Noahs Ark Crafts

Its been a long time coming

2012-01-02T09:14:00.003Z

Well, 2011 has been and gone and during that time I didn't blog at all. No I didn't get abducted by aliens or take a trip to the other side of the world but it has been a busy and eventful year.

Since I last blogged I took the big step to become a teacher and well it took up a lot of my time (to be honest it still is!). I went and learnt how to teach science and Physics to secondary school students, my how grown up some of them are! It took all of the last school year to complete and a lot of hours put in creating resources, writing lesson plans, learning the practicals, understanding how to get the students to learn and writing assignments but I came out of it with outstanding lessons and a job in a school not too far from where I live.

I started teaching "properly" in July and yes I'm still there loving the teaching (well all but my yr8 class but that's only 1 hour a week and they aren't bad it's just difficult!) I'm really loving teaching GCSE and A-level Physics, was told I would get Engineering (as I have an Engineering degree this was the golden nugget to convince me to work there) but that has yet to come about! There are some fantastic students which I absolutely enjoy teaching and look forward to seeing each week as you can see when the light comes on and they "get it!"

All I hope is that I can inspire and develop enthusiasm for Physics with my bonkers and sometimes over the top manner and OCD way!

This isn't the only thing that has happened this year but that will have to wait for another day....

S x

what a year 2011 has been

2011-12-31T21:02:00.000Z

Wow 2011 has been one hell of a year didnt work this hard for my Masters degree in mech eng but I did it I passed my PGCE in secondary science & physics with flying colours & am working my socks off still trying to improve & inspire the lives of many young person. I have my fantastic family & friends to Thank for all their support love & most of all patience they are my rock, my heart & my soul & I wish them everything for 2012 x

Folksy Friday

2010-07-23T08:53:00.003+01:00

This week sees the start of our summer holidays from school so I decided to cheer us up my Folksy Friday would be...... BEACH HUTS

A Pretty Beach Hut Filled with organic lavender by Pants and Paper

Handpainted Beach hut greeting card by Original Art by Clare

Framed driftwood beach hut collage by Kirsty Elson

Beach hut napkins by Charlotte Macey Textiles

Hope you have enjoyed a trip to the beach

3 Years ago....

2010-07-20T08:23:00.005+01:00

my Baby Boy, Noah looked like this...

I can't quite believe its been 3 years! and what a gorgeous boy you have grown into!

Although you drive me crazy and I sometimes say that you are annoying, I love you more than words can say and I wouldn't want my world without you

You always put a smile on peoples faces just by being your cheeky self, you brighten up the worst days and because of you I see things in a completely different way.

So on this day I wish you Happy Birthday and hope you continue to be the sunshine in my life

Beautiful Dress

2010-07-19T20:41:00.002+01:00

Over the weekend I found out that I had won a beautiful dress from the wonderful All About The Boys, the dress is by Poppy and I can't wait to see Grace in it!

Just in time for Noahs Birthday BBQ at the weekend, can't believe my baby boy is turning 3 tomorrow!

Oh and why not try winning yourself something as Karen has another competition running to win some books

Fruits of our labour

2010-07-11T11:14:00.005+01:00

We will really miss the fruit trees and veg patch when we move and heres the reason why!

We didn't get any cherries last year as the birds beat us to it so this year I suggested we threw a fruit net over the tree to see what happened and as you can see it worked, we didn't get many as it is a small tree but at least we didn't lose them to the birds as I LOVE CHERRIES!

Also you can see we are now starting to pick raspberries with loads more to come, loganberries, gooseberries, our dwarf beans are starting to produce and our first runner bean! The bean plants look like they need to grow a lot more but hopefully they will continue to produce well into the summer and fingers crossed once we move too as we will be taking them with us (suggestions on how to do it are welcome!).

Force India F1 Summer BBQ 2010

2010-07-10T19:33:00.003+01:00

Today was the Force India Summer BBQ and what a day it has been. The company decided to have a family BBQ at the factory next to the Silverstone circuit whilst watching the qualifying on big screens in a huge marquee with the rather loud hum of the cars in the background and helicopters flying overhead. We turned up not knowing what to expect but it was great, there was a bouncy castle for the kids, sports day races, drink, hog roast, BBQ, 2 race cars to look at and photo, raffle, and face painting....

and at the end look who turned up and signed the kids trophies (they won at the sports day races)

VJ Mallya (the owner of Force India) who thought Noah was a bit of a cutie

Tonio Luizzi

and Adrian Sutil (who gave Grace a huge hug)

Oh and in case you are wondering Adrian is scrummy! Sorry Rob but its true!!!!

In all the madness...

2010-07-05T18:08:00.003+01:00

Alot of you will know that I am having to move house. I have loved living in my little paradise where the kids can run free in the paddock, we can enjoy the sunshine in a beautiful garden and enjoy the fruits (and veg) of our labour from the fruit trees and veg patch. Unfortunately our landlord has now sold the house and we are currently looking for a new house to call home (hopefully for only a year whilst I get my PGCE and then its onwards and upwards!).

Even with all this happening we decided to continue to grow some fruit and veg for this summer (hopefully we will be able to harvest some of it and take the rest with us) so we have planted strawberry plants (of which we have not had any strawberries!) we had other soft fruit already planted and are eagerly awaiting the raspberries, gooseberries and currents that are ripening beautifully.

We also planted some dwarf beans

some runner beans

Some tomatoes (which I have been sending plants out in the post to several other twitter and blog favs of mine so would love to know how theirs are doing)

We have also got some other bits and pieces but this was a complete surprise and was saved from being strimmed and how pleased I am now that it was noticed and yes it will be dug up and taken with us!

Folksy Friday

2010-07-02T08:14:00.005+01:00

As I have been working on something with butterflies on I decided my folksy friday will be all about Butterflies.

This beautiful scarf is by Broomhead Designs

How cute is this bookmark by Jinja Jewellery

Something new but extremely gorgeous from Pants and Paper

And how bright & colourful is this brooch from Applique Originals

Maybe soon I'll be able to show you what I've been working on

Cupcake Swap

2010-05-29T16:50:00.004+01:00

A few weeks ago I decided to take part in the Great Cupcake Swap on Twitter, I got given a swap partner and was told to buy 4 items for £5, unfortunately I didn't take any photos of what I sent so hopefully my swap partner did and I will post when she has done some photos. Anyway, I got given some cupcake cases in a pretty pink, some silver triangle toppers, some multicoloured stars and a star cutter which you can see below.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make so just decided to go for it, good job I decided to make 2 batches of cupcakes as my first batch ended up in the bin, the one thing I wont miss when we move is the old gas cooker that doesn't keep temperature, burns the stuff at the back and doesn't cook the stuff at the front! Luckily the second batch was ok, not great but ok.

So once cooled out came the icing and the glitter. I decided to make a classic white Christmas selection and a fun girly party selection, then the kids decided to decorate the remaining large icing stars with the left over coloured stars which looked really funky if you wanted to do as an alternative Christmas idea.

Let me know what you think of the cupcakes, just wish you could taste them too!

xxx

How Very British

2010-05-23T19:34:00.004+01:00

I have managed to do some sewing today as I was trying to stay in the shade due to overdoing it yesterday in the veg patch and getting a bit of sunstoke.

Have been wanting to make some teacosies for a while and today was the day I managed to put everything else aside and make not just one but two!

If you like them you can find them in my folksy shop

beans & veg

2010-05-19T12:23:00.004+01:00

We are lucky to have a veg patch the size of most peoples gardens at the house we rent at the moment but it does take a lot of work and has been neglected a little recently whilst I do revision for my teacher training exam but as the weather is getting better and the beans are ready for planting I thought I would spend some time in the garden! so the plan at the moment is to spend the mornings doing housework and gardening and any household chores and then the afternoon is revision, sewing, tuition prep etc. We will see how it goes!

Here is the veg patch this morning, as you can see I did start it at the weekend, but I'd like to get it all done by the end of this weekend so that we can plant everything and then just keep on top of the weeding.

And after I spent an hour and a half digging, weeding, turning over, playing with Noah, getting a horrid blister in the centre of my hand!

What do we think, any better?

Will tackle the rest of the stinging nettles round the gooseberries, redcurrents, blackcurrents, rhubarb and raspberries tomorrow I think and fingers crossed I don't sting all down my face again!

Exciting News

2010-05-06T11:53:00.005+01:00

I've been wanting to tell you this for a while I was asked a few weeks ago to do a project for a magazine, yes, I'm in a MAGAZINE!!!!

Its a relatively new magazine called "MAKING GIFTS" and its full of lots of different projects, including stained glass, papercrafts, textiles and many more, its available from Hobbycraft and other craft stores and some of the bigger stationery shops (I think), it should be in shops tomorrow or Saturday.

Here is a my finished item and also my feature, let me know what you think

xxx

Brackley Craft Fair - April 2010

2010-04-19T14:17:00.004+01:00

This Saturday I was at Brackley Craft Fair, I love doing this fair so I can see some of my friends but this weekend it was rather slow going for me, which means the rest of the weekend I spent contemplating craft fairs.

