Photo competition

PHOTO 1. CHICK KIT

PHOTO 2. CONFUSED DOG

PHOTO 3. TASK WEARY DOG

PHOTO 4 BEGGING DOG

To celebrate my return to blogging, plus a belated 4 year (!!) blogiversary, I have a little bit of fun for you.....

I have chosen 4 photos, and your job is to come up with a suitable caption. (A caption that would lend itself to a card would be especially useful!) You don't have to do all four, just whatever jumps out at you. I have been uploading some of my latest cards to my Tracey's country cards site tonight, a few more to go on there tomorrow. Winners, for each photo, will be chosen on what my judging family think... and emails are welcome if you are blog free. Winners will get to choose 10 of their own favourite cards from the 175 + now on offer and may get a few other surprises as well. I have new gift card packs, and some other lucky enterers, will be chosen randomly for these!! if you send anyone over here, tell them to mention it in their comments and you'll get another entry in the random draw.

You have until Friday to think of something and enter it in the comments under the appropriate number/title (so i don't get confused)!...have fun!

New cards,a prize and harvest already!

Back again, but feeling mighty guilty about this blogging business, there just doesn't seem enough hours in the day anymore! I am thinking, if I am struggling to get round all the other blogs, is it manners to delete mine? But I love the blogworld, -the support, encouragement and connestion -when time allows me...surely things will settle.....What do you think? Leave a comment on this, the cards or anything today...and as a thanks for "hopefully" re-enthusing me you, will go in a little giveaway draw. Gina and lady hopwood know that because I have grand plans, my giveaways don't always get mailed the next day...but I am guaranteeing Christmas delivery for everyone! LOL! i especially feel I owe those 60 or 70 people who statcounter says check in on me everyday!! Thanks..and take the time to comment, or email and you will go in the draw! Just put blog in the email title so I open you!

Weather here is unseasonably hot, looks like it may be 10 days of over 30 degrees and it is still Spring! This means DH is working around the clock, last night he fell into bed after a 39 hour "day'...if that makes sense! Valiantly trying to beat the weather to the hay.

So I am playing the supportive wife and getting back into the harvest swing of being available 24/7 for any job, preferably with food always on the ready!

The card range has grown to 150! These are the new ones added today to the blog site, so feel free to go over and have a look. I did a market on the weekend and sold almost 100, so am busy replenishing! Off to clean enough to "legally and morally" get in some sewing time, just feel like having a sleep on the couch really! Bring on February and the end of harvest...boy, that seems a long long way away! Cheers, Tracey

Granny Goose has received ny washcloth swap parcel so I can show what i sent! Two matching wash cloth/pot holders and the requisite seeds.

I received mine from Oh sew busy, chenille cloths in almost the same colours as I had sent to granny goose1 great minds think alike! The seeds are planted so not in the pic!

Catch you soon, with sewing! Remember to comment to enter, Tracey

Launch of card site and a possible prize!

We at the farm would like to make a BIG announcement!!

As a direct result of the fun I have had on this blog, and the fabulous support and encouragement i have received, I started producing my own cards. I have previewed these many times on the blog.

This little hobby is now rather larger, I'm retailing them around the district and doing regular markets. it has been tricky to show the whole range for those interested so it now has it's own blogspot,

http://countrycards-tracey.blogspot.com/

If you click on this link you can check out the whole 125!!!

As a little taste of what you will see, I have included a few here.

I have no intention of these becoming what the blog is about, other than a link in the sidebar you wont hear much after next week, but it wouldn't be a real launch if there was not a competition. You know I love them!! So pop over to visit and come back and tell me your TOP 5 in these comments. The cards are all numbered so you just need to give the numbers...comments are most welcome as well!! There will be a number of packs of 8 cards, with complimentary gift cards, to win...your choice of card. Winners will be chosen at random by my junior assistants!

As an added launch week bonus, Choose 9 cards at $2 each and I will post them and your complimentary gift cards for only an extra $2 to you anywhere in the world. ..And we are talking Australian dollars people!! Any quantities can be mailed, with deals available for higher quantities....just email me regarding your order.

Competition closes Wednesday, 8th July.

Have fun choosing! Tracey

Of swaps and cards and recipes...

I can share what I sent in my tea swap parcel now, as Belinda has received it. I hope she thought it was worth the wait! Shocking photo, but it was sent before I realised so it will have to do. Belinda has a pic of the stitchery on her blog if you want a better look.

Lots of cards thrown in..and quilty sticky notes-guess whose?? -plus Jodie's tea set pattern and Chicken soup for the Tea lovers soul. Thanks very much to organizer Stephanie at Loft Creations.

Speaking of cards, I am packaging off a few this week to some winner girls who are being very patient!! I had been waiting on new stock and here is some that has arrived...for them and the market i have to do this weekend.

DN is the model...

Gift cards.

And the new thing I am very excited about, promotional posters...thanks to Jodie at Ric Rac who helped me in this direction!! I am going to do the card of DN as a big poster with the verse for my sister, that's one of her favourite sayings.

CUCUMBER CHIPS or Zucchini and cucumber chips...or just zucchini chips! ( Some people call this Pickled zucchini and cucumber.-I see that more as the whole veggie!))
Put in a big bowl ....

3 lbs cucumber (or 3 lbs of mixed), 1 large onion thinly sliced, some diced capsicum, mainly for colour (red) and 1/4 cup salt.

Note: I do all the slicing on my V slicer, makes it nice and quick and uniform. I do the cucumbers, etc on the thicker side and the onions on the thinner side.

Put 3 cups of vinegar, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup water, 1 desertsp mustard seed, 1 teasp celery seed, 1 teasp tumeric, few peppercorns, 1 teasp curry in stainless steel saucepan and bring to boil.
Pour that over the vegies and let stand for 2 hours.

