Wild Winter Skies, Wildflowers and Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Hello there Maddabling Readers - did you stay warm and dry in the winter weather this weekend? I hope you are all happy and well! This weeks Sunday Blog Post is all about Wild Winter Skies, Wildflowers and Peanut Butter Bread. Happy Reading :) 

Wild Winter Skies 

What a difference a day makes. A Winter Sky photo from yesterday... 

and a Winter Sky photo from today. One relatively clear, one dark + stormy.

These photos were taken in the same spot (can you see the island near the horizon) and shows how quickly the weather can change at this time of year.

I am constantly amazed at the gorgeous cloud formations that roll in during winter. 

Wildflower Spotting - Banksia Praemorsa 
There are so many wildflowers coming on at the moment - the different shapes, vibrant colours that nature creates are truly gorgeous. This week I present Banksia Praemorsa - spotted on our weekend Coast Hills walk. 
This is a forming flower, it really does remind me of a candle. 

This is a flower that has formed, from the top - how bright and brilliant are these colours ? 

And this is how it looks from the front, a real variety of texture and colour. 
Mother Nature, how do you do it? 

If you are interested in finding out more, you can see the Banksia Praemorsa profile here: http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/1841

Peanut Butter + Banana Bread 

Wondering what to do with ripe bananas? Here's a new twist on an old favourite - try this one out - it's Peanut Butter and Banana Bread. I found this recipe, in a regular sized loaf tin makes one larger and one smaller loaf. Plenty for Everyone! By the way, it really is delicious! 

Peanut Butter + Banana Bread

Ingredients

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup skim milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups SR flour, sifted

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

125g Reduced Fat Spreadable Cream Cheese

Honey, to serve

Method

WHISK the sugar, oil, milk, eggs and peanut spread until just combined. 

Mix in the bananas.

GENTLY fold the flour and spices through the egg mixture, until just combined. 

Spoon mixture into a greased and lined 11 x 21cm loaf tin. Bake for 45- 50 minutes at 160ºC, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack.

source: http://www.deliciouskitchen.com.au/recipes/banana-bread-104034.aspx

Dear readers, that wraps up Wild Skies, Wildflowers and Peanut Butter Banana Bread. Have a wonderful week and see you all on Wednesday for Wednesday Wishes xo 

Friday Friends - DUSTy Divas - Teluma Designs

Hello lovely Maddabling readers, I can't believe that Friday is here already! Where does the time go? Following a very active weekend and busy week, Maddabling is planning some chill time this weekend to recharge her batteries.

This week is is an absolute pleasure to introduce to you all a newer DUST Team member - meet the lovely Catherine of Teluma Designs. 

I have a soft spot for chunky gemstone jewellery and Teluma Designs boasts some sublime pieces in this category. Take for example the beautiful contrast between the fiery carnelian and cool turquoise in this OOAK handmade Gemstone Necklace.

The delightful emerald Green Adventurine Gemstone Earrings are so delicious 

and I love the tribal feel to this double strand turquoise, unakite, red malachite and sterling silver Necklace.

Readers, time for you now to take some time out, have a cuppa and put your feet up and read The Tale of Teluma Designs. I hope you enjoy reading Catherine's story as much as I did! See you all on Sunday for my weekend blog post xo

The Tale of Teluma Designs

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read about Teluma Designs.

My name is Catherine and my business name is Teluma Designs.  I make ‘One of a Kind’ Jewelry and accessories such as Brooches, Fascinators, Bags and Clothing.  Teluma Designs has an online Etsy Shop, a Facebook Page and is on Pinterest.  I also make direct commissions and sell privately and love working with customers to create the exact item they want.

Jewelry is my main focus. I don’t particularly follow fashion trends as I love all styles and tend to make the things that appeal to me – sometimes the materials determine the outcome and sometimes I have a specific design in mind.  I love working with gemstones, semi-precious stones, beautiful glass beads, sterling silver and other metals.  

For other creations I look for vintage and retro haberdashery or any interesting bits and pieces.  I like to ‘rescue’ these and give them new life – no doubt there is a name for this malady.

