An Elegant Disaster

Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:13:00 +0000

This blog with now serve as my writing blog; I will post poetry, prose, writing prompts etc.

Saturday's Stitch - Seed Stitch

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Essential Skills: Casting on, knit stitch, purl stitch

As you can see from the photo above, this stitch creates a simple texture which mimics the look of various seeds; hence the name!

This photo is a section of a hot water bottle I began making for a friend; this was my first go at seed stitch.I love the texture this method creates, and although far from perfect, I think I did quite well!

'So', you ask, 'are you going to show me how to knit this stitch, or what?!'.

Cast on an even number of stitches using DK yarn in the colour of your choice with 3.75 - 4.5mm (5 - 7) needles.

Row One: (Right Side) K1, P1 - repeat until you reach the end of the row

Row Two: P1, K1 - repeat to end

To really get into the rhythm of this stitch, I suggest casting on 30 stitches and completing the above pattern 15 times to make a total of 30 rows. This way, you will have a sample square to use as a reference for a time when you're unsure of how your seed stitch should look. As an 'easily confused' kind-of-girl, I find this invaluable!

If you haven't tried this stitch before, give it a go; it's fairly simple and easy to learn so you've got nothing to lose!

What do you like about this stitch, and what do yo dislike? Do yo have any tips on creating 'seed stitch' that you can share?

Have fun!

Milkshake Energy Boost

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Sometimes (most days!) I really can’t be bothered to make a ‘proper’ breakfast; I know I have to eat something otherwise I’ll be snacking all day. My solution? Easy! I make a quick and simple milkshake…

Ingredients:

1 banana
2/3 pint of milk
1 sachet of flavoured hot chocolate powder
Approx. 5 ice cubes

Method:

Whiz up all your ingredients in a liquidiser or with a hand blender
Pour into a chilled pint glass or plastic bottle if you’re on the move
Nomnomnom!

Enjoy,

Innocent Smoothies Big Knit 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:49:00 +0000

If you've ever been to Sainsbury's during the Autumn/Winter months you may have noticed the drinks chiller full of little bottles wearing knitted hats of all shapes, sizes and colours.

People the world over knit these sweet little hats in order to raise money for Age UK. 25p from the price of each bottle wearing a hat is donated to Age UK; this money helps thousands of elderly people throughout the United Kingdom.

Quote from the Age UK website:

Age UK and innocent have teamed up again to bring you the eighth annual Big Knit, and we need your knitting skills.
For the Big Knit, Age UK and innocent ask knitters of all ages to get creative and come up with their own designs for mini-woolly hats. Once knitted and sent to us, these tiny masterpieces are placed on top of innocent smoothie bottles, which are then sold in stores across the UK.
For each hat knitted, innocent donates money to Age UK to make winter warmer for older people. With the help of thousands of individuals across the UK, we hope we can hit our target of 650,000 little woolly hats, raising £162,500 for Age UK.

To get involved in this year’s Big Knit, please follow the instructions below:
Download the knitting pattern booklets (PDF, 2MB), print on both sides of the paper, then fold into four to create a booklet.
Choose either a beginner, intermediate or advanced knitting pattern. Alternatively, you can try out your own ideas – your mini-hat could be inspired by anything from your favourite fruit or animal, to a cartoon character or even your football team!
Knit your hats

Send your hats to us along with a quick note letting us know where the hats came from by 10 October 2011 at the following address:

The Big Knit
Age UK
Tavis House
1-6 Tavistock Square
London

WC1H 9NA

This s a wonderful way to use up your stash of bits 'n' bobs you can't bring yourself to throw out but know you have no use for them! Little bits of ribbon, leftover snippets of yarn, ugly buttons (paint them!), odd beads and sequins.

If you're teaching someone to knit or are learning yourself; what better way to learn?! These hats can be as simple or elaborate as you wish, so have fun!

Pattern Links:

I've started knitting my little hats for this year's Big Knit, have you?

I will upload photos of my finished hats once I find my camera charger!

Felt and Fabric Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:33:00 +0000

I have just opened a new shop of Folksy where I will be selling my handmade jewellery, knitted items and other pretty bits and bobs.

Stitchilicious

I will begin listing products next week but here's a sneak peek at what to expect...

A selection of very cute felt and fabric rose brooches.
All my pieces are OOAK.
Hand stitched and hand cut.

What do you think? Are there any colour combinations you would like to see?
I will be adding these roses to hair clips and necklaces too.

How much would you be willing to pay for an OOAK, handmade brooch
packaged in a handmade butterfly box as pictured above.

Playlist - Melancholy

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:27:00 +0000

his week I have mainly been listening to The Cure and The Smiths. Sarcastic, anarchic, gentle music for the unconvinced.

