A School Day at Orana Park

The keeper gave all the kids a few pellets to feed the Llama

plotting and planning what they want to see

We saw Lions

and tigers

Yes it was end of term and the school trips all started happening. I took six year 3and4 children in my car (along with a convoy of other parents) to Orana Park for the day. We saw Lions, Tigers, native birds, fed Llama's, fed Giraffes, watched someone in with Cheetah's (actually stroking them like a domestic cat!!). A very excited but tired bunch of kids came home.

Jakob's term 4 award

The genius

Congratulations to Jakob who recieved one of only two awards for his class. He was awarded a certificate for excellence in Reading Comprehension and Maths. Woo hoo.. I clapped and cheered my little heart out. ( I do think I could have been the noisiest parent there).

A bit blurry but there are the syndicate award winners

What do normal people do on a Saturday night?

I think of myself as highly normally usually but tonight I am not so sure. I have spent the last 1.5 hours making jam. Yes it is now 10.25pm and I have just finished and bottled up the second batch of jam for the night. Even I think that is a bit strange!! But the fruit wont stay fresh through willpower. So there are 3 jars of Strawberry jam and 8 jars of Blackcurrant jam all made. Yummy yum yum.

Oh my goodness see what I found

The most amazing restyling reusing of jerseys etc ever!!! This one for Mieke I think
http://www.etsy.com/people/EnlightenedPlatypus

Kids Crafty in Dunedin

Ruth by the worst ever public sculpture

Alice and Eli working hard at their craft

My wool pincushion

Two weekends ago we went to Dunedin for a long weekend. Alice had learnt how to do crochet peggy squares so I was asked to bring all my remnant wool for her. Ruth got me inspired to do a wool pincushion. Using scraps from old jackets, some thread and collected buttons. Eli decided he should start stitching so he diligently started embroidering in a straight line on wool. He worked very hard at it. Ruth and I went to the worst craft show I have ever been too. Made us laugh. On the way home walking around the harbour we came to the worst ever Public sculpture. I said "it looks like teeth". Apparently it was meant to look like rotting teeth - the artist was inspired by teeth decay!!! Goodness me

Suggest a name for my crafty business

Hi All,
I need a name. The craft fair was successful, I am doing patchwork lessons and designing patterns. They are all mixed on this blog. I need a proper craft based blog and cannot think of a name.
I was using J.A.K.E Creations (standing for Jakob, Aaron, Karen and Eli) but this is boring
I have tried using "The Changing Room" but is sounds more like clothes.
I have thought of "Karens Recreations" - not very inspiring.

So help me please. I want something that reflects the recycling, upcycling eco aspect as well as design and making craft and patterns.

Other names I like which are used by other businesses - Sewn New - Piece (for creative minds)  = see the play on words etc. Mine is a lot of sewing and stitching work but not all, I recover some furniture etc.

So help me please

Fantastic food while camping - breakfast

waiting for the cooking to finish

Saturday morning dawned and we were hungry. So American style pancakes were made and eaten with great gusto. Served with Strawberries and banana and either maple syrup or lemons and sugar. Delicious
Very easy to do camping as can be cooked in any fry pan.
Now that I have my swift egg beater in the caravan it makes it even easier. It only takes a few staple ingredients always at hand. Eggs, Milk and flour

a plate waiting for it's pancake

the basic ingredients

The finished, ready to eat, breakfast.

Breakfast Pancakes

Into a bowl put;                                      makes enough for 2-3 people

½ teaspoon sugar

1 cup of flour

Then get another bowl and separate 2 eggs. Put the egg whites into your new bowl and the egg yolks into the flour mixture.

Add one cup of milk to the egg and flour bowl and mix really well so there are no lumps.

Beat the egg whites till stiff then carefully mix them into the batter.

Heat a frypan or gridle to warm and put a nob of butter in the pan.

Make one pancake at a time by pouring at least ½ cup of mixture into the frying pan, when the mixture has bubbles popping then turn the pancake and cook the other side.

Serve with butter and maple syrup or lemon juice and sugar

Camping on show weekend

Well show weekend has just passed and we had a lovely weekend away camping at the Andrew's Shelter off Whites Bridge in the Arthur's Pass National Park. There were two other people in vans, a few sandflies (though not enough that we could not be outside), a little bit of rain one day, a lovely (but very cold stream) and our caravan. I have often looked at people who make bean teepees and though it looked easy. So we made that our mission on Saturday. Had great fun doing it but the result was a bit wonky and too big to fit in the car or caravan to take home. So Mark II will be coming up soon. The kids said we were like Bear Grylls but that he made better stuff!!!

Beginners quilting lessons

Paula and Steff learning binding

For the last two months I have been doing a series of beginners quilting lessons. 4 friends get together once a fortnight and learn four different things. The quilts that are coming out as first quilts are amazing. The piecing is precise, the colour choices are varied and they have even all quilted their own tops together. Very brave ladies.

Lesson 1: how to cut using a rotary cutter and mat, patchworking strips of material

Lesson 2: making squares and the assembly of nine patch blocks

Lesson 3: half square triangles completed two different ways

Lesson 4: pining a patchwork top out with batting and backing, quilting a top

Lesson 5: binding.

Shirley planning her next quilt

Some of the results of lesson 3

All done

Asparagus and eggs with hollandaise sauce

Two weekends in a row I have made myself my favourite lunch. Fresh asparagus from the garden (literally picked 3 mins before going in the pot), a poached egg or two that were laid that morning by the chooks and lovely hollandaise sauce made on my stove using my Cordon Bleu Recipe from the days of training at the academy in London.

Getting ready for the fair

On Saturday there is a street fair at Leithfeild. My sister and I decided to buy a stall and are setting up (weather permitting - if it is not good then I get to sleep in!!). This is a tester to see if some of the things we do have a commercial value. We would love to do a stall about once every six months. Anyway it has motivated some fast finishing and last night I managed to paint and stretch material over a pin board and finish some lavender hearts. (Which had only been sitting around unfinished for the last year). They look a bit like bunny ears filled and somehow I did not get the tape right for hanging. But hey my pattern will improve next time.

I love the pin board and will not be disappointed if it does not sell - I have a perfect wall to put it on.