Steampunk accessories...

I discovered these fantastic optical lenses a while back and now trying to make up three steampunk costumes for my son, daughter and his girlfriend I thought Aha!...

Hmm...

Okay I'm not a metal worker so how to capture these lenses so I could use them?

Well on the first one I just treated it as a loose stone or cab and made a circle from bracelet bars which I then wire wrapped between to trap the lens.

 This makes a pendant style lens that you can just lift up and peer through to inspect objects...kind of Aunt Agatha style.

For the next piece I wanted something more complicated, so I wrapped wire around the outside edge, secured with a dab of jewellery glue and combined with a camera lens from an old 35mm, some feathers, beads and a bit of umbrella mechanism to make what is a huge brooch...

Because there is some movement in the umbrella bit it lifts up off the shoulder again to be peered through.

I will upload pics of it being worn once the costumes are done!

I have lots of these lenses and if you fancy giving it a go at making something yourself there are some in my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/domesticsabotage 

I have some matching pairs and I really want to make a pair of goggles...or see someone have a go.

If you do make something from them I would love to see the results.

Table Transformation

I thought I would share with you the story of  this little table and how it came to be transformed into something new. Here it is in its original hideous form.

I discovered this little beauty - and really the photo doesn't do it justice - hidden in a junk shop corner. The top is a huge chequerboard effect in bright blue and white thick gloss paint - then oh yes to make it complete - they applied thick canvas roses covered over with thick yellowing polyurethane varnish...mmmm

However, I really liked the shape, particularly the legs and if ever a piece has cried out save me this is it.

You know those times when you decide to do something and then figure out uh...oh this might be more than I bargained for?

Um...now I've got to get off all that hideous paint...ooops

Like all good heroines though I was in for a stroke of luck, in hefting off the canvas flowers with a paint scraper I discovered the paint simply came away too...now I loved the table.

But what to do on the top? It wasn't a great finish having languished under all that for years so I decided this was an opportunity to use a fabric covering. Step up a lovely cotton lawn I've been hanging onto for years but never found a project to match...

Its too busy for me to use for clothing, but too lightweight for upholstery type projects...perfect.

I'm pretty sure It was a Liberty fabric, but over the years bits have been purloined off the sides by my kids for projects and that part of the selvedge has vanished along with the name.

Next a paint to match hmm...I didn't want to use the duck egg as its too light, or the khaki/gold as its too bleurgh...I'm just not a khaki person. So I plumped for a nice deep periwinkle blue to pick up the deeper blue flowers.

I'm really pleased with the outcome, I think it looks rather fab and pretty, without being sugary sweet - which I detest...

What do you think...

More pics (and table for sale) on my Etsy listing

My favourite Tomato soup... soup to warm the soul

OK as I have decided to post about stuff that I love.

 I thought I would share my favourite tomato soup recipe and a few of its modifications. The recipe was told to me years ago by an Israeli Opera Singer no less...thanks babe... wherever you are now hope its a good place :).

This is an absolute family favourite, its cheap, tasty and really really easy.

Ingredients:

olive oil

onion

couple cloves garlic (to taste)

three tins chopped tomatoes

1 litre or so vegetable stock (made from cube or Marigold if you have any)

red lentils (about three handfuls - experiment you will find your happy place)

pinch salt (optional its probably in the stock)

2/3 dessert spoons sugar

spices: paprika, cinnamon, ginger

herbs: basil, oregano

NB you will need a big stock pot for this, preferably oven proof

Start by chopping the onion if you're going to whizz doesn't really  matter how, if not I prefer long very thin strips - more aesthetic. Put the kettle on to boil - with at least 1 1/2 litres of water in. Fry off in the big pan over a lowish heat, just softening not browning. As the onion is nearly cooked add the garlic, mashed or sliced thinly again what you prefer. When that is cooked, smell becomes less acrid, add the spice (paprika 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger 1/4 tsp each) and give a good stir in the pan for 30 seconds or so, add the herbs ( um approx 1tsp of each) and then the three cans of chopped tomatoes. Optional - just before the tomatoes for a really rich flavour add a glug of brandy or red wine and boil off, again as the smell becomes less overpowering its done.

Hopefully your kettle has boiled so make up your stock 1 to 1 1/2 litres, I just fill a measuring jug, its not precise this recipe. Add to the pan and stir in and then add your lentils (I just shake a few in about 2/3 good handfuls) these will affect the thickness of your soup too little and its watery, too much and its too thick - however too thick can be thinned with some boiling water so maybe err on the side of too much.

Bring to a nice rolling boil stir a couple of times to stop the lentils sticking and pop in the oven at about 150 celsius (thats about 300 fahrenheit) gas mark 3 or just a low oven (below the temp for cakes and chicken!) you can get away with lower if you are going to leave it in a long time. Abandon for at least half an hour an hour if you can. Return remove from oven, pop in the oven some nice part baked rolls or garlic bread and whizz the soup if you wish (a hand blender stick thing is best for this pop it in the pan but don't splash yourself its HOT).

