Wordless Wednesday - Ski Lessons

Play along with Wordless Wednesday at Faith, Hope and a whole lotta Love.

A Day of Extremes

Well today has certainly earnt its title. Either absolute success of abject failure and nothing in between.
First of all  were my Easter baskets for Mum and Caroline. It was obvious this morning that I had been working on them quite late last night as some of my 'logic' had gone astray and there was quite a bit of unpicking to be done before they were finished this morning. BUT, I am very happy with the way they turned out and would be very happy to receive one myself (especially if it is filled with chocolate eggs).

I put these down to absolute success #1.

Absolute success #2 is the easter tree. After searching our dying maple tree for the right branch, this is how you are now greeted as you enter our house.

Our house is white, not pale pink like the photos show but I could not get the white balance right today for some reason. Absolutely no chance on the little automatic (pic1) but getting a little closer (still not good) with the DSLR (pic 2). I will put it down to the funny light today and the fact that our front door is bright orange and alters the colours in the hallway.

Absolute success #3. All my market stock is made ( including a large pile of teaspoon bookmarks which were not actually planned for thoday) and packed in the car before 6pm. This may not sound like a big deal but I could count on one hand the number of times I have been ready for a market before midnight the night prior , and I have been doing markets for 7 years now. I can always find something to do, a sign to remake etc, designing a new stall layout. You maket goers know what I mean - well I hope you do, and I am not the only one who does this.

All these successes had made for too good a day and the failures were about to begin.

Abject failure #1. Beer battered fish and chips for dinner. Hard to muck this up I hear you say-  well maybe, but not if you are me - I can stuff anything up - just ask anyone who has attmepted to eat my scones!!!
I had borrowed MIL's fryer to cook the fish, but all it did was stick the batter to the bottom of the basket so that when it was time to dish up my beautiful orange roughy, it came out in a multitude of pieces followed by crushed/smashed batter. It tasted alright but looked pre-digested. I changed the way I placed the fish in the oil each time but as the basket rotates and lifts the item being cooked out of the oil for short periods, the batter or just plain fish with no batter still stuck and ended up looking the same. A  good night to be a blind dinner guest in our house tonight.


Abject failure #2. Attempting to put royal icing on marie biscuits so that the girls can draw on them with the new food pens. We ( or mainly I ) decided that pre-made biscuits should be easier to ice than home made ones but try as I might I could not get the icing to stay in the desired shape or for that matter not stick to the bench when I rolled it out. I muddled my way through 6 biscuits and gave up. There has to be an easier way amd will be a task for another day. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Failure #3. Hot cross buns were not even attempted today. Maybe tomorrow, when I get home from the market so we can take them for lunch on Sunday, but then again, if I am as tired as I normally am after a market ( and it does go for an extra hour tomorrow), then it will just be dinner and bed for me tomorrow before the Easter Bunny hops his way into our house.

Here's hoping your day was full of success and sunshine and have a Happy Easter.

P.S.  If you are looking for something to do tomorrow and are near the Mornington Peninsula, pop along to the special Easter Market at Mornington Racecourse.

Shadow Shot Sunday

This is my first time with Shadow Shot Sunday hosted by Hey Harriet. So here goes.
Whilst exploring Melbourne city with some friends visiting from overseas, we came across a sculpture of a huge swarm of bees taking over the Eureka Tower. Funny how you can miss so many things in your own city.

Play along with your Shadow shot here.

Elephants in Easter Bonnets

Not your ordinary title but then Mia's first Easter bonnet parade  deserves someting special. Its not every day there is an Easter Elephant!
The 3yr old ECC group at Sarah's school doesn't normally get to participate in many of the 'big'school activities as they are only attend on a Friday ( 4yr old group does 4 days) and most whole school activities take place on a Thuesday. BUT, end of term is end of term and always falls on a Friday. Our house was a veritable buzz of excitement this morning - Mia 'cos she got to dress up as an elephant ( even though the day was going to be 26'C) and Sarah because nearly 3 weeks holiday were starting. Gotta love Easter and Anzac day bumping into each other.
Here is how our fleece elephant set out this morning....

Mia had cooler clothes on underneath  but when I arrived after lunch for the parade, she was still in the costume, trunked hood and all, admitting she was a little hot but this would not stop being Mali, an Easter Elephant. After a lot of begging, cajoling, requests, Mia finally relinquished the hood in exchange for her Easter bonnet she made earlier this morning  just in time for the Easter Bonnet Parade.

