1. Jodie is such a caring person, full of the spirit of Christmas. She lovingly cut and pasted personalised gift tags for all her Christmas gifts.
2. Jodie forgot to buy gift tags and refuses to go anywhere a near a shop so she hacked up the weekend newspaper to make gift tags for the family Kris Kringle (and the rest of the non-public gifts have people’s name written on the wrapping in sharpie)
may your halls be decked..if hall decking is your thing.
I have spoken before about the absolute deliciousness of 100% wool felt and you know that I use it all the time. I do tend to bang on about it but really, once you use it you will be a convert too.
Even though I buy my felt in larger pieces, there is just something so appealing about a stack of felt squares isn’t there? I find myself imagining a little creature to make for every single colour
Little bears and forest creatures and aquamarine floaty kind of under the sea things
There are no hoops to jump through…just tell me of a little felt creature you would like to see come to life to be in the running to win this felt.
Jude will be standing by to pick a winner next week- and don’t be fooled, he isn’t really reading that sticker – he can’t read upside down.
(last weeks winner is Christina Lowry of Christina Lowry designs.
I have to say I loved reading all the comments about books…as a library chick I read a lot of books and I hardly ever blog about it – it was nice, I might do it again)
Are you on the ball?
juggling lots of balls?
keeping all your balls in the air?
Behind the eight ball?
having a ball?
Is the ball in your court?
I dropped the ball so long ago I don’t even know where to begin looking for it.
Quite some time ago, Penguin Publishing asked me if I would like to receive review copies of books to chat about on the blog. Hello ! I said yes, they sent me a craft book and I reviewed it and gave it away. Then nothing for ages and ages. All of a sudden a few weeks ago these beauties arrived in the mail. Picnic at Hanging Rock and I can Jump Puddles.
No explanation. They don’t even send a cover letter, so I have no idea if the expect me to give them away or what, but I feel better about giving them away so I will.
The blurb states that “Penguin Books is excited to launch the Australian Children’s Classic series. This beautiful Collection re-imagines our country’s most enduring stories for new readers to discover and old fans to revisit with affection.”
These books are very beautiful, the bindings are gorgeous and the quality is fantastic.
I remember a teacher reading I can jump puddles aloud each afternoon when I was in about Grade 5. I adored it ! It was my favourite part of every single day. Do you know I can’t even picture the teachers face but I can close my eyes and describe to you in detail the hospital that Alan stayed in as described in the book.
How about you – do you have book or a picture in your mind from a book that has stayed with you from when you were a kid? Let me know and I'll pick someone at random to win these two beautiful books.
(and if I had to be critical, I do think the covers look too ‘young’ for the contents of the book. From a library perspective,I think they will appeal to kids to young for the content , but maybe that's my 100 yrs in a Primary school that renders me conservative- Do you know the stories? What do you think?)
On Friday night I went to the very busy evening Launch of the Pop-Up shop in Ballarat. Forgive the photos, it was inside at night and it was packed !
I wish I could show you what I bought, but it is so obviously a present for someone who reads my blog that I am going to refrain. There was so much goodness to choose from.
I had a little flier for the Pop Up shop in my handbag so we all know where that is now (or rather we don’t know …grrrr) So I am going to wing it a bit and tell you it is open every day until Sunday from 12 – 4pm and also Friday evening.
You can check out more photos and stuffs on Bookface.
It is a fantastic initiative and well worth popping in for a visit. It is at the Backspace gallery which is the Camp Street side of the Art gallery.
If I get my you-know-what together, I’ll be back with Tuesday Rotate tomorrow.
Be well people of the internets (and lock your doors).
There is so much to tell you , AQM, Pop-up shop, Tuesdays Rotates x 4… too much so I will start with the newest.
Last night someone came into our house and robbered us while we were asleep. They took my handbag and Mr Ric Rac’s wallet. The iPad, the camera , all the stuff sitting nearby wasn’t touched. I’m guessing they were hoping for cash.
So… it’s annoying and we spent a lot of time on the phone to the banks etc. this morning. As the day wore on, I kept thinking about other things like my sunglasses, my purse full of receipts, my very attractive work badge, my actual wallet and I got a bit crankier with each new hassle.
and then it dawned on me….. They stole my handbag !!! I’m going to have to make a new one. Do they think I have time for that ? How rude. I think it might just be time to buy a handbag like normal people do.
I believe someone is a little embarrassed.
If you are playing along at home, you will know that Leanne Beasley, Rosalie Quinlan and I headed off up to Warracknabeal on Friday. Leanne picked me up just after a little misread-the VCE-Exam-timetable drama (that's another story) and we jumped in the car and chatted ourselves to Warracknabeal.
