Photo a day # 27

DISCLAIMER: I did not take this photo! I just found it on the laptop entitled 'Scenic' and seeing as yet again I didn't see my camera today, I decided this will do ;)

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Kelly from Don't Look Now is having a beautiful giveaway! You simply must go check it out!

& even if I don't win, I've book-marked two of her tutorials to make in the near future ~ quite possibly Christmas gifts or just because... one for the boys! one for the girls! Heck I might even get keen and make one of these artsmocks for Miss K as her cheap one is falling apart already!

The ideas for Christmas are starting to swirl & gather in momentum? Is it too early to start blogging the Christmas Advent ~ 100 days early??? JUST KIDDING!

& on the subject of giveaways - My giveaway is still open for comment, rest assured the prize will be nowhere near as stunning as the above giveaway mentioned ;) but hey - enter, you know you wanna?

WIP Spring Clean Out 2009!

The List ~ seems I'm on a roll. Three projects completed and have now added another 3!  How are your lists going?

1/ Pink check Sundress for Miss K - 1/4 finished (thanks to dad who unpicked my big mistake and thanks to mum who has shown me a cheats way of gathering)

Sun-top (it ended up too short to be a dress)

Gosh they made these tops/dresses FULL!!!

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2/ Pink Wallet - 3/4 finished, need to decide whether to unpick the ribbon embellishment or leave as is and add a vintage button or closure of some kind.

Lettercase based on the pattern in the Jane Austin Sewing kit book. TBH I'm not terribly happy with the way this turned out... not sure if I will still give it to mum as originally intended as I'm not 100% happy with the way it turned out. I do however LOVE the colours together! 

 

3/ Bargello Table runner - NEARLY finished, it just needs the binding hand sewn down

 

4/ Teddy Quilt - NEARLY finished, just needs the binding hand sewn down

 

5/ Pinwheel Dreaming - Needs sandwiching, quilting & binding

 

6/ Mushroom Bag - Needs handles

 

6/ Make it Perfect Sunhat

Photo a day #26 & Quilt Top done!

I finished adding the borders today & have a completed quilt top done & ready to be basted!

Now I just need to get to the LQS so I can baste, quilt and bind it this weekend! I love these smaller quilts!!!

Photo a day #25

Even the beer is sweating through these record temps we are experiencing! Today has been 6 degrees above average and again where we are it reached 34 degrees (celcius) ~ I am loving it!!! Jealous much?

 

Yesterday there was more wrecking while my girl painted pictures for her sick great nanny in hospital. 

 

Today there has been sewing (pictures to come tomorrow) I'm just tossing up between one border or two and then the top of the pinwheels will be done. I need to go to the LQS tomorrow to get more batting, this time I might purchase enough to make a few quilts ;)

Photo a day (#23 & #24)

I see glimpses of Spring around every corner... the birds are seeing, our resident lizard is baking himself every morning, the flowers are blooming (albeit in other yards, not mine ;) and I feel awake, as though the hibernation of winter is coming to a rapid end (thank gosh for small mercies... I loathe winter!)

Today however I could swear it's already Summer - my (somewhat dodgy) thermometer out the back is reading 34 degrees celcius and even the breeze is pleasantly hot. 

Splashes of colour in my garden, (don't be fooled, the plant is still in the pot and I can't move it as the roots have grown out and into the ground beneath ;) but hey they aren't dead yet!!! pink geraniums

And quilting :) what better way is there to spend a stinking hot *winter* day!

 

I decided on pinwheels for the new baby quilt, after a mammoth effort yesterday and again today, I've sewn all my rows together and now just need to join them and decide on a final border... I'm tossing up whether I go the dark pink with the floral binding or a floral border with the dark pink binding ~ what do you think?

My sewing machine is also squeaking once more - grrr!!! I need to find out when I purchased it as I am seriously considering upgrading. I think I've had it at least 6 years??? What really gives me the irrits about it is the machine is perfectly capable of lasting and even the repair man said this morning that my particular model would have been the best on the market when I bought it - it wasn't bloody cheap, so I'm not terribly happy, especially about the fact it will need to go back AGAIN for another bloody service. Right in the middle of baby season and quilting *sigh*

Celebration time!

Surfing the net tonight... I realise several important things...

** It was my blogiversary (birthday) yesterday ~ I'm 2 years old!!! I originally started this blog & named it Grouchy Crafts, but it's been ever evolving & had a few name changes along the way - but the essence is still here (& well I'm still bloody working on all the things I mentioned in my first ever post)

** THIS POST (the one you are reading now) is actually POST NO 350 ~ holy moly I must have a lot to talk about! 

** I have had 8294 hits on my blog since adding the counter. Now if we subtract around 294 hits as being ME that makes a whopping 8000 views ~ wowsers!

