All is calm.... well not quite!!!

gift sewing done, baking half done, house half cleaned.... tomorrow..... grocery shopping, finish cleaning house, finish baking, wrap pressies............. ALL IS CALM!!!!

oh my goodness, its been mad, last week had the Princess's best friend stay for a few nights, I took them out to see the Christmas lights, here they are posing in someone (stranger's) front garden!!!


I have been sewing up a storm, cool stuff, lots, I can't show you until after Christmas, can show you these bags I made for my nephews...... quick and funky. I gave them the Wordtoons book.....even the 16 year old was into it...... truly a great gift idea!!!! I wrapped the books in newspaper....... my 10 year old twin nephews thought that was hilarious!!!


Busy times, went to a party on Saturday night and caught up with a whole lot of people I haven't seen since the Princess's Christening, 6 years ago!!! Great night....

Sunday saw me on a road trip part way down our country with my sis in law to go to the FLEETWOOD MAC concert!!! OMG.... fabulous concert, fabulous night, fabulous road trip, lots of
laughing til you cry stuff!!!

Back to Auckland on Monday and full on into Christmas week!!!!

Two more sleeps..... hope all is calm in your home.......

take care... don't stress
Rachaelxo

12 Days of Christmas Craft Swap & my tree

Last year my grandmother and I (ok, she is really my Mum!), hosted a 12 Days of Christmas craft swap for mostly New Zealand crafters.

This year my Mum (who I like to annoy and call my grandmother!), single handedly as she would say, hosted it again. A big undertaking as there were two groups this year, 24 crafters in all.

I was in Group 2 and my present was drawn to be opened on the first day. Here is my wrapped parcel, one for me and one for 11 other ladies.

I wrapped it in vintage dressmaking paper, pink ribbon and a hand dyed vintage millinery flower.


I made fabric brooches from vintage linens doilies and millinery flowers that I had hand dyed. See previous post.

Once the brooches were finished they were tossed in the clothes dryer for 30mins to soften and curl the fabric. In time they will fray, giving them an even more interesting look.

Really pretty if I do say so myself!!!

and shameless promotion here, I am selling them so email me if you are interested!



GOOD NEWS!!!

The tree is up!

The Princess decorating it.


and at night with the lights on.....


and from the street..... pretty!


I only did one tree this year, not the usual three!

One more thing, my cartoon friend is selling Wordtoons in ebook form , see my sidebar. They are so much fun to do for children and adults alike and really amazingly priced. I have bought a book and all my nephews, the Princess and a few other family members will be getting a copy for Christmas.

Go on check it out.

That's it for now, lots of shameless promotion in this post!

Take Care
Rachaelxo

Dyeing and stuff

my latest lot of dyed doilies and linens, loving the colours.... I have made some thingies from this batch but can't show you yet, top secret stuff........



my lavender, I know I post every year about it, but truly each year it gets bigger and more spectacular looking.... hating to have to leave this bush behind!



harvested in my vintage enamel bowl, quite French looking don't you think??!!!



short and sweet post this time, a small miracle really, I always have so much to go on about!!!

anyway, am off to play with a power tool.... electric hedge trimmer.........

take care
Rachaelxo

p.s. Christmas is still much the same as my last post.... no that's not true, I got the tree and decorations out of the attic on Saturday..... they are still sitting up against the wall unopened......

Great Cartoon Gift Idea for Xmas and Stuff!

A friend of mine is a talented Cartoonist and has come up with the coolest and most fun Christmas gift idea, your family in Cartoon form!!!

What I really love about this, is you get your Cartoon within 2 to 3 days in digital form and then its yours to do what you like with....

*posters
*Christmas cards
*framed prints
*t-shirts
*coffee mugs
*mouse pads
*key rings
*tote bags

and all the other endless possiblities your local print shop will offer!!!

click HERE to find out more......


I have been really busy, remember a while ago I showed you this....


well its now this......


and this one.....


is now this....


both for sale HERE, along with my house if you want to buy it!!!


and GUESS WHAT!!!!

I got accepted to the University of Auckland and on 25 February 2010 I start my three degree in a Bachelor of Education!!!!

and GUESS WHAT else!!! I am so not prepared for Christmas, no decorations up, shopping done, cards sent, cooking done let alone even planned Christmas Day...... oh well heaps of time... isn't there!

Take Care
Rachaelxo

Where I'm at.....