(Rosie, me, Leanne)
I was lucky enough to be invited by Del and Shirley of Quilters Harvest to be a part of the their Christmas Spirit retreat . I’m not sure where to start…with the hospitality? Dinner at Del’s with all the gang and a tour of the most exciting shed I have ever seen. (You know I realised that even if I know nothing about another person’s topic of passion- just the fact that they are so passionate about it carries me along with them). There are more photos on Bookface if you want to go and like the Quilters Harvest page.
Leanne’s work
The retreat itself was wonderful-Absolutely the BEST bunch of people in attendance ever, there were young women, mature women and vintage women, there were mums of little babies, big kids, and fur babies, aunts and grannies and nanas, teachers, farmers, nurses, carers, shop owners. I talked a blue streak and laughed and apologised for the odd naughty word. I demonstrated the rag rug and heard the most amazing wonderful varied stories from a room full of new friends. I have made plans to catch up with as many of the Ballarat Visitors as possible.
Rosie’s work
It really was just so much fun. people came from all around and some women travelled a really long way to join us. There were door prizes and beautifully decorated tables, and goody bags
Thanks Shirley and Del, (and Rosie and Leanne) for one of the best weekends I have had in ages.
It was a wonderful weekend to be part of.
But you know that feeling, when you really want something you can convince yourself it won’t happen, or you are not good enough or it is all too hard and you should never have even hoped…
This morning over my Saturday bacon and eggs, I received an email from the International Quilt committee, telling me that my application has been successful and in May next year I will be attending Spring Quilt Market in Portland Oregon – like in a ‘whole nuther country’ people !!!!!!!
I just had to tell you , and now I need to take a few deep breaths…..
Next weekend I am off to Warracknabeal for a weekend of stitching with Leanne and Rosalie and the girls from Quilters Harvest.
The weekend after that I will be attending AQM with the whole gang from creative Abundance….
and sneaking in between now and then I (and helpers) will be moving the whole school library into a new building. Shelves have to be emptied and dismantled, carried and reassembled. The room that is become the library office needs to be cleaned out and filled with my officey stuff.
Everything needs to be moved and dusted and reordered (in correct DDC please) and assembled and looking beautiful by the time the Grade twos have their school sleepover.
From go to whoa, we have eight working days…..and about thirteen thousand books. I have written emails and drawn up timetables and spoken to the stakeholders and entered everything in triplicate. I expect it to go off without a hitch.
I guess you can assume that skills and talents I use in my workplace don’t tend to come home with me.
-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down
err, yeah….only blog finished….
So, the basic idea of Tuesday rotate is to talk about someone else, shift the focus a bit. Blogs are; by their very nature a bit ME ME ME aren’t they? and you can guess that when my blogging slows down it is because I am sick of the sound of my voice.
Todays Tuesday Rotate is about the Softies for Mirabel campaign. Each year for the past 5 years, Pip of Meet me at Mikes has put out the call and people have responded by making a softie to be given to one of the children being helped by the Mirabel foundation.
This was one of the first internet /bloggy things I was involved in many moons ago and one of the things I make room for each year (one year Connor even made a toy).
If you would like to join in, you can make a toy and send it to Pip and they will all be displayed in her (resting) shop window.
Go and check out the flickr group-its great !
It has to be one of the great surprises of this whole blog adventure…the way people come together. As I have said many many times, it restores my faith in people more often than it makes me want to stab them in the head with kitchen forks – so that’s gotta be a win.
last weeks Tuesday Rotate winner is Red in Oz
and the winner of a hedgehog is Ellen (from Bookface) with her suggestion of
Little Stomp !
I paid him in macaroons.
Sometimes a name for something will explode fully formed into my brain, long before the toy or whatnot is created (like the Cabbages) and other times it is the shapes or fabrics that start the process and the name can elude me.
Do you have a name for these cheerfully round rhinos?
They could technically be pincushions but I think they are just small toys. A perfect little hand hold toy for smooshing around, or stacking up, or using as an excuse to go and buy macaroons from your favourite Ballarat cake shop.
If you guys get to work in the comment box with your ideas, and I go and make apple pies for desert…It’s like I am multitasking isn’t it?
(and if someone knocks it out of the park with the perfect name I’ll send them a little rhino of their very own - or an apple pie, location permitting)
Are you making or planning to make stuff this weekend or just hanging out doing my job for me?
yep, its here again…sheesh twice in a row makes it almost an institution on this attention deficit driven blog.
