Box of Glory

Winter Must-Dos!

2011-05-12T16:40:00.000+10:00

Brrrrr! Now that Winter has well and truly arrived, I thought it would be nice to remind myself that while Winter may indeed be a very cold time of the year, it doesn't have to be miserable!

Here is a list of some nice things I will be doing this winter to keep warm, cosy, and happy!

1. Knitting!

A few months ago, I started knitting again, and I remembered how much I love it. Not only does it mean you get to create some gorgeous new knits to wear or to gift, it is also incredibly relaxing and therapeutic to do any kind of stitching. Then one day I visited Cottage Industry on Gertrude St and discovered the CUTEST knitting needles I've ever seen! The needles are handmade from Tasmanian Oak by some lovely artisans called Art Viva, and you can buy them from Cottage Industry on Gertrude St in Fitzroy, or online at the Art Viva online store. Oh, and if you want some cute knitting patterns you can get started at The Purl Bee or at Ravelry.

2. Hot drinks! Coffee, Chai, Hot Chocolate and Tea!

This one is pretty self-explanatory! What better way to warm up than by curling up on the couch to read a book or watch TV with a warm cuppa! My favourite home-brew coffee right now is Amanti Butterscotch Toffee. It is some seriously yummy coffee! The Tea Leaves Store in Sassafras also has some AMAZING tea selections, and they have an online store too if you don't live near the Dandenongs. My favourite Chai tea, however, is from RealChai. BEST CHAI IN THE WORLD! Not even kidding. If you haven't tried it, you MUST! Even better, you can get a Chocolate Chai blend, which is to die for! If hot chocolate is your hot drink of choice, then you can't go past Lindt Hot Chocolate, which comes in flake form in either dark or milk, and melts into a smooth, rich and creamy hot chocolate. Yum!

3. Rugging up on the couch and watching TV and DVDs!

What better way to unwind than to veg out and watch some good TV. My picks for this winter are Mad Men (Two words: Don Draper. Drool!) and Offspring series two, which airs on Monday on Ten at 8.30pm. SO EXCITED!

4. Going for bush walks!

It is no secret that I absolutely adore the Dandenong Ranges. I have stayed at Candlelight Cottages almost every winter for the past four years. It's just so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and into the peaceful surrounds of a rain forest. This year I won't be staying at the cottages, but I still like to make the time to go up there whenever I can... Even when it's freezing cold, it can be nice to rug up and go for a long walk in the forest. There are so many gorgeous birds, amazingly tall trees, beautiful ferns, and there are some great tracks up there too. Then afterwards you can have some tea and scones at a lovely café in Olinda or Sassafras and visit all the quaint little shops. That's my idea of a nice wintery day out!

5. Baking cupcakes!

Who doesn't love a good cupcake? The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook is a great starting point, but if you just love to bake, then the Frankie Magazine Afternoon Tea recipe book is also really great. Put on your best apron and make some mess in the kitchen!

What are your Winter must-dos this Winter?

Daily Outfit 7/5/11

2011-05-07T17:08:00.003+10:00

It's been a while since I did an outfit post, and I quite like what I wore today, so without further ado...

I am wearing:

-Black 3/4 sleeve scoop neck tee, brand unknown.
-Mustard paper-bag high waisted skirt, Forever New
-Polka Dot Tights, Myer (from a few winters ago)
-Boots, Rubi Shoes (Cautiously bought them the other day, after much deliberation. In the end, I caved in. I hope they don't fall apart like all my previous Rubi shoe purchases did!)

P.S. Some charms arrived in the mail last week, so I may be opening my online store again very soon! Stay tuned!

P.P.S. Look how many mandarins are on our tree! Impressive huh?

Yin and Yang

2011-04-01T10:35:00.005+11:00

So, after some deliberation, I have decided to slowly re-open my Box of Glory etsy and madeit shops. It probably won't be for a while still, but I am working on it. I've been really sick for the last month, so it's given me an opportunity to reassess my priorities, and to focus on the things that make me happy. Making things makes me happy, so I think I should start making things again.

Having said that, I had a job interview yesterday for a full-time research assistant job, so if I get it, these ideas and plans may have to be put aside again. But if not, then my free-time in between shifts at my part-time job and in between shifts at my volunteer role, needs to be filled with something a tad more exciting and fulfilling than sitting on the couch watching daytime television and checking facebook every five minutes.

So, I was thinking about what sorts of things I might like to make and sell, and I decided I am going to focus primarily on making jewellery and accessories again, but I want Box of Glory to be more than just things, I want to create a more well-rounded image of what Box of Glory is all about. I think one of the things that frustrated me previously was that I didn't really have a specific vision for what my brand was about. I think it was a bit too 'all over the place'... and I guess that was maybe because I was still trying to define what exactly it was that I wanted to put out there. Cute or elegant? Playful or subdued? I think the dichotomy between my playful/cute pieces and my elegant/subdued pieces created a sense of confusion, chaos and disunity. So, I have decided that I am going to run two separate lines to fulfill both of these themes. My personality tends to be a bit like this too, so I think it makes sense to express this in my creative work as well. I am not really sure how I am going to successfully achieve this distinction within the same label. If any of you have any ideas or feedback regarding this, it would be greatly appreciated!

