More denim and more things

You have probably seen those adverts that want to sell you something, then they say “but wait there’s more!”

I’m going to tease you and do that right now.

Firstly, you need to see the view from my sewing room window at the moment. Isn’t it beautiful?

Secondly, I mentioned the “ah huh” moment I had after notification of the position as school chaplain, how I still having left over denim to use up and that I could make a journal cover. Well here it is. Can you see the “splotch of paint” on the denim? which is the reason these denim jeans were no longer wanted.

Well you can’t see it in the finished product!!!

Thirdly, I had a swap with Cyndi from blue bird swing, after she made a lovely comment on Sue’s blog "The House That Love Built" when I made and sent Sue a crocheted hat pincushion. I offered to make Cyndi one, so she offered to make something as a swap. I had wanted to make the wallet tutorial she had, and so she made it for me using denim fabric. Here is the gorgeous parcel.

But here are the special contents!!

Fourthly, I had contact from the editor of HOMESPUN after seeing the mug pouches I’d made. I was asked if I’d like to submit a “Readers Letter” sharing why I made the mug pouches, any changes I made and so forth, after using the pattern from their magazine. That was a real surprise!!!


Finally, the winner is…………


But wait there’s more………….


I decided, because I can, that I would make an extra couple of mug pouches. I knew it would be sad, when so may entered the giveaway, that I couldn’t make one for everyone.

So I decided I would choose -

Number 1 – Jeannette , because number 'ones' don’t come up often in random number generator’s, also because Jeannette has just started a new position in a school situation, in New Zealand. A similar story to me!!

Here are the next two winners, by a random number generator:

Number 92, which is Darlis, one of my anonymous entries. So Darlis, I need you to email me your email address. If I don’t hear from Darlis, by Monday Sept 13th, I’ll draw another number.

And

Number 18 which is Marianne. I shall be emailing you shortly.

I had 154 entries into my excel document, accounting for those that in one comment were a follower, or blogged etc. Thank you all so much for entering and for the increase in followers.

"Giveaway" Housekeeping

Thank you so much, to so many wonderful ladies, who have entered into the giveaway. There is still time to enter, as the draw will be on Friday, September 10th.

I sincerely thank you for your thoughts and well wishes on the new position as a School Chaplain. I will slowly get to visit each of you.

It's interesting, one of the comments made by the school principal at the interview, that they required of a chaplain, is that the office is warm, inviting and welcoming - to put the kids at ease.

I've put some thought to this. I've decided I'll take two crocheted blankets I have, one made by my Nanna, who is now 96 years old, one I made when I was 14 years old. I have a framed stitchery that reads "If friends were flowers, I'd pick you." I'm thinking of having a few soft toys they can cuddle or just hold, to do something with their hands. What ideas can you think of?

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Just some housekeeping. I now know how sad it feels when Anonymous comments come in and I can’t reply back. So could Cheryl Camp, Darlene N, Darlis, two different Denises, Dot (I have two close Dot friends, so can’t tell if they are playing a friendly trick on me!!!) and Stephanie – please email me your email address. I can then respond back to you.

By the way, through my giveaway I have had Pilar from cenefas de flores, visit from Spain and she is having a giveaway that you’re welcome to enter.

"Mug Pouch" GIVEAWAY

I decided I would have a giveaway, a first for me!! to celebrate the School Chaplain position, that I posted about earlier.




Therefore . . . . I'll make one of the mug pouches, I blogged about previously.

WHAT TO DO?

1. Leave a comment on this post

2. I'd love for you to become a "follower" of my blog. Leave a second comment if you do.

3. If you want to blog about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a third comment if you do.

I'll draw the winner on Friday, September 10th. I'll then be in contact, to find out your favourite drink, ie tea, coffee, chocolate ......, your favourite colour/colours, and favourite flower!!

Now I know you'll all want one, I'd love to be able to do that!!! I'm one of those very unsuccessful blog giveaway winners....yes, entered many, but sadly my name jumps away from random number generators or out of the bowl!!!

But I hope you'll have fun trying!!!!

Gorgeous giveaway

Gerry at olderrose is having a gorgeous giveaway.

Here are the details:

PRIZE # 1.... One of Gerry's "Rise Above it All" pincushions.... This one is blue velvet and lavishly embellished with a vintage brooch and beads, jewels and trims....... plus a tiny locket... It is 8" tall with a weighted silver base. It will never get lost in your stash.

PRIZE #2..... Keeping with the blue theme, a trio of bluebirds hand-painted by Gerry... Since these are antique mother-of-pearl buttons they are especially luminous and reflect every light source in the room..... thus are very difficult to photograph.. They are only 1" in diameter and have a metal shank in back... Although difficult to tell in the photo they are edged with gold...

Stunningly beautiful and I would love to win, sadly my name never gets a drawn in giveaways. But I will try!!!

