I See the Bridge! by Linda Lilly Cottage

Styling a Dream...the photoshoot.

I am having the most wonderful time styling some photoshoots for Jodi from Big Dream Photography It is something that I had never thought about doing and now I am planning on doing lots of photo styling this year.(warning, lots of photos ahead)

Late last year I styled a 'Vintage Child' Photoshoot with Jodi and the gorgeous Benji and his vintage style outfit  from Vintage is Beautiful and more recently I styled a Dream shoot for Jodi and it was so much fun I can't wait to do another. The Dream shoot was Jodi's idea as her business is Big Dream Photography and we had 3 gorgeous little models, Jared, Amelie and Leala, but I am getting ahead of myself...before we even get to our location we must first gather props ( oh this is the best job ever) and sometimes we also must make some props but that is for another post.

The day of the Dream shoot was overcast and rainy in the morning but I was determined the sun would poke it's heads through the cloud and it did just in time for our little models to arrive but before they did we had to do a bit of preparation in the back of my van and in the rain...

then it was time to quickly put some pieces into place.I so adore this location, check out these tree roots, these trees are over 100 years old, imagine all the things they have 'seen'.

Some mushrooms and rabbits.

Little chairs and flowers.

Special bunting and owls.

Of course I had to have a little helper, Mary Monday was excellent as a runner and entertaining the little ones inbetween shots.

Now for the photos...how amazing are these pictures, taken by the talented Jodi from Big Dream Photography! It was worth the soggy ground, the huge amount of biting horse flys and big ants stuck in layers upon layers of tulle in the amazing skirts made by Little Chiyo ..

The sweet little rag dolls are from olive Grove Primitives  and a few of my lovely props were achieved last minute from Jules from Bears and Old Lace .

I have copied these with permission of Jodi and would ask that you do the same if you would like to share her work as they do have copyright, there are also lots more beautiful photos on the Big Dream Photography Facebook Page.

Enjoy!

Kiss Noises Linda

Littlest Pet Shop and the Australian Flag.

OK so I am thinking that Miss 10 really might follow in my creative footsteps but to the beat of her own drum.

Having not seen Mary Monday for a little while I wandered past her room where inside she had created the Australian flag with her Littlest Pet Shop charachters. Apparently they all wanted to do it...and fought over who got to go on the stars.

She really has a wonderful imagination and being that it is Australia Day today, a perfect day for her creation and a perfect memory for her to keep.

Click on the photos that are landscape (the smaller ones) and they will come up larger so you can see the detail of their little faces..cute.

Wherever you are I hope you have a wonderfully creative day like Mary Monday and if you are an  Aussie, have a very happy Australia Day. The weather has calmed down a little here and the heavy rain of the last two days has stopped and now we just have very overcast skies that are promising to rain again soon...looks like all celebrations will be inside today!

Kiss Noises Linda

How much is that birdy in the window?

How much is that Birdie in the window, or that one or that one?

I have always wanted big windows to do displays in and now I have one. It is so much fun changing it around every so often, especially when it is starting to look a little picked over. I can tell that people like to have a little look in the window after we close as there is always little smudgy now and finger marks on the window each morning.

This little display was bird inspired...goodness knows I love all things birdy and nesty..though there are no little nests here, just a couple of fine bird houses.

I even managed to take some pictures through the window which is a bit tricky with my shoot and point camera.

Enjoy looking through the window and have a truly wonderful day,

Kiss Noises Linda

A spoon full of sugar.

In that well know song made famous by Mary Poppins,' A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go down, in the most delightful way ' ( now it is stuck in your head isn't it?)

Well let me reassure you there is no medicine at all involved in this post but delightful is a word I might use once or twice.

These delightful tea and coffee spoons make my heart sing. I use one every day in my vintage sugar basin ( except now I am on my 12 week challenge not so often).

This is the display in the middle of Lilly Cottage Bribie Island at the moment and it is indeed delightful.

Dolls house, tea cups, sparkly crystal spoons, cupcakes ( even if they fake cakes.hehe) all help to make this little spot delightful and just a little bit magical don't you think?

Of course you must have a pink cream and sugar set.

A Rambling Rose teacup doesn't hurt either.

It is just delightful! ( Oh and those delightful flowers painted on the dollhouse were done by the talented Deb Wake from Shabby English Rose).

I challenge you to use the word delightful at least 3 times today  (out loud to someone or written somewhere where people will read it) and see how you feel afterwards...a little bit old worldly or posh I think.

Kiss noises Linda

Marie and the lilac range.

Has it really been six days since my last post? Where has the week gone?

