Big round bales and the Willunga Hills

I have always meant to stop and take this view and as I had to go over to McLaren Vale this morning to collect some oysters, i stopped off on Malpas Rd and got the bonus of the big round hay bales as well.
I love the Willunga hills but in some ways it is unfortunate that those hills that I always knew as bare and with fascinating folds and shadows in them are now being re vegetated and so we are losing a lot of the lovely lines they have.
I suppose it is a good thing they are being revegetated but for all my life until now they had sheep on them and were large acreages, now they are smaller areas . I was told once that originally the rabbit plagues wiped out all the original trees but i dont know how true that is.
Certainly rabbits are becoming a problem again, even here where John has been assiduous over the years in controlling them they are reappearing, small blocks, hobby farmers who wont want to kill things, all have their problems.
To think that we got married on the money he got from rabbit skins and selling newly caught rabbits.
There was a film for Charity locally last night, Richard Gere and Diane Lane in Nights in Rhodanthe, the north Carolina scenery was stunning and it was a beautiful film, even John enjoyed it. I can recommend it.

Beaded bracelet

I have been working off and on on this bracelet for months, started with a peyote base and then added the flowers and leaves and other beads.
Rather pleased with it but heavens why did it take me so long! I think the explanation is that I only did it on beading nights and I missed a few months .
Was away for most of the day, up to Mt Barker to, go to Spotlight and got lost, the place has grown so much, then back to Ashbourne to look at my little mare that went down in a friends float. I think we will look at her for a week or so before making any drastic decisions, she is not wanting to stand on it but there doesnt appear to be much swelling so I doubt if it is a broken bone, maybe a stretched ligament any way she certainly cant be floated home.
No where near as hot as expected, infact it is now overcast and quite warm and humid, we would love some rain.
I had a delightful walk tonight, and then another one with Annette Emms in Exmoor, on her blog
Fairy shoes, it is on my side bar as I dont seem to be computer literate enough to put a proper link in here.
I also for the great sum of $1 bought two books to alter, I am not much into altering books but Maggie Grey suggested we got them for the on line course she is running for those of us who bought her Textile Translations book. I have one small one, hard back ex school, Macbeth and one larger which is a rather old and out of date one called I love Skiing, well so do I but I think this one may fit the bill.
Cant wait to find out what we do with them.

More Fairy shoes

I have had a lovely time making these, I have two more cut out to do, but as far as being Christmas presents I think they would take too long for the number I have to make.
Actually the thought of making Christmas presents is not enthusing me at all this year , I just cant find something small and relatively quick that I can make about 24 of that I havent made before!!
I am still struggling along making samples for Fibre in Forum, havent got onto the tyvek yet although I am used to doing things with tyvek so that is not such a worry.
So far I have not put any of my samples up as they are mostly in white or cream and dont look very interesting as yet.
I have finally finished one of my beaded bracelets, so for beading tonight I have a new one to start on and for a change I think I have all the stuff ready to use.
Thought I had worked out how the scanner on this new machine worked, WRONG! I now have a dozen files, somewhere on my computer with about three scans of the same thing, finally I scanned what I wanted but have no idea how I got it where I wanted it to go. The joys of modern technology.

My mother's 96th Birthday

Most of the photos taken were pretty odd,but thanks to my friend P the group one of the immediate family is reasonable, although I was leaning forward to try and get Millie to smile. This was only half of the party and i think Mummy did well to last for 3 hours.
We had two of her deceased sisters children here and their spouses as well but some how I couldnt get them all in the photos.
So a photo of baby Mason, Mummy's great great grandson (and my great grandson!!) and then the group one with me and John on both outsides, Mummy, my sister, and at the back Gaby and Mason, Tab and John oh and Millie in the high chair.
It was great to get together with relations I dont see often, and I think a great celebration, we only had one minor incident involving a loo but that was by the by.
Very tired though as the organisation was rather hectic.

