eclectic me

I made block #100 Pastel Delight from the book

This was a pretty easy block,

I am so thrilled with how my collection of blocks is growing :D

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend,

It is a cool rainy day here today....

might just have to settle into some more crochet!

~ Gillian ♥

look what lives in my street....

2011-04-11T12:12:00.003+10:00

a beautiful Koala I've been trying to get a photo of one of the koalas from our street for years.

(if you click on the photos if you'd like to see more detail)

This lovely big fella ran up our street past our home yesterday evening at about 5.30pm.

They don't hang around very long on the ground,

because of the dogs and other dangers

in his haste he climbed up this pine tree (I think it is)

definitely not the eucalyptus tree he normally heads for.

This tree is in the middle of a couple of large eucalyptus trees

that the few koalas we have in our neighbourhood frequent.

I think it is a male, as he is very large.

I ran across the road to see if I could grab a photo

and he sat and looked at me for about 30 seconds

before climbing up the tree - yay!

What a joy :)

have a happy day ~ Gillian ♥

little bunny blanket....

2011-04-09T13:50:00.000+10:00

When I saw this pattern I knew I had to make it!!!

this afternoon my little miss and I are attending a baby shower

for a lovely lady from our church so a bunny blanket just had to be made.

Made using two strands of Sullivans Coton-a

held together and crocheted with a 6mm hook.

and a great pattern! I love the little hands that are tied into knots :)

Pattern can be found on

Ravelry & on the Lion Brand Website

I just wanted to say a huge Thank you to all of those who left comments

on the shawl in my last post,

It was a birthday gift for my Mother In Law and she loved it :)

..........................................

We've had a great week and a bit, with grandparents visiting, an Easter hat parade, end of school term festivities....and I have been busy making a couple of other projects!

I seemed to have missed my block of the week project this week,

maybe I'll get two blocks done this coming week.

lots of excitement in my home today as its the first day of school holidays - yay :)

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend

~ Gillian ♥

first shawl.....

2011-03-30T12:44:00.002+11:00

I'm very pleased with my latest project

~ Morning Has Broken Prayer Shawl ~ This is the first time I have crocheted a shawl and now I understand the passion people have for making them....it really was a joy from start to finish!

I found this lovely pattern on Ravelry

by Kelly Surace

made using 4 x balls of Lincraft Surprise 'sunset'

and a 5mm hook.

I did alter the pattern a little,

I used a smaller hook so that the pattern was a little tighter.

and I put a different edging on all three sides.

my edging I crocheted a shell border consisting of 2sc,1dc,2sc in first space, 1sc in next space, continue until you reach the centre point

& For Centre Point - in point stitch work 2sc in first space of point stitch, 3dc in centre of point stitch, 2sc in 3rd space of point stitch. (US terms)

You can find the pattern on Ravelry

Here

Thank you so much Kelly for sharing this lovely pattern :)

..........................................

Have a wonderful day

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.15

2011-03-29T12:09:00.001+11:00

Block no.15 in my

I made block #64 Sunshine Lace

from the book 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton

This was a lovely simple block, the only change I made to it was on the final round I worked 2tr,2ch,2tr into the corners as I wanted my corners to be a little more 'square' than they were in the book.

I'm thrilled to have finished my very first crocheted shawl yesterday, and am hoping the sun will come out a little more today or tomorrow so I can photograph it and show you :)

Have a lovely week ~ Gillian ♥

block no.14

2011-03-22T10:43:00.002+11:00

I'm playing a little bit of catch up on some of my block of the week squares

and this time for something different I am using a block I found on Ravelry

Block no.14 in my
Block of the Week Project
I made block
Nuthatch
by Kim at eggbird designs

This is a very cute block! Kim has provided very clear and easy to follow instructions on her blog with lots of photos, so it is easy enough even for a beginner to follow along.
I added two extra rounds of tr (uk terms) with 2tr, 2ch, 2tr in the corners. This made it the same size as my other blocks in the project.
Pattern can be found on
Ravelry & on eggbird designs

Thank you so much Kim for providing such a sweet block and great instructions :)
..........................................
I hope everyone is having a great day
~ Gillian ♥

Block no.13......

2011-03-21T13:15:00.000+11:00

Block no.13 in my

I made block

#19 Lacy Cross
from the book

This is such an easy block

and works up very quickly.

I found a gorgeous cushion on Ravelry made using this block by

Ravelry member 'rose-dew-drops'

if you are a member you can see it here

It is such a beautiful use of this pattern.

.............................................

Apologies for being a little slack with my Block of the week project this month...

but life sometimes gets a little busy ;)

I hope you are all having a wonderfully creative week

~ Gillian ♥

party fun.....

2011-03-19T14:33:00.001+11:00

It's not every day your little girl turns 10....

So I made some sweet little brooches for the girls attending the party that looked super cute on the party boxes....
and the little girls who attended all enjoyed wearing them at the party.
Georgia and I also made these lovely tissue paper flowers together
for the centre of the table.
They were very simple to make & looked so pretty :)

all the girls got to take one home with them when they left the party.

.................................................................

the crochet flower brooches are very simple too.

I used 5ply cotton/acrylic blend.

the pattern is from this Beret pattern

(the instructions are at the very bottom of the pattern)

on the lincraft website

for the paper flowers

I found this youtube video with easy instructions

click here

.....................................................................

back hopefully tomorrow with my block of the week ;)

have a wonderful weekend

~ Gillian ♥

Who said Granny's don't look good in Denim?

2011-03-14T13:40:00.005+11:00

5 pairs of denim jeans

+ 1 size 15mm crochet hook

+ one tired arm

= a new bath mat for my boys :) Well it is finished.....

I've wanted to make something with the old pairs of jeans in my wardrobe for a little while now....so thinking that I'll probably use about 3 pairs for this bath mat I started cutting them up.

Of course things like this always use more supplies

than you will think they will ;)

So I ended up cutting 5 pairs of old jeans.

Crocheting with cut up jeans, seams and all...

is a little tougher on the arms and wrists than normal crochet,

but you do cover a lot of ground quickly.
................................................

If you are interested, here is what I did.

Starting with the jeans - Use scissors to cut the hem off the bottom of each leg, then cut up the leg in a spiral till you reached the crotch, cut off this piece from the jeans, Roll into ball.

You don't have to worry too much about how straight your cutting is, just do your best to keep it a similar width so that your granny square stays neat and square.

Cut the other leg the same way, sew onto the end of the previous ball with sewing machine (I stitched back and forwards across the join several times and trimmed excess seam) roll onto the ball you have already made, making sure when you join each length the right sides face each other and the seam is on the wrong side.

As you use up each length you can just cut more jeans, and roll them up into balls sew the balls onto the denim yarn end when you are near to crocheting it.

I found working in smaller balls (one or two legs at a time) stopped the yarn from twisting.

Now your denim yarn is ready you can crochet it how ever you like...

I chose a simple granny square as I wanted a square bath mat for the boys.

once it was the right size, mine is 55cm square.

I crocheted a round of dc (UK terms) or sc (US terms)

give it a bit of a tug to make it nice and square and you are finished!
......................................

I hope you are having a creative week

~ Gillian ♥

my boy has a new scarf.....

2011-03-12T20:08:00.000+11:00

Lachlan asked me to make him a for a scarf for winter

I searched for a pattern that I thought would suit him

and failed to find the right one.

