Tuesday 23 July 2013

a family of Aloes....

                  On one of our many walks with the boys and the dogs around the Berry Dam, we found a family of giant Aloes

here in the Eastern Cape where we live you will found  large groups  of Aloes growing on the mountain sides
I absolutely just love them
and maybe if your lucky you can find  something small  like this chameleon ( boys went crazy over it, insisting that we take "him" home) sorry boys this chameleon is already at home in the veld.


HELOISE XXXX

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Through my camera lens...........

about a hundred meters from our home you will find the Berry Dam
 
lots of our town folk will take their dogs for walks around it, or go for a jog or a bicycle ride so quite and peaceful (the kids love it)
mist rolling over the mountain in the morning
 
 
Heloise ;-)
 
 

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Winter is here...............


Hi everyone, don't you also wish that there was more time in the day?  I just don't get to everything!!
My friend Amanda that lives in Kimberley(my home town) told me about Elle Cotton On, she crocheted a washcloth and was happy with the end result.
I had to try it too. 
Found  nice patterns for wash cloths and a bath/shower mitt on LION BRAND sorry don't have the link address with me now.
I used a nr 6 hook, and yes I made a face cloths for all the "boys" and they were impressed and so was I , bath time is a spa experience now hahaha
Bath/shower mitt
Never forget !!!! take one day at a time


HELOISE    :-)

Monday 24 June 2013

Proteas and old bottles........

I wish it was so easy to just go to your favourite decor shop and buy what your see,  hahaha ja for sure
so made another plan, have boxes full of old bottles
 
and Proteas are my favourite flower!!! and there you go centrepiece for my dinning room table

all so very different but I think that just what makes them so unique
 love making something out of nothing


Heloise xxx

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Just to show you.............

I decided to use the shell stitch for this new blanket, you can find the pattern  Here. And I am happy with it so far, this is after 23 rows, just LOVE these colours!!!

HELOISE :-)

Before............

GGGGGgggrrrrrrrr  Not so nice to look at hey! that's what I thought,  am I making work for myself.
This was a  auction find from the hospital were I work.

AFTER...............
 The LOOK I had in mind was worn, used not new at all, taken out of the farm barn.
The original cupboard had lots of layers of old paint, so what I did was just to paint over all of that, about 3coats.
and now the fun starts my boys loved scraping off all  the old paint and the new red paint, was a little confused by all of this, but that's what mom wants  hahahah
I Love Love the end result, have lots of space for all my white crockery and collectibles. Love DIY projects like this !!


Heloise xxx

Friday 14 June 2013

a tiny border............

for my selves in the dinning room,
nr 2.5 hook, Elle Crochet Cotton nr 5 in Ecru..........
close up.....................
nice weekend project.


HELOISE  :-)


Wednesday 12 June 2013

Just could NOT resist....................


absolutely love love these colours, this is what happens when you cannot resist the wool shop, and just have to go and LOOK !! let the hunt begin for a new project.

HELOISE ; )

Wednesday 8 May 2013


My African Flower Blanket..............finally


can't really believe its done, took my time with this blanket


used all my scrap wool and here and there something new

joined every flower with single crochets (american ) and worked the border also in single crochets all around the blanket twice.


on my bed

crocheted 855 flowers to complete this blanket, and every flower is different.
 everytime I see this blanket I remember my special friend Anna (she passed away last year from Cancer) she always helped and encouraged me to carry on with it.  Miss You Lots.

HELOISE XXXX

Friday 1 March 2013

Tried my hand at Decoupage

Hi there everyone, its been a long time since my last post, have been very busy at work and then hectic at home, could just not find the time sorry.

Black cardboard box with lid, Gloss Modge Podge, sponge applicator.
And Gary could not wait to help with the cutting out
Started with the lid first to get the idea of where goes what, found the most gorgeous anything French free printables at The cottage market .
After about 8 or 9 coats of modge podge nice glossy  finish, NOW starts the fun part and also very expensive part the crackle glaze (two parts - base coat first and then the top coat)

the base coat makes medium cracks, and the top coat larger cracks and the thinner you apply the top coat the bigger the cracks (hope you can understand that) and then I rubbed Winsor & Newton's oil colour (Burnt Umber) over and allow to dry and now you can varnish it.


this was a two weekend project, you have to wait for the coats to dry in between.
Nice weekend everyone

HELOISE