Bean Sidhe

Well, no, not the bills but I got this today.

Sara who runs the Time for Crafting forum organised a mystery swap.

Firstly, we were sent a large jigsaw piece which had to be done to a SEA theme (in, on or beside the sea).

Then we got a piece of board which had to be done in the same theme.

After that, we were asked to make a tag for which the template was provided for the theme of friendship.

Sara put all these together so that all the participants got back a different piece from different people.  She's made a beautiful spiral bound notebook with the pieces - thank you Sara.

The work's gorgeous and the scan really doesn't show it up properly.

You can see all the pieces here.

Here's what I got.

Jigsaw piece by Colleen - I love how she's made the sun in the sky and the texture's gorgeous.

The background is by Eileen Scott.  Again, gorgeous texture and it's really pearly and glittery with fronds as if it's under the sea.

The friendshop tag's got a lovely soft feel to it and the background is all pearly too.  It's been made by Fudgebabge.

Here are the pieces I made.  The background is paper piecing (each colour is cut out of a different piece of paper).

I couldn't make my mind up about the tags - so I sent two.

Apples, apples and more apples!

The first run of apple juice completed over the last couple of days.

Washed apples ready for chopping.

Chopped (just to make sure there are no 'creatures' inside!)

Minced in the machine.

Pour onto the 'cheese' (the cloth).

Flatten ready for wrapping.

Wrap first layer.

Add the next rack (the wooden slatted platform through which the juice runs).

Adding the former (the frame) to make the next layer - this helps keep its shape until wrapped in the cheese (the cloth).

Adding next cheese (cloth).

and so on until.............all the layers are on and then add the block ready to press!

This is what's left after all the juice has been pressed out (pity we haven't got a pig to fatten).

After the juice has been extracted, it's bottled and pasteurised and this is what you get.