In the words of Porky Pig...

(Image Credit)

It should really read "that's all for now folks".

Well I surprised myself and did manage to blog each day in October as part of Tinniegirl's Blogtoberfest, and I have to say that I really didn't find it too much of a trial.

It made me think about blogging the many parts of my life other than sewing and crafting, and to assess the level of interest others might have in these (or not), or how such things might affect my blogutation!

I've met lots of new lovely blogging folk (which has made my 'to read' list even longer!), and got to know a few other bloggers better, through them finding me or by keeping up with their posts each day.

I don't plan on taking a big blog-recovery period as I think participating in Blogtoberfest has made me realise how much I enjoy having this little place, in what are often very busy days, that is just for me.

Thanks to Cathy and also Cam for getting everyone up and running.

And thanks for coming along for the ride.

It's been fun.

I say, I hear

It's not been so much about what I have been saying this week as what I have been hearing - there have been a few corkers, often relating to height.

(Photo credit)

I hear...

When I grow up if I would be as tall as Daddy I would be a giant! But that's OK, girls are allowed to be giants too.

Mum why do you wear a bra on your ankle to basketball?
I think you mean 'brace' honey!

Me: On Tuesday Daddy doesn't have to go to work because a horse race called the Melbourne Cup is on, so he gets the day off.

L: Can I ride one of the horses too?

Me: Oh no honey we don't ride the horses, we get to watch the race.

L: Just Daddy then.

(She seems not to have noticed her dad is 195cm tall (6 feet, 5 inches!) - hardly jockey material.

The man of the house made a quick trip to Surfers Paradise this week (Yes poor him having to swim in the warmth and get room service!). This one was on his return.

Dad did you see lots of queens in Queensland?

Mum after quiet time, will there be loud time??

I say...

All the usual things really;

G don't put your toe in your eye ( but oh to have the flexibility to do that!)

Don't lick the Bluetack honey.

Ah no, it's not OK to play with the cymbals during quiet time.

My creative space

Is outdoors today.

Do you remember doing chalk drawings on the footpath outside your house?

I do and it's as much fun as ever!

(once I had reassured the small folk that it really was fine and no-one would be upset with us for drawing on the footpath outside our house!)

Of course the rain that is now falling will have cleaned the slate - ready for new creations.

I hope your day has a rainbow with two suns in it too.

To see who else is passing their time creatively, pop over to Kirsty's.

Dinner anyone???

I think I have admitted in the past that I am not a great one for spending hours in the kitchen, I'd rather be at the sewing machine really.

Recpies that are quick, easy, nutritious and child-friendly suit me to a T.

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that meet this criteria and thought others might also be, so thought I'd share one that works well for us.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

A quick and easy recipe that the kids will love, these can be spiced up according to your taste or kept simple and served with sweet chilli sauce for dipping.
A great recipe to make ahead and keep in the freezer for a last minute dinner.

This makes quite large meatballs but use a teaspoon, make them smaller and they are great finger food for at a party.

Makes 16

INGREDIENTS
500g chicken mince
½ cup of breadcrumbs
1 small onion finely chopped
1 medium carrot grated
1 medium zucchini grated
1 egg
1 clove of garlic
1 dessertspoon of basil
Salt and pepper to your taste

STEP ONE
To ensure the onion is not crunchy in the finished meatballs cook it either in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.

STEP TWO
Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl and using your hands (for the best result!) mix thoroughly together.

STEP THREE
Take dessertspoon sized portions of mixture and roll them into a ball.
If you find your mixture is too moist to keep its shape add a little more breadcrumbs.

STEP FOUR
Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and place on an oven tray then place the meatballs on top.
This ensures that the fat drips away when they are cooking.

STEP FIVE
Cook in a moderate oven for 35-40 minutes.

STEP SIX
Serve with steamed vegetables and sweet chilli sauce on the side.

Not a very glamourous pic I know but the three-year-olds always ask if there are any more when they are on the menu for dinner.

Got a recipe you want to share - leave a link in the comments and let me know.

