The Handmaden

Craft container revamp

2012-02-15T15:13:00.000+11:00

I tried to paint this wooden container ages ago and never liked how it turned out. It's been holding my paint brushes and knitting needles. Not one to be fond of being reminded of crafty failures I thought I'd try something different. I gave it a couple of coats of Jo Sonja in white.....

Measured out a cute blue spotty fabric (that I've also had for ages), slapped on some Mod Podge, wrapped the fabric around, slapped on some more Mod Podge....

Added some Farbenmix ribbon that I've been harbouring for way too long, and glued on a little quirky sheep button. Now I don't mind seeing it on my shelf!

Mmmm, chocolate cake...

I've been enlisted as chief photographer and editor for my boy's latest Lego project. Sleepyhead needed a bed for this scene, so I made one out of polymer clay and a fabric scrap. The things we do for love.

Hope you're having a great week, God bless.

Here kitty!

2012-02-12T21:53:00.000+11:00

My newest embroidery pattern inspired by a furry friend of mine! Are you a cat person? I am for sure, which is not to say I'm not a dog person, I love dogs too :)

Stitch kitty is available in my Etsy shop as a PDF download for a very reasonable price. I hope you like him!

Thanks are in order to all those who prayed for me after I injured my back, I can now say it is steadily improving with care and exercise. How we take things for granted and don't appreciate the things we have until we lose them. Good health is such a blessing and I need to be more grateful.

Wishing you all the best for a happy and blessed week.

Waldorf plush doll

2012-02-10T15:37:00.000+11:00

It's a while since I made a waldorf inspired doll and lastnight I was seized with a longing to craft one.

There is something very special about the waldorf way of making dolls. The materials are a delight to use. The way the character of the doll emerges as you stitch.

Waldorf dolls are probably responsible for igniting my crafting passion, paricularly my love of using beautiful and natural materials and for implementing fine needlework.

A doll like this is perfect for imaginary play and snuggly bedtimes! There were 3 girls looking over my shoulder whilst I was doing the handstitching and dropping not so subtle hints!

Available in my Etsy shop now :)

A pretty dress and a bad back

2012-02-04T12:35:00.000+11:00

It's been a difficult week. Everything was ticking along just fine, and then I injured my back and things fell apart a little. It's very hard to run a household when you need to spend most of your time lying or sitting. It's particularly frustrating when you're a "doing" person, I really dislike not being active.

But, these things happen and I have accepted that rest is best. I'm praying for a complete healing - please pray for me too!

So, the dress. It was mostly finished when I hurt my back so I've been able to do the finishing by hand. The pattern is McCall's M5838 and the fabric (which I love!) is from Spotlight. The pattern was too fussy with too many pieces for my liking, but the end result is pretty good, albeit too large for G - nevermind, she will grow into it :)

Now, to the giveaway which was supposed to be drawn during the week! I'm going to extend it until next week in case you didn't get a chance to enter, please do - it's a lovely little book.

See you soon, have a blessed weekend.

I really should be making something

2012-01-29T22:04:00.000+11:00

But instead I'm looking at this

and this

Not to mention this...

And how cute is this?

All product images are from Ashford

Now all I need to do is convince husband that I need one of the above! (The little frames would be a bonus for the girls). How do you like my chances?

Snippets of life

2012-01-28T12:19:00.000+11:00

I received this week some very beautiful hand dyed cotton from Melissa at Rainbow Made. I'm knitting up some dishcloths using this famous pattern.

My heart flutters when I look at this photo.

We have so many tomatoes this year. These ones are partially oven dried and sitting in olive oil for sandwiches, salads, pasta etc.

The love affair with books continues.

Have you tried achachas yet? They're really good! A little like a mangosteen in flavour and Australian grown. We've been getting them at an Asian market where everything is fresh and cheap.

Today I'm working on a dress for an out of sorts 6 year old, knitting dishcloths, then there is that unfinished painting, embroidery and pattern to write up. Wish me luck!

"I just can't take it anymore!" book review and giveaway

2012-01-27T11:42:00.000+11:00

Anthony Destefano has a new book and it's a little different to his other works. Each page has a comical photo of children along with encouraging text for those feeling discouraged. It's a lighthearted look at life, it's problems and the way we deal with them. It's also a reminder that a good sense of humour, along with trust in God will go a long way when we experience conflict.

The book would make a great gift.

You can read more about the book here and the press release is here.

I have one copy to giveaway, unfortunately there is a small tear in one page, courtesy of my over enthusiastic toddler!

Sorry, this giveaway is open to Australian residents only :)

Just leave a comment to enter and I'll draw the winner on Tuesday.

Back to dolls

2012-01-25T16:48:00.000+11:00

This is my latest custom order. I've been feeling lately like I miss making dolls and getting all nostalgic about it so a knotsie doll is a really good compromise. It doesn't take as long to make as my other dolls.

And they're also really cute!

I'm working on writing a pattern for these at the moment, so if you'd like to make your own, watch this space! Maybe don't watch too closely, as I'm notoriously slow when it comes to these things.

I have some other things to show you so hopefully I'll make it back here this week. We have started up our lessons again, so the days are pretty full, but it's kinda nice to be back in the swing of routine, I think I enjoy holidays a bit too much and start to get lazy.

Hope you're having a great week, God bless.

Needle felted heart brooch tutorial

2012-01-20T15:26:00.001+11:00

I'm on a bit of a roll with the tutes lately! In case you didn't know already, Valentine's Day is next month so I'm seeing hearts everywhere! I hope you enjoy this tutorial and I apologise in advance for the not-so-great night time photos, but as all crafty Mums know, night time is when the magic happens!

You will need:
Red wool roving (you don't need all that much
Heart shaped cookie cutter
Needle felting mat and needle
Embroidery floss
Brooch back

Pull off a piece of wool and tease it out a little so it's nice and fluffy. Place the cookie cutter on the mat and stuff the wool into it.

Using your felting needle, begin to felt the wool by pushing the needle up and down all over the wool. Hold onto the cookie cutter to avoid needle felting your finger. It hurts. I repeat. It hurts! When the wool seems matted add another, thinner layer of wool and repeat the process.

When the wool seems to be matted down nicely, turn it over to the other side. Replace the cookie cutter to keep your heart shape and continue to felt, paying particular attention to the edges and the fold in the top middle of the heart.

Take your heart out and turn it over again. If it doesn't seem matted enough just repeat until you're happy with it.

Using the design I've provided (at the end of this post) as a guide begin the embroidery. All of the loop stitches are worked in lazy daisy stitch and the spots are french knots. Use a light colour such as cream or light pink as I have used here. Use 2 strands of floss. Knot your thread at the back and use a light tension for your stitches so that they float on the surface rather than sinking into the wool.

Use your cookie cutter to cut a heart shape out of wool felt. I've used a lovely hand dyed red wool felt. Slip stitch around the felt and wool hearts with a matching coloured embroidery floss to attach them together with almost invisible stitches.

Stitch your brooch back onto the back of the heart, then, as a cute little touch, cut out a small heart shape from the wool felt and stitch it over the stitched brooch back. This neatens up the back too.

If you make one I'd love to see it, and please let me know if there are any mistakes or if you need more information.

By the way, if you like the brooch but can't be bothered making one yourself, I have one available for sale, contact me if you're interested :)

This is my own design and for personal use only. Please do not copy this design or blog post in any way.

Heart Brooch Design002

Custom embroidery

2012-01-19T19:50:00.000+11:00

I've just completed this custom order and it's turned out beautifully. The customer wants to give it to a friend as a going away present and she wanted me to come up with a design that reflected their friendship in a cute and whimsical way.

I embroidered all the design outlines and then filled in the white with corresponding colours in colour pencil. I then made it up into a cushion.

Isn't she sweet to want to give such a meaningful gift?

Teapot rest or mat tutorial

2012-01-14T18:49:00.000+11:00

I'm a teapot devotee - teabags just don't do it for me. Every teapot lover needs a pretty mat on which to rest the pot while the tea is steeping. It's so long since I did a tutorial, so I got stuck into this one this afternoon. It's a quick project that is great for using up little bits of fabric.

Requirements list :

Fabric measuring 25 x 25cm (depending on the size of your teapot - mine is medium sized)

Ric rac measuring approx. 53cm

Small crocheted doily

Embroidery floss (optional)

Sewing thread

Batting (I've used polyester quilt batting)

Air erasing pen (optional)

Iron on adhesive (I've used Heat n Bond)

Using a round bowl (mine measures 17cm across) draw 2 circles on your fabric with an erasable pen or lightly in pencil.

Cut 2 squares of batting a bit larger than your circles.

Cut a circle of Heat n Bond that is the same size as the circular part of the doily (exclude the border). Follow the packet instructions to secure your doily to the middle of the right side of one circle.

Laying the circle with the doily on top of the wadding work some running stitches around in circles between the gaps of your doily. I've used cream coloured embroidery floss for this, but regular sewing or a quilting thread would be fine too. Working the running stitches ensures your doily is securely attached and also gives a lovely lightly quilted look. I didn't stitch down the scalloped border of the doily as I like the way it looks kinda fluffing up.

Lay your two circles right sides together. Lay your ric rac so that it's sandwiched between the 2 circles right on the edge so that you can just see the bumps on the outside. Carefully pin around the circle , leaving a 10cm gap open (don't pin ric rac on the gap either).

Here it is pinned all the way around except for the gap. If you're worried about the placement of the ric rac you could tack it on before sewing.

Using your sewing machine, sew around circles (don't forget to leave your gap open!) about 1/4 inch from the edge.

