As my days have become full with the domestic bliss of being a mum and doing things around the house my crafting has become much more practical. Here are the results of the last few months evenings in…

You may notice that these are in fact pin cushions, although I just HATE the thought of anyone actually using them… not to mention moving the pins around argh

I discovered a little Oxychilus cellarius, also sometimes referred to as Hyalina cellaria (kindly identified by one of my shell club colleagues!) sliming along the mulch under my parsley plants a couple of days ago…

It is not, as I first thought, a native, but was apparently introduced to New Zealand, originally from British Isles and western Europe.

The first time I have found a live one, and was amazed at how blue the animal is. The translucent wee shells are often turned up in under growth when fosiking around in the garden.

So it has been way, way too long since I have updated the old blog…

Having a new baby - and facebook (goddamn-it!) - have proven to be much too much of a distraction. Here are a few pictures of recent projects, namely ‘Afternoon Tea’ some lovely little cupcakes, a project that I have almost completed…

Also here is the completed ‘Killer Angel Fish’ - I knotted the last stitch the night before baby was born - phew!

On the aquatic theme, I started this project, Redfish, ages ago, but it has since gone on the backburner with shifting house and the race to finish off the Killer Angelfish before the little one arrives.

But it’s getting there…

Apparently people under six months old really get into black and white objects and imagery - all this after spending months making the crazy colourful starfish mobile - so I have decided to make the little one a beautiful killer angelfish to hang above the bassinet.

Here’s how it’s going so far, it’s just based on a wee sketch and is of course a bit of an experiment…

I hope she likes it - I do and it’s not even finished yet, only a couple more hours…

We’ve been quite busy lately, and the garden is coming along really well - aside from the tomatoes getting blight…

My basil has been growing in pure wormcasts and has survived an aphid attack - and won! No sign of the little green bugs now.

The beautiful purple climbing beans have given us more than we can consume ourselves…

Austin likes to supervise any harvesting of course.

And the rhubarb is getting there too..