BLOG HOPPING WITH A DIFFERENCE

What am I working on right now?
At the moment I am inspired by vintage linens.  I just love them and the fact that someone spent hours embroidering and crocheting them.  I feel sad when I find them because the original owners or crafters are now separated from their work and no one in their family cares to carry them over.  I like to give them a new life and either use them as they are, for their intended purpose or upcycle them into more useful items.  The long sandwich tray cloths I have been reworking into beautiful sewing caddies.  Some of these doilies have been stitched onto a cord to be used as bunting.  I do find it hard to cut up some of the doilies.  The easy ones are those which are damaged and I turn them into another object and make them live again.

How long does it take to create a project?
I like to finish a project in one day.  Or several projects on one day.  The little sewing caddies only take an hour or two.  The most time is spent in choosing a suitable fabric and vintage laces for the backing and little pockets.  I always find it hard to choose buttons from my pearl button collection.  They are absolute treasures to me and I selfishly want to keep them all.

 

Cute business/coffee card holders.            Girls hairclip boards                                                         

Microwave oven mitts and a matching tea towel.

Embroidered and patchworked Sewing Compendium

What are my fave things I love to create with at the moment?        

All of the above mentioned as well as pretty colourful and retro fabrics.  I find it hard to break out of my old mould though.  I am getting better at culling my old country style fabrics.  I'm sure I won't still be around when they come back into fashion again.  I love the bright colours and patterns, the fruits and the flowers of the retro fabrics.  I guess it seems 'young and fresh' to me as they were around when I was a child.  And after WW2 women were looking for bright and colourful to decorate their houses with.  My sister recently gave me some scraps from my mother's kitchen curtain fabric from the l950's which I am going to mount into a bamboo embroidery hoop for the wall.

How does my creative process work?
I guess I am inspired by beautiful fabrics that catch my eye.  My main supply shop is Spotlight and sometimes when I go in nothing inspires me and I tell myself to go home and use up some of my own stash.  But other times I see fabrics that sets my mind racing as to what I can make with it.  I also frequent every patchwork shop I find as we are travelling around.  I find I work best with fat quarters as if I buy a metre or so of fabric I'm reluctant to cut into it in case I find something else I would like to use it for later on.  Sometimes I have to stop myself, as I'm cutting out a project, from looking at all the scrappy bits and thinking about what I am doing to do with those!!  I like to make useful everyday items so that you will have a smile  as you use the.

 

How do I become inspired and stay inspired?
Pinterest is a great inspiration.   I can trawl through Pinterest for hours.  I rarely buy patterns.  I like to see something and then make a pattern myself or just make up what it has inspired in me.  And encouragement from others also fuels me to continue on with my creativity.

What is my signature style?
I don't know how to describe my 'style'.  I sell my wares under the title of Simply Elegant, so I guess that's how I started.  But I seem to have evolved into pretty retro at the moment.  I have to create on a regular basis and  I sell my wares at an annual Craft Sale and Garden Party in our back garden.  Everyone loves the setting, being waited on by my 4 beautiful daughters and enjoying the company of their friends for a couple of hours.

 

HAWAII  -  FEBRUARY 3 - 16 2014
 Napili Shores Resort - Napili Bay , MAUI

 The view from our balcony.  the grass hut is the Gazebo Restaurant famous for its breakfast, with people lining up from 7am ready for it to open at 7.30am.  You could help yourself to complimentary coffee while you waited.  We had breakfast there one morning but used the coffee machine almost every morning.

Daryl and Julie overlooking the rocks and pools in front of the resort where we snorkelled with a giant turlte.

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 Drafts anyone?  The draft pieces were made out of coconuts and carved into the shapes of monkeys.  There were quite a few families staying at the resort and they played with the giant draft board.  Behind Jeff is the shuffle board pitch.  We didn't play that either but enjoyed watching from our balcony and hearing the clicking noise when the mallet hit the wooden discs.

The gardens at the resort were lovely.  This was a replica outrigger canoe

Overlooking the lower swimming pool and across the straight to Molokai Island.  Whales passed through the straight daily.  It was exciting to see them wave their pectoral fin at us.  We saw them breach and those famous tails shots as they go down for the big dive.

The lower pool with the lineup for the Gazebo's breakfast.

Daryl and Jeff whale watching with Napili Bay in the background

A beautiful sunset behind Molokai.  I learned about Molokai at school and the leper colony established by Father Damien, a Belgian priest, in the 18oo's.  It is my dream to visit there one day.

 Snorkelling in Napili Bay.

 Natasha, Alda, Karen, Julie, Diane and me.

Daryl and Julie washing their feet after a walk along the beach.