This afternoons walk

We walked along a favorite bit of beach below Hayborough this afternoon, the wind was still from the north but much cooler and a southerly was blowing up so we wanted to do it before that happened. A lovely walk and the sky and clouds were magnificent.
I found the little orange starfish and popped him on some kelp before taking his photo, actually I think he was dead.
We had a black filly this morning so the Welsh B stallion has made up for all his colts by now having 2 fillies, the mare is a Welsh A and this foal is having a few problems getting under to the milk bar as her legs are so long.
It has been so windy lately that we lost a large branch off the fed flowering callistemon by the bedroom window, such a shame as it was covered in its bright red bottlebrush flowers the birds and bees love so much.
I made a cake for my mothers birthday tomorrow and burnt it!! Some one rang and I totally forgot it, no good for tomorrow but I have frozen it, too rich a cake not to be able to do something with it. Maybe a trifle or something, it has loads of butter and walnuts and eggs in it, such a gorgeous cake and I messed it up.
I have been making dolls, but so far only bodies so not much to show for it, and I made some bases for the Fibre in Form class, not enough of them I am being a bit slow but fun, no good taking photos or scans as they are all white and not painted yet.
Oh and I have sort of worked out at least how to get a scan from the new printer/scanner, but there is a lot more to learn on this one than the last one.

For Gail

This is the third of my weekly s
mall arrangements that i a m doing with Gail and a few others.
Done on the embellisher I used a scrap of left over embellished material, another scrap, the tree that I had cut out some fairy shoes from, and a small elephant that I had done.
The elephant didnt embellish very well but when I buttonholed him I got this lovely wrinkled skin affect.
I am very fond of this little piece.
Today thank heaven wasnt as hot as we had been told to expect, it was overcast and although very windy at least we didnt fry.
I have a new printer, it is finally sort of set up, but heaven knows when I will get to work out how it all works, I may have to hook up the old one for scanning. I love these things that tell you to look at the menu on the computer when you are trying to find something ON the computer. I am not an IT person, I am nearly 70!!
I have just been told that one of our little welsh Mountain mares, home bred has qualified for the Nationals, big prestige under saddle, so now we have two little Welshies qualified and a galloway hack. Well done to the girls.

Gesso and paper

These are some small samples i have made using Maggie Grey's book textile Translations.
On a moderately sized piece of vylene I bonded a soft table napkin with vliesofix. I then put some gesso and I think some salt around and when it was nearly dry I washed it with watercolor.
I cut this into 4 pieces and on one I just left it, one one I pained watered down pva glue to seal it, then impasto gel on another and finally gel medium. These I then sprayed with various spray paints I have like Moonshadow mist and shimmering mist.
So the top left one is sealed with impasto gel, the right top one is sealed with Gel Medium, the bottom left watered down pva and the other one with no sealant at all.
Very organic and I am sure I will be using this at some time in the future. I have yet to try sewing on them but hope to do that in the next few days.
We had visitors today, my friend Robyn and her daughter and grand children, it was lovely to see them, they were dropping off a pony to be mated and took one of ours home with them.
I have to say that we two old grandmothers find these small children a bit more of a chore than we once did!

Spring Flowers in the garden

I have been promising photos of the garden and finally I got the batteries charged and it all up loaded. It looks magnificent in parts. the Irises are all out, the double Hawthorn doing its best, my clematis is flowering like mad, the roses have been magnificent and the geranium maderense is in full head.
Wonderful and now we are heading for about three days over 30 degrees and two of them at about 35 unbelievable.
Yesterday we were in Adelaide for hair cuts and to buy a new printer/scanner, it is the canon pixma mp610, I think there is a newer model but this was a very good price so we got it. Now I will have to work out how it all works after my dear old very basic printer/scanner. I really like the old models I am used to and not the newer stuff.
I have an infection that is making itself felt in the form of small boil like things so I am feeling a bit off and am on antibiotics, so not a lot done today. I do hope tomorrow is better I havent the time to sit around feeling sorry for myself.

Arch

I did this again using Maggie Grey's method with gesso and paint, I made the gesso quite a bit thicker this time around.
It was a fun exercise.
Today I felt that I got a few things done, did some cooking in the morning and then my friend Wendy came over and I showed her how to string beads using a crimp and while she was making a bracelet I fixed up some earrings a bracelet and a necklace and felt I had achieved quite a lot.
Still cold and windy which is a blessing in a way, I dont have to worry quite so much about the watering.
John has gone off to a meeting and I go to beading tonight and there is a casserole in the oven so even if I go before he gets home we will both be fed.
Adelaide tomorrow so not much will get done then, I just hope the casserole will manage another night.

