Specials in cats & dogs today

I woke to hear the wonderful sound of rain on my roof....

steady rain..& it is still raining.

A blessing as the small dams dry quickly here 

& 

the paddocks over the road where the lovely kangaroos come each evening & morning are brown & nearly dirt... so they cross the road to try & find some green grass on our nature strips...now some grass grow again.

****

CATS & DOGS

This is the new batch of weekend specials in cats & now one set of dog buttons  at the super special prices....

Yesterday I replaced the first batch with another 2 & happily to say they have all gone to new homes

***

I love these bright happy cats.... pink, some yellow for sunshine, big aqua puss & a red meow  & so it goes on to find a cat in the flower pot..

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Then softer colours .... 

The dogs... 

some pale & tan, black & grey

& 

I have a real live vocal cat friend meowing at full volume in my ear...

Something he has to say ..

so many words he has....

he visits me ...

Painted pots of Flowers

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PS....
I have just added this to web as a one only cat special....
$18.00

It still amazes me when I take the same button design and change the colours.

The Fleur sign has been posted on my website as a robin & red flowers, 

& 

I was waiting for the moment to arrive to try other shades

I like the pastel shades & a blue bird...

The little pot of flowers with the heart 

I originally painted with bright tones 

&

yesterday 

I did one all red...sort of Valentine look 

& the other in pastel 

I Love Jars

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I have a real weakness for jars to store things in...

Not so much for the practical sense of seeing what is in there

but

because it looks visually pleasing..

Baskets are a bit the same 

 Along with ribbons I store tags.... 

I saw that recently in a magazine or website of the perfect craft room 

& 

thought this is always a problem for me....

 a big jar from Provincial Decor Living is perfect for this 

& 

now all I need to do is locate all these stashes of tags 

& 

put them into jars.

 Perfect for the overflowing stash of tiny paper flowers     

A jar just full of happiness !

Brightly Colour Animals

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A riot of colour...

Oscar the cat

Elephants

Giraffes

They are happy colours ....

see them on the web....

***

Thank you all who joined in the give away....

They are on their way to a good home....

When I do a giveaway I always wish I could give each person a prize....

But I am planning to do a monthly special

which will be themed, limited numbers & short time to buy...

I think the first will be 

cats 

& 

these are likely to be every cat in my current collection

&

then dogs....

I will 

blog, facebook, newsletter it about the same time !

I know now different people follow different things....

Oh Maria asked how she joins my face book friends now you are probably asking the wrong person Maria as I know so little.

If you havea face book page account whatever it is called you can go to www.facebook.com/theodoracleave & ask to be a friend...then I do a confirming at my end

But you need to have facebook  ... if you have kids they'll do better at explaining this than me....

Barb

Give away winner is ...

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The winner of the Giveaway is

Simple Stitchings !!!

from the blog entry...

CONGRATULATIONS

Can you email me via the contact at www.theodoracleave.com with your posting details

GIVE AWAY of Buttons

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This is the 

GIVEAWAY

a lovely sample of buttons

My little celebration for Australia Day

Open to all....

I'll draw this in a couple of days 

I'll pop it on face book too

Theodora's Studio

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Snippets of my free range world !

French Sampler Instruction

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This is the French Sampler in collage !

As I did this I decided to write the approach I take to this sort of creativity....

bit Free Range...

which reminds me... 

I explained to an old friend the other day how I live life 

....like... well free range...

Comment back was

They cost more to feed and are hard to handle

I laughed 

You have got it in one  

****

So there is not much to doing samplers ...

just a matter of balance what you do.... having enough but not over done..

but again

that is about who you are.

****

Last year when I did workshops 

where we painted on fabric, tags & frames , stamped & embellished a few things

I observed 

but didn't interfere in each person's creating

As 

I saw many things that excited me....

How one selected the bits from a base starting point & arranges them...

 THE FRENCH SAMPLER

as a PS ...

 I will paint some red shoes for the website....

& 

the ladies some are in stock & rest are arriving in the next week.....

I will package in small samplers... so one can by a small amount to start off...

The stencilled fabric ...I could do some...just trying to think where those large stencils have been put after my move ?????  I will not guarantee the ink is waterproof ... I think it is but ???

I can do a workshop or 2 on this sort of things .....