***Warning***

long boring post coming up.....lol

Here's where I currently am at:

House - For Sale sign being made as we speak, last minute foofing and fluffing this weekend and then listing it on Trade Me
University Application - Am at last stage of process, an interview this coming Monday. Part of it is having to sit a 15 minute math test on Algebra, Fractions and some other stuff. Maths was my weak point!
12 Days of Christmas Craft Swap - lets just say my Mum who is hosting it is not happy with my progress but trust me it will come together nicely!
Christmas - heaps of time!
Health - The Princess has had an ear infection for 2 weeks, I have had bronchitis for 2 weeks and our medication isn't kicking it in the butt quick enough
Family - Was the 1st year anniversary of my stepfather's passing this week. Mum, Princess and I got together at my brothers (where we had the funeral) and conducted our own family memorial. It was nice.
Relationships - Babes and I are best friends, hard to believe isn't it! Think I have a very big heart. My new friend, who is not so new anymore, and I are still seeing each other - still casually. Its all very interesting.

Lots of social events also,

The Princess entertaining her Great Grandmother



whose birthday it was on 5 November, the grandmother that is. I forgot to buy her a present, which was hilarious given that I hosted her birthday dinner!!!

I made my signature dish, Meatballs Romanoff, spectacular served on a huge platter as I did here and so very tasty! We had salad and crusty bread with it accompanied by lashings of red wine!


The Princess has been on the party circuit, birthday after birthday. I go with her and stay because I love party food, lolly cake, little red sausages..... yum!!!

Anyway, whats a single improvised Mummy to do when you have to buy gift after gift for little girls. You make it, that's what!

Here's the painting station set up for the Princess and I last Friday.


She painted this (proud Mama here!)


and I made her little friend this....


but didn't stop there, started a production line and so we also have this.....


and this.....


and this......


oh and I bought the birthday girl a cheap t-shirt and appliqued the butterflies onto it.



Last 3 washing line pictures will be for sale on Trade Me in the next couple of days.

Before I leave you, here's a wee tip, do not feed your Maiden Hair fern with blackcurrant juice, the juice goes off in the pot and the fern turns its toes up!!!

Take Care
Rachaelxo

Mammoth Mosaics

At the back of the Princess's classroom is the junior school garden. The children have planted lots of plants but it looked very boring and bland.

I volunteered to work with the children and do four mosaic panels to go on the fence wall. They had just finished studying the life cycle of a Caterpillar and pollination of flowers etc so I incorporated that into the mosaics.

We had so much fun, the highlight for them was being able to 'SMASH PLATES' with a hammer!!! It was interesting, the boys were all very much into finding the right piece for the right gap and the girls were all about the 'pretty pieces'. Who cares if it didn't fit the gap!!

I had the best time working with the children, we did it outside over four days, they worked with me in groups of four, we talked and joked and gave each other funny names and laughed and sang as we worked.

Here are our four panels....

PANEL 1 - The Caterpillar
PANEL 2 - The Ca coon


PANEL 3 - The butterfly

PANEL 4 - Flower and Bee


Didn't they do well, most of the children only are six!!!

Each panel is quite big, 45cm x 80cm.

For me it was major, making sure we didn't have cut fingers (only mine!) and then for me at home, grouting them (YUK!), painting the background black and sealing the grout!!!

But done and ready to be hung on the fence

Another project crossed off my TO DO LIST - Phew!!!

Take Care
Rachaelxo

Its All About Me {Lets Swap and Party!}

I am joining the Natasha's, Its All About Me {Lets Swap and Party!}. Natasha really is the Queen of hosting fabulous and innovative blog events.

I can't believe I don't have a before photo of my 'swap'. Could have sworn I took one but can't find it. You will just have to use your imagination for the 'before' bit...

So imagine one plain unadorned grey twin set - a cardigan and sleeveless top, which I chopped (cardigan only) and transformed into.......

this!!!!

TAAAAA DAAAAA!!!!

strange off centre photo of me was taken by me using timer!

I only ever revamp clothing to sell in my webstore so decided I would do something for myself. I am thrilled with the result, its very soft and pretty!


I showed you the trim that I have used in a few posts back.



I cut out the flowers on the trim and appliqued them around the neck. Didn't carry it to the back of the neck as my hair covers it and I was too lazy!!


Sleeve detail....


Front detail....


Back detail....


Pretty!!!

Thanks so much Natasha for yet another inspirational blog event!

Be sure to go and check out what everyone else has done.

