Not Such a Bright Idea.......

Hello girls, how are you all?

Hope you've had a great weekend and enjoyed some lovely weather

wherever you are.....

I've been a busy stitching away, aiming for my first market stall at Bright this year to be held on Saturday.

  

For a change I stitched up some gum leaves,nuts and flowers on a sewing needle book. I loved the end and result and the final touch..... a native blue banded bee....

I've been having fun stitching up little brooches......

Some garden scenes and flowers in polka dot jugs.

Some sleepy time, blanket bunnies waiting patiently to have their nether regions stitched up.

Whilst I'm warm and cosy stitching away inside, it's been quite damp outside this week.

I had to race and grab the camera before the view changed.

The sun was filtering through the cloud, it was quite spectacular.

Wee birds nests have been discovered now that leaves have dropped from trees and shrubs....

This one belongs to the Mistletoe bird. 

It's made from matted plant down and cobwebs. 

I'll take my creative hat off to the gal who made this....the time and effort that went into making this is amazing. 

It's like felt, quite strong yet pleasingly soft.

 It looks like  a small bag suspended from the twig and this pic was taken 10 days ago, when we were having lovely, sunny days after frosty mornings.

Back to the stitching.......

My friend and talented artist  Ella asked me to make some soft toys in the style of the "Woodlings', as gifts for her friend who recently had her second child.

One was for big sister Meadow.....she loves the outdoors and appreciates the beauty of her natural surroundings

A little colour in the cheeks and lips made all the difference.....

Diamonds or a birds nest?

Which treasure would you prefer?

The second was for new brother Geordi,his dad loves the bush and  

no doubt will share his love of it with his son, as he grows.

Possum and gum trees

Now you see the reason behind the native flora inspiration ....

A closeup of the Echidna, funny little creatures that they are.....

As is my way, things came down to the last minute in preparing for the market.

When the alarm went off at 5.30am Saturday it was raining, but I was ready to go whatever the weather.

 Would've been too disappointing not to.

The river in Bright was a ranging torrent after recent heavy rain.

It looked like melted milk chocolate.......

Underfoot it was wet in areas of the park, just as well I packed my gumboots........

I set up my stall along with a few others

.

There was laughter and chit chat and a warm welcome back from stall holders.

Shame the weather wasn't quite as welcoming.

The sun put in appearance and people ventured out, but when it was obvious more rain was on the way,

I packed up early and headed off to have a coffee and catchup  somewhere warm with fellow stall holder Sandy.

Still, I enjoyed my trip to Bright and what do they say?

'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain' ......

The past week, we've had some very stormy weather and 4 inches of rain and during that time 3 calves were born.

Great timing girls!!

These little bundles of energy are such great time wasters.

I love watching them take their first wobbly steps, gaining confidence, learning to run and  playing together.....  

So the mayhem that ensues preparing for a market is over and I can relax for a bit.......

This week I will be packing away the sewing machine and giving my  sewing room a good tidy up as well as giving the garden a bit of a spruce up too

Then I will be packing my suit case and next week, I will be flying over to Canada to join hubby and son on the last leg of the tour ........

I will be there for the last 3 festivals in Canmore and Calgary Alberta. Then a gig in Kelowna and the last festival in

 Salmon Arm BC.....

So I am wondering if any of you Canadian bloggers or those who have travelled to these places have any suggestions on places to visit or things to do while we are there as the week will be free between festivals......

I'm looking forward to some Canadian hospitality, seeing some of your beautiful countryside and some warmer temps....but of course I will be missing out on some of our Winter!!

So what's going on in your neck of the woods?

Are you enjoying Summer or Winter weather?

Staying put or heading off on holidays?

Hope you have time to stop and say 'hi'.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,

Take care,

Claire X

Light Bulb Moments and Other Happenings....

Hello girls, it's blue skies and sunshine with some lovely cottony clouds this morning......

What sort of weather is greeting you at the start of a new working week?

I'm feeling quite excited this morning.

No major earth shattering news just a little creative epiphany taking place.......

I toyed with this 'patchworky' style of design a little while ago and whilst I loved it, somehow, it just didn't 'click'.

 But now the last piece of the creative puzzle has given me the full picture and I can't wait to play some more.

Ditching the black thread today.

I love red and pink together......

I have a small list of sewing projects that need to be finished this week and this most definitely isn't one of them, but I had to 'get it out' and see how it looks.

