Crossings

A Zebra is just a little ‘donkey with striped pyjamas’ we were told as children, but  on closer inspection, one cannot but  notice how strong and regal they are /how lovely with their stripes. 

No wonder they ‘’use the word Zebra for safe pedestrian crossings’’ all over the world. It is often the first wild animal  that gets imprinted in a small child’s mind – Zebra, as that  is what they hear when they are pushed in a pram across them.

In my love for African animal print, I have made quite a few bags and here is one of them with the Zebra print!

Happy safe crossing into your world of Craft  -

 Happy Crossing into a new month / season!

Luvvies

Blue Moon

Last night was Blue Moon

and we managed to get a glimpse of it when the clouds allowed it. Lovely! I sang the song for my grand daughter (I make up my own words after the first few lines as I do not really know the words, but she enjoyed it anyway – like a real 13 year old that must be thinking Nan is a bit coo-coo and touched by the ‘Moon’. In between I managed to crotchet some blue flowers as inspiration of the experience and memory!

Here is shopping bag all in the most beautiful blue ‘South African sis' material. The material  is usually used for the making of long skirts and you can buy it in panels ready to cut..

 I have had this bag now for about 4 years and it is still as strong as ever. It has been all over the world and everywhere I go people admire it.

 Once again, made by my sister Clarissa Rudd from Jeffreysbay. I make a  lot of bags, (see my Face book page)but not like this -but the patience she put in with all her embroidery and detail into this bag still amazes me.

Life is like that – like a bag.  All of us are different ones. Different colours / designs / motives / material, but each bag is unique and special.  Which bag are you? Do tell!

Happy Crafting and find out which ‘’bag’’ you are in life!

Luvvies

In the Pink

I just  love the colour Pink (like I say about all other colours!) What would life and love be without vivacious lovely colours to cheer us up and carry us on their bright roads.

At the moment I do not like Pink in particular – I looked in the mirror this afternoon and saw two little Pink cheeks (more to the red side) staring back at me. I have been looking after the little toddler(19 months)  again and he had his Nana  running around for 3 solid hours before he eventually……flaked out. Now all that is left from our rendezvous are my red /Pink cheeks and I look more like a chubby dolly with too much rouge on her cheeks…to make matters worse, I pressed some wrong buttons on the PC which made me more flustered!

.Our lives are not always like that – in this ‘’out of breath stage’’,  the Pink was a frightening sight! I realised how unfit I am and that I should be doing something about it. So, on my exercise bike I will jump (tomorrow is another day...)and cycle a bit. Maybe on our next rendezvous my face will stay intact and I will be more like a dignified English Rose!

When we admire things from afar, we often do not see and appreciate the detail it contains. Thanks to the wonder of photography this detail can be brought to everyone all over the globe and not only the people in my lounge with this lovely work of art.

Here, in the PINK,  another master piece made by my sister Clarissa Rudd from Jeffreysbay. The patience of a saint, the eye of an artist, the love of  crafting, every stitch is made and stitched with precision and love to be admired for generations to come.!

Happy crafting with :-

The patience of a saint, the eye of an artist!

Luvvies

Monday Bank Holiday

I trust by now all have enjoyed a lovely August Monday Bank Holiday, yesterday. Even the rain could not put a damper in this household where I was looking after a toddler (19 months) and 3 lively teenagers! For those across the oceans-enjoyed  Happy Monday working?

Not much was done in the crafting department, but I did however, manage to finish one beanie that has been  on the do list to finish for ages.  Whilst baby was trying to grab the crochet needle and running away with the wool and I try to concentrate above the X-box……Soon baby fell asleep and I could manage to work fast like Flash Gordon.

at last!! – the flower was finished and sewn on and I could sit back with a nice old British cuppa to think how lovely it is to work in chaos like this.

Chaos made up with laughter (and fighting and screaming) but to know there is love around. Sometimes in life we do not always appreciate what is happening at a particular place in time-it may not cater for our needs, but it is necessary in daily life.

 Enjoy the chaos sometimes, but enjoy the pleasures that come with it. What is more rewarding than a toddler falling asleep in your arms after making you run around (and at my age it can be a bit of an exercise!).

Enjoy life and happy crafting in the chaos sometimes!

Luvvies 

Home is where the heart is

The saying goes : An Englishman’s home is his castle. As my house is not a castle, my home can be anywhere where my heart is. How easy it is to get too attached to the brick and mortar and just live for that. I have read about houses that burn down and then the owners commit suicide, as it was all they ‘lived’ for. I personally find that very sad and lonely. And I quote:

Happiness resides not in processions and not in gold;

 the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul : 

DEMOCRITUS

And that is where one’s home should be. Inside  bubbles of happiness inside the soul.. My heart is so at home when I sit and knit somewhere under a beautiful tree or out in a garden full of nature’s wonders. As my home is in my heart it is always with my family /friends, and that can be anywhere in the world.

