Thursday 30 January 2014

De-Clutter 2014 - Week 5

(If you are looking for the Grow your Blog Giveaway it is here.)

 

I don't know how the rest of you feel but I am currently a bit overwhelmed at the task before me.

It seems that my de-clutter efforts have simply made a bigger mess than before :-(

To be expected I suppose since there's ten years worth of stuff hidden in cupboards and boxes and sheds and a simple task like tidying up one cupboard produces a flabberghasting amount of other stuff to sort out!

Sunday 26 January 2014

Grow your blog 2014 - GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to the second annual "Grow Your Blog" hop created and hosted by the rather lovely Vicky Boster of 2 Bags Full.

 
My name is Nelly, short for Penelope, occasionally dubbed Smelly Nelly or Penelope Ploppity Pitstop by my nearest and dearest. I do NOT smell out of the ordinary however!
 
For me blogging is a way to connect to like-minded people where we share our art, crafts, recipes, stories and a little bit of our lives.
 
I'll keep this short and sweet because there are over 500 blogs to visit in this event (click on the image above to see the full list) so how's about a GIVE AWAY!
 
My favourite supplier on Etsy is Unkamen Supplies - a wonderful source of chain maille supplies and kits, so .....
 
Prize = $25 (US dollars) Unkamen Supplies gift Certificate
 
All you have to do is leave a comment to say hello and tell me your favourite online or Etsy shop. (PS if your favourite Etsy shop sells gift certificates I am more than happy to change the prize to on of those for you.
 
Draw will close midnight AEST February 14th 2014 and the winner announced on the 15th February.
 
Good Luck!

 

Wednesday 22 January 2014

De-Clutter 2014 - Week 4

We've got one week left of summer hols before my eldest goes back to school and my youngest starts kinder (woohoo! 3 mornings a week to myself! / boohoo, my babies are growing up).

So we've been playing lots and making a big mess insode and once the nasty fiery heat receded we went out and found sand and water to frolick in.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

A Time to Stitch 4

Welcome to the reveal day of the ATTS4 blog hop!

The challenge was to create something in net stitch plus at least one other stitch out of 1) Chenille Stitch, 2) Chevron Stitch or 3) Spiral Rope. I kept it simple and chose only one other stitch : Chevron.

So without further ado, here is my slightly gothic looking necklace:




The side straps are chevron stitch and the focal is spiral netting - I hope I'm not cheating by using spiral netting! The swirly design is based upon something I found here, it's not very easy to follow so I'll add some (hopefully clearer) instructions in another post later on.

Here's a closer shot of the swirly net focal:



After a great deal of faffing and experimenting I used a dismantled charm bracelet to connect the individual components. The shiny silver seems to add a bit of punkiness in my eyes.

I really enjoyed this challenge so a big thankyou to the lovely hostesses Therese and Christine.


Enjoy looking at the amazing creations of the other participants, they are breath taking:


(No) De-Clutter 2014 - Week 3

Yep, nuthin' happening this week. When it hits 30C I start to wither. When it tops 40C I melt. I break into a river of sweat making a simple sandwich. I carefully position each body part so that nothing touches. Cuddles are done at a distance of 3 metres. All activity is restricted to what can be achieved either sitting in water or laying starfish-like under a fan.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

De-Clutter 2014 - Week 2

This week I thought I'd tackle the upstairs closet, with no expectations of finishing it in one go since a third of the space is taken up by stuff belonging to my better half. Here is the naughty cupboard in all it's chaotic glory:

And this is only half of it.

Saturday 4 January 2014

Focus On Life 2014 - Week 1

I love taking pictures, just love it. And last year I followed the series 'Focus on Life' photos with great interest, so this year I was very keen to join in.

'Focus on Life' is the brain child of Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime. Each week Sally provides prompts to inspire your photography. It's not too late to join in, click on any of the links above.

Week One : The Minimalist Photograph :

Friday 3 January 2014

De-Clutter 2014 - Week 1

The rather wonderful Bonnie of Jasper's Gems suggested a year long de-clutter project for 2014 with weekly progress reports on our blogs.

I did have a wee bash at a de-clutter last year - which didn't get much beyond clearing out two drawers. Not very successful!

But with the added encouragement of Bonnie, and with the promise of 3 child-free mornings a week when my youngest starts kinder, I fully intend to kick clutter's botty this year.