Seaside Craftin'

oh Boy oh boy, it's been a little while since I posted,

2011-09-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

opps....OK quite awhile then. I seem to have been in a bit of a slump since my Mum passed away unexpectedly at the end of March, and it's been terribly hard to get back up and move onto a life without her in it. To all those that have lost their Mum you will know where I am coming from. Moving on is something we all have to learn to do and we each have to do it in our own way.

I am so blessed to have become good friends over the last 5 yrs or more with the girls from the yahoo C.R.A.F.T group who made me this fantastic Healing Hearts quilt in memory of my Mum, isn't it just gorgeous, it is called 'Hearts and Kisses' so fresh n pretty. I'll never forget the day the parcel lady delivered it, I cried so many tears from receiving such a wonderful gift. The hearts in the quilt are so special as they were made by the girls in the group from the world over and then sent to Khristina our list mum in Adelaide who chose the rest of the fabrics and designed the quilt to incorporate the hearts, pulling it altogether in this fabulous quilt. Now that's pretty special hey! Thank you my dear friends, you helped me get through a tough time.

Sooo.... there's not been much craftin' going on here but I did manage to finally finish this scrapping page of my 2 grandchildren who were visiting from faraway last Christmas... photo taken in my Mum's yard by my son with his fancy new camera.

and just the other weekend I had so much fun going to my very first Stampin Up workshop. I think I am hooked, what a lovely relaxing creative day, our hostess Bronwen did such a great job looking after us with a scrummy lunch and she even bought her cappuccino machine and made us all one and I felt very creative making the two cards, a Christmas gift box and a sweet fridge magnet, love learning new crafts.

But the best is yet to come, Woo Hoo on Sunday I am off to meet up with some of the girls from C.R.A.F.T at Mt Alford Lodge for our yearly retreat, can't wait, the bestest company, food is deli-sh, accommodation is perfect, views are fantastic, the odd bottle of wine.... oh will be so relaxing and peaceful and to top it off no housework, no cooking etc, oh yes...roll on Sunday can't wait. Perhaps we might even get to do some sewing,lol.

Hope I have made up a bit for being MIA for so long, will be back in a couple of weeks to show off the pics from the retreat.

hugs

Diana

Finished a little project last night

2011-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

remember the bear quilt I made for granddaughter Monique last year.....

well I was able to use up some of the scraps to make her a runner for the top of her chest of drawers......

now don't look too close, the 3 foot rule applies here as I actually had a little go at FMQ on this project.... so stressful, lol.....but once started I had to keep going, lots of points instead of curves but as it will be covered with DGD's trinkets hopefully nobody will notice too much, it was a good size to have a practice on, hopefully being not quite 3 yrs old yet Miss M won't be too much of a quilting critique'.

hugs

Diana

Feeling pretty good

2011-02-26T23:31:00.000-08:00

"Sew Easily Charmed"

this sunny Sunday afternoon.

Finally finished DD's and SIL's belated Christmas gift a "Sew Easily Charmed" quilt and it will be in the post and on it's way to Mt Isa tomorrow. "Hooray at last" I can hear my DD shouting, lol.

The quilt is a pattern designed by my friend Khris, love this pattern, great instructions and easy to S.I.D. After all my procrastinating about how to quilt it I was glad I had chosen to K.I.S.S.

Now I need to start on the wall hanging requested by DD, same pattern but a smaller version in matching "Freebird" Moda fabrics.

Also wanted to ask you that if you have a minute, pop on over to Khris's, Lucky and Dawn's blogs and check out how hard the girls have been working on quilts for victims of the floods. Lucky has also been making and collecting from other generous ladies lots of "Huggles" which are going to the HUGGLE FOR KIDS Flood Appeal for the Grantham School.
What's a "Huggle" I hear you ask, check out Luckys blog to find out. Such a worthwhile cause for littlies children of Oz.

Hugs

Diana

I should be

2011-02-09T04:24:00.000-08:00

machine quilting the lap quilt that is a gift for my DD and her Hubby, but I got a little side tracked with finishing this scrappin page.

Now that it is done I will have to stop procrastinating and just go for it. You see I have this inkling to be a bit more adventurous and instead of just doing the Stitch in the Ditch version I would love to FMQ (free motion quilt for those who aren't quilters) it, but alas I lack confidence in that area of quilting and do not want to stuff it up, so I guess tomorrow instead of just walking past it as it sits on the table looking at me I best put my big girl panties on and just deal with it, or it will be next Christmas before DD gets to put it on her bed. :-).

hugs,

Diana

I enjoy sewing Healing Heart Blocks

2011-01-20T04:03:00.000-08:00

knowing that they are going to be made into a quilt, to be given to somebody that needs an extra hug at a time in their life when things are extra tough, as well as being able to wrap the quilt around them and feel the love and friendship we offer we hope it reminds them they are not alone and others are thinking of them when they can't be with them to help share in their time of grief or hardship.

and these 6 blocks I have just finished will be added to other blocks to make three Healing Heart Quilts for Aussie flood victims who are friends and family of members of the "CRAFT" yahoo group I belong to.

I will post pics when the completed quilts are done.

In the meantime below is a pic of a Healing Hearts Quilt that was made for a group member who recently lost her Mum, it was put together by Marilyn and she's done a fabulous job on behalf of all the members.

Since I have been talking about these special quilts and their purpose I'm going to pop up some pics of some of the other Healing Heart Quilts that have been given to members over time. How talented the ladies are, who give their time and skill to put together hearts of all shapes and sizes into the quilts on behalf of all the group members, there was also a baby quilt made for a young members first bub.

Pop over here to my Picasa Albums to see them.

hugs,

Diana

What do you do

2011-01-16T04:08:00.000-08:00

on a really hot day in the Queensland outback town of Mt Isa.......pack up the kids and dogs and the 4 wheelers and head for the river of course....

more pics HERE

On a more serious note I am guessing that most like me, have been watching the TV and seeing all the devastation that the floods have caused in QLD and now also NSW and Vic.
I found it hard to pull myself away from watching as it got worse and worse and then as the cleanup began it brought tears to my eyes and made my heart swell with pride seeing how many willing people answered the Premier's call for help with the massive task of clearing out the mess and helping to get families back into their homes.
There is lots of ways the rest of us who cant physically be there to lend a hand can help out, I have seen many blogs and websites offering so many helpful ideas as well as the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.
In case you are still deciding how you would like to do your little bit I would like to guide you over to two of my friends blogs, Khristina and Lucky where they are providing a few different avenues for you to consider.

And from me personally I would like to say a big thank you to all those who have got in and got dirty to help those in need, you have my utmost admiration and Thank You for making me so proud to be an Aussie.

hugs

Diana

A great big

2010-12-31T04:16:00.000-08:00

to all my family and friends......

May this new year bring many opportunities your way, to explore every joy of life and may your resolutions for the days ahead stay firm, turning all your dreams into reality and all your efforts into great achievements.
I have been busy with family visiting for the Christmas period so have not had time to do any blogging but thought I'd pop a few pics up to share with you that have been taken over the last few weeks. Jump over here to my Picasa Album to check them out.
No craftin' happening at the moment but have heaps to get busy with in a couple of weeks.
I'm looking forward to getting a few projects finished early in the new year.

hugs
Diana

My November item

2010-11-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

for Amanda's Christmas in July Challenge is done. I made a very simple Pinwheel table runner from fabrics that I had in my stash which was my challenge to myself throughout the 6 mths. They really are getting a bit outdated now, but I am happy to have finally used a little bit of them up.
The runner was fun to make as I tried out something new to me, well actually two things.
I haven't done lot of HST's but decided to try out this Tutorial and it works brilliantly, and for the other new to me technique I just had to try out this clever idea Here, really love how this works and will definitely be using this method on a quilt in the future. Can you see the cute little bit of piping in the binding? Click on the pic to make it bigger.
Don't you just love the www with all these great tutorials out there.

Thanks Amanda for hosting the challenge, it has been so much fun.

Well that's all folks, onto other things now, I have lots of projects planned for in the New Year, but before that happens I am looking forward to having our DGD and our DS and family arriving soon to stay with us for some family time over the Christmas period.

hugs,

Diana

Whoppee Doo.....want to see something special

2010-11-21T04:41:00.000-08:00

well all you Quilter's out there just need to jump on over to "HERE" to see how the "CRAFT" group surprised the socks off our "fearless leader" as I call her, lol. Not easy keeping a secret from this girl.

You will never meet a more generous, caring, sharing person than our Khris so we thought it was about time that we let her know how thankful we all are for her Friendship.

The girls in the group made some hearts, donated fabric and money towards this Gift of Friendship and Khris's right hand moderator Sharon from New Zealand was the clever chicky who did all the hard work designing it, sewing it all together as well as the fantastic quilting, no easy task when you work full time with a heavy workload with long days, the rest of us will be forever grateful for the brilliant job she has done on our behalf, she put her hand up for this job with only 3 other quilts under her belt. Thank you so much Sharon.

We have lots of talented ladies in our group and one of them Pam made a great bag for the quilt to be posted in, so Khris received 2 lovely surprises, thank you Pam on behalf of all of us girls.

Now don't forget, pop on over to Khris's blog and check out this OOAK quilt in all it's glory.

All is right with the world when you have such great family and friends like I am blessed with.

hugs
Diana

Loved this poem

2010-11-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

that I found over at Vicki's and thought I might share it here for the Quilters that read my blog, guessing they are true words for a lot of us. Hands up if you can relate, lol.

A Quilter is:

Someone who assiduously clips coupons and hunts for bargains at the supermarket,

but buys untold yards of fabric, regardless of price.

Someone who pays to have the ironing done,

but thinks nothing of standing for hours pressing twenty yards of fabric for a quilt.

Someone who sees life through the eye of a needle, and that is a very special thing.

Someone who is bored silly hearing about other people's dumb hobbies, such as sky-diving, motor cycling or stamp collecting,

but constantly fascinates everyone she comes in contact with by sharing her quilts and quilting experiences.