Love and Cupcakes x

My day!

2011-03-24T18:59:00.008+11:00

Hello everyone,

Well, today was quite a productive day! It started off with a job application, for a Research Assistant position. Boring!

Then I cleaned my room! Voila!

...and I guess this gives me an opportunity to show off my room to you guys. That is my BRAND NEW bed spread, which I am in love with! It's from Bed, Bath and Table. I also have some cloud decals on my walls, from Kikki K. My polaroid heart above my bed was inspired by a blogger a while ago, but I think it has been stolen and used so many times that I don't really know who to credit for the original idea! If anyone knows let me know! The Eiffel Tower was a gift from my mum. And finally, the thing hanging on the right is the 2011 frankie mag calendar.

The paining on the right wall is my own. I painted that a few years ago. And hanging beside that is my Degree and Postgrad Diploma.

This is my desk and book shelf. It's all a bit cluttered, but I just have no space for all my stuff! I accumulate a lot of stuff! On the far right, the thing that's hanging on the wall is a fabric-covered canvas featuring all of my brooches. I have a lot of brooches!

Anyway, in the evening I baked cupcakes...

What did you get up to today?

P.S. If you didn't know, this weekend is the Finders Keepers Market in Melbourne. And on Sunday morning is the Mulgrave Makers Market, in my very own suburb! I'll be going to both markets!

Be-u-tea-ful day!

2011-03-19T18:35:00.004+11:00

I'm back! I'm back! I'm back!

I decided to resurrect my blog, hooray!

So, you may be wondering, where I have been and what I have been doing. The answer is, I was super busy with stuff. 'What stuff?' you ask... well, University for one. I wrote a thesis last year! A whole thesis! Yep. University and work pretty much consumed all of my time, so this poor blog was neglected and forgotten. But it's all over... well, for now. At the moment I am working at my casual job, doing volunteer work, and on the hunt for full time paid work that is psychology-related. I am planning to go back to uni next year to do my Masters. It never ends! But anyway, I am back now... and I have plenty of free time to do whatever I want... including updating this blog! Yay!

Today I went up to the Dandenongs. It was super lovely! I had scones with jam and cream at a lovely little café and I browsed in the quaint little shops. I bought some pretty floral cupcake patty cups, some buttercup perfume and butterscotch and toffee coffee beans. It was a gorgeous day.

Tonight is the Super Moon, so there will be plenty of moon-gazing :)

Love! xx

Mozi

2010-02-18T16:35:00.002+11:00

Oh, I love mozi products. I am in love with their candles at the moment, especially this one...

And I love their laptop sleeves too. I have this one!

Polaroid-A-Day: Day 7

2010-02-18T13:43:00.001+11:00

Sorry for my absence... back to polaroiding! This is my boyfriend Frank and I.

Daily Outfit 01/02/10

2010-02-01T18:29:00.002+11:00

Hello there lovelies!

I thought I'd change it up a bit, and give you an outfit post.

This is what I wore today:

Details:

Lilac top: Bardot
Floral Skirt: Paramount Vintage
Sequin Shoes: Jasmin (from a shoe shop in Brandsmart)
Rose resin ring: Diva (I know! I know! But it was so pretty!)

I had lots of fun hooping in the backyard :)

What did you wear today? x

Polaroid-a-day: Day 6 + Lily Allen!

2010-01-29T16:15:00.003+11:00

This Polaroid was taken outside the Sydney Incu store. It was part of the Romance was Born Installation. More of this installation to come in later posts.

Last night Frank and I went to see Lily Allen at Festival Hall. She was amazing! It was our second time seeing her. The first time was a few years ago at The Metro. She sure has come a long way since then. Her stage presence has improved a lot too. She had a lot of energy on the stage. We managed to get to the front row, which was really awesome. I enjoyed the show very much!

Polaroid-a-day: Day 5 + Australia Day!

2010-01-26T18:18:00.003+11:00

This is a shot of me in front of the Sydney Opera House. I thought it was a fitting choice, given that it's Australia Day and all!

(sorry about the ghosty-ness again... blame it on my shit scanner)

How are you spending your afternoon?

I'm spending it listening to the Triple J Hottest 100... so far, I'm mostly happy! Up to number 21 as I'm typing this - Temper Trap - Fader... love that song :)

Hope you're having a lovely Australia Day!