** I have a whopping 19 subscribers on bloglines (subtract 1 as that would be ME, don't ask LOL)

** I have 27 subscribers on google reader (subtract 1 as ME)

** There is 125 days left till Christmas (that one is just for Skip ;)

** I have a measly 9 followers on blogger followers

 

This calls for celebration and well there is no beer in the house and as much as the brandy would be a welcome relief tonight, I'm not sure my head would cope with the overnight 'teething toddler antics' or the morning after! Instead I will celebrate with chocolate and a bottomless cup of tea (ever so boring my life leads) and I tell you to comment away - sing me Happy Birthday, add me to your counters, visit my page again so I can hit the 10K views! Whatever but be sure to comment cause I'm having a giveaway!!! Yes a long overdue and promised giveaway is (finally) happening, I want to put some happiness back in the world. So give me a comment tell me what makes you happy (tell the truth, it's waking up to read my rambling daily posts ain't it???) and I will choose 3 random winners by the end of August. Get Cracking. The prize is undecided (sorry) I do need to put my thinking cap on and I will ask you give me a few weeks to make something and get it in the post (I only ask as I've got a lot of personal crap going down) but TRUST ME - I'm good for it. So start commenting! & leave me an email / blog to be able to contact you on ;)

Good Luck and may the force be with you :)

Photo(s) a day in August #22

After viewing my ever expanding deck of cards, I realised a bigger storage department was required. A trip to the country today and seeing the 'treasure chest' my crafty mummy made up for a wedding she was off too ~ I decided I just had to get me one them, in a bigger version of course!

So I sent dad across the road to get me one too ;)

It fits the cards beautifully!

Return to Creativity

Does anyone else seem to deflate after finishing a big project?

I'm like a bloody balloon meeting a pin ~ it seems after every Quilt I make ~ I deflate...

After finishing Ollies Quilt, I've lacked direction in sewing and more importantly the Quilting department. After spending weeks months throwing my creativity in another direction (hence the many recent posts of wrecking, cards and photos!) I was becoming somewhat worried within adding to the pressure, as my lovely friend just gave birth to a gorgeous little girl and I really want to make her a Quilt. I've been bouncing a few ideas for quilt layouts around for several weeks now & my long suffering Quilting friends (you gals know who you are) SHOULD be pleased to hear that I've finally narrowed it down to two different designs...

Of course with a vague idea of what I wanted to do in my noggin, I trotted off to the fabric store this morning and picked out two bright fabrics, purchased more white on white + a backing to match! I think I may have somewhat shocked the sales lady with the fact I have no firm design to go with. I'm not sure she's ever heard the term winging it... which is of course my middle name ;)

Here's my fabric haul from this morning... I'm hopeful of getting more than one quilt from it...

**backing not shown**

The idea is to do a simple pinwheel block, I whipped the below up on EQ6 yesterday, but as yet am undecided whether I will continue on with the pattern, or do all the blocks in pink (as now I've picked different fabrics) Decisions, decisions!!! 

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Quilt #2

El cheapo purple Spotlight fabric teamed with a Heather Ross Russian Dolls that has been sitting in my stash simply forever waiting a lightbulb moment of what to make with it!

Lights flashing, with a few minutes to spare earlier this afternoon, I whipped up a maverick stars block (something I'd been wanting to do FOREVER, just lacking in the time to do it)

I actually really like it... now the ideas are flickering through my head, until I have more time to put them in action... I bid you adieu :)

A photo a day in August #21

 

~ is there nothing better in life??? ~

I've been out and about, dragged the camera everywhere we went and didn't take one measly shot :( bit hard with a still teething toddler wanting to be carried everywhere! I did however get 20 minutes with a perfectly behaved toddler at the LQS and have walked out with some beautiful fabrics that may go together for this baby quilt I really need to get started on - heck the baby is now just over a week old ;)

A photo a day + a Meme

Our 2IC! Fast asleep on the couch in the office

And I'm joining in another meme doing the rounds ~ from Pip at Meet me at mikes

Making : Round Robin Blocks
Cooking : dinner
Drinking : coffee
Reading: The Fiery Cross ~ Diana Gabaldon
Wanting: More time
Looking: at writing course
Playing: with the toddler
Wasting: time on the net
Sewing: hand stitching binding on teddy quilt
Wishing: on a star ;)
Enjoying: life
Waiting: always
Liking: creative pursuits
Wondering: how to make the donut last longer
Loving: my husband (awwww...)
Hoping: for a good night sleep
Marvelling: at toddlers learning ability
Needing: more books
Smelling: spring on the air
Wearing: jeans & top
Following: facebook updates
Noticing: the spring feel in blogland
Knowing: myself
Thinking: of stories to write
Feeling: blissful
Bookmarking: more & more quilt designs
Opening: bills in the mail grrr...
Giggling: at the toddlers expression when asked to smile

A photo a day #19

 

Cheating again!

