And This Little Pig said... And The Winner Is?

We have a winner, but first I would like to thank everyone who entered, I was truly overwhelmed.
The lucky person, has my marvellous Miss Meah to thank, as she did the 'pickin'. All the entries where printed out, recycled paper from work, cut into strips and scrunched into little paper balls.

Little paper balls drive Meah insane, she loves to chase them, catch them, and usually tear them to pieces as she tries to undo them.

So a photographic journey of the draw... yes I am keeping you all in suspense.

First the entries.

Miss Meah diving in. 

The winner... The Devine Miss Deborah of Cranberry Samplings

Did I do good job Mum? Yes Meah, I think you are now Deborah favourite dog.

I could have another go?

And another...

No once was fine Moo, you did a perfect job!

Now Mum might just put my photo up on wall like Stella (darn cat!)

Congratulations Deborah, can't wait to see it stitch, you do such beautiful work, off to send you an email.

Blogoversaries are exhausting, have to start thinking about next year :o

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Slight Pause in Programming

Good Evening one an all, yes it is the night of the big blogoversary draw, and I hope you all don't mind, if I put the draw off to tomorrow morning :(

A few things have happened the printer is out of ink... isn't it always the way :D I have just arrived home from a big weekend on the family farm with Mum & Dad.

Mum & I went to a local Agricultural Show, a further two and a half hours away, to show our dairy goats. We won Junior Champion All Breeds, but I am so tired, I haven't even downloaded the photos.

Plus we were supposed to ear tag three of our does who we are exporting to Brazil. Have you ever tried to ear tag a three year old doe, who weights over 90kg (198 pounds) and is two and a half months in kid. This did not happen, I have the bruises to prove how strong Luisa is! So ear tag in plastic bag, and all relevant information now written on a tag attached to their collars.

Also Mum & I went shopping before I left (which is why I am late home) I brought two pairs of very cute socks with Dachshunds on them.

So off to feed the dogs and cats, before they eat me, then it's off to bed :D

Nite All
LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Blogoversary

Today is my Blogoversary Number One! And January 2011 Crazy Challenge finish No 7... Little House Needlework 2010 Ornament Winter Sheep.

I really enjoyed stitching this boy or girl, I call him my Latte sheep, I changed the colour of his body and legs. Also I couldn't fine a cardinal button, so stitched one in, and then gave him a branch to sit on.

 

You know how you get that nagging feeling that you have forgotten something? Well I have had that feeling for the last couple of days, and it hit me today, I had not dyed the piece of linen to go with my Blogoversary Giveaway.

I hand dyed this evening a piece of 32 count linen, using tea. Specifically Dilmar Exceptional Berry Sensation. 

I soaked four tea bags in a small porcelain mixing bowl, which I then sat in the sink in a hot water bath. After around 20 minutes I add a cup of very salty hot water to help set the colour, soak for another 5-10 minutes, hang to drip dry, and then iron when still very damp.

Well I thought the colour was a little dark, so rinsed. Well the salt worked, so not having any bleach... go figure it's now on the shopping list. The next best thing I could find that I thought just might work was hydrogen peroxide, using a very small amount, I managed to lightened the linen just a touch.

Tea dyed, and very nice smelling linen lying on a piece of white linen.

So happy blogoversary to me :D And there is still time to enter my blogoversay giveaway, link above. Drawn Sunday evening Australian time.

Nite LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazy Finish No 6

Finished Little House Needleworks 2010 Ornament He's A Flake, today!

The needle is smoking at the moment, and have started work on another of my Crazy LHN Ornament Winter Sheep.

Don't forget to enter my Blogoversary Giveaway, if you haven't already. Drawn Sunday evening May 28, Aussie time.

Seeya soon LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazy Finish No 5

Firstly WOW really have been overwhelmed by the comments for my upcoming blogoversary... all I can say is Thank You!

And secondly... What A Weekend!

