55 days to go !!!

Can you even get your head around that? Woah. That's insane. I know we say it every year, but where has the year gone? I still have 2 major birthdays to go before the end of the year too, dads and Mike's. It's hard with birthdays at the end of the year, because you use all your good ideas for Christmas but then have to think of another present as well.

I'm loving trawling through the galleries and seeing the odd Christmas layout popping up here and there, so it's not just me getting ready for the silly season. I'm going to have such fun scrapping over this time too, I wasn't doing digi scrapping last Christmas, so I can't wait to see what goodies pop up in the store.

Speaking about stores, Sharon has a fabulous package of frames for sale at pickleberrypop. A wee bit of grunge which is my particular favourite style, she's also done a clean version too. Click here to check them out if you will - grungy and clean. I think you'll agree she's done every type of size you'd imagine you would need.

Here's a layout I did with the grungy ones. I must tell you the story behind this as well. In our little town there's a group which Mike is part of who do the "Christmas Lolly Run". It's well advertised for Christmas Eve and the lads get about town on the back of a ute filled with hay bales with Christmas music blazing. All the kids (big kids too, LOL) run out to their front yards when they hear the music coming up the street and the lads throw lollies into the yards for the kids. It's all such fun and to be honest I don't know who has more fun, the kids or Mike and the lads.

Every year Mike wants a different costume. He thinks what he wants, and I deliver. The reindeer costume last year was a hoot. I just got the material, laid down his jeans and t-shirt as a template and cut around it leaving quite a bit of leeway, added the white fur chest and made a head piece with ears as such. I do have quite a funny pic of him, which I may just share one of these days of the reindeer as roadkill on the front of the ute! (boys will be boys huh?)

So without further ado, here's the costumes from the last three years. Pssst, I'm trying to talk him into being a Christmas angel this year, but I don't think I'm going to have much luck, hahahahaha.

Credits

Frames from Small Packages Frames 4 by [ksharonkdesigns]
Date tags from Faraway by [ksharonkdesigns]
Paper (red dotted) from Seasonal Sampler by Shabby Princess
Paper (white) from Mono Pack Essential II by Gina Cabrera
Zig Zag stitched frames from Anna Aspnes
Bow (recoloured) from Crumples Spice by Tracy Ann
Splotch from Tracy Ann Something Special (Something Fab)
Alpha from Harvest Spice by Shabby Princess Designs
Font – Another typewriter

Excitement Plus !

I've noticed a trend, my titles seem to always have exclamation marks! Do I live my life like that? Possibly I do. te he.

Yesterday, what an exciting day and comedy of errors all rolled into one.

I got an email from the TAD Girls to tell me a layout I had posted in one of the galleries had been picked as "Layout of the Week". Woah! That has NEVER EVER happened to me before. I was hopping around doing the happy dance like a mad woman. Ran out to Mike who was in the process of ripping down part of the side fence and was re-building it. Making no sense at all telling him to "come come come, look look look". Just as he hit his thumb with the hammer, I got the rolled eyes expression and "not now dear".

Here's the layout - Sunrise in the Country. Check out Tracy Ann's TAD Girls blog - entry on October 26th. The picture was taken last Easter Sunday morning at the dawn service by moi!





Credits
Simple Sets #25 by [ksharonkdesigns]
Staples from Small packages Stationery Plus 1 by [ksharonkdesigns]
Papers/elements from Tracy Ann Something Special (Something Sparkly and Something Fab)


So after all that excitement I was going out to a girlfriend's place that afternoon. Mike had moved the rubbish bins, hadn't he, because of working on the fence, and was taking a break. I backed straight into the rubbish bin that had his wood planer doo-dad sitting on top of it. It fell down onto paving and broke the handle.
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Woops. Car was okay! Have I mentioned I'm quite accident prone?
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So on my way to my friend's place and there was a 4x4 and trailer in front of me on the road with two cows in it. One cow decided to do a wee. My God! It comes out like a tap! Bouncing off the road and straight onto my car! I had been wee'd on my a cow. Well my beloved car had, anyway. Can surely say that is a first.
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So quite the eventful day yesterday.
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Got up early today, had brecky and knitted whilst watching another episode of The House of Elliott, thank you again Tanya! Whilst doing so I looked at the sad basket of ironing sitting in the corner, the carpets that need a vaccuum, the oven needs a clean. So all that to look forward to this afternoon. Urrrgh.
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Later.

