Browsings

I've been on day shifts recently, so cannot do much more than dream, browse and sketchlings in my notebook. My notebook is filled with ideas and drawings, designs and planning for future projects then covered in more notelets on improving those ideas and changing my mind. The book is a normal lined one, but has graph paper stuck into it all over and I wouldn't ever hesitate to stick anything else I find pretty or inspiring. I love to look back and remember the pictures that flashed through my head when I first thought of them :)

As for browsing, I've got a folder in my favourites labelled 'Crafts' then a sub folder 'Current Browsing Bookmark' which usually holds several pages, of where I've got to on a particular blog / crafts site. I usually browse a few at once, letting one page load while I read through the others loaded page :) Whenever I get inspired I note or draw in the notebook :)

I've found loads of sites I love and still even more sites I'd like to look at as they've been recommended by others. But I'm going to list a few here and keep track of what I've loved and why. I'm not going to try to create a proper list, because others have before me and I don't want to add any possible stress to my life ;)

Excuse the non-organised list, these are in no order or category!

The African Fabric Shop - UK based shop where I've seen some buttons and fabric I'll have to buy one day.
Threads Magazine, Clone yourself a fitting assistant - Shows how to make yourself a mannequin without the cost - would be wonderful for exploring more clothes making, as at the moment I only inflict that upon myself!
Lines and Colours - Inspiration with educational twist. My university mind appreciates all the examination and searching.
My Country Cottage Garden - I really love this because its a sneak peek into a very crafty lady's home (and garden of course). Though I could never have such a pretty-girly-shabby-chic decor, I'd still love to have a place like this to be girly in!
The Worlds largest collection of smalls - I loved this when I wanted to find a nice biscornu pattern, so searched for 'biscornu' then found a designer I liked so typed that in... and so on, a great way to browse for lots of examples along a theme, all in smalls of course!
In a minute ago - This lady is amazing! I love her never-ending sampler and it has inspired me (along with The Floss Box) to have a go as soon as I get back. Not on a never-ending sampler, but on doing my own samplers, I'll have to explain this in another post but I love this site, mainly her blog Pin Tangle.
The Floss Box - This lady is brilliant! Interspersed with prolific embroidery, beautiful photographs and pointers to loads and loads of amazing other sites, I've seen a crazy craft-madness and just-have-a-go take on life that has inspired me muchly. I love that she stitches and sews everything and anything she wants whether it might be conventionally 'beautiful' or not - I love all her science embroideries because of this!

On the stitching front, I've found out who my partner in the H.O.E biscornu exchange is and I decided I'd design something rather than try others patterns. Hopefully it will all work out or else I'll just have to start over with someone else's ready tried design! I stitched a 'sample' though and it looks OK so far :)