Morning all,
Due to general all round skintness and the fact it keeps me out of trouble we will be making most of our Christmas gifts this year.
I want to make a slate cheese board (with home made chutney) but I’m not sure the best way to seal it so if anyone in the hive mind knows I’d be grateful.
So is anyone doing the same and what/ how are you doing it?
Cheers
Matt

Nice idea. Does it need sealing…. doubt it.

Google reckons it does – something to do with slate dust, and the possibility of an upset stomach but that’s the internet for you. I’ve found reference to using olive oil, but I would have thought a coating of PVA might be more permanent.

Kind of homemade (and went down really well).

Coloured string and novelty pegs from Staples, prints from somewhere online – also got a box from Paperchase to put it all in. I think it came to about £8 all in.

You can use a high quality olive oil to seal and enhance the natural finish of the slate

Some manufacturers apply a protective acrylic resin coating to make their cheeseboards food safe, reduce chipping and prevent staining.

Oh well, shows how much I know!!

I want to make a slate cheese board , I’ve found reference to using olive oil, but I would have thought a coating of PVA might be more permanent.

Oil applied and re-applied every now and then would be better than PVA I’d have thought wgich doesn’t age well and may crack and yellow…

Luckily, I work with me hands and also work in the Art and Design department at a college so am making teddy-sized beds, with fully fitted sheets and duvets(courtesy of the upholstery department) and also a silver ring that I’ve designed to go with a bracelet that I made previously for me bird.
I’ve also bought the wee girl a lovely pink helmet and have pimped it out with some butterflies…

Last year I made loads of fish slices and wooden butter spreaders…

Kayak those fish slices are beautiful. You is sell this thing?

Nice fish slices Kayak, I wish I had your skill but I don’t…
Olive oil it is for the slate.
Anyone else with ideas? I need inspiration as I have a big family and don’t want to give them all the same present!!!!

Kayak the butterfly pimping is also v good how did you do this?

Make the chutney

Make jam

I make a hamper up for my parents every year. Rather than buying something I put together food I have picked that I think they will like. It hasn’t failed yet.

We bought a cheap unpainted dolls house for our little girl and are in the 5th week of decorating it, the garage and over 100 bits of furniture.

How I hate this dolls house.

Pimped dolls house car. 😀

The lad is getting a painted diorama and animals, vehicles, people etc for his Playmobil farm.

Nice motor HTS. I like the idea of a diorama for playmobil, I might try that for my son but with Lego Starwars; I could use black paper cut stars into it and use a torch to light the back.
TooTall – mirabelle plum jam, sloe gin and red onion chutney have all been prepared!

Crab apple jelly from the tree in the garden, Christmas puds, green tomato chutney using the leftovers from the garden, dried garden herbs done in the airing cupboard and a bottle of wine in an as-yet undecided hamper of some description (preferable something useful such as a wooden box or whatever I can find in TK Max!)

Last year we made a fig and walnut slice to serve with cheese which was very nice as well. The Good Food mag usually has ideas this time of year.

Kayak those fish slices are beautiful. You is sell this thing?

I’m pretty handy at most creative and practical things(if I say so myself) but unfortunately have never possessed the ‘turn it into a money-making scheme gene’…

Kayak the butterfly pimping is also v good how did you do this?

I just bought the stickers off the company below. They have an Ebay store too where the stickers were cheaper actually…
Wall stickers

Am going to make my wife a wire frame sculpture of a torso holding the earth in its hands and a papier mache heart inside, possibly illuminated 🙂 We have a craft room at home with an enourmous amount of materials avaiolable so it shouldn’t be that hard.

Current problem is that the baby sleeps in the craft room so finding time will be hard. The end result may well be shit, but it’ll be made with love and that’s what’s important to us. My wifes creation will be infintely superior 😉

Nice motor HTS.

Ta.

I like the idea of a diorama for playmobil, I might try that for my son but with Lego Starwars

We’ve found that having a play mat / diorama keeps all of the toys in one place (apart from the two missing pirates who seem to have jumped ship)

4′ x 2′ sheet of MDF = £7.49
Tin of white vinyl silk paint = About a tenner
Acrylic colours to mix with the white = £1.50 each

No need to seal/varnish it if you mix with the vinyl.

Paint yourself a shuttle landing bay!

Endor forest scene with scout walkers FTW! Or maybe Hoth and an AT-AT.