Felt Napkin Rings : Poinsettias and Roses

Well, the craft fayre is in the morning! Woop. I've been busy today labelling things up and helping Adam make my twigs-in-a-pot stand for my Christmas Tree decorations, yay!

I did say, however, I was going to post about my Napkin Rings, and so here it is. I finally got around to taking photos this morning, and first up, Poinsettias.

You'll have already seen this design on the wreath I posted about, but I actually made the pattern for the napkin rings first, and voila!

This was a set of six, and I wanted to make a smaller set too, but something a bit different. I settled for roses, and decided on neon pink. Huzzah! A very different set to the ponsiettas, but still very bold and bright!

And combined from the previous wreath, and these cutesy roses, I've made up my mind what to make as the wedding gift I need for later this month - a white, embroidered and rose decorated wreath. Just settling on colours to use and then there'll be a blog about that too in a couple of weeks.

Hope you're all smiling, and if you're crafting too, let me know what you're making!

Wish me luck for tomorrow!

Recipe: Chocolate Rum and Raisin Cake

Well, we had our Mad Hatter's Birthday Tea Party over the weekend for my lovely other half, although, sadly no photos! Terrible, I know!

He requested a Rum and Raisin cake as his birthday cake, but I couldn't find a recipe I liked the sound of online. So, I took a gamble, made my own, and luckily, it turned out lovely. The only downside is I have no photo! Means I might have to make it again ;)

Ingredients:

Cake:
225g Self Raising Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
225g Caster Sugar
175g Butter or Spread
3 Large Eggs
100g Raisins
2 tbsp Dark Rum (Optional)

Filling:
300ml Double Cream
2 tsp Dark Rum (Optional)

Topping:
100g Plain Chocolate (or Milk Chocolate if you prefer)


Method:

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4

Grease 2x 8" cake tins, and line with grease proof paper.

Cream butter and sugar until the colour pales and you have a smooth, well combined mixture.
Beat in eggs and rum, if using.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl, and fold in until well combined, with a smooth, even colour.
Lightly stir in the raisins.

Pour into the two cake tins and bake for 35 mins.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Whip the cream with the rum until fully whipped, and use to sandwich the cakes together.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, allow to cool for 1 minute, then spoon over the top of the cake.

Cut yourself and your loved ones a large slice and enjoy!

If anyone does make this cake, I would be delighted if you shared a photo, and would be more than happy to link your blog/wesbite if I may use it!

Enjoy :)

Christmas Bunting

So, I have a craft fayre in a couple of weeks (just less, in fact) and as my first Christmas craft fayre, I decided to make some christmassy bunting to decorate my stand with. I've made bunting previously, but I fancied something red and green.

As usual, I browsed eBay for offcuts of fabric, there's so much pretty and unusual stuff out there amongst the ordinary... I almost decided on some lovely pine green with white snowflakes, but then at the last minute decided to go for red gingham instead!

I prefer to use bias binding for the 'string' of my bunting. It irons very well, so you get a perfect, double sided fabric 'tape' that works perfectly, with perfectly neat edges. Of course, I chose green to contrast with the red and white fabric :)

So, here you go then. 

Now, I have to say, I insist on double-sided bunting triangles. Whether in the same, or a contrasting fabric, I just think it makes it look finished. Raw, unhemmed, single layers of fabric just doesn't do it for me!

I used my machine to sew the triangles - just the two angled sides, and left the tops unhemmed, as this bit is covered by the bias binding.

I then measure out my spacing by eye, and hand sew along the bias binding, with the triangle sandwiched in between.

Ta da! It will actually debut this weekend at our Mad Hatter's Tea Party, prior to the Christmas craft fayre, as bunting and tea parties go hand in hand! And I'm all for getting the most use out of my hand crafted items - they're for display, not to store away!

Coming up - felt Christmas tree decorations!

Buy of the Month - Vintage Tea Set

I have to confess, I absolutely adore eBay. At times, I can feel I hate it too, but too often I buy certain things that I wouldn't find anywhere else, and that brighten up my day.

I'm not quite a hoarder - don't get me wrong, I have more 'things' than I need, but I sell as often as I buy, so I think it balances things out okay!  Last week, I purchased an exercise bike - a model still in the shops at the moment, used 'once or twice' and looking essentially brand new - but I saved almost £100 on the retail value of the brand new ones. Having used it several times since, it was definitely a great buy. That was the second time I'd ever bought something from eBay that was from a seller in my current town, and picked up rather than having posted to me. The first was a chest of drawers, which was another great buy, and this afternoon was my third.

I'm planning a tea party for later in the year, and last week was just browsing pages on eBay, when I happened upon a Bone China tea set, not too far from where I'm living. A lovely, 21 piece set of Royal Osborne, Pink Floral goodness. Six cups, saucers, tea plates, sugar bowl, milk jug and bread & butter plate. For an astounding £2. What a bargain! In fact, so much so, it's almost better than my beloved new exercise bike, and is my 'Buy of the Month'.

Seeing as there's rarely a month that goes by where I don't buy something that makes me go 'Oooh', this will most likely become a regular thing!