Annie's Reflections

Quick Cards

2012-02-17T14:15:00.000+08:00

Just a quick post to share with you the cards Georgina and I made the other night.

With the lovely ideas from Marg at Country Papercraft we chose our own papers and followed her design as we can not get there for card classes - tad to far!

Georgina's top row

Annie bottom row

Hope to get more cards done this year using all the new goodies purchased last year!

The last few months

2011-12-16T08:13:00.000+08:00

My world has had a few shake ups since my last post in June and I have not been doing much craft at all.

I collapsed and had to visit the hospital, the doctors, the vampires, and then the cardologist in Perth. In the middle of this Dad passed away. He will be greatly missed for his wicked sense of humour. Rest in peace Dad.

Life is getting back to normal now thank goodness. Taking it easy and learning my limitations.

Have a great Christmas everyone

Cards

2011-06-20T14:40:00.000+08:00

A few cards I made for birthdays in May and June for the family

Off cut strips from work and my Spellbinders Labels Dies

For all the "boys"

New Spellbinder Sprockets dies with a technique Leonie showed me a while ago

Birthdays wishes sent to Donnybrook

New Carnation Creations Spellbinders die adding to the flower pile!

Using the Rose Creations dies I made the below flower.

Pages from an old book and sprayed with Glimmer mist

Have at last had a play with the Tim Holtz rosette flowers and loved making them.

I have to get the flowers and the camera in the same place to take some photographs.

Soon

What did you spend your Sunday afternoon doing?

2011-06-01T17:02:00.000+08:00

This was DH's job at Easter time

With his two Supervisors!

(Where the two supervisors are standing got paved at Easter)

This was were he got to by lunch time Sunday

Supervisor's locked in the house! No 'rose prints' allowed!

686 pavers 2722kgs!

Result of my and DH's Sunday afternoon !

(Few sore muscles Monday morning!!!!)

DH now has to sort out and pave the smaller areas.

Jumpers on the line are the ones I started at Easter for DH too!

Ready to wear at last!

Few Months!

2011-04-29T16:48:00.001+08:00

Life has been hectic here with work, so little time for craft!

Heading for Adelaide for the sevens rugby but the ute gear box decided just outside Eucla it had gone far enough! So home we came and were lucky to get there

Had to share this photo of a very bored "madam" on the way home! Had to see what was going on!

One card to share with you for a made for a friends birthday

Happy New Year

2011-01-08T10:39:00.000+08:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!
Wishing every one a good and creative New Year

Lap quilt donated to The Boulder Rotary Radio Auction held in November.

Kindly quilted by Nancy at Chez's Crafty Affair

Thanks Nancy

Disappearing Nine patch design which I love as I can use up some of the 'stash'

Great Excitement!

2010-10-05T20:47:00.000+08:00

Great excitement in the camp

We have won a Highly Commended in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize for 2010!

Heather myself and Georgina get together once a month and share our Textile Art ideas and knowledge. We had been having fun 'rust dyeing fabric' then over dyeing to get the colours.

Using some of this fabric we decided to do a combined art work piece based on the theme of earth, water and vegetation in the Goldfields.

The Result

Heather's - Earth (Salt lakes on her way to work each day)

Annie's - Water (required for life here in the Goldfields)

Georgina's - Timber (Based on the timber required for the mines)

There were 259 entries this year. They moved the exhibition from the Boulder Town Hall to Kalgoorlie due to the earthquake damage at the beginning of the year. Great venue!

More Cards!

2010-09-07T19:55:00.000+08:00

Some of the cards I have made recently

Birthday card for a friend

Birthday card for Dad using the Tim Holtz Gear Sponge die

Birthday card for mum and dad neighbour

Love the Stampin' Up Top Note die!

For Mum and Dad

Another month or more has passed!

2010-08-06T13:51:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Angela (has no blog) for this photo of the Country Papercraft shop Bruce Rock taken during the Retreat at the beginning of July.

Great fun and lots of chatting!

You donot know where to start with all the goodies Marg has in store!

I managed to finish off three different projects I had start at various time

Sukura punched flowers with free hand art work.

Had fun adding more free hand bits afterwards.

More punched flowers!

These ones had to find backings and attached to card.

Love the Cuttlebug for the textured backgrounds.

