One day I just happened upon a beautiful ladybird and captured wonderful photographs as it meandered across a textured pot. Through The Looking Glass These images were manipulated using old-school digital technology many years ago well before the appearance of AI.  With the assistance of 'Fine Art America', I've created a collection of contemporary 'Ladybird Christmas Ornaments'. The oval ornaments are half an inch thick and about 4 inches tall made from wood.  They come with a hanger and with a magnet on the back. Links to each design are below the pictures. Throug ..read more

 Spider plants, scientifically known as Chlorophytum comosum, have become a worldwide favourite among plant enthusiasts. Spider plants are a beautiful and versatile pot plant addition to any indoor space. With their rich history and reasonably easy-care requirements, they make the perfect plant for both beginner and experienced gardeners alike.  They are a popular indoor plant due to their air-purifying qualities, and unique appearance, with thin sword-like leaves having a centre cream white stripe. My mother had a spider pot plant growing when I was a child, and I remember bei ..read more

Add a cute festive touch to your decor with 'Christmas In A Mug'.  This project is very easy to create. I chose white and green as my colours, but you can choose whatever colour way you like. Let those festive Christmas vibes flow. What I have created is a guide for you. This project takes half an hour to DIY. You Will Need: A plain white coffee mug Polystyrene (or dry florist foam) An assortment of Christmas picks - pine, pinecones and berries. A small ornament for the focal point 2 green and white striped pipe cleaners Wire cutters Hot glue gun To Make: Cut your polystyrene to fit t ..read more

Cherry White Chocolate Blondie is 'Christmas in a MOUTHFUL'! The flavours induce childhood memories of my mother's Christmas cake.  Using brown sugar in the mix adds to the deliciousness.   It's super easy to whip up. Cherry White Chocolate Blondie Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of pitted canned cherries (with juice drained) 2 Tablespoons of brandy 3/4 cup soft butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs  1/2 cup almond meal 1 1/2 cups plain flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup white chocolate (chopped) Powdered icing sugar to dust Method: Preheat the ove ..read more

 Inspired by the sea and abstract Japanese art, the 'Of The Sea' collage is a beautiful coloured or patterned card artistic creation. It is medium level to make. These DIY art pieces make great creatively homemade gifts to give. You can change the colours of the card to your own taste. If you want to modify my design, you could also add cutouts of fish, starfish, seahorses, plankton, seaweed, and coral. You will need: Two pieces of card, plain or patterned for the base.  The template shapes in complementary colours cut from heavy paper card Glue A black Sharpie pen 11 x 14 inch (t ..read more

Neenish Tarts are notorious for being a scandalous taste overload of everything. The original version is sweet and completely over the top! But even still, eat one, you'll just want more! Neenish Tarts are a mini-size shortcake pastry base tart, with a sweetened condensed milk-based creamy filling. Topped with a two-tone half side of vanilla icing, the other with chocolate icing. There are many adaptions.  Some have a berry jam layer between the shortcake and filling. There's an addition of cinnamon instead of the standard lemon, and other recipes with creamy fillings, similar to French ..read more

  The Meaning of Candles in Thanksgiving Decor Candles play a significant role in creating a warm and welcoming ambience for the holiday season. But beyond just adding a glow to the room, candles hold symbolic meaning that enhances the spirit of thankfulness and gratitude that Thanksgiving represents. In many cultures, candles are a symbol of light and hope. They are often used in religious ceremonies to signify purity and spiritual illumination. In some traditions, lighting a candle symbolises a prayer or a moment of reflection.   Thanksgiving decor and candles can symbolise th ..read more

 This old dining chair has been in the family for over 70 years. It has worn its natural varnished oak, and it's been dressed up in white and then grey chalk paint in a French Country style, with the seat fabrics changing from tapestry, to butterfly embossed linen, then to tropical palms. But now it is time for yet another upcycle! But this time we will be completely funking up the colour palette. This chair is going to be painted bright banana yellow. The reason is: My kitchen where this chair will reside is black and white. There is a lot of black and white artwork on the walls. I have ..read more

Next time you are home, hungry and need a snack in a hurry make a 'Quick Omelette Roll Up'. It's healthy, superbly delicious and filling. And as said, QUICK to whip up! It only takes about 10 minutes per roll up from start to serve. The recipe is for a one-person serving for a brunch or lunch. Or it serves two for a healthy snack. So double the recipe if more roll ups are required. Serve warm or cold. All you do is: Whisk the eggs in a small bowl or jug. Heat a frying pan and coat with spray. Pour in half of the egg. Cook until set. Flip. Reduce stove element heat to medium. Sprinkle ..read more

Staghorn Ferns, they are also known as Platycerium, are a unique and beautiful addition to your home pot plant collection. But did you know, in the right climate, they can be grown outside in the garden? More common names they are known by are elkhorn, moose, stag, deer or shield fern. There are around eighteen different varieties. These ferns are epiphytic, meaning they naturally grow on trees in tropical forests.  Their roots hold them in place, and they get water and nutrients through their fronds. Many gardeners recreate their natural habitat by mounting staghorn ferns onto wood. Tha ..read more