Tuesday Tip

I'm playing along with Carmel's Tuesday Tip again this week, hoping a few more folk join in so we can get an encyclopaedia of sewing/crafting knowledge happening.

This is an oldie but a goodie - lots of you probably do it already but if you are new to sewing then add this to the final step when sewing elastic-waisted pants and shorts.

Before you sew the final seam to encase the elastic, add a small tab of ribbon to the back of the pants.

This makes it super-simple to find the back, particuarly handy when you are dressing a wriggling toddler.

I like to refer to it as 'daddy proofing' them.

I got tired of finding my girls walking around with their dacks on back to front!

If you are after some fabric to make some new pants check out this great giveaway at Fabric Shoppe.

Isn't she too young...

to be chasing boys at the park....?

Time to think...

I've been a bit slack because Kelly over at The Handmaden tagged me a while back to post 10 honest things about myself and I've not had a minute to sit and think in order to make this post constructive, til now!

So thanks Kelly for making me take some time out and jot a few random thoughts down.

Here are the rules;
Thank the person who gave you the award.
Post ten honest facts about yourself.
Pass the award on to seven others.

I love the written word.
I'm a mad Scrabble player, love to read in any spare minute I have, love to read to our kids and teach them about words and how to correctly pronounce them.
I'm into elocution, enunciation and alliteration.
Some of my friends refer to me as the grammar queen.
Nothing excites me more than finding a typographical error in a book or newspaper. (Sad I know!)

I love fast rides at fairs and theme parks.
If it drops, spins, twirls or screams around a track at breakneck speed, I'm there.

I don't like quiet much.
I work best with a CD, ipod, or radio on in the background, always have.
It doesn't distract me, but rather keeps me on task.

I hate chosing the seat in a cinema - can't do it.
My husband finds this odd for a normally decisive person.

I love sport, to the extent that I studied Human Movement at Uni and worked in the corporate fitness industry for a number of years.
I've played or participated in basketball, tennis, netball, athletics, gymnastics, ballet and swimming.

I adore being a stay-at-home mum and spending time with my children helping them learn and grow and feel sad that 'the system' takes the first of them away next year.

I'm a country girl at heart.
Despite living in the city for the larger part of my life now I still love the wide open spaces of the countryside and the bush.
And of course the lack of traffic.

My husband and I met on a camp for kids with cancer.
He made friends with my housemate and they arranged a catch-up bbq.
I later found out it was a ploy to see me.
Aaawwww.

If I had my time over I would attempt to become a Roulette pilot!

(Photo credit)

My life is as close to perfect at the moment as I could imagine.
I have three healthy, funny, bright and vivacious kids whom I adore.
We live a comfortable, though not fancy, life in an area that is close to all the city has to offer but with enough trees to keep the country girl in me happy.
I have an absolute ripper of a husband, kind, thoughtful, considerate, loving and funny.
What more could you ask for??

OK - so there you have it.
Me revealling more than you probably wanted to know!

I'm going to break one of the rules though - I won't tag seven people but rather put it out there to the girls who are participating in Blogtoberfest to have a go before the end of the month.

Wordless weekend

Oh what a night!

Warning - very pic heavy post ahead!!

After a few last minute cancellations we ended up with nine crafty folk around the kitchen table tackling Trixi's Tiny Tavelling Doll's Houses last night in aid of Girls Night In for the Cancer Council.

Bowls of supplies dotted the very bright pink tablecloth (the colour chosen in honour of the occasion, not personal preference!)

Ribbons ready to go with a 'snap' attached - so that if anyone pulls on your doll house it will just come off, or was it merely an excuse to use my new snap press, you decide!

All the girls busy at work. At times they were all quiet as they concentrated on their houses!

The inital order turned to crafty mayhem as ric rac, ribbon, felt, cotton, glue, sequins, scissors, beads and buttons were all handed around among the cups of tea and glasses of wine.

And here are the results.

I've shown the front and back of each house in case you want to take away some of the ideas for inspiration and make your own.

