bits and pieces........

Hang with me here this posts has lots of bits and pieces.......I have been very busy with work but had a little holiday tonight at Old Bar Beach and then I went to Boomer Beach check them out great shots girls..............feeling so relaxed.......lol.........

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After I showed my cooking family heirlooms last post Jo pulled out some family heirlooms - some sewing and a jug............check them out well worth it and let us know if you have some and do a post..............would love to see what treasures people have.............

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got myself into trouble in a good way and got blammed for someone shopping..........hmmmmmm.......what can I say "guilty"........yippee but Kris has taken up the 2008 Challenge with me thru Cottage on the Hill

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sign up for the Cyber Stitching at Mrs Martins it is open until the 31st May..............the stitching day is the 21st June.........pattern from Gail Pan and and Anni Downs including Anni's new book are included plus other goodies ........

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here is a pick of one of the blocks I have made for an online group siggy swap..........

I am trying to not buy so many magazines but when they put issues out like these I just can't resist.........Country Threads stitchery edition and Homespun has an article about Leannes trip to Norway and it is really weird reading the article about your bloggy friends (normal names used) ........and yes Stina you are there in the pic..........and you feel like you "really know them" my Norway bloggers are very special............

Also Leanne is having a giveaway with the "Chooky" patterns we had a Nundle so if you loved them and I know you all did head over and enter the draw........

Finding some autumn pics in the garden............Fairy Girl also made a fairy ring I just had to take a photo.............most of the garden beds are still covered in that horrible umbrella grass but I think it is heading towards the end........the autumn colours are just beautiful.............

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

PS thanks to the lurkers who have left some comments lately but I don't get your email address when you comment so you can go to my profile and email me if you want...........Helen from down south email me ..........

Do we have smelly internet..............

We I wished we did right now............cause these scones smell devine..................I can't give you the exact recipe but it includes SR flour, cream, milk, pinch of salt and some bicard soda............

(for those that regular read my blog - yes I did use the correct flour)

combine ingredients until you get the "right consistency" yep now your asking what is the "right consistency" well keep looking..................this isn't...............

............getting closer..............

this is pretty right now.............

then you have to knead the dough and roll out on a floured surface.............(using my newest family heirloom)............(ask "bookworm" to now take the pics as you have flour everywhere).......

then cut them out with my mystery item..............my other family heirloom.............this is the scone cutter that my Nan used as long as I can remember (much safer then the glass I use).........

.............we have been sorting things out at my grandparents house (remember my Pop died last month) and Mum put these aside for me knowing I LOVE cooking..............they are very precious to me.............so today we had to make some scones...........the kids love it when I make them..........they love to help also

now they are cooked.................

just perfect..............

and ready for me to eat.............

sorry must rush off and eat them..........when my city friends come to visit soon I will make some more.............gosh that will have to be a big batch.............

...........take care til next post.............

what is this??????????

Ok so I am cheating I know what it is but let’s see who else does……it is a personal treasure………so what is it?????????

…………Take care til next time……………

11275...........

.............That's some serious number of comments on Confessions of a Pioneer Woman website..............she is having a giveaway and I went to comment and that's how many she had when I went to leave mine..........it is a very serious giveaway.............a digital SLR camera and printer...........not that she needs anymore people to leave a comment but you may well be in with a chance she will use the random number generator thingy............
but make sure you tell me if you win............goodluck

lots of treasures..........

okay so finally I am back longer then I planned but I am here.................stuffed up on one of my links at the beginning but here it is...........again sorry but it is worth a look I promise.............

this is the winner of my last post..............a new blogger to me..........email me you snail mail address...........thanks to all the lurkers for coming out of the closet...............it is nice to know someone is reading out there......I really appreciate people taking the time to comment..........

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looks like a few people are going to do the Cyber Stitching and/or the 2008 Challenge ( see my last post)

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I still have HEAPS of stitching to do on the girls projects...............I only got one heart needleturned.............and not even a chook stitched but I did chat to a few people and check out what my firends were up to also.........but now i have some night time sewing to do...........

shopping............signed by Rosie........

I got a special block written for a friend doing the 365day challenge.........she just loves it..............Leanne also signed my book for me...........

a bonus pattern from Rosie............love it

my roll of fabric I won............

had to buy this...............

and this collection..............

and more again............

finally I have one of my very own Cinderberry Stitches patterns..............

and I will have a play with this sometime soon.............(oh by the way does anyone have some extra time they can give me)

ok so this is the final post about the Girls Day in the Country..............how many sleeps until the next one Kerry??????

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

Some inspiration.........

