Sam McLean Designs

Featuring Fab Finds For You

2009-09-18T08:53:00.001+10:00

Featuring Fab Finds For You

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A front page spot on Etsy!!!

2009-09-01T19:18:00.002+10:00

After a couple of months of crazy busyness, bleating and a few creative lulls, I finally made it to the front page of Etsy! YAY! Thank you to The Silver Dog for creating the treasury and to everyone in it too.

More new stuff...

2009-07-01T13:00:00.003+10:00

I have been so inspired since I bought some new Nestabilities dies recently! Here are some of the latest:

Pasta (angolotti) meal:

and some felt friands that look most appetising - I have to keep reminding myself they aren't real!

Some more new stuff and what on earth did I do before die cutting?

2009-06-26T18:05:00.004+10:00

Hello! I have been working my newish Sizzix Big Kick so hard - I'm hoping it won't go on strike but hey, it's pretty low tech (good news for me!) It's amazing and I really think my work has improved a lot using it. What do you think?

Here are some items made using the die cutter:

Oh, and I got a new shop banner - Check it out! I reckon it looks great.

Record sale time!

2009-06-22T17:14:00.004+10:00

Made these little crackers last night and listed them this morning. They sold in half an hour! I think that's a record for me. They are cute though!

I had a fab time today walking with my school friend Serena (and her gorgeous little dog, Billy!) in the park. Thankfully the rain held off - it's been so wet recently! We had a great chat and catch up.

Well, back to the felt food making... I do love my job!!

More custom orders and new items!

2009-06-21T20:04:00.004+10:00

Here are some of the things I have been working on lately:

Huge custom order: (loved every minute of it too!)

Little pocket bread with fillings (the felafel is cute, yes?)

And re-vamped the felt chocolates I began on Etsy with:

Now I've got to get ready for Christmas and my next Hong Kong trip! Yes, my mother and I will be heading back to Hong Kong in October for some Christmas shopping. Yipeee!!! Can't wait....

I'm such a bad blogger ;( ... but at least I was on TV!

2009-06-14T15:15:00.011+10:00

I have just been so very busy! Custom orders for everyone (well, so it seems!!) Here are a couple I have been doing:

This is a felt birthday cake for a special little girl.

A lunch for another lucky little girl!

Also, something terribly exciting happened! One of my aprons was on national TV! Yes, that's right. The story is that I bought some fabric on Ebay about 18 months ago and made a toddler apron out of it. It is really cute fabric and I e-mailed the lady I bought the fabric from with the link to the Etsy listing. Then she bought the apron. I got an e-mail a few weeks ago saying that she was going to be on TV the next day and she was taking the apron to show. The segment can be seen here. I was very surprised! If you are reading this, Janey, thank you so much! Someone did contact me to see if I could make another one and I had just enough fabric. Here it is:

Stay tuned for more custom order photos and maybe more TV appearances??

Back from our trip!

2009-04-29T11:32:00.005+10:00

We're back from Hong Kong and school has started again, things are back to normal (well, normal for us, anyway!) We had a great time and the kids loved Disneyland, though it was crowded and we waited a long time for most rides. We did some shopping also and just enjoyed the sights. Hopefully I'll go back again before too long.

There's some more exciting news! My fun felt foods will be available in a gorgeous shop called Retrospections right here in Sydney! The address is 498a Miller Street Cammeray and the shop opens on the 5th of May. Do check it out if you can...

Here are a few pics of stuff I've made recently:

Another new item!

2009-04-01T10:31:00.003+11:00

Finally I have made another ice cream cone set! I had wanted to for a while but didn't have time so here it is. I love the velcro bits so that kids can play ice cream parlor too!

A New item - Hors d'oeuvres anyone?

2009-03-31T16:35:00.003+11:00

Just finished these - they were great fun to think up and make!

Updates!!

