Big Dreams, Small Wonders

Although it can be hard to find time amongst all the holiday preparations, December is a great month for looking back, to create the time and space to spend January looking forward.  It is so easy for time to fly past without acknowledging both the big things and little things that have happened along the way, so this month I am taking time to reflect on the 2010 journey.  More of that to follow soon...

In terms of looking forward, I have treated myself to spending some time in January dreaming, planning and setting an action plan to make the most of the exciting year ahead in 2011.  I have signed up for Louise Gale's shiny new e-course, 'Big Dreams, Small Wonders', to help me do this.  Won't you join me?

Find out more on the Big Dreams Small Wonders website here, or in this great interview with Louise, by the ever-inspiring Danielle Fraser.

Countdown to Christmas #4: Christmas cake - how do you make yours?

My grandma always used to make our Christmas pudding and cake.  I could never understand why she would make it so far in advance (the Christmas before!) and how it didn't go mouldy.  She said "good things are worth waiting for" and she was so right. 

When I lived in Japan I remember being so shocked that people at sponge cake decorated with strawberries on Christmas Day.  I have no idea where that tradition came from!

This year I made a very special Christmas cake to celebrate a very special Christmas - one when a close friend's dad just got the all clear from cancer.  The best present anyone could hope for.  So I made the cake, and I have sent it off to Cornwall to be iced by his two little granddaughters.

This is a lovely old recipe, best made about six weeks in advance, but if you make it now and feed it brandy each day it should still be delicious come Christmas day.  Enjoy!

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Ingredients:
200g each of raisins & currants
50g glace cherries
200g chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts)
150g butter
2 large eggs
100g dark brown sugar
zest of half a lemon
150g plain flour
half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
quarter teaspoon each of ground cloves & ground ginger
sprinkle of nutmeg
200ml of brandy (or maybe more if you are anything like me...)

Advance preparation
1) Put all the dried fruit in a saucepan with the brandy, bring it to the boil and then take it off the heat. Cover it and leave it overnight to soak up all the lovely brandy goodness.
2) Take your eggs and butter out of the fridge so they warm to room temperature
3) Prepare your tin (see below)

How to make your delicious cake
1) Put some nice Christmas music on in the background and pour yourself a large sherry!
2) Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C / gas mark 2
3) Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the lemon zest
4) Add the eggs and beat well
5) Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, then add to the mixture, alternating with adding the soaked fruit (which should smell amazing by now)
6) Add the chopped nuts and fold in
7) Put into prepared tin (see below) and bake at 150 degrees C (gas mark 2) for around 2 hours
8) Once the cake is cooked, wrap it in foil straight away (still in its tin) to keep the top of the cake soft as it cools
9) Once it is cooled, remove it from the tin and wrap it in a double layer of greaseproof paper and a double layer of foil.  This version of Christmas cake will easily keep for up to six weeks in an airtight container, if you store it in a cool dry place.
10) Every couple of days add a bit more brandy to the cake and by Christmas day it will be moist and delicious!

How to prepare your tin
Prepare your tin by cutting out two circles of greaseproof paper the same size as the base of your tin, and two long rectangles that are slightly longer than the circumference of your tin, and 12cm wider than the height of the tin. Fold each of the rectangles in along one length, about 2cm from the edge, and then snip small triangles out of the folded section (as if you are making a frill). Hold the two rectangles together (to make a double layer) and use them to line the tin, with the frill side at the bottom of the tin. The triangles you cut out should allow the frill to sit on the bottom of the tin. The circles then go on top of the frill to line the base, and your cake mixture will sit on top of this. The lining should be sticking out about 10cm above the rim of the cake tin. (See photo above).

All ready to send off to be iced by my young friends...

Icing your cake

If you want to ice your own, first spread a layer of apricot jam over the whole cake, cover it in marzipan, then royal icing and whatever decorations you fancy. 

Then tuck in!

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What's in your christmas cake this year?

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More Christmas goodness here in the Countdown to Christmas

Do What You Love interview: Abigail Borg

Multi award winning young surface pattern designer and illustrator Abigail Borg is riding high, having just been awarded 'Best British Pattern Design 2010' by Elle Decoration at The British Design Awards.

