Tuesday 30 November 2010

Blogg Award - Normal blogging is resumed



Hi I hope this works this time. Thanks to Rachel 5 hours of patience, 2 restarts and a full CP clean and a full AVG scan. Never mind it is done now. What I was trying to say is I have received a blog award by the lovely Rachel. I have never been given an reward before so felt so honoured. The object is to:

1. Link back to the kind person who gave you the award - check

2. Share 8 things - check (see below)

3. Give the award to 8 bloggers - check (see below)

4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards - just about to do this!

Now to chose 8 bloggers this is the hard bit as I have met so many lovely peeps lately so here goes.

Debs
Clair
Deb
Anne
Gez
Denise
Linda
S
Helen

Blogg Award


Sorry all details to follow so anyone, I sent this to I apologise now, but my computer is not playing tonight but here is the picture of the award. Normal service will be resumed shortly x

Sarah Kay Copic Markers

This is a card I made for my lovely blogging friend from the Birthday List 14 girls over on the Craftswap The image is a Sarah Kay stamp and I have coloured her in with copic markers. The ribbon, flowers, and pearls are from Angel Crafts blinged up a bit with glimmer mists and the punch I have used is a Martha Stewart.


P1100069, originally uploaded by craftandstash.
P1100068, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

Monday 29 November 2010

The Hand Of Friendship

This is a page I made a while ago but due to not being able to blog on time lately it is very very late. It is a picture which we have in a frame in my mum's lounge and I thought it would look great just blinged up a bit. This is my Niece and Nephew in Scotland we don't see them very often but get pictures of their mum all the time. Like the tile says the hand of friendship, the thing with these two is they are more than brother and sister they definitely are more like best friends. The ribbons, flowers and prima pearls are from Angel Crafts. The title is made using my foam stamps and the flower is made by myself by punching various sizes of circles, spritzing them with water then scrunching them up and sticking together. Don't they look pretty.





The photographs are not fantastic the light here at the moment is just awful if I get chance to photograph again I will upload.

Anyway are we all in the full swing now? presents bought and wrapped special food prepared etc, or are you like me and thinking Ahhh! when will I get a chance to do it all?. Why do we panic we always manage it don't we?. So how ever far you are on preparing your festivities just enjoy the process x

Friday 26 November 2010

Autumn Birthday Card

Hi all I nearly forgot this one it is an Autumnal Birthday card for my very good friend who lives in Spain, so definately needs to go in the post tomorrow. The papers are Kay and co, rafia from my stash and the the sweet little pearls, ribbons, and flowers are Angel Crafts . The main gorgeous image is from the a Whiff of Joy Fall stamp kit 2009 and coloured in with one of my favourite markers copics.


Tuesday 23 November 2010

Cyber Crop - UKS

Hi all hope you all had a good week end, just wanted to tell you I am officialy a fairy

well over at UKS that is, they are holding their christmas cyber crop on the 3rd December through to the 5th December. A cyber crop is the same as a crop you attend but you do it all online. You are put in a team and you can all chat on the threads and hopefully acquire points for your team. I always try to join in the cyber crops as they are such fun and you meet loads of lovely nice new like minded people. Go and check it out.

Friday 19 November 2010

Postage surprise

Wow I am so happy, I have been at hospital all day today having my treatment and when I arrived home imagine my surprise and delight to be met with this little parcel off Snaps and Snippets from the friendship blog hop. My delight did not stop there when I opened it it was crammed full of gorgeous crafting goodies, which I have already thought of project for including JYC.




Tuesday 16 November 2010

Christmas Cake




Yay I am so happy I have made my first Christmas cake today, and if even if I say so myself it looks good. The recipe is from one of my mum's old recipe books, she is now 84 and I am doing a book recording all my mum's old recipes to record them so they will always be a record. The cook book is The Art of Home Cooking by Stork Margarine Cookery Service from the 1950's Stork club.

Recipe
10 oz currants
10 oz sultanas
7 oz raisins
5 oz cherries
4 oz mixed peel
4 oz whole sweet almonds
10 oz plain flower
pinch of salt
1 level tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 oz stork margarine
10 oz Castor sugar
finely grated of 1 lemon
6 eggs

-Fold in mixed fruit and the flower mixture, half at a time, gently and thoroughly until well mixed.
-Turn into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Use a 9" cake tin.
-Bake on the middle shelf for 150c or 315F - 31/2 - 4 hrs
-Remove cake from oven. Leave in the tin for 10 mins, Turn out, remove the paper and cool on a wire    rack.

