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‘tiny happy’ was a journal of my handmade life from 2006-2025.

four years blogging and a giveaway

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Happy fourth birthday to my blog! I can't believe i've been doing this blogging thing most days for the past four years, but I love it and don't want to stop just yet. Thank you very much for visiting me and for all the emails and comments and real mail you send my way. This blog has really enriched my life. I mean it.

So, to say thank you, I thought I'd offer a small giveaway. I recently bought a copy of this book, The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin and it's great! It's so nicely put together (including illustrations by Emily Martin) and is chocoblock with ideas and advice about selling your crafts and artwork. Now i've finished reading it, I thought I should pass it along to someone else who might enjoy it. I'll package it up with a set of my newly-printed watercolour postcards and another small handmade something. 

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post, telling me something about yourself- anything you like but it would be interesting to hear what music you are enjoying these days. Thank you again for reading my blog and supporting my work over the past four years.

p.s. I'll send the parcel anywhere in the world, and i'll leave this open until Monday morning. Have a good weekend!

Posted in

316 responses to “four years blogging and a giveaway”

  1. Megan Avatar
    Megan

    Happy blogoversary! My little girl likes the beat to hip hop, so we’ve been listening to Massmatics a lot recently (hip hop beat without any lewd lyrics). Also, Sarah McLaughlin is always a favorite, along with the Garden State soundtrack.

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  2. Shalet Avatar
    Shalet

    Wow! Happy anniversary! Today I have this song stuck in my head:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YudKHla9LUY

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  3. cat Avatar
    cat

    Wow – happy anniversary on your 4 years of blogging. That book looks great as do your cards – would love to win.
    Have been enjoying listening to a mix of music on the radio lately – the chit chat on the radio always makes you feel more like you have someone around when you work from home! 🙂

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  4. Pebbledash Avatar
    Pebbledash

    Happy bloggy b’day Melissa! It’s always a joy to read your blog. Music fave lately is Natalie Merchant’s new album, Leave Your Sleep. Sublime!

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  5. julie Avatar
    julie

    Happy blogiversary, Melissa!
    You know how inspiring and peaceful I find your blog.
    What a generous giveaway.
    I usually listen to old favourites : Morrissey, Cake, Pixies and perhaps more to your taste, I love the soundtrack to Broken Flowers and like to have it in the car 🙂
    Happy weekend!

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  6. Ella Avatar
    Ella

    Hi happy 4th birthday (to your blog)
    I’m only 16 and still attending school (In Australia)
    I listen to various things in particular; Teacups, Fleet Foxes, Cloud Control, Jonsi and Neko Case.

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  7. sol stensland Avatar
    sol stensland

    Grtulerer med dagen!!!
    Thanks for having this blog. I enjoy reading it. It gives me lots of inspiration.
    In just a few weeks I’m off to my annual camp at Knattholmen. I cn’t wait.
    Have a nice week-end.
    Hugs from Sol

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  8. Tanya Avatar
    Tanya

    Thank you for a great giveaway, I really enjoy your blog, calming and creative, So, happy 4th. Something about me? Two of my friends are coming over to craft tonight and I am excited. And, I haven’t been listening to enough music lately but I have been trying to get into the habit of short meditations each day. Thanks for asking!

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  9. wikilandia Avatar
    wikilandia

    Felicidades!Congratulations!
    (sorry for my terrible english 😦
    I follow your blog for a long time.I’m FAN of your work…I’m from Barcelona and I like a lot the crafts, the nature and take a photos. Perfect combination here in TINY HAPPY!
    Thanks a lot!!!!!
    sometimes “eres un oasis en medio de un desierto”!
    Music…
    I recomended you the music of my friends:
    BRADIEN (instrumental band)
    LUCRECIA DALT
    happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy
    44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444

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  10. Rosa in the Antipodes Avatar
    Rosa in the Antipodes

    Hurray! It’s been 2 years since I’ve found you in a magazine at Wellington Hospital. All ended well, but I wrote down this blog address in a piece of paper and it opened a tiny door to a whole new world to me. Since them I’ve had another child and I’ve been spending my few moments of peace making “things”. Long life to Tiny Happy!
    Oh, music! Just kids songs those days, but I’ve watched a movie last year that introduced me this beautiful song (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V7HSCA/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk13) – I can’t stop to listen to it over and over again…

