Go Make Me

{go make me} scented soy candles / diy project

Can you believe that soy candles are super easy and inexpensive to make? I like to make my own as I'm choosey about fragrance strength and quality. This way I have full control and more money in my pocket

How to make Soy Candles
Purchase from your local craft shop or candle supplier soy wax flakes, a tempered wick with base and essential oils for fragrance. Special colour for candles can be added too but add a little at a time and be aware that it will change colour slightly when set, but that's half the fun

Simply melt wax in a double boiler over stove. Add desired essential oil. Pour wax into a heat-resistant cup, ramekin or other china that can withstand heat. Leave to congeal for about 10 minutes and insert wick with base. Leave to fully set. Trim wick > Light > Sniff > Enjoy....That's it!

valentine's at our favourite restaurant

Our little family headed off to Bathers' Pavilion restaurant for a belated sweet Valentine's treat. Oh, how I love treats!

What's on the plate? Top: Rhubarb and apple trifle, rhubarb jelly, apple custard and almond sponge. Middle: Coconut cake, dark chocolate mousse, cherry compote, cherry ripple ice cream. Bottom: Mixed berry summer pudding, strawberry sauce and chantilly cream. Mmmm, it tasted as good as it looked

Now off for a walk to loose my love handles

{go make me} rolled fabric flowers / diy project

1} Grab some fabric, felt and fabric glue (and a brooch pin if required)
2} Cut a felt circle and a length of fabric. My flower circle is 85mm wide and the length of fabric was 1m long, 60mm wide and tapered to 20mm wide at the other end. Experiment, I liked my flower to have bulk and bloom out but you can use the same width strip for the whole flower
3} Tie a knot in the thinner end and glue in position
4 – 5} Roll fabric strip, making tighter and looser rolls as you create your flower. Use fabric glue to adhere to felt as you go
6} Tuck end under previous roll
7} Trim back felt if required. Sew clip or brooch pin to back

{go make me} a pretty Valentine's Day paper bouquet

I'm so excited to announce a new diy e-Magazine, Romantic Printable Gift Packaging and Sewing Ideas featuring a stylish printable 'heart' box that can be personalised, a pillow box, a personlised card, even Champagne labels, tags and more that would be perfect for Valentine's Day or wedding or those who love diy. I think you'll really enjoy the simple how-tos to make paper and fabric projects. A sneak peak of some of what's included is below:

To celebrate the release of my e-Magazine, here's a special treat for all my Go Make Me blog readers.... Below is an excerpt from the magazine demonstrating how to make a paper bouquet, an easy diy project to add style to any gift. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone

How to make a pretty paper bouquet
Create a delightful bouquet from paper cupcake wrappers as a finishing touch to your gift. Use just one or tie bunched together with complementary ribbons and bows. Add a stylish sparkling buckle threaded with colourful ribbon on a simple box for an elegant and sophisticated look

Fold 8 cupcake wrappers in half retaining curved shape

Use decorated toothpicks (available at Supermarkets) or decorations with wire attached (ie Christmas ‘Cherries’ to decorate the tree or discarded decorations off bon-bon crackers). Hole punch a flower or shape to finish underneath flower

Thread wrappers onto wire or toothpick, ending with hole punched shape

Arrange papers to overlap layers. Glue underneath to hold in place

Fan out papers to simulate petals. Use the bloom singularly or create a posie by wrapping wires together or gather in a ribbon. Attach to gift

Bleeding Heart cocktail for Valentine's Day

Here's another Champagne or Sparkling Wine cocktail that'll spark up your V.D. (Valentine's Day). To make the Bleeding Heart add one cup of sugar and one cup of water to a small saucepan. Dissolve over a medium heat stirring occassionally. Make sure the sugar completely dissolves and boils for a few minutes. Take off heat and cool. Blend a punnet of raspberries until liquified and strain. Add to cooled syrup and mix well. Pour into heart shaped moulds and freeze. Then add to Champagne or Sparkling Wine and watch your heart fall and dissolve into red, but delicious, mush. Drink in immoderation

what's the best champagne cocktail for Valentine's Day?