With a 7 year age difference there will not be many activities that both girls will get to do at school together, so it was great that Sarah was also part of Mia's first foray into the world of parades

A very proud bonnet maker...

My Big and Little with their creations demonstrating summer and winter fashions all on the one day.

We are now looking forward to a busy school holdays filled with visits to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the museum, beach romps, exploring new parks, sleepovers and taking full advantage of all the beautiful autum days that will hopefully grace us with their presence.
On that note my coasters are now dry and ready for their next coat of modge podge before the waterproof sealant tomorrow so, I will leave you hoping that your weekend is full of fun, laughs and sunshine.

My Creative Space

 I Wish.....

My first creative space for a while finds me wishing....
Wishing for more time  -  my mind is working a million miles an hour with new ideas and there is is not enough hours left in the day after normal work and after school activities to get them all done.
I have new ideas for the silver cutlery that I hope will be a winner for Easter, and, I also want to have time to play around , just experimenting with spoons like the one above - nothing for sale,  just feel good stuff around the house for me.
I also have a grand new idea for fleece this winter. I am calling it B.L.I.S.S. ( but you will have to wait for the great unveiling to see what it stands for.) BUT, and this is a big BUT , BLISS is still in my mind and has yet to have any prototypes made.
The plus side however it that sewing can be done late at night. Bashing spoons flat and then stamping them is a little noisey to be done after dark.

As for all the other ideas, eg  the clothes that I would like to make,  learning  to crochet/knit , free form stiching, being creative with coffee sacks, the list goes on -   well, they will just have percolate in the brain a little longer.

I hope you find time for your creative persuits and play along at Kootoyoo

Bite Size Snippets .....

After the recent success of my 'Mini Maps of Melbourne' Coaster sets which were chosen to be gifts for the International VIPS at last weeks Loreal Fashion Week here in Melbourne and the requests I have had for sets from more northern destinations, Bite-Size Bits of Brisbane and Snippets of Sydney Coaster sets have been born. So favourite or memorable places in any city up the east coast can now be a talking point and create a drink with a difference.

The original .....

how they look when assembled

and the new additions....

Next in line is a wider range of aviation map placemats and some travel tealights ....... stay tuned .....

My Creative Space

My Creative Space this week, finds me hoping a little normality might return to life soon. The last few weeks have been so full of sickness, death and then other major family stresses that anything creative has been totally gone. I cannot believe that it has been a week and a half since I last sat down and wrote a post ( the wordless wednesday's were scheduled well ahead of time). The only good thing to come from the last week has been the 3kgs that has managed to fall off my body from stress as the eating better bit wasn't getting anywhere. I also came to realise that I need my creative space to remain me. Although the house has been clean with everything in it place, and  the washing has been done, folded, ironed and put away all in the one day, I have not been happy in my life. I know this has a lot to do with what has been going on in our family, but also because a part of me (and a rather large part) was turned off and ignored for the sake of household order and peace. Tonight, I have produced a hula costume for a louau that Sarah is going to tomorrow night (and of course one for Mia too - her's was the test run) and I am feeling so much better with just the little bit of creativity creeping back in, that I know I must find a way to keep the house tidy etc  as it has been this week or so, and still let the new ideas and creativity have their outlet too. ( If only the creativity didn't have to be done on the dining room table).
 I will finish with a picture of my 2 hula girls (Sarah's complete skirt but not much else) as every post needs at least one photo, and an apology for the gumbling/rambling I have done here tonight, but sometimes one needs to vent in order to move forward. Let the creativity begin - onward and upward!

I promise that my posts from now on will be far happier, and creative. :)

Here's hoping your creative space is overflowing with ideas. Play along at Lou's here.

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 26

39 Today!

no I am not 3539! I shared birthday celebtrations with my sister whose birthday is on Wednesday.

 I can be happy about this birthday as I am still under 40 ( which according to both my children is really old)
When I was in my twenties the idea of being nearly 40 was something I wanted to avoid - turning 30 was going to be bad enough but today at 39, I can say that I do not feel any different to the 20-something girl - just a few more responsibilitieswith a few more, actually a lot more, wrinkles and wobbly bits.
So after a day of being totally spoilt by my family I thought I would see if I could list 39 things about myself that you might not know and maybe I have not realised about myself until now.

