Charity Shop Bargains and Baileys & Sultana Cake

The weekend has felt really bleak the weather has really taken a turn now and going out for a walk means adding on the layers.  There have been a couple of times the dogs have had to be pushed out of the back door to go out because they really do not like heavy rain. The puppy has a little coat but obviously he doesn't wear that just to nip out for a wee! The dogs also get really dirty at this time of year as well, more so as they are all small and close to the ground.
We have been watching a Swedish crime series on the T.V called Arne Dahl I like watching
dramas from other countries and I think you become more engrossed in them as you have to concentrate more.
Yesterday we had a quick look in a couple of the charity shops near us St Lukes and Bluebell Wood (which supports the local children's hospice) We had a go on the raffle in both and I got a fantastic little next jacket for £6 I'm so pleased with it. I always have a look if I'm passing but I don't just buy stuff for the sake of it.

I thought I could wear it at Christmas, I will wear the same dress I made for Christmas last year as it has only been worn once.

Really pretty lining too I like little details like that.

I also got a couple of books for my son who I am trying to encourage to get back into reading.  At 13 he appears to have lost interest and the selection at the library for teens is a bit poor. Its all werewolves, death and vampires.  I don't know how the two I picked up will stand up to the challenge but we will see.

They were 70p each and in good condition.

Today I was making the dinner and I decided to quickly make a gluten free cake for me.  Everyone else was having banoffee cheese cake and sometimes I just want a desert, all the GF pre made stuff is such a rip off.  

So like I said very quick...

Baileys & Sultana Cake

4oz GF flour

4oz margarine

4oz sugar 

2 eggs

2 handfuls of sultanas (didn't weigh them!)

1 tsp mixed spice 

1tsp baking powder

 A glug of Baileys (about a double measure)

Splash of soya milk

Cream sugar and margarine, beat in the eggs, sift in dry ingredients, fold in, add the sultanas, Baileys and soya and  give it another very quick stir. I have a loaf tin but it is a bit big for this mixture but never mind, in it went.  In the oven at 200 for about 20-25 minutes.

Now it slopes a bit to one side due to wrong tin size, but it is really nice. I cut it in half so half can go in the freezer, had  a slice straight way and wrapped the rest to go in the cupboard.  It will not win any beauty contests but it's cake.  

Art Doodles

At the start of the summer holidays I bought myself some coloured pencils and fine tipped pens. This was inspired by an evening I attended at a friend's house. We all created some art on a postcard and the theme was based around the work of Hannah Dunnett. Now you may have seen some of her beautiful work without realising it as she has lot of it out there on greetings cards and posters.
I really enjoyed doing this and promised myself I would take the time to do more as the process was really relaxing whatever the end result.
Sad times at the start of the summer put a halt on all creativity with the passing of my father and the business that followed helping my mother.
I did manage to create a couple more however and while they may not be the standard of Hannah Dunnett  (I'm not an artist) I am happy with them and feel I will continue to try and get some ideas on paper no matter how infrequent.
Here is one of them, I followed her same detail of adding Bible passages but I suppose you could use favourite poetry, song lyrics or your own musings.  I just chose a word as my theme on this one and linked verses to it, the others I did were pictures.

I suppose the big thing at the moment is adult colouring to relieve stress, I like the idea but prefer to make my own images to fill. The pencils I bought are Derwent Academy and the pens Scribblicious.

I think sometimes as we get older we feel a bit guilty if we sit and do something like this.  There are always so many other things we feel we should be doing, and most of the time they are things people don't notice or that don't really matter.  I saw a bit of a show on T.V about people who clean obsessively, hoovering numerous times a day and cleaning the bathroom four times a day.  What on earth are they doing? Hiding evidence? It's insane and they will never get that time back but the dust will return.  I watched ten minutes of it that was enough.  

Anyway if you would like to take a look at more of Hannah Dunnett's  work there is a collection on pinterest here

I'll try and add one but it may not save...

Hannah Dunnett art. God is Good.

Here you see, her work is fabulous.