I love to wallow in the thick lake of melancholy that Robert Smith's voice and lyrics drag me into. He makes me stare at my soul.

'There is no terror in my heart
Death is with us all
We suck him down with our first breath
And spit him out as we fall...'
- 'Us or Them', The Cure

When I was 15 I had a boyfriend, let's call him 'Mac', he had a mild obsession with Morrissey and The Smiths. I didn't really like them at the time, but I have grown to appreciate Morrissey's linguistic skills and I listen to his voice with fond memories of the two-and-a-half years Mac and I were together.

"It's so easy to laugh
It's so easy to hate
It takes guts to be gentle and kind"
— Morrissey

Here is a playlist for you to spend some time with; it will envelope you in the comforting arms of melancholy.

How would your 'Melancholy Playlist' read?

Interview with Pagyptsian

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:28:00 +0000

I have followed Olivia's blog and Youtube channel for some time now and through her many videos and posts I have deduced that she is an extremely genuine person, a dedicated Pagan and a clear, unbiased voice for beginning Pagans to listen to.

A week or so ago I emailed her asking if I could interview her for The Blessed Hollow - Blog, she kindly agreed and answered my questions.

An Interview with Pagyptsian

For those who are unaware of you, can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Olivia and I am an 18 year old student, soon to be studying to become an Egyptologist. I am an eclectic wiccan of over three years now and I love bellydancing. I have a youtube channel where I express my beliefs and try to help others along their way, as I too learn.

How do you define your spiritual path?

I would formally say that I am an eclectic Tameran Wiccan Witch. I borrow from many cultures, traditions and religions to find truth for myself, yet I favour many ways in a wiccan format. I worship the Egyptian pantheon and adore them; Much of my spiritual time is connecting to them and their mythologies. However, I also revere deities within other cultures such as Aphrodite, Selene, Gaia, Hekate and Lakshmi... I am very much in love with the Goddess and Goddess spirituality, though I do also love hte God and am trying to learn about his ways more.

Are you ‘out of the broom closet’?

Yes I am. I am lucky enough to live in an area that isn't religiously dogmatic or judgemental and so I can be open about my spirituality, at the mere risk of mocking Atheists.

Do you/have you experienced much conflict about your spiritual path from uninformed people?

I have been very fortunate in my experiences and have only faced negativity from people online, whom are dealt with, with a simple block button.

When did you become aware that you were drawn to Pagan values and aesthetics?

I was beginning to explore religion in my early teenage stresses and Christianity wasn't helping me. My mother had an unopened book about Wicca and so I decided to learn. In doing so I realised that all my young beliefs weren't actually Christian as I had expected and actually matched Paganism, such as my pantheist approach, belief in magic, and communication with the fae as a child.

How does your spiritual practice enter your domestic life?

With the little things. For fun me and my partner may make clay Goddess figures, or go herb picking and make candles. My family has started an online Pagan Shop which I help out with too, even though they aren't Pagan. In every day life, sweeping the winter leaves off the front pavement is a ritual of Imbolc cleansing; taking baths for purifcation, giving offerings of left over food... I try to make spirituality my life. When I leave college and study Egyptology it literally will be - learning the ancient langauge for fun, education, my career and my religious rituals!

If you plan to have children, will you raise them Pagan or let them find their own path?

I cannot wait to have children one day! I will teach them about all religions out there, with equal enthusiasm. They will be free to choose, but with my imparted wisdom they may not even have to, because they may find that all ways are valid and they can experience God eclectically. I will let them join in when I set up decorations for the sabbats, or charge my crystals at a full moon. I will give them crystals and do responsible spells with them, so it may be that they decide to copy me, but it will always be their choice and I'd love any path they chose. I love religion.

How do you feel the media affects the way the general population views Paganism in a positive or negative way?

I think the way that they portray pagan themes is so inaccurate that people don't even realise it's Pagan. And often people just don't even know about it at all. For example, when films like Thor come out, people think it is just ancient mythology, rather than a God that people today actively believe in and worship. I enjoy films like The Craft, even if they allude to witches being crazy. Of course I would like more accurate portrayals, but then, 'normal' pagans just wouldn't be interesting for the media would they? Nevertheless, that is why I want to get involved more with the media as time goes by. Awareness is slowly rising.

When you started your Youtube channel and blog, what did you hope to achieve?

I think I just wanted a way to express what I believed in. To begin with I did not care if anyone saw my videos, I just wanted to make them to portray my beliefs. I enjoyed it personally. I also wanted to speak to others who believed in what I did. With my blog it was the same and still is; I don't mind who reads it, or if anyone does, I just love writing in it for my own understanding!

Do you feel you have achieved or are on your way to achieving what you set out to do?

