Jaydee's Ramblings

Easy Marbling

2012-01-17T19:31:00.007Z

We are currently doing a project on Space in school and I found this idea through Pinterest and have been dying to try it out. (Original website) This morning I was working with Primary 1 (5 year olds - all 3 of them!) and we made planets. The idea is they have designed planets that they will name and write about.

First you cover a surface in shaving foam (not gel), I used a sand tray lid. The children chose paint colours and we drizzled the liquid paint over the surface of the foam. Then using the 'wrong' end of paintbrushes we wrote letters in the paint to swirl the colours (before I hit on this idea they were mixing which didn't have such a good effect).

Paint tray ready to print

The paper was pre-cut into circles and they took turns choosing where to put their planet and take a print by pressing down on the back of the paper. (Write names on the back of the paper before starting!) Next, they lifted the paper and placed it on a newspapered table.

Paper before scraping off the foam

It looks good at this point but the next bit is the real 'WOW!' bit. Scrape the foam off the paper, we used stiff card but next time I will use scrapers cut from plastic milk bottles. What you get is a marbled effect without expensive inks - very impressive. It is also very easy to clean up and leaves you with an interesting smell ... "This room smells like my dad!"

The finished picture

The last three photos show the progress of one picture on a rectangular piece of paper done after the planets.

DS bag

2012-01-16T21:17:00.006Z

I'm busy working on a sensory quilt for my niece, at the rate the ideas are coming in - it may be rather large! Not to be outdone, my 12 year old niece (sister of the one who is getting the sensory quilt) has been dropping hints that she needs a bag for her DS. I obtained an old pair of her jeans and came up with this, the ribbon, button and strap made from a belt are all recycled:

Editted to add, this bag is now lined with fleece fabric. It was a bit big as I cut it to fit the pocket size. The fleece (taken from a jacket I made my son about 16 years ago) makes the DS fit in more snugly and also provides padding to protect it.

Can you tell what it is yet?

2012-01-08T16:13:00.004Z

Easily distracted as I am, especially from housework, I made something new today. I have been sorting through my clothes and find myself with a stack of items that no longer fit due to having lost 40lbs so far in my quest for a healthier me. This is what I came up with:

So - can you tell what it is yet?

My hubby gave me a kindle for Christmas and I wanted to protect it but the pockets online are expensive and not particularly 'me'. So, I made a kindle protector from the back of one of my pairs of now redundant jeans. It even has a pocket to keep the charging cord in. I hope you like it!

Crochet a Basket from Sheets!

2012-01-02T17:15:00.005Z

This is my first attempt at a blog tutorial so I would appreciate any feedback.

My daughter wants a waste paper basket for her craft room/ spare room - and I can do baskets. I wanted to make one from recycled materials and toyed with the idea of weaving one with old jeans and t-shirts then I came upon a blog showing me how to crochet baskets from t-shirts. However it says that the curve in her baskets comes as a natural result of the elasticity of the fabric used. Back to square one as I wanted a straight sided basket. Remembering I had yarn made from old sheets upstairs in my craft room that I had made to use on my rug loom and not used, I decided to try crocheting with it and adapt the pattern to suit.

The first photo shows the base and the point at which I decided it was a goer.

To make this for yourself you first need the yarn. Measure along the top of your sheet and snip at 1" intervals. You can then tear down the length of the sheet quite easily. I have done this with both polycotton and flannelette sheets. Snip a small slit lengthways in each end of each strip and holding a piece in each hand join by pushing the lefthand piece through slit in the righthand piece and then threading the other end of the righthand piece through the lefthand slit. Pull tight and continue until you have used all the pieces and have a large ball ready to go. This creates a continuous piece of yarn that doesn't have bulky knots in it. I hope this photograph helps explain what I have been saying:

I used 2 balls for this, one made from a double sheet we got as a wedding present 26 years ago and one made from a double duvet cover I bought in a charity shop. You will also need a crochet hook, I used a 10mm one. OK, now for the pattern (written in English crochet terms):

Chain 2
6 dc in 2nd chain from hook

Continue in a spiral, marking the beginning of each round with a thread (orange in my photographs)
Crochet 2dc in each sc in round
dc in next dc, crochet 2dc in next dc, repeat around
dc in next 2 dc, 2dc in next dc, repeat
dc in next 3 dc, 2dc in next dc, repeat
dc in next 4 dc, 2dc in next dc, repeat
dc in next 5 dc, 2dc in next dc, repeat
dc in next 6 dc, 2dc in next dc, repeat

Continue with the pattern increase until the basket base is the size you want. Mine was 10" and ended with dc in next 8dc, 2dc in next dc.

DC in the back loop of each stitch in round. From now on you are making the sides of your basket and will be crocheting through both loops of each stitch again. Keep moving your marker up as you go so you know where the start of the round is, change yarns if you want stripes.

When you have reached the required height of you basket, you can do a slip stitch to finish or add handles. I decided to put on short handles. In the second last row I chained 10 and missed 8 stitches dc'ed to the opposite handle space, ch 10 and missed 8 dc and dc to the beginning of the row. Next round dc all round including in each ch, slip stitch to finish, pull end of yarn though the loop and hide it in your basketry!

Experiment with sizes. Make long handles for a shopping bag, or shorter sides and no handles for a fruit basket. Just make bases for coasters and placemats. Remember everything you make like this will be washable! Have fun playing, I'm going to - and will be casting an eye over the sheets in the airing cupboard soon!

Crafteroo and Pinterest

2011-12-31T16:13:00.003Z

I've recently joined Pinterest and have been having fun finding and storing projects there, you can find me at: jaydee67 . Some of my fellow craft peeps on Crafteroo have decided to set up a challenge to complete items from their Pinterest boards and I'm joining in. I've set up a board for the challenge and will let you know how I get on here and the logo will appear in any post that relates to the challenge and if you click on it it will take you to the challenge thread on Crafteroo so you can see what everyone else is up to.

