Mother's Day is coming!

Flowers are loves

truest language.

-Park Benjamin.

I have just noticed how close it really is getting until it's

Mother's Day. I have been talking about it, making gifts

for the Mother's Day stall at school, but it has just hit me!

How silly am I? Giggle, giggle. Today I have been making

these cute little gifts and made some of them for last year.

It is a quick and easy gift idea and especially great for fetes

and stalls.

All you need is: plastic spoons, sweets such as chocolate drops, jubes (I have used chocolate eclairs), tulle?, flowers and ribbon. Each spoon I have made has just one eclair in it, cut  circle shapes out of the tulle (I used a 6 inch plate as a template). Wrap the spoon with the tulle and use the flower stems to twist around the spoon and this holds up the tulle.

Then cut ribbon to the length desired and wrap that over the stems of the flowers and tizzy up the ends of ribbon. These all sold at last year's stall. I found this pattern on a blog site somewhere but sorry I can't remember which one. I don't lay claim to this project but I do enjoy making them.

 I have been busy making plastic card wallets as well, and have a big bowl of sweets ready to fill my calico dollies. Only trouble is I bought the wrong wrapping paper today, I thought I picked up clear cello, but nope.

We had a guest over for afternoon tea, so I made some yummy apple and cinnamon muffins. Nice big chucks of apple in them and they were very much a success.

Last night I finished knitting the last of three tea cosies while watching Kate and William get married. I'm not a big follower of the Royal family but do like to hear how they are going. The wedding was just fantastic and the couple are so cute. I waited patiently to see the kiss (I feel like bit of a stalker now), but it did make my toes curl and I felt so happy for them. I loved it when William took Kate for a spin in the car!!

I need to scrounge through my wool now, I want to knit myself a short sleeved cardigan. As the weather is cooling down, I know that I am in short supply of the autumn weather clothing. Better get cracking now. Beside all the fun of crafting, sewing and knitting, I have been at my housework as well. I am feeling a bit smart about myself right now. Enjoy this fantastic weekend and catch you all soon. Kind regards, Anita.



Cherish your children

Cherish your children,

they are yours for only a

short time.

I have had an interesting day today. Met up with a friend

for morning tea, Cory had our other Corey over for a sleep

over, and talked to several people sharing different conversations. I hold my children dear to me and nothing will change that. Patience is a virtue.

I still have another six days holiday to go and I plan to use the

time wisely. I started a small stitchery and am very pleased with it. I was scooting around the net and found this cute pattern to stitch.

I decided that the jelly roll heather had given to me for my birthday would match in really well with the colours of the stitchery. I stitched them all together and I'm happy with the result.

I thought you would like a close up of the colours. I just love jelly rolls, they ensure the correct sizes and I don't have to worry about cutting the right measurements.

 I've been on a roll with sewing lately, below is another plastic card wallet. Great for using those bits of material left over from other projects. This one is done using blue tones.

I have a lovely tea cosy on the go. I am knitting it using 8ply wool and two colours. I forgot to take photo's to show you, but perhaps by the time I do a new post it will be finished and ready to showoff,  oops! I mean show you (sorry Heather).

Yesterday we had a spot of rain which was so welcomed by all, including Fred, my bird. When it rains, he hangs upside down on his perch and starts flapping his wings. I think he might have been a bat in his last life. I wanted to get a closer shot of him for you all, but if I get too close to him while he's upside down, he spins back the right way up and stares at me!!!

I'm off to check my chooks and see if they have finished their Easter break yet. Yes, that's right, not many eggs the last week or so. I might have to chop some wood right near their cage. I'll catch you all in a few days and remember how special your children are. With warm regards, Anita.



ANZAC Day

Anything done for another

is done for oneself.

-Boniface VIII.

As I had lots of time to myself these last few days, I have managed to get my fair share of sewing done. I happened to do some blog surfing and came across a rather sweet plastic card wallet. I simply had to make one and the instructions were very easy to follow.

A great way to use up bits of material left over, which I have stacks of and can't bear to throw away. The photo below is what greets you when you open your wallet.

