Possibly the most exciting post EVER

Hi everyone!
I'd like to introduce a new feature to the blog that I've been working on (because I'm a control-freak and require order in everything - this is Alice, not Louise)

I realise it's not exactly easy to find blog posts that came out a while ago (and the search bar malfunctions basically all the time). To remedy that I have created an index so hopefully it will be quicker to find specific blog posts.

You simply look under the category you want (which correlates to the labels above)

Food
     Desserts
     Mains
     Sides

Craft

Stories/Other

Everything is arranged alphabetically, and groups of foodstuffs (e.g. 'cakes', 'scones') are together
Then you click on the link and it takes you to the page
I'm also planning a 'search by key ingredient' for the food sections

The Index is located here:

Hope this is helpful!

Alice

Marbling

Marbling is such a beautiful and easy process. It can be used to decorate paper, fabric, tiles and much more. Also, you don't need much specialist stuff beyond the  paint maybe and the 'size' (sometimes called floater powder). It doesn't take too long, either, I made 6 quick little prints in about half an hour (though of course drying etc takes longer). You can extend this technique to making book covers, for example, which was extremely popular in Victorian England after the process spread from Prussia.

You will need:
Plastic covering or paper to protect work surfaces
Acrylic or marbling paint
Distilled, de-ionised or soft water (I used freshly boiled through a limescale filter)
Pipettes
Paper of 120 gsm or more, cut so it is smaller than your tray (you can also use card of varying colours and fabric, which has been cleaned)
Cocktail stick
Tray at least 2cm deep, such as a decorating tray
Marbling size/floater powder

1. Put down your plastic sheeting! Wear an apron as it can stain, but (as I found out through experience) can be removed from some surfaces with white spirit... still, better to not get there.
2. Pour water into your tray until it is 2cm deep and sprinkle over the size as directed on the packet. Stir well until it is incorporated and leave for at least half an hour to set.
3. Mix one part paint and one part soft water into small trays of each colour, and designate a pipette for each. You can mix marbling paints to create new shades.
   
4. Drip or flick spots of paint  onto the surface of the size. They will spread so work quickly. If the paint sinks, it is either too thick or there is not enough size in the water. Also, don't squirt the paint out of the pipette- it will cause it to sink straight through. 6 - 12 spots of any colour is usually OK for paper and card, more for fabrics.
   
5. Using a cocktail stick, drag the paint across the surface. If you move in parallel lines one way and then perpendicular, you can make little flames (chevron). Or, if you place your spots in the centre and drag them outwards in a spider web, nice little flowers!
   
6. Carefully place the paper on the paint, bending slightly so that the middle hits the paint first followed by the edges (to stop air bubbles getting trapped). Be careful of getting paint on your fingers.
7. After 10 seconds, lift the print straight off. Rinse very gently under cold water to remove the size, but stop if the paint begins to run.
8. Leave on kitchen towel to dry, after which you can simply squash it between the pages of  a heavy book to flatten.
   
   
   
   
9.  Skim off the surface of the size liquid with scrunched up paper to start a new piece. Each print may be less 'clean' than the last as it is hard to remove all paint, so you may want to stick with the same colour schemes.
10. When you are finished, the dirty size can be poured down a drain (preferably outside, dilute first) and the tray rinsed with warm, soapy water. Size and the paint is non-toxic but its always best to take precautions to keep stuff clean!

Crochet

Sorry, expect a quiet year.... I hope to do at least one post a month, though.
Recently I learnt how to crochet! All these projects started off with really simple square pieces that were then stitched into shapes. In fact, you can make many things with the humble rectangle/square, including blankets, scarves, phone socks and tablet covers, fingerless mittens... all using the simple double-crochet stitch.

I was partially taken by how easy it was; after some initial frustration it only takes a few hours to learn, and maybe a couple of days to get a (basic) grasp of the three main stitches.  Also, it is very quick, a little project like the phone covers here took me two sittings of maybe an hour each. If you're inspired, I recommend How To Crochet: A complete guide for absolute beginners (It's in the name...) (ISBN 9781908707246) as I found the diagrams and instructions really easy to use. Once you've got the hang of it, though, you can proceed on to your own projects...

Not perfect, I admit... we all need beginnings! Not dropping stitches is the hardest first thing to get

One thing I learnt: projects shrink!! Make sure you add extra give if your piece is going to wrap around an object 

I made the bow by crocheting a long line of chain stitch and tying as normal, then sewing on to secure

Best of all you don't need much specialist equipment, just the hooks (which as available quite cheaply online in a range of sizes) and yarn, which is the same that can be used for knitting or other such stiching - or even embroidery thread, if you make lace...