~ My Shadow, My Faithful Friend, My Ben ~

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. "
~Gilda Radner

~ A Magic Carpet ride ?? ~

I think my shadow thought so when not seconds after I had put the mat outside to air, he had found it and was looking at me as if to say...

'Thanks Mum, nice of you to put this here for me!!'

Gotta love it!!

We went to the movie 'Marley and Me' the other night. I have to say, I was apprehensive about going after having read the book and knowing how it ended. You could have heard a pin drop in the theatre and I don't think there would have been a dry eye in the place. I cried my eyes out just as I had done when reading the book. I was so glad to come home and be able to give my shadow an extra big cuddle.

I found this photo of him which captures him in full flight and shows his absolute love, enthusiasm and delight in going to the beach.

Yes, there has been a finish this week. Here is 'French Country Dog ', a chart Sandra gave me at Christmas.

I made it into a cushion for the little cane chair I have for my grand daughters. Now, I have two grand daughters, I will try and get another chair and I have another doggy chart in mind to stitch another cushion.
It is already SAL time again, my goodness the weeks are going fast already. better get onto my three hours stitching.

“A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, big or small, young or old. He doesn’t care if you’re not smart, not popular, not a good joke-teller, not the best athlete, nor the best-looking person. To your dog, you are the greatest, the smartest, the nicest human being who was ever born. You are his friend and protector.”

-Louis Sabin

~ Needleroll TLC ~

Anyone who knows anything about Labradors, will know how they love to greet visitors with a 'gift'. For my shadow, the gift is usually a needleroll carefully plucked from the basket of needlerolls which I have on display. It is his way of saying 'welcome, here is something my mum has made for you'. Darling Ben, I am sorry to have to tell you this but no matter how glad we are to see our visitors, I really don't want you to give away my needlerolls. Anyway, after quite sometime of having to retrieve my needlerolls from my beloved shadow's mouth, I noticed some of 'our gifts' where becoming quite.....how shall I put it......grubby!!
I needed to take action and I guess since some of them had been in the basket for several years, a little TLC wasn't going to go astray.

Here are the de-stuffed, washed and out to dry needdlerolls.

A few days later, after being re-stuffed with all new stuffing, attention to their ribbons, and a basket make-over, here are the spruced up freshly smelling needlerolls posing nicely for a photo shoot.

Now to try and teach Ben to 'LEAVE'!!!

Sandra and I are into week 2 of our new SAL and are dedicating three hours stitching a week to it. These are our results so far.

Chrissie's

Sandra's

It is interesting seeing these too different versions, stitched on different fabrics with different threads, taking shape.

"No matter how little money and how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich."

~Louis Sabin

~ A New Year - A New Look - A New Start ~

Since we are into a new year, my Shadow and I thought we might start the year off with a new look to our blog.

The new year also brings a new stitching start. This year for our SAL, Sandra and I have decided instead of stitching ornaments, we are going to do some bigger projects which will obviously take us more time to complete. As we each have other projects we still wish to stitch , we have agreed to stitch a set amount of hours per week on our SAL and our first project is one from Blackbird Designs ~ Autumn Song

It is a Sewing Box and Pin cushion and one I have wanted to stitch for a long time. The box finishing is sounding a bit daunting but we are hopeful that with the encouragement from each other that we will be able to find our way around it. Watch this space :)

These were two little gifts bags I stitched as gifts for Christmas so I can now show them. They are from a Bareroots Especially For You gift bags. I really enjoyed stitching these and giving them 'an ageing'.

Well, I am off now to sit in the air conditioning and make a start on my Autumn Song. It is scorching here in Queensland..... wait while I check the thermometer outside.....37 degrees!!!!! Wheeeeew, that is hot.

My Shadow and I wish you a Happy New Year

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.

~Edgar Guest