polka dot and persian

Day 24(ish) - Secret Fabric Something Reveal!

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Well, now Christmas is over I feel I might be all crafted out.... I may or may not fulfil the task set. But no biggie.

Here is the reveal of the secret fabric something I made for someone's Christmas.

I like it a lot and I think she did too...

Day 23 - Origami Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:59:00 +0000

For the Christmas table.

From a great video here.

Day 22 - Pomaders (redux)

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Spicy dust brushed off and ribbons tied.

These have new homes to go to which I am a little upset about as for 3 weeks they have made my flat smell AMAZING.

Day 21 - Making Merry

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:54:00 +0000

It was my birthday today. I didn't make anything. I just ate a lot of good food, drank a lot of nice booze and spent time with a lot of lovely people.

See, here I am being tipsy.

Day 20 - Birthday Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:39:00 +0000

Over the top oozy, chocolatey, sugary cake for Richie's birthday.

Day 19 - Birthday Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Ho hum... this is getting dull isn't it?

Day 18 - Craft Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:35:00 +0000

Whoops. I totally failed to make anything today.

Would you like to see a photo of the cat also being lazy?

Sometimes the lure of the intertubes is too much....

Day 17 - Peppermint Creams

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:31:00 +0000

Who would think that peppermint essence was so hard to come by?! I 'popped' out to get it and came back over an hour later after trawling round every grocer and supermarket in the vicinity.

But I found it.

By the way, melted chocolate gets reeeeeally hot. Be careful kids.

Day 16 - Mulled Cider

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:25:00 +0000

I didn't make much today. Lazy I know.

I did make dinner and mulled cider though. Does that count?

Here's a photo of the cider. It looks nasty in the pan - or shows off my lack of photography skills. It was very tasty though.

Star Anise is amazing.

Day 15 - Fabric Secret Something

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:19:00 +0000

More secrets...

I can't show the finished article, but here's an extreme close up of the fabric...

It's Marimekko - found in a charity shop! Really, who gives that away?

Day 14 - More Framing

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

I framed some pictures. However, again, this was a Christmas present so I can't show a picture. I am beginning to see the flaw in doing this '1 thing a day' in the run up to Christmas.

I did also make mac & cheese today. It's not a very photogenic dish though...

Day 13 - Crimbo Surpise

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:12:00 +0000

I made something but I can't show you it. It's someone's Christmas present and you never know who's lurking around the intertubes snooping for their crimbo gifts...

But here's a nice photo of the Forth Rail Bridge that I took a while ago...

Day 12 - Cards. Still.

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Phew. Done. 40 of them.

Dunno if I even know 40 people to give them to...

Day 11 - Wreath & Saffron Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Me and Emily had a day of baking and making. It was like a really sweary version of Kirstie Allsopp. Swedish saffron bread! FYI, if you ever forget to add the egg to a dough it is TOTALLY possible to knead it in later. Yep.

Saffron...

Dough...

Dough tucked up to rise...

Swirls before rising...

And after rising - wow...

In the oven and ta-dah!...

And the wreaths...

Em did a prickly green one and I made mine out of an old duvet cover.

Eat your heart out Kirstie.

Days 9 & 10 - Christmas Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:15:00 +0000

It's like a Clintons sweatshop in here....

Makin' cards, drinkin' wine, watchin' Scrooged.

Day 8 - Picture Framing

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Photo I took of Whaligoe Steps in Caithness for Richie's mum.

Here's the photo...

And here are my framing skillz...

Day 7 - Bread Rolls & Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:33:00 +0000

Perfect bread rolls!

Nom nom nom.

I also made wheatbran muffins, the breakfasty kind. They weren't very photogenic but there was a ton of treacle in them and I have a photo of that. Treacle's crazy stuff.

Day 6 - Snowflakes

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:45:00 +0000

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas?

Think I need new fancy pants scissors... I have sore fingers from doing these.

Day 5 - Knitting

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:37:00 +0000

I have had this lovely wool in my basket for ages. It's 100% alpaca and I was scared of using it as it's so nice. But that's silly. So I am making a cuddly, stripy something.

I was going to watch more Misfits while I knitted, but 4OD for the PS3 wasn't complying. Boo.

Day 4 - Hot Water Bottle Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Woolly jumpers for my hot water bottles. They look a little wiggly in the photo... much better in the flesh.

And yes I do need 2 hot water bottles.

TV while I worked - Black Mirror. Charlie Brooker is sick man. Good though.

Day 3 - Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Yes, I know, it looks more like a brownie... it's one of those eggless cakes. Hey, it's tasty.

I didn't listen to any music while I made this. Just the sweet dulcet tones of Jon Sopel on BBC news....

Day 2 - Mittens

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:49:00 +0000

A really cute mitten kit I got last Christmas. I guess I could knit mittens myself, but it's got reeeeally cold so I needed to get these into action.

Cut out the mitten shape and blanket stitch together. Easy peasy.

TV while I worked.... Misfits. Series 2.

Day 1 - Pomanders

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:42:00 +0000

Oranges, cloves, ribbon and a ton of ground spices....

And I only squirted myself in the eye with orange juice twice.

I've rolled them in the mixture of ground cloves, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and packed them up in paper for a few weeks. Then I can add the ribbon....

Music while I worked... Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years, Hearts & Bones and Graceland. Eeep, that's a lotta Paul Simon.

31 Days of Christmas....

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:35:00 +0000

31 days. Make one thing every day. Annoy people with them. Smashing.

Starting tomorrow (obviously). Maybe a day off for Christmas day?

Statue

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:10:00 +0000

I took my new camera for a walk.