[reminiscing with cake]

Bought a plain sponge at the shops, topped it whipped cream and sprinkled it with jelly crystals just like my Mum-in-law used to. Hubby took a bite and then smiled, as all the memories of his Mum came flooding back. Sometimes it's just nice to 'reflect' on what once was.

[muffins in the mail]

I have a very dear friend from my art college days who I hardly see, but we still stay in touch for birthdays, Christmas etc. Yesterday I happened to be thinking about her and how she was going, and then as if by magic the postie delivered a parcel from her. Serendipity!

I received a lovely card, and on the back was a recipe for Chocolate Muffins - so I made them this morning.

Here's the recipe:

p.s. I did find an error in the recipe though, in that they don't mention when to add the melted chocolate. I ended up just throwing in the chocolate buttons to make it a a choc chip version, but in hindsight, perhaps I should've either added a little more milk so the mixture was less ‘lumpy’ and I would've gotten a smoother and more rounded top to each muffin. Nevertheless, I'm sure they'll taste scrummy!

[first cariacture]

I got asked by a friend to do a cariacture, and replied to this request with, ‘It's not my strongest skill, but I'll give it a go’. It's a bit scary trying to capture someone’s likeness, portraits are a tricky business, and usually something I'm not game to have a go at for someone other than my own family. I’ve also had to keep reminding myself that a drawing of this nature is not meant to be an exact photographic replica of the subject, but capture an essence of the person. I don't think I ‘nailed it’, but am pretty happy with the results, and my good mate Mikey thinks it’s great, so that’s all that matters isn’t it? And he's promised me a nice drop of Chardonnay for my efforts. Happy days. :)

[kid's self portraits]

Very exciting! Last term, my son's Grade 2 class painted self portraits which are now all mounted onto a board ready to be delivered tomorrow as their group entry for the local Youth Art Awards. I think they did a fantastic job!

  

The children were asked to draw a self portrait expressing an emotion, either:

Happy, Sad, Surprised, Angry, Shy, Excited or Scared.

Artwork Description:

As a class, the children have found that everyone is a little bit different, but they have learned to fit in together and work as one. This piece shows this in a visual way. They also explored some new art techniques in applying salt to watercolours to create interesting patterns as the salt absorbed the water in the paint.

Awards night is on 19 October.

[brekky bars & chocolate hedgehogs]

I have a new ‘toy’ in the kitchen. A Tupperware ‘T-Bar’ set, which is basically a mould for home-made muesli bars. I've been experimenting with the recipes in the book that comes with it ... and the result must have turned out OK, because the bars I made last Saturday have been eaten already!

BREKKY BARS

3 vita-brit bars

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup rice bubbles

2 tbs LSA (Linseed, Sunflower & Almond Meal)*

40g butter

2 tbs golden syrup

Method:

Break up the vita-brits and mix with rolled oats, rice bubbles and LSA.

Melt the butter and syrup together and then combine with the dry ingredients.

Press into the mould and set for one hour in the fridge.

*You could always use some other crushed nuts instead.

I've been having a Brekky Bar broken up in a plate with vanilla yoghurt for breakfast - YUM!

CHOCOLATE HEDGEHOGS

100g granita biscuits

1/4 cup (45g) almonds*

180g milk or dark chocolate

40g butter

2 tbs golden syrup

Method:

Put the biscuits and almonds into a sandwich bag and then crush with a mallet (I use a meat tenderiser).

Melt the chocolate, butter and syrup together and then combine with the dry ingredients.

Press into the mould and set for one hour in the fridge.

I recommend cutting these bars into 3 pieces - they're a bit rich to have an entire bar in one sitting - plus it makes them last a few days longer before you have to make more! Great morning tea snack for the kid's lunchboxes, or with a cuppa at home. I think next time I make these I won't crush the biscuit up as finely as I have so far, then these hedgehogs should be even more ‘fudgier’.  :)

*I replaced the almonds for cashews the first time I made it, and also added a couple of tbs of diced tinned raspberries.

[cool 'Ness]

My youngest son has done a sculpture for the local Youth Art Awards next week. He made a foil structure in the basic shape (you can see his mini-prototype in the background of the photo above), and then put papier maché over the top. Once it was dry, he painted a layer of undercoat and then did the final paint job. 

It's called ‘Trashy the Seamonster’, not ‘Nessie’, which would be kinda cool.

[arty blog catchup]

Been very slack in the blogging world the past month ... too busy to stop and share all the amazing projects I've been working on ... not to mention packing for and going on a week's holiday on our little speedboat in Southern Moreton Bay. The weather was just perfect and I so wish I was still sitting bobbing in the ocean. But alas, reality has returned with a resounding ‘Thump!’

Just a quick photo catchup on what arty activities I've been up to these past few weeks...

Stage Prop for my son's Year 7 classes ‘Salvagé’ Recycled Fashion Parade performance: 

(I made the prop, but the kids did the painting under my supervision. Turned out so much better than I was expecting, and the smoke machine on stage looked fab.)

A 40th Birthday Card/Frame (with quilling embellishments): 

A Quilled 50th Birthday Card/Frame: 

...and opening night of my first group exhibition ‘Dare to Do Square’ at the Pine Rivers Regional Art Gallery at Strathpine in Brisbane: 

Above: My piece ‘The Meeting Place’. The exhibition is on display until 3 November 2012.