2011 - The year of balance.

I always set New Year's resolutions, because I am a believer in that we should have goals and dreams to work towards. No one has arrived at that perfect place of being absolutely amazing in and at everything.



So 2011 will be about balance for me. Balance in all areas of my life - for example, study, spiritual input, exercise etc. But I am taking it a step further in my creativity. I tend to focus on one project at a time, or work on one skill every day until I am sick of it. 2011 I'm going to try and work on my many creative skills and projects - and focus on one skill a day. This will give me the opportunity to work on and perfect the areas I enjoy being creative in.

I know I can't be rigid and inflexible because when it comes to deadlines to having projects finished, I may need to focus on that for a bit, but I want to as much as I possibly can be balanced in my creativity and give equal time and energy to each one.

I can't wait to see how things pan out at the end of the year, and how many projects I have been able to work on and finish. :)

11th hour finish!

I can't believe I finished it!! I have been working so hard and fast on this beauty so it would be under the tree come Christmas morning!



And yes, I have done quilts with VHC fabric before. My littlest, Milly, would grab the quilt and claim it as hers, and I would dissapoint her by saying "No, no it's for baby.... so and so". So I decided to actually make her one to call her own. As I fashioned the quilt, she kept grabbing at the fabric "This is for me!" she would say. Tomorrow morning, she is going to actually have a Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt all of her own.

I'm proud of this quilt. I think it looks wonderful!

And today marks the last day of the Advent Blog-Along. Thanks Car for hosting again! :)

It's tradition....

The making of the traditional rocky road with my little assistant. This will be chopped up and given to special people for Christmas.

Christmas WIP

I just need to bind this baby and it's done.... stay tuned!

Oh wow!

How bout that? I had a stack of visitors from over at IN STITCHES because apparently I was on the blog roll. How exciting. :) So welcome, hello and thank you for stopping by and admiring my blog/work/children. :)

In answer to the question about my digi-scrapping - I use Photoshop to digi scrap and edit my photos.

Projects for 2011

I've just discovered and had the time to work out how I can make pages for my blog. So... if you look up the top of my blog, you will see 2 extra pages. 1 is Projects for 2011 and WIP's. So if you are interested, you can keep track of all my projects for next year and watch my WIP's hopefully be completed. No doubt I'll be adding more and more things I want to do... and I want to add a page for tutorials I find that I want to make... but we'll see. :)

Do you have a list for crafty projects you want to accomplish in 2011?

4 months old page

In case you have forgotten, I'm in the process of re-doing my eldest daughter's baby album - from crappy paper (I totally suck at paper scrapping) to digital (which I think I am better at by far!!)

So... here is the 4 month old page....

Milly Moo's Christmas page

Sugar and Spice... and all things nice...

It was a wet and humid wednesday - storms had passed over the last few days, saturating the earth and leaving that warm, moist dirt smell. DD1 aka Mop came home early from a morning at school, which was supposed to be a picnic - but was cancelled due to the wet weather. So to cheer her up, she and I whipped up some spicy, christmas smelling and tasting cookies. 3 hours later, we had enough for 15 families!



- Sugar and spice cookies - (Recipe can be found on Domestic Guru)

Thank you is not enough..

Today DS and I said goodbye to his speech therapist - the one who has been with us since the start of getting EJ tested and diagnosed with sensory processing disorder etc. She has been such a support to me, listening to me and helping me and doing her utmost to help EJ with his speech disorder. Our time with the mental health unit is up, and to show her our appreciation I made her this.

Holly Jolly Bingo 2010

So are you playing along this year?



CLICK TO FIND OUT HOW!

How many sleeps?

I made this for a gift. :) I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

ADVENT CALENDAR

Decorating....

I was such a busy girl today!

I made cushions for the lounge room...





... a mattress and coverlet for the cot...



and a quilt for a bed...



Yessirreee I've been very busy. I suppose I better mention that this decorating was done by raiding my scrap material box and fashioned for Milly's doll house she is getting for her birthday. :)

2010 Advent Blog-Along

Since mine was a dismal failure, I've jumped on board with Car for the annual Advent Blog-Along. The aim is to do one post a day. I can't promise I'll make it everyday, but I sure will try.

Another table runner

This is another Christmas present. I'm quite pleased with how these turned out in the end. :) I have one more which I've put away for now in the WIP box.... I might give it to someone next year.

Mum and Dad

Mum asked me to take a photo of them together for their Christmas card and prayer cards. (They are ministers)

my first 100% handmade quilt.

I pieced this beauty by hand, I quilted it by hand, I embroidered it, appliquéd and bound it all by hand. This literally has been made by blood (pricked fingers), sweat (quilting this baby in 30 odd degree temps) and tears..... of pride! This is for Mop - my first born - for Christmas. I'm so proud of this. I don't think I will ever hand piece again - when I have a perfectly good machine here to do that for me.... but I'm glad that I did it. Just to say I did it!! :)

So what do you think?

Bah....

So I was fiddling with my blog, trying to change it, and it all went KAPUT, and I lost all my widgets. :(

I hate that....

Oh well... not worth stressing over now...