HP Craftalong ~Fall Semester 2012~ *CLOSED*

[noodle-bug]

I've been offline for ages working away from home and cramming for school too, but it's amlost worth it because i've had so much fun going over th last couple of weeks worth of posts from you guys Sooo much awesome stuff. I haven't had a lot of time for craft, and I'm still working on my OWL plus another fairly big project, but here's the little bit I've done with my feet up on my afternoon off today:

Class/Challenge: Voting is Magic
House: Ravenclaw
Project Name: Rachel's Zip up coin purse

My friend crocheted me a beautiful hot water bottle cover for my MiLs birthday recently, and so i wanted to craft her something in return - on checking her pinterest I noticed that she had pinned a photo of a zip up coin purse I made a few months back, so I have done another one for her in appropriately patriotic red white and blue ribbon.
I basically followed this tutorial

I am already registered to vote. I think it's important because the people running your country have power over every aspect of your lives, and so you should make sure that you have a say in who they are.

Challenge/Class: Cauldron Treat / Herbology
House:
Project name: Sugar Free Stegosaurus* Biscuits
*and a few diplodocus

The other half is diabetic, and so I struggle to bake him cake and treats sometimes, I'm not the best chef anyway so if you take away a basic ingredient I get even more lost! (if you have any sugar free cake / biscuit recipes that you've tried and enjoyed I'd love it if you'd PM me them!)
But I do sometimes give sugar free baking a whirl and I thought I would see if I can come up with a good recipe for a basic biscuit, based on one I found online:
200g plain flour
150g butter
4 tablespoon sweetener (I use splenda)
handful crushed almonds **
vanilla essence **
all spice

** herbology side note: Almond and vanilla were amongst the plants we saw growing in india - we went on a plantation tour that showed us loads of plants and how they are harvested and used - most of them were to add flavour to food

cream butter & sweetener (this is not much like creaming normal butter sugar, since there is so much less sweetener!), then add flour, plus other ingredients to taste. Roll out to approx 1cm thick, put in fridge to chill for half hour.
Cut out biscuit shapes (I recommend all biscuits to be dinosaur shaped) and bake on gas mark 4 for about 15/20 mins til golden

I have to say these are a little flavourless for me, so I think next time I will add some almond essence and .. oh, I dunno, maybe some hazlenut chips or a sprinkle of something else tasty. But these are good enough to dunk in tea and that's good enough for me especially as the biscuit base is ok, and the texture/weight too. That was the main thing, since splenda does weird things when you cook with it.
These don't look to great since I am going to pick up sugar free icing tomorrow then drop that with the biscuits at SOs office tomorrow for him decorate his own

[patty_o_furniture]

Class/Challenge: Happy Hogwarts Halloween
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Painted Pumpkins
Project Page Link (if available): http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=392673.msg4916902#msg4916902
Brief Description:  I love decorating for Halloween but carved pumpkins don't last too long.  So, I paint my pumpkins each year and set them out early.  Here's my pumpkins for this year, Katniss, mockingjay, Dr Who don't blink angel, Taz, Kirk from the new Star Trek as my hubs request, alien Kang from the Simpsons, Rapunzel and Mario. -knock on wood- Haven't had any pumpkins become road kill yet, we'll see if I'll be lucky enough again this year!  If so, off to Hogwarts great hall for the Halloween feast!

[Abbeeroad]

seeuudee - LOVE the Pi Pie Hoop!!! Just genius.

noodle-bug - super cute dinos! Bet the sugar-free baking is much appreciated!

patty_o - your pumpkins always amaze me! Love the selection this year!

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ______

Class/Challenge/House Pride: Voting is Magic Challenge
House: Gryffindor
Project Name: I'm a voting hippie - look out!
Project Page Link (if available): N/A
Brief Description: (how it fits the requirements, pattern/techniques/recipe used, any fun tips, etc.)

Voting is tangible evidence that human beings are co-creators of their own reality. Be an active participant in your world! Vote!
 
Project Picture:

[Abbeeroad]

The following notice was found on the bulletin board of the Gryffindor Common Room:

ANNOUNCING!

The Gryffindor October Mini Challenge

Are you looking for some extra credit this semester? Then this mini challenge is just for you!

Gryffindors are famous for their bravery. As a Gryffindor, show off your brave side by drawing inspiration from something you fear. While earning your class badges, incorporate a current or past fear into your crafting to earn the additional Gryffindor Mini Challenge Certificate!

[anderlance]

Love your color choices.  Very, very nice!

