Hochanda

In time for this year’s Christmas must haves we introduce Parveen the Spice Queen, Bradford’s answer to Nigella Lawson. Parveen is an Asian housewife proud of her culture and cooking and in this, her first cookbook she brings together the flavours of India with a huge dollop of Yorkshire common sense. Parveen is passionate about her culture as well as her cuisine, as a wife and mum of three, she is a keen advocate of Indian home cooking and a dedicated cookery teacher. After leaving the corporate world a decade ago, Parveen began demonstrating and teaching cooking around the UK and Europe. She is a firm believer that with the right method and the right spices, anyone can create the most delicious authentic food. For almost a decade Parveen has taught Indian cooking, ran cookery demonstrations and catered glamorous Bollywood Dinner Parties. She brings all of this experience to life in her step by step cookbook. The book includes every English favourite including Chicken Masala,

Hello… I am back with you on Hochanda on the 13th December with something a little bit different.  If you are totally organised and finished all of our Christmas crafting you might be thinking of was to see in the New Year.  With that in mind Sizzix have put together an amazing range of dies that will work brilliantly not just for New Year but for all those parties to come. Today I am going to share with you a quick way to make some super fancy bunting! Materials: Sizzix Framelits Plus Die Set 10PK - Bunting Sizzix Bigz Die - Stars Cardstock Twine Glitter card Method: Step 1 Die cut your chosen amount of bunting from coordinating cardstock.  Punch holes in the top. Step 2 Die cut 3 stars for each bunting flag and layer together using 3D foam pads. Step 3 Trim a 1” strip of patterned paper for each bunting flag.  Adhere to the centre and trim. Step 4 Adhere the stars to the centre of each bunting flag and thread twine through the h

Hello… If you are anything like me you still have Christmas cards to make and things to decorate the home. That is why I am back on the 1st December at 8pm and the 2nd December at 9am, 12pm, 4pm and 7pm to give you some last minute festive inspiration. I have some beautiful dies to bring you along with the One Day Special. One of the dies I am bringing to you is the Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 7PK - Box, Pillow & Poinsettias.  This is a beautiful die for creating gorgeous gift wrap and table gifts. Here is how to make it: Materials: Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 7PK - Box, Pillow & Poinsettias Patterned paper Cardstock Glitter washi tape Twine Method: Step 1  Die cut 2 of the pillow box sides from patterned paper. Step 2 Using strong double sided tape adhere together. Step 3 Wrap the wash tape around the centre of the box. Step 4 Die cut the poinsettia as shown. Step 5 Piece together the poinsettia. Ste

This wooden board, with a hole for hanging - is painted with two colours and decorated with a pattern in a third colour, using a template and Chalky Vintage Look paint. When dry, the board is sanded with sand paper to achieve a worn and rustic look. Make sure you don't miss the Creativ Inspirations shows with Jill Albas this coming Tuesday, 29th November for three creative hours, here's a sneak peek of what's to come... Step 1 Apply two coats of mauve Chalky Vintage Look paint. Leave to dry between each application. Step 2 Apply another two or three coats of white Chalky Vintage Look paint. Leave to dry between each application. Step 3 Make the pattern: Attach the template onto the wooden board using masking tape. Step 4 Apply light green Chalky Vintage Look paint with a paint roller. Apply two (2) coats and leave to dry between each application. Remove the template. NB: Do not saturate the paint roller with too much paint as the paint mig

We've got such an exciting One Day Special coming up for you on Thursday 24th November from Imagination Crafts! We're so excited that we asked Sue to put together a beautiful step-by-step project using the fabulous Sparkle Mediums.  Materials: Imagination Crafts Medium and Small Poinsettia Stencil Imagination Crafts Sparkle Medium Merlot Red and Vine Leaf Green Imagination Crafts Just Pearls Champagne  Imagination Crafts Stencil Tape Imagination Crafts Spatula Red Card White Card Christmas Greeting Double Sided Foam Pads Double Sided Sticky Tape Method: Step 1 To create your card first of all tape the medium sized Poinsettia to a piece of white card and using a spatula spread Vine Leaf Green Sparkle Medium on to the top leaves of the Poinsettia, followed by Red Merlot to the petals of the flower. When you are applying several colours of Sparkle Medium it is easier to start at the top of the design and work your way across and down using alternate colour

We super excited to be launching our very first, dedicated jewellery making hour - Jewellery Box with Aldridge Crafts this Saturday, 19th November at 11am. To get us all ready for the fabulous demonstrations from Jane Aldridge, she has given us this step-by-step necklace project - it’ll add a bit of homemade charm to your jewellery box and a sense of pride to any occasion when, of course, you'll be asked where you got it from.  Follow these step by step instructions to make this elegant sparkly purple bracelet design featuring the Pretty Purples Sparkle Bead Collection from Aldridge Crafts.  There is also an Autumn Browns Sparkle Bead Collection available too that you can use with this design. Products used: Silver Colour Findings Starter Kit Including Design Board Pretty Purples Sparkle Bead Collection Tools Method: To Begin Cut a length of Tigertail beading wire to about 10 inches.  Feed your wire through 2 crimp beads, through a jump ring, b

Hello… I am back with Three Sizzix shows on the 22nd November at 3pm, 6pm and 9pm.  I will be featuring some of my favourite die sets from this year all designed by My Life Handmade. Today I want to share a quick tutorial using one of these die sets - Sizzix Thinlits Die Set - Wedding by My Life Handmade. Materials: Sizzix Thinlits Die Set - Wedding by My Life Handmade Cardstock Adhesive Stones Method; Step 1 Create a card blank by folding and scoring dark grey cardstock.  Trim the peach strip to go down the centre of the card and a panel of white and grey. Step 2 Add all the layers to the card and add the main panel using 3D foam pads. Step 3 Die cut the cake in three colours and the Mr & Mrs sentiment. Step 4  Layer the cake together and adhere to the card.  Add the Mr & Mrs sentiment. There you have a quick and simple wedding card that would be perfect for wedding invites too. Remember to join me on the 22nd Nove

This woven basket is made on a wooden basket weaving template with pre-drilled holes and flower sticks, which have been shortened for this purpose. The weaving is made from twisted sea grass cord in two colours. Step 1 Shorten the flower sticks to the desired length. Use a mitre cutter. Then use the hammer to hammer a flower stick into each of the pre-drilled holes on the wooden basket weaving template. Step 2 Attach the sea grass cord onto the base and the inside of any flower stick using a blob of glue applied with a glue gun. Now weave in and out of each flower stick. Step 3 If you wish to change the colour, cut the sea grass cord when finishing a round and attach a new cord at the end of the previous one with a blob of glue. Use a glue gun. Step 4 NB: As the weaving progresses, gently tap on the sea grass cord with a hammer between each flower stick for a tight weave. Step 5 Finish the basket with a plaited water lily cord. This cord is fla