meltdown

I feel prompted to post after having a chat with a good friend last night about the extreme heat the Eastern States are having at the moment!

I do feel for South Australian people and Victorians, but what I think needs clearing up a bit is the constant misconception by the North Islanders that Tassie is a cool place year round! This couldn't be further from the truth. (although I must say we had really weird weather around xmas it didn't seem like summer but I think everyone had that)

I have realised though the misconception comes from the fact that on The North Island you only get Hobart's weather on your nightly news and Hobart can be up to 15 degrees cooler than the rest of the State, especially at the moment. This is probably because Hobart has a large river on one side of the city and the largest mountain in Tassie right at the back of it. It IS a beautiful city in such a special setting. BUT it's temps are VERY different to the rest of the State ESPECIALLY in the North where I am.

We have farmers in the Midlands still suffering with crippling drought because it hasn't eased up at all.

The last few days in Launceston have been up around 40 and we are all dying, with humidity up around 80% and it's the humidity that kills me.

We are over 200kms from Hobart and the weather changes as soon as you leave Hobart and head North. But, having said that, Hobart DOES get very hot weather too, just not as often I suppose!

The other 2 cities Devonport and Burnie may be a little cooler too as they sit right on the sea, they are right on the coast of Bass Strait!

Launceston usually gets the same temps as Melbourne. Our last few winters too have been very mild and Canberra is always much colder than most of Tassie. Hobart has lower temps than the North in winter too because of that river and that mountain I guess.

So next time you see Hobart having a pleasant temp, think wow but the rest of the State is having similar temps to Melbourne.

Melbourne and Adelaide are extreme at the moment but spare a thought too for the folk further inland in those states - how hot must they be???

Also I find in the Eastern States WA gets a little neglected too in terms of talk of heat waves. Perth has heat waves each summer of 40+ but I think we expect that so it doesn't get a mention on our news, but generally summer there is pleasant with the Fremantle Doctor (sea breeze) coming in in the afternoon to cool it down, but once it's over 35 the Freo Doc forgets to come and it's stifling and Perth have had weeks of over 40 with only a cooler day here and there for respite!

Twenty years ago I had my first trip to Perth, I went over to bum around for the summer with friends and it was the best summer ever. On my way home on the bus in late Februrary from Perth to Melbourne, we stopped at the tiny truck stop of Nullabor. We got out of our air conditioned bus and I went blue and couldn't breath - it was 56 degrees!!!! How do those people cope??

I can't wait for this extreme heat to be over, it really makes me more unwell. I have had many summers in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne and it didn't bother me then but there is NO WAY I can cope with it now. Even both our pets are really struggling so we keep wetting them down.

The conclusion to this little school lesson and rant of mine is....I think we need to move to Hobart, or better still, Antarctica maybe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for the love of macro and Dr Who

This post is about my current wip, but more so about my love of macro! To see the texture of the stitches like this really does it for me! It's also about my love of and addiction to stitching. The calmness of mind it gives me which I often struggle to have at other times.
I have just about finished this one and already have the next one drawn up.I am also in the process of finally getting some art journal photos and will be back with those soon and let you know what's happening with the Art Therapy stuff too


For those of you in Australia and if you love Dr Who, don't forget The Dr Who Special on ABC1 at 7.30. I can't wait!!!!

bonkers for baking

I know I must be crazy for baking in this heat but I added to the Cookie Cutter Collection over 2 weeks ago and Bel has been keen to bake. So, before it got toooo hot we baked these. I don't think I will do anymore baking however, until winter!!!!! So the kitchen is My Creative Space for this week!

a macro shot just because I love macros of Hundreds and Thousands!!!
the new cutters. I am not happy with the Australia one! Can you see why?? I am getting to it with the pliers!!

and I have also been making yogurt. Thank you Kirsty for hosting! Who else is playing? pop over here

I have been do lots of stitching no photos yet though. I also was about to start sewing the other day and my machine was going berserk so after playing with it and making it worse it went to the sewing machine doc but he is soo brilliant he fixed it on the spot, oiled her up and I left with her and at no charge!! So nice of him :) But I still haven't done the sewing....stuck on stitchin' it seems.

women's history

I love social history, in fact if I had my time again (I sound really old now) I would love to study Sociology. I am especially interested in women's history, how they lived the everyday before us. Even having a period must of been horrendous compared to now, a major event, no super slim tampons and super slim pads with wings!!!!!

