Storky's Place

A long post

2011-12-16T03:55:00.000-08:00

(This b--- photo is supposed to be further down the page, but can't seem to be able to put it where I want it for some reason)

Hi all, been a while since I have popped in to say hello, I lead such an exciting life, as I go nowhere or do much that is worth writing about, just drift along from day today. been on a bit of a roll creatively lately, below is a glimpse of my messy craft room, one cannot create in a tidy room, that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

A friend asked me to make her a golliwog for her granddaughter for Christmas so what did I do last night instead of going to bed, stayed up til 2.30am making Golly, got up early this morning, cut the old fella's lunch, had a brekky & a shower & then made his clothes this morning & dressed him. I grabbed what I thought was black homespun last night by the light of those stupid energy saving light globes, which aren't much better than candle light,( maybe Santa will bring me one of those Ott lamps that I been wanting, but I doubt it) then this morning in the natural light it was actually very dark blue, so he is nearly black, it looks black in the photo too.

Next pics are of the Chrissy wall hangings I have been making, hopefully to sell if anyone wants to buy them, I took a few down to the craft shop in Tumut last week without taking a photo of them and put a few of these ones below to the Bakery here in Batlow along with a few cards that I made, to see how I go. I think I might give some of the smaller hangings as a reuse able card that the recipient can hang every year if they like

these are a few flowers i made, don't know when I am ever going to do any scrap booking again to use them maybe there are some scrappers out there that would like them

Well that is about all for tonight, too much rambling on as usual. I probably won't be on again before Christmas so I hope you all have a Magical Christmas, & I wish you all Health, Wealth & Happiness for '2012'

Another one done

2011-09-28T04:11:00.000-07:00

I thought maybe it was about time to update. been pretty slack, very slack LOL, it's been 6 weeks since my last update. not a lot happens round here.
Pauly I have finished another months ATC's, for the family & friends swap, they are on there way to you.

My quilt is well under way, a pic below of progress, a lot happier with it now, since taking this pic I have put the border on it, but haven't taken a photo yet, I'll get some when the sun shines again. if ever. Don't know what happened to that lovely spring weather we were having, winter is back, it's cold wet & miserable again, a few more days of it is forecast.

The next pic is the original design that i didn't like, so you can see how awful it looked before all that unpicking & remaking, not to mention having to buy more fabric, even the yellow centres of the stars look a different colour when removed from that awful purple, but they are the squares that i unpicked from the 9 patch blocks & used in the Ohio star blocks

Had a good day in Albury last Sunday, most of the family met in Albury, sadly Vic's crew couldn't make it this time, we met at the the park by the river, hung out there for a while, then went & had lunch at the cafe at Peards Nursery, I think everyone had a good feed, the desserts looked so yummy, but most of us couldn't fit it in after the main course. It was great seeing them all, we don't see nearly enough of the family these days. Those gorgeous great grand babies of mine are growing so fast. So are the grand babies, all towering over me, & got their licenses or learners permits, they make me feel short & old. LOL. I forgot my camera as usual. Pauly don't forget to send me some of the photos you took, PLZ

I guess I better stop rambling on & go to bed it should have warmed up by now, thought i was finished with the electric blanket for this year, I live in Batlow so I should know better.

Bye for now, til next time Helen

2011-07-18T03:48:00.000-07:00

I'm back & it's only been a couple of weeks since my last post, been keeping myself busy doing a bit of handicraft, still working on that quilt from my last post, I am still buying fabric a couple of fat qtrs at a time (Margaret must be getting sick of me, LOL) & it is evolving, I really don't like those purple & yellow nine patches, so I am reverse sewing (unpicking) them & making them into ohio stars with a beigey colour background, wasting a lot of time & a bit of fabric but am happier with the result, the purple looks blue in the pic below

Another ATC done, Pauly I kept my promise & did better this month, it is only the 18th day of the month, (instead of the 5th of the following month) & they are finished or almost, just have to stick the info that I just printed onto the backs & then I can post them off tomorrow. I think maybe I got last months theme, "sew it" mixed up with this months LOL, I traced the elephant pic onto homespun, embroidered it, coloured it with inks & it looked a bit flat, so then I cut out the elephant shape in thin wadding & quilted it onto some tulle to give it some dimension.

Brilliant photography, I don't think.

I will have to get those knitting needles mobile, four of my aran jumpers, some hats & two of my mohair bears sold in the craft shop in the last couple of months, that means I only have two jumpers & the cardi left there, but i am cashed up enough to buy some more wool, like i haven't got a big plastic tub full already LOL, but Bendigo woollen mills keep sending me sample cards of new yarn in delicious colours and I just can't help myself.