*Please note that not all these houses are for small children so some do have little pieces on them!

Tamara and Netta

Tamara incorporated the sliding door knob that pops the doll out when you pull on it - very cute!

Netta considers herself not crafty at all and surprised herself with her efforts, much to the delight of her small daughter who was a very happy girl this morning.

Felicia and Julie

Check out the garden complete with carrots for Felcia's veggie loving son, and Julie's sparkly flower garden, which one of our girls said looked like it had fairydust on it.

Jacki and Anita opted for colour co-ordinated 'display homes'!!

Check out the super-cute beaded bed linen for their dolls and the stitching on Jacki's 'wood grain' door.

Robyn and Annette's crafting experience showed in their efforts with lots of lovely embellishment

Thanks to all the girls for a great night in chatting, crafting and eating, and in the process raising several hundred dollars for the Cancer Council.

Thanks also to Trixi for allowing me to share her great idea with my friends.

To organise your own Girls Night In, which aims to raise money for breast and gynaecological cancers, visit the Cancer Council.

My creative space

Freshly washed fabric flapping on the line.

Plans for some of it - some as yet undecided.

These are from the Laura Gunn range Lantern Bloom.

All the designs are taken from her original oil paintings so they have a textured look to them.

Find out who else is playing along with Kirsty this week as she digs herself out from under metres of red work.

I say, I hear

Pic courtesy of here.

I say...

Don't put your fork near your eye...

Stop rubbing food in your hair honey...

Please don't put your drink bottle in your ear...

I hear...

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to get her poor froggy a bone...

Round and round the garden like a teddy bear,

A one step,

A two step,

A tickly underwear.

Mum does Bob the Builder wear pyjama's?

And does he go to bed with a lady?

Life with two young children and a toddler, what can I say.

Feel free to share the wise words heard or spoken in your home.

Tuesday Tip

I thought I'd join in Carmel's Tuesday Tip because I like to see what handy tips others have up their sleeves, it's always the best way to learn something new.

Today is about sharing your favourite crafty tip.

Of course mine is sewing related and to do with my overlocker.

How do you finish off threads on the overlocker to prevent them unravelling?
At a course I went to the instructor showed us that when you look at a chain of overlocking thread after you have sewn the seam, there are two relatively straight threads through the centre of the chain. These are the needle threads.

(shown here in white)

Use tweezers or a pin to pull these threads out and the other two threads (from the upper and lower loopers) will simply untangle.

Now you can easily take two threads in each hand and knot them together a few times before cutting the thread off (or sewing them back into the seam as Kylie suggests).

Sounds a little complicated but it's really not and makes finishing so simple.

I hope my dodgy photo's help explain what am talking about.

Head on over to Carmel's blog to join in and share your wisdom.

I see red

The latest Make It Perfect test pattern.

All I can say is watch out wolf!

PS - if anyone knows where I can buy a few metres/yards of the fabric on this button I'd love to know!

Illness

No not any of the family.

The computer, despite anti-virus and spyware protection, has got a virus.

Hope to be back soon.

Wordless Weekend

My Creative Space

More lovely wool felt, rolls of ribbon and match boxes ready to be teamed up with some cardboard, thread and a little doll to make up a kit.

The kits are for a crafty Girl's Night In that I am hosting next week with a bunch of friend and their friends.

Trixi kindly said it was fine with her for me to help my friends make up a travelling doll's house.
They are really sweet, and simple to make - maybe that's why the response has been so good.

That and the fact that the Cancer Council is a great cause too.

See what's happening in other crafty homes by visiting Kirsty's place.

CDHD

Creative deficit hyperactivity disorder (CDHD or CD/HD) is a disorder primarily characterized by the co-existence of crafting attentional problems, including the inability to focus on any one craft, and craft hyperactivity with each behaviour occurring infrequently alone.