Turn the circles right sides out through the gap. Press lightly around the edges, being careful not to scorch the ric rac. Turn the edges in at the gap and sandwich the remaining ric rac. Tuck the tail of the ric rac inside. Pin in place.

Top stitch right around, close to the edge, catching the turned in edges at the gap.

Hey, it's even reversible!

Now go and have a well earned cuppa!

I hope you like this tutorial, please leave me a comment if you make a mat and please let me know if I've made any mistakes in the tute!

The 4 year painting

2012-01-12T08:55:00.000+11:00

I started this watercolour of gazanias about 4 years ago and abandoned it, feeling I'd bitten off more than I could chew. I got it out last week and said to myself "Right, you're finishing this, even if it means you stuff it up totally". So it's finished. It's better to have something imperfectly finished than have it lurking as a reminder of a failed attempt.

Yes, I'm very glad I finished it :)

Farm inspiration

2012-01-11T15:06:00.000+11:00

I thought I'd share some inspiring photos of our weekend away. Even in the typical dry summer there is so much beauty to be found.

Hope you're having a great day, I'm baking Italian style today and hoping to squeeze in a little embroidery too.

Persistance.

2012-01-07T12:39:00.000+11:00

In high school I had an adversary. She and I were considered the "best" singers in the school, and in fact, I was considered the better vocalist. It didn't bother me that I had a rival - until she started getting the roles I wanted. At the annual school musical auditions there would be the tense wait for the announcement of roles, only for me to learn, once again, that I was to play second fiddle in the supporting role.
As I was the better vocalist, you might be wondering why? Was her father the school Principal? No. Was she somehow connected to the musical director? No.
It was her character. She was an extrovert, a supremely confident performer, she was driven and never gave up.
I was quiet, reserved, didn't believe in my own abilities and seriously lacked confidence. This lead me to miss out on many opportunities (not necessarily as a singer but in life thus far) and it is something I'm still battling today.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I do have a serious ponder over what I would like to do differently at the beginning of each year.
This year I want to believe in myself. As I now move more towards art and design, I want to be confident that I can have some measure of success in my endeavours. I want to believe that my designs will start to sell, that my art is good enough to make prints, have exhibitions and that there are really people out there who would like my art in their homes. I want to know that if I persist with the guitar I can become really good and bring joy to others and glory to God through my music.
I want my children to benefit from having a positive and happy Mother.

I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. But maybe, just maybe, this year will be the year for positive change.

Thanks for reading. God bless :)

Completed watercolours

2012-01-05T23:15:00.000+11:00

Yes, I've been painting again and I must confess I'm loving it!

This is a first attempt at a wet on wet background wash. I need practice with this technique but I'm pretty pleased with the overall result. I worked from a photo I took one summer out the front of our suburban house. The sunset was so beautiful and created a silhouette of the foliage and utility lines. I used a little ink here and there to highlight.

I used a photo I took at the Melbourne Zoo Butterfly House as inspiration for this one. I like the butterfly but am not really happy with the rest, once again, I need practice.

Both were worked on A4 300 gsm paper using watercolour paints, watercolour pencils and ink.

Would love to hear your thoughts/ opinions!

New embroidery pattern

2011-12-30T14:15:00.000+11:00

It's with great excitement that I announce my second embroidery pattern is now available in my Etsy shop. Why the excitement? Well, it's a lot of work to create a pattern, beginning with the first sketch, then the embroidery itself and finally the writing of instructions and having the file ready to send. So for me, it's an achievement to start and finish a project like this. But I do so love it :)

The stitchery, like my drawings is a bit whimsical, a bit quirky and a lot cute!

Hope you love it too. Happy Stitching!

"So much scope for the imagination"...

2011-12-27T16:23:00.000+11:00

As Anne Shirley so delicately put it. My lovely husband gave me a beautiful little set of German watercolours for Christmas. They will compliment my watercolour pencils and the garden is the perfect place to look for inspiration.

I hope you're finding some time to relax and look around you too :)
God bless.

Too tired, can't be bothered etc...

2011-12-17T14:50:00.000+11:00

It's not that I haven't been doing anything, rather that I've been doing a lot and I'm all tuckered out!
So I'll wish you all a Happy and Holy Christmas early in case I don't make it back here before the big day.
May your hearts be filled with the joy that Our Lord so kindly offers and be at peace, surrounded by love this Christmas.

God bless

Flower pressing

2011-12-10T16:18:00.000+11:00

What a great time of year for flower pressing, when our garden spoils us for choice!

I picked up this flower press from the oppy fairly cheaply, but if you don't have one you can always make your own.

The leftovers can be floated in a glass bowl or jug - very pretty! Or, if you're feeling particularly adventurous you could try a frozen flower bowl - beautiful!

I'm in my element today, working on a custom embroidery design - actually I'm just really chuffed that someone likes my work enough to ask me to design for them!

The rest of the weekend involves Mass, children's piano concert, another Christmas gathering and plenty of errands to run and catching up to do.

I hope your weekend is a very fruitful one.

God bless.

Cottage rose in colour pencil

2011-12-08T13:54:00.000+11:00

Inspired by a beautiful pinkish rose outside my bedroom window. I used my watercolour pencils but didn't add any water. My next step is to print the image onto fabric with transfer paper and test my thread painting skills! That is, when I get time - it's one thing to complete a drawing in an hour or so, but to embroider it is a very different story!

What do you think?

Love

2011-12-07T15:23:00.001+11:00

" We can do no great things; only small things with great love."

Mother Teresa

Little bitty wall art

2011-12-05T21:42:00.000+11:00

I like small things. I like small projects that I can finish fairly quickly but look effective. This little hoop is 3 inches (8cm ) across. Here's the process:

I mounted my cream silk in the hoop and painted the background with acrylic Jo Sonja paints mixed with textile medium. I sketched the design with colour pencils on paper first to give a clear idea of what I wanted to do. When it dried, I heat set with the iron.

I started out by embroidering stems and grass with embroidery cotton. I used a bit of stranded silk for the agapanthus flowers. I used silk ribbon for the other flowers and some leaves, but didn't have the colours I wanted so painted them by hand with Liquid Radiance first, then heat set. The Liquid Radiance seems to make silk stiff, so I'll use silk paint or dye next time.

When finished embroidering I cut off the excess silk, then laced the back with cotton thread. I glued on the wool felt circle backing with hot glue.

This is how the piece looks out of the hoop, but I chose to mount in the hoop to hang on the wall. I can see a whole bunch of these grouped together, how cute would that look?

A little apron

2011-12-04T12:16:00.001+11:00

SOLD - THANKYOU NELL!

I hope you're all having a nice family Sunday as I am. I've made a little apron and thought I would offer it for sale here first, ie. I'm too lazy to list it in the shop!

The size is multi fit - here it is modelled by my 6 year old.

And here it is modelled by my 2 year old.

I'm asking for $15 which includes postage within Australia. If you are interested just leave a comment or feel free to contact me via email.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and God bless you all :)

Little Star

2011-12-01T20:55:00.002+11:00

If your kids didn't get to see this last year have a look this time, it's a beautiful little Christmas story by Anthony Destefano. We have the book also and the children love to read it at this time of year.

Summer Strawberry Cheesecake

2011-11-29T15:00:00.001+11:00

I love cheesecake. Love it. Not baked though, only unbaked. Baked seems wrong somehow. It just doesn't work for me. Where was I? I love cheesecake, and for those of you who love cheesecake I'm going to share my very first attempt at my own recipe. It's really nice, you should try it.

Base

1 packet Marie biscuits, crumbed

100g melted butter

Mix the crushed biscuits and melted butter together thoroughly and press into the base of a greased cheesecake tin. Refrigerate.

Filling

1 cup strawberry puree (see instructions below)

1 tablespoon powdered gelatine (or substitute *)

375 grams cream cheese (bring to room temp.)

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 and 1/4 cup cream, whipped

For puree - Hull and wash 2 punnets of strawberries, if large cut in half. Using a food processor or suitable replacement, puree the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Leftover puree is wonderful on yoghurt, icecream, even cereal.

Place 1 cup of puree into a small saucepan with the gelatine, caster sugar and lemon juice and stir with a fork over a low heat. You want to heat the ingredients, not cook them. Leave to cool while you:

Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Beat in the cooled strawberry mixture until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream lightly. Pour onto the base and refrigerate until set.

Topping

3/4 cup strawberry puree

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons arrowroot

Warm ingredients together in a small saucepan (once again - just warming, not cooking). Pour on top of set cheesecake and refrigerate until set.

Serve with additional whipped cream if desired.

I hope you enjoy this recipe - as always I'm more than happy to answer questions or receive comments or suggestions.

* It has come to my attention that some people prefer not to use gelatine so here is a link for suitable alternatives and quantities.

Sorry about that, here is the winner...

2011-11-28T17:11:00.000+11:00

Things got very busy here over the weekend with a Christmas party and my Stumpwork Assessment today (seems to have gone well!) so I didn't draw the winner on Saturday as promised. Without further ado, the winner is....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-11-28 06:03:55 UTC

Art I'm loving on Flickr

2011-11-24T07:49:00.001+11:00

Persuasion

Butterfly Wreath

Squirrel Stumpwork Project

These beautiful embroidery pieces were created by Emily - a self confessed stitchaholic! To see more of her work you can visit her at The Flossbox, she has a lot of patterns, tutes and tips for embroidery and cross stitch.

Beehive bookplate

Letterpress mini bunting

Mushroom bookplate

Narelle from Ruby Victoria Letterpress is one of the reasons I recently bought a set of lino cutting tools and equipment, I just love her work. And I love the unique quality of a linoprint.