Julie, Daryl, Jeff, Ray and Karen on Napili Beach

Snorkelling on Napili Beach

Our usual barbeque dinner gathering.

The Gazebo restaurant and free coffee.

Lovely Seahouse Restaurant at the other end of the beach.  We used this restaurant a lot for everything from coffee and cake for Julie and I to predinner drinks and entrees to two full meals, one being our farewell dinner with everyone.

CHRISTMAS AT MY HOUSE

My Lemax Village expanded again this year with the Kringle's Bakery.

 My beautiful Christmas tree sporting its 5 sets of lights.  I haven't fitted all my ornaments on this year.  It's getting a little too crowded.

 The aqua mercury glass candleholders are new this year.  They are going on my Christmas dining table with a matching sparkly aqua tablecloth and serviettes.  I have silver strings of beads to put down the table as well.  My snow jar is new.  I have sat a little wooden sled and a bird and pinecone into some magic fake snow.  It belongs to Charlotte.  It's a white powder and you add water and it blows up to about 10 times the size.  It gradually dries out and returns to powder and can be reused.

 Our fire place had another alteration this year.  We cut a fire box in the bottom and I have filled it with garland and lights.

 My beautiful garlands.  My fabric holly garland I made.  Wheat straw 'popcorn' I bought secondhand, and wooden 'cranberries'.

My front door and potted holly tree.

A TRIP TO THE CITY

On 30th November my niece Minnie, 3rd from the left, had a concert at a venue at King's Cross to promote her CD she's producing next year.  She invited the whole family.  The Chipperfields all went.  Our own grandchildren were a little to young to make an evening trip into the city.   L to R Jami, Julie, Minnie, Kerrie, Kirrilly, Jeff and Shelley

Daryl, Amy and Trav getting refreshments at the Bar

The lounge area of the bar where the children were given paper and pencils to entertain themselves.  The bowl of plastic fruit were just part of the eclectic decorations.  The walls of the bar were filled with book shelves holding all manor of books.

After the concert we bought pide and pizza and ate them in Hyde Park.

The beautiful Sheraton of the Park Hotel bedecked in its Christmas lights.

A small Christmas tree in Hyde Park.

St. Mary's Cathedral at sunset.

Jeff looking at part of the David Jones Christmas windows depeicting 175 years of trading.  This window shoes the Toy Department of the Store.

This window depicts the Staff Choir singing from the staircase.  Mum took us into the city a few times to hear the David Jones Choir sing Christmas Carols.  It was very nostalgic for me to see this display.

LILLLIAN AND HUNG'S WEDDING - 24TH NOVEMBER 2013

Lill and hung's wedding was at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church at Hunters Hill.  It was a gorgeous old sandstone church with a magnificent view up the Harbour. and surrounded by beautiful old sandstone houses.

The music was provided by Jasmine Strings and they played all my favourite pieces.  The music warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
Jaimeson was so intrigued with the players, especially when the fellow on the left was making music by plucking the strings with his thumb.  He smiled at Jaimeson.

 I am disappointed with my photos.  It was so hard to fight the photographers for a place to view the wedding.  Just look at the different photographic devices.

Charlotte and Will lit candles for Lill and Hung.
Jaimeson was a page boy with Sebastian, a friend of Lill's from schooldays child .

 Will did a reading.

 Lill's bridesmaids represented aspects of her life.  Her school days, uni days, work life and friends.  Their beautiful dresses had beaded tops and chiffon skirts.  Each bodice a little different for each girl.  Hung had two friends as best men and 3 of his brothers as groomsmen.  A real multicultural wedding with the Priest being Phillipino.  Hung is Vietnamese and Lill Chinese of course.

 Lill's Grandma, Mum and Dad.

The extended Lam family.

 St. Peter's Chanel  -  Hunters Hill.

 Hung's Auntie and cousins from Vietnam wearing traditional dress.  So pretty.

 The reception at Curzon Hall at Epping.  It was so lovely with beautiful grounds as well.

 Natalie, Vincent's (Will's brother) girlfriend.
The table centre pieces were beautiful.

 Charlotte and Will.  Flynn was a perfect baby for the whole of the day.  And Jaimeson was so good all day from the Tea Ceremony at 10am, the wedding at 1.30pm and the reception at 6pm till we left for home at 11pm with just a 10 minute nap in the car between venues.

 The magnificent flowers on the bridal table.

 The two Lion Dancers.  Actually there are three people who make up each Lion.  Jaimeson was a little afraid of them and I had to show him that they were operated by people inside them.

 Jaimeson and Sebastian making their GRAND ENTRANCE at the reception.

 Will sister Marg and her boyfriend Scott.  Marg was one of the bridesmaids.

The cake!!!