Christmas Cleaning!

Well, we all know the countdown to Christmas has well and truly begun - EEK!! So, this last weekend, I decided it was time for a pre-Christmas clean up around the Meares' Madhouse. I know, those of you who know me well are now fanning yourselves to recover from the shock as you pick yourelf up from the floor, but it had to be done!

While I was dusting and wiping, all the while bopping away to the funky tunes of Bernard Fanning, I decided it was time to admit Christmas was on its way and toss around a few decorations. I'd decided not to put an actual tree up this year due to lack of space and so hadn't really intended to decorate much at all, but I thought a clean lounge room was worth celebrating, so out came my favourite decorations. WARNING - quite a few photos to follow, so you may want to grab a cuppa and get comfy!


Here's the little scene I've set up on my old pedal sewing machine in the hallway. I know we don't get snow here in Australia for Christmas (well, mostly!) but I painted this little folk art girlie in a class a few years ago and was rather proud of how she turned out!


These angels hang in our bedroom doorway. They started out as Christmas Angels, but I loved them so much that they live here all year round - they just have some festive company around this time of year!


Also on our bedroom doorway at the moment - what's better than one Santa to give pressies - three Santa's - Ho! Ho! Ho!


This Santa has his sack of goodies open ready to leave gifties behind - hmmm ... a holiday to Fiji ... a gazebo for the back yard ... will have to wait and see!


This Santa is supposed to help count down to Christmas day, but do you see his little blackboard it blank? Couple of reasons - firstly, I have a friend who is a little OCD and when she visited me close to Christmas last year and I hadn't changed the number of days for a while, it sent her a little loopy and she just HAD to fix it for me, so I figured I can't get it wrong if I leave it blank! The second reason - I'm in denial that Christmas is so close and if I write the countdown numbers, it will freak me out! Tee! Hee! Hee!


Here's the heart of Christmas - the Nativity scene. I'm still looking for a nice larger one that's in my price range - all the ones I fancy are a little bit too rich for my Christmas budget, so this cute little one will do for now. Oh, and you can see some of our wedding photos in the tri-frame behind it - hmmmm ... there was a lot less of me back then! Tee! Hee! Hee! Oh! And you may not recognise her with all that blond hair, but that's Lynette as my bridesmaid!!


Here is the little Santa scene on top of the TV - don't look too closely, this was my first try at folk art! See why I keep saying I need a few lessons with Kerryanne?!?! Oh and by the way, this is a kit I bought from Kerryanne way before we became blogging buddies! In fact, when I stopped and had a look, quite a few of my Christmas pretties are from Kerryanne's fabulous folk art patterns, painted either by one of my clever crafty friends or me under same clever crafty friend's watchful guidance!


And here is the little angel seen in the photo before, this time at night with her Christmas light shining. I just love the soft candlelight and how it changes colours!

Hmmm ... there were a few more photos than I realised, so perhaps I'll keep some aside for my next post. In the meantime, I think it's time to go and light those Christmas candles! Hope you're having fun preparing for Christmas! Til next time - Christmas Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Takin' It Easy ... Well ... Easier!!

I know I've been a bit quiet this week, but after all my rushing to meet deadlines, I decided I needed - and deserved! - a week of taking it easy - well ... a bit easier than I had been! If you'd been looking for me this week, you'd most often have found me curled up in the lounge room (under the fan, cos it's been VERY humid here, unusual for Toowoomba!!), with a cup of cinnamon tea (YUMMO!) and a book.

I've been re-reading the first two books in a trilogy, because the third one came out this week - YAY! So off I trotted to get me a copy! And while I was there, found that my all-time fave chocolates are out in the lead up to Christmas - double YAY! I'm not really a big chocolate fan and have only a few varieties that I absolutely can't resist - this is one!


Mmmmmmmm ... Almond Roca! And here is the book I was waiting for - can you guess how I'm spending the weekend?!?! Tee! Hee! Hee! Nora Roberts is one of my fave authors. She tells a ripping yarn, has fun and quirky characters and a warped sense of humour - my kind of gal!!

So ... you can guess there's been very little sewing this week, though I have started on LAST month's block for Lynette Anderson's Noah's Ark BOM - Judy's in front of me at the moment, cos I got caught out by last month's deadlines. If they ever put anything decent back on TV, I'll soon catch up, but mostly it's just re-runs ... oh, sorry! ... 'encore' airings!!! SIGH!! Even TV re-runs have gone politically correct!! The other little bit of sewing I've done was to experiment with a little something I saw on Clare's blog. Clare is a clever clogs designer (we have so many here in Australia, must be all our fresh air! Tee! Hee! Hee!) who always has something interesting to peek at. She also posted the little tutorial to make ...


