Tuesday Treasures

I am linking up today with Melody's (now) monthly Tuesday Treasures. Go to Mel's blog to join in or to read what everyone else is treasuring today.

My treasure today is all the generous people & companies out there in blog world who offer up prizes and giveaways that we have a chance to win with very little effort. Their generosity brightens many a day even if not the lucky winners. Of course I love them because I am lucky at these and have nice success in the 25 words or less competitions too.

As examples I am going to show you what great goodies I have won lately;

From Homespun Magazine in a 25 words or less competition - a fat quarter pack of Helen Stubbing's from Hugs n Kisses, Life is Beautiful fabric pack. I wanted this badly as in an earlier blog post in October you will see I brought the latest quilt pattern filled with vintage stitcheries & made in this range. Here's the pic I took of the quilt. There are more closeup pics on my October blog post.

 

Below are the fat quarters I won plus there are two gorgeous panels. 

Also sitting waiting for me when i came back from Ballarat was this parcel from Samelia's Mum blog.This range of Command clear adhesive hangers have been great for hanging the calendars this year & I still have heaps left for many more uses.

And next to that parcel was this one from think-Tasmania.com. I won this on Facebook for correctly guessing what was the closest town to the tree pictured. I got in late in the comp & had been late night prowling Tasmanian real estate down the Huon Valley way so my first guess was Geeveston. I was pretty happy when I found out I was right. Could it be a sign???? The pack contained lots of little goodies, a bag, mousepad, pen, cards & postcards, shortbread, sweets, stickers, everything a Perth girl with Tassie in her heart will need.

Now here's a cutie of a recent win that I haven't got yet but can't wait to get into my sweaty little hands. (It's 38 & horribly humid today, I don't normally have sweaty paws) Christine from Aunties Quaint Quilts has just celebrated 5 years in blogland with 5 delicious giveaways. On Saturday when I saw I had been lucky enough to win one I was off on my yippee! dance again. It includes the book 'So Darn Cute' & a patchwork pencil case Christine made from the book Zakka Style - even darn cuter!

I'm sure everyone gets as excited as I do when I win something so I want to say a big thank you to all for being so generous & brightening my days. Still a 'tin-bum' thanks mum!

If you want to try out your luck too, the following giveaways are currently in blogland;

Wendy & Charlie from Charlotte's Web in NZ are having their first giveaway so click on the blog name to go & enter. I shouldn't tell you about this one, Wendy has made some gorgeous gifts that I would love to come live in my house. But in all fairness I have been very spoilt already so enter away...

A Spoonful of Sugar is having a sponsored giveaway of a $40 voucher to buy wonderous fabrics from XO Gigi Fabrics. If you haven't been to this blog before, your in for a treat, lots of goodies, tutorials, recipes & inspiration here.

I'm sure if you catch the competition bug, by going from blog to blog you will find lots more.

I also promised a giveaway for my 100+ followers celebration that happened a couple of days before I went on holiday. Now Christmas is over & we can celebrate my 102 followers & 31,000 page views I will take pics and post my giveaway this weekend. So come back & see me for my giveaway soon!

Happy winning
Tracee xx

The Luck of the Kiwis!

I know the traditional form is the luck of the Irish but I have been a pretty lucky Kiwi this week.

 

At last I am following in my mothers footsteps. She was lucky - small bits of luck that makes you smile. That reminds me that my mothers favourite word for it was that she was a 'tin bum' when it came to scratchies, small lotto wins, small horse racing bets etc.

 

Now I am assuming 'tin bum' meaning an extra lucky person must be a Kiwi saying & I can guarantee it came from my Grandad who also loved a 'flutter on the GGs'. A search online shows that 'tinny' was the saying in Australia around the turn of the century (tin in relation to coins) & that 'tin backed' was even used. I then quote the last line on World Wide Words.com 'The variant tin bum is known in New Zealand.'

 

So why was I a 'tin bum' this week?

 

First I was lucky enough to win The DVD of The Hunger Games from Samelia's Mum blog last week & it arrived Wednesday. I have read the 1st book in the series by Suzanne Collins on which the movie is based & loved it. The next one is on reserve from the library. The teen book series like this, Harry Potter, Maximum Ride & The Day After Tomorrow are really my idea of fun - what does that say about me - I'm still in touch with my youthful spirit! I found the movie just as good as the book though the book was much more detailled so maybe I filled in a lot of blanks by knowing the storyline already. Great though & thanks very much to Anorina for this win.

Next I received an email from Jenny of Elephantz to say I was one of the winners for her Embroidery workbook giveaway. This arrived Friday. I can never have enough stitch guides. Thanks very much Jenny!

Now the other thing mum told me was that luck - good or bad - always comes in threes!

 

Also on Friday I also received my latest issue of Vignette (yum yum) from Sarah at Patchwork Plus and included was the Mauritian Bloom Pattern Holder by the lovely Rosie Quinlan. I emailed Sarah thinking it was put in the wrong envelope & got a reply to say, no I won her giveaway too. I am so far behind in my blog reading I didn't even realise. Thanks so much Sarah!

