Mix it! Swap

First post swap of 2013!! (I don't think I did ANY in 2012 - too much textbook reading *yawn*)

I was paired with a girl who had a blog here - I saw she liked knitting, disney, stickers, scrapbook stuff...and I found a great collection of things to send her way.

The Tom and Jerry knitting patterns I thought were a particular find...hope she loved them.

And then some time later I received this in the post....and oh wow!! I have never been so excited to unwrap a swap - everything had its own cute little bag to unwrap (I am so stealing that idea for the next swap I do). Thank you so much Ichigoshortcake

She was sew thoughtful - vintage patterns, vintage jewellery, wooden buttons (WOW!), LACE!, gorgeous ribbon and crochet flowers which I'm trying to make at the moment (she read my mind). 

Maybe I don't need to raid mums craft room after all!

See that pink all-in-one?? I need to make this. 

3 Recipes - a meal swap!

With all this crafting recently, I figured I should check out swap-bot once again! I thought I'd do a few quick email swaps first to get me into the swing of things and a recipe swap caught my eye!
Email 2 family favourites to 3 partners. I thought I'd share them with you too.

To start...


Cheese and Tomato Dip

4oz grated cheddar

2oz butter

1 small onion finely chopped

1 level tsp mustard powder

2 level tbsp mayonnaise

1 level tbsp tomato ketchup

1 level tbsp single cream

1 level tsp Worcester sauce

1/4 level tsp thyme

1/4 level tsp cayenne pepper

Serve with bread sticks or crudites.

This may not look like much, but it's the most delicious thing!! Made of (pretty much) store cupboard stuff too, so I can whip up a batch whenever I fancy!
By rights I'm stealing this off MummySew, but its sew YUMMY!

Secondly...


Pork Chops Oriental

1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic
2 pork chops
1 oz butter
6 oz sliced onion
4 carrots in julienne strips
1 tbsp flour
Half a pint of chicken stock
Parsley to garnish

Blend soy sauce, sherry, garlic and sugar and marinate pork chops overnight.
Drain (but keep marinade) and brown chops in oil and remove.
Cook onions and carrots in butter, add flour and cook for 2 minutes
Gradually add stock.
Pour into serving dish and place chops on top.
Pour over marinade, cover and cook for 1 hour in preheated oven.

Gas Mark 3 or 325 F

Best served with creamy, butter mash potato and a green veg e.g. beans/broccoli (although there are lots of carrots in it already!)

This I do at uni in the slow cooker although historically, Mum used to serve it when I came home tired and bruised after a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Now its just comfort food :)

and lastly (because everyone needs pudding)...


Cinnamon Plum Pudding

For the pastry:
3oz butter
6oz plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp water

Sieve dry ingredients together.
Rub in butter with hands until texture is like fine breadcrumbs.
Mix in egg and water to form a solid ball.
Leave to stand in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out and line a 9" flan tin, then stand in the fridge for a further 30 minutes.

For the filling:
1 tsp cinnamon
1oz caster sugar
3 large egg yolks
200mls creme fraiche
50mls milk
1lb of plums de-stoned and cut into 8

Arrange plums (I usually go spiral) on the pastry.
Mix the custard and pour over the plums.
Sprinkle with demerara sugar (roughly 1 tbsp)
Carefully place on middle shelf of pre-heated oven and bake.

Gas mark 6 or 200C
20-30 minutes

I made this recently for MummySew and NannyBake. The plums I used were very wet so while it tasted delicious...the centre was quite sloppy. I might try a few different techniques to avoid this and make the custard set better next time...maybe lower temperature for longer, or blind bake the pastry, or use less plums?? MummySew recommends bigger tin, thinner custard e.g. 12x9" sandwich tin.
Never-the-less...yum scrum!

Summer Brooches

I found these a few days ago - Mummy Sew made them ages ago and i thought they'd look wonderful adorning a few of my hand bags this summer. I also sent 4 off in a brooches swap today - means ill be awaiting the postman all excited again for the next week or sew.

Also check what I received in a swap the other day - i have about a metre of it and god knows what i'll do with it but isn't it fabulous?! So vintage and wonderful :)

Finito!!

Sew whats been happening in life? Well yesterday....(why wasn't this in yesterdays post? Who knows) I finished my Art A-level!! YAAAAAAY!! So glad thats all all over. It's so hard to be creative when you have a title to work to. Anyway, my project titles that ive been working on since September are self chosen 'Conflict' which evolved into work about the Suffragettes, and again, self chosen 'Infection Control' which was mainly textile based.

I chose Art and Literature out of the given list for my exam and used Little Red Riding Hood, looking at its dark side. Anyway, i'm mounting up next week, and if i get it all up on the walls, I'll pop a few pictures up :)

Now a sight such as this greatly upsets me. I love post. LOVE it. adore it. It is my reason for getting up in the morning! Literally. Sew when one of these comes through the letter box, its awful! I have to wait a whole extra day! AND i have to go and get it myself. The trouble is...when I go and collect it, I am convinced the post-lady is going to come while i am out and leave me another one. It's awful. :(

Aaaaanyway on a bright, cheerful, flowery note - look what Mummy Sew made!

