Craft Crush 3: Megan Guise

Megan Guise is only 22, super talented and lives all the way over in Western Australia in Perth. She loves drawing, Frankie mag, tea and homemade baked goods and basically everything we do. She's also got many projects on the go it seems and did her first solo exhibition earlier this year!

I first saw Megan's sweet paper doll illustrations in our favourite mag Frankie. For a limited time, you could send her a photo and she would turn you into one of her super cute paper dolls! Too hard to resist, I knew the exact photo - one taken of me in a crazy chinese shop in Philadelphia - I had spied a lovely red parasol and was trying to look beguiling - yeah right - anyway - here is my transformation into one of Megan's paper dolls (number 36 to be exact) - I just knew I was going to adore it! I especially like looking at all the other 'dolls' in the series and wondering what their real life alter egos are like. I wonder what project will be next?

Craft Crush 2: Dandy Long Legs - London

Dandy Long-Legs: Tall-legged tales of a long-legged lass...warning - VERY cute blog! The muse in the drawings on this blog reminds me of that great cartoon character Daria (oh how I loved thee). I had the pangs of an instant craft crush after seeing DLL's work in my favourite magazine Frankie. What caught my eye was the gorgeous hand drawn and coloured cards that the buttons are attached to, plus recommendations for them...buttons for winter cardi's or party dresses - love them!

Craft Crush 1: Spool Sewing - Philadelphia

When I was a little girl I dreamt of being a florist, when I was leaving high school I really wanted to go to art college and pursue photography, all of my life I have been collecting and coveting gorgeously handmade things...so how the heck did I end up being a scientist? It's a good question and one which becomes harder to justify the older I get.

I recently spent 5 months in Philadelphia (USA) on a research fellowship and while the trip itself was scientifically successful, personally I saw it as a watershed moment in my life for other reasons. I was staying with a friend in South Philly and as I walked to work I stopped dead in my tracks - I had come across the most gorgeous little shop. I was peering through large windows into a white room, on the walls were shelves containing the most delicious fabrics, arranged in a rainbow of colour...and there was a book in the window that had a squirrel tea cosey on the front cover...I had myself my first Craft Crush. I had stumbled across Spool, which is run by the most delightful Laura.

In that 5 months I attended several great weekend sewing classes (see the two A-line skirts pictured - Amy Butler Barcelona skirt pattern and the tote pattern is free from the Spool blog), spent hours browsing fabrics and chatting, more hours in the sewing room out the back at the 'open sewing' sessions and even attended the Friday night Stitch Parties. Apart from teaching me the joy of sewing, Laura also inspired me with her wonderful openness and friendship (yes, she listened to my crazy stories) and gave me the encouragement to pursue a new creative lifestyle.

So this post goes out to my friend Laura - and if you're ever in Philly - pop in for a chat, a browse and take a class!

PS. The wool shop next door, Loop, is also awesome and run by a very lovely man called Craig!