Perfect weather again

Another day with perfect weather - perfect for crafting in front of the fire with a contented cat asleep on a chair next to me that is.

Had to do a little bit of baking before starting. Some drop scones for a quick yummy lunch, the last christmas cake (accidently used self raising flour but it seems ok and is now soaking up some sherry) and a bread pudding for my mother.  Defrosted the freezer yesterday so there is room to start filling with christmas goodies.  I like to make the sausage rolls, some bacon puffs, spicy pork rolls and mince pies (both puff and shortcrust pastry) and freeeze them uncooked so they can be baked as I need them.  I want to try some cinnamon buns and have just discovered this idea on Pinterest.                                                              http://goodcheapeats.com/2010/03/cinnamon-roll-convenience-without-can
I may make a Dundee cake this year, it is ages since I made one.  Christmas is just a fantastic excuse for a massive baking frensy.  Many days of feasting ahead.

The coaster that I tried to make yesterday for my nephew were not a success so today I tried again with much better results.  I have also been putting the base coat on the box I am using to gift pack my home made jam.

I spent the morning with my sister and she showed me the jewellery she has been making fromm seaglass - not the stuff we collected together but some she got on a previous occassion.  She also showed me the shadow box she had made to display some fossils.  I can't wait for her to really start producing things - she will inspire me to different approaches and together we will have so much fun.

The latest item to be placed on Etsy.

A 1967 Mercury Cougar original photo tote bag.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86536523/original-classic-caroriginal-photo-tote

I have just noticed how well the car fits in with its background.  I really enjoy making these bags and have a couple more in the pipeline - the design is sorted just need to print them off and make them up.  I have a stunning one of HOTRODS outside a diner.

 As I love being driven in this beautiful car I kinda sorta don't want to sell it - I will just have to make a similar one for myself.



I have been looking at recipes again and think that I will have to have another "lunch" again soon.  So many delious looking cakes, biscuits, and savouries to try.  Too few mouths in my house to put all the food into.  I made SMUNCHKINS last night.  There would have been a photo but they need to be eaten while they are hot.  The camera was in the basement and we ate all the cakes. Next time I make them I will take pictures and write the recipe out.






 I have another bangle nearly finished and one just started.  I am quite liking the fact that these bottles will not go to waste.  I think they look so pretty and when finished so hard to remember what they started from.

I have just got a bag of logs in ready to spend an evening crafting in front of the fire.  Young Bruce will make me pull out a chair for him and the two of us will have a cozy relaxing evening together.

Bruce thinks we had the stove installed for him

I have a lot I want to get done this evening :- I have a few more Christmas cards to make to give to Wingham Wildlife park ( an idea that came to me in the summer and I am doing now) as we are going there tomorrow and I wanted to give them to them.
http://www.winghamwildlifepark.co.uk
The bracelets that are nearly done finished so they can be listed on Etsy.
Get the mirror I am making through the next stage.
Paint the inside of cigar box purse.  Make some Christmas cards for us to send.
Finish the recipe books for my neice and nephew.
And anything else I have time for.

Christmas cake recipe

This is my first upcycled bangle.  Chunky bangles  are so popular at the moment I thought I would have a go at doing some.  It was great fun to make.  This is a soft drink bottle with wadding wrapped around it.  Then I chose a selection of ribbons and wound them round the padded ring.  Three flowers grouped together finish it.

It took a while to get the photos for my latest bag for my Etsy shop because of the drizzle that kept coming and going throughout the day.  In the end I was getting quite worried because the light was going.  Managed to get some in the end and here is a sample.                                   
                                                                http://www.etsy.com/people/dreamtimemakes







CLASSIC BEAUTY - a 1967 Mercury Cougar.  Car of the year 1969, it is a thing of beauty.  I have kept this bag fairly simple because the car speaks for itself.

This was another busy busy day.  I put my labeled the  mincemeat that I bottled yesterday and put it away.

I made a batch of mixed fruit jam - some for us and some for Christmas presents.  Picked some more of my 'Blenheim Orange' apples, these are quite late maturing so now they are about perfect.  I ment to pick them all but after picking roughly ten pounds I decided to leave the rest till next weekend while I work out what to do with them all.

They are already in the mincemeat and the mixed fruit jam.  Maybe some mint jelly and some more apple cheese.

Naked Christmas Cakes

The Christmas cakes just before the sherry is added and they are wrapped up for a few weeks.  I love using my Grandmothers recipe for the Christmas cake, it feels right to use one that has been past down through the family.

GRAN WESTONS RICH FRUIT CAKE
1 kilo of mixed dried fruit
250g  dark brown sugar
250g butter
4 eggs
250g plain (all purpose) flour
pinch of salt
teaspoon mixed spice

Beat butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy
Add 2 eggs and beat in well, then add the other 2 eggs and beat well
Seive flour, spice and salt together
Add flour and fruit to mix alternatly
Turn into a prepared 9" round tin
Bake for 3 hours at gas reg 1 - 140degrees celcius   - 280 degrees farenheit

New design.

Bruce doing one of the things he does best.  I think you have to be a cat to be totally relaxed.

A new idea for a bag design kinda threw itself at me on Sunday while I was stuck underneath the cat ( he refused to get off because he didnt like the strangers who were fitting a new front door). So with laptop by my side I layered seven different photos using SERIF DAISY TRAIL scrapbooking program.  I altered the transparency to give a misty other worldy look to it and so all the layers could be seen.  It took most of the morning but I am quite pleased with the end result.  I have tweeked the pictures with a bit of flower soft, stamping, paint, metallic rub and a few cogs and watch parts.  Just waiting for the glue to dry now so I can laminate it. I am going edge this one with some black lace round the top and braid ribbons into the handles.  I think it has a twilighty feel to it so thats its title.

I got the mincemeat made today.  It needs a bit of time to mature so has really to be done at the begining of november.  

Not all of it gets used in mince pies I have a lovely recipe for a traybake called MINCEMEAT SQUARES. 

The recipe I use is from THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING. It was published in 1981 but I noticed the other day my most used cookery books are the oldest.



RECIPE FOR RICH MINCEMEAT

500g Currants
500g  Sultanas
500g Raisins
250g Mixed peel
250g cooking apples - peeled, cored, and grated
100g Blanched almonds - chopped
500g Soft dark brown sugar
175g Shredded suet
1 level teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange
300ml Brandy

PLACE the dried fruit, peel, apples and almonds in a large bowl. Add the sugar, suet, spices, lemon and orange rind and juice and the brandy - mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.  Cover the mincemeat and leave to stand for two days.  Stir well and put into sterile jars, cover as for jam. 


ALLOW at least two weeks to mature before using.


makes about 2.75kg


This time I changed things slightly - I always use vegtable suet because so many of my friends are Vegetarian and its easier that way, I used flaked almonds and only about 80g of peel, I used 170g of glace cherries to make the weight up.

I think it tastes nice now but it gets better and better the longer it is left.

cookery book covers before being laminated

  The other thing I did today was to print the covers for the cookery books I am making for Christmas.