Daybreak on January 11 2011 @ Broadbeach QLD
Life is mostly froth & bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's troubles,
Courage in your own.
This contribution came out of "Enid's" autograph book. I bought the book with the all time Rummager.
B Williamson
Our Lady of Mercy College
Goulburn July 24th 1917
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If you would like to help Pip has a fabulous list of links here.
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I went out to reverse art yesterday & this is my haul.
I'm planning something kind of tricky & fun & on a pretty big scale. We'll see how it goes.
The fabric (which is foam backed) is for my softie for mirabel. I've got an idea cooking for that too & wanted something with a bit of structure.
Are you making a softie for mirabel too? This fabulous project has now been running for three years & I'm proud to say I've contributed each year.
my 2008 softie
my 2007 softie
Visit last week's favourite space here.
Don't forget to pop in & add your link if you're playing along this week.
cleansing...
I'm chucking out a lot of stuff, it's hard rubbish in our neighbourhood.
north sun...
My favourite time of year in the family room.
earl grey...
A gift from someone nice.
homemade...
A fabulous little cookbook put together by a group of very dedicated people to benefit those affected by the Black Saturday bushfires. You can purchase a copy here (all proceeds to the Salvation Army).
is ready for his trip.
He's arranged a date with this super cute little girl. They're going to play a game of hide & seek while they wait for the Punkdorf.
Made for craft hope.
T-shirt and pants purchased (handmade) from lovely local shop. Doll made by me.
sleep tight.
Tin can music box made for PANDAs good night - Night Out Night Off. It plays Brahms Lullaby.
Posted (late) to Ms Cookie.
All my babes went to sleep with plinky plunky music playing in their rooms & Lullaby is my favourite.
I've put together a couple of embroidery "fill in the blanks" packs. Each pack contains:
2 linen tea-towels
1 singlet top
1 calico bag
1 nightie
1 onesie
1 apron
1 1.5 metre square of calico
1 embroidery hoop
10 skeins of floss
1 pair of scissors
1 pkt of needles
for re-stash @ handmade help.
in the tragic situation our state finds itself is...
For this.
my most recent bag on Ebay (was listed but has now been removed by Ebay).
Free postage & .99c start. Full sale price to be donated to Red Cross.
***Edited to add: I'm happy to post internationally at my own cost.
Made by hand with much love.
See original post here.
Sunday Sunset
I met Dad in Seymour & we loaded up his car with all the bedding & other items I'd collected. He rang to tell me everything had been gratefully received & allocated.
The drive up the Hume was alarming.
We've donated to Red Cross.
I'm making some handmade plans.
It's not enough...but it's something.
My dad & step mum live in North East Victoria, they are not under threat.
They rang today to ask if they could donate a doona that I'd left there... It's cold at the relief centre & they really need bedding.
YES!
We talked more about how awful the situation is & where the greatest need is. I offered to get more stuff together. A few friends from school are helping out too.
I'm meeting Dad on the highway tomorrow morning & I'm feeling like my contribution might make things just a little easier for a small number of the bushfire victims left with nothing.
My luck at the Op Shop (Thrift Shop) has been amazing. In a couple of minutes you're about to see just how amazing.
So much good stuff...I can't keep it all to myself & ever present in my mind is the move this time next year.
I'd like to share my good fortune.
If you'd like to leave your dearest Op Shop Wish here in the comments you just never know your luck.
Just in case you're worried about declaring your love of say "salt & pepper shakers - made in Japan" go & read this.
I told Lara I was going to put this on Flickr "for her eyes only" to say thanks for being super specially good. BUT this girl said she'd post it on her blog if I did! You know she'd do it too. Safer here where I have some control!
It seems my big fat bogan wedding has been an item of interest to a few lovely folk.
This is me with my "I really (insert expletive) hate you" fake smile. My beautiful friend thinks that they taught fake smiling at my school. One of my very good friends from school is on Melbourne Radio & Trace reckons we have the same fake smile!
Reason for fake smile: Casual, relaxed, natural photography brief. Photographer turned up with an ironing board & tulle & made me do this!
Points to consider when critiquing the event.
1) I was 23
2) I was 23
3) I was 23
Thanks!
See more bogan shots here & here.
PS: I'd be pretty happy to trot the wedding dress out if anyone wants to host a wedding dress party!
PPS: I'm going to get the wedding video out - that's a real comedy!
Just before the holidays I received a parcel from The Toy Society. Inside was a beautiful babushka made by Tutti Fruiti.
A quick assessment of her size & shape led me to believe she wasn't a runner!
Earlier this week I packed her into my camel back & gave her the camera. Off we set & these are the shots she took on the run. I'm not sure being a passenger on the run counts for much but she was smiling the whole time so I guess she enjoyed it.
