Spring, Summer, Winter!!........

I'm feeling a little topsy turvy in the SBL household this week.

Everything is not as it usually is and I need to concentrate so don't forget all the changes!!

The weather is yo yo-ing between Summer and Winter.

Last week the temp was nudging 40deg and this week, we're back to what feels like Winter....well almost 

(wishful thinking on my part!!)

Yesterday was very cool and windy and my Winter scarf reappeared along with my flannelette jammies.....any excuse!!

 Not together, perleeeease hehe!!

I was eyeing off the wood stove and wondering whether I should crank it up or not.

So.....in a Winter frame of mind I had a play with some fabric inspired by a photo in the 'The Simple Things' magazine which has just arrived at our local newsagent.

Today is a beautiful 27deg. so the CFA  decided to 'burn off' the verge this morning......

So, at 8.30am there were utes, men in yellow suits, the fire truck, lights, detour signs and plumes of smoke.

It was all happening......

We have quite a large dam, which happily is full after being very low during the drought.

A good source for them, so they could fill up their tanks.

There were utes with trailers and tanks on the back of them, doing a shuttle to the dam and back.

The CFA is made up of local volunteers, some retired, some still working, young and not so young.

Business people, farmers, males and females, all giving up their spare time to put their lives on the line and fight bush fires or attend accidents.......they do a brilliant job.

Today there were mostly retired blokes helping with the burn off but I did spy a young face or two, amongst them.

I was a little worried about this big old gum tree on the verge. The photo doesn't do the size justice but it would have to be over fifty years old.

I needn't have worried the CFA did a great job and the fire never got away at all. Fortunately it was calm not a lick of wind......

Unlike yesterday which was very breezy.

It won't stay black and charred for long.

A drop or two of rain and the new green growth will spring up.

Love the shadows...... 

A sure sign Christmas is approaching!!

Christmas beetle bumbling over the ground.

Our potted Chinese Star Jasmine is in full flower.

The perfume is amazing.....

Unfortunately the drainage holes have blocked up, no doubt full of roots.

During Winter the pot filled to the brim with water and I didn't realise until the plant started to die.

It has survived, but we'll have to figure out a solution to the drainage issue, or we'll lose it completely.

The berries are fruiting nicely and taste delicious.

The Raspberries aren't as abundant as last year, but there are plenty of Blackberries.......

There is a hole in the bird netting and not surprisingly some cheeky birds are taking advantage of the situation......can't blame them really. 

I was rather surprised to see the Feijoas  sporting some flowers.

Seems a bit early, but no, they're on schedule.

Feels like yesterday that I was last blogging about them, but it's twelve months ago!!

I love the combination of pink and red and they are such interesting flowers.

 Late Summer/ Autumn the fruit will be ready to eat.....yum.

Apart from the weather being topsy turvy, my work roster is also topsy turvy so I have notes every where to remind me!!

We're heading towards 37deg on Saturday so the flannelette jammies will be packed away and the aircon chugging away again.

No complaints, the cool change has been lovely, but Summer must arrive eventually.......

So how is the weather in your neck of the woods?

Are you having a topsy turvy start to the season?

I hope your week has been going smoothly and you don't need to place notes around the house to remind you of where you should be and when!!

Thanks for stopping by to say 'hi', always great to hear from you.

Take care,

Claire xx  

In The Eye of the Beholder.......

Hello there, we're being engulfed under a sea of late season Zinnias......

It's time for them to be pulled out but I don't have the heart to do it.

 The bees are still collecting pollen and the plants are still doing their best to flower, albeit smaller, daintier blooms but they are looking tired and it's time.....

So.....I donned my new gumboots I do feel rather stylish wearing them, hehe..(Target jobs)found a pair of secateurs and picked a hoooouuuuge bunch.

 I'll wrap them up share the love and give them away to a few friends, then I won't feel so bad about pulling out the spent plants.

The garden will look awfully bare, but it needs a rest. I haven't saved any of the seeds as they self seed and even as the weather is cooling down, little seedlings are popping up here and there.

