Amy's Jewellery

Well my 17yo (yikes soon to 18yo) daughter Amy has been making some jewellery and I have it up for sale on my OZeBaby Store . She has made and designed everything herself and is going to use the funds for next year when she goes to University to study Teaching - she's going to teach High Schoolers and she'll major in Maths.

All the bracelets are sized to fit adults. I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Some more customs

bite the dust :)


bite the dust :)

Firstly a jungle AIO - fabric was provided by the customer from Pookey Pockets it's cotton PUL, with a black microfleece inner and extra booster.



And then 3 raphaels, with matching wipes. A Jungle Babies Quick Dry HoneyBoy! AIO, Munch Crunch size 2 tshirt with Lollipop applique. A size 0 Set of denim shorts and a watermelon t-shirt and then a Munch Crunch Minky Nappy.



Just a close up of the Munch Crunch's :)

Hoping to get lots more done over the weekend, but Shane has extra shifts he has to work midnight to dawns :( It's suppose to be his 5 day weekend. So I'll be working around his waking times.

My little man has prep orientation tomorrow morning as well. I really don't think he's looking forward to it, he made me promise that he didn't have to stay at school all day.

mmmmmmmmmmm Caramel

Well here is the November Challenge for the Daring Bakers.



This month's Challenge is a recipe from Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater and her signature caramel cake. And just because you can never have enough caramel, you can also make Alice Medrich’s Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels, with LOTS of variation. Caramel is just about my most favourite thing, so it was a hit in this house.

Now for the important bits.

The recipe is Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting courtesy of
Shuna Fish Lydon , as published on Bay Area Bites

You can as an added option make
Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, Artisan Press, Copyright 2007, ISBN: 978-1579652111

The hosts for the month of November are Dolores and helping her out are Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo), Jenny of Foray into Food . And since none of us know jack about alternative baking, we’ve once again turned to Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go to assist us.



The recipe for the cake is here though you will need to adjust it for metric conversion.

Now this was a challenge in parts for me - not making the cake, but making the caramel syrup - it took 4 trys :( The first one burnt, the 2nd and 3rd ones turned into toffee, but 4 time was a charm and worked great, I think next time, I would like it a bit darker in colour, but it still tasted good. Tips from David Lebovitz helped me through. The tip about a strainer above the pan before adding the water was fantastic, cause trust me the caramel goes nuts - not something I would recommend making with small children around.

Making the cake was easy, it does look curdled in parts and it does rise and then deflate after cooking. I turned mine into cupcakes *what a surprise* and I got 17 cupcakes from the mix. But this seems to vary between daring bakers, some got a bakers dozen and some 22, so it will depend on the size of your cupcake moulds. It makes a very moist cake, which actually tastes better after a couple of days, but because it's so moist the cupcake papers don't stay on, they tend to peel off.



Now for the frosting - I must confess I didn't do the brown butter thing - I don't like the taste :( So I just made buttercream as per usual, using caramel syrup and some milk to get the right consistency - I did ADD the salt, it really added an extra zing to the icing. I don't normally add salt in my baking at all except for bread. The icing was to die for, just scrummy. I also didn't do the crushed vanilla beans. I just cut two vanilla beans in half and scraped out the seeds and used those.



I even tackled the caramels, which worked out great, though getting the temperature back up after adding the cream took forever but it did get there. Next time I'd probably cook them a smidge longer for a firmer caramel and dip them into chocolate as well. I also found the oiled knife useless and just used a knife dipped in boiling water and then dried.



GOLDEN VANILLA BEAN CARAMELS
- makes eighty-one 1-inch caramels -

Ingredients
240ml golden syrup
450g cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon/2ml fine sea salt
480 ml heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons/7.5ml pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon/5ml pure vanilla extract
43g unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened

Equipment
A 9-inch/23cm square baking pan
Candy thermometer

Procedure

Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the golden syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F/151c. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heal until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.

When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F/151c, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F/118c. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260°f/127c for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F/129; for firmer chewy caramels.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using it. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.

Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane.

