9th year...........

With a sprinkle of rain last weekend the daisies have all burst into flower......

yellow everywhere..........

With thanks to 2 elves who are willing to assist for the 9th year I am running the SSCS

2007-2014

849 Secret Santa Christmas Swaps

2015  ???

It isn't Christmas without the Secret Santa Christmas Swap......

basically it will only be open for the weekend...............

If you miss the sign up SORRY.............

EDITED ADDED I also need more overseas girls to Aussies to make the swap work properly so if I have too many Aussies the last couple to sign up may miss out........I will do the best I can though.....
edited again........the swap is still open but mainly for international girls.........

This swap is only for active bloggers......that is posting monthly at least......

(don't bother if you only do the darkside)

&&&&

If you want to see what happened in previous years go to my labels (right sidebar) and choose Secret Santa Christmas Swap or SSCS08 etc

&&& 

If you are a regular to the swap and many girls are you know the drill but if your not sure of the details you can read the rules below before you sign up........ 

&&&

If you want to join email (chookybluesscs at gmail dot com)(not my usual address)

 I will then email you a link for a form to complete. 

You can leave a comment on this post but to get the form you need to email the above address.............

PLEASE DON'T BLOG ABOUT THE S W A P  UNTIL IT IS CLOSED....

If you have only come here to join the swap and never visited before this isn’t the swap for you......this is for my regular visitors......

Let the fun begin...........
Chookyblue 

The rules are simple

NO 1 Make a beautiful gift (love, time and effort required) – you can make whatever you want eg, bag, wall hanging, stitchery, table runner, Christmas theme (optional) ...send something you would love to receive... 

(not something you whip up in a couple of hours)

NO 2 Make a small decoration that can be hung on a Christmas tree (simple or fiddly up to you)

### Don't tell anyone who your SSCS partner is please. Don't share pics online of your parcel either intil it is opened. This is a secret until they receive their parcel or Christmas Day shhhhhhhhh!!!!!! A different person will be sending to you....

### international postage essential  - TRY AN KEEP WEIGH UNDER 500 grams to keep cost down

### You need to have an active blog .....posting once or twice a month.... so your partner can sneak a peek and get ideas of what to make for you and they know you are active.....therefore existing

###  Postage is ONLY  between 23rd and 26th November to ensure your partner gets their present before Christmas (reason for swap)

### Make sure you "thank" your Santa - very important and post about your present when you receive it..........

### If you are difficult to contact you may be dropped from the SSCS.....several times between now and the deadline I email out and you MUST reply...so if you are going away for a week or 2 just let me know

### If everyone can follow the above it will make for another very successful SSCS..... less headaches for me.........

### Any problems make sure you contact me sooner rather than later

Please don't sign up

• if you are not prepared to send (non-senders are named)
• if you’re too busy
• you can't be bothered to blog
• if you’re not committed to making and sending quality handmade gifts

THANKS

Bits and pieces.....

Deb @ Frog Cottage Designs gave me this lovely layer cake when I saw her last..........just perfect as I don't have much variety in shirtings..........my head is already thinking of ideas..........maybe is will be included in my mystery EPP quilt........

Recently I called in at Kates @ Show and Tell.............now this girl was in the middle of putting her washing machine/dryer stack together........seriously I walked in at the wrong time......I had to help her lift the dryer onto the stack........I have never heard Kate swear but OMG she was a little frustrated when I got there...........lol.......

this is how she thanks me..........tips my eggs upside down on my toast the next morning.........

dreaming of new EPP bits and pieces..............

it's only sitting on the pink so the white stands out from the table..........

dreaming of fussy cutting...........

Khrissy @ BaiSiNoLil asked me the other day how many EPP projects I have on the go........
I told her 2 major ones and not sure how many others........
well it's 4 major ones and 2 mini quilts and more........
Oh well you only live once so you may as well enjoy it.....
I could die when I am 500 and still have projects on the go..........
&&&&
can't wait to catch up with all these girls and heaps more in a few weeks at our Bathurst Blog Meet..........once again it's a sleepover weekend and it's going to be HUGE...........
the excitement is building........
Catch you later............
Chookyblue.........

