Tulips

I love tulips,  especially the big flashy parrot ones. When I was a little girl in the UK I used to go to a big park, I wasn't supposed to go there on my own but I did. I loved the sunken italian gardens, in spring full of tulips, I loved how the rows and rows moved in the breeze, if I squinted all the colours blurring together. One year there were builders in one part of the park - they were going to build a miniature village.  All the rubble lay for months. Then come spring out of the grey broken pathways and piles of earth came shoots of green, in the midst of all this upheaval came colour. The parrot tulips bravely reaching skywards, I managed to pick a couple of the blooms and took them home to mum, telling the smallest of white lies that a lady had given them to me from her garden.  I have loved them ever since. 
When I asked Vicky to choose another flower for me to do, I was saying over and over - please pick tulips, please pick tulips. Thank you Vicky.

Well my time here today is short. Its Australia Day today and I was going to go down town for the big barbi but unfortunately we have rain, lots and lots of rain, thank you ex-tropical cyclone OLGA (who despite fizzling out and moving towards the Northern Territories is still causing us grief). Its thundering and lighning now so I'm going to switch off the puter, grab a shower and then look through lots of garden books to find the perfect tulip.  There is a design in one of my craft books that I have always wanted to do. Maybe I'll do that, maybe I'll scan a picture and make it into a crossstitch.  So much possiblities. OKay I'm off before this storm gets any closer.


jan

SNOWDROP

It took 30 mins and I'm not happy with it but its done.  I tinted it with crayon and really it should be washed out so that just a hint of colour remains. But I wanted to get it photograped and out of the way.

So Vicky whats the next one.

20 mins a day

I have joined marmalade Roses '20 minutes a Day challenge' marmaladerose.  Theres actually a fair bit you can get done in 20 mins, its not just hands on crafting job,- weavng in loose ends on crochet, winding yarn, cutting out fabric and if the 20 mins wants to go on a bit longer then let it.  Some of us have lost our mojo, our passion. We've just got a little bogged down in everyday life. For me I created because it helped me get through the hiccups, speedbumps and upsets of a not so normal life. I could lose myself in the stitch.
My life is now normal after years of being a wife, mother and carer. The only person I am responable fr now is ME.  My health is doing okay.  My finacial situation sucks bigtime but apart from needing to pay this months bills and get my car rego next month I owe no money to anyone.  I have a craft room full of material, threads and yarn.  I have wonderful friends who are always there for me, my family support me in anything I do.  So, life is good.  What I need to do now is get back my passion for crafting without the drama and stress I escaped from by immersing myself in stitching, just plain old simple passion for the stitch, I need to do this for me.

The SNOWDROP will be my 20 minutes for today, theres probably only 20 mins left to do on it.  I've gone back to the simple outline stitch. I tried to do it in thread painting but despite two attempts that looked like they were going to work it refused to allow me to do the flower.  I tried crewel, it didn't just look right, I couldn't get the correct tension on the shading on the thread painted one, I frogged and frogged.  I'd chosen a silk fabric for the thread painting, the light was so bad yesterday I had to turn the lights on, which reflected off the fabric, then the bursitis started.  I gave myself a good talking to, it was no biggy if this wasn't going to work, if the the basic outline stitch works, then go for that.  Why did I have to do something I was in no mood to do.  The snowdrop made the decision for me, as soon as I redrew it on a tatty piece of fabric, as soon as I put those first few stitches in the flow happened.  Its basic stitches, its just four colours, it gives me pleasure to sew.  I know I can thread paint, I love crewel work, but it just wasn't the time to do it.

Olga like Neville fizzled before it hit the coast.  Its now a LOW, but we are getting plenty of rain from it. I put back all the verandah furniture and rehung the plants,   en I was woken by the house shaking and banging. My heart raced, the dog was quaking, then the room lit up followed closely by roaring thunder.
The wind howled and the rain lashed the house. Okay, I thought, so its not a cyclone just a LOw, don't panic.  We were just on the edge of the weather system, if this is what we were getting from just LOW, what were the poor things who were in its path getting.  It was 4 a.m., I did a quick tour of the house, laying down towels on the window sills in case the rain came through. The furniture I'd replaced on the verandah had blown over, the cushions soaking wet, I just threw everything in the house, some of the plants had blown over so theres soil to clear up this morning. JUst a normal monsoon storm, something that we get a few times a week during the WET. The thunder and lightning stayed around for a few hours gradually moving away. I read for a bit and then dozed off again.  The BOM says we will get a lot of rain and storms out of this system, doesn't bother me, I'm going to stay curled up with my book and my stitching.  I'm not venturing out today. 

