July/August 2022

Ideas

Packed with creative ideas and inspiration

Ideas2 min read
From The editor
The ink had hardly dried on the Italian government’s decision to open their borders to South African tourists when my ticket was booked. I’d been searching online for over a year for a little place there and now, at last, I could go and see for mysel
Ideas3 min read
What’s New
Complement your winter meals with wines from Stellenbosch Hills. The 2021 Chenin Blanc (R63) and 2018 Merlot (R94) have strong flavour profiles, ideal to match with food. The Chenin Blanc’s fruity character and crisp acidity will cut through the rich
Ideas1 min read
Ideas
EDITOR Terena le Roux EMAIL terena@ideasfactory.co.za STUDIO AND STITCHCRAFT Dala Watts MARKETING AND FINANCES Marweya Smal INQUIRIES marweya@ideasfactory.co.za COPY EDITING Diana Procter and Marié Smidt STYLING Hannes Koegelenberg, Dala Watts and Ca
Ideas1 min readRegional & Ethnic
What’s In Season
? Apples ? Avocados ? Grapefruit ? Guavas ? Kumquats ? Lemons ? Limes ? Melons ? Naartjies ? Oranges ? Pawpaws ? Pears ? Pineapples ? Tomatoes ? Asparagus ? Beetroot ? Broccoli ? Brussels sprouts ? Cabbage ? Carrots ? Celery ? Cucumber ? Parsnips ? P
Ideas3 min read
Workin Style
This combination of muted black and grey shades, clean lines and light wood is very appealing in a work space. People who like things neat and orderly will especially enjoy working here. Bring in interesting texture by giving the wall a rough plaster
Ideas3 min read
A Dream Come True
COCOFEATURES.COM As a little girl Ingrid Nuys liked to draw farmhouses with shutters, thatched roofs and animals in a meadow. ‘As a child, I dreamed of living “outside”. Rural, preferably in a farmhouse, with cosy spaces, shutters that you can close
Ideas3 min readRegional & Ethnic
Winter Warmers
A hearty bowl of this thick and nourishing soup will satisfy your family’s hungry tummies. Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus overnight soaking Cooking time: about 2 ½ hours ♥ 250g dried black-eyed beans♥ 1ml bicarbonate of soda♥ 15ml oli
Ideas2 min read
Give It A Lift
DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: two hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ 2 battens cut to the length of your bookshelf♥ 2 battens cut to the width of your bookshelf♥ 4 legs (we bought ours from Gelmar)♥ 8 screws (these need to be double the width of your base or even
Ideas2 min read
Bread Bowls For Soup
Makes: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus rising time Baking time: 20 minutes Oven temperature: 200 oC ♥ 680g (1,250ml) white bread flour ♥ 15ml salt ♥ 7g instant dried yeast ♥ 430ml cold water ♥ soup, to serve Mix the flour, salt and yeast togethe
Ideas1 min readRegional & Ethnic
Pull-apart Cheese And Jalapeño Bread
Makes: 1 loaf Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus rising time Baking time: about 45 minutes Oven temperature: 180 oC ♥ 1 batch bread dough (use the same recipe as for the bread bowls on the previous page) ♥ 30ml melted butter, for brushing ♥ flaky sal
Ideas1 min readRegional & Ethnic
Herb Dumplings For Soup
Makes: enough for one pot of soup Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes ♥ 180g (330ml) white bread flour ♥ 12ml baking powder ♥ 3ml chopped thyme ♥ 30ml chopped parsley ♥ 3 spring onions, finely sliced ♥ 30ml finely grated Parmesan ♥
Ideas1 min readRegional & Ethnic
Beef Stock
Makes: about 3 litres Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: about 5 hours Oven temperature: 200 oC ♥ 2,5kg beef soup bones (ask your butcher)♥ 100g tomato paste♥ 3 onions or leeks, roughly chopped♥ 2 sticks of celery, including leaves, roughly c
Ideas2 min read
Packaging Your Soap
You need special packaging to show at a glance that your soap is handcrafted and unique. The packaging is an integral part of your business brand and must tell the story of your soap. It should also give more information about the scent and the ingre
Ideas7 min read
Happy Soap
FACING PAGE: Make the soap according to method 1 (see page overleaf). Mix opaque soap in different colours, pour into rectangular silicone moulds, leave to dry then remove from the moulds. Now cut these soaps into different sized pieces, as desired,
Ideas4 min read
Starting Up
Even if you have a good idea of what you want to sell, the red tape can seem overwhelming when you decide to start a business. To make it easier, we have listed four major categories to help you do things properly and get to the stage where you can s
Ideas1 min read
Denim Art
DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 12 hours ♥ jeans♥ pictures or printed fabric of your choice (see our examples on the pages overleaf)♥ anti-fray fabric sealant (like No Fray or Stop Fray)♥ fabric glue (optional) or pins♥ embroidery thread♥ embroidery needle♥ s
Ideas3 min read
Coat Of Many Colours
DIFFICULTY: advanced TIME: 10-12 hours ♥ 1,5m each of about 4-6 different coloured fabrics♥ 2,75m lining♥ 1m iron-on interfacing♥ 1 pair shoulder pads♥ 5 buttons (or open-end zip fastener)♥ coat or jacket pattern of your choice (ours was especially d
Ideas4 min read
Bohemian Shawl
DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: one week 165cm x 55cm ♥ Nurturing Fibres Eco-Fusion (125m/50g):– 1 ball Sweet Pea– 1 ball Sahara– 2 balls Persian– 4 balls Gigi– 1 ball Old Gold– 4 balls Vanilla– 2 balls Mulberry– 2 balls Ruby Pink♥ 4,5mm crochet hook♥
Ideas6 min read
Happy Feet
