¡feliz año nuevo!

Happy new year to you all!! May it be filled with good health, love, fortune and blessings of every kind.

As the year draws to a close I try to reflect and think about what I've achieved...
** Both of my babes spent time in hospital, one with pneumonia, the other with Guillain–Barré syndrome - a scary and life-changing experience. They are both happy and relatively healthy so we finish the year grateful, relieved and smiling!

** Both Officer Plod and I have had big zero birthdays - but lets not forget that his was bigger than mine ;).

** Late August and early September was spent in Spain with dear friends who've been living there for two years - a fabulous opportunity and so wonderful to see them all. In Madrid:

** And finally, amongst all of that, I've had time to do a spot of creating:

This is minus the pics I forgot to take :0

So much more has happened this year but for now, I want to wish you and yours a very happy and healthy 2011 - may it deliver on your wishes (what are they?)
J xxoo

Queen of Seams:

 Not I!

I managed to do a reasonable job with this spiderweb block for Kelly in the Australasian Bee:

But poor Pam - whatever possessed me to undertake a block with all these points:

All she requested was flying geese - perhaps I should have made it a little easier on myself :)

Happy Holidays!!!

Can you believe it's only five more sleeps till the jolly man in the red suit visits?!

We're heading away over the holidays so I won't be around these parts. Thanks to all of you who stop by this space - it's been a lovely year in blogland for me. I've been privileged to meet some of the most kind and talented people around and I've had a blast creating from the inspiration I've found through my bees and flickr swaps.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season and a 2011 full of good health and good fortune!

See you soon, J xx

The above pic is a Christmas gift for my dear friend and neighbour - a mug rug seemed appropriate given the amount of tea we share! And below are my babes and a friend painting the wrapping paper - thanks to the gorgeous B for letting us paint her pavers in the process ;)

Fabric on Fridays

A recent scrap bag purchase - I love the pink echino with the owl, the monaluna with the little scooters and the "boy friendly" space ships and crazy owls. Pretty darn good for a random selection of end of bolt fabric...

any day that begins like today...

has got to be a good day!

It all started with these arriving on my doorstep - grown, picked, composed and delivered by the very talented Nan of rummage fame. If you have not yet had the pleasure to meet Nanette, do pop over and say hi - she's one creative chica.

Then I took a little look at some of my fave blogs and stumbled across these. So the smalls and I baked this recipe which turned out perfectly (ah hem, yes I do say so myself!)

 

And as we were in the spirit of baking, these happened (country style loaf from the cook's companion by Stephanie Alexander):

 

And with all the rain in this part of the world right now and the serious absence of summer, what's a girl to do but read the paper with a cup of tea and a delicious piece of cinnamon scroll (I may or may not have encouraged the small people to spend a half hour in front of the tv while this happened). 

Now to frock up and we're off to the end of year school concert in which the biggest small will perform. Fabulous end to a fabulous day with my two lovelies.

W.I.P.

The first of my QAYG blocks

 

I received my hoop for the Scrappy Hoops Swap from Under the Evening Star and I just LOVE it. Absolutely adore it in everyway. It certainly covers my request - scrappy, tick;  hexies, tick; colour, tick. Thanks so very much, this is wonderful. 

Melissa says "I just loved working on it and I hope she likes it as much as I do!". I think I like it even more than that as it's now on my wall :) And I also received the cutest little card and piece of fabric - how nice to get such a treat in the post.

Pillow Talk 4 - Completed!

 Remember this? Well it's done. And because one wasn't enough, I've made a second pillow to be its friend. Only I can't show it to you in full as it would give away who the recipient will be... So here is is covered by the matching mug rug I'll be sending my partner.

And the backs - I'm pretty sure my partner will just love the echino back of the second one... In fact, I think that will be her favourite part of the whole swap ;)

These are off to the post office - I can't wait to see what is heading my way!!!