messy business..

so I’ve been meaning to post this for some time now, but I’ve been so busy holidaying away! but now that it’s back to work and routine time (urgghk!).. here is my latest finished craft project. My second sock animal - a stripey elephant! (or as my brother used to say.. elfadent, which are also close friends to the dolphadents!) These cute little creatures are from the book sock and glove (see previous posts)

I liked the name Eleanor or Ella, mum liked Ellie and Morgan..well he insisted on calling her Elton! So i told him i'd make him another blue elephant whom he could call elton..a boy one! but really, it didn't matter what i said this elephant will always be known to morgan as elton the pink elephant..
So here is eleanor/elton and chops (the lamb) all wrapped up ready to give to precious little Keara. Whom we visited and had some cuddles and bath times with last week. Still waiting for morgan and Lar to email me through those photos..

as part of the pressie, I also made some baby bibs. These were made out of tea towels.
my mum first discovered these when she was given 2 as a present when she had me. she thought this was such a great idea.. apparently normal bibs didn't 'do it' for me.. and i still got just as much food (or dribble, apparently i was also a chronic dribbler) all over my clothes, even if I was wearing one of my pretty little bibs! she has since made a number of these for new little babies that have come along and i decided it was my turn. ( i also came across something similiar on a Martha Stewart page)

they are so simple to make too. basically you just fold a third of the bib to the back and cut out a semi cirle (mine was 6.5" across and 2" deep at the centre point) i also used a bread and butter plate as a semi circle guide. then sew ribbing (I made mine 11.5"x3.5") by pining it in quarters around the neck hole, as you would to a jumper neckline(using a slightly zig zagged stitch). and your done!! there also quite cheap, but make beautiful hand made gifts and we continued to wear ours well into our toddler years.

here's a photo of me in my 'tea-towel' bib in 1989:



i was obviously chuffed about it...or possibly whatever it is i was eating and getting everywhere!

continued book love!

This craft idea comes courtesy of my mother-in-law-to-be-hopefully who labels herself as 'a terribly uncrafty person' - which is a very terribly untrue statement! She is always baking yummy little cookies and cakes, oh and her Portuguese custard tarts!! She knits - and is going to teach me how to knit come winter so i can make some cute snuggle blankets, like the one she made last winter :) She also made a bunch of these beaded bookmarks to give away to family and friends as little Christmas tokens - which i thought was such a cute idea! (sure it was an idea given to her by a 'crafty' friend, but it takes a level of creativeness to know which beads to place together and to make pretty colour schemes just like she did!)

also the 1000th reason of 'why i love my Morgan'... the said Morgan chose to sit down with me last night (dessert included) and craft!!! we made these fun beaded bookmarks (pictured) And he choose to spend this time crafting with me, even though there was a brand new episode of top gear recorded and ready to watch, which i knew he was just hanging out to go and watch!! isn't he a keeper?!?

(sidenote:) M- these little things you do, just mean so much to me!!

i don't have a picture of Morgan's bookmark - but it was very cool and 'manly'. it was made out of purple ribbon, he tried the brown, but it was too thick! :( , wooden beads and a silver dangley cross ornament - it indeed looked awesome!

also a quick note on how to get the knot tight. tie the end knot first then when you tie the second knot use a thick needle (or like-material) to pull the knot tightly towards the beads - as pictured.

sweet reads..

lately im so obsessed with books. this week alone i have brought 4!
today Morgan and I 'popped' into Koorong to pick up a book which was part of a series my parents brought me for Christmas. They were only able to pick up 1,3 & 5 and had to order 2 &4. This made reading quite difficult as i've had to savour each chapter and have been waiting eagerly for number 2 (having finished book 1 a week or so ago). i'm thinking maybe this is a good thing for me, a person who loves to devour a whole novel in one night?!
anyways we 'popped into Koorong' to grab my book and came out with 3 books (for myself) and a cd (the New Reliant K - for M) & a fish symbol for m's new car.. i just love impulsive buys like this! and they WERE having a sale - thus justifying our little splurge :)
besides books are one of the things u can keep..and enjoy over and over again right??

