Neglected

I rather fear I have neglected my blog quite considerably lately. It started with a nasty cold which resulted in me losing my voice completely for a week, and I lost all enthusiasm. Then I got my website and my attention was rather occupied with that. However I think I'm back!

We had a rather traumatic Friday last week when our fuse box started 'fizzing' and sparks were shooting out. We turned off the electric and removed the cover and were startled by the amount of scorching there was. We then spent the next few hours trying to find an electrician who didn't just work for the council, who could come out in less than 6 weeks. In the end we went with a recommendation from an old neighbour and although the firm was really busy promised they'd come out that day. They turned up early evening, just as I was preparing for an evening of no hot water, no heating, no light etc. The chap - who was excellent, managed to sort us out and left us safe and with electricity, and I was able to check ebay and find out that we'd won the caravan we were bidding on! More on that later....

Treasury and Website

What a day to launch my website! I've discovered that I am featured in a very fresh 'Aqua' themed treasury over on Etsy - you can find that treasury here.

The other big news is that my website is now LIVE(ish). I guess it'll be a few weeks before I stop playing with it - but its up, working and I think spelling error free - though if you spot a broken link, spelling error etc please let me know. You can find me at:

www.madebycara.co.uk

Cara x

Normal service will resume shortly!

All my good intentions fell by the wayside. It's really hard to blog and use a camera when you are feeling unwell. I tried to bake a ginger cake earlier this week and poured the batter mix over the work top instead of in the cake pan. My husband just laughed at me :(

Anyway - I'm beginning to feel a little brighter today - which is good, particularly as I found out yesterday I DO have a place at the Boddington Rural Market this coming Sunday. I have enough stock but I just feel very unprepared...

Anyway - no news yet on the new website, but it'll all be revealed here first! :)

Macro #15

Halfway through the 30 Day Macro challenge, and another craft related shot. We're in the process of moving rooms and so today I have to pack up all my crafting things and move them out of the room. This is not so easy, particularly as I may have a craft show this sunday! Currently there is no space for me, but the lady in charge will ring me Saturday to say if she has managed to squeeeeeeeze me in. I'm hoping she can as it's a nice venue.

Macro #14

Yum - more fabric combos for more stock.

Macro #13

Pink bias trim and green fabric.
I've been wanting to make some more tissue holders for a while, but I wanted to make a change to my original design. Now I had the basics, but I couldn't get the inner seams just right. Thats a Virgo trait in me. Which leads me nicely onto perfection. I get really cross when I don't quite get something right. It really annoys me on many levels. Typically I make errors when my mind isn't fully on the job - how annoying is that! I don't generally put my errors on Etsy, I don't think there is a particular reason, I just don't. I do however tend to offer them at the craft fairs I go to. Anyway - finally sorted out my tissue holders, and I'm happy with them now. I've listed two new ones and have a further 6 to photograph and list. I'm also trying to increase my stock levels in readiness for the fair I'm doing in Covent Garden later this year.

'

New Website Coming...

Watch this space !!

I'm getting my own 'place' on the net! Will tell you more shortly.

Cara x

Cartel

Having only recently discovered Big Cartel I thought I ought to 'grab' my name there.

So I did! I've only got two items there but you can find me at::

http://www.cara.bigcartel.com/

Here are some other fab sellers who are on there ::

http://www.pippindesigns.bigcartel.com/
http://www.curiositykilledthecat.bigcartel.com/
http://www.sian.bigcartel.com/
http://www.siansburys.bigcartel.com/
http://www.abibansaldesign.bigcartel.com/
http://www.hippyofdoom.bigcartel.com/

Please note that some of these shops are just like me and just starting up. Cool!

Macro #12

In the middle of 'doing' some more pegs!

Macro #11

Lots of lovely fabric triangles for mini bunting.

Macro #10

Sewing some more crayon rolls for the shop.

Tefal fall out...

Tefal have really let me down. Last night as I was washing up, the glass lid from my 15cm saucepan shattered as it went into the washing up bowl. The lid wasn't hot and the water certainly wasn't cold. It just shattered - into lots of tiny shards of glass.

I'm only grateful that it was me that was washing up last night and not my 8yr old son who'd offered to do it. I've just got off the 'phone from Tefal and they have just offered to sell me a new lid. No concern over what has happened, and they went so far as to say that Tefal can not guarantee that any of their lids on their saucepans won't do this and therefore do not cover them as part of the product guarantee.

Quite frankly I'm shocked. It was always my assumption that a product must be fit to serve the purpose it is intended for - clearly in Tefal's case this is not true. If the lid had crazed, but stayed intact I don't think I'd have been so shocked. The glass went everywhere. Needless to say I will be writing to them to express my dissatisfaction and concern over their product and I will certainly never buy from Tefal ever again.

I certainly would not recommend anyone to purchase Tefal glass lidded pans either. Mine were not terribly old - certainly under 14 months and I don't expect this to happen in general useage.

Macro #8

WE MAKE pdf's

Yes, we do!

We Make will be producing a recipe book and a 'How to' book with tutorials from some of the designers involved in the project. This is your advance notice!