Time Flies!

It sure does, doesn't it. Nearly a week has gone by since I last posted ... oooh that means we're almost a week closer to Christmas, te he. While people in the US are gearing up for Halloween and Thanksgiving, for me it's full steam ahead for Christmas.

My mum, bless her cotton socks, has completely finished her Christmas shopping. Yes, please groan if you will. She's like this every year. I am about half finished. Must be a thing with our family huh? This whole "be prepared" attitude. I love Christmas shopping, I love thinking about the recipients of my gifts and working out the perfect and exact thing for them, I colour co-ordinate my wrapping so it looks perfect under the tree and make my own tags. This year will be no exception.

I start my Christmas shopping at the Boxing Day sales (the only pain with this, is I've got to find somewhere to store/hide the pressies for the year and not forget where I've put them, LOL). Now this is where I really get high tech. I have a spreadsheet with everyone on it, what I've bought them, how much it cost (so I can keep an eye on how much I spend overall, have that mini heart attack at the end, right, eeek). I even have a tick box for the presents as I've wrapped and tagged them, so I know how far along I am. Plus I've saved these spreadsheets for say the last 5 years so I can look back to see what I gave that person in other years so I don't double up. It's a sickness right? There's a self-help group I should be enrolled in? LOL.

So Sharon has gone and fed my obsession for Christmas this week with her Simple Set #24 and Joy Freebie (visit Sharon's blog to go grab the Joy Freebie - be quick though, it's only for a limited time). Because I took one look and thought PERFECT for a Christmas layout!

And this is what I did with a combo of both!

Credits

By [ksharonkdesigns] …
Simple Sets #24 available from pickleberrypop
Paper from Meander Kit
Sequin Overlay from Joy Freebie available from Sharon’s blog Artistic Musings.
Ribbon from Scrumptious
Notepaper and staples from Stationery Plus

Glitter Swirls from Harvest Spice by ShabbyPrincess Designs

Fonts – Cac Shishoni and Another Typewriter

My Shutterfly Book

Oh my! I LOVE IT. Love love love it.

I can so highly recommend Shutterfly to anyone. This book has come out terrifically. If they've done any cropping I can't tell, everything is fully bled right to the ends of the pages. I love how the cover has turned out. The colours of the layouts on the pages are so true to what I had created them with. And the quality of the pages are just superb. And the thing that knocks me out the most - I had it in my hands (all the way from US to Australia) only two weeks and one day after I hit the send button to them. What service.

Have I said ... I love it!! LOL

Here's some pics. Don't mind the gentle way I'm holding the book, I don't want to press it out flat being that it's for my mum for Christmas. I kind of want it to still be untouched as such for when she gets it.

My sock !!!!

Ready … wait for it … drum roll please if you will.

Ta da ……… my first sock for Southern Summer of Socks knitalong.

Can you even believe how it looks? Bells!!!! Are you looking at this? This is all your doing. I love it. Love love love it. It doesn’t fit me, but I still love it. I do believe this will be going to my mum as part of her Christmas present, and she will love them just as much, and yes … my mum will definitely wear these colours, LOL.

I have toiled over this sock, cursed, got hard bits on my finger from the needles, and Bells has been with me every step of the way. I ended up using a combination of email instructions from Bells and a great page - Techniques from Theresa from Knitting for the grafting, the pictures helped immensely.

So now, how to muster up the strength to go and do it all again? Well I’ve taken some advice to now knit a completely different sock with different challenges, and then go back and do the second mate to this one after that.

