Adventure

Our family of 6 is heading off on a big adventure for a while. 

This collection of my dolls and birds are coming along to be dispersed as thank you gifts for the kind family and friends accommodating us along the way. 

This is where we are going.

It is a trip mixed with Legoland, visiting family and friends, experiencing some Amish country and some work for the Dr thrown in. 

I am so looking forward to exploring new places as a family. 

Packing light for 6 is not easy and virtually impossible, I am discovering- especially when you have to take 4 car seats, a travel cot and stroller too. 

Nevertheless, We are almost all packed and ready to go, with room for these 5.

I'll be back soon.

Crowd

 You may recall the New Zealand native birds, a Pukeko and the Kiwi that I have previously made out of blankets and their cozy antics.

Well, I have made a few more and now there is quite a crowd on my entrance way seat.

The woolen blankets I used to make them are thrifted and this time I used leather from my stash for the pukeko beaks, vintage fabric for the kiwi beaks and leather for the legs of both- red for the pukeko and brown for the kiwi. The patterns are my own.

These two...

 ...are now friends with the old guy.

And, these two...

...are now hanging out with the this one.

There is quite the welcoming committee at the front door for a little while, until some of this crowd disperses to new homes.

Some of them are taking off for a bit of an international adventure soon.

Pink Layer Cake

Little Miss turned 2 and this is the cake I made for her birthday lunch on the weekend.

Here's How

2 x quantities of Basic Vanilla Cake

Pink food colouring

2 x quantities Vanilla Butter Icing

White chocolate melts, to decorate

The Cake

Preheat oven to 160°C. Follow the Basic Vanilla Cake recipe (below). Divide the cake mixture evenly between 4 bowls* and mix until well combined. Add no food colouring to the first bowl. Add ¼ tsp pink colouring to the second bowl and mix well until combined. Add ½ tsp pink colouring to the third bowl and mix well until combined. Add ¾ tsp pink colouring to the forth bowl and mix well until combined. Pour each cake mixture into a 22cm round lightly greased cake tin lined with non- stick baking paper and bake each cake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool cakes in their tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

*I only had two 22cm tins, so made the cakes two at a time, using 1 quantity of the cake mixture and dividing it in the two tins each time.

To Decorate

Place the deepest pink cake on a cake plate and use a knife to spread with about 3/4 cup of icing (recipe below). Repeat with the remaining cakes, in order of darkest to lightest. Spread the sides and top with the remaining icing, taking care to create a smooth finish. Decorate the base and top edges of the cake with white chocolate dots.

Serves Many

My cake was 16cm tall and the wedge missing from the cake pictured below fed 10 adults and 8 kids a small piece each.

The Recipes

Basic Vanilla Cake

2 ½ cups (375g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ¾ cups (385g) caster sugar

250g butter, melted

4 eggs

1 ½ cups (375ml) milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Pour into a lightly greased tin tined with baking paper, of preferred size.

Vanilla Butter Icing

250g butter, softened

2 cups (320g) icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla essence

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6-8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat for a further 10-15 minutes or until light and fluffy.

The recipe is from Donna Hay Kid's Magazine, Annual 8, 2011,
with a few of my own touches thrown in.

Reversible Dress with Cross Over Back

Little Miss turned 2 yesterday and this adorable little reversible dress with cross over back was a hand delivered present from Dee (aka dee*construction), my friend down the road.  She has done a tutorial on how to make one, here.  She is quite amazing and Little Miss was delighted with her new dress.

 I might just have to give one a go myself.
So cute. 

Little Bird

Do you like this little bird I made on the weekend?

I've wanted to make a little felt creation for a while and over the weekend needed a bit of craft therapy.  It is all hand stitched using felt, some vintage looking fabric and some wire I pinched from the garden, that was helping to hold up one of our birch trees.  Wire is not something I have in my craft stash, but I can see that will need to change.

The pattern is from this book, which I bought from The Ribbon Rose in Ellerslie, Auckland (NZ).

When I picked up this book there were so many things I wanted to make in it.  I especially love that 'Mildred the Dove with Baguettes', circled on the back cover above.  I might just have to make that one next. 

It is a Design Collective book (published by Stash, C&T Publishing, 2010), compiled by Susanne Woods.  All of the patterns are from different fabric artists.  There are quilts, soft sculpture (bird cage and bird house), embroidery, fabric knitting (a nest), as well as felt and fabric bird creations.  The instructions are clear with photos and details of each artist are given at the beginning of their individual patterns. 

 The pattern for the bird I made is by Margaret Oomen (see here). 

My only gripe with the instructions for the bird I made is that there was no way I was going to be able to poke the legs through the body, as the instructions said.  I had to sew them on.

Despite that, I'm looking forward to making some more things from the book and the fact that there are 26 patterns in it, at least half of which I'd consider making, makes is good value for me. 

It is available here.

 This little bird is now sitting on my mantle piece, making me smile when I look at it.

Note:  I have quite a collection of craft books on my bookshelf, which I think I will start to review.  All the books I review are my own that I have purchased or been given from friends or family.  The opinions are my own.

Farewell My Friend

Photo by K. Monahan

 This photo was taken yesterday at the graveside of one of my closest friends, Rachel.  The children present released the balloons into the air.  There were 3 red heart shaped balloons that were released by her 3 young children. 

Red was her colour and she loved those 3 children so much. 

This dear special lady has played a large part in my life and it has been such a privilege to walk beside her and share in her life for many years, but especially over the last 5 years, as she battled cancer. 

I spoke at her funeral yesterday.  It was a sad day.  So heart breaking for the 3 children who no longer have their precious Mum and husband without his loving wife.
She had a strong faith in God and chose to trust Him, even in the toughest of life circumstances.  I know she is no longer suffering and is safe in Heaven with Him.  While my heart is broken and I would like for her to still be here with me and especially with her husband and 3 gorgeous children, I choose to trust God too and so I didn't say "good bye" yesterday, but "I'll see you again", my dear friend. 

She was a much loved woman and such a caring friend to so many.  There will be a massive gap in my life and I will miss her so much.

 I am appreciating my life, husband and children and I am honoured to have had Rachel as one of my closest friends.

I'm so glad I will see her again one day.