I hope I have encouraged some gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere to give these beauties some room in their garden.

Please let me know if I have.

I would love to see some pics...✿✿✿

It's been a little while since I posted so here's a quick catchup on what's been going on here in the SBL household...

I had my usual stall at the Bright market last Saturday.

 

It started off extremely foggy, a right 'pea souper' and as I dawdled along the road barely able to see 3 metres ahead of me I did wonder what on earth I was doing up at sparrow pop instead of being tucked up in a nice, warm and cosy bed!!

In fact, I think my subconscious was trying to tell me something, as I had dreamt I had the dates wrong and the market was cancelled hehe!!

The day turned out to be a stunner and by mid morning all the stall holders were peeling their layers off as the temp. headed towards 24 deg.

I was more than happy with my new Brooch stand and although sales were just average it was still a lovely day out (despite the early start!!)

After the market finishes and I've packed up my stall I always head up the main street of Bright. It's particularly pretty in Autumn and the two op shops are open till late afternoon, yippee

There's always the hope of finding a forgotten treasure and I was happy to spy another vintage sewing box tucked away on a high shelf. 

I'll show you this little beauty next time.........

!.

 A row of trees along the back road between Porepunkah and Bright.

Beneath each tree a circular carpet of fallen leaves. 

In the mid afternoon light, the colours are delicate, everywhere you look the Autumn colours just take your breath away......  !

Back home and someone has forgotten to check on the Feijoas in the back orchard.....ooops!!

✿✿ Hellebores ✿✿

A wedding anniversary pressie for my hubby........

We celebrated 19 years on Tuesday.....where has the time gone?

He would like a carpet of Hellebores under the Silver Birches in the 'Wild Wood', so I thought they were the perfect thing.

(I just deleted the pic of the other plant, arrrgh! which is a Pink spotted Hellebore.)

He does like the regular varieties but I thought these were quite striking.....

The weather has cooled down quite a bit in the last week and the wood heater has been making things nice and cosy in the evenings.

 Along with the shorter days and cooler temps, Milo or hot chocolate with marshmallows starts to make an appearance with

Brambly Hedge mugs marking the change of seasons....

A short break with a warming drink before I start dinner makes a nice end to Autumn days.

Tig's favourite spot to enjoy the late afternoon sun.....

-----✳✳✳✳✳------

There has been a subtle shift in blogging and crafting here and I'm trying to figure out what's behind it......

I won't be doing any markets in May due to time away so I will be  able to get out into the garden and give it a good tidy up which is well and truly overdue.

A nice drop of rain last week has given the weeds a new lease of life...... At least the ground won't be rock hard when I try and pull them out.

Before starting this post I armed myself with a coffee and a slice (or two) of cake. I was worried that I was going to have all sorts of issues after reading of other bloggers frustrations with the new  blogger interface.......

But, I have to say despite having a trial run a few weeks ago which caused me no end of frustration I have surprised myself and found it relatively easy to use today plus there are some great, new features.

I am not keen on changes to routine etc. but it gets the thumbs up.....next time, well, we'll see hehe....

Thanks for popping by for a visit despite my sporadic posting.

I hope you are all well and I wish you a wonderful weekend.....

We're off to Mt.Beauty Music Festival, No. 1 is playing and it's his 21st. birthday tomorrow....

Someone asked him if he was having a party for his birthday and he replied "party, hah, I'm having a whole festival" yep, he's excited......

Till next time....

Claire ✿✿✿

To Do or Not To Do?.... that is the question.

Hello there, did you all have a relaxing weekend and enjoy some beautiful weather?

I hope so......

My 'to do' list has been keeping me busy with a market coming up this Saturday.......

I've been working on another tea cosy or two......

Autumn's beauty surrounds us here.......

Hmmm, a dodgy camera angle has my cosy looking slightly wonky on one side.

'Autumn burned brightly, a running flame

through the mountains, a torch flung

to the trees......'

Faith Baldwin

I love this saying........

