Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2022 i Ideas

The ink had hardly dried on the Italian government’s decision to open their borders to South African tourists when my ticket was booked. I’d been searching online for over a year for a little place there and now, at last, I could go and see for myself. I arrived at my hotel late in the afternoon on the Thursday and Friday morning the agent was at the door. Ten houses later I returned to my room, exhausted. The North’s hilltop towns are not for sissies. That weekend, with the property market as closed as the shops are between 12.30 and 3 on any given day, I came across a wonderful food market. So many different types of tomatoes! Just the way it should be… Not only big and small ones…

COCOFEATURES.COM As a little girl Ingrid Nuys liked to draw farmhouses with shutters, thatched roofs and animals in a meadow. ‘As a child, I dreamed of living “outside”. Rural, preferably in a farmhouse, with cosy spaces, shutters that you can close in very cold or bad weather and chickens and sheep in the yard.’ Seven years ago, that dream came true here, behind the dike in the South Holland village of Lekkerkerk. The house had been for sale for a year when Ingrid and her husband Jeroen went to look. ‘Inside, everything was green – from the ceilings to the bathtub. We thought it was lovely! The atmosphere was authentic, with original elements, and the shutters, high windows, wood stove and thatched roof made the dream complete,’ Ingrid says. ‘It…

BLACK-EYED BEAN SOUP WITH SMOKY HAM A hearty bowl of this thick and nourishing soup will satisfy your family’s hungry tummies. Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus overnight soaking Cooking time: about 2 ½ hours ♥ 250g dried black-eyed beans♥ 1ml bicarbonate of soda♥ 15ml olive oil♥ 1 large onion, chopped♥ 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced♥ 2 sticks celery, finely sliced♥ 1 clove garlic, crushed♥ 500g smoked ham hock♥ 2 litres prepared chicken or vegetable stock♥ 1 bay leaf♥ 15ml sweet paprika♥ 1ml smoked paprika♥ grated zest of one lemon, to serve♥ 30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve 1 Put the beans into a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside to soak overnight. 2 Heat the oil in…

Makes: enough for one pot of soup Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes YOU WILL NEED ♥ 180g (330ml) white bread flour ♥ 12ml baking powder ♥ 3ml chopped thyme ♥ 30ml chopped parsley ♥ 3 spring onions, finely sliced ♥ 30ml finely grated Parmesan ♥ 2ml salt ♥ 170ml full cream milk ♥ soup, to serve Sift the bread flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Add the herbs, spring onions, Parmesan and salt and then stir in the milk. The batter should be thick enough to be spooned and have a dropping consistency. Set aside for 30 minutes. Bring your soup (or stew) to a simmer. Drop spoonfuls of the batter carefully into the soup, leaving space in between the dumplings because they will spread.…

You need special packaging to show at a glance that your soap is handcrafted and unique. The packaging is an integral part of your business brand and must tell the story of your soap. It should also give more information about the scent and the ingredients used to make it. Vintage-inspired tags add authentic charm and as well as giving the ingredients, you can list your business name, logo and contact details. Packaging your soap will depend on what the soap looks like. Soap bars containing pretty ingredients such as dried flowers or that look, for example, like ice-cream lollies, should be wrapped in clear, transparent paper so your customers can see the soap. If the product does not require clear packaging, you can play around with various materials for…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 12 hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ jeans♥ pictures or printed fabric of your choice (see our examples on the pages overleaf)♥ anti-fray fabric sealant (like No Fray or Stop Fray)♥ fabric glue (optional) or pins♥ embroidery thread♥ embroidery needle♥ sharp scissors TO MAKE 1 We had the images we wanted to appliqué onto our jeans custom-printed in the desired size, but you can also cut out pretty motifs from printed fabric. 2 To make sure the edges don’t fray after cutting out, apply No Fray around the edges and let it dry overnight. 3 We stuck the cut-out pictures onto the jeans with a little fabric glue to hold them in place. Because the fabric we used for the pictures was quite thin, the glue seeped through…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ DROPS KARISMA from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B):– 100 (100, 100, 150)g colour 77, light oak– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 01, off-white– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 11, orange– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 48, wine red– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 30, light denim blue– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 33, medium pink– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 47, forest green– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 50, sea green– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 52, dark mustard♥ DROPS double-pointed needles size 3,5mm for working in st st and patt♥ DROPS double-pointed needles size 3mm for rib♥ 3 stitch markers♥ tapestry needle SIZES 35-37 (38-40, 41-43, 44-46) Foot length: approx. 22 (24, 27, 30)cm Leg length down to heel: approx. 34 (34, 35, 35)cm…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: eight hours per napkin YOU WILL NEED ♥ embroidery design of your choice♥ plain napkin or 50cm fabric to make your own♥ tracing method of your choice♥ embroidery hoop♥ embroidery thread♥ embroidery needle♥ sharp scissors SIZE Finished napkin 48cm x 48cm TO MAKE 1 If you are making your own napkin, cut a 50 x 50cm square from your fabric and hem with a 5mm double hem all around. 2 We traced the design above onto the napkin using carbon paper and a pen. You can use any tracing method of your choice. Stretch the napkin into the embroidery hoop. 3 Work the deer outline in backstitch and the flowers in the three stitches as explained in the steps alongside. Work away all loose ends neatly at…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 24 hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ a few drops of black water-based paint or ink ♥ air-dry clay divided into 2 equal pieces ♥ tin can ♥ rolling pin (we used a dowel stick) ♥ 2 pieces of acetate ♥ masking tape ♥ muslin fabric Work on one of the pieces of acetate. Add the ink or paint to one half of your air-dry clay and knead into the clay. Once you are happy with the consistency, roll this piece and the other half of the air-dry clay into thin snakes. Twist the snakes together. Place the twisted clay braid on the muslin fabric and cover with another piece of the fabric. Use the rolling pin or dowel stick to roll the clay flat, combining the black-tinted…

