Sweet Like Candy

Instead of going out anywhere today, as the weather was so grim, thunder lightning, hail, rain, and lashing wind H and I wisely decided to stay at home. He was exausted and I have a cold so it was a crabby and snuffly house today. Despite wandering around snorting olbas oil (sort of like vicks vapor rub on acid) I managed to not only do the previous post, but I also managed to get these three bracelets made, and a bit of knitting too.

It could possibly have something to do with H going for a two hour nap.... but nah lets jsut say I had an inspired day. The Ice Flake quartz is my favourite, its so clear and resembles crackling ice. If a girl can't have diamonds why not ice flake quartz instead. The smokey quartz is always a favourite of mine too, but the last bracelet pictured, the tri-coloured jade is something special. When I showed M he said it looks just like candy, it makes me think of GingerMonkey, I think she would appreciate the colour of the jade beads, so when it hits the shop tommorow I shall call it "Ginger".

ice flake quartz bracelet

smokey quartz rondelle bracelet

tri-colour jade coin bracelet

GingerMonkey

handmade plush pug by GingerMonkey

I want to say a big thank you to the lovely and extremly talented GingerMonkey for making the adorable little pug dog that I requested in exchange for one of my bracelets. Its for my mother's birthday next month. (please don't tell daddy) The pug is great and I know that my mother will love it. Below is the sketch I did to explain what I wanted and I coulden't have asked for a better end product, seeing as I can't sew to save my life and GM is uber talented at softie making. So if you haven't been please go have a peep at GingerMonkey 's blog and her etsy shop too.. and while you are there have a peep at my shop too!

my pug sketch

Today I have also been hard at work creating two garnet bracelets for Dior my very first order! Which I'm quiet excited about even if its not through my shop. I hope she likes them. Off to go take H to the library and get some packaging to keep the bracelets safe when I send them out.

three strand garnet bracelet

both bracelets together

Java Jackets and Garnet Bracelet

three strand garnet bracelet

I've not done much crafting as I have a bit of a cold and am waiting on an order of beads but I will be adding this bracelet to the shop as well as the java jacket that I knit while in Idaho, I hope to try to knit a few more to add to the shop, that have to be more people out there addicted to coffee than just me and M... right? and its environmentally friendly to not take the cardboard one that is offered.

Idaho java jacket

Ooh I have just been distracted by the postman bringing me beads and a package from GingerMonkey!

Biting the Bullet

Its official the bullet is bitten, if you would all kindly look to your right you will find and little Etsy box. Do you see it thats me having my very own little Meridian Ariel Etsy Shop!

www.meridianariel.etsy.com

I'm still a nervous wreak that it will all go tits up and fizzle out on me, but its there all shiny and new and I'll see what becomes of it. I'm hoping that at the very least it sells enough to keep me in beads and paint! Wish me luck and tell me what you honestly think. If you want something and its not there tell me and I'll see what I do!

Two Bracelets and a Toy's Scarf

three strand garnet bracelet

white onyx and chinese painted bracelet

Peanut butter's new scarf

I managed to make the two bracelets this morning while H was comatose curled up on M's lap watching the wonder of "How It's Made" on the discovery channel, it was swords and clocks so it was very very good. M has promised to take some "Proper" pictures of my bracelets with a "proper" camera for my forthcoming Etsy shop. He thinks its a good idea, and is considering doing something with his pictures too.

Creched and Burned

smokey quartz bracelet

Today was a bit of a mad flurry, instead of just having H I was also in charge of watching Frizbe's girls, DD1 and DD2. The house looks like a battle field, granted one for the very small with cookie crumbs, the battered and broken bodies of toys lying limp and forgotten on the juice stained carpet. The echo of screams fillling the air.

It wasn't that bad honestly, mostly H throwing tantrums because 1.) he was too busy talking to listen when I asked him to put his shoes on and it turned into a screaming fit or 2.) H wanted to sit with Frizbe's DD1 his best friend and she wouldn't cuddle with him which he took great umbridge to and ran on of the room using The Pouty Lip to full effect. In the end all turned happy with a game of tickle monsters, mainly me being the monster until all three decided it would be much better to attack me than be attacked.

