Bowtiful Bows with Fantastic Ribbons

Have you got all that ribbon in the bottom of the box that's too short to do anything with? Or maybe you're like me and have lots of pretty ribbon that's 'too pretty' to stick on the average card. Fear not! The bow maker is here and it's going to save you loads of money in the festive season and make you look well posh. 

This is my Embellishment Attic Bow Maker and beautiful ribbons from fantasticribbons.com !

First! Choose your ribbon. This is difficult especially if you keep a close eye on the http://www.fantasticribbons.com/ website and want to buy everything.. Come on, it can't be just me.. At the moment they have a fantastic bumper pack including my favourite thing of all time WASHI TAPE and a gorgeous bow wreath kit! Ahh! Watch this space, payday it's just about the corner and it's only a matter of time before I treat myself.. again.

Now I have both the bow maker and the big and bowtiful.. You can use one or the other or both! But on this occasion I used the smaller one.

Slide your ribbon into the slot in the bottom..

Decide what width you'd like your bow and put the ribbon across to the right and down the appropriate slot.

Bring the ribbon behind and over to the left slotting it into the slot the same number of slots away from the end as you did the right one.. If you don't get this bit right you'll have a wonky bow with a knot off centre. I know some people have numbered the prongs to avoid confusion.

Now your ribbon is back at the front, take it down the hole so it's at the back again. 

Then bring the ribbon up the back and down the middle slot.

Next unattach your tail that you put in first on the left and tie a knot with the two tail ends.

Make sure this knot is super super tight it is the core of the whole bow! Don't be afraid to use all your strength!

Finally when you're all secure push the bow up and off the bow maker and you're done! 

There's tons of different variations on the dvd that comes with the bow maker that is demoed by the lovely and very talented Steph Weightman and Nancy Watt.

Keep an eye on the Mama Makes and Bakes Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/mamamakesblog or Instagram http://instagram.com/mamamakesandbakes for lots of bow inspiration over the festive period!

The bow maker can be purchased here: http://www.fantasticribbons.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=86 for £15.. Highly recommended from me! You'll never make a bad bow again! 

Zutter Bind It All Review

For my birthday, my mother in law bought me a Zutter bind it all, something she bragged about last year. I actually asked for one after seeing some impressive results on Pinterest and finally I've had the time to give it a go.

I actually took my time trying this one out as I wanted my partner to help me with it because it looked overly complicated.. Turns out it's not and I felt very stupid!

The machine itself punches the holes and then when you threaded the wire through it squashed it together so the pages don't fall out.. Simple as that really.

The key to using the Zutter bind it all however is the size of the paper/card you cut, if you don't get it right you could half punch and end like this.. Which could cause problems/pages falling out etc.

Overall I was pretty impressed with the results and it gave a real professional touch to the notebooks for the upcoming craft fair!

HANDMADE REVIEW: Wrapped For You

There's no denying how much I love chocolate, especially for my birthday! Charlie got me some extra special chocolate from www.wrapped4you.co.uk this year.

Wrapped for You is a online based company who sell chocolate for all occasions. The website is easy to use, you just choose an occasion and personalise with a photograph and/or text.

In terms of size you can choose from Mini (5g), Midi (40g) and Maxi (100g). I chose maxi, of course! 

My bar well packaged in cardboard, and inside I found a bar wrapped in thick brown paper with a lovely ribbon and gift tag. 

Underneath the brown paper was my personalised bar! Good quality printing and lovely colours and fonts. 

The customisation was spot on to what I asked, and more.

The chocolate inside was creamy and rich, not like cheap advent calendar chocolate! It was wrapped professionally in silver foil.

I was really impressed with the professional quality from www.wrapped4you.co.uk and I recommend for any occasion! The wrapper is definately something for the scrapbook! :)

HANDMADE REVIEW: Critter Pawtraits

Critter Pawtraits is a business run by a friend of mine, Lucy. She is a freelance artist who draws your pets, and 15% of the profits go to local animal charities. Lucy has been drawing for years and has received many awards in the past including a Creative Arts trophy in 2002 and an Arts Talent award in 2006 and 2007.

