Paper + Ribbons Jewelry Designs

I've moved...

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:09:00 +0000

I've made a brand new blog so that I can share everything I make and not just "Paper and Ribbons"ey stuff.

http://whilehenrynaps.blogspot.com.au/

So come on over and update your reader links :)

Bebe Bouton is a success!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:10:00 +0000

4 months ago I announced our plans to launch Bebe Bouton, a store full of our handmade goodies just for little boys. Well, since opening we have been so shocked at how popular our pieces are! Every market we've done, we've had so many mums come up to us and say how happy they are someone's finally catering for boys. And THAT is why we're doing what we're doing.

Lately it's been so super cold in Melbourne, so I started making some beanies. The bear beanies started it all and since then I've made dinosaurs, cupcakes, vikings, knights, aviators, mario, giraffes, elephants, strawberries.... so many awesome beanies, and not just for kids!

A peak at what I've been making at Bebe Bouton

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported us these past few months and helped us to become the business we are today.

This week I have so many orders to catch up on and today's project is an Owl Mobile (you might have seen the one I made for Button's nursery) in greens and blues. I couldn't find the right colours in 4ply (damn you Spotlight) so had to use 8ply, which meant the owls are wayyyyy too big. Luckily I found another amigurumi pattern that's working (thank you Ravelry - I can always count on you).

So, I'd better get back to it. Go check out Bebe Bouton :)

{Guest Post} A Guide of What to Wear this Wedding Season

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:00:00 +0000

When it comes to dressing for a wedding it can be difficult to choose the right outfit. There are so many grey areas on what not to wear that it’s hard to keep up. With wedding fashion constantly changing and brides opting for alternative colours to white on their wedding day, do the traditional rules still apply? In short the answer is yes as upstaging the bride and groom is still the ultimate ‘don’t’ of wedding fashion mishaps.

Images from Asos

When it comes to the big day it’s best to keep your outfit as simple as possible and opt for seasonal colours. In summer pastel shades are the perfect choice, if you want to go for patterned dresses choose a floral design or a dress with a subtle feature such as a detailed collar. In the winter season opt for darker shades such as red or purple. A wedding is a happy occasion so reflect that through your outfit. Keep accessories to a minimum; add a simple bracelet or necklace that compliments the outfit rather than a statement accessory. Don’t overdo your makeup especially when it comes to your eyeliner and eye shadow; remember to keep your look subtle.

The Do’s

Opt for a subtle look on the day Keep heels low, a simple court shoe or wedge is a perfect choice
Take note of your dress length, the shortest length should be just above the knee
Check the invitation for the dress code
Do incorporate appropriate fashion trends such as the peplum look

The Don’ts

Don’t wear white or anything that could be mistaken for a wedding dress
Don’t wear black, traditionally this is another no go colour as it represents mourning
Don’t dress as though you are going on a night out, even if you do plan to party into the early hours
Stay away from tiara accessories, this includes tiara like accessories like over embellished headwear and jewelled hair accessories.
Don’t opt for the prom dress trend, prom dresses are like a pre-wedding for teens
Don’t turn up in casual attire, this comes across like you don’t want to be part of the bride and grooms special day

by Olan on behalf of ASOS

Bebe Bouton - Announcing a new store for little boys

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:45:00 +0000

Hooray for little boys! I know I mentioned at the end of last year that I was planning a new venture...well we've launched! Take a look at the new brand, Bebe Bouton...

When I say "we" I mean myself and my talented sisters in law, Gubby (from Love Gubby) and Rache. We've been busy making so much cuteness just for little boys and it's ready for sale via Facebook.

We'll be at our first market this coming Saturday at Emu Plains, Balnarring, so if you're in the area, please come and say hi!!! :)

A crafty Christmas and BIG NEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 22:51:00 +0000

Hey there! How was your Christmas? Well, the Norris clan decided this year was about the kids. There are so many of them now and it's only going to get worse (I assume). And boy were they spoiled!

