applehead

outgoing mail

I finally got my act together and finished up a long promised swap package for a patient girl -hopefully the contents will make up for the long wait!

This very small cat( he's about 6cm high) in his own small basket complete with cushion went along for the trip too....

These handmade envelopes flew off just before Christmas...

I used up my practice calendar page, a bit of wallpaper, a book page, a bright serviette and an old piece of artwork from my textiles designing days.

This is my first attempt at an art doll - she is made from collaged vintage letters, sheet music and silver foil and goes by the name of "musical wings" ( the theme was "winged"). I was much happier with her once I put her legs on the right way around....she's off to Tucson, USA.

And moi...I'm off to do a bit more work on another swap in progress. Tick, tick, tick!

up, up and away....

After a wonderful few days of family, food and presents,we sadly waved goodbye to Damian as he headed off to Paris for five weeks.....I spent Christmas night and last night knitting Damian a pair of fingerless mitten things ( I don't quite know what they are called - arm warmers?) so that he can keep his hands warm whilst he makes calls and sends emails on his Blackberry! Simple and quick in a lovely Jo Sharp silk and wool tweed mix. Very manly.
Damian kindly offered to act as a hand model for me as they just look like long skinny tubes when they aren't filled with hands!

And the last minute gift I mentioned I was making? An accordion book of photos of his girls so that he could take it with him for when he gets lonesome for us....it's only small ( about 9cm high) so it will easily tuck into his cabin luggage. When he gets to the hotel it will sit neatly on the bedside table.

I'm right into silver foil, collage and loads of gel medium at the moment so I had a lot of fun making it.
(I then spent an awful amount of time peeling the afore mentioned gel medium of my hands in an effort to make them look presentable for Christmas Eve mass and carols with mother-in-law Maggie! Otherwise it looks as though I have some dreadful peeling skin condition....)

Come home soon...we miss you already!

Note: I have put in an order for any copies Damian might find of marie claire idees......

it was the night before Christmas....

and the girls have hung up the tiny felt stockings that I sewed very,very late one night this week.

That was about the only time spare in a very busy but lovely week. My best friend Carla and husband Matt arrived from London early on Wednesday morning and we headed out for an amazing dinner at Tetsuya's that night. Shopping and getting ready for a get together with best friend Steph and her family the next day...busy and noisy but fun!
Friday morning, Carla and I managed to squeeze in a 7km run, where we finally had the chance to just talk and catch up on bits and pieces. We could talk underwater ,so running and chatting was a breeze!
Then it was out to the airport so that Matt and Carla could catch a flight to Adelaide to spend time with family there. I will see them hopefully for one other day, before they head back to the UK and work, just before the New Year. A super quick and full visit but so wonderful to have them in the same country again for a few short days!
I am busy cooking for the family feast tomorrow and finishing off a last minute gift for Damian.He is off to Paris for a month's work on the 27th off this month, so we have also been trying to make sure everything is packed and ready to go! I think next week will be lots of lazy mornings sitting around in our PJ's until late morning......
A very safe and peaceful Christmas to you all - thank you for all of the comments and feedback this year - thoughtful, funny, supportive and just plain friendly! I consider myself lucky to have made some very special friends through this blog- you know who you are!

An early gift from the lovely Pip from "Meet me at Mikes" -
a happy applehead that plays a cheery tune!  Makes me smile just looking at it!

wanted: another Very Brave Goldfish.....

I have a deep dark secret.....I am a serial goldfish killer.
Even though I quite successfully manage to feed and sustain a household of five people,I cannot manage to keep a small goldfish or two alive.
Since we first bought our tank in August, I have been an accessory to the demise of five goldfish of various breeds.
Julie Sylvia and Pearly Boom boom were the first couple to come and rather quickly go ( two weeks to be precise)....
Next up Fifi and Lola - Fifi was unhappy from the moment we brought her home. She sat in the corner of the tank and refused to explore or even to eat. After a day ,she started the dreaded upside- down and sometimes backwards swim. I must say though, Fifi was pretty tenacious and hung in there for a week. Lola seemed fine until I found her floating sadly at the top of the tank one morning. Fifi gave up about two hours later and so we bid both of them good bye...
I waited two weeks for the tank to finish " cycling" as instructed by my good fish man friend down at the local aquarium. By now I was an expert on nitrogen cycles, white spot and swim bladder disease.
I must admit ,I was sorely tempted at this point to give up on goldfish altogether and just grow aquatic plants instead. It was far easier to keep the tank clean and there was no risk of sucking a small goldfish into the gravel vacuum when it was time to clean (my sincere apologies to Pearly Boom Boom but apart from looking a little shocked there seemed to be no permanent damage. Besides which it wasn't actually my fault...the little sucker swam up the vacuum in a vain bid to escape...)

Anyway, I decided to give it one more try: this time I let my fish friend expert choose a good vigorous looking one and insisted that he test the water sample as well. I was determined to keep this one alive.
We didn't actually name this one but unofficially I thought of him as One Very Brave Goldfish.He was a feisty fish and practically leapt out of the water every time I lifted the lid to feed him his crumbs ( I am very careful NOT to overfeed - probably lean a bit more in the other direction). Five weeks and one successful partial water change   and O.V.B.G is still going strong. Until I opened the tank lid one morning early on in Week six to be greeted by one very still and very dead Brave Goldfish.

Now I am not a Squeamish type of girl: I can kill a cockroach, trap and get rid of very big hairy spiders, even stuff a chicken and I don't even eat meat  (only seafood but not,of course goldfish in case you were wondering).
Every Christmas I bring home an enormous whole salmon or ocean trout and cook it for Christmas Day. I'm talking a Very Big Fish here- last year I practically had to fold it in half to get in in the oven.