2009-03-28T18:13:00.008+11:00

I'm such a bad blogger!!! Naughty me for not posting for so long. I have been busy though and with a trip to Hong Kong in a couple of weeks, I have been saving hard! Here are some of the tasty things I have been whipping up:

Have a lovely day!! Oh, and if you have any tips on Hong Kong shopping for me, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Save Handmade!

2009-01-13T07:25:00.003+11:00

On February 10th, a change comes into effect in the US which will cripple stay at home artisans like myself. And since most of my business is from the US, I am naturally concerned. Basically, toymakers will have to subject their goods to outside tests, costing thousands of dollars, to assure the public that their toys are safe. For someone like myself, this is beyond my reach... I'm sure this applies to lots of folks out there who make wonderful handmade toys. Please help by visiting these blogs:
http://handmadekids.wordpress.com/
http://coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/
Also Etsy has had articles recently on how we can help stop this happening. I am certainly all for making safe toys, and for ensuring that mass-produced toys are safe, but only the large companies can afford the testing. So lets lobby for exemptions for small toy manufacturers!
Thank you for reading.

Happy Creative New Year!

2009-01-12T15:46:00.007+11:00

I hope that you all had a great break over the holidays! I had been so busy that I was glad to have a rest (that doesn't stop me making stuff though!). Now I am awaiting my sewing machine back from service because I'm raring to go with lots of ideas for things for both shops. We spent Christmas up in the beautiful Blue Mountains and the breath of cool mountain air was most enjoyable. The girls got to spend most of Christmas day with their cousins at their place and that was such a beautiful time for them all.
Special thanks to my brother-in-law Matthew for making the most enjoyable Christmas dinner I've had in a while, especially for the homemade herb and bacon stuffing in the turkey. He is quite a cook! I should try to commemorate the meal in felt!!
Here are a couple of things I have made for both the shops over the break:
(told you I wouldn't be able to stop creating altogether!)

Another (and probably my last) market...

2008-12-10T07:32:00.004+11:00

Well, this last weekend I did a market at Dulwich Hill and did OK. But the reaction to my work at markets has been fairly underwhelming, so I think concentrating on my shops is the best idea for now. I did make some tote bags which went well though - here are some pics:

I will be making more of these for the Retrology shop so stay tuned!

New stuff in both shops!

2008-11-18T12:28:00.002+11:00

These are a few things I was working on recently:

BITE ME's - cell / mobile phone charms with mini felt foods attached:

and for the Retrology shop, a new range of kids clothing, called Bow Wow! Meow! after a cute 70's Golden Book that was lent to me by my friend Catherine. The clothes in the book are retro, simple and cute and I really wanted to have that look in my range. So far I have only made one item, a little playsuit for sizes 1-4 but I plan to do some more items. Here's a picture of my daughter Isla modelling the playsuit. (I had to use Gummi Bears as a bribe to get the photos, but it worked!)

Where did I go????? Oh, here I am!

2008-11-15T13:15:00.006+11:00

OK, I haven't dropped dead, but I have been so busy I can hardly believe it! In the aftermath of the market I did, I had an approach by a national magazine to feature my work (which I am so excited about!!), I opened a new store on Etsy, dividing the clothing and felt foods. The new shop is called Retrology - please feel free to check it out - it's kind of barren right now, but I am busy making some cute kids clothing.

Also, I have had many, many felt food orders coming up to Christmas - a big THANK YOU! to all my wonderful customers out there...

The other major thing I was doing was re-doing my studio to make it a purpose-built sewing space so that next year when Isla is at pre-school 2 days per week I will be making that my work time. All I can say is - thank heavens for IKEA! Here are a couple of pictures of the new, improved space:

Marrickville Festival preparations!

2008-09-05T08:55:00.006+10:00

Whoa, someone stop the workload! I want to get off... I have been flat out getting stuff made for the Etsy DUST stall at the Marrickville Festival this weekend, and Lachlan (my husband) is running for local council elections. SO BUSY! Anyway, I am really looking forward to the Festival - it's going to be fun. If you are in Sydney and want to drop in to say Hi we are going to be near the kids area at Frampton Avenue. See you there (I'll be the one looking nearly catatonic...!)

