DIY Crochet Bracelet

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I recently learnt to crochet. Back in school, crochet and knitting bored me silly. Now that I'm older, it somehow seems so much cooler. I dream of making beautiful lace crochet collars, scarves, doilies etc. However, I'd like to learn to walk properly first before I start sprinting. Whilst I've created more substantial bits of crochet since my lessons, I'd like to share a very very simple craft idea that even a novice crocheter could make. Here is how your create a simple crochet bracelet.

You will need:

Wool

Chain link of appropriate length to fit your wrist

Findings for linking the chain link

Jewellery pliers

A pair of scissors

Method:

Create your base chain link bracelet using the links ( as shown in picture). Do not make this a tight link as you will need to allow some extra room to make your crochet fit.

Chain and then single crochet into the link bracelet. Leave a link free at each end of the bracelet. Your crochet bracelet is now complete! 

You could build extra stitches in another colour to add some more interest to your bracelet. Alternatively, you could sew rhinestone or pearls onto the crochet for a bit of sparkle.

I hope you give this little DIY a go, it is so very easy and a great way to get hooked on to crochet. Ann x

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Aeolian Island Break: Exploring Lipari

If you imagine the Med islands but much quieter and with a much more culture seeking crowd, you have the Aeolians. As with a lot of our travels, I did a fair bit of reading before we went out there. From what I imbibed through the travel books, I imagined azure blue waters, relaxing walks, freshly caught fish for lunch, cobbled streets waiting to be explored and a lively local scene. The Aeolians were all that and more. Yet, they felt like a precious little secret I shared with a select few.

Lipari is the main hub for the Aeolians. We chose to have Lipari as our base for this very reason. Accommodation was reasonably priced (outside the August madness) and we could easily get to mainland Sicily as well as the other islands. I also liked the idea of having shops to visit, cafes to frequent and plentiful choice of restaurants. As always, the locals (Italians/Sicilians) always provide their share of entertainment via a keen interest in you and a general sense of drama in everything they say or do.

The best way to see Lipari properly is to hire a scooter. We even managed to negotiate the price of one for about 15 Euros a day. Nevertheless, due to various reasons, we ended up exploring Lipari by foot. You could stick to the touristy trail and explore the castle, museum etc. or just wander the streets and see what you find. We did more of the latter. I loved visiting the little grocery stores that sold local produce (oils, wine, bread, fruit etc) and stopping by tiny local cafes for the mandatory granita or gelato.

The beauty of Lipari and the Aeolians in general is that there isn't that much to do and so you are forced to slow down after a day's worth of exploring. Instead, find a spot to relax by the beach or a sidewalk cafe and people watch whilst sipping on good quality coffee. We bought bits from the local shops for an impromptu picnic by a bench and wandered into pretty Trattorias in search of dinner. The food never failed to disappoint, especially if you sought out local specialties.

Have you been to Liapri or somewhere similar? What were your favourite activities? Ann x

Wearing: Hat bought from a local Sicilian store, Vivienne Westwood Sunglasses; H&M Blazer, Thrift Store Playsuit; La Redoute Sandals, Mandarina Duck Bag via TKMaxx ( all old collections)

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Photography by Edward Chandler

Glam up a Serving Tray with Decoupage

Partnerships always come with their share of compromises. Ed and I have had ours and they are all trivial ones. One such compromise was Ed's IKEA serving trays. I hated them! They were very utilitarian lacked anything aesthetic whatsoever. They did however serve some purpose, usually to help us dine in front of the TV on rare occasions. I recently realised there was really easy way to make these ugly trays more glamorous i.e. decoupage them!

Some weeks ago, I bought a few beautiful sheets of wrapping paper for 50p each in the Paperchase sale. They were so pretty that I was sure I could also put them to good use on an art project. That is when I realised that with a bit of Mod Podge and a few hours on a weekend, I could easily revamp those horrid trays I previously mentioned. To do a similar decoupage, you will need the following:

Pretty paper
A tub of Mod Podge ( or PVA glue)

A paint brush
Scissors
Paper and ruler
Absorbent paper for tidying up the edges
An item to decoupage, in this case a tray.

 

Method;

Cut the paper to size using the pencil, ruler and scissors. Thinly cover the surface you want to decoupage with Mod Podge. Let this sit for a couple of minutes before placing the paper on top and pressing it in well. Use the the ruler to smooth the surface. Wait for 20 minutes.