It will be a tea cosy when finished, more stitching  to take place.

Friday morning when I should have been packing up for the market I was actually stitching some pincushions. I just wanted to play with some more Zinnias....time was limited and I forgot to add the lighter coloured stitching around the flower centres.....lesson learnt!!

My little Owlets from last months market were tweaked and the brighter colours are much more appealing.......

Saturday morning saw the last market at Bright for 2012.

Rain was forecast over the weekend but we were meant to get 28deg.

I wore my outdoor boots as tramping over the wet grass in sandals wasn't my cup of tea.......

Just as well I took the practical option as once my gazebo and stall were set up it started to rain, lightly......

Erin, my stall holder neighbour is also a wildlife carer and had  with her a Black Cockatoo feather.

A couple of these birds visit her property regularly.

Some markets Erin has had a little joey with her that needs feeding every hour or so......

It's interesting listening to stories of her wildlife work.

Isn't the feather stunning?

It wasn't long before the rain set in.........

Fortunately, people still came down to the market but in reduced numbers and as the rain got heavier they left so we all packed up an hour early......

I managed to sell 5 of the 6 tea cosies I took, so that salvaged the morning for me.

 Although everyone was very disappointed there was still lots of laughter and light hearted banter taking place and to be honest, we really did need a good drop of rain.

The garden is certainly looking a lot happier and it means we won't have to water for a few days......

Here's the pic of the finished gift from my last post.

The Zinnias became a pot holder for my artist friend Ella........

She's a fabulous cook and being Italian, whips up many wonderful dishes.  I thought I would 'jazz' up a basic kitchen item and on the reverse side I machine embroidered a little information about Zinnias.

Thankfully, she loved it. 

Somehow I don't think it will find it's way into her kitchen. Knowing Ella, she'll probably hang it somewhere in her home as an 'artwork'....

♥♥  Hollyhocks ♥♥

I now have a lovely pale, pink Hollyhock  in flower as well.

The Sea Holly is about to have it's turn in the spotlight.

It's colouring up nicely and by the end of the week should be a  lovely, deep purple ......

The Agapanthus are bursting into bloom.

This pic was taken on one of the hot days we had last week.

A lovely, blue sky pic for all of you who are dealing with leaden skies and low temps.

I do hope you can feel the warmth.

 Let me tell you it was hot....

Whilst the rain wasn't particularly welcome at the market it has washed away the humidity we were experiencing.

Today is going to be a balmy 28deg. 

Oh almost forgot to say......

After the market and feeling a little damp and bedraggled I headed up the main street to check out the Bright Op shops and scored 3 woollen blankets for a very reasonable price.

You know that little purchase made up for the mornings disappointment.

I have decided to give the Jan/Feb markets a miss and have plans for the new year......

I hope to get my sewing room sorted.

Tigger headed in there last week and I warned him to leave a little trail of breadcrumbs so he could find his way out again!!

Needless to say ...being male.....he didn't listen and hasn't been sighted since!!

There are also windows that need to be cleaned and wardrobes sorted.

Sewing has taken precedence over other things this year and balance needs to be restored, so something had to give.

Of course, I will keep 'playing' with new ideas and designs.

 The creative side of things will always be there.

I'm toying with the idea of opening up a little shop in 2013.

If you have any experience with Etsy or Madeit I would love to hear it......

Well, I better get on with some of those sewing projects and tick them off the list.

Hope you are managing to tick a few things off your lists and thanks for taking the time out to come and visit.

♥♥♥♥♥

To all the people who have been affected directly or indirectly by the Sandy Hook massacre......

Words fail to accurately describe the deep sadness of this tragic event.

Hopefully, someone will have the strength and support to change the gun laws and make it alot harder for people to get access to weapons.It will never solve the issue but you've got to start somewhere.......

Take care everyone,

Claire xx

And Sew It Goes.........

I recently splashed out and bought myself a rotary cutter, a cutting mat and one of those plastic, ruler, measurer thingy's that clever patchworky people use......

Well there was a sale on and so I figured it was a good time to buy them.

Certainly makes cutting fabric heaps easier and when you have lots of triangles to cut for a bunting order it's the way to go.

But there's only so much cutting and measuring I can take before I need a break.

So this morning I grabbed my camera and headed outside for 20 mins or so.....

The root stock of the Blue Moon rose has taken over and I don't mind it. I thought I had bought a lovely red rose to ramble along the chook run fence. I was quite disappointed when it bloomed and it was Blue Moon.....wrong label.