Here's some of the stuff I've been making:

New item in store!

2008-08-26T17:29:00.004+10:00

Here's a felt rolled brisket / pot roast in store now! You never saw meat this cute, right?

New item and a giveaway on Neatostuff.com

2008-08-24T08:36:00.003+10:00

There is a new item in my shop today - felt gumballs in a little jar! Here they are:

Also, Neatostuff.com is having a giveaway of some felt fruit from my shop - check it out here and enter to win! Have fun!

A new addition to the Fun Felt Foods grocery range!

2008-08-22T09:38:00.003+10:00

These little felt stuffed olives! I had great fun making these, though they are time-consuming. I think subsequent jars will have larger olives since they are so labour intensive... I reckon they've turned out pretty well though, I added the little "cross" at the bottom where the olive pitting machine would have gone through to extract the pit...

These are available in my Etsy shop!

New item and catalogue launch!

2008-08-18T14:43:00.002+10:00

I have been a little off the radar recently I know - Book week costumes, planning for the Marrickville Public School market on the 7th September... Anyway, coming up to Christmas I thought it would be helpful to put together a catalogue of my felt food designs so I could take pre-orders for Christmas. You can look at the first 15 pages online at Blurb.com - just click the link to the left of this post and take a look.

Oh, and I have a new item in store - tri-colour felt pasta in a tin. I'm tempted to play with it!

Book Week Costumes!

2008-08-12T10:22:00.004+10:00

Here is what I have been doing over the last week or so - book week costumes! My little girl, Isobel is going as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. The glitter shoes were disappointing but the dress sure turned out well! I told her that it is going to be her summer church dress this year - all that work! I didn't want the dress tossed in the dress up cupboard straight away ;)

More photos from the parade later...

New item! Who wants Tacos??

2008-08-01T09:32:00.003+10:00

Just finished and listed this cute little velcro-together taco for my shop. I think I've got a velcro fetish or something. Everything I make I think - how could velcro improve this? Hmmm, is there an AA equivalent for velcro and felt food addiction? Anyone with a phone number for this service, please let me know! ;)

July Giveaway in full swing at Funky Finds!

2008-07-31T11:11:00.002+10:00

I'm giving away a felt food set of the winners choice! Go to Funky Finds and check out how to win!

Enter and have fun! There are quite a few items in other shops up for grabs too. Have a go and win!

Baker's Half-dozen cookies

2008-07-29T11:52:00.004+10:00

Just made these as a custom order for my shop. I had fun embroidering the "ARROWROOT" on the milk arrowroot biscuit and I love making macaroons with the little pom poms, and the chocolate cream cookie. They remind me of my childhood in Japan. I think they look pretty realistic...

New and Improved Chip Package...

2008-07-25T11:56:00.003+10:00

I LOVE inkjet-printable fabric! I just improved my potato chip package to go with my felt sub sandwich. I think it looks SO much more professional... I am hoping to make more in the way of packages of felt foods so that kids can have them in their pretend shops and kitchens. I feel the need to replace those cardboard and plastic food sets that are everywhere with felt!

Watermelon, veggies and pasta Mach 2

2008-07-24T17:59:00.003+10:00

Here are the finished articles I began making in my last post. They are for Shanna at Baby Wears Prada, an exciting website launching soon. I hope her little girl loves them and that you do too!

Felt watermelon and pasta - what a combo!

2008-07-23T13:46:00.003+10:00

Here's what I've been making the last couple of days as a sample:

Felt watermelon slice and some tri-color pasta bowties in a bag (ok, the bag isn't made yet...) but the idea is there. Also, I had a nice surprise when I used Electric Quilt inkjet-printable fabric sheets to make "labels" for the packages I'm hoping to make for my felt foods. Check them out! Is the clip-art too lame? I'm just not that great at drawing...