[Pixiefirefly]

OMG Patty, you have skills!!! Those pumpkins are awesome!

[jennieingram]

Love the voting tee Abbee!

[pinkleo]

@noodle-bug: Those coin purses always fascinate me, and for the recipe!
@patty: Your painted pumpkins are just AMAZING!!!
@Abbee: love the tee!  and YAY Lion Challenge!  Come on Gryffindor; let's show our fear PRIDE!

[pottermouth]

Class: Potions
House: Ravenclaw
Project Name: Frightening Fireplace
Project Page Link (if available):
Brief Description: Slowly, slowly, slowly been making things to add to the mantle for Halloween and I think I'm nearly finished. I have this monstrous picture frame to hang in place of the clock but I haven't gotten around to choosing a picture for it. So the mantle went from relatively clean and uncluttered to all decked out and aged (and I also made an altered book that's beaten to pieces) for Potions class.


Altered book and skelly hoop:

Potions:

Bat Frame:

[jillybeans]

I apologize in advance for the size of this post!  lol!  I definitely haven't been doing a good job of posting my projects.  Well, here is a whole heap of them!

Class/Challenge/House Pride: Alchemy
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Et tu, Brute?
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: I made this ATC for ghilie in the Ongoing ATC Swap.  I used an old bookpage from Julius Caesar to make it, and rubbed on gold rub 'n buff to the edges.
Project Picture:



Class/Challenge/House Pride: Apparition
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: I want to go to there! (in my Tina Fey voice)
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: I went on vacation to Scotland in 2007 and it was the most amazing place.  I miss it greatly.  But, from time to time, I can real quick apparate over there for a spell.  ^_^  This ATC is one I made for gala_apples in the Ongoing ATC Swap.  The image is a picture I took of St. Andrew's Cathedral while I was over there.
Project Picture:



Class/Challenge/House Pride: Arithmancy
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: beaded cuff bracelet
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: My husband made me a fabulous bead loom for my birthday, and I've been going crazy making cuff and wrap bracelets with it.  This one is very heavy on the circles, which is a perfect project to show off the cylindrical focus of arithmancy that we are doing this quarter.  Its currently up for grabs in my Shop the Swap shop.  ^_^
Project Picture:



Class/Challenge/House Pride: Care of Magical Creatures
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: painted shell
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: I painted this shell as an extra for tankrgrl in the Back to Hogwarts swap.  I have a bucket of nice big shells, and I've been itching to do something with them.  Well, I haven't gotten too far on that, but one down!  The scene is the mermaid from the prefect bathroom.  The shell around the image is coated w/ a pearlescent acrylic paint and has shiny/mat beads glued around the edge.  Definitely something a niffler would want to snatch up!  Better watch out, tankrgrl!
Project Picture:



Class/Challenge/House Pride: Flying
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Quill pens
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: Feathers come from the sky, right?  I made these quill pens from two large feathers from my collection.  I took two ballpoint pen inks and cut them down to fit inside and then glued them in. I made them for tankrgrl in the Back to Hogwarts swap.
Project Picture:



Class/Challenge/House Pride: Herbology
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Pluot Jam
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: A week ago I got a box of pluots (which are a cross between an apricot and a plum) for $10.  What a steal!  So, last Friday I got down and dirty and made 4 batches of pluot jam!  It turned out sooooo good!  I even tried it in a recipe that my husband and I love.  Instead of the apricot jam in it, we used the pluot and we are complete converts now.  Hubby never wants the apricot jam in the recipe ever again.
Project Picture:



Oh, and here is the recipe for the pluot chicken:

12 chicken thighs
1 cup pluot jam
1 cup creamy french dressing
1 package onion soup mix

Mix together the jam, dressing and soup mix and pour over chicken and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes (or until done).


Class/Challenge/House Pride: Potions
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Its all in the hand
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: I made this ATC for Witchhippie in the Ongoing ATC Swap.  I used an vintage image I found online.  I painted it with watercolors and then used distress ink to spice it up a little bit.  The background of the ATC is cheesecloth, covered in a couple coats of gesso, and then distress inks and paint dabber around the edge.  The dots are from my paint pens.
Project Picture:



Class/Challenge/House Pride: Transfiguration
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Wrap Bracelets
Project Page Link (if available): Not yet
Brief Description: More bracelets from my awesome bead loom!  I love that I get to use buttons on these bracelets.  Its probably my favorite things about them.  That, and I am slowly destashing my beads!
Project Picture: