No Time to Stop and Stare

Typical really, when life is full to the brim and there are dozens of things I think I'll share here, there's not a spare moment to stop and write a blog post. This week has seen back to back teaching including a weekend at Missenden Abbey, a University visit with youngest son and not much time for anything else in between and as a result the March edition of Workshop on the Web came out a whole week ago and I forgot to mention it includes an article from me!

 

 

You've seen the samples before but this is a chance to learn with step by step instructions how to make your own book cover decorated with "Graffiti Doodles"

 

Or even a cushion should you fancy it...

 

I'll also be teaching this technique as a day class at Art Van Go in Knebworth on Thursday April 3rd and at Art and Stitch in Peterborough on Saturday 3rd May.

 

And speaking of Art Van Go, I will be joining other members of Spectrum tomorrow to set up our exhibition:

An exhibition by

SPECTRUM

a group of ten contemporary textile artists mentored by Gina Ferrari

present new work inspired by the theme

"TRANSITIONS"

11th March - 5th April 2014

Art Van Go

1 Stevenage Road, Knebworth, Herts SG3 6AN

 

There will be lots of lovely new work to see including some fabulous "Round Robin" pieces where each member started a piece of work in the textile medium of their choice - some stitched, others printed or painted, patchworked or felted. These were then passed on to another member who could add or alter the original work in any way they liked. This was repeated twice more but the fourth member had to finish the work. It raised many interesting issues about ownership, letting go and working into someone elses work. Yet despite these sometimes uncomfortable feelings everyone agreed it had been a worthwhile experience resulting in some fabulous work. The Balloons and Sunflower cushion are just two of the pieces of work from our "Summer" Round Robin.

 

 

And these two wall hangings were the result of our "Black and White" round robin

 

 

Would love to see you at the exhibition and if you happen to be free on Saturday 15th March do join us for tea and cake at our Private View from 12 noon.

 

p.s. I forgot to mention that Terry was the winner of the Country Living tickets. Enjoy the day out with your daughter Terry... the tickets are in the post!

A Year in Books : March

You guys are just fantastic... thank you for all your lovely positive comments which are much appreciated and really have helped. I've decided my best approach to all the rubbish stuff going on is to ignore it all and focus on all the little good things and in particular on those snatched moments with a good book (usually very early in the morning before I get up)

 

 

My book for Circle of Pine Trees "Year in Books" project in February was Restoration by Rose Tremain. I mostly enjoyed reading this book, especially the historical setting but I didn't like the main character Merivel. I know he was very self depreciating and very much a man of his time but I found him rather too distasteful for my liking. I don't think I'll be reading the sequel.

 

I had thought I would choose Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce as my March choice but I read it in about three days... long before February was over. This is actually our Book Club choice for March, chosen for its local connections. It is a thriller set in Cambridge and mostly I enjoyed it and found it quite a page turner. It was fun to recognised all the local references but if I had any critisism it was that it tended to be a bit cliched at times and rather too convoluted... but I'll happily read the others in the series for a light easy read.

 

And so I picked another book for my March choice The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. I had the title of this book scribbled on a bit of paper on my desk - obviously recommended from somewhere but I can't remember where! So when I spotted it in the supermarket I popped it in the basket with my spuds..... and ended up reading this in three days too! It is the story of genetics professor Don who sets himself the task of finding a wife. It is funny and an easy read but somewhat predictable. Don obviously has Asperger's Syndrome and displays every single typical Asperger trait to the upmost degree.... and therefore it doesn't quite ring true. I live with someone with Asperger's Syndrome so I know! But it was enjoyable and I finished this before the end of February too.

 

And so finally I have picked yet another book to be my March read... Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth which is a historical novel set in the time of Louis XIV, the Sun King. It is the story of three women, three lives and a clever retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale. I'm not sure I would have picked this if I hadn't read Stephanie's recomendation in her blog Millefeuille... but I'm loving it already.

 

What are you reading in March?

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Did I say a whole week ago that I was looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality? Who was I kidding? Not sure life is ever really normal round here but even by my standards it's been pretty rubbish.

 

 

Actually that is not entirely true as I had a lovely inspiring day out on Wednesday at a fabulous exhibition followed by a browse around Borough Market and a leisurely a stroll along the south Bank, a perfect day spent with a good friend...  I'll save the details for another post.  And last night I had a lovely evening with my eldest son as we cooked supper together, drank wine and later watched a DVD.... however...

