And This Little Pig said Crazy New Year

Just thought I would take a moment to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May the next year be filled with all the joy and happiness you can endure and good times ahead for all.

I have finally finalised my List for Crazy January Challenge 2011.

It consists mainly of Little House Needleworks, along with one from Country Cottage Needleworks and a lovely band sampler freebie offered by Kathy at 
Gracewood Stitches. All are just beautiful in my opinion.

Will be putting a list somewhere on the right hand side :D That's the next thing to do.

Still not fully prepared, brought all my threads in the post Christmas sales, just have to order a few speciality threads from America, oh and get all my material sorted and dyed... but apart from that all's well.

One last photo, taken with my new Sony Nex-5, a picture of my mother's hands. They are work hands, that is for sure, and Mum says she should be ashamed of them. I think they tell their own story.

Again, a merry, happy, safe and prosperous New Year to all... Look out 2011, the crazies are coming.

And This Little Pig said Merry Christmas

Well Christmas is all but over in Oz, but it has been a lovely quiet day.

This is our off year, sounds funny doesn't it. But we have a year when all the married sibling go to the outlaws, then the following year is our full family year.

So first what I got for Christmas, it was actually a present to myself. A new camera. Sony Alpha Nex-5. It is a new concept camera from Sony, not a digital point and shoot, and not a digital SLR, it is an in-between, but the more comfortable and confident I become with it the more I can use it like a D-SLR, without the size and bulk.

I Love It!

So Christmas this year was at my youngest brother's and his wife, a simple lunch, cold meats, including prawns (shrimp) with salads, on the front verandah, overlooking the dairy cows from next door as they grazed quietly. With a beautiful pavlova made by my SIL's Mum, for desert.

My nephew Lachlan, being asked to smile

Little Harrison 8 months

Lachlie and Grandma, reading a new book.

Baby Brother Michael with Harry.

Like Father, Like Son

All the above photos were taken with my new camera :)

I hope everyone has had or is having a very Merry Christmas, and may you all have a safe and happy New Year.

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said BAYWATCH!

Now that got your attention! Didn't it?

For us of a certain vintage, we remember the Baywatch day's with a smile and a laugh.

Well this will only re-enforce those feelings, and will have you laughing and softly singing or humming the Baywatch theme for the rest of the day... for that I apologise

This is a true representation of Aussie humour and ingenuity, particularly in the face of all that mother nature cares to throw at us. After years of drought and hardships, the cattle are fat and prices are good, and it was going to be a bumper wheat crop. 

The rains came, right on time, the only problem is it forgot to stop, so the wheat crops turned into rice fields, and most were unable to harvest. 

So even in the face of all this these three enterprising blokes bring you their version of Baywatch.

Enjoy...

Merry Christmas LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said WIP - Crazy - Finish

I recently added up how many WIP's I have... three, it was four, but I managed a small finish this weekend.

Multiple WIP's is something I have never done until this year, having only ever had one project at a time on the go. I can blame a renewed interest in stitching, and having joined several yahoo stitching groups. These ladies and gentlemen are very enabling and evil :D

So my current WIP list includes LHN Family Sampler, another le pig in reverse colours, a mystery WIP1 or BAP which I haven't touched since I started Family Sampler. 

I also have a UFO, it is Ink Circles BoInk. I hope one day to get back to this, thank you Milly for making me realise I still had this sitting in the back of a closet. That is my Meah checking it out, over 18 months ago.

Now I have joined a challenge that is aptly referred to as "The Crazies" or Crazy January Challenge 2011 in which from January 1 to January 15 you start a new project everyday. Then try and finish all 15 projects in the year. Crazy? Yes crazy.

I am still finialising my list, but it will be mainly made up of Little House Needlework's 2010 Christmas ornaments (see last post). So it shouldn't be hard to do? Right? Right? I also have to finish Family Sampler by March 2011.

Now for my small finish, unfortunately I cannot show you a photo, as it is a secret/surprise project that the recipient does not know about it. And she does read this blog. But I will show you a small piece of it, which will absolutely not give anything away.

Yes it is a tartan, but it does have a surprise :D You might just get to see it in the New Year.

Also have been very busy at work last week was our final week before Christmas, but I will go in this week and do the banking and bank reconciliation, just to keep everything up to date before I go home to the family farm, hope to be there by Thursday. Don't really want to travel on Christmas Eve. 

