'Bye 365 days...Welcome 366!

Wrong New Year's Eve, right?

Every NYE I have a drink from this glass to remind me that we all make mistakes and we can all move on after them. It is half of a pair that my sister gifted us (my first husband and I) at our engagement party on that date 26 years ago. The only reason I keep them is the historical significance.

Oh No!.... not historical personal  significance but historical astronomical significance. That was the year Halley's Comet passed over the world and Australia in particular. You can see the interpretation of the comet on the other side of the glass and that's why there are stars and a partial moon also.

I should have realised that comets can burn out quickly and that's what happened to the marriage. It sizzled along for 3 years and went out with a bang and a lot of small after explosions. I'm left with a couple of satellites from the explosion in the form of 2 wonderful kids that I love to pieces and they love me the same.

Just goes to show that one can find positives in most negatives.

'Nuff  negative reminiscing....

Here's to a positive 2012...

New Year - New Experiences....lots of love, support and creativity and wishing all my followers the same and whatever else makes their universe turn :D! 

Cheers!

Robyn

Footnote: please excuse the not so great photography – clear curved glass has its own reflective and mirroring properties that this amateur hasn’t worked out how to make work in a positive way and I haven't started on the wine yet :P. Another experience to add to the bucket list!

Baby Card Swap

I haven't been in one of these for ages so when Soul Scrappers ran a Baby Card Swap I thought I'd participate as there seems to be a few babies on the way in 2012 between family and family friends. There wasn't a gender specific but the 10 cards had to be all the same so I tried to make a design and find colours that would allow recipients to add a ribbon, stamped border, flowers etc later to make it gender appropriate if they wished. My card is the striped one with the little feet on it.

I'd love to credit all the other ladies cards but some of them don't have the makers names on them and I'd rather credit all than some as they all make lovely cards :D!

Cheers,

Robyn

Misty summer morning..photo intense

This is what I see if I'm out before the sun has broken though the mist. It's not fog to me as I think of fog as cold and clammy but this is light, soft, airy and makes everything look magical and surreal.

This is who comes along to help me enjoy my rambles.

The farm ducks

Senior farm cat

 How to keep your butt dry - sit on an old cow pat

 What's that...snuffle snuffle...

 Chasey 1

 Chasey 2

Find me now

Thanks for coming on a walk around the farm with me :D.

Cheers,

Robyn

FNSI Results

Better late than never. 
Today was a dull, dark rainy day and photography light was not good but I did manage a few shots this evening when it brightened up a bit.
I'm still in bag mode so I decided to make a friend an unlined squared off shopping bag. I've re-arranged this pattern so many ways so not everyone has the same style of bag. Again, it's recycled/repurposed 100% cotton sheets courtesy of one of the local op-shops.

This was an all over print.

Squaring off was a bit tricky

 Of course the 'supervisor' had to inspect the finished product. Now I'll have to wash it as my friend is allergic to cats and I guarantee Miss Maddy has planted a hair on it somewhere!

Thanks for looking,

Cheers,

Robyn

On My Mind...Handmade Christmas gifts

This is a Friday feature over at Down To Earth that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it and link it back to the Down To Earth blog by saying you're part of 'On My Mind'. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When you’ve done that go to Down To Earth blog and add a comment below the “On My Mind” post with a link to your blog. 

I’ve been in a few swaps lately and become a bit behind on some but the last one will be posted today.

These bags were made for 2 different Christmas swaps. If thet ri-pocket striped one looks familiar it’s because it’s the second one I’ve made but the fabrics are reversed and the pockets have been modified. It was for an online swap at Our Craft Forum. The card holder below it was an added extra.

This Christmas colours one was made for a local swap and it’s the first lined one I’ve made and also the first with an inside pocket. I should have been making these before as they are easier than I thought and are done using a modified pattern of the grocery bags with the handles sandwiched between the layers of lining and outside fabric then topstitching along the opening for extra strength.

I can see me making a supply of these for future gifts in various sizes and maybe with pieced or patchworked exteriors.

Now I have some family gifts to make. Some have been begun and others are either planned on paper or planned in my head!

How are you going with your Christmas list?

Cheers,

Robyn

Down on the Farm....

This was the theme of a recent swap on Our craft Forum. The requirement was the item needed to have something to do with farms so the scope was fairly wide. As boiled eggs are a favourite breakfast of mine, but the timing for having the toast and the eggs both hot/warm at the same time can be challenging and, I thought my swap partner may encounter the same problem, so I made her a set of egg cosies with some cheeky broody hens on to keep her eggs warm while she organised the toast.

Australia Post finally deigned to deliver them to her house (after nearly 3 weeks!) so I can now post a picture of them without giving anything away.

front

back

Thanks for visiting!

