APRIL SCAVENGER PHOTO HUNT (2018)

A set of words to find photos for, hosted by Kate.

1.  SWIRL.

A chance photo I took last Thursday, whilst out at a National Trust property, Gulf Station in the Yarra Valley.  These wee little cyclamen were under a huge tree amongst much leaf litter & once uploaded to my computer I could see the cute swirly stems.  A great find as I didn't have one for this word.  (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge,)

2.  ROCK.

One from the archives, taken many years ago whilst on holiday in New South Wales.  Sawn Rocks in the Warrumbungle Ranges National Park are fascinating as to how and where pieces of rock have fallen from the cliff face of the mountains here.  One lot of these look like steps.

3.  WOOD.

Another from the same trip showing the inside of a gigantic woolshed in Mungo National Park near Broken Hill in the very west of New South Wales.  This is not used anymore, but can you imagine it full of sheep, shearers, wool classers & pressers, plus tarboys with their pots of tar in case a sheep got cut accidently.  It was awesome.

4.  LETTER.

Aha, the letter "S" which makes up my three initials.  We pass this frequently if we shop in a nearby town.  It is located in a laneway between the shops & I've been going to take a photo for years.  Well, I took my camera over the weekend and captured it.

5.  BALANCE.

Koalas do a "LOT" of sleeping.   Amazingly they balance on very slim branches in deep slumber and don't fall from the tree.  Taken on one of our visits to Raymond Island in East Gippsland.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

Another photo taken last Thursday of the farm dam at Gulf Station.  Although I could see the reflections, they came out better than I thought in the photo.

That's my lot for this hunt.  I do hope I can get some more blogging done next month, but we've much happening at the moment and I'm just a tad overwhelmed with everything.
I'm looking forward to the other photo hunter's take on the words.
Take care all & lots of huggles from down under.
Susan.

CRAFTY CHAOS.

Yep, I'm still lurking about, although I've been quiet on this little blog.  Sore backs don't bode well with my computer chair, so I've done some quick catch ups  and that is about it.
I'm not one for sitting still for long, so it's been fitting in some craft around housework & the mundane stuff, but alternating what I do, which helps with pain management.  The garden is being quite neglected though.  Just a few photos of what has been keeping me busy.

BABY QUILTS.
These 2 are going to wing there way across the skies to Yorkshire next week, hopefully, after I've made some labels.  My youngest two nieces (sisters), have both given birth recently to baby boys & it's been lovely to make these.  I've actually got a third one to do now, as my Doctor is also expecting. What do I let myself in for?

The quilt above is called "Owling Around", which I designed to use the owl fabric I had on hand.  The quilting pattern (above right) is Oscar Owl.

 

This one is from a very old pattern I adapted to paper piecing, as the templates didn't seem to fit together right.  I've called it "Up, Up & Away".  The quilting is one called Kites.

I've also had another one on the machine in the trio of quilts I named for three of my granddaughters who live here in Oz.  It just needs it's binding now, but I'll give you a sneak peek.

My own design.

This is quilted with a pattern call Ribbons & Bows from Apricot Moon.

TRYING TO BE ARTY!!!!!!!

Out came my tin of paints, which haven't seen the light of day since Xmas 2017 and then came the messy part, but fun anyway.
I'm definitely not very clever, although I've wanted to give this a go for a while.
This piece of pegboard came along with our other items from the Indian Restaurant that had closed down.  I posted about the fancy lattice panels, last year,  which we put along side the shed to hide our water tanks.  I'll be putting some beading (well, hubby will,) on the edge & hang it in the sewing room to hold a few of my tools.

Last weekend we visited 4 Makers in our "Open Studios West Gippsland" guide book and look what one of them made me. 

This particular man makes all sorts of sculptures, large & small, from "junk", which he collects from all over.  I was fascinated by his talking of plasma cutting & asked if he ever gave a demonstrations, and the answer was, "Come with me".  Out to the workshop & I was asked if I'd like a cat, bird or whatever and said a dog, please.  Well before that, when we had entered through the gate, there was a black dog sitting under a tree, and me, being me the dog lover, went over to say hello & I'm positive he smiled at me & said a pat would be appreciated.  Then he lay his head to the side and lapped up my petting.  This looks just like Barney smiling.  K made the stand for him yesterday.  Wasn't I a lucky girl & he was free. 
It turned out to be the most fascinating of days with four absolutely amazing Makers.  Pity my small camera battery was flat, which is the one I keep in the car.