Just one more time,,,,,,

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These are new santas & deer etc....packaged together..

add a little border...to use as

 a stocking cuff

bag

frame

wall hanging

Perhaps  stitch a Merry christmas arching over the top

&*&*&*&

Selected ready to sew into making a little stitchery for your own...add some stitched borders....little grass ,perhaps a word or 2...

Use this on bags, framed, wall hangings,

purses ....journal covers 

This lady will keep your dreams alive....& that cat is involved in  it all .... 

Another Sampler the French Sampler

theodoracleave.com

The French Sampler

has begun...

The linen /cotton fabric has been stencilled

&

a perfect back drop for the buttons to be placed on...

I have since painted a pair of red shoes for this & found the sewing machine to hang out with the scissors.

Also as I stroll about I have collections of things that are often pretty they can sit out without saying what their real purpose is....

lace on bobbins & antique buttons on a small card.

to work into this one somewhere...maybe

For a moment I had a flash back to the quilt stitchery I did years ago called a Day in Paris...

this  was stitched & I embellished with gorgeous glass beads & stuff...

Maybe this time... 

This snippet here  shows the story in what could be made into a smaller version.... 

dog, a lady or 2..umbrellas

Bit of stitching....or a stamp to say Paris....or something meaningful LOL to you...

I'd leave the shoes & bag for another little snippet...

Rabbits & Felt Sampler

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Making a little felt sampler with the rabbits.....

It needs a bit of stitching to pull it together I think ?

Great as a display board of my buttons though.....

New Buttons are here

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Of course some Christmas....these double as buttons & decorations except for the tree & the snowman & santa

There is one santa with Merry Christmas etched on his coat & a star cut out on his coat also...

the other guy has a cap... & patchwork trim on his jacket with stars & tree & heart cut outs...

these are on the buttons also...dear little things they are

As is the deer with a star cut away & the star Christmas tree...they are perfect sizes for playing with

The Us which is the santa & snowman this would be lovely on the tag that Marg Low Designs does & the one that Designs by fee added the other Take me santa button 

so now you can play again ! with another button that should fit snuggly in it.

Flowers....I need garden with flowers & bees & birds to visit

Recently I have added pots of lavender & now the bees come & are quite possessive with who gets close to the lavender now..

geraniums that have huge flowers....petunia & daphne  ....some herbs & ????

But I have also made a garden here .... a bee that I once had in Woodcutter's Daughter times has arrived back ( rare species ) LOL

Bits sit in flowers ...

 Wheel barrows 

with huge flowers & another a little cat sits in the flowers..the wheels are spoked .which is a lovely look....

watering can  

fleur sign with fat little robin & some flowers 

heart poking out from flowers in a pot which might be great in red for Valentine's day ( if I hurry up )

Tiny cats & a dog...these are a magically small size for little stitchery embellishments ..they tuck beside the flowers .....just kind of cute...they give me a reason to smile when I see them

The lamb has a blackbird on it's back

****

History with lambs....

would you believe my great great Scottish grandmother maiden name was Mary Lamb

then one of my other Irish Great Great grandparents farmed sheep

 & 

took them from Mt Mercer to Pyramid Hill  

Another Great Great Grandparent brought some on the ship when he came out to Australia...

I love seeing baby lambs in paddocks ....& love to watch ( nothing else You can do ) when a mob of sheep are being moved along a road...

I like cows too...

Not up close but Clara cow button represents that as does another  cow with  Cohuna written across them....

****

Anyway I have wasted far too long this morning....well not wasted just done things upside down

All the new things except one flower stem with a bee on top ( being upsized now )

are on the website

I said on Facebook before I may just do a little small giveaway later.... so it will be on here too

All done now

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All finished now except I snipped off that red striped ribbon last night....which was a bit over done...

It has been a good experiment for me...

I have ideas for more samplers 

& 

better packing a sales ideas..that need pen & paper to think that through..

Each one is an individual project....

dare I say...

covers for :

needlecase

 scissors

journals

mache box tops

framed 

one for a quilt...or table runner

Smaller versions of this sampler thing....

*

It is a wonder I am thinking so early...such a very hot night

&

still hot as...

the garage door seemed to have gone up by itself at some stage after 9pm.....as I was out watering the little front garden strip until about then...

Friend from Launceston has sent image of the smoke there...ohhh it is thick like fog this morning..

Kyneton surrounds were were on fire late yesterday...

always a grim time isn't it ?

