Last Post of 2011

I'm off to Krabi for Christmas then heading to Borneo afterwards to see some orangutans. I can't wait! I will be back in late January with a new website and blog. In the meantime, you can still follow me on my Facebook page. Don't forget to 'like' me.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with colour, joy and optimism. Thanks for your support and encouragement. Cxx

© naturepl.com / Edwin Giesbers / WWF

Peranakan Plates

I think you've guessed by now, I have a weakness for ceramics and textiles. Passing through Changi Airport, I saw these Peranakan Plates on a bar wall. Isn't the colour extraordinary?

The Peranakans were an affluent community in the Straits colonies in Singapore, Penang and Malaysia. They were descendants from China and India who married the local Malay women. Renowned for their lavish family feasts, they commissioned this colourful, enamelled porcelain from Jingdezhen, China which bears auspicious and decorative motifs.

Sneak Peek

You may remember I showed you one of my new designs Tree of Life over a few months ago. Well, when I was in Melbourne I got to see some of the initial samples.

This will be released next August at the Melbourne Gift Fair

Market Stall

Mum and I had a market stall to sell some of my samples on a cold Sunday morning. It was quite a good indication of where retail is at, I think. People are really watching their $$$ even for mugs (with beautifully packaged boxes) that were only $5.00.

Carriageworks

One of the things I really miss about living here in Thailand is the fresh Australian produce that's readily available like really good, creamy yoghurt (you know the ones with fruit on the bottom), artisanal breads, boutique cheeses......the variety is amazing. We went to Carriageworks where they have a market every weekend.

All the providores lined up showing their produce

Love Beetroot, especially freshly roasted ones served in a green salad
with goats cheese, toasted pine nuts and a light dressing.

This doggie wasn't for sale

Peony Roses are my favourites!

How gorgeous are these tomatoes?

NAP Festival

The 12th Annual Art & Design Festival was on again at Nimmanhaemin (which is the trendiest shopping precinct in Chiang Mai). Showcasing the very best artisans, designers and craftspeople, this 5 day festival is a treat for those who love cute, handmade things.

How gorgeous is this embroidered owl?

Thai do 'cutesy' really well.

Always food everywhere!

Browsing to your heart's content

Stunning ceramics with beautiful glazes.

The quality of the stands was amazing

First Painting

When I was in Sydney a couple of weeks ago, I went to my best friend's house and completely forgot that I had painted this for him many eons ago. I think this was the very first painting I did after school and since working professionally.

Design Sponge Xmas Gift Guides

Guess who's in the 2011 Food and Entertaining Gift Guide at Design Sponge?

Desk Snapshot

It feels great being back in my studio and at the desk. Am working on a new ceramics range of hand made stoneware with a company right here in Chiang Mai. Part of the joy of this job is riding my scooter out of town through the umbrella making & handicraft studios. I'll post some pics soon of this.

I'm transferring my design directly onto the plaster mold.

Blurb Special Offer

If you're thinking about ordering one of my special 2012 diaries, now is the time to order, to ensure delivery before Christmas. Blurb have just realised a pre Christmas Special 25% discount off 2 or more books.

Wayne Thiebaud

Here's a great video about cake artist Wayne Thiebaud. I hope I am still painting at 81.

New 2012 Diary

I'm really excited to debut my first  2012 Pocket Diary with Blurb. Filled with images from my studio and paintings, this 'week to a page' planner also contains extra pages for notes, names, places to shop & eat and sketching.

Blurb have a special offer for all new orders before November 30. Simply enter the promotional code COCOA upon checkout to receive your 20% discount. Price doesn't include shipping.

You can preview my design and order your diary directly from here.

The diary is 13cm X 20cm and printed in full colour.

All 120 pages have been printed on 90gsm white, uncoated paper.

You'll also find inspiring quotes inside on life and love.

Homeward Bound!

Heading home for Australia for a 2 week visit; my first time since we left last August on our great adventure. We'll spend a week in Sydney with friends and a week in Melbourne with my family. I can't wait to catch up with everyone, especially my nieces and nephew.

The only thing I'm a bit concerned about is my driving now. Now that I've become accustomed to the local crazy Thai driving style, I have to remember that I am not allowed to go down one way streets the wrong way or go through red traffic lights or change lanes without indicating.

