Time to start a new quilt

The last few weeks have been a bit intensive - Lucy our 14 year old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes the day before she was due to start back at school, on 3rd September. It was very sudden, and she was not really ill at all, we just were lucky to spot the signs early. She was in hospital for a couple of days, then back to school again the day after, and has done all her injections herself from the very first one. There's been a very steep learning curve going on in our home, and adjustments to be made, but I think we are doing OK.

I really felt the need to make something last week though, and so started this very simple quilt - just some 9 patch blocks with wonky star bits added to 4 of the squares. I cut all the bits out for 12 blocks, and will sash it in off-white. I used some old Tanya Whelan fabric that I have had stashed away for ages.

A couple more Sizzix Cards

For this card I copied a card design by Gretchen Schmidt from the Sizzix blog. It uses one of the Pop 'n Cuts die with the label insert, the newish Hydrangea die for the scalloped border, and bird, tree and fence dies by Dena Designs. 

 I used a very old Sizzix Originals Jar die to cut out an acetate jar, for this card. and 'filled' it with Stampin' Up heart punched pieces.

Hexagon Quilt

I spent most of August at our house in France, and as I have no sewing machine or crafty stuff out there, out comes my hand sewn hexagon quilt. It is growing verrrrry slowly! I like it because it truly is just made from scraps and off-cuts from other projects. I use a Sizzix hexagon die for my cardboard templates inside each piece.

More Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts cards

Another couple of cards I made before my holiday, using some of the new Pop n' cuts dies and accessory dies from Sizzix. The first is a thank you card for some strawberry plants and raspberry canes which my sister-in-law gave us. I used a round movers and shapers die in the middle, with acetate behind the window, to stick the strawberry to.

 A simple birthday card. I like the rick-rac die cut, from the newish Sizzix Hydrangea die.

An anniversary card for my Mum and Dad - this time with the Pop 'n cuts on its side, with a circular movers and shapers die placed on one side, to make the window.

Sizzix Cards

I love Sizzix! Ever since I saw my first Sizzix machine on ebay, and was intrigued as to what it was, I have liked everything about them! I recently bought some new products, and have been trying them out. I bought a base tray for the Movers and Shapers range, plus some of the little magnetic dies which fix on to it.

This card uses the Mini Bird & Cage set. (The tab edge is cut using the Sizzix Tim Holtz On the Edge File Tabs die.)

 I also got a Sizzix Square Flip Its die, which makes a clever little card with a centre part which flips over when you pull the card open. I've made a load of cards for an auction which our church is holding to raise money for the kids' camp this summer.

I like the mini spool die from the Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Sewing Room set, on this card.

Paper flowers using Sizzix Flower Layers #10, and Flower Layers #8

 More cards using my trusty old Sizzix Cupcake & Icecream die (retired), and a new Tim Holtz On the Edge Pennants die.

 These were some cards Harry and I made for Harry's classroom assistants. We used Stampin' Up treat cups for the flower centres.

 I also managed to get hold of a retired Sizzix Hello Kitty Sizzlits die, and this card used the Tim Holtz Pennants die again too.

 Movers and Shapers magnetic cupcake die (which attaches onto the metal base tray, and so can be placed wherever you want onto your card blank.)

 Movers and Shapers Mini Tattered Florals dies, used to make the bottom flowers, on each card.

 Movers and Shapers Mini Butterflies

 And finally a card using the Sizzix Bigz Reindeer Flight die.

String Quilt Cushion

 I also realised I had not put pictures on of the cushion cover which I made for my nephew. It was waiting for ages for its binding to be done - I had a bit of a finishing-off-projects-blitz a while ago, and have almost nothing left that I am working on!

(The tutorial for how to make the cushion is here.)

Picnic Quilt

 I realised I never took any pictures of my picnic quilt, which I finally finished off a few months ago. It's probably my least favourite quilt - the quilting design doesn't stand out very well and there isn't much contrast in the fabrics I used, but it does serve its purpose in that it's quite good at disguising picnic spills! It has a dark grey fleece back (again - not something I'm too precious about if it gets totally grubby.)

I took these pictures at a picnic we went to on Saturday.

(It coped OK with a slight melting cake disaster, anyway!)

Mojo Monday cards & a new addition to the family

I made a couple of cards using Mojo Monday's layout:

 ...and we have a new addition to the family - my 9 year old finished off his sock monkey this evening. I did the machine sewing, but he sewed on all the limbs etc.  I love that he made a heart and a brain out of felt, which are stuffed in roughly the right places!

Male Birthday Card

A card I made a couple of days ago for Scott's Uncle. 

I got the design from a card I saw on Pinterest, (original is here) and thought it would adapt well for a male card. The owls are cut using a Stampin' Up punch, the balloon is Sizzix, and the cake is cut by hand.

Super Cheat Cake!

My sister told me a while ago about a super cheat cake, so I thought I'd give it a go to celebrate my birthday last week... I have quite a few photos of the process, thanks to Lucy, my 14 year old daughter taking 214 photos in the short time it took to assemble it!!! (Hmm...wonder who she takes after?)

So: Ready made flans (though next time I would make a Victoria sponge cake and use layers of that - more moist), Tins of Caramel (I used ready made condensed milk caramel), tinned peaches sliced very thin, double cream whipped up with some icing sugar (and I added some creme fraiche for the outer layer), and fresh fruit to decorate.

 Layer 1 with the toffee spread on, and a peach layer going on top of that. After that put on some cream, then the next flan case:

 Second layer ready for some cream:

 Third layer with the cream going on top:

 The whole thing covered...

 ...then roughly smoothed with a palette knife:

 Stick some fruit on, et voila!

 It tasted pretty good straight away, but was better after a bit longer, once the flan had moistened up. This is why I would use proper Victoria sponge cake - the flan sagged a bit as it got more moist, whereas I think the cake would keep its shape.

70's Birthday Cake & Lemon Cupcakes

 I had a busy baking week last week. I made this cake & cupcakes for two friends' joint 40th birthday party. It was a great night! I danced the night away in my 4 inch platforms (and paid for it the next day!)

The party was themed in green and purple - probably my least favourite colours, so I can't say I really love the cake, though I did like the little records! 

I used a new stencil set for the shapes, though it was a complete nightmare to get the shapes out the cutters. Thank goodness for plunger cutters is all I can say - I used Clickstix cutters for the alphabet, and these pop out dead easily.

I also had one of my very best friends, and her lovely family come to visit last week. It's wonderful to pick up where you left off, as though you had only seen each other the week before, when in fact it has been 4 years! 

I made some lemon cupcakes - real lemon essence in the cake,and buttercream, and lemon curd piped into the centres.

Easter Cake

I made a fruit cake some weeks ago (because I was mourning the last of my Christmas cake), and happily, its maturing coincided with Easter, so here is my Easter cake.

I only got round to decorating it last night after the kids went to bed, but no-one else likes fruit cake in the family, so actually it's just for me!

 It was my first go at what I would call a 'proper cake', so I covered the cake board in fondant (ready-to-roll) icing first, and had a go at making large roses, with CMC powder added to fondant icing, to make it a bit firmer to work with. The roses had set nice had hard by this morning. The cake has a layer of natural marzipan under the icing.

 I glued some cardboard flags to thread, and tied them to bamboo kebab sticks, for the bunting.

 And then the best bit... getting to eat it!