DIY Cards

 Hello again! In the picture above there are four of my homemade cards. I love to make things unique and special by creating my cards by hand. Usually I look for ideas on Pinterest and from there I create my own designs. In this post I tell you how I made them and give you guys a few ideas to make your own! I

- Different Font Card -

 I wish I could've thought of a more creative name for this card but alas no... my imagination doesn't stretch that far so we will have to make do with 'different font card'. Sorry! For this card, all you need is a pencil, black fine liner and a plain, white piece of A4 card. I first drew out my words in pencil onto the card, starting at the top and making my way to the bottom. I then went over the pencil lines with fine liner, colouring in some of the words

- Musical Note Button Card -

For this card I used again a plain, white sheet of A4 card, a pencil, a black fine liner and 7 black buttons of different shape and size. I first used a ruler to draw on the lines with pencil and then marked on where all the notes would go. I then drew with a ruler the notes before I stuck on the buttons. I glued on the buttons with PVA glue.

- Elephant Balloons -

For this card I used:

• two pieces of different patterned paper
• 13 buttons (different colours)
• green, sparkly card
• A4 white card
• Black fineliner  

To make this card I used a template for the elephant and its ear. I cut them out of the patterned paper and stuck them onto the white card with double sided tape. I then cut a strip of green card (long enough to fit on the width of the card) and frayed the edges slightly to make it look like 3D grass. I stuck that on with double sided tape too. Using the black fine liner I marked out where the buttons would go before joining them to the elephants trunk. I used UHU glue to stick each button on.

- Daffodil Card -

I used buttons again for this card for the center of the daffodils. You need a plain, white sheet of A4 card, orange, yellow crayons, black fine liner (again) and 6 yellowy buttons of different sizes and shapes. First I drew each daffodil (without the buttons) and coloured them in with the yellow and orange crayons. I made them stand out a bit more with the fine liner. I drew straight lines with a ruler to the bottom of the page for the stems. Using PVA, I stuck the buttons into the centers of the daffodils.

Thank you for reading! I really enjoy designing and making little things like this and I hope you will too. 

Thank you again x

The Perfect Gluten Free Cupcakes

In this post I will tell you (with pictures!) a step by step routine of how to bake gluten free (flour free) red velvet and lemon cupcakes. I have always used this recipe and it has always worked out the best! I really enjoy baking these, they are my favourite. These are free of gluten. This recipe makes 18 cakes but you can double it or half it. To make this recipe you will need: 

• 3 mixing bowls
• electric whisk
• spoon
• 18 paper/silicone cupcake cases
• cupcake baking tray
• cooling rack

Step 1:
Get all your ingredients which include:

• 150g Free From gluten self raising flour (I got mine from asda, I find it the best!)
• 150g Granulated sugar
• 150g Olive spread (just any margarine)
• 1.5tsp Gluten free baking powder
• 3 eggs (free range!)
• 1.5tsp vanilla extract
• 2tsp red food colouring
• 1 lemon

 Icing:

• 75g butter (slightly melted)
• 150g icing sugar

 Step 2:
Firstly preheat the oven to 180 degrees, gas mark 4. Next get your set of weighing scales and your big mixing bowl. Start by adding the flour, then sugar and then butter; make sure you keep an eye on the weighing scales! 150g each.



 
Step 3: 
To put the baking powder in I take it off the weighing scales because you won't be using them any time soon. Put 1.5tsp of baking powder, then break the 3 eggs into a separate bowl or jug. Add them to your mixture and finally put 1.5tsp of vanilla extract. 

Step 4:
Once you have all your ingredients in the big mixing bowl, use the electric whisk to mix them all up. I usually whisk for a couple of
minutes until the mixture is a
creamy consistency. If it is too thick and it doesn't drip of the whisk, I would add a little splash of milk.









Step 5:
Your mixture should look like the image on the right by this point. Now I split the mixture into two so I can make the lemon and red velvet separately. I have three bowls because I was experimenting on baking coconut cupcakes:) Now you zest the lemon with either a grater or a lemon zester. You also juice the lemon either by using a juicer or just squeezing it over one of your mixtures. Add the zest and about 2tbsp of the lemon juices. In your other bowl, measure out 2tsp of red food colouring and add it to the mix. I don't add cocoa powder but of course you can if you want them chocolatey. About 2tbsp would do. 

 That is what the red velvet will look like, if you can add more or less food colouring or just add none at all for plain, vanilla cupcakes.

 

Step 6: 

Spoon both mixtures into cupcake cases on your cupcake baking tray. Then put them in the preheated oven for about ten to fifteen minutes. Whilst the cakes are baking, you can make the icing to go on them.

