This is...........my favourite book

This is.............................so hard. Thanks to Dees for this weeks great theme.

I have books that I love, whose pages are all scrinkly because I dropped them in the bath that have been read and reread, visited often like an old friend.

I have books that I read for peace, quiet calm meditative books that I turn to when my brain is too full for anything else.

Books make me cry - I can go and see the saddest movie in the world and be saddened but no tears, and yet to read the same story would have me weeping uncontrollably.

I have books that I gobble up greedily the minute they are released because I love the author and I know what to expect and how their rhythm works.

There are books I read for work, that are not literary masterpieces but they have just the right amount of toilet humour to encourage young kids to read, so I love them for that.

There are books that have left little shadows of themselves within me, and there are books that haunt me, stories or characters that are so real that I grieve a little when there is no more story to read.

There are books that sing, and flow and are easy to devour, that are uplifting.

and then there is this book.

which is all of the above and more.

Super quick gifts

Yesterday I bought these interesting blanks for key rings, I just grabbed them at the counter with no real idea what I would use them for.

This morning I had an idea !

I simply ironed some Vliesofix to the back of a few scraps and stitched a little picture onto a bit of homespun. To cover the stitching I just put another scrap on the back, popped it into the keyring and pressed the back on.

It took maybe 15 minutes from thought to finished !

Then I got excited and dug out the embroidery hoop to make this letter.

and popped one of my favourite little Auntie cookie characters in the back.

You could put a tiny stitchery in here or a favourite piece of fabric - you know those last wee scraps we save because we just don't want it to be all gone. You could pop in photos or nice papers.......I think they are pretty cute for little gifts , maybe a thankyou !

I might have to go and buy more...

Hi Guys, I'm glad you like these, the more I think about them the more ideas I have. I bought mine locally at a needlework shop for $1.50 each. When I got the first comment about where they came from I thought I could go and buy them and post them off to people , but I don't think they will have enough.

I just did a quick trawl through Ebay - search for keyring blank- and you'll find heaps. The little house one has an insert size of approx 45mm x 28 mm and the round one measures approx 42 mm across the insert.

Ebay has all sorts of shapes and of course the more you buy , the better the deal. The back sort of clicks in quite firmly and are hard to reopen.

Now I'll be stalking blogland to see what everyone else does with them.

*Oh and vliesofix is like wunder under , a double sided iron on adhesive used for applique.

Blog housework....blogwork?

I went back to the doctor today who tut tutted a bit and suggested another 2 weeks on crutches......well actually she kind of ordered another 2 weeks, rather than suggested but you know, maybe she was just being bossy- surely its open to interpretation.

I have had a few ideas kicking around in my brain for some dolly friends but have been struggling to find the right fabric - so today I took the plunge and decided to dye my own. I was going for a soft pink and a taupe-ish colour .....




Not quite what I finished with, but I think they are still do-able. Next time it will be less dye or more fabric!

Together these remind me of Neapolitan ice cream.

Here comes the house (blog) work bit, Lots of people have emailed about the previous post and I am sorry but the dollies are not ready yet - you saw them in their one and only outfits, they need cardis and coats and another frock at least, not to mention hats and bags and scarves and so on. Thanks for all the sweet comments. I was going to mention all that palaver in the post but then again,................

I am at a bit of a loss about the whole Etsy / blog thing.

I know that the blog is a great way to let people see the dollies (and I do love to create their little stories) but I don't want people to think - Oh there's Jodie trying to flog stuff again..... at the same time I get emails asking if I sell stuff , and I reply and explain and give them the link....

I did have my Etsy shop on the sidebar with little dolly pics, but when they sold and the shop is empty - it doesn't show up. I am happy enough to just have a little link over there, its the whole showing stuff off or letting people know stuff is available via the blog that I am unsure about....................

But then again,

Blah blah blah brain fudge.

Yikes, Lucky I don't have important stuff to think about isn't it, like the state of the planet or anything

I know lots of people have Etsy shops or other shops and blogs as well, so whats the balance guys - share some thoughts please?????

and then there were four..............

EVA

Hello I am Eva and because it is nearly my birthday in maybe nine or twenty sleeps I get to be first and to tell you what happened.

Well ! Outside when we were playing hide and seek, I went to hide in the hedge and I did and it was a bit scratchy and when I came out Polly yelled at me that I had blood on my leg and

I looked and I went uh -oh and it really hurt and I cried.