This is the nearly finished result of my first project, a cotton baby blanket for a new baby whose mum loves the colour orange:

Christmas and Crafts

2011-12-28T13:27:00.005Z

That's Christmas over with. We had a lovely time with everyone home and had just finished our main course when the power went off. The rest of the day was free of electronics and we had a lot of fun playing games and chatting by candlelight. We have a peat stove and a gas cooker so we are set for such times.

I made quite a few presents this Christmas, mum got a patchwork project bag with 2 bead stitch markers; Kirsty and David got homemade Limoncello; Kirsty got a felted crochet hook case, I made the felt at a workshop and later turned it into a case; She also got an item I made for the mystery package challenge on Crafteroo for the new magazine out on the 1st January (with 2 items by me and the kids at work); I made a needle felted brooch and a Nuno felted scarf for one secret Santa, a crocheted scarf for another and a needle felted brooch and a microwave dyed silk scarf for another. Friends at work got a loom knitted hat, a brooch made from a felted Shetland jumper, a fairy made from the same jumper and some wire, a knitted scrappy scarf, some limoncello and a crocheted spiral scarf. As you can see, my love of different crafts shines through here!

The nuno felted silk scarf:

My current make in progress is a crocheted ripple baby blanket. I am making it in Anchor Style 100% splash yellows cotton with orange stripes as the new mum (baby boy was born yesterday) loves orange! Next I'm planning to do a waste paper basket for Kirsty using some of our old clothes - watch this space!

Loving Hands

2011-05-26T19:23:00.007+01:00

I've just sent a second box off to Loving Hands filled with baby hats, cardies, blankets, burial gowns, a tiny crib, gloves, teddies and dolls for children with chemo, etc. Made by my mum, myself and two other friends the knitted, sewn, crafted and crocheted items are going to be disbursed to charities helping people in need. No item is turned away, Lou, the group's founder, is said to be able to find a home for anything. For more info see the forum here: http://lovinghands.freeforums.org/ If you live in Shetland and want to add to the next box, give me a shout!

Crib, mattresses and blankets for babies who don't make it to have a nice place to lie while Mum and Dad say goodbye.

Toys, lap blanket and clothing

crocheted dress and knitted hats by Mum

Dolls with no hair - but cheery hats, for children who lose their hair through cancer

Celebrations

2010-10-31T18:20:00.005Z

We are back from a fabulous holiday with all three kids on the Costa Del Sol, our first family holiday with everyone present in 7 years. We stayed in a small town called Nerja which has escaped the worst of the hotels on the beach and concrete everywhere, instead it retains the feel of the old town with narrow streets and whitewashed houses. The weather was warm, we relaxed, swam, explored and ate. The reason for the holiday was our 25th wedding anniversary, John and I got married on November 1st 1985 - and they said it wouldn't last! ;-)

Then ...

... and now!

The five of us. Kirsty celebrated her birthday in Nerja too.

Yell Show

2010-09-05T20:05:00.006+01:00

First weekend in September means the Yell Show. John and his boss were doing a trade stand with Citroens from the garage and I went as a driver to help them move the cars.

It was a gorgeous day and Kirsty came in with her car too and we went for a run around Yell before going back to the show later in the day. We took the dogs to West Sandwick Beach and I think this photo deserves a caption - any suggestions?

We called along the Old Haa in Burravoe after visiting John's aunt and admired the garden before the teras and homebakes lured us inside. This photo was taken from the garden and the house on the hill is where John was born and spent his childhood.

After another dog walk we headed back to the show for the afternoon. 6 Citroens made up a display, this photo was taken from the hill above the show.

My favourite exhibit in the arts section was this shellcraft entry - mussel shells made up into swimming orcas!

Blanket is finished

2010-08-23T18:49:00.004+01:00

The baby blanket now has a border, all it's ends sewn in and has been stretched/ blocked. I've never stretched anything other than socks before - and John made me sock boards for them, so I asked around a bit for advice. In Shetland wool haps are usually stretched on hap boards which are wooden frames with nails in them that you attach the shawl to by sewing into each point and then looping the thread around a nail, all the way round. Getting one made the right size seemed to be looking at a lot of work so I used another method a friend had read about. I pinned the damp blanket to a quilt and left it to dry. This work well, but the quilt hung over my pulley allowed the sides to creep in so the blanket squares are now slightly rectangular. Think it's ok though, and it is much flatter, even the border is lying flat now. Hope the mum-to-be likes it!

Now, back to what I was doing before this distracted me! I'm crocheting a lap blanket for me: Chameleon blanket

Latest WIP

2010-08-19T22:18:00.006+01:00

I'm crocheting this baby blanket in natural colours of Gotland and Shetland wool for a fellow NEEPster ( NEEPS ). I've made and sewn all the squares together and have the border to go.

Not sure I would choose yarn for a baby blanket that has to be handwashed - but not my decision! I wasn't sure about the colours before I started either but I like them now!

2010-08-15T18:35:00.004+01:00

It's been a busy week here, last week of the school holidays so back to work tomorrow. :-(

Spent a good bit of this weekend at the peat hill. The dogs came too and Jake in particular had a ball - there is a wet spot at the bottom of the bank that fills in and is very boggy - he loves it and heads straight for it. This means our mainly white dog rapidly turns very dark brown. Yeuck! Packing the dry peats into bags to transport them home was the job this weekend and it took 215 bags to do the job. We are hoping this will be enough for our winter fuel for the stove we now have in our living room, but time will tell. We do have some wood as well.

The peats became a family affair. Kirsty was helping me yesterday but her sore toe (she injured it going to the clothes line on Wednesday, may be broken but is very bruised and she has split her nail open from top to bottom!) meant she had to go home after a while - she made the tea to compensate though! ;-) Dad came out the the hill today with sandwiches to keep us going and stayed to help fill a few bags and my sister Melanie and her daughter Chloe arrived in time to help tidy up the last bits (great timing!). John barrowed all the bags down to the road, taking them across the ditch on a scaffolding plank! I could hardly walk across it, never mind push a barrowload of peats over it!

50 bags came home yesterday, and the rest are waiting at the side of the road for a lift - the pick-up John borrowed lost it's brakes as it came into here yesterday! Hopefully he will borrow something from work tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a glass of wine and some crochet are the order of the evening and I think my back will need the Pilates class tomorrow night!

