Kelly

Chocolate crunchy slice

I suddenly remembered this recipe yesterday. It is one of my Mum’s old recipes and now that she is gone I have her recipe book which is largely hand written.

As a girl I would make it for my Dad while he was working – I’d take him a cup of coffee and some slice and his most common response was “Goody!” while rubbing his hands together.

It’s really easy for kids to make too, my 5 year old made this one with me.

2 cups dessicated coconut

250 grams butter

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 cups self raising flour

1 cup sugar

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees. (C)

Melt butter and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. If mixture seems a little dry add a little milk.

Press into a lightly greased slice tray. Bake for 25 minutes.

When cool you may ice the slice if you wish. I make a simple icing with soft icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk. Spread this on and sprinkle with extra coconut.

Busy, making

by Kelly 3 Comments

I’ve started on the felt play mat for an upcoming birthday. I hand dyed the wool felt and it came up a bit blotchy, but doesn’t really matter seeing as it’s grass.

I’m not sure what else I’ll add in at this point, I tried some trees but they looked silly. Some mushrooms may be my next attempt.

Needle felting a nest for Mother duck and her ducklings (also in progress, nearly finished).

I’ve also turned some of our screen prints into cushions and bags.

I love the way my hobo style bags came out so I’ll probably sew more in this design.

More updates to come, and if you’re interested in a tutorial or how to for how to make the play mat, just let me know 🙂

Gossamer Dreams tomorrow night

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I’m a guest with Gossamer Dreams this month and have some special Winter treats up for grabs. You can see previews of my items and all the other beautiful handmade goodies from some very talented artisans tonight from 8pm. This gives you time to “window shop” before the listings open.

The shop goes live at 8pm Saturday 15th June, tomorrow night.

I hope you find something you love and happy shopping!

Coconut Cakelets

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They don’t look like much. You will have to trust me on this one – they taste a lot better than they look. I made some and the kids gobbled them and begged for more.

This recipe is slightly adapted from the Primus Rice Paper recipe for cakelets.

120g dessicated coconut

220g white sugar

1/2 cup white flour

2 large eggs

Enough milk to make it mushy!

2 sheets of rice paper

Set oven to preheat 180 degrees (C)

Mix all dry ingredients together, then work in the wet. Adjust the milk so that your mixture is moist and thick but not too wet or sloppy.

Lay 2 sheets of rice paper on a baking tray. Place blobs (1 dessertspoon full for large cakelets or teaspoon fulls for little cakelets) onto rice paper.

Bake in the oven until golden brown (around 15 minutes)

These are really delicious if eaten while still warm but very nice cold as well.

Enjoy!

I didn’t have time…

by Kelly 3 Comments

I didn’t have time to finish the ironing today. I didn’t have time to clean the toilet. Or to scrub that desperately dirty shower. Or to dust the layers of built up dust. Or to tidy my sewing table. Nope, no time to vacuum out the van either.

But I did have time to do art and craft with the children. I had time to take them to the playground to play in the sun. I had time to make them tasty and wholesome meals. I had time to wash and hand their clothes. I had time to respond to the seemingly endless “watch me Mum!”s and smile and laugh where appropriate. I had lots of time for hugs and kisses.

And the day is not over yet! I will have time to bathe them and wash their hair. We will all pray together. We will read books and snuggle together.

I’m annoyed and disappointed that I didn’t have time to do everything that I could have today. But I’m so grateful that I made time to do all the things I should.

Cast on, cast off!

by Kelly 4 Comments

The knitting bug hasn’t left me and isn’t likely to any time soon. Likewise, the yarn dyeing bug 🙂

The pattern is Granny’s Favourite by Tikki. The yarn is hand dyed by me, merino 8ply.

It’s my first attempt at lace knitting, and though I had to enlist a little help from Tas to read the instructions properly, it wasn’t hard in the end.

I got some lovely little heart buttons from here.

