Friday 11 December 2009

Kirtie's HandMade Christmas - Rant Alert

Now I love Kirstie with the rest of the country, but I feel a little reality check is required here.

I was really looking forward to this and have waited until viewing all three episodes before letting rip.  I was hopiong to be able to watch it and get useful, practical, inexpensive, handmade ideas for Chritmas and maybe that was were I was going wrong.

Yes it was beautiful, the artisans were increadably talented, but cheap it wasn't!!  Gold leafing a pear, what a precious waste of good fruit, in addition to a frivolous, not make that mad way to spend £38 on a book of 24 carrot gold.  Dear lord that would buy most peoples turkey for the big day.




I was also starting to bubble when it came to the candle making.  There are much easier and less expensive ways for people to give candle making a go nowadays.  You only need use soy wax, take a look at my post on Tea Cup candles and  see whicks n whacks for suberb and value candle making kits.  Yes they looked stunning, but who has 3 weeks to let things set and then time to top them up and melt the tops to make them all even.


Oh and do not get me started on that poor bear - £75 for the mohair, MadDad nearly fell off his seat.  He has just received a wonderful bear from Abby at Mutterings from the Moor a very reasonable price he tells me, which he has put away for my birthday.

Then let me move on to the soap, it doesn't have to take 6 weeks or however long to set and involve all those ingredients.  Just take a look here at the wonderful Violet Posy's blog and how she and her daughter made soap for Christmas this year.  I wouldnt let my children near any sort of acid!!

Right I am going to step down off my high horse and go and take a look at all the Thrifty Christmas Ideas which were posted at Violet Posy's.  You know you could do a whole lot of more economical and excellent gifts if you do too!!



I guess my idea and Kirstie's idea of homemade differ somewhere along the way, plus please Channel 4 can I have some of these wonderful people to come and finnish off all the projects I start!



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18 comments:

Dawn/LittleGreenFingers said...

Am so pleased to find a fellow ranter! I can't believe you sat through three programmes. I only caught the one last night and it was enough to drive me mad.

We are obviously kindred spirits with our matching Kirstie-bashing posts!

skirts and wellies said...

That program deserved a rant. I didn't comment on it as I thought I might be a bit jaded because she rejected us to be on "Homemade Home". I totally agree with the cost issue. Who has money to buy all the kit they used to make those lovely candles or the beautiful baubles hanging off the presents that probably cost more than the gift. Oh well, I guess we should just see it as gathering ideas to make better, cheaper homemade projects ourselves.

Unknown said...

I'm so with you on this. I tried to watch her Homemade Home series but got fed up for the same reason. At the time my husband was out of work, we didn't know how we were going to pay the mortgage and there she was doing up her second/third home in Devon and taking us on a tour of her stately family home for 'inspiration'. Maybe it was just sour grapes but I couldn't stomach it. This Christmas show had some nice ideas but could have done with a much more thrifty approach in the current climate. But I suppose Kirstie's never had to do thrifty has she?

Not such a yummy mummy said...

I totally agree. One minute she's buying a £1 70's cookbook for her sister, the next she's gold leafing a bloody pear? She's having a laugh! I have taken notes form Thrifty Christmas and will be making A Mother's Ramblings chocs instead of Kirstie's 'chilled on a solid slab of marble and made with the finest 80% dark chocolate' truffles. And I will be using smart price chocolate because I actually am poor and need cheap Christmas pressies. Bloody posh people pretending to know what it's like. Fnarr.

Anonymous said...

It was a bit rubbish, wasn't it? I had to laugh at the whole "look at what I made" thing, particularly with the crackers, when it was quite clear that she did a tiny bit then got the artisans to actually do the stuff she showed off. Not exactly "home made" if you're getting someone else to do it. I will also be checking out Thrifty Christmas, have just had a guilty pleasure moment on Martha Stewart's website, and of course am always checking out what you've been up to for ideas for the kids!

Floss said...

Check out Elizabeth at French Village Life, who has made a spoof version of the now infamous golden pear! I don't get UK TV, but it does seem that this has been the talking point of the bloggers' Christmas!

Unknown said...

I loved watching it, because I love christmas tv and anything handmade, but....! Yes completely unrealistic! I so agree, there is no way I would be buying those very expensive things! How much for a book of tiny 22 gold leaf pages? Thats just ridiculous, oh but, you can eat it too! Daft! I left a reply on my blog about my arm! Nelly the elephant! Hee hee! Suzie. xxx

Unknown said...

Oh yes and another thing! When the bit about candles came on I was talking to the telly (I do that sometimes!) " you can get wax that you melt in the microwave you know!" I think I will edit my post and put a link to this wonderful post, on my fleeting mention of said program! Yes thats what I shall do right now! xxx

BadPenny said...

Haven't seen it

I'm going mad !!! email is .net at the end not .com

Oh and you have an award on my blog !

Louise said...

I haven't watched them yet but at least I've been warned. I'm sorry that it was such a disappointment for you...I can imagine how much you had been looking forward... x

Elizabethd said...

Mmm, tend to agree. Kirsty is a sweet innocent? maybe, but she does need to look at the rest of the world with eyes open.
however, it was a lovely colourful programme to watch!

Local Girl said...

Thanks for the love! I've finally caught up on the whole show and although I loved some of the ideas, more of them were insanely expensive the teddies (how many bears can I buy for £75!!) and the gold pears were just nuts.
I hope idea of the show is to make you think about what you can make...but I'm not sure??
I'm proud of all the ideas we came up with for Thrifty Christmas and I hope they have helped some people.
Coming New Year the Thrifty Kitchen Makeover :) x

Mary Poppins said...

Ohooo dear don't all shout at me but I loved it, yes many of the things were unachievable and far too pricey for me but so much Cr** in my life at the moment it was lovely to be transported to another planet thank you ;) I thought K looked a little tired though, but feel the programme is getting a right olde slating all over the www, think there are worse people to pull apart out there than KirstieMAllsopp, enjoyed reading comments, thanks for sharing :)

I love a good olde debate ;)

Hugs

M

X

Snafflesmummy said...

yes, i was disappointed too. I watched the series for some ideas and inspiration but was left lacking. Lots of good ideas but will have to find other ways to do them.

Ffi said...

Kirstie was so funny in the programme - was she pregnant again?
Her ideas that everyone would have glass making, candle making, chocolate making courses nearby made me and dh scream with laughter!! Not here me ducky!!

Kaye Swain said...

Hopped over to visit for A Pause in Advent, and stayed to read a bit. I didn't see the show but you're the second to write about it. LOL - does seem a bit over the top. I'm with you on the candles. Beeswax candles are another beautiful and easy candle to make. :)

menopausalmusing said...

Wasn't it tosh? Thank you very much for your candle making post and for the link to the soap one. Realistic makes by real people.

Unknown said...

The words; thinly veiled advert on prime time television for her £2000 per week holiday home spring to my mind... funny that

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