Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2019 i Ideas

It’s now two and a half years that we’ve been paddling our own canoe, as the saying goes. Which is why I sit alone in my home office to write this letter, issue after issue. When people ask me if it’s not lonely, I tell them that I can work undisturbed, that I can sit with a blanket over my legs without anyone looking at me and that I can pull the heater up close to me without it being a safety risk for the company. And also that I do often see other team members. But yes, it’s not the most sociable life and I do sometimes miss being able to simply share ideas over the coffee pot and to hear and see what is going on in everyone’s…

Fiction Blindside by Wilna Adriaanse (Tafelberg, R300) Still mourning the death of her father, her guiding light and an honest cop if ever there was one, Lieutenant Ellie McKenna accepts a case to infiltrate Cape Town’s criminal world. Hired to protect the young girlfriend of the high-flying, dirty-dealing nightclub owner Enzio Allegretti, she is acutely aware that one false move could be fatal. She needs to figure out how to protect a girl whose entire social circle is full of dodgy characters. How do you stay out of danger in a den of snakes? Who do you trust? The loving boyfriend in a dubious line of work? The family with connections in all the wrong places? Or the inscrutable head of security? Ellie knows full well that in this job…

AVOS ARE ON TREND Local avocados are ripe and ready to enjoy and they’re super-trendy this season too. Frozen avo treats have made the lists of many trend watchers this year, who say the rise in plant-based foods – everything from burgers to ice-cream – is driving this craze, with the smooth, creamy texture and buttery flavour of avocado making it a hit in the frozen department. Avos are riding the popular meat-free wave, in dishes like vegetable bounty bowls, meatless makeover meals and trendy nosh platters. One of the biggest food trends this year is convenience: on-the-go food, nutrient-dense snacks and healthy meal replacements that provide satiety and nutrition for times-trapped consumers. Eaten straight out the skin, avos offer a quick, easy and fully mobile meal option for breakfast,…

Sew and embroider an apron TO MAKE Measure a rectangle in the desired size for your apron and cut it out from the fabric of your choice. Cut two strips for tie backs. Overlock the raw edges of the apron at the top and sides, leaving the bottom edge unfinished. Mark where your poem will be and iron on a piece of interfacing to the back of the fabric. Trace the poem on to your fabric with a dressmaker’s pen and embroider with stem stitch using three strands of cotton. Embroider the border with chain stitch and French knots. Sew the side hems. Make the ties and pin them to the sides of the apron, leaving enough space from the top edge for folding the hem over. Fold over the…

HEARTY BEEF AND MUSHROOM PIE Coffee is used as stock in this recipe and it enhances the rich, meaty flavours in the dish. It’s real comfort food for the cold winter months. Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 1½ hours Oven temperature: 180°C ♥ 30ml olive oil♥ 1 onion, chopped♥ 2 cloves garlic, crushed♥ 1 stalk celery, chopped♥ 600g lean beef mince♥ 250g mushrooms, cut into chunky pieces♥ 50ml flour♥ 350ml strongly brewed coffee♥ 2 carrots, peeled and grated♥ 15ml Worcestershire sauce♥ 15ml tomato paste♥ 3ml dried thyme♥ 2 bay leaves♥ 1 roll ready-made puff pastry♥ 1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of milk♥ chips or rice, to serve 1 Heat the olive oil a large saucepan. Add the onion and sauté over a low heat for…

For Helen Gibbs of artisanal clothing and accessories brand Helon Melon, it is imperative to interact with creative friends and connections. Much of her time is spent running her business, so this creative has joined a weekly pottery group where she can get her hands really dirty. ‘Being able to get hands on and create something that is beautiful and tangible keeps me grounded. It’s probably the only time in my week when I don’t have to be doing four things at the same time!,´ she says. ‘I feel lucky to have a strong network of talented creative friends and connections who I can call on to run through ideas and give me feedback on what I’m doing. I am able to carry on with more clarity and purpose when…