Knowing he wanted a simple design,

that was NOT scratchy (lol!)

in his colour choice of grey this is what I came up with.

It is very easy and definitely a beginner crochet design
simple and easy to make with any yarn or hook size,
with appropriate adjustments made to suit your choice.
Measuring approx 170cm x 12cm
we think it suits a 12 year old boy perfectly.

I used DK weight acrylic yarn
and a size 4.5mm hook
180gms of yarn used
UK terms used

I chained 20 + 2
htr into 3rd chain from hook, htr to end, chain 2, turn
*htr to end, chain 2 and turn repeat from *
till desired length....
when finished dc around edge

for corners work 1dc, chain 2, 1dc.

The edging of dc keeps the scarf simple and masculine.
htr (UK terms) = hdc (US terms)
dc (UK terms) = sc (US terms)
.........................................................
I mentioned in my previous post I'm working on an upcycled project
it's almost finished :)
here is a photo of it in the early stages.....
I ♥ wooden hooks :)

................................................................

Our hearts go out to all in Japan,
know that you are in our prayers.

Block no.12......

2011-03-09T09:50:00.005+11:00

Block no.12 in my
Block of the Week Project
I made block #86 Sunray

from the book
200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton

I really enjoyed this block,
made using dtr, tr, dc, htr (english terms)
it was fun and kept me counting but wasn't hard.
I love the way the centre starts off as a circle
and then turns into a square due to the way the different stitches are used.
I'd like to make this one again soon, but with some extra colour rounds
to make the circles in the pattern stand out a little better.
...............................................
I missed my block last week, as we had a very busy week
and had our church camp on the weekend, which was wonderful :)
so apologies if you were waiting for last weeks block to be blogged about,
but from time to time this will probably happen ;)
................................................
I'm working on a little 'upcycled' crochet project at the moment also which I am looking forward to sharing with you all over the next couple of days :)
.............................

I hope you are having a creative week
~ Gillian ♥

I ♥ making cards......

2011-03-03T11:59:00.006+11:00

We have a church family camp this month and the card above is for the lovely couple who run the children's activities and the card below is for our guest speaker.
It feels like it has been ages since I have sat at my card making desk
and created anything with paper......
I must say it did feel good!
but I had forgotten how messy I can make a my desk!

So happy my favourite season Autumn has arrived :)
have a lovely day
~ Gillian ♥

Block no.11....

2011-02-25T12:50:00.006+11:00

Block no.11 in my

I made block #197 Fretwork
from the book

This wasn't too hard to make,

although for some reason I had to undo the light blue round several times I think it had something to do with the fact I was chatting while making it ;)

......................................................................

Like everyone around the world our hearts wept

when we heard about the earthquake in New Zealand,

We have been watching the heart breaking news unfold daily.

To all those in Christchurch, The Canterbury Region

and the entire country of New Zealand

our prayers and thoughts are with you.

May you find strength to cope in the days, months and years ahead xxx

on the hottest day.....

2011-02-20T15:24:00.003+11:00

it seemed a little silly making a scarf on our hottest day so far for 2011...

But that's what I did!!

Georgia was keen to pose for a quick photo with her new scarf

and then just as keen to take it off again ;)

But she did say she cannot wait to wear it properly.

Many thanks to Donna Mason-Svara

for designing this cute scarf!

the pattern can be found

here on Ravelry

I added a simple three chain picot edge to the pattern for the scarf above.

........................................................................

I hope you are having a lovely weekend....

the rain has just started

and with that the heat of the day has broken :)

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.10......

2011-02-17T13:41:00.002+11:00

Block no.10 in my
Block of the Week Project
I made block #13 Circle in a Square

from the book
200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton

Love....love...love this block!

it was quite a bit easier than it looks also.

I added one extra round of dc (uk terms)

so that it would be the right size.

..........................................................

I've been asked a few questions in my past posts about

My Block of the week project and I have answered them in the comments each time I am asked...but I thought I might just answer some common ones below :)

........................................................

~ This is a Fun project - so I don't have many rules except for trying to complete one block a week...but this is not always possible as I have already found out soon after I started, but where possible I will try.

~ This is a project I started myself to help me learn more about crochet and the various stitches and patterns available.

~ At this stage I am using blocks from the 200 crochet block book by Jan Eaton, but I may add a few different ones in from time to time....

~ I am going to make a blanket for my home with the squares when I feel I have enough.

~ I am using Cleckheaton Country 8ply & Cleckheaton Country Naturals 8ply Wool

~ I am using 4.00mm & 4.5mm hook

~ My squares are all approx 14cm x 14cm

~ I have found the 'in the round' squares easiest to make to the correct size, and have had to alter the foundation chain on the squares made by the row...Yes this is frustrating at times, but I am doing this project to learn and this is all part of learning ;)

~ I have extra photos of each block on my ravelry projects page and extra notes when I have found an issue or changed the pattern in some way.

I think that covers most of the questions I have had so far :)

I hope you are having a creative week

~ Gillian ♥

Crochet a Rainbow Squares....

2011-02-16T09:35:00.003+11:00

My Granny Squares are ready to post off today to

Crochet a Rainbow
so I thought I'd share what some photos :)there is 44 Grannies in this bundle.....
I look forward to making more soon!

For more information about
Crochet a Rainbow you can Click on the logo below

Have a wonderful week

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.9......

2011-02-13T13:59:00.007+11:00

Block no.9 in my

I made block #137 Criss Cross
from the book

Found this a great block to crochet, easy and quick

- just what I needed this week as I have a sore thumb,

and didn't think I could tackle one of the more complicated blocks.

It is very similar to the Square Target Block form the book,

but I do like the extra eyelet on each side of this square.

...................................................

I hope you are having a lovely weekend,

~ Gillian ♥

Noisy Miners.....

2011-02-10T19:13:00.007+11:00

I've shared photos of the Noisy Miners from our garden before

But I have been enjoying watching them

using our birdbath over the past couple of weeks.

So thought I'd share some photos with you,

Like the Pacific Koel they also have been eating

the fruit from our palm trees - when the Koel's are not looking that is!

I often wonder if they are the chicks I

photographed and shared in this post :)

..............................

I've also been working on a belt for my little miss

the crochet part of the belt is complete, but

I have a couple of other things to do with it before it's finished.

of course it is in some of her favourite colours ;)

Thank you so much for visiting

~ Gillian ♥

just for fun....

2011-02-05T13:20:00.000+11:00

I made this cute wrist cuff for Georgia yesterday

using some lovely bulky purple wool &

one of my favourite vintage buttons.

It was super fast to hook as you would imagine

and I love the bumpy pattern.

Pattern can be found

on Ravelry or Lion Brand website

Dont you just love how little girls

can have chippy nail polish and not care one bit :D
..........................................

Happy Saturday!

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.8......

2011-02-04T12:55:00.007+11:00

Block no.8 in my
Block of the Week Project
I made block #9 Arcadia

from the book
200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton

This was my first 'two hook' block from the book,

(I didn't actually use 2 hooks, by the way...

its just how they show the skill level in the book

- just thought I should mention that..lol!)

so it was a little more advanced than any of my previous blocks.

But still easy enough to complete and very enjoyable :)

I'd love to make an afghan made only using these blocks

~ adding that to my Crochet 'to-do' list....

Thank you so much for visiting,

Have a great weekend!

~ Gillian ♥

the blue bag....

2011-02-02T12:25:00.002+11:00

Is all finished!

In January I shared about starting this bag

I actually finished it soon after I made that blog entry,

but the procrastination began when it was time to line it!

Well this morning all three of my children went back to school after their annual Summer holidays, and I decided lining my bag was going to be the task for today.

Of course once I started I soon realised it was a rather quick process
and could kick myself for not having done it before now.....
I'm rather pleased with it and love that it is a good big size.
Georgia has now put in a request for one, but with a longer handle.
So I'll be adding that to the ever growing crochet 'to-do' list ;)
............................................................................
Today I am praying for all those in the line of Cyclone Yasi,
as it is about to hit the North Queensland Coast and surrounding areas today.
For those in Victoria and NSW who are battling Bushfires
for those Cleaning up after the flooding in QLD, NSW, VIC & TAS
Our dear country has certainly had amazing weather so far this year.
So many have been affected,
know that you are in our family's prayers.
~ Gillian ♥

little booties....

2011-01-31T10:33:00.000+11:00

I loved using booties on my children when they were babies,

I had some gorgeous pairs that Andrew's mum made

and some from Aunties and others by ladies in the church.

I remember seeing these lovely ladies smile with joy and satisfaction

when they saw a pair of booties they had made

keeping my babies little feet warm.

Having had such a beautiful collection of booties

from the hands very experienced knitters and crocheters

I have always felt a little daunted by the thought of making them.

Until I spotted this pattern on Ravelry

it is a really simple 'first time booties' pattern.

I made this pair as per the pattern

but it could be easily modified with different edgings or cuffs.

The best thing about making this pattern is that it has given me the confidence

to attempt some of the more complex patterns for booties

I have been wanting to try.

The pattern can be found by clicking on the following links

On Ravelry & SLK Designs

Thank you to Susan L. Kraus for this great pattern :)

Have a delightful week!

~ Gillian ♥

Pacific Koel

2011-01-29T14:50:00.001+11:00

One of the things I love about our garden at this time of the year

is the arrival of the

Pacific or Indian Koel

When the fruit ripens on our Palm trees we are always

visited by these fabulous looking birds.

The four photos above are of two different females,

I haven't managed to photograph the male as yet,

although we do see him everyday is very flighty

and as soon as I walk through the back door he flies away.

He is a spectacular glossy black bird with vibrant red eyes.

If you click on the link above the wiki page has images of the male

and you can also hear his fabulous call,

which wakes us up most mornings at the moment.

I managed to take these photos from our back deck,

which is two storey making me level with the height

of our palm trees where they were busy enjoy their meal.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.7.....

2011-01-27T19:47:00.002+11:00

Block no.7 in my

I made block #2 Tiny Textures

from the book

This is a wonderful pattern, simple and quick to work up.

I also love this gorgeous soft blue

Cleckheaton Country wool.

It's been a fun week here,

with our kids final week of school holidays drawing to a close

and Australia Day yesterday...

and I have even managed to crochet 26 squares already for

Crochet a Rainbow

with more to come over the next couple of weeks :)

I hope you are having a lovely week,

Thanks so much for visiting!

~ Gillian ♥

2011-01-21T14:41:00.005+11:00

I'm really excited to be crocheting for this Beautiful Project

The lovely Sarah London has made a call for

Crocheters from all around the world to

crochet granny squares & donate them

so that they can be joined together to make

Blankets for those affected by the floods here in Australia.

If you would like to know more

all the information can be found here

My Nanna's Date & Walnut Loaf....

2011-01-19T18:57:00.003+11:00

I wanted to share a little recipe with you today.

If you are a regular reader of my blog

you may remember My dear Nanna

passed away in November.

This afternoon I baked her

Date & Walnut Loaf

using two of her nutloaf tins.

As a child I spent a lot of time baking with her

so it felt so good to bake this recipe today

the smells of it baking and the taste of it again

warmed my heart xxx

................................................

I'd love to share the recipe with you

it's very easy and so yummy!

Nanna's Date & Walnut Loaf

Place in a bowl

1 1/2 cups chopped dates

1/2 cup walnuts (or other nuts)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1 tablespoon butter

Pour Over

1 cup of boiling water

Mix Well

then Add

1 Cup Self Raising Flour

1 Cup Plain Flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix only until well blended.

Place in 2 greased nutloaf tins, Place lids on

Stand Upright on bottom shelf in oven

Bake for 50mins in Mod oven.

Eat while warm and serve with butter - yum!!!

If you don't have nutloaf tins with lids,

You can use a normal breadmaking loaf tin,

but the proper nutloaf tins make it taste just like my Nanna's :)

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.6......

2011-01-18T11:21:00.010+11:00

Block no.6 in my

Block of the Week Project
I made block #61 Nine Patch Granny
from the book
200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton

this was fun, the finished block measures

14 x 14cm

Wouldn't this block make the cutest dolls quilt for a baby doll,

But I think 5 x 7 little granny squares joined together

and of course in little girl friendly colours :)

.................................................

Thank you so much for visiting I hope you have a great day!

~ Gillian ♥

Places to Go......

2011-01-17T14:57:00.007+11:00

It's been a little while since I shared some of my cards...
This set of Three Travel Cards
were recently published in
Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft
Vol 16 No 5

I love the way they photographed the cards,
so have included a scan of the magazine above.
and some close ups for you :)May Your day be Blessed
~ Gillian ♥

Tawny Frogmouth

2011-01-16T21:20:00.003+11:00

This little feathered friend landed in one of our Grevillea Trees

this afternoon and I just had to share him with you,

we are often visited by Tawny Frogmouths usually in a family of three.

But this afternoon this chap was on his own.

Perched about shoulder high in the tree, he sat so still.

He wasn't as well Camouflaged as they usually

are when they come into our backyard.

I was able to get within 30cm of him with my camera

and he obliged by opening his eyes a little wider and

even turned his head to watch me as

I walked around to the other side of him.

I wonder if the other two who usually accompany him were sitting

close by watching me take photos of this one - probably!

As a matter of interest it is now after 9:40pm

and he is still perched in the same spot.

~ Gillian ♥

new project.....

2011-01-15T21:56:00.002+11:00

Now that Jacob's cushion is all finished

I felt I needed to make a smallish project that was just for fun,

not following a pattern, not worrying about if it will work or not......

So the other day I was in Lincraft and came across some

packs of yarn from Australian Country Spinners,

obviously discontinued yarn, but this blue bulky yarn was familiar to me

as I had knitted Georgia a scarf out of this yarn a couple of years ago in pink.

I knew I loved the feel of it....

The pack had 4 balls (approx 250gms)

so I thought I might make a bag out of them.

Once I started I realised I probably should get some more,

but of course when I went back the next day there was none the same left.

So I had to improvise, I used 3 strands of Sullivans Cotton-a together

in this lovely Natural colour,

the three strands together seemed to be a very similar size to the bulky yarn

and once crocheted it has a similar feel also.

We travelled to Sydney on Thursdays just for one night

and then back home on Friday.

That was 4/12 hours each way in the car and as Andrew was

driving I decided I might see if I could crochet successfully in the car,

and I could! So it is almost finished.

I hope to share it with you very soon.

..........................................

Our family continues to pray for all those surrounded by flood waters

and those working hard to clean up after the flooding here in Australia.