After the paper has tuck well, apply another thin layer of Mod Podge. Wait for 30 minutes until the layer is completely dry. Continue this method until you have at least three top coats. Your decoupage is now done!

I hope you give decoupage a go and let me know how you get on! Ann x

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Matcha Bubble Tea!

Back in May, I lost my bubble tea virginity at Bubbleology in Harvey Nic's, Knightsbridge.  I have since then wanted to recreate that quirky drink at home. In case you were wondering, Bubble/Boba tea is a South-East Asian food trend that is now the rage in London too. A fortuitous visit to a Chinese shop in Cambridge helped me acquire a whole bag of tapioca perals for very little. All I had to do was now mix it to my daily morning matcha routine. Here is how you make one yourself.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Tapioca pearls 
2 teaspoons matcha
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp milk

Boba/Bubbles:
Cook the tapioca pearls for about 5 minutes in boiling water till they are soft and have a glazed surface. Set aside.

Match:
Whisk the matcha, honey and milk together into a smooth paste and add boiling water.

Now add the tapioca pearls to the matcha, dividing it equally between two glasses. Serve!

You can make all sorts of tea with boba/tapioca pearls. Another favourite of mine is the taro version. You also serve bubble tea cold. Its lots of fun and the chewy 'bubbles' add another interesting dimension to most drinks.

Will you give it bubble tea a go too? Ann x

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Summer Crafts: Pressed Flowers Art

I remember pressing flowers for fun as a child. That was a long time ago. More recently, I've been wanting to capture some of the glorious blooms in our garden onto something more permanent and artistic. Art with pressed flowers seemed the obvious choice. It is incredibly easy to do and the results are truly lovely.

For pressing flowers you will need:

Fresh colourful flowers and foliage of your choice

A big fat book or two

Absorbent paper

For crafting with the pressed flowers:

Craft glue

Double sided sticky tape, optional

Picture frame (charity shops are a great source)

Card sheet

Method:

Place your flowers between absorbent sheets of paper inside a heavy book. Lay a heavy weight (or extra books) on this book and wait for 3 weeks. By the end of the 3 weeks, you flowers will be dried and pressed flat

To frame these flowers, use card paper of your choice ( or use a printed paper if you prefer) and cut to fit the picture frame. Attach flowers to the papers using a combination of craft glue and double sided tape. It depends on what your sticking as I managed with glue for most things but needed some tape for the lavender. Frame when the glue has dried. Your very unique nature inspired work of art is now ready to go on display!

Over the coming weeks I will write about other garden inspired crafts. If you want to join me in these crafting adventures, I suggest you start collecting and drying some lavender and herbs now. Watch this space!

I'd love to hear your all about your summer crafting stories too! Ann x

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Summer in a Jar: Plum and Raspberry Jam

  With our garden and allotment now producing a fair share of berries and fruit, I really needed to make some freezer space. I'd already frozen some raspberries earlier this season plus I need to finish the last of 2012's plums. I could not think of a simpler way of achieving both outcomes other than making more jam. Here is a super easy recipe for making your own plum and raspberry jam.

Printable recipe

Ingredients:

250 g raspberries ( I used frozen)

250 g plums

500 g jam sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Place a couple of  teaspoons in the freezer for testing the setting point of the jam. 

Heat the raspberries and plums with jam sugar in a saucepan until the mixture begins to boil. Add the lime juice. Reduce heat and continue to boil for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Skim off any scum/froth that forms along the top and sides using a wooden spoon.

Place a tiny dollop on the mixture onto one of the frozen teaspoons and see if it sets in a minute or so. You know the jam has set if it starts looking gel like and does not drip off the spoon.

Pour into sterilised jars and refrigerate.  Homemade jam, done!

 Jam making is incredibly easy and you can use pretty much the same recipe and substitute the raspberries and plums for any soft fruit. I'd love to hear all about your jam making adventures too! Ann x

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Quirky and Handmade

I enjoy collecting unique pieces of fashion, especially those that are handmade and come with a story. Our annual trip to India is never complete without a quick stop at O.M.O. , a tiny little boutique that has been my go-to place for nearly ten years. Here, women artisans hand sew most of the items on sale using traditional Indian fabrics and techniques. My most recent trip to the place yielded a beautiful summer dress with a quirky twist.