Here's what i brought:

* Beverley Lewis' Abram's daughters series (1-5) .
The Covenant
The Betrayal (we picked up this one today *grin*)
The Sacrifice
The Prodigal
The Revelation

abit of a book blurb...
bascially follows the lives of 4 courting aged sisters in the Amish Community in Lancaster Country after WWII, while they are each going through their rumschpringe (a period of time in which young Amish people are given the chance to explore the outside world before they choose to become baptized into the Amish church). i find this series 'simply Wonderful-Gut'!

* Karen Kingsbury: A time to dance
(ah yes yet another romance novel for the collection)

and a devotional book 'New Day New You' by Joyce Myer

oh and wait.. make that 5 books this week.. i also picked up 'Bart Simpson's Guide to life - a wee handbook for the perplexed' for my brother for his birthday, which is in March. man..I'm feeling so organised! (good thind he knows nothing of this blog!).
btw: originally $24.95 reduced to $7! yipee!! it's also quite cute.

now i must inform dad that i need a new bookshelf...
and continue the rest of my lazy reading weekend! :)

happiness..

i brought this book of amazon on tues.
i am eagerly awaiting it to arrive in the mail.
i am so very happy! :)
i am also loving amazon
- why is it so much cheaper to buy books online there and then have then shipped from the states than to buy it at a bookstore here???

thrifty finds!

being incredibly inspired by many other blogs, (particularly Soule Mamma's blog) and her amazing 'thrifting' finds (not used to that word, but i like it) i decided to go thrifting. i have always loved op shopping and am more than happy to spend blissful hours in one shop scrounging to the back shelf for anything interesting. I remember many trips to different op shops, particularly 'browse about' with my aunts (my dad's three crazy sisters) and my grandma and some cousins whenever we were all together each coming home with a $5 bag. My school also used to have an op shop and we sneaked to it during our free periods a few times! so i decided it was about time i started op shopping again.. here are some of my finds from last Saturday:

a bedspread ($3) isn't it cute!? definetly a favourite!


a 'horrible histories' book for my brother to add to his collection (50c!!):


some off cut fabric possibly for when i learn to patchwork. hello new years resolution! :) - 80c

a pattern book for children ($1), which i brought just for the pattern of a cute little smock :)
i was so happy when i got it home and realised that the patterns are still stuck in the little instruction book and have never been used! (see top photo)


some hallmark cards 50c-$1:


and quite possibly my favourite find, a book on 'Country Decorating' with the original price tag ($64.40 from Dymocks), which i scored for a whole $1!! the cover is pretty faded and dody, so i was pleasantly surprised when i opened it up and saw the beautiful photography and fun projects such as making little tea candles out of jam jars, how to distress a frame and furniture, make a window dressing, a beach canopy, window curtains and some fun table decoration ideas etc etc. i just love this book so much!

after christmas...

so the Christmas season is finally over and i just want to say Merry Christmas to everyone out there in the blogging world (and whom ever reads this post!) Thankyou for all your crafty ideas and inspirations on your beautiful blogs! i was inspired this year to make gifts, try my hand at making shortbread and gingerbread men and this made my Christmas so much more enjoyable!

I also thought i'd post up this yummy recipe for left over Christmas Turkey..because i think it's a great idea AND so i didn't want to loose the recipe!! :)


Turkey Lettuce Wraps:

• 160g bean vermicelli noodles (also called Rice Vermicelli..the long skinny noodles)
  
• 40g snow-pea sprouts, trimmed
• 3 green onions, finely sliced (aka shallots)
• 1 carrot, grated
• 200g shredded leftover turkey
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce
• butter-lettuce leaves, washed
  
  1.Place noodles in a large heatproof owl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes then drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Return to bowl and roughly chop with scissors.
  2. Add snow-pea sprouts, onion, carrot, turkey and coriander. In separate bowl, combine juice and sauces, then toss through turkey mixture.
  3. Place piles of mixture onto lettuce leaves for guests to roll up and eat

This has quickly become a favourite recipe and quick healthy lunch. I also tried the same mixture with lettuce, extra sweet chilli sauce and mayonnaise in a tortilla wrap - it was also scrummy!

now it seems i've taken to eating many meals in little lettuce bundles, including Mum's chicken stir fry with cashews and vermicelli noodles. it's nice to think i'm being healthy and theres something so simplistic and fun about eating with your fingers, placing together your meal as you eat! :)

This morning I also sat myself down with our pile of Christmas cards and some scissors. This is another of my 'After Christmas Ideas' as the cut-up pretty pictures on the front of the cards make great little gift tags for Christmas presents the next year..and can save on another Christmas expense. This is also a great idea for recycling those amazing hand made cards that just too amazing to throw away.