May you be blessed with enough strength to carry on in the hard weeks ahead

and may you feel the support from those close at hand

when you need a shoulder to lean on.

~ Gillian ♥

Finished.....

2011-01-12T14:18:00.009+11:00

Jacob's cushion is all finished!
Such a great sense of achievement!
I know it's just a cushion, but it seemed to take forever...
all those little dc (or sc for those who use US terms)
Jacob's cushion measures approx 48cm square
and is the same front and back, as you can see in the picture below.
this was the first time I have made button holes and quickly
learnt that they are much easier than I thought they would be ;)

The two squares were joined on three sides using two rounds of dc.

each square started with a chain of 75

with 102 rows of dc (sc US terms) this made each side square.

I used Panda Machinewash 8 ply Crepe Wool

4.5mm hook.

I'm already working on my next project

and also planning an afghan for Lachlan.

Take care

~ Gillian ♥

.................................................................................................

I just want to take this opportunity to express my sorrow

to all those experiencing the heartbreaking flooding

in the Eastern & Southern States of Australia.

and for those in Western Australia

who have had bush fires rage around them.

For those who have lost their loved ones

our nation grieves with you.

For those who have lost their homes,

pets, crops, livestock & businesses

take care, stay strong and

know that we are praying for you x

Block no.5.....

2011-01-07T12:00:00.007+11:00

Block no.5 in my
Block of the Week Project

I made block #3 Square Target

from the book

200 Crochet Blocks
by Jan Eaton

I know this will be a block I will use block again in future projects,

as it was very simple and quick.

.....................................
And now for some new Book Love

My Brother & Sister in law
recently gave me this scrumptious book

there are some truly gorgeous afghans in it
like this one.....
oh and this!
so much to crochet, so little time :D

I hope you are having a lovely day

however you choose to spend it

~ Gillian ♥

pretty washcloths.....

2011-01-02T20:13:00.001+11:00

I recently made some more lovely soft washcloths

it was a very basic pattern using tr (uk terms)

that evolved as I crocheted the first one.

I love that about crochet......

once you learn a few stitches,

and you have tried a variety of patterns your confidence grows

and you feel more at ease to experiment and play :) I hope you can find some time this week to

Experiment & Play

~ Gillian ♥

Block no.4.....

2011-01-01T17:30:00.004+11:00

Block no.4 in my

Block of the Week ProjectI made block #129 Anemone
from the book
200 Crochet Blocks

by Jan Eaton

This one was quite bumpy I have blocked it but it still remains a little bumpy,
I'm sure when it is joined into the blanket with the other squares it be fine :)
I really love the way the Green round works on this square
and found it quite simple to crochet.

.....................................................................................................
I do want to thank all who expressed sympathy

after the passing of my dear Nanna,
She was a tremendous loss to our family

and it warmed my heart greatly to read the lovely comments

by those who read my blog, love to you all x

Thank You so much for visiting
I hope you all have a
Very Happy New Year
~ Gillian ♥

May Your Christmas be Blessed.....

2010-12-25T11:06:00.001+11:00

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

artwork by Georgia Hamilton aged 9

2010-11-23T13:21:00.001+11:00

My Dear Nanna

departed this world

in the early hours of

Wednesday 10th November 2010

I will miss her more than I can express.

photo - my Nanna's mixing bowl and apricots from her orchard

Block no.3.....

2010-11-09T09:26:00.005+11:00

Block no.3 in my

Gifted - lovely little things to knit & crochet

I made block #145 Chocolate Box

from the book

200 Crochet Blocks

by Jan Eaton

I really love this block.....

it's a very clever twist on the traditional Granny Square

and works up really quickly and is very easy.

..............................................

I am trying to finish off the striped cushion this week,

it seems to be taking a lot longer than I thought it would to complete

and because of this I am easily distracted from it!

But I must get it finished as Jacob is keen to claim it for his room :)

.........................................

I also wanted to show you these lovely little

Noisy Miner Chicks

Manorian melanocephala

This nest is very close to our front verandah, it has been a joy to watch the adult birds build the nest and then to watch these sweet little chicks grow, I've been trying for a bit over a week to get a good photo of them to share with you all and finally today I managed to get one, it helps that they have grown a bit and are now easier to see :)

And here is one of the adult birds back with a little food for them.

I wish I had a big zoom lens so I could really photograph them properly and study them a little more, they have nested in one of our melaleuca trees.

I found this interesting info in -

The Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds

Only female builds a nest, but males occasionally carry materials - although not necessarily to the nest site. As many as 10 or more males visit a single nest while it contains eggs and most of these participate in the feeding of the nestlings. In a single nesting season, one female may been helped by as many as 24 males.

Thank you so much for visiting today

I hope you are having a great week.

~ Gillian ♥

my second block......

2010-11-02T09:31:00.009+11:00

I am really enjoying my

Block of the Week Project
I am starting on some of the more simple blocks in the book

which I think will be a good way to work up to some of those

pretty tricky looking ones ;)

I loved hooking my Block no.2
#101 Into the Blue

Starting off with a circle in round one and then turning into a square,

Stitched in Treble (UK/AUS terms)

I really liked the corners on this block, although in my photos they don't show up as clearly as they do in the book (as you can see in the photo below) but I think they will be more clearly visible when the blocks are joined.

It was quite easy to hook and worked up reasonably quickly as well.

A Big Thank you to all of those who visit my blog

and to those who leave comments ♥

I hope you are having a happy day!

~ Gillian :)

My Block a Week Project...

2010-10-28T11:50:00.006+11:00

Since I blogged about my new

200 crochet blocks

by Jan Eaton

I've been thinking about working my way through it block by block,

while I'm not sure if I can achieve crocheting all 200 blocks

I thought I will have a go at making One Block a Week.

I'm not sure how many I will make at this stage

but it will be at least enough for an afghan

and along the way I look forward to learning

lots of new stitches and techniques.

I also thought that in keeping it limited to One Block a Week

meant that it wouldn't interrupt my other projects I am currently working on

and will keep me excited as I know I will look forward to doing the next one.

- Well that is the plan anyway ;)

I should also add that I will not be doing them in order,

this is meant to be a fun project and part of that fun for me will be picking which block I do just before I start each week, and I'll also be leaving out some of the ones that don't appeal to me ;)

So here is my block no.1

in my Block of the Week Project

#93 Sequenced Stripes

I really liked the look of this pattern in the book, and loved crocheting it!
it was quite easy and a great one to get me excited about this project.

Thank you so much for visiting
~ Gillian

little ipod pouch

2010-10-26T12:03:00.006+11:00

Recently My eldest son purchased a new whiz bang ipod touch

and of course he no longer needed his old ipod

so it was passed onto his little sister :)
But to make her feel like it really truly is hers
I made her this little ipod pouch :)

I used the left over Surprise yarn from the granny slippers

I made her a few posts down
So now she can slide around on the floor boards

in her slippers listening to her tunes in style ;)

as you can probably see it is made up of two little granny squares

Crocheted together on the sides and bottom with DC (eng/au)

and then rows of DC (eng/au) around the top

with a button loop and a little loop on the side to attach to her lanyard

also, a little opening at the bottom needs to be made

for the earphones to plug in,
this was formed by Slip Stitching a couple of stitches

when when joining the front and back together.

.......................................................

