Traumatised

well, I had soooo much planned for today. Christmas baking done, house clean, raspberries picked, gifts wrapped.

not a chance.

This morning when i went out to feed all my animals, I found Huey and Duey (two of the baby goslings i wrote about in a previous listing) drown in their little pool. I was gobsmacked at how this happened, as there were sufficient rocks in the base for their little legs to climb out with (small duckings, goslings and chicks can easily drown in water) and sat there in the pouring rain crying, crying and crying.

When something is dead, it really is DEAD isnt it?

Living on a farm, i have learnt to become a bit of a midwife/nurse etc etc. mouth to mouth to baby lambs covered in embriotic fluid (eeek!), feeding a premature cria (baby alpaca) HOURLY night and day with a gastric tube and eye dropper to keep her alive, handfeeding day old budgies round the clock that the mother has abandoned, blow drying wet chickens to warm them up and the list goes on.... but not a chance with these poor little fellows. they were dead.

d.e.a.d.

Which opened a can of worms about death, and i cried some more (for those of you that dont know me personally i have non hodgkins lymphoma and have been given a terminal status) - i think i just started thinking too hard and i just sat there in the pouring rain crying. (No doubt I will have a cold tomorrow! phewee!)

I had become so attached to these three little fellows. I was particularly careful to keep them in our shed area until they were bigger so the crows would not get them, and fed them fresh greens from the garden twice a day along with fresh water.

Yesterday I was umming and arhing whether to let them out into our orchard for some free ranging, and after discussing it with my mother we decided they were still too small and easy prey. Oh! how I wished that I had, and then this would not have happened.

I decided to let mumma, dadda and Lewy out into the orchard - If i cant protect them and keep them safe, isnt it better to let them free range and let nature take its course?

Nothing Beats ...

Summer!

A big bowl of freshly picked raspberries for dinner,

little "J" on school holidays

and the sun shining!

BLISS!

Christmas Shopping MADE EASY!

I have some SUPER SUPER SAVINGS for my blog and facebook followers, to make Christmas shopping easy (and a bit kinder on the budget!) These are offered to you for your continual loyalty of my blog and facebook page and are not open to anyone else:

I hope that my offer gives you super savings just in time for your last minute Christmas purchases. Orders will go out immediately, to make sure they are delivered in time for that special day: -

(*prices do not include postage, but super postage rates are available for these special deals; prices are listed in AUSTRALIAN dollars , payment: direct debit only, paypal available at extra charge)

Please contact me at: Berryliciousbuttons@gmail.com for orders and further information - HURRY! OFFER ONLY WHILE STOCKS LAST! they will not last long at this price!

OFFER ONE:
BERRYLICIOUS BROOCH

SUPER SPECIAL PRICE:
1 brooch for $6.00
2 brooch for $10
and the SUPER SAVER *drum roll please
... 4 brooch for $18.00 *thats a crazy $4.50 each!
choose from these gorgeous designs (while stocks last):



OFFER TWO:
SINGLE HAIR ELASTICS
*Majority of these are made with 28mm buttons
1 for $3 or 4 for $10
Available in these designs (while stocks last)




and last but certainly not least...
OFFER 3
TINNED DELIGHTS
2 delightful hair elastics in a cute little gift tin!
1 for $7.00 each or
2 for $12.00
*This is only a small amount of designs pictured, most designs from my etsy shop are also still available at this special price along with those pictured below.



Hope you find something you like, at this super special price!

Super Supplies Sale ... be quick!

I currently have a very large quantity of supplies that I am wanting to sell as bulk supplies at really very cheap prices - These wont last long, so please submit your enquiry in any of the following to: Berryliciousbuttons@gmail.com - These prices would be for direct debit payment only (paypal is available but paypal fees will be charged to buyer) - large orders will be rewarded with FREE postage. Hurry! be quick! they wont last long!

• Large quantity of FIMO polyclay flowers and discs (see previous post for photo) in various colours - prices as follows (AUS dollars) 10 for 8.55 (85c each) 25 for $17.50 (70c each) 50 for $30.00 (60c each) or a super saving on 100+ at a very cheap .30c each (thats cheap enough to resell as supplies!)
  
