The July Made It Challenge – Granny Stripes & Babeh Hats!

Welcome back to the July Made It challenge – even though it’s actually officially August. Minor detail! The challenge will switch to voting on the 5th of August and the winners will be announced on the 7th, so plenty of time to still sneak in your last-minute entries.

Here are a couple more entries from two of our wonderful regulars challengers…

mrs mac

Lottie Top by MrsMacCrochet

First up is this beautiful “Lottie Top” by Mrs Mac, crocheted in an array of gorgeous cotton colours – seems perfect for the UK summer and of course, who doesn’t love crocheting by the pool! I LOVE the granny stripes, such a stylish and clever design. I followed Mrs Macs links back to the original pattern and this top was designed by a man – impressive stuff I tell ya!  Click for more pics &  details on Mrs Mac’s Ravelry page.

YARNCHICK

Babeh Hat by YarnChick40

 

Lisa-Victoria from Yarnchick40’s posts not only make me giggle – they often make me laugh out loud! I can’t get the image of a lady wearing a minion hat…in a bikini (read the post!).  The only bad thing about this STUNNING baby hat, crocheted in these two STUNNING colours, complete with this STUNNING crochet button..is that LV forgot to write down the pattern!  On the upside, it means we’ll get treated to another one soon, right?!  Those stitches look yummy

Hurry and add your links by clicking on FROGGY below to be with a chance to win this beautiful African Violet made by Jane of Rainbow Junkie

Jane

~ THIS MONTH’S PRIZE | AFRICAN VIOLET POT PLANT by Jane of Rainbow Junkie

Love Maryanne

CLICK ON FROGGY TO ADD YOURS 🙂

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The Christmas Made It – Our first entries and a mighty man

(***I actually posted this yesterday by scheduling it to publish a bit later in the day and I somehow manage to make the date 6 months ago! So juuuuust in case you missed it….***)

I don’t think that there are many people today that haven’t heard or been touched by the news that our beloved Madiba passed away last night. Wow, what a legend!

I must say, I don’t feel the sadness I thought I would. Instead I feel so happy that he is finally free of the life support he’s been on for the past 6 months, (and if you believe any of the other theories that have made their rounds, perhaps he actually did leave us all those months ago). Either way he is finally free and we are free to honour, love & respect him in the dignified way that is so deserving  of this great soul. Instead of sadness, I feel humbled & proud of what everything he stood for, for uniting not only a nation but the entire world and for paving a way out of the darkness for us all.

Tata Madiba, may you rest in peace and may we carry on your legacy of unity and peace ♥

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 On that high note, here are the first three entries into the Christmas challenge! I’m loving how our little  Made It family is growing…

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Gorro de Osito con bufanda by Sandra Hernandez Make

A very warm welcome to Sandra from Sandra Hernández from Holland, we are thrilled to have you join in.Her knitted Bear Hat Scarf is sensational – so soft and warm looking and of course the ears just make it! I absolutely loved browsing Sandra’s blog – her love of animals, her creativity, talent and adventurous spirit are evident in every single post – go on, have a look and enjoy!

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House Bookmarks by Made By Patch

Two months in a row? – snowing rainbows indeed heehee!!  So happy to have you the super clever and talented Trish from Made By Patch back in the challenge this month. WOW, out doing herself again too with these stunning  bookmarks, so beautifully sewn. Each little house is so sweet with its own special character and I adore the little tags too. Perfect gifts for anyone, young or old!

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Non-Christmassy Christmas Dress by Mrs Macs Crochet

Ahhh  how gorgeous! This “girly, but not too frilly” crochet dress was made by Mrs Mac of Mrs Macs Crochet for a friends little 6 month old daughter.  Well, she definitely for the brief right, it’s the perfect balance of sweetness and pretty girlyness. Oh, and the cute vintage little buttons (more pics on the post so click on the pic) were the ones Mrs Mac won from Tamara in the July Made It – how awesome!!!

That’s is for now – to enter the challenge click on the PINK LINK to add yours!

made it

July Made It – A whole whack of new entries!

Somebody pulls the breaks PLEASSSSSSSE! It can’t be 2 DAYS BEFORE VOTING OPENS?????? Can it ? What’s the hurry July?

Well, the following ladies needed no such pleas – get ready for another dose of awesomeness…

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Fingerless Mitts by Nice Piece Of Work

By now we all know and LOVE the funny lady Jill from Nice Piece Of Work…and that she ALWAYS has something new for us to drool over (what I really mean is that we run off at a great speed to our stash – in a flat panic – and try whip up a decent replica of her latest pair of F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S mitts – or,come to think of it, any other  project that she’s busy with -’cause she has a way of making it look so IN, so trendy…so MUST HAVE. Am I right??