Polaroid-a-day: Day 4

2010-01-25T14:11:00.003+11:00

This was taken in my backyard by my sister... it's me blowing on a dandelion and making a wish! My scanner sucks though, so it looks like I'm a ghost.

Speaking of dandelions... I love this...

From: Lewa's Vinyl Wall Designs

Hope you're having an ace Monday afternoon!

Polaroid-a-day: Day 3

2010-01-24T21:15:00.004+11:00

This is one of my favourite polaroids EVER. It was taken at Luna Park in St Kilda. Carousels are so pretty :)

I made an attempt at drawing a carousel last week, but it came out a bit wonky. I still think it's kind of cute though...

Polaroid-a-day: Day 2

2010-01-23T17:32:00.003+11:00

This one has an interesting story behind it. In 2000, I went to Greece for 5 months. This was taken in Athens at Syntagma Square by a man who used to sell polaroid pictures of people feeding the pigeons... I really hated this picture of me when it was taken (I was 14 at the time) cos I thought that I looked really fat. Nine-and-a-half years later, I think this is probably one of the nicest pictures that I have of myself... interesting how our perception of ourselves can change so drastically over time!

A polaroid a day....

2010-01-22T18:58:00.003+11:00

I've decided to revive this blog again with a new feature: a polaroid a day. However, I'm cheating a little bit, cos I'm not going to actually TAKE a new polaroid every day... I'm just uploading from the ones I've already taken. I have about 30 of them... so this project should hopefully last a month or so. Just keep in mind that I have scanned them, so the quality isn't so great...

If you're lucky, I might even write something to go with each picture! Haha. But don't hold your breath!

So... without further ado, here is number 1...

This is me, blowing a hubba bubba bubble. 'Twas taken a few months ago at the Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne. Notice my eyes are closed... I was concentrating SO hard! Bubblegum is hard work! Haha.

Lisa Mitchell Gig

2009-09-03T12:44:00.004+10:00

Last night I went to see Lisa Mitchell at The Corner in Richmond. She was pretty amazing!

She sang most of the songs off her album Wonder.

The stage was designed to look like a forest, and it was really sweet... there was even a pretend fire going!

PS: The girl on the far right was really cute. She had a BIG flower in her hair, it was so pretty!

Shake it like a Polaroid Picture!

2009-08-14T22:17:00.002+10:00

, originally uploaded by sorrydad.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm turning 23. Not very exciting. I feel like I'm getting really old!

So, I thought I'd buy myself a birthday present... so I decided on a whim to buy a Polaroid Camera from ebay. Yes, yes, I know the film is being discontinued... but there is still SOME left... enough to have a little bit of fun with.

So, when I get it in the mail (all the way from the UK) I will start taking pretty Polaroids and sticking them up around my room to remind myself of the small, wonderful, everyday occurrences of my life...

I surely will need some inspiration to motivate me through my final semester of my Psych degree!

Also, I got some pretty pink sequins today... can't wait to have a play with them and use them to make a pretty adornment of some sort.

xoxox

Clouds

2009-08-03T14:18:00.003+10:00

I am currently supposed to be writing an essay for one of my winter term subjects... but instead I am drooling over the new range of Luft Kikki. K stationery....

Isn't it divine? I have the pencil tin, notebook and pen. It makes "studying" a little bit more fun.

Meanwhile, I must apologise for my lack of bloggage. Unfortunately, work and uni have taken over my life lately. However, I am currently working on my new range of accessories... which I'm hoping to launch in the next few months (but don't hold your breath!)

My new range has been inspired by Betsey Johnson, Tarina Tarantino and Gala Darling. Lots of whimsy, glitter and sparkles! Yay!

Sneak preview to come soon!

Guess who's back?

2009-02-17T16:55:00.004+11:00

Have you missed me?

Okay, so I've kind of been neglecting my blog and online shops for several months. For no particular reason, I just haven't had much creative motivation lately. I haven't been very busy, just working and enjoying what is left of my summer holidays.

I decided to break my creative drought today though. I made a few things to donate to the Oz Bushfire Appeal shop on etsy. I made two bracelets and two pairs of earrings. If you haven't heard about this shop yet, basically, it's been set up to raise money to support those who have been affected by the recent bushfires around Victoria. If you buy something, all proceeds go to directly to the Australian Red Cross, so please check it out and support a worthy cause!

Here are some pictures of the jewellery I've donated, it should be up for sale in the shop fairly soon.

After I made those, I was still in a creative mood, so I decided to make myself some jewellery as well...

I really love turquoise lately, it reminds me of the ocean... so I decided to make some jewellery with some of the beads I had hiding in a shoe box. Here is the result...

Love and Cupcakes x

Lip Mag Newsletter Interview

2008-12-02T21:23:00.002+11:00

Another quick blog post to let you all know I was recently interviewed for Lip Mag's Newsletter, which was pretty cool. You can read the interview by subscribing to the newsletter on the Lip website. Lip Mag is "for girls who think, feel, create, speak out and live". It's quite good! :)

xx

Catch Up!

