Reflections ....

I was sitting on the edge of the river admiring this amazing view at my families secret fishing spot .

With the sound of my kids playing in the background I thought of this title for my New Years post .

I composed the post in my head , it was long and flowery in parts . It was deep and meaningful in others .

Now I am at the keyboard I have decided to leave those lovely posts to others who do them so well .

All I really have to say is thankyou for your support in 2009 and I hope you have a great 2010 !

And you thought I'd forgotten !

Here it is finally , as promised I turned my daggy, plant hanging basket into a Christmas decoration .

The balls are just hung from it with fishing line , no shortage of fishing line in this house that's for sure !

It was a bit fiddly to do and the photo really doesn't do it justice , it really is stunning !

A bit tricky to take a photo of too as I have it hung in the loungeroom and everytime I took a photo the cricket was on in the background .

Not real sure whether I will post again before Christmas so if I don't I'll wish you and yours a safe and Merry Christmas .

 I'll leave you with what I've been saying to my kids the last few days , come here , come on , look at my pretty decoration !

Can you tell I really , really love this .

Winners!

Yes I'm a winner too ! I joined the Advent Swap organised by Jo and Fiona and I was lucky enough to get Ani from Anitings as my partner . These are just some of the the treasures she sent me all the way from the US . The things that didn't manage to get into the photo have already been used . I have received lovely fabric and patterns and gorgeous bits and pieces that we can't get here, all beautiful ! Thankyou so much Ani ! Also a big thankyou to Jo and Fiona for organising this swap , a huge job that has made a lot of people very happy .

Thanks to all who commented on my last Nothing to do with Christmas post and left congratulations for talking at you 150 times , lol .

The little bingo machine got a good shake this morning and no 57 fell out yay to Patricia at Tuppence Crafts.

Patricia if you would please email me I will send off your little parcel after Christmas .

Speaking of email I am having a problem with my work one , I am not getting and am unable to receive on it for some reason so if you have thought I am ignoring some of you I'm not , sorry anyway .

If you would like to contact me , so far this address still works , clarebower@bigpond(DOT)com

Nothing to do with Christmas Giveaway !

I'm back ! I've had a lovely break spending time with my family, some I haven't seen for quite some time . As there are so many of us living in all different places and in one case a different country, it can sometimes be a little difficult to get us all together but when we do we make the most of it ! Lots of laughter and far too much tea .

As this is my 150th post( can you believe that !! ) I thought I'd have a giveaway as a little thankyou for putting up with me for this long .

This giveaway will go at least until the weekend so the winner probably won't receive their prize before Christmas so that's why it's a Nothing to do with Christmas Giveaway!

The prize is 10 fat quarters with no Christmas designs , an assortment of buttons and ribbons and 2 of my patterns - Little Party Frock and Frances Frog .

If you would like a chance to win all this just leave a comment , that's it !

I'm happy for you to blog about it and I'm happy for you to follow my blog but I'm just as happy for you to pop in for a visit and a cuppa anytime .

Edited to add- this giveaway has been drawn . Stay in touch for another giveaway in the new year !

I love the postie !

I won this fantastic giveaway at Marydons gorgeous blog Blushing Rose , look at all this fantastic stuff , thanks so much Marydon , I love it all . 

I received my ornament from Jo from Jo inTas

who sent me this gorgeous bird and handmade card . I think Jo and I were meant to be partners in this swap as we both sent each other red and white polka dotted designs . I sent her a Little Party Frock in red and white .You should all have sent your ornaments and most of you have received your ornament from your new friend . There have been the most stunning ornaments posted on your blogs and I am really trying very hard to visit you all and thankyou for joining in this fun swap . If I have missed you so far I will try and get to you .I will be away for the rest of the week (will you miss me ? will you notice I'm gone ?) so if you have any problems would you please contact Robyn over at Daisy Quilts .

My next post will be my 150th !! Seeing how I missed my Blogiversary I might have a little celebration for my 150th post . Clearly I talk a lot so it's just as well I'm going away as you could all probably do with a break .

Mum's the blue one !

I am one of 6 girls in my family and when we were small there was not a great deal of money around but  one of the things we all looked forward to on our birthdays was this pretty card . When it was opened it had 3 little girls holding their parasols one blue girl , one green girl and one yellow girl . Obviously if it was your birthday you got to choose which girl you were and the others could squabble over the rest . My mums favourite colour has always been green and so everyone has been giving her green things for years . Mum recently confided to me like a guilty school girl that her favourite girl was the blue one . I was lucky enough to find one of these cards the other day and put it into a frame for her. I will be seeing my mum and sisters and brothers very soon , I wonder if someone else will want the green or yellow girl .

I think the others will just have to be happy with the stockings I'm making for them all !

Little Party Frock Pattern Giveaway Winner !

