Mid Spring Nature Table

I love the colour of this green cloth and blue silk.

Makes me feel as though I can breathe easily.

Just so peaceful.

And these wool sheep and ram just delight me with their simplicity,

 as do the two hand carved ducks by a Melbourne sculptor.

How to make Zucchini Quick Bread

I do love a one-bowl recipe.

When time is tight, a good one-bowl recipe can be a savour.

This one was very well received, so I'll share it here.

Zucchini Quick Bread

(Recipe by Lynne Clay)

1 cup organic Kialla stoneground flour (use whatever flour you have)

2.5 cups self raising flour

1 cup raw sugar

4 eggs, lightly whisked

3/4 cup good quality olive oil

2.5 cups (500g) cups zucchini, grated

2 tsp lemon rind, grated

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c.

I used a tupperware kugelhof pan but you can use any greased loaf tin.

Combine flours into a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well

Spoon mixture into pan and bake for 45 mins, or until cooked through.

Remove from oven, turn onto a plate.

Serve with butter when warm.

Tip:

I put the pecans into a zip lock bag, and use a rolling pin to crush and roll pecans into crumbs.

No mess!

Enjoy!!!

Christina Lane's blog "Fruits of Heart"

A while ago, my friend Jen introduced me to the amazing artist Christina Lane.

I had heard about her and her work for quite some time, and had been completely inspired by the artistic creations made by my friends after the Nature Landscape workshops she facilitated,

but our meeting and greeting came much later.

I am in awe of her talent and skill.

This multimedia piece below was recently commissioned for the 2010 GAIA Conference.

"Shamanka"

She who journeys into realms of spirit and seeks the truth

You can read all about the symbolism of this particular work at Shamanka at Fruits of Heart

But my favourite works are her needlefelt sculptures.

Check our King Winter...

The skill it takes to sculpt faces in this medium is unparalleled.

 I love her work.

I bet you do too!

Visit Christina's blog
Fruits of Heart to see a heap more of her goodies...

Water Spray Bottle Fun!

I love a simple thing that can keep children occupied for hours.

For less than $2, you can buy a spray bottle. Fill it with water and it is one of the cheapest, most loved 'toys' you can buy.

Then, later, you can add the bottles to your felt making tool kit. 

They might need you to point them in the right direction!

Here, the friends are 'painting' the rock wall, just as Daddy does.

And on a hot day, there is nothing better than a simple water stand off!

Another simple play tip is to fill a small bucket or tin (with a handle) with a few inches of water.

Give them an old paintbrush and let them paint to their hearts content.

This one is particularly good if you have timber they can 'paint'.  The walls of a cubby house, the planks of a deck, an old outdoor setting table- that kind of thing.

The timber soaks in the water, and they are transfixed by their 'work' as the light colour of the timber is 'painted' dark before their eyes.

What is your best tip or trick for simple play experiences?

How to encourage imaginative play in young children

Two words.

Sleep. In.

!!!!

Yes, the other night I went to bed at 1am.  Not that unusual for a MamaMoontime at all, but Ned decided to wake at 5.50am the following morning. Of course, that would not do at all!

So I gave him something to eat, and brought him into my bed with a book so I could snooze for just a little longer. 

An hour later, having dropped off into a deep slumber once again, (oops!)  I woke to the sound of a roaring truck as Ned pushed his new borrowed toy (Thank you, Mari and Keone) along the timber floor into my room.

"Look mum, lots of sand"

Panic!!

Oh my, I've been asleep. Sand?  How did he get out? He can't get out...can he?

Where? Did he open the door? The gate? I can't believe he got out. I'm sure he can't. What the??

I can't believe I fell asleep... Ohh nooo, agghhhh..

But slowly, as my eyes adjusted to the light and I could finally see, (damn those 37 year old eyes that take so much longer to adjust and focus!!), I spied that the 'sand' looked a little strange?

Breadcrumbs!!!!

Ingenious!

You have to love the imagination and creative thought processes of a child who goes to the pantry, and who locates and reaches the thing that most resembles 'sand'. Not only that, it was a 99cent packet!

