In my Kitchen....Easy Peasy Easter Bark

Well I just read on Facebook that all the shops have sold out of Easter eggs!!!!!! So it seems that this post has come right on time.
Easy peasy Easter bark, honestly this is so easy and idiot could do it and its super quick too. I made some for my little mans teacher who retired this week and it seriously took less than five minutes.

you will need

 6oz chocolate (I used white but whatever you choose)
12oz mini marshmallows or big ones chopped up
sprinkles
greaseproof paper
baking tin

 

How to.....

 

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or on a double boiler. If using white chocolate, be careful it burns easily I suggest 30 second blasts.

 

When completely melted pour in the marshmallows and mix to cover them. Do this quickly as the marshmallow will begin to melt.

 

Pour into your lined baking tin and spread out to the corners

 

Decorate with you chosen sprinkles

 

 

 

Transfer the tin to the freezer for 20 mins (to stop the marshmallows melting)

 

Remove from the freezer and cut into squares, or shapes using a cookie cutter.

 

Pop into a bag or jar and voila and easy peasy Easter gift.

 

 

 

Oh and its really yummy too!

 

Happy Easter

Vicky Xxx

Craft Show haul

Thank God I chose to go to the craft show at the NEC on Thursday before we had all this snow!!! Now I love a good dollop of snow, but not in March! I mean honestly we should be packing away our thermals not pulling them on again.
But luckily the weather wasn't too bad on Thursday so I made it to the show, and thought I would share with  you some of the bits I got.

 

Halloween theme Fat Quarters.

 

I bought a lot of Fat quarters as the sewing bit there is great, with loads of different fabrics you don't really see anywhere else. I've also come to the conclusion that I could spend a fortune on fabric. Seriously I had to drag myself away from the pirate themed ones, and I still went and found them on eBay when I got home.

 As some people might know were big on Halloween in our house so I plan to make bunting with this (yes I'm big on bunting too). I'm thinking I might go for a different shape with this instead of traditional triangles but we'll see.

 

 

More fat quarters...

 

No idea what I'm going to make with these, but they all went together so well. I love the stripy one it reminds me of a stick of rock!

 

 

Easter fat quarters.

 

I think these are Easter themed and at least that what I thought of when I saw them but everyone I've shown them to thinks they look more baby themed. Either way I'll be using it in an Easter related way.

 

 

Alphabet stamp and clock stencil thingy

 

Its not often I buy stamps, I normally use digital, but I was looking for something to use in a project I'm working on at the moment. I got this one one as I love typewriter font and will probably use it in a lot of tings, the clock thingy is a thingy because I just can't remember the companies name but I'm hoping to use it the same project.

 

and last but not least

 

 

bits and pieces from the crafts a pound shop.

 

This is the best shop, loads of stuff all for a pound. You can pick up loads of bits for your stash, the only draw is that its the busiest shop at the show. Honestly they need to operate a one way system! its just a massive free for all, how they keep a track on who's paid and who hasn't, and don't even get me started on women with trolleys. Those things should be banned..lol

 

So I'm off to moan about the snow a bit more, and put my Easter decorations up.

 

Vicky Xxx

 

 

 

 

sew sunday...

Just a quickie today to show you these fun little hair clips. I'm busy busy busy at the moment trying to sort out stuff for the little fellas birthday and Easter.

 

OK so there isn't an awful lot of sewing to these, but they're easy peasy to make and would look so cute in a Little girls hair. And there really cheap too, I bought a pack of 30 hair clips for £1, the felt I already had but that's not too expensive either.

 

 I really like the bright pink one, Its such a pretty flower. it looks complicated to make but its really easy when you know how. maybe if I get around to it I will do a quick tutorial.

 So now I'm off to bake Star wars cakes in preparation for my little mans tea party and I'm off to the craft show on Thursday to spend some of my hard earned cash lol.

Thanks for stopping by
Love Vicky Xxx

 

 

 

Sew Sunday : 3 Little Dickie Birds

Hey,
I know its been sooo long since I last posted anything handmade sorry, but I am trying to get my bum in gear and provide some regular posts. I'm just trying to decide what to include and and when, so I thought I would start with this post and see how I go.

 These little guys started out life as Easter chicks, but the more I look at them the more I think they should be lovebirds. I mean look at them, they look so cute and loved up. I think maybe I will have to get them out for valentines day next time instead of Easter.

 

I made the pink and then the blue and then jack insisted I make a green one, so now we have a family of love birds! Jacks the green one in case you were wondering, as its his favourite colour, I'm the pink and Gaz is blue.

 

They all have cute little tails at the back, but my rubbish photography doesn't show them very well at all. there really easy to make and can be hand sewn, which is great as sometimes its such a chore to get the sewing machine out, especially if your like me and don't have space to leave it out all the time.
so now I guess I need to rethink my Easter chicks, better get my thinking cap on.

I've also been thinking for a long time now about doing a few tutorials on here. If you would be interested, or would like to see a tutorial for these or anything else you have seen in my blog leave me a comment at the bottom.

Thanks for stopping by
Vicky Xxx

 

Pinspiration - march

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I find it really difficult to stick to just one craft, and there are so many things which inspire me. I find inspiration everywhere, shops books etc but I mostly find it on pinterest.
Thank the lord for pinterest! I will not deny I am utterly addicted to this site and could spend hours just scrolling down the page looking for more pins. So I thought I would share some of this Pinspiration with you.......

easter wreath by tatertots and jello

Easter.....chicks, eggs, bunnies, chocolate, hot cross buns. whats not to love???

This wreath is so pretty, I've already made a few things for Easter and I'm working on the rest.

 I have  given up bread for lent this year, normally i try to give up chocolate and last about 3 days, and I can't wait to have a hot cross bun. Baked by my husband of course!

Vintage caravans....how gorgeous is this. I would love to have a tatty old vintage caravan to restore. In fact I found one for sale on ebay the other day only 20 miles from my home, and the at the time the bidding was at £103, and in very good condition. Bargain! If I could have fit it on the drive or at the bottom of the garden I would have seriously considered bidding!

I have got a couple of projects which are caravan inspired on the go at the moment..pics to follow.

noelmignon.com

mixed media art...........I love how these look and really want to have a go. I like the idea of using lots of different bits and pieces that wouldn't normally go together to make one piece of art. I feel canvas and some glue winging its way to me soon.

If you want to see any of these pins or follow me on pinterest just click here

Have a good day Xxx

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

 

 

 

 

 

My birthday

Last week was my birthday, and I'm just a little bit excited because I got not one but TWO new Lalaloopsy dolls!!!

My boys got me Cherry crisp crust and my mom got me Bun bun sticky icing. They're both so cute, I think they could be sisters.

 We had planned to go out for food but unfortunately Jack was feeling poorly, so we opted to go for a Mexican on the Saturday instead. Mexican is my absolute favourite type of food and amazingly Jack loves it too. We had Nachos, burritos, fajitas and I had just a few frozen margaritas! Yum.

 

Afterwards we went home to enjoy some of the lovely chocolate fudge cake Gary got me. Jack enjoyed his so much he instructed me to buy it to have as dessert on Christmas day. Thank you to my lovely boys for all my presents and my beautiful flowers and thanks to my mom for the pink champagne truffles, they were really boozy. 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

Meet Marina Anchors........

 

Isn't she cute!!!

This is another of my little obsessions, Lalaloopsy dolls. This is a mini Lalaloopsy which just makes her even cuter!! Her name is Marina Anchors and I'm sure were going to have lots of fun and adventures together.