Inchie Scissor Keepers

Hi All - I have been hiding in my studio from the heat! It is supposed to be Autumn here but last night was the second hottest temp on record - 28.1°c and today's high was 41°c! I am OVER it!
Here are a few pics of the early stages of some inchie scissor keepers that I have made for little gifts for my trip to the OIDFA World Lace Congress in Japan in July ... more pics to follow ... Hubby and I booked our return flights from Queensland for September today - we had already booked the "going to" flights by cashing in our Qantas Frequent Flyer points a few weeks ago! Saved nearly AU$900!!! yay - that will go towards the car hire hehe!
We are flying into Brisbane then going by car and "bunny hopping" up to Cairns - seeing the Great Barrier Reef then "hopping" back down - After 3 weeks Hubby will fly home and I will stay on for the Aus Lace Guild Annual conference week... The reason Hubby is coming too this year is because next month it is our Silver Wedding Anniversary!!! eeek! LOL!

Finished Knot Garden wall hanging

Here it is...ta da!... the finished piece - it's about 60 cms wide and 45cms deep -now all I have to do is get on and put the hooks up then hang it! hehe!

A much cooler day here today only got to 25.9°c which was fab - I had the windows open and the breeze blowing through the house yay!

I am off to the city tomorrow for a Lace Guild committee meeting and it's only s'posed to be 26 which is great as it gets a very hot in amongst the buildings! Crafty wise I have been sorting out things which I will need for the Tassie/Melbourne Teaching trip in May ...

More Knot Garden Wall hanging

Hi All
I am still enjoying working in the studio with the air con zooming away - Thursday's temp here was a high of 42°c and yesterday 40°c - today a cooller 36°c!!!
Here are the next 2 pics of my Knot Garden Wall hanging - now with the little silk flowers in place - they were made by ironing salt dyed silk (a couple of blouses which I got at an "Op shop" (charity shop)) onto a piece of Vliesofix - then by peeling of the paper backing of the Vliesofix and ironing more silk onto the back so basically silk sandwiched with a "glue" middle! - then I cut them all out!
They are cut from 1cm squares so that gives you an idea of their size .... then sewn into place with a bead in the centre. A pic of the complete hanging - to follow in the next post :-) ...

Dorset Buttons

Here is a pic of some Dorset Buttons I made about 11 years ago - I lived in Dorset from the age of 2 (born in Wiltshire - next County over!) until I emigrated age 24 :-)
The Dorset Button industry began in the 1600's in the town of Shaftesbury - that is where I went to High School! and my Mum still lives 7 kms away...

Knot Garden Wall Hanging

Here are the first three pics of the Knot Garden Wall Hanging as promised before the One World One Heart thing.... more to follow....

Making of the Neck Purses

Hi
All
Here a few pics of the two Neck purses during the making - I am busy at the moment preparing for the May interstate workshops (Lace making) - no peace for the wicked hehe! LOL :-)
I hope that the weather is being kind to you wherever you are in the world - another summer day here - top of 35°c - around 30 for next 3 days then high 30's for the beginning of next week - I am enjoying working in the studio with the Olympic coverage on - all that snow and ice hehe!

THE WINNERS ARE

I have thoroughly enjoyed the One World One Heart Magic Carpet ride - and I am thrilled to have had over 400 comments this year - almost three times as many as last year- and such wonderful things written too! A huge thank you to all of you.

So here are the two lucky winners.......
LADYBUG
and
LYNN

I have emailed you Lynn and I have left a comment on your page Ladybug - as I couldn't find an email link....
Please send me your postal addresses as soon as possible so that I can get these little purses off to you wherever you are in the world...
I am also thrilled as I have won a prize this year - a faerie from Kaerie Faerie - yay!
I hope to snoofy at my leisure around all the blogs and hope that many of you will return here to see what I get up to this year...