I have always had a soft spot for pretty fabric. And I definitely have too much to use just for sewing projects. Decoupaging a piece of furniture with fabric is a wonderful way to use two favourite items in your house to make something lovely and new. I also love the texture that textiles give furniture. Here I have used an old school chair that has stood on our veranda for ages waiting for attention and a floral fabric from my SophiaHelen collection. TIP: You can get the loveliest pieces of fabric by asking décor shops for their old sample books. YOU WILL NEED ♥ furniture item you can paint ♥ water-based paint in the colour of your choice ♥ decoupage medium (I use Annie Sloan’s Image Medium) ♥ craft…

Eighteenth-century books with battered corners, others from the early 19th century boasting grand gold letters on hard covers – these are some of her most precious possessions. It is, after all, this valuable material that Lynette Jacobs from Somerset West uses to craft her creative journals. She’d always known how to use YouTube if she needed to replace a light bulb. But in December 2017 a new world opened up for her when her two sons, Marco and Arno (now 20 and 16 respectively), showed her that this app was a veritable treasure trove of information about anything, including arts and crafts. Lynette’s new paper journey had begun. Initially her husband Jaco was not too impressed when she annexed the dining room table for her paper, scissors, glue and craft…

FOR AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION OF R433.50 YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR PRINTED COPY OF IDEAS EVERY SECOND MONTH.* USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING METHODS TO SUBSCRIBE: *CALL 087 353 1291 (lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm) *EMAIL YOUR NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS to ideas@onthedot.co.za** *WHATSAPP your details to 087 353 1292. OR *IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY THE MAGAZINE ONLINE OR SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL EDITION, GO TO MAGSCART at www.catalyzmo.co.za. FOR INQUIRIES, email the MAGS CART team at subs@catalyzmo.co.za or call them on +27 21 045 1401. *BUY A SINGLE DIGITAL COPY for only R65 or SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL EDITION for R360. OR *IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY THE MAGAZINE ONLINE OR WISH TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ONLINE EDITION go to www.zinio.com/za/Ideas. OR *DOWNLOAD OUR…

WINNING LETTER EMPTINESS AND SADNESS He moved past me and I felt no presence, no existence, no energy. I experienced emptiness in his aura and in his eyes. It upset me immensely and I turned back home to get him something to eat, but he was gone when I returned to where I had seen him. He had just vanished… The experience left me with a heavy, sad heart for all the ‘empty’ people in our country. This man must have endured so much hardship, maybe undeserved rejection, that it emptied his soul – how unfair and sad is that? If I may add, my family and I had scrambled eggs on toast after my encounter; I’ll prepare the wonderful Greek meat pasta on some other night and we will…

FOOD FRIENDLY WINES Complement your winter meals with wines from Stellenbosch Hills. The 2021 Chenin Blanc (R63) and 2018 Merlot (R94) have strong flavour profiles, ideal to match with food. The Chenin Blanc’s fruity character and crisp acidity will cut through the richness of a hearty soup or casserole. The award-winning full-bodied Merlot has flavours of berries, ripe plums and dark chocolate, with hints of oak spice and cloves. Try it with mushroom soup or red meat dishes. The wines are available online from stellenbosch-hills.co.za or at leading wine retailers countrywide. POETIC COLLABORATION The Sera Holland and Poetry product range was created as an extension of the fynbos-inspired flower bowl range that Sera produced last year. The original range consisted of bowls which were handmade on the wheel and then…

