i can't stop myself...

I bought another (!) new toy this week and suddenly I've realised my lil' stash has become something of a collection. 

I can't stop myself. Seriously.  

But on the positive side, look at the lovely cards I made with my new buy...

Actually, I made a little more than that...

 

Of course now I know the punch definitely works, I will have to force myself to buy the other patterned punches. 

Yes, seriously. I can't stop myself...

Michelle xx

 

baby buds

I'm becoming a little obsessed with these baby bouquets - Unlike real flowers, these buds wont die before the new mother gets to enjoy them; they're not sprayed with nasty chemicals that can affect the air quality in the hospital room or nursery; and it's a gift that is as practical as it is beautiful. 

I knew I just had to make a bouquet for baby Jarrah but I wanted to add a lil' personalised touch. I started with some beautiful Bonds Bamboo cuff socks and mittens and 'potted' them into a small galvanised pot...

Then for a personal touch... A packet of Viola seeds to plant once the pot is empty. Viola/Violet's are the birth flower for February and I thought it would be a perfect lil' touch for a couple who really enjoy their garden...

Add a matching card...

And there you have it, another quick and useful gift for the new lil' one in your life!

Michelle xx

minky love

I just can't resist the super softness of minky fabric. Aside from new baby skin, absolutely nothing feels softer. And it's the type of feeling that makes your mind linger back to your childhood, remembering the softness of your blanket against your face and how it made you feel warm and protected. Yep, there's just no better feeling.

So now I'm really excited about the February influx of babies because it means I can get out my new stash of minky fabric and make some more pram blankets for the new lil' ones. But this time I've ditched the bland pastels and opted for bright and bold fabrics. Take a look at the first couple of blankets I made over the weekend...

I really love how these first couple of blankets turned out, especially the navy spot one which was made just in time for the Sunday birth of a sweet lil' boy. I think this blanket and bib will be a great addition to the super cute store bought gifts we've chosen for baby Thomas.

A matching card...

And bold wrapping...

Now off to meet this special lil' man! Bye for now...

Michelle xx

baby sock bouquet

In February alone, I have nine friends expecting lil' ones. Yes, nine! And much to my delight, this has given me a reason to do all the things I love... shop, sew, craft and make cards! 

For the first lil' one I wanted to buy a sock bouquet to add to the rest of her gifts, but was shocked when I noticed they sold for $35-60 and used only cheap quality items. So I thought I could try one myself using some good quality Pumpkin Patch and Bonds Bamboo cuff socks. How hard could they really be? To answer, not hard at all! It took less than 10 minutes and I think it looks pretty close to the professional bouquet's you would order online!

To try it yourself, all you need is at least five pairs of socks, booties or mittens. Roll them into a bud and secure the  bottom of the roll with a small elastic band. I didn't have florist's wire so for the next step, I used small wooden skewers and inserted them into the roll. Wrap the bouquet in your favourite wrap, add some satin leaves and you're done!

Then add a personalised card...

And wrap the rest of the gift in coordinating colors, and you're done!

Now, onto the next gift...

Michelle xx

homemade flatbread

I am totally addicted to making this flatbread at the moment! It's from Donna Hay's A Cook's Guide and it's the quickest and easiest flatbread I've ever made. If you'd like to try it but don't have this cookbook, I've added the recipe to this post so you can enjoy yummy hot flatbread too!

You will need:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon olive oil and extra for brushing

sea salt for sprinkling

Place the yeast, caster sugar and milk in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface.

Place the flour, table salt, oil and yeast mixture in a bowl and mix until a smooth dough forms. Turn the dough onto the bench or a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour to the dough if it is sticky. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Press the dough into a lightly greased slice tray, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt (at this step I also add freshly minced garlic).  I've also tried this flatbread with fresh rosemary and parmesan or olives - equally as delicious! 

Bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown.

Serve hot or gather your favourite fillings and make yourself a Mediterranean focaccia. My absolute favourite combination at the moment is roasted capsicum, feta and slices of fresh mushrooms, red and green capsicum and red onion, toasted in the sandwich press. Try it, you wont be disappointed!!

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my lazy Sunday! 

Bye for now...

Michelle xx

handmade cards - they don't get simpler than this!

I've shared some simple handmade cards in the past, but this next set of cards are even easier! Better yet, they were made using materials destined for landfill! I used small leftover pieces of blue spotted wrapping paper and glued these onto white cardstock. Then for the butterfly embellishments... these were salvaged from my ma's - cut out from a card pillow box her pj's came in! I added a pearl here and there and they were done! 

 

Next time you think about making a card of your own, have a look around your house first. You'd be surprised at what you might find and what you could create with lil' bits and pieces found around your home! 

Happy cardmaking!

Michelle xx

a gift for lil' cupcake

I attended a baby shower this weekend for mummy-to-be Michelle, who loves all things cupcake. Of course I followed the cupcake theme, and this is what I made to celebrate the coming arrival of lil' cupcake:

A cupcake onesie - I used spotted pink corduroy fabric to make the cupcake pan and then gathered and sewed lace onto the onesie to resemble cupcake icing. I added a lil' bow and it was done... easy as that!