2008-12-02T17:44:00.003+11:00

Yes, yes, I know it's been a while... I got caught up in uni madness, and didn't really have time to update this thing.

But, I am delighted to say that uni is over for the year (YES!) so I will probably be updating a lot more frequently now... that is, if I don't work too much!

First thing on the agenda, if you live in Sydney, you MUST, MUST go to The Finders Keepers Market! The market will be held on the 5th and 6th of December at Carriageworks. Check out the website for more details.

I'm incredibly jealous that I can't go (cos I live in Melbourne), but I will sort of be there vicariously through Leeloo who will have a stall there, so that's exciting! I've just sent a bunch of my button bracelets to Angela, so look out for them at the market!

Spring!

2008-10-18T16:38:00.002+11:00

I'm so excited about the weather warming up. It's so nice being able to sit in the backyard in the sunshine and do my homework rather than be cooped up indoors. It makes even the most boring task (statistics! blergh!) seem bearable!

I've been trying to get as much sunshine as possible lately because I recently found out I have extremely low levels of vitamin D. I've been taking a supplement, but what better way to increase my levels than the natural way of sitting out in the sun?

The sun makes me happy...

Here's a few pictures from my recent adventures out in the sun...

How have you been spending these warm spring days?

A Day In St Kilda...

2008-09-28T22:05:00.002+10:00

Twas a lovely sunshiny day today... so my boyfriend and I decided to catch the tram into St Kilda.

We went to the esplanade market, and I bought a gorgeous heart pendant from Klei - I'd been admiring them for quite some time... so I'm quite happy to finally have one :)

After that, I had my very first lentil burger ever at Lentil As Anything. It's a lovely little restaurant, it's "a unique not for profit community organisation", and they "operate as a restaurant, where customers give what they feel the food is worth". And let me tell you, their food is FANTASTIC! Best burger I've eaten in a long time! And lentils are good for you! Yay!

After we ate lunch we wandered around a bit... we came across this funny street sign on Acland St, which I thought was quite bizarre...

Found some lovely street art in an alley off Acland St...

Went to Luna Park...

Bought a pretty heart-shaped lollipop...

Walked along the beach...

Blowed dandelions...

and shared lollipops...

It really was a fun day :D

Daily Outfit #3

2008-09-24T18:26:00.005+10:00

Yesterday, my lovely boyfriend and I spent the day together in the city. We ate french crepes, walked around, and took pictures in the park...

Yay!

More pics over at my new flickr PRO account!

Outfit details:

-White cami from Jigsaw
-Pale turquoise cardi from Sportscraft
-Black Harem/Hammer/Genie (whatever you prefer to call them) Pants from Obus
-Batik Printed summer scarf from Pilgrim
-Felt Flower Brooch from Violonjello
-Button Bracelet by me! I have more available over here and here
-Silver Ballet Flats from Tony Bianco

Leeloo excitement and other news...

2008-09-22T16:59:00.005+10:00

Hello petals,

HUGE apologies for the lack of activity on the Box of Glory blog of late. I've had a lot of stuff to deal with recently (from being ill with acute tonsillitis, to assignments at uni, to relationship troubles, etc), but this week I have no classes at uni, so I'm hoping to catch up with as much as I can! That includes many visits to the post office, plenty of crafting, and hopefully some blogging too!

The most exciting news I have to report is that I recently sent off some more lovely hairpieces to Leeloo (just in time for the spring racing carnival)! I made these ones during my semester break, and they'd been waiting patiently in my room, on display on my stand... so I kind of grew attached to them, seeing them there every day looking pretty. I feel like I've given away my babies now, haha!

But, in all seriousness, I am VERY proud of how these turned out. My technique is improving a lot each and every time I design/make new pieces. I've also changed the ribbon I use at the back of the combs, and I now use much stronger glue to attach embellishments.

So, without further ado, here they are...

1. Purple Sparkle, 2. Snow White, 3. Purple Spotty, 4. Pale Pink Dream, 5. Cinderella Pink, 6. Blue Featherette, 7. Pink Heart, 8. Creamy Purple

Be sure to check them out on Leeloo and let me know what you think!

It has become very clear to me that I'm not very good at managing my time! I see all of you amazingly dedicated bloggers, who seem to be able to make frequent posts in your blogs, maintain all of your online shops, possibly also juggle families and children, jobs or study... and still manage to have fantastic social lives too! I seem to be one of those people who never has enough time in the day to fit everything in. It doesn't help that I'm also a chronic procrastinator and end up spending hours reading other people's blogs, or hanging out at sites like the Frankie Magazine forum... My goal for the next week is to try and do as MUCH as possible in as little time as possible! Wish me luck!