Jaydee's Pages

2010-08-09T16:29:00.004+01:00

Well, I've spent a good piece of today fixing my website. I sorted my photos on Photobucket into folders a while ago and broke all the links to photos on my website - oops! All fixed now and some new ones added as well as adding another page. Have a look and let me know what you think, especially with regard to photo and font sizes.

Jaydee's Pages

Thanks for looking!

Celebratory Week

2010-08-07T18:12:00.005+01:00

So far this week our family has celebrated:

Exam results - Craig did well in his standard grades and got the results he needed
John's niece got an A for her nursing placement (well done Lorraine!)
Another of John's nieces passed her driving test and got good exam results (well done Lisa!)
A wedding - John's nephew and his beautiful bride got married on 6/8/10 (Congratulations Kevin and Julie)
Voe Show success - Craig got Best Fowl and Best Overall Poultry Exhibit trophies for his Pekin bantam cockeral and third for his Pekin hen; I won first, second and third for my recycled baskets; mum got first and second for her crochet; my niece got a first for her photo of some puffins (well done Chloe!)

If I've forgotten anything I apologise - it's been a busy week!

Beach combings

2010-08-04T21:38:00.006+01:00

Well, the basket was made today. I love making stuff from 'rubbish', this basket is made from rope washed up on Shetland's beaches. Not sure it's my best effort, I tried a curved one rather than using a form to keep the sides straight. But hey, it's done, I had some fun making it and it's off to the Voe Show this weekend.

Talking of Shetland's beaches, I was in Unst at the weekend and picked up some pebbles from a beach. We have varnished some and added brooch backs. I think they look rather nice!

Anyway, back to crocheting the baby blanket!

2010-08-03T14:43:00.003+01:00

I am going to try to keep this going more now, hopefully I have linked it to Facebook which has taken over some of what I would have been posting here. I am busy crafting, with a baby blanket commission underway and stuff I've entered into the local show cluttering up the place. I am going to make one more basket for that from beach rope - so watch this space!

SELKIES

2010-01-24T15:05:00.002Z

Walking along the banks
Watchful eyes follow every move.
A glimpse of movement,
A splash,
A ripple marks the watchers spot.

Beach stones crunching underfoot,
The burn trickles and sings
Curving and spreading to meet the sea.
The body of watchers increases,
Magical.

The dogs stand mesmerised
The splashing attracts them .
The coughing and barking from the sea
Is a puzzle.
Eleven pairs of eyes look back.

Sea creatures.
Elegant,
Lithesome,
Kinsmen.
Inquisitive,
Enquiring,
Slipping through the water.

2010-01-15T20:41:00.001Z

Dear Lord,

Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm
And safe from harm
For they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits 'send'.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to GOD.Com

Patchwork baby quilt

2010-01-05T19:13:00.001Z

A friend of mine had a baby last year and this is for him, once I get it backed!

New Year -and crafts aplenty!

2010-01-03T22:40:00.005Z

Well, the blog kinda fell apart towards the end of the year. Must try harder! Crafting for Christmas was what kept me busy at the end of the year, and my internet time has focussed more on Facebook, where I have found some old friends and kept in touch with newer ones.

I did a major effort to make gifts for family this Christmas:
Mum - crocheted shawl
Dad - knitted cabled hat (to match gloves I made for his birthday)
John - knitted rib hat
David - crocheted bath mitt (didn't know what he would wear)
Kirsty - crocheted neck warmer and knitted hat with cable brim
Craig - knitted rib arm warmers and matching hat
Steph (my niece) - knitted eyelash yarn neck warmer (never again!)

Also made for others:
School fundraiser - 6 crocheted neck warmers
Poultry Keeper Secret Santa - 4 knitted mini stockings stuffed with spices
Crafts Forum Secret Santa - crocheted neck warmer
Craft Group Secret Santa - 3 crocheted bath mitts (for younger members) and crocheted string shopping bag
15 x Snowman Soup in a mug for the kids at school

For me:
A crocheted Christmas Tree with glass bead 'lights'

Since Christmas I have made, by request:
Crocheted mittens with a fold back top to let the fingers out for Kirsty to match her Christmas presents
A knitted hat/ balaclava for David
A crocheted neck warmer for my sister, she doesn't like scarves

I am also knitting a lace pattern scarf for myself. My first lace pattern garment, apart from a baby hat, and I'm really pleased with how it is going.

Two websites of note for the yarn crafters out there:
Bargain yarn: http://kempswoolshop.com/
Fantastic pattern selections: http://www.ravelry.com/ (you have to sign up, but it is free - and worth it!)

2009-08-24T21:43:00.001+01:00

As part of my new keep fit regime I have signed up to do a sponsored walk for diabetes research. Donations are welcome through my just giving page: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

map

2009-08-07T01:20:00.001+01:00

I've visited the counties in yellow.
Which counties have you visited?

made by marnanel
map reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data
by permission of the Ordnance Survey.
© Crown copyright 2001.

Unst

2009-07-05T21:48:00.005+01:00

Found 3 geocaches (geocaching) in Unst and the only one in Yell today. Long hill walk to the first one on Hermaness, didn't go on to find the puffins but saw a couple of gannetries and Britain's most northerly rock. John took a route new to him on Hermaness so I could find the geocache and niether Craig or I had been there before - took a geocache to get me there! The location of the Yell geocache was also new territory to all of us.

Muckle Flugga Lighthouse, view from Britain's most northerly geocache:
Gannetry (each white dot is a gannet):
Signs of a dry summer, this peaty pool is dry and the peat exposed and cracked:

Fern unfolding at Hermaness:
Burrafirth Beach, Unst:Ex- RAF Skaw, site of a geocache:Stored at Skaw in a bunker - amazing what you find at the top of a hill!:Bobby's Bus Stop, site of a geocache:Craig playing what has to be the largest percussion instrument I have seen! Very tuneful, brass pies cut to length and fixed into the boat:View from Yell's only (as yet) geocache:

Photo Fest - School Trip to Mousa

2009-07-02T21:23:00.004+01:00

We went to the island of Mousa on our school trip. Mousa is now uninhabited but contains the world's best preserved pictish broch and some great wildlife. We went with a guide from the field studies trust and had a great time exploring - including climbing the internal staircase to the top of the 42' broch.

