if you haven't got a Valentine

 

I've told you before I don't do Valentine's Day

but I do have a heart.

As a heart attack survivor I can't sing the praises

of The Heart Foundation enough.

 

Every year on February 14 I make a donation.

Maybe you'd like to too.

 

See you tomorrow for The Creative Challenge.

 

these are a few of my favourite pins ~ hearts

 

I have lots of visitors here from countries that celebrate

Valentine's Day way more than here in Australia

and although I don't celebrate it at all (as I always make

a donation to The Heart Foundation instead)

I do like a good heart craft.

 

Here are just a few I have found on pinterest this week.

 

Left ~ Letters on canvas from Woontrendz.

This one is in Dutch but simple to understand.

 

Top right ~ Baby food jar Valentine's from So Festive.

 

Bottom right ~ No Sew Banner from Thoughts From Alice.

 

Or perhaps you'd like to make some fabric hanging hearts

you can find my tutorial here.

 

 

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

 

 

                                     

a sailor went to sea sea sea

 

Things have been a little quiet on my blog lately

as I have been helping my son get organised

for his new life in the Navy.

 

There have been many , many interviews over 2 years

and lots of planning to be done.

 

I had a surprise send off for him on the weekend with

over 80 people , we had such fun!

 

Can you imagine some of these being able to keep a secret?

 

They did and it is because my boy is such a well liked

kid they wanted it to be fantastic for him.

 

 

I could not be more proud of my son Jack

and so sad but happy for him at the same time.

 

The family are all going to send him off at Melbourne

on the weekend so if you don't hear from

me it's because I'm sobbing or cleaning his room

or probably sobbing at the state of his room.

 

Either way I know I'll be sobbing.

 

Yep sobbing now.

 

Gosh I love this kid and I'm going to miss him so much.

 

 

 

not much. too much.

 

Crazy , crazy week here.

 

When life gets so busy and stuff is going on

the only solution is to post a rabble

of totally unrelated photos and say hi!

 

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

lying about

 

I'm still taking it easy getting over this flu.

At least I have the kitten with the biggest paws

in the whole world to keep me company.

 

hanging in there thanks

 

Just popping in very quickly to let you know

I'm still hanging in there.

 

My little family have been amazing

and I have started on some sewing yeehah!

 

I hope to be back in the next few days to show you what I am making.

 

As a thank you to you for hanging in there with me

my little shop is having a sale.

When you buy two patterns and put the code THANKYOU

in at the checkout you will receive your second pattern at 1/2 price.

 

Thanks again so much for all your kind words of support.

 

See you in a couple of days xxx

 

PS The sale ends on Friday.

 

 

it's the little things

 

Slowly , slowly on the mend.

 

I'm still not able to do too much

 

 

but I did manage to gather all the old bits of necklaces

and ear rings that the teen girl and I had no use for

 

 

and connected them to an old fan cover.

 

They sparkle and shine as they hang

and looking at all the different things makes me so happy.

 

It's the little things.

 

just in case you were wondering

 

Yes I have been absent a bit lately but I do have a doctors certificate.

In fact I have spent the last few weeks in hospital

after suffering a major heart attack.

 

This 51 year old spent quality time in a coronary ward

with a few 90 year old men , sheesh.

 

 

Anyway I'm not here to whine but just to let you know where I've been.

Unfortunately at this stage I don't have the strength for much crafting

but we all know that won't take me long to get back to it.

 

 

My family are taking me for my first walk today.

 To think just a few weeks ago I was enjoying 5k walks

every morning and posting beautiful photos to instagram

 

Obviously this whole thing has shaken my family and

we are all getting by as best as we can.

 

I really don't know where this leaves my craft business but

in the mean time my bigcartel shop is closed.

I will probably reopen it in the next few weeks but my priority

at this stage is my health.

 

 

 

 

Thank you so very, very much to the people that already

knew about this and have contacted me with much love and kindness.

Heart Week

Did you know that this week 5th - 11th is Heart Week ?
Did you also know that heart disease kills four time more women than breast cancer?
Heart disease is the number one killer of Australian women .

                                                                         Number one !

 

In case you are wondering this is not a sponsored post.

Heart disease is something that has affected me my whole life.

When I was very young my father died at age 50 of heart disease.

It was a battle he fought for most of his life.