My Giveaway is NOW CLOSED

My One World, One Heart giveaway has now closed!
Thank you every one who came and visited my blog and left a comment - my son and daughter will be doing the draw shortly - one name each :-) - and I will post the winners on here tomorrow ..... thanks again all and do come back to visit...

One World One Heart Giveaway 2010

Hi Everyone- Welcome to my blog!
One World One Heart is a great way to get to know other bloggers and to visit like minded people all over the world.
This is a worldwide event to bring bloggers together, you can read all about it at One World, One Heart just click on Lisa's name.
The purpose is to encourage people, bloggers and non-bloggers alike to visit other blogs and to make connections. Anyone with the One World, One Heart logo on their blog is taking part. If you'd like more information click on the One World One Heart logo in this entry or on the sidebar.
To possibly win my giveaway, you must leave a comment ON THIS POST ONLY, by February 14th I will draw the winners at 7.30pm (Australian Western Standard Time (+8 hours GMT), and I will announce these winners on February 15th. You need to be a blogger yourself, in order to qualify and you must leave an email address if I can't link back to you through you blog so you can be contacted if you should win.
When you click on the One World, One Heart logo you will be taken to the site that will explain everything, and show you a list of every participating blogger. Visit all the blogs! Leave Comments! Win prizes! Check back on the site, as new blogs will be listed as their authors sign up.
What am I offering?
I am offering two prizes this year - two of my "Jewelled Jemz" Neck Purses ... one in brown and one in green - they are great for popping your thimble in when you are at a workshop or even when you are working at home! and also for keeping Raffle Tickets and other Knick Knacks safe...or just to "pep" up an outfit! and as some people suggested last year - for your lippy or chap stick!
So on February the 14th I will be drawing 2 names and yours could be one! and announcing it on Feb 15th. If you have a colour preference please state it in your comment when you leave it (on this entry ONLY) ...Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come visit again soon and Good Luck!

Mikey the Micro Meerkat

Hi All
It was very hot here in Perth last Sunday around the 42°c mark - so I was hiding in the air conditioned studio and I decided to attempt knitting a tiny meerkat - I have 6 toy meerkats - 4 that I got here in Australia and the latest 2 that I bought in UK last year- I haven't been able to find a free tiny knitted Meerkat pattern on the web except I did manage to find a fab pattern for a tiny wee Mouse at a site called Knitted Toy Box
so I decided to adapt it - to Meerkat colours and I just made the arms/legs a little longer and unlike the original pattern I made the legs the same amount of stitches as the arms - I also used different needles as the yarn was finer than DK - it was an acrylic mohair ... I am really pleased with the result ... he is sooooo cute - Thanks Knitted Toy box :-) The other pic is of the Mumma Meerkat who had babies about 5 weeks before this picture was taken which I took last time I visited Perth Zoo in January last year... she was gorgeous. I have found a crocheted Meerkat pattern out there but unfortunately I never learned to crochet and now Arthritis in fingers negates it! the crochet pattern if your interested is at Roman Sock - I would love one of these but can't find anyone to make one for me : boo hoo! LOL!

Knot Garden Wall Hanging

Hi All - Today I finished the 2 "Jewelled Jemz Neck Purses" which I will be offering in my giveaway with the annual "One World One Heart" - it starts this coming Monday - 25th January and I will be drawing the winner on February 15th - if you would like to know more about it - click on the pink "Magic Carpet Ticket Holder- One World One Heart" logo in my sidebar on the left of your screen! (or on the underlined words that I have just made into a link!) It's a fantastic concept - last year there were well over 800 people offering gifts - I did put my name in on about 60 blogs but wasn't a winner perhaps this year I will be .... "gotta be in it to win it" LOL! :-) ... Last year I offered 1 Jewelled Jemz Neck purse and it went to live in the UK - I wonder where this year's two will end up? hmmm haha LOL! (I have taken pics of the purses in various stages and will show them on here soon as well as the pic of the actual finished items that will be on here on Monday).
Today's pics are: The first one is the background for my "Knot Garden Wall Hanging" - this year at my Stitchety Grubs Embroidery Group our theme is "Knot Garden"...... well - me being me- I am not taking the traditional route that a couple of the others are doing - I have actually already finished mine so I will show the various steps of it on the next few blog entries ... the second pic is of the first stage of the centre panel with the actual "Knot Garden" bit - Gold work Techniques......
The last 2 pics are of the duck pond in the centre of a little village in Dorset, Uk which is called "Ashmore " (Yes it is even on the Google maps - satellite and everything hehe) this is the village where I lived from the age of 2 until 16 (16-18 I was only home weekends as I lived with my Gran in Salisbury where I went to Art College- and then I moved to Bournemouth - to work and be in the 'big wide world!")

