Heartfelt thanks to all of you who have helped Meaghan to reach her goal. In truth, it was a goal for all of us ... not just Meg ... as we would not go without her! I am happy to say that through some continued hard work on Meg's part ... and some special donations by some amazing people ... we are on our way to Florida this weekend.
A special thanks to Kelly O, Pam H, Alisha W, Jane S, Sharon F, Darylyne P, Sandra H, Kristina F, and Brooke FW. And of course to Robin K for her generous offer - that in the end was not necessary BUT most appreciated.
Thank you ALL for the prayers and encouragements regarding Meaghan. She is doing so well and we are so very very blessed to share our lives with her. I cannot wait to see her smile at the magic and wonder of Disney World next week. It has been a trying year for all of us ... and this will be a much appreciated break for all of us. I will be sure to post pictures asap.
The first day of spring is the perfect time to celebrate something bright and fresh, and I am so excited to be releasing the new red Topography shirts.
The new spring lamb design is so cute, with white and red making a great unisex colour combination - the perfect baby shower gift when you don't know if baby is going to be a boy or girl. Of course lambs also represent New Zealand, and the baby shirts are so easy to post that this could be a sweet reminder of home for any kiwi parents currently overseas (flat shipping rates are only NZ$3 in New Zealand, NZ$6 for Australia and NZ$8 for the rest of the world).
We have impromptu visits from sheep sometimes at our house and this is something I will miss when we return to the suburbs soon (last spring I tried to convince my husband we could adopt a lamb but no go!)
The red and white is so striking that I have also added it as an option for the Baby Alphabet shirts, and all the red shirts are available in 3-6 months, 6-12 months and Size 2. Check them out on www.topography.co.nz
This OTLP blog is all about Greta and I working on joint projects and collaborations. Two minds are better than one, and all that. So obviously, we love the idea of working with other designers on new ideas too. I already work closely with Keri at Holly Chic Baby, who I really admire (and is my sister-in-law!). Today I want to share with you my next collaboration with another creative gal.
I think I've explained before to you all that my key focus for designing the lily pad pram liner was two fold. One, there had to be a practical, easy answer to keeping our kiddies dry and clean on the move. Dry-cleaning, shrmi-cleaning. Spot-cleaning - gross. Two, as a Mum, I was missing being surrounded by stylish fabrics. There's too many mass-produced, synthetic material baby products out there. Babies deserve quality too!
So you can imagine my absolute delight making a lovely new friend in Lisa, the creative force and owner behind Estella Rose Bags. Lisa and I first met when we were fellow stall holders at Craftnoon Tea market and the Devonport Craft Market. I was so in love with her bags that I immediately ordered one for myself. (I got the Amy Butler blue/slate spots). Not only were they a) a practical, easy to use answer for Mums, being roomy shoulder bags, but b) they were in the most divine 100% cotton designer materials.
Over time as Lisa and I got to know each other we discovered our tastes in fabric were incredibly similar and we began to bounce ideas. A few months later Lisa has designed and launched her beautiful new range of Baby Mama Bags. Among their many features such as built-in change mats, special pockets so milk/water bottles won't spill, key hooks, and straps that fit across the back of prams, is a key feature in my book: the Baby Mama Bags have pockets large enough to fit your lily pad inside! And we've deliberately decided to use two of the same fabrics, so now you can co-ordinate your pram's look!
Why not match your black and white 'modern damask' lily pad with Lisa's bag in either messenger or pleated style? (With fabric by Studio E.)
Or complement your pink 'lily love' lily pad with Lisa's bag again available in both styles, in fabric by Australian designer Emily Bloom (see the top pink pictures).
Or - mix and match! Above here you can see Lisa's black and white messenger bag used on a green Phil & Ted's, which is accessorised with my green 'Moss Martini' lily pad.
SPCA Cupcake Day was today - what a great excuse for some workplace gluttony! My sister Laura (who is an amazing baker and also makes cards for Topography) raised a lot of money with her workfriends... my mouth is watering just looking at all that icing (I have a major sweet tooth!)
You can see she was dressed appropriately in the apron I decorated recently, and a new cupcake pin I made last week. How cute are her ginger with cream cheese icing catcakes?
