Fabulous Feasts for Fast Days: The 5:2 Diet Recipe Cookbook by Milly White

I know that this is a little "off-topic" but I hope you'll all indulge me.  It's a really exciting time for a friend of mine, Milly, who has just had her first cookbook Fabulous Feasts for Fast Days: The 5:2 Diet Recipe Cookbook published.  

As the name suggests, this book is for anyone who is following the 5:2 diet, and contains some absolutely gorgeous recipes.  Milly shows how you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner on your Fast days (which are usually 500 cals for women and 600 cals for men). That's quite some feat, especially as it's not 3 grapes for breakfast, 3 more for lunch and then a tangerine for dinner! 

Pictured above is a sample menu from the book that includes 5:2 Nutty Maple Granola  for breakfast, Smoked Mackerel Pate & Crisp Breads for lunch and Garlic & Herb Roasted Cod with Fennel En Papillote for dinner, and all that for under 500cals! I've tasted all of these and they are absolutely delicious.

Currently the book is exclusive to Kindle, it's priced at £1.80 on Amazon.co.uk here or $2.99 on Amazon.com here. Do take the chance to try this great diet cookbook, I'm sure you'll be inspired by it. Pin It Now!

Quick & Simple Filigree Favour Box

This is a really quick and easy project that makes such a pretty Favour Box.  

Project Recipe:
Paper and Card: Textured, Stardream
Tools: Tonic Studios Tiara Corner Die Set, Mazarine Blue Die Set, Layering Circle Dies, Grand Calibur
Embellishments: pearls

I found easier to make my box lid first, which I did by die-cutting the first corner with the Tiara Die, then trimming to size.  Once I'd made the lid, I worked out what size box base I needed to fit.

Then I simply embellished with some pretty pearls and die cuts from my Mazarine Blue die set.

A short but hopefully sweet post from me this weekend.  Hope you're having a good one!

Pin It Now!

Sneak Peek 3 - Fretwork Filigree Base & Pave Pearls

Back again with another Sneak Peek and another classic Dips Designs style card - lots of pave pearls  combined with filigree fretwork.  Whilst the Ornate Elegance Verso Header Fold Die Sets are designed primarily to work with the fold in your card, because they are also part of Tonic Studios Verso range, it means you can use them without the outer cutting edge.  So here I've used the fretwork header to create an inset fretwork detail to the top and bottom of my card base, which I then paved with peach flatback pearls.  

I've used Mum from the Family Members Die Set (but there is also a New Baby set and a Partner set too), and matted it onto my Vintage Frame Tag - just the perfect size and style for this card.  A few more peach and ivory pearls, and viola, an elegant and classy card that any Mum would love to receive!

Do you like this style of card, I hope so, but do let me know what you think?  The new range will be launching on Create and Craft at midday on Friday 2nd May.

Pin It Now!

Sneak Peek 2 - Welcome to the World Birth Announcement Tag & Gatefold

New arrivals in more than one sense with the New Baby Sentiment and Header Fold Dies from Tonic Studios, launching on Friday.  The Verso Header Fold Die Sets are designed primarily to work with the fold in your card, but as you know, I like to show you different ways to use your dies.  So here's I've used this wonderfull scrolling Ornate Elegance Header to create a birth announcement Tag, and again on the co-ordinating gatefold jacket.   

The 'Welcome to the World' phrase and delivery stork is also part of the new release which includes three new range of sentiments dies.  This die is from from the New Baby set, but there is also a Family Members Die Set and a Partner set too.

I think that anyone who makes a lot of cards for charity or to sell will get a great deal of use from these.  Do they appeal to you?  The new range will be launching on Create and Craft at midday on Friday 2nd May.

Pin It Now!

Sneak Peek 1 - Ornate Elegance & Family Members

New Tonic Studions Ornate Elegance Verso Header Fold
and Family Members Die Sets

So there are new dies from Tonic Studios about to be released and the clever pixies at Tonic Towers have once again produced a really versatile range.  The Ornate Elegance Verso Header Fold Die Set are designed primarily to work with the fold in your card, but you know me, I like to show you different ways to use your dies and especially how they work with your existing dies.  So here's one of my favourite filigree style cards using one of the Ornate Elegance Headers along with the Boudoir Base Die Set.

And yes, the new release also includes three new range of sentiments dies.  I've used Nan from the Family Members Die Set, but there is also a New Baby set and a Partner set too.

Do you like the look of these, let me know what you think?  The new range will be launching on Create and Craft at midday on Friday 2nd May.

Pin It Now!

Ivory & Platinum Diamond Wedding Anniversary Cake

I love it when my crafts cross-pollenate; and that certainly was the case recently when it was my parents Diamond Wedding Anniversary.  I've already shared with you the card that I made for them, which acted as inspiration for the cake I made for their surprise party.

