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Saturday 31 December 2011

Goodbye 2011... Hello 2012

2011draws to a close!!!
I think many of us are feeling like celebrating the end of 2011. Feeling thankful we are actually still here it to see it end, and that we outlasted all the drama of it. For all that was awful for so many people in 2011, it still isn't too hard to think of things that were also good too. 2011 flashed by in a blink of an eye (in retrospect) even though some of those individual days were a real grind.

The thing I love most about the change of year is the feeling of letting go of all the old impediments that keep us back, and being able to become open and hopeful for all the joy and wonderful potential that the the new year holds. Hope must spring eternal or why would we continue to carry on.

In 2012 my only goal is accepting peace into my soul. I have had enough of the fight and struggle over the last few years so in 2012 I just want to float and feel the serenity. While I actually realise that this seems wasteful, I have spent so many years fighting to get upstream I wonder what it would be like to actually stop and go with the flow. Perhaps all these years I have been missing my destiny by trying in earnest to reach some other perceived goal. I want to see what will develop if I can get out of the way and just let life happen. I am also going to say Yes to all the things I keep talking myself out of doing.


Here's to you and yours and me and mine for a new type of New Year.
x
Rebecca

Saturday 24 December 2011

Happy Holidays To You

Well I have been trying to get to writing this post all week, but I have been flatter than flat chat for days on end. Baking, shopping, sewing, entertaining, cleaning and more baking all week long and no time for pit stops at all. So as my Christmas gift to you here is a little last minute treat you can make for yourself or to gift to someone else.

Image from: Call Me Cupcake
Brownies in a bottle
The  image is from the blog Call Me Cupcake. If you visit over at her site you will see more gorgeous drool inspiring pictures and recipes. Linda is also writing a book which I hope will be available on Amazon or through book stores here. (I am getting a long list of books to buy which are being written by may favourite bloggers.)

All you need is a 1 litre jar (container) and a set of scales to measure everything in. I gave one of these to a girlfriend yesterday and told her to keep it in the pantry "in case of emergency" because all you need to bake them are 3 pantry staples that everyone always has on hand.
In fact she liked the idea so much I decided to make some more to give out to guests at Christmas dinner tomorrow. I made a little hang tag to go on the bottle which gives the extra ingredients and instructions to bake the recipe. On the back of the tag I included the complete recipe so the recipients can make another emergency jar for their pantry.

Here is the tag so you can print it too. I've translated the cooking terms into something I understand (it is originally written using decilitres which I believe is French and more precise). Cups work equally well as the measurement and any straight sided cup can be used so long as the same cup is used to measure everything. Feel free to click the label image and then print the labels off, fold in 1/2 and punch a little hole in the top to tie it onto the jar.

Best wishes to you all for a safe, happy, wonderful holiday season and I will catch you all again soon!

xox
Rebecca

PS don't forget the last minute project I shared last year: Reindeer Food.

Sunday 18 December 2011

Today I made...

Christmas stockings for the kids. I guess I wasn't feeling pressured enough so I decided to add another project on a whim.


Spotlight has all their Christmas stuff at 50% off so while I only walked in to refund $7 worth of bias tape I decided not to use and spend a $10 voucher on a new ironing board cover, I actually walked out with a bunch of Christmas fabric, some new moulds (which I used in Yesterday's soap projects), and a couple of other small items.

The stocking panel really only made 2 stockings but I stretched them out to 4 by backing them with a cute owl and tree printed fabric and I added padding then lined them with the left over plain red fabric from Mum's bunting project. Sorry Mum I used it all up but you didn't really want any of it back right? [I said smiling my sweetest smile... this only works with your own Mother when your nearly 40].

The stockings did turn out pretty cute though.

Mr W invited his mate from down the street for a pancake breakfast today. 10 minutes before he arrived I dropped a Pyrex jug on the floor from less than a foot (30cm), it totally shattered and split my little toe open, thankfully DH was on hand (and wearing shoes) to help clean up the mess and me. I think I lost a small chunk of skin off my toe but I covered it in a band-aid put on a tight shoe (apply pressure) and carried on with making the pancakes. After breakfast we dropped a glass bauble off the tree so out came the vacuum again. Luckily no injuries this time.

My next job is cutting up the fruit for the pudding cakes. Another sticky job... better run off and look for the brandy - for the cakes!