Anyways I better stop rambling on & go to bed. Bye for now Helen

Late again

2011-07-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

Just to show that I haven't been idle the last few weeks, a bit of patchwork & applique, not sure I like it, too much purple, i have made a few Ohio star blocks in more muted colours to tone it down a bit, forgot to take a pic of them, it will all come together & look OK I hope

Went to Wagga last week to the Patchwork Group block swap, had a good day, got inspired looking at the show & tells, was lucky (or unlucky) enough to win another bundle of nine blocks, didn't mind winning this time, these blocks were hand applique daisies, I'll post a pic later when I make the quilt.

I have finally done the ATC'S for May, thanks to Margaret for the loan of her Stampin' Up stamps & Vicki for the gentle shove today & the help with the cutting out we did this afternoon.
Pauly they will be in tomorrows mail, you should have them on Weds, I will do better this month , I promise

I had trouble getting a decent photo, ended up propping them up against the fruit bowl on the table, see the mandy & the pear in the background.

Not much going on around here, we had few nice days, frosty mornings, sunny days, but they were too good to last, it's raining now, started a couple of hours ago & the forecast is for rain on & off all week.

I guess I better stop rambling on & go chase some zzz's, it will be time to get up before I know it. So you know the drill, be good etc, Bye for now Helen

Nothing to do

2011-05-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

You would think i had nothing to do & all day to do it in, wouldn't you? the housework will wait, the faeries don't visit here very often. LOL
Look what i finished off this morning, the face is a bit lopsided, but that adds character, now i have to make a smaller one for Emma, the pattern was for 6mts size, it looks like it would fit a 6yr old to me.

Next pic, hooray i finished my cardi at last, except for buttons, I have a couple that suit but Murphy's Law, not enough of either one, the joys of living in a small town without many shops, I have to wait til I go somewhere to shop, there's always ebay but I can't touch, feel & compare.

Next pic is of the frost out of my kitchen window, (u can see the curtains reflected in it, that's yellow tulips in bottom left corner, not grot. LOL) it was too darn cold to go out im my jammies to take it, it was one morning last week, can't remember which day, but take your pick, because most days last week started out that way, check out my garden ornaments, not many urban back yards have unique ones like me LOL, caravans yes, tractors & slashers maybe, but D6 dozers? it was sitting there for a few days, waiting for the float to pick it up & take it to the next job. Any wonder i gave up trying to have flower gardens. LOL

Next pic is from the week before last, when we woke up to a winter wonderland, snow fell through the night, didn't have time to take any pics in the yard before we left for work, so this one is the only decent one I got, MOTH reckons I am mad, I wound the window down & was snapping away as we drove up the Tumba road, of the snow over the town, most of the pics were a blur of bushes as we went past them, I aimed one shot at Vics house, but missed it altogether.

last pic is the atc i did for the F & F swap, the theme is birds, done & posted on time for a change. Hope the next theme is an easy one too.

Guess I better go and finish vacuuming etc, before someone about my size trips over it in the hallway, It's a wet & miserable day here today, a good day for crafting or sitting by the heater, knitting or crocheting.

So bye for now. Be good til next time. Helen

2011-05-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Back again it has only been a week this time LOL, I thought I would show & tell my bit of creativity for this week, the 1st pic is the applique block I did for me cos I liked it, might use it on a bag, I think

The pic below is the one I did for the block swap, weren't supposed to embellish it so I left the birds off it, as I didn't get to Gundagai on Weds, ( the MOTH stuffed up my plans as usual) so I don't know who were the lucky ones that won the sets of nine blocks, the trouble is if you win , you then have to make them up into a quilt, so it is really a booby prize LOL

I had a bake up this morning and made a couple of batches of "muffins", started out the first batch was going to be pumpkin & sultana scones, & as I never measure my ingredients the mixture was way too wet, if I add more flour that would make them heavy, so I grabbed the muffin pans & filled them, still had more pumpkin left so I mixed up another batch, this time used orange juice, instead of milk, so I guess they're orange & pumpkin.

And of course I had to have a taste test, the last pic is of the muffin scones with my homemade prize winning blackberry jam, it won a 1st at the local show, & no, it wasn't the only one in the section, that would have been a hollow victory LOL

Anyway must go and check the mail, get another handful of bills out of the box, as it is early in the month that's all there will be, maybe as it is Mothers Day on Sunday there might be a couple of M D cards for me LOL. So bye for now. Helen

Back again

2011-05-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

Hi folks it's been a while since I blogged, I'm still around, don't know what I been doing the last five months, but been busy doing it. I finished the jumper that I started last winter & delivered it to the craft shop before Easter. I found it a real chore, don't usually take orders, but it is one of my old favorite patterns, so i made an exception, same as the one in the pic below, she wanted it in a larger size, well it's done now, haven't collected the cash yet, should have charged double. LOL. Went back to finish the cardi for myself, which I put on hold, to do that one, it's all knittted up & just waiting to be sewn together. Not been very creative on the papercraft front either, sent off (very late) my School themed Family & Friends ATC's without taking a photo of them. below is a pic of the April ATC, Showtime theme, how goods your memory Pauly? that pic of the carousel pony is the applique cot quilt that I made for Shaz when she was a baby,(she now has 3 babies of her own) which I scanned then reduced down to fit, then printed on card, stuck PP on, cut it out & paper peiced, spent half the night & most of the day on them.

Better stop rambling on, get stuck into my homework for the patchwork block swap, left that til the last minit too, got to hand applique a birdhouse onto cream homespun, we meet in Gundagai on Weds.

So til next time, you no the drill, if you can't be good
Cheers Helen

Another ATC done

2010-11-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

Hi this old slacko decided it was time she updated her blog, haven't got much creativity to show for the last couple of months, my mojo has been AWOL lately, need a kick start to get me going again. I shouted myself a Sizzix Big Shot for my birthday, that was on the Oct 24, i only started to use it in the last couple of weeks, it has been sitting there on the sewing cabinet, gathering dust, screaming use me lol
Below is my finished ATC for the F & F swap, a bit late you have probably all got them by now.
One more to go for the year, bought a new die that I planned to use on it, but it is back to the drawing board now, I can't use it on it, cos it's too big.

Next pic is the Christmas wall hanging that I did for the surrounding craft group block swap, seeing as it was last one for the year, Tumut the host group said instead of a patchwork block, we make a handmade item to take along, the items were numbered on arrival, & we were given a number, the gift with the corresponding number was your gift, there were some nice gifts & as you can imagine some very ordinary ones, but luck was with me that day for a change & I scored a very nice crhistmas decoration

this one is a just becauseone I made cos I was on a roll, & felt like it, I'll have to lash out & buy some proper quilt hangers

Pauly, you will be pleased to note that I have used my birthday pressie at last, I got motivated & did some painting with my sparkling H2O's, there are a couple of samples below, I also painted some bears but the photos of them were even crappier than these 2, so I ditched them.

more flutterbys

I better stop rambling & go think about cooking something for tea.

Til next time, you know the drill, if can't be good, be careful

long post part 2

2010-09-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

My last LO for Katas comp, the only one I did I think for the month, very slack

A close up of my crochet butterfly

My ATC for the F&F swap, found that quote on an email, so don't know who gets the credit for it

The Pancake Princess, isn't she sweet (this was last week note hair is brushed & tied back)

It was one of those mornings today, the grand kids arrived for me to get them off to school, the Pancake Princess would like some pancakes for brekkie, so between us we make a batch of pancakes, a knock at the door, the guys up the street doing a concrete slab for a shed need to 4 metres of sand now, is there anyone to load it, we have our own tipper, only me I say, so I leave the princess devouring her pancakes & go down the yard & fire up the bobcat, get his truck loaded, do him a docket. Meanwhile the princess has had enough pancakes, won't brush her hair & Nate informs me he forgot the book he has to take to school, we'll go to your house & grab it on the way, times flying by the way it does, Ash you will have to brush your hair on the way, so I grab a couple of brushes, clips & hair band, get nearly to his house & I realise the key is at home on the other keyring, wheel around go back & get that, all the while nagging Ash to do her hair, get his book, get to school just as the bell goes, "Ash wheres your bag?" " Don't know." "Let me brush your hair." " NO!" "Go into to school now & I'll go home & get your bag & bring it back" Do that take it up to her, get home & find another bag of books in the lounge room. Ring her Mum to find out what are they for, will they keep til tomorrow, & to warn her she will probably get a letter from the school to tell her that her daughter is a poor neglected little girl, shame on Nanna sending her to school with bed hair, not to mention the pancake batter on her uniform. LOL

See you again in about a month I guess, seeing I average about an update a month. Bye for now Helen

Long post

2010-08-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all, it's been awhile since I updated, life is pretty dull round here most the time, haven't done much scrappin' lately, mojo has been on holiday, but my hooks & needles have been flying lately so following are a few of my finished items. 1st up is the jumper I finished the other day,still undecided whether to sell it or keep it, I'll wear it out trying it on, looking in the mirror & feeling disgusted with myself, for the extra kgs that I let creep on. Once again the photo doesn't do the colour justice, much nicer IRL.

No.2 is the blanket I crocheted for my great granddaughter, done in chenille yarn, so soft & cuddly, modelled by my reborn Amelia

No3 is the hooded cape that is knitted in the prettiest pink, like coconut ice, looks good enough to eat IRL, modelled by Sofia Rose.