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Sweet Summer Cover Up by Little Poppits

“Sweet” doesn’t even begin to describe how adorably cute, cuddly and cozy this little waistcoat is – and the flower is the perfect topping. So very Bohemian looking! The very creative and super busy Teresa from Little Poppits (who managed to make each of her projects look so happy and easy!)  has just launched her own Misi shop, it’s looking FAB – go and have a look

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Cute Green Octopus by kake’s Crafts

Ahhhh, you may remember we have already met a certain young red handsome Octopus in the May Challenge which would be the perfect mate for this gorgeous green little lady Octopus (although I am no expert on who the she and who’s the he…). How adorable is SHE! Kayleigh from Kake’s crafts has entered with her cute curly legged creature and the pattern is slightly different this time so pop over and take a squizz.

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Square Cushion Covers

I’m thrilled that MrsMac over at Ravely is back with this bright and beautiful square cushion cover which has made this little corner of her garden look sooooo inviting – the bench is absolutely adorable anyway but now that’s it been splashed with crochet and colour is looks AMAZING! I’m sure we all have that part of our garden that’s just begging for this kind of treatment. Please visit her at Ravely for the write-up about this and her many more  brilliant projects!

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Crochet Candle Holders by Kookzie

A huge bear hug welcome to newcomer to the challenge, Anne-Marie from Kookzie with her funky crochet Mason jar candle holders. I absolutely love these – they are so effective, look so chic, easy to make and the best part – they’re upcycled! Have a look at her post for a peek at each jar up close. Each one is slightly different and Anne-Marie will be posting the pattern soon, so stay tuned!

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The next 3 projects are entered by the lovely Rene from Hav2Havz who makes a whole variety of the most beautiful things – not just crochet (click on the link to her Facebook page for some ogling) You can see that she pours a whole lotta love into them too! I love her bold and confident use of colours and her designs are so unique too! Have a close look at the pics below – the stitching is amazing

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Crochet Garments by Hav2Havz

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Funny Granny Square Bag by Hav2Havz

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Crochet Heart by Hav2Havz

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Granny Square Blanket by Trevlyn

I almost feel off my chair when I received this entry??? Hey?!! You know what I mean, right?!  Trevlyn, who is one of my lovely customers crocheted this FANTASTIC granny square blanket. WOW WOW WOW. I know that the bar is set VERY high this month when it comes to blankets (in fact, everything!) and I am gobsmacked at the creativity, vibrance and beauty of this one too- I want one.

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And on that high note, I will sign off and get back to my own entry (yes, I actually have a teeny tiny something to enter…phew)

Hope you all have a wonderful day and enjoy browsing the new entries

TWO MORE DAYS TO ENTER

* CLICK ON FROGGY TO SUBMIT YOUR LINK *

made it

 

The Christmas Made It – Our first entries and a mighty man

I don’t think that there are many people today that haven’t heard or been touched by the news that our beloved Madiba passed away last night. Wow, what a legend!

I must say, I don’t feel the sadness I thought I would. Instead I feel so happy that he is finally free of the life support he’s been on for the past 6 months, (and if you believe any of the other theories that have made their rounds, perhaps he actually did leave us all those months ago). Either way he is finally free and we are free to honour, love & respect him in the dignified way that is so deserving  of this great soul. Instead of sadness, I feel humbled & proud of what everything he stood for, for uniting not only a nation but the entire world and for paving a way out of the darkness for us all.

Tata Madiba, may you rest in peace and may we carry on your legacy of unity and peace ♥

n4

 

 

 

 On that high note, here are the first three entries into the Christmas challenge! I’m loving how our little  Made It family is growing…

ositogorro

Gorro de Osito con bufanda by Sandra Hernandez Make

A very warm welcome to Sandra from Sandra Hernández from Holland, we are thrilled to have you join in.Her knitted Bear Hat Scarf is sensational – so soft and warm looking and of course the ears just make it! I absolutely loved browsing Sandra’s blog – her love of animals, her creativity, talent and adventurous spirit are evident in every single post – go on, have a look and enjoy!

dscf4363

House Bookmarks by Made By Patch

Two months in a row? – snowing rainbows indeed heehee!!  So happy to have you the super clever and talented Trish from Made By Patch back in the challenge this month. WOW, out doing herself again too with these stunning  bookmarks, so beautifully sewn. Each little house is so sweet with its own special character and I adore the little tags too. Perfect gifts for anyone, young or old!

image_medium2

Non-Christmassy Christmas Dress by Mrs Macs Crochet

Ahhh  how gorgeous! This “girly, but not too frilly” crochet dress was made by Mrs Mac of Mrs Macs Crochet for a friends little 6 month old daughter.  Well, she definitely for the brief right, it’s the perfect balance of sweetness and pretty girlyness. Oh, and the cute vintage little buttons (more pics on the post so click on the pic) were the ones Mrs Mac won from Tamara in the July Made It – how awesome!!!

That’s is for now – to enter the challenge click on the PINK LINK to add yours!

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May Made It Challenge – aMAYzing New Entries, Some Musings & A Question To Pose!

Hello hello to you all, where ever in the world you are today!  It’s Sunday and a damn fine day here in Cape Town – here is a pic taken out of my window right now!