OK, just a quick catch up & motivation is returning slowly. 
Take care & huggles to all.
Susan.

MARCH PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT.

Better late than never. I suppose.  Life has been a tad tedious & difficult of late with lots going on in the wide world, but I've missed my blogging circle, so am back at the computer with the Hunt.

Joining in with the lovely Kate at I live, I love, I craft.

1.   HOLE.

                                         A "hole" in the rocks off Walkerville Beach.

2.   MAKING.

                                      The toy steam train Hubby is busy building in his shed.

3.   READING NOW.

                                 Reading, to learn how to use this more complicated program
                                                         for my quilt designing.

4.   BLACK & WHITE.

                                          Some of the magpies who frequent our back yard.

5.   STARTS WITH AN......H.

                                            Whitby Harbour taken whilst holidaying in UK.


6.   MY OWN CHOICE.

                                           I love this sign outside the cafe at Willow Grove.

OK, that's it from me for this month and hopefully I'll be back next month with a little more energy, less pain & a more spirited hunter within me.
Take care all & huggles.
Susan.

ALL SORTS, but not licorice!!!!

Ah yes, I've been a little absent lately due to ever so busy with life in general.
Weather has been atrocious, with more extreme heat, wind & no rain, but that changed today a little, with cooler temps & some rain.  Our rainfall for this year has been 61mm for January, which was pretty average, only 12mm for February, well below & today our first rain for March ---- 😊, though the wind is absolutely howling outside, so definitely a stay indoors day.    Being so dry, there are also a number of bushfires burning throughout the state.
Now for a few bits'n'bobs that have been happening lately.

A weekend was spent in Geelong where I attended a quilt class in Toquay (no photos, as I forgot to take camera to class), but I do have a few others from the weekend.  A day to Ballarat, where we wandered through the Botanic Gardens, which if you are one of my older followers, will know is a place I love.

Twisting.

Monkey Puzzle tree.

A little relaxing while the wife took too many photos.

I also whiled away an hour or so in my favourite quilt shop & did come away with a few bits.  Eureka Patchwork always has the most wonderful array of floral prints, which I love.

A couple of lonely chimneys from an old homestead, stand beside the road from Ballarat to Geelong.

On the Sunday afternoon, we checked a couple of NT properties The Grange in Newtown, a suburb of Geelong, with a guided tour by a very young volunteer, who made it so interesting.  The next property will have to be visited again as they were just about to close.

Part of the beautiful homestead at above property.

I could just imagine spending hours pottering about in these sheds in the gardens.

March has been quite eventful for us, as we waited the arrival of our granddaughter from the UK at the beginning of this month.  She has come to Oz, on a working holiday & will be staying with us whilst fitting in both work & travel.  One other event has been hubby's big "0" birthday which we celebrated on Thursday.  Just a day out with some sightseeing of the Mornington Peninsular for J, then dinner at a hotel, which we've been to before, with good meals & service.

J picking up seashells on the seashore.
Permission was granted to post this photo.

Merricks Beach, where we had a walk.  If you click on the photo, you will see in centre, a bird wading across the water.

Bush scenery along the back of the sand.

A coastal Banksia, surviving despite the wind & odd angle at which it is growing.

CRAFTING.

In amongst the business, I've tried to relax with my craft.
Night time has seen me challenging my brain with this crochet.  It is coming together allbeit very slowly.  It is keeping the grey matter working, that's for sure.

My Sunshine & Shadows rug.

Bubs has also been up & running in between times & these two are quilted & bound, ready for handsewing.

Not the best photos due to the overcast day, though the sun has shone on & off, as it was coming through the window when I took these.
On the left is a very old quilt & the one on the right made last year.

Close up of quilting on both.

One last photo today from this morning, when it was raining & blowing a hooley.  If you look at our hedge in the photo below, you can see just how far the top is leaning.

Enough from me & if I'm quiet again,  I will be back for the Scavenger Photo Hunt at the end of March.  Take care all.
Huggles, Susan.

FEBRUARY SCAVENGER PHOTO HUNT. (2018)

Joining in with the lovely Kate from "I live, I love, I craft, I am me", with a set of words & accompanying photos.

1.  WHITE.

The white kangaroos in the reserve at Bordertown.  I know I've shown them before, but couldn't resist for the colour white.

2.  METAL/METALLIC.

Metal relics at the freeway services in Gundagai (NSW), where you can stop for a cuppa to break a long journey.  This was taken in January on our way to Canberra.  Here you can also see the famous "Dog on a Tuckerbox".

