The winners are...

My little reminder went off on my phone today to tell me to draw three winners from the "It's All About Me" day!

This post is minus screenshots/pictures - because, stupidly (AGAIN), I used up all my download allowance for October during peak times.... my internet will be back up to regular fast speed on Sunday - so until then, any blog visiting takes 30 times longer to load up, and photos take a zillion times longer to upload.

Enough of the boring stuff - here are the random winners!!!

In the "putting up a blog button or posting about the challenge/swap/party" category, the winner is Elyse of Cottage~Tinkered Treasures for your home!

In the Participants category, the winner is Sandy of Sandy's Creations!

And lastly, from all the comments left on the challenge/swap/party day post, and the comments left on the post announcing the day, the winner is Jeanne of Dream, Create, Inspire!

Congratulations ladies, and please send me your mailing addresses {I've got a link on my sidebar where you can contact me directly via my website}, and I'll send you a surprise gift in the mail!

Until Sunday, when my pages will load, and I can bear to be near the computer again...

Natasha xo

Gorgeous...

Firstly ~ wow, thank you SO much to everyone who visited or participated in the "It's All About Me" challenge/swap/party! I loved seeing everyone's creativity and it was so nice to think you were finally keeping something for you to enjoy! It really made me smile visiting everyone, and I hope that we can all maybe make a bit more time for ourselves, a bit more often.

Another wow for you - this gorgeous package arrived in the mail recently - and I wanted to show you how gorgeous it is!

When my hubby asked me what I would like for my birthday last month, I said I didn't need anything. Then I thought to myself, "what's something I would love, that I'd treasure?" I immediately thought of my talented and lovely friend Heather, and her divine vintage jewellery creations.

I asked her if she would mind doing a custom order for me {which she doesn't always do!} and create a necklace. Heather is one of my oldest online BFFs, I've probably known her longer than anyone else, from back in our eBay days. So she knows what I like and what my tastes are, probably better than anyone else. I loved that my special gift from my husband would be a creation from one of my best friends. Perfect!

And because she is such a sweetheart, she made me that beautiful matching bracelet as a birthday gift from her, as well as the gorgeous millinery and linen ribbon, swoon!

So here's the amazing necklace, made from all sorts of vintage gorgeousness ~ rhinestone shoe clip, antique French blue rosary beads {oh my, these are the most delicate beautiful beads I've seen in my life!}, old pearls and sparkly dangles... it's utterly divine!

I've already worn it three times and had plenty of compliments on it!

And how lovely ~ she even remembered Leroy and his love for packages in the mail! He adores his hatching capsule animals, and ginormous coins, and what a hit those Halloween rings are!!! He sends a huge thank you!

And so do I. Thank you for the beauty you create, Heather, with those magic hands that work wonders with whatever they touch!

Until next time,

Natasha xo

It's All About Me {Let's Swap and Party!}

Welcome to the party/swap/challenge! I'm so glad you could join in!! Today is the day where we'll share our projects we've been working on for ourselves!

(If this is your first time visiting, please read here for the background info)

At the end of this post, I'll be putting up links to your "It's All About Me" blog posts, as you let me know about them. Be sure to scroll down and visit all the participants :)

To start the ball rolling....

Remember this watermelon print?

Well, after three years of wanting to change it over, I finally did it!

The original plan was to paint over the watermelon print frame and replace the print with a painting. But I knew my mum would love that print, and I paid a small fortune to have it framed all those years ago, so I gave it to her. I started my new painting from scratch, in an antique frame that I have hoarded for about 3 years!

What was going to be a rose painting, ended up being an old style postcard looking painting....

of a scene that makes me feel calm and serene.

Bordered by roses and lily of the valley...

and featuring little animals...

Like these white swans...

with one ducking for food under the water....

And as per Leroy's request - a puppy in front of the little barn.

It was such a fun experience creating for myself. I think I'm going to do this more often!