Now onto digi scrapping. Sharon has done it again with a fabulous new alpha which I’ve fallen in love with. It looks like it’s been cut out of brown paper and it is terrific. Available as always from pickleberrypop.

And here’s what I did with it, using the alpha and lots of other fun things.



Credits
From [ksharonkdesigns]
Paper, clip and staples – Small packages Stationery Plus 1
Alpha – Small packages Alpha 2
Frame – Small packages Frames 3
Star and button – Boystuff
Inked Stamp – Taking Notes
Stitches – Simple Joys Mini Kit

Ruler from Collaborative Miles Kit (Tiff Brady)
Font - PeaKatie
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I’ve been quite wrecked today, sapped in strength. We were guests at a terrific wedding yesterday, a dear friend. Such a happy occasion. I’ve had quite a lazy day today, knitting and watching episodes of The House of Elliot. Wow, what a terrific series, I’ve watched the first two episodes, lent to me by my dear friend Tanya.

Tuesday night

Taking a break from knitting, I do believe I'm starting to get a callous on my hand (aghast!!!). Lets blame Bells huh? It's all her fault, getting me gung ho into knitting again. Only kidding Bells, I'm loving it. My first grown up sock (albeit a small grown up sock the way it's turning out) I've rounded the heel and now going down the foot. I'm REALLY REALLY doing it!! dpns and all. Yay me.
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Mike is in the bathroom soaking his bagpipes in the bath or something, I'm staying well away with all the cursing that's going on in there. We are going to a wedding on Saturday of one of his very best mates and Mike is piping. He's been practising tonight and well shhhh this can be our secret right, but he sounded like **** (bleep). I know he's started having the sore throat and all lately but he's just found out he has a leak in the bag of the pipe so for every breath going in one was rapidly leaking out. So it wasn't him after all. He's soaking the bag to try and find the air leak.
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Sharon has a lot of goodness going into the shoppe at the moment, a really pretty quick page (can I say, I LOVE SEQUINS!!) and some really versatile vintage frames (loving the vintage too). Go forth and buy buy buy!

Available from pickleberrypop and this is what I did with it ...



And the really neat vintage frames again from pickleberrypop.

And this is what I did with the frames and other Sharon stuff. Another 'Things that Never Really Happened' (giggle). I'm laughing with you Sharon, not at you!! Truly.

Look who I met tonight!!

Denise Drysdale came to town and put on a show for us. What a wonderful night, probably about 120 women who just wanted to have a great night out, and entertain us she did. As did the boys from the local football club who dressed up in little black and white mini dresses with their bluntstone boots!! and wigs that I'm sure most were on back to front. They were our "waitresses" for the evening serving up a lovely 3 course meal. Who says we don't live the high life in the country!!

For those international readers who may not know who Denise Drysdale is, or Ding Dong as she's affectionately know, she's an entertainer who has been on Australian TV for many many years. Funny as all get out, perfectly suited for a one-woman show.

And I even won one of the raffle prizes, woo hoo! A big prize pack from a bakery in a nearby town. Very nice!

Now for a bit of news that I know will make Bells proud, as I texted her whilst doing so! I have had my first bout of ... wait for it ... PUBLIC KNITTING! I had to take two 3 hour train trips on Thursday and pulled out my knitting. Well it's a long boring trip otherwise, right? And no one batted an eyelid.

Now before you think I was knitting socks ... don't be daft!!! I'm not going to add the stress of dpns whilst on a train bumping along the tracks, that's too much to ask for. Just knitting a scarf, which I always tend to have one on the go for times of just needing something to do with my hands and not wanting to concentrate.

Off to Geelong tomorrow. A bit of wool shopping, shoe shopping and family visiting combined.

Show and tell

I say with a little giggle. Didn't you just love Show & Tell at school? I adored it.

Anyway I'm so darn proud of myself. I must admit I've had a few frantic emails to Bells because these socks look too small, but she assures me they will stretch. I do envision these going to my young niece if they don't stretch. Should we call it yet another practice sock. And isn't it the most fabulous colours. The yarn is from Opal. And it's really really working. I hope to soon have one finished so I can pop it on Southern Summer of Socks. What a great site that Bells and RoseRed have started for the sock knitters, and what a lovely outpouring of comments and advice and just general cheering from the sidelines when people are showing their fabulous sock creations. I'm enjoying it immensely.

I have listened intently to all advice and although I still ended up a little gappy in the join, I used the tail and the active wool and knitted together for 3 stitches. It seems to have worked. And I've only had one instance of the stitch falling off the end of the dpn which after a small and intense panic (arrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!) I was able to pick up again. Oh the stress of it all, LOL.
Shows what a good movie will do, I actually sat for 2 hours solid and knitted. te he, Mike thought it was the pleasure of his company, if only he knew it was wanting to do more rounds of the sock!! Plus even before I left for work this morning. Oh what has become of me.

Now amongst all this, I will show you my other stitchery. You know the pretty charms that you put over the new bride's hand at the wedding after the ceremony. I guess American's do that too? I really loved all my beautiful charms and I have them all in my memory box and lovingly look at them from time to time.

Well I've made a few personalised ones for weddings I've been too, and my dearest friend from work, is going to a family wedding on the weekend and I offered to make her one too. I have the names on the front and the date of the wedding on the back. Too easy. But very memorable.

Frames from [ksharonkdesigns]

Ready for it ... my first sock !!

Okay so it's a wee little training sock, but it's a sock, and it's worked with dpns, and I did a heel and everything. So alright the ribbing at the top is a bit wonky. The patterns tell you to "join", but when you don't know how, it's a bit daunting. I kind of joined it my own way, don't look too close.

But what you can look close at is where the needles went from one to the other. Other times when I've tried I've had big gapey lines at the joins, and I can't see that in this one. I really truly did it. Bells, I know you are reading this and your heart is swelling with pride, roflol.

Bells kindly put me onto the Knitty Training Sock Pattern, and it's been very very helpful. There may not have been a lot of style in the way I held the needles, but here is the finished product ..

So, am I ready to try a real live sock? (as in an adult one). Hmmm, just might make the partner to this one first for a bit more of a practice. But do I dare even show this on Southern Summer of Socks?

Must mention, I had a lesson in international relations when reading a comment recently from Victoria, when I mentioned about making chocolate cake. Young Eve thought I should skip the cake and just eat the frosting to make me feel better. So hmmmm, cake icing really does make the world go round. Interesting! I like your style Eve.

Another weekend over

Another weekend over, where did it go? I have one more day off work, a legitimate day which I was taking off after the non-Canberra weekend so I may as well take it still. Coughing still but not quite as much, but still just as worn out.

Watched Australian Idol tonight, can I say ***I AM SO SICK OF MARK HOLDEN INFLUENCING THE VOTING*** There, I said it. He is so transparent that he has favourites, he does not judge the singers on a level playing field. It is making me sick. Dicko is driving me nuts too, I think if Mark says black, Dicko will just say white to be opposite. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Kyle is the best judge this year. At least what he says makes sense and it's constructive. I would love to have a night where the judges just zipped their lips and let the public decide on what the public decides.

Having said all that .... "GO CARL" Swing is back .. yeah!

Now have you been over to visit Sharon at Artistic Musings and picked up her Mini Meander freebie. I swear she has made these colours specifically for my Bo Bo Girl and I had such fun using the mini kit. Is the colouring perfect or what? And I am loving playing with the sequins. Do you love how I just randomly threw these across the layout. hahhaahahahahaha (I laugh deliriously). If only it was that easy. I had each sequin marked with their colour, and then copied, copied, copied, copied. Then well, when there was the odd one or two sequins I wanted to move, it took forever to work out exactly "which" green one I was trying to click on. I'm sure there's an easier way in Photoshop, who knows. Being self-taught, I'm probably doing things the long way round.

Anyway this is what I created. Took this photo yesterday of Bo basking in the sun.





