Baa baa baa..............

I was asked to make a sheep and here it is.

Honestly I didn't quite know where to start but I like the way he/she turned out. Maybe the head needs a bit of tweaking and maybe wool running down the neck. Oh I don't know. I am delivering him today so he/she will either stay with it's new parent or come back to board with us. I will let you all know later.

Something finished..........

Finally the quilt I have mentioned in a few previous posts is finished. It gets delivered tomorrow. You can't tell from this photo but the colours are bright, the palm trees are cute and the overall Polynesian flowery theme hasn't worked out to badly. Most importantly I like the way it has turned out. You know when you start from a picture in your mind of what you want. It can sometimes work or sometimes not. I got what I wanted and I am hoping the recipient enjoys it!

I even got to make a wee crab softee for the little fellow to go with the quilt.

Now I off to make a sheep softee. Anybody made one before?

Love Friday...........

Well it's nearly over this last Friday in September. It's been productive and somewhat back to normal. We have no visitors, I got back to my french class and the kids are back at school. Yipee!!! Today I also decided I am going to start collecting fans. I bought one in Vanuatu-no picture yet maybe tomorrow- and I have a couple packed away in Melbourne-no good to me really but anyway I am going to pick one up from wherever we travel and maybe from other people that go to places that I don't get to.

No pictures tonight with this post. It's all a bit to hard at this late stage.

On my desk.........

My knee has been my desk this week. I have been sitting embroidering letters, palm trees and other motifs onto a quilt that I need to get finished by the end of the week. It's heading of to France. Badly dubbed-into french- South American drama's on tv have been my only companion!

A walk in a very interesting garden..........

Before heading to Port Villa we had found out there was the garden of two well known artists of the Pacific open to the public. Michoutouchkine & Pilioko Foundation Art Gallery. We had some idea it was going to be a collection of art that they had collected over their some 25 years of living in Vanuatu but little did we know.

On the day of our visit Pilioko was in residence and he was very happy to show us around and tell us alot about his life. He has completely decorated every spare wall, bench surface, concrete space and veranda. He has even made a small shrine to his long lost cat. It was so colourful and beautiful and inspiring.
His actual working area is open and looks out onto one of the lagoons. Talk about daily inspiration. This man does these huge beautiful longstitch embroideries and thats what I was hoping he had in his artwork for sale. He did but it was way out of my price range to buy so we settled on two smaller paintings. One the kids chose and one I got to choose. Currently at the framers so I will put pictures up when they are back.
If anybody is heading of to Port Vila I would highly rcommend a trip to their place. I think the artist/collector/ crafter would be greatly pleased by it. It's not on the usual tourists trail so it is a quiet and pleasing place to visit. I really only discovered these guys when they had a exhibition here earlier on in the year and we are so glad we took the time to go and have a look.

Life's a beach........

Looking onto Erakor lagoon-Efate

Some of the beachs we visited while on Efate and Tanna. I have to admit it isn't hard to take plenty of these kinds of shots when you visit little islands.

Moso Island

Django's first attempt at snorkeling. It was brilliant for the kids as there was loads of interesting fish to see just of shore around the rock behind him.

Moso Island again

Tanna

View down the beach from our bungalow on Tanna. Volcanic sand beachs get as hot as anything on a sunny day. Let me tell you.

The return.......

Port Resolution-Tanna

We are back and we had a fab time in Vanuatu and I have alot to tell. Thought I might do it over a few posts though. Less overload that way but in this here post I will tell you the Ni-Vanuatu's are a very kind, happy and giving race of people. Landscape of the two islands we visited were varied and interesting. The food we ate was scrumptious and showing the kids some things they had never seen before like an exploding volcano was priceless. We also spent a whole lot of time riding the local buses watching how day to day life works. So much different to here, not that I thought it would be the same but I do sometimes go away with things in my mind.

So I will leave you with this and go and continue trying to rid our clothes of volcano ash and chlorine from the kids bathers( too much time spent in resort pools). Will call back in tomorrow with more.

On my desk.........

I really haven't been here on my little blog that much in the past month and that is not going to change in the next ten days. As you can see on my desk this week is an e-ticket, my sarong and a travel book. We are off to Vanuatu for a break. Our little house over the past couple of months has been so full of other people having holidays we thought it is time for us to do the same. So without further ado I'm going to finish packing my bag and go catch a plane.

Lukim yu! (see you later)

Love Friday...........

I'm lovin' this Friday and it has hardly even begun. It's a beautiful day( which isn't hard to get here) and we are packing up to go on another camping trip this weekend. The photo above is of the Plage de Poe where we are going to. Camping here in New Caledonia is fantastic for all the family. You can set up your tent right on the beach. While I am at the tent leisurely reading or whatever I can see the kids paddling in the water. There is no danger factor for the kids and they can explore to their hearts content. Enough of my rambling I'm going off to pack the sunscreen and bathers before I forget.
Happy Friday to all.

On my desk.........

On my desk this week is one great big flowery mess and I love it!

Peg dolls and flowers........

1. Twin Sisters, 2. tropical flower purse, 3. peg doll clothespin doll 005, 4. Tropical Flower(Petal), 5. FiFi, new series Clothespin Dolls SOLD, 6. Tropical Fruit - Durian Flowers in Bloom, 7. Lucia peg dolls, 8. Tropical flowers of Guam

Hip Hip Hooray for modern technology....

This little island of mine has finally hit the modern age. Last night the internet went off satellite and onto cable. I thought this morning I would check out how fast it goes and make a mosaic then upload it. In the past this has usually taken me so long to do but this morning hardly anytime. My mosaic uploaded from the computer to blogger in about 30 seconds. Much better than my 5 minutes it used to take. Life will be so much easier and I may even catch up a bit with the greater outside world.

Scrumptious slice recipe.........

A few Wednesday ago I put up a post about a slice I make for any occasion because it is a absolute winner. Somebody did ask for the recipe so I thought I should at least put it up for Karin and anybody else who would like to try it.

Here goes- Hedgehog slice

250grams plain sweet biscuit
125g butter/margarine
125g sugar
2 level tbsp cocoa- I usually put in three depending how chocolatey I want it.
2 tbsp coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1 beaten egg
optional extras are 1 cup sultanas or 3/4 cup walnuts/pecans/almonds.

Crush biscuits leaving some lumps- add nuts/sultanas if going to
Combine butter/sugar/cocoa/coconut/vanilla in saucepan and cook for 2 minutes or till all ingredients are melted and mixed well
cool slightly( a minute or two) add egg, then add chocolate mixture to biscuits, mix well
Press into greased slice tin
Ice with chocolate icing and put in fridge till set.
Then cut into squares and consume at leisure or all at once.

There you have it a scrumptious, easy slice.

Happy 1st of spring to all.