Craft Library Books

Yesterday I mentioned how I always have too many books on the go, well not too many but maybe I need to narrow my focus a little. I was searching on Amazon and happily clicking away adding things to my wish list  earlier, now many of them will never be bought, as I change my mind but it's good to have options.  I then take my list and see how may I can get from the library for free by searching the online catalogue.  Now this is usually disappointing as the ones I want are often not in the system, also the search tool is a little flawed.  For some reason you can type in the exact title and author and it will come up item not found, then you can try with some vague description and it will find the book you were looking for all along!

Now that is what it is like with the Sheffield Library catalogue let me know what it is like in your area.  Well I had that same problem today and I thought I wasn't going to have any luck at all then I stumbled across these ...

They were not the exact ones I was looking for but I just put in searches like craft for sale, marketing crafts, craft as business etc.

       

There were also a couple of other non craft related books on my list and I will look forwards to those arriving at the library. I do buy some second hand off Amazon occasionally but I like to get most from the library.

I am re-reading parts of Fluent Forever (which I did buy) at the moment. I am still not convinced by this title but maybe my resolve isn't as strong as the authors. One tip which is to watch a Spanish film, then watch ten minute slots repeatedly until you know them by heart has left me a little exasperated. 

I really enjoyed the film ( The Sea Inside, and Javier Bardem was amazing in it) but rewinding and repeating over and over was driving me nuts. I will have to concentrate on other tips from the book.

Here is a little peak at some of my bookcase...

Quite a mix I know, classics, self improvement, languages and young adult fiction, oh and recycling on the end there.

This amuses me, so much Spanish on the shelf more of it needs to be in my head!

Right I'm off to do my ironing while listening to Paul Noble.

My Random Ten

This list is inspired by Annie feel free to join in, I have read a few of these myself and they are great little snippets into peoples lives.

• I don't believe in people always telling it like it is, sometimes we need to be kind. If is not essential and nobody's life is in danger if you don't say that mean thing, then maybe don't say it.

• I love cheese which is odd as I cannot tolerate milk, cream or yoghurt but God decided to let  me get away with cheese. I am very grateful for that.  

• I am a Christian, currently between churches and a confirmed Catholic. Experience over the years has made me question the need to attend a specific place of worship but I read my bible and have a deep faith.  I am just not sure having a specific leader (usually a man) and a set of social activities centred around a church building makes anyone  a better Christian.

• Pets are good for you (unless you are allergic) I've not met one person who  hasn't smiled on seeing our new puppy and not just puppies our other two dogs bring such a lot to our lives.

Such joy in the moment, we all need a bit of that!

• I cannot read just one book at a time I don't know why maybe I have a little ADD. I always have some non- fiction plus a fiction title on the go and sometimes I will be dipping in and out of a book I'm re-reading. (weird I know)

• I long to be a morning person but I'm really not.  I have battled with this for years and it is a recurring new years resolution. I manage a week or two then it is back to hitting the snooze button. Anyone who has overcome this after years of failure please let me know.

• Music makes me smile it always has, rock is my favourite, it has to have guitars, electric, acoustic, you have to hear them. I am learning to play myself with the help of Justin 

• I don't know what I want to be when I grow up ( oh yes that already, happened well anyway!) I was a sewing machinist for many years, teaching assistant for the past nine years but only got into that as I wanted to teach, then talked myself out of that. I often look at University courses in textiles and design and wonder about if I'm too old?? Or maybe moving abroad and starting a holiday let?? You see I really do not know.

• I am an eternal beginner at Spanish! I know quite a bit now but not if a native speaker starts to quickly speak to me! I try and try but without conversational practice here I stick.

• There are so many things I am interested in I never know where to begin, I make lists, read motivational books, ( much to the amusement of my children ) but getting stuck in is a sticking point. I'm working on it! He, he!

Recycled Denim Bag

Now I haven't done any bag making for a while mainly because like I mentioned the other day I am looking for new ways to sell them but I had some old denim a friend gave me so I thought I would get on with a couple.

This first one is complete and I really like this myself (this is my trouble I always want to keep them) I like red with denim and funnily enough I am wearing jeans and a red long sleeved top today, that's probably why I took a fancy to this bag as it goes perfectly.

It is quite a good colour on the denim so I don't know why she was tired of these jeans but not to complain free fabric and all.  The grey and red I had from another project that didn't work out, there is more left so it will be seen in other things!

It has a zip fastener across the top.

