Scrapbooking Tip: Punchie Ideas

My new scallop edge circle punch arrived in the post the other day. Never the less, I have been punching to my hearts content using lots of stiff card to make tags and cupcake toppers! It got me thinking of other ways the Punchies can be used. So I went to trusty google and found these tips!

Scrapbooking Tip: Punchie Ideas

The excess punchies will be listed on craftumi shortly, so look out for them!

Nicole x

Feeling a bit Martha Stewart+

Yesterday I think I made the yummiest chocolate cupcakes I have ever made. On a whim I decided to 'destress' in my favourite fashion in the kitchen - with no eggs in the cupboard, I went to my trusty google to search for an egg free recipe and this is what we came up with!

Ever so moist egg-free chocolate cupcakes.

• Cupcakes:





• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour





• 1 c. sugar





• 1/4 c. baking cocoa





• 1 tsp. baking soda





• 1/2 tsp. salt





• 1 c. water





• 1/3 c. vegetable oil





• 1 Tbs. white vinegar





• 1 tsp. vanilla





• Icing:





• 6 tablespoons butter, softened





• 3 tablespoons milk or soymilk





• 1 teaspoon vanilla





• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar





• food coloring (optional)

How to make it

---

· For cupcakes: Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix well. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Makes 12.

· For icing: In a bowl, beat together the butter, milk/soymilk and vanilla until smooth (about 3 minutes). Add in confectioners sugar; beat very well until smooth, adding more if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Add in food coloring (if desired) and mix well. ---

They were so super easy.... with the icing I substituted the milk for Orange juice and some orange peel so we had a jaffa cake, my husband went bananas for it!

Next I made a potato and leek soup. This is a recipe that has been in my family for years and it brings back warm memories of crisp Sunday afternoons, the open fire and Potato and Leek soup. My mum wasn't the best cook, but this is certainly one of the best potato and leek soups I have ever devoured!

1/2 Tbs Olive Oil

1-2 Leeks

4 rashers of Bacon

1L campbells chicken stock

1-2 cups water

4-5 large potatoes

1/2-1 cup cream

pepper/nutmeg

Sweat leeks with bacon in oil (low heat 5-10 mins). Add water and stock (bring to boil). Add potatoes. Simmer for an hour or so. Cool mixture. Puree in blender or food processor. Return to gentle heat, flavour with pepper and nutmeg, stir thru cream...served sprinkled with chives - chopped.

An inspirational workspace!

Don't you just love spreading out on the floor! I have been feeling sorry for myself - not having a "studio" or "office" or "creative space" ... I am sharing an office with my husbands Landscape business and having to clean up every time I use it...and then, today when he came home from work, he found me - on the floor and having the most lovely time - spreading out my materials and getting a fabulous birds eye view of what I am making! Lets just hope baby #2 (I am incubating her as we speak) allows me to get "down on the ground" before she arrives in 12 weeks!

Stampin Up a storm!

Well I have been given a box of heaven! My dear (and dare I say one of my oldest...as in longest) friends has closed up her shop. With open arms and love she passed on her beloved collection of fabulous hand carved stamps. Whilst I thought at first it would be hard to produce some original stuff from the beautiful images she has been working with...it has been surprisingly simple to develop some new ideas.

So...last night in a flurry of inspiration I started to stamp....and stamp and then, some more....what is even more exciting is there was a whole platform of coloured inks to work with....what more could i ask for than an amazing headstart like this(pix to come soon).

Friendship is such a gift...particularly beautiful friends like Kirsten who upon closing the door of one part of their life, encourage others to follow in their footsteps with the most beautiful sense of grace and warmth....Thanks Kirst, I am forever grateful and never forgetting how lucky I am to have you as my friend! xxx

Fabric Graffiti

I have been totally obsessed with block printing lately. Whilst I have so many "doodles" in my journal, the search to find the perfect media to express them has been challenging....and as such, I started to experiment with some lino and tools....and hey presto!

For the moment the idea of using fabric is appealing as it gives new texture to the print. I have been trying some white fabric paint over beautiful prints, experimenting further with contrast and composition....here are some examples .... the denim superstar has come up particularly well.

