it's a new season

together we start of a new season

Winter in the North, Summer in the South

seasons that are filled with many celebrations & festivities

almost time to shop, plan a menu and dust off decorations

 

Where has this year gone? It's hard to believe it's almost time to unpack those festive decorations. Redbubble have been expanding their range, so in addition to cards and prints they also have throw pillows, phone & tablet cases, duvet covers, stickers, hoodies and tote bags. Jump across to Redbubble and have a look. 

The end of year is also the time of year when we start to plan menus for the various events. Being a home cook putting together menus for functions is a little hobby of mine and I get a lot of enjoyment seeing people enjoy the meals. Planning a menu is essentially a balancing act of colours, textures, temperature, flavours and lead time.

Over the years I've learnt to:

1) Go with the flow of the season and subtly adjust the dishes accordingly

2) Pick a main dish or meat type and go from there. 

3) Think starter, main, sides and dessert 

4) Mix and match: throw in a handful of store bought items. No need to do all the work.

When putting together a menu keep in mind the old adage 'less is more' a well planned simple to prepare menu is often more appetizing than lots of different contrasting flavours. Prepare as much as possible in advance, give yourself the best opportunity to enjoy the event as well. I've put together a Party Menu Planner, it's a printable PDF. 

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What to consider when buying a new sewing machine

Framed Purse and Floral Beauty Fabric

welcome to a new month

enjoy:)

Oh Yeah! Spring has Sprung

Awaken it's springtime, yippee!! Go forth and enjoy the new season:)

welcome to August

enjoy:)

pinch n punch it's the first of the month

Depending on your hemisphere today we enter the middle month of summer or the middle month of winter

Enjoy:)

yards of inspiration

The background image for this months calendar is an image from a new fabric collection "Yards of Inspiration" released last weekend.

Husband and I do enjoy our day trips and in particular the Scenic Rim. When I was accepted into Open Studios as an Artist-n-Residence, I was thrilled and looked forward to working with the many images I've captured across several trips to the area. 

The image used for the calendar background and the middle four fabrics is inspired by captured moments during visits to Aliquilts Studio at Tarome. I then integrated these with images captured within our own humble yard and home; an artistic response, an integration of two communities, two artists and our creative havens. 

The bottom fabric is inspired by images captured during a day trip to Mount French near Boonah and the grass trees that grow there. 

As each piece evolved, I enjoyed remembering our visits to this beautiful part of South-East Queensland and my mind flowed with additional ideas. It seemed natural to name the collection "Yards of Inspiration". The Yards of Inspiration collection is available through Spoonflower.

Related Post:
A creative day in the country 
A perfect day for...
Texture, the element of art that stimulates sight and touch
A couple of cushions

first day of a very creative month

May a month filled with open artist studios throughout the Scenic Rim 

 including Ali George & myself on Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May

at Aliquilts, 169 Niebling Road, Tarome. Our studio will be open 9am-5pm both days

All welcome - there's plenty of space for picnicking, lots of beautiful scenery to paint or sketch, we'll have mini workshops at 11am, 1pm & 3pm and you can make your mark on the community cloth.

celebrating seasonal colours

As we in the Southern Hemisphere enjoy the changing colors of Autumn, our Northern Hemisphere friends enjoy the colors of Spring. What's your favorite seasonal color?

welcome to the first day of a new season

hello February

Happy Happy New Year

Welcome to a New Year, here's to a year filled with many creative and inspiring moments.