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Seriously, it’s winter here!!!

Today’s post marks my 150th! What?! Never in a bazzillion years did I ever think that I would write anything (let alone anything remotely intelligent or interesting) that people would give up some of their own precious time to even read! So, from the bottom of my heart,  I thank each one of you who follows  / reads / likes / comments on my little blog and enters the Made It challenge!!! I absolutely LOVE being a part of this amazing community of creative people who inspire / entertain / provoke (in a good way) me on so many levels ♥

Right, so before I show off the next batch on Made It entries – if you can wait a little longer – I was sitting down last night before bed, scrolling though the photo’s on my phone and had a little giggle to myself. The photos that ended up in my Photo Stream were either taken by my myself (who’s thinks that having some cool apps on ones iPhone makes one a pro!); naughty meddling kiddies; or photos sent either to my hubby or from my hubby as our usual form of communication. Who needs a diary anymore? Scrolling through some of these pics make me wonder what kind of crazy family I have!!! My Life This Past Few Days In Pictures

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Taken on my way to “work” as the newly appointed Social Media nerd for my old real estate company – yeah I know….tough job!

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Excited daughter and clearly-over-the-moon Dad about to see Justin Beiber!

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Yip, this is about as much as we got to see too!!!

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An attempt at knitting with some chunky cotton….

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*groan* Mom’s been watching too much Master Chef again…

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Who needs a remote control??
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No, not auditions for Halloween 13…just Dad asking what shin guards to buy for hockey playing teen!

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Fab school outing at the beach (remember, its Winter!!!)

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Apparently – according to other parents-of-teens – finding tons of pics like this on your phone is perfectly normal.

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…..this too

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…and especially this

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what the…..

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ended the week with the winner of Jam Tarts newsboy crochet hat!!!

Right, enough of that…..

MOVING ON TO THE NEW MAY MADE IT CHALLENGE  ENTRIES!

kake

Jelly Legs by Kakes Crafts

Hello little Octopus! This sweeeeet little chap was made by Kayleigh of Kakes Crafts, a regular Made It challenger. I’m sure there are going to be many many demands for one of these so Mums, be warned! (click on the link to see another pic of the little jelly legs….adorable!)

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mrsmac

Shawl by MrsMac

Hello and welcome to MrsMac who has submitted this stunning, sparkly shawl in cotton viscose that she made for her mom! (I know my mom-in-law is going to squeal in delight at this one). Click here to go to her Ravely page where you will find the pattern, another pic of the front (it’s fabulous) and another beautiful shawl too!  

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beatrice

Ocean Waves Afghan by Beatrice Ryan Designs

Welcome back to Elena from Beatrice Ryan Designs. How beautiful is this Ocean Waves Afghan in the most sensational creams and greens?? A present for her daughter’s 17th birthday!!!  This is a heirloom to be forever loved and cherished.

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Diamonds Shawl by Gray

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Doily by Gray

We have two exquisite and ever-so-delicate entries from the lovely Crochet by Gray! Firstly, I do not know where she gets her super powers from but frankly, I’m more than a little envious!! Read more about this gorgeous doily and diamond shawls she loving managed to whip up in the midst of her wonderfully busy life!!! 

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daniella

Retro Collar by DaniellaJoe

Everywhere I go I’m seeing crochet collars! DaniellaJoe is spot on money with what’s in fashion with this stunning Retro Collar. I absolutely adore the blaze of colours. I want one I want one I want one 

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Pretty Daisy Chain by Little Poppits

Again, Moms beware because your little girls are going to be begging you for one of these beautiful Daisy Chains! The lovely Teresa from Little Poppits has not only delighted us with this necklace and daydreams of warm meadows but also posted a lovely pic of herself too! 

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SAMSUNGI’m soooo thrilled to welcome another newbie to the challenge! Hello to Aviena of AvienaDawn who was inspired by this month’s official (unofficial?) theme of STASH BUSTING! And thank goodness for that because what a fabulous Granny Square Pillow!! I LOVE the colours and can’t believe how beautifully go together!

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Ok, so I have a question to pose and I would love to hear your thoughts on this: 

Last night, I was chatting to one of my friends who suggested that maybe the winner of the challenge should be picked based on votes as so much time and energy goes into each creation and it might be great to be the month’s favourite. 

Hmmmm, well this got me thinking. Firstly, when I first started the challenge, I decided to do a random pick each month to keep things lighthearted and fun BUT now I’m wondering if maybe you’d prefer to win on merit rather than by chance??? 

SO, my question is:

WOULD YOU PREFER THE WINNER TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MOST VOTES OR RANDOMLY?

I’d love to hear what you think so please comment below! There’s no wrong or right answer but if there is strong feelings for votes v random then I will rethink things

Thank you!

As always, I am totally in awe of the fantastic entries! There’s still 9 days before we close the link for voting so, get your groove on! Click on FROGGY to add your LINK