It has been fun making lots of little projects at the moment,

have also been busy crocheting more washcloths

but I must get back into the striped cushion

and finish that off over the next week it.

Have a lovely week everyone

and thank you so much for visiting me ♥

book love.....

2010-10-25T14:03:00.010+11:00

I am really pleased to have added two new books to my crochet library.

The first is

by Mags Kandis

which my lovely friend Catherine recently 'gifted' to me ♥

It is just the most darling book!!!

so many fabulous things to make

and I love that it celebrates gifting handmade things :)

.................................

And today my copy of
200 Crochet Blocks for blankets, throws and afghans
by Jan Eaton
arrived :)

I've been looking forward to this one coming

and it is all I hoped it would be and more!

No wonder it has been reprinted so many times, it really is an amazing book.

I would love to work my way through it block by block

(although this is probably only a crochet addicts dream......)

can't wait to get crocheting with it ~ so much to learn!

I hope you can find a little time this week to pick up your favourite craft book

or magazine and learn a new technique or new craft.

until next time

happy crafting :)

sweet softness.....

2010-10-21T17:04:00.007+11:00

I have been admiring the beautiful Crocheted washcloths around the blogging world for a little while now and have wanted to have a go at them myself.

Well I finally joined in on this sweet crochet trend and made my very first set of washcloths.

I found this beautiful pattern while perusing the Ravelry site
it is a very simple pattern to follow so they work up quite quickly.
I will be making a few more of these to tuck away into some Christmas gifts this year.
Thank you so much to Helda for sharing this lovely pattern
and for providing such easy to follow instructions.

The Pattern can be found on
helda's blog Heldasland

and also on Ravelry

I hope you are all having a lovely week ♥

Granny Slipper Love......

2010-10-16T20:26:00.005+11:00

We are in Love

with Granny Slippers :)
I made these sweet little Granny Slippers
for Georgia today
using a brilliant pattern I purchased from
Michelle from The Royal Sisters Etsy Store

The yarn I used was 'Surprise by Lincraft'

it was so much fun watching the colours change as I crocheted Georgia's slippers

and I love that the colours are a little different on each slipper :)

Thank you so much Michelle for making another FABULOUS pattern!

Find the pattern at The Royal Sisters Etsy Store

Michelle's Blog The Royal Sisters

and on Ravelry

......................................................

Until next time

Stay Happy

Gillian ♥

Paper and Yarn....

2010-10-15T12:00:00.009+11:00

My Eldest is turning 15 - gasp!

can't believe it

anyway, I needed to make a card for him

~ teenage boys...hmmmmmm

anyone who makes, cards knows cards for teenage boys can be as difficult

as sympathy cards to get your head around.

But it had to be done ;) lol!

So, here it is ~ Simple Clean Lines.

I was quite pleased to get a new phone a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to protect my new toy.

So finally plucked up the courage to have a go at making a cosy for it.
I was pretty pleased with how it turned out, it even matches my little coin pouch :)
I found a pattern on Yarn Pixies Blog
for an MP3 Pouch,
My phone was a little larger so I added a couple of extra rows
and a little 'pinkie finger loop' instead of the drawstring top on the original pattern.
You can find the pattern on
Yarn Pixies Blog
& on Ravelry

****************************
Have a Creative weekend Everyone :)
and thanks so much for visiting me ♥

sweet things.....

2010-10-14T10:19:00.004+11:00

I just had to share these cute little coin purses I made last night

I used Melissa Mall's Pattern

Hundred Yen Pouch

These little pouches are so quick and easy to crochet and of course after I made one for myself I had to make one for my little miss.....

I threaded buttons onto the drawstrings on Georgia's little coin pouch.
For both little pouches I crocheted two different yarns together which makes the pouch quite sturdy and strong and gives a lovely interesting texture.

Thanks to Melissa for making this gorgeous little pattern I had so much fun making these two and I'm sure I'll be making some more very soon :)

Pattern can be found on Melissa's blog

and also on Ravelry

Thanks so much for visiting

I hope you are having a creative week

Gillian ♥

Making progress.....

2010-10-11T12:52:00.006+11:00

I am indeed making progress on this striped cushion

It is a slow project but very enjoyable and rewarding.

All Double Crochet (uk/aust)

and beautiful crepe wool.

The front is now complete and I am working on the back which will be in two pieces which overlap and close with buttons & buttonholes -another first time technique for me

The children went back to school this morning after two weeks of school holidays so I thought I'd bake them a treat for their afternoon tea this afternoon

This is a new favourite of theirs

Muffin Carrot Cakes

recipe courtesy of The Australian Women's Weekly kids cooking book

I think they like the Cream Cheese Frosting the best ;)
Also this week

I decided I needed a couple of covered coat hangers for my wardrobe

and wondered if I could possibly make them myself

well I found a pattern and whipped these up plus 2 more.

It's been a great couple of weeks in our home

The kids as I mentioned have just had two weeks school holidays,
Andrew had three weeks of Annual leave,
we built another vegie garden,
had a couple of day trips, dined out a few times,
had my parents come and stay for a weekend,

And I celebrated my 40th birthday and it didn't hurt a bit! :)

Have a Blessed week everyone ♥

it's been a busy weekend....

2010-09-26T09:25:00.014+10:00

It's been a little while since I made an ATC

and as it is Georgia's and my special weekend

I thought I'd make her one for her collection.

It's a dark & overcast this afternoon so it's hard to capture

the colour and the texture,

but it has lots of layers of Stitching, Ink, paint & rub-on's

and is a little more pink and pearly than it appears in this photo and she loves it :)

Of course a Girly weekend wouldn't be complete without a trip to the markets,

now would it!

We both fell in love with these butterfly brooches we found at our local market

and we had to have a 'mummy & me' pair :)

I've been following the very talented Katia Donohoe for a little while now through her blog Plushka's craft blog she makes the most gorgeous items, I was really quite chuffed to find that she had been featured in Septembers issue of Notebook Magazine. Along with her feature there was instructions for making one of her sweet little 'owl babies' when I showed this to Georgia she immediately wanted it on the list for our girly weekend.

Georgia only needed a little help with stitching some of the smaller pieces but apart from that she did everything else and is already hooked on making softies!

Thank you so much Katia it was fun to watch Georgia create with so much excitement as her little owl baby came together :)

If you'd like to be inspired by Katia

Here is her Blog Plushka's craft blog

Her madeit store Plushka

and the Baby Owl Tutorial & template pdf

Thanks for visiting and sharing our Girly weekend!
♥ Gillian & Georgia :)

The start of our girly weekend....

2010-09-25T13:41:00.006+10:00

Well Georgia and my girly weekend is underway :)

here is a couple of our projects from last night.

I started this crochet cushion cover

which will be my night time project for a couple of weeks I think.

And Georgia Started and Completed this Gorgeous little monster out of this issue of Australian Homesewn, it's been tucked away in our magazine rack since last year and Georgia pulled it out and put this on our 'list of things to do' for this weekend.I think she did a great job :)

today we have been baking, shopping, treating ourselves to some yummy food and we are going to make another softie this afternoon :)

Hope you are enjoying yourself this weekend,

I know we are!

Gillian & Georgia ♥

Another granny.....