We weren't the only ones interested in the wildlife!

Forget-me-nots

Got a likin' for lichen!

Young Arctic Skua (Shetland name Scootie Alan)

Pair of Arctic Skuas

The following photos were taken on the island of Bressay at the weekend.

The island of Noss, a nature reserve only inhabited by nature wardens in the summer.

The old coastguard watch tower - and the site of a geocache!

Fantastic weather and geocaching

2009-06-29T22:22:00.003+01:00

We are in the middle of a spell of uncommonly good weather and I for one am really enjoying it.I've taken the opportunity to do some geocaching on my own, with the dogs and with friends including 2 new ones - geocachers Simply Paul and Bambography who were in Shetland for a geocache event in Unst. I couldn't make the event but they came by the house on Friday night and we did the Lunna cache at about midnight before they went on to be first to find my Burn of Lunklet cache and Angela and I headed home to our beds! We met them again the following day as we were all heading for the same geocache at the same time - unplanned and we also met Dubonnis who was heading up the hill to it too.

The waterfall at the Burn of Lunklet, site where I set my first geocache. www.geocaching.com

Too calm for sailing, Craig and his partner have to paddle back into the dock!

Craig in the Lerwick carnival in a suit definately made for winter weather!

Bonxie (Great Skua) chick found on the way to the Bressay Lookout Tower geocache.

Jake after swimming in the Valayre Burn on the way to the Voxter View geocache. Photo just for his mummy who was complaining at the lack of them!

Beach walk, puffins and a geocache

2009-06-21T20:40:00.005+01:00

Been away being the moral support for my sister and niece while said niece (Caitlin) had a double hip operation to sort out her dislocated hips caused by her cerebral palsy. We got home yesterday and we all tired. Today I had a long lie and then we took advantage of the fantastic weather and took the dogs to Sumburgh. We walked the West Voe beach:

We went to the Auld Scatness archeological site to see some living history and then went up Sumburgh Head to visit the puffins and guillemots:

Before heading home we found my third Geocache (thanks John!) and I set my first travel bug off on it's adventure. http://www.geocaching.com/

Chutney and Relish Recipes

2009-05-30T15:01:00.006+01:00

I bought some reduced price tomatoes and peaches at the Brae co-op yesterday and now I'm making Tomato and Garlic Chutney and Pickled Peach Relish. Kitchen smells great!

From Knobby, member of the Poultry Keepers Forums:

Knobby's Pickled Peach & Chilli Relish
Makes about 450g/1 lb

475ml/16 fl oz Cider Vinegar
275g/10oz Light Muscovado sugr
225g/8oz Stoned dried dates
5ml/1 tsp ground allspice
5ml/ 1 tsp ground mace
450g/ 1 lb ripe peaches (He used cheap Tesco tinned ones, I used fresh)
3 Onions sliced
4 fresh chillies, seeded & finally chopped
4 Garlic cloves
5cm piece fresh root ginger, finely grated
5ml/1 tsp salt

Place the vinegar, sugar, chopped dates & spices in a large pan & bring to the boil, stirring occasionally

Cut the peaches into small chunks & add to the pan, simmer for 40-50 mins.

Transfer to food processor & liquidize until you get to the consistency you like.

Spoon into warmed jars and seal. Leave to cool.

(I'm doing double the quantity)

__________________________________________________________________
and from Sara Lewis' Slow Cooker Book:

Chillied Tomato and Garlic Chutney

1kg/ 2lb tomatoes - skinned and rough chopped
1 large onion - chopped
2 cooking apples - peeled, cored and chopped
2 red peppers - halved, cored and chopped
75g/ 3oz sultanas
100ml/ 3 1/2 fl oz distilled malt vinegar
250g/ 8oz granulated sugar
2-3 large mild chillies - halved, deseeded and chopped
6-8 garlic cloves - finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick - halved
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
pepper

Preheat slow cooker if necessary. Put all ingredients in the pot, mix, cover and cook for 6-8 hours on 'High' until thick and pulpy.

Warm jars in bottom of a low oven, fill, seal and cool. Store for up to 2 months, once open keep in fridge.

Chickens, Loki and a mystery solved

2009-05-29T20:41:00.002+01:00

I do the work of weeding and they fight over it!

Loki sitting enjoying the sun this evening

We moved the hens to a different shed this week and the egg supply went down. I put it down to the move and hoped it would improve. After weeding the veg patch tonight I moved the pallet over the compost heap to put the weeds in and found these! I love the way they have tried to lay them in the old egg boxes for me!

Chicks and baskets

2009-05-28T22:32:00.003+01:00

I finally remembered to post a pic of the chicks. I got 9 hatched out of the 12 original eggs, very happy with that. The chicks are very cute and being cochins are fluffy right down to their toes!

At the Eid Craft Group last night I showed some of the members how to make woven baskets using newspapers as a sample material. The end result was four complete baskets and plans to make more from other materials.

Geo cache

2009-05-26T19:36:00.002+01:00

My GPS arrived today and Craig and I went looking for and found our first geo cache: Lest We Forget Voe . Looking forward to finding some more now.

tree close ups

2009-05-20T23:05:00.003+01:00

Our local loch has a small tree plantation and it's a great place to walk the dogs. Tonight I was playing around taking close ups of the trees.

This and that

2009-05-19T18:17:00.003+01:00

Well the eggs are now in their 4th incubator since incubation began, after candling I am down to 9 eggs out of the original 12, not bad for posted eggs - they are due to hatch on Thursday, hopefully the chicks will find their way out of the shell. Let there be lots of girl cochins!

John has netted over the top of my veg patch as one of the exchequor leghorns started flying up and over the netting sides, ratbag! I was going to clip the wings of all three (they all look the same to me!) but he came up with the netting solution (which is actually better).