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  11. Rhiannon Avatar
    Rhiannon

    Happy 4th, M! I forgot to message you and tell you the shoes (and the other goodies!) are fantastic. Thank you so much!
    I would love to be in the draw to win this book, hummed and haa-ed over buying in recently but just cant justify book buying at the mo.
    See you in a few weeks xx

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  12. Jacqui Dodds Avatar
    Jacqui Dodds

    Hi Melissa
    Congratulations on the 4th Year of your blog. It is a privilege to follow your blog and take a peek at your home, family and creative side. At the moment I am listening to the latest CD from Muse that my daughter bought me for Christmas.
    I have only just come across this book and would love to read it.
    Best Wishes
    Jacqui x

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  13. Kim Tillyer Avatar
    Kim Tillyer

    Happy 4th Birthday!! I’ve been enjoying TinyHappy for the past 2 years. Here on Witchmountain the radio is almost always tuned to BBC 6 Music and the speakers shake themselves off the shelf to Elbow, Chemical Brothers,Steve Mason and New Young Pony Club and …
    (ps. the sun is out! it may be summer!)x

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  14. Daria Avatar
    Daria

    Happy birthday TinyHappy!
    Believe me, Melissa, your blog has enriched our lives too!
    he book seems to be very useful, and I love your postcards.
    So, while I’m listening to songs I can sing along aloud, I hope you have a great day and I wish who will win this giveaway could appreciate your work.

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  15. Mar Ruiz Avatar
    Mar Ruiz

    Congratulations and happy anniversary!!!
    I love your blog and hope you keep on blogging and blogging…
    I like doing yoga everyday so I mostly listen to what I call “yoga music”, and these days I love Armenian Duduk plays by Jivan Gasparian.
    Thank you and best whises
    Mar

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  16. flowerpress Avatar
    flowerpress

    Dear Melissa,
    Four years, hooray! Congratulations.
    Here’s to another four years of your lovely peaceful inspiring place 🙂
    We’ve been listening to some classical lately, inspired by Miss A’s school band playing Hall of the Mountain King. And we might just have listened to Hooked on Classics on Youtube the other day! (which I hated at the time but is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing some wonderful classics – albeit with disco beat!!).
    Sorry probably not what you were after!
    Happy 4 years!

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  17. simple things Avatar
    simple things

    nice! thank you!
    I really enjoy reading your blog. Lately I have really been enjoying listening to Erykah Badu. Her new and old stuff. I just love her voice.

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  18. Saskia Avatar
    Saskia

    Happy 4th blogbirthday! Yay!
    You are such a source of inspiration to me with the mood you set with your work and photography. And one of the first things I see in the morning is your embroidery artpiece “Blossom”!
    At this moment I enjoy my much loved cd The Best of Billy Holiday. It always gives me a summerfeeling!
    xoxox
    Saskia

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  19. Annie B Avatar
    Annie B

    Congratulations on 4 years of blogging- wow! I have just given up full time work to concentrate on getting my own (crafty) business off the ground and am really struggling with the nitty-griity stuff. I think the book is just what I need and I love reading your blog it is very inspiring. (I also found you through NZ H&G). Right now I am loving the Avett brothers and Florence and the Machine.

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  20. Emer Avatar
    Emer

    Hi love your blog, and I’ve been planning on getting the very same book as well At the moment i am relistening to my old Kate Bush CD’s while sewing. I also love her new one but am drawn to Hounds of Love these days.

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  21. Glitzerkeks Avatar
    Glitzerkeks

    Congratulations!!! I have been following your blog for quite a while now and feel very inspired by all the nice things you make. It has changed my view on making things a lot. Actually yours was the first craft blog I ever visited, you opened a brand new world to me…
    I am into Paul Simon these days. It cheers me up to listen to those old songs.

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  22. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks, and i am deeply in love with that album too!

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  23. louana Avatar
    louana

    Congratulations Melissa! your dedication to this space always inspires me. Four years is such an achievement. The kids and I are exploring our cd collection over the last few weeks, today it was Kenny Rogers and Gin, quite a mix. Happy weekend to you!

