My Cake Baking Adventure

I plunged into another adventure in baking and this time "it's to bake a cake".  I have in so far learned and tried baking cheesecake.  Now, I want to bake me some cakes not just for me but for the family for all occasions and hopefully for friends and relatives . . . {hopefully}.

Here are the results of my 1-day cake baking adventure . . . . I've learned so far to bake 4 kinds of cake:

Mocha Chiffon Cake & Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream

Sliced Mocha Chiffon Cake

Butter Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting and Heart Sprinkles

Sliced Butter Cake

Yellow Cake with Italian Meringue (Boiled Icing) and Sprinkles

Sliced Yellow Cake

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Fudge

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" for Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #104: All Thing Girly

Kaboodle Doodles' Challenge #104 is "All Things Girly".  You could submit any project as long as it fits the challenge theme.  Winner to be drawn randomly with sponsor prize of $10 voucher from Little Miss Muffet Tues, Feb. 7, 2012 at US timezone.  Participants have until Sun., Feb. 5, 2012 to link their entries at the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog.

I decided to go for a circular shaped LO for this challenge.  All I can think of as inspiration was to dig into my baby photos.  And not long, an idea formed when I saw this wallet sized toddler photo of mine with my mom.  With Nikki Sivils paper plus prima flowers and of course Little Miss Muffet's "Quinceanera daydream" image, the layout was formed in no time.  The hardest part was looking for the perfect photo and finding the right inspiration.

Challenge Entered Into:
Little Miss Muffet Challenge #28 - Love, Valentine or Anything Goes with Miss Muffet Digi Image

Yours truly,

Design Team Member

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog (KD)

CropStop's Challenge #55: Time

It's the 4th challenge for the year 2012 & the last for January for CropStop.  This week's Challenge #55 is "Time". . . .  It's your chance to win a $15 gift certificate from CropStop's online store.  Come and join us!


It's my month's off & I'm bidding everyone goodbye at CropStop . . . though I still have (1) more project submitted for February 2012, thus:

I would only like to share with you a CropStop 10% off with (no minimum purchase required) discount code: CTCH-2.  Use the discount code when checking out your puchases.  To shop at CropStop, click here.

Winner of the Challenge #55 will be announced Fri., February 3, 2012 at US timezone (EST).  

Around Always,

Kath B. Hernandez

CropStop Challenge Blog & CropStop Online Store

Creative Team Member

 

"All I Want for Christmas" LO for Kaboodle Doodles Challenge#103: Thankful for Gifts

Kaboodle Doodles' Challenge #103 is "Thankful for Gifts".  You could submit any project as long as it fits the challenge theme.  Winner to be drawn randomly with sponsor prize of $12 voucher from A Day for Daisies Tues, Jan. 31, 2012 at US timezone.  Participants have until Sun., Jan. 29, 2012 to link their entries at the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog.

I think it's the 1st Christmas I had a photo of me opening my gifts. lol  How I wish I was a kid again so that I'd look cute in the photo. =D

For this LO, I made use of old Christmas paper from my stash and decorated it with some popped up Ling Design's (European brand) die cuts and some Christmas decors.  I cut up the Xmas decors to fit in on my page and journaled all around my photo, as much as I possibly can.  Here's the result:

SUPPLIES: Pattern Paper: Creative Imaginations; Cut-outs: Ling Designs, My Mind's Eye; Pearls: Queen & Co.; Journaling Pen: Parker; Other: Christmas Trimmings, Red Foil;  Tools: Craft Punch: Carl.

Yours truly,

Design Team Member

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog (KD)

Thanks for your Votes . . . .

Hi friends & fellow crafters!

I would like to thank everyone who voted for me last Thursday at the Practical Scrappers Layout Contest (Round 1).  It's with a sad note that I'd like to tell everyone that I didn't make it to Round 2 of the said contest.  I was really hoping to get to Round 2 or even to Round 3 but I guess it did not happen.

Anyway, I would like to share with you the layout we were asked to prepare in advance for Round 2 but didn't get the chance to join the ranks of the Top 25 or 27 selected to compete for the next round:

This layout was prepared also for the upcoming month of February 2012 celebrating Valentine's Day and my parents' wedding anniversary.  This was lovingly created for them. 

