Step by step Tutorials. For home, garden, art, DIY, Craft, Baking, All things Food, Inspiration and more. Created by New Zealand Creative Tracey Lee Spijkerbosch . Circa 2012.
I love this quote!
For me, it is a powerful reminder to live in the present.
We built this rock 'Cairn' on a New Zealand South Island West Coast beach.
And I captured this image as the golden sun was setting.
Discover more of my art and photographic quotes HERE.
(Enjoy this FREE image for your personal crafting use)
Easter is suddenly THIS WEEK!
And I've not prepared anything new to add to my existing Easter decor.
Life really gets in the way of crafting sometimes, doesn't it?
So, what to do that is quick and easy, using what I have in my craft stores?
A cute little eggshell arrangement came to mind.
Here's How I Created It:
Step 1: I cracked some eggs by tapping the top of the shells.
Then picked the tops off.
I shook the inside of the eggs from each shell into a bowl, then very carefully washed the empty shells in hot, soapy water.
Note the word 'carefully', as they are fragile and need gentle handling.
While they were drying, we devoured delicious scrambled eggs for breakfast made from the yolks and whites.
Step Two: Gathering of Supplies:
A wood slice
The four eggshells
Dried flowers (statice and strawflowers)
Scissors
Glue gun & glue stick
White twist ties
A set of mini fairy lights
Step Three: Glue the egg shells onto the wood slice.
Break the openings a little more if you think they are not large enough.
Step Four: Very carefully twist the mini fairy lights around the eggshells that are glued to the wood slice.
Step Five: Make four mini bouquets of dried flowers. Tie each bunch together with a twist tie. Trim the tie ends and shorten the stems of each bunch to the right height of your eggshells.
Place one mini bouquet in each eggshell.
Place in your Easter display, on a shelf or a coffee table.
Turn the fairy lights on to enjoy a little dried-flower egg vase Easter MAGIC!
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This quick and easy dough mix and bake, is my ultimate go-to for tray bread and bread rolls.
You need just two ingredients: plain yoghurt and self-raising flour.
It takes only 5 minutes to mix together, and a few minutes to knead.
Baked in a hot oven, you will have scrumptious bread or rolls in 30 to 40 minutes.
Yoghurt Sour Bread or Rolls
2 cups of self-raising flour
1 and 1/2 cups, plus three tablespoons of plain yoghurt
(I use Greek Yoghurt)
Extra flour for kneading.
A tray lined with baking parchment paper.
To Make:
Preheat your oven to 200 °C (392°F)
Sift the flour in a bowl.
Add 1 and a 1/2 cups of yoghurt.
Mix to a dough.
Add the extra yoghurt to make the dough form a ball.
Sprinkle a board with extra flour.
Knead together for a few minutes until smooth.
For Buns or a Long Loaf:
Shape the dough into a log. (For a loaf, leave it like this)
Or for buns, cut the log into four pieces
Shape each piece of dough into a bun.
Place on the prepared tray.
Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with dried herbs, sesame or poppy seeds, or just leave it plain.
For A Moist Cheese and Onion Loaf:
Preheat your oven to 200 °C (392°F)
Sift the flour in a bowl.
Add 1 and a 1/2 cups of yoghurt.
1 cup grated tasty cheese
1/4 of a medium red onion, that's finely diced.
Mix to a dough.
Add the extra yoghurt to make the dough form a ball.
Sprinkle a board with extra flour.
Knead together a minute before shaping into a log.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden.
Note:
Make sure the unused bread is cold before wrapping or placing it in an airtight container.
The next day, I pop back in a hot oven for 4 or 5 minutes, to warm up before serving.
Serving Suggestions:
We devour the warm buns spread with garlic butter.
We enjoyed them with a salad and steak, for a restaurant meal at home!
So:
Garlic buns with a meal, and the next day, a ham salad bun for lunch.
And the Cheese and Onion Loaf, served with soup for dinner,
And the next day, with scrambled eggs for brunch.
You'll find a printable recipe HERE.
I was approached to paint and then write a review of a paint-by-numbers kit offered to me by Davincified.
Even though I am an artist and am blessed to create my own original artworks, I truly wanted to revisit paint-by-numbers, as it has been fifteen years since I last did one, when I had major surgery and was recuperating for some months.
I went on Davincified's website to choose my artwork image, and boy, that was so tricky.
There are simply hundreds to choose from!
I finally decided on a guitar, as once we shift into our tiny home, the barn lounge will become our music studio.
Delivery was super fast!
I also ordered an extra set of paints. I had memories of the kit from another brand all those years ago, being dried out, with not enough of some of the colours.
