Table of contents for October 2016 in Ideas

It always amazes me how people talk about paper versus digital as if the two have nothing to do with each other. They also sometimes assume that because you work for a magazine or prefer to get your information from ‘old-fashioned’ magazines or books you don’t understand the digital world. And even more so when your content is as handmade as ours. If I seem to be a little sensitive about this subject, that’s true - it is a sore point. This morning as I stood before the layout board and saw this issue coming together, I realised how wonderfully the two worlds complement each other. Where can you see more inspirational handcrafts than on creative blogs, Pinterest and Instagram? After all, the whole handmade revolution was spurred on by…

You will need • plain brown paper • attractive labels • matching washi tape • craft knife and cutting mat • metal ruler Use your craft knife, cutting mat and metal ruler to cut out a square from brown paper. Turn the paper so it is a rhombus in front of you and fold the bottom point up to the top point to form a triangle. Fold the bottom right corner up to the left-hand side edge. Fold the bottom left corner up in the same way but in the opposite direction. Fold the front layer of the top point forwards to form the opening of the packet. Decorate the packet with a label and washi tape.…

Makes: 8 (or 12 smaller cupcakes) Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time: 12-18 minutes, depending on size oven temperature: 175o C Pistachio cuPcakes • 125ml (75g) shelled pistachio nuts (or almonds if you prefer) • 190ml huletts white sugar • 190ml cake flour • 5ml baking powder • 65g soft butter • 2 large eggs, separated • 5ml vanilla essence • 85ml milk Glacé icinG • 250ml huletts Icing sugar • 2,5ml fresh lemon juice • hot water 1 Process the nuts with about a third of the white sugar in a food processor until finely ground. 2 sift the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. 3 cream the butter with the remaining sugar until light. this could take a few minutes. add the egg yolks, one…

cross-sTITch conversIon Various apps are available to download that can be used to convert an image into a cross-stitch pattern. We used the free version of an Android app called ‘eCanvas for cross-stitch’, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Other apps are available, both free and paid versions, but they all work in more or less a similar way. To converT  1 Start by importing an image saved on your phone or tablet into the app. 2 The second step requires you to set the number of stitches in the width and height. (The free version of the app has a restriction of 200 stitches.) The app has a calculator function with which you can calculate the number of stitches. This is done by entering the final…

A garden journal can be more than just a place to record what you’ve planted and how your garden is progressing. Use it to jot down your thoughts too, or pour your creativity into it. 1. PLANT PORTRAITS Take photos of your plants and flowers and paste them in your journal with the relevant information about each plant recorded below the picture. tip Take Instagram photos and have them printed by Nifty250 (nifty250.co.za). 2. Seed packets Glue a small brown envelope with seeds in it to a page in your journal and add the name of the plant, a sketch of the mature plant and the date when you planted the seeds. This way you can keep track of your plants as well as having a space to draw. You…

CACTUS TERRARIUM This is the easiest way to make a green gift. Buy a few different coloured gravels at the nursery and layer them in the bottom of a pickling jar. Add a layer of cactus sand to the jar, plant a small succulent and finish with a top layer of small stones or gravel. Paint a fern-leaf gift tag (follow our steps on page 84) and tie it around the neck of the jar. Table, chairs and white ceramic house from Starke Ayres. IF THE RENEWED ENTHUSIASM FOR INDOOR PLANTS HAS TOUCHED YOU TOO, HERE ARE A FEW PROJECTS TO TRY. SUCCULENTS IN A BOWL The cutest little succulents are available everywhere these days, like these ones we bought for a bargain price at a flea market. Look out…

f you had to write down one thing this evening that you felt grateful for today, what would it be? Perhaps it was a compliment from a friend, or seeing a stunning sunrise on the way to work. Or perhaps it was waking up to some unexpected good news. Gratitude is a feeling, but it’s also an attitude that you can acquire. And making a habit of it can enrich your life, improve your relationships and in general make you a happier person, say psychologists. The Latin word gratia means ‘grace’ or ‘thankfulness’. Gratitude actually includes both of these meanings, because it is both an appreciation of what you have and choosing to approach life with grace. It means seeing the good in life, say psychologists from Harvard Medical School…

WRITE TO US & WIN! The writer of this month’s winning letter will receive a product hamper from Placecol Skin Care to the value of R1 500. Placecol Skin Care products improve the appearance of the skin and help prevent ageing. To find out more, go to placecol.com or call 011 086 9800. Pop-up coffee shop It has always been a dream of mine to own my own coffee shop: I love people, I love baking, I love coffee and being creative keeps me sane. So when I started to plan my 40th birthday celebration in August 2105, I decided to have a pop-up coffee shop in my home for two days. I involved my three kids in the creative process and for about two months on Sunday afternoons we…

