What's On Your Workdesk, Wednesday?

It's week 291 at WOYWW and also the last post for 2014, so I couldn't not post to Julias group sharing their desks.  Hard to believe isn't it, another turning over....so here's wishing each desker a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR - good health, peace, safety and happiness oh yes and some crafting fun. As I write this we have and hour and a half to midnight and I'm enjoying a cider.  Here's a pic of my table today...I'm on holiday but have a few supplies with me and enjoyed a quiet hour or so this afternoon colouring in there images. Thanks for visiting, you can join in too - find out the details here.

Cheers Robyn

Your thoughtfulness touches my heart

OMG where did this card come from....

2 hours ago I was saying how my mojo was on holiday and then I started checking blog challenges and there you go....I was inspired by the three options at Inspired by Stamping IRSIC#89.  I used the floral stamp from the IBS Aster set and coloured it with Distress Inks. Then as I have limited supplies with me I created the 'gingham' background with a stencil and the other background pieces with stamps and ink and used the layout design and colour theme too.

Thanks for taking a peek Robyn

 

Friday Smiles

Happy Friday Smiles everyone - this week we are visiting our kids and staying at our home in Townsville where  our son lives...it's hot and humid. I'm always eager to visit and catch up with gorgeous GD Sophie - here she is eating watermelon for the first time (she has a thing about bibs at the moment and is wearing 5 in the pic)

...And then there's our garden. It's all very green and lush, not too many flowers in bloom but I wanted to share these six photos..

This is our stand of banana trees

And these are the bunches of bananas coming on....

ONE

 

 TWO

 THREE (this has just newly popped out this week)

 FOUR

 FIVE

 That is an awful lot of bananas....so my smile is more of a smirk.

We usually trim out the saplings so only one bears fruit at a time...seems like my dehydrating machine will be working overtime in a few weeks.

 Now this is our portable spa...bought it with us this trip and spent the morning, laying some sand, inflating and filling it up, so we can have a dip to cool off (I'm here for 4 weeks). I suppose the bit that has me smiling this week is that now I have to fit into my swimsuit....mmmm

Do you have a smile to share, pop over to Annies blog week 98 and join in the fun and visit the other folk to what has them smiling this week.

And as there will not be a post for next Friday due to Christmas....I want to wish everyone  the very very best for a wonderful Christmas with your families - have a fabulous, relaxing and fun day I now we will be... HUGS Robyn

Our Beautiful World

The theme this week #77 at Our Beautiful World was selected by Kirsty

HEARTS

 I think my photos this week speak for themselves...

 I set my hearts up amongst the Christmas cards that have arrived....

Please pop over to the team members blogs to see their photos for this week 

Kirsty - Handmade Little Things

Ros - Mikey's Mum

Manuela - Elasdistrict

We would love you to join in and post your themed photos with OBW, enjoy your week Cheers Robyn

Gift Box

 I've made this gift box for a special person and will post it to the Scor-pal #11 challenge.

I used cream card to make the top...

 And this gorgeous double sided designer card to make the box...

 and lined the lid with the offcut. 

 Then used a die cut medallion as a base to a punched and embossed flower, finished with a pearl and some leaves.

Thanks for taking a peek Robyn

"More Than One Score" #11 - Anything Goes with Your Scor-Pal (and More Than One Score)

Friday Smiles

Happy Friday visitors and if you're not sure about Sharing a Smile pop over to Annies blog and read all about it, join in too - can't get enough smiles can we. 

 Oh I am smiling this week....YEAH!!!! I've finished my 25 year quilt - I am impressed with myself, now it adorns the spare bed. Also while I had the machine out I made gorgeous GD Sophie two new Christmas outfits...couldn't resist buying more material when it was on half price sale...so needless to say I have enough stashed for next year.

 

We all know how cats like to find elevated perches....well our two have taken to my ironing board which I've had set up in the lounge with all my sewing going on - before I went to bed Thursday night I found them both balanced on the board asleep.

Cheers and enjoy your weekend Robyn

Things are always better with Coffee

 I haven't made too many cards recently with other things occupying my time and the pressure is on as we leave Sunday for Christmas with our family...and I still wanted to play along with Virginia's View challenge #10 - All Things Distressed. So after a big tidy up this morning I got the mojo happening and with inspiration also from the Coffee Lovers Bloghop I have made this card.  I've used a Flourishes stamp and water coloured it with my Distress Inks - I love using them as you can dilute them down or use them straight or mix colours to suit and then until they dry you're never sure how they'll come out. I added some Dimensional Magic to the coffee mug and some glitter glue to the steam.  Then I mounted them on colour matching layers of card and designer paper and distressed all the edges, wrapped a few strands of cream wool and used foam tape to lift the image.  Then I used bits of a number of stamps to create the sentiment.  I'm quite happy with the card and pleased I'm making something other than Christmas.
Thanks for taking a peek, Robyn

  

What's On Your Workdesk, Wednesday?

