Day 120 & 121
34/100 complete
Master 3 Masterpiece
Today we made ‘Welcome Home Daddy’ biscuits. Daddy has been away for a week and he has been MISSED! Still he is back and he brought us presents!
Welcome Home Daddy!
Mine is a designer ring made from a parking sign that caused the artist fines, despite the fact it couldn’t be seen. After contesting his ticket and not winning he made jewelry from the sign. I love it. It is a good thing to have a husband with good taste!
My New Ring
The ring is huge. A conversation piece as all good rings are.
Lovely, Lovely!
As well as this I had a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday. GORGEOUS quilting fabric from London’s V&A museum. My darling friend Debbie (think the Cath Kidston fabric from earlier in the year) sent it to me. The fabric is a design based on a coverlet from 1840. Such a treat.
My New Fabric
We purchased some stuffing the other day at the fabric shop and Master 3 selected these buttons to add to our collection.
More Buttons
I have also sewed together my first giraffe using the fabric from my Great Aunt. I made up the pattern and I am pleased with the final result. I quite like his attitude. I might get a horse done tonight too in between chatting to lovely husband.
My Giraffe
After this week I have to say – maximum respect – to all solo parents out there. I learnt a lot about my character weaknesses this week. Still we are here and happy and very glad to have our wonderful No.1 man home.
Fabric Detail
Day 106
28/100 complete
Today I crossed off another recipe – Zingy Bean Pate. Not too far to go now. It tasted really nice but as my Aunt commented it would be good for a blind date in the literal sense. Not a pretty dish.
Today has been VERY exciting though. The courier delivered:
YAY
My very own dress makers adjustable dummy! How I have dreamed of this day. I bought this because I got paid to talk last weekend as an MC.
Also my amazing Great Aunt gave me these 3 boxes today.
The Boxes
And inside them was an assortment of smallish piece of fabric. Being given fabric is a bit like being given buried treasure only without the pirates, digging, sunburn, sea-sickness…. that real buried treasure demands. In other words buried treasure without the hard work.
My Treasure
So there it is. I hope you don’t mind my boasting. I am so excited.
Fabric, Fabric, Fabric
Tonight I embark on another adventure into the 48 hour film festival. A NZ wide competition in which a film is written, filmed and edited in 48 hours. Tonight we find out our genre, 1 character, 1 prop and 1 line that must be included and then the craziness starts.
I am making a caramel cake to help us all in our efforts…. It seemed like the right thing to do!
Day 78 & 79
Make, Give, Contribute, Challenge. 1 year, 100 creative challenges. 22/100 complete.
Today is a celebration of things pretty – fabric and buttons.
What's Not to Love?
I have decided, with a little guidance, to collect buttons. Challenge 45 required me to start collecting something I loved. I have something of a skill for the accumulation of things and whilst there was competition from cake stands and little jugs I have settled on buttons. The lovely thing about buttons is I can use them on things as well. I started the official collection by purchasing 2 wooden buttons featuring maple leaves.
The First Official Button
I’ll still have open arms for cake stands and jugs but right now ‘I collect buttons!’ Just like that.
Beautiful, Beautiful
Yesterday I made the ‘Seared Beef with Mustard Crust’ which was a little seared and not quite brown enough for this mama and her family so it got a little extra cooking – sorry Sophie! It was a lovely meal though and in attendance some special family members – always a treat to eat with others and something we don’t do enough.
I also made another batch of homemade ice-cream and the ‘Ganache’ which we used, and shared, as a chocolate fondue with bananas and marshmallows. Delicious!
And just in case you need a little more button loving…
My quote of the week comes from Master 3 who was eating homemade yoghurt the other day and said ‘It makes me smile in my mouth’. I think he’s growing up for a career in food writing!
Tonight I am seriously committed to making some real inroads on the charity quilt – it must be done!
Day 66
Make, Give, Contribute, Challenge. 1 year, 100 creative challenges. 16/100 complete.
Today we went to the lantern festival which was one of those events that makes you feel creative and want to celebrate colour. Of course I forgot my camera so I have no photos to show.
The other exciting news of the day was a GIFT of absolutely beautiful red soft satin. A lovely lady at church thought I might like it. I love it when people think fo me like that! It looks like there are several metres as it is on a roll. Photo included but colour not super accurate. Now I just have to think about what to make from it…..
Day 45
Make, Give, Contribute, Challenge. 1 year, 100 creative challenges. 12/100 complete.
Today I ticked off 3 more recipes. ‘Sticky Toffee Sauce’ p 92 this went with a Sticky Date Pudding I made for someone else! Tonight we had ‘Gougere’ p56 which is made from ‘Choux Pastry’ p82 (think eclairs). This was quite nice. I think mine browned a bit fast on the outside so the pastry was not as light as it coud have been but it was filled with veges and very pleasant to eat. It would make a nice lunch if you were having people over I think. There are still a lot of recipes to go but I think I’m over the halfway mark so that is exciting.
I also went for a fabric shop today! Hoorah! I bought some gorgeous pink/purple fabric from the quilting section – for nothing yet and also some fabric for mummy’s birthday gift. You’ll have to wait until the 26th to see that one so I don’t ruin the surprise via blog!
This week I am planning to properly read my foreign newspaper so that I can mark that challenge off. Apart from that a little sewing is in order I think!
Hope that you are finding ways to be more creative this year. I am currently musing whether to enter a wearable art competition this year in Kaikoura (about 2.5 hours north of Chch)… I’ll keep you posted.
I also signed up today to start learning sign language which I am excited about and also will help with the challenge where I need to learn something new.
