Table of contents for May/June 2017 in Ideas

Wow! As frustrating as it is not to see your magazine on the shelves when you know it’s time for it to be there, it’s just as unbelievably wonderful to not see it there because it’s sold out! Especially now with our swan edition, as this was our baby’s first, careful step into the grown-up world. The immensity of this undertaking struck me properly for the first time on 6 March, our first day on shelf, and it was almost five o’clock that afternoon before I could find the courage to take a look at the magazine racks in my neighbourhood. And there we were, in lovely high stacks and pink as pink can be. Each day I struck out in a different direction and it just kept getting better,…

onruetatin.com Susan Loomis combines her journalism training with a love for food and the people who produce it. Extensive travel has given her knowledge of and an appreciation for the rich traditions around food — how it is grown, harvested and prepared. She believes learning about cooking and food should involve much more than recipes and techniques. ‘I delight in meeting and introducing the personalities and customs behind the great cuisines of the world.’ sugarandcloth.com This blog covers DIY, travel, décor, recipes for sweet treats and themes for entertaining. And lots of macarons. Ashley Rose is a lifestyle blogger who has turned her site into a full-time career. She started it as a way to share budget friendly projects and recipes. Now the focus is firmly on DIY and décor,…

SWISS-STYLE MUESLI WITH APPLE & BERRIES This is a convenient dish to make ahead because it needs to stay in the fridge overnight. Simply dish up and garnish in the morning before serving. Serve in small jars as an interesting alternative to bowls. Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus refrigeration time ♥ 100g rolled oats ♥ 340ml apple juice ♥ 50ml dried apricots ♥ 50ml goji berries ♥ 2 apples, cored and grated ♥ 3ml ground cinnamon ♥ 30ml cream ♥ honey, to serve ♥ handful of toasted almonds, to serve ♥ 1 punnet fresh berries of your choice, sliced, or left whole if small ♥ cinnamon sugar, to serve 1 Mix the oats and ¾ of the apple juice together in a bowl. Pour the remaining juice over…

MAKES: 4 PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour, plus cooling time Baking time: 17-20 minutes Oven temperature: 180o C SPonge Cake Make 3 cakes, each in different shade of pink. ♥ For each cake, beat 2 large eggs and 200g castor sugar together until light and fluffy. ♥ Sift 140g cake flour and 7,5ml baking powder over the egg mixture and stir until just combined. ♥ add a few drops of pink food colouring to 125ml warm milk, then add it to the egg mixture along with 65ml melted butter. ♥ Stir well. Pour into a greased and lined square or round cake tin of approximately 24cm. ♥ Bake in a preheated oven for 17-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. ♥ Cool in the tin…

When you walk through Cleopatra’s peaceful country setting, you don’t know where to focus your camera first. Outdoors there’s the breathtaking scenery of the majestic Drakensberg and the mirror-like surface of the lake next to the guesthouse, and inside the creative approach of the owners is everywhere to be seen. What was a one-room getaway for the men in the family in the 1940s, when Richard’s grandfather bought the farm, was extended by the next generation into a family house. When Richard later inherited Cleopatra, he and Mouse, who previously owned the boutique hotel Granny Mouse Country House, decided to turn it into an intimate gourmet retreat. They spent a few years overseas during which they explored the international foodie scene and did a number of cooking courses, and Richard…

