Sunday, March 29, 2009

Op Shopping

I went op shopping (thrifting) a few weeks ago and found this little beauty!! I've only just managed to get around to photographing it...It's a round tray with two owls on it! For $2.00 AU I just couldn't resist! I've been using it ever since too, with little odd crafting jobs, like magazine clippings, embroidery and such. Perfect huh?!I'm also half way through a couple of other projects that I hope to be finishing soon, but with the working week looming ahead of us, I'm not sure what will happen. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Roary

The kitten has a name! Roary. He really is the cutest thing! As CAA can't find any foster carers for him, we'll be taking him until one is available, or he's adopted out.Annette, one of our carers, now has 6 kittens, as three more were discovered in a crab pot the other day (shock horror, I know!!) and RSPCA wouldn't take them and didn't want to know about it, so she ended up with them. She also has a cat cage out the back with another 3 adult cats.

We get about 3 to 6 phone calls a day asking us to take in more kittens, and it's dreadful that we can't! If only people would de-sex their cats, no kittens would have to be killed or dumped, or even used as crab bait! It's not hard to do as CAA has a de-sexing subsidy so that people can afford it! It just makes my blood boil thinking about the idiocy of people! Oh well. All we can do is make the world a better place one kitten at a time, starting with Roary!

Oh, and Spike is a very happy lizard now, and is almost completely back to his old self and his water dragon ways!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

My very first...

...Finished quilt top! How cool is that? It's all completely hand-sewn. Not a machine in sight! I promise better pictures next time it's sunny outside, this one's taken with the phone camera. Now all I have to do is work out how I'm going to quilt it... I'm thinking along the lines of fusible webbing. What do you think? How expensive is the stuff though? I'm not exactly sure, and then how on earth do I cut it and put it in with the quilt front and the backing material and the wadding...or do I leave the wadding out...? I've never made a quilt top before, let alone a whole quilt! Can you guys help me by answering the above questions and any other helpful stuff, like links and such? That would be so great!I've worked out what I'm going to do with that embroidered sunflower I did a few weeks back too. No hint just yet though...

Also, for those of you interested, Spike isn't doing so well again. I thought he was going really well, and then Friday morning he swelled up around he throat-pouch area and around his eyes and became slightly lethargic. His saliva started going white and his eyes rolled back a little. Then on Friday night around 7PM, When I checked him again, he'd fallen off his rock and had started foaming at the mouth!

I called the vets emergency phone number (which is in my mobile phone book as we do have the occasional emergency with the CAA animals and our own) and then rushed him up to their surgery where Mike, the vet, looked him over and said all that he could do (I won't go into why this particular condition could have appeared in Spike as there are so many reasons when it comes to reptiles, and then this post would be three times longer) was give him an injection of anti-shock and anti-inflammatory stuff and see how he was by morning. I really thought Spike wouldn't make it through the night he was so bad...

By Saturday morning, the swelling had gone down, and he was so much better! I tell you, I cried I was so relieved! I called the vets once they opened and Mike said to bring him in so they could check him over again. So I got ready for church and took him up in a cat cage, where Dad dropped me off so that he could continue driving Mum to church so she would be there in time to start the song service.
(Picture is an old one and only shows swollen eyes, not swollen throat-pouch.)

Mike looked Spike over and poked and prodded him as he had done the night before, and Spike gave him the dirtiest look, then ran across the table trying to escape. We grabbed him back and poked him some more, then Mike got another dose of the anti-shock drug and the anti-biotic Spike's been on for ages, and as we were giving them to him, Spike took off across the table again, which is such a good sign, as this is what water dragons do (and Spike had not done this before, so therefor must be feeling better)! Then he struggled for the rest of the time and I had to hold him quite tightly so that Mike could inject him. In thanks, Spike left a dirty great big poo in the middle of the table, which we both examined and agreed still wasn't as nice as we'd like it to be. Yes, you read that right! I couldn't count the times I've had to talk to a vet about poo!

Dad picked me back up and we took Spike to church. He caused some disturbance as everyone wanted to see him and know everything there is to know, not just about him but about his species, and about owning one... I thought I had told them all the information last time (and every time before that) I had taken Buffy to church, but I guess people think all lizards and all reptile licences are different!

