Grow Your Blog Party & My Giveaway 2015

Welcome to the third
Grow your Blog Party
hosted by Vicki of 2 Bags Full.

Thank you dear Vicki for hosting
this amazing annual event
to bring together bloggers
from around the world!

For first time visitors to my blog
let me introduce myself!
My name is Shane and I live in
Auckland, New Zealand.

Yes I live in Auckland but....
my heart is in a little village in France
where my family and grandchildren live!
If you love France too
then we will have much in common
as many of my blog posts have
a french flavour... a certain

Je

ne

sais

quoi

I have been travelling to France for years,
and I love everything about it

who doesn't dream of a weekend in

Paris

but it's rural France I love the most.

Photography

has become one of my favourite
pastimes since starting my blog.
French villages are known for 
their beautiful old houses and barns,
windows, doors, gates, fences
and little country lanes to photograph!

My family are now used to me lagging behind
when we're out and about!
I simply can't pass up a
photo opportunity!

I have a very basic 'point and shoot'

Panasonic lumix camera.

I have learnt so much through Donna

thank you my dear friend for

passing on your wealth of knowledge.

I join several weekly and monthly blog parties
including these ones
Mosaic Monday
Tea Time Tuesday
Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea
Roses of Inspiration
Wednesday Good Fences
Sunlit Sunday

We would love you to join us!
People post about all sorts of things
recipes, crafts, books worth reading and so on.
If you are a new blogger
this is a great way of making new friends
and increasing your followers.

I’m a gardener

My time spent in my garden
is one of the things I love most of all,
whether it's weeding and nurturing plants
or simply doing my garden walk each morning
with a cup of tea in hand
to see what's new each day!
It grounds me and prepares me for 
my work day ahead.

Swaps

I also enjoy taking part in swaps!

I've been part of groups

that swapped lace and buttons

tea cups, magazines!~

...and then I love to

Create

I enjoy making little books, cards
and bags for my grandies
using fabric, lace and paper.

I work three days a week and when time permits
I also enjoy making collage pieces 
such as the one below which I created for my

Giveaway

for

Grow Your Blog 2015.

I will draw the winners name on
February 15th 2015 and post on my blog
Bonne chance everyone!

You don't need to be a follower
there are no restrictions
and I am happy to post world wide!

If you write a comment on this post
you will be included in the draw!

I hope you've enjoyed learning a little about me
I'm sorry it has become such a lengthy post
I do ramble on and love to chat!
have you noticed that already?!

Now I'm off to visit your blogs
Enjoy the party and have fun!

Dearest Vicki
thank you
for being the generous, giving and loving soul
that you are!
The world needs more people like you.


Thank you everyone for visiting my blog

Take care and

be kind to one another

Merci à bientôt




Shane

The Third Week of Advent

Today is the third Sunday of Advent

we are counting down and

now there are only ten days until

that most magical night of the year

Christmas Eve.

On Friday December 5th

I posted my parcel of Christmas gifts

to my family in France.

I've had enough of the crowded shops

so it's a good thing I have only

a couple more things to get.

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful

season and having time to

listen to some good Christmas music

such as the Downton Abbey CD.

We are having our work Christmas lunch

tomorrow

and I finish for the year on Tuesday 23rd.

I can't wait!

I'm joining Donna for
December Photo Challenge 
and Judith for

Mosaic Monday

Thank you for all your comments

Take care and

be kind to one another

Merci à bientôt

Shane

Photo Challenge - Trees

Each month I look forward to taking part in

Donna's Personal Photo Challenge

the topic for November is trees.

I have an affinity for trees 

you could even call me a tree hugger!

On my walks I take loads of photos of trees.

The photo above represents

'trees are fun' 

Children playing on it could imagine it

being a pirate ship - what do you think?

Trees can be a window to the sky.

they frame long vistas

and provide beautiful floral displays

 like this glorious Jacaranda.

Thank you Donna for hosting

and providing all the technical info you source for us.

Wishing you all a happy weekend

Take care and

be kind to one another

Merci à bientôt

Shane

Mosaic Monday and Around the World Blog Hop

Photos taken on our trips to France over the years.

