Halloween, or every little bit a bibbity, bobbity… BOO!

Boy did I have fun at cake class in week 5!  As Halloween was coming up, we made a pumpkin cake… or at least that was the plan!  I ran out of time (again) and didn’t manage to put the face on the pumpkin in class, so mine was more like a Cinderella, bibbity, boppity, boo cake! 

Every week, our teacher gives us a new recipe to try and this time had a go at making a chocolate cake.  I had a bit of an accident getting the first sponge out and it broke in two, so I had to mix up a second batch and bake again.  But at least I got to taste the broken chocolate cake and my oh my, it was scrummy!  Great recipe Tracy – thanks!  

Making the sponges into a pumpkin shape certainly had its challenges, but I had loads of fun trying, and such a laugh with my friend, Claire.  I don’t know what I’d do without Claire – she sure makes cake class fun! 

As I didn’t finish before the end of class, I had homework again.  Just a few more leaves around the bottom to stop the tendrils looking like worms and a black Jack-o-lantern face completed the cake.

 

The edible bright green glitter was my favourite bit… love it! 

My lovely neighbour, Gill, has two little boys, so I knew exactly where my cake was going!  According to the eldest, Louis, it’s the best cake he’s EVER tasted, although I think he might be a bit biased…   

And my cake inspired me to make a punch art card too … using pumpkin pie cardstock …what else? 

 

All supplies from Stampin Up.

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Flower daisies…

I have been having such a blast! Ultra busy but having such fun with my crafting friends!

At cake class in week 4, we learned how to make flowers from sugar paste, and I may not have made a lot, but what I did manage to make in class I was pleased with …

 

I loved the little calla lilies and I loved the way the carnations turned out too. I know there’s room for improvement, but for a first attempt it wasn’t too bad. It really helped that you use the same principles to make sugar flowers as you do when making paper flowers, so that helped me a lot!

And making the sugar flower plaque gave me the inspiration to make this wedding card that my friend asked me to make for her friends, Sam and Amy…

 

I love the bashful blue and whisper white together – reminds me a little of Wedgewood …

All supplies from Stampin Up.

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Flight of the Butterfly…

Cake course … week 3 – butterfly cake… 

Last time in cake class we iced a round cake, so this time we had to ice a square one… now that was interesting!  Mine was square-ish …

The first job was to cut butterflies from flower paste and leave them to dry while we iced the rest of the cake.  Then, we embossed butterflies all over the cake and cake board and painted them in different colours using powdered food colours mixed with alcohol…

I was really rushing towards the end of class and was virtually speed painting… but unfortunately still didn’t manage to finish painting my butterflies in time. All my flower paste butterflies crashed and burned so I had nothing to stick to my cake …

Next time I think I should drink the alcohol … it might improve the look of my cake! 

 

 Still, once I added some beautiful blushing bride ribbon from Stampin Up around the base of the cake it finished it off… and hid some of the rough edges… 

 

Keeping with the butterfly theme, I made a vintage butterfly card for my friend, Jackie, for her birthday…

I used one of Jackie’s favourite designer series paper from Stampin Up, which has sadly now retired, but it is so beautiful I just had to use it. 

One of her favourite colours is green, so I added some of the beautiful seam binding ribbon in pear pizzazz, and a designer button in so saffron tied with some linen thread completed the card. 

We had a lovely day together last weekend.  We visited a craft fair in Port Sunlight, and went for lunch at the local French restaurant – Le Petit Bistro – delicious!  And then it was back to my house to cut into the cake! 

I’ve still got a lot of improving to do, but bit-by-bit I can see my cakes are getting there…

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Build a blossom …

Cake course update… week 2 – blossom cake…

I had such a great time in cake class on week 2 and learned so much!  Tracey taught us all about cake levelling and crumb coating … I only wish I’d known about that when I’d made my wedding cake all those years ago! 

We learned how to colour our own icing and use flower cutters to make the decorations…

I ended up making so many icing sugar flowers that I was determined to use them all on the cake!  Definitely none of that “less is more” here! 

The Victoria sponge itself was good – Tracey’s recipe and hints and tips have definitely helped me there – but I’m still learning when it comes to rolling out the icing and it was a bit too thick so there was too much of it on the cake.  Oh well, must try harder …

As my dad would have said… it tasted all right to look at! 

Anyway, back to what I am more familiar with ….

I made this card for my friend using some of the new in-colours from Stampin’ Up!  I used pool party (is it just me, or does that look like the Tiffany blue? ), wisteria wonder, lucky limeade (my favourite ….after pool party that is!) and calypso coral.  In fact, there is only one more in-colour in the collection, island indigo, but I kinda liked the look of the card the way it was so didn’t want to add another colour. 

 

Did you know,

if you join Stampin Up during October 2011 –

you will receive an in-colour bundle, worth £27.95, absolutely FREE? 

How fab is that? 

Click here for more details

I stamped the card using the For Everything stamp set from Stampin Up - a fab set and great value - you get 11 stamps for £23.95 in wood, or £18.95 clear mount. 

I didn’t need to use the stampamajig as it was really easy to line up the blossoms of the flowers.  I then mounted it onto an A6 calypso coral card base and with a touch of dazzling diamonds applied with a two-way glue pen for some added sparkle, my card was done! 

Thanks for dropping by today