Something a little bit different ...

Hello Everyone,

A little bit of a different post today!  This morning I met up with my lovely friend Louise.  Louise and I were at school together and she is my oldest friend - old, as in long standing friendship as opposed to old you understand, she and I are obviously still VERY young!!!  We don't live that near to each other but try and get together once every couple of months or so.

Anyway, back to the point (I will get to it eventually I promise!), during our lovely chat over coffee in Marks and Spencers we ended up chatting about food; cooking, recipes etc.  In the years I have known Louise she hasn't ever been big on cooking (I am sure she won't take offence at my saying that... well, hopefully not otherwise it could be the end of a beautiful friendship!), but the last time we got together she confessed that she was becoming known amongst friends and other school mums as a bit of a 'foodie' and someone to consult about dinners and recipes etc.  Well I was a little taken aback (and wondered what had happened to my friend!), but as I love talking about food, cooking and eating it as well, we had fun discussing recipes and so I nagged at her to send me some.  However, she said that she would only send me one if we exchanged and as I was telling her about some gorgeous 'Oat and Raisin Cookies' I had made recently I thought I would share the recipe with her and anyone else who is interested :).

The recipe for these yummy cookies is from Joanne Wheatley (winner of one of the 'Great British Bake Offs') and I had her book for Christmas which is full of absolutely gorgeous goodies.  Anyway, here goes with the recipe.

Oat & Raisin Cookies - makes 18-20

170g unsalted butter, softened

200g soft light brown sugar

120g caster sugar

1 large egg, beaten

4 tsp sunflower oil

250g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp cinnomon

150g rolled oats

200g raisins

You will also need 2-3 baking trays lined with baking parchment

Preheat oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4.  With a mixer cream together the butter and both the sugars until pale and light.  Add the egg and oil and mix again.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into the bowl, add the oats and raisins and mix again until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Using your hands, roll the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls (large walnuts in my opinion!) and place onto the prepared baking trays.  Allow plenty of space between each cookie as they will spread during baking.

Slightly flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden and firm.

Cool on wire racks

A close up!

(I thought I would add a picture of Jo's book with the cookies in case I get done for copyright infringement!!!)

Louise was 'concerned' that the oat and raisin part sounded a little bit too healthy for her but in my opinion this just means that you can eat cookies and pretend they are good for you, a win, win situation!!!  Anyway, let me know if you have a go - they are really easy - and I can't wait to hear what you think.

Happy baking!

Love Kate xx

New Home

Hello Everyone

My Godmother moved house last week and I created this little card for her.

It is a very simple card using some papers I have had for years (Bella Blvd I think?).  The big 'home' stamp is by Technique Tuesday and the little 'New Home' stamp is from a set by Banana Frog.  I love the joyful colours of the papers and hopefully the card will add a little joy to their new home :).

Hope you have had a good day and haven't got too wet!  I suppose the gardens need a little watering but I feel that will do now and I would like the sunshine back and a little bit of warmth.... not sure we are going to get it tho'!  Still, at least I don't have feel guilty about not being outside gardening and can get on with some crafting, guilt free :).

Happy Crafting!

Kate xx

Birthday Boy

Hi Everyone,

Today is my Godson's 9th Birthday and I have created this card for him.

He is very keen on football and a Manchester United supporter so that is where my colour inspiration came from!  I was really thrilled with this card as, apart from the base card, all the other pieces of paper and card were scraps.  I recently sorted my 'over-flowing' scraps collection in to colour collections which doesn't work for everything but in this particular case made finding 'red' scraps a doddle!

The cute image is a LOTV design 'Super Striker' and I bought it with my Godson in mind.  The circle and scallop circle dies are both Spellbinders and the bunting is a Magnolia Doohickey Die.  The papers are a selection of Sassafrass Lass, Echo Park and an 'unidentified' piece!  The white card is Bazzill and the red hessian ribbon is May Arts Woven Burlap 'Bittersweet'.  The twine is from the garden centre!

I would like to enter the Lili of the Valley Challenge 'Boy oh Boy!' with this card.

Have a lovely day.

Kate xx

Mirror Mirror!

Hello Everyone,

My lovely niece turned 16 yesterday and I created this card for her using the 'Mirror Mirror' stamp from LOTV.  The papers are Pink Paislee 'Butterfly Garden' and I followed a sketch from 'Papertake Weekly' which was last week's challenge.  I didn't get round to entering the challenge in time but I enjoyed using the sketch and that is what counts really.

The image was coloured using my Promarkers and Flexmarkers and the sentiment is also a LOTV one.

Enjoy the rest of your evening :).

Kate xx

Using up the leftovers!

