Problems commenting...........

Thanks everyone for the tips on the bag handles............May Britt gave me this link for ReannaLilyDesigns and I will be doing them this way next time...........anything to avoid turning them thru...........I will be keeping in mind all the other tips I got too..........

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Also the scorch marks.............white vinegar onto the patch...........gave it a little rub then rinsed it all out.........fixed..........I have a pic of some material I scorched exactly the same way on purpose to show you but you will have to wait til the next post.............

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Thanks for all the tips I am very happy............your help is most appreciated.

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But the big question of the day is regarding typepad blogs

Natalie had a post about it here with people having problems leaving comments on her typepad blog.........

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It has gone on for months and months now but it was a bit hit and miss previously but for the last few weeks constantly I cannot comment on anyone's typepad blog............blogs that I definitely remember are Leanne's House, Rosalie Quinlan Designs, Hatched and Patched, Janelle Wind (beautiful wedding), Kerry's Cottage on the Hill (great weekend), Daisy Chain (lovely bottlebrush and bee pics), Natalie Ross, The Last Peice, Quilt Fabric Delights ,

basically if you know I visit and you're typepad and I haven't commented well this is the reason why.............What happens is the comment box comes up like it should and I can type in what I want and my details but the "post" and "preview" boxes are faded.............I cannot click onto them to post the comment..............

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The only time I have had the "post" button dark and been able to click on it then it tells me it didn't work (or something like that) after ages of trying to load the comment.

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I was talking to Kerri this morning and she is having the same problems............

SO WHO ELSE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS OR IS IT JUST ME.............

do you have any solutions..........

Help Chookyblue...................

PS while writing this I went to typepad site..........you can get a free profile here once I did that I was able to sign in and leave a comment...............this is not the most convenient solutions as I don't need anymore logins...........

project caddy..........

Well you can tell I have had not a lot to do this week with my sore foot with all these posts but a girls got to have something to do.............I have several more posts nearly ready to go........

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I have been busting to get one of the sewing caddies made from GDITC............Rosalie's project..........but as I will be too slow to get it stitched (and to many stitcheries to finish too) I decided to make it up out of some other fabric............do you think blue chooky fabric will suit...

......I have not shown this I think but it was a gift from Colleen - thanks Colleen I love it.......

.....anyway back to the subject.........I had a blond moment and stitched the ends together wrong..........it was perfect just wouldn't turn out the right way.............yep well I missed the bit where I was supposed to turn it thru the right way then join the ends..............lol...........and I will not tell you how long it took me to work this out but...................I did...........

and then I learnt my new skill..........we had to attach the bottom to the top with ladder stitch............never done this before so off to the net and googling "ladder stitch"........yep I can do that..........you just can't see where I have joined the pieces - beautiful and this is the first time I have used this stitch..........I am sold on ladder stitch and will be using it heaps more..........

the other thing is you are supposed to put template plastic in the bottom well I had some old xrays from my nan and I cut one of those up and put into the base perfect.............

Here it is all done.............the quick version of Rosalie Quinlan's Welcome Friends Project Caddy............love it........will be making lots more thanks Rosalie..........

If you are interested in the patterns for this project Rosie said they will be available about 20th June

I Need you help now

>>>>>I was making another one to match the needlecase but you should not iron and chat to the "queen of chat" at the same time............not that i did anything toooo bad but I scorched the cream on my other project caddy...........does anyone know if this can be fixed.............does anything remove scorching????? (otherwise it will be a short fat project caddy)

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>>>>>and my pet HATE while making the bag and any bag for that matter is the handles..........does anyone have an easy method for turning the handle straps thru...........it just kills my fingers trying to get it thru...........I have a loop turner but it only works for me when I don't have pellon ironed onto the fabric.......do you have any tips

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

GDITC Shopping...........

I know you may be sick of hearing about it but BAD LUCK you're just jealous cause you missed out on going to Nundle for Girls Day in the Country...........lol.........

this fabric is another Holly Holderman fabric.............love it.........it is a very pretty pink not the best pic but I am confined to indoors as I have a sore foot..........

