Tuesday 24 December 2013

'tis the season

...to be working flat out until the last gasp, making presents and baking. And let's face it, some things have been more successful than others.

Here's the first Good Thing:


pair of cushions, to order

With its associated Not So Good Thing i.e. the mess behind the machine and the entanglement of zips, linings and hidden seams:


Here's the second Good Thing:





Second pair of cushions (sshh, don't tell - they're a surprise...)

Then there was the Christmas Cake Fiasco.....

Cake number one:


which was Too Tall and needed its top chopped off, had some marzipan and icing slapped on it and duly eaten, after being dubbed "Pond in Winter":


I'm ashamed, I truly am.  The rest of the cake wasn't that much better, so I was instructed to make another one.  No pictures of that one, but it is a perfection of marzipan and fruit cake, replete with Frosty Peaks (trad).

Then there was the stollen. The stollen recipe that makes two stollen.


Except someone has forgotten the almond paste. Doh!

So then there had to be two more stollen in order to get it right:


That's more like it. Phew.

And finally, some stars (inspired by shenanigans in class playing with the laminator)


And a doorway festooned with buttons, courtesy of Gina


Right, that's it. I'm calling it quits.

This term has been such a long one, and the fact that my cooking skills have clearly deserted me has quite frankly terrified me - more than enough evidence that I need a bit of a break! Normal blogging service will be resumed in the New Year.

So for now, have a very merry one, ho ho ho and all that - I'm off to pour myself a stiff drink and find the cheesecake* and my Christmas Stocking!

xxx

hopefully not in my stocking but knowing how things have been going around here recently...

Monday 9 December 2013

Taking procrastination up a notch

Make Christmas presents? Finish start stitching colourful creative thing painted two weeks ago? why do that when you could do this:


Woah!  Discovered I had a star-thingy-tool and wanted to use it. I don't recommend doing this, but (a) my machine is out of warranty, and (b) it did allow me to get a load of crud out of it. But honestly, what on earth possessed me?!

Maybe I was dispirited because I'd done this to the Christmas cake:


I think we were slightly "under-tinned".

I have now redeemed things slightly, and got something done on the creative thingy:



(actually two thingies)

A start, definitely not a finish.

There will be some pics of student work as soon as I've sorted the photos - they've been mighty busy!