Lets start by sharing last weeks winner with you , it is Tas of Little Boozle. (applause)
I get a lot of questions about felt, about where I buy it and what I prefer. I usually say to people that for something that is going to get a lot of love, you need to get the best felt you can afford. Because making is my jobhobby now, I am lucky to have a “craft account” and when the numbers look good, it is off to Winterwood for me.
You know I used to poo poo felt in crafts…I did. I have a childhood hangover from those nasty acrylic felt squares that we used in school.They were always green and brown and orange, and the scissors kind of made it squeak when you cut it.
You won’t find anything like that at Winterwood. It is hard to describe just how lovely (and forgiving )their felt is to sew with. So instead of raving on , I decided to have a look at my stash and share some felt.
Pop on over to Winterwood and have a look around, Sandra has a huge range of stuff (apart from felt) and stocks the awesome fabric that I make little hedgehogs from as well.
Let me know your felt experiences..Do you love it or hate it? Do you like to sew with it? Does the nasty stuff set your teeth on edge? Am I a felt snob?
A commenter at random will get a little kit to make up a Hedgehog of their very own. Everything will be included, a creative card and all the doings.
(Once again, no deals, no cash-for-comment, just sharing it’s Tuesday Rotate after all)
Are you a good waiter? Are you patient? are you calm?
Little waits don’t bother me much, like waiting at the doctors or waiting for someone who is a bit late. Big waits…oooh they annoy me, Big waits like waiting for your boss to Ok your long service leave, or waiting for the phone call after an interview, those waits are hard work. I find it hard to think of other things, and check my email, phone, and carrier pigeon constantly!
So while I am in a state of wait (and weight it must be said)..I am noodling and far darkling along. I finished this teapot that I started last year – all it needed was the cup handle and lid button.
Rueben had a bit of surgery and had his arms re-attached.
and Elsie blew raspberries and told me to get over myself.
I guess I’ve been told.
After falling in and out of love and being harassed by pointy women in laneways, I finally have the new patterns ready .
The Cafe Bag is one of the projects I designed for the Daylesford Craft Experience this year. Isn’t that wool just delicious?
Merrilyn stocks the wool in her shop, there is also a gorgeous red and and a grey and an awesome green. I adore the green especially.
I am not even going to get into a discussion about how long this pattern has taken me. Its is an embarrassment to time management everywhere. I have been making up samples for these guys and today I should go and buy the little rings for their collars, but man, its so cold and bleurghh outside, and it is Friday so even if I did by them, and finish them and wrap them and post them, they wouldn’t go anywhere tody anyway…maybe ring buying can move onto tomorrows list?
and of course, the robots. I risked life and limb for these guys you know, faced adversary and pointy foe.
These guys make me smile.
and what next..Oh people of the internets, Elsie Cabbage is off to the testers today, her brother is breaking my heart and will be here very very soon.
there are two beginners patterns bubbling away, I am heading off to Warracknabeal to stitch with Quilters Harvest in November, I am busy writing application letters, trying to sort out birth certificates and name changes and red tape hoo-ha.
and given that I have officially been approved for SEVEN MONTHS of Long service leave next year, I am trying not to drive everyone around me crazy with my explosive good mood, smirking smile and penchant for bursting into show tunes (jazz hands and all).
one two three, kick, and twirl…..
I’d like you to think of me as a swan, calm and elegant, gliding smoothly through the water
while in reality, underneath, out of sight, my knobbly little angry swan legs are paddling like crazy to stay afloat.
(It is a good crazy kind of crazy folks so don’t worry.)
I have had some deadlines to meet in the last few days and someone who shall remain nameless has been tapping her little softie foot and drumming her little softie fingers from the sewing table. (Hey do you think she should have little lines sewn into her hand to look like fingers?)
While I was happy-ish with these final limbs, that wrist is so teeny tiny, it was a bugger to turn (even for me who loves itsy-bitsy sewing)
So Elsie went on a weight gain diet and got slightly chunkier limbs. The thicker leg, changes the appearance of her derriere No? I think this is a more child-like shape but I could just be talking out of my own derriere.
Time for a start-over to do something more with that hair.
I changed to a creamier coloured linen, and of course introduced the new hair colour (she was always going to have red hair in my mind). That smile is all kinds of too-wide but it is only pinned so it doesn’t matter.
I wish I had thought of the ear before the remake though…No point in making a matching one as I have to make another Elsie with the ears inserted.
She’s an impatient cartwheeling, lopsided piggy-tail kind of girl who tells me to hurry up so I can meet her little brother.
