Saturday, July 31, 2010

Snappy Friends Challenge

Oops! I have been so busy these last few months that I haven't been able to take part in the Snappy Friends Challenges. Thank you to Lisa for reminding me! Instead of playing catch-up I'm simply going to start afresh! This fortnight the challenge is "small."
This little weevil is about 4 millimeters long! Look at that nose of his, so cute!Here's a little yellow ladybug sitting on my hand.Look at these tiny hatched eggs that were laid on a security screen bar on a window of my house. They're like little pearls! If anyone knows what hatched from them, let me know! Last but not least is this little praying mantis. Isn't he cute?!Thanks girls for doing these challenges!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tuesday Treasure

It's Tuesday again, and that means it's time to show another of my treasures! A little brides dress and basket of flowers my wonderful Mum made for me for a pre-school dress up day.I just loved wearing it, feeling like a real princess Cinderella during the parade we had!I've kept the dress and flowers in my wardrobe since then, I love it so much! Here's a pic of little me wearing this little dress (I can't believe I was once that small!)I dunno where the veil went though... Thanks Mum for sewing it for me!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Thrifted

I really do love scoring a bargain at an op-shop! Here's some more recent finds -A wonderful mug I bought for my Mum - she loves it!A green and purple crocheted throw, which has now been given to some African refugees who are now members of our church family.A sweet little paper-quilled Panda!A gorgeous embroidered fish bowl doily. Lovely isn't it?!A painted cowry shell necklace with blue beads (Dunno why but I simply adore looking at and holding this one!)And last but not least this little blue barrel toothpick holder which I shall turn into a pincushion.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Swap #4

Lisa from Cubby House Crafts swapped this gorgeous little poofy pouch for some of my owl pins.Don't the materials she chose look just wonderful used together!?I love my pouch and use it all the time! Thank you Lisa for doing a swap with me!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tuesday Treasure

Today my treasure is a beautiful old watch which belonged to my Grandmother.I never knew my Dad's Mum. I was 3 weeks old when we attended her funeral. I don't think she even knew that my Mum was pregnant, as she had had Alzheimer's for years before I was born. I wish I could have known both my Dad's parents.
(Pop, Dad, Nana)

Dad says I get my cooking skills from my Nan, and often talks about the wonderful food he remembers her making when he was a child.He passed this watch onto me about 7 years ago, and I have treasured it ever since. It truly is and will continue to be a family heirloom!(Please ignore the bite marks and bruise on my wrist. Spike the water dragon bit me last week.)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Button Chains

My button box had filled up. I couldn't open the lid without spilling a couple of buttons, and going through it to find the ones I wanted was just impossible (unless I was willing to empty half the contents)! I tried keeping the colours together in jars, but it just didn't suit me or my crafting style. It was either buy another bigger box, or find some way to create more room within the one I had. So I found some thick plastic thread and started beading the colours together.Not only has this created more room in my button box, but I no longer have trouble finding the colours I need.It was so much fun to go through my stash and rediscover buttons I had forgotten about!Stringing the colours together was easy to do and to watch the chains grow longer was great!Of course, this means I don't have a good excuse not to buy more buttons...Note to self: Buy more thread to make other coloured button chains.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Tuesday Treasure

My Treasure this Tuesday is very special. This is Possie.Possie is a puppet that my Gran gave to me when I was about 3. I can't remember not being without him, and as you can see, he's a much loved little guy, with missing and matted fur, one of his eyes lost and his lining coming undone. Possie I think was meant to be a mouse, but I always thought he was a Possum, so I called him that. My best friend of 15 years still remembers him from our primary school days! I used to go around talking to him, and having him talk back to me in his little voice, and I would pick gum leaves and gum nuts and mix them with water and then put it in containers in the freezer as "Possie food"!I learnt a few years back that my Gran has one too, and hers doesn't have matted or missing fur or an eye, but is kept special for children's stories at church. Seeing hers with perfect coat and eyes, I appreciate and love my little guy all the more. He lives on my bed post, and I often get him down for a cuddle when I'm feeling blue. A cuddle from him can brighten the stormiest of days!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Swap #3

Another swap I have done for some owl pins was with Christine from Once Upon a Quilt.
Christine made me the most beautiful hanging quilt. It has all different patterned materials on both front -and back -and you just never get tired of looking at it! Thank you heaps Christine!! I love it so very much!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

My First Mosaic

Quite some time ago I showed you all some sneak peaks of a tile mosaic I was working on. Well it's taken me quite some time, but it's finally finished! My very own fish pond, complete with waterlilies and carp. No cleaning, filtering, or feeding required!It's made with recycled tiles and an old wooden table found at the local trendy trash shop. I took the original boring brown tiles from the tabletop, sanded it down, stained it to get the colour I wanted, drew on my design, broke up the tiles with a hammer, glued them in place with tile glue, and grouted it. My table is sitting out the front of our home where we can sit and have a cuppa, with *finally* something to sit our cups on!Not the best of works, but I'm happy with it!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Tuesday Treasure

It's a dark and stormy kind of day......but I've done my best to photograph today's Tuesday Treasure. After talking with Jo at Lilly Pilly about last weeks treasures, it happens that both of us have a very similar treasure, and decided to do a post together this week! Here's her gorgeous Tuesday Treasure.

Here's mine! A gorgeous opal and zircon ring. It was a gift from my parents after a trip to famous Lightning Ridge.My favourite stone is opal, it is the most heavenly of all the gem stones, in my opinion. You are able to locate every colour of the rainbow in a good piece, you can find opal fossils, and it's Australia's national gemstone. We mine different types here in Aus, black opal being worth the most per karat.But my beautiful little treasure isn't black opal. It's white opal, which is my favourite type! Thanks Mum and Dad, it truly is a treasure!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Venus Hand Trap

Venus Hand TrapLooks inviting until it springs!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Swap #2

My second swap was with the awesome Cam of CurlyPops.
I sent her an owl set along with a tea towel I had found while out bargain hunting. That wonderful Cam took that wonderful tea towel and cut and sewed it into the most wonderful apron!Simply too good for cooking in, but I've used it anyway! Cam, it is simply wonderful, and looks so good hanging in my kitchen! The colours and patterns you chose work so well together. Oh, and I'm stealing your picture so I can show my apron off at it's absolute best!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Swap #1

I have my camera back (duh duh duh duh, duh duh, duh duh, can't touch this, duh duh duh duh, duh duh.... hammer time) yay!!!
So I've decided that it's about time I showed you all some of the swap goodness I have received for my owl pins. First up, Sarah of Sarah's Prim Treasures!
When we decided to do a swap, Sarah had recently blogged about a book she had bought and in it was a pattern for the most gorgeous hot water bottle cover! So I asked for one of those to warm up the cold winter nights. Little did I know that it would turn out so beautifully!! Don't you just LOVE the fabric she used?She also sent me the sweetest little matching thread bin, which is NOT going to hold threads, it's way too nice for that!And sunglasses case with - get this - an owl embroidery!How totally cute is this?!?Thankyou so very much Sarah! I love all my swap goodies and am very glad you like yours too!