Henry's haul - and this is just from my side of the family!

Little Button turned 6 months - how the hell did that happen? He's such a happy little boy allll the tiiiime! And he's started sleeping through the night without waking - this is one happy mummy.

Now for this month's craft - I had such a huge list of things to get done for Christmas, but as usual I overestimated how much I could get done. Please tell me I'm not the only one that does that.

A double layer christmas apron - this was so much fun to make. I made the bias binding myself and learnt to ruffle using my machine.

I've had this project half done for ages cos I got stuck on the horns, but it was so worth it. Now to make one for Daddy (at his request of course). I bought the pattern from this shop on Etsy.

My crafty SIL Gubby gave me this idea (and let me borrow her punchie and the bags from Pack It In). They all went to the awesome peeps at work.

My first real quilting project - a stocking for Button's first Christmas! Not bad huh :) The pattern is from Thimble Blossoms. I did have plans to make stockings for hubby and I too, but this one took me aaaaages. The fabric is from the Sew Stitchy line.

My first go at the famous Big Butt Baby Pants by Made By Rae with the cuuuutest christmas fabric ever. I had a bit of trouble with the puckering issue on the butt, but my next attempt was much neater:

Now...for the BIG NEWS!!!!! So for all of you mummies of little boys, have you noticed the distinct lack of cute boy stuff at markets? Well I have and it's kind of annoying. And so I've decided to open a new shop called Bebe Bouton - cos boy stuff is cute too!

Crochet clip-on bow ties - great for newborn photoshoots.

Double bow ties in three sizes for newborns, 6mo-2yrs and big boys. These will have adjustable straps.

I love my pacifier clips - no more lost dummies and they're easy to find when you're reaching to plug bubba in in the car hehe. The ones I've made before have used velcro, but I really like the ribbon. The velcro gets old pretty quickly.

I have more plans, but this is what I've made so far. I'll also be making loads of big butt baby pants and shorts in fun designs with pockets etc.

So, what do you think? I haven't officially opened the store on Etsy yet and I will probably only list the bow ties and pants on there as I'd like to focus more on doing markets. So stay tuned on facebook :)

Wedding Cake Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 06:27:00 +0000

So where was I...November? Whoops.

I've been busy busy the past few weeks getting ready for yet another wedding. I was put half-in charge of the wedding cake. The lovely bride, my new SIL, had seen a cute as cupcake on Pinterest (I'm sure many of you have seen it before - the pink frosted cupcake with lace and 'i do' flag). So my other SIL and I got to work recreating 144 of them. Yep...144.

The vanilla cupcake recipe is the same as that vanilla latte cake I made a few weeks ago from Sweetapolita. The mix made just over 40 cupcakes.

30 little 'i dos'

The finished cake! Gubby frosted all of the cakes - don't they look amazing? I made the little bunting on top as well by stamping and embossing letters in bronze on each little cardstock flag and tying to kebab sticks with gold twine.

The lace is stuck onto the cupcake wrappers with edible sugar flower glue...well most of them are. I ran out with about 30 cupcakes to go and just used royal icing for the rest.

The gorgeous newlyweds and their cake. Congrats you two kids!

For bubba's outfit I made a cute bow-tie. I used this tutorial by A Lemon Squeezy Home. In the end, it was a tad too puffy and oversized for a bub. I'll make the next one smaller, although I think it kind of matched his head size...

My little pudding is 5 months old now!

I've started playing around with royal icing on cookies...not too bad.

I finished up a pair of cute booties using a gorgeous bamboo yarn. It's so soft!

And then all of a sudden Christmas is upon us - when the heck did that happen? Far out this year has zipped by. My tree this year is read and bronze. I always seem to underestimate the size of my tree hehe. I didn't really have my heart in the decorating this weekend...I think after a week at work really took it out of me.

