Mc Cranky!

A Lovely Day at the Market!

2009-10-13T13:25:00.002+11:00

Saturday was lovely day for a market. A great day to spend with friends in the beer garden of the Park Hotel in Abbotsford. There was some great stalls with books, clothes, bags, jewellery, records and lots more. The kitchen was open so we had lots of yummie food and nice wine. The next market will be on the 14th of November from 12 to 5.

Happy Birthday Meaghan!

2009-10-05T13:46:00.001+11:00

2009-10-03T19:26:00.006+10:00

Next Saturday the 10th of October McCranky! will be having a market stall. Its very exciting we haven't had a market stall in a long time. The market is at the Park Hotel, Nicholson st Abbotsford in the beer garden. There will be a couple of interesting stalls and I think it should be a nice day. It would be lovely to see a few friendly faces so please do stop by and say hello.

McCranky Vintage!

2009-08-26T17:51:00.003+10:00

I have been wanting to set up something like this for so long, and am really glad I finally have. Here is McCranky Vinatge on etsy. I'm planning a big european adventure so have decided to clean out my closet and post all the excess for sale on etsy, everything is below $20 and for Australian residents postage is free if you buy more than one item, I hope there is something you like! above are some of my favourites, hopefully i'll add some more towards the end of the week, probably some bags, shoes and a few jackets.

yummy treat...

2009-07-19T12:32:00.001+10:00

these are my favourite things to eat when i feel like a really sweet treat, White chocolate raspberry balls, they are best when brought from myer or david jones food falls, but are really great from the market too. I feel like some right now. It took a lot of will power to get these two home to photograph but its worth it just to share.

velvet

2009-07-18T12:26:00.000+10:00

In winter i like to wear lots of lovely textures, currently i really like cordoruy and velvet, i've been lucky enough to find both in op-shops all around town. I got two great old, lovely velvet skirts in black and burgundy and some really good cordoury pants. I also found this great bow tie, I want to attach it to a hair clip, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Today is also our brothers Birthday, so happy birthday to him. He likes this time of year alot, becuase it seems like he is only one year younger than me but really it more like 15 months, when you figure it out properly.

little animals

2009-07-17T12:16:00.000+10:00

I found these marble animal figurines at the op-shop a while ago, and they quickly became my favourites, i later found the penguin and added it to the collection. I broke the dog almost immediately but it still sits together fine. I really like the donkey, he looks quite sad, but strangely content.

nothing but flowers...

2009-07-16T12:12:00.000+10:00

I have developed a huge love of flowers, currently in my room i have 7 vases full, some fake, some real, some made some brought. some people might find it a little much but on these gray overcast days I'm finding them very comforting.

winter warmth

2009-07-15T12:23:00.002+10:00

I struck it really lucky at the op-shops during the summer wind down months, These flannelete sheets were sitting on the shelf, still wrapped in their original packaging, and with two in the pack, Claire and I both got one each. I Love flannel sheets, they warm up a bed so nicely, and with Claire currently recovering from having her wisdom teeth removed, I'm sure she is enjoying them too.

sorry...

2009-07-15T12:05:00.005+10:00

Blogging and me haven't been going very well lately, i have been thinking about it alot but haven't really found the time to do any, hopefully today marks a change, and blogging will be happening a whole lot more from now on. Yesterday I had a rare day off and managed to fit in a little op-shopping, i found these little lovelies, doileys. which i love love love. there is something so satisfying to me about these little crocheted glories, i like their shape, their pattern and their use. I have too many but these were way to good to pass up, one day i will have a big house and these will cover every surface, maybe!

The Start of our Hexagon Quilt.

2009-06-27T14:15:00.007+10:00

Wow, its been a long time between posts. I guess we have both been a bit busy and maybe a little lazey.

We started this hexagon quilt at our first brown owls a few weeks ago. At the moment its big enough to cover your lap so i guess we need to make it about four times this size. It just needs fit nicely over a small couch. I think we'll add a few different borders to build up the size quicker. So far I think we are both happy with how its looking. Its nice to see how lovely the different fabrics look together.

Claire...

Melbourne needs...

2009-06-10T10:28:00.004+10:00

...its very own Built by Wendy store, if we had one I would try to buy everything in store, I would most certainly visit often and get chatty with the staff, I would even like to be one of the staff, becuase I like wendy a lot. She not only makes wonderful, but encourages you to sew your own, which is really just great.

Hexagon Quilt.

2009-06-07T16:14:00.000+10:00

From Lark

Claire and I are together embarking on a new project. we are going to make a hexagon quilt. We started it on Monday at Brown Owls (which was heaps of fun) under surprising circumstances, we both stated cutting up hexagons separately to make a small cushion or something, then we we got together and realised the coincidence we decided to turn it into one big quilting project. we are going to make it all out of vintage and found fabrics, and sew it all together by hand, its going to take a long time, but i think we are both excited by that. hopefully by the end of next year it will be done. we were both inspired by the quilt we saw in one of Allisons photos and also by our Mum's efforts, she made the above quilt while she was pregnant with Claire, I think its really lovely, i doubt ours will be as well put together and coordinated as hers, but will look just as good in our own mismatched sort of way. once we have done a bit more piecing together i will be sure to post some pictures here!

