Eye Spy.....a work in progress

Todays Eye Spy from Hugo and Elsa is a work in progress.

I was going to show you all of the boxes that are still sitting around the house waiting to be unpacked.... but that wouldn't be very interesting now would it?

Instead, I'm showing crafty works in progress.


My crafty works in progress are a little non-existent at the moment.... I tried to get rid of them all when I moved house, and now I'm specifically trying to start and finish one project at a time. Otherwise, I tend to get halfway through something, get bored, start something else, and then never go back and finish.

This is what I'm working in right at this very moment (well I would be if I wasn't on the internet reading blogs)!

A lovely vintage tea towel on the way to being transformed....

Lots more Eye Spy here

Eye Spy..... a magic elixir

Such a fabulous theme today! I could show you my medicine box full of magic tricks, but I much prefer to eat my troubles away (where possible)....


If I'm feeling under the weather (especially around cold and flu season), then there's nothing better than my magic chicken and vegie soup. The only problem is that it needs to be pre-made and in the freezer already, because if I'm sick, then I'm definitely not going to have the energy to actually make it!

Which is why there is a back up plan....

If all else fails, then instant chicken noodle soup and a packet of plain potato chips usually does the trick. These are two staples which must be in the pantry at all times.

For general wellbeing and happiness, I recommend keeping a stash of magic chocolate elixirs in the cupboard. You can never be too sure about when you might have an emergency chocolate craving.

To wash down all of the sugar and fat and salt, I always keep a good supply of coffee, tea, and most importantly.... raspberry cordial!

I'm sure there's a very good reason why most people try to keep their kiddies away from red food colouring. It works wonders for me, peps me up every time. Who needs alcohol when you have raspberry cordial on hand?

Thankyou Amy for this weeks funny theme. Head on over and say hi to Cindy to play along.

PS - Check out the magical Mars Bar Cheesecake over at Selina's Vintage and enter her giveaway.

Eye Spy....a surprise

I'm a day late, but I received a lovely surprise in the mail last Thursday..... just in time for Easter, Jan from Running Thread sent me a lovely kitsch tea towel wrapped up in easter egg fabric with a little easter egg card. How cute is that???

It was Jan's birthday on Friday, and I'm sure she'd get a wonderful surprise if we all headed over to her blog and wished her a belated happy birthday.

Thanks to Cindy for being the reigning Eye Spy Queen, and to Miss Muggins for this weeks theme.

PS - Head over to Miss Muggins for some lovely giveaways too!

Eye Spy..... a new development

Yesterday was another lovely day out at Amitie Upstairs for the Thornbury Craft Bonanza. I didn't really have anything crafty planned to do for the day, so I put my hand up to help Bev with some quilts that she was putting together for Handmade Help.

I have never ever tried to make a proper quilt, and I've never ever tried hand quilting.


This is as far as I got....... but, my new development is that I actually enjoyed it. I'm usually the queen of the quick (less than two hours) and easy (meaning machine sewing) project, but in the last week or so, I've actually been craving for some sort of craft where I can snuggle up on the couch and relax and watch telly. The best bit about hand quilting is that you can snuggle up with the quilt while you're stitching. Who knew it could be so relaxing? Ok, so you probably all knew that already, but I didn't.... I'm such a duffa!


Here are all the girls hard at work


and Anabel modelling her quilt

Bev made delicious Zucchini and Cinnamon cake...

and Sharon made delicious Carrot and Walnut cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (so I bet you can guess what I had instead of lunch)!

We finished off with a lovely dinner (albeit a bit noisy) in Black Rock.

For those that know me, no I don't eat seafood.... I actually forgot to take a photo of my own dinner!

Thankyou Christina for this weeks Eye Spy theme and to our lovely hostess Cindy.

Eye Spy..... a discovery

Eye Spy is a little bit late this week, but I have an extremely good reason. I was busy discovering a new toy on the side of the road.

It's hard rubbish collection time once again in outer suburbia and I had absolutely no intentions of going anywhere to look for anything yesterday..... but then my sister came over to help me unload my car.

On the way to my house, she happened to spy a perfectly good portacot on the side of the road. I have a portacot already, but now I need another one for my house, so that the twins can be separated when they come to visit and it's time for a little baby nap.

Anyway, she wanted me to drive the car so that she could jump out and inconspicously pick it up in broad daylight. That trip took less than 5 minutes, so with the portacot in the car, we decided to scout around some of my local streets.

