Stampin' up a storm

Do you ever use stamps? No, not the lick and stick for snail mail kind!
The inky rubbery kind!
Have you tried making your own stamps?

I thought it would be fun to try when I saw someone offering a stamp carving workshop, unfortunately I can't get to the workshop (it's too far away) but I wondered how hard it would be to do it yourself.

handcarved stamped cards

You can find out how on this tutorial by Lisa Tulse.

It looks easy enough - you just need the right tools.
You can make small stamps from good quality erasers and you need something like a craft knife or lino cutting tool to cut the design.

If you need inspiration - or another how-to, check out Gennine's blog.
So many sweet ideas.

Gennine's stamps

Of course there are other materials you could use - remember potato prints? haha!

I still found time to appreciate things

I'm not finding much time for blogging generally but I'm still trying to find some joy each day.
Some little thing that pleases me, that makes me think "ah, life is good"

This week I bought a big bunch of basil to make some pesto to make this recipe.
Mmmmmm, I love the smell of fresh basil.
I have got some in a pot but it wasn't enough to make pesto....just enough to inhale every now and then.

Who has a love-hate relationship with shopping?
I do!
And dragging an enormous trolley around Costco it one of the hates....but there are several things I love.
Their organic cheese.
The smoked salmon.
Bagels.
And looking around the "others" section.
This week they has showers all sorts of home reno stuff including the kitchen sink!

I have been trying to do the fast diet or the 5:2 diet,
Some days it is hard.....but I love that dinner tastes so much more intense, more fabulous on a fast day.
This was (spicy) masala prawns on a bed of baby spincah.

Mr planet and I have a caravan.
We also have some old and grotty plastic cups that we have used for camping for the last 10 years or so.
Time for some new fabulous mugs I thought! Right?
Wrong?
Cannot find melamine mugs or plastic mugs anywhere.
All the usual suspects - Target, $2 shops, camping shops - zilch!
But I did find these spiffy melamine latte cups in the Leura Whisk, kitchenware shop in Leura.

So the sorting out continues, the decluttering, the moving around of stuff from one spot to another.
This week I tacked my sewing basket and found some forgotten treasures in the depths.

Yep, I was back at Henri Marc again.
What can I say? I just love that place.
Plus they have a great spoon collection.

And another foodie love.
Tofu burgers.
Yep, tasteless, bland old tofu mixed with walnuts, onions,carrots and various other tasty morsels makes yummy burgers that anyone would love.

That's all for this week folks.
You all have a great week and see if you can find some joy everyday....or most days.

Sewing baskets - HELP!

I need a new sewing basket.
No, I really do.
You see I'm decluttering - BIG TIME! and I just pulled out my old sewing basket - a yellow plastic thing a bit like this

vintage sewing basket from auntdoilies on etsy

But a cheaper version, that I think I got for free with a sewing machine over 20 years ago....or more.

Its lid had broken off.
And it was dusty and smelly.
So I threw it out.
Maybe I regret that now.....maybe it could have been saved? Reborn somehow?

Too bad.
It's gone.

So I started looking for a new one....first of all on etsy.

from FrenchVintageLife on etsy

from 3x1Vintage on etsy

from Farmhousesupply on etsy

from itrend on etsy

Disappointingly non of the above ship to Australia. BOO!

This one does -

from verifiedvintageNL

....but the shipping is nearly as much as the cost of the box....and I'm not that crazy-have-to-have-it.

Or I could make one -

pattern by TreeTopThreadsStudio

But, gawd, it looks complicated and do I really have the time?

Looking locally I could go for a nice wooden one -

from Morris &Sons

Or one like this -

I'll have to go and have a look.

Or I could just use an old shoe box?

Have you got a swing box or basket?
What do you use?

Any helpful suggestions gratefully received....any suggestions at all really.

Making this 'n that.

Fancy doing a spot of sewing this week?
Nothing too complicated.
A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Got a pair of jeans that don't fit anymore?
Or a pair that is a bit worn out or daggy?
Look no further! This is what you can do with them -

jeans bag from craftsy

There are many on-line tutorials about making jeans bags - or you can probably hoe to work it out yourself.
There's one is here on craftbits. That one actually glues the bottom shut! But I'd prefer to stitch it closed and some use ribbon or even a tie for handles - I like that you use another part of the jeans for a strap.

How about making your own pj pants or sleep pants?

from living well spending less blog

Pjs don't have to be perfectly constructed, they just need to be comfortable.
I like that these have got a contrast trim at the bottom.

