Bit of a Challenge !

Hellooooo ,
My fingers are truanting from sewing long enough to post up my entry for the Exhibitors' Challenge which will take place at the Stratford Teddy Bear Artist Event in little over a week's time ! As the theme is The Four Seasons , he will be appearing in the Autumn section - together with his rather fanciful lepidopteran chum . I had great fun making the teeny tiny maple leaf pendant from shrink plastic .... well , they do say ; "small things amuse small minds". Oh yes , and why does it take extra ages to casually / artlessly arrange things (ie . the felt leaves) to look as though they haven't been arranged at all ?

More photos next week ... on with the sewing !

T.T.F.N , Ruth x

Very Easy Key Lime Pie

Well today my blog would like to wear a culinary hat ( I would love to have a foodie blog as well ! ) so here are pics of an easy-peasy , yet ; "look at my fantastic efforts" sort of dessert , which I made on Sunday . It's a mousse on a biscuit base and a really Summery treat - remembering just how good it is I decided to share the recipe :-


Very Easy Key Lime Pie

250 gm of chocolate Digestive biscuits (milk choc' give a lovely result - and a few extra biscuits don't hurt !)
105 gm butter
1 135 gm pckt LIME jelly (the blocks which you dissolve)
Juice + zest of 3 limes
400 ml of Whipping cream (or Double cream)
60 gm Dark chocolate (to decorate)

Best started the day before you want to eat it !

1. Line an 8.5 " loose bottomed tin ( 8" would also be fine) with tin foil , smoothing it carefully . Try to make a high collar all round . Rub just a dot of butter over the base only .

2. Crush the biscuits in 2 plastic bags with a rolling pin , to a fine consistency . Melt butter and stir biscuit in to completely coat . Pour in tin and smooth and press down . If the crumbs are sticking to the spoon just pat down as evenly as you can . Chill the base .

3. Zest the limes . I like to take some long curls off each , wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for decorating next day . Cut jelly in tiny pieces , dissolve in 150 ml of boiling water , add the lime juice and grated zest .

4. Whip the cream so that it is leaving "trails" but not to a "clotted" appearance . Fold in the jelly mixture and stir well until it's a gorgeous even pale green .

5. Pour in to the base and level . Leave in the fridge overnight .

6. Next morning you can decorate the top ready for your "piece de resistance" moment !!
Carefully push up the loose bottom , peel back the foil gently and set "pie" on a serving plate .
Melt the chocolate , and spoon in to a rolled grease-proof paper piping bag (with a tiny end hole) Let the chocolate drizzle out Jackson Pollock style !! Then throw on the curls of zest .

7. Consume like there's no tomorrow !! LOL !


I can personally vouch for the deliciousness of this dessert - and I've made it more healthy than the original . Which used 600 ml of cream - but I think it was "top heavy" . Plus it HAS LIMES IN IT = very healthy , eh ???



Maybe some of you will be brave enough to try it ? Enjoy ! ......

Ta Ta For Now , Ruth x

A Raffle Bear !

This little bear is my offering for the raffle at Stratford TBAE . It's a very worthy cause ; in aid of the British Heart Foundation , so I'm delighted to be involved .
He is made from Malden Mills Vintage Long Pile upholstery velvet in a gorgeous gold , with ultrasuede paw pads , and measures just 2.6" tall (6.5 cm .) I made him a tiny Japanese paper origami heart with a metallic loop to hang from his arm . His name is "Bertie" - which I decided was a fitting tribute to an uncle who died a few weeks ago from heart-related causes . I really , really hope the Teddy Bear Artist Event is super-successful not only for each artist , but as an effective fund-raiser .... with many more to come !
Check out the Teddy Bear Artist Event website for more pics of the raffle bears (I'll add a link a bit later when I've worked it out !)

T.T.F.N Ruth xx

Happy 1st of May !

Well , I just can't believe it is the first day of May already !! I've been so busy , busy , busy - and soon the moment of showing the fruits of my labours will be upon me ; at the Teddy Bear Artist Event , June 8th in Stratford-upon-Avon !

Actually there's rather a flavour of "out with the old , in with the new" now that this month has arrived . Yesterday was the very last day that Bear Artists Online was in existence . I am really sad to see such a great site disappear in to the ether ; it was the first place that I felt I may just belong next to these people called "Bear Artists" , and I was so proud to be involved with a venture which brought me enormous personal satisfaction . It also gave me the privilege of reaching a wide audience of arctophiles , and enjoying the fantastic 24 hour online shows .





So we're well in to Spring , the bluebells are in full bloom at Apedale Country Park (up the road)
and I need to look ahead for the "new" things on my horizon ; the first of which will be the TBAE. My first-time exhibitor nerves are charging up nicely ! I made myself a list ages ago , of all the bits and pieces that are bound to be "de rigeur" when taking part in a show - actually it was quite lonnnnggg. I can never do things by halves ... and everything must be just so .... or I'd have to hide in a corner !! I decided to get some cool , cute little cards made up to hang from the bags I'll be using .There are 3 colours and phrases .




I should have some more exciting bits coming through the post to me from the same print company , including another set of mini cards with a picture of "Pollyanna" and the Flutter-By Bears name on them . Good job I'm married to a clever stick who knows his way around a Photoshop montage or two !

Have a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend all !
Ta Ta for now ,
Ruth X