Go Make Me

a slice of Banana Bread and coffee for breakfast

2012-04-11T20:08:09+10:00

If only we could invent Smell-o-Blog. Just imagine wrapping your nostrils around the sweet aroma of just-baked banana bread with lashings of butter and freshly brewed coffee without leaving your computer? If only....

We're not really big sweet eaters at breakfast but I had a bunch of over-ripe bananas in dire need to be eaten and decided to mash them into a cake batter. Ten minutes to make and 45 to bake. It's that easy and a deliciously wicked way to start the day

Recipe after the break

Banana Bread

1 cup plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
125g (4 1/2 oz) butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs whisked
4 ripe bananas (3 is OK, but 4 is better!)

Preheat oven to 180oC (356 ºF). Grease and line the base and side of an 11 cm x 21 cm x 6 cm (4" x 8" x 2.4") deep loaf pan. Combine flours, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk butter and eggs together. Stir in mashed banana and spoon into prepared tin. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Cover with foil when top is browned to prevent burning. Insert skewer into centre of cake and is cooked when it comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack. Serve with lashings of butter

"P.S. I made this" crystal wrapped headband

2012-03-15T14:01:56+11:00

I'm probably the last person on the planet to know about the hip PS I made this blog, but it's worth a visit for diy fashion tips. How cool is this Swarovski wrapped headband? Love it

{go make me} pillow pet / diy project

2012-03-11T17:21:52+11:00

We 'own' a deep charcoal grey terror bunny named 'Sooty'. He's cute and fluffy with super long whiskers and big black eyes that could make a grown woman all goey inside, but he's way too clever for my liking. He's not content to inhabit a state-of-the-art bunny hutch complete with tunnel, ramps and a sea-breeze. My husband often comments that he must have the freshest bunny breath around with all the parsely he consumes. No...it's written in his DNA that he must escape and we're the dumb bunnies always on the hunt to return the scoundrel to his barracks

Anyway, my daughter loves him and she's heading off to camp this week and wanted a momento of her little furry friend to keep her company at night. So I created her own 'Pillow Pet' using a photo that I took last year (and a stock photo for the other sandy coloured bunny)

Here's how
1} Take a good, clear photo of your pet or find one on the internet. Purchase Iron-on T-Shirt transfer paper and print or photocopy onto Transfer Paper. Be sure to check the printer's settings for this type of printing

2} Cut out two fabric pieces slightly larger that the Transfer Paper. Iron on the transfer and let cool completely before peeling back to reveal image

3} Pin both pieces of fabric together and trim 25cm (1 inch) to 30cm away from edge of image. With right sides together hand or machine sew around edge leaving a narrow seam and a gap at the base

4} Trim and finish seams. Cut little slits along seam being careful not to cut sewing. Carefully turn inside out

5} Stuff the bunny

6} Using a slip-stitch, sew seam

I hope you get to make your own Pillow Pet, we're off to catch a rabbit

{go make me} scented soy candles / diy project

2012-02-24T16:10:05+11:00

Can you believe that soy candles are super easy and inexpensive to make? I like to make my own as I'm choosey about fragrance strength and quality. This way I have full control and more money in my pocket

How to make Soy Candles
Purchase from your local craft shop or candle supplier soy wax flakes, a tempered wick with base and essential oils for fragrance. Special colour for candles can be added too but add a little at a time and be aware that it will change colour slightly when set, but that's half the fun

Simply melt wax in a double boiler over stove. Add desired essential oil. Pour wax into a heat-resistant cup, ramekin or other china that can withstand heat. Leave to congeal for about 10 minutes and insert wick with base. Leave to fully set. Trim wick > Light > Sniff > Enjoy....That's it!

valentine's at our favourite restaurant

2012-02-23T13:33:12+11:00

Our little family headed off to Bathers' Pavilion restaurant for a belated sweet Valentine's treat. Oh, how I love treats!