I love the concept that jewelry offers something protective and belongs to us exclusively, in a very personal way.  As much as we own it, it also owns us. The name Teluma is ‘Amulet’ spelled backwards.  I wanted the name to have some meaning and be a bit thought-provoking, but not too obvious, so the meaning is for those who know.  I like to think that anything I create has a power for those who become their owners.

I have been a jewelry lover ever since I can remember and it was through playing with beautiful beads and jewelry that my mother, maternal grandmother and great aunts had collected and worn.  Together with these were fabrics, haberdashery, buttons and garment embellishments, nothing was thrown out.

Most of my working life was spent in corporate life but creative pursuits were always my great love and I looked forward to a time when I would be able to set up a business doing what I love.  After corporate life, for some years I designed gift ware and also supplied a number of shops with jewelry, accessories and clothing which I either bought or manufactured myself in Asia.                                            

Now that I am fortunate enough to follow my creative dreams the philosophy of my designs is to make things that are individual and that will be loved by the next generation and the next – whether to be worn or kept as keepsakes from a previous loved one.

I feel my style is one that incorporates many different styles and is somewhat eclectic.  I never make the same piece twice and although I use the individual elements in a number of designs, each one is individual and one of a kind.  Sometimes it takes me a while to get a feel for particular gemstones or beads and I live with them until an idea comes to me.  

Over the time I’ve been working with gemstones and semiprecious stones I have grown to love them all.  Some which initially didn’t hold great appeal have become favorites as I’ve come to recognize their unique beauty. I try to work across all price ranges so that there is something for everyone’s budget.

Many of my pendants are designed by me and therefore exclusive to Teluma Designs and are either stamped with the business avatar or have a sterling silver avatar disc at the catch.  The pendants are mostly made from sterling silver however I am now starting to use brass and gold plated brass.

Overall, I wanted to create ‘one only’ items so that whoever decides to own them has something totally unique that will belong to them completely.  I plan to pursue this direction and continue to learn and explore until I fall off my chair.

Enjoy Your Individuality.

Dear readers, would you like to see more? Here is how you can connect.

Buy lovely things on Etsy here: 

www.telumadesigns.etsy.com

and become a follower on Facebook here: 

www.facebook.com/telumadesigns

Revamp - Wednesday Wishes

revamp 

verb [with object]

give new and improved form, structure, or appearance to

noun [usually in singular] 

an act of improving the form, structure, or appearance of something

source: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/revamp

We recently purchased some new bits and pieces for our living room and one or two statement furnishings can make all the difference - here are a few things I found while browsing Etsy. Enjoy xo

Timber Cable Spool Coffee Table from FinnDesignCo

Abstract Photography Pattern Throw Pillow 16x16 from riotjane

Wall Clock,Steampunk And Geekery Owl, from OlgaArtShop

Suzani Patchwork Chair from LivingintheWOW

Crochet Cotton Rug, Mustard Yellow, Recycled from CapitanaUncino

Peaks and Picnic Food

Hello lovely readers, Sunday night already! What a delightful weekend it was on the south coast. Lots of divine winter sunshine to warm our souls. This weekend I share with you Peaks and Picnic Food.
Peaks
On the weekend, we had the bright idea of taking some friends to a lesser known walk trail in our area. This is the challenge we chose to accept - Peak Head - the big headland at the rear of this photo

Peak Head is the southernmost peak of Torndirrup National Park. The walk trail is 4.3km in length and is described as a rugged path which is steep in sections and some "rock scrambling" is required to reach the summit. It says to allow two hours return...........

On top of the world - this is the view to the left 

this is the view straight ahead 

and this is the view to the right. 

There were so many interesting things formed by nature; like this fungi, toadstools, a banksia nut and beautiful dark green moss.

All in all it was a very memorable trek with good friends- I am sure we earned our honorary mountain goat stripes with all the rock scrambling at the peak! 

Picnic Food

I love a good picnic...I like food that is fresh and tasty. Why not combine the two with these Vietnamese inspired Turkey Rolls. We kept these in a cooler for a four hour road trip and they were still fresh and not at all soggy on arrival. 

