busy days...

All our days seem to be busy...not sure why since we are on holidays...the girls finished their last week of swimming lessons and each passed their level. It is great to see how much they have improved. Aussie kids need to be able to swim!

Evangeline is going great on Bella. She is responding well to leg aids. Shauna is still schooling her and she had her first hose down...

They have been crafting...Evangeline was given this woodwork kit for her birthday. She glued all the bits together and then let Morganne help her paint it!

Our little friend Imi had her birthday party yesterday..not any great photos but look at this amazing cake Jen made!

Afterwards E was going for a sleep over at mum's...while we were waiting for her to return home the girls played out in the lane and I took photos...they looked so gorgeous in the very cute skirts Sharon gave them...


I confess I have gone back to auto as my brain seems to have forgotten all the manual photography stuff...I shall have to read up and try again!

And then tears...

Today E has called a couple of times...and so chatted to M...

And we played some golf...

It is hot and windy here so probably not much will happen around here today...Ben is due home at the end of the week...and maybe next week we will go camping and celebrate Australia Day...Lissy

little girls should have a skirt for twirling...

I made 6 skirts today...skirts that I hope some little girls will do some twirling in...

Not my girls...

But little girls at the Children of the Forest...as part of Craft Hope...

A friend asked me today why I do all this...meaning collecting and sending clothes and underwear and so on to Children of the Forest...well my answer is probably simply because I want to...

This skirt making has only cost my time...I have raided my stash for ric rac and ribbon...and some fabric scraps from clothes I have made for my girls...and a few pillow cases I thrifted yesterday...

Morganne was happy to model twirling in the pink one even though it was a little big...I started with the idea of following the skirt in the Craft Hope book...but soon got side tracked creating all sorts of different skirts for twirling...But making these skirts made me think a little more...I tried to make each one completely different...To make something special for a little girl who does not have a mum or a grandma to make her things...to make her a twirly skirt...

Please contact me if you would like to join in and are not sure what to do...Lissy

craft hope...

I got some very exciting mail this week...

I have been waiting to get my copy of this book for a long long long time...that is since it was being written!

I first came across Craft Hope in the blogging world in 2009... and I joined in Project 3 for the Miracle Foundation...

Craft Hope has a huge following in the craft blogging world...

Then I figured I should contact Jade Sims and see if she was looking for upcoming projects and if so I suggested Children of the Forest...nothing to loose right?

And what do you know...she put the Children of the Forest in her book...see page 92-3...

It was so exiting to see for two reasons...

Firstly it might increase their profile and lead some people to the Forest who may be able to sponsor a child or provide some other assistance...

And secondly people might actually make some garments to send to the children...how thrilled would they be to get a ruffled pillowcase skirt, or some bandana shorts (pg 49)or a smocked dress (pg 89) or a pillow case dress (pg 17)...

Although the Ruffled Pillowcase Skirt was designed for them each projects has extra suggestions as to which charities might also appreciate the items...

And you know I am going to have to make some now!

And if you can sew...please grab some pillow cases and join in...Lissy

women like to shop...

So I have discovered that women really like to shop...for themselves!

The market went quite well yesterday...I didn't sell out or make millions...lol...but I did learn a lot! Evangeline came to help me set up!

A few people bought scarves for children...but mostly it was women buying for themselves...

I had discovered that although they are shorter...my scarves are actually great to wear! I had a brooch but they actually sit ok by themselves due to the soft knit fabric...

A nice accessory that didn't hang down and get in the way...I felt very comfortable all day...it dressed up my tee shirt and pants without feeling too "frilly"as I am not a frilly or girly person!

I was wearing this...and had plenty of positive comments on it all day...And my mannequin thingy was wearing this...
So all the grey scarves (which I almost didn't make!) sold, the few brown ones I had, plus dark red and orange were popular too!

So now I have SO many ideas for new scarves...for women! Mainly becuase I have ideas of what I would like to wear!

