O.A.S.S. ...

Yesterday I got my parcel for the Once a Season Swap; the season being Summer. My parcel came from Tracey . So I excitedly opened up the post bag... and what a lovely surprise! My parcel was wrapped in fabric which featured bathing boxes! And you know how cute I find them :-)

When I unwrapped the fabric, this is what I found...

This was the front of the lovely card...

Blogger has 'decided' that this photo should be rotated, despite all my efforts :-( But as you can see, it is a lovely mug rug. It will be great to replace the cardboard coaster which sits on the coffee table, with this beauty.

Some chocolates... (DH is very pleased :-)lol  )

And then I wondered what the folded item under the chocolates was, so I unfolded it to reveal....

This wonderful summer themed wallhanging; all beautifully appliquéd and quilted. I was absolutely rapt!

Thank you so much Tracey for being my swap buddy and another big thank you to Cheryll for organising this swap throughout the year.
I have so enjoyed being involved in swaps this year that I've signed up for Sue's first cushion swap for 2013 .  
Registrations for this swap close December 15 and cushions are to be made and posted by January 30. Why not visit Sue and read all the details? I've found being part of swaps this year to be very motivating to re-visit old skills or try new ones! 

Markets and swaps...

These 2 things have been to the fore in my life lately and what a lot of fun they have been...

The week before last I was able to post off my Advent Swap items to Cheryl and today I got my box of goodies for Advent from Cheryl; 25 parcels! Now I just have to be patient until Saturday, December 1. From that day I'm able to open one little parcel a day and then for the 25th, there is a special parcel to open! It's like being a child again and it was just as much fun finding/making/buying items for Cheryl :-)

I was actually at the Post Office when I remembered I hadn't taken a photo of the little pile of parcels for Cheryl...so I used my phone to take the photo below...

 The next photo shows my lot of Advent goodies...

Last Friday I posted a parcel to Shez for the OASS (Once a season Swap) for Summer. I again had lots of fun putting together items that represent summer. I had bought some 'tropical fruit' scented handmade soap, which I popped in, some charm squares with a summer theme, some fabric labels in citrus colours and I made an apron and used scraps of fabric from that to make a hexie motif to put on a teatowel. Oh and I also popped in some Guilian chocolate shells...very beachlike! lol

I have some other swaps that must be posted by this Friday ..no photos of them yet as they have to remain secret just that bit longer :-) Now about those markets...

There are so many Christmas Markets around at the moment but one can't get to them all I find! But a friend did email me a flyer for the Markets at Karuna Hospice here in Brisbane. This wonderful place only receives about 50% of its funds from the Government and the much of the rest is made up by the efforts of the group of ladies who make the most exquisite gifts for the markets which are held on 2 days each November. DH and I went last Friday afternoon. The items for sale were absolutely beautiful and, as well, there was one room filled with Christmas cakes and other baking, as well as jams, preserves etc and all beautifully packaged and presented. It was very crowded inside, so I didn't attempt to take photos inside but took photos outside...

The gardens are beautiful at Karuna...

This is where we lined up to pay for our purchases... mine have to be a secret for a bit longer...

DH had a little rest while I shopped...

On the way out of Karuna, we stopped to talk to a friend of mine who was on 'meet and greet duty' at the gate. I noticed that the lady who had been selling raffle tickets inside, was now standing near my friend. I asked DH if he had bought a ticket...he hadn't, so I urged him to buy one :-) Yesterday I got a phone call from Karuna saying that our ticket had won first prize! We picked it up today and they are so beautiful!

Pearls! And they are a blue/purple colour...in other words, my colour!!! lol

(And DH came second in the golf comp on Sunday and won a Christmas ham!!)

On Saturday, I had put my name down to help at the Christmas Markets at our church. First I worked on the parish craft stall, then after a few hours there I went to the table/counter to be the cashier for food and drink sales. Time flew and it was also lots of fun!

This is part of the parish craft stall

People also pay to have a stall

The courtyard area...through the doors is the hall which was filled with stalls..

Some stalls beside the halll

Another view of the courtyard; right at the back is the parish BBQ stall which did a roaring trade...

Some of the stalls in the hall...

Another view of the stalls in the hall :-)

Lynn and Beryl (who was hiding) on the left are 2 stallholders who also go to the Stafford Heights' Markets

So that's just some of the things that I've 'got up to' lately :-)

Good news, a bit of public speaking, a surprise in the mail...what a hotchpotch!

Yesterday I received an email from Karen Croke from K4BN, which contained the most amazingly good news. I had written in a previous post that my knitting group did not win the recent Sunsuper Dreams contest...well yesterday afternoon Karen, (the founder of the group) received a phone call from the organisers of the competition. They had decided to award us a Bonus Grant of $5000, as they felt that the group was a very deserving cause and make a real difference in the community. Sunsuper will also organise publicity for the group as well. So you can just imagine how elated and excited we've all been.

Karen and Peter are both ill with nasty viruses and Karen had a speaking engagement at the City Tabernacle Church here in Brisbane City for this morning. This church is situated in the Wickham Terrace, Upper Edward St precinct of the city and do a lot to help the needy in the inner city. When it became obvious that she would not be able to do the speaking engagement, Karen asked me yesterday morning if I would take her place. As a former teacher and uni student (with all those tutorial presentations etc), I was quite happy to do that for Karen. Yesterday afternoon, I made a Powerpoint Presentation as well as made a folder of  photos of the group and items that have been made and saved all to a USB. I also went through the group's files online, and found an info sheet that just needed a few date and total donations' figures changes and printed off a number of copies for a handout.
And this morning at 10 am I arrived at the hall of the church. I was welcomed and shown around and after morning tea I did my talk. I thought it was a disjointed at the beginning but the seniors' group seemed to enjoy it and found what I had to say about the group informative. I think we will get some donations of knitted and crocheted items from the way people spoke after the talk.

All set up ready to go after morning tea. I didn't expect that there would be a data projector; the church even had a laptop I could have used but I had brought my own. The photos filled the screen when  I  pressed 'play' so everyone got a good view. (And I got the timing of the slides just right for once )

Now the surprise in the mail... I've written about the shawl that I made for the Once A Season Swap, well on Monday I got a parcel from the lady who was matched up to send to me. (In this swap, the person who sends you a gift is different from the person to whom you send a gift) Sue, from Quiltedhugsandothernonsense, was my (Incoming?) swap partner and this is what I found in my parcel...I felt very spoiled! Thanks so much Sue :-)

A beautiful cushion cover, needlework/sewing kit

The sweetest 'cotton reel fabric' was used

The back of the cushion; more lovely fabric with a beautifully sewn, button up  closure.