Eynesbury - ThreeSixFive Challenge (Dec pt1)

I love visiting the "breakaway" town of Melton called Eynesbury. It is so picturesque with old buildings, shacks and lots of blue stone to photograph. I particularly like the little shed (? butchers) with hanging hooks.

Advent scarf

I'm busily participating in an Advent Scarf KAL through Ravelry. We receive a new clue/ instruction every day up to Day 24. To date I am around 15 days behind - I didn't realise I had so many activities on in December that keeping up would be so difficult. I will finish the project, but not before Christmas, perhaps in the New Year.

Shuttles

I recently bought some tatting shuttles from an estate, and to my surprise they arrived today and there was a lot more than expected! There are metal ones, bone ones and plastic shuttles. Now I just need to get motivated and do some more tatting.

Floods - ThreeSixFive Challenge

Melbourne's 10+ year drought is almost over. It's almost summer and we are experiencing some of the heaviest rainfall. This makes not only news (particularly for kids who haven't seen creeks, rivers or dams flowing with water in the past) but also a photo worthy experience.

Roads are closed because they are now rivers, spillways are overflowing and dry water beds are full.

Spun Merino

Today is the first time I have spun in months (and first time I have done any craft for two weeks). I am currently spinning some lovely First Editions merino (which is more green IRL). It is a first for a few things; it is also the first time I am seriously spinning on my Majacraft Little Gem and I am certainly enjoying using her.

Flowers - ThreeSixFive Challenge November

As someone who NEVER receives flowers I was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and family who wished me well following an operation, and bombarded me with stunning flowers. Never to pass up a photo opportunity here is a sample of some of the gorgeous blooms I received - hugs and kisses to all.

Three Six Five Challenge - October

Here are a few of the 31 photos I took this month for the challenge. Some of the photos were taken on a lovely summery day in Carlton; so glad I took my camera on that day.

Crochet Ripple Blanket

Here is another project I have started (surprise, surprise). It's a crochet ripple blanket in acrylic yarn. Whilst I can't remember the last time I used acrylic, I'm enjoying it the experience and the colours are really lovely (not quite so bright as the photo shows).

Details on the pattern can be found at this wonderful site http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html

Urban Graffiti

Graffiti always amazes me. The time, effort, and expense creative artists put in to work, often unrecognised and (at times) unrewarded. A while ago I discovered this artwork in Richmond Victoria but it was only this weekend when I had the foresight to photography it, fear of one day it being vandelised. Unfortunately I do not know who the artist is, I only hope his/her talent does not go unrewarded.

High Tea - ThreeSixFive Challenge (October)

A couple of weekends ago a few of us had a great day in the city. We went to a Craft Expo, out for a quick snack for lunch and then to High Tea (and between all this two of us took lots of photos). This was second High Tea, this time at the Westin Hotel. We ate some scrumptious food, and some not to spectacular. All in all, it was a lovely day however I must say when comparing the two venues I prefer The Windsor.

Resin Bracelet

I went to a craft expo last week and finally made something I have been waiting to make for a long time - a resin bracelet. BQueen ran the workshop http://www.bqueen.com.au/ The whole process was much easier than I thought, and I really like how it turned out, so much so that I purchased a kit and hope to visit the store to buy more supplies. My next project will be a resin ring and a resin bangle.



BTW, the colour of the bracelet isn't entirely accurate in the photo - it is ore purple in real life with dark blue streaks.

Steam Trains - ThreeSixFive Challenge (Sept)

A few weeks ago we went on a steam train journey from Southern Cross Melbourne to Geelong and return, organised by http://www.steamrail.com.au/. What a lovely way to travel, the smell of the burning coal was actually quite nice. What we noticed was the attention to detail in the making of the carriages (from last century); you certainly wouldn't find this craftsmanship in today's public transport system.

Naturally I used the trip as a photography opportunity, and contribution to my 365 challenge.

1001 journals

I get so much enjoyment from participating in the 1000/1001 journal project. Unfortunately it is a bit of a gamble whether the journal returns to the originator or not (I guess it's rather like an old-fashioned chain letter), but I think there would be so much excitment if it did make it home.

