WOYWW 364 - 7th Anniversary and ATC swap and T for Tuesday

Thanks to Nikki for making the badges for us

I don't have a desk to show off as its full of dumped rubbish and not worth showing off,  but I do have food to show off from the weekend for those food lovers of the deskers land.

So we had a family gathering on the weekend and everyone brought a dish and it was oh so yummy. I've been training hubby to make this Indian bread, not sure why he is giving me the stink eye lol. I've used the paella pan (recipe below) to make Indian tomato chutney.

Some of the yummy foods that was shared, curry chicken, curry eggplant, curry pork and prawns. My famous marinated prawn dish (I say famous because it appeared in a recipe book called HOMECOOKED FEASTS)

 Fried rice and Malaysian dish that is made for New years

 The desserts were to die for, Malaysian jelly, hummingbird cake, banana cake, trifle and sago dessert

Salad 

Joining up with Julia's Stamping Ground and linking up with Lunch Lady Jan while Julia goes off on holiday to recupaerate-fancy that great timing!!!

So I have some ATCs if anyone would like to swap. Instructions on the ATC are HERE. Swaps arranged with the following people already- . thank you Jill I received your beautiful one already...so organised. If you'd like to swap with me, email me bridget.larsen@gmail.com
I have 9 to swap:
1. Jill Bersey,
2. Annie Powis (wipso)
3. Patsy Paterno?
4. Nikki Carpenter
5. Sandra De
6. Lisca Meijer

Last week Lisca posted her Paella recipe on her desk post and I tried it that night. this is the result as I have never made it before but for some strange reason I already owned a paella pan hahahaha. Here is her recipe again:

Paella  -           Lisca Meijer

Olive oil

Onion or leek sliced

1 red bell pepper chopped

100g chorizo or chicken breast

a few strands of saffron or tsp turmeric

300g rice (Paella rice or risotto rice or even long grain rice)

1 litre hot fish or chicken stock

1 tbsp tomato paste or chopped up tomato

200g frozen peas

400g frozen mixed seafood or fresh

Heat oil in  deep fry pan, soften onion or leek and chopped pepper without browning. Add meat and fry for 2 mins. Stir in  turmeric or saffron, add rice and mix until coated with oil, pour in stock and add tomato paste. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.

Tip in the peas and cook for another 5 mins, then stir in seafood to heat through for a few minutes until rice is cooked. Basmati rice will cook quickest. Check for seasoning and serve with lemon wedges.

Use the heaviest pan you have. Its important not to let the rice cook dry, add water if the rice looks dry before it is cooked. Keep stirring and keep an eye on it. When the rice is cooked the stock should be evaporated and you are practically frying the rice. In Valencia they even let the bottom burn so it gets crunchy.

Also linking up with Elizabeth and Bleubeards T for Tuesday

WOYWW 363 Eurovision

Apologies for not visiting anyone last week, had alot of family committments taking up my time

This shot was taken on Sunday Morning, I had woken up at 4.30am to watch the finals of Eurovision because Australia's entrant Dami Im was in the final and a hot favourite to win. She came second and made us proud. Now her song is topping the charts all over the world. She is such a humble person and a deserving winner and has won our hearts. 

So I was crafting and watching Eurovision and making flowers from the new Heartfelt Creations Under the Sea range, it was a gorgeous range. 

I had Rhonda over briefly on Friday to craft so that is her clean desk opposite mine. I have found I needed a second table for visitors now instead of moving that heavy table and cleaning up each time someone came over. I kept losing stuff hahahaha

We did the folded envelope card that you see on the right of my desk in the second picture

Linking up with Julia's Stamping Ground it is being hosted by Lunch Lady Jan this week while Julia is recuperating

WOYWW 362 - Crafting with Friends

It's always great to create with friends. We laugh, eat, bond and learn so much and its great therapy.
Left to right Pam, Doreen and Myself and Dorothy was taking the photo

 This was our table, not too messy on this photo as we had cleaned up all the alcohol ink mess. Food was eaten outside in the glorious sunshine by the pool.

Each one of us took a shoebox project for us to do and these were what the other ladies got us to do. My project is HERE

Linking up with Julia's Stamping Ground

FR-67824-Elvis Rocks

Gotta share this postcard I received from France  through Postcrossing of my favourite idol Elvis

Interesting Reading-Message in a Bottle and Little Free Library

Interesting Postcards on Kickstarter "Gert Paenen Rare Fish dont come in tins"

Don't ask me why but I am fascinated by Messages in a Bottle, i dont even like mystery stories LOL.
so here are a few Mystery in Bottles blogs. We live so close to the ocean I should try this but I do have to find a good bottle, trouble is it will probably show up in Sydney hahaha

Why ocean scientists hope someone gets your message in a bottle

Oldest message in a Bottle  bobs up after 108 years WOW

Another article about the above

Guinness World Record of message in a bottle

Message in a bottle hunter

I love this idea of the Little Free Libraries, how is it that the authorities have nothing better to do than regulate and fine something that is so community minded and not hurting people grrr (there are 3 different links above to this lovely project. I found out about it through Elizabeth and Bleubeards T Tuesday article. Will you build one?