HOW IT WORKS Find an image you like and have it enlarged and printed in the size of your choice. Cut the printed image into equal-sized blocks. Cut plain white paper into blocks the same size as the blocks cut from the image. Give each of your guests a section of the image as well as a plain paper block and ask them to create their version of their image section on the white paper. Once everyone is finished and their artworks are dry, place them next to each other to recreate to original image. Tape them in place and frame your unique artwork. Cushions, bridal blanket and tray from Moroccan Warehouse. Light from Abode.…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: one hour per bowl, plus drying time YOU WILL NEED plaster of Paris bandage balloon, inflated to the size you want your bowl to be thread in the colour of your choice needle latex gloves Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and cut the plaster bandage into pieces. Wear your latex gloves (otherwise the plaster will cake on your hands), take a piece of plaster bandage and draw it through the water for 3-5 seconds so that it is properly wet and the plaster powder reacts with the water. Place the piece of bandage onto the inflated balloon and rub it smooth with your fingers. Repeat the process with the next piece of plaster bandage sticking it onto the balloon so that is overlaps slightly with the…

Follow our three easy steps to create a modern concrete finish for a cake. YOU WILL NEED cake white butter icing black gel food colouring 2 cake boards spirit level plastic scraper or large palette knife turntable (optional) Colour the icing light grey using the black gel colouring. Layer and crumb coat your cake on a cake board. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with a generous layer of icing then press the second board onto the cake and use a spirit level to make sure the top is level. Spread a generous amount of icing all around the sides of the cake. Make sure the cake boards are aligned. Using the two cake boards as your guide, scrape along the side to…

Winter. The blue season. For many people with an eight-to-five job, this time of year is a challenge… and I am definitely one of them! How do you see the positives in winter when it’s pitch-black when you get out of bed in the morning and again when you return home? Your day starts with the alarm clock, not a single bird is stirring and outside all you see is darkness. It surely can’t be healthy or natural not to hibernate in winter, I often think. I wish I could sleep a little bit longer, feel a touch more sun on my skin. Driving home in the late afternoon, I sit in the traffic in a race against the rapidly approaching cold, dark night. It’s at times like these that…

I always thought snow was white. But then a friend who has been to Antarctica told me that the snow there is mostly blue and pink, just like candyfloss, with blue sky on the horizon and above it pink. That must be beautiful, I thought. The colour of snow started me thinking about the lenses through which I view life. A while ago there was no noticeable colour, everything was almost transparent, like nothing. Strange that I also didn’t feel anything, except when there was a touch of grey. Then I was heartsore about everything that was difficult and my body was weary. Slow. Sometimes life looked blue, a melancholy blue, and the snow was colourless. Until I decided to buy pink glasses. On sale for just R20! They have…

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A lifestyle journalist in the UK, Kate Spicer is a middle-aged woman trying to restore some order to a life that is going off the rails. When she adopts Wolfy, the shabby rescue dog saves her from herself. But when the lurcher disappears, Kate hits the streets of London to find him. As she trudges endlessly calling his name in the hopeless hope that she may find him, she runs into other people’s landscapes and lives, finding allies among psychics, bloggers and mysterious midnight joggers. Trying to find her dog tests her relationship, and her sanity, to its limits – and gets her thinking about her life, and why things have turned out as they have for her. A brilliant, life-affirming memoir, Lost Dog is a book about both the…

SPECIAL GIFT One moment it is a simple piece of fabric; two seconds later it is stylish packaging material. TO MAKE Use a remnant of 100% linen fabric, washed a few times in hot water. Cut the linen to fit generously around the gift. Wrap it, tie a piece of string around it to secure the linen in place and add a dried olive twig - the texture complements the linen perfectly. PATCHWORK This linen tablecloth is actually just a collection of loose fabric patches. The contrasts are what make it exciting. Frayed edges opposite clean lines, densely woven opposite sheer. In this way you can also see the wooden tabletop peeping through the fabric here and there. TO MAKE You will need a selection of various types of linen…