This. No, not the coffee cup, silly - the purse size tissue pocket! Isn't this a great idea for little gifties? Practical and pretty and sooooooooo simple! I found I had to play around with the measurements a bit, but I think I had different size tissue packs to Clare, but once I worked it out, it took about 15 minutes tops to whip one up. As you can see, I'm still in my spotty dotty phase!! Check out Clare's tute here for some quick and easy Christmas gifties that will use up some of your stash off-cuts.

And if you're in Christmas giftie making mode, pop across to Gail Pan's blog, cos she's made the pattern for a cute Christmas stitchery available for download. It looks like this ...


Isn't it sweet? And how kind of Gail to give us all an early Christmas present! Make sure you pop over to take advantage of this generous Christmas offer - Thanks Gail!!

Now, before I head off to put the kettle on for a cup of cinnamon tea to curl up with my book again, I thought I'd show you a couple of photos of a little visitor we had in the big camphor laurel tree we have on our footpath.


He's a little scaly breasted Rosella. (I think - not always very good at the bird naming thing!!) Here's another shot of him ...


Isn't he pretty? I just love his vibrant yellow and blue colour scheme! I sometimes think we should pay more attention to nature when we come to pick our fabric colours for projects!

And now ... I hear the kettle calling my name and the siren's call of a good book! Have a great weekend, whether you're stitching or reading - or just enjoying your favourite chocolate! Tee! Hee! Hee! Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Santa's Naughty List!!

See this list? It's Santa's "Naughty" list and I think I'm now on it ... cos I was a WEE bit naughty yesterday!! If I told you that Marian at Quilters' Angel has been having a three-day, 20% off fabric sale that ends today, can you guess HOW I've been naughty?! Bet you can!!


I've been eyeing off the "Oh Cherry Oh" charm square packs since they appeared at Quilters' Angel, and drooled over Nat's collection of them on her blog a few posts back, so when I walked in yesterday and saw the layer cake ... what can I say? It was love at first bite ... I mean SIGHT! Tee! Hee! Hee! Then, whilst wandering around Marian's Aladdin's Treasure Cave of quilting goodies, I came back to another range I've been drooling over for a while ...


Now, I know I'm usually a green girl, but I'm thinkin' these yummy blues will make a great quilt for the day bed in my sewing room - when we paint the walls a cornflower blue! I bought a little piece of the pattern on the bottom left when I played in Brisbane last week - what I call my "don't know what I'll do with it, but it sure is pretty!' amount - but stocked up enough this time to make a quilt. In fact, what you see here is really two quilts - the fabrics just don't know it yet! Tee! Hee! Hee! I'm thinking of designing a few small cherry-themed stitcheries to intersperse with the "Oh Cherry Oh" fabrics, but will have to see what inspiration strikes at the time. As for the blue, I think I want to do a fairly basic pieced quilt (has to be basic, cos that describes my patchwork skills!!) that isn't too fussy and lets the fabrics to the shining. I've seen lots of these type of quilts on my bloggy buddy, Peg's, blog, so I may have to pick her brains!!

However ... these yummy fabrics will have to go into the stash for the moment while I put the finishing editing touches on my bear for Australian Bear Creations and then tackle the Christmas list. SIGH!! I hate being a responsible grown up!! Mind you, there are times where my mother would debate whether I AM one! Tee! Hee! Hee! Whatever you're doing, I hope you're enjoying your weekend. I'm now off to trace pattern pieces, scan, edit ......!! Til next time - Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

SSCS Gifty On The Sleigh!!

YAY!!! HAPPY DANCE!!Skippity! Hoppity! Shimmy, shimmy!! Not only have I finished my SSCS gifty for Chookyblue's swap - this morning my friendly neighbourhood post office man (who, just quiety, I think, thinks I'm a little strange due to my frequent appearances in his little post office!!) stuck that Air Mail sticker on my package, stamped it and popped it into his sack ready to wing it's way off to ??????????!! Hmmm ... wonder if the postie is really Santa in disguise??? Think about it .... he puts parcels into a big sack for delivery ...!!!! Sure hope he can't tell who's been naughty or nice or I'm in BIIIIIIIIIIIIG trouble! Tee! Hee! Hee!

So, that's one thing crossed of my "To Do" list. If I keep going at this rate, I'll have finally finished LAST week's list by the time I get to the end of THIS week! SIGH! Never enough hours in the day or days in the week!! Big thank you again to Elf Chookyblue for hosting the Secret Santa Christmas Swap!! In between stressing about meeting the deadline, I thoroughly enjoyed making something special for someone who I know will appreciate a hand-made gifty. Hope my swap partner likes their gifty - if not, I hope she'll post it back cos I grew quite attached to it! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Now I'm off to cross the last urgent, deadline-dependant task off my list, then I can get stuck into Christmas preparations. At the rate I'm going I should definitely be ready for Christmas .... in about MARCH! Tee! Hee! Hee! Til next time - deck the halls and Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Spoilt! ... And LOVING it!!