No.4 is the cabled cardigan that I almost finished, so cranky that I run out of wool with only the the front bands to go. If any of you that read this have a mother, nan or auntie that happens to knit with Bendigo wool, and have any scraps of Alpaca Rich , Rich Rose, that I could buy, beg, borrow or whatever, I would be eternally grateful, the girls at the woollen mill can't help me there is no more of it in the store, if I can't find any the only alternative will be to unpick back down to the arm hole shaping and make it shorter and I really don't want to do that.

This is the label off the ball of yarn & all that I have left, which isn't much

I'll say bye for now & try to be a better blogger & update more often in future, I have good intentions but don't seem to carry them out, as my Dear old Mum used to say " The road to hell is paved with good intentions, so they say"
Susan if you reading this HAPPY BIRTHDAY !! fro Friday You will have reached a big milestone on the 3rd Sept. (I won't give away u r secrets LOL)

2010-06-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all, it's been a while since I blogged, haven't done much since last time, a bit of knitting, a bit of reading, the only scrappin' I managed to finish was at Katas Scrapping day at the shop a few weeks ago. this months day is tomorrow, maybe I'll get some more done.
The 1st one is of Tack, I have added a title since I took the pic. I got 2 kits & reversed one of them

2nd LO is my two gorgeous great grand babies. The colours a bit pale in the photos

3rd LO is the landscape photo I took to the previous workshop. Instructions were for 2 portraits & a landscape LOL. (those nice people that were there thought it was a great joke) It is hard to see my fancy pinpricked edge, it started out as a machine embroidered crosstitch edge in purple cotton got about 2cm along & the bobbin ran out, so just kept on going without any cotton, then very carefully unpicked the little bit of sewing.

guess I better stop rambling on, check my emails & go snuggle up in bed with the electric blanket it's cold here in the office, it's cold every where at the moment, there's snow on them thar hills & the wind is blowing off it, winter is not my favourite time of year.

Bye for now, Helen

Back again

2010-05-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, been a while since I updated,haven't done much the last few weeks, I finished the jumper I started at the end of last winter, I love the colour, it's called rich apple, much nicer in real life, the photo doesn't do it justice, I was going to keep it for myself til I tried it on, it's definitely going into the craft shop, & I got to start dieting & exercising lol, nearly too ashamed to post that photo

Have also knitted my 2 great grandsons a jumper each & a couple of cardies for my 1st great grand daughter, expected to arrive in Sept.

this bag is what we made at the workshop the local craft group had a few weeks ago, nice & roomy, not difficult to make.

Not a lot been happening on the scrappin or cardmaking, hardly been home long enough in the last 3 weeks to do much, scrappin is a bit hard to do in the truck or the support vehicle, that's the reason I got so much knitting done, it's portable. Did a fair bit of reading too.

Did get half the day off on Sunday to meet the David & Pat, would have liked to have spent more time with them. Didn't even get to say goodbye to them properly, they were coming to visit on Monday morning as I wasn't supposed to be working, but as usual Monday morning the plans changed, & I had to go to work after all. Maybe one day we'll be able to retire, & do what I like, when I like.

LO & cards

2010-04-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hi, wonders never cease, it's only been 3 days & I'm back again, first pic is the sky at sunset out over the Co-Op on Sat evening I think, had one of those days on Friday, that happen sometimes, got out of bed & it went downhill from there, knocked my 2 nd full cup of coffee off the bench, had to clean that up, then realised some feather brain about my size forgot to go to the supermarket & buy some fish for Good Friday, scrounged through the pantry & found a tin of red salmon,(6 bucks a can,supposed to be a luxury) so boils up some spuds & makes salmon cakes, shapes & crumbs them, put them in fridge to set for 2 hrs. Lunch time gets out the deep fryer, new oil, put them in the basket lower them in to hot oil give them a bit of a shake to stop them sticking, so what happens is they disintegrate into an oily mess, tip them out onto kitchen paper & try again this time lower them gently into oil, no shaking, they came out looking OK kept their shape mostly, 3 left, I'll shallow fry them tonight. Meanwhile I put the red salmon mush out for the cats, told them what a treat they were getting, the bloody ingrates wouldn't eat it. thought maybe they weren't impressed with the oil, offered the rest to the MOTH that night & the ingrate said he would pass, in the meantime Vic had given me a few pieces of frozen crumbed fish out of her freezer, so we had a decent bit of fish for the evening meal. gave the 3 uncooked fish cakes to the cats next day, wouldn't eat them either, the European wasps ( thats another story that I won't go into, but theres a clown in every circus, LOL ,I was too pee'd off to take pics of that fiasco) found them & had a feast, until I disposed of what was left.
I made a couple of cards, excuse the crappy photography, got the paper tole pics from Vic's Popcorn Bear CD, they are belated birthday cards, which I ought to make by the dozen LOL

This LO I have been trying to do for about a year, I had it sitting on a lt green cardstock, I'd get it out & put different paper backgrounds & embellies on it, never happy & put it away without sticking anything on then the other day got it out ditched the green CS, put it on a very vanilla cs run a few rows of stitching around & the rest just came together, only thing I not sure if i like the natural chipboard, but I can paint that later if I want to I guess.

