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December 2011
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March 2012

crocheting the wool-eater blanket [the 2012 crochet-along project]

I've made a start on a crocheted blanket for Emily.

While looking for some ideas I found the Wool-Eater blanket which is a crochet along project for 2012 over on Sarah London's blog.

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I'm using the wool I bought last year from Bendigo Woollen Mill [Emily chose the colours].

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This blanket is going to use a lot of wool, it will be heavy and thick and I'm sure it will be super warm to snuggle up with when finished.

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There's a challenge on Sarah's blog, to complete a certain number of rounds or rows every week. I'm not sure if I'm up to date, but I'm enjoying crocheting this pattern.

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And in other news... I've finished Phoebe's granny square blanket. I'm just looking for a nice crocheted edging to finish it off. This hasn't stopped Phoebe snuggling under the blanket while relaxing in front of the TV sometimes.

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Fiona


ribbons galore photography

Yesterday I spent an enjoyable afternoon in my little studio photographing lots of new ribbons for Ribbons Galore. I'm loving my new props, these vintage wooden bobbins which I bought last year from Europe. Here's a few favourite photos from the session...

Ribbons Galore new ribbons Feb 2012

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Ribbons Galore new ribbons Feb 2012

Ribbons Galore new ribbons Feb 2012

The ribbons will be on the Ribbons Galore website next week... I'm busy added them to the website at the moment :)

Have a good weekend.

Cheers

Fiona x


fiona's choc chip health snacks [recipe below]

I've been making this recipe for a little while now. {In my opinion} its a delicious and healthy snack, full of goodness, protein, fibre, lower in sugar (the white sugar type)... and it's delicious :) It makes a good morning tea for the girls to take to school and it's a nice snack with a cuppa for afternoon tea... it gets me through the afternoon without snacking before dinner.

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I tend to make this recipe up as I go along, and have been wanting to write it down. I've finally done that, so here's the recipe.

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FIONA'S CHOC CHIP HEALTH SNACKS

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup SR wholemeal flour

1 cup puffed quinoa

1/2 cup puffed amaranth

1/2 cup ground almonds or oatbran (or another dry ingredient that you like)

1 cup shredded dried coconut

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit

1 cup really nice dark chocolate (chopped roughly)

2 teaspoons mixed spice (I used a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmet).

1/3 cup chia gel **(see below)

1/2 cup rice malt syrup (or use maple syrup)

4 eggs

1-2 teaspoons vanilla

 

METHOD

Mix all the dried ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, chia gel, rice malt syrup and vanilla together. Add to the dried ingredients and mix well.

{Note: the mixture should be a little sticky and moist. If it seems dry, add a little more chia gel.}

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture into baking trays. Bake for about 20 minutes (or until lightly browned) at 170 degrees Celsius.

Allow to cool on a cooling rack and enjoy!

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How to make Chia Gel

Mix 1/3 cup of chia seeds and 2 cup water together in a bowl. Whisk the mixture together to stop the chia seeds from forming clumps. Leave to stand for about 20 minutes, while the seeds to absorb the liquid. Your can substitute the chia gel for oil/butter in recipes. The gel will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. You can read more about chia gel on the Chia Co website.

 

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Enjoy and thanks for visiting.

Cheers

Fiona x


Better Homes and Gardens LIVE Melbourne ticket giveaway

The BHG LIVE show is coming to Melbourne! It's on 24-26 February 2012 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton.

The three day event will host four stages, with live demonstrations from the Better Homes and Gardens TV experts, plus there'll be over 300 companies exhibiting at the event. You can read all about the show on the Better Homes and Gardens LIVE website.

To my Melbourne readers, start planning your day, cause I have 10 double passes (a total of 20 complimentary tickets) each valued at $40.00 to give away.

If you live in Melbourne or will be in Melbourne town on the weekend of the show and would like a couple of tickets, please send me an email.

Enjoy the show :)

Cheers

Fiona

 

 


ribbons galore in better homes and gardens magazine

I returned from our January holiday to find a couple of my handmade key rings in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine (the Australian February 2012 edition).

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About six months ago I was asked to make several key rings in a few different summery colour ways. It was great to open up the magazine and see which key rings were chosen {the birdy ribbon is one of my favourites}.

All the cotton webbing and key fob hardware are available at Ribbons Galore. They are a very easy project to make.

Handmade ribbon key rings are also available in the handmade section on the Ribbons Galore website

Cheers

Fiona x