Take Care
Rachael

p.s. I might sell it...... LOL

Its a small small world!!!!

It is such an incredibly small world we live in!

In my last post I showed you my birthday gifties including the three canvas's done by my mother in law. She freely admitted she had copied them from a craft magazine.

Well these three canvas designs were the original creations of one of my blogging friends, the very talented Kerryanne English, who had to do a double take when she read my post and saw the photo of 'my canvas's/her canvas's'! We don't even live in the same country!

You see Kerryanne had done them for her daughters bedroom and then submitted them to the Australian Handmade magazine, which is a fabulous craft magazine.

What are the chances of that eh?!!! I am so very pleased to indirectly have 'Kerryanne's work' reproduced by my MIL in my home!!!


this next photo is of my not so small six year old Princess, she is so tall, up to my shoulders! Ok, I am small but really she is very tall!!! The striped top she is wearing is size 8, I have to buy her that size to get the body length. I would love her to be a brain surgeon or maybe cosmetic surgeon (for Mummy's old age!) but she so has the potential height and leanness of a supermodel and her favourite TV programme is America's Next Top Model, she accurately predicts who is going to be eliminated in each show and copies all the poses and model walks!!

Think I will buy her a scalpel for Christmas and get her watching Nip/Tuck!!!


Busy, busy selling goodies on Trade Me, just loaded this lot.

If anyone is interested send me an email.

Love this box lid!


had bought it to use the discs for crafting.

love these round wooden discs.


Also selling this 1952 Women's Journal magazine, fabulous condition, fabulous illustrations and vintage ads. I had bought it to cut up for craft work but just can't do it.


Getting the house ready for sale this coming weekend, will have it advertised next week.

Finally have last bit of University application mailed so fingers crossed next year I will be a full time student doing a 3 year degree to qualify to become a Primary School Teacher.

Exciting stuff!!!

Take Care
Rachaelxo

Special Occasions and stuff

It was my birthday last week....

"Happy Birthday to me"

I turned 45, I hear that's the new 25...... well that's my story and I am sticking to it!!!

anyway, I had the best day, lots of cards and pressies and yummy food, champagne and the most to die for chocolate birthday cake, you might see a bit of it on my hips in the photo below!


My gifties, electric essential oil burner from Mummy, my fave Body Shop White Musk body lotion from Babes (flowers have dried up - literally!), Babes grandmother gave me money which I bought new clothes with, German exfoliating body mitt from my best friend Mary Thistle, the three pictures made by my clever MIL and the gorgeous cameo necklace from my special princess. That was just on the day.....

since then I have had a pamper pack of eyeliners, eye shadows, body scrubs and brushes from Babes Aunty and a book cleverly wrapped in calico from "my friend"

I do like birthdays that go on!!!

Among the boxes of stuff my friend Michael gave me, I found this fabulous vintage advent calender... click on the photo and you will get better detail, it is just wonderful, lots of glitter!


and these Easter decorations (are you drooling Bunny Rose girl?), the big egg is paper mache, fabulous!!!


So busy, getting the final part of my application done for university next year, lots of ongoing projects around the house that need to be finished and lots of selling on Trade Me.

I am selling my collection, ha ha, didn't even know I had one, of Rose books!!! I have about 30 of them!!!! Most are old, some are vintage and have the most fabulous prints and illustrations in them.

Anyone interested they are on Trade Me but you can contact me directly by email if you don't live in NZ or Australia.


Also selling some pretty cool stuff like these wooden Houses counters...


and complete boxed sets of Housee which I bought a few years ago to use in my creations and never had!!

Life is busy, life is good!!!


Take Care
Rachaelxo

Flowers, Lace and Stuff!

The flowers keep coming from Babes......

gorgeous daisies,


and red roses!


I was given, yes that would be given, boxes and boxes of stuff to do what I liked with. Probably about 15 boxes all together. So much fun sifting through it, a lot was rubbish but there was the odd treasure like this pile of lace, fabric lengths of lace and trims in every colour possible.

I had to wash it, smelt revolting and today spent a very pleasant few hours in front of the TV while I wound it up and tied it into bundles, a girl can never had too much lace - right?!!!


Then the stuff, all covered in the most appalling greasy layers of grime but so much fun washing it to see how it came up. Pedestal cake plates, ornaments, shells, figurines, mostly now for sale on Trade Me.




Well must go, have sewing today, I might use some lace!!!

Take Care
Rachaelxo