Thursday, June 30, 2016

no bake rolo slice


Here's a quick and easy slice that keeps 
well but doesn't last long once
they know what it tastes like!

One 200g block rolo chocolate
A tube of 200g condensed milk
250g pkt plain biscuits crushed
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup butter
150g extra plain chocolate 
and 2tbsp copha for icing

Gently melt the butter and condensed milk.
Break the rolo chocolate into pieces 
and add to the butter and milk.
Stir over low heat until smooth.
Add to crushed biscuits and coconut
and mix very well.
Press into a slice pan and refrigerate.

Melt the extra chocolate and copha
and pour over cooled slice.
Pop it into the back of the fridge 
to hide it until it has set.

This slice is rich but lovely with a cuppa!


Monday, June 13, 2016

oops dickhead


Yes there has been a lull in blogging.

I have been doing a few things
but since I have lost my camera again 
I can't show you.

How does a person who lives in a house
the size of a shoebox possibly lose things?
I did finish painting a cupboard though
here is the before...


and the after


I had to pinch these from instagram
because of my camera issue but as
soon as this is resolved I'll
be back to show you some more things.

Thanks for visiting!



Sunday, April 10, 2016

so you want to be a hooker?


It's just starting to get cool here 
and the blankets are coming out.

I have made quite a few crochet blankets 
and it never really occurred
to me that not everyone can crochet until a friend
recently asked me to teach her how to make a blanket.

I can't follow a crochet pattern and I don't know 
the right names for the stitches so I thought I'd do a little 
roundup here of basic crochet tutorials 
I have found on pinterest.


This is a no nonsense series of tutorials and videos created by
Anneliese of The Aesthetic Nest. 


Another one with videos from Tamara Kelly at Moogly.

When I started crocheting there weren't any videos 
to learn from but now I've watched a few researching this post and they are the way to go if you 
can't have someone in person to show you.


Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Stay warm xxx







Sunday, March 13, 2016

and sew life goes on


I haven't really been interested in clothes since my teens.
My sisters and I all sewed our own clothes in those days
but then you get older and have kids and sometimes you're
flat out getting out of your pjs let alone getting dressed up.

Now my kids have moved out and I'm a single
lady once again my interest in clothes has
been rekindled maybe because I actually
go out now!

I have miles of fabric to work with and 
I'm not buying anymore!

My collection of patterns is growing
and I even have a dedicated pinterest board for clothing.

Do you sew your own clothes?

The time has come for me to stop thinking
about it and just start sewing!

Stay tuned.



Friday, March 4, 2016

the fabric carrots are here

The fabric carrots will now be housed
here on my new blog.
Nothing has changed, they are still very cute!


See! Still darn cute!

Using the measurements here (in inches 'cause I'm old )
 make yourself a cardboard template.
Trace around scraps of doubled green and carroty colours . 
Stitch and trim .

Turn and stuff .

Turn under a small hem at the top and tack around .
Pull the thread to gather and  secure 3 leaves by stitching through all layers .
Add a bit of ribbon or ric rac and ta da something that won't make the Easter Bunny fat !

Sunday, February 28, 2016

the dressmaker


I don't watch a lot of movies because I'm
usually watching crappy tv series on dvd.

When The Dressmaker came out I really
wanted to see it at the pictures but
by the time I thought about it again 
it was already on dvd.

Anyway I had to buy it.

In 1950s Australia Tilly the dressmaker
played by Kate Winslet
returns to her tiny hometown to right the
wrongs from her past.
As she tries to reconcile with her mother
played by Judy Davis she falls in love
while transforming the fashions of the town.

Although the whole movie was a bit disjointed
(just my own opinion)
It was fun and very Australian and come on 
now who doesn't want to see Liam Hemsworth
without his shirt on!

I liked it enough to do a blog post about it
so I really must have liked it.

Have you seen it?

It's very reasonably priced on dvd so
I do recommend you grab one maybe 
to play while you're sewing?

I'll give it a rating of 3/5.




