Mother's Day Free Download

Here in the UK we shall be celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday. Now I know that most of my followers are ladies ("I'm a lady, a lady!) (sorry you'll only understand this if you are in the UK) but if you want something to keep your little darlings quiet this weekend while you catch up on 'Hello' gossip, (or sleep), why not have them make you a present.  Daddy can make some cupcakes with them and then while he's cleaning up the kitchen they can sit and colour in the cupcake cases and picks.

My two kidlets came up with these colourful colourways.  I have to admit if I'd had time I would probably have coloured in my own version to look tasteful, but their's are cute enough.

Anyway all you have to do is left click on the picture to take you to the pdf download, or right click to download as a jpeg (you may have to fiddle with sizes.).

Have a lovely relaxing day.

xxx

Mother's Day Cookies

I have quickly whipped up some cookies to sell at my kidlet's school pamper evening on Friday. I wanted a nice sketchy style and was quite pleased with the results.  Small kidlet was looking over my shoulder and said, "Mummy those are really, really.....normal!"

Everyone's a critic!

xx

Spring has sprung!

Indian/Irish Wedding

Myself, Mr Lemon Drizzle and the kidlets have just returned home after spending a very enjoyable weekend in Belfast with my extended family.

In January my cousin got married in Goa. I would have loved to have been there but circumstances meant that it wasn't possible.

Lucky for us though the newly weds held a party on Saturday for all those who didn't make it to India (and a lot of those who did!)

I had made cookies for the actual wedding (see above) but also made a cake for the Irish party.

 I decided that taking three tiers of cake, luggage and two small children on an Easy Jet flight would be impossible, so with much trepidation, I posted it!

Needless to say things did not go as smoothly as they could have, thanks to Parcel Forces 48 hour guaranteed delivery service not actually being guaranteed! Disaster was averted though when another cousin took control of the phone, and demanded (very politely) the delivery of the cake (she had to go to the depot in the end, but we got it.)  

The bottom layer was fruit and was in perfect condition. Unfortunately the top two cakes (chocolate mud) did not fare so well.  I managed to keep most of the damage at the back and had (with foresight into potential disasters) made paisley shapes to stick onto the design which also covered the dents.

The fondant topper was copied freehand from an original watercolour by my Aunt, which was used on the party invitations.

Check out her website for some gorgeous painting!

From the front the cake looked perfect, which was really all that mattered!

We had a fabulous time, and, to be honest, I'm still recovering!

xx

Silence for Japan

Thanks to Little Cotton Rabbits for bringing this to my attention.

Tomorrow as well as the Cakes For Japan, sale ( at Maiden, Shoreditch, London 11am-7pm)  I shall be joining in with the blogging silence for Japan.

Cakes For Japan.

It's hard to put into words the sadness we all feel for Japan, and I don't want to attempt it.

So I will just let you know that Miss Cakehead (don't click the link if you are easily shocked) is setting up a pop-up shop on Friday to sell cakes and goodies in aid of the relief effort.

The shop is at Maiden, 188 Shoreditch High Street, Islington, London E1 6HU.

It will be open11am-7pm.

All the money will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross.

Have a look at the website here as there are other events in the country you may be able to get involved with or set up your own.

I have made cherry blossom cookies, with an origami peace crane.

Art Nouveau Cake

 I've haven't lured you in with the false promise of cake I assure you,  but first a catch up.

Things are going very slowly with my new blog look, too many children and cakes getting in the way, but it is coming on slowly and steadily, and, hopefully, soon the all new Amelie's House will be unveiled.

But for now a couple of projects I finished a while ago and haven't got round to showing you.

Remember the cardigan? Well here it is.

Especially for Pipany who requested a photo (some time ago).  I love it as it is so big and comfy.  Mr Lemon Drizzle has been complaining that I haven't taken it off since I finished it! (And I haven't, can you blame me?)  It has taken two years though, so I am going to think long and hard before I start knitting again!

This is a banner I made for my church.  The lighting was terrible so I apologise for the picture.  It is about spring and based on a textile pattern called 'The Tree of Life'.  It is hanging in the church now but I am not very happy with it and every week think about taking it down and doing some more work on it.

Talking of church, I was sitting behind a very contented baby on Sunday.  So instead of listening to the sermon I decided to sketch the little boy.  All I had in my bag were one of the kidlets note books and a Biro.

  

I love sketching though and should really do more, just another thing to get round to.  

As the sermon ended the little chap woke up and treated the congregation to the sound and smell of a most enormous poo.  He then looked around with a very satisfied expression on his face! Priceless, best moment for weeks!

Anyway thank you for your patience, and, as promised a cake!  

This is a 70th birthday cake for a lady who like art Nouveau.   A really enjoyable confection to work on.