What's on the plate? Top: Rhubarb and apple trifle, rhubarb jelly, apple custard and almond sponge. Middle: Coconut cake, dark chocolate mousse, cherry compote, cherry ripple ice cream. Bottom: Mixed berry summer pudding, strawberry sauce and chantilly cream. Mmmm, it tasted as good as it looked

Now off for a walk to loose my love handles

{go make me} rolled fabric flowers / diy project

2012-02-17T16:48:46+11:00

1} Grab some fabric, felt and fabric glue (and a brooch pin if required)
2} Cut a felt circle and a length of fabric. My flower circle is 85mm wide and the length of fabric was 1m long, 60mm wide and tapered to 20mm wide at the other end. Experiment, I liked my flower to have bulk and bloom out but you can use the same width strip for the whole flower
3} Tie a knot in the thinner end and glue in position
4 – 5} Roll fabric strip, making tighter and looser rolls as you create your flower. Use fabric glue to adhere to felt as you go
6} Tuck end under previous roll
7} Trim back felt if required. Sew clip or brooch pin to back

{go make me} a pretty Valentine's Day paper bouquet

2012-02-14T12:56:47+11:00

I'm so excited to announce a new diy e-Magazine, Romantic Printable Gift Packaging and Sewing Ideas featuring a stylish printable 'heart' box that can be personalised, a pillow box, a personlised card, even Champagne labels, tags and more that would be perfect for Valentine's Day or wedding or those who love diy. I think you'll really enjoy the simple how-tos to make paper and fabric projects. A sneak peak of some of what's included is below:

To celebrate the release of my e-Magazine, here's a special treat for all my Go Make Me blog readers.... Below is an excerpt from the magazine demonstrating how to make a paper bouquet, an easy diy project to add style to any gift. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone

How to make a pretty paper bouquet
Create a delightful bouquet from paper cupcake wrappers as a finishing touch to your gift. Use just one or tie bunched together with complementary ribbons and bows. Add a stylish sparkling buckle threaded with colourful ribbon on a simple box for an elegant and sophisticated look

Fold 8 cupcake wrappers in half retaining curved shape

Use decorated toothpicks (available at Supermarkets) or decorations with wire attached (ie Christmas ‘Cherries’ to decorate the tree or discarded decorations off bon-bon crackers). Hole punch a flower or shape to finish underneath flower

Thread wrappers onto wire or toothpick, ending with hole punched shape

Arrange papers to overlap layers. Glue underneath to hold in place

Fan out papers to simulate petals. Use the bloom singularly or create a posie by wrapping wires together or gather in a ribbon. Attach to gift

Bleeding Heart cocktail for Valentine's Day

2012-02-12T16:17:35+11:00

Here's another Champagne or Sparkling Wine cocktail that'll spark up your V.D. (Valentine's Day). To make the Bleeding Heart add one cup of sugar and one cup of water to a small saucepan. Dissolve over a medium heat stirring occassionally. Make sure the sugar completely dissolves and boils for a few minutes. Take off heat and cool. Blend a punnet of raspberries until liquified and strain. Add to cooled syrup and mix well. Pour into heart shaped moulds and freeze. Then add to Champagne or Sparkling Wine and watch your heart fall and dissolve into red, but delicious, mush. Drink in immoderation

what's the best champagne cocktail for Valentine's Day?

2012-02-04T21:27:20+11:00

On the top of my list of favourite champagne/sparkling wine cocktails is to mix the bubbles with
1/4 oz/10mL Chambord (Black Raspberry Liqueur). Add Chambord to the flute first, them add the Champers. Perhaps a touch more if you like it sweeter, like me

Stay tuned, I'll post another recipe tomorrow because I love to experiment and the side effects of consuming the prototypes isn't half-bad, but someone has to do it

{go make me} bejewelled flower headband / diy project

2012-01-30T11:22:30+11:00

Flowers in the hair, how girly! You can increase your eostrogen levels too by making these jewel encrusted fabric flowers in minutes and glue to a headband for the latest look (see Fashion Designers below). It only takes a few scraps of fabric, glitzy buttons, glue, needle, thread and time and you've got the current look for a fraction of the price

Here's how

1} Gather some fabric scraps, preferably ones that don't fray (although I like it fraying too), felt, buttons and a headband. Cut six 60 mm (2.5") circles from fabric and two 30 mm (1.25") circles from felt
2} Fold each circle in half, then fold sides in on itself

3, 4 & 5} Adhere to one felt circle with fabric glue or hot glue gun. Repeat with other cut circles, overlapping each 'petal' as you continue around filling the entire felt circle
4} With needle and thread, sew on button(s)
7} Glue another felt circle over stitches
8} Glue to headband

Who's got the look (l to r)
BHLND Del Sole Comb, Alannah Hill Hair Accessories, Chanel, Alannah Hill Hair Accessories, BHLND Marguerite Halo, Mignonne Handmade Pink Carnations Halo