Thursday, December 19, 2013
Felt Christmas decorations: garland and heart shaped wreath
I haven't posted in a long time, but I have spent quite a bit of time crafting. Unfortunately I just realized I forgot to take pics of some of my new creations and have given them to friends...
Anyway. As we moved to the Uk, I now had to find new sources for crafting. One of my favourites is Wilkinsons...for basically anything else btw. I was able to pick up some really soft easy to sew felt and nice
ribbons, and best of all, a great assortment of cute red, white, grey buttons to match the felt.
This is the garland I made for the fire place. The birds and hearts were originally just christmas tree ornaments that I pulled the ribbon through and secured with alternating red and white cross stitches.
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Strawberry Yogurt loaf (or what to do with slightly expired yogurt)
I really like baking with my kids, and they like being able to help with grown up tasks like using the whisk, knife, scissors or in the case of the little one, a wooden spoon. I try to get them involved in the kitchen. During the summer when both were at home, I tried to involve both of them, giving them tasks that would suit their abilities.
This recipe is a great way to make use of yogurt that is a little bit past its due date.... but fresh yogurt works just as well :). The benefit of fruit yogurt is that it lends a nice fruity taste to the cake. Here I used yogurt that is high in fat, strawberry flavored Yopiat Filous Fromage Frais and added some creme fraiche. The creme fresh/fromage frais or soured cream is used as shortening. If you use less fatty yogurt you need to add a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil.
2 beaten eggs
1 mug (about 200 ml) of sugar
1 mug of joghurt/creme fraiche/soured creme
2 mugs of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
0.5 teaspoon of salt
strawberries or other fruit
1. Beat eggs
2. Add sugar and beat some more.
3. Add yoghurt
4. Add all other dry ingredients
5. Top with fruit
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 180 C.
This is an alternative to a cake that is made with sour cream in Hungary and is topped with seasonal fruit. A big favorite with my mom and grandma. They usually add sour cherries or sometimes apples and walnuts on top. I've made it with rasberries and even canned pineapples. My mom also adds poppy seeds to the batter to feed my dad's poppy addiction :)
This recipe is a great way to make use of yogurt that is a little bit past its due date.... but fresh yogurt works just as well :). The benefit of fruit yogurt is that it lends a nice fruity taste to the cake. Here I used yogurt that is high in fat, strawberry flavored Yopiat Filous Fromage Frais and added some creme fraiche. The creme fresh/fromage frais or soured cream is used as shortening. If you use less fatty yogurt you need to add a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil.
2 beaten eggs
1 mug (about 200 ml) of sugar
1 mug of joghurt/creme fraiche/soured creme
2 mugs of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
0.5 teaspoon of salt
strawberries or other fruit
My sons love to break the eggs... shells can be fished out with a spoon or fork |
1. Beat eggs
2. Add sugar and beat some more.
3. Add yoghurt
4. Add all other dry ingredients
5. Top with fruit
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 180 C.
The little one helped take the green bits off the strawberries. |
We all put the strawberries on top. |
. |
Note: It should not be this brown :) |
This is an alternative to a cake that is made with sour cream in Hungary and is topped with seasonal fruit. A big favorite with my mom and grandma. They usually add sour cherries or sometimes apples and walnuts on top. I've made it with rasberries and even canned pineapples. My mom also adds poppy seeds to the batter to feed my dad's poppy addiction :)
painted UFO cupboard knob
I haven't posted anything in a long time! To make up for it, I'll try to share a few things we did over the summer/fall.
One of our projects was the revamp of a night-table for my son. Since it is made out of laminated wood, my options were quite limited. Also, most of the furniture in the kids room is white or pine so white was fine by me.
The original nighttable |
I really did not like the painted aluminium knob on the door of the nightstand. So when I came across a bag of there handles at a charity shops, I bought them.
As always, I used acrylic paint and an acrylic varnish so it will wear better.
My son helped me out with the screwdriver! |
The finished piece. |
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Fiona Watts bird-spiration 2: be-birded tray
Fueled by the success of my other bird doodle projects( see http://thefeverishfeltist.blogspot.hu/2013/05/fiona-watts-bird-spiration.html) (and also the fact that I enjoy drawing them) I made a tray for my husband's grandma as a birthday present. I bought a plain wooden tray at the craftshop and used acrylic paint and a permanent marker for the contour and varnish.
I was able to finish this during roughly 1.5 nap-times discounting the varnish. Of course nap-times are subject to variability given the difference between children... so I'd say about 2- 2.5 hours for the whole tray, but I used a hair blow drier to hasten the drying of the paint.:)
I plan to make one for our house as well.
I was able to finish this during roughly 1.5 nap-times discounting the varnish. Of course nap-times are subject to variability given the difference between children... so I'd say about 2- 2.5 hours for the whole tray, but I used a hair blow drier to hasten the drying of the paint.:)
I plan to make one for our house as well.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
City scape on wood
Another Fiona Watts inspired project...
In her book 365 things to make and do, there is a section that shows readers how to doodle cityscapes.
I took it up a knotch and drew the cityscape on painted wood with a permanent pens (fine and medium) sized tips. I liked the outcome so much that I made a second one with colorful buildings.
Fiona Watt's bird-spiration
I have already blogged about Fiona Watt's great book from Usborne before (http://thefeverishfeltist.blogspot.hu/2012/11/finger-printed-giftcards.html)
and now here are some projects that were inspired by the bird drawings the book teaches.
The other project is a pencil box for my cousin. Here I painted on the wooden base with acrylic paint, drew the bird shapes in pencil, painted the the birds then using a (fine tipped) permanent marker, I retraced the contour of the birds and drew the faces, wings. Finally, used an acrylic varnish to protect the surface.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Ikea Plyssa Beads: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Coaster
Another plyssa bead project made by my son! See the others here http://thefeverishfeltist.blogspot.hu/2013/04/more-plyssa-beads-fun-star-wars.html
and here
http://thefeverishfeltist.blogspot.hu/2013/03/angry-birds-coaster-from-ikea-pyssla.html
Now all we need to do is make a girly one for me :)
and here
http://thefeverishfeltist.blogspot.hu/2013/03/angry-birds-coaster-from-ikea-pyssla.html
Now all we need to do is make a girly one for me :)