Best cake ever..and some craft

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:18:00 +0000

If you ever are looking for a scrumptious vanilla cake recipe, then this is the one you need to make. The recipe is from Sweetapolita here. Oh man, it was delicious, especially topped with the latte buttercream.

Little Button is getting really good at his mini pushups and has started rolling from his tummy to his back and he even managed the other way once.

I'm still working on this quilt for him. First I had to get a clear presser foot to do the aplique around the felt letter, then I had to get a walking foot for the top stitching as it's all so thick and backed with minky. Now I'm undecided on how to quilt it. The bottom half is Humpty Dumpty so I was thinking of stitching round edged brick shapes through it, but I have no idea about the top half of Little Red Riding Hood. Any ideas?

I'm still working on this christmas apron for myself, but I finally found some fabric for the bias edging.

Yep, the starburst rug is almost done! I've joined them all and luckily each block has squared out nicely so no need to blocking. Now for the worst bit...weaving in all the loose ends. Gah.

I have some gorgeous new books to browse through and inspire me:

Sunday Morning Quilts by the talented Amanda Jean and Cheryl
Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey
Women's Weekly Masterclass
Decorating Cookies by the amazing Bridget Edwards of Bake at 350

Are you getting inspired this week? I can't wait to get stuck into making some cookies :)

Another crafty week

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 03:54:00 +0000

Well, little Button's sleeping habits are finally back to normal, which means...craft time! :)

Another tick for the WIP list - loads of pacifier clips. Heh I kind of got on a roll with these. They were so quick to whip through. The tutorial is here.

My niece's school is having a fete soon and are going to be selling donated jars of "things" so I thought I'd make it an opportunity to destash my enormous bead collection and put together little bead kits. Aren't they cute?

On Thursday, I took my gorgeous SIL off to the Craft and Sewing show at Caulfield Racecourse. Oh man, it was heaven. Apparently I had some moments of lust in my eyes, but I think I was very controlled. I made it my goal to just work on building up my fabric stash with lots of basics (spots, stripes, checks...and a few cuuuute prints). And who can say no to giant ric rac?

I bought an awesome quilt kit too. So cute. It's from the Meet the Gang range.

I finally got another thing ticked off my WIP list - bandana bibs. Tutorial here.

And...I'm finally joining all those sunbursts. I gave up blocking them. 'Cos I'm using acrylic yarn, they don't really hold their shape, so I'll give it a shot when they're joined if I need to.

I'm using the joining tutorial from Attic24.

Aren't they amazing! There aren't as many as I thought I'd done, so the rug will be big enough to cover the bottom end of our bed or be a great single sized rug.

Eep!

Is it Monday again already?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 03:02:00 +0000

This was a week of highs and lows as normal life usually is.

My craft room (part 1 and part 2) is in full blown use - huzzah. It still doesn't stop me from planning more craft projects than I'll ever ever get finished. Why do I keep starting things? I reckon I'm probably the most impatient person when it comes to craft. I love starting things...hate finishing things...until they're done and I can admire them. My other issssue is taking on projects that are just huge. No small time here!

This week I finished a couple of pairs of pants for Button, the first bandana bib, oh and I finally got Macarons to work! OK I have to admit that it was a packet mix (gasp) but you can't go wrong when Zumbo's name is all over it.

Pretty cute, huh! These were super easy and the pattern is the Basic Newborn Pants from Made by Rae. I upsized these to a 3-6mo size by adding 1" to the top and bottom seams as well as 1/2" to the fold. Ideally, I should have added 2" to the bottom hem, but Button has mummy's short legs at the moment, so it's not a big deal. I can always add cuffs to lengthen them later on.

This is way cuter than I thought it would end up being and now I have to get my s&#t together and make a million more. Button really is a drool monster! The pattern is from PurlBee.

