Cricut is everywhere at the moment! For those who aren't aware of what Cricut is they create a range of home die-cutting machines. These smart electronic machines can cut through a whole range of materials such as paper, felt, vinyl, fabric and even balsa wood!
Everything is done digitally, so you can design or use a preloaded project through the Cricut Design Space programme. Most Cricut machines work over wifi or Bluetooth that you link up to either your iPad, iPhone and of course your computer.
Cricut has become a game-changer for crafters. It has opened a whole new level of craft possibilities where you're only limited by your own creativity!
It's only been 18 months since I was introduced to the Cricut world and it blows my mind what people have created using their machines! I purchased a Cricut Maker a year ago and rather shockingly this was my first attempt at vinyl.
I know, I know! Everyone is vinyl mad and it's bad I've waited this long to give it a go. But here you go! My vinyl Halloween plate...
I had a good browse on Cricut Design Space and the choice is incredible! With it being my first attempt I chose this 'Happy Halloween" cat and pumpkin design, mostly because I didn't want anything too intricate. Plus I was always going to go for a cat design!
Using a cheap plate from Dunelm Mill for my base, I worked out the size I wanted and let my Cricut machine do the rest of the work. The machine is great at giving step by step instructions, letting you know the correct settings and tools to use making it a simple process. I used Cricut Glossy Black Permanent Vinyl, which is lovely to work with and looked so professional once the design was stuck to the plate.
The whole process was so easy I'm a little ashamed I haven't used vinyl before! I found I had a couple of air bubbles, but that was more down to me being awkward with my hands. With a little practice I know I'll crack it. This project took a matter of minutes to complete and I can see why everyone loves vinyl so much. Now time to put it on everything in the house!
Everything is done digitally, so you can design or use a preloaded project through the Cricut Design Space programme. Most Cricut machines work over wifi or Bluetooth that you link up to either your iPad, iPhone and of course your computer.
Cricut has become a game-changer for crafters. It has opened a whole new level of craft possibilities where you're only limited by your own creativity!
It's only been 18 months since I was introduced to the Cricut world and it blows my mind what people have created using their machines! I purchased a Cricut Maker a year ago and rather shockingly this was my first attempt at vinyl.
I know, I know! Everyone is vinyl mad and it's bad I've waited this long to give it a go. But here you go! My vinyl Halloween plate...
I had a good browse on Cricut Design Space and the choice is incredible! With it being my first attempt I chose this 'Happy Halloween" cat and pumpkin design, mostly because I didn't want anything too intricate. Plus I was always going to go for a cat design!
Using a cheap plate from Dunelm Mill for my base, I worked out the size I wanted and let my Cricut machine do the rest of the work. The machine is great at giving step by step instructions, letting you know the correct settings and tools to use making it a simple process. I used Cricut Glossy Black Permanent Vinyl, which is lovely to work with and looked so professional once the design was stuck to the plate.
The whole process was so easy I'm a little ashamed I haven't used vinyl before! I found I had a couple of air bubbles, but that was more down to me being awkward with my hands. With a little practice I know I'll crack it. This project took a matter of minutes to complete and I can see why everyone loves vinyl so much. Now time to put it on everything in the house!
I'm a little late posting this! I've had a crazy couple of months and so have been somewhat neglectful of my blog. Oops! I had to share these with you though as they came out brilliantly.
I actually ran a workshop making these just before Halloween and it went down so well! The great thing about these designs is that you only need one cutter, and that's the fmm mix n' match face cutter. This clever cutter enables you to be able to cut 100s of different toppers, ideal! You can buy them in many places including - Amazon, Lakeland and Hobbycraft from round £5.50.
To make these cakes I used the ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe, piped with orange coloured buttercream. I used a Dr Oetker gel to colour the icing, which worked fine but wasn't as good as some of the other colour gels I've used before. It's not as concentrated so I found I had to use a fair amount to get the desired colour. For the toppers I used:
A good tip is to use a rolling pin that has guide rings at either end, this means you can get all of the icing the same thickness. And remember to put a little icing sugar down to stop the icing sticking to your work surface!
Also, Ready Roll Icing has a long shelf life so any leftovers can be stored in airtight containers to be used for future projects.
And that's it! These were so much fun to make and great to make with kids as well.