Saturday 17 December 2011

Today I made...

the last strand of bunting for my Mum... and about 2kg (4lb) of soaps.
I can't really believe that all the bunting is finally finished, I got quite quick at stitching it all together by the end. It also helped that I ordered 25 metres of continuous bias tape so I didn't need to repeat my I-can't-join-these-two-@$%#-pieces-of -#@$%*^@#-bias-tape-together tantrum from last week.


I didn't really intend to make all that soap, it just happened that way. I made reindeer soap, mini gingerbread men, larger gingerbread men (which I am going to gift to the neighbours for Christmas), pond duckies, dragon flies and lumps of coal. Now my house smells divine!


If you want to make some soap too check out these soap project tutorial pages from BrambleBerry and Otion.
Coal Soap
Ducky Soap

I actually love the smell of the coal soap (which is made of real charcoal) because I used a new Cranberry and Pomegranate fragrance in it, so it is a really nice soap.

Friday 16 December 2011

Holidays Holidays Holidays

Yesterday was the first day of the Summer holidays! Yay! Mr W had been waiting in desperation for them to begin. Yes there is all the fun, warm weather which means swimming and playing all day with his mates because there is no school, and then there is Christmas which means pressies, and his birthday which means more pressies but the real reason he has been aching for the holidays to start is because he was allowed to get a haircut on the first day of the holidays.

Walking into the Barber shop
We always go to Fremantle to get his hair cut at Norm Wrightson's (Mr W affectionately calls it 6 chairs), he's had all but two haircuts done here (one was a 1000Yen cut in Japan and one somewhere else when we were desperate and couldn't make it to 6 Chairs). His first ever haircut was done at this same Barber shop on his 1st birthday (yes I did cry a bit), and I almost cried a bit today too (I was biting my lip really hard)

He's been growing out his hair since the last school holidays, and now it is almost touching his nose. Whoop-de-doo* you say and I can understand that... but what you don't know is that this haircut would be HIS free choice!

So without further ado here is the after shot.

And walking back out of the Barber shop
He loves it! Me not so much but I keep reminding myself that it is better than a tattooed face on my child. I honestly thought he would chicken out and I gave him lots of opportunity to do so. I told him he had to ask for the style himself and he had to pay for half of the cost. I think he may have thought I might put my foot down at the salon and outlaw a Mohawk style at the last moment, but I didn't. Lesson learned we can't call each other's bluff.

After the haircut we went and did some ingredient shopping for the Christmas baking. I kept losing him everywhere we went because it hadn't quite sunk in that he looks so different. I guess I'll get used to it... and it will probably have grown out by the time he goes back to school in 7 weeks. Fingers crossed!


*Whoop-de-doo is usually used negatively to show that you feel unexcited or uninterested in something or event.

Thursday 15 December 2011

We built a house...


made of gingerbread!

Every year we make a house with the kids at out tree decorating night, it's just one of those traditions we love to keep going. We got the biscuit part from IKEA and decorated it with so much candy I am surprised can bear its' own weight... a good portion of candy didn't make it onto the house of course.

I finally found the best table to decorate this on a thin trestle table. This means the adult helpers and all the kids can get really close to the house from all sides and the bowls of candy can be evenly distributed around... this means no fights because someone is in the way. Of course I haven't figured out how to get it to stick together without placing something inside it to support the house while it dries. I've got some small dipping bowls in the house that I usually use for gyoza sauce... (last night we had to be a bit uncivilised and use a small jug to pour the sauce over our gyoza.)

It smells so yummy every time I walk past it I just want to eat it! The only thing that stops me is remembering the number of times all those little fingers got licked while picking up the sweets.

The kids sure did have fun though, and by next year Mr H will be getting his sticky fingers in there too. This will no doubt get munched on Christmas day.

Wednesday 14 December 2011

One less Christmas gift under my tree

 As we gear up for our own Christmas celebrations, making everything special and perfect, surrounding ourselves with friends and family, sometimes we get so focussed on our own small circle it is easy to forget those outside of it. This year I'd like to encourage you to place one less gift under your Christmas tree and use those funds to help someone else in need.

Barb linked to video a few days ago, but I've also linked to it in this post. Click the caption below if you haven't seen this you-tube video, but grab a tissue (if you're like me) you'll need it. Please watch the video because it is all about thanks and more importantly hope. It is wonderful that despite experiencing such a horrifying event, life for some is beginning to evolve into a new type of normal.

Japan says thank you to friends around the world
Many organisations are still taking donations for the 11.3 Tohoku Earthquake Appeal and I've linked to the one being organised by the Japanese Consulate in Australia. Donations will be accepted until March 2012.