Lace and Decorated Blouse

Hi All - from Sunny hot Perth -today's temperature was 38°c and it is still 35° right now (6pm) and tomorrow and Monday's forecast is for 41°c!!! - I have been hiding in the studio today in the cool air con though I did go for a swim with Hubby and Son in our pool this afternoon (the pool water is 31°c!).
Pics today - my UK Trip one - shows a piece of lace in the Textile room at the V&A in london and the other two are of my blouse I appliqued last week - the sleeve and then the view of the whole blouse.... This last week I have been working on the Russian Mat but I am thinking that I may not have enough thread left on the reel (hindsight's a great thing - shoulda bought two!!) - so I have stopped and have ordered another (from the same lady I got the original one) - so I am hoping it will match close enough to wind onto a couple of the bobbins and I can gradually work it in .... finger's crossed .... Oh and I saw a giveaway on Robin's blog - but hurry as I think it closes tomrrow (Sunday)

Bobbin Lace Appliqued Blouse

Hi All
Another hot day in Perth today - 35°c - I went in our pool for a swim this arvo once my son and his mates had finished - the water was a lovely 31°c according to the new thermometer - obviously the pool blanket we got a week ago is doing it's job and hubby is happy as it's keeping a lot of leaves etc out and also not so much water evaporating as previously!
Here are some pics - the first two are of a blouse which I bought recently at an Op Shop (Charity shop) and last week I appliqued some bobbin lace pieces onto it that I did yonks ago that were kicking around in the cupboard - (they were used early last year when I did the machine embroidery course - when we were doing the sun dying - hence why they are kind of "rusty/orange" now!) also some silk blouse hems (as ribbon!) and some other braid/cord I was given - there are a couple more pics of this blouse - which I will put on my next blog entry... the third pic is part of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster London - from my trip last year - I was sat on a little wall opposite haveing a 5 min rest and decided it was worth a photo...hehe - luv the gargoyles - ferocious little beasties!

Russian Bobbin Lace Mat and park pics

Hi All
I am off to my Saturday arvo Lace Group in a minute - our first meeting for this year - so just have time to pop a blog entry on here - as some of you know I am also a member of an online (Aussie based) Lace Group - Gumlace - and I promised I would put an up to date photo of my Russian Mat which has been "on the go" for over 5 years- it has spent a lot of time in the cupboard including 10 months of last year! as I was working on my Triennial competition piece from early 2008 until Sept 2009 ..... and with all my travels last year - it has been sadly neglected - however it is currently the only Bobbin lace I have on the go (actually the only lace I have on the go - my 2 needle lace pillows are also empty!) - all my other 14 bobbin lace pillows are empty!!!.......... most unusual as I usually have 3-4 pieces of lace on the go - one of which is usually a wire piece!
So here is a pic of the matand I will be plodding away with it this afternoon at the group....

The next photo is the next instalment in my last Year's UK trip - this is Kensington Gardens and an 8 minute walk from my hotel .... the 3rd pic was taken in the adjoining Hyde Park -It is The Lido where people were swimming (amazing to this Aussie resident - it would have been way toooooo cold for me!) - in with all the ducks etc hehe! .....Talking of swimming - we had a pool blanket fitted on our pool on Wednesday and the water is now 29.5°c so I went in yesterday for the first time this season - hopefully I will be able to swim a lot more often now that our big below ground concrete pool (hence why it used to be sooo cold and take sooo long to heat up!) has a blanky hehe!
Warm thoughts to all of you "up there" with all that snow .... brrrrr memories of Southern England when I was a kid.... I DON'T miss the snow at all!

