Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange

Look what lovely things arrived in the post today... Thank you Stephanie!

The tree ornaments are gorgeous. I especially love the paperclip ice-skates.
Little buttons hidden in the purse...
A great tote that I will enjoy using for Christmas shopping
...with beautiful peacock.

Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange

(This post was written last week but I didn't want to pop it up it until the parcel had arrived with my partner)

It is that time of year again. No, no, not just Christmas... it's the Handmade Gift Exchange time!

Thank you again to Linda for organising it. This year I left it til the last moment to sign up because with a new baby (Alexandra was born on the 10th of September) and a little girl (Hazel is 3 years old) I wasn't sure that I would have enough time to make something nice for my partner. In the end I decided that I would make the time somehow.

This year I drew another Stephanie; Stephanie from the Netherlands. Last year it was Stephanie from the U.S. and unexpected heavy snow over here made it difficult to get to the post office.This year the parcel went into the post on Tuesday morning with no snow to hinder me. As soon as I hear that Stephanie has received her gift, I will put up photos of what I sent here. Got to go; it's playschool time)

A little crochet bunny basket in honour of Tulip the rabbit.

A wool scarf in Stephanie's favourite rainbow colours. This was up-cycled using off-cuts from a woollen mill. It should help keep her warm biking around the city.

2 Hyperbolic crochet brooches with some beading. The purple with pink one is made with the same wool as the scarf was woven from.
And a little cross stitch mini-cushion. It could even be a large pin cushion.
Here's hoping she likes these bits as much as I enjoyed making them.

Merry Christmas and Happy Crafting!

Rhubarb Cake Recipe

I bought a bunch of rhubarb yesterday but didn't fancy my usual rhubarb crumble so I had a look for another notion. I didn't expect to find a rhubarb cake. It came out moist and yummy... more like a pudding than a slicing cake. Next time I'll have cream or custard on hand to serve with it.

1.5 cups finely chopped rhubarb

180g brown sugar
100g white sugar
150g butter or marg

1 egg

1 cup apple sauce (stewed apple)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence

0.5 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon bicarb of soda

250g plain flour

50g white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Grease or line a 13x9x2 baking tin.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cream the sugar and butter together.

Add the egg, vanilla and the apple sauce, and mix.

Add the flour, soda and salt and mix.

Add the rhubarb and mix.
Pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle over the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 180-190 C in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes

Note the sugar topping can get a little overdone so keep an eye on it and cover top with brown paper if necessary.

Check if the cake is ready with a skewer as the top can look gorgeously done while the underneath lurks gloopily.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin and serve with cream, custard or ice-cream.