Printing Workshop = Weaving Workshop

The printing worshop was a hive if activity again today. Lisa taught them weaving techniques but she always puts a twist on things. The results were so effective. It wasn't John's thing so he replicated a Christmas card that he had received and showed us how to make origami Christmas tree cards. 

John's Christmas Card

Charlie and Lucy after a busy two hours

Next Week at Cafe Sustain

We have a really exciting week at the cafe next week...

Monday: Printing Workshop on Monday at 10am
Tuesday: UPSTREAM craft drop in from 2-4pm
Wednesday: Pottery Painting with Smiling Daisies from 10am and Knit & Natter at 10:30am
Thursdays: Willow star decoration making from 10am
Friday: A chance for a relaxing cup of tea and a chat with Ruth on Friday at 2pm.

Snowy Days and Pottery Painting

Thursday at the Cafe was snuggly and warm. We had all our heaters on and there was a real buzz. Katy set up a beautiful display of her plates and mugs and lots of people got busy making presents by painting onto them. If you missed Katy yesterday don't worry...she is coming back to Cafe Sustain on Wednesday 8th December from 10am. Katy takes away your creations and fires them in her kiln so you get a fabulous homemade gift in time for Christmas. It is lucky she is coming back as I was so busy recovering from a hairy trip through Bradninch that I completely forget to take photos of our creative customers.

This is our cafe car park before the gritter came

Smiling Daisies at the cafe

Tomorrow from 10am Katy from Smiling Daisies will be in the cafe. For £8 you can put a handprint or footprint onto a plate or mug. Katy will take them away and fire them in her kiln then return them next week in plenty of time for Christmas.

Sugarcrafting Workshop

Last week, on Thursday, Ruth Hawes ran a sugarcrafting workshop at the cafe. It was an evenign full of focus, concentration and careful driving on the way home. Despite the steady 70mph on the motorway and the careful cornering my snowman lost his nose. Jan's seagull (although she insists it is a penguin) lost something too but i can't remember what. Tip of the day was a piece of uncooked spaghetti poked through the body is perfect for keeping on the heads. Please bear this in mind if you are tempted to nibble on sugarcraft mpodels through the Chrismas season. If you want any tips or advice on what we learnt, please don't hesitate to ask.

All the resources

Carole and Jan making snowmen

Jan's Christmas seagull and her snowman

Joey's scary penguin

Busy Sandy

My Snowman

Printing Workshop

Another fabulous printing workshop at the Cafe this morning. This week the group had a ball marbling as you can see from the photos below. Sarah Hewlett is offering 10 minute taster session of either refexology and acupressure so Tracey popped out to enjoy a bit of that. The whole group went home with blue fingers so if you see someone around and think they have particularly cold appendages, give them no sympathy - it's our mucky pups!

Up and Coming Events at Cafe Sustain

Wednesday, 24 November

Feldenkrais Workshop - Force of Habit Part 2

Thursday, 25 November

 25% off everything SALE at Cafe Sustain

Christmas Sugar Crafting Workshop - Evening

Monday, 29 November

 Free 10 Minute Tasters - Reflexology & Acupressure 9:30am-2:30pm

Come along and have a chat with Sarah Hewlett and found out how reflexology and acupressure may help you.

 Tuesday, 30 November

 Free 10 Minute Tasters - Reflexology & Acupressure 3pm-5:30pm

Come along and have a chat with Sarah Hewlett and found out how reflexology and acupressure may help you.

Wednesday, 1 December

 Feldenkrais Workshop - Force of Habit Part 2

Thursday, 2 December

 Pottery Painting - Handprints & Footprints 10am onwards

Drop in session with Katy Foster. Pop by with your little one to create a really special Christmas present for someone special. For more details phone 01884 831300 and ask for the cafe.

Tuesday, 7 December

 UPSTREAM's Christmas Crafting drop-in (All welcome) 2-4pm

Wednesday, 8 December

 Pottery Painting - Handprints and Footprints 10am onwards

Drop in session with Katy Foster. Pop by with your little one to create a really special Christmas present for someone special. For more details phone 01884 831300 and ask for the cafe.

