Christmas Eve Afternoon

theodoracleave.com

Some cooking has been done...

&

I have been wrapping presents !!!

Just such fun !!

Decorating keeps changing....

The wraps again

Nearly Santa Time

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Words just don't seem to do it

theodoracleave.com

Words just are not enough to express how sad I am for all the innocent people in Melbourne late yesterday afternoon, crossing the pedestrian walk when a huge car plough at them knocking them like some maniac killing machine.

The little one who would have been so looking forward to Santa's arrival, now in hospital with his life changed forever .

Our country is not behaving well of late....and this time of year brings out the very best & the very worst in people.

The amazing people who twice in just on a yr we have seen them rushed to help the injured, without consideration for their own safety...

The police & ambulance & medicos who may have been about to go home & do their own thing are asked by us the community to step up ( yes again & again )

Each of us can maintain a steady hand on the ramped up stressors of Christmas....

It is a day ... a tradition ... be mindful of others 

I am off to practice this now to buy the food !

Now to cheer me up

Holidays

theodoracleave.com

HOLIDAYS

Start for me at

www.theodoracleave.com

on 20th December 2017 at midnight

Return to proper work

8th January 2018

Now where was I ???

theodoracleave.com

Well here are some bits ...some I have loaded to the web...

Others are gifts..

Below is a gift set for a friend

 These 2 I meant o put on the web but haven't now

This gorgeous girl is a button & one only on web now

 Flakes on flakes are on the web one only ... as I paint them

Many minis are on the web ....

I am too hot to loiter....

At Last

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Working with 2 computers is driving me nuts..but I have only one set of hands & they are busy for a few days more ...painting, packaging.....etc

I have added new Christmas Specials to the website......the deer in centre is Big White Deer & it needs to go on to the web in a second...

I got bored with the writing stamping & this gives the deer a slight vintage look.....

***

My dear friends in their traveller van have come & gone & it was a wonderful time...

My friends are painter & wood cutter & things with hammers 

 so we have that many half baked talks on paints, wood cuts & the like....

Just such fond memories !!

My 50% sale has been AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGG !!!!

I am still painting, the weekend I did a huge 2 days & took a load of parcels to the PO on Monday & a few more today &

when it gets near Christmas now I begin to wilt a bit, lose track of days completely....

Doesn't matter though ! 

It Feels good this 50% Christmas

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Yes I decided this morning to have a 50% sale on all my Christmas & Santa Buttons as well as the Christmas Decorations......

I sent a postcard to my NEWSLETTER  customers 

& 

went off into the wilderness.

So I didn't get to post here sooner....

but if you want to have unique art work at a very excellent price....

pop over to the website & place an order.

I have not put a time limit on it but some things are disappearing already today....!!!!

I am trying to keep a very tight stock control on the web....but I may have found a few in another box just stuff I pull out to paint to do things with & then I get orders so the box is left on my paint table  so could find a sold out has an extended life LOL

Not much but ....

*****

I have been talking of something different for next year...

No idea what I have in mind ....

but as my artist friend, Nell & I often talk of these changes & we do things out of left field....

We were talking this week & she gets when I say I need to clear the decks before I can give my thinking a proper airing...

She does something no where near what I do but along those similiar lines....

&&& 

Whatever & if it works ...???? 

But we can all get on board for the next journey...it may only shunt up the line & come back or we could just take a scenic route to somewhere

***

Meredith I will have some bigger snowflakes ready which will also be on sale...I'll email you .. before I put them on the web...

*******

Christmas is near

Today is cool & clear & calm

It can stay that way !

Last evening as i had settled down to watch TV, the bell rings & I find the 2 neighbourhood young boys carrying a little old blonde dog that is blind.

They ask if I'd know who owns the dog.  Alas I had no idea.

They had found it on their lawn when they had come home with their Mum & they didn't want it to be run over like the dog they saw that happen to last week.

Compassionate young man of maybe 11 or 12yrs ...he obviously loved dogs.

