Magnolia Cupcakes

On a recent visit to New York, I found myself standing outside of the very famous, and amazingly tiny Magnolia Cupcake bakery. I stared through the window as the expert cake icers twirled their knives to achieve perfect peaks with their soft, sugery whips. Licking my lips, of course I had to try one and divine and spongey it was with a very generous portion of perfectly piled icing on top. If you're cupcake crazy, it's definitely worth a visit or perhaps you have already been there? Let me know...

Christmas is coming

If you've been to the shops lately you'll no doubt see that Christmas is in full swing. I've also been crafting my little hands off for some up and coming stories for New Idea magazine. Once they're out I'll post them, in the meantime here's a little cheery face, one of many I made this week from some of last year's baubles.

Thank you

It's so lovely to be thanked, especially by hand. Too often the postman only brings bills and interest rate hikes, so when I received this lovely parcel of goodies, I was naturally excited. It was from Alison at Little Nest for featuring her shop in my blog. Alison, now I'm thanking you for a timely reminder for me to slow down a little, write more note cards and create small gifts to send. A kind and personal gesture like this can go a long way indeed.

Cute Shop

I was lucky enough to travel to Albury in rural NSW last week and visited this cute shop called Little Nest along the way. Filled with gorgeous things, it was a real treat to discover as I was searching for a housewarming gift for my brother. For him, I picked up a pair of pillows for his sofa, and for me - a blue Pratten leather purse which I'm loving. The owner Alison Viney is a local girl with a great eye and seems immensely happy in her stylish little corner of the world. Thumbs up and do stop by if ever you're travelling through town. Little Nest 47 Dean Street Albury NSW 2640

My Outdoor Studio

Today I'm busy working on a stack of hand made Christmas decorations for a magazine and because its a perfect, blue sky day here's my set up on my back deck. Not a bad spot for a little creative play!

My Studio

I find it really inspiring to see where other creative people work, so for those of you who ask often, here are some shots of one of my favourite places to spend the day, my own studio.............

Button Rings

For rings which are as cute as a button, start with ring blanks which you can source from online jewellery suppliers or craft stores. Take your favourite buttons, beads, trinkets or scrabble letters and use a strong glue to secure them. I like to use Loctite Gel glue or similar which you can find from the hardware. For a silver border around your button, glue down a metal washer first - again you can pick these up from the hardware and they come in various sizes. Leave your completed rings over-night to set before wowing your friends with your glam creations.

Add a touch of 'Chanel' chic to your specs with a simple chain that's really easy to make. The chain I used came from the hardware. It's made by Zenith and is called Watchmaker's Chain. Just cut the length you need, open the end links with pliers then attach rubber grips which you can buy in small packs from art and craft stores. Use thin ribbon in your chosen colour and a tapestry needle to thread it all the way along, weaving in and out of each link. Finish the ends with small bows and add a few charms as well.

I travel around a fair bit, and lately I have been lucky enough to have seen parts of Australia I have never been to. Just last week I headed up to Queensland to host some events and this was the stunning view from my hotel room in Hervey Bay. What a pretty part of the world, I would so love to see the whales when they swim through. It turns my creative head to all things coastal. Hmmmm I feel some beachy ideas coming. Watch this space!

Logies Win

A big congratulations to all of my friends from Better Homes and Gardens for our 2010 Logie Award for best lifestyle show. It was an amazing night, very glamorous and lots of fun to catch up with everyone. All of the girls looked stunning as always. For us it was lovely to swap our usual work gear for a little glitz and sparkle. Well done everyone!

Butterfly Pillow

When the weather turns cool I love making my home cosy and inviting. This was a plain white cushion which I layered up with a piece of felt. I started by cutting a square of cream felt to size and then I ironed on a piece of HeatnBond paper to the felt (you can buy this from sewing shops). I drew butterflies across the paper and carefully cut them out, not completely, with small, sharp scissors. I ironed this to the cushion case taking care not to affix all of the butterfly wings so some appear in flight. Easy and fun!

I went down to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show yesterday for Better Homes & Gardens TV and this was one of the projects I worked on. Jason Hodges is entering into the competition again and this year his garden design included a fun area for the kids, complete with a coloured pencil fence. The pencils were shaped out of treated pine and ready for me to paint in bright, happy colours. They were really easy to do and so effective - I wouldn't mind a few in my own back yard! Good luck Jason! Don't miss the show on Friday 7:30pm on Seven.

Shadow Box Art

I created this knife picture years ago and it's been part of our kitchen ever since. People often think there must be sentiment attached but really it's just a nice way of showing off some cute knives I found at a market. The box frame came from Corban & Blair. They're available in a few colours and are deep enough to house all kinds of treasures. I covered the backing board with thick white card, then attached a sheet of foam core and textured watercolour paper cut just a little smaller - this gives a nice raised effect to the composition. I prefer a hot glue gun to attach the knife handles but you could use super glue or a quality craft glue instead. And I suppose it goes without saying... but I will anyway, please, please don't do this to your Grandmother's heirloom knives as they glue is not awfully kind to the handles. Save the good ones for best and scour junk shops or flea markets for your art instead.

Cool Coasters

These are coasters I've been making for some of my workshops lately and they really are proving popular. People get really excited when they see that the designs are actually paper napkins ( don't we all love those) and I have simply glued them on.

The idea is really simple, just grab a few unglazed stone tiles and brush them well with Mod Podge. Take a paper napkin and cut it into four. Peel off the two backing layers of the napkin and apply the design to the surface of the tile. Leave them overnight to dry then sand the edges with a foam sanding pad before varnishing. Oh and I also stick on some clear bumps underneath to protect my tables.

Ok, so I finished the paintings and am happy with how they turned out. All up they took me maybe two hours to complete and frame.

I used Arches paper - rough texture - 300gsm and Maimeri Water Colours in Sepia and Neutral Tint. For the fish I added a little Cyan and Primary Yellow. Oh and the frames are from Ikea. Keep an eye out for them on Better Homes and Gardens TV soon. xx

Water Colours

Today I've been working on some easy water colours for a kitchen makeover I'm doing next week on the show. The theme for the kitchen is fresh and light with plenty of glass, oak timber benches and white cabinets, a real contrast to the dark, dreary room that was there before.

I love doing quick paintings to add to my rooms, they really do add that 'hand touched' feel and are of course easy on the budget. I'll be sure to show you how they turn out.