And all manner of unseen things shall walk among us

An early morning walk in a graveyard with my camera was the opportunity to get some photos to alter. My friends and I spent a lot of time in this graveyard as children.  As long as we were respectful we were allowed to play there.  This was useful because the best conkers could be found in the school next door and over the churchyard wall was the quickest way to get there. 

Until recently visiting the graveyard was upsetting because it had been neglected and owergrown,  in some cases shrubs and small trees were growing out of the graves.  So it was nice to discover that a lot of work clearing and restoring the graveyard has been undertaken. 

With a little bit of alteration these pictures are beginning to have a very ghostly feel to them. 

I am sure that with a few more tweaks things that are usually unseen might be glimpsed 

 

A VINTAGE GEM IN MARGATE

TODAY I WENT TO MARGATE OLD TOWN to check on my shelf at ROUGH TRADE sadly not much has changed since I last checked it but lets face it the weather has been awful.  http://www.roughtrademargate.co.uk/#!

I GOT THERE A LITTLE TOO EARLY as it doesn't open until eleven (I think it might help if this was listed somewhere on the website) so decided to have a look around the other shops.  The bad press Margate has been getting lately does not seem justified in the Old Town area.  Moments from the sea is a bustling place filled with gift shops, cafes, tearooms, vintage shops for clothes and household items, art galleries, museums, and of course ROUGH TRADE.
 There is a feel of the world famous Lanes in Brighton as you wind your way though the streets and squares.  

 BETTY B's in King Street just moments from the Turner Contemporary and the sea.
Bags,scarves, gloves and shoes.







A Halloween window display .winds through vintage vanity cases and other treats

Fab accessories

Shop is open from11am Thursday to Saturday

 
So ignore all the bad press and visit Margate once more.  With an offer on rail tickets (on line bookings PORTAS PILOT TICKET0 starting in November - £10.00 London to Margate - it is worth braving the winter weather and travelling to see what Margate has to offer.
  AND WHILE YOU ARE HERE POP INTO ROUGH TRADE

DREAMTIMEMAKES AT ROUGH TRADE

Still needle felting like mad

 I AM STILL really really enjoying needle felting.  I love the idea that a few wispy bits of fleece can be transformed into so many different things.  At the moment I am making hair clips and brooches from simple shape like these flowers.

I think it is partly because the idea of creating from scratch appeals greatly to me.  
 

  So making the fabric for my creations, then embellishing them before attaching them to hair clips in this case gives me a lot of satisfaction

I also am very proud that because of how they are created each item is completely unique.





Soon to be listed at DREAMTIMEMAKES my Creative Stores shop http://www.creativestores.co.uk/DREAMTIMEMAKES/home.php?cat=0&WhatsNew=Y

BREAD PUDDING and APPLE CAKE

OVER THE WEEKEND among many other things we went to the Food Festival at Broadstairs, Kent.  Now I am not the best person to go to these events (I have the same problem at craft fairs) because instead of buying everything in sight I go away inspired to bake, preserve and create.  So Sunday was baking day ........ with me making a DORSET APPLE CAKE, some LEMON CURD (I have seen this in the supermarkets priced at 29p it cannot even have seen a lemon if it can be sold at that price), LEMONADE and a BREAD PUDDING for a couple of addicts that I know.

from the GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING

FOR LEMON CURD YOU WILL NEED
grated rind and juice of 4 lemons
4 eggs
4 ounces butter
12 ounces Castor sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl standing over a pan of simmering water.
Stir until the sugar disolves and continue heating gently for about 20 minutes until the curd thickens.
Pour into jars and cover in the usual way. 

MEASURED, WEIGHED AND READY TO COOK

 SIMMER GENTLY OVER A BAIN MARIE, BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL TOUCH THE WATER OR THE EGG COOKS IN LUMPS.

