Habits & Goals

No resolutions this year but there are some goals-
Goals – not necessarily all this year!
1…… Finish at least a couple of UFO’s
2……Take a Learn to Draw Class
3……Get all my TAST stitches done
4……Let go of the fear and let the creative side take over
and some Bad Habits that need to be broken-
There is one bad habit I have conquered last year.  Since I was a small girl I have always chewed my fingernails.  I know, yuk, yuk yuk!  Gross!  As a child I was very shy and very self conscious about my very thick glasses.  Of course it didn’t help that I was teased mercilessly by the other kids at school. This made me very nervy and I just chewed and chewed. Fifty odd (very odd) years later on our Western trip last year, I found that my fingernails grew because I wasn’t chewing!!  You are always dirty when you’re camping out in the bush, so even I couldn’t bring myself to chew.  So….. haven’t chewed since.  HURRAY!
1……Stop starting new projects before finishing old
2……Stop hoarding and buying art stuff that goes into the cupboard to just dream about
3……Stop getting on this bloody computer so often and make some limits.
Well, there you have it, I have exposed publicly.

My friend, Marleen, gave me this journal for Christmas.  Inside it has a type of recycled paper and some of the pages in the back are graph paper.  This should be really handy for doing some designing.  I love it!
So, I am designating this book to creative ideas.  Thank you, Marleen.

One of my loopy sister in laws (sorry Cath, but you know you are :  -)) has a beautiful Australian chocolate mist cat called Levi.  In amongst all her old clothing was this very 80’s, very ugly denim skirt.  I suggested we cut it up and make a little snuggle rug for Levi.  Something he can scratch the billyo out of if he likes!  It is backed with the black velvety ‘stuff’ you see here in the windows of the front.  Cathy loved it hope Levi does too!

Here is Cathy aboard her partner’s boat back in November.  Love ya Cath!

A really random photo, but this is the plum pudding I made for Christmas and it was my best ever!!
Forgot to take an after cooking photo but it was quite spectacular!
Also made a new dessert which everyone agrees will become a family tradition.
It is from the pre Christmas edition of “Delicious” magazine. Cold Rice Pudding with Hot Cherry Sauce.  Out of this wooooorld.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!!!

Lots of Stuff–Post Christmas

This is a real catch up post!  It is lovely to be spending some time just relaxing at home over the Christmas New Year break.  The best part is catching up on some stitching and watching a few movies while doing it
Christmas Day Snaps.

Rebecca (Lilian’s mummy)  ( L ) & Bonnie                  Santa’s gorgeous helper – Bonnie

All the girls on Christmas Day ( L – R) Rebecca, Gabrielle, my sister, Lyndelle, Bonnie, Angela and Moi.

Lyndelle in her sexy apron and with son, Nicholas.
It was a lovely day with heaps of scrumptious food.
My dear friend Shirley gave me this embroidery book – I am so lucky!  It has a lot of unusual stitches in it which I am keen to try.  Thank you, my friend.
                 
Marleen had gifted me and Joan one of these very cute aprons each.  Thank you Marleen – it was very handy indeed.
            
Cute!

I made Marleen and Joan one of these pencil rolls each.  The pattern was from ‘You Go Girl’ – HERE- and was very easy to put together with easy to understand instructions. 

And I made them each a little owl too such as I had received earlier from Vicki at the retreat.
Finally, I have done some more TAST stitching.
This one is Week 21 – Butterfly Chain.  I have called this little one ‘Butterfly Love’ and designed it when we were out in the outback in August.  This stitch was very interesting and I like it done in the chain like I have used around the hearts.  I have worked it on duponi silk.

Yesterday I watched movies and stitched Week 22 – Knotted Cretan Stitch.  This one is called ‘Fish Skeleton’ and evolved from just ‘freestyling’  with the stitch.  On the border I have done it in a very controlled manner in a knotted open cretan and I love the texture this stitch creates.

The background is hand painted (by me) in acrylic paint mixed with textile medium and then rubbed with a copper coloured shiva stik over a textured surface. 
All the TAST stitches for 2012 may be viewed HERE and in the comments sections of each stitch you can view what other people have done over the year.  There are some very creative ideas for using all the various stitches.
Thank you to Sharon Boggon from “Pintangle” for organizing the TAST challenge. 
Now to get on with the next 24 stitches  I AM HALFWAY THERE!!!!!

On the Eve of Christmas 2012

It can be such a crazy time and such an exciting time too!

