Coffee in the country

It was a perfect Sunday, plenty of warm sunshine and petrol in the car. So warm that most people drove to the beaches so Colin and I drove in the opposite direction and into the country. It was a good choice, there was barely a car on the road!
We stopped and purchased bananas and avocados from a grower and pulled over to take photos of the magnificent scenery and wasted our time in a manner we both enjoy.

 A canefield that has been harvested allowing a clear view across to Mt Warning. A mountain named by the explorer Captain Cook because he felt that it would serve as a warning to shipping about a reef that was off the coast of NSW.
When we saw a couple of railway carriages through a gateway and a sign indicating that coffee and cake were available, we stopped

The Cafe cum craft gallery is called the "Red Rattler" however the red paint has faded in the weather and looks a little drab. We drove the car down the drive and parked in the huge carpark next to this signboard.

There was no chance of a rail motor passing since there were no rail tracks! The sign added to the fun atmosphere though.
I poked my head around the door of the first carriage - both were linked with a timber board floor and shade sales - and this carriage was filled with nick-knacks of every description. Paintings adorned the walls, stain glass light catchers hung from everywhere and if anything could be hand crafted and sold, it was here.

Being quite capable of creating my own craft and not wanting any more I moved on down to where we could order a coffee. While waiting for it to be made I poked my camera into the second carriage - this one had been set out as a dining room - there was even a piano (playable) in the guards compartment at the end!

We did enjoy our brief visit to the Red Rattler, the coffee was good, the staff happy and pleasant and the carriages fun to visit.

With plenty of memory still left in my SD card I was impatient to move on and find more subjects to aim the camera at!
AJ

Feeling crafty

Yes! The girls were packed and waiting when I turned up on their doorstep and became quite impatient when Colin and I sat down with a coffee to chat with their mother!
Once we were on our way we called in to do a little shopping and I gave each of them three dollars to spend in the "cheap shop". It took ages to choose something! That made walking around the grocery shop far more tolerable for them! Unfortunately for me Woolworths had run out of their cheap bread so we had a second grocery stop this time at Aldi. Colin stayed in the car with the children while I went in. That way I was able to leave the car running and the air conditioning on! I gave a sigh of relief when I encountered several displays of Easter chocolates! It would have been difficult dragging the children away from them!
I did weaken at the sight of an Easter activity book for $2.99 and into the trolley two of them went!
Once we were home the girls were eager to get onto the activities.
Little baskets and models were made from the push out card shapes but when it came to the tracing I made thick card shapes from the designs and the children drew around them before cutting out the shapes from coloured copy paper.

Kayla is cutting and sticking the paper shapes she has drawn and cut out.
I was amazed at how long the children worked on these paper projects. They are quite difficult and involve a bit of curling and folding too but I only had to show them once and they were able to do it for themselves.
Here is what the girls are making.

Chantelle holds her paper daffodil for the camera. We had to stick a thin strip of firm card along the back of the stem because the flower was a bit heavy for it. The circle of paper is enough to make the daffodil stand upright.
Going to bed is not easy! It is half an hour since they were tucked in and goodnights were said and they are still keeping each other awake! They don't normally share a room but when away from home they are happier together! But for the fights over the bed clothes! I will go and settle them. They have another exciting day ahead of them for tomorrow.
AJ

Creative sewing

Walking around the Textile Art expo I came across a group of women seated at sewing machines and receiving pieces of coloured lace and "tops" (dyed and coloured, teased wool)and provided with a plain coloured acrylic scarf they were to use these machines to create something colourful and special. I was able to use my little camera since the low surrounding baricade was close enough for everyone on the outside to see what was going on in this workshop.
None of the ladies had ever worked with one of these special "embossing" machines before but they soon knew exactly what to do and I did not see any one person actually plan what they were going to do or work out where they were going to lay their different colours and textures.

Enjoy.
Again, if you wish to see this video without the sides trimmed off just click on 'scarf making.flv" in the top left corner of the video and you will be taken to Youtube.
AJ