Narelle has an Etsy shop and can be found at markets if you're in Tassie.

What can I say about these, possibly the most awesome pieces of wearable art I've ever seen!

Lisa from Lil Fish Studios is my kind of artist. She crafts objects of beauty that are functional. She firstly needlefelts and embroiders her brooches, then she searches her own property for exactly the right mount for each artwork.

The base may be made of wood, a shell, even antler. She handcrafts the base with a saw, drill and sanding.

Inspiring works from lovely ladies, thank you all for sharing your crafts with us :)

Just a reminder that my Christmas giveaway is still running so get in while you still can!

You Yangs

2011-11-23T08:11:00.000+11:00

We live pretty close to the You Yangs and it's a fun place to visit with kids. There are quite a few walking tracks and you can brave the steps to the top, which we didn't do this time as we didn't fancy carrying a tired toddler.

Mmm, bush tucker (tree sap)

I never appreciated the Australian landscape in my younger years but I find plenty of beauty and inspiration in it now. I love the uniqueness, the earthy colours, the ability to thrive through drought and of course I love that God made it all for us!

Have a great day and don't forget to enter the giveaway (see last post).

Christmas giveaway

2011-11-21T18:13:00.000+11:00

I decided not to have a Christmas giveaway this year but then I changed my mind because that's what I do. So, I'm giving away this lovely doll 12 inch doll who is special in a few ways.

Her hair is made from hand dyed yarn (dyed by Nell). Her dress is hand dyed by me, as is her silk cape. Her pants were hand painted by my son. Plus, she's pretty cute! She is waldorf influenced, made with natural materials and stuffed with wool.

The giveaway is open to all who follow this blog (new followers are always welcome :) Just leave a comment. For a second entry please "like" my facebook page and then return here to leave another comment telling me you've done so. Open to international visitors too.
I'll draw on Saturday 26th November. Good luck!

Linocuts

2011-11-16T14:30:00.000+11:00

I love the look of a linocut - the crispness, the multiple skills required to produce a good one and just the whole aesthetic value appeals to me. So, being the inquisitive kind of person I am, I just had to give it a go. Admittedly my first prints look rather amateurish but I'm encouraged that my cutting skills improved with each piece and felt very satisfied at the end of the print process.

The little cottage you see is actually a papercut design from Sharyn Sowell's book Paper Cutting Techniques (a really lovely little book too). I'm very taken by Scherenschnitte and would like to apply similar principles to my linocuts. Practice makes perfect, so off I go to practice!

If you want to know more about the art of linocutting let me know so I can post more information.

Silk ribbon completed piece and a WIP

2011-11-14T13:13:00.000+11:00

I completed this kit from Helen Dafter some time ago but didn't know what to do with it. After recently being gifted with this gorgeous box frame by a lovely elderly acquaintance I knew it was perfect (and it just happens to fit perfectly!)

Now, if I was a wealthy woman I wouldn't hold back - silk ribbon would be my embroidery of choice. I just find it so captivating. Unfortunately, it is not the most affordable hobby so I don't indulge very often.

See the little spider making it's way to the web?

This is my WIP - a redwork on linen designed by my husband and me and will be made into a cushion. I may release a pattern of this one too, I'll keep you posted on that :)

Hope you're having a great day, see you soon!

My Rhubarb and Custard Crumble

2011-11-09T13:35:00.000+11:00

We've been blessed with very healthy and productive rhubarb plants this year! It's taken a while for them to settle in but it seems the weather conditions ie. no more drought are just perfect now. One of our plants was transplanted from my husband's parents farm garden and is very old so it's just wonderful to see it thriving.

It brings back memories of my old Nanna, whom I spent quite a bit of time with in childhood and loved dearly (and still do - at 85 years she is still going).
You were always guaranteed a country home meal at Nanna's and plenty of rhubarb from her extensive and beautiful garden. Rhubarb with custard, rhubarb with icecream and my personal favourite - rhubarb on your morning cereal with a good dollop of thick cream.

I enlisted a little helper for harvesting. She would rather have used them as marching flags or banners but didn't mind the fun of chopping off the big leaves into the compost either. Aren't they huge?!

First the rhubarb stew....

800g rhubarb, chopped (if you can't rustle up that much then 500 and over will do it)

1 apple, skinned and chopped (optional)

1/3 cup brown sugar

dash of rosewater (optional)

2 tablespoons water

Cook in heavy based saucepan over medium heat with lid on. Give it a stir, then turn the heat to low. Keep cooking and stirring every minute or so until soft.

Next the custard....

Most of the time I cheat and used custard powder. If you do this, just follow the instuctions on the packet to make a quantity with 2 tablespoons of powder.

Otherwise, you can make your own from scratch.

Don't forget the topping....

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup plain flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

60 grams butter

Chop the butter into the mixed dry ingredients then rub with your fingers until there are no chunks of butter left and it resembles breadcrumbs. An alternative is to use your food processor.

Now assemble....

Layer the rhubarb in a casserole dish. Layer the custard on top. Sprinkle with topping.

Cook in a 180 degree celsius oven for about 25 minutes.

Serve with icecream while warm or hot.

Bon appetite!

Honeyeater in watercolour pencil and ink

2011-11-08T14:06:00.000+11:00

You may recall the photos I finally nabbed last week. So here is my first attempt at capturing the little guy on paper.

My scanner doesn't do a very good job of reproducing images so it looks worse here than the actual piece. I left the background plain purposely because I wanted to focus on the honeyeater.

I used my watercolour pencils then finished off with black ink on some cheap watercolour paper (because it was all I had!)

This was my first rough sketch. It's so long since I drew or painted anything that I wanted to challenge myself by making the first sketch as uncomplicated and fast as possible. I was pleased it only took a few minutes and this sketch became the basis for the watercolour.

Next time I'll try putting in some background, and then there is the embroidery idea, not to mention the linocut......

Too cheap craft and a princess in a pretty dress

2011-11-05T13:35:00.000+11:00

Firstly, the little princess!

In her new summer dress - Miss Madeline pattern and fabric from a swap from ages ago that has been languishing in the cupboard.

I took one of the girls along to the annual Werribee Craft Festival for a look and was pleased to see it looking really well presented and a good variety of crafts on offer. Something that really surprised me though, was the prices many of the stallholders were selling their goods for. So cheap! Too cheap!

Having sold my own crafts I can't begin to figure out how these people can turn a profit. Which leads me to ask again - what is the difference between art and craft? For me they both run together in beautiful harmony, lending to each other and often indistinguishable. Both require skill, talent, money, time and can be really hard work! So why is craft perceived as something without value, while art pieces are sought after and highly paid for?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, perhaps you have a totally different view?

Happy weekend to you all, it's a beautiful day here :)

Gotcha!

2011-11-04T15:19:00.000+11:00

One of my favourite birds is the New Holland Honeyeater and we have plenty of them in our backyard where they often nest.

Their most favoured past time is to torment our long suffering cat by following him around the garden and making as much noise as possible.

They're quite daring in how close they are willing to get to the dear cat in order to shout in his ear.

I've been trying to get some good photos but they are always so nimble and here one minute gone the next. This morning (sulky cat under my arm) I got the shots I wanted. I'm sure kitty will forgive me!

My next aim is to be quick enough to capture him, his friends and relations all lined up on the fence in a chorus, they're really so comical and silly.

For now I'm getting out my drawing pad and watercolour pencils and if that goes well, the trusty needle and thread in an attempt to further capture this funny little fellow.

Flower fairies and butterflies in stumpwork

2011-10-31T21:49:00.000+11:00

I just received my final piece for my stumpwork assessment back from the framer. Having never had anything framed before it was quite a thrill! I'm glad I chose the more expensive frame as it's so beautiful and the floral theme ties in with my piece beautifully.

I've used a variety of techniques in the piece including my favourite - silk ribbon embroidery.

I can't tell you how much thought, planning, then work went into this but I absolutely love it.

And another homework assessment finished and mounted. This is a blue morpho butterfly.

The wings are all detached and the body embroidered directly onto the fabric.

So now I just need to finish and assemble my samplers and I'm ready for my assessment in a few weeks, how exciting to have come so far! I'm already planning what to learn next and I feel it must involve silk ribbons!

Chocolate and date muffins

2011-10-25T20:31:00.000+11:00

3/4 cup pitted and chopped dates

100g butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk at room temperature

1/2 cup chopped cooking chocolate or choc chips

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1 + 3/4 cup self raising flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (C). Line a muffin tin with patty pans (paper cases).

Pour the boiling water onto the chopped dates and add the butter in pieces so that it melts. Stir.

Add sugar then leave to cool a little.

Mix in the egg, vanilla and soda dissolved in the milk.

Sift flour into the liquid and stir until just combined. Add the chocolate last and stir through lightly.

Half fill your cases for average sized muffin or fill 3/4 for large muffins.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

These are equally good eaten warm or cool. Enjoy!

So much to love

2011-10-24T10:48:00.000+11:00

Some random things that are making me happy at the moment (isn't Spring wonderful?!)

Abundant roses.

In so many beautiful shades of colour.

Some new tops for me, and about time too! I brought out the trusty Ottobre 303 pattern again. This one is a round neck.

And my first attempt at a v neck which turned out so well I'll definitely be doing it again.

Life has been such a flurry of sewing, needlework, exercise (yay!), homeschooling, worship, love and art that I rarely seem to be able to share much of it here anymore. I'm enjoying life so much more right now than I have for some time, I'll have to share more about that with you soon.

Until then, thanks for reading....

