Friday, November 23, 2012

A mixed up post of this & that

Hello there friends & readers,
Welcome to some new followers & thankyou all for stopping by to read my ramblings :-)


I mentioned last post about some owl orders for my friend Sandy.
Sandys daughter Abby was leaving school & wanted to give a gift to the boarding house she had been in for the past few years
Earlier, Sandy had commissioned me to make a bunting
she had chosen a lovely Owl print fabric as Owls were the theme
of the boarding house


It turned out perfect  -- the words "School House"
with a heart "flag" in the middle of the two words
Unfortunately I didnt get a pic as it was so large.
Because the School House's colours are red, green & blue
      this tartan blanket made up into such lovely Owl doorstops 

& continuing the Owl theme was perfect

This distinguished looking chap was for a friends son
who lives up in Auckland
    
At the end of last week I had the most wonderful surprise
I had a visit from a blogging friend
who lives on the other side of the island & was over this way for a few days & took the time to come for a cuppa :-)
The very lovely Catherine & her husband Rob from here
it was so nice to meet up after corresponding lots
but the visit went by so fast & - as is usual -
I didnt get any photos + I thought of lots of things afterwards that I had wanted to share with her :-)
    Although we had'nt met in person before, it certainly felt like meeting up with an "old friend"  
that is one of the things I have enjoyed so much about blogging,
the friendships made. . .

A lovely lady contacted me via my blog to purchase one of my christmas stockings that I posted about 4 posts ago (Oct 20th)
I sent it off to her & now we have been corresponding
& she wrote the most wonderful post about it here on her blog
& so I have gathered a couple of new followers :-)
thanks so much Michelle for your thoughtfullness   
& it is this sharing of likeminded interests that I so love about the blogging community  
 big old suitcases filled with flowers to you all out there :-)

Yesterday in Hamilton I filled my last stall commitment for the year
I took part in the Hamilton Creative Fibre A.G.M. Open Day
It was another full on day - some stall snaps (sorry you must be sick of these)
I found myself positioned next to a lovely lady
who sold the most amazing soaps under the label -
cheeky monkey soaps
  It was really fun to be next to her & our combined stalls smelt so delicious with her soaps & my potpourris  
The guest speaker for the day was a lady called Priscilla Lowry
& her subject was "is it art or craft"
Gosh what a interesting speaker & some of her "art work" that she bought along to show was just mind boggling
she often has shows in galleries - this was her quilt
that depicted a journey she took along The Silk Road
The above is based on a full size quilt she made & then remade it in miniature version & mounted it in a recessed frame
the detailing in her work was exquisite!
A very fascinating speaker & she had us all mesmorised!
My friend Donna that I posted about back in October had been asked to speak about a spinning course she had done
Donna had received a scholarship to do this course earlier this year
I snapped some of her display items
spun fleeces from different wool types
PLEASE can I go home to live at Julies house!!??
    A teddy Donna had made from homespun fleece & then knitted
- I could've pinched this chap - I loved him :-)
Because I work mainly in fabric, then being around fibre & fleece takes me right out of my comfort zone
which I think is a good thing for us all to do from time to time 
& makes us think "outside the square" a bit more.

The garden has shown lots of growth this past week
Earlier pic above . . .  then about 10 days later below
lavendars coming into bloom
I planted a big patch this week with helichrysems & cornflowers
to be a picking garden for my potpourri
when I came to check next morning
most of it had been eaten off completely by the rabbits :-(
I was too busy ranting & raving to take any pics ! ! !

I commented to Catherine last week that our nights have still been extremely cold
& so normally, my pansies would've succumbed to mildew by now
It is odd to have them still flowering away - but so enjoyable



After my stall yesterday I had to collect my new D.L.E cards
from the Printers in Hamilton
The green one on the right is the old version
do you like the new "vintagey" version on the left???
If I told you of the hours of agonising over these & the headaches & the tears & the rants & raves . . .
you would either not believe me,   or lock me away  !!!!!
I tried to photograph the other side but my camera is having a "moment" so gave up  . . . 
Thanks again folks for taking the time to stop by & reading my posts  - a couple of Peles pics to finish off today. . . 

