Terrible Teens

Hello there,

Welcome back to my crafty little blog!

It's been a while since I posted....I'm not sure where times vanishes to these days! Work is so busy and my role in our local WI group also keeps me busy - this week was our monthly meeting and it was my turn to run the evening. I dedicated my talk to the dark art of social media - sharing my blogging story and how I use social media to support my afternoon tea blog and share the crafts I make. It was great fun and I enjoyed sharing my passion with others. We had a really mixed group of ladies, ranging from the IT savvy to those who really don't use social media at all - but everyone participated and asked questions. And since we were talking about my afternoon tea blog we decided it was right to enjoy a spot of afternoon tea during the evening....

Anyway, today I'm back with another fab challenge from Sweet Stampin....I say that....but I'm not so sure I found it fab when I was trying to decide what card to make! The theme is "terrible teenagers"....but my experience of teenagers....terrible or otherwise is very limited! I had to really think about this and in the end I decided to make a card based on my teenage memorise of shopping.....I didn't really enjoy shopping as a teen....but I think I was just odd as my friends all loved spending hours in the shopping centre!

So here you go.....my terrible teenagers card....

I'm not even sure that image looks like a typical teenager either.....but you get the idea!! My image has been stamped on card and coloured with my Promarkers. I have used a selection of patterned papers with a shopping theme and plain coloured papers - lots of layering here!I have then added a hand-written sentiment (my printer has given up on me!!).

For more terrible teenager inspiration pop by the Sweet Stampin challenge blog and take a peek at the fab DT cards that have been created this week. While you're there you can also take a peek at our fab sponsor!

I've also been crafting quite a lot recently.....lots of sewing has been taking place in my craftroom! here are some of my recent makes....

Lots of small zipper pouches (I love giving these are gifts), some flower brooches and my favourite.....a fab flamingo cushion! I just loved this fabric when I first saw it and knew I needed it in my life! This cushion has taken pride of place of my sofa!

Thanks for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx

Doilies & Dies

Hello there, Happy Saturday!

I hope you a well and have had a good week. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for another long weekend! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, whatever you have planned.

I have another trip into London today....this time with my Sister Lorna who has treated me a to a Burlesque afternoon tea for my Birthday! We're quite excited...but I have no idea what to expect...I'll report back soon!

So, this week we have a fab challenge for you at Sweet Stampin...we want to see your projects featuring doilies and dies. I decided to get pretty and sweet with my card....

 

I love this colour combo, I think it looks soooo pretty! This baking image is gorgeous too (although my colouring is a tad bit dodgy!!), thats exactly what I look like when I'm baking - ha, ha! I am of course fibbing here....I am such a messy baker, my hair would be a mess and there would be cake batter all over the place!

 

I've used one of my fab pre-cut doilies, and some die hearts which were cut using my Cuttlebug (which I should use more often!!). My image has been coloured with my Promarkers. I've created my sentiment on the printer (which finally works again) and added some doodling to one of my hearts with a white gel pen. Finally I added a little sparkle to the hearts on the image with my Stickles.

 

Pop by the Sweet Stampin challenge blog to see how the fab Team Abi ladies have used the theme this week. While you're there you can read all about the prizes are fab sponsors have on offer, we are joined this week by

 

 



and our monthly sponsor is

 

I'd also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Make it Monday

Passion for Promarkers - Special Anniversary anything goes challenge

I Love Promarkers - anything goes

 

If you get the chance pop over to these fab challenge blogs, there are some great DT cards on display.

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx

More than words.....

Hello there!

Happy Saturday....its a Bank Holiday Weekend in the UK....a lovely long weekend...plus we've had some lovely weather this week! What a lovely combination!

Soooo....we have a lovely challenge for you over at My Time to Craft this week....we want to see you using your sentiment as the main focus of your card. I love the power of words...especially on a card...you really have the ability to make someone smile!

Maybe a bit predictably I've gone with a baking theme to my card.....

 

Now first off....please excuse the hand written sentiment....I have very suddenly run out of ink in my printer!! I thought there would be some kind of warning...but no...I've run out just like that!!

 

Anyone who has popped by my blog before knows that I love baking....making cakes and breads in my kitchen makes me happy (a probably a little bit heavier than I should be!!). Therefore I thought this was the perfect sentiment for a card from me!

