jamfancy

Hello

Just got back my first two finished ceramics pieces from this term.  I did these ones at home so Im very relieved they have survived all their travelling to get back here in one piece.

Bat girl in a tutu

and a bandit/hero girl

This little Pierrot is just about to get a bit of sanding down, then I will glaze her and take her in to class for a firing, that ruffle was sheer Hell to make by the way so I hope she doesnt explode in the kiln!

I have a bunny head to pick up this week too, I do love doing ceramics!

bye

Christina

Hello

Bicycles and Boaters to be precise.  I find myself obsessing about both items and not really needing either, in fact I have a bike and a boater, but they aren’t so nice as these ones are….

Look at this beauty in palest peachy pink from Retrovelo

Love the white tyres

then there are all the delightful accessories to buy as well, this one is from the retrovelo store

and I have coveted these for a very long time and just found them online and shipping to Australia here

they had these rather natty seat covers as well

Then there are the boaters, I have a pin head though and finding one that really fits has lead to my now owning three, with only one of them really doing the job.  Should have waited till the new Spring collections from Japan.

Adam et Rope:

and this blue one from I cant remember where

and these arent boaters but what the Hell, I love them too!

This one is from Mother and its soooo green and insanely pricey at nearly $300

this one is from Chou Chou de Maman and at least it would fit my head*L*

Oh well, I just dont need any of it so I will have to be satisfied with the joy of seeing lovely things.

Hello

Ive been sitting on these cloth “dolls” for what seems like ages, something unpleasant occurred, then something pleasant in the shape of a holiday and now finally they are up for sale in the Etsy store.

Introducing “Five Little Girls”

There are five dolls in a drawstring bag, with one special guest, I put him in a mask in these photos for a “disguise”, but its just drawn on to keep you in suspense*L*  They were printed using my laser printer on to fabric, then cut out, laboriously machine sewn (it has made me a much faster sewer!) and stuffed.  They have no real practical purpose but can hang any old place around your home, or maybe make a Christmas appearance on the tree?  Im sure the bag could be handy for something too.

All the details are at the store, sorry about the horrible shipping price for overseas people, its the problem with living so far away in Australia, I tried to make it as reasonable as possible though.

Here they all are:

plus one mystery chap

Thanks and bye

Christina

Hello

Paul made the most lovely heart shaped rose and raspberry macaron for a friends Birthday last week and I want to show it off a bit!

It is filled with homemade raspberry jam and chantilly cream, which is just cream with vanilla, but it tastes wonderful

and here it is just before it was eaten up

It was such a lovely day.

Hello

Just finished off this bunch of girl Hero’s as a slightly late entry to the Japanese Luvable Huggable for this year

There is Grumpy Girl Hero

Sensible Girl Hero

and Reading Girl Hero, who might be a little sister or something

I made little tags for them as well in case the Japanese people were wondering what they were all about

I hope they find nice new homes in Japan, and I think I may have to make a few more.  I tried a new way of attaching the neck so they are nice and non-floppy and I think an “Eating Girl Hero” and a “Gothic Girl Hero” are on the cards as well.  I even think I may do a little boy, “Windy/Farty Boy Hero”?

Hello

Ive put some new work in the Etsy store, hope you like some of it

I think my favourites are two new Girl Hero’s, Grumpy and the original Sensible Girl Hero, ready with her pencil

and this little drummer girl

Thanks for looking.

Hello

Its a bit crazy as its so hot in Melbourne today, but Im just mad for all those fair Isle, folklore, nordic looking, knits that seem to be all over the Northern Hemisphere fashion world

Ive nabbed this dress from Colkinikha for myself, I dread trying it on this week in such heat though*L*

I really wanted this dress from Syrup , but couldnt find any way of getting my hands on it

and how cool are these?  Fair Isle converse

but you dont have to stop at a dress and shoes, you can be kitted out head to toe in knickers….

leggings and sort of over the sock, socks (all from Ragsista I think)

arm covers and slippers too

It really is much too hot to be looking at knits, but I will be a happy girl come Winter!

Hello

Paul made a huge amount of chocolates this year as Christmas presents, they are much more complicated to do than I ever knew, so much work, but they really were very good, tasty and pretty as well.

We looked everywhere for white boxes with plastic windows, but had to settle on this for the packaging in the end

There are two different types here, the filled and the ones that are dipped and then you put a transfer on the top.  It all starts with melting, then tempering the chocolate, this forms a particular kind of crystal in the chocolate so that when it hardens it will be nice and shiney with a crisp bite to it.

Tempering involves a lot of shoving about of the chocolate with spatulas, it looks quite fun

For the moulded chocolates you then fill up the moulds and tap them out, should have seen all the chocolate all over the place!  Then after a day they are ready for filling, these were caramel.  He did raspberry ganache, passionfruit ganache and an orange cointreau as well

Somehow we missed out pictures of the dipping ones, they are solidish centres that you fill a square of plastic with, let them set, cut them into squares and dip.  The fillings were lovely, based on a hazelnut praline, all crispy caramel with delicious hazelnuts, we still have a tub of it that I keep dipping into.  The transfers are amazing, you press on a little square of pattern after you have the dipped chocolate, then next day peel them off and voila!

I completely missed out on getting my share of these too as I was  home on Christmas day babysitting our cat as he had just had surgery on his ear.  Paul was in such a panic to get all the food in the car that morning not a spare was left!

Hello

Not sure why, but in making a  picture for Pauls handmade chocolate packaging we came up with the idea of a little bandit chef.

Hello

Well, this was new last year………….but as I havent made anything new this year thought I would put up pictures of it again.  It was the rather creeepy white faux wood wreath that set this all off

Alice’s Tea Party

and the white Rabbit

Hansel and Gretel

and things you would find in the woods

Red Riding Hood too, she really needs a wolf though I think, maybe just a quick sewing project for today……………………

Paul has comandeered my sewing table though to make filled chocolates, perhaps I should just document the messy chocolatey fun instead!