~ Just This and That ~

While I still consider myself  very much a beginner card maker I am really enjoying the learning experience and discovering the talents of others.  Just as with stitching,  there are so many very talented people doing wonderful things with cards and albums. I am still amazed by the Internet and how it can connect us with people who share our interests whatever they may be. I have become quite hooked on You Tube where I have discovered I can find so many helpful tutorials which are just great for beginners like me.  Thank you to all the talented ladies out there who are only too happy to share their experience and take the time to make these videos.

I pondered  the idea of starting a second blog for my developing interest in card making and paper crafts.  My friend Mary who is both a wonderful stitcher and card maker  has two blogs - one for her stitching Meakly Mine and another for her card making Meakly Made.  I  decided against it  though and instead will just  post the occasional picture of things I make here on Just Me and My Shadow.

So, here is a card I recently made for a friend who had a special birthday.  My friend is a particularly stylish lady so I wanted to try and achieve something that reflected  her elegance. 

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I wanted to show you this little fellow who was on our screen door the other day.  I think he is rather cute.  I had to try and keep Ben from seeing him though as I didn't want him to be minus a tail!! He is still hanging about and we saw him again earlier on today.  He is around 25cm from head to tail. Not sure what kind he is. 

Someone asked me in my last post if that gorgeous little cottage was my home. No, that cottage  is in Arrowtown, New Zealand and I now live in Australia but it is so darling isn't it. Those gorgeous autumn colours will be starting to happen over there now.

I often refer to the Internet as being' my own private library' so when I found this particular quote today  it seemed to somehow reflect my thoughts even although I don't need to pay for a bus fare or an overdue book.  

"The best of my education has come from the public library... my tuition fee is a bus fare and once in a while, five cents a day for an overdue book.  You don't need to know very much to start with, if you know the way to the public library."

  ~Lesley Conger

Thanks for visiting us.

~ Beautiful Autumn ~

Autumn has arrived here in Australia and although the weather continues to be very hot, I notice today the leaves on the Frangipani are already dropping all over the ground. Poor tree had a hammering this year  by a very severe hail storm we had a few month back and never looked its best after the huge hailstones shredded the leaves.  I love Autumn although sadly we don't get the really beautiful autumnal colours that we used to love so much in New Zealand. I remember going back for a visit a few years ago and being reduced to tears by the very beauty of the gorgeous autumn colours in Central Otago.

Isn't this just the most beautiful sight!!

The start of this year has not been good with the disasters that have struck both Australia and New Zealand and thank you for the comments you left on my blog when I wrote about this. 

 I have not had a lot of stitching to show you over recent months but do check out my good friend Sandra's album to see some wonderful stitching.  She has actually completed the project we did as a SAL last year  and you can see it here in her album!!  Talk about eye candy!!  But then again, everything this girl finishes is a sight to behold!!  While mine lies patiently  in a bottom drawer waiting to be assembled, Sandra was busy working away on her finishing and believe me, there is a lot of work in finishing Abigail Colby's Workbasket and accessories.  Congratulations Sandra on your beautiful finish and I will be happy if 'one day' when I get around to it mine will look half as good !!

I don't know why but  I guess with the bad start to this year I just never got around to posting pictures  to show you what beautiful Christmas gifts I received from my three wonderful stitching friends...so here you go!!

 Diane's gift was beautifully colour co-ordinated. The bag is made from re-cycled water bottles

The chart and matching reindeer buttons Mary sent me are from a local designer, Lynette Anderson Designs and I actually have matching fabric.







Look at this tiny Nantucket basket that Sandra sent, isn't it just the cutest thing.

Pretty lucky aren't I!!!!

My Shadow  is losing his hair like crazy at present....Ben, please do try and 'keep your hair in'  as I have just vacuumed the floors!! Looks as though he thinks it is funny !!

Thanks again for visiting us.

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolour,
summer an oil painting 
and autumn a mosaic of them all"

~ Stanley Horowitz

~ My heart breaks ~

Dear friends, please keep the people of Christchurch and everyone in New Zealand, in your thoughts and prayers after the total devastation,  loss of life and ruin that has beset their beautiful city after yesterdays tragic earthquake.  Beautiful Christchurch.....the city of my birth.

:) Happy Australia Day :)

~ Our Hearts Go Out ~

I have actually had a few attempts at writing this blog post but each time the words I write just don't seem adequate enough to paint a picture of the horror that has beset our State over the past weeks. Queensland has been hit by massive floods with 18 people dead and 14 still missing. Brisbane the States, capital which is 100 kms from where we live has been devastated! We are very fortunate that our family has all been safe with no damage to property but thousands of people have not been so lucky. The resilience of the people of Queensland has been inspiring and although the damage will take years to rebuild the Lord Mayor said today that Brisbane's 'heart is beating again'. Our hearts go out to all those thousands of people affected by this tragedy.

~ And a Happy New Year ~

Image courtesy of French kissed Postcards

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

~ Happy Christmas Dear Friends ~

"May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!"
  ~Author Unknown