Yeah for breadcrumbs that look like sand!

(He could have much more easily reached my divine Kialla organic flour, or wholemeal self raising, or porridge oats or the dregs of crushed up weetbix instead)

Was I cross?

Not at all. In fact, we laughed for a good 5 minutes together!

Big roaring thunder from the belly! I havent laughed like that for ages- a mixture of relief and disbelief I think!

In fact, I let him play with it for a little while longer, then he helped to sweep it all to one corner, and we collected it all into a big bucket and he kept it to use for playing outside for the rest of the day on the grass.

So much of good parenting is being able to stop before we are reactive.

Of course, I could have easily got mad, but in the big scheme of life, we must remember that our little ones are 'just learning'.  Always learning.

When they knock something over, spill milk, drop a treasure, make a mess- what a perfect opportunity for us to learn the lessons of patience and good will!

So long as the incident is not hurting anyone, they will learn so much more from our restraint and ability to join in the fun than they ever will from a telling off and a knock down.

Don't you think??

Time spent cleaning?  10 minutes

Value of the experience?  Priceless!

And here is something I found later..

His little matchbox car ute filled with flour.

The pantry child-proof is now back on, (until this phase of "food-as-playtoy" passes) but if children live in imitation, as they do, then this is a perfect creative example and outcome that comes from Ned watching his dad load sand on his ute, again and again.  Of course, the ute must carry 'sand'! 

I love it!!

I'm sure all parents have had one of these kinds of experiences. I'd love to know.

What kind of out-of-the-box play scenarios have you come across with your children??

Christine Lane's Nature Landscapes

My friends Carrie, Sara and Dani came over last week and we spent the night crafting a nature landscape.

Oh my, these are the cutest things!

A wonderful lady called Christina Lane is the artist behind these lovely craft scenes. You can see examples of Christina's work at her blog Fruits of Heart and now Nikki and Mia, from Time for Craft at Toadstool House  are selling the packs of materials.  Purchase a pack to find all the things you need to get started. (Approx cost is $10-$15 Australian dollars). Be sure to tell them I sent you!

This is the kind of thing we are striving for!! (Christina's work below)

We still have a way to go, don't you think?

Great news though!

Christina is going to be hosting a workshop within our January in-service meeting.

All details are being finalised as we speak, and will be out in the next few days.

Save the date:  Jan 24 and Jan 25

Location: Brisbane  (Samford Valley)

AND....

in the not too distant future, one of these completed nature scapes just might appear as a blog giveaway...

Keep your eye on the MM space for more details in late November....

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SEASONAL EXCHANGE - Ready for a ‘Summertime’ crafting challenge!

One of my regular blog readers, Katie, has just created the most marvellous thing!  A Summertime Swap!

Like Katie, I have been wanting to join a swap for quite some time but have either missed out, been too late to register or the swap itself had imploded on itself and was no longer functional.

Katie has just taken on the challenge and this new swap is now open for registration.

Now, you too, can join!

Here are all the details, in Katie's words.

I can't wait to see what you make and receive!!

Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange is inspired by the small nature table I have tried to start for my young children to mark the changing of the seasons. However, I have found most material and craft project sourced for inspiration is often based on seasons in the northern hemisphere which is not always relevant to us, as seasonal changes where I live in the Southern Hemisphere can be subtle and quite different from what is happening in the northern hemisphere.

Like my children, I am also learning about the unique seasonal differences in Australia, I am new to crafting and new to keeping a nature table. I would love some inspiration and I am sure other people would as well.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Seasonal Craft exchange reflective of the seasons of the Southern Hemisphere. I am sure there are many of you like me, who are ready for a crafting challenge, a chance to create your own symbolic item reflective of the current season and a chance to inspire a stranger through your chosen craft.

So here goes, to get the ball rolling and to keep it simple I thought we would start with a ‘Summertime‘ themed craft swap. As it is a busy time of year, to participate you need to include a minimum of one handmade item that you can swap with your allocated partner.

