Male themed Birthday card using docrafts Creativity Club printables

Well, it's #docraftsmonday (thank you Emma!) and I thought it was about time I got my craft stash out - you forget how good it can make you feel, simply being focused on one thing instead of ten for a change. Here's the result - a birthday card for my Father-in-Law (don't show him this yet Barb!), using the printables I designed for this week's Creativity Club download. There are flowers included in the collection, but I missed those out and converted the patterns into a more masculine card...

 

 

I love layers and dimension so I used lots of 3D foam squares and layers of paper

mounted onto card to created a sense of depth...

 

 

...I wrapped craft string around the card base randomly...

 

 

...and used lots of dark brown dye ink to get a vintage effect.

 

 

The inside of the card echoed the same design as the front...

...and I used red buttons to add that finishing touch!

 

Thank you for looking and don't forget to join in #docraftsmonday!

 

Jill x

 

#docraftsmonday is like a weekly crafty 'show and tell'.

To get involved on Facebook:

On Monday, post a photo on https://www.facebook.com/docrafts of your recent craft project

and add the hashtag #docraftsmonday.

You can see all #docraftsmonday projects by visiting the page and viewing the 'Posts by Others' section, clicking on the #docraftsmonday hashtag, or searching '#docraftsmonday'

in the Facebook search box. When you see a #docraftsmonday project you like,

make sure you comment or give it a Like!

 

Cath Kidston Inspired Birthday Cake

My favourite mug at home was a gift from my lovely girls and features a beautiful Cath Kidston rose design on blue. I've always planned on making a cake using it as inspiration, so when my Mother-in-law's birthday came around, it was the perfect opportunity! The cake is completely gluten free (so my daughter, Nan and I could tuck in too!), vanilla sponge on the base with lemon on top.

 

It was actually a very quick cake to make and probably one I have enjoyed the most. I love that each time I design a cake, I learn something new to take onto the next one - I hope that never changes!

 

 I found that by being relaxed about the decorating process, making more impulsive decisions rather than mapping everything out, made the creative process much more fun. I am looking forward to my next docrafts Creativity Magazine commission now!

Thanks for looking!

Jill x

 

Birthday Card - You are never too old to dream a new dream...

I made this card for my brother's birthday - he has just started sea swimming and has set himself some personal goals for this year!

I used a combination of the docrafts Creativity Club Sentiments Collections (1 & 2), Xcut Build-a-Scene dies XCU 503156 (for the waves), Xcut Dies Rectangle Parenthesis XCU 503045 (for the text panel), plus a mix of Papermania Capsule products and a blue wallaper which I got as a sample from a DIY store!

 

Thank you for looking!

Jill x

Festive Wedding Cake

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you have all managed to escape the flooding and power cuts the recent weather conditions have resulted in - we have been blessed in our part of Dorset, so, so lucky.

 

One of my New Year's resolutions is to catch up on my blog posts - I have a backlog of craft/cake projects to put on...here is the first!

 

I was recently asked to make a wedding cake for my Boss's sister - the brief was to make it festive with a cranberry/silver and white colour palette with a touch of holly, making a sugarpaste ribbon the feature on the top tier...

 

To create the ribbon loops, I mixed some Gum Tragacanth (a plant derived powder which is used to stiffen sugarpaste, making it set harder and hold it's shape), into the cranberry paste, wrapped it in clingfilm and left it overnight. I then created the loops from lengths of paste and secured a cocktail stick into the end of each loop using a little cool, boiled water, shaped them and left them to dry out.

 

 

 

I opted to use the cocktail sticks as the cake had to be transported across country

and they prevented the loops from slipping!

 

 

What I love about cake decorating, is that each cake teaches me something different and

new and inspires me to try out more techniques!

 

Thank you for looking

Have a great 2014!

 

Jill x

 

 

Gingerbread House Cupcakes as seen in the docrafts Creativity Magazine

If you fancy being a little creative with your cake making this Christmas, then
why not have a go at creating this little collection!

 

The cupcakes and houses were all made using the Little Venice Cake Company Tools, 

which you can view at docrafts.com

 

I have to say, I really enjoyed this project - it was just a little tricky stopping the girls 

from eating them before they were photographed!

To see how to make them step by step visit my docrafts gallery here

Thank you for looking!

Jill x

Jewellery Birthday Cake

Phew, things have been a little crazy to say the least – I have a backlog of creative projects to blog about and no time to do it! Anyway, here are some photos of a cake I made for my friend Kerry’s birthday the other week.  I wanted to try out using jewellery as a cake topper – I have seen some amazing designs by cake artists online, LindySmith for example. I have to say, I love the effects that you can achieve with a little jewellery wire and beads. I will definitely be using this technique again!

 

You will have to excuse the lighting - I have about 10 minutes to take the shot before I
delivered the cake and I had very little natural light!

 

To create the topper, I selected a variety of purple tones and crystal beads in an assortment of designs and sizes then threaded them onto some 26 guage gold wire. I then looped the wire around the beads to hold them into place. I made the twirly bits by wrapping the wire around a pen, then secured all the ends into a flower pic, which was already inserted into the cake. If you stuff the flower pic first with a little sugar paste, it will hold the wires steady.

The cake design was inspired from the label of a bottle of bubble bath! I used a mixture of
silicone molds and Little Venice Cake Company nozzles to create the paisley effect. I loved the dimensional result, but make sure you allow plenty of time for this technique as it can take ages!

 Thank you for looking!

Jill x

For a special friend - a birthday bottle card

I have known Kerry for around 32 years since we were at primary school. She is one amazing lady and we have accumulated loads of funny special memories between us over the decades! We have experienced love, laughter, heartbreak, marriage, careers and have been blessed with four beautiful girls between us who are carrying on the tradition of female bonding.

 

The sentiment on this bottle card has been taken from the docrafts Creativity Club sentiments collection I designed and it so says how I feel...

 

"A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself."

 

Happy Birthday Hon!

 

 

I made the origami heart by following the fabulous Beckie Dreyer's origami heart

template which can be found here. Once you have had a play and mastered the technique it is

quite addictive, so much so, my Christmas cards are being designed around them!

 

 

I used the Owl collection printables I designed for the Creativity Club to create the

theme and embellished the heart with Papermania Adhesive Stones and Bow.

 

 

I am a little addicted to my die-cut machine and antiquing with inks, so once again,

these techniques have found their way in!

 

To finish the back, I added a blank die-cut heart so that I can write my message.

A Papermania Ribbon and Baker's Twine completes the design.

 

 

Thank you for looking!

 

I hope you enjoy the wine Kerry!

 

Jill x