Jan

Wet Sunday

One of the things that annoys me when there is cyclone around is the uncertainty. The one time I will get complacent is the one time a big one will hit - when 'LARRY' was heading straight for us nearly four years ago we were on a plane flying to Brisbane.  (is it really nearly fours years ago that our lives were turned back upside down again). That was a pretty scary plane ride, we must have hit every pot hole in the sky. Especially when the pilot came on and told us we were flying right past the eye of the storm.  That time we left all the preperations to our sons, we had other things to worry us.  We watched news reports as the far north received a battering like no other, at the hospital when my beloved was waiting for his PET scan we listened on the mobile phone as we called home, hearing first hand the noise of the area being ripped apart.
Then all phone coverage was lost, no way of finding out if our loved ones were safe. 
Flying back in later that night was so eerie, no lights at all in the City, drving through it was an impossible task to even drive on the right side of the road, constantly swerving round fallen trees.  We couldn't get back up the mountain till the next day, one range road had been cleared but the winds had shredded all the leaves and they lay like a sheet of ice making it perilous to drive on.   We had to drive through 3 towns and the closer we got to home the worse the devastation got.  Innisfail on the coast was the worst hit, the banana industry totally ruined, our little towns on the Tablelands up in the mountains got off fairly easy compared to the coast but it was still the worst cyclone the Far North has ever seen.  There was no power for days, a neighbour plugged in our fridge to his big generator and on alternate days we did the washing, I cooked on our gas barbi for the neighbour on the other side, the boys were out every day helping with the clean-up. Roads down to the coast were blocked and the coast roads that brought all our food up were cut-off by flooding for weeks.  The damage to our house was minimal, a leak in the roof where the tin had lifted and the whirly bird blew off, a couple of broken windows where flying branches had hit, the big soursop tree broke in half (luckily falling away from the house narrowly missing the sheds) and since it was dangerous had to be chopped down.  The big shed got flooded and the beer fridge was the only casualty.  So if I get complacent over this latest one I just remember LARRY.   OLGA is going to make land further north now, but we will still get the gale force winds and the driving rain and our rivers will get flooded.  The good side is that if the power goes off I can't do anything, no telly to watch, no cleaning to do - all that spare time to sit and sew.

Every morning I try to read through at least one blog on my list.  Who needs books when there are so many wonderful ladies who can weave magic with words.  If I need a recipe or an idea for dinner - just go to the blogs, the same for a crafty idea.  There is soooo much inspiration out there, so much so that I tend to just look and not do, filing it all away in the "ONE DAY" basket.  Scrapbooking has never really gotten hold of me (I'm still annoyed that the one craft shop in the area went over to the darkside and doesn't stock anything other than beading, patchwork and scrapbooking items) but I am drawn to all the vintage cards being used in the blogs.
So i phoned home and asked mum if she still had all the cards from the 40's and 50's - YES.  I don't care what you leave me in your will mum, just make sure I get those cards. I've instructed my bro to scan them for me as well.  Just in case one day the scrap booking bug bites of course.

Another little part of my craft room.  All my ami dolls wanted to pose so I had to let them, they are getting quite fond of the camera.  I had made a few granny squares for a cot blanket but gave up after 10, the pink was tooo dark. They lay in the UFO box for weeks until I made 9 of them up into a little doll blanket for one of the girls.  Now I have one little square left, all on its lonesome, what shall I do with it.

Wonderful weather for Ducks

.....and the rain came down. Not unusual since we are in 'The Wet Season'.  The cyclone that was, then isn't, then was and now isn't again is hovering off the coast further north and I'm not going to worry about it any more.  My neighbours ducks are splashing about in their little pool, quaking and thoroughly enjoying their little selves. Taking their lead late yesterday afternoon I went out into the garden, walking down the driveway was like walking down a river bed, the rain felt so good, who cared if the neighbours saw. I was actually rescuing some lillies that had chosen that moment to open, I didn't want them getting ruined so I picked them. It was invigorating. We got 80mm out of that little downpour and since it has been raining steadily ever since theres probably another 80mm from overnight.  The only downside being that it is our villages market day today and there is no way I am venturing out to a muddy paddock. I wanted to buy some more gem stone beads but I reckon most of the stall-holders will have peeked outside and just gone back to bed when they saw the weather.  Some old die-hards like the old italian small holders will have braved it - even after "Larry' they were their selling there produce out of the back of their ute.