Fat 1/4 birthday club.........

Hey blogland.......how is everyone today................

thanks for all your suggestions on crap day fixes..........amazing how good life is after a good night sleep.........but my naughty treats were good too.........

&&&

thanks also for my birthday wishes............I know i am a little late with this post but hey life happens..........

OMG my birthday cake...........wished I had taken a side profile...........

double story carmel mud cake with caramelised nuts and popcorn on top..........

it looked AMAZING...........and was so yummy............

&&&

this year I have been part of a fat 1/4 birthday club.........

lots of beautiful fat 1/4s' and a main present from one of the girls............

I had numerous choices as to style so mine are very varied..........

Sharon @ Lillabelle Lane

lovely civil wars........... 

Yvonne @ Yvonne W Designs
thinking of fussy cutting from this print..........

Ondrea @ O Sew Crafty

this fat 1/4 matches perfectly with one from Peg below...........

Illene @ Ret Dairy Queen

Some Bonnie and Camille....the little heart smells so devine..........

Peg @ Happy in Quilting

lots of bits from Peg..........that girl can't help herself.........but all very much appreciated...........

except the chocolate got demolished in the PJ day I had yesterday.........

Claire @ Claire-Bear Quilts

some more Bonnie and Camille......they go well together.........

Simone @ Quilting is my Down Time

Simone knows I love EPP........a lovely bright fabric and maybe that chocolate is on the hit list today.........maybe it would help if I didn't eat the whole bar in one day like yesterday.........

Michelle @ Michelle Ridgeway Designs

When I was in Brisbane last month Michelle actually gave me my parcel then..........
and told me "don't get to excited about the parcel it's not much"
well she is a big liar............OMG
Above are the extra bits she added in............
below are the goodies she made for me..........

about a 5 inch hexie this stitching pouch is beautiful...........Michelle designed and stitched the stitchery just for me..........it is so me...........I love it.........

and inside she has a few pockets and some thread...........
As if this wasn't enough there was more...........

This is a 3in hexie.....included a needle pad and some needles and scizzors with a little hexie scizzor fob on them.........and of course blue scizzors........

I sorted out some projects yesterday as everything was so mixed up I could not work...........so now they are off in various projects...........

thanks to all the girls in the Fat 1/4 Birthday Club...........

just one more parcel to arrive..........hope it isn't lost..........

and thanks to Dory for organising us........

Jenny @ Bird on the Border gave me this little parcel of cuteness............already used the notepad and need to think of something special for the christmas fabric.............

Finally my Mum gave me some money so I got Jenny Kingwell's new book..........

I have been eyeing it off............

OK must go...........

Catch you later.........

Chookyblue.......

crap day...........

this pic pretty much sums up my day.............probably my working week.....

so the solution for dinner is sit in front of the fire with the following..........

really loud music on my ipod dock.......currently Madonna.....

boiled eggs (anything eggs is fantastic).......

left over salt and vinegar chips.............

glass/es of wine.......

chocolate.....to come.........

so whats your fix for a crap day?????

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

Heavy traffic.....

Chookyblue.....

What I wanted to tell you last night.......

I wanted to share this with you last night but couldn't write it as the phone was ruining the light and my special time but it was so strong in my mind I wrote this when I came back in..........thought about it over night and decided I did want to share it with you.........

​Last light....

the sun is gone............

it's the last light of the day............

a magical time..........

perfectly still......

not a breeze.....it's been breezy all day...........

the silhouette of the trees to the west...............

​the squawk of a cookatoo and a couple of gulars........

the last birds to settle for the night.......

slowly the stars are starting to appear...............

the silence is amazing.............

the fire flickers..........

a dog barks.............

I can hear the ducks on the water at the dam.............

slowly getting darker..............

a lamb bleats...........