Makes: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus rising time Baking time: 20 minutes Oven temperature: 200 oC YOU WILL NEED ♥ 680g (1,250ml) white bread flour ♥ 15ml salt ♥ 7g instant dried yeast ♥ 430ml cold water ♥ soup, to serve Mix the flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the olive oil. Add threequarters of the warm water and mix the flour in from the sides. Add a little more water as necessary to form a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Roll into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a moist cloth and leave for an hour in a warm place to rise. Knead the dough…

After all the making and packaging, it is at last time to sell those lovely soaps. So now for the big question: How much to charge for your home-made soap? Some people will simply check how much other handmade soaps sell for and pick a price that is either a little less, to draw customers, or a little more to make their own product look more like a luxury soap. Unfortunately, this is not a good idea. Many small businesses have tried this idea, but they do not exist anymore because they ran out of money. If you want to run a sustainable business, you have to ensure you charge the right price. When pricing your soap, you need to consider how much it costs to make the soap and…

DIFFICULTY: advanced TIME: 10-12 hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ 1,5m each of about 4-6 different coloured fabrics♥ 2,75m lining♥ 1m iron-on interfacing♥ 1 pair shoulder pads♥ 5 buttons (or open-end zip fastener)♥ coat or jacket pattern of your choice (ours was especially designed by Meraki Sewing Studio; see overleaf)♥ 2 colours machine thread, one for normal inside seams and one for contrast stitching♥ sewing needle VERY IMPORTANT! Note that you cut only one panel of each colour, thus you must take care that the correct right side is facing you. Your pattern pieces must have a left side and a right side facing you. TO MAKE 1 Start off by arranging your fabrics into the layout of your choice. Look for balance and contrast between light and dark, as well…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ 1 x 100g ball of chunky yarn ♥ 5,5mm knitting needles ♥ cable needle ♥ tapestry needle SIZE Square with cables 21cm x 21cm ABBREVIATIONS ♥ k – knit ♥ p – purl ♥ rep – repeat ♥ st(s) – stitch(es) CABLE PATTERN Follow the 'To knit' instructions below right. When you reach Row 5, follow the step-by-step pictures to knit the cable pattern. NOTE: The cable pattern repeats every eight rows. Knitting the cable: p4 then slip 3 sts onto the cable needle, then hold the cable needle to the back of work. K 3 sts from the left-hand knitting needle. K 3 sts from the cable needle. Repeat steps 2-4 twice to make two more cables and then continue with the pattern in the…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ fabric ♥ lining ♥ matching colour zip ♥ matching colour machine thread ♥ sewing machine ♥ dressmaker’s pins ♥ 10cm ribbon TO CUT Determine the size of your pencil case (or make-up bag) and add 1cm seam allowances to all 4 sides. The length of the pencil case will determine the length of the zip. Cut 2 pieces from the fabric and 2 pieces from the lining. Place one piece of the fabric with the right side facing up on your work table. Decide which side you want the zip opening to be and place the zip accordingly, right side down, on the edge of the fabric. Place a lining piece on top, right side facing downwards. Make sure all three edges are precisely aligned. Stitch…

YOU WILL NEED: ♥ 1 cake cut into layers ♥ cake plate ♥ butter icing (recipe below) ♥ black gel food colouring ♥ gel food colouring in your choice of colours for the flowers ♥ offset spatula ♥ scraper (optional) ♥ Dresden tool ♥ small petal nozzle ♥ nr 5 or 6 round nozzle ♥ small open star nozzle ♥ small closed star nozzle ♥ large round and star nozzles to use as guides ♥ small piping bag for each colour icing ♥ gold leaf or dragees to decorate (optional) BUTTER ICING: Beat 200g soft butter or baking margarine until creamy. Add 600g sifted icing sugar, in 2 or 3 parts, beating well after each addition. Add a few drops of boiling water as necessary if the icing becomes too…

THE CORRECT PAINTING EQUIPMENT ● Just as you wouldn’t spread butter on bread with a serving spoon or dish up the lasagne with a butter knife, so every painting task has its own tools to make the process easier and more successful. ● It’s important to choose top-quality paintbrushes, says Nadine Vosloo, marketing manager of Tjhoko Paint. There is nothing as frustrating as getting started on a project and then constantly having to remove loose bristles from the wet paint. Also check that the paintbrush, whether large or small, has soft, thin bristles, as this ensures a smooth finish. ● The size of the project determines the size of the brush. A smaller project – like that photo frame that you have wanted to paint for ages – can be…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ leaves of your choice ♥ craft paint in the colours of your choice ♥ sponge brush ♥ paper Pick a variety of leaves in your garden – it’s fun to experiment with the different shapes – but make sure the veins on the back stand out well. Use your sponge brush and apply a thin layer of paint in the colour of your choice to the back of the leaf. Place the leaf with the painted side downwards onto your paper. Place a second sheet of paper on top and rub your hand over the leaf. Remove the top piece of paper and carefully lift off the leaf.…