Not everyone gets to live out all their passions at the same time. But this 23-year-old Cape artist is doing just that. ‘I have turned my love for the arts, coffee and people into a business by teaching people to paint in an alternative medium,’ she says. ‘Although I paint murals, and mostly work with acrylics, I recently started offering workshops where I teach people how to be creative with instant coffee and water.’ The aim is not so much to improve the participants’ technique but rather to invite them to enjoy creative time together with friends and a good cup of coffee. ‘Coffee shops all over Cape Town provide the venue, coffee and snacks while I provide the art materials and facilitate the workshops. The excitement lies in the…

GROUP MEALS Get together with friends or members of your community and share a meal. It’s a wonderful way to make new connections, share ideas and socialise. Take the pressure (and cost) of preparing a big meal off the host and try out some bring-and-share types of meals. Everyone contributes something towards the meal and then everything is shared. The ideas overleaf work well. JAPANESE NOODLE BOWLS Host a noodle dinner with ramen, a staple food in Japan. It’s a deep bowl of noodles typically served in a delicious broth topped with various ingredients including meat and vegetables. It’s very healthy and a perfect sharing meal to enjoy in winter. One or more people can prepare a big pot of broth and others can bring the noodles or a prepared…

Use a fabric marker and metal ruler. Place the ruler flat onto the fabric and mark with your pen every 3cm above and below the ruler, so that your lines are always straight. Continue marking in this way until you have marked the whole block. Ignore the first vertical line of dots for now. It is easier to start a bit deeper, so start at your 3rd dot. Using ordinary thread, insert your needle through the 3rd dot, secure your thread with two small stitches, then go to the 2nd dot, ensuring that the fabric makes a fold, and sew it together like that – three stitches will do – then push the needle through to the back, sew down and cut off. Repeat the process, but skip the 2nd…

During the Victorian era, silhouettes were a way for common people to have a portrait made. Even in the late 1800s, having a silhouette done at fairs and festivals was popular – creating a novel bit of nostalgia for the less-moneyed classes. DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: about one hour (depends on your friends) YOU WILL NEED (makes four) ♥ 3 x 8mm x 44mm x 3 000mm wood strips (cut into 16 x 450mm lengths) ♥ 4 x A3 140 GSM mixed media sheets ♥ 16 x M4 x 20mm screws and nuts ♥ 4 x 400mm twine pieces ♥ black acrylic paint ♥ pencils ♥ paintbrushes ♥ masking tape ♥ drill with 4mm drill bit ♥ sandpaper ♥ tape measure or ruler SHADOW ART Fix a sheet of paper to…

YOU WILL NEED picture frame yarn: a thinner cotton yarn for the warp and a thicker yarn for the weaving 2 x wooden forks stuck together with hot glue dowel stick, cut to fit inside the frame ruler fork (or comb) Tie your thinner warp yarn (we used a different colour to our weaving yarn) to one end of the frame and wind it over the other end of the frame to create your base, also known as the warp. Be sure to keep the tension taut as you wind the yarn. Use the forks that you stuck together as your shuttle and wind the weaving yarn around them. Weave the dowel through the warp, to create extra tension. Use your ruler as a shed stick (a flat piece of…

Runner for bed The pattern is for a runner on the bed only, but repeat the pattern and you can have a full-size blanket. DIFFICULTY: fairly easy TIME: one month YOU WILL NEED MoYa 100% Organic Cotton Bulky Plush (80g balls): 18 balls Natasha (191) MoYa 100% Cotton Timu (50g balls): 8 balls Rice (162) 10mm and 5mm crochet hooks tapestry needle MEASUREMENTS Width = 185cm Length to lower edge of triangles = 110cm ABBREVIATIONS beg – begin(ning) c/off – cast off ch – chain stitch dc – double crochet rep – repeat rnd – round RS – right side sp – space ss – slip stitch st(s) – stitch(es) tr – treble TO CROCHET Using Natasha and 10mm crochet hook, beg with 152 ch. 1st row: 1 tr into…