Good timing ! As it is the first of December I was able to put up a little Christmas Tree and decorate it with a few Little Party Frocks for you to see . Awww pretty !
Thanks to all who showed interest in my new pattern and entered the giveaway and those who also pre ordered a pattern . The pattern is now available in my shop which now has a PAYPAL button , if you have any trouble with the button please let me know .
Wholesalers and distibutors are welcome to contact me directly .
Now to the winner and of course there can only be one, can't there ? No , 3 winners were shaken out of the kids little bingo machine this morning .
The winning numbers were 45, 21and 52 .The winning ladies are Polka Dot Daze ,Selina's Vintage and Cathie . If you ladies would please email me with your addresses I will get your patterns off to you so you have plenty of time to whip yourselves up a few Little Party Frocks for all the Christmas parties that are starting .
Thanks everyone , ho , ho , ho !

Pattern Giveaway ! Now clear as mud !

I sensed a little confusion in some of the comments on my last post .Let me see if I can clear things up for you.

Little Party Frocks are for decoration only .

They will not go over any doll head as they are stitched at the top .

They do look gorgeous hanging off drawer handles or dangling from the edge of picture frames .

Yes little girls do love them but I'm a big girl and I have lots of them around .

They are easily tizzied up further or made in Christmas fabric to hang from your tree .

Barbie butted in so you could see how small the Frocks were , not because I invited her .

I sent a stack of these with a friend to sell at the markets , sold out ! Yay !

Included with the pattern is permission to sell some at markets acknowledging moi as the designer.

So now if you're interested in winning my new pattern Little Party Frocks just leave me a comment .

The winner will be drawn next week when the pattern will also be in my shop .

Come on everyone needs a Little Party Frock !

The party is on and a giveaway too !

The party is on ! I have cupcakes for Joy and caramel slice for Vikki and now you all just need a Little Party Frock . My new pattern Little Party Frock is going to be released at the end of the week and it will be in my shop then . These frocks are so quick and easy to make and are really a lot of fun .

 My daughter had her birthday party last week and I made a heap of these and gave them to the little girls instead of lolly bags , what a hit they were . I know, bad mother using her children for market research .....  Anyway as usual Barbie has been causing problems taking off with all the pretty frocks , they are just her size 7" but the tops are stitched up so they won't go over her head . I'll forgive her afterall she is plastic and can't really understand the term For Decorative Use Only Der !

 If you would like to win a pattern for Little Party Frock just leave a comment , that's it !

 To teach Barbie a lesson while she was mucking around I nicked all her coathangers and one will be included in each pattern .

I'm having a party !

I'm having a party ! You're all invited .

No , no , no not you Barbie you're not invited !

Sorry I'll have to tell you about it later when she's not around !

G, G and G !

G is for gift ! Sarah sent me these gorgeous incubator signs , I love that they are Aussie made , thankyou Sarah .

G is for giveaway win . I love to visit Pauline from Calico Crossroads and it seems I was there at just the right time to enter and win a giveaway , thankyou so much Pauline .
Pauline also has a fantastic online shop that I also spend too much time visiting , it's great !

The final G is for Glimpse 'cause that's all I can show you of my new design . I'm hoping the pattern will be ready next week for a giveaway . I'm sure you're wondering about the fabric choices but don't worry you'll understand next week , trust me girls !

Cut a rug , anyone ?

There has been a bit of chatter recently about buying rugs on line , well I have been to investigate . I came across http://www.buysterrugs.com.au/ and have they got rugs !
Huge range but this one is my favourite .

Attention Ornament Swappers and a few op shop scores!

Hello Ornament Swappers ! If you have signed up for the Christmas Ornament Swap and haven't heard from Robyn or I please let us know as we really don't want anyone missing out on the fun .Can you believe I need to make 17 of these stockings for family members . I'm going to fill them with lollies , hope they like them .

I did really well at the local Vinnies yesterday and picked these up . The fabric is a tablecloth because I really need another beautiful tablecloth , ha ! I can't help myself , I see them and find them too hard to resist . I do use them though ... sometimes .

I'm also still working on my hanging basket Christmas decoration and I hope to have a giveaway soon to celebrate my new pattern release , I'm thrilled with my new design and I think you will love it too ! Best be off then if I want to get anything done .

What to do , what to do .....

What do I do with an ugly hanging basket that never grows anything and always aims itself at unsuspecting peoples heads ?

This week I've sprayed it white and filled it with balls of wool , so pretty . Next week it's going to be a Christmas decoration . Stay tuned .

Can you see me now ?

Apparently some have been having a little trouble reading my blog . I did wonder what was going on when I posted about slashing my fingers with the rotary cutter or when I said my sewing machine blew up I was getting comments such " Congratulations Clare " or "Well done " or "What great news Clare " it was because you could not read a word I had written ! I hope you can see me now and thanks for hanging around ! Don't feel bad , none of that really happened so you probably haven't missed too much at all .

