One day I will concoct a dish that uses as many vintage utensils as I can find.  These two followed me home from the church fair.  This little grater was fantastic for grating hard cheddar for over our spaghetti*.  As for the baking molds, I have no idea.  They are not the little shells for madeleines or log like ginger gems.  It appears...

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There's always so much going on during Labour Weekend.  Tomatoes to plant, visitors to entertain, church fair and activities day at Cobblestones, our local museum.  There were cars and machinery to admire.   Lions to tame And wheels to be ridden I hope you had an equally adventurous weekend. ...

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My kids love riffling through timber offcuts, looking to repurpose bits and pieces.  We have rectangles of wood hand drawn buttons and imaginary touch screens.  I thought I would get in on it too.  This piece of wood looked too much like a blank canvas to leave alone. E thinks her hair is the bane of her life.  Knottier than her sister's and...

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Once upon a time souvenir spoons were proof that you had been there, done that. I'm not so sure about now.  I haven't a wall or rack filled with glued on mementos.  I'm always on the look out for the ones with vintage enameled insigna.  Especially, it is from one any of the places we visited on our honeymoon. The rest, I keep...

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Putting it simply, this book is brilliant.  It takes a lot for me to rave about a craft book and Christmas Crafting with Kids, by Catherine Woram,  has a lot.  It caught my eye on the library shelf and jumped in my bag. The title tells a lot.  Unlike some deceptive grown up craft books masquerading as a kids book - this book...

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Adventures are just waiting to happen.  There is a small patch of native forest on the edge of the park and a winding path through it.  Granddad Bob took the opportunity to show the girls how to make whistles out of grass blades. There was much huffing and puffing, giggling and general light-headedness.  The perfect end to an afternoon at the park. ...

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Collections often start with regrets and missed opportunities.  This collection began with one simple little jug.  It matched some cups I already had.  My godmother lovingly packed it and sent it from Scotland for me.  It was beautiful.  It still is beautiful, but in transit a small shard broke from the rim.  And so the collection began. I started to look through trade-me...

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The Printed Zipper Pocket Tutorial is ready to go. The instructions include how to print on the fabric and sew it together. You can download it by clicking on the link below. Printed, Zipped Pocket These pockets are the result of an afternoon of printing with kids aged between 4 to 8. Armed with painting shirts, and precut fabric we were able to...

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It must be spring.  The picnic basket is dusted off.  My family has returned from holiday, just in time to enjoy the last few days of the cherry blossoms.  There was muffins, sandwiches, cherry hair clips and much running. Miss H is wearing a dress smocked by Grandma for Aunty E.  Little E on the other had was not going to dress up,...

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I have been putting the finishing touches on lots of little sewing projects.  An afternoon of kids printing onto fabric has been turned into a dozen little zipped pouches. I think I might have got it down to a fine production line*.  I am sucked by the bright colours and expressiveness of their little art works.  I think we may need to make...

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I think I might be the sort of person who would buy a Ferrari, just because it matched a spare tyre I was given.  In this case,  I picked up an oven to go with my speckly enamel ware. This little beauty is a NZ made gem - a bench top oven by National Electric and Engineering Company (NEECO).  While I can't determine...

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