2010-09-24T12:23:00.007+10:00

I finished this rug last night

it took 12 days (mostly nights, actually) to complete.

it is for my Georgia to use as a 'play-mat' in her room,

she loves to sit on her floor and play with her dolls and and read her mags and books....

she often plays school with her rather large collection of beanie kids

so I know she will use this on a daily basis ;)

Georgia helped choose the colours, it's made up of all of her favourites!

This was another easy rug to create,
and I enjoyed making it very much, almost as much as Georgia loves it!
and I want to say Thank you to
Alice from Crochet with Raymond
for sharing the pattern :)
If you click here it will take you to the pattern

Georgia and I have a very busy weekend planned,
All of our boys are away for the weekend, and we are planning lots of Girly things and lots of craft, to keep us busy!
I will share some of our creations soon.

Have a lovely weekend
Gillian :)

Lovely Granny Stitch.......

2010-09-23T13:25:00.006+10:00

There is something very sweet about Granny Stitch

I really love it :)

I finished this cute little tissue box cover yesterday

and wanted to share it with you.

and more importantly share where the pattern can be found

Michelle from The Royal Sisters Blog

has Kindly shared it for all!

If you Click Here it will take you to the pattern

Thank you so much Michelle for making such lovely patterns!

This is a great pattern to follow, Michelle has provided lots of photos with the pattern so it's really great for beginners :)

I learnt a couple of new stitches & techniques by making this little tissue box,

& I love to learn new things!

I love this shell edging, I've always wanted to have a go at it and now I have :)

Thanks for visiting!

♥ I hope you are having a creative week ♥

A new cushion.....

2010-09-20T14:06:00.006+10:00

My very first Crochet Cushion

I'm quite chuffed with it

and look forward to making some more soon.

I used 5 x 100gm balls of Lincraft Baw Baw Yarn

It is 50% Wool & 50% Acrylic and is a lovely chunky yarn.

And this Gorgeous 15mm Chunky Crochet hook.

I crocheted a tradional Granny Square of 9 rounds

and finished with a round of double crochet (uk/australian)

Of course this pattern could be adapted to any yarn and size you require.

I then Stitched the cushion cover up like an envelope,

stitching under the Single Crochet round using invisable ladder stitch, so the stitches could not be seen as per my photo below.

After the bottom half of the cushion cover was sewn together,
I covered my cushion insert (I actually used 2 cloth serviettes that have never been used, they were the perfect size and I really liked this colour for my cushion)
Next was placing the insert inside the cushion cover and stitching the last two seams.
When the time comes for a new cushion insert (as we all know they flatten over time)
I will be able to undo the two of the seams and replace the insert
This cushion was Very quick to make because of the large yarn and hook and super easy, if you can make a granny square than you can easily make one of these cushions :)

Thank you for visiting

I hope you have a lovely day :)

Bohemian Beads.....

2010-09-18T20:39:00.003+10:00

I was inspired to make this necklace after seeing a necklace Joyce made

on her blog Joyce Lives Here

She provided a great tutorial on how she made her necklace.

This is such an easy, quick and fun project to create
Perfect for a beginner at crochet.
I made my necklace a very long single strand 160cm
so that I can wear it doubled.Thank you so much Joyce for the inspiration :)

~ Hope you are having a creative weekend ~

17th September

2010-09-17T19:51:00.010+10:00

Today is my lovely husbands birthday

and of course I had to make him a card

I pulled an index page out of a large vintage atlas

folded it in half and then in half again for the foundation of this card.

I pulled another page from the same atlas but this time a map page

which I cut into strips to form the side edges of the openings of the card

I zig zagged on my machine down the edge

then set to work making my collage.

His Monogram needed to be applied, sanded, gesso'd & stitched

some stamping, a few rub-on's

and a spray of glimmermist

some ink and then you wouldn't believe it

I noticed our former home town (the place of his and my birth)

was on the front of the card,

When I pulled the index page out I pulled out one of the Australian pages but

I kid you not I did not plan for Inverell to be on the front

it just happened to be there

- how cool is that!
I had to circle it :)

Happy Birthday to my lovely husband

and to anyone else who is having a birthday today :)

Finished.....

2010-09-16T11:33:00.006+10:00

There is a wonderful sense of achievement when you finish crocheting a rug
and I'm so proud that I have finished another rug.
This is my Second Crochet rug and it's such a thrill to have it all finished and ready for my family to snuggle in it, there are still a few cool days left before the heat of summer hits so I'm sure it will be used a little this year.

Beautiful pure new wool

a hook

and a little time
= lots of warm cuddles :)

Have a happy day!

Lino Block Printing....

2010-09-09T20:49:00.005+10:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post

I have been learning lino block printing, thanks to my friend Catherine.

This is a print from one of my first lino blocks

(a nice simple design for a beginner, getting used to the feel of the carving tools in my hand)

I have had this print it sitting on my desk since June waiting for some finishing touches to make feel a little more like 'my style'. I completed this piece for my son, Jacob yesterday.

His middle initial is T, so I placed a T in the middle of the A :)

Jacob is turning 15 shortly

so the thought of direction is on my mind for him,

I guess this is where the arrows come from

and he is an incredible mathematician so I printed this piece onto one of my favourite Basic Grey Papers - perfect to reflect his love for Maths.

Under the vintage optical lens is a definition of 'believe' from an antique dictionary.

This is my carved lino tile,

~ everyone has to start somewhere ;)
already my carving has improved, thanks to some lovely new tools and a little practice.
and here is Jacob's print framed in a lovely deep box frame.
ooohhh....while I've got you here, can you see that tall vase,
it's actually a vintage preserving bottle
with a page from an old atlas lining the inside of it, cool hey!

Have a great week ♥

almost finished...

2010-09-06T11:07:00.005+10:00

I ♥ Crochet

I am almost finished my second rug - yay!

only a few more rows to complete then I can share it with you :)

I hope you find a little time today

to do something you enjoy!

2010-09-03T09:17:00.004+10:00

Here is another two cards that I have recently had published - yay :)

Published in

Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft

Vol 16 No 4

as part of the Stampers Challenge using these sweet Wings Stamps by Kaszazz.

and once again Sephi and in the same challenge,

this always makes me smile because I love her work so much :)

..................................................................

Also I have had the pleasure of being featured on Thea & Sami

as part of her Friday Followers Section ~ Thank you so much Thea ♥

Thea & Sami hand screen-print organic and natural fabrics

to create beauty for your home & body.

if you have not already found Thea & Sami I highly recommend you taking a little time to enjoy both the Thea & Sami Blog and Website

Curiouser and Curiouser!

2010-09-01T12:52:00.006+10:00

some more published pieces to share

These Two cards were published a few months ago

in Australian Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft

Vol 16 No 1

in the Stampers Challenge

using Tweety Jill's Down the Rabbit Hole Stamps

what fun these cards were to make!!!

I loved seeing them in the mag alongside some of my fav Aussie Stampers Sephi Kemp, Jane Clark & Sue Smith, it always amazes me when paper artists are given the same stamps how different and unique the finished pieces turn out.

.......................................................

Trust you are all having a lovely week,
Here’s a little of what I have been up to -
I made my very first Apple & Rhubarb Crumble
This was topped with cream and devoured by my family rather quickly! :)
so I'm sure it won’t be the last one baked in our home!
I'm also working on my second crochet rug - this one is blue & cream.
Carving a lino block for a print I'm working on,
This is a new passion of mine, thanks to a dear friend who has been teaching me Lino Block Printing, so I look forward to showing you some of my prints soon.
Wishing you all a creative week ♥

and now for something cute....