Matryoshka cushion image
embroidered heart detailing on cushion
note-books covered in vintage linens
    Have a lovely weekend out there - take good care everyone
Love/hugs/friendship, Julie Xoxo                

13 comments:

  1. Great post Julie, the garden is looking gorgeous as is the photo's of your stall! Love the new look D L E cards.
    Have a great weekend, Michelle.

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  2. Hi Michelle - thanks so much !! Yes am finally happy with the DLE cards but the back is not as nice as the front. Hope you have a great weekend too. (some crafting maybe)?? Cheerio, Julie :-)

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  3. Julie your garden looks so delicious, I wanted to don a lacy dress and step right into the pictures to sip tea and sit for a while on a garden chair with you.... how fabulous that you know Catherine, she has a blog that I really enjoy too. Your owls are lovely - I have seen things like this onsale online in shops like Etsy maybe there is an opportunity there for you to expand your sales! Have a blessed weekend. Betty

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    1. Hello Betty - what a wonderful idea, we could both don lacy dresses & sit & chat & sip tea!!!! How lovely, you would be sooo welcome dear friend. Yes Catherines blog is such a treat & a feast of wonderful photography. Hugs to you Betty, Julie Xox

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  4. Hello Julie, Lucky you meeting up with Catherine I bet you had the best day :-) I love your owls, I have a thing for them at the moment too. and I really really love the bunny on your stall with the very long ears!! your garden is looking so pretty mine is a complete mess, the weathers been awful, last night gales and torrential rain, but today seems calmer. I'm meeting up with some bloggy friends too today! for a coffee x
    have a good weekend,
    sophie x

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    1. Hello Sophie - thank you !!! And guess what Catherine & I talked about . . . how neat it would be if YOU could come to N.Z. & we could meet up & all do vintagey stuff together!!!! So there you go :-) So sorry to hear of your nasty weather - things are dry here & I am watering each night & sick of it already!!! Have a lovely coffee meeting with your bloggy friends, Cheerio Sophie, Hugs, Julie Xox

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    2. It is on my VERY IMPORTANT things to do list :-) xx

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  5. Enjoyed your post Julie, wondered how you got on at the fibre day.I know your table would have looked pretty amazing.I would've been in heaven sitting nearby and smelling yours and the soap ladies wares.Adore your DLE cards, will have to get one!Hugs Shirley. P.S. Have you got a lace dress.

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    1. Hi Shirley - thank you :-) You wouldve enjoyed the guest speaker at the fibre day I am sure. Yes the smells were pretty lovely between our 2 stalls. Will give you a D.L.E. card - really happy with the front, the back I am not so sure about yet??!! No I dont have a lace dress - oneday maybe. Take care Shirley, Luv Julie :-)

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  6. Can I come to the garden party? I've got a pretty floral dress would that do?! I love the new vintagey card Julie...an excellent update. Your table looked lovely...how many days like that do you manage to do in a year? Home spun Ted is just huggable isn't he. I find it fascinating how we all express things in such different ways..The Silk Road journey...so rich & colourful & must have taken ages! Those lasted rabbits!! Could you put some netting over the heyls if you replant them? I love your nice big pot of rhodohypoxis..I seem to have suddenly lost most of mine. Random thought...where do you mostly find your doilies & vintage linen. Hope you had a lovely weekend. Much love Catherine x0x0x0x

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    Replies
    1. oops...mixed up bits sorry : ) Definitely blasted rabbits!!

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    2. Hello Catherine, Yes you would be most welcome in your floral dress - do come! ! I think I mentioned to you I am having a bit of a "re-think" regarding the stalls as it does knock my softy things around quite a bit carting them to & fro. Its a hard one to find the right balance between being here & Open & taking your things out to where the people are. Havent quite got the solution yet :-)
      I now have upturned wire baskets over my heli's which (as you can imagine) looks awful but hopefully will do the trick - the birds seem to have pulled the young cornflowers right out :-(
      Mainly my doilies & linens are from Op Shops tho I dont get around these much of late (+ notice the prices have shot up also now they are a bit more popular)
      Have a great week dear heart, Love Julie Xox

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  7. lovely, I like the old & new cards!

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