~My Gift To Sarah in FIS....Friends in Stitching~

I became a member of FIS this year and there are 2 compulsory swaps involved with this fabulous on-line Stitching Group...

One is a birthday swap and the other is Christmas

Above are the fabrics I have had here for ages just waiting for the right project

Putting them together

It took me about a week to decide what to make for my Partner Sarah

Part of Sarah's brief was that she liked red and she liked sewing bits and bobs

The gift had to include one of a choice of 2 verses and a button

I chose the above verse and some rusty buttons to make the popular bag going round Blogland at the moment......Natalie Bird's  'True Friend's Tote Bag'

I went out the back to photograph the bag amongst some greenery seeing I'd never done that before and ended up putting it on our red car 'Ruby Tuesday' and I thought looks great so went with that!!!

I tucked in a little 'prim' felt pin holder

some red pegs

and seeing Sarah is an avid quilter an 'I Love Quilts' brooch by Theodora Cleave

All bundled up with a block of chocolate also

wrapped up......

and the card!!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed making my first swap gift for a lovely gal and look forward to the next one!!!

Hope you had a good one Sarah!!!

~Thank You Friends in Stitching~

Thank You Helen and Friends in Stitching~

Hi everybody...

thank you so much for my birthday wishes,

I had an awesome day and was thoroughly spoilt by my Mr Armchair and JoJo and by my other 2 children on the previous weekend

I am part of an on-line stitching group, Friends in Stitching which I joined this  year.  2 requirements of this group are that we participate in a birthday swap and a Christmas swap

Above is the birthday swap gift all wrapped up that I received from Helen

and one for JoJo as well

how chuffed was she as I told her it was from some 'Sewing Girlfriends'

Girlfriends is the name she gave to the gals up at Nundle for Girls Day in the Country (GDITC) and it just so suits I reckon!!!

My card and message...

And look Angels holding up a Heart with a special verse underneath

Gorgeous, gorgeous little runner, just perfect Helen....it made the coffee table straight away LOL!!!
And I did specify that I like Anni Downs' designs!!!

And look here....the much coveted Friendship Tag...

I now have one too...how special is this!!!

But wait, there's more......not 1 but 2 Tags......not bragging or anything LOL!!!

A special one with JoJo's name on it...all in soft muted colours......

She's proudly holding it up here....

A handy little Anni Downs notepad and some chocolate.......

Mr Armchair took me out for breakfast and I brought along this special glass that I received from my Cousin and had champagne at 11.00 in the morning......that's not too early is it LOL???

Thank you so much Helen for my lovely gifts......they are just awesome!!!

So a big Cheers to all you Sewing Girlfriends......nothing like being 30 (again)!!!

Love Dzintra xoxo

* S I N G *

Here's a pic of the 'Sing' bag I saw at Steph's recently

The bag is by Anni Downs and is from her latest book 'The Simple Life'

On the back it says 'Sing and the world sings with you'

Oh my goodness I'm so excited!!!

I think I have had 5 singing lessons for all of which I have been doing 'excersises' and yesterday I was given my first song......totally unexpected seeing I didn't do any practice whilst at Nundle...
I did think about it though Girlfriends (maybe JoJo may have started something here LOL by calling the Nundle girls Girlfriends)

My first song is 'Sweet and Low'  (Wind of the Western Sea)

It's a little Folk/Ballad Nursery Rhyme......Sweet and Low

to listen to it go over here

  I have read that it was originally written as a poem by English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) and set to music by English composer Joseph Barnby (1838-1896)."

My version is from the book 'Jacky Dandy Song Book'
compiled and illustrated by Deborah Niland
Music by Patrick Niland

I must admit that I had a little tear as the words are so beautiful
My teacher said that's all right as Maria Callas apparently once said
I cry when I hear it
I cry when I sing it
and I cry when I rehearse it

How perfect is this bag now for me now that I have 'music and words' in a folder along with my practice CD!!!

So now it's off to practice I go......and start choosing fabrics for my SING bag...