Someone who has not been able to balance her check book since March 1979,

but can figure the yardage requirements for a Log Cabin Quilt and have just enough left over for a pin cushion.

Someone who enjoys sewing a quilt,

but hides the mending until the garments are either outgrown or out of style.

Someone who cannot see cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, dust balls under the bed or a sink full of dirty dishes,

but can thread a size 10 needle in the dark.

Anonymous

hugs,

Diana

Awww we only have one more

2010-10-31T04:57:00.000-07:00

Christmas Challenge to do before all the fun is over, this month I made some star coasters to co-ordinate with my runner and table centre, quick and easy but will come in handy when we get the wine glasses out for a Christmas drink, well I guess we could use them for a cuppa as well, lol.

Will now need to put the thinking cap on for the last month's challenge...... Mmm now what else can I make that will fit in with all the other bits, oh I think I have an idea forming but I best go check out Amanda's blog to make sure I am within the criteria for the month.

My little finish this past week

2010-10-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

isn't he just gorgeous with those big blue eyes, enough to melt any Nana's heart.

Now I need to get back to the quilt I am working on for DD but I am having trouble staying focused cause any time soon the post man is going to bringing me one of these and I am just a little bit excited...

I have already bought a couple of embossing plates so I can jump right in when it arrives, don't you just love having a new toy to play with for your crafting, it truly keeps you motivated.

hugs

Diana

Wish we had Smell a Blog

2010-10-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

my Jasmine is flowering and smells sooo good, I have kept it contained in a pot so it doesn't take over the fence between us and the back neighbors but I'm tempted to let it when it looks and smells so yummy at this time of the year.

Not a lot of crafting happened this week, I did start another scrapping page, but am at the stage where I don't know what to do next so while waiting for inspiration to hit me I used some paper scraps up and made these cards,

can see I have a long way to go before anybody receives a home made card from me, lol, I will keep practicing.

It's a bit like patchwork being able to use up the scraps, and I have finally run out of blue n red scraps for my string quilt so even though it will just end up being a floor rug for the Grandchildren or the back seat of the car it is a good feeling finally using up the scraps I have been hoarding for all these years.

I have to put the blocks away now till in the New Year when I will add some sashing to finish them. Meanwhile I need to get busy with some Christmas sewing.

hugs

Diana

Twinkle is her name

2010-09-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

and she is my entrant for September in Amanda's Christmas Challenge, click here if you want to see the other clever ladies entrants.

Taking photo's at night doesn't do the subject justice with the shadows but she looks pretty cute in the real, hubby reckons she is modeled on our youngest DGD, there is a bit of resemblance don't you think.

hugs Diana

A little Scrapping

2010-09-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

was all I got finished this week, but I'm happy with the end result. I'm not a fancy scrapper, I tend to keep my pages simple. Tomorrow I will choose the pics for my next page, I like to have an on-going page to play with in between my other crafting, think it's because I have such a short attention span, lol.

hugs Diana

Beginning to wonder

2010-09-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

if I will ever find the Inspiration to turn this into something that will resemble a Christmas doll. What do YOU think, is it possible?
hugs
Diana

I Spy with my Little Eye

2010-09-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

one naughty puddy cat who found a new spot to have a quick snooze.

I was searching for an old photo to scan and when I returned from scanning found Milo had made himself very comfortable, he was not happy when I shifted him out to tidy up. lol.

hugs

Diana

Latest Creation

2010-09-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

Well now that the big 3-0 Birthday is over and DD has received her gifts I can show you a pic of the bag I made for her with fabrics she chose from Khristina's Oziton Fabric shop she was really happy with the end result so of course that made me feel good too.

Oops the inside pic was taken before I sewed the lining and added the base, oh well you get the general idea, threads n all.

Now the weather man has forecast a wet weekend so my plans for finishing off some planting and mulching in the garden might have to wait for a few days but I have plenty of sewing to keep me busy while I wait for the sun to shine again. Hopefully I will get the last 6 blocks of my String Quilt finished and then onto my doll that is awaiting a face and some clothes for this months item in the Christmas in July Challenge over at Amanda's Blog.

hugs

Diana

I had so much fun

2010-09-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

this weekend, it was Father's Day here in Oz, so besides making sure DH was well fed (kids you owe me big time) with bacon n eggs for brekky, chicken salad for lunch and prawns and scallops and salad for dinner because it was his special day, (Luv you Hon you're the best), I had a couple of busy days sewing.

First up I spent Saturday making a gift for a family member who has a big 30th birthday coming up (shh it's my daughter but I don't want anybody to know I have a 30yr old it makes me feel ancient) and I can't share a pic with you yet as that would spoil the surprise.

And today I had a great time sewing up some scraps into the beginnings of a String Quilt in the company of some of the ladies from the "CRAFT" group. We had a Quilt-a-Long and what was pretty cool was we were able to have a video conference call where we could all see each other and chat as we were busily sewing up our strips. There was Sharon from NZ and Kath and Wilma from the U.S. and Khris in Adelaide, we were all able to hook in and show how we were progressing during the day, a few of the other girls also popped in to chat via messaging, isn't the Internet just the greatest. A few of the other members who couldn't access the video call also joined in the sew-in, Marilyn made a beautiful charity quilt with a jelly roll, and Deanna was sewing madly on a quilt as well. I am looking forward to seeing all the end results. Can't wait till we do it again next month when we all meet up to practice making HST's.

