Happy Easter....and another day crafting!

Hi All

Happy Easter! Hope you are all having a lovely day and haven't eaten too many easter eggs! We had no plans for the day (apart from tea at the in-laws later) so I decided to do a bit more crafting before I get back to work. Hubby decided to re-organise his DVD collection...enough said! Lol! I hope you enjoy looking at my creations!

My first card was definitely a challenge! I would like to enter it into the Winter Wonderland challenge and this week they would like you to make a card of a Christmas silhouette! I found this really tough as I couldn't find a stamp that I could make into a silhouette at first but I am happy with the final result. It isn't my normal style of card but I might have another go at a batch of these. It was really quick to make and looks quite modern! I might have a go at using different colours (not just black) to make some really funky Christmas cards.

My next card is for the Cute Card Thursday challenge which was 'No Text'. I had to be careful not to include any backing paper that had text on, as well as remembering not to put a sentiment on. I think this image of Tilda is so sweet. This would make a lovely festive notecard, I love the colours and the bit of sparkle with the ribbon.

My next card I would like to enter into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which was to create a 'Happily Ever After' card (to tie in with the Royal Wedding this week!), something to do with love, a wedding or an anniversary. I struggled at first to find one of my Penny Black stamps that were suitable....I don't own any of the wedding or love sets...must put some on my wish list! I did find this gorgeous little image though and I think the little hedgehog is proposing to the bigger one using the flower in her hand. I thought it was cute anyway! I now need one of my friends to become engaged and I can send this card to them! I would also like to enter this card into the Sketch Saturday challenge. I really liked this sketch and I have used variations of it on a couple of the cards I have made. Definitely one that I will use again!

Over at Just Magnolia this week, the challenge is another great sketch. Again, one that I will definitely use again, in fact I have on another of my cards in this post! I used this opportunity to try to get ahead with some of my Christmas cards and have used this fabulous Santa Edwin image. He is a real cutie. I have also used some paper that I have had in my box for ages but haven't got a clue what make it is! The red paper contained words that you would hear Santa Claus saying himself like 'Naughty or nice' and 'Checking it Twice'. Must try and find it again as I think I have used most of it up now! I would also like to enter this card into the Papertake Weekly Challenge-this week you needed to use spots and stripes. I love this Christmas paper.....it is really festive but could be used all year round.

I absolutely love this image of Edwin and Tilda under the mistletoe. Only after I had completed this card did I realise that I'd forgotten to stick on the bench I'd stamped and coloured for them both to be sitting on! D'oh! Never mind....I'm sure noone will notice.....! I would like to enter this card into the Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenge. Again this was another sketch and one I will use again.

And my final card today is for the challenge over at A Spoonful of Sugar. The challenge this week was 'Let's Celebrate'. I have been itching to use my cupcake Tilda and Papermania Cupcake papers for a while now. I loved making this card, it is very pink and girly....just my kind of card!

That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed looking at my cards....I am hoping that I might be able to take part again next weekend as we have a long weekend again. Then it will probably be the Summer holidays before I can join in again....if I can join in before then I will do. I have really enjoyed getting back into my crafting this week and have loved joining in with all the challenges. Fingers crossed I can join in again really soon!

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Baking Day!

With the return to work on the horizon, I thought I would make the most of today by having a go at a couple of new recipes. I have always wanted to have a go at making a Victoria Sponge cake and braved it today! Who better to get a traditional recipe from than Mary Berry herself. I bought one of her recipe books a couple of weeks ago and have been looking forward to having a go at a few cakes in there. Victoria Sponge is one of my favourites and I was really nervous about having a go, but for my first attempt I was pleased! One of my cakes sunk a little in the middle (so that one went on the bottom layer!) and I think I put a bit too much buttercream in the middle but apart from that I thought it went well. I have popped a photo below for you to have a look at. I have had a taste and it tasted lovely, very rich though so you only need a slither!I then made a few chocolate chip cookies....ashamedly out of a packet! Lol! I have to say that in the past I have enjoyed making cakes/biscuits out of packets but now I have found my baking mojo again I found it less than fulfilling! I wish I had made a mixture myself as it wouldn't have taken very long! Nevertheless, they taste very nice and they were a quick addition for tea tonight! I then had a go at another recipe out of Mary Berry's book which was for a chocolate and vanilla marble loaf cake. I have never made a loaf cake before but thought I'd have a go! It was easy to make-same mixture as a victoria sponge cake but half of the mixture was to be mixed with some cocoa powder to make the chocolate side. I bought a silicone mould but think I need to invest in an actual loaf tin as I overdid the mixture a little and therefore it stretched the mould! Lol! Came out a bit bigger than I wanted so I cut it down to size and then 'tested' the bits I'd trimmed down...was yummy! The decoration was chocolate icing with some white chocolate to decorate but I didn't have any white chocolate so I just did without. I think the cake would be fine without any icing really. It has a lovely colour to it. Haven't had a proper slice of this yet so will let you know what it tasted like with the icing on later.

