REWARDS OF EXHIBITING???

For those of us who enter our produce, craftwork, cooking and hobbies in our local ag shows we know that we get satisfaction of some sort from doing so. It could be because we are supporting our show (there is no pavilion to look through if exhibitors don't enter); the satisfaction of seeing our items on display for the public; receiving the compliments and lovely comments (and that is nice) or just having a prizecard or ribbon that says our work was really good.

Food Product sections not only show the talents of the owners but you so often hear the viewers commenting that they could do that or should have made their surplus fruit into jam etc etc.

Exhibiting can also be educational - this section being a weed section - and yes the exhibitors have been known to nurture a 'weed' to win the first prize!!!! - but it does show the variety of weeds in particular areas and both adults and children both learn what is a weed or isn't from these exhibits!!

Cookery is an often hotly contested section - A Champion ribbon in this section is indeed an honour - and yes many of the country's best cooks are members of the CWA!!!

And our menfolk are just as competitive - entering their fleeces, hay and grain. The look of pride when they see a prize card on their exhibit is priceless - and many a thorough inspection and discussion evolves with their own dissection of what they think is a good or bad exhibit.

Craft sections show a divers range of crafts being executed within the communities. The bag below is a junior exhibitors entry and I loved it.

This beautiful hand felted piece is actually a over skirt to wear over legging - it was a stunning piece of work!

crochet and knitting sections are always quite large - these are two all time favourite crafts that have never really died but are currently in strong revival mode (which we see happen with many 'forgotten crafts')

your local Show really is a 'window' on your local community. have you ever entered your local show. Do you get a lot of satisfaction from doing so? Prizemoney really has no bearing as the cost of making our entries and entering them is never recouped.
If you heven't entered anything in your local show... why not?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

DRY AREA PRODUCERS!!!

Today is a glorious spring day here, one that just draws you outside to get your hands dirty in the garden!! But as is normal with our springs the weather can revert to winter with frost overnight. This I am keeping in mind when I look at the produce photos from the Ariah Park Show.
There were eggs and aggs and more eggs - I was gobsmacked at the number of entries. There are generally half a dozen entries, especially at a small town show but the exhibitors outdid themselves on sunday.

 

 

Just a selection of the egg entries .... all colours and all sizes (makes me green with envy and I want to go out and buy a heap of chooks of all different breed - we cannot have poultry because of quarantine rules at the poultry farm my husband works at.

below is a sample of the citrus entries -

 And yes the yellow fingers are a citrus fruit - Buddhas Fingers or fist I bam led to believe!!

The quality of the horticulture entries are usually amazing even though the town is a Dry Area agricultural town

Although probably not as many entries as I have seen previously at this show what was there was outstanding

This arrangement took my eye

And the children's entries as usual were fantastic - the kids just excel with their imaginations and ability!!

An arrangement in an egg cup...

Well that is it for today... thinking I might go outside for an couple of hours - my grand daughter is coming out to pot some more cuttings for her soon to be market stall (we have 5shopping bags of geranium, pelargonium and lavender cuttings .......I am thinking that I might be lucky and get some for my own garden!!!

SHOWTIME:

Spent all of yesterday at the Ariah Park Centenary Show. As I was judging 2 sections in the pavilion I had to be over there by 9am - so it was an early rise for myself and fellow judges - we were travelling together.
It was the Centenary Show and the community supported it really well. The pavilion was choc -a-block full of exhibits.
One of sections I was judging was the recycled items section which I sharing the photos of today.

The iconic aussie hat made from old tin - I suspect it would probably be a bit hot to wear!! And the Steel Bra.... well that would probably be as comfortable as the old time chastity belt was but it is a good talking point and brought a lot of comments and giggles!!

There were several classes in this section - Metal, wood and plastic. The emu was a favourite as well as the redgum coffee table. The 2 stools were made from half a trye topped with a wood.

Wire flowers would look great in my garden, and the wine cabinet was superb!! The cabinet in the lower photo was the champion exhibit - the doors on the stove fron actually opened into the cabinet. The stove was restored superbly.

 

 

A simple recycling effort - chair on wheels and old chairs painted up with a timer attached as time out chairs (plus a message telling the time outer to think about what they and do and mum loves them. 

 

A metal butterfly for your garden and although not in the competition the outside wood heater took my eye also - it was set up near the bbq area for the night show.

 

Just incase you really like these items here thay are again (and because my blog is playing up and I cannot remove it or delete it!!)  I have heaps more photos of the show which I will share with you in following blogs.

We had our lunch in the luncheon pavilion and it was superb - a plate with 3 meets and salad and no room to fit any more; and caramel tart and cream - country cooks are the best!!!

Little Entrepreneur!!!!

i have also been busy every afternoon this week with my 8yr old granddaughter potting up cuttings for her market stall.

 

 

karah just loves helping set up at markets and of course checking out all the other stalls!!! She wants to buy a motor bike and a pool but has to save the money herself.... Soooooo...... ma-ma offered to help her get a plant stall going so she can earn some money too.

 

 

 

The two photos are a sample of our toils every afternoon after school. She managed to get over 100 succulents and geranium cuttings potted. This afternoon because it was too windy we went into her nanny's (great grandmother) and collected some ore empty pots and 4 shopping bags of cuttings!!!!!! guess we will be going potty all this week too!!

Of course she expects them to be ready to sell next week also. Life is a learning curve and a slow one at that sometimes!! 6 weeks and she has it marked on her calendar already!!