The good old gum trees have a beauty of their own but you can't beat English trees in Autumn.......

Saturday afternoon on a whim, I grabbed florals and polka dots to have a play and see what came out of it.......

Truth be told I was avoiding one of the jobs on my 'to do' list....

I didn't want to be too particular with the lettering.

You know I prefer wonky and frayed to straight and perfect.

I like the character and texture machine embroidery adds.......

The longest part is deciding on fabrics and design. Maybe it's just me but boy, it can take a while to get a pleasing design happening....

In preparation for the market I have been finishing off some crochet flower brooches. For some time, I have been searching for a picture frame to use as a brooch display.

I finally found a suitable frame, although a little larger would've been perfect, but I could work with this.

It was silver but a quick spray with Cherry Red has it looking rather spiffy and eye catching.......

Adding a contrasting yarn to the 'petals' of the flower has given them some more definition and interest.... I like the effect.

There are still more waiting to be finished off so my little brooch stand will be simply blooming.....

❀❀❀❀❀

I couldn't let you go without showing you a treasure or two from the garden now could I ?

The Forest Pansy tree is a myriad of colour and when the afternoon sun shines on it........

It literally glows, in the gathering dusk with the last of the sun's rays catching the leaves.

They may be smaller than the mid Summer blooms, but the splash of colour in the shrubbery brightens the day.......

Rain is forecast for later in the week, which is great as the garden is rather dry...

It's Feijoa season, yay.....

(Feijoa/Pineapple Guava/Guavasteen - an evergreen shrub growing to between 1-7 metres, it's native to the southern highlands of Brazil and other South American Countries. Widely cultivated as a garden plant and a fruiting tree in New Zealand.

For more info. ask Mr. Google it's quite interesting...)

The first for the season were all mine on Sunday afternoon as the boys have been away during the week and I found these nestling in the grass.

I was told recently that 'they aren't ripe till they drop off the tree'...... I wasn't going to argue with this 'font of knowledge' as he seemed to be a rather self appointed expert on a number of things, hehe.....

They explode in your mouth with their fruity cocktail of flavours....

Believe it or not, some people have them growing in their gardens and are blissfully unaware that the fruit is edible!!

I'll have to look carefully when I'm in the orchard next as the egg shaped fruit are well camouflaged amongst the grass.

-----OOOOO------

The 'to do' list is a little shorter now, but the job I was avoiding is still on it, hmmm.....I can't put it off any longer.

The boys are home after spending the week in Adelaide.

I had the house clean and tidy for their arrival and shortly after they walked in there was 'stuff' on just about every horizontal surface and a load of washing piled up in the laundry.....

Welcome home ♥♥

Thanks for all your lovely comments.

I enjoy reading every one of them....now I'm off to rediscover my horizontal surfaces!!

Have a great week, thanks for visiting and take care,

Claire ❀❀❀

To Market, To Market..........

Recognise any of the above patterns?

Maybe you had a plate, saucer or cup with one of these patterns on it.........

This is the work of Robyn Steele one of the stall holders at the market I attended on Saturday.

She takes broken crockery and turns it into wonderful ceramic pendants.

She goes by the name of Five Poppies but as yet doesn't have a website, but her email is

steelero@gmail.com

Her kids are trying to talk her into getting a website up and running and I certainly hope she does.

Beryl is Robyn's mum, so naturally she had to make this little pendant.

I think it's a great idea...........

I had a lovely chat with Robyn.

It's always nice to catch up with other crafty types and talk about what you make and swap ideas...........

It was a gorgeous day and there seemed to be plenty of people coming along to the market.

It always turns out to be a bit of a social outing as well..........

It was a difficult decision and I ummed and aahed for ages before deciding on this cute little house pendant.........

It has come home with me and I have something in mind for it, so stay tuned.........

Something else I spied at the market were....

these gorgeous padded coathangers.

Now this is only one part of one of four tables full of coathangers for sale.

Seriously, there were hundreds of them, adult and children's coathangers.

