At the moment I'm encouraging myself to learn to sew by surrounding myself with sewing supplies and gorgeous fabrics. Think that might work? I've been a huge fan of Anna Maria Horner fabric for quite some time and finally got my hands on my own little pile of fat quarters (love that sewing term) in some very gay hues. Also added some assorted buttons from Etsy seller Kellwood though I think my primary motivation in this case might have been to introduce my boy to the joy of buttons. Like everyone, I loved playing with my mum's button collection!

The fantastic quilted blanket is from Etsian RaggedyOwl, very good for picnics in the garden and hiding under in the living room.





These pennants from Adorablefiend are awesome and are the inspiration for my first ever sewing project! I wonder what mine will turn out like?? Yikes!

Does anyone sew out there? Any tips for someone embarking on finding the bestest, most inexpensive sewing machine suitable for a person who hasn't sewn since high school?

June G I V E A W A Y still on. Scroll to post below.

I'm starting to get the impression that warm weather and spending time near water are my least favourable conditions for keeping up with blog entries.. June has been very blad indeed. But the month is not quite over - we can still fit in the June GIVEAWAY! It's a print I'm particularly fond of and I think it sums up where my head is at the moment. Ahhhh summer....

Leave a comment to be entered in the draw for "Best Time of the Day." Draw date: in about a week. Cheers!


June GIVEAWAY Best Time of the Day - limited edition print

Ready. Set. Craft!







Red Bird limited edition print below.
Happy orangey-red weekend everyone!

Hooray for dancing around the maypole! Can't get enough of that dancing round the maypole thing. Excellent. Holding brightly coloured ribbons and dancing with little fairies and elves to the sound of wandering musicians was a good start to the weekend. We're kinda wishing maypole dancing could come our way a little more frequently.



It was an intimate little gathering for our May GIVEAWAY, our "winner" is... NUALA! Thanks for your comments, thanks for playing the giveaway game. Thank you to itsalljustmenagerie for adding Neptune's Partay to this sparkling little gem of an Etsy treasury yesterday.

"Mama, I want a knitting thing."
"I can see you really like the look of that knitting thing but I think you might find it a little difficult to use. Maybe when you get a little bigger" (fatal error in argument)
"I am already big! I'm a big boy."
"Yes, umm..."
"Mama, I want a knitting thing!"
And so forth...

When I was little we were given a wooden spool with 4 small nails in the top, some wool and another nail to pull the wool over. Charming and simple, also effective. Due to an inability to think well on my feet in the yarn store we now have this.



To make matters worse, instead of my knitting project of the moment, I am the one left sitting on the couch using the knitting thing while he is off doing something else! Ridiculous. I dislike this knitting thing-a-ding.

Jumping on the blossom picture bandwagon. They just beg to be photographed and they're so forgiving, they even look good on my camera! The garden is becoming overwhelmed by violets but I like them so I am being a total pushover (which is probably just as well - they're pretty hard to get rid of!) We're making use of this bounty as dear table companions at mealtimes and, teamed with forget-me-nots (which I love so much) they're just perfect as a wee person-sized posy for a neighbourhood friend, don't you think?







I had to start a spring cotton hat for my little one and I had to sit under the tree to do it this morning. The sky was blue (yes!) as was the yarn and there were little blue flowers that weren't forget-me-nots but that looked like forget-me-nots. Happily we also have flowers that look like forget-me-nots which are forget-me-nots. I never get tired of these. I am also loving very much the huge swath of Lily of the Valley along the path to our house - yes, spring is most assuredly with us.

Neptune's Partay

Your comments were excellent last month - a lot of fun to read. I like the idea of an interactive giveaway - you pick the theme, I make the picture. Might be I'd land myself in a whole world of troublesville as far as deadlines go but we'll see. I'll have to get my thinking cap on and work out how that idea might go. In the meantime here is the GIVEAWAY print for the fair month of May.

Leave me a comment, say howdy! Draw date: 25 May

Poooot! It's the Love Train...

G i v e a w a y still on. Scroll to post below!

A bit late on the old G I V E A W A Y this month but here it is. Sleeping Tree is a new piece printed on gorgeous museum quality Hahnemule German etching paper.

Each month (usually around the beginning of the month, ahem) we play the giveaway game and all you need to do is leave me a comment - this month I'd love to know what you think the subject matter of one of my new prints should be - and you might be the one to get yourself a snazzy print in the mail!

Now that I'm back in good old Canada I get the chance to enjoy a delightful, chilly spring followed by another summer (I've been in the southern hemisphere for the last 4 months) which means 2 summers practically back to back! Sweet.

It's good to be reunited with the old computer and art supplies again, I'm gonna be whipping up a bit of a storm so watch out!

G I V E A W A Y draw date? Oh, let's say a couple of weeks from today shall we.




And I know what you're thinking about this one. You're thinking this should be called Jelly Bean Birds Gone Bonkers or something. Right? It's good and juicy loud. I like me the Jelly Bean Birds. I Like it so much I decided to rework it with an even feistier colourway. Roawrrrr!

Happy Spring/Autumn!

Stay tuned, G I V E A W A Y coming soon...

Victoria Bennett Beyer
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!
Some Jellybean Birds will be on their way to you shortly...

As always, thank you to everyone for participating in the giveaway game, all your comments were gems to read.

Have a great week...

Late for the G I V E A W A Y but it is still on! I'm running low on things to offer but I do have a lovely "Jellybean Birds" print which needs a good home. It happens to be a big one (13" x 19") so if you have a big bit of boring wall which needs some colour, play the giveaway game!
Just leave me a quick comment and be in to win!