Vietnamese turkey rolls

Ingredients 
4 crusty long white rolls 
1/4 cup reduced fat whole-egg mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
150g thinly sliced or shaved roast turkey
1/2 medium carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 Lebanese cucumber, deseeded, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

Method: 
Cut bread rolls cross ways (don't cut all the way through). Spread roll base with mayonnaise. Top with lettuce, turkey, carrot and cucumber. Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce. Top with coriander. Serve.

Note: I made these with freshly baked "bake at home" bread rolls purchased from the supermarket, I baked them about 45 minutes before assembling.
I also recommend that you pat dry the cucumber on paper towel to absorb excess moisture. If you put the turkey in the roll first and arrange the other ingredients inside the turkey slices, it stops the rolls going soggy. 

source:  http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21664/vietnamese+turkey+rolls

I hope you enjoyed Peaks and Picnic Food, see you all on Wednesday for a new Wednesday Wishes blog post. 

Friday Friends - Australian Etsy Artists - Raechel Saunders, Aboriginal Artist

Hello Maddabling blog readers, welcome to another edition of Friday Friends! Maddabling is hoping - weather dependent - to embark this weekend on a delicious walking adventure with hubby and two dear friends. If all goes well, I will share some photos of the walk in my Sunday night blog post. On the agenda is wildflower and whale spotting - hoping for sunshine and clear skies, even though it is winter! 

This week it is my great pleasure to introduce a super talented Aboriginal artist from the Biripi Nation on the Mid North Coast of NSW, meet Raechel of Raechel Saunders Aboriginal and Fantasy Art. 

I stumbled upon one of Raechel's gorgeous geckos and knew I had to explore her work some more. Here are some wonderful pieces that I just had to share with you all. Firstly, some Koori Art - this beautiful Shark painting. 

Also, meet the adorable Jeremy, a Clay Gecko from the 2013 Gecko Collection. 

And just to show you something completely different, how stunning is "Beautiful Lady and Dragon with Orchids" - an OVERSIZED Postcard Art Print in Pink and Mauve.

Dear readers, time for you to put your feet up for a short while and to enjoy The Tale of Raechel Saunders - Aboriginal Artist. See you all on Sunday evening for my weekend blog post xo

The Tale of Raechel Saunders; Aboriginal Artist 
Hello, My name is Raechel. I am an Aboriginal Artist from the Biripi Nation on the Mid North Coast of NSW. I have been selling my sculptures and paintings from our small family Gallery for the last 12 years.

Working in clay and painting canvas with acrylic paint just came naturally to me.

I have grown up in an Artistic home, my father being a well-known Aboriginal Artist in my local area Pastor Russell Saunders OAM. I often spent many hours working alongside my dad, watching and learning.

My inspiration for my artwork comes from my love for the Creator, my people, the culture, and the beautiful animals and stunning nature we are blessed with in Australia.

When I create new artworks it feels like I am carrying on the traditions and stories handed down by my father. I love that my artwork is seen by many and travels the world as gifts and keepsakes.

I prefer to work with acrylic paint when painting. It suits my fine line work and dot style. I enjoy the instant burst of colour on a canvas and quick drying time with easy clean up. 

I paint Australian animals in x-ray style art and spend hours dotting tiny dots on small canvas boards. Over the last 12 months I have enjoyed sculpting in clay again. 

Making - clay masks, witchetty grubs and gecko's. The gecko's would have to be my favourite to make. 

They come alive in my hands as I sculpt them. I adore watching their cheeky little faces evolve as I sculpt/fire then paint them with acrylic paint.

Everyday my life consists of art. Making, looking and dreaming of artwork. And I am thankful I have been given the chance to live this wonderful life.

I would like to continue to build my shop on Etsy and create new works for our family Gallery. Early next year I hope to have an Art Exhibition with my father, it’s been 8 years since the last one and I am bursting with stories to tell on canvas and in clay.

Dear readers, would you like to explore more of the Raechels lovely creations? Here is how you can connect.

Buy lovely things on Etsy here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RaechelSaunders 

Visit Raechel's website here:

http://www.raechelsaunders.com 

Become a follower on Facebook here: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raechel-Saunders-Aboriginal-Fantasy-Art/165995590235884