I've learnt another new craft (what again?). Last Thursday night a friend showed me how to do iris folding - something I had seen but avoided because it looked complicated. It isn't! If you want to make cards and/ or pictures that look good but are easy to do, this is for you. Have a look here for ideas and instructions: Iris folding . For these two I used the inside of used envelopes, lots of patterns and shades of blue in them!

Anyway, back to the other crafts, I have a basket to make and the willow is finally soaked enough ( I think). Pics of basket and chicks (god willing) will follow to bore you!

Friday on the beach

2009-05-17T19:13:00.005+01:00

There's a time and a place for everything - and a Friday afternoon seems a good time to be in place on the beach. OK it wasn't the warmest of winds, but I was being paid to be there supervising 2 children who were playing well together!

My kids are jet setting at the moment - I had a phone call yesterday morning at 7.30 from Craig who was just about to set out for a day at EuroDisney - he seemed surprised I was still in bed, wait until next week when he's in bed on Saturday morning! Kirsty is in Portugal with the family she is working for, 1 week down and another week and a half to go.

coiled rope planter

2009-05-03T18:29:00.004+01:00

Today I made my second rope basket. I am using it as a planter and I'm really pleased with it. The whole thing is made from beach combings. The base is a bucket lid, the sides and bindings are rope. I have lined it with a rabbit food bag and it's now home to a lavender plant.

Spring garden and more baskets

2009-04-19T19:35:00.004+01:00

Photos from the garden, it might still be cold be the plants are trying their best!

Shetland daffodil:
Drumstick primula:

Flowering currant:

Baskets ( just for a change)

First, one made of recycled rubbish from the beach - rope, plastic strapping and driftwood.

My first basket made from Shetland grown willow, an egg basket for me!

Made to order, a basket for a flower arrangement.

baskets and the vet

2009-03-23T19:54:00.005Z

The rest of the baskets from the basketry weekend and one I made today from a rope I made of montbretia last night and a rather nicely shaped bit of driftwood.

We took the dogs out on a couple of beaches yesterday for some beachcombing and I have lots of interesting 'finds' I hope to try making into recycled baskets. Watch this space! lol!

Loki managed to split one of his nails at the weekend, trip to the vet tonight set me back a bit. I'm sure a human pedicure would have cost less than him getting one nail cut back and bandaged!

basketry weekend

2009-03-14T21:29:00.004Z

First photos of my baskets from the coiled basket course, day one we were working with materials we collected last night. I've made one small basket from grasses and am making another from montbretia leaves and driftwood - the thread is horsehair!

cakes and baskets

2009-03-12T21:43:00.005Z

Last night I finished the baking for the Comic Relief cake sale, orange muffins for a child who doesn't like bananas, chocolate, raspberries, cranberries, apple - but likes oranges. Today she said she doesn't like cake! I may force feed her! Also baked were chocolate cookies with red Skittles for 'noses' and summer fruit muffins to go with the fruit cake baked at the weekend.

Tonight I am putting stuff together for a workshop I am doing this weekend. I am attending a coiled basket making workshop, 9-5 on Saturday and Sunday. I have willow soaking thinking I may make basket bases with it, seagrass from school, larch with cones from a friend and part of the course is a garden raid tomorrow night from 5-6. No doubt photos will follow!

Busy days and cake recipe

2009-03-07T19:22:00.003Z

Been a busy few days - work, won't go there but safe to say a bit hectic!

Wednesday night was Eid Craft Group and Elizabeth, who started it last month, came for a quick visit with her new baby boy Holden - born the night before! We had a record turn out with 12 folk there, mostly new faces! I started a pale blue crochet jacket for Holden using this pattern: Baby It's Cold Outside from here Crochet Pattern Central a website full of free crochet patterns.

Thursday night we went to see Craig perform in the annual drama festival. The drama group he goes to had 3 entries over the week; Juniors on Wednesday, Youth on Thursday and Young Adults on Saturday. Craig was in the youth play 'You can't trust them' about a girls campsite in the 70's that is invaded by boys trying to deliver a love letter for a friend. Of course the boys had to be in disguise - as girls complete with dresses, 'padding' and wigs! It was hilarious and very well done and well received by the audience. Prizes are awarded tonight so hopefully the group will be successful.

Friday was John's birthday so we went to the Mid Brae Inn for a steak night meal which was very good. Pity for them it was quiet (good for us!) but there were a few other things on too.

Today I have made a beef in wine casserole which is torturing me as I type, John's not home yet so it's waiting in the slow cooker. I have also got 4 boiled fruit cakes in the oven, John's favourite so a late birthday cake. One of them will go to work with him on Monday for their afternoon tea break and another will come to work with me on Friday for Comic Relief (it has cherries on top). I promised the children I would make cakes for them to sell and this one is for the staff room.

Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe (for 2lb loaf tin)

12oz dried fruit
4oz caster sugar
1/4 pt water
4oz margarine
1 tsp mixed spice

8oz SR Flour
2 beaten eggs

Put first 5 ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 mins and then allow to cool. Add flour and eggs and mix well. Place in lined tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours at Gas Mark 3, 325 F.

I never make just one, and I use all kinds of fruit. The ones in the oven have cranberries, raisins, sultanas, apricots, nectarines and pineapple in them. Very easy recipe to do, let me know if you try it!

Scarf and hat

2009-03-01T21:20:00.004Z

I've finished a scarf for Craig in Mistake Rib, a stitch a friend introduced me to recently. Then tonight I made myself a hat using the same stitch and Pampas yarn with 10mm needles - a nice quick project!

More for the shop

2009-02-22T16:03:00.004Z

My latest contributions for the Crafteroo Comic Relief shop:

Scarf for charity

2009-02-19T20:27:00.005Z

I've finished a crocheted scarf and it's going to be for sale in the Crafter...oo Comic Relief shop. All items are hand made by Crafter..oo forum members and all proceeds are being sent to Comic Relief. Why not have a look and see what else is there?

On my way home ....