All provinces 9 October Celebrate Garden Day and the varied reasons why gardening is so worthwhile. To see what you can do or to download the app ‘Gardening with Babylonstoren’ – a library of gardening information, suggestions and direct access to gardening experts – go to gardenday.co.za or email info@gardenday.co.za. KwaZulu-Natal 29-30 October Kengai Bonsai Kai holds its annual show at Hillcrest Primary School from 9am. Watch demonstrations, chat to experts and shop for trees and pots. Entry is R20. For details, call 083 254 1022 or email mistymoonbonsai@gmail.com. Gauteng 1 October The Mooiste Maand Bos Mark takes place in Pretoria East at Rusplaas. Enjoy crafts, décor, garden goods and art. For details, go to rusplaas.com or search for Bos Mark at Rusplaas on Facebook. 5-10 October Tierlantyn’kies Kuier &…

foodiecrush.com Heidi Larsen morphed her love of making food with her former career as a creative director in publishing to become a photo-taking, storytelling, magazine and e-cookbook designing food blogger. She likes to create and share recipes for fresh, seasonal, mostly simple, often healthy, comfort food. And sometimes with a little cheese and butter mixed in. Check out her recipe index for menu ideas, and then have a look at other food bloggers’ recipes in her online Foodiecrush magazine. younghouselove.com Sherry and John Petersik chat about transforming their house and living in it, and the random bits in between. They’ve tackled tons of DIY projects and renovated three homes – all while raising their children, writing two books, designing products and dabbling in podcasting. Their obsession with DIY started when…

MUSHROOM AND BOK CHOI STIR-FRY WITH NOODLES Serves: 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes • 250g dried Somen noodles (thin Japanese noodles) • 30ml soy sauce • 30ml oyster sauce • 30ml soy bean paste (optional, available at Chinese stores) • 5ml cornflour or tapioca flour • 60ml peanut or sunflower oil • 4 cloves garlic, crushed • 2 sticks celery, sliced • 200g green beans, sliced lengthways • 250g portabellini mushrooms, sliced • 200g bok choi, sliced into three • 3-4 dried red chillies, sliced in half lengthways (optional) • bok choi flowers or micro herbs, to garnish 1 Cook the noodles in boiling water for about 4 minutes until just tender. Drain. 2 Mix the sauces, soy bean paste, cornflour and 120ml water together…

AT LEISURE This beautiful floral dress is perfect for a weekend away. It’s easy to pack and you can dress it up or down. Dress (R799) from Queenspark. Shoes (R599) from Queue Shoes. Necklace (R525) from Lulu Belle. GARDEN NOTIES Feel and look as fresh as a daisy in a statement T-shirt with botanical prints and white trousers. Top (R399) from Poetry. Ring (R259) from Lulu Belle. Trousers (R799) from Mango. SOFTLY FEMININE This dreamy dress is just perfect for a cooler spring day. Pair it with simple gold sandals. Dress (R749) from H&M. Sandals (R150) from Woolworths. Necklace (R850) from Mr & Mrs. TROPICAL TONES Introduce a few muted jungle-themed items into your spring wardrobe. Top (R799) from Mango. Jeans (R525) from Inwear at Truworths.…

Handmade gifts are special and they show you care. With Bernina as your trusted companion, you can create an attractive, useful gift for a special friend or family member. Give everyday items like rubber gloves a pretty makeover by adding a decorative fabric trim with a ruffled edge. Simply choose a piece of printed or plain fabric in a matching colour. Then use Bernina’s range of special presser feet with sliding soles, specially designed for perfect stitching on rubber and plastic, to attach your fabric trim to the glove. The result? Unique gloves that are practical to use in the garden or for cleaning, and attractive too. Do you want to add a special touch to a bunch of flowers or a potted plant? Dress a bottle or bucket in…

‘Tending a garden is a meditative, humbling experience: you can’t force anything, you just have to wait. And yet every time you put something in the ground, it feels like a pronouncement of faith in the future or at least in the next few months,’ writes author and journalist Julie Myerson in an article in The Guardian newspaper. For keen gardeners, it’s a labour of love and a way to be in touch with nature and themselves. There is the immediate pleasure of the sun on your back as you dig your fingers into the soil, but also the satisfaction later when you see your efforts rewarded in the form of colourful flowers, or edible herbs, vegetables and fruit. Green therapy The expression ‘stop and smell the roses’ means to…

This design is created with a marking pen. You will need • template (see photo in step 1) • white linen or cotton fabric • marking pen (we used a Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker in dark blue, the traditional shibori colour) • pure alcohol • small plastic bottle with a spout • masking tape or Magic Tape Draw the template in the desired size and attach it to your work surface using masking tape or Magic Tape. Place the fabric over the template, smooth it out and secure it with tape as well so it won’t shift while you’re working. Trace the lines of the template using the marker. Move the fabric if necessary to repeat the pattern. 3 Continue tracing the pattern until the design is complete. 4…

You don’t need to be artistic for this project, you just need to be able to wield a paintbrush. You will need • fern leaf • watercolours • large, soft watercolour brush • watercolour paper • spray glue • tissues To make 1 Choose a young, firm fern leaf that won’t tear or break when you paint over it. Spray glue onto the back of the leaf and glue it onto a sheet of watercolour paper. Place a clean piece of ordinary paper over the top and rub it to ensure the leaf is securely in place. Carefully remove the top paper. 2 Choose your paint colours – we used only three – and squeeze them out onto a saucer. Dip your brush in water, thin the paint and start…

