As you know, I have a bitter loathing of crafts due to the mess. But I have been reintroduced to pompom making which has little or no mess at all!
I last made these at school (estimate 25 years ago) and just made single balls. I had a simple purple one hanging in my room for about 15 years!
Now Katie Scott has designed pompom animals and objects that are just gorgeous but also fun! The book is full of clever designs which are suitable for all ages to create, varying from cute animals to realistic-looking food, all of which look fantastic.
The fun creations are a great way to learn a new craft and I’d love to make these with my daughter as I have fond memories of making pompoms as a child. The diversity of the designs can appeal to a wide range of interests.
My only criticism is that the how to make pompoms section is at the end rather than the beginning, and it relies on using pompom makers (which I didn’t even know existed!)
The book did inspire me to get making my own pompoms, but I used my fingers. This is my first attempt:
I need to use more wool next time as it is a little threadbare! It also needs a haircut to tidy it up a little! I must also work out how to make different sized pompoms to correspond to the makers in the book so I can successfully replicate the designs (I really want to make the super cute chicks like the one below!)
The book is released on 14th January and you can get more information about Katie on Twitter @bloggerkscott
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Since becoming vegan, I have discovered that my eating habits are not what I thought. I used to graze (snack!) during the day but I find it more difficult now as I cannot have nuts and fresh fruit due to my allergies. Plus I was drinking about a pint of milk which kept me feeling full.
My main focus when starting out as a vegan were main meals but that left me hungry in-between and concerned that I was not getting all the nutrients I need. In the past I have used Slim Fast and Complan to give me a boost but these are not vegan. I also took a multivitamin, but again this is no longer suitable.
Welcome to the Vegan Supplement Store which provides a wide range of products, all vegan and gluten free so perfect for me! I was sent their Weight Loss bundle to try out, consisting of 4 different flavours of their vegan powder (vanilla, raspberry, chocolate and chocolate salted caramel) and a shaker bottle.
The instructions are simple and the powder can be prepared with water, vegan milk or incorporated into a smoothie.
But the big question is: how did it taste? I was pleasantly surprised at the consistency when made simply with water. I also tried it with coconut milk but this didn’t change the density very much. My personal favourite is the raspberry flavour.
Chris has now hijacked them as he is king of the smoothies! He has suggested trying the powder mixed with vegan ice cream to make a milkshake: sounds scrummy so we’re going to get some at the weekend. He has also commandeered the shaker bottle as he likes the grid inside for mixing.
Each serving provides at least 30% of the recommended amount of many essential vitamins and minerals and this gives great peace of mind. I have been having the drinks between meals to keep me feeling full so I avoid snacking cravings.
The good news is that you can currently buy the pouches for a reduced price, saving over £30 (but be quick, the offer ends on 31st January). Check out the offer here.
I also have the opportunity for one lucky winner to win a set: please enter using the widget below
Vegan Supplement Store bundle
*I received these products for the purpose of this review
Wow, they say family is complicated but this book takes it to new levels. I had no idea what to expect from this book as I hadn’t read the previous 3 books in the series.
That didn’t matter at all. I was completely swept up in the gangster underworld of Babs Miller and her family. The book centres around some gold which I presume was the result of a heist in a previous book. Babs’ friend Pearl is looking after the gold bars at her care home when they are stolen. The two women are at loggerheads trying to get to the truth. Each suspects the other of theft and it puts both of their families in the crossfire…
The unfolding drama is quite simply brilliant and I was immediately caught up in the action.The language and tone of the book reminds me of EastEnders at its best, and the family scenario gives the book an epic or saga feel, or indeed, a soap opera.
This book does contain violence and swearing but there is also an undeniably soft side to the women who would protect their family at any cost. The characters are quite stereotyped but they are also completely believable and ‘real’. This helped to encourage me to sympathise and empathise with them and their situations.
Natural emotions and reactions to circumstances are at the core of the book. Life and love, tragedy and trust, all central to every human experience and all present in Blood Secrets.
Overall, this book was a fantastic read and I definitely want to read more in this series and from this author!
Book blurb: Blood Secrets
Book 4
THE PAST COMES BACK TO HAUNT HER
WILL IT DESTROY HER FAMILY?
Only two people know what’s happened to the gold stolen in an underworld bullion heist. That’s East End gangster’s widow Babs Miller and her best friend Pearl. So when the gold vanishes from its hiding place that means there can only be two suspects.
Neither can believe they’ve been betrayed by the other. Neither wants a war. But honour, pride and tit for tat revenge drag them and their families towards a cliff edge of brutal gangland violence. And as they try and stay alive, what other dirty secrets are going to be dug up while these two women duel to the death?
Author biography:
Dreda Say Mitchell is an award-winning, bestselling crime writer, broadcaster, campaigner, and journalist. Since her sixth book she has been co-writing with Tony Mason. She is the author of eleven novels, with her debut awarded The CWA’s John Creasey Dagger.
She has been a frequent guest on television and radio including Question Time, BBC Breakfast, Newsnight, Victoria Derbyshire, The Stephen Nolan Show, Front Row and Woman’s Hour and numerous others. She has presented Radio 4’s Open Book. Dreda was named one of Britain’s 50 Remarkable Women by Lady Geek in association with Nokia. She was the 2011 chair of the Harrogate Crime Fiction Festival. Dreda and Tony’s work is currently in development for TV. She was born and raised in the East End of London where she continues to live.
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*Thank you to Dreda for giving me a copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own. Biography and book blurb from her website.