I found the pattern to make this wallet at Lisa's blog. Scroll down to Scrappy Loyalty Wallet and there you will find this wonderful pattern. I emailed Lisa and told her I had made one and to thank her for the great pattern. I can see a few more of these being made. I also like the idea of making strips of materials for the cover of this wallet.

My girls have also been finished and are now waiting to be filled with lots of yummy lollies and sweets.

I thought I might use felt for the hair this time instead of wool. It was easier and quicker this way, and still has a nice look to it. The cheeks were painted on and the insides of these girls have different coloured linings.

Our local nursery had a 50% sale off everything, so I made my way down there.......twice!!!! As this summer was so long and hot, my garden took a beating, even losing some very established plants. My front yard has always been a cottage garden, but I'm thinking I really need to think about native plants. Perhaps I can just fill my verandah pots with the cottage plants instead. They will have a bit of protection from the harsh Australian heat.

This is what I've done in the front yard so far. I have added an extra row of bushes and then a row of cottage bricks to line the area. What is left of the lawn (which is hardly any) will be pulled out and a brick path added.

Along the picket fence there used to be bushes and now it is empty. The plants I have added will grow rather large and hopefully it will fill in the gaps. A row of pots now line both sides of the entrance to our home, and another row of old bricks to go with it.

The succulent under the bush has just exploded!! I planted a small piece of it last year and out of everything in the front yard, that's the only thing looking real good.

I have to say that I am well known as a hermit around my parts and these few days at home without two of my darlings has been spent happily doing the things I want to do. Brandon and I shared time together and I made all the special foods he loves. Last night I was over the moon to greet Pixie and Cory who had returned home from their go kart trip. Cory gained lots of experience at this meeting, as their were go karters from all around Australia.

My husband can always be counted on to have chunks of meat missing from different parts of his body, and this trip was no exception. He is prancing around with two big scabs on the top of his head.....phhffmm! oops....didn't mean to laugh.

While we were sharing their adventure stories last night, I did have my stitchery on the go.

 I haven't finished stitching yet, but if you like this design it is a freebie. Just click here for the pattern. Today in Australia and New Zealand we are celebrating ANZAC Day. A day in which we remember all the fallen soldiers and thank them for our freedom.

Lest We Forget

See you for now.

Kind regards, Anita.

With love at Easter

The greatest thing in this world is not so much

where we are, but in what direction we are moving.

-Oliver Wendell Holmes.

I managed to make some cute little beaded rabbits for my workmates and on the last day of school I roamed around the office giving out the gifts. I so much loved the beaded dolls I had just made, and that's where the idea came from to make beaded rabbits. They were well received by my workmates and of course having chocolate wrapped in with the rabbit is always going to be popular where I work!!!

 Funnily enough, I had just about come to the end of my bead collection, when suddenly a workmate of mine came in one morning recently and gave me a big bag full of beads. The bodies of the rabbits are just different pieces of scrap material. The ears and cheeks are made from felt. With a fabric pen I just made two dots for the eyes, a cute smile and a dot for the nose, nice and simple.

 With the holidays now beginning, I intend to do lots of things that I haven't had time to do, such as my garden. This summer was long and hot, so my garden took a beating, with several plants not surviving. Now that the weather has cooled down, I have started to plant native bushes in the front yard. A small row of cottage bricks have seen their way into the new garden. A gave one of my neighbours a big shock this morning. They were driving along the road towards my house and suddenly they saw this body coming from under the bridge, pushing a big wheel barrow!! When they realized it was me, they laughed.

Also I have made a start on the Mother's Day gifts for school. I have made some of these before and thought they would go down well as gifts for Mum.

 This pattern is from a Homemade magazine of Heather's and it is actually a child's bag. I love the pattern so much I thought it would be nice to make it as a purse with lollies and sweets. You could put whatever you liked in them. I'm thinking I might make the hair across the top of the head out of felt. Still thinking about that. The face will also have red cheeks stitched on it give the girl's a cheeky look to them.

