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Well the weather here is warming up to more Summer like days. 32 C here today getting up to around 40 C later in the week.
The felting experiment went well. I am playing around with felt flowers and planning a hat. I had to tidy up the studio first and that is a constant work in progress. I got distracted by the TV and had a couple of hours sitting down resting my bad ankle. I went shopping with No 1 daughter yesterday and walked way too much so my ankle is bruised. I forgot to ask my doctor about it last time I went but I will next time. We have a set top box now so we get the extra free to air channels and Channel 7 has a whole afternoon of cooking shows, I love them. I also did something I have been meaning to do for ages and put a photo behind my blog title. This is a section of a photo of an embroidery I did a couple of years ago. It is from a workshop with Alice Gove. We painted cross stitch fabric and stitched on it and on hessian. I used a variety of threads and techniques new and old to make this and I have been going to use my favorite bit of it for my banner and finally it is done.
I am going to stitch the blue felt flower I made together tonight while I watch Stargate Universe. I might even make another felt flower. I am enjoying my holiday and hope you are enjoying yours too.

Get Felted

I have had a "Me" day. Slept in until 10 am which is not a common thing for me these days. Had a lazy breakfast on the lounge in the sunroom with toast, coffee and a book. I had vague thoughts of doing something constructive which turned into me getting out the bag of old wool jumpers and throwing them into the washing machine and felting them. One which is labelled hand wash pure wool that I paid a lot of money for and the moths have had a little chew on didn't shrink at all and I am wondering about it. The others shrank nicely. I am going to do something with them. While I was looking around the studio for something or other just what I can't remember I found the silk and wool lily felting kit I bought at the last Craft and Quilt show from Wendy Bailye so I made them. You can't see it but I used green wool for the stems. There is a photo of Wendy's on her page. I think tomorrow I will make a hat . I have been going to make myself a felted hat for a while and have the books to prove it. So tomorrow is the day, maybe.

Well here it is another Christmas come and gone. The granddaughters were so overtired and over stimulated by the time they got to us I thought there was going to be a huge temper tantrum but my daughter (Mother of the beautiful ones)calmed down and there were no tears. I think my daughter was the most over tired of the whole lot. She works nights and has the girls through the day so she needs a good sleep in. We have enough leftovers for another two Christmas dinners. Troy is staying until Wednesday so he'll help clean up the leftovers and Daughter ,SIL and kids are coming back for tea tomorrow night so they'll help finish the leftovers too.
My wonderful husband bought me something I've wanted for a while my own electric drill with lots of attachments. He also bought me the MasterChef cookbook. Daughter and SIL and girls bought me a lovely laptop bag and No 2 Son bought me a resin casting kit and some armature wire. No 1 son and DIL gave us some framed wedding photos and big bottles of our favorite chocolates. I gave Greg a wood carving thingy that attaches to one of his electrical tools. I am not sure what it is and going to the hardware shop and asking for a plastic thingy to go on some electrical thing was really frustrating for everyone involved. In the end I made Greg come with me much easier. I also bought him a new bag for the big holiday. It is also the perfect size for carry on luggage so I can borrow it if need be. It has wheels but it also has a little strap attachment that means I can hook it over the handle of my big wheeled bag. I resistd buying one the same purple as my large bag and bought him a plain green one.
Troy is watching TV, Greg is in bed and I am here every one else has gone home. We have had a lovely day. I hope all of you have too. Merry Christmas.

As you can see I have added a background to my blog I got it for free on the Background Fairy site which I found through the Graphics Fairy Blog. Well worth a look

Free Downloads

Here's a web site with free downloads enjoy tentwo studios.

Mixed Media and Fiber Arts Ring

Yesterday I was feeling like sitting at the computer and I did say yesterday that I would give you some of the recipes that my family love for dessert. I still will but today I am feeling a bit more active. I have been tidying my studio and other places of the house where textile things have started to spread. I have textile related objects in every room of the house and sometimes this gets a bit much for Greg so I have to tidy. I was looking for a felting kit I bought at the last Craft show and I know it is in my studio somewhere. Then I was distracted though by the computer and while cruising around looking at some of my groups I stumbled on this group Fiber Arts/Mixed Media Group - Be Creative. I have applied to join and can't wait to get at the photos and tutorials. So tomorrow the recipes will continue.

Roast Ham or Bacon.

Well here it is the Week before Christmas. I am cooking another fruit cake because the first one is all gone. Every year our SIL gets a big ham from his boss and it takes up residence in our refrigerator. Greg then cuts it up and it gets distributed to SIL's family and ours. I was planning to buy a piece of pork for Christmas Day dinner when all the family will be here but I am going to Roast a piece of the ham instead. I often do a whole piece of bacon and I am going to do the ham in a similar way.
1 piece of ham or bacon about two kilos. This is enough for eight generous serves.
Remove the rind but leave the fat you can score the fat into diamonds or squares. The butcher will usually do this for you.
Put it into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. While it is cooking
For the bacon slice up cabbage, apples, and onions. Put into the bottom of a well buttered baking dish top with whole peeled cloves of garlic and a few more knobs of butter, sprinkle with a little pepper.
For the ham if you want to substitute baby leeks or halved bigger ones for the cabbage and chunks of fresh pineapple for the apple.
Put the ham or bacon on the top.
For the bacon Pour over 1 cup of apple juice.
For the ham mix juice and rind of 1 orange with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon of mixed spice and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and pour over 1/2.
cover with foil and cook for 1 hour. Uncover. Lift out the meat and put a piece of Bake or Silicone paper or a piece of greaseproof and a piece of foil loosley over the vegetables if they are overcooking and then put the meat bake on top.
For the ham pour over the rest of the orange juice mixture.
Cook for about another 45 -60 minutes. Let it rest covered for about 15 minutes.

We have the bacon with mashed potatoes and the ham with roasted vegetables.
Greg is a vegetarian so for him I cook a Nut Loaf

Almond Nut Loaf

1 large onion diced finely
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup dried apricots chopped small
1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
1 teaspoon mixed herbs

1/2 cup ground almonds
1 cup almond slivers
4 cups of three or four day old wholegrain breadcrumbs.
3 eggs beaten

Sweat (Fry gently without coloring with a lid on until cooked) the onions, carrot and celery in the butter. Add the herbs and apricots and leave covered to cool for at least 30 minutes or longer.
Beat the eggs and add the rest of the ingredients and the cooked vegetables.
Line a loaf tin with bake paper or grease it well with butter and lay a piece of bake paper along the bottom (Makes it easier to get out of the tin)
Fill the loaf tin with the mixture and press down well. Bake in 180 degree oven for 1 hour and then let it stand for ten minutes.

I also roast a chicken and a small rolled shoulder of lamb.
No Matter how hot it is we always have a real Christmas Dinner even if I have to run the air conditioning all day. so plenty of gravy, lots of roast potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato and carrots and Peas or beans.
Then we have dessert.