Is there such a thing as having too much colour in the kitchen?

One of my favourite shops in CM is The House

Photo from The House

Handmade Silk Scarves

I am really excited to be introducing the work of legendary American textile artist Carol Cassidy into my online boutique. I first met Carol last year on my first trip to Vientiane, Laos where I visited her Lao Textiles Workshop. 

All these striped scarves are 100% silk and have been handwoven at the Weaves of Cambodia Studio in Tbeng Meanchey, Preah Vihear Province, in rural Cambodia. The Studio (set up as an NGO in 1997) now employs 35 skilled artisans, most of whom are women and landmine survivors. Carol also had to design modified looms as the weavers wear special prosthetics.

These scarves are beautifully made in the softest silk.

These scarves can be used by both men and women.

I love the range of colours and elegant stripe design

  

Under a starry, starry night

Apologies for the lack of blog posts this week as the Loi Krathong Festival was on in Chiang Mai (and we got caught up in all the action). The Thais certainly know how to celebrate and this festival was truly magical with hundreds of 'loy' (lanterns) lighting up the night sky and the floating 'kratongs' in the river. I'll let the pictures do the talking......

http://www.chiangmai.bangkok.com

Lighting the lanterns. The act of letting go symbolises
releasing all your bad karma, bad luck....

We had dinner at the Chedi Hotel - they put on a wonderful show.
Delicious Thai food Buffet, Thai dancing & music, even fireworks!!

Hanging lanterns and my kratong just before releasing it.

CM was a beautiful sight every evening with
coloured lanterns and pageantry.

The annual parade was full of glitz and glamour!

Desk Snapshot

It's Christmas here already in Chiang Mai! Over the next few weeks (before we leave for Australia), I am madly trying to finish my version of 'The 12 Days of Christmas'. You can head over to my Facebook Page to see the first day (and also easiest to paint) completed.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around 8 Maids-a-milking LOL.

Sketches for the 12 days.

Detail of Pear from the First Day

Divine Desserts!

I have so enjoyed not cooking for the past 8 months but if there's one thing that is going to get me back into the kitchen (with an oven LOL!), it's a recipe like this Poire Belle Héllène by Phillipa Sibley. Phillipa is a renowned pastry & dessert chef in Melbourne and she has a new cookbook coming out next month. Judging by the cover, it looks like a good one. 

http://www.smh.com.au

Ingredients

• Serves 6

• Poached pears
• 6 perfectly ripe pears (William, Packham or Bartlett)
• 625 g caster sugar
• 1.5 litres water
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• Chocolate sauce
• 240 g best-quality dark couverture chocolate
• 155 ml milk
• 50 ml thickened cream (35% milk fat)
• 30 g honey
• 50 g butter, cubed
• Chocolate biscuit
• 115 g best-quality dark couverture chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 50 g butter, cubed
• 40 g almond meal
• 40 g rice flour
• 80 g eggwhite
• 80 g caster sugar
• 40 g egg yolk (about 2)
• To serve
• Vanilla ice-cream, recently churned

My version of Escoffier's classic seems to be missing something at first? Where’s the chocolate sauce? On the plate, it appears very simple, but crack the warm chocolate biscuit and honey-scented chocolate sauce fl ows out. Then dig into the pear and you'll discover it’s filled with vanilla-flecked ice-cream. I love surprising people.

Method

For the poached pears

Prepare the pears and poach them using the quantity of sugar and water given on the left. Add the vanilla bean and seeds to the pan when the sugar has dissolved. Allow the pears to cool in the syrup, then refrigerate until chilled.

For the chocolate sauce

Finely chop or grate the chocolate and put in a bowl. Bring the milk and cream to the boil with the honey. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until smooth and shiny. Add the butter, bit by bit, stirring until combined. Refrigerate the chocolate sauce until firmly set. Now put the chocolate sauce into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm plain-nozzle. Line a small tray with baking paper. Pipe the chocolate sauce into lines about 10 cm long. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until hard enough to cut into 5 cm lengths. Return to the freezer until needed.

For the chocolate biscuit

Cut six strips of baking paper measuring 7 cm x 5 cm. Spray the inside of six 4.5 cm diameter dessert rings with cooking oil spray and line each with a strip of paper so that the paper forms a collar above the ring. Spray again and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Finely chop or grate the chocolate and melt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Let more than half of the chocolate melt before you give it a stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. When the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir to combine and keep warm.

