SSCS Gifts

Well Christmas Day is over here and we are onto the leftover food now.  I got lots of presents and among them was my SSCS present from Julie over at Jewells In this lovely Christmas box was a selection of lovely gifts.

And I  loved everyone of them

I sent mine off to Maria at The Next Stage and she has messaged me that she liked the gifts I sent her.

First was the ornament she got to open a little earlier, with some small goodies

Then the main one was a paper pieced table runner which I got the pattern from a recent Country Threads magazine

A very successful swap and thanks to Chookyblue for hosting it yet again

And The Winners Are?

Thanks to everyone who joined in and entered my giveaway for the SMS Giveaway Day.  My winners have been chosen and emails sent off. Well done to Ashley and Kathy for each winning a charm pack.  Ashley the Downton Abbey pack and Kathy the In From the Cold pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SewMamaSew Giveaway Day Has Arrived & So Has A Christmas Swap Gift

Well it is that time of the year again for the SewMamaSew Giveaway day, which I again am giving away something for.  But before I show you what I am giving away this time I have a Christmas swap to share.

Again this year, I signed up for Secret Santa Christmas Swap that Chookyblue holds each year, and I received my parcel from Julie last week.  Now we are not yet allowed to opened the main present as that has to wait until Christmas day, but we were allowed to open our small parcel that was a decoration and boy was I lucky.

The painted Reindeer badge and the painted Santa decoration are gorgeous. I am so lucky to receive these and look forward to opening my main gift on Christmas day.

Now onto the Giveaway I am giving away a 5" charm pack to two lovely winners. I know that a lot of you lovely American ladies are looking forward to the last series to start playing next month over there.  Here in New Zealand it has finished and I am early awaiting the Christmas Day special this month now.  I am also hopeing that the DVD makes it's way into my Santa Stocking this year too. With out spoiling anything I will say it is good and I am sad to see this lovely series finish.

To to win just complete this Rafflecopter entry and the first winner will win the Downtown Abbey Charm pack and the second will win the lovely In From the Cold, Christmas themed charm pack.  Entries are open worldwide and I will draw the winners next Monday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  Also do not forget to go visit SewMamaSew for many other giveaways right here

Hexi Mail

Over on Facebook I have joined a group called Hexi Mail Part 4 where we all swap hexis.  My mail box in the past week has received a few flowers and I have sent some out to people.
These are what I have received so far

And what I have sent, with more ready to stitch up

If you want to join just head on over to the page, there is a limit on numbers so don't leave it to long.

Santa Is Doing Some Early Deliveries

Well in the last month and a bit that I have been here I have been sewing up a storm for some Christmas swaps I am in.  I was worried I was going to be very late with them but all but one is on their merry way.  
It is so good to be stress free now, and hubby after having a rough time of it in the last year is absolutely loving it in his new job.  Knowing that we are never going to move again for a long, long, long time is great, it will probably be into a rest home in many, many moons if we do.  It also so nice to be living in your own home too.  So many things to do, short and long term ..... which reminds me I must get on to our grotty shower being replaced, but having high pressure water is fabulous after many years living on farms where it is often not.
Anyway, here are the gifts I have sent all wrapped, bar one as it is a secret swap and the wrapping paper will give it away.
This one is for the Advent Swap I am hosting over on Our Craft Group on Facebook and this parcel is currently winging its way over to Hungary

Then for the Santa Sack Swap this is winging is way over to Germany

and for the QBSA these gifts are winging their way closer to home but still over some water to Australia

The other swap I have sent of is SSCS which is a secret one and the other to be sent is another secret Christmas swap too.

Feels so nice to finally get things finished and sent off

Batiks Look Great

Well things are slowly getting back to normal here and sewing is happening.  This month I am back into those monthly swaps I am in with a vengance and for the 12 inch block swap I am in I made this Air Castle block in Batiks for my partner Karen and I love the way it turned out.

Hexi Madness

Yes I have been a bit busy with hexis in the last month

and I had a little cat I was looking after help me along.  It was don't move or I will attack your toes quite often, and he did find the most unusual places to sleep in, such as an old laptop box.

Also now that I have moved into this place I could order my Christmas Ornaments 2015 book as I had somewhere to send it to finally.  Of course I had to add a couple of extras.

OH YEAH!!! WINNERS AGAIN!!!

Well if you didn't already know the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup this morning. I got up very early to watch it again and if I hadn't Miss 19 would have had something to say.  She messaged me just to make sure I was watching it..... like I wouldn't.

Anyway we played the Wallabies and it was a great game.  Got a bit worried there when there were only 4 points in it, (not as nail biting as last weeks on against South Africa where I was nearly sick because I was so nervous).  However Dan Carter and his magnificent boot was magic and some great tries came along, especially that one by Beauden Barrett right at the end.  It is going to be sad to see Dan gone now.  He has had a great All Black career

.

Along with him there are some other great All Blacks who have played their last game in the black shirt and one of these could be the great captain Richie McCaw, it is still up in the air what he is going to do, but if he ends up retiring, he is another great loss to the All Blacks.

 So after that game I would say there would be a great many Kiwi's around the world still celebrating our back to back World Cup wins like these boys

Bathurst1000, 2015

Earlier this year hubby and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and we decided to go to Bathurst as our celebration.
It was the first time we had been and we loved it.  We went as a package deal and four busloads of New Zealanders (oops there were a couple of South Africans with us too) converged on Bathurst for 3 days of some exciting action.

Had to grab a photo of Volvo and New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin.  Bit shy to get one with him 

..........however not with this dude!!!  Yes the guy was a bit alright too haha

The start of the big race

and obviously Holden won!!! Yay!!!