TATTY TUESDAY - No 4

A TATTY TUESDAY TO YOU!

Today I'm showing you a card showcasing a technique I've been wanting to try out for some time. An image formed using rolls of paper/card placed side by side. I few years ago I was asked to make a piece of paper craft and mixed med jewellery for a friend...it was a pendant, utilising pre printed images and made on much smaller scale, but it did inspire me to want to try it out as a card and using a stamped image. I never really got around to it until now. I cannot, however, claim the idea to be mine as I have seen it done a number of times before on jewellery....but not on a card, or shaped in the way I have done...so I guess I put a little bit of my own spin on things.

Seeings as it's February and Valentines Day will soon be on us, my idea was create a  heart shape design card....and the choice of Tatty Button image?...well it was a no brainer. Best Friends is a perfect shaped image to fit inside a heart and the two ponies nuzzling each other makes for a sweet romantic scene too.
                                                      N0. 4 - VALENTINES CARD

A very simple design and layout using just two colours of cardstock and one stamp image in black ink.

Firstly, the image was stamped out in full 9 times onto plain white paper. Each piece was then curled around a wooden dowel to create a roll. Each roll was then placed side by side, lined up in such a way to re-construct the full image again.

It takes a fair bit of patience and working out in order to get the right sections to line up. The idea in itself is easy and simple....but the difficulty is in you having make sure that each roll is exactly the same dimensions (that is why I used a piece of dowel rather than hand rolling each piece freestyle. It also proved a bit difficult shaping the piece as I chose to rip the edges to give a softer look to it, rather than cutting with scissors. A heart may not have been the best of choices to use for my first go at this, but there you go...I like a challenge LOL!

One of the problems I encountered was the rolls themselves were not very stable once the dowel was removed. They got a little out of shape during assembly of the card and this increases the danger of the image distorting. The problem lay in the thinness of the paper and perhaps something with a slightly higher gsm would have been better. Depending on the design, the dowels could also be left inside the rolls for extra support and create more uniformity...but in this case the heart shape made that impossible.....so I live and learn :)  (BTW - I did actually leave supports in the rolls used in the original jewellery piece - it certainly needed to be strong to endure being worn).

The rolled image piece was then attached to a coloured card heart which was run through an embossing folder to add more depth and interest in texture...the shape, being a contrasting colour also reaffirmed the heart shape of the rolled stamped image.

It proved a very interesting technique to try out and I'll definitely be having another go....it certainly has scope to be used in cardmaking in more ways....so I need to practise a little bit more and experiment with some other images and colours.

STAMP IMAGE USED -  TB10 Tatty Button 'Best Friends'

Tatty Ta Ta for now!

New links for recipes

There aren't many recipes on my blog...yet! I do intend to add more because I love cooking and baking and love sharing recipes.

One thing that has happened is a number of requests by followers, for direct links to them..which actually I did have set up on the right hand side...but I'm guessing, seeings as they are in the listing for tutorials, they aren't easy to spot...

...so I've given them their own seperate list. It's still on the right hand side....just under the tutorials section.

Hope this helps!

Chocolate Brownies...and it's blowing a gale!

Wow...we're certainly having a bit of a storm across Britain at the mo. Days of relentless rain and gales is causing damage and havoc for some. We've had a few trees downed in the nature reserve...thankfully not falling near the road, paths or onto cars and last night was a restless one with howls of wind that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and gales tore down the sides of the houses and threw debris up onto our windows and roof....not a peaceful quiet time at all! Thankfully no serious damage done and we do hope we've seen the last of the worst of it and calmer times are on the horizon. It's certainly been a time for staying indoors...well...certainly for me...but if you're venturing out, hang onto that hat, batten down the hatches and stay safe!

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Last week I made some Chocolate Brownies and must say I was pretty pleased with the outcome...because to be honest I've always been rubish at baking them, always overcooking and never achieving that perfect balance of scrummy gooey inner and crispy crust outer. This might actually surprise you as I do a fair bit of baking and spent many years creating celebration cakes. It's not for the want of trying...that actual making cannot be any simpler..it's the baking bit that evades me...so I guess brownies have just always been my nemesis.

Maybe it's because I have gone through three different ovens (both gas and electric) in my house over the years so have never managed to settle and get used to a particular way of baking...maybe it's because I have a particular standard of how I like them to be...maybe it's because I'm Virgo and can be a tad obsessive over perfection...but I have a standard - THE most perfect brownie I ever ate was at the Victoria pub in Beeston, Nottingham during an annual CAMRA General Meeting...heavenly sticky chocolate devine creation that I haven't found equal to since (bought or baked)...so those have always been the standard (sadly their recipe is a secret one and refused to be parted with) and I've struggled to meet it..

...but this I'm happy to say is the closest I've got to it so far - one kindly given to me by my lovely friend Sarah.

NOTE - please note that oven makes/temps can vary and the times and temp stated in the recipe are standard and may have to be tweaked to suit yours. I used the exact temp but in a small half sized oven (electric but non fan) and had found I had to increase the cooking time by and extra 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

• 250g  Butter
• 200g  good quality milk chocolate (roughly chopped up)
• 80g    Cocoa powder (unsweetened variety - NOT drinking chocolate powder)
• 65g    Plain flour
• 1tsp   Baking powder
• 360g  Caster sugar (I used unrefined golden caster sugar)
• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 180oC, grease and line a 20x20cm (8x8inch) square cake tin.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar into a bowl and set aside. Gently melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler technique) and allow to cool slightly before mixing in the dry ingredients. Then beat in the eggs until you get a smooth glossy runny batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake 25 mins. Check after this time. The cake will have risen slightly and be crusty on the edges but slightly underdone in the centre. A skewer inserted into the centre WILL NOT come out clean (if it does, the cake is overcooked). If you feel that the cake is still too underdone....return to the oven and bake for a further 5 mins, checking and continuing on in increments of 5 mins until you reach your desired consistency. Taking into account my oven, my brownies took an added 10 mins. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from tin and cut into 16 squares. Dredge the top with icing sugar. Best served warm.