New "Subway" Sandwich made from Felt!!

2008-07-21T16:22:00.003+10:00

Here it is, the latest in my crazy line of Felt Food Toys! The 6-inch subway which velcros together. Has lettuce, cheese, pastrami and pickles and comes with the plate and a bag of ruffled "potato chips". Lots of fun - I should make one for myself!!

Got a Treasury West

2008-07-17T23:04:00.003+10:00

Ok, so I was watching Law and Order while Treasury was counting down... so I came up with this:

Well, I thought it was cute - especially the Playmobil Policewoman Brooch by nakedtile

Fresh Berries and Cream anyone?

2008-07-16T14:02:00.003+10:00

Just completed these little cuties for my Etsy shop! 4 strawberries, 4 blueberries, 4 blackberries and 4 raspberries - plus 4 puffs of "fresh cream" in a little pot. You get the basket and napkin as well. Do you want some summer berries? Check my shop...

New Toddler Apron in store

2008-07-14T21:05:00.002+10:00

Check the cute and bright retro print on this apron! I found a curtain on Ebay a couple of months back and immediately thought of aprons! Again, I have used the Thermoweb Fusible Vinyl (gee I love this stuff!) My models are hamming it up, as usual!

Pingie in Japan

2008-07-14T08:39:00.002+10:00

Pingie in Japan
Originally uploaded by JooJoo1356

Take a look at this extremely cute penguin! Found this on Flickr and couldn't resist putting a photo on my blog for you to enjoy. Check out her shop too: http://joojoo.etsy.com. Too sweet!

Another new hat in store today!

2008-07-12T22:14:00.003+10:00

Yay, another new swanky hat to keep you warm and your tresses under control in the cold wind! This one I made for my sister in law, Malvina (hence the name), but you can find one for sale here.

Landed a Treasury as well!

2008-07-12T15:54:00.002+10:00

It's my lucky Treasury day!! Got this one, called "Willy Wonka, eat your heart out!".

Black and White Treasury West!

2008-07-12T14:54:00.001+10:00

Here's one I am curating for the Etsy Artists Lounge:

Giveaway on Funky Finds!

2008-07-11T21:00:00.003+10:00

I am participating in a July giveaway on Funky Finds! This great site is bursting with heaps of handmade, quirky goodness - do check it out! I am giving away a felt food set of the winner's choice - so get along and enter if you want free felt food!

I have also had the honour of being featured in an Etsy Dust treasury:

Yay for treasuries! and for Etsy!

School holidays are supposed to be creating time!!

2008-07-11T09:12:00.003+10:00

But for me, I seem to be busier than ever. But hey, it's fun spending time with my girls. My car also died on the weekend (darn fuel pump!) but we have it back now - thank goodness.

I just listed a super circle skirt made from a vintage tablecloth - I love making these! I have a couple of new cloths so I'll be making more of these for sure!

Just finished! My Lambs Pride cardigan!

2008-07-04T13:53:00.005+10:00

YAY! I have finished it - and it took less time than I thought it would because the yarn was so bulky. The shade is Forest Shadows tonal and it was a miracle I had two matching buttons also. What do you think?

Also added these cute little carrots on Madeit.com.au

Just made!

2008-07-01T13:43:00.005+10:00

Made this little felt pineapple today as I was babysitting 2 extra kids. All four kids got pretty excited at the progress! What do you think?

Is it a shrug, is it a cardigan, is it...????

2008-06-30T20:30:00.005+10:00

Well, it looks like a shrug, but is in fact the beginnings of a cardigan I'm making for myself in Lamb's Pride Bulky, in wool and mohair. It knits up quickly and I'm loving the colour! The pattern was bought from SweaterBabe.com. It is easy and fab! I'll update with a picture of me wearing it soon!

I love treasuries!

2008-06-28T19:10:00.003+10:00

I do love being in treasuries, making them up and curating them, commenting on them... Here's one that the ever-talented Mandy from Beadsme created, including my willow pattern skirt. The blues are so pretty, don't you think?

