Craft Camp and a lovely day out.

Salem's stamps and stationary

We had a lovely day in Wellington yesterday.  We caught the train in which wasn't late for a change.
We had a very yummy lunch at the Jimmy Cafe at the St James Theatre and bought our tickets to TUTU'S ON TOUR (Royal NZ Ballet).

Then Salem was off to Craft Camp and had a great time and made his own stamps and stationary.
Meanwhile I had a pot of tea and a delicious piece of lemon meringue pie while I did a bit of my Winter House cross stitch at Martha's Pantry.  After that I was at my leisure to wander around the antique shops and retro clothing shops.  Salem is not to keen on looking at the shops so it was the best time to do it by myself while he was doing his crafts.

After Craft Camp we went back to Martha's Pantry and had a very civilised afternoon tea before heading home.

House on Wheels

I was busy stitching away this afternoon when I looked out my window and saw a house parked across the road.  Not something I see every day!!!!

Winter House progress

The Winter House so far.

I haven't done too badly, making a lot of progress.
I'm really enjoying doing it and am getting impatient as usuall to see the finished product.

Salem is off to Craft Camp tomorrow so I will be sitting over at Martha's Pantry with a pot of tea and a lovely cupcake stitching away.
I must remember to take my scissors as I always keep forgeting them.

A wild windy night!!!!

Wow, did we have a windy night of what!!!!!
Our fence blew over, it's only being kept off the ground by one of my cages which is totally wrecked now.
I had to go out in the rain and wind to move all the animals and make sure all the chickens were in one place.  They are now in one of their nesting hutches, having to be shut in or else they will be all over the neighbourhood as our fence is of no use.  We are on the main road in the middle of suberbia.  The chickens are not impressed.

I don't know when we will get a new fence as it is up to the landlords (I rent).
Other damage includes the door being blown off one of our sheds, the top of our mail box being blown off and damage to the other fence around the property.

So I'm having a bit of a tidy up also we have a property inspection tomorrow.
Let's hope it stays a bit calmer over the next few days.

Bantam Bunnies

This was in this mornings paper and on the news last night.
I have silkies and they do make the best mums.  Very Cute!!!!!

A clucky hen at a wildlife park near Upper Hutt has taken an unlikely brood under her wing – five baby bunnies.
The silkie bantam is the talk of the Staglands Wildlife Reserve since the helpless and hairless rabbits were found in her nest this week.

A young mother, at just eight months old, the hen was very protective of her new family, Staglands wildlife assistant Jayson Davis said.
"She has definitely bonded with them. She'll fluff right up and try to peck anyone who gets too close."
Mr Davis made the discovery. "I stuck my hand in expecting to find eggs, and got the shock of my life to be honest. Eggs don't move," he said.

The mother rabbit sometimes slept in the bantam's nest, and must have decided to give birth there.
The two mums have worked out a shared-custody arrangement: Mother Rabbit has continued to feed her young, and seemed happy to let Mother Hen do the child-minding.
"At the moment the mum's going out on the town, so she must think the hen is the best babysitter in the world."

In about three weeks, the baby rabbits will strike out on their own, and leave the nest.
They will eventually dwarf their surrogate parent, as they are flemish giant rabbits – the largest breed in the world.

"We're going to let nature take its course. At the moment everything's going pretty well, so we're happy to leave them to it," Mr Davis said. Staglands is considering setting up a webcam. - The Dominion Post

Summer House

Summer House

I have just finished stitching this lovely cross stitch design by Brooke Nolan from Brooke's Books.  I've added a border and four lines of a poem which I think goes quite well with this.
I'm quite pleased with the results and will be starting the Winter House in the morning.
I just love Brooke's designs!!!!!!!!

Here is the poem I found to go with the house...........

     Our House

It should be yours, if I could build

The quaint old dwelling I desire,

With books and pictures bravely filled

And chairs beside an open fire,

White-panelled rooms with candles lit--

I lie awake to think of it!

 

A dial for the sunny hours,

A garden of old-fashioned flowers--

Say marigolds and lavender

And mignonette and fever-few,

And Judas-tree and maidenhair

And candytuft and thyme and rue--

All these for you to wander in.

 

A Chinese carp (called Mandarin)

Waving a sluggish silver fin

Deep in the moat: so tame he comes

To lip your fingers offering crumbs.

Tall chimneys, like long listening ears,

White shutters, ivy green and thick,

And walls of ruddy Tudor brick

Grown mellow with the passing years.

 

And windows with small leaded panes,

Broad window-seats for when it rains;

A big blue bowl of pot pourri

And--yes, a Spanish chestnut tree

To coin the autumn's minted gold.

A summer house for drinking tea--

All these (just think!) for you and me.

 

A staircase of the old black wood

Cut in the days of Robin Hood,

And banisters worn smooth as glass

Down which your hand will lightly pass;

A piano with pale yellow keys

For wistful twilight melodies,

And dusty bottles in a bin--

All these for you to revel in!

 

But when? Ah well, until that time

We'll habit in this house of rhyme.

 

1912

Christopher Morley

A Fishy Tale

Still on the subject of homemade xmas gifts, my eldest son (who was 12 at the time) made the largest fish for his brother (Salem) for xmas 2009. 

Salem loved the fish so much that he had to make a whole family of fish to keep it company.
It was his favourite present that year.
A good use for an old pair of my pyjamas.

What to do with old jerseys.

Teenage Monster

 I was given some old kids jerseys (sweaters) just before christmas and since as a family we only make our presents (no buying presents allowed), I decided to use the jerseys to make my two boys presents.
For Daemon, my "lovely???" teenager, I made the monster.



Mother cat and kitten

And for Salem, I made the cats.  They both loved their presents.

R.I.P. Hokey Pokey



Our lovely Hokey Pokey.

Our lovely little bantam chicken Hokey Pokey died this morning.  We went out to feed the chickens this morning and she wasn't out with the other chickens.  We found her in the nest and she was very cold but still alive.

She died while being cuddled.

We picked her up and gave her lots of cuddles and she died in Salem's arms.  Poor wee thing.
She was the smallest of all our chickens and had a lovely personality.


Hokey Pokey with some of our other chickens.

Unfortunately she hadn't been herself for a few days but there is not alot that we could have done for her.
Rest in Peace little one.

Ballet time again!!!!

Russian Winter - Kapiti Competitions



In the boy's dressing room.




Outside the St James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand.



Scene from the RNZBallet's "The Nutcracker" Nov 2010

It's about that time of year again, the summer holidays are nearly over, I've had to re-enrol Salem in all his ballet, jazz, contempory and stretch/strength dance classes and get all his dance gear ready making sure they still fit him.
He loves his ballet and is making it his career.  Last year he had a part in the Royal New Zealand Ballet's "The Nutcracker" and had an absolute ball. That was over a month of rehersals and performances.  He was very pleased with himself as he was part of the A cast.  He will be auditioning for a part in Sleeping Beauty near the end of this year.
So it's another year of classes, rehersals, shows, exams and making costumes.
During his classes I get alot of craft work done, last year it was knitting, crocheting and tatting, this year I am wanting to do some filet crochet, I have a lot of vintage patterns from the 1890's to the 1950's.  Good stuff.
Oh yeah, in the top photo, I made Salem's costume that he is wearing.

Martha's Pantry



Tea for two



We LOVE Martha's Pantry!!!!!

Every time we go into Wellington City we go to Martha's for tea.

Lot's of yummy elegant treats.  Great staff too.

I thought I would share this with you.

The tea shop is full of crafts and vintagey goodies to buy.

Can't wait til our next visit.

Cross Stitch from last year.

War!!!!!?????

Tea Time

Going home to Island Bay

These are three of my cross stich projects from last year.  Three of many.........

The first I did for my teenaged son's birthday.  Being a typical teenager, he's into war etc, but this has an Anzac connection eg. the New Zealand flag and the old style Poppy Day poppies.

The second started from a free pattern from the sampler girl which I carried on with to add my own design inspired by our favourite tearoom, Martha's Pantry in Upper Cuba Street in Wellington City.  We go there a lot!!!!!

The third is inspired by where I grew up, Island Bay and the great beach, I spent alot of my childhood there.  I take my own children there now and hope to move back there by the end of this year.  It will be "going home".

Craftcamp December 2010

Salem's first afternoon at Craftcamp.  He had a ball.

His first creation.  Very proud of himself.

The second afternoon's creations.

My 10 year old son went to Craftcamp at Thistle Hall, Upper Cuba Street, Wellington City, just before Xmas.  He had a great time and can't wait for the next lot of craft days at the end of this month.

Getting Started.

Just putting this blog page together. 
Will do some more tomorrow. 
I will be putting photos of my crafts up and other bits and pieces. 
Should be fun. 
Until tomorrow......