Thursday 22 December 2011

First Christmas Cake

Well today I made an unfamiliar cake, a Christmas cake. I'll be honest, my baking is quick and easy, not something that can be said about Christmas cake (it took 3 1/2 hours just to cook it!), but when I saw a BARGAIN in Sainsburys I couldn't resist. They had a Christmas cake kit reduced from £12.99 to.... £2!!!! It had everything you needed to make the cake (flour, fruit, nuts etc) amd you only had to add butter and eggs, and decorations, but those were things I already had.
So today I had the time set aside to make it, and another Ann Pickard inspired idea for the decoration. I even found a tutorial on Youtube to show you how to make the snowmen if you haven't seen her before. Its here.

Anyway, here it is, in all its glory! I added some coal to their bellies, but unfortunately the food colouring ran a little bit. Think I was a little too liberal with it!
As this may be my last post before Christmas I'd like to wish you all a very blessed Christmas time, and I pray you would know the joy of Christ this season.
Happy Christmas!
Bethan x

Sunday 18 December 2011

Painter and Decorator 60th Cake

Well today is my dads 60th birthday, and I couldn't let the occasion pass without making him a special cake.
 He's a painter and decorator by trade, but for the last 25 years has run his own wallpaper business, so when I saw Ann Pickard make a painter cake a few months ago on Create and Craft it stuck in my head. I only thought about making this cake a week ago though, and by then it was too late to order the book, so I just went from memory.
  I also wanted to incorporate the fact that my dad is a huge Burnley FC supporter, thus the scarf around the edge and paint colours.
 Although my dad loved the cake, his first comment was "you could have given me more hair!"
Here you see his little painters overalls.

The letters on the paint can and the numbers on the top were cut using some alphabet cookie cutters I've had for years.
Just like the penguin cake I made for my husband the top of the cake is completely separate, and can be removed, as we're saving them for our birthday party in January.
Hope you like it!

Thursday 8 December 2011

Final Candy Winner

Well my bloggiversary celebrations are now officially over, and this weeks winner is Maz, who won by default!

I have to apologise for my lack of posts recently, but card making has been on a back burner to cake baking, Christmas shopping, work and general busyness. I'm hoping to make some tomorrow night when Honey is on his works Christmas do, so watch this space!

Friday 2 December 2011

Happy Birthday Penguin Cake!

So today is my lovely Hubbies 30th Birthday. Unfortunately he hasn't been very well, and we had to cancel his birthday takeaway and family coming round. I had already made his cake though, although we haven't had a chance to sing and put the candles on.


Following on from making Monkeys cake for his birthday (the badger cake can be seen here) I was really sad to cut up the top, and actually took off the badgers and kept them for a while. Afterwards I saw Ann Pickard on Create and Craft teaching people how to make sugarcraft models, and she suggested doing the main sugarcraft on a separate board to simply sit on top of the cake. So this is what I did! The ribbon around the top is to conceal the join, and I will be able to take off the penguins and keep them for our birthday party which is in a months time, but also to keep for as long as I have somewhere to put it!!
As I said before, I watched Ann Pickard on C&C, and these penguins are made to her instructions. I couldn't decide how to have them all on top, but eventually decided to sit some on little ice blocks, and to make a hole in the ice. Finally I thought it was missing something and made some little fish and a little fishing rod.

Thursday 1 December 2011

Final Blog candy and winner 3!

Well we're in the final week of my Bloggiversary, and for my last little giveaway I have an Emma Thomson Dandelion stamp of Dandelion in the bath. I can imagine this on a new baby card, or a relax and enjoy yourself card. All you have to do to enter to win this stamp is comment below. I will announce the winner next week on the 8th December.
Last weeks winner of the Bazzill basics embellishments was Maz. Congratulations!