Sunday, June 9, 2013

A Birthday Giveaway.....



Just dropping in briefly to let you know I am holding a little birthday giveaway.

My birthday but you get the pressies.....

It's to say a big  THANK YOU for visiting, following, commenting, encouraging.
THANK YOU for your support and friendship.

So I have made a sweet, little stitchery incorporating 2 of my favourite things.


♥.....Birds and Bunting....♥






and just a little reminder that,

'If life throws you scraps make bunting.....'

It just popped into my head yesterday, not sure if I read that
somewhere else or it's my version of
'When life throws you scraps make quilts.... '

But I'm going to claim it for my own unless someone else can prove they came up with it first, hehe.....






So here's the deal, I'm running this on Facebook, so if you like you can pop over to my FB page and comment, please read all the details over there.
If you're not a FB user, just leave a comment here to enter the draw.
If you want to share this post, you get an extra entry into the draw.
Pretty straight forward isn't it?!

Now the draw is at 11am on Tuesday the 11th (the big day).....
yes that's right 2 days away, so don't delay girls.....

I'm being very spontaneous, which is most unusual for me.....

Righto, back to the vaccuming......

 Claire XXX

Thursday, June 6, 2013

A Creative Mish Mash........




Who pulled the plug out when I wasn't looking?

I had the day planned and all was going well until I got home from town and then it all went awry......
A 4.15am start didn't help.
 Hubby and son needed to be driven to the airport for an early morning flight north.....
Away for the weekend they'll be enjoying 26 degree days up in Queensland.
Still it gave me the chance to have a breakfast catchup with my sister. Get some shopping done, goods exchanged, shoes ordered  fabric bought sort of stuff and get home and still have half a day left to sew......right?!
Ha...

Someone pulled the plug once I got home and did a few jobs.....crank up the heater, wash bought fabrics, put away shopping, pat the cat and have lunch that was it.....

So here I am.....finally posting after uploading pics for the 3rd, yes, 3rd time, grrr!

A mix of recent makes......tea cosies for an order, a little stitchery and some seasonal stuff to follow.

Grab a cuppa, I'm playing catchup here girls.....

My latest stitchery 

'Miss Mousie'







Makes me happy looking at all the bright, cheery colours.
Something a little different for me and a little wire heart hanger instead of the Silver Birch twigs I have been using.....
It is looking for a new home, just email me if you would like to know more.....




Bluebell tea cosy.....love these colours.
I planted some Bluebells in the Wild Wood last season I hope they flower this year......







Last Saturday it rained...... It was beautiful, the golden, coppery tones of the leaves still hanging on made my heart sing....
It was the sort of day where I couldn't wipe the smile of my face. 
We definitely needed the rain (almost 3 inches) and listening to it on the roof or watching it fall whilst cosied up at home or in a cafe having coffee is just the best.
Definitely soup, stew and dumplings weather.....





Love distorted rain on windscreen effects......♥





More happy colours.....








Love a little woodland scene,

"The woods were buzzing with the news.
 Mr. Whiskers was holding a tea party and everyone was invited...
But the wise, old owl knew every trick in Mr. Whiskers book
 he'd seen it all before....."






 and there had to be more Foxgloves too....






Taken before I headed away recently, our Maples put on a wonderful, fiery red display.








There were still quite a few leaves doggedly hanging on when I returned home, but this week......they're almost gone.
I love the carpet effect they create underneath the tree.






The last cosy to show you.

Head over to


face book page and have a look at my inspiration

Now I've done the fun part of the cosies, I 
 need to crack on and finish them off.







Of course with cold, wet Wintry weather, soup is a must.
I dug up some overgrown Parsnips to see what I would find.
Well, as expected they were monster size, half of this one was cut  off by the shovel!!
 I chopped and cut off the fibrous centre and just boiled it.
Then I 'zjooshed' it up with the stick mixer, threw in a knob of butter and tasted it.
It was surprisingly

 AWESOME

So I then turned the puree into soup.
If it had've been a dud, the chooks would've enjoyed a hot meal, but I have enough soup to last me for a couple of days and there are still more Parsnips in the garden.

No.1 on seeing me serve dinner that night, wondered why I had cooked so much potato mash!!

"Would he like some?" 
"Well, seeing as though you cooked so much I better have some"
"No wait a minute" he exclaimed "what' in it?"

Almost got him, hehe......






I love cooking on the wood stove in the gathering twilight and just looking out at the hills.
Wanted to share my view with you even if it is a little dim outside....





A final pic to share......an op shop find,
 the last day in Byron Bay.

I wandered through those op shops for 3 days, just browsing as you do.
On the last day I spied the polka dots and vintage green....be still my beating heart!
A chipped spout and crazed glaze on the inside did not detract from it's beauty......

50 cents really?

Wasn't until I got it home and had a good look, that I could see the Beswick Ware stamp on it's bottom.

I also found a copy of

 From Lark Rise to Candleford

just my sort of book, loving it.





Oops, almost forgot to show you my new door mat.

Lifelike isn't it?

Guess who nearly got stepped on?



It's time to feed the chooks, throw another log on the fire and think about what's for dinner.

Soup perhaps?

Most definitely....are you a Parsnip lover or hater?

I have just discovered that

Kirstie's Vintage Home

is on the ABC on Thursday nights.

Squeeeeal with excitement.....

I read about things on UK blogs and then it takes months to find it's way Downunder....

So don't ring me at 8.30pm 'cos I won't answer!!

Ooh, hello it's just started to rain, I didn't expect that.

I do love Winter.....

Hoping you are all well and feeling creative and inspired.

Take care,

Claire X