We found a PDF tutorial here at Roman Sock. Aren't they cute :D Other cute things of the week - check out what i got in part of a Matchbox swap from smokeyquartz. Her etsy store is fabulous - i just love her headdresses.

The bag is so wow and the buttons are POW. The teeny tiny little book is just wonderful too! The ribbon, i bought myself the other day when i was in Skipton getting myself another teapot painted...pictures later!

Sew we made a few Buttons

Mummy Sew and I were bored last night...sew we made buttons! Dragged the fimo out dusty and neglected as it was and had a play while Greys Anatomy was on (oh McDreamy!).

We made rolls of colour and layered them up so we had four colours in a little "snake", then sliced through to get little multicoloured flat circles...

Punched them twice with a needle et voila!! Buttons...not sure whether their sell-able, but they are cool.

These are just my favourites we did quite a few!

You like?

Oh, another recent swap I sent: I exchanged Paper Art Dolls. The top one i sent to RedRobin all the way to Kansas (pictured with a notecard - my little owl motif that i'm so addicted to!) and the far bottom i received from Kasade! Cool
I enjoyed making mine, although admittedly i've been rather busy and stressed with the A2 art exam - i am half way through the 15 hours that it takes to make the final piece. At the same time, finishing off the other 2 projects and writing an essay on the Suffragettes AND working nights...hence, Mummy Sew got involved before i could and really, she did most of it! The Skirt is tied at the back which i thought was a really cute little extra idea :)

Sew keep recycling!

Remember these that i made out of juice cartons? Well i made quite a few (half a dozen :s)...and have decidedthey need a bit of variety.

I have infact discovered that they work quite well as needle cases! Big wow! I quite like them, and my sewing machine survived beating its way through felt and card which spurred me on too.

I tried sewing the felt pages in at both ends, to see which work best.

The one on the left seemed to work better - with the felt on the top hinge, it got slightly in the way of the purses closing. Not drastically but hey. Cute?

And a big thank you to the knackered sewing machine. It keeps plodding on :)

Oh and look what i recieved in a swap recently: part of a stuff an envie swap all the way from Israel! Libat enclosed some very pretty little Ex Libris stickers which i adore...aren't they beautiful?

Sew I Went Fabric Shopping

I went fabric shopping today...and limited myself to one shop. Thank goodness i did, and thank goodness i had one goal in mind! I have been looking for a big floral print that i can cut into easy circles and make into circular place mats for a wedding gift. It is my boyfriends brothers wedding on May 16th so i don't have much time left! I intend to pipe the edges too sew i better get going i suppose...


The little pink bit was a sneaky buy for myself :) I'm thinking bags.

Sew a Handbag Swap

I swapped one of these bags i made quite a while ago with my Tutor and I quite proudly say she uses it all the time! Remember one of these is for sale over at my folksy store?She recently gave me in return, this gorgeous little thing - isn't it wonderful! I just love the colours :)

Sew check out swaps...

ooooh check out part of the cool time swap i got from Rita the other day... part of a cracker swap - stuff a cracker with artsy craftsy stuff. Very cool things included! Especially love the embossed felt stuff - yum!

Sew I made pretty pegs!

Another swap recently called for decorated clothespins. It was PriscillaBrunson's swap and a really original idea :) I have some gorgeous japanese paper that were a present to Mummy Sew, which i cut a few strips off to paper the front of my pegs with.

I then glued some Butterfly/Heart gems to the front, and a magnet to the back et voila! Fridge Magnet Clips! For photo's and notes and the like.

Handy!

And here is what i got in return

These from Lishmo all the way from Texas! These were absolutely adorable and the extra's she sent were wonderfully original! Just look at that ribbon, its so pretty i may simply make it into a cuff. So different!! And then these...

from Pensylvania! What an awesome swap :)

Sew i've started swapping!

I've discovered the coolest website! (okay sew i discovered it about a month ago and have only just blogged about it...) it's called swap-bot and you literally sign up, write a little about yourself and start swapping. How fab??

Sew my first swap was a matchbox swap. Theme: green

Here was what I sent...

It's surprising how much you can fit into a matchbox! I put in a few handmade beads, felt balls, one of my new felt drawing pins and quite a bit else besides...

I packed it all in and wrapped it up in brown paper and green ribbon. It looked delicious!

I joined a few others that were themed pink and purple, and yellow and teal see?

Started adding extras for a heart and to destash a little! Also little notes on mini cards.

And Tea Themed, with 2 english rose teabags inside...

sew yes, over the past month, i've had a bit of a matchbox phase.... but they ARE cute, are they not?

Sew rings on your fingers

Swap #2! I had a few ring backs lieing around i've been meaning to make into button layered rings sew when I saw a button ring swap i was delighted! Here's the three I made...The first two i kept for myself...

and made this one for my swap partner:

Sew simple and cheerful!