Hello everyone,

I have been lucky enough to have spent the day crafting but not really doing what I had intended to!  I had carefully made a list of the crafting projects and bits I wanted/needed to get done and then proceeded to totally ignore it and go off at a tangent!  Firstly I finished sorting a few cards I had made; some needed the inside finishing, others needed an envelope decorating, that sort of thing.  So I got that done (amazing how long that sort of job seems to take me!) and then instead of moving on to a job on my list; making a birthday card for impending birthdays etc, I decided to finish off a project that I had started a while ago and had been left unloved and unattended since.  I have almost finished it but not enough yet to photograph but hopefully I will get it done tomorrow... watch this space!

Anyway, on to a card I made a few weeks back.  I decided I needed to make up a few quick and simple cards that would a) give me a stock of cards for those emergency moments when I had forgotten or not got round to making one specifically and b) some cards that would make a dent in the pile of leftover patterned paper scraps I seem to have.  This is what I came up with...

As you can see, it is a simple card and I got as far as making two of them but one got called upon almost immediately to fulfill its need as an 'emergency' card (I had clearly not been keeping to my list then either!!!). I can't remember what make the patterned paper is (it is years old) but the sentiment stamps are by Technique Tuesday and are from the 'Swanky Sentiments' set.

As I have only got round to making two they haven't as yet made any noticeable difference to my scraps pile so I clearly need to get busy and stop going off at tangents :D.

Have a great bank holiday weekend.

Kate xx

Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Card Again

Good Morning Everyone

I have just realised that I didn't get round to posting the card that I created with the other topper I showed a few weeks ago.  Well here it is .....

and here it is with its 'partner' :).  Don't they look sweet together?

I must get back to the Winter Wonderland Challenges otherwise it will be Christmas again and I will only have two cards ready!!!!!

Have a great day,

Kate xx

Peg Challenge

Hi Everyone,

The Bellaboo Crop on Tuesday evening was holding a challenge to 'decorate a peg'.

I had  great fun doing the challenge and was rather pleased with my little offering but I'm afraid to say that my peg was somewhat upstaged by some other rather gorgeous entries including this beauty by the very talented Tracy.

I used a very 'bog standard' clothes peg which I painted white.  The toad is a stamp 'Tutu Toad' by Stampendous which I coloured with my Promarkers and cut out.  I then used  small piece of tulle which I gathered with a little running stitch and stuck over the skirt.  It certainly makes me smile when I look at it :).

Happy Crafting

Kate xx

Hanging my head in shame!

Oh dear, it is so long since I have blogged.  I was doing a bit better but, I don't know, life just seemed to hit and I just haven't been up to anything much crafting-wise the last few weeks.  I have so many unfinished projects that it seems to have been paralysing me as I don't know where to start ....... and so I don't!  Instead of just doing 'something', I do 'nothing'!  Still very tired but feeling a little more motivated so am trying  to get on with a few bits and hoping my inertia goes away.

Even when I haven't been busy with the papercrafting I have been busy having a little bit of culinary fun baking.

Including these chocolate chip cookies using a recipe by Joanne Wheatley.  I bought her cookery book just after Christmas and love it.

But I have also been doing oddments of papercrafting and created this card for a friend's birthday.

The stamps are 'Stampin' Up' which I heat embossed in white onto white cardstock and then inked the card with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.  The background is spritzed with a Cosmic Shimmer mist and does have quite a sheen to it that unfortunately doesn't show up here well.  I finished the card off with a few Prima flowers, some ribbon and a little bling for the shoe.

There are a few other cards I have made also which I will share with you tomorrow hopefully.

Take care

Kate xxx

Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star

The Winter Wonderland Blog this week have 'Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star' as their theme and I thought this gorgeous image from Lili of the Valley was perfect for it.

I have coloured her with my Promarkers, a bit more practice with shading following my lesson with the lovely Kathy!  The papers are a K&Co. pad that I have had for a while, the snowflake is a Doohicky die by Magnolia.

Have a great rest of your day.

Kate xx

WOYWW

Hi Everyone

I realise it is a bit late in the day to be posting this but I have been out all day so am now working on the principle of  'better late than never'!

Having been encouraged by my lovely friend Tracy to play 'What's on your workdesk Wednesday' I have taken a couple of photos.  Unfortunately my 'workdesk'/'craftroom' is actually my son's bedroom whilst he is away at university but as he is home for Easter I am currently homeless on the crafting front!  So here is a picture of my workdesk as it currently is....

As you can see, not much happening (just want you to know that the Easter Egg and empty wrappers are nothing to do with me!!!).

The best I can offer on the current crafting front are these two toppers that I coloured at my friend Nicky's last night when we got together for a crafty evening.  They are due to be for the current Winter Wonderland Blog Challenge 'Starry Starry Night' but as the deadline is tomorrow and this is as far as I have got I am not sure I will get them finished in time but I will do my best!  I will make sure I photograph the finished articles for you (whenever that happens to be!).

I will endeavour to look more industrious for next week's check in on WOYWW!!!

Kate xxx