A cupcake-less post

Looking for a green* Christmas?Check out my mini shop update. More to come (hopefully tomorrow)

(*Not only are they coloured green but all fabric is vintage. I'm sorry to say I don't use a treadle machine, that would make it perfectly green!)

They're coming to take me away, Ha-Haaa!

I'm stopping now, OK?

This might just take the cake

I'm mad, I tell you. Mad!

M is for...

... Monday. Kinda handy since that's what today is!
... Mobile phone madness. I took delivery this morning of 27 keypads for my trusty Nokia 3310. Yep. 27. There were only supposed to be 25 according to the eBay listing but 27 turned up. This does nasty things to my tally for Seven Things Spring but I'm rather relieved to now have a stockpile to keep me going for a wee while since they're no longer sold in mobile phone shops (odd that).*

... Mushrooms which have sprouted in my backyard over the rains of the last few days. I must have fairies (and here I was thinking all that screeching and hissing outside my bedroom window was possums...)... Miniaturising. Yes it's another knitted cupcake.But a lot smaller. I had the sudden image of knitted cupcake Christmas tree decorations and so had to see if I could turn it into reality. Answer: yes. Problem: I used the lid off my water bottle for the base so unless I feel the need to go buy packs of Woolworths Home Brand water bottles with white lids this may end up being a one-off. Is cute, though, yes?

...Mystery. Why oh why has my laptop stopped acknowledging when I plug my printer in? ... Mats. While looking to see if I had some silver thread to sew french knot silver sprinkles onto my cupcake I came across these two unfinished dolls house rugs in my embroidery box. These have been sitting there for an embarrassingly long time. I promise to finish them this week.

...Make it yourself. It's too late for me to take the pledge this year as I admit to having had some bought items squirreled away for months but I think this is an awesome initiative. If you're not a crafty type (or don't have time to cover your whole list) check out Made It, Etsy, or your local markets for hand made Christmas ideas.

.... Must buy. craft::boom has a code for a 3-for-2 deal on Moo cards!

...Mellow How I'll be this evening as I slide towards an unexpected public holiday.

(Why 25?" you ask. I could have bought 1 for $5 total including shipping. I got the 25 for $15 total.)

And the winner is...

Using my trusty random number generator:

*insert drumroll*

Number 11!

Oops. That's me. Suspected that might happen.

Let's try again...

*Insert longer drumroll*

Number 5!

Gemma! Please email me your address and I'll get your box in the mail to you.

Seven Things Spring Week 9

In:

* Oct/ Nov 2007 Home New Zealand (subscription)

* Nov 2007 Elle Decor (subscription)

* Nov 2007 US Elle (subscription)

* Nov 2007 US Vogue (subscription)

* "New" shower caddy (to replace mine which was looking rather worse for wear. $3 from Vinnies)

* Oct 2007 Real Simple (newsagents)

* Oct 2007 Living Etc (newsagents)

* Spool thread stand (brand new, $1 from Vinnies)

* Black & white stripy T ($5 from Salvos)

* Black floaty skirt just perfect for travelling (I kinda sorta grew out of my other one and doubt I'll manage to get back into it in the next 3 weeks... $5 from Salvos)

* Air Virgin Suicides soundtrack ($3 at Salvos)

* 1 pair 4mm cream and black knitting needles to add to the collection

* L'Eau D'Issey perfume gift pack (I always buy my perfume in November from DJs as you get a little something extra like moisturiser for the same price and by using my Christmas Option I don't have to pay for it (or get charged interest on it) until February next year.)
* Living Nature skincare gift pack (DJs have just started carrying the Living Nature range and appear to be marking the occasion with brilliantly discounted deals on gift packs (eg: $156 worth of items for $29.95). Since Living Nature is one of the few brands I'll use I snapped one up and will be back at the post Christmas sales to see if there are any left)

* Natio eye contour treatment gel. Since I was doing the skincare stock up at DJs anyway.
* 1 pair new cotton/linen trousers (for the cruise)

* Wool to make a blue Ralph Lauren-ish sleeveless vest for E ($8 from Vinnies)

* The wool fairy was (unfortunately) with me this week as I also picked up two more lots of wool for E jumper-knitting ($16) It's a good thing actually as he's almost grown out of the pirate jumper and the stripy hoody but I'll hold off starting any more projects for him until closer to winter so we know how big he is. Seems silly to knit something now that he might grow out of over summer...)

Total In this week: 19

Out:* Old mangy shower caddy: rubbish
* 10 old UK marie claire magazines: donated to Lifeline Book Fair

* Blue and yellow sun and moon tin which I bought in Manukau Shopping Centre in Auckland in the early 90s while on holiday in Auckland. (I think this is the last of the blue stuff I have in the house.)