ELEFANTZ Giveaway

It's been awhile since I've entered a giveaway. I've been unfruitful in all. However, Jenny of ELEFANTZ is having one, I just had to enter. I loved the fabric and her designs.




Here is what to do:


1 entry: leave a comment on her blog post and be sure to leave your email or blog address for her to contact you.
3 entries: leave a comment on her blog post PLUS put the button below on your blog and link it back to ELEFANTZ! To make it easier for Jenny to count please leave 3 comments for your 3 entries. Please be honest!!!

If you enter this giveaway from learning of it here, please mention my blog in your comment.

http://seasonsforsusan.blogspot.com/

I really really would like to win some of that beautiful fabric!!!

Busy-ness

Even though I haven't posted much recently. I have been busy!!!

We have had wind-ups of different church ministries.

Keeping up with some swap block commitments.

Working on Christmas gifts.

Keeping the household running, while hubby is committed to an 8 day fortnight at head office, meaning he's away from the family.

Now commencing involvement in a community project - making a quilt, with other patchworkers, for our town's 100th anniversary.

So I am here. I do keep up with blogs of my friends.


GIVEAWAY

Elaine is having a "Thanksgiving (Quilting) Give-A-Way." Pay her a visit, you maybe thankful you did!

Ranette's Giveaway

Ranette is having a "Truly Scrumptious" giveaway. It really is!!!!!

Free BOM and Giveaway

Dorothy Baker is starting a free BOM stitchery "Sweet Nostalgia" - it looks just beautiful. She's also having a giveaway to launch this BOM.

Why Swaps and Giveaway?

I've been pondering for a while, why we like swaps and giveaways.

One reason, is some of us, make many things and give as gifts, but often don't have friends or family who do the same in return. So swapping is one way of getting a "special hand made gift" we haven't made, but someone else has invested time into. We therefore appreciate the time and effort gone into it. Whereas when we make something, we're with it the whole process until it's complete - so getting a completed swap/gift in the mail is something special.

I'm swapping in different ways. In our local patchwork group we're swapping heart blocks every two months. We've done machine pieced hearts and appliqued hearts; the next swap is embroidered hearts and finishing off with crazy-patch hearts. I've swapped DJ blocks for fabric and other things.

You can read and see a photo at the bottom of Pam's post here of what I sent her recently.

Sometimes I reach out to someone just for the pleasure and offer to do something, maybe because it's something they can't do or would like to finish.

Then giveaways, there are so many wonderful and generous crafters and bloggers, so many things I would love to have, but the "dice" hasn't fallen my way yet!!

Giveaways are another form of giving, almost a "Pay-It-Forward" thing. Talking of "Pay-It-Forward" I've been working on my gifts that I promised. But I can't show any pictures yet.

Tell me why you like swaps and giveaways. Or if you can think of any other ideas as to why swaps are appreciated.

GIVEAWAYS

So here are two more giveaways.

Frummie is have a "Two 2 yard Giveaway"

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Lurline is have a "Regency Dandy Giveaway"

Pet photo's

I showed a couple of my daughter's photo's yesterday of our lambs. Today I thought I'd post a photo my son took the other week, on his digital camera, with it set on "sepia". It's of one of our two pet Golden Retriever's - "Kelly", taken on our front verandah. I just love this photo.

GIVEAWAY

Quilt N Quilt Things is having an amazing giveaway on her blog in celebration of her 100th post.

"Civil War" give-away package

Elaine is once again hosting a giveaway this time a "Civil War" giveaway package. Those of us who love Civil War fabrics would all dearly like to be a part of this one.

Giveaway

Karen is having a "giveaway" on her blog. There are so many wonderful and giving ladies in blogland. Karen comes up with some great "Tool Time" ideas!!!

Friends across the world

It's amazing how friendships develop across the world, from sharing common interests and hobbies.

Rosa is one of those friends. She is celebrating her "250th blog with a Giveaway". So pay her visit and see what happens.

One of my passions

It's interesting to see how many of us have more than one "crafty passion"!

I was 8 years old when I learnt to embroider in my school class. I remember the "big year 7 girls" coming over to help us out. It involved threading wool and sewing patterns on hesian bags. This is in the late 1960's. Both my grandmothers sewed, knitted and embroidered. My mother embroidered a new cushion cover while in hospital having each of us children. She also made all our clothes on the "good ole" Singer treadle sewing machine. It is still going and she still uses it. I used it days before I left home to get married, making my "going away outfit" on it.

Birthday presents and end of year class honour gifts to me, were embroider sets. I learnt knitting, then learnt to crochet when I was 12 years old, by a lovely old lady who lived up the street from us. She was so tidy and particular that I had to sit around the corner from the kitchen door on the back verandah. Makes we smile when I think about it. I then went home and taught my mum how to crochet. From my teens, due to "Home Ec" in high school and into my twenties, I did my own dress making.

Mid twenties I discovered cross-stitch. The ladies that served me, in the shop I bought my first kit, book and threads from, kindly warned me "it was addictive"!! They were exactly right. I haven't stopped. In amongst that I got into bobbin lace making, then patchwork and quilting.

