pancake joy

Yesterday started off early but happilly.

My flatmates 3 year old was demanding pancakes instead of dinner the night before(as 3 year olds do) so I suggested to him, if he ate his dinner I would make him pancakes for breakfast.

And those kind of words are practically a legal document in a 3 year olds mind, so 6 am yesterday morning there was a little voice at my bedroom door, "pancakes?"...cute.

So up and off to work I went and a happier table of children in Brisbane at 6.30 a.m would be hard to find...

Here is my all time favourite recipe for pancakes.

My son once described them as like tasting sunbeams and rainbows!

They are easy to make, incredibly cheap and contain nothing artificial or yukky-

3 eggs(organic free range or your karma will suck)

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

butter

Easy, easy instructions. Separate the eggs, mix the yolks, flour,milk and as much melted butter as you like together.

The next step is the really important one! Whisk up the whites, get them good and fluffy. Then gently, gently fold them through the mixture. Don't skip this because doing it ensures light fluffy yet rich and delicious pancakes.

The rest is pretty obvious melt butter, pour batter, fry and flip...melt together some butter and honey as a topping or whatever you like really and enjoy!

From the sublime to the ridiculous my life does take me to some funny places. After I had dropped off the kids, I spent time with my friend Russell Anderson who was driving around Scarborough beach in his bubble car bubble machine..he was being filmed for some inane commercial kids TV show, which I am pretending to forget the name of.

It was funny when my kids came along as the crew and presenter are obviously used to getting a reaction from children but my eldest just asked who they were in a puzzled 'why are you so in my face' kind of way...ouch, poor egotistical host, cut down by an eleven year old...they were all really lovely though and it was a interesting insight into how they make shows, its all in the can and seemed so refreshingly fast compared to the tedium of film making.

Anyway, you can see the amazing things Russell does here http://www.russellanderson.com.au/

Seeing the vehicle in action as Russell motored along in it sending out great showers of bubbles is one of the funniest and most delightfully absurd things I think I will ever see. And the best part is seeing someone living their dreams, I really love it.

xdash

brooch making

This past week has been productive, its a wonderful feeling to be well again and living in a new space. I like the simple pleasures, noticing a pretty shadow cast by the fretwork above the door or tinted shades on the walls from the sun shining through the patterned coloured glass windows.

In the next few months I have some great things to look forward to. A trip to Victoria, my brothers wedding in the beautiful Dandenongs to attend, a mini break on the gold coast and lots of new and interesting projects to work on.

I am presently creating some vintage fabric coasters and coffee pot warmers for a fairtrade coffee shop a friend of mine is opening in the heart of West End in Novemeber...

here's a sampler of some....

In other cafe related news some of my brooches have hitched a ride into a store and gallery cafe. The Bleeding Hearts cafe and gallery is located on Ann street Brisbane and has great coffee and a cool collection of aboriginal art and social enterprise products. Little brooches, including these 2 feature on a new line of biddy bag clutches, which are quirky and bright. I will post up a photo soon as I can, I think the display is brilliant and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to see my little brooches getting about...and I encourage anyone to grab thier coffee in there, the staff are so sweet.

My new house has shelves and spaces for my crockery and I do love to decorate...the boxes of plates and tea cups were one of the first things unpacked partly because I just wanted to play around with displaying them. Also as a wannabe nanna or nanna in training drinking huge amounts of tea is critically important!

While slurping down cup after cup of Vanilla roobois tea I made simple flat brooches, using retro images of children as subjects. I have been experimenting with acrylic 'felt'...ugh, the acrylic sheets are so flat and stiff, the colours, like the pretty green below, are great, but I can't get around the fact that the material itself is just so awful!

So handmade felt from old woolen garments is my material of choice, there is no contest. Recycling old garments into felt takes more time and effort but in the end who wants easy, hard and fake, give me warm, fuzzy and real everytime....

xdash

eco art

I have just moved house, so I am looking at my surroundings a bit more critically than usual. I need a bath mat.

The instructions are almost insultingly easy, did any one else do a latch hook rug as a kid, because it is basically like that? I remember my childhood latch hook project had a funky little cloud and rainbow design, and seemed to take forever to make, but that was with fine bits of yarn and as this is made with towel 'thread' it should be easy?!

Anyway instructions here;

http://ecologue.com/ShowArticle/recycled-bathroom-mat

This link is from the recyled craft section of the ecologue website;

http://ecologue.com/Default.aspx

a good resource, but it is designed by and for U.S folk.

My favourite basic resource about how to reduce environmental impact at home was put together by the Australian Conservation foundation;

http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=86

This site has a carbon footprint calculator and so much information about household energy saving, it's easy to spend ages reading through it all.

I had a bit of a happy find yesterday. In my suburb it is kerbside collection time, people put out their large bits of junk, usually broken tvs and old fridges but surprisingly often good stuff . The council then collects it and trucks it off to thier tips...

Anyway, yesterday I got a unused large compost bin, a garden tool organiser-stand thing and some pots. Why do people throw theses things away, don't they know anyone, anyone who wants these things? $80 at Bunnings for the exact same compost bin and they throw it out? Not that I am complaining! My housemate did the whole permaculture certificate and is full of great plans for our garden, so I think this compost bin was meant to come to us...

I have a fun project planned for this weekend. I am going to transform a mdf book shelf into a painted and felt decorated masterpiece for the kids room...

I have some light blue paint and plan to glue on something like these fellas...

and paint some birds on it...hope the kids will like it!

I am really looking forward to some creative play after all this moving, driving,etc-ing...

xdash

moving

Moving is exhausting!

I am enjoying this day, sitting in the library listening to a coastal chill album via my headphones and laptop…people going in and out, studying, reading, its peaceful here. A good spot to sit and type these words down.

I spent most of last week either doing house inspections, cleaning or packing, and the weekend was flat out with the actual move.

First up though, my new house...well it is light and airy and open, a queenslander up on stilts surrounded by a spacious garden. I woke up so happy this morning, my windows have feature panels of pink and green patterned glass, and a gentle breeze was billowing the light streamed curtains. I don’t have a camera at the moment, so my descriptive writing will have to do!

And the best thing is the huge garden, I see the space available and dream of fresh tomatoes, oh yum. The dreadful photo above is the only one I have and is from the real estate agents, trust me it looks much better in real life!!At least it gives some vague idea.

It was a great feeling laying back on my bed after a hard days work, with my kids tucked up all happy, safe and sound, in a place we can call home.

This afternoon I will get my sewing machine unpacked, it will be in its own little spot, ready all the time...cool, huh. No excuses, I have the books, the fabric..now for some time.... :O)

xdash

edies new hat...

How very chic, yes?

Okay, so this is 'officially' the worlds most tolerant cat.

Aside from making cat hats I have been here and there, hardly ever home lately.

Mostly I have been roaming all over Brisvegas looking for houses, which is fun...well, not at all really.

-oooh, breaking news, have got a house!! Hooray!!- thankfully no more griping posts about house hunting!

Something wonderfully perspective giving for me, was seeing the film "Persepolis," http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/

Based on a graphic novel of the same name, this film depicts the story of girl growing up in Iran, how her relatives and her own life unfolded and unraveled as the political climate altered the whole region. The animation and story is simpley told yet profoundly beautiful. I felt really moved and engaged by this illuminating story and thought a lot about Amnesty International, about the importance of human rights and the groups who exist to promote respect for them.

This link will take you to a page about childrens rights, http://www.amnesty.org/en/children

and about ways Amnesty International is involved in supporting them....some food for thought,

"There are estimated to be between 100 million and 150 million street children in the world, and this number is growing. Of those some 5-10% have run away from or been abandoned by their families."

Crap, huh? So join or do something, whatever you want, find whatever is it that makes your heart ache and educate yourself and others...there is important work to be done and we all have bit of spare time to put towards these kind of things. Towards kindness.