Found this bargain.........it is a blue (looks a little grey here) but it would be perfect backing for me and it was on a fantastic SALE............

I haven't seen this stitchery of Leanne's House - Wishes and Lilies..........had to get it.........

close up of the stitchery..........

I won this pattern.............Lynette Anderson..........

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

Kindness of a stranger............

I took part in Red Geranium Cottages "Ric Rac and Polka Dot Swap" last year..............unfortunately my swap partner (in a direct swap) hasn't sent me anything and Sharon blogged about it here after she had tried and tried to find out what was happening with my partner..........well a very kind lady called Carol from Carol's Crafty Creations saw this post..............

,

As she was pretty busy but wanted to send something she made me this cute polkadot pincushion and some ric rac and a button look like a flower on the top...............I took it to Nundle on the weekend and showed the girls...........Carol also saw my post about the Sweet Treat Bag I made from the Aviary range and knew I LOVED this range so she sent me a charm pack of Aviary..............and she found a cute chicken on the way to the post so popped it in too.......

Carol thanks you so much..........the kindness of a stranger............

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

Time for Tea Swap Sent............

Stephanie at Loft Creations organised a swap "Time for Tea" this is what I sent my swap partner Bonnie of Calamity Janes Cottage.............close up..........

The tea cup stack is printed..........I am not that good (to applique it all ).........but I just loved this fabric and still have some left over so will make something up for myself............the fabric was my inspiration and then I made up the rest of the design..........you can see the rest of the parcel I sent here.............

(curly pops and blossom)

found this rose in the garden when taking the pics.........seemed to fit the theme..........it is called "Raspberry Ice"

My parcel is still floating around somewhere..........

Thanks Stephanie for organising the swap..........

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

Welcome Friends Needle Case........

It's done.........finished...........and I love it..............Rosalie Quinlan Designs Welcome Friends Needle Case............one of our projects from the Girls Day in the Country.............

It is a bit hard to see but there is a little pocket inside (on the left below) and when I put it together I thought I had sewn it on the outside by mistake but it just needed to be flipped over the end...........lol........

I love the fabric we used................Holly Holderman Rose Petite...........so pretty and it has a little spot on it to you can hardly see in the pic........

Take care til next time...........Chookyblue

Added: this pattern will be available about 20th June

a little more GDITC...........

some of the displayed goods..............

Rosie demonstrating punch needle...........

Leanne demonstrating needleturn applique.............

drinks and nibbles on the lawn............(after GDITC)

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

Girls Day in the Country...........

Wow I have had the best time.............met some wonderful girls at the Girls Day in the Country.........so tired and have a huge day tomorrow so here is the quick report.........

ate far to much, chatted constantly, did get some stitching done (amazing I know) toooo much retail therapy........nearly to many drinks last night............

Rosie's punch needle project...........(I didn't do punch needle but lots had a go)

Rosie's projects..........stitching bucket (probably not quite what she called it) and a needle case........

I love all the projects the girls had...............so pretty.............

Leanne's Project - needle turn or blanket stitch whatever takes your fancy..........(sorry not the best pic)

I decided I needed to "achieve" this year compared to last so I was on a mission to get something finished..........I started Rosie's needlecase.....(smallest project)......finished the stitchery part..........yippee..........

I met so many lovely ladies...................here are all the bloggy girls.....(Links on the left lists).....in no particular order.............Farmyard Crafts, Home Sweet Home, Princess Martha, Creative Studio, Trudi's Craft Room, Rosie and Leanne of course, Dragonfly Crafts, Day Day's Blog, Gaizie Girl, Heavens to Betsy, Kerry's Cottage on the Hill, Angels Come to Play, Flutterby Angel, Happy In Quilting, Rileys Rambles, Oh Sew Cosy Busy, Patchwork Friends.............