Polly

So then Eva had to go inside and she cried a lot and a lot and we heared her from outside and we waited for her to come back and I did some forward rolls but I got dirty and forward rolls are not good for doing in dresses. Lottie did a handstand and then fell over

and I said that hand stands are not good because then everyone can see you undies and Lottie poked her tongue out at me.

Lottie

Eva came back to play but she had a bandage on her leg and I said that was good. I don't like band aids because when you are better and it has to come off they hurt really lots and they pull all your skin hairs out and it hurts even in the bath.

So I said I would play hairdressers with Eva until she felt better but Eva said not to be messy on her bun and maybe Ester would be a good hairdresser and not me. Ester didn't know what happened because she wasn't being attentions with us at all. So I said I didn't want to play hairdressers I wanted to play gymnastics anyway.

Ester

In the garden I picked some flowers and I saw a bug that had sort of dots on and it went on a leaf and then it went on some grass and I tried to pick it up on a different leaf but it didn't want to go on my leaf but I didn't touch it with my hands because Jodie said not to pick up bugs what you don't know in case they are biting sorts.

Eva was crying a lot and then her leg limped so I gave my flowers to her and she got all cheered up. After that we had snacks and Jodie said to please all be in a line for a photo and not to pull faces.

So we just had our normal faces on.

This is........a lot of links

I've been noodling about again and this is a bit of a catch up post. I have been working on my two mini quilts for Lucy's swap. One for my swap partner and of course one for Lucy herself.

I had a go at something new to me for these quilts and I am busting to show you, but don't panic I can see it taking over for a while so you will have plenty of time to get sick of it after the swap is done.



I've been meaning to show you this cute fabric I recently bought from Ballarat Patchwork.

and to let you know that Emma is having a giveaway over on her blog.

(er I stole your pic Em...hope thats ok)

I have also been meaning to mention that there is a great competition over at Lino Forest as well
In this morning's Age magazine , there is great article and gorgeous Pip from Meet Me at Mikes is featured. I waved while I had brekky Pip. That reminds me to mention the fantastic project Pip is heading up again this year. Softies for Mirabel.

Please go and check it out. Maybe you could find time to make a softie for a special kid for this Christmas? I'm in and so is Connor-he had great fun designing his own softie last year.

I have been shockingly slack with the This is meme but this week (Thanks to Knit owl)we have to show this is...........my latest discovery.......

Don't look now

Blij als mij

The two newest additions to my ever growing blog lines list.

The post where I am revealed as a great big sook.

Remember my sore foot? Well, four days of as little walking as possible and it seemed to be on the mend. Three hours at work today and .................... a trip to emergency for an X-Ray.

I am now the proud user of these.............................

and by golly , they make having a sore foot feel like a picnic.

My under-arms are rubbed raw and I think my bra under wires will have to be surgically removed from my sides at the end of the day. I am so very very bad at ambulating on these things , that old people , like seriously old people were overtaking me on the footpath and asking me if I was OK. I fell up the gutter twice and dropped one crutch down some stairs. It was kinda like my legs went out drinking and forgot to tell the rest of me..


I am on them for a week to start with - and no, nobody has any idea what is wrong my foot. We know it is not broken so that's good I guess.
I am not a good patient , I am whingey and whiney and generally grumpy. I am cross because I am in pain , and because my foot is stupid and because my crutches are obviously faulty and I am supposed to be moving the bloody library into the new building next week - Ha !!!

I am cross because I cannot just whip anywhere, like the post office or the patchwork shop or even the bloody letterbox at this rate, without having to organise half the family to get my bag, carry my stuff, just pick up that thing off the floor, pass me the other crutch, move things, open doors and generally join the passing parade that is Jodie-hauling-her-behind-from-one spot-to-another parade.


You know what? It is lucky I put in all that time over the weekend learning to accelerate the sewing machine with my right foot.

Slugs and snails

Slugs

and snails

and puppy-dog tails.

A recent influx of boy babies (like 2) gave me an excuse to work on the buckets a bit more. Even though I love the buckets over in the side bar - I have always wanted to have a go at some that are more ...well...buckety, if you know what I mean.

So after a few wonky starts. I ended up with these.

This shape is definitely my new favourite for containers. The bottom has a fabric covered templastic circle sewn to it so they stand quite well and the wool blend fabric has enough texture to forgive the wonky hand sewing of the base.




The only thing I am not sold on , is the handles (artfully fashioned from some wire coat hangers).

Oh and I realise the slug kinda looks like an alien.

I still want them to be wire, so I don't want to cover them, I just want nicer wire-maybe black??? Any suggestions ?

In non buckety news

• I have a sore foot and it is all strapped up so I have learnt to accelerate my sewing machine with my other foot.


