BOO!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I've had fun with my mailorder goodies from angry chicken this year....

....I now sit eating my way through the goodies in the Boo box....let's hope there's something left for the trick or treaters!

It's a chilly, dark, whippy kind of wind evening here....perfectly spooky!

ROSEMARY COOKIES

I baked these today from the new MSL that my fabulous Dad brought back from America for me on his latest trip. He's gone off to London today & taken my hubby & my Grandad G for a boy's museum adventure....how they'll be in their element with all that science and nature around them :)

So I'm left home alone & I've had a nice day baking, catching up with The Archers on the radio & working on wedding invitation designs for our friends Claire & Joe. I'm pleased with how they're looking....a little sneak preview of the WIP....

....my workroom is v v messy! Off now to clear up & pack these samples ready to post on Monday. Hope everyone's having a good weekend. Our clocks go back tonight to GMT so an extra hour in bed tomorrow :)

AUTUMN ROSE

I stepped out into our back garden today, just to put some rubbish in the bin & this rose caught my eye. My Grandma & Grandad C bought it for my birthday in May & this is the first time it has flowered. I'd been a bit worried that it wasn't happy where I'd planted it & so today I'm delighted. It's chilly & dull & so I snipped the bloom to enjoy on my desk. I can't begin to describe just how beautiful the scent is....isn't it great how such a simple & natural thing can bring happiness? I love how the colours sit together in the photo too. x

MONDAY NEST WIP

A little update on what we've been working on for the new venture. Me & my Mum are starting up a little business called Nest....these collections are going to be for the wedding gift market & will be bespoke memento quilts, bed runners, cushions & wall hangings made from special fabrics.

The square cushion above is part of the collection alongside the bed runner already made....we have a further oblong cushion which is a wip & as a 3rd piece will complete the collection. Once it's all finished I'll style everything together for another photo to use in our promotional work.



Our new runner is based on my sister-in-law Marian's wedding & uses her colour scheme. It was a good exercise in creating something without any of the actual fabrics used for the dresses. We are really pleased with it & again we're making a couple of cushions to match. I'd love to photograph it in a bedroom with lots of Venetian glass furniture :) but alas I have none so will probably go for white bed linen on our white iron bedstead.

We are going to do one last collection so that we have 3 ranges to start taking to wedding fairs in the New Year. I'm looking out for a wedding to use....it would be good to go with a blues/greens colour scheme this time I think. I'll be back with more news of how it's all going soon.

Hope everyone's having a good week! x

POSTCARD FROM THE SEASIDE

3 lovely days in Norfolk....

kind friends
hot chips with s&v
old bookshop browsing
oodles of cake, coffee & tea
c practising his guitar
watching the dancing on tv
4 cats to cuddle & lots of sneezing
gazing at the pier, the beach, the sea

& nest stitchery galore with Mum
(more of which tomorrow!)

x

TREATS OF THE WEEK

Into my autumnal baking & I found this tried and tested recipe in my file. It's a little odd in the sense that it uses parsnip/swede/turnip in with the mix....but think carrot cake and feel reassured! (I've also got an excellent courgette cake recipe whilst on this vegetable theme.) I always use parsnips in my version of this Ginger Root Cake....hopefully you can click on the pic above to see the details but if it's not clear and anyone would like me to email it just ask!

It is very very tasty! I baked mine whilst listening to my other treat of the week, the new album from KT Tunstall....lovely acoustic music. She is amazing....please take a peek at the website if only for the fantastic theatre box which looks v. halloweeny!

Middle of the week....I'm off to Norfolk for a few days tomorrow. Staying at my parent's house & planning a quiltathon with Mum. We're still creating the samples for our business-to-be and need a bit of time to get things on the go again. It can be difficult living so far apart & having other things going on so we're looking forward to some quality stitching time together :) Here's one of the illustrations I've printed onto cotton poplin....it'll be appliqued on to the new bed runner we're doing.

When I'm back I hope to post what we've got completed! Thanks for your lovely comments which I'm always so happy to get....I've been v bad at responding lately but when I'm back I'll look forward to catching up with everyone :) I've had some great pumpkin recipes from Shari (thank you!!) which I'm going to attempt with our harvest (of 3 !) as we get nearer to Halloween. I got my mail order 4 package from kingpod with lots of crafty goodies to make....so all's good. Until next time, xxx.