Here you can see my scraps I have been hoarding for 15 years or more cut into strips and my 9 blocks I got finished today, they are going to make a great scrap quilt when I get a few more done through the week. I am using the QAYG method and so far am loving it as the blocks are already quilted, will see if it is as easy to do the sashings when I go to put them together, fingers crossed.

hugs

Diana

August -Christmas in July Challenge

2010-08-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

all finished made it by the skin of my teeth as usual. This month the challenge from Amanda was to make a Table Center decoration/centerpiece. Well I had grand plans of making a Fabric Christmas tree, have wanted to make one of these for ages, I found a pattern on one of my many trips to the local Op Shops searching for vintage crafting supplies, couldn't believe my luck, and had tucked it away safely with the million other patterns I own, thought... finally the perfect time to make use of that pattern. Well I had it all spread out on the table with my fabrics choices but for the one minute I turned my back to check on dinner cooking one naughty puddy cat had pulled the pattern down and had a game with it, it was a tissue pattern so you can imagine the end result, so then onto plan B... checked out the blocks in EQ and found one that I thought would be easy using the PP technique, it did eventually get done but with a few nasty words in the process. Pheew such a long post about such a little thing, it is about 12' diameter and fits just nicely in the centre of my table, will pop my wire glitter Christmas Tree and some little Christmas wrapped boxes around the base come December.

Next month is a doll, now that should be easy peasy hey!

Also popping up a pic of an Armchair Sewing Organizer and Coasters I made for my friend Sharon in New Zealand.
Sharon and I have known each other from the Yahoo "Craft" group for about 4 yrs now and we had a great time meeting in person at the "Craft" Retreat last year. Sharon's hubby and his son spent the night with us a few weeks ago while on a visit from over the ditch to spend some time with family, so I grabbed the chance to send a little something over to Sharon free of postage costs (gosh it is getting expensive to send overseas) made her these couple of goodies to match her Crafting Studio. I am sooo jealous of her "Studio".

Local Quilt Show

2010-08-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

These two lovely ladies from my local Quilt Shop were busy selling all their goodies at the Bundaberg Quilt Show, I imagine they were pretty tired after the 3 days were over.
If you would like to view a small cross section of Quilts that were on display at the quilt show. Click here. There was so much eye candy it was impossible to take photos of them all and it certainly keeps the creative spirit alive viewing such great works of art, thank you ladies for a lovely morning out.

hugs

Diana

A treat for all my Crafty Pals

2010-08-06T03:46:00.000-07:00

Pop on over to my friend Khris's Freebies for Crafters Blog or her personal Blog and see what the clever girl has been up to, she has designed the most gorgeous Sewing Accessories Set, but best of all....... the Australian Craft Magazine "HOMESPUN" has used her designs for this months Project on their Web page at Complete Craft.

Woo Hoo Khristina, so pretty, well done mate and Congratulations.

hugs

Diana

Just made it

2010-07-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

As you get to know me you will learn I work better under pressure and that sure was true this month. Above is a pic of my project for this months Christmas in July Challenge, that Amanda is hosting on her blog, finished just in the nick of time this morning.

We could either make a place mat or table runner. I chose traditional Christmas colors to make a runner I can use on my buffet during the silly season and best of all, didn't have to buy any fabric as it all came from my stash.

Now next months could be a problem as we have to make a table center decoration and I have no idea what I want to make yet, oh well I guess it will come to me soon.

hugs,

Diana

Opps a Daisy

2010-07-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

been awhile since I posted, I do have a good excuse. DGD Shayna made an unexpected visit to us for the school holidays, we always enjoy the time we get to spend with her and we think she had a great time as well, you can see some pics here if interested. We are always sorry to see her leave but fingers crossed we will see her again for some of the school holidays at Christmas time.
Now on to finishing some projects and starting some new ones I have planned.
hugs
Diana

Okay first one down

2010-06-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

five more to go. This little tree deco is what I whipped up for the first item in Amanda's Christmas Challenge, I finally got to play with those hexagon templates I bought last Nov, now just need to get a couple more made before the end of the month.

If you are interested in making some of these up for your tree or a gift for friend, hop on over to here and you'll find the instructions.

Naomi from Crafty Owl made me one last Christmas with my name embroidered on it, isn't it sweet.

Next on the list is a Placemat or Table Runner, best go check out all those patterns that are taking over my sewing room.

hugs

Diana

3 more Finishes

2010-06-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

I promised these aprons quite awhile ago, great to finally get them done for the girls, the green one is made from a tea towel and is for my DD and the red apple fabric was chosen by my DGD so I could make her one too and I had just enough leftovers left to make her 2 yr old sister one as well, now they will be all set for their next baking day.

