Leafygal

Nearly there

Short entry to record the latest gluebooks pages
Bizarre Cabaret Queen and Romance, Sweet Temptations, Upon Upholstery (wonder where I got that idea from??) and Vamp, the Word and X

Six Sock Knitalong.

Yaaaaay!!!
I've finally finished my Chutes and Ladders Socks for the Six Sock Knitalong. (Snakes and Ladders to us Aussies)
Knitted using Lorna's Laces sock yarn in a very fetching shade of Lilac which shows up the pattern beautifully.  Needles were my new Addi circulars 2.25 mm with 70 stitch cast on.
These took so long to do, I started them during the first week in June but did a lot of ripping back and Tinking (for any non knitters out there this is knit ting backwards, ie stitch by stitch or unknitting!!)
I finally got into the swing of the pattern and the second one went a lot faster than the first.
I also stopped for a few breaks to knit some beanies for a local Primary school where the children are in need of warm clothing.  My sister L and I did 9 between us, not a bad effort even though once we worked out a quicker pattern than my first 2 they were fairly quick to knit.
Will post photo when I get one done.
The six sock knitalong gives a pattern every 2 months for a year and everyone in the group knits the same socks at the same time. We post our efforts and encourage each other along the way.
I don't know if I'll get 6 done - the next pair had better be in thicker yarn than the last ones!

Exploratory

I've been slowly doing some backgrounds for the Art Exploration of the Month for one of the other Yahoo groups I belong to.
July theme was peeling papers. We had to paste paper bits onto card then stick masking tape down and peel it off again, taking some of the paper surface with it.
Then comes the fun - play with the watercolours or other colouring media and see how the colour is different where the paper peeled.
I used an old paperback that Pepper had chewed up (we are going to have to do something about this charming habit of the literary puppy!!).
The pages were already beautifully aged around the edges and a pale ochre inside. I really liked the effect without any other colour, but did do some of them as watercolour efforts as well.
Here are the first few, some of which will be winging their way to the States for a swap.
I will get some gorgeous things back no doubt.

I've also set up a photo album at the Picture trail site. It is very easy to do with attractive results fro very little effort (well I think it is attractive anyway)
To have a look you can go to my Picturetrail Album

Gluey FINGERS

I'm still having fun doing the gluebooks and try to do some each day. In practice it is more like 2 at a time and as I am doing double page spreads that works out OK.

Here is the latest crop.

I rather like the K & L page

Multiple food musings

I wrote a perfectly wonderful post the other day (well considered, superbly written, photos galore, the best ever!!) and just as I was about to upload it guess what.....the blinky blank machine politely informed me that it had performed an illegal operation and was about to bail out on me.
Nothing left to do but gnash teeth. No time of course to repeat all the typing as I was slipping it in between other bits of work.
Ah Well.....!
Here is what remains in my brain (which is not the greatest of vessels of memory these days)

Went shopping in Geelong West and went to the Real butchers, was seduced into buying King Island steak , beautifully frenched lamb shanks, Pork chops and real pork sausages.
I also went to my favourite greengrocer V & R who also have the most yummy temptations in the cheese fridge as well as the freshest vegies around.
It all prompted me to muse on the way I used to shop in Hawthorn.  Living One block from Glenferrie Road I walked down every lunchtime and did what I fondly imagine  French and Italian shoppers do, that is selecting what to eat that evening from the best of what's available on the day.
I resolved to do more of my shopping this way from now on.

Since I didn't get the post up the other day I can now report on the food.
We had the steaks cooked simply on the griddle and the flavour was superb.
The lamb shanks had a long slow bath in a mixture of spices - cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and an orange and a lemon cut and squeezed with the peel thrown in for flavour.
Dried figs were added half way with some carrots, potatoes and pumpkin at respectable intervals
I served it with my own preserved lemon shredded on top.. As with all such dishes it was so much better the second time around - I always do several meals' worth when I cook such items.