Platinum and Ivory Diamond Wedding Anniversary Cake and Card

The cake is a two-tier sponge - using my own recipe, and I can promise you, it's moist, tender and yummilicious.  The bottom layer was 8"/2ocm and is covered in platinum-coloured sugar paste.  I achieved this finish by colouring my sugarpaste grey - which doesn't look good until you add the magic touch of Pearl Lustre spray! The top-teir is an offset 6"/15cm cake, covered in ivory paste.

When I first started cake decorating in earnest two years ago, I invested a wide range of Little Venice Cake Company baking and decorating equipment.  The equipment is made by DoCrafts, a brand I was familiar with from my papercrafting and I have to say I have been extremely impressed with the quality and value of the kit that I've bought from LVCC.   I especially like their baking tins (I have 2 complete sets in both round and square), the extra long rolling pin, their cake knives (serrated and cranked) and my absolute favourite - the acrylic work boards that I use all the time and is actually the bases beneath both cakes (don't do this if you're giving the cake away, but it's saves so much money on disposable cake boards if the cake is for a personal event or occassion).

However, this is most definitely a fusion of crafts - for my regular blog readers, can you guess what I used to emboss my flower cut-outs?  Yes - my new Tonic embossing folders!  I need to give a disclaimer here, as obviously these folders were not designed to be used with food.  Also, I have kept the ones that I used for sugarpaste work entirely seperate from the ones I use for papercraft. I washed the folders in warm, soapy water and dried them thoroughly with a clean tea-towel before use.  

My technique was to roll-out the sugar paste into sections roughly 15cm x 15cms, then I transferred it into the embossing folder which I had lightly dusted with cornflour, closed the folder, then rolled over it 2-3 times with my medium sugarpaste rolling pin.  (I did not put the folder through my Grand Calibur, as I think this would make a very sticky mess). Then I carefully lifted the embossed paste onto my acrylic workboard and cut out the flowers (again, please note, I did not cut out the flowers whilst the paste was still on the embossing folder, in case the cutting edge of the dies damaged the surface of the embossing folder).  I used Tonic Studios Martha and Amelia Embossing Folders.

The focal point of the cake is this fantasy flower with a pave-pearl centre, made with the same ivory sugarpaste as I used to cover the top tier but strengthened with some CMC.














Finally, I added a kaleidoscope of butterflies, also decorated with sugar pearls, echoing the design of my anniversary card. Here's one final look at this cake and card together.  Do you combine crafting inspiration across more than one craft, do let me know?

I'd like to enter this cake into the following challenges:
ABC - J is for Just as You Like
Crafty Calendar - Things with Wings
Crafty Catz - B is for
Creative Card Crew - Girly
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Monochromatic with Ribbon Pin It Now!

Pretty Easter Egg Basket

Hoppity hop, the theme this fortnight at an Oldie But a Goodie challenge is Eatser - and here's a pretty handmade basket for the Easter Bunny to use to deliver yummy treats!

Project Recipe:
Tools: Spellbinders Bracket Dies, Silhouette Cameo, Grand Calibur
Paper and Card: Stardream, Linen
Embellishments: flatback crystals, double satin ribbon, lace

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut my Easter Egg shapes.  One of the things I love about my Silhouette Cameo is that you can find a shape for almost any occassion for just a few pence.  So although it is quite an upfront investment, once you've got your Cameo, you really can find a shape for any occassion in their online store or you can quite easily design your own.

You can find more of my Silhouette Cameo projects here.

You can also find a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make a woven Easter basket here.


The "oldies" I've used on this project are the cardstock, lace, gems and spellbinder dies.  Don't forgot to enter your project into the Oldie But A Goodie Easter Challenge, just make sure you use something that's at least 6 months old.
Hope you all have a lovely Easter,

Pin It Now!

Mad As A Hatter Card in a Box

Here's another sneak peek of Tonic Studios Tea Party Dies.

Card Recipe:
Tools: Tonic Studios Indulgence Round Window Pour Me, Watch Me and Wear Me Dies and Everyday Sentiments dies, Grand Calibur 
Paper and Card: Linen card, Stardream, KandCo

Pin It Now!

Fancy a Cuppa? - Introducing Tonic Tea Party Dies

Anyone fancy a sit down with a cuppa and a sneak peek of the new Tonic Tea Party Dies at the same time?

Card Recipe:
Tools: Tonic Studios Indulgence Tea Party Square Base Die, Round Window Pour Me Die and Vintage Frame Tag, Grand Calibur 
Paper and Card: Linen card, Stardream

To make my filigree card base, I used the new Indulgence Tea Party Square Base Die following my Filigree Card Base Tutorial. This just makes such a delicate but striking card base.  I topped it with the Pour Me dies, and printed out my sentiment on my computer.

