sweetliving Crafts • DIYs • Food • Green Living • Backyard Sustainability Issue 8 May - August 2014
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Inside: Brunch recipes Tarts, éclairs, profiteroles Cake decorating tips Handmade gifts to craft Home decorating www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Issue 8
May - August 2014 sweetliving
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sweetliving Issue 8
May - August 2014
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sweetliving Crafts • DIYs • Food • Green Living • Backyard Sustainability Issue 8
May - August 2014
www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
From the editor I adore flowers – so much so that I set up my own cut flower patch at home to provide myself with flowers all-year-round. That’s led to me having the biggest vase collection this side of the equator (well, so I am guessing). Which has further led me to experimenting with all manner of floral decorating and design tricks. What I’ve discovered is that you don’t need to display your flowers in a bog-standard upright vase to make them look good. Shallow bowls, even dinner plates, will do the trick. Check out our floral designs on pages 10-15 for some chic and unique ideas. If you’re looking for some gorgeous handmade gift ideas, I think we’ve got it covered this issue. I LOVE the DIY leather gloves project (I shall be making several of those) – and the horsey soft toys and knitted kitty hats are both adorable. For your Mum or a friend (or yourself, of course), try making one of our floral brooches. Or try a floral headband instead. We have our usual delicious sweet treats in this issue, plus some tasty brunch ideas for special occasions. In fact, this weekend, I’m going to treat myself to some homemade croissants (see page 32). And maybe I’ll make some profiteroles (page 19) and coffee granita (page 38) for afters. Happy crafting, everyone.
Jane www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
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contents 6
News, views, tips & snips
10 16
Blooming good ideas
19
Sweet treats
31 43 66
Brunch recipes
74 83
Latest updates, inspiring ideas, thrifty tips and websites we love.
50
Chic and unique ideas for floral design.
Cake decorating tips Learn how to make fondant and buttercream ruffles. 16
Got a sweet tooth? Here’s our pick of irresistible treats. For special occasions.
Handmade gifts
Gifts to sew, embroider, crochet, knit.
Home decorating
A shabby chic makeover, plus ideas for kids’ rooms.
Make your talents pay
Learn tips from these crafty experts.
Backyard sustainability
Grow kumquats, make your own herbal blends, DIY mosiacs.
Contacts www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz Editor: Jane Wrigglesworth Designer: Geoff Fitzpatrick, grafix@fitzi.co.nz Editorial enquiries: jane@sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz Advertising enquiries: admin@sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz Readers’ tips: tips@sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz Join us on Facebook
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news, views, tips & snips
Gluten-free pasta A tomato a day keeps depression away Researchers believe that lycopene, the chemical that gives tomatoes their red colour, may make us happier. Lycopene, an antioxidant, is believed to help protect against certain diseases, including coronary heart disease. But a recent study also suggests it may keep depression at bay. The study found that people who ate tomatoes two to six times a week were 46 per cent less likely to develop depression than those who ate tomatoes less than once a week.
Want to make your own gluten-free pasta? Gluten Free Girl has devised the perfect recipe for the perfect pasta, minus the gluten. A lot of sweat and tears went into devising the recipe, but the end result is, we think, perfect. Check it out for yourself. Click through to Gluten Free Girl
Nettles a superfood
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) may be classed as a weed, but they’re also a superfood! They’re packed full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and have therapeutic properties. Among others, they have calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, silica, silicon, copper, zinc and phosphorus, plus vitamins C D, E and K, and A and B complex vitamins. What puts many people off is their ‘sting’. But plunged in boiling water for a few seconds, the sting disappears. If foraging for nettles, make sure you where gloves and long trousers. Pick the young, tender shoots. Cook them as you would spinach. Boil in a small amount of water, until wilted. Add a knob of butter, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
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Create art from your clutter
Recycle plastic or metal bits and bobs into a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art. Salvage everyday objects from the trash heap and glue or weld the pieces together. Small, light items can be glued or wired together; larger items will need to be welded.
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Top 10 herbal teas
Herbal teas are quietly taking the world by storm, with specialist teashops popping up all around the world. This healthy trend is one you can easily adopt at home. Start with The Organic Prepper’s Top 10 Teas for your Herbal Medicine Cabinet. They tell us which herb is good for treating which ailment and how you can grow it yourself.
Give flowers… cookie flowers
Next time you need a thank you gift for a girlfriend, bake a batch of cookies in the shape of flowers. Flowers, cookies… What gal wouldn’t love that?
5 websites we 1. Gluten-Free Girl
Not only can you find a fabulous selection of gluten-free recipes here, there are great, informative articles such as A Guide to GlutenFree Baking, How to Shop Gluten-free and Building a Gluten-Free Community.
2. Lee Caroline – A World of Inspiration
Kiwi artist Lee Caroline’s gorgeous blog is all about interior design. “Forever seeking inspiration from around the world, whether a fabulous interior, decorating trends, unique homewares or a delicious recipe,” Caroline shares beautiful images, designs, recipes and DIYs.
3. Our Vintage Home Love
If you love all things vintage, you’ll love Diana’s blog. “We share our passion for DIY projects, vintage finds, designing, building, decorating, organic gardening, cooking and making something from nothing when you have little in your pocket.”
4. Decorate Decorate Food art
We’re all for playing with your food, and one of the latest trends is to carve up your veggies. Follow this video to learn how to make flowers out of your radishes and spuds. Roast the spuds in the oven for a spectacular addition to roast meals. To make capsicum flowers, cut the capsicum in half in a zigzag fashion, as shown. Open up the ‘petals’ and place one half on top of the other. Place another blooming vegetable inside.
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Nicolette Tabram has a passion for paint and pattern, which she shares with us through her blog. See her fabulous furniture makeovers, and how she uses various paint techniques and stencils to do it.
5. Dollar Store Crafts
Daily craft projects that are cheap yet chic. Many projects for kids, teens and adults.
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The thrifty cook Readers’ tried and true tips for saving money in the kitchen.
Cigarette russes Do you have egg whites to use up? Make cigarette russes. They’re great for dipping into soft ice cream, chocolate mousse or other creamy desserts.
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2 egg whites 115g (4 oz) caster sugar 55g (2 oz) butter, melted 55g (2 oz) flour, sifted ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
Our family loves this tart served with a fresh salad or oven fries (have to entice the kids somehow). It’s easy to make, which I love.
Place egg whites and sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add melted butter, flour and vanilla essence, and mix. Spread mixture in oblongs on a greased baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove each oblong with a knife and roll around the handle of a wooden spoon. Place on a wire rack to cool. Emily Samuels
‘Creamy’ dairy-free soup If you like your soups creamy but need – or want – to go dairy-free, use cashew cream in place of milk or cream. Soak 1 cup of raw cashews for at least 3 hours, drain then rinse, then blend in a high-speed blender until it reaches a creamy consistency. Sonya P.
Cucumber baskets This is a lovely salad presentation for when you have guests. Cut cucumbers in half,
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Penelope Jensen
Easy leek tart
Preheat oven to 200 deg C (400 deg F).
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scoop out the centre, then fill with a mix of chopped lettuce, tomato, hard-boiled eggs, grated cheese and breadcrumbs. You can dollop some mayonnaise on top if desired.
• • • • • • • • • •
50g butter 2 large leeks, trimmed and chopped 500g shortcrust pastry 3 medium eggs 100ml cream 50ml milk 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 50g Gruyere cheese, grated Seasoning, to taste 50g Gruyere cheese, grated (extra)
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks, cover and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes until soft. Leave to cool. Preheat oven to 200 deg C (400 deg F). Roll out pastry and line a greased 23cm (9 inch) tart tin (one with a removable bottom is best). Prick pastry with a fork, line with baking paper, fill with baking beans and blind bake for 12 minutes. Remove baking beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is just turning golden. Reduce oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F).
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In a mixing bowl, add eggs, cream, milk, mustard, Gruyere cheese and seasoning, and beat with a fork. Spread the leeks over the pastry base, then pour in the egg mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle over extra cheese. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden. Joan Packer, Golden Bay
Steamed chocolate puddings This is a great way to use up stale cake, though you can also use plain sponge cake.