Been a quiet Easter break Vic & I took ourselves for a drive to Tumut Sat morning had a browse around the shops, didn't buy much, then went to the Chit Chat Coffee Shop & had lunch, just the two of us, no men or kids, thanks to mobile phones we still managed to get harassed by one of them wanting to be taxied somewhere. Lunchtime again so I better sign off & go organise some tucker, as they say a woman's work is never done, I got home from Tumut on Sat arvo at about half past three, Mikey & Pop here, we haven't had any lunch yet, so I cooked them toasted sangers, told them how useless they were, they are big enough & ugly enough to get themselves a feed, they deserve to go hungry, ones 64 & the other is 15. Anyway better go now & find them something to eat.

Til next time, be good. Luv Helen

A couple of LO's

2010-03-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, I haven't done a lot since my last update, finished & posted off my Family & Friends ATC's for March, & only managed to do 2 LO's. #1 is from the the Sunday class with Kata a few weeks ago, #2 for the comp at Kata's shop.

We had the local show last week, a couple of hectic days for me, being a steward, getting the knitwear organised & ready for the judge, with the help of Vicki & Gloria we managed to get it done & displayed & guess what spaghetti brain forgot her camera as usual so no photos again this year, the pavilion looked very impressive again this year, top marks to a dedicated band of workers, that don't get a lot of thanks for the time & effort they put into it. There were not many sideshows for the kids to waste their money on this year

I hope everyone has a HAPPY EASTER!!! & that the Easter Bunny is kind to you & brings you heaps of chokkies & if you are going away, that you have a safe trip & enjoy yourselves. As per usual we will be going nowhere, doing nothing more exciting than getting the tipper ready for Rego. & pushing up apple trees into heaps to burn off.

I guess I better go and do some shopping so we don't starve over the exciting weekend ahead of us.

So bye for now Luv Helen

Back at last

2010-03-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

This post is a bit mixed up, this pic of the family & friends atc is supposed to be under the quilt one but they loaded in the wrong order & I forget how to move them around, I have done it before, but it is not happening tonight for some reason. I ended up deleting the other pics.
I had intended to put a pic of the cakes & jar of relish so my girls could drool & think about the snags cooked ,threaded on a green stick over the campfire & dipped in relish, way back when they were kids.

Hi, I'm back in blogland at last been meaning to do this for the last couple of weeks, so this will be a long post, been a bit crook the last week or so, not sick enough to waste money on a visit to the docs, just feeling yuk, no appetite (which is probably a good thing, seeing as I'm carrying a few extra kilos) tired & full of aches & pains that people never die of, must have picked up a bug of some kind. I seem to have shaken it anyway. I worked like a trojan today, did 3 loads of washing, cleaning, defrosted the fridge, cooked up a storm, made tomato relish, an Armenian Nutmeg Cake, a new recipe, if I make it again I will replace the walnuts with almonds I think, a double batch of patty cakes, as well as a casserole for dinner.

Below is a pic of the the quilt top I made with the blocks I won, I mentioned in a previous blog that I won one of the booby prizes at the last district patchwork friendship day, last year. the last one was in Tumba, a couple of weeks ago, so the week before it was on I set myself a challenge, to finish it for the day, didn't do it of course, got the top finished, but didn't manage to get it quilted, maybe tomorrow I will get to craft and get it sandwiched together on the big table & ready to quilt. Not the most brilliant photo, the colours look a bit wishy washy, looks better in real life.

Guess I better say Bye for now & go sleep, so until next time, be good , if you can't be good enjoy yourself. Luv Helen

2010-01-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hi, been awhile since I updated, I been very slack the last month, must be getting old, not enjoying this heat one bit, this little effort for the comp at Kata's shop is the 1st LO I have completed since Christmas. I'm not very confident with vintage LO's.wasted most of the day yesterday making roses & flowers to put on it, the rose in the bottom corner is a bit different, from normal, some dill forgot to change the size of the photo to 4"x"6", & tried to print the 1st photo A4 size on a 4x6 photo paper, so rather than waste it I made a rose out of it, very creative LOL

Below is a close-up of the detail in 3 of the corners, a couple of roses from the page of the old book.

