The last week or so has been crazy busy here at home and Marley & Lockyer – boy’s School running carnival, after school activities, Birthday parties and of course, market prep. I have been making like a mad Woman in preparation for this weekend’s Launceston Boutique market’s and the Sydney Finder’s Keeper’s Market the following weekend.

Racks and racks of stock has been eagerly awaiting it’s turn to be finished off and go into the kiln.

That was until my kiln blew a fuse…number 4 fuse to be precise. This fuse has been giving me a lot of grief lately and luckily Mic knows a thing or two about this stuff and replaced all of the elements for me, so now she is running like a dream again…I think I wore it out with the amount of work I have been doing lately!

It has been cold and clear here in Tassie and I don’t know why, but I feel strangely relaxed for this weekends upcoming market, having a moment to put my feet up and breathe a little has been a great thing…next week will be nuts, I know!

So, if you happen to be in Launceston on Sunday, come on down to the Grand Chancellor Hotel from 9-1pm and see a great line up of designers at the Boutique Markets. Hope to see you there!

P.S- The store will be closed from now until I return from Sydney and re-open on Tuesday, 4th June

Ness xx

It’s baking weather…well, it’s always baking weather and this Apple Pie is one of the first things I made on my own, away from my Dad’s (who cooked for Princess Anne a long time ago) watchful eye…and from scratch when I first moved out with Mic when we were 19…it was a huge hit and still stands true now. It’s a lot easier than I remembered back then

Ness’ Apple Pie

Pastry- 3 cups of plain flour                                                                                 Filling- 1kg Granny Smith Apples

               - 1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                                                  - 1/2 cup of caster sugar

              – 250g cold unsalted butter in chunks                                                             – 1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour

              – 1/2 cup of iced water                                                                                           – 1 teaspoon cinnamon

                                                                                                                                                        – 1 teaspoon vanilla

                                                                                                                                                        – 1/2 cup sultanas

Crumble- 1/3 Cup plain flour

                  – 1/3 cup brown sugar

                  – 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (opt.)

                 - 45g cold butter, in little pieces

For Pastry- mix flour, salt and butter in a food processor until you get coarse crumbs. With processor still going, slowly add water until mixture forms a ball around the edge. Divide into 2 balls, one slightly smaller than the other, flatten out a little and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for about 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 220C. Peel and core apples and slice. Toss into filling ingredients.

Mix the crumble ingredients together with your fingers to form small clumps. Set aside.

Roll out the bigger piece of pastry into a large circle. Line a greased pie dish, trim sides leaving a slight over hang. Roll out other piece to form the lid.

Add apple mixture to pie dish, sprinkle crumble over the top. brush edge with egg wash. Cover with pastry lid, press edges to seal, trim and crimp edges. Cut small slits into pie lid for steam to escape and arrange some pastry leaves on top. Brush lid with egg wash and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.

Bake on bottom shelf for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 180C and cook for 50 minutes or until a deep golden colour. Remove and stand for 30 mins…if you can! Serve with either good vanilla bean ice cream, custard or cream.

Hope you will try this. It’s a winner!

Ness xx

images ©Ness Lockyer

For those of you that have followed the journey of my homewares brand, Marley & Lockyer will be aware of my long love of one of Australia’s premier home style publications, Country Style….

In June last year, I was lucky enough to be featured in the June edition with the lead story….

and was blessed to have had my ceramic tree decorations cover the Killiecrankie Christmas Tree Farm tree on the Christmas 2011 issue, which won “Cover Of The Year”.

The Christmas cover, which was styled by the ever talented Indiana Foord was photographed by the just as talented Sharyn Cairns…who also shot the feature story on me and M&L….

Sharyn caught the essence of our “Old Lady” beautifully and the fireplace shot you see here of our old Kitchen mantel also won the Fireplace comp on Country Styles site, which I was most chuffed about. You can see the images from the magazine spread here on Country Styles site

I have been so blessed to have had such a wonderful relations hip with this magazine and since that June issue came out have had loads of Women contact me about their own creative journey, some of which I have helped them get on their way which has been a privileged.

This time around, Country Style have been gracious enough to have me write a blog post for their website, which you can see here, and also shot a video of my story and journey, which was done by the also talented, Annette Cohen.

You can see the video HERE

I would love for you to stop by the Country Style page and check out the video too…I’d love to hear what you think! A huge thank you goes out to the group of talented Women who helped put my story out there, particularly, Victoria Carey- Editor extraordinaire, who believed it was worth sharing…thank you lovely lady! xxxx

Ness xx

So, I have lot’s of you to thank you…but first up I wanted to let you know about this-

I have been featured, along with lot’s of entrepreneurial Women, in Jennifer Forest’s new book

Work Women Want- Work At Home Or Go Part-Time

There is about 5 pages dedicated to my business journey with Marley & Lockyer and the choice (pros and cons) of working from home. This book has all sorts of information about creating a business and covers all sorts of ways to sell, as well as heaps of tips on marketing, resources and links to help you on your journey…the back section has charts and tables to help you ask some serious questions about your business idea too. It’s brilliant. You can pick up Jennifer’s book here and at most great bookstores. Thank you Jennifer  for thinking Marley & Lockyer and I were worthy enough for your book. I am more than privileged.

And, finally a HUGE thank you to all of you who voted for Marley & Lockyer in the Skinny Scoop,

Top 25 Home Decor Blogs…..I am so wrapped to tell you I WON!

Over joyed at both of these recent developments after all of the hard work I have put into Marley & Lockyer, and none of it would have happened unless I had the support of each and everyone of you! All of you who have followed me from the beginning to everyone who has just started to follow – I can not thank you enough. I hope you will stick around to see what the future holds…..Mwah! xx

Ness xx

It is shop update time, and I have just added some new pieces too

Click this link to go there, or on the ‘shop’ tab at the top of the page.

Earlier last week, I needed some help choosing a name for this brooch. I wanted to say a huge thank you to all for your suggestions, there were so many great ones to pick from, and I had a really tough time choosing, but the winning name is

….WINTER ROSE….

It was chosen by Jan Renwick. Thank you Jan and congratulations, you have won this brooch and the pod earrings seen here!

Thank you again to all of your help. You are the best!!

Ness xx