TIF Challenge for October

Here is my TIF Challenge finished. The colors are about right but it was the theme that got me, How do I make the best use of space, my work space, well I will not show a photo but here is the idea, in the center is me, with a heart full of wanting to do things and then, there are the rays of all the stuff I want to do going out into space, and more things I collect, fighting for space out there somewhere.
I think you get the picture, I am not the tidy person I would like to be, I collect lots of ' stuff' and sometimes it has a home and sometimes I have to search for it. The depiction probably doesnt tell you what I want it to but this was the best I could do.
I wanted to put up some photos of the flowers in the garden but as my camera's battery has gone dead and the other needed re charging I will have to do that tomorrow.
We managed quite a long walk along the beach today which was calming and invigorating.
Last night I had some bad news about one of my daughters mares, today the news is brighter but I do feel for her, she is managing on her own and life is not always easy for her.
I have cleaned the house and feel very virtuous about doing a job I hate, and I have managed to make some back grounds for my Fibre in Form class, that was the fun part of the day!!

Weekly challenge

Here is the second of my Weekly challenges to get a small piece of art work done using my textile skills. Not really sure if this counts as this is a small tile taken from Maggie Grey's new book Textile Translations. It is a piece of pelmet vilene, with gesso spread quite thickly over it and a design drawn on it with a kebab stick, then using spray paints, I used the new shimmering mists while it was wet. When nearly dry I used quink ink in the depression and when all dry I have dry brushed some acryic paint over it.
fun to do and could be used later on a variety of things. I can also sew into it if I want to I suppose but I rather like it as it is.
After yesterdays heat we awoke to soft mizzle and quite cold, not really enough rain to make a lot in the rain gauge but it helps.
I did have an adventure in the night when I suddenly heard pony footsteps outside our bedroom window and then a squeal, so in my pj's and rubber boots and a fading torch I went to investigate, one of the Welsh mountain stallions was out and the little wretch was talking to every one, including the other stallions as well as the mares and fillies and would not be caught, and didnt want to go where I wanted him to go so after about half an hour of stumbling on a rutted track I shut him in the race and hoped all would be well, he had mares and fillies on either side of him but I think was more interested in the grass.
Luckily the milk tanker arrived while I was in the paddock and had left by the time I got back to the yards and the first of the early milkers had arrived as I was just getting into the house, not sure what they would have thought of the sight they may have seen!
John of course had slept through the lot.

Oscar and the fish

John went fishing today and here is this amazing blue fish that he tells me is a weedy whiting, I have never seen one this color before. And here is Oscar not so patiently waiting for his fish and annoyed that I was taking photos of them. That end of the kitchen is difficult to take photos in at this time of the evening as there is too much sun and shadow and the flash doesnt come on.
Very hot and windy and a rather frustrating day as I tried to get stuff done for my new on line course and it took me ages and I was also waiting all day for some people to come and collect their mare and they didnt come until well after 4 pm so I had fiddled around when I could have gone for a walk.
Hoses on, as much as I could, it was certainly late when we reached our max of about 31 degrees.

South Rd Victor Harbor Turn off

This is just before McLaren Vale, where John had to stop for a pain killer on the way home from the dentist the other day. I have always wanted to take a photo of this old building as no doubt before long it will be knocked down.
It is I think still used as a shearing shed.
I just liked the view past it and to the vineyards beyond.
I had a busy day today, shopping, coffee and a chat with a friend who gave me a gorgeous Birthday present, a book of 500 clay sculptures. Lots of inspiration.
The Fibre In Form lessons have just been printed off, and I havent had time to look at them but they should be good.
I sewed up and cut out 2 more pairs of fairy shoes so now for some embellishing, talking of embellishing I must have a go at doing some on the embellishing machine, if and when I ever have time.
Now I am watering again it takes up a lot of the day. Very warm today and hotter tomorrow.