THICKENED  AND READY TO JAR

home made lemon curd should be made in small quantities as it only keeps for about one month 

Bread Pudding is such a good way to use up left over bread, I don't like it but my Mother loves it.  This is a DELIA SMITH RECIPE FROM 1978 you cannot go wrong with DELIA.

bread soaking in milk

8 ounces bread (doesnt matter if this is white or brown but cut off crusts)
1/2 pint milk
2 ounces melted butter
3 ounces soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 egg beaten
6 ounces mixed dried fruit
grated rind of half an orange
freshly grated nutmeg

BEGIN BY breaking the bread into suitable size pieces.  Pour over the milk, stir well and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

NOW ADD THE melted butter,sugar,mixed spice and egg.  Using a fork beat the mixture well to make sure there are no lumps.  Then stir in the mixed fruit and orange rind.  Spead the mixture into prepared 2pint dish and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

BAKE IN preheated oven gas mark 4 for 11/4 hours

ALL MIXED UP

PUT INTO PERPARED TIN AND BAKE

I usually sprinkle a little sugar on top

DORSET APPLE CAKE
RUBBING THE BUTTER INTO THE FLOUR 

SOME OF THIS YEARS APPLES  JUST PICKED FROM THE GARDEN

ROUGHLY CHOP APPLES

DORSET APPLE CAKE
8 ounces self raising flour
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
3-4 ounces caster sugar
8 ounces butter
8 ounces apples - roughly chopped
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

SIEVE flour and cinnemon into a bowl and rub in butter.  Add castor sugar,eggs and apples.
Stir into stiff dough.  Spread into prepared 9inch tin.  Mix brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnemon together and sprinkle on top of cake.  Bake at gas reg 5 for 30 minutes cover with foil and bake for a further 30 minutes.
test that cake is cooked right through.

Needle felt brooches and fluffy pens

 Things are going well with my plan to get my Creative Stores shop fully stocked.  I have spent the last few days making brooches and these rather fun fluffy pens (see left).  I have also been packaging and labeling as I go so that everything is ready when needed. http://www.creativestores.co.uk/DREAMTIMEMAKES/home.php?cat=0&WhatsNew=Y

I have become completely hooked on needle felting  since learning the basics of the craft.  The amazing creations that I found on Etsy and pinterest inspired me to try it for myself.

Partly made brooches, ready to be decorated and attached to brooch pins.  A flower, a christmas tree, a rocking horse and moon faces.

Hearts, ducks and a flower.  Ready packed and labeled brooches - a heart and a bluebird.

OF FISH & CHIPS AND FOOD FAIRS ... PLUS A LITTLE VINTAGE

A trip to Deal (on the Kent coast) was needed today.  This meant a glorious fish and chip lunch at the chip shop in Middle Street (ranked very high in the top ten chip shops in the country), a very pleasant stroll around Deal in the sunshine and a quick walk along the sea front.http://www.aboutdeal.co.uk/

 I finally got the very small frying pan I have been wanting - Just the right size for one fried egg.

Then it was over to Broadstairs for this years food festival.

Perhaps given the wonderful collection of goodies on offer going when full of fish and chips  was not the best idea .  We did get some Autumn Berry Curd and some Medlar Jelly.  I made some medlar jelly a few years ago having found some medlars in one of the local farm shops and it is delicious.  We could have brought some lemon curd as well but I decided that I would make some.

 The Kentish Pip Cider stand had some pear juice - suprisingly hard to get hold of, and a range of different ciders including a ginger one. 
http://www.broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/stallholders.php 
In fact there were a lot of different ciders on offer.  
The thing that stood out (to us) the most was a cake with Wile E Coyote about to push a boulder onto Roadrunner.  This was created by a business based in Sandwich. http://www.tashastastytreats.co.uk/ 

We also got to go to a Vintage Clothes Sale that friends were having in broadstairs.  This why we had to go today instead of tomorrow 7-10-2012
Need that perfect vintage outfit or accessary then get in touch with POPPYDRAGON DESIGNS on 
poppydragondesigns@yahoo.com

A GOAL SET FOR SUNDAY

SUNDAY THIRTIETH SEPTEMBER I set myself a challenge to make, prepare, assemble, package and label 50 for my creative stores shop.
http://www.creativestores.co.uk/DREAMTIMEMAKES/ 

I felt that having got myself organised and taken enough stock for a shelf at Rough Trade, Margate I should carry on the good work.

Although my Creative Store shop has been open for a while it has not had the care a new business should have.  There have been reasons for this but I can not hide behind excuses anymore.  

I fell short of my target, however I did get the following ready to pack and label.

10 assorted needle felt brooches
9 snail fridge magnets
2 needle felt bag charms
3 pot holders
1 Alice band with blue flower
1 felt covered pen
2 decorated jars of sea glass
4 sea horses

plus several bags of lavender flowers.

 I made a start listing the items this evening and will do a few more tomorrow.