Work had an auction yesterday, a nursery closing down. Over 3000 plants! But it all went so well. The clients had everything perfectly set out, and catalogued, so it ended up being a breeze and to top it off, a beautiful autumn day, our 'office' was set up in a sunroom. Lovely views, bright, nice and warm. I said to the client, 'oh I could just curl up in a chair and stitch.'

Finish number five of the Crazy January 2011 Challenge, LHN 2010 Ornament Peppermint Twist. I loved doing this particular ornament, I have always admired every finished Peppermint Twist I have seen. I do have the little candy cane button, and am still trying to decide how and if I will attach when I finally 'finish finish' all the ornaments.

Also close to a finish with LHN 2010 Ornament He's A Flake, Snowman himself is all but finished, just his shoelaces, and a few stitches in his hat. I have a thing for quaker snowmen.

The reason I am so close to another finish... well I had a lazy day, after three weekends in a row of working big auctions, I was owed... didn't do much housework, just a couple loads of washing, along with the breakfast dishes, spent the in-between time, sitting up in bed on the bed, watched a couple of DVD's and the motor racing (I love motor racing, currently watching the Spanish Grand Prix).

The Dachshund girls spent the day laying around the heater, while Meah spent the day on the bed with Mum.

Also a couple of weeks ago, I had a day at work by myself, so Podge came to work with me, and played secretary for the day. And what did I learn from this, I need to dust the side of my chair.

Well nite all, and if you haven't entered, don't for get to enter my blogoversary giveaway... LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Blogoversary Giveaway!!!

With 8 days or 9 days, depending on which side of the international date-line you live, I will be having my first blogoversary May 26th. Also so close to my 100th post, might just have to make them coincide.

So a giveaway is called for, decided to do up a kit, first the pattern...  "Winifred Gardener - A Stitcher's Home (Jenny Bean)" by R & R Reproductions.

Also in the kit are all the threads called for... Sampler Threads Faded Rose, Sampler Threads Tradewind, Belle Soie Silk Floss Berry Cobber, Belle Soie Silk Floss Pecan Pie, Crescent Colours Hazelnut, Silk N Colors 0181 Golden Pines, along with DMC 310, 869, 3362, 3781, 3787.

Will also include linen, just have to go through my stash, and hand dye a piece, so the kit as it stands at the moment, and a great addition to any stash!

Contest Rules... Well no fancy rules and regs, just comment in this post and please make sure I have a contactable email, wouldn't like you to win, and have no way of contacting you!

Don't have to be a follower, but it would be nice, and feel welcome to spread the word, but that is up to you, the less entered, the more chance you have of wining :D

Giveaway will be drawn the evening Saturday May 28 Australian time, this should cover Aussie time versus English time, versus Americian time, and all the times inbetween.

Good Luck

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazy Finish No 4

Woohoo January Crazy 2011 Challenge finish No 4 Little House Needlework 2010 Ornament the bonus chart that is with "All Is Calm" I had originally planned to do "All Is Calm" but didn't leave enough linen, when I dyed and divided it all up... oops.

Also progress on "Peppermint Twist" or should I say "Peppermin"

Day early on Cow-Day Wednesday.

Last weekend was our annual black cattle sale or Angus and Angus infused cattle sale.

One thousand head of cattle, of which 815 were steers which were all pre-weighed at 6am in the morning! Which started out looking like it was gonna be just a little miserable. It is autumn.

But by the time the sale started, it had cleared off to a bright sunny day, with just a slight cool breeze. All ran really well, and we were at the pub by 2pm, I think this is a record!

I tried to get a photo of one of my favourite clients, but he saw me sneaking up on him, so all I got was his hands. Such a lovely man, he always greets me with... "How ya doin' Sweetie!"

They don't look like the hands of a mutli-millionaire do they? And trust me they have worked hard for their money.

Well me and the fur babies are off to bed, it has been -3C (26F) the last three morning, I shudder to think what winter is gonna be like :(

Nite LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig Said Crazy Finish No 3

A short but sweet post... January Crazy 2011 Challenge finish number 3 and finish number 6 for the year.

Little House Needleworks 2010 Ornament of the Month Fa-La-La.

