Kangaroo Paw

I took this pic a few weeks ago (during the conference- on the day off) There are several "paws" in the family but this particular one is the Western Australian State Floral Emblem (Mangles' Kangaroo Paw).... I have painted it very small many times onto lace bobbins! I am off to Wire Lace Day tomorrow and am going to do a Christmas decoration ... from a Jana Novak book ...only uses 3 pairs so not many bobbins to wind haha! I hope to take some more pics next week of crafty stuff ... I seem to have a lot of "real" pics not many craft subjects ... probably coz I haven't had a lot of time to do crafty stuff ...too busy workin' :( ho hum ....

At the beach! and sexy sox!

Hi

Here are a few shots that I took down in Albany at Middleton Beach ... we were collecting shells and I decided to take same "arty" pics ...

I went to our Wsetern Australian Lace Guild Lace Day yesterday ... a good turn out and I took some of my ATC's to show off ... the ones I have receieved as well as some I have available still for swapping ... we - the West Aus members - are planning on having a "swap session" at one of our monthly Lace days next year (hoping actually that it will be at the April one). Those of us who have already participated in swapping are trying to educate and convert those who haven't been "bitten" by the bug! It's slowly working haha! After the AGM dinner at the conference recently we had a "slipper/sock" party in my room ... here is a pic of our "tootsies" LOL Haha! :D Can you guess which is my foot?

View from my room

Here is a pic of the Flame Tree which was outside my bedroom at the units we stayed at in Albany ... I took a close up arty farty shot too! haha!

I bought some scrapbooking motifs today at the cheap $2 shop near where I go to Wednesday Lace Group ... 200 shapes in each bag... 1 bag of butterflies, 1 of heart shapes, 1 of star shapes and the last of flower shapes. They are sort of fabricky (new word? haha!). The colours are pastel iridescent in shades of ... orange, a light pink, a mid pink, a purple, a green and there could be some others ... I haven't opened the bags yet.... I will use some of them on ATC's as well as incorporating them into embroidery. I need to make some cards soon (for Birthday's etc) When I dig out the camera I will take some pics and post on here.

I also got a small bag of "holly leaves" with "that" time of the year nearly upon us.

I have made my 2 kids an Xmas decoration every year since they were born so that one day when (!!!!) they move out they will be able to "dress" their own trees. Not sure what I will actually do this year ... as some of you will have seen in old blog entry on here that last year I painted big "Gumnuts". Any ideas for quick decorations??????? I have done various beaded ones over the years and little ones in felt, cross stitched ones, decorated polystyrene balls ...etc ..... I am always on the look out for ideas :D

Oh! and just in case you are wondering .....I do make myself a decoration each year too as our tree would be very "nude" at some point in the future if I didn't now wouldn't it? hee hee! :D

Lace Weekend away

Hi All

Here are some pics from my Lace weekend away at the beginning of September... we stayed at a different place this year ... lovely units which have their own little lake on the grounds. The bullfrogs were very loud at night (thank goodness for earplugs haha) and the ducks were up early apparentley too! This one was a bit unsociable ... there were actually 3 pics ...3rd time lucky to get him without his head tucked somewhere! I have been really busy the last 2 weeks ... DD turned 18 early last week and I have been madly painting Lace bobbin orders from the AGM at the end of September... still got quite a few more to do and also to get stock up together for the November annual "Cattern's Day Lace Fair" here in Perth -Cattern's Day is an abbreviated name for St. Catherine's day (Catherine was the patron saint of lacemakers).

Surprisingly we are one of only a couple of States here in Australia who celebrate Cattern's Day!

I have started my Xmas shopping and want to do what I did last year (for the first time) and that is to have all the present shopping done by the end of November!

Great Conference Week

Hi All

Betchya all thought I had fallen off the edge of the world??? haha! I had a fabulous week teaching at the Australian Lace Guild Conference and I got to catch up with all my friends from all over Australia ... My students produced some great wire Jewellery of which about 5 of them wore the pendants and earrings to the Conference dinner which was great to see.

Here is a pic of my first ATC's which I made quite a while ago but was unable to put the pic on here as they were for the 9 National Committee members. (At last year's conference I one 9 ATC's by them so these were in return). Now that they have been given them I can put the pic on here :D When I went to the lace weekend 3 weeks ago in Albany my friends and I got to wander along the local beach collecting shells and I took some arty shots so I will post them over next few entries ... I will try and get back to blogging regularly again. My daughter is 18 on Tuesday so I am looking forward to celebrating that with close friends at a nearby restaurant .... have the bubbly ready! and yes there is bound to be chocolate involved! haha!