Noticeboard

The other day I was at my friend Stella's house and she showed my a notice board she had made using fabric and wadding stretched over a picture canvas and secured with staples. You then added ribbons in a crisscross pattern and buttons.  I was intrigued and thought I'd give it a try. Here is my first attempt and even though its not quite perfect I'm pleased with it. 

I used elastic instead of ribbon, the sort used in lingerie. I thought this was more forgiving than ribbon, as it gives a little bit of stretch enabling bits to be slotted in with ease. Next time I intend to measure and mark my positioning of the elastic strips more carefully as they tended to move as you were securing and so some of the diamonds got a little distorted.  Its still functional and pretty. 

Thailand Break

My parents went off in February this year to visit my brother and family in Thailand. They had a great time enjoying themselves immensely. they took loads of photos some good some not so good. Here is one of they better shots which I got a copy of to make up a scrapbook page. 

I used and idea from the Creativity magazine and modifies it for my own use. I'm rather pleased with the end result. 

I used some of the Papermainia 'All Aboard Collection' as I felt it was the most appropriate.   

Crafting Time at Last

At last some scrapping has been completed, well it was do crafting or ironing and I do so hate ironing. These are some more pages for my daughter's 'This is Your Life' book. 

I hadn't realised just how many photos I had of my kids growing up but doing this book for Bryony has made me realise I have loads, and happily I have recorded so many of the happy times of their childhood. Of course now both are adults getting photos is much harder as age seems to increase the instances of camera shyness but at least I have managed to capture their childhood. 

Here are a few of my most recent pages

I hope you like them. I still got several more pages to do plus I have her graduation photos and my trip to Vienna to record so I think come the Autumn I'm going to be very busy. Come to think of it when am I not busy ha! ha! ha!   

Times they are a Changing

Tomorrow my first little chick leaves home for a place of her own (well a flat share with friends) in London. I had always thought after University she'd come home for a bit whilst trying to find her first job, but no, shes branching out on her own. 

My son is also off shortly too, so suddenly we'll have a big empty nest. I am sure they'll constantly be coming home for this and that but its not the same. Don't get me wrong I am proud of both kids (sorry young adults) but it will be very weird and I think very quiet, maybe I'll take up the drums ha! ha! ha! ha! 

Pecan Pie

My hubby decided rather than a birthday cake, for his birthday today, he'd rather have a Pecan Pie so despite the heat (yes summer has appeared) I cooked him his pie and very yummy it looks. Lets hope it tastes as good and he likes it.

  
If you want to give it a try here's the recipe

Ingredients 

1 Block Sweet Shortcrust pastry ( you can of course make your own but why have a dog and bark yourself I say)

300 g Pecans
150 ml Maple Syrup
60 g Butter
175 g Soft brown Sugar
3 Eggs
Few Drops Vanilla Extract

Method 

Pre heat oven to 180 C 350F or Gas Mark 4

Roll out pastry and line a 9"/22 cm loose based flan case. Then cook blind for about 20 mins make sure base is not soggy but do not over cook.

Put maple syrup butter vanilla extract and sugar in saucepan and heat gradually until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. 

Add pecans (saving a few for the top) and when mixture cool add in beaten eggs.

Place pecan maple syrup mix in pastry case. And then add the remain pecans to the top of the pie I like to do this so the pie top looks neat but its not necessary.

Bake in oven for 40 to 50 mins. I normally put a piece of tin foil lightly over the top after about 15 -20 mins to stop the top scorching. 

Allow to cool before serving or eat fresh from oven which ever you prefer.

Enjoy... 

Kindle Case

My daughter just inherited her Dads old Kindle and as she hated his old black and boring case she asked if I could make her a softer slightly less masculine case. Well we went off to find fabric and I then came up with this..............

Its all quilted and lined very pretty well that's what I think

Take a look

Take a look at this new blog has some interesting art work  http://darksagarises.blogspot.co.uk/