I actually ran a workshop making these just before Halloween and it went down so well! The great thing about these designs is that you only need one cutter, and that's the fmm mix n' match face cutter. This clever cutter enables you to be able to cut 100s of different toppers, ideal! You can buy them in many places including - Amazon, Lakeland and Hobbycraft from round £5.50.
To make these cakes I used the ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe, piped with orange coloured buttercream. I used a Dr Oetker gel to colour the icing, which worked fine but wasn't as good as some of the other colour gels I've used before. It's not as concentrated so I found I had to use a fair amount to get the desired colour. For the toppers I used:
- White, Orange, Red Green and Black Renshaw Ready Roll Icing
- Wilton Candy eyes
- Orange and Black food pens
- Edible glue (and a small brush)
A good tip is to use a rolling pin that has guide rings at either end, this means you can get all of the icing the same thickness. And remember to put a little icing sugar down to stop the icing sticking to your work surface!
Also, Ready Roll Icing has a long shelf life so any leftovers can be stored in airtight containers to be used for future projects.
And that's it! These were so much fun to make and great to make with kids as well.
I had an amazing opportunity back in August! I'm lucky enough to be offered training trips through work. Which means attending workshops run by suppliers to get to know products a little better. This time I had a short trip to Manchester to visit Visage Fabrics also known as The Craft Cotton Co., where I also attended a workshop run by quilter Sarah Payne.
It was a bit of a trek from Plymouth to Manchester for one night but it was so worth it. I was so excited about this trip and jumped at the chance to go, even if it was a slight mission cramming my sewing machine into a suitcase! Once I had arrived it was made even better by the fact the group I was with were all so lovely and talented.
We met the head designer Victoria Cowley who kindly gave us a group tour of the building. Fabric envy levels were high! Everywhere you turned there were endless towers of bolts of fabric. It's safe to say I think we were all after a meter of everything there! I had seen many of the prints before, however, for some reason, it was almost like I was seeing them for the first time all over again. Being able to see the full collections together in the flesh and on such a scale made me appreciate just how beautiful the fabric they create is.
There were 11 of us in the group, all bouncing with excitement, much to the amusement of all the staff! I believe it was the first time they had ever hosted a tour and workshop. Everyone we met was so lovely, welcoming and answered any questions we had.
We were even lucky enough to walk through the offices and have a sneak peek at the new collections (they are beautiful!) before heading back to our start point for our workshop with Sarah Payne.
For those who don't know Sarah is a freelance Quilting Teacher, author, designer and demonstrator for US & UK TV Shopping Channels. She was lovely, approachable and put those that were a little nervous at ease.
For this workshop, she taught us how to make an applique cushion. Teaching us different techniques along with a fancy iron that became the talking point of the day!
Yes, even the iron we were using was amazing! It was an Oliso Smart Iron that automatically lifts and lowers with your touch. I've never seen one before but they are apparently big in America. Even the staff at Visage all came over to check it out!
All in all, it was a great day, meeting lovely people, learning new skills and of course I walked away with some fabric. A whole bolt in fact! I certainly had a few looks on the train home but I was never going to walk away empty-handed! I picked up this beauty, now I just have to work out what to make with all 15 meters of it!
See below the links to those mentioned in this post. Visage fabrics are a trade supplier but you can pick up their beautiful fabrics in your local Hobbycraft store.
The Craft Cotton co.
Hobbycraft
Sarah Payne
It was a bit of a trek from Plymouth to Manchester for one night but it was so worth it. I was so excited about this trip and jumped at the chance to go, even if it was a slight mission cramming my sewing machine into a suitcase! Once I had arrived it was made even better by the fact the group I was with were all so lovely and talented.
We met the head designer Victoria Cowley who kindly gave us a group tour of the building. Fabric envy levels were high! Everywhere you turned there were endless towers of bolts of fabric. It's safe to say I think we were all after a meter of everything there! I had seen many of the prints before, however, for some reason, it was almost like I was seeing them for the first time all over again. Being able to see the full collections together in the flesh and on such a scale made me appreciate just how beautiful the fabric they create is.
There were 11 of us in the group, all bouncing with excitement, much to the amusement of all the staff! I believe it was the first time they had ever hosted a tour and workshop. Everyone we met was so lovely, welcoming and answered any questions we had.
For those who don't know Sarah is a freelance Quilting Teacher, author, designer and demonstrator for US & UK TV Shopping Channels. She was lovely, approachable and put those that were a little nervous at ease.