I am going to venture into etsy soon too!

And I am researching to see that my ideas are not already being created and sold by someone else! So far mine are different but if you think not please let me know!

Stay tuned...Lissy

more scarves...

I am nearly ready for the craft market on Saturday!

Sharon took so many amazing photos of Evangeline and Morganne wearing them that I thought I'd share just a few more!

Two scarves worn together look good too! I am pricing them to sell...$A12 each or two for $A20...just long enough to wrap but not hang in the way of busy kids...They would also actually work as short scarf for adults...especially with a nice brooch or pin...I shall be listing some on etsy soon too when I open my "shop"...

I am sewing the last few...orange ones...of course Evangeline wants an orange one too! And there are several colours Morganne wants as well!

I hope to see you Saturday...details below...Lissy

this sunny sunday...

Today has been another lovely autumn day...I am not sure if it got to the forecast 28C but it was lovely...

And we have been busy...stamping on the paper we painted a while ago...I had forgotten I had loaned my grown up stamps to my SIL...so we only had teddy bears, fairies and such...and Morganne wanted to join in too so used my papers...And a bit of scrapbooking....And fairy gardening...And sand play...And block building...And more block building...And boat building...Evangeline built a boat for Morganne...And then they painted it together...fortunately this was just before bath time...It is supposed to rain for the next five days...we need the rain...but it is not good for school holiday activities! So not sure what we shall be up to...I have been trying to edit and print a few photos so I can do some scrapbooking too...Lissy

artistic mothers...

I decided it would be good to try something new and try some different arts and crafts this year...I have joined an artistic mothers group...hosted by Trudy...inspired by the book written by Shona...I am still waiting for my book to arrive from Fishpond but it should be here this week!

As well, I have been learning dry felting and such with Nicole...I have made some birds and angels...and this week we made felt pictures...starting with this...wool that has been plant dyed...And adding fine layers on hessian to build up a picture...mine is pretty basic but it was lots of fun! If you took more time you could actaully make quite a fine detailed picture...It would be a fun activity for kids too...Nicole has opened an etsy shop...She makes the most exquisite stuff with raw wool that has been plant dyed locally...scrarves, bowls, shawls, dolls...go take a look!

Morganne had fun too playing with Yindi and making mud soup...two changes of clothes and in the end she went home in a nappy!
I want to work on some back ground papers for the artistic mothers group...but I keep procrastinating and doing what is easy...some scrapping! But that is good as I want to record our stories...
So let's see what tomorrow brings...Lissy

cards...and other things...

I am not a card maker and have made some really bad ones in the past...lol...but I made one for my good friend Jen's 40th...I looked around on the internet for some inspiration and it actually turned out decent...lol...well I think she liked it!We went to the Pony Club in Mt Lawley to celebrate her birthday Friday night and had delicious tapas...

Everything else came to a grinding halt here Saturday...last week was busy busy busy...and so were were all very tired...so not much happened...other than some very excting loads of washing!!!

Ben arrived home from Manila Saturday morning at about 7.30 am ...

Evangeline had a "sleep over party" Saturday evening...though they were not actually staying the night but going with PJs, bears and sleeping bags! She had a ball!

I went to catch up with my mum's groups for dinner Saturday night...we went to a Lebanese restaurant in Vic Park called Ellie's Tent...it was fabulous! I will definitely go again...

Ben and the girls played SNAP! on Sunday morning...Evangeline loves it...Morganne had a go too! And pulled lots of funny faces...
And we went to Simona's Sunday for lunch and a swim and such...so that was fun...and after all that in one weekend I had to go to bed at 7.30 pm on Sunday night!

Ben was at home shifting ploughs etc as this morning a crane came to load more ploughs onto the truck to go to the farm. These are the old ploughs my dad restored and we are going to set them all up in a shed at the farm...Ben's parents were here too and Morganne had a ball watching...So it was a busy weekend for us! And this week looks busy too...Lissy