Selling and Sold!!!

As i blogged last night i have set up a shop here at DaWanda.

Brilliant news! I've sold 2 items!

My first customer, Jules, bought my set of 4 purple countryside magnets:

and my 2nd customer, Kaye in the USA, bought my Green Queen Magnet:

the bad news though........ after seeing the transactions go through paypal and losing some of the money due to fees, i have had to put my prices up slightly - and thats before DaWanda take their 5%! when i compared my prices to other i thought they looked cheap - now i know why!

My New Shop at DaWanda

After finding that you need a credit card to be able to sell at Etsy a fellow swapper on the forums at Swap-bot directed me to DaWanda a similar place where you can set up a shop and sell your handmade items and crafts.

I bought some magnetic/chalkboard paint a couple of weeks back and have painted a canvas with it. My idea was that if i ever managed to find a craft show or event to sell at, i could take that along and display my magnets on it but also write the price etc on the canvas in chalk. I thought it would look quite effective. I used the canvas today as a background when i was photographing the magnets for my DaWanda shop. I think it needs a couple more coats as the strength of magnatism between the 2 wasn't great. i know its not my magnets as they stuck fine on our fridge for the very first photos i did.

I pinned the brooches to a cushion to photograph them.

anyway, i've run out of time to blog now - the oven timer has sounded! so you can see (and buy!!) my magnets and brooches here!

More bottle caps

a few more photos of my experiments. you can see some of them how the background paper has changed colour due to soaking up the liquid laquer.

i've done about 30 more which are drying......

all i have to do now if find some way and somewhere to sell them.

here's a slideshow of the ones that are dry so far

Baa Humbug even more than before

it's almost 6.30am and i'm awake! Grrrrrr! i eventually turned my laptop off about half past midnight - which means 6 hours of disturbed sleep. Oh i'm going to be the biggest grouch today! i heard on the radio that 6 out of 10 people will be asleep by 4.22pm on Christmas Day and this year i think i might be one of them!

i've made a sweet honey and lemon drink to try and ease the pain but now my nose is starting to run as well. the pain is worse than when i went to bed last night (or technically earlier this morning).

i was going to starting saying about how i wished my anorexic demons would go away so i could have a cough sweet with out worrying about calories but i've just remembered we used to have some numbing throat spray so once i've finished my drink i'll go hunt that down and maybe i might be able to get back to sleep!

A Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

We went into london on saturday to see Handel's Messiah at St Martin's in the field and before hand had lunch at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street, which was very quiet for a saturday but being in the business district they probably get a lot more trade on weekdays.

then we headed to Hyde Park to see the Winter Wonderland, with it's German Market Stalls and fun fair. well i was a tad disappointed - there was far more fun fair than German Market, and even then most of the market wasn't even German!! but we sampled some german mulled wine and had a wonder around.

we then headed to Harrods to show David the sights (in other words mum dragged him round the jewellery section!!).

before going to the cafe in the crypt for dinner at St Martin's.

and a quick look at the Trafalgar square christmas tree before going home after the recital.

All i want for christmas........is not a cold virus and sore throat!!!!

just went things were hard enough, i woke up this morning feeling like i'd swallowed a fish bone or a razor blade! but i haven't been near either of those items in ages - the first, a few weeks, the latter over a year!! added to that a headache, sneezing (which has just started) and feeling even more drained than i already do and i have a very unwelcome christmas gift to myself!
doesn't help when i'm feeling low anyway. but can't be helped so will just mean extra effort in being "ok" - or the perfect excuse to not be "ok".

i've got a huge supply of bottle top to keep me occupied, however i've just realised i've run out of 3D varnish. but i still have to take the plastic seals out of the latest lot i picked up from the pub today. my magnetic strip arrived from ebay, i was at least able to make shane's into a magnet and get that wrapped and delivered before christmas.

i cut up some magazines and gave some images a trial go. i was quite pleased with the way they worked out really.

i took some more photos of my lanterns the other night as well, once i'd cleaned them up, put new candles in and then managed to get them all lit! one of those things i think is it worth the effort - but then i think, well, it's handmade, personal and saving electricity.

The Best GP Surgery

ok, time to take a big step here. i'm going to take the risk of blogging about my mental state and personal life. mum if you are reading this, don't be worried, i'm ok. read to the end of the post and you'll see.

i made a snap decision to get an emergency appointment today before my emotions took even more of a hold than they already are. My GP it seemed is away think week and although i knew the duty GP i don't know her as well as i do the Nurse Practitioner who was also there this afternoon.