 

I've gone with a pink and blue colour combo, some punched flowers with gem stone centres, the tiny cute cupcake image and some faux stitching. I've coloured my image with my Promarkers and added a little bit of colour to the flowers too.

 

Pop by the My Time to Craft challenge blog to see what brilliant cards the DT have created this week!

 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Make it Monday

Love to Create - punches and or dies

Passion for Promarkers - to die for

Crafty Sentiments - the letter B (bling, blue and baking!)

Simon Says Stamp - Happy Mail

 

NOTE - to all the challenge blogs mentioned above - I had difficulty linking to you on Saturday, but it seems to be working today (Sunday)....I'm not backlinking I promise!!!

 

There is great inspiration on all these challenge blogs this week....pop by if you've got the chance and take a peek!

 

I also wanted to share with you my latest baking creation....I don't usually make cakes for other people, but a good friend of mine asked for cakes for a baby shower she is hosting and I couldn't say no!

 

 

I made twenty cupcakes in total, 10 blue and 10 pink (because they don't know if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl yet!) plus the plain white iced cake. Its the best royal icing I've done so far....I was so pleased with myself!

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx

Nothing makes me happier....

....than time spent in my craft room or the kitchen! As long as I am making something I'm happy! Plus I get to share the things I make with my friends and family...so everyone's happy...especially if I've been baking!!

I hope you are well and have had a good day. I popped over to the Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge blog earlier to see what sketch I could play with this week and to my delight I found out I was one of their Top 3! Thank you ladies...it always means so much to me to be picked out of all the gorgeous cards that are created. I will wear my badge with pride!

 

The new sketch that Sweet Sketch Wednesday have for us this week is really cool too..

 

Here is how I used the sketch.....

 

 

Yes....I've messed around with their sketch again!! I've added a sentiment in the top right hand corner instead of a flower...I hope that's ok!!

 

Isn't this image cute?? I've coloured it with my Promarkers and then backed it with soft peach and blue papers. I've added my hand written statement and some punched hearts.

 

I always say thats the secret ingredient in my baking...I bake with love!

 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Sweet Sketch Wednesday

Make it Monday

The Pink Elephant - hearts

Love to Create - Anything goes with a sentiment

 

Pop by all these blogs to see the gorgeous DT cards that have been created.

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx

Cards, bookmarks, baking and a podcast!

Hello there....I hope you are keeping warm in this chilly weather!

Have you had any snow? There was a little in Farnham on Monday morning, but thats long since gone!

Sooo....I haven't been around much lately...it turns out that the new house is taking up loads of my time! I have also been spending a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen...but more about that later!!

I wanted to share with you a fab podcast that I've discovered recently. I've just got into podcasts thanks to my sister...she'd always said I should give them a go, so I decided to search iTunes looking for something that took my fancy. Tha'ts where I stumbled across Joy The Baker...which is made up of Joy and Tracy...two very funny and very friendly ladies from America. There is a new podcast each week and they basically talk about anything and everything, but they are soooo funny that I always end up laughing out loud (I have to be careful where I listen)! They also both have their own blogs featuring their fab recipes and gorgeous photos. If you get the chance and fancy a giggle you should check them out...you can download the podcasts from iTunes or from the HomeFries website!

Soooo....what have I made today I hear you ask....well I was asked by a friend to make a Birthday card for someone who loves baking. I decided to give the stamps a rest and do some paper crafting for this card...in fact I got so carried away and decided to make a matching bookmark too!!

 

I love a pink and brown colour combo, its sooooo pretty! I've created my mini aprons from a selection of papers and some pretty pink ribbon. The sentiments have been created on my computer.

 

I'd like to enter these creations in the following challenges:

 

Make it Monday

Cupcake Craft Challenge - anything but a card

 

Pop by both these blogs to see the gorgeous DT cards that have been created!

 

Soooo...that's the crafting...what about the baking??

 

Well, I have been a busy bee recently....I have made my own bread rolls....

 

 

I have discovered that I LOVE baking bread....something about the kneading is very theraputic...plus you get yummy bread at the end!!

 

I have also made my own baked beans.....

 

 

Admittedly this took much longer than going to the cupboard and opening a can, but it was worth the wait...these beans are seriously tasty!!

