Blue Angel

The gift projects got to have a rest today while I worked on another Angel in the rainbow series - today it is the Blue one. I like how they all look different with their different coloured backgrounds and threads. I have lots of ideas about how they might go together once I am done but I will wait to see how many I make before I make a final decision. The cooler wet weather makes me just want to stay inside and stitch, and that is exactly what I have been doing for the past two days. Yesterday I did manage a walk between showers but not today! Happy Crafting

I did It!

I have seen these little square zippered pouches all around cyberspace a lot and I really wanted to make one of my own, well I have made lots of bags and pouch things and I thought it really couldn't be that hard could it? Well no, it was not hard, I just had difficulty getting my head around how to get the zip in the right place, silly really when I figured out how! So I whipped this little one up from some leftover squares and I am in Love. There will definitely be some more of these coming up shortly, they are too cool and great to make from scraps like this one.Here is a picture of some of the cards which the group made yesterday, as you can see the variety was amazing when everyone was working with the same challenge guidelines. Some are similar, but most are very different and that is not just about the colour. I was very inspired by the other participants designs and sharing tools is always good with papercrafts.

Hope you had a good Monday, the weather was very cool and dark here so I spent the day inside stitching, we are currently experiencing a taste of winter with some of the mountains having snow yesterday!

Happy Crafting

A good way to spend Sunday Afternoon

So what do you get when you take some of this, and some of these??

I spent the afternoon today at a friends house with 5 other like minded crafters and we had lots of fun creating these...

Every 45 mins we had a new challenge.. the categories were very broad and we were able to create whatever style of card we liked. The above is my creation from the card using scrapbook papers, you could use whatever other items so long as it included the requirement of the challenge.

This one is from the 'card in a colour you do not normally use' category. I always do bold so I played with pastels and while it is difficult to see the detail in the photo, it is quite a pretty card.

These two are gift cards, that was the only requirement here.

We had a lovely afternoon and achieved several cards each, I like the idea of sharing resources in this kind of activity, the company was good and of course there was plenty of food to eat.

Hope your weekend was a productive one.

Happy Crafting

Applique wall hanging

Just popping in to say Hi! I have spent a lot of this week dealing with a Government Dept. where it appears that you must talk to every employee before any action can be taken! I have managed to save my sanity just, with a little stitching. I have been working on the Home project some more and now I am up to here. No everything is not stitched down yet, I'm ready for a serious sewing session tonight. Ofcourse I had to go on a research mission as I want to personalise this project, and I found that panel vans are not the most popular car in my neighbourhood, as that is what my dad drives I needed to find one to get the shape right. Oh sure I found one just around the corner, but I walked the opposite way down the street. Well I had fun peeking in all the driveways and it was a lovely day for a walk, unlike today which will be an inside day just as soon as I get back from said Govt Dept where I need to speak with someone new!

I have signed up for AuntPittyPats latest Annie Doll Swap and you may like to join too, sign ups close end of April. She has already hosted an Annie swap and the cutest little dollies are landing in unexpected places about now.

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I have done more work on my latest swap project but I can't show that here as my partner knows where to look! I'll just have to keep it all a secret for now. I am thinking that I should finish early so that I can enjoy it for a bit before it goes to live in its new home.

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Now it's the weekend - hope yours is full of lots of creative fun.

Happy Crafting

Check this out

Okay, so I have been for another tour of cyberspace, thought I'd check some things before getting down to serious business - I am going to make the sewing machine do some work today! I got the trees sewed down on the Home applique yesterday and am busy making plans about other appropriate elements to include like the car and truck which were always a feature in the front yard. What do I want you to check out, well go here and see the cute doll and enter the giveaway - she is up for grabs and I have to say now that I have won something in cyberspace I am a very happy traveller. Oh and check out the other really cute things she has been making. Hope your week is going well! Happy Crafting

Look what came in the mail

I was lucky enough to win one of Helena's giveaways when she launched her patterns online and this came in the mail yesterday, something else to start soon. I am trying to be a little restrained about starting another project as there are a few piled up already which have definite end dates. Best just focus for five minutes or more. This will definitely be my next start, I have read the pattern and it is clear and easy to follow I love the colours which Helena has used in her design they are just so fresh. I did some stitching on the swap project and the Home project yesterday and I have to say I am happy with how they are both coming together. You will see some more of them here soon. Hope your week is going well. Happy Crafting

Stitching Angel and swap

I continued stitching angels on the weekend and completed this one in purple. I like her the best so far, but I will probably change my mind again when I do a few more. They are all from the same Red Brolly design but I do not think they are all the same. After another email conversation with Jantine my paper bag swap partner I finally made a start on a project and because I am so happy with my choices I just wanted to share a peek, I don't think I am giving away too much?