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150g (5 oz) stale cake (or use any cake) 90g (3 oz) chocolate, roughly chopped 140ml (5 fl oz) milk 55g (2 oz) butter, softened 3 dessertspoons caster sugar 2 large eggs, separated ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
Break cake into crumbs, place in mediumsized mixing bowl and set aside. Add chocolate and milk to saucepan and heat slowly until chocolate is melted. Bring to the boil, then pour over cake crumbs. Mix well, cover bowl and leave to stand for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat. Add soaked cake crumbs and vanilla essence. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the cake mixture. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Using a saucepan with a steamer, bring water to the boil. Divide cake mix into pudding cups or large ramekins, cover with tin foil and tie, set in steamer and steam for 45-50 minutes, or until set. Serve with chocolate sauce. Chocolate sauce
• • • •
2 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 tablespoons sugar 300ml water 2-3 drops vanilla essence
Put cocoa powder, sugar and water in saucepan, mix thoroughly, then bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vanilla essence just before serving.
Creamy egg dressing
Wholemeal banana pancakes
Our family loves this salad dressing. Mix together 2 egg yolks of hard-boiled eggs (I just eat the egg whites!), mashed, 1 tablespoon honey, the juice of 1 lemon and ½ cup cream. Yum! Ngaire Sapsford
This is a great dessert – or you could serve them for breakfast or brunch.
Cabbage and apple side dish My kids are not too fond of cabbage, but they’re so easy to grow that I always have a large supply. I devised this vegetable dish which they actually like. Cut cabbage into fine strips, throw into a frying pan with a knob of butter, a finely chopped onion and 2 finely chopped apples. Cook until tender. Add seasoning, if desired, before serving. G Salmond
Vegetable patties
Amanda Bernard
I discovered this recipe in a book published in 1934. It’s a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Use any cooked leftover vegetables except cabbage. Place in a bowl, add sufficient soybean flour to make fairly stiff, and mix with egg and marmite to flavour. Form into balls, roll in wholemeal breadcrumbs or cornflakes. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Gretchen Bambury
Fresh relish
Fruity vinaigrette
Carmen Parker
Lettuce rolls I love serving these when I have guests. Spread cream cheese onto crisp lettuce leaves. Roll up the lettuce and tie with long-stemmed nasturtium leaves. They are a great side dish for barbecues.
Need a quick relish? Mix ½ cup each finely chopped cucumber, tomato and onion, add ½ cup sour cream with a little horseradish, and sugar and salt to taste. Debra Masters www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Before you throw out the last scrapings from your jam jar, add equal parts olive oil and vinegar to the jar and shake – you have a fruity vinaigrette! P Mitchell Issue 8
• • • • • • • •
2 eggs 400ml (14 fl oz) milk 2 bananas, mashed 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup wholemeal flour 2/3 cup plain four ¼ brown sugar 1 cup rolled oats
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, banana and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Heat large frypan over a medium heat and cook individual pancakes with a little oil. Serve pancakes drizzled with honey, maple syrup or chocolate sauce. Tanya B.
Cream cheese croutons If you have a small amount of cream cheese to use it, use it to make toasted croutons. Toast bread on one side, spread the untoasted side with cream cheese, then brown under the grill. Cut into cubes and sprinkle over soup. Samuel G.
Send your tips and recipes to: tips@sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz May - August 2014 sweetliving
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Blooming good ideas
Wrap it up Next time you buy or pick some flowers from your garden to give to a friend, wrap them in faux newspaper for a vintage-style look. Use a dark or complementary coloured paper on the outside, and a sheet of ‘newspaper’ on the inside. Download our free newspaper prints, opposite.
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Blooming good ideas
Download your free newspaper prints here. Print them onto size A3 paper and use one or two pages to wrap your blooms. Or if you’re feeling generous, use all three! These prints can also be used for artwork. Simply frame them and hang them on the wall.
Free
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Glass act
Coloured tumblers and wine glasses make excellent vases for small posies. Head to your nearest thrift store and you’ll find hundreds of mismatched glasses for a song.
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Blooming good ideas
Take a plate Who said floral displays needed to be contained in vases? An elegant glass plate works just as well. Place a small dome of (soaked) floral foam on the glass plate and insert flower stems. Rotate the plate as you’re inserting the stems to ensure the entire dome is covered.
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Icing on the cake Got a spare cake stand? Use it to hold small potted plants, candles and vases of flowers for a striking centrepiece.
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Blooming good ideas
Small talk
The smallest vases sometimes make the biggest impact. Upcycle ceramic pot plant containers, painted cans, small cake tins and tin boxes for floral use. If the containers are not waterproof, place smaller glasses or bowls inside to hold your flowers.
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Caking decorating tips
Frills & spills
What’s a party without ruffles? Sweet fondant and buttercream ruffles are quite the trend right now. Here’s how to add frills and spills to cakes. Fondant ruffles
Buy fondant/sugarpaste in the colour of your choice, or colour it yourself. Pinch off a piece of fondant and roll it out into a small sausage shape. The fatter you make it, the larger your ruffles will be. You may need to do this a couple of times to get the right size for your cake. Flatten the fondant sausage with a rolling pin. The strip should be about 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. Position the end of a small artist’s paintbrush on the edge of one side of the fondant strip and roll it backwards and forward, in one spot, to create a frill. Move the brush next to this and repeat, rolling it backwards and forwards. Repeat until you have frills right along the strip. Continue until you have several frilly strips. Brush some edible glue onto your cake and along the straight edge of your frilly strip, and attach the ruffles to your cake in layers. Page 16
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Cake decorating tips
Buttercream ruffles Pretty pink buttercream ruffles add a certain charm to these cupcakes. Simply use a ruffle piping tip and pipe the buttercream onto the cupcake in an up and down, back and forth motion. Wilton petal tips 124, 125, 126 and 127D are all great for making ruffles.
Buttercream icing • 200g butter, softened • 2 ½ cups icing (confectioner’s) sugar • 2 tablespoons milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add half a cup of icing sugar to butter at a time, beating until mixed. Add milk and essence at the end.
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Cool cat cookies
Cup cookies are not only fun, they’re a neat presentation idea for guests. You can buy a hanging cup cookie cutter, or you can simply cut out a piece of the dough when making your cookies. Remember that the dough is likely to expand slightly when baked, so you need to cut your notch a little wider to accommodate for that. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting. If the dough is not chilled first, it may tear when cut.
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Sweet treats
Got a sweet tooth? Here’s our pick of irresistible treats for every occasion.
Profiterole perfection
Whether you call them profiteroles, cream puffs or choux à la crème, these delicious pastries are a hit with almost everyone. Serve them individually or create a profiterole tower and decorate it with fresh flowers and spun caramel. Recipe and technique on page 41.
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Baked apples with apricot A classic dessert with apricot and mascarpone filling, this simple recipe has old-fashioned appeal. It looks impressive and tastes just as good. Recipe on page 41.
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Sweet treats Apricot frangipane tart This fruity tart is easy to make yet looks and tastes like a gourmet offering. Our recipe calls for fresh apricots, although tinned fruit will work too. Recipe on page 41.
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Jam-filled doughnuts These tasty morsels are baked not fried, so as far as doughnuts go, they’re reasonably healthy. They’re best eaten on the day they’re made – but that won’t be a problem. They’ll be devoured in minutes. Recipe on page 41.
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Sweet treats
Raspberry cupcakes Cupcakes are a great favourite with all the family. Try these fruity cakes for a mid-morning or afternoon treat. We’ve used raspberries, but you can use any fresh or frozen berry. Recipe on page 41.
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Chocolate salami
Chocolate salami, or salame de chocolate, is a traditional Portuguese dessert, with as many variations as there are cooks. But the basis is chocolate, broken cookies and nuts or fruit. Serve it at parties or as a small treat with coffee at the end of dinner. Recipe on page 41.
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Sweet treats
Chocolate mousse flan
Chocolate fans will love this dessert, with its crunchy base and soft, delectable filling. It’s one of our alltime favourites. Recipe on page 41.
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Chocolate hazelnut pastries Here’s a simple, speedy and delicious sweet snack for parties and desserts. You can whip these up in a matter of minutes. Make plenty, as they’re extremely moreish. Recipe on page 41.
