Into Autumn

My my didn't time fly!?!  Summer has been and gone and now we are back into the frantic daily routines of getting to school with all the equipment required for lessons and clubs.  Added to the chaos was a 4th birthday of a certain little boy.  A UFO cake was requested and I have to say that I was quietly pleased with the results.

It was in danger of looking abit helmet-like so I popped the spacemen on the cake board for good measure.  One of my 7 year old daughters was allowed a sneak preview before the big day, after the grand unveiling she looked at it and said 'it looks quite good but I think you should use the left over icing to make craters so it looks like its on the moon...........'  If she had seen the trouble I had with icing the cake she would have known better than to make such a suggestion.  The birthday boy was pleased with it so mission accomplished.

For those interested I made a Victoria sponge cake in a 9" tin and used the same mixture in a pudding basin to put on the top.  I sliced the pudding basin section in half and added a layer of jam and then used jam to stick it onto the base cake.  I covered the whole lot in butter icing and then in regal icing.  The decoration is fruit shoelaces and milkybar buttons, large for the bottom section and small on the top section.

The other project I have been working is a range of buttons that I can offer wholesale.

I also have blue to add to the range but I need to photograph some.  The idea is that this gives customers something to order from but I do have a section on my order form called 'Free Choice Wild Card'.  I added the wild card section so that I get to make any colour combos that I like, the customer just has to tell me how many they want and if any of them need to be sets.  I have buttons for sale in Etsy shop or if you are interested in wholesale drop me a line.

I popped into my friend's shop Eggcup Clothing today to show her some sample buttons and I am very excited that she is going to use my buttons in her designs - even her bridesmaid collection!!!!  We threaded one of the buttons through a button loop of a bridesmaid dress to get a rough idea of what it would look like - it looked stunning, if I do say so myself.

Anywho, I'm off to bed to get some shut-eye ready for the school dash in the morning.

Autumn Leaves etc..

It doesn't feel much like Autumn today, its grey and wet.  Yesterday was a totally different story with beautiful blue skies and bright sun.  I pulled out my bead stash and found these lovely leaf beads which compliment the green and yellow glass beads that I reclaimed from an antique shop.  I don't often use autumnal colours so this is something different from me.   However, if you look closely you will notice that I have still included the obligatory lampwork in the form of some buttons!

I managed to get some torch time in at mum and dad's on Friday.  We still don't have a definite move date yet so we are still in our rented accomodation which is beginning to wear abit thin!  This means that I am confined to getting torch time over at my parents' place.  This is what the kiln fairies left for me. 

This is a a little set of two 'Beau Beads' with a matching small hole bead.  They have got light blue centres, encased in clear with cobalt blue and white dots on the surface.  I have an idea for these along the lines of a Beau Necklace....  I have also started to play with making buttons and this is what came out of Friday's session.

These are cute little buttons measuring approximately 8mm accross.  They have a cobalt blue base with copper green flowers.  The next picture shows you what the buttons look like from behind.

These buttons make me want to get out the sewing machine... not enough hours in the day at the moment.  I have a tunic pattern that I have cut out and now needs sewing together - one day I'll get it done *sigh*.  Now, better get on and make that Beau Necklace prototype, stay posted for an update.