Heat Hogs!

2010-06-18T14:35:00.000+08:00

Just had to share this image of the Heat Hogs!

Life is a warmth and love for these three

Great Tale!

2010-06-10T15:13:00.000+08:00

Remember this latest member of the family, now almost one and rules the roost!

Geraldine the breeder has written a wonderful tale about her mum Suzee

"The true story -though with frequent flights of fancy- of the friendship between Suzee - the Jack Russel Terrier and Magoh Magee -the Australian Magpie."

Please follow the link below to find out more:

http://geraldine-goretti-hallahan.blogspot.com/2010/05/including-postage-and-handling.html

Cards!

2010-05-07T14:16:00.000+08:00

I have been reinspired to make cards again by the lovely Robin and Leonie after attending Stampin Up classes with them. Thanks ladies!

This first card was from Leonie's class and is for my sisters birthday

Love the leaves and top note Sizzix plates with the Cuttlebug Swiss dots folder

This one is for Mum

One for Sheena with the Cuttlebug embossing folders

And an engagement card using the Cuttlebug

Shaking Morning!!

2010-04-20T15:41:00.000+08:00

Just a quick blog to say we have survived the shake this morning.

Rather nasty way to start the day!

Most of the damage was to buildings in Burt Street and one street back towards Kalgoorlie

Twice in a month!

2010-02-28T14:08:00.001+08:00

Long weekend here in WA but at the computer working!

Managed to find the photos of the handbag I made between Christmas and New Year with the pattern and fabric a friend gave me for my birthday. Love the pattern and the result!

Made another one (left), another bag, note book cover and book mark with the music note fabric as a thank you gift.

Eventually got my stitchery made for a bloging buddy in New Zealand - Carole. Cannot wait to see the finished quilt with all the stitcheries.

Oh Dear!!!

2010-02-26T13:34:00.001+08:00

I see I have not posted for four months! A lot has happened in that time and the blog is last on the list.
I have a new computer too and went to post the other day to find I had to load PISCA to put pictures on the blog.

Not alot of craft has been done recently.

I did purchase a Cuttlebug machine a while ago and just love the background effects with the embossing folders. I also purchased a large number of Spellbinder Die cutters and have been looking for a way to store them. I have settled on the following:

Thanks to the lovely Marg at Country Papercraft for the CD tins and ordering me some larger tins too. I would be lost with out you Marg!

Easy to store away

Some of the cards I have made with the folders and dies.

Quick Post

2009-10-12T09:34:00.004+08:00

My three Jack Russell's.

The two yougesters play well together, all supervised by Blaze

Having a puppy does make life interesting! Missing shoes, teeth marks, puddles strange things on the carpet etc. Keeps you on your toes!

Being doing a bit of sewing in between making red inchies for our swap this week.
Bag I have made using left over strips I found in the scrap box with a denim bottom.
I was looking for fabric to cut into 2 inch square to make some fabric baskets, found a heap of strips all about the same lenght and decided to join them together and try out another bag pattern I found for size.

New Addition

2009-09-22T12:09:00.003+08:00

Craft, painting walls and all else has come to a stop at the moment as we have a new addition to the household!

Meet our Patchalena - known as Lena

3 month old Jack Russell from our wonderful Geraldine in Donnybrook WA

I had forgotten what hard work they are and the biggest time wasters too. My other two Jack Russell's are getting used to her. Cushla plays really nicely with her but Blaze has never had a puppy in his life before so is not sure what is going on.

Blogging

2009-09-10T13:06:00.002+08:00

I am still around but have not got to up date my blog lately with trips to Perth, Cervantes, renovations, work and additions to the tribe.

I will add more details and photos soon as I have joined with Deb, Carole, Doreen and Ann, and we trade ATC's each month and then with Heather and Georgina and we trade every two weeks so I am getting a great collection of 'small art works'.

Painting of the renovations is also cutting into art time, but it will be wonderful when it is all finished.

Fabric Baskets

2009-05-10T10:16:00.003+08:00

A quick blog!

I was printing out photos of 'art works' I have done in the last few months to show the girls in Perth when we catch up at the Craft Fair, what I had been doing and had to share these with you.