I have been invited by my friend Barbara of

http://barbaralilian-infrance.blogspot.com/

to take part in this

"Around the World Blog Hop".

Barbara and I became friends earlier in the year through 

another blog party.

I was delighted to see a blogger from France taking part!

It's no secret I am enamoured with all things french -

one could even think it was fate 

that brought Barbara and I together!

Barbara's blog is about everything I enjoy and then some.

She gardens, is a very talented artist

and has a beautiful gîte for rent on her property!

If you are planning a trip to France contact Barbara!

Please pop over to her blog and say hello

she would love to meet you!

Chateau d'Ancy, A village lavoir, A gate bell, Chateau Fontainebleu.

As part of this blog hop I have four questions to answer!

1. How does my writing/creative process work?

Because I've joined several weekly blog parties

my posts relate to the topic or genre of the party.

Every Monday I join Judith of Lavender Cottage

for her party, Mosaic Monday.

I enjoy photography, editing photos and making mosaics.

I also join Donna's "A Personal Photo Challenge"

once a month.

Donna gives us a topic and provides tips and advice

on helping us to meet her challenges.

It's great fun and a good way to learn more

about taking good photos.

Photo taken by me of my granddaughter skipping up the steps at Fontainebleu Chateau - France!

2. Why do I create what I do?

Very simple - mostly for my granddaughters.

I enjoy creating and making things for them

so they have a little piece of me with them in France.

On my side bar there is a photo of a

Nursery Rhymes boardbook I made for my eldest

granddaughter when she was two!
It's been read and played with by three little ones now
so it is getting a little tatty!

I've always enjoyed creating things.

3. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't really think of my blog as having a particular genre!

Four years ago I started blogging 
because my daughter was living in France
 this was a way of keeping

in touch with each other.

My posts are usually photo heavy with limited writing.

I'm always aware that we have a small

window of opportunity to grab the reader's interest.

There are so many amazing blogs out there

and we are all like butterflies

flitting from one blog to another to see

what everyone is up to

while we sip our morning cup of tea or coffee!

4. What am I working on now?

I have several projects on the go including

an on-line class of Nellie Wortman.

I'm making a fabric and lace book

about my mother.

I'm also finishing a Miss Maggie Rabbit

a pattern I bought on-line from Posy Gets Cozy.

It's a Christmas present for my youngest granddaughter, 

I have always had an interest in patchwork

and I have joined a class at my local patchwork shop

Patchwork Passion on English Paper Piecing.

I'm making a Brigitte Giblin pattern

of a little hexi bag!

(My cousin made the bag on the left - I'm making the same one)

I'm hoping you're still with me because.......

now it's time to introduce you to 

two other New Zealand bloggers

I would like you to meet!

Carolyn of Draffin Bears

has been blogging since 2007.

She has a beautiful blog and writes it

from her home on Waiheke Island.

Carolyn's was one of the first blogs I joined

and we both say we will meet up one day!

If you're a teddy bear lover then you are in for a treat

as she makes exquisite bears and this one is called

Miss Emmanuelle Avatar!

My second New Zealand blogger is

Julie of My Threadbear Life

Julie lives on a farm and has a large country garden.

She also has a cottage in her garden full of

tempting goodies she has made!

From angels to gollywogs and much, much more...
she has an amazing talent with needle and thread and

this is what I won in her Giveaway a while back.

I also invited my dearest friend Dagmar of  Studio D
to join us - she accepted with great excitement
even though she is due

to leave on a cruise in a couple of weeks.

However, she has since had to decline due to

family circumstances beyond her control.

Please pop over and meet Dagmar

you will love her blog
it's full of colour and joie de vivre!

She is one of the sweetest people I know.

Thank you Barbara for inviting me to take part

and thank you to both Carolyn and Julie

for bravely accepting my invitation!

They will be posting on Monday 22nd September.

I'm sorry you couldn't make it Dagmar

if you would like to join in later

that would be great too!

I'm joining Judith for Mosaic Monday

please pop over and see what everyone's

posting today - we would love you to join us!
If you need help with making mosaics
I'm only too happy to help.

Merci à bientôt
be kind to one another!

♥ Shane ♥