birds

Well today I re-organised the house, room by room, so that everything is now back in the proper place (or where I like it to be anyway, which is really the same thing!). I can never get anything else done unless I feel like there is proper order. Miss L was quite helpful in this monstrous task, and we even made a new rather large collection of things to be given to the op shop. I was very impressed with her ability to let things go because someone else might need it more. We try to do this quite regularly, the rule originally being "if you get something new, then something old has to go". But sometimes rules do not apply, or so I've been told by 4 year old Miss L!

Anyway, after completing this detoxification I thought that I deserved some 'me' time, so I got out my journal and my new graphite pencils. I haven't drawn for a very long time (doodled, but nothing specific) and I was very nervous about what would appear from the end of my pencil. I have been harbouring an eagerness to join illustration friday but thought some practice was required first. Hence the purchase of some new lead drawing pencils. This is what emerged, no.1 dream and no.2 scared:

I then moved on to number 3 and decided to use my new Derwent coloured pencils too, so no.3 asleep:
I am quite happy with these first three, so think I'll keep playing around with them this week. Next I'm going to learn Illustrator, but that might be a little way off for now.

Off now to do some more beanie knitting. It's getting cold....

crocodiles and chaos

Well it has been a busy time while my sister C (no blog) has been staying with her family. Miss L loves playing with her cousins Miss Z and Master C, however, there are times when even a four year old needs her space and we have had a few 'melt downs"! I always love when my sister stays and unfortunately it is only a short visit this time. But as usual we have packed it full.

We did manage to visit a few op shops without kids (thanks P!) but didn't score anything note worthy. Then yesterday we visited Melbourne Zoo, and had a wonderful time, although the python in the reptile house was replaying the scene from Harry Potter with far too much conviction for my liking. There was a lot of singing "we're going to the zoo", well that was me, but the kids did join in occassionally!

The top photo is in the new elephant village, and the bottom photo shows the toys they got at the end of the visit, Master C chose a monkey (hidden from view), Miss Z a baby kangaroo and Miss L a rattlesnake
I am still amazed that Miss L was completely freaked out in the butterfly house, but loved the bloody HUGE python so had to take home a snake?! so not like her mother!!


Then today after Miss L had rudely woken the household way too early, we went to the Melbourne aquarium. I have to say Miss L and I love the aquarium and have a member's pass. There is just something soothing and fascinating about fishes, even with two 4 year olds and a 2& 1/2 year old. We ended up spending several hours checking out the jellyfish (my favourite), the giant squid, the sharks etc. etc.

In between the moderating and negotation that is needed with (over)excited kids, C and I have done alot of talking about craft, craft books, craft blogs and how I need help with my photography. I do have to agree that C takes fantastic photos and I never seem to be able to improve no matter how much I concentrate. So I will try harder. I also managed to finish Miss Z's pillow from Grandma for her, and made Master C a crocodile pillow. The fabric was his choice, and also a crocodile requested. I was quite happy with the quickly achieved result. Although I think Master C has been just as happy with the off-cut of blue fabric he has dragged his toys around the house in! Miss L had to show off her pillow again too, of course.


So after 3 hectic but fun days, the house looks like a hurricane hit it and we all feel like this-
P.S. I did also manage to send my swap parcels, so Rita, Gabriela, Sylvia and Christine keep an eye out in your mail.

these are a few of my favourite things

After looking at this beautiful needle book and then this one today from A Bird in the Hand thought I would share my small collection.
I love needle books and hope to acquire more, but I like them to be petitie - I'm not sure why!

The book with the fish, is my sad little effort from school, which is an awful needle book to use, but I persist! The green little purse book I got from ebay with a gorgeous little pincushion (see below). The little green book, doesn't come up in the photo as beautiful as it really is - bought from an antique store. The little babushka lady book was a present at my sewing classes that I started here, and we still meet each month to get together and sew and chat. In fact I do a lot of the second! Hello sewing girls if your reading!!

And then there are the pincushions I love - again I like them tiny,

which is probably one reason why I've stopped using the 's' cross stitch pincushion I made myself when I was a teenager. At least it looks better than that sorry looking needle book! The other pincushions I have collected over the past year or so
and the little rabbit which I really, really love and had to fight my daughter for it, came in my magic parcel from bara+design. (All the parcel content's can be seen here)
So along this theme I finished this little scissor pocket for a pair of 'nude' scissor's I had.