Craft storage and yummy bread

2011-10-11T13:59:00.000+11:00

When I think of creating storage space I dream of beautiful wooden cabinets and ornate armoires bursting with perfectly arranged and inspiring objects. The reality is a homeschooling family (especially with a mad crafter as principal!) will accumulate a lot of stuff and need solutions whatever the family budget may be, which in our case does not allow for armoires!

My solution to our craft tool and paper build up in our dining room/kitchen, where all the schooling action happens, was more plastic drawers. While not as aesthetically pleasing as wood, the price difference is massive.

The advantage of plastic is having deep, clear drawers, it's accessible to little ones and you won't be upset at it being banged around a bit. This unit is also on wheels, so simple to move.

I printed out some paper labels to keep track of items in drawers, though little ones who can't read will quickly memorise which drawer holds their precious colouring pencils!

I just finished reading The Rhythmn of Family which is Amanda Soule's latest book and found the wheat, honey and oat bread recipe to be really delicious. The book was interesting as Amanda and her husband have an interesting outlook on life, but I think I gain a lot more inspiration from literature that is God centred rather than nature centred, after all God made nature and I worship Him but not nature itself. Just my opinion, and if you need some motivation within your home life and with your children Amanda's books do help to remind you to get outdoors and appreciate your surroundings as well as live more naturally which is a good thing.

Happy day to you, God bless you all :)

Cubbyhouses and perspective

2011-10-06T14:00:00.000+11:00

We spent a lovely afternoon with some friends the other day. My girls had such a great time playing in the beautiful wooden cubbyhouse on the hill, leading to a slide down to the huge sandpit and a big trampoline.
The girls were reluctant to leave, (there is also a playground directly across the road from the house) and as we did a sort of sadness crept over me.

Image credit

We don't have a cubbyhouse or sandpit. Our trampoline is old and coming apart. Our backyard is a fair size by city standards, but there is no room for a swing set or other play equipment.
Yep, I was feeling like we aren't providing for our children well enough because of our financial situation.

And then today I received a letter in the mail that was such a timely reminder that I'm sure God is prodding me! One of my sisters - in - law is a religious sister and currently lives in Kolkata, India. She writes a letter a month and we get a copy. I'm sure she wouldn't mind my sharing these brief extracts from her letter.

"One form of poverty that I can't bear is to see women in raggy clothes that expose their bodies. Sickness, hunger, homelessness don't strip them of their dignity anywhere as much as nakedness does, and when I see them that glimpse remains as a very painful picture in my memory".

"... India which is a mix of great progress and primitive poverty. What is considered normal here is a shock to outsiders".

So I gathered a couple of camping tarps, headed out to the garden and cleared a little patch beneath some branches and between the lavender and arum lilies. One of the tarps went on the ground, the other suspended by branches.

Added a couple of girly faux flowers, patchwork blanket and pretty yarn, and that's it! They were so delighted and I was humbled.

I looked around the garden and gave thanks for the great things we do have, because there are so, so many.

Ottobre 301

2011-09-27T09:45:00.000+10:00

Summer sewing - yay!

Ottobre 301 pattern again. This time I left the sleeves off and added binding instead.

Fabrics are white Stella and spotty Stenzo from the Crafty Mamas shop. I used freezer paper and textile medium with Jo Sonja paint to stencil on the little squirrel. The stencil came from here and there are heaps of fantastic stencil potential there!

Embroidery progress

2011-09-26T17:13:00.000+10:00

Slowly but surely I'm working on what will be my final piece for my stumpwork course assessment.
Although it's a lot of work I am getting so much out of this project.

I never really imagined using so many varied techniques and materials in one piece before and am feeling like I have just received my embroidery licence and can do what I want for the first time!

Although it's primarily a stumpwork project I'm incorporating silk ribbon embroidery, beading and surface embroidery. Although I drew a detailed design I find myself deviating from that by experimenting and just "winging it". I can't wait to see the end product, it's really exciting.

Thank you God for...

2011-09-23T09:09:00.000+10:00

- A renewed motivation to encourage the children in their art and craft pursuits.

- The return of my voice! I really missed singing while I was sick and it feels wonderful to be on the mend.

- Giving me the rare luxury of starting my day with a brisk walk.

- Surrounding me with the encouragement I need at this time to organise my home and my life.

Sewing for the girls

2011-09-22T14:52:00.000+10:00

We had a 6th birthday here last week so some pretty sewing was in order. First up - a tee shirt dress adapted from Ottobre 303 Creative Workshop pattern. The pattern and fabrics are from the Crafty Mamas shop.

Little sisters are allowed to get birthday presents even if it's not their birthday! (Or so I'm told)

I used the Ottobre pattern again, this time as a simple tee with contrast sleeves and neckband.

The birthday dress. To cut a long story short, I used a Sis Boom pattern from the book and was very disappointed with the baggy and ill fitting results. Before throwing the towel in and cutting it up to salvage the special fabric (recognise the skirt fabric Carol?) I decided to totally wing it and try a major fix.

I took the dress in at the sides, added a pleat to the front, added binding to the skirt and eliminated some of the waist bagginess and bulk. Bingo! I have alteration skills I didn't even know I had!

The dress is treasured, and I mean treasured. You know the coolest part? My husband took the birthday girl on a trip to the coast and he said so many people stopped them in the street to admire the dress and her hair accessories (also Mama made). Hearing that really made my day!

I made this hair barrette by deconstructing a faux flower, sewing it back together, adding a button and hot glueing it all to a metal barrette. Very simple, very pretty.

For this one I wrapped a cheap plastic headband in cheap gingham craft ribbon, then glued on the pre - purchased roses.

If you'd like a tutorial for the hair accessories I'm happy to oblige - just ask!

Sigh.

2011-09-21T16:00:00.002+10:00

Drool. Sigh. Would.. so.. love.. to.. go. Sigh.

Encouraging podcasts

2011-09-19T12:27:00.000+10:00

I'm so into listening to podcasts at the moment because I can learn and receive encouragement and motivation while I'm doing something else. I like to multitask, so listening while using my hands (whether it's work or creative time) is quite fulfilling.
I thought I'd share some links that might be helpful to you too:

Homeschool.com has podcasts mostly relating to homeschooling but also to organisation, motivation and family issues.

The Fly Lady website has links to regular blog talk radio programs about organising your home, nutrition, fashion, body image, self esteem etc.

Live 365 gives you access to so many free online radio stations - I could describe some genres but there are just so many! For the children I play nursery rhymes, piano solos and Christian music and for me I love celtic, sacred hymns and whatever I feel like listening to at the time! Good music can really help to lift the mood in your home, I find it so helpful and inspiring.

I'm having camera issues - I have so much to show but it will have to wait until I sort out the camera :)

Sweet or savoury scrolls

2011-09-08T11:18:00.002+10:00

I love an adaptable, easy going, makes it easier for me kind of recipe. I make up one batch of dough that can be used in so many ways.

Cheese and bacon scrolls

Cinnamon, brown sugar and chocolate scrolls.

First, the dough recipe:

5 cups good plain flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 cups nice warm water

Mix all ingredients (I use my mixmaster with the dough attachments but you can also mix by hand). Leave in kneader for 5 minutes or knead for 5 mins by hand. The dough should be really soft and stretchy. Take dough out, oil the bowl and cover with oiled glad wrap. Leave until doubled (usually an hour or so).

Cut the dough in half if you want to mix up your rolls or scrolls.

Cheese and bacon scrolls:
Roll out your half piece of dough into a rectangle on a well floured bench. Melt 1 tspn butter and spread on. Sprinkle with 2 - 3 rashers chopped bacon and grated cheese. Use whatever cheese you like, obviously a stronger cheese gives a stronger flavour. Roll carefully into a log shape and cut slices. Place on a greased or baking papered tray and bake at 190 degrees celscius until golden on top. Cool on a rack.

Cinnamon and chocolate scrolls:
Once again, roll out your half piece of dough into a rectangle and spread with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon (to your taste) and grate cooking chocolate over. Roll into log and slice pieces. Place on tray (greased or papered) and bake as for the cheese and bacon.
If you want to get fancy you could drizzle icing, caramel, or sugar glaze on top.

Other applications for this dough:

Roll into little buns for dinner or soup rolls.
Roll into crescents with parsley, chutney, chives, feta, olives.... you see where I'm going with this - you can top it with whatever you like!
Other scroll ingredients could be sultanas, apples, walnut, dried fruits, jam, chocolate........

Enjoy!

Beary cute!

2011-09-07T15:35:00.002+10:00

I'd love to spend more time making bears, it's really so enjoyable and the results so rewarding. Mohair is an excellent medium, even if it does cost a fortune!

I hand sewed this bear for one of my girls who is turning 6 next week. I used the "Camellia" pattern by Karen Alderson which I bought from Gerry's. The pattern and instructions were great and I actually really enjoyed hand sewing the bear as opposed to machine. I made and designed the clothes.

She is 22cm tall and I suspect will be very well loved!

An interview with Yours Truly

2011-09-06T10:52:00.000+10:00

The lovely Sonja has interviewed me for the SHE (Schooling at Home Etsians) team blog today!

I haven't been the most dedicated blogger of late - having your page constantly hijacked so that you can't access it sort of quells the motivation!

I've been using every spare moment to work on my final piece for my stumpwork course and also so handmade goodies for one of my girls who is turning 6 next week. I hope to be able to update and share before too long.

God bless!

Thank you God for...

2011-08-19T13:54:00.000+10:00

I'm going to try to post my thanksgiving here every Friday and would love for you to join in. My purpose in doing this is to remind myself of all the good in my life and to acknowledge that I owe all of this goodness to our Creator. I notice a lot of people say "Thank God it's Friday", so Friday it is!

