Juju hats...they are fabulous, are they not?

Unfortunately they are not in my budget. So I thought to myself...Self? How difficult would it be to make one? Oh I make myself laugh sometimes with these ridiculous notions.

The answer of course is: bloody difficult! Which is no doubt why they cost a bazillion dollars. Anyway, surprise, surprise, a degree of difficulty that would daunt even a Chinese high tower diver did not deter me dear bloggy peeps...so I had a go!  And here's the result....looking less juju, more frou-frou (as the 22 year old was very quick to point out...everyone's a critic around here!) 

I do however quite like the bold splash of hot pink on my black wall. At least for a while...until it falls apart or on my head, whichever comes first...not that it would hurt if it fell on me as it's...well...light as a feather!! It looks a bit like a rose don't you think? Or perhaps a peony if you're being really generous.

Want to know how I made it? Read and weep (as I felt like doing at various stages!)

Step 1: assemble the makings...clearly it's all in the type of feathers you use...and clearly these are not juju making feathers; but they were all I could find (from Spotlight and Lincraft, because of course one place didn't have enough...). I knew I should have stopped there and then. Next time, less fluffy and straighter feathers. Because speaking of straight, these would look right at home in the gay Mardi Gras. (And absolutely NO offence intended)

Perhaps I'll start chasing cockatoos and collecting their feathers to have another go one day....in the very distant future!

Step 2: make a cuppa...this looks like it could take a while (that may also apply to those who are reading this I might add)

Step 3: glue the rubber mat stuff that you put in the bottom of drawers to stop things rolling around to the top of a bamboo paper plate holder. This, in my humble opinion, was a stroke of genius on my part! Flexible, easy to glue and holes that would hold the feathers in without the need for stitching. The pegs were obviously just there while the glue dried.

Step 4: While the glue is drying sort the feathers into like size piles...

Step 5: start poking feathers through the holes in the non-stick mat...

First and second rounds done...

Continue with the feathers in a circle...at one stage I used a small plate to make sure I wasn't getting too wonky a circle...

...and just keep going, using smaller feathers as you get closer to the centre

So...I certainly can't claim this to be a raging success because it doesn't look exactly the way I wanted it to 

...but you know what...it doesn't much matter...because when I look at it, it makes me smile. 

Mostly at myself for thinking I could match the talent of the ceremonial juju hat makers from Cameroon...ha! Not likely :)

I'll be sharing this throughout the week at The Girl Creative for Just Something I Whipped up Monday and BNOTP Metamorphosis Monday and Someday Crafts on Wednesday. And goodness knows what I'll try this weekend!

image 1 elements of style

I really liked this quote...so much nicer than living to fight another day don't you think?  

It got me thinking about conflict and contest and how much of it there is in our language (if not our lives). We battle the traffic, we hope the best man wins, we'll 'die in a ditch' over something, or we won't, we fight an uphill battle, we run into barriers, we surrender to the inevitable, we revel in a contest of wits, we can have a clash of cultures (or colours!). We lose control, or joust for it. We use our arsenal of skills. We struggle with the housework...

It's exhausting...let's just smile today instead :)

I'm smiling, because I now have my 200th follower, thanks to Michelle at Paper Tree Design. Go and check out the beautiful things she creates if you haven't already. Thank you Michelle. I'm gobsmacked. Is it crazy to get ridiculously excited by that? Awesome you lot are, absolutely awesome!

Plus!!  Get this! My friend Mary in Canada sent me a real, live letter...mail that isn't a bill! With fridge magnets...I loooooove fridge magnets. Double awesome...thank you Mary!

Well, you've put up with two days of my craft so I will reward you dear bloggy peeps with the visual feast that is the weekly top ten. I am getting to love Thursdays! So, so pretty...

via lou boos and shoes

clever use of a very small space...

via table tonic

perfect, casual flowers...

by chania at razmataz

rich, wonderful colours...

via brown button

simple, subtle...(a bit like me really...ha, not!)

via burlap luxe

subdued and elegant...

via greige

pretty, but not too pretty...

via house of turquoise

modern boho...I think!

via belle maison

dark and seductive...and those lights!

via la maison boheme

because she'd kill me if I didn't put one of hers in (joking Jackie!!) 

curves, booze, fur...

via home

And while many of you may not agree with me about this...I would have to say that I was totally underwhelmed by the current issue of Lonny magazine. No images that made MY jaw drop I'm afraid. Not this time :(
So because of that disappointment, a bonus 11th in the top ten! Can't help myself...

by nanette at rummage

And just one more...I knew I should have stopped blog stalking earlier!

via desire to inspire

I do hope there was a little something here for everyone...