Favourite Bags

2009-06-06T11:00:00.000+10:00

I have lots of bags, so so many, all are different, none are the same. Some are crazy and embroided or beaded or woven or knitted, some glomesh, some leather. all are second hand i would say, i simply can't justify spending a heap of money on something that has a whole swag of clones following it around. here are three of my favourites, I like them because they are all different, Beaded onto corduroy, knitted and finished with lovely wooden handles and woven entirely out bamboo i think. they are all good to me.

magazine gifts.

2009-06-05T15:54:00.005+10:00

I've said it before, I'm incredibly addicted to magazines, so much so that i can't throw them out. but in every issue that i buy there always seems to be a few pages i could do with out, namely the ones at the end that tell you where you can buy things, that i will never buy, so i have taken to riping them out and making these . I'll admit I'm strange in love with the conventional sort of ribbon found in the reject shop, all those ghastly bright metallic colors sitting there ready to adorn a gift, but making them myself has proven just as good, better i think. so here are some of the gifts i have given of late fresh with there recycled ribbons on top! oh and thanks to handmade romance for pointing out the how too, I'm completely addicted to her page as well.

Nice colours.

2009-06-02T10:36:00.001+10:00

Again in Daylesford, I found this old odly colourful Postcards, I think there rather nice

greeting cards...lovely.

2009-06-01T10:34:00.001+10:00

While avoiding study the other day I came across these old cards I found once then stashed away and forget about. pretty lovely i think.

Photo Postcards.

2009-05-31T10:30:00.001+10:00

On our recent trip to Daylesford Claire and I found a great big shoe box full of old postcards, with people's portraits on them, there really wonderful, I like the old names like Mrytle and the hazy colours and the scrawly writing.

study flowers

2009-05-30T22:28:00.000+10:00

I've got so much study to do, before I finish my degree for good, these flowers sitting on my desk are making it a little more plesant

emily's quilt.

2009-05-30T10:22:00.005+10:00

Quite a while ago a friend of mine asked me if I would make her a quilt, I set about it quickly but then succumbed to study pressure a progress halted slightly. Earlier this week though I managed to finish it off and hand it over to her. I really like how it turned out, all the fabric is second hand, mostly found at op-shops and savers even the backing, which makes me really happy.

happy birthday...

2009-05-18T09:10:00.001+10:00

Today is Claire's brithday, she is 24 which I think is great, yesterday to celebrate we went on the best drive, our favourite drive, early in the morning through Woodend, stopping off at Burkies, bypassing Trenthonem and then arriving in Daylesford to do a lot of scavagging. We start at the trash and treasure market, then on to some op's then down the main street to see the shops then up to the mill to have a good good look around, somewhere in here we manage to stop of at Cliffy's for lunch and also the chocolate shop for a treat, Daylesford is the best, I really mean that, we always have the best time when we are here, it was a great way to celebrate a birthday I think!

This is what her gift looked like, all wrapped up in brown paper, with an origami crane to finish, its not hard to tell what it is but at least it looks a bit nice.

Happy Birthday Claire xo

ghost hug!

2009-05-12T17:23:00.004+10:00

I saw this post the other day on Jesses blog and realised I owned the exact same shakers, except I didn't know it. I thought they were just standard ghosts, but know I know they hug and its really good.

little holly..

2009-05-11T09:11:00.000+10:00

I found this jigsaw of Holly Hobbie at an op-shop a while ago, i really like her, and her quilted apron, floppy hat and mis-matched patterns!

mothers day

2009-05-10T09:09:00.000+10:00

Happy mothers day to all Mum's, this is the gift I will be taking my mum today, I found a new way to use old doileys, I'm not quite sure how original it is but I think it looks quite good.

japan

2009-05-09T18:04:00.003+10:00

The other week one of my very favourite co-workers returned from a wonderful trip to Japan. It sounds like an amazing country filled with so many wonderful things, she had such a good time that she has already brought another ticket back in October. She brought me a gift which was extremely lovely, these two lengths of fabric, they are so different but so wonderful together at the same time, I want to make something really good out of them, I'll probably have enough to make a couple of things, all I have to do is decide.

babar too...

2009-05-07T10:17:00.000+10:00

babar was also there too, i remember loving watching this cartoon, i love thinking about elephants drinking tea!

A New Bag!

2009-05-06T13:47:00.003+10:00

Today I made myself this bag. I seem to spend most of my sewing time making thing for other people so it really enjoyed making something for my self. I also liked the fact that if I made a mistake it didn't matter because no one will see it but me. I enjoyed making this bag so much I had to make a second right away, so I will pop that one on the McCranky! Shop today.

winnie

2009-05-06T13:15:00.000+10:00

at the same garage sale we also found this old old story of pooh. i think jess might like it! growing up eeyore was my favourite.

little book of proverbs...

2009-05-05T22:09:00.003+10:00

a while ago we found this book at a garage sale and were instantly taken by the little pictures and sometimes strange words, language like this seems to have died, as most of the proverbs were new to us and made us laugh and smile.