New Market tote in store - Winter Vegetables!

2008-06-24T11:42:00.005+10:00

I loved creating these cute little veggies for my Etsy shop! They all come in a little calico tote bag that I used the overlocker to make - too easy! There's a cauliflower, a button squash, 3 carrots, 2 mushrooms, 1 brown onion, 1 bulb of garlic and a beet with a bendy stem. I often come up with the ideas for these items as I'm drowsily putting my younger one, Isla to bed. It keeps me from drifting off to sleep as well...

Breakfast Deluxe!

2008-06-20T17:55:00.003+10:00

Made this little set for a friend who needed a 4th Birthday gift this weekend. Hope the birthday girl likes it! It has 3 pancakes with syrup and butter, a hash brown, a fried egg, 2 rashers of bacon, a watermelon slice, 3 strawberries, 1 slice of kiwi fruit and 2 slices of banana. And it comes with the tray. I think I will offer this as an option in my Etsy shop, with choices of items.

In a very cool treasury!

2008-06-18T22:38:00.002+10:00

Thanks to dear Raisinlike on Etsy who included me in this lovely treasury with some very talented people! Do check out Raisinlike's shop - you'll fall in love with her whimsical little pieces! She's a very dear lady as well...

Funny photo of Isla - couldn't resist this!

2008-06-17T11:26:00.002+10:00

I had to snap this one of my two year old on her potty... too cute and VERY topical!

Diamonds are a girls best friend!

2008-06-16T21:13:00.004+10:00

Just finished this summer skirt for my Etsy shop - it's made of some vintage textured cotton that I picked up at the Vintage Clothing and Textile show in Sydney in April, so it's truly one of a kind. I love the orange, white and navy colours too and the pattern is so retro! I'm very proud because it's the first item I've made using my new overlocker. I think it's turned out pretty well...

Sydney Craft Show!

2008-06-15T10:08:00.003+10:00

Well, me and the girls journeyed to Darling Harbour yesterday on a very cold and dull day to see what was happening at the craft expo. It was very crowded! Plus I've never seen Isobel's eyes SO BIG! She loved the quilts on display, especially the colourful ones. Isla was more interested in the snack bar though... Maybe next year I'll go without the kids, but it was certainly an experience.

My crazy gals at home!

New item in my shop - Felt Udon Noodles!

2008-06-12T20:52:00.002+10:00

Tasty and healthy, here's my latest creation: Felt Udon Noodles! These were fun to make too! and they come with the spoon and bowl for hours of fun. Also, I changed some of my listings to free shipping for the inaugural Etsy Yart sale. Have fun shopping!

Thinking about Chemo hats...

2008-06-11T10:53:00.003+10:00

My mother in law has breast cancer and has to undergo a series of chemotherapy, so I thought I would make her a hat. She lives in the Blue Mountains and it's just winter here in the Southern Hemisphere, so I needed to make sure it was cozy and warm, but for a sensitive scalp, pure wool would not be suitable because of the itch factor. So, I found this beautiful yarn, 70% wool and 30% soy fibre at Spotlight. The colour is so beautiful, a soft mauve, which is her favourite colour. I crocheted the flower with Caron watercolours cotton and added a pearl button. If she doesn't want the flower on, she can simply button it off again, as there is another button on the underside of the flower. I have enough yarn left for another, so I have listed it in my shop here: Here's a couple of pics as well. Sure hope Jeanette likes it!

Cherry Ripe!

2008-06-07T19:01:00.002+10:00

Just listed a new apron with long sleeves made out of awesome coated cotton fabric. I gathered the sleeves, maybe I won't next time - I guess it makes it girly, though. I love these aprons and have had good feedback from buyers. What do you think?

Have I been AWOL?!?!

2008-06-05T22:36:00.002+10:00

Whew, what a week! Finally finished my custom sweater order. The bamboo yarn I used was wonderful to work with. It came from lovely Katie at Live 2 Knit. I love the denim colour too. Do you love it? It is for beautiful Patti of Patti Flynn soaps.

Foray into cardmaking...

2008-05-27T11:40:00.007+10:00

I got into Sashiko (Japanese quilting) a while back and had these little squares I had embroidered as a sampler. What was I going to do with them? Then I found these cards in the shop and immediately thought of the sampler. The result is some cute cards with a personal touch. What do you think?

New items on Etsy!

2008-05-23T18:25:00.004+10:00

Here's a couple of new items I've listed on Etsy:

And I also finished this fantastic bib for a fantastic customer - used the good old ThermoWeb fusible vinyl again!

Check me out on NeatoStuff.com!

2008-05-21T23:18:00.007+10:00

Well, colour me happy, I've been featured on NeatoStuff.com! I'm so excited that I had to capture the front page and post it here. WooHoo!

EAL Treasury! Love that Red...

2008-05-21T18:14:00.002+10:00

Put this together yesterday for EAL's 20% off sale - gorgeous red and lots of hearts as well. There were so many treasuries, over 700 when they opened again yesterday! I thought that I'd crashed it, but it eventually came to life...

Etsy Artists Lounge ON SALE!

2008-05-20T10:43:00.004+10:00

OK, that doesn't mean you can buy the lounge, but most of us are having 20% off items in our shops (excluding items already marked down in most cases). So have a look in our beautiful shops and grab some bargains!

Find more photos like this on Etsy Artist Lounge

Also, congratulations to Taleri, a fellow Etsyian who won a slice of chocolate cream pie in the EAL (Etsy Artists Lounge) Scavenger Hunt last night. Well done!

Happy Birthday to....?????

2008-05-17T16:05:00.004+10:00

The felt pie series so far...

When my friend Angela asked for suggestions about how to deal with the problem of too much real birthday cake being served at her kids' long day care centre, I was wondering whether a felt cake would be the answer. At Isobel's pre-school, they used to have a wooden cake which they put candles on, sang Happy Birthday and the birthday kid "cut" the cake with a wooden "knife". So, would felt work? I think it would. I have made a sample slice for Angela to show the daycare centre. If they like it, I'll make a 6-slice cake with interchangeable Happy Birthday ribbons around it. Here's the sample: What do you think?

Latest Pie Slice!

2008-05-16T12:52:00.004+10:00

Here is slice number 4 in my pie series: Cherry Lattice. I made it using a bit of polyfil in the top part, to make it plump and juicy. It follows on from Chocolate Cream pie, Banana Cream pie and Pumpkin pie in the series. Coming soon: Peach pie, Key lime and Lemon Meringue. Drooling yet?

In praise of ThermoWeb fusible vinyl!

2008-05-13T12:08:00.001+10:00

Here's my new listing at Etsy: a wipeable vinyl covered wee tote bag with the sweetest print on it. I have to say that using the ThermoWeb fusible vinyl scared me a bit, but it was quite easy and turned out well. Now I just have to do a whole lot of aprons with it....

Pie Contest Photo

2008-05-10T22:25:00.002+10:00

Well, I finished the winning slice of pie this evening: Banoffi Pie. This is what Wikipedia says about the pie's origins:

History:
Credit for the pie's invention is claimed by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie of The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. They claim to have invented the pie in 1972, and the restaurant's exterior bears a blue plaque to that effect. The dish, with various stories of its source, spread, and in 1994 a number of supermarkets began selling it as an American pie, leading Dowding and Mackenzie to offer a £10,000 prize to anyone who could disprove their claim.

Very interesting and delicious too! Banana, toffee and cream, who can beat that? ENJOY!!

New item on Etsy!

2008-05-07T16:05:00.002+10:00

With Isobel's school Open Day on today, I wasn't able to do much, but I did list this fun set of felt veggies on Etsy:

Contest winner!