Please do excuse the photo quality, any advice for improving my pix would be appreciated, I am really crossing my fingers that my photography skills will improve with practice!

Ingredients for the perfect Fathers Day

Fathers Day here in downunder and the wind is blowing a gale outside, not so good for outside picnics....particularly with an 8 month old.

So what are the important ingredients for a memorable fathers day? Especially a first fathers day?

The present- Doesn't have to be expensive and socks and undies can have their place in the gift bag, but sometimes its the cheap and cheerful gift which can be kept for ever and a day as a memory which is the most appreciated gift. This year, Oscar gave his Dad a case of boutique beer (at his fathers request, the stuff isn't cheap either - $65 a case!), a pair of casual shorts and a card which had a "worlds best fathers day present" fridge magnet inside....what was the favourite?? The cheap ol' magnet!!! Why? Well according to Oscars Dad, its because he can keep it - forever, on the fridge and be reminded daily, that he is a Dad....so it is after all the thought that counted in this house this Fathers day.

The Breakfast - Tim isn't into Pancakes, but this morning, because he knows its my favourite, he requested I make him pancakes....why? Because he wanted to see me Happy, don't I have the sweetest husband ever? He even cheerfully ate, buckwheat pancakes (Not even the sugary kind), with low fat yoghurt and fruit (no icecream)...knowing that its the healthy stuff that keeps his wife happy (and guilt free whilst we try and shift this baby weight once and for all!).

The outing - A destination again chosen not for Oscars Dad but for us. So here he is googling kids indoor activities, as we have decided to postpone the previous kiddy farm animal visit and picnic due to the windy weather.

Its so nice to think that today isn't about Dads wholly and soley, our Dad is so sweet in his nature that a perfect fathers day is one where his family are happy, rather than do something which is about him!

Happy Fathers Day Honey, thanks for being such a tops Dad!

Kids Birthday party...Does it have to be sugary madness?

Oscars cousin is turning one this weekend...its his first birthday party and going to be a very exciting time....however this also poses a dilemma....the sugary menu is beyond what I would consider appropriate for Oscar at 7 months of age.

Don't get me wrong...I will continually refer to my favourite saying to all Mums and Dads who might not necessarily share our parenting views..."Parenting is a very personal thing". However with Mr O more active than most babies his age...alert and sporting a challenge with a very short attention span, I am far beyond introducing sugar into his diet when it really isn't necessary, as yet.

So, in a quest to ensure he doesn't miss out on birthday party fun of devouring fun and fancy foods (for little ones that is)...I decided to look at the options of "bringing a dish" which would be party fun, yet sugar free....

Heres what I came up with in search of my quest.

Pikelet Shapes - make pikelets or little buckwheat pancakes and cut with cookie cutter shapes - we are going to choose a star in this case, or a heart...you could say that they are cross between a cake and a cookie, and there are plenty of recipes without sugar included.
Watermelon triangles - who doesn't love watermelon? These can be cut into triangles with the skin on, perfect for little teething mouths.
Banana Oat Drops -
1 cup ground oats (wizz in food processer until ground to fine consistency)
1 banana, mashed (you may like to mash some frozen blueberries into this mix as well)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch cinamon, ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon oil
mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, gradually add wet ingredients to dry, until almost dough like consistency is formed. Use spoon to "drop" onto tray lined with baking powder. Cook for 10 mins (or there abouts) on moderate oven (180 degrees).
Blueberry Smoothies - My little one isn't on cows milk just yet, but wizzing up his formula with some yoghurt and blueberries to make a smoothie means he's getting the goodness of blueberries without the blueberry kisses! A rare treat of course..served only with a straw - not in his bottle and not to make a habbit out of!
Frozen Yoghurt - (icecream for little ones) Wizz up plain yoghurt and pureed fruit such as banana, paw paw (Oscars favourite), Peach or vanilla essence and freeze into icecubes, serve as an icy treat with a spoon and bowl great for teething as well.

Another recommendation is to have a "chat" to your partner and ensure they understand your wishes before attending the grand affair...I have heard horror stories about people offering babies sugary sweets without the other parents consent...and like I said before "parenting is a very personal thing".