So then after church (where I had taken Spike out of his cage and sat him on my lap for warmth) we followed an old lady friend home to collect a kitten she'd phoned about that morning. They'd fed him cows milk. I know! COWS MILK! Man, I was so worried all day today that he'd die on us but he's a very happy little chappy and is fast asleep on my bed at the moment. He's SO skinny! Mostly bone with this huge big fat stomach in the middle! I did have to bath him thoroughly yesterday before introducing him to the other cats, because of the fleas.

I use conditioner and tweezers to rid kittens from them. It works a treat as the conditioner smooths down the fur and the fleas become visible bumps, where you remove them into water to kill them. Mind you, they do bite the kitten while you're doing this, and a lot get onto the face and burrow in, so beware of clinging kitten claws if you ever use this procedure. The kitten feels heaps better afterwards though, I can assure you!

So today Spike is doing a lot better, although his throat-pouch is still swollen. His eyes aren't so bad and he's responding well, but I'll be taking him back on Tuesday just for another check, especially if the swelling hasn't gone down by then.

So that was my weekend, how was yours!?!? Oh, and don't forget the quilt info please!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy...

... St. Patricks Day everyone!



Don't forget, in this world you have to make your own luck, and 3 leafed clovers are just as beautiful as the 4 leafed ones!!

*click on the pictures for links!*

Sunday, March 15, 2009

apple & currant slice

I'm back and blogging again! Yay! Everything is as normal as it can be...
Spike's going to the vets every 3 days for an antibiotic injection because of a chest infection, but he's almost back to his feisty self, so I'm very happy about that!

So what do I have for you today? Ahh yes. I have a recipe for a healthy scrummy yummy apple and currant slice that even the kids will love! Very easy to make and even easier to eat! lol Enjoy!!

Apple and currant slice

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup icing sugar
  • 185g butter, chilled, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 450g can apple pie fruit
  • 1/3 cup currants
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 3cm deep, 24cm x 29.5cm (base) lamington pan.
  2. Process flours, icing sugar and butter to resemble breadcrumbs. Add egg. Process until dough comes together. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead lightly.
  3. Press two-thirds of dough into prepared pan. Refrigerate. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap. Place into freezer until firm.
  4. Spread apple over dough base. Sprinkle with currants, brown sugar and cinnamon. Grate frozen dough over top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
  5. Cool in pan. Cut into squares to serve.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Postings Paused

I'm so sorry I haven't posted for so long. We've had a busy and dismal two weeks up here in QLD.

On the 1/3/09 a friend of ours died of a heart attack while playing squash. It's been such a shock! He's left behind 4 children, all of whom are now orphans, as their mother died in late 2007 with a brain tumor. The oldest has just had her first baby and was going to be married next month! The youngest has only just started high school. He and his big sister, who is a very good friend of mine, are going to boarding school near their Grandmother, who is also a great friend. His oldest son has taken it the hardest (besides his mother). He's the first of 5 brothers and sisters to die. It's so hard when you know all the family left behind as well as the person who has passed away. I'm so glad we're all SDA's and know the truth about death! I still can't believe he's gone though. It hit home a little yesterday after seeing his coffin, but other than that, it still doesn't feel real!

Also, if you haven't heard, cyclone Hamish has just passed by our doorstep without too much damage. Of course, we know cyclones are unpredictable, so are still on cyclone watch! One year it actually came in from the coast up the river and destroyed our town! I wasn't here at the time but have heard the stories from the people who were. Very scary! We got some wind, but no rain, and usually we always get rain, so it just goes to prove how far away it really is, hopefully! Here's crossing fingers that it dissipates before reaching Harvey Bay!

Anyway, with the above things happening, I have had no time whatsoever to do anything crafty, and I'm sorry about that, as I love showing you things and seeing your comments!
Soon things will get back to normal and then I'll start crafting and posting again, promise!
I'll leave you with a very cute picture I found the other day.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Tree of Life Quilt...

...is a brodery perse quilt. This is a style of applique that was popular in 19th century America and was inspired by the Italian gardens with serpentine flower beds cut into large expanses of lawn. Similarly, brodery perse quilts use small groups of individually cut out chintz flowers which are appliquéed to a whole cloth background. - Jane A SassamanLove it? You can make it!! Go here to get started!