T-Swizzle...

20 MARCH 2015

It's not often that I can say an article in the Metro has inspired me to do something, but ever since I read this http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/21/battle-of-sandwich-turkey-and-swiss-on-rye-fridge-note-war-is-the-most-passive-aggressive-thing-weve-ever-seen-4841225/ when I saw it on my Facebook feed a few days ago, I have been craving a turkey and swiss on rye sandwich...

If you've read it, you'll know that the series of pictures shows one mans's hilarious passive-agressive fridge-note attack on the triviality of modern day 'problems' (if you haven't read it, please do - I was in stitches). But aside from enjoying the humour and witty repartee of the "Sandwich Thief", by the end of it, I really wanted a sandwich.

So, since I've had the last two days off work with very little in the way of fun things to do, I thought I may as well get back in the kitchen and at least make my lunches interesting.

I didn't realise quite how long rye bread actually takes to prove, so I missed out on a yummy lunch yesterday, but I got cracking first thing this morning and here's what I ended up with...

Oh. My. God. It was worth the wait! Applewood smoked turkey breast with avocado mayo, Swiss Emmental and English mustard on homemade dark rye bread (recipe to follow) = so damn fit. 

So, thanks for introducing me to T-Swizzle, Sandwich Thief. I think I owe you one ;)  

DIY Copper Hanging Planters

9 NOVEMBER 2014

I love plants. They can bring a room to life, making them feel so much more homely. After moving in to our new house, I didn't really feel at home until our very first plant - a peace lily donated by my lovely mum - was nestled safely on our dining room table. It sounds silly, but that little bit of fresh green brings a smile to my face whenever I see it.

I've had this idea in my head for ages, but bringing it together has taken me a little longer than I thought it would. Those of you who know me will know about my obsession with copper. Well, guess what? This little project hasn't escaped that obsession.

I was desperate to find copper bowls to hang some little succulents in for our living room, but after hours of fruitless internet searching, I had to come up with something else to satisfy my want for copper. I found these stainless steel hemisphere snack bowls on a trip to Ikea (what can't you find in that place?!) I sprayed them with Rust-Oleum metallic spray paint to create a mock copper effect - not bad as a substitute to the real thing! If you want to find out how I made the woven hangers for these little planters, scroll down to the method below...

METHOD:

For each hanger you want to make cut 4 lengths of twine approximately 1.5 metres long. Knot together a small hoop roughly an inch in diameter to support planter and form the base of your woven hangers. 

To weave the hangers, double over each 1.5 metre length of twine, looping 4 of these lengths around each central hoop. This should leave 8 strands of twine, in 4 pairs, coming off each central hoop as shown below.

Take one strand in each hand from two neighbouring pairs, and tie a standard knot roughly 10cm from the central hoop. Do this 4 times to use up all 8 strands. Repeat this process twice more and trim the edges to complete the hangers. 

Choose a plant for each of your planters. Gather all four loops together around one of your planters and hang somewhere pretty. I chose to hang mine on my bookshelves to bring some green to my living room, but you can hang the anywhere as long as it provides the right conditions for your chosen plant. 

COPPER CRUSH

13 AUGUST 2014

Now that I have rooms to decorate, I've developed a teeny bit of an obsession with copper furnishings. Everything copper that I see, I want - it just looks so damn beautiful! We've gone for a dark wood and grey colour scheme in our living room, so copper just adds that little bit of warmth to calm the coolness of the grey.

I had my eye on this gorgeous Luxe Tray from Marks & Spencer for ages, but at £49.50, I felt I couldn't really justify it with a mortgage to pay and loads of other rooms to decorate.

So, I embraced the scrimper in me and headed to eBay with crossed fingers that the perfect table centrepiece would be out there waiting for me - as luck would have it, it was! For only £9.99 plus £4 postage, I bought this beautiful vintage, handmade copper bowl. I just love its hammered texture and quirky unevenness. Oh, and, it's perfect for storing my pinecones!

DIY: PAPER ROSE

8 MAY 2014

Something I've been doing for a while now is making paper flowers. Just as beautiful as fresh ones, but lasting infinitely longer and with the added satisfaction that I made them myself. With summer just around the corner, I felt it was about time I shared my inspiration with my fellow crafters. Let's start with how to make your very own English rose...

What you will need...

Making paper flowers requires a little bit of initial investment to buy your raw materials, however, once bought these materials last for ages. You will need need floral tape, good quality pipe cleaners, scissors, all-purpose glue, card for making your petal templates, a pencil, round or bud shaped flower centres (you can get these from Hobbycraft), good quality doublette crepe paper (Homecrafts UK do a great variety of colours), and watercolour paint to finish.

What you will need to do...

You will need to cut out three petal templates, approximately 7cm, 6cm and 5cm at their widest point.    You don't need a ruler, I drew mine by hand. Start by drawing two lines roughly at right angles to one another, and then join them with a sweeping circular line.

Once you have your petal templates, you can start cutting! Fold your paper over to the width of your smallest petal template and trace around it 5 times. Cut around these to make 10 petals. Do the same with the medium template but this time only cut out 8 petals (4 on doubled over paper). Repeat for the large template making 6 petals in total. When you fold your paper,  make sure to fold along the grain of the paper, not against it. This will help the petals form the correct shape at the next stage.

Now you've got all your pretty little petals, you need to curl them so they look authentic. Before doing this however, it's worth preparing your stem - you'll see later, but it works beautifully as a petal curling device! 

To prepare your stem, take your pipe cleaner, flower centre and floral tape. Your flower centre should have a small hole that goes into its middle. Insert your pipe cleaner into the hole and then, starting from the other end, take the floral tape and tightly wrap the entire stem and the ball that will form your flower centre. Once the ball is covered, work your way back down the stem to where you started.

Now to curl those petals! Take your prepared stem, and, with the point of the petal pointing down, use it to roll down the round edge of the petal. To make sure you're rolling the petals in the correct place, imagine the point is at 6 o'clock and roll at 10 and 2 like this...

After you have prepared all of your petals, it's time to start constructing! Start with the smallest petals, wrapping tightly around the balled end of your stem. Spread some glue on the inside of your petal before doing this. The inside will be the concave side as it will fit nicely around the centre allowing the petals to curl downwards rather than inwards.

Continue to add the petals in the same fashion, building gradually. The best way to construct is in a circles, layer...

...by layer...

...until you have a full rose!

Give your rose a little finishing touch by delicately painting the edges with watercolour paint. I have chosen a dark pink here to contrast the soft pink of the petals. Be careful not to wet your petals too much as the crepe paper is very absorbent. When dry, your rose should look something like this...

I hope you enjoy making these beautiful roses and I'd love to know how you get on. Any questions or comments, please get in touch or leave your comment below!