:A Frosty Celebration::

This is such a magical thing to do with children, the night before you are expecting a visit from Jack Frost.
All you need is some muffing tins or a round cake tin. Fill them with a little water then add some leaves and flowers. Drape string over the water in the muffin tins or around the edge of the cake tin and create a loop for hanging at the top. Then go out in the dark and put them in a frosty spot.
Next morning its so exciting to rush out and see what has happened. Ours made such pretty decorations, hung on the bare wintry branches of our favourite tree. Then you can watch them sparkle as the sun rises. So simple...but so very lovely!

::On the trail::

We did a bit of walking, while we were away camping. Along

the Heysen Trail. I love the sight of both of my children

meandering along a forest trail. I have found that walking

is helped by little breaks. To sit and be in the beautiful

spaces that we find ourselves in. Sometimes I will have

little paper treasure bags, for collecting things or these

little sticky cards. To make patterns on with natural finds.

They are simply made, double sided sticky tape,stuck on a

piece of corrugated card. Easy to have in your back pack

for a moment when little quiet rest is called for.

Spring fair craft ::Puzzles::

My life has been quite busy recently~ and very craft focused.
Getting things ready for the annual fair at my children's school.
Each family is asked to contribute a not insubstantial number
of craft items to be sold as part of the fair.

I knew from the outset that I just couldn't make enough craft
on my own. So I was very lucky to enlist the help of a couple
of kind people, who have skills that I do not.
The first was a friend of my Dad's, who very patiently cut
out 4 rainbow jigsaws, similar to one my children already have.
They were sent to me, assembled and neatly wrapped~as if by
magic ! (Thank~you !)

I then had the lovely, most satisfying job of painting them, one
rainy Sunday afternoon. I must admit it took a bit of courage to
begin with~I was worried that I would somehow mix up
the pieces and paint the wrong colour combinations.....
but luckily all was well.
I used food colouring, which colours wood nicely,
doesn't wash off too readily and is food grade, so its
safe. It has such a lovely translucency, and I was so very
pleased with the end result.

In many ways it was nice for my children too, to see the process

of creating something beautiful. The painting and careful

wrapping, then taking it to sell on their school craft stall.

::Colours of Happiness::

I've been busy enjoying a few little pleasures
of late. Just the usual small things......



A flower from my little boy.



Seeds and a new diary.



A box of colour from the nursery.



Which made it into a pot.



And the beginnings of a new shawl. I feel so very blessed, with
all these treasures......and in my favourite colours too!

Easy little aprons.

Should you ever find yourself in need of a
few little cooking aprons in something
of a hurry, then you might like to try
this simple, easy idea.




You will need some new t-towels and about 1.5 metres of
cotton tape (mine was 20mm wide).

First you will need to fold the top down to give you the
length you want. The average T-towel is too long
for 3-4 year olds I found.




Fold two triangles in the top corners.




Then carefully run the cotton tape under each triangle,
leaving a loop at the top. Pin, then make sure that the
little head you have in mind will fit through the loop(!!)

Now all you need to do is sew, across the top, then up
one side of each triangle to secure the front. Make sure that
your stitching goes through the layers of t-towel and also
through the tape to secure it.



And in no time at all Voila! Lots of little aprons.




If I was only making one or two of these aprons I think it
would be easy to get carried away embellishing the front.
A little pocket or a square of coordinating fabric
with a bit of embroidery perhaps. What fun!





Its a kind of satisfying sight, a bundle of little aprons ready
to go. I think they would also make nice little gifts, perhaps
with a wooden spoon tucked into a pocket and a few little
metal cookie cutters.

A beautiful dreamy knit...

This is such a wonderful knitting project. I completed
it a little while back and have been enjoying wearing
it on those in between mornings....the kind when
its too warm for a jumper, but still a little chilly.

It really is such a dream of a knit, all in plain with the

wool over after the second stitch, then knitted with mindless

pleasure to the end of each row. Such nice fireside knitting,

and perfect to take to crafty get togethers, where you

know that there will be lots of interesting conversations,

that you would prefer to concentrate on.....

And I just love the finished result. I used Paton's Jet, which

has such a lovely, subtle rustic variation of colours. It is a little

more on the pink/mauve side than it appears in these

photographs.

I fasten it with a carved hair pin.

The inspiration comes from this wonderful blog. I am

hoping to knit another one for next winter, but longer.

This took five 50g balls, I would like to try a couple

more, perhaps in shades of blue.

It was such a knitting pleasure I was almost sorry

to cast it off. I think you can feel that happiness

knitted into the stitches.

