Get your mind out of the gutter, Im talking about hand type… I was super excited when my new book Hand Job – A catalog of type by Michael Perry arrived! He says it in a nut shell ‘ hand type may not always be the right answer or the most time-effective solution, but it is definitely the most fun!

Below are some of my favs from the book!

So Ive been working on a few new designs, one is adding to the ‘Heart’ collection and another is a ‘All I can hear’ collection.

I left my heart in Sydney is created from my old 2006 Sydney and Blue Mountains Street directory, which has been sitting in the back pocket of my passenger seat, crying from being so lonely since GPS and Iphone maps took over, not wanting to toss him away with all the other unused and abused street directories, Im recycling him into my card designs… So Ive fashioned an origami heart over Surry Hills and Darling Harbour, and Sydney’s heart is printed on white Linen textured paper, now up on my madeit store

Another new card up is Monster Lurve… for some reason I find these guys all over my notes at work, in my diaries, on the back of work briefs, post it notes, on whatever is in front of me when my mind wanders, I must mindlessly doodle these crazy critters, as they obviously always pop up in my mind, so I thought I’d share them with everybody, I originally made this card for the misters 30th birthday and its been sitting on our bookshelf since, silently chanting ‘release me…. share me’, so here they are…

More to come on the ‘All I hear’ range very soon x

Crocheting is something that I had never learnt from mother, knitting yes (my skills are very basic, I cant use a pattern, yet Ive still been able to produce a few scarfies in my lifetime), even though crocheting is something I saw my mum doing all the time, It never caught on with me….. Until now!

 So when a friend told me she was having a crochet party I was super super excited! As a few weeks earlier strolling around finders keepers markets in Sydney, another friend announced she would like to learn how to make granny squares.

 So with ambitious ideas of crazy crochet leg warmers, fancy crochet designs that we could frame and put on our wall, (I also wanted to make a crochet heart for one of my card designs) fashion colour combinations and minds full of what we could create, we took ourselves with our new shiny metallic crochet hooks and balls of yarn (oh and of course a carrot cake and large apple tart) to the afternoon of crocheting at the Chalet….

It was the perfect setting, a bunch of crafty ladies, sitting around an open fire, with cakes galore, mulled wine and cups of tea… What wasn’t so perfect was my first attempt which looked like a rats tail of a crochet…thing. We all had a fab teacher who had a lot of patience and could somehow still mange to fix my disaster every time and get me going again, who I envied to watch as she hooked and looped her yarn so effortlessly, I then became determined she will be my goal!

As frustrating as it was to try and get my rhythm, it was so calming and relaxing, just as I find knitting, and much more fun leaning at a creative crochet party do, although I only got as far as a maybe brown wrist band type fashion (this is the closest object I can match it to), I am pressing on to get better and yes to one day make my crochet heart or wall piece, or maybe I could leave my mark somewhere with some crochet graffitti……..

If you haven’t already, give it a go! Thanks to my pretty lady friend and her housemates for throwing the do, and to our fab teach x

My Button Heart card is by far the most favourite card that gets purchased online, I was actually speaking to a friend about this over the weekend, then having a few more online sales for this card this week, I thought I’d post about it.

Its funny as originally the design was not for one of my card collections, it was actually part of my entry into the Kit Cosmetics Design Award 2010, I did make it in to the 20 finalist, but unfortunately not the winner (the winner’s design was one of my favs though :) ) After the competition closed I thought it shouldnt get wasted and I put it on a card, and then I have the original artwork (real button sewn onto calico) framed on my living room wall.

I thought today I’d show you the process of how this card came about, like many of my cards they start off as either a drawing or an idea, with button heart being so popular, I am actually working on a heart collection, one of the designs to come, starts off with a bit of calico, come glue and fabric scraps, which I will put up soon, as I will also put up some of my works in progress……..

Excuse the poor image – I only took this photo as a positional of where all the button should sit for me to start sewing them on!

This was my Kit Cosmetics make up bag entry, I had also hand sewn the logo…

I then used that heart image for the card as you now know it, ready to send out to a lovely Muska & Elvis customer

The original now hanging on my living room wall (excuse the dark image again!)

Ok so I did say I’d somehow manage to squeeze in food on here somehow, as eating, cooking and baking food is right up there with everything else that I love!

Now being from a filipino background, I grew up with Chicken Adobo, an extremely popular filo dish. Not only is this dish my all time favourite meal ( I told told my mum that if I had to choose a last meal on earth, it would be her or my Nanas adobo – she thought I was insane, I think that she is insane as she doesn’t know how good they both cook it) I guess I always relate chicken adobo to comfort food, as whenever I was sick at home with a or cold/flu, my Nana who lived with us would cook up a huge pot of it. I could smell the aromas from the kitchen and it would make my sick face smile!

So its taken me a few years (yes a few years) to perfect this dish as my own, both my Nana and my mum have taught me the dish, the same dish from both women tastes fantastic, but to me also both taste different, its a very simple dish, many cook it differently, even now my mums Adobo has evolved and now has a wonderful peppery taste. Although both took me under their wing I still couldnt get it tasting to what I thought was right, as its hard to compete with a taste that you love and know thats your mum or nanas cooking.

So gradually over the years when one recipe didn’t work for me Id search for the next and then I found it! So seeming that Im sick at home with a chesty cold (boo hoo) right now and I will be eating the last of the Chicken Adobo I cooked the other night for my lunch today I thought I’d share it with you. Somehow Chicken Adobo makes me feel instantly better (bet its got a lot to do with the large amount of garlic yum!). I have never come across someone who didnt enjoy this dish…. try it (its easy its a one pot dish that you don’t really even need to check on)… enjoy! x

I took the original recipe (and images except for the last one – thats mine) from THE IVORY HUT  A great blog from a filipino about food, photography and everything else with some great post about food and recipes, check it out! Ive adapted the recipe from here….the way I cook it is below.

Chicken Adobo serves 5 (or for 2 x 2 meals each [for dinner and lunch or 2 dinners] as we do hehehe)

About 6 – 8 large chicken drumsticks (or 4 to 5 Chicken leg quarters divided into thighs/drumsticks – washed and cleaned)

6 – 8 Cloves of garlic (i like 8) peeled and crushed (or minced)

1/2 cup soy sauce (not Kikkoman)

1/2 cup Vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon brown sugar (brown packed sugar not raw sugar)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns some left whole some crushed
(this can also be also be already crushed perpeprcorns, which is what I use)

2 Bay leaves

Method

Put all of your chicken into the pot your going to cook in

Basically mix all of your ingredients (except for the chicken and bay leaves) in a jug to mix the marinade

Then pour marinade over your chicken in the pot

Break both bay leaves in half and put in the pot (the marinate should cover the chicken if not completely- most of it, if the marinade is very low add a little more water and then as you cook you can add a little more of the other ingredients if needed.

Let the chicken marinate for at least half hour ( I like to prepare mine the night before or the morning of and I let it all sit in the pot covered in the fridge, until I cook it for dinner )

Pop it on the stove, lid on, and let it cook on medium heat (just a simmer) for about an hour and half – stir/turn the chicken every now and then…..  Again if the marinate goes low, your heat is either too high or not enough was in there in the first place, just add water 1/4 to 1/2 at a time.

Now just as you have about 15 minutes to go….taste the broth it should be a rich dark brown colour and should have a garlicky, tangy, sweet, and salty taste, and the chicken should fall of the bone and be very tender. If its too salty or even too sour gradually add more brown sugar

Serve with chicken and the sauce in the pan over boiled white rice! Delish!

My mouth is now watering for my lunch. So just like old times, Im going back to bed and I’ll wake to some Chicken Adobo for lunch! yum! x

Being a paper nerd, of course when I saw the book ‘Paper Wonderland‘ 32 terribly cute toys ready to cut, fold and build, I emptied out my pennies and took that beby home!

Super easy and super fun, the detail in the designs are amazing, even with corresponding pattern for the inside of the toys – so far Ive made the tiger and the moving toaster – yes the toast can pop out of the toaster!

Paper Wonderland is the wonderful and wild creation of  Michelle Romo who is a self-taught illustrator and designer. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese, and Scandinavian design and pretty much anything cute. She also the creator of Crowded Teeth which is her line of whimsical creatures, which appear as prints and accessories.

I love the colours and the interesting shapes and creatures she creates, sends me into a wonderland of my own! Not only for children, but for child like adults too!