All over for another year!!

I hope everyone in blogland had a fantastic Christmas!! My very first time cooking Christmas lunch seemed to go well, with the help of mum and my sister, and also my neice, who was a great little helper! The kids were up a 6am ( I did tell them to be up at 6 so I could put the pork in the slow cooker!) They were really pleased with what Santa got them. Hubby got me a new camera which I have been playing with...just need to purchase a macro lens and I'll be all set! A wasp stopped by to have his picture taken

Agapantha...just love taking a picture of them!

Gum blossom...another favourite!

Yes, another bee...I will be known in blogland as the lady who takes pictures of bees all the time! Lol! One thing that I have discovered about bees, is that no two bees are the same...from their markings and their attitude!

Even Jess didn't mind having her picture taken. Jess will be 2 in April, and is such a gentle natured golden retreiver.

I have been working on a Anni Downs stitchery, and will hope to have it finished soon. I was having sewing withdrawals, with all the preparations leading up to Christmas, I didn't have time to sew...but now its time to relax a bit.

Merry Christmas !!!

Just a quick post, to wish everyone in blogland a safe and Merry Christmas!!!

Lynette Anderson projects

I am sharing a few of Lynette Anderson projects today. As you know I have a 'thing' for bags (as we all do), but I also love making needlecases.

These are the books that the little needlecases were in...Sunflower Stitching and An Angels Wish

The punchneedle bag was in Homespun with a DVD tutorial. This bag comes with a little story....I made this bag a few years ago, and my mothers day present was to spend the day in my sewing room making it, while hubby looked after the kids and prepared the meals. It was such a great day of sewing and I was so pleased with it when I was finished that I had it on display in the lounge that night to admire!!! But as it turned out, my little girl (about kinder age then) also liked it & thought she might lay claim to it, and wrote her name with a pen on the pocket, bottom left hand corner!!! Yes there were tears, mostly mine, I was just so disappointed! That year sure was a memorable mothers day!!!!

Gail Pans Xmas Stitchery

I really enjoyed making this stitchery of Gail Pans she has this free pattern on her blog. It was so good of her to take the time to design this for us!
Hope I haven't given you all the creepy crawlies? I was just quite intrigued by this spider in the garden, she had the most unusual colours on her underbelly...but I couldn't seem to get the right shot to capture her colours! There was a lot of flies, bugs and ants on the move when I took these pictures...I'm sure they knew of the big change in the weather! Warm yesterday (32 degrees) to about 19 degrees today with rain.

I didn't even see this Christmas beetle when I took the picture....

And these daisies come up every year...one of my favourites!

I hope your all having a great week

Bees, Bugs and Flowers...

Sorry no sewing to show, but have taken a a few snapshots of whats happening in the garden. I love to get out in the garden and take pictures...So pleased the neighbours can't see, because most of these times I'm in my P'J's!

This particular Tea Tree is called 'Aphrodite'. A very appropriate name, as you can probably see...there sure was lovin' going on! Lol! It was just covered with these bugs...and bees!

I love this little 'Pincushion'...they just self-seed and pop up everywhere!

I'm still doing my daily notes on 25 days christmas journal, and will finish putting it together after Christmas. Its such a busy time of the year, trying to fit everything in. I have been going into my kids class as parent help, to do crafty things for Christmas as gifts. Still have cakes and puddings to make, and the house still needs a spruce up! I think a few more hours in the day are definately needed!

Circle of Friends Table Topper!

I have been wanting to make this table centre for quite a while now, and when I received Anitas little birdie from the ornament swap, I knew I had to make it in matching fabrics from Rosalies fabric range. So now the little birdie can hang from my little Christmas tree, with a matching table centre underneath! I used a blue water erasable pen to trace the Angels halo...but had so much trouble removing it later...its just seemed to keep coming back to haunt me! I am definately going to try and avoid using it again!

I hope your all having a great week!

December Daily!

I had a go at making a 25 Days Christmas Journal. The only scrapbooking I've done, is Leanne Beasleys Journal, where I pretty much had step by step DVD to follow. So as I was fairly new to scrapbooking, and its already an expensive time of year, I decided to make do with what supplies I already had. The cardstock I had, wasn't very christmassy, but oh well!

So I started on the front cover, which I used cardboard from a shoe box and the back cover was cardboard from a dolls box. Yes, I have probably broken a few rules there, but I was quite happy once the edges were sanded! Ive just made a few blank pages and will go back and embelish later...probably after Christmas! Lol!

My Little Birdie!!