You should have a nice thickish soup to serve, you will have LOTS of soup, enough for 6/8 people or tommorrow, or the freezer, or the sauce for a pasta bake... I like to vary the recipe a bit so as to give the impression it is actually different soup that I keep serving. The favourite is single cream stirred through just before whizzing mmmm. Also try not whizzing looks more sophisticated! Sliced chorizo added before the spices is nice (don't whizz this!) And cheese grated on top is great.

DO NOT tell your family/ guests that this contains lentils - if it is whizzed they won't notice/object.

The best bit...tomatoes are said to help to maintain a healthy prostate and  may help prevent prostate cancer! Tomatoes also have been shown to improve the skins resistance to UV damage - both a result of lycopene. Lentils are a great source of fibre (and protein) and will keep those ol bowels healthy :), its probably the only dish I can serve that is easy to make vegan/dairyfree/gluten free for guests (watch the stock though) and its really really cheap and easy, I reckon it costs about £2 for a whole pan. If you try it see what you like to add and let me know - I might try it too!

easy peasy kumihimo bracelet tutorial

OK kumihimo has been around for years but it seems to be all the rage right now so... I thought I would combine it with the look of the wrapped and shamballa styles around right now and give you a really easy kumihimo tutorial to follow...complete with a make it yourself disc.

Firstly gather your supplies - carboard (really thick), marker pen, 

ruler and scissors...for disc

   cord- nylon or wax cotton approx 1/ 1.5mm thick

 (you can have a go with any size though, for the pics below

 I have used rattail which is easy as it is so thick)

                                           beads - I have used small 4mm gold beads with a 1.5mm hole

 (your beads must fit onto your cord!!)

Cut out the shape shown below

Cut 8 threads each 75cm long um 2ft ish? 

Knot all together at one end with overhand knot

if you want to make the bracelet shown above leave10cm or so of thread before the knot

poke knot through hole in disc and put threads into the slots as shown below

( I am using two colours to show the rotation - you may wish to experiment with this

on your first go) 

Just follow the picture instructions below

(as you turn the disc you will need to move the threads across so they have room to slot in)

and repeat and repeat.....

OK confession time the bracelet is really easy but the ending you might find tricky so maybe practice that bit on spare cord I am kind of assuming you might have had a go at shamballa or wrapped bracelets :)

If you are making the bracelet you want about 5cm / 2" of braid before you start to add beads

once you are ready to add beads place one on each top right to bottom right thread OR place on each time you move a thread the first gives a more spaced out look the second is denser.Slide the bead right up to the braid and just continue.

TIP: it can be hard to thread beads onto cord either put some glue onto the tip of the cord and pinch a little to stiffen and stop fraying (PVA, jewellery glue or for the brave superglue - don't stick your fingers to it)

OR for cord that doesn't hold glue (most nylon cords) try wrapping a small piece of sellotape around the end very tightly (like we used to do on shoelaces when the tips came off)

Add beads for about another 5cm / 2" and then go back to just plain braid with no beads for a final 5cm / 2".

What I did now was to wrap wire tightly around the end of the braid and snip off all but two of the ends covering this with wire - however you could add some glue inside the braid on the last few moves and just knot all but two ends and snip off, or sew through the braid at the ends covering the snipped bits with thread, OR get an end cap complete with fastening and just glue the last few moves then snip all ends and glue into the cap. Failing all that get one of those tiny elastic bands for hair and wrap it around tightly, snip all but two ends off and put some glue on to hold it in place.

My fastening is made from macrame - a square knot about an inch of I will try and do a specific tutorial for this as soon as I can but seriously there are loads of tutorials out there for this. This slips through, the square knot is done over the threads from the first end ( so secure this end before you do this in the same way you secured the other end - in order to finish off the end you will have to - carefully- undo the knot you made right at the start!) 

An easier way would be to finish the second end as above and then - you now have 4 threads - treat them as two pairs of threads so one pair coming from the right and one pair coming from the left (your bracelet is curled around now so the two ends face each other) hold the short pair straight and knot the longer pair AROUND the short pair keeping the short threads tight and straight, thats a simple make a loop round it and pass through the loop then repeat four or five times and tie small knots on each of the cords you have been knotting next to the big knot (so they don't pull back through) the big knot should now slide up and down along the short cords)

either way leave about 5-7cm /2-2 1/2" of cord when the bracelet is closed tight and put a bead on and tie a simple knot at the end and snip off.

A different ending would be to use cord crimps and a normal fastening if you really hate knotting

OR if you are into chunky then use four strands doubled over so your first knot that holds them all together leaves a loop just big enough for whatever you are going to fasten to the other end eg button/washer/big bead.

EXperiment!!