I suppose this has been my first week back into 'creative work' and I work best at night time in the peace and quiet and seeing as it is still school holidays around here, it takes a while to get to the peace and quiet time. Still creations have been happening and the brooches I was working on in the last post have been finished and attached to their bags and they look amazing. I have also managed to cut my production time down..I am sure I can do more than 6 in a day, especially if I cut down my colour options, I could probably triple that number.

These are my other completed creations this week. I so love piecing these together, they take a while but it is so relaxing, a bit like a jigsaw too.

This lady reminds me of Marie Antoinette, so she has become affectionately known as the 'Marie' cushion.

The mauve/lilac/purple colours are not something I usually work in but they complemented these vintage doileys so well.

I am not sure of this ballerina's 'pretty' face but the rest of her is so lovely, she is beautiful in her imperfections..like the rest of us!

I have also been working on a few of these 'word' cushions, I love words...these are in preparation for The Handmade Expo too..next market is Feb 25th and that will be here in the blink of an eye, the way this year is flying by too.

 Today is also the first day of a 12 week challenge I am undertaking with some friends and I am failing dismally so far, it has been raining heavily today coupled with the fact Lilly Cottage at Petrie got a total rearrange yesterday and I spent 12 hours there in total and every muscle I have was screaming at me during the night. So no walking, extremely tired and found some of those leftover Christmas chocolates...darn, I did think I had got them all...nevermind there is always tomorrow, will check the cupboards and fridge again tonight..just in case there is any more that need disposing of...it is bin night after all...or..there is always the other option seeing as today is a right off anyway.. hehe

Kiss noises Linda

You think I would have more to show.

Honestly you think after several hours of working away in my air conditioned hidey hole ( also know as my studio or sewing/computer/craft room depending on who you are talking to), I would have more to show than this little bundle of petals...they aren't even finished yet.

Honestly I am not sure what takes the most time, it could be choosing the fabrics, changing the templates, choosing the fabric, sewing them together, choosing the fabric, turning the petals inside out, choosing the fabric, sewing the petals together...or it could be just choosing the fabric.

These lovely blossoms will be part of one of the 'ranges' I am doing for the first half of the year...yes look at me having 'ranges' and all but I am trying to work a little smarter this year and make some bags and cushions that make my heart sing rather than just making them because I think they will sell.

I have seen flowers like this made before but I was inspired by a post in Clare's Craftroom of some she made before Christmas and she even gave a little tutorial...me being me, I have altered the design a little but it was a great little creative push I needed. I am loving the carrots she has out already for Easter Crafting too but can not for the life of me think how I can incorporate them into my Paris theme...hehe.

Hope you managed to find something cool to do today if you were in this terrible heat. I am off to finish off some more petals...see you in an hour or three..honestly Clare...how can you make these in a few minutes???

Kiss Noises Linda

Mary Monday, the maid.

Yes well Mary Monday hasn't been around much lately in blogland but let me tell you we still have lots of Mary Monday moments. She would however have you thinking I had changed her name to Cinderella the other day...Mary came to help me out at Lilly Cottage Bribie Island the other day whilst her brother and sister went to do some yard work for Grandma ( manual labour is not her strongpoint).

Whilst she was there she had to endure...dusting...

looks hard work doesn't it...she was actually singing away to herself and making the duster do little dances around the objects on the table...I do have video of a singing and dancing routine she did later on with the duster on but I won't show it here just yet, I will save it for a special occasion.

She had to man the counter where she read a story she had written...it was quite a long story..

She popped up here and there..

and was forced to endure sub standard Littliest Pet Shop conditions out the back of the shop.

She might have you think she had a hard day but truth be known she bubbled through the day and had a wonderful day with me all to herself (and the customers of course...she is very good at opening up paper bags now..she practiced). I think she looks lovely behind the counter..perhaps she will take over my empire ( ha ha cough splutter)...or at the very least follow in my creative footsteps.

Kiss Noises Linda ( only 2 more weeks of school holidays if you are playing along at home)  

Rambling Roses in the display today.

Would you like to see what is on display at Lilly Cottage today? I thought you might...enjoy.

 

Have a truly wonderful day..Kiss Noises Linda

On the water, on the shelves.

Still loving the things I see on my walks,

and then on the shelves of Lilly Cottage Bribie Island ( except it appears my horizon is pink...just as it should be).

Recreating a little bit of lovely, have a gorgeous day!

Kiss Noises Linda

Waiting for the stuffing.

Oh the excitement that will be at our house when the stuffing finally arrives! I have started back creating some new items for Lilly Cottage and have quite a few near to completion but haven't got any stuffing! I swear we must eat that stuff sometimes, one minute we have huge bags of it in the road everywhere and next minute we have loads of cushions needing to be filled and no stuffing anywhere.

Still I thought I would show you what my desk looks like at the moment...creations in progress.

Have a lovely day,

Kiss Noises Linda