Practical Scrappers' Inspiration Sketch

Thanks Practical Scrappers & Liz Chidester for the inspiration and paving the way for this creation.  =)

OTHER CHALLENGES ENTERED:
Rosey's Bling Me Challenge at Sketches4All


Thanks and regards,

Scrapbooking.com January 2012 is out with 3 of my works published

Just want to share Scrapbooking.com published articles featuring (3) of my LOs on their January 2012 ezine's issue:

• "D 1st Pyromusical Competition" LO Scrapbooking.com Article:  http://scrapbooking.com/article/76574
• "My Scrappy Life" LO Scrapbooking.com Article:  http://scrapbooking.com/article/76547
• "Winter in Beijing" LO Scrapbooking.com Article:  http://scrapbooking.com/article/76501

Baking Experiments: Chocolate Crinkles & No Sugar Lemon Cheesecake

It's time again for another post on my baking experiments.  This time I had a hand on chocolate crinkles which everyone who were able to taste it were hands down on my choco crinkles baking result.  YAY!!  I just need to perfect baking it in the right and uniform size if I were to offer it for Valentine's Day.  What do you think? ;-)

And as per request of a former cheesecake customer of mine, I experimented on baking a No Sugar Cheesecake.  I decided to bake a No Sugar Lemon Cheesecake and made a go on splurging on a sugar sweetener which was a little tough but it's all right on my budget.  Unfortunately by the time I was able to bake it, my requester was no longer interested and asked to pass up ordering one.  Darn, I baked (2) No Sugar Cheesecakes thinking that she would like to give it a try.  Luckily my aunt dropped by to visit and delved or eagerly dived into my  No Sugar Cheesecake (which by then I decided to add cherry toppings for my family to be able to eat it).  My aunt's family found it yummy!!  Thank God!!

Photo of my No Sugar Lemon Cheesecake w/o d Cherry Toppings yet

CropStop's Challenge #54: Distressing - Vintage - Shabby Chic

It's the 3rd challenge for the year 2012 for CropStop.  This week's Challenge #54 is "Distressing - Vintage - Shabby Chic". . . .  It's your chance to win a $15 gift certificate from CropStop's online store.  Come and join us!


It's my month's off at CropStop, thus:

I would only like to share with you a CropStop 10% off with (no minimum purchase required) discount code: CTCH-2.  Use the discount code when checking out your puchases.  To shop at CropStop, click here.

Winner of the Challenge #54 will be announced Fri., January 27, 2012 at US timezone (EST).  

Around Always,

Kath B. Hernandez

CropStop Challenge Blog & CropStop Online Store

Creative Team Member

Need your vote: Round 1 of Practical Scrappers' LO Contest

Hi!

I'm rallying votes for a Scrapbooking Contest I entered at Practical Scrappers.  I belong to Group 7 for Round 1 with 70 selected participants out of 120 plus.

For Round 1 they're going to cut down the number to the top 25. . . . 20 of which to be chosen the staff of Practical Scrappers with the remaining 5 chosen via the highest number of votes. Voting ends for Group 7 midnight of January 19, 2012 (Thursday at US timezone CST).  To vote, here's the link to the site:  http://www.practicalscrappers.com/2012/01/layout-contest-group-7.html

I haven't prepared anything yet for Round 2 by which deadline is on Friday midnight.  I hope to meet the deadline if chosen as top 25 so that I could proceed for another voting round by next week.

Please vote for my layout and wish me luck.  Will ask for votes again if i do proceed to Round 2.  Wish me luck!!


Thanks and regards,

Plain Cheesecakes Order & Choco Chip Cookies Baking Experiment

Hi everyone!

Please accept my apology for not updating you on my current baking status.  Had to recharge for most of the month of January 2012.  And it's only now that I got to blog again on my baking.

As a post New Year thing, I got an order for (2) plain cheesecakes from a former college classmate.  If I were patient enough and hadn't judged the 3rd cheesecake to be consumed by my family, I could have also sold it to a former MBA classmate {darn!!}.  Anyway, I forgot to take a photo of the (2) plain cheesecakes which with much effort I packaged with my own handmade ribbon.  I better get to practice more on making bows and ribbons hehehe. 

My mom not easily satisfied asked me to modify a recently baked choco chip recipe I found.  Here's the photo of my choco chip cookies after further recipe modification:

The above cookies are more chewy, chocolatier and thinner which makes it easy to bite and chew compared to the 1st recipe I had. =)

I'll be posting more of my baking experiments . . . so stay tuned!

"A Winter Wonderland" Card for Kaboodle Doodles Challenge#102: Snowman or Snowflakes

Kaboodle Doodles' Challenge #102 is "Snowman, snowmen or snowflakes".  You could submit any project as long as it fits the challenge theme.  Winner to be drawn randomly with sponsor prize of $10 from Di's Digi Downloads Tues, Jan. 24, 2012 at US timezone.  Participants have until Sun., Jan. 22, 2012 to link their entries at the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog.

I decided to create a card for this challenge as I have no photos of snowman nor of snowflakes.  Here's my card:

SUPPLIES: Paper: Star Paper Corp.; Acrylic Stamp: Mary Engelbreit; Ink: Studio G; Stickers: Echo Park's "Holly Jolly Christmas"; Other: Ribbon, Paint; Tools: Cuttlebug Machine & Embossing Folder: Provo Craft.