Given the weather we are accustomed to in England, I expected to wear this only on a handful of occasions. However, during a recent trip to Southern Italy, where balmy weather reigns, my quirky handmade dress got plenty of use. Our time in Pizzo was spent mostly wandering the historic town centre and lazing away at Enrico's coffee shop and gelataria. I teamed the dress with my trusty silver pumps (R.I.P) which after six years of good service, finally gave up at the end of the trip.

The vegetation in and around Pizzo was unique too, quite unlike what I've seen elsewhere. Tall bamboo like grasses swathed the countryside around Calabria. The meadows were filled with bright and colourful flowers. Bougainvilleas were everywhere and they reminded me of childhood days in India. All this natural beauty seemed the perfect backdrop for my bright quirky outfit.

Have you a unique something in your wardrobe too? I'd love to hear about it! Ann x

Wearing: O.M.O Triangle Dress, M&S Silver Pumps, Vivienne Westwood Sunglasses

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Photography by Edward Chandler

Summer Projects: DIY Antique Chair Restoration

A year or so ago, I nabbed a beautiful but grotty Victorian Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair for £15 from a furniture clearance. This was an absolute bargain considering one of these can sell for over £500 in decent condition. To say that Ed and I had a few arguments over this purchase would be an understatement. His dislike for it matched by my extreme love for the same. I love antique dark wood furniture and this chair (despite being Victorian), reminded me of lazy summers spent with my family in Kerala. I had to bring to back to its former glory, and a few days and 50p was all it took. Here is how I went about it...

Step 1: Thoroughly clean the chair. A bag of antiseptic wet wipes is what I used to do this. I also used liquid soap and cotton buds to clean the crevices.

Step 2: Sand the chair down.

Step 3. Wait for a year (joke). We actually did take forever to get to step 4.

Step 4: Use dark varnish and paint the chair. It took a minimum 3 coats plus touch-ups to get to to the shade I wanted. I also nabbed varnish for 50p in a clearance sale which added to the smugness I felt with the finished product.

Step 5: Sit down and rock yourself whilst doing a  bit of crochet, knitting or reading.

I must add that Ed is now a fan too. I'm not an expert at furniture restoration by any means and so I hope this encourages you to do some yourself. Why buy expensive furniture when you can salvage old bits from charity shops, car boots and eBay and restore them yourself?! I'm now going tor raid my huge bag of fabrics to make some cushion covers to go with this chair.

I'd love to hear your furniture restoration stories too! Ann x

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Couscous Salad wiith Mackerel and Nasturtiums

Surprising as it may seem, a series of supermarket purchases inspired to come up with an easy culinary delight. My lunches in recent weeks seemed to always consist of the Cooperative's meal-deal. Despite various options on offer, I always chose the couscous and mackerel salad. It was light, healthy and very very tasty. When I was at a loss as to what to cook one weekend, I decided to recreate and improvise on this recent obsession. Here is how I did it...

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
250g couscous
250 ml veg stock
150g bean sprouts
1 Onion, thinly sliced
4 fillets of smoked mackerel, chopped

Rocket leaves
Nasturtiums
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
25 ml balsamic vinegar
25 ml lime juice
50 ml olive oil

Method:

In a bowl, add boiling stock to the couscous, mix well and cook for 5 mins till the couscous grains are fluffy. Lightly fry the onion in a bit of olive oil, add the chopped mackerel and bean sprouts and continue to fry for a couple of more minutes. Add this mackerel mixture to the couscous and mix well. Mix the dressing ingredients well, add the rocket leaves and nasturtiums and mix it all in with the couscous. Serve!

You can always opt out of the nasturtiums (that was my touch and gave the edible flowers on our allotment more purpose) or replace them with other edible flowers like pansies, borage or violets.

You can make this dish in minutes and it really is delicious. If you don't take my word for it, why not give it a go yourself? Ann x

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Top Crafting Apps

You probably already know that I've been shortlisted for this year's Cosmopolitan Blog Awards in the Crafting Blog category.  A big 'thank you' to all who nominated me! This is hugely exciting news but it also means I'm feeling the pressure to deliver quality craft-related content. An incredibly busy day job with lots of travel means I literally burn the midnight oil on the blog. However, I use the help of my trusty Iphone to find exciting crafting inspiration through some really cool apps. So when I was recently asked to be part of dial-a-phone's campaign of favourite mobile apps, it came as a no-brainer that I talked about these. Here are some of my current favourites:

Mollie Makes: I love the Mollie Makes magazine and was delighted to find their Iphone version. The mag is full of creative ideas, inspiration and lots of  brilliant projects. I'm a fan. Even better, you can get a free trial version for a month!

i stitches: I recently learnt to Crochet and am very excited about putting it to good use. I had no interest in knitting or crochet whilst at school but somehow as I've got older, these crafts seem particularly cool. The istiches app is a handy reference for crochet and knitting on the go.