Check out this amazing quilt and here is another one......

....if you want to do some cyber stitching with Mrs Martins check this out here..........should be heaps of fun.........the date for the cyber stitching is the 21st June but I am busy so will do mine on the 22nd June.........I see some others have signed up......

Now for the 2008 Challenge Pack.....Cottage on the Hill...........are you up for a challenge..............this is the kit...........(this can be as easy or hard as you want to make it)........

this is the pack opened out.................

the details.............

• the pack includes fabric, buttons, ric rac, braid and thread
• you must use at least 80% of all the fabric, ric rac and braid and all the buttons
• you can include other fabrics or embellishments if you wish
• the challenge must have machine or hand piece patchwork
• must have some sort of hand stitching
• some sort of applique
• at least 5 circles - these must be made from fabrics or thread from within the kit.
• you must email a photo to The Cottage by the closing date.
• (closing date to be confirmed but you should have about 3 months at this stage if not a little more)

if you are interested go here..............and say you want to do the 2008 Challenge................there is a prize..........need to check that one out but it will be good.................

addition email kerry(at)cottageonthehill(dot)com(dot)au subject 2008 Challenge

come on set your self a challenge I am.................hmmmmm..........now what am I going to do........I will get back to you............

Oh and if you have made it this far..................I am going to do a little giveaway..............need to pull some lurkers out of the closet (esp the ones I met on the weekend).............and I know I have had heaps of extra visitors so come on show you face..........oh well at least comment and make sure I can get back to you if you win...............I will do the draw next post so who knows if that will be today or tomorrow or next week but I have not shown you all my goodies from Nundle so I can't hold off tooooo long..............see you in the comments.............

.................take care until next time...................

the bloggers.............

missing are Relle's Place and Kerry.................

make sure you read the earlier post..............still more to come..............

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

What a huge weekend......early friday morning Jelly Wares swung by my place and we threw the gear in and off we went......after hours of chatting we finally arrived in Nundle...(I don't think either of us drew breath during the trip)...........the occassion Girls Day in the Country..........going to the amazing day organised by Kerry Swain of Cottage On the Hill - tutored
for the day by the wonderful Leanne Beasley and Rosalie Quilan and meeting
up with the bloggy crew........Bloom, Day Day's Blog, Happy in Quilting,
Jelly Wares, Riley's Rambles, Dragonfly Crafts, Lzilulu's Stuff, The Janelle Wind Collection, Living in Paradise, Relle's Place, Gai D (belongs to this club scroll down on the right find the labels and the link for Gai D) and of course ME.......

Leanne, Kerry and Rosie.........

Leanne's project.............a stitchery project........designed especially with me in mind............yes this is true she said it on the day..............I feel extremely special to inspire someone to create a special "Chooky" project - mind you she can't call me anything other then my blog name...........I do love it though........

We could choose to make our project in 5-6 different colourways and of course I choose "blue"...........

.................here is Rosie's project........needle turn applique............as I had never done this before I chose to work on this first.............I managed to get one heart stitched on (a small one) and all my applique cut out and stuck onto the fabric..........I think I could find myself doing more of this..........I usually do blanket stitch............

Rosie, Leanne and Kerry...........

working hard on projects and getting the girls to sign books etc...........they are so kind and patient with everyone.........shared themselves around with all the stitches...........

The group bloggy pic should be here but wait for the next post...............

After the great day we dined out on the balcony of the hotel.........we couldn't fit downstairs (to many people dining at the hotel) and we had enjoyed our drinks up there the night before so decided to sit out there again..............our group started at about 11 in the morning and by the time we ordered I think there was about 25 of us together...........Rosie and Leanne and Janelle joined us for tea and some other lurkers............(they had better comment here)

...................now Nundle can get pretty cold in winter and it was an open balcony and it was colder then Friday night............you think these girls would own a warm quilt don't you..............lol...........

we ended up with all the blankets etc from the rooms out on the verendah wrapped around everyone keeping them warm..........but it was worth it was had a great time..........that is until we had eaten and decided we could all fit down in the bar and moved into the warmth..............

we looked cold didn't we..............lol

Now once we moved downstair this is the only pic I can display but can you guess who some of the girls are that were singing and dancing and generally have an absolute ball..................

the best part is Leanne and Rosie are coming back again next year.......................woohoo.............

......................now for the shopping, my sewing and more stay tuned.............oh and I nearly forgot I have a very special treat for a friend..............

............Fairy girl says my voice sounds different tonight............I think it is due to all the chatting............lol...........I am exhausted.............goodnight.............
..............take care...........