Crafty chat and sharing 26 Nov - 30 Nov

[Dips]

At long last, I'm kicking this week off with a picture of what I've been wittering about for a couple of weeks now, the Christmas Cake. It's based in 'Twas the Night before Christmas. Some elements took more than one attempt to get right (the bed-head for one, the bed cover for another). It didn't help that I was working with shop-bought sugarpaste rather than professional quality, you just can't believe the difference until you work with both mediums.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g193/dips6/P1010109_zps0d0c0dfe.jpg

More details and pictures can be found on my blog 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Cake (http://www.dipsdesigns.com/2012/11/twas-night-before-christmas-mouse-cake.html)

Looking forward to reading and seeing what everyone else is up to!

[Lioness]

That is stunning Dips.
Where do you get your shop bought sugar paste from? My son wants to have a go at making a cake topper so I don't want to pay a lot for the materials.

[Millburn]

that is just stunning; I would never cut it open, just leaving it to admire :D

[jenty]

What an amazing cake! I'm the same - wouldn't be able to cut it. Who could eat a little mouse head when they are such cute characters? I used to feel guilty eating a sugar mouse!

[Dips]

Lioness, you can buy sugarpaste (sometimes called fondant) in any supermarket, it will be in packets in the home baking section.

[SooG]

Wow! That is gorgeous. What a perfect Christmas cake.

[LynneH]

That is fantastic, Dips. I love it!

[budgie]

You are clever! That is a fabulous cake. I wouldn't be able to cut it up either!

[debo]

What a beautiful design! I'm afraid my Christmas cakes always end up covered with snowy peaks and a bought tree and father Christmas stuck on top! (oh, the shame!!!)
I'm hoping to get some Christmas cards made today!

[budgie]

What a beautiful design! I'm afraid my Christmas cakes always end up covered with snowy peaks and a bought tree and father Christmas stuck on top! (oh, the shame!!!)
I'm hoping to get some Christmas cards made today!

Sounds like you copy off me!

[jr77]

Ha Ha Budgie!

Dps that cake is truly adorable and so beautifully done. It makes me happy just looking at it!

[Little Jan]

Wow dips that puts my cakes to shame
I normally only have mine to do but now daughter has moved out she wants me to do hers.
she asked for penquins ok thats not too much of a problem butt he she said can I have an igloo, but made from little blocks,of icing, not too much pressure then LOL

[Dips]

Oh, I don't envy you that, Little Jan. Think I'd be tempted to cheat and use my brick embosser over an half round instead. Good luck!!!!

I had made (even if I do say so myself) an absolutely beautiful patchwork sugarpaste throw to use on the bed, took about 4 hours to do, then promptly feel into a hundred pieces when I lifted up to put on the cake. The worse thing is, now that the cake is finished, I think I've worked out how I could have made it stable to be able to use it, ho hum!

[jube]

Dips your cake is fantastic.

[kinglake]

OMG that is a fantastic cake. jo

[Mitzi]

Dips, that is wonderful! Like everyone else, I think it would be a shame to cut into it.



What a beautiful design! I'm afraid my Christmas cakes always end up covered with snowy peaks and a bought tree and father Christmas stuck on top! (oh, the shame!!!)
I'm hoping to get some Christmas cards made today!

That sounds good enough to me... my Christmas cakes come with whatever the supermarket has chosen to put on them. Now THAT'S shame.

[Waterlily]

Oh wow what a wonderful cake Dips.

[jenty]

Well, Dips, I think you should make another. Then you will be able to use your new technique and have one to cut into. :grin:

[Susan W]

Wow, that's amazing Dips! You are very talented.

[Summer]

Dips what a treat to see - A fantastic cake - I couldn't bring myself to cut it up either.


Here (I think) are my clarity homework cards - If I get to post them tomorrow that is! sorry for the carp photos.

[Dips]

Love the cards, Summer, especially the doors (I have a real thing about Red Door Christmas cards).