 

Plus there have been some sweet treats....

 

 

Yes it's a melt in the middle pot of gooey chocolate! Yummy!

 

 

And of course there had to be some cupcakes somewhere!! These are yummy lemon and vanilla....hmmmm!

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx

Wonderful Day....

Hello there....Happy Friday! I hope you are keeping well!

Soooo....as you might know if you've popped by recently work has been so hectic and I've been feeling a bit poorly. So I decided to take today as an annual leave day.....and I have had such a fab day!

I've spent time (and money) in my favourite crafts shops, baked some really yummy cakes, made some cute chocolates, finally framed some pictures that I've had for ages, I watched a movie and made some cards! What an awesome and productive day so far!

Here are my latest cakes.....

 

These are adapted from a recipe that I found in this month's edition of Essentials magazine. They are a salted caramel cake with vanilla icing and a gorgeous caramel sauce. I am so pleased wiht how these how turned out!

 

These are my new pictures that are now framed, but need to be hung....

 

 

We found these when we were in Bournemouth in April!! I loved them as soon as I saw them and they'll look fab in my living room.

 

Soooo....on to my card for today....be warned....its a pink one.....

 

 

I've gone with a shabby chic feel for this card. I bought some recycled card blanks earlier today....I think they're going to make some fab Christmas cards! But I also thought they'd look quite good with some shabby chic on them!

 

The layout for this card comes from the fab sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday...I've used my mug image instead of the last square...hope thats ok ladies!

 

 

 

I've gone with soft pinks and white and that gorgeous beige paper...its soooo pretty! I've punched the corners of my plain pink paper to give them a softer look, then I've torn the pink and white paper for a distressed feel. I've also used some pretty lace, a die cut butterfly and my gorgeous stamped cup image. The image has been coloured with my Promarkers - ivory and cinnamon.

 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Passion for Promarkers - shabby in pink

Simon Says Stamp - punches and/or dies

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - fab sketch

Sir Stampalot - punch away (my corners used a punch)

Top Tip Tuesday - things with wings (my little butterfly)

 

Pop by all these fab blogs to see the gorgeous DT cards that have been created for inspiration!

 

Finally I thought I'd leave you with this little photo....there was one cake that was a lot bigger than the rest.....and I couldn't resist...I just had to make a special cake just for me!! It really was yummy!

 

 

Thanks for popping by today...hope to see you again soon!

Wedgie xxx

I have a new toy.....

.....its not for card making, but since I get a lot of lovely positive comments about my baking I thought you might like to see it anyway! I have got my sticky mitts on a Lakeland 12 cup mini sandwich tin....which means I should be able to make perfect mini victoria sponges, mini cheesecakes and other cute delights! I say should because my first attempt has been a little dodgy.....

 

Here I have a mini victoria sponge cake and come cute little coffee cakes!

 
 The wonky tops are due to me rushing (to use the tin!) and not letting my butter come to room tempreture before baking - silly me! However, the tin itself is fab...its got these little removable bottoms to help get the cakes out of the pan and its lovely and heavy (not sure why that makes it good, but it does!!). I'd highly recommend getting on if you are into your baking!

Anyway, enough about my baking....I have also made a card for you today!!

 

 

This little cutie is a Bugaboo image which I have had for ages, but I love...he also makes me smile! I've coloured him with my Promarkers and added a little sparkle with my Stickles. As this is a masculine card I have gone with blue plain and patterned papers. I've added a Birthday sentiment created on my computer.

 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Passion for Promarkers - for a man/youth

Papertake Weekly - Happy 5th Birthday Papertake! - anything goes challenge with an optional celebration theme

Oldie but a Goodie - inspired by a song - my image is over 6 months old and I was inspired by David Bowie's Space Oddity

Crafty Sentiments - Happy Birthday

 

Pop by all these fab blogs to see the gorgeous DT cards that have been created this week!

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Wedgie xxx

Another week....

Hello there, this is a bit of a sad post I'm afraid as I'd like to say that the past week has been incredibly sad for me and my family as my dad lost his battle with cancer last Friday morning. Some people might say its weird that I've shared this with you all, but to be honest writing it on my blog helps me remember that this has really happened as it all seems a bit surreal at the moment. Dad first battled cancer 4 years ago when he was diagnoised with mouth cancer - he won that fight with the care of some amazing doctors and nurses. This March, exactly four years after the first diagnosis we found out that he had lung cancer and unfortunantly this time it spread very quickly.

