Author Archives: paulainauckland

You Can Quote Me

Posted in grateful, OLW, You Can Quote ME by

Continuing with the One Little Word theme, here’s another thing that helps me hold onto that Serene feeling.

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So many times I’m guilty of looking over the fence or concentrating on something that is annoying me. I don’t look for the good, yet as soon as I do, the annoying thing slides away into a smaller, manageable portion (yes, even the Screaming SO-Much-Taller-Than-Me-Now Teen). Keeping a gratitude journal helps, so I can totally recommend that to anyone. Look for something that makes you smile – little things like butterflies on flowers, rain for your garden, a pen that is where you left it – these all count. Big  stuff? Of course it counts, but the reason it’s big is because it’s not frequent enough to feed your soul.

Focus on the little stuff. The little good.

BONUS task – we did this for a couple of summers and it spreads the message. I brought a cheap canvas & some Thickers, altho if your penmanship is good use that. I stuck on “Grateful” and “Summer year/year” and EVERYONE who walked through our front door had to write something they were grateful for. Everyone. Kids, adults, couriers, tradesmen. It’s so cool to look back at the things the kids were grateful for (altho I couldn’t agree with some of the music choices!) but everyone got into it. I need to resurrect that. Maybe in my office? Hmmm…

WIP Wednesday & WIPocalypse for February

Posted in freebies, Mirabilia, Smalls SAL, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

February 4 – Topic: How do you overcome that feeling that you’re in a rut with a particular project?

Right. Onto the hard stuff already, Melissa? Meanie.

In all honesty, I don’t do rut treatments very well. In the past, they’ve just gone into the UFO pile (altho there is actually only four pieces in that pile). I tend to fad about a piece and LOVE IT SOOO MUCH that it has to be finished, right then & there. Mostly, my 2014 choices reflect that. I got a heap of stuff completed & only left two major starts unfinished. One, because it’s my “hospital” piece – Mirabilia’s Mediterranean Mermaid – & I only work on it when Mase is hospitalised. The other – for some reason I got discouraged with Stargazer. I think it’s her hands – they look so awkward.

However, for all that gloating, I didn’t touch Teresa Wentzler’s Tapestry Cat. At All. Not even to get it out of the storage container it lives in. I think it must be the perceived difficulty & fiddly bits – I love the image and the colours and the work I’ve done so far. I know that if I just pull it out, and start stitching, I’ll fall back in love with it – after all, that’s worked with Stargazer. She languished for about four months until I packed her, and only her, as my “entertainment” for our family holiday early in January. Since then, I’ve worked almost exclusively on her. I guess forcing myself on something makes me appreciate it. Like doing the dishes – a clean kitchen is a beautiful thing. Or laundry – folded piles & clothes on hangers almost make it worth the repetition.

Anyway. Regular blog readers (hey!!) have seen a few other things & today I have two more to share. First is Blackbird Designs freebie Souvenir de France. I had planned to stitch this for Si’s birthday (whenever he sees a shot of the Tower he comments “been there”. It’s very annoying sometimes) but now it’s intended for someone else. I need to finish it this weekend – this is at about 6 hours stitching so even with variegated thread (one stitch at a time) it’s a quick stitch. 25ct natural Lugana & DMC 99, in case you care. I’m thinking of maybe washing it in cold tea to age it a little – what do you think? Link to get the chart is here: http://blackbird-designs.blogspot.co.nz/2009/05/souvenir-de-france.html

Second is about three hours of lettering – I am not in love with lettering at the best of times – of the Joan Elliot SAL (26ct cream Linen, lettering changed to DMC 311 as black looks too harsh). I also need to have this done over the weekend. Then I need to suss something out for Si. Perhaps something English? Help!

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EXTRA EXTRA craft all about it

Posted in embroidery, freebies, grateful by

 

Yeah, I know. Cheesy title. But important topic!

 

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll know that this year is a big anniversary of World War One. You probably saw the amazing ceramic poppies that cascaded out and filled the moat of the Tower of London. Now’s your chance to contribute to a NZ version.

Download the PDF here http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/knitting-patterns.pdf – all instructions are included.

