Winners are grinners……

….and this giveaway winner is….. Sophie!

Congratulations.

Give Away: Dungeon Raiders.

Dungeon Raiders Card Game Cover.

Yes, to finish the year off I am having a giveaway!

The designer, who some of you will know, Phil Walker-Hardling, has been helping our 12 year old develop and game test some of her ideas for games this year. She’s had a great time. This has meant we are closer to the coal face of any new games he designs.

Some of you may remember me mentioning Sushi Go by Adventureland Games a couple of weeks ago and encouraging you to support it’s first print run….. well good news. They smashed their  target goal and the game is set for printing early next year. I will keep you posted and give one of those away when it arrives.

But in the meantime…….

This is a great little holiday game for the family….or for yourself.

Dungeon Raiders.

We have been playing it quite a bit and it’s great fun.

It has a potential co-operative element…..although with older children with a bit more playing experience ….well,  lets just say there is less co-operation.

Watch how the game is played here.

If you would like to be in with a chance to be randomly selected to win this game….. please leave a comment telling me your favourite card or board game….or your least favourite.

The comments will close at midnight the 23rd of December (AEST) and I will announce the winner on Christmas Eve…. to be posted anywhere in the world soon after that.

So, go ahead give me your ideas.

 

Kristen Doran fete inspiration.

Image from Kristen Doran’s blog.

Around Christmas time last year I was fortunate enough to win a giveaway on facebook of a bundle of Kristen Doran fabrics. I was so excited, as had for sometime admired this Aussie fabric designer. Kirsten makes beautiful handmade prints and puts simply gorgeous kits together which make you want to make them up RIGHT NOW!

I had great plans for the fabric, but have only realised some of them. This years has been like that! Many plans with only a small proportion of plans materialising. Great and fantastic other things have happened ….. but most of them unplanned….

Annnnnyyyyywwwaaaayyyy.

The Matryoshka Dolls in Red & Pink on White and Gold and Red on white fabric panel was part of my prize, and I decided to use it to make items for the upcoming school Spring Fair.

…. another image from Kristen Doran’s blog.

I think this is what is intended to be made with the panel, but I wanted to share the love around rather than make a larger multi-pieced item which would never get the value on the craft stall…..  and I had to make sure I used every last bit!

That said…. if I still had little girls I would have loved this on their beds and for imaginary play and for using with them when they go through the ‘how everyone in the family fits together’ stage.

Here is what we did with them. (yes I had some other crafty mummies helping me again this year)

Christmas decorations in 3 sizes.

A mother and her daughters.

Here you can see some of the pretty backs.

The tiny ones were made into Christmas decorations and the large Matryoshka Doll prints we made into rice bottomed (so they stand up) padded dolls. I’m so pleased with how they have turned out. What do you think?

Standing up dollies.

Playing in the grass…..

I’m going to find these hard to donate.

I also received some gorgeous fang monster fabric that Kirsten designed with one of her sons… which unfortunately seems no longer in print! I have a plan to make something for my littlest nephew. I will keep you posted.

2 Grandmas, 2 Mothers and 2 Daughters.

Operation Christmas Child.

…. and while you are planning your Christmas Advent Events and Treats for your family, please consider Operation Christmas Child.

The deadline for drop offs is 25th of October, in Australia. Yes! Next week.

Your local drop off can be found here.

This is a way our family has given in the past, and the girls derive so much joy from it. It stimulates conversations about children in other countries less fortunate (materially) and spiritually.

I think this is a great way to set the tone early in the Christmas schedule for our family.

Will you join us this year?

Facebook Friday

Image from Book Lending.com

I have talked about this fabulous idea of free book exchanges before.…. and my lovely friend Cathy was inspired for her neighbourhood  (she’s even making one).

Elizabeth put this fabulous one on facebook earlier this week.

Anyone have an old phone booth lying around we can have? Please!

….. or better still, a tardis….. oh I mean police box.

Art class …..please help.

This week I start art class after a very long break.

More out of convenience than anything else I have enrolled in ‘continuing projects’.

The problem is….. I am sort of starting a fresh rather than continuing so I need your help.

Over that last couple of months I have been collecting still life images (because I am fascinated by the comfortingness of them). I think I would like to recreate them as  drawings or paintings or collages …. or maybe even something all together different. I would love to experiment with stitching and fabric within works too.

I just don’t know where to start.

Please help me out by letting me know in the comments which images appeal to you and how you would like to see them recreated. I am not promising to obey your every visual wish but your feedback would help enormously. Thanks.

1. Latte and sunnies.Image from the bottom of my laundry basket.

2. Muffins on a board. Image from Modern Country.

3. Spilt coffee.Image credit decor8blog.

4. Extra strong cappacino. Image mine.

5. French press and small bites. Image from decor8blog.

6. Three pears and a pomegranate. Image from decor8blog

7. A vase, a painting and a deer. Image the lennoxx.

8. Napkin with sprig and duck egg.Image from the house of Turquoise.

9. Pink flowers in a lime vase. Image from the house of Turquoise.

10. Sweet peas and mini bird eggs. Image from the house of Turquoise.

Please give me some direction…. even if it’s just the number of the picture.

….and yes, I will do some updates as to how the classes and paintings are going.

May even have a give-away, but only if you help me know where to start.

The story behind the still life: winner

Yes, heavy enclosed shoes and protective eye wear needs to be worn at all times!

Ok, so the still life really didn’t give a lot away.

The flowers and bottle of ‘joker’ wine and an apple for the teacher were all waiting for me when I arrived home from my first day of work.

The story is…. I have a part-time sessional lecturing job at the Australian Catholic University.

This session I will be teaching first year students a subject called “Designing with Textiles”. So far, it is really a glorified sewing class, but will move more into the areas of design as the weeks progress.

Every student who wants to be a TAS (technology and applied science) teacher in the high school system has to cover textiles, so I have mostly non- textiles students in my classes (or labs as they are known). Yes, woodwork and metalwork boys as well as the food tech students.

It’s pretty scary as I am not a trained teacher and I haven’t worked for someone else for about 13 years….. and as you can see from the photos from the lab, it’s super dangerous!*

So far it has been really enjoyable and exhausting.

So, because all the readers who commented got part of it right, but no-one picked it, (I know it was quite obscure) I will be sending you all a little harrysdesk love.

Thanks for commenting, or thinking if you didn’t get to commenting.

Dyeing and printing is even more dangerous.... mask and gloves get added to the apparel.

* I don’t think the job is dangerous at all. I think the stay at home mothering was much more hazardous! Let’s hope OH&S doesn’t come and access our homes.

My Still Life

Welcome home still life.

Time for a giveaway. Haven’t had one in a while.

Yesterday when I arrived home I was greeted by this still life on my kitchen table…… ok, it didn’t look exactly like this but after a little artistic adjusting….it looked like this. I love a still life.

For a chance to win a harrysdesk surprise prize pack you need to answer this question by commenting below.

Why were these things waiting for me when I got home?

The most accurate answer….or the most creative answer….. will win the pack.

You have a week to come up with your answer. That’s 9:30 pm on the 1st of March 2012.

What’s in the pack?

It’s a surprise!

Don’t miss out….. 2

….and for the non readers….

...or something like me.

Ends today at 8:00pm. Details here.

…and the Well Spotted T-shirt winner is…..

Congratulations ………………

You are the winner of this…. Laura.

Thanks everyone who entered.

Not the boy.....but the Well Spotted Shirt.

Don’t miss the The Little Pink Owl give-away finishing this Saturday.