Another craft project for future and one down, more to go

Craft project for future is:

Found it on the market for 5, could not resist. Needs a bit of TLC and will be like new. Just waiting for few bits and bobs.

One down one to go is ongoing project of remaking old picture frames (charity shop finds) into something more useful.

So paint them both gold and next stage is:

Caged butterfly.

Real use for it is- earing hanger.

And what are yours current projects? Dare to share.

To do list

I will skip boring things that needs sorting like tax return. It's only about my holiday craft projects.

1 Cushions, more cushions, preferably in patchwork made out of old fabrics and clothes.
2 Bookcases, they need uplifting with some nice decoupage.
3 Welsh dresser, needs sanding and painting, or just varnishing- haven't decided yet.
4 Card these 2 fleeces which are waiting for it over a year.
5 Finish rug with carded wool.
6 Make a rug from cut up dressing gowns.
7 Sideboard from lounge needs uplifting (paint or decoupage?).
8 Make those light woolen trousers I think about for a year.
9 Make some more of pictures for the walls.
10 Make woven belt, which means making a heddle first.

So list of 10. At least I started on the cushions. And then got side tracked, Just found lovely picture frames in charity shop so going to work on them first.
But on the achievement side just finished another huge cushion cover. Here it is.

I am on holiday

at least from Uni that is. So according to plan my days should be filled with all my craft projects, which got put off for later.
However reality is a bit different. I managed to make one patchwork cushion. And bake one cake.
Rest of the time was preoccupied with family, work,  food shopping and going out for walks. Nothing too exciting.

Anyway I should put recipe for the cake. Will do later.
Instead look at the huge cushion cover I made. It has to be so big, as the cushion was handmade by Grandma with down from home grown geese.

Slow life at its best at my parents.

Homemade remedy cream.

After many years of searching for perfect hand and feet cream for very dry skin, I came across nice neat recipe. It had lots of goodness in essential oils and only natural ingredients so I gave it a go.
It has healing properties, ideal for scrapes and bruises and even small burns, and softens heels like no other, better even than urea creams.
And of course I wouldn't be me if I would not modify it. I know that it might look daunting to start of with, but it is dead easy and quick to make. Initial investment in raw ingredients will pay off quickly, as you always buy more than you need for one go, so end up making several lots. They make great presents for friend as well.  As for equipment all you need is double boiler (I put pyrex jug in a pan of boiling water- does the job),scales and pots for ready mix (I recycle cream pots or sometimes mini jam jars, just make sure they are clean and rinsed in boiling water to kill any bacteria that may be lurking there).

So how to make it:
measure in a jug (or pan, or whatever you use)
120g olive oil or almond oil
60g beeswax
60g shea butter
20g calendula oil
20g comfrey oil
20g St John's Wort oil
5g Vit E oil

put them on boil until wax and butter dissolve, take of the heat and add essential oils, original recipe talk about 20 drops of lavender and 10 drops of tea tree, I add 30 lavender, 20 tea tree, 10 eucalyptus and 10 bergamot (for nicer smell) and mix well. Decant to the jars and let it set. Thats all.

With the essential oils you are safe with lavender and tea tree, others ask specialist if you can use them, for example if pregnant rosemary can cause miscarriage, so better safe than sorry.

Birthday cake in the making :-)

So decision made, and because any recipe is just a suggestion I decided to mix and match.

My cake is going to be 2 tier thingy, bottom made of chocolate sponge and top of a poppy seed one. Where I came from poppy seed cakes are essentials for Christmas and Easter, so given my birthday is just a week from Easter - why not. Both cakes will be layered with white chocolate ganache and blackcurrant jam made by my friend. And maybe some of my raspberry curd (homemade of course).
So chocolate sponge:
6 eggs (separated)
150g caster sugar
115g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
40g melted butter (cooled)
pinch of soda bicarb
Vanilla (paste, extract or whatever you want)
All ingredients must be in a room temperature (not straight from the fridge- eggs, or boiling hot- butter).
Whip the egg whites till stiff, in separate bowl whip the yolks with sugar till creamy and light in colour, add melted butter top yolks and keep mixing. Add yolks with butter to whites and gently mix, add flour, cocoa and soda. Mix until smooth but still with lots of air. Prepare the baking tin, line it with paper or parchment. Put the mixture in a tin and bake @180C (gas mark 5) for about 30 min (or till stick comes dry). Then cut it into 3 layers. Et Voila.

Poppy seed sponge
5 eggs (separated)
150g caster sugar
2 tbs ground almonds
120g fine sponge flour
2 tbs corn or potato flour
1 tbs of baking powder (I give 1 heaped tsp of soda)
200g dry poppy seeds (blue ones)

Whip the whites till stiff, add the caster sugar, make sure its properly mixed. Add the egg yolks, keep mixing. Sieve the flours, powder and almonds, add poppy seeds, mix gently not to knock out the air from egg whites. Put in a baking tin (lined again) and bake for 45 min (or till stick comes dry) @180C (gas mark 5). When baked cut it into 3 layers again.

Then, spread jam on the chocolate cake, then put cream on it, and next layer.

And again, and again until you use all the cake layers, or cream, or it will get too high to fit in your fridge. Then spread cream on the top layer, decorate it the way you want and can. Enjoy.

ps. Poppy seed cake can be very dry,so it would do it good if you moisten it with alcohol of some sort (brandy is good) or lemon juice mixed with water and maybe some syrup.

pss. My ganache is definitely my take on recipe, as everywhere they say that you should melt chocolate in cream and the whip it when cool, with white chocolate it was always dieseaster. So I whip the cream until firm then add melted chocolate. At least it keeps its shape.

spring home makeover

Looking for inspirations for spring home makeover is not easy, it's not only painting the walls what is very needed. I need to de-clutter. And that is no small task- trust me. I have so many thing squirrelled away  for various projects which are still in my head, or half done as is the case with wool rug. I got two fleeces from a friend and 3/4 are still waiting for carding (soon will be a year). Boxes and bags of fabrics in every room of the house seems to multiply with every finished project. And there are other crafts and arts I dabbled with. Need to deal with it. All in good time. Only problem is that there is no time. We planned to do it at Easter holiday as that is when I am 2 weeks of Uni, my husband doesn't have his teaching for that time, but looks like other work will get in a way. And after that we will get very swiftly into assessment week so I will have to revise a lot. However her is my mood board for my spring house makeover, very springy, very floral with a hint of a coast. Enjoy.

Small stuff is from here and sofa and armchair are from here .