Branching out with the Mod Podge...

Heh, this blog has definitely veered away from simply jewellery and become more of a chronicle of my crafty life (ooh, I like that, My Crafty Life... book title?!)

And focus, Carla, focus...

Today I needed to craft, but as my flat is already massively messy, I decided I didn't want to get any of my huge boxes out and then have to tidy them away again. And then my eyes alighted on a pair of black shoes I love, but have stopped wearing because the heels were so scuffed. (and now I have a 'proper' job, in an office, and have to dress smartly... it actually matters that they're scuffed!)

My mod podge and decopatch papers were already out, because I'm taking them to Crafting Sunday tomorrow, and the two sort of fused in my head... it happened so fast I didn't actually take 'before' photos, but here are my gorgeously revamped shoes - I LOVE them!

Red Velvet Happiness

For Valentines' Day this year (yes, I know, it's disgustingly late, I'm sorry, more on that in another post) I thought I'd treat myself, my housemate and the wonderful people I worked with (then... see, that's why this post is so late) to an appropriately coloured sweet treat. Especially since it fell on a Monday so we were all hard at work.

So over the preceding weekend I baked. I got all my ingredients together....

I greased my pans (three layers!)...

I measured out my ingredients (this never happens in real life, but although I did it with this blog post in mind, it did actually make making the cake much simpler and less chaotic!)

I made almost-chocolate cake, and added the colouring... popped them in the oven and they came out like this...

Repeated the whole process with two layers instead of three, whipped up some vanilla frosting (had no cream cheese in the house for starters, and can't stand the stuff anyway) and this was the result.

Cake? Don't mind if I do... Happy (belated) Valentines Day!

iPad goodness

Ah, iPad goodness! This is a test from my aunt's iPad, it is definitely altering my opinion of them... But im still not sure i can justify buying one of my own...

I don't have any pictures of my own here or i would upload one and see how easy it is to do... Eel, can definitely see myself succumbing in the future!

Exciting things have happened this week so I'll post and update soon :)

Carla xx

Decisions, decisions...

I know I've been away from my blogs for almost two months (two months? where on earth does the time go?) - I even have a proper reason this time!

Red velvet cupcakes made for Crafting Sunday #1

Since the beginning of January I've (rather unexpectedly) been to two interviews at the same company and landed a new job, handed in my notice at the library and had a 25th birthday, it's been a packed couple of months and sadly the blogging slipped...

Due to said new job, I've also been making some important decisions about the future of Ducking Fabulous and where it may or may not go. I'm going to need to focus time and energy on the new role and fitting back into London life (because it's been, ahem, a while since I was there on a regular basis and to be honest, I'm completely terrified!) and I've also done a bit of a life stocktake and realised I'm trying to do too many things at once. I'm still planning to do them all, but less of them at once... and again, I'll explain all in another post this week.

Vanilla sparkly cupcakes for Crafting Sunday #1

I've also been discussing a number of possible new ventures with friends, and being very inspired along the way... more news on these when they're properly off the ground, but there are exciting times ahead!

And in a couple of months I have promised myself I'll invest in an ipod touch so I can actually blog on the go, or at least draft blog posts - the London commute is going to drive me insane unless I occupy myself...

Anyway, stay tuned for updates... I *will* blog more regularly from now on! Even if the regularity is between the two existing blogs and the ones for the new ventures. (Almost Librarian will close, sadly... I'll leave it up as an archive but I don't think even I can get library stories from an office and a train...)

On the plus side, I held Crafting Sunday #1 on 31st January - it was absolutely fabulous! It was more of an experiment than anything else, but it looks like becoming a regular thing, every six weeks or so - and it was SO lovely to craft in company! Really nice to have people to bounce things off when you're creating as well. This was my living room all ready for everyone to arrive, and the cake pics in this post are some of the cakes I made for us to munch while we crafted :) It's not usually quite this full of furniture, I moved the sofa and borrowed the kitchen table so we had more crafting space!

This is the trouble with blogging so infrequently, I tend to waffle when I do get back to it. More in another post, soon, I promise!!