TIF layout for October

I have got this far with my TIF layout for this month, now to fill it in and try to convey my feeling of space and how I use it. As I dont have much space in my work room that will be interesting.
Very warm today, I went over early and baby sat Millie for Tab who had to go to the dentist again, this time I had Gaby and Mason for company as well.
Millie is a hoot but boy is she heavy and I think maybe I am paying for it tonight as my back is pretty sore.
I have managed to get my darning foot working and have stippled four pieces of felt and various tops together and I hope to cut out more fairy shoes.
Hoses back on today, some of the things I planted last week need another drink.
Still frustrated because I am not getting much drawing or sketching done and I seem to run out of day, something to do with daylight saving I think, I cant water the pots until late and then it is time for dinner, I get up early and seem to fiddle around and I make more mess and then have to clean it up, maybe I am going back to my childhood, after cleaning up Millie's mess about four times today it was probably pretty similar!

I n Adelaide today

John and I had a busy day in Adelaide today, I bought a new darning foot for doing free motion sewing on my machine as I broke, or rather bent the other one and couldnt use it. I went to the art supply shop and bought some Golden quinacridone nickel azo gold for the on line class I am doing with Lynda Monk and Carol, ?? forgotten her surname!! I will have to try and sort out what the other colors are in one of the acrylic paints I can get at a much cheaper price as this one was awfully expensive.
Then flowers and up to see my Mother who is well and not too bad in herself.
I went back to the shopping center again where I get her flowers as they have a good shoe shop and bought some very expensive but very comfortable shoes made by Gabor, I just hope they are as comfortable as summer wears on. My feet really dont like me, nor do I much like my body at the moment as I finally got on the scales the other day and wished I hadnt.
John had to have a very back tooth out and so I wandered around the center of Adelaide until he was ready to come home, his face looks a bit swollen and sore but the root of the tooth had cracked so it had to come out.
We stopped in to see Tabby and Gaby and the babies, Millie is standing by herself but not quite taking that extra step and I got to cuddle Mason who is soft and tiny and sweet at this stage.
the photos, I took these in and around Wright Street in the Adelaide CBD, this is a small very old residential area with rows of terrace houses and the very old stone building I found down a side lane. Considering how close to the center of the city this is it is remarkably untouched.
I really should do a bit more research on it as I guess the terrace houses were part of either housing the poor of Adelaide or part of a church or some such.

Fairy Shoes

I had a lovely time over the week end using up some spare time to make these fairy shoes which were in the Stitch magazine a while ago and were designed by Annette Emms, mine were made on yellow felt with some glitzy organza over the top, free machined and beaded. I loved making them so much I think I will make a few more.
Today was the Annual meeting of the Victor Harbor Women's Auxiliary of the Womens and Childrens Hospital and I got my 10 year badge, I am also their patron, shades of when John was Mayor and they dont seem to want to change me!!
Any way it was a good meeting and lunch but I have come home later than I ment to be and have forgotten to take anything out of the freezer for dinner, prawns will defrost quickly andLaksa sounds like a good idea.

Morning walk at Pt Elliott

This morning we decided to go over to Pt Elliott and walk, have a cup of coffee at the Flying Fish and call into Mitre 10 for some seedlings.
So here is Horseshoe Bay, then the view back towards Victor, a view of some of the old buildings at the sea end of High Street and John by the red terror.
There was a reasonable breeze, which developed into a hot wind later in the day but early was very comfortable, the sea was up a bit though.
At Mitre 10 we bought tomato plants, chilli, lettuce, basil, sage and some petunias, so when we got home we began planting which took us to about lunch time when it started to heat up.
Some of the things I planted yesterday will be glad of tomorrow's cooler weather, I just hope the showers that are predicted arrive, for the garden to be so dry now is such a major worry, I even have a camellia wilting.