Do you have a favourite?

It has been a very long time since I've had anything remotely resembling a crochet hook in my hot little hand...but it's winter and since this time last year I've started to read blogs...and they get you thinking that you can tackle anything....hmmm, right! So here's a granny square I did just to see if I actually could...yep, I can!

It's quite possible that little basket of wool will stay there for a while, work being as busy as it is and me not being capable of crafting and watching MasterChef simultaneously...

And please don't hold your breath for a finished product either. See that otto-person there (we don't call them ottomans here!)...my friend Chris and I built it from scratch oh...several years ago now and it's still waiting for it's rope trim!  Do you like the painting? The 22 year old did it for his final exam at the end of school. I'm rather fond of it and he keeps asking for it back...aah, nope! [sorry about the photos...night time, crappy lighting...it's on the list]. And as for that wall colour...the painter will be here soon I hope!

Anyway, in the meantime you might want to see the work of some clever crafty people who do finish things...this vest is by the very smart and funny Leonie (and I think her mother-in-law?) at Raglan Guld...go and say hi and get the instructions while you're there!

And yes I know that's knitting, not crocheting...I can do both...well at least I think I still can!

And this next one...I know for sure that's crocheted...

This is by Kirsty at kootoyoo...also an amazing source of inspiration for the wannabe crafter. There's a pattern for that here as well...

And as for that amazing woman Tina from Rubies Place...who is sitting a big exam today (I'm sure you'll blitz it Tina...lots of good vibes coming from here, there and everywhere I'm sure)...but in her spare time (and how she gets any amazes me)...she does stuff like these really cute nesting bowls...

You can find her post on that here...

I must confess to a small liking for a granny square or three...I think the last time I made one of those (apart from the one in the top picture) was to crochet a blanket for my doll's cot...ooooh now we're going back!!

last two images via table tonic
These sit-upons are nice...and might not take too long to make...you'd probably need knitting needles as big as baseball bats though...

I love this granny square sampler...very boho

via google images

This may be a little ambitious though...what do you think?

via design*byproxy (and the knitted sit-upon thingies as well)

I attempted a few projects over the weekend. This was the only one that made it to completion. 

With a few hiccups along the way...no surprises there! So here's how it went...
I bought this very cheap mirror at the framers a while back...don't get too excited at the cost...it's not a big mirror (about 10 x 10 inches) and you can see why it was going cheap...eww before photos are ugly aren't they, which is no doubt why they are just that...

I assembled the weapons of construction...flat fats...you quilters are so cute!

Cut out the fabric to the right size...more or less...sprayed the mirror with spray adhesive...there was my first mistake...stuck on the fabric and cut out the centre piece with a good old Stanley knife. Then I got together the bits I thought I'd need for glueing the ribbon edging on with...

Wrong. A glue gun is not the best choice for this...but gee it makes an interesting pattern when you leave it unattended while you spray the ribbon...not the mirror this time. I am nothing if not a quick learner!

And can you see...what a mess when you spray the mirror and not the fabric. I used a variety of methods to clean the mirror up...not yet entirely successfully but let's just say silver cleaner, eucalyptus oil and 'spray and wipe' all got a workout! Lucky I know how to laugh is all I can say. 

But enough with the ugly photos...it doesn't look too bad if you stand back a bit...in the dark...with one eye closed...

And as for those other projects? You'll have to wait for the mini-me fake juju hat but it's coming, I promise you that! Once I get more hot pink turkey feathers...

You think I'm joking don't you!!

I'm going to share this little gem at BNOTP Metamorphosis Monday today and maybe a few other places too including here...

hoping that serious DIYers might get a little amusement from my feeble efforts! It always seems easy in my imagination!