today has mostly been about ginger biscuits...

over the weekend, frank and i made some marvellous ginger biscuits (that we found on the good to know website.) oh my goodness. they are so easy to make, and you simply can't bugger them up! 7 year olds aren't known for their perfect dough-rollong skills (whereas their 34 yr old anal mothers are...) but i decided not to interfere to much and they were plonked on a baking sheet with heavy-handed 7 yr old abandon. but they turned out brilliantly, to look at *and* to eat. so needless to say, the first batch went very quickly, so arth and i may some more this afternoon. and if you think 7 yr old boys are ham fisted, then 4 yr old boys are something else. and they *still* turned out brilliantly! quite simply, you can't fuck these up. (and if you do, then you clearly should not be allowed near hot liquids)

they have quite a few ingredients (that we had most of, amazing) but are well worth it. you can read the recipe on the website we used, or follow the slightly amended version i used for the second batch, below (for example, i use a little less sugar and a third less honey and treacle without too much taste variation)

so you need to:

turn oven on at 180 (dunno what that is in gas marks etc, look it up)

grease a large baking sheet, makes around 18 biscuits

bung in a saucepan, and melt on a lowish heat:

2 oz butter/spread/low fat whatever

1.5 oz honey

2 oz black treacle

2 oz dark brown sugar

then throw in a mixing bowl:

8oz self raising flour

teaspoon ground ginger

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon bicarb of soda

(you can also grate a piece of ginger but i hadn't got any)

mix the melted sugar/butter combo into the dry ingredients, and mix to a stiff dough. if it's a little runny, add a touch more flour. it should come together into a ball. take small pieces of dough and form into a balls a little smaller than a golf ball, place on baking sheet a little way from each other and sling them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. and bob's yer bleedin' uncle, perfect ginger biscuits! they are best the day of baking and they're nice and crunchy. i kept some in a tin overnight and while still yummy, they were a little soft.

make some. right now. you won't regret it.

update!!! it has been brought to my attention (by judy in virginia) *waves enthusiatically to judy* that some of my american readers might not know what black treacle is. well, i reckon the nearest ingredient you have is probably molasses, so substitute that and i think it will work a treat. and if anyone would like to let me know if it works, i'd be most grateful. or actually i could just do it myself as i happen to have a jar of 'grandma's molasses' in my cupboard...

new sketches

i've updated my sketch blog too today, do take a peek at...summersville sketch!

please vote summersville!

horrible lowering of standards to urge you lovely readers to vote for me in the handmade poppies (set up by jan of the wonderful poppytalk blog) - i'm up against really stiff competition in the form of skinnylaminx and ink&spindle and many other seriously talented people (and actually rather thrilled to be amongst those i'm rather in awe of!) i think i'm the only brit in the competition for the best handmade textile catagory, so i really need your help...many thanks, kisses and maybe a glass of wine for those who vote? a virtual one, with lots of cake.

vote by clicking here!

lookie here...

...a new colour-it-yourself poster for all you colouring fans...available at both etsy and folksy shops...

just to remind you...

about summersville sketch, the current theme will be 'texture' (starts today, but flagging right now, so will post tomorrow...) the previous theme was circles and has just come to an end. check 'em out here!

a long'un...(well, longer than normal, anyway)

so, naughty blogger that i am...no post for ages, but i am about to make up for that for i have quite alot of news...

firstly, i got a parcel from the states the other day, although before i realised what it was, i nearly sent it away again because i had to pay £30 import tax and duties on it...grrr...but, well worth it, for inside was all the gorgeous stationery i designed for galison. i a) nearly cried it's so perfect and b) kept stroking it for hours...my only problem is that although i received 5 of everything (social notes, coasters, writers notebooks, writers notes and writers pads) i can't part with any of it...so if you feel you can't live without any of the lushness (and believe me the quality is fabulous) you can order directly from the galison website. which of course is fine if you're from the states but if you're from ol' blighty or anywhere else it's a bit more complicated, see the galison shipping page for details by clicking here, and the friendly galison team will help you place your order!...and in the meantime if any of you fine people (from anywhere in the world) ever see my stuff in a shop or store, i'd love to know :) you can see lots more photographs in my flickr stream.

so that's that excitement. other news is that i have a new design...called 'sweetheart', it's the first design i've done for a particular 'theme' (ie valentines day) but in fairness, hearts sell whatever time of year, so hopefully it will do well. it obviously has a 'scandi' feel to it in format...anyway, it's available in 5 colourways, which you can see in both shops, etsy, and folksy. there's also a rather delicious larger A5 sketch/notebook available in two colours - i printed up a storm yesterday using different colour and design combos, so keep yer eyes peeled for them soon...have a happy weekend, y'all :)

new project

sorry i've been ages blogging - happy belated new year! i have a bit of an excuse - i've started a new project called 'summersville sketch'. the idea is for me to produce a small piece of work every day - i want to start stretching myself a little, try new techniques and work to a weekly theme. to be honest my first attempts have been very much in my comfort zone, but you've got to start somewhere right? so if you want to keep track of what i'm up to, you'll probably find me over there! to check it out this week's theme ('shelf') click here!