2009-02-13T18:22:00.004Z

Mangaster Voe:

Foula:
Frozen loch:

... and then there's more

2009-02-12T09:18:00.007Z

... snow that is! This morning John went out at 5, no more snow since we went to bed last night. At 6.50am he phoned to tell me about 6 inches had fallen since he left. The top of my car was fairly clear last night as was the road behind it.
The garden looks pretty though:
and the snow dogs are enjoying it, even if they are having to plough through it!

The hen house:

Village hall:

Lower part of village:

Auld Kirk:

Around the interweb ..

2009-02-11T18:54:00.002Z

I thought you may (or not) like to know where I visit most on the web

Teaching Assistant's forums

The Poultry Keeper forums

North East Eco-friendly People's Site (NEEPS) What it says on the tin!

Shetlink Linking up Shetland and the world!

KIVA loans that change lives

Crafts Forums

Crafteroo Crafts Forums

Open University

Jaydee's pages my webpages

EGGS! (and more snow news)

2009-02-10T17:30:00.003Z

4 eggs, 4 eggs, 4 eggs, 4 eggs! Ok - it helps if you are singing along with the right tune, but for the second day the hens have given me 4 eggs. Today I got 2 green a dark brown one and a white one, yesterday was 1 green, 2 brown and a white, so at least 5 hens are now laying again. Hopefully they will keep going this time coz after moulting they started laying and then changed their minds. The hens are snow-phobic and think if they go outside something bad will happen (well, I'm guessing here!), maybe eggs are their reaction to confinement!

We got a snow half-hour today with school closing a bit early because of the weather. It's supposed to snow again tonight so hopefully tomorrow will give a better result! ;-)

Snow day and comments

2009-02-09T19:04:00.002Z

FINALLY! We got a snow day. OK, so I spent most of it doing OU research, but it was great to have the luxury of extra time to do it. I now know more about Crowned Lemurs and their place in the primate world than I did this morning!

I have added 'reactions' to the bottom of my postings, even if you don't feel like commenting on a post would you please tick the box so I know how many people are reading this? I know some people are because occasionally I hear - 'I read xyz on your blog'. I have boxes for family, face to face friends and online friends.

Snow, dogs and icicles

2009-02-08T19:15:00.009Z

More snow today although the roads are fairly clear. Craig had the dogs out today for a long rant in the snow, they are now exhausted - which is good!

Hello out there!

2009-02-07T23:19:00.004Z

I know there are people out there, this is a 2 way street you know lol! If anyone would like to add an occasional comment it would be interesting to read them!

The snow finally got here and Craig and the dogs have been enjoying it, unfortunately, it's John's weekend for driving the bus and he's not enjoying it. It was our staff night out in Ollaberry last night and today while driving home, having had a 'sleepover', within half a mile was in a whiteout. The only other traffic I met were pick ups but my peerie C2 behaved and got me home.

New Craft Group

2009-02-04T22:21:00.003Z

Went to a craft group tonight, the first time it's run. Only five people turned up as the threat of snow put some people off. We had some nattering time, homebakes and cross stitch, knitting and scrapbooking were the crafts of the night. If you're in Shetland, why not come and join us? Bring something you're working on, need help with or look for inspiration:

Eid Craft Group

OU course

2009-01-29T23:20:00.003Z

With my first 4 assessments scoring in the 80s, I found out today that I have enough points to pass the first part of my OU course without doing any more Tutor Marked Assessments. Tempting though it is to save myself for the end of course assessment (40% to pass!), I think I'll do the other 3 TMAs as well!

Up Helly Aa 2009

2009-01-28T21:52:00.010Z

Well, for the first time since I was 18 I have been to a hall for Up Helly Aa. I started to dip at 5am but rallied but was wide awake to see the Jarl Squad at 6am. John and the boys had a great day, to quote Craig "When can I do it again?"

Some images below, others on my webpages: Jaydee's pages

David and Ruth

Kirsty (on right) and her friend Michelle

Craig in the centre of a group of hairy men! David is second from the right in the front.

John and me.

Guizer Jarl Stephen Mouat

Marching with torches

Burning the galley

Hey, Hey the Gang's All Here!

2009-01-24T22:11:00.004Z

David, Kirsty and David's girlfriend Ruth are now all here for Up Helly Aa. The house is full of young adults and Craig is already being reminded what being the youngest is all about! The volume level is up and everyone is talking at the same time, it's great and at the same time I want to go SHHHH!

This song on youtube came at just the right time:

The Mom Song

Photos of my pseudo vikings will follow as the week goes on, stay tuned!

I Felt the Earth Move!

2009-01-15T18:40:00.004Z

Well it's not every day you get woken up by an earthquake! At 5.32am this morning a bang and shaking woke John and I up (can now officially say that Craig will sleep through an earthquake!). Checking the house showed nothing had exploded, neighbours' lights confirmed other people had woken up too - and the terminal lights seemed to indicate no explosion in that direction.

It has been confirmed as an earthquake of 3.3 magnitude. Fits in with my OU course - spooky!

British Geological Society info

buying and baking

2009-01-04T14:43:00.004Z

Been back to Glass Kanvas' ebay shop and bought some ear rings and another pendant. I really love his glass jewellery and bought several pieces as Christmas presents.

Making a microwave 'steam' pudding today and had to come online to find the cooking time. Mine has ginger preserve in it and ginger and golden syrups on the base. Thought you might like to see the recipe as it's a quick and easy pudding that tastes soooo good!

Ingredients (basic sponge)

4oz (100g) butter/marg
4oz (100g) sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4oz (100g) SR Flour
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 tbsp milk (if needed)

Beat all ingredients together and add sufficient milk to dropping consistency. Pour into greased microwavable bowl, cover with cling film or greaseproof paper, leaving small gap for steam to escape, and zap for 3-4 minutes on HIGH (based on 800W) ... leave to stand for a couple of minutes after.

BE CAREFUL REMOVING CLING FILM AS STEAM WILL STILL BE PRESENT!!!

Lots of Variations Possible:

Syrup sponge - place 2 tbsp golden syrup in bottom of bowl before adding pudding mix.

Ginger sponge - add a tsp of ground ginger with flour (nice combined with syrup!) or add chopped ginger to the sponge

Chocolate sponge - replace 1oz/25g of flour with cocoa powder, can also add choc chips

Dried Fruit - add a handful of sultanas/raisins/cranberries/apricots, etc to pudding mix.