A bit of this n that

2010-06-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

Just popping up a couple pics of two scrappin pages of my Grandson that I finally finished and also it was his 1st birthday last month (scoot over here to see him celebrating his big day) I made him this play rug from a panel, thought it might come in handy when at the park or out visiting with Mum and Dad.

hugs

Diana

Did you know

2010-06-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

that there is only 200 days till Christmas, scary hey!!. Well I've decided to get in early with making a few Christmas gifts this year by joining Amanda's Christmas Challenge over at http://amanda-lotshappening.blogspot.com/ she has provided me with the perfect motivation to get some done and dusted instead of leaving them till the last moment.
Amanda's Christmas Challenge will run through till December, pop on over to her Blog and check it out, it's stress free and has yummy prizes on offer as well.
Now if only I can dig out my Christmas stash box that is tucked away under heaps of other stuff and track down where I put my Christmas patterns I will be set to make a start tomorrow on this months challenge...........wish me luck, would love to win this months prize from Khris's Oztion Shop "The Fabric Cafe", she has such yummy fabrics.

hugs

Diana

Backtracking to Easter now

2010-05-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

for which we were expecting hubby's brother and wife and children for a few days, we were really looking forward to their visit as they hadn't been up this way for a few years.

One morning about a week before they were due I answered the phone and it was DD in Mt Isa saying something about...... can you fit a car seat in the new car Mum?, well silly me said Why? and she said.... cause the girls and I are coming for a holiday...well needless to say panic set in for all of 2 secs while I got my head around the fact that we had already booked out the spare bedrooms with 2 adults and 2 children coming, but whats another adult and 2 more children to find beds for... right, lol.

Once I realized she was serious, excitement really set in as I knew we'd work out the sleeping arrangements later.
Needless to say we had a terrific time and it was just so great that we all got to spend some time together.

Now I realize this is all pretty boring to my crafting friends but for those family members who would like to see some pics of our time spent with DD and grand kids at Easter time please click here.

Signing off for the night

2010-05-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

with a few Pics from our afternoon walk around the block a couple of days ago, such glorious weather I just had to share these snaps I took just on sunset. Click here to see the rest of them

hugs

Diana

Way back in Nov

2010-05-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

last year we decided to adopt a kitty from the RSPCA, it had been over 18 mths since our 16 yr old miniature poodle Missy had gone to doggy heaven and hubby and I finally felt the time was right to introduce a new pet to our household.

As our Granddaughter Shayna was coming to visit us for a few weeks before Christmas we waited for her to arrive before making any more plans as we knew she would get a thrill helping us to choose a kitten.

After checking the RSPCA web page a few times and making a couple of visits to cuddle and play with the kittens one sweet little fat faced boy decided he would like to come home with us, after testing out a few names the first day we decided to call him" Milo".

Well he is 8 mths old now and has fitted into our home just perfectly. So I thought I'd share a few pics I took today while he was outside in the garden having his morning romp chasing the lizards and butterflies.
He is an inside cat that is allowed out for short periods in the garden to play through the daytime, to keep him safe we make sure he is inside before late afternoon.
Each morning for the last couple of months our neighbours cat "Quinn" who is also an RSPCA kitty, visits us, they are like two kids playing for about an hour each morning.
To view today's pics if you are interested click here.

Oh I know I know....lol

2010-05-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

I still have some back tracking to catch up with but had to show off what I have been sewing today.

This is a bag pattern designed by my friend Khris and like the last one I blogged about (and yep I did sew one up, but it is for a gift so cant show you yet) Khris has done a brilliant job at making it an easy quick project to sew up and so versatile, I have seen some other samples and it looks great no matter what fabric is chosen.

I was able to pull some fabrics from my stash to try this pattern and with these nice bright colors thought that my DGD in Mt Isa would be able to use it when she goes for a sleepover at her friend Maddy's.

hugs

Diana

Hot off the Press

2010-04-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

For those crafty girls that read my blog quick zip over to my friend Khris's Blog and check out the new bag Tute she has put up, she's amazing how she just whips up these Tutorials to share with us, I want to try this one out real soon. Thanks Khris for taking the time to do this one I know how busy you are.

hugs

Diana

Everybody loves a Wedding.....

2010-04-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

the next big event in the New Year for us was a nieces wedding, we enjoyed a lovely 4 days away at the Sunshine Coast, the weather held off the forecast of rain until the day after the wedding, so a perfect sunshine day, a bit hot but we all survived and the Bride looked beautiful, if you want to see pics from the special day just click here

Opps Nearly forgot

2010-04-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

to show you my last 2 finishes, here is a pic of the quilt I finally finished for DGD no2 ........

and a bag I made for my niece for her 18th Birthday.

hugs

Diana

I figured a new background

2010-04-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

for my Blog would be good to start the New year off with, not sure about this one yet though, and yes I do know that the year is slipping by real quick and I've been really slack with my blogging, I just don't know where the time goes these days, so a quick fill in......just after I left off last time our eldest DGD came for a nice long visit before Christmas. We had 3 wonderful weeks with her before we had to send her home again, some pics of her visit are here.

