An afternoon tea of pastels, birds and bubbles!

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Yvette

What better way to spend the afternoon with the warm sunlight reflecting off the windows, and surrounded by pastels, feathers, eggs, nests and mouth watering chocolate sweets.

I found this old English china, not your usual fine, elegant designs and motifs. Plain, no designs, no gold trims, no embossing, just plain, hardly any markings.J EG. Meakin Glamour Celeste, Glamour Jade. But I couldn’t resist taking a few photos and making the cups and sauces, plates and bowls come alive with radiant pastel colours and charm. Perfect for an afternoon tea.

easter 024

What better way then to celebrate Easter with all these soft pastel colours. Egg Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Fairy Floss pink and Glamour jade.

But to me they are all treasures, just because of their pastel colours. The plates and cups blend into a beautiful calm and playful group of colour – p a s t e l s.

Another special treat for Easter, chocolate coated bunnies. This recipe is so much fun, just for the little ones. Another easy recipe for Mum to make and the children will love helping with this one.

Follow me to read on and see the recipe…

Continue reading →

Chocolate Rum Balls

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Yvette

Sugar and spice make these Chocolate Rum Balls a decadent ultimate Christmas treat. Aromatic spices of cinnamon and mixed spice, rolled in chocolate sprinkles and coconut. One bite size of pure bliss.

During Module 1 of The Art and Business of Surface Design course, we created moodboards and colourboards that we shared with all the other participants. It was four weeks of creative works and wonderful new friendships and energy, and I look forward to modules 2 and 3 in 2012. One of my boards I created was chocolate brown and red, and it’s somehow has influenced also this post. Just a little romantic touch also in my moodboard!

Read on for this delicious recipe for Chocolate Rum Balls and a little more festive red and chocolate brown.

Continue reading →

A Colourful Week

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Yvette

I know you’re all busy just as I am for this time of the year, and we still have to wait! Always for something, even if it’s the red traffic light to turn green…to go..

And how do you feel when we see that red light turn green? Or the second that you know that green light has changed to amber and yes you have to stop! How do colours make you feel?

The cool blue, aqua colour of the ocean.(The memory of a holiday, relaxation) The green colour of a lush shady overhanging tree.(That wonderful picnic and nature walk) The rich bright colour of a sunset,(holding hands with your partner) or the grey cloudy sky of a thunderstorm (Rushing to take cover). Colours trigger emotions within us. This was one of the exercises this week in my e-course The Art and Business Surface Pattern Design.

Making a colour palette of odds and ends around the house, we had to then add an accent colour and see how visually it changes.

Throw a little colour in…

I love the shimmer in the coloured gold paper.

Colour palettes can be found everywhere, take a look at a couple of my travel photo’s and how colour palettes can form, and make you feel.

Fresh, Crisp, Clean….Breathe

This colour palettes says fun, happiness, joy …laughter.

Have you ever thought of the colours which surround you..and how they make you feel. When you see a colour, how do you feel?

Are you always wearing black? (don’t worry, my hands up high..guilty of this one).

Try wearing a colour, and see the way your attitude changes, your emotions change and the reactions of others change with you!

Tell me what colour you love in your world, and how it makes you feel.

Look forward to the new starting week…

Yvette…x

TT – Phoebe eDition

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Yvette

It’s been an inspiring week with Kim Klassen, who over the last few weeks has been talking about her wonderful inspirational week away with the group ‘shutter sisters’. Her sisterhood bonds and her dreams.

We all have dreams, I know I have many and I’m finally finding the path, the strength from within to share those dreams…

Today’s photo was taken by my niece when she visited Floriade Australia’s Spring festival. Just beautiful coloured tulips, and the curly petals I love…I called it ‘Dancing Tulips’. A photographer in the making…the texture ‘phobe’ was also inspired by one of Kim’s friends daughters…only fitting to join the two.

Joining in TT over at the cafe of Kim Klassen

Have a great day everyone

Yvette…x

I’m free to fly….

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Yvette

Fly…into another weekend and another week flown by…

It has a repeating ring to it doesn’t it! A beautiful Spring morning here in the country and just a little time to smell and pick the roses.

And so joining in another Pink Saturday, I thought I’d style a couple of Spring photo shots with a little romantic flow to it.