Sampling some more

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This is coming together rather nicely.....

You can see I have a small selection of ribbon, 

tag ( apple stamped by Julianna  Stampingup )

tiny ric rac....

& 

a bag of buttons 

&

 thread

I have some work to do...but this continually distracts me as I walk past....

The heat does funny things....

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I finished stitching the sampler layouts last night & I will admit now ......

most of these buttons have not been sewn on yet...

Red bird has flown off in the apple tree & cat scene...

So I just made up a few..where I need to paint a button before it is call authentically complete.

Facebook well as I said the heat does funny things to me...

I had been pondering going back onto Facebook  ...but suddenly I click & into it all I am

Uncertain which things to press next....

suddenly I  have mail !!! 

Old friends arrived..... so I made a cup of tea & quickly put a call into my cousin in western QLD.

I was liking Facebook as we had a great chat.....

I have been kind of exploring what to do next in there ..but I am very timid so don't get offended at what I fail to do... L for learner.....

Anyway I must pack parcels for the posting before this weather gets too hot....

....today is back to HEAT......

It is only a few hours...

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It is only a few hours since I began posting in the Button Sampler....exploring

And I haven't made a stitch since last evening..

The change or the versatility of one layout design

Rearranging different buttons 

to tell something very different

In between I am painting an order.....

My breaks are often very special....

often different from this but special a lot of the time

 In this one I tried a red theme with the topiary tree, wheel barrow, red meow, a strawberry for the rooster to eat.... now imagine this with new stitches....some crosses, perhaps some herringbone stitches..French knots... a few daisies ......

In the blue sampler first on left.....I have put some buttons over the lines... the blossom bird & the bag of flowers which was slightly bigger than the area I had allocated.....;

so don't be phased if you have a size that is a little large or even looks small & lonely..it can have stitches inside ......a few sequins or other beads....

bound the base with a ribbon or other trim...

I bet if you are anything like me when I get into a store or booth with ribbons & trims & I am thinking thinking, arguing with myself ...buying & then storing in a glass jar to look at..

Well now you can take a little of that for the sampler.

This COLLAGE I was having a look see what would fit into the hearts...

Well lots & lots of the buttons ...

you know this creating can go on & on........

Like in a garden that has many angles & corners....veer slightly right or left & the scene before you changes..

I am now considering some repackaging.......

Life must move along I guess LOL

Enjoy this fun with one sampler or a lot !!!  

A Little sewing

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I selected a few of the samplers to fit on this Japanese linen fabric

& 

Begun to stitch...

I have this fabric the size of a canvas board...

So I am keen to see how it all finishes up

In one of the hearts

I had the Bird Blossom button nearby & just laid that in the heart....

a variation ....again !

I'll see what else I have painted & lay on the layouts before I sew on the buttons from the sampler little patterns 

Button Samplers

The Button Samplers 

have been posted to the website..

All sorts of small stitching etc to be had

These are going to be great with sewing groups to stitch a couple of hours away & get that wonderful buzz of creativity that takes one much further...

Also handy to sit & stitch in a quite moment....gathering a sense of achievement out of maybe a chaotic time....

Easy to pick up & head out the door to quickly stitch while waiting somewhere.

These are priced well, each includes the postage .....

You could pick one a month 

&

 always have some happy little thing to sew....

*****

Today has cooled from 42 yesterday to 18 degrees this afternoon

BLISSFUL 

I thought I may have just fiddle at doing nothing today ..as sometimes when a cool change comes in after a hot spell I tend to wander around in circles..

But not today.....I have been into the copy shop....posted a parcel.....

popped by my favourite stores & had wonderful conversations ... 

found some decor magazines......

potted some plants....

& 

washed the floors...

written a newsletter, ordered stock, cleared new buttons for cutting.. 

.scanned & loaded these button samplers onto the web...

Now I am going to make a pot of tea....

I am thrilled I have got such a lot done 

&

Maybe one of the button samplers will be stitched !!! ?????

www.theodoracleave.com

Hot Days....

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Santa with the cats arrived by post the other day....from Val who had stitched it for me as a gift.

This is the santa stitchery giveaway I did before Christmas on the blog....

I am not sure which post but there is a search facility on the blog....might help if you now want to stitch it...

It is really looking gorgeous as a wall hanger....

Thanks Val !!!! 

