Found the link . . .

Here's the link I was looking for about the 10 Things Challenge . . . Simple. Organized. Life.

Feeling the need to simplify . . .

Earlier this year we had to pack up my father-in-law's house as he was moving into a nursing home and it really hit me that we spend so much time gathering "stuff", but what does it all really mean? How much value does it really add to our lives? A couple of months after that we had to pack up our own "stuff" when we moved house. Again I was hit by the amount of time and effort that goes into getting all the stuff, but how little attachment I really had to so much of it. After 2 garage sales, boxes of donations to charity and a skip full of rubbish, I'm feeling a little bit de-cluttered, but not quite enough. So . . . I'm on a mission to simplify my life. I've come across some good stuff on the web that has really prompted me to observe my home (and life) and take stock, so I wanted to share:

• mnmlist: the essentials - a great little site to get you thinking (and hopefully acting), with links to other great thought provoking sites.

• There's another site, that I just can't find at the moment, but basically the guy set himself a target to get rid of 10 things per week - to charity, to someone else, or to the bin if it was broken and un-fixable. I've managed to get to 10 things fairly easily the last couple of weeks. So far, so good!

Christmas Ornament Swap

I've signed up for a bit of craft Christmas fun - it's the Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap 2009. Check out the details here.

Cross Stitch Journal Cover

A while ago I came across this blog (Note: the blog is in Dutch? The link is to an english translation. If you want to view the blog in its original language click here.) which was full of cross-stitch patterns. I was drawn in equally by the patterns and the story of how they came to be there. The patterns were discovered tucked away in an elderly aunt's attic. They were then digitised by a group of women who generously gave their time and finally posted on the web for us all to share. I love that these old patterns will not be forever lost, and that from a time long ago and a place I've never been, as I sat and stitched I felt a connection with other stitchers, a sisterhood that reaches both backwards and forwards, far beyond right here and now. So thank you to all the women who gave of themselves.

Below are some pictures of a journal cover I made using one of the patterns from Aunt's Attic. It is stitched on 27count pre-aged linen, stitched using DMC thread. The fabric for the remainder of the cover is a Julie Wallace (Quilter's Barn) design. It's a piece I bought at a craft show a while back - just because I loved it. I've been waiting for the right project to use it on since then (you know - the fat quarter you pull out of your stash and just feel from time to time - not yet ready to cut just yet). It had just the right coloured raspberry in the design to match the stitching, so I thought it was time to use it. I have added some ric-rac down the side edges. All in all, I'm quite pleased with the results.

Among The Gum Trees

I came across a blog today that I thought might be of interest to other stitchers - Among The Gum Trees is a collective blog for 9 Australian designers. They are pooling their talents and offering 9 Christmas Freebies! Click on the button in my sidebar to check out their site. You've got to love the generosity of crafters . . .

Here I am . . .

I've been visiting blogs all over the place for a while now. I've been inspired, motivated, uplifted and sometimes moved to tears by people from all over the world sharing a little bit about themselves and what they do. I thought that it was time for me to jump in and make my contribution. To all those people who have, without knowing it, touched my life in some way with their stories and their generosity of spirit I say thank you.

I am a crafter from way back. I've made teddy bears, done ceramics, failed miserably at pottery. I'm currently pretty passionate about patchwork, stitcheries and cross stitch. And I'm a scrapbooker and family historian. Some days my mind is overflowing with creativity and other days - well, not so much. I have way too many projects on the go and hope to start finishing things some time soon. I try to enjoy the process and not get too caught up in guilt of not being finished. I've got more craft supplies than one girl should reasonably have and I'm hoping to start using and enjoying all the "stuff" more. We'll see how that goes.

This blog is a glimpse into . . .  Sue's world.  Please feel free to stop by from time to time. Leave me a comment if you like . . . just to let me know I'm not alone!