Here are two entries I recently completed for a journal on the theme "Things We Love".

Crochet Hexagon Quilt

My latest, and long term, project is a hexagon crochet quilt. Inspiration for the quilt came from the fabulous http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/. Because crochet is so portable, I thought this is the perfect project to take with me when I am a passenger in a car, watching sport, or whatever. The yarn is pure wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills - just can't get better value for money.

Completed some more tatting motifs for the 25 Tatting Motif Challenge. A couple of patterns are by Mary Konior. Motifs number 13-17 now complete....

Blossoms

Springtime is a wonderful time of year. There is a variety of blossoms blooming, magnolias are out and newborn animals are happily playing. Spring is also a sign that winter is over and warmer weather is approaching.

Magnolia

One of my all time favourite flowers is the Magnolia. Whilst it is around for very long, it is such an appealing flower from bud to the end of its life. It comes in a magnificant variety of pink, and today I found a white version (naturally I took lots of photos and will share these later).

I really like the way my Polaroid SLR captured this picture. The photograph has a "vintage" appearance, which naturally a result of the Polaroid.

Elachoke

I love this knitted necklace. Pattern and supplies thanks to http://www.dairing.com.au/. I must admit though, it was a real bugger to knit because it is knitted in very thick elastic. I like it because not only is it unusual but also versatile; the three "charms" can be repositioned and/or removed as necessary (I actually fell in love with this necklace with just a white charm).

Go Ask Alice

I saw this book recently in a book shop and just had to buy it. I remember reading it as a teenager "Go Ask Alice" and I must admit the book did not affect me so much the first time around; being a parent of teenager(s) obviously has a lot to do with my reaction the second time around.

At the end of the book I felt very drained and failed to see how one sentence affected me so much. However, analysing my feelings I was upset that this girl never experienced things in life she should have - a steady loving relationship, fun, laughter, marriage, and even children. This girl could have been my best friend or daughter because I got to know her so well and I think that is why I felt sad at the end.

I intended giving this book to my children to read, however I don't think they are ready for the harshness of the world. I think I will keep them wrapped up in cotton wool a little longer.....

Julie Goodwin

I cannot believe I just bought a - are you ready for it - COOKBOOK! I admit I am no great cook but fell in love with this book and think the author's recipes are simple yet divine. The book is a pleasure to read, with some lovely photos, and "scrapbooking" pages.

Julie won Australia's MasterChef and has gone on to publish her book of family recipes - again simple (which suits me down to the ground), but scrumptious. I first saw Julie on her TV show "Home Cooked" (I did not watch MasterChef because I am not a cook) and printed off some of her recipes from the website with good intention.

Thank you Julie for inspiring me to cook; I would love to do a Julie & Julia type blog where I attempt all your recipes (perhaps I could call it "Liz and Julie"). It's a start for me.

Now I'm off to ponder Asparagus with poached eggs and hollandaise (if only I had an appetite, but that's another saga)

ThreeSixFive Challenge - August

Here is my contribution to August's photography challenge. Blossom is out and it's such a glorious time of year for photography; we are almost past winter now.

Fancy Fishnets

Finished another Ravelry KAL - this time the pair of socks is called Fancy Fishnets, and the pattern is provided by Knitters Brewery http://www.knittersbrewing.com/. The socks are knitted in Opal.

Stumpy

I'd like to introduce you to STUMPY, my tatted bookmark (pattern is by the very talented Kersti Anear http://www.kersti.com/). I tatted this as part of a monthly forum challenge at http://www.tattingforums.com/forums/, and I am also cheating (a little) and calling it a "motif" so it also qualifies for part of the 25 tatting motif challenge (motif #12).

ThreeSixFive Challenge - July Pt 2

Here are the remaining July photos for the challenge. I have decided it is tough doing the challenge, producing one photo a day. I'm finding that I am now just taking photos for the sake of keeping on top of the challenge rather than being creative with photography. I will continue for as long as I can with this year's challenge but won't be doing the challenge next year.

