Queensland Flood Appeal Dolly Drive

These beautiful softies are from Melissa. I love these two little cuties. Gorgeous fabrics and adorable stitched faces. Thank -you Melissa.

Yesterday was the official close date for the Queensland Flood Appeal Dolly Drive.

Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you.

To date, I have received 40 dolls/softies, with a few more on the way. WOW!

I guess it's a small gesture in the grand scale of the disasters that have affected both Australia and the world. But, if I was one of those families, trying to rebuild a home and a life, I think that a small handmade gift from a stranger, would warm my heart no end.

Thank-you to all of the beautiful woman who donated their amazing softies to this Dolly Drive. Thank-you also to the people who helped spread the word through their blogs.

So where are they going?

• 10 softies are being sent to Theodore. A lovely local lady will be distributing the dolls to children in need. Thank-you Carol for all of your help in organising this.

• 25 softies will be going to the lovely ladies at the Toowoomba C.W.A. Many people have not returned to their homes, some houses may need to be demolished. So the C.W.A will be storing the dolls with other household items. They will be distributed throughout areas in the Lockyer Valley, when they are needed.

• The remaining 5 and any others that arrive, it could be 3 more, it could be 10. I would like to send to Northern Queensland and to the areas affected by Cyclone Yasi.

So if you are still making a doll/softie, or still want to, please contact me via e-mail to let me know. I don't have any contacts in North Queensland yet, as I was waiting to see how many dolls I received. If anyone has any contacts up that way, please let me know.

I will continue to keep you updated, I'm enjoying sharing this journey with you.

In fact, I have a few cute dolls sitting on my desk, patiently waiting to get their photo taken.

Watch this space!

Just a few things....

(the photos are of two dolls I made over the weekend for the dolly drive)

• Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, to all of the people putting their hands up to make a doll for the Dolly Drive. I am overwhelmed by the support coming from around the world. Along with the people listed in my side bar, many others, without a blog, have also contacted me and are making dolls as I write. I have sent off some e-mails trying to get contacts to help distribute them. Please if you have any ideas or contacts, let me know.

• Thanks too, to the lovely ladies who have either put my button on their blog or posted about the Dolly Drive. I have been trying to thank-you personally, but I think I have missed a few. I have noticed, thanks for helping spread the word.

• Jenna has sent in a great link for doll patterns. You might want to have a look. "Bit of Whimsy Dolls"

• Carol from 'naturally carol' is making cushions and aprons for the homes of flood victims and wants to know if anyone else would like to join her. Also if anyone has any ideas on how she can distribute them, please let her know.

• Catherine has taken a ticket in my raffle and asked if she wins, to pass it on. Perhaps you could do the same. I can donate the cat softie to the dolly drive and cushions could be donated to Carol (see above)

• Please, please, please donate. If not here, then on one of the many other auction or raffles listed here.

•I want to welcome my new followers, Alli from 'a beautiful pea green boat' and 'handmade in a pea green boat', Sarah from 'one perfect day', Sophie from 'her library adventures', Christy from 'a Christy production', 'felt like stitchin', Al, Mary and Siti Fatimah





• And finally, I am going to resume blogging as normal. It am still watching the flood news both here and now around Australia. My heart is breaking. It just hasn't seemed right to be blogging happy thoughts in this space over the last couple of weeks. But I need to get back to some pretty pictures, recipe posts and crafting. This blog is my happy place. I will, of course, be keeping you update with the dolly drive and the raffle.

Please don't forget that the Queensland Flood Appeal Auction has started and ends at midnight on Monday 24th January. A master list of other crafty auctioneers can be found here.

AND

Don't forget my Queensland Flood Appeal Dolly Drive. Perhaps you'd like to join us.

Some thank-you's

Thank-you Grandma.

Grandma has let us borrow her knitted nativity scene, as she has two. I love, love, love it!



Thank-you Nanny Marjie.

Nanny Marjie (my aunt) stopped into our house this morning to drop off our christmas presents. This year she will be spending christmas in the country. She turned up once again with a bag full of goodies. The photo above is a very small peek at what was inside.... this is not even my christmas present. I was super excited, the kids and I played with fabric scraps and trim for hours after she had left.



Thank-you Future Shelter.

I bought this t-shirt and these christmas decorations from Future Shelter. How I stopped at just two things, I do not know, I wanted it all! It arrived earlier in the week and not only was I really happy with the things that I had bought, but there was a little surprise inside - Christmas badges! I love them so much.

I am feeling very lucky and grateful during this festive season. It truly is the season to be jolly.

I'm grateful for...

Today I am grateful for 'thank-you's'

I almost teared up when Spunky Monkey's prep teacher handed me a small gift yesterday. It was so unexpected. It was to say 'thank-you' for being a 'mummy helper' throughout the year. Honestly, I had been feeling a little guilty for not being more involved. However, it became obvious to me, that what seemed like a little bit to me was a lot to someone else.

So I will share this quote with you again:

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do little" - Edmund Burke

As I write, I am enjoying my gift. Tea in my new cup, that was filled with santa chocolates, and a handful of different teas.

Shhh.... don't tell anyone, but I'm also eating a santa chocolate too. I haven't even had breakfast yet.

I'd like to also welcome my newest follower, 'Maxabella loves', for who I am also grateful for:)

Go to her blog now to see what other people are grateful for today.