Oops...

...long time, no post! I am currently drowning in a sea of felt and buttons, trying to get all my Christmas decorations for my Folksy shop finished and wotnot! Here's a peek at what I've been up to...I'll try not to go AWOL again! :o)

Oh, Gisela...

Here's a peek at some bits and pieces from Gisela Graham's new Christmas collection, plus a few oldies from last year...*swoons* Must. Resist. The. Urge. To. Buy. Any. More. Crimbo. Decorations. Damn yooooooou, Gisela!

Spotted on Ebay...

How cute?! I actually squealed with delight when I saw these but have never tried baking with ceramic moulds before...

Anyways, the thought of baking with traditional stone moulds inspired me to search for a traditional gingerbread recipe and I stumbled across this gem! Researchers from the University of Manchester have managed to dig up an original recipe that dates back to the time of the Crusades, when spices like ginger made their way into Europe with the knights returning from the Holy Land. So, without further ado, here it is:

Ingredients:

2lb Plain Flour

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2tsp Ground Ginger

1tsp Allspice

1tsp Cinnamon

1tsp Cloves

12fl oz Molasses

8oz Brown Sugar

3 oz Vegetable Shortening

6fl oz Cold Water

Instructions:

Cream the sugar and shortening, add molasses and water, then gradually add the dry ingredients until a pliable dough is formed.

Leave to stand for 2 hours before rolling into shapes.

Bake at 175 degrees for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

TA-DAAAAAAA! Now sit down and enjoy this mini medieval miracle with a nice mug of mead!

More gingerbread goodness...

This post is inspired by the mountain of felt gingerbread men shapes I have been cutting out all morning in preparation for Christmas goodies...woot! So here is a selection of random gingerbread-based loveliness from various online emporiums for your delectation!

This oh-so-cute chalkboard from Not on the Highstreet, priced at £13 and a definite addition to my Christmas list! ;o)

Lovely pastel-coloured cupcake cases from John Lewis, priced at £6

A silicone gingerbread man muffin pan, available from Mini Makers for £13.99. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, then try Googling gingerbread ice-cube trays...

Cute but creepy 'Love Bites' t-shirt from Darkside Clothing and priced at £15.99

Yummy yummy! :o)

Going to the chapel...

Remember this?

Well, here's the finished result! There are a few bits I would probably do differently in hindsight but it was my first attempt at a customised piece and so all in all, I'm quite pleased with it!

Custom design...

A sneaky-peek of a design for a custom piece I'm working on at the moment. I'm so glad that other people share my enthusiasm for ickle gingerbread men (and ladies)!

Run, run, as fast as you can...

...and catch yourself a custom gingerbread man garland (with handmade pom-poms!), fresh from the oven and unique to you! Om nom nom! Entirely hand-cut and hand-stitched, all my gingerbreads are made from soft biscuit-coloured acrylic felt (courtesy of the lovely Fuzzyfish of PaperFish fame!) and as she stocks all sorts of gorgeous colours, I think I may indulge in a bit more!

Dare I say it, but I think I may actually prefer acrylic felt to the wool-mix stuff, it's not quite as soft, obviously, but still enormously tactile and not at all like that really nasty scratchy stuff that masquerades as felt. This stuff cuts like a dream with no fraying and it holds its shape really well, and if that isn't enough for you, it's extremely eco-friendly as it's made entirely from recycled plastic bottles...what more could you want?!

For further details on this (hopefully!) irresistible piece of cuteness, follow this here link! ;o)