My most recent cross-stitch was a gift to Kaaren. I made one for myself, only personalizing it for me instead.

However, I have many large and small one's on the go all the time. Many getting completed and moving onto the next. The last two "large" ones, completed last year, were the Dear Jane Cross-stitch designs by Linda Myers. They are "Quilt Sampler VI: leaflet 79" and "Quilt Sampler XIV: leaflet 92"

So, um Sew....many crafty passions. I can never say I'm bored and don't know what to do with myself!!

GIVEAWAY

Here is a lovely giveaway for Lynn B’s one year blog anniversary. Another lady passionate about cross-stitch!!

The worth of a week

I'm one of those people who likes to be organized and productive all the time. I write lists and think about what I want to accomplish, why and when. Most weeks it is tied down to a routine between family, ministry and personal time slots. Most Wednesday's can tend to be for me only, which means its craft time. But I do get other spots in the week. At night I do a lot of hand work while my husband is busy studying to all hours for preaching and sermon preparation.

Now I'm flexible enough to change my plans, when family, friends and church needs require. I look upon "interruptions" as "God's appointments." As ultimately God guides and directs my steps, so my plans my be "just my plans" for the time slot and not what He wanted.

But I must confess when lying in bed and losing days, because I'm sleeping and too weak and too fuzzy minded and in too much pain (my head felt like it wanted to explode at the throat!!!) to do any "sensible craft work", it is sooooo hard. I did pray a lot as I mentioned in my previous blog. I did get to think about things in the coming weeks. I did get to plan some things in my mind, but couldn't do anything with my hands. I think you know what I'm talking about, as I certainly have identified with different ones of you in your times of sickness and troubles.

I have turned a corner though, yesterday afternoon around 3:00pm I woke from a very deep sleep and felt "so much better". The pain had eased away enough that I could eat a whole sausage and mixed vegetables and swallow a full cup of tea. How wonderful that was? I had another and final antibiotic injection at the hospital this morning and my doctor was very happy to hear things were improving. So thankfulness to the Lord for His restoring power for another day.

So a week is valuable, whether I accomplish much of what I enjoy or if God's plan is to have me laid low, to restore me in His time.

GIVEAWAYS

I was able to quickly look at some blogs and found some friends have been busy planning also.

Elaine is have a second "Stimulus Package Giveaway"

Jenny is having a "Giveaway" including a Christmas stitchery.

Terry is having "A Hint of Pink" giveaway for reaching a milestone of 30,000 hits.

Droughts and Flooding Plains

Australia is very much a country of contrasts. “Droughts and Flooding Plains” is mentioned often in the talk of politicians to everyday people, especially the farmers.

It comes from a line of this poem, in the second stanza:

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of rugged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding plains.

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror -

The wide brown land for me!

The full poem “My Country” can be read here.

I remember when I was young learning the song "I Love A Sunburnt Country".

We saw the evidence of great contrast earlier this year, while the same time Victoria suffered devastating bushfires, further north in Queensland and New South Wales, there was extreme floods.

We have had days of rain here and all the water ways are just overflowing. Our dam in the lower paddock has banked right back through the paddock. Water is racing from our dam, out through a creek and into the Wilgarup River.

The first two photo’s are of our dam, then water logged paddocks further down from us, right over the road from the Wilgarup River.

These photo's are of the Wilgarup River, near the old Dingup Church.

My friend Elaine is having a “45th entry”giveaway on her blog.

Another "Christmas in July" giveaway

I can't help myself.......I love Christmas as I've posted about before.

Here is another lovely "surprise" Christmas in July giveaway.

Siggies and friends around the world

About 18 months ago I joined Annelies International Siggie list - a follow-on from swapping siggies (signature blocks) based on the Dear Jane block, D-13. There is an annual Dear Jane Siggie swap also. It's been a wonderful way to get signature blocks and met some wonderful people.


This is a photo of the siggie I was sending out to those on the international list. I had to buy another lot of "wattle" fabric as I eventually ran out of the fabric shown in the photo.







This is how the quilt top looks so far, with all the blocks I received in 2007. Those I received in 2008 are still sitting in there special bundles and bags along with Birthday Siggies I received last year.


One of those people I got a siggie and letter from was Micki. She is having a giveaway on her blog. She is a very "crafty and productive" lady!!

Christmas in July

Last year we celebrated, as a family, "A Christmas in July" evening. It was really fun getting the Christmas decorations out and having the full "hot" Christmas meal. Something we don't worry about at Christmas time, when it is sooo hot!!!


Those who know me, know I love Christmas time and Christmas decorations. I put them up early and still have them up sometimes right throught February. Why? I love the colours, the glistening of the tinsel, it makes me feel happy and the kids love it as well.


Each year I try to make something new towards my Christmas collection.

Barb is having a wonderful "Christmas in July" giveaway.