn’t taking shape as fast as the first, perhaps because I have the first one to wear so I am not so obsessed??

Did you hear on the grape vine today is my 100th post? I decided to do a giveaway to celebrate the 99th so feel free to pop over and put your name in the hat.

Creativity abounds over at Kirsty’s. I’m off to see if inspiration strikes me as browse around the creative spaces. Perhaps someone has a nice colour scheme on a quilt or a beautiful glaze on their ceramics that will take my eye and bring a painting to life?

99....GIVEAWAY TIME!

That’s right folk’s 99 posts here at Chasing Purple Dreams and as 9 is my number I have chosen to celebrate now rather than at the traditional 100 post mark.

I want to celebrate the joy that you have brought into my life by visiting this little blog. Some of you have read all 99 posts – thankyou and well done! Some of you may be popping in for the very first time – welcome, I hope you decide to stick around. All of you make my heart sing when you leave me a comment or drop by.

When I started this bogging adventure I could never have guessed how much I would enjoy it or get out of it. I have made friendships that I value so much and learnt things I never imagined. It really is quite a bizarre concept that strangers from all around the globe would gather here to create a community and support little old me, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

I wish I could give each of you a present for putting up with my awkward writing and saying sweet things about my paintings (even the not so crash hot ones!). But for now I am just going to spoil one of you, with a range of things that have been part of the Chasing Purple Dreams history. So some lucky dream chaser will receive a package from me that will include…….

A pair of water colours…

A “Two Hearts” pendant…

A crochet dish cloth (not this one I have already used it, I shall make one just for you!)…

And some other random goodies that take my fancy…

I don’t want to make you jump through hoops for this one, so just leave me a comment and your name is in the draw.
If however you are feeling really keen to win you can click the “like” button over at facebook and join the dream chasers here by clicking the follow button and I shall give you another couple of chances!!

For those of you who already do follow along, thankyou, you already have a couple of extra entries with your names on them!

I wonder if this will prompt a few lurkers out of the background, you know who you are….. now is the time to make your voice heard!

I did it!!!

My first ever cardi, I am really getting into this crochet business. I still can’t read a pattern, but thanks to the fabulous Kirsty and her inspirational post I now have my very own made by me cardi!

I was so chuffed when I found three mismatched vintage buttons in my stash that were exactly the same size and the perfect colour – it was meant to be!
It needs a few adjustments, the centre button needs to be moved a little and the shoulders need to be sewn up a little more. I was going for a very open boat neck, but with a little wearing (ok I have hardly had it off since I finished it on Saturday) it has turned into an off the shoulder number.

I love it so much and it was soooo easy. I have already bought the wool for the next one. I am so glad I put the desire to make a cardi out there into the universe even if it seemed I was getting ahead of myself at the time. I have been doing a bit of that lately and it is paying off for me in a big way.

Did you see the painting I did on Tuesday? If you haven’t seen it I do hope you can spare a moment to have a look, I am so happy with it.  I hope it finds a new home soon, I can see myself getting attached to this one and wanting to keep it if it hangs around too long.

I’m going to be sitting down with a cuppa and visiting lots of creative spaces today, won’t you join me?

Break in transmission…

I’ve been AWOL a few days. Did you notice?

We escaped for a little camping.

By the creek.

With a beautiful mountain view.

If you look closely at the first photo, you may glimpse a project I was working on while we were away. I have just finished it and I am as proud as punch.

My Crochety Creative Space

Perhaps it was the plethora of crocheting posts in last weeks My Creative Space. Combined with fact that I love my knitted wash cloth but, I’m not much of a knitter - it took me about 6 months to knit one little wash cloth! Anyway what ever the reason I decided I would crochet my next wash cloth.

I fancied a round one, I can’t read a pattern so I thought I would just take my limited granny square experience and wing it. How hard could it be? I just wouldn’t do corners and go round and round. Well it started to curl up at the edges so I added some extra stitches. Then it got pretty wobbly and I thought I might fix it by not putting so many extra stitches. Anyway this is the result, may I present to you “The Jelly Fish Wash Cloth” It’s very "original" but I love it!

Then I had the crochet bug, I found this tutorial and decided to give this little basket a go with the lovely cotton yarn that Anka sent me as part of my pin cushion gift. It is so fabulous! I am pretty chuffed at how my crochet skills have taken off in one week.

Next I made a crochet basket from twine (I have completed it since the photo shoot) and now I am working on another wash cloth. All I have to do is learn to read a pattern, I have a hankering for making myself a cardi (not that I am getting ahead of myself!!).

I have still been painting too, I just haven’t had the energy for oils, but I have been dabbling with some little water coloured sketches. The first one Peacock Pod sold the day I posted it, which had me doing a little happy dance. This is the second in the series Peacock Puff, I am liking this series, I think there will be more…..

Peacock Puff

Watercolour and pen on paper

254 mm x 178 mm

2010

$30

Now of to check out what all the other creative folk are up to. Who knows what new project they may inspire!