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Sweet treats
Chocolate espresso lemon tarts These zesty lemon and chocolate tarts bear a hint of coffee flavour, though not so much as to put off those who aren’t coffee fans. They’re rich and mouth-wateringly good. Recipe on page 41.
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Banana cream éclairs Banana-lovers will adore these éclairs – a shell of choux pastry with a banana glaze and banana cream filling. Diehard chocolate fans can be catered for by drizzling chocolate on top if desired. Recipe on page 41.
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Sweet treats
Custard butter cookies Both adults and children will love these melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Better yet, they’re super easy to make. Recipe on page 41.
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Frame a blackboard Place a small blackboard in a fancy picture frame and hang it on the wall. Use it as a memo board, a shopping list or a menu for dinner guests.
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Weekends and holidays are the perfect days to serve a leisurely brunch. Try our selection of delicious treats.
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Homemade croissants Homemade croissants are a labour of love, but the reward is a delicious mouthful of crisp pastry. Make them for a special day – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or a birthday. Recipe on page 40.
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Brunch menu
French toast Use slices of bread, brioche or baguette to make this classic breakfast treat. Top with your favourite fruit, bacon if desired, and maple syrup. Recipe on page 40.
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Leek & rocket tartlets Try these tasty tarts with roasted tomatoes or a dollop of homemade chutney. Or simply savour the taste of fresh rocket and a smattering of parmesan sprinkled on top. Recipe on page 40.
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Brunch menu
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Put on a spread
Clockwise, from top left: Eat like a king with a selection of fine meats, such as salami and prosciutto, fresh figs and dates (dried figs and dates are a far cry from the succulent fresh ones you can buy from the fresh produce section of your supermarket or greengrocer’s), cheeses, walnuts, freshly baked bread, pesto and local honey. Buy the best – Parmigiano-Reggiano, brie or camembert, grapes or wine jelly, and local honey. If you have access to it, serve with honeycomb to top off a spread fit for royalty. Page 36
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Brunch menu Baked pears with honey mascarpone This simple but tasty dish is a great finish to a savoury brunch. Follow up with coffee granita (following page) and you’ll have happy campers all round. Recipe page 40.
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Coffee granita
The grand finale to brunch – an ice-cold coffee granita. Top with a dollop of cream and enjoy. Recipe page 40.
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sweetliving
Spoil Mum t his Mot her’s Day. 77 delicious chocolates. An assortment of milk, dark and white chocolate presented in a luxury gift box. An extensive range of quality handcrafted Belgian chocolate available at Chocolate Boutique 1/323 Parnell Rd, Parnell. Open 11am to 10pm, 7 days
www.chocolateboutique.co.nz
perfect gifts for foodie friends and family
Buy online @ www.cuisinescene.co.nz or phone 07 8564828 Free delivery in NZ for orders over $35
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Brunch recipes
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French toast
n ALL brsuhere e recip
• 2 eggs • ½ cup cream • ½ teaspoon cinnamon • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar • 8 slices bread • 1 tablespoon butter • Maple syrup, golden syrup or honey,
Homemade croissants - find this recipe on the downloadable PDF.
for serving
Whisk eggs, cream, cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Just before frying, dip bread in egg mixture on both sides. Heat butter in frying pan and cook bread until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Place on serving plate and pour over maple syrup. If desired, dust with extra cinnamon and icing (confectioner’s) sugar. Serve with blueberries or fruit of your choice.
Leek & rocket tartlets
• 2 tablespoons oil • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced and chopped • 150g rocket (arugula) • Shortcrust pastry • 2 eggs • 125 ml milk • 125 ml cream • Salt & pepper
1. Preheat oven to 200deg C (400deg F). 2. In a large frying pan, add oil, garlic and leek and cook for 5 minutes. Add rocket and cook for a further minute. Remove from heat and set aside. 3. Roll out your pastry to a thickness of 3mm (1/8 inch). Use your tart tins to cut out circles, then line the base of the tins with them. Cover the base of the pastry with baking paper, add baking beans, and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove baking paper and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 180deg C (350deg F). 4. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and cream together. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5. Spread leek mixture onto base of tarts. Pour the egg mixture on top of Page 40
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this. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes. Serve with a few rocket leaves on top and a sprinkle of finely grated parmesan, if desired.
Baked pears with honey mascarpone • 4 pears • ½ cup brown sugar • 150g mascarpone • 1 tablespoon honey • 50g walnuts, lightly crushed
Preheat oven to 210deg C (410deg F). Peel, core and quarter pears. Place on baking tray, cut side down, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. Mix mascarpone with honey. Place pears in serving bowls, top with mascarpone and sprinkle with walnuts.
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Coffee granita
• 1 cup caster sugar • ½ cup water • 2 cups strong freshly brewed coffee Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat, stirring, over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Make sure you brush down the sides of the saucepan to get any sugar granules that have stuck there. Cook over a low heat, without stirring, until the mixture starts to turn a pale golden colour around the outside of the saucepan. Remove from heat and add coffee. Pour into a metal pan and place in freezer for half an hour. Use a fork to break up the ice crystals. Return to the freezer, and repeat scraping every 20-30 minutes for 4-5 hours. When thoroughly frozen, fluff with a fork before serving in an espresso cup. Top with whipped cream. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
sweetliving
Sweet treats recipes
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et tr ALL swe s here e ip rec
Profiteroles Make profiteroles as per the pastry for the banana éclairs, but instead of piping the pastry into fingers, pipe them into puffs. You will need to double the recipe for enough puffs for a tower. When the puffs are baked and cooled, fill with whipped cream, and dust with icing (confectioner’s) sugar or top with chocolate icing, and serve individually. Or make a tower. Fill the profiteroles with whipped cream. Then make the caramel for your spun caramel. Caramel • 150ml water • 2 ¼ cups or sugar • 1 tablespoon liquid glucose Heat over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush. Continue to boil, without stirring, until it is a light amber colour. Remove from the heat. Making up profiterole tower Using tongs, dip the bottom of each profiterole into the caramel then begin to stack in a tower. Add some small icing flowers as you go. When the tower is complete, dip a fork in the caramel and drizzle the caramel around your tower. Insert fresh or faux flowers for a pretty presentation.
Jam-filled donuts
• ¼ cup lukewarm milk • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast • 1 teaspoon sugar • 400g (14 oz) plain flour, sifted • ½ teaspoon salt • 50g (1.7 oz) sugar • 45g (1.6 oz) butter, melted • ¾ cup lukewarm milk • 1 egg, lightly beaten • Extra butter for brushing onto doughnuts
• Jam, for filling • Icing (confectioner’s) sugar for dusting
1. Place milk in a small bowl. Add yeast and sugar and mix. Set aside – www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Baked apples with apricots - find this and more recipes on the downloadable PDF.
it will become frothy. 2. Mix flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Combine milk and yeast mixture, melted butter, extra milk and egg. Mix together thoroughly. You can use your mixer for this, as the dough should be soft and sticky. 3. Cover bowl with cling film and let the dough double in size. 4. Turn out dough onto floured work surface. Spread the mixture out gently using your hand. Do not knead the dough or the end result will not be light and airy. 5. To make doughnuts, use a round cookie cutter to cut out. Leave them round or shape them into a crescent shape. Gently place doughnuts onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover doughnuts and allow to rise slightly (15-20 minutes). 6. Preheat oven to 180deg C (350 deg F) and melt some butter to brush over the doughnuts. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and place doughnuts on cooling rack. 7. When cool, fill doughnuts with jam. We found a pastry syringe worked best for this. Dust with icing (confectioner’s) Issue 8
sugar. These doughnuts are best enjoyed on the day they are made.
Raspberry cupcakes Makes 12 regular-size cupcakes • 125g softened butter • ¾ cup caster sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence • 2 eggs • 1 ½ cups self-raising flour • ½ cup milk • 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen) 1. Preheat oven to 180deg C (350deg F) and grease cupcake pan or line with paper baking cups. 2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. 3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. 4. Mix in half the sifted flour and half the milk, then add the remaining flour and milk. 5. Gently fold in the raspberries. 6. Spoon into paper baking cups and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcake bounces back when pressed. May - August 2014 sweetliving
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May - August 2014
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Handmade gifts Stuck for gift ideas? Be inspired by our gorgeous handmade goodies for family and friends.