I couldn't resist knitting this gorgeous helmet from one of the books I scored from the library!! This helmet was knitted in 3 ply and I wish you could see the true colours....just lovely. I keep saying I have just about finished with the baby knitting for now, but I may have changed my mind.

Tomorrow is cousin's day in the country and I'm looking forward to catching up with some favourite boys of mine. Pixie and Cory have kept us updated with the gokart details and all is going well. It seems weird that they won't be here for Easter but they will return soon. Heather has also flown the coup and is visiting one of her daughter's. I miss not having Heather to tease....oops...I mean I miss her company!! lol.

I can hear the garden calling out to me again, so I will make haste. I take this opportunity to wish everyone who celebrates the Easter spirit, I wonderful Easter. A time to remember the true meaning of the Easter story. Kind regards, Anita.







Long awaited holidays

Promise is most given

when least is said.

-George Chapman

Here in Western Australia the school terms have been a bit different for the year and first term has been very long. I am really looking forward to these holidays as I feel worn out. It has been a very productive time in the way of crafts so it has been a joy in that sense, lots of babies being born, beaded dolls, Mother's day stall coming up!! I have also knitted a doll to go along with the baby gear I'm gathering for friends...

This cutie will go home to whoever has a boy. It was from one of Jean Greenhowe's knitting books. There are so many lovely patterns in that book that I might have a go at each and everyone of them. My doll has been knitted in 8 ply and he is quite big. I managed to have a little win too this week. While visiting the library one of the girls put me on to a trolley full of books for sale and these are a few I scored.



I couldn't believe my luck! They smell new and certainly hadn't been used...but they have now. Lots of lovely more modern knitted items, which I tend to stay away from, but these patterns are cute.

Even though I have been flat out with school matters like P & C meetings, Council meetings and such, I have still found a bit of quiet time to knit. I need to sew buttons on to this cute little cardigan, knitted in four ply wool with a beanie to go with it.

I think I need to just knit a couple more items and the stock I have will be enough to share around the baby crowd. However, a little birdie has whispered in my ear.......!

Two of my darlings have gone to gokarts today and Brandon is at a friend's house, soon the sewing machine is going to be dragged out and used. I will make some gifts for the Mother's Day stall for the school I work at. Maybe some lolly bags made from calico might go down alright. Anyway I'm out of here to do my magic. May you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

Kind regards, Anita.





We're a weird mob.

Art and knowledge

bring bread and honour.

-Danish proverb.

A kind workmate of mine presented me with a gift on Monday morning at work......

This isn't going to help me get my housework done!!! lol. These little beauties were in an old house and things were being sold and rehomed. So the beads came to me. I am so happy to have them I must admit. They just need a scrub and a soak and they'll be as good as new.

I am still slowly knitting for some favourite people of mine and I have now got a large collection of knitted baby gear. Soon I will be knitting for the premature babies at one of our hospitals in Western Australia. The size of the jackets are tiny and unbelieveable.

On Friday we all managed to go out together as a family and it was wonderful to have both of our boys with us at the same time. The day was spent shopping together and then stopping off for lunch and a nice browse through Spotlight. When we got to a shop called Big bubble, we had the time of our life. Cory and Brandon found the dress up section and what a laugh we all had. Some things never change and when the boys were little, we had the best dress up box you ever did see. So when we were in Big bubble all the hats had to get tried on.

I know the photo's are blurred, but I was so excited that we were all together and I was allowed to take the pics!!! Talking about 'Pix', even the Father of those crazy boys is into dressups. Looks lovely in pink. lol.

My two petals below!! Some things never change.

So as you can see we had a great day in the shops and I might add things didn't change on the drive home. We had such fun. The weekend just got better as it unfolded too. We had a cousins day, with Ryan and Jarrod coming over on Sunday for the afternoon. They played with the toy animals and people collection. Yesterday I had a phone call from Heather asking to come over for a quick not-for-any-reason visit, and in her hot little paws were yummy home made biscuits. She is such good value and fun to be with.

Looks like it's time for a nice hot cup of tea and another one of those lovely home-baked biscuits. I hope to have a baby jacket finished tonight and can show you next time. Cheers, Anita.