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  24. Ane Avatar
    Ane

    Happy bloggaversary! I spotted this book in Amsterdam two weeks ago and I would love to read it.
    Last weekend my husband brought back a cd for me: The Undertones, and I have been listening to them for a week now.

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  25. Kitty Vane Avatar
    Kitty Vane

    Very happy blog-anniversary! Four years of blogging is a super accomplishment, and I hope you’ll keep on inspiring and delighting your readers for many years yet to come.
    Lately I’ve been listening to a rather odd mix of music, from a lot of Disney soundtracks to Tom Waits, who is possibly my most favourite musician in the whole world. Emiliana Torrini also takes up a big chunk of my play list.

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  26. angela Avatar
    angela

    Hey Mel…amazing how blogging becomes part of our social routine…I always enjoy your blog and look forward to another 4 years of inspiration and great photograpy….I’ve been grooving to Kate Bush lately..a trip down memory lane…she really was years ahead of herself

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  27. Flora Avatar
    Flora

    yeah! Happy Blog Birthday! I’m glad I found your blog a few months ago, I love your embroideries.
    At the moment I listen to Midlake. Soft and cool.
    Have a lovely week-end 🙂

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  28. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks rhiannon and im so glad that you and your mum liked the shoes, etc. see you soon! xx

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  29. Tess Avatar
    Tess

    All the best for the next 4 years (Hopefully), I love reading your blog for the inspiration to continue with my own projects. Crafting is a new thing for me, so having people like yourself helps me come up with “new” ideas to tackle. So thanks!!!
    Right now, listening to Idol lol, very tragic but a family fav in our house
    Tess

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  30. Bobbie Arvidson Avatar
    Bobbie Arvidson

    Your lovely blog is so serene and friendly, and is one of the great inspirations for me to pursue my creative endeavours. I have just started my etsy shop, and it is wonderful to see my creations in a public arena. Thanks for being a great example! I am also an expat NZer who has lived in south western Western Australia for many years, but feel a real draw to come ‘home’ again one day after a recent family adventure around NZ (incl. lovely Nelson!). So, I have also enjoyed reading of your transition between countries and see the lovely images from your part of the world. Well done, and congratulations!

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  31. Sarah McLeod Avatar
    Sarah McLeod

    Happy Blogoversary Melissa. I admire your creativity, productiveness and sensitivity (in the way you develop your art and craft and the way you describe your family life). A great read.
    Music wise.. I recently went to the James Taylor and Carole King concert abd have been playing their music since then oh and Alicia Keys latest is on high rotate as well.
    Looking forward to reading through many more blogoversaries to
    come.
    Sarah xx

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  32. Neža Avatar
    Neža

    Congratulations on being so creative and inspirational and sharing it with us for four years!
    I’m stitching my next project inspired from Alabama Studio Style book while listening to the radio 🙂 It makes me happy when I hear any oldie-goldie song of Bill Withers…

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  33. Samantha Smith Avatar
    Samantha Smith

    Happy 4th birthday! Your blog is keeping me sane!
    I have moved to Norway from Britain and whilst trying to settle here have been making stuff as self therapy for homesickness. I’ve begun thinking about starting up some craft related business to give myself an excuse for all the stuff I keep making.
    my musical suggestion for you is: the Fantastic Mr fox soundtrack…it is amazing :-)try this:http://open.spotify.com/track/5uJIv7fbeGhFzWzyXMklMm
    and this is also catching an album called Wedding Day:http://open.spotify.com/track/1017NLhEdLIy3chft0dDDa
    Keep it up and keep me sane!

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  34. Teresa Avatar
    Teresa

    Congratulations on 4 years blogging, that’s quite an achievement. I don’t comment very often but I love to see how you get your inspiration from nature for your work. At the moment I’m listening to the CD of the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Love Never Dies and singing along to Seguidilla from Carmen over and over because I’m supposed to be singing it in a (very, very amateur) concert later in the summer.