Heartfelt
Give the gift of love with a lavender-filled felt heart. Cut out three heart shapes from felt, two large ones and one smaller one in a contrasting colour. Hand-stitch a star pattern onto the smaller heart with stranded embroidery thread (we’ve used eight strands for our star design to really stand out), then stitch the smaller heart to one of the bigger hearts using blanket stitch. Again using blanket stitch, stitch the two large hearts together, leaving an opening for stuffing. Fill the heart with dried lavender, then stitch closed.
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Issue 8
May - August 2014 sweetliving
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sweetliving
Old into new Use a piece of vintage embroidered cloth as the star attraction in a stuffed fabric heart. To make a patchwork heart, sew four strips of differing fabric together, including your vintage embroidered cloth. Cut out two heart shapes from the patchwork fabric. Stitch rickrack braid over the seams. With right sides together, sew around the heart, leaving an opening for turning right side out and stuffing. Clip some notches within the seam allowance, then turn the heart right side out. Stuff with cotton, then sew the opening closed. Stitch a piece of ribbon at the top to hang.
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Handmade gifts
Pipe up
Use piping to turn a simple heart into a work of art. Cut two heart shapes out of fabric. Use a vintage embroidered cloth for the front side, or stitch your own floral design (see page 47 for short and long stitch tutorial). Lay your piping on the right side of the fabric of one of your heart shapes, aligning the raw cut-edge of the piping with the raw cut-edge of the heart fabric. Position the piping so the rounded side faces the centre of the heart. Pin in place. Using a zipper foot, sew the piping in place. With right sides together, lay the second heart shape on top of the first heart with the attached piping. Pin. Using the seam line as a guide, sew through all fabric layers. Leave an opening for turning right side out and stuffing. Clip some notches within the seam allowance, then turn the heart right side out. Stuff with cotton, then sew the opening closed. Stitch a piece of ribbon at the top for hanging.
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Embroidery techniques
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Embroider onto printed fabrics The world is your oyster when it comes to combining embroidery with printed fabrics. Any colour and any design will work, whether intricate or minimalist, bold or pale. We’ve used a fairly basic printed pattern (1) then traced the outlines of some of the flowers and leaves in backstitch (2). On the remaining flowers we omitted the backstitch and filled the petals in with long and short stitch (see tutorial for long and short stitch opposite page), using stranded cotton (3). Use an embroidery hoop for stability when stitching. You can use your embroidered fabric as a tablecloth, table runner, placemats, or even a tea cosy.
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Handmade gifts
Free
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Short & long stitch tutorial Trish Burr’s gorgeous dog rose project is aimed at the beginner, with step-by-step instructions and photos. The tutorial includes instructions for French knots, split stitch and short & long stitch, with great diagrams for each stitch. Download the free tutorial above, then visit Trish Burr’s website to see more of her exquisite patterns. Or check out her lovely blog.
www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
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sweetliving
Handcrafted brooches
Brooches add a touch of elegance to a plain outfit. Make your own using scraps of leather, yarn or fabric.
This grosgrain ribbon flower brooch can be made in any colour to match your wardrobe. Use patterned or striped grosgrain for extra pizzazz. DIY instructions page 51.
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Handmade gifts
Silk flowers
Make a selection of silky flower brooches for every occasion.
1 2 3 4 www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
For each brooch, cut out 4 large circles, 2 medium circles and 1 small circle. The sizes will depend on the size you want your finished brooch. Burn the edge of each circle to prevent it from fraying and to create an attractive dark rim as it becomes charred. Be careful with your fabrics. Cottons flame up and need to be carefully controlled. Polyesters melt quickly. Silks are best to work with as they are easiest to control. Working with one circle at a time, hold the fabric briefly over a flame, then pinch the edge of the fabric to prevent it from flaring up. Continue until the entire circle has a charred edge. Hand sew the circles on top of one another – you can crumple up the ‘petals’ slightly for a more natural effect. Stitch a few beads in the centre of your flowers. Glue or stitch a piece of circular felt to the back of the flower and glue on a brooch pin.
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Grosgrain ribbon flower
You will need: • 2-3m grosgrain ribbon (4cm/1 ½ inch wide) • Matching thread • 20cm (8 inch) x 2 ½ cm (1 inch) strip of cardboard • Sewing machine • Needle
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Handmade gifts
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Wrap the grosgrain ribbon around the cardboard, overlapping the edges, as shown. Do not wrap it too tightly or you will have difficulty removing the cardboard. Iron the ribbon on both sides, taking care not to burn the ribbon.
Gently remove the cardboard so as not to disrupt the placing of the ribbon and sew along the bottom edge. Use a matching thread colour – we’ve used a darker thread so you can see it.
Crochet flower This quick-to-work flower can be made in any size. Use different sized yarn and crochet hooks for smaller or larger flowers. We used double ply acrylic yarn with a size 4 crochet hook.
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Insert the cardboard just inside the end of the stitched ribbon piece and continue to wrap around the cardboard strip with the remaining ribbon. It’s easier to work in small strips like this rather than one long strip. Iron the ribbon, remove cardboard and stitch along the base. Continue until you have used up all your ribbon.
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Starting at the centre, roll the ribbon to form a flower. Use a needle and thread and sew the flower in position as you go.
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Glue or stitch a piece of circular felt to the back of the flower and glue on a brooch pin.
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Make 72 ch. Row 1: dc into 5th ch from hook, *ch 2, skip 2 st, dc, repeat from *. Row 2: ch 3, dc into first ch 2 space, ch 2, dc into same space, *ch 1, dc into next ch 2 space, ch 2, dc into same space, repeat from *. Row 3: ch 3, *6 dc into ch 2 space, sl st in chain 1 space, repeat from *. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing up. Make Up Thread the long tail onto a needle. Starting at the centre, roll the petals up and secure them at the base with your needle. Make sure you catch all the layers. Glue or sew a brooch pin to the base of the flower. Snip off the remaining thread.
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sweetliving
Leather & fur flowers Add glitz and glamour to your clothing using leather and faux fur offcuts. Make a simple flower template out of cardboard and use this to cut leather and fur flower shapes. Using the template, draw the flower onto the wrong side of the leather and fur. Cut two leather flowers and one fur one. Only cut on the back of the fur fabric, using a craft knife. Don’t cut through the hair. Scrunch up the leather petals with your fingers to make them look more natural. Stitch or glue beads onto the centre of one of the leather flowers. Using fabric glue, glue one leather flower on top of the other, then glue the leather flowers on top of the faux fur flower. At this stage, you can stitch or glue on leaves and stems cut from green faux fur, if desired. Glue or stitch a piece of circular felt to the back of the flower and glue on a brooch pin.
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Handmade gifts
Make a headband Headbands are a fun project for both children and adults. Amp them up with faux flowers or sparkling embellishments for a luxe look. Using a glue gun, squeeze a thin line of glue down the length of a plastic headband and wrap satin or velvet ribbon around the band. Cut an oval-shaped piece of felt or leather. Glue faux flowers or sparkling beads onto the felt, then glue the felt to the headband.
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sweetliving
Make your own leather gloves Leather gloves aren’t cheap, but you can make your own professional-looking ones using scrap leather. We picked up some inexpensive scrap leather from a craft emporium, but specialist leather suppliers abound. Once you’ve created your pattern following the instructions below, you can whip up numerous pairs of gloves in different colours and textures to match your wardrobe. Make sure you use soft leather for flexibility and ease of sewing.
You need: • • • • • •
Soft leather Matching thread Paper, for pattern (or very thin card) Pencil Scissors Sewing machine
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Handmade gifts
Sewing experience needed
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Drawing your pattern
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Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Place your hand at the edge of the fold with your thumb hanging over. Leave a slight gap between the edge of the paper and the side of your index finger. Leave your fingers slightly open and trace the hand. Allow for an extra 3mm (1/8 inch) at the top of your fingers and the side of your pinky finger. When it comes to drawing between the fingers, start with the pinky finger, move it just enough to make a point with your pencil between the fingers where they meet at the trunk of the hand. Do this for each finger. You want to draw as close to parallel lines as possible between each finger. Also mark on the paper where your thumb attaches to the hand (points B and C as marked on the pattern in step2).
