This is my To Sell- pile. About half is already photographed but I still need to take measurements and come up with snazzy sales pitches. Today I sent two more items I managed to sell. A yellow lampshade which is now on its way to central Finland and a collectable tea towel by Tampella. Oh and the hot pink corduroy you can see in the pile was bought too! I’m the master of online sales, the ultimate purveyor of fabric-y goods!

Over and out.

P.S. The first ever Finnish Survivor is casting right now. Too bad I’m so terrified of bugs that I would never make it through even one day on that show. But I’m totally looking forward to when the show airs. I’m hoping there will be at least one man as hot as Ozzy to provide some eye candy and at least one I’ll love to hate as much as I hated Boston Rob. But no, I’m no way a TV-junkie.

After the less enjoyable herringbone stitch, I tackled chevron stitch which proved to be more interesting. Where as doing herringbone, I felt like I was just basting things together where as chevron with its multiple steps feels more like real embroidering. Just a thought.

The back looks interesting. Possibly even more so than the actual stitch. I would describe this as a visual morse code.

 Naturally I made another stencil for the label…

 The finished hoop. I see potential with this stitch and I’m sure it’s going to present itself in my work in the future.

Have you ever thought about the backstage of Thrifty Finn? Here it is:

With some evidence of less than stellar ironing job! Thanks to TAST, my various vintage fabrics, which I can’t bear to cut, have now use as backdrops. This particular one I also have as yellow and I’m hoping to find more of. I feel that I’m developing as a photography hobbyist too. Or maybe that’s just me but since the thought makes me happy, please, don’t burst the bubble! Anyhoo, here are links to the previous samplers and I hope you keep coming back to see the future one’s too!

• Week 1: Fly Stitch
• Week 2: Buttonhole Stitch
• Week 3: Feather Stitch
• Week 4: Cretan Stitch
• Week 5: Herringbone Stitch

Don’t forget to check out Pin Tangle, the blog where TAST originates. Here’s the link to the stitch number 7: Detached Chain Stitch aka Lazy Daisy.

After neglecting my stitching for over a week, last night I managed to make two samplers. Yes, two! Herringbone stitch was the first one of two I finished and I must say I found stitching this boring. Yes, it comes together quickly but it doesn’t inspire my design brain at all. In the end I just did few basic rows and that’s it.

As a new thing I tried stamping the stitch name. I used black ink by Versafine.

Next: Chevron Stitch!

Speaking of sauna memories…I was about 11/12 when I finally could get the sauna to heat up. I had some trouble with lighting fire and many summer swimming sessions were completed shivering/trying to warm up in a lukewarm sauna.

Back to present day. Four packages came in and five left which gives me a positive in a purging scale. Aaannd, the items leaving are larger than the ones received, which means I’m winning space too!

So far I’ve found packing materials from my stash but soon I’m going to have to get some more boxes and bubble wrap. Luckily envelopes are something I can make myself. Penny saved is penny earned unless you use that penny to buy more stuff. That’s a famous Thrifty Finnian proverb.

Till next time.

Straight up from my friend’s Facebook…

“If you open your eyes and it’s all black, you’re unconscious.” Hilda, aged 7.

“Blueberries are good because there’s jam inside.” Pertti, 5.

“If there’s four legs, it’s usually not a human.” Tone, 5.

“Underneath clothes, most peope have a body. You just don’t think about it that often.” Tone, still aged 5.

“It’s love, when you see someone but it feels in your belly.” Sofia, 5.

“People in love hold their hands, so that rings wouldn’t fall of because they are expensive.” Tiina, 7.

“Arsenic is a strong flavor that can easily ruin the entire dinner.” Jenna, 10.

“Old aunties don’t like men that very much, at least not old men.” Kaisa, 8.

“The thing I like about grandpa the best is that he is himself and doesn’t try to be like a normal person.” Per-Ola, 6.

“Grandpa likes doing what everyone else tells him not to.” Henrik, 7.

“I have five grannies…grandpa has been telling.” Pia, 4.

“My grandma got strange during the menopause. But she got better the week before she died.” Siri, 9

“Some cows are black. They are immigrants.” Karin, 5.

“It’s important for the bones to get enough chalk and valium so that the teeth grow big and sharp.” Marius, 6.

“Appearance is an important body part.” Elisaweta, 6.

“Jesus lived in a land far away. My granny went there to complain about a wall. It was terribly old and about to fall down.” Jon, 6.

“The bible says you have to love most people like you love yourself.” Ingrid, 8.

“Easter eggs are eaten because Jesus really liked chickens.” Frida, 7.

“You can get a sandwich stick to wall if you throw hard enough.” Patrick, 10.

“If you’re on a walk and your brains fall out, you can’t find home anymore because you can’t think properly.” Karoliina, 6.

“A body ends in shoes.” Anders, 5.

“You can’t blow into cat’s ear. If you blow four or five times, it bites your lip and won’t let go for at least a minute.” Lisa, 9.

“Water whistles in hundred degrees.” Matti 9.

“People have many kinds of skin. Foreskin is at the front and back skin is on the back.” Therese, 6.

“It’s sad when someone dies. Especially if it’s someone that gives you money.” Björn, 6.

“It’s not good if pregnant women have egg liquor in their urine.” Tove, 9.