But who needs veggies from the market when I have these beauties growing, going back to the house after my stroll around in the rain I noticed something red in the veggie patch near the house. Aren't they gorgeous, they remind of the sour apple lollies we used to eat when we were kids. I think these will be going into a tuna and pasta salad. I'm out of olives and I just remembered there was a market stall holder who sold the most wonderful dried herb and spices mixes, dare I get dressed and wander down, chances are he won't be there, I forgot to go to the bank yesterday, oh poo, so no money anyway.  Oh well, they'll be other markets he'll be at.

When I make a conscious effort into being motivated I can do it, I stuck at the snowdrop, not rushing in and losing heart early in the game, I did the preparation.  I am gradually rediscovering my deep passion for embroidery.   I love thread painting and jacobean work and even just doing the outlines for the snowdrop fired me up, beacuase the outline stitches are just used as a guide and padding for the surface stitches they are not too neat but I think it would look good as an outline and maybe just one leaf and the flower petals filled with a crewel stitch.  I might work another one in stem stitch later today and just see what it would look like. 

Doesn't seem to by many cars around, usually the road is chocker block market days, so I think I'll just stay home today, I'll drive down to the library later to stock up on some feel good books, then go get some chocolate and a packet of Grain Waves and hole up for the day. Got Adam Sandlers Bedtime Stories to watch as well.  All thats missing is a pot belly fire to curl up in front of. 

Update:  Ex Trocial Cyclone Neville fizzled out, typical of a bloke and Tropical Cyclone Olga category 2 flew in. She's hovering off the coast and expected to hit land maybe tomorrow evening,  This one will hit the area I live in if it does as predicted. I have a son living on the coast so maybe I should get the spare bed made up just in case he decides to head up the mountain where it will be a little bit safer. Better rush around like a headless chook getting prepared, I wasn't intending to go back into town, looks like I'll have to.

jan

Is it or isn't it

Yesterday the cyclone was downgraded to an ex, it hovered out at sea and the BOM predicted it would head back towards land further north, it was also predicted to reform as a cyclone overnight but just looking at the BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) site its still an ex, heading out to sea again but will come back towards the coast for weekend and maybe reform then. We are sure getting plenty of rain from it. Just steady rain, which is badly needed after all the bush fires the Tablelands have had over the past few months.

I tossed and turned all night, the dog was restless (she hates the wind) and insisted on sleeping as close to me as she could get. In the end I slept on the other side of the bed (which is something I don't do - even after 3 years I still keep to my own side) but she followed me.This morning there she was all wrapped up in the covers and the bed looks like a tornado has hit it. Normally I sleep very tidily but I have a bad case of tennis elbow, it kept me awake most of the night. Won't stop me stitching though since I taught myself to embroider with my left hand - one boring weekend when I couldn't settle to anything.  A few years ago I was most upset and disappointed when the magazine I had submitted my designs to said that I wasn't 'country' enough for them.  So to get the prim naive look I stitched the design with my left hand, I had tried and tried to get the look they wanted but the obessive compulsive part of me had to have neat, perfect stitches, I just couldn't bring myself to do anything less than perfect.  Doing it with my left hand gave everything the look the required and its a good skill to learn just in case of a sprained wrist etc.

Jan

Snowdrops it is then

Okay next challenge - snowdrops

Despite the BOM saying that the chances of the low developing into a cyclone one developed overnight, I could feel the change in the air, the wind felt different. Its way out to sea at the moment and will probably head north heading for the Cooktown area, we'll get the rain from it hopefully.  But as I said before these things are unpredictable.  Ones formed over in Western Australia as well. Ours is called Neville and their is called Magda.  It goes alphabetically and they alternate between boy and girl names. We always have a laugh when one has the same name as someone we know, if the cyclone has their attributes or failings etc.

I love my grandkids immensely, they have brought great joy to this family but they are so tiring.  Jessica looks like not only inheriting my crafting skills but also my gift of the gab, from the moment I put her in the car to the time I drop her off again she is never quiet, my head spins from all the chatter. I stood at the kitchen sink washing up after the dinner my son had cooked (using leftovers from the previous nights dinner - I taught him well), made myself a cup of tea and then decided I couldn't stay awake one moment longer.  I quickly tiedied up my books and got ready for bed. Then remembered I hadn't washed up, dragged myself over to the sink and stood there wondering where all the pots had gone.  I haven't been that tired for a long time.  As soon as my head hit the pillow that was it I was out for the count.

