My Latest Vintage Finds......

Almost Pims O'clock

 Had an unexpected guest, luckily I was half-way through baking for knitting club tomorrow so I had something to offer her!

 We took our tray out into a garden where it was blazing sunshine.......so hot infact I had to go and get the parasol......

 We had  lovely scrummy chocolate and hazelnut palmiers.......and a lovely natter......

 The sun was lovely shining through the trees...........

There was a hint of what is to come.........lovely sunshine...birdsong...and meals in the garden with friends.....it's almost Pims O'clock and almost iced earl grey lavender lemonade time.....

The palmiers are so easy to make just three ingrediants.......

 Roasted hazelnuts........

 easiest way to crush them is pop them in a clean tea towel and bash with your rolling pin.....

 this.......

 And puff pastry....roll it out into an oblong spread the nuteela over it and sprinkle the nuts over the top.......

 Roll both ends up into the middle...rest in the fridge...slice and bake......

What could be easier......they will be laid on a board and sprinkled with icing sugar tomorrow to serve x x x

making christmas pressies

 Spent yesterday making these little beauties x x 

Little dorset button brooches ready for stocking fillers for crimbo......have any of you started making Christmas presents yet?

Less twee more me!

 Just moved into a new much smaller house and need to put my own stamp on it......I love, LOVE, LOVE flowers...but thought that my bedroom was looking rather twee......So I decided to be brave and attempt a colour..... and not just any colour ........gulp....black!!!!!!

 All through the first coat I was thinking ....what have I done and a lesser mortal would have run screaming for the white paint...even the hubster walked in and went "Oh GOD!"

 But I stayed with my "vision" and was convinced that once I put my "bits" back it would look nice......

 And I think it has...has made both my mini bunting, and crocheted bunting and my floral pictures POP!

I hope it's worked.....and I hope you all like it too!!! It now looks a lot less like a flower fairy has come in and upchucked everywhere.....given it a more contemporary edge..... and it is only on one wall...the rest of the room is light and bright and white!

Bodkin workshop

 I spent Saturday at one of Bodkins amazing all day workshops......

 We spent the morning learning drop spindle spinning........

 Then ate an amazing lunch....

 Lovely hunks of bread....

 An amazing home made quiche and herb salad grown on Bodkins allotment

 It was a great bunch of people.....

 We also had tea and a raspberry and almond cake on vintage china.....

 In the afternoon we started needle felting angels.....

 I have never needle felted before in my life!!!!!!!!

 And decided to make  a mermaid.....

And here she is........the sum of my efforts...i am very pleased with her...and Hesta of Bodkin was such a great teacher.....I am eager to go to another workshop and brush up on my new found skill....

Lilac scented sponge cake.

 Used my lilac jam to make a this cake for knitting club and decorated it with the lilac flowers that I crystalised ...every week I have to make a cake for the ladies at my knitting club, which I help run,

As from next week I have to make TWO! It's quite hard finding different flavours each week...... Please pop over and check out the other blog I run on behalf of the knitting club....it's quite time consuming doing two!!!!!    http://sidmouthknitcafe.blogspot.co.uk/

Lilac Jam Part 2

 Well here it is folks......

 My first attempt at Lilac jam.....

 And although it has a very pleasant floral flavour..........

I was expecting a more intense flavour.....hoping to make another batch this week and see if I can intensify the flavour x x x x

I am soon opening up a Sidmouth Poppy facebook page, where I am hoping to sell some of my crafts and vintage finds.....will let you know as soon as I have it up and running x

Lilac Jam .....Part 1

 I got into foraging last year and discovered that you could make a jam/jelly from Lilac flowers just a few weeks too late in the season.

 This year I have been kindly donated a lovely bag of Lilac flowerheads.......

 What a beautiful job plucking the flower heads, they made a satisfying little snap as the flower is snapped from the stem...and the smell is divine....I now have to pour boiling water over the flowers and leave to infuse overnight....

 I saved one perfect flower head to crystalise the flowers for decorating a cake for next weeks knitting club.

I  will post part 2, the making of the jam tomorrow, and show you the Lilac scented Victoria Sponge I will make with it x x I may even have a jar or two  to sell! I need to find more Lilac bushes!!!