I have an excuse for not blogging - the weather has been brilliant, so we have been trying to catch the few hours after work outdoors.......but it's now back to dull afternoons, dark evenings and photos with lots of shadows!!!

Challenge 71 over at Sketch N Stash is a brilliant sketch with an optional extra of three different patterned papers and three embellishments either flowers or buttons - I went for both the options!

The papers are new, they came free with this months addition of Papercraft Essentials Magazine and they are from Wild Rose Studios, The image is the gorgeous Birgitta from C.C. Designs and the sentiments came free from The Beary Scrap. The lace and flowers is from my stash as well as the diamond dust on the heart and cupcake frosting. Oh and I love this chair which was free from Bird's Cards - it was so perfect for Birgitta to sit on and hold all those cupcakes!! I used promarkers for the stripy wallpaper and to ground the chair.

I am also entering this card in the following Challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Time for Cake

All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes

Secret Crafter - Anything Goes as long as it sparkles

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes - Made with Cream not Butter (Recipe Below)

Last weekend, myself and our small son did some baking. Oh how he loved baking these, they were quick to make, tasted brilliant and to his amazement we could make a cake that you didn't have to put a big lump of butter or margarine in - oh so fascinating when you're 7!!! When they were cooled we cut out a piece of the cake, popped in a spoon full of Tesco's Finest Lemon Curd, and popped the piece of cake back in, before I piped on some of the meringue (ok he couldn't/wasn't going to do it all), and cooking them in the oven for 2 minutes to give a golden glow to our meringue.

Cupcakes Makes 18

1 cup cream ( I used Elmlea Double Light)
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

Lemon Curd (I bought some but I guess you could make your own)

Meringue

1 egg white

85g caster Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180'C. Line a normal size muffin tin with muffin liners.

2. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk until thick and smooth.

3. Divide mixture between prepared liners and bake for 14-20 minutes (mine was cooked in 14 minutes) or until cakes spring back to touch. Cool the cakes on a cooling rack.

4. For meringue, beat egg white until firm peaks form, gradually add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar has dissolved between each addition. Spoon meringue mixture into a piping bag.

5. When the cakes are cool enough to handle, spoon out some of the cake and fill with lemon curd. Place the pieces of cake back and then pipe on a swirl of meringue.

6. Place the cakes back in the muffin tin and put them back in the oven for 2 minutes or until the meringue is golden. (A Blow torch or a couple of minutes under the grill will work too).

It's been back to work week! It has been an early start each day as our son has just started college and has to catch the bus very early! However the early start has made me more organised - I managed to iron a pile of clothes this week (uniforms, clothes etc for all week) so no battling with an ironing board at 6.30 in the morning!!

I have had time this evening to craft, which is lovely!! This little girl is from Sugar Nellie and the layout comes from the sketch this weeks challenge over on the Sugar Nellie Challenge Blog - The Sugar Bowl Challenge.

The background papers I have used is from the Nitwits on a High Note Collection and the foreground strips of paper is from Nitwits Threads and Thimbles collection....which suits the image perfectly! I have added some string (made my own baker's twine using a promarker) and some white gel pen effects. The leaf stamp came with the Sugar Nellie stamp collection. The leaf has been stamped onto rust bazzill cardstock.

I am also entering this card in the following Challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge - #158 - Autumn

My Mums Craft Shop Challenges - Layer it up

Cute Card Thursday - At the Office

Stamp Something - Anything Goes

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Chocolate Cupcakes, Covered in Dark Chocolate Ganache and a Dark Chocolate Heart (made with Chocolate Transfers)

I have been spending every waking moment I can snatch to complete a wedding invitation order I have, and christmas card orders....so not much spare time for other crafting at the moment.....I haven't even had the time to do any blog hopping. Still I thought I would do this one quickly for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge which is Snow and Snowflakes.

The image is from Magnolia, the background paper from Diecuts with a View, Bazzill cardstock, ribbon from my stash, embossed snowflake panel, snowflakes from my stash, and some Deco Art Glamour Dust.

Last week's challenge from Cute Card Thursday was Fairies and Angels.

I have coloured Tilda with water colour pencils and layered her onto a embossed panel and the fence. Sentiment stamp from Studio G clear stamps.

This week's challenge from Cute Card Thursday is Pretty In Pink - We would like to see lots of pink on your cards.

I have used a white gel pen to highlight some of the areas on Tilda after colouring with water colouring pencils - I thought it looked quite effective, particularly on the petticoats or underskirt. The large flower and ribbons are from Poppicrafts. I disected the flower as it was too big, so only used three of the petals. The sentiment is from Studio G (found a packet of clear stamps for 99p on the weekend), which I have edged with Glamour dust. The background paper and the little butterfly have come from my stash, the dry embossing on the pearl card was done using the Keepsake Majestic score board.

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge 23
This week the theme for the challenge is
Soft Furnishings
you can use fabric, ribbon, stitching, buttons etc, anything you can find on the soft furnishings in the home ie curtains, cushions, sofas etc.

I bought two new Sugar Nellies last week. This one and the one I am giving away in my blog candy. I couldnt decide before if I liked this stamp or not, but I am so glad I bought it, because she is so full of character, and I love her. I have coloured her with watercolour pencils and used some background paper from my stash. The scroll stamp and make a wish is from Dovecraft -bought a pack of four small ones for 99p a while back in the sale. My soft furnishings - buttons !

This weeks Challenge from Cute Card Thursday - is 'The two of us'
We would like you to use two of something on your card, it could be 2 people, 2 animals or 1 of each.

I have used a Sarah Kaye image for this weeks challenge. I have coloured her with water colour pencils and used a white gel pen to embellish some of the area on her clothes and hat. The orange cardstock is recycled from an old birthday card, the background paper from Papercraft Essentials, the ribbon and green flower from Poppicrafts, orange flower from my stash and the white flower made with a large daisy punch. The black dotted edging is rub on lines (didnt adhere to the paper really well). The sentiment "Friend" is a Designer Digitals download - Stamps and Brushes by Katie Pertiet.