The photo rose & folded ribbon roses

A crochet butterfly & the little scrap of leftover lace made the birdies wing, birds have to have wings.

Last is a pic of the moth we found on the screen door, how cute is that.

I guess I had better go & get this food dished up, as it is all cooked. Maybe I'll get a walk in this evening before it gets dark. so bye for now folks, be good & if you can't be good, enjoy yourself
Luv Helen

2009-12-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I'm back again, been a while since my last update, haven't been doing much lately, life around here is not very exciting, same old routine every day.
I surprised myself & managed to do 3 LO's in 2 days, the 1st one is the kit from Katas scrappin day last Sunday, not quite complete, have to do the journalling yet, have to check on the details, I think it was Ash's last preschool photo in 2008

This one is one of this years Christmas pics

And this is my masterpiece that may win me a prize. LOL (in my dreams I'm competing with real scrappers there)

That's it from me for now. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Good health, more Wealth & much Happiness.....

PS, Something gross just happened, something hit the window beside me with a thump, I thought, there must be kids out there throwing things, went outside to check it out, a starling has committed suicide, it is laying on the lawn dead & it's eye is stuck to the window, it must have hit with a bit of force.

Another ATC

2009-12-03T03:27:00.000-08:00

Hi, I finished my ATC's for the family & friends swap, the title is "Owls". Below four of the nine I came up with, I spent hours cutting out all those limbs & twigs & owls, it was worth the time spent on it. I have to buy some big envelopes before I can post them off to Amanda

above is four of the nine, the photography is not the best, the colours are a bit light, the moon is actually yellow in real life. the ones I took last night in the craft room with candle light, (those new eco friendly light globes aren't much better than candle light) were crappy, so I left it til morning to take them out side in natural sunlight, and they were only a a little better

A close up view of one.

Guess I better say bye for now & go to bed, first I will have to wipe my keyboard over, the grandies were on it today & the keys are sticky. So be good & if you can't be good enjoy yourself. Luv Helen

2009-11-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

Hi All, I'm doing well it hasn't been a month since my last update.

Ta da! I have actually finished the double layout from the scrappin day we did a couple of weeks ago, I think I'm happy with it, except for the untidy handwriting on the journal cards, I didn't use all the embellies that came in the kit, I made some cardstock flowers to put on the white ones that came with it, as well as the butterflies, and bought an extra birdie, to which I added some wings cos birds have to have wings.

All of my grandchildren taken last time they were all together, which was Xmas 2007, so they are all 2 yrs older now. The individual pics are all taken either at the end of 2008 or in 2009

The double LO, Colours aren't real good in the photos, as it is overcast again

Now I will have to do one of the great grandchildren, what am I saying, I think they are all great kids, but maybe I am biased.

Well I had better go and do some veges, roast lamb for dinner tonight & it smells so good my mouth is watering already. So bye for now & be good & you know the drill

Luv Helen

An update

2009-11-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hi all, thought it about time I updated my blog, last post it was cold & wet, well it's not cold today, the weather has gone to the other extreme & turned hot, not quite as hot as Sth Australia, the last few days, I feel for them. I haven't done much in the last month, but seem to keep myself busy doing it. Finished my ATC's for the Family & Friends swap, pics below, the photos aren't the best, the colours look a bit pale.

A double shot with different advantages.

A close up shot the colours are a bit better on this one

I have made a few cards this week, tried out a bit of paper tole. I got the Popcorn Bear images from Vic's CD, she bought from the Crafters Companion. I reckon he's pretty cute. ( I luv bears, LOL). I nearly need to make a heap of belated B'day cards, as I have done it again, sorry Krystal you card is on it's way.

That's it for me today, better go check the mail & get a few groceries, then get stuck into a bit of housework, as the housework fairies are only a fantasy. Bye for now, be good & if you can't be good enjoy yourself !!!

Another ATC

2009-10-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's cold & raining here again, it's supposed to be spring, we have a few nice spring days to tease us, then winter comes back again. We can't control the weather just whinge about it.

I haven't done much since my last post, but been busy doing it, all I have to show are my Heart ATC's for the family & friends swap & I made an Xmas wall hanging, plus the centre panel of another quilt, pity I had to stop on that one when I was on a roll, but living in a small town without many shops I had to wait til I went to Albury, I stretched my alloted 10 mins in spotlight to over half an hour, didn't take me long to choose the fabric, it took forever to get served, a heap of customers & one girl on the counter & when someone came to help her there was still only one cash register, once my fabric was measured , had to wait for the till to be free.
sorry whingeing again, must be the weather.

Wall hanging (not quite finished got to get a hanger for it & add some tabs) my Hearts ATC

Tried to move my pictures around but don't know how to move them. LOL
click n drag won't work, it wouldn't let me cut n paste, so I gave up.