A personal touch, I’ve been working on a combination of my photography and pen work…create…I’m free to fly…

“The gift of happiness belongs to those who unwrap it.” Andrew Dunbar

Rose petals, pearls, lace and pink….a little romantic pink!

“Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it,
but to delight in it when it comes” Charles Dickens

Happy Pink Saturday friends…linking to Beverly’s Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

Have a great weekend.

Yvette…x

A trail of Inspiration.

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Yvette

My starting point for this trail of inspiration not more than 24hours ago lead me onto many winding paths of colour, inspiration and acknowledgement of pure talent.

One of the things on my ‘to do’ list was that for this month I would stay focused and blog a post every Saturday on Beverly’s Pink Saturday for the month of October as a reminder of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Take a couple of ‘clicks’ backwards, and although I’m not always finding time to post and create, within the solitude of my bedroom of an evening, I visit bogging friends, leave comments and join in the circle of friendship, that I so love to be a part of.

Here’s my winding trail:

I started with a visit to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, where she had her monthly feature look at what’s ‘In my Kitchen’, Turkish ceramics, wild ginger drinks,and vegetarian paella to name a few, take a look and maybe join in. Sometimes when you visit friends, you spend a little extra time reading everyones comments…(or is it just me)…

So, this is how I made a new connection to ChopinandMysaucepan, where I discovered they were one of ten bloggers from around the world in the Royal Selangor Jellyriffic Competition .How exciting and a lot of hard work! The competition is that each of the ten bloggers post a recipe each day for 30 days in the month of October 2011 to raise awareness and support for breast cancer.

Check out some of their creations:Day #15 Biriyani rice with cashew nuts and raisins, Day#11 Green and Gold kiwifruit pavlova, Day#7 Antipasto pyramid with rocket salad. Just amazing…inspirational.

So this then led me to find out more about the Royal Selangor Jellyriffic Competition. ‘Get Your Jelly On’ Challenge is where the selected 10 bloggers come up with an exciting new way to use the Royal Selangor pewter jelly mould. It’s designed by Nick Munro. Proceeds from the sale of this jelly mould go towards the Breast Cancer Welfare Association. You can purchase one here

Continuing on…my winding path led me to visit all the other contestants the list can be found here

Where I found one of my favourite contestants Billy Law from Masterchef Australia 2011, who also was participating in this 30 day challenge.Billy’s Blog A Table For Two features best eats in Sydney and around the world. And oooh you should see some of his great desserts in this challenge. Visit Billy’s blog here.

This then led me back to the Pink thing for today’s post…now I’ve mentioned that I’m also a little bit of a pinning diva. It’s also a little ‘out of control’ hip hop up there pinning Queen…diva! See my boards and follow them here at Pinterest.

Ok, so now I’ve finally arrived at all those pretty pink things and my visual boards that I created way up there at the beginning. I so love this dress…

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Yvette…x

Linking to Beverly’s Pink Saturday

TT – Red eDition

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Yvette

Kim Klassens cafè is boosting in brightness with this weeks Texture Tuesday Photo challenge. Use the colour red and at least one of Kim’s textures in the processing.

The colour red for me is passion, love, colourful country fields of red poppies, juicy red apples and Spring rose bud blooms.

I captured my photo within the gardens hide away corner of mountains of parsley, sage and mint, lavender and lemon tree blossom and threw in a vivid touch of contrasting red. Pink Lady apples.

Photo recipes:

Photo 1: original photo + KKifonly texture + KKthursday texture + 25% fill light + 25% high lights + 25% enhanced shadows. (Picasa 3)

Photo2: original photo + KKthe ladder txture + KKthursday + kkautumnburst + 80% shadows 30% high lights + 25% fill light. (Picasa 3)

Catch up and link up to the other participants in Texture Tuesday over at Kim Klassen’s Café

Have a great week everyone,

Yvette…x

TT- The Orange eDition

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Yvette

Today’s Texture Tuesday is the colour Orange. This colour can portray many feelings, those vibrant of Spring coloured flowers and fruit, or that of Autumn a more mellow feeling with changing leaves, and wintery soul warming vegetables.