This is what arrived this afternoon in the post from my swap partner Anita The cutest birdie, that is going to hang on my little xmas tree, as a centre piece on my dining table. He has even come with some bling around his neck! Thankyou SO much Anita...I just love him.
Also a handmade card by Anita...just lovely!

The Angel star and Snowman card is what I sent to Anita.

Thankyou very much to Robyn and Clare for organising this swap...it's just been so much fun!

Amazing sky and Journal Covers!

Looking outside the loungeroom window, I was amazed to see this beautiful sight. I just had to take a picture. I spent the afternoon in the sewing room making a diary and journal cover. I adjusted the pattern width slightly as the journal book I had, was slightly bigger.

The designer of this lovely journal cover is the very clever Bloom It was such a fun one to make.... I had to make another with the scraps I had left over.

I hope your all having a great weekend!

Good News Post!!!!

We have been waiting to hear back from our sons doctors regarding his osteochondroma (benine bone tumour) So pleased to say, that they just want to leave things until he stops growing before they operate on his arm, as theres a chance that if they remove it now, it may start growing again. We have to go back again in 6 months for a clinical review.

So for us and our kids, that means a 'normal' summer with lots of swimming and fishing (thats what our son loves to do)

I hope you are all having a great day!...I think that I just got my early Christmas present!

Bumble Bees and parcel on its way!

I posted off my parcel today to Anita for the ornament swap. Had so much fun doing this!
This is a daisy that is one of my favourites...as it ages, the petal 'crimp' inwards.

I heard this bumble bee way before I found him! They make such a deep, rumbling sound and are so cute! We never used to see them in the garden, but now they are quite common.

Hope you are enjoying your day!

Some Christmas Sewing!

Over the weekend I made a few Christmas goodies from the Art to Heart books. A Santa bag that fits a 2 litre bottle of cordiol and another Santa bottle cover that you could also use as a door stopper. As I'm having Christmas lunch at home for the first time (we usually go to mums), I decided to make some napkins and little Santa napkin holders. I made 8 for the adults, and I will also be having 7 children (but they only get paper napkins) so will be cooking a hot lunch for 15 all up!

Yesterday we had thunderstorms and quite a bit of rain, so thought it was a good chance this morning to take some snaps of my roses. I am unsure of the names of my standard roses, as a little puppy removed most of the tags before I could familiarize myself with the names!

Heart Finished!

I finished my heart off yesterday, I struggled a bit for the perfect circle satin stitch and unpicked a few times but I guess its just something that comes with practice.( I have also been given a few tips by fellow bloggers, so am going to give stitching around the outside first, a try-thanks for that!) I also added, black boy rose oil to the stuffing...just love that scent! I was looking forward to taking a picture of the heart this morning...I am really enjoying the photography side of things as well! Its so much fun...even if I do get chased by angry bumble bees that don't want to have their picture taken!Lol!

Hope your all having a good Friday the 13th!

Quilters Journals...!

I have made 2 Leanne Beasley Quilters Journals, and went to order another from Christinas Crafts where I purchased my binders previously, to discover that they are having a BIG sale and are reduced to $6.95!! They were $27.00. I have decided to make one into a gardeners journal...as I think you have guessed by now that I love my garden and it always seems to be changing. Last year we took out all the grass (big job) and replaced it with garden beds and gravel paths. So no mowing! Hope your all having a great day

Bits and Pieces!

I have been in touch with Anita my ornament swap partner. So its rather exciting to be working on that! We have very similar tastes...so that makes it a bit easier to decide on what to make! I have also been working on a stitchery from Rosalies new book 'A Stitch in Time'.
This is a picture of one of my Roses, after its big move on the weekend...so it doesn't seem to be suffering as yet!

My weeping rose...its just gorgeous at the moment!

Magenta Mist...such a vibrant pink!

The side garden...which would have to be one of my favourite spots in the garden at the moment!

A Finish...and Garden snapshots!

Finally finished Leanne Beasleys project from last Saturdays Gathering. I always avoided doing Satin Stitch, but had a go and really enjoyed it! I used pekinese stitch instead of chain stitch. Just love Rosalies fabrics! I love to get out in the garden with the camera. This is the first rose thats flowered. They are a bit late, but they were also transplanted from another spot in the garden. I have to move a rose this weekend, thats in the way of where the verandah post has to go...which I hate doing, as they are looking really healthy at the moment!

I love bottlebrush and have quite a few different colours.

This is one side of my 'buff beauty' weeping rose.

And the virgilia(I think?) is covered in blossom and arching quite nicely over the driveway!

I plan to get out in the garden today for a tidy up! Its such a gorgeous day here at the moment. Hope your all having a great day!