Draw a vertical line from A (this is the point at the top of the webbing between your index and middle fingers), and horizontal lines from B and C, as shown. Next, draw an oval shape for the thumb opening, as shown, paying close attention to where the oval matches up with the perpendicular lines you have just drawn vertically and horizontally from points A, B and C. The oval is on a slight slant towards the fold of the paper. Keeping the paper folded, cut out your pattern. Open up the paper and cut out the thumb hole. To make a pattern for the gussets: place your finger on the edge of a piece of paper, as shown, and trace around it with a pencil. Repeat for all fingers. Label each finger. Cut out each finger and match up the corresponding finger for each gusset: index finger with middle finger, middle finger with ring finger, ring finger with pinky. Draw around each joined pair of fingers, as shown. Label each finger.
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Before cutting, draw a curve at the bottom of each gusset, then cut out each of your patterns, following the curve at the bottom of the gussets. Your three gussets will look like this. Make your thumb pattern. There are two ways to do this: the tailored way (tailored to your measurements) and the easy way (downloading our generic pattern). For the tailored way, trace around your thumb, as shown (7a). At the middle point of the webbing, draw a ‘flap’ to the right, then draw the pattern, as shown (7b). At this stage you are drawing only one half of the pattern. At the top of the thumb, add extra for seam allowance, as the thumb does not have a gusset. Fold the paper in half and trace the outline of the half of the pattern you have just drawn. This is your thumb pattern. If you prefer to download the generic thumb pattern, click here. You can get an idea how the pattern fits your thumb by wrapping it around your thumb. If it’s too small add extra width to the pattern.
Do a dummy run first Before you start working with your leather, it’s best to make up a mock glove in cotton or muslin to be certain your pattern is right. This may seem time-consuming but it is cheaper in the long run if you make a mistake when using leather. Use a contrasting coloured thread to easily see where you are sewing – this also makes it easier to see where you need to make adjustments to the pattern. Once you’ve got your pattern right, you can make as many leather gloves as you like without having to make a mock one first.
7a
7b
Making your gloves
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Pin the pattern pieces to your leather and cut out. If you wish to have long gloves, incorporate this into your pattern by extending the arms. With rights sides together, fold the front and back sides of your glove together, lining up each finger edge. With a 3mm (1/8 inch) seam allowance, stitch from point to point, as shown in the diagram.
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Handmade gifts
Free
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Pin gussets to glove, placing the longest point of the V of each gusset on the back of the hand (on the side that does not contain the thumb hole). With a 3mm (1/8 inch) seam allowance, stitch, breaking stitching at the dots (as per diagram). If you need to adjust the shape of the fingers, do so now. Turn right side out and try on to ensure correct sizing. Make the thumbs. With right sides together, fold each thumb piece in half lengthwise and stitch, as shown in diagram, with a 3mm seam allowance. Leave the lower edge open. Snip the corner where indicated so it turns neatly right side out. Turn thumb right side out. With right sides together, pin thumb to glove, lining up the thumb seam with the seam of the index finger. Try on the glove to ensure it’s a correct fit. Adjust if necessary. You may find the thumb ‘flaps’ need trimming slightly to fit properly. Re-pin and fit again. When you are happy with the fit, stitch thumb to glove. Sew up the sides. If desired, hem the bottom of the gloves.
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sweetliving
Bead embroidery Cover an existing item of clothing or accessory or sew a new one and embellish it with beads for spectacular sparkle.
Our beaded bag For our project we used bag pattern Kwik Sew 3206 (B). Before sewing the bag pieces together, we hand-stitched our sequins and beads onto the front piece. Cut the fabric for the front piece AFTER you have stitched on your embellishments. Use a large embroidery hoop to keep the fabric taut and stable. You need a hoop that accommodates the whole beaded design, which, in our case, is approximately 29cm x 20cm (11 inches x 8 inches). We used seed beads (size 12) and bugle beads (6mm, Âź inch). Page 58
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www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Handmade gifts Getting started You can cover just about anything with sequins and beads, including clothing, bags, other accessories and home décor. Many bead embroidery stitches are simply traditional embroidery stitches with beads added.
Basic tool kit • • • • • •
Selection of beads and sequins Bead embroidery needle Polyester sewing thread Fabric marker or transfer paper (to transfer your design) Scissors Embroidery hoop
Transferring your design You can design your own pattern or use an existing one from a book. Transfer the design to your fabric using a fabric marker or transfer paper. Fabric markers can be either water soluble or vanishing, whereas the ink from the water soluble marker disappears when washed or sprayed with water, and the ink from the vanishing marker disappears in a few hours.
Attaching sequins You can sew your sequins on individually or overlap them in a row – or you can simply glue or sew on a sequin trim. The latter comes in single strands or multiple strands, bought by the roll or by the metre (or yard). To attach individual sequins in a row, secure the thread on the reverse side of the fabric, position the sequin where you want it and bring your needle up through the hole. Take the needle back down at the side of the sequin in the direction you wish your row to head. Bring the needle back through to the right side of the fabric beside where you just went down. Thread the needle through the next sequin and position the sequin so that it covers the last stitch over the last sequin. Take the needle back down at the side and repeat until your row is complete.
Couching beads Begin applying your beads and sequins. To apply a straight line of seed beads, bring your needle up from the under side of the fabric to the right side. Thread several beads onto the needle. Hold the thread taut and take the needle back through the fabric at the end of the beads. Bring your needle back up through the fabric, on the right side of the beads, between the second and third beads from where you started. Take the needle back through to the other side, on the other side of the beads (the left side). This is called couching and it holds the line of beads in place. Continue along your line until your have the desired number of beads. To create a curved line, pull your threaded beads into a curve and use your thumb to hold the beads in the shape you want. Then stitch over them using the couching method. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Textured mat Use a textured mat when sorting and choosing beads for your project. The mat stops the beads from rolling about and you can simply hold your needle more or less horizontally to pick up beads straight from the mat. Issue 8
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sweetliving
Cat in t he hat Materials • Size 9 (5.5mm) knitting needles • 8-ply acrylic yarn in white • Persian wool in white, black, grey and pink • Tapestry needle
Pattern • Cast on 44 sts (do more, or less, depending on the size you want). • Row 1: k1, p1. • Row 2: k to end. • Row 3: p to end. • Continue with St st (knit one row, purl one row) until the work measures 30cm (12 inches). End with a purl row. • Cast off in St st. • Fold over and stitch down the sides. sweetliving Issue 8
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Knit a cute kitty hat for a toddler – or adjust the sizing and create one for a newborn baby or an older child.
Decorating Using 1 strand of white Persian wool, hand-sew a running stitch across each top corner to create ‘ears’.
here
Stem stitch
Using 2 strands of black Persian wool, stitch the shape of two eyes in stem filling stitch, which are simply rows of stem stitch. Use white Persian wool to create the whites of the eyes.
Abbreviations k = knit p = purl st = stitch St st = stockinette stitch
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Free
May - August 2014
Using 2 strands of pink Persian wool, stitch the shape of a nose in stem filling stitch. Stitch whiskers and a mouth in stem stitch. Take 2 strands each of white, black, pink and grey Persian wool and plait them to form ties. Make 2 ties, each approximately 30cm (12 inch) long. Hand-sew a tie to each side of the hat. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Handmade gifts
Free
d nloa ions dow t c u tr Ins rn atte and p re he
Horsing around This gorgeous pony will delight any child. Make several in different fabrics and different tail and mane colours.
Materials • Fabric of your choice • Wool roving (for mane and tail) • Sewing thread • Stuffing • Fabric paint (or fabric markers) • Artist’s paintbrush • Felting needle
Step 1 Download the free pattern, print and cut out. Pin the pattern pieces to your fabric and cut.
Step 2 With right sides together, join each pair of legs and sew a 6mm ( ¼ inch) seam, leaving an opening for stuffing. Turn right side out, stuff, then hand-stitch the opening closed.
Step 3 With right sides together, join the body and sew a 6mm ( ¼ inch) seam, leaving an opening for stuffing. Turn right side out, stuff, then hand-stitch the opening closed.