For those of you interested in one of these books, keep an eye out here on my blog, or here on the official blog, plus our shop where it will eventually be listed.

For those of you submitting recipes/tutorials I will be keeping the list of submissions here!

Cara x

Macro #7

Paperclips - I love stationery!

Macro #6

banal

adjective

boring, ordinary and not original

Except - I won this game of scrabble, which was not boring cause' I don't normally win!

Macro #5

My rings. Today my cousin gets married. We were very close as children. We lived next door to each other, and I'd often pop round in the morning and climb in through his bedroom window to see him (we both lived in bungalows!). We were as thick as thieves and as close as a brother and sister. We've not been so close for the last 10 or so years, in fact the last time I saw him was at his brothers wedding a few years ago. I'm really looking forward to seeing him and his bride today, and this is a kick for me to stay in touch more. Yes I know he could ring me etc etc - but he's a boy, and not really into all that!

So my macro today is my rings, cause weddings always remind me of the day I got married - and this year we'll have been married 10 years.

Macro #4

Apple Tree Leaves - just beginning to open. I love this time of year, just as everything is waking up.

Macro #3

I really am loving this challenge of a Macro a day...Can you tell what it is yet?

Why, of course it's none other that a balloon thats been washed in my machine. Don't you all wash your balloons too? No, well I didn't intend to either. However, this is what happens when you have a son like mine and a mother who frequently forgets to check pockets. The number of times I've washed stones, tissues (the lint drove me mad, so we only have handkerchiefs now!), feathers, coins, lego, playmobil and even snails - you'd think I'd have enough nonce to actually check his pockets by now. Alas, no. So here we have todays deposit - a washed up balloon. Makes an ace macro shot though.

And other news.... I'm co-ordinating the 'We Make' shop - whats that I hear you cry - well lookie here for the blog and here for the shop! Ooo and put the date of June 22nd into your diary - its the very first 'We Make London' craft fair, and yep - I'm there!

Macro #2

Following my post about the 'Lemon and Cloud Cake'...

Here is a macro picture of the top - all covered in coconut loveliness. Yum.

Lemon and Cloud Cake

"What !?!" said my husband.

He'd just walked in the door from uni and commented on the lovely smell of baking, to which I replied that I was making a "Lemon and Cloud Cake"

Um sorry Abi - it seems I renamed your light fluffy lemon concoction... To see Abi's true version click here and by the way its actually called a "Lemon and Coconut Cloud Cake"!

Heres mine in pictures:

All ingredients present and correct

Looking like a lemon cloud!

Yummy with a cup of tea

Thanks for the recipe Abi

Chris says I didn't get it "quite" right - I'd bought the Lemon Curd and its not as good as mine, so I have to make some Lemon Curd and then bake it again so he can perform a "Taste Comparison" !

Shopping, tempers and cake

My car passed its MOT today - phew, always a relief not to have to spend money on it! I also went and did the food shop and feel quite cantankerous now. I'm normally fairly relaxed as I shop. I take the view, I don't have to be in a hurry and so I have time to peruse the shelves (I'm probably your nightmare shopper!). Today I was going to be in a different town and so a different supermarket was required. I'm not a Tesco' girl. I have a complete aversion to them, to the point that I'd rather pay more than give them a penny of my money...

Did I also say I'm a girl to hold a grudge?? Anyway my shopping habits usually involve sifting through recipe books with a cup of tea, followed by a trip to the butchers and then Waitrose via the Farm Shop. However today I wasn't in my usual town. I refuse to go to Tesco's, I didn't want to cross right to the other side of town for Sainsburys, so that left Morrisons. Now I've nothing against Morrisons. Oooo - but some of their customers - sheesh... It started well, with me and an older gentleman seemingly sharing a trolley - until he realised he was very carefully putting his groceries in with mine! We had a good old laugh and I offered to go and sit in the coffee shop whilst he shopped for me - which he gracefully declined. However almost all of the other customers looked completely frazzled, snapping at children (and I'm no Saint Mum either), barging into people without an apology. Grabbing stock when an 'excuse me' would have done, and I guess thats the thing thats riled me most. I appreciate that not everyone has the luxury of time, some may not have slept well etc etc - but does that really mean we can just dispense with manners? Manners cost nothing, and further more whats wrong with smiling?

Anyway for fear of turning this into a tirade I am off to collect my ironing and then bake "Abi's Famous Lemon and Coconut Cloud Cake" and if that doesn't put my world to rights - nothing will!!

Macro #1

After all the excitement this morning regarding the light - it wasn't to be. Shortly after typing that post the heavens opened and it rained, and then clouded over. This probably means that tomorrow will be glorious and bright - as I have my car booked in for its annual MOT... is there a message being passed to me here?

Anyway on to Macro 1

Joe has been riffling through my button box to select a 'few' of

his favourites to embellish a present for his teacher.

Light

Oooo - I'm getting excited. There's light in the sky. Now I do have food shopping to do - but that can wait! I might just be able to take some photographs today ...

If so, there's going to be a big shop update coming!

And that Macro Shot too!