Spring flowers

I have been working in the garden today, rather late, it was pretty warm, I have hoses on and I hope that the geraniums and daisies and succulents I have planted will get going before it gets too hot. Having said that it is supposed to be 28 and windy tomorrow.
John went fishing today leaving me to my own devices, after nearly 2 hours of weeding and planting I came in red in the face and aching.
I have put up a grand daughters hem on her school dress, begun to make a pair of fairy shoes, a loaf of bread is cooking and I think we will have fish for dinner.
Sounds good.
Oh and the flowers, a Japanese Iris in the pond and my yellow clivia, which I paid a fortune for about 15 years ago is now showing off its lovely flowers.

Small book cover

My computer didnt like me last night, no signal for some reason so I didnt post this, this is a small book cover, the outside and the inside which I did on the embellisher. I hope to get a few more pages done.
My back is not likeing me at all so apart from quite a lot of washing and mundane stuff I have done very little, but the tops of my work benches are clear.
I do have a few ideas and things to finish so I hope I can feel a bit more like attacking them.
Warm today, warmer tomorrow and Sunday, I hope it is only a touch of summer and not the begining of a terribly long and hot one.

Busy busy

Yesterday I went over to Wendy's for part of the day and came home feeling tired probably because it is school holidays and they are re doing the Woolworths complex down here and parking is at a premium so I drove round and round about 3 times before I could find a park. Then I walked from there to do all the stuff I had to do.
It was freezing cold too.
Today was Adelaide to see my mother who was still in bed when I got there, pro bably because daylight saving has confused her, then on to my sister for a chat and she gave me my birthday present and then up to P who had asked me to get her a soaker hose at Cheap as Chips which I did.
Home via Tabby's to have a cuddle of Mason and Millie, Mason is now on a bottle and being a much less fussy baby, I think the whole trauma of his birth took its toll on all of them.
I have been playing around with the stuff I did at Geelong, a paper napkin sprayed with these lovel radiant rain shimmering mists put out by LuminArte, then a bit I had already done with layers on the embellisher cut into fish shapes with a bit of gold mesh and ribbons layered below them. The fish have been button hole stitched to the back ground. the red felt backing is only to see if I like it or not.
Still cold and we have been lucky and got a few more mm out of some showers of rain.

TIF for September

I have finally resorted to taking a photo and somehow it doesnt look as good as when I scan it. Here finally is my TIF for September, the colours are as close as I could get and the theme was Lists so I wrote a lot of list headings on the background and then fiddled around with the colors to look like more lists with embroidery. A bit dull after some of my earlier ones. The Eiffel tower is a brad that was given to me and is part of my things to do places to go travel list!!
We had rain in the night, about 5mm which is a help, another foal, the last few are coming fairly fast, I think this is a filly but the mother wouldnt let me get close enough to see.
A slow day after the last few busy ones, washing and tidying up and pulling a few weeds as well as making soup stock and bread.
I miss my lunch time soup, and it has got colder again, enough for my aching knees to demand a fire.
Now to get on with the October TIF.

Flowers in the garden and Pt Willunga

The first photo is of the garden as you walk to the back door, the Japanese wisteria is begining to flower and the geranium maderense is in full flower.
We went to lunch with a friend at Pt Willunga today and I took photos, I have never seen the base of the old jetty so exposed as it was today, the winter tides have moved a lot of sand.
The holes in the cliff were made by the fishermen to keep their boats and nets in, I remember them in working order when I was a child, then the cliffs, they have this strange sort of mud between the layers of rock, I remember climbing them when I was a child and after rain wearing huge muddy boots.
Finally some one on the way back to the house had built or rather woven this rather nice bit of a fence and I loved the design of it.
Daylight saving began today so I am all out of kilter, we had a foal this morning, another filly and two more expected in the next day or so.
A lovely sunny day but a cold change and some rain expected over night, I hope we get the rain.

Happy Birthday to me

Well I had a lovely day today. We went over to the Agricultural show at Yankalilla and met my sister and my niece and family and watched my grand daughters riding, then we went over to Pt Elliott and had a lovely lunch with champagne at the Flying Fish. Finished our wanderings off with a visit to my newest great grandson and my newest grand daughter and came home, did the feeds, had cheese and bread and wine for dinner and watched the video of The Golden Compass.
The first three photos I took at the show and the last two at Pt Elliott.
Lots of lovely phone calls, one from the family in Turkey last night, and now I am heading for bed.