Pocket Watch Cake

Let me share a secret with you about my creativity... I decide I want to make a project, and then make it happen. I tend not to research how to do something until after I have tried to figure it out for myself. I learn from my mistakes and it helps me to ensure I don't do it again. Whilst I accept a few projects are out of my range just now (a wedding cake covered in piped royal icing, for example!) I like to just dive in head first and see what happens.

My husband is never too fussed what he wants for his Birthday cake, but when I suggested a cake based on his new pocket watch, he liked the sound of it! Somehow I managed to make this cake whilst more ill than usual, but a good set up and doing a little bit at a time helped me manage it!

The base is my favourite Whisk Kid's chocolate cake. It is a reliable, long-lasting, moist cake which is dense enough to handle a bit of carving. The coffee deepens the flavour but does not overwhelm, and weaker coffee can be used if making it for children.

I hollowed out the centre of the cake for the mechanism - a layer of dark fondant (it's just off black, made with a combination of Sugarflair's Liquorice, Dark Brown, Navy, Christmas Red and Melon gels) and a layer of gold fondant (Sugarflair's Dark Brown, Melon and Christmas Red). I worked into the gold fondant with cookie cutters, making indentations to look like cogs. I used edible gold lustre dust to help it look metallic. Then I have another layer of the dark fondant, with painted white lines and hand formed Roman Numerals. I added clock hands from white fondant, adding texture with more cutters, and set them to the time 4:04. This is a bit of a geeky joke, in this case interpreted as "age not found"! 

Wondering how I made it look glassy in the centre? A layer of acetate placed between the dark layer and the silver layer! The silver fondant is mainly made with Sugarflair's Liquorice, but with a touch of the other colours too. I wrapped the edge first and then laid the top on for a cleaner finish, and modeled the elements for the winding mechanism from fondant. I marked the patterns in using my sugar tools, and finished it all off with Antique Silver edible lustre dust! 

It may not be perfect but I am very proud of this cake :)

Shop: LP Record Trays

I know this sounds crazy, but a part of me hurts when I make these. I mean, how dare I melt vintage vinyl?! But in these days where very few people have record players, but everyone still has a soft spot for these beautiful records, these make the perfect compromise.

LP Record Tray
£8 (+ P&P £2.99)
Vintage LP Record hand shaped to form a tray suitable for use around the home. (I recommended a simple lining if using with food.)
The approximate diameter is 27cm/10.5", and the approximate depth is 2cm/1".
This record is Starlight Chorale.

These trays are great for presenting cakes, biscuits, gingerbread houses, and sweets and treats to everyone (just remember to use a doilie to line it). They are also great for dumping your keys and wallet in as you walk in the door; for piling your bracelets and knick-knacks on; or just to admire some vintage in your home.

LP Record Tray
£8 (+ P&P £2.99)
Vintage LP Record hand shaped to form a tray suitable for use around the home. (I recommended a simple lining if using with food.)
The approximate diameter is 27cm/10.5", and the approximate depth is 2cm/1".
This record is Simon and Garfunkle - Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Choose from one I have in stock, or request a custom tray based on an LP you love or used to love. Coordinate labels to match your living room or your snacks, and I can even adjust the size of the bowl to suit your needs.

Being Creative November: Vintage - Owl Tea Pot Cosy

This month's theme over at Julia Crossland's Being Creative is Vintage. It didn't immediately strike me, but ended up being the inspiration for me to finish off a long standing project, before it itself became vintage!

Back at the beginning of 2010, me and my husband were preparing to move in together. Now, I am an avid tea drinker, and I knew our house HAD to have a tea pot cosy. So, I got materials out, and before moving out I made quite a lot of progress.

In fact, by the time I left home, all it really needed was to be structurally assembled.

But... then I moved out. And I had other projects on, such as this Bee tea pot cosy for my brother's family, complete with pipecleaner antennae and net wings...

So, when my parents were able to magically fix my sewing machine this month, I knew it was time to complete it. Being Creative also gave me the actual push to sit down and do it, as the word Vintage always makes me think of all the wonderful fabrics I've inherited from generations of my family, which I've used to make this tea cosy.

The ears don't quite sit at the angle I wished, but when is anything handmade ever perfect?!

 The inside is a different purple fabric and a layer of wadding.

Details all hand stitched on fabric scraps and felt.

I am so thrilled it's finally finished! Although, with the recent posts Woolly Owl Hat and Sock Owls, I think I'm giving the impression I'm much more owl obsessed than I actually am! They're just so adorable... Had a request for another tea pot cosy too, so best get working on that!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participates in Being Creative, I have really met some wonderful creative people through it, and you're all so supportive :)

I've just redesigned the blog too, thought it made sense now there's a bit of an archive building up :) There are links on the right to find me round the internet too!