I'm going to rush into town early, I have to go to CentreLink and take my forms in, rush round to the veggie shop and get more veggies and then home again to clean and then get some serious stitching done.

Jan

Daisy, Daisy........

Finally, the puter decided that it would accept the usb stick and I was able to download all my photo's as you probably all could tell by the previous post.

Here they are Vicky - 100+ daisies, I'm awaiting your next choice of flower.  Make it a hard one.

Jess and her first embroidery lesson

It is a joke amongst my friends that I am the BAAAAD BAAAAAAD BAAAAAAAAAD Grandma, well I think that today I have totally redeemed myself.  After months of Jess inching her way into the craftroom I relented and said today was the day I would teach her to embroider. Got McCains pizza squares and bought cup cakes on the way round there to pick her up.  We played the usual games of Trouble and for once Grandma slaughtered her.  All the time she's eyeing up the embroidery threads next to my chair. Unbeknowns to her I had already got the threads, material, needles and scissors all ready.  "Grandma I really really would like to learn to sew" "Yes, darling grandaughter, shall we begin"      I got her to draw out a simple flower shape and to write her name on a piece of homespun, she chose her threads and I did two stitches for her and away she went. She is a NATURAL, the way she held her material, she never got a knot in the threads once, she never pulled the threads too tight and the way she held the material and needle was like she's been doing it since birth.  She even managed to hold a conversation and watch tele while stitching - she's definately her grandmothers granddaughter.    She had a little break and we put lunch on and since we couldn't go on our picnic because of the rain we set it up in the living room, once lunch was over and cupcakes eaten - they were strawberry, vanilla and chocolate frosted and I told her to chose the two she wanted - she chose strawberry and chocolate but sneaked a small bite out of the vanilla one just to see what it tasted like we set to to more crafting.                                                              

After we cleared up from lunch we set to more stitching, then she needed a break and we got the beads out and she made some bracelets while we watched Peter Pan, Jess was amazed that Wendy kissed Peter Pan and refused to take her eyes off the screen even while she was threading beads, definately got my genes.

I went down to lie on the bed for a bit and read the paper and she joined me with her stitching, she just laid back propped up on all the cushions and stitched away. I just cannot believe for her first time how easily it came to her, she's 7.  I taught handicraft up at the school a few years back and the 10 and eleven year olds were hopeless, knots, pulled work, I was forever rethreading needles and pulling back work.

So I suppose I'd better get her a little sewing box made up. All we did was running stitch and a french knot but she seems well and truly hooked. 

Thinking it was safe to relax a little I made myself a coffee, she was still all fired up for crafting and she got out the blank jigsaw puzzles and I drew out one for her to colour in, but she lost interest in that and left me to the colouring in, but then she came back and did one for herself.

She made two more bracelets and I decided that was enough, we'd excelled ourselves and we hadn't even done half the normal things we usually do. It was a very good day and I know which one of us will be going to bed early tonight.  I've just done a quiick tidy up and removed three cups of coffee that I never got to drink.

Gremlins

I was going to put up the photo of the daisies but for some reason I can't get my photo's off the little usb stick, it was working fine yesterday, thats all I need. Puter keeps telling me New Hardware Found, ready to use and then nothing.  Vicky, I did over 100 daisies so what flower is next in the challenge

I was going to have my grandaughter over today but the weathers is miserable, glad I worked in the garden yesterday.  I'll give them a ring and see if she still wants to come. I found 4 packets of beads in the op-shop before christmas shaped like small shells so I had planned on making bracelets with her. We normally go on a picnic down by the creek - tablecloths, napkins and the whole works, then a trip to the library, maybe bake some cupcakes, do some drawing and colouring in. I usually dedicate the whole day to her, no housework or shopping, its our special time together.

Scuse the double chin and the daft hat - I just look a dork in a hat, hats and me just don't go. Unfortunately they are a necessity in this climate.This is my gorgeous girl and I on our last picnic.

Well she still wants to come over despite the rain so better go get some indoorsy stuff organised. Might be the time to teach her to embroider.

Hugs

Janjan