Ooo Look what I found

I was so pleased when looking for a long lost recipe earlier today, to find this website Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management I grew up with this book because it was my Mum's (who is a good cook BTW) cookery bible. Mum taught me to cook at an early age & by 12yrs old I was cooking the Sunday Roast complete with a Pudding single handedly. I remember kicking up a stink on many a Sunday morning because I wanted to be doing something else, but my goodness did all that training pay off & I am so pleased that Mum taught me so well. I am not an expert by any means but, I am a confident cook that will try anything and normally with successful tasty results. I passed my cooking skills on to my sons too I think, because Ady is a chef for reputable inn and my youngest loves to cook also. Steve trys and is now producing a superb Roast dinner and Kev, well he is married to one of the best homely cooks I know and Kev is fit to burst :)

Anyway rambling over, if you enjoy cooking you may well enjoy this website as well. It is jam packed with the original Mrs Beeton, including the dates she used to make them and the prices in old money that it would have cost you back then to make the dishes. There are recipes in there that are now long forgotten and probably not even used anymore in the modern UK, such as calves feet in Aspic and other similar things that I certain don't entertain anymore but, it's a fun site.

Enjoy

UK Stampers 3x3 Swap .. September

You may remember from a few posts back that I took part in UK Stampers 3x3 ATC swap for September, the theme was 'Shades of Blue'. Well, just look at what I have had returned, aren't they fabulous.
The top card is by Sid Hasledon aka Harpie38
The middle card is by Alison aka Craftytrog
The bottom card is by Sam aka Sam21Ski

I have my thinking cap on now for Octobers swap ... Halloween

Hope you all have a good week :)

Just Us Chickens

These are my chickens, they have free roam of the garden at the moment, but that will be restricted next year when I plan to do a little landscaping. Manicured gardens & free roam chickens do not mix, as they will scratch & eat your garden to pieces. However, for now although it is messy, they are fertilizing it nicely for next years plans :)

I have Queenie (black maran) Bluey (blue maran) 2 Welsummers, Rosie & Mz Henny Penny [aka HP] & Bella (cream legbar) Bella is the one with the funny head of feathers that reminds me of a grannies bonnet.

After The Storm

This is the view I took while stood on my front door step immediately after a heavy storm, when the sky had been so black I needed the lamp on indoors. I love my neighbours monkey puzzle tree & that you can just see the top of the tradition red telephone box, beyond that the hills & of coarse that lovely rainbow.

Mail Art

This is the Mail Art (postcard) I created for the 2nd mail art swap over on UK Stampers.
I built up various colours of acrylic paint, starting with a metalic brown & loosely blending flat colours on the top. I then stamped images that reminded me of Autumn using Stazon Ink, added a touch of colour to the breast of the bird & more to the toadstools. I finished it off by adding gold leaf Rub & Buff paste to the edges of the card to lift it a little.
I wrote a message, along with the recipients address on the back, complete with a postage stamp just as you would with a holiday postcard, then posted it naked. I just hope that it doesn't get too wet & it arrives nicely postmarked, but still nice on the front
*fingers crossed*

New York City Blues

I made these 3 ATCs for this months 3 x 3 swap over on UK Stampers where this months theme is Shades of Blue.
The stamp I used for these is by Inkadinkado, I also used 3 shades chalk ink direct to the card for the coloured background, then various pens to highlight parts of the image along with glossy accents.

Yet another grandchild...!

Logan born 3rd July 2010

Mason Dexter Paul born 17th September 2009

Erin Paige born 12th November 2009

Yes, that's 3 new grandchildren in less than a year. I am so blessed, because that brings the running total to 8 now & means that all 4 of my wonderful sons are Fathers.

Have you discovered Dreamees yet?

Recently, I connected with Carol Bignall via facebook & to my delight found out that her daughter Hayley designs craft CDs. They now sell them to the public under the name of Dreamees they have also just set up a blog, where you will find inspirational ideas for using their products. Pop over to their blog to catch up with whats going on for this Mother & Daughter partnership. Oh, one more thing, you may not be familiar with Carol's name, but if you love Create & Craft I am sure that you would have seen a card or cross stitch on there, that she has produced for one or two of their guests

The Graduate

I am so proud of my partner Alex, he had his graduation ceremony yesterday at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham for getting a commendation in Rehabilitation Studies for the Visually Impaired...
Congratulations Alex....love you!!