My first ever proper painting!

Here she is! More roses!! Gah! 

I may go back and put some more highlights in the roses, as the leaves turned out a little lighter and brighter, and I think I prefer that compared with the roses. (I did highlight the flowers quite heavily, but it has been lost since the addition of the leaves, and appears a bit muted).

Also, as per usual I mix up too much colour and have leftovers so I made a little cosmos/poppy type of flower. Lol I'm not sure what it is. 

Wow! I painted! With brushes! All my life I have told myself I couldn't do it! Right now there is a 14 year old girl inside me "flippin' the bird" at my year 8 art teacher!!! This one is for you Mrs Ross!! The 30 something year old me is recalling How you made me feel in art class. What you did and said to me effected me greatly. How dare you! how many student did you humiliate and ridicule? Oh the irony, as here I am building a business, around things I create! 

More Oil Paintin' Shenanigans....

Ok so I wanted to get the rose right. I'm getting there, although I think I used too much texture medium this time and it will probably all fall apart. I guess we will see after it has 'dried' but here it is. A more dramatic rose picture. 

I had quite a lot of textured white paint left over, and my next painting I wanted to try clouds. Or a "skyscape" if you like :) so I formed the borders of the clouds with the paint/paste and added the colour the following day. I plan on adding a caption/lettering something along the lines of "keep dreamin'." Or "its ok to have your head in the clouds", "dream big, fly high" ......... Oh you get the point. I'm sappy. Lol

I also had some mushed purple and white left from forming the roses above, that I used for a backdrop for a little starfish. Lol I'm not sure what roses, clouds and starfish have to do with anything, or where exactly they came from. But I'm having fun! 

"A moment in time"

Another palette knife picture! I think I may have to graduate to brushes soon. Eep! 

Baby cakes :)

I needed to have a crack at painting something that wasn't floral! Lol. Also a different surface too. This is for my two year old, who is affectionately called " baby cakes". 

Big basket!

Loooove this, I'm very happy with it! Not bad for a few hours work. The slight case of RSI was totally worth it. Ill definitely make more of these! I like it when some of my interests combine! (I think that my basket weaving has a pottery feel to it- love my basket/pot haha!). Tell me what you think!! 

 

Oil painting.

Oil paint. Textured. Pallet knives. Yep. Clearly I've never done this before. 

Home office :)

Not that we really have the space, but what the hey?! I need some creative space!! Today I reorganise and resort my office! Woo hoo! Hopefully the new space will help inspire me to draw! I need to finish the artwork for my business cards!! Want to have them ordered by Friday! (Self imposed deadline!) hehe! Oh and to find some Eco friendly packaging options. I have found some excellent ones but, I need some labels (like stickers) any ideas?

Tahlia's dancer cupcakes :)

With the help of an amazing cake stand the husband made for me, these cupcakes sure do have appeal!! I am getting better at this cake making bizzo! I only went an hour overtime this time! Haha! Tell me what you think! 

Sneak peek of latest soap.

Just sliced and ready for curing. I am expecting some colour changes over the cure time, so will post an update when ready to use (with new photos, full descriptions, ingredients etc). 

Basket # 2

The pictures say it all. Old curtain wire, fabric, a bit of time and imagination and whalah! Basket # 2. Should hold a big old bath bomb, a soap, maybe some bath salts or massage oil. Nice little hamper basket. Recycled/ upcycled. Reusable. Pretty. I plan on doing more of these sculpted baskets with disused electrical cords.

Sweet cous-cous <3

Nom nom! 

Try this for brekky or a light meal/ snack!! Yummo! Chocked full of energy and goodness!! 

I usually soak my cous-cous in hot water and butter, but this time I used a couple of teaspoons if coconut oil in with the water instead. I threw in some currants, cranberries, chopped fig, cinnamon, coconut, linseeds and sunflower seeds. Served with a dollop of coconut cream :) 

Why not mix up a quick and nutritious cous-cous snack! How do you like yours? 

Beanie band!

Using up the last of my old wool, I have made a little winter headband for my "I-am-obsessed-with-headbands" two year old:) she loves it! Yay!! 

Quick project!

Treated myself to a sit down this afternoon, and to watch a movie, my restless hands however were kept busy making a little scarf! Hehe. Very quick and easy double treble crotchet, from and old ball that really needed using up :)

Basket weaving/ hampers/ gift baskets..

I am very interested in basket weaving! From raw and recycled materials. But until I learn what plants to use and how to process them I am trying a few forms of fabric weaving. The following photo is an example of fabric crotchet. I like it! And I have a ton of fabric that was given to me to use up! This little basket will be perfect for my gift hampers at my market stall! Recycled. Renewable. Reusable.

Business card holder!

For my fabulous market stall, I'll be needing a business card holder! So my hubby made me one! Flash! Thanks honey! Xx 

This little pig is going to market!

It's time, to get honest. I'm sick to death of this stay at home mum business. I may have actually lost my mind at some point. Seriously. Playing house and cleaning sticky, pooey kids, sorting incessant squabbling and bickering- just ain't my bag anymore! Does that make me a bad mum? Probably, but I'm past the point of caring.

I've been in this parenting gig now for 14 years, I need something for me! I want a "real job" I'm craving satisfaction and recognition for my efforts and skills. 

But...... I also cannot put my kids into a child care centre or have other people caring for them for more hours than I do (and feeding them hell knows what, and being sick all the time). Not to mention the massive issues I have with the 'one size fits all approach' that I have experienced in the past with different child care providers and/ or centres. 

The big problem is, there is no job out there for me. Nothing I wouldn't become bored and frustrated with on day 1! I can't do mind numbing repetition, nor bureaucratic bullshit. I'm just not built for it. I also can't go back to making other people rich working for a boss. Its time to get real. What do I want and how am I going to get it? 

My husband (and I) still want me at home with the kids full time. Our values are important to us! (and I'm an idealist). Haha. I want to create things and people buy it! Basically. At least plant a seed of thought, or open people up to some different ideas. I want to run my own business. I dipped my toe in the water with the cake making business. It was too limiting, not to mention kind of going against what I am about. It made me realise what is important to me. I still want to incorporate it, but to have the focus on other things. 

I want it all. I want to feed, nourish, educate, celebrate and 'share the love' with everyone. (Those who know me, know I mean that in a totally non weird way! Haha!) And.... I want to do it in a way that has the least possible environmental impact! Forget Eco friendly! I'm an Eco lover!! Hehe (again, not a weirdo). 

I figured I can do my own thing at my pace during the week, allowing me to still do all my motherly duties and kidwrangling as necessary. But also creating stuff. Lots of stuff. Come Sunday, I'm heading to market!!! I am already a regular at my local markets, only soon ill have my own site to sell my wares!! Haha perfect! I'm focusing on my soaps and the like to start, but will be adding plants, breads/ other food items, and all forms of handmade goodies. Ill do cakes on the side, and also from home, I hope to add my personal training into the mix maybe next year. 

I absolutely love the idea of the markets! Why didn't I think of this sooner?? It's outdoors for a start (bonus!) and it's like having a shop, for one day a week! And being a market, my eclectic mix of stuff will fit right in! haha The best thing - no kids, no babysitters/ child care centers etc. I actually don't even care if I don't sell anything. Seriously. I'll only be down $10 for the site fee, and who wouldn't pay that for a morning break from the kids? Bahaha  

But speaking of the kids, I think that my new venture (and running) not only gets me through those monotonous, depressing, frustrating days that come with having 5 kids but is re-inspiring me at home too. That can only be a good thing!

I am very excited! My sister and I are teaming up starting at the Caboolture Country Markets on Sunday the 7th of July! I hope to be there weekly! Or maybe do a circuit, we will work it out as we go! We will be the silly looking pair, that don't know where they're going/what they're doing!! Haha 

I apologise for the lengthy story, just felt the need to explain how I have got to this point, and some factors that needed to be considered. etc. Stay tuned to the blog to see some of the things I'll be creating getting ready for market!! 

Big thank you to my hubby Jessie, who is always so supportive and helping out with the kids, and making stuff for me! Also my sister Mel, also for helping with the kiddies and always encouraging.  Im looking forward to this adventure together! 

 

More soap!

Oatmeal milk and honey:

Jasmine shampoo bars:

Thats it for the basics, The next few batches of soap will be a little more colourful and fancy-like! Haha 

Siobhan's Cake

This was my first official paid cake! 

I had fun (mostly) and learnt lot. I grossly underestimated the time this cake would take, and a few little issues arose during the making, that I didn't consider. 

I must admit, I am a little disappointed. But the cake picture I was working from, was a dummy cake (only the top tier was real). If could slap a bit of fondant around a polystyrene circle and stick gold paper to it too, it would have been fine. bahaha! I ended up running out of room, time and gold paint, so I couldn't do the "happy birthday" lettering as promised. :( The gold paint, was barely a pass! The zig zag stencil was horrid! The pink fondant ended up being too thick, which is not great (any richly reddish colours- you can taste)..and a few other little niggly bits....this cake went approx 6 hours overtime, well and truly enough time for the perfectionistic monster who lives within, to rear it's ugly head!! 

The vanilla cake itself was great though, very happy with that. 

I hope Siobhan has a wonderful birthday celebration, and enjoys my hard work!! She was a very forgiving first client! :) Thanks Siobhan :))

Enough rambling, Here are some pictures. 

A teaser.....

A little snippet of today's projects...

Enriching, moisturising, tea tree shampoo bars! For dry/ damaged hair.

Castile soap. Only when I say Castile, I mean Castile. Dude, it's not pure if you put a bunch of other $@&t in it!!! This bar is not fragranced. This will be ideal as a baby soap, on mature or very sensitive skin, and perfect for face cleansing. 

Spearmint toothpaste! Experimental batch, because my normal batch is getting far too hard now the weather had cooled off!

I also made oatmeal, milk and honey  soap, a basic shampoo bar with a beautiful jasmine fragrance. I'll  post a pic tomorrow when I cut them up!! 

Pencil portrait.

This was something I have wanted to do for a long time, and time it did take! Three weeks on and off. Im guessing maybe 18 hours all up?!?! This sketch is the first if this kind I have ever attempted. I used HB, 2B, and 2H pencils. There are some bits I'm not quite happy with, but I decided to not run the risk of destroying the paper from constantly rubbing out and redoing. 

I really enjoyed this project. Staring at my dreamy husband really isn't a chore! Lol thank you to my 'Mr Miagi' of the art world and best sister ever. I may not have got this finished without you, thanks champ. 

Making of Alexandra's Birthday Cake.

Alexandra aka "stealth muncher" managed to get a hold if the tea pot spout and eat a big chunk off the end, so with limited time left, I had to alter it. I decided to make it a tea cup. It was all downhill from there. My swiss meringue buttercream split. The colour worked in my mind, but turned out excruciatingly monotone! I was not happy at all with this cake. Not my finest that is for sure. But the apple tea cake itself was perfection, so it wasn't all bad. Hehe. Alexandra didn't seem to mind either! :) 

Another great recycling idea!

I saw these at my local markets, what a great idea! 

I took a picture to show the family, and we googled, there are some absolutely fantastic ideas out there! From planters as above to belts, furniture, water features.....Far to many to list. What a delight! Seeing so many fabulous and highly attractive creations, made from horrifically ugly old tyres!!! Great stuff! 

Recycling idea!