What happens when I'm meant to be asleep...

I have just returned from 45min spontaneous calisthenics in our farm yard, with "MOVE, you bastards!!" ringing in my ears, and am reflecting on the farm lessons learnt:

1) Do not allow the neighbours14 cows (including the alpha bull) push down your fence and get into your yard (apparently, the grass IS greener...)

2) Rule #1 is important as it is virtually impossible to get 14 cows back through said fence to the paddock where they belong. (Tell me...how do you keep the 11 you got back in the paddock in there, while you round up the last wayward 3?)

3) Cows can do unexpectedly nasty things to gardens and retaining walls (yes, as solid as these creatures look, they can jump UP a 4 foot retaining wall).

4) Jack (boydog) is a surprisingly good cattledog.

5) Jemima (girldog) is a spectacularly poor cattledog (she was cowering under the ute watching the show).

6) In the highly likely event that you can't return the cows to their rightful paddock, DO NOT not put the alpha bull into the only other alternative paddock that contains five rival, testosterone-fueled, adolescent bulls.

       

7) To stop the said adolescent bulls bellowing for weeks on end, provide them with 13 young girly cows with which to have their way.

8) If rule #6 is nigh impossible to achieve- turn around, go inside & pretend it wasn't you.

                          

                               

9) Rival bulls can spend hours (...ummm, days??) in a headlock. 

                         

10) Remember to change out of your PJ's before trying to get 14 cows out of your back yard. 

Main lesson learnt:
Next time when I'm home sleeping after and prior to night shift I will not look out the window and feel a responsibility for the neighbours cows which have got out of our paddock (because of our dodgy fences).

Instead, I will just turn around and go back to bed.

                                 

Pepper x

PS. I have cow poop on my PJ's.

PPS. I did ring and inform the REAL farmer, and he sent his boys around to remedy the situation before the bulls did serious damage ...Whew!

Wordless Wednesday (on Thursday...)

Photo Pockets for the 'Phamily'...

 Inspired once again by a project in Kata Golda's book I've finished three photo pockets for Xmas presents for my mum, Nanna and mother-in-law.

I thought these were a fantastic idea for 2 reasons: I'm pretty hopeless at keeping up to date with getting current photos to my family at the best of times, so this would inspire me to actually physically print some off for them; and secondly all our family live interstate or internationally, so these are going to be easy to post. 

In the age of internet and digital prints I find the idea of having something tangible and satisfying to hold while looking at photos appealing and due to the fact that we can print more off so easily, I like the idea that one doesn't have to be so precious when handling the real thing!! So instead of a plastic photo album, the fam can slip this into the handbag to serve as the little brag book!  I might send each of them a CD with the photos on it as well, so they can print off more at their leisure.

  My only problem now is I haven't decided which one is going to who yet!! I thought I knew as I was making them, but am having second thoughts....I think the bird one is my favourite. It was an experiment playing with the cooler lemon colour (not a colour I've used much before) and I've been delighted with the result.

How are you going with your Xmas planning?

x

Felt pot mitts for Xmas...

                            

I've finally completed my first installment for the Handmade Christmas Challenge! Woo hoo! These are a gift for a gorgeous couple who have nearly finished renovating their oh-so-contemporary kitchen. Their kitchen is  black, white and red, and has the 'fork /spoon/ knife' motif in various guises sprinkled here and there.  So what better than handmade felt pot mitts with the same motif..?!

I just copied the shape of some pot mitts I have at home, however, in my wisdom when I was cutting them out, thought the glove looked a little huge, so shaved a bit of the edges off. Now it's quite a narrow fit. I can get my hand in it but I'm not sure about the boys... Hopefully it will stretch.... Ha! That'll teach me!

x

Friends in our midst....

In a far away corner of a country kitchen, there lived a family of mice who happily made a soft green and purple house their home.....

Mama Snow is the grown-up in this family, and even though the children all call her Mama she's actually their grandmother. We won't go into the reasons why she alone is responsible for this brood of children as it's a sad story for all.  Her favourite thing is to sneak out to the kitchen once the kids are asleep and tuck into her secret supply of chocolate crumbs...the kids would eat it all if they ever found it, she was sure. But she brings them a little every now and then for treats.

Apple Jack is the eldest and a practical joker. Confident and always laughing, he tends to boss the other kids around and get them in trouble, all the while seeming to be very innocent himself. He's a clever young mouse with a gentle heart underneath all the bravado -he adores his sisters especially, but he wouldn't want you to know it. Mama Snow worries incessantly about him, as while he's bright he's also impulsive and she knows that The Trap in the Far Cupboard has a special appeal to Apple Jack's sense of adventure. She prays daily for strength to guide him and for him to be kept safe.