Awesome teeth whitening with natural products

A tip on how to survive the Australian Outback and a tragic tale of when those tips arent adhered to

More lessons on surviving the Outback

I know one day I'll want to make my own stuff and this lady from Down to Earth is the Queen of homemade everything. She lives an hour north of us.

To die for Penmanship, the shit one is really funny!!!

Penny Black and Darkroom Door

I attended a craft club this year and and the talented Michelle and Robyn from Michelle's Card and Stamps were there demonstrating this card in earthy tones.
I decided to change it up and use different flowers on the flower which was painted using Lyra watercolour crayons

Base cardstock is Bashful Blue, next layer is black and stamped on white is the
Penny Black flower stamp - Divine 40-372.
Darkroom Doors - French Script
Wow Gold Embossing powder
Distress Ink pads - Peeled Paint, Wild Honey, Gathered Twigs
Tsukineko Radiant Neon - Electric blue ink pad
Happy Birthday Ribbon

I made this card and mounted it all before I smooched all the colours on LOL

WOYWW 361

So do you have a pattern of where you sit as in must have stuff beside you? I noticed that I do, I have a chair to the right of me and left of me to put stuff down on. 2 tables just isnt enough for me hee hee

As you can see my craft room is also the laundry and mini kitchen so I can make my cups of tea without having to trudge upstairs. The large box with plastic in it is a rubbish bin and sits to my left under the table. I empty that out every 3 months or earlier depending on how much I've been creating. The table to the left has a huge A1 cutting mat which I use to photograph on or assemble stuff together, it has more room that the wooden table. It also has a glass tile on it for photographing. Its still hot here 28C today so the black and green fan sits to my right keeping me cool

Looking from the other side I now have the tv set up where I craft instead of at the computer side in the far corner, which made more sense as I spend more time crafting that I do at the computer (sometimes). I also need a table in front of the tv to put materials I need for the current project I am undertaking. The blue bottles are water bottles and I aim to drink both in a day which equates to 3litres of water that we need

Some of my recent creations can be seen Wedding Ring or Favour box and Wedding Thank You card and Wedding Invitation from my Wedding series of items that I love creating.

Linking with Julia's Stamping Ground

T for Tuesday - T2

Well it's been awhile since I was showing off tea stuff but here it is my favourite tea shop T2. I just love their displays and they have some awesome teapots out now.

linking up with Elizabeth and Bleubeard 

Couture Creations 2016/17 Design Team Audition

I would like to share with you today, my application for the   Couture Creations 2016/17 Design Team. It would be an honour, a privilege and an exciting experience to work with Australian Owned and Designed Products. 

Link to tutorial of Wedding Ring or Favour Box

Link to tutorial of Wedding Invitation

Link to tutorial of Wedding Thank You Card

Couture Creation Embossing Die Christmas card

Altered Shoe Link to tutorial

 Photo book - link to tutorial

Scrapbook layout of Ava

Photo Box - Link to Tutorial

Wedding Ring Boxes

Wedding Photo Display Vase

All the flowers were made using Dies

Baby Rattle Card Link to tutorial

Wedding Thank You Card - Couture Creations

Thank You card for my Wedding Series using Ultimate Crafts Magnolia Lane Designer Paper

designed by Sue Smyth

I wanted to design a Save the Date card but ran out of paper so will be off during the week to get more so I can finish off more items to complete a Wedding set fit for a Wedding. 

Cut out a white shimmer backing card 21cm x 15cm or A5 size, score in the middle in landscape side

Cut another shimmer card 10cm or 4 inch x 14cm or 5 1/2 inch and emboss with small dots embossing folder

Cut Floral Fancy paper 10cm or 4 inch x 23cm or 9 inch. Make a diagonal cut from the 10cm or 4 inch edge to 1.25cm or 1/2 inch

Score as follows in inches: 1, 1 1/2,  2 1/2, 3, 4, 4 1/2, 5 1/2, 6, 6 1/2, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2

Concertina fold all the score lines or alternate mountain and valley folds starting with a valley fold at the 1 inch score line

Adhere the Floral Fancy paper to the embossed card

Adhere the lace to the top of the Floral Fancy  paper

Place a double sided tape over the junction of the lace and Floral Fancy paper and adhere the ribbon and buckle to the embossed card and adhere the card to the backing card

This completes my Wedding Series Collection

I hope you enjoyed the tutorials.

You will find the tutorial to the Wedding Ring or favour box HERE and the 

Wedding invitation card HERE

Couture Creations Products used
CO723631 Harmony Collection Small Dots Embossing Folder 

Ultimate Crafts Products used

ULT157489 Magnolia Lane Collection: Floral Fancy