Meringue success recipe

I wasn't too sure about how to make meringue, especially the great ginger & chocolate meringue but I just got a few ingredients from morrisons for the ginger & chocolate and stole a meringue nest recipe from the BBC site and adapted it.

As requested:

• 4 egg whites
• 250g caster sugar
• 100g plain Morrisons chocolate
• half a pot of glacier ginger also from Morrisons - although next time I would like to use crystalized ginger and I would just use accordingly to your taste for ginger (i like lots!)

• Whip all egg whites together until fluffy.
• Slowly added the sugar, spoon by spoon and keep whipping.
• When glossy stiff & peaky add the ginger and chopped chocolate.(I gently folded these in with a metal spoon to make sure it is all mixed up and to keep the air in).
• Dollop onto a grease proof papered baking tray.
• Put in the over at Gas mark 2 for 15 mins and then turn down to Gas mark 1/2 and leave to cook for 1 hour 15 mins (apparently this makes it nice and chewing inside and crispy on the outside).

I hope to see you all having a go now, because if i can make these then anyone can! I look forward to seeing the pictures of your creations!

Meringue success

I haven't baked in ages and I have never baked meringue before. I love love love meringue and always wanted to make it, I have been building up the courage to have a go, but my mum always put me off because of her mishaps "I must have used a dozen eggs and it still didn't work" she said. And from that day on I always thought it was really difficult to make meringue.

A local bakers in town has had a makeover and now offer the most delicious looking dollops of snowy meringue. They have plain, coffee and ginger with chocolate at 80p each. My boyfriend kindly bought me one once whilst he munched on a iced bun (as they no longer do doughnuts) and again he bought me one recently. This had bought my thoughts on making meringue much closer as the ginger and chocolate combo is just a winner, really, to die for! So today, I bought some eggs, some plain chocolate and glacier ginger as they didn't have crystalized and thoughtlessly had a bash as making this light and airy dream in the mouth.

And I would like to congratulate myself on being a success! I even got a bit of yoke in it, but I did not panic and tried to remove all. I whisked and added my ginger, and sugar, yum yum and suddenly it was glossy, stiff and peaky! I was amazed and piled in them onto my baking tray and put in the oven. Admittedly they turned a little brown, which i'm not sure why as I couldn't get the heat any lower, but never the less they taste great! Now I have saved myself 80p I am much more generous with the sizes!

The sun has got his hat on....

And today was a great day to take some photos of my new milk bottle vases. They are currently listed on Folksy so go and treat yourself to a nice vase for a small space!

Let me know if there are any of my other designs you'd like to see on a milk bottle vase!

Glass milk bottle vases

Some pictures from a new project. I have (since taking these pictures) made yet more etched vases with my umbrella print and canary bird print on them. I hope to be making many more from my designs and also get them etched onto some really nice vintage coloured bottles. I hope you all like them and they will be for sale shortly. It would be great to any get feedback and suggestions of my designs you would like to see.

Show me your shoes - Cathryn Dean

Cathryn Dean couldn't show us just one pair so she sent us three!

She says:

"You see the brown boots are my favorite flat shoes, they are made by RocketDog and are super comfy and not at all like the slouchy horrid boots that have no heel support, these have heel support and a good thick sole!

And the black ones are favorites for general smart wear and hanging out with friends, they look great with skinny jeans but probably don't get polished as much as they should.

But the pink ones, now they have a special use. They don't get worn out terribly often partly because they are quite high heeled and I can't totter far in them and partly because, well they are Very pink and I don't have many clothes to compliment them.

But they have a great use, they are my feel good shoes, Oh yes when I'm feeling down i throw on these and my tutu and put on some good old fashioned Motown and I'm instantly happy again!

So there you have it my favorite shoes. Sorry it wasn't one pair, heehe.

Please get in touch with your shoes! We don't have anyone for next week and I don't want to let you down. It's so fun seeing everyone shoes, so please email pics and descriptions to Laura @glueandglitter.co.uk. Thanks!

Some of the things

That are on sale at glueandglitter.co.uk.