Over the last week we've met some extremley caring people who helped us all through this difficult time. If you ever want to donate to a charity and don't know which one, I can tell you from personal experience that Marie Curie Nurses are very deserving of anything you donate.

Now, I know that Dad would want us all to be happy (he said he was always too busy to be sad), so today I've been crafting...catching up on some challenges.

My first card is for last week's challenge over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday...Arlana has created a stonking sketch this week, which I thoroughly enjoyed using......isn't it cute?

Check out the SSW blog to see all the wonderful DT cards.I've opted for pink papers, along with that lovely flowery backing paper to highlight the image.

I've also created another card, using a digi image that I've created on my new graphics pad - this is a new toy for me and I'm not the world's greatest artist, so bear with me on this one!

The image is Wedgie (yes me!) in the garden and I created her for the challenge over at Cupcake Craft Challenge this week, which is "in the garden". Whenever I write a note to someone I sign my name and doddle this little lady, it always seems to make people smile so I thought I'd add her to one of my cards!

The cute layout for this card is a sketch from The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, which I've flipped on it's side. Since making it I've realised that I've missed the sentiment out so the ladies might not include me in their draw, but it was still fun to use. I'm also entering this card in the "spots, stripes and sparkle" challenge over at Sweet Stampin this week - the spots and stripes are on the baking papers and I've added sparkle to the flowers and water using my trusty stickles!

I've also done a little baking today....yummy peanut butter muffins....see my baking blog for more photos and the recipe I used!

Thanks for popping by today and I hope to see you soon.

In loving memory of my Dad.

Wedgie xxx

Sketch time!

Hello peeps! Hope you're having a lovely week!

I'm currently on annual leave and thoroughly enjoying being a lady of leisure! I've moved myself into Joe's flat for the week and I'm loving it! I haven't done as much crafting as I thought I would, but I've done loads of baking! I'm finally starting to relax a little, and I've been able to do some exercise.....my knee really feels like its on the mend at long last!

Anyway, it's Wednesday so its time for a fab sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday....it's number 99...don't forget to visit their blog next week to see sketch 100!!

Isn't it a cute layout?? I like this stamp a lot...probably because the lucky lady is eating cake! I've just bought a teacup just like this one...I found in a car boot sale for 50p!

So, I thought I'd also share some of my baking...since I last posted I have baked mini cupcakes for Joe's Mum's 60th Birthday, as well as some yummy biscuits that I need to ice tonight. I've also made filled chocolates for the first time...I made strawberry ones first and today I've attempted coffee cremes. I've also done a little savoury baking, creating a fab quiche lorriane and some sausage rolls!

I've also added to my blogs recently...here at Wedgies Wonderful World I've added a "free baking paper" page. This was following the lovely comments I got when I used handmade backing paper earlier this year. Please feel free to use the papers....there are cherries and belinda bees there at the moment....hopefully more will come in the future! If you do use any of my papers I'd love to hear about it!

I've also updated my baking blog - Bake & Share. You'll find the simple recipe I used to make mocha macaroons on there at the moment. Plus I am going to start adding my afternoon tea reviews! If you get the chance please visit my baking blog too!

Thanks for stopping by today, see you soon!

Wedgie xxx

Cherries Everywhere!

Hi there, thanks for popping by today.

First off I want to say thank you to everyone for their kind comments earlier this week, its been a tough couple of weeks and it all kinda got to me on Monday. I am touched by the support of everyone - thank you.

I've had a lovely evening with the Brownies and the Guides, plus I made a lovely card and experimented with some new baking! What a packed evening! I'll show you my card to start with....The Penny Black at Allsorts challenge this month is "Welcome Spring" and I decided to celebrate the fact that things are starting to grow in the spring sunshine and I'll be able to do lots of yummy baking with fresh fruit over the coming months! To see how the PB at Allsorts DT are welcoming spring pop over to their blog.

The lovely layout for this card is based on Arlana's sketch this week over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday. I enjoyed using this sketch and found it worked for my cherry theme quite well! On the original sketch there is a big flower where my cherry is sitting! Don't forget to take a peek at the SSW blog to see all the gorgeous DT cards.

I love this PB image, I think its sooo cute! I wanted some plain cherry backing paper to match it, but couldn't find any in my stash....so I got creative and made some myself! I used plain white card, inked up my thumb in red ink and set about creating my own cherries! I then added a little green pen for the stalks and leaves! I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I'm also going to enter this card in the "anything goes" challenge over at Simon Says Stamp challenge blog.

Just before I log off I want to show you a sneak peek of the baking I've been doing this evening. These cute little balls are in fact cake bites! I've recently stumbled upon the bakerella website and fallen in love with the gorgeous little sweet treats that are featured. So this evening I decided to give them a go....to be honest I've not coated them in the correct stuff...I've just used chocolate here, but they look fab and I'm really pleased with them! I'm going shopping this weekend for all the correct ingredients, and I'm hoping to make little mini cupcake bites next!

Thanks for popping by today and thanks for all the support.
Wedgie xxx

Baking Queen!

Hello there - Happy Saturday! Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

I have a card for you today which is inspired by my other favourite hobby....baking! People who stop by my blog regularly will know that I love nothing better (other than card making) than spending some time in the kitchen whipping up a batch of cakes or biscuits.

I've made this card for two challenges...firstly the colours were inspired by this week's challenge over at Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge where the theme is "hot chocolate". I like the mix of browns and creams, and the little bit of pink is for the marshmallows that I like on the top of my hot chocolate!

Secondly, the theme over at Allsorts this week is recycle....so I decided to use the ribbon that was tied around my envelopes when I bought them recently. I like recycle ribbon a lot as its always so expensive to buy new, so my friends and family know to save any ribbon they come by and give it to me! I've also been known to cut the hanging ribbons from inside my tops and skirts!

I'm off now....Joe's just come home from the garage and I'm hungry! Thanks for stopping by today.

Wedgie xxx

Teacup Cupcakes!

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by today....no cards in this post....just some cupcakes!

I've had a lovely evening...I came home from worked and decided to baked some cakes. I couldn't decide which flavour I wanted to make today so I made three! I made vanilla cupcakes, coffee cupcakes and scrummy raspberry cupcakes using my mum's homemade raspberry jam....

Next I needed to decorate them....I started with some traditional butter icing piped onto the cakes, I then sprinkled liberally with pink sugar glitter.....

I then decided to get creative with some royal icing......

I am soooo pleased with these cakes....they're not perfect, but for a first attempt I am extremly proud of my mini teacup cupcakes! I rolled my royal icing very thin and then wrapped it around the cold cakes, stucking it in place using a little sugar syrup. I then created the handle using a little more royal icing, which I fixed in place with more sugar syrup. I finished the cake off with a swirl of butter icing.

Apparently they are as tasty as they look....mum has already polished off the cupcake at the front of this picture. She was last seen grinning broadly and licking icing from her fingers!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Wedgie xxx

Some fashionable baking!

Hello everyone - hope you're all well and had a good week.

I haven't posted in the last week because Dad's been back in hospital and its been a bit difficult to make any new cards or enter any challenges or get to my computer! However, the Easter weekend is here and Dad is back at home, so I have plenty of time to catch up!

No cards today I'm afraid, but I wanted to share a little cookery disaster I've had. I've found a very simple to follow recipe for macaroons which I decided to try out....we had some lovely ones at Browns on Mother's Day and my sister loves them. So I decided to give them a try.

I got the ingredients I needed and opted to make chocolate ones. Mum even took me out to buy a new piping bag....however I didn't look at the ends I got with the piping bag....and this is how my macaroons tunred out....

Yep, thats right...they look like a plate of mini turds!!!! Ha, ha, ha!!

I have to say they make look awful, but they were very tasty...even better if you can wait till day two to eat them as they got nice and chewy then! I can't believe how easy they are to make, especially when they cost so much to buy in the shops!

Apparently these are very popular at the moment....more fashionable than cupcakes! I've now bought some food colouring and flavouring...so I'm going to try again and see if I can make some that don't look like turds!

Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by...there will be cards next time I promise!
Wedgie Xxx