We celebrated Christmas Day at my Sister and Hubby's place, they did a great job of fitting our rather large family in and all had a great day spending a lot of time in the pool as it was a typical hot Aussie Christmas.....Thanks Deb n John for being such great hosts. A few pics shared here. To be continued.........

WooHoo

2009-11-17T04:55:00.000-08:00

It's finally finished. Have been working on this bag for a couple of weeks now and pretty happy with how it has turned out, I'm new to the bag making craft and this is only my second one.
Now Shhh.. it's a surprise for Aunty Pam to say thank you for entrusting me with her Mum's Singer Treadle sewing machine which I intend to restore when I get a minute, maybe after Christmas.
Now as Pam doesn't do the Internet bit, I think I am safe showing off some PICS even though she will not receive the bag till Fridays mail.
Now would be a good time I think to get to and do the quilting on Granddaughter No2's quilt that has been sitting around far too long, making the top is no trouble but gee the thought of getting that machine quilting done to my satisfaction is another thing altogether, if I manage to not make too much of a mess with it, I will post pics.
Hugs,
Diana

How lucky am I

2009-11-14T02:39:00.000-08:00

last week my darlin' hubby took me away for a few days of R & R, I think I could get to like this empty nest part of our lives :-).
We didn't go very far just 2 hrs down the road to a seaside village called Hervey Bay, actually it's a combination of small villages dotted along a headland and a very pretty bay.
The whale watching season is finished for the year so most of the tourist's had gone home, well till Christmas time at least, it was a very quiet, relaxed few days.
I thought I would share a few pics of where we stayed and oh my gosh they had just the best Patchwork Shop there so I had to go check it out didn't I and I happened to find a Scrapping shop as well, lol. If you would like to see a few pics Click Here to view.
I think we might make this an annual event, next time we hope to travel a little further down the coast where you can hand feed Dolphins, now that's pretty cool and will be something to look forward to. My sister Ree assures me there is also a great little place that serves fantastic brekky's as well so I think we should go visit sooner rather than later, oh well 12 mths isn't that long really.
Now that I am all refreshed it's time to get back to some crafting....... Hugs Diana

A good week

2009-10-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

is one where we receive lots of pics of our 3 grandchildren. With them living so far away we like nothing better than seeing weekly pics of them. A much better week is if we get the opportunity to see them on the web cam. lol.
Click here to see the latest.
Hugs,
Diana

Not a lot of Craftin'

2009-10-22T03:44:00.000-07:00

going on here at the moment, I have lots planned but it's just not happening yet, may get to start on a few things tomorrow. Last week I did get around to making a needle case and pincushion for a niece who is doing a little bit of crafting. She is sewing together some cute little felt hearts for some of her friends for Christmas gifts and she is such a sweetie she gave me one of her samples as a gift.
So I had been wondering what I could do for her in return and realised that if she was going to be a serious crafter she would need some tools of the trade. I think she will like these as they are pink and purple with sparkles and butterflies, what more could a 11 yr old girl want for her Sewing Box.

ps. a tutorial for the needle case is a freebie available here from a friends blog, thanks heaps Khris.

It's always nice to..........

2009-10-11T03:31:00.000-07:00

spend time with Friends, and this past week we have shared lots of fun and laughter with our friends Deanna and Doug from Townsville who were neighbours of ours in Ayr before we moved home. We haven't seen each other since my daughter's wedding 2 yrs ago so it was great to have time to relax and catch up.

We went for some nice walks and went out for lunch at the local Tavern and we also enjoyed a few liqueurs and a lot of laughs playing the card game 500. This was a favourite pastime with 4 other friends when we all lived in the same street for years so bought back lots of great memories for us all.

Cheers,

Diana

Pics from Mt Isa

2009-10-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

After showing off Harrison's swimming skills, I thought I would also pop up some new pics of our Granddaughters Shayna and Monique from Mt Isa that arrived in my inbox this afternoon. Click on their names to view.
Hugs,
Diana

Harrison's first swimming lesson.......

2009-10-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist sharing this UTube of our Grandson Harrison having his first swimming lesson with his Dad. Click on his name to view.
Hugs,
Diana

Here we go.......

2009-10-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of pics of the friendship gifts and swap goodies I received from the girls at the retreat, I was very spoilt and love them all.

From Khris I received some special goodies... Covered address book, card holder and notebook and a little emergency kit bag made from the cutest band-aid fabric already stocked with Panadol, hand cleanser etc.
Naomi was a sweetie and gave me as a gift, a sweet little bag that I had put an order in for her to make me for my MP3 player, a perfect fit. Look at my parliment of Owls from Khris and Naomi, how cute are they?

Sharon gave me a couple of her very special doll faces and some pencils for me to use so I can practice my doll face drawing and from Anita I received a gorgeous pack of Moda squares and some patterns, one that I had been eyeing off since I first saw it advertised, a raggedy pattern that is just so cute.

Maree made us all a sticky note holder and Marg gave us each a bag of little tricks with cute sayings inside. My secret sister swap partner Cath, gave me a raggedy doll she had made from one of her patterns, fabric, pattern n thread.