The most enjoyable part for me is catching up with family and friends.

Last week I did lunch with two very special and most sincere friends.  Before lunch I verbalized how much I appreciated their friendship and what it means to me.  There were some moist eyes.

We had lunch at Marleen’s house and she has it decorated beautifully (as usual) with all her handmade quilts and wall hangings and handmade gifts from her many friends.

Marleen with her latest creation.  She says this will definitely be a ‘one off’.  Isn’t it cute??

We had a delicious morning tea followed by an equally delicious lunch.  We shared some stories of 2012 and had a few laughs.

No – this is not snow in Queensland!  We had a large hail storm last Tuesday and we were stuck in the car in the car park of Lilian’s kindy.  Some of the hail was as big as a marble and made quite a din.  Luckily, no damage to the car.

Over the past couple of weeks there has been much frenzied shopping over the internet by both myself and my hubby. I am dreading the arrival of the next credit card bill!

Gift to myself – Dye-na-flow fabric paints and the Cas Holmes book, “The Found Object”, which I  purchased from Book Depository.  I love that you can order a book in your pyjamas, have it delivered for free and have it delivered to your door within a week.  The fabric paints I ordered from Susan at Essential Textile Art.  Excellent,  prompt service from Susan too!

On Thrusday night we took our little grand daughter to see Santa and the Christmas lights in Queen’s Park.  The lights were amazing – organized by the Lions Clubs of Toowoomba and sponsored by various local organizations.  Well worth going and seeing, and the delight on Lilian’s face made it even more special.

To my blogging friends, I wish you all peace and joy at Christmas time.

Late Christmas Report

 
Lilian - the cutest ever Santa's helper at my sister's house before we went to the beach

 

My sister, Lyndelle (enjoying a cold ale) with cutie pie.

(Maroochydore Beach)

Then we went to the beach for a few weeks.

The weather has been very mild and not as humid as usual.  Just devine!!

Our Christmas lunch was delicious.  A very quiet affair.  There was only a few of us but we had enough food for about 15 people.

 

Entree - made by our daughter.

Prawn and Mango salad with a lime dressing.  It was really yummy.

 

Main Course - Leg Ham, Roast Pork, Asian noodle salad, Stuffed eggs, Potato Salad, Green salad with fetta.  Delicious.

Dessert (no photo) -  was fresh fruit salad, plum pudding, custard, cream and ice cream.

Eat today -  for tomorrow we may diet....

A Special Gift & Christmas Scenes

   It was nice to catch up with my friend Shirley yesterday before we head off to the beach for a summer holiday. 
Imagine how thrilled I was when I received a piece of Shirley’s exquisite embroidery for Christmas.  I have been totally rapt in this piece since she first began designing and stitching it as part of Sharon Boggon’s ‘Sumptuous Stitches’ course.  Sooooo, to actually own it is a real thrill indeed.
                  
Shirley has crafted the embroidery into a book cover.  (A sketchbook which will be handy for my upcoming TAST designs!!)  Not only has she done this amazing embroidery but the fabric is hand dyed by her, the cord is hand dyed by her and some of the beads she has also made.  She is one creative lady. 

BEAUTIFUL !
Now I am going to show you some of Shirley’s handmade Christmas decorations.

Could these please be bequeathed to me Shirley???   Aren’t they beautiful too?
When we were in Brisbane on the weekend our daughter took us to see this house in her suburb which has a Christmas Light show in the evenings.  It was spectacular.  I only have a small camera, so the photos are pretty ordinary.  The light show included music – magical.


It had an Australian theme, There is a cockatoo, koala, kangaroo and emu.  Can you spot them?  Santa made an appearance in the front window but I couldn’t capture him on camera.

As promised, I am showing some pictures of Robyn’s Christmas trimmings from our get together last Thursday.

We had really funky serviettes from Kaffe Fassett fabric and they even had a buttonhole in them. Thanks to Frances for these.

Yvonne, Robyn H and Carmel (with KF serviette attached!)

Beautiful Table setting

Table Centre – Glass tree with mini ornaments.

Monsieur Robynne with her Secret Santa gift – perfect – a silver glass Christmas Tree.

Nativity Scenes
It gives Robyn and her husband, Alan, much pleasure decorating their home for Christmas and it gives everyone who visits (especially the Grandchildren) much pleasure too.
Thank you to all my wonderful blogging friends who visit this blog and I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas, all the best for the New Year and happy holidays.

xxx
Di.