This is the last 'job' we have to do before leaving the posting of calendars to our clients. There is over 450 in this little lot, which had to be folded, sealed and address labels attached. But the boys do help, including the boss :D

Till next time LiBBiE

And This Little Pig said Stash and Family Sampler SAL

Well it has been a great day all round, I received two much expected packages from America.

First was a chart from Diane, that I won last month for participating in the Family Sampler SAL on the Little House and Country Cottage Needleworks Group. It is called "Tall Pines."

The second package was from Stitching Bits and Bobs ONS, and as usual great service from Bobbie. With the Aussie dollar so strong, I have been on a little bit of a shopping spree. Lets just say Christmas has come early, or right on time.

Little House Needleworks Ornament of the Month Series 2010.

Country Cottage Needleworks "Pumpkin Cottage and Little House Needleworks "Pumpkin Hollow Farm", along with speciality over dyed threads. 

I have become slightly addicted to these to wonderful designers!

And last of all an update of my LHN Family Sampler... I wish I could get a better photo, it looks a little yellow, at least to me, so might try outside next time in natural light.

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Small Blog Facelift

Firstly before I tell you about my small blog facelift, why not pop over an have a look at my cousin Lynda's blog, she is all new to this, and she will quite happily tell you that 'computer's hate her!'

Kurra Art Sculpture
http://kurra-art-sculpture.blogspot.com/

Lynda is an artist and a recycle sculpturer, we plan to do a 'photo shoot' of her art at Christmas, that will be fun.

She recently won a major award, there is a link on her blog to a radio interview, along with photos of her work. Lynda was asked, and is exhibiting at the Regional Gallery for Country Music Week in January 2011.

So my small blog facelift, when I created this blog back in May, my header 'pig' was temporary so I think it was more than time to change.

I have been looking for a new pig for a while, and finally found one I could work with he (he is a he, it's sort of obvious) is just an outline. So with a few textures, and a cut out... ta-da a new header.

I've also changed the colours from black and orange to chocolate (which so much better than dark brown) and a darker orange.

While I was at it, I had a little fun, and created some different colours, but with chocolate always included.

Here are some examples that you may see in the future, nothing too exciting, just some different colours and combinations.

On a stitching front, with Christmas fast approaching, I have done very little work on my LHN Family Sampler, but I must photograph my process and and give you all an update.

And This Little Pig said I'm Back with a Family Sampler Update

So it has been six weeks since I last blogged, life has been hectic, and can only get more so on the lead up to Christmas, I will try to do better.

Have taken lots of photos, I just have to sort through them, at the moment I think I will be satisfied in posting before the month of November ends in 30 minutes.

Onto my LHN Family Sampler, I am really enjoying this Stitch A Long... progress so far...

19 October -- Finished the "Family" letter, with my own little spin

This is 'Hoppy' my icon chook

24 October -- progress

Another close-up of Hoppy

I have been stitching other things like this small which I couldn't resist, I still have to decide on how to finish, leaning towards a pinkeep. Freebie chart 'Midnight Garden' by Bat Wrangler.

See you next month :D

And This Little Pig said Show Results

As mentioned in my previous post, I was going to give you all a run down of our results from my local ag show. So... Northern Agricultural Association Show September 25, 2010.

Senior Champion Dairy Doe - Toggalong Shenika (Anglo Nubian)

Junior Champion Dairy Doe - Toggalong Callee (Saanen)
Reserve Junior Champion Dairy Doe - Toggalong Sailah (Anglo Nubian)

Champion Doe Kid - Toggalong Cyerra (Saanen)

Champion Buck - Toggalong Sailor (Anglo Nubian) This is Sailor's photo from February 2010 where he was Champion Buck at 4.5 months, so just imagine him 7.5 months older :D As I was handling him, no one took his photo, and yes that is his sister Sai-Lah above as Res Jnr Champ Doe. Sailor and Sai-Lah :)

Champion Dairy Doe and Supreme Exhibit in Show - Toggalong Shenika

Shenika giving her impression of regal and elegant. With the proud high head carriage as per the breed standard.

In Australian terms, she is only a baby, at 2 years and 1 month, kidded one month, and on her first kidding. She was up against older does. She also collected 2nd in Best Udder 1st lactation, being beaten by one of our Saanen's Toggalong Ethena, who went on to win Best Udder overall. 

