Sunday 28 March 2010

Flower Power

Back to work tomorrow after a weeks holiday. I didn't manage as many challenges as I would normally although I made some jewellery which turned out quite well. So here is my final challenge entry for this week, an Easter card and matching pillow box filled with liqueur filled chocolate eggs, which fits with multiple challenges.



I've used a Penny Black stamp coloured with Copic BV13, the DP scrap is Pink Petticoat, a Fiskars border punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder and some glitter.

Incy Wincy Designs: Spring
Fussy and Fancy Friday: Easter
Lexi's Creations: Easter Theme
Pollycraft Challenge: Sparkly things
Cute Card Thursday: Dimensions
PaperPlay: Easter
C.R.A.F.T: Easter
Crafty Calender: Flower Power
Stamp Simply: Easter
Stampin' for the Weekend: Easter
Busy Little Hands: Cut it all by hand
Practical Scrappers: Something you've had for over a year... The Pink Petticoat DP and the Penny Black stamp
Stamp with Fun: Easter
Charisma Cardz: Spring has sprung

Thanks for looking!

Thursday 25 March 2010

Zingy Green

I'm being a little green in more ways than one. I made a card for the ABC challenge and I wasn't sure if I liked it - but I did like my handmade ribbon flower. So I whipped it off and made another card with some scraps, some hand stitching, a computer generated sentiment and the aforementioned flower with a new button attached.



I like the colour combination of black, white and green - very stylish - I think I'll use it again.

I'm entering it into the Charisma Cardz Challenge - Spring Has Sprung

Thanks for looking!

Q Is For......Quote

Here is my quick card for this weeks ABC challenge which is Q Is For Quote. My quote is by Dorothy Parker...Brevity is the Soul of Lingerie. The DP and image are by Pink Petticoat and the flower is just a piece of ribbon and a button.



Not sure on this one - I may have to recycle it later.

Thanks for looking!

Wednesday 24 March 2010

The Reason I Don't Bake....

Because I'm rubbish at it! I have a few things I'm not bad at - scones, tea breads that type of thing but the pretty, pretty stuff - well that's a whole other story. As you know cupcakes are very trendy at the minute and I love cute cupcake images on cards - so as I'm on holiday this week I thought I'd have a go at the real thing. I used the following recipe:

Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 1/2 large lemon, finely grated zest only
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the lemon butter icing

• 75g butter, softened
• 175g icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 large lemon, finely grated zest only
• 1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• jelly orange and lemon slices (optional)


1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add the sugar and grated lemon zest and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, then sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture. Alternatively, whiz all the ingredients together in an electric food mixer.

3. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the preheated oven for 7–10 minutes, until risen and golden. When cooked, the centre of each cake should be slightly springy to the touch. Remove the cakes from the tin and put on a wire rack to cool before you ice them.

4. For the lemon butter icing, cream the butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon or hand-held electric beater until very soft. Gradually add the icing sugar and beat into the butter, along with the lemon zest and enough lemon juice to soften the icing to a spreadable consistency.

5. When the cupcakes are cool, spread a generous heaped teaspoon of lemon butter icing over the top of each one (I also added some orange essence and food colouring to the icing). Decorate with the jelly embellishments (if using).

Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)

I followed the recipe, put the cupcake mixture into silicon moulds (they are brilliant) and put them in the oven. I set the timer for 7 minutes and had a look - not much happening, a further three and they are still really pale and haven't risen, a few more minutes still nothing and then I realise there must be something wrong with the oven - it is heating but obviously not enough. Emergency rescue whang them into the microwave and nuke them. Phew....they've risen but are still a bit 'peely wally' but it'll be OK once I cover them in icing.

So here they are.



They do taste good but I think I'll give the sweet stuff a miss and stick to the savoury in future. Oops I've just noticed I've got yellow food dye on my fingers as well - it looks as if I smoke 60 fags a day - not a good look!

Onto todays card. I've coloured a dahlia image I got from the internet with my new Pale Blue Copic (B32), I've stamped the leaves with a My Mind's Eye stamp, the green paper is from K&Co, the tartan is a scrap from a previous card and I've hand-stitched a zig-zag to join the two together and the sentiment is computer generated.



I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Little Red Wagon - Inspiration Photo
Crafty Calendar - Flower Power

Thanks for looking!

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Cool Bunny

Off on holiday for a week - fabulous! Managing to get some tasks done - cleared the box room yesterday and today defrosted the freezer (ugh...there was enough ice in there to keep a few polar bears happy) and shampooed the carpets. Time also for a little crafting in between chores and cooking.

Yesterday I made a card and matching pillow box which I've filled with liqueur Easter eggs. I'm entering these into Creative Inspirations - Anything But A Card and Pile It On - Furry Friends. I love these because they are very plain, with lots of white which emphasises the star of the show the cool bunny from Dawn Moore which I've coloured with my new Copics.




Today I've made a little card which will probably end up being a get well soon card. The DP is from Shabby Princess and the image is from Amber Ink. This fits with the Poppy Seed challenge which is buttons, polka dots and light moss.



I'm also entering:

Little Red Wagon - Copics
Crafty Creations - Spots and Dots
Allsorts - Spring
Crazy 4 Challenges - Spring
Digital Tuesday - Spring

Thanks for looking!

Saturday 13 March 2010

This Is It - THE Game

Hope you are having a great weekend. I've had a 'poo' week so I've rewarded myself again by only doing the things I like to do - a little crafting, a little cooking, some Pink Petticoat shopping and watching rugby....we're winning at the mo....3-0.... I hope it stays that way.

Anyway, here are my crafting efforts for today. An Easter card and a little matching pillow box filled with chocolate caramels....yum yum. The DP I got free from a mag and the stamp is Penny Black Whispers which I've paper pieced. I've added computer generated sentiments, some Craftwork Card Candy, some hand stitching and some pink velvet ribbon.




I've had this stamp for ages yet it's the first time I've used it. I've coveted it ever since I saw it on the lovely Kath's blog (I think it's one of her faves). Such is the Kath effect (she's the crafting world's equivalent of Delia) that it took me yonks to get it as it was always sold out....oops it's 3-3 now. Isn't it strange that after all that lusting I never got around to using it. Yaaaaaay we're winning again 6-3. Before it all gets too much I'm entering the following challenges:

Penny Black - Spring Colours
Secret Crafter - Anything Goes
ABC - Paper Piecing
Cute Card Thursday - Celebrations
By The Cute And Girly - Spring

Oh my word it's 6-6 now....come on Scotland....I'm like a woman possessed....COME ON! I'm going to have to sign off now as my nerves can't stand it.

Thanks for looking!