Goodbye 2010....

Good things about 2010
We got a new car
We got a new kitchen
I got to run Chapel Stitchers (I don't know how well - but they haven't fired me yet so I must've done okay!)
I didn't get my hours cut at work like lots of other support staff

Stuff that sucked in 2010
My Mum had another two strokes
My Dad broke his nose and had hyperthermia
My husband had a blood clot in his leg and was off work for 2 months
Only one person on my husbands side of the family remembered my birthday - and even my own Mum forgot it

Welcome 2011, please bring more of the good things not more of the sucky stuff!

An update from me.

Mmm, where to start - I have been busy since I last posted lol.
Yesterday we brought a new car - we pick it up next weekend - I can't wait!! Its a Holden Cruze like the one pictured below.
A weekend or two ago I had to go to a ladies retreat craft day and demonstrate how to make some felt flowers and then the ladies had to make one, below is what was left after I had made 35 of them for the ladies in my craft group - a few ladies were absent on the night I handed them out - they were to go with a devotion I did on God being the master crafter.If you fancy making some felt flowers I used the following instructions - and mix and matched them too!
Peony Flower tutorial by Yoonie at home
Loopy Felt flower by Sister Diane
Paper flower tutorial by Dozi
The ladies seemed to enjoy making them and none of them had one the same as each other - one lady even made hers into a fushia!
I have been working on my "Over the river and through the woods" stitchery for the quilt - its going slowly - I only pick it up now and then - but its making progress........slowly!The photo above shows you one of my Mother's day presents - look behind the chair! It was a new light so I can stitch while I watch TV - the lounge light isn't nearly bright enough for me to see easily so this is perfect!!
I also started another runner - its using this pattern by Monica of the happy zombie. I got this far and then realised I didn't have a suitable backing fabric for it - so until I go shopping for that it will have to wait! I was hoping it would go in my lounge - but as you can see from the picture above and the picture below - they are two different reds - so I think it might grace my dining table if (opps I mean, when) I get around to finishing it!(whoops the photo is sideways - sorry I can't be bothered going and changing it - so just tilt your head to the right - okay?...lol)
I think that will do for this post - don't want to scare you away with a novel!!

Never believe me when I say I'll post tomorrow...

because I probably won't! - I'll get side tracked and forget........lol

So I said I was going to show you my craftyness of late, well here it is:

(Frame above by Faith True)

I'm trying to work on it in the evenings or when I have a spare moment - not enjoying stitching those wiggly snow lines along the roof lines lol, and there are alot of them! And since I have my photoshop reinstalled I have been churning out digital layouts and loving the creative process!! Here are a few:

font:Pea Natalie
Template by Karen Lewis
Small pink flower by Sarah Jones
Alpha by Fee Jardine
Everything else by Faith True

Font: Rough TypewriterFont: Arial
Layered template by Ingrid Fasquelle
Stitching by Carole Neale
Everything else by Peppermint Creative

Items used:
Black Paper by Mandabean
Border doodle, 2x frame doodles, Arrow stamp, Small tag, silver brad, Heart doodle,
Stitching, Heart doodle line, by Fee Jardine
Grass border, Stapled blue border by Heather Roselli
Stamped doodle, painted doodled flower, by LReid
Ribbon Bow by Dani Mogstad


And today I made my first pinwheel scones - they were delicious - normally I make plain scones but today I was adventurous! Yesterday afternoon Abby and I went to Tirau, the boys had gone to Hamilton to help someone move so we went off and had some 'girl time', although we didn't look at many shops because Abby's old knee injury was acting up - but I found the best place for Chai Latte!!
Tomorrow we are going to Rotorua and taking Abby's best friend with us to do some bead shopping - poor Jack will have to tag along but he will survive!!

Lakeside and a birthday

(frames used above by gwenipooh, button by NTurnidge, font for numbers: Estrangelo Edessa)
1. Looking across toward the boat ramp and jetty from SIL's batch.
2. Blair and I.
3. The kids and one of the cousin's sitting on the end of the jetty, waiting.
4. Off in the boat on the lake to go biscuiting.

I said I would be back to tell you about New Years at the lake - it was good, we stayed up until after mid-night - the kids had glow sticks that they made into bangles, necklaces and hoola hoops! (I forgot to take photos of that!) Then on January 1st it was Jack's birthday - we had taken a bag full of pirate birthday decorations and so we had a surprise pirate party - it was good - Gran and Pop gave Jack a blue glittery hat - but he popped his pirate party hat on top of that and wore the gold earring for all the time it took to take a photo as it was rather tight!! lol.(All elements used above by Maria LaFrance)
So now my baby is 12yrs old - not really a baby anymore is he!!
Although the other day he tried to buy a PS2 game at the warehouse which was restricted to 13yrs and over and they wouldn't sell it to him - he was pretty bummed out about it lol (I did quietly explain to his sister that I could easily go and buy it for him but that I thought it was a great lesson for him to realise that somethings you just have to wait for!!)

Well, I think that will do for this post - I'll be back tomorrow with a more crafty post.
(Although from the pics above can you tell that I am loving having my computer fixed and photoshop reinstalled!)

Happy 2010!

So far 2010 has been good.
But back tracking to Christmas for a moment, it was good. It was fairly quiet as usual. We had Blair's parents over for dinner on Christmas eve - Blair's Mum brought silly hats or headbands etc for us all to wear........
Then the next day we opened presents in the morning - I got a much lusted after willowtree nativity.....isn't it gorgeous (I forgot to take a photo, so this is one I just googled - but its exactly the same as mine)
I also got a new cutting mat for my quilting and some fat quarters (all red - that's what I asked Santa for.......lol) - I haven't taken a photo of those either! But we had a nice lunch with my parents who came over and then stayed on for dinner too. I did think to take a photo of my Christmas - sorry I can't edit out the undies hanger next to it........lol my computer is being a pain again - and I only got this one in October - it won't read any discs so I can't reinstall photo shop - but I finally found my receipt today, after much hunting!! and so tomorrow I will take it to get fixed as it is still under guarantee.
Oh and good news, Mum really liked her tablerunner that I made her - although she did say it was a pity it was in Christmas fabrics as she would like to keep it out all the time........lol. Maybe I will be inspired to make her another everyday one sometime.
I was going to post about our time at the lake over new years but I think that will be another post as this one has grown quite quickly with all the photos I've posted!