I even managed to take a quick picture of the smokey quartz bracelet I made last night, I just love smoky quartz, its one of my favourite gemstones. I registered for an etsy shop the other day but haven't gotten any farther than that, partly because I'm petrified that no one will like my jewelry and/or paintings that they aren't good enough. I like the bracelets I have been wearing them so they can't be that bad, and I'm certain that M would tell me he dosen't like my paintings. I know I'm not the greatest artists but the important things is that I am painting right? and I want to do something with my sketches but I will need to scan them first and see what happens from there, I want to try doing a few t-shirts maybe some tea towels. I have ideas, the problem is in cracking my head open ripping the ideas out and running with them. That whole dream to reality thing. Which brings to mind that I have been utterly ignoring any attempts at writting beyond the quick scribblings on here, the last post on my drabble side was over a month ago. Sombody just give me a swift kick please....

Chinese Painting Beads

chinese painting semi-precious gemstone bracelet

My creativity has taken a bit of a nosedive today with the weather being so gray and miserably outside, and the onset of a headache that defies all medication. Luckily I made the above bracelet last night with Chinese painting semi-precious gemstone beads that I ordered with my hoarded Christmas returns money. I'd not heard of the stone previously but when I saw them on the bead website I was so intrigued that I had to have them to play with. I think they are gorgeous anyway.

I also finished knitting a small card holder out of a scrap of teal wool that was lurking in the bottom of my knitting box. If this headache recedes I plan to do some sketching for some paintings in the living room, M says the pair that are up that match the red/burgundy rug are too small for the wall so they must go. which is a shame because I like the pair even if they are too small.

knitted card holder

Oaties

oaties biscuits

Ingredients:

3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg (large)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 1/2 cups porridge oats

Pre-heat the oven to 375° F

In a small bowl mix the flour and the coconut, if you don’t have self -raising flour then use plain flour and add to it 1 tsp baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt.

In a large bowl beat the butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and coconut mix until well blended. By hand stir in the porridge oats (old fashioned oats are best) . Drop the dough by teaspoon onto un-greased cookie sheet. For larger cookies drop by the tablespoon. Bake for 10 minutes, until the centre is puffed up and the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven, let them cool for a minute on the baking tray before placing on a wire rack to cool.


cooks notes: this recipe is for my dad, as Oaties are his favourite cookie/biscuit and every time we visit in Idaho I bring several packages back of an Scottish made oaties biscuits that we buy from Chatsworth Farm Shop. So for ages I have been experimenting with various different recipes for oatmeal cookies and attempting to create and oatie type cookie/biscuit and this recipe is the closest I have been able to get so far. H says the cookies were "Yum" so I guess that's not a bad review. They were also very simple to make I'm sure I will continue to adapt the recipe I have concocted but for now I'm just going to have to eat a cookie. or two.

Black Rainbows and Hail Stones

Labrodorite and black onyx bracelet

Although the image quality isn't too great I think this bracelet looks great, I'm a big fan of labrodorite I love the flare of luminious blues, as the light plays against the beads.

NOthing much else is going on here save the hail storm last night. M just had to go run out and stand in it while Alys the cat and I looked on in bemusement from the open doorway.

Red Agate

red agate bracelet

close up of the dangling pendant on the clasp

This is the first attempt at making a pendant, I think it turned out OK for not having done it before or having the proper tools. I love the vibrancy of the red orange colour.

Rainbow in Stone

rainbow fluorite bracelet with butterfly charm

Not as vibrant an colourful a fluorite as the beautiful set of jewelry Whizz made recently but these beads are very lovely and delicately coloured none the less.

Sinister Crafting

Anticraft: Knitting, Beading and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister

by Renee Rigdon, Zabet Stewart

With my Christmas book voucher clutched firmly in hand I visited Waterstones.com and ordered the anticraft book. If you haven't been to theanticraft.com then you are missing out on something. Admittedly I'm more geek than goth, but none the less I fiercely coveted this book and it arrived today in a flurry of loan offers, bills and general rubbish. I have yet to read it but in a quick skim through the pages it looks to be very good or vaguely evil at least, and nice to have something that is a bit different than the usual happy bunny crafting books out there, not that there is anything wrong with happy bunny books but sometimes you just need something a little more sarcastic, a little more sinister than that.

Anticraft Knitting Beading and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister

Blue Rose

Its a small knitted rose brooch, well it will be a brooch when i get the backing on. The image is clearly crap the lighting is no good and it defies any attempt on my part to get a decent picture so I have left it for now and am vaguely watching Mary Poppins with H. The rose was made with some left over silk garden that was hiding in the bottom of my yarn stash, its a beautiful yarn but the bottom edge does turn into that bright acid yellow/green that is all the rage now and that I can't wear without looking like a zombie out of a Romero film, that is half dead and not so fresh. I have more knitting to do that I have been all out ignoring in favour of beads, I'm sure I'll get round to it soon. If I can actually make up my mind on what to knit, and what sort of pattern.