 

For the empire and for freedom, we all must do our bit, the men go forth to battle, the women wait and knit”

Lady Annette Liverpool

 

Orient SAL

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From today I will be joining in with the Polstitches SAL for the Joan Elliot piece “Spirit of the Orient”. This is a design my friend Lynne loves and she hooked me in (it wasn’t hard; there are some aspects of the design I really like and was planning to “lift” for Smalls). I also have some gorgeous beads that I want to incorporate. Being late I don’t have any of the Polstitches fabric so will just be using plain Lugana. However I personally think this design is detailed & will pop better on plain fabbies anyway. I haven’t yet gone over to the dark side of dying fabrics – with the noteable exceptions of Stargazer (she had to be at late Twilight) and Mermaids of the Deep – which is a chart I still have to get my hands on but am already planning for a very similar colour to Stargazer.

Hope you approve, Jennie! x

 

I have the hangover

Posted in books, grateful, music, OLW, playlist by

& I’m not just talking the movies or the one you earn by drinking. This is the post-migraine, kids being merciless, lack of true sleep, stressors still present hangover. This is what I wanted to avoid with my OLW.

But I won’t go into too much, as the main stress is a relation; let’s look forward to the new week.

  • The kids go back to school – all 3 of them!!!
  • It’s only four days of work this week – Friday is Waitangi Day, which is our supposed Foundation day (but I won’t go into that too much either).
  • I found Alison Weir’s Elizabeth of York on CD, so have lots of interesting listening to help me thru the mundane stuff at work (and it drowns out Hamish’s radio, which is tuned to the Rock).
  • I spent some time with my gf Emma’s cats this weekend, as she is away. Kitty cuddles can be lovely.
  • I had a good walk this morning with Z. I think we are listening to a Michael Morpolgo novel to/fro from work this week; review from Z later on (first kid post on the blog; be afraid as he uses longer words than I do!).
  • The Joan Elliot Spirit of the Orient SAL starts Tuesday, NZ time.
  • The February prompt for One Little Word should be up later today. Homework!
  • I won a download of the new Edge Kingsland CD, Seven Days. It’s an interesting piece of work, as each track is based upon the 7 Days of Creation. I love Day 5, Crash & Collide. Thanks, Dan @ LifeFM.Edge Kingsland Seven Days

The album is a whopping ten bucks – great value for money. Lydia Cole’s is the shortest at 3:22 and that’s still a minute longer than most radio plays.

Fiat lux. Let there be light.

With one phrase, the existence of our sphere began.
The creation poem of Genesis illustrates the magnum opus of God’s artistry.
From the void our world is crafted, in explosions of colour and seismic shifts.
The blank canvas of the universe is traced with stars and a vast roadmap of planets.

But creation is not just a moment in time. It is an endless cycle.
The artist joins the arc of creation when he stares down a blank canvas.
The musician tackles the void with every note and verse.
Seven Days is our attempt to join the creation story. It’s a journey that sees songwriters collaborating with writers and visual artists, creating their interpretations of each of the days of creation.

www.lettherebelight.co.nz

Making: January

Posted in Uncategorized by

I love these illustrations – and the honesty. Letting go of the “has to be perfect” mantra is also something I find hard. Except in hand stitching; the only place I follow an Amish mantra where they deliberately make a mistake, as only God makes things perfect. However I rarely “deliberately” make a mistake. It’s more along the lines of “oops” and then “oh well, that will still work”. 🙂

clspillane's avatarcortney paints

Every year, instead of making a resolution, I choose a word and let that word infuse my whole year.  This concept came to me from Ali Edwards.  She’s the creator of the on-line class One Little Word.  You can read for days about this project here.  I’ve had a word for the past five years: focus, unruffled, dare, effort, and one I cannot remember because I didn’t document it at all.  This year my word is: MAKE.  It is an action-packed, externally-focused, see-results kind of word (unlike focus, unruffled, and dare).  It is an extension of 2014: effort.  I really tried to find a word that embodied the create-more-than-I-consume mantra.  Make is just simpler.  So, I intend to make something creative or make progress on something artful every day, including a weekly prize-type thing.  “Thing” is a vague description, I know, but I want these prizes to be varied. …

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You Can Quote Me

Posted in books, OLW, You Can Quote ME by

More that relates to my OLW, serenity

OLW power

this is a reminder to me that I can walk away. I can chose to un-follow, to un-friend, to correct my behaviour & responses.

