U-handblog

Thursday's WIP is...

...coming along nicely...

I'm working on a simple Zipper Tutorial; of which I am going to insert into this bag.  I thought of the design yesterday whilst on the phone to the gas and eleccy people.  It took them 20 mins to answer the flipping phone, but at least I got a bag design out of it :)  For anyone who wants to know the swanky handles are these ones.

Social Butterfly

A very beautiful and rare thing happened in my craft room yesterday; I made something without swearing once, no just kidding it was more beautiful than that.  I was working away at shortening one of my umpteen pairs of trousers (that need the dwarf treatment) and I heard this faint flapping noise at my window.  I turned around to see this gorgeous butterfly trapped in between the panes of my open sash windows.  So I grabbed my camera...
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This pic hasn't been doctored (except for increasing the exposure slightly).  Gorgeous shades of vivid blue, deep fiery orange red, black, and gold.  Sometimes nature knows best.

And then it landed on my finger tips.  My heart was beating so fast when this happened.  I felt quite philosophical; a thing of such intense, but ephemeral beauty (butterflies only live for an average of 20 days) saw fit to spend a moment of it's short life perched on my hand.  I felt quite moved, blessed, and in a great mood for the rest of the day as I watched it flutter off into the bright blue sky...

Sunday Bag Eye Candy

Some of your gorgeous baggy goodness to sneak a peek at whilst chilling out on a Sunday in your  slobby T-shirt and jammies...

From the U-Handbag Tutorials pool...

1. wristlet, 2. clutch, 3. flower frame purse, 4. pinkbagtwo, 5. Vintage fabric exterior, 6. pink flower basket

And from the U-Handbag All Bags Pool...

1. Goody-New-Shoes-Purse, 2. maluhia designs, 3. Sammy 10tote 1 - by kara smith, 4. The Cottage, 5. Peggy Sue Handbag, 6. Custom Order - Dimple Shoulder Bag, 7. Handmade Clutch / Wristlet, 8. pink_flame_m0001, 9. green leather bag hanging

Absolutely delish aren't they? Thank you for putting your lovely bags into the pools everyone. You bag ladies are very very talented!   I've gone back to doing Bag Eye Candy every week so please keep your baggy pics coming.  Ta!

Risky fishy

I'm glad that you enjoyed Feist 'in da mix'.  I even heard that you were getting your little ones to groove to it too :)  It's good that Sesame St is still alive and kicking; hopefully it is helping keep the little ones occupied during the Summer hols.  And may the travel God be with you if you are flying or driving to your summer holiday destinations this weekend.

I haven't much time to craft at the moment so frustrating! I have too much behind the scenes shop stuff to do.  Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to sew something.  I'm having dreams about whipping up a cream coloured sun dress with choccy polka dots on it, but we'll see...

I had sushi with a friend in a small restaurant in Greenwhich last night.  Didn't eat too much to save on the calories and the pennies, but I splurged on some Tuna Sashimi (bascially slices of raw tuna) for the princely sum of (£3.90, $7.80) and it was so yummy.  So yummy in fact that I thought I would stop off at my local supermarket on the way home for some tuna so I could make some cheaper DIY tuna sashimi at home.

No tuna at the supermarket unfortunately, so I got some fresh salmon (which was buy one, get on free - yay!), some tamari soya sauce, the cutest pot of wasabi powder and groovy chopsticks (a Valentine's pressie).  I hope the fish is fresh enough to eat raw.  Living on the edge eh?  If you don't hear from me for a few days you'll know why...

I have heaps of photography and such to do because  I have a whole load of new yumminess to process for the shop.  So I should just get on with it.  Before I go I want to tell folks in the UK about a big British Craft Tour which is commencing late this summer.  These folks are going to pop into crafters and artists for a cuppa, a chat, and some photos (that will eventually appear a main website).  And they want to visit folks like YOU.  It's been confirmed that I'm going to get a visit; I'm soooo excited!  Rosie (who is one half of the duo who dreamt up this fab idea) is lovely and she asked me to help get the word out because she wants you to get in touch so she can visit you too!  Click on the logo below for more info.

How can this not make you feel happy?!

I have just discovered this and it has put me in such a happy smiley mood.  I love it, I hope you like it too!

