I thought it was about time for a proper blog, not a Star’s in their eyes weekly layout update. Even though they have been taking up a lot of my creative time lately I’ve still managed to put some other things together mainly as gifts. I’m amazed at how much I’ve throughouly enjoyed every bit of the challenges each week, although I think I’m happy that week 9 is upon us and with one more layout to create I’ve almost completed my goal of getting all 9 weeks layouts finished. It was a nice surprise to win second in last weeks challenge too with Stephanie Howell’s work. It’s a hard challenge too this week! I have no idea where to start on it so will have to wait and see it inspiration hits between now and Tuesday night.

I’ve not really been in a blogging mood lately, I’m sure if I had been it would have been a crazy mixed up blog. My head has been all over the place recently, moods up and down and a feeling of limbo. Normally I’m really good at knowing exactly where I’m headed (in life) and how I plan to get there, however recently I’ve felt like my gut feeling/guidance (what ever you’d like to call it) has just up and left. I feel like no matter what I do, where I put myself or how I relate to others is all wrong but that’s to no one in particular, just everything around me at the moment.  I’m sick of second guessing myself, that is new for me. Creating is my one escape where I’m just myself, well unless it’s a stars in their eyes challenge, in that case I trying to be someone else hehe

I need to re-focus and find what and where I want to be, I LOVE being a mum and wife but some days the monotony of cleaning, washing, feeding, entertaining and shitty grey weather just gets you down, as I’m sure I’m not alone there! There was a big yahoo in our house yesterday as blasted winter is over and we can hopefully welcome Spring! Hopefully the season change will help in getting me back on track

Anyhow enough of that.. Spring is indeed here and here are some photos from our wee patch in the world. A part in our garden outside our living room window which I filled with bulbs and polyanthus in the hope of getting some beautiful Spring colour and it has worked. Many more bulbs are sticking there heads out and flowering since these photos were taken, it’s wonderful to see each day.

It’s been all about gardening over the past few weeks. Since we moved in, we have wanted to get our vegetable garden really sorted and producing to the max. We decided after building three garden beds last year that we needed another three. So a few weeks back with the help if FIL we built 3 more. Spent the weekend getting knee deep in mud removing the old concrete clothesline base, shrubs and one tree. It’s still a work in progress but I thought I would share the chaos! hehe

The original three vegetable beds we built last year and the big hunk of concrete from the washing line.

The full mess of it all, there were trees and large shrubs along the back wall.

The new garden beds almost ready to plant in. We’ve decided to use the bare fences to grow espalier fruit trees against. On the left hand side behind the shed is where my nice new compost bin is living.

My nice new compost bin and the beginnings of the weed mat that is going to be laid and covered in pebbles all around the gardens beds etc.

I’ve been attending some classes at the Horticultural society to get info on vegetable gardening and fruit trees and they have been very informative, I feel a little more confident now and what I don’t know (which is a lot) I have books, the net or the lovely staff at Orderings(our local garden centre).

We decided with some advice from the garden centre staff to purchase an apple tree (Braeburn), an apricot (Katycot) and my favourite, a black boy peach and golden peach grafted on the same tree! I thought that was SO cool and I’m sure Grace will share my enthusiasm come harvest time! hehe

I’ll share more photos as we progress through the coming months. I have so many plans for our garden, just a matter of time and money catching us up

We’ve had a busy run of weekend’s lately, several masquerade parties to attend.

One of our plunket mum’s had a 30th and we had a blast celebrating with her and our friends, a great excuse to get all dressed up.

Then last weekend Megan had a fabulous 40th party and we joined her in celebrating in style! I heard from a few at the party that they read my blog so a big hello to you, you know who you are ;P

She asked me to make some cupcakes instead of a cake for her birthday and I was more than happy to get creative in the kitchen. I whipped up 50 cupcakes and they looked fab, even if I do say so myself!

Anyhow I’ve just noticed the time is 12.30am!! so I better head to bed. I’ll update with some creative projects over the weekend. Have a fab one and hope the sun shines for you on Father’s day!

I’m really getting into these challenges at Scrappin Patch and surprising myself just how fast I can get them done once I sit down and start to create. I’m loving using the teals, olive greens and browns in so many lovely papers at the moment. This weeks designer was Stephanie Howell and again I had never heard of her but I found her blog to be inspiring and honest. She really writes about her life and how she fits in it,something I want to do more of. Her scrapping style is lovely too and I really enjoyed researching it and putting something on paper. I will certainly be creating those cute wee butterflies again, Craig even though they were cool.