Finally if you are a baker near London get involved with the Cakes For Japan appeal, more information here.

xx

Stylish Bloggers Award

Thank You to Stephanie from Cupcakes and Sundry and Christina from Positively Beauty who both awarded Amelie's House a stylish blogger award.  I am very flattered to be considered 'stylish'... anyone who knows me stop laughing now!

As part of the award I have to pass it on to five blogs that I love.

Obviously I have to nominate my Mum over at The Potters House Penketh.

Gretel was a college chum and it has been a real delight to be back in contact with her again. She is having a book published soon, and you can have a sneak peak of it in her blog Middle of Nowhere

.

If you have been following Amelie's House for some time then you will have seen Marie's work before, but head over to Heartfelt Handmade for more goodies.

Whoops-a-daisy is a blog by a Mum whose child was at school with big kidlet, they moved to the next town but I get to keep up via her beautiful blog.

And last but not least Mallory's blog Honey and Lace has some really beautiful photos that make me want to move to the country!

Then I have to let you know seven things about me;

1. I love a really hot chilli.

2. I was a missionary in Wales. (I could only hack it for two months though!)

3. My best holiday ever, (after my honeymoon in Boston) was a trek across Alaska.

4. I was chosen to sing on a record when I was 7, (think 'Grandma We Love You') but it never got made (phew!).

5. I was born on the same day as Gary Barlow, swoon!

6. One of my textile designs was used for shower curtain material and spotted on 'Friends'.

7. I have really cracked heels.

I'm sure there are some things in that list you wish you didn't know now!

xx

Book Club Cake of the Month...March

Also known as 'A Cake For Owen Meany!'

This months book was 'A Prayer For Owen Meany' by John Irving.  

When I first met Mr Lemon Drizzle he told me that this was his favourite book, and so being a keen girlfriend I rushed out, bought it and read it, and...ah, well, actually, I didn't. I just shrugged and thought 'whatever!', though I did later read 'The Hotel New Hampshire' by the same author on his recommendation, which I found...strange. I have also seen bits of the film of another of his books,  'The World according to Garp' and I didn't really enjoy that either. So I was expecting to be disappointed with this months book.

But I wasn't!

It is a really lovely story, and one which had me sobbing like a baby.

But there were also some incredibly funny sections, especially the part with the VW Beetle. 

The book got the highest aggregate score from my book group that we've had yet -  9 out of 10 - although two people abstained because they hadn't finished it and the end is really crucial. We had a good discussion about the character of Owen Meany, and for me he changed from a very annoying figure into a hero. I was guessing right up until the last few pages about his destiny, which is always a plus for me as I tend to second-guess the plot of book and films at the outset (e.g. with the film 'Sixth Sense' I had guessed the 'twist' ending after ten minutes!)

As for cakes...well, there is a lot of symbolism about armlessness in the book, so I did toy with the idea of making gingerbread men without arms, but Mr LD thought that was pretty crass...and if even he thinks that, then it really must be! There is only one mention of cake in the book: when the narrator's mother marries they have cupcakes. So I decided to make wedding cupcakes. After I had made them Mr LD asked if the angel wings were to symbolise the 'prayer' in the title. I said yes, but really hadn't thought that hard about it. However, with further thought I realised how appropriate they are because I wasn't sure if Owen really was an angel!

Happy Pancake Day

We have started the day in the best way possible...with pancakes!

We will be partaking of that pleasure again this evening.

Happy pancaking!

xx

World Book Day 2011

Yes, it's come round again. It's Book Day! 

A day when Mums up and down the country trawl charity shops looking for the perfect costume....because the children are not allowed to go to school dressed in Disney clothes or Spiderman costumes.  When the children have  tantrums because 'Milly Molly Mandy's dress isn't that shade of blue!'  And teachers forsake their dignity and mark the register concealed behind a giant Mr Happy outfit.

For the past few years I have sent oldest kidlet off to school with a bag full of Book Day cookies (here and here).  Somehow...I don't know how... I forgot that I now have two children at school, which meant 54, yes 54 individual, hand painted cookies. (Competitive Mum or what?).  

I gave them a choice of the characters they wanted, steering them away from anything too involved.   Youngest kidlet, of course, opted for three different owls.  Big kidlet had a mix of her favourite book and others that the class has read.

Did you spot the cookies?

The books we were inspired by are;

1. Little Stories for Bedtime, Usborne Books

2.Owl Babies by Martin Wadell and Patrick Benson

3. Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionare by Andy Stanton

4. A Pipkin of Pepper by Helen Cooper ( who also wrote Tatty Ratty)

5. ZZZZ A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

6. Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts

 Small Kidlet and I spent a happy hour getting these owl portraits right. We had to make sure each biscuit was being looked after correctly!

I like these owls, they seem a little trippy to me.

But this cheeky chap was my favourite!

Happy reading.

xx