Recipe for Pizza soup

Seeming as Al isn't here I can please myself and eat what I want and that includes soup (which he isn't overly fond of).  There have been other benefits to not having my lovely bloke around, but I best not list them or it might look like I actually prefer not having him here (which, my darling I definitely don't) He he!  Al landed in SA in one piece, his flight was uneventful except for the fact that the guy he sat next to rank body odour (urgh!).  Al is sharing a flat with 2 folks and his room over looks the sea.  Though it is winter  in SA the weather is more like the end of our summer.  He has his first day at the hospital tomorrow, I hope he settles in OK.

So back to the recipe.  I have always been a soup head, thick or thin, hot or cold, summer or winter, soup is good. I love the way that it can be a meal in bowl and you don't have to concentrate too much on your food as you shovel spoon mouthfuls in and at the same time you can read a book/do your crossword/even chat with your sister.

This is a made-up soup, but it probably is just a version of a tomato soup. It really does taste like pizza, minus the doughy base.  You probably have the ingredients for it right now (which beats going to the boring grocery store).  Oh and it's very low in fat, but it fills you up (woo what is this black magic soup?)  Also this soup is a good way to con the kids into eating their veggies - I've yet to meet a child who didn't love pizza...

Lisa's Pizza Soup  (enough for 4)

You will need:

• 1 x can of plum tomatoes - the larger sized can
• 1 x can of red kidney beans or whatever beans you like - the larger sized can
• 1 x pepper - red or yellow if you have 'em (they're sweeter)
• 1 x med - large onion
• as many garlic cloves as desired.   I LOVE garlic so use fooouuurrrr large cloves in this soup
• big pinch of mixed herbs
• A good glug of olive or veg oil
• half a chicken or veg stock cube
• salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar (though you shouldn't need sugar if your veggies are ripe)
• Large handful of cooked meat leftovers (with fat removed) that you might have hanging around in your fridge; ham, bacon, chicken, chorizo sausage, roast beef, whatever, this soup isn't fussy.
• vegetarian folks can of course load up on different veggies in place of the meat
• good splash of Tabasco (or equivalent) sauce will give the soup a nice little kick (optional)
• any sort of melty stringy cheese (the stringier the better, kids love the stringy stuff).  I'm quite partial to Gruyere myself.

Putting the soup together

1. Cut up all of your veggies quite small and to roughly the same size.  Mince the garlic.
2. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a med saucepan and throw in all of the cut up veggies and garlic. Cook gently without colouring for 10 mins.
3. Drain and rinse the beans.  Add beans to the pan and cook all gently for a further 5 mins. Add a little water if things are getting a bit dry.
4. Add the half of stock cube to the pan.  Mush it up so it melts into the mixture.
5. Tip the tomatoes into the pan and break them up with your spoon.  Fill can full of water and add to the pan.
6. Add meat leftovers and a few splashes of Tabaso to taste (if using).  Give everything stir.  Mmm smelling yummy!  Turn heat down to a simmer, partly cover with lid, and cook for a further 15 - 20 mins.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Hopefully your onion and pepper were sweet, if not you might need a small pinch of sugar in the soup.  Add a big pinch of mixed herbs.
8. Ladle into soup bowls and grate some stringy cheese on top.  If you have guests coming around pop a basil leaf or two on top.   If you're on your lonesome forget the basil, get your spoon out, and pick up where you left off with Oscar & Lucinda.  Ah bliss!

I'm not too hot at food photography, besides most tomato based soups look pretty much the same don't they?  So how about a nice pic of Ralph Feinnes instead?  :)

Saturday Bag Eye Candy

Some of your gorgeous baggy goodness to sneak a peek at instead of doing the house work (or any other kind of work for that matter)...

From the U-Handbag Tutorials pool...

1. lime green, 2. bag, 3. Leaf basket shaped bag, 4. Pleated purse, 5. mother's day, 6. totebag, 7. Snap purse and mirror, 8. Hex, 9. mini purse w reel

And from the U-Handbag All Bags Pool...

