Market Planning

Hello, we had a lovely time at Mathilda's Market in Hawthorn on Sunday. Meeting some lovely new and returning customers. I did just a little bit of shopping for my Gracie girl ♥
Looking forward to going to The Square at the end of this month and Daylesford again in June.
I have another market yet to be confirmed at West Beach.
(Lots of organization required between work, children etc.etc!!) but it's lots of fun!
Enjoy your week, Leah

2011 handmade olympics celebration...

how terribly thrilling to find out moi, my granny knickers, you and your knick knacks of choice have nabbed ourselves not one but two medals in the peachy handmade olympics of 2011!!
one GOLD for fave thifty site and one SILVER for fave inspiring goodie


truly this is quite remarkable and such an occasion cannot pass without some kind of 'hurrah hooray' celebration thingy. have you noted it seems to be all we do these days 'hurrahing' there and 'hooraying' here, still it would be most 'non hurrahing and non hooraying' of me not to mention this moment of goodness.

so my dearest readers, it would appear along with the medals comes wonderful prizes in the way of gift certificates to peachy stores on Etsy. the generosity of these folks is amazing and so yesterday not only did i hear the peachy news of the results but also i have been given $250 worth of gift certificates!

as i mentioned before, in my athletic world, everyone is a winner and so i wish to pass these 'winnings' onto you my dearest readers, for without your voting kindness i would not have won.


i decided after some pondering to go back to my 'random button picker thingy' of tuesday and despite it's kinda pants way of picking i have found 5 lovely folks to gift these 5 lovely gifts to.
first button number was Sharon #48
i doubled it to get
the next button winner, which was Heather #96
this morning i roughly divided the remaining entrants after button #96 and found my winners that way. it was not a perfect division job by any means but i did the best my failing eyesight and scrolling abilities could manage without being driven to madness, so forgive me and my slightly inaccurate ways...

and so without further a do we have the winners of the handmade olympic gift certificates
so kindly given by these lovely etsy folks, whom i might add were more than delighted i should wish to pass these on, such is their niceness


and the 5 fabby winners are

maria (angel in the attic)

congratulations my dearies! i will be getting in touch shortly after i have let Little Olive and Used Dog out to play 'snow angels', giving you all the nitty gritty you need to claim your prizes.


of course i wish i could hand out prizes to each and everyone of you, however i hope you will be most happy to wear today's 'gold sticky star' complete with 'olympic champion' written by Little Olive and Used dog, who stayed up most late last night working on them.
yes some have letters missing as their little paws do have trouble holding a pencil, but it is the thought which counts.
please wear your gold stars with pride, i have placed mine upon my granny knickers, so when i go to the grocery store this afternoon, i will know underneath my 'everyday plain clothed in disguise ordinary folk' attire, an olympic gold and silver medalist is lurking... i suggest you do like wise :)

and with that, i must just say once again, a large thank you for your votes, for once again being most kind to me, for your lovely comments this past week and just for generally being the peachiest readers one could ask for.


she is hoping your weekend is full of goodness, a little bit of peachiness and indeed why not some peskiness, cause who doesn't love a bit of pesky in their lives ~ Tif

Earthquake update

Just a quick update to let you all know I'm safe and well. Our house suffered a bit of damage in the form of cracks and jammed doors, as well as some liquefaction in the back yard which flooded the garage and dumped a huge amount of sand right outside the back door. The house is liveable though - amazingly our chimney is still standing!

I'm staying with family in Timaru at the moment, but hoping to return soon to begin the cleanup. Jon is still in Chch as he had to go to work. Power is now back on, but no water.

Thanks for all the messages and emails. I'm as well as can be, although heartbroken at the loss and destruction all around. We've had so much help from family, neighbours and strangers that I will be forever grateful for. Thanks again everyone, it's heartening to know you are thinking of me.