Cheers,

Robyn

Sense-ational Summer Comp

This is the third month of this six month competition with Soul Scrappers but we are only required to do one layout a month. Here are the 1st and 3rd challenges as I've only just realised I haven't taken a photo of the second challenge as that's when the computer crashed. Missed the points score on that one!

This comp is points scored and the highest total at the end of the comp wins the overall competition. There's also prizes for each section of the comp so you can jump in anytime to participate and have your go at being a winner.



The Smells of Summer (Challenge #1)

Compulsory item for this was the technique of stitching. I machine embroidered on some cloud fabric I had as I haven't machine stitched on paper or card before and thought I'd make a mess of it .Stitching through paper/card is not kind to your needles either. Bonus items for more points were using string, using ribbon, using a tag and 2 or more photos. I scored highest for best photo with these - thanks Mother Nature!

Journaling reads: "I love a storm coming in on a hot summer's day. You can smell the moisture in the air when the breeze blows and then when it does rain it's like the bush releases all it's aromas and suddenly it seems like you can smell every blade of grass, every tree and even the soil they are growing in all at once." January 19, 2011.





The Textures of Summer (Challenge #3)

Compulsory item for this one was distressing.  Bonus items were using a journal tag, staples, 3 different fonts in the title and ric-rac trim. This comp hasn't been judged yet.

Jounaling :" Rascal is showing Opal how to enjoy a nap in the soft cool grass under the shade of a tree on a hot day in Summer 2010. A cat always finds the BEST places!"



Hope you enjoyed viewing these,

Cheers,

Robyn

On My Mind.....Swaps and slow mail

This is a Friday feature over at Down To Earth that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it and link it back to the Down To Earth blog by saying you're part of 'On My Mind'. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When you’ve done that go to Down To Earth blog and add a comment below the “On My Mind” post with a link to your blog. 

This is a sneak peak of a swap I mailed about 10 days ago to Queensland. My swap partner mailed to me a few days before I mailed hers...so where are our swaps now? I know it's near Christmas but it's usually only 2-3 days to/from mailing to this area :(.
Hoping everyone's mail arrives where it's supposed to and in the condition it was sent as AusPost seems to be dragging the chain a lot this year and it's not even December yet!
Cheers,
Robyn

FNSI

Lol, I almost forgot to post this. Pardon the tassel, I had to make one and I haven't done it before. The tassels I had weren't where I thought they were so I  did a trial run of this stitching case and I'll keep it myself as a couple of things didn't quite meet so I'll need to alter the pattern a bit.

Cheers
Robyn

On My Mind - Bargains

This is a Friday feature over at Down To Earth that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it and link it back to the Down To Earth blog by saying you're part of 'On My Mind'. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When you’ve done that go to Down To Earth blog and add a comment below the “On My Mind” post with a link to your blog. 

If you don't want to join you can start out by looking and maybe commenting :)!

Who said 13 isn’t a lucky number? Yesterday whilst looking for something else in the Red Cross Op-Shop I spied the items above. Anyone recognise the Tupperware Biscuit tin? I’ve had my 2 originals for about 25 years and they’re looking a bit tatty so when I saw this one for 20c I grabbed it. I even asked the cashier was that the right price! I was glad to pay $5 for the other item as I’ve wanted a flower/paper press for a while but there wasn’t any way I was paying $20-30 to purchase one.

I visited my Mum on the way home and she’d been to the Pro-Ag at Macksville where she found this:

 

No, not my battered chair  but the odd looking thing attached to it J.

They are called the Easy Sit and are made in Five Dock NSW, Australia. My dear Mum gifted me what she termed an 'extra' she'd bought. I have had this back support on my  old computer cum sewing chair all morning and it makes the chair sooooo comfortable to sit in now. An elastic strap fits around the back of your chair/seat to hold it on. Being 157cm(5’2”) I have trouble finding a comfy chair within my price range and usually resort to ‘shaping’ chairs with pillows, which has it’s downfalls(yes, there is a double meaning there, lol). As the flyer that comes with the chair has pics of campervans, tractors etc as well as household uses I’m going to trial this in the car next time I do the 8okm return trip to town. The flyer claims it’s UV treated so it should be ok.

Have a great weekend everyone J!

Cheers,

Robyn

On My Mind......Storms

This is a Friday feature over at Down To Earth that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it and link it back to the Down To Earth blog by saying you're part of 'On My Mind'. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When you’ve done that go to Down To Earth blog and add a comment below the “On My Mind” post with a link to your blog. 

If you don't want to join in you can start out by looking and maybe commenting :)!

Looks like a black and white print of a sunrise but it’s not. 