What beauties! The packet came with a cardboard template so you can draw 2cm diameter circles on the underside of the baking paper and pipe on the other side so that all shells are uniform. Such a good idea! Next is to make them from scratch (wish me luck).

Here is a run down of my WIP's...

Granny square rug
Sunburst rug
Zig zag rug
Viking hat for bubba
Cot quilt
~~Pacifier/Dummy leashes~~
Bandana bibs
Satin dress
Several cross stitches
Toiletry box bag
Christmas apron

And here're the projects I'm waiting to start...

Canvas art for the nursery
Pillow shams for our bedroom
Quilts galore
Bamboo yarn crochet rug
Embroideries
Baby foot impressions

I really need to get my cardmaking mojo back and of course get some jewellery made for the shop! Why do I keep putting that off?

Ugh enough of my whinging...here's a funny pic of Button to brighten your day. He's soooo gonna hate me when he's older. But I reckon it's payback for waking me up every 2 hours lately. *yawn* So this is what being a parent is like?! Boo.

"You talkin' to me?"

Craft Room Reveal - part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Ta-dah! It's all done and I love it. I shared my craft room part 1 the other week here.

Excuse the crinkled rug - straight off the washing line! So...I have a new desk, shelves and magnetic board.

Oh and I just had to get one of the little pink stools from ikea. Turns out it's the perfect height for sewing!

Now for the monstrosity that was the wardrobe...

Before:

After:

Organised and functional. Just how I like things. What do you think?

Fortnight in pictures (oops)

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 04:45:00 +0000

Oops I forgot to blog last week - sorrrrry! Anyhoo, little Button and I are sick with colds this week so it's been a PJ day today on the couch. He's been reaching his milestones lately though with gusto!

Yummy carrot! He's having just a little bit of rice cereal and fruit/veggies once a day to test out texture and taste. He loves every bit and giggles with every mouthful.

He finally mastered the mini pushups this week - yay fathead!

Mini chucks for Chuck Jr. Bargain at my fave second hand baby shop, See Saw.

Of course I've been baking...again

This is a gorgeous Egyptian desert called Basbousa. It's a semolina cake with a lemon and rosewater syrup. Oooh so delicious! The recipe's from a book my lovely old lab gave me when I left - Food Safari (buy from Bookworld) but the recipe is actually on the SBS wesbite here.

I have a few weddings to go to this summer and there's nothing in my wardrobe that fits again...yet...so off shopping I went! Why is it so hard to find pretty dresses that are breastfeeding friendly and made for big busted, but small waisted girls?

Ooh and I've allllmost finished the craft room! I have a new desk and the wardrobe is oh so organised now. I'm just putting up the shelves and making labels for the storage in the wardrobe and I'll share pics as soon as it's all done. Huzzah!

My week in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:10:00 +0000

Another week just flew by!

Little button turned 12 weeks this week and is now a hefty 6.6kg - phwah.

Heh - I love my little Molly cat watching on with interest.

We moved him into his stroller instead of the bassinet insert for the pram. He loves sitting up to watch what's going on!

Our house is constantly vibrating and creacking with the bypass that's being built behind our back fence. Our fences are falling down and the garden is an absolute mess, but there is nothing making me want to go out there. I'll be so glad when those mounds (used to be bushland) are planted out with trees and the noise walling installed. Hurry up!

Alipink shared the recipe for these amazing chocolate date balls with me and I had to make a batch:

Choc-date balls
Makes 20

1 1/2 Cups dried dates
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 cup raw walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix it all together in a food processor until it forms a kind of dough. I added about 1/4 cup of water to make them a bit stickier.

Form the mix into balls (around 1 tbsp of mixture each).

Nutritional information: 89 calories, 12.4g Carbs, 2.0g protein, 4.9g fat, 3 Weight Watchers Pro Points

Oh and check out my Craft Room Reveal!