I have made many donations to various agencies for this appeal including my latest at through the Genki Japan festival. Here is also a beautiful song sung by some guys in Australia, Pray for Japan, Play for Love project.

You could also choose to help someone (or some other cause) in your own local district. There are people that are sleeping rough (are homeless) every night in every neighbourhood around the world. We've recently had major fires through our own state (in and around Margaret River, Prevelly and Grace Town) which burnt out many homes and properties.  Please join me in giving up one gift under your tree to help make a big difference for someone you will never meet.

Best wishes from me to you and yours this holiday season.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

More embroidered T-Shirts

Last week I shared a T-shirt that was embroidered for Miss D. Today there are a few more that I've done.  These two were given to Mr B.


I really love the gnomes, they're so cute. I think I am getting a bit better.

This time I transferred the design using Chaco paper. It is a waxy chalk transfer paper made by Clover. There are 5 assorted coloured sheets in the pack so there is always a colour that will show up no matter what the fabric colour you're using. There is also a 'pen' you can buy to trace the designs with when using this paper, but it was $9 (a bit exy* for my taste) so I used an old Nintendo stylus that kept falling out of the holder in Mr W's DS.


*Exy is Australian slang for expensive.

Thursday 8 December 2011

TAST with Sharon B's Pin Tangle

I've signed up for TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday) over at Pin Tangle which is run by fellow Aussie Sharon B.

I saw that Barb S and Jane C have also signed up. I am sure I'll learn a whole bunch about embroidery (let's face it I know nothing at this point) so it should be fun too. Up the learning curve I go! If you want to sign up for this cool challenge too click on the TAST banner in the bottom left panel of this blog. All my entries about this challenge will be labelled TAST.

Miss D's Tee

I have tried to be a bit more creative with the gifts I give this year for Christmas. I know that space in all our houses is limited and filling them up with even more toys is not preferable. I got Miss D a really cute flared skirt in a bright pink colour and purchased a plain white tee to go with it. I wanted to embroider something onto the t-shirt to make the two items more of a set. Now I just need to decided on gifts for the boys.

I've never embroidered anything before (ok I've done loads of temari but IMO embroidery is quite a different form of stitching).

I looked on the Internet for some cute pictures of flowers and when I found some things I liked I played around with them on my computer until I got the look I wanted. I had no idea how to get the design onto the fabric so I just printed it onto paper and placed it behind the fabric then traced it out lightly with a pink pen. Sorry purists I know you are most likely cringing right now about how I transferred the design but it seemed to work ok and I'll try to work out some better way next time.

Anyway here is how it turned out. I haven't given it yet, but that's probably ok... she is only 3.91 years old and doesn't read my blog anyway.

So here it is. My first embroidered item, stitched in 3 shades of pink, with lots of love... and a few wonky stitches.


I should have flicked the tags out over the back of the shirt before I took the picture because you can see them (green and pink shadows) through the fabric. There was more design on the sheet that I made but I only transferred small sections at a time. When I got to this point I thought it was enough for such a tiny top.

I hope she likes it!


IMO means in my opinion in computer shorthand.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Christmas Bunting

One of the many projects which has been keeping me more than a bit busy lately is Mum's Christmas bunting. We went to Spotlight a while back and she fell in love with some red and white bunting panels that were on sale. Of course I encouraged her to buy them seeing as they looked like a fairly easy project she could do while tending to our Old Nana.

She took them home and cut them out with a friend who proceeded to zigzag them together. Then next time Mum visited at my house she came with her large spotlight bag in tow... I knew exactly what she was going to say... Could I please stitch up the second set of bunting?


Mum showed me what had already been done and no disrespect to anyone but the first set of the bunting turned out a bit naff*. The triangles were zigzag stitched with wrong sides together and the edges looked really jagged... not at all how I think Mum had hoped they would when she purchased the material. So I set about making the second set of bunting. I unpinned all the pieces, turned them right sides together, stitched them and then turned them right ways out before pressing them into lovely neat little triangles. It took me ages to do them this way but I didn't say anything to Mum when I showed her what I had done. She said she did prefer the way I had sewn them and so I suggested that if she really liked my way better I'd be happy to resew the first set if she unpicked them.

A week later and Mum had managed to unpick just 6 flags... I couldn't believe I was saying it as I heard the words roll out of my mouth... but somehow I managed to return home with all the flags to unpick. I guess that means Mum raised me so well that I would do something I really do not like doing just to see her happy and that I really adore my her too.