The girls have some news about the Ornament Swap

No not these girls Robyn and I ! Hopefully everyone has been contacted with their partners details . If you have signed up and haven't heard from me let me know . When you have been in contact with your partner just email me so I know everything is ok . If you could also contact me when you send and receive I will mark you off my very official looking list .I have a whole new appreciation for people who organise these swaps and appear to do it so easily . The real reward is hearing from swappers that are so pleased to be involved and are enjoying themselves making for others . Don't forget the last day for mailing is December 1st .

Are ewe the winner ?

It was so hard to decide on a winner for their comment on the "silly sheep " post that I thought it was easier to pick a random number and number 16 was the one chosen . Anita if you would please email me with your address I will send you some very country fat 1/4s. (sorry only one has sheep in it ) Thanks everyone who popped in for a bit of fun . I'm really going from one extreme to the other in this post from dirty lost sheep to bright pink dolls . My doll Penny made the cover of Simply Patchwork and Stitching v 10 no 5 . If only she got paid as much as a real , live cover girl ......

Where are "ewes" going ?

My son called out to me the other day and told me someone was waiting for a lift . We haven't had sheep in our back paddock for ages so I have no idea where these two came from .
I am going to be busy over the next few days emailing people with partner details of The Ornament Swap and finishing off my advent gifts so there won't be a lot of craftiness to show you .
How about a little challenge ? You tell me where these sheep wanted to go .The funniest (because I love a good laugh ) most creative answer will win a very small prize .
Now if you want to cheat and you speak sheep , I asked them and this is what they said.

Last chance to sign up

Today is the last day to sign up for the Christmas Ornament Swap .

If you would like to receive a small ornament from another blogger now is your chance .

Hop over to see all the details at Daisy Quilts .

Not very exciting for you maybe ...

but for me it is !

It is very rare for my husband to take a day off work for anything but fishing but today he did because he needed fishing gear ! He mentioned he was going to our closest big shops over an hour away and it just so happens to have a Spotlight ! I thought it would be sweet if I kept him company on the drive so after getting the kids to school off we went ! I must say my husband is not one for shopping and so I could keep out his way I suggested he just drop me at Spotlight and it worked ! I knew my time in there was very , very limited and I flew into the shop like a frenzied woman . I managed to grab and pay for all of this in under 10 minutes and I didn't even hurt anyone in the process .

Now this is something that intrigues me , why do assistants in fabric stores say "what are you going to make with this ?" Like it matters ! Isn't it enough just to have it ?

Show and Tell

It's always great to hear that people have enjoyed making my designs but I get a real thrill when they send me photos as I love to see their own fabric choices . Khris made her version of Frances Frog in no time.

Jules had been looking to make a machine apron when she came across my pattern .

Lisa also sent me her gorgeous version of the machine apron .

The machine apron pattern was published in Handmade v27 no 5 .

The pattern for Frances Frog is available from my shop or my ebay store or email me .

Thanks girls for sending me the photos .

I'm so sorry I slept in !

And His Highness had to get his own breakfast !

I'm sure this look says "Serves you right!"

I heart Christmas Ornaments

There's still time to sign up for the Christmas Ornament Swap .

These little stuffed hearts and buttons don't take long at all to whip up and the great thing is if they're not in traditional Christmas colours you can have them up all year .

Sign ups are being taken with Robyn over at Daisy Quilts .

On a brighter note .

I received my copy of Handmade v27 no5 yesterday with my project for the machine apron in it . I just love these colours they are just so pretty ! I call these colours bright pastels which is a bit like saying soft black or square circles , whatever they're called I think they're me !

On the other matter , I would like to thank all who left such supportive comments or the many who emailed me . Yes I was a little sad but life is too short to let such things take up too much of my time . I will continue doing exactly what I love to do , creating and having fun . Thankyou all.

Moving right along ....

Bloggers eyes are everywhere !

Apparently there was a great market near Sydney over the weekend . A blogger contacted me yesterday to tell me all about it . There was a variety of stalls but one in particular caught her eye , it was one selling the stall holders "original" designs . It was a popular stall and this lady enthused how original and unique her designs were . In a very nice display this stall holder had a pile of my design Frances Frog . When the blogger enquired about Frances she was told it was her own design now because she had used different fabric , what !!!

I have just a few questions for this person - did you ponder and sketch this design for weeks ?

Did you test your pattern in calico and hand it over to kids to see if it passed the rough test ?

Did you dream about your new design ? Did you pass your almost finished pattern to a variety of testers and appreciate their input ? Most importantly , did you name your design after your little sister who lives in New Zealand that you rarely see ?

I can confidently say NO is the answer to all those questions . I am a very easy going person and I am flattered that people like my designs all I ask is that people think carefully and treat others how you would like to be treated .

