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Monday 16 February 2015

A family of robins on our Christmas cake

I know I am very late posting about Christmas still but I wanted to share our Christmas cake for last year.
This year I decided I would do something a little different with our Christmas cake and make decorating the cake a family affair. So one morning we all sat down (including Mr Snowballs) and each of us made a little robin to sit on top of the cake.

I had already covered the fruit cake with marzipan and white fondant and added an icy blue pond and a big brown log.

The robins were very simple to make. All you need is:
- 1 x big ball of brown fondant (body)
- 2 x small balls of brown fondant (wings)
- 1 x medium ball red fondant (chest)
- 1 x large ball red fondant (hat)
- 1 x small ball yellow fondant (beak)
- 1 x medium ball white fondant (hat fur)
- 1 x small ball white fondant (hat bobble)
- edible glue/ cooled boiled water/ vodka!

1. Take the big ball of brown fondant and flatten slightly on the bottom so the robin stands up.
2. Flatten the two small balls of brown fondant to make the wings and attach to the sides of the robin's body using the glue/water/vodka.
3. Flatten the medium ball of red fondant and attach to the robin's body for the red chest.
4. Shape the yellow fondant into a beak and attach to the robin's body at the top of the red breast.
5. Slightly flatten the medium ball of white fondant to create the fur trim on the hat.
6. Shape the large ball of red fondant into a cone and bend the top over to create a Christmas hat shape.
7. Attach the small ball of white fondant to the end of the hat.
8. Using a cocktail stick (or similar pointy object) give your robin some eyes!
We also made a fir tree using a large cone of dark green fondant and a pair of scissors to create the texture (by making small cuts in an upward direction around the tree) and covered it in dark green glitter, It was topped with a gold star (fixed to the tree using a small piece of dried spaghetti). The pond was coated with piping gel to make it look icy and the robins were placed around it.

Finally, we added little brown branches, holly leaves and berries around the bottom of the cake and a sprinkling of glitter and icing sugar for snow.

The Snowball family did a great job with each of their robins and I hope this will become a new family tradition  - next year penguins or polar bears? What do you think?

© 2015 Nicola Noble & Little Love Cakes: Please observe the rules of copyright and blog etiquette. If you use my ideas or images, please link back to my blog. And do let me know - I'd love to take a look.

Sunday 1 February 2015

Magic Elves 2014

So January had been and gone and I have only just managed to find the time to post the update  about our Christmas visitors.

Sally and Colin came with us to visit Father Christmas. He was very pleased to see them and asked if they had been behaving themselves (and if Sophie and Justin had been behaving themselves too!)
That night they staged an identity parade to find the imposter Father Christmas!
Colin donned his work clothes again to make some cute wooden elf gift tags.
The following night they were found hiding under a big box with another book Katie's London Christmas, to go with the other Katie in London books we have.
This was followed by Boingy and bunny being taught how to write "Elves are our friends"
I think the toy soldiers had had enough of all the naughtiness and decided to tie Sally and Colin up for trying to steal some marshmallows ...
On Christmas Eve morning, Sally and Colin were hiding behind the curtains with new nightclothes for Sophie and Justin. This has become a bit of a tradition.
Sophie and Justin said their goodbyes to Sally and Colin on Christmas Eve night and gave them extra cuddles as they went to sleep ...

... only to discover them still with us on Christmas morning! They were hiding behind the sofa with some big presents from Father Christmas (I'm sure it was them that hid it and not something FC would have done!). It seems they were allowed to stay a couple of extra days to make up for missing the first day due to the snowstorm.
Sophie and Justin really enjoyed having Sally and Colin help them open their presents and playing with them with their new toys. They stayed a few more days and then one morning, Sophie and Justin woke up to find a little thank you note and some sweeties and snow and they'd gone!
We hope to see you again next Christmas and thanks for a fun time Sally and Colin x

So here's a round-up of the elf antics this year:
1 - Telegram from Elves saying they are stuck at the airport due to a snow storm and that the should be arriving tomorrow
2 - They arrive in their felt bags with snowflakes everywhere
3 - Blank letters to write Christmas lists with a special felt envelope to post them to Father Christmas
4 - Reading The great dog bottom swap book to all the doggies in the house
5 - Playing connect 4 (big version with big elves)
6 - Playing connect 4 (mini version with mini elves)
7 - Hiding under the duvet with the Big Book of Crazy Mix-Ups
8 - Toasting marshmallows over playmobil pirate fire (mini version with mini elves); Large marshmallows on a plate with a sign Eat me
9 - Toasting marshmallows (big version with big elves)
10 - Toymaker Colin made wooden dancing elf ornaments
11 - Making snowmen from toilet rolls and hiding in the cupboard
12 - Cookie Maker Sally made Pecan & caramel plaits, followed by pretzels
13 - Elf crime - drawn on Mr & Mrs Snowballs' faces in the night
14 - Sally in her cookie outfit with a big plate of cookies for Cookie Monsters
15 - Naughty or nice list for teddies
16 - Trying to steal money from money boxes - wearing burglar masks with an envelope labelled Swag and climbing up a rope to get to them
17 - Sunbathing, wearing sunglasses, sun cream, towels, glass with straw and picture of sun
18 - Playing toss the marshmallows into the Costa Coffee Christmas cups
19 - Toymaker Colin making wooden elf gift tags
20 - Father Christmas Wanted poster and identity parade of all the Father Christmases in the house
21 - Hiding under a big box with another book Katie's London Christmas
22 - Teaching teddies - "elves are your friends" written on black/whiteboard
23 - Captured by toy soldiers and tied up
24 - Hiding behind the curtains with new nightclothes
25 - They got to stay for a few extra days as they were delayed at the start of December

© 2015 Nicola Noble & Little Love Cakes: Please observe the rules of copyright and blog etiquette. If you use my ideas or images, please link back to my blog. And do let me know - I'd love to take a look.