Have a great week with lots of creative activity.

Happy Crafting

Angels come to play

This may just be the reason why things don't get finished around here! As the weather was very pleasant earlier in the week I thought I'd go sit at the beach with some stitching, so I traced an angel as my current projects are too big. I started her at the beach and then came home and finished her the same evening. Yesterday as I had an appointment I thought I would take another angel to do while waiting around. Yes, you guessed I came home and completed that one. So now I have a pink angel and a red angel from the same Red Brolly design - I am thinking a rainbow of angels may be my next big project?I have been enjoying a quiet week here in my little part of the world with lots of time for stitching and it looks like the weekend may just involve some stitching too. Enjoy your weekend. Happy Crafting

Easter Indulgence

We had beautiful days over the Easter weekend so I spent time each day walking along the beach and did not get as much sewing accomplished as I planned. Of course there was a lot of Chocolate consumed so I probably should have walked even further than the beach! I did make a start on the new project and am happy with how it is coming together so far. I changed the colours to suit our environment, including the white house which my parents have always had, you're right it needs windows and a door. I have been working slowly on my cross stitch project and am very happy with the way it is coming along. The colours are quite vivid making it an easy design to work. Below is a shot of the picture so far.

The last picture is not my work but the work of a friend who visited yesterday. She took the Red Brolly block from the Australian Homespun Breast of Friends series and combined it with a teacup stitchery to make this small wall quilt. It is just beautiful and completed with some simple hand quilted hearts on the dark red borders.

Hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy Easter and did not indulge in too much chocolate.

Happy Crafting

Beginning a Project

My plan for Easter break is to create a small quilt from the fabrics pictured. Using the Home Among the Gum Trees design by the ladies at Banksia Memories, which appeared in Australian Homespun January 2009. It is to be a present for the Old People who will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary next month. They have lived on the same property surrounded by natural bushland for the past 50 years, this quilt is just perfect and if I start now I may even be finished in time?? I hope your Easter is a good one with family, friends and bunnies of the chocolate variety of course. Happy Crafting

What have we here?

I believe the post people may have got my message last week, I got this in the post yesterday from Jantine, my partner in the Paper Bag swap, she only posted it Thursday from the Netherlands. Lots of my favourite colour RED and plenty of embellishments to inspire me, buttons, ricrac, metallic thread and some braid. The red spotty with white lace edge is actually a type of binding which could be a bit of a challenge! I have a few ideas so I will have to decide which to do. I have completed more Happy House blocks today. After all my practising I think I have finally made some which are suitable for swapping. I will be posting these off to Lurline next week.I won one of Helena's patterns in her recent giveaway and can't wait to see it in real life. A small quilt with a Sewing Angel on it, she will come in very handy, I am thinking for all those projects which I forget to finish before starting new things! Hope your week is productive. Happy Crafting

Finishes this week

The sewing all comes together eventually. I finished these bookmarks, an easy project with the simple stitcheries backed with felt. The project appears in Handmade Vol 26 No 3 and there are three more animals, maybe next. Some animals that I worked on during the week got their eyes today and are now finished waiting for new homes. The platypus is from the pattern by Kate Henderson of Two Little Banshees which appeared in Australian Homespun in January 2009. The star fish are my own design, I made some back in December for the Toy Society Christmas, I decided this fabric was just perfect for some bright starfish.And because the bunnies are still breeding here there is one more Bunny pouch ready for an Easter gift for a friend who saw the last bunch and decided she needed one too.

What to do with a dull grey Sunday afternoon? More sewing of course. I still have more softies in various stages of production, the process got interrupted last week when I ran out of stuffing! I've fixed that now. I just need to finish what I started.

Hope your weekend is productive and the sun is shining where you are!

Happy Crafting

Easter Swap goodies

It seems my Easter Swap package arrived from Sweden in record time as I recieved it today when it was only posted on Friday of last week by Helena. She made me this gorgeous quilt wall hanging in all my favourite colours, just right for brightening up my kitchen, the work is beautiful and I know I will enjoy it lots. Oh and she included some Swedish chocolate which I am hoping to save for Easter, somehow I don't like my chances. Below is a picture of all the gorgeous stamps which were on my package, ever so cute and very colourful, chocolate dipped strawberries, hot chocolate and chocolate cup with a cherry on top among others. They are all very nice and I was wondering if there is a stamp collector out there who would appreciate them. I am willing to send them on if anyone is interested.

The lovely Helena has recently started her own web store to sell patterns for her beautiful designs, check it out here. Go over and say hi and don't forget to enter her giveaway.

Thanks to Julie for hosting this fun swap and to Helena for the goodies I recieved.

I will be back in the next day or so with some things that I have been working on between the day job.

Happy Crafting