Jolitags

JOLItag embroidery file from Huups

Cute hey!! They will look perfect swinging off my handmade messenger bags :D

WIP Wednesday : Photo meme

Yep a bit late!!
Photo 1 - the catamaran tucked in at home

These are a little sample of the work in progresses going on at home.
Mollies: angel making and thankyou card making
Lucas and Dave: new slot car track
Me: designing and making dolls nappies, knitting my gradient yarn (sample), machine embroidery and fairy dolls
Odie: ripping open coconuts for juice and meat
Sunbirds: No! they are building a sideways house, I couldn't workout how to rotate photos in picasa :D

Day two: photos meme

Phone rings @ 3pm "Mumma we need you".

Today was part one of getting Daves Catamaran out of the water and onto the trailer. And part one is lowering (the dreaded) mast.

Dave and Lucas prepared it first by tiring multiple ropes to poles, palm trees, boat, pieces of wood and then Mollie and I were called to help.

So I thought it was a good opportunity for a little 'theme' for today's photo meme.

I am pretty sure all the photos are self explanatory..I couldn't resist a little texture in the rocks and boat ramp :D

ps: I know I know, I forgot a photo..sorry, I was a little distracted!!

Playing along....10 in 10 for 10

With Nancy over at Fledge Flying

Day 1: take 10 photos in 10 minutes and arrange as so :D

Top photo: Our cool crockie pool thermometer
Photo 1: Mollie learning to crochet
2: My bag of tie dyeing
3. My current painting of a frangapanis
4. Fairy mushrooms growing in our garden
5. 'Mum!! Odie bit me'..yeah right!
6. The phantom biter :)
7. My working progress - angel mobile
8. Mollies current artwork
9. Florafox embroidery..stitched out yesterday, waiting to be sewn on a pillow!!

Come on join in..I learnt how to do a photo mosaic too!!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours :)

My new Christmas tablecloth

We have a Christmas party here tomorrow so I thought a new Christmas tablecloth was called for. It was easy enough..the idea popped into my head, I grabbed a pencil, paper and calculator (shh don't tell anyone :) worked out the maths, cut it out and sewed it up.
I am really happy with cheery christmas tablecloth.

What a weird angle for a photo..sorry if anyone is going crosssed eyed right now!!

And here are a few of my favourite things!! - dots, ric rac and that Spotlight centre fabric.

On the table ready to go :)

12 step Colour wheel

Time to get a bit sciencie with my fabric dyeing!!

I usually enjoy blending colours as I go and adjusting to get the 'right' colour BUT when I saw this 12 step colour wheel in my new fabric book, well I just HAD to have a go.

It being 8 o'clock at night didn't stop me or while I was doing it, Dave and I were discussing which solar panel system we should get...no nothing was going to stop me, I just kept on mixing and dyeing homespun fat quarters.

All these beautiful colours were created just using fuchsia, turquoise and yellow powdered dye.

I am going to keep these (it is going to be hard as I would love to make a rainbow quilt out of them) as a reference - very sensible I know :)

I might have to dye more though ;)

And this is the book... - should I try the 24 step colour wheel next?

Giveaway over at Tracys :)

Head on over..I know I am!!

A book that I have been eyeing off for a couple weeks now..Make It Perfect by Toni Coward. YAY!!

Huge bubble wands!!

Making some of these today..will be back with photos!!

The construction was easy and I made the bubble mix up that was the on the linked website. It worked but we are thinking the bought bubble mix might give better results.

Lots of fun!

Mollies first dance concert

Tomorrow night!!! We are very excited.
I have had little sneak previews of dances and costumes, it will be amazing.
Mollie is in three dances...photos of her in costumes soon :)

Kids Christmas Swap 2010

A BIG THANKYOU to Kylie for organsing this swap. Mollie participated and loved it!
She got very excited about planning and making items for her parcel to send and then WOW to recieve one as well!!

Here is what we sent...

And here is a photo of her opening her parcel.
(With help from big brother of course)

She immendiately put all her chrsitmas treasures away and got started on decorating the little people for a present for her friends.

Thankyou Kylie for organising and thankyou everyone or participating :)!!

Our phonics book of choice

I cannot rave about this book enough. It is a complete phonics book that takes the young reader through the process of reading.
Lucas was reading quite well, but I felt there was a little phonic instruction missing so I bought this book from here. We have been using it for 2 terms.
It is so simple to use that Lucas is nearly finished and his reading has improved dramatically!!!

And it is Australian!!!

Mollie is already onto lesson 33 and enjoys it too.
I am really and thrilled with the results.

Enjoying this book ATM

While waiting for Mollie to finish dancing on Thursday, Lucas and I went to our local library. After we check out the shark books, Magic Tree House books, and dolphins books, I found this one.

I have read the first chapter and I am really enjoying it!!

A little something I have been working on!

An angel for our Christmas tree....
She is made from cotton velour, tricot and wool fleece.

And colourful pouch dolls..these just make you smile!!!

I have really enjoyed getting back into some toy designing. Fingers crossed I get time for more!!

Back to regular blog posting :)

We are back!!!

We have just enjoyed a fantastic holiday - firstly a week visiting my family near Sydney and then a week in Fiji with family!!

Here are a couple of photos to share. I am not feeling very chatty today as I have landed back in Cairns with a tummy bug. Last night was the worst..today I am feeling 'delicate'!

Anway here goes...

We stayed at the Warrick Resort on the Fiji coral coast. It was a very beautiful and we enjoyed LOTS of snorkling.

Mollie got her hair braided. She was a very brave girl as at the top it was really hurting. The fijian ladies who did it were lovely. She still has them in too.

Lots of canoeing and paddle boating


And a holiday wouldn't be a holiday without some holiday clothes!

Lucas in his Fijian shirt and Mollie a dress...

More photos soon, time for another lie down.....but first another load of washing!

We did a deal.....

A plate of this.....

For a bowl of this...

See....Lucas CAN eat fruit when he WANTS too :)

Goodwood Racing Circuit - from Dave

GOODWOOD RACING CIRCUIT, ENGLAND


The Steward's box and Race Control


Pits and starting grid.
This was an MG club day, with handicaped starts.
(also other cars racing in seperate heats)




Beautiful gardens and lawns everywhere.
Mollie admiring the flowers.

MG crosses the grid on lap 4 of 5.




I think this is the VIP stand.





Some good close racing, very competitive.


England, the home of international racing.

Nearby there is the Goodwood horse racing track,

and the Goodwood Airfield.