In other news I would just like to say Happy Birthday to my Grandma who's birthday was yesterday, New Years Day. I spent alot of time with my grandma growing up 'helping her' with meals on wheels, sitting impatiently at her side as she sewed yet another dolls and barbie clothes, pjamas or dresses for me, all the while wearing my 'Grandma spoils me hat', boy i loved that hat! and who could forget the christmas decoration craft, made out of old christmas cards cut into triangler shapes, bended and glued together in a sphere shape! she was also crafty with her own children, making cardboard stencils of cars and sewing cute clothes for all 6 of them!

Happy Birthday BUMA - i love you!!

feeling like christmas..

yesterday i finished wrapping all my presents and i'm so happy at how they turned out. I get excited and just love looking at them all placed together under the tree, with it's lights on sparkling all matching and such. i'm really the only one in my family who understands this need for decorative presents and the joy I get from them. mostly they just go along with my crazy ideas, and even let me strategically place their mismatched wrapped presents to the back of the tree. I’m always very grateful when I receive a present from them that is ‘specially wrapped’ with a home made gift tag. Their effort means more to me than the present itself, just knowing they care that much to make it special for me.

so here are a few favourite pictures of this years presents:


I know the pink ‘P’ gift tag Paige doesn’t really match the rest of the presents, when there all grouped together. But I just couldn’t resist the pretty pink flowered tissue paper and the way that it matches the gift inside and it just seemed very appropriate for Morgan's sister Paige...


the idea for the round gift tags with initials on them came from Nicole over at making it lovely, you should check out her amazingly wrapped gifts. I had three gift tags left to make and thought this would be nice and simple idea AND give me an excuse to buy those exciting decorative craft scissors I have been wanting for awhile! (and of course lead me to buy 2 and put some others on my future wish list hehe!)

i guess for some running around both spotlight AND lincraft with me and watching me wrap is just too exhausting! but i love you for coming and helping me my sweet morgan!

baby Fletcher..

Keara Leonie Fletcher

born 12th December 2007..
8 pounds 11 ounces..
20.5"
10 days late...

photos to come soon..(when aunty karen works out how to download them!)

we finally have a baby Fletcher and i am so excited to meet and cuddle her! i don't have any photos yet..but here are some photos of her middle namesake Leonie - my (and Keara's mummy's) nanna, who passed away a little over 2 years from cancer. the first is when she was little in the late 1920's and later as a first time mum. This would of been our nanna's first great grandchild and i can just see how cute and proud she would of been to have this name carried on. the namesake is fitting because even though she was born today, she was due on Nanna's 83rd birthday..but just kept us all waiting..

nanna we love and miss you!
keara welcome to our crazy and loving family. we love you already! :)

loving fabric!

today i found this great fabric store while browsing on ebay.http://stores.ebay.com.au/Funky-Fabrix and it's based in Brisbane - finally a great Australian shop where you don't have to pay ridicolous amounts to get the fabric posted overseas! although they do also ship international. im so excited! FunkyFabrix sells vintage and fun printed fabric (mainly broadcloth cotton and some which are out of print) and at great prices. plus they have a store in Ashgrove, so on my list of things to do next queensland holiday! i actually brought the top fabric, with the bird print (and it was on sale yay!) and am currently bidding on the black and white printed number fabric - which i am going to make into some throw cushions for morgan's new bedroom, which we are doing a fun retro theme!

and the bottom two fabrics are from purlsoho. well i just liked them! :)

i made lamb last night..

he is finished.. my first sock animal from my book sock and glove (see previous post) is finished!

and baby Fletcher is a week late. but thats ok..because i only finished Mr lamb today (well sewing his head onto his body!) isnt he so cute!

i'm so inspired by these cute sock animals that the next on the list is an elephant from some cute pink stripey socks i found.

yay!

now all he needs is a name..