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25 June 2012

Let them eat cake (or not!)


A little while ago, two of my work colleagues were celebrating their birthdays within days of each other, and another was moving on to another job so we had a joint morning tea celebration. As some of our team have food intolerances we joked about needing a fake cake so we could at least blow out the candles. Lo and behold, when I got home that afternoon I found this link on Pinterest. Wow, what a great idea, but I didn’t have a battery operated tea light, let alone two! Never mind, I worked out a different way to make the cake and made each of them one.
Here is the result. I put their initials on them and made little matching cards as well. They were really cute.

I didn't think to take pictures of the steps or even note exactly what I did to make the cakes, but this is basically it.
  • Gathered my supplies:
      • scalloped circle punch
      • circle punch (that fits within the scalloped circle so that the scallops could be folded over the circle)
      • scalloped circle die (larger than the scallop circle punch) to make the base
      • four matching patterned papers and cardstock (all scraps)
      • a scrap piece from a cardboard box
      • some jute.
  • I punched the scalloped circle for the cake top first.
  • With a matching piece of patterned paper I cut a strip as wide as I wanted the cake tall.
  • I then took a scrap piece from a cardboard box and punched several circles with my circle punch. I think I punched seven in all for each cake. I basically punched as many as I needed so that when they were stacked on top of each other they were as tall as the paper I just cut.
  • I eyeballed the centre of the circles and marked that spot. I then used my crop-a-dile to punch a hole (the largest one) in the centre of all the cardboard circles and the scalloped top. I did it in two piles for each cake since more than that wouldn't fit through the crop-a-dile. Then I stuck all the circles together.
  • I wrapped the strip of paper around the cardboard cake base, cutting off the excess paper and sticking it down. My pile was slightly shorter than the paper was high, so I added a few pieces of foam mounting tape under the bottom cardboard circles.
  • I then added the scalloped circle on top of the cake and folded the scallops down over the edge.
  • I took another piece of paper about twice as high as the cake. I stuck down a slightly longer piece of jute onto the end of the paper and then rolled it until I had a "candle". I pushed the candle into the hole through all layers of the cake.  It was a bit fiddly as the holes weren't in exactly the same place J.
  • I die cut the cardstock base using the larger scallop, then stuck the cake down. To finish, I cut each of their initials using the Cuttlebug Curlz and Swirlz die and added it to the top of their respective cakes.
If I were to do this again, I think I would cut fewer cardboard circles. That way I could punch the centre hole in one go with the crop-a-dile. I would then put foam squares in between each layer to make it tall enough. Hopefully that would mean that the candle would be less fiddly to get all the way through the cake, although it might make no difference at all.

In the end, my cakes were very well received and we had a lovely celebratory morning tea.

Have you ever made a paper cake? If you have, or if you attempt to make his one, I'd love to see what you do. 

Till next time, happy days!

Francine

24 June 2012

Going Up


I finished this layout a while ago but never posted it, so I thought it was about time.
I used an old TLC kit. Virtually everything on this page is from that kit - the cardstock, papers, sticker letters (for UP), ribbon, and circle embellishments. The only things not from the kit are the sticker letters (GOING) which are by Basic Grey, the chipboard arrow (?maker), the chipboard letters (although they are TLC), the red clip and the blue brad. I also used a Kaisercraft stamp for the hot air balloons.

I cut the red circle from the kit with my Papertrey Ink - Limitless Layers: 2 1/2" Circle Die Collection and then used it as a frame over some of the patterned paper. I also cut the green grid paper with my MFT Die-namics wonky scallop border, and the blue "flower" medallion is a Sullivan's die for which I can't find a link.

Unfortunately I no longer remember where the sketch I used is from, so if anybody knows, please let me know so that I can properly credit the designer.

Till next time, happy days.
Francine

23 June 2012

Sydney at Dusk


I had a friend come stay this month which required me to clean my scrapbooking room, aka spare room. There was no room to even sit on the bed, let alone sleep in it. So, during my clean up I came across some photographs and a page sketch for a challenge from 18 months ago that I never made. The pictures were perfect for this month's White With 1 challenge, so I set about finding papers, etc (after my friend went home that is) and created this.

The challenge to use white + pale blue + flags was perfect, and I was able to use up some more of my large stash of old TLC papers. It turned out much better than using the cream and dark blue papers I had initially set aside.



I die cut and/or embossed all my embellishments. I used these dies and embossing folders:
MFT Die-namics: Banner Day die
MFT Die-namics: Mini pennant die
Spellbinders: ironwork accents dies
Cuttlebug: Curls & Swirls alphabet die
Cuttlebug: Baby Face alphabet die
Cuttlebug Jamara embossing folder

I die cut one of my kaleidoscopes as well.

I made the flags with some die cut triangular banners mixed with the mini pennants. I glued an ironwork die cut on top and wrapped the ends around some blue/white baker's twine. A couple of extra large brads at the end completed the banner of flags.

I added some blue diamante and clear star bling to finish the whole layout.

The sketch I used is one from Page Maps.

Till next time, happy days.
Francine