Getting Crafty

Spent a lovely day at the Caulfield Racecourse on Sunday after church.
No, was not attending the races but was at the Stitches & Crafts Show. This is one of the 2 which are held every year, and having missed last year's 2 shows ( usually in March & September ), this was the last chance for me to attend before I leave. It had started on Wed 6 March and there I was finally, on the last day of the show. Entrance fee cost A$14 - not cheap, but it was well worth the money.

There were over 150 retailers at the show and I was amazed at the variety of crafts on display. There were also stalls by the various guilds, like the Needlework Tapestry Guild of Victoria, The Embroidery Guild, Decoupage Guild Australia, Patchwork & Quilters Guild of Victoria and even the Bead Society of Victoria !
The Aussies are truly are a "crafty" lot of people...

Asde from these, there were also iced cakes on display - this was a competition for "sugar art". These were wonderfully done - there was even one with psychedelic colours reminiscent of the Saturday Night Fever design, as well as more traditional flowers & ribbons, which would look good as a wedding cake.

Unfortunately, theer were some signs prohibiting taking of photos, so I could not take shots of some of the wonderful pieces of work on display. Suffice it to say that I was somewhat dazzled by it all, and kicked myself for not coming down earlier in the week.

Hands-on workshops were conducted throughout the day, as well as various demonstrations of crafts. Beading seemed very popular & I was able to sign myself up for 2 one-hour courses in my afternoon there.

The first one was to make a "Sweetheart" necklace, beading technique using special Nymo thread & needle. Unfortunately, due the short time for the class, most of us could not finish doing the necklace on the spot. The poor instructor had obviously anticipated this, so she got us to do part of the main chain first, and then to quickly attch the special heart-shaped bead & start making the tassels, so that we would be able to finish off things ourselves later. The way that the workshop "rooms" were set up were also not very conducive as the lighting was not ideal, especially for working with the bright shiny beads & the fine-eyed needles.

Nonetheless we all got the gist of things & I was able to finish my necklace off myself, which I finally did today.

The next class was to make a free-form wire bead necklace, using tools that I am familiar with at work - pliers, wire, wire cutters !
However, the tme was again, rather too short for someone who has never tried this before, so I did not manage to finish making the necklace there.Also, I found it difficult that the instructor did not give the "big picture" first, that is to explain the steps that we were taking & how we were going to construct a necklace out of what we were doing, which made it difficult to me to follow.
Anyway, I decided to purchase the necessary tools ( pliers, wire cutter, etc ) to enable to complete my work. This is what it looks like finally.


Also found out that I could attend classes to learn how to make glass beads, which I can then use in my future jewellery-making attempts, so have signed up for those classes in about 2 weeks'time. Am looking forward to creating more things....

Delight of Melbourne

It is now nearing the end of my sojourn here - the year has flown by so quickly.
People have asked what I will miss about Melbourne, so I will write about these things in my last 3 weeks here.
One of my favourite things in Melbourne is the Baker's Delight shops which can be found all around the city & beyond.
The wonderful aroma of baking bread never fails to draw me into the shop.
The prices are also quite reasonable - my usual purchase is the small country grain or wholemeal sandwich loaf. This is available covered with sesame seeds on the surface ( my favourite kind ), or poppy seeds or just plain. It costs only A$1.80 and they will slice it on the spot for you - just tell them if you want thin or thick slices.
There are also many other varieties of breads & buns on sale, and there are usually samples on the counter for you to try.
The staff are also usually very cheerful & helpful, and service is offered with a smile.
This is truly a delight of Melbourne that I will miss.

LADIES' DAY

Received this from a friend ( thanks, Geok Chin ! ) a couple of days ago - it really ministered to me, so I want to record it down here, on this special day known as the International Women's Day. May it also be a source of encouragement to the women of the world.

Subject: WOMEN!!

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

May we all not forget that we are worthy because of who we are - and not just for the things we do.

Thought for The Day

Came across this today, thought it was meaningful :
When asked if there was anything worse than blindness, Helen Keller had this to say :
"Oh yes," she responded. "A person with sight but no vision. "