GUIDELINES

The crafted item should be related to the current seasonal theme, in this case ‘‘Summertime".

The swap is open to all those in Australia and overseas.

As a participant, you must be willing to mail overseas and honour your swap commitment.

The details: Participants will be allocated one (only) swap partner. You will send directly to your partner and they will send directly to you. Swap partners will be randomly allocated.

No prior crafting/ art skills required.

Participation should be done in the spirit of openness, appreciation and sharing. The only requirement is the item you send should be handmade by you with love and care. Make something special that you would love to receive yourself.

No returns!

You don’t need to currently have a nature table/seasonal corner to participate; just a willingness to celebrate the season and handcraft something for your partner.

The exchange is open to all ages!

All packages must be mailed by the 1st December, the first day of summer and should be suitable to send in the mail.

So…. if you would like a small handmade summer inspired keepsake to add to display over summer sign up now!

REQUIREMENTS

At least one, no more than five items.

One of these items must be handmade. It can be an object, an artwork, an ornament, small handmade book, something to display. The key requirement is it is something made by you.

If you would like to include additional items things that could be included might be items from nature (unless you are shipping internationally), a card, additional artworks, a candle, purchased items made from natural materials (no plastic/polyester/foam/etc) etc.

All of the items must be theme and seasonally appropriate.

Optional: You may want to include in your package a little blurb about your items and/or yourself.

In addition, it would be wonderful if you were able to document the process of making and the final product. These images can be posted on the Flickr group Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange http://www.flickr.com/groups/1548872@N21/

HOW DO I SIGN UP

Sign ups will take place until 18th of November.  The first 100 people to sign up are in!


Please email Katie at southernseasonalexchange@gmail.com


In your email, please send your:

Real Name, Mailing address (in English), Email address, [Optional: Facebook and/or Blog URL and Blog name.]

**Please make sure you email me this info to be entered into the swap.**

PRIVACY:

Your privacy will be respected and your details will not be past on unless you give permission.

Partners will be allocated after sign-ups have closed.

Katie will confirm when you have been added to the list. Please be patient, this may take a couple of days.

Sign ups are open now!

DISCLAIMER from Katie

As I mentioned previously, I am a mother of two very young children, new to crafting and have never undertaken co-coordinating something like this before, so your patience and understanding is really appreciated in this first attempt. I am excited to see if anyone else is interested in participating and will give it my best shot to get it up and running.

If it is a success, we might try it again when autumn comes around.

INSPIRATION

Thanks for Seasons Round Exchange http://seasonsround.wordpress.com/
and New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap http://www.newzealandhandmade.co.nz/2010/10/new-zealand-handmade-christmas-ornament.html
 for inspiring the idea of the craft swap.

Want some inspiration check out some of the swaps on flickr. Here are some to start with

Seasons Round Exchange http://www.flickr.com/groups/seasonsround/


The SavVy { Seasons } - a modern Swap http://www.flickr.com/groups/1437999@N23/pool/


Soft trees swap http://www.flickr.com/groups/15961496@N00/

Also another wonderful webpage is Seasons South and North http://www.seasons-south-and-north.co.uk/

Are you going to join???

Leave a comment here.

How to become the best Mama you can be!

What a strange title, hey?

I have travelled the extreme road of knowing zilch (haven't we all!!) and then to learn, pretty quickly, some way of getting through this thing called 'Parenting', with a child who has provided me more lessons than normal!  I think I'm doing ok. You too?

My greatest lesson (so far!!) is balance.

I'm sure there will be many more... but you can read all about this one in my new article

 "Living the life of a Creative Rainbow Mother"

over at Hello, Charlie!

I'd love to know what you think!

If you have a few moments, won't you pop back and share your thoughts with me??

Hope to see you!

How to make Berry and Apple Tray Bake

This was a big hit this week. Very yummy and easy to make.

Here is the recipe.

Berry and Apple Tray Bake

(from Delicious magazine )

Ingredients upsized to make enough for the large tray.

