T is for Teeyore

Well a couple of weeks ago I went on a bit of a shopping spree on etsy and bought some yummy new fabrics. I was so excited when they all arrived this week. They all look lovely don't they? I can't wait to get creative with them.... I have so many ideas but not sure when I'll get them all done as University has started back this week and it looks like it is going to be difficult.







I also received this cute cupcake themed Dotee doll from a lady named Martha Hannema from a swap-bot swap.


Martha also sent some cute cupcake fabric and cupcake ribbon as well. She is currently hanging up in my craft studio.

On my spending spree I also bought some new quilting tools.



Looking forward to playing with these new goodies.

My little baby turned 11 years old this week. All she wanted was a trampoline (she's actually been wanting one since she was 4yrs old but Mark thought they were too dangerous). She was so excited when she came home and saw it set up in the backyard (as you can tell from the mile wide grin on her face). She didn't have a long time to play however as she was running late for dance class. Happy Birthday sweetheart.



And finally.... an updated photo of Lockyer.... he is getting so big and at times very naughty. We keep finding him asleep on the good lounge chairs, he now can get up on our bed and looks very put out when you make him get off. He is still very cute though and very much loved by every one in the family.



Until nest time,
Terri xx

Well not really but Bruce (a very patient man who has put up with me asking dumb questions about websites for a while now) showed me how I could add some more colour to this blog. So I made this patterned side border..... do you like it? I think it jazzes the blog up a bit. It took me awhile to get it just right and I'll most probably change it later but for now I'm happy with it.

Just received this semesters course work and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. It was just the same at the beginning of the year. I'm sure I'll be alright once I get started but I have really enjoyed having the last few weeks free to do what I wanted. I plan to try and stay a week ahead of the course work..... only time will tell how successful THAT goal will be.

I have also joined St Aiden's Choir. I used to be in school choirs all the time when I was younger and also enjoyed singing in groups and the fun involved. We'll be meeting every Tuesday night so am really looking forward to it. One of the managers at work is also in the choir so it will be nice to have a familiar face when I go next week.

That's all for now, I have to hop into bed as have an early start in the morning.

Terri xx

Well since I've been pretty neglectful of this blog I thought I would spruce it up with a new colour scheme & banner. Do you like it? These are my favourite colour combo at the moment and are the same colours of my craft studio.

Since Uni is on break I have been enjoying haveing free time to do what I want. I started off by redoing my craft studio, cleaning out all the stuff I've accumulated over the years, rearranging my organisation & having designated work stations. I'm pretty happy with the results and just love spending time in there. The colours are bright and make me feel happy. I really want to replace the green chair with a red one but will have to wait until I have more time and money to make a trip to Ikea.





I've also made my very first matyroshka doll. It is from a pattern created by Maize Hutton. I have always admired Dot's versions of these dolls so spent a lovely afternoon creating one just for me. I really enjoy adding the beading to these little dolls..... it's my favourite part.



I've also made a cupcake Dotee doll for a swap-bot swap. Hasn't turned out exactly as I wanted but I think she still looks cute.

Another swap I'm in is for dotee ATC cards. Here is my first one. Had fun making this and am planning on making a heap of different fabric ATC's card to go on a 7 gypsies ATC rolodex I got at a retreat this year. I already have one for paper ATC's so thought I'd make a fabric version to sit on my coffee table.

I've also found a renewed love of stitcheries and have been designing some new ones. No pictures yet, but will take some soon. I started a pattern business a couple of years ago and had moderate success with it but due to work and family commitments couldn't put the time into it that it required. I know my dad is disappointed that I didn't continue with it then. However, I decided to take a break this year while I attend uni and am planning to relaunch it next year. So will have a new name and web page when it happens.

I also found an online site where I can get mini buttons a lot cheaper than I've been buying them for at Spotlight. Here is the order that I received the other day. I know I bought a lot but I just couldn't help myself.... they are so yummy aren't they.


Well that's enough from me today. I am planning to blog more frequently.... i know that I've said it beore but this time I mean it.... I know I've said that before as well but I really, really mean it this time.

Terri xx

Well after putting in a heap of study time (and sacrificing any scrapbooking & sewing time), I was really pleased to find out that I got 82% in the end of semester neurological exam. I'm so happy and glad that I put the time into doing the study. But now we have a four week break so I am planning to get stuck into my sewing. I have a few dotee doll swaps that I have to get done. I am also working a quilt design using the amy butler fabrics I bought off etsy a while back.

Even though I had to study, I managed to get away and go to a crop for Jen's Birthday. I decided to digi scrap as it was easier to just pack up my laptop, external harddrive and graphics tablet instead of trying to decide what to take from my scrapping stash. We had been at an eisteddford the previous weekend and I was able to take some beautiful photos of my daughter that I used to scrap.




I also used a photo of Lockyer when we first got him.... he's a fair bit bigger now.


I'm still tired from the weekend. A few of us from work flew down and back to Sydney for a neuro conference on Saturday. It was really good and I learnt a great deal but doing it all in one day made it an 18hr day with a 3am start so I was completely exhausted. Luckily I didn't have to work Sunday.... I don't think I would have been able to.

That's all from me for now, Kiara has a dress up day at school so I need to go and get her pirate costume all sorted out.

