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