I stacked the triangles of fabric into bundles of 5 to make the job seem a bit more manageable. After many hours of seam ripping I got them all unpicked and slowly began to restitch the flags.

Actually I think they turned out pretty nicely even though they took forever to make. Even so, I think next time someone sees nice bunting panels at the store I'm going to whistle and walk (no run!) away.


Here is the first set. It is about 5 metres long and has 20 flags on it. Only 3 more sets to go...

*naff: British slang, today meaning uncool, tacky, unfashionable, worthless... or as a softer expletive, in places where one might use the ["F word"] as in "naff off", "naff all", "naffing about". 

Saturday 3 December 2011

It's December 1st!

Sorry I forgot to hit the POST button so this entry is a little late.

I just can not believe how fast this year has gone! Today we begin December which means a final mad dash towards Christmas. The next two months are non stop in our family with Mr M, Miss D and Mr W all having their birthdays near (or in Miss D's case on) Christmas Day.

We will start putting up the tree tonight which means rearranging some furniture and juggling boxes (trying not to break my neck or anything else for that matter) of ornaments etc. I also need to get my baking list together and recheck my gift list. I've got such a lot to do and I can't help procrastinating about it.

We did get the first job done last night. Mr W wrote his cards out for his classmates and teachers. He also chose a small gift for each of his teachers from my present shop. Through the year whenever I find something so adorable that I just can't avoid buying it, I buy it and place it into my gifting draw. I think I've been a bit of a naughty shopper this year because Mr W had a really wonderful selection of items to choose from. He took ages looking over every item and evaluating them... I am amazed that he actually chose the things I had purchased with his teachers in mind.

We have opened our Christmas treat. Quality Street Chocolates yummy!!! They are usually really hard to get but this year Coles (one of the big chain grocery stores in Australia) has them (and they are on special 1/2 price yay!!) My favourite chocolates (apart from Lindor which I've put into Mr W's advent stockings this year) I also love the tin that the chocolates come in... many people I know have kept the tin(s) over the years and use them for storing various bits and bobs.


I've got several temari projects on the go right now but they are on pause for the next week or so.

Friday 25 November 2011

Pudding Coins

In Brittan a traditional food to end the Christmas meal is a pudding. It is a sweet spicy boiled dense cake concoction that is served hot (sometimes served flaming with brandy) with custard or brandy butter etc.. Despite the fact that it is summer time in Australia many families eat Christmas Pudding too. Must be something about our country being colonised by the British and carrying on their traditions from home in this new land.

Now I don't actually like Christmas Pudding, it usually has dried orange peel in it (which I find quite revolting) and I can't really understand why anyone would want to eat a hot dessert when it is 41C outside.

What I do like is the idea of Pudding Coins, a rather old tradition where the discovery of a coin in your slice of Christmas Pudding is considered good luck and provides health, wealth and happiness to the discoverer. Coins used for this honoured Christmas custom are the pre-decimal sixpence and threepence and of course they must be Australian currency. I have always wanted a set of pudding coins. A few years ago the Mint decided to not continue making these available for sale. But last week I decided to go on line and see if I could find some.

The Australian mint had none in stock, the Perth Mint  had them for $29.95 for a set of nine coins. I found them in Queensland and they were just $12 for a set of ten coins (I purchased 2 sets). They didn't come in a cute red bag but were $17 cheaper and I have lots of little bags to keep them in anyway.

Now I just need to find a pudding recipe I like perhaps this site will have something nice.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Hinata Gallery Cafe round up

This stall is Riin's, her brand is Handmade by Riin. She makes lots of beautiful things as you can see in the pictures. I love the bibs... makes me wish I had a dribbly little one again just so I had a reason to buy a bib. Also there were sets of felted hungry caterpillar toys which were so cute and my Mum purchased 3 strings of bunting (which is why Riin is sticking up another set of bunting on to the wall in the first photo.


I asked each stall holder if I could take photos. I took the picture on the left and then I asked if I could put a link onto my blog and quickly she said wait wait wait and picked up a stock item for her photo. So funny and such a sweetheart too!

Here is Chiharu's stall. Her brand is Senhouse. This stall had the most beautiful bags and house slippers among other things. In fact her bags were so beautiful (and in demand) that I heard a lady near my table quietly willing another to not buy the bag she wanted so she could swoop across the gallery and purchase it. So funny... we've all that moment haven't we, when we can't quite make up our mind and another person suddenly takes interest in the object of our desire.


The last stall I managed to take photos of was Tomomi's. Her brand is called Japanese Gifts. I love the tee shirts in Tomomi's range (especially the one in the second picture).



I did miss photographing some stalls because I couldn't manage to ask the stall holder's permission to take a photo. I am sorry if yours was a stall that did not appear on this blog.

Now this weekend was also a Japanese cafe experience. The food was WONDERFUL. Such a treat for the taste buds and eye too! There were also 4 demonstrations of the tea ceremony in the cafe area. I didn't get to see the whole demonstration but I did take some photos. 



Genki Japan donations were collected throughout the weekend and when Tomoe came past me with her smiling face I grabbed up a 50 and tossed it into her collection basket. I have managed to donate whenever there has been an opportunity this year for the Fukushima appeal. There are still many thousands of people displaced from this area, many will not have the opportunity return to their homelands for the remainder of their lifetime. Tomoe looked at my donation and asked if I really wanted to give that much, all I could say is what I always say. Without Japan there is no temari, without temari there is no happy me. 

Tuesday 22 November 2011

More Hinata Gallery Cafe

Here are some more photos of the stalls at the 2011 Hinata Gallery.

The first two photos are from another lady called Naoko. Her stall was next to mine so we spent two days chatting between serving customers. Such a nice lady and she sold beautiful handmade cards using Japanese papers and lace. I loved the display items at her stall and had to share them. I also fell in love with some cards she had for sale when I was taking the photos... I had to buy them of course!



I love the little fabric acorns and the teeny blue flowers.

Here are two of the cards I purchased, the lace edged one was calling me, the tree one was too amazing so I had to get another to make a happy number.



Next is Chie at her Calicot stall. So many lovely things, beautiful clothes, cushions, hair accessories. I love her old typewriter too!




Last stall for today is Yoshiko's weaving stall. It is amazing to see such beautifully textured fabric made into unique items. Her loom was also on display.



I'll share some more tomorrow.

Monday 21 November 2011

Hinata Gallery Cafe

Here are a few pictures of the stalls at the Hinata Gallery Cafe. There was a really wonderful collection of handmade items for sale.

Here is Naoko at her stall. She makes the most beautiful artwork, and painted the image used on the advertising posters for this event.



Next is the beautiful jewellery created by Ryoko and branded Zelkova. The display here was so beautiful including a large whitewashed tree branch. Her daughter make the cutest felt creations, so tiny and intricate. It is a very small world here in Perth because I met Ryoko and her husband at my friend Suzie's wedding earlier in the year. She said 'Oh yes I know... you are the temari lady.'



 Last stall in this post was run by Sachiyo. Her brand is Angel Beads. Her stall has very interesting display objects for her products to sit on and besides jewellery she also had lovely soaps and crochet scrubby cloths.



I'll share some more photos in my next post.

Sunday 20 November 2011

Hummingbird Cake

Laura asked what Hummingbird cake is when I mentioned I had made it in my last post. The name conjures up all kinds of strange possibilities but it is simply the yummiest, most moist cake on the planet. Here is the recipe I use to make my Hummingbird cakes.

Hummingbird Cake
450g Crushed pineapple in syrup
150g All purpose flour (Plain Flour)
75g Self raising flour
1/2tsp Baking soda (Bicarb Soda)
1/2tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2tsp Ginger powder
220g Soft brown sugar
45g Dessicated coconut
1C Mashed banana
2 Lightly beaten eggs
180ml Canola or vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Icing
30g Butter at room temperature
60g Cream cheese
1tsp Vanilla extract
240g Powdered sugar (Icing sugar mixture)

Cake Method:
Preheat oven to moderate (350F or 180C) Grease 23cm square pan (or use cup cake papers this makes about 12 medium cupcakes)
Drain pineapple pressing with a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible, reserve 60ml of the syrup.
Sift flours, spices and sugar into a large bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients including the syrup saved from the pineapple. Pour into pan(s).
Bake about 40 minutes (cupcakes about 20 minutes). Cool in pan for a few minutes then cool right side up on racks. When cold cover with icing and try not to eat the whole cake ;)

Icing Method:
Beat butter and cream cheese with vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar.

I like to top the cake with toasted coconut shavings.