Trend Dutch trend forecaster Li Edelkoort said in her 2018 forecast that sleeves are the next big thing – literally big! A plain sleeve is a thing of the past for at least the next few years. Fashion will also be influenced by the detail we used to see in historical costumes. So these are worthwhile skills to master. CUFFS WITH RUCHE DETAIL DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: two hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ 40cm white linen fabric ♥ white machine thread ♥ fabric pencil ♥ 12 press studs TO CUT Cut 2 strips, each 65cm long and 20cm wide. Then cut 4 blocks, each 15cm wide and 20cm long, and put aside. TO SEW 1 Take one long strip and press the long sides a few mm over. Fold the sides…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: half a day YOU WILL NEED ♥ polymer clay in the colours of your choice ♥ leather thongs and/or small chains ♥ craft knife blade ♥ smooth ceramic or glass tile ♥ kebab skewers We used a block each of black and white clay for our project. Cut off a piece of white clay and knead it in your hands until it is soft. Work on the tile and shape the clay into a roll – the thickness determines the size of your beads – and place it to one side. Cut off a piece of black clay. Knead it and shape it into rolls of about 1mm thickness. Cut it into small pieces with the craft knife blade – it should look almost like cake vermicelli.…

DIFFICULTY: moderate TIME: one day MEASUREMENTS Bear in photo is 20cm tall and 13cm wide, including arms. YOU WILL NEED ♥ templates on page overleaf ♥ 30 x 30cm velvet (preferably upholstery velvet) ♥ sewing machine (optional) ♥ scissors ♥ embroidery needle ♥ assortment of yarn to embroider the flower bouquet. We used: Cowgirlblues, DK, Rain Forest, for 4 big leaves; Quenti Alpaca, Sport weight, White, for outside flower petals and Light Blue for inside petals; Malabrigo, Silk-alpaca, Mustard Yellow, for branches; Moya, Plume, Natural, for tiny flowers; Elle premier, 4-ply, Rust for inside of flowers and Black for face details ♥ toy stuffing ♥ pins ♥ sewing thread, the same colour as velvet, and needle ♥ 15cm embroidery hoop ♥ water-soluble fabric pen to draw embroidery flowers and face…

IMPORTANT PATTERN NOTES Ch 3 replaces the first treble and count as a stitch. (For a flawless stitch, try using a standing twist tr to begin rounds; tutorials are available on the internet.) The post of the stitch refers to the actual body of the stitch. The pattern is worked from the top downwards. The yoke is completed first. For larger sizes, work approx 1 more round (per size) on the yoke before joining for the body. For best results, try the yoke on before continuing to work on the body. The body has regular increases. To ensure a perfect fit, try the tunic on at regular intervals and then either work fewer straight rounds between increase rounds (e.g. 4 straight rounds, instead of 5 as stipulated in the pattern)…

1 Why did you come to South Africa? At the time I was living in Hamburg, Germany, I worked in the import/ export department at a high-end fashion company that had an office in Cape Town as well. I came to visit them and didn’t want to return home. 2 And why did you stay here? We Italians like South Africa. All the space and freedom is unbelievable. If you go to live in a European country, there’s an unwritten rule that you have to fall in with their customs. Here everyone is so free to be whoever they want to be. I could really blossom here and so could my creativity. It was like experiencing a rebirth. I started almost immediately on a range of jewellery that I made…

Dough cuTTer or iciNg sMooTher This is a handy tool for cake decorating and helps give the icing a smooth, professional finish. cuTTiNg wire This gadget makes it easier to cut delicate cakes into even-sized layers. The height is adjustable and the wire blade gives a clean, neat cut. sieve a fine sieve made from metal is necessary for sifting flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder, which is highly recommended when cake making. sifting removes lumps and aerates the ingredients. (use a small tea strainer to dust surfaces of cakes with icing sugar or cocoa for decoration purposes.) cake boarDs: These come in various sizes and shapes. They give stability and strength to cakes. use thicker ones as the base for large cakes and thinner ones for small cakes or…

