spice angels revisited

Super busy this week getting ready for my final market for the year,

 making sure there are lots of gift ideas for my customers, 

I will be back to share them with you when I have time.

But just so you don't feel too neglected and to get into the Christmas spirit, 

I thought I would share this oldy but a goody, 

in fact it is my most popular post ever and is always at the top of my stats, 

nearly 10,000 people have looked at this post- amazing! 

So without further ado, pop over to here to find out how to make your very own spice angels just in time for Christmas.

I recently demonstrated these at a Christmas craft night and they were a big hit. 

Great for the tree or as a little Christmas gift.

 The kids put the tree up on Saturday as I knew we wouldn't have time on Sunday, but the rest of the decorating is yet to happen, I am aiming for next week after the markets.

I will try to pop back later in the week with some makeovers.

And if you happen to make a spice angel or two I would love to see your piccies, 

just post them to my facebook page.

bunting love

I love bunting!

I fell in love with bunting 4 years ago when I first came across homemade bunting in The Creative Family book. 

I immediately rushed out and bought some green and pink fabric and made some bunting for The Girl's room, also used here for her garden party.

Then I made several lots of bunting for kids for their birthdays,

including this gorgeous one I made for B3 out of op shopped Hawaiian shirts.

Then there was the one out of newspaper for B5's circus party and let's not forget the map bunting I did for the study.

For ages I have been collecting doillies at the op shops so that I could make some bunting.

Yesterday, was the day I got my act together and actually made some to sell.

 

I made two white ones like this.

I made this one out of linen and fabric doillies, using some pretty bias binding I got from Fabric Traders

 I also made one of these out of music sheets as I sold out at the last markets.

 

Here is the map version.

 Then I made this one out of vintage Christmas sacks that I picked up at the op shop,

 I have enough to make two more.

I have done a tutorial on how to make this type of bunting as it can be a little fiddly, 

but it will last for years to come,

 and will be back next week to show you how it is done!

Do you love bunting too?

I am off to make a gluten free, sugar free Pecan Pie to take to a Thanksgiving dinner we are going to tonight.

I am so excited, I have never been to Thanksgiving before!

The host family moved from the US at the end of last year and have just bought a house, 

so they have invited our church to celebrate with them, it should be a great night!

sharing at:



 

 

musical wrappings

 It was VCH's Mothers birthday last week, the day after his actually!

We have 3 birthdays in one week so it is rather busy here in May.

Anyway we went out to celebrate at a local Chinese and I wanted her present to look pretty.

 

I grabbed a piece of old sheet music and wrapped it up.

 Then I cut some strips of paper and made this little flower.

I glued a button on to make the centre and curled the edges of the flower with the scissors.

 I tied it on with string and added one of my luggage tags.

I also made a brown sugar scrub to go with it was she loved the one we used at a pamper night we went to.

It is super easy to make and you feel lovely after using it on your hands or all over your body.

To one cup of brown sugar add 1/2 cup of oil of your choice

 (coconut oil is not a great choice in winter as it solidifies) 

add whatever smell/flavouring you like

I added cinnamon as it is nice and warming in winter but I have also used vanilla in the past.

Sharing at:


 








 

sewing room clock

 I picked up this clock from Target one day for $4, I was after something for my sewing room, so I didn't lose track of time while in there creating- you know for when I have to cook dinner and stuff!

But I wanted it to look a little more interesting so I

 unscrewed the back

(do you like my screwdriver, it was a birthday present and belongs in my sewing room and will be easy to spot if anyone else uses it!)

 and took off the hands and covered the face in some fabric from my stash,

 stuck it on with some spray adhesive,

 then screwed it all back together.

Too easy- except then the hands fell down so it looked like it was going to be 6:30 forever, 

I mustn't have put them back on right and at the same time B2 came along and offered to fix it.

 He spent the next hour trying to get them to hold, but thankfully he got it working right in the end!

I have some more hoops to go up and I am going to do something with the SEW- so stay tuned!

shared at:
 

 

a very pinterest easter

The vibe around is that we pin things and not do or make things.

This year for Easter I was determined to make pinterest work for me.
Here are some of the things I pinned and made.

 
 Gluten free hot cross buns, I substituted dried apricots for the mixed peel and used a combination of tapioca and coconut flour for the crosses.

 Coconut cupcake egg nests

These were a big hit on Sunday at Church.

I made them gluten free and sugar free (except for the eggs) and no-one noticed!

 Easter garden -taken Good Friday,

taken Easter Sunday- look at the growth in that rye grass!

I found several photos for inspiration, here, here and here

 Paper mache eggs
here and here

 Paint chip bunting

 button cross

 Montessori activities- post coming soon about the different things we did.

But it wasn't all sunshine and roses these are the things that didn't quite go to plan.

I didn't get around to these, I was just too tired Saturday night to bother.


I tried these but they didn't work too well, I think I need more oil on the balloon.

I wanted to do this:

 
But didn't have the right size container,


So ended up with this instead.
Will be looking for a bigger vase for next year.

There were a few things that I have saved for next year, I am sure I will have more inspiration by then to add to my board.

Now I have a huge list of things to do in my school holidays:
 some sorting and labelling and decorating in my sewing room,
a wall to paint,
some clothes to make,
a dolls house to do up,
some movies to see
and I can feel an op shop marathon coming on!

Shared at: Cowgirl up linky Party

paper mache eggs

 I whipped up these eggs one afternoon last week.

They were super easy and fairly quick- other than the drying time of course.

I simply took some foam eggs that I bought at one of the cheap shops and covered them with some watered down PVA glue, then covered them with strips of paper and more glue.

One I used some old music sheets that they were throwing out at church and another one I did used an old paper sewing pattern- I actually found it easier just to take a piece and wrap it around to fit because it is so fine.

Finally I used some pieces of an old bible - sacrilege I know! 

This was a Good News New Testament that I was given as a child- it wasn't even the whole bible and we don't use the Good News version any more anyway so I thought it was better to recycle and throw into the trash- I used the sections of the Crucifixion and Resurrection seeing they were Easter Eggs.

I stuck them into some bamboo skewers to dry overnight and

 

then put them into a vase.
It was messy but lots of fun!!!

shared at:

easter bunting

 

 Another little Easter thing I did was to make this Easter egg bunting with paint chips.

I picked up a heap of pastel chips at Bunnings one day- 

the children tried to tell me I was stealing, 

but I said how can you steal something that is free?

I used an egg cookie cutter to trace the egg shape and cut them out

The Girl thought she might help out with some, 

they are a little wonky but she tried her best!

 B4 helped me to sticky tape them onto some string and we put them up above my window frame in the dining room.

 We just sticky taped it to the wall- very lazy of us but just too easy!

 

Here is our Easter egg tree, I think it is our best one yet!

B4 helped me by getting the branches, 

we debated spraying them white, 

but as the jug was white decided not to.

I have had some of the eggs for years and they were starting to get fewer and fewer.

I happened to see a nice little box at Target and picked them up and when I unwrapped it I discovered the cutest little wood box with 12 holes- oh the things I can do with it!!! 

I very nearly went back for another just for the box!!!!!

I had a few smaller ones left over from an activity I organised for the little ones so they went on it as well.

I am going to put some butterflies on it on Easter Sunday.

That red wall is going though- a holiday job!