Watch the lovely Jodie Johnson launch these dies on Create and Craft on Thursday 10th April at 8pm.

Thank you for visiting my blog today,  before you leave, I would love to share with you news of a new blog I've started, DipsDelectus.  It's about fun things other than craft (if that's possible!) like beauty and travel.  If this interests you too, then please pop over for a looksie, www.DipsDelectus.com Pin It Now!

Card in a Box Step-by-Step Tutorial

This Step-by-Step Tutorial shows you how to make a larger card-in-a-box, from 2 sheets of A4 cardstock.  This card base folds flat to 20x22cm.
Card-in-a-Box Recipe:
Paper and Card:  2 x A4Stardream,  3 or 7 9.5x9.5cm card panels, 3 9.5cmx11.5cm card panels, 1 9.5cmx21.5 cm card panel, 4 or 7 9x9cm paper panels, 3 9x11cm paper panels
Tools: Tonic Studios Layering Square Dies, Tonic Studios Supertrimmer, Grand Calibur 

Using your Super Trimmer set with the score blade, score the A4 sheet along its length at 10cm and 20cm.  Then rotate the sheet a quarter turn, and socre the width at 10cm.  Repeat for the other sheet of card.  Burnish the score lines with a bone folder.  
Swap the blade in the Super Trimmer to the cutting blade and trim the A4 sheet to 22cm, making sure that the 10cm score side is at the top (see below right).  Don't throw away the little strip, we'll be using this!  Repeat on the other sheet.

Card in a Box Step-by-Step Tutorial Step 1

Card in a Box Step-by-Step Tutorial Step 2

Next, carefully cut through the 10cm long score lines as shown left.  Repeat with the other sheet.






Take one of the scored offcuts and trim down the 12cm to 1.5cm.  This will leave you with a score line at 1cm, then a 10cm space, then a score line with 1.5cm left.

Turn this a quarter turn and trim the panel into 3 strips, each about 2.5cm wide.

Trim the tabs as shown below.

Card in a Box Step-by-Step Tutorial Step 3

If this is your first time making a box, you may want to initially adhere your panels below with removable adhesive until you are certain that the are all in the right place before sticking them down permanently.

Card in a Box Step-by-Step Tutorial Step 4

First of all, stick the two big panels togther by glueing along one of the long tabs and sticking together.  The side with the tab showing will become the inside (wrong) sides of the box.

Now, I prefer to add my decorative panels to the box before fully assembling it, as I find it easier to get the panels centralised by doing it this way.  However, if you are using a decorative paper that has a right way up, you do need to keep a very careful eye on making sure your patterns are the way they need to be on the finished article (this will make more sense when I show you)!
Flipping the card base over so that the outside (right) side of the box is facing you, and the shorter 10cm panels are at the top.  Working from left to right, adhere a 9.5x11.5cm panel to the bottom longer panel. Next adhere a 9.5x21.cm panel (don't worry that this will cover the central score line) to the nextquater, and finish by adhering the final 9.5x11.5 cm panels in place (see left).
If you are decorating all the panels including the front underside, then flip the card base over again, and working now with the top section, adhere the 4 9.5x9.5cm panels.

Card in a Box Step-by-Step Tutorial Step 5

Flip the card base over again and adhere the last 3 9.5cmx9.5cm panels.

You are now ready to add decorative patterned paper.  Flip the card base over again, and locate the panel that is backed by the longer piece of card.  In my picture (middle left) this is the panel 3rd from left.  This will be the panel that is the top back of the box when it's put together.  I have added a 9x9cm panel with the decorative paper the right way up to this as I look at it in the picture. The remaining panels need to be adhered "upside-down" as these are the panels that hang down when the box is assembled.

Next I flip the card base over again.  The longer 9x11cm pieces are adhered the right way up, whilst the smaller 9x9cm panels are adhered upside down (see bottom left).

Leave to dry for 15-20mins. Then glue along the final long tab, and fold box in half and attach the tab to form the box.






Finally, fold and score the 3 little tabs into an elongated 'z' shape (see left)







Apply glue to the outside edges of the tabs, and carefully insert onto the box, taking care to align the top of the tab with the top of the box.

You can use as many or as few tabs as you like as these will act as the "bridges" to hold whatever you want popping out of your box.  




You can see I've used 3 and that they are evenly spaced out.

Leave you box to dry fully.  Once dry, you can add your decorations.  Your card will fold down flat to post, as you can see on my earlier 7oth Birthday Card in a Box here.

You can also download a PDF of these instructions here.

Thank you for visiting my blog today, before you leave, I would love to share with you news of a new blog I've started, DipsDelectus.  It's about fun things other than craft (if that's possible!) like beauty and travel.  If this interests you too, then please pop over for a looksie, www.DipsDelectus.com Pin It Now!