Upside down fruit sponge - add slices of pear, apple or pineapple etc (peeled and cored) in bottom of dish before adding pudding mix (mix and match fruits with flavoured sponges, eg chocolate, ginger)

Jam Sponge - place 2 tbsp jam of choice in bottom of bowl before adding pudding mix.

Lemon Sponge - add 2 tbsp lemon juice in place of milk and grated rind of half a lemon to pudding mix.

Beanstalk and bag

2008-12-31T11:59:00.003Z

2 sewing makes.
Finally, a picture of the beanstalk I made for the school panto:

and a photo of a bag made for me by my secret Santa on http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/

Been and gone

2008-12-27T11:44:00.005Z

That's Christmas over again for another year! It was very quiet here with only Craig home. I'm sure the end of January will be noisier when David and Kirsty come home for Up Helly Aa and David's Ruth comes here for the first time too. John, David and Craig are in the jarl squad this year.

We spent time sitting chatting, Mum and me on our DS's, lol! We also played Canasta, a new game to John and Craig. Mum and John won, Craig and I will get our revenge!

Hug your kids

2008-12-23T12:32:00.002Z

I heard yesterday that the younger brother of a child I used to work with had died on Saturday. He had cystic fibrosis and although his parents had done their best to give him as normal a life as possible within the constraints of the disease, cf beat him. He leaves a brother and 2 sisters as well as his parents.

I can't imagine how they feel, my sister lost her 6 year old son to a brain tumour and it was awful, but I was not the parent. Spare a thought for this family and others in the same situation this Christmas. Give your kids a hug, even if they are being awkward/ hyper/ noisy/ fighting/ messy - there are worse alternatives.

End of term

2008-12-19T23:08:00.006Z

Finally reached the end of term, been a long time coming! I feel a couple of days hibernation coming on. Done the food shopping on the way home as we have no boats (therefore no stock for shops) coming in for at least 2 days due to the windy weather forecast.

The beanstalk worked and the school panto went well, 14 kids can put on a great show! Got a photo of the beanstalk to post when I get it off my camera.

The show raised money for Kiva and the school fund. Pupils spent a lot of time doing research and then choosing the people they wanted to lend money to and 8 people will get loans from their efforts. They are logging onto the site in their own time already to see what progress is being made for their choice's fundraising. Hopefully this will be the start of a long term project as they can relend the money as it is repaid to the account.

Christmas feels under control - got to be something I've forgotten! Cards were written and then sat for 3 days before we remembered to post them! Parcels have been sent and received. Tree is up and presents under it. I must start putting the cards up tomorrow before the pile topples over!

A Big Beanstalk!

2008-12-10T21:27:00.002Z

Last night I cut a green curtain into 3 lengths and sewed them end on end and then into a tube. Today at work I laminated photocopied leaves (A3 size) and cut them out to fix onto the fabric with the help of safety pins and a stapler! Voila! One beanstalk! I also altered a Santa costume and a wedding dress for the panto dame - who said working in a school was boring!

Oh no it isn't!

I'll be glad when Tuesday is over and Panto land disappears back into storage for another year! Doing Jack and the Beanstalk with 14 primary children is hard work!

Chutney and the Light Fantastic!

2008-12-07T17:20:00.007Z

Last month I made some Red Tomato Chutney which now that it is ready to eat is being very well received. I was in the supermarket one evening and they were selling organic and on the vine tomatoes for between 6p and 12p as they were going out of date! Needless to say I bought loads - in fact I made double this recipe! Here's the recipe:

Red Tomato Chutney
A fruity chutney to complement cold roast meats, mature cheddar cheese or grilled sausages.
900g (2lbs) Tomatoes skinned and chopped
450g (1lb) Cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
450g (1lb) Onions peeled and chopped
225g (8oz) Sultanas
225g (8oz) Sugar
5ml (1 teasp) Mustard powder
10ml (2 teasp) Ground coriander
5ml (1 teasp) Ground ginger
Salt and pepper
280ml (1/2 pt) Vinegar
Small tin tomato puree
Mix the tomatoes, apples, onions and sultanas in a large pan. Stir in all the other ingredients, add a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bring slowly to the boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat, simmer gently for 1-2 hours or until thick. Stir during cooking, then pot and cover in the usual way.

Hot Tomato Chutney
Use 2 red chillies chopped up and 5ml (1 teasp) cayenne pepper to make a hot version of the above chutney.

I made mine hot and added a few green chillies. The recipe comes from this website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/sites/food/pages/chutney.shtml with many thanks to the contributer.

Other news. I have today finished the unit on Light and Energy in my OU exploring science course. I had to do an experiment on light diffraction and managed to get this photo along the way:

Interestingly I didn't see the leftmost line with my naked eye - apparently our ability to see the violet decreases with age! Hmmm!

So much for good deeds!

2008-12-03T19:17:00.003Z

I noticed that Craig had left his fly-tying kit behind this morning and he had an after school club today. I picked it up to drop off on my way to work and dropped it. Now he keeps his feathers in small jam jars .... I had to pick out the glass and clear out the bag. I have spare jam jars in a high cupboard in the utility room. Stood on a low stool to reach up, tilted over and twisted my ankle. Been hobbling all day, got a puffy ankle which I've now strapped up. and am now sitting on the sofa with my foot up - while HE makes the tea!

Oh, and he decided not to go to the after school club after all!

2008-11-29T17:59:00.004Z

So far today I have:

completed an experiment for my OU course - but I am still running behind on the course work
cut my dad's hair, designed and printed some Christmas cards for him based on a photo of his neighbours' dogs (don't ask), sold him some eggs (chickens are starting to lay again! Hurrah!) and I helped him fill in a questionnaire about the future of Shetland's school service sent to each household.
turned a charity shop bought curtain into 2 baby slings made to measure for friends with a new baby, one for her and one for him! They are in the wash at the moment, hopefully I'll get a pic tomorrow when they visit.