Variations

Fleur de Sel Caramels: Extra salt, in the form of fleur de sel or another coarse flaked salt, brings out the flavor of the caramel and offers a little ying to the yang. Add an extra scant 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt to the recipe. Or, to keep the salt crunchy, let the caramel cool and firm. Then sprinkle with two pinches of flaky salt and press it in. Invert, remove the pan liner, sprinkle with more salt. Then cut and wrap the caramels in wax paper or cellophane.

Nutmeg and Vanilla Bean Caramels: Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg to the cream before you heat it.

Cardamom Caramels: Omit the vanilla. Add 1/2 teaspoon slightly crushed cardamom seeds (from about 15 cardamom pods) to the cream before heating it. Strain the cream when you add it to the caramel; discard the seeds.

Caramel Sauce: Stop cooking any caramel recipe or variation when it reaches 225°F/107c or, for a sauce that thickens like hot fudge over ice cream, 228°F/109. Pour it into a sauceboat to serve or into a heatproof jar for storage. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for ages and reheated gently in the microwave or a saucepan just until hot and flowing before use. You can stir in rum or brandy to taste. If the sauce is too thick or stiff to serve over ice cream, it can always be thinned with a little water or cream. Or, if you like a sauce that thickens more over ice cream, simmer it for a few minutes longer.
(recipe from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert)

Lush

Well this gorgeous set of 12 small Raphaels are on their way to their new owner tomorrow. I had to remake some of them thanks to the storms that hit, so keep an eye on OZeBaby for some storm damaged small Raphs in the next week or so.



They turned out beautifully. Hoping that the new owner loves them too :)

And thank goodness the storms that were predicted didn't eventuate last night and it's turned surprisingly chilly here in Brisbane too. Hopefully this means that I'll be able to catch up on orders, as I'm terribly behind with everything now.

And a couple more photos.

The first one if my daughters school - not one single tree remained undamaged, but the school gardeners have worked extremely hard and cleaned up alot of the damage, unfortunately it means that the schools gorgeous green and lush landscape is now bare and uninviting :(



and this is a photo of Thursday nights storm, which thankfully, just skipped over us.

We really don't need anymore rain :(

Yup it bucketed down again last night - 1am in the morning and I'm mopping up water :(

But Shane's parents arrived this morning, bringing a trailer and my little ones back from the coast, so 4 loads of branches and the like gone to the dump. Apparently the council/army is coming - but I've no idea when - they were in our street this morning and then drove away, so we decided to do it ourselves. I would hate for another storm to hit and all that debris to go flying about. We still have at least 2 more loads to go if not more. Plus the huge tree stump is still there, we don't have a chainsaw, and you can't get one for love nor money.

Plus my sewing machine is possessed. We think from all the moisture, my super dooper repairman is going to look at it, but until I can get there, the backup machine is in use around the clean up, but it's a tad slower than my new machine, but we'll get there.

I pray that if more rain comes it goes to the dams, please don't send anymore this way, the neighbours are still mopping up mud and water, as there is so much flash flooding. We ourselves had over 4 inches overnight, some places had more than 10 inches. Too much rain in a couple of hours that's for sure.

At my daughter's high school, no tree has been left untouched and the music block is unusable.

We have power !!!

Again, you just don't realise how much you use it till it's not there :( We lost power in the massive storm that hit NorthWest Brisbane on Sunday Night. We only got it back on this morning, and we still have some cleaning up to do yet.

The storm was ferocious and scary. It went from just overcast and spitting, to a full on storm, with wind, hail, buckets of rain - so much you couldn't see a foot in front of you. The rain was horizontal and the wind vicious.



We lost the tree in our front yard and the other one is pretty much denuded. The one that came down, pulled our powerlines down and completely out of the house. So whilst our neighbours had power last night, we only got our back this morning, as they had to re join us up. The sparky came yesterday to reinstall our point of attachment and to make sure our cable hadn't snapped inside the house - which would have been major work. We've had this happen to us before when William was about 4mths old when massive trees down the street toppled and pulled the power lines down and snapped power poles in two. But we now don't have trees in the front yard, or won't shortly when the remainder of the tree standing is cut down.



Our hearts go out to all those who have so much damage and that we don't cop another massive storm this week, so that things can start to be cleaned up. The streets on the way from our house to the Gap are just stripped bare and it all looks so odd.