♥ DROPS KARISMA from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B):– 100 (100, 100, 150)g colour 77, light oak– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 01, off-white– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 11, orange– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 48, wine red– 50 (50, 50, 50)g colour 30, light
Ideas3 min read
Doing The Costings
After all the making and packaging, it is at last time to sell those lovely soaps. So now for the big question: How much to charge for your home-made soap? Some people will simply check how much other handmade soaps sell for and pick a price that is
Ideas1 min read
Crochet A Border
♥ tea towel♥ crochet yarn (we used Nurturing Fibres Cotton)♥ 4mm crochet hook (or size your yarn suggests)♥ darning needle ch – chain stitch dc – double crochet sl st – slip stitch sp – space st(s) – stitch(es) yo – yarn over 1 dc, ch2, (yo, pull thr
Ideas1 min read
How To Knit A Cable
♥ 1 x 100g ball of chunky yarn ♥ 5,5mm knitting needles ♥ cable needle ♥ tapestry needle Square with cables 21cm x 21cm ♥ k – knit ♥ p – purl ♥ rep – repeat ♥ st(s) – stitch(es) Follow the 'To knit' instructions below right. When you reach Row 5, fol
Ideas2 min read
Special Touches
DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: eight hours per napkin ♥ embroidery design of your choice♥ plain napkin or 50cm fabric to make your own♥ tracing method of your choice♥ embroidery hoop♥ embroidery thread♥ embroidery needle♥ sharp scissors Finished napkin 48cm
Ideas3 min read
Zipped Up
♥ fabric ♥ lining ♥ matching colour zip ♥ matching colour machine thread ♥ sewing machine ♥ dressmaker’s pins ♥ 10cm ribbon Determine the size of your pencil case (or make-up bag) and add 1cm seam allowances to all 4 sides. The length of the pencil c
Ideas2 min read
Good As Gold
♥ item to decorate, such as a wooden frame ♥ gold leaf ♥ water-based size (gold-leaf glue, such as Mont Marte Water-based Gilding Adhesive) ♥ brush for applying the glue ♥ clean, soft brush to brush over the gold leaf ♥ sharp scissors ♥ tweezers Make
Ideas2 min read
Floral Showstopper
♥ 1 cake cut into layers ♥ cake plate ♥ butter icing (recipe below) ♥ black gel food colouring ♥ gel food colouring in your choice of colours for the flowers ♥ offset spatula ♥ scraper (optional) ♥ Dresden tool ♥ small petal nozzle ♥ nr 5 or 6 round
Ideas3 min read
Fire Up Your Creativity
Renew and reduce. This has been one of my themes for my life this year, and now in the heart of winter – as nature is preparing for revival – it is a call to action. The most luxurious richness the season places at our door is the reminder that every
Ideas1 min read
Marbled Clay
DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 24 hours ♥ a few drops of black water-based paint or ink ♥ air-dry clay divided into 2 equal pieces ♥ tin can ♥ rolling pin (we used a dowel stick) ♥ 2 pieces of acetate ♥ masking tape ♥ muslin fabric Work on one of the pieces
Ideas2 min read
Dress A Chair
I have always had a soft spot for pretty fabric. And I definitely have too much to use just for sewing projects. Decoupaging a piece of furniture with fabric is a wonderful way to use two favourite items in your house to make something lovely and new
Ideas4 min read
Good To Know
● Just as you wouldn’t spread butter on bread with a serving spoon or dish up the lasagne with a butter knife, so every painting task has its own tools to make the process easier and more successful. ● It’s important to choose top-quality paintbrushe
Ideas10 min read
Paper Love
‘I stepped into the bookshop and breathed in that perfume of paper and magic that strangely no one had ever thought of bottling,’ writes Carlos Ruiz Zafón in The Angel’s Game. The novel is about a return to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in Barcelon
Ideas3 min read
Journals With Heart
Eighteenth-century books with battered corners, others from the early 19th century boasting grand gold letters on hard covers – these are some of her most precious possessions. It is, after all, this valuable material that Lynette Jacobs from Somerse
Ideas1 min read
Nature’s Stamp
♥ leaves of your choice ♥ craft paint in the colours of your choice ♥ sponge brush ♥ paper Pick a variety of leaves in your garden – it’s fun to experiment with the different shapes – but make sure the veins on the back stand out well. Use your spong
Ideas5 min read
Books to Read
diana@ideasfactory.co.za BY JOHN GREGORY-SMITH (WELBECK, R445) John Gregory-Smith shares over 60 recipes that are big on taste yet simple to whip up, all featuring a Middle Eastern twist. The secret to effortless culinary magic is a few punchy store-
Ideas2 min read
A World Of ideas
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Ideas7 min read
Massage 101
Deciding what to choose from a menu of massage treatments can be confusing and overwhelming for spa and salon customers. TIP: Most businesses have a ‘signature treatment’, which means it is their speciality and unique to who they are and what they mo
Ideas4 min read
Mindfulness Toolbox
Living in a constantly changing world comes with challenges. Although change is nothing new to the human story, the kinds of changes we are currently experiencing are different in their speed and far-reaching impact. This is due to powerful technolog
Ideas4 min read
You Said It
He moved past me and I felt no presence, no existence, no energy. I experienced emptiness in his aura and in his eyes. It upset me immensely and I turned back home to get him something to eat, but he was gone when I returned to where I had seen him.

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