Vintage Winter Combo

2009-05-03T18:03:00.002+10:00

Last year I found this winter coat and matching dress at the Mill Market in Daylesford. Its really good, it has a fake fur trim, which is good and is one of the lovliest greens. The only real problem is that it doesn't have any pockets which is what I love most in coats, maybe I will ask josie if she will work some sewing magic and add some for me, I hope its possible.

This will be me...

2009-04-23T08:22:00.000+10:00

...for the next few days, reading books that should have been read ages ago that is due way to soon for my liking. If only I was one of those super organised people that could start working well in advance of when things were actually due, for now though I'm just going to have to endure the pain and sacrfice a few hours of sleep a night.

Dreaming of Crocheting.

2009-04-22T20:10:00.004+10:00

It has been mentioned here a lot by both Claire and I can't crochet, we've tried, we have read lots of books and seen lots of demonstrations but we can't seem to get the hang of it. This doesn't mean we are going to give up, just that when we do manage to learn it will be all the better. There really is no reason why we shouldn't be able to crochet either. The blanket in these photos was created by our Aunty and given to our Mum for her 21st Birthday I think. Aunty Shelly is a little younger then Mum too, so she must have made it when she was in her teens I think and means that this blanket is more than 30yrs old, I hope i'm not insulting Mum when I say that. I really love it, I like the colours and thinking about why our Aunty choose them for our Mum, and all the time, effort and planning that would have gone into making it. It would have taken a while, because its huge, probably about the size of a queen blanket. Its perfectly made too, everything is the same size and tension (i think that is the right terminology) and it only shows a few signs of aging. I can't wait to master the art and get started on my own.

Brown Owls '09'

2009-04-21T22:34:00.004+10:00

Claire and I are Brown Owls this year, and really couldn't be more excited. We have yet to attend any classes, which is really lazy of us, but are keen to attend soon, I know we both want to develop our lack of crocheting skills, but a nice 'bring your own' session sounds like fun too.

I like these badges ALOT, I have chosen the blue one for our blog, because I think it will match and because I think its Penelope's favourite colour. I'm going to put the purple one up for Claire, because I think the two will look good together and its Mum's favourite colour, but she can change it if she likes. Thanks to threebuttons for designing them, they really are just lovely!

A visit to Yarn Barn!

2009-04-18T14:58:00.004+10:00

Today mum and I visited our favourite place to buy yarn, the Yarn Barn in Coburg. It’s a great little shop full of great range of colours and fibres. Mum is going to knit a jumper out of the cream wool on the cone and I am determined to teach myself how to crochet Grannie Squares. I’ve been trying very hard to learn but I don’t seem to get anywhere. I think the colours I picked would look great in a blanket so I won’t give up. I hope that in the weeks to come I’ll have some squares to show you.

Lemonade!

2009-04-15T22:30:00.004+10:00

The lovely beck from Dandelion has awarded us with a lemonade award, which means she thinks our blog shows great attitude or gratitude, which is so kind of her. We really like her blog too, her country adventures in our favourite town, her trips into the city and all her nice thoughts on her family are just great.

In the same vein other blogs we are always apperciating are, Handmade Romance which is just full of the nicest images and thoughts, fine little day which is new to us but really amazing, and teddy bears wednesday which is always fun to read!

Something New...

2009-04-13T16:12:00.004+10:00

I recently brought my self a new lap top. Its pretty exciting, but the thing I'm most excited about is that I got to make a new bag for it. I'm really proud of this bag I think Its the most well thought out thing I've ever made. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. The fabric is from IKEA, I've had it for a while now. I knew I had to use it for something special because I love it so much. I also lined it with denim and padded it with quilt batting. The only problem I had with it was that at some parts it got so chunky I had to hand sew on the handles.

Camberwell Market.

2009-04-09T20:19:00.002+10:00

On Sunday I will be at the market selling things, not McCranky things but other op-shop finds i have been holding on to for far too long, prices will be low and hopefully there will be a good range of things to see, come and visit, I will definitely say hello!

tunes

2009-04-09T10:04:00.001+10:00

I've had to do a lot of study of late, here is the msuic that has been helping me through.

early easter.

2009-04-08T16:47:00.003+10:00

the other day I got an early Easter gift, a nest of chocolate speckled eggs and a rose.

Genki Sale

2009-04-05T22:03:00.004+10:00

I finally made it to the Genki sale the other day and brought these two navy tops. One is cotton and lovely with frills and buttons the other is wool and warm and nice. I'm really going to miss little genki, and hope something just as nice takes its place.

Lee st Primary School Fete.

2009-04-02T14:15:00.004+11:00

This past weekend I visited a local primary school's fete, along with markets and garage sales fete's are one of my favourite places to visit. I like looking at all the stalls, browsing the trash and traesure and hunting through the books. I like buying things from the cake stand and seeing all the kids craft. I never expect to find much but was really happy with these two carved wooden boxes, I also got a couple of books and some cakes too.

McCranky Shop update!

2009-03-30T17:28:00.001+11:00

We have just added a few new things into our little shop, there are now four vintage tea towel bags ready to be sold and enter a new home. Along with everything else, all bags are made by us and are a mix of vintage and new materials. The bags are only $29 and postage is free within Australia!

Music.

2009-03-29T00:15:00.002+11:00

We don't talk about music a lot here, but I thought I would mention that one of my favourite Melbourne Labels Mistletone is having a sale at their online shop, all Cd's are only $15 and that includes postage, it seems really great to me, I'm going to place an order soon!

Savers.

2009-03-28T23:55:00.003+11:00

The other day I took my self off to Brunswick Savers, I hadn't been for the longest time before then, so was a little hesitant in heading down, soon after leaving though, I was really glad I had. I found some great jumpers which make me excited for winter, lots of good fabrics, some for clothes, some for quilts, some for McCranky things, a bag, purse and other little things. Savers is definitely not my favourite place for second hand shopping, but I think for that once a month hit of scavenging its quite good.

Sweet Potato.

2009-03-26T17:23:00.003+11:00

The other night some friends and I met up for dinner, when I was leaving one of them gave me this huge sweet potato, it is seriously the length of my forearm. Initially I thought i would make soup out of it, but then I stumbled across this recipe from Pip and thought great, I'll substitute the potato with sweet potato and have a really great curry. And Great it is. Took me no longer than 40 minutes from start to finish and cost $2 to create (for the peas, I had all other ingredients in the pantry). Nice one Pip!

Goodbye.

2009-03-26T11:13:00.004+11:00

I was so sad to hear that Genki is closing down. A trip into town never feels complete for me without a stop off at their lovely store. Even if I can't always afford to buy, just looking feels great. They sell the most wonderful things and have some really lovely ladies working, I'll be heading down to their garage sale to say farewell as soon as possible I think.

The sale starts tomorrow and ends when the shop closes, sometime in April I think.

Words and Pictures - Little Things.

2009-03-24T16:48:00.007+11:00

These are some of the littlest things I own, I'm sure they don't add up to much in wealth but they are all very dear to me, and kind of symbolise all the small little things in my life that mean so much. The vase reminds me of op-shopping, particularly op-shopping with friends and family, there is nothing quite like the feeling of hoping in the car and heading off to the country to see what you can find and then coming home and remembering not only that trip and the fun you had but also where the things you found came from before they were in the op-shop, I like that part the best.

The pig is old, not vintage old, but I've had it for a while. When I was in high school (I think it was about year 9) I had a very tough time when friends and such, As lots of people would probably know girls can be quite nasty, and for what seemed like ages I was the brunt of their hurtful games. It went on for such a long time, with me trying to hide my unhappiness from everyone, even my family, that one day it just became all to much that I couldn't return to that school again. I took a couple of weeks off school I think, spent a lot of my time on the couch crying and thinking what i was going to do next, I tried going back but it was very hard, so my family decided that I should learn somewhere else. it was probably one of the hardest things I have had to do, i remember thinking over and over how am I going to explain my mid year move, I mean I couldn't tell them I had been bullied, that would be a disaster, all the kids would think I was weird, I can't remember how I solved that problem, but I know I couldn't of done it without my family, which sounds very sappy but is very very true. The weekend before I was about to start at my new school my little brother brought me this pig as good luck, I remember being so happy that he was thinking about me, and so relieved that even if school went horribly bad at least i could come home to them.

The little charm bracelet is also especially dear, Claire and I both have one and have since we were born. Mum brought them empty and has since spent many years adding to them, there are little shoes brought after mum brought our first real ones, a rocking horse to represent our favourite toy, a thong brought after our first trip to the beach, and then there are other things mum purchased on her trip overseas, there is also a trike, a bear and a star, which are all great. I don't wear mine much but am sure I will one day, I do like looking at it though, and appreciating the thought and time that has gone into creating it, its really wonderful.

The other things in my picture are gifts from family or friends just little things you get that make you think "gee that person really knows me" and how great little things like that are. So I guess to me 'Little Things' aren't only things I own but the feelings they give me and the memories they hold, just little things like support and being nice and kind.

More 'words and pictures' here at this great place

Doilies.

2009-03-23T17:18:00.005+11:00

I really like doilies, I have many of them, I have more doilies than I do surfaces to put them on, but I just like them so much I can't stop buying them, especially embroidered ones like these. I found them at my local op-shop, which despite being so close, is rather expensive and not filled with the best of things. I would love to live closer to an op-shop which I loved so I could get to know the ladies who worked there and they could put away special things for me which they thought I would like, I would always buy the stuff they recommended, just in case they got upset if I didn't. But back to doilies I often wonder if there is a project out there that requires lots of doilies, so I could put them to good use, if anybody knows of one I would be very interested to hear about it.

.from meg.

Chocolate Slice.

2009-03-15T16:56:00.007+11:00

Mum told me about this recipe on the weekend, a teacher at her school had brought it in for everyone to share. When she started explaining it to me I thought that it seemed a little ridiculous, I mean how could all that chocolate go into a slice and not make you sick, but being the slice fan that I am I had to try it. Down to the supermarket we went, we got a little embarrassed when we reached the checkout and looked down at what was there, it does contain a lot of chocolate.

This recipe is definitely not for the the savoury lover, but it is delicious and worth every guilty feeling you may encounter. Its so simple and quick, all it requires is a bag of chocolate eclairs, one tablespoon of cream, one bag of marshmallows, one bag of maltesers and one cup of rice bubbles. All you need to do is melt the cream and the eclairs over a double boiler, add the marshmallows (its best to use the small ones from the baking section of the supermarket), and stir until melted, then add the maltesers and rice bubbles and mix to combine. Once all that is done, spread into a small tin, covered in baking paper and refrigerate. What is produced is some sort of chewy, crunchy, delicious, sweet slice which will satisfy any craving.

My brother said it resembled some sort of roasted meat, and refused to try it but please don't let that deter you, its really quite delicious!

Rainy Day

2009-03-14T11:19:00.002+11:00

Its so nice to wake up in the morning to the sound of heavy rain and thunder, knowing all you have to do is readings for school and plan tonights dinner. I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as me!

This is Me...

2009-03-11T09:00:00.000+11:00

...declaring to be totally addicted to magazines. I read them all the time, I'm obsessed. I'm never satisfied with just one, I'll want a few, I like to flip through them all and then read them cover to cover. When I'm done I put them on the self so I go back and read them again later, which sometimes I really do do, I can't even bring my self to tear things out or cut them up like some people, I like them all in one piece, allowing for easy flipping later. It's terribly wasteful I know, and I am really trying to cut back, but at the minute I just like them too much. Currently Lula is my favourite, its just so wonderfully presented, and isn't full of adds, frankie is good too, I always look forward to that coming out. Maybe that now I've owned up to it things will start to calm down.

New Top.

2009-03-10T17:19:00.003+11:00

Well an old top that is now new to me, I found it in the op-shop the other day and it is really delicate and beautiful. It's originally from Marcs & Spencer which is rather impressive and is a lovely silky fabric. It has a key hole back, near the collar and has a sheer layer over the top. One of my favourite finds for a while, thats for sure.

Meaghan.

Baked Today!

2009-03-06T18:50:00.002+11:00

Well last night really as I knew I wouldn't of had enough time to do it all today, but they were decorated today, and look rather good I think. They are for a friends birthday, I hope she enjoys them.

Origami.

2009-02-28T18:16:00.003+11:00

Claire and I both really like Origami, there are stages in our life when every occasion is honoured with a bunch of paper Lillie's, last weekend there was a Japanese festival in Melbourne, a lady taught me how to make the crab. I was a pit confused though, as I was always under the impression that for something to be origami it didn't involve cutting, but with the crab there was definitely some snipping involved, I'm not sure maybe I am wrong.

Recently Found.

2009-02-27T13:59:00.001+11:00

p.s. this is Us...

2009-02-26T19:15:00.003+11:00

In response to pip!
Nana - Knitter, sewer, crocheter, quilter
Mum - Knitter, sewer, quilter
Claire - sewer, quilter, knitter
Meg - Knitter, sewer, quilter, baker

Its nice to see skills passing down, keeping things alive. One day Claire and I do hope to learn to crochet, I blame Mum from not learning in the first place.

My Collection

2009-02-26T19:07:00.002+11:00

This is one of my newest collections, it is very fast growing. I know it won't be to everyone taste's, but their is something about these little praying children that just won't let me leave them behind. I also have a few mirrors with the children painted on, but they are a little tricky to photograph.

This is a good example of why I like to collect, these figurines don't cost more than a few dollars, and while not everywhere, if you look hard enough your sure to find a couple a month.

From Meg.

Dad's Collection

2009-02-25T21:34:00.002+11:00

This is Dad's collection of bird swap cards, he's been collecting them for a very long time, since we were very small. They come from the purple loose leaf tea boxes, but I don't think they put the cards in any more. I'm sure he has more of them not glued in to the books, I can't wait to find them again.

Today...

2009-02-25T00:40:00.007+11:00

...or yesterday really, as it is past 12 o'clock Claire and I did lots of ironing, lots of cutting and lots of folding, as we embarked on making as many fat quarters as we could before the very first Brown Owl's meet, where they soon would become craft kits as part of handmade helps, support for those effected by the fires. It was great to see so many supplies there and so many people too, we can't wait to attend our first meeting.

Folding Fat quarters is really fun, I've never done it before, as we have never really had a need to, but with a little help from Kotoyoo's video it became quite addictive!

p.s. with a little encouragement from Jess we have finally set up a flickr account. its not very full yet and probably only contains pictures you would have already seen here, but its fun, soon I will begin searching around and hope to find lots of friends!

From the op-shop!

2009-02-23T22:57:00.003+11:00

I found this jewellery box at the op-shop not to long ago. I remember when we were growing up, Claire and I had ones similar, but they were wooden and painted on the outside, this one feels like leather and has a lovely velvet interior. The ballerina still spins to the music, but has a slightly scary look to her, all the same its pretty special.

Quilts

2009-02-17T14:00:00.004+11:00

The other weekend, Claire so very kindly given all these wonderful old fabrics, still in their original packaging. We have decided along with our mum to try and make some quilts with them and donate them to those affected by the fires. We have always grown up with quilts hand made my our Mum or Nana, and would be devastated if we ever lost any, but unfortunately that is the case for so many people out there, so if we can replace a few that will be good for all.