TEAM CHALLENGE Sewing team (from left) Elizabeth Fester, Anneke du Toit and Kevin Swarts have been responsible for fabulous projects in Ideas for years, and this issue is no exception. They produced the lovely ‘It’s in the detail’ article on page 66. You’ve got mail EDDIE SWINNEN, CLEVER HUSBAND OF CONTRIBUTOR GRETHA SWINNEN AND ALL-ROUND NICE GUY, TOOK IT ON HIMSELF TO GET THIS TEAM ONLINE AND COMMUNICATING. WHEN THE FIRST PEEP WENT OUT THAT WE MIGHT BE CONTINUING, THE COUPLE GOT IN TOUCH TO OFFER HIS HELP IN SETTING US UP WITH AN EMAIL DOMAIN AND TRANSFERRING OUR DIGITAL PROPERTIES. AND THEY SERVED US WINE WHILE DOING SO. THANK GUYS! HAVE A HAPPY NEW LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. WE’LL MISS YOU. LET’S SEW After announcing last month that Bernina is…

VEGETABLES: artichokes, asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, courgettes, cucumber, gem squash, green beans, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, lettuce, marrows, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, spinach, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips. FRUIT: apples, avocados, bananas, Cape gooseberry, grapefruit, guavas, lemons, limes, naartjies, oranges, papaya, pears, pineapples. IN FLOWER: alstroemeria, arum lilies, Asiatic lilies, asters calendula, carnations, chrysanthemums, daffodils, delphiniums, gerbera, golden rod, hypericum, iris, Irish bells, konfetti, larkspur, nerine, orchids, oriental lilies, roses, some proteas and fynbos, snapdragons, St Joseph lilies, statice, strelitzia, stocks, sunflowers, sweet peas, tuberose, tulips, veronica.…

INSPIRATIONAL LIGHTS Ashlee Lloyd is a young industrial designer from Cape Town with a love for textiles and lighting. Her work is inspired by the rich culture of craft in southern Africa as well as the complex forms found in nature. Her aim is to create functional pieces. Visit her website for more information on these gorgeous lights at ashleeainsleylloyd.com or email her at ashlee.lloyd.design@gmail.com. I m blushin CHANEL COCO CODE BLUSH HARMONY (R720) IS PART OF CHANEL’S GORGEOUS SPRING MAKE-UP COLLECTION. ‘CODE’ REFERS TO THE SO-CALLED CODES THAT COCO CHANEL USED AS THE BASIS FOR HER DESIGNS. THERE ARE EYESHADOWS, BLUSHERS, LIPSTICKS, CREAMY LIP PENCILS AND NAIL POLISHES IN THIS NEW RANGE, WHICH IS NOW ON SHELF. DEAREST MILLY A big love for washi tape and vintage flowers was…

Makes: about 40 Preparation time: 1 hour, plus refrigeration time Baking time: 8-12 minutes Oven temperature: 170o C ♥ 125g (135ml) soft butter ♥ 70g (80ml) castor sugar ♥ 1 large egg ♥ 1ml rose essence or vanilla extract ♥ 270g (500ml) cake flour ♥ 1ml baking powder ♥ icing sugar, for dusting 1 Beat the butter and sugar together until light. Beat in the egg and the rose essence or vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and form a soft dough. Roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour. Roll out the dough to 0,5mm thickness on a lightly dusted surface. Use a 5cm around cookie cutter and cut rounds out of the dough Lay out three…

Last year, while we were looking for guesthouses with gorgeous décor for a special edition, we crossed paths with our own TV series, ‘n Ster vir my Bed, and we found ourselves having to make over some guest-houses ourselves. We suddenly had a whole new insight into the business. Is there enough seating, place for your suitcase, a well-lit mirror and a reading lamp on either side of the bed? Because, yes, your accommodation must attract guests, but simply having a nice room doesn’t mean you’ll earn a star above your front door. It’s the details and little finishes that count. Here are a few examples and some help for anyone who wants to welcome guests – from the rules for being awarded stars by the Tourism Grading Council for…

Furniture • The more stars you want, the better the quality of the furniture in the room needs to be. • There must be a bedside table or shelf next to each bed. • For four or five stars there must also be a desk or dressing table with a suitable chair. • And for a five-star room you must ensure there is comfortable seating for each guest staying in the room. electronic equipment • For one or two stars there must be a hairdryer available at reception. There must be a remote-controlled colour TV in each room or in a communal space. • For three to five stars there must be a hairdryer available in each room. • For three stars in a house with more than five rooms,…

