More Hooky and a little Cooky...

Time hurtles at a frantic pace at the moment and I feel as though I'm getting pulled this way and that with little achieved at the end of each day.  I managed to finish off another little cardigan a week or so ago that I just need to share...it's just the most adorable little pattern and worked up so easily and quickly...I might even make one for myself!  I made it from a sweet little multicoloured bamboo blend and finished it off with a little vintage button from my horde.

See that sweet little top Xanadu is wearing.  That fabric is a delight and is from my 'I just might have a little girl oneday' pile.  I've made so many little tops for friends and customers over the last few years and every now and then I'd pop enough fabric away of something special just in case.  I still pinch myself everyday and everyday it still surprises me that she's here!

Now, I don't ever post recipes because well, I just don't but I simply have to share my favourite little treat with anyone that should happen to stumble upon this post.  They are easy, quick, healthy and most importantly of all absolutely delicious!  I can never stop at one, or two and a batch in the fridge disappears around here within a day or two.  My boys adore these balls which taste exactly like delicious truffles without all the fat.  Without further ado....

Cacao Date Balls (or Power Balls as we like to call them)

1/2 cup cashews, 1/2 cup almonds, 1/4 cup pepitos, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup sultanas, 1 cup of fresh dates (I usually need more but one cup is a good start), 2 generous tablespoons of raw cacao powder (you can use cocoa or carob but the flavour from cacao is second to none), a drizzle of vanilla.  Whizz everything together in a food processor to form a smooth thick paste.  It will come together in a lumpy clump when it's good to go so you may need to add more dates to get the right consistency.  I whizz for a bit longer then to get my nuts and seeds quite tiny and the whole mix quite smooth.  Roll into little balls (I use my melon baller to get the right quantity, if you do this too, wet it first so the mix doesn't stick) and roll in coconut (littlest boys favourite job).  Put them in the fridge for a bit to chill and harden up then eat with coffee or hot chocolate or on their own!

Playing hooky...

Have I ever really written about how much I love to crochet?  I love it so much, it's really my favourite crafty thing to do at the moment.  Sometimes I wish that I didn't also love to paint and draw and make things out of wood because then I could just concentrate on crochet and do it all the time!

Lately I've been making sweet baby girl cardigans for my sweet baby girl and her equally sweet cousin.  I made a little woollen jumper lately too turning twisty cables into little owls that wrap around Xanadu's little tummy.

I made this photo look old school with PicMonkey.  I love it!  It looks like it would slot right into my own baby photo album as she looks so much like me at the same age (minus the jeggings!)

What's your favourite winter craft?  What's your favourite crochet stitch?  At the moment I'm loving ribbing and cables!!

Time..

Doily Plate

Do you ever wonder how much more you'd get done if you didn't have to sleep?  I do.  I've been so very tired lately, late nights coupled with a baby that wakes has left me with that gritty feeling in my eyes that reminds of the early weeks with my firstborn.  I wake up every morning wishing I'd gone to bed earlier and await eagerly the invention of some magic machine or pill that will do away with the need for hours of time-wasting slumber.

While making a cup of hot chocolate last night I spied one of my porcelain pens and thought I should do something whilst waiting for the jug to boil.  I grabbed the last side-plate left from the set of plain whites we were given at our wedding nearly 8 years ago and quickly drew up a doily design.  What fun!  There's a bit of this sort of thing getting around at the moment especially on vintage crockery but I could never put my clunky black lines on pretty vintage crockery so I think I'll be trawling the op-shops for some more plain stuff.

Xanadu - 7 months

The little time eating machine aka Xanadu is 7 months old today.  It's flown by in the blink of an eye and I can hardly believe she's heading with full steam ahead towards her first birthday.  The days are long but the years are short.  I think of this often as I try to balance the different personalities we've created in our nest.  The biggest boy is intense and wild and way to smart for his own good.  He drives me crazy with his ways and yet his sweet side always leaves me a little teary.  The littlest boy is snips and snails and puppy dogs tails.  He looks scruffy within seconds of looking neat and is the funniest little boy that I know.  His quick wit and sense of humour make me laugh out loud so often it makes my tummy hurt.  He is filled with so much love....I almost dread the time when he discovers girls!

The little girl is somewhere in between.  She looks so much like the biggest boy but is easy going like the littlest and has finished off our little family beautifully!

Viva la Frida - oh what a night!

Frida and the Bird by Shelley Mcdonald

The opening night of Viva La Frida - The Exhibition at the Circle Gallery in West End on Friday night was absolutely mind-blowing.  There were so many people you could barely move, so many stunning artworks you barely new which way to look and such a great atmosphere it felt like a dream!

(the crowd - photo from here)

Here's a few pictures of the night.  If you're in West End in the next week I really recommend going along.  There's not only the amazing work to take in (and maybe take home) but also some fun workshops too.

Ruby Red Studios Gala Fiesta Torso and Jewels

Wimcee's fabulous colourful work

Amazing ceramic work by Monte Lupo

2 of my pieces...how exciting!!

My trio of Frida's...see that red dot....SOLD!!

More Frida gorgeousness, I forgot to note down the artist

So there you go...it was an amazing night, full credit to the organisers for being such a delight to work with. Also sending out a big thank-you to the two lovely ladies who travelled all the way from my neighbourhood to see the show, it was so great to see you there and also enormous thank you to littlest brother for making it 'his kind of scene' for the night and for roping some of his friends in to coming along too!

Whew.....what's next!!

Frida vs. Suzy

Over the last couple of days, I've been working like crazy to finish off my pieces for the Viva la Frida Exhibition which opens this Friday.  With the illustrations finished the time had come to cut them out....eeek!!  I was totally nervous about doing this but the rectangle pieces of recycled ply that I'd used just weren't doing it for me.

Poor old Suzy hasn't had a run in a while and looking at these pictures I noticed just how dusty and unloved she looks.

The first cut was the hardest but as soon as I started going I knew Suzy was up to the job.

Once cut, each piece needs to be hand sanded to smooth and round the edges.  It's dusty work which makes my nose fill with nasty sandusty boogers.  Mr Jetta's Nest tells me regularly that I must wear a mask while doing it but it's so uncomfortable!

Three pieces done!  I'm so excited and nervous about this exhibition and I can hardly believe that I'm involved.  It's on at the Circle Gallery at West End from 9-18 March and features works from over 25 Brisbane artists including printmakers, painters, jewellers, photographers and sculptors.   If you want more info on it head over here and you can also read more about it on the BrisStyle blog!

Wish me luck :)

Working and thinking...

One of my goals for this year was to exhibit some of my artwork in at least two exhibitions.  I'm very happy to say that the first exhibition I'm participating in is just around the corner.  It is Viva la Frida - The Exhibition and opens on March 9 at The Circle Gallery in West End.

I've been working on three pieces depicting various yearnings/loves/obsessions of Frida and of course, how could I resist my own version of her stunning face.

My happiness is somewhat tinged with sadness and concern at the moment for my most beloved Aunty.  She's suffering through a very deep depression filled with terrible thoughts and I find myself thinking about her almost constantly.  She's always been my inspiration you see...she's the one who told me to just practice, she's the one who I wanted to draw like.  So sad but soon hopefully she will begin the long road back to normality.  

Are you a creative type living in the Brisbane-ish area.....

Did you know that you don't need to have any etsy shop anymore to join BrisStyle Inc.?  How cool is that.  It means that all sorts of creative type people can join up and have fun and meet loads of other lovely creative peeps to talk creatively with!  It also means that if you're not quite ready to do a market or open an etsy shop that you can do it slowly with lots of support and encouragement .  Nice!!

If you're interested, do check out the membership section of the BrisStyle website for more information.  If you've got any queries, send them over to brisstyleteam@gmail.com......and I'll get right back to you!