Oranges, Persimmons, Peaches, Mangoes, Carrots, Butternut squash, Apricots, Pumpkin, Tangerines, Sweet potato.

What’s your favourite Orange fruit or vegetable?

See some interesting facts about the colour Orange here.

…Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy.

Stimulates activity

Stimulates appetite

Encourages socialization …

Join in today’s Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen and check out all the wonderful photographers and their inspirational images portraying the colour Orange.

Photo1: Recipe – original photo twistedvines + kkcrackerjack + shadow 20% + fill light 35% (Picasa 3)

Photo2: Recipe – original photo twistedvines + kkmoody (Picasa 3)

Photo3: Recipe – original photo twistedvines + kkcoolgrundge + warmfly45% + soft focus 56% + glow 30% (Picasa 3)

Have a wonderful week, friends

Yvette…x

Your Ticket to Wonderland

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Yvette

Photo Credits: House Beautiful, Google search, Johnny Depp Alice in Wonderland,Peacock feathers, AquaMarine, Bottom left: Source Unknown. Bottom Right:Patricia Gray Inc.

Photo Credits: House Beautiful palette aquamarine; Vivienne Westwood Shoe4;Mimosa Reversible Bedding in Aquamarine Zgallerie Bedding; Google Search Aquamarine,Peacock feathers,Alice in Wonderland; Cake designed by PinkCake Box; Nicholas Kirkwood Designer Shoes.

Photo Credit: Center photo – Eat me miniatures, check out the talents of Cindy Teh from Snowfern Clover.com don’t waste another second and go visit her charming unbelievable talent. You won’t believe your eye’s. Google search Aquamarine; House Beautiful

Designer Cakes by PinkCakeBox; Google Search Alice in Wonderland,Source Unknown,The White Queen – Anne Hathaway in Alice in Wonderland, Designer Shoe Versace Spring 2010 Collection

Photo Credits:House Beautiful; Favim .com search: Alice in Wonderland, Source Unknown.

…”Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?”

Have you seen Tim Burtons magical take on the 19th century Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland.?

Such wonderful costumes, make up, visual and art direction, but the colours are just so vibrant, one of the colours I focused on was Aquamarine and tones of it.

… A pale tint of Spring – tonal to Cyan, a calming,relaxing colour.(Source: Wikipedia).

When you watch movies full of visual resources, what do you see. Do you only ‘watch’ the movie? Do you see and give credit of how much screen and visual work has gone into the making of the movie? Do you think ‘wow, look at all those special effects’? Starting with one focus point: being colour, can lead into new inspirations. Where do you get your inspirations?

One colour Aquamarine and it takes flight on a journey of inspirational thought, it makes me think of blue oceans, and cooling breezes. Summer vacations and blue cacao cocktails…

Isn’t it amazing how you see something and it triggers a thousand thoughts.

Where do you find inspiration?

I’d love you hear your thoughts or maybe share your links.

Yvette…x

White

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Yvette

If there was one colour in my life, I’d have to say W H I T E. Why? I love the crispness, the cleanliness and purity of how a room can change. Could we be safe and happy behind our white picket fences around our homes? The colour of food brought out on a clean white plate. The framing of a room with clean white walls. The tone of our skin under a crisp white linen shirt. The outside view looking through a white window frame.

“ The first of all single colors is white…We shall set down white for the representative of light, without which no color can be seen, yellow for the earth; green for water; blue for air; red for fire; and black for total darkness.” Leonardo Di Vinci

White is the colour that belongs to the feng shui element of Metal. It’s feng shui energy is crisp, clear, clean and fresh. White is the colour of beginnings, as well as clear endings.White is the most versatile colour that can help brighten the energy of any challenging room.

How many times have you thought or said, ok, let’s clean the slate. Clean a space, clear everything to start creating again, start a fresh, a white new piece of paper to create a recipe ( usually a A4). A new piece of white paper to write a romantic poem, get lost in an adventurous story. A white canvas to paint with your imagination of colourful thoughts.

Each colour is an expression of the five feng shui elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. The elements are used in specific areas according to the feng shui energy map and your space.

Feng shui metal elements bring the qualities of sharpness, precision, clarity and efficiency, it’s balanced presence will help you live with clarity and lightness.