I'm so glad you've joined me for this challenge/party/swap, and I can't WAIT to see what you've created!

If you're visiting and not participating, I hope you are inspired by all the creations you're about to see, and that one day soon, you will make time for yourself too.

*******The giveaways (All drawn in one week, 29th October 2009)*******

• So I am giving a random surprise gift to one participant from the list that will form below. Winner will be drawn in one week, so even if you're late, please do let me know about your project and I'll add you to the list

• The other giveaway is for anyone, participant or visitor, who leaves a comment on this post, or the post back on Sept 5th. I'll be putting all the combined names into a hat and drawing a random winner of another surprise gift (one entry per person).

• The last giveaway is for those who have been letting me know that they added the "It's All About Me" blog button to their blogs, or who wrote a blog post about it. I've been maintaining a list of names, and that randomly drawn winner will also win a surprise gift.

And now, what you've been waiting for.... the list of participants! (If you're participating, please leave me a comment on this blog post, letting me know only once your blog post is up. I'll leave a direct link to it, and update as often as I can. Please allow for time differences across the world, as I'm in Australia and we sleep while the Northern Hemisphere is awake! This post was published just after midnight so I'll update in the morning)

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME 2009 PARTICIPANTS

1. GerryART - Crocheted bag and yarn holding bag
2. Only Cute Things - Daughter's Room Makeover
3. Pearl Maple - Altered Art Bucket List
4. She's Sew Pretty - Finished Decorating her Studio
5. Cottage~Tinkered Treasures for your home - Chair Pad using her sewing machine the first time
6. The Rose Room - Revamped Twinset
7. Reflections From the Stone Nest - Inspiration Board
8. Shabby Art Boutique - Family Room Transformation
9. Pink and Pretty Designs - Vintage Style Lamp and Pillow
10. SharDon Exclusives - Christmas Themed Art Journal
11. Faerie Window - "A Beautiful Life" Journal
12. My Mother's Pearls - Multi Purpose Craft Tote/Purse
13. A Scrapbook of Inspiration - The Blogland Diaries address & record book
14. Girls At Heart - "Holly's Sweet Retreat" room makeover AND SHE'S HAVING A FAB GIVEAWAY!
15. Pink Dogwood Blossom - Elegant Purse and Scarf to wear to the Opera
16. Marigold Manor - Knitted Fingerless Gloves
17. Jacaranda Artesanias - Hand Painted Fowerpots
18. Creative Art and Family Life with Alison Gibbs - "A Beautiful Life" Journal
19. Inn Country - Handmade Cloth Doll
20. Vintage Blue Studio - Frou Frou Princess Mixed Media Piece
21. Sandy's Creations - Charlotte Wooden Shoe Car, Cabinet Card Hanger, Embellished Tin Container, "Nature's Palette" art piece
22. Lili M's Adventures - Doll boxes, Halloween Cage and the beginnings of some projects
23. Cola's Cottage - Pencil Portraits of her children AND SHE'S HAVING A WONDERFUL GIVEAWAY!
24. Queen of Dreamz/Dream Kingdom - Crochet Neck Warmer and Wrist Cuffs
25. A Bit of Heaven - Tote Bag
26. The White Bench - Box and Board Makeover
27. Living Beautifully - Fabric Cuff Bracelets
28. Pearl's Sentimental Journey - Halloween Banner AND SHE IS HAVING TWO GREAT GIVEAWAYS!
29. Such a Wondrous Space This Faerytale Space - Beaded Jewels
30. Bunny Rose Cottage - "A Beautiful Life" Journal, Vintage Window, Garden Birdhouse & Embellished Tray AND SHE IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY!
31. Rose Brier Studio - "Stamptoberfest" creations - Tin Woman, Soldered Charms, Tag Book, Framed Stamp Picture
32. Dream, Create, Inspire - "A Beautiful Life" Journal
33. Creating Myself - "Paper Cowgirls Art Retreat" projects - Fabric Cuff, Crown, Cupcake Painting
34. Rhonda Mum - Charlotte Doll Mixed Media Art
35. A Pink Blossom Pond - Magical Pumpkin Art
36. Sweet Scarlett - Making over a wicker chair
37. Fitty's Pink Rose Cottage - Revamped Egg House and bought china
38. Fall Creek Cottage - Mail Basket
39. Pretty Petals - Vintage Jewellery Necklace
40. Gypsy Brocante - Halloween & Spider Inspired Vintage Jewellery Necklace
41. The French Bear - Boo Pumpkins and Sleepyhead Kitten
42. Creations By Marie Antoinette - Marie Antoinette's Christmas Tree Doll
43. Langley Girl - Fairy Shadow Box
44. My Enchanted Home - Fairies, Fairies and More Fairies
45. Speckled Egg - Embellished Case for Craft Supplies
46. Golden Bird Knits - Log Cabin Wash Cloths & Scarf AND SHE IS GIVING AWAY A SUGARCANE YARN BALL!