London pics and Applique ATC's

Here is the next installment in my UK trip last August and a craft pic - this is the hotel I stayed in - it's in Queensway Street in Bayswater, London -a dinky little hotel - it is the pink building in the pic - my room was at the very top (attic!!) in the centre - it had the tiniest "cupboard bathroom" - a round loo! little basin and shower - but was clean and just right for me all on my own.... colour digital TV up on the wall - tea/coffee facitiies - everything I needed and at £68 (AU$ 119) per night for central London - brilliant -a 3 min walk to Bayswater Underground station with a Tesco's supermarket opposite it (selling the necessaries like wine and chocolate haha!) - or a 6 mins walk to Queensway station ..... I actually walked out everywhere in the mornings but went by underground back in the afternoon to the hotel - I was too pooped by then haha!
I purchased an "Oyster card" for the under ground before I left Australia and it was great - the train from Heathrow to Bayswater station only cost £2.20 (AU$ 3.85!!!) and other short "zone 1" trips were £1.60 (AU$ 2.80) instead of £4 (AU$ 7.00) if you pay cash in the station! - a great saving - I still have around £7 (AU$ 12.25) on it! and it doesn't expire yay! I am keeping it safe for next July when Hubby and I plan to go together. The other pic is of 4 ATC's which were made from a bag of tiny scraps that I accumulate near my sewing machine - I hate throwing anything away - you just never know when you are going to need it! LOL ! They are embellished with tatted "flowers/bushes" and sequins and beads! The one at bottom right is still available if anyone out there wants to swap? - I wouldn't want to meet the "giant" ladybird on it if it was to scale though! haha!

Wire bobbin lace ATC's

I recently participated in a Christmas Card swap - and as I had some small pieces of wire bobbin lace (I make this little set of "repeats" to use up the wire that is left on my lace bobbins after making my jewellery pieces) I thought I could do something with them - I was sitting in the studio contemplating the wire lace and thought the little loops looked like little houses- which led me to the Christmas Carol - "Oh little town of Bethlehem..." so I made 6 ATC's - four which I attached to cards for the swap, one which I have kept for myself and one that went on a card and was posted to my Blog friend Pat that's the one (first pic) with the added hologram bell and tree ....(Hi Pat! :-D)
I painted the little house with some white paint and yellow for the 'lit windows" then sewed the wire lace strip itno place - added a star sequin and a little bit of calico on which I wrote the wording - and there ya go!

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone :-)
Happy New Year - well I finally got around to loading all the photo's from my camera onto my computer yesterday - only took 5 hours! as I had to compress some of them to go on this blog .....The first pic that I took when I went to the UK last August - was of the "Button Queen" shop - It sold a few new and lots of antique buttons there - quite expensive but interesting to see anyway - if only those buttons could talk! - The top picture is of the Antique Maltese Lace hankie and bone bobbin I bought at Portabello markets - My Grandfathers name was James ... and as there were only 3 choices of names - I felt rather pleased to find a family name on one! the other pic I took somewhere in London haha! just loved the sign as it had 2 of my favourite things - Vodka and food! on it haha!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hi All
A Very Merry Christmas to you all - I have had a very busy last few weeks - sorry for the lack of Blog Posts - I hope to rectify that as my New Years Resolution - and now family are on holidays - so still busy doing the social thing!
It's 34°c today and we are hiding in the cool air con - Daughter did go in our pool this morning but the water temperature is only 24°c and she soon hopped out! We are getting a pool blanket delivered and installed on January 6th (I will be at Lace but Hubby will be still on holidays then - so it should be there when I get home that day yay!) it's supposed to keep the water up to 10°c hotter and of course will keep out the palm nuts (the actual trees are in our back neighbours garden!) and other leaves out.
Well we just had roast pork cooked on the Webber BBQ outside so we're all stuffed now!
Once again Merry Christmas and have a great New Year :-)