Garnet and Freshwater Pearl Bracelet

garnet and freshwater pearl bracelet

I just finished making this about ten minutes ago and love the play of light on the garnet and pearl together. Its a delicate and small bracelet but I'm so in love with the simplicity of how things can be lovely and not terribly fussy and overly complicated. not that complicated is always a bad thing, except maybe for me trying to understand a knitting pattern.

more posts to come soon but off to Belper today for lunch at Fresh Basil and for H to play and Chucklebutties soft play centre... oh and did I mention that there just happens to be a bead shop in Belper? ;o)

Aftermath

amathyst and silver bracelet

garnet and liquid silver beaded bracelet

garnet and silver bracelet

shell and silver bracelet

labradorite and silver bracelet

A few of the things I have been working on since Christmas Day with the beads I got from M. Except for the shell one, which I bought from a charity shop for .50p with an overstretched elastic so I took it apart to salvage the beads and am happy with the result. My favourites are the amethyst, only because I have a weakness for purple and the labradorite although the picture doesn't capture the true depth of iridescence of the beads . I also made a peridot and silver bracelet that my mother and law has borrowed as it matched the peridot green jumper she was wearing on boxing day.

in other news H is recovering from Santa's gift of chickenpox, M has a cold and I have a poorly throat. I guess there is always next year.

Rose Quartz Pendant

This neclace was a Christmas gift to Frizbe. I was quite happy with the finished result and I hope she was too.

Merry Christmas to all and to All a spotted night

Had a lovely Christmas day for the most part till H complained of a headache last night and this morning he colourfully sicked up all over the sofa, upon changing his shirt I found a myriad of spots all over him. You guessed it we have been visited by the spirit of chickenpox.

Brownie Mix in a Jar

brownie mix in a jar

For this recipe you will need:

a jar that holds 1 quart or 1.1 litres. (If the jar is airtight add the ingredients directly, otherwise you will need to place them into an airtight ziplock bag. )

Ribbon for decoration

a tag to write the instructions on

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Layer ingredients into the jar. Press each layer firmly in place before adding the next layer.

Important: wipe out the inside of the jar with a dry paper towel after adding the cocoa powder for a cleaner. Neater finish.

Tag Instructions: Empty jar of brownie mix into a large bowl.
Add 3/4 cup butter (softened) and 4 eggs

Mix until completely blended.

Spread batter into a sprayed 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
Cool completely in pan. Cut into square and serve

cooks notes: well I haven't actually cooked it just made the jar up, I have had the idea stored up in my brain from a cookie mix jar I saw many years ago and thought it was a clever idea. I looked over a few different recipes on the Internet and then scrawled out my own recipe version, I think it looks quite effective and hopefully the gift is enjoyed by those it is intended for.

Addiction

Smokey Quartz and Silver Bracelet

Amethyst and Silver bracelet

Black Onyx and White Onyx Bracelet

Rose Quartz and Silver Bracelet

I've been a rather busy bee making bracelets, when I should have been wrapping presents and baking treats for Christmas. The smokey quartz bracelet is my favourite, its scavenged together from an old elasticated bracelet that broke about 5 years ago and I kept the beads hidden away in my jewelry box until now. The rest of the beads I bought from the lovely Clair's Beautiful Beads on Monday. They were supposed to be my Christmas present but.. well as you can see that didn't go so well, so instead I have place an order for more beads from http://www.beadsdirect.co.uk/ on behalf of M who hates shopping for anything other than gadgets.

What am I going to do with all these beads you wonder, and me too. To be honest I don't really know, I want to make a few things for myself and some things for my friends, if they want. M says I should have a market stall and sell them, I don't know about that, I have been beading for all of one week so its a bit premature, but it does encompass two things that I love, being creative/crafty and jewelry. I would have to see if anyone would really want to buy them from me.. i guess there is always etsy or something, but i'm sure there are allready hundreds of jewelry designers on there. Let me know what you think.

