"Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all" Douglas Adams

Saturday 29 August 2009

Pussy Cats and Bunny Rabbits

We're having a bit of a problem with an univited guest coming and eating all of Harry and Gingers food. The biggest problem is because the boys are getting on a bit they are on some super dooper food that is super dooper expensive! lol!


The council and the SPCA only have one trap each for the whole of the city and so we'll keep on feeding the unwelcome guest until we can deliver him to the SPCA, (we've called him Head because his head seems unnaturally large) Luckily he's quite a quiet and polite cat, so there's no fighting and no noise.


And Bunnies.

I've been playing with making up a bunny rabbit. This is the 2nd one. I love his pompom tail. I've popped him into Andrews shop. Just have to think of a name for him now :-)

Happy Saturday!



Tuesday 25 August 2009

Tuesday's Me


Hurray! Tuesday is nearly done.

I find Tuesday a really tough day in a working week, it's not quite the beginning, and it's not the middle, and I'm always really happy when it's finished :-)

I'm dabbling in crocheted yarn jewelry. I make them for myself to wear as something a bit different, you can have a look here and see what you think of the necklace. The one in the picture is a more wrap around one. I wear one with pink flowers on it and I get lots of comments.
Last night I was working on some granny square circle things (not sure if they have a name) and was having real problems deciding on how they could go together and make something functional. I brought them to work to see what the team thought, and the answer? I'm going to make a table mat/runner thing - how kitsch is that! :-)

Andrew has been a bit slack with the blogging and the sewing :-) I have opened him a shop here http://www.shophandmade.com/Store/Stitchnkitsch and if I can find the charger for my camera I'm going to put some of his little animals on it tonight and I'll add his link to the blog as well so you can track his progress. I've heard it's quite a good little shopping place, so if he goes well there I might join him :-D
Hope your week has started well!

Sunday 23 August 2009

Sushi



The fab new machine has shown it's worth.

It is easy to use, quite a bit of fun, and the sushi looks and tastes just like a bought one! We went for a classic smoked salmon and avocado filling. This lot is boxed up ready for lunch tomorrow, and with a squirt of wasabi it really does look like it comes from a shop :-)

We also made ministrone soup for tea, and yummy Anzac buscuits for morning teas. So, with all of this cooking and baking there hasn't been much sewing or crocheting. Andrew is planning on finishing one of his cushions tonight and has said he'll come by to show it off and wax lyrical tomorrow :-)

Saturday 22 August 2009

Pukekos, Frocks & Divas


Wow! What a very cool Saturday its been.
I made a Pukeko and listed him on my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29675403
We had a lovely long lunch and then spent the afternoon at the theatre watching Tarnished Frocks and Divas. It covered the 20's 30's 40's 50's and 60's, the songs and the fashion. Fabulous entertainment and a great celebration of women and frocks, and even better the money goes to the breast cancer charity :-) http://www.tfandd.co.nz/
I thought I might try making a kiwiana part of my shop, hence the Pukeko. I might try a Kiwi (the bird) tomorrow, I have some nice brown yarn that would work great, the beak might be a challenge though, the Pukeko's one was pretty tough, and took 3 goes so it didn't totally look like a duck! :-) I've tried the Koru, I think I can perfect that, and my sisters friend suggested making quite big ones for decoration, which is something to try. And I also want to make another fairy, which isn't kiwiana, I just like them.
It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so it'll be a great craft day, Andrew is talking about getting the sewing machine out. We also will have 'take 2' of making sushi rolls, 'take 1' wasn't a huge success; mainly because the rice was still a bit hard, and secondly because of some problems with the bamboo mat which should be remedied by the fabulous gadget Andrew bought the other day http://www.sushezi.com/ I'll let you know how it goes.

Thursday 20 August 2009

Here we are

First post, hmm, what to write...

Which is funny because I always wanted to be a writer. I actually have the beginnings of a couple of books written, and some chapters too. Then Helen Fielding wrote Bridget Jones and I swear she'd been secretly hacking into my pre-internet connected computer and had read my ramblings.

Anyway, here we are.
We are Andrew and Gill it's Gill writing now. We rent an old farm cottage which we share with two cats, Ginger and Harry. The cottage is on an avocado orchard just outside of Tauranga, New Zealand.

At our place it's just turning into spring and the daffodils down the road are nodding their heads in the breeze and luckily for us since we've run out of fire wood, it's starting to get warm. Though as you can see from the pic of the scarf that I took on Sunday, the trees are still quite bare.

"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze"

Thank you Mr Wordsworth :-) A bit of culture is always nice

I guess I should also tell you that I have a shop on etsy http://www.JacBerKitsch.etsy.com where I'm a member of the Etsy Hookers team, and have just recently decided to give artfire a go as well http://JacBerKitsch.Artfire.com please come along and check out my creations. Andrew is busy sewing away with his pre-loved material and soon JacBerStitch will be ready to go! He has really taken to the sewing machine, which is great since the loom was a bit of a bomb.

We will use this blog to chat about our crafts, things going on with us, our inspirations and things that ring our bell. And you might find that the weather pops in every so often, as I've heard that some international visitors comment that people who live in New Zealand quite like to talk about the weather. Well, I suppose Crowded House, did have hits with 'Weather with You' and 'Four Seasons in One Day' so maybe they have a point :-)

And if you're still reading I am honoured, thankyou. Please come back regularly and check us out.