I should not leave things about....

a few more Button Samplers have been added to this growing collection...

when will it stop ?????

when it is no longer fun I guess LOL

I am thankful for further comments on which is their favourite button sampler...

It is great to hear this !!! 

It continues...Button Sampling !

www.theodoracleave.com

Last night I was eager to get back to this paper, pen & buttons 

to design some more button samplers

The one I love the best in this batch is the Stardust angel ...

I like them all

I think I'll be having fun for sometime yet with the samplers

Thank you for your feedback on the ideas...it is always so helpful as I weigh up ideas.

So hot already today....BLAH

While ....Dawdling over Breakfast....this morning

I do dawdle in the mornings these days...

It's a swing back from the years I had to get up, shower, dress, eat & race to catch a bus or buses..

now in my more senior moments I love to dawdle....

Anyway this morning I was slightly sharing my breakfast table with odd pieces of yesterday's work...

&

I was skimming thru a Where Women Create Business magazine....

just the visual of business's in their creative states...reading a snippet or 2....

when I looked about me & saw some stray buttons on a tray...

after reading a bit on the hard core of income in business

I had an idea....

Now stay & finish the cereal...

So I did & set the jug to make my second pot of tea...

& raced to the office for the buttons I had scanned in yesterday

...

Laid something out..thought about size for posting...

Then whizzed back to the office to get some buff coloured paper...

&

I began to lay out buttons to make samplers

The aim began as  buying a mixture of buttons one could use to make a stitchery come to life etc....or to be able to buy a batch that match ( a bit )

& 

the sampler was part of the package as such...

but as per usual....things take their own road...

& 

squares became heart & circles...

using the fiskars plastic templates...

which I reckon are a great buy to have tucked up in a box just for this need...

look at this heart...this could  easily be a lovely appliqued fabric heart...or needle turn if one is so skilled ( I can do it BUT )

Or the heart could have seam allowances added & machine sew as a hanging heart.

Swap it to felt now ... 

How many uses

&

Then buy some more buttons & do your own theme in the sampler layouts... 

I am excited... !!!!

Now I have to select, the simplest & most economical packaging to get these on the out

One thought is the buttons in cello bag & the little layout inside ....no colour picture sample

This certainly reduces costs in production & what it will retail at....

I think it is the way to go...as I can use the layouts for other buttons ....lazy I know but no it is such a thrill to see people become totally creative them...

ohhhh I have more ideas now ..this would be a fabulous workshop... 2 hours or maybe 3 ...

Being CREATIVe

I would welcome your feedback on this packaging thought...

www.theodoracleave.com

Buttons

I have been painting other colours than red & white of christmas 

...... it is refreshing to change the palette.

Flowers, some rabbits & cats  are brighter in a bright pink, a more green aqua & yellow 

Elephants I love in the blue aqua & deeper pink...

Easter is I guess coming along soon....I have no idea but must look it up to see the dates..

I found the plates full of rabbits on file so added them to this collage

The website is changing....I am thrilled at the more uniform look...full of colour & happiness !

www.theodoracleave.com

Reminder Sale ends Sunday 10th Jan 2016

www.theodoracleave.com

The Christmas Decoration sale ends on Sunday 10th Jan 2016

When I was doing a postcard newsletter this morning I mentioned that not all these decorations will be available in the collection 

as

I need a bit of a change..

Some will stay...but not at $5.00 including postage 

So It is a great time to buy.  

Back in older computer

yesterday .... the computer that has only really been in service for 3 months has had a fissy fit..it began it's life having one & at nearly $800 this label of laptop is a little poor...

So I was not happy when it just failed to load up to the windows...

anyway this one is still here & operational so we get to look thru the older pics...

I have been cleaning them up but this is a very old file I transferred across

The beginnings not quite but near of the button stories.

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 Sometimes the designs retire because if I paint another robin I will go ????

It was a lovely story & was very popular so maybe i will relook at the design & what buttons I have today in the collection...

 These were my first cat button designs

Simple but rather said it all

 These were not the first dogs in my collection as my brother had designed 2 dogs prior to these...

this was  the first lot I drew...& they were tiny....

 This I see was a button story in 2007 under the Woodcutters Daughter label as were all of the above.

This was as I wandered through my Tuscan love....& those trees got some copy battering in later life so i got so annoyed I withdrew them from sale....