[Millburn]

Summer I love the cards too :up: :D

[budgie]

Lovely cards Summer!

[Waterlily]

Lovely cards Summer.

[LynneH]

They're both fab, Summer. I love how you've changed the window into doors. Clever idea.

[Susan W]

Gorgeous cards Summer.

[jr77]

I love red doors on Christmas cards too! I think your homework deserves a gold star Summer.

[Mitzi]

Beautiful shaded sky on that first one, Summer - presumably it's brayered? Do you use one of these splodge mat thingies?

[Granny Penny]

What a wonderful start to the week.

Dips, your cake is stunning. It makes me look forward to Christmas but in a very, very good way. I love the little mice and their stockings and presents; you are so talented. And Summer - I would buy your cards. They are just the right level of hand crafted professionalism ... lovely.

[Summer]

Beautiful shaded sky on that first one, Summer - presumably it's brayered? Do you use one of these splodge mat thingies?

Thanks Mitzi - Still trying to get to grips with the brayer - but the splodge really help with the blending - i use it a lot - I am now able to use my distress inks with the splodge and brayer - couldn't seem to get them to work directly on the brayer.

[Jacksmissis]

Oh, I don't envy you that, Little Jan. Think I'd be tempted to cheat and use my brick embosser over an half round instead. Good luck!!!!

I had made (even if I do say so myself) an absolutely beautiful patchwork sugarpaste throw to use on the bed, took about 4 hours to do, then promptly feel into a hundred pieces when I lifted up to put on the cake. The worse thing is, now that the cake is finished, I think I've worked out how I could have made it stable to be able to use it, ho hum!

:mysmilie_492:

That is soooo beautiful Dips AND I have a solution to the patchwork quilt!! Make another cake to put the quilt on and share the one in the pic with all of us - see, simples!!

Summer I love your cards - they are both so different, and very classy.

[Julie]

Fantastic cake Dips !

I am making my first ever cake this Christmas, well obviously the cake bit is already done, bring on the decorating fun bit soon.

[JAMMY]

What a wonderful cake Dips. It reminds me of one I saw in a cake decorating book years ago. I thought I would have a go but never got around to it. I used to decorate cakes years ago for family and friends so understand the amount if time this has taken you.

Lovely cards Summer. I hope the address is a false one otherwise they may get a lot of unwanted visitors.

[Dips]

Fantastic cake Dips !

I am making my first ever cake this Christmas, well obviously the cake bit is already done, bring on the decorating fun bit soon.

I have to warn you, Julie, this cake decorating malarkey is expensive and addictive! It's great fun though, so hope you enjoy. I can recommend an excellent online supplier of sugarpaste etc, if anyone is interested.

[Dips]

That's super, Bluebell and another new craft to this section! Previously, you would have thought this forum was predominately about paper craft and within that, card-making, but these weekly threads are proving that this is so not the case!

[LynneH]

That is fab Bluebell Wood. So cute!

[JAMMY]

Love the plaque Bluebell.
Here's a paint pot I've just finished as a present for my daughter. 3842

[Dips]

Oh, Jammy, how did you do that, can you give some details. It looks lovely.

[Millburn]

Jammy and Bluebell :up: both of you :D

[jr77]

Wot she said! This thread is really exciting - can't wait to see whats next!

[Waterlily]

Both beautiful Jammy and Bluebell

[Summer]

I love your plaque Bluebell - you must have such a steady hand - Casey is going to be well pleased with that

What tools do you use - are they expensive? I'd love to have a go - but would definitely need a pattern to follow

Fab paint pot Jammy - it doesn't seem quite right calling it a paint pot - its so beautiful

[Mitzi]

Dips, re. your quilt, a quilt should have a backing fabric, otherwise you can't quilt it! So can't you do one continuous layer with all the little quilt patches stuck onto it? Or is that what you tried, and they all fell off?

[Dips]

Dips, re. your quilt, a quilt should have a backing fabric, otherwise you can't quilt it! So can't you do one continuous layer with all the little quilt patches stuck onto it? Or is that what you tried, and they all fell off?