SPRING... is here...
I am back on board after 3 weeks of the dreaded flu plus a gastric virus with it during the last week. And there I was thinking how good it was that I hadn't had any of the virus' doing the rounds in town!!! One should never get to cocky!!

This is the first sign that spring isn't far away in these parts - the wattle trees start to bloom, this one is in my back garden and has been blooming like this for over a month - this photo doesn't do it justice at all.

Our Mulberry Tree is coming alive - it would be about 60 yrs old - it was here for many years before we bought the property - busy watering it so it fruits up really well ....mmmmmmmm.. mulbery jam and pies, fresh mulberries, purple stained mouths and fingers and clothes!!

This week I have been busy pulling out, planting and pruning!! Lettuce, Broccoli, Blueberry bush, Bay tree, Strawberries are just some of what has gone in. Heaps more to go when I have finished preparing all the beds - some new and some refurbished.

After of 6 years of waiting this pile of rubbish was removed from my garden into the paddock next to it (because it is easier to access with the ute than the garde!). And it only took him haf an hour!. I have now finished planting trees in that bed and mulched it!

 

 

The front garden (all trees and shrubs - some newly planted, some have been in for a couple of years) with the large bales of straw waiting to be spread as mulch.

 

 

 

This is one of my favourite bushes in the garden - the native Emu bush - it is about to get a big trim as it has fallen flat!

 

 

 

A whole days work to get this garden bed cleaned up and planted! The roses are about a third of the size thahey were before I attacked them but you couldsn't see them because of the WEEDS!!!. More dirt brought in to top up the bed, and some geraniums and petunias planted also. Plus some sunflower seeds at the back. Still have to remove the rubbish and weeds that was pulled out - tomorrow will do for that job. 

 

 

 

One pile of pruning from one part of the garden. Most of the rose clippings were bagged up and sent into my daughters 2 pet goats - special treat as they do love them so!!

 



 

 

The extent of my crafting over the last 3 weeks - washed and dries wheat to remove dust etc and started making heat packs for my market stall.

 

In my spare time this week I have been busy taking photos of my market stall products for a SPRING FLING market sale tonight on facebook. I sell Outback Pampering products as well as my craft and have 2 facebook pages. Products from both are all in the sale and if you are interested you can find the album on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Natural-Indulgence.

 



 

That is it for this week. I am looking forward to attending the Ariah Park Show on Sunday where I will be judging handcrafts. I love going to small Ag Shows. The communities always pull together and make a wonderful event. I will be sure to take lots of photos and be back with a report on Sunday night!

 

 

MISERABLE DAY ENDEAVOURS....
Cold, windy, sleety, then sunny windy and sleety, back to cold windy and sleety... that sums up today. Impossible to do anything outside and to top of the day I am into the 4th day od the dreaded flu. So what to do on a day like this!!
First up some nourishment - the easiest way to do this is a pot of chicken and vegie soup!

Chicken, fresh vegies, dried soup mix - I feel better just smelling it simmering away on the stove!

What to do now. My ever so slow clean up and sort out uncovered my two favourite sewing boxes which in turn uncovered several works in progress. So today just might be filled with getting them out and doing a bit more on each of them whilst sitting in front of the heater! Mind you when I say works in progress they have been on the go for about 4 years. I get bored if I only have one thing to do, and they have been forgotten for the last 12 months!

The big square one was a christmas gift from my husband which was a change from the usual gift card! and the little blue round one was from a beautiful friend who is no longer with us.

Both sewing boxes revealed a treasure trove of works ...

ahhh that is where the crinoline ladies have been hiding...

Did I say about 4 years in the making... these cows have been out to pasture for longer than that!!!

And this wool embroidered cot blanket too!
Now to work out which one I am going to do some more on today. The weekend is actually looking a little brighter now - a crafty weekend for me is something I haven't done in a long time
, always too busy making for our market stalls!!
Hope the weather is better where you are, if not I hope you are planning something fulfilling and fun inside.

LIMP BITS CHALLENGE!
Full of good intentions etc I decided to joining Posie Patchwork's #2012Posie Limp Bits Challenge!
http://posiepatchworkblog.blogspot.com.au/

Had the first week all organised. Trying a new recipe for pork chops which I find boring! Go to get my camera and.....CANNOT FIND IT!!!!
2 weeks down the track I still cannot find the camera! Everyone I ask says yes they seen it (all on the same night I might add) on the lounge. Now I know I didn't use it between that night and the new meal night.
Anyhow I am now using a camera borrowed from my daughter (and my camera will turn up eventually I hope!)

For the second challenge I decided it was time to have a go at knitting up some 8ply handspun yarn that I have had for a couple of years. Why is this a challenge? Well for the past 4 years I have only knitted with 10mm needle and upwards... and I wasn't looking forward to going back to the 4.50mm needles required to knit up the handspun wool!

On the bottom of the photo are the size needles I have been knitting with and on top what I was going to knit with. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to the time it would take to knit a garment iether, that is why I chose a baby's cardigan!!

This is the back! I added stripes because I don't like knitting ordinary old stocking stitch for too long, and instead of doing rib at the top I have finally mastered Moss Stitch!!! I have always knitted patterns but moss stitch was one that I always messed up. Well this time I didn't!!

And these are the two fronts!! Now all I have to do are the sleeves and then the worst part of all.... stitching together (oh how I hate that part!!). But onward I shall go and I WILL FINISH IT!!!