Here is my stall (I did hide the ikea bags after the photo was taken!)

and my friends Zenia from Handmade By Zenia and Jenny from Jemini Crafts stall (no point in hiding girls!)

Maybe you could leave a comment about what you think about fairs (any), my stall and any suggestions on how we can all make fairs better.

xxx

Fairies and Cakes

2010-04-15T09:23:00.005+01:00

Yesterday Grace had a fairy tea party, there was 4 little fairies and a little elf (plus a couple of older brothers and sisters playing in the paddock)

We put up the gazebo and decorated it with balloons, pink and purple of course, cupcake paperchains (now in the playroom) and bunting (made from the leftover fabric from my cushions). The fairies came and played on the swings, then did some colouring of paper hats and such lovely colouring it was. We then had our tea; teeny tiny sandwiches, crisps, mini sausages, mini scotch eggs, mini porkpies, and lots of mini cakes!

Pass the parcel was played with a TinkerBell pressie at the end for each fairy and then it was back to the swings!

Think the party was a success!

xxx

been really busy

2010-04-13T10:05:00.004+01:00

I'm going to start by apologising for not blogging for a while but I have been very busy, making alsorts of bits. Here are a couple of cushions that have made it in to my folksy shop

So Easter has come and gone, the holidays are almost over but I promised Grace a Fairy Tea Party so that is what we will be doing tomorrow so I'll be sure to come back with some photos of all the fairies!

But for now I'm back to sewing as I'm ultra busy at the moment with a craft fair on Saturday at Brackley so come and see me if you are in the area, it would be nice to find out what people would like to see more of on my stall etc and I will have a sale end to my table making space for some new items in the Summer!

xxx

GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT!

2010-03-31T08:32:00.002+01:00

Over the past 2 weeks there has been cards, garlands, jewellery, nappies and lots of other gorgeous items up for grabs but today is my turn in the GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT and you can win this super cute hand made little Easter chick

So for more information on the EGG HUNT please check out http://www.greategghunt.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoy my turn and find something that takes your fancy in my shop, http://www.noahsarkcrafts.folksy.com/

xxx

Cheeky Chick Competition winner

2010-03-18T08:30:00.003Z

Thanks to all that entered my giveaway. I'm pleased to announce that Grace pulled out a name from the hat this morning and it was.....

So from now on she will be known as Daisy Chick, thank you Ang, I hope you like her.

You can also find Daisy Chick now on my folksy and etsy shops ready made (custom order)

xxx

Tuesday Tip

2010-03-16T11:27:00.003Z

I thought I would add a few tips, tutorials, techniques to my blog so will start to add them slowly, if there is anything you would like to see, know, ask then please leave a comment and I will try to get through as many as I can over the next few weeks, I can't guarantee I can answer them but I will give it a go and I can also ask people in the know too, just remember these are not the only way to do things but they are my way and I'm willing to take advice on things too.

So my first tip is due to me making carrot cake on Sunday, my dark brown sugar had gone really hard, now most people would throw it away but sometimes, just sometimes this trick can work. Put the sugar into a microwaveable bowl and put on defrost for short bursts of time after a while it should start to soften back up! Now I can't guarantee that this will work every time but its worth giving a try before running out to the shop to buy some more!

xxx

Cheeky Chick Competition

2010-03-15T18:12:00.004Z

I get ideas at all sorts of times and places but quite a few of my ideas come when I first wake up and in the shower and this morning was one of those times. My head was all fuzzy with a slight cold and full of a to-do-list that is getting longer and longer but still an inspiration came to me that just had to be made.

So here she is Cheeky Chick as she is known as at the moment. She will become a kit as soon as I can get the photos taken and the instructions printed (already written!), just in time for the Easter holidays hopefully. I will let you know as soon as she enters my folksy and etsy shops but before then I will be giving away the one you can see here!

"So what do I have to do to win such a fantastic prize?" I hear you ask, well its simple, you need to leave a comment on here saying what you think she should be called and why.

The rules are easy: only 1 comment per person please, I must be able to contact you through your comment if I can't then another name will be drawn, I will ship internationally so all are welcome to join in. You have until Wednesday 17th March Midnight (GMT) to enter and the winner will be announced on Thursday 18th March.

Good Luck

xxx

Sunday Recipe 8/2010

2010-03-14T10:28:00.004Z

One of my favourite cakes has got to be carrot cake and this is my take on Delias Ultimate Carrot Cake

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients

200g grated carrots

110g chopped walnuts

175g dark brown soft sugar

2 large eggs

200g self-raising flour

150ml sunflower oil

1 tbsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

grated zest of 1 orange

110g sultanas

Syrup Glaze

Juice of 1 orange

75g dark brown soft sugar

Icing

250g mascarpone

200g low fat fromage frais

1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

Preheat Oven to 170C (Gas Mark 3)

You will need 2 x 20cm sponge tins, lightly greased and bases lined with baking parchment

Method

1) Whisk the sugar, eggs and oil together until all the sugar has dissolved

2) Sift in the flour, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda and stir gently

3) Add 75g of the chopped walnuts and the rest of the remaining ingredients

4) Divide the batter between the tins and bake for approx 30 mins

5) They should feel firm and springy to the touch and show signs of shrinking away from the sides, if not give a few more minutes

6) Meanwhile make the icing by whisking all ingredients together and then chill until you are ready to ice the cakes

7) Make the syrup glaze by whisking the sugar and fruit juice together

8) When the cakes come out of the oven, stab them all over with a skewer and quickly spoon syrup evenly over the cakes

9) Now leave to cool in their tins, once completely cold remove from their tins

10) Spread one third of the icing on a cake and then layer the other cake on top, then spread the rest of the icing over the top of the cakes

11) Finely chop the rest of the walnuts and sprinkle on top

Hope you enjoy, please leave a comment if you try this cake

xxx

Sign of Spring

2010-03-06T15:30:00.004Z

Now that February is all over with I decided to put some colour back into my sewing, so I bought some gorgeous colours of wool felt with an idea in mind, I had no idea if it would work but decided to make 3 all at the same time in different colours, all the same. So I did a bit of sketching, a bit of pattern making, some cutting, some blanket stitching, some assembly and some more stitching and this is what I came up with.

This is the pink one but I'm also making one with the bright blue and one with the pistachio green. Perfect as a Summery bag for everyday use and especially to brighten up the cloudy days, ideal as a gift for Mothers Day. They will be for sale in my Folksy and Etsy shops.

xxx

Friday Favourites 9/2010

2010-03-05T08:25:00.004Z

I had to give my cat a bit of a tidyup this morning, he can't reach round to his back to keep clean so he always gets a bit of a matted area, unfortunately he isn't the nicest of cats for being picked up so it took both Rob (in his bike leathers and gloves!) and me to cut the matted area out.

Anyway as I had to do the cat this morning I thought that it was a perfect opportunity to invite you to see some of my favourite cats.

First up is Sarah at theothermousie in her other disguise as Cirque de Chassettes, how cool are these, I'm just waiting on a trapeze artist to send to my cousins little girl in the Dominican Republic as they own the Circus of Dreams out there.

Second is Pussy Galore! Lovely cute and now in kitty form. She also gives some good advice on her blog.

And lastly some cats that aren't all soft but are just as cute from Gabrielle at Moobaacluck, maybe if my cat sat still like these I wouldn't have a problem with grooming him!

xxx

Sunday Recipe 7/2010

2010-02-28T16:29:00.004Z

This week I thought I would give rolo tarts a try and unfortunately the rolos didn't melt as I thought they would, so instead I'm going to give you the recipe for:

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND MASCARPONE TARTS

Ingredients

For the Pastry

250g plain flour

125g butter

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 lrg egg

For the Filling

200g white chocolate

450g mascarpone cheese

150ml double cream

Topping

Soft fruit like Strawberries or Raspberries

Mint leaves

Preheat Oven to 200C (Gas Mark 6)

Method

1) Place the flour, butter into a bowl and rub with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs

2) Add the sugar and egg and mix until it comes together in a ball

3) Roll out the pastry and cut out with a cutter, line your tart tins with it and chill for 20 mins

4) Line the pastry cases with baking cases and fill with baking beans. I use a small cupcake case and fill with dry rice.

5) Bake blind for 10-12 mins, then remove the paper and cook for a further 5 mins, remove from oven and cool.

6) For the filling, place the white chocolate and 125g of mascarpone in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted.

7) Remove from the heat and add the remaining mascarpone and whisk briskly until smooth, then whisk in the double cream

8) Pour into the pastry cases and chill for 3 hours or until softly set

9) Arrange the berries and mint on the top when ready to serve.

Something very delicious on a Summer Day

xxx

Tag! You're it!

2010-02-27T17:05:00.003Z

I've been tagged today by Kate at Glamourpuss today, which is lovely, Thank you.

So the rules of the game are:

1. open your first photo folder
2. scroll to the tenth photo
3. post the photo and the story behind it
4. tag five more people

Its as easy as that, so my photo is

I took this photo of Grace when we got her Bridesmaid dress to check it fitted and send a photo to her Grandma, as you can see it fitted and she looked beautiful, and at the Wedding she looked like a proper little princess.