• Metal Hair Clips - available in 2 sizes - I have about 40 of the large and 50 of the small still available (super cheap at .30c each AUS - this is half the actual price that I have paid for them)

• A large quanity of metal self covered buttons in various sizes. large 45mm flat backs suitable for brooch making also available.
• A quanity of glass beads and cute embellishments
• Ribbon viole necklaces in various colours @ $1.50 each (or assorted colours 25+ at $1.00 each)

Please contact me for further details / photos / price negotiation: Berryliciousbuttons@gmail.com

This little duck

Its starting to feel like spring again at our little farm at the moment. Although I have domestic ducks, I seem to gain extras at this time of year as the wild ducks seem to know that Im a fool for a mother with babies and feed them along with my own! This little mumma has been staying with us for a while, but was delighted to find 6 little babies hot on her trail the other day when I called for the ducks for breakfast.

Most of the ducks wander up to my sheds for meal times, making the journey from my dam down below.. and it is amazing to see the little tiny webbed feet going a million miles an hour to keep up to their protective mumma. They pass throught the orchard and wander up through my green lush grass.

This year I have left the grass a little longer for the mummas to hide in the grass. Last year we had 3 or 4 crows watch their journey and pluck off each baby one at a time. It was terrible, and i used to try with all my heart to shoo them away - they werent even scared of me screaming and shouting at them. Usually 2 or 3 pick on the mumma while the others grab the babies. I lost all my ducklings (about 30 actually!) like this last year, and my baby goslings as well, and although I know this is nature taking its own course I try to shoo the crows away in any way I can.

They also sit in the branches of the trees above the dam and try and swoop on the babies when mumma is unaware. I also lost a mother duck last year - I found her on the dam with all her babies gone and her eyes eaten out. It is horrific.

This year my goose had the sense to set her eggs in my shed in a old tea chest, so after the countdown of the 28 days I locked her in, gave her fresh greens every day and feed, and a big shell childrens pool to swim in. She has produced 3 lovely babies, and a protective man to watch over her little brood!

(If you look hard enough you may see a heart shape between the 2 of their necks! sooo cute!)

Hewey Dewey and Lewie!

I have been often found just sitting and gazing at their little antics. I will leave her in the shed until I feel the babies can stand up to a swooping crow. They are growing daily and I would love to let them out and wander the lush green orchard, but feel they will be gobbled in no time. Last year I had 3 mother geese and the protective boy have 3 little babaies, and woke one morning to the shrill shreiking of the mothers on the side of the dam.

So for now I am feeding them plenty of greens and keeping them safe (yes! i am as protective of the little blighters as their own parents!)

Heres a little glimpse of my oasis:

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Today I took a rare trip to the shops and stumbled across these gorgeous little metal Christmas decorations that I simply could not resist. I have a very rustic home with exposed beams and huge exposed tree trunks for upright posts, so they fit right in to my decor. My only regret is that I did not buy more!

They inspired me to make my version of a artistic Christmas tree from contorted willow that I spray painted silver. I think I may take it to dress up my table on SUNDAY to the WOODBRIDGE COMMUNITY MARKET at Woodbridge Community Hall (11am - 3.30pm) and get my shoppers into the festive spirit. The little silver bells hanging on my tree are also very rustic and lightly sanded to give the country feel, with little cut out stars on them. Little "J" did not like my impression of a Christmas tree at all and asked "mummy when are we putting up the REAL tree, that is just a stick!"

Last year I made this quilted ADVENT CALENDER (pictured in background) from a cute little penquin fabric panel. Each pocket is cut and handsewn, and has a number on them for the advent countdown. Little "J" delights in checking each pocket every morning! (I must admit, he is very good and has not rummaged through each pocket already .. I think he relishes in the surprise each day which is delightful. His restraint gobsmacks me as I am sure if it was me when I was his age I would have most probably itemised every pocket by now!). The edging was stippled by machine on free form... I am not the perfect handstippler, and this was my first attempt. Shortly after making this, I purchased a big machine quilting frame that stipples quilts up to queen size... Hopefully over the summer I will get the opportunity to play around with it.

I am very anxious to use the fabrics the lovely Amy Schimler sent me not too long ago, and hope to quilt a lap quilt with them all.