Red is the colour

Decided that for Valentines Day red would be a much better colour of rose. Well red is your traditional Valentines Day colour and red roses well you couldn't get more classical. I also made the rose slightly larger and more blousey more of a damask rose. 

 

Getting ready for Valentines Day

I have been looking at suitable makes for Valentines Day and trying some ideas out. Today I made a knitted rose, the colours not quite right (it was some scraps of wool I had) but it was good for a first try. The next ones I make will be red, a real Valentines Day colour, or maybe pink, we'll see.  

Snow

Well in theory Snow is beautiful stuff and I love it. I makes everything look like a fairytale all sparkly, white and clean. The muddy paths, dirty piles of weathered leaves the litter, and the greyness of this time of the year is covered and everything looks new. Well that's  the theory, sadly the reality sinks in pretty fast. You realise the paths and roads are slippery and that lovely fresh whiteness only lasts until the feet and car tracks plough through it, the leaves litter and mud haven't gone away just temporarily covered and will reappear once the snow melts and they'll be even more unsightly and finally in this country transport grinds to a halt. 

However, its the weekend so I going with the beautiful for now, might change if its still here come Monday morning ha ha ha.

  

Resolutions? Not this time.

Well every year I like so many others make New Years Resolutions and really most we never keep beyond the first weeks of January so whats the point? So this year I decided no more resolutions. Sadly though that's sort of a resolution, but at least its already broken ha ha ha.

Happy New Year Everyone 

Christmas

Tree and decorations up, present wrapped, shopping completed, oven repaired I think we are ready for Christmas now.

Even 'Wastey' got involved, here he is with Rudolph

Christmas Is Coming

I am sadly so far behind this year in my prep for Christmas despite having had all my cards done in a flurry back last January. I know that's a bit early but I had bought stuff in the sales etc and just got down to then and there. That however should have been a warning as that's all I managed to get sorted and now its December the 8th and I have still got so much to sort out.  I had plans to make various items none of which I have done. for example a table cloth, place mats, a stocking, pressie bags, etc etc. Last year by this time Id made bunting some present sacks, decorated my cakes and wrapped all the presents. Well never mind it'll all wait until next year, ha ha ha.

I did manage to get these two items done though. 

The patchwork heart is lightly cinnamon scented very Christmasy. It was fairly easy to make and used up lots of small bits of Christmas material too small to be used for other projects. I got this idea from my good friend Stella who is a patchwork demon.

The stocking is a trial run for a cutlery holder for the Christmas dining table. Its a bit too long so the next batch I make will be a bit shorter and the decoration might change too not sure I like the two tone holly. I shall be making these for next Christmas 

I hope you like them.    

Cooking up a Storm

Last Thursday evening my friend Stella and I went off to Cinnamon Square in Rickmansworth http://www.cinnamonsquare.com/ to take part in a patisserie course. We had a great time, made some fabulous tarts, and I for one learnt a lot. I'm now looking to take some other courses perhaps cake decorating or bread making we'll have to see. Here below are some of the items I made this time.

 I don't think I will ever get to be a candidate for The Great British Bake Off but I was please with the end results having learnt how to make sweet pastry, a chocolate ganache, and creme patisserie. They tasted great too, which is always a big bonus.