I have now been told by my mum to leave it wrapped in foil for a week before making a few wholes in the top with a skewer then adding a tbsp 3 times over a period of 3 weeks of Brandy.

Then put on marzipan. make Royal icing, then decorate to preferred choice.

Monday 15 November 2010

Birthday Card Copic

This is a card I made for my sister in law for her Birthday using a lovely Magnolia image and coloured in with copic markers. I can not remember what colours I used. I did jot them down but silly me I have lost the note, so if I find the note I will let you know. I added Prima jewels, ribbon and flowers from Angel Crafts and to make it just that extra special I have added a little extra bling with some spray glitter from Crafters Companion and some stardust stickles.

Then I made a handmade box and decorated a little bag and made a handmade box and filled it with some gorgeous yankee candles.



Thursday 11 November 2010

I win again

I must be on a winning streak after the week end as I am so lucky thanks to Deb I have won a set of measuring cups from the "Celebrating Blog Friendships" blog hop. I am so glad to of won these as I watch Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) all the time on Sky amongst many others and she uses them. I always try and do her recipes and with the aid  of these cups it will make it mush easier.

I just thought I woukd share one of her recipes that I do all the time. My Gary is a meat eater but he loves this and it is so easy.


Portobello mushroom lasagne

Salt
Olive Oil
340g Lasagne sheets
1L Milk
170g unsalted butter
70g Plain Flour
1tsp ground black pepper
1tsp ground nutmeg
625g portabello mushrooms
100g freshly grated parmesan
 Method


1) Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.

2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tbsp salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagne sheets and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

3) For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside.

4) Melt 110g of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tbsp salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

5) Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1cm thick. Heat 2 tbsps of oil and 2 tbsps of the butter in a large saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

6) To assemble the lasagne, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange a layer of sheets on top, then more sauce, then ⅓ of the mushrooms, and 50g grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering sheets, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of sheets and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

7) Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

If you want to give the meat a break for the night this is an ideal choice.



New Albums




Just had to show you these they are by American Crafts and I have been after them for years. So thanks to my lovely blogging friend Rachel I am now the proud owner of 2, a little wooden easel and some page protectors. to display my work on, so I have no excuses any more I can get on with my 2010 album. I could not make up my mind whether to go for the plain or the patterned so ended up getting them both. Are they not scrummy. They came from a company called Sarah's Cards and when they  arrived they also came with a little extra of a small tube of sweets lovely.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

I'm a Winner!

Yay I am so happy I have just found out that I am a winner from the "Celebrating Friends" Blog Hop at the week end.

I have been lucky to win a surprise package from the lovely Snaps and Snippets so I am excited about receiving the post now. Thank you x


Friday 5 November 2010

Happy Birthday Pete

It was Gary's Dad's Birthday Pete,the other day he is now in a home as he is unsafe to be left on his own after falling and breaking his shoulder then a week later falling and breaking the other. He is too old to operate but he is doing fine. Gary sees him every day but with his Birthday the whole family were there and the home had decorated his room with decorations and a balloon so nice of them.



This is the card I made for him with a Whiff of  Joy image and coloured with copic markers, the flowers and ribbons I used were from Angel Crafts,



Not to forget our little Susie dog who just had to get in on the action too, sitting with our youngest niece Natasha don't they look cute together. 


It was also our other nieces Birthday Nattalie on the same day so they always celebrate together every year.

For Nattalie's card I used one of my trusted Mo Manning digital images as it reminds me so much of Nattalie and her friends. I have coloured this in with copic markers and the ribbons and flowers are from my own supplies.

Thursday 4 November 2010

Copic Birthday card

This is a Birthday card I made for a very dear friend, first of all I need to apologise about the photograph it is not one of my best as I had to take it on my camera phone and very quickly. I used a cute Just Magnolia image, and coloured her in with Copic markers. The ribbon and flowers are from Angel Crafts and I have added stickles and spray sparkle.