Happy Friday Folks
L xx
Thursday, 27 June 2013
It started with this song...
...my infatuation with this very talented musician and her way with lyrics...
Happy Friday Folks
Happy Friday Folks
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Show & Tell - Hottie's Away!
Good Thursday Morning!
Thanks for dropping in again today - you guys are the best!
I finally got my hottie's completed last week for the Hottie Project.
Some are crocheted, 3 are from a very old woolly jumper of mine, one from fleece in my stash and two of the motifs are from old kids jumpers! It's quite fun and exciting up-cycling old clothes! I hope they keep some little bodies warm and snug and bring smiles to little faces : )
If you'd like to participate in the Hottie Project there is still some time as another care package will make it's way to Christchurch in a week or two.
This is the last week to link up to be in to win this month's giveaway. PaperVine is our great giveaway sponsor and the winner will receive a $40 gift voucher to go wild with at the Papervine online shop! Also on offer is a 15% shop discount for all you lovely readers until the end of June. Just use the code SUNSHINE at checkout.
Cant wait to see what you've been making! Dont forget to link up your creations here and while you're at it... go on over and link up for the Matariki Crafting Blog Hop Linky party!
See you next week! Keep warm!
L xx
Thanks for dropping in again today - you guys are the best!
I finally got my hottie's completed last week for the Hottie Project.
Some are crocheted, 3 are from a very old woolly jumper of mine, one from fleece in my stash and two of the motifs are from old kids jumpers! It's quite fun and exciting up-cycling old clothes! I hope they keep some little bodies warm and snug and bring smiles to little faces : )
If you'd like to participate in the Hottie Project there is still some time as another care package will make it's way to Christchurch in a week or two.
This is the last week to link up to be in to win this month's giveaway. PaperVine is our great giveaway sponsor and the winner will receive a $40 gift voucher to go wild with at the Papervine online shop! Also on offer is a 15% shop discount for all you lovely readers until the end of June. Just use the code SUNSHINE at checkout.
Cant wait to see what you've been making! Dont forget to link up your creations here and while you're at it... go on over and link up for the Matariki Crafting Blog Hop Linky party!
See you next week! Keep warm!
L xx
Introducing: PaperVine
Hi Everyone,
If you happened to have missed the Show and Tell sponsor this month... you best be on your way and go have a look!
Lowri McNabb is the owner of PaperVine, a website packed with great papercrafting ideas and tutorials. She is also the creator of www.52reasonsiloveyou.com – a complete guide to making the most romantic gift you will ever give! (This is seriously awesome - I have it bookmarked to do one day!)
Through PaperVine, Lowri brings papercraft projects to wide audience with simple to follow tutorials that have broad appeal.
She is currently an In-House Designer for Echo Park Paper and has published project for a range of manufacturers and been featured by many craft and lifestyle publications.
Lowri is from South Wales originally, and has lived in Canada for a few years before settling in Malborough with her family and training as a chef!
Her New Zealand based online store, PaperVine sells fabulous craft supplies and offer flat fee shipping within New Zealand and Australia. The website is packed with craft tutorials and ideas and store products include a wide selection of washi tape, twine, pins, trinkets, buttons, flowers, packaging supplies and laser-cut mdf projects.
You can contact or follow us at the links below and be sure to sign up for the newsletter which features all our new products and subscriber-only exclusive offers. And of course for the month of June you can all get 15% off your purchases by using the code "Sunshine" at checkout!
If you'd like to see more about Papervine visit these places:
Blog – www.papervinenz.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/
Newsletter Sign Up – http://eepurl.com/uXRx5
Tomorrow will be the last opportunity to link up to be in to win the $40 voucher to spend at the online store. Personally I am mad for those buttons and the washi tape!
Thank you Lowri for being such a lovely and generous sponsor!
See you tomorrow lovelies!
L xx
Monday, 24 June 2013
Recipe: "Honey-cake" Pudding
Hiya!
I'm back today with another dessert recipe. This one is an old SA'can one that we had from time to time while growing up. The name is a direct translation and probably came about because of the honeycomb-like texture of the pudding and also the fact that honey is an ingredient : ) Cake-like, tasty, and great served warm with some cold custard.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup honey/syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180'C. Grease a baking pan/dish.