Finally, I made some good old crispy cakes! You can never go wrong with these and I always make some at Easter with mini eggs like little Easter nests! I need to invite some people over I think so I don't end up eating all this myself! Will definitely need to get back on my diet when I'm back at work next week! Lol!

Hope you've enjoyed looking at my cakes. I am starting to feel more confident with my baking again and am thinking of getting into sugar craft....would love to be able to make decorations for cakes. I will keep practicing with my cakes to get them perfect and then move onto the next challenge!

Happy Easter and thanks for dropping by.

Hugs
Arline

xx

Is it too early for Christmas?

I woke up this morning in a Christmassy mood....not sure how normal that is for April! Lol! I decided that I would crack on with some Christmas cards....as I was supposed to be starting them yesterday. Whilst I was blog hopping yesterday, I found a few Christmas challenges so I thought I'd have a go! The first card I made today was using a gorgeous image of Tilda....she is so cute just waiting under the mistletoe for her Christmas kiss. I'd like to enter this into the 'Winter Wonderland' challenge which was to include some mistletoe somewhere on your card this week. I was on a roll after I made this one so I used another Tilda image of her and Edwin skating. I used some of my neglected Papermania papers that had been sitting in my craft box for a while and finished it off with a few bits of card candy! I'd like to enter this into another Christmas challenge for the Sparkle Creations Weekly Christmas card challenge where this week, anything goes! They also have a link to their shop with some gorgeous stamps....think I may be making a purchase very soon!

My final card for now is another Magnolia image....this one is where Tilda is decorating the Christmas tree. Again, I used some of my neglected papers and a little bit of ribbon to finish my card off. I'd like to enter this one into Fab's Big Christmas Cards Challenge where the challenge was to use baubles and ribbons on your card. You could make either one or four cards as it is a monthly challenge....I may try to make a few more using this theme if I get chance.

I have really enjoyed making these Christmas cards and having a go at the challenges. I am hoping that I can make a few more before I am back at work next week! Thanks for looking and I hope you have enjoyed my little creations. Hugs Arline xx

A day of crafting!

As it is the Easter holidays I decided to have a relaxing day crafting! I initially started off with the intention of starting my Christmas cards but I then had a look at some of the challenges I used to take part in, and some new ones too. I was inspired to have a go at them and really pleased I did! I might even have time to do some Christmas cards whilst cooking a roast dinner later! Lol! So here's what I've made. I started off last night making a few ATCs...haven't made any of those for ages so really enjoyed making them.

My next card is for a challenge I have never entered before, the Crafters Companion Challenge Blog. I absolutely love Crafters Companion products so really enjoyed using my Popcorn the bear stamps on this one. The challenge was to use the colours 'Aqua and Brown'. I found this really difficult at first and wasn't sure it was going to look right, but once I found some aqua and brown crafty items I was away! I was really pleased with the end result and thought the colour combination really suited a man's card. I also had a go at an easel card...think they may be my new craze!

I'd like to enter my next card into a number of challenges! Firstly, I have made this for the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is to make a card inspired by the weather. My 'Gorjuss Girl' is enjoying the rainy weather! I would also like to enter this card for the 'My Time to Craft' challenge which was to include some kind of spots or dots.....I used some embossed spotty card and dotty ribbon. The final challenge I'd like to enter this card into is the 'Papertake Weekly' which was to add some dimension to your card and so I have decoupaged my image here. So a triple challenge card! My next card is for the 'Just Magnolia' challenge. the challenge was to make a birthday card as it is their 2nd birthday, and so I used this really cute image of Tilda shopping. I really enjoyed taking part in this challenge again as I love working with Tilda and her friends! They are so cute! Happy birthday 'Just Magnolia'!

My final card....for now(!)....is another birthday card and I would like to enter it into two challenges. The first challenge I'd like to enter it into is 'Sketch Saturday'. I have really enjoyed taking part in this challenge again. I really struggle with the layout of my cards sometimes, so challenges like this really help me to vary my style of cards! I would also like to enter this into 'A Spoonful of Sugar' challenge which was to use animals on your cards, so I have used this really cute Penny Black cat on my card. This is another challenge I used to take part in, so it has been lovely to have a go at it again. I have really enjoyed taking part in these challenges again, and trying a few new ones too! Hopefully I will get some Christmas cards done so that I can get a head start! Hope you enjoyed looking at them and thanks for looking.