I love lot of little storage bags, but zips and other closures can be fiddly.
This great little tute shows you how to make bags that snap shut.
Shhh, there's a secret to doing that....

snappy bags from the crafting chicks

check it out!

I love this idea!

by leafy treetop spot

Little doo-dads to keep your charger cords under control!
How neat is that?


Do you think legwarmers will ever come back into fashion?

If you do then you can find out how to make them here at i heart naptime.
Pretty cute, eh?

The loves of the week

veggies! Steamed and roasted veggies with spicy coconut sauce

restorative coffee and cake

blue skies and fluffy white clouds

kitty snuggles

something less than $1

little treasures from long ago

something else from long ago

friend's fabulous reno job

memories of India

Discovering - 7 new music finds

Last weekend the planets were at the Blue Mountains music festival - not too far from here.
We've been going for a few years and one of the joys of it is that you never know who you might discover.
There are 7 stages, it's not a huge festival, it's easy to get around. So if you are not taken with the act you are watching you move on.......

There were no really huge big names playing the festival this year but that doens't mean that the quality was any less or that it wasn't fun. Hey! it was heaps of fun!

We also caught up with a few old favorites - Lior, Eleanor McEvoy, Jeff Lang.....and here are my new finds for this year.

Flap!
Something old but in a new way.
1920s dance meets calypso.
So cute and so fun!

Blair Dunlop
I like folk - oh yes I do.
A mix of old school folk with a touch of David Gray.
I'm smitten kitten.

(Have a look at thisfor some bleak old english countryside)

The Tiger and Me
Another heaps of style, heaps of energy, heaps of fun.
Described in the program as "cabaret/circus/euro indie folk-pop"
We were all smitten by the guy up-front who is a dark-haired dead ringer for our son.

The Good Lovelies
I didn't think I would like them.
Meh! Banjo - I said.
But we popped in and happened upon this number >

Swamp Thing
Great energy blues duo.
Great to listen to at 10.30 in the morning - well someone has to do it!
I couldn't find a youtube clip to do them justice, but if you get the chance - check them out if you like raucous blues with grunt.

Jesse Valach & Blues Mountain
These guys were Mr planet's festival pick.
Blues, soul, tightness.

Ash Grunwald
OK, so Ash isn't that new....he si just new to me.
My daughter recommended and we obeyed.
Fabulous high energy and so good to see the new generation of bluesmen coming through.
This is a really cool film clip with surfing as well as singing.
Have a look.

Discovering....South West Rocks

We've been exploring the mid north coast (of NSW) a bit.

Last week we wandered up to South West Rocks - or "The Rocks" as the locals call it. (Which is very confusing if you are from Sydney, as The Rocks is a district there!)

First stop....coffee and cake!

And what a find!
The delightful Boatshed right on the river.

In what was once an old boatshed I guess.

They only opened just before christmas and have the menu for lunch and dinner looks great.

You can hire boats and partake of other watery activities as well.

Very nice, thankyou.

Simple little projects from around the webs.

I love cowls.
And I can knit.
But I have never tried arm knitting.
Yes, there is such a thing and you can look here to find out how!

from handimania

And because one cowl per post is never enough, here's one that might be useful to make a dent in my fabric stash.
This is a faux sheepskin lined cowl I found on design sponge.

from design sponge

I actually might not use the faux fur, but it would sure be warm.

I know I've posted about serviettes/napkins before, but reversible ones?
Oh yeah!

on kojo designs

At one stage I fancied myself as a bit of an artist *coughcough*.
And if you do too, there are lots of fab easy ideas over at grow creative.

by grow creative

Oh, yes and another bracelet - using rope.
Looks simple but needs a few special supplies.

from makezine

I do like the idea of using rope.

The most love-liest things from the last 2 weeks.

We were away last week so I didn't do my weekly round up of the positives in my life, so here is a selection.

Food - always.

homemade muesli and blueberries

....and coffee, sometimes....

coffee instead of a walk

the last fruits of summer

healthy highway food

info office designed by world famous architect

feet up, Rake, wine, new caravan

we own a lot of trees

beautiful coast of NSW

our new home

retro bar at the Blue Mountains music festival

discovering new music faves

and some familiar faces and songs *

Phew!
It has been a very busy couple of weeks.
What have you been loving this week?

*tribute to Pete Seeger at the Blue Mountains Music Festival, with Eric Bogle, Eleanor McEvoy, Rory Mcleod, Pieta Brown and others.