 Good afternoon fellow WOYWW-ers from stinking hot Gladstone in Australia....had lots of menacing clouds this week and an almighty storm last night so now with the sun out and temps of 39C or 95F it isn't half humid. Worse storms though in Brisbane with golf  ball size hailstone causing millions of dollars damage.
So here is my desk today with little piles of tools and debris about. I have been making a gift box for a special person...that yellow box with the white lid is my prototype and to the right my mostly finished box.  Just trying to decide on a decoration for the top, that's why there is a pile of punches on the left and dies and scissors on my workpad. Also in the middle resting against my caddy is my final tag for Tim H's 12 tags of 2014 - I'm quite pleased that I actually played along each month.

If you'd like to visit other WOYWW 288 desks, please pop over to Julias blog here and read all about it and join in the fun.  A big thank you to everyone who visited my desk last week and left encouraging comments.
 Have a fabulous week Cheers Robyn

Merry Christmas tag

I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself today - as I have completed all 12 tags for Tim Holtz 12 Tags for 2014...a challenge I set myself for the year as the tags he puts up each month are quite out of my comfort zone - also using lots of supplies I don't have, I have had to use my creative/inventiveness to achieve a similar end result.  Now in saying that I have certainly stretched my imagination and really enjoyed participating...so maybe I'll be back next year.
Thanks for taking a peek Robyn

Our Beautiful World

For this weeks inspiration at Our Beautiful World  (#76) the prompt is MARKETS, I have  some fun snaps of a couple of local bush or country markets in our region. Most are just ordinary families 

with a passion for their craft or activity and so hold a stall to sell their products.

A variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables, home grown

 

a few bee keepers selling their honey

 

this one selling Jerky (dried meat)

 

and the growing popularity for Organic grown....preserves here

 

Many stalls selling handmade clothing

 

or imported cheap clothing from Asia.

 

This lady caught my eye - all dresses in red with a fur trimmed hat, she was selling Lemon Curd - YUM!!, Pickled Onions, Honey and fruit jams. She'd parked her van under a lovely shady tree and was selling Bromeliads so of course I had to add one to my collection.

The plant stalls are always an attraction for me

This one was selling Carnivorous plants - very intriguing 

In Australia most towns and cities have a huge variety of markets that are held on a regular weekly or monthly basis and I love to check them all out...my favourite would have to me the Mindal Beach Markets held in Darwin, Northern Territory over the 'dry' season - they have the most amazing food stalls from all over the world.

Hope you've enjoyed my walk through the markets where I live, so please pop over to the Our Beautiful World blog to visit the other team members blogs and their Market photos, we'd also love it if you like to join in and share your photos.

Cheers Robyn 

Friday Smiles

Early Saturday morning hugs from Australia, where we are enjoying some wonderful rain - you can hear it in sweeps as it passes over the house .... and we had a guest for dinner last night and I didn't get to post my pics for Friday Smiles #96......
I'm happy this week because hubby is home from 10 days away working, and he's just cooked me breakfast.
Last week I told you I was on a mission to finish my quilt - I  have had the top pieced together for 25 years and I'm not sure how many years I've made it my New Years resolution to finish...this top and backing and border fabrics have traveled many miles with me....
But great news I'm nearly done
This is the quilt last weekend after I had sewn on the two borders

Here on Monday I started the job of machine quilting ....

Finally yesterday morning I had finished the quilting....

And in the afternoon had the binding on and....

Now I only have to hand stitch the binding.....YEAH YEAH YEAH

So you can just imagine how happy I am - I'll be smiling lots next week when it's finished.

OOOOPS I did have a little accident...don't laugh - I've left my mark for sure at this rental property!!!!

Thanks for visiting and if you'd like to know more and join in - please visit Annies blog  here.

Cheers and enjoy your weekend Robyn

ps..Annie wondered why I was ironing on the floor....I had turned the iron off and was about to use the board to help support all the fabric next to me at the machine and I pulled the cord and the warm iron landed face down on the acrylic carpet, didn’t take much to melt it