Knit Flower Brooch

I knit this little flower brooch yesterday, and attached the backing today, admittedly not very well, I must remember to borrow a proper camera off M as this is the best my phone could do. It looks much better than the image suggests. Honest.

beady beady beady

I'm sorry for the bad quality of the images, as they truelly are crap, and not at all aided by beign set on some kitchen towel but I jsut made these two bracelts today. The top one is Rose Quartz and silver, birthday gift for a friend. and the bottom one is New Jade, not really sure what that means I always thought jade was jade but apparently not. I'm so pleased with how they turned out. Technically the beads and jewlry making stuff was to be a christmas present for me, so I realyl should have given it to M to hide away and wrap, but I'm not terribly pacient, and seeing as it was in my possession I just coulden't help to mess around with it all. And especially becuse the beads are semi-precious stones, I just love that sort of thing, I have several large stone and silver pendants that I wear all the time and when I saw all the pretty pretty stone beads how could I say no?

Amber Necklace

Today Frizbe and I went into Belper in the morning, and while she had a beauty treatment I wandered around the High Street looking for a box of Christmas cards for M for the studio. In my aimless wandering between visits to Fresh Basil for life sustaining hot coffee I stumbled upon Clare's Beautiful Beads ( www.claresbeautifulbeads.com the ebay shop) and I thought I would have a look around with the thought that I have an amber necklace that needs restringing. My dad bought me the necklace of amber beads and H broke it last year tugging on it and I have ignored it's existence ever since. The broken necklace has been lurking in the bottom of my jewelry box and I hadn't really thought of it for ages. I was asked if I wanted it restrung for the price of £5 and thought I would rather try and do it myself. I was helped to find all the various bits I needed and while Frizbe waited patiently for me to choose a few beads for a knitted brooch.

I settled down to have a go at jewelry making while H tucked into his fish fingers, chips and peas ( his choice as he was feeling a bit under the weather today.) It was a bit fiddly doing the end of the necklace but I managed it and as it was quite a long necklace before I shortened it and had enough amber left to make a bracelet too. I think it could be quite additive, it was fun. I want more! I think I must have crafting ADD.

Reindeer Food

Reindeer Food (AKA Maple Cinnamon Granola)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups porridge oats
½ cup flaked almonds
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries (sweetened)

Pre-heat the oven to 300
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix thoroughly and place in a single layer on a non-stick baking try ( if you don’t have non-stick then you will need to grease the baking tray with butter or oil). Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Every 5 minutes you will need to open the oven door and stir the granola mixture. Cool and add the raisins and dried cranberries.

The granola can be eaten on its own, or with milk for breakfast, sprinkled over yogurt or ice-cream, and of course left out on a dish for Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve.

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A little help for those who don't use cups as measurments. Oh and for the record I just use normal everyday teaspoon and tablespoons for measurments, less hassel than attemting to locate the measuring ones. Which I think have migrated to H's toy box.

U.S. to Metric Conversion Table

1/5 teaspoon = 1 ml

1 teaspoon = 5 ml

1 tablespoon = 15 ml

1 fluid oz. = 30 ml

1/5 cup = 50 ml

1/4 cup = 60 ml

1/2 cup = 120 ml

1 cup = 240 ml

2 cups (1 pint) = 470 ml

4 cups (1 quart) = .95 liter

4 quarts (1 gal.) = 3.8 liters

I hope that its of some help.
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Cooks Notes: The recipe is mine based on several granola recipes that I found on the Internet and was quite disgusted by the amount of salt, and veg table oil used in them. In the end I ignored the recipes I had found and experimented with what I thought of as Christmas-y tastes: dried cranberries, cinnamon and brown sugar. It smelled Devine and tasted great, I kept nibbling on it as i added the dried fruit and baked the second half of the batch. I gave the jar to Frizbe as her DD1 helped make it with H. They had fun mixing it and especially that it was edible and reindeer food at the same. A lot better than the kind made with glitter.

Dried Oranges

Drying Orange Slices

Choose fruit that is in good condition and not too ripe. Slice the oranges as thin as you possibly can, and as straight, if you cant cut straight, and I can't, then jsut do the best you can and tell everyone you were going for a more rustic and organic look.

Place the sliced oranges between towels and remove as much moisture as possible by patting gently.

Place the orange slices in a single layer, I placed them on the oven rack but I would suggest using baking racks on a cookie sheet.

Dry in a 150 degree oven for approximately 3 or 4 hours. Check every 1/2 hour.

If the fruit appears to be turning brown the oven is too hot. Shut off for 15 minutes and start again. Turn fruit over if the edges begin to curl. When dry the fruit slices should be pliable.

I threaded ribbon through the orange slices and added a bundle of cinnamon sticks to create tree decorations with H. He almost made one before wandering off to do something more entertaining than making Christmas decorations with me. The dried oranges can be added to potpourri, wreaths, garland, ornaments, and gift tags.

