I'm frantically using power before it goes out.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
White
We've been here almost two months and today we woke up to white.
I'm frantically using power before it goes out.
I'm frantically using power before it goes out.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
A bit of a chore ...
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In other news, things are quiet around here because we're between homes at the moment. We've sold up and are moving South - to the metropolis of Geraldine, population 2300. 3 more weeks til we get there. In the meantime we're dossing at a relative's place and all we have with us is what will fit in the car (theoretically, I'm not sure it will actually fit ...).
In other news, things are quiet around here because we're between homes at the moment. We've sold up and are moving South - to the metropolis of Geraldine, population 2300. 3 more weeks til we get there. In the meantime we're dossing at a relative's place and all we have with us is what will fit in the car (theoretically, I'm not sure it will actually fit ...).
Friday, 15 February 2013
Ruby's Play Kitchen
My husband made this for Ruby's second birthday (to my specifications) - he spent many long hours building it and I was really pleased with how it turned out, although the photos don't really do it justice.
The taps are door stoppers cut down, the faucet my husband made from a piece of copper pipe which he then spray-painted silver. What I learnt with this project is that you should photograph it before the kids play with it! The spray-paint got scratched off the faucet pretty quickly. The splashback, which is my only contribution to the actual construction of the kitchen, is Mexican oilcloth with a piece of perspex over it to hold it on. I love how the oilcloth looks but the perspex makes it tricky to photograph. I got the oilcloth the other year from Oilcloth Addict.
Both the fridge and the stove have lights in them, but it's a bit hard to photograph it so you can see the lights:
I'm not very good at keeping receipts or keeping tabs on how much things cost, but it probably cost us about $100, the paint was the most expensive bit, even though we only had to buy the silver paint for the stove, I bought a test pot (Resene Silver Aluminium) thinking it would be enough, but it wasn't. So we bought another test pot. Then another one. Then another one ... We already had the white paint left over from painting our walls (Resene Alabaster), and the blackboard paint from years ago when I used to do mosaics (I made a mosaic-framed blackboard).
The taps are door stoppers cut down, the faucet my husband made from a piece of copper pipe which he then spray-painted silver. What I learnt with this project is that you should photograph it before the kids play with it! The spray-paint got scratched off the faucet pretty quickly. The splashback, which is my only contribution to the actual construction of the kitchen, is Mexican oilcloth with a piece of perspex over it to hold it on. I love how the oilcloth looks but the perspex makes it tricky to photograph. I got the oilcloth the other year from Oilcloth Addict.
Both the fridge and the stove have lights in them, but it's a bit hard to photograph it so you can see the lights:
I'm not very good at keeping receipts or keeping tabs on how much things cost, but it probably cost us about $100, the paint was the most expensive bit, even though we only had to buy the silver paint for the stove, I bought a test pot (Resene Silver Aluminium) thinking it would be enough, but it wasn't. So we bought another test pot. Then another one. Then another one ... We already had the white paint left over from painting our walls (Resene Alabaster), and the blackboard paint from years ago when I used to do mosaics (I made a mosaic-framed blackboard).
Linking up here:
Thursday, 13 December 2012
A Crafty Advent
Our advent calendar for this year - a vintage coke crate with boxes made out of newspaper, and (you guessed it) stamped with foam stamps.
Each box has some supplies for a craft activity for Ruby and I to do on that day, as well as a letter stamped on the inside which spells out a message when they are all turned over ("Merry Christmas Ru + Pep-Mae).
Here are some example craft activities - I still haven't done them all but I only have to be a day ahead of myself. A new stamp (I got the idea to use milk bottle tops from this post):
Some yarn, for making yarn snails:
Some fabric scraps:
Each box has some supplies for a craft activity for Ruby and I to do on that day, as well as a letter stamped on the inside which spells out a message when they are all turned over ("Merry Christmas Ru + Pep-Mae).
Here are some example craft activities - I still haven't done them all but I only have to be a day ahead of myself. A new stamp (I got the idea to use milk bottle tops from this post):
Some yarn, for making yarn snails:
Some fabric scraps:
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Handprint ornaments - a Tutorial
I wrote this tutorial, for Christmas ornaments using baby's handprints, for a recent edition of the Sands Auckland Central Expressions Magazine.
Our daughter’s fourth anniversary is coming up and I wanted to make something to give to our family when we celebrate her day, so I made some Christmas ornaments that have her handprint on the front and some bright fabric on the back. I felt a real connection to Mila while I was making these; when I was holding a finished one in my hand I felt like I was holding Mila’s hand again.
