Christmas ECard Designs

As random as the day job is, it occasionally allows for a creative treat.  This week, ecards for the company in the corporate colours and with a distinct snowflake theme.

Oh, and the boss's personal cards; the is frame, in which I then put pictures of his grandchildren; I do so LOVE these snowflake brushes!

RIP Chook

I buried the fabulously named Randy today.  She was our adopted girl and had a special place in my heart.

Six months just wasn't long enough but I hope she was happy here.

I am also, most definitely, done with burying any more of my animals this year.

My new bookshelves

My able assistant demonstrates the product!

I love these!  A pair of old Adam Kern bottle crates which we picked up last weekend at the local antiques market.  They are beautiful, well made, solid wood with a wonderful patina.  We removed the bottle racks from the bottom and stacked them on the floor.  Perfect.

Christmas Chutney

I don't know about you, but sometimes there is nothing nicer than waking up early on a cold, wet winter's morning and spending the morning making chutney. It's the combination of relaxed cooking and warm, spicy, comforting smells. So, this morning I made the Christmas Chutney, using a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe.

Fig and Cranberry Chutney, makes 2-4 jars

500g onions, chopped

Scrap of oil

1kg diced apples, any will do but try to include some Bramleys

500ml cider vinegar

400g demerara sugar

200g dried figs, diced

125g dried cranberries

Zest and juice of 1 orange

Generous glass of port

5cm piece root ginger, roughly chopped

6 cloves

12 cardamom pods

1 tsp coriander seeds

100g walnuts, roughly chopped

Start by sweating the onion in a scrap of oil then add the apple. Pour over the vinegar and sugar and and once it's had a good stir and the sugar has dissolved then fun can start.

Add the fruits to the pot then after that the orange zest and juice, followed by the port.

Next it's time to put together your spices. Tie the ginger, cloves, cardamom pods and coriander seeds in a clean square of muslin and secure with string. Immerse the pouch deep in the simmering chutney and let it bubble away for an hour or so, making sure to stir it regularly so it doesn't catch on the bottom.

Add the walnuts and cook for a final 30 minutes. If you can part your chutney and see a little bit of pan on the bottom you are done.

Decant the warm chutney into sterlised jars, seal with vinegar-proof lids and allow to cool.

The Boyfs Advent Calendar

It's the first day of Christmas and I can finally show you one of the little Christmas projects that I've been working on, an advent calendar for the boyf.  I can't say too much, as he does read my blog :) but it starts with a hint as to how many days he has left to buy my present!  (though I have to admit, he's beaten me to it this year...)

The front and back panels of the calendar were put together in Photoshop, using a Mari Koegelenberg template from The Digichick website, some beautiful Karla Dudley fonts and brushes and a snowflake brushset that I am just in love with.  I cut a template for the top flaps and used that to cut the top layer, the template had the fold lines printed.  Then I double-sided taped each and every line, I didn't want any gaps or lifts, and held my breath as I matched the top and bottom layers.  It was then mounted onto a sheet of A4 black card, I printed a title panel for the side and detailed with some matching gosgrain ribbon.  I'll post some more pics of the bottom layer later in the month.