Tuesday 28 August 2012

Funkin' old shoes up

I am not really one to follow fashion strictly, just wear what I like and if the so-called latest fashion appeals to me well that is great.  But the neon colours of pink and yellow have slightly impressed me so I bought some paint a few weeks ago.

I have done a few projects with it, and here is just a couple.

Some old shoes that I just won't be wearing again I thought could do with a makeover and if it works well that is good, if not, we had fun experimenting.

Sooooo here they are:

A pair of pointy shoes,...which are very out of date, but under a pair of jeans with the hot pink poking through...I reckon it could be okay.




The other shoes were these very very old yellow numbers...I thought the neon pink would be nice..


But it smudged a bit, well leaked under the tape and I didn't like the mix of colours, so I chopped up a pair of old denim shorts I have stashing to make a picnic rug.  I cut out this shape and modge podged it onto the toe.  I have done this with a couple of other pairs of shoes and it worked really well.


So now I think just to pop into school or somewhere casual I can wear them and think they aren't too out od date.


I used the hem of the shorts because I thought the hem made them look a touch less handmade.

Thrift store necklace upcycled

I am always scanning the thrift store for beads etc that I can use and about six months ago I came across a royal blue plain necklace that was about two metres long and in one strand...not pretty at all, but I love these plaited and celtic looking necklaces and knew I could make this one prettier.

So I plaited the three strands together without even undoing it ages ago and I finally got around to just tying the ribbon on today.


The cool thing is that I just tied the ribbon with a double knot so I can change the ribbon to green or coral anytime time I want.



Sunday 26 August 2012

Herbal teas


We have been having fun making up our own herbal teas and popping them in cooking of late.

I bought some great herbs this week including, variegated Oregano, Pineapple Sage, Sage, Lemon Balm, Thyme, I already had Chocolate Mint, Lemon Thyme and many others.

So we made a Peppermint tea the other day and my littlies tried it happily and found it interesting...not yucky just different to milky teas (we normally drink Organice Rooibos for winter and iced tea for Summer)

So then we tried it with Chocolate Mint....and I tried a grated ginger and Chocolate Mint tea yesterday...not too bad.  They tried Pineapple Sage with Agave Syrup to sweeten and it was ok for them.  They really need to get used to drinking things with milk because they thought this tasted quite nice.

They look mighty herbal don't they....
We put the Pineapple Sage in some Pina Colada muffins we made for a fun taste.  We just added crushed pineapple, shredded coconut and white choc chips to some and the Pineapple Sage.



So we will keep trying this things and I enjoy introducing the kids to new and interesting tastes that are good for us and keeping their minds open to trying new things.

Wow...what a crafty month it has been

Well I am still craft crazy and have done a heap of quick and rewarding crafts.

I just have to remember them all now.

Well we went crazy with chalkboard paint last week and with some leftover paint we did a fairy door for the tree in the kids area.


Being chalk paint we can make whatever decoration we like on it.
Clearly not a tricky task, and we had cut out the fairy door ages ago.

Then we did this Pinterest idea....tape words onto a canvas, let the littlies go for it and have your own gorgeous personalised print.

Here is ours:



It started like this...I had to cut the tape in half and I cut out the little heart too



You would think this would have been a fun project but my two year old sweetie did the aqua painting, and when I handed her a spray bottle with paint and water in it she just refused to do it...and we can to grief, she walked away and refused to paint anyway,...until I found her with a paintbrush and pink paint, painting the treehouse stumps and the patio chair she was sitting on....I was not overly happy with that....and still refusing to spray paint,..I gave it a quick spray.

I think it needs a really nice wooden frame now and probably some glitter or gold in there somewhere to give it a lift...but this is it to date.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Sweet Lace skirt upcycle project

I bought a vintage lace dress a few months ago and knew I wanted to make two pretty lace skirts for the girls with it and hopefully something for me.

Soooo pretty and it will fit my 2 yr old and 6 yr old.


The truly vintage dress was a classic and very beautiful, but I just wouldn't wear it like this.


Even the lace is a little yellowy and beautiful edging.


The mint green sportsgirl top.


I sewed the green underneath first

There is the bottom peeking out


Just showing the inside of the waist band

Here it is in all its glory...I just have to sew on a rose and tassles.

My little sweetie definitely loves it and we teamed it with a dance leotard

I used an old Sportsgirl top that I have never worn and just didn't like it. It was a mint green crepe material that stretches so perfect for this job.  It had a rosette on it too and two spaghetti straps that I will use for the tassles and embellishment.

I made it so that the mint green hangs just half an inch below the pretty vintage lace.


The waist band is a bit different and I am not totally happy with it as it is bulky, but I used the top frill on the shirt, mostly because the top half of the shirt wasn't wide enough to make the waistband so I had to compromise and I think it actually looks sweeter to have the frill.


Because the lace is a bit stiff the mint green fabric does stick to it a bit so you can't see it hanging below in this piccie.

Friday 17 August 2012

Homemade Pink Grapefruit softdrink

Well I have finally gotten around to making a homemade version of my most favourite softdrink....Pink Grapefruit.

It was so easy and yummy..I don't think I will even buy softies again.  After making homemade lemonade for our wonderful cousins from down south a few holidays ago..I knew it was easy, refreshing and most of all satisfying to know what we were drinking.

So we did it. I set up the campfire to welcome the first scent of Spring...threw together some nibblies and prepared the softdrink.






The recipe is sooo easy...there is no reason not to make our own and I didn't even mind if the kids drank a whole glass....fresh juice and herbs with the sugar syrup isn't really that bad as a treat I say!!!

