Poncetastic thread

[WaitingForEgg]

Is there a poncetastic thread this year? I am itching to ponce!

Thanks for the lovely welcome and I would definitely be in the Cheats Guide to Poncing team!

I've found a photo of the Epsom salt snow jars from a few years ago. Not a great pic and not the best effort on the jars but you get the idea.

I'm looking for some inspiration for how to decorate our inglenook fireplace. It's not a traditional inglenook as the fireplace has a door to another room to the side but the 'entrance' to the fireplace for want of a better term is inglenook style- 2.5 metres high and 3 metres wide. No beams and the wall is painted F&B Downpipe with exposed brick on the chimney breast. I have been meaning to decorate it for years but am stumped as to what won't cost a fortune or require more than my limited crafting talent.

Any of you clever ladies have any ideas?

Thanks Chilly. I think I'll make them big as I can and see how I go. And yes, of course it's all about the look! Re cheating - I was very tempted to just 'improve' the tat stockings everyone already has. The thing that stopped me in the end was the realisation that I'll need a fallback when it gets to mid December and I've nowhere near finished the new ones!

Oh my missmargot an inglenook - faints with jealousy I have always dreamed of an inglenook fireplace and a brown leather chesterfield! I love the epsom salts jars too. I was watching a gruffalo'c child making-of documentary and they made their snow with sudocrem mixed with salt!

I have just finished my fireplace transformation but it is in a rental so I was very limited. Awful, discoloured brass has been spray painted black matte with BBQ paint and the marble has been acetone scrubbed to death. I can hang a stocking there, hooray!

I don't want to put pins in my admittedly hideous abd needs replacing mantelpiece. Has anyone come across any ideas for readonably priced stocking holders?

TheWooly I am coveting those cones! They have polystyrene cones in Hobbycraft, and I am so tempted...

*I apologise for my spelling! I am not full of cold - I have to type quickly as DS has hands like an octopus whenever he sees my phone!

I've officially started my Christmas poncing! I put my Christmas vodka in the fridge last night so will leave it for a few days and see how it tastes, I'm so excited! Think I'm going to use the fruit for my Christmas cake afterwards.

Ponce - I have made the mincemeat. The newborn just gave me long enough to jar it this evening, just!!

Looks gorgeous what and what a thoughtful new born you have!

Have chucked some mini squashes and pomegranates into a bowl for a bit of autumnal ponce but nothing for Christmas yet.

A few people have asked for a timetable. I don't normally do much alcohol etc. I have looked online and can find Christmas dinner planners and Martha Stewart type craft planners but nothing that lists what to do when starting in September.

So can you share what you do when to help those novices? Say in

Summer
September
October
November
December

Chillywhippet great idea.

I'm considering making a smellable wreath to hang in the kitchen, cloves and orange slices and cinnamon with pine twigs. Obviously want it to last until Xmas but I think I might just make it now for a practise run and then refresh it nearer the time.

Every time I try to do the dried orange slices, it just doesn't seem to work well. I'm going to make one more stab at it this year, and then give up.

Last year I tried doing the oranges and cloves and hanging them. They went mouldy. I want to make Christmas pudding vodka but don't like vodka so looking for a substitute if anyone has an ideas?

I'm not sure if this has been discussed but does anyone have any recommendations for vodkas to use? We don't want to be spending a fortune on Smirnoff but don't want paint stripper tasting pretty vodka?!

Occasional poncer signing in!
Binglet I have done Blackberry whisky and raspberry vodka in the past and cheapo Aldi spirits have been fine.
HTH

Susan, this is just an educated guess, but I reckon Christmas Pudding Rum would work well.

Chilly, the late Sept/October jobs are mincemeat making (haven't done that yet for years), Christmas cake making, and starting the sloe gin (for next Christmas, in my case: I give it a whole year).

Christmas pudding rum!! Mmmmmmm yummy

Off to Google a recipient for that!

*Recipie!!!

Although I am sure that recipients won't be hard to come by...

[Fgrin]

Lumela - thanks. Will get a mincemeat recipe sorted and do that next weekend. Mince pies more popular than cake in our house. I love Christmas cake but will end up eating it all

I am busy with autumn poncery at the moment, but looking ahead to Xmas, does anyone have any ideas as to what I can do with a huge binbag full of pine cones? Surely I can make them into something useful for decorating?

Oops I fell off the thread!

I have another question

When is everyone planning on starting chutneys/jams. I plan on doing nigellas chilli jam and Mary berrys Xmas chutney? When's best time to do it?!

Dp makes them in this house, and he tends to do chutneys at half term (he is a teacher) and chilli jam in December