Other news - the dental service here is a joke. (OK - that's not news!) Turned up on Thursday to be told the dentist was ill (again) and they would phone me with a new appointment once they had been through the book. Gave them my work number. Phoned them from 9-1 on Friday to get answering machine every time. Eventually they phoned to say they were training on Friday, interviewing on Monday, could I phone them on Tuesday? I've now lost the filling that was in the broken tooth, think I'll have a tooth by the time I see a dentist?

Serves me right!

2008-11-25T22:35:00.002Z

I'm on a low fat diet (or I get consequences from medication that you don't want to know about) but last night I decided to blow it - I wanted some roasted chick peas. Well I ate them, broke a tooth and suffered the aforementioned consequences. Anyone want the rest of the packet? I phoned the dentist this morning and actually got an appointment this week - Thursday morning. :(

Went to a public meeting tonight about education in Shetland. To say the consultation process is flawed would be an understatement, the questions are really biased. Got to fill in my own questionnaire now, will our small school be considered 'viable' at the end of it? Who knows?

Joined a new craft forum today, which I have on good authority is a nice and friendly. http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php is the url. Somewhere else for me to wile away the time when I should be doing something else! lol!

Got a matching pair!

2008-11-23T22:44:00.003Z

LOL! That had you thinking!

I got my 2nd TMA back and it's also 84%, not sure I'll keep this level of results up but not a bad start!

Craig got his new script today - it involves him playing a boy who disguises himself as a girl. Here we go again! Brian/Brenda will be taking to the stage in March with rehearsals starting in January.

Oh no it isn't!

2008-11-21T22:33:00.004Z

Oh yes it is! It's freezing, windy and there's white stuff blowing around - it must be Splinters' panto time! There are sons and there are sons - this one is a son to be proud of ... isn't he? (That's mine in the pink tights!) The only male dwarf out of 7 and the only one not dressed in red and yellow. Hmm. lol!

It was a really good show and the kids did their producers proud. It's a hard working group run by a husband and wife voluntarily - and they've been doing it for close to 30 years! I was one of the originals and there are several other families also into the second generation now.

Another show tomorrow then casting for the drama festival on Sunday before we get 7 weeks off the taxi service.

How long until Friday?

2008-11-18T18:48:00.004Z

Finished tweaking the school panto script today. Informed heady that we only have 4 weeks until it's on stage and we haven't finished read it through yet!!!!!! Oh well, casting done, props list done, songs written/ adapted, only need 2 backdrops painted - oh and some costumes and 18 pages of lines learnt! What could go wrong? (watch this space! lol!)

I've been asked by a friend to make her a baby sling so I'll have to go through my fabric stash. She's not a pastels kinda girl so will have to find something with some colour. I'm going to use the free pattern from Karma Baby as that is the type she wants and it looks easy too!

There's a first!

2008-11-15T23:18:00.002Z

Craig made his first lasagne for tea tonight - and it won't be his last - it was very nice! It even kept it's shape when taken out of the dish! No end to the boy's skills - well, there might be - picking up dirty socks from his bedroom floor seems to be a bit tricky for him!

Time for 'me time'

2008-11-15T16:25:00.005Z

My head is like mush now - I've just sat and finished TMA 02 (tutor marked assessment) for my OU course. For those who don't know I'm doing S104, Exploring Science with the Open University and TMA 02 was on Earth and Space, 01 was on Global Warming and it's Energy and Light next! This is taking me right out of my comfort zone and I am learning lots of new things and look around me with different eyes!

However, a chick lit book and a cup of tea will be my reward. Will look over the TMA before sending it tomorrow - and then it's onto the next unit! Will have to fit some crafting in soon before I forget how - and I have a Secret Santa gift to finish!

Craft fair

2008-11-14T22:20:00.004Z

Well we're just back from the craft fair - just went for a look, hmmmm! Spent 'some' money which wasn't difficult, there are some very talented people in Shetland. Can't detail what was bought - you never know who might be reading this!

Ordered some stuff from fellow crafters at http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/ last night too - so the Bah Humbug shopping is well underway. I love the internet, no crowds, easy to compare prices, can see if it is in stock and you don't have to carry it home! Just have to try to remember what I've bought for who now!

Kiva

2008-11-12T20:51:00.004Z

YES!!!!!!!!! We are now reconnected to the rest of the world! 3 phone messages before I got home lol!

Today I signed up to be a Kiva lender, helping people work themselves out of poverty.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php

My lender page:
http://www.kiva.org/lender/julia52643106

Phone angry!

2008-11-11T21:45:00.003Z

Still no phone - have used £18 credit on my mobile since Friday - most of it on the phone to Tiscali! To put that into perspective, £10 usually lasts me about 3 months! (I know last of the big spenders - and my phone is a brick too, no camera, no colour pics - just phone and text!)

I give up on technology anyway - signed up to a monthly audio books site and then found out the software doesn't work with my Walkman MP3 player - not that I can work it anyway!

Phone angst

2008-11-10T17:27:00.004Z

Is it too much to want to have a working phone line - when you are paying for the privilege? I didn't think that was an unreasonable thing to ask! Haven't had a phone since Friday which was when Tiscali were supposed to take over from BT. I've made lots of phone calls on my mobile to Tiscali and just needed to go ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Added to that my tutor hasn't replied to 2 emails I sent her over the weekend (because the broadband is still working?!?!?!) and I have to start writing my TMA.

Walking the dogs

2008-11-09T17:36:00.001Z

John and I went for a walk with Jake(springer / jrt cross) and Loki (border terrier) today at Heylor in Northmavine \after dropping Craig off at Splinters. I'd been beavering away at Earth and Space for my OU course and needed a break! We saw this little fellow on the beach. Needless to say we kept the dogs well away! Unfortunately we also saw this one:

Jake and Loki had a great time however and after stopping at the Eshaness cafe for the humans to have afternoon tea, they are now both sleeping! Peace!

2008-11-09T12:18:00.000Z

Well I decided it was time to do a proper blog - and try to keep it up! ~It is named Jaydee's Ramblings because Jaydee is the name I am known by on the forums I visit and I expect it to ramble!