Bread maker - attempt number 3

This one looks like a loaf of bread!  I had to add quite a lot more water, and then the dough formed a ball which shook the machine until it fell onto the floor!  It's still a little bit denser than shop-bought bread, but I like it!

Flickr inspiration Jan 2010

I've just discovered how to use http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php to create mosaics of my favourite Flickr photos.  So here's my first inspiration board (click for larger view):

1. Bella Luce Photography, 2. A Creative Mint, 3. inspiration board, 4. Lori Marie, 5. Selina Lake, 6. Meet Rachel Ashwell, 7. Color Me Pretty, 8. Etsy artist The Black Apple, 9. Etsy artist The Black Apple,
10. Cath Kidston Sew_bag (I got this book for Christmas, but haven't started any of the projects yet),
11. softies_05 (This would be a great present to add to my mum's collection),
12. My Softies book cover (I have this book too),
13. Russian dolls, 14. malabrigo_turquoise,
15. Filatura di Crosa Maxime print (I'd love to find some wool in this colour combination),
16. Cascade9871_Grape (I also like this combination and it would be great for something wintery),
17. Cascade9921_Caribbean-Sea (I have this yarn and am in the middle of making a scarf with it - need to finish before the weather warms up!),
18. cascade cushion (I like this round cushion in sock yarn),
19. Amigurumi cookies (These would also be great for my mum),
20. Super Mario Star, 21. Hexagon blanket - it grows!, 22. Papier Mache Boxes, 23. beaded heart, 24. Don't keep calm and carry on., 25. Gingerbread Biscuit Bunny in blue tea cup, 26. Crocheted Cupcakes, 27. bonnie, 28. vintage kitsch, 29. bird detail.jpg, 30. Embroidery vine on white linen, 31. Pam Garrison's sampler 2, 32. design 1, 33. Little old quilt house, 34. Haikea Art Zine, 35. beata's crochet pillow cases

Bread maker - attempt number 1 & 2

We got a breadmaker for Christmas and tried it out for the first time yesterday.  We started off with the smallest loaf (1 lb) and the results were not a success!

From the bottom, when turned out of the tin, it looked a bit like bread, except for all the unmixed flour.

But the right way up, it didn't look so much like any loaf I've ever seen!

A lot of the flour got stuck in the corners of the tin and not mixed in.
When 'sliced', there were a few good bits, but also some very doughy bits.

This morning I tried a medium sized loaf (1.5 lb) and sifted the flour, then made sure there was no water around the sides of the pan for the flour to stick to.  The flour mixed in much better, but the dough was very crumbly so I added a bit more water.  It appears to have risen better than attempt 1 and tastes much more even!  But it's still a little dense.

2009

Major events of 2009:

• Holiday to Rome (April)
  
• Got a car (August)
  
• Holiday to Cornwall (August)
  
• Junior and infant school amalgamated (September)
  
• Moved to a new flat with Andy (October)

Theatre / music / art:

• Fame (March)
  
• Doves (May)
  
• Banksy vs Bristol Museum (August)
  
• Muse (September)
  

Coraline

I've just watched Coraline on DVD.  I read the book a few months ago too.  It's an intriguing story about the dangers of getting what you wish for, and very dark.  The set and animation were fantastic.  I remember reading about the handmade costumes on a few blogs when the film first came out.  I liked the way it integrated 3D and 2D animation. 

Christmas 2009

I came back to my parents' for Christmas. It was the first time I've driven that far on my own (ended up being a 5 1/2 hour drive), but the drive wasn't as stressful as I imagined. Christmas day was the usual lovely late lunch (but lamb this year instead of turkey), flurry of presents and a scattering of games (this year, Bingo and a pub quiz). Boxing day involved lots of leftovers, and then yesterday we took Grandad out for lunch.

I've spent most of the afternoons crocheting, following patterns in a gorgeous book: Super-Cute Crochet (by Nikki Trench), which Andy bought me for Christmas. So far I've made a Buff-Orpington Baby Chick, a hatching egg (with a tutu) and the legs and body of Andy the Alien.

There's loads more cute animals in this book that I want to make, including Sparkles the Snowman, Rebecca Bear, Ned the Naughty Old Goat, Pickle the Puppy, Melody the Kitten, a family of sugar mice, Shakira the Baby Elephant, Kimmie the Koala Bear and Dave the Dolphin.  There are pictures of quite a few of the animals on Ravelry.  Some of the projects are really quick and simple, whereas others are a little more complicated or time consuming.  The book also includes very clear crochet instructions.

I received a new digital camera from my parents, so hopefully there will be more pictures and posts on here soon.  One of my resolutions this year is to finish more craft projects!

Snow

We had a little bit of snow this week - not very much really, but enough for me to get excited about!  It was snowing when we went to bed, and we woke up to find everything covered in white.  So I leapt out of bed to take a few photos.