Friday flaunt

I have nothing to show personally - sewing and relaxation have ground to a halt, partly due to being back at school, but mainly due to trying to come to terms with Steven possibly needing more chemo - we will know more when he has another PET scan in early August.

I would, however, like to show you some fabulous things Steven has made for me recently.

My Year 12 students have to photograph their completed food items as part of their SAT. The better quality the photos, the better they can show their achievements. Usually, schools use foamcore sheets held together with velcro. Steven decided this was too shabby, so he designed and built this fabulous portable photo box. Above is what it looks like when packed up......

and here it is all ready to make their food look as beautiful as possible. He has an amazing brain and never ceases to amaze me!

If you look back at this post:

http://alstreasures.blogspot.com/2009/03/small-steps-forward.html

you'll notice the lovely sewing box Steven made me to add to my collection.

He decided he wanted to try a special way of labelling it, so has been playing around with sandblasting initials into a brass disc he cut.

When I arrived home from work one afternoon this week, he had succeeded in inserting it in the top if the box:

he had also created one for Lana's sewing box:

I am so lucky to have him in my life - keep your fingers crossed for him please.

Karma Award

I was lucky enough to receive this award from Penny, my special Canadian friend. She is an amazing lady, and I'm proud to be part of her life.


Now, the big decision - who to give the award to.... I need to acknowledge two people who have been true and faithful friends, giving laughs in the good times and support in the bad times.

Firstly, Karen.... she doesn't have a blog, but has become a very special part of our lives - thank you for being such a gentle, funny and inspirational invividual, you darling girl!

Secondly, Julie. Thank you for everything, you clever lady. Your great sense of humour, inspiring work and constant support have been greatly appreciated.

I also want to award the lovely Helen Stubbings. Without Helen organising the fabulous Stitcher's Angel swap last year, I never would have met Karen. Helen is an amazing lady, who is creative, genuinely caring and is always attempting to make the world a better place. She is also a fabulous teacher, being highly organised, professional and supportive of her students.

While I would dearly love to be part of the Stitcher's Angel Swap again this year, we have had disturbing news from Steven's oncologist, so I need to focus on home for a while. Join in, though, as you may be lucky enough to meet a special person like Karen!

Friday Show and Tell

Yes, I know..... I am supposed to be showing you what I have been working on this week.... the problem is, I am making another Springtime mini quilt for Julie and if I post a picture of it, she will get a sneak peek. Now we can't have that, can we!!! The truth is, I fell in love with the one she made, and talked her into doing a swap.

What I CAN show you, however, is the fantastic quilt Penny sent me for the Springtime Swap. She is an amazingly talented lady, having hand painted the ginko leaves and other fabric. It is a beautiful piece and I am a very lucky woman! It is wonderful corresponding with someone on the other side of the world.

I can also show you the fabrics I started cutting up tonight for Rob's 21st quilt.

I am making him "Summer Palace" by Leesa Chandler. Rob's favourite colours are red and black (Go Bombers!) We've added some gold fabrics as well. I'm hoping by getting it organised now, I can have it completed for his birthday in December. I'll keep you posted.

May and June finished projects

Life has been a little hectic, so I neglected to post completed work for the last two months. To get myself up to date, I'll do a combined post, I've decided!My gorgeous friend, Karen, sent me a "Recipe for Friendship" charm square pack as a surprise. I decided to create a little bag for each of us, based on a bag my mate Judy had. They were relatively quick to make and turned out quite successfully, I think!

Over the last few months, I've made a few cards......

While I don't have time to make special gifts for friends' birthdays, I like to at least give them a hand made card. Some of these designs have been provided by very talented people like Diane and others from their blogs. I enjoy setting up my Cricut and Cuttlebug and seeing what is created.

I completed my offering for Spring Blooms........

And some ATCs:
I created the first one for my groups "What colour are you today" swap in May, just after Steven received his PET scan results - he is in remission, but there is a likelihood that the cancer may recur. This may help explain the mix of colours and emotions stamped on it.



June's swap title was "In the middle of......." Well, it HAD to be reports, didn't it!




The last ATC was a set of "Noughts and Crosses" I made for the June no theme swap. I received amazing cards back in return!



I have a nasty feeling that I have forgotten something.... never mind - if I think of it, I'll post later.