NOTE - Everyone has their own ideas of a perfect brownie...mine has to be crispy crusty on the outside but dense, slightly undercooked and fudgy looking inside. The cake will rise, then sink back down after taking out of the oven and will probably crack on the surface too....this I find very acceptable and adds to the rustic look and crunchy texture. These brownies are delicious eaten still warm, just baked, but I find they improve and become even more dense and fudgy the following day...and warm up a treat in the microwave. They are wonderful eaten as is, with a cuppa, or served warm with cream...or custard.

VARIATIONS - for extra richness you could substitute some of the milk chocolate for plain but I do find the dark cocoa powder more than does for this in the original recipe. I'd suggest you cook it in it's original form first then decide if you wish to tweak the mix to meet your own tastes. For extra crunch, stir some nuts into the mix prior to baking. I have used hazlenuts and pecans and can say both are delicious additions. If you up for a real chocolate hit, you could also throw in some added chocolate drops/chunks (white chocolate works very well)....or cover the baked top with a ganache or fudge frosting.

WARNING - contains many many calories...best not to think about it...eat just one square, give the rest away to your family who will love you forever...then go for a jog!

...and don't worry, you're not missing out as you'll be asked to make more, very soon after...so not long to wait until your next brownie treat!

Enjoy

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My last post for the year for 2011 and it is to Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Many thanks to you all for taking the time to pop by this Blog, read up and comment...it is all very much appreciated....by both myself and my little Tatty Button and her friends.

...and so, to end this post....I give you a little bit of general knowledge. Did you know that apparently most British Robins migrate to southern warmer climes at this time of year? they leave our Isles to escape what they believe is cold weather!...and the birds we see during winter and the Festive period are more than likely Robins that have migrated in from the Far Eastern countries such as Russia...to escape their very hostile cold temperatures....they must feel they are on a sunny holiday! So, if you see a little RedBreast on Christmas day, bid him a Merry Christmas in Russian lol! BTW - the photo I took of this little Robin above, was in the summer of 2009...so a very British little chap.

Takes cares and enjoy your holidays where ever you go, what ever you do!

xxx

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge and Christmas favor name tags

Well, that certain festive day is drawing close. Have you got your presents all wrapped, sent your cards and iced that cake yet?

I have to admit I'm pretty organized this year...which is pretty scary for me! probably due to the fact that Christmas is being spent with my family, at home in Birmingham this year....no panic packing of bags and trying to get things done a week or so in advance in order to head off to Worcester to spend the holidays with Clives mom. The meal this year is being held at my sisters and so I'm not having to cook much so it's a pretty laid back affair for me. We do share the cooking responsibilities though and this year I've been given the task of providing the sweet course so that's all fine and prepared in advance. I also make a Christmas cake for them every year. In the past these have been unusual, unique and highly decorative but this year it's simple but classy.

So, Christmas day will be a lazy morning for Clive and I, smoked salmon and scrambled egg breakfast with Bucks Fizz, open our presents to each other then tootle off to sisters place early afternoon (thankfully she only lives around the corner) for the traditional mahoosive feast of turkey and beef.

There are eight of us sharing Christmas this year and my sister is really doing a grand job of a table setting so she asked if I could make some name tags for each place setting...

...and seeings as I am in charge of sweets I decided to incorporate some chocolate truffles as Xmas favors - Irish Cream flavoured for the adults, milk choc for the youngsters. All bagged up in silver and black to co-ordinate with her choice of colour scheme, tags formed using Spellbinders dies and each name cut out in fancy font in card using my good old Cricut Create and Gypsy. Pretty silver cord and a tiny silver bauble finished off each package. She's indicated a few things she's got planned for the design....so can't wait to see the table in all it's glory on the day!

Anyways...onto the main reason for my blog post. A few weeks ago I was given a recipe for easy cook fudge...one made with chocolate and marshmallow, that I was assured is yummy and takes minutes to make and no faffing about with sugar thermometers...so how could I not want to try that!

So today I did just that. Very sorry but I can't credit who's recipe this is...it was passed on from a friend...from her friend and we think it might be something off a tv cooking programme but can't be sure. I did a bit of googling to see if I could work out who...but no joy...so if anyone knows the answer, please let me know.

INGREDIENTS

70g   Butter

300g Soft Brown Sugar

125g Evaporated Milk

225g Marshmallows

300g Milk Chocolate (cut into small pieces)

75g   Dark Chocolate (cut into small pieces)

Prepare an 8inch cake tin by lining with greaseproof paper.

Place butter, sugar and evaporated milk into a large pan and melt gently over a low heat. When all has dissolved, stir in the Marshmallows. Boil for 5 mins, making sure the marshmallow has dissolved. Working quickly, take immediately off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Leave 1 minute then stir to completely combine and ensure the chocolate has melted (please note this mixture, at this moment is VERY hot so yes the gooey choccy mass looks so tempting that you want to stick your finger in to try some...PLEASE don't you'll burn yourself very badly).

Quickly pour into the prepared tin and allow to set for approximately 3 hours. Then remove from tin and paper, cut into approx 2cm squares and box/bag up as required.

And there you have it....soooo simple to make and I can honestly tell you it is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS....smooth, velvety and squidgy (because I have relented and munched on some...but then I have to do this and taste it otherwise I wouldn't be able to give you the recipe if it was all horrible and nasty tasting lol!). A dusting of icing sugar was all that was left to make them a little festive.

 

Enjoy......now go finish that present wrapping!