The Home made year....Christmas 2013

Happy New year!! Did you all have a wonderful Christmas?? Are you full to the brim with turkey and mince pies?

How quickly it has flown by, so much preparation and its all over in a flash. But in all honesty I wouldn't change a single thing. I love this time of the year, its hard to choose between this and Halloween, and I enjoy the preparation as much as the day itself.

So needless to say I've made lots of things and rather than waffle on for ages I've put them into a visual collagey feast. So take a break from putting away the decs, grab that last mince pie and cast your eyes over this lot.............




 

Clockwise from left : countdown door hanger for Jacks room, which says Santa's been on the reverse, cupcakes with cinnamon butter cream.

 Flying reindeer applique blanket. Those that follow my facebook page will have seen this in the making.

 

 

 

 

Tulip decoupage card made with a kit by Papermania.

 

 

Cards made with digital stamps from Pink petticoat, and handmade sentiments.

 

 

Handmade Polar Express picture. I love the Polar Express and watch it on Christmas Eve every year, and yes the bell does still ring!

 My special Santa and reindeer that came home with me from Lapland last year.

 

 

Homemade gifts.

 Finnish piparkakut, gingerbread to you and me. We had this in Lapland last year and it was so lovely I knew I had to find a recipe for it, its different to our gingerbread as they use different ingredients and its much more spicy.

 Sweet chilli jam normally I make red pepper relish at Christmas but I'm told its not hot enough so I made this for a change.

 

 

 

Homemade mince pies and homemade apple and cinnamon ice cream. Those who follow me on Instagram will have seen this in its early stages, and I have to say its tastes amazing. Recipe courtesy of the icreamists.

 

 

Felt Christmas trees,

 yarn wreath,

 felt reindeer's, with button noses from nans button jar.

 

 

Jingle bell wreath with ribbon flower.

Close up of card made with digital stamps from pink petticoat.

 

So all that's left to say is have a fantastic new year I hope it brings you all you dream of, and don't forget in between blogposts you can always catch up with me on facebook, twitter, instagram and pinterest by clicking on the links at the top of the page. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Monsterville...

So our annual Halloween party was a bit of a wash out this year due to me coming down with Tonsillitis two days before. I had to stay in bed the whole week, and at one point couldn't actually speak! I did think about cancelling, but I didn't want to disappoint the children. So I forced myself out of bed and put on my happy face. Because of this a lot of the things I had planned to do had to be put on hold so this post is a mix n match of this year and last year.

 

First up invitations to Monsterville

 

 

 My handmade skull chocolates, which I totally forgot to put on the table for everyone! Jacks Frankenstein decoration, and the party bags. For the second year running I forgot to take proper pics of them so this is the only one I've got, and these parties have definitely taught me that kids really don't care what the bags look like, its the toys and sweets inside that count!

 

 

Jacks hand print spider picture, we saw these on good old pinterest so had to have a go ourselves. I love it and will keep it forever. My BOO wreath made with scraps of net.

 

 

I can't take credit for the sugar skull cookies as they were made by a friend, I can however take credit for eating some of them and they were lovely! My Ghosty cupcakes from 2011 which were a bit of a hit on pinterest, and you'll have to ask the guests about the witches brew.

 

 

The picture wall was supposed to have more pictures this year of last years guests but I ran out of time due to being poorly.

 

 

Jacks footprint ghost picture, this is even cuter than the spider, Love it. And my bargains that I got in the sales after Halloween last year. I love the glitter haunted house, but have to wonder how long the glitter will stay on.

 

 

Last years cookies, which were also a pinterest hit, and party bag tags which I downloaded from somewhere but can't remember where.

 

 

BOO ghost welcoming our visitors, and the little Witch waiting for some little monsters to play a game of pin the nose on the witch. Which was great fun!

 

Sorry if there's not as much homemade stuff as you were expecting, but I was truly ill. Anything I didn't manage to do this year will be done for next years party, and more. I already have the theme now all I need to do is not get ill.

Xxx

 

 

 

 

 

Vicky Sponge cupcakes.......

I didn't want to call these Victoria Sponge cupcakes because my name isn't Victoria! Really it isn't, I know no one believes me but it isn't just ask my mom! So I called them Vicky sponge cupcakes because they have all the same ingredients, and its my birthday so I can call them whatever I like.

 

Now I know what your thinking they don't look much like a Victoria sponge, but here's the fun bit.......

 

 

Mmmmm there filled with my Moms yummy Jam!!!

 

Now I don't like jam in anything other than a cake or jam tarts, and i hate jam with bits in, I know I'm a bit odd, but my Mom made this jelly jam especially for me with no bits!!

 

These look really difficult to make but are actually really easy, and Marina Anchors and I had lots of fun making them.