I also received in the mail a new book that is a new US release but I am currently making a swap gift from it so more of that later. To begin with it wasn't the best Friday - you could say I wasn't completely a tin bum - stomach cramps, aching legs, headache & lots of visits to the smallest room in the house. After a full night of this Thursday night I was a bit miserable, so the postie dropping a nice bundle on my doorstep Friday lunch time was very welcome & cheered me up a lot.

 

Brun did his best to help with lots of cuddles but all the jumping up through the night didn't do much for either of our beauty sleep.

 

 

 

Hun-bun tried to compete with the wins by bringing me a present today too - a RAT! For some reason he still thinks my yelling 'bad murderer Hun-Bun' through the screen door is positive reinforcement.

 

 

By the way - no rats were harmed in the making of this picture. He was still alive, just playing dead. Unfortunately I can't vouch for what happened at a later date. Hun-bun picked rat up & tried to bring it inside for me so I ran, screamed & shut the door on him & his present.

 

Oh & I am still not winning the fluffy bed stand off.... maybe next winter.

 

 

 

Wishing you 'tin bummedness' too

Tracee xx  Brun xx  Hun-bun xx   rat : (

A Win From Rosie

This week I won some patterns from one of my favourite designers, Rosie Quinlan & they are here already too. The prize was three of her new Creative Cards designs for bags. I love these small projects, great for gifts & swaps and quick to get a result.

Happy Easter Gift Bag - I'll certainly be making a few of these.....

Petit Project Bag - love these colours & the stitchery design....

Naomi's Little Carry Bag, a frilling little bag ; )

Great win, thanks Rosie! xx

Brutus partook of his sardines in tomato sauce that his friend Horse gave him for his birthday. They were very well received & after Brun ate his little fill, Hun-bun scoffed the leftovers & licked the plate clean then wanted more. Horse is right, people sardines in tomato sauce rule!

Happy Sunday!
Tracee xx Brunnie xx Hun-bun xx

A Win & More

I was doing the happy dance ( & scaring the furboys in the process ) a few weeks ago when I read on Cardy Girl's blog that I was one of the winners of her bundles of My Favourite Things fat quarters by Anni Downs. They looked to be such pretty fabrics & seeing I am doing the Some Kind of Wonderful - My Favourite Things quilt with the Stitch A Long Group I was definitely coveting these fabrics.

(Didn't they just look very enticing in Cardy's giveaway picture)

Cardy was just about due to leave for Nundle for the Girls Day In The Country get together so said she would post my parcel when she returned with a little added surprise as I couldn't be there too. How kind is that??? I read about so many Eastern States stitching & sewing get togethers that I would love to attend too & it makes me feel a long way away over here in the West. It would be wonderful to be able to fly over but flights from one side of Oz to the other are still quite hefty - the equivalent of many, many, many metres of beautiful fabric!

Now my parcel has arrived & oh I was right, the giveaway fabrics are just glorious. Beautiful muted colours & whimsical designs.

My surprise extras included two of the Patchwork with Busy Fingers english paper pieced kits by Sue Daly for pincushions that those who attended the GDITC made. I love paper piecing so these will definately be put to use.

I also received another piece of fabric which is just so gorgeous, I don't know if I will ever want to cut it up. It is called A Quilters Home by Nancy's Cupboard for South Sea Imports. It is in the same colours as the MFT fabrics but is lots of little rulers with lots of quilters words on it like Bear Paw, Happy Hearts Quilt Shop, Stitches in Time, Log Cabin. It is just lovely & see it spread out in the background of my photo below.

Thank you Alison for your great giveaway & for your thoughtfulness with the added extras. As you can see, they have been very happily rehomed here in Quiltkittyville! xx

If you haven't read Cardy's posts about GDITC, go to the blog & check it out, lots of bloggers & stitchers, so of course, lots of fun.

If you have been following some of the various Nundle posts, I hope you have kept up with Peg & Dale's adventures after the GDITC. Those chickens certainly get around! Check out their adventures on the way home, through Victoria & in the Barossa at Granny Loz's blog. Hilarious!

Happy Easter to all!

Tracee  xxx  Little Brun xxx Hun-bun xxx

A Generous Win From Retromummy

The postman had a nice parcel for me this week. I wonder if he ever gets sick of bringing me parcels??? I certainly don't!

I was lucky enough to win Retromummy's Don't Look Now giveaway. The prize on offer was two gorgeous Don't Look Now patterns - Worry Dolls & Pretty in Pink. Don't they look irresistible!

(pic courtesy of Retromummy's blog as posted in giveaway)

Up close they are double the cuteness. Retromummy was also incredibly generous as she doubled my prize & actually sent me four Don't Look Now patterns. How wonderfully kind is that! So I also have Alphabet Soup & Rainbow Lollipops.

Thank you Corrie for your sweet generosity. Check out Corrie's blog. It's a bundle of fun, not just quilting & knitting (yum!) but also life with four beautiful toddlers & another baby on the way, houses being renovated, brought & sold and all the usual fun stuff that makes up life for a very busy mum. Corrie, I don't know how you do it!

