As Christmas comes, soft and still, May the spirit of peace gently fill Your heart and home with love and goodwill
Author unknown

Golden Wreath Christmas Ornament

Each time I make one of these I just love the delicate effect of the quilling. Yet they are very sturdy.
This ornament is about 8cm in diameter. It is decorated with seed beads and ribbon.
I plan to use this photo, printed out many times and make my Christmas cards for 2010

My blue angel is actually only the 2nd one I have done.
She is heralding the beginning of Advent which is about a week away.
Getting into the Festive Spirit is fun and keep us quillers busy with ornaments and cards for those who we know love something a little different.

Two Simple Cards

I have been too busy lately with family matters so I have not made many cards.
But I have to get busy and make some for a craft market in a week's time.
I find simple cards are good to get one into the "groove" again and before you know it the creative brain is thinking of something new to do.

Using some of my scrapbook paper.












I am also working on some Christmas projects which I will post closer to the Festive Season.

Emu crossing

The emu is a very curious bird and has to investigate anything in its territory. If you are in the country and you see a mob of emu, you can make a banging noise and they will come running to investigate. I remember my Dad showing us this once on a trip.
In fact, some of them can become tame if near people all the time, such as in campgrounds. Just beware its sharp beak if you have any food in your hand! You may get a nasty shock.

Platypus

Our most curious Australian mammal which lays eggs to have young as does the echidna.
If you want more information check here http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/BHAN-53573T?open

I am getting back into quilling Aussie animals over the past 2 weeks.
We tend to take our kangaroos for granted especially when we see a mob of them in the bush. They are an amazing animal well suited to their home continent, adjusting to drought conditions by not producing as many young until the drought breaks.

A Prickly Customer

Echidna's are one of my favourite Australian marsupials.
The last time I saw one I think was several years ago, when we had a holiday on Kangaroo Island off South Australia. We saw one walking along beside the unmade road.
As soon it heard the car it curled up in a defence mechanism with all it's spiky spines showing. If you want to read more about the life of an echidna check out this site
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/animals/echidnas.htm
Pattern by Melanie Morris from "Quilling"

Mr Tree Frog

I have done this card even though frogs are not my favourite creature. A quilled frog is much easier for me to handle.
I realise frogs are important and how we must maintain their habitat and a good enviroment for all of us.
From an Aussie book""Practical Quilling" by Anne Redman.

Heart card

I have decided to join in the July Challenge on the Creative Quilling Forum - the theme is " The Heart" and there are many fine entries. It will be hard to pick my favourite when voting time comes.
I think I need to add a ribbon to this card.

A very simple card

This is a card that can be adapted for any occasion. I have used scrapbook paper for 2 of the fringed flowers to match the paper and the card colours.

Fuchsia flowers

With our cold winter weather well and truly here, I needed to do some colourful flowers to brighten up the day.
We have the Queen's Birthday weekend coming up and many people are heading to the mountains for the opening of the ski season.
I will be staying at home and doing some craft work.

Elegant Paper Shoe

I saw a tutorial on Terri's blog http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ of a vintage shoe and knew I had to try it out immediately. What an inspiration!
I searched through my papers and used red card stock as well as an Anna Griffin paper. I used on this on my fan years ago and it fitting there is now a shoe to match the fan. I did a bone coloured quilled flower and leaves as decoration, with a red quilled flower on the back of the heel too. There are some beads, which are hard to see, near the lace trim.
I am looking forward to making another shoe soon.

FOR TODAY 1st June 2010
Outside my window I can see fog. A misty start to the day
I am thinking about the things i have to do before I go out.
I am thankful for my heater keeping me warm.
From the kitchen the sound of a kettle boiling, for my coffee
I am wearing black slacks and skivvy to keep warm. I will change later when I go out
I am creating a new quilled card in my craft time but it needs a slight tweek in the design. I may try that out later today.
I am going to a fashion parade and basket luncheon today.
I am reading - more like delving into some books dropped into me yesterday. They are my friend's books. She died from a tumour earlier in the year. She asked her books from her faith journey be given to me and donated to church library. So I have to sort through them. She said I can keep some if I wish.
I am hearing a sad news report on the radio. A woman has been set alight at a local service station. She has been seriously burnt in an assault. I pray for her and her family and the perpetrator.
I am hoping the situation will end soon.
Around the house the washing is on. The beds are made. The cat is asleep.
One of my favorite things is walking though the autumn leaves and scrunching them with your feet. It reminds me of the plane trees in my Grandmother's street, when I used to visit her. They have the best crunch.
A few plans for the rest of the week: I must make some more soup. I made Potato and Leek last week. I also want to finish off some craft items.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing : A beach with the tide out near the Daintree Tropical North Queensland. We had a holiday there in 2008

Join in the fun go to... http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Baby card

A little face peeps out from a colourful quilt.
This is my very own baby design. It has existed for some time in my imagination and now it has come to birth , so to speak.
I am looking forward to doing similar cards in different colours.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window I can see raindrops on leaves. and the last roses of summer, coloured apricot.

I am thinking I must do something creative today

I am thankful for friends

From the kitchen, I had toast with strawberry jam for breakfast

I am wearing something warm today

I am creating some things in paper today. Only spur of the moment decisions will determine what they will be.

I am going to get several appointments organised that I keep putting off.

I am reading very little at the moment. I have 2 books I got for my birthday so I should start one.

I am hoping for people to take climate change warnings seriously. Scientists should be respected.

I am hearing a bus go down the street

Around the house I can see my cat resting on the lounge head rest

One of my favorite things is the music of "Secret Garden"

A few plans for the rest of the week are mapped out for me. I have 1 meeting to go to but other things are disrupted as My DH is off work and not well.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing - taken in our garden- Autumn's golden palette


If you would like to join in a gentle Tuesday blog idea go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Another silhouette card

Another fine and sunny Autumn day here. We had a cold clear night and now a warm day. I have my cat beside me catching the sun as it falls on the carpet. She is in grooming mode.
I decided to do another nostalgic silhouette card and this time it was for a 70th birthday. The image can be found at http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images I used metallic yellow paper for the flowers as well as a purple non metalllic.
Must go outside and catch some of the sun.

Fish- Happy he got away!

I was inspired to do this fish from a picture of a wall decoration in a home decorating magazine.. The fish was made from rolls of wire for the sculpture .
I had a request from a customer for a fish card. So I made one in paper.

A silhouette

I have been busy lately with a few cards. This is one I have done using a silhouette. It is something I have always wanted to do, combining the two mediums of quilling and silhouette work. They both have such fascinating histories.
I have used an image from Public Domain Images
The card is now in a basket on a Mother's Day stall at church.

Where are you now?

I often wonder where my fan is at this moment in time. Some years ago I organised a fan swap on the Yahoo quillers group and this is one I made, inspired by Jane Jenkins design in her book, "Quilling- Techniques and Inspiration". The fan went all the way to the USA.
I used gold paper for the whole design. The centre piece is some scrapbook paper embellished with metallic quilling paper. The tiny flowers on the lattice work are also done with blue metallic paper with yellow centres.

Card for my parents

My parents have just celebrated 60 years of marriage and close family members helped them celebrate last weekend. We all had a wonderful time celebrating with a dinner at Craig's Royal Hotel, Ballarat. The whole week or two has had a series of surprises for them, including a message from the Queen.
This is my card for them. The heart sticker is a Mrs Grossman's one, which I have stored away for such an occasion. On the sticker is a diamond shaped bead. I used metallic quilling paper for all the flowers and foliage.