The sight of a tiny, small dead goldfish, however gives me the absolute horrors. I can hardly bring myself to look at it, let alone touch it or attempt to remove it from the tank and dispose of it.
Rose on the other hand was absolutely fascinated and offered to get it out of the tank for me. Which she promptly did by scooping it up in her hands....I did my best not to squeal and climb onto the nearest chair as she approached with the dead Very Brave Goldfish held outstretched in her hands. I convinced her that I did not in fact want to feel it or even get a closer look and she disposed of him in the bin. RIP One Very Brave Goldfish.

Now I have to decide whether to risk another gold fish or not .... I love the look of them swimming around the tank but I do not like the look of them floating quietly at the top.

Maybe I ought to try a hermit crab instead....

japanese girls.....

 

"Kameko"

and "Kiyoko"...

two more ATC dolls....pigment marker,gouache, silver foil and collage on an acrylic background.

the washcloth.....

made from this organic cotton ( that you can find here)....

my new favourite flower....

see the pretty blanket

look at the beautiful parcel

...watch me rush to the counter to buy the book all because of this one small flower.....

ISBN4-579-11113-3

There were another two pages showing this little beauty in all its glory but I was too busy crocheting flowers to scan any more.....

First up, in a hand dyed fuzzy yellow handspun mix of merino and angora ( no, I didn't spin this!).
These are quite big...about 16cm across due to the choice of wool -I just loved the vibrant colour!

I then made a version using some organic cotton...this time I altered the pattern slightly to make it bigger and added a border of double crochets...I think it will make a quite a lovely face washer. It was much too late when I finished it to take a photo, so that will have to wait until tomorrow....

Next up I am going to make some much smaller ones using this linen thread which you can buy here with tons of other goodies ( you have been warned!)...just have to remember where I put it.....

I should be able to make this flower in my sleep soon....

Oh, in case you were wondering, there were actually a lot of other noteworthy patterns in this book.....just let me work through my obsession with this flower first....

all things paper

Found a copy of the September Marie Claire idees the other day.....as usually full of the most inspiring ideas and images. Been wondering what to do with one of these (mostly) old paper packs?

Well, how about this?

or these beauties...

I just loved these...

After seeing these pictures I was feeling a bit inspired and finally got around to putting these tags into the shop...

And the "new" vintage wallpaper has finally arrived....

still cutting and pasting....

My calendar pages for both swaps are finished! ( pictures soon...)
One lot went out last week and the second lot, along with Jo's and Anastasia's will be in the post on Monday!
So ,naturally I had to find something else to do with all of my spare time......ATC art dolls of course!

I have just sent out my dolls for a swap- bot swap and joined a Yahoo group that make and trade ATC art dolls. These are a few of my first efforts.....

Somehow, an awful lot of the paper and photos meant to go into the (mostly) old paper packs seems to be getting diverted.....by the way you can now buy these , the wallpaper packs and text packs from "meet me at Mike's", 106 Bridge Rd, Richmond,Victoria, 3121.

Be sure to say hi! to Pip from me.....I can't wait to get down to Melbourne and visit the store as it sounds like such a me kind of place.....

mary, mary, quite contrary...

how does your garden grow?.....
no silver bells here but a pattern for a lovely ruffled flower instead!

I had to scan the flower as my camera is doing odd things at present ( more about THAT another post) so it looks a little flattened.  A very easy three rows (after the foundation ring) and there are numerous ways of adapting it. I am going to use it on a crocheted strip to make a simple wristlet for a few little girls that I know... I have also used it to make a plain parcel look a bit prettier.....(  8 ply wool and 3.50mm or size 9 hook were used to make this flower)

Double ruffled flower

To begin:making a chain of four and join with a sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1:Ch 2 ( counts as 1 dc) and then work 11 dc into the ring. ( Alternately you can use the base adjustable ring method).

Rnd 2: Working into the front loop only of each dc, work 1dc, 4ch , 1dc

The photo on the left shows the front of the flower with the first layer complete. The photo on the right shows the back of the flower after the first layer. You can see a "ring"of  loops in the centre- this is the back loops of the dc's,that you will work your second layer into.

To make it easier to see I have used a different colour for the second layer.

Note: If you want a single ruffle flower stop right here!

Rnd 3: Working into the back loop only of each dc of the first round,work 1dc, 6 chain, 1 dc.

Front view on the left, back view on the right!

End yarn off leaving approx 15cm tail to pull through last loop.

You can leave the flower as is or add a crochet centre(  instructions below). You could also embroider the centre on ( a good way if you want to add a centre and attach it to something at the same time), make a fabric centre or perhaps get creative with a button or beads!

Crochet centre: Ch 3, *yo , insert hook into third ch from hook,yo, pull through 2 loops( 2 loops left on hook).Repeat from * 3-4 more times (depending on how big a bobble you want for a centre), yo and pull through all 5/6 loops on hook. End yarn leaving a 10 -15cm tail. Draw the tails through the centre of the flower and either tie off with the flower tails, or use the centre tails to sew the whole flower onto whatever you are using them to decorate.

I hope this last bit makes sense- it was impossible to photograph or scan. It is easier that it sounds - if it is just too confusing use one of the alternate centres suggested above.

If I can get my camera to cooperate and find a willing model I will take a picture of the finished flower wristlet tomorrow.

By the way, as soon as I can remember which book this pattern came from, I will post the information.