May Rudolf Day and Lea Gardens

 The end of the month is approaching fast so it is time for Rudolf Day once again over at Scrappy Mo's. I have created two little scenes using Inkylicious stamps and my ink dusters. The first has a sentiment from Honey Doo Crafts and on the second  I used a Sheena Embossing folder. I might add a sentiment eventually - for now it will do.

Do pop over to Mo's blog and take a look at the fabulous inspiration from her and the DT. Now spring is finally here, we have had a couple of outings recently, one of which was to Lea Gardens in Derbyshire, where there is a fantastic collection of Rhodedendrons, Azalea and Camelia. There is also a lovely tea shop! Here are some photos (I took lots!)

 The colours, scent and variety were a feast for the eyes!

 

By the pond we spotted lots of red damselflies

 and in the pond were lots of newts!

 Finally, take a look at the cakes!

Thanks for looking!

Meg's Birthday Card

It was Meg's birthday on Monday, and I decided to make her card using Oliver the Owl from Hobby Art. I used ink dusters to create the background and stamped grasses and seed heads from the set for the background. I coloured the owl with alcohol markers. Later I decided to try and create more of a night time scene using the same stamps. After hubby told me it wasn't straight, I added some ivy to Oliver's perch in order to disguise the wonkyness 😁

I am quite pleased with the result. As the challenge at Allsorts this week is  I spy and needs to begin with B, a Barn owl (also a bird) would seem a reasonable choice, so I'm entering it there.

We had a lovely meal in Sheffield at a place called the Italian Kitchen. Before I go here is a photo of the cake I made to take with us 

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Inky backgrounds

 As I said in my last post, I decided to take a trip to PDA Cards and Craft to escape the quiet house...several pounds later I emerged clutching a stack of card, some stamps and a couple of ink pads. I didn't find all the Woodware stamps I was looking for, but I did find Large Fennel, which I used on the first two cards. I now need small fennel too, having seen the samples the ladies there had made.

When I got home I thought I'd better clear a bit of the mess on my table and found some lovely bits of card coloured with Distress ink re-inkers and a water spray. If I remember rightly I used squeezed lemonade, seedless preserves and either ripe persimmon or spiced marmalade. I lay the card onto the inky wash and keep alternately spraying with water and laying on snippets of card.  The first card on this post was probably the last spray of the inks before it got too pale for me. I found one last bit  which was an almost perfect fit for this inkylicious picture perfect stamp

I'd mounted this one on the card before I decided it needed a hill in the background, so masked the rest of the card and added a hill with ink dusters. Unfortunately I managed to get a smudge on the white base card, but a well places die cut leaf soon covered it up. All stamping was done with Versafine black and then embossed with clear embossing powder.
Do you want to see what else I have been doing for the past couple of days?


These are Rhubarb and Ginger Muffins, and finally...
Soda Bread!
The Chocolate cakes raised £28 for Karate class trophies and medals this week. I was very happy with my soda bread and have decided to venture further into making bread not using a bread machine.
Thanks for looking and feel free  to help yourself to a cake  - all calorie free, lol!

Where has the week gone?

I have had a week off work and it has flown by! I have been busy making but unfortunately I can't show you most of them until August! What I can show you is a cake and a card I made for my lovely God-Daughter who was 24 this week.
The cake was a Carrot cake...

 I adapted the recipe and left out the nuts, decorating the top with some golden sugar sprinkles on the cream cheese frosting.
Here is the card...

Most of the stamps on this scene are from Lavinia Stamps. The cat is so much like one of my god daughter's cats! I created the background with my ink dusters and Distress inks in squeezed lemonade, Dried marigold and Shabby Shutters. I also used memento inks in rose bud, olive grove and tuxedo black.
We have a very beautiful kitten who has begun visiting our garden. It has no collar, so no bell, and is stalking the birds. I will have to resort to the squeezy bottle of water soon as I do not feed my birds so they can end up in a cat's stomach, however pretty he is! If you own a cat, please make sure there is a bell on their collar to at least give the birds a fighting chance, especially at this time of year with so many fledglings around. Please excuse me mentioning this, but I put the same effort into looking after my garden birds as many people do into looking after their pets, and I have seen quite a few casualties recently.
I will leave you with a photo of one of the Dunnocks that lives in our garden and has been very busy this week, flying backwards and forwards taking food to the nest.

 Thanks for looking!

Warning! You may put on weight just looking!