Mr. Byrne!

2009-02-09T22:53:00.004+11:00

I just came home from seeing David Byrne play at Hamer Hall, the mood in the room was good, Byrne's lyrics were really fitting with our current situation. He only played songs that involved Brian Eno, especially songs from their new album, which is quite amazing. The whole band was wearing white, there were back up dancers and back up singers and one of the dancers jumped over David's head, and he danced too or grooved really, definitely some feet action. At the end of the show the Arts centre staff were collecting money for the red cross, some really full buckets was very nice to see!

Meaghan

P.s He looked exactly like the picture, except his hair was whiter, I swear!

Thanks Pip!

2009-02-09T11:17:00.010+11:00

Pip is doing great things over at the Mikes Blog keeping everyone informed on what they can do to help out with the current bush fire situation in Victoria, if you were wondering what you can do, you should go over and have a look.

Things on the Go!

2009-02-08T13:16:00.006+11:00

Currently I have two things I'm currently working on one quite small and the other a little larger. The bag is made from an old tea towel I found in an op-shop and really liked, all that is left to do of it is the handles, which is always my least favourite part, whenever I seem to get around doing them I always end up making some sort of silly mistake and then get a little disappointed with the end result, hopefully a quick solution will arise and the bag will be finished.

The other thing I'm making is a quilt for a friend of mine, I have just finished sewing all the patches together and and ready to choose some trim.

Both these projects are currently made of entirely recycled products, which I think is really important, sometimes I get a little down when I think about how much spending and throwing away goes on in this world.

Meaghan.

Mr Cohen!

2009-02-07T21:10:00.003+11:00

The other night I saw Leonard Cohen play, and it was amazing, I mean really really special. Seeing Leonard Cohen play has always been a dream of mine, and I was quite excited to actually see it happen, he played all his amazing songs for a set that seemed like it would never end. I'm still happy just thinking about it, that's the best part really. He look exactly like the above photo, and jumped on and off stage with such enthusiasm, he's great I wish I could see it all again.

Meaghan.

Moving Home!

2009-02-01T14:55:00.004+11:00

Not me but a very good friend of mine is moving back home, to complete her study. We meet on our very first day of classes at university, three years ago and have been friends ever since. While she had finished her degree and is moving onto more study (she is going to be a teacher) I'll still be here in Melbourne trying to complete mine, which is okay, I'm just going to miss her. Her family live on a really lovely block of land outside of Wangaratta, they have a pool, some lovely puppies and some of the best op-shops I have ever explored. I just know she is going to have the best time.

I really like like living in the city, but I must admit there is a huge part of me that sometimes feels like packing up and moving on to a place where I can live in a small town, go on lovely walks, and have lots of room to move.

One day but not today.

Meaghan.

Bendigo - Couture and op-shops!

2009-01-26T13:45:00.012+11:00

Last Friday Josie and I travelled to Bendigo, mainly to see their Golden Age of Couture show, but also to visit some op shops. The exhibit is really wonderful, so many really really beautiful amazing dresses, they are so detailed and made of the most wonderful fabrics, its hard to believe they were actually worn. Op-shopping was good too, I visit Bendigo so often, one of the lady's in the op-shops recognised me and praised me for my persistence! Here's a little of what I found.

I also just found these maps and op-shopping guides on the Bendigo Tourism website, for anyone interested in making a day out of it. All the op-shops located in central Bendigo are in easy walking distance from the train station. All you need to do is click on the shopping and map links and all is there for you.

Meaghan...

Things Aprons are Good For!

2009-01-22T10:09:00.003+11:00

The other week our Auntie sent me an e-mail containing a brief History of Aprons together with some practical uses for them, seeing as though aprons are our speciality I thought i would share some.

Aprons are good for:

protecting ones dress while cooking, cleaning, playing
drying tears and collecting eggs
carrying vegetables in from the garden
wiping your hands on
taking things from the oven
looking smart!

Lastest from the op-shop!

2009-01-20T10:30:00.003+11:00

I've been on a op-shopping, market spree lately and found many lovely things. Here are just a few of my favourites, I especially like the tapestry clutch and the ghost salt and pepper shakers. I found a heap of fabric too, which is already over at Claire's, it appears that our fabric drought is well and truly over, now we just need the weather to cool down a bit before we can seriously start sewing again!

From Meg.

Dads Kids.

2009-01-13T19:12:00.008+11:00

Our Dad isn't one to throw things away or replace things ahead of their time, which is really great I think, it means we were always taught to value things and allowed to get really attached to things too. But just recently dad finally decided it was time to replace his very old wallet, and in it we found these very old family photos. First it was just Claire then I was added then finally our brother Shaun. They must have been in there for over 18 years, but never thought to be thrown out, on the back of the one of the three of use is what seems to be our birth dates. Hopefully he finds something just as nice to keep in his new one!

Measuring Ducks!

2009-01-13T09:15:00.000+11:00

I found these ducks a while ago in a Salvos in Ringwood, initialy I just thought they were a stack ducks but then I discovered they are actually measuring cups, which is really amazing, they were only $2.75, I'm missing the 1 cup one, but thats okay.

A summer rundown.

2009-01-12T17:22:00.004+11:00

I've really been enjoying summer this year I'm not really a summer person but I'm really trying this year. So far I've been to the beach (I really got burnt, but I'm not going to dwell on that), had a go at some gardening, reading some really great books and sewing lots of nice things. I hope everyone is enjoying the summer.

Claire...

Value City!

2009-01-12T17:09:00.006+11:00

I have never heard or ever visited Value City until a friend took me last week. It's really amazing, its a lot like savers but smaller, quieter and i think alot better stock, they had heaps of good vintage linen and some really amazing dresses and knit wear, I'm going to go back soon, it looked like they received truck loads of stock daily!

Ps. the address is corner of Newman st and Oakover rd Preston, at the end of the 112 tram line!

A Parliament of Owls

2009-01-05T11:43:00.001+11:00

Things I Have Been Enjoying Lately,,,

2008-12-29T00:01:00.005+11:00

Christmas Pudding on Christmas Day which tasted very good thanks Frankie!
The Christmas sun, which will hopefully last a while.
My new Picnic accessories, which are just amazing

As is my new Picnic set, which i have been coveting for ages, and was so happy to receive it from Claire and Shaun on Christmas morning!

I Hope everyone else has been enjoying lovely things lately too xo

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-24T20:00:00.000+11:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! We hope that everyones day is extremely lovely and pleasant and full of good things too!!!

New Things!

2008-12-22T09:20:00.000+11:00

The other day one of my loveliest friends came and visited me and brought me this amazing Scarf, I can' quite decide what to do with it though, its good enough to wear, but perhaps too goo. She suggested that I use it as some sort of table cloth which I think would also look quite good, I'm also tempted to try and hang it on my wall so no part of it is covered up!

From Meaghan.

Christmas cooking!

2008-12-21T18:18:00.003+11:00

Here are some of the results of yesterday's Christmas cooking afternoon, Mum and I made some peppermint truffles, marshmallow chocolate cups, which are the simplest, tastiest treats ever and some little shortbread christmas cakes!

A Christmas Dinner!

2008-12-20T12:54:00.004+11:00

Last night some friends and I had a small Christmas dinner. We went to the market, got lots and lots of ingredients and dreamed about eating even more, we went home put the roast in the oven and started making a trifle, we didn't put it in the traditional round glass bowl because we didn't have one, but instead improvised with the shallow lasagne dish, it didn't impact on the taste at all.

Right now though I'm about to begin the annual christmas bake with mum, its always lots of fun!

Meaghan.

Finished!

2008-12-20T10:05:00.000+11:00

Just the other day I finally finished watching the entire series of 'six feet under' I never watched the show when it was on television but started watching it from the beginning in winter. It really is one of the moat amazing programs, i cried alot when it ended.

Meg.

Yesterday I...

2008-12-19T09:37:00.003+11:00

...did so much travelling, so much walking, so much shopping and so much wrapping. For a while I thought Christamas was going to be to much for me to handle this year, i've been so busy working and trying to catch up with poeple that present buying has halted, but yesterday I got on top of it all and am feeling much better, I can't wait for the actual day now. Oh and I caught sight of a huge flashing star hung on the side of a house! but now i'm off to the market!!

From Meg.

Grand Opening!

2008-12-17T18:53:00.005+11:00

I just finished uploading lots of pictures and our on line store is now open! We have lots of lovely things over there for you all to have a look at, just press the button on the left and take a look. Every thing is handmade by us.

Claire...

New Look McCranky!

2008-12-16T19:47:00.003+11:00

Claire and I aren't every good with computers and internet stuff, but realy wanted to change our blog around, so we inlisted the help of our friend Josie's sister Kate to help us out. We are so happy we did, we think the new page looks extra good, with all the stripes and the little touches like ric rac and the new button for the online store we are hoping to open up tomorrow afternoon, so if you visit and sometimes wonder what we make, be sure to visit late tomorrow or even the next day as the shop will be ready and hopefully full of some very lovely things!

Finished at Last!

2008-12-14T17:00:00.005+11:00

Yesterday I finished my first ever cross stitch. I think it looks really good. The book that the pattern came from said that real cross stitch never show any canvas in the background but I don't think its necessary to cover the whole thing in stitches (it would really lower my motivation if I had to fill in all the blank areas). I've hung it above the computer so that I can look at it when I need to rest my eyes.

Claire...

Last Night

2008-12-12T12:02:00.001+11:00

I don't know if anyone else caught the sun set last night but i thought it was pretty amazing, I wais I had remembered to take a photo earlier as the sky was amazingly red, this photo was taken a few minutes before it was dark, from my balcony!

Yesterday...

2008-12-12T11:50:00.004+11:00

...I had such a good day, on all fronts really. I dropped Mum off at work so I could use her car to run a few errnads I had been putting off and then headed to the op-shops, lately we haven't had much luck with op-shops and finding fabric in them (which is our favourite and most useful thing to find) but yeasterday in only two stops I found all of the above it was amazing, and made me feel really really lucky. All of the linen was in perfect condition and felt like it had never been use, which is rare these days I think. After the op-shops I met up with some lovely frineds and we sat in the park for a while, which was nice as I haven't had much time to do things like that really.