I also have to say a big THANK YOU to Hollie from Hokey! She sent me a lovely resin owl brooch and swallow necklace after I was runner-up in her blog giveaway competition. I keep getting compliments on them whenever I wear them (she has some available on her madeit shop if you're keen)!

While I'm still in thanking mode... I have to say another big THANK YOU to Hayley from heidiandseek. She's sending me one of her lovely new Tangerine brooches after I won yet another blog competition! It must be my lucky month!

I think that's enough for today... I don't want to give you an information overload!

But, I'll be back again this week... yay!

Love and Cupcakes xx

Filling you in...

2008-09-02T13:53:00.002+10:00

As some of you may have noticed, I was absent from the recent etsy meet up on Sunday. I was extremely disappointed that I didn't end up going. As lame as it may sound, I'd been looking forward to this event for a REALLY long time. It was my most anticipated event of the year so far.

But... unfortunately, something really serious (and rather personal) came up, and I wasn't able to make it after all.

I hope those of you who attended had an awesome time! I have so far heard very good things, and I am glad the day was a great success. I admit I am a tad jealous... but I guess there is always the next one (and I hear you guys brainstormed up some brilliant ideas for markets/exhibitions!) Hopefully the next one will be even bigger and better than the last! :D

I just want to add that it was an absolute pleasure helping to organise the event and I also thank Shara of Shara Lambeth Designs and NeverEver for their help with sending out convos. I particularly want to thank Shara for going completely out of her way to hunt down all the Melbourne etsy sellers, her excellent planning, preparation, and organisational skills and for being so understanding about my situation on the day.

I look forward to meeting/catching up with those of you I missed on Sunday at the October meet up.

Kerry x

Flower Pretties

2008-08-18T16:30:00.003+10:00

custom flower comb for kerry!, originally uploaded by Miss_Violonjello.

If you haven't yet discovered the lovely etsy shop of Violonjello, I urge you to check it out ASAP! Johanna makes some of the most amazingly beautiful felt flower brooches, hair combs and bouquets... all lovingly hand-stitched :)

I can't wait to wear the one she just made for me (pictured). Isn't it stunning?

I'm in love!

A little update!

2008-08-12T16:35:00.003+10:00

I must, once again, apologise for my blogging absence! This is becoming a recurring theme for me! I admire all of you full time bloggers who find time/motivation to blog daily... I don't know how you do it, but it sure keeps me occupied reading them all!

Speaking of which, my bloglines list is getting even longer! I have to re-edit my blog roll again soon!

Last night I went to my first brown owls meeting, it was lots of fun. We made toadstool pin cushions (I will post pictures when I get home from uni tonight)! My only regret is not getting a chance to go around and say hello to everyone properly... but I'm sure I will get a chance at another brown owls meeting in the future. I did however meet Sharon, Cindy , Kirsty, and Paula.

I started back at uni yesterday... and boy what a shock to the system that was! Especially since I had a 9am lecture, which meant waking up at 6:30am, to beat my sister to the bathroom to get ready before she woke up!

I woke up this morning with a SPLITTING migraine. Probably because my body is not used to the sudden change in sleep patterns. I had to take nurofen and go back to sleep for a few more hours to make it go away. Thankfully I had my first class at 10am, and by then I was feeling much better!

Right now I'm killing time in the library before my evening classes. I have my first Cognition and Human Performance lecture and tutorial tonight. Should be interesting.

Well, that's it from me for now... I will add pictures to this post later!

Kerry

Brown Owls!

2008-08-02T22:06:00.001+10:00

Brown Hawk-Owl, originally uploaded by toddintaipei.

I just made a booking for the Monday 11th August Brown Owls meeting. I've been wanting to go to one of these for ages, but have been scared shitless of going... I'm so shy meeting new people alone! But... I'm sure I'll be okay!

Sometime you've just got to bite the bullet... right?

I'm sure once I get there it'll be fine. I'm sure I'll have heaps of fun even!

Have any of you ever been to Brown Owls? How was it?

They still have a few casual bookings available, so buy one here if you want, then you can come along and craft&chat with me! Yay!

A few things you should know about...

2008-08-01T21:11:00.002+10:00

In the bird sanctuary, originally uploaded by liebemarlene.

Firstly, sorry for my extended blogging absence. I haven't been feeling my best this week... my iron is extremely low at the moment so I've been really lethargic.

Anyway... here are some things I'm helping to organise that you should get involved in!

First thing on the agenda: Over at the etsy forums, we've been planning the next Melbourne meet up. It's not exclusive to etsy and madeit sellers, if you're arty/crafty and live in or near Melbourne you're very welcome to attend! The official facebook event page can be found here, but I will be sending out messages to Melbourne etsy sellers in the next week as well. If you know of anyone arty/crafty who would be interested in attending, please pass the info on and spread the word! The more the merrier!