• Miss Jemma just scored the LEAD role in the school production (but you know, like it's no big deal mum , you don't have to go telling the whole world.) It is The Wiz, a jazzed up version of The Wizard of Oz. (I so want to make her a Dorothy frock...)


• I have joined Lucy Lockets Mini quilt swap and will be swapping with the very talented Monda loves.

and I thought knitting with wool was hard................can you imagine knitting with televisions?

Do you love him enough?

Do you love your postman?

If your home and you hear the putt putt of his little motorbike, does your heart beat just that bit faster?

If you find your letterbox empty do you scan the street to see if anyone else has visible mail to determine if he's been yet?


Do you understand the difference in his timetable from day to day -(always later on Fridays)?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions I guess you are an online shopper / craft swapper.

The first two pictures are my beautiful presents from a little swap I joined with Bliss......by Luv Abby. What I didn't take a photo of (its hard to take a picture of your own arm) is the signature !! Yes my delicious arm warmers read Ric on one and Rac on the other - Man I feel so cool! (you know in a 38 yr old librarian kind of way)

Abby also generously sent along some gorgeous ribbons and trims and fabrics- I feel a bit spoilt to be honest - Thanks so much Abby. Knitting in any form amazes me , but these are so detailed with special curly cables on them - it must have taken you ages !

The other picture are of felt bought on Ebay and gorgeous little mushies from The craftsy shop

Of course none of these things actually came from the postman personally , but in the age of online shopping, with all the parcels that get delivered (yes a lot of them a squishy and deceptively fabric-like) he seems to get some credit by default .

So I salute the postman !

I love it when he brings letters,

I love it even more when he brings parcels.

In fact I should be happy he even stops at our house, considering Mr Ric Rac accidentally ran over his predecessor!

( Don't worry, he is fine and now delivers Flowergarden's mail)

Quick craft

Some little Gocco printed felt toys for the dollies and monkeys. I used Gocco stamp ink for cloth and printed onto wool felt.

In a quest for pocket money Connor has been ironing his way through a garbage bag of vintage fabric scraps - I really think he just loves squirting water all over the fabric.!

(If you think they don't look very well ironed, that would be because he popped them on my chair and I sat on them - oops.)

That one on the right just kills me - I had to use it straight away.

How excited was I to see that little cherry - it is offset , I just love it.

Extreme crafting - resin jewellery

Usually the holidays give me time to catch up with crafty friends- we like to plan a whole crafting day and often try something new that one or a few of us are keen on. We have tried all sorts of things in the past.

This holidays- led by the art teacher from school, we were all set to try our hand at hand casting some resin jewellery.

In her haste and excitement to join the Fat Quarters for a crafting day, on her way to the car with a box of supplies for us, the art teacher promptly fell down, broke her leg and her ankle and ripped her tendons in the other ankle ! YIKES.


Of course, we didn't know this on the day , we simply proceeded without her , by reading the instructions on the tin and using what we had each gleaned from our favourite source , the Internet.


Don't let this stuff fool you. I know it is the colour of champagne and it has bubbles like champagne - but boy oh boy it stinks. (We wore masks and worked outside-I told you it was extreme).
We used a variety of moulds, some specific to resin casting ( available from spotlight) and some were flexible ice-cube trays or small flexible cake tins.

We popped all sorts of things in after the first layer of resin had been poured....... You have to wait till it is set enough to take the weight of the object and the carefully pop your weeny little object in.

This is a little shell that a friend gave me and a bit of old broken watch machinery.They are resting on the first layer of resin and waiting to be filled up.
Our pieces took longer to set than suggested (like 2 days) but that could be because it has been really cold here lately. Also, we found that the ones that had resin dye in them took longer than the others to set.
The watch machinery in clear resin

Some beads A piece of tape measure.

These are my favourite , I had it in mind to make some handles for a new (very very ugly) set of drawers I have under my sewing table. These were the experiment set. I bought this mould at spotlight as well and the "doings" to turn them into knobs.

Verdict: We had loads of smelly fun doing this. I have a new respect for all those resin artists out there - it is not easy to do this tidily at all. I will do it again because I already have the moulds and am keen to make some drawer knobs for the ugly drawers. I can't see myself ever making jewellery but slightly chunkier things like fridge magnets would be great !

We visited the art teacher in hospital today - she is feeling much better but kind of bedridden until she can walk on the least bad foot. Then it is probably 6 weeks at home "resting". She is worried she will get bored................................really ! ...........hasn't she ever heard of blogging?

We have promised to teach her all about it!