Although I’ve called them Christmas ornaments there’s no reason why they couldn’t be on display all year-round!
To make some of your own you will need:
1. Print the handprints onto the T-Shirt Transfer paper, remembering to print as a mirror image. I was able to get 12 handprints onto one A4 sheet. Cut around each handprint.
2. Make a pattern by drawing a very rough outline of the print, about 1.5 - 2 cm wider all around, this will give you a 1cm seam allowance and white space around the handprint. (The size will depend on the size of your baby’s handprint, the pattern I used for Mila’s handprint is included at the end of this tutorial, and includes markers for ribbon placement and seams.)
3. Using the pattern, cut out one piece from the light coloured fabric (with the template face up) and one piece out of brightly coloured fabric (with the template face down).
Iron the handprint onto the light coloured fabric, following the manufacturer’s direction.
4. Fold ribbon in half and pin to the right side of the back piece, with the ends of the ribbon at the centre top, and the ribbon hanging down (see photo below). Sew ribbon to back piece, sewing as close to the edge as possible (within the 1cm seam allowance).
5. Place back piece on top of front piece, right sides together, and sew around the edge leaving a 1.5cm - 2cm hole (you need to be able to fit your finger through the hole).
6. Turn the ornament right side out by reaching in through the hole and pulling out the ribbon (see photo below). Press (don’t iron directly onto the print).
7. Fill with hobby fill to the desired thickness and hand-sew the turning hole. Yay – you’re finished! The finished size will depend on how big your baby’s handprints are; my ornaments ended up being approximately 5cm x 6cm.
Pattern for Mila’s handprint ornament:
To make some of your own you will need:
- Scrap fabric – you will need some white/light coloured fabric for the handprint side of the ornament, as well as brightly coloured scraps for the back. I used calico for the handprint side.
- Scanned image of handprint (or footprint)
- Iron-on T-shirt transfer paper (I used Avery T-Shirt Transfer Paper from Warehouse Stationery)
- Hobby fill
- Ribbon (I used 15cm lengths for each ornament)
- Basic sewing supplies (needle, thread, scissors, etc). You don’t need a sewing machine if you’re happy to hand-sew.
1. Print the handprints onto the T-Shirt Transfer paper, remembering to print as a mirror image. I was able to get 12 handprints onto one A4 sheet. Cut around each handprint.
2. Make a pattern by drawing a very rough outline of the print, about 1.5 - 2 cm wider all around, this will give you a 1cm seam allowance and white space around the handprint. (The size will depend on the size of your baby’s handprint, the pattern I used for Mila’s handprint is included at the end of this tutorial, and includes markers for ribbon placement and seams.)
3. Using the pattern, cut out one piece from the light coloured fabric (with the template face up) and one piece out of brightly coloured fabric (with the template face down).
Iron the handprint onto the light coloured fabric, following the manufacturer’s direction.
4. Fold ribbon in half and pin to the right side of the back piece, with the ends of the ribbon at the centre top, and the ribbon hanging down (see photo below). Sew ribbon to back piece, sewing as close to the edge as possible (within the 1cm seam allowance).
5. Place back piece on top of front piece, right sides together, and sew around the edge leaving a 1.5cm - 2cm hole (you need to be able to fit your finger through the hole).
6. Turn the ornament right side out by reaching in through the hole and pulling out the ribbon (see photo below). Press (don’t iron directly onto the print).
7. Fill with hobby fill to the desired thickness and hand-sew the turning hole. Yay – you’re finished! The finished size will depend on how big your baby’s handprints are; my ornaments ended up being approximately 5cm x 6cm.
Pattern for Mila’s handprint ornament:
Monday, 3 December 2012
Wrapped
What I hate about Christmas is the mountains of waste - the packaging and wrapping - so this Christmas I'm making a real effort to cut down. All my wrapping will either be reusable, recyclable or able to be thrown in the compost. Also, I'm making most of our gifts so there won't be any plastic packaging. Here some wrapping ideas:
Brown paper bags:
Drawstring bags instead of wrapping paper:
Plain brown paper stamped with some of our homemade stamps:
Brown paper bags:
(the bunny is from llevo el invierno)
(stencil is from Stencil 101)
Drawstring bags instead of wrapping paper:
Plain brown paper stamped with some of our homemade stamps:
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Seussy gifts
Some Suessy Christmas gifts for the littlies in our family this year, matching outfits - almost. I appliqued some Dr Seuss fabric onto Onesies or T-Shirts, each little person gets a book or two that matches the character on their shirt.
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