This is a lovely idea and I can't wait to see what photos are showed by:

Sarah at The Other Mousie

Vikki at GiddyStuff

Sam at PantsandPaper

Lynsey at SwirlyArts

Zenia at Handmade By Zenia

Can't wait to see the stories behind those photos

xxx

Friday Favourites 8/2010

2010-02-26T08:11:00.003Z

This weeks Friday Favourite is a very good friend of mine Zenia at HandmadeByZenia (also known as todayscrisisis on Twitter). She has been making dichroic glass jewellery for a while now but has only recently got herself a kiln so is now creating her own glass to make her jewellery. Hopefully she will be on Folksy & Etsy soon but why not follow her blog for now.

You see the piece at the bottom of the kiln, the clear square with the blue & red accents & the wire tree well I now have that as a necklace and its lovely!

Don't forget to pop back for another Friday Favourite next week

xxx

Friday Favourites 7/2010

2010-02-19T16:00:00.000Z

Todays Friday Favourites is going to be all about FELT, I love felt but especially the soft snuggly felt, I love the colours you can get and the items you can make, the fact it doesn't fray and that if you don't mind a little mess you can make it yourself. And in no particular order:

My first Felty Favourite is Sarah at Paper and String, her felt is really soft and comes in different sizes, she also has a new workshop which I'm extremely jealous of, and she has a wonderful blog with a great giveaway each month.

Second on my list is Laura (Lupin) at Bugs and Fishes, again her felt is gorgeous, her items she makes are beautiful and sometimes quirky and her blog is entertaining!

Third is Jenny at The Felted Rainbow, her felt is what I have used for Albies Hat, it is recycled and comes in lots of colours.

Lastly is Clara from the rainbowroom, lots of gorgeous supplies to make your own felt, lots of lovely handmade felty goodies and lots of rainbows!

Hope you have enjoyed my Felty Friday Favourites

xxx

Shortbread Extra

2010-02-16T09:29:00.003Z

Not so long ago I wrote my Shortbread Recipe and today I have been asked for the recipe for the topping I use for Millionaires shortbread, so here it is, I will add the photos later when I get a chance to make it, which I'm sure won't be long as it is a favourite in our house!

MILLIONAIRES SHORTBREAD

Ingredients
2 x Shortbread Mixture
175g Butter
115g Golden Caster Sugar
3 tbsp Golden Syrup
400g can condensed milk
350g plain chocolate (my family prefers milk chocolate so I use that instead)

I use my trusted ceramic roasting dish as its just the right size. You will need something thats approx 30cm by 20cm and approx 5cm deep.

Preheat oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4)

Method
1) Grease and line the baking dish
2) Make the shortbread as in the recipe but this time press it into the baking dish and smooth the top.
3) Bake for approx 20-25 minutes or until golden
4) Meanwhile, to make the filling, place the butter, sugar, syrup and condensed milk in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has melted.
5) Bring to the boil and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes very thick.
6) Pour over the shortbread base and leave to chill int he refridgerator until firm.
7) To make the topping, melt the chocolate and leave to cool, then spread over the caramel.
8) Chill in the refridgerator until set
9) Cut and serve!

I cut into quite small pieces as it is very moreish and we always go back for more!

If you enjoy these or any other recipe on here then please leave a comment as I would love to hear what you think, Thank you

xxx

Myfanwy & Martyn's Wedding

2010-02-14T18:38:00.005Z

This weekend we have been to Wales for Robs sisters wedding. Not going into the ins and outs of the in-law issues but needless to say nothing changes!

So the wedding, it was a Wonderful day, Maf looked beautiful, her dress was antique gold with lots of embroidery, pearls, seqenes and sparkle, like a real princess. Maf is also Graces Godmother so it was lovely that she asked Grace to be a bridesmaid especially as we don't see Robs family very often as they live so far away. Unfortunately things didn't go completely to plan, Grace didn't exactly want to be bridesmaid, now if you know Grace you know she is very shy and really doesn't like crowds especially people she doesn't know, so this didn't really come as a surprise to me but it didn't go down too well with the MIL! In the end it all went well until the evening when Grace decided enough was enough and became rather ill! Anyway, I thought you would like to see my beautiful Princess!

xxx

Sunday Recipe 6/2010

2010-02-14T09:00:00.001Z

So I've been promising twitter friends something chocolatey ready for the half term well I hope this will satisfy your chocolate needs!

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Ingredients
100g chocolate
2 large eggs
125g softened butter
275g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
50g Self Raising Flour
25g Plain Flour
2 tbsps cocoa powder
100g chocolate chips or chopped nuts (I use a mix of chocolate chips due to the kids not liking nuts)
Preheat oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4) and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin that is at least 6.5cm deep

Method
1) Melt the chocolate
2) Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl and beat them until fluffy.
3) Add the eggs a little at a time beating between each addition.
4) Sift both flours and cocoa powder into the bowl.
5) Add the melted chocolate and chocolate chips (or nuts) and stir all the ingredients together until they are well mixed
6) Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon
7) Bake for approx 35 minutes. They are ready when risen slightly and a crust has formed on top but they will be soft in the middle.
8) Leave the brownies in the tin for 20 minutes, then cut into squares.

If you enjoy these or any other recipe on here then please leave a comment as I would love to hear what you think, Thank you

xxx

Friday Favourites 6/2010

2010-02-12T09:00:00.000Z

This weeks Friday Favourite was a difficult one to choose as there are still soooo many people out there I want to mention but this lovely lady has been helping me in another venture so have been wanting to post about her but until recently she didn't have her shop open but this changed recently!

So for this week my Friday Favourite is Vikki at GiddyStuff, she is in to lots of different crafts, jewellery, felt, sewing, knitting, you name it she does it! Not sure how she fits it all in with family and working but she does and manages to twitter too! You can find her on folksy and Misi

xxx

Sunday Recipe 5/2010

2010-02-07T10:25:00.006Z

I always try to have something in the house for the children to eat other than chocolate and this is one of their favourites.

FLAPJACK

Ingredients

110g soft brown sugar

100g butter

1 rounded dessertspoon golden syrup

175g whole porridge oats

75g raisins or sultanas (or perhaps you could try cut apple or apricots, most fruits work)

Preheat oven to 150C (Gas Mark 2)

You will need an 18 or 20cm square baking tin at least 4cm deep, lightly greased

(I use double the quantity and use a large ceramic roasting dish)

Method

1) Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup in a saucepan and heat gently until the fat has melted, stirring every now and then.

2) Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the porridge oats and fruit

3) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin

4) Press it out using the back of a tablespoon or your hand (I use my hand as I find it flattens easier)

5) Bake for approx 40-45 minutes

6) Allow the mixture to cool in the tin for approx 10 minutes, then cut into oblong bars

7) Leave in the tin until cold before removing them

8) Store in a tin

These are perfect for lunch boxes and after school munchies

xxx

Friday Favourites 5/2010

2010-02-05T09:00:00.004Z

Last week I had a lovely tweet from a very lovely lady, she is an inspiration to all of us as she works out of a shed at the bottom of her garden in all weathers without proper heating!!!

I hope that I bring you a variety of items within my Friday Favourites, and I continue to expand the range with Gabriella from Moobaacluck. She is a painter and illustrator and has over recent years expanded from greeting cards and childrens books to handpainted gifts, perfect for that personal touch and you can find her on her own website and also on NOTHS.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and that you will come back on Sunday for another recipe.

xxx

Albie Kit is in my shops now

2010-02-04T14:48:00.003Z

You have probably guessed from the title of this piece that the long awaited Albie Kit is now in my folksy and etsy shops, he comes with a variety of colours for his hat so all you have to do is choose which one is your favourite.

Am currently working on a few more kits but we shall have to wait and see how it all works out.

xxx

Sunday Recipe 4/2010

2010-01-30T20:18:00.006Z

Whether you want to impress dinner guests or just finish off a lovely Sunday Lunch this is the perfect dessert.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Ingredients
6 greased ramakins
175g dates, stoned and chopped
300ml water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
175g self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the sauce
300ml double cream
50g demerara sugar
2 tsp black treacle

Preheat oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4)

Method
1) Boil the dates in the water for about 5 mins until soft
2) Add the bicarbonate of soda and keep the dates in the water
3) Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4) Add the eggs and beat well
5) Mix in the dates (with the water) and the flour and vanilla essence
6) Divide equally between the ramakins
7) Bake for 25-30 mins until just firm to the touch

When you are ready to serve up make the sauce as it only takes a few minutes

1) Place all ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until blended
2) Bring to boil

Dish up each pudding and ladle on the sauce.

Now I'm a bit of a fan of this recipe and love the sauce so much that whenever I have served this pudding I make double quantity and it always gets eaten!

xxx

Friday Favourites 4/2010

2010-01-29T08:59:00.011Z

Well this week is going to be a bit different as I'm going to re-introduce you to one very special lady who has started something a little bit new and exciting and also introduce you to another special lady who I have had the pleasure of buying a few of her gift tags.

So the first is Sarah from The Other Mousie, I love this wonderful lady she is so kind and caring, and is definately my soulmate. This week she has ventured out of her little Itty Bitty Kitty shop to create THE CIRQUE DE CHAUSSETTES, they are so quirky that you can't help but love them.