2. Mix the sugar and flour. Add the honey.
3. Melt the butter, add the milk and baking soda. Mix well with the flour mixture.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt.
5. Bake for 35 mins.
6. Serve warm with custard. Enjoy!
Have a great Tuesday!
L xx
Joining in with lovely Ange.
I'm back today with another dessert recipe. This one is an old SA'can one that we had from time to time while growing up. The name is a direct translation and probably came about because of the honeycomb-like texture of the pudding and also the fact that honey is an ingredient : ) Cake-like, tasty, and great served warm with some cold custard.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup honey/syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180'C. Grease a baking pan/dish.
2. Mix the sugar and flour. Add the honey.
3. Melt the butter, add the milk and baking soda. Mix well with the flour mixture.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt.
5. Bake for 35 mins.
6. Serve warm with custard. Enjoy!
Have a great Tuesday!
L xx
Joining in with lovely Ange.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Matariki Crafting Blog Hop... Wheatie Heaties
Well hello there! How are you all on this wonderful Friday? Sooooo this lovely lady Juliet is hosting a very inspiring blog hop party... you may have come across it in the last couple of weeks, no?
If you've missed the amazing crafty goodness that's been sent to inspire us all - head on over right now and check it out. Seriously, there is something for everyone and all of them awesome! And while you're at it, get your craft on to link up at the end... next week! There are prizes people!
So today it's my turn - oh the pressure!! I have been juggling and testing a number of different ideas but none of them have pleased me terribly... So I'm presenting to you one that has worked and has been serving us very well for the last couple of weeks... wheatbags!
I've kept heaps of the girls old clothes for future use... even the battered and bruised ones. We loved these pj's from last year but seriously - they lasted one season - stretched beyond salvation, holes in the knees, and very worn and thin (i know... after One season - not ideal)...
It's been a bit cold lately - yeah I know, newsflash! - and the girls have been enjoying using hubby and my wheaties... Lightbulb! Old pj's + wheat = personalised wheatbags!
As mentioned before they were holey and very worn so they are double layered. My wheatbag was used as guide for size, and clothes were cut up to roughly fit the required dimensions. There's probably no need to explain how to do this as it will vary depending on the size of the clothes or fabric you're using.
One pant equaled one side (double layered of course). And the ribbing on one leg bottom remained on to add some "cuteness" at the end.
The top was a little different, but all seams were unpicked and sections laid out.
The picture needed to be front and center so extra bits were added to each end to make up the required length.
We end up with two fronts and two backs... and see that wee patch? It covered one of the initial knee holes in the pants.
Now layer them right sides together. The two middle layers should be the two pieces you want displayed on the outside when it's all done. Sew the layers together around 3 of the sides.
You'll note that none of the panels are perfectly rectangular as we'll trim the excess off after we've sewn the sides together. Once you've sewn and trimmed the edges, turn it inside out. (The leg ribbing was at the open end otherwise it would have ended up inside the bag once turned out.)
Repeat for the middle & last sections. Fill each with a third of wheat, pin, and sew.
So today it's my turn - oh the pressure!! I have been juggling and testing a number of different ideas but none of them have pleased me terribly... So I'm presenting to you one that has worked and has been serving us very well for the last couple of weeks... wheatbags!
I've kept heaps of the girls old clothes for future use... even the battered and bruised ones. We loved these pj's from last year but seriously - they lasted one season - stretched beyond salvation, holes in the knees, and very worn and thin (i know... after One season - not ideal)...
It's been a bit cold lately - yeah I know, newsflash! - and the girls have been enjoying using hubby and my wheaties... Lightbulb! Old pj's + wheat = personalised wheatbags!
As mentioned before they were holey and very worn so they are double layered. My wheatbag was used as guide for size, and clothes were cut up to roughly fit the required dimensions. There's probably no need to explain how to do this as it will vary depending on the size of the clothes or fabric you're using.
One pant equaled one side (double layered of course). And the ribbing on one leg bottom remained on to add some "cuteness" at the end.
We end up with two fronts and two backs... and see that wee patch? It covered one of the initial knee holes in the pants.
Now layer them right sides together. The two middle layers should be the two pieces you want displayed on the outside when it's all done. Sew the layers together around 3 of the sides.
You'll note that none of the panels are perfectly rectangular as we'll trim the excess off after we've sewn the sides together. Once you've sewn and trimmed the edges, turn it inside out. (The leg ribbing was at the open end otherwise it would have ended up inside the bag once turned out.)
We like out wheaties sectioned and they contain about 1kg of wheat in total. In this example we have 3 sections and each section is filled with about 300grams of wheat.
Next you sew the first filled section "closed". Now I'm sure there's an easier way to do it, but.... Roughly determine a third of the way and pin it closed about 1/2" from where you will be sewing. This makes sure the bulk of the section doesn't interfere with you trying to sew a line from end to end. Use lots of pins so the little suckers don't escape and get in your way.
Repeat for the middle & last sections. Fill each with a third of wheat, pin, and sew.
There are two lines at the end bit on this example as my machine would not have forgiven me if I were to turn the edges in and sew them shut neatly...(8 layers...). So trim off the sticky out bits at the end, tie-off and tidy up all the threads and you're done! PS: you'll note I didn't cut off the initial leg ribbing when tidying up the ends as it was there to add some character in the first place : )
They have been used every single day since and only take about 1.5-2 minutes to heat in the microwave. Toasty and warm and snuggly....and recycled and personalised!
So hopefully that made sense and inspires you to make some wheaties of your own! They are super simple really and don't need to be nearly as "complicated" as mine! Two layers of fabric, sew right sides together around 3 sides, fill with wheat (or rice), sew open ends shut and whala!
Make sure you check out the talented people lined up for next week, and in the meantime get your winter craft on so you can link up on Wednesday!
Happy Friday Party People
L xx
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Show & Tell - A Little Bag for a Little Girl
Good Morning Lovelies
We celebrated lots of birthdays in April - lots. One of the gifts for one of the little girls was this wee bag.
Thanks to Pinterest I discovered this lady who makes some great crochet creations... and sells the patterns on Etsy! I love her creations - so clever, fun and colourful!
The girls and I had fun rummaging through beads and bells to embellish it. The pattern was clear and easy to follow, and now that I have it, there will be more of these in the future : )
PaperVine is our great June giveaway sponsor. Lowri is giving this months' winner a $40 gift voucher to go wild with at the Papervine online shop! Also on offer is a 15% shop discount for all you lovely readers during June! Just use the code SUNSHINE at checkout.
We celebrated lots of birthdays in April - lots. One of the gifts for one of the little girls was this wee bag.
Thanks to Pinterest I discovered this lady who makes some great crochet creations... and sells the patterns on Etsy! I love her creations - so clever, fun and colourful!
The girls and I had fun rummaging through beads and bells to embellish it. The pattern was clear and easy to follow, and now that I have it, there will be more of these in the future : )
PaperVine is our great June giveaway sponsor. Lowri is giving this months' winner a $40 gift voucher to go wild with at the Papervine online shop! Also on offer is a 15% shop discount for all you lovely readers during June! Just use the code SUNSHINE at checkout.
What have you been up to? And have you been inspired by the Matariki Blog Hop so far? Aren't those ladies clever!? Looking forward to seeing what cleverness you've been creating!
L xx
L xx
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Winter viewing
So the odd evening when I'm not working, I can sit in front of the box with my current craft/crochet project and disengage the brain... sort-of : )
Here's some of the doozies I'm currently enjoying:
Mad Men
Not what we expected at all given the hype but we get what the hype is/was about... it is that good. Well written, engaging, fascinating character development and a riveting look back into time, we are still thoroughly enjoying tuning in after just having completed seasons 1 to 4...
The Big Bang Theory
It never fails to make me laugh out loud... clever, whitty and funny. Always good for a wee chuckle :)
The Killing
Season 3 has just started and the show has returned to the fantastic form of Season 1. Great actors, awful bad guys, gripping storyline.
What are you watching? Any recommendations?
