Happy New Year

To all my fellow blogger's Happy New Year for 2011.

I have borrowed this from a post from Stitchmap, thought it very appropriate, thanks Eileene......

2011 Contract

After serious & cautious consideration... Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2011

It was a very hard decision to make...

So try not to screw it up !!!

My Wish for You in 2011

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like

Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips !

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy

May the problems you had, forget your home address !

In simple words .............

May 2011 be the best year of your life !!!

Happy New Year !!

Arlene

Last gifts from Gai - My Advent swap

The last 5 days of gifts.
 day 21 - shopping list

Day 22, lovely beaded coat hanger

Day 23 - hand embroidered verse

Snack dish, got lots of use on Xmas day.

And my wonderful new craft bag. Thanks so much Gai, My hubby's mum loved it and wished it was hers.

Gai it is wonderful, thanks so much.

Arlene

Xmas at the White's House

Xmas 2010 for us was a very wet one, but exciting all the same.  Here are some images of our day and Boxing day too.
Chris came home early, to beat the rains, so Xmas eve night, Chris and I made port balls, we didn't have any rum..... Chris drank his beer, and licked the bowl, whilst Michael was cooking dinner for us. We then watched movies until late, it was a wonderful night, just the three of us, one I will treasure for a long time.

Our Xmas tree, Xmas morning, before the pressie's are opened.

A wonderful gift for Michael and I from Michael's brother and his family.

Not sure why it's on it's side, tried several times to re import it.

I try each year to make a Xmas decoration for Donna and Rachelle, so this year Donna got a 18" high tin Santa, and Rachelle got a beaded bauble. (forgot to photograph Santa, but here's the bauble).

After we'd eaten and said good bye to the family we did the usual, and walked the dogs, (we're dog sitting Echo, her family has gone to Melbourne for Xmas) and the rains came all day ..... the weir was flowing.....

Boxing day was worse, more rain than Xmas Day.

Even the little creeks were over full and flowing... We turned around and came onto the path further down towards the weir.

The dogs didn't mind, they got to swim on what is normally lovely grass. The rivers edge is about 20 feet away, so it was just nice, Rosey loved it anyway, she's in the middle there, bit hard to see as she's lying in the water, as she normally does.

Hope all had a safe Xmas, and had loads to eat and enjoy, we did.

TTFN
Arlene

Marya's English Garden Block

This is the lovely block I chose, I had the perfect coloured lace, ribbon, buttons, and beads to suit.  I also had my usual flower to hand dye to a colour to suit the block, yellow creamy colour.

Below is a closeup of the bead trail at the base of the button trail.

 Spider web woven and Fargo roses with bead enhancement complement the bottom corner.

Got the idea for this seam from my friend Kathy's site, it was perfect for this area of the block.

The button trail starting at a junction that needed diverting. Also a spray of beaded flowers with a feather stitch vein.

 And the many lace flower motifs I have, hand dyed to suit the block perfectly.

I only have one more set to work on, ya hoo.

Arlene

More wonderful gifts unwrapped.....




Day 15 - Xmas Bowl

Day 16 - Wonderful little Santa bouncy stand up gadget. Don't ya just love him....

Day 17 - Xmas Ordy - for some reason this was upright, and now it's on it's side....

Day 18 to 20 - Dish, Xmas tin and choccies. Again this photo was up the other way, but blogger brings it in this way and I can't change it.

Anyway - Thanks Gai.

TTFN

Arlene

Kathy's Basically Beaded block

This is a stunning block, the work that Kathy put on her block before we all started is just amazing.

Trying to keep up to this standard was going to be a challenge, which of course I was preparing myself for since Kathy posted pictures of it on her blog a couple of months ago.

This is the block now, after my work.  I have detailed my work below.

So my ideas were to add some of the pearls my hubby's aunt had given me, added to it some clear crystal seed beads and creamy tear drops. I was also given a lovely pink shell necklace, so pulling it apart I made the three pink flowers.  I also had some earrings from my mum when she passed away 12 years ago, I will never wear, so I've made a lovely motif for the corner with one set and the center is from another set, I've kept one for my own blocks.

Kathy didn't want a lot of lace on her block, but if we were to add it, it had to be white, so I emailed her to get permission to add a piece of hand dyed (by a friend) a lovely strip that I made into a flower, (thankfully Kathy allowed me to add it).  I then added another pearl to the centre and some lovely soft pink seed beads around it. I then enhanced the petals with the same seed beads and crystal double cone shaped beads in clear pink. I think it works well. 

So now I have finished both the Basically Beaded RR blocks that I have and now will post off to Diane in the new year.

Now to work on the two English Garden blocks I have.

TTFN,  Arlene

Basically Beaded - Megs Block

What a joy it was to work on this block, I love blue so this was such a pleasure. Meg I hope you like my work.
This is the photo of my work with Peggy's. My work is the blue flower motif and the seam below (not the yellow beads) I enhanced the seam with more beading.

Below are close ups of my work.

I added a lovely clear butterfly and all the silver beads to the motif.

I then enhanced this lovely seam of yellow beads with clear scallops and light blue spokes on the inside. I also added light blue stems for my clear flowers.

TTFN

Arlene

More Xmas swap gifts from Gai

I love Christmas, as opening gifts everyday leading up to Xmas is such a treat. I have unwrapped wonderful gifts from Gai, thanks. Here are the last 12 days worth.

Santa is suppose be facing up right, but for some reason blogger won't put him in the right way.

TTFN

Arlene

Oh...... it's a dog's life

Rosey loves lying on her back, this happened the other day, she's taken over my banana lounge....... All she needs now is the bikini.......

TTFN
Arlene

Time to open the pressies....

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was part of this swap last year, well now I get to open the 25 pressies.  Here are no 1 and 2 from Gai.

Yummy Belgian Chocolates

And you can never have enough pins, I'm forever looking around for more.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TTFN
Arlene