~Merry Christmas 2012~

Decorations above are ones I made by Lenna Green featured in Homespun magazine which actually made it into the magazine and which I wrote about over here

Wow, what a whirlwind week I have had

Spent the week preparing for our other 2 children/partners/grandchildren to come here for a Family Christmas......
I have barely had a chance to go into Blogland and comment on my favourite Blogs although I have popped in now and then to catch up......

Barely any stitching happening here and I think I'm going to have to join a Swap next year!
But I did have my first singing lesson after much encouragement from a few special people
Turns out my voice is alto
The main thing I learnt is breathe....breath....breathe
Turns out this could take 6-8 months to get right.....geeeeeezzzzzzz

Now back on track here
I want to wish everybody a Happy and Contented Christmas whatever you may be doing
Thank you so much for calling in......leaving your wonderful encouraging comments......
It all means so much to me......I've met so many lovely people here!

I'll leave with 2 very meaningful quotes
Merry Christmas......love Dzintra xo

'I believe in everything until it's disproved.

So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons.

It all exists, even if it's in your mind.

Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?'

~John Lennon~

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

~Calvin Coolidge~

~Update~Canberra Show...a gift, Pirates and Halloween~

A little post here that I've been meaning to do for a while now

I've actually got a few that I would like to get in this year so I'll start with the Canberra Show that we went to back in February

Click here for news of the Show for 2013

I couldn't resist the above air brushed tattoo of a Faery

there was even a Faery Quilt on display

It was an extremely hot day

this is at about 9am in the morning heading down to the Ferris Wheel

nearly there....

JoJo loving every second of the ride

View over to Black Mountain Tower with the mountains in the background

Having a little fun with getting the balls into various number slots

Great for her as she aims for certain numbers

(I love these too)

An interesting little hut here

We imagined this had water in it

if it had of we would've jumped into it I'm sure!!!

We stayed the night at our Daughter Jacqueline's

Happy Birthday Mr Armchair on this very hot evening!!!!

A little fruit platter for breakfast

And here's little GD Lidija in the car with her dolly!!!

Jacqueline quickly picked a rose for us as were leaving to come back home 

A surprise gift in the mail from my dear friend Susie over in Western Australia

All wrapped in gold (she knows me too well)

....a cross stitch design book and a Guest Book

The verse on the cover says

'Our happiest days are found in the joy we share with those we love

These are the cherished moments of life'

~Adele Basheer'

and a postcard from Monkey Mia

Thank you so much dear Susie...I love the books and I will get over to see you one day xoxoxo

Now over to Pirates of Penzance currently playing at The Bay Theatre

Here are 3 of the gorgeous daughters of the Major General played by Tatjana, Madie and Jenna

Don't know whom I'm after in this pose ha ha!!!!!

The play is doing really well

On Sunday the Moruya Hospital Auxiliary wanted the cast to autograph a copy of the programme and there have been a couple of requests by some groups in town for our appearance.......how cool is that

Not much happening with needle and thread here just a bit here and there but I will have something to show for OPAM (One Project a Month) for October

And in time for Halloween tomorrow here is little Lidija being a 'scary witch'...

Happy Easter...Priecigas Lieldienas

This pic was taken last Easter...eggs coloured using onion skins...

Latvians tend to colour eggs every year...
one method my Mother/Mamin and Grandmother/Vecmamin used was to wrap an egg with coloured cloth...(old clothes and rags were perfect) with thread and then boil...
When cold 'grease' with bacon fat...

I have found a blog written by an American Latvian living in France and Liene describes a bit about colouring the eggs with onion skin...

On Easter Sunday morning we would have 'egg fights'...
choose a partner...position your egg in your hand and then each 'taps' one end of their egg until someones shatters...then turn over and to the other side...the one with unbroken sides wins!!!

Mr Armchair's was different......his family would have turns in tapping the other one's eggs...we weren't that polite ha ha!!!

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.
~Martin Luther~

and I couldn't resist this one...

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!
~Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz~


Wishing all my blogging friends and  families a very Happy and Safe Easter...


Dzintra xoxo