These girls are just so nice plus a few more non bloggers not in the pics some special mentions are the hunter girls, south coast girls, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Bec's relo's, and the ones out west.........you know who you are.........there are people here from 8 hours north and south and about 4-5 hours west......lots of hours in the car......amazing..........thanks girls and esp Kerry for the wonderful weekend..........I have had the best fun.............see you all next year............

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

PS we converted a lurker............please go welcome Cardygirl to blogland.......

......she has probably been lurking and/or commenting on your blog...........

girls weekend........see ya...

Ok no time for pics sorry...........

thanks for all the lovely emails re the marble cake........I see lots of you have been making it.........and the marble cake has brough back lots of childhood memories........to me it is one also as my Nan used to make it for me............esp for my birthday..........sometimes I would get it as 3 seperate layers stacked up..........

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Twitter - seems it could be some new technology that I don't need but really it could be a bunch of birds chirping away..........either way I am not going there.........

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The annual bloggies were announced and Ree The Pioneer Woman won numerous awards and the overall one.........I do enjoy her blog...........

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I have received some wonderful presents in the mail over the last month but the most recent one this week was a parcel from a complete blogland stranger Carol who felt sorry for me in the Polkadot and Ric Rac Swap and she sent me a little parcel so I didn't feel left out how kind..........don't know what happened with my partner..........will show you what i got next week if I get a chance along with the other things I have received...............

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But I am now off to madly pack my bags for Girls Day in the Country at Nundle with Kerry, Leanne and Rosie.........a bunch of wonderful bloggers and a few more that I have met last year..........food, chatting, drinks, sewing...........I will be exhausted when I get home.............

back soon..............

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

Happy Birthday............

I am late sending my parcel to Lurline for the Fat 1/4 birthday swap so can you help me out to make her day special by heading over and wishing her good wishes for the day............she is one of my lovely blogland friends.........unfortunately she lives on the other side of Australia so who knows if we will ever get to meet but we have had some lovely conversations...........thanks for the friendship Lurline........... HAPPY BIRTHDAY...........LURLINE .........take care til next time.....Chookyblue........ P.S promise I will make up for it Lurline............

Twitter????

Can someone please tell me what is "twitter" i am seeing it mentioned in quite a few places but have no idea what it is.........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

Patty/Marble Cake...............

I had to make a marble cake recently.........

......I used my basic cake mix is use for my patty cakes and divided it into 3 lots......

....then made one pink, one chocolate (2tabsp's cocoa + dash of milk) and left one white..........

I love the colour swirls in this photo when adding the cochineal...........

Chocolate........

plopped it all into the lamington tray............

swirled it all around.............

cooked it..........

here is a slice of the cake.................it turned out beaiutiful.........

heres the recipe............I use it all the time for patty cakes (cup cakes) and it makes heaps..............(3-4dozen)

250grams butter (softened)

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

3 cups self raising flour

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

vanilla essence to taste (5mls)

Beat butter and sugar together, add eggs one at a time, add milk and essence, flour and baking power..............

or

if like me in a hurry throw everything in the bowl, beat til combined.

Makes a big slab cake in a laminton tray or spoon into patty cake papers

Bake in a moderate (180) oven.....

.......approx 45 mins for slab or 10-12 mins for patty cakes....

Let me know how you go.............

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

added - A lamington tray - 30cm x 22cm approx I have 2 slightly different (about 4-5cm deep)

rainbow colours..........

I was at Lynda's and I saw this and it is nothing I normally do but I did and this is what they thought

Your rainbow is strongly shaded green.

What is says about you: You are an intelligent person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

hmmm................thinking about this...........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

life........

I just loved this photo I took the other day...............my poor camera has been sooooooo lonely..........it felt great to wander around the garden and snap some pics..........this pic is of a bottle brush and then the leaf of a Jacaranda in the background.........

thanks to all the people who have still been visiting the blog with nothing new to see..........life has been overwhelming lately..............but things seem to be on the improve.............

guess I am now really hanging out for the weekend at Nundle to just relax and enjoy...............11 sleeps girls..........we are having a little email countdown with some of the girls I know are going...............

Chookyblue................