Also had lots of laughter and fun in a pattern swap game that Khris had us playing and was able to add a few new patterns to my pattern collection, a girl can never have too many patterns, lol.

So now you can all see why I think I was so very spoilt, how lucky am I to have such generous friends.

Thank you girls.

Hugs,
Diana

It's way time..........

2009-10-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

that I caught you up on how the CRAFT retreat went.........

Well the first afternoon most of us were too tired from travelling to do too much except relax and enjoy a cuppa and chat. Some of the girls had met before but a few of us had only spoken on the phone or on-line.
For me, it was just like we had all known each other before instead of meeting for the first time.
Some were brave enough to have a swim in the pool, even though it was hot and muggy the water was a bit nippy, but a glass of Bannrock and some nibbles soon warmed us up while we waited for dinner, all that gasbagging makes you hungry, lol.
The girls who had bought their machines were already sewing up a storm and I am hoping they have some pics of their new creations as I didn't get any on the last day before they packed up.
The next day started off well with a few of the girls driving into Ipswich to a local market to check out the goodies...... Anita scored a couple of nice things and so did Helena.
Naomi and I stayed behind and looked through some crochet patterns on my laptop. BUT we did get to enjoy the yummy Jam n Cream scones served for morning tea.
Then Naomi was kind enough to try to teach me how to do a crocheted flower while a few others had their machines whizzing away in the sewing room.
By the time the girls came back from the markets it was lunch time and the wind had come up, blowing a gale and it was starting to get a bit dusty and smoky as well.
Because the weather was so terrible for the rest of the day most of us just stayed stayed inside our Cabins as we were starting to get sore throats (yes maybe a little from talking too much, but the dust in the air sure didn't help) watery eyes and dry lips and mouths, it was awful outside so Naomi got stuck into showing the girls how to start off the crochet rug they wanted to learn. Khris and Naomi also got some hexagons cut out ready to make some coasters for their market stall.
Sharon and Naomi braved the cool water in the pool again later on for a dip to soak poor Sharon's sore swollen ankles, the heat from the day before had really made her a bit ill (poor girl was suffering from the heat as she had flown in from NZ where the temps were heaps lower) so she just relaxed with her feet up on the lounge for awhile before tea time and we fitted in a couple of party games (thanks Khris) that were a bit of a giggle, and some lucky ones won some goodies.
Then we grabbed a bottle of our favorite red and took it down to enjoy with our night meal, well some of us did, not all, as some don't partake but they didn't mind the rest of us enjoying a glass.
That night we sat around and chatted some more while stitching and crocheting and the next morning after a terrible sleepless night from the howling wind and no water in our cabin for showers till the kind man came and sorted it for us we just relaxed some more with a cuppa as the wind was still blowing a gale and it was too horrible to sit outside.
Some of the girls went down to the main Lodge for morning tea but Khris and I ate Marg's slice instead and Sharon kept Khris company while I jumped in for a late shower before lunch.
The food and accommodation were all just fabulous, our lovely hostess Wendy and her family looked after us all so well, we all said we would go back again.
Before we knew it it was time to pack up and think about getting on our way home, it was such a great time getting to know all the girls and the time went so quick, we didn't get to go for a walk as the weather was shocking after the first afternoon, but it didn't faze us, we were very happy just chilling out and talking and crafting so it didn't upset us too much except for a few sneezes and sore throats, from the dust I mean, lol.
Helena had the right idea as you can see by the pic, lol.
It was such fun swapping gifts, sharing some great laughs and chatting about our different crafts we like to do. I am so glad that I was able to go and meet the girls, it was wonderful to have the chance to cement our on-line friendships that we have made by chatting on the CRAFT group and I really hope we can do it all again sometime real soon.
Hugs,
Diana
ps. Don't forget to jump over to my Picasa Album to see the pics from the retreat.

Woo Hoo, I'm so excited..........

2009-09-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I leave for a 2 day Retreat to meet up with some of my On-line CRAFT friends, I am so looking forward to meeting them and relaxing around the pool with a glass of Banrock, watching the sun set after a day of talking craft and maybe learning a new one...... it doesnt get much better......... good company, no cooking, no dishes, no housework for two whole days, stay tuned, will have pics to show when I return.

We were asked to make a Secret Sister gift to take along, I cant show you what I made till after the event, so here's a little sneak peek till the owner has received her gift and I can show you all. Bye.... back in a few days.

Old Doilies

2009-09-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

I found this bottle of stuff called "Stiffy"by Plaid at Spotlight the other week and had a brilliant idea of how to put some of the old doilies I have collected to good use, it works a treat, just got to find some different shapes to drape them over now for a bit of variety.

Happy 21st Matt

2009-09-22T06:17:00.001-07:00

Just had to embarrass my nephew by putting his birthday pic up on my blog, lol. We had a great night Matt, thanks for inviting us.

OMGosh

2009-09-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's so long since I updated here. It's been a busy time with our train trip to Cairns early in August, we arrived in time for our son's 37th birthday.

We had a wonderful time and got to spend some quality time with our new grandson Harrison, check out his pic, isn't he a cutie.

