Let's Get Crafting Issue 38

The new issue of Let's Get Crafting is on sale now with patterns for things to make for Baby.   I have three projects inside and here is a glimpse of one of them with permission of the magazine.  Let's Get Crafting comes with a complete kit of yarn, crochet hook and knitting needles to get started so it's great for a beginner or someone wanting to rediscover a hobby they've gotten out of touch with.

Edited to add:  I had a request from a reader for help with assembling the booties on page 56, so i've drawn a quick sketch.  Not the most fabulous of sketches but it shows the important stuff :-)  If you also need some help please email me and i'll get it to you.  My email address can be found in the "about me" section at the top of the blog.

Valentine's Day Card

 
1 white card blank

4” x 3.5” piece purple cardstock 

4” x 1” piece hot pink  cardstock

3 pink mini brads

4” length pearl strand

5” length fuchsia chiffon ribbon

4” length ivory lace

Translucent Fimo,  number 014

To make the heart:  Take a thumb sized piece of fimo and warm between your palms for pliability.     Roll into a ball, then on a flat surface roll into a sausage measuring 10” in length.  Cut in half, lie side by side and then twist one pair of  ends around each other.  Bend the sections into heart shape and then twist the remaining pair of ends around each other.  Bake as per packaging instructions.

Mount three brads in a even spaced line down the left hand edge of the purple piece.  Glue this to the front of the card.

Adhere the pink piece along the bottom edge of the purple piece, then cover the join of these two pieces with the lace.

Using wet glue dots, attach the pearl strand across the lace.

Tie a ribbon around the heart and glue this to the card with super glue.

© Karen Wiederhold

Floral Garland heads-up.

One of the things I wanted to share with you for a little while now is my Flower Garland which you will find over on the Let's Get Crafting website as a free pattern once you've logged in and there are more patterns available in the recent issue on sale.

Have a great, colourful day.

DIY

Things on the craft front have been in rest mode the last few days because I've been gripped by DIY fever. There has been a slow and steady accumulation of little jobs on my DIY to do list, things like glossing, touching up, outdoor painting and curtain adjustments (you mean safety pins discretely holding up the hems for a few months isn't in vogue any more hee hee).

One job on my list was a biggie, one that I've never attempted before..........wallpapering. It started quite a few months back where every time I passed the large wall on my stairs it's blankness looked quite lonely and in need of something. I've never grown up with wallpaper being a decorating norm, South African homes aren't papered much if at all, but living in England i've admired lots of wallpapered rooms and also oohed and aahed at copious amounts of glimpses on house related tv shows. I'm not brave enough to paper an entire room because I feel more comfortable with unpatterned walls around me at home........ then I see other people's rooms where all walls are papered and I love it......still not brave enough yet. So on Sunday we took the plunge and purchased the first wallpaper in ten years for the stairs wall and Monday I papered. We all love it and I'm pleased with my efforts. I did opt for Paste the Wall paper because the thought of getting to grips papering and dealing with wet paper at the same time filled me with the jitters. It was like scrapbooking on a grand scale......well that was what I kept telling myself, if I can negotiate detailed paper cutting mini size then this would be okay right?

Yesterday I touched up a bedroom wall section while catching up on the phone to my friend Ruth, company when working is always good. Today's job is the curtain hem take-up and some mending while the machine is out. And while it's out I may also make a bag....will see.

Karen's Favourite Anzac Biscuit Recipe

Making Risotto

This afternoon I could not stop thinking about having Risotto for dinner, just love everything about it and especially enjoy making it too.

It's often heard said that it's tricky to make and all that but it's not; it just takes a little time and if you get all you ingredients ready then there's no need to worry.

I like cooking Risotto on the weekend and accompany this time with either Alan Carr or Paul O'Grady to chuckle along to while stirring.

The basic ingredients are Risotto rice, butter, olive oil, crisp white wine, chicken stock, garlic, Parmesan then what ever other ingredients are fancied at the time to add. Tonight it was chicken, onions and sun dried tomato.

Cook onions until clear in hot oil and butter, then add rice and stir.  Cook until the tips of the rice grains turn clear.

Add about 200ml wine.  Add garlic. Keep stirring gently.

Make 1 litre stock.  Add stock, a little at a time and keep stirring.  As soon as it gets a bit sticky, add a bit more stock.

Add your other ingredients, keep stirring gently and carry on adding stock until the rice is cooked then allow the risotto to become creamy.  If you have any stock left, pour into an ice cube tray and freeze for making gravy or adding to something tasty.















Grate enough Parmesan to fill about three quarters of a cup. Add to the Risotto with some black ground pepper and good pinch of salt, stir in gently and serve, eating straight away.

 Enjoy x


PS  I added some chestnut mushrooms which i'd cooked separately in butter after serving, to spare those who don't like mushrooms.  I forked them through before eating.

Decorating for Autumn