 I have never seen a decent specimen yet. Blue Moon seems to have a rather straggly habit and is prone to black spot, so I will let the root stock flower and prune it off at the end of the season.

Friend or foe?

H.M. Mrs Brown is ready for action.....bugs don't stand a chance with her around......

Out in the tree belt the Bottle brush is flowering it's head off.

It's absolutely stunning, so I grabbed a basket and trusty secateurs, put my boots on and headed over there.

The blooms are stunning, so soft.....

I also picked some 'Silver Dollar' gum leaves to add to the vase.

So it may not be the prettiest flower arrangement and no doubt it breaks a lot of floristry rules....but I don't care......

They look  amazing, I was never one for native plants, but over the years my tastes have changed and I can now see the beauty in their shape and form.

Love the shadows on the wall and table.......

This sculpture has been 'planted' to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the nearby Wooragee primary school.

As I drove past on Sunday morning I made a mental note to stop on my return trip and take a pic.

Isn't it wonderful?

 I love Sunflowers, reminds me I must get some seeds in.

 Of course I'm late doing so....what's new?

You can see the seeds in the middle....whoever made it did a great job.

Hubby and son came up to the market on Saturday for a visit on one of their rare weekends home.

I left them in charge as I went off for a wander and catch up with other stall holders.

No. 1 said if anyone asked who made my stock, he would tell them I sent the designs to China where they were made by the 1000's.

Funny boy....gotta love his sense of humour.

The market was another success, it seemed particularly busy this month which is great.

 The weather was perfect, wonderful live music and lots of sales.

I had made two 'Audrey's' similar to the one I put in the recent art show. It was a last minute decision to take them and test the waters.....would anyone be interested?

Well, the answer was a resounding 'yes'....

The lovely Nat and her friend Roslyn were up from Melbourne for the weekend and Nat snapped up both of them.

I think I was a bit shocked actually and excited, so I asked if I could take a pic. 

Hope you don't mind me posting it Nat?

Roslyn was wearing a wonderful cardy which had been felted and  refashioned and so we got chatting about it.

Love moments like these.......

It was great to meet both of you.

Thank you for purchasing some Sweet Birdy Love makes.

  

After a market weekend, Mondays are spent outside in the garden.

I got busy and whipper snipped the weeds and edges into submission. No doubt the sighting of a brown snake in the back orchard Sunday afternoon prompted me to get busy and tidy up.

It hasn't been seen since, so I hope it was passing through and not hanging around the chook house, hoping to find some mice!!

I also pruned and tidied up the spring growth and  got my dose of Vitamin D.

It was a lovely day and today is the same, blue sky and sunshine and a light breeze. Sounds like it's going to warm up towards the end of the week though.

Well, I better get back to those triangles......somehow I think this will be the last lot of bunting I make.

The list of orders has grown and I need to get cracking......

Hope you are all enjoying your week and thanks for coming over for a visit, it's always great to hear from you.

Take care,

Claire ♥♥ 

That's It For A Bit

Hello there, here we are middle of the week already!!!

Hope it's all going well for you and thanks for coming by for a visit.......I certainly appreciated your comments and travel tips on my last post. 

Please keep them coming if you think or hear of any more...

Let's back track to the weekend.

It should've been market day in Bright on Saturday...

 Friday was spent finishing off a couple of makes.

 Packing everything up, making sure I had price tags, float, everything recorded, car packed etc. etc. etc.

 Excitement building as I love doing the market in Bright.

Off to work Friday afternoon making a mental list of things to do when I got home....

Arrive home just after 8pm to find a message on the answering machine.....due to the muddy state of the park after all the rain the market has been called off!!

How deflating was that?

Oh well, the only thing to do was leave the car packed and do the Sunday morning market here in my little town.

It's been a little while since I did this market, but it was still enjoyable and it's a great place to catch up with people.

There were a few new makes on my stall and a Wildflower tea cosy found a new home very early in the day.

It started off rather foggy and cold, but eventually the sun decided to show it's face and bring a little warmth to the day.

Although it was quieter due to it being Winter, I was happy with sales. A few more pennies to put towards my holiday.

This is my last market till October, so I am packing up all my 'stuff' and tidying up the sewing room.

It's a very strange feeling, to be putting everything away and shutting down the production line.....

There were some very stylish canine visitors to the market and I couldn't help but take some pics.....