(image courtesy of Abigail Borg)

Just two years since winning New Designer of the Year 2008 award for her collection of hand-drawn and digitally-printed wallpapers, Abigail’s wallpapers, cushions and fabrics are now stocked in Liberty of London and in stores across the world. She also has freelance illustration clients like Laura Ashley Home. I talked to Abigail about her phenomenal success, and how she is managing her rapidly growing creative business.

(images courtesy of Abigail Borg)

Ever since you graduated from Leeds College of Art your feet haven’t touched the ground – what has been the most exciting thing about your journey so far?  I think just being able to do what you want to do, and feeling happy with that is the most exciting thing. No restrictions, trends to adhere to, colour palette to work with. If what I design looks nice and people who I show like it, I'll go ahead with it. This formula has worked for me so far, so I'm happy to carry on working like that. I am also very excited to move into a brand new studio in the New Year – it's in an old Victorian hall, surrounded by woods in the Worcestershire countryside. I went for a viewing the other day and there was a deer, squirrels and a pheasant in the courtyard! That totally won me over.

When did you first realise that surface pattern design was your thing?
From an early age I was always drawing and painting for friends, of course then it was just something to do to get out of doing maths and biology homework. As I got older I decided I wanted to go to University so took a surface pattern degree. For the first year and a half I didn't know what I was doing and felt uncomfortable, until we had a brief set by Graham & Brown to design a collection of wallpapers. I think this was the turning point for me, and I knew from then on I wanted to design for the interiors market.

How would you describe your personal style?

I like classic looking things with lots of colour and pattern to them - that goes for in the home and clothes. I especially like mid-century design, as well as late Victorian – there was no compromise in colour or density, and the designers really went for it.

(image courtesy of Abigail Borg) 

Did it take long for your particular design style to develop? Was that evolution organic or did you specifically try to design with certain inspiration in mind?

I've always loved flowers, nature, anything organic. We were encouraged to set away from florals during University, as everybody designed with them and we were told to develop our own individual styles. I've always loved vintage and Arts & Crafts design, so on designing my final collection decided to delve deeper into the workings of archival designs. This was when I decided to hand draw all of my work, and concentrate mostly, but not exclusively, on florals.

You set up in business on your own this year, just 18 months out of college. Can you tell us a bit about the learning curve you faced to get where you are now?

I have been on a massive ongoing learning curve since graduating. This has mostly being the business side of things, marketing, sales… All the things you weren’t told very much about at Art School. I was really lucky to be involved in the New Designers exhibition on graduating, as I think it opened a lot of doors for me. As for Liberty and Laura Ashley, they both got in contact with me – who knows where they saw my work! I think a major part of learning is being nice to people and listening to what people have to say. You may not like or agree with some things, but if you try and take something from everyone you meet on your way this can only be a good thing.

Abigail's wallpaper sells for £295 for a 10m roll

(image courtesy of Abigail Borg)

What do you wish you had known when you first started your business?  That you shouldn't take what everyone says as gospel, and that you don't have to be in London to be a designer. I think I put some pressure on myself in thinking this to begin with, but when I was working there for four months I didn't feel at anymore of an advantage, just paying twice as much for the privilege.

What is the ratio of time you spend designing vs marketing and managing your business?

I definitely do not spend as much time designing as I would like, I'd say probably 30% on an average day.

(image courtesy of Abigail Borg) 

And what about your life outside the business? What else do you like to do?

I like visiting friends around the country as well as friends at home I've known since I was in first school, also cooking, going to gigs, car boot rummaging, going for walks in big gardens in the summer.

What is the big dream for the business in the next five years?  As I said I will be moving into my new studio in the New Year, so I would like to be based here with a small team of people around me taking care of the business side of things leaving me more time to do what I love. I would also dream of having a shop front somewhere, selling my homewares which I would also like to expand. Finally I'd love to do some more big commission work, maybe designing a range of 'Abigail Borg' patterns for a big design house.

You can see more of Abigail’s gorgeous work on her website, along with her first foray into letterpress card design with this Christmas card:

(image courtesy of Abigail Borg)

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See here for more inspiring interviews with people doing what they love - like illustrator Claudine Hellmuth and writer Danielle LaPorte