Yessiree!! Today I am feeling SPOILT, SPOILT, SPOILT!! And LOVING every minute of it!! Tee! Hee! Hee! You know sometimes you just have one of those days where numerous wonderful things happen? That's my day today!!

First of all, I came home to find a parcel on my front verandah from my gorgeous bloggy buddy, Kerryanne. Hmmm ... I had been expecting a smaller parcel from her, cos she very generously offered to paint a rose on my plate to match my bickie tin, but this was a BIG box! Oh, wait, I remember she was going to send my yummy cupcake tray that I bought from her Vintage Art for sale page with the newly painted tin plate - that must be it. Yes ... it was, but there was also ANOTHER treasure - a SURPRISE! When I opened the box I found ...


Not only had Kerryanne sent my two expected treasures - she had popped in a sifter she had painted a matching pink rose on as a surprise gift! It is GORGEOUS! And the wonderful note with it said that after seeing my bickie tin with my mixing bowls and since I'd soon have a matching tin plate, Kerryanne decided the sifter really belonged with it's matching rosey friends!! What a SWEETIE!! Thank you SOOOOOO much, Kerryanne!! I LOVE how they all look together!! Now, I had to rearrange a little, but here they all are in their new home.


I know they look a little crowded, but I just had to put them all together! And when we renovate the kitchen (a little way down the house 'to do' list!) there will be more display room for my treasures!!


Here's a closer look at my pretties in situ. I just LOVE them!!

And while I was still feeling rather chuffed about my treasures from Kerryanne, I popped in to look at my email and found a note from Lisa at Button Bliss. A week or so ago, Lisa celebrated the return of her laser machine that she uses to create fantastic laser-cut timber buttons - it had been to the laser machine 'doctors' for revival and 'laser surgery'! Sorry, couldn't resist!! As a way of celebrating (and so she could personalise her swearing if it breaks down again perhaps?!?! Tee! Hee! Hee!) Lisa ran a competition to come up with a suitable name for her laser cutter. I suggested LAZARUS - because he'd been resurrected from the 'dead'! Tee! Hee! Hee! And guess what - Lisa liked my suggestion best and she and Laz (it's Australia, after all, so of COURSE his name was going to be shortened!!) has sent me a Button Bliss voucher for a $100 button buying spree! Woo! Hoo! Thank you Lisa and Laz!! Now I've told you about Lisa's yummy timber buttons before and she's specially made some for a couple of my stitchery designs, so you can just IMAGINE how much fun I'm gonna have picking buttons!! Think I'd better make myself a cuppa and put a plastic cover over the computer keyboard to protect it when I drool over all the pretty buttons! Tee! Hee! Hee! What a generous prize that will give me hours of fun picking AND creating with them afterwards - THANKS LISA!!

And the THIRD thing that happened to spoil me actually happened on Sunday, but I hadn't got round to taking a photo. My friend Miss Mary from Fresh Hope Patterns popped in to conduct a photo shoot in my spare bedroom for the covers of the latest two designs to be donated to Fresh Hope Patterns - some GORGEOUS quilts!! After all, I have my newly restored brass bed as well as lots of knick knacks to use as background and props for photos!! Not only was it lovely to catch up with Miss Mary, she also delivered an early Christmas gifty, as she and her hubby are off on a caravanning trip for a while. I opened the bag (I know, I'm very bad!!!) and I found ...


A wonderful and oh-so-pretty cupcake notebook and a FABULOUS teacup teaspoon! WOW! I really AM spoilt this week! Thanks Miss Mary! The funniest part of her gift was, I had contemplated buying myself a cupcake notebook, but couldn't quite justify spending the extra play money this week (see last post and fabric purchased while playing in Brisbane!!) and I'd bought some pretty teaspoons to give to people as gifts for the same reason! Now I can enjoy my pretties guilt-free, cos Miss Mary knows my taste in pretties!! What wonderful friends I have!!

So ... here I am, feeling VERY spoilt - and LOVING it!! But now I have to come back to earth and roll up my sleeves to work hard to try to get my Secret Santa gift finished for Chookyblue's swap!! After life interfered yesterday with various interruptions, I'm running behind. Will try to get it done, but may have to confess to Chookyblue that it will be posted tomorrow rather than today. Will see how I go. Hope you're having a spoilt-rotten kind of day too!! Til next time - Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS