Winter Post!

One of my favourite stamp sets - Winter Post (111780) - this set is fab and I'll be making lots of cards with is this year! I have used Bashful blue cardstock and ink and Chocolate chip cardstock and ink. I have stamped my reindeer on Very vanilla and I have used paper-piercing tool and mat pack to create the little pinprick holes around the vanilla cardstock.

Thanks for looking

Sarah x x x

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet cupcakes - these are one of my fav's!

A deep red sponge with a chocolate flavour, a wonderful velvet texture
topped with a cream cheese frosting - is your mouth watering yet!? I always break one open and crumble the cooked cake over the rest of the cakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (from the hummingbird bakery cookbook)

60g unsalted butter at room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 egg

10g cocoa powder

20ml red food colouring (Dr Oetker is the best!)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

120ml buttermilk

150g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.5 tsp white white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade (gas 3)

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer, beat on a medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn mixer up to high speed , slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed , then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixture up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.

Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cream cheese cold

Beat the icing sugar and butter together using a medium slow speed on an electric mixer, until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium/high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Sometimes it is easier to put this in the fridge to cool before piping on to cupcakes as it can become quiet runny!!! Crumble cake over the top of the cream cheese frosting! Yum! Enjoy!

Love and cupcake hugs Sarah x x x

Old faithful - Lovely as a tree

Lovely as a tree is one of my first Stampin Up sets I purchased - and it is probably one of the most versatile - perfect for general cards and Christmas cards too - this card I have made for my Father-in-law for his birthday on Saturday

I have used PP from my stash (think it is BG Pyrus), the oak tree is from the set Lovely as a tree ( 101223), the sentiment is from a set that was available in the summer - lets hope they bring it back sometime! I have used soft suede ink and garden green cardstock that has been embossed using a cuttlebug embossing folder.
I have used stampin up circle punch and scallop circle punch

Thanks for looking

Sarah x

Beware Pirates!!!!

My new stamps have arrived!! I have to say these are my favourite at the moment - so good for male cards (which as many of you know is not my strong point!!)

Beware Pirates stamp set (115187) - include all these stamps and a couple extra - and they are great for making grungy/distress cards. I have also used background stamp En Francais (109521)
Cardstock used is crumb cake for card base, very vanilla with the background stamp (ink - soft suede), soft suede cardstock with pirate stamp (ink - chocolate chip)

Thanks for looking

Sarah x x x

Lemon Cupcakes

These are Pete's favourite cupcakes - it is the surprise* filling when you bite into the cake!

These cupcakes have been topped with lemon frosting and a little lemon zest
These cupcakes have been topped with iced stars

To get the pretty topping I use a piping bag and large nozzle

Lemon Cupcakes (from the hummingbird bakery cookbook)

120g plain flour

150g caster sugar

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespooons grated lemon zest and extra to decorate

40g unsalted butter at room temperature

120ml whole milk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 170 degrees centigrade (gas 3)

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and butter in bowl and mix with an electric mixer, and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in the milk and beat until just incorporated.

Add the egg to the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Spoon the mixture into paper cases (muffin/cupcake cases) until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Lemon Frosting

250g icing sugar, sifted

80g butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest

a couple of drops of yellow food colouring

25ml whole milk

Beat together the icing sugar, butter, lemon zest and food colouring, using the medium speed on the electric mixer until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the milk, when it is all incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

*Surprise filling - hollowing out a bit of sponge and putting in a small spoonful of lemon curd makes the cupcake very moist and tangy - use a good quality lemon curd.

When the cupcakes are cold, spoon or pipe the lemon frosting on top and decorate with either a little lemon zest or icing stars.

Enjoy!!! Love and Hugs Sarah x x x x

Welcome to Sarah's Cards and Cupcakes!

A new blog - especially for the new addition to my life as a Stampin Up! demonstrator- and what goes better with making cards - cupcakes!!

On the 1st November I am having a launch party where we will make a card, have a cuppa (or a glass of fizzy!!) and a cupcake, lots of fun, chatter and hopefully make some new friends! So if you are in the Chichester area and would like to make a card and have a cupcake ( or 2!) then email me at sarah-e-wilkins@tiscali.co.uk and come along to my evening!

I am planning to have a card making club once an month, hopefully starting in December where during an evening we will make 3 cards and have lots of fun!!

So please come back and watch this space!!

In the meantime - keep an eye on my blog for cupcakes and recipes and hopefully some fab cards will pop up soon!!!

Love and Hugs Sarah x x x x x