After a nearly six weeks break from stitching, I am now close to another finish, be it a small one, so look out in the next couple of day.

Nite LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Oh My Gosh

I recently received an email from Canada :D A lovely lady called 'little m' had stitched my freebie Cattle Country, so thrilled.

MJ attached a photo of the finished product, beautifully stitched, and the photograph gorgeously staged!

Hi Libbie in Oz;

Greetings from the Frozen North, more commonly known as Canada.  A while back I happened across your blog, and found your chart for Cattle Country. Loved it. Stitched it. Thought you might like to see.

I've named them Cocoa, Creamsicle, and Strawberry.  You can tell they're Canadian, 'cause Strawberry must have froze the end of her tail off in the cold snap while I was stitching her   =D

I have the flowered bull in my 'to do' pile also.  I'm going to post a copy of this photo to 'The Stitcher's Village' also (http://stitchersvillage.ning.com ) and will let them know where I found it.  Thanks again for posting the chart.

little m

Thank you MJ I most definitely have enjoyed seeing it, and love how you have stitched this, and Strawberry most definitely lives in the Frozen North. The little 'mooses' on your wellies/gumboots are so cute.

On a stitching note, I have been stitching this week, after a nearly six week break. Should have a finish to post tomorrow.

Happy Mothers Day to my Mum and all the other mum's out there, hope you all had a lovely day!

Nite LiBBiE in Oz

PS I love Canada, a place I will visit when I win that elusive lottery ;-)

And This Little Pig said Cow-Day-Wednesday

Yep Cow-Day-Wednesday, and I didn't take any cow photos at the yards today, but I dipped into some of my backup photos :D

Mr Willy Wagtail, in close-up.

And from a reasonable distance.

A couple of weeks ago, when I was out at the dairy photographing the calves, you remember Phantom of the Opera, I was lucky enough to get some captures of White Cockatoo's or should I say Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's in the wild. Pity it was an overcast day.

And the photos I did take today, I found these little fungi/toadstools, growing in a crack in a log. Love the differing angles of light.

Lastly little fungi/toadstool casts a bit shadow.

Nite LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Sunny Sunday Afternoon

Yes my posting has been very patchy lately, so just to add some pressure I've started a blog for the dogs, will continue to post photos here, but most of their photos will be on the new blog... Long Dog. I promise to always let you know when I have posted new piccies.

The last two boys went last week, the chocolate boys. All the pups have new names... black & tan girl Roxy, black & tan boy Alvin (yes he was named by a six week old boy) the two chocolate boys who I was calling Cadbury & Nestle, are now Haydos & Gilly.

Podge is still Podge, and she is now sleeping in my bed much to Meah's disgust! Would you look at that face! Don't let the innocence suck you in :D

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, the sun was shining, well for most of it, and the washing was mostly dry, and I was re-potting some plants when this fine little spiders web caught my eye. Spiders are definitely not my thing, but it was so delicate, that the unseen eight legged creature surely wasn't very big!

A very artistic spider, to create a heart shaped centre. Maybe her name is Charlotte?

I brought a new geranium over Easter, something I rarely do, but the flower was so vivid and tiny.

Never try and photograph laying on the ground, while the dogs are in the yard with you!

I would get in trouble from Meah if I didn't include a photo of her, and froggie.

I would also like to report that stitching has been absolutely non-existent, but hope to change that over the next couple of day. I have been doing a little bit of knitting, just can't seem to get craft motivated, and I have the month from hell starting in May... three straight weekend's of work, two cattle sales, and an auction which involves a nursery clearance, 1000's and 1000's of plants. Then Mum wants to go to a show the last weekend in May.

Plus... Plus I have my first blogoversary coming up at the end of May, also closing in on 100 posts as well, so will have to organize my first ever giveaway. Ahhh!!!!!

Oh and while talking about blogoversaries, Edgar is having his 4th, and is having a giveaway, here is the link Edgar - Blacksheep's Bit of the Web.

Nite for now, hoping to have some stitching for you this week.
LiBBiE in Oz