2008-05-05T19:41:00.002+10:00

Well, the pie contest is over, and the winner is (drumroll please...) MADBOO DESIGNS! Thank you to madboo for her beautiful suggestion of Bannoffi pie, which looks scrumptious! I will be making up madboo's pie soon. Meanwhile, if you have a hankering for fake pie, please see my shop! And thanks to all of you who put in an entry - I will attempt to make all the pies suggested. Watch this space!

To visit Madboo's Etsy shop, click here. She has some great stuff!

New Etsy shop is Up and Running!

2008-05-02T17:12:00.003+10:00

We've given birth to a new Etsy Shop! It's called 3 green jelly beans after my little girl, Isla and Cassy's twins, who are all around the same age. We have beautiful tees and onesies, all hand appliqued and stitched. Take a look here!

So Busy!

2008-05-01T14:04:00.006+10:00

So much work! I just love it, don't get me wrong! I love to juggle projects. Here's what I'm working on right now:

1) Alchemy order sweater for a lovely fellow-Etsian - the yarn is Bamboo and I'm crazy about it - so soft and silky. Here's a picture of the tension sample:

2) Samples for a new Etsy shop I'm starting with my friend Cassy. She has come up with some brilliant ideas for decorating onesies and tee shirts for kids. Here's a sneak preview:

3) Samples for sites such as Neatostuff.com, plus finishing off a few custom orders too!

4) Alchemy bid - PDF files for felt fruit and veggies... my specialty!

Hopefully in a lull I can get some more pie slices up on Etsy to sell. I'm glad school has started again!

More Pie listed...

2008-04-27T11:56:00.003+10:00

Hmm, I think I'm becoming obsessed with pie... Just listed a slice of Chocolate Cream Pie:

Click here for the link to the Etsy listing. And keep those entries coming for my pie contest! You can leave your comment and win pie!

Who Likes Pie?

2008-04-24T17:55:00.004+10:00

Just listed a cute piece of felt Pumpkin Pie on Etsy today. I hope to make more varieties. My question is - what variety of felt pie would you like to see? Please leave a comment here and I will take all suggestions on board. You could WIN a slice of felt pie! Leave your comment with your fave pie and the suggestion I like best will WIN a slice of felt pie! Have fun and thanks - oh, and here is a picture of the pumpkin pie slice to get your appetite going!

New items in Madeit.com.au!

2008-04-21T15:21:00.008+10:00

Just added a few more goodies at The Felt Grocer shop on Madeit.com.au! Here's some photos:

New stuff, finished projects (finally!!)

2008-04-20T11:00:00.004+10:00

Just listed a hand-knitted shrug on Etsy, click here for the listing. Also, I added some improvements to my studio, courtesy of IKEA (gotta love IKEA!). I got a cool magnetic board and some magnetic containers with clear lids for safety pins, labels, etc. It's a great place to have all that stuff handy.

Also I got a really neat 10-drawer scrapbooking trolley where I store all my stuff for felt food making - felt is organised and in colour order, templates are organised too. Just wonder how long the organisation will last!!

2008-04-15T20:07:00.001+10:00

Today I am featuring some Madeit.com.au sellers here - Thanks ladies, for the kind permission to add you!

Monique at Krumpet offers softies, childrens' wall art and kids clothes made from vintage fabric. They are adorable, do have a look!

Click here for Krumpet's Shop

Busy mum Amy (just had her second baby - congratulations!) at Heartfelt has adorable softies, aprons and girls dresses. Just so beautiful and whimsical too!

Click here for Heartfelt's shop!

Sammyb's shop has adorable soft toys - check out the wonderful taggy cats! Sammyb also sells on Etsy.com. Do have a look - you will fall in love with these cute things!

Click here for sammyb's shop!

New Ning group - Etsy Artists Lounge

2008-04-15T14:40:00.001+10:00

Thanks to Debbie Underwood (aka AbyssalGems) on Etsy. She has made a social networking page on Ning.com for us loungers to use. It's heaps of fun, the only downside is that I may have to spend even more time online...