For this workshop, she taught us how to make an applique cushion. Teaching us different techniques along with a fancy iron that became the talking point of the day!
Yes, even the iron we were using was amazing! It was an Oliso Smart Iron that automatically lifts and lowers with your touch. I've never seen one before but they are apparently big in America. Even the staff at Visage all came over to check it out!
All in all, it was a great day, meeting lovely people, learning new skills and of course I walked away with some fabric. A whole bolt in fact! I certainly had a few looks on the train home but I was never going to walk away empty-handed! I picked up this beauty, now I just have to work out what to make with all 15 meters of it!
See below the links to those mentioned in this post. Visage fabrics are a trade supplier but you can pick up their beautiful fabrics in your local Hobbycraft store.
The Craft Cotton co.
Hobbycraft
Sarah Payne
Looking for a nice little treat that's perfect to cosy up with during the autumn evenings? These lightly spiced Apple cakelets are perfect for just that. And they are even better dipped in a butterscotch sauce.
The recipe came free with the cakelet tin I bought from Nordic Ware, and the butterscotch recipe is from Nigella Lawson's book 'Nigella Express'.
Nordic Ware can be a little pricey but they are well worth the money, they are heavy weight tins that come in beautiful shapes that create great definition in the cake sponge. You can find them on Amazon, eBay and if you're lucky I've spotted them in shops like Tk Maxx. But of course, you can use a normal cupcake tin. They will still taste delicious regardless!
Top Tip: Use a little melted butter to lightly grease the pan with a pastry brush. You'll be able to get into all the nook and crannies of the design. I once used cake release in an intricate Christmas tin and it ruined the tin! Cake release contains a mix of flour, oil, and shortening. I found it left white clumps in the nooks that became impossible to clean afterwards! I'm wondering if I simply had a bad bottle or used too much, but I find you can never go wrong with butter.
So here is the recipe, enjoy!
Spiced Apple Cakelet Recipe
Method
Butterscotch Sauce
Method
The recipe came free with the cakelet tin I bought from Nordic Ware, and the butterscotch recipe is from Nigella Lawson's book 'Nigella Express'.
Nordic Ware can be a little pricey but they are well worth the money, they are heavy weight tins that come in beautiful shapes that create great definition in the cake sponge. You can find them on Amazon, eBay and if you're lucky I've spotted them in shops like Tk Maxx. But of course, you can use a normal cupcake tin. They will still taste delicious regardless!
Top Tip: Use a little melted butter to lightly grease the pan with a pastry brush. You'll be able to get into all the nook and crannies of the design. I once used cake release in an intricate Christmas tin and it ruined the tin! Cake release contains a mix of flour, oil, and shortening. I found it left white clumps in the nooks that became impossible to clean afterwards! I'm wondering if I simply had a bad bottle or used too much, but I find you can never go wrong with butter.
So here is the recipe, enjoy!
Spiced Apple Cakelet Recipe
Makes: 14 Apple Cakelets, 12 if using a cupcake tin
Time: Roughly 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cup -Plain Flour
- 1tsp -Baking Powder
- ½ tsp - Bicarbonate Soda
- ½ tsp - Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp - Ground Allspice
- 1 - Free Range Large Egg
- ½ Cup -Brown Sugar
- ⅓ Cup - Softened Butter
- ½ Cup (A whole Colemans 155g jar) - Apple Sauce
- ½ Cup -Water
- Dash Ground Nutmeg
- Dash Salt
Method
- Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 5.
- Prepare the pan with a little melted butter.
- Stir together flour, baking powder, Bi-Carb, spices and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the softened butter and sugar
- Add the apple sauce, egg, the water and combine.
- Slowly add the flour mixture until combined.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes and unmold.
Butterscotch Sauce
This recipe makes a good bowl full! So sometimes its worth halfing the mixture. Once made it will seem thin but will become thicker, the longer you leave it it starts to resemble a caramel. This sauce can also be used for a wide range of recipes and is great as a fondue to dip fruit in.
Ingredients
- 45g - light brown muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp - granulated sugar
- 150g - golden syrup
- 30g- butter
- 125 ml - double cream
- a splash of vanilla extract
Method
- Melt the sugars, syrup and butter in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the cream and vanilla extract, stirring together, and then take off the heat.
