100th post

Well I never would have believed it 100 posts!!! I have really enjoyed being part of the blogging community and thank you to all those who have helped me along the way.......Read my poetry and words, left me lovely comments, given me lots of giggles and liked my posts.Thanks to my daughter Melissa for assisting me to get started and Sandy from Cookies and Cream Craft for her words of wisdom when I didn't have a clue what all you Hip & Happening Bloggers were talking about. Thank you also to all those lovely people out there who have taken this opportunity to view my blog and support my creative endeavours and have bought some of my patterns.My Husband now refers to me as 'Blog Monster'.

Thank goodness blogger editor is fixed....Yahoo!!!
Anyway have a great day everyone.....Hope you find time to stitch.
Blessings Michelle

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

The lovely sunshine this morning is making me feel vey self indulgent so bare with me. My treasure today is my love of Fairy stories and such as a child. I had a book called 'Pegs Fairy Stories' and somehow in the business of growing up it has become lost and I think I have been trying to make up for it ever since. So.... today I am sharing a real favourite Cicely Mary Barkers "The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies" given to me by my dear friend Helen last Christmas. It has all her beautiful poems and artwork... a real treasure! I also love David Ellwand's "Fairie-ality Style which is an amazing resource book full of beautiful photographic art featuring fairie related objects and clothing made from nature...truly inspirational. I also have "Lady Cottington's Fairy Album" which is a replica of her journal and is very weird and naughty and hard to describe here but the age of it and the journal entries I find fascinating and lastly I have a tiny little book called 'Mouse fairies' which has little envelopes through out that have real invitations to a special ball at the end of the book... It's so wee and so cute. Lastly I am being very indulgent and including a little poem I've penned called "Silent Songs"

"Silent Songs"

Amongst the bush ferns with tight curled fronds,

Dance wee faerie folk, to tunes of which they are fond.

I can't hear the the music though I strain my ear,

The dancing butterflies let me know they are near....

They seem to enjoy the music so much, flitting and fluttering.

As they dance on the flowers with a soft gentle touch.

Maybe the tune is the wind through the trees or

Maybe it's birdsong carried on the early morning breeze.

Do I imagine I hear it ? Maybe not.

Maybe it's my hearts song and I just forgot.

I aplogise for the state of this post but I am having trouble posting with blogger this morning.

Visit Melody for more Treasures at http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.com

Rainy days and Mondays and a little May giveaway.

Well it is rainy and cool Again in S.E QLD. this lovely Monday Morning outside my front door. I trust you all had a very SPECIAL MOTHERS DAY. 

May always reminds me of the Maypole dancing, ribbons and flowers in little girls hair for some reason and even though today is as far away from Maypole dancing with flowers in your hair as you are going to get.... my May giveaway is pretty..... I have 2 lovely handmade cards from talented friend Ann, a pretty fat quarter with some threads, 2 handpainted sewing machine buttons from Tracey and I am including a little teacup drawing I have done which would be lovely to stitch for a friend. You could reduce the drawing down or trace and stitch it as is. If you would like to be in this May draw just leave me a comment. I will draw it next Monday, 16th May.
Have a great day and Happy stitching

Michelle

IT'S LOVELY TO HAVE A GOOD FRIEND

Yesterday afternoon was spent with my best friend Ann coming to visit me. She has been overseas for a month visiting Kenya, Seychelles, Turkey, Canada and USA. I missed her terribly while she was gone. So I am a happy little vegemite now she's back home. The tales she had to tell. I so admire her adventurous spirit and love hearing about her travel experiences. I am, I'm afraid quite unimpressed about sharing hours in a confined space with a whole lot of strangers on a plane. You might even say it's a huge problem for me. One day I hope to overcome this claustrophobia and be just like 'normal' folks but I don't think I'm there yet. So I feel I'm seeing and hearing about all these wonderful places through Ann. I've flown to Tasmania (which was huge for me) So it's just baby steps for me. Ann  being the extremely generous soul she is bought me back some lovely goodies....... bundles of fabric included gorgeous pink and green spots (YA KNOW HOW I LOVE SPOTS!!) a pair of earrings and bracelet made by Native Canadians (she knows I'm an old hippy at heart) They are beautiful. From exotic Istanbul she bought me the most beautiful cashmere shawl in reds and aquas. The photo doesn't do it justice. It's exquisite!! It's to use for my meditation. So how lucky am I to have such a friend certainly not for the material gifts she brings but because she is so thoughtful and kind.
Thanks Ann ..... Missed Ya......Glad you're home!

I would also like to wish all my blogging friends who are Mums - Happy Mothers Day on Sunday. I hope you get to do something that makes you smile.

Blessings Michelle
This beautiful graphic is from http://rosepetalsfromheaven.blogspot.com/

Floral and Favourite thing Friday Combo

Bronwyns theme for Floral Friday is Roses and as they are one of my Favourite things (even though I can't grow any) I am combining some Favourite things with Roses on them.
First is an old Hat box that came my way and I decided to paint Roses and one of Tracey design on it. I have to fess up whilst I did most of it. I did get some assistance from Tracey with the finishing touches on the Roses (left my glasses at home that day) I never heard the end of it that painting day! Next I have some beautiful cards featuring paintings of Roses by Pierre Joseph Redoute'. I think they are truly beautiful and have to confess find it hard to part with them at times. Lastly I have 3 little saucers I bought for $3 at an antique store in Maling Road in Melbourne when my friend Ann and I went on our Girly Road Trip a few years ago.I loved that place it was full to the rafters of all sorts of bric-a-brac and beautiful antique pieces. I bought a couple of pieces for my Cranberry collection there too. We had the best Road Trip ever. It was my first visit to Victoria and boy did we cover some KMS. I think that's when I fell in love with country Victoria.
 So pop over to Bronwyns at http://korumburraquilting.blogspot.com/ to see what Floral Feasts she has for our senses today and then zoom over to Shays at http://faitybreadmusings.blogspot.com/ to see what Favourites are on offer.
Happy Stitching and Blessings,

Michelle

MY Mornings work!

Hip Hip hooray!!! I have finally finished all my instructions for upcoming Christmas projects for Handmade Magazine. I am seeing stars and spots and am once again wondering WHY???  I don't do them when I do the project!! I'm off for coffee and chocolate.....I have earned it!! Then I am going to visit the picnic and see the teddies and then.....I am in my chair with some nice stitching. Phew!

Thursday's Teddy Bears Picnic with Melody

Today I have a lovely little girl that I have named 'Rose' she is one of my adopted bears and didn't come to me with her tags. She is however a Kathy Harry 'Strawbearies' bear and my friend bought her at the Melbourne Teddy Bear Show a number of years ago.  She has her special  little 'Strawbearies' pin in her nether regions.I love her coloured fur and the fact she is a Panda of sorts with her lovely cloche hat with the rosebuds on the side. 'Rose' has bought along some little Cherished Teddies Friends to the picnic today.
'Margaret, Madeline and Marilyn'. She does wish they would stay out of the teacups though or she'll never get a cuppa! The little suffolk puff quilt "Rose' and the M sisters are bringing to sit on was made by my friend Ann's Mum 'June' for me as a gift. 'June' made the best and neatest suffolk puffs I have ever seen and as she isn't able to do much stitching now I treasure it.

To see who else is at he picnic visit Melody at http://thehouseonthesideofthehill.blogspot.com/