1. I am a real red head - although I do have help hiding some of the greys
2. I am perfectly happy celebrating my birthday with family and no big fuss.
3. I like myself better now than in my early 20's and I would not go back in time.
4. I love being a mother, and having 2 children is not twice as hard.
5. If there was not such a large gap between Sarah and Mia I would love to have had more kids.
6. I still love cute shoes - although my collection is slightly smaller than in my 20's
7. I always have a tape measure in my handbag.
8. I love Thai food
9. I love seafood.
10. I am more confortable in my own skin now than I have ever been.
11. I love it that my girls and I all have birthday's in September although it can be a strain on the wallet.
12. I hate blue cheese.
13. I play piano and have taught it
14. I wish Brett and I could spend more time together - life is so hectic at the moment.
15. I have all my teeth - including wisdom teeth and have had since I was 15
16. I dont drink nearly enough water.
17. I am a planner - everything is planned in advance.
18. I am not good with going with the flow.
19. I love photography and wish I could spend more time learning about it.
20. I love to cook cakes but....
21. I would happily give up cooking dinner every night.
22. I hate food shopping.
23. I would love to own a car which had back doors. - especially with 2 kids
24. I have only owned hatch back cars.
25. One day I will get married.
26. I will never get a tattoo.
27. I would love to have my own craft room. I was supposed to in this house but 3 wks after moving in I found out I was pregnant with mia - bye bye craft room, hello babies room.
28.  I hope my girls grow up to be as close as my sister and I.
29. I love vintage silver at the moment and cannot find enough of it.
30. I wish my metabolism would keep up with the fact that I love cakes.
31. My eyes change colour depending on what I wear between blue, green, grey, hazel and a wierd kind of dark yellow ( I hate this one and avoid wearing colours that bring this out).
32. I have had a cat all my life.
33. I love 80's music
34. I love jelly snakes and am a sucker for licorice.
35. I ADORE dark chocolate and hate white chocolate - not even a chocolate in my book.
36. I would love to be more daring in my wardrobe.
37. My perfect house would be overlooking a beach with no close nieghbours.
38.  I am a hoarder and don't like to throw anything out (much to the dislike of my husband)
39. I have realised that age is only a number and it is how you live and feel that counts.

Oh my, that was hard. I do not think I will repeat it for my 40th, but I am glad I did it.
Now I think it is time to curl up on the couch and relax before the week starts again tomorrow

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 20

I have a stupid fear of chickens and today did nothing to improve it.
When we lived in Brisbane one of houses came with chickens and it would take me 10 mins to pluck up the courage to check for eggs. Our hens were the most gentle, aimiable birds on the planet but I still had this idea in the back of my mind that they would turn all evil on me. Just like when diving all I hear is the Jaws music - but that is another story.

The chicken fear stems from one day when I was little and a horrid little bantem rooster chased me around a friends back yard and pecked at my feet whenever I stood still. I now, rather irrationally, think bigger chook - bigger pain.
Anyway this chook and I met tete-a-tete today as it had escaped from its yard and I could see the scheming going on - just look at that eye! I know it sensed my fear.

Needless to say the longest lens possible was used for this photo so a quick getaway could be made. Dont get me wrong - I love the sound of chickens and also fresh eggs but not if I have to do it.

Deb @ works in progress posted great pics today about chicken love at her house. I loved the chicken hug photo of a chook with her son - secretly wishing I could get that close to a chicken. - Maybe one day after hefty doses of therapy.

@my house New Products - Finally!

At my house today we are mini-celebrating as I am very happy with the way my new teaspoon bookmarks have turned out. The first in the 5 new products I hope to have finished in the next week.

I have always liked the souvenir teaspoons you get from all over the place but hated the normal display stand way of showing them off, so therefore, like everyone else they get shoved in a drawer or discarded.
Well now they can have a new life and also keep your place in the lastest book,  until your next moment of escapism.

And this is the little gem I have to thank for enabling me to bend them without snapping the fine handles off.  - My mini butane torch. ( but if the snapping thing does happen, I have products to make from the broken bits too).

These are the outcome...... The flattened spoon goes inside the book and the decorative handle sits down the spine of the book.

They will have custom messages stamped onto the flattened spoon but I haven't decided on what the standard ones will be yet. Prehaps, 'Fell Asleep Here', 'Brain Food', 'Food for the Soul', 'Melanie's Book' etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I also attempted some new fork creations but the gas ran out and even though the guy in the tobacco shop made filling the torch seem really easy, I cannot get the butane into it at sufficient pressure or amount. All I get is a low temp bunsen burner flame (although it can look like a flame thrower).
So back I go today, playing the helpless female and get another lesson on gas refills.