This is the Ringmaster of the World Famous Cirque de Chaussettes, Monsieur Alphonse Poissonnier!

The first artiste to join him at the circus is his good friend, Long 'Stretch' Johnson, Swordfish Swallower...

There will more performing cats coming soon to a circus near you...

So if that wasn't enough for you today, I would like to introduce you to Lynsey from SwirlyArts. She has embarked on a few new things this year, including lots of walking and to craft everyday!

She makes lots of wonderful gift tags (I have bought Snoopy and handdrawn Robins and will be going back for more!) and envelopes from recycled books, comics, magazines, well anything made of paper or card! As well as funky Chickens, paperweight size and doorstops, all can be bought in her Folksy and Etsy shops.

I hope that has given you a feast for your eyes this morning. Don't forget to come back on Sunday for a really yummy recipe, something that will wow any dinner guest but that you could make for a special Sunday Dinner Treat (don't forget Valentines Day is coming up and this is a perfect dessert!!)

xxx

Sunday Recipe 3/2010

2010-01-24T09:48:00.006Z

Be Warned......This recipe will come with many warnings!!!

The second warning is this, my kids love this recipe, as soon as they come out the oven I get pounced on, "Mummy I really really love you, more than Daddy, I love you infinity and beyond", I always try to make the cookies (yes you heard/read right, todays recipe is Chocolate Chip Cookies!) last more than a day but so far that has never happened!!!

I will also warn you that once you have made these once the probability of making them again is very high! I always have the ingredients in my cookery cupboard as they are quite simple to make and I've never had anyone say they don't like them!

My next warning is that the cookie dough is rather moreish too before it is cooked!!!

Try to leave enough time for some cooling before cooking as it does help the dough be less sticky, however you can make them straight away, my tip is to use damp hands when rolling the balls as it seems to stop them sticking to your fingers.

Don't let their appearence put you off they are supposed to be wrinkly!

Again as with most of my recipes, all ovens vary and you will have to find the right timing for your oven, I say this especially with these as it took me a few attempts to get it right, but it is so worth it when you do!

I'm sure there are many more warnings but you are probably getting impatient!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
(makes approx 36)

225g butter

200g light soft brown sugar

175g caster sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

350g plain white flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

150g chocolate chips

110g nuts

(when I make these for the kids I use 200g of chocolate chips and no nuts)

Preheat oven 180C (Gas Mark 4)

Method

1) Cream the butter

2) Add in both sugars and cream together with the butter

3) Beat the eggs and add in a bit at a time

4) Add in the vanilla extract and stir

5) Mix all the dry ingredients together and then fold them in to the butter/sugar mixture

6) Add in the chocolate and nuts

7) Put in the fridge to chill for 15-30 mins

8) Divide the mixture into equal size balls, mine are about 1.5" or 40mm diameter

9) Put 6 evenly spaced onto a lined baking tray (I use 2 at a time so that when 1 comes out the next goes in) and bake for approximately 10 mins. What you are looking for it a slight darkness around the edge.

10) Take them out of the oven, they will look risen but will drop when they cool. Take the lining off the baking sheet to allow the cookies to cool, then after about 5 mins you will be able to transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling using a palett knife to loosen and lift them.

When eaten they should be a bit crunchy round the outside but gooey in the middle.

If you have a go I would love to know what you think. If you have any suggestions for recipes you want to try then leave a comment and I'll see what I can find! Trust me between us my family has most recipes so should come up with something that will be just right!

xxx

Friday Favourites 3/2010

2010-01-22T10:08:00.005Z

I love reading blogs and have many twitter friends so it is difficult to choose who to feature each week. I hope those that I haven't yet featured realise that I would love to feature everybody at once but that would take forever and then what would I blog about next week, plus you never know you might just be next!

This week I have chosen Pantsandpaper, Sam is such a talented lady making lots of delightful purses, brooches and other items out of recycled fabrics and haberdashery items. She is also on twitter and is always lovely to talk to.

Please go and check out her shop and perhaps even have a little spend on some of her yummy goodiness!

Don't forget to come back next week to see if you might be my next Friday Favourite!!!

xxx

Sunday Recipe 2/2010

2010-01-17T10:14:00.006Z

I keep being asked about my recipes so have decided to try and share them with you on here, as with my Friday Favourites I have decided Sunday will be my recipe day, this is not to say I won't add in others during the week but I will post a new recipe every Sunday. Please note that these are not recipes I have made up but ones from various books or handed down to me from my Gran and Mum who are both great cooks and also my Mum is THE BEST (in my opinion & many of her students!) Home Economics Teacher.

So last week I did a recipe for scones which my family have used for many years and I would love to hear if any of you tried the recipe and what you thought.

This week on Twitter there was talk of Shortbread so I thought I would share another recipe that my family have used for years. It is simple but when it comes to the baking it does all depend on your oven temperature so I will give you the timing for my oven but you will need to alter accordingly.

SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Ingredients

(makes about 12 biscuits)

100g Plain Flour

50g Cornflour

100g Butter

50g Caster Sugar

pinch of salt

Preheat oven 170C (Gas Mark 3)

Method

1) Line 2 baking trays with silicone paper (baking paper)

2) Sift the flour, cornflour and salt into a mixing bowl

3) Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Stir round with a palette knife

4) Rub the fat into the flour using your fingertips

5) Sprinkle in the sugar

6) Knead the ingredients until they all bind together as a dough

7) Roll out to 5mms thick and cut out the biscuits so that they are even in size using a cutter

8) Prick the biscuits with a fork (and place in the fridge to chill if you have time)

9) Bake in the oven until set and pale golden brown (it takes about 10mins for my oven but as I said ovens vary so watch for the first time and make a note for the next time)

These are great for kids to make as well as eat as they are simple and don't take too long in to cook. They have a buttery taste and a crumbly texture. Why not give them a go and let me know what you think.

If you have any suggestions for further Sunday Recipes, cakes, biscuits, desserts, savory meals then leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Maybe I will share some family secret recipes (like our famous chocolate roulade or individual sticky toffee puddings, mmm, mmm, mmm) if you ask nicely enough!

xxx

Friday Favourites 2/2010

2010-01-14T13:17:00.004Z

So my Friday Favourite for this week was decided for me yesterday when I recieved an unexpected parcel in the post. It was full of goodies from the wonderful Sara at kittyeden. She was very helpful the other day telling me about a good place to buy felt and kindly offered to send me a little piece so I could see how soft it is and the density of the fibre, so imagine my surprise when I got a box full of goodies. Now when I opened the box the tissue paper along with Sara's little note opened up inside the box lid and all I could see was the goodies, and all I could think of was "this can't be for me, theres been a mistake, I didn't order a box of goodies" then I had a better look and saw the note. I restrained myself from opening straight away and got my camera and look what a box of goodies it is! Chocolate (very important when crafting away!!), a massive pile of lovely fabric scraps, thread, inspirations packs with lots of pink sparkly bits, some sticky letters, the piece of felt and a beautiful button badge!

Thank you so much Sara, its lovely to recieve parcels in the post but even more so when you are not expecting them.

Please, if you haven't already, go and check out her wonderful blog and shops, I promise you won't be disappointed.

xxx

Meet Albie

2010-01-14T10:50:00.004Z

My new venture for this year are kits as I thought others would like to have a go at making some yummy things for themselves. Here is my first one, his name is Albie (Owl-be)(sorry about the photo, it was dark but I wanted to show him off) he will be available in kit form soon and I might even get around to making some to sell too for those who just can't wait.

Please let me know what you think of Albie and what other colour hats you might like to see him wearing (I can't promise anything but I will do my best).

I am now working on my next kit or 3! And I hope to bring them to you very soon.

If you want to pre-order an Albie kit, that is before he hits my folksy or etsy shops, then please leave me a comment as I will be doing a special offer.

xxx

I just won an award!

2010-01-12T12:23:00.005Z

I would like to thank FairlyGirly for giving me a wonderful award. It is the Sunshine Blog Award which is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world.

The rules for accepting this award are:-

Put the logo on your blog or within your post,

Pass the award on to 12 bloggers,

Link the nominees within your post,

Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog,

Share the love and link to the person from whom you have received this award.

So my nominees are (and it was difficult to decide):

Congratulations all of you and I hope you all have a lovely day

xxx

Snow and Scones

2010-01-08T12:36:00.004Z

I'm often found in the kitchen baking and overtime many have asked for my recipes so as this is quite a simple but very tasty recipe I thought I would share it with you, alongside some photos of my garden in the snow.

Ingredients

(makes approx 8)

200g self raising flour

50g butter (room temperature)

125ml milk

Flavouring: Plain Scones - 50g caster sugar

Fruit Scones - 50g caster sugar and 50g dried fruit (I use more as I love them fruity)

Cheese Scones - 50g grated cheese

Pre-heat oven to 220degC (Gas Mark 7)

Method

1) Sieve flour into a bowl

2) Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs

3) Add the flavouring

4) Add the milk a little at a time. Mix the dough with a round bladed knife. When it begins to come together finish with your hands, it should be soft but not sticky

5) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface

6) Lightly press out the dough with your hands to about 2.5cm thickness and cut into shapes using a cutter. (Try not to handle the dough as little as possible as it will become tough if you work it too much)

7) Place the shapes close together on a floured baking tray, glaze lightly with milk

8) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are well risen and golden brown

9) Remove scones from the oven and place on a cooling rack

10) Eat whilst fresh! Clotted cream, homemade strawberry jam and a cup of tea optional!!!

xxx

Friday Favourites 1/2010

2010-01-08T10:03:00.006Z

If you are a Twitter fan you will know that on a Friday you can do a tweet about your favourite tweeple, so I thought that I would carry that on into my blog and choose 1 person each week to blog about.

