Handmaiden

Speedy Baby Quilt

I have been keen to start a baby quilt and went to Amitie last week to choose some fabrics.The feature square will be the front circus material from Kokka of Japan and then I have picked up the colours from this fabric for the borders and charm squares.

 

I downloaded this Speedy Baby Quilt pattern from Quilttaffy

Sharon

Game Bird

Recently we went to Prahran Market for a leisurely shop. We were keen to buy some game meats and were so pleased to buy a pheasant and venison steaks. We used to eat these meats quite regularly in London where they were easy to buy.

So we used Maggie Beer's way of cooking pheasant which worked a treat...only 30 mins in the oven after browning on the cook top. This reminds me of Mr Bean and his Christmas turkey episode. For the last 10 minutes you stand the pheasant on its end.

 

I barracked from the sidelines and Gregg did everything. He made a chestnut, pancetta and herb stuffing along with a shitake mash and beetroot jam. I am not a fan of beetroot but did not mind this too much. It really felt like christmas dinner with the colours and the wintry feel.

 

It was delicious and moist.

Sharon

My Creative Space

Another week and my shirt is progressing. I am just finishing off the buttonholes and some hand sewing and it will be finished.

Also I have a new table to work on! Yippee........so a little bit more dedicated room and I can leave everything in place and dont have to pack away anything.

for other wonderful crafty spaces visit the wonderful creative Kirsty

have a great day whatever you are doing.

Sharon 

Crafty Business Ebook

When I started blogging over 12 months ago there seemed to be alot of bloggers beginning their craft businesses either online or at various craft markets. Lots of you were concerned about pricing especially with the changing exchange rates. Many of you were not taking into account all the component costs let alone your labour costs. Others were concerned with promotion and marketing and even branding.

So I have written this ebook with all of this in mind. Filled with practical information, exercises and a how-to approach, this book provides all the ammunition to start or continue to develop your blog/craft business.

 Learn how to brand your craft business, develop your product and range, how to price and promote and how to write a business plan.

 

This is a distillation of my 25 years consumer marketing and product development experience that I can pass onto the craft and blogging community/

Thirty one pages and 7 chapters in a PDF file. Each chapter has a Chapter Summary and Checklist.

A PDF file will be sent by email within 24 hours for you to download. I will also send you a link to a PDF Reader in case you need this.

Check it out here in my shop

"I have just completed your book and found it brilliant." Leonie from  Raglanguld 

Sharon 

Nicholas Building Open House

Are you going?

The Nicholas Building is having another open house at the end of the week.

Sharon

Salmon in Miso Broth

I am trying out different seafood recipes that are good for winter. Using instant miso broth I have added asparagus, snow peas and shitake mushrooms to the salmon dish

 

It was delicious and a little different. I really like cod done in miso soup so decided to do it with salmon.

Have you got any good winter seafood recipes?

Sharon

Magnolia Springtime

This early Spring time weather has brought out the magnolia trees near me. They are around for such a short time enjoy them now

 

1. ***PINK MAGNOLIA*** <>, 2. Santa Babrara Spring has sprung, 3. Magnolia Flowers, 4. Magnolia soulangeana

Sharon

My Creative Space

This week I have been using the lounge room for my hand quilting. My diamond quilt is coming along slowly...I am well over halfway through now. You can see my perle cotton in the background.

For other wonderful crafty spaces visit the wonderful creative Kirsty

have a great day

Sharon 

Luscious Lamingtons

A few weeks ago it was National Lamington Day....it probably passed you by! I remember helping my mum make these although she would buy the sponge cake already prepared and we would cover them in chocolate and coconut. I have always liked mine with cream and and I like the pink ones just as much as the chocolate ones. Here is the recipe

 

Of course the blank photo is a lamington rolling in coconut. What's your fav?

Sharon

 

1. Lamington cup cake, 2. Passion Fruit and Chocolate Lamingtons, 3. 4 February 2004, 4. Lamington cake, 5. Pink Strawberry Lamingtons, 6. Lamingtons, 7. Lamingtons, 8. Lamingtons, 9. Lamingtons

Melbourne Writers Festival

"Abandon the everyday, the tepid and the ordinary and join the Writers Festival. It is a comet streaming across our winter sky - grab its tail and don't ever let go." says Rosemary Cameron the Festival director.........have a look what's on at the Melbourne Writers Festival Aug 21st to 30th at Fed Square

See you there

Sharon