Rosie, despite her apparent beauty and charm is the shyest and most sensitive in the family. She loves being at home and spending time with Mama Snow and baby 'Lil Blue. She is quite content with making improvments to their home and straying only far enough into The Kitchen to get the neccessities. She is close to Mama Snow and is the only one that recalls when her parents were alive. In secret, in her own little mouse hole she has started practising drawing with a piece of pencil lead she found on The Floor one night while out looking for food. She's beginning to think she might be quite good, but is too shy to show her pictures to anyone.    

Petal is another adventure seeker - Apple Jack and Petal are always dreaming up stories of where they could go and what they could do. Once, Petal actually went to Outside. It was quite by accident, and the vastness scared her a little but she dreams about going back to explore some more. The problem is the monster called a "Fluffy" lives at Outside, and she's not just sure she's fast enough to outrace the Fluffy if she needed too. One day, she promises herself, she will go. Probably with Jack.

Little Blue is the baby, though he's had a bit of a growth spurt lately and is starting to run around after the others at an alarming rate. He adores his big brother Apple Jack, even more so as Apple Jack tries to ignore him. 'Lil Bue is always trying to imitate Apple Jacks practical jokes and tomfoolery. Rosie and Mama Snow try keep him close by at all times. He's still a baby after all.

The little mouse family are just waiting to see what new adventures each day will bring...

These little guys were made as a present for an ex-boyfriends' three children. Why on earth would I do such a thing? Probably as a way to deal with the fact he has kids and I don't...
Anyway, the design is from Kata Golda's book Hand-Stitched Felt; made with handmade and hand-dyed felt from Winterwood in Melbourne. The mouse house is made from commercially available acrylic felt which I'm trying to use up, with the intention of only using handmade 'real' wool felt in the future.
The mouse family are currently homeless as my communication with the ex has become a bit strained lately and I'm reconsidering their final destination!  Homeless at the moment, yes, but definately not unloved...

What's on my kitchen bench today:

.

This post has started because of a lettuce.

At least a week ago we were given several lettuces by a friend - organically & hydroponically grown- and being hydroponics, I put each of them in a vase of water.  And I have resisted eating this one because it's too pretty. So, I took a photo of it instead... Maybe it will finally become lunch today!

Other objects currently hanging out on my kitchen bench:

Piggy chopping board: I made this pig chopping board when I was about 12 years old. It has served me as my meat chopping board since I left home  (so that's now 20 years!)and remains an essential member of our kitchen. He's currently is recovering from being used for the dog food this morning.

Fresh eggs from the last two days laying. We were given 6 hens, and then a rooster about three weeks ago. We are virgin hen-owners, so the delight from having 5 or 6 fresh eggs every day has not yet worn off!














Flowers: I started belatedly pruning some of the miniature roses last night. 'til it got too dark to keep going. There's few actual flowers left, so these were the only ones were intact enough to make it to the kitchen.

Native orchids and toy kombi:  The Tasmanian native orchids were given to me about three years ago,  they were tiny little single shoots, now all three are huge, comparatively. They haven't flowered yet though. Don't know what's going on there. The kombi is a tribute to our real one, Joy-Joy, who's currently hiding out from the weather in her big shed.

Cow jug: I love this jug! We picked it up in some second hand shop years ago in Sydney. It turns out it's made by Arabia, made in Finland and is quite collectable. We looked it up on Ebay a few years ago - I forget the details now. But we love it!

There's also an empty chocolate packet hanging out on the bench at the moment but I'm not going to display the evidence for all to see....

Small beginnings!

As a lapsed journal writer; a crafter who suffers endlessly from craft-blog envy; and a conscious individual who is constantly challenged by the wealthy life I have by virtue of living in a 1st world country; I thought it was about time I begin to address these things for myself in a blog of my own.

It's all a bit scary, but this blog is a way to keep myself accountable; and if there are others out there to join me the journey all the better! I regularly forget what a priviledge it is to live in a country where water automatically comes out of a tap and is safe to drink, and I despair over my constant desire for excess (more things...!!). I want to be more conscious and reflective in living a good and deliberate life- while still managing to pay the mortgage.
And at the same time, I love pretty sparkly things....beautiful handmade things, natural fibres, wool and wood and stones, textures and fabric and natural objects and colour; I'm at my happiest when I'm making something.

I think this blog is about trying to find a bit of balance in all of that. We'll see...