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Step 4 Attach front legs to body. Thread a needle (do not knot the thread) and push it through one side of the body to the other at the point where you are attaching the legs. Leave a tail on the thread where you entered the body. Take one front leg and push the needle through it, from one side to the other, also at the point where it will attach to the body. Pull the thread tight, positioning the leg up against the body. Take the needle down at the same spot it came out, through the leg and the body to the other side. Tie a double knot with the tail thread and the thread on the needle, pulling tight. Don’t cut thread. Take your other front leg and push the needle through it, from one side to the other, at the point where it will attach to the body. Pull the thread tight, positioning the leg up against the body. Take the needle down at the same spot it came out, through the leg and the body to the other side and up between the body and the first leg. Tie a knot between the body and first leg where it won’t be seen. Cut thread close to the knot.
Step 5 To make the mane and tail, pull off a strip of wool roving. Twist or plait it until you have the desired effect. Attach it to the body with a felting needle, pushing the wool into the head or tail area with the needle until it is securely attached.
Step 6 Paint on a face and hooves with fabric paint or fabric markers.
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Handmade cards
Use these ideas to create your own handmade cards, suitable for any occasion. For each card, first create a generic tent fold card. Using a piece of A4 (30cm x 21cm) card in your chosen colour, take the long edge and cut it 14.5cm long. Using a scorer, score the card in half and fold. You now have a 14.5cm x 10.5cm tent fold card that’s ready to cover with patterned paper, embellishments and sentiments.
Heart felt Got a stash of stamps in your craft cupboard? Put them to good use here. Cut a piece of patterned paper slightly smaller than your base card and glue it in place. Cut out three hearts in different sizes and one square piece of paper with a floral image on it. Using a red ink pad, gently brush the edges of the three hearts and the floral square to get a feathered look. Stitch the three hearts together down the centre. Stamp the word ‘love’ onto one side of the card using letter stamps. Using another stamp with a verse or poem, partly ink the stamp with white ink to create a faded look and stamp the opposite side of the card. Once the ink has dried, assemble the rest of the card, gluing each piece in place.
Fancy a flutter? A butterfly lover will adore this card. Cut a patterned piece of paper slightly smaller than your base card and glue in place. You can find paper that already has writing on it, or, using a verse or poem stamp and white ink, stamp text on top of it. Gather together some scrap pieces of fabric to create this look. The base has peach cotton fabric, which has been cut to represent petals. On top of this, place a small piece of beaded fabric, then pieces of lace gathered together to form a flower. Glue stamens (available from craft shops) in the centre of the lace flower. Glue butterflies (also available from craft shops) onto the card. Page 62
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Bouquet of roses Torn paper and small fabric roses are used to effect on this card. Gently tear two contrasting pieces of paper and overlap them, as shown. Fold a square piece of paper to form a cone shape and tie the bottom edge with a piece of twine. Glue the roses in place to create a bouquet effect.
www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Handmade gifts
Fabric covered journal
Got it covered
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Take an ordinary hardcover notebook and cover it with fabric and embellishments to create a one-of-a-kind gift.
2 3 On the inside cover of your notebook, stamp various patterns – lace, flowers, birds, etc – with coloured ink. Alternatively, glue a piece of patterned scrapbooking paper onto it. Glue on a small pocket envelope (available from craft and scrapbooking shops) for storing notes or receipts.
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4
To make a fabric cover, open your notebook so both front and back covers sit flat. Measure from the edge of the front cover to the edge of the back cover, as well as the top edge to the bottom edge. Add 10cm (4 inches) to each side edge and 1 cm (3/8 inch) each to the top and bottom edges. Cut 2 pieces of fabric to this size. Cut a piece of batting very slightly smaller. Quilt the batting to the wrong side of one of your fabric pieces. Simple crossed stitches, as pictured, are suffice, or you can quilt a more intricate design. Stitch a piece of lace to the right side of the fabric (where the spine will be) and stitch cut-out floral fabric to the front, as shown. Take the other piece of fabric and, with right sides together, stitch the two pieces of fabric together with a 6mm seam. Leave a hole big enough for turning. Trim the corners and turn right side out. Hand-stitch the opening closed. Fold in the sides by 9cm (3 ½ inches) to form flaps and iron. Slip your notebook inside the cover to make sure it fits. Refold and iron if necessary. Embellish the front of your fabric cover with small paper items or beads by gluing in place. Hand stitch the side flaps to the front and back of the fabric cover. Pop your notebook inside. Issue 8
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sweetliving promotion
Make a spoolie bunny
Cameron-James Designs
Stephanie Cameron of Cameron-James Designs shows us how to make these cute little bunnies. Miss Bunny’s body is made up of small wooden spools strung together with jute twine. She has a sweet cotton lacy petticoat under her dress to match her collar, and on the back a pom-pom tail. You can buy a kit which contains all the necessary materials for your spoolie bunny, for a mere $NZ13, which includes postage within New Zealand; $NZ15, includes postage to Australia; or $NZ18, includes international postage. Click through here for your kit. Meanwhile, download your free instructions for making your own spoolie bunny, below.
Free
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sweetliving Issue 8
May - August 2014
www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Freshen up your next paint job with Resene Zylone Sheen VOC Free, which combines the popular low sheen of Resene Zylone Sheen without the unwanted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for better indoor air quality. Improved air quality can help prevent headaches, asthma, nausea, respiratory complaints and allergic reactions. And to suit all tastes, Resene Zylone Sheen VOC Free is available in a wide range of popular Resene colours using Resene non VOC tinters. Now that’s fresh thinking. Available exclusively from Resene.
0800 RESENE (737 363) www.resene.co.nz
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sweetliving
Home decorating Shabby chic makeover Tired, old furniture is the perfect canvas for a country-style makeover. Give tables, cabinets and sideboards a shabby chic overhaul. Existing furniture can be whitewashed to create that signature shabby chic look. Products such as Resene Colorwood Whitewash can help you achieve the look with minimal effort. You can also create a ‘worn’ look by painting two different colours onto furniture, then sanding the topcoat (one colour) back when dry to reveal the undercoat (a different colour).
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Home decorating Distressed table You will need: • Old wooden side table • Sandpaper • Clean cloth • Wire wool • Paintbrush • Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer • Resene testpots in Resene Centre Stage (x2) and Resene Colonial White (x2) • Resene Aquaclear Satin
Step 1
Step 4
Step 5
Lightly sand the wooden table to provide a ‘key’ and wipe off any dust with a clean cloth.
Apply one coat of Resene Colonial White, lightly brushing in the direction of the grain to allow some of the base colour to show through. Allow two hours to dry.
Rubbing lightly in the direction of the grain, use a piece of wire wool to remove some of the topcoat, allowing more of the base colour to show through. Wipe off any dusty residue or paint flakes with a clean cloth.
Step 2 Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer to the top, underside and legs. Allow to dry.
Step 3 Apply two coats of Resene Centre Stage (shown below), allowing two hours for each coat to dry.
Step 6 Apply two coats of Resene Aquaclear to the table.
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sweetliving
Smart storage A piece of timber with fancy hooks is an ideal means for storing bags and toys in kids’ rooms. You can easily make your own. Head to your local thrift or demolition store for cheap knobs and hooks to recycle.
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Home decorating
Floral bag Make a beautiful everlasting floral arrangement from faux flowers. Or use fresh flowers for special occasions. Cut a piece of floral foam into a square or oblong shape. Take a piece of thick wire, pad it with cotton wool and wrap silk ribbon around it to make your handle. Leave the ends free from ribbon. Bend the wire to form an arc, then push the ends into the top of the floral foam. Using a glue gun, glue fresh lamb’s ear leaves (Stachys byzantina), pictured, or dusty miller leaves (Senecio cineraria) to the front, back and sides of the floral foam. Both leaves dry well and are long-lasting. Next, cover the top of the floral foam with faux flowers (if using fresh flowers the floral foam will need to be wet) by inserting the stems into the foam. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
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Take it to heart Create your own artwork out of paper hearts. Use a craft punch to punch out a collection of paper hearts. Fold each heart in half. Draw the outline of a heart on a piece of thick card. Create an edge of hearts on your drawn outline by gluing one half of the hearts onto the outline. The unglued half of the hearts should stand upright. Then fill in the centre with the remaining hearts.
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Home decorating
Easy owl bunting This cute bunting couldn’t be easier to make. Cut two slightly rounded triangular shapes (one large, one small) from wool, felt or other fabric that doesn’t fray. The large triangle is the owl’s body, the smaller one, the chest. Hand or machine stitch the chest to the body, as shown. Stitch on buttons for eyes. Fold the pointed end of the body over and stitch on a beak in red yarn. Thread string through the top of each owl and hang.