About three blocks from my house, out of the corner of my eye, I spyed a wooden box on the side of the road amongst a pile of rubbish. I immediately said to my sister that I thought that it might just be an old sewing machine. I reversed back, and she jumped out and picked it up and shoved it in the back of the car.

We arrived back home and opened up the case and found a 1950's Singer 201K sewing machine.

Thanks to Silly Gilly providing me with some links, I've been able to determine from the series register number (EJ653360) that it is definitely is a 201K. There were 30000 allotted from May 11, 1954, and it was manufactured in Clydebank, Scotland.

It still had the the sewing cotton and the bobbin threaded in the machine, so I plugged it in and switched it on and it sews like a dream!

There is a little opening on the right hand side of the case which opens up, and inside was the original instructions for the machine (sadly soaked in sewing machine oil which had spilled).....

It also contained all of these different feet and bobbins and even spare needles.

I can't believe that someone had actually put this out for the hard rubbish collection. Thank goodness I rescued it. I've found a copy of the original sewing instructions online so that I can have a proper play with it sometime during the week.

Thankyou so much to Megan for choosing this weeks theme... maybe that was the reason that I made the discovery before the garbage collectors. Head on over to visit Cindy to play along!

Eye Spy.... something beautiful in my backyard

This weeks theme is Eye Spy something beautiful in my backyard

So this is my new backyard..... it's certainly not everyone's idea of a beautiful backyard, but to me, it's absolutely perfect.

When I was looking for houses, it was extremely difficult to find one with a tiny no maintenance garden. This is just about the ultimate low maintenance garden - some pavers, and a patch of dirt with a few weeds growing through.

As I can't garden myself, this eliminates the need for me to rely on anyone else for help, which certainly takes a load off my shoulders...... and leaves more time for crafting!

For more Eye Spy backyard beauties, head on over to Bug and Pop.

Eye Spy.....Love

This weeks Eye Spy is a tricky one....

Now that I'm a thirtysomething single, the things that I love in my life, are the things that I can't live without. My family (even when they drive me crazy - and yes family members, I know that you will read this), my friends, a morning coffee, chocolate on demand, my car, the internet, blogging, and of course my biggest obession...... craftiness!

Head on over to visit Cindy to play along.

Eye Spy....my secret (food) shame

It's a funny theme today from Jade over at Just Needs Salt.

When it comes to some foods (particularly anything sweet and chocolately), I just never grew up. I still drink my milo like this.... 1/3 milo and 2/3 milk - and I eat the milo from the top with a teaspoon.... just like I always did! I also still like to just eat milo straight out of the tin, but I've tried to curb that behaviour. Luckily, I'm not trying to set a good example to any little kiddies.

It's all gone now and it was delicious.

Head on over to visit Cindy to play along.

Eye Spy....something delicious

Eye Spy some delicious scones (made by Liesl) that I bought home from yesterdays Thornbury Craft Bonanza at Amitie....

I haven't felt much like blogging today. I spent the day packing linen and kitchen items, with Sky News on in the background, updating the Victorian Bushfire crisis minute by minute. It's now 9.20 PM, and the latest news is that 76 people have lost their lives, and there are still more missing.

Apparently, the best way to help is to send a donation of money, or to donate blood (as there are many burns victims who will desperately need it over the next few weeks). The Red Cross Bushfire Appeal information can be found here, and you can find out how to donate blood here.

As I was packing boxes in the afternoon, there was a woosh of wind in the tree outside the kitchen door and then a big thump. This poor little Mama possum had fallen out of the tree and landed on my concrete patio. She was still alive and had a little baby in her pouch who was sucking away trying to get some milk.

I tried calling all of the wildlife rescue services, but I'm sure that they have been inundated with the bushfires, so I called the local Vet hospital instead. I packed her up in a box and took her along to the hospital. The vet was going to have a look at her and then call someone who looks after native wildlife.

Apparently, she was the fourth possum taken to their hospital today.....

Eye Spy.... a small object

The theme was a bit challenging for my frazzled brain today. I couldn't seem to SPY anything small, as most of the little fancy things have been packed away for the move.


But then I remembered that I hadn't packed up my little inspiration shelves in the spare room. I have these little objects sitting side by side.... Mini Collage by Tinniegirl and Walter the Birdy by Ric-Rac

As you can see, the shelves were not really installed to the appropriate measurements.... postcards only fit sideways! I'll be making myself a wonderful inspirational wall when I move (where my inspirations can live right way up)..... I get a bit dizzy looking at them sideways.

Thanks to the Crafty Librarian for this weeks theme and head on over to Bug and Pop to play along.