Sunday, February 14, 2016

Australian Heart Foundation

We could all go on for ages about Valentine's Day
being American blah blah blah.
The thing is I have never gotten into the whole deal
but some do and to each their own.
I've gathered up a few hearty crafts that
can be for Valentine's Day. 
Or not.
Pretty Little Button Heart Canvas from here.

Crochet heart pattern from here.
Jigsaw heart from here.

The most important link you'll find 
here today is this one.
So if you are undecided about Valentine's Day
but want to do something good for your heart
it's easy to make a donation.

Heart disease kills one Australian every 27 minutes!

Personally I think my donation is more important
than flowers and chocolates.



Tuesday, February 2, 2016

once upon a time


there was a girl with too many craft supplies.

I can't resist crafty bits and I have accumulated
so much stuff so I'm trying very hard
to use some of it to decorate my home.

I have no idea why I bought so many doll 
bookmarks but I did and I think they're cute.



Anyway I glued a whole lot of them to a plain canvas
and hung it on my bedroom wall.

I'm very happy with how it turned out and
now I'm on a mission to use up more
stuff that I've been hoarding  saving.




Wednesday, January 27, 2016

confetti salad


One of my favourite dishes to take to parties
over the summer is rice salad.
It is so quick and easy not to mention delicious!
It's a great way to use up salad vegetables and everyone loves it!

It is also very colourful so I may just call it
Confetti Salad!

You will need -
You may of course use your own brown rice but this stuff is amazing!
Follow the directions on the packet.

While the rice is cooling chop your vegetables.
I use cherry tomatoes, cucumber, shredded rocket or spinach
and grated carrot.
When the rice has cooled throw in the vegetables and
a handful of sultanas and a some pinenuts or flaked almonds.
A small can of sweet corn adds more colour.

Now in a cup add a tablespoon of olive oil,
a teaspoon of minced garlic and about a 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce.
Mix your dressing through your rice salad.

This is ready to eat straight away but it's even nicer 
if you can sit it in the fridge for a bit so the dressing
soaks into everything.
Don't worry though all the crunchy bits stay crunchy!

Just in case you were wondering no this is not
a sponsored post for Tilda rice , I just really do love it!





Monday, January 18, 2016

hello my old friend


It's been such a long time since I've used my faithful old Janome.

Such a long, long time.

I must be starting to feel a bit better because 
I pulled her out and set her to work.
It's slow going but getting there.

The first stitches made me sigh in happiness.

A new life surely deserves a new dress made out of 
lime green, stretchy, crushed velvet!

Sunday, January 10, 2016

book or movie first?


One of my new year resolutions for 2016 is to read more.

I love reading but have found in the last few years
that I get nowhere near enough reading done.

I get distracted by blogs and facebook and
instagram and damn you pinterest!

I've been on good reads for a while now and have 
joined the challenge to read 12 books this year.

The good thing about this challenge is you set your own limit.

Are you a reader?
You are welcome to find me on good reads and join the challenge too.

Simply Shellie rounded up and reviewed this list of books
becoming movies in 2016, great job!

Did you like to read the book before the movie?


Tuesday, January 5, 2016

welcome to a confetti life

                           Confetti - small bits of coloured paper thrown at celebrations.

                                      Welcome to A Confetti Life!

 If you came over from my old blog you'll know that some changes were needed and they say a change is as good as a holiday!

I missed the blogging community but I felt my old blog was part of my old life.Yes it could have just been revamped it but I really wanted something fresh and new.
Sometimes we just need to move on.

My new blog will be a bit more personal a bit more random a bit more fun! Well let's hope so anyway.

It will be about books and words and crafts and cooking and creating and decorating and anything I feel like doing really.
Posts may be published every week or twice a day or once a month, see I said it's random.
I'll keep my old blog up for a while maybe.....maybe not.......

Anyway....thanks for finding me here xxx



I promise this blog won't all be about confetti but I found 
this tutorial for confetti hearts and thought it was gorgeous.

With Valentine's Day rocking up quickly they would be
a sweetheart of a thing to make.

I'm thinking a nice big one for a wall hanging.

Find the the full tutorial here at Elizabeth Banks.com.





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