1 cup of sugar (I will only use 1/2 cup next time)
1 cup of water
2 cups of juice
3 cups of soda water
fresh herbs

Bring the sugar and water to the boil then reduce to simmer to dissolve the sugar.

Let cool a little. I popped ice cubes in mine (to cool and water down the sugar content can't hurt)
Then squeezed my pink grapefruits..I haven't used 2 full cups of juice either time I made it, because they would take too long and I am into speedy concoctions)
Then mix in the juice and soda water and any fresh herb you desire.

And drink to your little hearts desire.  It makes about the right amount for our whole family to have a refreshing treat.

I will keep experimenting with different juices and herbs and look forward to every experience.



Even Daisy the Duck knew the campfire was the place to be....

Monday 13 August 2012

Fresh produce bag from vintage style tea towel

I saw Mum with this beautiful vintage print tea towel a few months ago and asked if I could pretty please have it.

I decided a few days ago it would be a great sturdy fresh produce bag with the 50c bag handles I recently bought at Vinnies.

Here it is...love it...and fresh organic produce!


Transformed tin box


I painted the top of this box since my little boy isn't into Thomas anymore.

I am thinking he can put in pictures of things he wishes for or even dreams for  his future.

At the moment it will just be a picture of that MP3 player he is saving for.

BEFORE:

New DIY pillow pet

My little girl has been asking for a pillow pet for a while and I told her from the get go,....that we wouldn't need to buy one, we would make it out of one of her fav toys.

Well today I have done so and plan to surprise her when she gets home.

So we went from this little unicorn and scrap fluffly fabric to....
 Choppin the little fella up


to this...

and this...

Wednesday 8 August 2012

New doona cover for my sweetie

I finally got around to finishing a doona cover I started on a few years ago. I didn't want to use up some expensive fabrics...but as time went by I realised I best use them and make the cover or she won't even be into it anymore.

We made it 3D by sewing on trims, lace, ruffles, button and fabric rosettes we made.


I just ended up using every bit of colourful pastel fabric I had to mix and match...it was just a small panel and I just had to keep adding coordinating fabrics.  I love it now.  So pretty in their room.  Now to start on number two cover!

A pretty clip in the hair, a butterfly sewn on and a pretty apron with sequin belt.

Each little fairy has her own unique designed dress...ruffles here and frilly waist with ribbon hair ties

I made the pillowcase reversible,...fairies print on one side and this side the sheeting with a pillow pocket that she can write little notes in for me.  Last night I got a little note of beautifully neat sight words written to show me.

6th Birthday Party

Well finally I have made it back to the blog...with oodles of piccies and news saved up.  I will start with some birthday shots of my 6 year olds pastel birthday party.

I finally got around to making a rag bunting to double up for parties and in the girls room

I photographed my sweetie side on, then printed it to size, cut it out and traced the image onto purple polka dot paper, then cut it out.  I then glued a pretty ribbon to her hair and there is my sweet sweet silhouette.

I found some embroidery hoops at the local Vinnies...in different pastel and different shapes...PERFECT!!!!

I used more scrap fabric and put them up


I have been collecting pastel doilies for a while now and my collection looks fab together on this table...as the party started I failed to take some nice ones of the set up...things get VERY busy VERY quickly!!  So this is it,...with some raggy rolled roses pinned to the homemade curtain-come-tablecloth.
 



I used scrap pastel fabric (of which I have sooooo much) and made a little cutesy table runner for the drinks trolley.  The stand is one I made from an overlocker spool, a stove cover and japanese dipping dish in a previous post.


Being a little bit crazy for decorating...I just had to use a previous pastel bunting to put on the campfire chair with a little sign saying "campfire"
And the list of pastel things I whipped up for the party goes on and on..
I have way too much material and have decided as the girls get bigger, I just need to get in an use the stuff rather than keep it for an extra sweet project.  But this is a sweet project. I made reversible covers for the chairs....I made the opposite side of each a purple or blue, slightly masculine so they can double for a boys party (well for the photo ops anyway....)



I made the pink and blue itty bitty hats for the Easter Parade as my 5 yr old had another hat organised.  So since we love Barbie and the Muskateers, I thought I would make a matching hat for her party outfit and favourite Barbie muskateer dress for the party.
The hats are all made from the plastic lid off a fruit container on the bottom, then the lid of a spray paint tin on the top...hot glued and fabric wrapped around.  I think they are so cute.  Adorable on the kids.

My sweetie and her sweet friend prepping for the three legged race

The cute little hat on a cute little lass


She absolutely loves the barbie skate shoes she is wearing as the wheels flip out for action of flip back in to walk in them as sandshoes.

I also painted her beautiful silhouette onto a tshirt and used brooches we have in cute pastel colours as the hair clips


I just had to throw in a piccie of my nephew and I doing the slippery dip over and over and over...I wasn't strangling him...just cuddling tight...for those that may be worried about him!



Two little friends with our rescued puppy from the pound.  I made him a collar, repurposed from old curtain ties, a pink and purple one for our other dog and a ruffled collar fo the horse,....as the kids planned to direct the parking on her....alas no time for that!!

A couple of cuties trying out for the three legged race with the help of sisters

Sack race action

We made something on every day of the school holidays in the lead up to the party...so for two weeks we sewed or cooked or created.  The kids and I made a heap of conversation heart candy and wrote the name of each guest on the cupcakes and made hearts with 6 and different inscriptions on them...never really got a photo of them on the day.

We also made our own lipglosses to give to everyone as a favour


Instead of pinata we made this pop the ballon game...when set up it was soo colourful and we put in each balloon a task for the children to do.  It was a lot of fun and they all sat on the chairs and waited their turn.