MERRY CHRISTMAS

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas. I hope the New Year is a healthy, happy and safe year for you all.
I intend to make some changes to my life next year. Not big ones but little achievable ones. Hopefully spend more time with my husband, after a dreadful year of recovery from back surgery, my daughters wedding (a good thing), and moving our business to new premise (more stressful than moving house) I'm hoping for a more fun relaxed and joyfull new year.

I've missed some of the small things this past year like spontaneous little things, so I will look forward to a new beginning in 2009.
I'd also like to take a new direction with my studio and textile work but just not sure what at the moment. I will reflect over the holiday break and allow myself the chance for change.

I'm wondering if all this reflection has to do with my age, past experiences, the current economic woes or all of these....?

Anyway a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE IN BLOGLAND.

Spirit Doll

My little nephew is nearly 2 and this Xmas I decided to make him his first CQ item from his Aunty Larna. His bedroom is themed in Ships and Pirates so the doll is themed on the sea.
I used sea themed charms like shells, star fish, fish etc and found a fabric I had for the head (I think it looks like Neptune) and a great print of a ship at sea. As this was for a little boy I kept the flowery embroidery out of it. This was a challenge as most of my work contains flowers of some sort.
I do hope his mother likes it as it is meant to hang somewhere in his room.
The aim of the spirit doll is to represent love and affection to the owner offering the owner good things from the maker.
The doll also has enclosed in the middle (stuffing) some of departed Grandmothers' hair and the first hair of the baby boy who is the recipient. Our Grandmother Mary was a very special lady and was a huge influence on my creative self. She single handedly enticed me into being creative.
It has been raining today and roads very slipery.

Our son is housesitting for a friend and informs my husband and I this morning that He has had an accident in his car. Luckily he is unhurt but took out a front fence of a house and the car had the hole right side smashed in. I thank my lucky stars he is OK but I hope he learns from this experience he is not infalable. If only we could bestow wisdon on the youth.
Better day tomorrow.

Teaching Weekend

It's so close to Christmas and I haven't finished all the shopping yet. Uhhhh
I've been asked to teach in Victoria next year so I'm teaching my 'Crazy in Cream and Gold" Crazy cushion. A little town outside Melbourne called Cohuna goes into quilt mode for the weekend. I'm so looking forward to it, meeting new ladies and introducing them to CQ.
It should be a lot of fun.
I'm off to help DH cook chicken satay skewers on the BBQ, I also made a potatoe casserole to have with it. I'm getting hungry just talking about it.
Cheers for now.

The wedding photos

Raelene walking down the isle with her father. It was a great day and I did lots of crying. She looked absolutely gorgeous. I'm so proud of her. Will post more photos as I get them.
Didn't DH look stunning in his suit and tie.

This is a photo of the bride and her bridesmaids on our front verandah before leaving for the ceremony.

This is the bride, my daughter Raelene and her dad, my husband Don. The wedding car in the background. This photo was taken in our front driveway before leaving for the wedding venue at Baulkham Hills.

The day has come and gone so quickly. I had to consentrate and absorb all the details of the day. I didn't want to miss any of it.

Surprise in the mail

Pat winter sent me a lovelly surprise in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I have been slack posting the photo due to wedding business in my house. Now that it's over I'm catching up on some posts. I asked pat for some advise on the heat tool she uses to transfer imaged to fabric as I was not having much success. Well Pat sent me some of her images to try and also some of her lovelly ribbons. Thanks Pat I will be using them in something special. Anyway after much trial and error I've discover that I need to find a different photo copier as the ones I've tried so far don't work. So.....Thanks again Pat for your help and kindness.

I'V BEEN TAGGED

My first tag. Sharon has tagged me. Thanks Sharon, her blogspot is http://wildflowerhouse.blogspot.com/ Sharon Chapman was kind enough to explain the procedure of tagging to me so I hope I get it all right. I've enjoyed chatting to Sharon and always enjoy her lovely CQ work and projects.

Well I'm suppose to give 6 obscure facts about me, here goes

1. I love watching The Bold & The Beutiful on TV @ 4.30pm with a cuppa and a biscuit in hand

2. I miss having kids around the house.

3. The older I get the less I like being alone.

4. I don't know what I'd do with myself if I couldn't sew.

5. I have to push myself to get involved in new technology. LOL like Blogging.

6. I'm not at all athletic.

Now for my the 6 blogspots to visit and enjoy.

My first is http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/ by Pat Winter. Pat got me into blogging in the first place and has been a great inspiration. I'm sure we will meet one day. Love her work.

Then there is http://blog.prettyimpressivestuff.com/ by Rissa. A very busy talented lady who is behind the CQ magazine we all love and wait for each issue. A very gifted lady.

http://karrinscrazyworld.blogspot.com/ by Karen is another great site. I enjoy seeing Karens' posts on her work and the beautiful scenery shots she takes.

Another blog is http://cpaphilblog.com/ is a great site for vintage postacards and the history of them too. by Marie Reed.

Karens' http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ is a fabulous site for Victorian clip art and more. A lovelly person to give so much of her collections.

Lilla Levine is a lady who I have admired for some years so it has been great finding her blogspot and viewing her lovelly work. Lilla is at http://justlilla.blogspot.com/.

Hope you enjoy looking at the blogs. You need a mug of coffee/tea not just a cup.

CQ Wedding Cushion

The wedding cushion is finished. I'm very happy with how it turned out. My daughter went thru my stash and picked the fabrics and threads to match the colour theme of her dress and wedding decor. The purple was very strong so I had to use it sparingly otherwise it took over the 'wedding look' of the cushion.

I incorporated some of my dear grandmothers fabric of one of her old dress shirts, ans Eifel Tower charm, (that's where the couple were engaged), a messenger dove charm, MOP love heart charm.

On one corner I put their initials over a satin heart corner treatment. It came up well I thought. Two rings entwining to represent the wedding rings.

I also put a love poem and the marriage date on the back of the cushion. I did this on my bubble jet printer. It turned out really well.

Soo.... breath, sigh,breath......the last of the last minute wedding jobs are being done. Need to have dress rehearsal tonight. Check table decorations, placement of tables etc.

I hope we haven't forgotten anything.......I keep drifting off into thinking and panic land in my head. I think I need a massage, when will I fit that in ?

Next post will be of the wedding itself. Wish me luck, I hope I can hold it together.