Just dropping in ...

Yep just dropping in to say life has been a tad hectic the last few weeks with the Grandies here & the other Grandies coming over for a sleep-over - what fun we all had ... then we took the boy Grandies home stayed a week been back about a week & I need to be off again now for some R&R ... ha ha
Just a little Show & Tell of something I made while away - a jacket for TJ ... as you do, with a purple elephant on it & lined as well ... not too sure TJ loved it as much as J. did ...
The weather is turning colder as the day goes ... brrr never mind I'm off to have some fun with Luc so off to pack - first the sewing DVDs then sewing machine & goodies - get the idea ... we hope to do some sewing suppose I had better pack a few clothes etc ... will do my best to get back to being a bit more regular with my blog next week - I do have several things to share with you ... OOroo ...

Catch-up

I'm still madly trying to catch-up on what's been happening ... this time last week we were in Mackay to celebrate my girlfriend/bridesmaid's birthday - her 60th. It was a surprise and a surprise she got too as she had no idea what was about to happen so we have one up on her this time ... ha ha We seemed to be celebrating from Sat until Wed when we flew home as Shirley's birthday is on the 24th & I had mine on the 25th so plenty to celebrate... shhhh I have a couple of year to catch up to Auntie Shir[as our kids always call her...] Here is one of the shots of one of the many cakes we seemed to eat over the time ... ha ha - I did keep walking each day just to help with the cake overload ... Here are us Birthday Girls ...
For Shirley birthday I made her a special fabric banner, as we have been friends for over 40 years [we worked together for a time] so I thought it very appropriate to call it Forever Friends. Sadly the photos are not the best but I guess this happens when they aren't taking them at your own home ... The banner was straight & squared although to look at it here you would think I'd had quite a few drinkies ... Here is a couple of close-ups again not the best quality but will give you some idea of the sort of beads I used on some of it plus the gemstones - amazing what you can find in your stash somedays ... I think we all know that one ... ha ha
When we got home there was a wonderful parcel waiting for me ... books I had ordered from Amazons - will share those with you next time. My time is up now, it's the Grandsons turn - they are visiting with us over the school holidays and want to play some games.

Arrived...

This Wedding Gift banner has finally arrived at it's new home so I can now show you all of it ...I did enjoy making it so have made another one just a tad smaller for my girlfriend/bridesmaid's birthday which I will show you later ...

Guess what ...

Guess what - I'm still in the land of the living, been away yet again ... Sat of the last post I was staying with Luc & we went for our walk on the Headland - brrrrrrrrr it was sooo cold & windy - we needed to put our anchors out but, that meant nothing to us when we got to see the migrating whales way out to sea - ohh what a sight to see... their spurts/blows on the horizon. Can't show you any photos as I haven't sorted how to get the photos off my phone - that's the next learning curve for me ... but I can assure you it was very exciting. Just been talking to Luc & she is on the Headland at Fingal,as we speak with the binoculars watching them jumping and all that - they go up the Queensland coastline from June to August and come back from August to Nov. with their newborn calves as they birth them in the warmer waters off our Great Barrier Reef.
Sunday I flew to Sydney for the day to meet an Internet friend who was in Australia for a couple of weeks so what a good excuse for a Coffee & Cake Luncheon [C&C] with all the Southern BSL girls [thank goodness for cheap airfares]. It was so great to meet Jackie in the flesh & to catch-up with all the girls from down south. I even got a chance to have an hour at the Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair & before you ask NO I didn't buy a thing as I had to cart everything with me so no shopping, now really that took the pressure off ... ha ha but I did collect quiet a few business cards for later reference ...
Here are a couple of photos ...Here we have L-R yours truly, Jackie, Rhonda & Rob. We exchanged ATC's among the girls - this was my first attempt at a fabric ATC machine sewn ... And below is a Fabric PostCard similar to the one I gave Jackie as a memento of our meeting ...

Stitching ...

I have been doing my stitching of late but a much bigger project than the usual Postcard sized one ... I'll only show you a couple of sections of it as I've still not heard if it has arrived safely at it's destination. It's a banner measuring 48cm x 15cm [19" x 6"] I'm now trying to teach myself how to do something similar on the sewing machine ... all very trying when you have never sewn this sort of thing before ... sewn clothes all my life but nothing like this ... but it's all fun.
I got this great DVD yesterday from a series called 'At home with the Experts', Laura Wasilowski Teaches you to create fused Art Quilts [put out by C&T publishing]Man I think I might be getting a few more of these they are sooo much fun they also seem to go with the books that these different teachers have put out. I'm still waiting on my Fused Art Quilt book from Amazons so shows the service is quick.

