It's Monday!

Holy toledo's, I remembered to blog on a Monday!  Ok, so I didn't really remember.  I'm supposed to be working right now and I got distracted and decided to look at my blog and saw what I said in my last post and realised it was Monday and thought I'd better get cracking!

There's general craziness in my little neck of the woods at the moment.  I've got my first market for the year in two weeks (yikes!).  It's a BrisStyle indie Market in the newly refurbished City Hall.  It's indoors which is lovely and I'm really looking forward to it (need to get cracking!!).

My little corner is a crazy mess of paintings just begun (can you guess who this will be?), necklaces nearly made and brooches blank and sanded.  Organisation is not my strongest point.  I'm a fly by the seat of my pants type of girl and I'm not sure that's working for me just at the minute.  I need to write a list...tomorrow.

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Gosh and all that.  It's been 7 months since I last blogged.  Unfortunately as blogs do in these busy times, mine fell off my radar replaced by work and family hijinks.  In an effort to organise myself (who am I kidding??) I'm going to try and blog on Mondays.  Uhuh, sounds like a plan except today's Friday!  

Anywhooo, I've been making a few bits and pieces but mainly drawing lots and getting ready for some exciting exhibitions!  There's lots on my mind at the moment as I decide whether to concentrate on art pieces or the little pieces.  It's hard not to do both but little Xanadu leaves my without the luxury of time.

I just listed this little fella in my Etsy store, Jetta's Nest.  They're a bit special because they are going to be a limited run.  There's only 3 in the whole wide world at the moment so this little guy is a rare species!

For the love of birds...

I've been drawing heaps lately, fitting it in here and there between school runs, lunch boxes, loads of washing and the baby girl who loves to be held and played with all day.

Lots of bird ideas are in my mind lately I think because I love the lines, the feathers, the wooden perches.  I also love how they snuggle.  The mumma love illustration above is inspired by a sweet lady I know who's recently journeyed through a tiring pregnancy and delivered safely her baby girl.  What a time that is, holding your firstborn.....

The girls are still around amongst all the birds....wearing collars of doily sweet lace and hair all a'curl.  This is Ursula.  She looks a bit grumpy but she's not, she's just quiet.

Etsy Craft Party 2012

On Friday night I had the pleasure of helping out some lovely crafty BrisStyle friends (hi Bel, hi Sandrine) in hosting our very own Etsy Craft Party!  We hosted alongside the BrisStyle indie Twilight Market in King George Square and I tell you, it was so much crazy, crafty fun!

(yeah, I know, it's an awesome sign...!!)

The theme for this year was 'Wish you were here!' and so we had piles of lovely maps and old atlases and books on Australia and Brisbane for people to chop away to the hearts content to make lovely handmade postcards.  I was amazed by the creativity, young and old, boys and girls, everyone had something fantastic to take home at the end of their visit.

(photo prop fun)

(craft frenzy)

At a couple of stages during the night we had people lining up to join in the crafty fun, it got so busy....it was such a fun, community-minded activity to be a part of and was made even more special to know that it was an event happening all around the world over the hours that followed!

(nothing like getting the mo ready for a big night out)

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The baby girl has had her very first birthday which she celebrated with some lovely friends and family! In this busy time of hustle and bustle where everyone always seems to have so many things to do and little things don't often seem important, it meant so very much to us to share the afternoon with people who took time out to share with us this most momentous milestone.

She's changed so much lately and I can see little snippets of a very big personality developing!  She's gentle and sweet but also giggles with delight while trying to gouge out your eyeball.  She squeals with delight when she hears her big brothers footsteps and sees Daddy's car bumping down our long drive at the end of each day.

My Mum made this spectacular cake which looked and tasted even better than could have ever imagined.  So girly and sugary sweet in shades of pink and butterflies all over!

We enjoyed a delicious spread of sweet and savoury afternoon tea treats including some delectable rose water macarons which disappeared in the blink of an eye.  Thanks so much to Bel for making them, there were amazing!

One year gone in the blink of an eye.  My favourite saying comes to mind....'the days are long and the years are short'.  I can't wait to see where this next year takes my little family...a new house built by Mr Jetta's Nest for us, littlest boy learning to read, biggest boy learning his times tables.  The baby girl will walk soon and talk too and me, I will aim to slow down and make time to smell the pink carnations.

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!!