Two busy weeks

I haven't been a very good blogger this past month! There has been a lot going on, so here's a short update of what I've been up to:

- I've been working, job hunting, and trying to sort out our budget for the coming months... Boring but necessary! I know I'm not the only one worrying about money these days, what with the awful financial situation... I do hope you all haven't been to badly affected!

- I've finished up some swaps at Craftster, and received some great items. Check out this cute notebook holder I received in the Small De-stash Swap!

I love the little felt owl, and since I am obsessed with "to do"-lists, I know it will be useful! Trying to use up some of the felt in my own stash, I made a needle book for my partner in another swap.

It's got 4 pages and a small pocket on the inside:

- I've been trying out some nice new recipes, and I've got a new food-related obsession... More on that next time! ;-)

- I finally caved in and created an account at Swap-bot. I'm starting out with a couple of simple, low cost swaps, and I'm really enjoying my experience so far! Do any of you swap at Swap-bot? Share your stories!

What have you been up to in the past weeks? Crafting, reading, baking, or just enjoying the lovely weather?

Welcome to the doll house

I promised myself last night that today would be the day I actually sat down and read the thickest one of my schoolbooks without falling asleep after five pages. I swear to you, this book is the perfect cure for insomnia - it's impossible to stay awake once you open the thing! But of course, I couldn't bring myself to do it... So to drown my guilt, I thought I'd lose myself in my crafting for a while, and made this:

Isn't she the cutest? The pattern for her comes from an awesome blog called inside a black apple and it has even been featured on Martha a while back. This is my first attempt at a black apple doll, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make. The only tricky part was positioning the arms and legs before sewing up the body - notice that her right arm is lower than her left? But hey, it was only my first try. The pattern is supposed to be enlarged 150%, but as that would have meant me having to actually leave the house (I haven't even opened the front door today) and ride the tram all the way to the library, I decided to make a mini version instead. Once I get the pattern enlarged, I plan on making a larger and more elaborate version for my soon-to-be-born niece. As my sister's due date approaches, I've been thinking a lot about stuff I want to make for the baby. There are so many possibilities! If you've had experience crafting for babies, please leave a message and tell me what you made! I would love to get some more inspiration.

My recent obsession with kiddy-crafts is also one of the reasons I decided to buy 20 sheets of wool mix felt from Laura of bugs and fishes. She creates the most amazing things out of felt, and up until just recently has also been selling pick-and-mix felt squares in her etsy shop. When she announced that she wasn't going to be selling her larger squares much longer, I rushed to buy one of the last listings. These squares are the sort of colors that are near impossible to find in Swedish craft stores - willow green, ginger, pistachio and a really lovely salmon pink. Look how great they look all laid out together:

I've got some really neat projects in mind for all this felt. I'll keep you posted! ;-)