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How To...
Heart Letter Holder for Laura Ashley 




"Utterly endeared by the book, we just had to get in touch! With a wealth of stunning AW11 fabrics at our finger tips, co-author Hannah Read-Baldrey kindly offered to put together step by step instructions on how to make their gorgeous heart pin board using our very own ditsy floral print fabric Luella Foxglove Pink Linen Rich Fabric. Now you can cherish your special postcards, christmas cards and letters with love with a Laura Ashley letter holder…" Laura Ashley Blog

You will need
1 or 2 x sheets A2 mount board (depending on required size)
60cm/60cm of patterned fabric (here we have used Laura Ashley Luella Foxglove Pink fabric)
1m/.0.5m of 3cm thick wadding
4-5m/ 0.5cm wide ribbon
Box of paper fasteners
Selection of fabric covered buttons
Following the template below, enlarge to required size and cut out 2x heart shapes from the card…


Take the wadding and fold in half so it is doubled up. Using one of the cut out hearts as a template cut to size leaving around 3cm extra allowance around the edges. With one of the hearts laid on top, fold over the edges of the wadding and staple tightly into place. Cut away any unwanted excess…




To cover with fabric, cut to size as with wadding but leaving a 10cm overlap. Notch and trim curves and corners. With a hot glue-gun glue fabric taught into place, it is best to glue one point at each side first to ensure the fabric doesn’t pull out of place…


For the ribbon, lay out equally spaced lengths diagonally across the fabric covered heart in about 10cm intervals, in a cross hatch pattern. Make sure to leave an additional 5cm allowance at each end, and to glue to the back of the heart…

At the point the ribbon crosses pierce a small hole with a scalpel right through the back of the card. Push a paper fastener through this hole and split back to secure behind. Repeat this process for all the ribbon crosses. Cover fasteners with buttons to give a neat finish…






To make an optional wire hook to hang the heart from use the second card heart and pierce two holes horizontally about 15cm apart in the upper central part of the card. Feed wire through holes and wrap around it self to secure.
To fix both hearts together, line up card heart backs and attach using the hot glue-gun glue sandwiching together folding edges neatly inside.
Hammer a picture hook into the wall and hang heart from wire. Tuck post cards and letters into the ribbon. Gorgeous!


Photos Hannah Read-Baldrey © 2011

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Everything Alice Stationery Bumper Pack Competition!
*Entries can be seen on the Your Alice page


This competition has now closed.
Congratulations to Emma-Louise Browse for her lovely White Rabbit Ears, it was the great photo which really stood out, along with her mini twitter campaign to be the winner! Stationery on its way to you now, well done!!






Have you heard the news? Alice now has her very own stationery range! All illustrations are from Hannah's handmade paper-cuts and the delightful graphic design by Christine, we think they are beautiful. The selection of products would be loved by any Alice fan; from the Eat Me and Drink Me notecards, to the set of three Alice Quote Notebooks, there is even a Queen of Hearts Cake stand. The collection is unmistakably Everything Alice and is a great way for anyone who loves the book to have a bit more quirky Everything Alice-ness in their lives.

For your chance to win the amazing bumper pack of goodies, including all four items from the new range, as well as a signed book from Christine and Hannah: All you have to do is make something from the book and send us a picture and little note to say why you made it and who its for. Perhaps it is a Christmas present for someone, or a birthday or simply for yourself! Competition closes on 15th December 2011 and is open to all worldwide.

For more information on the Everything Alice stationery range please click here.
To see a blog post by Hannah about the making of stationery please click here.







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THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED
Congratulations to Miss Sue Flay of Cambridge!

Win a Heart Letter Holder Competition!

Yes, its very exciting, you can really win the actual Heart Letter Holder from the book, so you could be the very proud owner of your very own handmade project by Hannah!


For your chance to win, all you need to do is to write your review of Everything Alice on the Amazon website  click here .UK or click here .COM and email us once you have done using the form below. We cant wait to hear your comments. Competition closes 30th September 2011 and is open to all worldwide.

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Make your own Alice Doll...
Why not make your very own lovely Alice with this stunning paper doll kit, illustrated by our very own Hannah. Click on the image then print or mount onto card, then cut out Alice as well as her costumes & props. To stand Alice up, fold back dotted lines of her base, use the tabs on the clothes to attach them. Have fun!




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Red Kings Red Velvet Cupcakes



You'll need ( makes 12):

170g self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder

30ml natural red food colouring

55g unsalted butter

170g caster sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

120ml sour cream or buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon of White Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda



Cream cheese frosting

55g butter

120g full fat cream cheese

170g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crowns
gold or silver and red glittery paper or card
A heart shaped hole punch (optional)







* video demonstration filmed for www.domesticsluts.co.uk 

Make it!

Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C/ gas mark 4. Line a regular 12 hole cupcake tin with cases.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder and food colouring; blend until thick and shiny with no lumps.
Cream the butter and sugar together in one large bowl, beat until light and fluffy. Slowly add the egg then the cocoa paste add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Now add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, stirring in alternate spoonfuls until mixture is well blended.
In a cup mix the vinegar and baking soda, there will be a fizz! Combine this with the mixture.
Spoon into cases and bake for 20mins. Leave to cool fully before adding frosting.

For the crowns
Cut out crown shape by clicking on the below pattern to enlarge, then add little red hearts to the tips. Cut a heart from the middle of the crown and staple into a circle.



Cream cheese frosting
Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth. Sift in icing sugar and add vanilla extract.
With a large star shaped icing nozzle ice cooled cakes and add crowns cut from gold paper.