On the top of my list of favourite champagne/sparkling wine cocktails is to mix the bubbles with
1/4 oz/10mL Chambord (Black Raspberry Liqueur). Add Chambord to the flute first, them add the Champers. Perhaps a touch more if you like it sweeter, like me

Stay tuned, I'll post another recipe tomorrow because I love to experiment and the side effects of consuming the prototypes isn't half-bad, but someone has to do it

{go make me} bejewelled flower headband / diy project

 

Flowers in the hair, how girly! You can increase your eostrogen levels too by making these jewel encrusted fabric flowers in minutes and glue to a headband for the latest look (see Fashion Designers below). It only takes a few scraps of fabric, glitzy buttons, glue, needle, thread and time and you've got the current look for a fraction of the price

Here's how

1} Gather some fabric scraps, preferably ones that don't fray (although I like it fraying too), felt, buttons and a headband. Cut six 60 mm (2.5") circles from fabric and two 30 mm (1.25") circles from felt 
2} Fold each circle in half, then fold sides in on itself

3, 4 & 5} Adhere to one felt circle with fabric glue or hot glue gun. Repeat with other cut circles, overlapping each 'petal' as you continue around filling the entire felt circle
4} With needle and thread, sew on button(s)
7} Glue another felt circle over stitches 
8} Glue to headband 

 

Who's got the look (l to r)
BHLND Del Sole Comb, Alannah Hill Hair Accessories, Chanel, Alannah Hill Hair Accessories, BHLND Marguerite Halo, Mignonne Handmade Pink Carnations Halo 

happy Australia Day 2012

January 26th marks the official national day of Australia, a day to commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet into Sydney Cove in 1788. On Australia Day there's always much celebratory action around the harbour, so we walked down to the Sydney foreshore to watch the Ferrython with home made meat pies and watermelon in our picnic basket. Afterwards the sun came out and we had a quick dip at Maccullum Pool (above), a heritage harbour pool in Cremorne Point that's tucked away beneath sandstone rocks and over-hanging trees with arguably the best view in the world. And better still it's quiet, clean, free and a gem that not many know about

chico hayasaki {illustrator}

This week I'm loving Japanese born Chico Hayasaki's fresh, fashion savvy illustrations using line and watercolours

Just recently I discovered that she's turned her hand to fabric design (found via CWC International blog). A cool mix of retro, fashion and delicate prints printed on 100% Japanese cotton. They are produced by Kei's Fabrics of Japan and, unfortunately, I don't believe that they're available outside of Japan as yet

{go make me} valentine's day white chocolate heart cups with strawberry ice cream

Romance is in the air! I'm in the midst of creating a Valentine's Day e-book full of packaging and card designs to print out and romantic recipes (e-book coming soon) and I've hatched up a sweet treat that's a cinch to pre-prepare so you're not stuck in the kitchen on the day (and you can get on with your just desserts...so to speak). Firstly, it had to be pink. I'm thinking Strawberry ice cream and pink fairy floss and secondly, it should be easy and thirdly, it should look and taste d e l e c t a b l e !

To make your Chocolate cup, melt 100g white chocolate in a small double boiler on a low heat and brush a thin chocolate coat to the inside of two heart silicone moulds. If you don't have hearts, use round silicone moulds instead. Place in fridge to set for at least 1/2 hour. Brush a second coat of chocolate on the inside of mould again to build up walls of cup. Repeat if necessary. Leave refrigerated until required. Carefully peel back mould from chocolate. Add a scoop of Strawberry Ice Cream (I used Maggie Beer Strawberries and Cream) and top with Subtle Rose Fairy Floss (Pariya brand is available in select delicatessen's if you live in Australia)