Happy Sunshiny Packages

This week I have been working on a few little odds and ends to put in a celebratory package for the lovely Christie. Her fave colours are orange and yellow - so I tried to work with that as much as I could.

Some little gift tags. These were made with vintage wallpaper, card and paper stock from my stash (the little blue background papers were gifted to me by Rockmellon), and re-purposed ribbons - so they are a little bit eco-friendly.

One of my signature cupcake keyrings. I started making these as baby shower favours for my SIL two and a half years ago, and have had a few requests for them over time. I have often wondered if anyone would actually buy them, but I've never tried to find out. What do you think?

A piece of my FAVOURITE vintage fabric in my stash.

And lastly, the wrapping "paper" a scarfette from Just Wonder - a little local boutique. I added the white ribbon (purchased on my last holiday in Queensland), and a little of my new ruler ribbon from Kikki K for an extra touch.

Hope you all have a sunshiny day and wonderful weekend!

S&R xo

Linking up with Our Creative Spaces and 

Slighty frugal but fabulous

You can tell a little about the economic climate at the moment by the way people shop when there are sales on. The other day while out shopping with the boys, I noticed people rummaging through sales racks, but even if it was good stuff, they would leave it there unless it was really something that they were after. I'm a little that way myself. There were a lot of things I looked at... but since I had no use for them I just left them there.

While out and about, I did pop into one of my fave stores at the moment that was having a sale... Kikki K, and picked up a couple of things from their new range for a niece who is about to have a birthday, and while I was at it I got some fab ribbon and a new little zippered pouch for myself.

Short term plan is to use it instead of my wallet (which I have had since 1997!!! Go Billabong!),  after that, I plan to keep my little camera in it as it doesn't have a lens cap, and I am always getting the fingerprints of small people on it.

Check out the cute lining. :) Just looking at it makes me smile. It's a little bit tween-ish, but hey, let your inner child play occasionally! lol

Have a great day!
S&R  xo

Eat a little bit gourmet at home.

During the week I felt inspired to do something a little bit creative with our salads instead of the same-old, same-old style of serving up the ingredients. Since we had been to the Farmer's Market last Sunday, and I had purchased a whole lot of great fresh produce (at great prices!) I really wanted to do something with them while it was still fresh.

While the photos are far from worthy of the taste (Oh, I know, I can never wait to be bothered with a GOOD photo when dinner is staring me in the face and two small children are pleading to eat it!) I had to share it with you anyway!

First up is a Warm Green Salad.

1 medium head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 Lebanese cucumber (or any other type) sliced into thick circles and then halved
* 250g Spinach and Ricotta Agnolotti
2 Fresh tomatoes - cut into wedges
Pine nuts
Drizzle of olive oil
Ground salt and pepper to taste

I added the tomatoes as an after thought, and it made it SO much better! Cook the Agnolotti as per instructions. as they start to puff up, add the broccoli. They should then be ready at the same time.
Add to all other ingredients and toss.  Bon Appetit!

* I got a 500g packet on sale - being thrifty you know! ;)


The second is Mediterranean Roast Chicken Salad that  Mr. Kelp found the recipe here.

He scored a large container of Bulgarian sheep feta (rather like a cross between Danish and Australian in texture - and tasted wonderful!) on sale, so we went looking for recipes. :) We also used rocket the first time (Which looked SO much better), but I ran out and had to substitute lettuce this time around... and yes, those are grapes - not olives. We also skipped the chicken and the sugar snap peas (because we didn't have the latter on hand).

Linking up with Nifty Thrifty Sundays.

I'm grateful for ...being in the right place at the right time

Remember about a month ago when I showed you some of the goodies that I picked up at the Farmers Market in Thornleigh... well a couple of weeks later a friend sent me a message saying that he'd just seen my picture in the paper, and that I was the "Lucky Shopper" from the markets. I remembered being asked at the markets if we would mind having out photo taken, but had no idea at the time what was about to happen.

So last Sunday, armed with my newspaper (thanks for giving us your copy Matt!), we went back to the markets. Rotary generously let me have a wander around and choose my prize from one of the stall holders. I thought I'd try something a little different so when I saw Astrid's Unique Taste of Australia stand, and then her desert Quondong Jam... I'd made my choice!

This is what I ended up coming home with...

There are quite a few stalls at the markets (just off the rd. behind the Ibis, if you feel inclined to go there some time), including a sweet girl with gorgeous couture cupcakes - hand made. I must remember to get a photo of them some time to show you all...