I'm not so great at maintaining what I start but if some of you join in perhaps I will be motivated.
You can post as many or as little thank you's as you like, with or without photos. Then simply link up your blog post with Mr Linky so we can read your thank you's!

Thank you God for.....

- A wonderfully long and uplifting conversation with my husband lastnight.

- An excellent local library with great resources and lots of free activities for the children.

- The feeling of spring in the air and the joy it brings.

- Recovery from the awful stomach bug I had at the start of the week.

Today I need to pray for something extra. Lord, I pray that pitbulls be completely banned in Australia. This is just too tragic. RIP little darling Ayen.

Around the garden today

2011-08-17T14:17:00.000+10:00

Anemones

Polyanthus

Apricot blossom

Broccoli

Grape hyacinth

Freesia

Arum lily

Fabric flowers

2011-08-13T12:53:00.000+10:00

With spring fast approaching it's no wonder I feel so inspired by flowers!
New to my shop are these hair accessories:

Red spots with blue fabric button.

Shabby chic floral with pink rhinestone button

Blue polkadot with wool felt and cute mushroom button.

All are attached to metal barrettes and available in my Etsy shop now.

Thank you God for..

2011-08-12T07:48:00.000+10:00

Thank you God for...

Moments of sunshine on wintery days

Always taking care of our finances

Helping my husband to excel in his workplace

Central heating!

Oaty choc chip cookies

2011-08-11T07:47:00.001+10:00

I've moved my food blog here in order to simplify, so you can expect to see a lot of recipes and baking talk here from now on :)

These cookies are a little different and somewhat rustic. The addition of oats makes them a little healthier for the children but also changes the texture to produce a light crunchy cookie.

125g butter

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda (baking soda)

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or essence)

1.5 cups of rolled oats

80 grams roughly chopped milk cooking chocolate

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and half the flour as well as the bicarb soda, salt, milk and vanilla. Stir in the rest of the flour with the oats and chocolate.

Place heaped teaspoons of the mix onto a greased or baking papered tray. Bake at 180 degrees (C) or 350 degrees (F) for about 10 minutes. Watch them - they can burn fairly quickly! Cool on the tray for a minute or two, then slide onto cooling racks.

Craft studio clean up!

2011-08-09T15:01:00.000+10:00

Aren't I cheeky, calling it my studio when in reality it's a table in the corner of the room. Still, it's my creative space and I'm grateful for it.
So, my space had gotten messy to the point of me being unable to sit down at the table without feeling overwhelmed and totally creatively stifled. Take a look for yourself!

Oh, the clutter!

How could I let it get so bad?!

Yuck!

Transformation!!

Hooray!

See that? Clear space on the table!

A $35 set of plastic drawers from the Reject shop has helped immensely.

I even have things on display now.

Some cheap but pretty gift boxes (also from the Reject shop) now house my hand embroidery stuff.

This is my new "currently working on" basket.

And to top off the thrill of a clean space these fabrics arrived from Carol today. Carol makes exceptionally lovely cushions, quilts etc in the shabby chic style for her business Antique Rose Designs.

Now I feel really inspired, thank you for these beautiful fabrics Carol!

Not only do I feel fresh and inspired, I've realised how much craft stuff I have that hasn't been used yet. Gets me thinking.

How about you? Have I inspired you to do a little reorganising in your craft space? It's so well worth the effort!

5 things I love about Mondays!

2011-08-08T13:34:00.000+10:00

Image credit

1. My husband is home every Monday, so it's one of my favourite days of the week.

2. The beginning of a brand new week after a restful Sunday.

3. Mondays represent a little freedom for me. My husband can look after the children while I go out shopping (even grocery shopping is a luxury without having to take the children along!) or go to my embroidery class.

4. The children are happy. We don't do any formal schoolwork on Mondays so it's a relaxed and fun day for them. And of course, their number 1. Dad is home from work!

5. We get a lot done on Mondays. We try to do very little on Sundays and a lot on Mondays. Whether it's a family outing, home renovation, gardening or catching up on paying bills, it feels very productive. Getting things done at the start of the week helps me to prepare for the week of educating ahead so that I can focus as much as possible on the children and not stress too much about "everything else".

What are your Mondays like? Do you have any particular routines or rituals? Tell me, I'd love to know!

Thank you God for.....

2011-08-05T16:38:00.001+10:00

So here is my thanksgiving for the week:

Thank you God for:

1. The warm weather we've had this week that has lifted our spirits and given excitement in planning our Spring garden.

2. The positive mood that has followed me around this week.

3. The small transformations in our house that are making it feel cleaner and homlier.

4. The strength to get out of bed and teach my children everyday.

I look forward to reading your thanksgiving! God bless.

Stumpwork progress

2011-08-02T14:21:00.000+10:00

I'm half way through the stumpwork course I'm doing with the Embroiderers Guild and although it continues to be a challenge I have learned so much and am really enjoying it. I was attracted to this particular course by the reputation of the tutor Alison Cole and haven't been disappointed - she is an excellent tutor from whom I'm learning so much.

Our latest assignment was to complete a stumpwork flower following our own design and to make it up into an item.

I chose to embroider a viola and make it into a pincushion. Strangely enough, it is the first pincushion I've ever made or owned!

I'm really pleased with my end result and was surprised to see such improvement in my stitching. The three petals and the leaf are detached and wired. The stem and back petals are embroidered onto the fabric.
Our next assignment is to be an insect and the final work is to be our own design, a good size and using the elements we've learned in class. The creative brain is ticking!
A lot of people will wonder how long it takes to embroider something like this and I don't know the answer. My focus at the moment is to advance my stitching to the highest level I possibly can - that takes time. To give you a rough idea, one of these petals could take up to 5 hours :)

Flower inspirations

2011-07-24T13:58:00.000+10:00

Perhaps it is the time of year and the lack of blooms that make flowers so attractive to me at the moment. Or perhaps it's the perusal of wonderful Rachel Ashwell books featuring marvellous roses, even reading of Tonya Todman's heritage rose farm is terribly exciting!
The other thing I've been delving into is my silk supply and silk paints. I'm working on fashioning blooms and these ones have been used for hair accessories for my long haired girls. I'm pleased with the results but now need to work on presenting the flowers in a more tidy fashion ie. the backs don't look nearly as nice as the fronts! I do so like the hand painted ones.
What do you think?

Birthdays and sunshine

2011-07-14T14:01:00.000+10:00

July is the month of birthdays in our family, with 4 out of the 6 of us celebrating. This means I spend a lot of July in the kitchen, but is there a more perfect time of year than Winter to be baking?

A 2 year old girl must have heart cookies!

Mmmm!

Red velvet cake recipe from Joy of Baking (I dare you to go to that website and avoid drooling all over your keyboard!) I used whipped cream and buttercream frosting instead of the traditional cream cheese frosting. A little hint - next time I'll decorate with cream and buttercream frosting the day before, it was much better on the second day.

I even found time to sew and dye at top for myself, what a rare occurence! I won the Ottobre women's top pattern from the Crafty Mamas blog. Highly recommend - excellent pattern!

So after all the fun and excitement of games like being dragged through the house on a quilt by a mother

who is feeling very unfit, this little princess conked out early and missed her own birthday dinner!

Thanks for reading along, bye for now:)

The trouble with being an artist, no.1

2011-07-10T11:35:00.000+10:00

The idea of being an artist and making a living from what you do is very liberating is it not? You spend your days creating and people pay handsomely to possess your works. Really! I've seen it in movies!

The reality for most is quite different. When I was making dolls about 90% of sales were custom orders. Customers wanted dolls to look like their daughters, movie characters etc. They wanted to choose the colour and type of hair, the clothing style, the fabric, everything. Not a lot of artistic freedom in that. It also meant that for most orders I had to go out of my way to source materials which left me further out of pocket from the meager wage I received for making the doll.

A Tired Seamstress by Angelo Trezzini image source

As my skills progress and change I feel less and less inclined to make things to other people's specifications. The result? An Etsy shop full of creations I love and nobody wants to buy. This year I have made a grand total of $30. What is the answer here? Try to be popular by making what other people like and will buy? Or keep making what I like and accept that I'll never make a living (or even pocket money) from doing this?

Stay tuned - more thoughts to come. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

My bread

2011-07-09T14:23:00.000+10:00

I'm often asked about the bread I make and I'm more than happy to share my loose recipe (from my head!) and methods. My bread is a culmination of trying a myriad of recipes over the years and finding that this way is the fastest, easiest and tastiest way to make good bread. I make all of our family loaves now and this is how:

These quantities will give you 2 small loaves.

1 cup wholemeal plain flour
3 cups unbleached plain flour (I use Wallaby)
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1& 1/2 tablespoons sugar (honey can also be used)
2 cups warm water
extra flour

I use the mixmaster with dough hooks because I have trouble with my wrists, but it can be mixed by hand also, which is what I used to do.
Place all dry ingredients in bowl and add water. Mix until you have a uniform wet and sticky dough. Now add the extra flour (usually 1/2 to 1 cup) and mix in. You want your dough at this point to be still a little sticky. Turn out onto a floured area and knead lightly. This part is not absolutely necessary but I find it gives me a better feel for how the dough should feel and how it will perform. I also just like the feel of it on my hands!
Oil your bowl lightly on the bottom and sides. Place dough back in and rub a little oil on top. Cover with gladwrap. Leave for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your room temperature. When the dough has increased to twice it's size remove from the bowl and knead lightly. Cut in half with a serrated knife and shape each piece into a rough ball or oblong loaf.
Place a dish of cool water in the bottom of the oven. Grease a biscuit tray and place both loaves (or you can use 2 trays if you wish). Slash the loaves 3 times on top with the serrated knife and sprinkle a little flour on top if you like the look.
Place tray in oven and turn on to 210 degrees celscius. That's right - I don't preheat!
On the top rack of the oven your loaf should be done in 30 minutes - you basically want it looking nice and brown and crusty.
Remove from oven and cool on a backing rack. If, like my family, you cannot resist the amazing aroma, just cut and eat with butter while it's hot!
These loaves freeze very well. I make 4 at a time so I don't have to bake every day.

