Cambridge Magazine Article

On 27th October I had the pleasure of welcoming Alice Ryan, head of editorial for Cambridge Magazine, to my studio.  We had a lovely chat about my work and the inspiration behind my designs and the reasons why I use various styles.

With her was photographer Keith Jones who took photos of everything from my tea towels, coasters, decorations and even of Ollie our dog (sadly Ollie ended up on the cutting room floor although he does get a mention). I had to pretend I was painting and also turning the etching press for an 'action' shot!

If you would like to read the full article, click HERE and scroll to pages 50 - 52. Or pick up the December issue in Cambridge.

Photos from the Winter Open Studios & Mulled Cider Recipe

We really enjoyed doing a winter open studio for the first time last weekend.  Kindly hosted by jeweller Cheryl Bird in her wonderful workshop, we were really pleased with how it went in terms of visitor numbers, sales and the lovely festive atmosphere.  We hope to do it again next year.



We had lots of compliments about our mulled cider and spiced apple juice, so here is the recipe:

Mulled Cider / Spiced Apple Juice Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 litres good cider or apple juice
• 6 cloves
• 3 or 4 star anise
• ¼nutmeg, finely grated into the pan
• 1 cinnamon stick
•  vanilla essence to taste (half tsp)
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 2 clementines
• 4 or 5 tablespoons of caster sugar, to taste

Method

1. Pour all of the cider into a large pan on a low heat and warm it through for a few minutes. Add all of the spices and fruit juices and turn the heat up. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and leave to tick away for 5 to 8 minutes. As everything infuses you'll get the most delicious layers of flavour. Taste and add a few tablespoons of sugar to taste. You don't want it to be sweet;  you just want the sugar to join up all the different spices so you get a harmonious taste.
2. When you are happy with the flavours, ladle into glasses or mugs and serve while warm and delicious.

About 15 generous wine glasses per 2ltr bottle of cider or apple juice.