When he died he left behind a wife and eight young children.

image from here

 

Over the years various family members have had problems

regarding their hearts .

This might explain why I am so fiercely passionate about

the Heart Foundation and all the good work they do .

image from here

 

Do you know the warning signs of a heart attack ?

Would you like some information on heart health ?

 

I am not a doctor .

I have absolutely no connection to The Heart Foundation .

In fact I am probably not even a good role model

as I only gave up smoking last year (on the anniversary of my fathers death)

after many years of abusing my health .

But if I can get a couple of extra people to donate to ,

share or even have a look at The Heart Foundation website

I will be a very happy girl .......

image from here

 

......and happiness is very good for your heart .

little hearts and your big hearts

 

I was so lucky to be a guest poster on One Artsy Mama

where I shared this tutorial for little hearts .

Since then a few have asked if I could repost it here

so they could keep my tutorials altogether (how nice !)

 

Well here it is ~

 

These little hearts are so quick and easy to make in any size

and they have a little pocket for your love notes so

you can send messages any time you like .

They also might be cute for popping in your little ones

lunch box with a sweet note from Mum xxx

 

 

The ones here are only about 2" but you decide how big

you would like yours and trace your heart shape onto cardboard.

 

There are 3 pieces of fabric ~ front , back and pocket .

The pocket piece has the top edge pressed down before

sandwiching between between the front and back pieces.

 

Trace your heart shape on .

Stitch around leaving a gap for turning .

 

 

Cut out heart shape and clip and snip .

 

 

Turn right side out and stuff very lightly .

Neatly stitch the gap closed .

 

 

Pop a little note in the pocket .

 

 

These should take you 10 minutes to make tops .

So you can make a pile of them and everyone will know

you are just lovely !

 

 

 

As I don't do Valentines I give a donation each year

to the Heart Foundation and this makes my heart feel really good.

 

EDITED  Since this post was published on February 14 I have been contacted by

a few amazing blog readers who have said they don't do Valentines either

and are going to use my idea of making a donation to The Heart Foundation.

 

I am so humbled to think that my little blog could influence some

in this way and I am so touched .

 

Thank you very much x 

 

hearts (what an original title today)

 

Happy Valentines Day !

 

It is not a huge thing in Australia and it isn't even

acknowledged in my house besides the family

knowing that I make my donation to The Heart Foundation

on this day each year .

 

In the U.S.A February 14 is ginormous!

So you can imagine just how happy I was when

Amy from One Artsy Mama used my heart tutorial on her blog .

Thanks so much Amy I love your happy blog

and I'm thrilled to be posting there .

 

Please pop over and see my hearts !

have a heart

It wouldn't matter how many pretty hearts I cut

out and hung around the place there

is still no way I'd ever get a Valentines gift.

We have just never celebrated Valentines and after

over 20 years eeeeekkkkk together

 I don't think we'll be starting now.

Instead we make a donation to The Heart Foundation .

This really makes my heart feel good .

hearty xx

I'm sure you've seen these hanging hearts in paper.

I thought maybe you'd like to try some in fabric.

They are fairly quick to make and the more

you make the better they look.

Cut a heart template to the size you want from cardboard.

Trace around the template onto the paper

 side of applique paper.

Cut roughly around the traced lines .

Following the manufactures instructions for the paper

press the paper to the wrong side of your fabric.

You need four heart shapes to make one complete heart

and they don't all need to be the same .

Cut your heart shapes neatly on the traced lines.

Before removing the paper fold your hearts

in half and finger press to make a centre crease.

Remove the paper and start pressing your hearts

carefully to join them.

Make sure you are only pressing two halves at a time.

Work your way around using all four heart shapes.

When your heart is all done you can then thread some

invisible thread through with some buttons and beads .

Please forgive the dodgy photos and I really

wish Booger would stop putting those silly frames

around everything.

Please let me know if you make some hearts

I'd love to see yours x

I love hearts !

I do love hearts !

With Valentines Day very soon there are

hearts everywhere I look .

My husband and I have never exchanged Valentines gifts.

Not only because he's not the romantic kind

but that it is not an occasion celebrated much

in Australia despite what the card and chocolate

companies would have you believe .

As someone who has lost both parents to heart disease

I decided that the money that I could spend

on a gift would be better donated somewhere worthwhile .

What better place than The Heart Foundation .

This really makes my heart feel good .