Anyways here are some photos of our street. We had about a foot and half of water over the road as well, but that's on video. We were too busy mopping up the water that came under the house to worry about taking more photos.

We still have some cleaning up to do here as well so orders, etcs will be slow in coming. I'll try and keep those waiting updated at all times but please bear with us until we can catch up and get stuff out to you.

Nappy Hunt Prizes *fingers crossed* will go out in the next couple of days, until today lots of the local stores were still closed either from lack of power, or in clean up mode. You will be emailed when they have been sent.

Happy Birthday Savannah!!!

I hope you had a wonderful day.

I made this little pinnie - which would also look cute with a little t-shirt when it turns colder - mind you it's pretty darn hot and humid here in Brisbane today, so I doubt a t-shirt will be needed anytime soon.

It's from Ottobre Design Issue 2/2005. Made in 100% cotton prints and Spechler Vogel microcheck in hot pinks and lime. Nice and cool and fresh I think. The bodice is the flower print and it's lined with the microcheck. The little ties are one side flowers and one side the hot pink/lime check.

I tried out my new ruffler foot on it and it worked pretty well, so I'm impressed that I finally got one.

Gossamer Dreams Stocking

Tonight at 8pm Qld Time. Most of the goodies from Cherub's Kiss are for soft and squishy newborns. My hand embroidered prefolds are finally for sale. The prefolds themselves have been made by Donna from Bits for Bots and are stretch bamboo terry. I've hand embroidered a little caterpillar, roses, bunnies or frogs on them, and teamed them up with wipes or singlet/nappy sets.




I also have a couple of Christmas t-shirts up for sale as well.



Vist the Gossamer Dreams Store here

Please also note this is Gossamer Dreams last stocking for the year. We are taking a break for the December Stocking and will be back bright and bushy tailed for our January Stocking on the 15th.

And for a change

some smocking. Soon to be winging it's way to it's new home. Both are made from kits from Country Bumpkin.

The first one is Antique Lace - a gorgeous silk dupion with embroidered net overlay. French seams, hand bound armholes, lots of gorgeous beads and ribbon rosettes. It's a divine set.







The second one is Little Bo Peep - a lightweight twill gingham, with gorgeous pink/black and white smocking and grub roses. Black mini-piping, and a multitude of cute little sheep adorning the hemline, with a little rose garland and silk ribbon bows.

When things don't go

according to plan. My plan this past weekend was to sew, sew, sew, but events conspired against me. Whilst waiting for DH to come back from dropping off DD to work, I sneezed and threw my back out :( Yes I know seriously a sneeze, but yup, that's all it took, my back isn't the greatest at anytime, thanks to a prior car accident. So I spent a goodly portion of the weekend flat on my back, in a fair amount of pain. But thank you to some massage and some strong pain relief, things are feeling much better.

But here are some of my dyeing efforts for a custom order. I'm not one to be an exact dyer, I take my chances and cross my fingers, and for the most part they work out.

Custom Dyeing and a Gnome

Here is how he started - I drew a gnome, traced him onto some fusible interfacing, tacked the lines for where bits went. Heat and bonded some wool felt for his hat, jacket etc. Threadpainted his little face



Some more threadpainting, some blanket stitch, add in some features, boots, a wee bit of grass and voila! A gnome. It's on a piece of mint green felted wool.





And here is the completed packaged. A hand dyed in marbling bamboo velour auriel, with the leftover fabrics turned into wipes. The blue dye didn't play nice and it took several dyeing efforts to get one I was happy with. Also included is a quick dry HoneyBoy! in small - lime windpro outer, bamboo velour in butter inner and turtle tabs. They all went to their new home last week.

I'm nearly caught up on stuff that I absolutely had to do and some much needed R&R. By the end of this week, I will start emailing those that have custom slots on wait and I'll be getting to you with photos of fabric choices etc. I very much appreciate everyone's patience. I hope to have some more stock up on the sites by mid - end November.

October Slot Winners

Have been drawn and emailed.

Here are your random numbers:

16
22
23
24

Timestamp: 2008-10-31 20:03:16 UTC

Thank you for all those that entered. Custom slots will commence again in January :)

Have a great weekend