I commented as I patted the dog that someone must love it dearly.

"Yes" he says, "who wouldn't love it"

I offered to house the dog overnight if they failed to find the owner as they had 2 dogs of their own & this would have to stay outside...

"That would help says the young boy"

Off they went to enquire some more...& didn't return so my hope is all's well.

It was a lovely touch to the end of the day after the fire...

****

The larger decorations here are getting going down in the stock

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I love the rabbits ....

Giving the snowman some holly to decorate with

This decoration was in a past collection..

I have some as they are some favourites ...

They all are !

These are available.... some are in shorter supply....

Depends on how I use them on the website...

 Here they are tag to tree

I do love the look of the tags with buttons & tied to the trees...

Or

to gifts...

Fire across the road at lunchtime

I went to get some lunch about 12.30 ??? loom out at this eyesore at best of days but today it was smoke beginning to come out of the house which is abandon & as you see 2 paddocks that it sits on is full of lovely blonde barley grass....
I reach for the phone & ring 000..... then wait as the smoke increases.
I start to warn the neighbours & move my car out .......a man & his son stop as I had walked out & they had seen flames coming from the side of the house on the left of this picture....
A few other cars pull up.... interesting how people react.
Fire truck is heard coming way up the road & they try to find the road in & cannot..the fire hydrant is next door to me... so the hose has a long way to go...trucks 2 & 3 arrive & all these gorgeous people disgorge from the trucks... another vehicle arrives that is part of this & then 2 police cars arrive...
The road is blocked in both ways & we are all out in the street....
Some had heard things.....
The owner of the house right next door arrives & he looks no more pleased than we all do on this side of the road.
Many people with cameras as well as one set up on a tripod closer to the scene.

The investigation was thorough........even trying fence posts in the paddock ???
Grateful for the fire services  ......
But really annoyed re the grass had not been mowed weeks ago yet again we have faced this scene most years....dry tall grass un kept...

This is a record ...

Oh My word the rain

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Here I sit feeling quite snug this morning...feet are dry ..great sleep...nice dreams as well !

I was eager to read what happened with the rain overnight in Victoria..

I see the people of Myrtleford to Wangaratta have taken some flooding overnight.

Creeks are now starting to flow over their banks...

Sorry for the people who have had floods in their homes...everyone stay safe.

There are times have car says no travel ! That is the hardest thing today..we are so used to basically doing as we please...but nature can get in the way...

****

Now why not get into the house decorating ...   

I am painting for a family member as well as orders today...

Simply wrap...use plain colours and some of my Christmas decorations as tags...

Add to little calico bags...make yourself or buy a small pack ..as I do !

I drag out the stamps as well....

Some printer paper is great for wrapping a gift & using some gorgeous ribbon & a tag or a button on a tag can be the statement.
Or
with the printer paper use stamps to decorate...cut out tags from this too...add a mini deco or a button..
twine...I love twine...always tripping over it around here LOL

Wrap empty boxes to use as Christmas Display...around the tree..in a low cane basket or wire ...

Have fun.

Poised ,,the rain has begun

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 While it darkens here...a distant ( thus far) rumble of thunder & some showers come in suddenly & heavy and move on...

I felt like averting the unknown of what this severe storm warning brings to our state & others today and over the weekend... 

So colour & parcel wrapping and Christmas decorating ....will occupy a wet day I hope.

I decided not to go to the city & surrounds this weekend ...

Have driven through flood waters once in a small car as the water was running over the hwy...

&

in Western Qld I came in from Roma to Brisbane on a bus after Christmas ..

There was a bus travelling empty as it had been previously stranded in Longreach.

So all of our luggage was put  into this empty bus & the bus all us passengers were in had the luggage flaps opened so the water could pass thru...

&

over the flooded bridge we went somewhere near Dalby I think..

It was one of the spookiest rides I have had..

****

So my decisions are based on prior experience ........

Just hope now it will be dry inside here LOL

****

If there is no lightening today I will paint at the window....

But if not able to do that I shall tidy up !