Stretch headband - I used stretch lace for the headband and then gathered some pink lace into a rosette. I added a pearl to the rosette and hand sewed it to the headband.

Sock cupcakes - I used 4 pairs of Bonds Bamboo cuff socks and interchanged them so there was a glimpse of white and pink in each cupcake. I think they're perfect for a cupcake themed baby shower!

I think they look so cute together!

Cupcake card - I used the corduroy remnants from the onesie and sewed a cupcake onto plain white cardstock. Simple yet effective. 

Wrapping - I had intended to use pale pink ribbon but out of the hundreds of ribbons in my drawer... not one in pale pink! I had to turn to Plan B - I used the corduroy remnants from the onesie and sewed 2 straight lines down the length of the fabric. I pulled the thread at each end and voila, instant ruffles. I'm so glad I didn't have any ribbon because I think this looks so much cuter!

So there it is, a little handmade addition to Michelle's baby shower! It was a lovely afternoon and I loved all of her handmade touches too!

Michelle xx

winnie the pooh party

Before you read on and question "Hang on, I thought you were a Social Worker?!?" I should let you in on a little secret... I'm a Social Worker by day and a secret wanna-be Event Stylist by night! 

With my secret exposed, I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite recent briefs. A gorgeous lil' man was turning 1 and his party was themed around his favourite character, Winnie the Pooh. With brief in hand, this is what I created:

A couple of dozen handmade cupcake toppers...

The handmade personalised sign and the candy table...

'Piglets strawberries n' cream' and 'hunny bears' (honey gummy bears)...

'Meringue hives' (lemon flavoured meringues) and 'Tigger's red balloons' (jaffa's)...

What bear doesn't love 'hunny joys'...

And I would never style a party without my signature Oreo pops...

Lemon cupcakes with the handmade cupcake toppers and strawberry flavoured jelly in Winnie the Pooh themed paper cups...

Personalised giant lollipops...

And a matching card...

And present, for the gorgeous lil' birthday boy...

Happy Birthday Dimitri - I hope you loved your candy table as much as the adults did!

Michelle xx

loving these december buys!

Admittedly, I have done far too much shopping this month! There were the Christmas gifts, the baby gifts, the gifts for all of the parties in December and January, the Boxing Day sales and of course, a few buys for yours truly. Now I'd love to share them all, but some of my favourite buys have yet to be gifted, so they'll stay under wraps for now! But take a look at some of my other favourite buys and gifts I received over Christmas:

Decorative berry branches - These wooden branches don't look like much now, but wait until you see what I have in store for these (check the blog later this month!). I bought these from Supply and Demand - my new favourite store! They stock excess homewares and decorator items from stores such as Adairs, Bed Bath and Table, Freedom, etc., and I just can't get enough of it! And best of all, they're cheap!

Sunbeam SmartBake - I finally got a bread maker!! I made my first organic wholegrain loaf over a year ago in protest against the $9 loaves I was buying from my health food store. Even though my loaves tasted so much better (and cheaper!), I hated the mess and the time it took kneading and repeatedly checking the dough as it rose. But this lil' baby means no more kneading, no more rise checks and no more mess! And it makes pasta dough and jam too! With all of this yummy bread I'll be baking, I secretly wonder whether my man bought this to benefit me or him?? hehe

Ceramic pie weights - If you enjoy baking like me, do yourself and the earth a favor and buy yourself some ceramic pie weights. They'll last forever and eliminate the waste involved in using new rice or beans each time you need to blind bake your pastry. My lovely sister must have read my letter to Santa because she added these and the Donna Hay Christmas magazine to my Christmas gift... Now I can't wait to start baking!

Glasshouse candle - I received this Christmas edition but I have loved the Glasshouse range of candles for years now... especially the caramel scented candle! These candles are made from non-toxic wax and all natural lead-free cotton wicks, so they're good for you and the environment. I've seen these at Bibelo and Peter Alexander, or check your local stockist on the Glasshouse website.

T2 Relax - Such a gorgeous mix of chamomile, juniper berries, flowers (hibiscus, lavender, rose petals), vervain leaves and lemongrass... I'm already addicted! Get some for yourself at T2.  

The Big Bang Theory Season 4 - I'm not a big TV fan but I absolutely love finding a great series and snuggling up for a few solid hours. My newest TV crush is the Big Bang Theory - An American sitcom based on the contrast between geeky and socially awkward friends Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard and their beautiful neighbour Penny. If you haven't watched it before, grab yourself a copy or borrow mine... it'll have you in stitches!

Leather Journal - Last, but certainly not least, my new gratitude journal. Yes, 2011 was beautiful in many ways but it also brought many challenging moments and decisions. And although I am deeply grateful for all of the blessings in my life, it can be difficult remembering all I am grateful for during the difficult times. So as a constant (grounding) reminder, I really hope I take the time to jot down all of the small things I am grateful for each day. Why not do the same for yourself?

Michelle xx