Best of Flowers watercoloured hydrangea

Yesterday, when I was making that quick hydrangea card, I had in my mind the kind that can't make up their mind whether they want to be pink or blue - do you know the ones?! I didn't think my effort conveyed that though, so I tried again, this time using proper watercolour paper. Come and see how it turned out:

I gave the hydrangea exactly the same treatment as yesterday but the watercolour paper gives a more intense colour that I think is much more effective. I cut it out with my sharp paper snips, tied a piece of linen thread around it and mounted it onto a background stamped with French Foliage. Here's a close up:

Just look at the blend of colours on the flower head! French Foliage is one of my favourite EVER sets and I'm very sad to see it on the retirement list - well, I say it's on the list but the Cling Mount version has already sold out, not surprisingly.  If you'd like this set in Wood mount, please do contact me as soon as possible!
Here's what you'll need for this card
Stamps: Best of Flowers, Delightful Dozen
Ink: Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake classic inks, stazon black
Card stock: Very Vanilla, watercolour paper
Other: Garden Green, Marina Mist and Rich Razzleberry markers, aqua painter, linen thread, paper snips, stamp-a-majig
I CAN ORDER STAMPIN' UP ITEMS FOR YOU AND HAVE THEM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR ADDRESS IN THE UK. I'M COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO OFFER HELP AND ADVICE. TO FIND OUT MORE OR TO PLACE YOUR ORDER, JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL OR GIVE ME A CALL ON 01280 820593.
• It won't be long before the new annual catalogue is here and to make way for the new items some of our favourites are retiring. Click the links for lists of the STAMPS and ACCESSORIES that are retiring - some at amazing prices! Sale items are never around for long, so contact me as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

I promised you a special cake today and here it is - an absolutely delicious birthday cake made for me by my lovely, thoughtful daughter:

It's a cake with a difference too:  Without meaning to bore you, I've had one or two health issues over the last 15 years and, this year, I have had some success in addressing them by making changes to what I eat. Wheat is a no-no for me and refined sugar doesn't feature in my diet either... so my daughter found this recipe that contains neither and adapted it. It was melt-in-the-mouth gorgeous, with light, moist, bitter chocolate cake, filled and topped with whipped cream and decorated with dark, sweet cherries. In case you fancy trying it yourself, here's how my daughter made it:

Ingredients:
10 Medjool dates
4 Gala apples or similar
3 eggs
60g coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
60g cocoa powder
60g coconut flour
110ml strong coffee
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
230ml double cream
Cherries
Method:
Peel, core and slice the apples, cook until soft and purée. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, stone the dates and whiz in a food processor. Add the apple purée and the other wet ingredients and whiz again to mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and pulse until mixed. Turn into two buttered, lined 9" tins and bake for 30 mins at 170 degrees C. Turn out onto a wire rack and when completely cool sandwich together with a third of the whipped cream, top with rest and decorate with pitted cherries. Set up an armed guard at the kitchen door to prevent it being demolished by ravening hordes!

Enjoy the weekend. We'll be seeing some more sunshine in the UK according to the forecast - I could get used to this holiday weather! See you soon,