Going West

I came across this video over at A Little Hut and was pleased to see it's from the New Zealand Book Council - I clicked on it and was stunned, it's just amazing. It's funny to see places I've spent time at rendered in such a way. I need to read more NZ literature, I really do.

More embroidery

I finished this Common Milkwort a couple days ago and really love the blue and purple against the muted greens and greys.


From Gerda Bengtsson's Danish Floral Charted Designs (as always!).

I'm having an awful time with the colour balance with the SLR - sometimes it's fine and sometimes it's not, even when I play around with the light source settings. The spots yesterday were super super saturated and weird-looking too. I think I really do need to build myself a light box! I pushed and pulled this with Photoshop and it looks okay, but not like the lovely colours of the original. I might try again later on with different lighting.

Spot-o-rama

A WIP (you might remember the felt scraps from awhile ago) but also an idea for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway. I'm really really loving polka-dots at the moment!

My Place and Yours: That's nyoice, that's different, that's unewesyewl!

Ha, I love the title for this week's Meet Me At Mike's "My Place or Yours", chosen by Toni from Little Suitcase. I loved Kath and Kim! So, what do I have in the house that's particularly noice, different or unewesyewl? This is the brief:

Does your home have a quirky feature or several? Something you throw a strategically placed coat over if people are visiting or avoid telling the real estate agent about? You might be very proud of your house flaw.

Well aside from the funny layout of our little house, the thing most people comment on (and this was also true in the 'Front Door' one from a couple weeks ago) is the fact that we have a line running down the hallway where the house was cut in half to move on to our section.



We did have a rug covering it for a long time, but I quite like it now. What I don't like so much is the big square cut into it on the top right there, we think that was for putting the jacks in to raise it. Why they had to replace one board with pine I don't know. I don't notice it much anymore, but it still bugs me when I do!

The line looks a bit like an appendectomy scar



I don't know what we'll do come time to sell the house - to cover or not? Luckily that's not on the cards right now so decision's averted until then :)

The latest and greatest

I'm really excited about the newest blog on my reading list, Kiwi Mummy Blogs


It's the brainchild of Sarah over at Bobby Robin, and I think it's going to be a great resource for us Kiwis, as well as being an interesting place for youse* foreigners to check out. And I'm totally and completely not saying that just because my link is in the sidebar.




*I actually never talk like that, but I'm trying to sound Kiwi as bro. Of course, if anyone's watched the video from a couple posts ago, you know I will not never ever** sound like a New Zealander. I did, once, when I was 5 and lived here for a year. My dad has a old tape recording of me talking before I was mocked at school in Canada and lost it within 2 days, it's hilarious. Well the accent is, the teasing wasn't.

**Hazel has been watching a LOT of Charlie and Lola lately.

Greetings gentle readers

I just noticed that I've hit 70 followers and what seems to me a very large number of subscribers (148) over on Google Reader (not sure how many with other readers) so I thought I should say something. Is this crass? Should I pretend that I airily continue on, oblivious to how many people read my blog? That I never check stats? Well that'd be a big fat lie frankly, because I do, I do! Actually I've given up caring about how many views the blog gets, but I'm totally addicted to knowing where you all come from and what pages refer you. I get a thrill looking at the world map with little dots on it. I knew when Hallowe'en was coming because the hits on the superhero(ine) mask went through the roof as all the crafty mamas got the costumes together. I look forward to seeing if anyone is going to make the bunny for Christmas :) But really I just wanted to say hi to everyone and that I love that there are people out there who take the time to read this blog and think it's interesting enough to add to their readers and so-on. Flattering isn't quite the word for it! And thanks also to the commenters, especially the regular ones (you know who you are). I love checking my email and seeing a blog comment, you guys make my day! Well part of my day anyways. ;)

My bloggoversary is coming up in a few days and I've realised I've stuffed up. I had this plan that I'd have a wee giveaway for the readers to celebrate this momentous occasion but of course I signed up for the Sew Mama Sew giveaway and there's no way I can manage two right before the silly season. So I'm going to delay it until after Christmas instead, because while it's fun to have a giveaway with gazillions of people, I'd like to have a smaller one for the regulars. Maybe I'll call it the "Hello Summer" giveaway or something.

Sleight of hand

I'm going to try and distract you from any crafty expectations right now by saying "what's that over there? Quick, it's a really cute baby in a jolly jumper!" (for hardened baby-lovers only as it's fairly long)



I uploaded this almost-four year old video for my friend Jess, who recently shared one of her little cutie in a jolly jumper, but I thought it might be good for general viewing. After watching it I should probably admit that I think Hazel's the best thing I've ever made, and definitely an on-going project. Look at those chubby little legs! They were just so gorgeous and scrummy, and now they're long and lean, covered in 4 year old bruises and they run like the wind. I loved how she did the Irish dancing thing with her feet, it was so darn cute. Or maybe it's more like tap...