While symptoms may appear to be innocent and merely annoying nuisances to observers, if left untreated, the persistent and pervasive effects of CDHD symptoms can insidiously and severely interfere with one's ability to get the most out of crafting opportunities, fulfill one's potential in the workplace and home, establish and maintain interpersonal relationships (family WILL become cranky about the volume of supplies and amount of time spent with said supplies rather than family members), and maintain a generally positive sense of self (sufferer are prone to suffering anxiety regarding the inability to complete all items on 'the list').

Definition as adapted from here

Well Carmel got the ball rolling - posting her almost impossible to accomplish list of the CDHD sufferer - so I felt it only fair to follow suit!!

I had just revised mine yesterday so timing was good - except that it means there are not many red 'cross outs' yet!


My list is not too bad when you consider that this second page is not things that need to be done by Christmas, it's largely clothes for the girls - the kinder stuff even includes some things they won't need until the cooler months.


Of course there are things I know I have left off - such as the Make it Perfect Uptown Girl jacket that I want to make for Miss G, and the beach throw-overs that I want to make for all three girls and maybe myself....

Oh dear - it really is never-ending!

CDHD - are you a sufferer???

(waiver - please note this post is no way meant to make light of the serious condition known of ADHD)

Sneaky peek #2

This is another sneak peek from the pattern testing for Toni at Make It Perfect.

The lovely Pippijoe Orchard fabric as shown here teamed with a cotton/linen blend I found at Darn Cheap Fabrics in Heidelberg and red topstitching (that you can't see too well in this pic).

It's something for me, and I LOVE it.

Which means I have met the first of my sewing pledges for 2009 as per my sidebar:

"I will make one item of clothing for me, that I will actually wear."

It also has a zip, as did the 'big dress' I made for my niece recently, the zippered purse shown here and another of the Make It Perfect test patterns.

So I think I have also conquered number four as well - what do you think??

Making a list, checking it twice

I'm a list maker - what can I say.

I like to cross things off - preferably with red texta.
I've been known to add something I have done to a list purely for the joy of crossing it off.
Sad isn't it!

When the smallest had just been born and we were all finding our way with each other, I felt that I was accomplishig little in a day so started keeping a list of what I had done, rather than what I hoped to do.
It was a great way to make me realise where all that missing time had been going.

This new list is for Christmas, but you probably guessed that by the title didn't you.

I made another list back here - and still need to get onto some of those things too, but I am hoping most, if not all the girls gifts will be handmade this year, so there's a bit to be done.

I found this great book at my local library.



So I grabbed a few supplies from Winterwood when I was there to make the wind wands shown above and in action on the cover and also some finger puppets which I think I might make to resemble each of the girls.

But then there's this one, simple and sweet...

And this, which actually made Miss L gasp when she saw it and would make good use of my new snap press.

I saw a similar dolly carrier ages ago on Naomi's blog and wasn't able to get my hands on the pattern as it was a vintage one.

So now you see why the list is growing....

Have you got any crafting plans with a December 25th deadline???

Snap(s)!

Recently a few friends directed me to the Snaps Australia website where they were having a sale and before I knew it a snap press was coming to live at our house.

It's a very handy gadget that applies snaps (also know as studs or press studs to some) to garments far more quickly, easily and accurately than my trusty hammer can.
Let's face it - it's probably far safer too!

But with the press comes three different snap components for each colour and size of snap that you buy, thus presenting a storage problem.


Then I saw these container racks at Big W - for only $15 each and 'snapped' two of them up (sorry couldn't help myself!!). The brand is QA if you are planning to go looking for them.
Problem solved.

Each little tube is made up of three separate cannisters that screw together, perfect for storing snaps.

And the racks are wall-mountable so that's one more job to add to the list for the man of the house.

Read on only if you dare......

the sale is still on!

Upwardly mobile

Alert, alert!!

She is officially on the move - in a big way!

The smallest decided that despite having a bad case of chicken pox last week, it really was time to get stuck into this walking business.

That decided - off she went.
Since then she really hasn't stopped.

In case you haven't worked it out I am blogging lots more at the moment - in fact I've posted each day this month.

That's because I am participating in Blogtoberfest as hosted by Tinniegirl. Click the button in the sidebar to go on over and have a look.

