Gorgeous Giveaway Wins - ("psst wanna know where there's another?")

The postman came on a Thursday

and put a letter

and a frog

and a mouse

and a spider in the letterbox.

(The Silly Postman - lyrics by Peter Combe)

The Giveaway Fairy has visited me twice in the last two weeks. It's so exciting to win these lovely prizes, from here and here. Looking wonderful in the photo, but in real life -    OUTRAGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL!

and I do love a parcel in the post, twice!

One of the best thing about reading blogs, is looking at the wonderful crafting that is being done and getting little glimpses into the lives of such creative and clever people. Many are so generous, and I try not to enter too many giveaways so that I don't become too greedy (*reality check here* I don't get picked every time I enter – but I can dream cant I?), however you know they tempt me terribly! 

Anyway, just so you know, and you might want to enter too...
THE HANDMADEN http://thehandmaden.blogspot.com/2010/07/400th-post-giveaway.html because the Handmaden has posted 400 times – I know - I'm in awe too. 
PLUSHKACRAFT
http://plushkacraft.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-weeks-giveaway.html
Katia is doing giveaways for 4 weeks because she's been blogging for a year. WOW!
LEONAS QUILTING ADVENTURE http://oneygirl-myquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2010/07/christmas-in-july-giveaway.html#commentsJust because of Christmas in July...
So do yourself a big favour by taking a look a these wonderful bloggers. I'm sure that they'd love to have you visit – in fact can you hear the kettles boiling now?

I'm learning some good lessons too...I'm approaching 100 posts and 1year of blogging...what do you think may happen then?...I'm not telling...not yet...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

A Little Bit of Blog Post Magic

Quite a few times I have changed my blog. I like to learn new things about Blogger. Play around a bit with layouts, buttons, try out new designs. Sometimes it's because of enticing "would you like to learn about blah blah new feature of blogger" as I log on. Sometimes it is because of clever bloggers, who put interesting little bits and pieces on their blogs. Sometimes I just find things...

like this...

In Word there is the option to open a new  blog post. 

So all I did was type my post title (where it helpfully says to!)
Then I went to town with symbols and wingdings etc...in the body of the screen.

There's a helpful PUBLISH button in the top left hand side of the screen. 

You can publish in draft or straight to your blog, if you're game, which I'm not.

So here is what I was able to do...

Can I possibly draft a blog post in MS Word and put all kinds of fancy stuff in it?????
What if I'd like to put in a ©, or a T

Perhaps I can send a ) to a deserving recipient
How about when I feel like singing – r ‚ E e q
Or when something makes me J

What about when I don't like something - a M for instance?

Or what about a little ‰ if I feel like travelling.

So there you have it. A whole new world of blog post magic...

....imagine...the fun with fonts, sizes, colours, symbols...

If I can do this...there's no doubt you will be able to too!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

 

My Creative Space

*humming to self*"Wet washing hanging on the line, drying very quickly when the weather's fine" 

My creative space could have been filled with catching up on sleep, washing, cleaning and drying from the ski trip, but luckily I finally got around to a little bit of creating.

Mmm...circular needles - I don't think so. At least I tried.

Sewing the 'square in a square' for the Mariners Compass and/or Paisley quilt (depending on what I feel like calling it at the time). This feels like a much more productive and creative space.

only a few! more to go (88 to be exact).

...stop looking at me...you know you are beyond my skill level just yet...

Take a trip on over to Kootoyoo for plenty of creative people, who could whip up this little bloke in the blink of an eye.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

What have we got ourselves in for now?

When Minky (child no 5) was turning 9 she presented us with a beautifully illustrated and researched PowerPoint presentation outlining all the reasons why she should be allowed to have Guinea Pigs for her birthday.
It completely won us over and she (we!) became the proud owners of Harry (Hairy Harry) on the right and Archie (Archibald).

They lived with us for 4 years before going to guinea pig heaven. We loved them so much that we went back to the breeder and got Rosa (front-who is somehow related to Archie) and Mocha (she really is the yummiest chocolate/coffee colour).

Now Miss Bee is getting in on the act.

These are appearing on our bedroom door.

Oh HELP! What have we got ourselves in for now!

The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

Just before we were due to leave for holidays, I found this in the letterbox.

Par avion...a letter from overseas...that could only mean one thing...

THE GREAT BIG STITCHED POSTCARD SWAP

HAD ARRIVED

and I did...over...and over...and over again.

And I have the perfect spot it the sewing room to hang it. In a yellow frame.

Thank you so much to Tiffany at www.craftyfanny.com for giving me something so lovely to smile about.

Lots of thanks also to Beth for organising this little bit of bloggy fun for us all.