My dearest friend on the planet Mrs M in WA found these wonderful magazines at a market and immediately thought of me and bought them. I am so grateful she did as the are fabulous to look through, the ads especially are interesting.

Women were made to think of their weight even 100 years ago!

The first ones are from 1933 and are all about Needlework. They are in excellent condition and the designs in them are ones I would make now, they are fab!

the other two are incredible. The one on the left is from 1890!!!! In amazing condition and published for girls. They would collect them all year and then have them bound. They would apparently choose a binding to match the other books in the family's library! But what teenage crafty chick wouldn't want their crafty books in their own room?????

The one on the right is from 1911 and again in incredible condition!!!!! It's full of knitting and crochet and lace making.

here is an ad in the 1933 one about "washing away fat AND age" how incredible is that? if only.........

this is the inside cover of the 1911 one, mum teaching her girls to knit

THE best thing is the transfers in the 1933 mags are still there!!! excellent condition and never used!!!! aren't they gorgeous designs
also as far back as 1933 they put in those loose flyer thingies we get now in magazines advertising stuff!!!!

and look! Pyrex ads in 1933 how cool is that......

how to make your own dressing gown.......

and if your body went against you and needed "subtle restraint" you could buy one of these in 1933....

and an overwhelming theme in all 3 different times of these magazines was laxatives.... there were ads for such things even in 1890!!!!!! Britain must of really lacked in the fibre department!!!!

It was so hard to choose just a few pages to takes photos of they are all priceless, but these show an overall view of things. I really suck at photographing magazines, I usually have to take 10 photos of a page until I get a good one. But I do have a few other really funny "social history" things to share, like a little book (from my same precious friend in WA from a market) on how to be a good housewife, it even tells you how to wash up properly!!!!! I'll share that beauty another day!!

mystery giveaway at Gilly's

pop over to Silly Gilly! Gillian is having a crazy Mystery Giveaway - hurry though comments close on January 18th!!!

my creative space

I am joining in with Kirsty's My Creative Space this week. This is my sewing table. As you can see not a lot of creating happening there. The heat sucks the life out of me and so the only thing on this table being used is the fan. My girls love to "design" things on my pin cushion and so it usually looks like Rosie from the Jetsons!! (their maid Robot)

behind my sewing table if I turn around is my work table!!!! As you can see it is a place to put everything. I seem to pile materials to be used soon! So I can find them or put fabrics together etc. Under this table are boxes of supplies, but that's for another day I think! I try my hardest to keep this space clear so I can work, but mostly now I put the sewing machine on the floor and use that table!

Pop over to see who else is playing along and join in or just peek at other creative spaces!

thrifted

I picked up this cute Pyrex dish recently at the op shop (yes I had a quick trip finally). It is just ramekin size and would of been part of a set once I reckon, but it was all by itself! I didn't venture out anywhere today though, it's toooo hot to even breath let alone go anywhere!! Bring on Autumn!!!!

slowly stitching

I have finished this stitchery. She was a lot of fun. It is Felicity Wishes and we love her in this house! I traced her with the dreaded Iron on Transfer Pencil (same time as when I traced THAT santa stitchery) from an activity book so she is A4 size which made her easy to stitch. I have another one traced from the same book and I started her last night. I am doing that one all in the one colour just to see how that looks. There is still a little of a purple Fade-Out Pen to fade in this one, but at least I know it will fade!!!!!

and some more raw edge appliques for Bel. I have been using a double sided facing for these as it is so sturdy and easy once the motif is ironed onto the tshirt it is very stable and ready to be sewn! However, today I have tried using a fabric glue stick on some Ink Jet Printer Fabric, but I have done 1 out of 3 and it is a nightmare. The glue does not hold for this sort of thing so therefore the tshirt stretched underneath and it was a total mess. I unpicked it and then used lots and lots of pins and sewed it very slowly.

