putting the tools down..

i have finished carving my stamps for the hand printed fabric swap.  now i am not as fond of my first (that roundy fellow in the bottom right of the picture) but as a set they make sense and i am itching to get some ink on them.  my lovely friend and i have a printing date next tuesday which will be fun especially considering it will involve the little people underfoot (fun = possibly disastrous.)

the fabric will be line drying today and i am hoping for a cool night to iron in the next few days

now i have used ezi carve blocks this time around although i was sorely temped by the japanese wood blocks,  next time i will make the change if i am planning to do larger stamps. i will be working with my coping saw and some ply i have stashed away to make three baking plates for the 3 feathers.

and you get to see this last photo as i took it on manual settings and am pretty impressed with myself.  i have a few carving tips to post but not today.

fabric a go go ..

as i am already go on the hand printed fabric swap the second go is the umbrella prints trimming competition.

the trimmings competition started on the first of march and after mulling over my pack for a few months a little crisp breeze blew in the other day and suggested an idea to me.  now i do not think this little plan had a hope of winning big, but i do know if i can make it a reality there will be three possibly four snuggly pitters in this home.

there will be some creamy linen and %100 alpaca wool along with most of the trimmings pack.  the other two trimmings pieces will likely end up as a spiffing pin cushion.

and i can say i am more than i little tempted to get a second pack and see what pops into my head.

i will be making the most of the 31 of may deadline.  if you want to join in please do, you can find the details here.  you may note that voting is done via pinterest so do pop over and follow me here and the voting board here.

hand printing fabric.....so far so good

 inspiration

 carving tools and ezi carve blocks

 feather stamp components

 zen rock stamps

 first time with permaset inks

 100 % cottons

and some late and lovely christmas presents

the fabric swap is under way

maze and vale fabric sample pack

maze and vale fabric sample pack

today was the big day.... hand printed fabric swap group announcement, i was pretty excited, kids at christmas excited really and after bustling though an assortment of homely duties i popped inside to see the email from Leslie in my box, did i rush in.....no.  i made a simple lunch of ham and cheese toasties and chocolate milkshake and sat down ready to really enjoy the moment.

what i was not ready for was the first name on the list.....Leslie herself, if i were still capable of flipping and cartwheeling (i feel i should be able to cartwheel but think that nobody needs to see it) it would of happened then.  no i just sat there smiling myself silly.  i do feel like a little bit of a Leslie Keating/maze and vale stalker and will be happy to finally meet her in person at the next finders keepers market in melbourne.

now looking at the rest of my swap buddies is no less intimidating (oh how i have to brush up my blogging skill set) here are there links and few things i found that i love from each of them

Krista from Spotted Stones. Krista has whipped up these, i just bought the pattern last week and can't wait to get onto them.  she can do this in an hour, i am in awe and have yet another pattern to buy and she is from what i can see something of a quilting goddess.

Kylie of Paravent. oh this is what she did today, i am definitely going to do some practicing. She also made herself this t, i love the stunning colour and hope i can mix up something like it for my prints. and last but not least i am cheered by the fact that i am not the only one who has to commit to finishing things off

Sarah from SarahWaterhouse.  i am more than a little smitten with her fabric bundles and it makes me more excited that i have a fat quarter whinging its way to me and her waves, oh the waves have me all at sea.  Sarah also has some great straight forward how its done posts on her blog here and here for me just starting out i am thankful for creatives who share so openly.

and of course 

Leslie herself of maze and vale, i picked up a couple of sample packs (pictured above) a week or so ago  (follow maze and vale here to keep up to date when these pop up into the shop, they go fast) and pop over  to her shop to pick up some fabric and one of her dropcloth artworks. 

bake a cake

we are experiencing a shower of new babies at the moment, it makes me feel so far away from family, cuddles and really being able to help these new moms, some of my favourite people in the world!

alas all i do is offer an tip or two via skype and send bundles of handmade goodness in the post.  if i was around this little cake (cakes get tried by the littles in our house, muffins, loaves and tarts are refused flat even if overflowing with chocolate) would be winging its way to every mom.

asisde from it rather healthy ingredients there are a few other plus points to this cake

it is very little people helping friendly, only two bowls, easy cup measuring with pouring and sprinkling required

here is what you will need

in your dry bowl (the biggest one you have if you have to choose, everything will end up in here)

1 c quick cook oats

1/2 c wheatgerm

1/2 c shredderd coconut

1/2 c currants

1 c flour

3/4 c wholemeal flour 

1 c brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg   - or just 2 1/2 tsp of the closest spice you like

mix these all together with clean hands or a spoon/fork/spatula, whatever works

in you wet bowl

2 mashed bananas

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla esseance

1/2 c greek yougurt

3/4 c lowfat milk

whisk these together and at the last minute add 1 tsp of baking soda mixed with 2 tbsp of boiling water.

poor the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix to a porridge like consistency and poor into a lined cake tin (about 25 cm diameter, but anything around that size will do the job) and sprinkle with 2 tbsp of raw sugar

bake in a preheated 160 c oven for approximately 55 minutes (i say start checking around the 40 minute mark the first time you bake it).  when checking you want to have a clean but moist skewer. rest in the tin for five or so minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

i clearly covered mine in buttery goodness but it would be equally lovely with a blanket of lemon and passionfruit curd or a dollop of greek yougurt.

you can slice and freeze and then revive with a light toasting, and by all means make it in a loaf tin, I don't for the reasons of cake bias noted above and the fact that one of my housewife failings is the lack of a suitable tin in my overflowing baking cupboard.  i will let you peak in there one day, beware the clanging avalanche, as one of my goals for the year is to actually used them and enjoy the sweetness of a perfectly pretty little wonder cake.

oh my that went on.... but if you got to here enjoy the cake.

small but big..

1001 page views 

yip skip

now i realize in the grand scheme of the blogging world this is minor, less than minor, but i am sure all the lovely people who have popped in would not mind me thanking them for being a part of this milestone.  so thank you. yip skip ,yip skip.

where oh where and home headlines....

where oh where have i been, well all my pitters have been so unwell. there has been no making, no photos just snuggles and chicken noodle soup.  we are through it now.

 

now to home headlines....no pictures just news and your imagination.

 

giraffe drowns in wee tea

backpack ownership new right of passage

stair tumble leaves mother neurotic

all strawberries designated for birthday use only

boy distressed by cheese slice

rouge mouse dies alone

boy 22months conquers potty

record 3 bottle breaks in 6 days

windy days stir up trouble

glitter smuggling results in bedroom disaster