~Update~Canberra Show...a gift, Pirates and Halloween~

A little post here that I've been meaning to do for a while now

I've actually got a few that I would like to get in this year so I'll start with the Canberra Show that we went to back in February

Click here for news of the Show for 2013

I couldn't resist the above air brushed tattoo of a Faery

there was even a Faery Quilt on display

It was an extremely hot day

this is at about 9am in the morning heading down to the Ferris Wheel

nearly there....

JoJo loving every second of the ride

View over to Black Mountain Tower with the mountains in the background

Having a little fun with getting the balls into various number slots

Great for her as she aims for certain numbers

(I love these too)

An interesting little hut here

We imagined this had water in it

if it had of we would've jumped into it I'm sure!!!

We stayed the night at our Daughter Jacqueline's

Happy Birthday Mr Armchair on this very hot evening!!!!

A little fruit platter for breakfast

And here's little GD Lidija in the car with her dolly!!!

Jacqueline quickly picked a rose for us as were leaving to come back home 

A surprise gift in the mail from my dear friend Susie over in Western Australia

All wrapped in gold (she knows me too well)

....a cross stitch design book and a Guest Book

The verse on the cover says

'Our happiest days are found in the joy we share with those we love

These are the cherished moments of life'

~Adele Basheer'

and a postcard from Monkey Mia

Thank you so much dear Susie...I love the books and I will get over to see you one day xoxoxo

Now over to Pirates of Penzance currently playing at The Bay Theatre

Here are 3 of the gorgeous daughters of the Major General played by Tatjana, Madie and Jenna

Don't know whom I'm after in this pose ha ha!!!!!

The play is doing really well

On Sunday the Moruya Hospital Auxiliary wanted the cast to autograph a copy of the programme and there have been a couple of requests by some groups in town for our appearance.......how cool is that

Not much happening with needle and thread here just a bit here and there but I will have something to show for OPAM (One Project a Month) for October

And in time for Halloween tomorrow here is little Lidija being a 'scary witch'...

~Giveaway Winner and Curtain Up Tomorrow~

Congratulations Terry

You have won this pattern by Leanne's House in celebration of my 300 blog post and 4 year blogaversary....

Thank you so much bloggy friends for all your visits and comments

I love it when you all drop around!!!

 

Here's a pic of the stage Scene I Act I during rehearsal for Bay Theatre Player's production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance

Director ~ Barb Gellatly

Musical Director ~Linda Oxley) 

 Barb intends remaining faithful to the original libretto by W.S. Gilbert and the musical score of Sir Arthur Sullivan

Discover (or rediscover) why a satirical musical comedy of the inter play between a Pirate King, a modern Major General, some incompetent British bobbies (that's us) and a chorus of lovesick maidens, has proved to be a real crowd pleaser for over 130 years!

I have thoroughly enjoyed rehearsals for this production and have learnt so much from the all the cast and crew

Tomorrow it's Curtain Up for us!!!!!!!!

I've been rehearsing with the crutch this past week and it has fitted in really well with the play

So much so that I've been given an old walking cane to use as a prop

So it's on with the show now......tarantara tarantara

Sew Cook Laugh Live ~Swap sent and received...a new quilt beginning and some cross stitch~

Recently I was in a swap hosted by Jos

The brief was:  send at least 1m of fabric (could be fat 1/4)
2m tape/ribbon etc
4 buttons
thread
and something your partner will really enjoy

My partner was Michele from The Christmas Beetle
on the questionnaire Michele mentioned she was obsessed by Christmas and that her favourite colour was red
Into this package above went a cake of raspberry soap

French General fabric

1m of cotton tape and 1m of Christmas ribbon

pack of large rusty buttons/bells

A Christmas pattern by hugs'kisses and threads to match

A Christmasey fat 1/4

My parcel arrived last week and it made my day as I had to take it easy with this knee of mine

Thank goodness for Mr Armchair who was able to do some work from home (and still is) and care for JoJo while I had my leg up

I had instructions to follow *grin*

JoJo was to open the parcels with tape on them and not me!!!!!!

She like Michele is also obsessed with Christmas

I specified my favourite colours as soft, warm colours with aqua being my second favourite

I received some perle thread and a reel of aqua thread

a white cotton doiley

Christmastime fabric by my favourite designer Anni Downs of The Home Patch

Some lace and cotton/linen tape on pegs

And a pattern

4 lovely aqua ceramic buttons

Pattern Dashing Thru the Snowcones by Meme's Quilts

A little hanger as well

The tape is sitting up with others now

Close up of the fabric

Here's JoJo excitedly opening the 'taped' parcels

to find some very Christmasey mugs and some muffin cups

Thank you so much Michel......I We absolutely love this parcel and we would love to come to your shop one day in Albury for a visit......JoJo would just think all her Christmases had come at once!!!!!!

