Crafty Cakes and Cards: January 2016

Hi, Welcome To My Blog

I love various different types of crafts and have had a dabble at most over the years, some with greater success than others. I believe that apart from loving and giving, being creative is the next most important thing to do. There is something about being creative that taps into something deep within us that makes us feel good with the world. But then we were made in the image of God, God The Creator... so I guess being creative will be second nature to us if we allow. The problem is that many people will not have a go because they make the mistake of measuring themselves against others... and that is just not a good thing to do. I create because I like to create, not because I have to impress anyone else or be better than anyone else. I created this blog with a lot of help from my son-in-law, as a personal scrap book that I am happy to share with others if they wish to take a look.... Enjoy <><

Sunday, 31 January 2016

Merry Monday Flat Card Challenge

The Merry Monday Challenge proved again to be just that because my husband could not find my 2 (only) Christmas stamps in the loft so I ended up producing the easiest card possible. The shape of the card and the Nativity scene were both die cuts. I just then painted the star and halos in gold on cream card... this doesn't show up very well in this photograph.

Friday, 22 January 2016

Merry Monday Warm Beverage Christmas Card

What a challenge..... a hot beverage and Christmas, not what I normally associate together, so this weeks challenge was just that. I decided to choose my most favourite drink and link it with the Christmas story by writing a little rhyme.... not my strongest point but it was fun trying.

Three Kings brought the best gifts
They thought for a King
Shepherds brought their presence
With praises to sing
If I had been present
Looking from stable wings
What gift would I have brought them
Well there is the thing

There's no doubt in my mind
What it was I would bring
That hot comforting beverage
In cups that go ching!
All ills are put right and
Good humour does spring
So get out the kettle
And let's hear it sing....

Tea...... best drink of the day!

Monday, 18 January 2016

Bouquet of Iced Cup Cakes

My daughter had seen a bouquet of flowers which were iced cup cakes. So this was my first attempt at re-creating it. I made a shallow gold round box which I lined with tissue paper and then iced some cup cakes I had baked using a flower tube and cut marshmallows. If you fancy having a go you can see tutorials on You Tube, which is what I did. I need another go to practice I think.

Guitar in Sugarpaste

Erica asked if I could make a copy of her son's beloved guitar out of icing to go on top of a birthday cake she was making him. This was the result. Made from Squires paste, this guitar measures approx. 10 inches in length. It is all edible apart from the strings which I used florist's wire for... the kind I use when making sugarcraft flowers. January 2016

Sweetpeas Birthday Cake

Sheila was giving up sugar craft and passed all her equipment on to me which was extremely kind. So as a thank you as well as it being close to her birthday, I baked and decorated a thank you birthday cake decorating it in her favourite flowers, sweetpeas. I made these using Simply Heaven Sugar Flower Paste which I bought from Amazon. It was very inexpensive and it didn't dry so quickly so it did give more time for crafting. I may give this another try. The only thing I wasn't so sure about was whether it dried as hard ultimately as the Squires. I will have to test them one of these days and compare.

D&G Handbag Birthday Card

Back to making my daughter's 2015 birthday card. With ideas not pouring in, I remembered this handbag she sent me a picture of which had been made into a cake. I don't know if she was hinting... but I didn't make a cake but a card instead. I was such fun cutting out all these lovely colours in card and assembling it.

Poppies in Sugarpaste

Jan got in touch.... it was a special birthday for her mother on remembrance Sunday 2015. She had requested poppies on her cake and as we live a long way away, Jan arranged for the cake to be made locally and I made the flowers using Squires red paste, although I did add extra red. These are a particular favourite of mine, I do love the vibrant colour.

Table Arrangement in Sugarcraft

We were asked to make a table decoration using sugarcraft to exhibit at the WI Lancashire County Show in 2015. I used Squires paste to create these flowers which I then put in a handcrafted pot made by a friend's husband.

Not only was it thrilling to get a 1st for this exhibit, but also was awarded best in show for the sugarcraft section and given a cup (temporarily) I will have to try and win it back again this year!