Getting ready....

In between visits to the beach during recent school holidays...

...taking the two old dears for walks and runs...

...and stopping to photograph the incredibly vivid pink seaweed...

... my little guy snuck a photo of me painting my "It's All About Me" project. I didn't know he took the pic until I uploaded the shots to my computer!

See you right here, in not much more than 24 hours time....

Can't wait to see what you come up with! Are you nearly done?

Natasha xo

Leather, Lace, Glitter and .... angels?

Today was a magnificent Spring day! We've been having a bit of stormy and Wintery weather the past few weeks, so the beautiful day was a welcome change.

So even though I had this idea to create, I wasn't going to be cooped up inside and miss this fab day. I took my supplies to our outdoor table and I had a bit of fun!

I had this vision last week of making leather and lace Christmas ornaments and today was the day I attempted to bring that vision to fruition.

So far, this is what I've come up with. It needs a bit more work, like an actual hanger for a start, and some card on the back to keep it stiff.

But I quite like the contradiction of using vintage leather with lace, and creating something rather un-"leather & lacy", an angel.

Isn't the lace I found for the head and curly sparkly halo hair cool? The piece of lace makes the angel face look like it's singing, don't you think?

I'm going to work on it some more and hope to have some ready in the shop to sell soon....I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, my great aunt and two of my 3rd cousins are about to land in Melbourne from Slovenia - we're heading off to meet them in 16 minutes! How exciting!

Natasha xo

PS. See you in a few days - for "It's All About Me" fun! It's never too late to sign up, everyone is welcome!

Fun girls' afternoon

A couple of days ago, I, along with Kirstie, had the pleasure of going to Mandii's house for afternoon tea. The occasion was a fun one - we were meeting Sarah, who had come all the way down to Melbourne with her lovely family for a few days!

Delicious sweets were everywhere! Not just on the table - Mandii's whole home is eye candy! It has been featured in a magazine and as a "jewel of the month" and it's totally understandable why!

The paparazzi (me) went around taking lots of detail shots around Mandii's home, it was so well lit, and there was so much to see. Here's some of my fave shots.

Mandii has a baby and still manages to be organised enough to have started her Christmas goodies!

We had some giggles waiting for Sarah to come! I love these candid shots of Kirstie (below) and Mandii (below Kirstie), animated while talking to each other!

And I was so sad because I only got to spend about 45 mins with Sarah before I had to go and pick up the little guy. Still, 45 mins is better than not having met her at all, and I'm so glad I did get to do that! Sarah is great fun, witty and such a laugh. Her family are so sweet too!

(L - R: Me, Sarah, Mandii, Kirstie)

Thanks ladies for a fabulously fun, way too quick, afternoon!

Thanks Mandii for being a wonderful hostess, for baking my fave cookies, and real cupcakes from scratch!

Natasha xo