Birthday, Christmas and Concerts.

I just had to share this lovely gift my sister got me for my birthday, since it is a hand-made item which I value! Using hand-made lampwork beads and swarovski crystals, the bracelet is so pretty! My favourite colour is red, and I am a big fan of spots and dots, so the two combined are perfect for me. Thanks to Rachel for buying it, and also to Nichola Foster for designing it in the first place. Nichola sells her jewellery at local craft fairs and online - you can take a look on her Facebook page here, or have a browse in her Folksy shop online here.

I had a lovely Birthday at home, my sis came to visit along with my 2 year old niece, who had bought me a pair of purple stripey socks that are extremely comfy and warm to wear (purple is her favourite colour so she has to get all her family purple items as gifts!) along with a purple diary and pens.

I also received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Keith, as well as a box of Black Magic chocolates and a Charcoal grey dress from Joe Browns (my favourite clothes supplier!). Later in the day, my parents came to see me and they gave me a lovely blue cowl necked jumper (again from Joe Browns). I feel very privileged! The evening was topped off with a delicious meal cooked by Keith, which was chateaubriand accompanied with tender-stem broccoli, roast potatoes and carrots - superb.

Our annual Oscars' Night at the theatre went down well with everyone - it's always such a great atmosphere and the combined members of the junior and youth sections always perform well for their relatives and friends. Father Christmas arrived at the end of the awards ceremony, giving the children a gift each (I particularly like that part - it feels like we are rewarding every one of them for their involvement throughout the year).

I've now finished writing and posting the Christmas cards, have been doing a bit more Christmas shopping online today and tonight is the first of two Christmas Carol concerts I will be taking part in with Hull Musical Society. I will be doing one of the readings at the concert, too.

Over the weekend we will be making a start on the set for the January play - which goes on from Tue 24th Jan to Fri 27th and Keith and I are both in it this time.

We have got our Christmas tree up, along with some other bits and bobs, and I'm now actually starting to feel quite festive.

I hope to post again before Christmas, but if I don't get chance, hope you all have a lovely time.

More sweets..

Another one of the sweets I made at Christmas was Tiffin, which can be made in different ways. The recipe I use regularly is one which my sister-in-law gave me years ago when she first introduced me to it. I now have little additions and tweaks of my own that I sometimes use also.

It is very more-ish and usually a hit with anyone who likes chocolate - although there are nuts in it too, so probably not very popular with those that suffer from allergies to nuts! You could alter the recipe slightly to suit, however.

Here's the recipe for this delicious sweet:

Tiffin:

Ingredients:

1/2lb (8 oz) Digestive biscuits (or any plain biscuits)
1 Tbsp Caster sugar
1 Tbsp Drinking Chocolate or cocoa powder
1 Tbsp (or more, if preferred - I often add more of this) Golden Syrup.
1/4lb (4oz) Margarine
6-8oz Cake Chocolate (the more the better, it's nice to have a thick layer of choc on the top!
4-6oz each of Glace cherries and walnuts.

Method:

• Crush the biscuits inside a large food bag, using a rolling pin the make them almost the size of bread-crumbs. You can leave larger bits in if you like, it just makes the mixture stick together easier if the biscuits are finely crushed.
• Chop the glace cherries and walnuts into tiny pieces - again this is up to you, but I prefer to chop them very small so that I can cut through the tiffin easier when it is set.
• In a saucepan, melt the golden syrup, margarine and sugar to create a runny sauce consistency. I have also added a few drops of vanilla essence at this point as a variation, or some runny honey.
• Add the cocoa powder, crushed biscuits, cherries and walnuts to the pan and mix well. Press the mixture into a greased tin or one lined with parchment paper. ( I usually use a lasagne dish for this, too!)
• Melt the chocolate either in the microwave according to the manufacturer's instructions, or slowly in a pyrex bowl over a pan of boiling water. Once it is melted, pour the chocolate over the top of the tiffin mixture, spread evenly and refrigerate until set.
  
• Cut into small, bit-sized squares and eat!
  

First painting of the year

My first painting of the year was a surprise birthday gift for my sister - a portrait of my niece, Charlotte. I hinted at this project in my earlier blog post but couldn't be specific about it in case my sister read the blog! The painting of Charlotte was based on a photograph I took when the family were here for a meal on New Year's Day - so she is seated in her high chair. I used acrylic, which I favour over watercolour, and completed the painting in approximately 10 or 12 days. On a box canvas, sized 20 x 25cm, I was rather pleased that my sister liked the end result!

Charlotte is 7 months old and really starting to take an interest in the world around her now.

The reference photo I used had a very dark background and a green tablecloth. I changed the background to a colour I thought Rachel (my sister) would like, and the tablecloth colour I altered to a deep red. I think I could have spent even longer fiddling with the painting, as perfection takes forever, but in the end I decided to leave well alone and all in all I am fairly happy with the finished piece of art.

Here's the reference photo I used: