Happiness is….

This has been a loooong time coming and so Happiness is……….??!!!  This wall hanging started out as some lucky purchases I stumbled upon last year at my local charity store.  I had  seen some mini kits for each of the stitcheries and thought, I can’t live without these at $1 each, so of course, they came home with me to live in the K.A.R.T.S drawer, forever and ever, AMEN!  But, I found my will, and started stitching them up, one by one, during the year. and they were coming out pretty nicely, which spurred me on…. …and with a few design touches of my own…… …..and some hand quilting…. this li’l ol’ UFO is now finished!!!!!! Yep……another finish for OPAM, finished earlier this month, and slack ol’ me only posted now but it’s a finish nonetheless……..that IS what Happiness is!!!!! Sugary Hugs :o) xox

Happiness is….

This has been a loooong time coming and so Happiness is……….??!!! 

This wall hanging started out as some lucky purchases I stumbled upon last year at my local charity store.  I had  seen some mini kits for each of the stitcheries and thought, I can’t live without these at $1 each, so of course, they came home with me to live in the K.A.R.T.S drawer, forever and ever, AMEN! 

But, I found my will, and started stitching them up, one by one, during the year.

and they were coming out pretty nicely, which spurred me on….

…and with a few design touches of my own……

…..and some hand quilting….

this li’l ol’ UFO is now finished!!!!!!

Yep……another finish for OPAM, finished earlier this month, and slack ol’ me only posted now but it’s a finish nonetheless……..that IS what Happiness is!!!!!

Sugary Hugs :o) xox

It’s been a Rocky week…..

Yes, I’ve been away……all last week and arrived home on Saturday evening, which is why it’s been rather quiet on my blog lately!  You see, earlier in the year, I had been invited to join our local council’s RADF committee… ie,  the Regional Arts Development Fund….a group that helps distribute funds for the Arts in our Regional Areas.  So as part of my training, I went away with 4 other ladies to Rockhampton, a regional centre about 7 hours drive south, well known for beef production, where we attended an Arts Conference, to learn all about what other regional areas are doing to promote the Arts in their areas….WOW……talk about inspirational!!!  It was a wonderful experience and met some wonderful people, stayed in a massive motel suite (4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms!!!)…. with glorious views of the river…. ate some lovely foods…. and experienced some ‘interesting’ variations of ‘the arts’….. (yes, they ARE cone-heads, and ping pong balls for kneecaps in their lycra pants!!!!! EEK!) not a great picture from the IPhone, but yes, that IS a carrot he’s playing!!!!!! Unfortunately one of the ladies in our group had a turn during the week in one of the meetings and she had to be taken to hospital by ambulance……it seems her recent increase in medication didn’t agree with her and she dehydrated rather badly.  She’s ok now though, and I must say, the ambos, organisers and some other attendees to the conference were just wonderful to her…we were blown away!  We did however, miss the conference dinner which was to be held at a beachside area of Yeppoon, spending much of the evening in the emergency department….an interesting eye opener!  I take my hat off to the medical profession, that’s for sure! We stopped on our travels home and visited some fantastic crafty shops where I just couldn’t resist myself!!!!!  Even stopped at the Sarina Sugar Shed, which is like a ‘mini’  Bundaberg Rum Distillery , an iconic place to visit in Queensland….definitely well-worth the visit if you’re passing through either of those areas. So you can see why I was exhausted and didn’t have a moment to spare?!  However, while I was away, I got an email from Cheryll saying she couldn’t link up to the Birthday-Love Stash sign-up this month back HERE…..so when I got home I investigated it…seems Mr Linky doesn’t like two linky’s going at once……so I upgraded (cheap as chips!!) and now I’ve got it working again! Sorry to do this to you for a second time….I’m a slow learner, I admit, but this WILL be the last time,  as the problem’s now fixed!!!!  You may need to go back and re-sign up if you linked already….but if you haven’t and would like to, I recommend you do…great prizes this month and with a week to go till drawing time……you have a great chance seeing as all link up’s dropped out!!!! grrrrrrrr!!!  You can read all about it HERE and go ahead and sign in for this month’s draw HERE Off to catch up on a MOUNTAIN of things….where is the cleaning/washing fairy when you go away…I think someone hijacked mine!!!!!!!  sugary hugs:o) xox  

It’s been a Rocky week…..

Yes, I’ve been away……all last week and arrived home on Saturday evening, which is why it’s been rather quiet on my blog lately!  You see, earlier in the year, I had been invited to join our local council’s RADF committee… ie,  the Regional Arts Development Fund….a group that helps distribute funds for the Arts in our Regional Areas.  So as part of my training, I went away with 4 other ladies to Rockhampton, a regional centre about 7 hours drive south, well known for beef production, where we attended an Arts Conference, to learn all about what other regional areas are doing to promote the Arts in their areas….WOW……talk about inspirational!!!  It was a wonderful experience and met some wonderful people, stayed in a massive motel suite (4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms!!!)….

with glorious views of the river….

ate some lovely foods….

and experienced some ‘interesting’ variations of ‘the arts’…..

(yes, they ARE cone-heads, and ping pong balls for kneecaps in their lycra pants!!!!! EEK!)

not a great picture from the IPhone, but yes, that IS a carrot he’s playing!!!!!!

Unfortunately one of the ladies in our group had a turn during the week in one of the meetings and she had to be taken to hospital by ambulance……it seems her recent increase in medication didn’t agree with her and she dehydrated rather badly.  She’s ok now though, and I must say, the ambos, organisers and some other attendees to the conference were just wonderful to her…we were blown away!  We did however, miss the conference dinner which was to be held at a beachside area of Yeppoon, spending much of the evening in the emergency department….an interesting eye opener!  I take my hat off to the medical profession, that’s for sure!

We stopped on our travels home and visited some fantastic crafty shops where I just couldn’t resist myself!!!!!  Even stopped at the Sarina Sugar Shed, which is like a ‘mini’  Bundaberg Rum Distillery , an iconic place to visit in Queensland….definitely well-worth the visit if you’re passing through either of those areas.

So you can see why I was exhausted and didn’t have a moment to spare?!  However, while I was away, I got an email from Cheryll saying she couldn’t link up to the Birthday-Love Stash sign-up this month back HERE…..so when I got home I investigated it…seems Mr Linky doesn’t like two linky’s going at once……so I upgraded (cheap as chips!!) and now I’ve got it working again!

Sorry to do this to you for a second time….I’m a slow learner, I admit, but this WILL be the last time,  as the problem’s now fixed!!!!  You may need to go back and re-sign up if you linked already….but if you haven’t and would like to, I recommend you do…great prizes this month and with a week to go till drawing time……you have a great chance seeing as all link up’s dropped out!!!! grrrrrrrr!!!  You can read all about it HERE and go ahead and sign in for this month’s draw HERE

Off to catch up on a MOUNTAIN of things….where is the cleaning/washing fairy when you go away…I think someone hijacked mine!!!!!!! 

sugary hugs:o) xox

 

FNSI and a FNSI Finish.

I know you’re all excited to see who was the winner of this month’s FNSI …..and I will share it with you….I promise!!! First though, a reminder of what the prize is…… these four gorgeous fat quarters and a sweet little clipboard and notepad to record all your FNSI plans!  Wouldn’t you just love them???  I know I would…Anthea certainly has great taste when it comes to picking the FQ bundles and this blue bunch almost made me turn away from my favourite reds!!!!   Weeeell, Blue IS a favourite too…….as well as pinks, and greens, and then there’s …. and……and  ……..  !!!!!! I had a great time last night going through everyone’s posts….it took a while with 60 of you, but wow, weren’t there some gorgeous things made???  You inspired me no end…..I hope you got a chance to go and see what everyone got up to on Friday Night….I even got some ideas for Christmas swaps!!!! hee hee.   If you didn’t get a chance, make yourself a cuppa, and perhaps some of that Aero Bar Slice *wink*  and  pop back HERE and visit everyone! So who did Mr RNG pick out this time???…… If you head back to the Mr Linky post  for this month, you’ll see number 43 is……….. Kelliott aka Kelly Elliott….and it was her very first time at FNSI……is that what they call beginner’s luck???  Congratulations Kelly…..hope you have something planned for your little bundle which will be coming your way soon…perhaps we’ll see a start with it at next month’s FNSI???    EDITOR’S NOTE:  **Kelly, if you can contact me by email with your snail mail address I’ll send out your prize when I get home after the weekend….I couldn’t contact you by email….darn google+ won’t let me ‘talk’ to you!!!!!  gggrrrrr…..(if anyone knows any tricks in this area, ie google+ emailing, I’d love to hear them!!! ) I showed you my ‘almost finish’ yesterday of my challenge item for our Quilt Show……..well, today I framed it in a very manly, dark timber frame, ready for delivery so here it is….all complete and finished and I love it! I’ve called it “Lest We Forget'” and Maria pointed out to me that yesterday, when I  blogged about it, it was actually Vietnam Veterans’ Day!  Now how appropriate was that???  I’m off for a road trip tomorrow……travelling 7 hours south for a conference on the Arts……can’t wait, so I’ll try to pop in, but if I don’t, I will be back on the weekend….and then I think I’ll get stuck into my Bethlehem Quilt! sugary hugs xox :o)