CREPEFEST & FRIENDS

I have no weekend-craftiness to report....we've been too busy sharing good times with my dear friend Abi. Saturday evening at the Picturehouse where we ate funnily-film-themed crepes & drank wine in the bar before watching The History Boys. Here's what we had....

Kelly - What's Eating Gilbert Crepe (spinach/cheese/egg)
Abi - Raiders of the Lost Crepe (ham/cheese/tomatoes)
Ciaran - Crepefast at Tiffany's (ham/mushrooms/egg)

....I think mine had the best title :) They were all delicious & the perfect pre-film supper. Chocolate for dessert was taken into the cinema to nibble on afterwards. Great film & a great Arts Cinema. I think I'm getting choosier about where I like to see things nowadays....the multiplexes leave me a bit cold. So the seats aren't quite as super-comfy but you get to feel more of a connection with the rest of the audience....especially so with comedies like this. I love hearing chortles all around me :)


Sunday....lie-in. A long lazy breakfast with muesli, coffees & brioche. Then a nice walk at a local mill. Amazing twisty trees, the clearest/smoothest water, boats on the river, pretty thatched cottages....strolling along whilst chatting/singing/laughing. Hungry again we stopped for a pub lunch before heading home to light the fire, talk guitars/listen to Rodrigo y Gabriella (Abi's favourite) & read the newspapers. Weekend bliss! So lovely to enjoy it all with the special people in my life.


Until the next time, x

KITTEN CUTENESS

Cute alert!!

I was introduced to these 2 little kittens last night....this is Millie....

....and this is her brother Rupert!

I spent a lovely evening with my cousin Vicky & these 2 sweeties. We ate birthday cake, drank tea and watched them play. They are so tiny....I was hoping for a stowaway in my bag when I got home but no such luck! I'll have to go back & visit soon :) Thank goodness for digital cameras....I must have taken 60 pics & most just had the nip of a tail or a blurry paw....they're fast movers & weren't up for posing. And when they finally flopped I took full advantage of a cuddle!

Good weekend wishes to everyone! x

SKETCHBOOK FREESIAS

My lovely friend Lynsey bought me a big bunch of freesias when she came to visit at the weekend....I have them in 3 different vases through the house. They are so pretty, so simple & each one is completely different. After a visit to Julie's blog today I felt compelled to dust off my sketchbook & make a little study of my own. It was pure pleasure to just sit & observe their structures. Thanks for the inspiration! x

A NEW BATCH

Here's the new batch of key fobs....
....for sale in my Nesty shop & my friend Abi's Cafe Leo.

I'd best get back to making! x

ORANGE OCTOBER

It has to be this month's colour....it's all around me. Not really a colour I can wear so I enjoy looking at it instead :)

It's cold & wet & grey here tonight....I got back from work, lit the fire, drew the curtains & made a warming dinner. These chunks of gold turned into spicy butternut squash & lentil soup, I got the recipe from the Riverford Organic Vegetables website....worth a visit for other tasty soups & more!

1 squash, chopped into small chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsps olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 dried chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp ground fennel seeds
200g green lentils
1 can plum tomatoes, chopped

1. sweat the onion in olive oil with garlic, chillies & fennel seeds for 5 minutes, then add the lentils & diced squash.
2. add the tomatoes then top up with water to cover; simmer for about 40 minutes until the squash & lentils are cooked.
3. blend some of the soup, leave some chunks for texture. season to taste & enjoy!

Marmalade cakes for afters!

Beautiful flowers from our friends Mary & Steve. Shamrock Chrysanthemums & something orange....anyone know what they are?? As colours go they really do look delicious together. Added bonus was pretty gingham ribbon from the posy which will be used in future projects!

Until next time....x

p.s. The kittens' Mum is poorly with a bad cold so no visit tonight :( Get well soon Vicky!! Looking forward to seeing them (& V of course!) next week.

1 EYE ON THE WEATHER

It's about to pour with rain & I have washing on the line....

....but I do have some WIP today....more key fobs for Etsy & some to sell in my friend Abi's cafe too.

I've been hit with the (Christmas....no really!) gift-kick overnight. It may sound insane but with v little funds to play with I am embarking on a homemade-presents-for-all-season & they aren't all going to get made in a December weekend....I started by making an ideas-list & feel better already :)

Happy Wednesday Everybody! x

p.s. I'm going to visit new kittens at my cousin Vicky's house tomorrow....cute pics instore for the next post!!