He and his Mum are in Melbourne visiting with his other Nan n Pop this week so I bet he is getting spoilt to bits. lol

All tuckered out

2009-08-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Received this pic from Mt Isa via phone this morning of our DGD, how cute is she.

Say Hi to Gazza

2009-08-02T03:45:00.000-07:00

Gazza the Giraffe is leaving on the Tilt Train tomorrow night to go live in Cairns. I fell in love with this Melly n Me pattern and just had to make one for our 3 mth old grandson Harrison, I'm pretty happy with how he turned out.

Finally... and no hairy arm in sight......

2009-07-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

I have finished my knitted shawl in time to take with me on our train trip to Cairns on Monday. Not that I will need it in the temps up there, but the air- con in the train at night is sure to be cool.

It's so soft and warm I am really happy with it, though it did turn out rather large with me wanting to use up all the balls of wool I had bought and would you believe I was about 1 metre short for finishing the tassells in the end, so yep you guessed it, had to go buy just one more ball. Now what to do with one left over ball of teal colored wool ? not sure the color is suitable for dolls hair, lol, a mermaid maybe?.

Excuse the hairy arm but.......

2009-07-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a pic of what I am working on at the moment, just so you know I do actually get around to some craftin' sometimes, lol.

I really need to get it finished so I can take it with me to use on our train trip to Cairns at the beginning of next month.

Having never been an expert knitter and especially since I haven't knitted for years I am really pleased with how this is turning out, love the color and the feel of the wool. I asked my sister Sandy for the pattern after seeing one she had made, I choose to change the needle size and type of wool used to make it a little bit thicker, but it still has a nice lacy look when spread out, now if I could just get it finished I will be a very happy girl.

Last Friday was

2009-07-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

a special day for our Family, our Mum turned 75.

She has had a lot on her plate lately with a few health problems so it was great that we were all able to get together and enjoy dining out for lunch to celebrate her special day.

Guess What ? it's July and that means..........

2009-07-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

that I got to open my CHRISTMAS in JULY swap gifts from Marilyn on Thursday. Check out all my goodies, thanks Marilyn for being such a great swap partner, it was really fun to be involved and I love all the treasures you sent me.

Visit Marilyns BLOG to see the gifts I sent to her.

Last Saturday

2009-07-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

we had visitors arrive for a few days, perfect weather so we enjoyed some walks around the area and Ash and Joe even braved the cold water for a swim, us girls weren't that silly, instead Pam and I wandered down to the local shops for a bit of retail therapy.

Yep, it's true

2009-06-25T04:32:00.000-07:00

I have to admit to it being my birthday today, at this stage of my life I should be keeping it a secret but I just had to show you my Grandson wishing me a Happy Birthday via webcam, a great end to a lovely day, especially as I got to spend it with family and best of all hubby cooked tea for me. Oh well back to normal tomorrow. lol.

L.O.L

2009-06-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

Somethings just make you Laugh Out Loud and this pic of our Grandson does it for me.

Hang onto that smile baby boy, Nan and Pop are coming to visit for cuddles and giggles real soon.

Some days are just Special

2009-06-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

Yep they sure are, and yesterday was one of those days for our family. First up it was exactly 12 mths since hubby had his last Op to help improve his hip after his motor bike accident in 2006 and it was good to look back and see how far he has come since then.

While hubby was in hospital in the south end of our state our daughter was in hospital in a remote QLD hospital giving birth to our second grandchild, while I was stuck at home unable to be with either of them.

So yesterday we were thrilled to be able to talk to number 2 granddaughter on the web cam ( well we talked - while she stared at these two loony faces on her Mum's computer) and after we sang Happy Birthday to her, we were rewarded with her blowing us a kiss, so that pretty much made our day.

And while we are celebrating birthdays we want to send a big Birthday Hug to our niece Dahna who is celebrating her special day today. We hope you had a great day Hon.

Christmas in July Swap

2009-06-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

Oh this is so exciting, I have joined in a Christmas in July Swap, on my favourite yahoo group.
For ages now I have been searching for just the right thing to correspond with each letter of the word "Christmas" for my swap partner Marilyn we both chose not to swap actual Christmasy things so that left us open to a whole range of goodies, of course we didn't want to break the bank and we had to be careful of weight as we are posting overseas but it was still a challenge for me as Marilyn is a partner in a Quilting Business and I wanted to make sure she would like and be able to use the gifts I chose for her, so here is a pic of all the goodies wrapped up and ready to post.

PS... I think I am getting to like this blogger bit, lol.

First Post

2009-06-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

Okay this is scary setting up a blog for a first timer, guess I'll just have to learn as I go along, first thing I need to learn is how to add pics to my posts, lets see if I can grab one from my files and add to this first post. Oh cool it worked, this is a pic of one of the beaches near us.

Now that I have tried my first post it doesnt seem so scary after all. I hope to be posting pics of my craftin as well as everyday occurances, especially new pics of our 3 darling grandchildren. We are blessed with 2 girls and one little baby boy who only arrived a few weeks ago.

Bye for now,

Diana