And thank you so much Jos from SewCookLaughLive for hosting this wonderful swap!!!!!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in it

The fabric that Michele sent me was just the right size to go with my fat 1/8 of Christmastime that I already had

Laying out the fat 1/8ths

with Michele's fabrics

 

I started the quilt pattern Michele sent me

I have only done 2 blocks so far......I thought I might try appliqueing with blanket stitch on the machine this time to speed everything up but I can't sit at the machine yet!!!!!!!!!

I think I'm going to really enjoy doing this quilt as I've not done anything like it before

I think I might call it Ice Creams and Snowmen

 

Meanwhile I thought I would start a 'scary' cross stitch by LizzieKate I recently bought

using these wonderful Weeks Dye Works thread that came with the kit

I've got lots to do now on the stitching side so I better make the most of it while Mr Armchair is home!!!!!!

My giveaway is still open over here for those who haven't entered yet......Dzintra

~300 Post Giveaway...2 Wins...Kate Morton...and I'm on Crutches~

Wow, 300 posts and 4 years on this little ol' blog of mine

Whoever would've thought that I would come this far on my on-line Journal when I pressed that little button that said 'Create'

To celebrate I thought I would have a little giveaway of a Leanne's House pattern (above) with a little something else

To enter just leave a comment and I will draw the lucky winner's name in 1 weeks time

 Another celebration I am enjoying is this pattern by Yvonne that I won on her recent giveaway

Thank you so much Yvonne....I am so looking forward to starting this cushion especially as I have some fat 1/8ths of Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas fabrics here already

And another win I had this week was through Facebook at Book Publishers Allen & Unwin's site

They asked a simple question......are you a secret keeper

I replied yes but I won't be with Kate Morton's new book The Secret Keeper

 And blow me down I received an email saying I had won an uncorrected proof copy of the book

I remember when I read Kate's book The Forgotten Garden I actually emailed her to say how much I enjoyed it and she emailed me back to say thank you THEN I wrote back and said thank you for the thank you and she thanked me!!!!!!!!!!

You can read this post here

And here is my very own copy of 'The Secret Keeper'

Boy how excited am I

This book along with my stitching will keep my busy as I rest a swollen knee and strained muscle I have developed

see the stocking I have to wear on my right leg along with 1/2 a set of crutches

I am working with the physio to build it all up again for the opening of Pirates of Penzance at

 Bay Theatre Players which opens up in 2 weeks time..............yipes!!!!!!!!!!

~Cook Up With Donna Hay (No 18) ...Vicki...and Irina~porcini and mixed mushroom risotto and ~Pirates of Penzance~

First of all a lovely welcome to Irina who has joined me in doing Cook Ups from Donna Hay magazine

We cook something from the latest issue of the magazine and then blog it.....easy peasy

Anyone can join so just drop me a line if you are interested

Menu from Issue 64 Aug/Sept 2012

Porcini and Mixed Mushroom Risotto ~very similar recipe over here

Strawberry, Mascarpone and Almond Tray Tart

Chocolate Butterscotch Truffles with Almond Praline

Salted Dark Chocolate Truffles......because I couldn't resist

Basic Chocolate Truffle recipe over here

The Risotto......you can't see the Mushrooms really well as I went a bit crazy with the Baby Spinach Leaves and Parmesan Cheese.......but wow, was it delicious

I used Porcini......Portobello......Swiss Brown and Baby Mushrooms

I used a Gluten Free Pastry from Rick's Pantry available at Coles

Salted Chocolate Truffles.....not as smooth looking as Donna's......but nice and salty

And the Butterscotch Truffles......delicious with a glass of Butterscotch Schnappes

A very, very tasty meal and a seal of approval for the Salted Chocolate from Mr Armchair

Only 2 weeks to go until The Bay Theatre Players production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance opens

I'm part of the Chorus of Police and we have been rehearsing since May

Sunday is our first full dress rehearsal and then after that it's 3 times a week till Curtain Up

So not much stitching will be happening here at a guess but I will try and fit some in Chooky

Till next time......Happy Stitching and Bon Appetit

~Tarantara......Dzintra~