View my page on Etsy Artist Lounge

A peek into the Etsy Artists lounge....

2008-04-14T08:45:00.000+10:00

Welcome to the Etsy Artists Lounge! I have added a beautiful treasury, thanks to Jim aka glassgypsy, who put it together.

Here are some of the amazing artists in the lounge, with links to their shops:

1. Http://AbyssalGems.etsy.com

2. Http://Adamsonart.etsy.com

3. Http://AngelicQuirk.etsy.com

4. Http://Artisticle.etsy.com

5. Http://Bostonbaglady.etsy.com

6. Http://Britscreativetouch.etsy.com

7. Http://Butterflychic.etsy.com

8. Http://Canadiancreationz.etsy.com

9. Http://Chainsnmore.etsy.com

10. Http://Crazytimescandles.etsy.com

11. Http://Crystalvibe.etsy.com

12. Http://Designzbylizzie.etsy.com

13. Http://Donanovinha.etsy.com

14. Http://Fancifulflair.etsy.com

15. Http://Glassgypsy.etsy.com

16. Http://Jazziesjunque.etsy.com

17. Http://Jewelrybytiti.etsy.com

18. Http://Lamarlynch.etsy.com

19. Http://Littlesun.etsy.com

20. Http://Marylynnplaisance.etsy.com

21. Http://MerchantGypsy.etsy.com

22. Http://Mclean2612.etsy.com

23. Http://NYBlaque.etsy.com

24. Http://RedOtter.etsy.com

Please do check out these great Etsy shops!

As the Felt Grocer on http://www.madeit.com.au/, I have added a couple of listings. My shop can be found at: http://www.madeit.com.au/madeit/supplierdetail.asp?rsSupplierID=12180

Until next time...

xx Sam

Just joined Madeit.com.au too!

2008-04-11T22:47:00.000+10:00

This is an Aussie website to sell handmade stuff on, so I have joined with a shop called "The Felt Grocer" and will focus on selling my felt foods here and on Etsy.com. I have no listings as yet, but will soon. I'm working on a pack of tri-colour (traffic light) capsicums (bell peppers for you Statesiders!) and a few other little goodies. Stay tuned tomorrow for a look into the Etsy Artists Lounge...

My studio - well, kind of...

2008-04-10T14:01:00.000+10:00

I have just cleaned up our study / library / storage room / sewing room and made a little studio corner for my knitting, planning, felt food toy making and dressmaking. What do you think? It looks tidy because I've only just re-organised. Oh, and I haven't got most of my supplies in this room either. I am investing in one of those 10-drawer scrapbooking trolleys for my felt, templates and other stuff. This could become a full-time job, this organising!

Oh, and my supplies are kept in this cabinet. As you can see, I have lots of fabric! All of it will be put to good use - hopefully in my lifetime!!!

Charity breakfast finished!

2008-04-09T11:56:00.000+10:00

Yay, completed the felt breakfast for the Montessori School auction! Here's a picture of it. The link to the school is:

www.questschool.org. I think the auction is in May, so if you can make a donation, please contact them through their website. A fellow Etsyian, Creative Potential, made me aware of the school. Check out her shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5219572.

New blog to check out and what I did today....

2008-04-08T15:48:00.000+10:00

Well, after a morning of hard work, I managed to nearly complete the breakfast set, prewash some fabric, iron and tidy up my studio. Also, the Etsy Street Team I am part of has a new blog - check it out! http://etsydustau.blogspot.com/

Sam McLean Designs

2008-04-08T09:51:00.000+10:00

Welcome to my blog! I have been selling my handmade things on Etsy for a while now - check them out at http://mclean2612.etsy.com/.

Today I am working on a felt breakfast set for a charity auction, and some samples for kidswear I'm working on with a friend. Who said being a housewife was dull???

Last week, I had a skirt featured on

http://www.cuteable.com/. That was an exciting moment!