Take care
xx

things to like, cont'd

things to like:

* a snow day at mossy shed
* little olive and used dog early this morning







* yarn to save my sanity with another day off school
* setting aside iffy coloured yarny project and learning to crochet bobbles


* new love of bobbly crochet resulting in a need for crocheting bobbles all day long
* a little corner set aside for 'bobbly crocheting sanity saving' moments during the snow day


she is thinking this could be the beginnings of some sweet sweet times with Mr Hook ~ Tif

New to the Web - Harvest Pumpkin

April 20th is the class for this beautiful piece. It is called Harvest Pumpkin. Check out the web for details! Happy Quilting.

things to like or not...

things i like today:

* Portland, Oregon
* especially Portland with Our #2 as my companion
* spending quality time with my lovely friend Lola in Portland
* benches in Portland


* finding a dottie angel cottage in Portland, perfectly perfect just as it is,
with lovely yellow paint trim.


* my hens eating their morning porridge to keep their little skinny chickie pea legs warm
* the moments of 'book inspiring' thoughts which seem to be coming thick and fast
* word of the week ~ PESKY
* cadbury's mini eggs are in the shops
* Used dog and her lumpy bumpy body
* my latest crocheting endeavours

things i do not like today:

* a snow day from school with no snow
* samuel whiskers making PESKY morning visits to the chicken coop
* book thoughts being interrupted by clan activity within the shed
and then said thoughts disappearing into the black hole within my little head
* broken buttons
* cadbury's mini eggs tempting me from the cupboard
* Used dog's lumpy bumps reminding me she is old
* the iffy-ness of my color choices for latest crocheting endeavours

she is declaring it a pyjama day for the shed ~ Tif

Autumn Welcome Giveaway

Autumn is my favourite time of the year, please drop into the gorgeous Marley & Lockyer blog for a very generous Autumn giveaway!
Good luck, there are so many sad things happening around the world during 2011 already! I'm sure a surprise in the mail would brighten anyones day.
Take care ♥
Leah

and the winners are...

before we get to the winners, you know me, i must just say several things...

firstly, you truly know how to lift spirits on a low day. just reading the comments made me smile and feel uplifted, and what really really made me smile is knowing we are all alike when it comes to the moments which make us happy. it is the simple things in life which lift us up. when it all gets a little too much, or perhaps life has dealt us some crappity crap cards, it is the little things which brighten our mood, so thank you for taking the time to share.


secondly, indeed my 'random button picker thingy' was as i suspected a little nutty, but i did go through with it, or should i say 356 buttons did. not just any old buttons (actually they are old) but brave heroic buttons who have seen many things in their lifetimes. once stitched to uniforms and now in a tin lurking in my studio waiting for this moment of utmost importance so they may show their bravery all over again. Carlos my trusty camera (i will have to shorten his name i think, or lengthen it to 'untrustworthy') did the best he could to capture the moment but unfortunately lost focus during the 'death defying' button moment as they hit the ground. he is down to just one working mode since last summer and sadly over the past few weeks it would appear 'auto' will not be with us much longer either. he did what he could and who am i to make a little camera feel any worse than he already does, knowing his days are numbered and the great Las Vegas in the sky for cameras is beckoning.

and thirdly, the brave buttons overcome with seeing some action out of their little tin, took a huge leap of faith on our behalf. many jumped for joy when they reached the cook pot, thus bonging right on out again. others i am saddened to say, did not fair so well (distressing to see i know) but a few made it into the pot and stayed put (thank goodness) waiting for me to count them and then Our #3 to double check the numbers...
and yes, i did hug each and everyone of them afterwards, even the wounded ones for it was quite the ordeal they went through.





and so for my 'hip hip hooray' give away the two winners are:

"if the weather is warm and sunny, i retreat to the porch for a bit of porch sitting where i can see cows and chickens and a donkey, and can be assured of the wet nose of the cutest corgi ever to come over and plant a kiss on my cheek or knee... it then becomes impossible to feel too low. if the weather is chilly, i find myself in my comfy chair by the fire, where again, i call on my little doggie to provide the needed snuggle..."

and

"a few things that can lift my spirits on a low day:
- receiving a package or unexpected letter in the mail
- snuggles from my puppy elsie
- a great, forgotten about song coming on the radio while driving and blasting it while singing all the words
- retail therapy, especially a good thrift find"

so hurrah hooray for Sharon and Heather and for everyone who so kindly entered my giveaway and cheered all our days with your wonderful 'pick me ups'... and indeed for forgiving my terribly thrilling but obviously quite pants way of picking a winner :)

she is thinking you can guess what she spent the rest of her day doing ~ Tif

Look at this beautiful quilt! Done in batiks from one of our kits. The quilt was made by Durelle, from Dayton, Ohio. Just thought you might enjoy seeing what a tremendously beautiful job this excellent quilter did. Happy Quilting - Jane

