In This life.......

School Holidays are here

and this will be where we are for the next 2 weeks

at the beach in our caravan - yay!!

I took this photo from our patio with my polaroid sunglasses in front of the lense to see what it would look like and i kinda like it i think!! As you can see its only a hop, skip and a jump to the beach and if you don't want to walk that far you can just sit and look at it all day!!

Perfect ;0)

My laptop will be coming with me but last time I couldn't get any reception so not sure what will happen this time. I may have some serious catching up on blogs to do when I return. 

thanks for stopping by,

Annette :0)
 

Shadow Shot Sunday # 122

A Shadow Shot Courtesy of my sister today!

For more shadow shooters head over to Hey Harriet for fabulous shadow shots all around the world.

Happy Sunday :0)  

Australian Cardmaking Stamping and Papercraft Magazine Volume 16 No 6

Some published work to share

A project generously sponsored by Kaszazz.

 Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend .

Annette :0)
  
 
  
  

 

Honey Mustard Chicken and Mash Recipe Share

We have been trying out some new recipes over the last few weeks that I thought I would share.

You can find the recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken and Mash over here on The Hanigan Family Recipe Blog.

Enjoy.

Annette :0) 

International Crochet Day!

Hello, hope you are having a happy Sunday :0)

I have just learnt after catching up on the Crochet with Raymond blog that it is in fact International Crochet Day, so thought I would do a post on how I became inspired to get back into this craft and with some links that helped me understand and remember how to crochet as I hadn't done it since I was in year 6 at Primary School and that is a long time ago!!

When this issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine came out I knew I just had to give crocheting a go again and decided that I wanted the patchwork crochet blanket as the top throw for over our queen size bed.

Its the one that is in the basket at the front of the couch. (Mind you I love all the patterns in this issue!) It just so happened that the wool used was on sale at Spotlight, so Chris and I toddled off to purchase what was required, 13 balls and a hook and all coming in under $20!! I was very happy :0)

So home we came, straight through the door to the lounge, magazine open and straight into it!!

Now the pattern said to make 40ch and join with a sl st to form a ring. Now that makes a HUGE ring and just didn't seem right to me and after much frustration at trying to follow the pattern and not being able to do it :0( I decided to go looking of the internet for help.

That was when I came across Attic24 a delightful blog with the most wonderful crochet creations and even better, step by step with close up photos of how to make all sorts of wonderful things. It was then that I decided I would follow the general pattern from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, ie use the same size squares and number of squares but with a different pattern.

So I was soon on my way to beginning my crocheting again, sitting in front of the computer with hook in hand and wool ready to go I began using this wonderful Summer Garden Granny Square Tutorial from Attic24.  I cannot tell you how excited i was to finish my first square - the kids were pretty chuffed too!!

This was my first square finished, the one in the middle

I know how time consuming writing tutorials are, but when you can see closeup pictures with simple instructions that make sense to people who are only beginning, it really is very much appreciated :0) So thankyou to Lucy from Attic 24 for helping me get back on my road to crocheting!! If you missed you can see my blanket pic update Here.

I was so determined NOT to stray from making my blanket but just could resist no longer and had to have a go at This Bunting Tutorial from Crochet with Raymond, and although it isn't finished I couldn't wait to show you, it is nice to do a different shape other than squares!!

You can see what it will look like Here.

For lots more crochety inspiration go check out i-crochet blog and i can assure you, you will want to go out and start crocheting immediately, so many wonderful links :0) 

For a great recycled crochet project check this out at KooKoo, I so want to do this for a big floor rug! I have an idea starting to come to mind.

I really want to give these Teeny-tiny-flowers a go from Attic24, as well as These crochet flowers and leaves and This hexagon how to as well!! Go check them out they are so sweet :0)  

I hope your Sunday evening is relaxing, thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments :0)

Annette x  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

We grew a Love heart tomato

Much to Maddison's delight (well all of us really!) she found this on the tomato vine at this mornings picking :0)

A love heart tomato, cute huh?!

I was going to put some new and old recipes up on my recipe blog today but didn't get around to it and then thought I would tonight, but I can't bare to drag myself away from my crocheting!

I have got the bug really bad, instead of reading in bed every night, I am even lying back on my pillow and crocheting lying down instead of reading!!!

Nearly the weekend yay!!

bfn

Annette :0)
 
 

 

A freshly painted white wooden floor........

Was the perfect canvas to take some progress photos of my colorful crochet blanket......

 

I'm really happy with how its coming along, the random colours and sizes. Because i have changed the original pattern and done my own thing, I'm sure when the time comes to join the squares it is going to be a right pain in the *^#!! But I will cros that bridge when I come to it!

Off to do some more now :0)

Ax 
  
 
  

Op shopping this morning.......

A quick breeze in and breeze out at the newest Lifeline Store in Cairns, always lovely, pleasant, welcoming people to greet you:0)

Don't know why but just couldn't leave these buttons behind...

Instantly these became little flowers for me, stitch some pretty little beads in the middle and put them on something....somewhere...sometime, (i will!!)

and these, from the days when we had 2 & 1 cent pieces, how long ago was that? 22 cents each. And we also have 1 more number in our phone numbers now than we had back then. (see on the bottom of the container...am I rambling?)

and the last lot, which are probably my favourite and a little bit bigger than the other floral ones.

They were all supposed to be 5 cents each button but the man didn't want to count them out so he gave me each canister for 20 cents each!! That was only after I insisted that 10 cents for each canister buttons included was far too cheap, and he wouldn't take more than 20 cents!! 

and with my current crocheting addiction i just couldn't leave this behind.

the frilly edge and the big flowers sucked me in, i should be able to copy them, love a challenge!! but I would make granny squares and put a flower in the middle of each....and i had better stop thinking about this until I finish the one I am doing now!!

and today was my lucky day, half price on the green tickets and the crocheted blanket had a green ticket.....$5.95 reduced to $2.95! all that work by someone for $2.95, I just had to give it a home!

Already Maddison has curled up and fallen asleep on it in her bed :0) 
  Off to crochet MY blanket and not think of a new one ;0)

ni night
  
  
 
 
  
  

Jamiks Class has been changed to next weekend.

and I am coming for a sleepover I think ;0)

happy weekend to you.

A :0) 
  

Playing with some new Fiskars Lever Punches

The guys at Fiskars very generously sent up a couple of the new lever punches to have a play with. I have to say these new lever punches are a great design, very, very easy to push and a great little flap underneath that keeps all the punchouts in a little cavity so they don't end up flying all over the place!

These are the 3 cards I have made so far.

Maddison was adding some stickers to her school book and left the negative part of the sticker sheet lying around, so a perfect opportunity to make some little butterfly stickers!! and I turned them into a card for a girlfriends birthday.

Even half butterfly's can be used on the edge of the card.

Draw some little black dots so they look like they have been flying around.

I also included a couple inside as well.

The next card I started by punching my butterfly's out of the thick silver foil that comes on the top of a milo tin when you first open it. Added on a bit of thick double sided tape in the middle allows the little wings to be lifted up for some dimension.

I used the photo corners to layer the cardstock. The flower is made by using the circle squeeze punches layered on top of each other and secured with a big white brad.

The next card is also using the corner punch but by taking off the corner guide it allows you to punch side by side along a line to create the notched pattern and then using the positive and the negative to make a pocket type card to slide a ticket or some scratchies in.

And this is what it looks like close up, I added a swipe of ink around the edges as well.

 
I still have some plans for some more samples.

These are another great tool made by Fiskars, thanks guys for the opportunity to play with them. :0)

Annette