Fire and rain

Let your smile change the world,

but don’t let the world change
 your smile.
 .

Good morning dear friends. I'm feeling pretty stoked on many levels: I've started my holidays, Christmas decorations are finally up, I've only just brushed my teeth but not my hair....I'm so casual! lol I'm feeling pretty blessed too because I received some beautiful, unexpected gifts in the mail yesterday.

Thank you so much Karen and Linda, I feel so special right about now. I'm blowing you both kisses and virtual hugs. Karen sent me a beautiful scrapbook Christmas card and felt tree decoration. Linda sent me some gorgeous crochet and handmaking books. I'm loving them all xx.

I have finally finished the crocheted girls bags I showed last post and here they are. They now have the buttons added and the lining stitched inside. I'm pretty happy with the way they have turned out and when I put them up for sale...there were a mountain of requests for them. So five have been sold. I'm still plugging away at some more of them. I'm hooked.

 

Last weekend we had quite a scare. Such  strange weather to say the least. Not too far from our house a bushfire had started...been started by someone....grrrr. You know the bushfire is a big problem when you hear the water helicopters in the air. Here are some photos of our brave fire fighters doing their best to keep us safe.

The view of the fire coming towards us.

Something peeking out from the grey smoke.....

We appreciate our wonderful fire fighters for keeping us safe. Thank you guys.

 

Just when you are busy worrying about the fire coming towards town..the clouds start coming in, it is now overcast and then...

We get rain, and we get thunderstorm. 

It is crazy.

I still look for anything positive in all this. The rain smells devine, it puts a damper on the bushfire, it is good for the garden, it brings a smile to me. Mother Nature came to the rescue. She didn't start the bushfire but she helped put it out.

Today I'm hoping to add to my library bag collection and make some more. I have some beautiful material just waiting to become something. 

Enjoy your beautiful weekend my friends, I am off now to wonder around the house and do the things I love to do. Love to you all.
Ciao, Anita.  
                                                                 

Speak with honesty,

think with sincerity,

act with integrity.

Hello dear friends.....I missed you all last week. My week was so busy that my feet ran one way while my head went the other. Throw in a visit to the dentist in the city, preparing for Christmas, having an all day market, preparing a new order for stock at the Visitor’s center and working full time = crazy.

This week is my last week of work and I also work four full days. It means busy time at work because the library pretty well gets cleaned and packed away. Book stands are taken off the shelves, toys packed away and desks moved to one side of the library so the floor can get a thorough clean.

In all this I have still managed to happily make some projects to help sooth my soul. Come with me and I’ll show you what’s been going on......

 I’m thinking of everyone’s waistline when I made these knitted Christmas puddings, the tag reads “No calorie Christmas puddings’. I placed these puddings on a napkin with a little fork and label and wrapped it up with cello paper. A cute gift.

 I’ve made some super cute little beaded doll brooches, these are my specialty. They really give the Christmas cheer.

 I just had to sneak in this gorgeous photograph of my creeper that is coming along nicely. Do you love the flowers? I do.

Some sweet knitted baby booties! Every spare second I knit up more booties or beanies for next year’s winter market. These go so fast.

My favourite project at the minute is crocheting little bags for girls. I am having so much fun with these. I’m using the variegated colours for the main section of the bag and then a solid colour for the straps. I add flowers using a brighter tone to pop it off.

 I fell in love with the little flowers. I made only five petals instead of six for this project but if you are interested in the crochet flower pattern, click here for the free pattern.

I can’t help myself....here is number two coming along. lol

 Here are lovely handmade library bags. I’m loving the bright colours I used to make them with.

 ......and here is the old stallion! Lol I won’t pick on him too much today, he has been quite good lately (which is a miracle) and in this photograph we were at a cosy little cafe settling our nerves before we went in to the dentist.

By the way....our visit to the dentist is better this time. I did say to one of my blogger friends that I would let you know how it went. Hubby got a warm hello and a few friendly sentences....I received a quick hello and just had to answer a few questions he asked me as he worked on my teeth. I responded only with yes or no answers. That was better than last visit. lol

How do you like this? A double yoker! Hubby was cooking breakfast and two days in a row he cracked open two eggs, both with double yokes. We get pretty excited about little surprises like that. lol

 Some interesting sculptures? In bright colours in the lovely city of Perth.

 We came across this character whilst in the city. How groovy is he?

I can’t resist showing off Heather the feather’s work of art. These are her specialty ....baby clutch balls. Very popular with the customers and very sweet. At least making these keeps Heather off the streets!! Lol 

Now that I have well and truly caught up on my blog, I am going to attack some ironing, have another cup of tea, visit my sister and then come home to stay inside. We had 43C here yesterday and today we are having a cooler 36C!!! It is the Australian summer after all. Lol

I throw you handfuls of love and beam to you warm hugs. Have a beautiful week my friends.