Yes I do. I feel very happy that over 3000 people watch my videos and that I have received so many wonderful comments, with brilliant lessons for me to learn from (viewers have taught me so so much!) and people replying that I have helped them too. I have spoken to so many wonderful people also and feel as if I am more involved in a community of like minded people. I did not expect to get addicted to Youtube though...

How do you feel you have grown in the Craft since you began blogging and vlogging?

Amazingly! Youtube is a miracle for new modern day pagans, as there is a wealth of information on there and videos to see how people do things. I have learnt so much! And when people ask me questions about the craft as they learn, I learn myself by answering them. With my blog I can truly express my ideas and beliefs quickly without umming and arring and so it has become almost like an online book of shadows where I can look back and reflect on how I have changed.

Are there any words of wisdom you wish to share?

Always follow what your heart tells you, as within your heart lies the Goddess Ma'at, and she is leading you on your path.

Thank you so much for answering my questions so fully.

I wish you every fragment of luck in your studies and life.

Features Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:38:00 +0000

Here are some treasuries I have made this week!

Tastilicious Tuesday: Coconut and Lime Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 06:00:00 +0000

These are so delicious!

Coconut & Lime Cupcakes

Makes 8

Ingredients:

125g self raising flour

50g soft unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

90ml coconut milk

½ tsp lime juice

3 tbsp desiccated coconut

Butter Cream Frosting:

250g icing sugar

62g cream cheese

62g soft unsalted butter

1 tsp lime juice

2 tbsp finely grated lime zest

Decoration:

Finely grated lime zest

Desiccated coconut

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c and line the muffin tins with paper cases.
Combine the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating well, and when you have a soft, pale mixture, then beat in the vanilla extract.
Still beating, add a spoonful of the dry ingredients, then one egg, then beat in the rest of the dry ingredients.
Finally, beat in the buttermilk, lime juice and desiccated coconut then divide between the paper cases.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until when you poke a cocktail stick into a cake it comes out clean.
Leave to cool on a wire rack and do not ice until absolutely cold.

Method for the Frosting:

Beat together the softened butter and cream cheese, until well combined.
Cream the icing sugar and butter mixture until smooth
Stir in the lime juice and zest.
Taste to check if the frosting is ‘limey’ enough for your liking; add more zest if needed.
Frost your cooled cupcakes.
Decorate by scattering the lime zest and desiccated coconut over the frosted cupcakes.

Yum!

Wonderful Treasuries Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:02:00 +0000

Every Wednesday I will be posting up to 5 beautiful treasuries from some of the talented people at Etsy.com, and one treasury that I have made.

How To: Make Rose Oatmeal Face Mask

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Tue, 24 May 2011 18:18:00 +0000

Use this mask once a week for softer, smoother skin.

Ingredients:
5 tbsp oats or oatmeal
5 drops geranium oil
1 tbsp ground almonds
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Enough rosewater to make a thick paste

Method:
1. If you don't have oatmeal, grind the oats in a pestle and mortar or food processor
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a clean bowl
3. Add in the geranium oil and stir together
4. Add in a teaspoon of rosewater at a time, mixing in between, until the mixture is spreadable but quite thick

Usage:
Wash your face with clean, warm water
Pat dry
Spread the mask over your face
Leave for 10-20 minutes
Wash off
Pat dry and moisturise as usual

Tip:

I get my rose water for 50p a bottle at Win Yip.

Pretty Pink Lip Plumping Balm

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:31:00 +0000

You can either make your own pot of pink-tinted lip balm or get yourself a little pot of Vaseline's 'Rosy Lips' for this recipe.
I use 'Rosy Lips' as it already contains everything you'd get from a home-crafted balm; including, rose oil and almond oil.

Other than your ready-made or home made lip balm, you will need:

Cinnamon Leaf essential oil
Dark brown soft sugar
Honey

If using the Vaseline, scoop the balm out of its tin into a clean container
Add 4-6 drops of cinnamon leaf oil and stir with a clean spoon
Add in a pinch or two of the sugar and stir
Now add in about 1/4 of a teaspoon of honey and stir again
Scoop the mixture back into the pot and clean off any excess

Once you put it on your lips, the balm will tingle and sting a little depending on how much cinnamon leaf oil you used. It tastes yummy!

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurabelle) — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Hi there and welcome to The Crafty Pagan.

This is the blog for The Blessed Hollow.

We are a small web-based company who sell through Etsy. When I say 'we', I mean 'me'. I am the sole staff member and my name is Laura. I hope we can get to know each other through the wonderful medium of the internet. Please feel free to ask me any questions or to request custom made items. I will reply to all comments and messages.

I will be blogging on all things pagan and craft related. In this blog you will find tutorials, information sheets, lists, contests, polls and many other things I have yet to decide on!

Thank you for reading!

Laura x