Original measurements in italics.

450 ml  300ml thickened cream

250gram 175 gram  unsalted butter, chopped

5 eggs  3 eggs

3 cups  2 cups plain flour   **

**I used Kialla organic stoneground whole grain

1.5 cups 1 cup caster sugar 

1.5 tsp  1 tsp vanilla extract

Five three  granny smith apples, peeled cored, thinly sliced

500 grams  300 grams mixed berries, thawed

100 ml cream for serving

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Lightly grease a 32 by 22 cm baking dish ( I use larger oven tray)

Bring cream and butter to just below boiling point, in a pan, over medium heat.  Cool slightly.

Using electric beaters, whisk eggs and sugar until thick and pale. 

Slowly, beat in cream mixture.

Fold in sifted flour, then add vanilla, berries and apples and mix.

Bake for 40 mins or until golden.

Take this to a picnic in the pan.

Serve with runny cream.

Delicious!



Wet Felting examples

There has been a frenzy of felting here the past week.

We have been felting grassy circles (patches of grass) for the chickens, art pieces, story mats, advent mats, Christmas trees and mandalas. Or at least, a whole lot of women (and one man) have been felting.

I've been mostly watching and supporting. 

I'm always working to refine my felting process, and I am pretty happy at the moment with how we work.

But there is always more to learn.

I'm exploring felt 3D shapes a little more lately, and hope to finish a fruit bowl soon.

I wonder how it will turn out?

Here are the finished art pieces from the creative process of the Thursday morning group.

Cindi's Mushroom house

Lara's Pot of Gold

Cath's story landscape

Natalie's meditation mandala.

It is all such lovely work, isn't it.

Here is my Christmas wall hanging.

This is still to be embroidered- 

with ribbon ties on the gifts under the tree and bows on the little guy's shoes

You can see Bianca's (Wednesday night attendee) beautiful work over at her blog, along with a lovely round up of the workshop experience.  Thank you, Bianca!

http://bywayofthemoon.blogspot.com/2010/10/wet-felting-workshop.html

 Pop on over!

The next felting workshops are coming up on the 16th (Tues evening) and 17th November (Wed morning).

More details to come soon!

New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap

                                  One of my blog readers, the fabulous Katie, sent me this link.

Thank you!

New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap

I have just signed up.

Would you like to as well?

Quick! 

Sign ups close on Saturday 23rd October.

To join, you have to click the link above and leave a comment.

And, you must send an email to Joy at lovelythings4u@windowslive.com including

• your real name
• your mailing address
• your email
• your blog URL
• your blog name

The swap is open to anyone who has a blog.

To join in, you need to make one handmade Christmas tree ornament AND one handmade Christmas card, and be willing to send it anywhere in the world, depending on where your swap partner is from, by Dec 1st.

A Christmas decoration treat from somewhere in the world.  Oh, I do love to open my letterbox and see something other than a bill. I bet you do too! And I just love that this giveaway helps to make the world seem just that little bit smaller, and filled with a few more friends. Hooray!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it.

Are you going to join in?



Matchbox craft

I found these two matchboxes in my stash.

The first one above, is filled with 'magic beans'!

I can just imagine how excited a young child would be to receive their own box of magic growing beans.

They would be just like Jack!

This matchbox, covered by a strip of a paper watercolour painting, has become the home of this wee tiny doll, as small as a baby mouse.

Here she is!

One of my kindergarten mums made one of these for every child in our class as a birthday treat.

Aren't they joyful??

Another two fabulous, simple party bag fillers and perhaps even a party theme or two??

Jack and the Beanstalk

Thumbelina

Oh, there are just too many cute things you could do!

Finding the Guru Within

When we travel in the car, Ned has a exuberant habit of pointing out each and every truck, digger, concrete truck, petrol tanker, or excavator (esc-a-late-a) to us.

The classic thing about his findings is his way of shouting "Oh My God" when he sees one.

Recently, though, his words have changed from "Oh My God" to "I, my God"

No matter what anyone says to sway him, this is his new statement.

