A favourite recipe

this is something I have to share with  you - one of my favourite recipes.  it is SO yummy, you have to try it!  Let me know what you think if you do...

I usually make a batch of this and spread it on both sides of a salmon fillet then pan fry and have a big spoonful of it served with the salmon, on a potato and sweet potato mash with steamed snow peas and asparagus - YUM

Coriander and Cashew Pesto

3/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, tightly packed

1 level tsp sambal oeleck (chilli paste)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup cashews

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 tbs grated orange zest

2 1/2 tbs fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp white pepper

5 tbs light olive oil

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs tamari soy sauce

salt to taste

Place all in a food processor to make a paste.  I usually make a double batch.  it's also great spread on Chicken fillets or mixed through a wok full of green prawns and scallops.  

Enjoy....

My favourite Christmas Card

This is my fave Christmas card I received this year - all the way from the UK, from a friend I met in Thailand 16 years ago.  It's actually a Unicef card and I love the design

Cushions

I made a few cushions yesterday and today....

 

and here they are 35x35cm and all under $30 in the Pod Collective shop from tomorrow

I just ordered these things and can't wait to get them!

Japanese sewing tape - I got the music notes in black, should make some nice purse handles

Japanese canvas fabric - I love this

Love these mushroom buttons - they make me think of Enid Blyton

More recycled golden books

This one was called 'Cats' and I've made a set of coasters for cat lovers...

Paper Crane

This is my first paper crane...

Buck Rogers

This card is made from an old 'Buck Rogers' Golden Book.

Beatles Coasters

These are a Christmas present - some coasters made from an old 1980s high school music textbook, they have about 10 layers of lacquer so should be pretty tough...  I usually make coasters from old atlas pages but the possibilities are endless!!

Echino Scooter Tote Bag

Just made this today - I have so much Echino fabric I thought a tote would be a good idea

New Handbags

I finally got around to using this laminated cotton.  It has a feel like oilcloth and is waterproof so can be wiped clean.  I made 2 handbags, with slightly different strap variations. One has the straps sewn into the bag and the other has them attached to the outside.  Both have a long strap so you can wear the bag across your body as well as over the shoulder and have magnetic closures.  .  The fabric is 'Carnival' by Michael Miller.  Both bags have a matching coin purse with wrist strap.  They both also have 2 internal cotton pockets and a keyring with clip so you can attach your keys and always find them!! I'm going to put these in the Pod Collective shop for $59.95 including the matching purse - a bargain!! 

December

I have slowed down a bit lately on making stuff....  have been painting Max's room and other things so haven't had a lot of new things to put on the blog.....here are a few pics of what's in the Pod Collective shop at the moment - my website/online shop has started getting busier which is great - most of my stock is in the shop at Boyne Island but I still have quite a few things in the online shop

Satchel Bags

I've been a bit slack with updating my blog lately, too much time on the computer!  So I thought it's about time I put something on.   These are the latest satchel bags I've made.  I'll have some new purses on here soon too!

Bits and Pieces

I've been making a few Kokeshi Doll Pendants lately in a couple of different sizes.  They look really cute with coloured or black leather cords.  

This is a custom order.  I just made a bag like this with recycled denim and this is a request from a friend for a birthday gift.  

Now this is something for a special person who might have a thing about cats!  It's all squashed up in this pic, but it's a hand made glass tile pendant made into a bracelet with big beautiful pink Swarovski crystals and pearl beads and a gorgeous flower toggle clasp. 

Free Envirosax!!

I just posted a special on my online shop - for any online orders between 10th and 20th of November I will be giving away a FREE envirosax shopping bag!!  these are great, I use mine all the time for groceries, kids swimming bags and they are so light and fold up in your bag.  You can check them out here

More painting

This is my latest painting of the Boyne River - acrylic on canvas.  It's about 90cm x 60cm

pegs

I love how these pegs look - covered in Japanese chiyogami papers and waiting to made into magnets...

recycled denim bag

This bag was made using the leg of a preloved pair of jeans, then I used some Japanese print fabrics to do the bird.  I love music notes fabric so used this for the leaves and the vine and legs are hand stitched with embroidery thread. 

Kombi Van

I made this Kombi Van glass tile pendant today and also started a bag like the one in the last post.  This time I putting a bird applique on it and a really cute Amy Butler brad/button.  Will post that one next...  Didn't do much else this weekend in the art or craft department but enjoyed sleeping in for a change...

Special gifts for a special birthday girl

This set is a birthday present for a special little friend of ours turning 3 - and I hope she loves it.  The applique hearts are made from a gorgous textured Japanese 'Sakura' cotton and the bag is made from preloved refashioned denim.  The necklace is hidden inside the bag and is made with some beautiful freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals and silver alphabet beads... we can't wait to give it to her tomorrow...

More little taggy quilts

Here are some I finished today...

more sewing coming very soon.....

Recently I have been doing more painting than sewing - but I am now feeling the urge to start sewing again, especially since receiving this fabric yesterday! Isn't it beautiful!   It's great having the granny flat to do all my sewing in but it's a bit dark so I've been looking for a really good lamp so I can sew at night too.  We don't have a huge range of choices around here, and after trying unsuccessfully to get help from a local business over the phone, I found a great lighting shop online where the staff were more than happy to help me and I will shortly have an excellent new lamp and be able to see what I'm doing!


So... soon I will be much more productive with my sewing and looking forward to making some special new things in time for Christmas!!  I have already been out to the shed and found some old flyscreen so plan to make some groovy beach bags with that -  like Jacqui made in an earlier post.  So keep your eye on this blog for some new interesting things coming soon.....

Little Tag Play Quilt

I recently had a market at Calliope Historical Village, a few weeks ago anyway, and had a request to make a little soft quilt with ribbon tags for a baby to use as a comforter.  So anyway, it's taken me this long to get around to doing some and this is the first finished one.  The cupcake fabric is a soft flannel and cotton polka dots on the other side.  With 12 ribbon tags it makes it something I'm sure a baby would love to hold and feel.  I have 4 more ready to sew and hopefully they'll be in the Pod shop this week.  

These would be great to take shopping and in the car to keep your baby occupied, or to lay baby’s head on when on the floor.  They have a layer of wadding in the middle to make them soft and you could clip them to your pram and baby will be occupied by all the textures of the ribbons and the colourful patterns.  They are approx 28cm x 24cm.

Cupcake excitement

I have just ordered some amazing goodies made from felt for a certain little girl for Christmas....  Aren't they gorgeous! I got them on this blogsite.   They will go very well with some special things Ali Bird is making for me.

Super crafty friends

I had to share this totally awesome bag with you.  Made by my clever crafty friend Jacqui, it's made from recycled flyscreen and made to take to the beach.  I love it, and she has used the Echino 'Migratory Birds' fabric by Japanese designer Etsuko Furuya and her own funky bias binding made just before dashing out to the beach today.

  I think I might have to make one for myself too!

Kokeshi Doll painting/collage

These were really fun to do.  They are acrylic on canvas and using Japanese Chiyogami paper for the kimono.  There are also some rhinestones to make them sparkle and some white ink for Japanese words in the background.  The top one is 40cm x 50cm and the bottom one is 30cm x 40cm.