Starting on some Christmas cards ....

Wow!  It's getting pretty close to Christmas!

Have you started your shopping yet?  EEEEEEK!

Here are some Christmas cards I have been working on.  Isn't the tree gorgeous ... its a lovely Die ...

thanks for stopping by :)

xoxox Carly xoxox

Family life ....

Hi there ..... wow I can't believe that it is October already!  I have been super busy in the garden!  Lots of the trees are fruiting and the vegie patches are going wonderfully.

Steve has been busy building the deck ... ready for Summer and Christmas!

 Apricots!

 the deck in progress

 the vegie patch.. getting ready to put in the new seasons plants

 waiting to go in .... we grow everything from seed .. so much cheaper this way.

 My gorgeous girl with her favourite hen.

so many possibilities :)  Gotta love growing your own.

We also had the school holidays ... we fitted in Fairy Park, Melbourne Zoo and Sovereign Hill!  We had wonderful days :)

 and which one is the dragon??  LOL ... 

 see the huge turtle .. or is it a tortoise? I'm not sure now .. in the background.

 zoomed all the way in on my camera ... isn't he just wonderful!

 panning for gold at Sovereign Hill..... didn't find any though.

lots of people in costume at Sovereign Hill .. it was a wonderful day!

Thanks so much for sharing my lovely memories with me ..... I hope you have had a wonderful few weeks as well.

xoxox Carly

Links 

Fairy Park

Melbourne Zoo

Sovereign Hill

It's been a while ......

Hello .... I've missed you :(

It has been ages since my last post .. but I have been very busy!  here is some of what I have been creating ...

 Christmas doesn't seem all that far away ... so I've started making cards.

I think I have posted this one before .. but I love it so much :)

Thanks so much for stopping by ... I will try and get into the swing of posting more regularly once again.

Have been so busy exercising, being a Mum and gardening ... there doesn't seem to be enough time for the computer!

xoxox Carly

Got myself some new stuff :)

Hello.  I recently had a Stampin Up party ... and therefore have some new goodies!

Here is what I have done with them ....

 This first card is using the Daydream Medallions stamp (hard to see on the black card in this photo) and the matching Floral Frames Framelits.  I've used and embossing folder in the background and a lovely sentiment also from Stampin Up - A Word For You (already had this).

 My next two cards are using the sensational Lacy & Lovely stamp set!  I just love this.  The sentiments are included in this set too.  I love the colour combo I used ... just fluked it really because I wasn't really trying very hard .. was just using up scraps.

Very happy with my new cards :)

Thanks for stopping by ...... gotta run ... today is my Birthday ... hip hip hooray!  And I have a cake and dinner to make and sadly a sick child :(

But I've had a great day so far and enjoyed making some cards.

xoxoxox
Carly

Cards! I made some!

Hello fellow bloggers :)

Yes I know. .... I don't put much up on my blog anymore ... I'm trying though.

Today I was asked by a friend to make a card for a little girl's christening ... so here is what I came up with ...

 the top card was made using some gorgeous Stampin Up papers sent to me quite some time ago by my lovely friend Shriley.  The sentiment is from a set I have .. I think it came from Kmart but I can't be sure.  The bear is a Kasazz stamp.  I have distressed the edges and used a die to cut some patterns to go across the centre.

I really like the cuteness of this card.  It is made using layers of sparkling card stock and then I used a Cottage Cutz die called Tree of Nature .. and yes I cut them in colour .. LOL .. next time I will cut one set in white and then colour them!

Just a quick post ... I'm off to bed .. didn't get much sleep last night :(

Thanks so much for stopping by ....

xoxoxo Carly

Pumpkin Brownies, Pressed Flowers and fun

Hello :)

A couple of things to share with you today .... firstly (because I'm so excited!) I just had to share these Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies with you!

take one home grown pumpkin

(or store bought)

Mash your pumpkin

Make your brownie mix (recipe below), cook and enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies (this is a modified recipe from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup of sugar 

1/2 cup mashed pumpkin

3 tbsp oil (I used macadamia oil)

2 tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.  Combine the wet ingredients then mix into dry.

Pour into greased pan (small slice pan if you want thick brownies .. mine are pretty thin).

Cook in preheated oven at 150 degrees celcius (330F)

Leave in pan to cool.

 Here is my gorgeous girl wanting to 'press and dry' some flowers she picked from the garden.

Luckily I still have my microwave flower presser/dryer from when I young!

 She couldn't quite believe the result!

yep its official!  this is my favourite photo in a long time!  I think its just lovely seeing our two hands holding something so gorgeous.

Thanks for stopping by ......

xoxo Carly

Chickpea cookies!

Feeling a bit pekish?  Like a cookie but without all the 'bad stuff'?  then this is for you!

I grabbed this recipe of FaceBook a while ago and have finally tried it.  Firstly I made my own peanut butter (commercial peanut butter is full of nasties and will also be to oily .. but you could use a natural one if you don't want to make it yourself)

Peanut Butter Recipe

Ingredients - Raw Peanuts

Method - shell the peanuts, roast on an oven tray until golden and smelling yummy ... be warned though they will continue to cook for a while once taken out of the oven ... so don't let them get too brown in there!
Peel the 'skin' of the peanuts and process in a food process until it looks like peanut butter!

I'm very lucky and part of my Bosco mixer can very finely do this ......

Chickpea Choc Peanut Cookies Recipe

Ingredients - 1 1/4 cans (400g cans) chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry

                    2 teaspoons vanilla

                   1/2 cup peanut butter

                    1/4 cup honey

                    1 tsp baking powder

                   1/2 cup choc chips

Method - Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius

               Process all ingredients (except choc chips) in a food processor until smooth

               Stir through choc chips

               With wet hands roll into balls and flatten on a lined baking tray.

               Bake for 10 minutes.

               Cool on tray (they are quite fragile)

 The texture is soft and they are very delicious .. although the texture is a little strange .. kind of like raw cookie dough ..... but so yummy and healthy!

Enjoy

xoxoxo Carly

A special Birthday card ...

Well it has been a long time between posts and a long time between colouring and creating!

I'm really pleased with this card ... I made it for my Daughter's 4th Birthday this week.

I used this super adorable image from Lili of the Valley Ltd and some gorgeous papers from Dovecraft called Garden Party.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up and the banner is from Kaisercraft (Fine and Sunny range).

My daughter's favourite colour is orange ... and it was lovely to create with all those fruity colours.

I made this card the night I had to bury my lovely cat ... he was nearly 18 years old ... and sadly my Husband hit him with the car that day.  I was devastated .... I cried the whole time making this card ... but it was great therapy .....

I will miss my beautiful boy ... and so will Madalyn.

Thanks so much for stopping by ..

xoxoxo Carly