IMAGO MUNDI - Benetton World Art Project.


This piece is on it's way to Treviso , Italy where it will be put forward to be collated into 
the IMAGO MUNDI - Benetton World Art Project.
So proud for the opportunity to be representing New Zealand art.

'Contemplating Flight #2'
Acrylics

 #proud artist moment!



Shanti-Rose - the particularly interesting cat!

Have you ever heard the quote
 'Behind every great artist is a particularly interesting cat' ?
(This is one of mine - I have been blessed with two particularly interesting cats!)
Meet Shanti-Rose.
A pure breed Red Burmese with an ongoing weight issue.
(She has a food bowl in every house in the street I'm sure!)
I have tried for YEARS to capture on film her greatest and most amazing trick...
she just won't do it if she thinks you are watching her,
but last night I succeeded.
This is Shanti-Rose's moment of fame.
Enjoy.



:) 



Handcrafted Air Dry Clay Leaf Bowls...

Air dry clay is a fantastic medium to craft with.
Leaf shaped bowls are a favourite of mine, 
so let me show you how easy it is to make them.
You will need:
Air dry clay.  (I used Das brand in white.)
A rolling pin
Newspaper to protect your work surface
Bowls in different sizes.
Scissors and a small paring knife.
And some leaves .
Roll the clay out to a 5 to 10mm thickness.
I made mine 5mm as I wanted that thin fragility.
Place your leaf on top of the clay and press it with the pin.
Cut out the resulting leaf image on the clay with your small knife.
Carefully pick up the leaf and place in a bowl.
Bend the leaf edges as desired.
Bend the stem into a coil for added interest.
Set aside.
Leaf bowl number two is a different shape.
Use the same technique as the first bowl...
Roll out the clay (I have done this leaf 10mm in thickness),
Press in the leaf and cut out.
Tidy the edges if you want perfection.
Place into a small bowl.
Set aside to dry.
My leaf bowls were left for two weeks to dry.
(Hey, life is busy!)
But air dry clay dries much quicker than this, 
so you don't have to wait that long until you paint them.
Choose your spray paint colours...
I used gold for the large leaf and a mint glitter paint for the small leaf.
I love the way the paint makes the leaf veining pop!
Leave to dry.

Place in your home decor...
The large gold leaf is perfect for the mantel!
And the little mint green leaf blends into the vintage pottery collection.
A contrast of smooth vintage and handcrafted rustic in green blue hues.
And a perfect ring holder too!


#clay #craft #leafcrafts #diy 






Salted Caramel Peanut Squares...

Ok, folks...if you do not have a SWEET TOOTH, 
Then STOP HERE...
Because this slice is mega sugary!
Salted Caramel Peanut Slice
Because this slice is ONLY for the SWEET SWEET Lovers.
For a love of sweet on the palette, this slice is just that, the ultimate hit for a SWEET lover!
Salted Caramel Peanut Slice
Did you ever put brown sugar (when no one was looking ;) ) on hot buttered toast when you were a child?
Terribly unhealthy in thought today, but it was an afterschool treat my brother and I adored.
Salted Caramel Peanut Slice
Well, we've already talked now about the sweetness of this slice, but it also has a bonus kick too...
Salted Caramel Peanut Slice
With the added bonus of salty peanuts!
Shortbread
 The shortbread-type base is made and baked first.
 Meet Nonna's little helper - Quinn, 
we bake together every Monday.
 While the base is cooking, you melt the brown sugar and butter together.
Caramel
 Which is slightly caramelized on the boil.
 Then you add the chopped salted peanuts to the caramel mixture.
Salted Caramel Peanut Slice
 Pour on top of the hot base. 
Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
Then when it's cold cut it into squares.
Salted Caramel Peanut Slice
 A soft base with custard flavours topped with salted peanut caramel.
As I said it's definitely just for sweet lovers!
Recipe HERE.
.

Salted Caramel Peanut Squares

Preheat the Oven to 180 degrees (356 F) celsius.

Line an 18cm x 27cm (7 x 11 inches) pan with baking paper.

For the base:

Cream 125 grams (4.40 ounces) of soft butter with 1/2 cup caster sugar.

Add one egg and beat again.

Mix in 1 cup plain flour, 1/4 cup self-raising flour, and 1 Tablespoon custard powder.

Press into slice pan and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Topping:

While the base is baking prepare the topping...

Melt 90 grams (3.17 ounces) of butter in a pot.

Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon Golden Syrup.

Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Stir in 125 grams (1 cup) of chopped salted roasted peanuts.

Spread topping onto the hot base.

Return to oven for 10 minutes.

Cool, then cut into squares.


.

Grab a cuppa, and visit

 my Fine Art America gift store

:)

.

#sweetsslice #caramelslice #peanutslice



Venus Flytraps - How to grow & all that stuff!

Venus flytraps are the most fascinating of plants.
  The are carnivores...
Resembling little aliens with their bi-fold jars and spiky teeth, 
when a fly or small bug lands on the pink tinged centre, 
the 'jaws' snap shut with lightning speed.
Venus flytraps botanical name is 'Dionaea muscipula'.
They are perennials plants which are native to the bogs of Coastal North and South Carolina in the US.
They are perfect for terrarium growing.
And can be potted in an acidic soil or sphagnum moss.
Which is what I grow my plants in.
I filled my terrarium with sphagnum moss...
Make a nest of it, and then carefully placed the venus flycatcher in the middle.
They must be keep moist and have access to sun.
Water with distilled water or rainwater,
as tap water may contain too many chemicals for this special plant to cope with.
If grown outside, bring the pots indoors over the winter.
Venus Flytraps have a period of winter dormancy.
And it is best to reduce watering during this time of rest.
But if grown indoors, and the conditions are to their liking, they tend not to completely die back.
Venus flytraps are carnivorous, eating flies and small bugs.
They can go a month or even two without food.
If grown outdoors they will catch they own prey.
But if grown indoors you may need to help, by putting small live flies in their terrariums and placing a temporary cover on top until the prey is caught.
As a child we had so much fun with these little alien plants,
And I am sure your children would too, just as mine did, and even as adults still do!





Valentine's For The Kids: : Strawberry Icys & Berry Flower Cupcakes...



Sharing Valentine's love with the kids is a simple as this:
Berry Flower Cupcakes...
And Strawberry Icy's!
Not only will they LOVE to devour these treats,
they will want to help make them too!

 Just whip up a batch of your favourite vanilla cupcakes.
And cool.
Drop and swirl a large teaspoon of raspberry flavoured icing on top.
Pop raspberries onto the centre of the cupcakes, and slice petals from strawberries.
Place as shown.
Next:
In a blender place 2 and half cups of milk, 3 scoops vanilla ice cream,
 and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
 A a good cup of ice.
And 1/2 cup chopped strawberries. 
Whizz and serve with the Berry Flower Cupcakes.
Valentine's for the kids = SORTED!


#valentines #cupcakes #strawberry







Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...