3.  CAMOUFLAGE.

I struggled with this one.  Hope I'm not showing too many that have been on my blog before.  These silos are in the Western Districts of Victoria, where there are quite a few painted silos.  I am very much in awe of these, as the mind boggles as to how they are so accurate at such a huge size.  Not sure I've made sense with that.  This photo taken on our way home from Bordertown last July.

4.  BEGINS WITH A...............J

JALOPY.

The dictionary describes 'jalopy' as a dilapidated old vehicle & I think it suits this well.  Taken again on the above trip, but on hubby's phone when he spent a day at the Warracknabeal Agricultural Museum, doing his thing, whilst I was sewing with friends.

5.  BUD.

I love this photo of the magnolia buds, taken just as darkness was falling in late Autumn, many years ago at No. 4.  We'd had the magnolia for about 5 years & it had not flowered, but suddenly, at the wrong time of year, it was in full bud & flowered again that Spring.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

CONTORTIONIST????

I took this photo last Friday, whilst we were away in Geelong for a tiny break.  We spent a lovely day in our beloved Ballarat at the Botanic Gardens (& may I say a good half hour at Eureka Patchwork),
and wandered to our hearts content through the gardens, glass house and around the lake.  I captured this swan scratching away, with no regard to how it got it's head to where it wanted it to be.  A hoot to watch.

Well, that's my lot for this hunt & I've been a bit naughty with hunting through the archives.
I did manage to take some photos whilst away, but they will be for another post, along with some crafty finishes for another catch-up post.
Take care all & happy hunting to the other scavengers.
Huggles, Susan.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

A huge thanks to all those who took the time to comment on my Photo Scavenger Hunt post.  As we were away in Canberra, I just didn't get around to replying, although I took some time out to look at the other Hunter's blogs.  Thanks to Kate and all those who joined in with the fun.

CATCHING UP.
Last Saturday morning (early), we started out for Canberra & as we travelled through the Yarra Valley, amongst the vines and mist, these were coming down.

Balloon rides are quite popular over the valley & Melbourne too.

After a spot of grandchild minding, which I think was mostly just chilling out for us all, (way hot again), we left Wednesday morning to make our way home.  We came over the mountains, down toward the coast & the photos below, have been on my "must take" list for some time.

Bumbalong Road.

Mail box collection.

This is somewhere between Canberra & Cooma, on  the Monaro Highway & one of the largest number of boxes I think we've seen on our travels.

GARDEN BITS.
Whilst away, we did have a little rain, though it is still very warm & mostly dry, but the garden is sort of hanging in there.  Just a few pics I took over the last couple of days.

My tiger lily has finally flowered, though only two.

The white agapanthus, which seems to have been in bud since November, is now fully open.
I didn't get any flowers last year.

Umh!  Yes our magnolia has quite a few buds & within 3 weeks it will be autumn.
I know it does happen, but seems quite crazy.  This particular variety is called Susan.

The arbour Hubby is erecting for our wisteria is coming along slowly.  Been to hot to plant out much anyway.

I often wonder how old this olive tree is beside the fence.
Most of the olive groves we see, & some have been around for years, don't seem to have any of this size, that are multi-branched.
We've been here for only 2 1/2 years.

YESTERDAY  -  FRIDAY.
We took a little trip down the freeway, to see this........................

An almighty large, heavy load, comprising four prime movers, two on the front pulling and two on the back pushing along with police escort & accompanying sundry vehicles.  They were moving a  generator from one of the LaTrobe Valley power stations, to be shipped to Germany for maintenance.  It was laid up on a long wide section of road, ready to go later that night, when they close the road.  I think they said it would be 3 nights of travelling before it reached the port.  It was worth seeing, and so many people must have thought the same as the traffic was banked back both ways for quite a distance as people slowed to gawk at it.  Not something you see everyday.

ONE LAST PHOTO.
Shown on a post in early January, was some crochet I've been working on.
Well, this is the next part, something I've never done before and it is taking me a while.  Not to mention all the ends I need to sew in, ready to attach to the first two pieces.  BTW is is the border for top and bottom of said rug.

Can't wait to see if it all fits or I've made a huge "stuff up".  I am enjoying.
I've also been hand sewing binding to one of the quilts I showed & the other is ready too.

OK, about all I've to tell from recently & I'm sure that is enough.  We've another busy month ahead, but I'll be here on the odd occasion, I'm sure.
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend and take care.
Susan.