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: two to three days YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS technical drawings on the pages overleaf wood (we used meranti) 95mm x 95mm x 12mm thick (part 1) 500mm x 70mm x 20mm thick (parts 2 to 5) 600mm x 20mm x 20mm thick (parts 6 to 9) 175mm x 110mm x 20mm thick (parts 10 and 11) wood screws (countersink) – 4 x M3.5 x 30mm self-tapping screws – 3 x M2 x 10mm wood glue (Ultra) matt white spray paint 1 x lamp cord with switch and 15 amp 3-prong plug LED downlight L-CL-0107 7W. WXX103 wood filler (meranti) TOOLS hand drill drill press (if available) 2,5mm and 1,5mm drill bits countersink bit hand saw mitre cutter (if available) coping saw 36mm or 38mm hole cutter half…

Herbs: bay leaves, chives, dandelion, fennel, lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, perennial basil, rocket, rosemary, sage, thyme. Vegetables: asparagus, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, gem squash, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onion, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, Swiss chard, spring onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips. Fruit: apples, avocado, bananas, Cape gooseberry, granadilla, grapefruit, guavas, kiwi, kumquats, lemons, limes, loquats, naartjies, oranges, pawpaw, pineapple. In flower: alstroemeria, anemone, arum lilies, Asiatic lilies, blushing brides, calendula, carnations, chincherinchees, chrysanthemums, daffodils, delphiniums, ericas, gypsophila, heather, freesia, gerbera, germini, golden rod, iris, kangaroo paw, larkspur, leucadendron, orchids, pincushions, proteas, ranunculus, snapdragons, statice, sterretjies, strelitzia, St Joseph lily, stocks, sweetpeas, tuberose, tulips.…

@MAJASMANUFAKTUR Arvika, Sweden Looking for knitting patterns for the winter? Maja Karlsson’s Instagram page is the place to visit first. She designs her own warm woollens with the loveliest patterns – especially mittens and socks – and photographs them all beautifully. @DIEKAALKONYN Stellenbosch, South Africa Talented local illustrator Tana Ferreira’s tongue-in-cheek designs are an inspiration. Her illustrations are a delight – some black-and-white, others in colour – and there’s a strong focus on family, fun and celebratory occasions. @MATANNAKATZ Cape Town, South Africa Matanna Katz’s creativity knows no bounds. She designs, draws and styles, and takes photos of food, flowers and décor, all of which find their way onto her Instagram page. Matanna is inspired by nature’s soft textures and colour palette.…

‘We were quite terrified,’ says Sarah Pratt about moving from a small house in the Cape Town suburb of Observatory to what was then an intimidatingly expansive 420-square-metre space of Woodstock’s All Saints Anglican Church Hall. ‘Andrew was moving his studio and we’d been looking for somewhere where he could work and we could live. We’d seen a few spaces in town, but they were mostly a tad too industrial and their access was tricky. A rental agent friend of mine happened to have a church hall going, and we signed. But when we moved in, reality hit. It had no hot water, no bath and no geyser. And it was so massive. When we unpacked our things, we didn’t come close to filling it. The echo alone was frightening.’…

When I see hydrangeas, I’m five again and in my Gran’s garden. And I’m looking for fairies. I remember teatime in Pietermaritzburg when we ate jam tartlets, milktart and biscuits, and I recall the scent of the gardenias in a crystal vase on Granny’s dressing table. And in my thoughts I walk with Grandpa to see him proudly pick big red tomatoes and beetroot in his vegetable garden. At 53 these memories make me happy. The words of the Mexican poet Victor Téran describe it so beautifully: ‘Nostalgia has hung its hammock in my heart.’ Our heads and hearts sometimes take long detours to that place where we feel safe. To the home-baked bread in your aunt’s farmhouse kitchen, the snug blankets your mother knitted from remnants of wool, family…

How could we compile this section on projects to do with others without getting together ourselves? So this is exactly what we did. Whether a creative contributor or a behind-the-scenes member, everyone got a block or two of soft, washed linen to adorn for this group effort. The result is a mixture of hand embroidery, appliqué, bleaching, transferring and folding, all held together by the choice of colours and fabrics. While every block has the distinctive stamp of the person who made it, a couple of rules ensured a throw with a cohesive look. The benefits go further than the end product though. Sitting together with needle and yarn made us all forget about deadlines and gave us an opportunity to catch up with one another for a few hours.…

