Have been rather absent over the last couple of months, but have been dropping in on occasion - so many fabulous projects 
Class or Challenge Title: Summer Quidditch – Preseason Training
House: Hufflepuff
Keeper
Project Name & Page Link: Felt embroidery
Brief Description: I used felt and embroidery thread, both long term stash items, to create this felt embroidered birdhouse. (Pattern can be found on Etsy here - PDF pattern to make Pastel garden garland. Felt garland. | Etsy)
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Chaser
Project Name & Page Link: Flower bouquet
Brief Description: I created a bouquet of paper flowers for a friend’s birthday, these leaves provided some greenery. (All bouquet patterns can be found on the Canon Creative site.)
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Beater
Project Name & Page Link: Flower bouquet
Brief Description: The ‘paper’ bouquet needed a vase, and vases always need some flowers – these are the anemones.
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Seeker
Project Name & Page Link: Carrot cake (Best Carrot Cake Ever Recipe | Allrecipes)
Brief Description: I have been on the search for “that” carrot cake, the go to recipe, and I think this may be the one – it is certainly the best one I have tried so far. (Still on the hunt for a better cream cheese frosting though!)
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Quaffle
Project Name & Page Link: Flower bouquet
Brief Description: More flowers for the paper bouquet – this time red, red roses.
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Bludger
Project Name & Page Link: Bug twinchies
Brief Description: The tiny fussy cutting on these ladybugs and bees made this twinchie set difficult to make. Each bug had multiple parts to give a layered look, but they were so worth every tiny cut.
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Snitch
Project Name & Page Link: Fresh strawberry Victoria Sandwich
Brief Description: If I had to pick the one cake I would love to receive, it would be this one – light vanilla sponge, fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream.
I never use a written recipe for sponge cakes; first, decide how big you want your sponge (this was a 3 egg mix). Weigh the eggs in their shells and weigh out the same weight in butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, slowly beat in the eggs (bit by bit), adding a little flour if needed. Beat in the flour and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. If needed, add a splash of milk. Divide into sandwich tins and bake at 170C until golden and springs back to the touch. When cool, layer with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Dust with icing sugar.
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Broom
Project Name & Page Link: Blackberry cordial (Blackberry cordial | Sainsbury`s Magazine)
Brief Description: This blackberry cordial can be used as a drink, either with still or sparkling water, or could be poured over ice cream for a summery dessert.
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Beater Bats
Project Name & Page Link: Pea and blue cheese risotto
Brief Description: Making a risotto means a lot of stirring with a wooden spoon.
Have some warm stock (of choice, I used chicken) ready to go. Finely chop an onion and gently fry in a little oil and butter – I also added some dried sage at this time. Once soft, add a couple of handfuls of risotto rice and stir into the onions until well coated with the buttery mix. Start adding the warm stock a ladleful at a time and keep stirring until the stock has been fully absorbed. Keep adding stock a bit at a time and keep stirring. Occasionally try the rice until it just had a tiny crunch left in the middle. Then add your flavours – I used blue cheese and frozen peas, with a small handful of parmesan cheese – you don’t want anything that needs lots of cooking! You want there to be a little “ooze” left, you don’t want it to be dry. Serve immediately.
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Goal Hoops
Project Name & Page Link: Flight ATCoins
Brief Description: These ATCoins had the theme “flight” so I used some butterfly images.
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Gryffindor Project Name & Page Link: Boozy raspberry oat slices (You need to try these gintastic boozy raspberry crumble bars! — Craft Gin Club | The UK's No.1 gin club)
Brief Description: This was a completely new recipe to me and required some planning, as the fruit needs to soak in the gin. I used strawberries though, as I had them to hand – they were a little sweet for me, so if I used strawberries again I would reduce the sugar a little. I think if you used raspberries the level of sugar would be good.
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Hufflepuff
Project Name & Page Link: Chocolate cake (cake - Chocolate Cake - Preppy Kitchen - but frosting is whipped chocolate ganache)
Brief Description: This chocolate cake is a recipe I go back to time and again, it stays so good, even after a few days.
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Ravenclaw
Project Name & Page Link: Flower fairy ATCoins
Brief Description: I loved the flower fairy books as a child and I still love the images today. When the theme of these ATCoins was fairies, I knew what images I wanted to use.
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Slytherin
Project Name & Page Link: Beaded dragonfly
Brief Description: Not only was this a new technique to me (I have used beads in many projects, but not built up in this way) but it was also a huge learning curve. I first made this dragonfly with fishing thread (picture one) which I loved as it almost disappeared, but it couldn’t be lifted – it just flopped 
So I took it apart and used beading wire, which was so much harder to work with, but gave such an improved end result. (picture two)
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Part one - a very floppy dragonfly, that looked lovely when laid out flat -
Part two - I was so much happier with this version, and it is beautifully balanced -
Summer Quidditch Update! 