Smelling the roses

 My climbing rose Cecile Brunner has been flowering for a couple of months. You'll see her in the background next to my shed in the previous potager post. She gets a bit unwieldy this time of year, so I usually give her a haircut to tidy things up and hopefully encourage some more flowers. Then I take all the little rose buds that were snipped off, and put them in my bubble vase.

So pretty, and they smell divine too. I love the perfection of these tiny blooms - almost too perfect to be real. I like to put the vase beside my bed, from which spot it will perfume the whole room. Instant well-being.

 Today we went blueberry picking at Broadfield Berryfruit. It was the last day of the season, but we still managed to pick 1.2 kg of fruit. Then I spread them out on trays to freeze. Once frozen I scooped them into freezer bags. I'm looking forward to all kinds of blueberry baking... hotcakes, muffins, cakes, puddings... and after seeing this recipe on Bridget's blog, blueberry friands are also on the list!

I've always wanted a dollshouse with a miniature garden, and thanks to Tilt Shift Maker, this is what my potager would look like as a mini! Cute no? Lookit the teeny glasshouse! Bet there are no weeds to pull in a mini garden either...

Stages of a potager

 
Hi again! I hadn't intended to be away for so long, in fact I had plenty of posts thought out. But when it came to actually writing them, I found I would rather be sitting in the sun, or reading a book, or working some crochet. The garden has been overwhelming me a bit too as it's growing like mad and seems like an overgrown jungle. The potatoes are manky and the tomatoes are gigantic flopsy triffids. Anyway, I decided it's time to pull together all the photos of the potager over the past year as it's developed, so at least I can remind myself that I have accomplished something, even if there's a lot more work still ahead.

January 2010 - This is how it looked before I started. Scruffy shrubs, dead grass, oxalis and a weedy vege patch were what I had to work with.

January 2010 - First I laid out stakes and planks and scraps of wood to work out the pattern and how things would fit. I laid out some bricks to work out the width of the path. Then it was dig, dig, dig.

28 March 2010 - I dug trenches for the paths and lined them with planks of wood for the edging. Then I laid down weed mat, and coarse builder's mix for the base. Then I laid the bricks, knocking them into place with a rubber hammer. Finally I brushed Pavelock sand between the bricks - this sand turns hard when sprinkled with water, so the weeds shouldn't grow through. My paths aren't perfect, and the width fluctuated a bit. In some parts I had to chip away at the bricks to get them to fit, and in other parts I had to pack extra sand around them. I just remind myself that the rustic look is what I am going for here!

 
23 May 2010 - Two months later and I've managed to finish the cross paths, work out the positioning of the bricks for the curved path and dig over most of the beds. You would not believe how much rubbish was under the top layer of dirt... bricks, broken glass, whole glass bottles, shards of pottery, coal, rusted metal and even a pair of rotted boots!

13 June 2010 - I wanted to plant my garlic, but I couldn't plant up that bed until the circle path was laid (or I'd just end up trampling on the bed while I did it). The circle path was the most important element of the design to me - I love the symmetry and strength of the lines. I'd have preferred not to have the straight paths crossing right through the centre - it would be nice if they stopped at the edge of the centre and I could have a sundial or something in the middle of a round bed. But that was not going to work for several reasons... firstly, I'm a building novice learning on the job, and it was just too damn hard for me to work out how to connect the paths at that stage. Secondly, I like to be able to dash in and out, bring the wheelbarrow through etc and though pretty, that layout would not have been especially practical. And thirdly, I like having my four little "quarter" beds - they are a great manageable size and good for planting with "little" crops such as lettuces.