Whats happening at your place? Play along and check out some other homes at Lou's.

My Creative Space

My creative space this week finds me totally rethinking my market stall.
7 years ago no-one was selling pouch style baby slings anywhere much in Aus and baby wearing was just starting to take off. As such my business boomed and I easily replaced my old full time job income plus more with one day at the market 3 out of every 4 weeks and sewing at night and while Sarah was at kinder etc. Today you find slings everywhere and add to this the ecconomic climate of the past couple of years and the fact that there are free patterns for slings all over the internet,  sales have dropped dramatically and it is now my 'supplemental' products that are bringing in the money. I have also lost the desire to keep thinking of new baby products.

Since my upcycled spoons have been so popular I am moving more toward this line of upcycling thinking and are hoping to have completed samples of the new product range in the next couple of days so they can either be approved or rejected by the market committee.

My new mini butane torch arrived today so the small spoon bending can begin. Now all those souvenir teaspoons that people discard will soon have a new lease of life.
So too will this map from a 1996 version of the Brisbane UBD ( this is where we lived way back then)

These maps, but for the Melbourne markets from vintage Melways, as well as nautical charts will be turned into these....

I have several other coasters that are undergoing the waterproofing test, that are of a rounded square shape, which I think I like better, but since they are only tests they have very ugly advertising maps from the font section of the UBD on them and are not photo worthy. - not to mention the wrinkles from learning how to use modge podge. Everyone raves about this stuff but I must admit I am having some serious wrinkle problems. Any tips???
Also on the list of to do's are upcycling tea light candles, recycled sheet music, christmas carols and coffee sacks. ( A lot of these will require the mastering of modge podging) I have a very busy few days ahead but I love the inventing/design stage of new products.



I am also glad that there will be no more birthday cake baking after the efforts of the last couple of weeks have left me considerable heavier than I started out. I wish I didn't like cake so much.
Here are a couple of shots of the finished Thomas Cake for Mia last weekend ( actually a James cake as he is the favourite engine).

I hope your week is as creative as it can be. If so, play along here at Kootoyoo

As a footnote.........I am also committing to attend the Perle8 group next week (Sept 23rd). Now I have said that I will go and everyone has read it I cannot not turn up. ( What do you bet that the group stops during the holidays - hehehe, this would be just my luck)

30 Photos in 30 Days - Day 8

Today Mia got a taste for school (well the art room anyway) and she liked it.
While I was at work today Mia spent a little time with her Aunty Shell, an art teacher, and loved all the fun things there were to make and paint in 'Aunty Shell's special room'.
I think Nana (ie Nana Daycare) will have a hard time topping this one next time Mia spends the day with her.

My budding artist - apparently this is the start of a lion.

Thank you Aunty Shell for having your phone on you during class today to give me a glimpse of what goes on while I'm at work.

Wordless Wednesday - First Flight

More Wordless Wednesdays here

My Creative Space

My creative space this week has not been very crafty - apart from painting my nails hot pink and buying up all the spoons I could find at the Camberwell market on Sunday. (Oh and Mia's attempt at lip gloss, watched and most probably encouraged, I might add, by her big sister who did nothing to stop it -  just took photos on my phone.)
Instead of crafting, I have had a crash course on Kosher cooking.
We are having guests to dinner tonight that only eat  kosher food. I will not be able to do everything totally kosher as I have only 1 of all the main appliances in my house but  I think I am playing it as safe as I can by going  vegitarian so no meat and dairy can bump into each other. It is a perfect excuse to buy a new chopping board and new knife but I will not however buy a new wok for the night or new cutlery. We will just have to pretend that these have never touched both meat and dairy when cooked.(Hopefully they are not too strictly kosher and can bend the rules a little) I did consider serving a cold meal as this makes kosher much easier as meat and dairy can actually meet on the one plate but as winter is still letting us know that it is not over yet, a hot meal is an absolute necessity.
With kosher dips and bikkies and a kosher dessert I hope my 'almost kosher' main course is ok. Just in case though I have bought a pre-made totally kosher meal - designed for kosher people to eat easily in non kosher households, as long as they witness the opening of the packet and it stays in its own container and doesn't touch one of my meat 'dirty' plates.