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Printable pictures
Download these gorgeous vintage illustrations for free. Print them on good quality paper stock, then display them in decorative picture frames. Bird and butterfly lovers will adore them. They’re the perfect complement to any dÊcor.
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Free
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Make your talents pay Does your spare room resemble a mini production line? Do you dream of turning your hobby or passion into a small business? Our inspirational series profiles creative individuals who have crafted their own successful businesses.
member
Charlotte Devereux, co-founder of EGG Maternity Co-founder and designer for EGG Maternity, Charlotte Devereux started designing her own maternity wear for lack of stylish clothing in the marketplace. Based in Auckland, her business has blossomed into a global affair, with her beautiful designs reaching all corners of the globe. EGG Maternity has everything from nursing clothing, active wear, corporate and evening wear. Page 74
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What sparked your business idea? I was pregnant with my first daughter, Jasmin, now 13, and my mother and I were shopping for maternity clothes. It was quite depressing back then, as the only option you could get for maternity trousers were what I call kangaroo pants – a big pouch, which could possibly work in the last trimester but not a good look when you are 4 months pregnant and can’t get into your jeans. My mother – Colyn Devereux–Kay, who was a brilliant businesswoman – had just sold her business, and so had I, so it was perfect timing. We both have a love of fashion too, so to combine my design and my mother’s business expertise was a dream come true.
What were your first steps? We put together a small collection of maternity essentials and then invited friends and associates to come and check out our range at Colyn’s home – with non-
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alcoholic cocktails, of course! We sold out quite quickly and decided we were on the right track.
How did your idea become a reality? I was very fortunate with my mother’s background in business (Les Floralies) and my boutique hotel, The Devereux. We had both been in the media considerably, so the word got out about EGG very quickly, as there was very limited choice 14 years ago. I was 8 months pregnant and received a call from Next magazine asking if they could do an interview. If that wasn’t exciting enough, I then received another phone call to ask if I would like to be on the cover of Next magazine. Back then, the only woman who had been on the cover of a fashion magazine was Demi Moore, so it was a huge compliment and a brilliant way to launch EGG. Our business concept was based on a home-sell model and we were looking for potential brand ambassadors.
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After the article, we were inundated by women throughout New Zealand who were also passionate about women looking good while they were pregnant and enthusiastic about representing us.
What was your biggest challenge? Changing our home-sell model to a franchise retail model. Although, once we had it nutted out and had the help of a company that specialised in the franchise model, it was a brilliant way to expand our business, and many of our original ambassadors opened up EGG stores.
What were your five best decisions? 1. Calling our business EGG – short and sharp, plus it stands for Essentials for Growing Girls! 2. Going into business with my mother, as we both had different strengths we brought to the business. Sadly, she is
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Charlotte and her first child, Jasmin.
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Make your talents pay
not well and no longer involved with EGG and I miss her input and business acumen every day. 3. Designing clothing for pregnant women. I feel so lucky I get to see beautiful pregnant tummies all the time – the miracle of birth still astounds me. 4. Going online. We started our first website very early in the piece and have just launched our fifth one. A work in progress, but the best way to reach a global market. 5. Doing what I love – designing. I feel excited going to work, even after 14 years. I get a huge buzz designing clothing and accessories.
Best tips for start-ups? Make sure you put the time in to your business plan. If you don’t have a business partner it is very helpful to have a mentor, or have both. Oh, and plan, plan, plan! However, most of all, be passionate about what you do. When you have your down days it makes it that much more bearable. Do what you love!!!
Greatest achievement? While it was not exactly EGG’s achievement, it was my mother and business partner Colyn Devereux–Kay’s “Order of Merit” award for her services in business. When she received this at Government House, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. Visit EGG Maternity www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
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Angie Geurs, founder of Forever Soles Forever Soles is a specialist bridal shoe company based in Byron Bay, Australia. It was created in 2012 by Angie Geurs, a former fashion product developer and designer. Angie describes her designs as “bridal shoes and accessories for free-spirited brides�.
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What sparked your business idea? I grew up in an incredible coastal paradise in Australia called Byron Bay. I always wanted the chance to design and create beautiful things and I always loved weddings and the bridal industry. I have been quite wedding obsessed from a young age. When I got married in 2011, I had a really difficult time trying to find wedding shoes. My wedding was actually in a rainforest and then on a beach, so it was almost impossible to find shoes to suit the occasion. I decided to buy a pair of espadrille wedges and embellish them. They turned out gorgeous and very comfortable. Hence, Forever Soles was born soon after.
How did your idea become a reality? I moved to Sydney when I was 18 years old to pursue my career in fashion design. I studied a lot and worked a lot gaining experience in product development and production. My husband always supported my creative side and when I told him I wanted to leave my secure and well-paid job in Sydney and return home to Byron to start a business, he was my biggest fan. It was something we both really wanted to do
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for our lifestyle. I started a little business course and then pretty much Googled the rest! It was important to have a supportive network of friends and family around me when I was just getting into the groove of it. They provided a lot of constructive criticism.
How did you get your products from the kitchen table to buyers? I actually ordered about five samples of barefoot sandals and set up an Ebay store to see how it would go. I sold my first pair of barefoot sandals and then decided to order a few more and set up an Etsy store. Over a few months the sales grew. I had a part-time job that supported my business. I invested all my spare money into purchasing a few different pairs of shoes to grow my range. Six months later, I launched the Forever Soles website.
What was your biggest challenge? The first year was a challenge. I worked another job that took up a lot of my time and I found it hard to grow when I was not putting in much time on the business.
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What were your five best decisions? 1. To find a good support network that can pick you up and carry you along. 2. To move back to Byron Bay and live by the beach. 3. To find a niche market and create products to suit that customer. 4. To start off with a budget I could afford without over-investing or committing to an idea before I knew if it worked. 5. To set up an Etsy store.
Best tip/tips for start-ups? Watch Marie Forleo TV on YouTube for business advice. Read the 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris.
Greatest achievement? Hearing feedback from my customers about how their shoes made them feel on their wedding day. It has been such an honor to meet different people and to be a little snippet of the brides’ happiness on their special day. Visit Forever Soles
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Make your talents pay
Jennifer Etherington, co-founder of Solvej Swings Jennifer (pictured above, right) and partner Thomas Holms채ter Mortimer established their business after they discovered a need for high-quality swings for babies and children. They made their own wood and canvas swing for their baby, and discovered other parents wanted them too.
What sparked your business idea? When our daughter Solvej (pictured above, left) was a baby we discovered she enjoyed swinging. The only swings we saw were plastic and ugly. We already had a business manufacturing outdoor furniture from wood and canvas so it was no rocket science that we should make a swing for her in these materials.
How did your idea become a reality? To make the initial swing was immediate, quickly followed by requests from friends.
How did you get your products from the kitchen table to buyers? Originally we took swings with us to the Auckland Home Show where we were exhibiting our furniture. They were a runaway success. Then we started approaching mainly craft and toy stores. Baby boutiques were not around then. We also started advertising in magazines. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
What was your biggest challenge? Originally it was sourcing all the materials we wanted and at the right price. Up till recently, this has been an ongoing challenge as we have developed and upgraded the swing. Also, we wanted to buy as much New Zealand-made as possible. Marketing choices and getting products in store is an ongoing challenge as the company expands.
What were your five best decisions? 1. To be established where we are in a rural area to keep investment and overheads down. 2. Having an e-commerce site early on and at this stage of our development has helped enormously with cash flow, advertising and getting direct feedback directly from the customer. 3. Exporting. The New Zealand market is too small. Attending an intensive NZTE course for companies with baby and child products wanting to enter the Australian market gave us the information and confidence to do so and set us up for exporting overseas.
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4. Defining our position in the marketplace by making the best possible product. This means we know who our customer is and enables us to manufacture in New Zealand. 5. Choosing to enter the US market before the European market. They are both large markets but it seemed fewer barriers to work within one country, with one dominant language, than the many countries in Europe. We also Page 82
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received a lot of free help from a US government body (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) regarding standards.