2010-08-19T10:19:00.004+10:00

I have got the crochet bug at the moment

and really wanted to share this cutie little apple cozy I made.....

Not only do they keep your apple free from bumps and bruises in your handbag or backpack

but they look super cute on your apple too :)

as I am still a beginner at following crochet patterns,

so I was really pleased at how easy this pattern was to follow.

I purchased a PDF from

The Pink Crochet Hook

Before I knew it the pattern was in my inbox ready for me to print off and start crocheting.

If you are not able to crochet, Kristie also sells finished Apple cozies :)

I'll be back again soon with more goodies to share,

in the meantime you have yourself a very creative day!

To everything there is a season....

2010-08-18T09:22:00.004+10:00

I was really pleased to have this published a little while ago in

Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft

Vol 16 no 2

To every thing there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Hope you are having a lovely day!

2010-08-17T10:31:00.003+10:00

Published in

Australian Scrapbook Creations

No.74 (Vol 8 No 11)

as part of the 20, 40, 60 minute challenge.

I created this set of 3 ATC in 60 minutes.

Using Products from the Prague Collection

by Darkroom Door

Just doing some catch up on my blogging....

while I was having my little 'holiday' from blogging I was happy to have had a few pieces published in some lovely Australian Magazines.

This was a super fun challenge 3 paper artists were given a beautiful and generous collection of Darkroom Door and we were also given a time limit that we had to adhere too.

Sarah Schwerin was given 20mins, Michelle Loffler was given 40 mins

and I was given 60 minutes.

I was very pleased I was given the 60 minutes time slot ;)

the other girls made such gorgeous ATC in their time limits and I was so thrilled to have been included in the same challenge as them both as I admire their work so much!

Back soon with more to share,

have a happy day!

the best place in the house....

2010-08-11T09:51:00.008+10:00

My mum often said that my childhood cat 'kitty' always knew the best place in the house, be it in front of our wood heater or curled up on my chenille bedspread.....oh how she was right!

The years have past, and 'kitty' has long since departed but one thing remains the same,

Cats can still be found comfortably sitting in the best place!

Our lovely 6year old Burmese has indeed found her best place in the house.

My newly finished project!

I'm rather proud of this crochet rug and wanted to share it with you all :)

it is 8 x 12 squares and is roughly the size of a singe bed.

It is made out of 8ply pure new wool, so is lovely and warm and quite heavy.

I started it in June and am so pleased I finished it before the cold weather has left us so we can all enjoy it's warmth!

Hope you are having a delightful week ♥

hello dear friends.....

2010-06-10T16:24:00.005+10:00

remember me?

I wouldn't blame you if you did forget me, it's been a while since I last posted.....

it feels so foreign for me to be typing a blog post, you know how sometimes you just need a break from some things, we'll that's what I needed... I never really intended to be so long between blog posts, it just seemed to happen.

still, I'm back now ;)

and I hope you still ♥ me!

I made some pretty things today, that I thought I'd share...

Filigree and Vintage Button Brooch

Pale Mint Blossoms

Both lovely and girly :)

and both available in my Madeit Store

also, in the time I've been having a blog holiday I have been micro blogging on twitter,

you can find me here if you'd like to follow along

I tweet most days, about new listings in my stores, what we are having for dinner and other random things ;) and I'd love to follow you too if you are on twitter!

Have a Happy day :)

2009-10-14T11:05:00.019+11:00

Cherry Blossom Bracelet

Little Keepsake Necklace
Just a couple of pretty new things from my Madeit Shop

I just wanted to share with you all the new
Madeit Gift Guide Blog
It's updated daily with lovely handmade items from Madeit, Interviews with Shops that Sell Handmade & Features on some of our Fabulous Markets in Australia :)

Since my last post, we have had a weeks holidays in Katoomba, NSW Australia
I just wanted to share this picture I took of The Three Sisters for all of my overseas visitors. The first four days of our stay we couldn't even see the sisters because of the foggy weather which really added to the atmosphere of being in the mountains. Fortunately the fog lifted on the afternoon of my birthday, Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day if I tried!

Hope you all have a Delightful Week ♥

2009-10-01T13:40:00.005+10:00

a little while ago I was sent some Gorgeous Cosmo Cricket paper from Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft and asked to make some cards....What Fun!

These Papers, Ribbons and Embellishments are a dream to work with and oooohhh so pretty :)

I made these two cards, both with lots of sewing and layering. These papers reminded me of Patchwork fabric and all of the quilts I have made and those hidden away in my cupboard unfinished (oh the shame....lol!) They appeared in

Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft

Vol 15 No 4

I know it's been ages since I last blogged, our September was our so busy with 2 School Musicals, A Singing Concert, A Drama Festival, A Trip to Sydney for State Tournament of the Minds, a Weekend Trip to our old home town of Inverell to see my parents, A Craft Fair at which I had a stall with my jewellery, and so on......

Now it's October we are coming up to Breath... :)
and we start our School holidays on Friday afternoon
and my Husband starts 4weeks annual leave - Yay!!!

A Big Happy Birthday to
Nathan, MJ, Grandma, Bradley & Jacob
I love you all!!!!

May your October be a Truly Fun one!

pretty things....

2009-08-31T16:50:00.002+10:00

The Gardener

Steampunk BraceletJust wanted to share these two pieces I have made in the last week.

I was quite pleased with them both

I love the Mixture of the Verdigris & Antique finish of The Gardener
and I just love the Dark Brass and Vintage Findings of the Steampunk Bracelet.

I hope your week is a Creative one :)

Button Swap.....

2009-08-28T09:54:00.007+10:00

On Madeit we have a forum for members.

It's a little forum that I find very encouraging and enjoyable to apart of. Over the past month a handful of us have taken part in a 'Button Swap' We were to make two items using buttons and include a little 'stash' of buttons as well.

Well today my parcel arrived :)

From the lovely Caryn of Smooch Designs

I felt like a little child opening up a present at Christmas, I squealed!

and here is why!

I know.....I am spoilt!

I received this STUNNING Clutch (in my colours and everything!!!)

the Sweetest Button Bouquet (I've always wanted one of these!!!)

Two bags of fabby, fabby buttons (I have a plan in my head already for these!)

and the prettiest Paper Butterfly :)

I wanted to take a moment to show you my new clutch!

How Gorgeous is this fabric!

If I went out to a fabric shop and picked the fabric for a custom clutch then I would have chosen this fabric, I love the colours and the pattern (it looks so fabulously 1940's)
look at the back! it's really pretty too! & more matching fabric!
I wanted to show you the detail Caryn has gone too when constructing this beautiful piece.

It is lightly padded so it feels beautiful to touch, inside matching pocket & lining, also Caryn has taken time to sew little covers at each end of the zipper.... I also noticed when I put the strap over my wrist because it has the 'D ring' it allows the strap to bend and sit beautifully when my hand is threaded through the strap and my hand holds the top of the clutch....finally Everything is 'top stitched' :)

This is what I love about Handmade ~ attention to detail and made with love :)

Thank you so much Caryn

I feel completely spoilt ♥

Smooch Designs & Caryn's Blog

ps.....I know I said I'd be back with a mixed media piece I've been working on but I'm still not finished...it's not that it's huge..But I need to find the time to finish it off ;)

have a delightful weekend everyone!