Next thing I wanted to share with you is the lovely DUST forum. It's relatively new, but if you're part of the Down Under Street Team on Etsy you should know that it's now the main place to check to find out about team events/news. So, what are you waiting for? Check it out! On that note, I am organising a craft swap on there at the moment and I'd love to have more people involved in that!

Finally, some of the creative girls over at the madeit forum have been brainstorming some promotional ideas. One brilliant idea that The Little Orchard came up with a while ago was to create a madeit sellers zine. The first issue was made a while ago, and was very helpful for those of us who were involved. Emma Rose wanted to keep the idea alive, so we're currently organising a bigger and better second issue... we want as many madeit sellers to get involved and contribute in any way, shape or form. It's a fun project that will hopefully bring exposure to both your own madeit shop and the site as a whole. So, if you're looking for something fun to get involved in, come by this thread and help us brainstorm!

So, that's three things you could potentially become involved in. So no excuses for being bored this week!

I seriously love this bird

2008-07-26T13:02:00.001+10:00

purple starling, originally uploaded by jaki good.

I could stare at this photo for hours..... wow!

PS: My internet is back to normal! Yes! *punches fist in the air* Lots of bloginess to come from me in the next week!!!

Blergh!

2008-07-21T20:22:00.002+10:00

I'm a bit annoyed at Blogger tonight. I was just sent e-mail notifications of eight new comments I needed to approve, only problem is that they've been left over the course of the last two weeks, and blogger only notified me NOW. All this time I thought that nobody was interested in reading my blog. Because of this, I was too lazy/unmotivated to make a new post.

Silly me.

Anyway, I bought a new moleskin last week and I've been jotting down all these cool blog ideas in it, but I've just been informed that my internet speed has slowed down to 64bps because we've gone over our 12 gig limit for the month. I have to wait till the 26th when it resets so I can post some decent entries with pics without having to wait ages for them to upload!

Stupid internet!

Anyway, thanks for all the comments/support, I really appreciate it. I'll be back to blogland soon! I promise!

Etsy and Madeit Purple picks of the week...

2008-07-13T16:43:00.004+10:00

My favourite colour is purple...

Who can resist these yummy TwIsTeD Yurple Gift Set telephone wire bracelets? They are made with (you guessed it!) recycled telephone wires! Get your hands on some now at CourteyWatson's Etsy Shop.

The term "wearable art" will never as true as when wearing one of Sujati's Textile/Fiber Art Flower Corsage Brooches. So beautiful. So creative. So luscious!

I personally own one of these cute Cupcake Embroidered Purses by Tabitha Emma, and I have to say, they're even cuter, and yummier in person!

I am seriously tempted by this Pure Wool Hat with Detachable Vintage Button by Sheeps Clothing. Looks so warm, and this shade of purple is my favourite of all! So you better hurry and get your sweet little hands on it before I do!

I fell in love with this Purple Swirl Arty Wristlet when I saw it earlier today. It'd be perfect for keeping my mints and lip gloss in. You can find this and other cute wristlets at Naughty Agapanthus' Madeit Shop.

What's YOUR favourite colour?

Daily Outfit #2

2008-07-11T15:27:00.001+10:00

This is what I'm wearing today. I finally have a tan bag to match my boots! Yay!

details:

-Black Jersey Pinafore Dress (yes, I wear this all the time, it's so comfy!): My mums.

-Black Cotton Silk Cardi: From Jigsaw (my old workplace).

-HUGE green bead necklace: From The Oxfam Shop a while ago.

-Woven Cane bangle: From Sportsgirl.

-Tan boots: From Santini.

-Tan bag: From a shop on Chapel St (can't remember the name, but it's next to Grill'd on the Windsor end).

Lastest Creations

2008-07-10T16:58:00.001+10:00

Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days. I've been super-busy!

Yesterday I took my sister out shopping, and the day was just crazy! So crazy in fact that I ended up meeting Colin Firth and Meryl Streep on the red carpet of the Melbourne Film Premiere of Mama Mia! It was such a bizarre day...

Anyway, that's not the point of the entry... The point of this entry is to tell you I've been busy for good reasons! I've been creating a lot of new things for my etsy and madeit shops and I'm really happy with the direction my craft label is taking. I've moved away from Hama Beads for a little while and I've been exploring other accessory avenues. I've made a few hair barrettes, a few plastic flower brooches, and of course some cute button bracelets.

All should be up on my shops by the end of the week, with plenty more to come! Yay!

Let me know what you think of the new designs...

1. Lemon, Wine and Bubblegum Button Bracelet, 2. Apricot, Sage and Bubblegum Button Bracelet, 3. Pink Daisies Barrette, 4. Bubblegum Blue Sparkle Flower Brooch, 5. Blue Daisies Barrette, 6. Pink Rose Brooch

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons!