Eye Spy....something beginning with J

I wandered around the house looking for something beginning with J, but with all of the clutter underfoot, it was a little hard to find.

So I'm going with this: Eye Spy with my little eye..... lots of JUNK.

I have boxes of junk that haven't been unpacked since I moved into this house over 6 years ago. I have more boxes of junk from when I packed up the old kitchen to renovate two and a half years ago..... and then there's my tendencies to bring home even more junk from the oppy, or from the hard rubbish.

I'm hoping to do a little de-junking very very soon!

Head on over to visit Cindy for more Eye Spy players (and while you're there, check out her whizz bang binding foot.....eeeek I'm in love). Thankyou Lauren for making me see the error of my junk collecting ways..... ha, we'll see how long that lasts!

Eye Spy......a taste Summer

Summer still hasn't really hit Melbourne yet this year, but these are images from last summer....


Holidays at the beach

and swimming in my backyard pool (it's actually more like me sitting on a banana lounge, and watching other people swimming in my backyard pool) are the things that most remind me of summer.

Thanks to Anastasia (who is currently taking a lovely summer holiday) for this weeks theme, and don't forget to head over and visit hostess Cindy to play along.

Eye Spy....my best memory of 2008

I've been racking my brain trying to narrow down my selection of the best memories of 2008.

Then it just became completely obvious!

My best memory of 2008 is all of the new crafty friends that I've made this year. It's been amazing to be able to connect with other creative souls who understand why I love cutting and stitching and sewing and gluing and painting and beading..... and every other crafty / messy thing on earth!

It's so nice to spend time at a fabric shop with someone else who also loves to look at every single bolt, and ooh and aah over each one, without getting bored.

It's so nice to get together in a group and chat about crafting and baking and books and magazines and general silliness.

It's so nice to go treasure hunting at the op shop with a friend.

Thankyou Kat for your fabulous theme this week. Head on over to see Cindy to play along.
Happy Sunday!

Eye Spy the Festive Aftermath

Cindy suggested this weeks theme as a very fitting Christmas finale.

I didn't get many photos of the aftermath.... but I could of taken photos of my recycling bin which is jam packed full, after I brought home all of the packaging that wouldn't fit in my sisters recycling bin yesterday..... but that wouldn't be as interesting!

Poor old Elmo is looking decidedly depressed in the bottom of the photo... it seems that his chair has been tipped upside down and he doesn't know how to tip it back over. Poor Elmo.

Eye Spy....a bit of blingy bling bling

This weeks blingy Eye Spy is bought to us all by lovely Liesl .
The blingiest thing in the house has to be these jingle bells which have been hanging from the linen cupboard door since last christmas (I kid you not)!

They have a lovely jingly sound every time someone opens the cupboard, or runs down the hallway knocking them on the way past.

Eye Spy Sunday....proudly bought to you by BugandPop

Eye Spy......a burst of colour

Eye Spy the corner of my loungeroom - chair throw rug, curtains and tiebacks made by me - hanging elephants from The Oxfam Shop.

There are lots of bursts of colour in my house but I tend not to really notice as I see them each and every day. I'm assuming that the new owners will come and paint over all my lovely colour choices....oh well.

Thankyou Flossy-P for this weeks theme, I had a good wander around to find my favourite burst of colour. To join in, head on over to visit Cindy..... and don't forget to enter my giveaway, and there's another fab giveaway here at Art by Anya.

Eye Spy.....something in my garden

Firstly, a big thanks to Cindy for letting me pick this weeks theme.....

I don't garden....at all, so here's my sole contribution to the garden. These were three old mismatched concrete pots that the previous owners of my house left behind when they moved.
I painted them (this was during my mexican colours obsession / phase of 2001), and smashed up some tiles and glued them on. I can't take any credit for the Yucca's that grow like crazy in the pots....unless of course, the pink colour is helping them to grow like wildfire.

Join in Eye Spy Sunday right here!

Eye Spy....with Bug and Pop

Lucky me...I get to choose this weeks Eye Spy topic

I think I must have been born with a black thumb, as I am the worst gardener in the world. I really don't like going anywhere near dirt unless I have gloves on.... and you can forget going anywhere near potting mix! But, I do like to look at gardens, and more importantly, I like to look at interesting things in gardens.

So, this weeks theme is Eye Spy something in my garden.



It doesn't have to be a plant, and it doesn't even have to be anything that is living. Just take a wander around outside in the garden and pick something that you find really interesting. I can't wait to check them all out.

Remember to sign up with Cindy over at Bug and Pop if you would like to play along....