In the meantime....

2009-08-06T11:42:00.001+10:00

Lace Lilies

I am working on something at the moment, it's a Mixed Media piece...

and it's taking a little while to finish,

So in the mean time....

I thought I'd share some of my newest jewellery creations :)
Vintage Button Necklace
Black Lace Earrings
Forever Earrings

Unlocked Earrings

My Etsy Shop & My Madeit Shop

Discovery - a little box....

2009-07-25T13:31:00.006+10:00

I had fun making this little box,

which Lachlan has claimed for his room, my children love little boxes to hide their treasures in.

I used the Darkroom Door Wilderness vol 1 Set.

Lot's of layers of ink, embossing powder, gesso, stitching and more embossing powder.

I just love this stamp of the tree line, it was a perfect size for the sides of the little box.

Well the children go back to school on Tuesday, we've had a lovely holiday with friends coming for sleepovers and all sorts of things filling our days ~ holidays are always too short in our home!

I stepped down this month from The Stamping Queen Design team.
I still love TSQ, The Queen & the girls on the team...
I will still be creating and working away, but it's just time for a little change for me and time to focus on other things :)

Well my friends, I hope you are all having a lovely weekend!

I get the prettiest mail....

2009-07-10T18:04:00.004+10:00

lookie what my Postie delivered today

Isn't it Gorgeous!

This beautiful necklace is made by

Narelle ~ Maker of precious objects

I entered a competition on her blog and I won!!!!

I can't tell you how excited I was, I had been admiring this necklace for quite a while and even had it saved in my favourites on Madeit so to win it was such a thrill!

Thank you so much Narelle you make such gorgeous treasures & I'm so proud and excited to be able to wear this perfectly sweet treasure ♥

Narelle's Madeit Shop & Narelle's Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

also, I am delighted to be included in a Review on

Francie Horton's blog 'Just Be'

it's a lovely honour, thank you so much Francie ♥

Your blog is beautiful :)

An Art Pin

2009-07-01T12:20:00.002+10:00

Oh man this was sooooo much fun to create :)

as mentioned in an earlier post I recently purchased some Super Sculpey. Well I've been busting to use my stamps with it, and this is just my MOST favourite stamp at the moment!

it's one of the Gorgeous stamps from the Darkroom Door Stamp DDRS027 Artist set

Barb has got this gorgeous stamp at

Seriously this particular type of sculpey is amazing to work with, it's soft and imprints beautifully as you can see in this photo.

I inked my stamp with Versa Fine Onyx Black Inkpad, and stamped it into a piece of rolled out sculpey, trimmed it and baked the scupley as per the instructions.

then I brushed Gesso over it and wiped it off with a damp rag (I did this about 5 times till I got it just how I wanted it to look)

Next I drilled a hole - I told you this stuff is amazing, you can drill in it without it cracking or splitting (I was careful ofcourse) and attached the old key at the bottom.

The letter G at the top is a Rusty Pickle Alpha Brad, I simply trimmed the back of the brad off with my old scissors and glued it on.
And there you have it!

Thanks for looking everyone :)
I hope you are all having a great week!

Designer Spotlight.....

2009-06-28T18:43:00.007+10:00

I am thrilled to bits to be the designer featured in the latest

Designer Spotlight on

Madeit

If you'd like to read my interview,

you can by clicking on the Madeit sign below

I'm the one with the Big Smile :)

My little artist and her adventures with Sculpey...

2009-06-27T20:37:00.006+10:00

Yesterday Georgia and I had such fun playing with sculpey :)

She wanted me to share with you what she made.
It's a little 'Sun Art Doll'
called 'Sunny' :)
This is the new mould I bought this week, and this lovely large box of sculpey...
Georgia and I will be having a lovely time playing with it over the next couple of weeks.
It's such a lovely craft for both children & adults.
I've so many plans for this face mould, even as I'm sitting here now typing away I'm thinking up more ideas.... & I'm keen to use some of my rubber stamps with the sculpey also...

My Beautiful Friend.....

2009-06-19T18:53:00.004+10:00

This is a 6 x 6" collage which I will turn into a card

for one of my dear friends,

lots of layers and elements blended together

~ a bit like friendship really....

I used lots of lovely pieces from

The Stamping Queen to create this piece.

you can see the Collections Elements transparency at the top, german scrap, ribbon and rhinestone trim, the backing is a collage of Collections Elements Printed Paper
I had a piece of Collections Elements Dictionary Strip in Kraft left over from my dtpack, and used that as part of the backing collage also along with some Collections words
I used my newest stamp also This lovely 'Parisian Label 196' by Art Declassified, & added a few rub-ons over the top :)
I also used Collections Chipboard frame, Image & Vintage Buttons.

Have a Simply Wonderful Weekend Everyone :)

1...2...3 an art pin

2009-06-16T10:18:00.005+10:00

Here's a quirky little Art Pin I have made using some of my Design Team supplies from

and a few of my other bits and pieces I had floating around in my collection ;)

The Base for the pin is an old wooden domino and that charming gentleman is from Darkroom Door Photo Booth sheet, he is actually with another chap in the photo, but he is easy to separate from the other chap with a pair of scissors making him the perfect size to put on the domino.
The Image & the little hat and word are sealed with modpodge (or pva glue) and then a layer of Royal Coat Dimensional Magic is applied over the top, I love that the little red dots fill up with the dimensional magic, but you can still feel they are hollow.
I used Collections Elements Dictionary Strip in Kraft for the words on the side of the domino and on the wooden tape measure at the top. One Side reads
'Made of unrelated things joined together'
& the other side reads
'objects made of pieces fitted together' :)

I also used ~ a piece of wooden builders ruler, beading wire, seed beads no.5, jump rings, and a vintage typewriter key.

Have a Delightful Week everyone :)

We love you Grandad....

2009-06-13T19:58:00.007+10:00

This card has just been published in

Australian Cardmaking Stamping & Papercraft Vol 15 No 1

(appologies for the scan, but I do love the way they have photographed this card

and I haven't got the card at the moment to photograph).

I used a few of my Favourite The Stamping Queen Stamps on this card

Queens Dresser Drawers Pensive Philip, Paper Artsy At Home Plate 3, Large Gears Stamp,I also used Creative Imaginations Journalling Frame & my Glimmer Mist in Graphite.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

I'll be back soon with some new creations I'm working on :)

When I fall in love.....

2009-06-04T12:18:00.004+10:00

I have had a lovely time once again playing with my design team pack from

This is a little wooden hanger (7 1/2" long)

I used a Chipboard Tag to make this hanger, and used Mod Podge to adhere all of the layers together, I gave the piece a subtle look by brushing Gesso over the top and wiping it off before it dried, then sealed the finished piece with more Mod Podge. Then a very light brush with Kindy Glitz to give the piece a hint of whimsy...(although the glittery Kindy Glitz isn't very visible in the photos)
I used ~ Designs Galore VB012, Collections Elements Baroque Papers, Collections Elements Dictionary Strip Kraft C0637, Basic Grey Fruitcake Fibres.
& from my own little stash ~ Cosmo Cricket Sticker, Rub-ons, Vintage Buttons, wooden tag.

I hope you all have a truly delightful day :)

Inspire - an art doll....

2009-05-26T10:49:00.003+10:00

I've had some Beautiful pieces in my Design Team kit from