FIRST ADD LEGS DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: two hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ 2 battens cut to the length of your bookshelf♥ 2 battens cut to the width of your bookshelf♥ 4 legs (we bought ours from Gelmar)♥ 8 screws (these need to be double the width of your base or even a bit longer)♥ staple gun with staples♥ drill 1 Most hardware places will pre-cut your battens for you. Ask them to mitre the ends and add guide holes for your screws to go through. (NOTE: A mitre is a joint made by cutting the two ends at a 45-degree angle to form a neat corner.) 2 Place the battens in a rectangle on a flat surface, making sure the mitred corners line up. Use your staple gun to keep…

Makes: 1 loaf Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus rising time Baking time: about 45 minutes Oven temperature: 180 oC YOU WILL NEED ♥ 1 batch bread dough (use the same recipe as for the bread bowls on the previous page) ♥ 30ml melted butter, for brushing ♥ flaky salt, for sprinkling FILLING: ♥ 80g (85ml) soft butter ♥ 30ml finely chopped fresh parsley ♥ 1-2 jalapeño chillies, seeded and chopped ♥ 3 cloves garlic, crushed ♥ 2ml salt ♥ 50g grated Parmesan ♥ 50g grated white Cheddar FILLING Stir the butter, parsley, chillies, garlic and salt together until well combined. Prepare the bread dough and allow to rise until doubled in size. Knead down and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each one into a ball. Roll each ball out into…

Even if you have a good idea of what you want to sell, the red tape can seem overwhelming when you decide to start a business. To make it easier, we have listed four major categories to help you do things properly and get to the stage where you can start talking about truly owning your own business: 1 Decide what you will sell. 2 Choose a name and business structure. 3 Draw up a business plan. 4 Register your business as a legal entity. 1 HOW TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WILL SELL If you already have a product line-up, you must decide if you are going to continue selling these items or if you should add products or services. You can decide what you will sell by considering the…

DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: one week SIZE 165cm x 55cm YOU WILL NEED ♥ Nurturing Fibres Eco-Fusion (125m/50g):– 1 ball Sweet Pea– 1 ball Sahara– 2 balls Persian– 4 balls Gigi– 1 ball Old Gold– 4 balls Vanilla– 2 balls Mulberry– 2 balls Ruby Pink♥ 4,5mm crochet hook♥ scissors♥ tapestry needle BLOCKED GAUGE 15dc x 18 rows = 10cm x 10cm ABBREVIATIONS ch – chain stitch chsp – chain space cont – continue dc – double crochet htr – half treble rep – repeat sk – skip slst – slip stitch st(s) – stitch(es) tr – treble NOTE Pattern is written in UK terminology. TO CROCHET With a 4,5mm hook and Sweet Pea, work 250 ch. Row 1: Insert hook into the 2nd ch from hook and work 1dc, *sk next…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ tea towel♥ crochet yarn (we used Nurturing Fibres Cotton)♥ 4mm crochet hook (or size your yarn suggests)♥ darning needle ABBREVIATIONS ch – chain stitch dc – double crochet sl st – slip stitch sp – space st(s) – stitch(es) yo – yarn over BOBBLE PATTERN 1 dc, ch2, (yo, pull through x 4), yo, pull through all loops, ch 1. With your crochet yarn, work blanket st across the bottom and top edges of your tea towel (try to keep the sts close together and the same length). With the right side facing, work dc into each blanket st across, fasten off. Again with the right side facing you and starting in your first dc-sp, ch 3 (this is for the beginning only – the ch…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ item to decorate, such as a wooden frame ♥ gold leaf ♥ water-based size (gold-leaf glue, such as Mont Marte Water-based Gilding Adhesive) ♥ brush for applying the glue ♥ clean, soft brush to brush over the gold leaf ♥ sharp scissors ♥ tweezers Make sure your item is clean and dust-free. For straight lines, you can use masking tape as a guide, but in our case it wasn’t necessary. Decorate one section at a time, so the size can dry in between, which makes the process easier. Dip your brush into the size, apply it over the first section and leave to stand for about 15 minutes until the size becomes tacky. TIP: Work on an easy-to-clean surface and try not to mess size on…

Renew and reduce. This has been one of my themes for my life this year, and now in the heart of winter – as nature is preparing for revival – it is a call to action. The most luxurious richness the season places at our door is the reminder that everything in life has a cycle and follows a rhythm of filling up and emptying out, of making new, and that this is healthy, necessary. Also there comes an awareness that newness can originate from that which is already there. Through this pattern of thought I am reminded of my grandmother, a farmer’s wife from the Kalahari who could make something new from almost anything. What does it mean to renew? To make something new? It’s a refreshing of old…