Craft Room Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 11:15:00 +0000

I've been planning and working on a re-do of my craft room for absolutely ages, but it's never quite been finished. I still need to put up shelves, I'm on the hunt for a better desk, the white rug is in the wash thanks to a few days of sick kitties, and I only just got the light shade up. Even though there's still a bit to do, I couldn't wait any longer to share my awesome space with you all.

I had originally planned to turn it partly into a nursery for Button, but hubby amazingly gave up his computer room for him. This was a pretty big deal, considering hubby is a major gamer and techie. Now I just have to deal with him shouting at zombies in the lounge room, heh.

This desk is far too small, but has had a good life.

I have a bit of a problem with clutches...

Now, the wardrobe is a mess. An absolute, horrible mess. I have plans to get to Bunnings and fit it out with pull out mesh baskets galore. In the meantime, I had to move my pinboards that I covered in fabric to the inside doors. My kitten has a really annoying obsession with push pins, so it seems. She runs off with them and demolishes whatever was attached. Grr.

At least there are pretty handles...

Above my desk, I have a few shelves from Ikea to put up and I have to get a magnetic board to avoid the kitten-pushpin issue.

At least it's pretty, functional and I don't feel cramped anymore. Don't worry, I'll share more pics once it's all done :)

Sources:
Bookcase: Expedit, Ikea
Desk: Thrifted and painted
Sewing desk: Handed down
Office chair: Ikea
Wicker chair: eBay and painted
Lamp: Ikea
Chinese lanterns: Spotlight
Wardrobe handles: Provincial
Clock: DIY'd

If you have any questions about my favourite room in the house, ask away!

Week In Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 04:40:00 +0000

Little Button is 12 weeks tomorrow - where the hell did the past 3 months go? Far out.

He's spending more time laughing and smiling at me, which is just the freakin' best thing ever, but he has been battling with a growth spurt and the 3rd Wonder Week at the same time. This means grizzling like a monster and refusing my milk near the end of each feed. It's so frustrating but I have to keep telling myself to keep calm. If I'm calm, he'll become calm much easier.

He's been playing with his new SkipHop activity gym (I have a new obsession with SkipHop). I love all the owls and we just discovered one of them plays water sounds when I stepped on it, lol.

Yes, I'm STILL going with this huge blanket of sunbursts. I have about 20 more to border with the cream colour, then to weave in all the ends and block them. I dragged out a pin board to try blocking the first square as I've never bothered doing it before. Naughty, I know.

Looks pretty great huh! I know, I know, I didn't weave in the ends of this one yet, but I'm impatient.

Last weekend was all about being social. Actually so was this weekend! I'm really looking forward to just relaxing this week with bubba. How amazing is this cake - we went to bubba's first baby shower.

On Friday, I put bubba to bed early and went to a concert I've been waiting for for 15 years...HANSON! OMG it was amazeballs! I'm still buzzing from it and all of their CDs are in the stacker in the car. Pretty much everyone there was my age (the plus side of 18+ gigs) and the bonus - there was a bar right next to my choice viewing spot. I got home at 2am and spent the next day as a zombie. Heh, then went out for dinner with old friends and spent the next day on the couch as a zombie...again. Smart move? No. But I'd sooooo do it again.

Who said new mummas can't get out and party?

My week in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:07:00 +0000

I had a lovely quiet week this week. Oh except for Sunday...a baby shower and dinner on the same day! I haven't been that much of a social butterfly in ages. :)

I actually started playing around with my DSLR this week. I love this shot of Kitten in her favourite spot above me on the couch.

Another baby shower, another pair of booties. I was a bit slow with these this time. It's been a while since I've made any!

I finished up a custom order for some very lucky bridesmaids...

A triple layer strawberry cake for our family dinner. It wasn't bad, but I think the butter and eggs curdling made it too dense. Next time... (recipe via Sweetapolita)

I bought Button a new play gym from SkipHop. It arrived in the mail and we had to walk it home in the biggest ever box resting on top of his pram! Lucky he was asleep for the whole trip. It must have looked completely ridiculous!