This coming week’s designer is Ronda Palazzari, must get my thinking cap on!

Well it seems we are up to week six of the star’s in their eyes competition over at Scrappin Patch. I’m really enjoying the challenges, each we I think “uh oh” but then once  I sit down and pull some things out the layouts have come together. I’ve used some new techniques and defiantly scrapped out of my comfort zone.

So here is my week six layout in the style of Tara Orr, another scrapper I’d never heard of. My blog reader is looking nice and full with loads of inspiring new blogs to check out though.

Some close ups of the details

Another week done and dusted in the Star’s in their eye’s challenge over at Scrappin Patch.

This week was a real challenge for me, another star I had never heard of! Stacey Michaud was this week’s designer if you want to check out her blog. I scoured her blog and didn’t at first see her style but the more I looked the more I saw repeated things in her work. Again I left it to the last minute, I just don’t seem to be able to get into the swing of things early.

Anyhow this is my take on Stacey Michaud’s work..

A few close up shots.

Luckily so far I’ve liked all of the pages I’ve completed, it’s a fun learning experience and I’m getting layouts completed.. win/win in my opinion

Tomorrow night Craig and I have been invited to a friend’s 30th masquerade party, I wasn’t too sure what to get her so thought I would make her a little mini album about her daughter. Megan made me one of Grace for my birthday and I love it! You can see the rest of the one Megan made for me here on her blog but I pinched this photo from there to show you. As you can see it’s in true Megan style and truly stunning, a real treasure to me. I know how much time and effort goes into these little albums and just love it!

Anyhow here is the little pink album I’ve made for my friend. She’s not a scrapper but I’m sure she will still like it, it’s about her precious wee daughter, how could she not!?!

A post about bits and bobs is what this is, things that are just random

Firstly awhile back some of your may remember I had bought a faded old pink armchair to recover and make pretty. Well after many months I dragged it off to my fab friend Bronwyn’s and she recovered it for me. How flash does it look now! She has a wee home-grown company called “Baby bird creations” You can have a look at her awesome products for your baby bird here on her facebook page.

Check out the original post here:

http://peonygrace.com/2009/11/22/a-little-catch-up/

I got a lovely surprise last week when Craig told me he had ordered me a new camera, it arrived last weekend. I’ve been wanting a good camera for ages, one that takes nice, clear, crisp close up photos and he sorted out what I needed. So I don’t know much about it at all yet but have had so much fun playing and taking photos.

For those of you who know camera’s this is it.. it’s embarrassing how much I don’t know. Hoping to learn and do some Photoshop tutorials at some point.

Earlier in the week Mum and I braved the cold and took Grace to the gardens to feed the ducks.

Grace and I did some baking too, here is the oaty ginger crunch we made and some delicious savoury pinwheel scones.

TAKAKA OATY GINGER CRUNCH from The Wholemeal Cafe, Takaka
Melt:
150 gm butter
2 Tablespoons golden syrup (try to be precise – hold the spoon in boiling water before measuring golden syrup)
3/4 cup brown sugar
Mix together:
3/4 cup coconut
1 & 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup flour
1& 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1& 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Combine wet & dry mixes
Press into 20 x 20 cm pan
Bake 180* C for 25 minutes
When cool, ice with:
4 Tbsp butter
8 Tbsp icing sugar
4 teaspoons golden syrup
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Heat, melt, beat and pour hot icing over cool base

Just because I can a nice rose photo I took with the new camera. Anyhow that’s enough randomness for one day.. off to sort out my mask for tomorrow masquerade party we’ve been invited too.

As you all know Scrappin Patch are holding a 8 or 9 week competition on their forum where each week they pick a well known scrapper and you have to scrap in their style.

Week four saw Zarah Peterson being chosen as the Star scrapper. I’d never heard of her before but was so happy with how much I enjoyed imitating her style. I choose this photo of my plunket group mums, we still catch up weekly 2 yrs on and I’m sure we will be friends for many many more years! 

One of the things I’m enjoying about this challenge is trying out new effects and techniques. In this layout I used bubble wrap to stamp with, I still have to try corrugated cardboard which I spotted on another of Zarah’s layouts. I also have rediscovered my Dimensional magic, I thought it was fab when I first got it many years ago but stopped using it as more things were released. Sometimes it’s great to take a step back and try old things again.