They are beautifully made and I would love to see the fabric stash belonging to these crafty ladies.

Two sisters were running the stall and unfortunately I didn't get their names, but I did get.....

Two gorgeous red and white coathangers.

Of course it had to be polka dots and gingham was the other obvious choice.

These were actually a little swap......one of my Bgurk brooches for two coathangers.

I just love doing that sort of thing.

When it was time to pack up I didn't really want to, I was having such a pleasant time.

I also met another local lady by the name of Sue she had been talked into sharing a stall with some of her friends.

Sue makes lots of wonderful things, fabric bags, cute as a button knitted hats for kids, and jewellery amongst other things.

It was her first time selling at a market and I think it was quite a learning curve for her.

We did another swap a pair of her earrings which I had been admiring for my Nest brooch....

Once again we had a lovely chat about markets and creating and it was really enjoyable.

So Sue if you do read this, it was so nice to meet you and I hope I see you at another local market on a stall of your own very soon.

The trip home only takes about 40 minutes but as I drove through Tarrawingee I had to stop and take a pic of the local pub The Plough Inn.

It was looking a treat on this gorgeous day, pots of flowering petunias out the front.

I have been driving past it for the last couple of years thinking I must stop and take a photo.

Well, I suddenly found myself pulling up in front of it and jumping out of the car, camera in hand.

This pub was built in 1864 by Hopton Nolan and is still in the Nolan family almost 150 years later.

I think part of the appeal to me is the 'Englishness' of it........

Another stop to photograph what we refer to as 'the Billabong' just outside of Beechworth.

It's quite an expanse of water, I don't think it's particularly deep, but during the drought the water level dropped dramatically.

With all the rain we had over the past twelve months it's filled up again and is a haven for ducks and other waterbirds.

There are lots of little islands with tufty grass and reeds growing up out of them

Great reflections.......I wish I could've climbed through the fence and gotten a bit closer, but as I only had my little pocked camera with me, I decided not to.

Plus just having summer sandals on my feet, I thought my outdoor boots were needed just in case I encountered some to the local wildlife!!

The last stop on the trip home....Beechworth.

I can't go though without stopping and popping into a couple of my favourite shops.....unfortunately I was too late for the op shops, they had already closed.

But I did discover someone had been doing a little bit of 'Yarnbombing' yay !!

Hooray, someone has finally done it.

I wonder if they snuck into town in the dead of night and sewed it over the railing.

I would sooo love to do that here in my little town...........I think I shall head into town in the morning with my tape measure in my pocket and scout out a few possibilities.

I think No. 1 might be in on this too, he seemed to like the idea of a bit of Yarnbombing around

the place.

Wouldn't everyone get a surprise to see a crocheted cover over a tree branch or lamp post, but ssssssh, don't tell anyone I'm thinking about it.

Might need some help with the crocheting too....

A close encounter with some local wildlife, just before I got home.

Love the red nose, it looks just like a great big Maraschino Cherry, yum

So glad it stayed put and didn't run out onto the road..............

You have to admit it looks pretty cute.

And just for good measure a pic from the garden, or orchard actually.........

The Feijoas are flowering and they look stunning..

The combination of deep pink and red is just gorgeous and all those little bristly bits, remind me of little bottle brushes.

Looks like we're in for a good crop come March 2012.

------OOOOO------

Well, the jam making continues as the berries ripen here. No doubt there will be another batch on the go this week, just as well I have a good supply of glass jars.

The days are rolling into each other and it's a bit like Ground Hog day sometimes, but the weather has been good, despite a very warm and humid day Tuesday. We did have a storm, plenty of thunder and a wonderful lightning show, but not a drop of rain. At least it cooled down enough to have a blanket on at night and get a good sleep.

It's very windy this evening and I even pulled a fleece jacket out of the wardrobe to keep warm.

So that's a little sneak peek at what I've been doing over the weekend.

I hope you've all had an enjoyable weekend what ever you did.

Thanks for stopping by and saying "Hi" always great to hear from you,

Till next time,

Claire X