"How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it" - George Alliston

"Do something today that doesn't have to be done again tomorrow."
- Author unknown

Sunday, February 27, 2011

winner winner winner!

hi all!
just a quick one to let you know that Cheryll of Stitching Cubby Hole is the lucky winner of the magazines!
random.org picked out number 6 for us - thanks random.org :)

cheryll, they will be on the way to you asap
xx

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

panda post present!

lucky lucky me
i got a pressie today in the post box from the lovely Sue

the package was panda themed - some lovely fabric, a haighs choccie panda (YUM!) and a lovely card.

i love it all - but even more because I LOVE PANDAS
in fact, the little human and i went to the first day that the pandas were on display at the adelaide zoo!  we had to cue for ages, but it was worth it

the little human was 9 months old at the time, and i bought him a special outfit for the occasion...




we did eventually get to see the pandas - here he is, with the panda in the background.  at the time they were still in quarantine so they couldn't come out into the open!



much cooler now, seeing them wander around - yes, we have been back another couple of times!


if you are ever in adelaide (well, in the next 10 years - that is how long we have them on loan for from China), they are well worth checking out.

so thanks again sue! will have to think long and hard about using that fabric!

pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

Sunday, February 20, 2011

BEEN RECEIVED! Leena's Feb Christmas block

hi!
leena let me know that she received my block - and she was very happy with it which is always great!

here is the whole thing


pugs and kisses
xx

Saturday, February 19, 2011

FNSI report

hi all!
i was very happy to get some good sewing in last night for FNSI.  I did it all on the couch due to aforementioned little human injury :) but still got some good hand work done

i finished all the blanket stitch around the puglet's jungle quilt animals.  i still have the lettering to go, SO fiddly!  but all good.  i haven't bothered with pictures because i haven't attached any more fabric or anything yet, so they don't look exciting :)

but i did manage to attach all the binding to the little human's first quilt to be used as a quilt!  this is it - he 'picked out' the fabric at our LQS and then just added some green triangle print to break it up (he wasn't keen at all when i cut into his beloved fabric!!! but he came around when he saw the quilt top finished)

here it is all finished!  we are preparing to transition him to his big boy bed sometime after puglet arrives (we have a bassinette in the meantime) and i am hoping that a quilt made with love from mum will help (fingers crossed!)



anyhoo, hope you had fun too

pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

p.s. don't forget to have a look at this link http://craftypug.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-craft-then-story.html if you want to be in the magazine giveaway!!! open to all
xx

BEEN RECEIVED! Jolanda's block for Feb

i had the great pleasure of swapping with Jolanda in Portugal this month for the block swap
she let me know today that her block arrived
this is the whole thing


i was also lucky to get hers yesterday!
a beautiful wonky star, with gorgeous centre fabric, matching card and locally grown tea!
thanks Jolanda!!!


pugs and kisses
xx

Friday, February 18, 2011

some craft, then a story with rewards....

hi all!
we have RAIN in adelaide today - actual proper rain, not just mist that makes everything muggy!  it is lovely - little human and i have already been out to stand in it - ah!

well, as promised by the title, first some craft....

i have long promised the most favourite of all creatures, duckie, a quilt.  little human picked two fat quarters from my 'kids' tub in the stash, and this is the outcome.


little human had to make sure duckie was ok.  i made it double sided and machine stitched the binding on for hopeful added strength :)





i also used some of my winnings from Shauna's giveaway (thanks again!) to make this dolly quilt and pillow for the little human's friend Morgan.  her 3rd birthday party is in a few weeks. (the model is the little human's dolly, known as baby)



and yesterday, i was lucky enough to get this gorgeous block from my swap partner for this month in the Christmas swap - Fiona.  isn't it lovely!!!  and complete with handmade christmas tag too


if you haven't been to the Christmas swap blog site in a while, head over there - there are some winnings to be won!

also, tonight is FNSI!!!  check it out at Crafty Vegas Mom

i haven't found time to make my way around the blogs much lately - very disappointing. i hope to be inspired by everyone's creations soon!!!!

now to the story.....

i love my little human - i do.  he is nearly 2 now, and is growing into a lovely kid with a good heart and a sense of humour.

but sometimes, the two year old comes out in him, and he is a cheeky monkey


you see, on wednesday, i was at the shops with the little human. he is now at the stage where the pram is apparently for babies and so he walks along side, holding onto the safety strap. when he gets tired he sits down and rides for while. all good. he occasionally gets distracted and lets go and wanders off a few metres, but is usually pretty good at coming back when threatened with having to sit in the pram!