Thursday, 9 December

 Make your own willow star decoration - Drop In Session 10am-12noon

Willow Artist, Barbara Clift, will hold a drop in session at the cafe to make willow star decorations for Christmas. Everybody welcome. 

 We also have our christmas hamper raffle and christmas pudding raffle too.

Printing Workshop

This morning we had a fabulous printing workshop with Lisa Purchase. Lisa was starting a new project on stencilling.We had new members today which was lovely for all of us. 

A busy and creative printing workshop

Tracey and family getting stuck in

Charlie's tank inspired art

THE BIG HAT SALE starts on Monday!

THE BIG HAT SALE starts on Monday 22nd November at 9am. So come and grab your favourite before someone else does! We are selling all the wonderful hand-knitted hats knitted for our 'Knit a Hat' competition. All funds raised go to Children's Hospice South West.

Living Medicine - Alex Laird's Workshop

Medicinal Foods for Energy and Weight Loss Handout
Addes 24th November 2010...
This is my Greek Salad inspired Alex meal. 

It is a mixture of grains cooked as before, roast vegetables, fresh tomatoes and feta in a warm oregano, cider vinegar and olive oil  dressing.


Added 22nd November 2010...Ok Lottie and I have a new favourite Alex adapted recipe...

Now this might not look amazing but in the photo but this was the yummiest supper we've had in ages. So good it required a high-five between the chefs. It is our grainy mixure a la Alex, grilled mushroom with rosemary and butter, and Pipers Farm steak in homemade sticky sauce (3tbsp sunflower oil, 2tbsp soya sauce, 1tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 tbsp honey). Bit of a treat but so so good. We both had our special breakfast (see below) and Lottie was sure she wasn't as hungry when lunchtime arrived and thought it would be a good idea if she had some of the oatmeal mix after school sprinkled on her chocolate cake. I suggested it might be better in yoghurt and she agreed.

Added 21st Novemeber 2010...Well Alex has caused quite a stir with her workshops. I bumped into one course attendee on the way back from buying my ingredients and she had put what she learnt into practice with her whole family, I know Emma is trying things out because I see her progress on Facebook, Andi has written comments below and so it must have had a positive impact on her and I am well and truely on the way to eating better. What we are all amazed by is that a short session with Alex who taught us three simple recipes could have such an impact so quickly. I have found a breakfast that not only to I really enjoy but it is fun to make and it's doing me good. I have frozen raspberries in the freezer and I warm them in the microwave, spoon on organic plain yoghurt and then put 4 spoonfuls of my 'Alex mix' on the top. I don't have those mid-morning sugar cravings any more.

The salad and grain recipe are so simple and easily adaptable. I have put all my grains and pulses into jars so I pick and mix which makes it good fun and when Lottie (my little one) and I make dinner tonight it will be fun for her too as she can do the choosing. The grains are put into a pan with sliced root ginger, herbs (I love rosemary), garlic (unpealed), peppercorns and water and boiled gently until cooked. Then you use that as your staple. On Friday I mixed mine with tinned mackeral, Alex's beetroot salad, rocket and covered in dressing as an emergency supper after a long drive then yesterday I had it with sausages, sweet chilli sauce and left over roast vegetables. Tonight we are going to have it with thai curry paste and yoghurt. I am not sure what Alex would make of the mixing and additions but I will await her feedback.


I wasn't so keen on the seaweed and I have a lothing of bananas but I think that's ok. The point is that I am now eating fabulous things that make me feel so much better, they taste better than what I was eating before and they are wonderfully cheap to buy! The other bonus is that I have a store cupboard of things now to make a delicious instant supper with. I am always late home to an empty fridge but now I can always knock something up. Clever Alex and smug Joey. If this isn't very well explained and you would like to know more, email me. We can cook together at the cafe and I can do my best to show you what Alex showed us at her workshop. Or go to http://www.livingmedicine.org/ click on 'news and events' and then go to 'Foods for Energy and Weight Loss' and look at the notes.


This afternoon and tonight's course were excellent and I will tell you all about it at the weekend as it is too late in the evening to make any real sense and I am of to a conference for the next two days but I have put a link to the handout above and photos below.