I am not sure now whether to do the other two this way or just wait and buy some more double sided facing!

It's a great way to customise a top for next to nothing. The one on the right was a pure cotton tshirt at only 5.99 from Best and Less and the other was a brand new Katies top from the op shop for only $3.50. I used a Betty Boop motif off another top that didn't fit anymore and it is now a pj top and the other is from an owl FQ I had.

the ones I am trying to do today are images of favourite things of Isobel's ie Pokemon, owls etc. The printer sheets will fray very easily after just one wash I'd say as they are fraying already, whereas the others I do take a few washes for the edges to look good. Give it a go, it's fun and easy!
happy weekend :)

art supplies

My favourite medium of late for journaling has been Water Soluble Oil Pastels. All my big A1 works (in my Flickr sets) were done with chalk pastels and I love them too but they are very messy and without a proper studio, a little hard to use at home. They leave a thick chalky dust everywhere. So I am very happy to have found a new favourite medium. Above is the little box I have been using. It has been a great introduction to Oil Pastels but very limiting in colours.

But, for xmas hubby and the girls gave me these:

it is soooo wonderful having such a huge range of colours! I was so happy when I opened these. You can smudge them with your hand like chalk pastel but of course being water soluble you add water to them with a paint brush and you have a paint effect - magic. Like water coloured pencils only a richer colour!

Also they gave me a fantastic portable water colour paint set. It is ideal for journaling and can be taken anywhere or even just to the couch if that's what I need. It comes with it's own water bottle and water wells.....

and then just folds away when finished with. Thank you so much hubby and my Possums, it was fabulous to get such special arty pressies!!!

I have been bombing along with my stitchery and just finished that and am about to start another.... Photos soon :)

stitchin' wip

A work in progress. I am loving stitching when I can lately, it is so relaxing. You can see I have still used the red Iron On Transfer Pencil. This one and one other pattern I traced at the same time I transferred the dreaded santa stitchery. (that went in the bin by the way, it was beyond saving especially after I tried to save it I made it worse!!!) Only this time I know not to deviate off the line. Also with this colour scheme I think it works well having a pinky background to the stitches. I am just being very careful now I know the pencil doesn't wash out!

crafty gifts

I really was quite spoilt at xmas with some lovely gifts. I thought I would share the arty crafty ones over the next couple of days. Look at this cutie!!!!!

This GORGEOUS basket was given to me by my sister. It is adorable. She bought it some time ago thinking it was just me! and she was right, I was stunned and so in love with it. It is to use as a handbag/basket but my sis thought I could use it as a sewing/craft basket. What a perfect idea!! It came from the Oxfam shop.

Inside the cute basket were more goodies!!! Aunty Cookie goodies. A fabric panel as well as some appliques! I was so happy!!!!! These were from a beautiful shop full of handmade loveliness called Cocoon!
Thank you Mrs N I love them so much!!!

I'll be back soon with some arty goodies from hubby and the girls :)

lazy days

We have got through and soooo over 101 ways with ham leftover from xmas, and are just enjoying easy no meat meals this includes gluten free scones (hence the speckly flour) with yummy jam and cream of course, and just generally chilly out!

If you weren't lucky enough to get this book for xmas you really should go and buy it. It is a fantastic resource on recycling and saving money and living as thoughtfully as we can. It is filled with hundreds of ideas. It is a reference book you would go back to time and time again. The book is divided into each room of the house and then the garden on ways to clean green, reuse items and to save time and money. My big secret is I bought it for a gift and loved it more than I thought I would and so kept it for myself!!!!

happy 2009

Wishing everyone a VERY happy and healthy new year! It's cliche I know but, the last year has gone super fast, where did it go?

I have certainly had some ups and downs but my one constant has been my blog! So thank you for dropping by, thank you for comments, advice and help and most of all....community! I can't imagine being without my blog and therefore without all you guys!!!

I will be back this new year, hopefully with lots of art and crafting and thrifted treasures (it seems like ages since I have been to the op shop - must get there soon I need a fix!!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR :)