Apple Cakes "Easy Peasy Recipe"

ingredients:
150g butter, cubed
1 tspn vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups wholemeal self raising flour, sifted
1 tspn cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
3 red apples


1. preheat oven to 180 degrees c, put 12 paper muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin tin.
beat butter, sugar & vanilla in a  small bowl with electric  mixer until pale & creamy.
add eggs, beat between each addition.

2. transfer to a large bowl. stir in flour,cinnamon, & milk until smooth.
peel & grate the flesh of  1 apple into mixture, stir until combined.
spoon mixture into paper cases, 2/3 full.
quarter & core remaining apples, then slice thinly.
put 5 slices on top of each cake.

3. bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden & a skewer inserted into cakes comes out clean..
cool on a wire rack

i found this recipe in a "home journal" magazine. their recipe used unsalted butter & white flour.
to find more Easy Peasy recipes look at mezzmakesstuff
(raylee).

Starry Nights

here is the latest creation...

leftover shirts and blouses cut into rough shapes..

then sewn together for a new look...

 



with the sparkly bits in the grey...

and stars on the black...

the theme became starry nights...

 

the quilt is big enough to cover the top of a single bed...

just another sheet for the back...

no wadding...

no need for the weight and warmth in this place...

Jeans Apron

i have cleared my messy work table.......well just a bit to do some sewing this last week.
 i have a box full of old denim waiting to be used, so to start i made this apron from a pair of shorts.
i am not really a wearer of aprons unless it is my art apron, & sometimes i don't remember to wear it , so a lot of my clothes have  paint & glue on them.
 but i like to make one occasionally just to see what i can come up with.
 then i give them away to those who enjoy their kitchen time more than i do.
 do you like to bake / cook?
 do you wear an apron?
 if so, do you make your own or buy them ready made?
(raylee).

Zig Zag Crochet

here it is......my first zig zag crochet rug, it measures approximately 1.5 m x 1.5 m. made mostly from yarn bought at garage sales, that's why the colours are a bit random!
 have you tried zig zag crochet?
 it's really easy when you know how.
 yes, i am going to make another one!.......when i complete the granny square project i have in the making.
(raylee).

recycled boxes

during the last school holiday break...

we had a session of recreating some boxes..

Miss 6 excitedly requested a house...

loosely based on a plastic model she spotted in a catalogue...

 

the dad got involved and set about creating the stairs...

building the supporting column for the upper storey..

and finding some paint and brushes...

colours chosen by the Miss...

 



the chippy turned up and got his fingers gluey

correcting details on the structural support column...

 



 

Miss 2 also had a bit of a go with the paint...

but found it hard to wait for it to dry...

so she could have a play...

the white blob on the second level...

could be a light fitting...

glitter like disco ball I beleive....in progress...

Portraits & The 5x5 Project

Have you had a look at thealteredpage?

Seth asked artists to participate in a 5x5 project, which i did.......you can see my contribution on his blog Sunday 18/11/2012.

this was a challenge for me as i am fairly new to mixed media art, also working so small & trying to put everything  i wanted to say into such a small space was a real test.

(raylee).

Red Shoes, Material Girl.......

.......& have second helpings ......anytime you like!!

(raylee).

Mixed Media Art

"Heartbroken"........torn painted paper , water soluble crayon on acrylic primed watercolour paper & a small stray feather.
(raylee).

Softies for Mirabel "Ichi"

(raylee).

Purple Flower Mixed Media Art Collaboration

re posting some of my favourite mixed media art.........until i take some photos of my latest work.

 this one started out with torn pieces of old reject watercolours stuck onto another watercolour......

 & some more pieces from a pen & wash of gum leaves.......

 this didn't inspire me, so i painted over it with gesso......

 found a silk shirt Simonne had sent to me......ripped it up, stuck it down, arranged the pen & wash bits to form a flower shape......

 added some more silk &  some colour to the centre  of the flower.......framed it in the back of an old canvas with torn lace table cloth, also from Simonne, a doily, paper with stitching from a cat litter bag, sticks from beach walks, round metal cap, a spring from old secateurs & wrapped with rusty wire i rescued before it was put in the bin!

 so Simonne has participated in this art work, even though she doesn't know what i do with the bits & pieces she sends me until i complete something. without her input it just wouldn't be the same! thanks Simonne!!

if you like mixed media art....... have a look at  thealteredpage.
it is one of my favourite blogs!.....you will see some amazing stuff over there!!........check out the "5x5" project posted every sunday by Seth Apter. 
(raylee).

Messy Work Table

some photos of my messy table this afternoon.........painted papers,

 things in a box,

 pencils & pins, mail,

 more pencils, paint brushes, ribbon & a knife,

 sewing machine, glue, glue sticks, clock, papers,

 scissors, zippy ties in a stubby cooler, more ribbons, sticky tape,

a belt & a toy zebra waiting for repairs, more painted papers.
how messy is your work area? can you top this mess?
 ihanna asked to see some messy work areas, not the usual neat & tidy ones........so this was mine today! whoops.......i forgot to put the fabric pile in!!......just use your imagination......(raylee)..

Wee Jasper Journal - "Nell"

Her name was Ellen Mary, but she was known as "Nell".. to me she was Nana Grace, my great grandmother. she lived in a house built by the men in her family. timber cut from the bush, dirt floors, walls papered with newspaper & magazine pages to keep the draughts out .no running water, it was carried from the river in  buckets made from kerosene tins. no electricity, there was a fuel stove but most of the cooking was done on an open fire. light was from  kerosene lamps or candles. there was always a garden......flowers, fruit trees & vegetables. she made jams, pickles & preserves in jars, sewed clothes & furnishings. her days were full of work but she found time to embroider.
 i found the images that relate to her life in magazines, the hollyhocks a photo from my sisters garden. a copy of one of her old pot holders she had made from old "cretonne" kitchen curtains. (if you click onto the photo you will see where i have added stitching over her original stitches on the pot holder).her "waste not, want not" ways have stayed with me.
i have used some soluble crayon to soften some of the images.tea chests were used as storage boxes. there was always a kettle boiling for a cup of tea. the butterflies represent the freedom to play outside without fear,(except for the turkeys that used to chase me every time i needed to use "the long drop" which was on the other side of the fence surrounding the house). the cat represents the animals that were always at her house......my first home on the Goodradigbee  river , Wee Jasper. (raylee).

Sketch Book Challenge

October's theme was "Cabinet of Curiosities",........ i don't have a cabinet of curiosities ......but you will find dead butterflies & bits of dragonflies in a square glass jar, several feathers stuck here & there around the house, or in the car, also  old door handles, buttons, old tape measures, bobbins, thimbles just to name a few things.....i won't mention the things that end up in the freezer!!!!....... 

i know it's november already, .......better late than never!.... (raylee).