If you try my recipe let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Maisy quilt

2011-07-05T21:25:00.000+10:00

With the birthday being tomorrow I've finished just in the nick of time. This was one of my longest projects and admittedly, if it's long, it may not get finished. But having a little nose over your shoulder asking when it's going to be ready is a good motivation.

I initially planned a lot more hand embroidery, but realistically it was going to take too long.

I love how the free motion quilting on the borders turned out. The bulk of the quilt is stippled.

Cute?

Have you seen the Leah Day tutorials on free motion quilting on Youtube? So very, very helpful!

I allowed the birthday girl to choose the flannel backing. What else does a 3 about to be 4 year old girl choose but pink fairies?

The matching cushion may not be finished, but considering I spent hours lastnight at the local hospital emergency department with a post fall, head injured, concussed and vomiting five year old I think I'm off the hook.

She's fine, by the way - God answered my prayers yet again and she is her chirpy old self today.

Hi

2011-07-02T14:09:00.000+10:00

Another busy week with plenty of secret and somewhat frantic sewing. One of our girls was born on my husband's birthday almost 4 years ago, so we have a double celebration next week.

My husband loved hand puppets as a kid and has been ~~hounding~~ asking me for years to make him one.

As I have no such affinity with puppets I got on my high horse and said I wasn't interested in making puppets, which only pressed the issue further, my husband being of the somewhat stubborn and mildly eccentric persuasion.

Enough of that. I have made him not one but two hand puppets, and what do you know, I really enjoyed making them and will likely make more. Can't wait to give them to him. Pattern from Planet Puppet.

Some little Mary Janes for a cousin's new baby.

One of my favourite flowers - the jonquil. They take me right back to my impoverished uni days when a winter treat was to buy a couple of cheap bunches of jonquils on Sydney Road and fill my tiny little flat with their heady scent.

These two are thick as thieves and spend most of their time together now. Miss G has taken up facepainting and is always looking for a willing subject or two. She has a real creative flair.

And when not facepainting they can be found at a posh tea party where one must wear floral dresses, posh hats and use their "lady" manners!

I was sent a silver bezel, among other goodies as a kindly gift from Kerrie at Jackobindi. I cut out a little circle of fabric and sealed it with mod podge, then poured clear resin on top. Cute huh?

Apart from these, and many other goings on I have been dreaming and drooling over the Harkaway Homes Catalogue. Hope springs eternal!

Have a great weekend, God bless.

Rock Cakes

2011-06-20T12:31:00.000+10:00

These are so simple and quick - I often make them for morning tea for the children.

2 cups SR flour
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
90g butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup sultanas
1 egg
milk to mix

Preheat oven to 190 degrees (C) (375F). Prepare a muffin or cupcake tin with cupcake patties.

Sift flour, salt and spices, add the butter and rub with fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Mix sugar in.

Mix together sultanas and lightly beaten egg and add to flour mixture. Stir in milk until you have a thick but not dry consistency. Fill cupcake patties about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with raw sugar and put in the oven.

Bake for about 15 minutes until risen and golden brown, cool on cake racks. My kids love these hot with melted butter. Using the top of the cupcake patty pan as a guide, cut the top off your cake (as for a muffin) and spread both sides with butter. Another delicious way to have them is cooled and split with jam and whipped cream on top.

Winds of change

2011-06-17T14:52:00.001+10:00

This week I have done things differently - you may have noticed my absence here and it has been deliberate. Time away from blogging, facebook, twitter and all things online has allowed me some breathing space this week. Not only that - but I have committed myself to taking the children out every day while the weather is fine. What an improvement this has made! Yes, I'm totally exhausted but in a good way. Now to share some of our week with you:

Lemon and poppy seed drizzle cake, recipe here

I love how my 5 year old has such a strong mothering instinct, she attracts little ones wherever she goes.

I love how my children are growing and changing and feel so blessed to be a part of it.

Op shop finds + daytura flowers = happiness!

Enjoying local sights.

Jar makeovers with paper, mod podge, colour papers and ribbon.

I printed out an old picture I like, soaked in tea and dried. Then coloured lightly with watercolour pencil and sealed with mod podge. Attached and layered with mod podge also. Tied a velvet ribbon around and placed some dried poppy heads in. Easy!

I've re - committed to my desire to live fully on baked bread. I'm going pretty well with no bought bread for about 2 weeks. I bake it every second day.

Slow and steady wins the race. I hope I've finished stippling this quilt by M's 4th birthday next month!

Rock cakes are a constant favourite here. I'll try to post the recipe on my other blog sometime soon.

If I haven't visited your blog lately I do apologise - I don't want to become one of these bloggers who expect comments but don't give any. Perhaps you'll decide to remain silent today in protest!

Hope your week has been as productive as mine. God bless!

Dear Reader,

2011-06-10T08:11:00.001+10:00

THANK YOU!

To all of you who leave me comments. To all who send an email to say hi and check I'm OK. To all who have sent me wonderful things in the mail to cheer me up. To all who have prayed for me. To all who have gone out of their way just for me.

Your thoughtfulness and kindness means so very much to me. So, once again THANK YOU and God bless you!

Have a happy day :)

Decoupage

2011-06-08T16:18:00.001+10:00

Ever tried decoupage? I had an old wood tissue box cover that has been painted, repainted, covered in fabric and eventually shoved away as I didn't like any of the previous ways I'd decorated. I like it now. A lot.

This was a fairly long process but well worth it and one that I really enjoyed. It's great to have a break from your regular crafts and try something completely different. It's also cool that I already had a lot of the materials I needed to start and the decorative paper is cheap.

In case you're interested in the process I'll give you a brief account. Firstly, 4 coats of cream coloured acrylic paint. This was sanded back to reveal a little of the original black paint on the edges and corners. The images are from a piece of scrapbooking paper that I cut out with scissors and a craft knife. That took patience!

After gluing and drying the images I varnished a couple of times then applied crackle varnish. The effect was much too subtle so I reapplied but still no joy. Moving on, I mixed raw umber paint with flow medium and rubbed on with a cloth to give an aged or antique look. Then I varnished about a trillion times (I seriously lost count of how many coats!), sanded, varnished, varnished....

I'm going to give a final light sand to take a bit of the shine off, and voila!

Now I'm casting my eyes all around the house to see what else I can decoupage - yes folks, a new obsession is born......

Hottie Challenge

2011-06-02T21:33:00.000+10:00

After much deliberation I've finished my cover for the Hottie Challenge!

I decided to use a piece of my hand dyed silk that I was keeping for something special. I used free motion embroidery to highlight the colours and patterns of the silk.

I also added beads and some hand embroidery.

The back is made with some of my hand painted fabrics.

I know it's a little "out there" but I really wanted to do something a bit different and reflect my love of colour and patterns.

This one is off to Curlypops Central, then to Open Drawer to raise money for the Margaret Pratt Foundation. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has come up with :)

Crafting for charity

2011-05-29T19:28:00.000+10:00

I've heard many a time that the best way to help yourself out of a low period is to work for the benefit of others and I find it to be very true.
Over the weekend I've been busy sewing for a handmade auction at my husband's work for someone very much in need.

I'm very happy with this bag that I designed as I went along with a great deal of winging it! I went to Spotlight to buy handles, but when I saw the $15 price tag for a couple of bits of plastic I changed my mind and made a strap.

The bag is pleated (that took ages!) and has boxed corners, if that's what you call them.

Hobo bag from a commercial pattern.

Finished with a matching fabric covered button. I hope these bags raise some money for the auction.

I picked some lemons from our tree to make a small batch of lemon curd, I love it.

Thanks to all who commented on my last post, I so appreciate your positive support :)

Blech.

2011-05-25T16:18:00.002+10:00

Maybe it's the cold and wet weather. Could be the $1000+ worth of unpaid bills stuck to our fridge or the specific time of the month, the complete lack of inspiration or dwelling on hurt from the past. The zero sales that I've had these past months. Whatever it is - whyever it is I wish it would go away and leave me alone because I don't like it!

I have too many good things in my life to ever feel down about, yet it still happens and I can't shake it. It goes away eventually. But then it returns. Sigh.

How about I just show you a couple of things I've made lately that have made me happy?

Simplicity 9464 - a thrifted pattern from ages ago. The top fabric (don't know what it is - lets call is voile) was given to me by a relative who didn't want it. So this pretty dress cost only a few dollars for the lining fabric which I already had. Wonderful, and she loves it :)

The girls and I were mucking around with polymer clay the other day and I made this little bear. Very simple, baked, coated with varnish and that's it!

Hopefully I'll be over my whatever thing in a few days and come back with some positive and inspiring stuff. If you're feeling a little down my mission for today is to pray for you!

God bless.

The Invisible World

2011-05-22T13:49:00.000+10:00

I love being asked to review books on my blog but I do have a strict policy that I adhere to: if I don't like the book then I don't review it - I would rather not complete the review than do the author the disservice of giving a bad review.

I was thrilled when Anthony Destefano sent me a copy of his latest book to review but also a little apprehensive because although I have read his marvellous children's literature I had not yet ventured into his adult books.

