I made a clutch purse for going out- I wanted something just the right size for my phone, cards, etc. A few weeks ago I came across a bag of soft leather scraps in the op-shop, and cut down to size, leather proved to be a good base for the purse. It's sturdy and strong,…

Isn't this dark berry-red a beautiful colour. I found an old tablecloth in my fabric stash, it was made from very fine linen and embroidered with red roses. Most of the table cloth was in bad condition, but I rescued the rosy bits to make a pair of matching lavender sachets. Very pleasing. And another…

A bit of botany for your Tuesday afternoon. The Italian parsley in the vege patch has well and truly gone to seed. It's more beautiful like that, don't you think? And I did this embroidery in mid-summer. When those purple flowers were growing wild on the hills of Wellington.

Thanks for entering the giveaway in my last post. I drew two names- they were rosa in the antipodes and colleen.  Emails are on the way. I was just thinking that Sunday seems to be cake day around here. We often have friends and family over for lunch which I always think calls for some…

Action Pack is an online magazine and there's a new edition out today. It's full of amazing hands-on stuff for kids to do and make. And for bigger kids too for that matter. Also, you won't find any ads, just projects like making watercolour paints from the sea and fashioning a fleet of boats with…

A few things happening in the kitchen these days: – I've rediscovered sprouts. In my early 20s, I used to sprout a lot of beans and seeds for salads and sandwiches, then I got out of the habit. A dear friend always keeps mung bean sprouts in her fridge for Keira to eat when we…

A few things from today… – early morning hillside at a campground far away from the city – midday by the river, watching kids swim and play – a few new additions to my etsy shop, including these handmade hairclips – a boxful of postcards from the publisher arrived. I can start sending these out…

The everlasting (straw) flowers in the garden are still going strong, and they reminded me of an old linen apron in the cupboard which featured a bunch of Tasmanian wildflowers, including my beloved straws. It was pretty old and I never used it, so it's become a summery cushion to pair up with some outdoor…

Inspired by the deep blue of the morning glory flowers in our garden (i know they're a noxious weed, but isn't that blue/purple brilliant?) I made these earrings. Okay, so I didn't really make them, just found the silver pieces second-hand and thought they would make a good frame for a bit of stitching. Or…

It was a warm week. The hydrangeas started to brown. Just a little bit, but still. And I've been reading this book- The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss, which is wonderful.