Happiness is a great cake

I love home baking but don't do as much as I would like because I end up eating most of it and at the moment I'm still trying to diet slowly.
I love chocolate but my weakness is cake .... so when some of you out there post yummy photos of your latest baking creation I have to stop my tongue gravitating toward the monitor at the moment.
To stave the cravings I decided to let myself have a treat when I was having a day out and so coffee and a cake was my thing. The problem is that the choice of one special cake makes one so fussy and things that I might have let enter my mouth a few months ago, now become not good enough to waste my calories/syns on.

Yesterday, I stood at a counter in a cafe for ages... weighing up which was to be my treat...Caramel cake ? ... Millionaire's Shortbread ? ... Rocky Road slice?....Danish pastry ( of which there were many) ...Muffins (such a variety) ... Cream slice ... Cream horn... Cream sponge....Strawberry Tart ... shall I go on lol... the choice was endless but nothing made me excited because I knew what they would taste like ... the same as those in the baker down the road and the Tea Rooms in the little village a mile away and dare I say... the Supermarket. They are all churned out to the same recipe with not a loving hand in sight. No room for the individuality of a master baker... we actually had a bakers like that locally but they shut down 6 months ago and my waist line actually sighed with relief.

I was about to walk away and not eat some thing for the sake of it, when I spied a large sponge under a cover ... it looked home made ...as if it had not long emerged from a friends oven ....gloriously tall and oozing a thick layer of raspberry jam and butter cream....I was not disappointed ... the flavour was magical and excited the taste buds beyond description ...I was happy and so contented.

I would love to know whether it is just my 'watching what I eat' that makes me feel like this or whether there are many of you out there who are actually disappointed or bored by mass produced bakery. What is your favourite indulgence when it comes to cakes....what is your favourite homemade offering ....would love to hear your thoughts.... just because I'm nosey lol

Take Care xx

Sorry ...no WOYWW photos this week ...but at least I've blogged

Where does time go? ... can't believe it is over a week since we went out to this amazing BBQ ... what a happy day it was ...thought I'd share this collage with you... and its 11 days since I last blogged. ( oops ... sounds like a confessional lol)

It rained all the day before ...and the day after ... but it was perfect on the Sunday.

The two men on the stage were a folk duo Maureen had loved since a child and her hubby booked them for her.

The five ladies at the bottom are her and her sisters ...and they all sing well. The one in the jacket was jet lagged lol


Kids and adults alike had real fun ...and I ate and drank loads.


I have not got back to crafting again yet ...so many things seem to be going round in my head, that the crafty part has been pushed to the back. I have started to plan the wedding meal/buffet and am beginning to ask myself why I don't learn to keep my mouth shut. It will be simple but enough that it feels like a meal. It will all have to be prepared at home and transported to the venue in cool boxes and will be for around 80 or so .... I think I will be having a very busy first week in October ... not to mention the fact that my 3rd grandson could appear any time soon and I am on call incase they need a babysitter for the twins while Emma gives birth.

For these reasons I hope I am forgiven for not displaying my desk or anything crafty again this week ... to be honest I can't actually find my desk at the moment as its under a pile of clothes that I will be throwing in a case, if I am summoned by Steve and Emma.

Take Care xx

Clothes ... Dundee ...and yes ....I finally made a card

Firstly ....I finished the card
and inside I printed... in a swirly font ....

21 + 19

Years Young

and

Maureen ...

A Little Birdie Told Us

That It Was Your Birthday …

Have An Amazing Day

I am quite pleased with it ...I think
Now the Dundee trip.....

The reason for going was to see if I could find anything I could wear for the wedding and ...
I was getting to the point where my wardrobe was totally casual ...not that I mind as I don't go anywhere lol .... but when it all looks very past its best and its hard to find anything to wear that hasn't a splodge of creative goo on it, it's time to get some new clothes.
Being of ample proportions ...even though I think I have lost a dress size with my diet but could do with another 6 ...I HATE looking for clothes....give me a catalogue any day. I expect a few of you identify with that.
My trip to Dundee was such a revelation .... well its a few years since I visited and it seems to have become cleaner and smarter than I remember ...and have shops I now enjoy to look round ...and spend money in.....maybe I'm happier??.
I have, however, also become even more confused by sizes!! I have just managed to squeeze back into a stretch waisted pair of jeans which look fine ...as long as I am wearing a long top ... so when I saw a new pair, same size, I actually tried them on ... I think they are now called Jeggings ???? but they were too big????yep you read that right ... so I had to go down two sizes ...Yeah that was an easy way to loose weight lol. I also managed to find several casual pieces, a couple of smart things ....and a hat in a Blue Cross sale lol but returned home with a very light purse. DD and I also breakfasted and lunched ...which was no good for the diet but great for the soul. It was a long day as we left home to catch a bus at 7.am ... which is unheard of for me ...but I enjoyed every second of the day and cant wait to save up to go spending again.

Now to finish off boring you totally...here are some of the bronzes in the city center and the beautiful flowers in the square.

Remember Desperate Dan???
Take Care xx

WOYWW 61

Well its actually WOYWTuesday as I will be out all day Wednesday, mooching around Dundee and trying not to spend ....to much.
Here is my desk this evening


Most of the stuff I was using last week is STILL out, but some is now covered by a layer of what I am playing with now. I'm actually trying to make a Birthday card but not sure where I am going colour wise ...or anything wise really ... I am not a card maker nowadays and wanted to pop out and buy one but as the recipient is into handmade cards, I really had no choice.
I do find it strange that I can create a LO and have come to grips with a journal cover and the odd tag ...even a bleach tied T-shirt... yet cards do not come naturally anymore ... even though I started as a card maker many moons ago. I will let you see the result ...if it turns out OK.

