Our cakes are better than the GBBO, we get to eat them too! 6/09/14

Whilst watching the Great British Bake Off I was thinking about all the amazing cakes from the past months made by me or my very talented family and friends. Too good not to share and they tasted amazing too!

The chocolate fudge rat birthday cake made by me. One of my favourite/weirdest creations.

The most extravagant cake, plain sponge with cream filling, buttercream icing decorated with Malteasers and white and milk chocolate fingers. Made by me.

Strawberry cake with cream cheese icing and topped with strawberries. Made by Annie-two-pies.

Vanilla icing cupcakes with pink glitter made by me and Kath.

Salted caramel cake decorated with mini oreos, chocolate buttons and pebbles. For Olivia's 18th birthday, made by Sophie.

Another birthday cake (I want to say Sophie's 22nd?) plain sponge with cream filling decorated with fruit and chocolate fingers. Made my my mother.

Apple pie made by my nan, decorated with a little mouse and some apples by me.

A trio of brownies, carrot cake and raspberry macaroons. Made by Fiona for a come dine with me night. 

The periodic table of cakes, made to raise money for the ChemSoc. Made a variety of the chemistry PhDs (can't remember everyone...) But decorated by me, Jaclyn, Fiona and Iain.

Millionaire shortbread with plain and white chocolate. Made for a group meeting by me.

This has made me hungry, thank goodness it is Sunday tomorrow!

x x x

Let Them Eat Cake. Part Two

So here are yet more yummy cakes (maybe a few sneaky biscuits too)!! Again made by myself, my sisters, or my mum.

 Raspberry Eton Mess Cakes

 Melting Moments

 Strawberry Daquiri Cakes

 Chocolate Fingers and Chocolate Button Cake

Queen's Jubilee Iced Biscuits and Cakes 

Queen's Jubilee Crown Iced Biscuit and Iced Butterfly Biscuit 

Fresh Fruit and Cream Filled Sandwich Sponge 

Cream and Strawberry Jam Filled Chocolate Dirt Track BMX Cake 

Fresh Fruit and Cream Topped Sponge with Chocolate Fingers Birthday Cake

Allotment Chocolate Birthday Cake 

Dairy Free Buttercream Topped Fairy Cakes 

It's a Boy!, Baby Cakes 

Half a Chocolate Finger and Malteasers Birthday Sponge Cake  

 Dairy Free Merengue Topped Fairy Cakes

Hope this has inspired you to get baking and to be more creative with decorating cakes! It is fun to do (and even better to eat them!!).

x x x

Let Them Eat Cake... Part One

Now, I don't know how or when this started but looking through the photos on my phone there are a ridiculous amount of pictures of cakes. I'm not sure if this is normal or if I have a problem. I say I, but I actually mean me, my sisters (Sophie and Olivia) and my mother (Annie-two-pies). We make, I would say, an above average amount of cakes. 

Any occasion calls for a cake, whether it be a birthday, graduation, Easter, Christmas or even it just being Sunday...(Sunday actually calls for two cakes) WE LOVE A CAKE!! Now we started out like everyone else, little fairy cakes with icing on the top but as the years have gone on they have became more and more elaborate. 

I am quite proud of our cakes and thought I would share some of the pictures on my phone (more to come in part two). 

 Blueberry cake with a cream cheese and blueberry topping

Princess cakes for my 21st birthday cake

 Princess and circus themed cakes for my 21st

 Mille feuille with home grown red currents and strawberries

 Chocolate Easter cake with chicks

Periodic table of elements fairy cakes

Starry chocolate cream birthday cake 

 Fisherman catching a giant fish birthday cake

Lulu Guinness handbag cake 

Chemist birthday cake 

Lulu Guinness lips clutch birthday cake

An amazing fruit topped fresh vanilla cheesecake

Now I hope those have got your mouth watering or give you some cake inspiration, but keep your eyes peeled for part two... even more delicious amazing cakes (I know MORE cakes). 

x x x

Everything Starts With An Idea - 11/04/2013

It's amazing how quick you can make an idea a reality. I drew this little guy after seeing something similar and just thought he was too cute to leave on the paper. So with my creative juices flowing I brought him to life in the form of a t-shirt.

I really like the look of appliqué so I went rooting and found some gorgeous vintage fabric in my house and started there!

He didn't take very long to do and I can make him say anything I want. I've chose 'all my friends are dead' as I thought it was quite witty and a bit different. I made one for my sister and she wanted hers to say 'ROAR!!'. I think they look amazing styled with grungy high waisted shorts and a leather jacket, or just with a pair of jeans!!

If you want to get your hands on one of these then you can!! I'm selling these cuties!! You can either choose "All my friends are dead", "ROAR!!" or your own words!! I'm selling them for £17, with a choice of words, and colour of fabric for the dinosaur. At the moment they are a men's small size, but can order different sizes for any shape! Let me know if you would like one by contacting me on here, my Facebook page or my Twitter! Hope you like it!

x x x

Something you have to try!!

Making your own dress is probably one of the most satisfying things you can do, (and also one of the most frustrating!!). Once you have picked your fabric and your pattern you then have to decipher the instructions, measured yourself (always tricky) and cut out all the pattern pieces... then it is time to pin and tuck and pleat and iron until you have your perfect dress. 

I would recommend to give it go. Even if your hem is a bit wonky, or buttons aren't perfectly spaced out that's fine because YOU made it!! It always feels amazing when someone asks 'oh where did you get that dress, it is lovely' and you can reply with great pride 'I made it!!'.

So next time you see a pattern you like, give it a go!! Even if it takes agggess, just do it! You won't regret it!

I have included these pictures I took whilst putting together one of my dresses! Hope you like it and feel inspired to create something yourself!

If you have any questions or requests feel free to comment or contact me on here. Or you can check out my Facebook page or my twitter!!

Thanks for reading!!

Lots of Love

x x x 

Cute Puppy Jumper December 2012

When trying to think of Christmas gifts this year I was inspired by what my sister has been trying to find for a while now. She has searched all over the internet (and beyond probably) for a jumper, or a knitting pattern with a picture of a Yorkshire Terrier on, as she has the cutest pair going.

So I made her one for Christmas this year!! This was the result and the pup who inspired it, Toby, how CUTE!!

So I just used a picture that I found of Toby looking super cute and still!! It is a good picture as it is mainly big shapes which are easy to sew.

First I cut out a shape in a pale brown fabric, which resembled the shape of Toby's head, but simplified. I then pinned it to a jumper that I bought in the men's section in Primark, the sturdier the fabric the better. I used the same colour thread to satin stitch around the shape. This was done using a zig-zag stitch on the machine, but you could do it by hand, it would just take longer. It's a technique called appliqué, easy to do but looks really effective.

Next I cut the shape of Toby's beard in a darker brown fabric and again used satin stitch to attach it to the jumper.

Then sewed a nose shape using chain stitch and filled it in using chain stitch again. I used the same method for the eyes and the mouth, but used black thread.

I think it looked rather cute, and it could be done for anything really, as long as the shapes are kept simple enough.

If you are interested in anything that I have done, or would like me to sew something for you then just message me on here or contact me on my Facebook page or Twitter!!