I made a tonne of choc chip cupcakes in the prettiest cupcake cups I found at the $2 superstore. I bought up big on the red and pink ones too - they're just the cutest!

Button is the best sleeper ever. I don't know how I'd cope with a troublesome bub! I still have to get up around 3am to feed him during the night, but it's not so bad considering he goes down for the night at 8pm and sleeps til 8am.

Yes, I'm still going with these sunbursts. I get through about 10 or so a day. I keep telling myself to just hurry up and finish, especially after I bought a heap of new variegated bamboo yarn to make another rug for Button yesterday. Whoops!

What projects are you working on this week? Leave your links in the comments section and I'll definitely pop by your site and have a peek.

My week in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 03:56:00 +0000

Happy Fathers' Day to all the wonderful and loving Dads out there, especially to my amazing Dad and to Hubby who's already shown that one little bub can't have too much love. :)

We went for one of our daily walks to the shops so i could grab some caffeine and sugar - boy did I need it this week! It was an awful growth spurt week and bubba didn't sleep well most nights. Thankfully he's back to normal now and slept in til 9am this morning! woo!

I've been buying mini melting moments with my coffees at the cafe so decided to make some. These were with a passionfruit filling - so yummy! Recipe via Taste.

I had a heap of the passionfruit icing left over, so decided to make some cupcakes. The mix made so much, so I had to use all of my cupcake pans as well as my new mini bundt pan - love it. The icing was too thick for the bundt cakes, so I just thinned it out with some hot water and made a kind of glaze. Recipe via The Pretty Blog.

Me in the mornings - I'm one of those never-leave-the-house-without-mascara people. Button's bald patch is just hilarious!

I got some of the granny squares done last week, but I get bored pretty quickly, so went back to yet another rug project. These rounds just need edging then blocking and I can start joining them.

My other baby. I bought my Nikon D70 from a friend who was upgrading, but I haven't really had a chance to play around with it much. The aim is to start taking product shots with it rather than my trusty little point and shoot. At least I have the field guide out...we'll get there.

Huzzah for new pieces! I'm really moving towards using gold plated metals rather than the vintage look brass. It looks fresh and bright - ready for summer!

Oh and I picked up the dish on mega sale at Target - yay for sales!

{Tutorial} Sugar Hand Scrub

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 02:28:00 +0000

With a new bub in the house and it being a dry cold winter, my skin has really suffered, especially my hands. I think I wash my hands about 15 times a day at the moment, with nappy changes and cooking and putting the bins out etc etc. So it's time to liven them up again with a good ole sugar scrub.

Handmade Sugar Hand Scrub

Ingredients:
3 cups of sugar (don't use caster sugar - we want it to be nice and course)
1 cup of olive oil (tip: don't use extra virgin as it's pretty smelly)
5 Tbs Lemon juice
Your favourite essential oil

Combine sugar, oil, lemon juice and about 5 drops of your favourite essential oil. I used one with a citrus scent so that it tied in with the lemon juice. Mix until it's a nice solid paste. If you can still smell the oil, add a little more oil.

Now, scoop it into some sealable jars. This mix made enough to fill 3 small glass jars (one for me...and a couple of gifts ready to go).

To use: On clean hands, rub one small scoop all over your hands for about 1-2 minutes. Wash gently with a non-drying soap. Pat your hands dry on a clean towel and apply your favourite hand cream generously.

How do they feel? Gorgeous, huh. My hands haven't felt this soft in months and all with ingredients I already had in the cupboard.

Now to add some colour to my nails :)

My week in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 01:13:00 +0000

How come the weeks fly by so quickly now? I wish my working days flew this fast haha. Button is now 8 weeks old and he's smiling and laughing and turning into a real little boy. And...he is starting to sleep through the night! Wee! That's from 8:30pm - 7am. Ok so far he's only done it once, but we're getting there, and he normally only wakes for a feed around 4am now. The upside to having a fatty baby I guess!