In large-scale manufacturing businesses, new product development is a serious commitment that requires capital expenditure and changes to production processes, but if a company wants to grow it needs to innovate. In smaller artisan and creative businesses, while the risks are not as great and there is a larger degree of flexibility and less complexity, new product development is still vitally important for the business to thrive. We recently did our annual product review in the bakery in preparation for the new season. It’s never easy. I always line up hundreds of delicious ideas for us to look at and try, only to have my husband shoot them down one after another. I become frustrated and convinced we are the frumpiest bakery on the planet, forever stuck in a cycle…

FLOWERS AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER: agapanthus, allium, alstroemeria, amaranthus, anthuriums, Asiatic lilies, carnations, celosia, chincherinchees, chrysanthemums, delphiniums, everlastings, gerbera daisies, gladiolus, heliconia, latefolia, lavender, liatris, lisianthus, orange balls, roses, sea holly, some asters, some proteas and fynbos, statice, veronica, watsonias. VEGETABLES: asparagus, artichokes, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, leeks, garlic, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rhubarb, Swiss chard, squash, spring onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, waterblommetjies. FRUIT: apricots, bananas, grapefruit, guavas, kiwi, lemons, mulberries, naartjies, oranges, pawpaws, pineapples, rhubarb, strawberries. HERBS: basil, bay leaves, chives, dill, fennel, tarragon, lavender, lemon grass, marjoram, mint, nasturtiums, nettle, origanum, parsley, rocket, rosemary, sage, thyme.…

DIFFICULTY: moderately challenging TIME: two hours, plus drying time You will need • gum paste • cornflour • rolling pin • large petal or flower cutter • plastic cover or sleeve • damp tea towel • florist’s wire • balling tool • foam mat • petal dust in the colours of your choice • soft paintbrush • paper towel • edible ink pen or dark gel food colouring • florist’s tape roll out the gum paste to about 2mm thick on a surface dusted with cornflour. don’t roll the paste too thin or you won’t be able to push the wire up into the petals. Cut out petals, or use a large flower cutter and then separate the petals. Keep them covered in a plastic cover or sleeve and a…

Many new fragrances for spring and summer take their inspiration from their original or traditional versions – designer creations like those of Michael Kors, yves saint Laurent and oscar de la Renta have brought notes of their original success stories into their latest products by incorporating the DNA of their predecessors and building on the memories we associate with them. New, modern blends have also been created for the so-called ‘celebrity’ fragrances. 1 MICHAEL KORS CORAL EDP (100ml R1 340) A limited edition of the tantalising, bubbly fragrance with its invigoratingly strong citrus elements that suggest sun-drenched days of summer. CateGoRy Floral/fruity Notes: top Ruby grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, pink pepper, blackcurrant Heart The tuberose that characterised the original Michael Kors perfume, jasmine tea, orange blossom, raspberry Base Sandalwood, cedarwood, musk…

DIFFICULTY: moderate TIME: 10-12 hours You will Need • diagram on the left • lightweight jersey • 50cm Stitch-N-Tear (used for machine embroidery) • DMC embroidery thread in dark green (895), purple (554), light green (472), light pink (761), bright salmon pink (3801), light turquoise blue (598), yellow (3855), turquoise green (3849) and bright blue (995) • washable marker • embroidery needle To make NoTe: Adapt the embroidery diagram on this page according to the design of your jersey; or use only part of the pattern, if you prefer. The embroidery thread needed depends on your choice of colours and your design. Embroider the colours as you wish. 1 If you are adapting the design, first draw it on paper using a thick black pen or felt-tipped pen. 2 Cut…

Fresh flowers are a luxury that we can all enjoy. And they don’t have to cost the earth. Here are a few trends for DIY enthusiasts and cash-strapped lovers of all things floral. DIY FLOWER BARS A new craze is blossoming on Instagram. The concept of ‘flower bars’ is the latest do-it-yourself trend to grip the United States and it is now cross-pollinating to countries like England and Australia. It apparently started out as tables with flowers at weddings, where guests could make their own buttonholes or small bouquets for their table, or otherwise simply select flowers for their lapels or hair. The flowers are supplied by a florist who – along with the bridal bouquet and other flowers at the event – also supplies everything the guests might need…

‘Ideas are nothing if you can’t turn them into good margins and profit.’ When we ask for directions to Gill Hayhoe’s shop and home in Nottingham Road in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, everybody knows the way. ‘Just turn right when you get to the police station – that whole area belongs to the Hayhoes.’ And this is how we find her in her charming shop filled with her gorgeous brand of Italian-made jewellery, clutchbags, leopard-print belts and divine room fragrances. The little garden in front is picture perfect, the shop smells wonderful, the music is soothing and Gill, on a proper set of heels and in a fluffy soft pink top, looks every bit the part of fashionista jewellery and bag designer. ‘I grew up on a farm,’ she tells us.…