If you'd like to see what other postcards have been swapped across the world go HERE

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Some School Holiday Crafting

Brrr - it's cold and raining. I'm going to the snow (Thredbo) in a few days. There'll be two thirds of our family and several other families all travelling together. A sort of travelling snow circus! A weekend travelling snow circus!

Did I mention the cold? I don't have a beanie and decided to knit one from the first pattern I could lay my hands on and any leftover wool lying around.

I found this book buried on the bookshelf with a few choices of patterns. 8 ply wool - check; no. 7 needles - check; style 35 - check

Iv'e heard quite a few comments about it looking like a cupcake, but they all happily try it on. 
Mmmm...looks like a bit of pompom overload!
The best part - it's really, really warm!
Apparently I am now making one in blue for Minky!

The Double Wedding Ring has come out of hiding, and is being spread out over any flat surface. It's all about cutting out little pieces to stitch into arcs. It's a bit 'Catch-22' really - if I have lots of those already cut out I get a move on sewing. Then I run out of pieces, spend some time cutting out more, get fed up and want to see some progress. So I sew the just-cut-out pieces together into arcs, then get stuck (and bury it again) because I have no more pieces to join into arcs...

Each Craft Fair I go to, I have a look at the 'curvemaster' machine foot demonstration, think I need one, then talk myself out of it. I am getting closer to buying it, but I don't know if I'm better off finishing this quilt by hand. I think I can ease the curves better if I do it by hand, but I see endless days of fitting curves together properly and shudder. Oh well, since I don't have the foot, I will still be working by hand till next year's show anyway!



So perhaps I will just gaze longingly at the growing pile of arcs and wonder why a beginner quilter ever thought that hand piecing a double wedding ring was a sane thing to try...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

It's time to reveal the fabric postcard I've been making for

The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap run by Beth over here.

There was some time spent figuring out just how to make a stitched postcard. 

And of course the time to work out what I wanted to put on it...and there was also some time put aside to ponder the theme...

So here is my little postcard that shows

 there is always time for....

The crafty words were printed onto inkjet printer fabric and appliqued. I had some print left over from something that one of my daughters was working on which came in handy. One evening I sat down and prepared a tiny bit of knitting (on a pair of toothpicks! - someone has too much time on their hands!!). 

Publisher had the right sized postcard back, which also went onto inkjet printer fabric. 

There will be a special message to go on the back and then it will fly on it's way to the USA...I wonder if this is you????

I used a variety of techniques in this stitched postcard: inket printing, applique, machine embroidery/machine quilting, knitting, couched thread, attached charms...I think I went a bit over the top...

There are some wonderfully creative people who, even though they don't know it, helped me. If you see yourself in this screenshot of my favourites (cheater way of 'referencing'), thank you for lots of instructions to help me attempt my first fabric postcard.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Grandma's Memory Quilt

This quilt was made in 2008 for a very special Mother, Mother-in-Law and Grandmother for her 80th Birthday.

'ANNIE'S MEMORIES'

It tells the journey of her life using photos of her parents, her husband, her wedding, at home in Ireland and Scotland, to the journey she made with her husband and 9 young children to a new life in Australia.

The blocks are Double Irish Chain, with 2 foundation pieced blocks. A Shamrock for her home in Ireland and the Scottie Dog, wearing McFarlane tartan, for Scotland where she trained as a nurse and lived her early married life.

Thank you Annie Maria for your generosity, your love, your smile, the 11 beautiful children you brought up. They have become wonderful adults and parents -  lifelong teachers of the next generation, as you were the mother and teacher to them. Thank you for your son - a wonderful husband and father.

Suddenly you are gone from our lives.

Memories are what we hold on to.

For Annie Maria 14 August 1928 -19 June 2010

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

My Creative Space

Ms Diva 'so wants and analogue camera'

A What?

Ok, she really means a film camera.

Mmm I think we have one of those. So out came my Olympus. Then out came the MATH's Pentax. Then out came my Dad's Mamiya.

Camera choices...Camera heaven...Lens heaven...Even filter heaven.

And then there is this one - (Digital Photography Never Looked So Analog!). The Hipstamatic.

So my creative space today is cooking and photos...

There are 3 different lens and different types of 'film', but of course, after the fact, I have no idea which lens or film resulted in which photo.

I'm not sure that the sautéed mushroom looks appetising photographed this way, but it tasted really, really good. Perfect hot lunch on a bitterly cold day.

The banana cake looks and tastes delicious. This is a fantastic recipe that I've been using for just about forever. It comes from the 'ABC for Kids Book of Cakes' by Louise Hammond. It always turns out. We love our cinnamon icing, double layer is twice as good!



Funnily enough I have real photos that look like this in my photo albums.


To see some more Creative Spaces head on over to Kootoyou and see what's cooking over there.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...