To say we were utterly shocked is an understatement, and it only after looking at the photos that we went... "Whoa, didn't realised she looked like that!" That's the nice problem, when you are seeing them every day, you just don't realise. Oh and by the way, we consider her a 'small' doe in our herd.

And This Little Pig said I'm Back....

I'm back! Life has been busy, our local agricultural show was on at the end of September, and I am on the committee, keep telling myself that this year is the last, and I am going to resign, in all fairness I have been on committee for close to 20 years, just have to wait and see what happens.

Aside from running the Dairy Goat section of the show, and serving on the bistro and bar, myself and another dear lady do all the schedules, this was our 8th year. And while it is a lot easier than when we first started, it still takes anything from eight to ten weeks (weekends) out of our lives. There are 18 sections to produce along with a full schedule. We winge and whine every year, but we do have fun.

Mum came down for the show, I will put pictures up tomorrow, with our results.

Then we had a holiday weekend, so I off I went to Mum's. Which involved the following... goats, pick up hay, kids, unload hay, goats feet, chickens and a 24 hour milk production test for our milk awards, then back home and back to work for a rest.

I have joined the Little House Needlework SAL for Diane's Family Sampler, and my pattern and Crescent Colours floss arrived last week, I am so excited, this is my first LHN.

Like all LHN patterns it is just beautiful, but with this one you get to personalise to fit your family. I have had a wonderful time working out how to fit everything in. Graph paper, pencils and eraser has gotten quite a work out. I think I have got it just right.

Finally this weekend I sat down and started, my fingers are just itching to go back to it.

Also spring is in the air, and my roses have finally started to open. Three weeks too late for the show. I won Champion Rose last year, and this year didn't have a single flower out to enter, but they are just beautiful. Well as long as you don't count the sooty mold, which has been a bugger to get on top of this year :(

The results have been worth the wait.

Red Vase - red rose is Topsy Turvy, red and white stripe Scentimental (my fav) and the red with red strip in the middle Red Intuition.

A new rose from last year, this is a French Delbard rose Alfred Sisley, part of their Painter series.

And two macros--Centre

And petal edge

And This Little Pig said Bookmark Exchange

I recently took part in my first exchange, from one of my groups i-love-cross-stitch.

The exchange was to include a cross stitched bookmark, a couple of skeins of floss, and a pre-mixed drink. You know tea, lemonade, margarita :D Well seeing as Oz has some very strict quarantine laws and I didn't want to end up on one of those 'Border Security' television programs, with my parcel being sniffed out by a sniffer dog, I asked my swap partner to leave out the pre-mixed drink.

Look at the wonder exchange, by partner Heidi sent me... Oops my partner was Terri... Sorry and thank you.

A lovely bookmark, of course, five skeins of lovely summer coloured DMC floss, a key chain, and fridge magnet. Now that is what you call going over and above the call of duty.

Now for what I sent Heidi, I also opted not to send pre-mix drinks, because, well they were hard to find here, so I sent two bookmarks.

One a complimentary chart from Papillon Creations

The other Australian Wattle.

I dyed the linen, with Parisian Essence, instead of coffee or tea, it was a suggestion from one of the girls at my local LNS. It was so easy. I just kept adding a few more drops until it was just a little darker than I wanted, let the linen soak for 20-25 minutes, quick rinse, then ironed dry while the material was still damp.

The floss included was Australian from Dinky Dye, over-dyed silk, the golden/orange is called Outback, and the green/grey Kakadu, after one of our beautiful national parks in the outback.

Oh I also included chocolate, you can never go wrong with chocolate.

I really enjoyed the exchange and now that I have done one, look forward to doing more.

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Cow-Day-Wednes-day

Woah it has been 19 days since I blogged, and I have missed two Cow-Days. I took photos two weeks ago, but was just too tired to blog, my Mum plumb wore me out.

I have to catch up on the last day at my parents farm, that and the photos I took the following weekend, when I returned for my Mum's birthday, but I will leave that for another day.

On an off Cow-Day comment, I have been stitching, and will update in the next couple of days.

Now back to the 'cows'. We had this beautiful pen of Brahman steers today, and they were so quiet. Such beautiful boys, and soft eyes.

Don't you just love the airplane ears.

Up close and getting personal.

You smell... nice.

I cannot resist a bellower.

It was a day for eyes, these Brahman cross Limousin vealers, the coat isn't only lighter around their eyes, the hair is also shorter, great effect