If you missed Cupcake Day but would like to donate to the wonderful SPCA, just click here.
The 'Dad' shirt has been featured again as a handmade gift for Father's Day, this time by Crafty Business as one of their picks from online shopping community Felt (as well as www.topography.co.nz we also have a Felt store if that is where you like to buy!)
Yesterday I finished an order for another version, size 6-12 months in Navy and I am very pleased with how it came out. Because all our shirts are made-to-order, you can mix and match any of our designs, shirt colours and applique fabrics - custom enquiries are always welcome on shirts@topography.co.nz
I was really surprised today when I received a message from Christina of Card Creations & More by C
about this blog award. Thank you so much for giving me this award Christina! :). It's so cute! Love it!
After receiving this award, I'm was asked to list down three things that I love about myself. Those three things are as below:
1. I can make a living at home with the skills that God has given me, and enjoy doing it everyday.
2. I love to give things that I made with my own hands, especially my handmade cards, to my friends and family. I love seeing how excited they are when receiving them.
3. A good listener. :)
Ok....now I have to post a picture that I love. Ok....here it is :).
Who is that little pumpkin in blue?? That's my little "nephew" who was 4 months old when this picture was taken. He is about 10 months old now. His name is Mior Emir Aziz.....but we all call him Emir. See how adorable he is??? I love this picture so much! If ever I feel depressed, stressed or sad or if I'm in whatever situation that brings me down, all I need to do is look at this picture and I'm smiling again. Don't get me wrong....I do look at this picture even when I'm happy hehehehe......coz this little pumpkin is just so adorable to look at. :D
And now here are the 5 ladies that I love and wish to share this award with!
Another cute but funny looking mosque is added to my quilled mosque - Raya cards collection today :). This time I am using a combination of pink and green....which is one of my personal favourite combo. I just had to use the green card again. Love the green paper so much....such a bright green color. Pretty striking.
It's a cute note size card like most of my other Raya cards I made this year. I prefer to make them in small sizes unless requested otherwise. No pop ups for this one....as the wordings are pasted on the card itself. I even made changes to the design of the quilled mosque itself.....not a major change...just a small one. Just to make it look a little different from the first one. :) I think I prefer this one because it's sweeter :).
I received a request to do this Raya card design yesterday. This design is actually has the same layout as HR018A except that I changed the color combination upon request. It's soft sweet blue mixed with bright green and beige....and a dash of silver. The card is meant for a guy who's favorite color is blue. :) So is mine actually hehehe.
No pop up for this one as the wording is placed on the card itself. I really enjoy making this design. It's so much faster to make compared to the ketupat card which takes a much longer time to get done because there are more paper to quill with that one. :)
No.1: This is the start of a little series explaining the stories behind our OTLP fabric choices, starting with who we consider the Queen of the US textile market - Amy Butler.
I shouldn't really admit this - but Greta and I can both spend HOURS if left unchecked trawling international textile websites looking at the latest colours, directions and collection release dates of our favourite designers. There's a massive 'movement' of design-led crafters and sewers in the US and Europe. Australians have also recently caught the wave and you will see many Australian crafters now using the latest designer fabrics mixed in with their special vintage favourites. Here in New Zealand I've noticed if you search trademe for 'Amy Butler', a whole range of items pop up. Two years ago and this wouldn't have been the case.
As a designer, Amy Butler sets trends and is known for contemporary design with a vintage 'twang'. Her 'Lotus' and 'Mid Western' ranges for Westminster and Rowan Fabrics have been some of the most successful ranges internationally with the craft community, and have been reprinted and restocked over and over.
This month she was featured in Elle UK magazine and Living Etc UK for her new wallpaper range (yes that's right, she now designs wallpapers, stationary, etc too). She was also profiled in depth in Where Woman Create USA magazine, with gorgeous shots of her home studio - check out the Living Etc and Where Woman Create pictures below and download the PDF article here. Bold and beautiful throw cushions are scattered all over retro couches, simple vases and collectables line bookshelves and functional office tools organise her work spaces (I'm so jealous of this work space!!!)