Sift together the almond meal and rice flour.

Whisk the eggwhite until holding soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and whisk until shiny and holding firm peaks.

Place the egg yolk in a large bowl. Add one-quarter of the eggwhite mixture to the egg yolk and whisk to combine. Add this mixture to the chocolate mixture along with the dry ingredients. Thoroughly fold through, then fold in the remaining eggwhite mixture.

Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm-plain nozzle. Pipe the mixture two-thirds of the way up the prepared rings.

Remove the 5 cm lengths of chocolate sauce from the freezer and insert one into each chocolate cylinder, taking care not to touch the base. Pipe in more mixture to fill each cylinder. Freeze for at least 3 hours.

Remove the cylinders from the freezer 1 hour before serving, but keep in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (Gas 4). Place the cylinders in the middle of the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave for a couple of minutes before unmoulding.

To serve

Drain the pears on paper towel and discard the poaching syrup.

Gently slip a palette knife underneath each chocolate biscuit and lift off the rings. Remove the paper collar and place each biscuit on a serving plate.

To finish, fill a large piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle with the ice-cream and pipe the ice-cream into the cavity of each pear. Place next to the biscuits and serve immediately.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/desserts/recipe/philippa-sibleys-poire-bellehllne-20111031-1mrh6.html#ixzz1cRGXssaS

The Joy of Giving Back!

As you know, I launched a range of limited edition eye pillows last year to promote the concept of double happiness. 'To look after yourself whilst helping someone else less fortunate at the same time'. Every eye pillow purchased from my online boutique donated $25 to the Fred Hollows Foundation (TFHF ) which is what it costs for them to restore someone's eyesight. Unfortunately, the eye pillows were not as successful as I had thought. The cost of manfacturing in Australia and the pricepoint of $89.95 made it too expensive.

In order to clean our stock of these beautiful eye pillows, we have now reduced the price down to $29.95 and for each eye pillow sold we will donate $12.50 to TFHF. We have 112 eye pillows left and I am asking your help to make a life changing difference to another 56 more people. 

There are 4 designs: Renewal, Longevity, Tranquility and Happiness. 

PS. Don't forget we're also donating 25% of all profits to the Thai Red Cross for DIsaster Relief Fund until the end of November.

Desk Snapshot

A sneak peek at my new card design..

My Current Project

I am currently working on a new ceramics range at the moment with a local ceramics studio here in Chiang Mai.....it's so exciting!! It will be the first time that I will be involved in the actual development of the shapes and sampling for each product.

Looking at different sizes, shapes and finishes to work from.

Please lend a helping hand!

The recent floods we had here in Chiang Mai a few weeks ago are now hitting Bangkok. It's given me time to reflect on how lucky I am and how we definitely do take alot of basic things for granted that many people do not have such as access to affordable medicine, dental care, and clean water. Although the flooding has now gone from Chiang Mai, the tourists have not returned. This has a huge impact on the local community. I also had friends here whose houses were flooded.

25% of all profits from sales made in my online boutique until the end of November will be donated to the Thai Red Cross for Disaster Relief Fund. Virtually most of the local people here have no insurance so have lost everything in the floods. It has been a very tough time for Thailand.

Even if you don't want to buy anything from me, please donate to the Thai Red Cross for Disaster Relief Fund.

Wallpaper Inspiration

When I was in Seoul last week, I found some lovely antique rice paper drawings which will provide inspiration for one of my upcoming projects next year. I am planning to design a range of beautiful, hand painted wallpapers. I've been meaning to do this for the past few years now but have decided that 2012 is going to be it. Please keep asking me about this as I don't want it to fall by the wayside LOL....

Hand Painted Rice Paper Panel - over 100 years old

One section of a rice paper screen featuring the same flower.

Flushed

I bet Captain Kirk didn't have one of these on the Enterprise.
The only thing it didn't have was a TV!

Outdoor Bliss

An afternoon tea stop at Zoo Cafe in Sam-Cheong which had a fantastic rooftop garden

It's amazing what a bit of greenery can do to transform an outdoor area

There's nothing better than sitting down with a good coffee and reading a good interiors magazine!