Start by making a pincushion to fit inside the teapot lid: trace the inside of the lid onto cardboard and cut it out. You may need to trim the cardboard to ensure it fits snugly into the lid, bearing in mind that you will be wrapping fabric around it. Use a hot glue gun to glue polyester stuffing onto the cardboard shape. Cut out a decorative piece of fabric somewhat larger than the cardboard and pull it firmly over the stuffing. Attach it to the back of the cardboard with hot glue. Insert the pincushion into the lid. Add pins and needles and fill the teapot with small needlework items like a tape measure, thread, thimble and embroidery scissors. SOURCE: WE FOUND THIS IDEA ON SADIESEASONGOODS.COM/SEWING-TO-A-TEA-THE-HIDDEN-PIN-CUSHION/…

DIFFICULTY: advanced TIME: half a day You WiLL need ♥ pretty old ceramic plate ♥ mosaic wheeled nipper ♥ copper adhesive tape ♥ soldering iron and wire ♥ soldering flux and brush ♥ bone folder or burnisher ♥ pliers ♥ craft knife ♥ florist’s foam ♥ 2 small jump rings and a chain Cut the ornate sections of the plate into pieces large enough to use to make pendants. Cut a strip of copper tape to fit around the ceramic piece, wide enough to fold over at least 1mm to the front and back. Stick the copper strip securely around the ceramic piece. Take care not to cut yourself on the sharp edges. use a bone folder or burnisher (or any similar, smooth hard object) and rub the folded-over edges…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 30 minutes YOU WILL NEED ♥ an old round pincushion (we used an old tomato pincushion that you’ll find at most fabric shops) ♥ small amount of Elle premier DK yarn in Rust and Vinnis Nikkim in Natural ♥ 3mm to 3,5mm crochet hook ♥ tapestry needle ♥ scissors ♥ stitch marker ABBREVIATIONS ch – chain stitch cont – continue dc – double crochet rnd – round ss – slip stitch st(s) – stitch(es) TO CROCHET BASE OF MUSHROOM Use a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of every rnd. With Natural Nikkim cotton, crochet a chain that has the same circumference as your pincushion, ss into first ch to make a circle – be careful not to twist the chain when you work the ss. RND…

SHELF YoU will need ♥ three 2,4m pine planks PAR (planed all round) 19 x 94mm ♥ one 1,2m pine PAR 19 x 94mm ♥ three 1,8m pine PAR 19 x 44mm ♥ one 2,4m pine PAR 19 x 44mm ♥ 1,2m white laminated shelf or laminated pine shelf 19 x 380mm ♥ sixty-two 4 x 32mm wood screws ♥ two 4 x 75mm wood screws ♥ wood filler ♥ scraper ♥ 100 grit sandpaper ♥ 3mm wood drill bit ♥ paint suitable for wood (we used Prominent Paints Ultrasheen water-based emulsion in white for the frame and the outside of the shelves, and Fired earth Chalk Paint in Seine olive for the inside of the shelf boxes) CUTTing liSTS FRAme (Use the 19 x 44mm pine) two pieces of…

1 Where does your love of food come from? I’ve always loved cooking. I began baking as a child and at the age of eight or nine I starting compiling my own recipe book with photocopies from the library. Luckily my mother allowed me in the kitchen. For many years I simply followed recipes, but now I’m much more experimental. Before I realise it, I’m in the kitchen experimenting. Food is unbelievable. Every meal should be a feast, whether it’s a salad for work or a quick sandwich – make it look good and enjoy the moment. 2 Have you ever done anything else? Worked for a boss? After I finished studying, a friend and I went to London. I was only supposed to go for six months, but in…

