Friday Cake Bake No.14

The last time I did a Friday Cake Bake was May 2010.  I can't believe it was that long ago!  Anyway yesterday I baked a *Caraway Seed Cake to be eaten today.  Hopefully the seeds will remind me to germinate my ideas over the coming months.  I must jot my ideas down today (after eating the cake!) and watch them evolve as I develop them week by week.  I am excited to have creative juices flowing once more!

I must say a huge thank you to everybody who left a comment on my last post.  It means a lot to me when people like the things that I make.  It was interesting to find out your favourite semi-precious gemstones, flowers and animals.  I was not surprised to see rabbits, cats and roses top the lists although the choice in gemstones was much more diverse.

I used a random number generator to pick a winner for the giveaway.  I put in numbers from 1 to 15 as that is how many people responded to the post.  The lucky number was 13 and the 13th person to comment was Lisa.  Well done Lisa.  Could you please email me with your details so I can get a charm sent off to you.  Thank you to everybody that took part.

* Delia Smith's Book of Cakes

Immortalized

I won a competition back in February and my prize was a pet portrait of Gizmo. I was thrilled to receive the portrait last week.  The wonderful Lyn of everydaylife painted this watercolour of him with such painstaking detail.  Thank you so much Lyn.  I now have my naughty ginger muffin (that's my son's nickname for him!) immortalized on paper.  The portrait proudly sits on my mantlepiece next to my woodwose man and green man as a protector of our living space. 

If you haven't met Lyn already then please do go and check out her blog.  Her photography is amazing and visiting is a real treat!

Winners Revealed!

Thank you to everybody who took part in donating beads for the Bloggers Beads Necklace.  Above you can see the diverse range of beads that I received and I think it is fair to say that it will be a challenge to make them all up into a necklace!  Can you see the bead or beads that you sent?

I drew out a name from all the participants that took part and the winner is Jane from Marigold Jam.  I then decided to have another draw just of my friends from abroad that had taken the time and trouble to send beads to the UK, and the winner is Sharon from Sallymomsprouts.  In due course I will send both of you a little handcrafted something!

As a thank you to everyone that took part, I would like to send you all a handwritten letter.  This may take a bit of time but it is something that I intend to do.

Now I need to put on my thinking cap and see how this necklace is going to evolve!

Giveaway Winner Announcement

All twenty names went into the golden tea light receptacle.  I gave them a good a shake and without further ado or hesitation I took the plunge and pulled out Amanda Claire from Amanda's Patch. 

Congratulations Amanda!  Please email your details to me so that I can get the key ring sent off to you.  I may get some more key rings made up to sell at my Linden Grove Mercantile blog unless I get distracted by paper crafting in the meantime! 

Thank you to everybody who takes the time to comment here, as I know your time is valuable.  Thank you also for your concern regarding my eye test.  I have to have further tests at the hospital to see if there is a problem with the back of one of my eyes but getting an appointment could be a long way off yet.  In the meantime I have updated my look with a nice new pair of designer glasses.  I may even colour my hair this weekend and paint my nails.  (I don't think I have painted my nails for about 20 years!)  Have a lovely weekend however you decide to spend it. x

A Daydream

One day I will live on the edge of a market town.  My house will be near enough to civilisation but far enough for isolation.  The house will have enough rooms to accommodate all of my interests.  I will have an art studio, a craft room, a pantry with shelves laden with all types of home made preserves, an apothecary full of lotions, potions and tinctures to both heal and delight.  There will be a library full of books and enough spare rooms for friends and family to stay.

In the garden flocks of chickens and pekins will be able to roam free in a fox-proofed area.  There will be a large vegetable patch and flowers will seed themselves liberally.  Rose arbours will line pathways and a wildlife pond will be home to all kinds of creatures.  At the bottom of the garden is a woodland with a stream running through.  

A squashy-faced lap cat or two will keep my chair warm and I will sell my home made wares across the Internet to my bloggy friends.  Nothing but a dream.  A wonderful, inspiring and hopeful dream..............

The giveaway winner from my last post is.............Rosie from Corners of my Mind.  Rosie could you please email me your details and I will get a surprise package sent off to you.

Owl Tags Winner

................and the name drawn out of the Witch's hat was silverpebble. Congratulations! Please email me your details and I will get them off to you before the posties strike!!! x

.......and the winner is..................

Twenty names were written down, cut into strips and folded. They were then shaken up in a very large coffee jar before being transferred into a very nice mug.

I asked my son if he would do the honours of drawing the winner.

He proclaimed 'the name of the winner is Louise.' Congratulations Louise! Please email me your details and I will get a pack of cat notecards off to you ASAP!

I thought it would be fun to have a second winner too so the next name pulled from out of the mug was Ticking Stripes. Well done Ticking Stripes! Please email me your details (my email is under my profile) and I will get a pack of cards off to you too!

Magic Patch Magazine Winner

Thank you for all your suggestions where Veronique could open a shop in the UK. I will forward the suggestions on to her.

Well, eight names went into the hat and my son pulled out the winner's name.

Congratulations to Debbie of debbies-english-treasures! I am sure you will find something to inspire you within the magazine.