So i asked to see Janet the nurse practitioner instead. and i'm so glad i did. she helped me to see a few things more clearly. firstly just accept the digi box from mum gratefully and don't read anything more into it. she reminded me of the generous trait in my personality and how much i enjoy giving things to others, and how when i do that i don't look for things in return. so thats what i'm going to tell mum tonight.

she told me how far i'd come in the 8/9 years i'd known her. in the past i would have been seeing her for stitches not a chat. and that would have been only a couple of years ago. she said how my thinking had matured and the way i deal with my feelings and depression.

i went in there booked myself in, hid in a corner in the waiting room away from other people and sat there with tears rolling down my face. Janet agreed that perhaps i should have made an appointment earlier but we recognised that the whole running away from help is part of the demons inside of me. she booked me in with my GP for monday morning there and then.

the news is always going on about improvements needed for GP surgeries, the news today is saying about longer hours for those who work/have family life to sort etc. now i know i don't fall into those categories but my surgery has saved my life quite literally several times over the past 10 years. the receptionists are so wonderful and have looked after me on many occasion. i've had my GP turn up at my house when i've been in trouble. they open til 6.30pm and start at 8.30am.

i wish there was some way i could show recognition of all they've done. christmas cards and edible christmas treats or a summer edible treat just aren't enough. they've gone above and beyond for me and i have no doubts that i wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for them.

ok i'm going to stop now before the tears start again. another reason i realised seeing Janet was the right thing to do and also how i had changed. normally i would have left in tears too but today i left feeling mentally stronger than when i went in.

75 Questions Swap

I typed my questions long before the sign up deadline and partners were assigned, but after printing them out to send to my partners today i thought i'd add my own questions to my blog.