Have a happy Humpday!
L x
Here's some of the doozies I'm currently enjoying:
Mad Men
Not what we expected at all given the hype but we get what the hype is/was about... it is that good. Well written, engaging, fascinating character development and a riveting look back into time, we are still thoroughly enjoying tuning in after just having completed seasons 1 to 4...
The Big Bang Theory
It never fails to make me laugh out loud... clever, whitty and funny. Always good for a wee chuckle :)
The Killing
Season 3 has just started and the show has returned to the fantastic form of Season 1. Great actors, awful bad guys, gripping storyline.
What are you watching? Any recommendations?
Have a happy Humpday!
L x
Monday, 17 June 2013
Recipe: Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding
It's Tuesday! And I'm back to share another delicious treat for cold evenings... This recipe is quick, easy, delicious and wonderfully warm for winter!
Ingredients:
Pudding:
100g unsalted butter
120g Cooking Chocolate
1/4 caster sugar
1 cup trim milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup self-raising flour
60g Dark or milk Melts, chopped
Sauce:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Baking Cocoa
1 cup boiling water
Preparation:
Pudding:
1. Melt the butter and Cooking chocolate over a low heat. Cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 180'C. Grease 6x200ml capacity ramekins or ovenproof cups. Alternatively, grease a 6-cup capacity ovenproof dish.
3. Add the caster sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
4. Gradually add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins or cups, or spoon into the large dish.
6. Sprinkle the batter with the chopped Dark or Milk Melts.
Chocolate Sauce:
1. Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a jug. Stir until the Baking Cocoa and sugar have dissolved.
2. Gently pour the sauce over the batter, dividiing evenly between the ramekins or cups.
3. Place the dishes on a baking tray (to catch any overflow) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar.
Enjoy the gooey deliciousness!
L xx
Joining in with awesome Ange.
Recipe from: Nestle's Kiwi Classics
Ingredients:
Pudding:
100g unsalted butter
120g Cooking Chocolate
1/4 caster sugar
1 cup trim milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup self-raising flour
60g Dark or milk Melts, chopped
Sauce:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Baking Cocoa
1 cup boiling water
Preparation:
Pudding:
1. Melt the butter and Cooking chocolate over a low heat. Cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 180'C. Grease 6x200ml capacity ramekins or ovenproof cups. Alternatively, grease a 6-cup capacity ovenproof dish.
3. Add the caster sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
4. Gradually add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins or cups, or spoon into the large dish.
Chocolate Sauce:
1. Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a jug. Stir until the Baking Cocoa and sugar have dissolved.
2. Gently pour the sauce over the batter, dividiing evenly between the ramekins or cups.
3. Place the dishes on a baking tray (to catch any overflow) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar.
Enjoy the gooey deliciousness!
L xx
Joining in with awesome Ange.
Recipe from: Nestle's Kiwi Classics
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Ironing Board Covers Unite!
Happy Monday Morning!
A few months ago a few friends were considering the sad state of their ironing board covers... one thing lead to another and the IBC Swap was borne!
Details were distributed, partners assigned and we got cracking! Last week I received my brand new cover from Karyn, who sews gorgeous things! And the cover was no different - just look!
Pretty and happy, fits perfectly and has been tested and is performing well!
Thank you Karyn - I love it!
Here's more or less what I sent... and lucky for me well received!
I cant wait to see all the other ones! If you write a post about your cover received and/or sent, link it up below so we can admire each other's creations.
Thanks for joining in ladies - I hope you've enjoyed it!
L xx
A few months ago a few friends were considering the sad state of their ironing board covers... one thing lead to another and the IBC Swap was borne!
Details were distributed, partners assigned and we got cracking! Last week I received my brand new cover from Karyn, who sews gorgeous things! And the cover was no different - just look!
Pretty and happy, fits perfectly and has been tested and is performing well!
 |
| Extra loveliness in my parcel. |
Here's more or less what I sent... and lucky for me well received!
I cant wait to see all the other ones! If you write a post about your cover received and/or sent, link it up below so we can admire each other's creations.
Thanks for joining in ladies - I hope you've enjoyed it!
L xx
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