Take Care,
Terri

I can't believe that it has been a whole month since I posted here. Time has just flown by. I've been so busy with work and uni that I have had no time to be creative at all. My boss is away for 7 weeks and Matt & I are job sharing the managers role and I'm still doing the hospital bed manager's job as well. We've been at it for 3 weeks so far and it has been the longest and most difficult three weeks ever. I have acted in the manager's role for extended periods before but this time it has been so hard. We have some newish staff that are just not coming up to speed and what they think they can get away with had been very frustrating and perplexing at times. Unfortunately we've had to start disciplinary action with one and performance managing three others....not nice but has to be done and just takes it out of you emotionally as well.

Uni is starting to come to a head. We've got just under 3 weeks until our final 3hr exam for this semester. I haven't done a 3 hr exam for about 15 yrs so am getting a bit stressed about it all. I have just finished a 4500 word take home exam and need to list the 47 references I've used before I email it to the lecturer this week...then I need to knuckle done and study hard. I received 2 of my marks back this week. I got 75% for my case study and 74% for the critical literature review...I'm really happy with these marks.... but I am soooo looking forwrad to a few weeks off before next semester.

Since I've been so busy I haven't had anytime to be creative (which is killing me). I find myself daydreaming about beads and buttons, designs and redoing my craft room (yet again!!!). So since I haven't made anything I've had to be content with buying some stuff for when I get the time. I've bought some beautiful fabrics of etsy and found a site in the USA that sells this gorgeous tiny buttons (had a bit of a spend up there). As I'm not using my computer I haven't got the photos to post here but will try sometime this week. I so wanted to only do posts with photos but just can't do that tonight.

Mark is still on crutches..........which he is finding really frustrating and I severely strained the major muscle attached to my hip a few weeks ago while dancing at a friends wedding so have been having trouble walking (we look like such a great couple at the moment). Lockyer our new labrador is getting bigger everyday and has managed to eat his dog beds, the other dogs bed, the cord of Brady's air hockey table and the mat out the backdoor. He's tried to steal a few dotee dolls out of my basket but I've been able to save them in the nick of time. He is still cute, just destructive. We start puppy school on Tuesday so we'll see how he goes learning to behave.

Until next time,

Terri xx

Last weekend saw a bunch of go to the Scrapbook City Retreat. It was 3 nights of scrapping, eating (oh...the food), laughing and having fun. I was in the same room as last year....Room 20 with the SBC forum girls....who are alll so lovely and we always have a great time. On Friday night we had the annual dress up. This years theme was movie characters. We had a red carpet event. Room 20 decided to go as the Wizard of Oz. Niss was dorothy, I was the scarecrow, Jen was the tinman, Sue was the cowardly lion, Ronnie was the wicked witch of the west, Jo was Glinda the good witch, Debbie was a munchkin from the lollipo guild, Carole & Milly were the flying monkeys and Meg was the yellow brick road.

The team from SBC went as Austin Powers etc, we also had Marilyn Monroe, and the pink ladies & T-birds from Grease. I was a tonne of fun.

With working fulltime and trying to do this Uni Course (which is proving to be extremely hard), I haven't had as much time to scrap as I would like. So at the retreat I decided to concentrate on makng some mini books or albums. The plan is to have a cane basket on my coffee table full of these little albums. I suceeded in making 4 complete albums and a good start on the 5th. We also did a lovely 8x8inch album, a 3D layout by the lovely Carole Janson, and started a really special 7 gypsies revoloving ATC album (I'll put pics of these up as I get them finished).

This is an acrylic album I made of my wedding photos. I was a bit nervous about starting this as you have to so careful that it looks good on both sides of the page as they are see through. I really wanted to keep it delicate and really show off that it is clear. I was happy with the past results and entered it in Jen's fundraising competition she was having to raise money for her neice who is only young and has liver cancer. I ended up winning and received alovely pack of Kaiser products and a tote bag.

This little album I made to show of my first lot of dotees dolls that I made.

This is a little album I made using some papers from Kaiser. The bird on the cover page was cut using the new accucut that SBC has. I was addicted to using this giant diecut machine and also this bird shape. I cut it out of chipboard, bazzill and then cut it out of some laminating sheets. It is a great machine and will get a heap of use out of it as I joined the club.... which means I can use it anytime I want to at the store.... will come in handy for making Christmas presents.

Before I went to the retreat I did some shopping from http://www.etsy.com/ I am really keen to start making some fabric page books and art dolls so bought a few items to use. They arrived this week.

Now I can't wait to get on top of all this uni work I have to do soI can get creating with these new goodies. I have so many ideas in my head and things I want to make..... makes me regret agreeing to do the course this year....I suppose it will be worth it in the end but I think I'll have a minor breakdown before I finish.

That's all for this extra long post. I've still got a heap more things to talk about, but they will have to wait until another time as I'm pretty tired now and hanging out to hop into bed.

Meet our little labrador puppy 'Lockyer', (yes I know the name's not the best but Mark named him and it is his dog.... we call him 'Locky'). He is 8 weeks old and we picked him up on Friday night from Kym at Barkooli Labrador Breeders. Mark has wanted a labrador for as long as I've known him so I thought I'd surprise him. It's been about 16 weeks of secret emails, talks with the kids etc. Everyone we work with knew of the surprise so it was so good that we all managed to keep it a secret for so long.

Well Mark's reaction when he first saw him made it, and the expense all worthwhile. He actually cried.... which was so heart warming. He has fallen in love with him right away.... as have the kids and I.

Locky is a bit of a sook, especially when he's being scolded for trying to chew on my craft basket or coffee table. We've had a few wee & poo accidents, but otherwise he seems to be fitting in really well. Fitting in! He is ruling the house. It is so like having a new human baby in the house.

That's all for now.