Time of Year ...

It must be that 'time of year' for our dove families that live in our Golden Canes. We have lots of clumps of Golden Canes around our yard - gives the place that real tropical feel... anyway there are a couple doves that have been just so busy over the last few weeks picking just the 'right' twig for their nests ... They are just busy busy busy... Of course this wind we are having at the present isn't helping their situation at all ... All very interesting & relaxing to watch ...

Sunday Outing ... wet, cold & windy - what the heck!!!

We have been having a wet time of it lately, hey, I'm not complaining, it's great 'send it down Huey'... But I decided I was sick of being cooped up so went to visit with my girlfriend Luc. for lunch the other Sunday. We had a great lunch at the Sheoak Shack that I've shown you before here so afterward we went for a walk up to the lighthouse. The sea was rough, with lots of 'white horses', wouldn't of been out in it for quids. Gosh it was so windy we just about needed an anchor to stay on the land-side of things ... lol. but Hey those kids still find climbing the rocks an adventure, wind or no wind, cold or not ... ohh how I remember those days ... ha ha

Hafla fun ...

The other weekend I got to go to our youngest daughter & Grandies' Bellydancing Hafla - what fun we had ... We went to Tan. in Dec last year and she looked so like our 'little princess' and all she wanted was her Mum to join her which Lau. has and she seems to be enjoying it immensely, which is great. DH ha been quiet sick with a bad cough most of the week, so he stayed home but sorry, I wasn't missing out that's for sure ... here are our two beauties. Next time they have a Hafla they want to do a mother, daughter dance which I'm looking forward too. Just look at that concentration ... but they assured me they had a great time even though Lau. found it tough to 'expose' herself soo much in public but she looked beautiful ... her outfit was actually black with purple binding & silver frilly. Tan. was a lovely blue and they both love the coin belt/scarves that they wrap around their hips ... have had a go at making one for Tan. but with very long fringing & hologram braid - the coins are so expensive it is cheaper to buy them already made ...

Adelaide Trip...

Lucy & I flew to Adelaide in the middle of May to teach a stamping project to the folks from Kaszazz [formerly Crafty Kids]. We arrived mid a very cool windy snap plus rain - I think we had nearly forgotten what it was ... ha ha First thing we did was go off to the Central Market? we have been before & loved them ... I think I'd be right in saying that we enjoyed the most beautiful mocha ever service there ... so delightful and of course I love to people watch so made for a pleasant experience. We had a lovely 3-4 days in Adelaide with great company. The venue for the conference where we were teaching was made to look like an Australian Shed and had these lovely sculptures at the entrance... The building was what could be described as a pole house/building made of very large tree/telegraph poles. The main area inside was divided by large rainbow drapes plus white tenting? looked like, but lots of them had paintings of Australian old country scenes & Australian icons in sepia and or burnt sienna. These sheets/tent walls could be moved to accommodate whatever the area was to be used for ... very interesting & versatile. Of course there were heaps of old relics around to be admired as well. Here is one section of one of the groups of folks we taught and the book we taught ... of course this is one I have added to, as we just taught the basic book given the time allowed. After we finished on the Sunday arvo we went back to where we were staying which was right next door - making it all very convenient for all. The sun was out and sunset was approaching so we decided to have a look around & find the beach. It was lovely & we spent an hour or so just taking photos and then some lovely photos of the sunset. The sun seemed to be setting over the ocean but a local told me that was because we were actually on a peninsular [who am I not to believe him?] and the sun was really setting over the beach/coastline. This was still wonderful to us as we live on the eastern coastline of Australia and the sun comes up over the sea there & sets over the mountains so it was a lovely sight to behold. We have had the most wonderful privilege to actually see the sun set over the sea in Western Australia when teaching in Perth a few years back plus when we were in California, 2000 on a selling/sightseeing trip. We sat in the park overlooking the beach at Oceanside on our way back to Los Angeles after our day trip to San Diego. I am most grateful for some of the most wonderful sights & great times I've had while travelling with my mate Lucy.
Here is a bit of a laugh for you ... our travelling company of late has been Lulu and of course when we got back from the beach she had been running amok eating the chocolate so she had to stay home while we went out for a lovely fish tea...ha ha