Onto another thing, I can tick off my Christmas list - I did it. I ordered my first Shutterfly book. I finally finished by 'Things that Never Really Happened' and it became a 33 page book which I'm giving to my mum for Christmas. I am hoping I got all the edges right and nothing gets overly cropped. I remembered to turn off VividPics as I've read you must do that so the colour remains the same. I am pretty sure I've dotted all my i's and crossed my t's. Fingers crossed.
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I had gone to and fro as to what company I was going to use to print this book, and ended up deciding on Shutterfly, firstly because I could design the front cover myself which I liked. I've been lusting after Victoria's books for so long so have looked to her as inspiration. Thank you also Victoria for answering my email pleas for help and advice. But secondly my main decision was how strong the Australian $ is now against the US $ so even adding international postage, it's come out very favourably against competitors.
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Stay tuned, hopefully I should have it by the end of October.

Does chocolate cake really mend all woes?

I wonder. I'm going to try out the theory. Actually had my first night of full sleep in the bed last night. I did wake up coughing during the night, but I didn't feel the need to get out of bed. So there's a step in the right direction. Still on the antibiotics and still feeling fuzzy headed. Oh and I did forget to tell, amongst it all I have an ache in my jaw at the back from where half a filling fell out through all my coughing. Yes, you read right!!! I can't even contemplate a visit to the dentist at the moment so am using nurofen to mask that pain, but now even hot or cold is really hurting.

So Mike has gone off to play some 'old man' bowls this arvo! ha. That's what I call it. Lawn Bowls. It's actually a lot of fun and a lot harder than it looks. He plays to the death, I play for fun on social nights and make everyone do a happy dance when you bowl nearest the kitty. We really should never be on the same team!

So back to me, cause it's all about me at the moment. I'm still desperately upset about not going to Canberra this weekend, so I decided chocolate cake may just help. I'll let you know. It's baking now.

Anyway, it's not just all about me of course. It's about Sharon too. Sharon's amazing new digi scrapping kit called 'Meander'. It's just terrific, lots of fun to be had with these colours, oh and the sequins are just magic. It's available from pickleberrypop as always. Isn't it just beautiful?

As well as putting together my 'Things that Never Really Happened' book .... nearly finished!! I'm also putting together layouts for a book for my mother-in-law for next Mother's Day. Shhhhh, it's a secret, you won't tell will you? LOL I want to put a pic of all her grandchildren in it, plus a spattering of the rest of us too. My MIL is quite crafty herself, so I do think she will enjoy it to the max. Here's a couple of layouts I have put together of my most beautiful niece and nephew using Sharon's fabulous Meander Kit. Enjoy.

Sick of being sick

I'm so over myself it's not funny. After a visit to the doctor's on Monday it was found that I had acute bronchitis. Hmmm, at least I have a cute something! And it's been so painful. I'm tired from not sleeping through the night without waking up with coughing fits, my throat hurts, my head hurts, the antibiotics are making me sleepy and well quite frankly I've had enough. I only made it to work one day this week, and well today was a day off anyway because I was to be making a joyful trek to Canberra for a fabulous girls weekend, and even that has had to be cancelled from my part. I'm heartbroken.

As for other things, I'm taking part in a knit-a-long at Southern Summer of Socks. It's been set up by Bells and Rose Red and there's a whole bevy of knitters of varying degrees of expertise knitting socks, socks and more socks. They've asked for our goals - my goal is simple. To knit one pair, ONE MEASLY PAIR of socks on dpns. I have never been able to master dpns, I end up in a horrible mess. I've tried and failed, I've tried and given up, I've tried and thrown the darn thing across the room in disgust. I aim this summer to try and master them. One pair, it's all I'm aiming for. Wish me luck.

Of course being the procrastinator that I am and the fact I've been housebound and we do not have a knitting shop in town, means I haven't even started. But next week my challenge will start. Can you even imagine by the end of summer if I am the only person in the knit-a-long who has nothing to show for their efforts. Oh the shame and humiliation.

On the bright side though, I do get to put a cool button on my blog!