From Meaghan.

We Love Christmas!

2008-12-08T11:39:00.004+11:00

Yesterday I visited Mum and Dads and decided put up the christams tree, it a little early for us this year but we did it anyway. Pullling out the Christmas decorations box is like going back in time for me, we still have haeps of the decorations we made as kids like the peg reindeer and the knitted stockings mum made us all. Every Christmas moring we would wake up really early and run into Mum and Dads and go through our Christmas Stockings Together, then at about lunch time we would remember the little stocking hanging on the tree, Santa always put a packet of life savers in them for us. This Year Mum even quilted a little mat for the Christmas tree to sit on, which i think is really lovely.

From Meaghan.

Thanks Nana!

2008-12-06T16:48:00.000+11:00

I spent today with my Nana. We spent a little time at the op shops and then had lunch at a cafe to celebrate her Birthday. We have a lovely day and just before I left Nana gave me this little guy. Its a really typical Nana gift and I love it!

Owls for inspiration.

2008-12-05T19:14:00.004+11:00

I brought this little Owls during our weekend away (not in Darwin). I really love it. It inspired me to day to make this T-shirt. I'm not completely happy with how its turned out. I'm going to work on it and hopefully I can make some as christmas presents.

Claire...

Favourite Dress!

2008-12-05T12:00:00.002+11:00

I also brought this dress whilst in Daylesford, it is the lovliest 1950s day dress and feels like it has never been worn, it fits perfectly and only has the belt missing, which is easy to fix i think. It's from one of the most amazing vintage shops upstairs along the main street.

ps. our blog is undergoing a few changes at the moment, so if things don't look as they should, that is probably why!

A few things from Daylesford!

2008-12-05T11:53:00.003+11:00

These are just a few of my favourite purchases from our weekend away, some are from op-shops some are from antique warehouses. My favouite are the old christmas post cards I think they are from France and Holland.

From Meaghan.

Christmas Pud!

2008-12-04T12:58:00.000+11:00

This is the Christmas pudding I made the other week, it took quite a long time with all the soaking, miking and baking that is required, but it was lots of fun, i can;t wait for christmas day to see exactly how it turns out, here's hoping its delicious!

Our Weekend

2008-12-03T12:44:00.006+11:00

We arrived home from our lovely weekend away in Daylesford on Monday but have been to busy to post about it since then. These are just a few photos of the different things we got up to, we visited may op-shops, stayed in the lovliest little cottage, browed old things for hours, drank some wine, enjoyed some cheese, visited markets and ate delicious local chocolate. We even visited Hepburn Springs and had a relaxing time sitting in the spa. We also brought a lot of things to which we will share a little later.

From Meaghan

Ps. Thanks so much to Pip & Cam for hosting such a lovely christmas party last night, it was such a fun night filled with amazing old time favourite sandwiches and some of the lovliest cupcakes i have ever seen.

Leaving Today!

2008-11-29T08:38:00.002+11:00

In just a minute Claire Josie and I are about to leave for a weekend away in Daylesford, while there we plan on doing as much op-shopping as possible,visit all the markets and definitely the vintage warehouse too. We are probably most excited about visiting the makers market for the first time though, where we are hoping to view lots of lovely local crafty things!

New Coat

2008-11-26T10:00:00.001+11:00

I found this coat today in a op-shop in colligwood today, it fits perfectly and is a really lovely colour. Now I just have to wait until winter to wear it.

From Meaghan.

Bendigo...Again!

2008-11-25T20:18:00.004+11:00

The other day some friends and I visited Bendigo again. We stopped at Woodend along the way and had some morning tea in their great bakery. We visited as many op-shops as we could, but one lady told us there were a total of 17 in the area, one day i hope to get to them all.

From Meaghan.

Sneak Peak...

2008-11-21T15:27:00.005+11:00

This is what I'm working on at the moment. This is my first time cross stitching and I'm finding it really addictive. I found the pattern in an old Woman's Weekly Handcraft book. I think some people may recognize it. There are some great tips over here that I found very helpful. I hope to show of the finished product very soon.

Claire...

The Winner!

2008-11-17T15:24:00.004+11:00

Today Claire and I placed all the names of the bloggers who entered our giveaway into a hat and pulled out a winner, and that name was Nomes! Congratulations, Nomes!! If You could e-mail us your address we will be sure to send off your prize as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone who entered, we really enjoyed reading all of your answers. And thanks to the Brown Owls, who very nicely allowed us to attend the picnic yesterday, it was really lovely, if a little windy. It was so great to see so much lovely picnic gear too. We can't wait for next year when we will both be eager members, and able to get to know everyone a little more!

From Meaghan.

Nice!

2008-11-15T17:40:00.002+11:00

Pretty new print!

2008-11-14T10:59:00.003+11:00

Meg and I went op-shopping on Wednesday and we found this pretty fabric. We where so happy to find it because we haven't had much luck finding fabric at op-shops lately. We have quite a lot of it, so we will include a piece in our give away along with some other McCranky gifts. Check the post below for more details.

From Claire...