No fear - I loved the book. It is one of those hard to put down, "wish I had a free day or two to just read this" books.

Image from Amazon

To give an overview, Anthony writes about the unseen world around us - delving into angels, devils and spirits, but it goes much deeper than that. I found the book to be highly intelligent and multi angled.

Anthony's writing style is personal, but in a brotherly way rather than a distant authoritarian way.
It is pointed, yet not heavy, so an excellent read for a busy Mum like me.

I found the content easy to understand - no new concepts for me but a reiteration of known and some forgotten facts.

The Invisible World would appeal to Christians of all denominations, but also those who are interested in Christianity, death and eternity.

What I have received from reading this book is a reignition of some areas of my faith that had been overlooked and perhaps gone a little cold over time. I've been reminded of invisible forces that shape who I am and what I do.

The final verdict - highly recommended!

Wanna see something gorgeous?

2011-05-20T14:21:00.000+10:00

Sorry, but no, it isn't a photo of yours truly ;)

I have been ~~apprehensively~~ excitedly awaiting my parcel for the cushion swap. The last swap I participated in didn't go so well - I didn't like what I was sent and considering the resounding silence from my recipient I figure the feeling was mutual... Back to my parcel. I knew when it arrived this morning and saw the beautifully decorative label that I was in for a treat.

I had to force myself to pause for this photo!

The accompanying bookmark reads:

"I hope you like it! The 4 chicks are symbolising your 4 kids and the chicken theme is a nod to your natural, organic life!"

The girls were all over the cushion, each trying to claim it for their own bed!

The back was finished with an invisible zip (oh boy, I wish I could sew in a zip like this lady!)

I can see how much time and thought went into this cushion and I'm really touched and honoured to be in possession of it. The quality of stitching is just superb. It is now sitting on the couch and makes me smile when I walk past.

Naturally, you want to know the talented artist who made this. Her name is Anna and she a website and a blog.

Shiny Happy Art and the blog.

THANK YOU SO MUCH ANNA!!!

My Creative Space

2011-05-19T07:53:00.000+10:00

Every now and then I'm seized with songwriting inspiration and go for it. One of the reasons I don't write much anymore is I find it hard to deal with interruptions from the children and lose the flow. One day I'll actually get around to recording something for you all!

My husband's workplace is soon having a handmade homegrown auction to raise money for a very good cause so I think I'll make a couple of bags. I'm winging it with this one so hopefully it turns out OK!

To be teamed with the Maisy quilt I've been working on this wool felt design for a matching cushion. The quilt has stalled because I'm in need of some flannel for the backing. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying a bit of hand embroidery on the quilt, which is looking pretty good even to my too harsh on myself eyes.

Grab some inspiration from these other creative spaces. and have a most wonderful day :)

Real estate speak translations

2011-05-16T20:12:00.004+10:00

As we now search for our next home and are "seasoned buyers" I feel I'm getting quite good at translating the traditional real estate language that most agents seem to speak.

For those of you who don't have a lot of experience in the home buying game, here are a few pointers for you:

"Plenty of room for the kids to play outdoors" - The house is so tiny it will actually make the yard look massive.

"Unique staircase" -Exceptionally steep. More of a ladder really. Prepare to climb.

"Cosy" - You won't be swinging any cats in here!

"Comfortable family home" - Sure, if you have 1.6 children!!

"Renovator's delight" - Current residents are a family of possums and many families of rodents.

"Overlooking a pond" - Some bright spark dug a gigantic hole two feet from the front door, filled it with water and named it "pond".

All dilapidated house pictures courtesy of wikimedia commons

"Turn of the century, original wood oven" - Hasn't actually functioned for about 80 years and will need to be removed.

"Unusual" - plain ugly

"Outdoor room that could be utilized as additional guest accommodation" - I wouldn't put a dog in that cold, dirty, dingy room let alone a guest!!!

Best of luck finding your dream home!

Katie Noonan and Karin Schaup

2011-05-14T14:20:00.002+10:00

I was very blessed to attend this show at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday evening. The talent of these two women combined is just astonishing.

Katie's vocals were stunning.

Karin played flawlessly.

One of the highlights was their cover of Kate Bush's "Man with the child in his eyes". I also loved "Evening Hymn" by Henry Purcell, "The wraggle taggle gysises, o!" and "The fields of Athenry"

Cushion swap reveal

2011-05-09T19:30:00.005+10:00

My cushion cover is finished and mailed, so I can show you what I came up with.

I used linen as well as cotton prints. I also used applique and hand embroidery. I wanted my cover to be fresh and funky so I hope I've achieved that. Most importantly, I hope the recipient likes it!

For something a little different on the back I made a curved flap with bias binding and a snap closure. It was really fun making this, thanks for setting up the swap Vic!

You can see what others have made over the coming weeks here.

Nicole M purse

2011-05-08T21:31:00.000+10:00

I try to make my little sister a handmade gift for her birthday each year and was racking my brain when I remembered the purse pattern I picked up at Nicole's stall at the AQC. It was going to be for moi, but I do love to give a gift that I would love for myself!

The satin lining was a bit fiddly to sew but very worth the effort for a classy finish. The outer fabric also came from the AQC. It's great to put beautiful things to use.

This pattern was a pleasure to use - if you've never bought one of Nicole's patterns I highly recommend it. She goes above and beyond with her tips, explanations and photos so that each pattern is like a mini lesson.

The best part of all this is I remembered an op shop find from years ago and was actually able to find it in my craft mess. A gold purse frame and guess what? Just the right size! Looks like I'll be getting my purse after all :)

Too busy to blog

2011-05-06T14:21:00.000+10:00

That's me this week, but somehow I think it's a good thing. Busy baking apple pies, (why can't I just stay in the kitchen permanently?) teaching long division, human anatomy and creation history, scraping + sanding + painting, looking at country properties (sigh) plus a little bit of sewing. None of this leaves much time for blogging, but today I've made time to show a little of what I've been up to.

I've wanted to make some hair accessories for the girls for ages and now that all 3 of them have long hair I had run out of excuses!

I've also completed and sent my cushion for Vic's swap, but as the recipient may not have her parcel yet I'd best not reveal. Now, for today I hope to make some more hair accessories and work on my sister's birthday present before I run out of time.

Have a great weekend :)

Today is..

2011-04-30T14:50:00.000+10:00

Admiring pretty new blooms in the garden.

Looking forward to picking our very first lemon. 22 isn't bad for a first fruiting!

Working on the machine and with a needle for a certain swap.

Love my bias binding maker!

I'm also quite excited that we're traipsing out to the country on Monday to view some properties. The weather is fabulous here today - I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

God bless and keep smiling!

Blood Money

2011-04-29T07:56:00.000+10:00

I watched this documentary with my husband lastnight. Wow! It was excellent. Narrated by Martin Luther King's niece, Dr. Alveda King, it takes you through the many historical and present day facets of the business of abortion. Although it is an American production it is totally relevant to any country that allows abortion.

There is so much information in this documentary but I found particularly the testimonies of a former abortion clinic owner and a former abortionist just so shocking and saddening. It also covers the very interesting facts about the specific targeting of African Americans. I wish everyone could see this movie. It's available on the Blood Money website and in Australia from various sources.

Rip or snip?

2011-04-28T12:24:00.000+10:00

Hi all! I'm back from a wonderful Easter with a little gripe. Now, perhaps I'm a little bit precious when it comes to fabric but considering I don't buy beautiful new fabric all that often maybe I'm justified.
I hate it when the sales assistant rips the fabric instead of cutting! There, I've said it - I positively cringe when I see my newly purchased fabric being torn.

Grrrr!

How messy is that?!

Most of my internet purchases have arrived perfectly cut, folded, pressed and packaged - even tied with ribbon sometimes - love it!

What do you think? Does ripping stretch or otherwise damage the fabric in anyway? Have you ever asked a sales person not to rip?

BTW, these fabrics are part of my design for Vic's cushion swap - more details later!

Happy Easter! + a lot of baking and a little crafting

2011-04-21T15:14:00.000+10:00

I've been busy preparing for Easter this week, so don't have a lot to show for myself. The kitchen has been constantly occupied, preparing tasty treats for Easter Sunday as well as our regular meals.

These buns are awaiting their piped crosses.

And because I've been in the kitchen so much my craft time has been very limited, so I've been making smallish embellishments that will come in handy sometime.

I'm thinking brooches, hair ties, quilt attachments?

The children and I are going to try this tutorial for dyed eggs this year - they look great!

I'll be having a little blog break over Easter so I hope you all have a joyous and peaceful Easter. See you soon and God bless you all.

Teapot

2011-04-20T18:49:00.000+10:00

I like teapots. I like them for their aesthetic and practical applications. When my mother died I received a small teapot of hers which set me on the path of freshly brewed tea. Unfortunately that teapot that gave me many years of piping hot cuppas was accidentally broken recently and I've been on the search for a replacement ever since.

All images courtesy of wikimedia commons

There are 2 problems : price and function. Either they are too pricey or they leak, clog, or do something else that is really annoying.

If you have any teapot recommendations please do enlighten me, I can't take the teabags much longer!

AQC wishlist

2011-04-17T20:21:00.000+10:00

Sarah Fielke's new book

Nikki's new book

I was really taken with the work that Kim Bradley does with Cretacolor pastels - just beautiful. The pastels, however, are very expensive!