Step 7: 

To make the lemon icing that goes on the lemon cakes, you have to get your other mixing bowl and sieve about 75g of your icing sugar. Once you have sieved the icing sugar, mix it slowly together with about 30g of your butter. You have to beat it for a long time to get it into a nice paste. It may be a bit tough so add in about 2tbsp of lemon juice to give it a good flavour. I added a tiny splash of red colouring to make a lovely pink colour but of course you can make yours any colour. 

 

Step 8:

To make the red velvet icing, just complete the previous steps but miss out the red colouring and lemon juice and add milk or water instead. So you are left with a perfect, creamy mix. By the time you have finished making the icing, your cakes should be ready and set to cool on a rack.

They should look a bit like these!

Step 9: Once your cakes are cool, you can start piping or spreading your icing onto your cakes. Be creative do whatever you want to decorate them, they are your cakes!

Here are my finished cakes:)

Now you can sit back with a cup of tea and eat your cakes. I really hoped you had as much fun baking them as I did and that they turned out as tasty and delicious as you expected! I loved writing this post as I haven't done one like this before. Can't wait to show you come more of my wonderful recipes I have cooked in the past.

Hope you enjoyed reading!
Thanks x

In the last week, everyone in the UK have been going back to school. Some may be looking forward to going back, some may be dreading it but in the end we all have to go so I thought it would be a good idea to do a post on all the things I would include in my school bag whether you are starting primary school, secondary school, college or university.

-Pencil Case-

 I definitely recommend using a pencil case to store all your stationery in. They are just useful and handy! I loved this design of pencil case with its flowery, denim case and a light pink zip and lining. I purchased it from Rymans.

-Pencil, Ruler and Rubber-

 You always need a pencil and ruler especially in secondary school when you start your proper exams. I have also got a rubber thrown in their too which is always useful. I got these in a little set for Christmas last year and I really like the red roses design and the contrasting spots on the pencil.

-Pens, Highlighter and Pencil Sharpener-

In most secondary schools now they expect you to write up all your work in biros or pens unlike primary school where the teachers like you to write in pencil as you can rub out mistakes. I use black pens usually but blue is excepted too. Highlighters are handy too, if you want to make something in a piece of text stand out. Pencil sharpeners are a life saver. When you are drawing a graph or diagram with a pencil and the lead snaps that sinking feeling erupts inside you but there is no need for that if you have a pencil sharpener:).

-Calculator and Body Spray-

 You may not need a calculator in primary but in secondary and university they always come in useful. And body spray is a 'just in case' item if you feel uncomfortable in the summer heat especially after PE!

-Hand Gel, Hairbrush and Purse-

 Yes, I know, hand gel... again! It is so convenient. This is my Soap&Glory hand maid cleansing gel. Smells gorgeous! Also my faithful hairbrush is chucked in there just in case and my purse with spare change in to maybe buy your lunch or spend on a bus ticket.

Once again thank you so much for reading my post. I hope your school year turns out successful and fun. Good luck to any of you who are starting new schools this year, I know that can be a very daunting experience! And good luck to everybody in school, university or college, lets make it a good year;)

Thank you x

August Favourites...

I thought this month, I would change it up a bit and do a favourites post. It includes everything I have been loving in August e.g food, music, books... There is only four because when I came round to it I struggled to find things but in the future there will be more:)

My first item is Milka Tendre au Lait. (Yes it is in french) I bought this on my holiday in France and have fallen in love with it, delicious! I'm not quite sure what the English name for it is but look out for Milka chocolate with a little cow on the pieces of chocolate:) It is literally milk chocolate sandwiched together with milky cream:) YUM!

 Here is a little photo of the series of books I have been loving. I have already read these once about a year ago but I sneakily picked the first one up (Delirium) the other day and I was lost, transformed to another world, for about a week. I had forgotten how exciting and enjoyable these books are. Every chapter, I felt I wanted to read more, a real page turner. They are about a teenaged girl growing up in future America where love is a disease. It is full of action and emotion but not a total soppy love story;) I totally recommend these books to you. Delirium, Pandemonium and Requiem by Lauren Oliver.

My next favourites are a food, Flumps. They are literally sweet marshmallows. At the moment I have been loving them. You can find them in most sweet shops or supermarkets.

Whilst I was on holiday, I was wearing this on my nails and it lasted for the whole of the two weeks. I really love this colour, metallic turquoise.

 I hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you liked it, I will do more in the future!

Thank you for reading x