The 'receipe' can from a lovely tutorial from Ayumills at Pink Penguin blog. I really enjoyed making then and hope to do more for Christmas gifts. I also love the way Ayumills uses the 2" squares to make bags and pillows. Great way to use up all your scraps and off cuts.

Catch Up

2009-05-08T13:31:00.003+08:00

As promised from my last post here are the photo's of the wonderful mail I received!

ATC trade with the lovely Carole in New Zealand. Lovely the way she has used the selvages.

Another ATC trade with Nikki Love her ATC's and the small quilts she has made. Makes the mind go at million miles all the possible ideas!

My trade with Debbi

The lovely Deb turned up for our "meeting" on Wednesday night with some fibre ribbon, netting ribbon and some narrow silver organza ribbon she had found at the local craft shop and shared her lovely loot with me. Thank Deb

And lastly the fibre postcards I have been making for the Unique Stitching Red Cross fund-raiser. Most of them have napkin bases with FME over the top. Using the Embellishing machine has really got me to 'relax' and I am alot happier doing FME work now.

Weekend Over

2009-04-27T09:26:00.002+08:00

Easter and Anzac weekends DH has been paving out the back off the office with me as TA or Site Supervisor so very little craft has been done. We are using old pavers so the project has not been easy but will look good when all the work is complete.

Started some postcards for Unique Stitching fundraiser for the Red Cross so must continue with them.

Will post during the week with photo's of our handiwork and of the goodies the postie delivered!

Weekends Results!

2009-04-06T10:00:00.003+08:00

??Brewing!!

I tried to over dye a piece of cotton dress fabric with not very good results, but Linda had sent me a receipe for Scrunched Layer Dyeing so as everything was out I gave it a go! Results below but.....

in all the excitement I forget the cardinal rule of NOT to mix opposite colours together!!!!.

The results where a bit muddy and not very strong colours so Sunday back they went into two other colour dyes and I am much happier with the results.

The above fabrics were only in the dye bath for two hours which was not long enough. With further reading, someone recommended the minimum time for a dye bath is four hours so the second round was in for five hours and a much stronger result. Big learning curve for the weekend!

The dyes are all out now so will have some more fun soon!

Inspiring Weekend

2009-04-04T15:24:00.004+08:00

I joined the "No Theme ATC Swap" in February and had great fun making the below ATC's with a technique I found on Fannie's blog - putting watercolour oil pastels on the fabric in the rough shape of your design and then free motion stitching the design. Love the technique and will be having more fun in the following weeks. Thank you also to Carole for sharing the blog.

I recieved these ATC's from Diana last week for the 'No Theme Swap' Thank you to everyone for the great 'little' works of art. My collections is slowly growing!

Jane Howie, Karen Dean, Les Clarke

Alison Christensen, Cherie Hoyle, Marilyn Wilson

DH has gone to Perth - shopping, for the rugby and a Who concert so I have got the Procion dyes out to have some fun. Thank you to Linda for all her help to, I will share the results with you later. For once I managed to find all the ingredients here in Kal and not have to wait for the Postie to arrive.

Now off to get the sewing machine out to do some quilting to dye as per C June Barnes book Stitching to Dye in Quilt Art

I found this mystery flower in the garden last week.

Lovely yellow - my favorite colour but it has taken a while to discover what it is. I set Mum a task and she has discovered it is a Spider Lily.

Strange things happen in my garden!

Collage Fun!

2009-03-16T15:19:00.002+09:00

Not much art work or sewing has been done recently, but had to share with you the collage of the doves that decided to make a nest on top of a shoe on top of an electrical control box.

Mum on the nest the first photo and then the baby ready to leave at the bottom.

Two Months!

2009-02-23T14:27:00.006+09:00

Two months have passed since my last post.
Christmas was quite celebrated with Mum and Dad, with Dad being on the mend slowly.I found these "three" (DH Blaze and Cushla) having a discussion with Father Christmas regarding next years gifts already. (Father Christmas says HO HO HO on a sensor)

Hand bag construction has been on the agenda - ideas from the Haute Handbag magazines. Volume 5 due out soon!

Denim and cotton lace

Denim, beads and machine stitching.

Then I discovered a great tutorial on the construction of "Disappearing Nine Patch" quilts on Helen in the UK blog site and have been using up my stash making small quilts. Blocks cut out and ready to sew. My craft room could do with a few metres added to the side of it!