All that glitters - MacCulloch & Wallis

I came across this site, thanks for crafteroo and I thought it is definitely something to share. MacCulloch & Wallis is like a sweet shop for the crafter, full of fabulous buttons and ribbons. You don't get many haberdasheries like this anymore, usually just a few dusty cotton reels, but this shop is real luxury! The price is reflected in this, but it'll only be for an occassional treat? Yes?

Please go and take a look at my big sale over on my website. Huge discounts and many items £1. Some items have gone already so you better have a quick look just incase. My items are getting a makeover and unfortunately these don't fit in with the rest so they need a good home. If not, you won't be seeing them again!

I can offer you buy one get one free if you'd like to blog about my sale to all your fair people!

Thanks in advance!

Sale for you...again!

I'm having a mahooosive sort out and so a sale starts on my site! Lots of things currently on there, with great discounts. Lots of things for £1.

I hope you'll have a good browser and pick up anything you like because my items are having a make over and they won't be hanging around for long!

Also if you blog about my sale to all your fair followers I will give you buy one get on free! Just show me you've blogged and I'll send you your free item of choice *Cheapest item free*.

I'm a little teapot.

Wouldn't this be a fabulous place to live? Clearly is it pretty unloved at the moment with the board up door. I would love it lots.

It was found on here and featured on this blog.

Milk bottles tops and paper bags.

Photo found at threepotatofourshop.com

Does anyone happen to have any glass milk bottles and glass jars hanging around they would like to offload to me? New or old will be fine and especially unusual types. I will happily pay or swap or both. Just let me know!

I am planning a little project which I will reveal if I can get my hands on some.

All that glitters - Belvoir fruit farms

I just love Belvoir Fruit Farm's packaging. I just really love it. It is so freshing (no pun intended) and just looks like hot stuff. I like the rawness of it and the slightly DIY sign look to it aswell. The colours are just yummy and it makes me want to drink gallons of their drinks. They're not bad either! I cannot fault this packaging and i'll even let them off for the angled label!

I love these bottles so much that I have started to collect the variety of shapes and colours to use them as sweet little desktop vases, and I advice you all to do the same! They just make me smile.

Show me your shoes - Dotty one

The Dotty one shows us her shoes.

She says:

"I love these shoes because they make me feel like a little kid again - they are comfy and light and summery and never fail to make me feel happy. One of my friends said I was too old to wear them. Maybe I am but I don't care because they make me smile and what's wrong with skipping down the road pretending you are 12 again anyway?!"

There is a little girl in all of us somewhere and I say go for it!

Again we have very practical shoes, which are all very nice and very good, but I think it's time we saw your impractical side!

Send me your shoes and a short description to Laura@glueandglitter.co.uk. C'mon girls I know you must have some!

Now on sale.

Now on sale at glueandglitter.co.uk.

8 things

I’ve been tagged by Stitches to complete this little blog questionnaire….

8 things I am looking forward to:
1. Seeing my boyfriend this week.
2. Making some money.
3. The sun coming out so I can take some photographs.
4. The cat coming to see me in the morning.
5. Screen printing some patterns.
6. The day I get a job.
7. Living with my bf one day and having some chickens.
8. The summer.


8 things I did yesterday:
1. Finishing a Garden swap.
2. Had a yogurt, packet of crisps and an apple for lunch.
3. Text my boyfriend.
4. Let the cat out in the middle of the night.
5. Did lots of screen printing.
6. Washed all my screen printing stuff.
7. Saw Hayley my teacher friend.
8. Drove home in thrashings of rain.


8 things I wish I could do:
1. MOVE OUT!
2. GET A NICE JOB!
3. Have a little studio space.
4. Prove to people i'm not useless.
5. Prove to people I work hard.
6. Go on Holiday.
7. Be better at plugging my little business.
8. Get some stock into some shops.

8 TV shows I watch:
1. Mad Men.
2. Snog, Marry, Avoid.
3. Come Dine with Me.
4. The Apprentice.
5. Time Team.
6. Freaky Eaters.
7. Kirsty's Homemade home.
8. Sun, Sea and Bargain spotting (not all the time, honest!)

Nouveau

New buttons - vintage phone, european speech bubbles and new camera.

New Hannah Zakari stock - new designs such as the european speech bubble necklace and all earrings to match, also a new russian doll necklace in colours and features 5 dolls from big to small.