* Very bright potholder and dishtowel set which I got in a Swap-bot swap and was keeping in case I came across someone who would actually appreciate it.

* Wooden tissue box which I bought at The Reject Shop for a couple of dollars and stained for use in my home office. Then I started working from home so had my spunky metal IKEA tissue holder back here from my work office. Then I stopped using tissues so I certainly don't need 2 tissue boxes (I'm holding onto the spunky one for now.)

* Towelling barbecue mit thingy. I have no idea if this is supposed to protect your hand from heat (yeah, right) or it's designed to be use as a bath mitt by a meat obsessed person. I got it at an op shop with a matching towel. The towel is going to Princess B (probably to end up at her parents' place in the barbecue area).

* Very cheap very nasty and very very useless plastic black and white scissors which I discovered in my Black & White swap carton.

* 2 hairclips with covered buttons attached which I got in a swap. I don't use hairclips.

* 6 sheets of stickers which I got as part of a job lot for 10 cents. I used a lot of the full sticker sheets in swaps earlier in the year but the rest can go.

* Steve Parish photo book of Australia. I got it for 20 cents. I was going to include it in a swap. I didn't notice there's a hand written dedication inside the cover.

* An embroidered tray cloth which I bought to give to someone. Since I can't remember who I'm not keeping it.

* And, finally, a very colourful and very cute notepad I was given that I'll never use.

17 items in total: donated to The Smith Family.

* Box and 19 goodies inside it: all packed up and ready to head off to persons unknown (to be decided at noon)

Total Out this week: 48

Shake-it-all-about:

* 9 Wash cloths
* 4 Knitted daisies

Net items out so far during Seven Things Spring: 234

Friday frugalling finds

Before you say anything yes, I know they're all pink and blue and shabby chic-esque. But they're not for me.

Fold-up 1950s(?) bed tray: $5. I whipped this out of the window display the minute I saw it. Not sure if you're allowed to do that actually...
Similar era teatowel to match : 50 cents

Both from Vinnies Queanbeyan. Thus redeeming them in my eyes. I promise I'll never again say rude things about how I don't like them anymore now they've moved and become a "new style" Vinnies.The underside of the tray tells us it's The "Luxure". All I know is it's damned cute and if Princess B doesn't want it I might be ever so slightly tempted to repaint it and keep it for myself. Yes, I know that would be sacrilege...

What they call a "Win/Win" situation...

For those of you not reading this via a feed reader you might like to scroll down and check out my stats waaay down there at the bottom on the left.

Don't worry I'll wait right here for you.

(To the tune of Greensleeves: plonk plonk plonk plonkiiiiity plonk plonk plonk...)

Oh you're back already. Good. That was driving me almost as nuts as the Chicken Dance.

So I've hit 40,000 readers since I started counting (a couple of months after I started this blog - can't remember exactly when.) I'm pretty gobsmacked really and figure it's probably a good time for a giveaway to mark the occasion.

I'm getting crafty (no, not in the "Let's knit 9 wash cloths in 3 and a half days" way but in the "Woohoo! how devious and conniving!" sort of way)

See that there box at the top of the post? It's part of a carton of bits and pieces I amassed when I was doing regular Black and White swaps over on Swap-bot. It's bursting with black and white goodness (I counted - it comes to 20 Outs for me which is a pretty good total)

How can you get you sticky paws on it? Leave a comment of course! Anything will do (OK I might decide to un-award you if you win because you left me spam or a flame...) Entries close this Sunday at noon AEST (because then I can count it as an Out in this week's total.)

Oh - and I'm happy to post it anywhere in the whole wide world...

Lundby sale time

Just thought you'd like to know that I'm offering 20% off all Lundby dolls house garden items for the next week.

More info here.

The Librarians

Here's the Triple A Team at last night's screening of the first episode of The Librarians at National Library. Oh - I was wrong about having a glass of wine in one hand as there was only tea, coffee and water (I was happy though as it left that hand free for holding the delicious salmon and cucumber sandwiches they had and my mind clear for dealing with my first bout of knitting straight on circular needles. In the dark. Yep, wash cloth #7 went with me on the circs I had left over from The Kittyville Hat)There was an excellent turnout. Even The Parliamentary Librarian got excited about the event (or maybe she'd just spotted the smoked salmon sandwiches?) Please note that she, like many others, made sure to wear her pearls and cardigan (in a completely ironic and Halloween-costumish-way)

We got an official Thank You from the ABC:
So..... what did I think of it and will I be watching it again?