Yours truly,

Design Team Member

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog (KD)

Getting Crafty on a Wedding Gift for Mark & Tin

Hi everyone!

I would like to share with you the wedding gift we've prepared for a family friend whom we've met just last year of 2011.  We weren't expecting to be invited for we've only known the bride-to-be for only recently.  But we've find her close to us like a family friend. =)

I had a cross-stitch reserved waiting for the right wedding and my mom chided me to give it as a gift to the couple.  The cross-stitch pattern of which I found while travelling to Luang Prabang, LAOS and it has remained special and dear to me.  With much care, I immediately stitched the name of the couple and their wedding date just last Dec. 2011 in time for the day today Jan. 15th of 2012.  

My cross-stitch instead of having it framed, we decided to make it a cover of a scrapbook album my mom and I found.  Instead of a good photo, my cross-stitch looked so sweet adorning the pink printed shaped scrapbook album.  A perfect wedding gift - a wedding scrapbook album.  My mom added a gift certificate and I started scrapping the 1st 2 pages of the album for the bride and groom.  I guess both my cross-stitching and scrapbooking talent were put into use. =)

Here are photos of our gift for the couple:

The couple's wedding invitation

A Wedding Saying and Tips

Our Lovely Card for the couple

The dedication inside our card

Packaging our gift

Our gift boxed ready for the wedding

"D 1st PyroMusical Competition" LO for Sketches4All

Here's another try for me for my January 2012 challenge.  This time an Inspired by (Art) Challenge 2 at Sketches4All . . . Here goes!

Happy New Year & Happy Chinese New Year (or Kung Hei Fat Choi), everyone!!

In making my 1st layout for 2012 for Sketches4All which I shared on my 1st January challenge, I also made use of a color inspiration from art - a set of paintings to be exact from Intramuros, Manila from which I visited last year (photo taken by yours truly). Thus, I would like to post and share my other source of inspiration in my LO's creation with the hopes that you get inspired by it too:

I'm posting this in advance today - Jan. 13 (Manila timezone) and this runs until end of the month.

1. Upload your LO in the Sketches4All's gallery with a tag: Kath’sInspiredBy2
2. Challenge starts Jan. 15, 2011 and will end Jan. 31, 2011 (at Manila, Philippines timezone). To view Manila time: http://localtimes.info/Asia/Philippines/Manila/

Here's my sample LO:

SUPPLIES:  Patterned Paper: Robin’s Nest, Bo Bunny, Cardstock: Star Paper Corp., Foam Alphabet Stickers: All About Scrapbooking (Hallmark, Inc.), Buttons: All About Scrapbooking (Hallmark, Inc.), Glittered Teddy Bears: All About Scrapbooking (Hallmark, Inc.), Butterfly: UBL, Journaling Pen: Parker, Ric Rac: All About Scrapbooking (Hallmark, Inc.).

I would like to give credit to Stacy Harper-Watson's for her

"Mt. Charleston" LO from which I scraplifted from.


Love & Regards,

 Kathleen (Kath) MC B. Hernandez
Sketches4All (S4All / S4A) Design Team Member
{creative team member and monthly challenge host}

CropStop's Challenge #53: Quote It

It's the 2nd challenge for the year 2012 for CropStop.  This week's Challenge #53 is "Quote It". . . chosen by DT Katie.  It's your chance to win a $15 gift certificate from CropStop's online store.  Come and join us!


It's my month's off at CropStop, thus:

I would only like to share with you a CropStop 10% off with (no minimum purchase required) discount code: CTCH-2.  Use the discount code when checking out your puchases.  To shop at CropStop, click here.

Winner of the Challenge #53 will be announced Fri., January 20, 2012 at US timezone (EST).  

Around Always,

Kath B. Hernandez

CropStop Challenge Blog & CropStop Online Store

Creative Team Member

"Season's Greetings '91" LO for Sketches4All

It's time again for a Sketch Contest at Sketches4All for the start of the year.  For this month of January, the sketch provided is from Moma.  This can also be your chance to scrap those holiday photos. . . so get yourself scrapping. lol

For my LO sample, I decided to scrap a Christmas family photo taken in 1991. errr not yet done with scrapping past family photos . . . but I'm getting there. ;-)

Here's my LO:

SUPPLIES: Pattern Paper: Bo Bunny; Metallic Paper: Star Paper Corp.; Foam Numbers: All About Scrapbooking, (Hallmark, Inc.); Chipboards: Bo Bunny; Wrapping Paper: Hallmark, Inc.; Journaling Pen: Parker; Sketch: Moma; Other: Foil Paper.

Inspiration Sketch by Moma

CHALLENGES ENTERED:
Pollycraft Monday Challenge #122 – Anything But A Card 

Love & Regards,

 Kathleen (Kath) MC B. Hernandez

Sketches4All (S4All / S4A) Design Team Member

{creative team member and monthly challenge host}