Picnics with Feet

This rather sad looking tart was originally a Date, Cardamom and Orange tart for my wonderful friend Emma's birthday...however it was destined for disaster.

Choosing to have a picnic with fragile food stuffs is probably a silly thing to do at the best of times, especially when there is a little one around but it was just too beautiful an evening to pass up eating outside. Two minutes was all it took for devastation on a mass scale - Lily, Emma's unsuspecting one year old trampled in my hours of hard work. Noooooo!

It was salvagable and so later when about to slice up the remainder of the tart there was not one, but two little Lily footprints in our tart! And that's not all, low and behold I stood in the bloody thing when taking pictures.

I havn't even mentioned the houmous...if you enjoy your food messy stylee picnics in a park, on a sunny eve with Lily are the way to go. It was such a great evening. So much so that our nest door neighbour (houmous victim) wrote a funny poem about it that night. Alls well that ends well.

The Cloud Maker and Joe

Joe had finally found the cloud maker...it was Edgar the man of old blowing his brass horn.

"The surest way to create a cloud is to imagine the lightest, fluffiest, yummiest food...what are you thinking of?", replied Old Edgar.

"Pavlova!"

I met a chap in Vancouver who told me a tale about Joe and his obsessive search for the clouds and how best he could be among them. I won't ruin the ending but he finds that he just needed a little imagination instead of straining so hard to see them.

It was a good story so I have been trying to capture it in a picture but it never seems to quite hit the spot. This is the closest I have got to it so far. I have to say that Edgar seems like quite a chap,I bet he's seen a few things in his line of work!

KALE BOY

Unfortunately for me and possibly more for you, my drawings are normally done using delicate pencil marks, which means it's tricky to see when you scan but you can see it in real life I promise!

I found an exellent book at work which I sneakily stole from my old unsuspecting ladies called 'To see Oursels' which made me laugh :) it's absolutely full of old black and white photo's (my favourite) of scottish people with plenty to draw from...

I particularly liked Kale boy which I intended to do in ink but I found his face too addictive and before I knew it I'd done it in pencil and to use a pen all over it would be a shame. He would look quite funky with a fair isle background, or stars....hmm?

GRANNY

This doesn't quite pick up all the detail being a pencil drawing - the scanner doesn't like them so much. You can just make out the little eyes staring at you I think...

This is a commissioned piece from my friend Robyn of her granny (centre back), which was surprisingly difficult to capture. Because they are all looking at the camera the lines aren't strong and fiddly to get right! But here it is anyway. I hope her granny likes it.....

EASTER TART - not me!

Baking can make you look like a crazy lady. Although you can't see much of this chocolate tart you can see how delighted I am that I am about to share this with my hungry friends and get very fat on cake in the sun.

It's (again) a Rachel Allen inspired tart, she probably has it on her website but if not I can send you the recipe. It's sweet-shortcrust pastry filled with a mixed milk and dark chocolate fondant centre and silly but delicous mini eggs on the top. I had enough left over to make a little heart shaped tart which would actually make a lovely present if you weren't greedy like me and wanted to keep at least a wedge of it for yourself....

The hot cross buns were less of a hit and more like hot cross rocks so they don't feature on the blog this time, but I won't be beaten! Any recipes for these anyone?

QUILT!

A fine day to finish a fine quilt, my first ever. It was surprisingly straight forward and that includes a sewing machine initiation!

The colours and textiles I chose were inspired by Spring and I beavered away so it could be ready in time for this spring which we are now in the throws of, and isn't it brilliant to see things grow again?! Although really I am being rather hen like and making myself more of a nest than a practical bed cover - it's too warm for a damn padded quilt! A bed just doesn't look the same without a patchwork however...

Not put off by the year long process (think how expensive that would be if I charged for time), I've been thoroughly inspired to make another one, but this time I think I may try and do something more like a wall hanging, hmm....Does anyone else make quilty things? Perhaps this is absoloutely the wrong season to be asking this?!

New Adventures

There seem to be a lot of my friends who are moving house at le moment so I made this little card to wish them all luck in their new homes :)

I'm sure they're gald they're not moving to a ridiculously tall ligthouse with a door no man could fit a decent sofa through, however it's pretty to look at!

I went for my first cycle of the year today, I love cycling! I was warm enough, there were a couple of highland coo's and the Tay river was still and silvery. It did mean I had less time to doodle but life's too short when the sun is out in Scotland!

VANILLEKIPFERL

These little biscuits are traditionally given for Valentines day in Germany, although I'm a little belated in my efforts, they are known as Vanillekipferl which translates as ' Vanilla mountain tops'.

I found this recipe in my new Bible, Rachel Allen's 'Bake'. Although this recipe was very very easy her book is actually a tad more challenging than most of my recipe books - which I love!! If any one would like this recipe please let me know...

These little moons go so well with fresh coffee, which is exactly what I did this afternoon, yum!

It is now so spring like in small subtle ways, I just love it when things start to come back to life. I even saw my first primroses and daffodils today. So inspired by spring and potential daffodils that I surprised myself and bought a bright buttercup yellow dress. If you see a blonde lady in bright yellow frolicking by you any time soon it can be no other than my spring-self!

This one's for Jen

Ever so sorry I have been hibernating this winter and as such have done very little in the way of artistic adventures.

However, having had such a relaxing and generous festive period/birthday I thought a small thank you card to my nearest and dearest was in order. I made this inspired by a baking book photograph, a little different from my usual people pictures I actually really enjoyed doing this one :)

My next challenge is a patchwork...Dum dum dum! My mama bought me a sewing machine for christmas which I am thrilled with and terrified of in equal measure. I'm trying to make a spring based one, in time for spring!? I'll keep you updated on my no doubt sloooooow progress.