Home under the bright stars when you gaze up and identify the stars with a loved one, home walking next to the beach and leaving footprints in the sand and the foam playing round one’s ankles.

Here is a lovely cross stitch my sister Clarissa Rudd from Jeffreysbay made for our family way back in 1988. It goes with us wherever we move and could be at home anywhere in the world.

Let your home be in your heart – 

in anything you do and make and happiness will be there too!

Happy crafting this coming week, whatever craft you are doing and let it be inside your heart! On this lovely note I have one more quote:

Happy travelling to the home of your heart

Luvvies

Forgiveness

How easy is it to make a mistake. It is the way we handle the mistake afterwards that routes the way it takes. To obtain complete forgiveness, one has to be humble and admit wrongdoing.

When I knit and make a mistake and the pattern goes wrong, I have options : pull out and start over again, if it does not work. Ask for someone who knows better than you….to show the correct way of doing and ‘forgive’ yourself for not knowing how, but in the same breath strive to find the correct way.

Our lives are like that too. Sometimes we make mistakes totally innocent. It is only when the mistake is pointed out to you that you realise that you have made it. It is so humble to admit it then, ask forgiveness and start over again. Study the mistake in a positive way , handle the situation in a positive creative way and forgiveness will / should fall into place.

A mistake is often displayed with an ‘X’ sign.  (Remember those tests at school....) Cross-stitches are also done in little ‘X’’s. So what better way to see an ‘X’ changed into something delightful,  like these my sister Clarissa Rudd from Jeffreysbay made…More little angels to fly by and tap us on the shoulder to say we are forgiven……

Try and forgive yourself and those around you today for all kinds of mistakes and when forgiveness overtakes, it will add meaning, beauty and goals to your life!  The mind will have no time for the negative and can start being more creative in a positive way !

Happy crafting this weekend and remember, forgive those little mistakes, we are just human after all!

Luvvies

Give me peace…..

Oh that lovely feeling when you know you do not have to get up when you wake …that feeling that you do not have to do anything but slip into a state of oblivion (with a cup of tea)..When last did I have that pleasure?  Hmm I cannot remember as there is always something to see /read or do.

I think I will make time for some ‘time-out’ tonight as I feel like the roller-coaster ticket of life I am using  at the moment is a never ending stopping ride. Just to sit back and close eyes to take in some oxygen for my tic toc brain – meditate with a cuppa in one hand and do nothing! And then to dream about the Bank Holiday that is coming up on Monday. I worked till late last night and up early this morning to do more work, so I do need some time off that roller coaster!!!

We all need a ‘time-out’ time of peace and tranquillity. Even if it is just sitting alone and relax! Nobody talking to you (not even your angels) just you and your own mind. This way one can revive the old self and get fresh ideas for life. Ideas about  a new wardrobe / a new garden layout or just a new craft project. This ‘time out’ allows you to get revived!

Here is a bag I made of a South African bird. The picture speaks for itself – calm and peaceful.. cool blue water. Lovely water lilies….so a happy place to be –Life is like that too. Enjoy the moment before you start thinking about the snake/crocodile  that could eat the bird or an eagle swooping down and end this tranquillity for ever.

Happy Crafting with a new refreshed inner peace and tranquillity after an hour of ‘time-out’ and you will go a long way!

Luvvies

Angels….

When I think of angels, I think of my loving sisters. How lovely it is to have someone so close to you- real angels! We all need angels in our life. ‘’Angels’’ to talk to. to give daily guidance and support.. They can come in the form of a friend /relative/blog/daily reading or anybody that takes the time if possible , to listen to you and hear what you have to say. Each person is special enough to have an opinion.

  Words to encourage you when you are down. A loving touch if your soul is weary. Apart from my daily angels in the form of friends and my sisters, I also have the little gnomes in the garden to talk to…… We all love pictures of angels – symbols of  love and help and just ‘’be there’’ No wonder little angels get sewn onto lots of crafts each day all over the world.

Again my angel sister Clarissa Rudd from Jeffreysbay exceeded herself with this lovely wall hanging of angels. The detail is just too beautiful not to love and appreciate. When I look at it, I wonder if she was thinking about us sisters when she made it? Each individual, yet together with mom looking on? Any case enjoy and love it as much as I do!

Get an angel in your life today and feel the difference! Let her guide you, make you reach your daily goals / let her help you aim high / even cyber friends sometimes can be there acting as angels.  

Happy Crafting my Cyber Angel!

Luvvies