Cake and coffee break

Hi everyone

  I have been manically busy at work lately - getting in to my office before 8am, leaving after 6.30pm, hardly taking any break at lunch, then working in the evenings at home.  All going really well but very very very intensive.  This has led to less than enough time for creative happenings.  So I have decided to take a little break away from blogging probably for around a month - maybe less, maybe more depending on how everything goes.  I will still be reading and hopefully commenting on other bloggers blogs and enjoying all the goings-on in blogland, and hopefully have some time to craft and take photos but I think that a little break will hopefully be just the thing I need.  And of course Im getting my act into gear gathering things together for the Diamond Jubilee Swap!

Thanks to all of you for making me so welcome in blogland, and a big thanks for the craft it forward goodies from Kraftycupcake - you really are a star!  Will post about it when I get back and of course invite 5 of you lovely bloggers to join in.

So have a lovely Easter, and I look forward to checking in with you all again soon.

Much love, Helenxx

Blanket Square Swap

Hi everyone, what a lovely day it is out there - hope you have been able to enjoy some spring sunshine.

I have finally got around to posting off the crochet squares I made for Laa Laa's Blanket Square Swap so can show them here:



It was a lovely sunny day a couple of weeks ago when I took the photos

Hence the shadows and the slightly washed out colours

I have received a lot of squares already, will photograph them altogether once they have all arrived.  Thanks so much to all my fellow swappers, I love the squares I have received!

Enjoy the weeekend,  Helenxx

Spring

Good evening everyone, hope you are all feeling in a spring like mood!  Thought I would just blog a picture of some spring treats brightening up my kitchen windowsill:

Just love these tete-a-tete daffodils.  Mind you, some so and so nicked a load of my daffs in my front garden this weeked!!!! What a cheek!!!!

Here we have a lovely cheerful polyanthus

I love cyclamen, its almost like  BOGOF - you get the flowers and stunning leaves as well for the price of one plant





Seeing these flowers whilst Im working in the kitchen really gives me a boost - do you know what I mean?

Must go - I am baking a genoese sponge cake for my cake decorating class tomorrow - the whole house smells scrummy!

Helenxx

Cup Cake Frenzy

Morning all

Still on the cake decorating theme this is what has been going on around here this week - the theme of our class on Wednesday was Cup Cake Frenzy - and boy, was that ever the case!!

Here we go, first up a golden daffodil

Then a charming ladybird, together with glizty bow, hearts and flowers

Am I a cupcake, or a muppet...

And speaking of muppets, my son insisted that this was Fozzy Bear

And here they all are were in their box - all long gone now of course...

 Next week is the last week - I feel I have learned lots of new things and have really enjoyed it - not least as it has meant that I get to spend another evening each week with Sue!!  We really want to continue with learning about cake decorating but there isnt another class that takes our fancy - the next class is all childrens novelty cake which is lovely but as our broods are now a bit old for all that :( it isnt really for us.  We are very keen to learn more about making flowers from petal paste so are on the look out for helpful websites, books, magazines etc.  We quite fancy the idea of being able to do classy and tasteful wedding/birthday/celebration cakes rather than just the usual novelty cake type things.  So if you know of any useful/helpful resources please let us know!

Hope you have a great weekend and that I havent made you feel too hungry!

Helenxx

March Makes

Hi everyone

I am still loving my cake decorating class, I have made things I wouldnt have even thought of!!  The most recent of which is using petal paste to make cutouts mounted onto wires - and here is the end result

I was rather chuffed with the results

Very springlike!

Have a great evening, Helenxx

February Photo Scavenger Hunt

Hello everyone!

Well, work is really getting in the way of my blogging at the moment (how dare it!!!!) so Im a bit late posting the photos I scavenged for February - but, as they say - better late than never!  So, here we go:

Music

My trusty MP3 player - it keeps me company when travelling around for work - I have all sorts of stuff on it, including my language course!!  Check out the super cool purple earphones...