Continuing ... Sis' birthday

No sooner we put Dallas on the plane home & I was busy getting things ready for Lucy & I to teach in Adelaide, South Australia. Before we were to leave Hubby & I got to celebrate my sister's 70th birthday - hey Sis how did you get to be that age??? She certainly isn't your typical 70 year old being very active & enjoying a very busy & full life. Her hubby [looking at the camera] also celebrated his birthday the week before along with their friend. We had a wonderful BBQ with their many friends, at an old picnic area that has been all refurbished in recent years. Everybody brought along their food speciality to share... yummm Some of their friend they have known each other for 50 years while others they have met along the road in their travels as 'grey-haired nomads' - sadly that means they have known me since I was very young & could tell some dreadful stories about what I used to say & do ... drrr ... I'm sure they were only 'stories' they had made up or embellished over the years ...lol

Good Golly Miss Molly ...

Good Golly Miss Molly ... where has the last 4 weeks gone - yes four weeks since my last post & I haven't even really been away on holidays but I have been here & there that's for sure ...
When I lost wrote we still have our O/S daughter holidaying with us & we were off for a girlie few days up bush, with our eldest daughter plus they youngest daughter & littles came with us as well. We had a wonderful couple of days - the girls had heaps to catch-up on & the cousins loved catching up too.No bad when you are in a country school cause the teacher will let you have half a day off so you can go home to play with your cousins so, the kids got the best of both as they were able to walk J. to school and then play with him in the arvo.The mornings were very entertaining feeding a couple of kookaburras who come each morning for some raw mince and don't you be thinking of forgetting to feed them either as they sure let you know ... they are even cheeky enough to come back in the arvo for some more but they are outta luck as they have to get there own can't have the wildlife relying on hand-out food.Y. will no doubt kill me for this photo with her hat-hair but she had just got home from work ... they are all looking a tad tired tooo many late nights & early mornings catching-up on their lives. The next great event was Lucy's birthday that we all got celebrate at our local favourite spot. The next day we all went up to Tambourine Markets for Mother's Day and then a quick trip over to see my Mum ... having Dallas at home for Mother's Day was a bonus this year. Here she is with Nanna [my Mum] It was all very tiring for Dallas as usually she had had a very busy visit here and before we could say 'Chips Rafferty' it was time for her to go home again ... goodness knows what I've done to this photo but I think it is effective ... Gilly, our toy poodle loves Dallas & she always likes to share the couch with her... time to go ... & for me too be back to fill you in some more later ...

Mother's Day this Sunday ...

Gosh I can't believe it is Mother's Day here this Sunday ... which means I have a son having a birthday on Thurs, my girlfriend's Fri & then it's Mother's Day ... where is this year going ... Here is one of the Mother's Day cards I made for my hubby's Mum & my Mum both in there 90's. I'm away for a few days with our daughters so this will be an early Mother's Day for me ... what more could I ask for to have them together as now that they are all adults with families of their own it is so hard to get the family together at one time ...

More Cards ...

Well I did get some more cards done yesterday ... hope they like them ...

Wedding Card ...

I can now show you the wedding card I made for our O/S daughter to give her girlfriend for her wedding this w/e. Yes it is another birdie one [ really do have these birds on the brain don't I...] but when I was at my daughter's place for Anzac Day she had the latest[here that is] Creating Keepsakes? think that was the name of the scrapbooking mag but ex-pat Emily Falconbridge had an article in this book about painting a bird book so this is how this version of my birds card came about ... Em was covering the bird book with paper towel - of course mine is a much smaller version but I still liked it as one layer of paper towel came off one bird so the birds are a tad different being one negative & the other positive - if you get my drift [OK got pull a piece of paper towel apart & you'll see what I mean ... ha ha] I painted them with pearl white paint & then highlighted them with gold paint - hope they liked it as it was going to be a 30 min card that turned into a 3 hour card - as I always seem to be so good at doing.... talking card making I'm off to my shed now to make another batch of cards today.
this evening I'm picking up my youngest daughter with her tiddly winks. They are sleeping over then in the morning we pick-up our O/S daughter who is staying an hour or so away for the wedding & then we are off up to our eldest daughter for a couple of nights ... poor old Pa has to stay at home with Gilly no more room in the vehicle [secretly he is pleased - time to himself ... loves the Grandies but only in small doses ... ha ha] So we should have a wonderful girlie/family time over the next few days. Well it's off to the shed now ... first things first...

New Banner ...