But I love the design around the trees & the house is still in my collection today....gosh it is over 7 years since that was first cut !!!!

I later had the windows pre cut... as it was renovated & the door I still draw in....

It is the village house...

This I found at 2005...

Again the cottage remains standing  int he collection

This would be near to the beginning of the buttons

The apple tree was once used by Born to Quilt in her early days with using buttons...

I still have the odd one of these buttons show up in the messy box of old raw stock

But I like the layout....see this is why the computer went belly up...

it has taken me on an unexpected journey...into the past to reflect again on today.

Sorry you have been found wandering about with me...but all will not be lost...

You may see things in a different light...

You may look forward to the new designs being prepped for first machine cut & be warned there are many.....

Flowers & cats & dogs

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For a change some everyday things like chooks, cats, flowers & spotty dogs.......

The website is gradually being updated to have these as the usual buttons available.

The selections are will not usually carded 

unless for strength in postage & or shop handling display...

the deer antlers come to mind  ... 

This reduces postage weight

& 

also 

the rubbish we accumulate from packaging...

So I will try & do my tiny bit for the planet.

NOW... 

These are small arrangements that give you some extra inspiration to just add a few basic flowers or stitch some special words that have meaning to you or to the person you maybe giving a gift to

I have no idea why I didn't do this before..

I for one have had such fun with the variety of little stories to be told

The cats with a vase of flowers each....

how innocent is that ????

The dogs.... waiting for something to happen....

or

these flowers are not safe !

Some changes all around

theodoracleave.com

Sale of Christmas Decorations is starting tomorrow....

or I could have the prices all altered today..so start to order then if you want.

The Newsletter people have had a few days ordering already...

as a treat for them..they put up with my news on a regular basis & need a treat I reckon occasionally.

Tomorrow is 50% off all the decorations & what is in stock.

If you order other items they are at their regular price of course....

keep a lookout for perhaps other specials as I work on those boxes.

It's fun...I need to keep my painting up.

*****

Today has also seen some new designs head off to the machinist...

There are  a lot of new buttons....

& 

will take time to filter back to me ....

For the start of this year I have some detailed  garden buttons....some in pots....with or without bees & things....

Others I have plans for are a small dog & couple of cats....couple of trees 

new santas.... a new deer...& a new holly & other things will show up to surprise us all... 

I love the break as it gives me space th think, to create, to review & take a bold step or two....

*****

I also had another board set up in Pinterest with Stitcheries....

Just what I had on my picture files on this computer

I like to load them as it reflects back a lot of what I have in designs over quite a time now....

It inspires me too as I do this....

CHANCE MEETING

I run into a friend on chance meetings usually in craft spots..

yesterday it was sheer chance I went into Lincraft..no sooner in door & I spot my friend & her daughter.

She had been thinking of me during the past week a LOT & there I was....this happens to me a fair bit....do I need a phone ???

We soon were chatting about plans & vision boards & classes at Kikki stores

&

I mentioned I'd been to a dietician run small information class before christmas & talked of going to do a menu plan

& how that was also in one of the Kikki planning workshops.

My friend told me how she also had done this when her life took on changes

She pulled recipes & pasted them into a journal...& had shopped for the ingredients for the fortnight's meals & would often pre cook bases at one time & freeze & or cook extra & freeze one lot for another meal.

SO IT STARTS THIS PLAN OF MENUS TODAY !!!!

I am rather excited .....

it will free up time, 

control my supermarket shops

I'll be better fed...

I am a bit reluctant to get started as my meals are fairly plain & simple but that is best for my body's iffy digestive system

but thought today it can be headings on each day to start with.

Of course I googled this planning & found a rather interesting & really pretty site

www.theorganisedhousewife.com.au 

So ...some changes all around !

See my little cat friend doing his mouse patrol on my other blog

www.onabranchabirdsings.blogspot.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR

theodoracleave.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wish each of us...

peace & contentment

co operation not competitveness

happiness & joyfulness

wealth in all the ways that brings to our lives

&

health

&

stability on every level

I am a bit amazed I have accidently managed 2 images side by side....so I am not going to change this !!!!

These will be some of the things that are on sale from Monday, unless you belong to the Newsletter the sale has begun for them...

Santa in the trees has been painted with a white coat, which I really like....it has been added to the web as has 3 snowmen decoration  ......all excited ...to be out of that plastic box .