I asked her to draw my bosses dog, so I could see her work in great detail. Her animal illustrations are drawn digitally and the prices range from £10-25. A deposit is required, and the donation goes to a charity that is relevant to the subject matter, so if you have a cat, she will donate the 15% to cats protection, etc.

The print i received came well packaged in 10" x 8" which was an impressive size for the price. It was printed on good quality paper and mounted beautifully, ready to frame.

The drawing was uncanny to the photograph I sent her which was so impressive. The detail of all the fur was perfect and the colours and shading just right. When I gave it to my boss she recognised her own dog without me having to explain anything!

I really recommend Lucy's work, and if you would like a Critter Pawtrait of your own, check out the business Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Critter-Pawtraits/

Nutella and Rocky Road No Bake Cheesecake

If you can mix ingredients in a bowl, you can make this delicious cheesecake!

All you'll need is:

250g of Digestive Biscuits

75g of Butter

200g of Milk Chocolate

100g Mini Marshmallows

1 jar of Nutella (400g)

500g of Cream Cheese

60g Icing Sugar

First of all, you need to make the Rocky Road base. 

1. Crush your digestive biscuits either by hand with a rolling pin or in a food processor (food processor will be the fastest and you'll get a great consistency. I have a mini one that was an engagement present from my mother in law to be!)

2. Melt your chocolate and butter in a pan before adding your digestive biscuit mix. mix them together real fast and don't overheat the pan, or you'll burn the chocolate.

3. Add mini marshmallows to the mix and stir real good, if the mix is still warm the Marshmallows will melt into the biscuit mix, which is delicious.

4. Pour the mix into a springform tin and flatten with the back of a spoon. Put your tin the fridge to set while you make the topping.

Next, make the delicious Nutella cheesecake topping.

5. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, the jar of Nutella and the icing sugar. I mixed this in my mixer to get a great consistency, but you'll still get a great result by hand.

MAMA'S TOP TIP: Wash out your Nutella jar, as this makes a great glass jar to decorate for the festive season or a celebration!

6. Take your base out of the fridge, pour the Nutella cheesecake mix over the biscuit base and smooth it over so it's even. 

7. Last of all, top the cheesecake with chocolate chips and place into the fridge for at least 4 hours, or for best results, overnight!

The thing I dislike about making cheesecakes is the wait, but it's SO worth it! 

Enjoy!

Mama x

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Dreamy Chocolate Ganache Cake

With my birthday just around the corner, I thought I'd make a chocolate cake as it's one of my colleagues birthdays on the same day!

But don't feel like you need an excuse for this gorgeous dreamy chocolate ganache cake. Just make it because it's ..Thursday!

All you need is..

• 200g dark chocolate
• 200g butter
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 400g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml milk (5 tbsp)
• grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

For the ganache

• 200g good quality dark chocolate, as above
• 284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

(I already had the basics, so I only had to buy the fresh bits.. It only cost £4!)

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base, or line two smaller trays so you don't have the fiddly cutting when it's cooled. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break 200g good quality dark chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Cut 200g butter into pieces and tip in with the chocolate, then mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted – don’t overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ bicarbonate of soda, 400g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat 3 medium eggs in a bowl and stir in 75ml (5 tbsp) milk.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes – if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don’t worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three, or if you make 2 seperate trays, don't worry. Make the ganache: chop 200g good quality dark chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour a 284ml carton of double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. Grated chocolate brings out all those delicious flavours. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.
6. EAT EAT EAT!

Apple Cake Squares!

Sounds very simple but turned out very delicious, this apple cake was inspired by last nights madness on the Great British Bake Off.. watching it always gets me baking again!

I only had the basics in the house so this recipe was a good one for me to make. Just the usual baking supplies and some apples is all you need some this spongey fruity deliciousness, made in just 1 hour. 

Ingredients: 

• 125g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 60g butter, melted
• 100g dark brown soft sugar
• 75g caster sugar

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 75g chopped apple
• 75g finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. First of all pre heat your oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4 and grease your best baking tin (9" is ideal for this mix).

2. Next grab your sieve and sift together flour, baking powder, salt and some cinnamon. I didn't have any cinnamon, so I added a drop of almond extract to give it a nice kick. 

3. In a separate bowl (more washing up, I know) mix together melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. I actually did this in the pan, so the heat of melting the butter made it a smooth mix.