Ciao, Anita.

“When the world says

‘Give up,’

Hope whispers,

Try it one more time.”

Good Sunday morning to you all! I was bitten this week.....by the Christmas bug. Lol My sewing machine has been thrashing away and there is smoke coming off my knitting needles. There is a whiff of Christmas in the air and I love it.

I’m pretty well wondering why I didn’t start this Facebook selling earlier because it has been very successful in the way of sales. I have sold many of these cute little knitted Christmas puddings already this year. They fit nicely in my hand and no calories!!

 I have wrapped up a few to drop off at the Visitors Centre and I have put them in a bowl with a napkin, a coloured fork and wrapped them in cello paper.

 After our snake scare last week even more of the garden near the house has been cleared. Here in this picture I am still at the clearing and tidying up stage....

 While Milo oversees the whole project.

 Oh gosh, he’s precious!!

 My Christmas bug has seen me produce both Christmas items and Christmas gifts, so here are some of the goodies to show you...

Tooth fairy dolls

 Beanie and bootie set

Plastic bag holders

  Library bags

 And now I show you something close to my heart.

I have purchased more garden ornaments from my Italian man Vincent. Two beautiful columns made skilfully and they give exactly the charm I wanted for my garden.

 Oh my beating heart....settle down.

 We are expecting a very warm 37C today so as soon as I bid you farewell for the week I will quickly have some breakfast and get out to that sewing shed before the weather becomes unbearable. I’m hoping to make some cute little beaded dolls that sell so well at the Visitors Centre.

As always I wish you all a beautiful and creative week. I say goodbye now.....

                            and so does Milo!

Difficult roads often lead to

beautiful destinations.

Hello dear friends. I hope you all have had a beautiful week full of fun things you love to do. Mine was super awesome! So I finally got myself on to Face book, only so I could start selling my craft work over the net. I have avoided Face book like the plague. My little space name is Anita's Crafts, but I don't know how many of those names will be listed!! lol But my little profile picture has the tea cup on a red mug rug.

I got to work very quickly with all this and decided to advertise over Facebook and  have a front verandah stall. I can tell you it's easier to set up at home than it is to cart your goods down to the markets. Thanks to all those special people who supported me, I will be doing this again.

Here is how I set up:

The stall....

....er...my helper. I will not call him any questionable names at the minute. Names such as Foreman, Leader of the Opposition, Side kick and partner could probably be used...but not the expression Coffee swiller. lol

My cute magenta Landmark

The goods

The resting place

 I did enjoy myself, sitting outside on a warm Spring? Lol morning with a lovely breeze blowing.

This new Mug bag just finished this week sold so fast it wasn’t funny. I found the pattern for it in an older edition of Homespun magazine and it’s very easy to make.

I even made baby bibs this week, they’re really groovy and easy to make. A basic pattern off the net, some gorgeous fabrics and away I went.

You lovely girls always know there will be knitting to show at this blog page! Heather the feather and I sold out of baby beanies and booties at the end of winter, so now I’m re stocking already because it seems those items are wanted all year round.

So here is this little beauty knitted up in 4 ply (Thanks Maria!!)

Booties to match...

Oh here is Mr Moon. We had a Super moon in the sky this week and many people were disappointed that it wasn’t as super as expected. I myself think I am so happy to be alive that the moon was beautiful to  me.

 These are so sweet and they were the last project off my knitting needles. We don’t have much in lemon colours as people don’t ask for it as much any more. Perhaps I can kick start their love of this colour.

 Now I will warn you all before you keep scrolling down. It is with a heavy heart that I show you the next photograph. 

After a big campaign to prepare the yard for the oncoming summer season ie clear back the undergrowth of bushes, shrubs etc ; re homing our poultry last year and removing any items left laying around the yard....we have already had 2 snakes in the last three days.

This is yesterday’s intruder. 

Brandon and his friend were laying on the lawn on their towels and of course Milo had to be in on the fun, so he was with them. Suddenly Milo sprinted off towards the pool gate and the boys spotted the back end of the snake slithering into the pool area. On that evidence, we would say that the snake came in the side gate, slithered passed our back door!!!!!, passed the dog kennel and into the pool area. Not a nice thought, is it.

I can only say thanks to the boys who took appropriate action and for our little petal.....Milo, for alerting us.  Milo actually caught the snake we had on Thursday and thrashed it but it got away. I am so frightened Milo will get bitten.

                 Milo

Today is going to be filled with guarded work in the back yard. We are going to cull back even more and remove our few rocks in the garden near the house and put new baits around for mice. The mice are a food source for snakes so we are going to super bait the yard but only where Milo cannot reach them. Wish us luck my friends, we need it.

A lovely Sunday to you all!

Ciao,  Anita