Developing skills

This year is a year of big change for me.

The smallest kid will be heading off to school soon and there is much I want to achieve this year; some goals family-related, some personal and some business/career related.

One of the personal things I want to do is develop my photography skills, learning to use my camera in a more manual way to achieve better results.

Very nicely, and without prompting I might add, the guy who lives here got me a walk-around Melbourne Photography tour as part of my Christmas gift.

It was on last Sunday which, thankfully, was a day post the big heatwave we have been experiencing here.

One of hundred of locks on the Southbank bridge

We had a lovely morning walking to various locations around Melbourne and taking photos under direction/with the guidance of our tour leader.

He had lots of useful tips on composition and how to use various functions of the camera such as exposure compensation, shutter speed and aperture as well as discussing means of storing photos.

 I learned that, like anything, you need time to practice what you are doing and that it is only in doing so that you will improve.
That trial and error is a good thing and you should take lots of shots in different locations.
Also to look at things from a different angle.

It was a very enjoyable and informative three hours spent walking around and snapping a variety of images and I would highly recommend the tour if you are keen to expand your photography skill set.

The tour I did was run by Happier Snappers and booked through Ted's Camera Stores.

Old dog, new tricks

We'll see if you can teach an old dog new tricks tomorrow when I get to spend a day luxuriating in the company and talent of these three lovely ladies, as well as meeting a few new sewing aficionados.

Nikki will, of course, be teaching me how to actually make a start on this project that I have had planned in my head for most of the, oh, about two years, since I bought the pattern from her...

She has assured me that it is not scary and will, in fact, be fun!

Wish her luck!!

It must be love, love, love!

Nope it's not Valentine's Day, it's my birthday!

It's a 'significant' one this year, not to say all the others aren't.
But this one ends in a zero - yep, I'm 40.

The man of the house has been going on secret expeditions with the small people, and what can I say but Wow, they have great taste!

Three different coloured gold hearts to represent each of my babies and the chain holding them all together, my lovely husband.

Needless to say I love, love, love it! (and him of course).

Hope something in your day is making you smile.

Something for me

In among the Christmas crafting I volunteered for a friend at her local church to run a couple of crafty activities for people who were there attending a craft market.

We made fabric flower brooches and a few people also made stencilled/painted T-shirts as gifts.

It was lots of fun and got quite busy as people wearing their flowers made their way around the market, others saw them and came to make one for themselves.

I love it when someone who doesn't consider themselves capable of making something sits down and finds they can, and walks off proudly wearing their efforts.

I even managed to steal away for a minute or two and check out a few of the stalls, and make a little purchase just for me (for a change!).

Given my well known addiction to all-things-babushka there was no way this little lady was not coming home with me.

I've been looking for a brooch to wear with this plain white shirt and my new little friend is perfect.

She was made by Sarah - check out her blog for details of the market she will be at in Carlton this Monday.

Thanks Sarah - she's just what I needed, and my girls are already eyeing her off!

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).

There's a party brewing...

The crowd is gathering...


With a celebration in mind...



Which requires a new outfit (of course!)

No prizes for guessing the theme!

Tiny new friends

As soon as I saw this tutorial for travelling matchbox houses, by Trixi over at Coloured Buttons, I knew that I had to make the 'big' girls one each.

It was one of those things that you see and just know they will love.

And I was right.

I completed the little houses using craft glue and some gorgeous rainbow coloured wool felt that I bought from Shelley as well as various bits and pieces from my ribbon box for some of the details.

Mine are in no way as lovely as the one made by Trixi, with her tiny button flowers, but my girls don't seem to mind.

I was a little heavy-handed with the glue - but using craft glue meant I had to be to get the felt to stick together. I think Trixi uses a hot glue gun - which I may have to invest in if I am to make more of these.

Once the houses were complete, with Shelley's help I made up little pipe cleaner/bead people to go into them and stitched on their tiny felt clothes.

The girls then had to wait a week til I was at handwork circle the following Thursday for their dolls to get hair.

By that time I had been given very strict instructions about what they both needed.

The person in the purple jumpsuit with a pink heart on front was (apparently) a boy, called Joshua. He was to have orange short hair.

The person wearing the yellow shift with the purple heart on the front was a girl called Madi who needed long pink hair (which is tied in a ponytail down her back)

Coincidentally they have cousins with these same names. (who would have guessed!).

So I dutifully put the requested hair on and left them by their beds ready for play.

No amount of cajoling would convince the girls the dolls looked lovely without faces, they could then be happy or sad and who would know except the person playing with them.

So I reluctantly added a smiley mouth and eyes.

I should let it go I know.

They are, after all , not really mine!

I can't tell you the adventures these two little people have had already in osteopath waiting rooms, across the loungeroom at Grandma's house and in the back yard at home.

They hang around the girls' necks on their ribbon and are always there ready for play.

Thanks Trixi - for this great tutorial.

If you haven't checked out Trixi's blog then do yourself a favour. As a long-time craft/sewing teacher to kids she has an adundance of great ideas for keeping kids entertained or things you can make for them.

Hooked?

I have to say, it wasn't love at first sight.

At first I found you complicated, hard to grasp, tight and frustrating.

But as time goes on I find you're growing on me.


I'm not as tense and anxious, so you end up looking better; looser, more relaxed.

And you are pretty versatile; very portable, able to picked up and put down at a moments notice, suitable for car trips and nights in front of the telly.

I suspect that by the time you are a finished hat I will have grown to love you.

How these clever ladies whip through you like they do I will never understand.
I was pleased to hear though, that I am not the only one to find you trying!

Thanks Shelley for introducing me to your time-consuming friend - crochet.
And persevering with my jumbled stitches!