How Do:You can find a DIY for pretty much anything under the sun at How Do. I've found it particularly helpful with my little home improvement projects. You can upload your own projects to How Do and share.

 

Pinterest: This isn't quite a crafting app as much as an inspiration finder for life in general. If I need to find ideas for a particular craft projects or am just figuring out the next fun thing to do with jam jars and tins, Pinterest is where I head to.Do check out my crafty page on Pinterest

Etsy: This is where I head to when I've either given up on a craft project but really need that specific thing in my life or just to find some handmade loveliness. It has some of the best handcrafted goodies from independent designers. A must visit website and an equally fab app.
 

What are your favourite crafting apps? Ann x

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Friends, Food and a Spot of Fashion

Would you go for the ordinary when you could get exceptional for just the same? I believe in seeking out the best and at great value. The meal at Hambleton Hall that I wrote about a couple of months ago is one such example. A group of truly exceptional restaurants around Rutland now offer 'lunch for less' deals which means you can get Michelin quality food for pub-grub prices. My friend Rosie and I with our other halves have been trying to make the most of these and we recently met up at The Olive Branch in Clipsham for some natter and posh nosh.

   

Rosie and Pete chose the Tapas option from their menu and  Ed & I chose from the Set Lunch. The food was top notch, mostly. Although the main meal tapas seemed less than generous, the dessert tapas more than made up for it. In  true 'me' style, I also opted for the weirdest item on the menu which in this case was cold pressed ox tongue with salad. It was a bit like kissing a cow that had just chomped on grass but I ate it all anyway.

The  beer garden at the Olive Branch was in full summer glory, I was wearing two of my favourite fashion pieces and Rosie was her usual chic self. Clearly, outdoor outfit shots were the natural follow-on from our meal. Rosie's style is classic chic with a dash of British prep. She is wearing a lovely turquoise dress from Warehouse, a denim jacket from Dorothy Perkins, My Flash Trash ring picked up during our day out at London Fashion Weekend and a pair of pretty ballet pumps from New Look. The air was slightly nippy and Rosie kept the chill off with  an embellished scarf bought from one of my favourite shopping haunts in Mumbai.

I've been meaning to get my X-Large Lulu Guinness Lips Clutch out to play for a while and this seemed a perfect occasion. It is much more practical than the regular lips clutch's and I bagged it for 70% off in a TK Maxx Flash Sale. One of my best buys in a long time. I'm also wearing a Vivienne Westwood Marghi Check Blouse via another online flash sale and a pair of old Levi's. My trusty M&S nude heels take me to work and play with equal ease.

What summertime adventures have you been up to? Ann x

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Photography by Edward Chandler

Summer Fruits Pudding

British food gets slated all the time but one must accept that it has an element of resourcefulness. Summer Fruits Pudding is the epitome of this. It combines stale bread and fruit gluts to create one of the most delightful desserts of summertime. Being allotment people, we do tend to have our share of fruit and berry gluts every so often. Here is how I transformed one such glut into a tasty dessert:

Ingredients:

6-8 slices of stale bread

750g berries and fruit (I used currants, strawberries, plums and raspberries)

150g caster sugar

4 tbsp raspberry liqueur

Method:

Stew the fruit with sugar for only a couple of minutes till the juices start running. Add the liqueur. Separate the juice and keep aside in a bowl.  

Cut the crusts off the bread and dip each slice into the bowl of juice before layering the pudding bowl. Use a right slice for the base first and then add the sides. Add the fruit mixture into the bowl. Cover the top with a  few more slices of bread. Trim the edges.

Place a flat plate and another heavy weight on top of the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours. To serve, turn the bowl upside down so that the pudding rests on the plate.

Serve on hot summer days and eat alfresco for maximum enjoyment.

This is such an incredibly easy recipe and so I hope you give it a go too. And do let me know how you get on! Ann x

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