A happy little monster :)

We call this the "derp" face. Hehe he pulls the funniest expressions!

I've been taking photos of him in this little chair I made every 2 weeks. It's not his favourite activity, but mostly cos he can't hold himself up for long and keeps falling sideways. Poor floppy thing.

I got the sewing machines out again (first time in a looong time) and made some dummy straps. Probably not the neatest job, but they do the trick. I'm still getting the hang of the overlocker and this was my first try at doing a rolled hem. We'll get there.

I've turned into a fruit-a-holic!

The lilies are in full bloom in the garden and I've been filling the house up with them. They're just lovely.

Organisation!

The cats are slowly recovering from the shock of a loud baby in the house. Cindy's pretty much indifferent to the whole affair now. She's such a princess.

I've been crocheting again - these will eventually become a blanket for our bedroom. I love the colours!

The inspiration board needed an update - nice and bright and fresh! I decided I needed more pink in my life.

My week in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:09:00 +0000

Another busy busy week has just flown by! I didn't get much of a chance to craft this week, but still snuck in some baking. I really can't help myself!

See - totes yummy. A gorgeous apple cake with sugar crust, the recipe via Pinterest.

My little Button gave me his first smiles this week - eep it melted my heart! I love this kid so much.

Yummy home made pumpkin soup for lunch. I think I put too much nutmeg in it this time, but it's still absolutely delish and my all time favourite soup during winter.

In the meantime, I found some time to snuggle on the couch with my new Practical Parenting mag. Damn you Mothercare for putting out a new catalogue! I really have to stop buying baby things.

Ooh and I started a new diet plan to get rid of my baby weight (amazingly called Lose Baby Weight). I only have 3kg to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but of course, I'd love to get back to my wedding weight (another 8kg away). The smoothies I had this week were soooo delicious and I even had one of my recipes posted on their blog (check it out here)! I'm planning to try some with lychees and passionfruit - yum.

I know I said this last weekend, but I really really will try to make some new pieces this weekend. You might have noticed that I've tidied up the store a little and everything feels in order. I've had one big wedding order come through and now I'm just waiting for my supplies to arrive.

What are you making this weekend? Feel free to share your projects - I love to hear what you're all up to. :)

Getting organised

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:36:00 +0000

Today I've tarted going through all of my tubs of jewellery making supplies and sorting it all out. It's been so long and everything had gotten into such a mess, that I didn't know what I had anymore!

All of my tubs organised - huzzah. It was also a great way to get some inspiration juices flowing again - finding some lovely bright crystals and pretty lockets. Bub's down for a nap atm, so it's time to get creating!

Neat and tidy. Now let's hope it stays that way!!!

Saturday in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 05:31:00 +0000

Hi! What are you up to this weekend?

A little crochet perhaps? I'm only about a quarter way through this rug, but it's nice to be crafting again after so many weeks off. Today I'm relaxing with it and a cup of peppermint tea.

I'm trying to get my papercraft mojo back. So far I've chosen some papers to use for some birthday cards, but that's about as far as I've gotten.

My first cake since bubba's arrival too - a yummy Apple cake. I found the recipe via Pinterest, of course.

All this happens while bub is asleep, which is A LOT. I'm kind of wishing for him to start needing more awake time already. This kid is awesome.

A treasury for henry

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:50:00 +0000

I love handmade toys and I've made a few things for Henry already, but there are so many beautiful little things on Etsy that inspire me. So, I thought I'd put together a treasury (gee it's been a while!). How cool is the bacon rattle? haha

Enjoy :)

'Playtime with Henry' by mnhince

Little Henry needs some new toys.