- Divide the sauce between two cups or small bowls, and then arrange the fruit on two saucers or on a plate, as you see fit.
My second workshop at Hobbycraft Plymouth took place a couple of weeks ago, and this time I showed the class how to make cute and practical zipper pouches. I love these pouches, they are great beginner projects, as they teach new skills but are also quick to sew up.
Once you've mastered the basic construction the possibilities to customise them are endless! To making patchwork versions, quilted, using waterproof linings or block fabrics. They are perfect for trying new techniques without using too much fabric and ultimately building confidence.
Each pupil in the class had a little instruction booklet so they could all follow along at their own pace and take away after the workshop.
Zips can be a little daunting for beginners, but they are simple when you take it one step at a time. And there's the added option of adding tabs at each end like you see on the pouch below.
For this workshop, I pre-cut the pieces and made little kits for the pupils to choose from. If there's anything I've learned from sewing it's that the tracing and cutting is the most time-consuming part!
This meant everyone who attended was able to get straight into sewing, take their time and most importantly enjoy sewing it all together.
And here are the finished pouches! Three people attended including one guy which was lovely to see. They all did so well and the final pouches all looked great. The look of achievement when it all comes together never gets old!
Once you've mastered the basic construction the possibilities to customise them are endless! To making patchwork versions, quilted, using waterproof linings or block fabrics. They are perfect for trying new techniques without using too much fabric and ultimately building confidence.
Each pupil in the class had a little instruction booklet so they could all follow along at their own pace and take away after the workshop.
Zips can be a little daunting for beginners, but they are simple when you take it one step at a time. And there's the added option of adding tabs at each end like you see on the pouch below.
For this workshop, I pre-cut the pieces and made little kits for the pupils to choose from. If there's anything I've learned from sewing it's that the tracing and cutting is the most time-consuming part!
This meant everyone who attended was able to get straight into sewing, take their time and most importantly enjoy sewing it all together.
And here are the finished pouches! Three people attended including one guy which was lovely to see. They all did so well and the final pouches all looked great. The look of achievement when it all comes together never gets old!
I had some rather exciting news back in July! I had been chosen to be a Hobbycraft Artisan. It's part of a whole new program which I can't go into just yet, but part of it means that I'll be running craft workshops in stores.
Although I plan to teach a whole range of crafts, primarily I'll be teaching sewing. There are so many people out there who buy sewing machines and end up being too frightened to get them out of the box, which is such a shame!
I've always been a believer in starting basic and building up skills. So I decided the first workshop I would run would be How to Sew Bunting.
So I set the date of 18th August, opened up for bookings and was so happy to see the amount of interest. I've helped countless people set up their new sewing machines over the last 5 years and couldn't wait to start making actual projects.
I want to make it as easy for people as possible. I know from experience how frustrating it is walking away from a workshop and forgetting half of what was said! So I have made a little step by step instruction booklet and templates for people to take away for each of my workshops.
I had a group of six people and it was lovely to see everyone getting stuck in! The fabrics and colour combinations people chose were beautiful. I always love seeing the choices people make as it's all inspiration for future projects.
And perhaps best of all three young girls attended and it's great to see youngsters getting crafty and learning new skills.
After two hours we had four lots of bunting all sewn up. Everyone loved it and I can't wait for the next workshops!
Although I plan to teach a whole range of crafts, primarily I'll be teaching sewing. There are so many people out there who buy sewing machines and end up being too frightened to get them out of the box, which is such a shame!
I've always been a believer in starting basic and building up skills. So I decided the first workshop I would run would be How to Sew Bunting.
So I set the date of 18th August, opened up for bookings and was so happy to see the amount of interest. I've helped countless people set up their new sewing machines over the last 5 years and couldn't wait to start making actual projects.
I want to make it as easy for people as possible. I know from experience how frustrating it is walking away from a workshop and forgetting half of what was said! So I have made a little step by step instruction booklet and templates for people to take away for each of my workshops.
I had a group of six people and it was lovely to see everyone getting stuck in! The fabrics and colour combinations people chose were beautiful. I always love seeing the choices people make as it's all inspiration for future projects.
And perhaps best of all three young girls attended and it's great to see youngsters getting crafty and learning new skills.
After two hours we had four lots of bunting all sewn up. Everyone loved it and I can't wait for the next workshops!
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