• The claystone wall was whitewashed by applying Tjhoko paint to the wall with a damp cloth, in the colours Vinia Stone and Cloud White respectively. • The light fittings were painted with a few coats of Tjhoko in the colours Sherif’s Stone (charcoal) and Simon Says (yellow). • The faux-leather recliner chair, originally wine red, was given a new lease of life with Sherif’s Stone. • The ladder behind the chair was painted in Matt Black. • The cushion was stencilled with Sherif’s Stone and Simon Says. • The table was painted in Don’s Wash and the feet in Matt Black. • The cement floor was stencilled with a pattern stencil and Stencil of Paris. Afterwards it was ‘washed’ with the colours Vinia Stone and Cloud White. • The clipboards…

POPS OF PINK AND PURPLE For the table, buy pink- and purple-coloured posies for your floral arrangements. You can arrange these in a variety of ways. Place them in matching ceramic containers or vases. Or cut them super short and arrange them in tea-light votives, alternating blooms and candles. CHOCOLATE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER Start by printing out our chocolate-themed invitations and fill in your party details: date, time and place and – most importantly – ask guests to bring along their favourite drink. TERRAZZO PLACE SETTINGS For personal place settings, we used black plates, glasses and our printable terrazzo place cards to let guests know where to sit. There’s sure to be a full turnout when you invite your friends to an ever-so-sweet chocolate-tasting party. SO MUCH CHOCOLATE, SO…

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: three days (allowing for the concrete to set) YOU WILL NEED wood (we used superwood) sanding sealer decorative cast-iron moulding 1mm wire 10 x M4 x 60mm wood screws (countersink) cement and sand mortar premix 14mm wooden dowel fine chicken wire 14mm masonry drill bit epoxy adhesive angle grinder non-stick cooking spray Phillips screwdriver long-nosed pliers hand drill 3mm and 1mm drill bits side cutter 25mm paintbrush rubber gloves TO MAKE Construction of the mould Build a box-shaped mould to the required size of your tabletop (ours has an internal size of 310 x 310 x 40mm). Drill 3mm holes and screw the sides to the base using M4 x 60mm wood screws. Apply a coat of sanding sealer (this will seal the corners and protect the…

Two of the most neglected products in skincare are cleansers and masks. Do these two steps correctly and regularly, and you won’t need to spend so much at the salon to liven up your skin. Why cleansers? The thorough cleansing of your skin is the first and one of the most important steps in skincare. An effective cleanser not only removes the make-up from your face, but also any impurities, bacteria and pollution that your skin has been exposed to during the day. Dr Janine Ellenberger, who formulated the GR8SKN range, says if your skin could talk, it would say: ‘Protect me, so that I can protect you.’ Your cleanser is the most important product you can buy, she believes. If you use the wrong (or no!) cleanser, your skin’s…

Asking Megan about being vegan gets met with huge enthusiasm. For her it is far more than a way of eating; it is a conscious way of living, with an awareness of what you consume. It’s a lifestyle that could start with small steps such as Meatfree Mondays and supporting local companies. The Gypsy Kitchen, her vegan bakery, which she opened in 2018 after running it from home for a year, was a dream come true. ‘I am a passionate, creative person who loves to help and when I want something, I will stop at nothing to achieve it. I love to try new things and push myself to come up with innovative ideas. I do what I do because it is an extension of who I am. I am…

WRITE TO US & WIN! The writer of this month‘s winning letter will receive beauty products from Le Naturel, a range made using indigenous oils and ingredients. Le Naturel is handcrafted in small batches. All the products are free from petrochemicals, parabens, sulphates, artificial fragrances and colours. For more information, go to lenaturel.co.za. WINNING LETTER SUPPORTING MY FAVOURITE MAGAZINE You know how we grow in and out of hobbies? We get interested in something, passionately pursue it, research it, study it, live it and breathe it. Then the wave calms down and we find something new to occupy our free time. It has been like this for me my whole life, and my house project is one of the many that come and go. During times that I am preoccupied…