 

 

Xxx

 

 

Diamond Jubilee...a 50's celebration

Well I can honestly say I have thoroughly enjoyed this weekend, and am very proud to be British!! Although I don't envy any of the Royal family having to stand on that boat in the pouring rain on Sunday and as for those poor singers....
I can only begin to imagine what the atmosphere must have been like in London, I'm sure it was fantastic whatever the weather. We Brits are used to it, but I'm happy to say it did stay dry for my Moms garden party on Monday.

These are the invitations. Can you spot the deliberate mistake? Yep no time or date Oops! Mom decided to give the party a 50's feel, which is right up my street as I'm slightly very obsessed with that whole era. So I was off to find a dress, it's such a hard life, lol, but more of that later. Mom was also born in the 50's a few years after the coronation and my Uncle was actually born the same year as the coronation! So it seemed a fitting theme.

Clockwise from top - Jacks Jubilee hat, thrown together at the last minute for his school celebrations. To be honest I had no intention of making this and was going to send him in his crown from book day, but then guilt took over and I didn't want him to think I couldn't be bothered. The other side had Big Ben, a London bus and a taxi.

Cupcakes, traditional vanilla topped with vanilla butter cream, and either a Union Jack, London bus, Telephone box or a handmade cupcake topper.

my mantelpiece, a commemorative cup and saucer, a London bus, which is actually a fridge magnet, and the lady herself the Queen looking very glam in a glittered union jack frame, which cost a pound from the pound shop!

Left to right - my ribbon corsage made last minute on Sunday Night

my cupcakes again with handmade union Jack topper

My Moms brooch again made last minute on Sunday, I definitely work better and find I'm more creative under pressure, lol.

left - the front of Jacks jubilee hat, a re-styled Easter bonnet again from the pound shop, I love a bargain, or am I just tight?

Right - handmade cupcake toppers

Clockwise from top - Moms garden decorated with paper bunting looking pristine ready for 7 children to come along and trash it. ha

Jack playing pin the crown on the Queen, a twist on the traditional game of pin the tail on the donkey. Me, Yes I DO have legs! A rare pic of me and even rarer that I'm wearing a dress. My red, white and blue 50's outfit.

left to right - Handmade sour cream boxes (no idea why they call them that) filled with traditional sweet shop sweets such as love hearts, drum sticks, and black jacks.

'let them eat cake' topper

my pin the crown on the Queen game, I'm sure her Maj would approve.

left to right - Queenie hiding in the bushes

Jack and Grace under the table, its way more fun under there

Jack, Grace and Isabella proving that there's nothing more entertaining than a worm..lol

Clockwise from top - my bunting, made from the fat quarters I picked up at the craft show I was a bit miffed to find that there was one fabric missing! Thanks though to the excellent customer service at the cotton patch who when I called them on weds sent the missing one straight away and I got it first thing this morning, Now I just have to decide whether to unpick the bunting and add it in, make some more, or make something else entirely!

my red white and blue rose wreath, my glue gun worked so hard making this and Jacks hat that it broke :(  I'm so sad!

my union Jack 'E' for England or Elizabeth you choose. this was the most time consuming thing of all. The shop had no E's left and rather than send for one and pay the postage I thought I'd just make one. So this is made from a cereal box. When I came to paint it I had a bit of a problem with the paint so in the end I decoupaged it, See time consuming, although I am happy with the end product.

Congratulations to the Queen, whether people agree with the monarchy or not 60 years on the throne is pretty good going. To think that at the age of 25 to have to come to terms with not only unexpectedly losing your father but the daunting task of becoming the Queen can be by no means easy. She could have given it all up to Charles long ago.

Someone asked me If I had any plans for the Jubilee weekend, when I told her she said 'well you enjoy it after all we wont see another' . She may well be right but who knows something tells me I may well be getting this lot out in another 10 years for the platinum, and if not, well there's always the coronation!

Long live the Queen!

cupcake toppers courtesy of pink petticoat

Homemade Halloween - Cakes and Cookies

Cakes and cookies, my favourite. Its clear to see I will never be thin! First up dual iced cupcakes. These are generally smaller than I would normally make, seeing as they were for the kids. However it didnt stop the adults tucking in to a few either, lol. Purple and Orange dual iced butter cream and edible glitter. What more could you ask for?? 'Cookies'  I hear you cry? Oh ok then...hand painted spider web cookies with more edible glitter. These were for the kids party bags so the grown didn't get any of these, unless they stole it from their child when they got home. lol  :)

Next time...tags for bags Xxx

Left Overs

Just a quickie to show you the cupcakes I made using the left over royal icing from Shauni's cake. See there are some advantages to being so stressed. Yum Xxx

Easter Treats

Well first things first.......I finally passed my NVQ.... Woop. I am soooo pleased that I don't have to look at that course work ever again.

Anyway Easter is here and my mom had her annual egg hunt, so I thought I'd share this little pic of the cupcakes I made for the occasion. I have to say they were Yummy!!!

So now the work is out the way I'm hoping to get back to some crafting, if I can find time what with a job , a 3 year old, a house and an allotment to look after....watch this space ;)