The pork chops were done in my favourite Le Creuset pot. Shredded red cabbage doused in wine, apple and topped with yellow fleshed sliced Nicola potatoes. The chops brown on the top.
Apple and Rhubarb  with an oat and walnut crumble topping finished us off!!

We have also been eating large bowls of soup, usually yellow split pea and ham (actually  ham hock which makes a woderful meaty addition to the dish) but the latest two pots were made with soup mix - beans,  lentils, barley and some split peas.  Wonderful to come home to on a wintry night.
No wonder I struggle to lose weight - I just love food and thinking about what to cook and how I'll do it too much.

To finish the foody post we went to Signature in Barwon Heads again the other night and took our friends J & R for their first time. They loved it as much as we do. The chef and owner Jean-Marie is married to the daughter of my fathers dear neighbours and we always have wonderful food. I'd like to go to one of his Auberge (French) nights soon.

Some of the dishes sampled were A superb Tuna carpaccio with ginger and light soy dressing, Smoked atlantic salmon salad, Scallops in a butter sauce with jasmine rice risotto, steak cooked to R's exacting standards and a Crispy duck leg and breast with wine jus and roasted cauliflower for me.
Of course we succumbed to desserts and sticky date pudding and my perfect creme caramel finished a happy evening.

No Housework

Someone once said "Life's too short to stuff a mushroom"

I disagree and frequently make time to make delicious fat field mushrooms baked with crab meat, breadcrumbs,  lemon juice, whatever herbs seem right at the time and all topped off with golden baked cheese.

What I have decided on my day off this week however, is to ignore the housework (it's not going anywhere... Right? ) and instead have spent a wonderful couple of afternoons  "Doing Artwork"

I finished my gluebook colour series and started the July Alphabet theme.  It is proving to be a lot of fun, requiring a different mind set to the colours.  I seem to be starting with a big picture and keeping it relatively simple. The Cool cats did start with me finding the phrase and saving it for this page.  The dog just had to follow on.
I also Gesso'd some old post cards and started doing backgrounds on them ready to make some APC'S  (Artist's Post Cards) If I get overexcited doing this some of you out there in Blog land may just get one in the mail

In the meantime here are the latest gluebook pics.
You can't see it? Blue/Green,
Desire / Vanity -  Rose,
Shall we? - Crystal clear
Flying colours -Rainbow.

The Alphabet is up to F so far

Happy Wedding

Attended a very happy wedding of one of my oldest (longest standing ) friends on Saturday
We went to Teachers' College together and met at Frank Tate House - the Women's Hostel where we spent our initial years in Melbourne.
The service was held in her local church which is in a new area of Melb and is a modern multi purpose building. Beautiful stained glass windows and a fantastic alter of timber and carved stone.
The bride was beautiful (of course).
Reception at Waverley Golf Course. A very friendly and low key occasion.  Caught up with a couple of other friends from the hostel days - Marianne,  Faye and Marilyn as well as Bride Mary-Louise as you can see from the photo (to be uploaded later) There were five of us "Old girls" there.  I hadn't seen Faye for about 30 years  (I just typed 390 and sometimes that is what it feels like !!!)
Strange to see  the younger generation looking the same as I remember their parents looking!
The groom's speech was particularly special, loving and tender and emotional,  just what is called for at a wedding. I think she has found herself a good one.  Here's the card I made for them

Glued to the desk

After I sent off the finished Fat Book pages I had time to start catching up on the gluebooks.
I've been having a great time squirrelling away all sorts of junk  useful pieces of paper and pictures cut from the weekend magazines that appear in my newspaper.
Treasure Trove (Copper),  White delight, In praiseworthy dressing style (Neon green), Bed - Sea Bed (periwinkle ), Couples Counsel , I Heart Australia (a bit obvious for red white and blue!) Back to Black and White, Colour Playtime (pink yellow orange).
Here they are