Christmas Ornament Swap Ideas

There's still time to sign up at Daisy Quilts to join in for Christmas Ornament Swap .

I made a heap of these little cushiony things for family members last year . I know you are thinking mmm what a nice little thing to attach to a gift , well sorry these were the gifts !

It has become a bit of a tradition that my siblings , all 7 of them , receive a new handmade ornament from me . I must get started on this years soon !

Don't forget to see Robyn about signing up for the swap !

Would you like a ribbon with your water ?

That's what I'll be saying to the kids for the rest of the school holidays as I blew the budget on all these gorgeous ribbons ! How could I resist and believe me I was being careful too . Fiona at Ribbons Galore has the best range of ribbons and if anything it was a little too good ! Fiona is away until the 19th but you can still place an order and then your kids can enjoy ribbon with their water too ! Yay for all the happy kids !

Christmas Ornament Swap Ideas

There is still lots of time to sign up for The Christmas Ornament Swap so if you're interested pop over to Robyns at Daisy Quilts and put your name down . As Robyn and I said we would be posting ideas I thought I'd better get my act together and start doing just that !

These are Heather Bailey flowers doubled and made in Christmas fabric , so easy !

SEW

Barb from Barbs Creations was the second to sign up for my PIF and as I have had a bit to do with Barb on our craft forum I know what an incredibly talented lady she is with needle and thread . Barb produces the most beautiful things so I was hoping she might like something a little different from me as her PIFer . I used scrapbooking paper and canvas to create a picture for her sewing room , of course I included some fabric as I couldn't say "SEW" without giving her something to sew with .

Thanks for signing up with me Barb it's been fun !

Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap 2009

As there are only 85 yes 85!!!! days left till Christmas and things start getting a little busy we often can't manage any big swaps .....so..... how about a little swap ?

Robyn from Daisy Quilts and I have joined forces to arrange the

"Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap 2009 "

This swap is an easy one for this time of the year as it's a small swap , so small in fact it's made to hang from a Christmas tree ! If you would like one on your tree , join us !

The swap is open to all those with a blog in Australia and overseas so you must be prepared to post airmail .

Details , Details - All players will be given one swap partner , you will send to one lady and she will send to you .You will make and send one only gorgeous handcrafted Christmas tree ornament and one lovely Christmas Card for your partner (nothing extra). The ornament will measure no more than 5 inches (approx) and should be handmade by you with love and care. (Example: Make something special that you would love to receive yourself. Please do not cut out a paper star and send it to your partner.) Robyn and I will be posting links to more ornaments and (hopefully) some finished ideas just in case you need some extra inspiration .
So…. if you would like a small tree ornament (no bigger than 5”) handmade especially for you by another friendly blogger sign up now!
Please take the button from the sidebar to add to your blog and let’s have some fun making bloggers trees the best ever this Christmas!

Sign ups are being taken with Robyn at Daisy Quilts , have fun !

Cupcakes to Cupcake

I signed up for a Pay It Forward a while ago and knew from the start I had 365 days to send a little handmade gift to 3 others . 365 days , a whole year , easy ! Well not so easy for me . I tend to get just a little distracted and then panic when deadlines loom . I have surprised myself and have managed to plan , finish and send 2 of my PIFs already , early and all ! Kylie from A BITE OF COUNTRY CUPCAKES was the first to sign up with me and Kylie makes the most gorgeous faux cupcakes and so I thought I'd make something to fit her . Kylie and I have been friends for a while in "blogland" and it was a pleasure to make something just for her . I'm also pretty pleased that she likes it !

The Lady of the Lamp .

A friend of mine was clearing out her mother's shed when she came across this treasure . She told me she thought it was so tacky that I would love it . She was right I do ! The cover of the shade was so old and brittle ,pieces would fall off when it was touched . It needed a good clean and a new cover and now it's back to it's former glory and as a bonus it works ! In the top photo I think the lady even looks happier with her new cover she may even be as happy as me with it !

You are so sweet !

Thankyou to all the kind bloggers that stopped in here the other day and left supportive comments for me as I was having my dummy spit . I am slowly getting on top of things and if this soothing blue and white combination doesn't calm me nothing will . Thanks again xxx

It's snowing in the Craftroom !

It feels like it anyway as I'm a little snowed under this week and feeling a bit overwhelmed at having too much to do and too little time , the same as most of you . I can't even show you much craftiness this week as I'm finally getting on top of my PIFs and I don't want to spoil anyones surprise , mind you it's probably going to be a bigger surprise that they receive something from me this year ! The other things I've been frantically trying to complete are magazine projects and you'll see those soon enough .

So you don't think this is a really boring post I thought I'd show you Christy from Sweet Tidings version of my pattern Frances Frog . Christy has a fantastic blog and she really is so talented .

The pattern for Frances is available from my blog shop or from My Ebay shop.