Today is my first and I'm going to start it off with the lovely Becky, otherwise known as Dots and Spots, she is not just a wonderful lady but a very talented one too. I just love the washing lines but everything is gorgeous, head over to her shop and have a look at everything she does there is so much you'll find it hard to decide which to buy first!

I hope you have liked my first Friday Favourite and will come back to see who will be my Favourite next week.

xxx

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Properous 2010

2009-12-31T15:26:00.005Z

Alot has happened this year and I would like to Thank Everyone who has supported me, following me here and on Twitter, buying my items, and also emotionally.

I look forward to seeing some of you in 2010, making more friends and bringing you some new and improved items along with some old favourites.

I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Properous New Year.

xxx

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T11:19:00.004Z

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, we went to my Mums and had a very enjoyable time. The kids were really happy and were extremely pleased with what Father Christmas bought them! (sorry for quality of photos I think I might have to get a new camera in 2010 hint hint!!!)

Although I'm not sure who enjoyed the spaceman outfit more, Noah or Grandad!!!

I also thought I would show you what I firstly made for my family and then decided to make for 3 of my followers who won my Christmas Giveaway, the reason for me making these were 1) they are so damn cute 2) they were wonderfully dotty for Becky at dotsandspots and 3) I had run out of stock over the Christmas fairs so had nothing to give away! The design is from a wonderful lady and friend called Brenda Walker.

Today I'm suffering with a cold but am in the process of designing and making for next year so keep coming back and I might show you some sneaky previews!!! Thanks for all your support in making 2009 good and I hope that you will love my new items even more making 2010 a great year!

xxx

Christmas Giveaway Winners

2009-12-15T10:24:00.004Z

It has been a bit manic in my house recently, but I have finally finished all fairs, and have had my Ofsted inspection where I was graded OUTSTANDING, oh yeah baby, I'm OUTSTANDING!!! Lol ;) I have now done a to-do-list as I have not done any Christmas Shopping which is a first for me and now I'm starting to panic, especially as people expect handcrafted items and mmmm, I sold out of most bits over the past few weeks!

However I have now managed to do my giveaway, I used a random number generator this time so now beautiful girlie pulling names out of pumpkin! But I will add in my beautiful Angel!!!

Before I tell you who won I would just like to say a HUGE Thank you to all my Followers, Commenters and especially my customers who have supported me and made this run of Christmas Fairs worth while and extremely enjoyable!

So the winners are.....

Michelle Stanton,

Victoria Alcock,

Kate, who left a lovely Message

Saraeden, a lovely lady who follows me here and on Twitter

And

Dotsandspots, another lovely follower

I can't thank all my customers enough and I would love to have given you all a little something, maybe I'll have to think about something for next Christmas

xxx

more fairs and Sutil

2009-12-07T15:19:00.004Z

This weekend I did some more Christmas Fairs and they were the worst ones this year. But I have a theory... those that have been buying before this weekend are well prepared so have now finished or are close to finishing their shopping. Now although I'm quite a Christmassy person with all my decorations up I have noticed that its not very Christmassy out there and I haven't done much shopping and I think there are lots of people out there feeling the same. So this weekend I'm doing my last fair at Brackley Town Hall, I'm really looking forward to it and gonna try to make it a good one.

Now as you've seen plenty of photos of my stall I thought I would also tell you about my Saturday evening. Grandma and Grandad came up and looked after the little ones so that Rob and I could go out to his Christmas do, and boy was it good, I got all dressed up and almost as soon as I walked in I was stood next to the most gorgeous man in the company and no it wasn't Rob!!! It was of course Adrian Sutil!!! The evening was great, everything free which is definately the way it should be, 5 course meal (food ok but waitressing was really bad, wanted to get up and organise!) but I think one of the best bits was the dodgems!

Need to do a bit more for Saturdays Fair whilst also childminding and getting ready for an Ofsted inspection on Monday!

Don't forget its the last week to enter my Christmas Free Prize Drawer, so go and check out my Folksy and Etsy Shops and buy something, there are lots of items that are stocking filler prices!

xxx

Personalised Christmas Decorations

2009-12-01T18:00:00.003Z

So I have been thinking of these for a few weeks but hadn't got round to giving it a try until this week. I reached 1000 tweets and did a giveaway to the first person who tweeted me back and it was the lovely Lynsey at SwirlyArts. So I sent her a scarflace and her beautiful girls a personalised Christmas Decoration each.

If you would like one for your little ones please check out my folksy shop. And don't forget if you buy from me before 12th December you will be entered into my Christmas Prize Drawer.

xxx

Can't believe she is 4!

2009-11-24T16:10:00.004Z

This Sunday Grace (my baby girlie) turned 4 and she decided to have a party with a few of her friends. She asked me very nicely if I would make her a cake and some party bags so how could I say no. I mean its only the busiest time of the year for me and I had a craft fair on the Saturday but she is my little girl and with big eyes I couldn't say no.

She decided only a couple of days before that she loves Tinkerbelle and princess' so thats what we went with. She ended up getting a Tinkerbelle outfit from Daddy and I made the cake as a Princess Ballerina, finished with 10 mins to spare, thats why it doesn't look that great! All the girls (and Noah) seemed to have a lovely time, playing party games and dancing. Well now thats all over I had better catch up with sewing for the next craft fair.

xxx

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2009-11-19T11:27:00.003Z

Wow has it really been over a week since my last post, well please accept my apologies I have been a little busy. Childminding, sewing and craft fairs. I was at Grange Park in Northampton on Saturday and it was a very busy 2 hours, I sold well and had lots of personalisations to do on childrens aprons and bags.

Then on Sunday I was lucky enough to get a last minute table at Canons Ashby. It’s a National Trust house about 3 miles from where I live and it is beautiful. I was situated in the Dining Room, and although a little dark was wonderful. I was busy all day and did quite well. I didn’t take many photos as I think you have probably seen them all before and it was dark, I will try to take more another fair and believe me there are more fairs to come!

So what else have I been doing. I have been planning Graces Birthday Party, which is on Sunday, and I don’t know if I’m just a loving Mummy or completely mad as I have told her I will make party bags! Thankfully there aren’t too many coming, about 5 little 4 year old girls, ok so I am mad!!

For those that are interested in my weight loss progress, I have now lost ½ stone (in 10 days), just another ½ to go before 5th December, which is Robs Christmas Party and I would love to fit into my little black number!

Since I last posted with Grace pulling out the name of my lucky follower I sent this to Miss Dollypops, such a lovely lady.

And I would like to say a big Thank You to all my followers and I will be doing another giveaway soon, I will let you know details when I have thought about it a bit more! But don’t forget to follow, comment and especially purchase from one of my shops to be entered into my Christmas Giveaway. The more times you buy the more opportunities you will have to win!

Right better get on as I have a to-do-list that is growing longer by the milli-second!!!

xxx

Followers Winners!

2009-11-09T20:22:00.004Z

I want to start by saying Thank you to all my lovely followers, I appreciate and love all your comments. I would love to send you all a little something, maybe after Christmas when I have finished all my fairs and caught up on some sleep!! Anyway for now the winner is......

Oooppps!!!

Congratulations Miss Dollipops, is there anything you have seen (that I make) that you would like or are you happy to have a surprise. Please can you email me your address on sarah@noahsarkcrafts.co.uk

xxx

Hatton Christmas Fair

2009-11-09T08:44:00.004Z

This weekend I had a stall at the Hatton Christmas Fair, its one I've done for a couple of years now and its great fun. I love seeing sellers I haven't seen for 6 months, but the best thing is seeing the customers that come back to buy more from you because they have loved what they bought last time and all the new customers that are buying for loved ones, family and friends (and themselves!) and want something that is handcrafted, unique and beautiful. I got lots of beautiful comments, many of which they wrote in my comments book ready for me to put on my website.

xxx

Hatton Country World

2009-11-06T09:29:00.004Z

Just a quick post today as must get on with some sewing. But I really wanted to remind everyone that I will be at Hatton Country World all weekend at their annual Christmas Fair. There will be lots of handmade goodies for all, so why not pop over, come and see me and the other sellers and then have a great day out with the kids playing on the farm. I will have some of these

And these

And a few of these

And maybe some of these

So please come and see me and don't forget if you buy from me by 12th December then you will be entered into the Christmas giveaway!

xxx

Something for all you doodlers out there!

2009-11-02T14:53:00.004Z

So this is what I was working on this weekend.

