Recipe: Butterfly Cakes Pt 1

Hey there!

Sorry for the delay guys, there were a few technical difficulties at my end but everything is running smoothly now! 

So, this weeks post is a recipe. These butterfly cakes are super cute and easy to make (or at least I think so!) and work well for multiple occasions!

Let's get started!

This is the first half of this post and it is going to be the ingredients and the equipment needed and then part 2 is going to be a step by step.

The ingredients you will need (to make approx. 16 cakes):

100g Self-raising flour

100g Caster sugar (superfine sugar)

100g Butter

2 medium-large eggs

Optional:

1 teaspoon baking powder (baking soda)

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Vanilla essence

You can also add any other ingredients you want, like chocolate chips etc. to add different flavours. you can also cut down or double up the measurements depending on how many cakes you want to make.

If you are using self-raising flour you don't necessarily need baking powder as the cakes would rise well enough anyway but I like to add it just to add a bit more lift.

Next up is the ingredients for the icing. You don't have to ice your cakes but if you do, I recommend butter icing as (if milk is added) it can be really light and creamy and tops off these cakes perfectly whether you ice the whole cake top or just the middle.

50g Butter (softened)

150g icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar)

Optional:

1 tablespoon of milk/ cream

Vanilla essence

Cocoa powder

These are just measurements I have found to work and you can alter them in any way you see fit and to make the icing to your taste. If you are adding the cocoa powder to the icing then I recommend mixing it with warm water or milk first to make a paste so that it mixes in better.

Now for the equipment:

A large mixing bowl

A small mixing bowl

Spoon(s)

An electric or regular whisk

Cake cases

Scales

Measuring spoons (optional)

Sieve

Baking trays

Cooling rack

You can use the bowls again (after washing them up!) for the icing but you will also need spoons to mix. You may also want to use a piping bag to make the icing look really professional but knives (I feel) work just as well. Also needed will be a sharp knife if you are going to turn the cakes into butterfly cakes as you will have to cut out the top.

The cake cases I used were the larger ones but you can use any size you want, depending on the size you want your cakes. 

The next half of this post will be coming tomorrow :) 

Until next time!

-G-

X

New Schedule

Hey there! 

This is just a quick post to let you know about some changes I am going to make soon.

I am now going to add a schedule to my posts as I have been trying to post every Saturday and I am going to try and do a DIY post at least twice a month!

However, I may upload anytime throughout the week depending on if the topic can wait until the Saturday or not! ;)

I hope you will enjoy reading the new posts as much as I enjoy writing them!

Until next time

-G-

x

Not Just a T-shirt Haul

Hey there!

As you can see by the name of this post, I was going to do a T-shirt haul, but then I realised that some of the items actually weren’t T-shirts as such and that I wanted to include them. I mentioned this post a few weeks ago, in my Superdrug haul, so here it is!

These tops are perfect for summer and they can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. They are very summery colours and styles.

The first one is this bright yellow kind of cropped top with white velvety writing. It says ‘be happy and smile’. This top goes great with shorts or a high-waisted skirt and creates a very bright colourful outfit. It was from Primark (as were the next 3) and was £5 which I think is quite good value for a t-shirt of good quality. The fabric is very soft, the only problem I have with it really is that the lettering is the sort of material that picks up dust and fluff easily and isn’t very easy to get it off of.

My second T-shirt is this white one. It has an image of a woman walking (I think) and over the top it has a motto: Live with no excuses, Love with no regrets. I think this Tee is quite cool and because it is quite a light material, it doesn’t make you really hot in warm weather! I can’t actually remember how much this or the next one cost but I think they were both around £4 as I’ve never really paid more than £5 for a T-shirt in Primark.

Up next is another white one but this time it has ‘Happy’ written across the front in very bright material and stitching. The sleeves come to just above my elbows and I think it is another type of crop top. The collar is a very bright pink and I don’t think the camera really did it justice! The same colour pink is in the thread around the writing which really makes it stand out. This is also a very high-neck top but isn’t uncomfortable!

This next one is a vest top. Or, to be precise, a dark blue vest top with ‘Champions 89’ written on it! I’ve not actually had the chance to wear this top yet, but I think it will be great on a ‘not quite boiling’ summer’s day and will look really cool with some shorts or even a skirt? This one was £3.

Now, on to my absolute FAVOURITE top from this haul! This one is a collared shirt with a button on the back to fasten it, instead of buttons down the front. This top was £17.99 from New Look but I think it is definitely worth that! It is made from a very nice silky kind of material and it can be worn with shorts, a skirt or jeans and works loose or tucked in. When I saw this top, I was automatically drawn to the lovely print and colours! (I may or may not really love the colour blue and own lots of blue items *shhh*). As there are quite a few colours in the print, it can be worn with quite a few colours (like black or white) depending on the style you are going for.

I think this top is also very pretty worn with a small, delicate necklace between the collar, I usually wear it with this little star one I got for Christmas, just to 'bling it up' a little bit!

Also from New Look I brought this plain black cardigan. It was £9.99 and really is just a plain black cardigan! I needed a cardigan and I’ve had longer ones in the past but I didn’t think that they would be very practical for some outfits so I went with a slightly shorter one. I’ve worn this quite a lot already and it is great for just throwing on when you need an extra layer.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I’ve brought recently!

Until next time!

-G-

X

You can also now follow me on Bloglovin’ so why not head over and check it out! It is perfect for keeping tabs on all the blogs you follow and seeing when new updates are posted!

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Acrylic Transfer Art

Hey there!

So, today's post is going to be another DIY one. I learnt how to do this technique from my art teacher and since then I have had a few attempts and wanted to share the process with you guys! So lets get started!