This photo was taken at 10.38pm on the 24^th September 2011 when yet another storm was unfolding around us. The sheet lightning was so impressive I wanted to have a record of it and out of about 3 dozen shots, before the rain began again, I 'lucked out' with this one. I had to close my eyes to regain my night vision after taking this.

This is happening quite a lot lately and though I don't mind the rain some of the natural electrical activity that comes with it can be frightening.

Cheers, 

Robyn

On My Mind......recycling, re-using, upcycling...

...call it what you like but it's better to find another use for something that has fulfilled it's original purpose than throw it in the rubbish, burn it or otherwise 'waste' it.

Before.....

and after.

I op-shop about fortnightly and if a fabric item is still there on my second visit then I figure someone has had a chance to obtain it for it's original purpose and now it is mine to redesign. Lately I've been in need of some shopping bags so I found a pattern online then modified it a bit as I have an overlocker(serger) and also the original pattern was a bit fussy. I have enough 100% cotton fabric left  for 3 more bags for gifts and a couple of button down cushions from the opening end of the doona cover J! Great value for $3 and my time.


See what's on other's minds at the Down To Earth blog!

Cheers,

Robyn

On My Mind....Op-shopping

This is a Friday feature over at Down To Earth that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it and link it back to the Down To Earth blog by saying you're part of 'On My Mind'. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When you’ve done that go to Down To Earth blog and add a comment below the “On My Mind” post with a link to your blog. 

If you don't want to join you can start out by looking and maybe commenting :)!

As a little reward for finally reaching 100 posts I bought myself a few things at my favourite op-shop – the Anglican Church one. I feel a bit guilty as the whole lot only cost me $3.05 because they were having a 50% off sale on clothing and fabrics.

This shirt is for me and it’s practically brand new. I like my shirts a bit big and loose in summer and usually prefer long sleeves so I don’t suffer sunburn.

I’ve been thinking it’s about time I made my first shirt that isn’t from stretch material and this fabric fits the purpose nicely. The zips are for other sewing projects (5c each :O) and I can always find a use for paper ribbon.

I bought this one for my grandson as green suits him and there’s Velcro tabs on the pockets so no frustrations there.

As I need to do a cleanout now that DD12 has grown so tall I know exactly where any donations are going to :D.

Cheers,

Robyn 

On My Mind....Spring is coming

A few things that have happened in the last week or so to let me know that Spring is nearly here. Lucy Goose's first eggs, the Jonquils in flower, blossoms on the peach tree (and a bee!) and mother hen with her baker's dozen of chicks.

Happy Spring to those south of the equator :D.



Cheers,

Robyn

FNSI – Oven Glove

I wasn’t going to post this as I did just as much unsewing as sewing, it’s still not bound and I’m debating whether to finish it at all. Then I thought that it happens to all of us and might make someone else who has trouble sewing oven gloves/mitts a bit less disappointed when theirs goes awry.

This is the ‘nice’ view

Look, good fit!

However.......see the unsewn pieces?

I think I’ll sew the next one up a little differently so there’s not so many thick seams at corners and curves.

Hope everyone had a productive FNSI J.

Cheers,

Robyn

On My Mind...FNSI

Lol, I realised as I put this pie in the oven this morning that I've done it again......put my name down for FNSI (Friday Night Sew In) and forgot to post about it on my blog!! So there's no posts here about sewing until tomorrow but the chicken and vegetable pie is for tea tonight so I can have more time sewing instead of cooking and washing dishes :D. 

Cheers,
Robyn

On My Mind - bags of stuff

I've been busy doing lots of things lately and the Tri-pocket tote is one of them. This one has been sent to my daughter and she's delighted with it as it will hold her folders, notebook, mobile phone etc. I have enough material from the op-shop to make about 4 more and these will be for sale on my stall as upcycled crafts at the markets at a local school at the end of this month. The pattern is from "Simple Gifts to Stitch" by Jocelyn Worrall and I borrowed it from my local library.

Cheers,
Robyn

Winter Mornings, Wonderful Effects

I watched DD run up to the bus this morning and noticed the silvery cobwebs so I grabbed my camera.

click to enlarge

Of course the assistant took the chance to put in a bit of birdwatching time. 

I almost have a bokeh photo here because of the dew and the camera is still on auto, however I did select a smaller frame instead of using telephoto. I must remember that in the future.

The one below was a 'mistake' as I was trying to take a photo of that cheeky cockatiel in my avatar sitting on my right shoulder. I was operating the camera with my left hand and she decided to go elsewhere as the shutter closed. As it was an experiment on the auto setting without using the flash this is the effect achieved.

Lol, looks like a poorly developed 35mm film doesn't it!

Thanks for looking :)

Cheers

Robyn