I have just finished Unbroken (love it still) and am moving one to Gretchen Rubin’s books, starting with Happier at Home. Not sure what fiction I will read, as M starts back at school next week so it will be a lot of picture flats. Lots of non-fiction recommends running around (feel free to link to my Goodreads and make some suggestions) but I am in a bit of a book coma from these last two being so, so good.

WIP Wednesday & the Smalls SAL update AND the new hotel for Travelling Bunny

Posted in Mirabilia, Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

Is that a contender for longest blog title ever?

I am rocking along with Stargazer. Last night’s progress wasn’t as much as hoped as I tried a couple of different beads for the swag (froggy came a courting) then settled on Kreinik #4 002. It’s more subtle than I wanted but gold beads are too much, and neither 00150 or 03050 or 03014 looked right. The front (white/lilac) part of the skirt is still to be beaded (I will likely use 03044 here) but I had to move onto the threads again as was watching NCIS season 12 kick off here. It’s the first time I’ve pulled that show apart while watching and I hope my love affair with it isn’t waning.

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For Smalls (hosted by Stitching Lotus, link here:  http://stitchinglotus.ca/2015-sal/  ) I managed not one, but TWO pieces. First was of course, Travelling Bunny. I used Anne’s finishing technique to complete him, and I’m really happy with how he turned out.

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Second was a colour conversion of Not My Circus, which is on my filing cabinet here at work. It isn’t properly laced as I am looking for that perfect Monkey or Circus button or brad to add to it but it serves the purpose as a reminder not to get caught up with other people’s dramas here at work, no matter how entertaining they might be. If you want a copy of my stitching notes, including colours, please flick me an email at paulainauckland at gmail dot com & I’ll get it out to you. I’m really happy with the tones that progress down the word Circus. REALLY happy.

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Next month’s Small should be the Lizzie*Kate Stitching Forever piece, as I picked up the chart on a quick visit to Ribbon Rose last week. I’m planning on incorporating some of the jewel threads that Gladrider sent me this month to illuminate it. Yummy!

Now, the last thing is to announce where Travelling Bunny is heading off to! I got lots of lovely comments – awesome to have contact with people who have stitched him in the past and are still following him – and seven entries. Drumroll please…Bunny is heading off to Stephanie42! You’ll be able to catch up with him here: https://stephanie42.wordpress.com/

Congrats Stephanie – check your email later on today!

Manic Monday

Posted in DIY home, sport by

yesterday was not. It was Auckland Anniversary day (Happy Birthday, we’re 175 – which will make anyone English snort with derision) and “Strayla” Day (Australia, but I’ve helped you out with the correct pronunciation, you’re welcome) & chez ours is having a lazy day.

We are about 50% thru painting the fences; the front door area is revived with grey pavers replacing the indoor tiles at the entry. No more slip & slide, sorry. My shoulders & legs are killing me (walking like a sailor who has just hit land after 20 years away, on a roll) and everyone had enough. Z & I watched the NFL Pro Bowl all afternoon and jointly sulked that the Super Bowl is on while school/work pulls us away.

I didn’t clean the tank – but I found the Black Line Flying Fox. I had thought both of these had carked it two weeks ago (the first one lasted 2 days before I lost sight of it). It is all by itself an excellent cleaner-upper of the algae. I need more fish tho as the tank looks empty with the main school being the Lemon Tetras. All will have to wait as I have multiple sets of school fees to pay this week. Wah!

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Playground Progress

Posted in DIY home, house - gardens by

We are motoring along with the back yard, now that Si is better. The fence panels are getting to second coat, the playground is connected (complete with flying Fox, sorry neighbours but you’re welcome to play too), both water barrels are connected (this is so I can water the garden and fruit trees for free) and we are painting the timber for the screening panels. One garden bed is together and I need to get the garden mix in time for some winter crops.  I also need more bricks as I think that will look nicer than plain concrete for the mowing strip.
Today I’m really happy (albeit covered in black fence paint) and it’s not even nine thirty.

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