1. How did your parents' chose your name? It was name they both agreed on that could be shortened to an equally nice name - Jennifer to Jenny or Jen
2. What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Turn on my laptop
3. What’s the last thing you do at night? turn off my light/TV/Laptop depending which i have on.
4. What couldn’t you live without? My mum, she mean the world to me.
5. What animals/wildlife visit your garden? Lots of birds (blackbirds, bluetits, sparrows, great tits, long tailed tits, coal tits, starlings, sparrow hawk, wood pigeon, collared doves - i could go on forever!) squirrels, rats (well there used to be......) we even had a field mouse once, we used to have hedgehogs but i haven't seen any evidence of them recently.
6. What’s the time right now? 16:07
7. Which room of the house are you in? The lounge/dinning room
8. Describe what you can hear at the moment? The TV
9. What’s the temperature outside at the moment? according to the latest online guide 4 Degrees C
10. What are you having for dinner tonight? flat mushroom topped with parsnip and beetroot, corn on the cob and red cabbage.
11. Have you researched you family history at all? i've started on mum's side of the family and got back to the mid 1800's.
12. Do you drive a car? yes, i passed 2 years ago - so my details with be on those records that the government lost in the USA!!
13. How many people live in your town/village? 1810 people in 2001 so probably about 1900 to 2000 now.
14. Do you get on with your neighbours? we have lovely neighbours on both sides of us.
15. Have you ever written a love letter? no i don't think so, certainly not in my adult life so far.
16. Do you have any tattoos? yes, 2 butterflies both on my back
17. How big is the biggest television in your house? 32 inch widescreen quite old, not flat screen or plasma tho....
18. How many computers do you have in your house? hmmm perhaps i should publish this on my blog, although if anyone were to try and burgal us they'd have to get past me first as i'm always home!!
19. What’s your favourite shop? i don't think i reallt have one - anywhere i can find a bargin i guess.
20. Who do you live with? my mum and step-dad
21. If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be? in an ideal world on the coast of a remote part of scotland with enough land for keeping chickens and growing veg, with access to the sea for crab fishing!
22. Who would be you 5 fantasy dinner party guests and why? Judi Dench - because she is my favourite actress. Richard Hammond - just because you need some eyecandy somewhere!! Gordon Ramsay - because he's some i admire for his hard work (and he's more eyecandy!). My Auntie Susan - because i never got to meet her and My Uncle David for the same reason.
23. What’s the biggest competition you’ve ever won? (including things like the lottery) when i was about 7 i won a competition in a pony magazine, i had to draw what i wanted for christmas, so i drew a horse (not exactly brain science for a competition for a pony magazine!) and won a set of books. last year i won £20 worth of Yo Sushi! vouchers for completing feedback on their restaurants.
24. Have you ever been ill either on or after a fair ground ride? yes, i was about 15 and it was a grown up faster version of the cups and saucers ride. i was violently ill but i did manage to make it to a tree on the edge of the field out of sight!!
25. If you could give someone special a treat or present to say thank you (no money limit) what would you do and who for and why? i asked this question because i am searching for ideas! so i don't have an answer to that one!
26. Which is the most untidy room in your house? my bedroom by far - the rest of the house is almost spotless, the only other place there is clutter is on the dinning room table but thats mainly my crap/art!
27. Have you ever been critically ill? yes but not a happy story to tell and something i have moved on from and want to leave behind.
28. If you have ever been on TV, what programme was it? (even if you were just in the audience) i was on channel 5's The Wright Stuff in February 2006, in the audience of Ready Steady Cook (BBC2) with Nan in January 2007 and on BBc1's The One Show just a couple of weeks ago.
29. Have you got any family heirlooms or antiques? in one short word - No!
30. What’s your favourite item of clothing you own and why do you like it? my shawl i bought in Scotland, its huge and i can wrap myself up in it o keep warm.
31. When did you last throw out something from your wardrobe and what was it? it was a pink polar/turtle neck which had different colour pinks and black stripes on the front - but it really irritated my neck so i decided it had to go to the charity shop with other stuff i was getting rid of.
32. What’s the most expensive restaurant you’ve ever been to? probably The Grill at Down Hall Hotel in the edge of the village. nice for a treat (and when you have a 25% discount voucher!!) but not our scene really, too fancy.
33. Have you ever written and sent a fan mail letter to a celebrity? yes, quite a few. i received hand signed letters and postcards from Judi Dench, Dawn French and Cathy Shipton (duffy in Casualty)
34. Do you keep all your swap letters and mail? yes, i have a huge folder and don't know what to do as the folder is full!
35. How many channels can you get in your TV? in my room just the 5, but down stairs we have freeview, so its something like 40.
36. Which website do you visit the most? probably hotmail for my emails
37. How many places have you lived in? just the 2. here and in sussex.
38. Is there something you do the same each day? (e.g., what you eat, order you do things in) i eat the same breakfast at about the same time. i have an earl grey tea after eating my lunch. and i have a hot chocolate before i go to bed.
39. Do you share your bed with anyone/anything? i have a double bed, half of which i sleep in with a teddy and the other half is what i like to call "work in progress" basically bits of paper and stuff that i've picked up or need to use currently.
40. What’s your swap bot feedback rating? 5.0
41. Have you ever had to give a low rating? after several emails and PM's and still no response i sadly have to give my first 1 the other day.
42. How many hours sleep do you get a night? on average i think about 8
43. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever eaten? tripe - and i won't be doing it again.
44. What were you hoping for, for Christmas this year? (Did you get it?) there's nothing i really want or need.
45. Have you ever broken a bone, if so how? nope, never broken one.
46. Do you pay attention to/ believe the weather forecast? sometimes, depends how bother i am about what the whether might be like.
47. When you think about the area you live in, what is the most famous thing that people might know about? probably Stansted Airport.
48. Do you like your job? N/A
49. Do you have any toys from your childhood still? yes, they are in a box in the loft. mum kept them for when/if i ever have children.
50. If you could teach your children (even if you don’t have any yet) one thing what would it be? accept other people for who they are and what they believe.
51. What’s your worst habit? biting the skin around my finger nails
52. How far away is your nearest post office? 10 minute walk into the village
53. Which trait do you think is most important for a person’s personality? loyalty
54. What makes you really really angry? people who are racist, homophobic and don't accept other people's views and opinions
55. What makes you proud? my mum and step dad for sticking together over the last few years despite all our troubles
56. I was watching a documentary about the Queen last night (the person not the film!) and it was showing her latest tour of the USA. Some of the pronunciation and language used by the Americans made me giggle where it is different to things in Britain. What language differences make you giggle? Tomato is the one that comes to my mind right now.
57. What do you hope the New Year will bring? thats to far ahead for me to think about right now.
58. Will you make any New Year’s Resolutions? (And keep them?) no, because i know they won't last
59. Have you ever broken the law? (whether you have been caught or not) i think the only think i've done is have the odd drag of a spliff at a party.
60. If you could change one thing about the way you look what would it be? i would love to be slightly taller
61. If you could live forever would you want to? only if i could have my family with me too
62. If you could choose one person to live forever with you who would it be? my mum
63. What’s the one thing you regret buying because you never or hardly ever use it? probably my ipod
64. Who do you miss and wish you could see more of? my nan, we speak on the phone but i wish we lived closer.
65. What colour is your bedroom? lilac
66. What’s your favourite room in your house? i don't think i really have one. i like the lounge/dinning room because it's the largest i guess.
67. Have you ever been on a diet? hmmm best i don't answer that one!
68. How many Christmas lights have you put up this year? None!! i created eco-friendly candle lanterns for outside and we haven't got a christmas tree up yet, but mum might change that with a week to go.
69. What’s the most expensive Christmas present you bought this year and who’s it for? shhhh i can't say that just incase they read my blog!! (well you never know!)
70. If you could have one superpower what would it be? the power to fly like superman, so i could visit friends and family across the world
71. What’s your favourite gadget that you own? does my laptop count as a gadget?
72. If you could trace your family tree back who would you like to be related to? (no boundaries) either someone clever or who did something good for the world, like Einstein or Mother Teresa
73. What’s the scariest thing you have ever done or that has ever happened to you? probably my car accident, although i don't remember too much about it.
74. If you became prime minister or president of your country what would be the first law you would change or introduce? No more plastic bags!!!
75. Finally, are you fed up with answering questions yet??!! typing them yes, i just hope its easier by hand when my partners questions arrive!!