Food

Yummy yummy baklava - what can I say, except that it is long gone....

Love and Cupid

Written in the snow on my 24th Wedding Anniversary.  This can cover both categories (bit tenuous but there you go - we dont really do the Valentine thing in our house).

In the sky

A kiss made by con trails of aircraft thousands of feet above us - could also fit in with the love theme as it was spotted whilst out on our anniversary walk.



Black and White

Taken in our local outwoods - I love the patterns the tree trunks make when photographed in black and white.

Five...

beautiful Fieldfares in our trees during the cold snap in February - I love these birds.  They only appear in very cold weather, I hadnt seen any for years until 2010 when we had our first very cold snap for ages.  They appear for as long as the weather is extremely cold and then leave as soon as it warms up again.  In the meantime they tuck into all the berries in the gardens - to which they are more than welcome.

Train

The Hijaz railway in Jordan taken from one of my many books on this lovely country.

Heritage

A Victorian postbox not too far from my home! 

crowded

a flower shop full of loveliness in readness for Mothers Day

Empty

- this place is crowded in the good weather, but at this time of year it is still a bit nippy to sit outside sipping coffee!

Leap year

well, rabbits leap (jump/hop) dont they??!!

the list for March is

morning
buttons
square
kitchen
theatre
street name
fancy
landmark
fashion
words
city
half a face

better make a start!!

Helenxx

















Take your partners for the Diamond Jubilee Swap!

Good evening everyone!

Sue and I are here at mine for our crafty evening and our lovely daughters have helped us out by doing the draw for the Diamond Jubilee Swap!

So here are the partners:

Jewel and Buttonz

Sandie and BeeHappy

KCs Court and Pamela and Lottie

FeltbyRae and Peonies and Pennies

Marina and Twinkle Star

LissyLou and Krafty Cupcake

The Vintage Hobby House and Fruitful Fusion

Kashi and Crafts@Home

The Undomesticated Scientist and Busybusybeejay

Moonstruckcreations and Anne

and then Saphy and Moonstruckcreations - Im doing two as we ended up with an odd number!

Please take time to visit your partner's blog and send them an email to introduce yourself!  Please let us know if you have any questions etc.

Quick reminder of what to do!!
5 items for your swap partner to include:

• something handmade (either by you or another crafter)
• something relating to the Diamond Jubilee - there will be lots of souveneir type things around. Doesnt have to be anything expensive - there will be pens, cards etc available
• Some crafty-type supplies (buttons, ribbon etc)
• Something edible - of course!
• And one other item of your choice which you think your partner would love.

Deadline for your partner to receive your parcel is 31 May so that they have their goodies in plenty of time for the Jubilee Celebrations.

Thanks so much to you all for joining in the fun - cant wait to see what everybody gets up to!

Helen and Suexx

Wonderful gifts from the U.S.A!!

Good evening all, hope the week is treating you well.

A couple of weeks ago I received a fantastic parcel all the way from America - it was from the lovely Brook!  We were partnered together in the Blog Love Swap.

And was I in for a treat!  This was my first ever international swap so you can just imagine the excitement.  It arrived in a very big box

And my goodness, the treats that awaited me... first of all was this sweet notebook, so very suitable for me...

What a wonderful quote.  This notebook will be treasured and used for special writings.

Next out of the box...

I cannot begin to describe how delightful this coffee is!  I love a good mug of coffee!

So, lovely Brook supplied a great mug to make it in, plus 2 lovely lollipops

Brook has really taken care to look at my blog before sending this parcel - just look what she made for me

My very own Moonstruckcreations notecards - how cool - and thoughtful - is that?

This sweet ornament sums up the sentiments of the Valentines season. 

And last - but by no means least - a big bag of Hershies Kisses yum yum yum, how I love American candy!!!!

Thank you so so very much Brook for being such a wonderful swap partner. 

These are the things that I sent to Brook:

Hope you liked them Brook!

see you all soon, Helenxx