Base for the Pennant swap

I am in a pennant swap and this is the start, I think of the base I am making.
Slowly slowly at the moment as my body doesnt want me to do too much for too long but at least this is a bebining. I have to make 6 and I think this will make 4 so I will see how these turn out before getting on to the last two.
I am using felt and silk tops embellished on and then at the moment a lot of cut up scraps and net over the top, now to sew, slowly!
I have good days and bad ones, at least last night I slept after my trip to the physio but I am a bit sore today, probably because I have finished my book I am standing and walking more.
We had a frost this morning so it has been very very cold, and the sun has mostly been sent away by clouds and that doesnt help keeping the house warm, or me for that matter.
Still at least I have something positive to get me motivated. I am a little late getting started on these, so I hope I get them done by the end of August, lots of hand sewing and embellishing to go on them before they are finished.
I am so envious of all those having warm summer weather.

Back home again

We came home to a mountain of mail but included was this wonderful package from The Thread Studio, I had been chosen from I dont know how many for their give away for being I think the 600 friend on facebook, sorry Dale if this is incorrect but it all happened while I was away.
A great haul of very useful stuff.
Next a few photos of still being in Queensland, a row of vegetables in the market, including purple carrots! I just loved the way everything was presented.
Then the happy crew at lunch under Mt Warning at Martha's Kitchen, a wonderful lunch on the verandah and lots of good food and wine. It was lovely to catch up with friends, some were all old skiing mates. John of course took the photo.
Then Mt Warning itself taken from the car park of the restaurant. Looming over the top of us. Once John and J actually climbed to the top, up the ladder but I stopped at the bottom of the ladder, too much for me as I have no head for heights.
A long flight home yesterday and then a cold drive into freezing temperatures, the fire lit and heaters on, I had forgotten how cold it can be.
We were in bed early but unfortunately we had been sleeping in a much bigger bed than our double and going back to the double I found it difficult to get comfortable with aching shoulders, could hardly get myself moving this morning, but after a massage by the physio I feel better, and now have most of the washing done, some bread baked, the animals fed and feel I can relax a little, Oh and all the clothes that didnt get washed are away, but I just know that there is a mountain of ironing to do.
So the next few days will be taken slowly as I get things back to normal. It was lovely being away but is wonderful to be home.

Torres Strait Islands celebration

These are a few photos of the exhibition at the Queensland Modern Art gallery, a fabulous collection of contemporary artists work from that area.
Baskets, textile, prints and carvings, it was an absolutely must see exhibition.
This is one of the things we saw yesterday in Brisbane.

Brisbane

We have just come home from spending 2 half days and a night in Brisbane.
We spent 2 hours yesterday and a good hour today riding the ferry down the Brisbane river, at about $2.20 each on a seniors card for each trip it was a wonderful way to see the city and also see a bit of the flood damage. In the city centre itself a lot looks better but on closer inspection there is still a lot of cleaning up to be done. If you double click on this collage you will bring it up better.
I always love the architectural details and especially the lovely huge old Queenslanders that are, mostly, lucky for them, high on the river bank.
Another thing I love are man hole covers and the Brisbane city council one I found was a beauty, I think these were done when Xpo was on.
Last night we went to see Dr Zhivago, the musical, I wasnt sure how it would go but the voices, especially Anthony Warhole were magic, the scenes on a small stage very impressive and all in all I loved it.
The fact that I had to climb a zillion stairs and then we were in the front row of what in my day was "the
gods" was a bit difficult as I dont like heights but we managed.
John took the night photo for me.
Jill had booked us into Rydges, which was so very convenient and we could walk every where, not that we ate there, well we wandered down for breakfast this morning and found some where and did the same at the Performing Art Centre's cafe for dinner last night, very nice food but prices not over the top. I am most impressed at how ell it has all been done.
This morning after going down the bit of the river we didnt do yesterday we had a few cultural hours at the Museum, the Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Modern Art, but they are for tomorrow.
We managed to pack in a lot, now I am off for an afternoon zizz!

Springbrook

Yesterday we went up to springbrook in the hinterland behind Surfers and walked to the best Look out, an easy 350 metres down and slightly harder back.
we havent been to this area for ages and then in summer when it is wet and steamy. Infact I think the last time I saw the venerable antarctic beeches was in fog!
Any way it was a lovely day and we had a delicious salad at a place called I think, the Manor house.
More food, and yet more tonight when friends came for dinner.
I suppose it is no wonder I am tired, fit a few shopping centers in and the odd coffee stop and you have it!


Wandering around the rain forest is wonderful, you feel as if you are in the wild, wild woods and at the end of the track is this incredible view across an old volcanic caldera.
There are huge ferns in the trees, on rocks, climbing up the trunks of trees, the canopy over head is magic and there are so many fantastic designs.
the Beeches are probably , dont quote me, but could be many hundreds of years old, only a few are left in remnant populations high on the ridges and far from their early beginnings.
I am not sure hoe I managed to do this but not only have I all the photos you can click on to enlarge but the collage as well!
Still learning how things work!
A magic day, now to see how far I can walk today, although I think it maybe the beach.

Busy being a tourist

We went up to Toowoomba for lunch, dinner and morning tea.
J has developed a bad cold and John and I just hope we dont get it.
I think just coming home from overseas and then too much socialising has caught up with her.
We stayed with a dear friend overnight in Toowoomba, we were warned it would be cold but to us it was very pleasant.
Lovely to sit and talk and have time for a smidgen of sewing and just generally catch up.
D is on one side of Toowoomba and not far from the Japanese gardens at the University so we had a lovely wander around there.
I didnt get all the birds that visited the bird feeder but these rainbow lorikeets just begged to have their photo taken.
I had to take the photo of these croton leaves for future reference, I have had very little time to sit and sketch.
We had morning tea with other old friends who have built a fabulous new house in Toowoomba,on the escarpment on the other side from D, they used to live on the coast and we all played tennis at their house in the old days, J moved on and is now near her family and this was the view and the lovely sun room area we sat in for morning tea. a truly beautiful house, too big for me but I didnt build it and it is beautifully decorated with all J's bits and pieces.
We called into one of the roadside markets on the way home for some fruit but couldnt find what we wanted but the photo was fun.
Finally, a walk along the beach here at the Gold Coast and some of the buildings you see as you walk. again so typical of this area. I am not sure if this one is crooked or not! Somehow I think it is the design.
Click twice to enlarge the photos.

No photos

Sorry about the no photos on this blog but I have run out of photo storage space and it takes 24 hours oe so until my payment is ok'd.