The presents are open and there is peace in the house..

Who'd have thunk it, I have a few moments of peace on Christmas morning.
The presents have been opened, that baby is asleep and the boys are trying to work out how to make the PlayStation work. Eartha Kitt was under the tree this morning and now she is breathing her songs into the hallway.
I have had two cups of coffee, two croissants, a handful of chocolate Santas and a Kinder surprise egg.
Feeling a little queasy actually, probably not the best combination, but, heck it is going to be one of those days.

Hoping your days are relaxing and the excitement of these days continue into the New Year.

Faces in Places

Just found this cute blog that celebrates faces that are all around us if you keep and eye on them...

More Faces

Slack Tart

Yep that about sums it up... So long between posts... been very busy doing lots of things, too ridiculously whiney to list, but here are some Halloween photos...

An owl, a leon and a peanut!

Chubby little bubby

The baby kindly agreed to do a little modelling of my screenprinted onsies, most obliging, especially when he has only really just got the hang of sitting up on those chubby little pins.

The Money Shot

Having peacocks for pets is a good thing and a bad thing. They are extremely easy to look after, because, well they basically look after themselves, they fly up into a tree to sleep (no house required), scratch around for food and eat the kitchen scraps. But they do feel free to poop wherever they fancy and eat lots of my favourite plants in the garden.

Overall I like them, I can plop the baby in the window and he watchs them contently for ages and well they are a nice wandering decoration for the grounds. Especially when Big George shakes his tail feathers. This is the first time this season I have managed to catch a snap.

And best of all in a few months his tail will moult and the kids and their friends can run around looking for all the feathers.

How could you possibly eat them?

Spring and lambs how perfectly they speak of each other... so many poems, paintings and idylls of the countryside feature this double whammy combo of loveliness.




We took a wonderful trip to our friends farm in the country today to breathe in the cuteness of a pen of orphan lambs, give them a bottle and take a ride in the back of the ute.




And really what is better than to run free with a troupe of week-old lambsie's chasing your tails.



... and then pass out in the car for the long ride home...

Zakka inspired notebooks

A little project I have been twiddling with lately are these Zakka-inspired notebooks. They seem to be a good combination of useful and pretty, and well are pretty much a blank canvas for screen prints, embroidery, or patchwork. It has been a little tricky working out how thick to make the covers, too thin and they are floppy, too thick and they won't punch properly.

So if you are on my Christmas list this year, turn away now!

For the rest of you here is a small sample...

Making presents

I love making things for new babes, I really like the tradition of making gifts with your own two hands, for these new little peeps. I made a bassinet quilt for a friends babe, turned out quite well, but wouldn't you know it I forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her.

But, instead here is a snap of a screen printed onesie I made.



I am getting quite nostalgic for Paris these days, and I have friend who is heading there is Thursday for a month... Couldn't resist a little gift, a laundry bag for her knickers made from very soft pink fabric printed with a map of the streets of Paris.

Once a month posting

Yep, sad but true seems like I can only manage an update once a month. I have actually been doing things, just can't quite find the energy to document it all. But it never rains but it pours, so get ready for a bunch of snapshots.

Firstly Mr Prep...

Lost his first tooth today.


And, chose to dress up for book week as a Mummy (I tried to convince him to squeeze into Sacha's uber-cute Winnie-the-Pooh outfit from last Halloween, but he just wouldn't go there...), luckily that is what old sheets are for.

Log-Cabin Jam

Whoo-hoo nothing like a little bed rest (courtesy of plague-virus) and kiddos safely anchored in school/day-care, to finally round up the last few stitches of binding holding this baby together.

I am not sure how long it has taken because I made up some of the log-cabin squares in a flurry last year with the intention of turning them into pillows. Then changed my mind, made a few more then sewed them all together with some fabric I was given (thanks Inghy and Espy) and voila!

I think it is pretty baudy, gaudy and loud, a lot more pink and orange than I first imagined, but I took on the 'use what you have' approach and this is the result.

I don't think it will stay on the bed as our bedroom is now painted a restful sage green and the intention should probably stay that way - restful! So I imagine this will end up on the couch... next quilt is for Luka, I promise.

Dreaming of my higher self

They say when you dream of a house, you are actually dreaming of your higher self.
If this is true, then I am deflated... It seems my higher self is a cramped, brick veneer house in the suburbs?

Why couldn't I be a rambling Italianate McMansion? or, a rustic rough-hewn log cabin by a lake? Georgian town-house with high ceilings? I'd even settle for a teepee in a valley somewhere. It seems despite by attempts at self-delusion I am as ordinary and mundane as they come.

Within any luck it was a mere blip on the cosmic plain and tonight my true self will reveal itself as a Frank Lloyd Wright house of simple elegance, or an apartment in Paris complete with poodle. I'll keep you posted.

Needle felted animals

I took a needle felting class a couple of weeks ago. It was both easy and hard and all together quite a lot of fun. The teacher specialises in Australian native animals, (they are most of hers in the photos) and they are truly adorable. I made a gnome, who is siting because I couldn't figure how to get him to stand up without falling down again.

I can see a horizon dotted with felted creatures as they are quite satisfying to make and pretty indestructable. Is there a balance to be found between creating things and creating more clutter? Maybe I will just have to give them away.

Not waving, drowning

No focus at work, no focus at home, no focus for this ridiculously adhoc blog - just got no focus. I am like that, my report card reads - gets distracted easily... and so while I have been busy trying to do things, just can't seem to get over the line anywhere.

And so I offer you a random photograph of my Aunt and Mother with Jeffrey Bumphrey Buckleby Slade and Pitty Sing, somewhere in the English countryside, somewhere in the time that has passed.

Not really beach weather

The winter has really started to hit, lots of cold days and many nights with the fire roaring.

Yesterday, the troops were getting a little restless after another day indoors, so I thought we might hit the beach for the last rays of afternoon sun. Of course about five minutes after we hit the sand it started to rain. But there was a wonderful rainbow, a full arc across the horizon... (oops forgot to get a snap of the whole thing, just the beginning and the end) and enough time to collect some shells, throw some sand and then run for the car and home for a hot bath.

The little specks of colour in the middle of the first shot are the boys looking for shells, the baby was curious, but not that impressed with the chill in the air and the rain on his nose!

Operatunity

Melbourne Trip

Scary Little Monsters

These little bundles of joy are the newest additions to the family, they were a bit of a favourite amongst the boys at the Night Market, but not so appealing to their mothers. So to appease the holders of the purse, a nicer looking softy...



More fun to make than I imagined, so expect to see a few more around here.

Btw, more baby pics here.

Nah nah dah boogie

Its a bit hard to tell from the photo, but, these are some badges I made for the market. They are special little momentos of the Premier of our state.

( not sure if you can see his googly eyes )

this little piggy went to market

The Hobart Fringe Festival is on this week jammed with creativity and frivolity, not the least is the Night Market, which is this Friday night and is always good fun. Live music, food and stalls selling all kinds of wares and this year will include my crafty goddess self.

Yep. I have been collecting my threads and creating some stuff, so be sure to stop by and say hello. It is in the Queens Head Hotel Car Park, North Hobart from 5:30 to 10:30, this Good Friday Night. I will post some creations, be sure to let me know what you think..

... pvc covered pencil pouches

Pyjama Couture

I have been truly satisfied lately making pj's. This is a little combo for my neices 1st birthday, I printed the angel wings a while ago, and the little pants have velvet bows on the bottom are my latest sewing discovery. More on that later..

The Scream

Eight weeks and growing like a weed...

Growing up, boys