I had set myself a budget but ended up spending very little as the miser in me tends to kick in and disallow frivolous or impulsive purchases. Some of the above may be attainable sometime. I did buy a little purse kit from Nikki's stall, a few more buttons to add to the collection I'm saving for my girl's treasure boxes and a little bit of fabric to make the purse. So now I have money left over to buy some nice batting for the Maisy quilt, which is coming along quite nicely thank you!

Happy and holy Palm Sunday to you all, I'm looking forward to a great Holy week.

In support of Nikki M

2011-04-17T19:08:00.000+10:00

Disappointing isn't it? People steal things all the time but this is pretty personal. This bag was designed and handmade by a talented artist. It has sentimental value. Perhaps the person who took it will have a change of heart and pop it in the post back to it's owner? I hope so.

Winner

2011-04-16T20:48:00.000+10:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-04-16 10:46:16 UTC

m.e (Cathie) said...

definitely very nice of you! love the "bloggy gift karma"
♥

Congrats to you Cathie, I'll be in touch!

Today is a good day!

2011-04-16T17:09:00.000+10:00

Sometimes it can feel that the happy days are few and far between but when they happen it's a wonderful thing!

The sun doth shine.

The tired grouchiness of a certain 5 year old that made yesterday so awful is gone and has been replaced with smiles and good cheer. Pheeeeewwww!

The little one is having a long sleep to respite from her teething troubles.

Before husband left for work we teamed up so that most of the housework is done and I can have some relaxation ie. stitching time this afternoon. Hooray for good, selfless men!

Something about sticking my hands into a beautiful piece of soft and sticky dough makes me happy.

I've baked fruit bread and pikelets for the Lord's Day and roasted a fresh batch of coffee beans.

I'm looking forward to the Quilt Convention tomorrow. I've saved my pennies and set myself a budget. It's so long since I bought some nice new fabric, so that's a priority!

I hope you're having a good day too.

I'll be back later to draw the giveaway, good luck!

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-04-14T13:48:00.000+10:00

My history with cinnamon scrolls is not very inspiring - often trying and constantly failing. Always too dry! For the sake of the children I went on an extensive search for a recipe that would produce moist scrolls. And found it!

Now, these scrolls are super unhealthy with a large butter content, but considering I will make them as a treat for the children (and the occasional nibble for myself!) I think it's acceptable. The beauty of this recipe is the caramel sauce the dough sits in to bake. When they're done baking you flip the scroll.....

and it looks like this! These are best eaten warm from the oven or re - warm them later.

I know you want to try these for yourself, so the recipe is here. Enjoy!

Quilts and sugar paste

2011-04-14T07:37:00.001+10:00

Not much doing here creatively. The Maisy quilt saga continues with me making use of my seam ripper and pulling all my work to pieces because I didn't like the "busy-ness" of my fabric choices. Now I'm playing safe with white sashing. Much better.

I'm focusing on indulging in another of my passions - baking and cake decorating. Perfect weather now that it's cooler and I like having the oven on.

I'm experimenting with sugar paste and am quite taken with Mich Turner's work, so lets see what I can do with Easter just around the corner.

Don't forget to enter the "Pay it forward giveaway" which ends Saturday.

Thanks for dropping by!

Pay it forward giveaway

2011-04-13T12:43:00.000+10:00

I have been very blessed as a blogger to receive gifts and giveaways from others but I don't always end up using everything and thought it a good time to "pay it forward". So, for this giveaway I have some books:

1. Toys to sew

2. Knitty Gritty Knits

3. Teddy Bear Redwork

and some patterns:

1. Goodies and Baddies - Jodie Carleton

2. Summer Fling - Make it Perfect

3. Sleep Well - Favorite Things

Just leave a comment to enter. Sorry - Australian residents only for this one!

I'll draw on Saturday evening.

Good luck!

Saint Gemma Galgani

2011-04-11T14:39:00.000+10:00

Today is the feast day of Saint Gemma Galgani. As one of our girls is named after her we had a little tea party to celebrate.

Not suprisingly, her favourite colour is pink! In addition to the pink cupcakes we had strawberry milkshakes.

I made little sugar frosted flowers out of fresh geraniums and discovered that a geranium in the bud stage looks marvellously like a miniature rose bud!

Hope you're having a great day whatever you're doing. God bless.

Be kind always

2011-04-09T14:44:00.000+10:00

One of my mother's favourite sayings (I'm sure we're all familiar with this one) was "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". I couldn't agree more. It doesn't take much effort to keep your mouth closed rather than ruining someone's day (and may be even more).

I'm writing this in support of Tracy. Tracy has a wonderfully large family and is a talented sewer, quilter, knitter and spinner to name a few things. She spends a lot of time sharing her own patterns and tutorials and if you visit her blog you can see what I mean, she is very generous.

Lately some bloggers have left unkind and negative comments on Tracy's blog, specifically about her patterns and fabric choices. Now, one of the great wonders of God is that He created us all different with individual tastes. He didn't give us these differences in order to judge one another but in order to appreciate one another!

What I'm asking today is that we all be a little kinder. We don't have to be fake or over the top, just kind.
Happiness can be spread so easily, but so can hate.

Blessings and happy faces to you all!

What are you going to do when you grow up?

2011-04-08T13:31:00.000+10:00

Image source

This question has been playing on my mind a little lately. You see, I'll be 35 this year and still haven't decided on the right "thing" for me. When I say "thing" I'm referring to some sort of a career or occupation other than being a wife and mother.

When I was little I wanted to be a hairdresser (feel free to roll your eyes) but the novelty of that idea didn't last. When I completed high school I was strongly encouraged (pushed) to go to university. Unfortunately my scores were not high enough to go into my 2 choices of either Psychology or Nursing so I ended up in a course I loathed and subsequently quit. I've quit a lot of things since then and find it very difficult to stay with one thing.

I realise that as my children grow older I need to be able to have some sort of an income. And I do relish the idea of one day having a bit of extra money. The thought of working in the types of jobs I did pre - babies does not thrill me in the slightest. I no longer want to work just for money - I want the fulfillment that comes from using your skills and talents to support yourself. I want to be excellent rather than mediocre.

So here's a bit of fun.

When I grow up I'm going to live in the country in a grand and beautiful old home. I will offer classes from my home in various arts including embroidery, cake decorating, bread and patisseries. My husband will not need to work as we have a collection of sought after farm animals and are proficient in their husbandry. Our children are all happy and superbly educated (ahem!) Sounds good hey?

So how about you? Have you decided what you want to be when you grow up yet?

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

2011-04-07T21:12:00.000+10:00

We have a beautiful harvest of various types of pumpkins this year so I've been making soup. Here is my recipe that has evolved over years of soup making! It is simple and makes a big batch.

2.8 kg pumpkin

3 potatoes (medium)

1 leek

2 onions

garlic cloves to taste (as a guide use 4ish)

2 smoked bacon bones

5 - 8 cups chicken stock

Weigh out about 1.8 kg of the pumpkin and chop into large pieces (leave skin on). Put into a roasting dish and into the oven at 180 degrees (C) for approximately 40 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, chop your onions and fry in a stock pot in a little olive oil and butter. Add chopped leek and garlic and stir until sweating. Throw in the chopped and peeled potato and raw, peeled pumpkin. Now remove the skin from your roasted pieces and put them in the pot too.

Add the bacon bones, stock and season to your preference with salt and pepper. The stock should be about level with the vegetables for a nice thick soup.

Allow to simmer until vegetables are very soft. Turn off and leave until the soup is warm but not boiling hot! Puree in a food processor. Serve with a dob of cream and extra pepper if you wish.

Did I mention it's perfect with homemade bread hot from the oven?

My Creative Space

2011-04-07T07:53:00.000+10:00

Our pumpkin harvest for this year. Some seeds were from the Lost Seed, some were saved from last year and others were given to us by other gardeners, so we have a good variety. The aroma of pumpkin soup is wafting through the house as we speak.

Here are the linen/cotton napkins I mentioned in a previous post for the purposes of hand printing experimentation.

A little messy, but not too bad!

This piece of robinia took ages to cut out as a stencil and I don't think the results were worth it. Maybe I just need more cutting practice.

Head over to Kirsty's for more Creative Spaces.

Hand printing

2011-04-05T11:38:00.000+10:00

I've been wanting to try screen printing for an awfully long time but haven't due to the cost of setting up. Last year I was really inspired after reading Lena Corwin's Printing by Hand and decided to give freezer paper a try. I didn't get far. I think my designs were to intricate for a beginner and my head wasn't in the right place.

Enter the new year and my new sense of trying to fulfill my creative inspirations! I've been very busy drawing designs, cutting (love you Xacto knife!) and experimenting with printing. I've been collecting a lot of folliage from the garden and various trees to take impressions from.

I bought some linen and will see what I can come up with!

There is something so special about hand printed fabric, don't you think?

And I completed my first ever cross stitch! It has now joined the pile of other stitcheries that live in hope of being framed one day.

Happy, sunshiney, creative day to you all!

Few or many?

2011-04-02T15:10:00.000+11:00

I'm so grateful for my children, all 4 of them. I would be grateful for more too - there is simply nothing more important, challenging, joyful and priveleged as raising children.

You know there's a but coming. Sometimes when I see what other parents of smaller families are able to provide for their children it leaves me wondering. Would my children be happier with their own playroom? Their own bedrooms? Brand new clothes instead of second hand or op shopped? Fancier foods? The list could go on.

But then I remember what my children have taught me about life and about them. That they need love. Lots of it. Attention, lots of that too. Positive interaction. And God takes care of the rest, so that we always have what we need but not always what we want.

The fact that the children are constantly asking me when their next sibling might appear and that they are all each other's best friends confirms that a large family is a good thing for us and that our children do not want for anything.

Thanks be to God.