2008-07-07T16:48:00.000+10:00

I love buttons. They're just so versatile. You can do so much with them. Plus, they're pretty and come in so many different colours and designs.

I love picking them out at op-shops and haberdashery departments.

I love sewing them into things.

But I especially love making bracelets out of them...

This one is a Blue, Purple and Peach coloured button bracelet and is available on my etsy shop.

This one is a Yellow, Lime and Blue button bracelet, and will be available on my etsy shop soon.

This one is a Lilac, Purple and Violet coloured button bracelet, and is available on my madeit shop.

This one is a Mauve, Lilac and Purple coloured button bracelet, and will be available on my etsy shop soon.

This one is a Purple, Peach and Lime coloured button bracelet and is available on my madeit shop.

I'm also happy to make custom colour combos for anyone who wants any particular coloured buttons to match an outfit, theme or just their favourite colours. Just let me know and I'll be happy to accommodate your requests.

There will be more button bracelets gracing the pages of both of my online shops in the near future, so yay!

Etsy and Madeit finds: Art

2008-07-04T21:35:00.000+10:00

Here are a few cool etsy and madeit artworks. I love looking at pretty things, and these artists sure do make some pretty artworks!

Enjoy...

The Acorn Keeper. A print from MarmeeCraft on etsy.

So Close. A print from ashleyg on etsy.

Pink Bird. A print by kendrabinney on etsy

Tea Cup. A print by sweet william on madeit.

Home is Where the Heart is. A print by Alma B on madeit.

The week that was

2008-07-04T17:06:00.000+10:00

This week has been a busy one at Box of Glory HQ. I've been getting back into my crafting, which is what I was hoping would happen these holidays. I've been making lots of button bracelets (they should be up on my etsy shop and madeit shop by Monday afternoon! Yay!). I've also made a bunch of fascinators (some of which will be going to Leeloo, and the rest to etsy and madeit.

It's been fun. Hopefully I'll be making a bunch of brooches in the next week too.

I really want to overstock my online shops as much as I can before uni starts again, because I know I won't get much time after that. It's the photos/uploads/listings that take the longest!

I also made some cupcakes the other night. Pink frosting with edible glitter, yum!

How has your week been?

Inspiration Board

2008-06-30T17:51:00.000+10:00

1. Inspiration Board, 2. Inspiration Board, 3. Inspiration Board, 4. Inspiration Board, 5. Inspiration Board, 6. Inspiration Board

I've been in a bit of a 'crafter's block' lately, after not having made anything for a while due to being busy. I thought that making an inspiration board might motivate me to start crafting again...

I just rummaged through all of my scrap papers and bits and pieces and put this together. My inspiration board features stickers or postcard prints/papers from artists including: Ali J, Anna Laura, Tabitha Emma, Scarlett Cat, vintage story book stickers from Shellbyville on madeit, and gift cards from Frankie Magazine.

Yay for inspiration!

Do you have an inspiration board? Feel free to show me pictures, I love seeing what inspires other people!

rose st artist's market

2008-06-28T21:24:00.001+10:00

rose st artist's market, originally uploaded by onionsoup.

Just thought I'd write about something different today and just tell you about my day. Forgive me if it bores you :)

I woke up pretty late, ate breakfast (eggs and toast!) and got ready. I caught the train to the city... wandered around a bit (it's fun)... and then I caught a tram to Rose St Artist's Market. I had a wander around the various stalls. I hadn't been there for a while cos I used to work on Saturdays. There's so much new talent in Melbourne. It seems the handmade/craft/art scene has really hit it off... It makes me smile seeing so many gorgeous artworks, beautiful jewellery, quirky clothes, and just general creativity and originality! It also makes me feel a bit inferior, but that's another issue altogether!

I bought two lovely screen printed bird brooches from bridbird. Bridget is lovely, and her creations are even lovelier! I also bought a lady badge and a screen printed pouch from Anna Laura, and a gorgeous little handmade card from a girl called Meredith.

Afterwards, I walked along Brunswick St and browsed through some of the shops, including Zetta Florence. I love, love, love that shop. Full of stationery goodness! I bought a pack of 200 map stickers that are sooo delicious. And two map wrapping papers that I don't plan to use as wrapping paper... I'm going to use them in collages or maybe some cards. Can you tell I love maps lately? Hehe.

I really wanted to find a brown bag that matches my shoes, and a floral skirt to wear with opaque tights. But all the ones I saw were not quite right.

In the evening, I went to my little cousins' house. It was their birthday last week. They were more quiet than usual, they both got a nintendo ds and they were sitting there playing it quietly.

That's all from me for now. I will write up an entry about my holiday tomorrow, so tune in for that.

Words!

2008-06-27T15:22:00.000+10:00

Gala Darling from iCing wrote an article today about wordle, which is basically a site where you can make up pretty word pictures. It's pretty cool!