Needle Lace Kit and Needle Lace Pillow

Hi All
Yep - I am still here - I hope to have more time for the computer from today which was the Cattern's Day Annual Lace Fair here in Perth, Western Australia...where I sell the bobbins which I paint ... I have lots of photo's to load from the last few months but I haven't had time so far as once I have loaded them on the computer I then have to compress them and name them and it all takes time...
In the meanwhile - here are a few pics of my Needle Lace Travelling Kit and tiny Travelling Needle Lace Pillow - The first pic shows the Pillow at the top and the Kit at the botton in the closed position. Pic 2 shows the Kit open - the pocket at the top left holds a little container to put spare "Couronnes" in (Little needle lace flowers) and also a tiny pair of tweezers. The pocket at the bottom left is of course for embroidery scissors.... in the centre is sewn 2 little sealable plastic bags in which I store the cardboard floss bobbins of Cordonnet threads and the actual thread for the needle lace and also a contact lens container in which I keep a random selection of tiny beads to incorporate into the lace and any other little things necessary (Like fine wire to help make picots).... on the back inside at the top is a detachable needle case (attaches with velcro) and in the bottom right pocket I keep the sewing thread for couching and a couple of my own homemade leather thimbles... Basically in this tiny case I have everything I need for a needle lace piece. The final pic chows the Needle Lace Pillow in the "open" position - out of the carry bag and you can see a little matching pin cushion on the end....

Jewelled Jemz Neckpurse and Jelly Roll

Hi - Confession time - I still haven't had the chance to load on the pics from my travels ... I've been busy painting bobbins for the upcoming West Aus Lace Guild Cattern's Day Fair on Nov 28th and also working on several emailed bobbin orders that I have received as well as running my son around who is in the middle of Year 12 TEE exams and working on other crafty things in the studio.... I had a lovely surprise the day before yesterday when I had a parcel in the letterbox ... couldn't think what it would be ...I had totally forgotten my Blog friend Pat in the UK had said she would send me a booklet on using "rusting powder" (She had given me a pot of it when I met up with her at the V&A in London at the end of July) ... and bless her also in the parcel was an spangled ebony Lace bobbin ... just gorgeous - thanks Pat :-) ... you spoil me :-)
The pics above are: a little embroidery for one of 3 Jewelled Jemz neck purses which I made to colour co-ordinate with my (suitcase) wardrobe for my UK trip and the other pic is a Jelly Roll of fabric which I got in April when I was on my Wire Lace teaching trip to Adelaide - there was a lovely Quilt shop opposite a lace meeting which I went to in Strathalbyn ... no idea what I will do with it but just loved the colourway and had to have it haha! Oh and thank you to all of you who stop by this blog and visit - for ages I was stuck on 99 countries on my counter but now have clocked 100 woo hoo! hehe!

Yes - More Wild Women Brooches

Hi All
Here are a couple more Wild Women - The first is one that I have kept myself - she is made with hand needle felted wool, textured knitting wools, Painted hot glue motif, beads, Green metallic thread tatted hair and one of my painted faces ... yes I made about 20 faces and I only have one left LOL! The second pic is a little lady that has gone to live with my friend Margaret whom I sit next to on Wednesdays at Wanneroo Lace Group ... she put up with me making lots of Wild Women earlier this year (quite a few of them were for gifts on my recent trip to the UK) so I felt it only right to give her one of her own! LOL! :-) Margaret's is made of painted fleecy (the fluffy inside! of the fabric) Goat mohair for hair.... beads and tatted flowers.... her shoes and handbag I discovered in a scrap booking section in a local shop...
I have been making some more Wild Women today - different to these - this time I have done the faces on small wooden heart blanks ..... stay tuned for pics ......