When I asked Meg what she wanted to do for her birthday she said 'Karate', so as her birthday falls today we are both going to her regular Thursday class. We aren't going empty handed though...
Meet the Banana Cupcake...

...a light banana sponge topped with cream cheese frosting, dried banana chips and a drizzle of toffee sauce! New for me, next is the Rolo Cupcake...

 ...a chocolate sponge with a secret caramel centre, topped with chocolate and caramel frosting and a rolo! Adapted from this recipe( I left out the chopped rolos from the cake mix and added 25g more flour). Only taking 11 of these with us as we had to test one! Here are the rest though...

Finally we have the 'Death by Chocolate Easter cake' which carries the warning 'Consume at your own risk!'

This cake is being raffled off to raise funds for the Karate Club, and has already raised about £30! Hoping for a few more ticket sales when they see it for real tonight!
I have inhaled rather a lot of icing sugar and all I can smell is chocolate - can sugar get into your blood stream through inhalation?! I hope not!!!
Right, I'd better go and finish cleaning up - enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for looking!

Butterflies and flowers

I made it to Mrs A's first Butterfly Challenge just in time! I made a monochromatic card using the Inkylicious Daisy fields stamps, A hero Arts butterfly and a sentiment from Inkylicious. The inks are Shaded lilac Distress ink and Memento Grape Jelly. As the matte and layers and butterfly are all made from snippets I am also taking this to the snippet playground. I am also entering this into Brenda's 5th Bloggerversary draw  where she asks us to use our favourite craft item. Mine is definitely my ink dusters, which I used here to get the lightly shaded and graduated background. I know Brenda loves her butterflies too, so I am sure she will like this one.
Here is a closer view of the butterfly...

I feel the mojo is more or less back to normal now, thank goodness!
Do you want to see what else I have been making?

Feel the calories!!! I made it for one of the Sensei at Karate who gives Meg a lift home from senior class every week, not that we are trying to slow him down or anything, lol! I have offered to make another that we will raffle off to raise funds for trophies and medals, like the one Meg won in December.

As it was half term I have trained at two classes this week and did a karate seminar on Saturday - Five hours of Karate in 3 days. I am pleased to say I can still walk, lol! A few aches and bruises, but nothing serious. I must be fitter than I thought!!!
Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments.

Safely delivered to Inkylicious and some sneaky peeks

Well, I had a lovely drive up to Batley this morning to take my sample cards to Deby for the Inkylicious Create and Craft show on April 28th. I was a little nervous as I handed them over, but I am happy to say Deby loved them. We had a good natter and a cuppa before I set off home again to cook pizza and birthday cake for Meg. The cards will be accompanying Deby to Create and Craft for the show at 5pm on 28th April.  I am treating you to two sneaky peeks of  my  Inkylicious creations today.

There will be a range of very versatile stamps on the show that I know you will love! I have had such a great time playing with them and I am really pleased with the results. There is another programme due next month too with lots more lovely stamps to come. I will leave you with a picture of Meg's Rocky Road Birthday cake - made gluten free for one of her guests.

Thanks for looking!

Cake with glitter!

 This is what I made this morning. My niece is celebrating her 30th Birthday today, as on the actual day she will be working. She is in the middle of a project on Dragonflies for Cheshire Wildlife Trust, so the green icing and blue edible glitter had to be used!

The cake is a carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting and the dragonfly's wings are dusted with gold - they looked better in real life!
I am off out to another party this evening - My friend Sarah is 40 tomorrow. I may well be falling asleep by 9.30 - not used to this social life business!!!
Thanks for looking!

Creative in the Kitchen

Well, the mojo is still a bit lacking, so I've stopped looking at the craft table and made a few cakes. This first lot I made last week, and they are Peach and Basil Muffins. I know it sounds a bit odd, but the flavours work brilliantly together. It is a great way to use up those peaches and nectarines that go from solid to overripe in a few hours, too!

This weekend they look a bit less healthy. First up we have the Mocha Cupcake...

That is a mini chocolate finger on the top. Now I'm normally not thrilled by chocolate cake, but with the light coffee frosting I found them very tasty! I need to have another go at the frosting, as although it tasted great it looked a bit dodgy! Finally we have the apple and cinnamon cupcake...

This one has a lovely light golden sponge made with light brown sugar, cinnamon, and grated apples from our Bramley apple tree in the garden. It is topped with honey and cinnamon flavoured frosting.
I've finished off the afternoon by watching Barbara Gray, and I feel a few ideas coming on now! Hopefully I'll be back with a card or two before too long. Thanks for looking (Wish you could smell them too!)