I made up a wordle based around words of things I like and things that inspire me...

Make one yourself and share it with me, I'd love to see what inspires you!

Daily Outfit #01

2008-06-25T19:41:00.000+10:00

This is the first of a series of blog entries basically dedicated to showing off what I wear on a daily basis. My wardrobe is quite an eclectic mix of variety. Plus, I have A LOT of cool accessories. So, tune in for future daily outfits.

The photos for this first outfit set were taken about a month ago, so I'm kind of cheating, but I did wear pretty much the same outfit today when I went out to lunch with a friend. We ate Japanese, went shopping, then had french crepés for dessert, yum!

Shoes from Quick Brown Fox In Melbourne

Scarf from TrickyKnits' shop on etsy. I bought this scarf a few months ago, and it is absolutely exquisite. It's so soft, and the yarns are divine!

I made this button bracelet myself. I have made a few in other colours too. I always get compliments on them, so I might make a few more and put them up for sale in my etsy shop, so keep an eye out in the near future!

Summary of outfit:

Black Jersey Tunic Dress: Was originally my mum's from (believe-it-or-not) Big W!
Black Cardi: Was one of my staff uniform purchases about a year ago from Jigsaw.
Mulberry Lariat: From TrickyKnits' shop on etsy
Purple Shoes: From Quick Brown Fox (couldn't find a website link, sorry!)
Purple Button Bracelet: Will be available soon from my etsy shop
Opaque Black Tights: By Levante

Overall, it's a pretty basic outfit, but the purple accessories bring out the colourful side to my personality. Black is the most versatile colour for basics, and you can always add any splash of colour to it, cos black goes with anything and everything! I chose purple cos it is my favourite colour, it matches my mood... but other days I sometimes can wear the same outfit with turquoise boots, turquoise necklace and a turquoise hair clip, and it looks just as good. I always get compliments on my shoes, they were an impulse purchase about two years ago, only about $40, which is super-cheap for cute shoes eh! They were a wise investment, cute and comfortable flat shoes are a wardrobe staple for me. I only wear heels on special occasions or when I know I don't have to walk heaps...

Hope I gave you some wardrobe inspiration!

Have you caught the travel bug?

2008-06-24T15:12:00.000+10:00

I’ve decided to actually give this blog a chance. I'm kinda stuck for ideas and flow. I had so many grand plans for this blog, and I think I've kind of blown it out of proportion in my head... so now I keep procrastinating writing in it, because I want it to be amazing!

I wanted to do an etsy or madeit finds series of blog entries, where I feature various items I've discovered and/or bought from etsy or madeit... but I keep putting it off.

I wanted to do a daily outfit series of blog entries where I show pictures and details of the outfits I wear everyday... but I haven't done that either.

I wanted to write about all the cool sites I visit.

I wanted to just write about the random occurrences of my life...

Instead, I feel like I'm staring at a blank canvass and I fear picking up a paintbrush in case I make some sort of mistake.

So... I've decided that I'm going to just start writing a blog entry every day starting from today, and it doesn't matter if it's crap cos I have to start somewhere, right? And it's better than having just two lame blog entries...

So, here are some cool map items I’ve discovered recently…

Check out PaperRoute's etsy shop for some fab map envelopes. How cute!

Check out AnneHolman's shop on etsy for a beautiful map of paris pendant.

Love to keep a travel journal when you’re on vacation? How about documenting all of your wonderful travel adventures in a world-map journal from kristinkrane’s etsy shop?

Going on a European escapade? Why not wear a Map of Europe Decoupaged Wood Bangle Bracelet from candencedesign’s etsy shop? You just never know when you’ll need to look down at your wrist and refer to it when you get lost in the magic of wandering around the streets of Paris, London, Venice, or Athens…

My favourite map item is one that I recently purchased from Lyssy May from madeit.com, it’s a cute recycled street map wallet, and what’s even better is that you can choose the city or suburb you want on your wallet. How cool is that? I’ll just have to try and keep my sister’s jealous hands off it! Check out Lyssy May’s online shop to get YOUR jealous hands on one!

Box of Glory for Leeloo

2008-05-11T09:41:00.000+10:00

Just a little note to let you know Leeloo is releasing some exclusive hairpieces I designed. I'm really proud of how they turned out, so be sure to check out the site during the week to see them!

There are also a host of other amazing designers on that site, so it's well worth a peek!

Love and Cupcakes x

First Post

2008-05-04T23:13:00.000+10:00

Hello to blog land. This is my first official post in this blog, although I have had blogs before in the past, this is pretty much my first real "craft" blog. I hope to use it on a regular basis and hopefully get to know some of you "regular" craft bloggers a bit better. I have been reading many of your blogs for a while... lurking!

Anyway, I'll post something a bit more substantial once I get this whole thing set-up properly!