Check out more photos over at Megan's blog

Photo(s) a day + Wrecking & Losing!

Another page completed in my Wreck this Journal, needing a page that was relatively clean & headache free, this one checked in beautifully - heck all I had to do was tear it out & lose it!

What better way to lose it than the way we manage to lose every other important piece of paper (like Target catalogues) that tend to go missing in our household - through a certain little white dog who is paper obsessed!

He even dropped his ratty old ball to get to the paper :)

WIP Spring Clean + Photo a day

 

My first WIP Spring Clean 2009 project is finished! This Bargello Table Runner started out as a casserole warmer *blush* last year *blush*. I decided early on in the peace I didn't want a casserole warmer as to me it screams so 1970's!!! So I adapted it & made it a table runner instead! I really love it & the blue tones suit my house decor really well!

The back is just squares randomly joined into rows. 

 

And this isn't all I've done today, I've also managed to re-sew the pink sundress (well it's now a top) and after I overlock a few seams, it will be ready to be photographed. PLUS I've managed to more knitting on my scarf! A good day in all!

Photo a day in August #15

I'm hopeful this book will come in handy during my 6 week online creative writing course that I started earlier this week!

Today, I had high hopes of sharing some finalised knitting pics from our scheduled girly catch up, but alas for the 2nd time I've had to cancel - this time due to the snot and general miserableness of my little teething toddler. We've spent most of the day on the couch & let me tell you - there is only so many episodes of Play School I can handle... sucks when I only have three episodes taped *rolling eyes*

I did manage to get some unpicking done (sundress) and started hand sewing the binding on the table runner whilst the little girl had a rare happy moment during a run in the back yard ;)

The table runner MIGHT have been finished at long last while I watched season 2 of "Angel" but that was dashed when said toddler woke crying after 1/2 hour nap (this is the same child who will generally sleep 2.5 - 3 hours each day!) so I've had her on my lap most of the afternoon, limited to a spot of reading...

Bring on a lazy Sunday ~ forecasting a brunch at the local golf club, followed by lazing around watching TV and maybe a spot of sewing. But for now, I must get this child to bed ;) 

A photo a day in August #13

Pumistone Passage
Originally uploaded by car_rose21

For the 2nd day in a row, I just haven't had a chance to pick up my camera, so today... I leave you with a shot I took of the passage I took last year! Enjoy xxx

A photo a day in August #11

Ok - this is cheating, using a photo taken LAST week as I just don't have the time to do so today (sorry)

Can you spot the fairy?

This outfit mishmash of clothes was half picked out by my little toddler and she insisted on wearing it ALL DAY! 

Photo a day in August #10

My name is Car,

and I am a book addict!

The toddler and I took a drive up to the mountains today to meet my folks for morning tea (they are currently holidaying in a tree or some such thing ;) a lovely morning tea involving chocolate, scones, coffee and soup (? ask dad ?) followed by a leisurely stroll checking out the 2nd hand bookstores. Luckily for me, I had mum on hand to mind the toddler, while I took my time browsing & walked away with this pile of goodies. I remember the good old days where 2nd hand book stores were only $5 a book... nowadays I'm paying close to $10 each book, but hey - saves me spending $15-20 at the store!

I'm thinking I'm needing to start a list of 'want to read' as my list of 'have read' is slowing down, I'm back in the 1700's history again with Jamie and Claire and the wilderness of the early day Americas... *ahhh* bliss! 

A photo a day in August #9

Vintage toys of my hubbies... I'm talking REALLY VINTAGE... LOL!

A photo a day in August #8

If you haven't had a chance to try these delicious cookies of Ruth's ~ then get yourself in the kitchen NOW I tell ya! They are devine! Thanks Ruth for sharing the recipe!