  
3 October 2010 - I delayed laying the rest of the circle paths for as long as I could because believe me, I was well and truly over bricklaying by then! But I wanted to plant my spuds, so I needed to move onto the next quarter. I used recycled black plastic garden edging to line these paths, because it was the only thing I could think of that would curve. It worked, but presented its own set of problems, mostly because it would warp and buckle when I hammered the bricks in. So most of these curved paths do have wonky fluted edges if you look too closely... which is why I've since grown lettuces along the edges to hide all that!

5 November 2010 - the circle paths are finally finished! I just have to do the outer curved path, before it gets completely overgrown with grass.

10 January 2011 - One year later, and all the bricks are finally in! Not that you can see much because of all the monstrous vegetables, but I'm planning some more traditional potager style plantings for winter that might highlight it a bit better. I also want more flowers in there amongst the greenery! In the meantime, the harvest is coming in. This week I've brought in spuds, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, rocket, rosemary, thyme, spring onions, red onions, zucchini, chilli peppers (glasshouse), runner beans and strawberries.

Well, I've come a long way baby, but there's always more to do. It's taken me three nights to organise the photos and write this post, so maybe in a week I'll have another for you! In the meantime I'm going to browse through my folder of inspirational potager images and dream about next season's layout.

Mathildas Market

O

On Sunday 27th February, we’re setting up shop at Mathilda’s Market!
Mathilda’s is where you’ll find unique, stylish and exquisite baby & kids’ goods from some of Australia’s most gifted designers and crafters.
All products are either lovingly handmade, or manufactured in limited quantities and just too irresistible to refuse!
Stallholders are carefully handpicked to bring shoppers the most divine assortment of clothing, accessories, home wares and toys for the little ones.
Most stallholders at Mathilda’s Market don’t have bricks and mortar stores, so you’re sure to find something utterly original there.
If you’re looking to stylishly dress your children or decorate their home environment, and want an alternative to mass-produced items, you’ll adore this Market!
When & where: Sunday 27th February, 9am to 1pm at the Hawthorn Town Hall, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn. Entry and parking is free. More info at: Mathildas Market-Beautiful Kids Stuff
EXCITING!! Have a Wonderful weekend ♥ Leah

the Olympics, Portland and my granny knickers...

they say it is going to snow, drat and double drat is all i can think of.
me and Our #2 are heading out on the highway tomorrow, just the two of us on a road trip to Portland. a couple of days ago i was struck down by the thought, by summer my flock will be down by half in the space of a year. my time is running out fast, the wheels have been set in motion, another set of wings are beginning to stretch...

tomorrow morning, lack of snow permitting, i will pack my toothbrush, my pyjamas and a pair of large undies and the two of us will spend some quality time together for a few days.


to distract me from the 'will it, won't it snow' and my mothering heart strings i have a tale to tell, so if you are sitting comfortably then i shall begin...

it would be quite true to say, i am not the athletic type, in all my 42 years i can only recall one athletic moment of glory and even then it was accidental and not wanted.
around the age of 13, we had to run for miles across the surrounding countryside for PE. it was bitterly cold and being of the scrawny sort, i did not fair well in winter conditions. i think being in a tee shirt and navy blue nylon elasticated granny knickers did not aid my warmth. i ran my blimen' heart out that day, for the sooner i got back to base the greater my chance of staying alive and not being turned into an icicle.

i came in second place, the PE teacher turned and congratulated me, i assumed upon the fact i was still alive with my heart pumping wildly trying to keep my fingers and toes from dropping off. i did note even in my distress she had a somewhat astonished look upon her face. for indeed anyone who knew me back then, would know i did not move very fast, indeed even today i do not. unless i am heading to a thrift store, then i find my pace is picked up tenfold.

i began to feel lightheaded when i heard her talk about Cross Country Meets, representing the school at the next championships, how i had been picked for the team...
i was aghast! i had been tricked! i was under no knowledge i was trying out for a school athletic team position, i was just under the impression the PE teachers were doing what they always did back then, make our lives miserable and then have a good laugh about it in the Staff Room afterwards.

i do not know how, all i know is i did not represent my school. i am quite sure my mother stepped in and wrote a note saying due to skinny legs, bad circulation and mental trauma bought on by having to wear giant nylon underpants in front of large crowds i was not able to participate on the school team.

for the rest of my school years i laid low in PE and never ever caught the teacher's eye, for if i did she looked at me with the look of failure, of one who cannot and will not amount to much.


but ha ha! hee hee! roll on quite a few years and here i am today in my giant granny knickers, this time safely tucked under clothing so as not to be gazed upon by others and it would appear my PE teacher was wrong about my athletic abilities. for i have been shortlisted for not one but two events in the 2011 Handmade Olympics... now that is my kind of athletic event!

i am totally thrilled by this news, which i received a couple of days back. i must say a large 'thanking you kindly' to the folks who took their time to nominate me, to the judges who shortlisted me, and to any other folkie doke involved in what appears to be a very big thing indeed, especially the lovely RicRak herself

the two events i have been shortlisted to compete in are


Event #4 ~ our favorite handmade goodie that inspires loveliness & wellness

and perhaps the one i am most chuffed about


Event #6 ~ our favorite thrifty or vintage-forward blog, shop or site
for this here shiny place, my 'ramblings of dottie angel'

as you will be able to see from the links, i am amongst a peachy bunch of other finalists, who i am quite sure have their own memories of PE as a child and indeed may very well have worn the same giant nylon granny knickers. well not the same exact pair, cause that isn't possible, but a pair similar perhaps in equal horridness and due to skinny legs, the elastic too loose around the legs thus revealing underwear to all the boys.

but i digress, haunted by my PE knickers...
and so my lovely dearest readers, if you may care to cast your vote in my direction i would be most delighted, especially in Event #6 and does not matter what the outcome of the events.
at the end of the day we will all be wearing our knickers, large, small, with elastic or without (and if you must insist, i will allow thongs, although they do nothing for insulation purposes) accompanied by our gold sticky stars, which i have stocked up in, for everyone is a winner in my athletic world :)


and talking of stocking up, i think i will be having to put a 'wanted' notice on my studio window for any passing buttons who may indeed be out of work and looking for a bit of excitement in their lives. i was unable to comment amongst your lovely answers to my giveaway for it would throw off my very tricky brainy technical way of counting the amount of entrants, but i must tell you, each and every comment i have read and felt uplifted by, thank you so kindly for sharing.

she is wondering if any random buttons in Portland fancy a change of scene and will see you on tuesday after the buttons have done their death defying deed ~ Tif

a 'hip hip hooray' giveaway...

oh it is so grand to be back, so grand indeed... my grandness led me to do a little jig not five minutes ago, around my studio with clippity clogs upon my feet. Little Olive tucked up in her suitcase joined in tippity tapping her 'way too long' nails upon the floor.
(she is aiming for the Guinness book of records title 'longest nails on the littlest doggie')
Used Dog did her usual prancing, alas her old age makes prancing a dangerous occupation these days and therefore only moments such as this high level of grandness can i allow such prancing behaviour.
now they are settled back into their mid morning slumbers and i am able to get on with my 'hip hip hooray' giveaway.


for indeed a birthday or two needs to be celebrated and what better way then with a giveaway. 'tis been 4 whole years since i opened my little shop and despite it often sitting there with empty shelves i am truly blessed by wonderful customers, many of whom have come back to shop over the years again and again, so i am thinking 527 sales is worthy of celebration.
and as if that were not enough, my happy shiny place, the place i like to ramble upon is just shy of turning 4 too! gosh how terribly thrilling to be celebrating two birthdays and more to the point how terribly thrilling you are still reading this here ramblings after 540 rambles. surely you deserve way way more than a gold sticky star!
(although i am thinking they are in themselves, quite the prize)

so for my 'hip hip hooray' giveaway i will have two prizes
(gasp!)
to celebrate two wonderful moments in my cyberworld history and to say a grand 'thanking you kindly' in the besty best way i know how.
the winners will be picked using buttons! i am quite delighted when this thought struck my cogs this morning.
(the sort of delight that results in a little hand clapping and gleeful squeal)
yes indeed, a jar full of buttons will indeed risk their little buttony selves so i may pick out two winners randomly. each entrant to this giveaway will become a number, the final number of entrants will become the final number of buttons in the jar. the jar will then be held up high, the buttons will then become a little fretful at the height of which they are held.
i will do this all blindfolded so i will not have to see their little buttony fretfulness. i will then dangerously and quite recklessly tip the jar over towards a waiting large 'cookpot thingy' container below and with a bit of luck some of the little buttons will make it into the container. i fear a few will miss the mark and others may just plain faint with the whole trauma. i do so hope no button will end up broken, not sure i will be able to forgive myself.