I got into the mood of birdies after making the bird bookmarks and decided to finally make one of the ideas off my list! I do hope you like them. They are A5 lined notebooks which I have made the covers for. The birds are appliqued on and then I have free machine stitched around them and the accents. You can find these 2 in my etsy and Folksy shops. I will be making more birdies and maybe some other things too, thinking maybe cupcakes next, what do you think, any suggestions welcome. Oooo just thought, if you like these and would like them personalised as a special gift for someone (teacher, friend, craft buddy) then I can do that too, now that has got me excited!

Got a Christmas Craft fair on all this weekend at Hatton Country World, so if your stuck for something to do come up and see me and bring the kids for a great day out. There is the farm animals and loads of rides and bits for them to play on. My two really love it and will be up with me at somepoint of the weekend, with their Daddy!

Don't forget to be one of the first 20 to follow me here to be in for a chance to win a little something. Also if you buy something from me before 12th December you will be in for a chance to win a special Christmas Present.

Right better get on with some sewing and shoudl get the washing in off the line before it rains!!!

xxx

Hallow'een

2009-11-01T19:13:00.005Z

So yesterday was Hallow'een and Dad came up for lunch. I don't think he was expecting to have to sit down with the rest of us to make the decorations for Hallow'een. We even got him carving the pumpkin!

The kids got dressed up first thing in the morning and didn't change until going to bed. Grace was a very good witch and insisted on having her face painted green with stars to match her outfit.

Noah dressed up as a monster but instead of being scary he looked very cute. We popped round our neighbours for trick or treating but we didn't get any coming round ourselves.

Have managed to do a little bit of sewing this weekend but you will have to wait for those photos as it is now dark and I would like to get a bit more done before unveiling it to you.

Sing little Birdie, Sing

2009-10-27T14:55:00.006Z

I've had an idea for a while and drew out a pattern a few weeks ago, but as with alot of my ideas it got put on my to do list and I haven't got around to making it a reality. This changed today as I finally had a reason to make it. As part of my 20 followers giveaway I decided (on Twitter) to give an extra something to numbers 15 and 16, well they were Oddsox and Kate. Kate please can you contact me as I would love to send you a little something. Having been in contact with Oddsox I found out she had seen some of my goodies here so I asked what had caught her eye and the reply was that she has a soft spot for birdies. Well that was easy she will be getting one of the little birdie lavender pouches but thats not all, as I said I finally got a reason to make this.....

So as an extra Thank you for giving me the reason to try this out I'm sending it to you Oddsox, I really hope you like it. They are made using a big paperclip type bookmark and some thick handmade felt, both were bought here, although the felt was given to me as a little bag of scraps! And I think I will be making a few more to add to my shops as I think they are kinda cute, let me know what you think.

xxx

surprise little somethings

2009-10-26T14:23:00.003Z

Would followers Kate and Oddsox please contact me by email as you are numbers 15 and 16 followers and as I twittered earlier today will be recieving an extra little something along with being entered into my 20 followers giveaway and my Xmas giveaway. I also want to say a big Thank you to Kate for making my day your comment about being sparkly. Only another 4 followers needed before I will be drawing names out of the hat for the giveaway!

xxx

Witches, Lavender and Wrist Warmers

2009-10-25T18:47:00.003Z

So this week has been a little busier with the sewing and other things. The kiddies got dressed up as a Witch and a Fairy just because they wanted to.

I went to Banbury shopping and bought myself some very yummy wrist warmers which have worked wonders when I'm riding my bike!

And to top it all off I managed to finish my snowmen which are now on folksy and will be on my website soon.

But I also made one of my many ideas come into reality. It needs a little more work but I know what I need to improve and then it will be in my shops. I have filled mine with wheat and lavender and it smells gorgeous, but I think my next one I will mix the wheat and lavender with polyfill to reduce the weight and to help keep the shape a bit more, other than that I LOVE IT!!!! Please let me know what you think.

Hopefully now I'm in the zone I will continue to make more this week ready for the Christmas Fairs coming up.

Lost my Sparkle?!

2009-10-24T16:50:00.006+01:00

So today I went to The Heart of the Shires, a lovely place to visit just north of Weedon (Northants), mainly to pick up my wheat that I ordered for some crafty bits waiting to be transformed from my dreams into beautiful textile gifts but I also visited a shop with some of my Christmas decorations. After having loads of positive feedback I took a deep breath and decided to see the owner of one of the shops. They have some decorations already on a Christmassy branch tree thingy but they didn't seem very Christmassy to me, cupcakes and hearts, nothing too exciting as I can't remember what there was! I thought they might like some of my yummy felty Christmas goodies especially as I was offering them on a sale or return so if none sold they wouldn't have been out of pocket. So imagine my surprise when they said they weren't sparkly enough! If they had just said that they don't sell felt items I could have understood but to say they weren't sparkly enough! Anyway, thought you might like to tell me what you think! Ok, so you can't really see the sparkle within the felt on the pictures but trust me some are made with sparkly felt.

I have also added a couple of my favorites which are now for sale on etsy and folksy.

xxx

Follower Giveaway

2009-10-21T10:48:00.003+01:00

As I write I have 10 fantastic followers, its great to feel like there are people out there reading my witterings and coming back for more. And all this has happened in the past couple of weeks. To celebrate my followers I have decided to hold a little giveaway, as soon as I reach 20 followers I will put you all in a hat and pick out a lucky winner. So come on everyone start following and be in for a chance to win a little something special! Oh and don't forget that if you leave a comment or buy something from me you will also get a chance to win the Christmas Giveaway !

xxx

How can they sleep?

2009-10-20T16:19:00.004+01:00

So today it is raining, cold and miserable. And Rob had the car so I had to get Gracie to and from school in the bike and trailer. Getting there wasn't too bad but coming home it was miserable and I got quite wet and my legs were definately burning at the end. Anyway I thought you might like to see what I looked like at the end of my journey, I'm sure I felt worse than the photo suggests!!!

So when I got home I thought it was quiet in the back and when I opened up the front this is what I was faced with.

YES THEY ARE BOTH ASLEEP!!!!!

Am hoping to get some sewing done tonight so maybe one or more of my ideas will come to life tonight, had a few more whilst waiting for Grace to come out of nursery so the list is getting longer.

xxx

Pumpkin T-Shirt

2009-10-19T19:26:00.006+01:00

Can't believe it, I've just managed to sew up a pumpkin t-shirt. I had to come up with a design, cut out the felt and sew it on to the t-shirt and I managed to do it all since Rob got home (an hour ago). Anyway it will be going into a shop, just not sure which am thinking I might put it onto etsy as something different. It will be £8 with £1.50 p&p and is a size 18-24 months. My kiddies love these t-shirts and so do all my nephews and nieces. If this one doesn't take your fancy have a look on my website as I have plenty of other designs and can also make things to order. Sorry the photo is a bit dark but I couldn't wait till tomorrow to take it.

Hopefully now I have my childminding a bit more organised I will be able to find some more time for sewing so keep coming back to see what I've come up with as I have a lot of ideas just waiting to come to life!

xxx

* I've now put it in my etsy shop so please go and look, fingers crossed it sells*

Brackley Craft Market

2009-10-18T20:04:00.009+01:00

So yesterday I did my first fair since the beginning of the Summer and I didn't do too badly. I had a few big sales and alot of lovely comments, which I managed to get some written in my Comments Book and I will get put onto my website when I can work out how! Just hoping that it will continue to get better and we will have a good run up to Christmas. I might even get myself organised and add some bits to my etsy, misi and folksy shops. I got to meet up some some of my lovely crafting friends (you know who you are!) have a quick chat, have a few hours away from my (wonderful) family to just be me. Anyway I thought you might like to see my stall.

Will catch up again soon with some new bits that I have been working on.

xxx

Twitter Friends

2009-10-15T19:45:00.006+01:00

So recently I've started to Twitter and I've realised I'm not the only mad one out there!!! Its a great place to meet like minded people and I have met a fantastic lady. Its amazing we have only just met but its like we've know each other for years, anyway she is also called Sarah and has a son called Noah which is how we started talking. She also has 2 other babes, a hubby and she makes the most fantastic Itty Bitty Sock Kitties!!!! She has a fantastic blog, full of inspiration, recipes and family, plus she loves CAKE!!!! So please go take a look at her blog theothermousie, thanks Sarah for being such a lovely friend.

Plus don't forget any comment, sale either on my website or at any event means that you will get a chance to win a Christmas Present.

xxx

Saturdays Fair

2009-10-14T14:41:00.006+01:00

Although I'm better (not being ill) I still don't feel great and definately don't have any motivation, so am struggling to make anything for the craft fair I have coming up on Saturday. Main problem is what to make. Loads of ideas going around in my head and on my list of things to make but I just can't quite decide what will sell well on Saturday. I have my usuals to take with me, although some of those are running low and I now have some Christmas decorations to take too (not all designs are made yet) but was thinking about some gifts for Christmas. Do I make teapot cosies, lavender pouches (my little plain pouches sell well but they are really cheap and I was thinking about making some really nice linen patterned ones), more hanging lavender ornaments (thinking birdies to add to the hearts), notebooks with material covers, more brooches, bags, pencil/makeup cases, keyfobs, oh the list is endless and starting to trouble me.