Amy's studio is, among other things, a homage to her current range entitled 'Love' - lots of turquoise, blues, purples and botantical prints. As well as botantics, 'Love' also includes a touch of Indian and eastern influences, such as the 'Bali Gate' fabrics that I use in lily pad designs' range (see bottom picture of my blue lily pad). She's talked in several articles about these two themes running not only through her current work, but also her new upcoming collection, 'Soul Blossoms'. Here's a preview:
'Soul Blossoms' won't be available until December/January, and according to TrueUp, a US fabric blog, it "takes it up a notch" and has several Indian-inspired colourways including 'Sari Blooms' and 'Temple Doors'. The three ranges within the collection again focus on blues and turquoises, alongside a cerise and orange-based line and a fern-green based line. No doubt these will be the three colourways many quilting, home decor and crafting lines focus on this summer in New Zealand!!!
Here at OTLP we [heart] Amy Butler so much her fabrics feature in several of our products, as it does in our close friends at Holly Chic Baby's bassinet and cot bedding and Estella Rose's shoulder bags. For products made using her 'Love', 'Lotus' and 'MidWestern' fabrics, check out our products below, all of which you can buy online through our websites Lily Pad Designs (and retailers); Topography; Holly Chic; and Estella Rose.
When you just can't think of something meaningful for your other half on Father's Day...why not buy something hand-made with love that celebrates his fatherhood. OR give him something he can make or do with with kids on the day. I've rounded up myfavourite finds by NZ Mums in my latest column on Baby Bites today, check it out! (Including our gorgeous Topography new Dad shirts!)
First time ever for me to create my own quilled mosque! Yay! So happy about that! I got the idea last night while watching the Asian Food Channel and quilling at the same time in front of the TV, LOL! :D My Mom said that it looked like one of those buildings in Arabian Nights hahaha! It sure does a little bit doesn't it? Except the colors are not at all like that in the story. I sure would like to change the colors a bit. Perhaps make the mosque in a more cheerful color :).
I made a pop up inside too.....to pop up the Raya wishes. Most of my Raya cards, I'll be doing the same thing....popping up the wordings inside it. Not all....but most of the small ones I would do that. Just a simple type of pop up. :)
My good friend just reminded me that five years ago THIS weekend, Halis and I met our son for the first time. Perhaps that is why I have been so emotional about him and Haiti recently. My heart remembered what my mind did not.
WE LOVE YOU SO BIG, Mr. Isaac Watson. Since before you were born.
A few weeks ago my fellow quilled artist Asma' from Simple Rhymeand I thought that it would be a great idea if we could swap cards with each other. She was so interested in my quilled roses handmade pop up card and she would love to own it one day. Then thought to myself....hmmm....why not we just swap cards??? This way, we both get to own each others handmade creations. And I would love to own one of her quilled cards too!! So swapping cards with each other would be a great idea!
I've never swap cards with a Malaysian card designer before so this is pretty thrilling! Plus I didn't even know what her card would looked like before we decided to do this swap. I only knew what it looked like last week. You have no idea how excited I was when I saw it for the first time! So happy!!!! :) It's beautiful!!! And it's the only one in the world!! How cool is that??? Specially made for me from the talented Miss Asma'. :) I bet a lot of people didn't know this, but this young lady quilled those beautiful flowers and leaves using her bare hands!!!! No quilling tools at all were used during the process. Imagine that?? I've tried to quill before without using a quilling tool and believe me, it's NOT EASY! So I really respect the fact that she managed to quill those flowers and leaves and lots more quilled patterns without using any quilling tool. Pretty special don't you think?? I sure do think so! :)
I received this card this morning!!! Super thrilled to finally receive it and hold it in my own hands. Very precious indeed! I took so many photos of it too hehehehe..... :D. Of course I have no plans to use this card.....I intend to keep it for myself.....hehehe......after all....it's the one and only design that she made especially for me. So I'm hoping to frame it and hang it in my studio. One thing though......I wished that she had signed the card for me......it would be more special if there was a signature from the artist herself. But I'm still happy though....very very happy! :)
Thank you Asma' for doing this swap with me.....I really appreciate it!!! I haven't posted my card to her yet.....been so busy with Raya orders lately......but will be posting it to her soon enough.... :). Be patient ya Asma' ......hehehhee....... ;).