Lately I’ve been asked to make several cakes for events and I love playing about with cake so was delighted to help.  I thought I would share some of my more recent creations.

In our family we had a 90th and a 70th birthday to celebrate all in one weekend a few weeks back and I made two large chocolate cakes with yummy ganache for both celebrations. Unfortunately a bad photo as my camera’s lense kept fogging up. I had to hand paint the gold on the 90 candles (they were baby blue) apparently in the world of cake decorating no one ever gets older than 80. I was happy with how they turned out and the recipe I used was an absolute winner, kept moist for ages. Have shared the recipe below.

Large moist chocolate cake

3.5c flour

3.5 cups sugar

3tsp baking powder

1.5c cocoa

1 cup oil

2cups milk

3tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

4 eggs

1tsp vanilla

2 cups of boiling water

Put all ingredients (except water) in a large bowl, mix well to a batter, add boiling water and mix till smooth. Pour into a greased tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160 for 1hr or until cooked in the centre. (temp and timing will vary depending on your oven.) I used a square tin approx 25cmx25cm and approx 9cm deep and can still make a little cake with excess cake batter.

It gets moister by the day and can be made and iced safely 3-4 days before an event. This recipe was from a kind trader on Trade me forums, name unknown.

Then I whipped up these bright and cheerful vanilla cupcakes for Grace’s actual birthday.

The big round teddy bear chocolate cake I made for Grace’s second birthday party. I used the above recipe and it was lovely and moist even though I made and iced it on the Thursday prior to her Sunday birthday.

A friend of mine’s little boy has also recently turned two and I offered to make the cake for her to help out. She found a design in a book and I did my best to pull it all together. It disappeared at the party and I got some lovely comments about it. I loved the challenge of a boy cake, can’t imagine Grace will ever request bulldozers and cranes

Lastly some cupcakes I made for a friend.

While we are talking about cakes I was sent this link the other day. Hilarious site about how cakes can go wrong, I’m relieved I’ve not ended up on that blog! 

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

As you all know Scrappin Patch are holding a 8 or 9 week competition on their forum where each week they pick a well known scrapper and you have to scrap in their style.

This past week’s chosen scrapper was Elizabeth Kartchner, she’s been a fave of mine for awhile now. Her blog is so pretty with great layouts and the cutest pics of her darling girls. She scraps with a bright and light colour scheme which appeals to me. I guess because she has two wee girls her layouts appeal also, her inspiration and ideas are great for Grace pages.

Again I left the layout until the last minute, I seem to scrap and create at my best under pressure. You can always find me icing cakes or cupcakes at 11pm the night before a party, or like on Saturday I was creating a friend’s engagement card a mere hour before the party.

I really did my homework on Elizabeth’s style and I hope it shows in my layout. I first thought it would be an easy style to scrap but it was one of my bigger challenges. I think it’s because last week with Ingvild’s style I was so out of my element that any effort I was able to make was great. This week however I felt far more comfortable which gave me way more to work with and gave me a block in some ways. IYKWIM? hehe

Here is my take on Elizabeth’s scrapping style…

Whilst web surfing doing research I came across this fab video tutorial. It shows you how to make five different flowers out of everyday items. Well worth watching. I made the first fabric flowers for my layout but can also see myself making the cupcake paper flowers in future!

I also came across this great site for free fonts.. a must for all you scrappy ladies Easy to download and install all in one hit.

To recap over at Scrappin Patch they are holding a 8 or 9 week competition where each week they pick a well known scrapper and you have to scrap in their style.

This week the chosen scrapper was Ingvild Bolme, I’d never heard of her when they announced her name but have done loads of hunting and think this week I got a lot closer to her style than I did with Steph Devlin.

I must admit I was a little worried when I first saw her work, it is the polar opposite to mine! I have got through that now and I did enjoy really thinking about so many elements on one page. You do need a lot more time and a different range of product to scrap like this! Thankfully the very kind Debbie B had sent me a lovely parcel of goodies and it was more this style so had something to play with, thanks Debbie!!

Next week’s artist is Elisabeth Kartchner, hopefully her work should be a little easier but stepping outside the square has been fun on this layout, however I’m stepping back inside my square! hehe