I am making this short this week and will pop by as many of you as I can over the next few days ... cant promise to do as well as last week though ...think I managed everyone by Saturday. Vicki will link me while I'm out or I will link when I get in.

Take Care xx

Stripey Returns

Well I could not believe my eyes when Vicki entered the room with Stripey under her arm. She had opened the back door and in he trotted. Well ... he strolled round the room ...jumped up on the sofa for a rest ... jumped down ... was growled at by a disgruntled Buffy and stared at by those that were perched on the cat house. Nothing seemed to bother him and no one went into attack mode. After a short while he cried to be let out and then strolled to the back door where he again meowed for it to be opened .... and without a turn of the head, he disappeared down the garden.

I assume that his owners saw the poster, or he was chipped ... and he must have just wanted to say thanks, as his back ...although still raw .... looked a lot better.

Just thought you cat lovers out there might like an update on our night visitor.

Take Care xx

WOYWW wk60 ...I'm a happy Bunny

Can you see me dancing??? No of course not …well you can imagine me doing so instead... sorry but its not a pretty sight. The reason for all this out of character behaviour ????… my Mojo came back and I got myself all painty and inky. What fun I had …I actually managed to create a cover for my journal …not sure what sort of Art Journal it will become but who cares …its better when I just go with the flow and see what develops…what lights the imagination …what catches my eye for inspiration.

I am so happy that I actually have something arty/creative to blog about on WOYWW 60 …so here goes …..my working area after my creation was finished.... still quite tidy for me.

And a close-up of the said creation

The colours I chose were inspired by seeing the wonderful water shots that ’Peter the Potter’ had posted on his blog.

I am so pleased that I have been creative, after such a long artistic drought, that I am going to share the fun journey I had.

This cover was created in several layers needless to say…first … four shades of blue paint quickly followed by a few cream and a green dabs, When dry I pulled out a piece of trusty bubble wrap and played with the paint again…using the wrap as a stamp. While it dried yet again, I fished out all the T.H distress inks and rescued from the bin, a strip of card that DD had punched out butterflies from. I used this as a stencil and discreetly placed 3 butterflies in the area of the bubble printing….you probably wont find them as they too are small and blue but they are there lol . Next came a small flourish mask of T.H and some inking around the edge …followed by a coffee while everything dried again. Later I went back and rummaged for stamps …what a difficult choice but I went with the first ones to catch my eye …. 2 Paper Artsy ones and one of TH’s. …and that was it.

No I haven’t used any 3-D bits or pasted paper on …maybe its only 98% finished then … I do have a few other thoughts but to all intense and purposes… its finished…hope you like it.

I am praying that Mojo is here to stay for a while and didn’t just pop in for a visit.

I will visit as many of you as my back permits over the next few days ...bare with me

Take Care xx

They nearly became 19

Sorry it’s a saga about cats and nothing to do with crafts …that is why I have not linked this week but I feel that my mojo might be back as I am itching to get into the craft room and see if some of my ideas can be squeezed from brain down to my fingers….and by the way if anyone wonders what happened to my canvas I began …well one of our furry family got shut in the room …knocked it to the floor …it landed face down and she thought it was the perfect litter tray lol

Here is the feline behind the story below and the post title

All day the sun had shone and together with the wind, had dried the clothes I had pegged on the line. Black clouds then had gathered, thankfully reminding me to bring in those said clothes before finally shedding their load, which showed no sign of letting up. It was 10.30 and a pitiful wail could be heard from out side the back door. …having done the usual head count at supper time … a necessity with 18 cats …and the fact that torrential rain had deterred any of the outside cats venturing in to the garden for a final run, we were sure the cry was that of a stranger. It was cries for help … not an invitation to ours for a date. There was a sadness to it…. a plea for the door to be opened…yes I know…we are suckers for a sob story … but we held our ground for what seemed like ages as the cry reached a crescendo … but it was actually about 15 minutes before we opened the back door.

I was expecting to see a tail disappearing in the distance but instead there sat a gorgeous Grey Tabby who then rose to its feet and was about to trot towards the kitchen. First we uttered ‘AHHHH’ in unison …and then quickly shut the door for fear of war breaking out …ours do not like their space being invaded …by felines and children alike.

A quick conference resulted in the kitchen being vacated by those of our furry family that like to sleep in there and the stranger was allowed to come in …we actually thought that no more than 2 paws would venture across the threshold before the scent of our felines would cause a retreat. How wrong were we??? …. and it did beg the question as to whether we have a secret sign outside …in ‘cat speak’ saying “Call here if you need food and shelter”…just like the Tinkers did, 100 odd years ago, when they marked the gates of those who kindly gave hot water for a mug of tea or even provided a morsel to eat.

In the full light of the kitchen it was revealed that this poor cat had been in a battle and had come off the worst … there were several bites around his derriere and one was actually weeping …having said all that …the rest of him seemed healthy. We all agreed that he had probably met with the local Ginger Monster.

He was placid and friendly so we tended to his wounds with salt water and offered sustenance, for which he was very grateful. His night in the kitchen was reasonably uneventful …only a couple of things must have got in his way. A decision had to be made as to what was to become of him …something I’m rubbish at …. My heart said keep him as he would make a wonderful addition to the family but my head … and a little commonsense from Vicki … made up my mind that he could not stay.

A trip around the neighbourhood shed no light on his actual residence …so we took the advice we had been given and contacted the SSPCA who then picked Stripey up before I got too attached. They will tend to his wounds and have promised to find him a new home if his own remains a mystery …we are putting up posters in the hope his owners can be found and I feel sad that I couldn’t give him a home here.

Hopefully I will be back next week with something crafty

Take Care xx