Do visit her blog and view her quilled cards at SIMPLE RHYME......she's one talented young lady with a big big heart! :) I can't stop smiling now! :) :) :) Wooooooooohoooooooooooo!!!!
A soft purple or lilac Raya card with three standing pelita in one row :). I adore this one! hehehe! This is an order I got from my own auntie. She loves the color so much. It's her favorite color. I thought of doing this one for her because she wants quite a lot of them to give to her friends and I thought of something that's easy and quick for me to do. And so I came up with this one.
There isn't much of quilling involved in this design. Just playing a lot with the layout and arrangements of the embellishments. I didn't even make any wording wishes yet to be placed inside the card. I am planning on doing so and will upload the photos of it when it's done. :)
Well, here it is ... just 2 weeks before we may leave for Disney World ... and we have fallen short of our goal to earn/raise enough money to get there. The tickets were bought quite a while ago and are non-refundable ... and the entire trip was planned before we took Meaghan in (an expense we did not plan for but we are infinitely HAPPY to endure). We have all worked very hard to try to meet this goal. The kids sold many of their fave toys (including their beloved Wii) ... they have collected bottles & cans for deposit money ... Meaghan has worked at the studio whenever possible ... I have taken in extra clients ... Halis has squirreled away money when he could (despite losing his truck in a fire) ... and we have held three yard sales (third one is this Saturday) ... but somehow we are still short. Life just keeps getting in the way of our best laid plans ... and this economy royally sucks.
So, our sweet, sweet Meaghan nearly broke my heart when she told me that she no longer wanted to go ... as I knew she was lying. She said that she much rather see Isaac go, and therefore would gladly stay home in order to not let Isaac down. Seriously. She said that. She said she would stay with friends ... and not to worry about her ... because she knew we planned this before she came to live with us. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking. And it left me feeling like I had let her down. I mean, there are children who are in need of much more than my kids are ... but Meaghan has had such a hard year. I mean a really hard year. She has spent the last year living in 3 different dysfunctional homes before finally ending up in her forever home here with us. She has endured countless pains from a neglectful family ... and has done so well in overcoming some serious issues that have threatened her very soul. I am so very proud of her.
Recently she has started working as a volunteer at the Bangor Humane Society. And I mean working. She puts in 8-10 hour days cleaning kennels, bottle feeding kittens, walking dogs, and helping in all ways possible. And they love her there. She is so responsible and kind. It is perfect for her. One of the coordinators there told me that she brings such joy to the place and that the employees there were "beaming with pride" over her. That's my girl!
So look ... I KNOW that there are greater issues in the world than sending this kid to Disney World. Even though I truly believe she needs a week of magic in this year of chaos ... I recognize that some kids don't even have food. So, it is with a humble heart that I ask anyone who feels compelled to assist Meaghan in achieving her week of magical Disney bliss to donate what you can to her. I have created a link on the sidebar of this blog in order to raise some funds for her.This is not something she asked me to do - it is one of my last ditch efforts to get her to her goal. We still plan on busting our butts to come up with the money on our own ... but short of not paying rent or utilities, I don't think it can happen without a bit of help.
Again, this is not a dire need for a life in jeopardy ... to be sure. Thus we understand if people have more pressing issues to donate their hard earned money to. We just figure we will give it a shot. You never know what magic can happen unless you open the door to it.
If you are willing to offer something up for Meaghan ... and she/we are still not able to meet our goal ... we will donate all funds to the Bangor Humane Society. Also - I am sure that she will send a heartfelt letter of thanks ... along with a picture of her favorite part of the trip to any and all donors. And no doubt she will continue to work hard for all the animals at the shelter ... because she is awesome :)
I'm so happy today because I was able to make a few quilled pelita for my Raya cards :). This was only possible after I learned how to quill rectangles. Before this, I only knew how to quill squares, but never attempt to quill rectangles.....and I learned how to do it by watching videos on Youtube. Youtube is my Sifu (Teacher) hehehehe.
After pasting the quilled the pelita on the card, I decided to add a stand for it. I really love it! At least the pelita does not look like it's floating in the air hehehe. I like making the pelita.....because it's a lot easier to do compared to making the quilled ketupat :). Not to mention, faster to get the card done too! :D
