Sunday, November 25, 2012

Saturday Snapshots on Sunday

Just could not wait to show you what we went and bought today for the garden, the colours are simply stunning!

So that's my inspiration:

 
Some new bromeliads!


 
Aren't the colours gorgeous?

 
These ones I will attach to a palm

 
I took this picture to show you their spikes Ouch!!
 

Friday, November 23, 2012

November Swap Blocks

My partner in the month of November was Sue, from South Australia. Sue is actually the lady who started the Quilting Block Swap Australia up in the first place, and her block for me arrived today:

 
 
Blogger is making my pictures smaller tonight for some reason! You'll have to click on this as well!
Anyhow, it's another house for my house quilt and it is adorable. There's a little fairy in the window of the house, and her pet puppy is waiting outside.

Thank you Sue, I really am a very lucky quilter.

Now I just have to get her blocks to the Post Office!

More from the Recent Workshop

Remember I said I had some more pictures from my workshop last weekend with Prudence Mapstone?

Well I finally went yesterday over to Susan's house to pick up my camera, so I thought you might like to see them. These are of a beautiful coat/shawl that Prudence had made - here it is lying on the floor

 
Isn't it stunning?

 And here are just some closeups so you can see the stitches.

Don't forget to click on the pictures and you can see the larger version.
 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

How Does the Garden Grow?! Part 2

Hopefully tonight the pictures will load faster!


These bromeliads are growing at the base of a palm,


Here are the same plants, crawling up the palm trunk! If you look closely in the middle top of the picture you can see the leaves of the dancing lady orchid where it is tied to the palm!

 
The blue plumbago is so pretty

 
Another pot of dancing lady orchids in the corner of the garden, blooming away happily!
 
 
Such a beautiful pink coloured flower on the succulent!


 
In the middle of this photo, you can see a mauvey - pinkish flower down near the ground.  It is the "Siam Queen"  Ginger, the flowers are striking!
 

 
Thre coleus leaves are colouring up well now that I have moved it into some shade.
 

Monday, November 19, 2012

How Does the Garden Grow?!

Well today is Monday and we are recovering from a weekend of massive storms, pouring rain, lightening, hail and thunder!  Today it's windy, but it looks like the rain has finished ( that's always the way here lately, whenever we get any decent rain, the day after it will blow the winds so hard, just to dry us out again, I think!)

Because we haven't had much rain for a long time, I thought you might like to see what's happening out in the garden :


 
 
 
 
 
 
The Day Lillies are magnificent, aren't they?
 
 
The frangipani is leafing up and beginning to flower well!
 
Well that will be all for tonight, blogger is soooo slooow in uploading the pictures, I'll show you more tomorrow!  See you then!
 
 
 
 
 

Couldn't Resist This!

 
 


Now isn't that so true!!!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Saturdays Snapshots

Time for us again to show snapshots of our inspiration for this week.

My inspiration for the week is Prudence Mapstone and her wonderful freeform work.  I am lucky enough to be attending a weekend workshop on freeforming with her today and tomorrow - what a lovely lady she is!

Just a couple of pics:


 
The colours and the textures of the work Prudence does are amazing!

 
Here we have Susan to the left ( we are meeting in her home for our workshop - she runs the online yarn shop called Yarn Glorious Yarn) Prudence in the middle and Geraldine concentrating on her beautiful pieces.

 
 
Only those for today, they'll be more tomorrow!
Join us won't you?
 
 
 

Monday, November 12, 2012

Emu Shopping

Today Alan & I took a road trip out to a town named Marburg, to stop in at the Emu Farm there and have a look at the products that they sell.

It wasn't too bad a trip, and we came away with some lotions and potions that were recommended by our friendly neighbourhood chemist.

While we were t here I thought I might take a picture or two:




 
All the birds were curious to see if I had anything for them
 
 
On the way through Marburg on our way back to Brisbane, we saw an echidna racing across the road!  I jumped out of the car to take a picture, but he had already started to burrow himself into the ground under a bush:
 
 
 
Here's his back I suppose you can still see his quills.  They move so quickly!
 
I must say that there is some sewing being done, but nothing I can show you yet! Hope you enjoyed the emus. and the echidna's back!!
 
 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Saturdays Snapshots

I decided that Saturdays Slideshows and Snapshots should have a name change to simply Saturdays Snapshots.

I like it.

What was I inspired by this week?

I was inspired when I looked back through 2012 and seen the amount of quilts and blocks and swaps I have done! A collage of a few snapshots:



Feel free to join in with your inspiration!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Melboune Cup 2012

The first Tuesday in November is the day that our most famous horse race is run in Melbourne.

It's called the Melbourne Cup or "the Cup" and is well known around the world I hear.

We try to celebrate the big day even if we can't actually be there - so this year we attended a Melbourne Cup Luncheon at our local cinema. 

Plenty of sweeps , lots of champagne and a lovely smorgasbord lunch and then back into the theatre for the cup.  We watched the movie Argo when we first arrived, and that was really interesting.

Some pics:



 
A great time was had by all!!
 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

To Those Who Know Loss

My friend from Blogging your Way, Kylie,  has just been through the terrible loss of her dear pet dog, and I thought this might be timely.

I found it a great help when I lost my Tuppence to read this, and I hope that anyone who has been through the same will find some solace.

Beyond The Rainbow
 
As much as I loved the life we had and all the times we played,
I was so very tired and knew my time on earth would fade,
I saw a wondrous image then of a place that's trouble free
Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity.
 
I saw the most beautiful Rainbow, and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful = lush and green and wide!
And running through the meadows as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be!
My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to go run with them, but I had something left to do.
 
I needed to reach out to you, to tell you I"m alright
That this place is truly wonderful, then a bright Glow pierced the night.
'Twas the glow of many Candles shining bright and strong and bold
And I knew then that it held your love in its' brilliant shades of gold.
For although we may not be together in the way we used to be,
We are still connected by a cord no eye can see.
So whenever you need to find me, we're never far apart
If you look beyond the Rainbow, and listen with your heart.
C.G.1995
 
I think that verse is one of the most helpful I have ever read. And the last line is so true, trust me!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Lunch Out

Today Alan and I decided to rock along to a local nursery for lunch.

Nielsons Native Nursery is a wonderful place, with a cafe with great food, and a wonderful selection of plants both native and others.

I just had a toasted sandwich, and Alan a bacon & egg burger, but boy, they were delicious and the view is outstanding! Just a few shots for you:


 
The front entrance is welcoming

 

 
The Coffee Shop is lovely - sorry about the last picture of the stained glass, but it is still beautiful, it depicts the lorikeets that the shop is named after
The view of the gardens is lovely :
 

 
 
There are some BIG fish in these ponds!
 
 
 
There are families of water dragons like this fellow all around the ponds, and sometimes they loke to enter the coffee shop and walk around hoping for some titbits!
We are very lucky to have such a lovely nursery so close to us!!
 
 
 

 
 

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Saturdays Slideshows and Snapshots

 
 
Snapshots again today from us - Alan took these.
 
 

 
These two photographs have been cropped - pity they don't end up the same size' I will work on that




the day lilies are beginning to flower
 

 
the "dancing ladies" orchid is flowering now also - a bit later than the others. It is attached to the palm with a piece of old stocking and sits in full sun all day long!
 
As for inspiration for this week - how can one not be inspired, when we walk into our back garden and we are confronted with these flowers, against all the odds!!
These plants have had nothing but gusty turbulent wind now for over two weeks, and no rain at all. They survive on the small amount of water we can put on them, which isn't much. Our tanks are empty!
Goes to prove that you should never give up, doesn't it?
 
 
We need rain!