New miniatures - a suggestion was made about making smaller versions of my currently jewellery.
New British collection - currently featuring buttons and coasters, but soon to be tea towels, bags and napkins.
Newly improved earrings - after some problems with the glue not being strong enough each earring is now resined on the back to lock the stud into place.
New bags - featuring new colours and designs.
Just need to wait for the sun to come out so I can take some nicer pics for you!

Glued and Glittered- Chapeau Claudette

I bought a handmade mini hat a while ago from Chapeau Claudette's online shop. I don't really suit hats, but I really love them and so I thought a mini hat would be a more suitable option. I really like my little hat, but I always forget to wear it? However I came across their site again and it just reminds me of the little goodness which I really should get around to wearing again.

I bought this top one in red, well it's not quite a hat, but a little fascinator which looks good enough to be called a mini hat. Over on their site they do sell real sized hats, or mini classic hats like the trilby (2nd pic). I just love the animal print mini berets too!

And how can the model possibly suit every hat they sell (how dare she look so good)?

Show me your shoes - Hannah

This weeks shoes are from the very nice Hannah at Spans Stitchin'.

She says:

"I thought I'd show you what I wore to my sisters wedding. I love them so much that

I've worn them nearly every time I have left the house since :)"

This is fabulous news Hannah as let's say sometimes she can't get out of the house as much as she would like, she's doing well recently though! And I"m sure these nice shoes are a real encouragement.

Also go and check Hannah's blog out as she is trying to help raise money for a very close friend Charity walk.

Let me see your shoes, just email me! Address is over there ----->

All that glitters - Rousham House

Yesterday Myself and my Boyfriend's family visited a Aston Martin Owners Club meeting and it was situated at the grounds of a very nice house in Rousham, Oxfordshire (I think). In all honesty I don't really care for Astons but I was very interested in the pale stoned house, complete with a little clock tower over in the background. Rousham house is only usually open to appointment, and at £9 a time i'm not sure it is worth it, but on this occasion they kindly opened it free for the visitors.

This house was by no means the nicest or grandest stately home i'd ever seen, but yet the attraction for me was the "livableness" charm of it. The house was large on the outside, but filled with smaller rooms, nooks and crannies with not so steep ceilings. The stairs were also a reasonable size with cute doorways at the top of the landing. Large 17th century portraits hung all over the walls, along with collections of miniature portraits which I don't think cramped the rooms too much, but really played with scale. We weren't supposed to take photographs of the inside, but my boyfriend snook in a few of my favourite room, the entrance hall. I loved this room, the colours refreshed me despite the usually darkness of old homes. There was a slightly off white, mint green colour on the walls which bounced out against the dark brown furniture and oil paints. The floor was a much light, tan type of brown which lifted the deep browns and made the gold frames twinkle and everything was soild wood. I really thought you could take a few bits of inspiration from this quaint British room and make it a livable haven in your own home.

I'm not sure you can get the feel of the colours i felt in this room from the photographs since the light outside was so bright and the inside so dark, so I have made some colours swatches of what I felt. The magenta colour was a pop of colour from a beautiful bouquet of rounded flowers, they took the edge off all the serious paintings.

The 3 bottom pictures are the fabulous outer buildings, including a huge, huge dovecote, some stables and a cute little inbuilt postbox.

I just hope I remember this room when I get my own home.

20% off for you!

I still have 20% of any item of jewellery you buy from my Etsy shop! That's 20% off each item your purchase. I'm passed the 10th sale now, but I'm still in a good mood! hehe.

Just give me a convo is something catches your eye.

Glueglitter.etsy.com

Glued and Glittered- smoobage

I came across these earrings on smoobage little shop on Etsy. As soon as I saw them they reminded me of the summer and I think they would look fantastic with a maxi dress! I've never

seen feathers like this before, only on the exotics birds and I'm not sure where you could get hold of them without decapitating a small creature (which i am sure wasn't the case), so they are truely unique pieces of jewellery with such fascinating colours and patterns. I think, as you mind be able to tell that I am really loving the ones with yellow in. Yellow is my favourite colour after all ( well atleast i think, but there are so many to choose from!)

So for the truely boho and hippy look, I think we should all go over to her shop to cheer ourselves up and which for sun this summer!