That's it for me for today folks. be good & if you can't be good, enjoy yourself.

Luv Helen

UFO's

2009-09-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ta da, another ufo finished, a queen size patchwork quilt, been a work in progress for a few years, I reckon the next one I do I will have professionally quilted as it's getting too hard. Getting old, my neck & shoulders ache, trying to manoeuvre all that bulk around on the sewing machine, I tried to quilt it in the ditch, but like a drunken driver I kept steering it out of the ditch, LOL, looks OK from a distance, just don't look too closely at it. 1st pic is it folded into to four. 2nd pic is it laid out on the bed.

Now I have that out of the way I can get back to scrap booking.

Lousy day today it was snowing this morning, didn't settle but thank goodness, but it is so cold 4got to switch the electric blanket on, so I'm updating the blog while it warms up, better go and get some shuteye, as I am going to Albury with Karen & Jess tomorrow, as it is nearly one o'clock, it will be time to get up again before I get there at this rate.

That's it til next time, be good & if you can't be good, be careful. Cheers Helen

Update

2009-09-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

Just a little update after the last post when I mentioned all my UFO's, that I would have to get stuck into doing some quilting , look at what I won today, nine patches to be turned into a quilt, talk about the booby prize, trust me to win something that involves work. LOL

A close up of one of the patches

The nine patches laid out together

This is a pic of the quilt made with the last set of patches I won about 3 years ago, that pack had the 4 heart patches & a bundle of 3.5 inch charm squares that i turned into nine patches & i made the butterfly patch in the centre, so I guess in a few years time I will post a pic of the finished article

So til next time be good, as the old saying goes if you can't be good be careful. Bye for now, Helen

More ATC's

2009-09-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hi it has been a while since my last post, haven't done much, finished a couple of atc's the pics will follow. It was a beautiful day here today, I washed the caravan, it has to go for a rego check, this week, dunno why we bother, it just sits in the yard year after year & doesn't get used except for the rare occasions that we have visitors, it comes in handy for a spare room.

I will have to get myself motivated to finish quilting my patchwork quilt for the display at the Apple Blossom Festival in October, plus a few more ufo's that are hanging around waiting to be finished.

The Family & Friends ATC. "Teddy Bears" I took a photo of one of my own bears that I made, cut it out & sat him on a log, another one of the bush pics I took out in the Granites area

These 2 pics of the local ATC swap, "Apple Blossom" hand made felt blossoms & buds, I'm happy with the result, even though they took a bit of time to do, it was worth it, I think.

That's it for me folks, take care 'til next time

heart Atc

2009-08-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

the heart Atc I've made for the local swap.

Finished another ATC for the local scrappers swap. I delivered my family & friends one & forgot 2 take a pic of it.

snow album and atc

2009-08-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

Hi, I have been pretty slack, four weeks since my last post, I lead such an exciting life go nowhere exciting, unless you call two trips up to Khancoban in the truck & trailer with a load of logs exciting, I took the camera the 1st trip & took some nice pics of Mt Kosiosco & Tooma valley shrouded in mist, from the top of Tooma Hill, from the window of the moving truck as grumblebum wouldn't stop for something as frivolous as taking photos. lol. The second trip I forgot the camera & missed another photo opportunity as we left town, the sun was just coming up amongst the clouds, the colours were spectacular.

Krystal and Bec at Alpine Ash..

mum dad and gramdma Bowmen

the old blitz that has sat out at Storm Lookout for years & years, since I took that pic last winter someone has removed it, must be going to restore it.

2009-07-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here I am again with another set of ATC's completed, thanks Vic for your help and the use of your stamps and inks, only had white lace, but a little bit of parisienne essence and vinegar in boiling water made vintage lace, not sure about the orange flowers, so stampesd them with basic brown to tone them down, happy with the result.

Bit sad at the moment, some b...... run over Misty, the mostly white cat in the pics in the last post I found her dead on the road. MOTH wanted to know why I didn't start the excavator and dig the hole in the pet graveyard down the back and bury her, we don't do things in a small way around here, that's what he did when he got home, well one things for sure the next door neighbours dog is not going to dig it up and take it home and leave it on the doorstep like Dudley & Michelles dog did years ago, with one of the dogs that we buried after about three weeks in the ground, it was nice and ripe. LOL

2009-07-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have finished another one, not sure I got it right this time. I googled woodland animals 1st,then tried forest animal images and there were pages of them and they all seemed to be English animals, so then I started on possums & quolls etc,till I found a cute possum that I could use for a paper tole technique, then I went driving out the bush and took a heap of photos of the scrub, found a perfect one for the background. after going to all that trouble ,I'm not happy with the result.I will put in a couple of pics. Then trying to take the pics was another drama, the flash reflected on the glossy photo, so took it outside to try in the natural light and the damn cats harassed me trying to help, they are a pair of characters.

