Amazing new technology for transfers !!

J.T. McMaters now have transfer that does not need to be FIRED in a kiln ! This may not sound very exciting to you if you have never had a few pieces of pottery you stuck transfers on but had no kiln to fire them in...

Now i do not have to beg/pay anybody for firing ever again... OK, maybe Eskom, but i do not mind that too much :D

Lauren gave me a sheet of transfer to play with and these are them.

I am not crazy about the colours on these but the whole idea just fills me with total joy ! and it is sooooo easy :

FIRST you cut out the individual designs and decide how you want to place them... this takes a while for me.

this way maybe

or like this

mmmmmm

finally decided

This is an important step. wet the transfers to remove the top part from the paper backing so that you can stick it on your plate or bowl. Do NOT wet it too much , just enough to be able to slide it off. Apply it to your piece making sure you have no air bubbles trapped underneath as this pops when you bake it and you are left with these ugly little "holes" in the design. I like using toilet paper and my finger tips to rub them out.

Now you have to leave them for 4-6 hours to dry , after which you peel off the transparent top layer leaving only the ink....... the waiting is very irritating if you are an instant gratification kind of girl like me :D NOW you have to leave it for 24 hours...... enough to drive you insane, but i just walked away .... AFTER this waiting game it is quick though.... set your oven on 180 to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 20 minutes AND:

 

 

how fabulous !!!!

dishwasher safe instant beauty.... cadmium free etc which i don't find too important anyway :D but many people do and should......

so many colours available and not a lot more than the old kiln fire transfers either !

If you want to play as well contact Lauren Skoll on +27214484223 or check their website www.skolldecal.com

THANK YOU LAUREN IT WAS WONDERFUL AND I NOW WANT LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL PATTERNS AND COLOURS AND STUFF !! 

I THINK YOU CREATED A MONSTER :D

visual food diary

fat free yogurt with beetroot, mushrooms, baby spinach and broccoli... VERY fab

i have tried before to follow the advise of those in the know to write down everything i eat.... but i find it tedious and hungry making.
so i have decided to take a photo of every morsel i put in my mouth for the next 6 weeks.... don't despair i am not going to talk about it on this blog everyday ! :D

low GI toast with avocado and slimmer choice feta and a sprinkle of salad leaves

salad with avocado for lunch

low GI toast with fat free cottage cheese and a dash of marmite for my 16h00 starvation bells

lean pork chop oven grilled with roasted vegetables made by my fabulous cook Steve ( better known as my oldest son) and a salad

i do find that it keeps me aware of what i am eating... no more unconscious stuffing of the face ...

message in a bottle

diamonds are forever

screw you ...

call me !

you captured my heart   or  i love you

i received really beautiful cards for my birthday in December and have been keeping them in a drawer .....
i am so not a "keeper" and looked through them over the weekend to see which i should keep and which to ditch.. this was not easy as it created conflict and indecision and procrastination !

so i thought...
would it not be better to have the message in a bottle. that can hang from a mobile or a little hook on your shelf ...
i am still working on the finer details, but did these five quickly to see if it works as well in real life as in my head :D

i love them

you light my fire

what do you think ?

KIFFSTUFF is born

Fabulous clothes is something that makes so many of us happy, no matter how old, what country or how rich or poor you are....a beautiful top or dress in gorgeous fabric can take all the black clouds out of the sky imMEdiately :D

Now imagine a place where this beauty is waiting for you and at prices that is so low you are afraid to ask in case a couple of zero's were left off the price tag by accident ...

KIFFSTUFF is a place like this.


The pieces are all one offs in the most amazing fabrics. Some with hand embroidered elements, some with totally inspired cuts, but ALL just too fabulous to describe in words.

AND access to these pieces are when you have time ...... morning, afternoon, evening, weekends, before a date, after lunch ...................... just call 0768968899 and tell me your perfect time  :D

ONLY thing is this is in Cape Town ONLY at this time.....

tara's birthday dinner

 It was Tara's birthday and we had a fabulous dinner to celebrate .

I love having my children around a table.......









they have SO much to say and each of them firmly believe their point of view is the only one :D

A good way of not over indulging on the food is to have these 1267246798 metre tall , skinny models as guests.... one does then tend to drink oneself pretty though ..

chili

My fabulous friend Anshu is surrounded by tall men... her husband and two sons are all well over 6 feet and then she had to choose a houseman that is also taller than necessary ...
She made a decision not to have girlfriends taller than 5ft 7 and i had to lie about my height not to be scratched off the friendship list...



It all makes sense in a kind of crazy, intellectual way, you know, people who are simply too intelligent to be able to make sense to mere mortals.
BUT, when her two tall sons left home to go and study they bought her a dog... not a toy pom or a tiny teacup poodle, oh no ! But Chili.....larger than life and scared of his own shadow !

Chili loves me, i think he thinks i am his sister as our hair colour is almost the same on a bad dye job period for me. i love that Chili loves me... but he wants to sit on top of me.... as if he is a toy pom  !
And when there is any loud noise outside he tries and hide under a small scatter cushion.

the indian rupee simbol

 i love this new symbol of the Indian rupee.  i like the design but i like the feeling that it makes the rupee all grown up and ready to play with its big brothers the $ and euro even more !

Udaya Kumar, a post-graduate student at the Indian Institute of Technology, submitted the design which beat 3,000 other entries in a national competition to win a cash prize of 250,000 rupees (5,350 dollars).

i am amazed though that only 3000 entries were received from such a large and artistic population ...

but well done Udaya and i hope the 250 000 rupees will bring him much happiness.