I think there could be a book published about all the different doggies that came out on Sunday morning.

The weather continues to chop and change here, blue sky and sunshine followed by grey clouds and squally rain showers.....

But the flowers keep popping up and I noticed there was one brave  blue Borage flower showing it's face .....

Different varieties of Wattle are lining the country roads and create a splash of colour on  a dull day.

 These pics are from plants growing in our tree belt.

 I love Wattle blossom...... delicate,golden, balls of fluff.

For some reason No. 1 son is a big fan of a bushy beard....

He has been trying for some time to grow a forest on his chin but it's a very slow process which doesn't show up too well in this pic. 

When he came to visit me at the market I just had to introduce him to Gary, my stall holder neighbour.....

Gary's aim was to grow a ZZ Top style of beard so he could tuck it into his belt!!

Nice to have a goal to aim for......

Tigger on the other hand doesn't have any goals.

He lives in the moment.... 

Things are slowing down on the crafting front here and gearing up for the holiday. 

Just under 2 weeks to go.....

I am writing lists and wondering how I will go being away from my trusty Janome for a month!!

What will I take with me to keep my hands busy, to feed the creative side of me?

I have a few little projects in mind, but would love to hear what you take away with you on trips if space is limited...

I like Denise's idea of a Busy Box

Catch you later,

 Claire

 ❉❉❉ 

Market Report

Hello there, time for a market report.....

Sheep sales were up this week, hehe.

Oops, sorry, wrong market report.

Saturday was the monthly market in Bright.

It started off with a very foggy drive, I had to slow right down as I could barely see two metres in front of me. Fortunately, there was no traffic on the windy road so I could take my time. 

Once the fog lifted it was a beautifully, sunny day.....

I made some camper van zip purses using recycled blankets.

Some camper van brooches too....seems to be a recurring theme here!

I finished the Daffodil tea cosy and lined it with yellow and white polka dot fabric

I forgot to pack my teapot to display the cosy so  

used scrunched up plastic bags to fill it, hence the wonky shape.

It found a new home with a neighbouring stall holder who had fond memories of learning the Wordsworth poem at school.....

Anyone for a cuppa?.....

,

 Due to recent rain it was a little muddy underfoot.

The river was well up and flowing very fast. 

I've never been around to see it this high. 

Not surprised there weren't any ducks braving a swim.

Although sales were well down on last months market, I covered my costs and then some.

When all was packed up I made a quick trip to the local Op shops, one of which was closed due to lack of volunteers.

(They've headed North for the Winter)

Come on girls this just won't do, hehe.....

I then headed over to Ginger Baker, a little gem of a cafe situated at 127 Great Alpine Rd. 

If you are in the area make sure you pop in, it's wonderful

 A nice way to finish the day.......

Stall holder and all round clever, crafty person Lauren and her lovely friend Mel met me there. 

I decided on coffee and carrot cake, yum.....

Check out these amazing light shades.....pasta sauce jars.

Recycling at it's best.....aren't they great?

Have a look at that cake display.....double yum.

While I ummed and aahed over what to order guess what Lauren and Mel were doing?.....

.

Playing with my camera!!

Sneaky girls...you crack me up

That's Lauren on the left and Mel on the other left!!

Lauren is off working and travelling for quite a few months, venturing to the Middle East first and then the UK.

Safe travels Lauren, I will miss you.

Hope to see you at the market Mel and maybe you'll be having a stall one day!

All in all a good day, lots of fun, laughter, chit chat and CAKE.

The lovely weather has continued, so today was spent out in the garden.

 Mrs Brown was there to help once again.

I weeded, pruned, shifted plants around and had a rather splendid time. No.1 mowed/slashed the green stuff and in a day or three we could just about bale it!!

 Certainly looks alot better.

    

The Violets have been taking over and much in all as I love them and I once had an Auntie Violet, they have  become a bit of a nuisance.

 I picked a lovely bunch before I pulled the plants out.

 Barely made a dent in them!

I'm hoping to get some more gardening done this week before the wet weather arrives. I'll give the sewing machine a bit of a rest, although some play time might take place!!

I'll pick more Violets as I love vases of them on my bed side table and of course there'll be all the usual house work and boring stuff taking place, but who wants to read about that?

I hope your week has some fun in store.

 Let me know what you're up to, I'd love to hear.

Thanks for popping by and saying 'hi', it's always great to hear from you,

Take care ,

Claire

❀ ❀ ❀