Tea Cosies

I just completed two tea cosies from an absolutely wonderful book called "Really Wild Tea Cosies" by Loani Prior. Loani has two tea cosy books out but I fell in love with so many of the cosies from this book. Here is her blog http://wildforteacosies.blogspot.com/


Whilst I do use a teapot, the two cosies are going to my husband's work colleague..... What an excuse to make another tea cosy - this time for ME.


Here is Elfin -

..and I would like to introduce Pedro

Autumn Leaves

Something very different for me. A "messy" watercolour, titled Autumn Leaves. To add contrast I decided to attack the painting with indian ink and then splatter the ink over the finished painting.

Depth of Field

Today I played with depth of field and aperture levels on my DSLR. I am very pleased with this photo; the focus is quite sharp with narrow depth of field.

Motif #11 for 25 Motif Challenge

I completed motif number 11, a tatted maple leaf, with thanks to Tammy Rodgers for her pattern which is available here .

Tiger Eye Lace Scarf

Here is the finished Tiger Eye Lace Scarf (grafted). I am very pleased with how it turned out, particularly as it is my first attempt at grafting. Please see this post on the beginnings of the scarf http://artylady.blogspot.com/2010/07/true-blood-and-kals.html

Flower Triptych

Recently took a series of shots of flowers/seeds and picked the three I liked the best to do a triptych. Then I sent away for the photographs to be mounted on board and this is the end result. Whilst the photos are smallish IRL, I am very happy with the final result and will definitely be mounting further photos (albeit, on larger board). BTW, Thanks to Susannah T for all her help; you are not only generous but an inspiration.

Victorian Lace Guild

Thought I would share my Victorian Lace Guild AGM Bobbin I picked up on the weekend at our Guild Meeting. To jazz the bobbin up a little I dyed it in food dye with vinegar (to hold the dye). I quite like the rustic look and to complement it I spangled with red and pink glass beads.

ThreeSixFive Challenge - July Pt 1

Managed to keep up with my 365 challenge, but it isn't easy. I find taking one photograph a day is rather limiting to the creativity; sometimes I am even just shooting for the sake of a photo without really thinking about it, nor the composition.

Bella's Hat from Eclipse

I just finished knitting Bella's hat from ECLIPSE. We are hoping to see the movie tomorrow and one of my daughters will wear the hat to the movie. This is the second item I knitted from the TWILIGHT movies; the other is Alice's mittens as seen here http://artylady.blogspot.com/2010/01/creativity-2010.html

It is apparent I am just a die-hard vampire lover....... Guess it is attributed to all the vampire movies I saw as a kid at the drive-ins (remember them) with my parents.

True Blood and KAL's

I admit I am a TRUE BLOOD addict. Having watched the first two Seasons within as many weeks, I am waiting patiently for Season 3 to become available in Australia, and I also admit I have jumped on the Team Bill bandwagon.

In the meantime, I have to make do with my True Blood KALs on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/. To date I have completed My Vampire Boyfriend socks http://artylady.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-vampire-boyfriend-socks.html and just commenced a new KAL on Tiger Eyes Lace Scarf http://tinyurl.com/35xp64y; I am knitting both ends at once with the aim to graft in the middle (obviously the finished scarf will be blocked).

ThreeSixFive Challenge - June Pt 2

Took bucket loads of photos of the glorious Sunraysia region over the last couple of days. Here is my final contribution for the month of June.

ThreeSixFive Challenge - June Pt 1

My contribution so far for the month of June. I'm going away for a couple of days so am really looking forward to taking some cameras with me and photographing different areas. I think I have well and truly photographed where I live and surrounding areas. Time for a change....

My Vampire Boyfriend Socks

I finally finished knitting My Vampire Boyfriend cable socks (KAL on Ravelry and pattern from Knitty http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/PATTvampireboyfriend.php). These are the first top down socks I have knitted, and first cable socks too, so they were quite challenging. The yarn is Colinette Jitterbug http://www.sarahdurrant.com/yarns1_jitterbug.htm which I just adore - surprisingly there is no nylon in the socks, but I am sure they are tough enough to last the distance. I enjoy knitting socks, particularly using the magic loop method, two on one needle; no single sock problems for me....