Check out the Don't Look Now blog too - very scrumptious! It's my first visit so I am certainly adding it to my blog roll. (remember the L, remember the L - I have a habit of typing bog roll! not a term I usually use).

Happy winning!

Tracee xx



A Win, A Buy & A Swap...

Here's a update on a great win I recently had from Cheryll of Gone Stitchin'. Cheryll very kindly offered up a Christmas stocking with a whole bundle of goodies in it.

Isn't it amazing how things show up just when you need them most. I was feeling quite down when I got home from work that Monday, my first back at work since the jury duty so had been over the details many times with those who asked about it. Waiting for me at home was not only the furboys but a few other treats that brought my spirits right back up to where they should be & more.

Here's my beautiful parcel

And all the lovely little parcels inside, with the most gorgeous stocking

And after the OK from Cheryll that I don't have to wait for Christmas to open them, here's all the goodies!

So many precious things. I'm so happy I have no patience as much of it can be used to decorate for Christmas so I get to have these gorgeous things around me for the next few weeks.

At the back is some applique panels with old fashioned Santas, the book with the cotton reels on it is a 2012 Diary, nice & light to carry with me, a plastic box for little treasures, 3D Chrissie tags or parcel decorations, wooden JOY decoration, a tree decoration with a reindeer on it (& the red pom pom), a gorgeous Christmas tree decoration, some Christmas ribbon, a teapot with a ped on the back to stick important papers & 'Must Remember' on the front (can definately sue that!), a lovely tissue holder for in the handbag & a pack of 6 wine glass charms (that I think would make great Christmas buttons for a stitchery - button deprived in Perth).

Thank you so much Cheryll. I was so lucky to win & appreciate it greatly.

Also on my doorstep that Monday was my latest purchase from the Book Depository UK. Friendship Stripes & Scraps by Edyta Sitar. I have an online order in at my local library to receive an email of all new craft books in quilting, sewing & knitting . When I find a book that I love & has many useful patterns I think I will make, I go ahead & buy it. This one uses 1 - 2.5 inch strips to make up the houses, baskets & shapes that make up the quilts & table runners. There's a table runner added to the 'to do' list to try this method out.

Also on my doorstep that Monday night (good thing the neighbours are honest!) was a swap parcel. Shez & I joined in with SewHappyGeek in the UK to do a Wall Hanging or Table Runner Swap.

My Wall Hanging that I angonised over & am pleased to report my partner Jen loved was blogged about back here. That lime green, black & white colour scheme is really growing on me. Mind you, my car is lime green so it has long been a favourite.

It was an anonymous swap so I had no idea what I would receive or from whom. I gave my favourite 3 colours (of the moment) as red, white & yellow. We all posted teasers of our projects on the Flickr group page so there was about 3 that fitted my colours & request for a table runner. Funnily enough, one I coverted, ended up being Shez's swap present - we do love similar colours & fabrics.

My partner who sent to me is Kwooten2, a mum from the USA, currently living in Germany. She designs T-shirts & sells them on her website & has the best named Facebook Group - I Don't Have A Problem, I Have A Well-Rounded Fabric Stash. But if you don't there is plenty of tips on where to get bargains & whose having sales & where to win things on the group wall.

Now to my table runner - it is beautiful, big, bold & I am just loving it.

Machine embroidered with lots of lovely freehand machine quilting. Just lovely & I can see it being brought out for amny years to come for Christmas decorating. Thanks again Kris!

So I hope tomorrow is a Happy Monday in your household like this one was last Monday in mine.


Happy stitching
Tracee xx

Giveaways & Winnings

Hi all, here are some more opportunities to win some lovely crafty prizes from generous bloggers & a look at my two recent wins;

Tess from Raggedy Station has opened a lovely new quilting store. If you are near Boronia Heights in QLD, go to her blog for the address & go visit. If like me, it is a long way away, get in for a taste of her lovely fabrics by entering at her blog to win 12 stunning black & white fat quarters & a lace button. Even the bow is beautiful!

Rachel at Stitched in Colour is having a week of giveaways for her blogiversary so get in quick, everday from now for patterns & lovely fabric.

And now my show & tell of how lucky I have been in blog world already!

This gorgeous sewn bag with lovely pink birdies on yellow, pink opening & lining was made by Diane from Quilting is Blissful blog & came all the way to me from New York state. Wow, wow & WOW! It will be put to good use gently so it lasts forever!

An extra bonus purrfect for a mum to fur-babies like me is the 'Paws For A Cause' Keychain from Theanimalrescuesite.com. Check out this wonderful site too.

Thanks so much Diane, I am very, very happy with my first blog win! xx

These four lovely fat quarters of fabric were my second win from the lovely Terri of Terri's Place blog. Very yummy fabrics & it came with a very big added bonus. Terri is in Perth too so I dropped by for a few hours to pick up my win & more importantly share quilt & cat stories, laughs, and make a lovely new friend. How amazing & we will do it all again soon. Thank you Terri, for a lovely afternoon as well as my beautiful fabrics. xx

Lucky me!

Happy stitching
Tracee xx