Christening Cake - finished!

Well here it is - the end product.  One 9" round Christening Cake.  Not too bad considering it is 12 years since I created a Royal-iced cake in earnest!  (but at least I know that when it comes to making the stacked royal-iced wedding cake later in the year - everything should work out ok on the technical side, as I there will not be visible boards between the tiers on that one!) 

Here is a close-up picture of the side design:

For those of you that might want to know the technical details - the cake was actually placed on a dtt board (double thick thin) before marzipanning.  Then three coats of icing put on - top one day, side next (three times) and then a final watered-down coat applied to the top and then the side.  (at least when I come to do the wedding cake, apart from the bottom tier I shan't have to iced any boards, and to prove that the cake would come off the board, I ran a very fine palette knife around bottom edge and was able to successfully move the cake.   In fact to prove it worked, I actually placed the cake on another board whilst I iced the cakeboard (would normally do this with cake in situ).  So am pleased that my idea worked (icing collegues think I am mad to tackle a stacked royal-iced wedding cake - so that may well be a First! -watch this space in August!  The worst part will be rodding the cakes - not an easy thing to do on a royal iced cake - but I have a plan!)

ps.  We are also having a sponge cake to go with above cake for those that don't like fruit cake - but DIL has ordered a plain M&S one.   So just got to make some flowers for that now!   Shall probably tackle those tomorrow as we were going to the Make-It Show at Farnborough and it has been cancelled due to the weather forecast!  hey ho!

Work in progress - Christening Cake

Just thought I would tempt you all with a sneak preview of what I am doing for Connie's Christening Cake.  These are the shoes for the top of the cake (made from sugar).   I thought I would never get to the end of making the little flowers!

Right now to get on and make another 40 flowers (plus spares) for the side of the cake.  I have also got another couple of coats of royal icing to put on the cake, and then the board to ice, and I can start decorating the sides.

I have also got to make some flowers for the sponge cake - so watch this space - work in progress!

A different sort of fold

I tried a different sort of fold today, having seen a card done with it by a crafting friend on FB, who pointed me in the right direction for the instructions.   Fairly easy with my Hougie Board.   Image is from RHS Soceity cd by Joanna Sheen, printed on Conqueror paper and then double mounted on card.  The wavy peel-offs are in fact pink holographic ones. 

                            

Here is a slightly better view of front taken outside this morning, which shows the base of the card a tad better.

                

                           

This is the inside.  Matching insert from the cd, put into publisher so that I could change the colour of the font on the message.  I have also lined the inside of the back of the card with the matching backing paper to the image and added some corner peel-offs.

If I hadn't already printed off the image and paper, I think I might have chosen an art-deco image from Fashion Boutique, as I think the shape of the card lends itself to Art Deco.

If anybody is interested in the fold there is a template and video on the designer's blog: 

http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com/  (look under the scor-pal section).   She has some great ideas in other sections too.

I used a different sized card to that in the template - mine is an A5 card.

Messy Rabbit cupcake cake!

Ellie wanted a cupcake cake for her birthday party tomorrow (confession here - nearly forgot to make it as she was away for actual birthday).  Very simple to make - 8" sponge cake, split and layered with jam and buttercream.   Trimmed to shape using template I created.  Ivory sugarpaste rolled with my ribbed roller.  White sugarpaste cut with a wavy edge with template.  1 cherry split and placed at top and name and age cut out of sugarpaste and painted with edible dust.  voila!  (and she loves it!)

You may recognise the design taken from Joanna Sheen's Messy Rabbit cd.  Her invites were made using the cupcake image.  I just used the snapshot tool, imported it into publisher and made it large enough to fit an 8" cake.  Here are the template pieces I used from the image:

30th Birthday Card

Not only is it Ellie's birthday on Valentine's Day, but it is also my future daughter-in-law's birthday too.

I struggled with what to do for her.  Pretty, pretty or simple.  Then laying in bed an idea struck me!  I was going to make her a cake for her Birthday, but she insisted that as she is trying to lose weight for the wedding she really didn't want one!   Thus the idea for this card was born.

It wasn't going to be another easel card, but it sort of happened!  White hammered card stock.  Images from Andy Carolan's Pastimes and Hobbies CD highlighted with sakura stardust clear, and a bought 30.  Tramlines scored along base and a pretty pink holographic peel-off added, and a couple of random tiny heart gems (as it is Valentine's Day).

Base has a sentiment created on computer, using the matching backing paper from cd, which says:  "You said you didn't want me to make you a cake ...."

A couple of bits of ribbon and a butterfly that was in the kit containing the "30" layed between two lines of embossing.  I have also done "honeycomb" embossing on the bottom inch of the card (using my new Hougie Board), and added 3 lines of the holographic peel-off.  Added a couple of star gems and a little heart gem as the stop.

Once again I have mounted the complete card on the easel base, so that I could add an insert.  Used the matching backing paper from the cd, but printed it in "watermark"  and then printed on Conqueror paper the sentiment on the "fly" continues on from the front of the card and says:  ".... but this one is non-fattening!"

             

This isn't photo isn't awfully clear, but have tried to get a close up of the honeycomb embossing! but I think if you click on the photo and look at the bottom right you can just about see it!

ps:  I also made a matching bookmark with a tassel  (yes I parted with one) but forgot to take a photo.

Hunkdory Fairy Card

I bought this Hunkydory fairy image yesterday.  Have mounted it on a Craftwork Cards frame  and added spots of Diamond Dust to the image.   I then stuck some pink spotted paper on to some card and cut out a number 8 using some templates I have  (the spotty paper was a freebie with a craft mag).  Edged the 8 with matching promarker, double embossed it and added some spots of Diamond Dust, and mounted it on clear pads.

The front of the card has been scored with parallel lines on my new Hougie score board, although the photo doesn't show the scoring that well.

                     

The card was then mounted on to more of the same burgundy card and turned into an easel card.  Sentiment from the image sheet, some paper lace, flowers (both from Joanna Sheen) and card candy (Craftwork Cards) added and Ellie cut using cuttlebug, pink foam and Go Kreate's Rome Alphabet.  I scored a couple more lines either side of the paper lace.  (I am liking this new board!).  Finally a small pink jewel added for the stop for the easel.

I then added an insert.  I do find easel cards can be difficult to find somewhere to add a message, so the way I have created the card enables you to put in an insert.   This one was from Joanna Sheen's in Other Words cd.  I liked the sentiment so much, that rather than use the interactive version, I copied the insert into Publisher and added my own greeting to it as well.