I found the Head Librarian (Frances O'Brien) to be very irritating and racist and just basically a nasty piece or work. (I mean come on would someone like that really get let alone keep a job in Local Government these days?) Oh, and every time she spoke with that rising inflection all I could think of was dust...anybody? No? Hopefully I'll get used to it (or she'll settle down somewhat) otherwise I think it'll annoy me so much I'll have to stop watching.

As for staying up regularly to watch it (added to my ability to forget to watch TV even when there's something on I want to see) the chances of me lasting the distance, are, I fear, Not High. Unless I gather a support group to come eat dinner, drink wine and watch it with me.

Did you watch it? What do you think?

Wednesday: a day in pictures

(Top to bottom, left to right)

1. Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake which I finally made this morning after realising the pears I'd bought last week weren't going to last much longer. There's a story behind this cake - I've been vaguely looking for a recipe for it ever since I left Wellington (that would be almost 11 years ago) as Clark's Cafe in the Wellington Public Library used to serve it. It was a favorite choice if I didn't fancy their Spinach and Feta Muffins that day. I came across this recipe in the Australian Good Taste mag I got in my Dove Pink Star Walk goodie bag. Talk about serendipity!

2. Sold in my Made It store this morning. Must get around to making up some more packs this weekend.

3. I finally mowed the back lawn this morning. I even did the edges. Obviously I wasn't paying close enough attention (and don't panic, the rest of the lawn was nowhere near this long...)

4. More Groovy Green Bags finished and waiting for decent light so I can take photos and get them listed in my store.

5. Pondering the fabric for the Pay it Forward gift I need to create.

6. A special order messenger bag finished and ready to go to its new home.

7. Lunch time: Real Simple and wash cloth #5!

8. Cutting out a pear doorstop (that would be a super sized pincushion with something heavy in the bottom) Princess B requested I make from a curtain offcut she had. Although it looks suspiciously like I'm making a Moomin...

9. And tonight's the first episode of The Librarians on ABC. I'll be watching it at The National Library with a glass of wine in one hand. As you do.

Arty Party

Fractal and cotton weave, taken in Civic Square while Taph and I waited for my friends to join us for the Canberra Theatre 2008 Subscription Season launch last night.

This is actually a momentous occasion (not the launch, which I always look forward to) but the fact I knitted on the bus on the way into town for the first time.

I had to revert to a Time Thief Watch Cap during the presentation though when I discovered that straight needles and confined spaces don't mix too well...The Link is still carpetless after February's hail storm (we suggested they should just polish the concrete and be done with it)and a good time was had by all (well, maybe not all as I'm sure some of the rest of us were feeling a bit sad that there is no Risky Manoeuvres next year...)

Nothing wishy-washy about me!

Hmmm.... did I say I was planning to knit some wash cloths on my cruise? At the rate I'm going I'll have burned through my cotton stash by the end of this week!

I think the finished product goes very well with the soaps I have tucked away in my present stash. (Obviously the ol' subconscious knew I'd be getting the wash cloth bug even if I didn't.) I'm kinda hoping I'll find a pile of cheap handmade soap dishes in Indonesia to round things off and am thinking of using that fabric in the background to whip up drawstring pouches to use as green gift wrap. Maybe personalised in some way?

Cottoning on

A little lunchtime diversion to a couple of op shops resulted in raised stress levels as I realised that for every treasure I took home I'd have to remove something from my house (this wasn't helped by discovering 4 magazines nestled in my Post Office box this morning) but this find was too good to pass up:250g (plus a little extra) of Panda cotton for $2.50. Odd, really as I'd been idly toying with the idea of belatedly leaping on the knitted wash cloth wagon and now here's the perfect excuse, for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

Even better I suspect this might be the perfect travelling project. Especially as cotton would be easier to knit in hot climates than wool.

Oh, and here's a tip from experience: don't use Eucalyptus oil to clean off the remnants of adhesive from your needles and then shove one in your mouth while counting the stitches on the other. Ergh! Even after a good rinse the needles still taste disgusting :-(

Seven Things Spring Week 8

In:

* Souvenir (black and white, of course!) Vanuatu bag from J&M's cruise to the Pacific.

* Another black sheep needle holder, courtesy of Happy Spider

* Summer 2007 knit.1 magazine (subscription) which I forgot to photograph...

* 6 things from Heidi

* 1 fabric panel

* White plastic row counter in the shape of a sheep's head: gift from the lovely owner of the local newsagent who thought I might like it

* Set of four miniature Vespa magnets for the dolls house scooter toy collection.

* Black and white jug, Dream a Little Dream video and length of barkcloth picked up in Salvos Chatswood while I was in Sydney on Thursday

* Friday's haul in Sydney included a Mac lipstick (free, since I took in 6 empty Mac containers I've been collecting for years), a book and a small silver coloured piggy bank. All rather restrained, I thought...