Deb and I have been good this year on our Wednesday evenings and learning new techniques. See Debs post as I have not photographed any of my work yet.

Back to work!

Another Month Passed

2008-12-19T13:01:00.004+09:00

Well Dad is improving slowly but happier in his home enviroment. We will catch up with them for Christmas.

I have managed to have a bit of a crafty play. Using Lynda Monk's techiniqueof painting quilts. I did the following sample but still have to work out how to finish it. Loved have fun - thanks Lynda and many more ideas to for in the New Year.

Our last get together for the year Deb opened her envelope with me to share with me all the packages for her twelve days of Christmas swap. Thanks Deb and I have enjoyed following them on your blog.

Deb with all her parcels!

Enjoyed the annual St Barbara's parade down Hannan Street of the different mining gear. Below is the big haul pack from the Superpit. Just manages to fit down one side of the street!

Had an ATC trade with Domi and Claudine in France at the beginning of November. Also been learning about France as I walk every Thursday with a lady that has moved here to Australia

Lovely embroderied ATC from Domi

Two lovely ATC's done by Claudine

Another Month Gone

2008-11-17T12:56:00.003+09:00

Another month has passed again. I have been busy with work and then had my parents come for a visit but Dad decided to test the medical facilities here in Kal and then in Perth via the Flying Doctor. Which left Mum and I driving to Perth to see what he was upto.

A big thank you to all those that helped with Dad here in Kal, you did a great job! Thank You

I entered two of my quilts I did for the Aus/NZ Art Quilters monthly journal quilts. We are given a Theme and Technique for each month and have to make an A4 size quilt using either or both ideas. I started well but have the ideas for the quilts for the end of the year but have not made them. I want to go down to the exhibition and photograph them in place and will then share them with you.

This was an embellished ATC I sewed onto a quilted background as farewell present for a friend. Must do some more with the embellishing machine it has had a long enough holiday.

What Twice in One Week

2008-10-17T09:32:00.005+08:00

I have increased my internet "allowance" and going to try and at least blog once a week. I will have Deb to remind me!

My first award!

I thank Deb for the Blogging Friends Forever award and being new to blogging keep forgetting to ask on Wednesday's about the etiquette of blogging awards thus the delay in acknowledging the award.

The rules are: for passing on the award are:
1. Only five people allowed
2. Four of them have to be dedicated followers of your blog and one has to be new and live in another part of the world.
3. You have to link back to who gave you the award.

This is not easy as alot of friends read my blog but are not bloggers themselves.
So I pass this award onto Cait at this time.

I managed to get the afternoon yesterday to start on some ATC's and hope to finish them tonight. I have used all the scraps and bits from other projects.

I had to share this photo of one of the Supervisors.

Quite happy to sit in anything!

A worry! But what is going through that brain?

Caught Up!

2008-10-16T08:52:00.004+08:00

I have been really busy with work since returning from holiday,then had a visit from my sister with her husband and two little boys, took a few days to recover once they left and then the flu struck. The craft side has not progressed very far at all. I did make an ATC for a Angela as a thank you for going shopping for me in Perth before coming up to Kalgoorlie. I used some hand dyed fabric which I had stamped on then covered with organza, added the lace, FME and added the flowers and a bead for the centre.

I will share with you in a later post a photo of my flower stash. Deb did admire and comment on the stash the first time she saw it.

Deb and I attended the local Spring Festival on Sunday. There were a few stalls were we parted with our money and returned home with goodies to an to the stash!

Not Lost!

2008-09-15T09:17:00.007+08:00

I notice my last post was 25 July! Not lost just been away. We decided to hitch up the caravan and head for the coast - not Esperance which is five hour drive from here but Denham 22 hours later. Long drive but great to get away and see more of the country

Denham from the beach below the lookout.

There was lots of work to do before we left and I have been catching up since getting back. The time in Denham was lovely with great weather - sun on the body after the cold in Kalgoorlie. DH went fishing with little luck but was testing and learning as this is a new venture for him.

We spent one day at Monkey Mia to see the dolphins and the pelicans and have a walk with the dogs on a different beach.