 

The rest of the week has been somwhat overshadowed by a nasty experience to do with work. It would be unprofessional of me to go into details but I have been accused of things that are not true by someone who has not even spoken to me never mind met me, been threatened with possible legal proceedings and ultimately been left feeling like I never want to teach again. I don't think I've heard the last of it either but I'm resisting the urge to send hate mail and I'm trying to stay calm...

 

So I went into the next round of the Cambridge Bake Off yesterday looking forward to a couple of hours of escapism, confident that my Best Ever Chocolate Cake would win over the judges. But alas, it was not to be. The very same cake that scored 9 out of 10 last year on taste with the comment "Fantastic, deep adult taste" managed a pathetic 4 out of 10 this year with the comment "Flavours don't meld, lingering savoury aftertaste". Savoury? What was that all about?

 

I've renamed it my Crap Chocolate cake but fortunately my tasters and judges at home don't agree. They've voted it the best ever and this is all that is left!

 

So to cheer myself up, I've spent the afternoon doing some dress making. All afternoon I've been happily stitching away to find that I've put the lining of my dress in all wrong... I've hours of unpicking ahead... what joy! I might just bin it! I'm not going to tempt fate by hoping this week is better but I do have some good news for you my readers...

 

This week has seen blossom appearing on the trees, daffodils swaying in the breeze and birdsong everywhere, (crikey, that was a bit poetic) so what better time to announce that I have two tickets for the Country Living Spring Fair to give away to one lucky reader. Leave me a comment letting me know if you'd like a chance to win and I'll pick out a winner at the end of this week

 

The Country Living Fair takes place from 19th - 23rd March at the Business Design Centre in Islington. It features carefully selected exhibitors selling jewellery, fashions and items for interiors and gardens. There are talks and workshops as well as plenty of new ideas for your home and garden this Spring. You can read more details on the website:

www.countrylivingfair.com/spring

And if you aren't lucky enough to win the tickets you can get an additional discount if you book in advance on the website and enter the code Blog11... adult tickets for £12 instead of the usual £13 or £16.50 on the door.

 

Go on... leave me a comment... cheer me up!

I Promised Photographs...

of our Pantomime Red Riding Hoodie written by Sarah Harrison.

 

An updated version of the traditional tale, let me introduce Red Riding Hoodie, the young girl who doesn't visit her Grandma as often as she should.

 

 

Not that her Grandma appears unduly bothered!

 

Especially when preparing medallions of hand reared, corn fed, pea hen in a rosemary jus...

 

Of course there was a big bad wolf... (who turned out to be not so bad after all)

 

Who encounters the lusty gamekeeper Jed, also on his way to visit Granny Gruntlepants in her cottage in the woods.

 

Naturally there was a local hostelry where various characters gathered, overseen by the buxom barmaid Jemima Jugs...

 

 

 

Although Jemima only had eyes for Blackfaced Bert, the charcoal burner and Red Riding Hoodie's Dad.

 

You'll be pleased to know that everything worked out for the best, there was a double wedding and everyone lived happily ever after...

 

And although it really has been the most tremendous fun and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself it will be good to get back to some sort of normality this week, although I'm not entirely sure that my life ever feels that normal!

 

p.s.  Have you spotted me yet? (I'll give you a clue... I wasn't playing the wolf)

Since Last Week...

Thank you all kindly for your good wishes and as indeed "all things do pass" there was an improvement as the week went on.

• I managed to finish off several of these embroidered button samples. I hold my hands up and say these are not my own original idea but I have made enough embroidered buttons in the past and have seen enough examples from numerous different people that I felt it would be okay to use them for a class I am teaching at Textiles in Focus in Cottenham on Friday. I would have said hurry up and book your place but fortuantely for me both classes are full. However it is still worth going to this fabulous three day show if you are are within travelling distance so maybe see you there.

• I had a trial run of my next round of the Cambridge Bake Off which is to cook and decorate a chocolate cake of my own choosing in two and half hours in the kitchens of the Cambridge Cookery School. I managed it, just, in my own kitchen and my tasters approved ( I haven't actually tasted it myself) but I was disappointed with certain aspects... like all those darn chocolate ribbons broke! So I do feel I need a couple more trial runs... but I'm not sure I can face it...