Total In this week: 21

Out:

* 7 books: sold

* 4 small stuffed toys which I really don't need: donated to Women's Refuge.

* 3 vases (culling my collection), the woolly tree wall hanging I bought for 20 cents (and replaced with my incorrigible acts of blogging picture, the 2 pudding glasses I bought in February last year and have never used, and a punch tool I bought as a swap for someone who fixed my phone over a year ago and who has never arranged to collect it (even after numerous phone calls from me): donated to Salvos.

* 1 IKEA calatogue: give to Alison in our Sydney office.

* 6 empty Mac containers: swapped in Sydney for a free lipstick.
* 10 old UK marie claire magazines: donated to Lifeline Book Fair

Total Out this week: 35

Shake-it-all-about:

Craft? What's that?!

Net items out so far during Seven Things Spring: 205

Delayed pleasure

After a lovely relaxing day in Sydney with nothing much to do except visit the Mac counter to swap empties into a lipstick and meet the Editor of The Tiny Times to deliver a bag she'd bought off me, I arrived at Sydney airport this afternoon only to have my flight delayed due to an electrical storm. In my laid -back and zen-like state I decided this was a good thing indeed as it gave me time to finally go check out the Qantas Heritage Collection.

I found it odd that there were only 4 other people in total looking at the exhibition while I was there - maybe no one else waiting realised it was up there? (hmmm... Qantas - maybe you could change your delay announcements to mention it "we apologise for the delay but suggest you might like to visit our free historic display while you wait...Or better yet, spend lots of money in the shops and cafes!")There were models of flying machines and airplanes through history.Interesting things like uniforms through the ages (for the girls) and bits of engine and wheel (for the boys).Explanations of how the cockpits worked in the old days:Intriguing photographs,examples of the fitout of the new A380, including a stack of cotton bedding and a mohair blanket to tempt you into first class (I bet those blankets will be nicked left, right and centre. My fingers were getting twitchy just looking at them...) All in all I was most surprised. The time passed quickly and I left wishing I'd had more of a chance to check out all the old advertising and photographs on display. Oh well, there's always next time!

Take my breath away...

I was in Sydney today for work which was beautiful timing as Princess B, MB and I were able to attend the final night of Graeme Murphy's Berlin:

It was fantastic. And I'm not just saying that because there was someone sitting on stage knitting for the entire performance! (Damn shame Taph wasn't with me with her ready supply of TTWCs)

1 month to go (and a little advertorial)

1. Rhapsody of the Seas, 2. Promenade Deck, 3. Morning Activities, 4. Rhapsody of the Seas, 5. The Ship, 6. Stainless And Crystal IV, 7. chocolatetrio, 8. puffs2, 9. medals, 10. Margaritaville, 11. The Rhapsody's Theater/Stage, 12. solarium, 13. Windjammer Cafe, 14. Untitled, 15. Hall, 16. Ice Sculpture, 17. Monkey, 18. Untitled, 19. Hi from the wall!, 20. Untitled, 21. The Rhapsody around Sunset, 22. Cruise to the Caribbean, 23. Morning, 24. Sail Away, 25. Rhapsody of the Seas

Treasure on Tuesday (or, does it count as a souvenir if you buy it before you go?)

I captured this fabric panel in Salvos Phillip at lunchtime today for $5, thus continuing my tradition of buying souvenirs before I actually leave home. (I have a lovely silhouette picture of Venetian buildings hanging on my bedroom wall that bought from China on eBay before my trip to the Mediterranean. And I bought a fantastic metal money box in the shape of the Statue of Liberty's head before my USA trip)

To tell the truth I'm not really that keen on the figures along the bottom (although I can imagine a skirt made with the central section on the front, can't you?) but I really really REALLY like the top bits. Like the trees:and the umbrellas and fans:

Maybe I could take it with me and make something from it on board with my portable sewing machine...

Modern Miniatures on Monday: my new Eames La Chase

I just had to put together a scene using my new chair. If only my real house looked so good...(Laminex wall panel: sample given to me years ago by someone who worked at an architectural library. Black carpet: Bought from miniature show years ago. Castiglioni Arco lamp: Maybe Concord miniatures, maybe Aztec? Who knows! (sorry) Eames la chaise: $26.30 including postage from eBay. Plastic modular cupboard unit: Lego Homemaker from Bricklink. Tray: unknown. Absolut vodka bottle: from a show. Glass: Part of a vintage lot from eBay. Pot plant: Vintage Tomy Smaller Home & Garden - a gift from Nancy in the USA)