What I’m wondering is that what the hell does Tove mean by that? Egg liquor? Where did she get the egg liquor- idea?

Few weeks back I showed you a sneak peek of an altered book I was making. It was meant to be a Valentine’s Day gift for my old friend but amidst this purging chaos I totally forgot about it. No worries, I’ll send it to her next week and call it No Reason- gift. There, I fixed it.

I’m not exactly a master scrapbooker. I’m not big on embellishing (maybe because I have only few) and layering but I like to think that it’s thought that counts and I’m sure the recipient will focus more on the subject of the photos than my craftmanship

“To Enni and Enni’s family, pictures from summer 2011. Regards, Piipero 2012″

Last summer I had to wait outside before my friend got home and in the mean time I took some pictures of her flower beds. I would have left this picture out if I hadn’t had this paper in my stash.

I tried to get a picture of Enni and her mama but my friend managed to lift Enni to cover her face. I succeeded on another visit. Well, succeeded if you don’t count the backlight issue.

 My second favourite spread. The orange colour, patterns and photo subjects work well together.

At first she was all shy about my camera but somehow (?) got into the whole posing and showing off thing. I added a little journaling space for Piia to write her own comments.

There weren’t many minutes between the first picture and the second. When she fell asleep on the rug, I tried to take a picture of her from above to get the rug as a background but none of them turned out ok.

Enni and Enni’s dad. You can see from her shirt that these pictures were taken on two separate visits but I think they work as a pair.

I stamped the hearts using Dovecrafts’ pigment ink.

This is my favourite spread. Whilst I and Piia were talking about grown-up stuff, drinking tea and having biscuits Enni sat in her high chair going on like a parrot “Enni wants a chocolate biscuit”. For half an hour or so, that’s all she said and shamefully, we complied and gave her a biscuit. EVERY SINGLE TIME! Terrible childminding. In the end, she was covered in chocolate but oh, so happy.

Some random pictures. Her face and a tiny foot. The end.

So far I’ve sold fabrics, some decorative pieces and given my sofa away and it has done wonders to my energy levels. I have more space! This selling is good financially too. I’ve freed up funds previously tied into materials I wasn’t using to make anything. For example the velour in the picture above was bought by a woman who is planning  make two pairs of pants for her daughter out of it. My Laura Ashley- curtains were snatched up after I posted them on couple of forums.

Instead of going through the trouble of reserving a booth at the flea market, packing everything, carrying them in the public transport with no guarantee of even making the table money back, thanks to interwebs, I can post and sell, whenever it’s convenient for me! Not to mention convenient for buyers too. Finland is a country of long distances and sometimes it just pays off to pay for the postage and order/buy online.

It’s not that easy though as any Etsy-seller can tell you. Photographing, writing descriptions, pricing, packing and then going to the post office…Hard work, my friends, hard work but totally worth it!  I haven’t had much time to craft since I began my purge but I’m doing this now so when the summer comes, I can focus on being creative.

What are the things still needing to go out? My current desk and work surfaces are not working for me, so they need to be replaced. The bookcase I bought a couple of years back is nice but just doesn’t cut it anymore. I’ve already gotten couple of new ones but need some more but can’t until the old one is gone. Then there’s a small shelving unit by Habitat that is nice but the scale is all wrong and the storage it offers is not enough.

I know what you’re thinking. “Stop the thrifting, woman!”

It’s just not possible. You wouldn’t go to a bodybuilder and tell them to stop training would you? A creative person needs visual inspiration around plus thrifting is always a good excuse to get out of the house. To see people and all that socializing crap.

I’ve given myself till end of March to sell everything I can sell and the rest will be donated. By that time I’ll probably be an expert on Finnish flea market forums and I can start charging consulting fees. Ebay, if you’re expanding to Finland, I’m the gal you want to have. Hint, hint.

So this is what I’ve been doing and will be doing for a while still. Tell me, have you purged and if so, why?

Yes, the movie! Let’s talk about the movie. I loved it. It was funny, interesting, sad and romantic. Visually pleasing. Emotion evoking. Left me feeling very good indeed. It’s so good I’m going to get the DVD when it comes out. Yeah! I want to give space, in my home, for this film!

The lead, Jean Dujardin is now my Movie Man Crush. The way he portrayed George Valentin just left my heart doing little pitter-patters all the way home. Oh, those eyes! How I love thee! The heart thingy began again as I googled his name and saw his picture. I feel this is an improvement from my previous celeb drool target, Justin Timberlake. I have matured, I just know it.

The Artist, movie that deserves every award it gets.

A man, who was arrested yesterday, had 26 Moomin- bowls in his backpack and couldn’t explain their origin and it is believed he has obtained them illegally. However, according to the police, this man isn’t the person responsible for earlier Moomin- mug crime wave.

If you want to get your hands on some legit Moomin- mugs, click the image above whilst I stay here, stare at my computer screen and wonder what’s happening to this country.

Flower stamps! I haven’t tested these yet but the rubber feels rubbery still, so I think I’m good to go. Notice those tiny bugs on the left upper corner…Cute!

 These will be perfect for my card making adventures.

And speaking of adventures…Today I received a package from UK. Once again Ebay came to rescue when trying to find something priced reasonably and this time I bought printable acetate. For making silkscreens!!! Yes, I’m back on the printing horse too!