The Art of Needlecraft - a great crafters book

I bought this book from EBay, I love books especially secondhand ones.  This book is a great snapshot into needlecraft from a 1930's perspective, the approach to each project is very thorough and a wide range of techniques are covered.  I especially like the simplicity of the illustration on the front cover, this is a lovely book to dip in and out of, a great addition to any crafters library.

 

 

 

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Flensted Mobiles

Flensted Mobiles are a Danish company that have been around since 1954, they have a massive range to choose from and are reasonably priced.  Each mobile is handmade by local people and are perfectly balanced and designed to move delicately.  Flensted have not licensed their products to any big companies such as Disney, so every design is an original to the company.  I've bought Flensted mobiles for both of my children and they love them, Check out their designs at Flensted Mobiles 

 

 

 

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Love, Love, Love - Hearts Moodboard

All you need is love.......taking photos of themed collections has become addictive, whether it's by colour, texture, shape or theme.  The end result looks good! 

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Salt Caramel Shortbread Recipe

I made these a while ago and have been meaning to post the recipe for ages.  They are (were) very scrummy and reasonably simple to make.  For this recipe I used the River Cottage Handbook No.8 called Cakes, written by Pam Corbin who features regularly on the River Cottage programmes.  I use this book a lot, the recipes are easy to follow and always turn out well.

Recipe

Ingredients

Shortbread
150g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened
75g (3oz) caster sugar
150g (5oz) plain flour
75g (3oz) semolina

(I didn't have semolina so adjusted my flour quantity to make up for it)

Caramel Layer
1/2 tsp sea salt (I prefer Maldon salt)
1 tin Carnation caramel

Chocolate Topping
150g (5oz) plain chocolate chopped
25g (1oz) butter
1 tsp flaky salt (again Maldon is good)


Shortbread

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees centigrade.
• Put butter in bowl and cream with sugar until it forms a soft paste.
• Sift in the flour, use a fork to bring together to make a soft crumbly dough.  Kneed the dough as lightly as possible until it is soft and pliable (an electric mixer can also be used on a low speed).
• Gently press the dough into a baking tin and prick the surface with a fork, bake in the oven for 30 mins, keep an eye on it, you don't want it to brown too much (mine did!!).
• Leave in the tin until completely cool (I would advise to do this, as warm shortbread will melt the caramel and chocolate layers and not set properly).

Caramel

• Sprinkle the salt into the caramel and stir through.
• Pour the caramel on to the cooled shortbread and spread in an even layer.
• Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

Chocolate Layer

• Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of very lightly simmering water. Melt and then remove from the heat straight away.
• Pour the chocolate over the caramel and sprinkle with the salt ASAP.
• Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up.
• Once firm cut in to squares and eat, yum!

Note: This recipe works just as well without the salt and milk chocolate can also be used instead of plain.



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Lion Creek and the fisherman's hut.

I love this view, thought I'd share it with you.  It's always good to have a bit of inspiration.

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Summer Flower Power

Goodbye summer, see you next year...

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Book Review - DIY Kids

DIY Kids

Author Ella and Julia Lupton

Published by Princeton Architectural Press

My daughter was given this book for her birthday by a very thoughtful friend.  Its packed full of great crafting and making projects catering for a both boys and girls across a wide age range (7-12) and ability levels.  Most of the project can be made up with things you can find around the house, others need more specialist resources.  The book has 4 categories: Graphics, Toys, Home and Fashion.

 

Pros - Really well thought out each project has clear explanations with great images and illustrations.  The projects are fun and reuse, recycle and remix is an ethos that is promoted throughout the book.

Cons - The book is relatively text heavy, this may be a problem for younger children and most projects would need some assistance from an adult.

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