The red ribbon is from a Thorntons box, just enough to go down the front and the back.

The silver button was from my jar of odd buttons.

I have lined the inside and there is an inside pocket also, I'm not sure whether to list it on folksy or try one of the  other craft sites that I have been looking at. I will have a think about it.

At least I feel I have stuck to my resolve of doing one thing each day this week, it is too easy to slip out of the habit of making things and while it might not be for everyone I always feel better if I have completed something.  

Now I need to start that caravan machine cover, I have it drawn up  I just need to cut it out.

A New Look

Yesterday I thought I would quickly change the look of this blog as it has had the same background for ages. Well what I thought was going to be a quick job ended up taking ages, images were in the wrong place, things were overlapping, well I got there in the end but it is not as colourful as what I had before. My son said he prefers it this way, please feel free to let me know what you think.
I had also had the idea of starting a new online shop so I have been looking at a few ways of doing this. I use my Folksy shop at the moment but that hardly seems to get any traffic any more, from what I have read from others lots of people are having the same trouble.
I originally moved to Folksy from Etsy and initially it was more successful, there is so much out there it is hard to get seen.

There are a few people I know who are doing a couple of craft markets. Mixed reviews on these also as they have told me they have only just made the table cost back on a couple of occasions and while they can be a good way to get your stuff seen, the real point is to sell it!

So at the moment I am not sure what to do, the fees on Folksy are only small unless you sell, but then it's a bit pointless if nothing is being seen. Any crafters out there who have some good success stories and ideas please let me know.

Yesterdays make was a new dog cushion...

Don't worry I didn't leave the dog unattended with a lit candle I was trying to brighten the space to take the picture and he wouldn't stop climbing on the cushion.  This is not his cushion even, my other dogs sometimes like to sit here next to the radiator, he has his own new bed! The fabric was left over from a tote bag I made  last year.

My other nagging doubt about starting another shop is that I didn't want making to be all about money, but is sometimes useful and rewarding to sell some of your creations.  I suppose I have conflict in this area.

 There also has to be a purpose when you are doing something, if it's a gift, an alteration or something for you there is an end in sight, it will be used.  When you are making items for the purpose of an online store and they sit in cupboards waiting to be sold it can feel disappointing. I end up using them myself and so I have many bags.   I would be no use whatsoever with a real life shop as the unsold merchandise would drive me crazy each day!

I have found a site called Zibbet that lets you list 10 items with one image for free and no charges or 50 items with 4 images and a $4 a month charge ( you get more exposure with the fee paying version)

I am a little tempted to give some where new a try.

Also on the Design Trust page they recommended this book...

Now I already have a few books along these lines and they haven't done me much good so far. But I live in hope that there is a business woman in there some where. There is also the fact that maybe I am not applying a lot of what I've read (ouch!) yes I may have to admit that. So first I will try the library for it, then re- read my other craft as business books then if all that fails maybe buy it for myself when it is my birthday.

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Pizza

I have been really craving a pizza recently, I dropped my two boys off at the shops today and they said they were going to have a Gregs, I thought Oh I would love one of those, but no, I went home.
I stared in the fridge for ages you know like you do when you think something delicious is going to just appear?
Well that didn't happen but I did remember that I had a gluten free wrap in the freezer. Now these are not good as wraps because they are a bit like cardboard but I'm so glad I kept it as it became this lunch...

Also it was really quick and easy to make.

I took the frozen wrap and cover it in tomato purée and a little red onion. put the rest of the onion away for another time.

I added some frozen peppers that I had in the freezer, no need to chop.

Also I added a layer of grated cheese, then half a sliced tomato, then more cheese and finally a little drizzle of olive oil.

I had a little salad with it and I have to say it was lovely, obviously not greatly filling as it is on such a thin wrap but it has solved my pizza problem. Plus much cheaper and healthier than what you could buy and you can put whatever you want on top.  I started mine off under the grill then thought better of it and put it in the oven, not for long after the quick grilling 7 minutes maybe less I just kept an eye on it.  I also put it on a piece of foil in the oven as it is so floppy or a tray would do.

The wraps are £2.80 for 6, so with one of those at 46p, half a tomato, a few peppers, bit of onion, cheese and purée I would say it cost about 80p to make.