Another thing that is worrying me is my display as I have t-shirts and aprons I want to hang up and as you can see when I was outside during the Summer I was able to hang them on my gazebo but now its cold and I'm inside for most of my fairs I need to come up with a way to display everything. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.

I have a couple of ideas for promotion at the fairs including my Christmas Giveaway (which I've decided to also include anyone that adds a comment on any post, and there will probably be more than 1 pressy too depending on numbers). But as I'm booked in for eleven between now and Christmas with the possibility of 2 more I really need to make more.

Right maybe if I go and sew some more buttons on to the trees that need to be finished some inspiration will come to me and if not then hopefully someone will comment with some suggestions.

xxx

A Gaggle of Giggling Angels

2009-10-13T15:39:00.009+01:00

So the weekend wasn't good, all the family came down with a horrid tummy bug, won't go into much detail but will say that Noah started it off on Thursday afternoon and we ended up getting the doctor out on Saturday as he wasn't keeping anything, not even juice, down and if he hadn't just managed a wet nappy we would have all been on a trip to the hospital! We quarantined ourselves off until today when Rob has gone back to work, but Grace was unwell last night so I'm at home with the kiddies and my fingers crossed that we are now over it!

Good news is that I have finished my Angels, still not 100% sure about them but Grace seems to love them so that is a good thing. The Angels have free machine embroidered faces and white glitter wings. Anyway they are done so we shall see what happens.

I've also finished some of these buttony wreaths and Christmas trees, with the help of Grace who was picking out all her favorite buttons for me.

All of these will be added to my website as soon as I can get the software added back onto my computer (another problem we had at the weekend, having to reformat the harddrive on our laptop to enable our internet to be switched back on) hopefully before the weekend when I have a craft fair.

One last thing before I go, I just wanted to say a big hello and thank you to all my new friends on Twitter and to those that are now following me on here.

xxx

Autumn and Angels and Herons

2009-10-08T14:36:00.011+01:00

Looked out of my window this morning to this.

Beautiful colours being made even better with a splash of sunshine! I love the colours of Autumn, they are so vibrant and warm. Whilst I was out and busying myself in the garden I took these. Another splash of colour, trailing geraniums, they have been flowering all Summer, not many flowers but just a little splash of colour next to my back door,

and now they have been joined on the other side of the door by these, Grace wanted some pretty purple flowers and chose these at the garden centre on Sunday when we were out purchasing bird seed.

Plus all over the back of our house we have these, lovely black (wine) grapes. These ones are hanging over the back door, so I took them looking out of the house.

Before I move on to talk about Angels, I just had to say OMG, got up to check on Grace, walked past patio doors and saw a heron sitting on our patio looking into our pond! He flew off before I could grab the camera but lets hope he returns so I can get a photo!

Right Angels, have been playing around with this idea for months now, trying to get it right for Christmas and I think I've been looking at them too long, so I need some advice, please. Have decided I like the shape and wings on the white and red spotty one but not sure about the face and do they need something else? Hands? Button? ribbon? ahhhhh, told you I need help! and I would very much like to have some to take to Brackley Craft Fair next weekend.

Thanks for all your help, pop back to see more of what I've been doing soon, and remember my Christmas present giveaway for all those purchases from my website and events!

xxx

** Thanks for the lovely comment Alex, I should have said that the Wings are white glittery felt, so have a really pretty sparkle to them which definately doesn't show up in the photos xxx **

Christmas Givaway

2009-10-05T18:02:00.003+01:00

Ok, so I thought what is the best thing about Christmas...... Christmas trees, lights, baubles, Christmas dinner, Father Christmas, presents? Well I decided it was the act of giving a present. So from now till 12th December 2009 (my last event day) if you buy something from my website or from me at an event and leave your details I will put your name into a hat and pick out a lucky winner for a surprise present and I won't be revealing what it is until recieved and opened! (It won't be the cake pictured as I made it for Christmas 2004, I just thought it looked yummy!)

The rules are easy, one entry per purchase, so if you buy something from me at an event and then come back and buy some more from my website you will get 2 entries. Therefore the more times you come back and purchase the more chances of winning. (This doesn't mean an entry per item).

You must leave your details so that I can contact you.

Christmas Free Drawer will close on Saturday 12th December 2009 and the winner will be announced on this blog shortly after.

Good Luck/xxx

Website Update

2009-09-30T10:08:00.004+01:00

Finally I have something interesting to blog about!

I have updated my website with some of my Christmas bits. Managed to get Rob to take some photos (which aren't great so I will be re-taking them at a later date when weather is better) and then we added them to the website last night. He even showed me a few things so that I can do more of it myself.

Anyway, here are some of the items that I added. More to come soon, hopefully will get round to doing some today if Noah continues to have a lazy day, poor little lad isn't feeling all that well!

xxx

Bunting

2009-09-14T12:18:00.004+01:00

So I promised you a post about what I was making on Saturday and although its a day later than promised here it is. I made some mini bunting. Its 1.5 metres long with 5 inch long buntings (if thats the way to say it), 9 of them in 2 different Christmas fabrics. They are hopefully going on my website in the next day or so (depending on when Rob lists them!).

So have showed you the Robins I have made, well I have made some puddings and am going to be making a number of other items too, all of which I will be putting on my website and will be showing you over the next few posts.

xxx

Cat and Mouse

2009-09-12T20:17:00.004+01:00

Picture this....

I'm sat in my lounge at the coffee table pinning some Christmas Mini Bunting whilst talking to my Mum on the phone and watching Xfactor, (yes I know multi-tasking) and I hear a squealing high pitch noise in the adjoining dining room. I finish my phone call, and ask if anyone else can hear the noise, and then I realise the cat has brought in a little mammal, mouse, shrew, I don't know what it is but its small, furry and running around being chased by a rather large cat, who keeps catching it and then dropping it. After alot of screaming on my behalf and crying from Grace, chasing by the cat and instructions from Rob we finally catch the small furry creature and after some heavy pursuation I convince Grace that we can't keep it as its missing its Mummy and Daddy so it gets taken outside and released but not before these photos are taken!! (the brown blob in the box is chocolate cake as Grace insisted the animal must be hungry and would love some of Mummys chocolate cake before he was released)

Will show you some of the bits I've been working on today in my next post possibly tomorrow.

xxx

No Angel

2009-09-10T15:44:00.005+01:00

Grace I admit is no angel but she does look rather cute in this pair of Angel Wings I made today. Another 2 being made for her little friends and then I promised Noah a little something, but you will have to keep checking back to see that!!!

Other than that I have made cute robin decorations, which I'm going to sell individually, and in boxes of 5. I'm not sure how well it shows up but the red breast is red glitter felt.

More to come soon.

xxx

Racing Cars

2009-09-06T13:50:00.005+01:00

Well, this weekend was my wonderful husband Robs Birthday, so aswell as working on some Christmas items (will be able to start showing them to you soon) I made 36 muffin size cupcakes, a mix of chocolate, lemon and plain, all with butter icing and decorations, which I took to his office, but failed to take any photos, sorry. And as Rob works for Force India Formula One team at Silverstone I treated him to lunch at Silverstone golf club which was very nice and I surprised him with a Birthday Cake, yes you guessed it, in the shape of a formula 1 car!

Have been out picking fruit this morning so will be making more chutney and jam so will keep you posted on what types I try out and how it all goes

Will be back shortly to show you some more craft items which I'm currently working on.

xxx

Parties and Family

2009-08-26T09:37:00.004+01:00

So this weekend we went down to Mums as it was my stepdads 60th Birthday. He is a very special person and my kids, especially Noah, absolutely love him to pieces. I miss my family alot and enjoy every minute when I'm with them, I just wish I lived closer!

So we spent some time down the beach watching the birdman of Worthing, I had my hair cut short!!! and we worked hard for Stepdads 60th Party, it was great and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Sunday was a day of cleaning, relaxing and spending time with the kids in the garden. I gave Mum one of my Poppy textile pieces which she showed off at the party and I gave my nephews a t-shirt each, so Sunday all 4 kids wore their t-shirts and I think they liked them. Aren't they cute!!!

Only 2 weeks to go before Grace goes back to Nursery so am going to enjoy time with them and then when she is back at nursery I will start my Christmas collection, unless I get fidgety fingers and just have to make something. Will keep you updated as to how its going.

xxx

Fruit and chutney

2009-08-19T12:48:00.008+01:00

The house we live in has a paddock out the back that has fruit trees growing in it and earlier this year we had a plum tree that produced and we ate loads of stewed plums and plum crumbles. This unfortunately had to stop when the plums ran out, but we have another 2 trees with plums ripening as we speak and also a damson tree which is looking rather full. We also have some apple and pear trees which aren't fairing so well with the wet weather but I'm sure that there will be enough to get us through a few months.

However what I really wanted to talk about was the old cooking apple tree in the back garden, it has been dropping apples every day for weeks now because of the wet and slightly windy weather and I couldn't sit around and watch all those apples go to waste so I've been collecting them and the nice big ones have been made into apple crumbles which have been going down very well with Rob (unfortunately the children don't seem to like them but with time I'm sure they will come round!) but I have also attempted some chutney, and I thought I would share it with you here. Its a version of Christmas Chutney and whilst cooking it makes the house smell just like Christmas, which I absolutely love. Cloves, oranges, cinnamon, apples, mixed spice, ginger, mmmmmmm can't wait for it to mature (2 whole months) and then I can try it on some freshly aga baked ham!