"I, my God"

You know, I think he has it right.

I've been pondering it a bit lately, and it would seem that the most enlightened, conscious, understanding, helpful, caring, delightful, fun people I know have this kind of statement as their centre core.

They really believe that God (universal energy, Allah, Buddah, Jesus, Amma.... or your chosen form of "God") is within them.  That they, with all their foibles, regrets, difficult choices, mistakes, hurts, upsets and character 'flaws', are ok.  That they matter. That they bring something of worth to the world.

I think so too.

I think I've spoken before of the rugs woven by American Indian women (and other cultures) and their purposeful placement of a flaw in their design to represent the fact that they are human and only 'God' can make true perfection. We are the embodiement of this perfection. Our flaws are illusions.

We are perfect just as we are.

Like Ned says, "I, my God"

Our creativity, and our interpretation of our thoughts and ideas into artistic action can be our attempt at 'making like God'.   You know, just bringing life to fruition on a daily basis.  

Why do we stop? Why do we think we aren't good enough? Why do we wait for the perfect conditions, the right time or for a sunny/rainy/cloudy day?  Why do we judge our efforts so harshly? Why aren't we just out there having a go, playful and exuberant, each and every day?

Let's try today.

Let's find 5 minutes to take action.

Pick up the pencil, plop a dollop of paint on a brush, thread a needle, open up a journal to a new page, take a photo, learn the first two lines in a play, buy the ingredients for a new recipe, sing a new melody or master a guitar chord.

Take the first step with me today.

What is your 5 minute action?

Party ideas for young children

My good friend Donna ( The Story of Bee ) and her little one G sent Ned this gorgeous invitation to a 3rd birthday party Fairy tea.

Sadly, for me, this was Moondew's first day back so Daddy had the privilege of taking Ned along.

Donna is a fellow hand-craft lover who appreciates the love accompanying a handmade gift .

We wrapped up 3 pink flowers, one for each year of life.

a handmade card,

and a rainbow Fairy Queen, holding her own rainbow candle.

Interestingly, the candle was made in the workshops of Hohepa, the anthroposophical disability support and residential living centre in Hawke's Bay in New Zealand.  

The children were each given either a set of fairy wings or a little elf hat, handmade by Donna in the lead up to the party, and they rejoiced in bubble play galore! Oh, what fun!

A few days later, Ned and I celebrated another birthday with our friend Lakoia, turning 2.

Her mum, Tania, one of my dear friends, is a SUPER-crafter!

I don't know where she finds the time, but find it she does.

Tania created a Farm-themed birthday celebration for her 2 year old.

There was the duck invitation.... cute....

and upon arrival, we spotted the farm inspired embroidered bag, to be used to collect and hold the soon-to-be-revealed treasures.

Tania set up 3 empty farm yards of wooden fences, and told a story to the visitors of how the animals had left the farm to go on an adventure, and it was their job to find the animals.

The four children were led into one of the rooms, and with our help, had to find their own set of felt farmyard animals- a cow, a pig, a horse and a sheep.

How cute are these???

Ned found a BIG TRUCK in the room, and placed his four animals in the cargo hold before pushing it all the way back to the lounge!  Those animals were not being transported any other way!

Tania made her other children their own, different set of animals too!

What a Busy busy beaver, my friend Tania is!!

The birthday girl herself received a delightful farm inspired crown and matching cape. Lovely!

The children played one other game, a slightly altered version of pass-the-parcel.

In this game, every child unwrapped one layer as usual (and found a wooden sticker for keeps) but the final layer, instead of being a prize for one, was filled with a gift for all.

Handmade wooden bead necklaces made by the birthday girl's two older siblings.

Lovely!

In all my years, I have never seen such a thing, but how terrific, especially for 2-5 year olds.

Birthday parties should be 'learn-to-share-time' free zones. 

A simple handmade gift for all is inexpensive and probably saves a bucketload or two of tears!

Yeah, for happy party days!

I love to see what my friends create.

They inspire me so....

Happy, Happy days!