1. Vintage Beach Slouchy Tote, 2. Poppy Wristlet, 3. Custom diaper bag, 4. Red Bandana w/ beads & piping, 5. Kid's Meadow Tote Bag, 6. Feiticeiro de Oz, 7. Vintage Tablecloth Purse, 8. pretty felted wool handbag, 9. P4010006_03

Yummy aren't they? Thank for putting your lovely bags into the pools everyone. You are some seriously talented bag ladies!   I've gone back to doing Bag Eye Candy every week so please keep your baggy pics coming.  Ta!

Sewing World Bag Oct 08. Wavy Top Bucket Bag

Aw thanks everyone for your really kind words of support now that Al has skipped the country. I'd treat you to coffee and cakes if I could (now that would an amazing afternoon); would we find a cake shop large enough to fit us all in?

I was burning the midnight oil last night so I could finish this month's Sewing World Magazine bag. The theme for October is ''Support of Breast Cancer charities and the colour pink'. So in keeping with the theme I designed this curvy top bucket bag in linen and needle cord. I was stumped for bag names this month so 'Wavy Top' will just have to do I'm afraid.

Before you read on (if you don't mind) could you please pop over to The Breast Cancer Site, and just click on the big pink button. It's very quick, there's no forms etc. you just click on the button and in doing so you are getting the sponsors of that site to pay out for free mammograms to help women in need. Ta!

Sorry about posting loads of pics; it's for when I sell the bag at a later stage. 50% of the sale of this bag will go to Breast Cancer Care.

I like the look of curvy top edge, but oh boy it was muuuuuch easier to draw then it was to sew. I swore my silly head off when sewing the tighter corners. So I have had to adjust the pattern make the curves more sewing machine friendly. I don't want anyone turning to drink because of one of my bag designs!

Side view. I have used linen, some left over needle cord apple fabric for the front pocket and these Chocolate Drop Beaded handles. The bag has been interfaced with an ultra firm stand-up-by-itself interfacing called Flexi Firm.

Bottom view. Nice and flat with bag feet.

Inside view. Toffee coloured striped lining and magnetic snap closure.

Tomorrow is Bag Eye Candy Day so get your lovely baggy pics into the U-Handbag All Bags Pool and the U-Handbag Tutorials pool if you fancy a chance of your handi work being proudly shown off on this blog :)

Bye bye Baby

Haven't been blogging in a while because Al is leaving to study in Somerset Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa for 5 weeks and then for a further 5 weeks he's off to another hospital in Thailand Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot on the Burmese Border.  So for the last few days we have been doing nice coupley things before he jets off later today. 

Al is going to be away for 10 whole weeks!  We haven't ever been apart for more than 2 weeks in all of the 9 odd years that we've been a couple...ho hum!  So whilst I'm really happy that he will get some brilliant hospital experience I'm going to be a bit glumsville without him; hugging me like a bear, making me laugh, reaching all of them high shelves, and lifting heavy stuff.  Still - I guess I can watch any chick-flick that I want, I'm sure to lose a few pounds as I won't be eating those nice coupley dinners, and I can let the housework slide (Al is very domesticated and house proud). 

Waaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!  Him not being around is going to be as strange as these...

I saw these in my local supermarket.  'Ready poured, just peel away the lid and glug' plastic glasses of wine.  What ever next??

Thurday Bag Eye candy

Some of your gorgeous baggy goodness to sneak a peek at while the boss/kids/etc. aren't looking...

From the U-Handbag Tutorials pool...

1. B&W Bag, 2. IMG_0370, 3. sushibagtwo, 4. Snap purse and mirror, 5. farmers market shopper, 6. Hex, 7. velvet gucci2, 8. porta moedas purse coine, 9. pinkbagone

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And from the U-Handbag All Bags Pool...

1. Perfect Pressed Flowers Bag, 2. Dora Bag Volare oh oh!!!, 3. Push phone pouch -red, 4. zaza charmer tote redux, 5. Marigold, 6. greenwithpoppies5, 7. Sassy Sketchbook Tote, 8. kumatryoshka bag, 9. PansyPurses

Yummy aren't they? Thank for putting your lovely bags into the pools everyone. You are some seriously talented bag ladies!   I'll be going back to doing a Bag Eye Candy every week so please keep your baggy pics coming.  Ta!