:: 7 Days of Happiness ::

Knitted Happiness.
How wonderful it was to finally finish knitting
my first pair of socks! Completed rather ironically
on the first day of HOT weather.
Its been such a journey. Learning lots of new knitting
skills (I can now "turn a heal"!). Hours of enjoyment
watching the pretty pattern emerge, with the clever self
patterning sock wool. And also a personal journey, as I think
of all the incredible changes that have come into my life
during the knitting of these socks.
What a comforting thought that I will have them tucked
away for next winter.




Its a lovely homely occupation knitting socks and I suspect
strangely addictive. After all , once you have mastered the
tension, knitting on three needles and turning the heal it
seems almost necessary to begin the whole process again.
With the lovely anticipation of another pretty pattern
emerging, from another rather magical ball of wool.

Becoming a favourite....

Oh how I love making these.....there is something rather
addictive about the magic of transforming a flat piece of
paper into something beautiful.



And how fine they look in a little cluster....

Once again I used this lovely tutorial, but this time I chose to

use blotting paper. It worked well, was easy to paint,

stiff enough to hold its shape, but thin enough for

the candlelight to shine through -without painting with oil.

As the nights pull in, I feel myself developing such a fondness

for paper lanterns and the gentle magic of candlelight.

Candles.....

Today was an egg candle making day.
Some would say that it is a bit of a process,
and well...they could be right.

I started out with a dozen eggs from our
chooks and inspiration from this wonderful
book.

First I cracked open all the eggs, made a small
hole in the bottom and threaded the wick through.




Then I filled each with beeswax, securing the wick
with matchsticks.

When it had cooled I cracked open the eggs......

And set to work to decorate them.



I used thin candle decorating wax and tiny cake decorating

cutters. And the results......well I was rather pleased.

And of course we had to light one on the table at dinner

time, just to make sure that they worked.

Before they are parcelled off to the school

fundraiser, for which they were intended.

I do hope they will be enjoyed in their

new homes!

A bit of a challenge......

Sometimes, parts of my life fall to the
wayside........ and my days seems awash
with busyness.

Sometimes, when I am busy and fraught
it is hard to put energy into the things that
truly nurture me. Its hard to find the creativity,
energy and enthusiasm to redress the balance.

To unclutter corners of my life on various levels,
to let fresh air and light flow in.

This has been very much the case with my
sewing room. It has been somewhat scrambled,
for some time......and I feel the time is approaching
when I need to make a start.......


In a way its a glorious mess, full of possibilities
(If I could ever find anything....) and as I scramble
over bags of clay and wicker and paper making
supplies, I marvel at how organised it could be,
if I was to devote the time to it.

It really is a bit of a mess.....





And although this little wooden lady smiles
demurely, I know that she is secretly less than
happy with the condition of her room....some would say
even a little disappointed.








But amidst the mess there really is such potential for a
lovely, sunny little spot. In which to do lots of crafty things.





And so I present to you, my dear patient reader,
a bit of a challenge........
Perhaps at some stage in the near future you will find
a sewing room post,with pictures of something of a
transformation. Of treasures discovered and things
in their rightful place.

Wish me luck!

A starry night......

A bit of a delight really, some wet on wet painting
in the morning.........



Some origami in the early evening.....with the help of a
beautiful tutorial .......and voila!!!

A starry, starry night......all rather
festive really !

A little gift.....

How nice to work alongside my big boy on a little handmade
gift for a special friend. I love it that he could do his careful
blanket stitch on the felt pincushion.....




While I made the flower petal bowl. How nice to have such
a clear tutorial to guide me......









...to make use of some of the pretty fabric in my stash....






...and to have the perfect vintage button....I knew I had all
those jars of buttons for something......!




Sometimes it is so encouraging to produce something small
and pretty.......especially when larger projects are on the
drawing board!

A birthday........

We celebrated a birthday during the week.
Three years ago this little one chose us
and came.......and what a vibrant, happy
soul he is. We all feel so very blessed, to have
him around.......



I think we are just about getting the balance
of presents and celebrating right in our house
these days...... a few beautiful gifts, thank you
etsy.




A birthday crown, made just in the nick of time...



A beautiful hand sewn gift from his brother....how
exciting to make such a special present!



And of course the cake, much deliberated over by the
birthday boy....first chocolate, then crushed strawberry and
then finally a carrot cake.........




Happy third birthday Little Clogs!!!

........Who would have guessed that we would have a rather
feverish little soul on his birthday, well enough in snatches
to open his presents and sit briefly on his new tricycle, but
rosy cheeked and on the sofa for the most part......luckily
all better now!