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  35. Vero Avatar
    Vero

    Happy birthday to Tiny Happy! I love to visit your blog, i always find beauty and warmth.
    These days my ears haunt celtic music! I’m from Argentina (south America) love doing origami and cooking for mi son.
    Congrats, again!
    Veroka

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  36. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    Hello. Reading your blog has become the moment in the afternoon when, 5 year old boy being bathed by his dad, I celebrate the beginning of my own time! Seeing what you achieve creatively within the bustle of family life has spurred me to re-establish my own rituals of making. And it seems that I have an urge to re-visit music of my past too: Joni Mitchell (Blue and Hissing of Summer Lawns on repeat), Gordon Lightfoot and Bach’s Cello Concertos. Congratulations and thank you. Katex

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  37. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    oh- all the best for your new norwegian life- good music and crafting is definitely recommended therapy for homesickness, i remember 🙂

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  38. Eva Avatar
    Eva

    Hello and congratulations on your 4 year blogging anniversary. Since finding your link a month ago I have so enjoyed having a peaceful 10 minutes every day where I can read a month from your archives. I used to do a little sewing and knitting when I was younger, but pushed it to the side when boys, clubs and bars came into play. Now I have a little boy, things are slowing down and I’m finding I love the pace of crafting once again, and you and your beautiful fabrics have been a wonderful inspiration! Here’s to another 4 years!
    As for music, my mum and I were embarrassingly dancing to Julio Iglesias with my little boy yesterday. Otherwise, I love to listen to Nina Simone. Timeless.

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  39. Anne-Karine Avatar
    Anne-Karine

    Grattis! I discovered your blog when its posts had a wonderful Scandinavian flavour and I have enjoyed following you “back home” as well! Summer is in full blossom here in Stockholm so the music is that of chirping birds and distant chatting voices – all windows are open, parks full of picnic parties and the sun is high until very late in the day.
    Keep posting, your daily notes are an inspiration to creativity, beauty and precious simple wisdom. Thanks!

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  40. heleen Avatar
    heleen

    Happy birthday lovely blog! I’m looking forward to meeting you at the Auckland Art and Craft Fair in July; it’s going to be awesome 🙂 I love Leonard Cohen Live in London; really regret not seeing him when he was here in NZ.

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  41. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    tusen takk, sol! have a lovely time at knattholmen… im jealous 🙂

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  42. Julie Nelson Rhodes Avatar
    Julie Nelson Rhodes

    I’m a regular reader and love your beautiful understated style and craftmanship.
    Anyone walking by our home at the moment wouldn’t be surprised to see the inhabitants appear in shoulder pads, beads, vests and with a lot of hair courtsey of Elnett. We’re reliving the 80s in a big way. Soft Cell, Human League, OMD, Heaven 17, New Order …

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  43. Mathyld / under the pyramids Avatar
    Mathyld / under the pyramids

    Oh dear ! Four years !
    Happy Blogiversary, Melissa !
    I love visiting your place, it is like a quiet and inspiring garden … I especially love the demure colours you always use and surround yourself with.
    Thank you for sharing your little world with us.
    x x x
    m

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  44. Mathyld / under the pyramids Avatar
    Mathyld / under the pyramids

    PS : I listen to one of my favourite bands’ new album that just came out : “Blood & Fire” by the Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster !
    And can’t stop making smoothies & soy-milk shakes with all the fresh fruits I can find !

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  45. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    haha- thats awesome katie.

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  46. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    hi tina and thank you! we just saw that movie on the weekend- it was great 🙂

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  47. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    hi gretchen, oh yes, i am a fan of the unthanks too… and feel exactly the same way as you do about becoming a midwife… maybe we will do it one day when the time is right?

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  48. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    hi margarita,
    im so sorry youre having a tough time! sending you good thoughts.. x

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  49. Little Miss S. Avatar
    Little Miss S.

    Congratulations. You’ve been along for a while then – so impressive. I love to jump by and have a look – and luckily you update very regularly. If you’re looking for new music, give The Rumour Said Fire a go – they are an upcoming Danish band that I’ve had on replay for a few months now.

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  50. Holly C. Avatar
    Holly C.

    Oh, I enjoy your blog so much! So sweet and calming.
    I’m afraid I don’t listen to much music. But I do enjoy listening to Craftsanity podcasts-I usually play one as I’m cleaning up the house.
    Congrats on 4 years of blogging!

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