Everything Stops For Tea...

Only another crafter will understand when I say design is an obsession! It keeps me awake at night and stops me from concentrating on the task in hand - especially if it's housework!

I particularly love colour and enjoy building colour themes; seeing how one colour interacts with another and completely changes its character. A favourite combination of mine is to mix a bright colour with more subtle hues. I've just listed some chunky bracelets in my Folksy shop which have allowed me to experiment with various colourways. Here's an example.

I've also been experimenting with free machine stitch after being inspired by some projects I've seen on the internet. My chosen theme was urban drama; housewives day dreaming of a life away from the kitchen sink, over a cup of tea (recognise that one?). Here is one of my pieces of work:

Well that's enough work for one day! Though not the greatest of cooks, I do like to reward myself for a hard day's sewing with a teatime treat and, in this house, we love afternoon tea. One of my favourite recipes is posh jam tarts; here's the recipe - ready roll pastry (just the right thickness) frangipane (ground almonds mixed with margarine and a little sugar) and strawberry jam: Pre heat the oven to gas 6; use a large mug or cup to cut out circles from the pastry; spread with frangipane and top with a teaspoon of jam. Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Here's what they look like..