so on wednesday, all is going as usual. in fact, he has been so good that when we have done all our jobs, i say that we can go to the shopping centre playground for a run around. great - he runs around like a crazy thing, jumping, sliding, climbing. runs in and out to me for hugs, all normal.

then, for some reason that is unknown to me, he decides that he should run out of the enclosure and down the mall at full speed without looking back.   he gets about 10 m from me before i realise that if i don't get him, he might do a Forest Gump and just keep on runnin'.  so i leave the pram, my handbag, the shopping and sprint after him.

thankfully i get him before he gets hit with anything or smashes into a little old lady etc, and i carry him back to the pram, strap him in and head for the door.  he realises at this point that the play is over, and he goes into meltdown - 'more play, more play' at the top of his lungs, in between screams, sobs and cries.  i calmly repeat the mantra - we don't run away from mummy, so no more play.  we are going home.  this of course does nothing to calm him down, everyone is staring at us and he is hysterical for the next 1/2 hour

eventually we get home, get playing something else and all is well.  i smile my mum smile and laugh a little mum laugh at toddler behaviour.  ha ha ha

i then realise that i am in EXTREME pain in my lower abdomen, and work out that i must have pulled muscles whilst in hot pursuit.......apparently the 6 month pregnant body is not designed to be quick over the 50 m dash.

so, i have spent thursday and today on the lounge, feet up, with the lovely hubby home from work and looking after the little human.  the pain is getting less, and i am sure by the weekend i will be back to my normal self (just no running!)

the reason for telling the story - one, so you can laugh at me! and two, while resting, i have been having a look over some old magazines, and enjoying the different projects in them.  i also realised though that i have quite a few, that while interesting, are full of things i will never make.  and so.....

A GIVEAWAY IS IN ORDER!


the prize is 3 Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazines, complete with pattern sheets, delivered to your door (well, postal address anyway). for those interested, they are vol 18 no 11, vol 19 no 1, and the latest edition vol 20 no 1.

there are a few ways to enter the draw and have more than one chance to win....

entry one, just leave a comment to this post and say you would like to be in it to win it!
entry two, let me know you are a follower, or become a follower and let me know
entry three, make mention of this giveaway on your blog and then post that link in a comment

that easy really! open to all, and open until 5pm Sunday 27th of February 2011 ACDST (ie the time in Adelaide, SA, Australia). winner will be picked at random using random.org based on comment number

well, back to the couch to put the feet up again.....hope you get a chance to aswell at some stage today

pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

Friday, February 11, 2011

BEEN RECEIVED! Ann's block for Christmas swap

i forgot to show the whole block that i sent ann last month
she said she received it safe and sound


pugs and many kisses
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(feeling smoochy today!)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

sorry for my absence!

hi all
apologise for my absense from blog land - we are all doing fine here - our state has not been affected by the fire or floods thankfully. thank you so much to all who have messaged or emailed to check on me and my family - i appreciate it so much

we have been having a few little human challenges as we take him off the medicine for his reflux....but we are hanging in there, poor little fella! the doctor has encouraged us to ride it out as he gets used to it all, so we are doing that, but he is suffering a bit. i think he is also been getting frustrated as he can't tell us exactly all he would like to.

but, i have been doing some crafty-related things too!

the first is an update on puglet's jungle themed wall quilt. this first picture you will recognise from last post as the centre panel of the whole quilt.


my mum, who is a WAY better draw-er than me, then copied a few of the animals so i could enlarge them as applique blocks for above and below the centre pane;. here is how they are progressing.









we are trying to get puglet's room in order at the moment, so it will be good to have this done soon, so we know how much wall space it will take up.

these are my sneak peeks of my swaps for the month of feb

this one is for Jolanda in Portugal - she asked for a star in shabby chick colours - i hope this is suitable, it is not really my palette and i had to ask mr google for help.


this one is for shauna in canada who asked for a churn dash, shoo fly or star in any colours. i went with a shooting star


i loved the shooting star so much, that i also used it for leena for her christmas swap! i hope she likes it


i am still working on a block for fiona, our newest member of the christmas swap, she asked for christmas trees in green and red, so i have made an applique block and just need to blanket stitch around the trees and stars to finish them off.

thanks so much for reading, and for caring
i love you all very much, and appreciate your friendship

pugs and sloppy kisses
crafty
xx