Children's Movies and Philosophy

Today I watched the children's movie "Kung Fu Panda" for the first time. I absolutely loved it!! Below the surface (for me anyway), it had a deeper philosophical message, 'believe in yourself', that I found really appealing. I also heard something that I have heard before- 'Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present'. It gave me goosebumps. I just love kids movies. Roll on the school holidays!

UFO for which month?

All right, all right. I know I'm behind in posting my ufo's for each month. I'm not sure which month this one is for. It's called 'Fractured Circles', and I did it in a Lessa Siegele class at the Patchwork Retreat I attend each year.

New Link, Same Old Me

OK, this is me sitting in my craft room, trying to decide which one of my many, many projects to work on. It can be very difficult. I know the things I should be working on, but somehow there's always something else to catch my eye (sigh). I wish I could be as dedicated and hard working as some people whose blogs I have read, but I don't seem to have that iron core of discipline. Never mind, life is short and I just try to enjoy every day.
I have added a link to Lisa Vollrath's site where she has a Christmas countdown - each day a new image is posted to download. All she asks is that you post a link to a group or on your blog. There is also other fun stuff to download all year round on this site so you might want to do a little exploring while you are there.

The girls of 'Girl's Night In'

A likely looking bunch.

My Off The Page project

This is my off-the-page project that I made for the Girl's Night In.
I used a laminate sample, leftover from our home renovations. I painted it, front & back, added a rub-on and stickers and sealed it with two coats of dimensional magic. I stuck three buttons to the dimensional magic as it was drying. When it was completely dry I added a key chain fitting.
The rub-on says "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love time is eternity."

Bras, g-strings and other pretty things.

I had a terrific night out last night, or should I say Night In. I was lucky enough to be invited by the lovely and energetic Joy Skaines, to her 'Girls Night In' event. Our numbers were small, but the money raised will go to a good cause, and who knows it might just be the amount needed to make a breakthrough in breast or cervical cancer research. Everyone was asked to bring a pink off-the-page item for show. What creative & talented ladies they all were. The items on show were fantastic, with bras being the obvious favourite, from Margaret's flower and jewel encrusted work of art, to Joy's s sassy bra (complete with tassels) and g-string combination. Among the items were books, clocks, canvasses, more bras, boxes etc (waiting to see the tin that was left at home). My tiny contribution was a key ring, but since it was my first off-the-page venture, I didn't feel too bad. The night was made even better by the raffle prizes contributed by an 'anonymous' donor. Did I mention that Alicia, owner of our local shop 'Scrapbook Fantasies' was there, along with her lovely mother Margaret(whose pink scones were delicious). Each participant received a beautiful container full of flowers and buttons from generous Joy Kennedy, which was a super surprise. I think I need to go for a 'nanna' nap now to recover from all that frivolity.

August Quilt

I'm not adding a U.F.O. this month (That's right, this one is actually a Finished Object). Since August is my birth month, I'm adding my favourite quilt. It's a Jewel Box quilt with sashings, and I just love the colours. Can't quite remember what year I made this quilt. I'll have to check and get back to it.

Operations & Independence

Well my hip replacement operation has come and gone (as well as two months), and what a difference it has made. One day after the operation, they had me out of bed and walking, using a frame. Where I expected there to be a lot of pain, there was none (just the tenderness around the incision). Six weeks after the op I was off to a patchwork retreat for five days. Although my hip gave me no problems, I did overdo it a little in the walking department. My feet just weren't used to having to do so much, and I had to retire to bed where my wonderful friends waited on me hand & foot (ha ha). I am recovered now and I am walking just using one crutch, soon to be just a walking stick. It's fantastic to have my independence back. I went to patchwork on Saturday (first time since op) which was really great. Today I went shopping at my local scrapbook shop (also first time since op) for some supplies to do an off the page project for a 'Girls Night In', on Saturday night. Should be a fun night as well as helping a good cause.

Shops and Swaps and B.O.M.'s

I can't believe so much time has gone by since I last posted. I'm not sure where the time goes, but go it does.
Yesterday was a busy day for me. First a trip to the library to replenish my supply of books and D.V.D.'s. We have a lovely new library and it's always a pleasure to visit, however it is quite large and there is a lot of walking between sections. Then I went shopping for new nighties, in preparation for a hospital stay. Although tatty nighties are O.K. for home, I don't want to be seen in public wearing rag bag rejects. Another large area to cover, though the 30% off sale made it a little bit easier to accomplish. By end of day I was totally worn out and needed a nap to recover. That was probably more exercise than I've had all year.
I'm off for a total hip replacement operation on August 5th. I'm a bit nervous, but my specialist in Bundaberg, Dr Delaney, seems really nice and I have every confidence in him.
Since I am often in a great deal of pain at the moment and can only get around with the help of my trusty walker, my sewing is limited. Never the less, I am still working on my SCQuilter's block swap. This month's swap theme is "Mother animals and their babies". I am working on a dolphin with her baby. Next month's blocks, which just arrived in the mail, are "Dragons", and they are lovely (mainly purple and gold-very effective).
Although it's nearly midnight I'm having fun blog hopping. I've just been on Lynette Anderson's lovely site. I have downloaded the free B.O.M. -Noah's Ark, and have traced some onto my fabric, but that's as far as I've gone(what else is new-another u.f.o. in the making? I hope not).
Still trying to work out how to customize, but it's all guesswork at the moment.

This is a mystery quilt made online with the Southern Cross Quilters.

Burgundy Beauty

 

 

U.F.O.'s or Works not in Progress

I've decided to post a U.F.O. of the month, every month until I run out (which should take a while).
This might embarrass me into finishing a few things, though I doubt it. If the ridicule of my friends doesn't make me, then nothing will.
The first quilt is Burgundy Beauty, which started out on the 29/3/03, yes that's right, 2003!(Wait, I have much older ones than that, but that's for another time).
It was designed and taught by my clever and talented friend, Lorraine McMahon, as mystery quilt no. 8. on the SCQuilters mystery quilt group. I really like it, and one of these day's I will finish it.
I have spent all morning trying to customize this darn blog, but what a complicated thing it is. I would like to be able to see all of my spinning cube at the same time. It shows some of my challenge pages from my local scrapbook shop-Scrapbook Fantasies.
Why can't computers be simple?

Patchwork Retreat

Rockhampton Grammar School

 

This is really just an experiment. I'm not sure if I'm capable of, or have the time to keep a blog up to date. It's just a way of documenting my non progress in my busy quilting, scrapping. reading. watching movies kind of life.
At the moment I am participating in an on line quilt block swap with the SCQuilters, two different challenges at my local scrapbooking shop-Scrapbook Fantasies -(one is a Book of Me challenge, and the other is a conditional challenge following set out guidelines.)
I also have to finish an appliqued house block and a batch of A.T.C.'s for our annual quilter's retreat 10 year celebration.
The retreat is held in Rockhampton, Central QLD, during the Sept/Oct school holidays. It is held at the Rockhampton Grammar School, which is an ideal location. The classrooms are great, the accommodation is in single rooms, the grounds are beautiful (including the huge swimming pool) and the food is fantastic. We can work all day with tutors from around Australia, and then go on to catch up with old friends, drink and party all night if we want to (actually most of our ladies go to bed at a decent hour, it's only the hard core old chooks that stay up and party).
Sounds great to me.
At the moment I really should be working on my scrapbook challenge for this week. Why do I always leave it til the last minute to do it? I always say I work better under pressure, but I'm not sure if that's true.