4. Stir in the egg and vanilla, make sure you get a nice smooth airey mix. 

5. Next add the flour mixture, this can get a little stiff to stir so make sure you add it in bit by bit. 

6. Stir in the apples and walnuts (I didn't have walnuts either, this is completely optional.)

7. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and leave it in the oven for 30 minutes, or until it's nice a springy to the touch like a cake. 

8. Leave to cool for around 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan. It'll be hot and you want to make sure it's a lovely shape so you can cut it into fingers or squares to share. 

Bon appétit! 

Fun with Washi Tape

Bank holiday weekend is here and I am off and thought I would get some crafting in! Last week I bought some Trimcraft Christmas Washi Tape from 'The Range' to experiment with as I have never used it before!

Turns out as long as you have something to decorate it's not difficult to make some truly lovely and very homemade looking.

I decorated a candle first and luckily the tape is very forgiving and peels off easily for you to have a few attempts. It has a masking tape feel to it but a nice adhesive that will stick to almost anything I think, I haven't found anything it won't stick to yet!

I moved into a kraft card box which had come with some jewellery I got a while ago. What a transformation! I can't wait to give this box to a lucky loved one this Christmas.

I can't express how easy this is and what a great professional touch it gives to any item. Go wild with some Washi!

Congrats!

Lots of girls and boys will be celebrating passing their GCSEs tomorrow including a work experience girl we have working with us at the moment, so I made her a little something to say Congrats!

This was made from the cake shop kit from Craftwork Cards. To see a tutorial on pop up cards see my precious bog here: http://mamamakesandbakes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/pop-up-box-cards.html?m=1 

Good luck to everyone expecting results this year!

Snowman and the Snowdog Christmas cards!

I've been very busy preparing for Christmas! Here's a Selection of Christmas Cards with my Hunkydory the Snowman and Snowdog kit! Enjoy!

Mama's Reviews - Trinity Book Review

Sometimes, especially as a mother who works 12 hour shifts, I need some time away from the crazy world of television and baby food. My normal escape would be to craft but last week I was struck down with the flu, so I decided to kick back in bed and read a book, hoping for a speedy recovery. 

The book I read was 'Trinity' by Nigel May and wow, what a book. I'm not normally a big reader but this was something special, I couldn't put it down so it only took me 30 hours to read!

Trinity is a book about 3 girls who are living in their parents shadow and on their parents money. The story is set in rich parts of London and moves on to the life of luxury in the likes of Hollywood and Venice. The story follows the 3 girls in various relationships and their careers, sex scandals, murder, celebrity life, you name it, it's got it!

I think what got me so hooked about the book is that it's so REAL. You often wonder what happens to the daughters and sons of the rich and famous and this is exactly what I would imagine. Every page has a plot twist and I just couldn't wait to see which character was going to betray who next.

When the book was introduced to me, it was because I had mentioned the excitement behind the 50 Shades film, so I expected the book to be some what raunchy, which it is, but in it's own very mature, very believable way. Gay sex, straight sex, the odd scandal here and there, it had it all, but just as a film or TV show would, they would start or finish the sex and it would move on.. Not a mummy porn/mills and boon book at all, just some good old fashioned horny sexiness.

The characters in the book are very well written, the dialogue is witty and fun and the plot is intense. I honestly can't express enough how hard this book is to put down! I love the likes of Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl and Secret Diary of a Call Girl and if you did too, this is definitely a book for you. Nigel May is a very talented author and I can't wait to read his next novel, 'Addicted'.

Don't buy your morning coffee tomorrow, buy this book with your quid instead! 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00CNW8Z00?pc_redir=1408087807&robot_redir=1

Tonic Gold!

Have you signed up to Tonic Gold yet?!

Tonic are a company that specialise in all things that cut, scissors and dies are their speciality.

They have recently opened a new website for their special fans and if you sign up (for free!) you become a member.

When you're a member you can access a special members gallery for inspiration, downloads from Tonic, competitions and special offers.

Don't forget to put your address in your profile, because when you do you recieve a special gift! (I got mine in 2 days!)

It's a gorgeous 'made with love by' die, which I just love using, it's so lovely!

I can't wait to use it on all of my creations. :)

See you on www.tonic-gold.co.uk!