crafts

Whew I’m so birthday partied out, Fjord and Acacia’s birthdays are 2 weeks apart and planning 2 parties so close together is a fair bit of work.  Added to that I worry that all will go smoothly and according to plan.  I still forgot to make popcorn at both parties but over all they seemed a success.  What matters most …

I totally love baking but I do not enjoy decorating (primarily because I suck at it).  For Fjord’s 7th birthday he didn’t want a car, or superhero cake, he wanted a stapeliad flower.  Through Cliff he has learned a love of plants and gardening.  His favourite flowers are such boy flowers, they are stinky.  Stapeliads (or carrion plants) have the …

I’m not mad about party packs for children to take home after a party and like to try to think of alternatives.  Since we always have the children’s birthday parties at home it is good to have something for the children to do other than run around and play on the trampoline.  Having a craft activity at the party provides …

Apparently I am now a grandmother, fortunately my 1st grandchild is a very sweet kitten named Sakiko.  I am not particularly a cat person, primarily because I am more a bird person and seldom the twain do meet without tragic consequence.  Sakiko is however a very sweet member of her species.  Her new mother, my daughter Domi is besotted.  Domi …

Leonard Cohen had his famous blue raincoat, Acacia had her famous purple butterfly dress which was also torn at the shoulder and generally tatty after being worn day in and day out for over a year.  She even slept with it next to her like some kids have a favourite soft toy.  Unlike the tale of angst of the famous …

This week presented a problem, old age got the better of our duvet cover and it suddenly perished to such an extent that the next trip through the washing machine would have killed it.  The problem was that we have been on holiday this month and eaten out a whole lot, the budget is about as shot as the old …

I am a last minute kind of person, yesterday (Good Friday) I suddenly decided that it would be great to have a look at how to make Easter easter baskets. I woke in the wee hours thinking of how to do this. I decided that I would like to sew quilted bags for the children to use. I looked at …

Last year the children painted Easter eggs with food colouring using a paintbrush, it was fun but made the candy coating very sticky and wet.  Today we did the project again, this time the children drew patterns on the eggs with toothpicks which was much neater and less messy.  I then made a tiny mix of water icing using 2 …

It has taken 9 years of living in Gauteng to get around to visiting Irene Market, we are already planning our 2nd visit 2 weeks after the first. The market is amazing. So many stalls, so much on offer and not a piece of plastic junk to be seen. Each stall offers nothing but quality, well that was my impression …

  I have been looking for a pattern for a top which can be worn over leggings and cover the rear.  I made the Mc Calls pattern 6121 top this weekend and was very happy with the result.  The pattern was quick and easy to sew.  I did not make any changes or adjustments.  I plan to make at least …