bottle top/cap photos

here are the rest of the bottle cap photos, now that my camera has a fully charged battery. although the magnetic strip hasn't arrived yet so i still can't finish them!

this is for a swap partner who likes earthy reds and browns:
then i made one each for me, mum and david which i will turn into magnetic bull dog clips for the fridge. i have the mini bulldog clips and some bostik glue so i will to that in a second and then when the magnetic strip arrives i will stick that to the other side of the bull dog clip.

this is for a friend, and i plan to turn these into one long magnet:

i managed to get the plastic seal off of some of them today by placing them on our electric cooker home and then using tweezers and the craft knife to get it off. it made it easier but it still didn't leave a perfectly clean finish. i'm going to give some pictures a go in a few of them tonight. i had another couple of swap partners assigned today, so i am just about to look at their profiles to get some ideas. its a match box swap so the match box will be designed around their profiles too.

A productive day

mum's work are having a buffet style christmas lunch tomorrow so i offered to make some bits for her to take in. she'd already bought some mini quiches (although half of those went with david to a railway meeting as a last minute thought), so i thought i'd do some "healthier" mince pies. healthier in the sense that i used filo pastry instead of short crust, and didn't use butter to stick the filo layers together. so there are now 32 mince pies (although some are parcels, as i was experimenting a bit) and then i used the rest of the filo by inventing some filo tiramisu baskets.

Filo Mince Pies

• pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C
• cut sheets of filo into squares just bigger than the size of a muffin/fairy cake tin. layer 4 squares at different angles, brushing with egg white (or milk or melted butter if feeling indulgent), in between each layer, and place in patty tins to make baskets.
• place a teaspoon of mincemeat in each basket and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
• meanwhile mix icing sugar and brandy to create a smooth icing and drizzle over mince pie tarts.
• then dust with icing sugar.
  

this was my end result:

The Tiramisu Tarts were quite an experiment, i wasn't sure whether to have the mascarpone fresh or baked, or how to get the coffee in there. so in the end this seemed to be the best method:

Tiramisu Tarts

• preheat oven to 180 Degrees C
• layer 4 squares filo (just bigger than holes of patty tin in size) at different angles and use to line patty tins
• mix mascarpone with vanilla pod seeds and masarla and a little icing sugar (all done to taste, no measurements)
• mix coffee granules with hot water to create a smooth paste.
• spread a little of the paste into the bottom of the uncooked filo baskets
• place a teaspoon of the mascarpone mixture in the baskets
• bake in the oven for about 15 mins until the filo is golden and the mascarpone had a slight golden crust.
• remove from oven and dust with cocoa powder.

this is what the end result looked like:

so all in all today, 32 mince pie tarts and 9 tiramisu tarts:

quite a productive day all in all as well as having to go out to get some more mincemeat (despite mum assuring me one jar would be enough!), and coming home with a pair of tracksuit bottoms, a tube of bostik glue, a 4m length of christmas ribbon, and a jar of mincemeat!