WORD of the month: STIPPLING A drawing technique employing many small dots or flecks to construct the image; the technique of using small dots to create shading varying from light to dark; to paint, engrave or draw by means of dots or small touches of the brush, pen or other tool. Did you know? According to an old european superstition, spilling salt will bring bad luck. Another superstition is that you must throw salt over your left shoulder to ward off evil. EMAIL & PHONE ETIQUETTE Q My inbox is overflowing and my phone never stops ringing. How do I ease the pressure? A With everyone being an online friend these days, you can feel pressurised to react instantly to emails and social media messages. But you don’t have to.…

WRITE TO US & WIN! The writer of this month’s winning letter will receive a designer perfume, to make Mother’s Day even more special. Winning letter MY ENCYCLOpEDIA Of IDEAS For years I gazed longingly at Ideas on the shop shelves. I admired the magazine, so colourful in comparison with the rest, and paged through it furtively. I dreamed of the day when I would be ‘grown up’ and could buy the magazine. For me it was a magical publication, filled with things to do and ideas for my dream house. Sometimes we received old magazines as a gift and then I would remove the copies of Ideas from the bundle and hide them before my brothers could cut out the pictures for cut-and-paste school projects. Behind my closed bedroom…

* FOR AN annual subscription OF R408 YOU WIll RECEIvE YOUR PRINTEd COPY OF IdEAS EvERY SECONd mONTH. * * SUBSCRIBE TO THE digital edition FOR ONlY r45 PER mONTH. • FOR digital queries , CAll 0861 697 827 OR EmAIl support@mysubs.co.za * USE ANY OF THESE mETHOdS TO SUBSCRIBE • CAll 087 740 1027 FOR ideas . (lines open monday to Friday 8am – 5pm.) • FOR idees CAll 087 740 1025. • EmAIl YOUR name & contact details TO subs@ideasfactory.co.za ** • SmS ‘ subscribe ideas’ TO 33153 (R1 per SmS). ** How to subscribe 1 register an account at www.mysubs.co. za or log in to 2 your account.go to the page of the item you would like to purchase and 3 select your subscription option. click on…

All 26 letters of the alphabet have been placed on the blank squares but only seven of them are revealed. Every letter has been placed in a knight’s move (see below) from the previous sequential letter. Notice that the letter A is a knight’s move from the letter Z on the grid. Therefore B must be a knight’s move from A. Identify the blank square on which it should be placed. Then deduce where C, and then D, should be placed. D must be a knight’s move from the E, which is on the grid. The darkened squares are out of bounds. You can also try deducing the positions of the missing letters by working forwards or backwards from the other letters - a process of deduction. Is it be…

Adele Joynt Andrea Morgan Angie Da Silva Barbara Massey Candice Starke Carien Eloff Carlé Dehning Colin Bousfield Ed O’Riley Elize Pieterse Gerda Cerff Jaclyn Venter Jakolien Vlok Julie Gallagher Juliette Illingworth-Meintjies Karin Fraser Kate Haupt Kathrin Knetsch Kelly Fletcher Lauren Potgieter Leonie Viljoen Lorraine Santos Louise Read Lourika van Rooyen Lynelle Breedt Lynzelle Maritz Malinda Jordaan Nadine Swartz Raffaella Williams Rea Agostini Robert Hart Sera Holland Simone du Plessis Tharina Naude Tiffany Sosa…

CHUTNEY BAKED CHICKEN WITH CINNAMON PUMPKIN WEDGES SERVES: 4-6 PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes COOKING TIME: 30 minutes OVEN TEMPERATURE: 200O C ♥ 6 Grain Field IQF Chicken Breast Fillets, defrosted ♥ 150ml peach or apricot chutney ♥ 150ml sour cream or crème fraîche ♥ 5ml Worcestershire sauce ♥ 15ml lemon juice ♥ 500g pumpkin, cut into wedges ♥ olive oil ♥ 2 cinnamon sticks ♥ 5ml ground cinnamon ♥ 15ml sugar ♥ 4 spring onions, sliced ♥ fresh coriander or micro herbs, to garnish 1 Mix the chutney, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice together. 2 Place the chicken breast fillets into a roasting tin and spoon the mixture over them. Set aside. 3 PUMPKIN Place the pumpkin wedges in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and turn…

Costly dermaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and ‘doctor’s brands’ have long been sought after in the skincare industry. It’s understandable that consumers are very receptive to products that have been developed and formulated by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, cosmetic doctor, pharmacist or biotechnologist who knows all about the science of the skin. South Africa has not been left behind in this regard. We have impressive, proudly South African skincare ranges formulated here by our own experts. BIOMEDICAL EMPORIUM THE FOUNDER: Dr Judey Pretorius is a cofounder. She’s a biochemist and product development specialist. Her specialty is wound healing, regenerative medicine and cell therapy. She helps develop new equipment and her discoveries have led to innovative treatments for recovery from wounds and surgical incisions. Her laboratory is in Pretoria. She uses the latest scientific…

HANGING GARDEN Large vintage-style jelly moulds make lovely plant holders for delicate flowers. DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: two hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ 1 large jelly mould ♥ 1 medium jelly mould ♥ hammer ♥ large nail ♥ 9 small metal rings ♥ four 30cm lengths of chain ♥ pliers ♥ moss or coir hanging basket liner ♥ potting soil ♥ plants of your choice TO MAKE   1 use the hammer and nail to punch four holes around the top edge of both jelly moulds. Punch a few holes into the base of each jelly mould as well. 2 Thread the metal rings through the holes. Hook one end of each length of chain into a ring on the large jelly mould. Bring the top ends of the chains together…

DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: five days MEASUREMENTS The pattern is written for size 34 (87cm), but includes full instructions on how to adjust for larger sizes. For larger sizes, remember to buy more yarn in the main colour; approximately 1 ball extra per size should be sufficient. Bust 34/87 Length to shoulder 80cm Sleeve length 31cm YOU WILL NEED ♥ Nurturing Fibres Eco-Cotton: 9 balls of 50g/125m in Cobblestone, 1 ball of 50g/125m each in Charcoal, Ruby Pink, Watershed, Lavender, Sweet Pea and Pear ♥ 4mm crochet hook ♥ tapestry needle ♥ scissors TENSION 14 sts x 10 rows = 10cm x 10cm when worked in tr with a 4mm hook ABBREVIATIONS beg – begin(ning) ch – chain cont – continue dc – double crochet dec – decrease htr – half…

‘To me, recycling is about everything – think wider than furniture, cutlery and crockery, and make use of all the little bits that you receive from a house clean or move. These projects are all about the odd little things that would have ended up in the recycling bin.’ – Almie PLASTIC SHELF Make over a second-hand table and create some clever storage space at the same time. Recycled iTeMs ♥ old table ♥ old woven plastic shopping bag you will Also need ♥ fine sandpaper ♥ damp cloth ♥ white acrylic paint ♥ paintbrush and roller ♥ staple gun and staples ♥ white insulation tape ♥ scissors To MAke 1 The table was in a good condition and only needed a thorough sanding to remove the varnish. when sanding…

1 Enhance the flavour of cocoa drinks and desserts with a pinch of salt. 2 Release the juices in meat by seasoning it an hour before cooking. 3 Prevent mould forming on cheese by wrapping the cheese a paper towel dampened with salt water. 4 Stop pancakes sticking to the pan by wiping the pan between batches with a piece of cheesecloth wrapped around coarse salt. 5 Wash dirt and grit from leafy greens by soaking them in cold salt water for up to 15 minutes. 6 Stop apples, pears and potatoes from going brown as you slice them by placing them into a bowl of lightly salted cold water. 7 Milk lasts almost twice as long in the fridge if you add a pinch of salt to the bottle…