The one great enjoyment was the wild flowers out closer to the coast, as up and in from Kalgoorlie in very dry.

The white Everlastings near Billabong on the Northwest highway

The yellow Everlastings on the side of the road in to Denham

Pink Everlastings near Mullewa - area know for the great wildflowers.

The greatest find was the wreath flowers out at Pindar. Growing on the side of the road in a small area. You can see the foot prints of the tourist having a look at the flowers. They are amazing growing out from the centre and all the flower around the outside.

Friday

2008-07-25T08:50:00.003+08:00

I have done my BAS (Yes!!) and now have to do DH's, but first with work committments I could not join the plastic inchies swap through Aus/NZ Art Quilts. I enjoyed watching Deb make hers, then on Wednesday a lovely surprise Deb had made a set for me. Thanks Deb

I had another surprise on Tuesday night with this lovely postcard from Heather. We belong to the same local patchwork group but both enjoy our fiber art more than quilting.

Back Again

2008-07-24T09:16:00.006+08:00

Another month has gone since my last post. How time flies!! I have been busy with work and then hassles with changing the Internet to wireless and then back as it would not let us network our computers.

My DH went to watch the rugby at the weekend so the embellisher was given pride of place in the lounge after finding a new light bulb and replacing needles after they had shattered, I had fun finishing off projects for my embellisher course with Dale at Thread Studio.

Wool embellished onto the felt in a cross hatch pattern and the flowers and beads sewn on.

Purple slushies (wool/silk mix) purchased from Dale at the Thread Studio then purple wool embellished on top, cut into 1 1/2" strips and woven together. The flower is embellished organza ribbon.

Postcard and ATC. Knitted background having been embellished onto painted vliosfix. The knitted squares where embellished too and the sewn on with colonial knots and the flowers attached. I can sit and knit for no reason now other than wanting to make backgrounds for art.

An ATC foliage swap with Deb here in Kalgoolie and Cait in Bunbury who Deb and I hope to meet soon.

Deb Annie

Cait

Monday

2008-06-23T18:28:00.004+08:00

Been out for walks - out bush with Geraldine - (breeder of our Jack Russell's) as she is up in Kal visiting and friends with our dogs. Walking 5kms each time over the last few days my poor legs are feeling it as I donot normally walk that far and at the pace Geraldine sets. Blaze gets half way around and attempts to fine the shortest route home through the bush.

Sunday morning managed to get to do some off my embellisher course. Yes! Was going great guns when my embellisher died. Not very impressed as I still had lots to do! But Fred (local sewing machine repairer) has looked at it and there is a problem with the foot control. He has lent me another foot control until mine is repaired so I am back in business. Lovely man.

Sari fabric embellished into felt Hard work in some places to convinve the fabric to stay in place

Bits and pieces cut and added to felt with organza over the top to hold everything in place. Then needs some embroidery on the top.

Varigated Adore nylon embellished into felt then organza embellished over the top. Used as a base to do the ATC below. Time consuming but a great result.

Embellisher Course

2008-06-13T08:39:00.006+08:00

Two posts today after not posting for over a month.

May was really busy with a quick trip over a weekend (8.5hours one way) to celebrate my Mothers 70th birthday and then a last minute decision to go to the Craft Fair in Perth at the end of May.

I have joined Dale's Online Embellisher course - great fun! Thanks Dale.

I have had my embellisher for a year now and already had great fun with it making ATC's and an entry for an Art & Craft Exhibition in Perth run by my friend Angela through her work. Did not win anything. So I have not done Lesson 1 although there are great ideas I am going to try as this is what I wanted out of the course.

I ironed painted vliesofix to felt, then embellished srim and organisa ribbon on top then beaded with the gold beads.

Surprises!

2008-06-13T08:32:00.002+08:00

I came home on Wednesday night to find this on the outside table.

My DH had received some goodies at work packed in all this ribbon! Great to add to the craft stash.

Deb went home with a large bag and we are now decided on a challenge to use some.

Almost a Month!

2008-05-01T07:52:00.006+08:00

Almost a month since I last did a blog post - where has April gone?

Spent the long weekend making hand bags.

