Snood (you can call it a cowl if you like.)

I was born in 1974 and remember the 1980's with love and happiness.
I got a snood one Christmas. I think it was mohair. I wore it with my reversible dalmatian sweater and some leggings. There were possibly some legwarmers in the equation while we danced along with Shakin' Steven and ate Caramacs...

But back to 2010. I found myself in Lidl, a pack of chunky acrylic and a circular needle fell into my trolley, and my new snood was conceived in a flash of inspiration.

I'm really rather pleased with it; it's basically just a knitted tube, but all soft and cosy, just right for keeping my ears warm on those chilly school run mornings.

And I promise to wear matching purple eyeliner at all times.

Big Chocolate Buttons

This idea is from BBC Good Food Magazine November 2010 issue.

You need non-stick baking paper, a cup, a pencil, chocolate, sprinkles and sweets.

Draw around the cup onto the non-stick paper. Good for motor skills; Anthony actually found this quite difficult.

Spread melted chocolate inside the circles; it doesn't matter if they're not quite round!

Decorate with sprinkles and sweeties; Anthony favours the "chuck a bit of everything on" method.

Put them in the fridge to set.

Ta-dah! They look great and taste delicious!

Christmas cards!!!!!!

So here are my first two Christmas cards. I tend to make them a few at a time and all slightly different because I do so dislike making something twice!!

To make these I used a digi-stamp for the first time - basically an image you print out instead of stamping with ink. I coloured it with my watercolour pencils which I love because they are super quick, finished with some glitter and a peel off greeting.

(This digi-stamp came from Imag-e-nation. If you sign up to their email newsletter they will let you download a free image every week.)

I have knitted a sock!

I cast on in February, and a mere seven months later (!) I have one sock. I did have a few months off during that time as my attention span and enthusiasm for these projects tends to go off the boil.

But it is a very nice sock, so later I will cast on the other one so it is at least started. Perhaps by the end of May next year I will actually have a pair...

Mallorca holiday fun

I am out of practice for scrapbooking; this simple layout has taken me ages!

These are pictures of us having fun in the pool on holiday. I have mounted the photos onto white paper and rounded the corners.

The title and journalling are handwritten, and I have avoided lots of fussy embellishments as I think the page is already pretty crowded.

Incidentally this...

...is the mess I have made on the dining table. My inability to work neatly is a major deterrent for this pastime!

Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

I decided to make a loaf cake purely because I'd bought these loaf tin liners from Lakeland. They are bleeding marvellous!! Oh, how I love Lakeland, but I digress...

Cream 225g soft butter with 225g caster sugar.

Mix in 3 eggs, one at a time.

Add zest and juice of a lemon.

Fold in 150g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 50g ground almonds and 100g polenta.

Fold in 150g (ish!) blueberries.

Bake at 180 degrees for an hour.

I topped mine with some lemon glace icing, and the result is a yummy, moist lemony cake.

Cards for men

Just made this for my father-in-law with a stamp I bought a while back.

And this super simple one for a friend.