More Wild Women brooches

Hi - I still haven't found the time to load all my holiday pics onto this comuter - but here are a couple of photo's I loaded on before I went away but didn't post (explanation below ...read on...). The first 2 were given to me for my Birthday by my friend Colleen - she was only supposed to make 1 but she made the one on the left first using some of her hand made Bedfordshire bobbin lace and she wasn't happy with it so she crocheted the fluffy one on the right and she gave them both to me ... I think they are both fabulous and have worn them several times! The 3 in the other pic were made by me ... but they haven't been posted until now as they were gifts - the one on the left with blue shoes was for my friend Judy's Birthday back in June, the one in the middle was for my Blog friend Pat when I met her for the first time in London at the end of July and the pink one was for my friend Maureen whose Birthday was in early August. (In case you don't remember our project at my Stitchety Grubs Embroidery Group this year was to make each other a wild woman brooch for our Birthday's LOL :-) - there are a couple more pics of yet more Wild Women - some of whom were given as gifts whilst in the UK - I will pop them on the next post.

Hello and new Lacey ATC's

Hi All
I still haven't had a chance to load my holiday(s) pics on this computer - been busy with the family - our son had shocking Tonsilitis last week and is on antibiotics - his sister has had it bad over the years but this is the first time that he has had it and it had to be the week of his pre TEE exams -ie these exams are a small percentage towards his main ones which are in 3 weeks time so I guess better now than then! ... I am looking forward to him leaving school completely around November 16th ... it will be stange no longer having kids at school and not having to do the "school run" mornings and afternoons anymore ... after 17 years !!!!... it means I should get a whole hour more in the studio each day!!!! as it takes 30 minutes round trip to the high school! Yippee!! I received 7 new ATC's whilst I was away in teh YK but I haven't had time to actually photograph them yet however here are a couple I did recieve and do a pic of just befor I left at the end of July.... The top one is done by Elsa a lacemaking friend here in Perth and the bottom one by my friend Mary also a lacemaking friend here in Perth! Elsa's is bobbin lace and Mary has made hers all in needlelace! I love them - just gorgeous hehe!

Yes I am back and I won an award

Hi All
Yes Pene I am back ... but only just ...after the 6 weeks in UK I had 3 days home then 4 days in the South of West Aus - in Albany for their annual Lace weekend then home for 3 days then I was in Brisbane for the Annual Australian Lace Guild AGM week and returned this past Sunday ... I haven't had much chance to blog yet as I had my monthly machine Embroidery workshop day today and of course the last 3 days I have been doing the workshop work from the 2 days that I missed when I was away .... Next week I start back in the studio painting bobbins and running my son to school for a week of exams (though the school is on holiday the year 12's have to do the exams) His main exams though are from Nov2-18 ... poor kid!
Yesterday morning I was madly emailing my travel agent to book my flights for the OIDFA Lace conference i nJapan in July next year (2- 18th are the dates I will be away). (OIDFA = Interenational Organisation of bobbin and Needle lacers).

Whilst in Brisbane last week I was also asked about teaching wire bobbin lace in Tasmania in mid May next year ... so that is (lightly) pencilled in my new lace diary! exciting stuff!

A week ago Saturday my duaghter moved out of home in into a unit and seems to be getting on well ... bless ... never cooked or cleaned much at home but she's learning fast LOL! Haha!

yay! go me!I haven't had a chance to load all my luvly pics on here yet but I have to have a brag and say that the Triennial Lace Competition was last week when I was in Brisbane and I won (second time in a row) the "Mixed Lace" category (you may remeber the G- String "The Sea" theme from last time) this time the Theme was The Rainforest and I made a top (very brief one!) hahaha :-) The prize was a beautiful little wooden bowl made by a woodturning fellow in Brisbane from 4 different woods ... just wonderful and on display on one of our cupboards in the family room! Smells great too as one of the woods is "Camphor Laurel".