Lincoln Christmas Market

Lincoln Christmas Market is one of the largest Christmas markets in Europe, and as such it is very impressive, Especially if you get the weather right. Last night was crisp and cold but thankfully there was no rain to spoil the festivities. We found parking, imbibed coffee, and clambered up Steep Hill to the Cathedral Quarter and wandered around stall after stall of Mulled wine, hot spiced cider, fudge, glazed nuts, and German biscuits. If you haven't been its definitely worth a trip, H thought it was wondrous, especially the big wheel, bumper cars, cotton candy, and hot chocolate.

I'm not so sure about the sea chantey singers though H was quite impressed. There are some lovely shops in Lincoln besides the Market, and we had a nice if rather brief wander through a few brightly lit shops filled with pretty baubles. From a little deli shop we bought Marmite bread, and Linconshire Imp Cheese. I annoyed everyone by looking at all the jewelry and craft stalls, A girl can dream can't she?

Links:

http://www.visitlincolnshire.com/exec/104906/19405/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Christmas_Market

Brown Sugar and Chocolate Cookies

Brown Sugar cookies with Chocolate chunks
Ingredients:

2 ½ cups self raising flour
1 cup butter
½ cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 ½ bars of dark chocolate (milk chocolate if you prefer) roughly chopped
1 cup pecans or almonds. (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 375° F
In a small bowl mix the four and cinnamon, if you don’t have self -raising flour then use plain flour and add to it 1 tsp baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt.

In a large bowl beat the butter, vanilla extract, and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the cinnamon and flour slowly until well blended.

By hand stir in the roughly chopped chocolate and nuts.

Drop the dough by teaspoon onto un-greased cookie sheet. For larger cookies drop by the tablespoon.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the centre is puffed up and the edges begin to brown.

Remove from the oven, let them cool for a minute on the baking tray before placing on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

cooks notes: these cookies were meant to be cinnamon oatmeal cookies, but M and H whined and whimpered that they wanted chocolate chip cookies. I said they weren't going to touch my Toll House Chocolate Chips as I lugged them all the way back from Idaho for Christmas not any other time. As M is a complete chocoholic and H is one in training there is never much chocolate in the house except for the bits of dark chocolate I hide away for myself and baking purposes. They don't really like it, or at least not the extremely high percentages I must resort to in order to have a little bit to myself. In a huff I riffled through the cupboards until I found a bar and a half of 72 percent dark chocolate and chopped it up and added it to the bowl of brown sugar and cinnamon cookie mix. The cookies turned out great, there is that lovely mix of the spicy cinnamon, the dark smooth bitterness of the dark chocolate and the heavy sweetness of the brown sugar that mingle and compliment each other. Gorgeous

p.s. I'm sure Santa would love these!

Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a 13x9 baking pan or a large round cake tin and set aside.

Microwave the butter in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the butter is melted. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the cocoa and beat until well blended. Add the flour and beat well. By hand stir in the chocolate chips (and pecans if you desire). Pour the batter into the pan smoothing it out into the corners. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, the brownie should begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares or wedges depending on the pan used. Serve with fresh whipped cream or drizzle with a little pouring cream. For an added Christmassy touch dust with a little icing sugar.

cooks notes: As everyone should know brownie batter is about the best substance known to man, M would probably kill for the bowl, and due to that I highly recommend making brownies when the house is empty, therefore there is no need to share the mixing bowl! I often under-cook brownies so that its very gooey in the centre and makes for a happy family all around. If over cooked brownie basically becomes chocolate cake, and is still edible just say you made chocolate cake and omit that it was ever brownies. The above recipe is a simple one there are hundreds of brownie variations out there, and I tend to experiment based on whats in the house. I may try a cream cheese or a peanut butter variation next time.

Painted Trees

I admit the images are pretty bad quality but I did manage to get a little bit of painting done last night, very small canvases but I'm relatively happy with the end product. In truth I did four, but the third didn't picture well at all because the light is not so good this morning. I'm hopefully going to catalogue all of my spare paintings lying about on shelves and hidden under stairs and collate them all together. And beg M to bring home a proper camera so I can get some proper true to life images instead of blurry ones. Obviously the paintings are of the trees I have been mildly obsessed with drawing for the last few months. Hopefully I will have a chance to drag some paints out again later tonight and attempt something a bit more festive possibly, I'll see what happens, because we still haven't got the Christmas boxed out of the attic and they need sorting too! oh and I have to babysit tonight as well, hmm perhaps I'll just do a bit of knitting.