My first ones I made were from the D'Arcy-Jean Milne book "Fabric Leftovers" using all my scraps of fabric and lace and fat quarters that I had won as door prizes at our local craft group and having fun with the stitches on my machine. Really happy that the local sewing shop (which is closing down - very sad) has found the attachment to go on my machine from the computer so that I can change the embroidery stitches when I want.

I have found some other patterns for larger and different shape bags so had fun making them

Larger bags

I have more of the larger ones cut and ready to sew. I have altered the pattern so that a whole bag will come out of a fat quarter so using up some of my stash.

Friday

2008-04-04T08:35:00.005+08:00

I have not managed to do any thing creative since Easter. Hopeful Sunday be spent at the sewing machine trying to make a bag with the silk paper I made at Easter

This is a picture of a journal cover done as a gift for Morgan when she left work to travel the world for a year.

I have been trying to add the signature to my blog but with little luck. It is on this posting but we will have to see what happens next posting.

We will have our neighbours back again this weekend. They bulldozed down their old wood and fibro home last July and received their keys last night for their new brick four by two home. Cushla will be in his element having two dogs he can hassle now.

ATC's Arrived

2008-04-01T06:47:00.004+08:00

My first ATC swap arrived last week to start my collection.
Thanks to Diana for organizing the swap.
Thank you to

Rayna Shone, Jane Monk,Evie Harris, Amelia Ruscoe

Rayna Shone, Diana Bahler

I have painted a paper bag with black paint and then sprayed with Glitz Spritz. I intended to use Medieval Gold but in my last order from Dale she miss read the labels and sent Tumbleweed Sage instead of Purple Sage. Wonderful mistake as the colour is gorgeous on the black (the photo does not show the full effect) The bottle is nearly finished so I will have to order more but will have make sure she reads the label correctly!

The weekend was not greative at all. DH went to Perth to the rugby and returned with new supplies and a parcel from Angela but work has got in the way of having fun.

The flower from the Belladonna lily. The bulb was given to me by a fellow quilter a few years ago and this is the first year it has flowered.

Annie

Weekends Craft Time

2008-03-26T06:50:00.005+09:00

Friday I had a great time making silk paper. Below is three samples - the blue piece is big enough to try and make a hand bag and the other two I will make postcards from them.

I then had a play with the paper napkins I found and made some fabric paper backgrounds.

The above piece of fabric paper with all the lines on I was going to try some embroidery on using the ideas from the Bridget Hoff book Paper Quilting and from the CPS artticle by Annette Morgan. This will give me something to do on a Wednesday night. Looking forward to our craft evening tonight to see all the things Deb has been upto this Easter.

My ATC sent to NZ for my first ATC swap so looking forward to going to the post office today to see what has arrived in the mail. Easter has slowed the mail down! The ATC was made fusing a napkin onto felt, free motion stitching the flower in No 12 cotton, sealing the card with Acrylic Wax and the attaching the beads. Great fun to make so have some ideas for the pieces I made above.
Annie

Good Friday

2008-03-21T10:48:00.003+09:00

Happy Easter to all

Today is planned as a crafty day with making silk paper for some hand bags and then finishing off some paper I painted last weekend.

Out shopping last Friday I found these great serviettes in a shop in Kalgoorlie. I have sent Deb to look this week and we will share the bounty.

I also went shopping at Thread Studio and the parcel arrived on Monday with some great Glitz Spritz colours and books.

We have two Jack Russell's. They come every where with us and this is them in the car on the trip to Cervantes.

Annie

Quick Note

2008-03-04T16:43:00.006+09:00

Just a quick note to thank all those that have visited by blog.

We had a long weekend here in Western Australia so took a few extra days off and went to visit my parents living in Cervantes - an eight and half hour journey there from Kalgoorlie - lots of sock knitting achieved. Wonderful to have a walk on the beach.

Mum had my time organized to give some of her friends free machine embroidery lessons and also a lesson on the embellisher machine.

On our return home no washing could be done until Rob had repaired the water leak that he discovered just before we left. Now repaired so lots of washing to catch up on. The washing will not take long to dry with our 40 degree day today. No one has told the weather autumn has started!

Annie

First Blog

2008-02-25T14:41:00.001+09:00

Well I have started my blog. Thanks to Deb's encouragement and to share with those friends far and wide.

The photo is the "Beige Inchies" swap. First attempt at inchies - great fun

Annie