15 Personalized Alphabe... littlesaplingt... $36.00	Carrots of the Caribbea... BBsForBabies $25.00	Eco Friendly Plush Toys... woolies $28.00	Plaid Dachshund Dog Bab... OurPicketFence $13.00
Giraffe Soft Block - Ba... sanctusstitche... $10.00	Plush Chevron Bunny Stu... LittleSidekick $14.00	Soft toy bear - baby be... ParAvian $25.00	Baby Rattle Toy Kit Ba... ConnieLouFabri... $6.00
WOOD BABY TOY Wood Teet... littlealouette $14.00	Stuffed Fleece Owl - Ha... BirdieAndDot $15.00	Natural Maple - WOOD n ... applenamos $15.00	Soft baby toy cube in r... BlumeAndJensen $15.00
Baby Toy Stuffed Frog A... SunshineFrogs $8.00	JUMBO Baby Toy Truck Wo... tinygiraffesho... $15.00	Rocket Ship Baby Rattle... BannorToys $14.00	Waldorf Montessori Wood... applenamos $40.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Button's Nursery Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Now that my little Button is finally here, it's about time I reveal his beautiful nursery. This was a big undertaking for me, especially when I started to feel like a beached whale with no energy! My main inspiration was the chevron craze that is sweeping interior design at the moment with the colour scheme of yellow, grey and turquoise (via Design Seeds):

I started by creating a Pinterest board to gather ideas and inspiration. I'm always adding to it and already planning button's big boy room. :) But that's ages away. In the meantime, take a look at his new nursery...

And here's what I made for this room:

Raindrop mobile
Owl mobile (pattern for sale here)
Buntings (tutorial by Cat Taylor)
Pinboard
Booties (pattern by Topsy Turvy)
Cardigan (pattern on Ravelry)
Quilt (tutorial by Sir Bubbadoo)
Granny blanket
Zig zag blanket (tutorial by Attic24)
Cushions (pinwheel tutorial by Cluck Cluck Sew)
Change pad covers (tutorial by A Load Of Craft)
Curtains (I used this fabric from Fabric.com)
Painted initials
Door art
Toy stand
Yellow reading chair

Want to know where I got the rest of it from?

Rug: Spotlight
Cot: eBay
Nursing Chair: Babies R Us
Shelves: Bekvam, Ikea
Clock: Sussan
Frames: Reject Shop
Yellow print: Etsy
Blue canvas print: Cotton On Kids
Plush owl cushion: Monash Shop
Drawers: Hemnes, Ikea
Laundry basket: $2 Shop

Feel free to ask me anything about creating this room. I loved every minute of it and I'm so proud that I created so many gorgeous things for my bubba. Enjoy!

Introducing little Henry

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:42:00 +0000

So here's the reason it's been so long since I've been online...the arrival of my little Henry Oliver.

Born on the 26th of June, he's a little light in my life. Of course, I'm battling lack of sleep but he's such a good little content thing.

Hopefully I'll be able to reveal his handmade nursery soon, when I get a chance to edit some photos. :) I really love how it turned out - it's such a cosy little room even though he's already covered most of it in wee, hehe.

Baking and Crochet...Nesting Much?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:52:00 +0000

Lately I've been busy busy busy crocheting blankets. I spent such a long time stuffing up granny squares, that I decided to try this pattern at Ucreate. It looks great, but I forgot to take photos before gifting it to my 4mo nephew.

Here's my next project...a large granny blanket just for me. I think I've finally got it down pat...no skewing like I used to get. I have so many more crochet projects I want to try and I've pinned them into my pinterest account...now to find enough time to finish them all!

I also got the baking bug again and am totally in love with my new breadmaker! I late christmas present to myself :)

Raspberry and chocolate low-fat muffins from my favourite muffin cookbook - 500 Cupcakes

German grain bread...my favourite for sandwiches. I've only used the Laucke brand of flours so far, but they're a hit.

Yummy raisin bread...I'll add some more cinnamon next time. Find the recipe here to make this yummy loaf completely in the breadmaker.