• Because after making the cake I came over feeling rather peculiar and then spent the next 48 hours shivering and aching in my bed trying desperately not to panic at the thought of our forthcoming pantomime... no such thing as understudies in AmDram! I was convinced I had flu. Fortunately whatever it was, came as quickly as it went... although it has left me with with no stomach for chocolate!
 
• So although I was still feeling somewhat wobbly yesterday, Gill and I rearranged our trip that we were meant to have last week and we went into London to see the Isabella Blow exhibition which was far better than I had expected and worth seeing for the amazing Philip Treacy hats if nothing else, although being a huge fan of Alexander McQueen I loved the dresses too. I found the exhibition quite a moving tribute to someone who on the surface seemed to be leading a charmed life but in reality was obviously very unhappy

 
• And now the rest of the week which is going to be dominated by our Pantomime with technical and dress rehearsals today and tomorrow and first performance on Thursday. Still feeling a tad wobbly which doesn't bode well for a week spent on these heels... Wish me luck but please don't say "break a leg"

 

I promise more photos later in the week!

Happy Face

More faces...

 

 

more sampling...

 

and finally I feel that I'm getting somewhere and the images that have been in my head for so many months are beginning to be realised.

 

Now I'm tweaking and fine tuning trying to arrive at exactly what I want...

 

All this against a week of family upset and drama... a minor op (me), a funeral (my uncle), food poisoning (youngest son) made additionally complicated by his type 1 diabetes not to mention  all sorts of other angst and anger... living in such a testosterone filled house is far from easy at times, believe me. The are days when I long for female company.... but unfortunately today's outing with a special friend has had to be cancelled while I fufill the role of nurse.

 

Washing bed linen and administering dry toast are the order of the day...

 

Ah well... Put on a Happy Face Gina!

I've been on a quest...

to find the perfect carrot cake.

 

 

Most cakes are based on four essential ingredients... eggs and flour to give structure... fat and sugar to give flavour. So even before additional ingredients are added there are many decisions to be made. Caster sugar or muscavado sugar, plain flour or self raising, white or wholemeal, butter or oil.

 

And then come the additions. Do you grate the carrots finely or coarsely, what spices should be added - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or allspice or perhaps a combination and do you add sultanas or nuts or both and if so, walnuts or pecans or perhaps something else?

So many decisions to be made. And that is before the frosting and decorating takes place.

 

Over the past couple of weeks I have made four different carrot cakes with various ingredients in different combinations including one that seemed to contain about half a bottle of brandy (Very good but not really what I was after!)

 

After my family gallantly took to extensively tasting and giving feedback, (they do suffer for me you know) this is what I ended up with. I decided to keep the decoration simple depite having an urge to create bunnies and carrots. And this is the one that I took into Cambridge this morning as my entry in the first round of the Cambridge Bake Off. Yes, despite my "spongy sponge" experience of last year, I decided to give it another go and was one of 48 contestants selected for this first round to bake a carrot cake.

 

And after the judges had tasted I was delighted to be one of 24 selected to go through to the next round where I will have to bake 'live' in the kitchens of the Cambridge Cookery School. Although I was given good marks for presentation and texture they thought the taste was lacking and did not taste of carrots. Personally I'd rather my cake did not taste of vegetables and that the carrots were there to add moisture and sweetness... but what do I know? And anyway, I'm through to the next round so I don't care! And should you want to try it yourself... the recipe is below.... do let me know if it is carroty enough for you!

GINA'S CARROT CAKE

150g light muscavado sugar                                                            

80g dark muscavado sugar                                                              

3 free-range eggs                                                                              

175g rape seed oil                                                                            
250g self-raising flour (white)                                                                                  
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

40g plain yoghurt
Zest of 1 satsuma
260g carrots (peeled weight) peeled and finely grated

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
100g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line the bases of 2 x 18cm sandwich tins.

2. Put the eggs and sugars into a large mixing bowl and whisk well until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture has almost doubled in volume. This can be done in a free standing mixer. Gradually add the oil, mixing well.

3. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder salt and spices and then fold very gently into the liquid mixture, being careful to knock as little air out as possible. Fold in the yoghurt and the remaining ingredients and divide between the tins. Bake for about 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tins and then turn out onto a wire rack.

4. When cool decorate with cream cheese icing and the remaining nuts. I used this recipe for the icing.