upon looking in my cookpot, i will count the buttons and there will be winner number one! hip hip hooray!
i will then deduce from this number as to whether i will double it or halve it, and then we will have winner number two! hip hip hooray! i will then take those two numbers and match them with their entrants to the giveaway...

for example, 72 buttons land in the cookpot, #72 commenter in the giveaway is the winner.
(i gave that example as quite honestly having reread the whole button fiasco thing it all seemed somewhat confusing, but do not fear i do know what i am doing, but i don't think the buttons quite realize it just yet)


i will be giving away two 'loopy-de-loop' embroideries, i made quite a few of these last week and i experimented with letter sizing. i have decided to go with itty bitty sized letters and so two sweeties with their larger lettering are looking for new homes. i think the upside of their large lettering is one does not need specs on to read them.
and
you can see them looking most 'doilified up' on the left hand side of my blog page and way way way on down, at the foot of my blog page
(which really makes me smile)
i have no idea if anyone would ever find her but she is waiting as a little happy thought. they are sewn on to vintage sheeting and ready to be pinned up in their new abodes. i am also going to pop in a 'most happy' notebook and a 'perfectly peachy' tea towel with each loopy embroidery, so they may travel safely in numbers.

here is the nitty gritty if you wish to be entered to win one of these sets of prizes
and please do read the nitty gritty

1: please answer the following question
"what lifts your spirits on a low day?"
(here i would say, crocheting and a cup of tea perhaps or talking to Our#1 on skype)

2: be sure to leave a way for me to contact you

3: due to my ridiculous button counting, number thingy picking ways, you will have to enter here on my blog, so i am unable to take emails this time around (big sorrys here)

4: does not matter where you are in the world you are welcome to enter

5: i will close this competition on Sunday 20th Feb (9pm pacific time) and announce the winners after the buttons have done their thing, on Tues 22nd Feb

6: i think that is it, although i must say i will be strict, if the question is not answered then i will not publish your comment, (that sounds terribly strict doesn't it) only folks that have done so will become a death defying button

7: if my brilliant button picking random thingy does not workout then i reserve the right to think up another hair brained scheme for picking the winners

i am quite sure there will be something else that pops into my little brain but for now i just wish to thank you for your custom in my little shop and your lovely comments over the years on my little blog, without you i would not be doing all that i am, nor all the things that lay out before in the coming months... they are down to you all and for that i am thanking you kindly
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

she is off to get the crock pot out, the oven gave up the ghost over a week back and 'tis time to bring in the big guns, ha ha, hee hee ~ Tif

Happy Valentines Day!

I shouldn't be sharing this link, Koolaman Designs Valentines Give away because I really want to win! Have a very happy Valentines Day ♥ Leah

Something for Grace


All of my favourite programs are on TV again so I have been knitting away at night when I have no sewing orders. This is the little cardi I made for Grace. Not sure why the front bands keep folding inwards, never mind, she loves it!
Have a Sunny Sunday!
Leah

For my boys

Hello, I've been off work for a week or so with Ross River Fever, so feeling sorry for myself! Yesterday I decided that I would sew for my boys, I used this fun tutorial and made 3 of these library bags.
They are all a bit different, it took me most of the day!
The boys love their new school but my little prep boy decided to wait until day 3 to cry uncontrollably and not let me out of the room!! All is good today because Wednesday is a day off for Preps ♥

Beginner's Class


Beginner's Class: Each month we have a new beginner's class. The class makes a throw size quilt from start to finish. They learn rotary cutting, 1/4 inch seams, squaring up blocks, how to choose colors, how to measure for borders and much more. Come join us!

Spice of Life...


Spice of Life: A wonderful class that started this week. Theresa is folding kits and getting ready for the next group on the 18th of this month. The quilt this time is blue and beige and just plain beautiful. This is an ongoing class that will last throughout the year making 3 different large quilts.