I spot a satellite in the sky........they move so quickly........

every time i look up I see more stars........

​the milky way is starting to show up.............

i stoke up the fire.........

move a few branches round to get some ends going..........

the dogs are barking again...........

I hear a water pump start and stop........

someone must have turned a tap on in the house.........

it's getting colder..........but the fire is toasty warm..............

the flames are mesmerizing.......

I spot a plane in the sky......how high is it......how big is it.....

the ducks flutter on the water at the dam...........

I wonder if a fox has disturbed them........

i watch the plane track across the sky.....coming from the south............

it's above me before I hear it and I can tell immediately it is a jet.....

A bit of sap in the dead tree sizzles........

I watch the jet disappear to the north........it's lights flashing.......

I can hear the flicker of the fire..........

I see a light several km's away..............it's a ute...........

the driving lights are bright.......

the night insects make their calls............

finally I hear the ute...........gradually it gets louder, closer and brighter...........

the dogs hear it and start barking.......it drives past the house.........

the sound disappears again..........

the silence resumes............

it's getting darker.......harder to see the trees to the west...........

the light of the fire flickers more........

sometimes a burnt branch breaks in the fire.........

I keep turning around to stay warm......freezing one side burning the other..........

watching the flames flicker in the fire...........the glow of the fire......

the smoke drifting straight up into the sky..............

more stars appear.........there is no moon.......

I better go inside.........

not that anyone has missed me but I think i've been out here for a long time.....

I check the time and i've been out here for ages.........over an hour....................

Just me and a fire......

Chookyblue.....

Lonely road ahead.....

Chookyblue

Cards and lambs.....

Milly and Billy have grown heaps...... 

I think Milly is about 6 weeks and Billy 5 weeks.....

so good to have lots of green for them to munch away on.......

still giving them a little bit of milk.............

Milly kept knocking on the door with her foot.........she really wanted to come into the Chookshed...........

you realise they have grown heaps when this other baby walks past who is about 5 days old.............

Thankfully her Mum is with her.....sniffing her to make sure she is her baby...........

she is so tiny........one of twins..........

and I have some cards back in stock...........

I realised when sorting them I was missing some so good to have them back again..........

Hooked into some weeding today..........OMG the weeds are so out of control............

and my body is so sore for the bit i did.........

I have some milk thistles and marshmallow grass as tall as me.........

the chooks love it all........

Catch you later........

Chookyblue.........

a new blogger.........

Nothing much to report here other then a new blogger.............

head over and welcome Diane @ The Sloan Patch to blogland.........

this photo is just a random one I picked from my files to add to the post........

you know a post is so much better with a photo.....

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

Lucy Lucy Lucy.....

3 blocks to do... 

Maybe another one floating around.....

 Better get a move on since the latest one "block 10" arrived this week.... 

And isn't she beautiful...... 

I love getting these little packages in the mail from Shiralee Stitches...............

I know a few people doing this but are you doing these blocks too????

Let me know..........

&&&& 

The weekend was amazing weather...........so warm.............

Oh gee the last few days sure are a reality check.....freezing.......

25 Sunday....

11 yesterday.....

Chookyblue....  

Loading....

Hmmmm....truck running late..... Just about to load 3 decks of sheep in the dark......

God I hope they run well.... Bodgy set-up trying to load in a place we don't normally load as it is to wet for a truck to go into our yards....  I was supposed to avoid the loading the truck part when I was out today.... Bugger.....

Had time to write this while they finished up the dodgy loading race..... Hhhmmmmm

Chookyblue.....

Natures Journey update..........

so I have not finished yet but I have more then 1/2 the stems stitched down.......... decided I needed the leaves as I went along since they are under the stems  so I spent today turning under the bits and cutting a few more bits I had not prepared........... so everything is turned and pinned on ready to stitch........ the creatures will be tackled once all these bits are attached........ I am LOVING all the centres..........they are amazing........... Check out the Stitch-a-long blog......... you can see what the others have done...... Chookyblue..........