I fully intended to spend the day re-sorting my fabric cupboard, I got as far as (finally) labelling my clear shoe boxes and adding 2 baskets for smaller pieces of fabric, before discovering some UFO's that had been floating around for... well forever really! I stumbled across a pinned skirt that my Nanny graciously supplied pattern, fabric & instructions for way back in the early days of my sewing adventures (I'm talking between 5 and 10 years ago... before blogging, probably before I got my new machine *blush*) We cut the skirt out and she sent me home with the skirt, in pieces all pinned together accompanied with verbal & pinned instructions (this means she told me sew here, here and here & then pinned the darned thing to demonstrate) No clue what pattern this skirt comes from as it's one she had floating in her pile of fabrics. I decided today was the day to finish it, so remembering verbal instructions and following pinned directions... I got started!

Mighty pleased to say that as soon as I sew the press studs on the back & the hem, I will have a completed skirt AND although the fabric is not my usual cup of tea, it will be just PERFECT for the approaching spring days where I just want to hang out at home... Surprisingly although a VERY snug fit ~ it still fits, not bad considering I've had a baby & put on 24kg & lost 20kg during the time of cutting the skirt and making the skirt ;) 

Here's the fabric!

A photo a day in August #7

Sewing again ~ yahoo!!! Although I'm not entirely happy with the way this is turning out... changing things for next time!!!

A photo a day in August #6

Retail Therapy.... aaaahhh...

 

What a shame I have to give that bottom one away (a quick sneak peak inside reveals a gorgeous book!) 

Sew out of touch...

I'm sew out of touch with my machine it's not funny & I really miss it. I've been plugging along with my Round Robin Blocks, but those I can't show but sneak peaks... so bare with me until I find the sew-jo button and sewing resumes. Until then - I bore you with more cards and wrecking LOL (sick of it yet)

Prompt ~ your Initial

Felt very so-so about this one... I'm hoping the next one is better ;)

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& more crazy journalling ~ instructions were to rub here with dirt...

Of course - I took it one step further and added some glue to the page first! Oh the joys!

A photo a day in August #5

People thought we were crazy when we made the decision to build & move to our 'retirement block' when we were only in our late 20's / early 30's... why would we want to leave suburbia and city life behind?

Crazy? I don't think so - not when I can drive 15 minutes and be faced with this sight! And seriously - that's about as many people you will see on this beach mid week...

Toddler Crafts #1 - fingerpaints

Finger Paints

1/2 cup Cornflour

1/2 cup COLD water

1 1/2 cups HOT water

- Mix cornflour and cold water first

- Add in boiling water and stir until smooth

- Separate into individual pots (I've re-used our old baby food freezer tubs) 

- Add food colouring & mix

 

DISCLAIMER(s)

Best stored in the fridge, my first batch was on the bench for 2 days and had started *ahem* growing... gross!!!)

Mix in a little hot water if it gets too gluggy & it should be right to use again!

With thanks to Aunty Jill for sharing her recipe!!!

A photo a day #4

Since buying my u-beaute camera last year, I find sometimes I'm in the zone and most of my shots turn out a-ok, other times... they just don't. One of my downfalls is on sunset / nightfall - for the life of me I can't get my shots to work. I think I need tonnes more practice with those particular times.

Anyhow - here's my attempt at something a bit different ~ a funky watering can on the fence with the sun starting to set in the background!

 

& just because ~ the sunsets have been gorgeous of late, but I can never get the settings right where we live as we are surrounded by trees & the sun is usually gone beneath the bushes before I've sussed it out!

A Photo a day in August #3

My beautiful boy ~ can you believe he will be 11 at the end of the year!!!

Why don't you take a moment to check out more photos in August, pop on over to Megan's Blog where there is a full list of participants!

Cards Night...

Did your family have card nights when you were growing up?

Mine did. There were 3 or 4 families involved and each family would take it in turns hosting card night (I swear it was once a week but it could have been once a month?) most times us kids all different ages would end up playing our own card games (oono-uno) or board games (game of life) or running around the back yard (in summer) it was good times! I ended up becoming really good friend with a girl from these card nights & although in recent years we've been been slack at keeping in touch as family life, work commitments and distance take over & get in our way, we've recently re-connected through facebook ;)

Anyhow - these art cards, remind me of simpler times & remind me that no matter which direction you take in life, or what life throws at you... 

"a really happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery even when they have to take a detour"

Prompt was: Note to self

Weekend Wrap

Home Made finger paints made for the toddler....

Resulted in a wrecked page of my journal *sob-sob*

The toddler, sick of using 2nd hand sheets of paper from her father, decided to help mummy... and help she did! The page, although not quite what I was aiming at ended up really pretty & very colourful! I love it!!!

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And now I'm happy to report the journal is starting to show some wear and tear...

some curled up pages

& plenty of seepage