Yes, I did a backing layer of white sugarpaste and used edible glue to stick them on, but because I needed to drape it, I had to lift the quilt before it had dried out and all the squares fell off (all 90 of them in 3 colours, embossed with 5 different patterns - how fed up was I!?!) - on thinking about it, I may have had more luck if I'd done a layer of white sugarpaste, a layer of royal icing and then the patchwork squares.

[Summer]

Hi Summer, I use a Janik solid point pyrography machine, I've been using mine for 15 years but I think they are about £90 now if you buy them new. They come up on Ebay quite often and on average are about £40 on there, there are a lot of cheap ones on Ebay that look like soldering irons, I wouldn't buy one of those, to get the best result its best to buy one of the better makes. Its not just down to the machine though, the wood that you use makes a big difference, I see people use pine but it gives a very blobby line, the best and easiest wood to use is Sycamore, Birch or Beech. I layout my designs and text on my computer then print out and trace onto the wood, you can buy books on Ebay with designs in them for pyrography on Ebay. If you want to have a go and need any more help, just ask I'll do my best to help, I've just set up a blog the other day and have put a couple of photos of my work on there and will be adding more to it soon, if you want to have a look my blog is http://bluebell-woodcrafts.blogspot.co.uk hope that helps,
Julie x

Thanks for the info Julie, I've just checked out your blog. Love the mallard and clock is beautiful - will keep popping in to see what you are up to.

[Mitzi]

Oh how frustrating, Dips! Couldn't you just lick them and stick them back down? ;-)

[Jacksmissis]

:mysmilie_492:

Oh Mitzi, how terribly coarse dear!!

Bluebell and Jammie Fabulous Fabulous Fabulous!!!

[JAMMY]

Dips its from Sheena's paint fushion technique. I used a stamp of the leaves with stazon and then painted them with acrylic paint. It didn't take long and was really relaxing. I just had to remember to let the leaves dry before I turned it around.

This is what I've been doing today:3844

This is the first mount I've cut, thanks to a mount cutter my husband bought me at the NEC.

[Dips]

I'm so impressed with people who can paint and also do the wood-thingy, I can't make my hands do work like this!

And hahaha about licking the patchwork squares - think if I did that, I 'd have an awful lot of Christmas cake leftover after the holiday!

[jr77]

I'd have cried if it had happend to me Dips!

Jammy that painting is lovely and beautifully mounted -its a lovely effect.

[Summer]

Jammy, that's lovely - your house must be full of beautiful items you have painted

[JAMMY]

Well Summer the downstairs loo is!!!

[Waterlily]

Finished my latest cross stitch yesterday.

Working on the black aida was a pain at night but not bad in the daytime

It's called 'Sunset Safari' the black aida doesn't seem to have photographed very well.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k158/PamE24/lionetc018.jpg

[Summer]

Wow that's fantastic Pam, so striking. I love the family of Lions at the front. A real labour of love, but I bet a real pleasure to work on such a lovely image.

I use to cross stitch a bit, but I doubt i could do such close work anymore.

[Julie]

Gosh so many talented people on here.

Pam that is stunning, how long did it take you to make ?

[jr77]

That is very impressive Pam. I know the black must have been quite difficult but what an effect!

[JAMMY]

Love the cross stitch Pam. Where are you going to hang it? I can't cross stitch ATM due to headaches but can appreciate the work of others.
Bluebell, my mount cutter only cuts straight lines. It's a Longridge system. It does cut bevel edges and its a breeze to use, hence my first real mount (I have been playing with some scrap mountboard) could be something other than a simple rectangle.

[Waterlily]

Thank you all.

Julie I think it took about two and a half months to do. That's just going by when I finished the last one lol.

[Waterlily]

Jammy, I've got so many finished ones, there wouldn't be enough room to hang them all up. I'm actually waiting for hubby to frame them for me (he'll make the frames as well lol).