Note: I did not use the second set of paints I bought on this artwork, but I will use them on other craft projects
I opened my parcel, and my initial thought was WOW.
This is actually quite a complex paint-by-numbers!
And my kit was a 26-colour beginner's kit on a stretched canvas.
I like that the canvas has the paint colours lightly printed on it too, as an extra guide.
Plus a paper sheet guide.
Once I got started, I thoroughly enjoyed painting it.
Think adult colouring but with paint.
Such fun.
But I have to be completely honest with you, that I did have a few challenges:
1. I have arthritis in my hands, so the three quality brushes supplied were too thin for me to handle.
I fixed that issue by using this brush, which was used to paint the entire artwork.
2. I might be showing my age, but those numbers were quite hard to see, even on the printed paper guide that comes with the kit. Problem solved with a magnifying glass.
3. Getting the wet brush, excess water paint flow sorted for those very thin lines on the piece.
Solved that issue by having a paper towel on the table to dry excess water/paint, and practice.
Once you've worked it out, the paint flows much better on the canvas.
4. Pale colours do not cover the numbers even with two or three layers of paint.
.jpg "Quality paint by numbers kits reviews")
.jpg "Quality paint by numbers kits reviews")
The problem is solved by using a dry brush and creating texture with thick paint.
I also like that this gives the painting a more interesting textured appearance, which is more my thing.
Davincified does have a number remover product, which I suggest buying as an extra with your kit, if you want to remove the numbers before painting each colour.
.jpg "Quality paint by numbers kits reviews")
Conclusion:
Would I buy a Davinciified paint-by-numbers kit for myself or as a gift?
Absolutely yes!
And next time I will challenge myself with an advanced painting!
I found that I looked forward to painting a little whenever time allowed, plus it was a fabulous therapeutic activity.
It took me three months to complete this artwork.
And I love it!
This artwork of a guitar and flowers reminds me of the style of the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
An artist who has inspired my own original art.
The finished canvas will definitely be framed to hang on the music studio wall.
Why don't you visit "Davincied Premium Paint By Numbers Kits" and check out what they offer:
Easy mini kits, beginner kits, advanced kits, and custom kits from your own photographs.
There is even an AI function that will design your own artwork based on your written prompts.
Happy painting!
#paintbynumberskits
If crafting, baking and creating are on your mind for Easter,
then
Visit Mia Bella Passions' Easter page for easy DIY decor ideas, recipes and FREE printables!
With the world in such a 'volatile state', Mia Bella Passions is thinking of self-sufficiency.
In the past five years, we have also experienced some extreme weather events in New Zealand.
At that time, I thought a seed bank was a must-do.
Then life got busy, and my seed bank project didn't eventuate.
I've created one now!
Living in a small lakeside community, we have pure water and trout available.
There is native bush around us with many food sources.
Here in 'Mia Bella Passions Garden', we also have a tunnel house and a small plot of land.
On it, there is planted an assortment of citrus, including lime, mandarin, blood orange, grapefruit, tangelo, lemon, and orange.
There's a potato patch, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, passionfruit, strawberries, blueberries, figs, pomegranate, herbs, red guava, tea, curry, stevia, hops and peanuts!
More edibles are being added as we can.
On this list to come are Nashi Pear, apple and cherry trees, raspberries and boysenberries.
Growing our own fruit and vegetables to reduce the cost of the food bill is a goal.
Not only for us, but to share excess with our small lakeside community.
To create a 'DIY Seed Collection Bank', you will need:
A wooden box about 24 x 24cm (9.5 x 9.5 inches) in size.
Card for dividers. I used a craft card 11.4 x 16.5cm (4.5 x 6.5 inch)
A black Sharpie pen, glue, a pencil, and a ruler.
Card to make a label for the front of the box.
To Make:
Prepare the collected dried seeds you already have by placing them in containers such as small envelopes or old medication bottles.
Write the seed name and the date on each container or packet.
I added in the packet-bought seeds I already had.
Create the card dividers. Write in black Sharpie pen, vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs, etc., at the top of each piece of card.
Measure 5cm (2 inches) from the bottom of the card and rule lines in pencil.
Fold the card using the ruler as a guide, as shown, then turn the card to the back side and bend it over again.
This creates a stand-up label.
Place the seeds and dividers in the box.
Make a label for the front of the box, then glue it in place.
Congratuations!
You have now created your own self-sufficiency 'Seed Collection Bank' that you can add more seeds from every season!
Note: Store the 'Seed Collection Bank' in a cool, dry place.
Collection & Storage
'Gardener Scott' tells you everything you need to know about seed collection and storage with this video.
As you will hear him discuss, drying the seeds and correct storage are paramount for success.
Scott's other gardening videos are also very informative.