Bring all to boil and put in small jars with metal lids...hot jars, seal hot.

BIG thing...don't boil for long, you want cucumber/zuch still slightly opaque and crispish, not soggy and see through.

Like this!

Hot bottles, sealed hot, so you get the sound of the button clicking and sealing down on your lid.

I would do about 3 times the recipe, with huge zucchinis I often peel them, to stop it being too woody, but make sure I put in some young green ones as well for colour.
Have fun, Tracey

Sorting and keeping memories...

Sorting through your stuff and tidying up for the New Year is great fun and you find lots of great stuff, but it does have it's downside.

My boy and I did his room, finding 3 garbage bags of stuff for new homes and the Op shop.

My girl then caught the bug and has sorted through every shelf and drawer and thrown out about an equal amount.

-And there's the downside...as more and more clothes come flying out the bedroom door to the "no further use" passageway, you really realise they are growing up. We were a bit sad about a lot of the things she had grown out of but at one point we were both standing in the passage holding pyjama leg each and saying, "ohhh, not the Pepe le Pew pj's!!"

I have kept some of her clothes over time for posterity, but couldn't really justify Pepe pj's so I raced over the the sewing room, dug through the chenille stash and put together a little throw... perhaps you should don your sunglasses now!!

Then the design consultant cum pj owner wanted something groovy in the middle, I tried the circles, she said not enough pink, so we have now moved to the pink flower on top!

I like the shabby chenille look, but can't believe how hard it is to make yourself sew the wrong sides together instead of the right. Seemed pretty easy to do that when i was trying desperately...and probably futilely .... to pass sewing class at High School!

Has served 2 purposes, reduced the "sew it...don't find a space for it" stash in the sewing room by another metre and kept a lasting reminder of the pj's. Now how do I just freeze the kids for posterity and stop this rapid growing up???

Jelly wares Jodie was the lucky winner in my comment prize, she had some great recycling ideas for sewers, well done Jodie...and congratulations on the lovely new addition of Millie Rose...my niece shares that beautiful name.

Jodie may get sent some of these folded notecards..

Or even a desk calendar........

.........Which would you like the best????

Off to the beach, have a great day, Tracey

Share your resolutions.....

So, 3 days to the New year again...where did that year go?

I was thinking that I would spring clean in these 3 days...(or should we just call it clean!)

I have a baby nursery filled with sewing stuff, all that needs organizing and putting away in the sewing room...but then the sewing room needs organizing so it can take more stuff. It is NOT conducive to sewing over there, I can work in clutter, but to really create you need some organisation!!

So what did I do this afternoon after getting back from a few days at the beach-organize the old nursery, clean the sewing room ? That would actually be doze (again!) while watching the cricket and supervising a few extra kids in my pool. And aint that cricket breaking my heart-I think I would (almost!) rather clean!! Poor old Australia, i think we are about to enter a rebuilding phase...which is sport speak for "we are about to lose all the time for a few years"!!

So, this got me thinking about New Year's resolutions. I like New Year's resolutions...they are kind of like that perfect storage container I often dream about-the attainment of organized perfection!! And I think we are all allowed to dream...

So, I am having a little comp. (that will just about be my 350 post blogiversary).

Share with me what you resolve to do in the New year (...even if it is just keep waking up in the morning!!!) for the chance to win stuff that could include...

some of my latest cards...and quilty magnets....

perhaps a calendar, or something sewn...or all combined-you will have to wait and see!

I made this little boy purse this morning, boy's need purse's too, it just needs a snap or zip. I found the fabric somewhere on line for just about no money and I love it!

You have until New year's day Australian time to contribute your resolution, have fun! Tracey

Surprise mail, markets and gardens.

Oh, I wish you were here to hear the beautiful melody of heavy rain on the roof! There is no sound better with late crops that haven't yet seen a shower and only about half an inch of rain all spring! It is forecast to be on and off all week so we are hopeful.

I have another piece of excitement tonight! Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville has written a book that is completely my thing, about recycling shirts to make fabulous quilts...and the way the world is at present that is sounding better and better!

I was intending buying it, then our dollar dropped overnight and I decided to perhaps wait a while,but, lo and behold, in the mail, this appeared!

THE BOOK!!!

And it is fabulous, but I couldn't work out who it was from, Bonnie inscribed it from 'your secret swap partner', I thought maybe it was her, but she assures me it is not! I so love a mystery and can't believe someone has found the perfect thing for me, I feel like Diane Keaton in "Something's got to give"..when she says about Jack being a person who actually "gets" her!! So thank you secret swap buddy, I really appreciate being "got'!! My only fear is that i was meant to keep it until Christmas but I didn't know it was a gift and there was no wrapping, so I will just maintain mystified and thankful..and as I told Bonnie...it aint coming back!!

Huge week, as usual of late it seems, tomorrow I am hoping to do the rounds of a blogline list that I gave up checking when it hit 1000! I envisage lots of coffee for that catch up.

Had a market yesterday,

made lots of these little girl gift bags

and these plastic coated purses

and had lots of cards, the new card holder quilt worked a treat.

ta..da..

Had a great morning, lots of stuff went and I have orders for a baby quilt, a plastic coated beach bag, 5 santa sacks...and a girl wanted the ducks she saw on the cards so came and picked a heap of the little darlings up after!

I visited the local kinder's open garden on my way home, beautiful old station bluestone home. The garden was suffering a little from the hot north winds and 30's temps of last few weeks but was still photo worthy so i will leave you with it...

I loved this, succulents planted in the open bricks on top of the fence.

Have a great day, Tracey