Best tip/tips for start-ups? Attend a start-up business course (NZTE and some banks run free courses). Don’t be afraid to ask other businesses for advice.
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To come up with a product is one thing, but to sell it is another. Be prepared that it will take time and energy and skills you may not have.
Greatest achievement? That we can confidently say we are producing the best baby toddler swing in the world! Visit Solvej Swings
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Backyard sustainability Grow your own herbs, fruit and vegetables for year-round supply.
Kumquats If you can’t grow lemons or mandarins in your area, try kumquats. This small evergreen tree to about 3m is much more cold tolerant. Its fruit looks like tiny oranges – small (golf-ball size), round or oval, with yellow or orange skins – but the fruit is usually preserved or processed rather than eaten straight off the tree. That’s because while the skin itself is www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
slightly sweet, the flesh is tart. Though you can eat them raw since the sweet skin can offset the sour flesh nicely. They taste like a cross between a mandarin and a grapefruit, a balance of sweet and sour. Either way, the fruit is excellent for making jellies and marmalades or candied fruit. You can also preserve whole kumquats in salt or sugar, much like you would preserve Issue 8
lemons. Kumquats are ideal for growing in the garden or in containers. Kumquats need plenty of water, especially during dry spells. Like all citrus, they need regular feeding if they’re to crop well. Apply a citrus food from early spring at six-weekly intervals. Continue until early autumn, then stop feeding over winter.
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Homemade herb blends Donna Lee of Cottage Hill Herb Farm makes her own dried-herb mixes for herself and friends.
Salad & vegetable blend For salads, vegetables, eggs, cottage cheese, etc
• • • • • •
1 tsp finely chopped dried lemon peel 1 Tbsp lemon balm leaves 2 tsp white pepper 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp thyme 2 tsp onion powder or granules
• • • • •
2 tsp dill seeds 2 tsp parsley 1 Tbsp garlic powder or granules 1 Tbsp dry mustard 1 Tbsp marjoram
Grind all together in a coffee grinder or blender. Store in an airtight container. Page 84
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Backyard sustainability
Seafood blend For grilled, poached and baked fish – either before or after cooking.
• • • •
1 Tbsp thyme 1 Tbsp fennel seeds 1 Tbsp sage 1 Tbsp marjoram
• • • •
1 Tbsp chives 1 Tbsp onion flakes 1 Tbsp chopped bay leaf 1 Tbsp cardamom pods
Grind all together in a coffee grinder or blender. Store in an airtight container.
Tomato blend • • • • •
2 Tbsp basil 1 Tbsp marjoram 1 Tbsp oregano 1 Tbsp parsley 1 Tbsp chives
Grind all together in a coffee grinder or blender. Store in an airtight container.
Lemon pepper • • • • •
5 Tbsp lemon balm or lemon verbena 1 Tbsp thyme 1 Tbsp coriander 100g black or white pepper Dried, chopped peel of 6 lemons
Grind all together in a coffee grinder or blender. Store in an airtight container. www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
Drying your own herbs To keep yourself in supply of homegrown herbs yearround, you can dry fresh herbs to use during winter or for use in herb blends. Herbs are usually best harvested just before a plant is in full bloom, however mints are more intense in flavour when picked during flowering. If you are harvesting the flowers of herbs, do so just as they are opening. Seeds of various herbs (dill, fennel, cardamom, caraway, cumin, etc) can be collected too. Let herbs flower then pick the seed heads when they turn brown and harvest the seeds. Cardamom seed heads need to be harvested before they are fully ripe, or the pods will split open and you’ll lose the seeds. Tie a piece of muslin or a paper bag around the seed heads and hang them to finish the ripening process. The seeds will fall out when ready. Store seeds in an airtight container. The seeds must be completely dry before storing or they may start to rot. Harvest stems for drying on a warm, dry day, tie in small bunches and hang upside down in a warm (not hot), dry, well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight. If rooms are too hot, the essential oils may dissipate. Keep the bunches small and well spaced so the herbs dry evenly and quickly. You don’t want any humidity as the herbs won’t dry properly. On humid days you may need to use a dehumidifier. Once dry, remove the leaves and store in an airtight container out of light.
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Mosaic masterpieces Follow our fail-proof instructions to create your very own mosaic work of art.
Mosaicking is not difficult. It’s more time-consuming than anything else. But the process is fun, and the end result is well worth it.
Base object To begin with, you need a base object. This may be a garden pot, a statue, a birdbath or a table – any sturdy object made of wood, metal, stone, terracotta or concrete will work as a base object. Flexible objects are not suitable, and plastic may be too flimsy. A flat board is ideal if you wish to make a piece of hanging art or small wall panel. For indoor designs you can use an MDF base so long as it’s not too humid, but for outdoor creations a treated plywood base is needed. Make sure your plywood base is at least 12mm thick, otherwise it may warp in the sun. You can buy shaped bases (butterflies, dragonflies, fish, etc) from art shops that specialise in mosaics, or you can make your own base by drawing your design onto plywood and cutting it out with a jigsaw.
China or tiles You need china (chipped plates and cracked cups) or tiles, though you can also use other objects, such as buttons, shells, small metal objects, and bits and bobs. It really depends on what look you are going for. Thrift stores and garage sales are a great place to source cheap china and buttons. Pre-cut mosaic tiles are available from art or specialist mosaic stores, as well as on Trade Me or Ebay. If you need to break china into pieces, wear safety glasses and work on a solid, flat surface. Wrap the china in an old sheet or towel and hit with a hammer until the china breaks into small pieces. If using tiles, you may need to cut them to specific shapes. You can do this with the help of a tile nipper – or a wheeled glass cutter if using glass tiles. You may wish to lay out your pattern first and simply transfer this to your base as you go, or you can draw your design onto your base.
Cleaning and sealant You need to clean your base object before applying your mosaic pieces. A wire brush or sandpaper may be needed for metal objects. Sand wood surfaces and coat with a waterproof acrylic sealer (3-4 coats). Seal both the front and back of the wood. If you don’t seal it, the wood will absorb all the moisture out of the grout and cause problems. The sealant also protects your wood outdoors. Concrete, metal and terracotta should have 1-2 coats of sealant or primer to ensure good glue contact. In this case, the sealant acts more as a primer than a sealant. To make your own sealant for concrete, metal and terracotta, dilute Page 86
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1 part PVA glue to 4 parts water and brush this over your base. Seal your base 24 hours before you wish to begin mosaicking.
Adhesive The adhesive you use will depend on the base you are using. For indoor MDF projects you can use PVA. For exterior plywood, use a strong PVA like Weldbond or a cement-based adhesive (also known as ‘thinset’). For terracotta, pavers and concrete, use a cement-based adhesive. If you are mosaicking onto glass, a clear silicone adhesive is ideal. For metal surfaces, use a two-part epoxy adhesive.
Applying your design Spread the adhesive onto your base with a palette knife. An old kitchen knife works well too. Apply only a small section at a time otherwise the adhesive may dry before you get to it. Position the tile or china pieces onto the adhesive and apply gentle pressure to ensure adhesion. Repeat until your design is complete. Allow the adhesive to cure for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours, before grouting.
you can with your hands. Let the piece sit for 20-30 minutes, until the grout becomes hazy. Then wipe away the remaining excess grout with a damp rag. Use a dry rag to polish each mosaic piece until the surface is clean. Allow to dry for 3 days. For double protection outdoors, you can apply two coats of tile and stone floor sealer to the surface of your mosaic piece after it has cured for the 3 days. Then all that remains is to display your masterpiece in the garden.
Grouting Grout is available in a variety of colours, so choose one to complement your design. You can add in an additive to waterproof your grout for outdoor projects, for extra stability. Before you begin, remove any excess adhesive from the top of the mosaic pieces by picking it off or gently scraping it off. Mix your grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It should be the consistency of porridge. Wearing gloves, spread the grout over the surface of your project and press it down between the gaps of the mosaic pieces. It’s just as easy to use your hands for this. Make sure you cover your project generously. Once all the spaces are filled in, scrape away as much of the excess grout as www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz
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next issue
sweetliving
Out September 2014
• How to make felted slippers
• Cake decorating tips
• Sensational scarves and headbands
• Free printables to download
• Knitted and crocheted gifts
• Readers’ money-saving tips
• Delicious sweet treats
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