Am going to have to buy a preserve book, any recommendations would be great. Am now going to look through my cook books for a runner bean chutney, something to make with damsons and plums. Will let you know how it goes

xxx

Sun Shining and Thinking of Christmas

2009-08-17T09:40:00.009+01:00

I don't know what its like around the rest of the country but today is cloudy with the sun attempting to shine and managing it every now and then. So surely this isn't the right time to start thinking about Christmas, well it seems that this year is going rather quickly and I am now getting invitations to do Christmas Craft Fairs. As you are aware I'm still a bit worried about how much craft fairs are costing me so am going to be very selective in which ones I do this year, I did 15 in 5 weeks last year, some were great, some were ok but alot were really disappointing.

So whilst contemplating about which fairs to do and getting my website organised I've been thinking about what to do for Christmas and am going to have to get out last years work and do a bit of a stock take and some designing. Anyway along with some new textile art designs I think there will be personalised stockings as these are always popular and some new designs for tree decorations.

If you have any suggestions as to what else might go down well at fairs and on my website then please feel free to leave a comment.

xxx

T-Shirt and Textiles

2009-08-14T12:54:00.006+01:00

Well some of you might have noticed from the photo of Brackley Carnival the new addition of T-Shirts to my stall. Well I sold those ones really quickly so have now added a few more to my little space of crafting Heaven (http://www.noahsarkcrafts.co.uk/) and here is just a couple of my childrens favorites.

Also added new to the website is some textile flower wall art and along with the water lily already featured earlier on here is a poppy.

If you have any other ideas for t-shirt pictures please let me know as I'm continually adding to the collection.

Still no decision on craft fairs but am looking at the ones I did before Christmas last year and how much the tables cost and how much I made and will decide soon which ones I will do if any.

xxx

Craft Fairs or not?

2009-08-11T08:51:00.004+01:00

Well, I have been quite busy recently designing and creating and in the past 2 weeks I have done a couple of fairs.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma as I quite enjoy doing them but not really sure they are worth doing as I don't seem to make a lot of money once I cover the cost of table etc. But if I don't do them how do I get my name out there? Can anyone give me some advice please.

Here is a picture of my stall at Brackley Carnival earlier this year. Each show I do I change my layout according to the space etc and what items I take.

My last fair was in a craft tent and I had some of my textile art so it looked very different. I had 1 table with all my gift items, I had a couple of easels with my art on and I put 16 t-shirts on part of my gazebo so they were hanging just above my table. It seemed to work but I still didn't sell as much as I thought I would with the amount of people walking around. I would like to make enough that my table costs are only 10% of my takings but it seems to be getting harder all the time.

So any thoughts on craft fairs, outlets, how to get my name out there would be greatly appreciated.

Will catch up with you all again soon, hopefully with some more thoughts and decisions on what I'm going to do.

xxx

Water Lily

2009-07-15T18:25:00.003+01:00

Ok, so its the end of term for Grace at nursery and she has changed from a shy, quiet little girl to a confident, talkative little girl and all because of her nursery teacher. So as a Thank You gift, I didn't just pop to the shop and buy a card and present, No, I decided to make something. So here it is and she loved it.

This piece of textile art is "Water Lily" in Pinks, I have used different pink fabrics including organza and pink threads to create shading. It is made up of free machine emboidered applique with hand embroidery and bead accents. It is approx 14" x 18" in size.

Thanks for reading

xxx

wall art

2009-07-14T10:35:00.004+01:00

well, there I am reading other blogs and realised I haven't written anything on my own for a while. But here is the reason why, apart from playing with the kids and finally getting my registration certificate for childminding through and finishing off my course (still got the homework to finish and send off!) I have been finishing off some wall art.

Thanks for reading

xxx

Monsters and Keyfobs

2009-05-28T18:10:00.004+01:00

Well, I have finally taken the plunge and washed the monster t-shirt and I was pleasently surprised as the colours didn't run, I put a colour catcher in with it and there was nothing on the catcher. Also the sparkle seemed to stay on the t-shirt too, I don't know how many washes that would last but it looked like none had come off.

Yesterday I tried out one of my ideas that had kept me up most of the night, it was a keyfob but instead of just stuffing it with toy stuffing I added some lavender only problem now is that I keep smelling my keys and that just looks strange! Anyhow, showed some friends and they all liked it so made a couple more this morning ready for selling at the craft fairs I have lined up for the next few months.

Really need to get some more stock together so will be making more of these over the next few days and maybe some other bits and pieces, but it all depends on whether we go down to Mamas and Dandads for the weekend as they live near the beach and we have been promising to go for a little while!

Will keep you updated with all that is new and yummy/xxx

Little Monsters

2009-05-27T10:29:00.004+01:00

Well yesterday my 2 were good as gold playing nicely together which meant I could get on and make something.

I have used craft felt as an experiment and have yet to wash it to see what happens! The monsters body is made from sparkly orange felt so even if it washes ok it will be interesting to see if the sparkle washes off. But I am pleased with it and if the felt doesn't work I will just have to try again with some other material.

Didn't sleep well last night as I had loads of ideas going round in my head and I had left my design book downstairs, after 3 hours of being awake and jotting things down I finally made it back upstairs and into bed so feeling quite tired today but am looking forward to my friends coming over to test an idea out, more of that to follow later!

Now as the kids are playing nicely again, maybe I should start on some of those ideas from last night!

Busy Weekend

2009-05-26T09:34:00.006+01:00

Well this weekend has been rather busy but have really enjoyed it.

Saturday I started rather early at 8am, I had put the aga on the night before as this weekend was my best friend Tories little boys Christening and I had promised to make all the sweet stuff. So in went 2 chickens to be roasted, then the ham went in a big pan on top with bay leaves (from the garden), peppercorns, and lots of water, and I boiled it for 2 hours (rinsing it every half an hour!) I then roasted it in the bottom oven for 5 hours marinating it in honey and orange juice, and oh my was it yummy!!!

Once I had sorted all that out, I got on with making cupcakes and tartlets. I made 60 cupcakes of which I decorated 50 for the Christening. I also made 75 tartlets, 50 I made into white chocolate and mascarpone tarts with fruit on top and 25 into lemon tarts. I also made a large white chocolate and mascarpone tart, 2 chocolate roulades, and a large "death by chocolate" cake. Finally I finished at 8pm, was worried I hadn't done enough as wasn't quite sure how many people would be going to the Christening, but I was tired and everything thing looked lovely.

Ok so Saturday over, it was Sunday the day of the Christening and I was up at 6:30 putting the finishing touches to the puddings and getting them over to the hall.

I also managed to finish off the present.

Might pop back later to show you what I did yesterday.

xxx

Disasterous craft week

2009-05-21T08:28:00.009+01:00

well, this week has been a bit of a disaster so far for doing any textiles. Sunday evening I did some designing in my design book, made especially for me by an artist friend of mine,which is not unusual but I was really pleased with it as it was something I wanted to do for one of my best friends boys Christening.

Then....it started, first my son was sick over night and then both son and daughter decided to be ill all Monday, they slept all day, didn't eat and was just unwell, high temperatures, etc, thought son had meningitus at one point as a rash appeared on his tummy but thankfully it passed the glass test. But they are still not right and its Thursday so am taking them to the doctors today.

But all this means that I have been looking after 2 ill children all week and not having time to do any creativity, I did manage a small amount but it was the quiet part but now I have to get the machine going, and am hoping to do that today.

I did get something done last night but not textiles. My family are renting a house at the moment that has almost an acre of garden so last night hubby got the tractor out and mowed the paddock and I got into the fruit patch which was slowly being taken over by stingers and other weeds, so we went out at 8pm and didn't come in until it was too dark to do any more. At least my rhubarb can now grow without fighting the stingers and I have made a good start on the patch with the redcurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberry plants, went all the way round just got to get inbetween the plants and pull out the rest of the stingers.

I realise this was a long post without any pictures so I thought I would add a few things that I finished a while ago and been selling at the fairs I have been going to.

Ok, that was a long post, but hopefully I will be back soon with something a bit more exciting to show you, well I'm excited about it but we will have to wait and see if it works!

Who am I

2009-05-03T11:21:00.000+01:00

Well, I thought to start with I would introduce myself.

I am a wife to Rob and a full time Mum of 2, Grace and Noah but at some point we would love more. I used to be an engineer working at Airbus, working on the design of the A380 but since having children and hubby getting a new job working within Formula 1 we have had to move and I am a full time mum with a passion for craft. I started out with card making, specialising in wedding stationery but went back to my roots of textiles recently, making clothes for my little ones.

I will post information as to what I am doing but for now here are some photos of me and my family. Hope you come back soon to see what I'm up to, but for now thanks for reading/xxx

Here Goes.....

2009-05-03T11:09:00.000+01:00

well, this is my first time blogging. I have been reading blogs for a while now and thought it about time that I share a bit of myself with the blogging community. Not sure how often or how long I will blog for but I'm willing to try most things once so we will just have to see how it goes.