One helpful feline

with a little help from his friend

Sorry about the long post I seem to be rambling a bit today. I am going to the friendship patchwork day I went to last month and I was a month early, so I landed there with my plate of goodies & show & tell, it was block of the month day. so made sure before I turn up with everything and make a idiot of myself again

Roses

2009-06-23T22:18:00.001-07:00

Hi it hasn't been a month since I last blogged so I will surprise everyone and show you how I have been wasting time, like I had nothing to do and all day to do it in. The 1st pic is a rose made from satin ribbon, it would have turned out better if I had double sided satin ribbon, but I am happy with the result anyway, the 3rd one is made with double sided ribbon, but I won't go into production with those because they are too fiddly & time consuming, as you can see by the rough thumbnail that is holding the paper up to the window for the pic, the flower is very small. The 2nd pic is flowers made with cardstock, from a tutorial Vic & I found somewhere on the net, once you get the hang of it they don't take long at all.

Better sign off now and go put put a stew on, it's wet and miserable out there, good night for it, I like those one pot dinners saves on the washing up,Luv to all til next time :)

2009-06-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here I am after 4 weeks & I don't have much to show for all that time. Vic you said you wanted to see some cards, well all I have managed to do is 2 new ones & my ATC's for June F&F swap, I want to thank you girls for getting me hooked, had to boot up first thing this morning & redo an important document that I attached to an email yesterday, as they couldn't open it for some reason. Of course I can't sit at the computer, without checking on what you girls have been doing on your blogs, and I have been blog hopping for 2 hrs, and not doing my my housework, someone is sure to come visiting and I will be so embarrassed, because the floors need cleaning, the beds not made, I'll just have to point to the little sign Jen sent me,"I cleaned my house last week sorry you missed it", she knows me so well, eh!

Not much to write about as I lead such a dull life & don't go anywhere much. I went out yesterday to the CWA International Day, Sue I got a couple of pic's of your Mum dressed up as an Egyptian but I wont embarrass her by posting them. I was a wuss & refused to dress up, someone might look at me. I told them I might have to go in a hurry if my phone went, so I put it on vibrate & put it in my pocket so it's next to my skin & I'd feel it, LOL pulled it out to tell someone the time & there was a missed call, the one that I had been waiting on, maybe I am dead from the waist down,

a simple card

and another

my ATC, simple, a clipart picture, seahorse cut outs from Vic & a bit of bling

May # 2

2009-05-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

Three times in one day, Lol I wanted my pictures under the writing, might get it worked out by next month, had a couple more pics but I give up on them, this AAADD (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder) is a real worry, I cooked my pumpkin soup for an hour yesterday, took it off the hotplate to puree it and it wasn't even cooked, the hotplate behind it was very hot with an empty camp oven sitting on it.

My ATC

2009-05-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

May update

2009-05-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

I am way overdue for another update, so here goes, haven't been doing anything exciting, went to netball last Saturday with Karen, her team won their game.

Went to craft on Tuesday for a couple of hours, Tumut on Thursday for a hydraulic hose for the excavator,while they were making up the hose went and had fish & chips by the Tumut river, and brought a new TV with his Ruddy money, as old faithful died after ten years without a hiccup, it will be delivered on Tuesday, hooray I will get control of my own remote again, and get my TV back.

I missed a beaut photo opportunity on Wednesday night, we went out to stoke up the bonfire, the apple trees the other half pulled out and heaped up and burned.

Haven't much craft for show & tell took a couple of pictures of my ATC's, cards, my patchwork block for block swap at the group meet on Tuesday, I eventually finished the Quilt I made with the set I won about three years ago, I will include a pic of that too.

Better stop rambling on now and upload a few pics, so til next time, be good if you can't be good be careful.

Sorry no pics forgot how, instead of a picture, there was a heap of gobble de gook LOL have to get Vic to show me again.

I'm back

2009-04-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hi I'm back, Hope you all had a great Easter break. Thought I would have plenty of time to play around and learn how to do this while I'm on light duties. LOL there are still not enough hours in a day. thought I would share a giggle with you, after having surgery was told not to hang washing on the line, Ms Independence has been doing the washing and putting it straight into the drier beside the machine, didn't want to tumble the work clothes so asked the MOTH to peg them out for me. Looked out the window and just had to grab the camera. In future I will try update more often than I have been. Bye for now

birthday pressie

2009-03-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

I made this gift bag for my sisters 70th birthday..

Christmas Bear

2009-02-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

I made this bear and thought she would make a great angel for the christmas tree.