It’s a snug fit on Gem, but luckily her 2 younger sisters will be more than willing to take it off her hands next season 🙂

I’ve been working on so much stuff lately it makes me giddy to think of it all! You could say I’m well and truly immersed in everything handmade. There isn’t much I can show you yet, but before too long I can reveal what’s been taking up my creative time.

Been sewing a little..

by Kelly 2 Comments

The cooler weather brings not only the urge to sew but the necessity as little girls become less little and need new, warm clothes.

This pattern is called Burda kids t-shirt, which seems rather drab to me – it’s more of a crossover top. The fabric is a stripy Japanese knit from Spotlight which I was keen to test out. I found it a little slippery under the machine, not too bad, but I prefer the Euro and Australian knits I usually buy. Yes, they’re more expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Gem loves the top 🙂

Funky pants – pattern and beautiful velour fabric both from Crafty Mamas.

The pants were too long, so I cut them off, hemmed them and made a matching headband from the excess.

I have plans for more leggings and long sleeved tops, of, and guess what?! I finished another cardigan, it just has to blocked and buttoned now 🙂

This has been a bit of a staple breakfast here of late – porridge with maple syrup and double cream. Yum!

Now I’m off to bake my bread and make a large pot of minestrone for dinner. Who says cold weather is dull?!

How do you do it all? Aka myth busting big time!

by Kelly 1 Comment

The question I am constantly asked is “How do you manage to do it all?” and the answer is so simple.

I don’t.

I’m imperfect. And the truth is, I’m probably more imperfect than you.

Just because I’m creative and love to make things doesn’t mean I do a better job than anyone else, it just means I prioritise creativity because I love it.

Just because my kids are (thankfully) well behaved in public most of the time doesn’t mean they don’t squabble amongst themselves often, disobey their parents and tend towards laziness, because, believe me – they do all these things regularly!

Just because my husband and I seem to have a perfect marriage doesn’t mean we don’t argue and treat each other unfairly at times, because that happens too.

Every time I choose to do something creative it is time that I’m not spending doing something that probably needs to be done. Perhaps my “admirers” are actually better homemakers and mothers than I am because I make the time to do things I want to do and they are more selfless.

So next time you look at someone and think they have it all together just remember that no one is better than another, we are all God’s children and all very imperfect.

God bless you all and have a very happy weekend!

I’m linking up with Raising Homemakers today.

New tools (or toys?)

by Kelly 2 Comments

Delving deeper into dyeing yarn has been a painful experience! On my back, that is – winding skeins and balls by hand is not only time consuming but doesn’t agree with my easily aggravated back.

I made an agreement with myself that if my last 2 skeins of dyed yarn sold, I would buy some tools. They did sell 🙂 So I now have a yarn swift.

And a ball winder. Watching the swift and winder working together for the first time is like magic!

I bought them from Petlins and their service was perfect.

I’m really pleased to see my yarn re-skeined, it shows off the colours better and gives a more even wind, hence a tidier appearance.

Oh, did I mention these 2 hanks are available for sale? You can head to my Madeit shop if you’re interested.

I’m hoping to have time to dye some new skeins over the next few days and I may just be drawing inspiration from the Limestone Coast and redback spiders! Sound interesting?

As things stand.

by Kelly 3 Comments

There are always so many things I want to do, constantly swimming around my head and it can lead to a feeling of futility – that I don’t have time to do all these things, that I don’t have my priorities straight, or that there is so much that half of it is forgotten anyway.

So here is my little self help session for the things that I want to do and are important to me at the moment.
I want to:

* Read the bible daily.

* Learn more about fixing our poor garden soil and working towards having a lot more success with growing our own food.

* Continue to dye yarn and hopefully sell it more often.

* Work on my husband’s art business and making it a tangeable reality.

*Learn more about incubators and hatching eggs and whether it’s a viable venture for us.

* Work on releasing some more embroidery patterns.

* Find more time to teach my kids all the skills I’ve developed these past few years!

* Get back into healthy eating and exercising.

And that’s a start, I actually feel like I’m doing “pretty well” at the moment but lists are a great thing to keep me focused.

How about you, what are you working on at the moment? What do you want to improve on or do more of?