Saturday 19 November 2011

Hinata Cafe

Today I have been participating in the 2011 Hinata Gallery Cafe. It is a pop up market organised by a group of Japanese artists/crafts people. I am the only non-Japanese stall holder. It was a really fun day today... almost like being back in Japan with all the happy faces and chattering Japanese voices all around me... except it is just a 3 minute drive from my house so I didn't get lost on the JR on the way there (like I do every time I catch any form of public transport in Japan).

I took along temari, yubinuki, kanzashi and several other types of crafts I make. I made a small table on which I had a display of temari along with my most recent JTA certificate.


On my larger table I had lots of things for sale and some items that had very small signs that said Not for sale.


I took these photos as I was setting everything up on Friday afternoon so not all the little signs are up and everything isn't quite ready but I guess you can get the idea.

I also made 6 types of cupcakes which were sold in the cafe: Lemon, Banana, Hummingbird, Orange White Choc with Cranberry, Double Chocolate and Cinnamon Caramel Apple.  Of course Mr W had to taste test every type but instead of having 6 whole cupcakes I cut them into thirds so he had a bite sized taste. I think my favourite is a tie between Apple and Hummingbird (I had a third of each and DH had the remaining third in our tasting party)

I really love spending time talking about temari and thimble making. I also love sending my creations off to new happy lives with people that fall in love with them. Thanks to everyone that stopped by today. I really enjoyed meeting and talking with you all.



I'll try to remember to get around to some other stalls and take photos tomorrow.

Friday 18 November 2011

Just what I needed!

Fellow Aussie temari maker Rosa O and her husband Brian from Bundaberg have been holidaying in WA this week and were kind enough to stop by for a visit at my house on their way back from Margaret River..

After a rather stressful week, their visit on Sunday was just the pick me up I needed to get me out of the funk.

Brian does wood turning so I gave Rosa a set of music box stuff  with the thought that perhaps he could turn a box to make a stand for one of Rosa's temari.

Rosa showed me a simply amazing piece of tatting she was working on and also an amazing rosebud design kumihimo braid.

We talked and talked about all kinds of things for ages. I love how sharing our passions for crafting can bring strangers together like this.

Thank you so much for visiting, I enjoyed meeting you both so much!

Sunday 13 November 2011

Hinata Gallery Cafe 2011


If you are in Perth next weekend come and see what is on show at this boutique craft event. I will have a stall of temari, yubinuki and other items. Here is some more information about this two day festival.


Teeny Yubinuki

You have probably seen some teeny temari before but you may not have seen teeny tiny Yubinuki. Check out the Thimble Japan website to see the post written about these. The photo below shows just one of the beautiful thimbles featured at this website.


All I can say is WOW!

Saturday 12 November 2011

Bye bye Fur Baby

Today was a sad day in our home. Our Chilli died today. He was part of our family for 15 years. He'd been sick for a while now due to a tumour growing in his snout. Even so he was still happy and enjoying life, some days he could still dart about like a pup and other days he was a little slower on his feet. Overnight his condition rapidly deteriorated so when we took him to the vet today, we had no option but to put him to sleep. We all got to have a last pat and say goodbye.

Here is a happy memory, the very first photo we took of him when we brought him home as a puppy.


With a cute face like that it is no wonder he managed to wriggle into our hearts.

We'll miss you Chillibilli boy.

Today I made...

Pendants with clay.

I made some of these a while back. I really enjoyed it and now that I have a little time I've made some more.

I have been experimenting with different designs and techniques.

Unfortunately my camera (more accurately Me the operator) can't quite get the colour represented right, the colours look nicer in real life. I really like how most of these turned out... even if some aren't quite right.

Can you see the little chain on the square purple one? I think I can see that one hanging on my temari scissors in the future.

I think my DH is a little frustrated with all the crafting going on in our house lately. He'd prefer I spent my entire day cleaning and cooking treats to eat. So yesterday I did a bit of folding... and now I can see my family room sofa again. I also baked a delicious salmon impossible pie for dinner.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Chick Magnet

I'm not sure how popular the term Chick Magnet is around the rest of the globe, but it is often used here in Australia. It is usually used to describe a male that has an amazing (almost magnetic) ability to attract lots of women (chicks).

Well here is a picture of my little 'Chick' Magnet.


The little chicks were 9 days old in these pictures (taken on Sunday) and took their first field trip onto the lawn in front of the cubby house which we have used as a nesting box. I was a bit worried that they wouldn't be able to get back up the step to the house, but after a few failed attempts they all managed it.

I hope that these are the only type of chicks Mr W attracts for a few more years!