Books, Award and Sydney.....

First of all i would like to say a very Big Thank You for Lucy's birthday wishes and the comments on the quilt. And i meant to add that she loves it and how much i love seeing her curled up on the couch in it.

gives me the warm and fuzzies!

I've have been reading some mixed media books lately giving me lots of ideas. First of all, Tracy Bautistas.....
While i think she is incredibly talented, this book was just too much for me. Too many ideas and way too busy on each page.
While i think it would be incredible to do a class with her or watch one of her vids this book was just a bit overwhelming for me. Nonetheless, i cant wait to try some of her techniques.

The next one by Alisa Burke, i really loved. While its choc full of info and pics its also easier on the eye and i think i could see my own interpretation on things better. I also loved her mixed media bag, cuffs and ipod holder.

I loved the combinations of paint, canvas and stitching.

The very nice and talented Debbi Baker has honored me with an award. And i do feel very honored.

I feel a bit guilty about accepting these awards especially as i don't pass them on properly!

So to all the lovely inspiring blogs i visit and leave comments on, consider this one yours!

The Rules: List 7 things that you LOVE and link to the person who has tagged you. Choose 7 more bloggers to give the Kreativ Blogger Award to, then leave a comment on those 7 blogs to let the recipients know you chose them.

so onto 7 things i love....apart from family [which goes without saying!] and crafting....

1/ My craft girls..... i lurve my Wednesdays and now we've had to shift it to the afternoon because of my work commitments. Lots of laughter even when we are comiserating about teenagers, husbands, housework, aging parents etc. We even mange to get some making done!

2/ selvedges, dont laugh! i love those dots and fluffy bits on the selvedge, always have [way before it was trendy] and they vary soooo much!

3/ annual retreat with craft... i look forward to this each year. [as do my craft girls] Beautiful food and company and a bright and warm place to create, what more could you ask for....

4/ chocolate, truffles are my favorite!

5/ Baileys... goes hand in hand with chocolate.

6/ Australias blue sky ......when i lived in th UK for a year this is what i missed the most. When i stepped off the plane after being away for 15 months , even tho it was the middle of winter, the sky was blue as blue. Its not like any other blue sky ive seen anywhere else.

7/ the ocean. I never get tired of watching the waves [and the surfies ;) and love going to sleep listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.

so i am off to Sydney on Tues for a 'whole day of training' on Wednesday! Wont be able to get any pics because i will be flying in and out in darkness but i am looking forward to it [apart from the swine flu outbreaks]

I have never been sent anywhere before for training so this is a first, although it does seem like a lot of expense for one day.

My first week in the job has been ok and should be better once i get into the swing of things...

Have a good week everyone....

the quilt....

Notice the quilt on the last post.....

about 5 weeks before Lucy's birthday i decided i would make her a quilt!
Only having made 2 small quilts and determined not to use the rotary cutter i called this my 'ripper' quilt.
Not being able to find interesting fantasy, black or silver fabrics ;) or being totally blank on a theme, i came upon this lovely range of batiks from Honeysuckle Glass in Bendigo. I knew lots of things i didn't want. Didnt want it patch-y or flat , fiddly cutting or making up, and the things i did, horses and dogs but not too appliquey...... i dint actually measure anyhting, just snipped and ripped [but paid for it later]

So starting with bottom i worked my up, trying to do it between Lucy's classes and my work , nearly got caught twice but i think it was a surprise :) I had help from other accomplices in keeping her out of the house on the weekends too!



the whippies took ages to do! i traced the images onto interfacing and stitched them very carefully around the outside from the back. This needed to be really accurate as they have such a definate line/body shape. then i turned it over and freemotioned the front. I thought that would take ages but was surprisingly quick.




i added some small strips of fantasy fabric , they just add that bit of bling, yes she has sequin waste in her quilt!




Faux chennile i think this is called. I just sewed random pleats and then stitched them down one way then the other.






because its so big i sent it to a professional quilter to be quilted. She was great and finished it in 2 days for me as we were running out of time. I still need to add a label but for a non quilter i think it turned out pretty well.

oh and next time i will rotary cut because i had all sorts of trouble getting it square...ha!

ps, just clicked all the close ups, you'll have to excuse the dog hairs!!!

My Mothers Day babe.....

turned 18 today!! I remember when Luce was born in the morning on Mothers Day, hubby was soooo excited [she had been a long time in the making!] that he rushed out and bought flowers, not just for mum and me but all the nurses too :)

So too my clever, artistic, kind, horse obsessed, messy, gorgeous daughter who is also a rspca ferret rescuer, avid reader, model horse maker, kennel maid ..............

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!

do you know...

how many posts i have started and then not finished because of 1/ camera problems or just 2/running out of time. I didn't mean to let it get so long b/w posts but here is a little update of whats been happening in the last few weeks....

birthday card...

Lucy, its her 18th on tues, i know everyone says it, but where does the time go.... We were pretty proud of her because she decided to forgo the big party and use the money to get some horse rugs seeing as it as gotten cold here quickly.

Charlie , [should have named her something that meant 'busy one'] She was chosen by her school to read the Requiem at the local Anzac service. She read beautifully, no nerves [not my genes!] and with so much compassion. It was absolutely bucketing down too, much needed rain but i felt sorry for the old vets in the wet and cold.
I took a vid with a new camera , thought i was holding it the right way and its come out sideways[again] and it was set on a really high resolution so i couldn't post that here either :(

Earlier in the year she applied for a Rotary scholarship , well.......
she went to the first interview and they chose two of them to go to the next round. Then last week she went to a dinner to meet some more members for the second part of the process. On Wed she received an invitation to go to Melb to be approved by he board there. I'd have been cacking my daks though all this and i know she was little nervous but fine none the less. So my baby maybe of to Denmark next year [for the whole year], what a wonderful opportunity for her.

me ....I have had what i call a sideways promotion at work!! I will be a furnishings custom made consultant. Heaps better hours, no weekends and i may have to go to Sydney [yippeee] for training for a week. I have been in curtains all my life but i need to learn their operating systems and the computer stuff. The downside is that it can very stressful but i am already stressed so maybe it will be an improvement.

Had my allergist appt in Melbourne yesterday and the upshot is some more tests , maybe have to do an elimination diet. This rash maybe a once off , it maybe something i have to live with, not likely! Half the trouble is i have no rash now but i still get itchy and i came home from there itching like mad.
We did manage to fit in Ikea though and we picked out a white dining table . Haha, good color for this house, it'll look lovely with paint all over it!!! I am not fan of everything must match kind of furniture and but would have loved 50/60/ table with the metal edge and red vinyl chairs. might never find that and i figured this table looked a bit retro-y
We had trouble deciding on chairs tho. I liked these black ones, they were so comfortable and Hubby liked these other ones, so we compromised , got 4 of mine and two of his for the ends. He always sits on the end anyway! They were out of stock for the table so that will mean another trip soon. Yey!
so....i have been sooo busy with work and other things so if you see me visiting and not leaving comments or taking my time to reply to emails, its not because
1/ i don't like you anymore,

or 2/ i don't like your artwork anymore!!

I'm just time challenged!!

Will leave you with a pic of two atcs i made for a butterfy swap....