I was really happy how it turned out, and it didn't take long to make. Quite theraputic actually.I like scissors pockets, because for me they become portable sewing kits, with needles and pins stuck into them!

I just thought of another lovely little needle book seen at its namesake . Claire has also made some beautiful needle books and pincushions too.

I'd love to see yours if you would like to share - leave a link in the comments please so we can all admire.

me - tagged!

Five me's
Lovely Cally is the first person to tag me, so here goes...

Five minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally?
Well, probably I'd be reading a book, because it's really hard to get time to do that around here, with a 'nice' cup of tea, and a bag of pascall chocolate eclairs.

Five bucks to spend right now; how would you spend it?
A bag of chocolate eclairs, and a rummage through the local op shop - I'm sure I'd find something.

Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already?
This question is hard for me, because I'm a bit of a bower bird, but probably the PhD stuff sitting under the back bed, the horrible standing fan in Lucy's room, the cheap target book cases, struggling now!, um, the bread maker we never use, and, the old videos I'm keeping, god knows why.

Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house?
whizzme the bear, (i guess husband and daughter are a given :) ), my gorgeous armchair picked out by my husband, my red & white china collection, my new i-mac, my red kimono scarf.

Five words you love?
gorgeous, oodles, stinkymalinky, nudeyrudey and hoochie (thanks Mrs Davey!)

Five people I tag
Well this is hard because I'm not sure whose been tagged before, so if you haven't and you'd like to - your tagged!!

Finished... well some things

Okay so the weekend wasn't quite as productive as planned, and I didn't get to the post office, but then I often think I'm going to get so much more done than I can. However, I am now ready for the post office tomorrow.

Swap packages ready for posting, fabric pouches sewn and tags made. I have a few more swaps scheduled for later and I'm sure to arrange more (as I'm kinda addicted) so I wanted to be better prepared.

And those other bags I was talking about....

4 more done. Yay! can't say who they are for yet, but I am pleased with how they look. More labels to finish with now too!

(pockets inside)
But I also have severe bag envy after seeing this today made by Anna.

However, I'm now off to do some knitting and finish the little holder for my scissors I started today. Yeah, I know another project!! Actually I should be cleaning ready for my sister and her family who arrive Tuesday. We can't wait, but for now the cleaning can.

scrawl

scrawl

This is all I can manage today. Miss L and Miss V have extracted all my energy. I was quietly catching up with my bloglines when I read this at aunty cookie and thought I could just manage that without moving. (thanks Shannon) So excuse the fuzzy photo, but used the camera phone. I did this morning manage some fabric pouches, but more about this later.... how I love a rainy weekend for doing some craftiness.

a superhero, a fairy princess and a handbag

Today was all about a care package for my best friend who is having a horrible week, or even month. Tomorrow is going to be a chaotic, horrid day, so I thought a care package might bring her and her two beautiful munchkins some sunshine. Of course this being me, I left it to today to pull the whole thing together!

I bought a t-shirt weeks ago to make H a superhero shirt with cape and this time I wanted to try that freezer paper thing that did a great tutorial for. But leaving it for posting today sort of canned that idea, so I quickly printed out an iron transfer, which actually came up okay.


Next a little fairy dress for E. Again I've had the tulle and tank top hanging around for a few weeks. So first I sewed on the tulle, sleeve ruffles and ironed on some flowers. Okay done. Until I held it up and you could see right through the tulle - not every little fairy wants to show off her underpants! So I hunted through the fabric stash and found some lilac chiffon to add a little modesty skirt!! A few quick sequin addtions and da dah.
And thankfully about a month ago I had a spurt of making handbags, so J's bag just needed a few final stitches and an iron.


I really like these bags, so must get to and finish the other 6!!
So after a solid afternoon I managed to get the whole thing posted before 6 pm in an express bag, so it will reach them tomorrow. I hope it does bring some sunshine for them.
Now off to do several swaps I've organised this week. Hoping to make the post office tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes....

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