The first step is to find some images that you want to transfer. I used Disney quotes that I liked and printed them from the internet. However, you will need to, if you are using anything with words on it, reverse the image. This makes it so, when you remove the paper, the words are the right way round. You will also need a surface to transfer onto, something that doesn't matter if it gets wet, like card or a canvas. Other things you will need include: acrylic paint in any colours you wish to use, a paintbrush, scissors and water.

Next you need to cut out your images into more manageable sizes. It is a good idea to mark out the size of each cutting on your surface so you know how big the area for acrylic paint needs to be.

Now you need to paint the area which you will be placing the image to transfer. Be sure to push down quite firmly onto it to make it stick and be sure there isn't any air bubbles as this could stop the ink sticking to the paint.

You will need to leave the work to dry, preferably overnight, to make the water will not remove the acrylic instead of just the paper. 

Once your work is dry, you will need to get a glass or a bowl of water and, using your finger, rub some water onto the paper. Whilst doing this you will also be needing to rub in small, light circles to remove the paper. Any paper left over will dry white so you want to remove as much as you can. Don't worry if some of the wording or image comes away with the paper, it doesn't work every time and it just makes it more authentic. If it doesn't work the first time i recommend trying again as practice makes perfect.



To neaten up my quotes I cut them all out. This makes little quote cards which you could give to someone as a present or just keep as motivational cards for yourself.

Even miracles take a little time
 - Cinderella

       

All our dreams can come true if we
have the courage to pursue them
- Walt Disney

    

Laughter is timeless,
Imagination has no age
and Dreams are forever - Walt Disney

 

Ohana means family.
Family means nobody gets left behind
or forgotten. - Lilo and Stitch

    

I hope this works for you and you have fun trying! 

Until next time

-G-

x

Superdrug Haul & Mini-Reviews

Hey there!

Ok, so a few weeks ago I popped to Superdrug. Every time I go, I always seem to buy something other than what I need! 

I may have gone a little bit OTT on nail polish! (oops). I have been really loving 'Barry M' at the moment, I find it has a really good range colours and textures, it also has great staying power!

The first colour I chose was 'Nude', number 342, and it was a bit of an impulse buy as I didn't know what it would look like once it was on, or if I would like it at all! It is great for days when you want nail polish on but don't want anything too bright. It isn't a really showy colour but is still very pretty.

(£2.99)

The next was 'Mango', number 345, just because I didn't own any orange nail polish and I felt it would be a great colour for summer. It is a very bright orange and is from the 'Gelly' brand which makes it a little more expensive but still cheap when compared to other, more expensive, brands. The colour is just so cheerful and I am currently sporting it on my toes! ;) 

(£3.99)

The third colour I chose was 'Sugar Apple', number 403, which I absolutely LOVE! It is a gorgeous light blue colour and another really pretty shade for summer. The colour really reminds me of ice-cream! Again, it is a 'Gelly' one and so pretty!

(£3.99)

Whilst I was in Superdrug, I spotted these really cute little Impulse sprays. I picked up 'True Love' and 'Loving Words' as I love the smells. True Love has the scent of Freesia and Tangerine and Loving Words, the scent of Violet and Raspberry. They're a perfect size for just throwing in your bag if you are going out somewhere and you need a quick spray top-up. They are also great for using after P.E. at school as a quick freshen up.

(3 for £3)

Obviously, while I was there, I couldn't resist heading over to the 'Tanya Burr' stand as I have wanted to try her products for ages! I brought the lip-gloss colour 'Afternoon Tea' and I absolutely LOVE it! The colour is amazing, very pigmented and stays put, and it also smells fab too! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a long-lasting light-ish pink colour.

 (£6.99)

             

I have another post coming soon which will be a small clothes (t-shirts) haul. 

Until next time

-G-

x

DIY - Inspirational Quotes Jar

Hey there!

Ok, so this is my first real blog post! *calming breath*

My friends birthday is coming up in a few days and I wanted to go further than just buying her a present that she wouldn't really have a major use for. So, I decided to make her something, this something had to be pretty but mean something to her.

That was when I saw pictures of a 'Quotes Jar' (a.k.a. 'happiness jar') and knew I wanted to give her that. This jar is for all the times she is feeling low and needs to be cheered up.

This is how I made it...

First, you will need a jar. I just used this old jam jar. It doesn't have to be extremely fancy but you can buy some prettier ones from most craft shops.

The next step definitely took the longest. You need to find quotes or sayings to fill the jar with. They could be about anything at all and it is completely up to you! I used mostly ones about friendship, happiness and basically ones that I felt fit the task.

These were just two of my favourites:

There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. ― Linda Grayson

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

I found all of the quotes on the internet. These are some of the useful websites I found:

                                                                                    http://www.coolfunnyquotes.com

  http://www.quotationspage.com/

    http://thoughtcatalog.com/?s=quotes

  http://www.brainyquote.com/

You could hand-write or print the quotes, if you wanted them more uniformed. To make them different, you could use coloured card or paper, different fonts, change the colours of the words, anything!

Then, once you're done you need to cut them out, fold them over and fill your jar!

Instead of just leaving the jar plain, you might want to decorate it, or make it a bit more personal. I added a handmade tag explaining what the jar is for, a ribbon and also some glitter to add some colour. I did this step before filling the jar but you could do it before or after.

I'm sure my friend will love it and hopefully the quotes will make her smile! I hope this post helped anyone else who needed an idea for a present for someone, or were just curious. 

Until next time

-G-

x

I would love to see any attempts of this jar! Follow me on twitter @_littleblog and tag with the hashtag: #alittlequotejar