Summer in a Bowl

Ireland is currently experiencing some of the highest temperatures ever recorded. This week shall live in legend! 

Myself and my Mother went for a run about the cliffs of Clogherhead (my Mam's home village). We wore dresses and shoes! That's all! No fleeces, no sweaters, no jeans for us. No, Siree! Glorious...

Sea-thrift over Clogherhead, Ireland

 

View out over the head at Clogherhead, Ireland

However, if aliens were to land here now, they would, understandably, conclude that Humans are a lobster coloured species whose skin peels, enthusiastically, off at the rate of 1 new full body layer per week.

In response to the heat I have created a crafting domain (or nest, if I'm truthful ) just a few steps outside the back garden so that I can retreat swiftly to the kitchen when I start to burn.

On such sojourns to the kitchen I like to prepare my favorite little fruit salad, perfect for the soaring temperatures.

Here are the ingredients for a little Summer in a Bowl Salad

 

• chopped peaches (or blueberries or banana or apple.. you get the picture, follow your heart)
• chopped strawberries
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 pot of 0% fat coconut Greek yogurt (or flavor of your choosing)
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp milled linseed

1. Combine fruit and yogurt in a bowl

2. Take scissors, ball up your basil leaves and snip them to bits over your bowl. Just snip them   right up.

3. Scatter the almonds over.

4. Toss honey and linseed into the party.

 

 

WOLLLAAA

Basil and strawberries should get married. 

Mostly so that I can eat their progeny.

 

Necessity is the Mother, Spray paint is the Pop

I don't know how many of you guys read Centsational Girl but if you do then you probably share my wonder at her ability to effect complete transformations using spray paint and little else.
Recently I had to come up with a cheap, fun but still presentable way to make prizes for a sports tournament at work. My original idea was to make medals from fimo, stamp them with the organisations name, the year and the event and then cover them in gold leaf (which I already had). Alas, post varnishing the prototype experienced some sort of weird oxidation effect and it looked like a doubloon which had been submerged for a few hundred years( I'll add a photo purely for comic effect once I find the little blighter).
Then it hit me (or spritzed me) SPRAY PAINT. I wasn't sure if the hardware shops here would be up to the challenge but shame on me, not only did they have spray paint - they had Rustoleum -Centsational Girl's brand of choice.
I picked the super shiny gold and rest is paint splattered history. Even my tiny flower pot got a coat!


I've come across a few other ideas for the remainder of that can of gold. Oh dear, I'm feeling a Midas moment coming on. Click the pics for the link to these other wonderful blogs.



Goldfinger...you've got competition.

Run around Sally.

Is it just me or does the new year exercise craze really seem to be sticking this year? The paths of Dublin will be pounded to a fine powder if we keep this up!
My fella ( to use the colloquialism ) is a "runner for life" with 2 marathons under his belt at only 27. He asked me to read this book as even though it's quite new it has becoming a bit of a runner's bible.
Now even the Etsy Storque blog is getting on the endorphin inducement. Check out the this post on the Zen of Running: http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/noted-the-zen-of-running-12278/

Shop Update!

Been a busy little bee lately updating my shop. Hoping to stimulate a bit more traffic on my Etsy so we'll see how it goes.
Here are a few of the items I've been posting recently





Still got loads to come too. Whew! I'll have this photo editing thing down to a fine art in no time.

Monday, Monday

Need something to perk you up, make you laugh? I know I usually do on a dreary old Monday.
If you've never read the Cake Wrecks blog you are missing out on real belly laughs and some truly stomach turning confections.
All the featured cakes are professionally made, actually on sale! I mean, take a look at this little girls birthday cake. Terrifying!

The writers are also hilarious. You won't be disappointed:
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Charlotte Holmes

This little number is a piece I recently completed. It had been sitting in my UFO pile (that's "unfinished objects" to all you non-procrastinators out there) for so long that tackling was really a cathartic act cause I was just so sick of looking at it! By the way, does anyone else have more clothes in their refashioning piles than in the wardrobe or do I just have a problem?

And were back. So this cape began it's existence as a hideous, humongous suit jacket that fastened with a suede ribbon thingy. The only extra supplies I used in the refashion were bias binding and a vintage button.
My process was far from exemplary (even if you ignore the 2 year gap) and it's not photogenic inside but it's still effective and of course, unique!
A brief outline of this method would be as follows:

1. Try on jacket and mark with chalk the length you would like the arms to be.
2. With the jacket layed out measure a straight line from your chalk marks to the centre point and then come down about three inches and mark with chalk. Draw a smooth curve connecting your marks. Check you like the length then mark the back similarly.
   
3. Pin lining to facing and cut your shape out.
4. Unpick collar and sleeves.
5. Pin the shoulders of your sleeves to the body and see what needs to be kept, add an inch or two for seam and then cut the excess from the sleeve.
6. Re-attach sleeve.
7. Bias bind bottom of your cape and up the open centre and collar if you like.
8. My collar was made from the suede ribbon which came with the jacket I simply sewed it over the raw edge left from the unpicked collar.
9. Make a fastener from a button, ribbon or even a cardigan clip (which I hope to have a tute up for very soon)

Do excuse the death stare. No future as a model I fear.

Now if you are looking for a cape How-To that's a little less rough then follow the link below and learn from the ever-resourceful Meg of Enderby Designs.
http://www.threadbanger.com/episode/THR_20081205

Wooly Escapades

The colder days are blowing in complete with nipped noses and ears. While I haven't come up with anything in the way of an attractive nose cosy I have got the ears covered (no pun intended).

Inspired by the basic concept of this lovely creation,
I decided to crochet a version and whittle down some of my stash of random single balls of wool.
It's not as soft looking as the knitted version, an aspect of crochet I often lament, but it works up faster and I think I might love shell stitch. This project is so easy, honestly, a great starting point for someone just starting crochet who wants to try a more decorative stitch.
The wool I used was 50g of Jaeger Siena 4 Ply and the hook was 3.5mm

So on to the pattern my lovelies.
Chain 32,
Row 1. Single crochet into 2nd chain from hook, skip 2, {double crochet 5 times into the next stitch, skip 2, single crochet into next stitch, skip 2} repeat x4. For the next shell just double crochet into the stitch three times. Each row should have 4 and a half shell patterns.
Row 2. Chain one, turn, {single crochet into next stitch, skip 2, double crochet 5 times into the next stitch, skip 2} repeat x4. On the last shell double crochet into the stitch three times.
Row 3. Repeat Row 2
Row 4. Repeat Row 2 ... and so on
Continue like this until you have a strip of about 61cm (24 inches).

When complete twist in the centre. You can sew together or crochet the ends together. I crocheted and this is what the seam looks like:
I'm currently working on a slimmer one in purple which I may put up for a giveaway if you are really good! As always if you have any question just holla!