I'm really enjoying posting more often and dedicating a little more time to this part of the world. The only downside so far is that I can't keep up with the posts of all the other lovely bloggy girls who are also participating.

There's a great list on Cathy's blog - should keep me busy for all of November once the Blogtoberfest is over.

Wordless Weekend

Felt folk for festivities

A few people were wondering about getting supplies to make up little felt clothed folk such as the kings I've been making for my nativity, so I thought I'd get you all started.

(go on, you know you want to make some!).

Here are the updated pics of the kings - all they need now are their various gifts.

I'm using 10cm tall wooden flexible people and 100% wool felt because once you've used it you'll never use the acrylic stuff again.

Various bits and pieces such as the small cross and star on the kings just came from the haberdashery department at Spotlight as did the gold tie at the waist of one of them and the cardboard for two of the crowns.

I got all my first supplies and the guidance to get going from Shelley at Little Sparrow.

She has a great range of all things related to doll making, felting, knitting and hand crafts in general.

And she's knowledgeable, helfpul and friendly to boot.

What more could you want.

A friend picked up some additional little folk from Sylph in Croydon and I grabbed some extra felt from The Steiner Store in Kew, who also stock the little people.

Today I went to Winterwood in Park Orchards and got this fabulous book

from which I will make my donkey and more animals in the years to come such as the camels, sheep, pigs and cows, but probably not the penguins or the polar bears!

I also got some supplies to try my hand at dry felting so I can embellish the cloaks for the shepherds and put fleece on sheep.

These four shops are all based in Melbourne but I know Winterwood and Little Sparrow both do mail order.

Let me stress I am very much a beginner at this and am crafting by the seat of my pants!

To see how the experts do it check out Sam and Peta's blogs - they make felty friends that are to die for. Stitching that is so perfect... aaahhhh.

Sam even made the most amazing nativity last year, and then gave it away.

If you are a felt crafter I'd love to hear what you do and any tips you can pass on to those of us who are new would be much appreciated.

Happy crafting.

My Creative Space...

...is once again filled with the spirit of Christmas!

We thought we'd keep busy on some of the wet and windy days Melbourne has been experiencing by making up some Christmas gift wrapping.

It's a long way from perfect, but oh so personal.

I don't think I've ever been organised for the festive season this early!
I'm sure there's a crafting lull ahead somewhere.

Fin out who else is getting into the crafting spirit over here with Kirsty.

Jumping puddles

I'm in love - seriously look at these.The Aussie dollar is so strong - it makes it hard to resist, so I didn't.

I've been in love with Puddle Jumper shoes for a while, the smallest is about to grow into a few pair and I can't wait.
But she needed some new ones all of her own.

After all a girl can never have too many shoes, can she??

There are also gorgeous polka dot versions in every colour of the rainbow.

Check them out here
(which is where the pic is from).

Taking it easy

The man of the house has a few days off and we planned some city sightseeing acitivites, like visiting the zoo and/or the aquarium without having to brave the weekend crowds, but the youngest developing chicken pox with a vengance put paid to that idea.

Instead we have found ourselves enjoying a serious lack of crowd activity at the beach.

Truth be told the weather is definitely more 'raincoat' than 'sunhat', but three-year-olds like to have all the bases covered.

What you can't tell from this pic is she has her swimming gear on underneath.

She's the eternal optimist that one!

How do you take time out??

Happiness is...

Some of this just came to live at my house.

Needless to say I am pleased, very pleased.

Pick some up for yourself here or here.

Picture from Kelani Fabric Obsession.

Stop and smell the....

Well clearly not roses!!

During last week the girls and I met Mum at the Tulip Festival at Tesselars in the Dandenong Ranges.

Tulips rank right up there as one of my favourite flowers (though they won't push peony's out of first place!) and they look fabulous en masse in a rainbow of colours like this.

We went on one of the kids days they ran and while there was lots of entertainment there were so many people that it was not the best day to go because the queues and crowds to do/see anything were huge.

Still - weren't the flowers pretty!