Aside from this, I have sold a few more brooches, and have had some sweet feedback, so thanks to anyone and everyone who supports me. And I mean this in any and every way, even just smiling at my stuff as they pass me by or a shop assistant saying they like my wallet, all of it means the world to me.

I am moving into a new house this weekend, in Kangaroo point, with a large leafy back yard...do you think it is called this because there will be kangaroos hopping through our back garden? Well, no, it is as close to the city as you can possibly get, but thank goodness, a house!

xKate

cute stuff links

It's a very hot day, so hot I was forced to cut some sass and bide jeans into shorts.

This is probably not what you are supposed to do with designer threads. However, they were bought at a garage sale and were a bit tatty so truly very acceptable...but now I am wishing I had cut them a bit shorter. Because did I mention..it is bloody hot!! Urghhkk!

This photo is very blurry, sorry one of those self timer ones...but as I am the subject a bit of blur is probably not such a bad thing...very kind on me... trimmed them, hemmed them with zigzag folded them up a little and straight stitched around, which gives the end the slightest flare, like boot cut shorts, I think a nice effect.

I was in the Avid Reader bookstore in West end yesterday in between housing searches (yes the search continues) and found they have a great range of craft and art books..one was this little gem...

I really want to make some key rings with the cute faces on them, and dont need to follow a pattern or buy the book to do it. It is a great source book though, full of cool and simple ideas presented in the clearest way.

When I got home I checked out the authors stuff a bit more. This led to their esty store (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5064725) which led to this cute piece of cartoon writing jewellery..it kind of rocks huh?

And I can see picture this working in felt too, perhaps aplliqued onto a t-shirt...could be cool in a pop art meets cute fuzzy felt kind of way, huh?

xdash

wood land elf hat

hello again. I woke up this morning possessed of the need to make the cute hat from the bend the rules sewing book, which I mentioned in an earlier post.

It was so easy to make, I used felt, no fraying, no hemming. Amy Karol (the author) suggests pinning the pieces together and ease stitching, but I did it slowly and carefully, used no pins, not a ease stitch in sight...and mine worked out fine. I bent the rules of the bend the rules book...

So here is the household cat wearing the woodland elf hat...hmmm...I am sure he liked it, just no where near his head. Its not for him anyway, so its a good thing he didnt get too attached.

Fortunately I found a much more willing subject in the form of this squirrel...he is rather stiff and un-lively but as he is made of stuffing and fake fur let's excuse his modelling abilities.

I used small pieces from a couple sheets of felt, and at most it took me half an hour to make, so I feel a sense of achievement, with very little effort or expense, so not a bad way to start the day!

xdash

spring lovin and beastie boys...odd

Hello, hello, what have we here then? A bit of spring lovin'?

So, you may notice a distinct lack of craft photography, well, yup, I had one of those crazy-too-busy-days and only managed to make 3 tiny little crocheted mushroom tops (not even time for a single stem)

Although I usually think there is not enough time in my days to 'make stuff' today I really felt the lack...sigh. There is nothing like searching for rental accommodation to make you feel like you are not using your time efficiently! Yes, I am trying to find a rental house and I am sure a lot of people could nod their heads in empathy, as so many others are searching too...in fact I am pretty sure they all turned up to look at the same house as me in Woolloongabba today...ha, ha!

But damn it, I want that house so fingers, toes, everything vaguely cross-able is firmly crossed tonight...please let the real estate rats overlook the over-lookish stuff about me and look on over the look-ish stuff instead!!

"Be realistic - demand the impossible!" - Soyez réalistes, demandez l'impossible! -

Anonymous graffiti, Paris 1968

Now, I want to take a moment to direct any would be crafters to the most amazing site...it truly has the broadest range of craft related information including links to the coolest tutorials...some recent ones include making jewelry from resin and making felt foods, they have competitions and all sorts of other interesting links too,

so ch-ch-check it out, what, what, what's it all about...um...where was I...

....er, sorry feeling a little bit...um...

beastie boy-ish tonight... so anyway, just go here, I swear it's good

http://whipup.net/

xdash