This is what my attempt at dinner will hopefully look like ....

Yellow Curry of pumpkin with green beans and cashew nuts

I must admit that even though I  enjoy a new cooking challenge and the people at Alex's Kosher and Continental Mart in Caulfield have been very helpful and very patient with my many questions, kosher is not something that can easily be worked into a non-kosher household.
Hopefully next week I will be a little more crafty (although it is the start of a very hectic few weeks with birthdays) and I should have my new line of products ready to hit my madeit shop and  preview here.

Till then see what other crafty people have been up to at Kirsty's

Wordless Wednesday

Find some  more great blogs playing along with Wordless Wednesday here

My Creative Space

Todays creative space finds me making costumes for my nephew's book parade at school next Tuesday.
He wants to go as 'Will Solvit' who, until yesterday, I didn't know existed let alone know what he looked like but how can you say no when these big eyes look at you and ask 'Can you make my costume for me, Aunty Mel?'
On doing a bit of research it is actually a very easy one to make - much easier than the lion costume for the Wizard of Oz - and should  be able to be made tonight. Little bit of modification to a couple of t-shirts and some cargo shorts should do the trick and then his little time travelling morph.
I do so like the easy ones!

Will Solvit in all his glory

Hope your week has been creatively simple and check out some other clever folks at Kootoyoo.

The Highs and Low of a Sunday

After being on a high tonight after a very successful Mornington Market, 2 more internet orders, new outlet opportunities for my spoons coming to me without any prompting, enquiries for purchasing my train and car caddies and both my stores being featured on the madeit front page at the same time, I was disappointed when perusing madeit that I found someone, who within 3 days of my spoons being listed, had flooded the market with exactly the same thing, only instead of using vintage sliver spoons, they use old stainless steel spoons.
Before I listed  there was no-one doing anything like this on madeit. I know and understand I cant expect to be the only one selling garden spoons but it was still a bummer on such a good day.
With the day giving both highs and lows on the crafting front I am choosing to stick with the positives as they certainly outweigh the negative and as I continually tell Sarah to look for the good in something, focus on that and try to find something good in a so-called negative, I have to lead by example and remind myself that 'imitation is the best form of flattery'.


So lets go out on a positive - Mumasupial and me2 on the front page at once.

I hope you have had a lovely weekend and if in Melbourne, enjoyed the rain-free, almost hinting at spring, couple of days.

Ho Hum, once again a post will appear on the following day as I forgot the time and finished it after midnight.

Toot, Toot, Chugga Chugga

Well it, the Train Cozy that is, is finished and I must say that although I would change a few things if I made it again, I am extremely happy with how it turned out. So I might say is Mia and Molly Engine.
See for yourself.......

 

As I said there are a few changes I would make as I learnt that Wonder Under does not work all that successfully under 3mm ribbon, it is very easy to stick said ribbon to your ironing board when trying to attach Wonder Under and stitching all the track cross rails individually takes a lot of time.
BUT...
I already have plans to make more but this time for racing cars with a racetrack going all the way around with a pit lane in the middle and possibly a train one but with the track done a far simpler way.
Hmmmm, possiblities, possibilities. Now if only some of my friends had young boys instead of girls.

My Creative Space

My creative space for this week is not quite as advanced as I had hoped it would be. Delayed by life, work and happily the sale of my first spoon on madeit within 2 days of listing them, yay - so excited, and an unexpected order from a new retail outlet  for my kids drums and bubba boots, my train caddy has not evolved very far.
Last night when everyone was tucked up in bed the first drafting stage began, complete with 1/2 size mockup, and then the full size trial and series of adjustments as I found out that just doubling everything did not work,

This photo was taken at about 1:30am when I finally decided that
1. no more could be done without fabric and it was too late to start searching through the stash
and
2.the fact that I needed to be up and awake in under 6 hours
.....  so excuse the bad lighting etc.

I would have thought that as I only had to choose the fabric today I would have made a start and even got it finished but my true libran indecisiveness kicked in to its fullest and I think it took me over 5 hours to finally decide on the colour combination. So as a result this is as far as I got.

Hopefully tomorrow will see it completed and I can post some pictures of it in all its glory. I have a good feeling that this will be a winner with Mia when it is finished as we had to take the paper version out today with us so she could play with with her trains.

Hope your creative space has been a little more productive.
Pop on over to kootoyoo to see what is going on in the crafting world.

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You can now see the finished track in all its glory here. 

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