Hays Paddock is a super busy park so she'd have been adopted pretty quickly. You'll be able to track her progress over at The Toy Society.
We made these hand pieced hexagon shaped pincushions a few weeks ago at Brown Owls. They are a great way to use up scraps or tiny samples of favourite fabrics. Not surprisingly, I've used vintage pillowcase fabric for this.
The original project came from a vintage children's craft book, "How to make and do 100 new things". If you ever spot a copy in an Op Shop or second hand bookshop buy it - it's pure gold!
| View | Upload your own
Tutorial as a slide show (best viewed at full screen via my Slideshare). You can just click & stitch, click & stitch.
It's been a while since I've used powerpoint & I can tell you there was much swearing. But I think well worth the effort in the end.
Download this kootoyoo how to... as a PDF (including templates).
Thank you to my crafty kick in the pants. You're ace!
See all my click & stitch make a pincushion projects.
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Today the smalls & I made the silent walk to the Shrine for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service.
The sound of silence in a group of approximately 40,000 is truly spine tingling. It's an experience well worth the 4:30am start.
He's my finished Softie for Mirabel.
I’ve become very emotionally attached to him - we’ve been through a lot together.
He began life as left over wool suiting & a remnant from an after 5 number…I’d been patiently waiting for the silver since November last year & I’m pretty sure he’d been waiting for me too.
Together we’ve struggled, fought & made a more than a few mistakes but we’ve dusted ourselves off and made firm friends.
I knew it was all going to work out because he never stopped smiling. Now he’s here and he is going to be hard to say farewell to. I’ve poured my heart & soul into this little fella.
You know…he’s a bit rough around the edges, he’s had his share of knocks & he’s got a few battle scars to prove it. But look at what those tough times have revealed…
a silver lining - it has made him who he is, given him character and fleshed out his personality.
He’s a good sort
He’s off to have his 15 minutes of fame in the Meet Me at Mikes window & then I know he’s going to make some somebody a very good friend.
You can find out more about the Softies for Mirabel appeal here.
I'm normally not that fond of the sewing machine - it's a means to an end in my opinion. But...I've had so much joy in the making of my silver lined cloud!
Yay - he's finished.
He'll be residing at Meet Me at Mikes for a little while - don't let him be lonely! Make a Softie too - you can read about it here & see pictures here.
Thank you Pip & Cam & mini Mikes for all your hard work in organising this wonderful appeal.
Quite a bit of craftiness this week.
- In the foreground are projects 1, 2 & 3 of 5 speedy quick things to make with pillowcases from the Week of Pillowcases I'm hosting at Meet me at Mikes this week.
- The start of my 2nd Softie for Mirabel & the teddy bear that the small made for Mirabel. The kids have really embraced the appeal. I think because the Mirabel Foundation supports children. I'm so thrilled ot be taking part in this again this year.
- Paperwork for a school event I'm organising. If you are in Melbourne & organising an event of any kind I can't recommend Action Events highly enough. They are a highly professional & most helpful.
- Gorgeous pin cushion I picked up at the Op Shop last week.
Feel free to join On my desk... at any time.
for my friends.
My lovely friend is walking this. I've done it - it's the hardest thing ever! If you'd like to donate to her team of go-get-em girls and support OXFAM go here. I'll be tracking her progress over the next 20 hours or so.
I'm off to support another of my lovely friends tonight. She is doing live stand-up - that's gutsy!
I responded to a request from Kami this week & it really got me thinking & then I found this...
The value of the collective and the community in the continuation of successful practice
Presenter: Carole Hanson Epp
Verge: 11th National Ceramics Conference
Brisbane, Australia 10th - 14th July 2006
...Only through active involvement will we as practitioners see the growth and development of these organizations and the artists they support. Attendance at events, membership, financial support, volunteering of skills and time, are all means towards common goals."
What does this mean for me? How can I nurture the relationships I've been building with this craft community & particularly the Melbourne girls?
Support the community in which you hope to prosper whether financially or otherwise. Get around - have a chat.
If you enjoy a blog, admire a piece (or collection) of work, got inspired, had a laugh, shed a tear, made your day, touched your heart - support them!
Buy their work, leave comments, shop in their store, celebrate their wins & take an active interest in their journey.
Everyone has to buy stuff sometime. Before you head to a nameless, faceless, bigger than Ben Hur store owned & run by a man in a suit you'll never see - consider buying from someone you "know" & who you KNOW will appreciate it.
Put back what you take out and then some.
I'm trying really hard to live this rather than just think it. A community is a powerful & wonderful thing. So to all who take the time to post, make, create, share or care - thank you.
This post has been rather more deep than my usual drivel so I'm going to finish on a totally tacky low note...
Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch Movie: Alone, we can only move buckets. But if we work together, we can drain rivers.