ONLINE CLASSES

I keep asking myself where can I find more hours in the day and never come up with an answer.

But still I find more things that I want to do.

One of those things I just had to do was sign up for the R.A.I.L online class in the Roses On My Table group.

The AMAZING thing about this workshop is that for $35USD you get 12 months of workshops. One new workshop every month AND...

get this...

The videos are downloadable so you can keep them at home and watch them in your own time. There are extra instructions that you can copy and paste into a word document and a great group of people that chat, share and help each other.

I love these as I can save them and then take my time and do them at my own pace but Zinnia is always there to help and offer encouragement too.

I am on my second month now which is a gorgeous Memory Keeper box.

I actually missed the very first month that it was held but it is now available as a separate lesson that I am going to go and purchase. The month just past was gorgeous domino pendants, very elegant and beautiful.

I have to say, after purchasing a few online workshops this year there is only this one and one other that I have been fully satisfied with.

The other ones are classes held by the lovely Mary of Green Paper Packages Blog.

She has held 3 and I have all of them and have learnt so much about collage, colour, design, shape and all the lovely elements associated with paper art, ATC's, collage and much more.

The latest class is Collage Basics with Vintage Paper.

Here too Mary is so very generous with her knowledge and encouragement.

There is always lots of free images to work with and lessons that come in downloadable PDF format so that if you are like me and don't manage your time very well you can do it when you get to it but still learn and watch what others are doing on the flickr group.

So if you want to learn more go and have a look, it will be worth your while.

A Give away but please don't enter!!!

It's a bit of a conundrum really.

I have to tell you about it to get an entry.

BUT

I don't want you to enter.

Go ahead if you must

The lovely Corrie of Retromummy fame is having a giveaway. She is very generously giving away a whole bundle of Sweet Broderie fabric by Rosalie Quinlan.

Go and enter if you really must but I am going to win. I tell you this.

While you are there go and visit her Retro Mummy Store she has very different fabrics to my store. She has lots of lovely cute Japanese & Lecien fabrics and some gorgeous patterns and magazines. Go on, support a wonderful Australian fabric business visit Retro Mummy today.

5 Years ago today

I can't believe it myself but this time 5 years ago we were having our Wedding dinner with our most wonderful familiy and friends.

Less than 6 months later my brother moved to the USA where he promptly met the lady who became is wife 2 years ago in June just past. They also now have a lovely little girl whom they called Adelaide who was born in May this year.

We have a little boy who will be 4 in April and a very strong willed little girl who will be 2 in March.

Time does go by so fast, I don't want it to, I am having too much of a good time.

I hope everyone out there can know the happiness that I do even if it is only for a short time.

Prizes, Pincushions & More

I had a wonderful month in October.

I won this

I entered a competition on the Crafty Mama's blog I was astounded to get the envelope and find not 1 but 5 different lengths of Farbenmix ribbon inside it.

I am truly grateful for this lovely little prize and I suggest you keep an eye on the Crafty Mama's Blog they are always having great giveaways and have some great tips and sewing information.

And this

I have a yearly subscription to a wonderful new e-zine called

Fat Quarterly

They have an excellent blog that you can have a look at and then purchase either single issues or a yearly subscription to the magazine.

Every issue is jam packed with great patterns, interviews and some fantastic giveaway's. I have been a subscriber since issue 1 and always enter the competitions, I was totally blown away to get an e-mail telling me I had won this book from a giveaway in their 2nd issue.

I highly reccommend having a look at their blog even if you don't decide to get the magazine. There is a quilt-a-long that happened a while ago that you can still get the instructions for. They have great interviews, there was one with Denyse Schmidt the other day and regular features with other quilters and designers.

They also gave a free Holiday Special Edition to all subscribers recently which was great.

As for the book that I won, what is not to like. By the wonderful Australian team behind the "Prints Charming" Store it is full of easy lessons and tips on printing your own fabric and then super projects to showcase your or someone else's lovely printed fabric. Over 40 sewing and printing projects that you can do at home.

I received this

I joined in a swap on Flickr. A Mug Rug Swap. I had never heard of one before but it's basically between a coaster and a placemat and is about big enough for a Mug and a small plate.

Things have taken off for the Mug Rug movement since this first swap and you can go and join the group as there will be plenty more swaps I am sure.

This lovely creation was sent to me by the lovely Jodie from the USA, I don't have her blog address handy but it's so cute, it has 3 little cups spelling out the word tea, some extra bits of fabric and a very nice recipe for some almond cookies that my family just loves.

And this

A Pin cushion swap that I joined. It was run by Ellie I was terrified after I signed up for 2 but then I found the funnest pattern that I sent away and I got this very cute little chicken in the mail from Penny at Back Valley Seasons she even included the cute little hand beaded heart that you see pinned to the side of the chook. I have had to hide it from my Mother in law as she is a chook nut.

She included a lovely card that has a Gelatin Mono-print feature on the front which is very clever.

AND this

How cute is this little fellow. A little beetle from the amazing

Diana Trout. He is cute as a button and nice and small, it fits in the palm of my hand. I am using him when I am moving around a bit and need something portable.

I will do a separate post with my offerings later on this week.

I have also just cut a a lovely Bali Pop to make up into the Quilt a long quilt from the Fat Quarterly blog so I will show you that too.