When I went to visit our daughter for Anzac Day even though we were only going to be there a day or so I just had to take something to do with my hands so had a banner ironed together to work on ... I still haven't quite worked out how I will hang it but am very pleased with the flow of colours & beads. I'm working on getting the colours to flow from one to the other - it's all a bit of fun. At present I'm setting up another straight banner for a wedding present for one of our daughter's friends - I know the wedding was this w/e but am I ever on time ... ha ha

He's a clever little Chap ...

Yes, he is a clever little chap but I must also congratulate his Mum [our eldest daughter] on her patience as I'm sure it became quite a 'chore' to get him to finish this little project for their little one day local Show. Of course he was as pleased as punch to win first prize with it in the Craft Section for Primary School age kids - he is 8 years old. He actually won quite a few prizes with different categories so won the overall prize for the most entries/wins. Good on you Jayden. When I was visiting them a few weeks back for Easter, J. wanted to have a go at a Fabric PostCard like I was working on so he drew his own car and put it together himself - he was having a few problems with getting the needle through - seems Marnie was using way to large a needle - thanks Jean for setting me straight with that one Gosh it's making life so much easier ... ha ha, anyway as you can see his did do a great job and I'm sure it will always be a 'keeper'. We often paint a canvas & decorate it for the Show but this is certainly something a little different.
My F-I-L did lovely Fancy Work [as it was called in those days] when he was a young man then he moved onto making mats outta old hessian bags & strips of old clothes with a special tool [sorry but the name of this evades me at this moment in time] - of course we must remember 'necessity was the mother of invention' in those days and they were living in a 'tent' house in a mining town in it's early days but my Hubby remembers them fondly. Dad has since past away, it would of been lovely to have had something of what he made but of course in those days 'a man making such beauty' was all a bit hush hush sadly, especially in the harsh realities of a mining town. Maybe J. has inherited the creative genes from both sides of his Mum's families.

Anzac Day 2008

Gosh, I can't believe it's been a week since my last blog post but we were away over Anzac Day but returned in time to pick up our overseas living daughter who is here in Oz for her girlfriend's wedding this w/e. So all in all it's been a rather busy time.
We spent Anzac Day with out eldest daughter & her family - something we have been doing for a couple of years now as the boys like to spend Anzac Day with Pa, plus march with him. This year was just a little more special as our eldest Grandson turned 16 and has just recently joined Army Cadets so was able to march in uniform. He was so proud to do that & man were we proud of him too...his mother & I shed a tear... thinking he is becoming a grown up already Here he is after the Dawn Service... In Mt Perry after the Dawn Service everyone is invited to visit the cemetery to lay Poppies on the graves of Returned Soldiers. There is a great network of folks in the town & one lady has researched the cemetery to find who & where all the Returned Soldiers are resting and then other folks come along & place small flags & tealight candles on each of the Returned Diggers graves & while the Dawn Service is being conducted the candles are light so when the Service is over & we go out there, the cemetery is light by the flicker of these little candles as the sun has still not popped over the hill ... it's quite eerie but so beautiful & moving ... After the laying of Poppies we all go back to the Council Park, in town for a BBQ breakfast. For such a small community & a very small RSL[ Returned Service League] they all do such a stirling job and is a credit to the community spirit. Here are the 'boys' after Breakfast on the way home for a nap before the march. We all go back up the street around 11.00 for the march where the school kids are dressed in school uniform and the few Diggers that live in the town & surrounding district come to march. After a small service wreaths are laid on the cenotaph & the local school children lay a little bunch of flowers each. After the service, lunch is served in the hall next door - the CWA ladies have been busy all morning making sandwiches etc so it's a good time for towns folks to catch-up. Here are the three boys after the midday service & march.

Time to go again ...

Gosh it seems like only the other day we were up visiting with our eldest daughter & family but it is time again. We have been spending Anzac Day with them the last few years as the boys like to march with Pa. This year will be a bit more special as our eldest Grandie turns 16 today, he is now an Army Cadet so will be able to march in his uniform, with Pa. Pa will be very proud, I hope to get some nice photos of this special occasion. We'll be at their place in time to have his birthday tea with him - Gosh where has the time gone, I clearly remember being there when he was born & although many many things have happened & changed in our lives, his birth only seems like yesterday.
I made a couple of cards yesterday for the boys as well as one for our daughter's friends new baby ...

We will only be gone a couple of days as our daughter who lives in New Zealand is coming over for a little visit so we are picking her up from the airport ... talk about excitement in the last couple of weeks ... makes me dizzy thinking about it all, but, very happy, it's been & is going to be soooo great...