So there you go! I realise that it is a marketing strategy for the Markets (ha ha, oh dear!), but I am thankful to Rotary  for the opportunity just the same (And Astrid for having such yummy products!). So now on this lovely sunny Saturday, I'm off to have a slice of toast with Desert Quondong jam... have a great day!

Linking up with Maxabella Loves

          

Donut Softie Tutorial

Well a little while (ages and ages) ago I promised you a tutorial for the felt donuts that I made for my boys. I have since had a good think about this, and there is no reason at all why you couldn't use something other than felt. That aside, I have written up what I did. This is not the only way to do it, I'm sure. It's just what worked for me.

Materials:

1 sheet of felt for the cake part of the donut.
1 sheet of felt in your desired "icing" colour
1 CD
A pen, pencil or something to trace with (Avoid texter, as it goes through when you sew).
Hobby fill (or stuffing of your choice)
Embroidery floss in desired colours. I used 7 different colours.
Embroidery needle
Scissors
Sewing machine


1. Place a CD on your chosen icing colour (mine was pink). Trace around the outside and the inside.

2. Add approx. a 6mm snip allowance to the inner circle, followed by a wavy line on both the inside and outside edge to make your icing look dribbly.

3. Cut out icing and set aside.

4. Repeat step 1 on the donut coloured felt (mine was chocolate)

G-rated. Yes these look like eyes.

5. Draw two lines 4cm apart across the outer circle on both circles. This is the area that you will use to stuff the donut. Cut outside the drawn line leaving a 6mm seam allowance. (see above image).

6. Pin donut pieces right sides together, making sure that the two lines on both circles line up.

7. Sew around the line, leaving a 4cm gap between the two lines. Back stitch at the beginning and end.

Yes my machine is vintage - 1935.

8. Snip curve allowances in both the outside (being careful not to cut the stitching) and the centre of donut.

9. Turn donut right side out.

10. Thread your needle and knot the end. Poke a few tabs of the centre into the donut, push the needle through from the wrong side (inside) of donut, and start stitching the opening closed. I used whip stitch. I like to go over the start of it for extra strength.

11. Fasten off and thread back through the inside and back out again to hide the tail of the cotton. Snip thread.

12. Using your hobby fill, stuff donut. I found using golf ball sized amounts made it less lumpy. You may need a pen to get it to the bottom of the circle.

13. Stitch 4cm opening closed.

14. Embroider your icing. I use french knots and straight stitches to make mine look like it was covered with both hundreds-and-thousands, and sprinkles. You could also use beads, but since this is for a baby who has not long turned 1 I stayed with something that seems safer.

15 Place your icing on top and stitch on using same method as before.

Voila!

Just taking a minute...

Hi everyone!

I don't have anything to show you this minute, but I hope to have something great for you all this evening (Finger's crossed).

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for your lovely comments on the baby gumboots that I posted about recently. I am still getting comments coming in for them, and it just warms my heart that people like something I have made so much (even if the pattern I made and adapted them from is not my own).

Hope your day is a sunshiny one!

S&R xxx

Thrifty Joys

 I love my local Salvo store! I browse it from time to time just to see what is there. A couple of weeks ago while wandering past the yarn section, I saw some yarn... some of it cotton, some of it acrylic. Oh bliss.

2 x 150g balls of the lilac cotton were a great start

And then I spotted the Bendigo Woolen Mills cotton... 200g of fabulousness (not a word, I know).

Some vintage acrylic made in Belgium for David Jones.

All up I spent less that $20 and got this... 

As you know, the Bendigo cotton is already on the hook, and I have great plans for the yellow yarn. Not sure about the lilac cotton. I keep changing my mind. Any suggestions?

Looking for more thrifty treasures? Pop over to Nifty Thrifty Sundays.

I'm Grateful for...

...Sister's in Law.

Mine sent me this a little while ago - and with all the freezing weather we have been having lately, it's been wonderful!



Pop on over to Maxabella loves tor for more gratefulness.

First Blogaversary Giveaway Winners

Did you notice the title of this post? "Winners", not "Winner". That's right. You see, I have two small sons. And they both wanted to get in on choosing a winner out of the bowl. How could I refuse such sweetness? So, without further ado - the winner of the main prize (drawn by Jellyfish) for the giveaway is....

Drum roll please.

21. Trace from Bountifully

Congratulations Trace!

And the Little Clam's lucky winner is ...

7. Christie from Describe Happy!

WOO HOOO!

Gorgeous ladies, please send me your details so that I can get your packages into the post.

My Creative Space - For the Girls and Boys

I can't believe its been a whole week since I posted!!! The weekend saw quite a few extended family members coming and going from our "Guest House" as many of them like to call it. There was also a new baby arrived - Yes I have another little cutie-pie niece (Yippee for making girl stuff!). Sadly she lives about 4 hrs from here... maybe I'll have to send Posie over to visit her!

My creative space today involves felting this...

It's a trial run that I used vintage wool for. If it works it will become a brooch (I think it wouldn't look too bad on a cream coloured jacket).

That scrumptious ball of Bendigo Woolen Mills Cotton in Marine now looks like this. And I am having so much fun with it. Can't wait to show you the finished project.

Amid the never ceasing movements of family coming and going over the weekend, I finally got the original version of Passion pour les Fleurs finished. I started it before this one - but with birthdays being more important at the time than finishing a scarf for myself, I put this one on hold for a while (now I just need a warmer day to wear it as it is made from a mix of Jo Sharp and Cleckheaton 8ply cotton).

The winner for my GIVEAWAY will be announced later today.

Fill up your creative tank at OCS.

My Creative Space - The last of it's kind

My creative space today involves this...

The last of it's kind (it's a discontinued colour) and I am using it on a pattern that I have never worked with before.

Don't forget to pop by my GIVEAWAY - 1 week left!
Oh, and if you missed what I did with the Debbie Bliss from two weeks ago - you can find the reveal here. :)

Fill up your creative tank here.

Finally... the reveal

You remember that deadline I gave myself two Friday's ago? Well, after much fiddling and altering to the pattern to accommodate a different yarn and hook size, last night I finally finished it!!! Woo Hoo!
So are you ready? You are?
Here we go...

Baby Gumboots

If I were doing the gumboots again, I would reverse the order of stitches for the second boot, as the pattern seems to make them face a certain direction (or maybe it's just that I'm fairly new to crochet). I think they are very cute and I would make them again should the occasion arise. :)

The baby cloche is of course my favourite go-to baby hat of the moment (previously seen here, here, and here) from one of my favourite sites. If you haven't already popped over and visited Anneliese, you definitely do it!

Just popping in with an announcement...

Hi everyone! I just thought I'd pop in an say a quick hello. Things are a little chaotic here right now, so I don't really have anything to show you today - but I do have news...

I HAVE A NEW BABY NIECE!

Image source

Born on Friday, she is the most adorable little thing. I have been having cuddles (we live near the hospital that she was born in, so it's easy to visit) and we have my BIL and spunky little nephew staying with us. Picture 3 boys under 4, and you can figure out what my days pretty much look like. The day she was born I had the three boys outside making more mossy rocks. Three boys. Under 4. With water. Suds. What was I thinking???? They seemed to have fun doing it though - so it was worth it. Sadly I was too busy trying to keep the things dry that should be dry to get any pictures.

My Creative Space - Mossy Rocks

My creative space today involves a little wool roving, a few rocks, some wool wash, warm water, and 4 very small hands. This is the first time I have done wet felting since I was about 15 (don't ask how long ago that was!!!) I love the way these two have turned out, so we are off to make some more!

Don't forget to pop in and leave a comment at my GIVEAWAY.
Hope you all have a fun creative day!

For more inspirations check out Our Creative Spaces.

Seaweed & Raine Turns 1!

Today my little blog has it's first birthday. 

The past year has been an interesting journey - and hasn't always been what I pictured it would be in terms of creativity and what I blog about. I never expected it to have people I didn't know reading along, it was just a way for me to share with a couple of my friends what I was doing. Along the way I have started teaching myself  crochet, got interested in felting (more on that later), found some wonderful blogging friends AND even managed to sew a few things (with the encouragement of a couple of fabric loving types). Thank you for being part of my journey. Your sweet and helpful comments have helped my creative journey, and have helped make Seaweed & Raine what it is today.

Since birthdays involve presents - I thought I'd like to give you a little something... I'd love to give you all something, but that might prove a little tricky, so instead I am having a GIVEAWAY. Yep. Entry is open from today till June 15, when a winner will be chosen via a random small helper. The prize consists of 1 small lined flannelet bag (with handles), 2 pieces of vintage home decor fabric from my stash, 1 of my handmade cupcake key rings, set of 3 eco gift tags handmade by me (using up-cycled boxes, and an array of ribbons from my stash) and a Ambre Sublime perfume sample (smells a tiny bit like apples and cinnamon mixed with something spicy - I have this scent too).

To enter choose any of the following:
1. Leave a comment about anything that has inspired you lately.
2. Follow and leave a comment letting me know that you are following. If you are already a follower, leave another comment letting me know that you are a follower.

And for those of you who have been waiting (forever) for a donut softy tutorial - It should be up in the next couple of days! Yay!